Halloween The Spooky Candy Festival of YE 46

[raz]

RP Date

46.8

RP Location

Kyoto, Yamatai

Kyoto, Yamatai, YE 46

The sweltering heat of planet Yamatai's waning summer months had only recently given way to more comfortable evenings as the sun fell from the sky earlier and earlier with each passing day, the changing of seasons heralded by leaves adorning the capital Kyoto's maples, ginkgo trees, birches, and all the shifting from vibrant greens to warmer ambers and reds. Misty mornings burned away under the lazy autumn sun and returned by nightfall in hazy patches across the city's sleepier, sparser districts, and longer evening hours allowed for the heated rhythm of Kyoto's downtown to pulse proudly with renewed fall vigor.

Tonight, however, the Star Empire's capital city was yet livelier than usual, from its manicured Riverside and Imperial Districts to its extra-packed commercial neighborhoods lined with all manner of pleasures. The annual Candy Festival had begun. Revelers from across Kyoto, the Empire, and the Kikyo Sector itself filled the city in search of sweet treats and joyous mischief. Per tradition, people of all ages took to the streets in costume—each bedecked in some ensemble cute or funny, spooky, or even perhaps sexy—and mingled in celebratory jubilance for the festive day. Even Yamatai's mighty military, the Star Army of Yamatai, contributed to the holiday (and had indeed been part of it from first Candy Festival).

Reservists and active capital garrisons mobilized the week before in concert with Star Army Logistics and local police to decorate Kyoto with jack-o-lantern pumpkins, twinkling purple-and-orange light displays, and other holiday trimmings, tying together the myriad decorations that adorned private homes and businesses all over the city. And more than that, the soldiers themselves had been dispersed all throughout Kyoto to distribute candy to whoever needed it; a monumental undertaking to supply and coordinate itself. Even Star Army Intelligence played its part, digitally tagging each and every person out in public this evening to sort them into three equal groups: Kikyo, Hinomaru, and Plumeria. The information as to which team they were on would be relayed to everyone's digital brain or communications device, and even those without access could unknowingly participate wherever they tread.

Many thousands of carved pumpkins placed throughout Kyoto started the night unlit. Some were emblazoned with the Kikyo roundel, some with the Star Army Hinomaru, and the last with a silhouette of a Plumeria-class Gunship. They sat quiet and cold amidst the other more traditional pumpkin faces, waiting to be illuminated. Proximity detectors within these special pumpkins were rigged to activate the small electric candle inside each when approached by someone whose assigned "team" did not match any given pumpkin's design. When a sufficient number were lit, a special Candy Festival-themed display would light up the sky above Kyoto and be visible from orbit, a feat that could only be achieved if all three groups worked together toward that common goal.

Over in Kaiko Park—where a night market had sprung up near its western entrance featuring extra specialty stalls that produced hand-made hard candies, traditional wagashi confections, and other crafted delights—Ketsurui Aiko stood overlooking the festivities here dressed in a tight black bodysuit painted in rough strokes with a humanoid skeleton on it. Black makeup across her mouth and beneath her eyes, as well as covering her nose, gave her beautiful face the look of a skull. She'd been tasked by Taisho Yui with organizing Kyoto's Candy Festival and, although Aiko still monitored all security concerns and logistical matters via PANTHEON wireless, she felt that things had started off well enough that she could partake.

"Is there anything you would enjoy doing, Captain?" Aiko asked Taiyou Hoshi, her friend and superior officer aboard the YSS Kaiyō II, who had also been given orders by the Mistress-Taisho to make this year's event happen. "We could go find Hanako and support her or see where Candycorn is set up, and then peruse the frenetic districts closer to Kyoto's heart," she offered, the latter referring to the Star Army Logistics Candy Festival mascot. The Ketsurui princess' crimson red Fukuro shuttle was parked on the field nearby, making transit anywhere in the city a breeze. "Or perhaps we remain here. Kaiko Park has become home to many leisure hours for us, but never yet a spooky Candy Fest evening.

"So, Hoshi, do you prefer tricks or treats?"

