Chairwoman Oomiya's Birthday Gala [Closed RP]

by **Socialist Macronesia** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 3:32 pm

Ordinarily, had Ross genuinely been having a good time, he would have probably gotten drunk, and learned all of the Japanese curses, before punching someone and running away. This was not, however, what Ross was doing. He was sitting, wide-eyed, drinking a glass of ice water, not saying a word.

Nate sat next to him. "You good, man?"

Ross shuddered. "Come with me."

"I'm not even mad, Ross. I'm just stunned."

"Look, we're gonna have to just go back inside, act like nothing even happened. We'll take it out, crash it into a river, boom."

They walked back inside, immediately encountering an inebriated Ari.

"HEEeey. Where have YOU been doing?"

"Oh, nothing. Ross is just up in arms about everything today."

"Yeah, right. Don't be a jerk, I've been gunning for you since the day Alex left."

"Damn, Ross. No reason to be so incendiary towards me."

"Well, they don't call me armor-piercing for nothing!"

Ari just hugged Ross and smiled.

by **Kiu Ghesik** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 4:27 pm

Ari smiled at Ross with a devious little grin on her face. Well, maybe it was devious. More likely, it was that same stupid half-addled grin. She had been trying not to make it, to be espresso- goddammit, not again, expressive!- like Vhi had, with those pants, they were shiny! But something in those drinks wasn't letting her. It was, but it wasn't, but it was, but it wasn't, but none of that mattered because Ross was playing a game! She could tell he was up to something, he was, he had that cheeky look about him. Or maybe it was worry? Eh, whatever. The game was afoot.

She wrapped her arms about him in a hug that wasn't really meant to be as tight as it was but really couldn't be prevented, inebriation not really lending itself to fine motor skills, and rubbed one cheek across his dress shirt. It was the one the Teddy Grandpa had licked, the creep. That had kind of put a damper on the karaoke, if "put a damper on" was an accurate way to describe "immediately ran into the backrooms of this place after menacing a crowd with a hefty flashlight". But he had done a good thing, because now Ross was here, and he was keeping a secret! Weren't those fun?

She removed her head from its place firmly implanted in his stomach and turned to look up at him with the same look he'd given her earlier. She remembered thinking he was out of his mind when he'd first proposed playing that weird little game about the murders, but then he'd brought the drinks, and then she'd realized how stupid that was, and... wow, he was looking really quite uncomfortable. She raised an eyebrow, grinned, and then broke out in an inexplicable laugh. He was so cute when he had a surprise for her. Like that time he'd hidden the funny stuff in the punch! Or... or... the punch, or the beer! The beer was good! And this would be just as good, too.

Well, it would be, when she found it out! And she was wasting time looking at the lovable little war criminal. Maybe... best out of three? Three questions? Yeah, that was it.

"Hey, Ross, where's, uh, do you have another fun thing somewhere You doooooo, right?"

An excellent opener! Now onto the next question.

"Where is it? Do you... do you wan' me to look for it?"

He looked confused- great. He was on the back foot, clearly! Maybe he wanted her to find it on her own? Yeah, that was it! She let go of him, barely caught herself before hitting the floor, staggering to her feet again and taking a shaky step forward. She turned around to look at him. He looked... pensive, yeah, that was the word, and quite concerned, still. And it was still cute. He wasn't in control here, any more. She was gonna find the secret! Well, maybe it would be more fun if he came? She still had a question left, after all.

"Do you wan' to come watch me find it? Cuz I can, I can, I'm not gonna mind if you, uh, help."

He didn't move. The only thing that changed was the worried expression on his face, now even deeper than it had been a moment before.

"Aight. Suit yourself, then, I's gon- *hic*- gon' look for it m'self, then." She staggered to a door at the end of the sparsely-furnished hall they were in, a metal door with wire netting over the glass and dirty pavement visible behind, and pushed against it. It didn't budge. She leaned harder against it- no movement. Well, that was frustrating. She turned back to it and noticed the handle.

Goddammit, Ari.

She reached down and took ahold of it, then turned to look at Ross, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

Huh. Why was he standing right behind her? Hadn't he been at the other end of the hall just a moment ago?

by **Socialist Macronesia** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 5:40 pm

Ross was doing everything he could to keep Ari out of the alley, where the van was. At least until he heard the front door open with a cresendo of light and noise. Ross heard yelling in a language he did not recognize, then in English:

"Everyone is under arrest!"

Probably not the thing foreign dignitaries wish to hear in their off time.

Okay, well then, so be it. Ross opened the door and pushed out Ari. Nate grabbed Alastair, and in the middle of the chaos now unfolding, threw the two into the back of the van. Ross heard what could have been gunshots, bottles breaking, or both. He didn't care, he just tore out of the alley as fast as he could.

Ari was drunkenly flopping around the back like a fish out of water. "Hey, why did you--"

She saw what she was laying in.

"Goddamn it, Ross."

Well. That sobered her up a little bit.

"Ross, I leave you for five minutes and you've already bought a quarter million dollars worth of illegal military weapons?"

A variety of rifles, explosives, and rocket launchers strewn the inside of the van.

Alastair coughed. "I think I have a surface to air missile in ze rear end."

He too, was just a little bit more sober.

by **Sanghyeok** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 5:47 pm

Ari collapsed, finally, from the alcohol. Ross and Ari followed not long after, their bodies slumping onto the floor before the rather puzzled district security officers.

The first thing that Ross, Ari, Nate, and Kehrer realised was that the floor was incredibly soft. The second thing they realised was that they were locked in a room, parted from their illicitly bought weapons.

Looking up, they saw a sign on the wall: Room 312.

