Takara Chardonnay's Story

Kotone Ryokucha

The chattering of the crowd was loud and jumbled up in the dome-shaped newly remodeled stadium, the Nomimono Stadium. There were four platforms, each were empty and had four squares on them each. Meanwhile, underneath the stadium were a network of dressing rooms and rehearsal rooms. And under each platform was a group of four, and in the middle was the infamous idol, C.C. Lemon-tan, peppy and ready to go. Then suddenly, all the lights were turned off in the main stadium, silencing the chattering audience.

"Good morning everyoneee!" an obviously excited voice echoed throughout the stadium, most people recognizing it instantly. It was C.C. Lemon-tan's voice, and her platform was being raised up to the main stadium in the darkness. Handfuls of citzens shouted and clapped as the spotlight focused on the girl, and meanwhile, all of the other beverage groups were being raised into the stadium through the platforms in the darkness.

"Welcome to the once-a-decade Nomimono Beverage Wars! Let's begin by stating the rules!" she hopped in the air, and then pointed to the screens that hung above her, which flashed the rules as she read them aloud.

A girl, whose appearance is of a mature late teenager stood in the upper left square, her posture elegant and poised. Her hair was a reddish-brown, which was put in a taut bun, topped off by an oriental kanzashi. She wore a kimono that was a jade green, with a lotus pattern, and though her appearance is that of a mature young woman, her thoughts and personality were far different.

"This kimono is so uncomfortable! I want to go play at the pet store with the animals!" she whined under her breath. I wonder how Rose-chan is doing back there.. Koto turned around, peering at the slightly taller girl behind her, with the rose in her hair as usual.

"Psst! Rose-chan! Can we go to the Nomi Forest later?" she poked Subarashi Habuti's arm, hiding her face from the rest of the teas as usual. She then quickly returned to her elegant mode as the lights flashed on the Soda group, C.C. Lemon-tan introducing them to the audience. She glanced over at Coke, and recalled a few childhood memories, then pinched herself before nodding her head, her lotus kanzashi silently jingling. All the groups were expected to dress how they were viewed, the Teas had to wear kimonos, Alcohols were to be wearing their formal western clothing, Juices were to wear something fancy, yet nature-related, and the Sodas had to wear something fancy, but related to their company. How come we're the only ones who have to wear stuffy kimonos?! Koto pouted slightly, but was once again surprised by the spotlights flashing on the Alcohol group, C.C. Lemon-tan doing the introductions, but it's not as if Kotone actually paid attention this whole time. (Which means that whoever's in the Alcohol and Soda group, you can put your group's introduction in more detail.)

"Ah, we're next." she quietly muttered, peering up at Koucha Ishikawa, who was about a head taller than her. She stood, poised and refined, as usual and expected, and soon enough, the spotlights flashed upon her group.

"Next is the Tea group! The members being: the Green Tea, Kotone Ryokucha!" The square she stood on lit up, and she waved, then with the flick of her wrist, she pulled out her lotus kanzashi and tossed it into the audience behind. Her hair was released from the bun and was let out into maroon shiny waves. The crowd cheered as they did with the other groups, Kotone watching the shocked reactions of the elders in her clan in victory. How's that, you uptight geezers! C.C. Lemon-tan continued on, the next person to be introduced being Subarashi Habuti.

Shinko stood straight and poised with her head held high as the lights flashed at the Soda group. She donned a dress with an exotic green print displaying paisley and ombre going around the entire dress which is then overlaid with delicate emerald tulle. At the waistline, a lime green sash holds tight to her body and under it, a cute skirt that gave her easy access to move around in. Her hair was in a high ponytail with her infamous twin braids framing her face.

“The first group we have here is……. The Soda group!” Shinko was usually able to tolerate C.C. Lemon-tan but she was starting to put her in a bad mood for some reason today (she didn’t let the annoyance show- that’d be unprofessional of her). She didn’t know if it was her being extremely loud right now or if her heels were just making her uncomfortable. She highly doubt it was the latter, though, since her ears are a bit sensitive much to her liking.

The first to be introduced in the group was Coke. He cockily waved at the crowd with a smirk plastered on his face. So conceited… she thought to herself as chrome green orbs scanned the other groups before landing on Green Tea. Her eyes narrowed a bit as she skeptically looked back at Coke. She knew of his relationships with some of the female members of the Teas and she was starting to think that it’d be a hindrance in the future. We better not lose just ‘cause he has a soft spot for them, her eyes shifted towards June Tsugami. And I’ll just have to get along with this one, too, she almost cringed at the thought of working together with her rival but she knew that team work would have to be important if she wanted to win.

“Next of the Soda group, give it up for Sierra Mist, Shinko Misuto!” She then averted her gaze back to the crowd and waved with a small, polite grin as the spotlight shined upon on her. "Aww! Such cool beauty, ne?" After C.C Lemon-tan gave a high pitched giggle and moved on to the next group, her game face was suddenly on, intsantly going into her competitive mode. If any drinks are going to win, It'll be utter bullpiss if it isn't us Sodas.

