Hotel

It was some later but Neo was back in his Hotel room. He didn't really do much outside of registering for the tournament, catching up with Jellal and getting some drinks. He was still bothered with the way Jellal left earlier. Looking at his number he thought about contacting him but decided to leave him be. On the other hand Neo took all of his decks, his "new tool" and made his way to the elevator to go down to the lobby.

When he reached the lobby floor, Neo looked around the lobby to see what was going on. Then in the corner of his eye he noticed someone he hadn't seen in a very long time.

"No way. Is that Hana?!" Neo said

"You know her?" Blitzkrieg asked

"Yeah I do. I was once her bodyguard for a whole year when she went on tour. She has also helped me out in tough spots from time to time. But he has been so long since I have seen her" Neo replied

Neo was honestly in shock. He didn't know how to approach Hana. It had been so long and so much has happened. But he slowly walked up to her casually and said:

"Hey Stranger, Long time no see" Neo said with a smile

"Howdy there, pardner." The young, blue-haired beauty responded to Neo with a stereotypical cowboy accent. "I reckon you ain't from around here, I ain't ever seen you before! Haha." Hana beamed at the sight of her previously "employed"-of-sorts bodyguard. It felt a little less longer than when she had seen Satoshi, but still enough for it to seem like eons. While she gave a grin, her expression suddenly changed to perplexed with a curious mewl as she held her chin in thought. "Oh, your hair's white again! So that's just the style you went with, huh?" Hana joked, noting her friend's change of hair color. Seems a good amount of people got hairstyle changes through dye, sort of like her sister from the looks of it. What's up with the dye? Is it the new trend? Is it in style? Perhaps the young idol should consider getting streaks to get with the times.

...

Great, now she feels old.

"Hahaha well I used to have white hair but it was for.. different reasons and not good ones.
But this time around I like it so I decided to keep it that way" Neo said

Neo was able to crack a smile when he saw how happy Hana was to see him. It reminded him of the past before everything broke into chaos. This feeling of seeing all of his old friends again was something Neo was honestly scared about because it had been so long since he has seen everyone. But after catching up with Jellal and Hana, Neo realized that maybe it wasnt going to be as bad as he made it out to be.

"Well it was nice talking with you again Hana! Lets catch up later if you can!" Neo said to her

"Did you happen to join another gang for your new look?" Hana gave a sly smirk, making a light jab at the 'reasons' for why he dyed his hair last time. She didn't mean to poke fun at bad times, rather just poke fun at his sort of thug look. Her sister seemed to know a band of hooligans from Umano and Neo could probably hang with them. Sounds like a fun adventure to drag him along for the future if nothing else.

"Yeah, we got a lot of catching up to do!"

It was like a party that ended five minutes in. Haruka and Hana had left abruptly, almost as if something had come up quite suddenly. It left Satoshi alone with Karin and a few other bar patrons. The awkwardness was about to be 3 for 3 in the two's significant encounters.

Not this time. Not if he could help it.

Satoshi sat on the barstool next to where Karin had kicked up. "Well, that was short-lived, but hey, maybe we'll just catch up with them some other time. How've you been?" He hadn't really paid any mind to how scantily clad she was, but it didn't really matter that much to him at the moment. Really, it was more her eyes....

Karin was actually pretty sad to see both Seifer and Haruka walk out on her, even if it wasn't really their faults. Hana, too, left the bar only minutes after they'd arrived, leaving her with... Pretty much just Satoshi. She'd really wanted to get to know her siblings better, too. Oh well. Satoshi seemed keen on starting up a conversation, so she wasn't drinking alone, at the very least.

"Oh, I've been alright. Even though it's already been two years, I guess Haruka's still tired after everything that happened, huh...?" Karin appreciated that Satoshi wasn't staring at her below her neck, but his gaze still felt a little sharp. They were making direct eye contact, Satoshi's eyes reflected in Karin's own- Though only one of her eyes actually had a reflection to cast, her left eye still as empty as ever. "I'm glad to have this vacation, though. There's been loads to do, what with those Association bigwigs scrambling to put everything together. Even Yukino isn't getting a chance to relax this event, since they've got her running the whole thing." Karin downed another pineapple-flavored drink, and let out a heavy sigh. "Times sure are changing..."

