The WF Halloween Shindig [IC; Closed]

by **Kiu Ghesik** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 9:05 pm

Before Vashadri had a moment to reflect on what Paris had said- two pretty big revelations, those were- she found herself at Paris' side in the ballroom, her heart racing both from the kiss and the fact she was now engulfed by a mob of people. Surrounded on all sides, unable to see beyond this little enclave in a massive crowd. All of them so much more fancily dressed than she was. None of them approaching Paris, of course, no one could approach Paris, with her... gown, and... hair, and... everything... but there were still so many of them, and they were everywhere, and she was so small and this place was so big and- she felt herself shrink a little bit, press a little more into Paris' side.

Something about all of this felt odd. But not Paris. Paris felt right. Paris felt safe. Paris had felt safe in the limo, she felt safe now, she felt like someone Vashadri could be safe with. Could be open with. That was the one commonality in all of this- that with Paris Vashadri had been able to be open. Had been able to be the exuberant, happy little rol she wanted to be. With Ross? No. With Ari? Maybe. But Ari was with Ross. And that exuberant, happy little rol was fun. Was someone people wanted to be around. More importantly, was someone Vashadri wanted to be. Therefore, with all of this information in mind, Vashadri came to a single conclusion- that she was going to be with Paris as long as she physically could.

And, of course, there was the little fact that Paris was incredibly attractive backing up her conclusions with yet more empirical evidence.

At the moment, though, they were simply... on the ballroom floor. Just standing there. And while it was calming to be next to Paris there was still the matter of the surrounding crowd pressing in on her threatening to send her back into her shell. She needed something to distract her. And, well, this was a ballroom.

"Paris, I..." Vashadri began, then trailed off, unsure how to continue. And then Paris looked down at her, and she found her voice once more. "I... I'm not drunk. I'm n-not a lightweight. Just-" A little burp cut her off, and she blushed. "-just a little buzzed. And I want to-to-to-tobetogetheraslongaspossibleIloveyou-"

Her will broke then, and she ducked into Paris' side, wrapping her arms around Paris' waist. Her voice muffled, she ended on a plaintive note. "Please let me."

This was all moving very fast. And Vashadri was fine with that. If it meant she got to be Vashadri for any longer it was worth it.

"Mm. You were right. The small sandwich is very good." Ari and Ross were seated across from each other on the edge of the ballroom, Ari with a veritable feast in front of her and Ross with only a tiny bit of food in his plate. She was completely unsure as to why, really- she'd just gotten all the stuff that looked interesting to her, and so much of it looked interesting, and... well, not as interesting as Ross, but... all of it looked so good.

But she'd chosen to go with Ross' preferred pick first and taken the little sandwich. He'd called it a slider, but that felt like a stupid name. If she slid it then it would fall over, it was stacked so high. But it was still delicious. Presently she finished it off and then turned back to Ross. He hadn't taken a bite.

"You, um... you going to eat that?"

Ross shook his head.

"You just going to watch me, then?"

Ross nodded, his tail whipping about behind him and a massive grin on his face.

"Fine, suit yourself." Ari turned back to her plate, then before Ross could stop her snagged the small sandwich off Ross' plate and shoved it into her mouth, a little grin stifled behind a full mouth. A grin that turned into a frown as the sandwich rolled down her throat and she began to cough.

Concerned, Ross stood- he thinks I'm choking, aren't I? Well, um... I am, but- Ari took hold of a glass of water and chugged. Soon the slider was dislodged from her throat. Gasping for breath she motioned for him to sit back down. "Ack- hf- I'm fine, Ross, I'm fine, don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?" Just as quickly as it had faded the grin was back. And its implications were clear.

"Well, I'm not choking any more, but if you want to render aid..."

Now it was Ross' turn to break down. Laughing. "Render aid, god, that's good."

"Well, thanks." He was still laughing. Aaaaaaaaand- alright. Time to do something else now.

A moment later she was dragging Ross onto the ballroom floor. "There are other ways you can render aid, you know. Like teaching me how to dance."

She took his hand in her own. It was still cold. But that was fine. Because they were about to be much closer, and Ross was very warm.

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 10:20 pm

The ballroom. The dance floor was already in the midst of your traditional dancing. However, Keller still felt...alone. She was only at the buffet table, where she took a sip of the punch. She couldn't tell if the punch was spiked. She wished it was. A little buzz was actually something she wanted. She still felt cold. Isolated. She was near people, but it was a while since she felt melancholic. She took a glance at Ari and Ross, both of them happy. Ari got dragged to the ballroom floor by Ross, where Keller rolled her eyes.

"Ok... It's going to be ok. He- Shit. SHE is going to be reformed." Keller said, as she continued to drink the punch. She did attract the attention of Nate, though she was oblivious of them.

Meanwhile, our two lovebirds at the ballroom floor were enjoying themselves in a tender moment. It was like a masquerade, where Jessica kept her mask off, as she smiled with Charlie, as they were dancing near Paris and Catyu. Both of them noticed the catgirls and thought of it as a wholesome moment. "A lot of catgirls here." Jessica said to Charlie, as they looked around. "I guess we should've dressed up as cats."
"It's fine, Jessica.." Charlie said, as she put her arms around Jessica, getting close to the point where both of their chests were touching. As they danced, they both embraced in a kiss.

by **Piste-Land** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 11:03 pm

9:44 AM

Western Fardelshufflestein National

"There's no need to apologize, Ma'am. I did not perceive it as being rude."

