The Luck of Red [Vanyel/Utsava]

Home again for Lunar New Year. At first, he didn't think he was going to bother with it. China already brought a lot of mixed memories for him -- but, if there was one thing he knew, she would want him to keep going and not to let it get him down. So, he found himself getting ingredients for some meals he had in mind, keeping track of the time to make sure that he didn't miss a dragon dance he wanted to see.

Even if alone, it was something he held close to his heart. But, as he went to walk down the street to head back to the hotel he was staying at, he noticed something. A really fucking BIG something. There was a guy that couldn't stand out more than he already was if he tried, being almost twice his (and everyone else's) height. Honestly, it was kind of ridiculous, but, he felt himself smiling.

The festivities picked up as if someone had supercharged them, and Vanyel found himself laughing and cheering, watching him just as much as the dragon dance. He hadn't felt this alive in so long...it felt good. So, without a care in the world, he found himself shouting out:

"Happy New Year to you too, big guy!"

This is what she would want from him -- and he only hoped that whatever happened to the souls and spirits of Danava after death, that Calypso would be able to see him and smile. That was all he could ever ask for.

This was the Lunar New Year that everyone wished they could have all the time -- a fun party, enjoying the changing of times without a fear of the future, with all of it drenched and flourishing in bright red. But, his attention quickly switched as he heard something about giving him a swig, turning away from the dragon dance to see a cacophony of arms drunkenly passing a brown bottle his way. At first, he wasn't entirely sure about drinking so early in the afternoon.

Ah, what the hell?

With a shrug, he took the bottle, taking a rather moderate swig, letting the crowd take it and pass it back to the colossal Danava. A grin spread across his face -- even if he was still recovering, there was still a crowd and a party, so, why the hell not join in? He carefully made his way through the bulging crowd to try and move to where the dragon dance was, accidentally stepping on a few feet as he did. Though, nobody really noticed.

The crowd seemed to follow the giant as he moved, and the dragon dance was no exception. A clearing formed with the giant and dance, and Vanyel made his way to the center, mimicking the movements of the dragon. The martial artist's routine swirled into the dance's flow with almost pinpoint accuracy -- after all, the style had been created using the Dragon Dance as a base.

Kenichi rubbing off on him, the celebration, the absurdity of the Danava's size and booming voice, and the alcohol made him just wanna show off a bit, give more flair to the dance. He hadn't felt this alive in years, and damn it, he wanted to at least enjoy himself for a bit, now that he was a human again.

Somehow, the giant managed to weave his way through the crowd without disturbing much of anyone. Vanyel watched him from the corner of his eye, hearing him comment on the style and manifest a pile of dumplings in his hand. Did this guy just have everything tucked away in a separate dimension that he could pull out or something? Even he didn't use his Chasm Point's storage for something as menial as food.

Nevertheless, he had to admit, seeing the dumplings did make him realize how hungry he was -- no doubt in part due to the sudden routine he threw himself into, as well as the intensity he had to ensure he matched with the costumed dance. His stomach growled, muted by the cacophony of the crowd and event around them.

Without stopping the routine, his movements carried him over to the giant, playfully knocking one of the dumplings into the air. He leapt up, catching it in his hand, shaping his hand as if it were a dragon's maw, clenching down. Falling back down, he landed on his feet, gradually returning to a neutral position and taking a deep breath, before giving an appreciative nod and smile to the giant as he bit into the dumpling.

Maybe it was just because he was hungry and had just finished a routine of Dragon Dance, but god damn this dumpling was good.

"Yeah! The Dragon Dance was the core inspiration! Probably my favorite part of coming home and the New Year."

For now, he'd take a minute to recharge before once again setting off to join the dance in the dragon's eternal search for the pearl of wisdom.

So, the guy could just manifest stuff like this out of nowhere, but didn't know what it was made of? There was something funny about that, and Vanyel shook his head lightly, taking another bite of the dumpling, finishing it off as he turned to look at the performers.

They had made this Dragon Dance more of a light show -- with bright, vibrant reds shining into the evening air. The "pearl" glowed with a unique orange and red radiance, like a sun that the dragon chased. An eternal search for wisdom. He turned his head to the giant, chuckling softly as he moved a couple step from the sudden nudge.

"Bittersweet memories here. Trying to work through 'em and just keep livin'. Seein' stuff like this reminds me of what I love from home."

He looked back at the performers again, seeing the change of lights and patterns -- going from the chasing pearl to something he hadn't seen in a while: Tai Chi, but more than that, an even rarer sight that he never thought he'd be able to see in person. Many performers filed out, another eight dragons coming out as the crowd began to give more space to them.

A full array of nine dragons -- the perfect number. An announcer was handed a microphone, announcing the rare occasion as a celebration of the end of World War 4, as well as a belated celebration to 2420 being a Year of the Dragon.

The announcement was quickly translated into a variety of languages so that all, native and foreign, would understand the significance of the event, and without further waiting, the performers began to move, the collective of dragons entwining, flowing, and dancing with little difficulty. While Vanyel kept his distance to avoid getting in the way, he couldn't help but be entranced.

A flurry of lights, pearls and dragons, with varying patterns being woven together to create an array like no other. Vanyel turned to Utsava, nudging the giant with a large, almost child-like grin to him.

"Pay attention to this, big guy! You'll probably never see this again for a long while, a full array of nine dragons in one dance! I never thought I'd ever be able to see this in person! Usually you need some kind of officiate from the government to get this approved! It's a once-in-a-lifetime event, even if you're able to see it multiple times!"

Were he to speak honestly, he didn't really care much about the onlookers. For him, the festival was about more than just the interaction between others. Returning home to see something special like this meant everything to him. He only wished that she could see it with him. He shook his head, pushing the thought out. He needed to stop reminiscing on the past.

He was here, he was experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime event. No matter if she wasn't here, he would enjoy it. Utsava lifting him up onto his shoulder served to further jolt him from his thoughts as he found himself swinging and swaying along with the giant. He looked over at the array, taking in the sight before fumbling for his phone.

He wasted no time in snapping pictures, getting videos of the dance and the crowd, all to memorialize this moment. Even if he was alone for the holiday, there was still excitement to be had.

"Get some other people up here! Let them see the dance too!"

Even as the dance was coming to a close, every moment of it was important to him, and even seeing pieces of it was something to treasure and appreciate.