9:12 AM, Day 1
Hotel Restaurant, Hotel Mirai
Kaede immediately rushed to the body of the prone, overweight chef, Shuichi and Tsumugi following right behind her. She immediately feared the worst, but was relieved to see that he didn't actually appear to be hurt. In fact, the only place he seemed to be bleeding from was his nose, of all places.
A minute later, they were successfully able to rouse him. Slowly but surely, the portly man stirred into consciousness, sitting up as he took stock of his surroundings. "Ugh...what in sam hell? What happened? Coulda sworn I saw something important, than I just...blacked out..."
He murmured to himself concerned, not registering their own presence at first. A few seconds later though, he did a double-take, finally noticing them. "Oh! Beg my pardon, didn't see ya there. Name's Teruteru Hanamura, and I'm the Ultimate Chef. Who're you three?"
Kaede introduced them all in a swift manner, not seeing any reason to linger on pleasantries. Shuichi, meanwhile, peered at Teruteru with concern. Until they found an actual medical professional, he was the closest thing they had to a doctor. Well, assuming he did have some medical knowledge: but he was the Ultimate Detective, so of course he would. Right?
"Are you okay? Did you hit your head?" Shuichi inquired, peering at Teruteru's head closely. "Do you feel dizzy or noxious at all?"
Teruteru shook his head, though he seemed to regret it instantly, a wince spreading across his face as he clutched at his temples. "N-Not really...my head's throbbing a little, but, well, it's not too bad. Don't feel like I'm bleedin' or nothin'."
That was a relief! Though before Kaede could remark as such, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She glanced away from Teruteru, briefly scanning the upturned tables and chairs behind him, and her eyes immediately caught sight of a bare foot near the wall!
Her eyes widened in concern, and she bolted right up, quickly dashing over to see who else was hurt. A table covered up most of her body, but she noticed the upper body of Akane, of all people, propped up against the back wall.
"Akane? You're here too?" she openly questioned.
At the sound of her voice, Akane appeared to stir. As she did so, Kaede came closer, cautiously approaching the dazed girl.
"Are you all right? Do you need—oh my god, why are you still naked?!" Kaede suddenly yelped, her face flushing crimson as she stared over at Akane.
She could hardly believe her eyes, but Akane was still naked; her body seemed a bit bruised and battered, but she was as naked as she had been outside. She couldn't help but stare at her, incredulous at the sight. Really?
Akane, meanwhile, seemed to find her state of undress just as shocking, if the look on her face was any indication.
"...That fuckin' bitch! She actually stole my clothes!" Akane suddenly thundered, a darkened scowl flashing across her face. "Oh, she is so dead!"
Kaede blinked, and started asking Akane what she meant by that, but the girl was ignoring her now. Before she could even try to stop her, Akane raced out of the restaurant and leapt over the outside staircase, landing on her feet effortlessly. From there, she dashed away, intent on doing...whatever it was that she was doing.
"...What the hell was that?" Kaede asked herself, bemused in the aftermath of Akane's sudden exit. She shook her head after a moment though, and turned her attention back to Teruteru and the others.
Shuichi had helped the portly man to his feet by this point, checking him out further for wounds. Kaede made her way back over to them in the meantime, wondering just what the hell had happened here.
"I'm not sure; I'm having a hard time remembering things," Teruteru claimed, after she asked as much. "I seem to remember hearing some sort of scuffle, and then..."
He trailed off, brow furrowing as his mind raced. After a few seconds a wide, disturbingly perverse grin spread across his lips. "Oh ho! Now I remember! Ah, what a glorious sight that was! I'll definitely be taking that memory to my grave!"
Kaede stared at Teruteru in pure bafflement, having no idea what he was going on about. She looked over at Shuichi, who looked just as confused as she was.
"Well, anyway...I apologize for worryin' y'all like that," Teruteru apologized soon after, a more serious look now on his face. "But I'm fine now! I think. Just gotta fix up this mess here, make this dining hall presentable again. Maybe Nagito can...Nagito?"
He broke off, looking about in confusion. "Now where in the hell did that boy wonder off to?"
