The Fallacy - Spade, Toss, Dunstan, Kenny (NPC), Molly, (Gavin), (Rosaleen)

[Roarke Moray]

Roarke was almost entirely sure he didn't like that Spade Aeries fellow. He was kind of a dick. Roarke could understand the urgency of a bomb on the Creig ship, easily. That was a big problem. Yet the man had no respect for his fellow soldiers in arms, allies in the battle against super evil. Roarke had picked the man up and felt the urge to throw him across the festival, but settled for tossing him towards The Fallacy. He watched as Spade found the bomb and then as Dunstan arrived on scene to successfully remove it. Ah. Take that, Mr. Pricky-Spade. Badass people to the rescue. Roarke had watched Toss call Gavin, his paws curling a little into the ground. This coming to Amestris for a show was a terrible idea. Better they all just pack up and go back to Carraig. Now it was just a matter if Toss was going to go through with the launch. And knowing Toss, it was definitely going to happen. Toss was kind of bat-shit crazy like that. Even If Gavin forbade it, it would still go down. All Roarke could do is what he had been doing all day... stand by and watch. And hopefully make sure nothing went terribly wrong. Because otherwise someone WOULD be getting their face ripped off.

[Guest]

Alright, so it wasn't just some little thing. If it had possibly been a ride malfunctioning that would warrant some concern, but this was very serious. Her subordinate barely seemed to be holding it together, it was as if she were a wire too tightly wound and was about to explode any second. If it was this bad why hadn't--"There's a detonator in the teacups for a bomb somewhere here. Lisbeth's mind almost completely froze up at that single word. Bomb. There was a bomb here? Her features darkened as she listened, "The guy...Aerugese intelligence guy, said it belongs to Spade. It's bullshit. But...I can't think straight right now. This is not the time for lone heroism, Lisbeth, it's why I came to you. We need to find Ms. Brighton. She most likely knows more about it, Spade is the conduit of this information. We have to go."

She didn't immediately answer, she couldn't although time had just become a very precious commodity. Priority was to disarm the bomb and evacuate civilians. Did the Chancellor know? She raised her eyes and glanced to the crowd that was moving around them, grimacing at their current options. Her blue eyes locked back onto Jocelyn, "We cannot act blindly, lest we inadvertently create hysteria." She paused as her brows furrowed, "You said there was an Aerugese informant? Part of his aim is to create chaos and shake us of our nerve, its what he wants. We cannot let him succeed at both of these things." She rubbed Jocelyn's arm reassuringly as she took a breath and seemed calmer herself. She was trying to think miles a minute, calculating what her father might do if this were to happen in his gangs building. She began to walk with long strides backed by purpose, heading towards the launch pad of the Fallacy. "Alright, is this informant being searched for? If he isn't, that must happen. Where is Spade and has he been notified of these events?" She did glance behind them towards the ferris wheel as she remembered the reports of the events that happened at the last Festival. Whoever was doing this wouldn't target the same thing twice, would they? No... the main event had to be it.

She paused in her step and turned back to Jocelyn, "Have you seen Shula? Where was she last? Has the Chancellor been notified? If she already knows of this then she may be searching for the Chancellor. With all of the dignitaries here and the civilians, our priority has to be evacuation if the bomb isn't already being tended to." Her steps resumed as she ran through a mental checklist of all the militants that were here. Who would be.... Iris. Switching her direction, she power walked through the masses that flowed about them towards the tinkling music and bobbing horses. The Head of Defense would be amongst the first to be spoken to aside from the Chancellor, for she would know all of the best procedures for how to handle this situation. It was a form of attack, granted a very underhanded and subtle attack. As the Merry-Go-Round came into view, she put on a smile and touched Jocelyn's arm, leaning close to her ear, "I know it may be hard, but try to appear relaxed. If we seem tense, it may cause people to wonder. We do not want to create panic."

She straightened and glanced about, noticing all of the people that were there. The new Queen of Creta with a guard and her butler, Aurel and his entourage (that she pointedly ignored), and another girl she didn't recognize. But amidst them, she saw her goal: Iris. She bowed to the Cretan Queen and her guard, turning her focus to Iris with her smile still steady. Touching her shoulder, she leaned close to her ear, "May we speak in private for a moment please Lieutenant Colonel?" She asked in a low murmur so only she could hear, not particularly caring about international decorum. They had a crisis to divert and diffuse. Quickly.

(( *Note: I apologize if this is wrong somehow or messes something up. ><;; I can fix it if its extremely wrong! ))

[Marcelina H. de León]

Marcelina was glad to hear that Iris was going to walk the festival with her before the special show later in the day. Not that it seemed like it would be that much later before the event was meant to take place. Marcelina was pleasantly surprised to see Sec and Cap'n Sal move forward to ride the merry-go-round, although Marcelina didn't recognize the rest of their party. The two men had gestured to her in greeting and she responded with two fingers on the brim of her hat as she titled her head downwards slightly. A subtle bow to her pirate companions, but nothing to cause any stir.

She waited patiently for Iris to finish her time at the merry-go-round. She was beginning to wonder how soon that would be when things got interesting. She watched slightly amused as Iris hopped over the fence to her ride, berating some woman who had hopped over to kiss a man. What odd people were here in Central City. She remained by the entrance of the merry-go-round, calmly telling those people in line that they would have their turn shortly, after a disturbance was handled. No need for screaming kids to run onto the ride demnding their turn while Iris was dealing with some kind of hooligan.

[Nyx]

Pink. It was a pink horse, or rather, a white horse with a bright pink mane and tail and a pink "saddle," and it was just SO PINK. Hmm... It was also right next to the dragon, which Sal seemed to be getting on, and was behind the trusty coach Aurel had sat in. The three were followed up from behind by the giant butler guy, and Nyx laughed as he attempted to enter the carriage, ducking down like one of those fold-able fences, except he looked like a person, not a fence. That'd be weird. Anywho, Nyx grinned a bright and cheery grin as she went around and around and around. The carousel was always her favorite ride, simply because they looked pretty, and had that nice twinkly music. As the ride started, she heard Sal speak. He'd never been on a Merry-go-Round before? "Me either. But it seemed fun, so I bet it'll be as fun as it looks, right?~" To be honest, she was a bit nervous herself; despite the amount of things she HAD been on, a fairground ride wasn't among them. Turning to look at the lady in charge of the ride, she saw her pull a lever, and stared at the ground as she started moving in a circle, bobbing up and down.

She glanced back at Sal, who seemed to also be enjoying himself, and then back at Invidia-guy, who, for the most part, could have been playing poker with the face he seemed to permanently wear. Looking ahead, at Aurel, he looked like he was also having fu- and then the queen of Creta tackled him off the ride!? Well that was interesting. Nyx watched as she grabbed Aurel and kissed him- eeewww, grooooss!- before the ride stopped and the pink-haired woman ran over, informing the queen of her MADNESS.

Sal glanced at Nyx, clearly as surprised as she was, as she couldn't help but crack a small smile as she stifled her giggles. Poor Aurel must be mentally traumatized... But for now, it was still kinda funny to watch. "That would be the queen of Creta, Sal..." And she was indeed a crazy queen, so it seemed...

(~(THIS POST IS ALL OF THE SUCKAGE. BUT. IT EXISTS. o_o FINALLY.)~)

[Aurelius Schwartz]

Sanity was a bit far as he settled down on the hard plastic riddled with children's greasy fingerprints. Wincing inside, he put a foot up on the gold railing and closed his eyes for just a moment to collect himself before it started. That moment was his downfall.

"Ma'am! You can't just-" Thrown to attention at the pink-haired girl's voice, Aurelius sat up just in time to register a very familiar shape moving towards him at seemingly lightning speeds. His cheeks were grasped in a vice, his mismatched eyes widened behind the shades obscuring his view. Before he could take a breath, an aroma of mint and cotton candy assailed him, lips pressed against his, forcing them open. Her tongue roamed, her hands venturing to smooth the wrinkles down his back. At complete mercy, he was frozen in stasis, allowing this--allowing such brevity to befall him. Sardonically pleasing, he found his human side amid the fray, gasping and defenseless while the monster in him laughed. Perhaps Nyx wasn't the one off guard; it was himself. Sweet disgust sifted through him despite the expected pleasure that usually accompanied a kiss. He went to pull away in the exact moment Rachel freed him, already causing him to lose balance. But it wasn't that; it was a little push against his chest that flung him off the pastel seat, landing him unceremoniously on the floor of the ride. His tail bone smarted, jolts of shock racing through his body. Once more, he could not find the muscles to move, staring through the ridicule at the Queen of Creta. No expression was possible to divulge.

"YOUR FACE! BAAA HA HA HA! YOUR FACE! I WANT THAT FACE PAINTED ONTO THE SIDE OF A VAN! I WANT THAT TO BE CRETA'S NATIONAL FLAG! HA HA HA HA HA HA! PLEASE TELL ME SOMEONE GOT THAT ON CAMERA! MWAH HA HA HA HA HA!"

An inaudible hiss managed past his lips as he remembered to breathe, skin itching. The tangy taste of high glucose corn syrup sloshed around his taste buds like glue, stunting any ability to communicate. Air burned, his eyelids fathomed wide, everything blank like a fresh canvas just moments before taken to the brush. He twitched when he heard footsteps, barely able to turn his head to see who it was this time. A horrid growl escaped him, nails biting into the palms of his hands. He couldn't...

"Madam, I know this may be foreign land to you, but I have to ask you don't harass my customers." He looked up, eyes dully focused on the pink-haired girl he had voiced his correlation with earlier who had nearly prevented this assault, but was moments too late. Why would she have had to? Was he so defenseless as to be susceptible to something of this degree? "Law suits on assault aren't exactly the best policy. Now kindly, go wait in line, like everyone else or I'm going to call security." His sunglasses were readjusted on his face, hat settled back into place. He looked on in mild amusement, lips still damp, but already curling into a smirk. She reached out a hand to help him to his feet. He took it and stood above Rachel Ascot, towering over her crumpled laughter. "Or get the hell off my ride. Either works for me."

