Where Rivers meet, People meet (Spring Festival, IC)

[Ru-]

The Sergeant nodded.
"Good point.", she said and pulled out a small notebook with a pencil, scribbling something down twice, before tearing the page out of it and in half, handing each of them one half. "Those are the mobile numbers of myself, my Captain, namely Captain Filicia Maor of the Tribe of Wicklow, and of this House.", she told them with a deep, deep look into their eyes. "If we loose each other, contact one of these numbers. If I don't answer my phone, get my Captain and she'll relay anything to me. If every call via phone doesn't yield a result, come back here. Selkie are usually quite friendly, when it comes to helping strangers asking for their way politely, so there shouldn't be issues when it comes to getting directions."
She waited for a moment for questions as they descended inside of the building, down towards ground level.

The Knight was impressed with her foresight and smiled approvingly. "Ah excellent, I'm sure we will all be ok if we stick together and keep an eye on each other, even if it will be very crowded, but it is always best to be prepared for anything." He tucked the information away in his pocket and waited for his little king to do likewise.

"And no wandering off, of course." He added, glancing towards Yoshio, who was observant enough to know immediately that Larra was referring to him specifically. The boy rolled his eyes a bit in response but didn't argue.

[New Visayan Islands]

Samuel Cui
Teach Ósta

"That's alright," Samuel said. "You wanted to know about my family, and now you know.

"That said, I wonder how our breakfast is coming up...?" he then added. He was already feeling hungry at the moment.

[Aurora Confederacy]

The young man nodded, reading the address over - and quite sure, that he could decypher the handwriting even tomorrow morning or a bit later. "Great.", he said and nodded, "Will do. Thank you!"
He grinned.
"As payment, I could offer you paying for your drinks later tonight, when they bring out the alcohol?" It was not only an offer to get even, but also a hidden invitation to have a drink with him - while he was a bit above the average, as far as attractiveness went, he was not the most beautiful man in the world and he knew that. "Pick you up at... eight?"

The young woman smiled a small smile. "SDF-Army, Mobile Forces Command. Formerly with the Regimental Artillery of the 11th Dragan... nowadays, staff-duties for the MFC.", she said, "I was wounded in service, they asked, if I wanted to get discharged, I replied, that I wanted to be with the MFC. They got me this staff job on Brigadier Óga's staff." She smiled. "You don't really look like military, if I may say so... I hope, that this question is not too personal, but what happened to you?"

Micky and Zoe looked at the guy, "yeah, I think that would be great, we're staying at an inn near the square, so eight tonight should be good" says Zoe, "So what brings you to the festival or do you come every year?" she asks as Micky cuddles up to Zoe to make it known that although he will be buying their drinks tonight, Micky and Zoe are infact an item, As Micky slides up to Zoe, Zoe puts an arm around Micky.

Gina, over by the MFC officer turned to her "Nah Im not military, I was a cook aboard a cargo ship sailing two hundred kilometers off the Terra Azure coast, well they had just declared a fifteen hundred mile limit the day before, and given that a normal nation's territorial limit is around twenty something, the ship I was on, carrying a chemical cargo back to South Sands became the target of one of their subs. a loud bang and all the lights went out with the ship rolling over. I managed to get out of my cabin as it flooded by smashing the hatch open and lettin it flood before swimming out and using the inflation to pull me up to the surface. Thing is, they had a speed boat in the water too and yes I tried to avoid it. I avoided the gunfire that killed the rest of the crew, I didnt manage to avoid the blender at the back of the boat, but I was in some ways lucky as it cut neves too so didnt actually feel it. I was picked up a couple of days later close to death. They made a movie out of it called Alone" Gina sits on the grass for a moment and opens her seam zip to reveal the leg where she then removes it, "This is what doctors fitted me with, its relatively light weight, oh by the way I'm Gina by the way"

After showing the officer the leg, Gina puts it back on, she doesn't take off the sub liner which goes on her residual limb, "with the nerve damage I dont get much in the way of phantom pain but it does make itself known if im on my feet for a long time. The socket is made from carbon fibre, the rest is aluminium. That shocky thing at the bottom is designed for comfort. takes all the loading off during walks or if I go snow boarding and its adjustable too" With the cargo pants rezipped up, Gina gets back onto her feet, a task which for most people would be easy however Gina uses the fence to pull herself back to her feet.

At that moment her phone vibrates and the sound of a text message comes in, "hang on a second, what does Bobby want" Gina takes the phone out of her pocket and reads the message before texting a reply before turning back to the officer "that was Robbie, wanting to know what time the gas man is coming to recharge the bottles, she's manning the stand just outside the petting zoo selling cooked fish and soft drinks"

[The Selkie]

"yuup!" Mamiko cheerfully replied about taking care of her mother. When asked to do a favor, Kumiko stuttered out a minor "Ah yeah sure I'll be happy to!"

The blonde smiled at Kumiko and stepped close to whisper to her, so that Liam did not hear anything of it. "The favour I have to ask you for is the following...", she whispered in a low voice, "Can you ask Liam, if he wants to be your Champion?"
Meanwhile, the young man in question stood by Mamiko, having an eye on her as the two women talked with each other. He smiled at the little girl, one hand on the handle of his sword... until suddenly, as if coming from nowhere, a little boy was standing in front of Mamiko, a short redhead of maybe six Springs, blue eyes sparkling with curiosity as he looked at Mamiko. He was clad in a simple white shirt and brown leather pants, boots on his feet, grinning. "Hi!", he greeted with his grin.

The old man shook his head with a smile.
He knew the story of which Evanu was talking about and the background, most likely better then he did... mainly because the Ambassador Groups tended to talk about their trips with the press, although they usually avoided secrets or putting anyone in a bad light. No one held it against Jerochenko, that he reacted the way he did, least of all those, who's heads had nearly been bashed in.
That being said... "And why did you join the guards of Mister Golahman, Corporal?", he asked with a smile-

Celina nodded, looking at the photographs with a small smile.
As Golahman finished, she smiled at him for a moment, before she pulled the bottle away from the little one, softly kissing him on his head, thinking to herself, that the Syrian sounded like a sort-of Superhero to Golahman in her ears, no major flaws... or flaws at all. Talk about Heor-Worship..., Celina thought.
"So..., how is he as a person?", she said, "Especially to animals other then your cats, I mean."

"I was handpicked by Golahman to go on his yearly trip to Russia," Evanu replied. "He always picks from the best and brightest squadrons of men . . . I happened to be one of them. I enjoyed the experience, and decided to stay."

"He's good with animals, doesn't have a lot of experience, but, he's been around them and knows some basics about them. Not number one in the world, though, when it comes down to it. I've noticed him getting frustrated more easily over the last few months. He can be a little overconfident, sometimes oblivious, and when he's allowed to drop the stiffness, he can be overbearing, like at my parties . . ." Golahman sighed. "For one thing, he did eavesdrop on Gwen while she was in the bathroom, even though she said she wanted to be alone, here he is, sitting outside the door and listening, because the queen of Anowa was in there, too, and he was afraid they were going to turn on me, or plot against him, or something along those lines. Then there was my Christmas party, where he wanted to hold Luminous, the Tine, and there's nothing wrong with that, except when Luminous opened his eyes in Assad's arms, looking at him instead of me. Fiona was upset, and Assad didn't know why she was upset, so, there's . . . a bit of a grudge between them, over the Tine."

The old man nodded. "That's more like it... you enjoyed the experience of being in the presence of someone.", he said with a nod, "You followed him and you follow him again. I guess, that simple wanderlust is a good place to start."
He grinned.
"'Go to the army, they said, you'll see the world, they said!'", he recalled with a smile, "I did see quite a bit of the world, though."

Celina nodded, thinking to herself, that the grudge between the two of them was a little bit more then over the Tine, as he thought. But that particularity of Selkie and their pets most likely eluded the young man... it was complicated to say the least.
She chose to wait with replying for a moment, separating the young Little Black Fox in her arms from the bottle, to which he replied to with a content sigh, snuggling into her shirt. She smiled serenely at him, then knelt by the basket to put him back, looking at the now empty bottle of milk. She kissed the little one and rose up, going to one of the racks, getting down a glass bottle of milk and refilling her baby bottle with a small smile.
With that done, she placed it back on the shelf, putting the bottle into a small heater for getting, as the name suggested, heated up for being consumed by a waiting baby.
Or young Black Fox.
She replied as she leaned against the table with the heater: "So... what makes you think, that he would be a good pet owner... or owned by a pet, for that matter?"