 

[Ametheliana]

Kaiko Park

"Let's go out and see how the city's taken to the task," Hoshi answered, smiling even as a draped bandage from her costume fluttered against her forehead. It was often that Hoshi and Aiko found themselves using Kaiko Park as a home base from which they set off from and Hoshi wanted wanted to make tonight no exception. As those requested by Yui to oversee the festival, Hoshi expected to be knee deep in logistical work, but the pre-planning she and Aiko had done meant there was little necessitated by them at this point.

There was one thing that Hoshi was more than excited to witness—the teams lighting jack-o-lanterns around the city. There were few directly in Kaiko Park and it was bittersweet to see the plumeria carving was already aglow, having been lit by a bellflower or hinomaru team. But there were many more to be lit and the little pink captain knew there was sure to be joy to be witnessed as some carved pumpkin was proximity lit later on in the night and elsewhere.

"Do you think we could try to track down some of our crew, too," Hoshi asked idly, thinking. "With the year we've had, I'd take a treat over any more tricks. Just this once as you know how I like the fun and challenge of a trick. If I'm answering like that, it surely means I should pick up some wagashi before we set off."

A few moments later, she was carrying a bundle filled with little orange roundels of mostly rice flour that were indented and topped with snaking green bean curd to look like pumpkins. The small bag swung in her hand as the gauzey bandages that adorned her wafted in the wind. She was concealed considerably less than Aiko's costume covered the Ketsurui, but looked happily confident on this night as a mummy.

 

[Gunhand4171]

Kaiko Park

Entering the park as Aiko and Hoshi got their things together, a large man in obsidian plate armor strode through the market. His face was obscured by a similarly dark great helm. On his back was a tattered green cloak with a fur-lined collar. The knight slowed, taking in each stall as he walked, enjoying the cooler as he walked. He stopped at one of the shops and bought a bellflower that he pinned to his cloak, then continued deeper into the park.

Stumbling upon the two women, the knight removed his great helm and waved at them. "There you are!" he called, waving at the pair. William smirked at the pair as he walked forward, holding the helmet under his arm as he approached. "A mummy and a skeleton. Very traditional." The ID-SOL remarked as he moved to stand in front of the two.

 

[Charaa]

Kaiko Park
The blue skinned Nekovalkyrja Luna Soban grinned as she worked at her work table, working on a watch-like device, and putting in a smaller version of stealth technology. She knew that with the size, it wouldt be able to turn her completely invisible. But for the Candy Festival, she wanted something that could turn her into a ghost by appearance. “alright, and done” she said, and stripped out of her outfit and puts on the cloak, before she puts on the device. Turning to a mirror she activates it, and notes her new transparent appearance and the ghost-like effect. This caused the cloak to become scarier. Luna laughed at her appearance but noted that she appeared to be missing an arm. ‘oh, the watch isn’t letting that show.. oh well” she said and grabbed the prop of the scythe before she hurried out and made her way to the area. “ooooohh Uncle Williiiaam!” She called out, her voice modified to be spooky for the occasion. “I am the ghost of a innocent maiden, here to hhaaaaunt yoou” She said to him as she gently sat on his shoulder like old times.

Then she looked to the others he spoke to, and realized she was able to recognize them, and smiled.

 

[Megabirb]

Kaiko Park

It had took some time to apply her makeup and get her costume ready but Rio was positively ecstatic for her first candy festival. The moment she entered the park and seen the market she had begun to collect a bag of various sweets, treats and souvenirs. From a distance she was little more than a maid uniform darting between the various stalls, weaving through the crowd with a slowly growing bag of goodies. It was while Rio slowed down to eat a taiyaki that she spotted William's head above the crowd.

It wasn't until she drew closer to the group that the smaller details of her costume came out. "Konbanwa everyone!" declared Rio cheerfully as she joined the group. The cheery greeting contrasted the zombie maid costume she had decided upon.

 

[Sunny D]

Kyoto, Yamatai, YE 46

A giddy thrill washed over Morgana as she admired her handiwork. There was something delightful in slipping into the trope of mad scientist, especially when it was for a frivolous, seasonal prank rather than her typical high-stakes pursuits. This side project, this little indulgence for the spooky festivities, held none of the usual gravitas—though, in the wrong hands, the implications could be chilling.