Then proceeding to answer the questions presented before him, Yens stated:

"I could say that I came here to, despite what little is left, if any, of my formerly-fervent nationalism, represent Goldonia as I was its highest-ranking official I knew of that was present on this planet. It was also to spill the beans concerning my mysterious appearance a decade ago and open your eyes to what may be the truth out there."

"Speaking of jobs, well, I did work a few jobs here and there to help support myself during these ten years, mostly jobs that involved some of the skills I honed back in Goldonia. For my first few jobs, Ackermann and later Cuznesou, but mostly Ackermann, provided me with assistance as I was, of course, not used to life here."

"I did manage to pull through and was in a stable position by the time I attended the Shindig. Despite that, however, I still felt a strange longing for home that I know will likely never be fulfilled..."

Yens paused for a moment, gazed at the off-white ceiling, and then looked back at Marie.

"Now here's a question I've been waiting to ask for a while now, Ma'am: How does it feel every day knowing that the one you love, the one you cherish and hold dear, is in a state in which you cannot properly interact, if you can even interact at all, with them?"

by **American Pere Housh** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 11:26 pm

Socialist Macronesia wrote:Ross was about to say something to Ari, something, anything at all, when suddenly

"Excuse me, Ari."

He felt himself being pulled away. By Nate. As they disappeared into a sea of partygoers, Nate turned Ross to face him. No microphone would be able to hear them, nobody would be able to read their lips for what they said, and if they could, they probably had gotten something wrong.

"Ross. There's a warrant out for you here. I've contacted both embassy teams. They've made preps to pull you out if the need arise. I'm the only person with a Plan A here, so you better listen carefully."

"Did you pick up the package?"

Nate held out the bottle. "Yes."

"Perfect. Now, here's what you're gonna do. See those smoke machines over there? First, take this."

He held out a gas mask.

"This is the only filter that protects against that stuff. It's a fast-action sleep agent, and it can go past all modern mask materials. If you put this liquid in that machine, it'll be good-night for the whole building. From there all you have to do is bring the extraction VALV in, and we can get out of here."

Nate solemnly nodded, entirely oblivious to the fact that the liquid Ross had given him most certainly was not a fast-action sleep agent. In five seconds, Ross was back with Ari.

"So... what should we do now? Ooh, that ham slider looks to die for!"

The security team at the Socialist Macronesian embassy was busy getting ready for war; that wasn't an idiom. They were currently all in the armory, loading up rifles, tear gas grenades, both hand-thrown and 40mm, launchers, gas masks, and armour. The last step they'd have to do before the extraction would be to burn their uniform patches, and ditch their dog tags.

If it got to that point, they'd send all the civies to the airport, and they'd extract Ross. If they lost someone on the way, they would be probably be left behind.

They hoped it wouldn't have to come to that.

Back in Socialist Macronesia, at an undefined location, a certain woman threw a rifle into the hands of a certain man.

"What are you doing?" the man said, confused. "I thought we didn't have any training today?"

The woman sighed. "Ross got himself in some shit again. They might have to pull him out." The man grabbed a shotgun off the armory wall, and began to load it.

"So why are we on alert?"

"Because if the extraction team fails to get him, they are gonna send a team to siege the WF embassy and take the ambassador hostage as a bargaining chip for Ross's release. And we're the ones who have to do it."

"What about everyone else? The security? The workers? What about all them?"

The woman loaded thirty rounds from a stripper clip into a magazine, grabbed a high-explosive grenade from a box, and turned to face the man with blank eyes.

"Simple, Sean. We waste the fuckers."

Vanny was sitting at a table with her feet propped on the table scanning everyone there with her eyes hidden behind the mask. She noticed Ross and Nate talking about something but she couldn't hear what they're saying. She narrows her eyes in suspicion knowing they were up to so something. Vanny pressed a hidden switch on the neck activating its filtration system which is able to filter any gas that is released into the air. They are up to something nefarious but what I don't know. I will activate the suit's filtration system just in case. Vanny thought. She teleported to the opposite side of the room and leaned against the wall keeping watch holding an insane smile on her face which was hidden behind the mask.

by **Socialist Macronesia** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 12:18 pm

Ross sighed. "Alright, Ari. I'm not really a formal dancing person, but I know a little bit nevertheless. Okay, so we... take hands, and then... just... glide with the music. I think."

Ross was entirely focused on Ari. Ari was entirely focused on figuring out what about walking around to a rhythm was supposed to be romantic. Those thoughts drifted to Ross soon enough. Ross was smiling, half at Ari, half at his newfound feeling of being at ease. They wouldn't arrest him. Not while he was in Ari's arms. Everything would be just fine. Nate had the situation under control. He wanted to be with her forever. And he could be with her forever, because there was no threat of death in this place. He was immortal, along with everyone else in this hall.

Everything would be just fine.