The Knight was impressed with her foresight and smiled approvingly. "Ah excellent, I'm sure we will all be ok if we stick together and keep an eye on each other, even if it will be very crowded, but it is always best to be prepared for anything." He tucked the information away in his pocket and waited for his little king to do likewise.

"And no wandering off, of course." He added, glancing towards Yoshio, who was observant enough to know immediately that Larra was referring to him specifically. The boy rolled his eyes a bit in response but didn't argue.

The Sergeant smiled and nodded. "That's this then.", she said, turning to descent further. "If everything else fails, we'll simply hold hands!"
The further down they went in the inn, the more people they walked across, most of them visitors with the intent of going outside and use the day to the best of their abilities, but also staff of the inn, with much to do on such a busy day. And much to do there was indeed, for all involved.
The Sergeant smiled as they finally got out into the open - the day shaped up to be wonderful, as far as the wheather was concerned. Blue sky and it was getting warmer bit by bit.
She led the guests towards the exit, where the busy street was already visible, carts in the centre, most of them either drawn by horse or mule, with pedestrians to all sides and the shops to the side of the inn being open. She pointed to the right. "That way!"

Samuel Cui
Teach Ósta

"That's alright," Samuel said. "You wanted to know about my family, and now you know.

"That said, I wonder how our breakfast is coming up...?" he then added. He was already feeling hungry at the moment.

Kiah smiled, happy about the change of topic. "It always takes a few minutes, but its worth the wait.", she said, feeling hungry herself.
That condition was not made better by the smell coming from the kitchen, a delicious smell telling of sausages being battered and eggs being fried. Especially the furred companion at her side lifted his head and smelled, his mouth watering.
Kiah grinned at his goofy expression, kissing him between his ears.

The young man nodded, reading the address over - and quite sure, that he could decypher the handwriting even tomorrow morning or a bit later. "Great.", he said and nodded, "Will do. Thank you!"
He grinned.
"As payment, I could offer you paying for your drinks later tonight, when they bring out the alcohol?" It was not only an offer to get even, but also a hidden invitation to have a drink with him - while he was a bit above the average, as far as attractiveness went, he was not the most beautiful man in the world and he knew that. "Pick you up at... eight?"

The young woman smiled a small smile. "SDF-Army, Mobile Forces Command. Formerly with the Regimental Artillery of the 11th Dragan... nowadays, staff-duties for the MFC.", she said, "I was wounded in service, they asked, if I wanted to get discharged, I replied, that I wanted to be with the MFC. They got me this staff job on Brigadier Óga's staff." She smiled. "You don't really look like military, if I may say so... I hope, that this question is not too personal, but what happened to you?"

Micky and Zoe looked at the guy, "yeah, I think that would be great, we're staying at an inn near the square, so eight tonight should be good" says Zoe, "So what brings you to the festival or do you come every year?" she asks as Micky cuddles up to Zoe to make it known that although he will be buying their drinks tonight, Micky and Zoe are infact an item, As Micky slides up to Zoe, Zoe puts an arm around Micky.

Gina, over by the MFC officer turned to her "Nah Im not military, I was a cook aboard a cargo ship sailing two hundred kilometers off the Terra Azure coast, well they had just declared a fifteen hundred mile limit the day before, and given that a normal nation's territorial limit is around twenty something, the ship I was on, carrying a chemical cargo back to South Sands became the target of one of their subs. a loud bang and all the lights went out with the ship rolling over. I managed to get out of my cabin as it flooded by smashing the hatch open and lettin it flood before swimming out and using the inflation to pull me up to the surface. Thing is, they had a speed boat in the water too and yes I tried to avoid it. I avoided the gunfire that killed the rest of the crew, I didnt manage to avoid the blender at the back of the boat, but I was in some ways lucky as it cut neves too so didnt actually feel it. I was picked up a couple of days later close to death. They made a movie out of it called Alone" Gina sits on the grass for a moment and opens her seam zip to reveal the leg where she then removes it, "This is what doctors fitted me with, its relatively light weight, oh by the way I'm Gina by the way"

After showing the officer the leg, Gina puts it back on, she doesn't take off the sub liner which goes on her residual limb, "with the nerve damage I dont get much in the way of phantom pain but it does make itself known if im on my feet for a long time. The socket is made from carbon fibre, the rest is aluminium. That shocky thing at the bottom is designed for comfort. takes all the loading off during walks or if I go snow boarding and its adjustable too" With the cargo pants rezipped up, Gina gets back onto her feet, a task which for most people would be easy however Gina uses the fence to pull herself back to her feet.

At that moment her phone vibrates and the sound of a text message comes in, "hang on a second, what does Bobby want" Gina takes the phone out of her pocket and reads the message before texting a reply before turning back to the officer "that was Robbie, wanting to know what time the gas man is coming to recharge the bottles, she's manning the stand just outside the petting zoo selling cooked fish and soft drinks"

The young man smiled. "One could say, that I come here every year... this is my town, after all. I live a few streets in that direction." He pointed towards the south. "Not a palace, but it works."
His smile got a small dent, as he saw the two getting close, getting the message - while it was not wrong in his eyes for the two of them, two women, to be together, it was a bit of a disappointment that he (again) found two lesbians. This was getting a bad habit.
He nodded. "Well, then, I'll get going. Much to catch on camera, you see?", he told them and turned, "It was a pleasure, Misses and have much fun!"

"Well, if you mean gas like propane... you're going to be in a little bit of trouble, I'm afraid.", the soldier said with a sheepish expression, "We don't use gas to power hearths, usually, so there's little in the ways of demand. I can help you lot with a fire, though! That should work just as well, too, just need a few extinguishers and a lot of wood!"
The soldier grinned and gave a thumbs up - her right sleeve twitched, too, which made her frown.
"That decidedly works better with two hands...", she mumbled.

[Aurora Confederacy]

"a few streets in that direction, oh okay, we sailed here from The Aurora Confederacy via half of the region to get here in a small thirty foot boat, we sail home after this so that should take a couple of weeks if the wind is right" As the man left Micky smiled "dont forget eight o'clock tonight, we'll get you a drink!" hoping that despite the fact that Micky and Zoe are in fact married, he is welcome to be together for an evening drinking.

As for the issue regarding gas, Gina nodded, "we have two large tanks under the floor of the trailer in the centre so should have sufficient fuel for the festival, but who knows. besides fish is always good smoked. I think we can go on a gathering trip tonight and set things up for tomorrow, i estimate we will use a third of our gas today though". says Gina, then noting the twitch, "you get them often?..." she asks. "...hey if you come to our stall, you get a military service discount, we're at the corner near the petting zoo, big semi truck with an awning on the side"

Over by the trailer, Robbie's phone gave a sharp ding as a message from Gina came in, Robbie read it and smiled as tomorrow things were going to be a little different. yes they have enough gas to last them 2 days, and the way that the food was flying off the griddle, they may have more gas than they need as the queue gets longer and the day moves through the day the result is the trailer gets lighter as product gets used.

[Krugeristan]

"I was handpicked by Golahman to go on his yearly trip to Russia," Evanu replied. "He always picks from the best and brightest squadrons of men . . . I happened to be one of them. I enjoyed the experience, and decided to stay."

"He's good with animals, doesn't have a lot of experience, but, he's been around them and knows some basics about them. Not number one in the world, though, when it comes down to it. I've noticed him getting frustrated more easily over the last few months. He can be a little overconfident, sometimes oblivious, and when he's allowed to drop the stiffness, he can be overbearing, like at my parties . . ." Golahman sighed. "For one thing, he did eavesdrop on Gwen while she was in the bathroom, even though she said she wanted to be alone, here he is, sitting outside the door and listening, because the queen of Anowa was in there, too, and he was afraid they were going to turn on me, or plot against him, or something along those lines. Then there was my Christmas party, where he wanted to hold Luminous, the Tine, and there's nothing wrong with that, except when Luminous opened his eyes in Assad's arms, looking at him instead of me. Fiona was upset, and Assad didn't know why she was upset, so, there's . . . a bit of a grudge between them, over the Tine."