Kaede took another brief look around, but sure enough, couldn't see anyone else in the restaurant. It made her wonder who this Nagito guy was, but quite frankly, she had more important things to concentrate on. "Hey, Teruteru. I don't mean to push you or anything, but...a lot of us have woken up with no clue how we got here, or where we even are. Do you know anything?"
"Hmm...sorry, I don't know much more than you," Teruteru confessed, shaking his head. "I woke up here in this dining room. No idea how I got here, really. Found another guy in the kitchen, but he was just as clueless as I. I started cookin' up some food, figuring that might attract more people, and then—!"
"SOMEONE HELP ME! HE'S GONNA KILL ME!" a sudden, frantic voice shrieked from outside.
Everyone in the restaurant froze at that, Kaede herself staring outside with a mixture of fear and exasperation. "Oh, what now?!"
They all charged out seconds later, rushing down the outside stairs to the courtyard. There, they all found a rather unusual sight.
On one side of the pool, a young man cowered behind one of the pool chairs. He had a set of wild, seemingly unkempt dreadlocks, and quite frankly...he smelled like a homeless person. He also had a rather noticeable red mark on his cheek, as well as a little blood leaking out of his mouth, perhaps from getting punched earlier. On the other side of the pool, another guy and a girl stood staring at him. The second boy had green hair and had a rather...unnerving smile, while the girl beside him had brown hair and seemed rather nervous.
"Oh, come now, Yasuhiro. Is that any way to treat an old friend?" the green-haired boy declared, his eyes closed and lips spread in what was supposed to be a serene smile...but came off as incredibly unnerving and unsettling, more than anything else. "Besides, I'm very much looking forward to catching up with you."
"OH HEAVENLY BUDDHA, SAVE ME!" the man identified as Yasuhiro screamed, tears in his eyes as he crouched down besides a chair. "PL-PLEASE, RANTARO, Y-YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME! I HAD NO IDEA THE YAKUZA WOULD GO AFTER YOU LIKE THAT, HONEST!"
The man known as Rantaro simply stared ahead at Yasuhiro, his smile still fixed on his face. "My my, and what did you think would happen when you tricked me into stealing from the Kirigiri Clan? But hey, that's all water under the bridge. I just hope you put that money to good use. ...You did put it to good use, yes?"
Yasuhiro peaked out from his hiding spot, looking over at Rantaro with a shaky smile. "Y-Yeah, of course! That money helped me buy, like, the greatest crystal ball ever! It cost 20 million yen, but it was worth it!"
Dead silence reigned in the aftermath of that declaration. At the same time, Rantaro's smile abruptly vanished.
"...I'm going to kill you, Yasuhiro," Rantaro calmly stated, as the light faded from his eyes.
He gave another shriek at that, and immediately hid behind the deck chair again. Before things could escalate any further though, Kaede immediately spoke up:
"H-Hey! Calm down, everyone! W-We can't be at each other's throats like this!"
Though Kaede had to admit, if what they said in this exchange was true...this Yasuhiro guy really had it coming.
Regardless, her words seemed to snap Rantaro out of his furious stupor. He shook his head, glancing over at them seconds later. He raised a hand, casually waving at them. "Oh, hey there. So, you three get kidnapped too? You all look all right though, so that's good! The situation could be better, of course, but things could always be worse."
"Kidnapped?" Kaede looked over at him with evident surprise, an icy stab of fear coursing through her body. "You think...we were kidnapped?"
"I KNEW IT!" Yasuhiro interjected, clutching his head in fear as paranoia spiraled in his eyes. "Oh god, it's the Kirigiri, isn't it?! They've finally come back for me!"
"Hiro, first off, if this were the Kirigiri, we'd already be at the bottom of the ocean. Second, I never told the Kirigiri about you. You're welcome for that by the way," Rantaro replied, glaring briefly at him.
"Well...I didn't want to say anything, but that was my leading theory." Shuichi admitted beside her, choosing to ignore Yasuhiro. He tilted his hat so it covered one eye, looking away slightly. "I mean, short of everyone having collective amnesia, it's really the only thing that makes sense."