"Perhaps you should listen to reason," Aurelius cooed, his eyes slits of darkness as a vicious laughter poured out of his voice. "Or perhaps that is beyond your control?" His eyes flitted to the two men on the sidelines beyond the gate. One looked like he wanted to kill him and the other looked about ready to have a heart attack. "Returning to your pets would be most wise; they might get jealous." He brushed himself off and let go of the pink-haired girl's hand with an oddly sweet smile. "Thank you," he said, "Please continue the ride without delay." His eyes ventured sideways to Sal and Nyx before returning to her. "There are those whose first ride is this one."

A woman approached, looking to be in the higher ranks of the Amestrian military. She whispered something into the ear of the girl, seemingly urgent. Ah, so it had begun? Excellent.

[Rachel Ascot]

Franklin's eyes narrowed hatefully. Attention. Rachel was being regarded, and Aurelius looked ready to pounce on her and tear her limb from limb. The guy was growling, fucking growling! She needed to get out of there, but why wasn't she?! The bouncer leapt across the boundaries too, making sure he was within tackling distance of everyone; Rachel, Aurelius, the pink-haired woman, even the kids. All of them. If any of them made a wrong move, he'd snap their neck.

Rachel didn't get the urgency of the situation so much. She got herself to her feet, still stifling giggles.

"Madam, I know this may be foreign land to you, but I have to ask you don't harass my customers." Rachel looked to the woman who addressed her, a grin from ear to ear on her own features and stern reprimand on the other's. "Law suits on assault aren't exactly the best policy. Now kindly, go wait in line, like everyone else or I'm going to call security. Or get the hell off my ride. Either works for me." Rachel simply nodded politely.

"It's fine, we're friends of friends, sort of an inside joke within our circle." When she paused, the only thing anyone could hear was Aurelius' growl of barely controlled rage. "I'll be out of your hair in just a moment." She said, simply lying through her teeth to comfort the staff-woman. Aurelius was certainly no friend of Creta's for now, but Rachel could only wonder what he was even doing here. Drachma had fairs, and Aurelius was not the kind really enjoy them. Those two kids might be there for fun, but Aurelius was here on business, and Rachel didn't take long to decipher what business. Qin needed to choose his friends better.

"Perhaps you should listen to reason," came a voice that was filled with as much laughter as malice. The Queen just grinned with an equal amount of malice and laughter right back. "Or perhaps that is beyond your control?" Rachel had to look at Franklin to make sure his hands didn't immediately leap to Aurelius' throat.

"Awww, but it's so much fun to be a bad girl." She taunted a little, innocently curling her hair around her finger. "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it, you'll break my heart."

"Returning to your pets would be most wise; they might get jealous." Franklin let out a very loud, angry snarl.

"I guess; they'll want to kiss you too, I'm guessing." Rachel joked back, and Franklin's teeth ground together with a force to crush diamonds. She nodded back to the pink-haired woman and a new arrival who bowed to her, and she winked to Aurelius. "Well, I'll be seeing you. Work on your kissing, and make sure that Qin knows how much of a dumbass he is." And with that, Rachel walked away, Franklin and Elastor in tow. That last barb was made to irritate Aurelius more than anything else; just to plant the fact that she knew what was going on in his head, that she had his number and if possible force him to constantly have her in the back of his mind, never able to deal with her, always niggling and irritating. Just Rachel's cup of tea. When she was out of earshot, she looked to Elastor.

"Aurel being here makes things a little more complicated. Change of plan." She began explaining at rapid speed. "I need to know if Qin's in cahoots with Aurel, if Aurel's using him without Qin knowing it, or if Aurel benefits from this by coincidence and really has nothing to do with it. Whatever the case, I need you to go find Hans. I want to be on him the moment I get an answer from Qin, and besides, whatever the bombing is for it's not what Aurel wants. He's after Hans, I think, but I can't work out what for. Just make sure he's fine." She ordered, dismissing Elastor away. "Don't worry about me, I've got Franklin here." Franklin looked to Elastor, but resisted the temptation to taunt him about being chosen to protect the queen over the royal guard.

They kept on walking, just Rachel and Franklin, club owner and bouncer, queen and bodyguard, now their pace filled with purpose. They walked...
... and walked...

... and walked...



... and walked...



... until...

"Well, where the hell is he?" Rachel asked, losing patience by the second. "We've been walking around for hours, and he's nowhere in sight!" Franklin sighed a little.

"Rachel, it's been five minutes." He corrected her wearily. Rachel gritted her teeth a little.

"Five minutes is too long." She seethed, looking to her bodyguard. "That rocket could go off any minute now and we need to... to..." She peered at Franklin's chest. "Why is your shirt blue?"

"Elastor threw your cotton candy at me." He explained. Rachel growled a little.

"I need some, too! I'm going take that out of his wages." She said, beginning to text Elastor. Franklin kept scanning the crowd.

"Well, what do we do if we don't find Qin?" He asked, unsure of Rachel's plan. Rachel bit her lip in thought.

"... I really want to tell Hans the whole story. Qin shouldn't get away with this." She admitted, not looking up from her text. "But I can't say what'd happen if Hans and Gavin knew. Qin went behind the backs of his people, and if conflict broke out, then that'd cause even more carnage than is currently going on. I need more time to plan out what's going to happen. I need to get this under my control, and I just can't think right now." She finally finished her text, and sent it to Elastor's phone.

You owe me 4.50 deutsche marks, you cotton-candy wasting bastard.

"I'll just tell him that Aurelius is here, that should buy me a little more time to work out just what in the hell's going on." Rachel explained. Franklin raised an eyebrow to his queen.

"So he's involved?"

"My gut says so, my brain says otherwise. I can't really say right now." She said. "It's something I keep going back and forth on; why else would he be here, but what does he get out of sabotaging that launch? Still, that's not the important bit." She smiled to Franklin. "The important bit is that he's here. He makes for a damn good scapegoat, and I could always revise my story the next time I see Hans if he really isn't involved." Franklin's lip thinned in concern.

"Are you sure you want to be entangled in all of this?" He asked. "This is thin ice; you could be making some enemies." Rachel didn't respond for a second, taking a moment to scan the crowd once more, still searching for the Emperor.

"It's never a bad idea to know things you shouldn't." She answered, a smirk on her face. "I wouldn't be doing this if I was worried about it blowing up in my face. Besides, if the ice cracks, I've got you and Elastor to catch me." Franklin huffed a little at the royal guard's name, but simply nodded in agreement.

"Fair enough. It's just my job to worry." Franklin replied, and the two disappeared into the crowds once more, pace still with purpose.

[Guest]

There were people around her. Muffled voices could barely reach her. Her body was losing energy and she could see blurs. Panicked people filled her dull eyes. She couldn't really feel anymore? Or had the burning become a part of her. She could only breathe and just barely. Muscles twitched in defiant spurts but nothing more than a finger or toe. Her breath was barely a sputter. "I-I'm sorry... I'm so.. weak.." She could barely manage.

She was on her back, staring at the world. A brown haired woman was shouting angrily, but it was only in a sort of under-water way. Her vision frayed and morphed.. a hallucination at first. She managed only a light laugh in her last minute, a light smile in her face. "[color=jade]Please.. just.. smile..arkness took her over. A coldness swept her body, she could feel a sort of moment of breathlessness and pain. HE was there though, that man she remembered from the pain. A song hushed her moments as they flashed. [color=jade]"Will they have melon bread in the afterlife?" Then.. there was nothing.

[Lian unconscious and dying]

[Elastor Ito]

He was going to have a heart attack. He was going to have a heart attack and die. Cardiac arrest. It was only a matter of time. His knuckles were aching, his sword hand shaking, his teeth making his gums bleed (nearly). He felt his breaths, once amused, were now huffs of nervousness. Franklin hoped the gate and looked about ready to pounce and kill. Cat stalking a mouse. Ela planted his feet, stood his ground. She had this. Somehow--somehow she had this. Queen Rachel of Creta in all her lateness was dancing around one of the most dangerous men in the world as if he were a sprinkler and her a kid eternally stuck in summer. He shook his head and blinked unbelievably at the scene, trying to maintain a state of calmness. It was hard--so incredibly hard that the tension washed out to other places, like his hands for instance. He couldn't hear what exactly was being said, but he vaguely allowed himself to decipher what their lips were mouthing in Cretan.

"Returning to your pets would be most wise; they might get jealous." Oh. Oh, that was why Franklin was...cracking diamonds over there. Ela let out a long, agitated breath, prying his hand like stone from his hilt. Slowly, he shifted his weight to his other foot and pushed himself forward. If that bastard died tonight, how much would be resolved. If he acted now, could he slay him and end all this nonsense?

"I guess; they'll want to kiss you too, I'm guessing," Rachel's lips formed. Ela dropped his sword. He proceeded to stare at it on the ground for long enough to miss what came next. Change of plan. He'd kill the Queen instead. By the time he stifled his sudden killing intent, Franklin and Rachel were looking at him like 'let's gooo'. Quickly, he bent to retrieve his sword, tucking it back in his belt and following after them silently. "Aurel being here makes things a little more complicated. Change of plan." Ah, so he wasn't the only one who was changing their plan. Ela scoffed, trying not to look like he wasn't about to strangle her for his own safety. Franklin was giving him the I-know-what-you're-thinking-so-stop-before-I-murder-you look. Bastard. Ela threw the cotton candy at him and crossed his arms, hoping it made his shirt sticky. There were those he wanted to kill and those he would actually kill. It was an art to know the difference. Clearly Franklin hadn't mastered it yet. "I need to know if Qin's in cahoots with Aurel, if Aurel's using him without Qin knowing it, or if Aurel benefits from this by coincidence and really has nothing to do with it." The redhead shrugged. Did it really matter why the King of RIOTE was here? It would be better just to kill him in cold blood, then they wouldn't have to worry about the why of it. "Whatever the case, I need you to go find Hans. I want to be on him the moment I get an answer from Qin, and besides, whatever the bombing is for it's not what Aurel wants. He's after Hans, I think, but I can't work out what for. Just make sure he's fine." Wait, she was only looking at him. He blinked at her in succession, half glancing over at Franklin. "Don't worry about me, I've got Franklin here."

...

