Soulfasting Concert for Charity

[my_father_is_a_tycoon]

Who: Lenna Charlotte Tycoon, the Kagamine twins, and open invite for all
What: A Soulfast-themed charity concert and dance
When: Sunday night
Where: The Tycoon family estate
Summary: Lenna is hosting a charity event to benefit Union's poor and homeless population, along with refugees from war-torn communities outside Union's walls and people who are moving into the city but need some help while they get on their feet.  The entire city is invited, and donations are not required but are strongly encouraged in the form of Lenna smiling and making big moe eyes at everyone as they enter until they do.

[It's the beginning of the Soulfasting holiday, and despite the complications with Cresselia and Darkrai, Lenna has miraculously managed to pull together the final preparations for her charity event at the last minute.  The party itself is being held at the Tycoon mansion in the noble quarter, and the doors have been opened for any and all who wish to come and make merry.

The spacious foyer of the house has been set up with numerous tables with food and drink for the various attendees, plenty of room for dancing and mingling, and of course a large stage at the front of the room set up for Rin and Len Kagamine - Lenna's roommates and the headline performing act of the night.  There are donation boxes situated around the room, and Lenna will also be accepting larger donations personally so that she can secure them elsewhere in the house.

And because of the time of year, there is also a table set up with plenty of Pokemon-themed masks for people to wear, with a fancy sign hand written in calligraphy: 'Courtesy of the Tatsumi Gallery.'  Lenna herself is wearing a short red party dress with matching heels, greeting everyone as they enter and more or less just buzzing about making sure everyone is having a good time.]

Comments

[unbalancedlove]

Hehe, I thought you wouldn't recognize me like this.

[To be honest it was hard to tell that he was Harima either but their last encounter had been quite memorable. It was worth a try, wasn't it? even if it wasn't him it would be somebody that was having as much fun here as she was.

Kotori takes the silent invitation and joins him by the wall.]

It's a lucky coincidence.

[hige_san]

Why wouldn't I? You're still Kotori.

[And that incident at the Lake, for as disturbing and frustrating as it was, had definitely imprinted itself on his memory. Try as he might, he knew he wasn't going to forget it anytime soon.

A part of him didn't want to, either.

Harima hmphed at her comment about coincidences.]

Not really. I'm just here because Yakumo invited me.

[unbalancedlove]

I am, I am, but you only saw me at my fluffiest so I thought it would be a harder connection to make.

[Kotori lets out a feminine giggle at her own fluffy comment. Yes, her mood is much better now that she can talk with somebody.]

Ah, Yakumo is here too? I didn't think she liked this kind of events.

[hige_san]

You still sound like yourself...

[Come on, Kotori. Harima knew that he was dumb, but he wasn't dumb enough to not recognize the fluffy bird pokemon shifter.

...He was quite fond of the aesthetic of the fluff. It reminded him of clouds or bubbles, something that would be interesting to ink out on a blank page for the fun of it.]

She's quiet, but her family put her up to this, I think.

...It's a lot different than I imagined it'd be.

[unbalancedlove]

[She nods in agreement.]

I do but a lot of people talk to me in the habitat and never make the connection, it's strange.

[Probably because shiny Swablu which talks is more impressive than a young girl walking around with a Deerling. Nonetheless it's a bit confusing for her, she is the same person after all.]

That sounds troublesome... maybe we should invite her over here?

[She glances around in search of Yakumo without success. She is a bit worried about her friend's struggles now.]

What kind of image did you have, Harima?

[hige_san]

[Harima made a 'tch' sound, as if in annoyance or derision. How could anyone not recognize Kotori as Kotori? Seriously, and people called him dumb...]

I dunno. I thought it'd be more hoity toity than this. [He glanced down at the girl.] If you wanna invite her over, go ahead, but she looks like she's having fun dancing with that blond guy in the suit.

[He wasn't sure how he felt about that...but, if Yakumo was smiling and having a good time? Then it was all right.]

[unbalancedlove]

[A-Are we presencing Yakumo's romantic life blossoming, Harima-san?! Since she missed completely the 'couple' dancing before once she focuses and notices it's really her friend she turns quite red and lets out a short gasp of surprise.

Kotori reaches for the man's sleeve and pulls from it softly yet insistently]

Is he Yakumo's b-boyfriend?

[... Wait, does Yakumo have a boyfriend? they never really talk about love.]

[hige_san]

[Kotori's impulsive comment hit a chord in Harima that he didn't even realize was there until the question came up-- what if he really was Yakumo's boyfriend?]

Hell if I know! [Harima all but growled, more defensive than he really ought to be.] She never said anything about having a boyfriend before.

[That couldn't be right, could it? He and Yakumo usually talked about pokemon, not about their romantic lives.

...why did it bother him so much?]

[unbalancedlove]

[Harima's passionate (?) reply startles her a little and awards him with a very curious gaze now fixed on him. Her cheeks heat up as her imagination runs wild once again.]

... Harima, do you... for Yakumo?...

[Her eyes practically sparkle at the possibility of a love triangle.]

[hige_san]

What-- No!!