"Chu'o Tokai Northern District Hospital Number 13 Mental Health Ward" said a voice that appeared out of nowhere.

by **Sanghyeok** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 5:54 pm

Ross's head was still hurting, and he wasn't quite sure what was going on. There had a been a voice above him that had said something about mental health, or a hospital, but beyond that he wasn't able to comprehend anything.

"Your treatment is now over" said the voice again, and Ross saw that there was another person in the room with them besides the half-wasted king and still-sleeping Caller. It was a doctor dressed in white gown, holding a holo-pad and entering some data on it.

"Treatment?" Ross asked, his mind still not completely functioning.

The doctor nodded. "All of your livers had to be completely replaced- I have no idea what you were drinking last night, but it doesn't seem to have been very good for your health."

At the word 'liver', Kehrer rolled over in his sleep.

Two hours later at 4:30 in the morning they were out of the hospital, each of them have been given a stern warning not to drink alcohol for the next few days for the sake of their newly grown livers.

Kehrer's guards, who had been reunited with the king, were watching him closely.

by **Kiu Ghesik** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 8:45 pm

Ari had left the hospital with two questions on her mind: Firstly, how was one meant to regrow a liver? It made no sense how such a thing was even possible. And secondly, had she really done that with Ross? And thought that about him? And imagined that? Or that? In that, er, state? She caught a glimpse of a white dress shirt out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at its owner- of course it was Ross, walking rather a bit away from her, after she'd made it clear he wasn't particularly wanted at the moment. But... he was quite, uh, interesting to, um, observe- goddammit, Ross. Clearly, she had done all that, no matter how much she wished she could forget- magically-removed alcohol didn't induce amnesia, as much as she wanted it to, and, well, if she went out drinking again someone would find out, and then Oomiya would find out, and then-

Oh, Mother. Oomiya was going to hear about this, wasn't she? All of it- and Vhiari had said that Oomiya didn't respect her before all this- and... where was Vhiari, anyways?

Better make that three questions.

Ari counted off on her fingers the places she'd last seen the attendant- at the hotel, in the car, at the bar (with those bright pink tights, mustn't forget those!)- at the bar. She'd left Vhiari at the bar. What if she was lost? What if she couldn't get to the hotel? What if she was left here forever!? What if-

And of course Vhiari was waiting for them back at the hotel. How she'd gotten there was an absolute mystery, as was where she'd managed to get that novelty tie with the atoms on it, and where the crumbs on her shirt had come from- was that blueberry?- but nonetheless, there she was, sitting in the lobby with a magazine she couldn't read in one hand and an iced tea in the other. She'd rejoined the party as they headed to the elevator without a word, followed Ari to their rooms in complete silence, nodded at a rather stunned and sleepy Patyughin lying on the hallway floor, who hurriedly greeted the pair with equal parts admonition and relief:

"Oh my God, you're alright! I heard about what happened, or rather I heard that something had happened, and then they told me you had to go to the, um, the hospital, that's the place with the healers, and I was worried about you and- oh, wow. Vhi, where'd you get that tie?"

With a conspiratorial smile she shared with no one but herself, Vhiari put a finger to his lips.

"Why does your hand smell like hairgel?"

She shook her head wordlessly and walked off to her room, shutting the door silently yet forcefully. Confusedly, Patyu turned to his friend.

"Ari, I... I don't know what to say, I shouldn't have let you go, I knew this was stupid, I- Ross didn't fuck with you, did he? I swear to God, I'll kill him and feed his fucking entrails t-"

Ari smiled and took Patyu in an embrace. He smelled like chocolate bars, she thought. It made sense, he was sitting in a small pile of wrappers, after all. Stress did things to a man, unholy things. "No, I'm fine. He bought me some drinks, we talked, stuff like that. Like he promised he would. The fat man in the suit, though, he assaulted my bloody ears with his singing. And, well, you don't need to know the rest. Just... leave the, uh, the entrails to me."

He leaned against the wall and sighed, the weight of his worry slipping off him as he buried his hands in his head, digging his fingers through his hair. "Oh, my- you're blessed, you know that? You've got the winds at your back." A thought struck him then, and he sat up. "Wait. Drinks?"

"Nothing was in them. It was just beer. We played Clue. You know, I think... never mind. He's not as bad as you think, you know."

Patyu shot Ari a warning glance. "If you try to excuse that dishonorable murderous bastard for what he did-"

Now it was Ari's turn to silence him. "Just... don't worry about Ross. Go to sleep. You're definitely coming with me to the gala tomorrow. You need it."

27 November 2022

He thought he remembered waking up in the hospital with a slurry of sounds and faces surrounding him. At some point, he was being moved, and then he heard the word "liver" in his half sleep. Then there were the documents, instructions, the return of freshly laundered clothes in an environmentally sustainable bag. There was the wheelchair ride and the reuniting with his guards. He was too bleary to make out their faces. He was lifted into a car seat and buckled in, and he was scrutinized the entire drive back to the hotel.

Alastair awakened in his hotel room to slats of morning light shining through the windows. He was curled up in bed under thick blankets with his head elevated by pillows. A strange taste of something sterile lingered in his parched mouth, yet he had no motivation to reach for the glass of water set out for him. His mind and body were not quite aligned; he was detached, almost, from his physical form.

There was a series of bottles lined up in a sort of battalion behind the water. He assumed they were for him, but what they did, he was not keen on knowing. He did not know if his guards even knew he was awake. He did not know if Marie--

Oh God. Marie. What was he going to tell her? That he had done the complete opposite of what he had promised and ended up in a life-threatening situation? That he'd gotten a...magically...grown liver because the original was riddled with disease? Cirrhosis, they had informed him, if he remembered things accurately.