"Politics isn't part of my job description," he muttered under his breath. She was ordering her guard away with only a bouncer for protection. It was a death wish. Not that he was necessarily complaining, but it would mean he fail in his job by obeying a direct order. A controversy at best was a way to describe this request. At a loss, he watched them go wordlessly, unable to reply with confirmation of his own. He couldn't condone himself for it, however, it was the most unusual order he had yet. Make sure the Chancellor of another country was intact? Not kill the supreme overlord of RIOTE? It made no sense. In fact, it was ridiculous. She was conjuring something--something that may or may not reflect her actions today at the carousel. Ela cursed under his breath and turned tail in the direction of one of the park's hills. From there, he'd at least be able to see where to start looking.

Grass parting to his boots, he scanned the brushes of purpling clouds overhead with matching eyes. When he was at a satisfactory height, he beheld the festival, glancing through the twinkling lights and laughter. Somewhere in the mess, Rachel and Franklin were plotting, Csilla was stressing, Hans was...doing whatever the Chancellor did. Where could he possibly be? What an impossibly request. Sighing in disdain, the Royal Guard without a subject left the hill to wander about aimlessly in pursuit of the impractical. Still, he would complete the order, regardless, no matter what; it was his meaning--the only meaning with which he was able to move forward.

Blurs of people moved around him. Children with balloons. The smell of cinnamon and pretzels. Words, cheer, passed him by. Hands holding, gripping, pulling, leading, asking. He ignored it all as if it were just background, passing by an absent trashcan in the streets of London. All nonsense--all just blurbs of noise. Irritating to an extent, but rather trying in others. In the buzz of voices, Ela heard a name--a very familiar name. "Csilla Angelis." He turned and looked just as he was passing the bar, and caught sight of a round woman writhing on the ground. He stopped, unable to gauge the conflict, but able to note that Csilla had been the bearer of her own name. “It's Major Angelis! I've got a woman in labor over by the bar!” Leave now. Disappear and pretend you didn't see. The redhead looked every which way to see who was around him and who had caught sight of him. He could meld into the crowd and continue pursuing his mission or... He looked at the urgency written all over Csi's face. There were some things... He felt himself moving towards the situation before he made that decision, dropping to his knees before he could even think further about it. ...some things that didn't deserve thought.

Wait a second. HE CHOSE THIS. Kind of, but... WHAT WAS HE DOING?! He had no idea how to help, why he was here, or what he could possibly do that would be of worth in this kind of... "Of course not! But get over here with some blankets and as many supplies as you have. A stretcher, if you've got it! And get a call out to Central Hospital and have them send an ambulance over!” He was going to choke on his own soul. Everything in this moment denied who he was as person.

"What can I do?" He took off his coat, draping it over the ailing woman, and then looking back at Csilla slightly bewildered. "I don't even..." Okay shut up. Talking more would only hinder the process. Bare arms handed to the biting winter air, Ela was now only in a black muscle shirt, completely exposed.

[Iris]

Iris wasn't sure WHAT to make of this damn situation. Something about the woman just really pissed her off. Like really, what kind of immature woman would simply assault someone who was clearly not her friend. The hatred that was in the man's eyes could nearly knock her on her ass. Only one phrase could match it "If looks could kill." That seemed pretty accurate. However for now, she was simply glowering at the woman before her. It seemed people around her really lacked some sense. Either that or they thought she was stupid. "It's fine, we're friends of friends, sort of an inside joke within our circle."

"Perhaps you should listen to reason."

"Yup.. I can speak Cretan, too..." She sighed in an agitated voice. Was there really a need to switch languages? It seemed too exhausting. At least she could tune them out, while her eyes stared daggers at the woman. This day was just.. exhausting.

Finally, she retreated and Iris turned to the man. He seemed okay enough, which was a good sign. "Thank you. Please continue the ride without delay. There are those whose first ride is this one." His smile was.. oddly charming. Strange how something so simple felt uncommon to the man. She wondered if he felt like this often. Were there a lot of people who did this kind of stuff to him? Was that why he wore a disguise? Her blood boiled for a moment. God, people were so immature.

She grinned at him, and waved it off. "Look, it's no problem." Her voice was agitated, though not at him. "I'm just surprised some people still live in preschool." As he pointed, her eyes followed him. There were two kids, not much younger than herself(maybe several years), sitting on animals of their choices. After a nod, she checked the man over once again, to make sure he was alright, and then walked back to her little control room. If her hatred could take form, things would have been burning, but luckily things were slowly calming.

AND THINGS KEPT HAPPENING! What was WITH today? Iris wanted to go have fun too, but- There was a woman and just instinct told Iris she would have to wait. Her eyes were apologetic to Marcelina, while Lisbeth approached. "May we speak in private for a moment please Lieutenant Colonel?" Who was she to say no? Obviously by the way she was addressed, it was something massively important and so, Iris nodded. A finger rose to Marcelina and the pink -haired militant meandered away from her booth again. "Yeah...? What's the problem?" (Incidentally, she left the ride going when she left).

[Aaron H]

She said something, but he could barely hear her, which n its own way was a good thing. It wasn't as if she didn't have a nice voice or anything, but Aaron just wasn't good with women, at all. He constantly reminded himself of this and though it was an inward thought, he could almost feel his social awkwardness sift into the air outside him. God, he felt like he would regret this. He wasn't even the greatest shot... he was meant for observing, really.

Through the crowd, they weaved. His eyes were locked on her shoes, oddly enough. At least it wasn't on something more perverse, in fact. No, he'd already gotten in trouble for being a pervert-even though he hadn't meant to be-. God, the queen really knew how to mess with him. He was grateful, though. After all, he wasn't being lynched for it, like most people probably would.

They reached the booth and Aaron found Selina fumbling through her wallet for some amount of cash. That made him feel even more awkward, after all, what kind of man makes a woman pay for him? Well, it wasn't like he had twisted her arm and he hadn't MADE her do anything. Oh well, what was owed was paid, there wasn't going back now. Instructions were simple, hit something and knock it over.. He could manage that.. right? Her first shot was spot on and again he caught himself thinking. Wasn't it strange that they were 'having fun' by shooting small furry stuffed creatures in the head... wasn't that tell-tale signs of a serial killer? Bah, he was over thinking things again.

She handed the gun to him and expected him to take a turn. Aaron rolled up his sleeves for no real reason and put the toy in an aiming posture. After taking a deep breath, he pulled the trigger and shot a toy on the ear, which of course was a rabbit so.. it wiggled a bit and budged, but didn't fall. His cheeks were red, as he felt extremely awkward, being upshowed by this stranger. He handed her the gun back and laughed nervously. "Sorry, I don't have much of an aim."

[Qin Shi Xun]

What... What was he doing? Was he so heartless thaT he would leave one of his oldest friends to die alone? Was that right? was that just? Qin let his feet bring him to a stop, that was both sudden and unexpected. He was supposed to be a man that cared for his people, yet how could he ven start to claim that when he would leave someone for whom he cared alone as she drifted off into the creators embrace? He was weak. That was the only way he could describe him self. One would think he would have become accustomed to death, with his years of serving in the military, oddly that didn't seem to be the case. What he had saw, if only briefly had scarred him, it had forced his eyes away... It had over powered him. He was weak and yet he had the audacity to claim to be Emperor. "What am i doing?" His voice sounded tired and strained even to his own ears with an undercurrent as hard and brittle as iron. With a deep breath he found his center, the place that no other could see nor hear and focused on the fire that was at the very center of his being. His life force. His essence. With that focus came a clarity, he could see all his doubts, all his fears, and all his uncertainty.

Clear your mind son, and feed everything to the flames.

Qin gazed on his demons and with his mind he did battle. He fought his doubts with thoughts of hope, he slew his fears with his feelings of love, and his uncertainty was put to the sword by renewed determination. It was an inner battle that seemed to take years, but only moments passed in the outside world, but in those moments he consigned his self pity to the flames and watched as he was reborn from the ashes. Yes he had done this before, and yes he would do it again. But what mattered then was that he had found his center, he had found the strength to carry on in the face of adversity.

Clear your mind, and watch with renewed clarity.

He could hear his fathers voice as if he was standing right there with him. Was he watching him? Guiding him just as he had done in life? Qin didn't know, but right then he could feel that mans presence, he could feel his strength added to his own. He would have smiled, but his lips wouldn't move from the frown that creased his otherwise calm and distant features.

“Clear your mind my son, feed all your doubts, concerns and thoughts into the flame.”

Qin moved then, back the way he came, and unlike before he stood and walked as an emperor should. His Very presence commanding looks of slight awe at those around him and the very air seemed to buzz with the force of his personality. It was as if he was the harbinger of a storm and the whole world knew. But it was no normal storm he foretold, no what he brought with him was a storm of fire and blood.

"Clear your mind, and see as no one has ever seen before. See the world through the eyes of the Dragon, through the eyes of the creator."

Qins mind was empty of all thought, of all distractions and he saw the world as it really was. As controlled chaos. He could see the consequences of his and others actions unfolding about them. He could see the threads of fate that tied all of them together. He could see or thought he could see the infinite cosmic dance that unfolded about him. It was beautiful. It was ugly. It was.

"Clear your mind and see the beauty that is."

He was there, at the place that might hold the last moments of his friends life. With out a would he appeared, with out a word he was on his knees, with out a word he took her hand in his. "I-I'm sorry... I'm so.. weak.." Tears came to his eyes, yes she was a beauty. Even in the thoughts of death she put the stars to shame. Even as she lay there dying all she cared for was those around her, all she wanted was to see others happy and content. Please.. just.. smile." He did it for her, he did it for her well being. He smiled, tears still leaking from the corners of his eyes. Lian..." His voice was soft, loving and he was careful to mask the pain he felt. "Will they have melon bread in the afterlife?" "yes... Yes it does... More then you could ever eat." He wept openly as her voice drifted up to his ears and he bowed his head over her his mouth pressing to hers for the second and last time. He breathed her last breath and as she drifted off he spoke. "Rest well my princess, you where to kind for this world of ours... To kind by far for this evil world we live in." He sat like that, head bowed tears freely falling and soft sobs escaping him for minutes on end, the world passing him by with him not caring nor noticing anything that was happening. With a deep breath he rose, his tear stained face turning toward those men of his gathered around him before scooping the dead woman into his arms holding her as one would do a babe. "Find who did this, find who did this and bring them to me then gather our people" The Emperor of Xing stood there, dressed as humble as anyone with tear stained cheeks yet never before had he commanded with such power. Never before had he stood before anyone with such loss weighing him down.