With everyone that had appeared and the way things seemed to be leaning, Darren felt it would be best to go off on his own for now. It was great to see everyone again, but with all the time that had passed, he felt a bit too out of the loop. He couldn't have the same kind of fun they were having so he was better off finding his own. He could try to find Hana but he didn't want to come of as some kind of creep.

"Like that ever stopped you before."

"Don't start..."

"Could you have some feelings for her?"

"No... I mean I didn't have a chance to think about it. I'm not her type anyways. Let's just go already..." He stepped out of the hotel with that to get some air. He wondered if he could hop in the pool or anything. Probably not for the best. He didn't bring a dry change of clothes he would want to change into anytime soon. To reach the outside he had to go to the lobby, which had him run into Neo and Hana by complete accident. You have got to be kidding...

Wanting to be friendly, he walked up to them with a smile. He waved his hand and said, "Been a while, Neo. And I guess Hana gets around fast. I didn't realize she left the waiting area."

Noel was left behind by everyone who was there with her. More concerned to Seifer's weird reaction, why was he so formal and what's even wrong with him? Guess one way to find out. The Kusanagi girl sighed and decided to get up and leave the hotel to head towards the registration area.

"Yeah, a little. But you know Yukino. You can't keep her from working." Satoshi still gazed into her eyes for a little bit. The non-empty eye showed the fire and passion he would expect from someone truly dedicated to Kagero as she. But it also reminded him of something else, something that stung his heart a little. Something that resulted in his awful choice, not too long ago...

He turned and took a swig of his drink, closing his eyes. "How was the wedding?" If there was a time to talk to someone about his mistakes, it was better that it was someone who was at least familiar with the people connected to them. And despite their awkwardness in the past, it was a level of respect Satoshi had for Karin that had convinced him that it was alright, perhaps, to discuss this with her.

Making his entrance into the hotel the young man Fei had finished registering for the tournament to come, he would make his way to the front desk to check in.

"Enjoy your stay!"
"Thank you"

He wore a white jacket with a black shirt and black jeans, with his suitcase in hand he made his way up the elevator after his check-in to find his room and relax.

"I wonder if he has gotten over it.." he thought, entering his room.

"Hold on..."
Karin has just finished a fourth drink, and immediately gulped down a fifth. She still didn't feel even remotely affected by it, much to her dismay. She turned back to Satoshi, wiping her mouth with her arm. "The wedding? It was alright. It was kinda refreshing to go to an event like that after everything that happened. First time I'd ever seen Yukino look genuinely happy, too." It was a little fuzzy in Karin's mind, but it being such a big event for two of her best friends helped it stick out. It had been good to have something so positive come after the war.

Karin stretched herself out before hopping off the counter, finishing off her last drink. "Thanks for the drinks, but I should probably get going. I gotta go change and get my clothes back. I'll see you later, Satoshi." She gave him a wave and headed out, leaving a row of empty glasses on the bar counter.

Xat walked into the hotel and saw the bar wanting a drink so she went into it and sat on the barstool and looked at the drinks before turning ot the bartender. "Can i has a white russian please? extra vodka?" She asked him as kao jumped onto the barstool next to her and curled up on it. While she waited she took out her deck and looked through them smiling as she looked through each of them. She then resevefher drink and took a sip of it letting the alchoal warm her insides.

Carlos followed the Hakaisha brothers to a lonely room inside the Hotel, and walked towards one of the windows to admire the view of the whole Isle Jigen it offered once he noticed it. "Look at that. This island is simply beautiful, don't you think?" He asked Jessie and Bashiro, trying to avoid the comming conversation. However, he quickly gave up. He needed to vent everything, so he started talking to his friends about how has he felt all this time. And he was very thankful to have someone who listened to him, like Okuri/Tamotsu before them.