Things along the lines of depression and alcoholism had been said. That was perhaps his most vivid memory. Whether they had done anything to his brain, he did not know. But he thought one of them had mentioned something about therapy.

Alastair was not sure if he could make this all go away with a drink, even if he wanted one. For, at the moment, there was no pang. No craving. His only feeling was that of floccinaucinihilipilification, albeit a vague degree of it. The feeling was directed at himself, for what was he if not worthless? Marie did not need to come, and if she did, she would be wasting her time.

Yes, yes, that was the right course of action. Lay in bed and shut himself out from the world. Maybe turn to food as his primary source of escape if he could never drink alcohol again. A few additional kilograms were nothing when he was already fat. Or he could turn to a weaker drug like coffee or tea. Or both. They would curb the alcohol cravings if nothing else. As long as it let him avoid what he had done, it was worthy.

by **Socialist Macronesia** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 9:22 pm

The doctors came to release Ross and Nate.

"Mind telling me what happened last night, Ross?"

"Nate, I have no clue. Last thing I remember was--"

Drunkenly making out with Ari in the back of the van. Anything beyond that was a blur.

"...I think we crashed and I fell unconscious."

"Oh. Suppose it's a relief we're alive then."

Ross immediately walked in a path away from Ari that would draw as little attention as possible.

They got back to the hotel.

"Oh God."

"What? What is wrong?"

"We have to meet Oomiya at the gala today!"

"Then I suppose you had better suit up."

by **Sanghyeok** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 10:54 pm

8 October, Morning

The glowing rays of the morning sun flooded the room, and although there was no birdsong to accompany it as in Shtet, the Weil found herself awakening naturally.

"It's time to wake, dear" she called out gently to the lady who was still sleeping on the bed. There was just a hint of excitement in the Shtetan President's voice, and that was enough to move Esther. She rubbed her eyes before sitting up in a fluid motion that made her seem 30 years younger than she actually was. Even after she sat up, though, she was still reluctant to leave the bed- rightfully so, for feeling of the downs was rather magical. Literally- magic was used in light industry factories to increase the thread count of all sorts of textiles including sheets, covers, and duvets. At last, though, with some encouragement from Weil she finally washed up and the two of them headed downstairs to eat breakfast, hand in hand.

Following a delightful breakfast of miso soup, white rice, teriyaki salmon, pickled vegetables, and soymilk, they made their way to the lobby, where Takashi had been waiting.

"Good morning President Weil, Esther" Takashi said, bowing slightly. "Your ride to the Chairwoman's Residence has arrived." Saying this, she gestured to the arrivals area of the hotel, where a black car with two flags towards the front. One of them Weil recognised as the Star of David bearing blue-and-white flag of Shtet, while the other featured a golden hammer, sickle, and bar on crimson of Sanghyeok. With a surprising amount of dexterity the two ladies entered the rear row of the car, and before long they were off towards the Chairwoman's Residence.

A few minutes later, they were standing before the Gate of Daybreak, one of the entrances to the Chairwoman's Residence.

OOC: According to my research, even if they have scales removed salmon fillets are still kosher if they are a variety which is naturally red. But please correct me if I am wrong.

by **Sanghyeok** » Fri Oct 09, 2020 11:08 pm

"Can I come?" asked the man in front of Yamada.

"Can I come?" asked Yamada, rhetorically. "Can I also ruin the park beauty officer's day too, by taking down three statues from the Fountain of Magical Heroes, bringing said statues to the middle of nowhere, and then enjoying substances from the last century in that area, all on a hammock? Next thing you'll be asking me to make you a commissar in the People's Armed Forces!"

"I wouldn't mind that, actually." the man said, and Yamada let out another sigh. Was it the fourth or fifth of the day? Evidently, she had made someone in Heaven very angry, and now she was getting punished by having to put up with this annoying man in front of her.

"Fine," Yamada finally offered. The response was unexpected, and Kotera almost didn't believe he was hearing correctly. "Here are the facts: My shift ends in an hour and I want to go to Lapis Lazuli Mall afterwards. I don't' want to show up tired, because there's a lot of window shopping to be done. My magical ability is unfortunately related to fire, and therefore not very useful here. So the deal is, if you'll kindly return these statues- all of them- to the fountain, then we can go to the mall together afterwards. And there's one more secret condition."

"What is that?" Kotera asked. He didn't mind the physical labour part- after all, he was more than used to it by now for various reasons legal and morally grey- but the way she smiled when suggesting the "secret condition" made him uneasy.

"It's a secret" she said, rolling her eyes at Kotera's response. "It wouldn't be a secret if I told you right now, would it?"

"Fine, I accept". It was Yamada's turn to be surprised, but the look of shock only lasted a moment.

"Have fun being dressed as a schoolgirl's outfit when we go to the mall, then" Yamada said, her voice cheery. "We're going to have a fun cosplay party, just like the Chairwoman did with her friends from Azur Deutschland last year!"

by **Wuchu** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:54 am

"Wait, what-" I said, but even before I finished, she had turned and began to walk away once again. In her place, stood the statues I took. I exhaled, and picked one up - it was quite hefty, and the air escaped my lungs, strained, as I pulled it up to my chest, readjusting my grip on it with a gentle bump with my knee. Yamada was already a good 20, maybe 25 metres ahead of me.

"Where's the fountain?" I shouted in her direction. She didn't turn around this time - merely raising her hand, pointing a finger to the left of her. Her hair swayed in waves with each jumpy step she took, as if she was filled with a new sense of gratification.

And so I walked, carefully, so as not to drop the presumably very expensive garden decor I was holding.

