Cherry Blossom Rave (Event w/ Theo)

Aspen had been to Sakuramori before, of course. It had been a while, though, now that she recalled the last time. The forest of cherry blossoms surrounding the city was famous for its enigmatic trees that, contrary to its normal counterparts, which were only in full bloom for a brief period in spring, would be covered by vibrant pink flowers year-round, something that drew the attention of tourists from all over this nation, and indeed, from some of the others as well, as she had learned. She was passing through essentially by chance today, however, not here to view the cherry blossoms or to play tourist, travelling back to the guild hall of Silver Wolf after just returning from yet another odd job she'd accepted to keep her seemingly perpetually broke self afloat. It wasn't like the fair-haired Slayer was opposed to more dangerous jobs, or to the general bits od treasure hunting that some of her fellow guild mates so readily and often indulged in, but the former was, more often than not, more of an effort than it was worth, and the later was a tad too uncertain for Aspen. Stability and certainty, while things that still seemed very much absent from the Slayer's daily life, were things that the girl valued highly, and yet, for one reason or the other, they always seemed to escape from her. Well, it was what is was. She couldn't force progress, and all of this, being a guild mage in one of Fiore's various Guilds was not a bad hand to be dealt. Certainly better than Pergrande, but that wasn't much of a feat.

Either way, she tried to take her mind off these memories. She was already anxious enough, she didn't need to worry about it again. It came as a rather convenient coincidence that Sakuramori was, compared to its normally so peaceful and quiet state, very much alive and in the middle of a strange festivity tonight. The sun had already gone down, though the lanterns that would normally light the city's roads had been replaced with glowing lights that flashed in an array of bright neon hues, the normally mundane and anything but eccentric populace replacing their usual clothing with strange and very much out of place costumes. Both the mood and the music alike, the girl thought, she couldn't quite relate to, either. Heavy bass thundered through the streets, backed up by strangely distorted sounds that felt like they were generated by unnatural means. Honestly, it it felt more like arbitrary noise than music. The theme, too, was something Aspen had never seen, let alone heard about before. What were these strange get-ups and costumes supposed to represent? An invasion from outer space? She didn't really understand, though felt somewhat out of place in the usual skirt and oversized jacket combo. The one saving grace, though, was that the streets were lined with stalls and stands of all sizes and kinds, offering a variety of weird and otherworldly treats and souvenirs, the Slayer's eyes particularly drawn to a particularly eccentric bar that offered similarly eccentric drinks. She could certainly do with a drink before she went home. It wouldn't be too much of a distraction to stop here, would it? Something to lift her mood a little wouldn't hurt ...

Without much thought, the girl would claim one of the seats, her gaze briefly scanning over the assortment of weird beverages on the menu, all of them cocktails, it seemed, before the bartender, a man who was dressed in an elegant suit, made his way over, though his head and face were covered by something that appeared like a helmet, a display, seemlessly blending in with the rest of the headgear's structure, flashing with neon colors and lights. A voice, distored into robotic sounds would ring out from beneath the helmet as he addressed her. "What can I get you?". Aspen, with her practiced expression that appeared to be the very definition of stoicism and calculated disinterest, would subtly raise an eyebrow, but didn't let herself be bothered by the strange persona that had appeared before her, instead giving back a simple and motonous "Surprise me", based on the lack of her understanding pertaining to any of the offered drinks. Seriously, what the hell was a "Neon Burst" or a "Digital Dillemma" supposed to be? It would've helped if there'd been a list of ingredients for the drinks, at least, but as it was, Aspen had no choice but to accept whatever she'd be given. The bartender hurried off to fumble around with an assortment of ingredients that appeared just as bizarre as the rest of this event, leaving the girl wondering what kind of drink exactly she'd be settled with.