кιуσѕнι кσнαкυ~ нαкυ's heart thudded inside his chest as if threatening to burst out at any moment, right in front of the massive crowd. They weren't even looking at him yet - their attention was elsewhere - and he could already feel the speeding beat of the blood-pumping organ begin to hike up into his throat to choke him. He didn't do well with crowds, he never had. But at least the block in his throat wouldn't abstruct him - there was no speaking involved. That Idol girl was taking care of all the introductions. All he needed to do was stand there and look pretty. Looking cool was officially out of the question; he stood there in a stuffy, slightly feminine kimono with his hair straightened and pinned back on one side with a silver string tied in a bow, looking meek with his hands fingering the hem where the front of the kimono criss-crossed. The Kimono sported pale, delicate colors, with shimmering silver accents. The ensemble together with his pale skin and soft features gave him such a doll-like appearance, and his bright eyes and dark hair stood out with due emphasis. Even his fingernails sported a blue polish with silver metallic tips. He personally wasn't quite sure why he'd agreed on the particular style, and worried that it perhaps made him look too feminine, but it was too late now. He could only hope the moment of being on display would be quick, and he would be able to change soon enough. Even if he did like looking cute, this was excessive, and he felt like a collector's doll on display. Not to mention that this kimono buisiness was completely ridiculous in the first place; most teas originated from china, and were later distributed to other asian cultures and so on, so forth. But whatever. Steriotypes aside.

He watched as a couple other groups were introduced, each member giving their own little wave or smile. Depending on what they did, they seemed to either be trying to convey a certain attitude or just trying to be themselves. Maybe even just trying to leave a lasting impression. Sh*t, He thought, biting down on the inside of his lower lip, but catching himself just before breaking through the skin. What am i supposed to do? Just smile and wave? I don't wanna look stupid or anything, but they'll probably forget about me later on anyway.... Maybe it'll be okay...

Kohaku's hands clenched as the lights shined on the teas. Sh*t. This was it, wasn't it? Everyone was going to be staring and looking. Haku gave a quick glance around the group, biting his lip again and looking for any sort of slight glance of approval from any of his teammates. The others seemed so much more confident. If any one of their hearts were beating at half the pace of his, it certainly didn't show. His eyes landed on Koucha Ishikawa, a friend of his that he at least felt a little familiar to, and felt a small tinge of jealousy. The much taller boy was strong and confident, poised and... ready, at the very least. Haku felt quite the opposite; small and nervous and shy. He let his eyes drop once again, giving off a shakey sigh.

The spotlight dropped on Ryokucha Kotone, and the girl's introduction was nothing shy of outgoing and bold. Jealousy tinged again, but he tried to take a deep breath and gather himself at least slightly before the spotlight was on him.

The spotlight still caught him pretty off-guard.

"White Tea, Kiyoshi Kohaku!" the idol called out as the light hit him and he tried as hard as he could to swallow his heart back down into his chest. He blinked wide-eyed for a moment, but caught himself, and forced his expression into a sweet smile, giving a shy wave before quickly retreating back into his previous and shy position. As the polite applause (he assumed people were only clapping because they figured they had to) roared in a mixture of claps, giggles, and 'aww's, a light blush of embarrasment settled into his cheeks. "Aww, isn't he sweet?"

Haku bit his lower lip, tugging lightly at the hem of one of his sleeves and lowering his head a bit to hide the light embarrasment. This was almost worse than being forgotten about, or being boring. Now everyone thought he was cute; not that it hadn't been inevitable. He would simply need to buckle down and tolerate it, but he simply didn't care for all this attention. As if the crowd wasn't bad enough.

He took a deep breath of relief as the attention turned to the next person and could relax, even if it was only slightly. At least this would be over soon enough and he could change into something a little more comfortable, or, his own style at least. He wasn't quite sure the exact layout of rooming and such, but he hoped anyone within earshot of him didn't mind the violin. He had to do something to unwind, and the instrument normally calmed him down. The unfortunate part was, despite him being able to play the violin quite well, many of his sessions for thinking or unwinding resorted down to him mindlessly plucking the strings in a random and not-so-ear-pleasing order. Screw anyone who complained, of course, because he found the action necessary. And yet..... it could go on for hours. Well, depending on how many people would be saddled with hearing the abnoxious noise, he figured he'd try to make the length of the session shorter. Very considerate.

Takara watched the other groups with much amusement, and delight. It been awhile since she seen the other drinks, and the ideas of parties just kept getting in her way. But she had to focus, as soon as the spotlight hit the alcohol group, she struck a simple pose. Takara ran her fingers through her hair, flipping it a bit in a prideful, yet graceful movement. Beaming a smile, she stood there wearing her expensive business suit, hands gripping her slender hips, giving an air of intelligence. "Now we have the... Alcohol group!" The infamous C.C shouted, cuing the crowds claps and cheers. "Heh~" She giggles, waving, while watching the spotlight shine on the others.

Their reaction's were priceless, some were nervous, fidgeting and biting their lower lip while some just didn't give a damn. Ryokucha was a little pretty example. "Can't wait till the party starts, neh Nikolia...?" Takara spoke, her voice filled with excitement. Taking a glance at her little "family", she watched Beer wave off to the crowd, blowing and sending off kisses and winks. While wine, the player, just smirked, causing the women in the crowd to swoon. Though this didn't affect her one bit, her heart was filled with so much joy and happiness that nothing could ruin it at the moment.