The concept itself was simple, or at least, so she thought; align an array of speakers to emit the same sound, and you’d create what could best be described as an acoustic laser. On the outskirts, sound waves would obliterate each other through destructive interference, but at the centre of the array, the wave fronts would stack, forging a focused beam of sound. Well-timed phasing could allow the sound to be directed while the array remained fixed, creating a stationary, sound-beaming construct that could swivel on command.

Morgana found the effect, in layman's terms, really cool. She could ricochet sound off solid walls, tailor it for just one unlucky listener in a crowd, a whisper crafted for an ear that wasn’t expecting it. Then there was the question of how to deploy it. She had originally considered stationary installations that she’d have to plant around the city herself, however her costume, a form-fitting leotard decked out with pink bat-themed leggings, bat wings perched jauntily atop her back and head, had given her some inspiration.

It was a grotesque creature she had concocted that afternoon with a cooperative PANTHEON AI: a biomechanical bat, every bit as unsettling as it was functional. Smooth sinews and organic grooves in deep, necrotic hues; a fleshy, chimeric marvel that would feel right at home in any Mishhuvurthyar installation. A dense array of organic speakers sat within its belly, each linked by a latticework of neurons. From there, a tangled network wove its way through the bat’s body, branching like grotesque vines into the wings, eyes, and ears. No stomach, no real sensation of pain—these creatures were designed to be transient things, with barely a day to 'live' before they’d biodegrade. The only piece of true machinery was the tiny logic unit nestled in the core of each little monstrosity.

With their phased array, the bats could encircle a target, projecting sounds with pinpoint precision, focused on a solitary victim and mute to those nearby—unless they stood at a conspiratorial whisper’s distance. There was probably a SAINT application there, but Morgana made sure there was only a maximum of 1 minute before the bat selected a new target, lest they actually begin to think they had become haunted or mad.

Once the design had passed through simulations with devilish grace, Morgana uploaded the specifications to a hemosynth tank. Compared to a full-grown Nekovalkyrja, these synthetic nightmares were simple; a mere few minutes, and they were ready. Soon, over a thousand of the dark-winged fiends filled several crates, ready to be unleashed upon the city.

And so, atop a tower overlooking Kyoto’s downtown, Morgana watched as they emerged from their crates, wings beating like dark leaves caught in a gale, scattering into the night to spread dissonance and dread across the city. She allowed herself a rare, unguarded smile as she watched them disappear into the urban abyss.

 

[Ametheliana]

Kaiko Park

"How ever did you find us?" Hoshi asked, enamored with the sight of William's full plate and cape. The question, of course, was rhetorical as Hoshi and Aiko's penchant for the park was undeniably. "Oh and Rio, too. How sweet, what groups are you two in? We can help you with lighting your pumpki—ahk!"

One of Morgana's bats had honed in on the captain, gliding from one side of her to the next. The moment she looked at it, it flew to her other shoulder in a frenetic flapping of its wings that did not inspire peace of mind. All the while, dreadfully ghoulish whispers echoed into Hoshi's pink, triangular ears alone. She looked about, noticing a few other park patrons undergoing the same horror. Had she not gotten warning from that one cooperative PANTHEON, she would have believed some larger conspiracy in place that she and Aiko needed to rectify.

As it was, the captain couldn't quite stifle a giggle and faked a sad moan before she spoke aloud.

"I wish you had your camera, Aiko-sama. I've gotten the best addition I could ask for to my costume!"

 

[Gles]

Kaiko Park

Unlike most of the Kaiyo's crew, Molli hadn't planned to leave her bunk that night. Spooky festivals weren't her idea of a good time, and neither was playing dress-up. Amid conversations about costumes and plans for excursions among the crew, Molli stuck to non-committal responses and half-hearted shrugs when asked what she would do once they arrived at the planet. In her effort to fly under the radar, however, it appeared she attracted the attention of a certain pink captain who took the liberty of "helping" her crewmember find a costume. Needless to say, Molli had to hide her dismay when Hoshi arrived at her bunk unannounced.

