Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): In the Shadows of the City - Chapter 3: ______ Festivities

[Justin OOC]

That she was having the party the next day didn't leave Sachiko very much time, still when everyone in the class signed up, it did give her a sense that things could get better. It had taken peer pressure to get everyone but still at least this group of students would be happy an festive going into the weekend. The plan wasn't great, but still Sayoko Mitsuragi, the newest transfer was the one who helped most, providing the food and drinks, since Sachiko provided the place.

(Alright Max this is your baby to start, describe the location and what you'd like for the party itself, after you post I will open this up to everyone else to arrive. Currently it's just Sachiko and Sayoko present, having only just finished any preparations. I know I'm putting you on the spot, but I'll make it worth your while later.)

[SalmonMax]

If Sachiko was the driving force behind the party, it would be safe to say that Sayoko was the hands guiding that force. What she did might forever go unsung in the annals of partydom, but she was a hero nonetheless. That's not to say that Sachiko did nothing. Quite the contrary...if the party was a minecart, and Sayoko was the handbrake...Sachiko would have been the inexorable force of gravity, constantly pulling the cart down on an accelerating path.

She had no shortage of great ideas. In fact, the opposite was true; she didn't know when to quit. By the end, Sayoko was reasonably sure she didn't know how to quit. Her parents' reactions should have been a warning. They'd smiled happily and politely said they'd leave the girls to it. They left the house, claiming they were going out for a dinner and a show and that they'd be back late. When Sayoko had commented on the lucky timing, Sachiko casually mentioned that she'd had no idea they were leaving...and that they always seemed to do that when she was starting a project.

The benefit of hindsight is, in Sayoko's case now, perhaps even better than 20/20.

Imagine being on rollerblades in a store full of party goods...being towed by a rabid wolverine. You keep holding on for fear it will turn on you if you let go...and just pray you can control where it takes you, because you have no ability to slow down.

Sachiko brought the 'party goods' down from the attic first, and started emptying them. Christmas, Easter, birthdays, anniversaries...all these and more came tumbling out and mixed together in a pile. True to form, Sachiko thought this was brilliant and declared it an 'Everything At Once Party.' She then tore around the house, distributing random knickknacks from various cultural traditions in anomalous locations around the house.

Sayoko managed to convince her the birthday and anniversary stuff made no sense to use, and that the party would probably mostly be in the living room, kitchen and back yard. Later, she convinced Sachiko that a 'Horror Gore Show' theme party, complete with drilled holes in the ceiling that dropped rubber spiders on yarn onto people as they passed underneath, would probably not raise class spirits much. Then she mentioned that Zombie Parties and Alien Invader Parties might also not be appropriate.

Finally they settled on a Tropical Island theme. Sachiko set to work gutting decorations to make them more tropical. Sayoko started some easy baking things like cupcake and cookies.

She got back from the kitchen just in time to stop Sachiko from covering the kitchen floor with sand. She never did find out where Sayoko had found a bag full of sand. Maybe there was an aquaduct nearby? A flood wall? Who knew? Instead, the sand went out back where it would eventually clear away from wind and rain. It was a thin layer, and Sachiko insisted on having SOME sand.

After that, things went more smoothly. Sayoko figured out that Sachiko did well at tasks requiring energy and physicality, like hanging decorations, or climbing trees to put fake palm fronds up. She did poorly at tasks requiring focus and patience, like writing out a bunch of good luck charms to hang from streamers. They both went to the store on their bikes as the sun got lower to buy plenty of fruits and tropical food. Sachi insisted on nacho-chips, saying that 'Mexico is basically tropical too.' Sayoko wasn't sure that was right, but you had to pick your battles with Sachiko. The nacho was a go. Sayoko did put her foot down on the Spam, saying that Australia was not tropical, and was only technically an island, because it was also a continent.

Finally Sachiko improvised a set of steel drums from stuff she found in the garage. They looked like...well...stuff you'd find in a garage, but they sounded halfway decent...at least to someone who'd never heard steel drum music before. A few downloads of bongos and other tropical-themed music later, and a nice ambiance was set up.