'Now to grab some attention...' She scanned the crowd and saw millions of eyes just passing her by or glancing at her, so taking advantage of such attention, she began to wink, sending the crowd wild. She couldnt let this oppurtunity to pass right? So jumping up in the air, she cheers, her true personality revealing, the party-obsessed, happy girl. "We are going to win!" Takara declares, flipping the hair from her face, leaving it in a slightly crazy position. After this whole thing was over, takara swore that she would party to the night fell, and sun rose. Besides a party is perfect for any occasion. She giggles, waving a bit more, her face flushed cutely, and her hair messy from the excitement. But as she does so, her eyes caught the familar face of a red head. Takara focus her teal eyes down at the group and blinks. Takashi, aka cranberry juice, the known wine look alike or some would say, long-lost brothers. Her eyes soften but she shook it off.

Takashi Kuran

A pair of pale scarlet orbs scanned the area as the platforms were raised, humming a playful tune under his breath. Being one of the most hyper-active and party-loving people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting, Takashi's been the one who attracts the attention of almost any crowd. As he's always said, "The more the merrier,". The redhead quietly whistled to himself while he stumbled along the platform, softly nudging his fellow Juices along the way just for the heck of it. He then stopped as C.C. Lemon-tan's voice rang out and introduced the first group.

Giving a hearty laugh at Coke's usual naive cocky attitude, as the introductions took place, Takashi had a bright smile on his face, that is until his gaze fell on none other than his so called 'twin', Wine. The baby-faced Kuran's face dropped faster than a heartbeat, but quickly composed himself when he felt the eyes of the massive audience burn holes through his body. Tearing his eyes away from the look-alike, Takashi fidgeted with the tie that seemed to tighten around his neck. The redhead never actually hated Wine, in fact the two used to be the best of friends, until one day Wine just turned his back on him and fell into the world of players and popularity. It didn't help that every time someone saw his back, they automatically assumed he was the Alcohol. Shaking himself from the reverie, Kuran suddenly felt a new pair of eyes fall on him, and not just another one of the hundreds of the audience either, this pair felt... different. Turning to face the Alcohol group completely, he found the eyes of none other than the 'Champ' herself, Takara. A beam of light suddenly fell upon the girl and Takashi just as quickly snapped back to face the other way.

Wearing a red, flower-printed tux vest, with a plain white collared shirt underneath, while a bright, heat-packed spot light occasionally shining down on you, really turned up your body temperature. Takashi also had a pair of freshly polished dress shoes and black slacks to match. Finally, the spot light froze on the four members of the Juice group.

"And here we have the group of never-ending enthusiasm, the Juices!" C.C. Lemon's voice instantly grappled Takashi's attention. The spotlight raining down on their Leader-figure, Orange. After the man's self action to grant himself some attention, the light stuck itself onto Takashi. "And here we have the twin of Wine himself," That brought down Takashi's ego more than he let show on his face, but forced a bitter smile on before it could be caught by more people than he would want. "Takashi Kuran!" The red head puffed out his cheeks and made a peace sign towards the audience. He would usually be against exploiting his 'baby-face', but this was a special occasion and they needed to rile up the crowd to be on their side. The action sent a rippling wave of shrieks through the females in the crowd while the males simply chuckled at the childish motion. After we win this, I don't want anybody to mistake me for him.

Kotone Ryokucha

Koto twitched slightly as one of her curly waves of hair was poking her neck, which bothered her quite a lot, as it would most people. She quickly flicked it off in a split second, hoping that no one was watching her, and then felt a certain pair of eyes on her. She carefully redirected her vision to Coke, who was staring at her, and then suddenly looked away. He scoffed from afar, running his hand through his hair. The kimono-clad girl questioned his actions, since he had been acting like he'd known her for a long time since she had returned from the extreme training, oh well, she can just ask Rose. She stood silently, and slipped her hands into her kimono sleeves, at first groping for the tiny, fluffy, yet slightly worn, rabbit plushie. She fiddled around with it to pass the time and to warm her lukewarm fingers. Agh! How long will this take?! This stadium scares me since it speeds up your lukewarming rate by ten..! I wanna go play with the animals in the Nomi forest...

After the introductions, C.C. Lemon-tan took a swig of her drink, and then winked to the crowd, as attention-grabbing as ever, isn't she?

"Okay~! Now, everyone, I announce the Nomimono 137th Beverage Wars, official! It will be on TV and live here, at the stadium, Every Friday, and the times will the announced two days prior to the tournament! Thank you all for coming and watching the opening ceremony! Now we shall mark this with the traditional...." C.C. Lemon-tan paused, raising her arms in suspense, "Celebratory Nomimono Exclusive Party! Now will all V.I.P.s please go through the gold doors on the south wing and flash your ID!" she gestured towards the golden double doors packed with beefy men who have a scanning device in one hand, a tazer in the other. I bet if they didn't have those tazers, then they couldn't stand a chance against me, or nee-chan! Now, all I have to do is sneak out during the the whole chaos with people leaving and all and then I can go play! she thought optimistically to herself, smiling ever so slightly.

"Okay, now will all beverage contestants please leave and get dressed for the party?" C.C. Lemon-tan for once, stood still and smiled like she should have in the first place. Koto silently stepped down the stairs of the platform and quickly went to her dressing room, sprinting through the last few halls and then quickly slamming the door shut behind her back and sliding down in relief.