"Well, who says it can't be both?" Rantaro countered, lifting his hands up as he shrugged. "I mean, from what everyone else is saying, no one really remembers how they got here. So unless you three are different, it seems we're all having some sort of memory-loss problems, and got kidnapped. And something tells me one has something to do with the other."
Kaede paled at the implications, her stomach turning over inside of her, causing her to clutch at it. She smiled weakly, trying not to let that notion affect her too badly. "Well...even if that's the case, we can't give up hope! There has to be a way out of...wherever we are, right? And besides, what sort of kidnapper lets their victims roam around freely like this?"
"Yeah, that is a little strange, though there might be an answer for that. We seem to be on some sort of island chain, far from Japan, and besides the others there doesn't really seem to be any people living here. So the kidnapper could feel safe in letting us roam free, knowing we won't really have a chance to escape or get help." he suggested, though his light and jovial tone seemed at odds with the dark implications of his words. Beside him, the girl sniffled a little and rubbed at her eyes, giving a much more appropriate reaction to that idea.
"Wait, 'island chain'?" Tsumugi spoke up, staring at him with uncertainty. "We're on an island?"
He nodded his head at that. "Yep! There are least six islands here: Chihiro and I came from the central one. But aside from this one, we can't access the other islands yet, since the ferries aren't working. Oh! Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Survivor. It's nice to meet ya!"
"And I'm Chihiro Fujisaki, the Ultimate Programmer. I hope we get along!" she introduced herself as well, her earlier tearful expression fading away in exchange for a sweet, beatific smile.
"Well, aren't you a cute little thang? Even if this situation is a little scary, I don't mind so much being surrounded by all these cute little ladies," Teruteru remarked besides her, a somewhat perverse smile on his lips. Chihiro blushed and stammered in response to his words, while Tsumugi simply reached over to smack the back of Teruteru's head, much to his consternation.
"And I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure, the Ultimate Clairvoyant!" Yasuhiro declared, standing up now that he wasn't the focus of anyone's ire. He gave a broad grin as he went on, "Say, I don't suppose any of you guys are interested in a fortune telling session? I have great rates for first time cust—!"
Yasuhiro was abruptly cut off as a pool chair sailed across the water and decked him right in the face, bowling him over as he flopped to the ground in a heap. And given the fact he was just recovering from being punched in the face, the chair likely hadn't helped his healing injury at all.
Kaede slowly turned back to look over at Rantaro, who just had an innocent smile on his face. After a moment she gave a shrug, deciding she didn't really care enough to press the issue.
While Hiro groaned on the ground, Kaede took the time to introduce the four of them in turn. After that, however, she remembered something Rantaro had said moments before. "So, wait, 'everyone else'? So you've met other people?"
"Yep. We ran across a bunch of other people on the central island. Not counting myself and Chihiro, there were at least four other people there. Byakuya decided to gather us all at the park, and sent me and Chihiro and Korekiyo over to the other island to see if we could find more people, and spread the word. So, I'd suggest heading over to the docks and take the ferry over to the central island. That's where everyone is gonna be meeting up." Rantaro elaborated.
"Ah, so there are more Ultimates here? It makes me wonder why we're all here." Tsumugi mused, before looking over at Chihiro and Rantaro. "I guess you guys were just accepted into Hope's Peak too?"
"Y-Yes, that's right. That appears to be the one thing we all have in common, besides being Ultimates." Chihiro confirmed as she nodded her head. "Seems like the last thing anyone remembers is entering the academy to begin their first day."
"That's peculiar. Collective amnesia, and almost everyone having the same last memory, at that? Something strange is going on here." Shuichi murmured, an apprehensive look on his face. Kaede couldn't help but share that sentiment, a twisted worry gnawing at her stomach.
"So it seems. Like I said, Chihiro and I are going around to gather all the stragglers, and point them toward the central island. There's a dock not far from here, with a ferry that travels back and forth to the central island every fifteen minutes or so. No one's operating it, so it seems to be on auto-pilot or something. Anyway, I suggest heading that way, and joining the others." Rantaro advised. "Oh, and before you leave, have you come across any others?"