"Pentti said, in no uncertain terms: 'absolutely no crossdressing'," I muttered under my breath to myself. "'It never ends well, you always end up getting a position in some dictator's harem.'" I could hear his protests already. "'Last time you put on some make-up, you started a slave rebellion; you're being ridiculous and reckless.'"

Blah, blah, blah, Pentti. You're not even here.

"'Well maybe I should be,'" faux-Pentti rebutted. "'I asked if you wanted me to come.'"

And I said no.

"'Yes, because you're a silly, silly bitch,'" he didn't say. "'This is what happens when I'm not with you.'"

After a few wrong turns, I found the fountain. It was big, to say the least. It was made up of two separate pools - one shallow, wide circular one, with smaller fountains gently pushing water around. In the middle, however, was a raised platform, surrounded by statues of women unknown to me - presumably, these were the Magical Girls the fountain was named after. In the centre of their cult circle was a huge geyser, spewing water in the four cardinal directions.

I took off my boots, and pulled up the cuff of my pants up to my knee, so that they wouldn't get wet. Then, I got into the fountain.

The water was very cold, and the coins scattered across the bottom of the larger pool didn't exactly provide an enjoyable foot massage. Nonetheless, I managed to cross the width of it. Thankfully, the statues were all labeled with a single symbol at their foot of their pedestals, and although I didn't speak the language, I could easily match the statue with the right spot - turns out the yeshiva kindie wasn't useless after all.

With one push, the first statue was back up.

I turned around, and as I did, I noticed a familiar head likewise turning around. Yamada was standing off in the distance, cutting the branches of one of the park's bushes with flicks of her finger - little sparks and flames danced from her hand, and with every snap of her fingers, she burnt away the undesired branches.

by **Socialist Macronesia** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 10:14 am

Ross and Nate stepped out onto the curb. Ross was wearing one of his luxurious silk imports. Nate was wearing a much more utilitarian coat and khakis.

"I assume our ride will be here anytime soon."

The two stood waiting for a few minutes.

"Kobayashi was supposed to schedule the ride, wasn't she?"

I assume she didn't exactly want to help us after what I did to her.

"No worries, I'll drive there. Wait here, Nate, I'll get the car."

Right as Ross left, Patyu came outside.

Nate and Patyu stared at each other for a few moments, both too scared to say a word.

Patyu blurted out. "Did they..."

"Well, Ross won't tell me what happened last night. Says he doesn't remember. But unfortunately, I did."

"Well, Ari remembered the night. And she must have had more alcohol than he did, how would--"

"That's not important. I saw them."

"Oh, Sky-Mother..."

"I didn't drink anything last night, I was supposed to drive. I was all too lucid of what they were doing."

"I'm gonna kill him."

"They seemed to be both enjoying themselves--" Nate broke down laughing.

Patyu was not.

"Patyu, just let them do their thing."

"I'm supposed to protect her!"

"Well, uhh, I think Ross can protect her just well enough." He chuckled again.

"Why is that funny?"

"You wouldn't get it."

The two just kind of stood for a minute or two.

Eventually Nate just shrugged. "So, you want to get a beer or something after the gala?"

by **Sanghyeok** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 4:25 pm

New Goldman wrote:October 8, 10:30 AM

"Alright boys, today's the day. We better prepare ourselves to meet the Chairwoman later on." Norton said to everyone in the room with him. They were prepared to head to the Residence by 11AM. Everyone was frantically preparing for the trip.

"Man, I'm excited." One of the aides said to the other.

"I know." Replied the other aide. Everyone was pumped up and down to business at this very moment.

"Hope it all goes well." Norton said as he prepared his final belongings.

Norton II boarded the car along with his assistants, and in what seemed like moments they had been transported from the hotel to the eastern entrance of the Chairwoman's Residence.

"Good morning, Emperor of New Goldman" said the man who helped him out. "The events of the Birthday Gala will be starting shortly. In the meantime, you are welcome to enjoy the outer gardens, along with the various ponds. Please savor them to your content, and you will be informed when it is time for lunch."

Norton nodded and with his guards was soon exploring one of the many paths inside of the Tokai Gyoen gardens. Many of the seasonal trees were bearing orange leaves, which swayed about in the gentle fall breeze that blew through the grounds.

by **Kiu Ghesik** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 4:27 pm

Patyu thought about that for a moment. On the one hand, this was Ross' right-hand-man, and the sort of people Ross kept around were in all likelihood just little Rosses in their own right. On the other... this trip had turned into little more than a living hell. At least for him. Ari and Vhi were probably having, er, fun, and the other attendants had been able to get some blissful sleep. But not Patyu. Poor, poor Patyu, the only one who cared enough to wait for his best friend, who loved her like a little sister- who perpetually made himself a bloody nuisance. Why she tolerated him, he didn't know. Maybe she didn't, and that was why she'd gone and left him? To go and... be... with Ross? Of all people, John Ross? Why?

None of it made sense. He just wanted to forget it all. Of course he needed a drink.

"Yes, goddammit. Please."

They sat in silence for a moment longer.

"So, uh. You, uh, work for Ross, huh? You ever just wanna... put your gun against his head, pull the trigger, now he's dead? Get rid of him? I mean, he's got to be annoying as hell, what with all the shit he gets up to."

Nate might've shaken his head at that, or he might've nodded. Whatever he did, it was crisp and clipped, a half-asserted sentiment that he likely wanted to leave ambiguous. Good choice. Patyu would've done the same, in his shoes.

More silence, then. And a morbid question.