The old man nodded. "That's more like it... you enjoyed the experience of being in the presence of someone.", he said with a nod, "You followed him and you follow him again. I guess, that simple wanderlust is a good place to start."
He grinned.
"'Go to the army, they said, you'll see the world, they said!'", he recalled with a smile, "I did see quite a bit of the world, though."

Celina nodded, thinking to herself, that the grudge between the two of them was a little bit more then over the Tine, as he thought. But that particularity of Selkie and their pets most likely eluded the young man... it was complicated to say the least.
She chose to wait with replying for a moment, separating the young Little Black Fox in her arms from the bottle, to which he replied to with a content sigh, snuggling into her shirt. She smiled serenely at him, then knelt by the basket to put him back, looking at the now empty bottle of milk. She kissed the little one and rose up, going to one of the racks, getting down a glass bottle of milk and refilling her baby bottle with a small smile.
With that done, she placed it back on the shelf, putting the bottle into a small heater for getting, as the name suggested, heated up for being consumed by a waiting baby.
Or young Black Fox.
She replied as she leaned against the table with the heater: "So... what makes you think, that he would be a good pet owner... or owned by a pet, for that matter?"

"I haven't seen much of the world. Read much, but haven't seen much," Evanu said, looking at the old man. "Haven't had the chance."

"He has a lot of love to share," Golahman replied, shrugging. "It's something he really hasn't done before and wants to try his hand at. His wife has also mentioned wanting a pet."

[The Selkie]

"a few streets in that direction, oh okay, we sailed here from The Aurora Confederacy via half of the region to get here in a small thirty foot boat, we sail home after this so that should take a couple of weeks if the wind is right" As the man left Micky smiled "dont forget eight o'clock tonight, we'll get you a drink!" hoping that despite the fact that Micky and Zoe are in fact married, he is welcome to be together for an evening drinking.

As for the issue regarding gas, Gina nodded, "we have two large tanks under the floor of the trailer in the centre so should have sufficient fuel for the festival, but who knows. besides fish is always good smoked. I think we can go on a gathering trip tonight and set things up for tomorrow, i estimate we will use a third of our gas today though". says Gina, then noting the twitch, "you get them often?..." she asks. "...hey if you come to our stall, you get a military service discount, we're at the corner near the petting zoo, big semi truck with an awning on the side"

Over by the trailer, Robbie's phone gave a sharp ding as a message from Gina came in, Robbie read it and smiled as tomorrow things were going to be a little different. yes they have enough gas to last them 2 days, and the way that the food was flying off the griddle, they may have more gas than they need as the queue gets longer and the day moves through the day the result is the trailer gets lighter as product gets used.

The young man disappeared into the crowd, relatively sure, that he would, sadly, miss the appointment. It was nothing against either of the two, but... there were many things to film today, one could forget such things rather easily.
As Damhsa began with their second sound check, this time a much faster, much livelier song, he disappeared.
This time, fewer Selkie dared to dance this one - amongst them a redhead and a beauty with blue eyes and long, black hair, which caught his attention.

The soldier shook her head. "Sorry, I'm not good with fish. Or seafood in general.", she said with a smile, "And the twitch was more me failing to remember, that some things don't really work anymore. Double thumbed thumbs-up with only one arm category, for example." She giggled to herself. "You wouldn't believe what kind of messes I made with keyboards due to that..."

At the Petting Zoo, the line by the trailer was still strong, but quite a few people, many of which did not want to stand in line for Rhiannon knew how long, didn't stand in it. Other stalls opened, too, as well, bringing up competition, not to mention a carter with his own stall right on the opposite side of the square, who set a Stobhach Place up, which would be ready to serve by midday.
More then one of the aides at the Petting Zoo qas left wondering, where that was going.
And more then one animal decided to snatch the odd bits and pieces, like the Star Lynx did.

"I haven't seen much of the world. Read much, but haven't seen much," Evanu said, looking at the old man. "Haven't had the chance."

"He has a lot of love to share," Golahman replied, shrugging. "It's something he really hasn't done before and wants to try his hand at. His wife has also mentioned wanting a pet."

The old man smiled. "Do yourself the favour and try to get the chance. Broaden your horizon, when you get the chance and see the things around yourself with your own eyes. Meet people. Talk with them, listen to them. This is all an old man can give you in the way of advice."
He snorted in amusement about something in his head.
"Granted, this old man has seen more then you'd think in his long years.", he added.

Celina frowned. "I hope, that they are both well aware of a pet not being a one time fling thing, like a PC-game of something.", she said sternly, "A pet, be it a Black Fox or something else, is a living being and needs to be treated as such - do or do not. There is no 'trying' with pets."
Her expression softened as the Black Fox, who led Golahman to her, first nudged and then snuggled into her waist, much to her joy as she petted him at his side.

[Jathana]

Akela had gotten a call previously from her good friend Akiko. Apparently Akiko had fallen very ill suddenly and needed to withdraw from their performance in The Free Lands. Wishing Akiko well, the Jathanese Technical Death Metal outfit known as Mara set out from their far off island nation to The Free Lands. They were well known in Jathana as one of the pioneers of 'New Jathanese Brutalism' in the early 2000s with their debut album "Bow To Your New Masters." The band consisted of Akela Vongvilay on Bass and Vocals, Maik Savang on Lead Guitar, Keanu Phanivong on Rythm Guitar, and Sagar Jhapali on Drums. Mara's lyrical content focused on Jathanese folklore and legends, political corruption, and stories written by Akela. They have performed in multiple countries and at multiple festivals, and are one of the most popular metal bands from Jathana.

Akela and her band spent no time hesitating. Once they arrived at Silverport International, they boarded a train from Silverport Main to Cuan Main and arrived within the hour. They were to take Necrosis' soundcheck and performance slot. Once arriving in in Cuan and checking into their rooms The Ceannaí Inn. They were in a hurry, as they suspected that their time to perform was closing in fast. But in all honesty, they still probably had an expendable amount of time. Still, they checked in, tossed their bags into their room, and headed out to the stage, gear in hands.

"Hello!..." Akela said in her breathless, heavily accented voice "We're here! Sorry if we're late!..."

[Krugeristan]

"I haven't seen much of the world. Read much, but haven't seen much," Evanu said, looking at the old man. "Haven't had the chance."

"He has a lot of love to share," Golahman replied, shrugging. "It's something he really hasn't done before and wants to try his hand at. His wife has also mentioned wanting a pet."

The old man smiled. "Do yourself the favour and try to get the chance. Broaden your horizon, when you get the chance and see the things around yourself with your own eyes. Meet people. Talk with them, listen to them. This is all an old man can give you in the way of advice."
He snorted in amusement about something in his head.
"Granted, this old man has seen more then you'd think in his long years.", he added.

Celina frowned. "I hope, that they are both well aware of a pet not being a one time fling thing, like a PC-game of something.", she said sternly, "A pet, be it a Black Fox or something else, is a living being and needs to be treated as such - do or do not. There is no 'trying' with pets."
Her expression softened as the Black Fox, who led Golahman to her, first nudged and then snuggled into her waist, much to her joy as she petted him at his side.

"I will, but, please understand doing so at this point in time is limited for me," Evanu said, wanting to take the old man's advice to heart.

"They're aware. After all, they have children," Golahman laughed, before his laughter quickly died. "Something . . . I'll probably never experience."

[Ru-]

The Sergeant smiled and nodded. "That's this then.", she said, turning to descent further. "If everything else fails, we'll simply hold hands!"
The further down they went in the inn, the more people they walked across, most of them visitors with the intent of going outside and use the day to the best of their abilities, but also staff of the inn, with much to do on such a busy day. And much to do there was indeed, for all involved.
The Sergeant smiled as they finally got out into the open - the day shaped up to be wonderful, as far as the wheather was concerned. Blue sky and it was getting warmer bit by bit.
She led the guests towards the exit, where the busy street was already visible, carts in the centre, most of them either drawn by horse or mule, with pedestrians to all sides and the shops to the side of the inn being open. She pointed to the right. "That way!"