"You know, once the Deletor war ended, I thought, heh, I thought I could actually live a peaceful life there in Japan. You know, get a job and dedicate my life to the game I love and stuff. The whole nine yards, as some say" He explained to his friends, laughing a little. "But surprise, surprise. I was wrong". Carlos then walked down to a chair and sat down. "The war ended, but I kept seeing every single battle in my mind so vividly. Nearly very night, I had nightmares. People, people I really care about, like you, like Okuri, like... Like my family. All of them being devoured, being deleted from existance by those monsters".

"I tried to convince myself that everything was going to be alright, and that those were just stupid dreams. You know, something like the same thing I did during the Reaper Invasion to keep myself from crumbling from the pressure. It... It didn't work. I guess that, given that we were finally at peace, I stopped subconsciously suppresing my feelings or something like that. I mean, there was no need for that anymore after the war ended. Sounds logical, don't you think?". Carlos tried his best to explain what he thought was happening to him. "I'm not an expert, so everything I think happened it's just wild guessing. The only thing I'm sure is that it hit me like a bullet train". His voice started trembling.

"It only got worse from there. It got to the point where I simply couldn't grab my deck or draw a simple card without shaking uncontrollably, remembering the time I..." Carlos took a deep breath, feeling he actually needed it. "... We faced Leviathan at the Akashic Records, or whatever the hell it was named. Remembering how simple was for that monster to kill me, then revive me, then kill me, then revive me, then kill me again... I don't really know how many times I died that day. I lost count at five" He continued. "I was unable to function properly as a cardfighter, so I decided to return to my homeland with my family. Maybe seeing them could help me relieve some stress, to say the least. That... That was last straw for me. The moment I finally saw them at the airport, I didn't recognize them" He stood up. "For ten seconds, ten miserable secons, I had trouble recalling their names. Ten seconds could be nothing, but that's more than enough for me".

"I had trouble remembering the name and faces of my family. My. Family" Carlos started raising his voice. "My mother!! My brother!! My little sister!! I had trouble remembering every single one of them!! The people that mean the whole world to me!!" At this point, he was basically shouting. "To make it way worse, I couldn't stop remembering that they also died when the Deletors erased the whole planet!! How would you feel knowing that everyone you love and tried to protect died, and you were unable to save them!?". Suddenly, the young man recalled Jessie's death... And how Bashiro was there to witness it. Calming down completely, he sat down again.

"And I..." He calmed down. "I haven't talked with Recklessness since then. Let's be real, how could I? Face my avatar after turning my back on him? How could anyone face anyone after doing that?". Carlos remained silent for a few seconds. Recalling how supporting the bluish dragon was and how he basically abandoned him made him feel worse. "I... I feel like I'm broken beyond repair. Not even a magical reset could fix me at this point. I'm really grateful to Cero for inviting me here after I basically abandoned his training without saying a word, but I don't know why I came here..." He looked down, unable to see the face of his friends. "I really wanted to see you again guys. The time we spent in Umano was wonderful. But I... I don't think I would be able to cardfight again...".

"I'm sorry for making you hear that... You must think I'm just another weakling that couldn't handle the heat of the situation..." He added, feeling completely ashamed. "After all, you managed to overcome that. I'd like to be as strong as you too...".

Bashiro and Jessie with pet followed Carlos to his hotel room. Jessie tried to stay focused on both Carlos and Tamotsu, knowing the young doggo could run off at any point with energy akin to Aoi's boundless jitters. Bashiro, on the other hand, was entirely focused for two reasons. One, he knew that - like Aoi - Tamotsu would always make his way back. He's a smart pup and knew how to find the brothers at any time Two, Carlos was experiencing something he could understand. When Jessie was deleted, the brawler felt as if the entire world had fallen apart and his reason to live was shot. It took everything for him to push onward, only to be erased too. Every word Carlos said - every bit of emotion... Jessie could relate to some of it, but Bashiro could relate to all of it.

Jessie didn't have to watch Bashiro be deleted. Bashiro had to watch Jessie be deleted.

