Re: The Coronation of Queen Rachel

[Guest]

As Rachel finished her speech Finnick whooped and cheered as loud as he could with some of his fellow task force members. His usual get up traded for the smart black and red jacket and waist coat. His hair still messy but free from his beanie today. As the speech finished a soft tug on his hand reminded him who he was with today.

He smiled down at the girl. As she looked up at him with red eyes. Light almost white blonde hair was neatly brushed out and held back by a clip on tiny top hat decorated with red and black ribbons. Her Lolita dress matched his outfit only with added frills and petticoat. She truly looked like a doll. A light amount of eye shadow around her eyes but no lip gloss stained her lips. As she pressed them lightly to his hand he felt them move. 'Can we go see him?' she said via moving her lips to his skin. He nodded before leading her through the crowd.

Greeting co workers as he passed through he soon spotted the man. A red head on his arm. Coughing nervously he headed over. "Um...hello...sir....your highness..." He flailed slightly panicking. Unsure what to address him as. He could feel Amelia hiding in his legs behind him. Suddenly shy now facing her idol. He grinned scratching his head. "Um my name is Finnick Maddock....and this is my sister Amelia. She has been wanting to meet you...you are her idol sir...." He gave a sharp yelp when the toe of a pretty platformed shoe impacted with the back of his calf. "Amelia...stop being so shy...." He frowned slowly dragging the girl out much to her silent protests. She stared up at Gavin with wide eyes. Lashes fluttering with each blink.

[Elastor Ito]

“Well, we can get there in three minutes after I’ve finished.” ...Just how much did she expect from them!? Three minutes was impossible even if they stopped traffic and went twenty miles over of the speed limit. Everything about her predictions was moot at best--a hyperbole whose purpose was entirely destructed by ignorance! Elastor had to look away again, practically livid with horror. A sheen glowered over his icy blue eyes, eating at all that could have been pleasant. Franklin would never live it down--the man would get a stern talking to--that man...that man. His whitened fists loosened into limp palms at his sides, dangling as uselessly as his position made him. His teeth grit together. Breakfast. Garlic. Three minutes. The other man stopped eating to Ela's relief, but what he said next made the redhead empathize with suicidal adolescents. Pretty late. OH YEAH PRETTY LATE. They were going to be WAY more than pretty late. In fact, they were about to be the laughing stock of the ENTIRE world. This was SERIOUS. What were they doing arguing about it in the kitchen WHEN THEY SHOULD BE LEAVING!? Ela's hair swiped up as he quickly turned his head away, taking a deep breath to attempt to keep his hands far away from his sword. There were more important things. Hardly. There were still more important things. There were-- “Urrgh! Why do I put up with this?” His head snapped back around followed by a sigh of relief. They were finally going. Great.

He upped the pace of the company in the direction of the limo, walking adjacent to keep their feet moving quickly. The doors were unlocked, and they both slipped into the back, but the moment Rachel entered, she was already lost to them. He shook his head, tapping his fingers fervently against the leather so as to busy himself with something other than strangling the life out of Franklin's neck. At least he was driving fast now (though compared to his own driving it was hardly considered a crawl). Also, it wasn't that she was sleeping; it was how she was sleeping that really got to him. Crudely curled up into a ball, in her irresponsible weariness, she had forgotten she was wearing a gown of any sort. If he desired to, he could witness in real time what many of her soldiers bought and sold in x-rated magazines. He cringed, his fingers stilling. What most would not see in rear view mirrors Franklin could observe easily...yet he was choosing not to. Maybe he wasn't so b--kafump! Ela's head smacked into the ceiling, jarring his thoughts and attention completely. He looked wildly out the back window, squinting at a speed bump sign. What, did he not see it? Was he blind?! “I take it you want everyone to see your ass when we get there?” So he had seen it, though it was a different it. Ela frowned again, crossing his arms and choosing the safe route of staying out of it completely.

“So, what’s got a bee in your bonnet? I get it, being late’s not the queenly thing, but I don’t see why you’re so nervous.” The Royal Guard blinked and pointed at himself as if to inquire whether or not Rachel was referring to him. She was looking at him; she seemed to be. Was he nervous? This was...considered nervous? Was that what she was titling this emotion as--this frantic, unsettling feeling that was encroaching upon his usually settled mind? Then so be it. But he certainly wasn't wearing a bonnet. ...And he wasn't afraid of bees. “Did you want some bread too?” She offered the cold pizza box equip with grease stains from the night before, rank with the foul odor of...garlic.

"..." He wanted to cry. Like that little boy before he lost his parents--the little boy who had an older sister that'd listen to any woe--that little boy before wrongfully charged with murder. No, no, he did not want garlic bread. He...he wanted to get there on time because that would be what Dietrich would do. He wanted her to appeal to all the leaders of the world because that would prevent unnecessary war. He wanted--well, that didn't matter anymore. He saw now that she was a different person than what his expectations were; she could not be Dietrich. She just couldn't. All she could do right now was fill the role he ought to do, but was stripped of... He massaged the top of his head where he hit it and glared ahead. "Thank you, but I must decline." Upright, uptight, he couldn't help but feel responsible for a nation he called home, for what would it be if they had prevented their King from an immortal's kiss?

The car stopped, an exchange transpiring that Ela chose yet again to remain distant from. It was better this way; He had only guide her to the best of his ability within the command of his rank. Even if only a little, they were spared precious minutes of tardiness. Maybe even one day...she would be there on time. With his help, perhaps her ways would change, grow molded into her position, and she would realize just where she was standing. “Park up and I’ll see you in there. Don’t miss the speech.” Was this...an omen? His eyebrow twitched.

"Certainly… your majesty." Was Frankin not going to do anything at all!? This wasn't a joke. He'd grant her her every wish and suggest nothing? This was where they differed; he was the type of man that understood her intentions, but chose to do nothing to prevent it. Franklin had no place in this world of politics; his choices could easily lead to their downfall. Cast to the curb, Ela stood there beyond bewildered, looking fairly lost as he followed the Queen down the London streets. She could be snipered from that window, that balcony, that van... The list went on. She was in danger and he was her only guard. Were her expectations that high that she thought herself completely safe on the streets with only him? No, no it was stupidity...neglect of thought. It had to be.

“Well Captain Elastor Ito, get everyone ready to direct people to the club after I’m done with my speech."

He faltered in his step, "Excuse me, what?"

"I might need someone to come with me when I have a chat with the world’s leaders; you’re free to choose who.”

He paused a moment in mild discomfort. "I will select myself then." It was the only way he'd ensure it to be done the right way. "I will accompany you to the utmost of my ability." A faint bow only faint because a pizza box was tossed at his face.

“And find a bin for that, would you? I’d do it myself but… well… duty calls, you know?" Yeah, he knew...clearly more effectively than she. He remained there on the corner, dumbfounded and alone among a crowd of uppity dressed righteous. She melded into them and was gone. He turned blankly to a trashcan right beside where they had been standing and dropped it in.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly. As the congregation took their seats, Ela looked over them, scanning the premises among others much like himself, hunting viciously for any sign of aggression. It would be met with their wrath. “...And with these pledges, I now pronounce that you, and only you, have the right that has been passed on for centuries; the right to wear this crown, and take the duties as Queen of Creta.” There was something grand and horribly disconcerting about the entire ordeal, but he swallowed both feelings and cleared himself completely of all judgement. It didn't matter what he thought now; this was his job--his duty. He scaled down the aisle, looking about people's feet for weapons, raised his eyes to the ceiling to scan for any indication of revolt, took in all eye movements of those who dared remove their eyes from the scene, and carefully radioed to the other soldiers also doing the same. That was when it happened. He had the radio to his lips, whispers of codes flowing when...

"I shall serve Creta and lead her… her…” His head whipped to the stage, eyes wide. No. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this with a straight face.” His skin crawled. The sound of the paper ripping felt like his very soul. What was all this then? What did she think this was for? This was tradition of their great nation, hopeful gatherings of peace, and a change of gears for the fate of mankind...in the trash like that pizza box. All of it. Ela turned away, staring up at the garish ceiling. Why? The paper was thrown into the row of world leaders, effectively hitting them, ridiculing them, and making Creta as a whole appear like a country of clowns. “That’s what these people think the world is; a list of dos and don’ts, written up by business moguls and lords and ladies and the rich!” The rich of mind... He moved to the corner just barely overlooking the stage. If an assassin wanted to take her now, he wasn't quite sure if he could stop them. It made sense...right now for anything to stop her. Someone stop her. Talking about Lord Dietich as if she knew him...describing herself veiled in shadow. That wasn't where she belonged. They were the ones who lurked in the shadow of the light she was supposed to bleed. The way was offset; her speech was spiraling them into one of the worst defeats Creta would ever taste.

