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[b][code]Charity Beach Festival.[/code][/b]
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[i]Ain't she an odd one.[/i]

Drake thought to himself as he gazed upon the... tiny girl from earlier? She said some stuff to Henry before moving on but he didn't think too much about it. It was kinda weird if he had to be completely honest, but Drake wasn't the type to let first impressions ruin what could be a beautiful relationship! Of course, the girl wasn't all that bad looking if Drake had to say so himself. A short little thing that he could tell was kind of Spanish, she looked kinda trashy but Drake was fine with that. Skinny and not all that curvy... which were also things that Drake didn't have a problem with.

What he had a problem was with her... manner of speech. "Heh, someone's tryin' a little too hard." She talked with this ridiculous, over the top, accent that those in New Orleans put on to appease the tourists. Maybe there were people out there that did talk like this, but he wasn't convinced - Drake found it cuter than anything that she was forcing this accent for him! It almost forced a chuckle out of him - but he had to look super serious.

[i]"Yer deh friend o' dat gatah man, no?"  [/i]

Though that smile faded when Drake had to answer the question with a very flat look on his face. "... He doesn't like to be called that." He just had to say, which he admits was probably not the best opener but hey; he had to pay respect where it was due. "But, yeah, you're speaking to officer [i]Drake Blackmore[/i], FAMA special forces first class." Drake wondered why despite all the good he did for FAMA; never moved up in the organization past officer. Those bastards!

The girl offered him a drink and Drake would have declined himself but she went ahead for him. "Yeah, no drinkin' on the job!" Drake said... half-heartedly. If it wasn't completely stupid, he would enjoy just a little sip, but with REAPER and other threats out there; he had to be on tip-top shape at all times. Because whenever they tried to start something Drake would make sure he'd be the first person there stopping them!

[i]"You be lookin' for your friend, no?"[/i]

Cracking out into a light chuckle that he quickly dashed away as to not look like he's laughing at Bobbi, Drake crossed his arms. "Nah, I'm waiting for the old lizard," Drake answered briefly. "Trust me, someone like him would find me in no time! But, in the meantime..."

Drake smugly grinned as he said,

"... What's your name? You don't look like you're... from around here."


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[b][code]Charity Beach Festival[/code][/b]
[hr][hider=Gorillaz - Doncamatic][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMqe-9fwYeI[/youtube][/hider][hr]


After the interview, Kashmira was unsure of how to feel about it all, but she ultimately hoped the best. She was expecting someone more professional and less interested in riding trends but she knows that, somehow, the whole Happiness would get the exposure it needed! Either way, Kashmira finished the rest of her shift and got changed at work before she headed off to the festival. This was her first time attending it (she had to miss last year's) and she was excited! But also saddened that this would be the first type of celebration that she attended without her family - without Rashmika of all people! She attended a few American festivals but all she could do was feeling homesick. American holidays were nothing like the days she spent dancing in Gujarat, and all she could do was find solace in her fellow Indians.

The girl was sitting in a bus seat wearing grey Nike sweat shorts that had matching black Nike sneakers. She was wearing a matching grey Nike t-shirt with "JUST DO IT" and the Nike logo on it. Of course, Kashmira had her scrubs and other items in a backpack that she would keep very close to her. She, naturally, distracted herself in her phone and merely viewed her family's various social media accounts - and sometimes glanced at her coworkers and friends social media. 

Though, while she was browsing she got a call on facetime.

[b][code]RASHMIKA[/code][/b]

Immediately, the girl was overjoyed that she got to see her sister's face again! It goes without saying that Kashmira hit "answer" on her phone. The first sight was her twin sister's face, which was almost an exact reflection of her own but with a few differences. Maybe her face had a slightly different shape, and her eyes weren't as big as Kashmira's but the similarity was still there.

[i]"Hello, sister,"[/i] Rashmika spoke in Gujarati, the language that the two of them found the easiest to speak in despite Kashmira's near-flawless English. [i]"How are you? How is Florida treating you?"[/i]

[i]"It's great, sister!"[/i] Kashmira answered. [i]"The weather is beautiful, it's almost like it is back home..."[/i]

[i]"Do you miss it, sister?"[/i] Rashmika answered.

[i]"I do, I do,"[/i] Kashmira answered honestly, [i]"But, America is our new home, if grandmother made this place her home then so can we."[/i]

[i]"I'd like to visit every once in a while,"[/i] Rashmika answered.

[i]"Grandmother said we shouldn't go back there."[/i] 

[i]"Do you really listen to her paranoid drivel?"[/i] Rashmika said, [i]"I love our grandmother with all my heart, but we must live our lives sisters... she even has our parents believing her. The two of us could have been long married by now."[/i]

Kashmira nodded her head. Hanumanta was a very old woman, possibly senile and developing... [i]"other"[/i] signs of age, but Kashmira still found wisdom in what she spoke. Though, she found it inconspicuous that her grandmother refuses to step foot back in India but never mentions why. She spoke of her adventures and the things she had done but never specified why she left after the death of her grandfather far before she was even born. Kashmira would press her on her secrets later on - because this was one thing that Kashmira would not let Hanumanta bring to the grave.