"Carlos." Bashiro folded his arms, leaning his back to a wall. While his tone was the same as usual - as if having a casual conversation - it was easily to feel the pain emitted from his voice. "It's because it's all over that we can cry over it and then get over it. We survived Hell, and that left scars. Scars that may or may not heal, but we know not all of them are permanent. If you wanted to escape, you could've not come here at all and stayed with your family. Or even tried to get away from your family because for ten long seconds, you forgot their faces. ... But you still showed up. You're still facing your friends, you still faced your mom, your brother, your sister... Ten seconds is a lot, but the time we have now is a lot more.

So much more." The thug spoke, his message trying to support what they have know and what they've done. It as a joke for Bashiro to think of himself or any of the losers and lowlifes in Umano Slums as heroes... but that's what they were. They were veterans, like those people who came home from another country, wearing medals upon their soldier vests. It wasn't as glamorous as that... or maybe it was the same from the soldier's point of view. There was a level of pride to have, but to feel successful - like you truly did something... that requires turmoil. A level of conflict worth talking about and worth remembering for the heroes to be rewarded for their triumph. With a tightly clutched fist, he knew that humanity's medal of honor... was being alive.

"So what if you didn't remember for ten seconds?" He restarted, "As long as you eventually do, it works out. It all works out like everything did work out. Even if you haven't talked to Recklessness Dragon, as long as you do eventually, I'm positive he'll forgive you and understand. What happened back then hurt, but no one wants to linger on it, man. No one wants to... live in that hellhole of a time. That's why people are ready to move on."

And that's all it could be. No amount of words will ever change what happened for those who remember. The suffering was real, the pain was beyond anything they thought possible, Nothing can be said that will heal the wounds of yesterday.

Yet, the winds of tomorrow can be medicine for the weary souls.

Jessie choked to say anything his brother didn't, surprised at how pained the two were. It was painful for him as well, but not on par with these two. He stared quietly, gritting his teeth as he cursed his inability to... know. When he was deleted, it was like a dream. The next time he woke up, it was at the final battle in the Akasha Stratum, and he was just a specter. It was almost instantaneous, but it also felt like a dream of nothing but the void.

That's why Bashiro didn't hesitate or wait for him to say anything.

The older Hakaisha brother didn't make Carlos wait for his response. The two brothers seemed focused in everything the young man said, but it was Bashiro the one that appeared to relate the most to what Carlos was feeling. Leaning his back to a wall and folding his arms, Bashiro started casually. However, Carlos could feel pretty well the pain in his voice as he spoke. "It's because it's all over that we can cry over it and then get over it" He explained rather easily.

Bashiro told Carlos something he didn't actually notice until that very moment - He was there. He could've refused to come to the island, or could've escaped once he didn't recognize the faces of his family. But he didn't. As the brawler said, he still faced his family and friends despite everything he was feeling. Carlos didn't knew at the moment, but he was actually trying to fix himself. It didn't matter if it took him ten seconds to do something so simple, it was the fact that he managed to do it in the end that mattered. After mentioning that, the older Hakaisha brother even assured Carlos that Recklessness Dragon, his trusted Avatar, would understand everything and forgive him without a doubt. "What happened back then hurt" He finally added. "But no one wants to linger on it, man. No one wants to... live in that hellhole of a time. That's why people are ready to move on".

People are ready to move on, and always be. The question is - Is he ready to move on too? Thinking about it, Carlos stood up one last time and walked again to the window without saying a thing. "Guys..." He finally spoke, a small tear running through his cheek. Recalling all the wonderful times he experienced thanks to Vanguard, a smile was drawn quickly in his face. "... Let's go to the registration area before it closes" He wiped the tear from his face and smiled at his friends. "After all, there's a beautiful lady out there that wanted to see me play... And a rather obnoxious brat that said I'm a bitch for not participating" He added, laughing a little at the last part. Carlos wasn't sure that everything would work out perfectly, but he was willing to give it a try. He wanted to move on, and don't let his future be ruined by the past. The young man walked out of the room along with his friends, ready to register himself.