“I’m here and Dietrich’s not. Here’s what happened to Dietrich, what really happened to Dietrich.” He steeled himself. For the worst. And so it came. Had he not been on this job, he might not have noticed Aurelius' very alive state in the world leader's section. What the reports stated were now wrongfully proved. But instead of giving a coronation speech, Rachel was giving them a history lesson, irking more than a few people including himself. The evidence was already before them, why speak what should be left unspoken? She was asking for conflict, begging it upon them... It was a mistake. Then came the questions--the variance of immature questions falling from her mouth as if she dared understand what was factored around Dietrich's plans. She was speaking this...before them all--all involved right now. That audacity... while he smirked at it was going to kill them all.

“Now let’s have ourselves a party!" Elastor snapped out of it, staring blankly at the figure on the stage that was still somehow alive. Her motivational speech while uplifting and grand and crowd-inspiring...was not a speech made for a Queen. This was a rally not a coronation. This was truly a changing world. And he wasn't sure if it was changing for the good.

[EXIT THREAD]

(Permission to dolly Ela to the club/say he helped direct them there).

[Aurelius Schwartz]

“I could wonder the same about you.” The chancellor's rumble of a voice was filled with unrequited anger very much expected, but so soon? Hardly took much to upset the man...or so it seemed. A cadaverous smirk was fit to his lips effortlessly, cast away as if it were just a toy. "Now, you should move on. This is not your place."

"Must one own something in order to be a part of it? Such an aristocratic way of thought will not save you, my friend." He let a laugh slide, mismatched eyes filled with amusement and intrigue. This man did not know anything. What was it like, he wondered, to be so lost in the dark that one was unable to recognize a light when it was shed? Aurelius shook his head, raven hair tickling his chin. "If ever you wonder on what it is I speak, come to me and I might spare you the inquiry." He turned away, having accomplished already just what he had intended: planting the seed. Nyx and Tatyana were facing his leave now, both equally looking just as he expected. Odd how much of a family they had suddenly become...as if he had known them both all his life. Nyx, granddaughter of Evelyn, was more than simple to see through and gauge. Tatyana, on the other hand, was someone he did not know, could not accessibly understand, and who easily eluded him, but that was because she knew him so well. A daughter from the future and himself from the past. The three of them together made up each facet of time, keeping the balance as perfectly as he would like it.

He found his seat viably near to the loud and superfluous Wolfgang Morinyo of Gelemorté, wielding the Ciel dominion with childlike silliness. The loud clapping and cacophonous shout outs spewing from the man who refused to take a seat was more than a little...distracting. Though there were times he did not necessarily find the motivational words motivating enough to partake in attending. His eyes would often wander, until the Queen faltered. And when she did, only then did she have his full attention. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this with a straight face.” Apologizing would not grant her forgiveness...not from the speechwriter that is. He sat forward, folding his hands together atop his crossed knee. Now the true test was afoot. A sheering sound echoed along with audience gasps as her given words were torn to shreds. His eyes were ablaze now, calculating even as her careless throw was unmindfully aimed at himself. The crumpled ball bounced off the top of his head and landed in the lap of the man beside him: Yoshida Izanagi. Aurel didn't seem to notice or to care; his attention was focused solely on her next words. Well, those that came after her swig of Irn Bru.

It was more or less a history lesson he already knew, but it was not in the contents of her speech where he found interest; it was instead the spices in which her plans were buried. These small hints none normal could infer; however, Aurelius was looking for them, and find them he did: "...only realised recently...only noticed it recently...the world’s changing...younger...not as smart...wasn’t very good at school...lazy...nightclub owner without royal blood...a woman...voted as queen..." What person in possession of power would downgrade themselves to such an extent--leak their weaknesses, failures, and misconceptions to the public the moment they were fitted with a crown? Ah, this is what they voted in--this woman clearly unworthy to step to the plate. No, there was a scheme in her words--a ploy with which to gather pity. This was child's play--a card dealt in a game of Old Maid. He had only to shake his head, feeling again so recently he had already had Creta beat.

The gears shifted, the stand-in for Drachma feeling the frost gather just as much as the next guy. And here it came. A smug look was coerced into his expression, acting the role he was meant to play: 'the hated.' And here 'the loved' now spoke of him, adding so much icing it was flattering. If only ignorance could speak. Ah, what would it say in this moment, he wondered. Like a song it must be! He uncrossed his legs, meeting the Queen's eyes with his own alight with gratitude. It was as if she were already announcing her retreat, giving in to all that Aurelius Carston Schwarz stood for. What was there not to be thankful for? “Drachma attacked because one man went on a ridiculous quest that he decided was far more important that the lives of his people, and the people of everyone else around him." It was so perfectly played that even the leaders of the populace were fooled. His smirk grew, barely containing the cackle on the tip of his tongue. "He sent the world spiralling into chaos, and then shot himself. Looking better, by the way, Aurry.” Such a quest it was that it required dying once. Hm, the shock was less intense than he expected. Perhaps their expectations of him were growing. Even better. “Like what you’ve done to hide it. No one would even guess." Guesses were hardly useful in acquiring the truth, why make them? They were dangerous and compromised success always. Hiding it? He wasn't even trying. His own story--his life--where he was from only a seldom few would ever know. And the rest? It wasn't even within the logical spectrum of conjecture.

"You need to tell me how you do your hair, you must've been a hairdresser in another life.” Out loud, Aurel shed a small laugh, slipping a hand underneath the long tail at his back. He flipped it forward with a garish gaze, letting free a display of personality he'd normally conceal, for this was an informal occasion befit such a spectacle. “Why did he do it? I don’t know." Why did he do it? Surely, there must be a reason? Surely, the acts of terrorism and those flocking under his lead must have some sort of unannounced ordeal? But there Rachel Ascot stood on a golden stage, wearing a crown cast in the bloodshed of many before her without even thinking to direct the question to the man wielding the very topic in which she spoke. Perhaps she thought he would not answer. Why not...try? Amusing, these people were--so wrapped up in themselves that they forgot magnifying glasses were able to be seen through both sides. The rest was speculation until...

"[Dietrich] still saw things as Creta versus the world, as Aurelius sees RIOTE versus the world, and everyone else from this world that is now gone." Versus? Where indeed had that world sprung up from? This was so highly entertaining. So, that was what she thought he thought, did she? Versus--like a game of chess lodged to the board with nowhere else to go. No. How far from knowing was she. RIOTE versus the world? The World--that pale white essence in conflict with Father--or should he say Chancellor Hans? How trifle her thought processes were. But it was truly what they all were led to believe. In some ways, it was better that way. In others, it was a lonely conquest. With The World defeated, surely true chaos would preside. That was opposite of his intention. So completely. RIOTE was The World with which to coexist in balance with Father, only then to destroy the very definition of that balance in order to recreate an unchurning perfection unable to shift from side to side again. The end goal, met only in dreams, poems, stories, etc. was an idealism of the pacifists in which only the king of chaos could ever hope to forge.

"We do attack and chronically backstab each other. We don’t work towards a better world as a singular united people. We do let huge conglomerates and businesses feed off our people like leeches. We don’t consider our actions in a global sense, but only in our own tiny pockets. We do try to trick each other into doing what we want, gently squeezing their balls until they bow to our demands. We don’t fight for our people, or for all people, whether we’re Cretan or Drachman or an alchemist or part of the blue man group or the kind of person who puts on their socks before their trousers." Awareness. Aurel flopped back in his chair, checking his cellphone for any new messages or emails. What a convenient invention it was. ...He still didn't really know how to work it fully...or halfway. He probably understood one-fourth of its capacity. Of which involved the concept--er rather--the existence of the Internet and how to send and receive emails and/or text messages. That was where his knowledge hit a wall. Anyway, clearly Queen Rachel was not aware of RIOTE nor their intentions, otherwise, her speech today would certainly be different. He stopped paying too much attention to each of her words, and started fiddling with the strange touch screen buttons on the device. He was pretty sure that he somehow changed the settings into Xingese when Rachel said something worth chuckling at: “I think that when the people want wars, they’ll be the ones declaring them!” How then did wars start if not by people declaring them? Her politics were elementary, spewing this uninsightful slander of the human race (not that half of him cared). From today onward, he could consider Creta already fallen, but to do so would, of course, be unwise.