"Hehe~ Yeahhhh I'm fine Mr Emperor Man.. Hahaha The floor is really comfy you know?"

He could hear her voice... He could see the first time they had met. But everything had changed from that day long ago She wasn't fine but everything would be when he was done. Are you watching me now Lian? Are you laughing at me for being such a fool?

He would never feed these memories to the flame.

Even in death she only cared for those she left behind.

[Captain Kelly Tián-Yé]

Hrm. For a festival there was hardly anything for Kelly to do. He roamed aimlessly, awaiting something interesting to happen, something befitting of his awesome disguise. Sadly, there was nothing. So he ambled over to watch the silly people scrambling to remove a bomb from a spaceship, quite a fun thing indeed. Seems they'd been tipped off; it was a stupid plan anyways, far too many variables and too much not taken into account. He watched from a distance, and as they victoriously removed the device, he inwardly chuckled, not audibly of course, at Kamogaya's failed plot. Ah well, all's well that ends well. So he headed away, off to go find Qin; that, at the least, was something to do. So he walked around for just a bit more. Eventually, he spotted the man, standing a distance off, though he only saw his head through the bustling crowd. But as people shifted, he saw Qin move towards a figure, a figure laying on the ground. He took off his mask and squinted to get a better look, and was petrified at what he saw. Qin was crying, kneeling by the figure. And the figure was... It was...

Lian

His eyes widened in alarm. What had happened to the girl!? Why hadn't he been there when it did, was a much better question... He didn't even realize what he was doing, his hat falling limply from his head as he shouldered people out of the way, deadset on reaching the pair, the two being the only things he saw. "Qin! Lian!" It came as a surprise to hear how strangled his own voice was, cracking and higher-pitched than he was used to, as he fell upon them with worry and concern. Reaching his destination as Qin picked Lian up into his arms, he reached out for her, grasping her hand. "Lian! Lian?" He pressed his shaking hand to her wrist, then to her throat, checking in vain for signs of life; if she had a pulse left at all, it was weak, at best. Fading... "No, no, no, Lian... You can't... Lian..." Words struggled to happen, but for someone who spoke perhaps a bit too much most times, he could barely speak at all, let alone form comprehensive sentences. He looked to Qin, still crying nearby, as he felt his own eyes dampen and cloud with salty, bittersweet droplets. "Qin... She... What happened...?"

His first thought was a heart attack. The silent killer, cardiac arrest... But from what he knew, Lian didn't have any heart problems, none he was aware of anyways. The only other real idea he had as to what could have happened was poison. From what, though? Anything was a possibility. Could've been food poisoning, from really badly prepared food, could've been an assassin, for all he knew. But he had people who could find out what it was, or if it even was poison. He reached for his phone, quickly dialing a number. "Captain Kelly Tian-Ye speaking. Send as many men as we have available in nearby areas to the festival in Central City, Amestris; I want them to sweep the area, undercover, and locate any possible source of poisoned food, if any." "It could be a few hours, sir." "That... That's fine, just make sure they get here, I want this looked into..." He looked at his friend again, little Lian, who looked almost like she was peacefully asleep in Qin's arms.

He'd seen people die before; he'd been in the military for years, longer than Qin, or many others for that matter. He should have twice, maybe thrice the experience all of them had. Eleven years of active service, in a field where death is not just seen far too much, but often death close to you, the death of your men in arms. It shouldn't affect a man so hardened to the cruel and bitter world at all, but nonetheless, he wept. It was different; he gave a solemn moment of silence, out of respect, for a fallen man of his rank, slain on duty. That man had died doing his job, he died knowing there was a chance he could die, and he died a hero's death, hopefully. But Lian... She was completely innocent, in every way, and shouldn't have to die, not so young... "It... It isn't fair, it's not right... he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. "Twenty-two... She's going to die at twenty-two years old... When I was twenty-two, I was being an idiot, doing stupid things... Yet here I am, almost twenty-two years later. Why couldn't she be the one to enjoy that privilege instead...?" He clenched his shillelagh tightly in his hand, striking it hard against the ground as he was wracked with a wave of tears. "I'm sure she's got a lot more for the world than a badgery old man like me, why is she the one to die, when I'm not? I just... I can't..." It was futile to question fate; it did as it so was fit to do, and he was in no position to argue with the whimsical nature of destiny.

He turned to the emperor again, wiping tears from his eyes. "I can't say I'll ever like festivals after today, Qin..." It was a simple statement, and it was all he could say, as he drifted to silence after, offering no more words. He'd trade anything... Anything at all... Just to see her precious smile one more time... "Life is cruel."

[Csilla Angelis]

"What can I do? I don't even..." Csilla's head whipped to the side as Elastor came down onto the ground beside her, his jacket covering Peyton. She could have almost sobbed in relief, but she resisted that urge (and the urge to throw herself on him in a bone-crushing hug) and settled for a grateful smile. She grimaced slightly as she look at Elastor's coat covering Peyton. His coat was going to get ruined very quickly. She felt bad about it, but shook it off as she decided she would buy him a new one. She took a steadying breath and gestured her hand to Peyton. “Miss, this is Elastor. He's going to hold your hand during the contractions, okay? I'm going to try and get you ready.”

She rearranged the coat so that it covered Peyton's legs and blushing a little at the idea, Csilla had to literally drag Peyton's pants off of her legs. They were wet and completely unhelpful, due to the whole “water breaking” situation that had occurred earlier. Once that was done, Csilla helped Peyton to situtate her legs, feet flat on the ground and legs bent. She watched as another contraction took Peyton and saw her grip Elastor's hand until her knuckles were white. As soon as the contraction passed, Csilla took a glance under the coat-blanket. Her eyes widened and she quietly swore to Artemis, followed by a silent plead to Artemis and Hecate. This was going to go down as the fastest labor ever. She swore she could see something coming out of there. A rumble of clanking metal and a couple of shouts signaled the arrival of the first aid crew. “Get some blankets ready, this baby is coming.” The two aides, both men who looked abnormally pale began gathering blankets. Csilla looked up over the coat and down at Peyton. She gave her a small smile. “Peyton, I've never done this before, but it looks like your baby wants to be born now. So when I tell you to push, you do it. Okay?”

Csilla pushed back the sleeves of her jacket and situated herself better onto her knees. She reached her hands down and into the mess, getting ready to lead the head out. Csilla could tell that a contraction was coming again and so she said, “Peyton, push!” She heard Peyton react to the pressure of birthing, but all Csilla could focus on was as a head came more into view. Csilla repeated this action with Peyton several more times gently helping the baby out. She gasped as the baby slipped into her arms, umbilical cord and all. She reached a hand back, snapping “Give me something sharp.” One of the aides responded by kneeling down next to her, looking a little more colored. He shifted in and cut the umbilical cord as Csilla held the little treasure, who had already begun wailing. The aide managed to smile. “Should keep the mother on the ground for a little longer, I think the placenta will come out shortly.” When she gave him a puzzling look he murmured, “Father of two.”

Csilla looked down at the newborn infant, wrinkled and terribly messy. She was given a small wetnap by the other soldier and she gently cleaned up the baby as best she could. She could hear sirens in the distance, meaning that the ambulance was close. Soon professionals would be here to take over. In the meantime, she was sure Peyton wanted to make her newborn. She looked at Elastor. “Can you help her sit up, please?” After Elastor had boosted Peyton up, Csilla walked on her knees to Peyton, holding the blanket-wrapped bundle. “You have a little girl, Peyton.” She let Peyton take her newborn daughter from Csilla's arms and Csilla's gaze shifted from the baby and her mother to Elastor. Her eyes were filled with tears and a soft smile and come across her face. She wasn't sure she would've been able to stay so calm if he had not been there. They had just helped a woman give birth at the Central City Festival. Now, that had to be a first. And quite a milestone for the unofficial relationship.

[Spade Aeries]

"Sorry, man, but I'll be the judge of that."

"It was a figure of speech, buddy, chill." The tinkerer sighed. There was only one way to stay sane, and he was treading the precipice. Shoved aside by a lard of girth, Spade held up both hands to avoid being taken out by the other man's sheer size. A simple 'excuse me' would have certainly sufficed, but alas! Gentleman like himself were a dying breed. He pushed up his sunglasses and peered after the guy under UV protection to assess the man's assessment (because he totally could do that; he was Spade Aeries).

"Because, to me anyway, that bomb looks just as primed to go off as my dick when a hot chick's about."

"So we have time then?" Spade shook his head at his terrible joke, wondering which of his wrongs warranted the sort of punishment that involved having such a crude sense of humor in a dire circumstance such as this. A sidelong glance at his tattoo was like a smack in the face. God. He needed help. And a drink. Fast. Luckily, however, the large boulder of a man did not hear him, for his face was buried somewhere in Spade's handiwork.

"Ah! See, that's where you've gone wrong."

"I know. That whole being born thing..." Jade eyes quirked over top the rims of his aviators, squinting at whatever the fuck the guy was pointing at. It looked like intestines all twisted around each other in some weird maze that kind of didn't have any sort of end or beginning and they were just kinda falling all over each other and stuff and seriously Spade had no qualifications to be there. He disarmed, what, three bombs or something in his career? Two of them he had help, so he was kinda sorta just guessing and hoping that he wasn't about to kill half of Central. Though, don't get him wrong, he did know a fairly decent amount of tricks that bombers had up their sleeves just not...

"...it's meant to go off at a specific time. It's lucky you didn't cut anything important, or we wouldn't be here."

Spade grinned like a fool, felt like a fool, and decided right then that he'd never dive head first into hell again without a floaty of some kind. Buoys worked too. This guy kinda looked like one tbh. "Yeah, I'm better at cutting credit cards. Should really get a shredder though. What's the damage?"