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Post Word Count: 794
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It didn't take long for the man in otherworldly gear to return to the Slayer from Silver Wolf, a glass in a strange shape in his hand, filled to the brim with a glowing neon green liquid that seemed, upon first glance, more like bile than an actual drink. Placing the drink before the girl, he would immediately work to bring a bit of distance between himself and Aspen, though she would pay no attention to that fact, instead eyeing the beverage with a suspicious gaze, an eyebrow raised in surprise. Well, the drink was certainly just as out of place as the rest of this festival was, that much was sure. Still, the thing was a little too different from what Aspen normally had, she prefered shots or unmixed liqour and spirits, if she could help it. Alcohol, where she came from, was very much not something that was meant to be a beverage one would enjoy casually. Those that drank did so to forget the harsh reality around them, to escape it and ease their pain, if only for a little while. Almost everyone she'd known back home had consumed alcohol on the regular, lots of it as well, and she had been no exception. It had been necessary for some of the work she'd done, but that was an entirely different matter. That had been her old life. Who knew, perhaps the people of Fiore had it better. Perhaps this drink was good, after all. She could ponder over that forever, but she wouldn't find out if she didn't try, the girl thus lifting the glass to her lips, taking a sip.

Of course, that would be the exact moment the girl began to regret her decision. The drink was great, delicious, in fact, the scent and flavor of green apple, something that she found quite appealing, flooding her senses, though "flooding" seemed to be the key word. Before she knew it, the drink inside the glass began to fizz, violently bursting from the glass and covering both her face and clothing in the neon green drink. The girl would blink, placing the now almost emptay glass on the bar before her as she tried to process this. She looked down at her jacket and skirt, plentiful streaks dots of fluorescent hues covering her outfit. Her face undoubtedly shared the same pattern. Her eyebrows inched closer together, and indeed, would, in a quite obvious manner, display her anger in a way that she hadn't done in a long while, her cold expression shifting slowly with an icy fury. Honestly, it took her everything she had to not pull out a handgun and blast robot-man's stupid mask off right then and there, instead shooting a vicious glare at the bartender in the strange outfit. Aspen was about to speak, about to have a very angry word with the fellow, a piece of her mind that would undoubtedly be saturated with inelligable Pergrandian insults, though it seemed like coincidence was the faster one between the two.

Hearing a familiar voice call her name, or rather, shout it aloud in what appeared like overt excitement, the girl would turn her head from the bartender to the swiftly-approaching Treasure Hunter to her side, the previous occurances apparently distracting her enough to miss his sudden appearance entirely. The angry expression would vanish almost at once, giving way to genuine surprise. "Theo?". She had not expected to see him here in Sakuramori, or let alone at this bar, and, as it seemed, also suffering from the consequences of having ordered one of these delicious, but explosive green drinks. Before she could even ask her fellow guild mage what he was doing here or how he'd found her, though, he'd already shuffled over the bar stools that separated them, getting uncomfortably close to her. Once more finding herself unable to maintain the mask of practiced stoicism, her cheeks, despite the green substance that covered her from head to toe, would flush with a rosy hue, the girl pressing her lips together slightly as she averted her eyes to the ground. She tried to keep a straight face, but her embarassment over the fact that she had been caught in a situation like this by none other than Theo was hard to simply push away. "W-what are you doing here?".

Perplexed, she would raise her eyes again to look at the man when he asked her if she'd come here to "party with him", her eyebrows raised in confusion. "Theo, are you ... drunk? Well ... I came here to have a drink myself, but ...". She felt like she didn't have to conclude her explanation. The remains of the explosive beverage on her clothes explained for her, and judging by Theo's appearance, he would understand quite well. The girl sighed, looking away once more before turning away, the annoyance over the spilled drink returning now that the surprise had worn off and she'd once again been reminded that the drink she was supposed to enjoy had exploded on her. "If you want to party, then let's get out of here first. Either that, or I'll blow that bartender a new zadnitsa". With those words, the Slayer would take off towards the crowd, assuming that the Treasure Hunter would follow her. She did want to ask him, still, he had asked her what she was here for, too, after all, but that could wait until she'd cooled off. Eventually, after walking some distance in silence, the girl would turn back to the Treasure Hunter, her expression once more assuming the usual neutral, uncaring appearance, the Slayer returning to a state where she could feel more casual, especially with him around. "So, why did you come here, anyway?".