Nate was originally just standing around, waiting for the moment to strike. And that moment came. When nobody was looking in his direction, he slipped the plug of one of the smoke machines out. It didn't get noticed, because there were several others that were still active. The machine whirred to a stop. Nate bent over, as if to pick something up off the ground, and slipped a small device into the outlet, and replaced the cord. It was designed to act as a remote-controlled switch for that particular outlet; he had swiped it from a maintenance closet in the palace, and it probably wouldn't look out of place. It might just look like they had wanted the smoke to come on at a specific time. Nate quickly screwed open the bottle and poured the liquid into the machine's tank. If anyone asked him what he was doing, he was just topping off the machine. After all, it had been running low. There were plenty of excuses. And besides, who just assumed you were pouring sleep agents into a smoke machine at a party? That was insanity.

And then Keller tapped him on the shoulder. He practically spun around and nearly punched her in the face. He was compromised! The excuse! I was just--

And he blanked for a second. And he spoke.

"Hey, uh... hi, would you care to dance? I'm Nate Barton, by the way."

He extended his hand. Hopefully she didn't notice or care what he had been doing five seconds ago. Or that what he had just said was very shifty.

Both teams were locked on the WF news, social media, and radio. The military was flipping the fuck out at the thought of Ross's arrest. Subs were being submerged, stealth bombers and high-altitude drones were scrambled, amphibious landing teams were loading up. If anything happened to Ross, there would be repercussions the likes of which the world had never seen. They would raze the Shakespeare-obsessed nation to the ground if they took Ross, that was guaranteed.

But in the grand scheme of things, it would all come down to one man, er, woman.

If Nate failed, the world would probably be thrown into World War III; and to think, all over a goddamn weeb laser. Nobody wanted that to happen, nobody would let that happen. One particular member of one of the embassy teams knew Nate very well. They knew he had to succeed. He had experience, he was the best combat operative they had known for several years, he was skilled, and he would complete this mission no matter what the obstacles in his way were.

And if he didn't, he was taking the entirety of Western Fardelshufflestein with him. SIERRA 8 was sure of that.

by **Brettenwald** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 1:36 pm

To say that Paris was touched would be an understatement, but she just blushed deeply. Inside, however, was a different story. All I wanted was a one-night stand; granted, a loving, tender one, but I'm not prepared for, you know, a relationship. When the laser wears off, are we even going to recognize each other? We probably won't be able to see each other again, let alone be friends after this. I don't want this to end any more than you do, but we both know it will. And when it does... Gods, Vashadri, I'm so sorry . . .

None of that showed on her face, she hoped. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her and held her like she never wanted to let her go. "Shh, don't worry," she purred, stroking Vashadri's hair and cat ears. "I'll be here for you." Until the laser wears off and the world stops going mad, she wanted to add, but didn't. I don't want to break your heart but it's out of my hands, it's Ross and Nate and the stupid goddamned weeb laser's fault we're like this. "I love you, too." At least that was true, Paris reflected sadly as the pair lost themselves dancing in the lights and people and warmth and music and love surrounding them.

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 2:48 pm

Keller was at the buffet table, where she noticed that one of the catgirls Nate was hovering near one of the smoke machines. Normally, this wasn't something that she should be focused on, but she knew it was one of the guests, rather than staff of the palace. What were they doing? Keller eyed both Jessica and Charlie at the ballroom floor, where she decided to see what this woman was up to. Nate was pouring some sort of liquid into the smoke machine that was giving it a spooky setting. Keller went up to tap their shoulder to see what they were up to.

"Excuse-" Keller said, but Nate immediately nearly punched her in the face. Their fist didn't hit Keller, but it stopped directly in front of her face. "Hey, uh... hi, would you care to dance? I'm Nate Barton, by the way." Nate said, as they extended their hand, but Keller immediately swatted it away. "What the hell are you doing?" Keller said, as she was looking at the smoke machine that Nate was tinkering with. She wasn't trying to be paranoid, but there was that feeling that she was getting.

by **American Pere Housh** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 4:00 pm

Main Nation Ministry wrote:Keller was at the buffet table, where she noticed that one of the catgirls Nate was hovering near one of the smoke machines. Normally, this wasn't something that she should be focused on, but she knew it was one of the guests, rather than staff of the palace. What were they doing? Keller eyed both Jessica and Charlie at the ballroom floor, where she decided to see what this woman was up to. Nate was pouring some sort of liquid into the smoke machine that was giving it a spooky setting. Keller went up to tap their shoulder to see what they were up to.

"Excuse-" Keller said, but Nate immediately nearly punched her in the face. Their fist didn't hit Keller, but it stopped directly in front of her face. "Hey, uh... hi, would you care to dance? I'm Nate Barton, by the way." Nate said, as they extended their hand, but Keller immediately swatted it away. "What the hell are you doing?" Keller said, as she was looking at the smoke machine that Nate was tinkering with. She wasn't trying to be paranoid, but there was that feeling that she was getting.

Vanny continues to scan the room when she notices Keller looking at something. She turns her to see what Keller is looking at and sees Nate messing around with one of the smoke machines. Vanny watches as Keller walks over to Nate and they start talking. What they are talking she doesn't know but she willing to find out.