[i]"If she says we shouldn't go there,"[/i] Kashmira answered. [i]"Then that's what we should do; she knows more than what we do and you know what happened..."[/i] It was something that the mere implication made Kashmira cringe and Rashmika feel guilt: the encounter with Abel. It was years ago but sometimes she still thinks about the thing and has dreams of it. Kashmira wishes she could just let it go, but...

[i]"Very well,"[/i] Rashmika said, [i]"If that is your choice..."[/i]

The bus came to a stop and already Kashmira could see how amazing the celebration was! It was a vibrant, energetic, fair full of all sorts of people and suddenly an idea popped in that head of hers.

[i]"Rashmika,"[/i] Kashmira said in their native language,[i] "I am attending one of their festivals... and I am feeling awfully lonely, want to keep me company, sister?"[/i] It wasn't as good as having her here in person, but she was willing to take the next best thing.

[i]"Gladly, sister."[/i] Rashmika said as they remained on facetime.

Kashmira stepped out of the bus and she walked all the way over to the admission gates that were blocked off by the turnstile. There was a group of guards, police officers, and FAMA agents at the gates and one of which had a clipboard. When Kashmira was walking up she noticed that the guard made someone sign before sending them in where they received a note and a balloon... interesting? When it was Kashmiras turn she held the phone in hand as the guard asked,

"Name?" 

[i]"Kashmira Sarai."[/i] The girl said fast and the guard had on a look of bewilderment.

"... Mind saying that again a little slower?"

Kashmira nodded her head as she said her name again, "Kash-mir-ah, Sur-Rai." She was used to this.

"Hey, what's in the bag?" He pointed at her back bag before giving her a curious look... he silently gestured for the rest of them to come along. 

"Oh?" Kashmira raised an eyebrow as she opened up the bag revealing her blue scrubs stuffed into the bag. "My work clothes, I just got done with my shift and wanted to come here and see the festival." Kashmira looked at the guard and was convinced he wasn't convinced. 

"Empty the bag."

"What?"

"I said empty the bag." 

Suddenly Kashmira felt a little nervous - there were at least five cops and other security all around her and she was all by herself! 

[i]"Be strong, sister,"[/i] Rashmika said through facetime, and it appeared as gibberish which Kashmira felt didn't help her case that much. However, she was going to do just that.

"Could I at least get a table to set this on?" Kashmira asked.

"Empty it right here, right now. Or you're not coming in." The guard said before the young woman huffed and pulled out her scrubs after putting her phone in her pocket for a second. She draped it over her shoulder just so it wouldn't touch the floor but it became abundantly clear there wasn't anything in the bag. 

"Satisfied?" She asked, trying to contain the venom against this racist bastard.

With a nod of his head, the guard nodded his head and signed her name as the girl gave him a very disgusted look as she stuffed her scrubs back in and marched past him.

The first thing that Kashmira did was pull out her phone and nearly shout, [i]"Buckwass!"[/i], into her phone. He most likely didn't understand the comment, but Kashmira had to vent his frustration.

[i]"Bet he would gladly let you past if you were a white woman." [/i]Rashmika laughed for a moment with her hand covering her mouth. [i]"That's what I noticed; Americans are so scared of all the wrong people."[/i] Rashmika shrugged her shoulders.

[i]"I just hope he'll, someday, change his ways."[/i]

[i]"I hope so, too, sister,"[/i] Rashmika answered, [i]"But, I'd love to see this American festival."[/i] She said with a grin.

Once she got to the other side of the admission gate there was a stand with a bunch of balloons behind it and pieces of paper. They flagged her down and Kashmira walked over to them very curious with the hand in her hand.

"Hey, here's your balloon, don't lose it," The woman at the stand softly said to Kashmira, "You have to write something down on the paper, tie it to the balloon, and when the clock strikes four o'clock release it."

"Okay!" Kashmira said as she set the phone down so Rashmika wouldn't see what she wrote, before tying it to the balloon and picking up her phone and walking off with the green balloon in hand... her favorite color!

[i]"This doesn't sound nowhere near as fun as our festivals,"[/i] Rashmika asked.

[i]"It isn't,"[/i] Kashmira said, [i]"Nothing will be as fun as playing with kites on the streets on Uttarayan!"[/i]

[i]"So, sister,"[/i] Rashmika asked, [i]"What did you write?"[/i]

Kashmira shook her head into the phone, [i]"Nope, not telling."[/i]

[i]"Please?"[/i] Rashmika pleaded.

[i]"I'll tell you when I let it loose,"[/i] Kashmira answered as she walked around and saw all the stands and attractions that were just begging for her. [i]"Besides... there is much fun to be had in the meantime."[/i]