"Um... her and Ross, huh? Was she g-"

Thankfully, or rather somewhat damningly, the door behind them opened and the rest of the Ghesite entourage filed out one after the other, all looking significantly more rested than baggy-eyed Patyu, with the possible exception of Vhiari. The latter was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, freshly cleaned, complete with those stupid tights. At least she had pants this time. Or shorts. Running shorts. Probably stolen from the convenience store. Actually, yeah, those were definitely stolen, Patyu remembered they were on the rack next to the vending machine. She looked like him; that was, she had that signature "crumpled" look, the kind one only has when their last bit of shut-eye was well more than 24 hours behind them. Somehow, though, she was smiling, blissfully staring off at some far-off place.

Whatever. Freak.

Ari looked far more collected than she had last night when she'd come in from the hospital, dressed in the furs and tunic she'd dispensed with yesterday with the gift in its package clasped under one arm. The flashlight still hung from her waist, though, a quite amusing anachronism when compared to her rustic getup. It was almost like she was trying to forget what had happened last night by ignoring its very existence. Good for her, Patyu thought. I would too. She glared at Nate for a moment before grabbing Patyu by the shoulder and pulling him away in an iron grip. Nate gave him a sympathetic look as he was dragged the full distance from one bus station to the next.

He gave her a knowing look. "So, uh, have a good rest? I mean, after last night's fun, you needed it- ah!"

Ari firmly implanted an elbow under his ribcage. "No. Gala. Don't ruin it."

They stood in silence then, waiting.

by **Sanghyeok** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 4:37 pm

Libertalonia wrote:Lilith wondered if when they'll visit the museum, She's heavily interested in the history of this federation. as she looked at the map, she could only wonder out loud.

"Has, Oomiya or any other leader at this party actually been through such a trial of fire like me?.. not saying that I've been through the worst but, I've been in the army... and fought... again... and again... Gained and lost friends, Seen the best and worst.. lived and.. regrettably did some things, still haunts me to this day, that's why lisa asked for a medicene to PTSD, The faces.. faces of the dead and living"

The bodyguards silently patted Lilith on the back as she went back to taking notes. She wasn't thinking right, maybe a visit to the museum might clear her mind.

As the car continued on it's way, Wallace noted that Bonnie was busy covering her face for some reason.

Taichiro heard Lilith's question, but couldn't offer much in response. Almost everyone in the Federation knew the story of the Chairwoman's past, but he wasn't sure if now was the right time to bring it up.

Instead, using his most soothing voice, he tried to comfort Lilith. "I can understand, you know. I may not look like it from my appearance, but I am far older than you think. I, too, have fought on the front lines back during our wars, lost comrades in battle, grieved those who fell before my eyes. It's natural to be afraid, to feel guilty. But all that which happened in the past isn't your fault, and you shouldn't think you are guilty for surviving when your fellow soldiers did not."

Taichiro didn't know why, but he felt the urge to do something more, and suddenly before he realised it he was holding Lilith's hands, trying to transmit his warmth to her, as if to tell her everything was alright. When he finally saw what he was doing, awkwardness swept over him, and he tried to pull his hand back.

"Sorry" he said in a low voice, apologising.

"It's alright" Lilith replied, "I feel better now. Thank you, Taichiro."

There was a silence in the car after that, before they finally arrived at the museum.

8 October.

Lilith woke up to knocking on her door. She opened it, still in her nightdress, to the face of her assistant.

"It's time to go to the Gala" she said. "There's just an hour or so left until it begins, and we don't want to be late in our first trip to this nation."

by **Sanghyeok** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 4:37 pm

Wuchu wrote:"Wait, what-" I said, but even before I finished, she had turned and began to walk away once again. In her place, stood the statues I took. I exhaled, and picked one up - it was quite hefty, and the air escaped my lungs, strained, as I pulled it up to my chest, readjusting my grip on it with a gentle bump with my knee. Yamada was already a good 20, maybe 25 metres ahead of me.

"Where's the fountain?" I shouted in her direction. She didn't turn around this time - merely raising her hand, pointing a finger to the left of her. Her hair swayed in waves with each jumpy step she took, as if she was filled with a new sense of gratification.

And so I walked, carefully, so as not to drop the presumably very expensive garden decor I was holding.

"Pentti said, in no uncertain terms: 'absolutely no crossdressing'," I muttered under my breath to myself. "'It never ends well, you always end up getting a position in some dictator's harem.'" I could hear his protests already. "'Last time you put on some make-up, you started a slave rebellion; you're being ridiculous and reckless.'"

Blah, blah, blah, Pentti. You're not even here.

"'Well maybe I should be,'" faux-Pentti rebutted. "'I asked if you wanted me to come.'"

And I said no.

"'Yes, because you're a silly, silly bitch,'" he didn't say. "'This is what happens when I'm not with you.'"

After a few wrong turns, I found the fountain. It was big, to say the least. It was made up of two separate pools - one shallow, wide circular one, with smaller fountains gently pushing water around. In the middle, however, was a raised platform, surrounded by statues of women unknown to me - presumably, these were the Magical Girls the fountain was named after. In the centre of their cult circle was a huge geyser, spewing water in the four cardinal directions.

I took off my boots, and pulled up the cuff of my pants up to my knee, so that they wouldn't get wet. Then, I got into the fountain.

The water was very cold, and the coins scattered across the bottom of the larger pool didn't exactly provide an enjoyable foot massage. Nonetheless, I managed to cross the width of it. Thankfully, the statues were all labeled with a single symbol at their foot of their pedestals, and although I didn't speak the language, I could easily match the statue with the right spot - turns out the yeshiva kindie wasn't useless after all.

With one push, the first statue was back up.

I turned around, and as I did, I noticed a familiar head likewise turning around. Yamada was standing off in the distance, cutting the branches of one of the park's bushes with flicks of her finger - little sparks and flames danced from her hand, and with every snap of her fingers, she burnt away the undesired branches.

