Sakuraya

Setting the Stage

People of all kinds live in the district. They bustle around in on the sidewalks, rushing to get home, or to work, or wherever they feel like they should be, and they refuse to linger in places they haven't claimed as their own. It's the little boys, girls, and those in between that feel obligated to be wherever they please. These little ones own the streets and let other tread upon them, the selfish mentality of the world having yet to seep into their minds. They are the cause of loitering, and it's the peeved employee's job to force the view of the world into their head. Stand in public, lounge at home. It's impolite to allow other to know that you're enjoying your life.

However, this mentality of Ikebukuro is taking a little vacation for the time being. Tonight there is a festival. Today, no one minds that the kids are marching down their streets with grins on their faces and laughs in their mouths. No one minds idle chatter and expressions of excitement that strangers offer at crosswalks. No one protests when roads are closed to make room for portable stands that are slowly stocked with games and goods for the event.

This sort of peace is rather rare, but many find themselves in better moods than usual because of it. They take the chance to let themselves relax, and to prepare for the upcoming festivities.

Three high schoolers trot down the sidewalk, all headed to one friend's home to prep for the event. The girl asks what her friend would like to do with the cheap costume effects he bought on the way home. The friend responds with a grin, a laugh, and a rather flirtatious answer. The girl blushes, and the third companion complains to the friend about his choice of vocabulary. The friend just laughs, and soon, both the girl and the third will join him.

A debt collector and bodyguard stand together at a crosswalk, speaking casually with one another. The work that day had been surprisingly light, and for that they are both relieved. The bodyguard asks what the debt collector plans to do for the evening. He responds with a shrug, though it is clear he is not attending the festival. The two depart, and the bodyguard questions if he is willing to attend the event. He sends a message to a friend to see if she is. The response is fast, and the bodyguard heads home to find a good outfit for the festival.

A dullahan responds to her friend while her roommate fusses over a wide array of fancy bikers helmets. The roommate interrupts her by shoving a bright pink hamster themed helmet towards her, a grin on his face. The dullahan is not amused, and the roommate is forced to shovel through the options he has once more. Minutes of deliberation conclude when the dullahan decides to don her usual yellow helmet, leaving the roommate a little disappointed.

An information broker watches from the window that looms over the city, part of him enjoying the view and part of him not seeing it at all. He wonders momentarily if he should attend the festival. His employee shuffles his papers, and he wonders aloud if she will be attending. She doesn't grace him with a clear answer. He chuckles and hears the employee leave for the night, though he doesn't find it amusing that she would rather jump off of a building than attend the event with him. A notification from his computer alerts him of a new email, and the information broker decides that maybe Ikebukuro can survive the night without him.

Two anime Otaku fuss about in the back seat of a van, debating the best outfit to sport for the night. The Otaku girl expresses her desire to cosplay characters from the popular video game and anime Danganroppi. The Otaku boy disagrees, instead wishing to dress as the main characters from the anime Psyche-Pass. The two squabble, but before long the driver and the man next to him are posed a question of whether or not they'd be willing to cosplay the characters from that swimming anime, Discount. The car narrowly misses a pedestrian, and the Otaku figure they could manage without the group cosplay.

The argument is settled by the time they reach their destination, and the Otaku leap out of the van to hunt down the perfect festival attire for their own interpretations of the lead characters from Blade Ability Multiplayer (BAM for short). They fly out of the shop twenty minutes later with arms full of new clothes, and the driver takes all of them to their own homes to change for the festival.

A minute passes, and the Otaku are raring to go.

Ten minutes pass, and the Otaku decide to take a photo shoot for their creative cosplays.

Twenty minutes pass, and the Otaku are responding to comments on the picture and status sharing website, Headpage.

Thirty-three minutes pass, and the Otaku have begun to act out their commenter's requests.

Forty-five minutes pass, and the Otaku are looking at fanart of their BAM cosplays.

Fifty-five minutes pass, and the Otaku are discussing the idea of creating their own doujin for the cosplays.

An hour passes, and the Otaku awake to the sound of a car horn. Their photos on Headpage only have a few likes, but they don't care. They laugh and wander to the van and begin discussing the strangeness of having the same dream. The idea that they are anime characters with awakening abilities lingers in their minds the entire night.

A pink kimono, floral patterns of white sprinkled across the chest in a thick stripe. Delicate fingers with a soft shade at the tips, as if the nails are made from the cherry petals the festival in the city below is celebrating tonight. A reflection stares ahead, crystalline eyes meeting. They sparkle with a sort of glee that no one would expect to find in them. The face is well molded. Attractive, more-so than the average citizen, but not outrageously so. A rather androgynous face. Though a little masculine, make up can quickly turn that around. The kind that can let the owner dress how they please without being perceived as a cross dresser.

Whether or not they are perceived as male or female doesn't matter. It's simply a title that deems whether or not half of the populace will consider taking them seriously or not.

Treated as female, she gets free drinks and kind favors, but she must walk on the lit side of the street, in the view of potentially dangerous strangers as well as the security cameras and cars who may stop to help should someone feel they have the privilege to indulge themselves.

Treated as male, he receives a certain privilege he wouldn't otherwise receive, allowing him to avoid unwanted attention in public places and have his opinion taken somewhat seriously. Yet he must also struggle with the ridicule that comes with his wardrobe and sense of beauty.

The solution is rather simple. Keep the strangers guessing, and they are forced to treat both him and her as a person. After all, she has no reason to be ashamed of her dress, and he has no reason to respond to the catcalls of a drunk, and the strangers have no way of determining the difference. Unless they speak.

The voice is a dead give away. Male. Though it holds a more feminine and sultry tone than most voices, but the difference is noticeable enough for them to avoid speaking. They stay away from situations where talking was necessary. She keeps her tone high, and he keeps his stare steady. But the ridicule always comes at some point. So they don't speak. She acts shy, and he acts mischievous, and no one pays them any mind.

Tonight though, it isn't important. A voice isn't needed beyond expressing enjoyment, and in the throngs of people, a strange tone will go unnoticed. No one will sniff her out for her number, and no one will hunt him down for a bout of bullying, because no one will care enough about that one passing stranger in the herd of others who look just as strange in their makeup and sweat.

She thinks to herself as she outlines her auburn eyes with a dark shade to boost their prominence. Tonight will be perfect.

He thinks to himself as he pats down his black hair to keep the small spikes in a somewhat formal shape. Tonight will be perfect.

For the first time in months, they leave home with the confidence of a god.

Tonight will be perfect.

A/N: Okay, so I actually wrote something that I can publish, so be proud This is a big achievement. So, this entire fanfic has a rather loose plot, and I'm not exactly sure of all of the details yet. Therefore, I will be taking suggestions on what should happen. But, to make it more entertaining, I figure instead of spoiling in the notes so you can give ideas, I would love for you to review with a guess of what you think will happen.

Also, yes. All of the trademarked names are slightly altered. They should be recognizable, but if not, Danganroppi is Danganronpa (using one of Izaya's doppelgangers names, Roppi), Phyche-Pass is Phycho-Pass (using another of Izaya's doppelgangers, Phyche), Discount is Free, BAM is Sword Art online, and Headpage is Facebook.

Review Questions (Prompt questions so you have something to talk about in a review):

Are the parody names entertaining? Any suggestions? Should they be changed?

What's going to happen at the festival? Who will have the best/worst time?