The Knight smiled a bit at the suggestion of holding hands, that'd make them look like a little family to the crowds of strangers, if they didn't figure out the significance of Yoshio's crown. He wasn't sure what his king thought of that idea. The boy tried to shy away from and reject childish things, always looking to act older and more mature then he really was. However he was a child at heart and couldn't help but love it.

Yoshio didn't pay too much attention to it, already very excited and curious about the sights and sounds of the inn and the city. Larra nodded as the Sergeant pointed out where they would be going and placed his hand on Yoshio's back to gently guide him along.

[The Selkie]

Akela had gotten a call previously from her good friend Akiko. Apparently Akiko had fallen very ill suddenly and needed to withdraw from their performance in The Free Lands. Wishing Akiko well, the Jathanese Technical Death Metal outfit known as Mara set out from their far off island nation to The Free Lands. They were well known in Jathana as one of the pioneers of 'New Jathanese Brutalism' in the early 2000s with their debut album "Bow To Your New Masters." The band consisted of Akela Vongvilay on Bass and Vocals, Maik Savang on Lead Guitar, Keanu Phanivong on Rythm Guitar, and Sagar Jhapali on Drums. Mara's lyrical content focused on Jathanese folklore and legends, political corruption, and stories written by Akela. They have performed in multiple countries and at multiple festivals, and are one of the most popular metal bands from Jathana.

Akela and her band spent no time hesitating. Once they arrived at Silverport International, they boarded a train from Silverport Main to Cuan Main and arrived within the hour. They were to take Necrosis' soundcheck and performance slot. Once arriving in in Cuan and checking into their rooms The Ceannaí Inn. They were in a hurry, as they suspected that their time to perform was closing in fast. But in all honesty, they still probably had an expendable amount of time. Still, they checked in, tossed their bags into their room, and headed out to the stage, gear in hands.

"Hello!..." Akela said in her breathless, heavily accented voice "We're here! Sorry if we're late!..."

The technicians looked at the band and then turned back to their work - all except one. A tall man, build like a wardrobe, clad in a simple woolen shirt and pants, stepped up to them with a small smile.
"Well, hello there.", he said with a smile on his face, which didn't really seem to fit his general disposition. There was the soft accent of a Selkie in his English, rolling Rs and dropped vowels, as well as a certain melodic character to it. "You people must be Mara, the replacement band for Necrosis. Sorry for rushing you here... anyway, you'll be delighted to hear, that Cuan General just called, Miss Akiko seems to be relatively well and on the way of getting better. Just asleep at the moment."
He nodded and then his smile vanished.
"On to business.", he said and extended his hand a bit awkwardly, unused to the gesture, "I'm Leonard, the head technician for this stage. We scheduled your soundcheck after the next one, Miotal - a Symphonic Metal band. So, catch your breaths, catch a bit of breakfast, roundabout twenty minutes until your soundcheck." He turned. "Finny!" A young woman perked up. "Show them where they can put their gear, please!"
"Sure thing, boss!", the blonde called back and motioned for Mara to follow her.

"I will, but, please understand doing so at this point in time is limited for me," Evanu said, wanting to take the old man's advice to heart.

"They're aware. After all, they have children," Golahman laughed, before his laughter quickly died. "Something . . . I'll probably never experience."

The old man nodded. "Fair enough.", he said with a sagely nod, "Well then... where does that leave us?"
At this point, one of the other Black Foxes, a female with shining blue eyes, approached Evanu and sniffed at him, curious, but also with mischief in the eyes. She was well brushed, not overly so, but one saw, that she was well taken care of.
"Ah...", the old man made with interest, watching on.

Celina smiled with comfort.
"Give it time.", she said, resisting the urge to take his hand and squeeze it. "You have a girlfriend, which is a good start. Having children is not a decision taken lightly, after all. If you rush it, it will hurt you more then anything." She spoke with a wisdom far beyond her age, which was apparent to her. "Before you ask: Not myself, but my parents."
Just as she wanted to explain, the machine she put the bottle into dinged.
"Hold that thought, please.", she asked of Golahman as she turned to the machine, her blue hair hanging down her back.

The Knight smiled a bit at the suggestion of holding hands, that'd make them look like a little family to the crowds of strangers, if they didn't figure out the significance of Yoshio's crown. He wasn't sure what his king thought of that idea. The boy tried to shy away from and reject childish things, always looking to act older and more mature then he really was. However he was a child at heart and couldn't help but love it.

Yoshio didn't pay too much attention to it, already very excited and curious about the sights and sounds of the inn and the city. Larra nodded as the Sergeant pointed out where they would be going and placed his hand on Yoshio's back to gently guide him along.

The streets were definately fuller then before, families and individuals, friends and acquaintances were all around them, meeting, chatting and swaying back and forth as a great mass. More then one individual was in the crowd, amongst them more then one woman - who mostly founf Larra and Yoshio cute, but for differing reasons.
The Sergeant smiled as the navigated them through the crowd.
There was music in the air, wafting out from open windows and the odd street musician, happy, lively and cheery music, inviting to dance and sing, but while some did, not everybody did so. Many stayed with the peddlers and stalls, where they browsed through the offered wares, anything from small toys to wild berry juices. For the latter, the Sergeant hoped, that they were certified.
Workshops were open, too - one could hear the steady clanging of a hammer on red-hot steel as well, as the metal was worked into a shape.
All in all, it was the beautiful chaos of a Selkie Spring Festival.

[Krugeristan]

"I will, but, please understand doing so at this point in time is limited for me," Evanu said, wanting to take the old man's advice to heart.

"They're aware. After all, they have children," Golahman laughed, before his laughter quickly died. "Something . . . I'll probably never experience."

The old man nodded. "Fair enough.", he said with a sagely nod, "Well then... where does that leave us?"
At this point, one of the other Black Foxes, a female with shining blue eyes, approached Evanu and sniffed at him, curious, but also with mischief in the eyes. She was well brushed, not overly so, but one saw, that she was well taken care of.
"Ah...", the old man made with interest, watching on.

Celina smiled with comfort.
"Give it time.", she said, resisting the urge to take his hand and squeeze it. "You have a girlfriend, which is a good start. Having children is not a decision taken lightly, after all. If you rush it, it will hurt you more then anything." She spoke with a wisdom far beyond her age, which was apparent to her. "Before you ask: Not myself, but my parents."
Just as she wanted to explain, the machine she put the bottle into dinged.
"Hold that thought, please.", she asked of Golahman as she turned to the machine, her blue hair hanging down her back.

Reading animals isn't the same as reading humans. Evanu gradually crouched, holding his hand out to the Black Fox with an equally curious expression on his face. This wasn't the same as the German shepherds back home; this was something a little more freer, less restrictive. Whether he liked that or not, time would tell.

Golahman didn't want to ask any questions; he already knew about the Cathlong thing--and knew Vershenov would rant about it every time Golahman mentioned the younger Gwen. He certainly didn't think what went on was right or forgivable, but Nora and Lukas were not Krugeristani citizens, and Vershenov could do nothing about it. "I won't ask anything," he said, "but, if I do seriously think about anything--probably won't happen in years--I'll turn to Assad for advice."

[Jathana]

The technicians looked at the band and then turned back to their work - all except one. A tall man, build like a wardrobe, clad in a simple woolen shirt and pants, stepped up to them with a small smile.
"Well, hello there.", he said with a smile on his face, which didn't really seem to fit his general disposition. There was the soft accent of a Selkie in his English, rolling Rs and dropped vowels, as well as a certain melodic character to it. "You people must be Mara, the replacement band for Necrosis. Sorry for rushing you here... anyway, you'll be delighted to hear, that Cuan General just called, Miss Akiko seems to be relatively well and on the way of getting better. Just asleep at the moment."
He nodded and then his smile vanished.
"On to business.", he said and extended his hand a bit awkwardly, unused to the gesture, "I'm Leonard, the head technician for this stage. We scheduled your soundcheck after the next one, Miotal - a Symphonic Metal band. So, catch your breaths, catch a bit of breakfast, roundabout twenty minutes until your soundcheck." He turned. "Finny!" A young woman perked up. "Show them where they can put their gear, please!"
"Sure thing, boss!", the blonde called back and motioned for Mara to follow her.