Sayoko had to work hard to convince Sachiko not to wear her bikini for the event, pointing out that the grass skirt of grass looked nothing like a real grass skirt (the internet helped with this), and that a proper island girl either had no bikini top, or wore coconuts. And they had no coconuts.

Sachiko had thought about that for an alarmingly long period of time before deciding she didn't want to parade around topless in front of her classmates. She settled for a sarong improvised from some old clothes and colorful drapes they'd found in boxes in the attic. Sayoko went a bit more traditional, with a tank top and shorts. Then Sachi hit just the right note, putting a dab of sunscreen on each of their noses just before the first partygoers started arriving.

Dinner? Hawaiian pizza of course. And some baked goods. The shish-kabob had not gone well, and the inside of the grill still needed to be hosed off.

But all things said, it was not the twisted, flaming wreckage one might have though a party organized and planned by Sachiko would be. Largely since she left that to someone else.

[Fiona Warner]

= 1 Hour before the party =

Anne showed up first to the scene, her family limo pulls up.

"Now Anne, remember to be careful at the pool."

"Right."

"I'm sure you'll stay out of trouble. It's good you're sleeping again. Have fun at the party with your new friends."

"Of course, Father, and good luck at the trade negotiations."

"Of course. And Mother sends her regards. She just saved a sailing regatta out of Cardiff."

"Oh! Outstanding! Tell her I look forward to seeing her on Christmas if she gets leave!"

"Right. As always! I know you worry about her. So I will keep tabs on her every exploit. Now shoo!"

Anne grabs two large duffelbags full of party stuff and she has a large backpack on. But what was most striking was the sailor top and long blue skirt and the goofy sailor hat on her head. The always present black wristbands were there as well.

It was a load, the two bags over her shoulders, but the grey bag had all food... food that will be most likely gone by the end of the night, dramatically lightening the load.

enjoy, just no high heels, she's wearing deck shoes

She walked up and rung the doorbell on the door with her foot, and Sachiko answered.

"Oh my god, what did you bring?" Sachiko said in delight.

"Oh, the bag on my left is all various snacks. Of all sorts. Perfect for any pallete. The right bag is stuff for the heated pool house you got. I mean, it's a beach party you gotta bring the toys. As for the backpack, that is the tunes for the party. A laptop with gaming-quality speakers. I got quite a selection of tracks from all over we can listen to."

She slowly lugs herself over to where the party foods were and unloads her own. For someone as healthy-minded as her, the choice of Pocky of various flavors, a full load of 6 two-liters of soda, and two bags of corn chips with salsa to boot was a surprising mix.

"You just don't know how hard it is to get a proper salsa here in Japan..."

After she unloads her first bag, she opens her other bag and starts setting out a couple of flat beachballs, a couple pool mattresses, 4 innertubes, a raft and a foot pump to complete the beach setting, even had a couple of screw-together oars. After unloading, Anne puts on a life vest.

"This is just part of the nautical look for me, I'm actually a good swimmer." She says, and after setting her laptop and speakers up she loads up some mellow J-Pop to start playing as she starts blowing up the pool toys. "Your first mate should be the prepared one, right skipper?" She says smiling with a cute salute while having the innertube's valve in her mouth. "I wager we should have all the stuff properly topped off and in the water in no time. The pump was designed for the raft, I could use it for all this stuff, but I lost the valve adapters. I'm in shape though I can handle this."

"I need something to do before the rest of the guests arrive!"

She giggles before getting back to her work. Playfully taking the first ring and wearing it around her waist as she starts blowing up the second innertube.

[AceWildcard]

It was an hour before the party. Kohaku was preparing for it in his own way. He was wanting to see if he could get any info at the party. He was preparing to try and meet certain people. He hopped to get them alone and asked them questions. He needed to know things. He had rented some recorders and video moniters. They were basically spy style equipment that were easily concealable on his body. Unless someone really wanted to look for it, it would be hard to find hopefully. Still if he got caught then things might be harder for him to get the info he needed and figure out what is going on. He hated the fact his paranoia was getting to him. He needed to relax and try and figure out how he could help these people if they were targeted by some dark enity. He knew he was targeted by them for sure. He just hopped things did not go into the worse case senario in his head.