The theme of each outfit revolved around the nubs of bone on Molli's forehead, nubs she regularly filed down to preserve the appearance of a 'normal' person, and to throw off anyone looking for a horned Nepleslian. The costumes Hoshi chose reflected this: from an oversized cow outfit, a dinosaur onesie, and strips of black leather that, once Molli thought about how anyone could wear so little, reminded her of a demonic entity of sorts. Much as Molli wanted to turn down Hoshi's offer, she found it difficult to ever say no to her captain.

All of this led to Molli shuffling through Kaiko Park dressed as a fearsome green dinosaur, or as fearsome as one could look in what was essentially pajamas. The hood consisting of its head and lower jaw was pulled down as much as possible to hide her face, which was made easier by the long mouth and rows of lopsided teeth. More problematic was the massive floppy tail that dragged on the ground and was constantly stepped on, nearly pulling the young Nepleslian to the ground every time it happened. She would've found it preferable to sit on a bench and wait out the night, but Molli had a festive job for the night.

Candles and candy, both needed distributing, and Molli was nothing if not diligent. Two bags were hooked under each arm, one full of various sweets that she distributed whenever an eager child decided not to jump on her tail (she refused to give anything to those who did), and the pumpkins spread around the park needed appropriate candles inside them. Molli found that easier than giving candy -- they all lit up whenever she hastily plopped one inside.

This journey eventually brought the Kaiyo crewmember within sight of four familiar faces, even under the veil of costumes. Seeking a break from her duties, Molli shuffled over to them. "...'Ello," she said, shifting her hood so that the glow of her red eyes could be seen. "Bleedin' hot in this thing..."

 

[Nameless]

Kaiko Park

Amongst the crowd, a pair of cloaked figures weaved in and out of the crowd. While they shared the same basic look, with thick black garments of Victorian design, a hood and half cloaks with white leather masks that had long beaks and black, circular lenses for eyes, each had their own little trinkets adorning their costumes. One had a chain slung across her shoulder, the end of the loop hung a heavy, leather-bound book with thick pages that looked yellowed with age. This plague doctor carried a basket of white, paper flowers, some of which were tucked into her belt.

The other plague doctor had flasks of glowing fluids adorning her belt and on her back, there was a metallic tank with a hose leading to the contraption she held in her hand: a make-shift flame thrower with a holographic pilot flame. This pair of hooded doctors went up to random people who were dressed up as multiple kinds of undead creatures at which point the one with the flower basket would offer them a flower then pretend to write something on her oversized book, which was followed up by the one holding the flamethrower spraying the undead with a harmless orange smoke that quickly dissipated, declaring "You have been cleansed!" before the pair moved on.

This pair soon found the Kaiyo crew and as they have done before, walked up to them with purpose in their step, with the flower bearer taking two flowers from her basket and offering it to Hoshi and Aiko specifically. "Alas, to see my captain has passed to the next life brings pain to my heart. I offer thee this flower as an offering for the dearly departed." While slightly muffled by the mask, the voice belonged to none other than their very own Sif Ignemar.

The other plague doctor looked to the others present, but her gaze lingered at William, her masked head cocked to one side before turning to the dinosaur-clad Nepleslian. "A healthy specimen, for a creature lost to time" she'd say, nodding approvingly before turning towards the ID-SOL. "Ser Knight, are thou with a beating heart or hasth thy veins stilled by death's grip?"

 

[Sosina]

Kaiko Park

D3 scooted out into the park with her collapsible Food cart in tow, and on seeing how many people were around she quickly set up the stand, the menu was up, the tables and chairs set, for customers to use while they eat, and the massive Tomato sign was up as well as D3 scooted around dressed as a lady bug, well truth be told she was adapted to be lady buggy, but only a slight adaptation, she had heard that it was normal for people to be decorated or disguised slightly on this day so she decided to do it this way, she had even sent out a note with a pic of her to a place giving out junk to people and she had gotten quite an interesting haul.

Regardless here she was with a few other D3 who were all adapted and dressed up as different insects, and one was just wearing a large tomato costume, and they were helping her work the food stall! She had considered running Tomato Tower as well, but after looking at the crowds she realized a obstacle course in costume might not be the best Idea so it was just the "Maximum Tomato" food stand and its' wildly varying menu.

Soon with it al set up and ready to serve the public the other D3's were sent out to hand out Fliers as D3 herself stayed stationed at the food cart ready to server up some good food for anyone who wanted it gently bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement at the Idea of being able to participate in the event like this.