Kaede nodded, and proceeded to tell Rantaro about the other students at the hotel. Though once she mentioned Mondo, an odd smile tugged at Rantaro's lips.
"Ah, that was the pompadour guy, right? Yes, he certainly made an...impression. We were unfortunate enough to catch him in an...intimate moment. But hey, he really should have done a better job of properly shutting the door to his cabin," he remarked. Besides him, Chihiro blushed bright red and hid her face in her hands, groaning softly.
Tsumugi tilted her head curiously, raising an eyebrow at that. "An intimate moment? What do you mean by that?"
"Ah, w-we're better off not knowing, probably," Kaede quickly said, her own face gaining a little color. She didn't have to look over at Shuichi to know he was blushing too. "Anyway, let's get going! It'd be a good idea to meet up with everyone else at this point, I'd say."
It didn't take much to get Tsumugi and Teruteru to agree with her, and not long after they left, leaving Rantaro and Chihiro stayed behind to track down any more stragglers...and look after Yasuhiro too, who hadn't quite come to his senses.
He'd be fine with them. Probably.
Following Rantaro's directions wasn't hard, and sure enough they came across a dock after a bit more of travel. It wasn't all that big: just one big gangplank that led to the ferry, really. Speaking of, the boat was thankfully at the docks already, idling by. The four of them got onboard easily enough, but after that point they had to wait for the ferry to drive itself.
It gave them time to explore the boat itself, though. It was decent sized vessel, that Kaede guessed could maybe seat fifty people at a time. Though outside the main seating area, there wasn't much to explore. There were some bathrooms on board, a vending machine for snacks, the engine room below deck, and the ferry's cockpit.
Though as they investigated the cockpit, the boat suddenly churned into motion. Slowly, the ferry started pulling out of the dock, and to Kaede's amazement she could see the ship's instruments and controls working by themselves. Rantaro was right: some sort of auto-piloting system must be in place, since the boat was steering itself like this!
"This is pretty impressive. I wasn't aware that auto-pilot had gotten this advance, especially for boats." Shuichi observed, as they looked around the room.
"Mm, technology has made many strides and leaps lately. They say that these days we're not far off from genuine Artificial Intelligence!" Tsumugi proclaimed, beaming at him. "And I, for one, look forward to working for our future robot overlords!"
...That was probably a reference to something, but Kaede couldn't bring herself to really pry into that. She wasn't that curious.
After that, there wasn't much else to do but to return to the seating area, and wait.
9:39 AM, Day 1
Ferry en route to Central Island
Around fifteen minutes later, the central island came into view. From their current perspective, Kaede could also catch a glimpse of the other islands nearby. It was possible that there were more islands, hidden or out of view, but there seemed to be at least four other islands here, not counting the central island and the island they'd just left.
"I wonder if the other islands are uninhabited too. If they are...well, it just makes me wonder. Where are all the people?" Shuichi voiced aloud, eyes narrowed in concern. "There are definitely signs that at some point, people lived here. So where did they go? It's not like the population of an archipelago can disappear overnight, without anyone noticing..."
Another good question that they didn't have an answer for. Kaede hoped that soon, answers would be forthcoming. If nothing else, someone or something had brought them all here for a reason, and they wouldn't want to keep them in the dark forever. It was a morbid thought perhaps, but Kaede still felt it was true.
Once the ferry docked at the central island, it was easy enough to get off and start exploring. This central island seemed a lot smaller than the one they'd come from though, which made traversing it easier and quicker. Adding on to that, there didn't seem to be as much here, compared to the other island. A large, towering Administrative building caught their eye, but they didn't look at it long, since everyone seemed to be gathering at the park.
Speaking of which, they arrived there not long afterward. The park itself was pretty grand and pretty, with a large ornate statue in the middle. Kaede could spot a handful of other people, teenagers near her own age, milling about: presumably the other Ultimates Rantaro had talked about.