Vanny teleports to Keller's side just in time to hear the guy introduce him self as Nate Barton. Keller batted Nate's hand away then demands to know what the hell he was doing. Vanny decides to put some words in,"I would like to know as well because it looks like you were tampering with smoke machine. That in and of itself makes you look very suspicious and makes us think that you are up to something illegal."

by **Kiu Ghesik** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 4:40 pm

Ari had had some uncertainties about the waltz at first, but soon enough she found them drifting away. There was no real point to it, really. In fact, while she was almost certain she was doing the dance incorrectly, none of that mattered- she was here. With Ross. And they were together now. Nothing could change that. She was vaguely aware of someone else, some delicate figure in an extravagant gown with white hair, who managed to catch her eye but apart from that- nothing. She only had eyes for Ross.

Was this strange? Yes. Was it completely abnormal? Yes. Was it the greatest time of her life? Yes. A million times yes. For once she had Ross. In a real sense. No [REDACTED], no having to struggle to keep him with her, no laying in a pool of her own vomit, no catgirls- okay, that last one was untrue, but it didn't really matter. And every moment he kept her in his arms was just as wonderful as the last.

Ari met Ross' eyes and smiled. Then she closed her own. And she let Ross do the thinking for now. She would do what he wanted, as long as that meant he stayed. This moment could not last forever. But in the here and now it certainly felt like it would. Eternity was hard to come by. And now she had it.

Everything would be just fine.

Vashadri felt... uneasy. She was locked in Paris' arms, moving from side to side, and while she was certainly enjoying herself she found cause for... concern. Paris felt tense somehow- as if she was worried about something. And while every moment she spent with Paris was bliss she wanted Paris to feel the same way. Paris was the only bit of sanity she had left, and she couldn't ever let that slip away. But it was so hard to ever be sure. She was so small, after all, and Paris... Paris was the one looking after her. Not the other way around. How could she ever hold Paris close when she didn't have the strength to do so?

She... she had to trust. She had to trust that Paris would be strong enough for the both of them. But- this would wear off eventually, wouldn't it? And then she would have to let Patyu back. She would have to go back to being Ari's shadow. Always worrying, always concerned, never able to do what she wanted- so responsible, Patyu was. So serious. He was the one trapped by life. If only- if only she could stay like this.

It was a stupid idea. She had a life to live, after all, and all this was was stupid escapism. And it was doomed to end. She couldn't keep Paris. Paris had a life of her own to get back to. Of his own, really. All this was false. It didn't really exist. It couldn't exist. It was too mad to ever be real. Too good to ever be real. She thought back to what Bailey had said- It's who you think you are that's more important than who you are now. Or at least something along those lines. In actuality Bailey had likely said something else entirely.

But Bailey wasn't around right now. Where she had gone Vashadri had no clue. But what Vashadri had thought she'd said, that was important. That was here. Now. It meant-

It meant that she could live this.

Until it wore off.

Yes, that was it. That was what she had to do. She had to enjoy herself. She had to trust that Paris would enjoy herself. Vashadri felt Paris' hand patting her head, scratching behind one ear, and smiled. It was... nice to be cared for. And to be free to care back. To not have to worry about your image, because people expected you to act nice. To be soft. To care. Vashadri closed her eyes and leaned into Paris' side once more, still. She didn't care for dancing, really. She was clumsy. Two left feet, no chance of ever being good at it. But... she could love Paris. She was good at that. At being emotional. At caring.

So why not care? Why not be emotional?

Vashadri gave up on trying to dance, on trying to match Paris' grace. She never could. It wasn't her talent. Instead she simply wrapped Paris in a hug and sighed. She hoped Paris knew what she was trying to say. That I'll do whatever you want. I'll be with you until this is over. As long as you let me.

But she was never going to say it.

Because some part of her, deep down, despite knowing consciously that she was wrong, felt that if she spoke then she'd wake up, and this moment would be gone forever. Eventually it would have to end. But for now she could keep that from happening, if only she... let it happen.

And so she did. She let Paris lead. She followed. And she loved.

by **Socialist Macronesia** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 4:58 pm

Nate sighed.

"I was filling up the tank again, it was running low. I got the container right here." He held out an empty container of the smoke, which he had swiped from the same maintenance room.

And then Nate realized that his excuse wasn't entirely believable, despite being entirely founded, and whoever thought he was doing something illegal to a goddamn smoke machine deserved what they got. And he nearly spat out the following:

"Jesus Christ, Vanny, why are you always accusing Ross and I of doing things that are illegal? Is it because we're Macronesian? What are you, racist or something? I'll let you know we have one of the lowest crime rates in the world. And besides, just because we chose not to live in America doesn't mean we're any worse than you, if anything it makes us better because we're willing to forge our own path. In this world."

And then with a sneer, "Or do you think I'm doing something illegal because my grandmother is Asian? Is that what this is all about? You disgust me, Vanny. Go DJ the party or something; I don't tolerate your hostile attitude around here. Especially towards me."

And he turned back to Keller, putting the smoke container on the floor.

"Now, would you care to dance? I don't bite, trust me."

by **American Pere Housh** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 5:24 pm

Socialist Macronesia wrote:Nate sighed.