"Whoever put this in has got friends who know what they're doing. He's good. ...But I'm way better!" OHGOD!? Spade took a couple steps backward, getting his head out of danger of the meat cleaver. Fuck, the guy was batshit! He took a deep breath and hardened his eyes, staring straight into the fiery pits. Please don't fucking kill us.

SLAM. Spade felt the Ishvallan wince somewhere nearby and practically could smell the clear stench of rage boiling up under his strangely pale skin (despite the fact that he was on the phone with someone and totally had no idea what was happening). The Xingese General pretended not to notice, and instead proceeded to pat the obtuse man on the back with a crooked Spade smile. JOBWELLDONE. Then the hissing started. Sounded like the dashboard was turning into a cobra--a pissed cobra. Fuck, what the? Spade's blood ran cold for just a moment, looking to the mechanic for some light shedding, hoping that they weren't about to all explode. "Knew it. It's a pressurised gas bomb." A WHA? He covered his nose, looking like a little boy that smelled tobacco for the first time. Luckily, the man began to explain exactly what entailed. Spade nodded in attention and almost felt like taking notes. When all was said and done: "A present from Carraig to Amestris. Put it on your mantlepiece." he wasn't sure how to react. All out of gags, he stared blankly after the man, completely and utterly useless. Regardless, feeling such a way after spending the entire evening about to have a breakdown was nothing short of a relief. Instead of coming at him with a professional a-typical response, Spade simply took the bomb, and said thank you. He'd give it back for analyzation later, but for now, it really was going on his mantlepiece.

Oh, he had a voicemail! While the savior of the festival went about speaking to the Ishvallan, Spade whipped out his iPhone, pressed a few 'buttons', and proceeded to-- "Spade, we gotta problem. Dude's trying to frame you. I swear he is. Had a dossier claiming this was you, and probably a fake detonator in your booth." What. "But there was a PDA with names and numbers of Xingese people. I'm guessing that they are the ones behind it. I lost the guy. I gave the dossier and PDA to Shula in your booth, I'm out looking for them now. What do you want me to do?" She hung up. Spade stared at his phone as if it were an alien with five eyes. Then he blinked his own and turned to face the cheer. This was a warning--a challenge. He wanted Spade to think he had the upper hand--he wanted the bomb to be disarmed. There was no way this would have gone so smoothly. Not when twists like these were planted to put him on edge. The Xingese were involved. A list of names? Suspicion would be raised. They'd call him a spy. Chills scurried up his spine as realization hit him hard. He'd have no choice but to cahoot with the 'enemy'--join forces with the foe. Go back home. Spade Aeries would be known as a spy all along, having had planned this from the get-go. All those years. Wasted. In light of Kamogaya's plan. He grit his teeth together, no! He wouldn't let him figuratively blow up all of this he built for himself. This life. What was it anyway? His phone was ringing, dialing the only one he could in times like these. Little did he notice, but a tiny blip on his screen also signified that Axel was on call waiting.

"Shu," he breathed when she finally picked up. He paused for a moment to collect himself. "The bomb is deactivated. Report to Hans, maybe tell Csilla? They should be made aware right away...as for...the perpetrator, I'm in trouble, aren't I."

[Shula Brighton]

Overall it could be concluded that festivals were something to be avoided unless they were those little festivals the Ishvallans had for holidays and weddings since those never seemed to go bad like this. Typically they danced, prayed, made offerings, and then danced some more depending on what the occasion was, pr prayed more for the same reasons. The Amestrian festival? They just needed to ban that shit and just let the traveling circus handle it. They were insured for disasters, and typically the elephants and dancing bears were harmless.

Shula ran through the crowds, ducking and weaving as she frantically tried to find the Chancellor. She didn't know if anyone had called him or told him anything or not, but so far, that's what she was doing. But fuck where WAS he?! He was only twelve feet tall, how could anyone MISS him?? Shula stopped, panting, mind and heart racing. She needed to catch her breath and think for a moment; the coined term 'dog of the military' was cute and all, but thankfully, she was a lot smarter than Lassie. So rather than chasing her tail, Shula stopped in the midst of her frantic run and moved aside to think about where he'd likely be and to notice that her phone was buzzing. Everything was right now.

Cheeks flushed, Shula took a moment to look at the things Alisa had shoved into her tiny hands. The PDA and dossier gave names she didn't understand, blocky Xingese characters listing side by side, one after another. Her mind was reeling. Alisa said there was a detonator with a Spade on it and she smelled bullshit; Shula agreed, even if she hadn't had time to say so. Why the hell would Spade attack his own country and then put his moniker on the device? That was like posting Twitter updates that you'd planned and just had robbed the bank and took a picture of yourself with the money. Spade could be a doofus, but that partied across the lines of stupidity.

"So lets go save the fucking day."

No kidding. After this Shula was thinking a vacation was in order for them. Hell, all three of them at this point. Burning red eyes scanned the dossier once more. This... would definitely point out that Xing was involved, and it wasn't exactly a secret among the higher-ups that Spade was the rightful Emperor of Xing. That... wouldn't look good. She didn't know any of Spade's enemies; he didn't exactly bring them up at dinner or in bed, and generally current problems were more critical than ones that had been dealt with already. Fingers trembling, she looked again at the documents she had. They were heavy, like lead ore, and very, very dangerous; that much she knew. But they were given to Alisa who'd given them to her, and someone was trying to make Spade look bad...

The jacket unzipped slightly as the folder was crammed inside and the PDA stashed and zipped up. Shula would look all that over, later, where and when it was safe. She'd sit with Spade and Alisa and pick it apart and-- her phone was still buzzing, or buzzing again. And she still needed to find Hans when it hit her: the main event was coming up. The launch where the bomb Spade was handling.. what where... Hans.. would... Her right eye twitched. She could have screamed if she hand't noticed her phone was still trying to vibrate hard enough to change molecular density and become transient as to escape her other pocket.

"Shu," Spade breathed, sounding like she was feeling. Shula held her breath, waiting for Spade to catch his. "The bomb is deactivated. Report to Hans, maybe tell Csilla? They should be made aware right away...as for...the perpetrator, I'm in trouble, aren't I." Her stomach knotted in resolve, something in her burning from a fire that originated deep, moved toward that file, and back into her soul far hotter.

There was an ancient legend in Ishvallan history that in the desert lived the Chuvash Dragon named Věri Şělen. It was a great and powerful serpent that could have one or many heads, and left a fiery trail when it took flight. It burned with the fire of Ishvalla, and made his people fierce. All her life, Shula had compared her mother to such a beast, often fearing her fanged wrath for anyone who dared tell Amira that she would have to yield to anything she disagreed with. And for all of Shula's life, she'd seen herself and generally been seen as more like her gentle father... except in moment like this, when that ancient fire was burning and the great desert snake was pissed.

"No," came the firm reply. There was no wiggle-room in her tone. Many people didn't speak Ishvallan, and fewer understood the off-dialect Shula spoke; even some words she knew Spade didn't always know. But better to switch than be overheard. "Sāthina, nobody will touch you. Not if Alisa and I have anything to say about it." Alisa owed no allegiance to Amestris, but for Spade, Shula knew Alisa would fight and kill to defend him, just as she would. She would keep the documents herself and stand in even Hans' way if it meant protecting her Maṅgētara. She had sold her soul to have more time, and he'd risked his life to take on the Devil to free her; nothing would stop the little fire-eyed woman from doing the same.

Shula ducked around a person and started her run again, this time heading toward the launch area. "I'll update Hans; don't say anything about what I have to anyone. I'll make sure nothing I say causes a panic." She paused again, puffing as she got closer. She would protect Spade no matter what. "Sakuya... I love you." She swallowed hard, waiting a moment before hanging up. Alisa was calling, too.

"Alisa!" she puffed, not waiting. "Spade just updated me! I've got Hans in sight... And you're right, I smell a rat in this shit! I'm letting Hans know, but let's wait to look these over first." She paused to give Alisa a moment before hanging up, running up to Hans. This was it. Quite possibly the boldest move in her career. "Chancellor." Shula waited, catching her breath, though her expression spoke of urgency. "If I may have a moment of your time, in private, Sir?" She pulled her phone back out, shooting a hurried text message to Csilla.

See me ASAP. URGENT.

She was quiet as Hans excused himself, Shula taking a moment to look at the impressive space-ship. Looked cooler than the one Buck Rogers piloted, for sure. Quickly, she turned her back to the shiny red plane, her voice lowering as as stepped up on her toes to speak directly into Hans' lowered ear. "Chancellor, there's been a breach in security." Her voice was still firm but quiet, and those words were enough to send anyone in their line of work into high alert. "There had been a bomb on the ship; the situation has been neutralized, though." Neutralized usually meant the issue was taken care of and someone was either dead or in custody; right now that was at least half-right.

"It's safe now, and we're keeping it quiet to not cause a panic. I have people investigating it now and giving me details as we find them." She pulled away from Hans, her expression far more steely than people who knew her were used to seeing. She'd filled in Hans, but on what he needed to know; no mention of the Xingese, a fake Major, the documents she had on her person, and most importantly, Spade. She now stood quiet, waiting for any further instruction from Hans.

[Peyton]

Everything was a daze. It was almost felt like she was floating, but the pain kept bringing her back down to Earth. Peyton felt more helpless than she ever had in her life. All she could do was scream, gasp, and push. The need to push was incredibly great, that was all she could really think about. Just push, push, and push! Peyton wasn't reminiscing about her baby's eye color, the face, or anything. She just wanted it out!

Her eyes were squeezed shut from the pain. Peyton could barely stand it, she just wanted it to be over. It hurt so much. She could hear people talking to her and touching her, but she didn't know what they were saying. Peyton simply could not focus on their words or be bothered to listen. A large, rough hand slid onto her small one and gripped it gently. Peyton could feel herself calm a little as she felt this.

It felt like Marcus' hand. She wanted it to be his hand. She wanted to hear his soothing words as she delivered their child, and to feel his lips softly brush over her brow and cheek in comfort. But it wasn't. He wasn't here with her like he was supposed to be. Work had taken precedence over time together, as usual with Marcus. Lately he was either at work or getting high by himself in a secluded room. Peyton didn't like that. Hopefully he'd break that "habit" of his after the baby comes home...