"I shall serve all people! I shall do all for the people! I shall do for all people! I will protect all lands in times of peace! I will fight for all lands in times of war! I will heal all lands in times afterward! I shall do this in the will not of one country but of all countries!" But imagine...just for a moment a world without the transition between war and peace--the need to heal--the need to fight. That constant struggle, gone. To need not imagine such a thing lingers so rightfully on the horizon, power within the grasp of those who can not just see it but utilize it. From witnessing a fate-sealed conversation between The World and Father, Aurelius had already changed the foundation of that duality.

“Queen Rachel the first, over and out.” He stood up, brushing himself off as if he were already left in the dust, for she was charging along by herself...in the wrong direction. Humorously so. He was about to turn to the two lovely girls seated to his right when he noticed someone approaching through the roaring, chanting crowd. Why if it wasn't the very man he wanted to order sniped throughout the entire speech! He threw on a false smile that was hardly false and more so beguiling. A hand landed on his shoulder. Odd. Then arms fell around him suddenly, a heat rising to his cheeks and breath catching in his lungs. So taken by surprise he was that Aurel was caught dead on his feet in shock. It ended quickly, the man with heterochromia iridum swayed slightly, grabbing onto the seat for leverage against gravity. A bewildered look was turned to the leader of Gelemorté, 'Why?' written all over his face.

They shook hands, silently. Behind this man's eyes--the madness--the reckless insanity was something that beheld Aurel: calculation. He was not blind enough to miss it, and more than worthy enough not to be thwarted by the uncanny feeling of surprise. "Aurelius Schwarz! Pleasant surprise ta see youse here.”

"Undoubtedly." A sly smirk.

“Never pictured you’s a family guy, Aurel.”

"There are times when one must step away from the misconception of 'picturing' in order to partake in reality, Wolfgang Morinyo." The man's reaction appeared to be a craving for a...scone. Aurel found himself nodding in approval at the action. He too, would have done the same after encountering that flawed thought process.

"Guess there’s a good few things I dunno ‘boutcha, eh? Didn’t know ya didjer own hair, for one.”

"Neither did I," he laughed, touching the tips of his untamed hair. "There are many mysteries, aren't there." Wolfy finished his scone, Aurel considered taking one, but stopped himself. Could be a trick of consumerism. Best fight the inclination.

"Soooo, whaddaya think’ve Rachel’s speech?"

He paused, looking at Tatyana to gather his thoughts. "I thought it was rather decent for a improved speech riddled with pacifism. The crowd surely liked it as well as yourself. It was hard not to notice." He nodded, eyeing some of the wary glances directed at their gathering. "She failed to contemplate one very important topic, however. Did she honestly believe that a terrorist group hellbent on versing the world could ever hope to conquer a country...and once such as Drachma? Laughable. Entirely."

“Pers’nally, I liked it. She’s got some good ideases and crap, eh?"

"Certainly for one of her standing." He couldn't wait to see her face (or more so he hoped he was present) when she realized everything she had said today was a candy-coated misconception contrived merely for the purpose of fame.

"Yah. Welp, gonna head over to the limo’n stuff, a’ight? Sooooo, seeya there, if’n youse is goin. If not, you toats oughta come over fer tea’re golf’re some crap sometime, eh?”

"Golf? What was that? he looked confused for a second. "Well, seeing as I would most likely be killed on sight, I will not be joining you all. Please enjoy yourselves, however." He smiled genuinely and waved the man off, wondering just why he had hugged him and then shook his hand...

That aside, Aurelius meandered away from the cliques of people, carting Tatyana and Nyx with him. In order to avoid being assassinated and/or captured and imprisoned, he thought it best to immediately board the helicopter back to their home in Drachma. A piece of paper could only protect them so far...or so the fine print read.

[EXIT THREAD]

[Guest]

Aurel finished his chat with Hans and they made their way to the seats. How ironic they were sitting by the tall man known as Shogun Izanagi Yoshida. Even funnier that such a simple man was named after a God. Laughable, even he was as weak as everyone else. He held no power and yet he sat in his seat like he had the ability to take on anyone beside him. Funnier still, was the cringe he gave when Aurel sat right beside him. Tatyana almost laughed out loud. How did the Shogun feel, knowing Aurel was the reason that he had the power he had and yet at the same time... People were entertaining at times.

Every word was the same. how odd that she could recognize every single breath was the same, each pause. It was everything she knew, written in stone. Such an odd concept that made her head hurt. Time itself knew she didn't belong and she wondered.. what might be the re-precautions in being around a time she could not touch. It was a fragile globe in her hands, the marvelous orb that she could easily abolish with the slightest slip. A tap to the surface would lead to an earthquake somewhere miles away. How frustrating, she wanted to explore the possibilities, to take this world and rearrange it but there was a fear. The slightest scratch could emit a whole race of people or even her own existence. Tatyana paused to look over towards her left. He sat there, content it seemed with the speech, yet annoyed about something. Her own ears could hear a certain leader's rather loud mannerisms that were slightly irritating. Her eyes narrowed and a silent smile played at her lips. She had let Nyx sit directly beside Aurel, sandwiching her between two adults, just as she had done in the future. Aaa.. time was such a confusing thing. At one point Nyx towered over Tatyana's body. Small hands could remember the grasp of her warm palm in her hand and yet, Tatyana had waltzed into a new world. The other side of the mirror; the reversed card. It was a crime to kill an she was certainly suffering for it. Yet, was it fair to have to suffer for preserving balance?

Her lips fell into a frown, she was completely ignoring the speech, but she remembered the point of it. Her heart was often torn, standing in a world that she was a ghost in. Some things could not be helped and as she let her mind wander.. Would eating a piece of cake lead to starvation of one such person..? Consequences.. she was so familiar with them, but they were as unpredictable as the crazy man behind them, yet even HE was predicted and written within a book.

The speech ended and Tatyana rose to her feet. Her father soon after, was upon his own, but something in the air was unsettling. There was nothing she could do, as the madman behind them had placed his arms on RIOTE's leader and Tatyana felt her own self cringe in disbelief. This was- Well, this was Wolfgang. He was known for being bizarre and oddly observant? “Never pictured you’s a family guy, Aurel.”

How had he known she was his family? It gave her a slight of her skin being covered in little prickles. No.. people weren't supposed to know that. Hell, even her own father wasn't supposed to know, but it didn't take long. How her fun had been ruined when he figured it out, but a new game was in play, that allowed her to toy with what she knew and he didn't. Yes Tatyana was a start and an end all at the same time, a ticking time bomb it felt. If she sneezed wrong would she blow up Carraig? That would certainly be a most intriguing idea.

It was through half a mind that Tatyana laughed lightly at her own thoughts, but not loud enough to be heard. Her hand slipped upon Nyx's only by instinct. Some things never left and that was one that would forever plague Tatyana. She adored holding her sister's hand, even if they were not biologically related. A true family started with the binds to a heart. How few she had in this world, so was it bad that Tatyana clung to the small things she knew.

It was then she found her father staring at her as he thought. Tatyana blinked innocently. She was not paying attention to conversation the two had. For a moment she worried he was going to ask her opinion on something, but was very thankful when he returned his look to the company. A silent sigh of relief came from her. That was a bullet dodged. Her inquisitive mind often wandered and left her oblivious to conversation, and instead pulled into their surroundings. Aurel bid his adieu to the King and then made his way to the helicopter, with the both of them in tow. Tatyana would not let go of Nyx's hand for the life of her. After all, it took only a second for Tatyana to fall into the past to begin with and that second might be what made her lose Nyx. A flicker of terror flooded her body and Tatyana had to take a breath. It was okay.. it would be okay. The smirk on her lips always played despite how lost and confused she really was. Oh well, it made people wonder and not a lot of people would mes with someone so sinister.

As they reached their ride, Tatyana spoke up, more towards Nyx than anyone. "I say we have our own celebration. How does that sound? Perhaps some ice cream and a nice cup of cider?" Her emerald eyes focused on Nyx, the hand released so she could get up. In a way Tatyana felt bad. She hoped that Nyx would not be upset with the sort of clinginess that Tatyana had, but it was only natural. She knew Nyx was incredibly strong and smart, but it was only a soft instinct that nestled in Tatyana's bones that made her protect them both. She too climbed in, giving the area an amused look, before vanishing to her seat and humming the lullaby she loved so. It was after all, a good day.