One by one Kotera raised the statues onto the raised platform where they belonged. Soon enough, all the Magical Girl commissars had been returned to their rightful positions in the middle of the fountain, each of them lined up perfectly with the four water geysers in the ring below them. The way they were arranged reminded Kotera of an odd flower, except that each petal had been replaced by a human for some reason. Each of the Magical Girls was put in an action pose- leaping forwards, casting a spell, or otherwise in battle- and they all wore an expression on their face that was halfway between excitement and hope. Kotera wondered if he had looked the same way sometimes during his illicit substance- no, perfectly legal here, he thought- sessions like the one he had finished not long ago.

Finished with his task, Kotera took a deep breath. His arms were a bit sore from the lifting, but 20 kilos of what he assumed was fiberglass was nothing compared to his usual work, and he didn't feel tired at all. Sitting by the side of the fountain with feet and lower legs that were still dripping from the cold water, he let out a slight shudder from the chill. It was early October, after all, and although it was far from wintery conditions fall in Chu'o Tokai was still colder than summer.

"Are you cold?" Yamada's voice called out behind him. Without him realising it, she had finished her own work with the greenery, and was now perched on the platform just above him. Kotera nodded slightly, although he tried not to show his discomfort from the chill.

"I can handle it" he replied, before making to put on his boots.

"Wait!" Yamada said, understanding the situational irony right as she said this. Is it my turn to ask favours of him now? Certainly, it is as if we are all characters in some second-tier author's story. She didn't let Kotera answer though, and leapt down deftly onto the grass before Kotera. Before Kotera could reject, Yamada had already conjured a small blue flame in her hands.

Kotera's heartrate didn't even have time to speed up before his feet and legs were completely dry, and Yamada extinguished the flames easily with a smirk on her face.

"Were you afraid?" she asked, teasingly.

Kotera let out a laugh, and Yamada couldn't tell if it was a nervous one or one of enjoyment. From what I know, it's probably both.

Lapis Lazuli Mall was huge. From the blurry view that he was able to get as Yamada dragged him around excitedly, he was able to understand the popularity of this place. 12 floors of all the state-owned stores a young working professional could dream of: salons, the newest designer clothes, arcades, karaoke, bars, restaurants with cuisines of all sorts, jewelry, an entire section dedicated to stuffed plushies, bookstores, and even seven-yes, seven!- parfait chains each claiming they were the store of choice for Chairwoman Oomiya. Unfortunately for Kotera, however, he was being forced to endure all of this while dressed in a white and blue schoolgirl uniform, complete with the words "Number 23 Northern District High School" on the front. Damn me and my decision making. Pentti was right, why did I reject her offer again?

"And what would you like to order, dear.....customer?" The voice of a waiter brought him back to attention, and he looked down at the menu. There was a dizzying array of parfait in rainbow colours- chocolate, double chocolate, vanilla, cookies and creme, matcha, special vanilla, blueberry, red bean, and more. But there was one in particular that took up half the page: in bright pink letters at the top it said "Chairwoman's Strawberry Parfait: Chairwoman Oomiya's professed favourite!", alongside two images. The first was an image of the admittedly delicious looking strawberry parfait, and the second a portrait of Chairwoman Oomiya with a pleased expression on her face. There was more text explaining it below: 10 million sold in one year! Our head chef was trained for 3 years to make "Oomiya-style Parfait!"

"One...Chairwoman's Strawberry Parfait" Kotera said, not sure what he was getting himself into.

by **Sanghyeok** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 4:47 pm

Kiu Ghesik wrote:Patyu thought about that for a moment. On the one hand, this was Ross' right-hand-man, and the sort of people Ross kept around were in all likelihood just little Rosses in their own right. On the other... this trip had turned into little more than a living hell. At least for him. Ari and Vhi were probably having, er, fun, and the other attendants had been able to get some blissful sleep. But not Patyu. Poor, poor Patyu, the only one who cared enough to wait for his best friend, who loved her like a little sister- who perpetually made himself a bloody nuisance. Why she tolerated him, he didn't know. Maybe she didn't, and that was why she'd gone and left him? To go and... be... with Ross? Of all people, John Ross? Why?

None of it made sense. He just wanted to forget it all. Of course he needed a drink.

"Yes, goddammit. Please."

They sat in silence for a moment longer.

"So, uh. You, uh, work for Ross, huh? You ever just wanna... put your gun against his head, pull the trigger, now he's dead? Get rid of him? I mean, he's got to be annoying as hell, what with all the shit he gets up to."

Nate might've shaken his head at that, or he might've nodded. Whatever he did, it was crisp and clipped, a half-asserted sentiment that he likely wanted to leave ambiguous. Good choice. Patyu would've done the same, in his shoes.

More silence, then. And a morbid question.

"Um... her and Ross, huh? Was she g-"

Thankfully, or rather somewhat damningly, the door behind them opened and the rest of the Ghesite entourage filed out one after the other, all looking significantly more rested than baggy-eyed Patyu, with the possible exception of Vhiari. The latter was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, freshly cleaned, complete with those stupid tights. At least she had pants this time. Or shorts. Running shorts. Probably stolen from the convenience store. Actually, yeah, those were definitely stolen, Patyu remembered they were on the rack next to the vending machine. She looked like him; that was, she had that signature "crumpled" look, the kind one only has when their last bit of shut-eye was well more than 24 hours behind them. Somehow, though, she was smiling, blissfully staring off at some far-off place.

Whatever. Freak.