Almost as soon as they had arrived, however, a large, rotund man dressed in a formal black-suit jacket and gray vest and trousers approached them. He had platinum blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and wore a pair of rectangular glasses. He crossed his arms as he stopped in front of them, eyeing them all for a moment. Oddly enough, his eyes seemed to linger on her in particular, and Kaede could have sworn she saw something like surprise flicker across his face. As soon as it was there, however, it disappeared.
"Good, it seems like Rantaro and Chihiro have been successful in finding others," he stated, a gratified smile spreading across his lips. He placed an arm across his chest, bowing to them all briefly. "Pardon my manners. I am Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Butler, at your service. I shall do my utmost best to fulfill any request, should any of you need anything during this peculiar time."
Though his words were demure, Kaede could feel a surprising weight to them. Byakuya had a powerful, enormous presence to him, projecting a fierce and commanding aura. But then again, perhaps that was only befitting of a man labeled the Ultimate Butler.
"Ah, you're the Byakuya Togami?" Tsumugi spoke up, staring at him with awe. "I've heard all about you! You're the most famous butler in the world! Or at least, that's what people say. I heard that there's no task you can't complete, and that you've even rented out your services to the most powerful people in the world!"
Byakuya raised an eyebrow at that, perhaps not expecting to receive such praise during their first meeting. He seemed to welcome it all the same, however, as his smile grew larger. "Ah, such high praise from you, Mistress. I cannot help but feel flattered. Yes, I am indeed that Byakuya Togami. Though it seems I'm not the only celebrity here. Isn't that right, Mistress Kaede Akamatsu?"
His eyes landed on her as he said those words, making Kaede flush a little as she herself looked away. She really shouldn't feel so embarrassed and self-conscious about being recognized in public like this, but it always felt so weird when fans approached her! Honestly, Keiko handled this sort of stuff a lot better than she ever did.
"Ah, I'm really not that much of a celebrity. Honest! I just like to play the piano, and sometimes people like to watch me play. It's nothing big, really," she replied, waving her hand dismissively.
Byakuya just shook his head, his smile softening a little as he spoke some more. "I would have to disagree on that, Mistress Akamatsu. Whether you admit it or not, you're the most famous pianist in Japan, if not the world itself. Besides, I seem to recall you making headlines when you held a personal recital for the King of Novoselic."
Kaede felt her face heat up even further at that, and she couldn't help the embarrassed little whine that burst out of her throat then. She thrust her hands up in the air, as if to try and bat away the reminder of her fame. "Please, stop! Ooh, don't remind me...that was so stressful! I was so nervous I'd screw up, or do something embarrassing!"
"You played for a King? Really?" Shuichi interjected, his eyes widening in surprise. Tsumugi and Teruteru, likewise, were giving Kaede a more appreciative stare as well.
Kaede could feel their eyes on her, and wished all the more that Keiko was here to support her. Her sister would know how to handle a situation like this! Or even her manager would do right about now. Oh, she was never any good at talking about this!
Ugh, everyone was staring at her now! She couldn't just clam up! She just...had to talk about the whole experience like it was no big deal, and everything would be okay! Right? That was the sort of advice Keiko usually gave her.
"Well, y-yes, I did. I played a private recital for the King of Novoselic, like Byakuya said. And his wife, daughter, and a few other dignitaries too," she admitted, after taking a few breaths to calm herself. "It was kinda scary at first, but I forgot I was even playing for them after a while. I didn't talk to them long afterward, but the King of Novoselic is a nice guy actually. Really sweet and kind; same goes for his daughter, too! She seemed really impressed with my performance. Though, ah, maybe a little too impressed, since she ended up giving me my first kiss and all..."
Too late, Kaede realized what she had just said. If it was possible, her blush flared up even more, as a new rush of heat bloomed across her cheeks. She couldn't manage to look at any of the guys then and there, but she just knew they had to be looking at her, no doubt even harder now.
She of course knew that those words would only lead to a greater misunderstanding, but at the same time, she found it difficult to fully elaborate on the story. Knowing her luck, she'd only end up making a bigger fool of herself!