"AHH! This kimono is so freaking stuffy!" she recklessly threw off the endless layers of clothing and tossed it onto a chair, her tone of voice was childish and a more higher pitch. She was just about to slip on her shorts until she heard some rustle. Koto quickly slipped on the lavender shorts and white tee, grabbing a dagger in case. She put on her elegant mask once again, changing her tone of voice completely.

"Who is there? It is quite rude to interrupt the Ryokucha heir in her dressing room." She ran her finger across the shiny, scrubbed blade as she corrected her posture immediately. A familiar figure emerged from the wardrobe.

"Ah, Koto-sama, you are as sharp as usual." her clothing attendant chuckled, holding a blue kimono to change into. Koto grimaced, and then held the blade towards the woman's neck. She held a glass bottle in front of the woman's face, and sprayed a secret memory-erasing concoction in her face which erases the victim's memories of the past five minutes. Koto swiftly pushed the woman back into the wardrobe and sat on the chair, discreetly hiding away the blade as the woman snapped out of the ten second trance that followed afterwards. Ha, as long as the family secret medicine is in my hands, I can be myself easily, just as long as no one remembers, which can only be achieved by drinking the 'blood' of the Ryokucha... I don't think anyone will be getting to my blood at least. But sadly, it's immune to the Ryokucha themselves.

"Come on out, Asami-san, I know you're there." The same woman emerged from the wardrobe, chuckling, and then held the same kimono in her hand.

"As sharp as usual, Koto-sama, but unfortunately for you, the family has already predicted you escaping, so they sent me. Now be obedient and put it on." the woman removed Koto's clothing and and slipped on the first piece of robing.

"No, I refuse, unless I get to wear western clothes, I will not go and will be going outside." the girl slapped away the attendant's hand and tossed away the robe. The woman smirked and took out her attendant's earpiece, calling one of the elders. Koto sat there, grinning in victory, and poked at her plushie.

"Yes. Yes 'mam. I'll tell her that. Okay, have a great evening." the woman clicked the earpiece, followed by a thud at the delivery chute. She walked over to there and opened it, taking out and opening a box.

"Here you go, o-jou-sa-ma." she said, passing the box over, her tone of voice had a slight mix of irritation in it, well, who wouldn't? It's either get fired of follow the brat's every beck and call. Koto bitterly put on the outfit, even though it was western style, she just hated parties that were formal. She looked at herself in the mirror and waved at the attendant.

"You can leave now, after all, I do keep my promises." the attendant quickly left, and Koto grinned at the stylish and cute outfit she wore in the mirror. She grabbed the leg strap and strapped it under the skirt, equipping a few blades. She stared at her faithful katana from her sister and then regretfully left it in her kimono for the attendants to put away. She threw on a soft black scarf to drape around her arms and then set off to the party, heading to the sleek two-seated Benz that her family had prepared, just to show off. She looked around and sighed after the coast was clear.

"My family, showing off to the max, especially to the Ishikawa family. The elders are so competitive with them.. Oh well, I'm just their puppet anyways. I'll be fighting for you, nee-chan! And then afterwards, I can play with the animals! Yay!" she did a little spin as she happily held the white bunny plush in her right palm.

Takara beamed at the thought of a party. "Knew it~" She chirped knowingly, before jumping off the plate form with ease and grace. But before she left, she glanced at Takashi, and then the others such as lemonade wondering something. While doing so, her eyes flashed with an uncertain emotion. But as soon as she realized it herself, she shook it off and glomped a nearby Wine. "Winnnnee~ Lets go to the party together ne?" Wine merely glanced at her, and nods with a scoff, slipping away from the girls grasp forcefully. And as soon as he was free, he just walked off, attending to his pack of ladies. But Takara could only watch, a sad smile replacing her bright one. She loved Wine..or did she? "I-I'm confused.." she whines, holding her head, but she noticed where she was at. Not wanting anyone to see her like this, she started to skip off casually yet "cheerfully" to the dressing rooms. "Come On Nikola~" Takara called out, knowing she will enjoy the thought of less attention.
-
"Oh you arrived Ms.Chardonnay." Takara giggles, and did a little curtsy, which only made the dresser giggle. "As energetic as ever... now what do you want to wear? Any preferences?"
Takara simply blinks and beams once more. "Something bright, oh and something loose!" This made the dresser raise a brow at her. "Loose..? What in the heavens name for..?"
"You know for fights and such!" "Oh...." The dresser sighed in relief, blushing at her dirty thoughts. "Well alright, I think I got something for you Ms.Chardonnay." Within minutes, a simple white, strapless dress, which reached her knee, was placed in front of her. The ends of this dress were slightly ruffled up, and a diamond-encrusted chain was loosely fixed onto the waist, dangling from its sides. It was simple,yet exactly what she was looking for. Slipping it on, she twirled around to display the wonderful dress. "As always, you pick the most wonderful dresses Ms.Tamaka~!"
"on the contrary my dear, your the one who makes the dress dazzle, but nevertheless, thank you.." The dresser now introduced as Ms.Tamaka replied softly. "Oh and here are some accessories which were worn by your mother..." Takara's smile tightened at the word "mother" but her smile was still there. The dresser peers up at her, and brought out a glass container. Opening it, it revealed a necklace, a couple actually. One caught her eye though. It was a Diamond necklace, and it was awfully pretty... "I want to wear... this one~!" She took out the necklace of choice carefully, and placed it on. "Ah here are the matching earrings.." The earrings appear to be tear drops, and they were followed by smaller ones. She thanks the dresser, and placed on the earrings with ease. "You look beautiful, just like your mother...yes your mother was a beauty..." Takara stares into the mirror and nods slowly. "Yeah..."
Noticing her change of mood, Ms. Tamaka quickly changed the subject. "O-oh yes make-up!"
"Make it simple okay~?" Ms.Tamaka nodded, and like a ninja, she swiftly applied the simple and basic types of makeup which were on hand. A little blush there, mascara, eyeshadow and lip stick. "Finished, now here have a look." Takara peers into the mirror and nods with a bright smile. "Thank you~"