[He felt his face burning under her wide-eyed gaze.]

We're friends, okay? I'm allowed to be curious!

[They really were friends, right? She was someone nice to talk to, someone who didn't judge him by his looks or his manner of talking.

She liked pokemon, and he liked pokemon. Wasn't that enough to be friends?]

[unbalancedlove]

[From friends to lovers, the forbidden door! Her hold on Harima's sleeve tightens a bit.]

Y-Yes, in the name of friendship!

[More like she believes Harima likes Yakumo and can't admit it, should one judge her thoughts by that overly excited gaze. A true love triangle!]

Should we approach them to make sure?

[hige_san]

No.

[The single word was spoken with distinct emphasis. There was no way that a scruffy guy like him, who was the equivilant of a feral swinub, could ever dream of daring to enter that den of classy, elegant people with whom he had no place!

--Besides. Whatever Yakumo does when she's on her own is none of his business. He's got no right to question another person's private affairs.]

If you wanna ask her, go ahead. She might not want a guy prying.

[unbalancedlove]

...

[She may or may not be pouting now.]

But you are interested too, right? as her... friend.

[If only she were assertive enough to push him more like this... Kotori lets go of his sleeve.]

[hige_san]

[Harima swallowed his anxieties and stared down at the girl for a moment before quickly turning away. There was no way he could stand looking at her looking at him like that!]

'Course I'm curious, [he grumbled,] Yakumo's my friend. I don't want her getting involved in something weird.

[unbalancedlove]

[Being stared at isn't as troubling as it would be if Harima actually had any ill intent and her pouting is, well, actually pretty adorable. Staring for too long is dangerous.]

I'm curious too! After all Yakumo is a close friend, if he was a bad man trying to take advantage of her...

[It was just an idle thought but the idea is actually worrying her now. Kotori glances at the couple once again, concern clear in her expression. Maybe she was hiding him because he is a bad man? no, her imagination is running wild.]

[hige_san]

[Her overactive imagination was setting off his in all the worst ways. He was just imagining the devilish blond lifting Yakumo into his arms and dashing out of the ballroom with her--]

Let's go, Kotori. [He pushed up his shades, the dark lenses glinted ominously under the festive lights of the ballroom.] We're rescuing Yakumo.

[unbalancedlove]

[They are a very bad combination for letting their imaginations run wild.

Anyway, a rescue mission! Kotori gets in the mood for such immediately, nodding eagerly.]

Yes!

[There they go!]

[hige_san]

[AND OFF THEY MARCH!!

Harima pickes his way through the crowd none too elegantly, casually elbowing his way past the wealthy patrons without apology, and clearing a path for Kotori to follow if she wanted. He ignored all of the comments that fluttered up around them-- words like 'insolent' and 'lowlife' meant nothing to him. They were all words that he had heard before and didn't care if he ever heard again.

Can you keep up, Kotori? Can you stand these comments?]

[unbalancedlove]

[It's not like Kotori herself was never the focus of harsh gazes, it's not something the bird can't handle, but she does feel a bit bad about pushing their way into the crowd like this.

For Yakumo's sake!

Nonetheless she is a determined bird at the moment! Kotori follows admirably fast for somebody wearing heels.]

[hige_san]

[Her speed was impressive-- especially considering the heels but, after spending the last several months living with an older cousin who was almost like a sister, he had come to respect the sheer power of a determined woman in heels.

They neared the dance floor just in time to....

See Yakumo and the blond part ways?]

The gig's up, Kotori. [He turned around and looked at her, almost as if relieved.] She got out on her own.

[unbalancedlove]

[This should be quite anticlimactic but honestly? Kotori is also happy to know that. She smiles brightly at the new information.]

We should have trusted her from the get go, Yakumo is truly a strong girl.

[Standing against evil men without hesitation while having no pokemon around... she is so proud!

There is however a simple fact that they are missing in their glee: they are standing practically in the middle of the dance floor with gazes on them and music playing.]

[hige_san]

[Harima, unfortunately, didn't even notice that fact as he shoved his hands deep into the folds of his yukata, an oddly satisfied smile on his face. Yakumo, truly, was a strong girl. He was forever impressed with her!]<.small>

Guess we weren't needed after all, huh?

[unbalancedlove]

So it seems but there is no way we can stand still if she isn't well after all.

[They are her friends, aren't they? it's just natural.

Kotori does notice after some moments and seems a bit embarrassed by that. They should leave if they don't want to dance, right?]

We are in the dance floor now, Harima.

[hige_san]

...we are?

[Harima glanced at the girl, mildly surprised, before glancing around the room to confirm this.]

...we are.

[He stood there for a beat, absolutely confused, before looking askance at Kotori.

There was no way he was dancing. He didn't know how...but, he didn't know how to extract himself either.]

[unbalancedlove]

[Unluckily this isn't really her field of expertise either and their indelicate advance through the crowd made it so that they have lots of eyes on them to run away with dignity.]

Maybe we could mimic the others and escape into the balcony when we get close to it?

[They could also run away at full speed but, well, heels.]