[EXIT]

[Aaron H]

There was a lot of nothing happening. Aaron didn't mind. Hell it was a relief to do NOTHING. He didn't have to worry about bullies, because it was a formal event and he didn't have to worry about dumbasses because people were around them to occupy said morons. If it weren't for the massive crowd all around him, hell, Aaron might have thought for one fleeting moment he enjoyed social events. Of course his luck had different orders and would fuck with him no matter what. No sooner had he let out a sigh of relief, people started screaming and rampaging like those old 'Godzilla' movies. He imagined sterotypical 'Asians' running around, until he SAW stereo typical 'Asians' and felt suddenly ridiculous. Why he held his breath, not even HE knew.

"You." What was it about the word 'you' that always made Aaron react. It never failed. When someone screamed 'YOU!' Aaron always turned to look. Pronouns toyed with life. Whatever the answer was, the rough computer nerd turned to see a ... very strange man. A finger was jabbing aggressively in Aaron's bubble, but the man continued to speak.

"You're supposed to be the guy I'm working with?"

"What?" Instinctive response to everything that happened. Those randomass moments where he didn't know what the HELL was going on? Yeah.. that was always a 'what?' moment. One double-take later, he wondered if his drink had been drugged again, but then again.. what did he care? Deciding to just go along with it, he nodded and stared at the unknown man. Not two seconds later, this new friend was speaking of his want of fighting. Well fuck. That WOULD be Aaron's luck. He was about to interject, but his eyes were pulled towards something happening. One man flipped another man. What a glorious start to the day.

And so, Aaron had been shoved into guard duty. What was this shit? He wasn't some sort of knight in shining armor! NO! Aaron was a computer hacker (or at least closer related to that). When the hell had bouncer been slipped into his job explanation? Had he missed the fine print SOMEWHERE? His eyes narrowed at the queen's direction in annoyance. Dammit, sometimes he hated his job and everything that went along with it. Okay, so maybe he didn't really hate it, but he had to admit, it really aggravated him that he was babysitting. Despite how annoyed he was, though, his mouth remained shut and Aaron only nodded to his company.

One speech later, the people who had harvested chaos were gone and Aaron was still alone with the strange mecha-man. The party was dying down and it seemed nothing bad had happened. Aaron was okay with that. In fact, he was ready to move onto the next exciting event. With a yawn, he stretched his arms and looked around. So this Queen's speech kind of went the way he expected: completely different than to be expected by a 'queen'. On one hand, at least she looked professional. On the other, she had gone off on a tangent that wasn't assumed. In all, it was enjoyable and Aaron had a choice to make. Mingle or leave.

Naturally he chose the latter. He hated crowded places, so with a shrug to his new friend, he muttered an awkward. "See you around?" And shuffled his way out of the premises.

[exit]

[Guest]

Oh this was such a mess..... Things could never go smoothly ever. They never had quite with Dietrich, so the fact that things weren't faring much better now with Rachel was hardly surprising to the young Captain as she stood to attention now by the door where her new Queen would step through to address the leaders of the various countries gathered. She could see that everyone else was rather restless, some casting wary glances towards the leader of RIOTE which certainly were warranted. He had caused quite.... the issues between their countries. Her hands tightened into fists at her sides as she stood as still as a statue, her back straight with her eyes gazing straight ahead. She may as well be the royal guards with their atrocious hats that tourists always tried to crack (she was quite used to it from being posted about the White House during Dietrich's reign. Many people had been disappointed that they had been unsuccessful). She could see her younger siblings clamber about in their chairs as they heard that the Queen was there, inwardly smiling at their excitement.

She was hardly surprised at the fact that Queen's entrance since it was from a different door, but no matter. What mattered was that the Royal Guard was stationed where she would be giving her speech keeping their careful watch over her well-being. Vivian truly hoped that no one was planning anything.... disruptive today. All sat as the robbed man called them to order, her hands unclenching at her sides as she took a small calming breath for herself. The Queen wasn't the only one whose nerves were feeling a little bit tight today. After all, this was her first real day back on the job and it was a BIG one at that. The only time her eyes moved through the whole swearing in was when the crown was lifted and carried to Rachel, the last of the ceremony occurring before it was finally placed atop her head. She had to breathe a sigh of relief that all was going well so far, her body remaining as straight as a tree as Rachel stepped forward to give her speech. She could only imagine what the new Queen might say. Especially considering it appeared she stopped reading her script. Vivian cracked the smallest of smirks on her pale features, probably one of the ONLY ones smirking at the new Queen expressing herself. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this with a straight face.” She had expected nothing less, and she had only met with her new queen once. It left her with quite the impression, but an accurate one. She was no Dietrich, but Vivian did not doubt that Rachel would be an excellent leader to her people.

Though.... Vivian had to fight a sigh as the speech smacked off of Aurelius and into Izanagi's lap, the younger girl beside him stiffening quite visibly. That must be his sister for their features seemed similar enough to dictate as such. Oh dear. “Those words? They were written for me!” Her blue eyes were now fixed upon the Queen, their expression not one of horror or anything, just almost a wariness. It wasn't due to the Queen herself, it was more of what insanity might occur next and the reactions that might follow. “Not by someone I hired! Not by an orator, or a speechwriter! You know who wrote it? I don’t know either. Probably some intern. I was sent it last night, from the House of Lords. It was a list of things I could and couldn’t say. One of them was that I couldn’t mention the word Irn Bru! For fear of Barr! One of the people who wrote that piece of shit list has a major company in the soft drinks industry to thank for his wealth. With that in mind,” Oh dear.... Now Vivian had to fight facepalming as Rachel drew out a bottle and gulped down the brew. She saw Franklin in futility trying to reach the stage in time to try to pull Rachel together. It wouldn't work. “That’s what these people think the world is; a list of dos and don’ts, written up by business moguls and lords and ladies and the rich!”

There was a shifting in a row of chairs that she knew well, her father smirking as he leaned back a little and touched a hand to his chin, her mother leaning close to his ear to whisper something. Tristan and Julian were unreadable (unsurprisingly) but seemed amused, and the twins were loving it. Oh what a world would they grow up in Vivian had to wonder. But then, the Queen began to speak again. And the words were of a woman whom was ready for the position given to her, who was going to break the ideal mold that the royalty had been formed into. “I’m younger than him. I’m probably not as smart as him. I’m not even supposed to be here. I wasn’t very good at school, in fact I was really lazy. I’m a nightclub owner without royal blood in me, and a woman at that. While I was able to get enough support to be voted as queen, there’s plenty who think that only old, white skinned men who happened to be born a prince should ever wear this crown. And here I am.” This.... was true. Thankfully her own family was of the mind that if someone was fit to rule, then they were fit to rule no matter their blood. A very... radical thought for one of the old noble houses in Creta.

“I’m here and Dietrich’s not. Here’s what happened to Dietrich, what really happened to Dietrich.”

Vivian stiffened as her eyes locked back onto Rachel, the wariness returning with some concern leaking in. Uh-oh. This was not--“Drachma attacked because one man went on a ridiculous quest that he decided was far more important that the lives of his people, and the people of everyone else around him. He sent the world spiralling into chaos, and then shot himself. Looking better, by the way, Aurry.” Vivian's head bowed a little as she exhaled a small sigh, forcing herself to straighten as Rachel's voice lifted into the air again. “Like what you’ve done to hide it. No one would even guess. You need to tell me how you do your hair, you must've been a hairdresser in another life.” Oh... Oh dear... And there was no sign at all of the young Queen stopping her little tyraid at all. “Why did he do it? I don’t know. Why did Drachma go down this road of bloodshed, destroying themselves and the world, only to turn away and go home? I don’t know. What started this whole mess? I don’t know. I think we were all acting pretty stupid those few months, it was a weird time for everyone. But I’ll come back to that. What happened to Dietrich was that he laid a trap.” Her lips tightened since... she had failed. She had failed the King she had sworn to protect while she was off discovering the love that she now shared with Apos whom was absent from the proceedings. She hadn't been there to fight with the others to save their King. And she had come back in time to find him lying unresponsive in a coma.