Takashi Kuran

The red head visibly perked up at the mention of a party. As soon as the spot lights were shut down, he made a beeline, past the other contestants, towards the hall leading to the dressing rooms. Though feeling the familiar pair of eyes land on him again, he looked back, only to see her glomping on his infamous "twin". Not paying attention to where he was currently speed walking to, Takashi looked back and found himself about to fall down the staircase off of the platform. Quickly twisting his weight, the Cranberry lunged himself into the air and performing an aerial over the stone steps before landing onto his feet, upright, at the bottom of the stair case. Breaking out into a full sprint, Takashi made his way to his own dressing room.

With a swift motion, the Kuran yanked the door open, slipped in, and slamming it shut. Resting back onto the door, the red head let out a heavy breath he didn't realize he was holding. Face palming, he planted himself onto a wooden stool beside his closet, while muttering to himself, "Stupid. Stupid!" He was told time and time again, even by his parents who usually don't mind what he does, to never show the enemy what he could do unless it was absolutely necessary. Though the aerial barely lasted a second, it was a perfect example of what he specialized at. Shaking off the trivial fact, Takashi quickly rummaged through his cluttered closet, realizing that he spent more time thinking than most people spend to change.

A small smile curved his mouth at the thought of a party, but then disappeared as soon as he remembered it was supposedly a formal event. Puffing out his cheeks rather childishly, once again, Takashi pulled out a rather plain tux with the only stick out being the striped tie. Slipping on the plain white collared shirt, yanking on the slacks, pulling on the tux jacket, and shoving his feet into the dress shoes, he stumbled out into the hall. Straightening himself out, he looked into his dressing room mirror one last time, before making his way to the entrance. He patted his tux pocket for his phone to call up his parents. Dialing up his mom's number, he leaned against the hall wall with a bright smile on his face.

"Hello, who is this?" Just hearing the familiar voice seemed to make all the stress leave his system. It was a soothing effect his mom always had on him. "Mom, it's Takashi." He replied, fiddling with his tux tie. "Takashi! Did the introductions go well?" The motherly concern sounded on her voice, only making the red head feel all the more guilty about taking on the Beverage War himself. "They went fine, mom, listen, I have to go to the Celebratory party, I promise I'll call right after," He said to her. "Okay," He heard her sigh, "Takashi?" The red head narrowed his eyes at the worrying tone, it always sent nostalgia tearing through him. "Yeah?" He asked, his voice lowered. "Be careful," She whispered. "Of course, mom, I'll come home right after, I promise, bye." Hanging up the phone he found that he had once again made a promise he couldn't keep. With a heavy heart, he made his way to his car.

Kotone Ryokucha

Shinko took the grape and devoured it happily, grinning as she ate. Kotone felt the corners of her mouth raise since normally, someone would be extremely shy to take something from her, like when a child's ball rolled over to her, she picked it up and held it out towards the young Tea to return it, only to have the child look at her in fear, bow down, take the ball carefully, and run off.

“Hai! Arigatou gosaimasu.” the Soda smiled, and then continued. “And you’re Kotone Ryokucha, yes? You’re the one who basically flipped her elders off—indirectly of course.”

Kotone blinked, and then grinned unconsciously.

"Why yes, I am. And doing that was with great pleasure, of course. Doesn't everyone have someone always looming over them with expectations?" she plucked an orange slice from the table, taking a small bite out of it- her attendant was especially strict about eating. Don't eat things with your mouth wide open! Take small bites with as little sound as possible! Koto recalled the woman smacking her in the head, possibly choking her every time she didn't take a small bite. Kotone bit her tongue to prevent her expression from twisting, the orange was surprisingly sour, and if there's one thing Kotone hated about fruits, it's when they aren't sweet enough for her taste. She quickly tossed the orange into the trash can at the end of the table as Shinko chuckled, saying something that pleasantly complimented Koto, but of course, the elders would be in a fit if they heard it.

“You’ve got more balls than half the men I’ve encountered.”

"Oh really? You must've met some very wimpy men, either that, or I must be a man myself." Kotone jokingly pulled the top of her dress, checking her chest. "Nope, I'm pretty sure I'm a girl." She then noticed a waiter walking by with a tray of drinks, and then took two apple martinis from the silver tray, handing one to the Soda.

"You're not a lightweight, correct?" she said before taking a sip of the crisp-smelling alcohol. She stared at the drink, and then suddenly was reminded of the party-crazy Alcohol, Champagne, a.k.a. Takara Chardonnay. She took out her iPhone, adorned in a bunny case, and then looked up at Shinko.