 

[raz]

Kyoto, Yamatai
Downtown

The night of the candy festival was full of cheer as revelers in costumes ranging from the creative and carefully-constructed to the absurd and scanty made their way around the mega-city's streets. Earlier in the evening it tended to be a younger and family friendly crowd, and as the sun went away it became more of a party scene with people mingling, sharing drinks, and making new friends over things like finding someone with a matching costume from the same series or something.

As the Imperial Premier of Yamatai, Taisho Ketsurui-Shinjuku Hanako was always out and about making public appearances and tonight was no exception. In the heart of Kyoto's flashy commercial district, she made her way through the crowds greeting people and occasionally giving short speeches about Yamataian togetherness—all while dressed as Yamamoto Sami, also known as Nekoranger Red from the series "Kamen Sentai Nekoranger." It was a first for Hanako, to dress as a character that was a parody of her, but it showed she had a sense of humor.

One of the many costumed merrymakers of the night was a silvery haired Neko named Koizumi Aratani. She made her way through the crowd and only paused to be sure her compatriots were following close behind. Yearly she dressed in a different rendition of the same thing: a jack-o-lantern pumpkin. Her exuberance for the theme of the night meant she had already lit all of the pumpkins of the night that she could and was now hounding those she had come with to personally get to meet the famous Hanako, a personality she had heard so much about but not had the chance to meet herself.

"Just calm down for a second, Zumi-kun," a green eyed man with slicked back black hair said to Aratani. Dressed in a pointy midnight blue wizard hat with a gold shooting star pattern on it and a cloak to match, Nicholas Saiga jogged up beside the pumpkin-Neko. "She'll be cool but you've got to play it cool."

He'd come with his SAINT squad in tow—all dressed variously as different magical "familiars" with assorted attributes like a bird or cat or walking mushroom—having agreed to accompany Aratani. His plan was to meet up with the soldier's captain, his girlfriend Taiyou Hoshi, later in the evening. But for now, Saiga had come along to help Aratani with some social clout. After all, the veteran SAINT taisa had served with Hanako, so helping one of his task force's junior officers seemed like a fine enough mission. It was a good excuse to catch up with their mutual friend Tokuko, too, who currently loomed modestly among Saiga's collection of operatives.

"Nooo," Aratani replied to Saiga with a long drawn out one-word rebuttal before sprinting ahead. Even as she jumped ahead, lavender eyes alight and set on the Imperial Premier, she said, "If I don't take the opportunity, she'll get swarmed again!"

"Hey, Taisho!" Saiga called out, waving at Hanako above the generally shorter Yamataian average with a big smile as the group approached.

"Hello there!" Hanako waved, peering through the crowds to see who was calling her, which was difficult because she was a bit short. That voice sounded familiar. Thankfully she could hover. She shook a few more hands and then made her way over to Saiga. "Saiga, my old first officer! How have you been faring since our days on the Eucharis?" she asked. "Are you handing out candy on duty or just enjoying the night? Seen any cute costumes?"

Saiga jogged over the last few steps to close with Hanako, moving ahead and dragging Aratani by her wrist.

"Oh yeah, Candy Fest's always filled with a bunch of good ones," Saiga chuckled, mostly remembering Hoshi's skimpy mummy getup. "Fairies and ghosts, the spooks, and all the ghouls. Plenty of cuteness this year for sure. This pumpkin wanted to meet the daring hero Nekoranger Red, though, so I promised I'd help her find you since I've got an 'in,'" he winked.

"Hanako-sama, this is Koizumi Aratani," Saiga introduced, pulling Aratani's arm until she moved between them. "She's with the Kaiyō. Went to SAAMMS and then helped Aiko and me retake your namesake planet between then."

Pale chin dropping, Aratani looked to Saiga as if she were seeing something magical take place, which was apt given his wizardly costume for the night. Mystified, she took it all in.

Aratani muttered in shock, “I didn’t know you really knew her. Like really really.” Mystified, she took it all in before giving a deep bow to Hanako. “It’s an honor, Hanako-hime!” Since she had met Aiko and served alongside her, Aratani had found an allure to meeting clan members that she hadn’t felt before meeting Yui’s raven-haired daughter. Truly, she had been more interested in the Kirie pilot than the Ketsurui name upon first introductions a year prior. But, now, there was a real wanderlust in her eyes to meet another of the Imperial family.