The members of Mara nodded, following the young blonde. They conversed between themselves in Jathanese as they walked, which was an interesting language to hear. Jathanese was a mix of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan languages, mainly using Sanskrit grammar and sounds. Most considered it a very satisfying language to listen too; not spoken too fast but at the same time, not spoken at a turtle's pace. Considering the language's popularity amongst Western audiences, many languages teachers and internet users have created jobs teaching or speaking the language. Tourism to Jathana also increased as a result.

As they spoke, it was clear that the band's members were much different than the previous. Akela was the bassist and vocalist, and she was just a bit taller than Akiko, and retained some volume about her body, even though her long sweaters never exposed it. Maik, another member of the band, was a built fellow. He stood at about 6'3'', much taller than Akela, his chest had the proportions of a barrel, and his arms were similar to thick tree trunks. The band usually made him carry a bit more gear, for obvious reasons. Keanu was of an average build. Standing at 5'10'', the only thing special about him were the sleeves of inked tattoos that snaked down his arms and legs, and the septum ring that hung from his nose. Sagar was also of an average build, but had a darker complexion and a long, bushy beard to compliment his face. He wore a flat billed hat that faced backwards and a few bracelets on their arms. They looked like the typical metal outfit, for their genre anyway.

[Ru-]

The streets were definately fuller then before, families and individuals, friends and acquaintances were all around them, meeting, chatting and swaying back and forth as a great mass. More then one individual was in the crowd, amongst them more then one woman - who mostly founf Larra and Yoshio cute, but for differing reasons.
The Sergeant smiled as the navigated them through the crowd.
There was music in the air, wafting out from open windows and the odd street musician, happy, lively and cheery music, inviting to dance and sing, but while some did, not everybody did so. Many stayed with the peddlers and stalls, where they browsed through the offered wares, anything from small toys to wild berry juices. For the latter, the Sergeant hoped, that they were certified.
Workshops were open, too - one could hear the steady clanging of a hammer on red-hot steel as well, as the metal was worked into a shape.
All in all, it was the beautiful chaos of a Selkie Spring Festival.

Larra kept a close hand near the little king and an even closer eye on him. It was a strong testament to just how crowded and busy the street was that the two Ruvians didn't draw more attention then they had. Yoshio, the little red reptilian looking boy wearing a large crown of all things, and the knight in his very unusual uniform, all white with it's modern take on Ruvian feudal armor, a sword at his side and a long white cloak trailing down his back. Though perhaps the lack of stares and cautious curiosity was more a testament to the Selkie people's tolerance and open mindedness about the unfamiliar and unusual then anything else.

The Knight was not keeping so close to his king because of the people in the crowd however, it was Yoshio himself that made him so wary. The boy was completely fascinated with everything he saw, his gaze darting rapidly from one peddler's stall to the next.

Yoshio was just a child but he was still, technically, the king of Ru and had thus been given the standard personal spending allowance that was customary for the current Ruvian Monarch, an exorbitant sum that was far more money then any child his age ought to posses freely.

The Knight knew him very well over the years and thus also knew that if he did not keep the boy very close then it would take forevor to get down this street as they'd have to wait for Yoshio's constant stops at every stall that grabbed his attention and to glad hand every Selkie that showed any interest in him. Or worse, that they could lose him entirely in the crowd if he stopped somewhere and they didn't notice and left him behind. It was a welcome change of pace from his neurotic, meticulous father's famous distaste of attention and reluctance to socialize, but little Yoshio's vastly different public habits certainly came with their own frustrations.

[Aurora Confederacy]

The young man disappeared into the crowd, relatively sure, that he would, sadly, miss the appointment. It was nothing against either of the two, but... there were many things to film today, one could forget such things rather easily.
As Damhsa began with their second sound check, this time a much faster, much livelier song, he disappeared.
This time, fewer Selkie dared to dance this one - amongst them a redhead and a beauty with blue eyes and long, black hair, which caught his attention.

The soldier shook her head. "Sorry, I'm not good with fish. Or seafood in general.", she said with a smile, "And the twitch was more me failing to remember, that some things don't really work anymore. Double thumbed thumbs-up with only one arm category, for example." She giggled to herself. "You wouldn't believe what kind of messes I made with keyboards due to that..."

At the Petting Zoo, the line by the trailer was still strong, but quite a few people, many of which did not want to stand in line for Rhiannon knew how long, didn't stand in it. Other stalls opened, too, as well, bringing up competition, not to mention a carter with his own stall right on the opposite side of the square, who set a Stobhach Place up, which would be ready to serve by midday.
More then one of the aides at the Petting Zoo qas left wondering, where that was going.
And more then one animal decided to snatch the odd bits and pieces, like the Star Lynx did.

With the follow up song by the orchestra being somewhat faster, Micky and Zoe did the safe bet and made their way to a vendor that was selling alcohol, Micky leading the way, her arm around Zoe, Micky also looked at the events that might be on "Im surprised there's no boat racing on, I think I could hve some serious fun with a barrel boat, anyway, fancy a Mead Eh Micky?" she asks

"sounds a good idea"

And so Micky and Zoe followed the fence around to the nearest beer store where she passes Gina and the military officer who were talking to each other, they wave as they pass Gina.

It doesn't take long for Robbie to spot the carter setting up, however with the plates hot and sizzling she is able to serve her customers quickly and already has a routine going as she want to keep the queue as short as possible so people come to her store and not go to his store. Gina on the other hand by the band stand looks at the military officer "yeah I can imagine, I think there's a software out that has the ability to lock shift and control keys. My problem is driving, I have to have some minor adaptions made so that pedals swing from the top rather than from the bottom which gets expensive. The leg I have is clever too as it has several preset modes, although at the moment its turned off to save power so just free swings at the knee, Health support paid for it too which is one good thing about back home, the healthcare is free at point of use and paid for by taxes, as an Auroran I dont need separate health insurance like some countries although I have insurance for here as a I am not a local. Robbie who mans the stand is a D B K too after an assault smashed her tibias and one of her fibulas." Gina says, adjusting her stance slightly, "By the way, What is healthcare like here?" she asks

[The Selkie]

Reading animals isn't the same as reading humans. Evanu gradually crouched, holding his hand out to the Black Fox with an equally curious expression on his face. This wasn't the same as the German shepherds back home; this was something a little more freer, less restrictive. Whether he liked that or not, time would tell.

Golahman didn't want to ask any questions; he already knew about the Cathlong thing--and knew Vershenov would rant about it every time Golahman mentioned the younger Gwen. He certainly didn't think what went on was right or forgivable, but Nora and Lukas were not Krugeristani citizens, and Vershenov could do nothing about it. "I won't ask anything," he said, "but, if I do seriously think about anything--probably won't happen in years--I'll turn to Assad for advice."

The fox sniffed the offered hand, contemplating the smell she got for a moment.
Leaning over the table, the old man watched on and smiled, as the Little Black Fox mulled it over, head to the side. Then she softly went forward and gently licked the offered hand, the tongue itself feeling like wet silk, not an unpleasant feeling at all.
It was a licking, that a Fox gave a cub, when it got dirty.

Celina was thankful for him not asking any questions, but she had to shake her head at second part of the statement. "It'll happen sooner then you think... or that's what Mister Folaíochta said.", she said with a small, fond smile, as she took out the warmed bottle, holding it against her cheek for a moment. "Perfect."
She went to the basket to get the next of the little ones, coming back with the little animal snuggled against her and the bottle in the other hand. She gave the bottle a short lick and then offered it to the little one, who went ahead and grabbed the meal.
The serene smile was back on her lips.
"To be quite honest, I have little in the ways of such experiences.", she said, as the little one leaned further back into her embrace, "Aside from breeding Black Foxes, that is. And while they do their thing, I feed their young."

The technicians looked at the band and then turned back to their work - all except one. A tall man, build like a wardrobe, clad in a simple woolen shirt and pants, stepped up to them with a small smile.
"Well, hello there.", he said with a smile on his face, which didn't really seem to fit his general disposition. There was the soft accent of a Selkie in his English, rolling Rs and dropped vowels, as well as a certain melodic character to it. "You people must be Mara, the replacement band for Necrosis. Sorry for rushing you here... anyway, you'll be delighted to hear, that Cuan General just called, Miss Akiko seems to be relatively well and on the way of getting better. Just asleep at the moment."
He nodded and then his smile vanished.
"On to business.", he said and extended his hand a bit awkwardly, unused to the gesture, "I'm Leonard, the head technician for this stage. We scheduled your soundcheck after the next one, Miotal - a Symphonic Metal band. So, catch your breaths, catch a bit of breakfast, roundabout twenty minutes until your soundcheck." He turned. "Finny!" A young woman perked up. "Show them where they can put their gear, please!"
"Sure thing, boss!", the blonde called back and motioned for Mara to follow her.