"Excuse me, I need to make a call.. Sorry." Kotone quickly shuffled over to the small little hall where the bathrooms were, and sat down on the wooden bench in front of the doors, resting her arm on the arm of the bench. She scrolled through the contact list, finding the Alcohol's name, and then continuing with sending an iMessage to her, hopefully she has bars at her location. Koto typed a short message to the Alcohol, saying: Miss Chardonnay, I've noticed that you have yet to arrive. Would you like me to wait outside for your arrival? Kotone looked over the message, and then pressed send. She slipped the phone back into her scarf, which had a small compartment for her phone. Suddenly, a drunken C.C. Lemon-tan appeared, wobbling and staggering out of the restroom.

"Oh~ Hiiii theree Kotshoo-shannn~" she was slurring, obviously a lot, and then plopped down next to the Tea. Oh good, what shall I do for part two of Getting C.C. Lemon drunk? Kotone grinned while looking away, and then turned towards the idol, now with a worried expression.

"Ah, C.C. Lemon-san, I think someone's waiting for you outside at the front entrance, you should go see them." Kotone grinned as the idol shouted something in gibberish, and then wobbly dashed to the front entrance, where paparazzi waited. The Tea giggled to herself, and then leaned back on the bench, getting out her iPhone once again and began playing Ovenbreak.

She heard a strong sigh from the men's restroom along with running water, slightly curious at first, but then continued with playing her game. I wonder who's in there..? Oh well, I'll find out once they leave.

Takara stared out the window aimlessly, noticing the lights pass by her for the first time. She never beened so bored in her life, but obviously she was exaggerating. Like always. "Why can't I just recieve some sort of message-" Suddenly, A vibration was heard, causing her to blink and suddenly whip her head towards the noise. She stared for awhile and peered at the driver, who was looking at her curiously. "Do you believe in a higher being...?" The driver blinks and shook his head hestiantly. "N-no..?" "Well you should." Picking up her Iphone, she stared at the screen and scanned the number. It read "Miss Chardonnay, I've noticed that you have yet to arrive. Would you like me to wait outside for your arrival?" A little smile played at her lips, and she unlocked the phone, about to reply only to hear- "We have arrived Miss. Chardonnay." Her smile quickly turned into a playful grin. quickly she typed something up and started to step out of the car. As soon as her heels touched the ground, she could hear the vibrations from a nearby Green tea's phone. The message read. "No need."
"I'm already here~!" She chirped, and stood up from the car cheerfully and dismissed the driver to drive off. But when she turned to greet, she stopped interuppted at the sight of Cranberry. The known wine look-a-like. 'takashi...' Her eyes froze in a stare, but she blinked and shook out of her trance. Resuming to her greet, she grins. "Hello Koto-Chan~" She turned her attention to Takashi, and almost stuttered. "Hello Takashi-San...!" Her voice was happy and had no trace of formalities. But hey that was her. Calming down, she looked at the two, and cocked her head to the side. "What are you two doing out here...?" Her voice toned down a bit in doubt, but she quickly hyped up. "Getting closer then we should maybe~?" Takara giggles teasingly, and stood next to Green tea with a signature grin. "Should I leave you two alone~?"

Kotone Ryokucha

Koto swung around her legs, until a sudden bursting of the door startled her, making her jump a little. She looked up and recognized the red head easily. She smiled and did a small bow to the fellow Drink.

"Hiya! I'm Takashi Kuran, you're Ryokucha, Kotone, right?" the Juice asked, with his signature happy-go-lucky attitude.

"Mmhmm, the one and only. Nice to meet you." she smiled, as he glanced over at C.C. Lemon- tan, who's already wasted.

"Why do I get the feeling that you had something to do with Lemon-tan's current state?" he smirked slightly, leaning onto a nearby table. Kotone got up and stood nearby the Juice, grinning a little behind her breaking mask. Hmm, he's quite sharp, and he's probably a cheerful guy, seems like a good friend, well, for the real me that is. Haa, I wonder how long it's going to take until Taka replies. She scanned the area and then stared at the Juice in front of her, picking out the difference between him and his so-called "look-a-like." Takashi suddenly raised his head, and looked Kotone directly in the eyes. She quickly readjusted her posture as a force of habit, staring means to readjust posture in her mind.

"Hey, Ryokucha-san, do you ever mistake me for Wine-san?" he ran his fingers across the tablecloth, and seemed a bit uncomfortable. Koto blinked, and then replied genuinely; she was not the type to lie, unless it was someone he absolutely did not like.

"Well, I'd say that while you two do look similar, you and him are completely different people, am I right?" she grinned, and continued. "And if you do feel a bit uncomfortable about it, ask yourself, 'Does Wine have an optimistic personality like me?' Because I think that him, the frivolous flirt, and you, the little crimson ball of sunshine, are polar oposites, and plus, you can always go for an image change, but I think you're fine the way you are." she then jumped, because her phone suddenly went off, her text tone being an adorable Pikachu one too.

Kotone silently turned on her phone, reading the reply from Takara. "No need." She then smiled uneasily back at Takashi and slipped the phone away.

"Haha, sorry.. My phone went off.. Um, ignore the text tone please." she looked away, up at the intricate ceiling designs, and then suddenly heard an all-too-familiar voice.

"Hello Koto-Chan~" she grinned, walking up to the pair.