Ari looked far more collected than she had last night when she'd come in from the hospital, dressed in the furs and tunic she'd dispensed with yesterday with the gift in its package clasped under one arm. The flashlight still hung from her waist, though, a quite amusing anachronism when compared to her rustic getup. It was almost like she was trying to forget what had happened last night by ignoring its very existence. Good for her, Patyu thought. I would too. She glared at Nate for a moment before grabbing Patyu by the shoulder and pulling him away in an iron grip. Nate gave him a sympathetic look as he was dragged the full distance from one bus station to the next.

He gave her a knowing look. "So, uh, have a good rest? I mean, after last night's fun, you needed it- ah!"

Ari firmly implanted an elbow under his ribcage. "No. Gala. Don't ruin it."

They stood in silence then, waiting.

Ten minutes passed before Ari heard it: the sound of electrical motors common throughout the Federation that she had now grown familiar to. As expected, two large cars pulled up to right beside them, and Ari found herself surprised still by the moving vehicles. The light, almost mosquito-like hum of whatever invisible force propelled them seemed at odds with their speed and size.

"Please enter, Caller Ari," a woman and man in uniform directed, and Ari and her attendants boarded the car.

Then the doors were closed, and they were off on their journey to the Chairwoman's Residence- or Syuseki Gosho in the language of the country that the Chairwoman ruled over. Ari , from her position in the front right seat of the car, looked about at the landscape passing in front of them. She had been about several times since her arrival, of course, but she had never taken the time to carefully take in the environment. The day she had been teleported here by some incredible force, Ari had been too tired and anxious, and the days afterward she had either been too drunk or their outings too late at night.

Now, though, the full skyline before her was obvious: there were buildings that reached high into the skies, so high Ari wondered if they would block the blowing currents of wind and obscure the clouds themselves. How would that influence the Sky-Mother's messengers, she wondered. There were so many people- Ari counted thousands upon thousands of tribes worth of people gathered in the sides of the roads, wearing clothes that she was now familiar with. There were vehicles even larger than the one she was riding in, going about at speeds that she estimated was at least a hundred yaks if not more, all while carrying immense loads. And that was even without mentioning the magic! But most shocking of all was the way the citizens of this Federation were treating this as if it was absolutely normal- they didn't seem to pay any attention to the flurry of movement and light and construction and magical powers around them, and Ari realised why. This is perfectly mundane for them, she thought.

Her thoughts were cut short when one of the officials spoke to her: "Caller Ari, we have arrived at the Gate of Daybreak. Please disembark and wait. You will shortly cross the bridge ahead of you to enter the Chairwoman's Residence."

by **Socialist Macronesia** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 5:41 pm

The car arrived at the main gate of the Chairwoman's residence.

The woman working the gate put on a smile.

"Greetings to Socialist Macronesia! John Ross, I assume?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Where's your attendant?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"Alright, wait here."

Nate looked Ross in the eye. "You better have left your multitool at the hotel."

"Relax, Nate. Yes, I did."

by **Sanghyeok** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 5:43 pm

Socialist Macronesia wrote:The car arrived at the main gate of the Chairwoman's residence.

The woman working the gate put on a smile.

"Greetings to Socialist Macronesia! John Ross, I assume?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Where's your attendant?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"Alright, wait here."

[OOC: I will reply to this after all the other countries are here.]

by **Socialist Macronesia** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 5:45 pm

Sanghyeok wrote:
Socialist Macronesia wrote:The car arrived at the main gate of the Chairwoman's residence.

The woman working the gate put on a smile.

"Greetings to Socialist Macronesia! John Ross, I assume?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Where's your attendant?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"Alright, wait here."

[OOC: I will reply to this after all the other countries are here.]

[OOC: Kind of the point of the wait.]

by **New Goldman** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 6:04 pm

Norton's limo pulled up by the main gate, next to Socialist Macronesia's own car. The woman saw the car as it stopped in place.

"Is this the Chairwoman's Residence?" One of the Marines escorting the Emperor asked from the car window.

"Yes" she replied. "Your the New Goldman delegation right?"

"Yes." The Marine replied.

"Welcome!" The woman said.

From inside the car, the delegation grabbed their things as they prepared to exit.

by **Libertalonia** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 9:39 pm

Sanghyeok wrote:
Libertalonia wrote:Lilith wondered if when they'll visit the museum, She's heavily interested in the history of this federation. as she looked at the map, she could only wonder out loud.

"Has, Oomiya or any other leader at this party actually been through such a trial of fire like me?.. not saying that I've been through the worst but, I've been in the army... and fought... again... and again... Gained and lost friends, Seen the best and worst.. lived and.. regrettably did some things, still haunts me to this day, that's why lisa asked for a medicene to PTSD, The faces.. faces of the dead and living"

The bodyguards silently patted Lilith on the back as she went back to taking notes. She wasn't thinking right, maybe a visit to the museum might clear her mind.

As the car continued on it's way, Wallace noted that Bonnie was busy covering her face for some reason.

Taichiro heard Lilith's question, but couldn't offer much in response. Almost everyone in the Federation knew the story of the Chairwoman's past, but he wasn't sure if now was the right time to bring it up.

Instead, using his most soothing voice, he tried to comfort Lilith. "I can understand, you know. I may not look like it from my appearance, but I am far older than you think. I, too, have fought on the front lines back during our wars, lost comrades in battle, grieved those who fell before my eyes. It's natural to be afraid, to feel guilty. But all that which happened in the past isn't your fault, and you shouldn't think you are guilty for surviving when your fellow soldiers did not."

Taichiro didn't know why, but he felt the urge to do something more, and suddenly before he realised it he was holding Lilith's hands, trying to transmit his warmth to her, as if to tell her everything was alright. When he finally saw what he was doing, awkwardness swept over him, and he tried to pull his hand back.