The members of Mara nodded, following the young blonde. They conversed between themselves in Jathanese as they walked, which was an interesting language to hear. Jathanese was a mix of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan languages, mainly using Sanskrit grammar and sounds. Most considered it a very satisfying language to listen too; not spoken too fast but at the same time, not spoken at a turtle's pace. Considering the language's popularity amongst Western audiences, many languages teachers and internet users have created jobs teaching or speaking the language. Tourism to Jathana also increased as a result.

As they spoke, it was clear that the band's members were much different than the previous. Akela was the bassist and vocalist, and she was just a bit taller than Akiko, and retained some volume about her body, even though her long sweaters never exposed it. Maik, another member of the band, was a built fellow. He stood at about 6'3'', much taller than Akela, his chest had the proportions of a barrel, and his arms were similar to thick tree trunks. The band usually made him carry a bit more gear, for obvious reasons. Keanu was of an average build. Standing at 5'10'', the only thing special about him were the sleeves of inked tattoos that snaked down his arms and legs, and the septum ring that hung from his nose. Sagar was also of an average build, but had a darker complexion and a long, bushy beard to compliment his face. He wore a flat billed hat that faced backwards and a few bracelets on their arms. They looked like the typical metal outfit, for their genre anyway.

Note: Quote modified by removal of spoiler-tags.

Backstage was filled to the brim, with musicians, technicians, gear and other stuff, watching and, in some cases, lending a helping hand as Miotal made its way onto the stage, as it was custom amongst Selkie-Musicians.
Symphonic Metal, more emphasizing the Symphonic played next, with some of the people backstage chatting, checking, a small group of people listening to a spontanous jamming session brought about by a man with an acoustic guitar and a woman with a fiddle.
The blonde directed Mara to the spot, where they could put their gear.
She nodded and wished them much fun, turning and nearly bumping into one of the members of Ard, the Rock Band, who first had sound check. The fish leather glittered a bit, as she approached with a grin, catching the blonde, who nearly stumbled avoiding her, by the shoulders. A few words in Selkie were exchanged, the leather-clad woman grinning, before she sent the blonde on her way.
With a smile, she looked at Mara. "So...", she said, her accent already audible, rolling Rs, "...you lot are Mara, I take it?"

The streets were definately fuller then before, families and individuals, friends and acquaintances were all around them, meeting, chatting and swaying back and forth as a great mass. More then one individual was in the crowd, amongst them more then one woman - who mostly founf Larra and Yoshio cute, but for differing reasons.
The Sergeant smiled as the navigated them through the crowd.
There was music in the air, wafting out from open windows and the odd street musician, happy, lively and cheery music, inviting to dance and sing, but while some did, not everybody did so. Many stayed with the peddlers and stalls, where they browsed through the offered wares, anything from small toys to wild berry juices. For the latter, the Sergeant hoped, that they were certified.
Workshops were open, too - one could hear the steady clanging of a hammer on red-hot steel as well, as the metal was worked into a shape.
All in all, it was the beautiful chaos of a Selkie Spring Festival.

Larra kept a close hand near the little king and an even closer eye on him. It was a strong testament to just how crowded and busy the street was that the two Ruvians didn't draw more attention then they had. Yoshio, the little red reptilian looking boy wearing a large crown of all things, and the knight in his very unusual uniform, all white with it's modern take on Ruvian feudal armor, a sword at his side and a long white cloak trailing down his back. Though perhaps the lack of stares and cautious curiosity was more a testament to the Selkie people's tolerance and open mindedness about the unfamiliar and unusual then anything else.

The Knight was not keeping so close to his king because of the people in the crowd however, it was Yoshio himself that made him so wary. The boy was completely fascinated with everything he saw, his gaze darting rapidly from one peddler's stall to the next.

Yoshio was just a child but he was still, technically, the king of Ru and had thus been given the standard personal spending allowance that was customary for the current Ruvian Monarch, an exorbitant sum that was far more money then any child his age ought to posses freely.

The Knight knew him very well over the years and thus also knew that if he did not keep the boy very close then it would take forevor to get down this street as they'd have to wait for Yoshio's constant stops at every stall that grabbed his attention and to glad hand every Selkie that showed any interest in him. Or worse, that they could lose him entirely in the crowd if he stopped somewhere and they didn't notice and left him behind. It was a welcome change of pace from his neurotic, meticulous father's famous distaste of attention and reluctance to socialize, but little Yoshio's vastly different public habits certainly came with their own frustrations.

While armour was not an uncommon sight, the particular style of Larra's armour was waved off, and the young King did draw a few raised eyebrows by peddlers, who heard of sapient non-humans, but never saw one. Nonetheless, they were nice and friendly.
After all, he was a kid and a friendly one at that, so there was no reason to not be.
After a while, the Sergeant, keeping close to the two guests and on the lookout for trouble, noted, that they had someone watching them. Or rather, two someones... a Grey Wolf with a boy of around thirteen Springs at the leash, the boy watching her in particular and the wolf having his eyes switch from one to the other in their group.
She knew the boy, one of Brigadier Oga's shortstacks, and smiled at him, making him blush and avert his eyes.
The Sergeant turned back to Larra and Yoshio, to see, if they were keeping up...

The young man disappeared into the crowd, relatively sure, that he would, sadly, miss the appointment. It was nothing against either of the two, but... there were many things to film today, one could forget such things rather easily.
As Damhsa began with their second sound check, this time a much faster, much livelier song, he disappeared.
This time, fewer Selkie dared to dance this one - amongst them a redhead and a beauty with blue eyes and long, black hair, which caught his attention.

The soldier shook her head. "Sorry, I'm not good with fish. Or seafood in general.", she said with a smile, "And the twitch was more me failing to remember, that some things don't really work anymore. Double thumbed thumbs-up with only one arm category, for example." She giggled to herself. "You wouldn't believe what kind of messes I made with keyboards due to that..."

At the Petting Zoo, the line by the trailer was still strong, but quite a few people, many of which did not want to stand in line for Rhiannon knew how long, didn't stand in it. Other stalls opened, too, as well, bringing up competition, not to mention a carter with his own stall right on the opposite side of the square, who set a Stobhach Place up, which would be ready to serve by midday.
More then one of the aides at the Petting Zoo qas left wondering, where that was going.
And more then one animal decided to snatch the odd bits and pieces, like the Star Lynx did.

With the follow up song by the orchestra being somewhat faster, Micky and Zoe did the safe bet and made their way to a vendor that was selling alcohol, Micky leading the way, her arm around Zoe, Micky also looked at the events that might be on "Im surprised there's no boat racing on, I think I could hve some serious fun with a barrel boat, anyway, fancy a Mead Eh Micky?" she asks

"sounds a good idea"

And so Micky and Zoe followed the fence around to the nearest beer store where she passes Gina and the military officer who were talking to each other, they wave as they pass Gina.

It doesn't take long for Robbie to spot the carter setting up, however with the plates hot and sizzling she is able to serve her customers quickly and already has a routine going as she want to keep the queue as short as possible so people come to her store and not go to his store. Gina on the other hand by the band stand looks at the military officer "yeah I can imagine, I think there's a software out that has the ability to lock shift and control keys. My problem is driving, I have to have some minor adaptions made so that pedals swing from the top rather than from the bottom which gets expensive. The leg I have is clever too as it has several preset modes, although at the moment its turned off to save power so just free swings at the knee, Health support paid for it too which is one good thing about back home, the healthcare is free at point of use and paid for by taxes, as an Auroran I dont need separate health insurance like some countries although I have insurance for here as a I am not a local. Robbie who mans the stand is a D B K too after an assault smashed her tibias and one of her fibulas." Gina says, adjusting her stance slightly, "By the way, What is healthcare like here?" she asks

While the Free Lands were famous for their whiskey, beers and ales, and had that reputation for a reason, no matter where Zoe and Mickey went, waitresses, shop owners or simple clerks would shake their heads at their inquiries about something alcoholic.
One of them, a waitress at the end of her thirties, her intracate pattern on the apron showing high rank and experience, brought it to the point: "Sorry, lassies, no can do. Opening of the taps is at 6, p.m., before you ask, and selling something beforehand would be disrespectful towards the Gods. And believe me, you don't want to offend them." She smiled. "We do have a good apple juice, though!"

