Great Dojo

[Panda]

Nanako

The squirrel girl didn't seem weighed down by the pause much, looking down at the girl thoughtfully for a long moment before shrugging.

"Sounds like you should just do what you've been doing, then, and help the ones who'll let you," Nanako said simply, "...Think I could help?"

[Aiden]

Carin

"Do you really think it's working...?" She sounded uncertain now, her face turning down into a little frown. But then she perked up, red eyes wide with surprise. "You mean you want to?!"

Carin placed her hands on Nanako's cheeks, smiling while her eyes practically sparkled in happiness.

"If you want to, we could do so much together!"

[Panda]

Nanako

Nanako's eyes went wide as Carin suddenly held her face, a slight blush dusting her cheeks at how excited she sounded.

"I'd say it's working, y-yeah," Nanako said, trying to keep her voice even in the face of such adorable eagerness, "You're helping me, a-and I'm sure you'll help plenty of others. The people who refuse you might come back around later, too."

"And yeah, I want to help if I can," she perked up with a smile of her own, "You helped me, after all."

[Aiden]

Carin

"Really?! Oh, this is great!" She hopped out of Nanako's arms, and hopped around a bit in excitement around her. "We're going to do so many good things for people together! Oh, I need to tell the rest of my faithful to expect you later, and I'll need to figure out where to -"

The goddess paused.

"Where precisely do you live, again?"

[Panda]

Nanako

The squirrel girl stood up as Carin hopped free of the hug and started practically bouncing around. Unable to help a smile at the little goddess's clear joy, though part of her wondered if things were maybe going too fast. A tiny, often ignored part of her.

"Ah, I'm renting out a place in Pine Garden with a friend," Nanako said, giving her a curious look, "...Why, are they all going to be meeting us there?"

[Aiden]

Carin

"Hmm? Oh, no, not that." Carin shook her head, and hopped again in excitement. "I think you're my first from Pine Garden, though! Most of them are in that place everyone calls the slums."

She pouts at the thought of it.

"It's not a nice place. I'm hoping that together, we can all make it a nicer place to live. But you can't just kill people and hope to make the world better."

[Panda]

Nanako

Nanako frowned in turn, already knowing what kind of place Carin was talking about even if she'd never been there herself. The squirrel girl frowned at the last part, all the same, unable to help thinking back to the arena. And then that day...

"Of course not," Nanako said quickly, shaking her head and trying to focus on the little goddess in front of her, "I really don't like killing anyway."

The squirrel girl fell quiet for a long moment, before finally speaking up, "...So, does it get easier? That man, in the arena...he knew what he was there for, and he made it seem so...simple. I...don't want that. I don't ever want that."

Nanako was disgusted by the idea, but...she needed to know.

[Aiden]

Carin

Carin blinked a few times, her face scrunching up in confusion. "I do not believe killing is something that should get easier for anyone. The easier something is, the more likely you are to keep doing it if it gets you what you think you want."

She turned around again, her back to the squirrel girl, and continued. "So it's okay if you don't wanna be like that. That's a good thing!" She looked back over her shoulder and smiled.

[Panda]

Nanako

"Alright. Good," Nanako said with a relieved sigh, zipping over to Carin before pulling her back into another quick hug, "Thank you. So how should we get started with helping the people out in the slums?"

After a moment, however, something else occurred to her, Nanako frowning a little even with the little goddess in her arms.

"Wait, I'm still in that district, right?" she said after a moment, "...That whole crowd might still be looking for me. They did seem kinda mad about the fight ending the way it did."

[Aiden]

Carin

The little goddess appeared to enjoy the return of the hugs, and settled in comfortably with her head against Nanako's chest. Carin hummed at the thought of her question.

But, a more immediate concern presented itself. "Ah, don't worry about them. You'll get away fine! You might want to wake up now though, just to be sure. You can talk to me again while you're awake by just praying."

[Panda]

Nanako

As much as she didn't want to end the hug prematurely, Carin did make a good point. It wouldn't be any good to waste her head start, and it would be trouble to fight that many people off without injuring any of them by accident.

"That'd be for the best, yeah," Nanako nodded, holding on to the girl even as she felt the pleasant little dream fading, "And I'll be sure to keep you in mind!"

And then the squirrel girl was awake again, blinking blearily and letting out a yawn as she stretched her arms up. Then she popped up to her feet, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and headed off, zipping along the streets as she made her way out of the district.

Continued in Little Russia

[Kotomine_Rin]

Yang Xiao Long

2:00 AM, NExus time

It was a dark room with no exit, where all entry was gated by a lock. The only source of light was a single television screen, that and an ominous red glow. The air of menace and terror filled the air, unlike anything the world had ever seen.

Yang flicked through a list of songs with his remote until an intense shine flicked in his eyes. Of course, he dragged Aruna into this. The frog mascot of the Keropoyo bounced up and down, the neon colored words Kero-Kero Karaoke jumped from under the corner of the screen, flickering with glowing sparkly stars and happy rainbows. Truly, an image to be feared, for the oppressive aura only intensified from the depths of the television.

He pressed okay. On that moment, a melancholic melody played, and the first notes of the piano spoke of great tragedy. No, it was a cry of pain, from the depths of one's soul. The two were transported into a new world, that of a dark city whose dark grimness was only reflected by sterile joyless lights of the nightlife. A desolate, dead city where those who lost it all walked. Or at least, that's how the music video looked.

He gripped the microphone, took a deep breath, and-

"HOooooW CaAAn YoooUUUU SeeEEEE inTOO My EyEs... LiKe OpEn DooOOOORsss!" He passed it over to Aruna like a track race's stick.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

Sitting on the couch, wide eyed, foot tapping rapidly, Aruna couldn't believe she actually let Yang drag her to this strange human establishment.  She was always under the impression that humans only liked it when people sang well.  However, he was making some strange human noise that made her ears grate.  At the same time, there was a strange passion to it, as though he were making noises from his soul.  No, it wasn't as if, she could tell that he was.  After all, she could see the soul-changing colors, the smell growing more intense.

As she held the mic in her hand, she caught herself staring at him like a snack.  "Oh wait... you want me to do that too?" she asked.

Continued from the slums.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Yang

A small bead of sweat ran down his forehead, embarassed. "Yeah, quick, it's your cue. I'll do the rapping."

This was a time-honored tradition among all yakuza. Karaoke wasn't just about having fun, but it was about strengthening your bond between brothers. It was a sacred ritual that no one could violate. He gave her a hearty thumbs up and passed her the mike.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

Aruna tried to follow the music, but she did not know the lyrics.  This music was far too recent for her, too hip and cool.  The first lines slipped past her, overshadowed only by her trying to mutter along with the words.  Staring at the screen, she realized where she could recover.

"WAKE ME UP INSIDE!" she yelled, her voice causing anything resembling glass to crack.  Despite her honest efforts, she sounded more like a screamo artist than the actual singer.  Her eyes met him, as if to ask am I doing good?