“Dietrich laid a trap, thinking that he could crush the Drachman forces in the palm of his hand as they marched through our cities just to attack Amestris. He let RIOTE walk in, the trap backfired, and he was put into a comatose state. I don’t doubt the genius of the trap, and I’m not going to call Dietrich a bad king. He wasn’t, but here’s a question; why trap them at all? Why not negotiate? Why not bring Hans, Vanity and himself around a table and talk this out? If not that, why not hit Drachma back before they came into the country? Why not bring the fight to them? Why not react, whether with peace or with violence? Why stand still and hope he could twist them into his palm?” She wanted to bite her lower lip because she could not even think of an answer. If she had been there, if she had spoken with her King about his plan then she would attempt to truly think of a proper answer. Her own opinions did not matter enough on a grand scale, even if she was the second eldest of the Duchamp household of Creta. “And here’s that revelation I had. Dietrich fell not because he wasn’t smart enough to see the other options, but because he wasn’t allowed to. It wasn’t in the rules. It wasn’t in the list of dos and don’ts. He still saw things as Creta versus the world, as Aurelius sees RIOTE versus the world, and everyone else from this world that is now gone. We do attack and chronically backstab each other. We don’t work towards a better world as a singular united people. We do let huge conglomerates and businesses feed off our people like leeches. We don’t consider our actions in a global sense, but only in our own tiny pockets. We do try to trick each other into doing what we want, gently squeezing their balls until they bow to our demands. We don’t fight for our people, or for all people, whether we’re Cretan or Drachman or an alchemist or part of the blue man group or the kind of person who puts on their socks before their trousers. That’s what Dietrich saw. That’s what a lot of people still see. And the rest of us are sick of it.” Her lips did thin out into a small line now, remaining still as stone despite wanting to shift at the words that reached her ears. She had no right to speak otherwise, to share her opinion otherwise. Her duty was to the Crown and Country, not to her own ideals or beliefs.

“All of you have a duty to serve the world! When will you remember it? When will you see that the world isn’t your battlefield, that your actions and words affect more than those few that seem to circle you? The warriors you enlist, the bodyguards you hire, the friends you acquire, the tycoons you pay; these are the only people we see because that was the old world! And now?” For some reason a single Esparian man came to mind, raging at how his companion had just been stabbed through by an alchemists ice spikes, pointing his gun right at her with the belief that she had given the killing blow. The large panther at his side growled with the fury of having lost its mother, its friend, wanting to lash out at any possible enemy in the area. How she had stood there.... frozen. She felt the chill of Drachma's frost in her bones and she shivered. War... War never changes.* “Four leaders! Gone! Two wars beginning and over in a flash! Some would argue that they’re not over yet! So much death, so much pain, because the world’s outpaced you! We’ve changed, and you’re stuck dragging everyone by your choke chains into your own battles because that’s what you’ve always done! I don’t pretend to speak for the world’s people, but I think they’re beginning to lose their patience!”

Then.... then the world began to grow in its heat, and the chill began to melt from her bones. There were already alliances and friendships being born between militaries, her heart beginning to beat a little faster as she thought of Apos jumping out of that helicopter, of holding onto his toned body on that motorcycle as they went on their pilgrimage. Her words were rippling through the crowd, and Vivian only smiled ever so slightly as she stood by her Queen, now absolutely sure that she would do just fine in her new role. Her family rose with the others and clapped, though they did not cheer. Well, Amelie and Mikhael were, but they were young and charged with the righteous pulse that flowed through the whole crowd. Of the bond of brotherhood and tolerance that would bloom in the near future. “Now let’s have ourselves a party! Those who’ve got invited to the club afterwards, follow the fine soldiers of Creta, they’ll show you the way. My fellow monarchs, we’ll have a little chat on the way, my limo’ll fit you all. Please follow the guards to where it’s parked.” Wait what? Vivian's gaze darted to Rachel as she seemed unsure what to do for a moment. Oh boy.

So with a deep breath she descended into the crowd, beginning to aid the rest of her fellow guards in leading dignitaries to their vehicles that would take them home, while directing others towards the limo that would take them to the club. She guessed that it would be the club that Rachel had owned or worked at (whichever it was), and NOT that one she had heard some things about. What was it called.... Club Vivid? Owned by the Dresden Twins. That would be very... concerning to Vivian. Especially since she wasn't exactly sure that she should be following them to the club or not. Personally she would like to so that she could ensure the protection of the Queen, so may very well do it anyways. She certainly wouldn't wear her uniform, no... she'd wear something more appropriate to fit in with the nightlife crowd. Oi. She hoped some of her other outfits still fit. Once her task was complete, she snuck out and hurried home before making her way towards the club where all the world leaders were meeting.

*Fall Out 3 & New Vegas

[EXIT THREAD]

[Guest]

"W-WHO DARES ATTACK ME?!" Aiya.... At least her brother hadn't ACTUALLY attacked the man, that would have ended very... poorly. Decorum really dictated that she have arrived properly and also not appeared as prickled as she was by Wolfy's blunder, but as she stood before the King of Gelemorte, she couldn't help but relax and let her smile be true. “Ahhh, nice ta meetcha then, Ms. Izanami!~” Her smile widened as she straightened up from her bow, tilting her head as she looked back at her brother when he began to speak. "Tell him not to touch me again. I do not appreciate being ambushed." Nodding, she was about to turn back and relay the words to the King but he had just poofed! Like one of their ninja's or something! Blinking twice, she looked about as her hands faltered before lowering a little to her sides. "The coronation should be starting, let us join the others." She puffed out her cheeks a little and sighed, "Of course brother."

Now she turned to Ryuji and grinned at him, bowing slightly to him as well even if he was below her station. It just felt polite since she had kind of butted in when he was the one that her brother had brought along with him officially, not her. It is a pleasure to see you again Tsuboi-kun. I apologize for stepping on your toes, I just... erm... I kind of came on my own and... I-I..." Words completely failed her as she tried to explain what had made her rush her when she had not been called. A blush rose to her cheeks as she smiled embarrassedly to him, "I'm sorry. Lets follow big brother." Yes yes, that was wise. Hurrying after the tall frame, she sat down beside him, remaining quiet as the speech began, her eyes widening as she just tore up the speech that had been prepared for her with such anger. Though Izanami was not mad, she didn't even take offense for how she addressed the crowd so. No.... the only thing she felt was a sort of kinship. Her lips tightened as she thought of that household that she had escaped, the endless pressures, lessons, reprimands, demands, of never being what they wanted her to be..... Of the "do's and don'ts" as Rachel said.

The only thing she prickled at was when the ball of paper came flying over and landed in her brothers lap, her "hackles" (if she were a dog) immediately raising as she quickly plucked it from his lap almost as soon as it had landed. Ok THAT she did not like. It wasn't an intentional move but still! Oooo she had half a mind to--- But as she glanced up to her brother he seemed lost in thought and somehow.... sad. Any inner rage she had been harboring immediately deflated as she sank a little more into her chair, glancing past him to Ryuji whom was rather stoic. What was her brother thinking right now? What were either of them thinking? But then Rachel began to talk of wars, of the countries banding together to make the world a better place. It turned her head and drew her attention, making her bite her lip as she bowed her head. She remembered how Izanagi had vanished to fight in the most recent war with Xing, of the battles that had been drilled into her head during those damned history lessons. She knew what RIOTE had done to their people before, and of the loss of Yuuko. But if she hadn't died, then her big brother wouldn't be where he was now! He wouldn't be able to do his job! She wouldn't be able to be as much of a help to him for she knew he would have never let her join the military so she could serve beneath him. He would have forbidden it, fought against her decision with every fiber of his being! It wouldn't have mattered if she chose a non-combatant role, he would fear for his little sister so.

But... would Izaya still be here if things hadn't happened the way that they had? No, no that was an entirely different matter! One was not related to the other! But Izanagi.... He had come back changed from the war. He thought she hadn't noticed, but she had. She had noticed it the instant that she saw him despite his attempts to keep it from her. With each passing day she saw a little more of him eaten away by the stresses of leading his own country, of demons that must haunt him so. “Now let’s have ourselves a party! Those who’ve got invited to the club afterwards, follow the fine soldiers of Creta, they’ll show you the way. My fellow monarchs, we’ll have a little chat on the way, my limo’ll fit you all. Please follow the guards to where it’s parked.” Neh? Mreowr? Oh! She had gotten so lost in thought she had completely missed part of the Queen's speech! That felt sort of rude of her, but she wasn't sure she would be able to really apologize or if she should. She felt a hand slip into her own, looking up to Izanagi and blinking twice. Was everything alright? She rose with him, her chocolate gaze shifting to Ryuji as Izanagi addressed him. "That suit forms well to you. I forgot to thank you for attending, Tsuboi-san. I know it must be a trouble trying to figure this all out." She had to smile at that, nodding in agreement for Tsuboi-kun did look quite dashing beside her brother!