The Lieutenant smiled. "Very good. Free and with people, who know, what they are doing. Some people also call it homeopathic, mostly people from abroad, mainly because we don't throw pills at every little problem.", she grinned at Gina, "Believe me, many problems are solved with herbal teas and a good night's sleep, no need to bring out heavier guns until necessary. Granted..." She glanced at her knee. "...some things can't be solved with herbal medicine, but in some cases, it helps. Considerably so... I remember, when I woke up, one arm missing... my first medicine against the panic setting in was a nurse, a pretty little thing, helping me drink a good cuppa. It calmed me down more then anything else."

[AHSCA]

The blonde smiled at Kumiko and stepped close to whisper to her, so that Liam did not hear anything of it. "The favour I have to ask you for is the following...", she whispered in a low voice, "Can you ask Liam, if he wants to be your Champion?"
Meanwhile, the young man in question stood by Mamiko, having an eye on her as the two women talked with each other. He smiled at the little girl, one hand on the handle of his sword... until suddenly, as if coming from nowhere, a little boy was standing in front of Mamiko, a short redhead of maybe six Springs, blue eyes sparkling with curiosity as he looked at Mamiko. He was clad in a simple white shirt and brown leather pants, boots on his feet, grinning. "Hi!", he greeted with his grin.

Kumiko blushed at the idea but the concept was so romantic to her, how could she refuse. "Why yes, I'll do that. I just go up and ask him, just like that? That's how it works?"

Mamiko's little ears caught the voice of the little boy and she turned around to see him. "Oh hello!" she smiled at him and introduced herself. "I'm Mamiko."

[The Selkie]

Kumiko blushed at the idea but the concept was so romantic to her, how could she refuse. "Why yes, I'll do that. I just go up and ask him, just like that? That's how it works?"

Mamiko's little ears caught the voice of the little boy and she turned around to see him. "Oh hello!" she smiled at him and introduced herself. "I'm Mamiko."

The blonde nodded. "That's the short of it.", she said with a smile and a nod, "You basically go to him, ask him and give him a ribbon to mark him as your Champion, wearing a similar ribbon yourself. Then you seal it by kissing him on the cheek." She smiled. "Don't worry, you two will look cute together!"

"Finnegan.", the boy introduced himself with a toothy grin, "Call me Finn, though!" He looked her up and down, his grin not vanishing. "If I may ask, where are you from? You don't really look like you are from around here... and I know every Selkie!"

[Krugeristan]

Reading animals isn't the same as reading humans. Evanu gradually crouched, holding his hand out to the Black Fox with an equally curious expression on his face. This wasn't the same as the German shepherds back home; this was something a little more freer, less restrictive. Whether he liked that or not, time would tell.

Golahman didn't want to ask any questions; he already knew about the Cathlong thing--and knew Vershenov would rant about it every time Golahman mentioned the younger Gwen. He certainly didn't think what went on was right or forgivable, but Nora and Lukas were not Krugeristani citizens, and Vershenov could do nothing about it. "I won't ask anything," he said, "but, if I do seriously think about anything--probably won't happen in years--I'll turn to Assad for advice."

The fox sniffed the offered hand, contemplating the smell she got for a moment.
Leaning over the table, the old man watched on and smiled, as the Little Black Fox mulled it over, head to the side. Then she softly went forward and gently licked the offered hand, the tongue itself feeling like wet silk, not an unpleasant feeling at all.
It was a licking, that a Fox gave a cub, when it got dirty.

Celina was thankful for him not asking any questions, but she had to shake her head at second part of the statement. "It'll happen sooner then you think... or that's what Mister Folaíochta said.", she said with a small, fond smile, as she took out the warmed bottle, holding it against her cheek for a moment. "Perfect."
She went to the basket to get the next of the little ones, coming back with the little animal snuggled against her and the bottle in the other hand. She gave the bottle a short lick and then offered it to the little one, who went ahead and grabbed the meal.
The serene smile was back on her lips.
"To be quite honest, I have little in the ways of such experiences.", she said, as the little one leaned further back into her embrace, "Aside from breeding Black Foxes, that is. And while they do their thing, I feed their young."

"Does this one have a name? If so, is he or she up for adoption?" Evanu asked, unaware of how his voice was trailing as he attempted to focus on both the fox and the old man.

"At least you have an interesting job," Golahman said. "Do you have any Black Foxes here that are . . . say, spontaneous, active, and can put a smile on your face?"

[AHSCA]

The blonde nodded. "That's the short of it.", she said with a smile and a nod, "You basically go to him, ask him and give him a ribbon to mark him as your Champion, wearing a similar ribbon yourself. Then you seal it by kissing him on the cheek." She smiled. "Don't worry, you two will look cute together!"

"Finnegan.", the boy introduced himself with a toothy grin, "Call me Finn, though!" He looked her up and down, his grin not vanishing. "If I may ask, where are you from? You don't really look like you are from around here... and I know every Selkie!"

Kumiko suddenly giggled like a school girl at the idea "All right then." She grabbed a ribbon walked to Liam "Pardon me, Liam it was? I was hoping if you might be my Champion." She said it calmly, confidently even though her innards were racing with excitement and anticipation she displayed the ribbon and landed the kiss to him. She backed off after finishing still smiling and now blushing a little.

"Fi-nn-a-ginn" She repeated after hearing his name "Okay, Finn it is! Oh I came from the AHSCA Islands, I came here with my mama! Over the seas and oceans on a big ship." she too couldn't stop grinning, Mamiko was never a shy one she was very friendly.

[Ru-]

While armour was not an uncommon sight, the particular style of Larra's armour was waved off, and the young King did draw a few raised eyebrows by peddlers, who heard of sapient non-humans, but never saw one. Nonetheless, they were nice and friendly. After all, he was a kid and a friendly one at that, so there was no reason to not be.
After a while, the Sergeant, keeping close to the two guests and on the lookout for trouble, noted, that they had someone watching them. Or rather, two someones... a Grey Wolf with a boy of around thirteen Springs at the leash, the boy watching her in particular and the wolf having his eyes switch from one to the other in their group.
She knew the boy, one of Brigadier Oga's shortstacks, and smiled at him, making him blush and avert his eyes.
The Sergeant turned back to Larra and Yoshio, to see, if they were keeping up...

The knight had managed to succeed in wrangling Yoshio, keeping a close hand on him to keep him moving forward. The two had no problem keeping up with the Sergeant but Larra noticed the Sergeant looking over to someone in the crowd for longer then a casual glance. "Hmm, someone you know, my lady?" he asked her.

[Jathana]

Backstage was filled to the brim, with musicians, technicians, gear and other stuff, watching and, in some cases, lending a helping hand as Miotal made its way onto the stage, as it was custom amongst Selkie-Musicians.
Symphonic Metal, more emphasizing the Symphonic played next, with some of the people backstage chatting, checking, a small group of people listening to a spontanous jamming session brought about by a man with an acoustic guitar and a woman with a fiddle.
The blonde directed Mara to the spot, where they could put their gear.
She nodded and wished them much fun, turning and nearly bumping into one of the members of Ard, the Rock Band, who first had sound check. The fish leather glittered a bit, as she approached with a grin, catching the blonde, who nearly stumbled avoiding her, by the shoulders. A few words in Selkie were exchanged, the leather-clad woman grinning, before she sent the blonde on her way.
With a smile, she looked at Mara. "So...", she said, her accent already audible, rolling Rs, "...you lot are Mara, I take it?"

The members of Mara placed their gear in the designated area in a near and organized manner. Upon in inquiry of the leather-clad Selkie, Akela responded "Yes, yes we are. It is a pleasure. I'm Akela." Akela smiled and nodded happily reaching a hand out and shaking the other's. "I take it you're a member of one of the fellow bands? It's an honor to be performing with you. I had never imagined that we'd be performing in The Free Lands, but here we are! So far from home, exposing a new audience to our music!."