"My, my, since when were we so close, Chardonnay-san?" she smiled, turning around. The Alcohol then redirected her attention to the Juice beside her, seeming a bit flustered.

"Hello Takashi-San...!" she paused, cooling off the imformalities, and then tilted her head to the side.

"What are you two doing out here...?" she seemed a bit insecure, but it was a bit hard to tell. Oh, is she being jealous since he looks similar to Wine? How cruel, she should keep her eyes on her man, well I think he is at least, even though he's a big time playboy. Kotone fidgeted slightly until the awkward staring, mainly at her, was gone, and then he heard the Champagne's giggle, only to find her grinning mischievously.

"Getting closer then we should maybe~?" she stood next to the Tea, with her signature grin. Oh geeze, a misunderstanding.

"Hm? We're just getting acquainted, aren't we, Kuran-san?" she smiled the infamous I'll-kill-you-if-you-say-no smile at him, then Takara continued.

"Should I leave you two alone~?" she grinned, once again. Hmm, I should mess around with these people while I still can. Kotone stepped back, leaving a gap in between the two beverages, and then waved as she walked to the drinks table.

"I'll be leaving you two alone to get acquainted as well, see you later." she strode off and grinned a wide grin, giggling to herself, and then stared at the sodas.

"Hmm.. Which one to choose?"

Takashi Kuran

"Well, I'd say that while you two do look similar, you and him are completely different people, am I right? And if you do feel a bit uncomfortable about it, ask yourself, 'Does Wine have an optimistic personality like me?' Because I think that him, the frivolous flirt, and you, the little crimson ball of sunshine, are polar oposites, and plus, you can always go for an image change, but I think you're fine the way you are." Takashi couldn't help but let a small smile form on his face, he didn't know for sure if the girl was being truthful, but she seemed to be being genuinely honest. Barely a moment passed when the brunette slightly jumped as a Pikachu chime ringtone rang out. He let a full smirk overtake his face as the Tea shifted to take a look at her phone.

"Haha, sorry.. My phone went off.. Um, ignore the text tone please." The Ryokucha then proceeded to look up at the ceiling. Opening his mouth to make a friendly, teasing comment, he was interrupted by a somewhat familiar voice.

"Hello Koto-Chan~" Turning to face the owner of the voice, the red head felt every muscle inside him tense up slightly. Standing there in a strapless white dress was the intoxicating Alcohol herself; Takara Chardonnay. Leaning back slightly in the chair he was currently occupying, he found himself temporarily unable to tear his eyes from the female until she turned to him.

"Hello Takashi-San...!" Takashi greeted her with a small smile. I never liked honofics anyway, the red head thought to himself. He kept his eyes on her as the blonde tilted her head to the side in a rather suspecting sort of way. "What are you two doing out here...?" Her voice seemed to be hinting something, but he did notice she seemed to be acting a little different. Until the blonde giggled and grinned mischievously, almost identical to how he, himself, usually smirks. He blinked at the accusation, before letting out a soft, incredulous laugh as the Chardonnay stood beside the Tea.

"Hm? We're just getting acquainted, aren't we, Kuran-san?" The Ryokucha gave him a rather threatening glare from the brunette. Before he could reply, the Champagne continued.

"Should I leave you two alone~?" Takara stuck with her grin, while the brunette between them stepped back and walked away while waving back at the two. "I'll be leaving you two alone to get acquainted as well, see you later." Striding off, the red head turned back to the blonde with a gentle smile. He didn't want anything to be awkward between them two, so he held a genuine smile on his face. "Pleasure to meet you, Takara-chan," He greeted. He turned to the rest of the party before standing and nudging the girl playfully with his elbow, his trademark mischievous smile taking over his face once again. "So I hear you throw a mean party?"

Takara merely blinks as the brunette suddenly walked off, leaving her "alone". "I'll be leaving you two alone to get acquainted as well, see you later."
'You. Two?' Staring at her back, she cocked her head once more in wonder. 'What does she mean by two-' She hums but suddenly froze, remembering who exactly she was standing next too. Not daring to look, she flinched at his voice.'How can I forget!' "Pleasure to meet you, Takara-chan," Takara peered down, unsure on how to react, but was brought up quickly with the next question. "So I hear you throw a mean party?" He began to nudge her playfully, a grin plastered against his face.
Her eyes twinkled with mischievous. "Of course~ I "am" champagne~" She chirps with a matching grin. When the word party is mentioned, she can't help but feel happy. Parties are the things that let her bring it all out and just do anything she wanted. Let Loose. Besides she was naturally a party girl at birth. Knocking the thoughts aside, she leaned forward, eying Takashi. "But enough about me.." She paused and scanned his body. "I heard you were called the "Battery".. why is that..?" She blinks at the strange nickname, and eyed him even more.
[sorry for the choppiness, and the extra tag ^^;;]

Koucha Ishikawa

Another shudder tore through the usually calm young man. He kept a cool face to keep his best friend from worrying about him. With a thin smile at said male, Koucha raised a hand to his head feeling his forehead, where the skin had the texture of cool marble. "I'm a little cold," he uttered out, "I'm gonna go get something to warm me up, I'll catch you later, Kiyo." With that, the violet haired Ishikawa escaped from the table and made a beeline to the beverage table where he found, with a small spark of gleefulness, the very girl who he left not too long ago.