[Shosuro Toshi]

Shinji had ended up signing for Sachiko's party, because he needed some kind of stress-breaker in a crazy way. A way that said I won't less this all get to me. And that kind of devil-may-care attitude you probably could only get from an event done by Sachiko. So he bit the bullet and went. Thirty minutes before official start time, he showed up, with several packs of sushi, to be a good guest.

[z004]

The limo pulled up to Sachiko's house exactly on time; the chauffeur parked and came around to open the door for his charge. The nervous but primly composed young woman was dressed in flowing black clothes of expensive cut and material, with a fashionable tan bathing suit on underneath. She hadn't thought about swimming, but Takaido-san had insisted. Apparently swimming at parties was common and she would stand out if she was unprepared. She had a wrapped gift held gingerly in her hands when she stepped out and smiled at Hanashiro-san.

He whispered, "You will do fine, Kutchiki-chan."

She flushed and nodded again, wishing she felt as confident as she was trying to project. She squared her shoulders and made her way to the front door and, after a calming breath, she rung the doorbell.

[Jeremy]

-Wrong account-

[Shosuro Toshi]

The doorbell rang while Shinji was helping out a little for last-minute preparation. Anne was helping Sayoko with some chair moving and Sachiko had dove downstairs for something that she insisted should be considered adding for the party, despite her companions' protests. That let him to get the door.

It was unsuprising to see the Vice President present there. "Kuchiki-san, hello. Come in, we're just helping Sachiko with last minute preparations."He held open the door for her to come in.

[SalmonMax]

Behind Shinji came Sachiko's bellow, muffled by walls and doors, but still clear as daylight.

"PARTY HATS!!"

A moment later Sachiko was zooming up behind Shinji with conical paper hats emblazoned with balloons. Not very tropical, but apparently their 'partyness' trumped that. A moment later, Shinji found himself be-hatted from behind with all the speed and subtlety of a hat-ninja.

Perhaps out of respect, or perhaps just an innate sense of how far people could be pushed, Kuchiki was simply handed a party hat with a big beaming grin.

"Welcome to the party! It's going great! Come on in and help yourself!"

Then she was off again to find some other poor soul to get her hat on with.

[z004]

Ayami bowed, a little caught off-guard by being greeted by Marasaki-san instead of Sachiko. "T-thank you, Marasaki-san."

She bowed to Sachiko when the whirlwind appeared and tried to exchange the hat for the party gift, but ended up awkwardly juggling them both. She made it to the main table before she fumbled them both, then pulled on the hat with all the grace of someone who'd obviously never dealt with this particular party favor before.

She smiled timidly at Shinji, hardly the confident and self-possessed young woman that walked the halls of the Academy. "So....?"

[AceWildcard]

Kohaku saw some people get into the party. He was hesistant on going in. Why was he? It was not natural for him to do so, or maybe he was not used to going to such things. Even so he could not hesistate. Maybe he could talk to each one of those he suspected in private or at least get a feel for them hopefully. He decides to head to the house where the party was.

[Fiona Warner]

Anne waves to everyone, still taking care of her duties blowing up pool toys while pumping the raft up for the pool.

"Hey guys! I always heard I was a blowhard... didn't think they were speaking literally!"

She smiles and waves, managing to put the party hat on top of her sailor hat.

"Nice to see everyone's here!"

Of course with the innertube around her waist and the sailor outfit made her look completely ludicrous.

[AceWildcard]

Kohaku looks around. He sees the different people. All visit, and all in public areas. He need to get them alone, to confront them. If he talks out in public he might be overheard and he persumes others would think him mad with what he has to say. He hopes no body would think ill of him. If that occurs then his plan is ruin. So he has to becareful of whom he approaches and when.

[Shosuro Toshi]

"So people will be coming soon." Shinji said, curious at the change in demeanor from the well-known persona of the Vice President. "And then we'll have a party. Honestly, with all that's going on, we could use it." Then he looked around and then spoke to her in a lowered voice. "Though... you probably know this, but some students have been missing for the past three days. Ryoto, Takashi, Kana... there's something going on, isn't there?"