The familiar tall frame turned towards her and she stared up with only affection in her eyes, "Izanami... You are always looking out for me, are you not? Thank you, imouto." She shook her head, having to fight off the sheepish expression that wanted to appear on her features. "It is no problem nii-san." She felt his hand tighten about her own, and she returned that squeeze, her day entirely made. She could not be happier right now! Well, maybe if her kitties were here (she hoped they were well!), but that was entirely impossible. "Tsuboi-san, tag along. I have a few things to do, before we can mingle once more." The way that he looked at her though within the next moment made her smile falter a little as she tilted her head slightly again. He was so serious now, had something happened that she didn't know about? "You know this world, better than I. Please, take me to the leader of Carraig. I wish to speak to him, while we are here." OH! Oh it was something small! That she could do!

Her smile returned with a vengeance as she nodded, "Mm!" And with that she jumped up to scan the crowd quickly before her eyes settled upon their target. The King of Carraig was speaking with Hans, Chancellor of Amestris, both with ladies in tow. Guards and Amestrian soldiers were not far behind them, and Izanami only turned to grin brightly at Tsuboi and her brother, following after them as she weaved expertly through the crowd. It wasn't until they made their way outside that they finally caught up to Gavin, finding that Hans remained with him. They must be traveling together to Rachel's after party. “Shogun Yoshida. An honor to meet you and your sister.” Izanami bowed respectfully to the Chancellor, quite pleasantly surprised by his speaking Aerugese. "A pleasure Chancellor Reinhardt." She replied before turning to the King of Carraig, "Excuse me, King Etheridge? May I present my brother, Shogun Izanagi Yoshida. I am Izanami Yoshida, his right hand and interpreter. He wished to speak with you." She began as they followed the crowd out further to the limousine, again pleasantly surprised when Hans offered a hand to help her into the limousine when she knew she wasn't allowed in with them. "Thank you Reinhardt-sama." She said quietly before slipping in, finding a spot that allowed her to remain beside her brother, her hand having to slip from his when she got in. Once he was in though, she placed it close enough to his to allow their pinkies to touch, her little way to let him know that she was still there for him. Oooo this was exciting! She had not expected this at all!

(( Not sure if I'm exiting or not, I guess it depends on people ))

[Gavin Etheridge]

Uncomfortable church pews? Check. Dignitaries, diplomats, reporters, and other such masters of the universe all crammed nearly shoulder to shoulder with only a general idea of what to expect? Check. Hideous hats? Double-check. Despite having been through such a process before with his own coronation and having gone to similar inaugurations for Creta and Amestris with their political revolving doors, there was an electric feeling Gavin couldn't quite put his finger on. Wasn't like he had anything to be nervous about; he had ring-side seats but there was no audience participation. But there was a feeling of the unknown tingling and lurking around the edges of the event that rode on the crest of the slightly panicked waves in the conversation.

The one consolation to all this madness so far was that Rosaleen was at his side, looked amazing, and after surviving her first real public appearance as such was now leaning against the King's side, and that.... had this effect of making things better. Rosaleen's thumb brushed over Gavin's hand soothingly, distracting him entirely and relaxing him at the same time. Ros really was incredible in that dress, and if there were some telepathic way to show her just how wonderful she looked, or tell her how much he loved having her with him there tonight. He smiled as he felt Ros lean closer, warm breath tickling up around his cheek and ear. "Having any flashbacks to your coronation?" His mouth spread in a silent laugh, turning her hand over to answer on the woman's palm. There was more he wanted to say, but didn't want the people in the rows around them to be privy to; Gavin, at that moment, would have loved to have taken a breath to just tell Rosaleen how terrified he was at his own coronation to the point where he was paranoid he'd say the wrong thing, despite his speech being programmed into his aid ahead of time. He had been worried that the automated voice would talk as calmly and mechanically as ever, but as he signed along with it, he'd get a cramp in his arms, sign the wrong thing, or stutter. There were a lot of things going through Gavin's mind that he'd have liked to say under the dull roar of the people smooshed together in that church, which made him take an extra moment or two to realize that they were all still sitting there. Waiting.

The new Queen Elect was lateish.

Well, that's always a good way to start things off, Gavin mused. Fashionably late on international television for her own coronation. He couldn't resist it as he pulled out his aid to type the words, setting the volume to as quiet as politely possible. "Bet it's the London traffic," he joked. Sure, Dublin had its bad traffic times, but the whole country only had a few million people in it total; sheep caused more slow driving than anything else on the roads at home. But finally Rachel graced the church with her presence to start the show. As the speech and ceremony began, Gavin relaxed into the pew (as much as one could relax in them), watching intently but with only a half-hearted interest at this point; her speech and the one that had been written for him as a boy could have been written by the same beady-eyed suit as the dry tempos matched and trudged through.

Until, of course, the speech came to a sudden halt. That wasn't a look of one forgetting what was on their cue-cards or the droll blurbs that had probably been rehearsed and re-rehearsed at dinner, breakfast, and tea for days on end. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this with a straight face.” Ah. Well, that was certainly something Gavin had never said during his own coronation, especially not with his mother within easy son-smacking distance.And so the new Queen began her completely impromptu speech that was far more honest and interesting than the one she'd been sent to say. “Allow me to share with you something that I’ve only realized recently.” That no matter how many servants roll their eyes at you, it's always fun to skid down polished palace floors in socks and shorts? Then again, this was a queen who owned nightclubs; she probably had the best surround sound in her palace, or would soon. Gavin couldn't help but smirk, thinking of how much fun that could be. Oh, poor, stuffy Cretan politicians and the glorious sticks that couldn't be surgically removed from their bums. This would be amazingly fun to keep tabs on.

Rachel made a bold move, underlining that she wasn't Dietrich, and that how she ran things would be vastly different. If dropping her speech mid-coronation wasn't indication enough of that, listening to the woman admit her faults was more than enough, and yet, it was refreshingly human. She wasn't royalty, and unlike the life Gavin and his cousins had known nothing but growing up and were all force-fed as their lives were picked, primed, and pushed onto them, Rachel was from the world they had been all but forbidden from until they were adults and far too busy. It was new, and interesting, and might do something to spark new breath into Creta because she genuinely was one of them unlike the crown Prince of Carraig who had been escorted to the villages and places people worked so that he could learn about the world he would be tending. And that... made Gavin smile. She had ideals for negotiations and peace and things that Gavin also liked to talk about at dinner but knew better than to think he could always find a direct method for. Making enemies in politics was unfortunately an unavoidable side effect, but usually such things were subtle and slow; pointing them out on international television was probably the fastest and most direct way. Rachel had the world's attention, and at least now Gavin could speak for everyone to say that they were no longer bored.

He remained seated, but Gavin joined everyone in their applause for the new Queen. If nothing else, she certainly had a good idea for how to get people's attention and motivate them. And then she'd even called for a party at her club, wasn't that nice... It beat champagne and things on crackers, Gavin supposed; Creta's parties were rather famous for the many inventive things they could do with sausages. He exited the pew gracefully to head into the crowd and was met by Hans and his wife, as well as General Aeries of Amestris. Gavin couldn't help but grin a little; the man certainly cleaned up nicely for a party, and at some point, the King would have to invite him back to Carraig, if nothing else to poke at Spade for details about his partying habits that left people talking and chickens missing. Gavin reached to the small aid on his belt, tapping at the keys as he looked to Hans and his wife. "Chancellor, General, good to see you both again. Hans, I'd like you to meet Rosaleen." Hans had heard about the incredible guard, but there was a certain satisfaction in getting to introduce a woman Gavin was crazy about to a man he'd looked up to since he was a prince.