Hanako gave Aratani a bow and a two-handed handshake. "An academy graduate, very nice, and helping to retake Hanako's World from the Kuvexians? It sounds like you're already achieving a lot in your Star Army service, and I look forward to seeing what is next. What do you see in your future?" she asked, always interested in furthering and nurturing the Star Army's talented soldiers. "Anything on your wish-list?" the Taisho asked. As director of Star Army Personnel, she was probably the one with the most power to make those things happen.

Aratani was pleasantly taken aback that Hanako was looking into her there on the spot. There was no hiding the wide, all-consuming smile that formed on her face as she realized the care Hanako was putting into not just the conversation, but her. The Premier's questions garnered instant responses as Aratani pulled from the thoughts she considered daily.

"I don't know if I want to switch over to a red panel, even after the Academy, as my interests lie mostly in power armor and especially, but more rarely, mecha. Or if I should stay on track for a command position where I can lead power armor and mecha teams—not just fix them up. Then again, I could opt into a role with SARA to help develop new armors," Aratani diatribued about her future, ready to say more before realizing she had said enough. "I think I'd just like to see the Star Army pursuing more large scale armor options as mainstays."

"Quick one, huh?" Saiga grinned toward Hanako high over Aratani's shoulder. "Kept herself from being too much of a Ketsurui fangirl, too. Maybe she'll help out at KFY one day."

"Ah," Hanako said, rubbing her chin. "My first thought was that sounds more like a logistics issue or a doctrine one over a personnel one that is in my zone, but I could appoint someone to be in charge of mecha development and create an experimental mecha unit—maybe if I give the right people the task of figuring out the best way to use mecha in the Star Army, they would be pathfinders that make a template for later, more widespread use," she contemplated out loud.

"That would be so beneficial." Aratani's smile had faded to a look of determination that was no less joyous. "On Urtullan we recently used several one-of-a-kind mecha that were developed to fight against the NMX's most recent venture into the same armor craft type. There were slight failings, sure, and I had to repair one of them. But the—"

"She's got clearance to read the report, Zumi-kun," Saiga cut in, the SAINT agent always aware of operational security. "Keep it tame," he reminded her. "One of the Kaiyō's sorties, Hanako-sama," he added.

Suddenly embarrassed and remembering Saiga's earlier words to "play it cool," Aratani pinched her lips together but nodded appreciatively to Hanako, "That'd be great, Hanako-hime. Thank you for listening but I won't take up any more of your Candy Fest! You should get back to catching up with your old first officer!" She had put extra sarcastic emphasis on the word "old" as she looked at the grizzly SAINT operative.

Saiga laughed, shaking his head. He was younger than Hanako, not that anyone could tell among the Empire's transhuman mélange, but knew it was better to let such facts slide.

"I'm sure she's got a lot more hands to shake and sweets to dole out," he said. "But it's always great to see you, Hanako-sama. I hope you've been able to keep busy in the way you enjoy most."

Just then, the Candy Festival's mascot Candycorn, who looked the part, dressed in a short candy corn styled dress, came over and offered everyone hot cocoa, which she had coming out of a backpack unit that looked way too much like a flamethrower, but instead of fire it was squirting cocoa into paper cups supplied by a sexy mummy following her around on an electric hoverboard.

"It is good to see you, too," Hanako told Saiga. "To be honest, this war is the biggest that Yamatai has ever taken on, so I expect us to never run out of things to do. There is a big galaxy to explore so make the most of it. But don't forget to do some life essentials... maybe even make a few babies next Love Day," she grinned, accepting a hot cocoa from Candycorn and giving her a thumbs up because things were going great.

"Hoshi and I've got plenty of spots to hang out here in-sector; don't need to go too far for that kind of thing," Saiga replied without any change coming across his jovial expression despite blushing a bit. "The Director of Personnel shouldn't forget her own suggestion, though. Or do all the Neko soldiers produced on Nataria count as yours?" he joked.