"B-Bronze..." Peyton couldn't help but cry out for him, wanting to feel safe and wanting to be told that everything would be okay. The pain she was feeling kept getting sharper and sharper. Her grip on the man's hand tightened, knuckles becoming white as she squeezed and squeezed. "GAH! AHHHH!" Her wails echoed through the fairgrounds as she pushed and pushed. Oh god, it needed to be over now!

And suddenly, the pain disappeared almost completely. There was still a slight ebbing pain remaining, but it wasn't as bad as before. Peyton panted softly, now able to rest a little. The sound of loud crying reached her ears, causing the corners of her lips to twitch into a smile for a moment. Her baby. The human being that she had carried and protected in her womb for eight long months. She was here, right before Peyton's eyes. The grip she had on the man's hand loosened, and she could feel herself being propped up. Peyton opened up her eyes slowly, squinting a bit as the light hit them.

“You have a little girl, Peyton," the young blonde woman who had helped her deliver her baby had said. Peyton smiled a bit bigger as the bundle was set in her arms. "Thank you.." She said with a raspy voice. Peyton would have to learn this woman's name later, so she could send a proper thank you gift. She remembered that someone was holding her up too, so she glanced back at them. It was a handsome Aerugese man, with quite the body. Especially in that muscle shirt... But for once, Peyton wasn't interested in checking out a man's muscles. She just smiled and thanked him as well before turning her attention to the crying newborn. Peyton's small and slender finger reached down to the pink and plump cheek, lightly caressing the soft newborn skin.

"Hello," Peyton cooed. "I'm your mommy." The infant's cries died down a bit as she heard the soothing and soft voice. The wails turned to whimpers and trembling lips. Big baby blue eyes opened, and gazed upon the new world she had just been born into. Peyton only smiled weakly and pressed the baby closer to herself to protect it from the cold air blowing through.

"It's okay.. I'll keep you safe..."

{EXIT THREAD}

[Guest]

Lisbeth left. Okay....not the best idea when dealing with the on edge soldier waiting to point out cover points and tell the men to load the artillery. She wasn't...herself. She needed a calming edge. She needed a warm friend...SHE needed coffee. And so, with that, she left quickly to see the luncheon area, where coffee was undoubtedly served. She got a large thermos full, with espresso, and began to sip. As she did, a fleck of brown topped in white tresses passed her eyes. It was in an Amestrian jacket. Jocelyn's reflex was to first spit take her coffee and drop the thermos, sending it all over her cargo pants. The coffee was welcome in the cold. Next was the crowd weaving. Jocelyn stayed away from crowds, so weaving made her uncomfortable. But she had to get to Ms. Brighton. She had to make sure everything was alright. In the military, information was second to bullets.

She moved and squirmed through the populus as she approached her, looking only briefly at the mechanical engineering spectacle that was The Fallacy...an odd name, but not her choice. If she wasn't in this predicament, then she would take more time to acknowledge it. She walked straight up to her, walking in on just the last breath of a sentence and put her hand firmly on Shula's shoulder. She looked lovely, as always, but now wasn't the time. She had confidence in her now, not like the time she met her on her first day. She was worried, and her voice showed it. "Ms. Brighton, please, have we made any effort on the-" Then her eyes caught the man beside her.

Oh my God, she thought. That hair, the glasses...just like the recruitment posters. It was the Chancellor. In all her years, she'd never seen him except on those poster. Her eyes went wide and her sentence was chopped like it was in 16th century Rouen. She felt a combination of embarrassment and shock and fear. This man held alot of power and was the master distributor of the military paycheck. She could have potentially ruined her job by interreupting this conversation. Which seemed to disrupt her ability to process common sense as she backed away, coughed into her fist, then saluted, "Let me try that again. Ms. Brighton, ma'am, any news on the situation." Surprisingly, not an eye turned to her. They were too busy in their joyful, ignorant bliss.

[Elastor Ito]

“Miss, this is Elastor. He's going to hold your hand during the contractions, okay? I'm going to try and get you ready.” He was going to what!? Get her what?! It--it appeared as if she... Ela held his breath. And her hand. ...she was going to give birth right here, right now. It was all he could do to stay steady, holding her hand as if he were the vice latching her to this world. He was the 'it's going to be okay'--he was that lifeline--the overpowering hope that told her she could do this. But she was so small. She was yelling. This was a festival. Reality was screeching at the gates, scraping violently at their hands as he gripped hers and stared long and hard at her squeezed eyelids. And in that moment, he felt he actually believed that nonsense. She could do this. Mothers. Mothers like Nu. Mothers like his own. Existed. They breathed and walked and did their best. This happened. It didn't matter where, what time, who was around; new life just happened. And he was here now about to witness it. And lose his hand in the process.

"B-Bronze..."

Another contraction struck her, paralyzing Ela's fingers, and causing him to intake a sharp breath in both pain and nervousness. Was it now--would it be now? A worried look was shot sideways at Csilla, the image of Peyton's pants discarded, causing him to immediately focus back on her face. Stay here, he told himself. Right here was okay. He'd stay intact if he just focused here. Another deep breath assailed him, his own hand clutching her right back. It was going to be okay. “Get some blankets ready, this baby is coming.” He let his eyes stray again, this time locking them feebly with Csi's where all he found was strength and fortitude. He would forever be amazed at the sound of Nu cocking her shotgun, standing among trees and smoke, Takatori's body at their feet, sword dropping from his hands, slippery with blood, how she didn't cry. Women were strong. Sometimes they were the ones that did the protecting. And now, now was no exception.

Everything else was a blur. The aides worked around him, but he never seemed to be in the way. He was doing something of his own. He stayed with Peyton, disregarding orders, forgetting about Rachel, forgetting about Aurelius, and just held her hand. “Peyton, push!” His blood ran cold, watching her, barely breathing... It was happening. “Give me something sharp.” He had half the mind to hand her his sword, but it was just that: half his mind. The other half realized how stupid that was. This time, he turned to look. Wailing. An aide cut the umbilical cord. He stared on in wonder--in whatever it was this was. Something different. Csilla held her. The picture burned into his mind. And in that moment, something clicked. “Can you help her sit up, please?” He nodded solemnly, getting in behind her and lifting her up with himself. “You have a little girl, Peyton.” He smiled, but was sure he would have post traumatic stress disorder afterwards.

"Thank you..." He slid back slightly, blinking away blue eyes as she looked back at him. He had almost forgotten he was even there. "Hello, I'm your mommy. It's okay.. I'll keep you safe..." He had to looked away. Something writhed inside him, something he could barely even fathom--something he could never let out. His eyes slammed hard into Csilla's who looked back filled with the rain that used to fall everyday. He said nothing. He didn't need to say anything anymore. Peyton was carefully carted to an ambulance, flickering lights and voices in the distance. "It's okay.. I'll keep you safe..." His rough hands found Csi, touching her arms, cold on fleece. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath as his head fell on her shoulders.

"I can't do this anymore," he murmured, holding her close. He raised his head and looked at her again, deadpan, almost fearful. "When this is all over, come with me to Creta." He had found something--something again. Through the burning refuses of his family's home--the falling world--the warring festival, he had something here. What it was could be called love--it could be called selfish--dangerous, but Ela called it hope.

He stood up, taking Csilla with him to her feet, leaving a small kiss on her cheek before turning, his left hand outstretched behind him to take hers. "I have to find Hans, will you go? There's a situation."

[Marcelina H. de León]

Marcelina was puzzled. Today seemed to be a very active day for Iris and she didn't seem to be enjoying herself. That was terribly unfortunate. Their plans to wander the festival before seeing the launch continued to be disrupted. And frankly, Marcelina felt a little odd standing around doing nothing. She recognized the woman who had come up to Iris as a higher-up at South HQ. She wasn't quite sure of the name, and nor was she sure that this woman knew the pirates worked for Shula Brighton. She wasn't in the mood to cause any ruckus or issue for Iris, so she shifted away. She paused over Lisbeth's shoulder so Iris could see, and she gestured to the launch viewing area. It just made much more sense for Iris to meet her over there once she was finished.

Marcelina continued on at a casual stroll through the festival, noticing that it had died down in activity. That seemed entirely fair, as the launch time was inching ever closer. Everyone wanted to be able to get a good view point, some standing while others spread blankets on the grass. Marcelina herself chose to remain standing, towards the back of a large crowd. She did this to remain visible for when Iris finally was able to catch up. This also left her open for a casual conversation with passers-by, hoping she might have a moment to wish her captain well on a more private basis. Captain Sal was a great one, after all.

[Roarke Moray]

Roarke was mildly amused... sort of. This Spade character seemed to be full of cracks as Dunstan swooped in to clear out the bomb. If he hadn't been such a complete jerk upon arriving to the launch site, Roarke half suspected the two of them might have gotten along. Well, definitely not anymore! ...At least today. Roarke was still a little on edge from... everything? Yeah, everything. And the launch area seemed too damned crowded. The matter of the launch wasn't too far off now. Toss and probably Dunstan were the only people that needed to be anywhere near the place. As far as he was concerned, everyone else could fuck off. He pulled himself up to his full height and looked down at faithful Kenny. “Hey man, clear out security. We need the area clear before the launch.” Kenny nodded and was gone. Roarke allowed himself a small, toothy smile. Kenny was a decent Amestrian guy, especially so because he spoke Cretan. Roarke's Amestrian was less than ideal. He shooed off any Creigs still standing around, insisting even to Molly that she had to clear out. He then walked to Dunstan, giving him a very gentle (but still kind of heavy) clap on the shoulder. “Clear out when you're done. Space has to be clear.”

As he walked out he called out, “Good luck Toss. Not that you need it.” He finished his clearing of the launch area by going over to Spade, who was getting off the phone. “You've got to go now. Unless you want your face blown off from The Fallacy.” He gave Spade a off-kilter, toothy grin. He didn't want to seem like a jerk anymore and hoped Spade would return the favor. Once the pleasant exchange was complete and Spade was gone, Roarke made himself scarce. He didn't go for the general launch viewing area as panic would be an issue. He headed down to the opposite end of the launch and back a good space so he could watch. He definitely wanted to see this as much as anyone else.