[The Selkie]

"Does this one have a name? If so, is he or she up for adoption?" Evanu asked, unaware of how his voice was trailing as he attempted to focus on both the fox and the old man.

"At least you have an interesting job," Golahman said. "Do you have any Black Foxes here that are . . . say, spontaneous, active, and can put a smile on your face?"

The old man smiled. "Her name is Bantiarna, or Ban for short.", he said, "And she really is a Lady. Sadly, she isn't up for adoption... It would break poor old Bacach's heart. She has many cubs, though, some of which are still free to be adopted."
Meanwhile, Bantiarna continued to lick the offered hand.

"You just described the average Black Fox.", Celina replied with a small smile, "Well, the average adult Black Fox. These cuties here are not really active at the moment and that's alright. But in general, you rarely see them laze about, spontanous activity in a multitude of ways and as for the smiles... it all depends on who is to smile."
She looked up.
"The thing is, Black Foxes, no matter how strictly raised, are little pranksters.", she explained, "Hence why there is a Big Black Fox."

Kumiko suddenly giggled like a school girl at the idea "All right then." She grabbed a ribbon walked to Liam "Pardon me, Liam it was? I was hoping if you might be my Champion." She said it calmly, confidently even though her innards were racing with excitement and anticipation she displayed the ribbon and landed the kiss to him. She backed off after finishing still smiling and now blushing a little.

"Fi-nn-a-ginn" She repeated after hearing his name "Okay, Finn it is! Oh I came from the AHSCA Islands, I came here with my mama! Over the seas and oceans on a big ship." she too couldn't stop grinning, Mamiko was never a shy one she was very friendly.

Liam was, for a moment, dumbstruck, opening and closing his mouth like a fish on dry land.
Then the reality hit him like a ton of bricks... and he bowed his head. "It would be my greatest honour to fight as your Champion, Kumiko.", he said and blushed himself. With tender care, as if it could rip with the slightest bit of too much strength, Liam took the ribbon and bound it to his left arm, where it would be visible next to the vambrace, a good spot, where it would be proudly displayed and not be in the way. As a test, he flexed his arm a few times, gave it a nod...
...and then turned to Kumiko, leaning in to a soft, tender kiss on her cheek.

Finn grinned back. "Awesome!", he cheered and told her: "I'm here with my family, too, from Scilly, a bit to the south and a lot to the west, but by train! Through rolling hills and over lush fields! Say, where are you going next today? Have you been to the Petting Zoo?"

The knight had managed to succeed in wrangling Yoshio, keeping a close hand on him to keep him moving forward. The two had no problem keeping up with the Sergeant but Larra noticed the Sergeant looking over to someone in the crowd for longer then a casual glance. "Hmm, someone you know, my lady?" he asked her.

The Sergeant nodded. "One of the shortstacks of my superior's superior's superior. Brigadier Oga, the MFC's Commanding Officer. The lad being here can only mean, that the Brigadier is here, too, most likely at the Lounge." She grinned. "The SDF donated quite a sum to the Cabhair Group, which hosts this festival, so they gave us a lounge to watch the proceedings. We can go there later, if you want!"
She grinned. "For now, though..."
Whatever she wanted to say was drowned out by the sound of a silver horn, sounding over the inner parts of the city they were in, sounding loudly and proudly.
"...fow now, let's get to the square, the Opening starts in a few minutes.", the Sergeant finished with a smile.

The members of Mara placed their gear in the designated area in a near and organized manner. Upon in inquiry of the leather-clad Selkie, Akela responded "Yes, yes we are. It is a pleasure. I'm Akela." Akela smiled and nodded happily reaching a hand out and shaking the other's. "I take it you're a member of one of the fellow bands? It's an honor to be performing with you. I had never imagined that we'd be performing in The Free Lands, but here we are! So far from home, exposing a new audience to our music!."

The leather-clad Selkie shook the offered hand, although a bit awkwardly.
"Yes, I'm Liliane.", she replied, "From Ard, it's my pleasure. Call me Lilly, though. Anyway..." She looked at the members of Akela's band. "You look like some Metal Sub-Genre... we play Rock, at Ard, but that's no reason to not get along, right?" She smiled a welcoming smile. "As it is, though, welcome to the Free Lands and Cuan, Lodan Lir's Pearl. Speaking of which - I didn't know, that foreign bands named themselves after a critter of the Great Sea."

[Krugeristan]

"Does this one have a name? If so, is he or she up for adoption?" Evanu asked, unaware of how his voice was trailing as he attempted to focus on both the fox and the old man.

"At least you have an interesting job," Golahman said. "Do you have any Black Foxes here that are . . . say, spontaneous, active, and can put a smile on your face?"

The old man smiled. "Her name is Bantiarna, or Ban for short.", he said, "And she really is a Lady. Sadly, she isn't up for adoption... It would break poor old Bacach's heart. She has many cubs, though, some of which are still free to be adopted."
Meanwhile, Bantiarna continued to lick the offered hand.

"You just described the average Black Fox.", Celina replied with a small smile, "Well, the average adult Black Fox. These cuties here are not really active at the moment and that's alright. But in general, you rarely see them laze about, spontanous activity in a multitude of ways and as for the smiles... it all depends on who is to smile."
She looked up.
"The thing is, Black Foxes, no matter how strictly raised, are little pranksters.", she explained, "Hence why there is a Big Black Fox."

"Well, what are the personality differences between the male and the female?" Evanu asked. "I'd like to know which would better suit President Assad. He's--" Evanu took out a small notebook, in it was taped a photograph of Assad that was usually intended to use for a missing persons report (which, fortunately, didn't have to be used for that purpose yet), "this is him. He's got a good heart, I can assure you, very intelligent, can be a bit of a wise-ass, devoted to his family and country, is active, but not active often."

"That would fit him well," Golahman muttered, thinking while speaking. "May I see whom is up for adoption?"

[The Selkie]

"Well, what are the personality differences between the male and the female?" Evanu asked. "I'd like to know which would better suit President Assad. He's--" Evanu took out a small notebook, in it was taped a photograph of Assad that was usually intended to use for a missing persons report (which, fortunately, didn't have to be used for that purpose yet), "this is him. He's got a good heart, I can assure you, very intelligent, can be a bit of a wise-ass, devoted to his family and country, is active, but not active often."

"That would fit him well," Golahman muttered, thinking while speaking. "May I see whom is up for adoption?"

The old man smiled apologetically, as he replied: "Deciding such matters is not up to me, you see?", he said as quite a few Black Foxes crowded around the picture, some even climbing over each other to have a look at the much-spoken-of man, Ban in the first row. They understood, what the young Corporal was saying and looked at the picture.
The old man, meanwhile, continued: "It is, first and foremost, up to the animal in question and the prospective owner. If they don't like each other from the get-go, it is hopeless. A pet, for us, is not a subordinate, but a partner, be it a Grey Wolf, a Black Fox or any other animal. Companions and fellowship..." He smiled. "These critters..."
Whatever was with these critters was relayed to posterity as a short scream came from the back room, screamed by a female voice very familiar to the old man. The old man turned white and reached under his counter, motioning to Evanu to take the lead.

Celina smiled as she heard his question. "One moment, please.", she said, and judged, that the little one in her arms had enough lunch. She removed the bottle, kissed the little one on the snout and headed back to the small basket with the other cubs.
The Black Fox, who had watched them the whole time, stood above it, looking at the little cubs... a glint in the eyes.
The young woman covered the little one up and pushed the basket under the table again. "They like that.", she explained, "Gives the impression of a cave, I guess. And it helps them sleep, too. I hope, that you understand, why none of them are for adoption yet. The others..." Celina stood up and turned to Golahman. "...well, I'll..."
Whatever she had to do, the Black Fox in her back tittered and with one jump tackled itself into Celina's back, lightly enough to not hurt her, but strong enough to throw her forward.
Into Golahman.
She reacted on instinct, a short scream escaping her lips as she threw her arms around the Krugeristani to keep herself from falling over, he seemed like a stable enough post... if he held, though, her being thrown into his back... that was another question.