"Oh, did someone mention me?" came a sudden, unexpected voice.
Kaede looked up, a sense of relief flooding her as she gazed at her savior. She was happy for any change of topic from the current subject...but, as she opened her mouth to thank her savior, she froze. Her eyes slowly widened, as she took in the sight of the person before her now.
The voice belonged to a young woman of European descent, with long, light-blonde hair, pale skin, and striking blue eyes. She wore a green and white dress with a large red ribbon on her chest, black thigh-high socks, and red shoes. The most important aspect about her, however, was the fact that Kaede knew this girl.
"Oh my god," she squeaked out, her cheeks flushing a bright red.
She stared back at her, puzzled, before a flash of recognition flashed through her eyes. A wide, eager smile spread across her lips, and before Kaede could stop her, she dashed over and enveloped her into a wide, crushing hug!
"Oh, Kaede! How lovely it is to see you again!" Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess, declared. She pulled back after a moment, though only to give Kaede two kisses to her cheeks before hugging her again! "This is a most joyous occasion! It heartens me gladly to see a familiar face among this group of strangers. How are you?"
"Can't...breathe..." Kaede struggled to get out, her face turning from red to blue.
Sonia immediately let her go, taking a step back. A beatific smile graced her lips, as she clasped her hands together. "My apologizes, I do forget my own strength sometimes! I hope you are doing well, though."
"Y-Yeah, I'm...fine..." Kaede murmured, her cheeks still a little flushed as she caught her breath.
"So, you're Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess?" Shuichi inquired beside her, staring at her with wide eyes. "Um, g-greetings, your Majesty. I, um, it's a pleasure to meet you—!"
"Oh please, do not call me by any titles. We don't need to follow such...constraining rules." Sonia was quick to say, waving a hand. "I may be a princess, yes, but you don't have to call me such. Just think of me as an ordinary Japanese exchange student!"
Shuichi seemed rather skeptical of that, but didn't have time to say much more. Teruteru stepped forward immediately afterward, a rose now inexplicably in his hand, which he then offered to Sonia.
"Greetings, madame. How lovely it is to meet a lady of such class and style!" he enthused, adopting a more smooth and sensual tone. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of an introduction yet. My name is Teruteru Hanamura, and I'm—!"
Before he could finish his sentence, however, someone strode right by and picked him up, slinging him over their shoulders.
"Nope, mine." Akane casually declared, a wolfish grin on her face. "If anyone here is taking advantage of the Ultimate Chef, it's me. Y'all fuckers are shit outta luck."
Teruteru looked briefly startled at this sudden development, but seemed to adapt quick enough. He grinned down at Akane, wryly asking, "I don't suppose I get a say in this, hm?"
"Nope. Besides, you complainin'?" she asked in turn, barking out a laugh. "Anyways, I need your help. That black-haired bitch is around here, I know it! I keep seeing her out of the corner of my eye, but she just keeps avoiding me. So you're gonna help me find her, and help me hold her down when we do."
"Hey now, I'm not that sort of guy..." he protested.
Whatever was said next Kaede couldn't say, as Akane got further away with Teruteru. She had no idea what just happened here, but she was glad it took the attention off of her.
"Yahoo! Time for my dynamic entrance next! For the best has been saved for last!" a feminine voice suddenly crowed.
Before Kaede could search for the source, it came right to them. A rather unique looking girl popped into view besides Byakuya, a wide grin on her face. She was a pale girl with pink eyes and several piercings, and had long multi-colored hair broken up into strands of black, pink, blue and white: with part of her hair tied into two oni horns on the top of her head. She wore a sailor-style school uniform with a black pleated skirt and ripped, mismatched thigh-high socks, and black shoes.
"Ibuki Mioda, the Ultimate Musician, is here, reporting for duty!" she declared, saluting them all as she stood at attention. "At last, the main heroine has arrived!"
A long moment of silence passed in the aftermath of her introduction. Kaede, for her part, couldn't help but stare at Ibuki, flabbergasted by her, well, unique introduction.