"I was filling up the tank again, it was running low. I got the container right here." He held out an empty container of the smoke, which he had swiped from the same maintenance room.

And then Nate realized that his excuse wasn't entirely believable, despite being entirely founded, and whoever thought he was doing something illegal to a goddamn smoke machine deserved what they got. And he nearly spat out the following:

"Jesus Christ, Vanny, why are you always accusing Ross and I of doing things that are illegal? Is it because we're Macronesian? What are you, racist or something? I'll let you know we have one of the lowest crime rates in the world. And besides, just because we chose not to live in America doesn't mean we're any worse than you, if anything it makes us better because we're willing to forge our own path. In this world."

And then with a sneer, "Or do you think I'm doing something illegal because my grandmother is Asian? Is that what this is all about? You disgust me, Vanny. Go DJ the party or something; I don't tolerate your hostile attitude around here. Especially towards me."

And he turned back to Keller, putting the smoke container on the floor.

"Now, would you care to dance? I don't bite, trust me."

Vanny sweatdropped thinking,Did he really accuse me of being a racist? I'm fucking Hispanic for God's sake. He is really retarded if he is really thinking that. She shakes her head in wonderment before speaking in an angry voice, "Call me racist one more time, I fucking dare you. As you could see earlier, I'm fucking Hispanic. Another thing is race and where you are from has absolutely nothing to do as to why I hate you and [redacted] buddy. I hate both of you because of your arrogance and womenizing way. If you must know, I don't even live on Earth. I have been keeping an eye on Ross when you showed up so I started watching you to see if you where up to something and I was right. I know you are lying to me and are covering your tracks by acting innocent." Vanny gets into his face, "I'm watching you very closely Nate." She said Nate with a sneer.

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 5:55 pm

"Vanny.." Keller immediately said, as Vanny got up close to Nate's face, where she defended them. She had Vanny turn around to face Keller, as she tried to reason with Vanny. "Vanny. I will take of this. Ross told me that he's...reformed. However, we shouldn't let this ruin the party. I handle Nate." Keller said to Vanny, as she discreetly shoo her away.

"Now." Keller immediately turned her attention to Nate. "Is there a reason on why you're at the smoke machine? The whole racist thing was clever, I admit."

by **Socialist Macronesia** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 6:41 pm

Nate scanned the area, making sure no one was listening. And then he spoke.

"Listen carefully, Keller. You know Ross, right? Well, the entirety of the Fardelshufflestenian equivalent of the fucking FSB just put out a warrant for his arrest. The SoMac government is flipping out, and they've got the people at the WF embassy primed to be taken hostage, they've got the military on high alert, and we're just waiting for the men to come charging in here to arrest him. If they take Ross, there will probably be war between our two countries. Nuclear war. And we don't want that. So we're pulling Ross out when the trouble starts." He patted the machine. "When I turn this device on, it'll release smoke, and knock everyone still here out cold. If you want to stay awake, you need to find the nearest fire exit when the troops come in. You got that?"

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're a soldier. You know how to obey orders. You know I'm gonna obey my orders. I don't want another NC wedding to occur. And if this is what it takes to prevent it, that's a shockingly low price to pay. Now, do you want to dance or am I just gonna stand at the wall of the room all day?"

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 7:40 pm

Socialist Macronesia wrote:Nate scanned the area, making sure no one was listening. And then he spoke.

"Listen carefully, Keller. You know Ross, right? Well, the entirety of the Fardelshufflestenian equivalent of the fucking FSB just put out a warrant for his arrest. The SoMac government is flipping out, and they've got the people at the WF embassy primed to be taken hostage, they've got the military on high alert, and we're just waiting for the men to come charging in here to arrest him. If they take Ross, there will probably be war between our two countries. Nuclear war. And we don't want that. So we're pulling Ross out when the trouble starts." He patted the machine. "When I turn this device on, it'll release smoke, and knock everyone still here out cold. If you want to stay awake, you need to find the nearest fire exit when the troops come in. You got that?"

Keller listened in on Nate, as Vanny was away. Then, Nate explained in full detail why things have went from 1 to 100 extremely quick. "You can't be serious.. After all, I did to try to help him with. Now, they are out for his head?!" Keller nearly exploded on the spot. "I..." Keller calm down, before she leaned close to Nate to make sure it was just a whisper. "

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're a soldier. You know how to obey orders. You know I'm gonna obey my orders. I don't want another NC wedding to occur. And if this is what it takes to prevent it, that's a shockingly low price to pay. Now, do you want to dance or am I just gonna stand at the wall of the room all day?"

"I'm not a soldier. I was once. However, I wasn't prepared of what I had to do. I think I know what I need to do, however.." Keller said, as she suddenly left Nate, where Keller was now determined. She just wanted to celebrate Halloween. Not this! Why this? It was a disaster. The Leader probably wasn't aware of this. It would make sense. They didn't know about the King's condition and she wasn't told of the other party guests. Plus, Keller knew that the Leader probably never had heard of Ross.