Well, it wasn't like his presence here was surprising. Wasn't he here to have fun? Then again, perhaps it was. The girl realized that there was a lot she didn't know about Theo, and about what constitued a fun time for him outside of being goofy and pursuing treasure. That was the moment she spotted the crowd that had gathered in a circle at the next street corner, cheering and yelling to the beat of heavy music that hummed and echoed in the background. Only upon getting closer did she realize that the people in the circle seemed like they were dancing, albeit she had to admit that the style was entirely beyond her. Actually, now that she thought about it, she'd never really tried dancing. She'd always been busy with ... other things, and it hadn't crossed her mind even once. Still, a small smirk would find it's way onto her lips, the girl turning to the Treasure Hunter with expecting gaze and a teasing tone, which she couldn't seem to shake whenever he was around for reasons that she couldn't quite name herself. "What do you think? If it is a party you want, how about you show me how you party, Theo?".

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Post Word Count: 1,167
Personal Word Count Total: 1,961
Thread Word Count Total: 2,803 / 4,000

Aspen was surprised when Theo replied to her question with a straight-forward answer that she hadn't expected. Were these kinds of events what her fellow mage from Silver Wolf enjoyed? Well, he certainly did look the part, Aspen having a hard time gauging whether this was a consequence of his drunken state, his usual goofy persona, or simply just the overall eccentricity of this party that Theo was, in a way, vibing with.

It became evident that the man was enjoying himself when he seemingly out of nowhere scooped up more alcohol before pressing two shot glasses into her hands, not hesitating to down both of them in a matter of moments, less than that, perhaps. Admittedly, it left the Slayer a little bewildered, it came somewhat unexpected, after all, though she found herself amused by the man's quirky approach once more, even allowing herself to giggle just a little, though she was sure that the thumps of the omnidirectional and ever-continuing echo of bass around them would drown it out. "Alright. In that case, vashe zdorovye", she would hum before knocking back the first shot, and, before the sensation of a burning tingle in her throat could set in, following it up with the second. Admittedly, that was a healthy dose of alcohol, but it was nothing the Slayer couldn't handle. The familiar warmth would settle in her stomach, and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks. In a way, it was a comforting feeling, and while the more intoxicating effect of the drink would take a little bit of time to appear, the feeling it inspired in the moment was intoxicating enough in its own right. The girl took a deep breath. Perhaps Theo knew how to have a good time partying, after all? She'd stick to him, in that case. Being honest with herself, she had no idea how one was supposed to party and what exactly that entailed, and if he was at least more knowledgable than her then perhaps she would be able to learn a thing or two about, as he had put it, "blowing off some steam".

Still, despite this determined mindset, the girl was surprised when he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the circle of people with the expressed intent to beat someone in a dance-off, the Slayer exclaiming the notion with a confused "Huh?", though she wouldn't pull away, finding herself in the midst of this supposed dancing contest just a moment later. The crowd around them were chanting and cheering, Aspen's eyes wandering over the mass of partygoers until they found their would-be opponent, a peculiar person, or individual, or ... well, machine? They looked like they were a robot, their movements only backing this particular impression up as the individual broke out into a set of movements that appeared entirely mechanical, Aspen, with an expression that had returned to a blank stare, returning her gaze to Theo who, against all better judgement, seemed eager to accept the challenge. Though reluctant to dance, the girl knew that she couldn't dance, she'd never even practiced or attempted to, after all, coupled with the fact that she wasn't nearly drunk enough to not feel at least a good portion of embarrassment, she would follow the Treasure Hunter's lead, trying her best to mimick his movements, her expression still blank, though her cheeks slightly alight with a shade of red. This proved harder in practice than in theory, of course. Aspen didn't necessarily possess the ability to bend her body like her bones were made out of, well, jello, and so, while she did her best to keep up, gradually getting into it more and more, perhaps not least due to the influence of the alcohol, her erratic and uncoordinated flailing, for the lack of a better description, was just as strange, if not a little more strange than that of her fellow Silver Wolf mage. She was pretty sure she'd bumped into the Treasure Hunter several times, or was it the other way around? Did it even matter? She supposed that it didn't. It was goofy, it was embarrassing, but most importantly of it all, it was fun. Something that Aspen allowed herself to feel all-too-seldomly, a smirk spreading across her lips.