"Yes, this is...Ibuki, one of our fellow comrades in arms. I woke up alongside her here in the park." Byakuya duly informed them, glancing at her briefly. "From there, we ended up meeting everyone else, and formed a plan of action."
"Yep yep! Byakuya here is really smart! He took charge real fast and got everyone organized!" Ibuki said, beaming up at him. "I'd probably still be running around screaming if it weren't for him!"
"Well it's...nice to meet you, Ibuki." Kaede greeted, waving at her. Ultimate Musician, huh? Well, she could appreciate a fellow musically inclined Ultimate. It made her wonder what Ibuki's singing was like. If she had to guess, probably something bubbly and heartfelt, like most high school girl-bands.
After that, Byakuya took them around, introducing them to all the other Ultimates that had either woken up here, or been brought to the central island. At some point, Rantaro and Chihiro came in too, bringing in the last straggler from the first island: another rotund young man with oddly shaped black hair and a face that, somehow, resembled a hamster.
"I am Hifumi Yamada, the Ultimate Doujin Artist!" the glasses-wearing boy declared, preening at them. "It is a pleasure to meet you all!"
Tsumugi, meanwhile, stared at him with obvious bewilderment. She adjusted her glasses, looking him over. "Hifumi Yamada? Wow, never thought I'd meet Comic-Con royalty. I'm not sure if I should be impressed, or disgusted. The things you've done to Princess Piggles..."
"Aha! So you've heard of my work, hm? Can't say I'm surprised!" Hifumi replied, a smug look on his face as he adjusted his glasses. A moment later however, he did a double-take as he stared again at Tsumugi. "Ah! Ts-Tsumugi Shirogane?! The famed woman who can bring 2-D characters to life! Doth mine eyes deceive me?"
"...I think I just died a little inside," Tsumugi confessed, looking decidedly displeased at his recognition.
"It cannot be! I-Ibuki wasn't the last introduced character after all?!" she abruptly declared, staring at Hifumi with an aghast expression. "D-Does that also mean Ibuki was also lied to about being the main heroine?!"
At any rate, once that introduction was made, it seemed everyone was here. At that point Byakuya was calling everyone to order, in an effort to get everyone to calm down and talk things through. Before he could do that, however, something...unexpected occurred.
"May I have your attention please!" a voice suddenly thundered, echoing out from an intercom system set up in the park. "Your new Mayor has chosen to grace you with her presence! And rest assured, all your questions will soon be answered!"
That interruption brought them all up short. Before they had time to process that however, something else happened. Kaede caught a flash of movement in the sky, as something started to fly above them. It took her a moment to trace it, and even when she found it, she struggled to keep up with its amazing speed and agility.
By that point everyone had caught sight of it, and was following its movement. Then, the mysterious object slowed down and made a sudden landing upon the main statue in Jabberwock Park. Now that it wasn't moving Kaede could see the entity in its entirety...which only left her more confused.
Upon the statue stood a white rabbit with white feathered wings and a pink bow. She wore a pink and white skirt, a pink bib with white hems, and a golden necklace. She carried a pink staff with a red gem in the center of it, that glowed rather ominously.
All in all, it was far from what Kaede expected to see. Likewise, many of her peers gave their own exclamations of disbelief.
Had she...been drugged? Had Keiko given her some weird pills when she wasn't looking? Because the only way Kaede could feasibly explain the sight before her was if she was tripping balls.
"Love love! Good morning, everyone!" the white rabbit proclaimed, a fingerless hand somehow maintaining a firm grip upon her staff. "And welcome to paradise! My name is Usami, and I'm the new Mayor of Jabberwock Island! That's where we're at, by the way. Anyway, that means I'm in charge here! So, does anyone have any questions?"
Review Response:
Kobold: Yeah, the boys aren't having the best of luck right now. And if you were in Toko's position, wouldn't you be scared of Kiyo too?
Crit: Thanks! Glad you like it so far. I've really enjoyed writing these original interactions.
SilverWisp: Heh, Kiyo sure is getting the short end of things. And glad you're enjoying the new characterizations!