As she strolled through the ballroom floor, she ended up encountering both Jessica and Charlie. "Keller! You want to join us? When the song changes, you can come dance with us." Charlie said, as Keller maintained some seriousness. "You two make sure that if anything happens, you know where the exits are, right?" Keller said, as she ended up being suspicious.

"Keller, you ok? Something on your mind?" Jessica asked, where Keller came up with an excuse. "Just stay here. It's a bit of a private matter." Keller said, as the two looked at Keller, as she was heading over to Ari and Ross. "Should we.." Charlie asked Jessica, but Jessica herself wanted to dance. "I think we should dance near the exits. Like the edges of the floor, just in case." Jessica said.

As Ari and Ross were embracing each other, Keller suddenly appeared again, where despite the fact that she already is giving them a chance, she still needed to save the shindig. "Ross. We need to talk. Outside. It's on a different type of problem." Keller immediately tapped Ross's shoulder, as both Ari and Ross noticed Keller.

27 November 2022

7:00 PM

Elsinore Palace: The Shindig

The normally elegant palace ballroom had been transformed into a nightmarish hellscape in the spirit of a haunted manor. The floors, which typically gleamed beneath the brilliant lighting, were cast in shadow and coated in a thin layer of dust. To add to the effect of neglect, the sumptuous vermillion drapes had been replaced by tattered strips of faded crimson cloth that fluttered flimsily in the draft of the ventilated air. Torn strands of fake cobwebs were strung around and between the chandeliers. Stray arms drifted toward the dance floor and the tables scattered along its fringes.

Specifically, the front half of the ballroom was dedicated to dining. Circular tables draped in ghostly sheets stood in rows with gravestones, fake skulls, and flowers serving as centerpieces, with each place already outfitted with plasticware. The paper plates and plasticware had assorted cursed images printed on them, including a cursed JoJo image selected with Amadeus Friedrich in mind.

On each side of the ballroom were buffet tablses serving scrumptious fruits, salads, and main course. There was borscht that appeared bloodlike in the low lighting, prime rib drenched in burgundy-coloured barbecue sauce, roast beef, blood orange cake, red velvet muffins, and an array of sinful yet non-alcoholic delights ranging from premium pizza to bottled water and soda, as well as cans of LaCroix.

The dance floor itself was capacious and was backed by a DJ booth that featured top-notch audio equipment, a killer playlist, and a potential for requests in anticipation of the night running longer than planned. The professional DJ was a dude whose stage name was Kthulu, and yes, he was a swag boi who could be seen rocking out to the current tune amidst the waves of fluffy mist that poured from the smoke machines.

Wilhelm leaned against one of the walls and surreptitiously sipped from his can of LaCroix, pretending to ignore the cursed image of Zombie King Amadeus Laertes I directly behind him.

He spotted a buff man in his early- to mid- thirties mingling with some of the foreigners Ophelia had not approached yet: John Adam Ross. His lip curled at the thought of this man encroaching upon his country, his home, at a party his brother should have been running. But he and Marie would never have conceived of the shindig had they not been pining for a respite from the tragedy their lives had become.

"Kuckold," he muttered, feeling somewhat elevated by insulting Ross in his native tongue. There was a difference between the English word "cuckold" and the Fardelshufflesteinian translation, yes, but it went beyond spelling to a subtle disparity in pronunciation. Not that Ross, whose diplomatic immunity was practically threadbare, would notice the difference.

Wilhelm refrained from engaging, of course, because he knew 'twould ultimately cause trouble. This was a night of enjoyment, of revelry, daresay. He knew for a fact that several guests had gotten wasted before arrival, and while they had no alcohol on their person, they would not pass a sobriety test.

Minister of Agriculture Karl B. von Naschenweng, for his part, was so inebriated that he was struggling to remain upright. He stood silently behind Minister Hanuer, who was engaged in a conversation with Parliamentarian Rider, his hands clumsily clasped in front of him. His eyes, while they blinked, did not take in their surroundings, and thus failed to notice the Minister of Defence approach a man who was whispering into the ear of a frantic-looking woman. Had they noticed, and had their owner been sober enough to register what was going on around him, perhaps he would have intervened. But he did not intervene. He remained in a daze that he should have known better than to slip into.

Alastair was not, unfortunately, the only alcoholic holding a prominent position in the federal government. It just so happened that von Naschenweng struggled with this demon, as well. He had not given himself terminal illness, yet, but his current intoxication was very noticeable--and alarming--to those around him. Marie herself observed it, but she did not have the chance to speak with him because she swore she had just seen that woman in the bunny suit teleport and was thus going to civilly converse with her.

The WFian Embassy--SoMac

Ambassador Guggenheim sat on the edge of his chair, hunched forward, his hands laced over his desk. "Repeat what thou just said," he blared in his monotone voice.

The officer standing at the threshold of his office swallowed. "There--there are reports coming from the Socialist Macronesian embassy. There--there has been an uptick in activity. Patrols, anxiety, Humvees getting stocked up--"

"Wast thou spying on a foreign embassy?" Guggenheim slammed his fist onto the table. "That violates international law! that is espionage it--"

"Ambassador, our nation is preparing to expel Ross and his accomplice from out soil. They are taking it as an act of war. As of now, this embassy is in full lockdown and we are moving you to safety."