Immediately, he thought it sounded silly, but in some manner he needed to unburden himself of his concerns to someone.

[Fiona Warner]

Anne's cheerful expression was incorrigible. She wandered over to where Shinji and the others were with her last beach ball she needed to blow up clenched in her teeth by the valve. She leaned against the wall and happily went back to work.

[Karren Gaunt]

It had taken alot of persuading from Shinji and Anne for Amara to even consider asking her Father if she could come to the party the way things were going, but when she had asked, the response had been surprisingly positive. Worryingly positive in fact, there should have been *some* resistence to the idea, an almost dispirited acceptance that she was unused to from him. That was almost enough to make her change her mind and stay home to protect him, stupid as the idea sounded.

What was she going to do if someone got past the guards? Hit them with the bokken she had hanging on her wall? Ridiculous. She really did need to unwind, uncertain as she was a party by Sachiko was anything to unwind to.

Still, here she was outside the door in one of her best casual dresses, having been driven there by her usual bodyguards and carefully instructed to call if *anything* happened and be ready for a return home. Things were normal enough at home for her parents to remember that bit of instruction. So she rang the doorbell, trying her best to look relaxed and ready for fun and somewhat failing at both. It had been that kind of week.

[Fiona Warner]

Anne saw everyone was tied up when the doorbell rang. She looked over seeing everyone was talking.

"I got it!"

She runs over and opens the door for Amara. "Hey! Glad you could make it!"

The sight of Anne dressed as a sailor with a innertube around her waist was definitely not expected from straight-laced and official-minded Anne.

"Please, come in... Just set everything either at the food table or elsewhere."

She smiled and ran back over to where everyone was grouped up to start conversing.

[AceWildcard]

Kohaku was watching the group near the door. He needed to figure out how to seperate them. He needed to figure out their connections to them. Yet was he getting paranoid over something trivial. Sure there were a few odd events that occur, but to accuse anyone of anything yet is an dangerious thought. Also the fact of the matter was, he was afraid. He needed to figure out whom had summon them if anyone did at all. If these otherworldly spirits were indeed an threat then something bad was going to happen.

[SalmonMax]

Abruptly, from behind, a pair of hands appeared on either side of his head and deftly snapped a thin rubber band under his chin; pulling something tight against the crown of his head. It was, in fact, a conical paper party hat.

"There you go," Sachiko said from behind him, her voice overflowing with satisfaction. "I think that's all of you for now. I nominate you official hat-giver. Here."

A clump of paper hats all nested within one another and stacked high landed on the floor beside him. "Since you're just standing there watching the door, you're in charge of giving new people who come in hats. Congratulations, this is a HUGE promotion, and we couldn't do this without you!"

She patted him on the back and went over to welcome the newcomer.

"Amara-chan!" she called, with her usual constant overfamiliarity, "Come on in! Just leave your present by the door there, I'll get to sorting them all out later."

[Karren Gaunt]

Amara entered not without misgivings, not even on first name basis with her friends, but she did manage to spare Kohaku a sympathetic glance. They were all in Hurricane Sachiko for the time being, and she bowed her head to their hostess, "I'm sorry, Mizuki-San, but I was unaware we were supposed to bring gifts. I was honestly unsure I'd get permission to come. The... decorations are nice."

The Yakuza heiress waited for an answer, taking in the decor and wondering how much of it was purely her hyper active classmate's handiwork, smile uncertain. Oh, kami help her.

[SalmonMax]

Sachiko laughed delightedly. Amara was such a kidder!

"Oh, you! Why would I have thrown a party and not given everyone permission to come?"

Amara found her wrist seized and herself being inexorably dragged towards the refreshments table.

"Everything's basically ready, so you can just take some snacks or head out to the back...there's a pool...and music...oh!"