A soft, almost nervous cough caught Gavin's attention, the King turning to look at the young man behind him. He was a.... who was he? He didn't look like any of the young men related to the noble families Gavin knew, and who was the little girl...? "Um...hello...sir....your highness..." Nope, definitely not noble. "Um my name is Finnick Maddock....and this is my sister Amelia. She has been wanting to meet you...you are her idol sir.... Amelia...stop being so shy...." Gavin turned his gaze to the little girl that was pulled out from behind the young man. She was young; younger than his Sorcha was, and dressed far girlier than his darling girl would ever be caught dead in. A tiny doll with large eyes and long eyelashes. Lovely little girl. Gavin tapped at his aid, looking back up to her brother.

"It's nice to meet you both," the mechanical voice droned out. His smile was warm at least, Gavin nodding his head politely to Finnick before he looked back down to Amelia. His fingers padded out on the keys quickly. "And it's very nice to meet you, Princess." Gavin reattached the aid to his belt and bowed politely to the doll-like girl, his own paternal instinct charging forward more for a moment than his political ones. He used to love playing with Sorcha, even if she wasn't into tea parties and fancy dresses; playing pretend with marshmallow blowguns was just as fun. Gavin's hand reached down, offering to take Amelia's tiny one and kiss the top of it in a gesture that was old and princely, popular in almost every story that started with "Once upon a time," while at the same time being innocent, cheesy, and unmistakably the action of a father who loved spoiling his own daughter.

Escorts came to interrupt them, reminding Gavin that they had been invited to an after-party of sorts, Brigitte moving to Rosaleen's side to escort her with the guards. Gavin frowned slightly, not fond of the idea of letting other people escort Rosaleen elsewhere, and it took a moment of him reminding himself that Rosaleen was a more than capable guard and even in heels could probably put many of Creta's royal guards to shame. He puffed out a slight breath, and stopped to lean over, kissing Rosaleen's cheek sweetly and apologetically, and once more as a silent comment that he'd make it up to her later. Aid back in his hand in the flash of an eye. "I'll catch up with you there, Rosaleen. Hopefully we won't be long." Gavin looked back to Finnick and Amelia and smiled again at them both. "It was nice meeting you both. Please excuse me." Han's large hand clapped on Gavin's shoulder, urging him away.

“Come, Your Highness. Let us go greet the Queen.”

Gavin smirked, somewhere between amused and something else that, while he said nothing, silently sighed a distinct Must we? First a pep rally and then clubbing. At least it wasn't a dull coronation, and first of its kind in Cretan history. Times were changing, and the only things that seemed to stay the same were the sausages. The crowd inside of the church really was more like that of a rally, people crammed almost elbow to elbow in places in a parade of fancy clothes and ghastly hats, people constantly wanting an introduction. Gavin trotted alongside Hans toward the foreign collective of persons about to try and do a clown car act to smoosh into the limo, when a young lady's voice caught his attention this time, particularly because she was speaking Creig.

"Excuse me, King Etheridge? May I present my brother, Shogun Izanagi Yoshida. I am Izanami Yoshida, his right hand and interpreter. He wished to speak with you." Gavin turned to see a young lady presenting a tall Aerugese man who seemed rather like he'd much prefer to be somewhere more sane himself. The Shogun of Aerugo. Everyone really was at this little shindig tonight, weren't they? But, at least they were all heading toward the limo, and wouldn't it be funny to see how many people they could cram inside. It sounded like the start to a terrible Creig pub joke; How many politicians can you fit inside a Cretan limo? Gavin was sure there was a hilarious answer for that question.

Gavin stepped to the side slightly, waiting to see who would shove in first, preferring to wait to be last or near-last to get in. There weren't usually groups when he got in cars, and the idea of everyone nearly sitting on each other didn't really appeal to him. "It's nice to meet you, Miss... Gavin frowned slightly, entirely unsure how to spell her name, or the Shogun's in a way that his aid would be able to speak them and sound marginally correct. It was quite a while before he got it to stop breaking up Rosaleen's name as it was. He typed anyways, waiting to get in. "And you as well." Couldn't find a pair of words that emulated the Aerugese words, either. Dammit. Hopefully Yoshida wouldn't be horribly offended, Gavin suddenly really missing Artemis tonight. Sure, she wouldn't be able to really remember their names either (which may have been the same as his aid not saying them), but at least Arty could translate well.

It was going to be one of those lovely nights of diplomatic hell, but with subwoofers.

{EXIT|

[Tsuboi Ryūji]

He followed dumbly like some little duckling. Unable to understand so he just followed his lord. Taking the seat to his right for the speech he knew he wouldn't be able to understand for the life of him so he just tried to look interested as the woman spoke. But the tone of words he didn't know lulled him like a lullaby. Eye's grew heavy as his head nodded. Next thing he knew his head lightly thudded against the shoulder of his lord. And the strong pulse he adored added to the lullaby and soon he was sound asleep drooling on the shougan's blazer.

He was startled awake when his pillow shook violently. And the beautiful sound of the man's laughter tickled his ears. He looked up from his daze drool trail down his chin. There though was the beautiful smile and laughter. He smiled sleepily and watched him wondering what had triggered this.

As they slowly rose he continued to follow Izanagi like the loyal guard he was. He felt the man's eye's run up and down his body not once but twice. He blinked and felt slightly sub conscious. Was something wrong? Was there a dirt mark....did he look just scruffy? "That suit forms well to you." His cheeks flared almost as red as his hair. "I forgot to thank you for attending, Tsuboi-san. I know it must be a trouble trying to figure this all out." He made his famous goldfish impression before stuttering out. "It's...no problem sir..."

The man turned back to his sister before addressing him again. "Tsuboi-san, tag along. I have a few things to do, before we can mingle once more." Giving a nod he followed. "I wouldn't dream of leaving your side..."

[Nyx]

Nyx shifted slightly uncomfortably to the side once. And then again. Aurel was speaking with Hans still, and while Tat was there, she still didn't quite like the coronation. Too many people, and too many of them were paparazzi, and they were annoying. A few of the brave souls had come back to snap a few rare shots of Aurel and Hans talking, but a glare from the teal-haired girl warned them to turn their flashes off first, lest the merry band of RIOTE members be cast out of the coronation due to some unsightly blood stains on the... Well, everything. No matter. At any rate, she was rather irritated by the large crowd anyways, regardless of the pains in her eyes from flashing cameras, and took it with a sigh of relief as Aurel and Hans wrapped up their conversation. She, with Aurel and Tatyana, took her seat in the church, sitting between Aurel and Tatyana, as Tatyana seemed to want her between them, protected, as it seemed. Nyx was glad they cared about her that much, but was too bothered by the people around her to really appreciate the gesture.

As she sat there, she listened to the speech and... Well, quite frankly, it was boring. Not to say it was a bad speech, but it just failed to keep the attention of the youngest daughter of Aurel, a position she quite liked to claim. It was kinda funny how the little family had come together, really; she had Aurel as her daddy, and the best one in the world ever, to boot, even when he was being all confusing and riddly. Then she had Tatyana as her big sister, who was Aurel's other daughter, though she still didn't quite understand where Tatyana had come from, or where she'd been. Or, for that matter, why the much-younger Tatyana she'd briefly seen around the house had seemingly aged overnight. It was odd, really. But she didn't mind. Then there was Daemon, her big brother, though he didn't really see himself as Aurel's son, nor did Aurel see him in that light, as far as Nyx knew. He was still a brother to her, though. And while Hild could never be replaced as her mother, Valeria made a very good mom to Nyx, and she loved her, as she did all of her makeshift RIOTE family.

That aside, Nyx looked up from swinging her feet boredly back and forth as Rachel pointed out Aurel's hair, and Nyx couldn't help but stifle a giggle. He really did have pretty hair~ And she got to brush it for him every now and then, which was always fun!~ As she pondered about his hair and as the speech got boring again, she reached a hand over to Aurel and leaned a bit closer to him, idly twirling his hair in her little fingers, amusing herself as time passed by like a snail on a long highway. Finally, something fun to do at the coronation!~ As the speech went on, she noticed something else to occupy her time; a long-haired man was rather rudely standing in the back, whooping and applauding different bits of the speech, and while the speech itself was laaaaaaame, she couldn't help but watch the man and grin every time he did something silly, as she twiddled with Aurel's luscious dark locks. Silky hair is silky~ That other guy's hair looked kinda fluffy, but not quite silky, like Aurel's. Actually, it looked kinda scraggly, and Nyx sorta wondered if he ever bathed. But he LOOKED like he bathed... Maybe he was bad at hair? Probably that, yeah.