With eyes diverting from Hanako to take a gracious cup from Candycorn, Aratani’s thoughts went to Hanako’s and Saiga’s words. She couldn’t help but imagine the two of them taking such advice. In her mind's eye, she saw a piece of candycorn that was green, then blue, then violet just like Hanako’s hair. Keeping her thoughts to herself, she took a sip of the warming drink with a look on her face as if she was keeping a deep secret inside.

"I will think about it," Hanako said with a smile. "I am hoping we will be able to introduce a new update next year," she mentioned.

"You get to try one first, right?" the SAINT operative asked, only half-serious. "For testing and all of that, of course. What's it been since the 33A? Eleven years? Project probably keeps you busy. Especially with everything else a Taisho-slash-Premier has got on her plate; now I feel lucky that all we've got to do out there on the frontlines is slay Mishhu. But spending holidays like today among friends is always a good respite no matter one's responsibilities, even if for a single evening."

"It's been a fun one so far," Aratani agreed. She looked to Hanako, as well, appreciative that Saiga had been able to help her meet the another member of the Imperial family like this.

"I agree, and the hard work our soldiers are doing this year is all the more reason to make sure they get a great holiday season and year-end," Hanako mentioned. "The Kyoto part of this festival was actually organized by the war heroes of the YSS Kaiyō at Taisho Yui's request. In tough times, the people need heroes. Thanks for all you do."

"They make you say that because you're Premier?" Saiga asked, smirking from ear-to-ear. He, of course, acknowledged the exploits achieved by the leaders of his task force, Hoshi and Aiko, but preferred the SAINT style of saving the Empire from the shadows. "We all still have you, too, Hanako. Even more so as you serve as our head of government."

"I only ran because I thought I could do a better job than the other guy," Hanako half-joked. "I am counting down the days until I can relax," she told Saiga, then flashed Aratani a smile.

"There was another guy?" Saiga shot back. "Forgot him already. Maybe he'll try again and let you retire to your favorite place."

"Government is too important to stand back on. Just like the Star Army, people make the difference and for it to work great there have to be people of high quality in it. I do not mean to speak ill of my opponent but we certainly disagreed on some things. In any case, let us not soil the evening with political talk. We should eat sweets, move feet, and meet & greet."

"Besides," Aratani interjected as she looked skeptically at Saiga. "When was the last time there was an episode about Yamamoto Sami relaxing?"

"You'd be surprised how many compliments people gave me on this wig. Apparently there's some people who really like short-haired Hanako," the premier mentioned. "And I'm pretty sure they have quite a few beach episodes," she added with a laugh.

"You and your kin in the Ketsurui Clan honor us with your high ideals, Hanako-sama, we citizens are spoiled to have you," Saiga said as some of his family's trademark traditionalism shone through in his words. "In any case, you're right. The only time to enjoy Candy Fest is the present. Aiko-hime and Hoshi told me about all this. We've been lighting their jack-o-lanterns whenever we pass them. I'm on the Plumeria team," he mentioned.

Nearby, a young Yamataian boy no more than five or six was dressed up in some kind of fantasy knight armor and knelt down beside a pumpkin carved with the Yamataian bellflower. His presence as a member of the evening's Hinomaru team allowed him to activate the light within it, and moments after he did all the city's illumination dimmed. He'd been the last person required among the countless revelers working together to activate what would come next.

High above Kyoto's skyscrapers in the clear night's atmosphere, an orange glow materialized in the air to show first an ethereal Plumeria-class gunship, and then a shimmering Star Army Hinomaru, and finally an exquisite Yamataian kikyo flower. Each depiction lasted for fifteen seconds and then moved on to the next. And with every cycle over the course of the night, each image would stay for longer and longer, remaining in the sky until midnight as a symbol of the Star Empire and Kikyo Sector's ability to achieve anything together.

“See that?” Aratani asked breathlessly, though it was hard for any to ignore the illuminations in the sky overhead. The unmistakable symbols of the Star Army reflected in the Neko's eyes as she smiled upwards.

Hanako just smiled. She felt proud of Yamatai. It was a lot of work that took a lot of people, but together they had kept the dream alive. And tomorrow, they would continue to build a bright future for all.

- - -

OOC: JP by Wes, Raz, and Ame