"Sorry" he said in a low voice, apologising.

"It's alright" Lilith replied, "I feel better now. Thank you, Taichiro."

There was a silence in the car after that, before they finally arrived at the museum.

8 October.

Lilith woke up to knocking on her door. She opened it, still in her nightdress, to the face of her assistant.

"It's time to go to the Gala" she said. "There's just an hour or so left until it begins, and we don't want to be late in our first trip to this nation."

"Right! let's get ready!" Lilith said jumping out of bed. She ran to the shower and got dressed. Soon, she wore her presidential uniform and headed out with her entourage.

as she got into the car with the rest, Wallace mentally prepared himself as he grabbed several notes and recited them, foreign greetings.

by **Wuchu** » Sat Oct 10, 2020 9:45 pm

"One... Chairwoman's Strawberry Parfait," I uttered, and the waiter quickly scribbled it down, nodding.

"And for you, ma'am?" they asked Yamada.

"One as well, please," she said. Again, the water nodded while noting the order.

"It will be just a minute," they assured us, before quickly marching off, presumably towards the kitchen.

Yamads looked at me, still giggling slightly at my attire. She wore a wide smile on her face, showing the white of her teeth. "Have you had it before?" she asked me in a quick rhythm, each syllable pronounced with an accent.

I shook my head. "It's my first time here, actually."

Her mouth opened in shock, or perhaps amazement. Perhaps both. "Oh, you are going to love it! I always get it after my shift. It is delicious~!" she rolled the last syllable in a sing-song voice.

After only a couple of minutes, the waiter came back, holding a tray with two tall glasses of parfait. They placed the desserts in front of us. They were tall. Overtly tall, even. Like a poorly-placed bouquet of flowers in the centre of a dinner table, the cone obscured my vision almost entirely.

"So... it's like ice cream, right?" I asked.

Yamada bent to the side, looking around the glasses. She had already taken a few spoonfuls, although she ate very delicately, very professionally - as professional as one could eat, anyway. She nodded enthusiastically.

"Try it!" she exclaimed, picking up the spoon I was given by the waiter, and shoving it into my hand.

And so, I did. With the small dessert spoon, I scooped up an insignificant amount of the white ice cream, as well as single slice of a strawberry. It tasted... like what kids imagine clouds tasting like. Fluffy, soft, and fun. The strawberry, however, had a slightly off-taste, as if it had been grown in a lab, or produced in underground hydroponics, the way they did in the Katastrophestaat back home.

Yamada watched me with enthusiasm, trying to read my expression.

"What do you think?" she said, swallowing another spoonful of her own dessert.

I shrugged my shoulders. "It's alright," I said. It was more than alright - it was actually pretty damn good. "I'm not much of a sweet tooth."

Her face dropped, and she turned back to her own glass. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, I tried to move on with the conversation.

"Do you reckon they'll serve this at the birthday gala?"

"Oh, definitely." She chuckled slightly. "I can't wait for the Chairwoman's speech. She always manages to make it even more interesting than the previous year."

"I should probably be making my way over to the party soon," I said nonchalantly.

"Yes, I woul-" she stopped before she finished the word. Cogs turned in her head. "Wait, I don't understand. What party?"

"The gala thingy," I said.

Although the cones were still in the way, obscuring most of her face, you could see she was still processing the information.

"The birthday gala?"

"Yeah, that one."

"The birthday gala of Chairwoman Oomiya?"

"Mhm," I nodded, chewing on the granola from the parfait.

by **Rhim Flavezztowland** » Sun Oct 11, 2020 7:11 am

October 8 - 11:00 Chu'o Tokai time
It was an hour away from noon in the outer gardens of Chairwoman Oomiya's residence, and I (Jonathan Skyes) was walking in those green gardens of grandeur with a belly filled with Darjeeling tea and macarons when I suddenly met the Sanghyeokian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Her name was Sato Hitomi!

"Hi," Hitomi greeted to me.

"Er... Hi," greeted I back to her. I then asked her this question: "So... I'm the Flavezztowlander delegate that's attending Chairwoman Oomiya's birthday party, right?"

"Correct," she replied, and then continued, "You arrived at the residences this morning at 09:30 if I remember correctly..."

"Uh..." I thought. I then replied, "You remembered the time I arrived here correctly!" To explain this further, I'd arrived at this Japanese-style residence at 09:30 via the Gate of Daybreak in a limo driven by none other than a Japanese limo driver named Otani Satoshi, and I had my morning snack of macarons and a cup of Darjeeling tea at 10:00.

"Thank you," complimented Hitomi, who then told me this: "By the way, I would like to remind you that lunch will be served as soon as we can, and that the lunch set you've chosen is the vegan one - lots of vegan stuff for the 1st to 3rd dishes, and shaved ice for dessert. I'd also like to remind you that your entry of Orange Caramel Pudding will be tasted by Chairwoman Oomiya this evening, so you'll know the results by the end of her birthday gala."

"Thank you very much for the information," I complimented. I then continued walking in the lush inner gardens of the Chairwoman's residence, with my lunchtime - where I'd be eating together with the other foreign delegates that were attending the Chairwoman's 861st birthday gala - looming...

by **Greatdux** » Sun Oct 11, 2020 10:10 am

Oktober 8 2020

Katár has been waiting for this all along. His servant Kúrfermann See-Lee also waited for this all along. They already buckled up for the Gala.

"Kúrfermann?"
"Ja?"
"I think we’re late."
"Ugh, this saying again?"

Of course, they already typed on the computer, was toured through the city, and slept in the hotel room.
But now it was time... for the grand.

(OOC: pardon me for the hiatus)

Chairwoman Oomiya's Birthday Gala [Closed RP]

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