It was no question who had won this dance-off, but she didn't exactly care. Somewhat out of breath, the girl would turn to Theo, her fist lightly and in a playful manner tapping his shoulder, giggling with an amused and sarcastic, though not condescending or patronizing tone. "I didn't know that your moves were this impressive. For a Treasure Hunter, you sure know how to move", following her joke up with a playful wink. "It was fun. So, Mister Party Animal, what's up next?". She didn't need an answer, as it seemed that coincidence had led the two directly to the next activity, the massive rumble of drums, coupled with an explosion of paint nearby immediately drawing the Slayers attention. The girl instictively snickered when Theo was suddenly splashed by a portion of the paint, though the man's physical reaction to the sudden burst from the musical instrument quickly caused her reaction to shift to a hint of concer. The Slayer knelt down, patting the ball of nerves on the ground on the shoulder. "There, there. What's wrong, Theo? It's just a set of drums. Look, it seems fun". Standing up again, the girl didn't know if those words of reassurance were quite enough for the man. She didn't really know what had gotten into him. Had the sudden bang of the drums been too much of a jump scare? Well, no better way to prove that it was really fun than to show him, right? She thought that, but she didn't really know how to play the drums anyway. Still, she would shuffle behind one of the musical instruments that were filled to the brim with neon-colored paints, at once manifesting a pair of metallic drumsticks in her hands, whether he would follow and join her or not.

Without much hesitation, the girl began playing, tapping the drums at first gently to the rythm of the beat before intensifying her attack on the instrument, paint splashing and splooshing into all directions and covering her and her clothes head to toe in vibrant hues. It didn't really matter. Her outfit was ruined from the drink earlier anyway. She might as well let herself go just this once, and much to her surprise, she seemed to actually be fairly decent at this, the echo of the drums and the spray of paint to the bass-laden beat of the music around them seemed to excite the crowd, cheers and whistles ringing out as she moved her arms faster and faster, heavier and heavier strikes hitting the drums with each second. Finally, with a similar boom to the one that had incapacitated the Treasure Hunter, Aspen slammed down the drumsticks into the instrument as the song came to an end, earning her a wave of cheering from the crowd, the girl leaving the small stage where the thing had been set up, almost oblivious to the big smile she was wearing. "That was ... something. I wouldn't mind doing that again", she would gleefully confess to Theo before taking his hand this time. "The party isn't over yet, though, is it? Let's see what else there is to do while we're here!". Aspen's mood had shifted quite considerably from the flicker of annoyance that had started her night to a noticably more relaxed and excited one. Whether this was the alcohol or the fact she'd simply gotten used to stumbling from party activity to the next one with the Treasure Hunter, she didn't know, but she didn't care. She had to admit, she was having fun, and that was just what she needed tonight. She wouldn't let the opportunity go to waste.

"But first-", she continued, doing as Theo had done and, with a theatrical motion, pilfering shots from a nearby bar table and pushing them into Theo's hands with a giggle.

"-The night's still young. Time for more drinks!".

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Post Word Count: 1,360
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Thread Word Count Total: 5,172 / 4,000