Forming the teasing smile, that now seemed to be accustomed to appearing on his face, despite his current condition, he approached the petite form. When met with her rather flustered expression, he felt his smirk drop into a genuine smile. Even though what he said earlier was uttered out on impulse, rather uncharacteristically, he's starting to believe his subconscious wasn't entirely to blame.

"It seems we just can't stop meeting each other, Miss Nikola," he greeted rather teasingly, while grabbing and spinning a wine glass into the air and back into his awaiting hand. Searching through the bottles, his pale purple orbs landed on a particular bottle. Popping it open, he took a quick whiff of the substance inside before smiling to himself. Perfect...

Pouring himself a rather generous amount of the bottle into his wine glass. Throwing the drink back with massive gulps, he immediately welcomed the slight burn that scorched his throat. Alcohol wasn't used often to regain the warmth of a Tea member, but the urgency of the situation called for this. It wasn't as if Koucha was new to the drink, actually far from it, being one who spends most of his time with the elders, they restlessly encourage him to drink what they have to offer, which was almost always wine.

Turning his attention back to his little acquaintance, he poured himself another glass with a small almost goofy smile. That was when a small thought hit the heir, with the overactive drinking to the rather childish, impulsive speech a moment before he must've came off as rather foolish to the girl. His mouth curved upwards slightly, if the girl considered him less than what he truly was-the heir of the Ishikawa Clan-she was in for a difficult time in this very competition. The last man who dared to underestimate him ended up acting as a 'Welcome' mat for his family's small stronghold. Not to mention his liking to strategic games which increased his quick thinking and strategy making skills ten fold. Thought the more that he thought into the subject of having to fight the petite Alcohol member in front of him, the more firm shake, he gave the female a mischievous smirk, taking small sips from his glass that he spun playfully between his fingers. Without a second of hesitation, he lifted his hand and placed it onto the crown of her head, remembering the rather irritated response she expressed before when he did so. There was a little warm feeling he received when he teases her that he can't help but to do so again. "I meant what I said earlier, by the way," he mused, brushing a finger gently, yet purely unintended, across her cheek and watching carefully to gauge her reaction. "Oh, and your friend, Takara is here."

"It seems we just can't stop meeting each other, Miss Nikola."

Son of a- Nikola jumped a little at the unwelcome, recognized voice: Koucha. She hadn’t seen him approach, keeping her eyes on the floor in front of her as she had been thinking deeply. Her shot glass was half full (casually, she was a slow drinker), and it took just about all her willpower to keep from tightening her grip too much, for fear of shattering the glass. She watched with half-narrowed eyes as he poured himself a drink of his own, some wine, and watched as he downed the whole thing in moments. This caused her to lift her eyelids a bit. Mother Russia, did he always drink that way?

Nikola took a sip from her own glass, eyeing the Tea warily through her dark, narrowed gaze as he poured himself another glass. He’d gotten his drink. He could leave now. But he wasn’t. She didn’t like that look on his face. What was his deal? He was acting weird. Nikola took another small sip. What was he trying to do? Was he really as foolish as he was acting? That was a ridiculous thought, she decided. He was just another enemy. Though his strategy for uncovering weaknesses was… annoying. But was it as effective as he’d hoped…? Nikola gritted her teeth. And then-

He touched her. 

Koucha put his hand on her head. Heat flushed through her face. Nikola bit her lip. She didn't care if the tournament hadn't started. She was going to kill this guy...

"I meant what I said earlier, by the way," Her eyes flew all the way open. A shiver ran down her spine when one of his fingers grazed her cheek. She decided not to dwell on his words for too long. "Oh, and your friend, Takara is here." She scanned the room behind Koucha and caught sight of Takara's form. A small part of her brain told her to call for help, but that was stupid. Really stupid. Unbelievably stupid. 

So, Nikola barred her teeth and smacked Koucha's hand away from her reddening face. "Quit it!" she exclaimed adamantly, though a little more high-pitched than she'd intended

"Of course~ I "am" champagne~" His smirk further widened at the rather sly comment. There was a familiar glint of mischief in her eye that he has known himself to have during wild events. "But enough about me.." Her eyes examined him for a moment before continuing, "I heard you were called the "Battery".. why is that..?" The red head couldn't help but laugh at the mention of the nickname. Memories of his never-dying activeness at parties flashed through his mind, then when he showed up for school the next day, he's found he's been branded as the "Battery". "That's just a nickname my friends from school put on me after a party, not really sure why..." He shrugged nonchalantly before humming to himself in thought. Barely a second later, a distant, high pitched squeal hit his ears.

Turning his head at the direction of the noise, he saw the broad, towering figure of Koucha Ishikawa and the Alcohol, Nikola Zielkov. He quietly watched as the Ishikawa's hand was slapped away by the girl more than a foot shorter than him, her face seemingly flustered and furrowed with irritation. The red head's confusion further deepened as he watched the violet haired Tea simply laugh at the girl's reaction, before continuing to poke her forehead. It would've seemed as if he were bullying her, but Nikola's expression and the rather gentle prodding from Koucha, it appeared more as if he were trying to get a rise out of her rather than trying to hurt her. "Hey isn't that girl a part of the Alcohol group too?" It would've been easier if he simply said her name, but didn't want to appear as if he knew more than he truly did; this was still a competition.

[I know it's tiny (sorry), but I was at a loss about what else to write]