[Hans L. Reinhardt]

Hans seemed to be one of the few world leaders at the festival that day that was able to have a good time. He had easily found Brigitte once he had separated from the dignitaries and taking her hand, they strolled the festival. They each rode a couple of the rides, patiently waiting in line with the “common” folk. Not that he liked to use the word common in regards to the people of Amestris. They were a strong people that had been through so much. Yet he did have a particular standing that was honored, so he respected that. There were no issues throughout the day, though he expected his private security stayed close at hand. He talked with people, took photos... the fun things about being a Chancellor. He even won Brigitte a giant purple and pink teddy bear at the strength game. Yes, he definitely still had it. The bear was about half the size of Brigitte and he had to hide the occasional snicker as Hans watched her carry it. Shortly after winning it, Hans offered gallantly to take the bear himself, putting it on his shoulders as if it was a small child. As he did this, a wistful memory brought up his daughter, Liese. He had carried her on his shoulders so often when she had been little. He had to pause for a moment, looking down with a heavy heart. She would've loved this festival. She had always enjoyed carnival rides and the delightfully unhealthy carnival food. He took a large, deep breath and let it out slowly, shaking the sad memories from his head. Brigitte came up and slipped an arm around his waist in silent understanding. His wife no doubt felt the same pain. They shared a quiet moment together, the sounds of the festival dying around them. There little Liese would have no more happy memories and it was something they would gradually accept... in many ways they had. But moments still brought the sadness up, fresh as if the news had come yesterday.

The moment passed and the Chancellor and his wife continued on their day. Hans probably looked somewhat silly carrying that bear on his shoulders, but the people around him found it charming. Several small children even dared to ask him to win them prizes of their own and Hans was happy to oblige. Each child that asked walked out of the festival that day with some prize or another in their tiny arms, a special gift from the Chancellor. The day went on and the time for the launch drew near. Hans went with Brigitte to the special area that had been sectioned off for the world leaders for the launch. There had been some chairs set out for those who wished and he noticed that a few more had been added to accommodate Rachel and Dietrich if they decided to join. At the moment he was alone with his wife so after placing the bear on the ground, he took a moment to hold her close and give her a kiss. Spending the day with her had brought back memories of their younger years and Hans felt his heart swell. He was truly the luckiest man in the world, having her.

His romantic wife with his wife was disturbed by the arrival of one of his favorite soldiers. Not that a Chancellor should pick favorites. "Chancellor. If I may have a moment of your time, in private, Sir?" He leaned down to kiss Brigitte on the nose, his face remaining pleasant even as his insides turned. Shula did not look like she would have particularly good news. “Excuse me, darling. Duty calls.” He turned from his wife, placing a large hand on Shula's back to move with her a few feet away. They were alone enough that they could not be overheard. He leaned down to as Shula moved upwards, guessing the words she had were meant to be very private. "Chancellor, there's been a breach in security. There had been a bomb on the ship; the situation has been neutralized, though." Hans pleasant expression dropped, revealing a blank mask. His eyes, however, narrowed and turned cold. He almost felt like growling... he could feel his temper rising. How DARE these people. Even an innocent gathering of good people and a chance to experience new science was trying to be ruined. "It's safe now, and we're keeping it quiet to not cause a panic. I have people investigating it now and giving me details as we find them." Hans stood straight as Shula stepped away, the private part of the conversation over. He took several deep breaths and then nodded his head, his reply cool. “Keep me informed of any information as the siutation continues. I want some answers.”

"Ms. Brighton, please, have we made any effort on the-" Hans looked up from Shula to see Jocelyn there, apparently one of the very “people” that Shula had mentioned. She looked somewhat terrified though. He didn't find himself very intimidating, but he was tall. Oh, and he did look angry. He managed to clear up his expression, a smile coming across his features slowly. "Let me try that again. Ms. Brighton, ma'am, any news on the situation." Yes, he did feel that he looked a little nicer. However, he couldn't quite keep the coolness out of his voice. Tempers were hard to push down very easily, after all. “Brigadier General Brighton has just informed me of the situation. At the moment, panic has been avoided.” He did not feel the need to specifically state anything about the bomb, lest he be overheard. He would leave that to Shula. “Please, discuss further with the general if you need to, soldier. Veska, isn't it?” It had taken him a few moments to remember the young woman who worked as South's Head of Defense. He had a poster in his office of all major positions and their owners in order to keep himself immersed.

“If you'll excuse me.” He smiled politely down at Jocelyn, a warmer smile gracing his lips as he looked at Shula. He returned to his wife, who immediately came up with an arm around his waist. His own arm slipped down around her. “What happened?” He shook his head and gave her a weary smile. “Ask me later.” The launch was due to start shortly and he expected at least Gavin to arrive shortly. If the rest of the world leaders couldn't read the clock, then it surely wasn't his fault.

[Csilla Angelis]

Csilla was gradually coming back into herself. As Peyton was removed from the ground and lifted to the much more comfortable ambulance stretcher she got herself cleaned up. Her hands and arms were a mess. There wasn't exactly a decent working sink in the middle of a fair, but she was able to make use of a bunch of wipes the aides had brought. They were awfully sterile which helped. Finally clean enough for the moment she was moving away from the ambulance when her path was blocked by Elastor. His hands wrapped around her arms and she could feel the cold through her several layers. It was about then she realized he was in a muscle shirt and looked really good... and really cold. And his coat was ruined. She felt slightly terrible as his head came down to rest momentarily on her shoulder, the distance closing between them.

"I can't do this anymore. When this is all over, come with me to Creta." Csilla went from feeling slightly terrible to feeling like she had just been sucker-punched in the gut. Her mind went went completely blank and her own head moved forward to rest against Elastor's shoulder. Her eyes remained wide open, looking down at their feet. What had he just said? Come to Creta? She didn't suspect he meant for a visit. He was asking her to pick up her entire life and move to Creta to be near him. That was... huge. Mindbogglingly huge. Her head raised up as she felt him move away from her, felt his lips brush her cheek. It felt suddenly warm and the rest of her face responded by also flushing with warmth. Warmth that spread down to her toes.

"I have to find Hans, will you go? There's a situation." Her eyes widened just a little, the flush on her face forgotten. Situation? SITUATION? By Zeus, she knew something had felt off! She reached her hand out to take Elastor's hand when her phone vibrated urgently in her pocket. She gave him a small, apologetic smile and reached for her phone.

See me ASAP. URGENT.

Csilla frowned down at the phone, annoyed at Shula's text. She had no idea where Shula was, so seeing her was an issue. She chose to respond to the text instead: Just delivered a baby. What's going on? Csilla took the time between her message and Shula's response to peel off her fleece jacket, revealing her long-sleeved shirt underneath. She tossed it over one arm to check her phone again. Bomb was planted on the Creig ship. It's been removed. All clear. Csilla felt her knees shake just a little. Something had felt off, but never in her wildest dreams would she have thought it was a bomb. She took a shaky, steadying breath and responded back: Ok. Tell me more later. See you at the launch. She shoved her phone back in her pocket, coming over to Elastor and reaching out with her jacket. “Please put this on,” she smiled up at him. “You're freezing. It'll help.” She moved forward, a little closer to him so she could step up on her toes to brush a kiss across his cheek. “We'll talk later. We should go to the launch. The situation, if I'm guessing it's the one I just found out about, isn't a situation anymore. Everything is under control.”

[Rachel Ascot]

The clock was ticking down on the two.

"Urgh! He's completely disappeared!" Rachel angrily growled. It was as if Qin had just vanished off the face of the earth. The Queen of Creta was increasingly infuriated, steam rising out of her ears.

"Rachel, the launch is in a few minutes." Franklin reminded her, worried about the state Rachel was getting herself into. She seemed to have noticed herself, and let out a deep sigh.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She said, taking a cigar out of her pocket and lighting it. Smoking was one of the habits she had tried several times to drop, but there were a few moments when she needed the calming agent of tobacco. The drag she inhaled was long, and when she pulled away she let out a billowing smoke cloud, sighing in relief. All around, the festival was beginning to wind down as the congregation of crowds began to turn towards the launch area, sun the only friend to them as the sky turned gold and pink, the twilight of the day beginning. A beautiful scene to offset against the launch. Rachel looked to her watch. 3:48. Twelve minutes. "Well, time's up for Qin. I'm telling Hans now."

"Including Xing's involvement?" Rachel quietly groaned when she heard that question. She didn't have time to gauge Hans' reaction. If she told Hans, Xing would be plunged into a war that it would simply never win. It was just too small, not particularly in a grand economic state, and sabotaging an otherwise peaceful technological launch struck Rachel as blisteringly desperate. While she wouldn't mind showing Qin as a would-be mass-murderer, she didn't want to be the one to condemn the country whose Qin had to go behind to certain pulverisation.

"I can always tell him much later if I need to." She remarked. "Besides, it'll be a good bargaining chip to hold onto. Getting rid of that bomb is the more important thing right now." With that, bouncer and club owner made their way to the launchpad viewing area. Rachel's brown eyes searched and searched, looking for a sign, when her eyes locked onto the Chancellor himself, speaking with an Ishvallan, a high ranking official of some kind... and Hans' face twisting in rage, before beginning to calm, albeit with an inveritably ruined day. It was inconceivable that it would be about anything else. Rachel came to a slow halt. Franklin watched her slow down. They both came to a stop together, and Rachel shrugged her shoulders a little.

"No, that's fine. I find a conspiracy that threatens lives, but no, someone else can steal the glory of telling the Chancellor. That's fine with me." The Queen grumbled. Franklin rolled his eyes.

"Only you would complain about a disaster being averted, Rachel."

"Yeah, but I would've averted it with style." She explained, before pointing to the Ishvallan. "What does she know about style? She sounds bored; there's no energy! It's like the situation was a kid throwing up! I mean;" She paused, and clicked her tongue. Franklin raised an eyebrow, before Rachel's voice entirely changed. "The situation has been neutralized in a very boring manner, sir, and I'm talking like this because I've just got out of bed. now may I go back to work in the boring factory?" Franklin was slightly taken aback. The voice was almost exact. He blinked in surprise.

"When did you learn impersonations, Rachel?" He asked, and she waved her hand dismissively.