Soon enough the speech ended and Nyx prepared to walk off with Aurel and Tatyana, but then, HOLYCRAPHEAPPEAREDOUTOFNOWHERE. The crazy happy guy from before FLIPPED OVER AUREL and hugged him!? What is this, Nyx didn't even... What!? Soon, he started talking, and Nyx realized... Well, she had no idea what he was saying. Her own Amestrian was awkward, considering she bore a West City dialect, but... Yikes, he failed Amestrian. In every grade. Did he even GO to school!? Not even bothering to follow along with his madness, which only Aurel seemed competent to comprehend, Nyx's attention went to Tat. Though an eagle is often praised most for its eyes, they also boasted rather excellent hearing, surprisingly; Nyx caught the tiny laughter of Tatyana's, and wondered briefly why she was laughing, but didn't really care why, so long as she was happy. A moment later, Tat gripped Nyx's hand, and Nyx wrapped her fingers around Tat's so Tat wasn't just awkwardly holding her hand, now the two were both holding hands, because yes. She didn't really bother to care why Tat suddenly chose to grasp her hand either, but she couldn't say she minded at all, as they started off to their helicopter, Nyx briefly giggling as Aurel pondered what exactly golf was, and heard Tatyana speak up.

Blinking at first, and looking just a bit like a deer in headlights, Nyx was snapped from her thoughts. "Hm?~ Oh! Ice cream and cider sound really good, Taty, mhm~" With a smile, having forgotten her whole feeling-awkward phase caused by the coronation, she hugged her big sister, and climbed into the helicopter, ready to go hooooome.

[EXIT]

[Rosaleen Quinn]

While many found the church pews uncomfortable, Rosaleen didn't mind too much. After all, she had been in much more uncomfortable situations when she had been off in mountains, forests, or who knew where else. Rocks and bumpy terrain were never the most comfortable things to sleep on. What would have made her feel some discomfort would be the amount of eyes staring at the young king and his beautiful date. Again, thank goodness she was blind. The only thing that really mattered was Gavin beside her, tilting her head slightly as she was aware of him turning his head, the opening of his jaw a little bit. Had it been a laugh? She had to guess as much as she felt him turn her hand over in his own. She waited patiently for his response but... he never traced it into her palm.

Although she didn't really mind it as she became acutely aware of a still restlessness that had settled over the whole room. How those two things had combined themselves, she wasn't really sure, but that was the exact phrase that described the room perfectly. People were restless, there was something amiss that she wasn't aware of (after all she couldn't read a watch). There was strain, and her brows furrowed as she "surveyed" the room, her head turning as if to look all about it though she couldn't see a single thing. She stopped using her alkahestry for a moment so her other senses could soak in everything else. Whispers immediately began to flood her, harsh "s's", different languages she couldn't possibly understand, shoes against the floor, the creaking of wood. Sounds upon sounds in waves as well as the latent smell that was in the air from all of the different countries. Some might wonder if it was really possibly to smell where someone was from, but it was absolutely possible for each country had its own plants, foods, dyes, and etc that were unique to them. She hadn't realized how far she had delved into her focus on their surroundings until an automated voice shattered her bubble of awareness, "Bet it's the London traffic,"

Rosaleen hadn't even felt or heard him take out his aid much less type into it. Ah well, sometimes these things happened. Her echolocation switched back "on," she chuckled a little as she turned to her love. "Or maybe a last romp of freedom." Ahh, but that told her all she needed to know, the Queen-elect was late. It was hard for her to keep track of time and so wasn't aware that was the cause of the unrest in the room. But a dramatic (yes she could tell it was dramatic) opening of doors immediately told her that Rachel had arrived. While heads turned to follow her walk up to the dias and be sworn in, Rosaleen could only vaguely do so. With all of the bodies there and where their seats were, the Queen was at the very edges of her "seeing" range. At best during her speech, she was fuzzy. Dammit all, she had been working on it. She still was working on improving it, but she still was so far lacking behind. So while she was listening intently, she still gave Gavin's hand a small squeeze. Who it was supposed to be reassuring for, she wasn't really sure.

There had been a flow to the whole ceremony, so Rosaleen was very aware of when that flow halted. It was like someone had been singing a song but then someone hit a note off-key. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this with a straight face.” Eh? While most of the room raised its eyebrows, the guard could only smile as she sat beside the man she was sworn to protect. It would appear that Carraig wasn't the only one undergoing a shift in tradition, hm? “Allow me to share with you something that I’ve only realized recently.” Do tell, young Queen Rachel. Do tell indeed. She knew that Gavin wouldn't have dared to do this when he was coronated for his family would have attempted to murder him far earlier than otherwise. She had some suspicions of Gavin's family that loathed her so, but she didn't dare say anything yet for she had no definable proof. She wouldn't say anything until she was sure for there was no sense creating more junk for them to lob at her with the disdain they already treated her with.

Ah, but these were issues for another time. After those first few words from the Queen, Rosaleen had already decided that she liked her and the words that had followed only continued to solidify this feeling. Dietrich had been an interesting and excellent ruler, but Rachel? She was something else entirely, and that was what she liked. She was also glad though, that Rachel didn't totally break tradition for that was what people were most used to. And if that was shattered in one fell swoop, who knew how the public might react? Then again, Rosaleen knew she was thinking of this more as a leader of a military troop might and not necessarily as a politician. There was a reason she had joined the military aside from wanting to help her country, and that was that she never understood the grander politics and whatnot. No matter, the new Queen had asserted herself as a different ruler from that of Dietrich and established the woman that she would be. And that, was far more important than anything else.

As cheers and applause began to fill the room, she too, joined in with the rest, though she couldn't fix her eyes on the same place as everyone else. So she stared ahead of herself, suddenly painfully aware of how she couldn't actually see such an important occasion. Then another thought hit her, now that the speeches were over and the after party had been called, that meant she had to try to once again stumble through being a proper date for Gavin. Well shit. To be honest, clubs made her nervous. There were a lot of sounds and usually a lot of people which meant it was SUPER hard for her echolocation to work (or any of her senses for that matter). If she weren't blind, then it would be no big deal, but.... well erm... The last time she had tried to go into a club after she lost her sight it had been... bad. Taking a deep breath, she rose with Gavin and carefully slipped into the crowd after him, straining her alkahestry to its limits so she didn't trip in her heels or over someones feet or over her dress or just.... You know, it shouldn't be this hard to NOT make an embarrassment of yourself.

A small group of four people came into view, none of them did she recognize in the least bit. Their uniforms appeared Amestrian from what she could see in terms of details, Gavin quickly answering for her who they were. "Chancellor, General, good to see you both again. Hans, I'd like you to meet Rosaleen." Ohhhhhh boy. Rosaleen almost saluted, but instead forced herself to curtsy first, raising her head as Hans took her hand to kiss the top of it which (damn it all!) made her cheeks grow the slightest bit rosy. Oi was she not used to being treated like a lady.... "It's a pleasure." She spoke in her strong voice, refusing to let her voice betray how lost she felt at the moment. Then she turned towards Spade and Jay and saluted them, being a date tonight be damned. She was still a proud member of Faolchú and she would still salute fellow militants even if from another country. She was sure that no one would mind.... hopefully....

“Rosaleen, yes? I'm Brigitte. You'll ride over with myself and my lovely escorts. We've got to let the boys do their thing for now.”

..... eh?

Rosaleen for a few seconds almost didn't even register what the Chancellors wife had said, she wasn't to remain with Gavin for the ride to the club? Well now she only felt more nervous. If she were here as a guard she would know exactly how to act, but as.... Oooooo she was not bred for this! "A pleasure. O-Of course." She responded quickly in rusty Amestrian, relatively certain that she hadn't butchered their language too terribly. She felt that softness on her cheek, turning her head towards Gavin, wishing she could just reach out for her lifeline to this madness. Oh snap out of it! She merely gave him a warm smile filled with a sureness of self that she managed to muster up. She could not fail her king, or her love, by falling to pieces. Her pride as a guard, and a woman, wouldn't allow it! "I'll catch up with you there, Rosaleen. Hopefully we won't be long." "I'll see you soon." To anyone else it would have appeared as if she stared right at him with those striking green eyes, but she only had the aura that she knew so well, the hazy image that she had clarified with her hands to make it known to her. So with a deep breath, she followed after Brigitte into their car, carefully navigating her skirt as she slipped inside, both interested and terrified to see how this night would progress.

[EXIT THREAD]

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