Just as abruptly as it had been grabbed, her wrist was released...and Amara had time to realize that Sachiko had darted to the pile of party hats. There was a moment where escape was possible, as Sachi paused to shake an admonishing finger at Kohaku ("You need to pay attention! Amara-chan nearly got inside without a hat!"), but the moment passed as fast as it had come. In two shakes of a dog's tail, Amara was as thoroughly be-hatted as anyone else in the party. However, the drag did not repeat, as by then Sachiko was handling other things.

"You people don't hover near the door," she complained, shooing at Anne and Shinji. "You'll block everyone trying to get in. Go get some chips or punch or...dance or something. Party things!"

[AceWildcard]

Kohaku sigh. Seems his plans were defeated for now. He still needed to stay so he could talk with the ones he is concern abouts and figure out their plans in all this. Yet he wonder if they would even believe him. He sigh as he felt humiliated but at the same me knew he might get kicked out for not replianting to the rules. So he does what he was told to do for now.

[z-Galiana]

Galiana didn’t want to go, but her teacher had insisted. Somehow Miss Shinoji had found out she’d been invited, had asked her if she was going to go and then insisted that she go. Gali had a very strong suspicion that she’d be asked about it by Miss Shinoji later, so she had to go.

Gali went around to the back, then hopped up and caught the edge of the wall. She’d just sneak in, stick to the shadows, and then slip back out. Long enough to be able to tell Miss Shinoji she’d gone and could describe it to the teacher.

But when she was over, Gali found herself drawn to the party. People were clearly having fun and the food smelled good. The scarred girl edged out of the darkness, angling toward the food. She’d just have some snacks and then she could go…

[SalmonMax]

Galiana heard the furtive footsteps behind her long before Sachiko got anywhere near enough to pop a hat on her. In the end, this was probably best for avoiding an evening that concluded the festivities with ambulances and screaming children.

She whipped around, muscles tensing to lash out or run away...and spied Sachiko there, hunched over in an 'I am sneaking' type posture, with a conical paper hat adorned with colorful balloons in her hands. Sachi blinked in surprise, then stood up normally. Either she didn't notice the threat of violence in Galiana's pose and eyes, or she misread it, because she didn't seem remotely concerned as she stepped forward and offered the hat.

"Congratulations! You have passed the test, and your prize is this extremely awesome, suitable-for-all-occasions, including framing, party hat which can be a priceless heirloom in your family for all the ages to come! Most people got theirs as they came in the door...I guess Kohaku messed up again." She sighed and shook her head. "He means well, but he seems like a bit of a slacker. He completely forgot to copy his notes for me last week too, so I finally just stopped asking him."

"Anyway, glad you could make it! It's going to be a lot of fun. Pretty soon we'll start roasting pineapple slices, and you can put them on meatballs or just eat them plain...they're great."

Sachiko glanced down at the party hat, still in her hands, then back at Galiana. "It's a custom for parties here," she explains, suddenly remembering the other girl's foreign-ness. "Set down by the first Emperor when he established his rule over thirty thousand years ago, and that we have observed ever since. It is a sacred tradition, and we would be honored if you'd join us."

She bowed deeply, holding the hat up as she did.

[z-Galiana]

Galiana took the hat, feeling awkward. She wasn’t sure what to do with it; a peek at the students showed that they were strapping it to their heads. Hesitantly, she did the same, setting it on her head and slipping the rubber band under her chin. She then pulled her hair out so that it hung over her face. And though she’d done exactly as Sachi asked, it looked wrong. Not just ridiculous, which was the point, but just completely incorrect. It brought to mind the image of a cat wearing a sweater.

“Thank you.” The words were softly spoken. Gali fell silent, not sure what to say next.

[SalmonMax]

Sachiko looked back up, beaming happily. She didn't seem to see anything wrong with Galiana dourly wearing a party hat.

"Think nothing of it! Hey, I've been meaning to ask...how did you get that awesome scar? You have no idea how cool it makes you look. A real woman of mystery! Was it a fight? Or did a panther maul you? Are you blind in that eye?"

She reached out, fully intent on touching the livid mark in Galiana's skin.

[Fiona Warner]

Anne walked up to Sachiko, bumping her with the innertube around her waist. "Oops..."

This was actually a carefully calculated gaffe, to distract Sachiko. "So... skipper... how do you propose we get this party moving?!"