Guggenheim leaned back, sighed, removed his reading glasses from his nose, massaged the space between his beady blue eyes. "Mein Gott. They are crazier than the online fanfi--international intel has led me to believe."

"Sir, you have to come with me immediately."

"Right." Guggenheim stood and hastened over to the officer, who guided him down [CLASSIFIED] to [TOP SECRET], where he would be hidden if all hell broke loose.

9:46 AM

Western Fardelshufflestein National

Marie gaped at Yens, incredulous. "I--what--excuse me?" She was so horrified that her thoughts could barely organise themselves into words. "My husband is...lying zere, incapacitated...and...you want to know what zat is like? How it feels to watch ze love of zy life wither in bed while his liver slowly fails? How difficult it is to tell if he's responding, or if he's only looking at me or holding mein hand out of reflex? 'Tis hell, Yens. Absolute hell. Because I cannot fix him or take his pain away from him or undo any bad thing he's done or--I am powerless. Powerless. You must know what it is like to feel powerless, and...and I want him...here...with me. I want him back. I want my Allie back."

She was dissolving now, dissolving into her tears. Here she was, broken and grieving before a man who had been yanked from his planet and deposited into this brave new world that really was small, so small, and probably detestable compared to his own. She was lamenting her husband, but he had ultimately been the one to--to start drinking. To continue drinking it and increasing his consumption until 'twas out of his control. And he had hidden it from her. Had never trusted her enough to reach out to her, or to anyone. He had been sick, sicker than he had ever let on, and had caused his own destruction.

God, she wish it was not so. She wished she had saved him or at least acted upon what her instinct had been telling her. His drunken joyride had not been a one-time thing, had never been a one-time thing. It had been an obvious sign that something was very, very wrong, and she had...she had not checked up on him to make sure he was alright. Or she had, but not as much as she should have. Marie clenched her fists just thinking about how she should have paid closer attention to him after he'd returned to work, because she might have detected the vicious pattern then. His liver disease would not have progressed to an advanced stage or even have possibly developed had she done more. He--was he already cirrhotic seven years ago? Had the disease been gradually worsening, killing him bit by bit as time sailed away and he continued to abuse alcohol?

"I'm sorry." She stood up abruptly and looked Yens square in the eye. "I--I cannot continue this conversation. Forgive me. I--Please understand. I cannot--emotionally--go on with zis. Perhaps later zis afternoon or at ze shindig we can--but--but not now. Please." With her hand over her mouth, she made her way to the door.

by **Piste-Land** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 11:54 pm

Western Fardelshufflestein wrote:9:46 AM

Western Fardelshufflestein National

Marie gaped at Yens, incredulous. "I--what--excuse me?" She was so horrified that her thoughts could barely organise themselves into words. "My husband is...lying zere, incapacitated...and...you want to know what zat is like? How it feels to watch ze love of zy life wither in bed while his liver slowly fails? How difficult it is to tell if he's responding, or if he's only looking at me or holding mein hand out of reflex? 'Tis hell, Yens. Absolute hell. Because I cannot fix him or take his pain away from him or undo any bad thing he's done or--I am powerless. Powerless. You must know what it is like to feel powerless, and...and I want him...here...with me. I want him back. I want my Allie back."

She was dissolving now, dissolving into her tears. Here she was, broken and grieving before a man who had been yanked from his planet and deposited into this brave new world that really was small, so small, and probably detestable compared to his own. She was lamenting her husband, but he had ultimately been the one to--to start drinking. To continue drinking it and increasing his consumption until 'twas out of his control. And he had hidden it from her. Had never trusted her enough to reach out to her, or to anyone. He had been sick, sicker than he had ever let on, and had caused his own destruction.

God, she wish it was not so. She wished she had saved him or at least acted upon what her instinct had been telling her. His drunken joyride had not been a one-time thing, had never been a one-time thing. It had been an obvious sign that something was very, very wrong, and she had...she had not checked up on him to make sure he was alright. Or she had, but not as much as she should have. Marie clenched her fists just thinking about how she should have paid closer attention to him after he'd returned to work, because she might have detected the vicious pattern then. His liver disease would not have progressed to an advanced stage or even have possibly developed had she done more. He--was he already cirrhotic seven years ago? Had the disease been gradually worsening, killing him bit by bit as time sailed away and he continued to abuse alcohol?

"I'm sorry." She stood up abruptly and looked Yens square in the eye. "I--I cannot continue this conversation. Forgive me. I--Please understand. I cannot--emotionally--go on with zis. Perhaps later zis afternoon or at ze shindig we can--but--but not now. Please." With her hand over her mouth, she made her way to the door.

9:47 AM

Western Fardelshufflestein National

Astonished by how Marie had made haste and quickly departed the conference room, Morris/Yens sat back in his chair and thought to himself:

"Poor Alastair...I do not believe he singlehandedly brought about his own downfall. The sheer frequency of legislative violence incidents and other factors clearly must have contributed, as well as how he had been trying to put on a mask of happiness to hide his various problems."

"Despite his condition, I envy him somewhat, however, as he at least gets to meet and see his beloved for whatever is left of his waking days...I had my own back there."