"I have tricks I've not shown you yet, it's good to have hidden talents. I play the mandolin, don't you know?" Franklin nodded to this, not pointing out that he did know that she could play the mandolin. Rachel decided to approach Hans, now calmed down from her short-lived tirade, as he turned to his wife, not seeing the Cretan queen coming.

"Well, I was about to warn you about the bomb, but if you've gotten it under control then there's only one other thing for me to warn you about." She explained, causing Franklin to raise an eyebrow. He only knew about the bomb. What was this other thing? Rachel took her cigar, and held up an aerosol can next to it. "I've got a flamethrower." The queen said with a dangerous grin, before spraying the aerosol can. The gas that came out ignited as it did, letting out a jet of flame some two feet long, haphazardly aimed off in the distance. Franklin pounded the bottom of his palm into his forehead.

"One day, your majesty, you're going to drive me to suicide." Franklin wryly remarked. Rachel giggled a little, still firing the aerosol.

"That'll be nice, I'll make a saving on your wages."

[Guest]

Lisbeth had been so focused on getting to Iris that she had completely missed that Jocelyn was no longer with her at all. She also missed the fact that Iris' friend had been looking over her shoulder before vanishing from their grouping at her booth. "Yeah...? What's the problem?" Leading her a little bit away from the others nearby, she stood very close facing her so that she could speak softly in a low murmur in her ear. She did NOT want others to hear this. "There's a bomb on the ship they are launching. I believe someone is in the process of, or has disarmed the bomb, but I wanted to defer to your judgement on what to do in terms of safety for this situation." Once she had finished she stepped back a little to look at the pink haired woman, her expression rather grave for the price if they should fail.... It was something she didn't want to think about.

It was now that she allowed herself to exhale a little bit, glancing behind herself before her brows furrowed, looking all about for some sign of her golden haired subordinate. She... was gone. "Jocelyn...?" She called, but she knew it was no use. Not with the background chatter of the crowd, or the rides tunes and clankings breaking into the air. No. She would have to simply find her later. Perhaps she went to find Shula. That... would be wise. Turning back to Iris, she grimaced again and stood up a bit straighter. "If you'd like to join me, I was going to report to my superior, Shula, for an update on the situation. I'm afraid I'm a bit.. under informed." That wasn't meant to slight Jocelyn at all, this was an unusual situation with too many stressors to count. It was just a simple fact, and also the logical thing to do at this point. She was still second-in-command at South after all, Shula would have the final say in anything at this point in time.

What a day this was turning out to be... Looking up to the Merry-Go-Round, she took a couple of steps away, her sapphire eyes resting on Iris again. "They'll most likely be at the viewing area. I'm sorry to drop this on you, but I must go." And with that she hurried away into the crowd towards the viewing area. Was the bomb disarmed yet? Was she in time? What in the world was going on?! Even Lisbeth was getting overwhelmed at it all for there were just so many unknown factors to her, she might as well be trying to run in molasses. But she would hold it together! She would keep calm and focused, and by god would she keep the civilians safe.

It took her a few minutes to reach the viewing area and by that time she could see that Hans was there with Shula, Jocelyn, and the recent Cretan Queen. Well.... This could be awkward.... As quietly as she could, she strolled up to Shula whom seemed quite intent on Hans. This... was not a moment to speak. So she didn't. Rather, she remained off to the side, her breathing a bit quickened due to how she had tried so hard to get here quickly, a bit of sweat beading on her brow. Oh she was going to need something to drink after all of this.... Glancing over to Jocelyn, she moved to stand by her instead, a hand coming up to touch her shoulder reassuringly. Perhaps it wasn't the proper decorum to show in front of the Chancellor, but she knew that the girl needed it. Hell, in a way worrying about her allowed Lisbeth to worry more in her own head. "Whats our status?" She asked, leaning close to her ear to ask in a low voice in case something had changed since she had last seen her.

(( I'm sorry, crappy post is crappy. >.>;; ))

[Guest]

The emperor had walked away, so Wei let him go. The man needed to step aside and think obviously, or he certainly seemed lost in thought at least. A grimace creased his normally jovial features, turning back to glance at the foreign woman whom had threatened him before the EMT's approached him. He answered the questions they asked as best as he could (which wasn't very much), but at least it was something. They were trying their best to help his little friend, now returning to her side to place a hand on her shoulder. It was a miracle that the EMT's didn't try to push him aside. Qin seemed to have returned to them, a renewed self-assuredness in his entire body that Wei Zhao had definitely noticed, relieved at least that he had not lost himself in this situation. "I-I'm sorry... I'm so.. weak.." "You are not weak little one. Just ill. We're trying to make it better." He reassured her quietly, managing to pull up one of his smiles for her, the weight in his gut heavy with the knowledge that she would not.

There was a glazedness to her gaze, like she couldn't see them and by god she was getting so still! "Please.. just.. smile..." So Wei did just that, he kept that smile for her because it was what she wanted. Around her... it had never been hard to smile. She was such a beacon of light, and that light was now fading so fast. It was like when you tried to grasp at sand to stop it from flowing away, all it did was slip right between your fingers no matter how hard you tried to grasp. "Lian..." It was odd. Wei... could not feel any tears coming. Not a one. No moisture at his eyes, just that weight in his gut that gnawed at him with the poison of grief. "Will they have melon bread in the afterlife?" Melon... bread...PANG. There it was. There was the clenching in his throat, the trembling of his hands as his lips tightened together which forced his smile to twist and fade to nothing. "yes... Yes it does... More then you could ever eat." He didn't know. Qin didn't know about their excursion when they had first met, about how Wei Zhao had bought her melon bread from one of his favorite bakeries. How he had told her, no, promised her to take her to his clan to introduce her to Mei who made the best melon bread ever. For his emperor it was a bittersweet statement as the last words from a subject of his. For Wei.... it was crushing.

He stared at her lifeless eyes and gently closed them, pushing himself up as he turned away from Qin that wept. Melon bread.... He could feel the moisture building in his eyes, but his jaw kept tightening and preventing those salty tears to fall. He could not cry because she would not want them to. She said it herself, she wanted them to smile. His hands trembled horribly as he pulled out his pipe from a pocket and stuffed it, fumbling to get the damn thing lit. "Rest well my princess, you where to kind for this world of ours... To kind by far for this evil world we live in." The flame flickered to life as he puffed on it, two tears falling as he heard a voice calling names, "Qin! Lian!" Odd.... everything was sounding so distant... like it was coming through water... Captain Tian-Ye came running up, moving right past Wei Zhao to the emperor who held the young corpse in his arms. Her skin was still warm to the touch he imagined. But he could not touch, could not even... look. He took a puff and exhaled the smoke as an EMT came up to speak with him. "Sir--"

All Wei Zhao had to do was shoot him a look, a look of such terrible darkness and sharpness that it made the man startle. It was if his shadow had expanded up and about his entire being, creating a bubble that told him not to approach. So the EMT did not, and he backed away. "Lian! Lian?" "She's not here anymore..." He mumbled, getting overshadowed by Qin speaking, "Find who did this, find who did this and bring them to me then gather our people." Straightening up, the young clan leader took a deep, shuddering breath, the smoke drifting out of his nostrils. "Yes my emperor." Oh he would find them. He would find them and strap them to the biggest and hottest firework he had ever made, and he would make them explode with the fury of a meteor shower. "Qin... She... What happened...?"

Wei moved over to the tattooed woman smoking her cigarette, furiously cursing as she closed her phone after taking a call. There was an entire hardness to his being that was very odd for Wei Zhao, almost as if he were a completely different person right now. In a sense, he was. A bright light in his life was gone, a firework that would never burst brilliantly again. "You blame our people for this, but I can assure you miss," He began, his voice a deep bass that trembled ever so slightly. It was not a trembling of sadness, it was a trembling of contained rage. "We did not do this." He didn't care if the others around them could understand him, the words were already flowing in the harsh language. It seemed somehow befitting of the situation. "Why don't you go back to your dark master and leave us in peace." He could tell that she was ready to pull her pistol on him. Go ahead. He was willing for it to happen. "Я собираюсь выследить вас ублюдок. Клянусь гребаный Христа." With that she went off running back into the festival as the crowds began to disperse at the polices ushering.

So Drachman. Heh. Maybe it was some Russian mob getting at them, maybe it was all just happenstance. What a day of---"It... It isn't fair, it's not right... Wei Zhao froze for a moment, slowly touching the pipe to his lips to puff on it, listening to the mans words. "Twenty-two... She's going to die at twenty-two years old... When I was twenty-two, I was being an idiot, doing stupid things... Yet here I am, almost twenty-two years later. Why couldn't she be the one to enjoy that privilege instead...?" He heard the hard clack against the ground, but the clan leader did not move. He did not react. He was beyond reacting right now. All he wanted to do was get her body home and bury her with a heaping pile of Mei's melon bread. To drink ale and smoke his pipe, to.... do.. something... "I'm sure she's got a lot more for the world than a badgery old man like me, why is she the one to die, when I'm not? I just... I can't..." His jaw tightened again, the pipe leaving his mouth as he exhaled in a long, slow stream, the smoke obscuring his features.

"I can't say I'll ever like festivals after today, Qin..." Taking a step back towards his countrymen, he turned around as his other hand came up to smooth away those last traces of his few tears shed for the young girl, his face still a mask of stone. He may as well be made of stone at this moment. "Life is cruel." He suddenly saw her smiling face before him, giggling and teasing him for being a goofy old man, teasing him for mistaking her age. He saw how her features had lit up at making her an honorary Han, and he found himself smiling. One hand held his long pipe at the bowl, keeping it in his mouth as he began to chuckle. A chuckle became a laugh, which became a roaring thing that tore its claws through the air. But he was smiling. He clasped a hand on the Head of Intelligences shoulder, looking to Qin with his big smile on his grizzly face. "It's cruel, but there is always time to right wrongs. Come, let us take our princess home and place all the melon breads on alters besides our offerings to ancestors. You know she would be miffed if we didn't do that!" He would need to travel home... The smile lessened a little as the seriousness in those blue-green eyes of his grew harder, glancing between them. "They won't want us here much longer. No need to sour the day with their judgements and unkind words."

[EXIT WITH QIN]

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