Her smile definitely suggested her enthusiasm. "It's your party after all, Sachiko!"

[AceWildcard]

Kohaku felt insulted at that. "I did not remember hearing you asked that. Nor did you mention it. Plus why were you not posting those notes yourself Sachiko?" Kohaku said irritated by the factj someone called him lazy for the most part as well as a slacker. He was not in either catagory. He did his work just as well as his other activites. He did his work before his play. Plus he was helping others with their hats. To be honest he would have remember if someone asked him for help. Not a lot of people did which annoy him for the most part. So someone saying that annoyed him greated.

[Fiona Warner]

Anne went from nice to nasty at the drop of a hat. Turning to Kohaku she dropped her innertube, steppped over it and walked right up to his face. "Care to tell us then what you've been doing instead of being present at school activities? There's been alot of insane stuff happening recently and your absences seem suspect. If anyone needs to explain themselves..."

She sticks her finger into Kohaku's shoulder. "...It's you."

[z004]

Feeling the mood of the party shift from festive to almost dangerous, Ayami stepped inbetween the irate Brit and the annoyed Kohaku. "Please, it is a party. Sachiko-chan's party. I know life has been stressful these past few weeks, but that is why Sachiko-chan has put this party together for us."

The soft-spoken girl entreated the two other students with large eyes, "Please, let us just have fun and enjoy the party?"

"Sachiko-chan," she called out to the hostess, a note between pleading and panic coloring her tone, "perhaps there is a game we could play, for everyone to get to know one another better?"

[AceWildcard]

"I should ask you the same Miss Ann. I often wonder since there has been some repots of you casing some problems around school. As for me I have done nothing illegal in my activities. Plus do I have to go to school activies? Right now I have other concerns to worry about, especially since severlal kids have gone missing and I intend on looking into it when not even the cops seem to not want to do so. I know there is something going on that is not natural. I don't know what your involvement is in all this or else things would be alot different. Especially after what I have seen going on around you." he said. He knew he put himself out a bit. But he needed to know how she would react and if she could get her to admit to something or see if she was innocent of the ideas he was thinking on her. He felt sorry for the women who interrupted them, but he had to know what he was dealing with.

[Fiona Warner]

"Problems? Causing problems? What sort of problems, Kohaku? If I was the faculty would be bringing it up to me and my parents. And going on around me? Please... tell me what's going on around me, Kohaku. If you've got something on me, go ahead... bring it up."

She was still there, standing her ground.

[AceWildcard]

"The report I saw was of vandalism. Most percisely the Art Class. Some people said they say you around the area. Yet I know that would have been contradicory of what you do as well as of other reports which tell you were elsewhere at the time. Hince why I did not say anything since no one knows for sure who did it. I also saw you elsewhere, that also involves the previous incident. For now I will not say where, since that is more or less personal to me. Yet even I question that due to what I have been..." Kohaku said trying to sound as reasonable as he could. Yet he paused at the end.

"No, you would not believe me? Even if I said that the source was supernatural. I do not know what percisely, but I know that it is evil and desires harm. Yet I do not know what it wants with us, what it is doing here or who summon it. Yet I am concern for the school and those in it. Even if I had shown you my proof, I doubt you would believe. Most people at this school are just looking for a good scare and not the truth! I also did not fake the evidence, and I know you would want to look over it correct?" he asked. He was ferverent in what he believed was going on.

[Fiona Warner]

Anne quirked an eyebrow. The supernatural stuff she brushed aside in her mind. "Well... I have no grief with the Art Club. Also my Aviation Club had some very expensive technology dismantled and certain pieces of equipment broken. If anything, I would want to help the Art Club get down to the brass tacks as to what sort of Juvenile delinquent was behind this."

"I can understand you need for diligence, but in matters of missing students, that should be left to the authorities."

After picking her stuff up, She stepped up close to Kohaku and whispered into his ear. "Be VERY careful who you play the supernatural card with. That's something you shouldn't bring up in public. True or not, people just can't wrap their minds around that."

She walks over to her laptop hooked up to some speakers. It had just played through an opening playlist.

"Any requests? I got a whole selection, guys!"

[Justin OOC]

The party soon got into its swing, with various games with "Sachiko Special" rules, and everyone was truly having a good time. After about three hours when the sky was dark, and there was a lull in the party, Several of the students started talking about heading home, only to be met by Sayoko. a few words from her turned them around and back to the party. Those bothering to watch noted that any trying to leave the house would be met by her, and convinced to go back.

Ayami could feel something wasn't quite right, and as the night grew longer, everyone with heightened senses got a feeling something was off. For Ayami the door seemed to glow with a rose colored outline, It took only moments to realize the truth, it was a spiritual barrier.

Galiana could smell blood, fresh blood from a messy kill, and it wasn't particularly far away. Her enhanced hearing let her hear the screams in the night, and the sounds of skittering and insect like chittering.

For Shinji, it was more pronounced, as he heard Tezara over their link. "Master, my fears have come true. They have come, and they are hungry."

[Fiona Warner]

"Something... something up, guys?" Anne asked, seeing a few of her classmates were suddenly acting quite disturbed.

She turned off the music and stood center of the main room used for the party. She stood straight and adjusted her uniform, taking off the party hat. "Don't worry, everyone, we're safe inside if there's a creeper out there."

She grinned. Something she's learned in a tense diplomatic situation, is to show confidence. "I also know first aid if anyone gets hurt. It would be best to stay in here for now. Anyone have a cell phone? Call the Police."

[SalmonMax]

"The police?" Sachiko blurted, "What are you TALKING about? Everything's fine! We're having a great time, right?"

The other partygoers returned a series of 'yes' and 'yeah' and other affirmatives, even if a few seemed nervous as well.

Sachiko pumped a fist over her head, riding the adulation like it was a wave, and skipped over to the stereo.

"Let the wild rumpus start...again!" She punched up the music and set it off and running.

[Karren Gaunt]

Or call someone who can actually help get her and a few others out of there safely.

Amara retreated into a corner and dropped all pretense of trying to socialize, pulling out her phone. Something was off by the way Sakayo was acting. And she had very strict instructions of what to do if something was off. A few deft taps and the phone was ringing for her bodyguards who should be somewhere near-by. And rang. And rang. And then went to voice mail unanswered.

That... wasn't good.

Amara sucked in a breath and looked actively concerned for once. If her Father found out they didn't answer her call, he'd... Well, they wouldn't want to risk it, so that meant something very bad had happened to them. She pursed her lips and tried calling home, hoping to get an answer there at least, kami help her. She needed to know what was going on out there, and it was her family's business to know about bad things.

[z-Galiana]

Gali’s hand snapped out and stopped Sachiko’s hand. “I can see. It was a jaguar.” It was the honest answer but she knew it might cause issues. She just couldn’t think of anything better to say. She wasn’t particularly good at lying. Thankfully, Anne walked up and completely distracted Sachiko, who forgot about Galiana, allowing the teen were-feline to slip away.

Hours later, she was still at the party, though she wasn’t quite sure why. She didn’t particularly want to be there and she’d thought about leaving several times. Once she’d even made her way for the door, only to turn back and get more food.

But a full stomach couldn’t lull her into complacency, not with the smell of blood in the air. Turning, she stalked toward the door. There might be danger outside, but Gali was not going to be trapped in this house. She needed to be home, on her territory, not in this strange place. And once again, that girl tried to stop her. “There’s nothing you can do out there Galiana.” Sayako stood firm. “You and the others are simply not ready.”

“I care not for your opinion.” Galiana turned and headed for the back yard. “If you’ll not let me out, then I will leave anyway!” Her voice had risen in agitation and most of the party-goers heard her angry declaration, as well as the animalistic snarl that accompanied her statement.

[Justin OOC]

For Amara, there was no answer from home, or her father's cell.

Sayoko watched Galiana, and sighed. "stupid cat." She muttered soft enough that Only Gali could hear her.

She made no move to block her departure, knowing if it happened, things might come out into the open more, and she wasn't wholly ready for that yet.