With a stoic face concealing feelings of regret, empathy, and subtle sadness, Morris/Yens followed suit and made his way to the exit.

by **Voxija** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 9:02 am

Throughout the whole Nate shenanigans, Tori was just vibing. Eating, dancing, talking with the DJ, she was having fun. But above all, Etor was finding herself.

Etor and Tori worked together, thought as one. Neither personality was in control, and they were in total agreement. Etor almost felt normal again, like he could govern a country in this condition. It was good.

As Etor searched for more munchies at the buffet tables, they thought that maybe this party was going to turn out fine. That Etor would learn some life lessons and be done with it, heck, maybe she'll have fun. Etor was certain that nothing bad would go down. Absolutely certain.

by **Free Ravensburg** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 10:38 am

While outside, a servant noticed three kegs sitting unattended in the castle courtyard, with a note attached to one of them. The note read "Canadian Ginger Ale. Please bring inside." Not wanting any refreshments to go to waste, the servant called for some help to bring in the kegs. Five other servants came and helped him bring the three kegs inside. Whilst carrying one of them, the servants heard something coming from inside one of the kegs.

[softly, muffled]"wrryyyyyy"

The six servants thought to themselves, "what could be inside the barrel?" They did not open it when they found out that the note had another request on the back, stating to not open the kegs, under any circumstances. The servants did as they were instructed, and brought the three kegs to the refreshments table inside the palace.

by **Socialist Macronesia** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 12:18 pm

Back in Socialist Macronesia, Ted, one of the WFian embassy employees, was being paid off by the Macronesians as an informant. He wasn't a particularly high level employee, but that didn't matter, because after hearing on the news about John Ross and everything going on back in WF, the second the ambassador was escorted down into the basement, he put two and two together. He walked into the bathroom and pulled out his radio.

The team had planned for something like this to occur. They'd sealed off the sewers and any other maintenance tunnels. Nobody was leaving the embassy area, but there was still a very large area they could be hiding. Which is why they'd brought oxyacetylene torches. If they had to breach into the embassy, they could cut up the whole goddamn basement floor if they had to. It would take several hours, but they'd find him one way or another. If they had to justify their actions, they would say that the building had a partial collapse and they needed to pull the ambassador from the rubble.

The team at the Socialist Macronesian embassy was alerted at about the same time. The extraction would need to happen soon. They set a time: 9 PM. They could get to the airport, get the VALV, bring it to the palace, and extract Ross by 9.

Coincidentally, that was the exact same time the Western Fardelshufflestein police planned to enter the palace to arrest Ross.

"No, Keller, I'm staying with Ari."

Ross did have a bit of reason left to him. He knew that if he left the building, hell, if he left the ballroom in general, that he was exposed to being arrested. As long as he never left the room, the gas could be used to make his getaway. Stepping outside with Keller was dangerous. And Ross wasn't going to risk it.

And, of course, he had Ari. And risking his arrest AND losing Ari, even if it were temporary, was not something he was willing to do. No. He would stay. Because that's what he had promised. That he would stay. And Ross wanted to keep that promise.

He once again pulled Ari close. She smiled.

"I love you, Ari."

by **Main Nation Ministry** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 12:30 pm

Shit. Keller reminded about Ari, but she didn't want to disrupt her, also. So she had to delve into a whisper to explain the situation. "Nate told me that you're a marked man in Western Fardelshufflestein. Your own government is high strung to the point where they attacking the WF embassy. Nate also told me that if you get arrested here, it's going to be a nuclear war!" Keller knew the news were too harsh to explain to Ross, since Ari overheard it as well.

"I can try to take you guys out. You and Ari can head back to the hotel, where I can convince a taxi to take you to the airport. We can leave through the fire exit. If we don't, Nate is going to gas everyone unconscious in the ballroom. Ross, you need to trust me on this.."

by **Free Ravensburg** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 2:07 pm

For Everyone's Best Experience Reading this Post, Please Listen to This Particular Song

The music suddenly changes to an ominous tune. When the sudden change in music occurred, Kthulu had not touched the controls of the DJ booth. Everyone then realized that the playlist had been hacked. As everyone tries to find the hacker, menacing laughter is heard. The source of this laughter is in one of the ale kegs. As the laughter continues, it begins to get louder, intensifying as each breath is drawn. Suddenly, the barrel breaks, and Amadeus Freidrich emerges from his place of hiding. The laughter continues for a few more moments. Then, Amadeus begins to speak.

Amadeus: “Funny, isn’t it? I have managed to sneak into this shindig with no one noticing. Didn’t you even think to check the content of these kegs before you brought them in?” He stops. “And before you ask, YES! THIS IS A JOJO REFERENCE!” He continues to laugh for about a minute. “Now, how was my grand entrance?” He then notices that half of the people attending were catgirls “What the actual fuck is this shit? ROSS! Did you use the weebinator again?”

by **Socialist Macronesia** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 3:27 pm

"Keller. I want to stay with Ari. That is final. They're all out for me, and leaving this building could compromise me. Even if your plan could work, they're still gonna arrest me at the airport then; I have no choice but to be extracted here. Nobody will get hurt or killed, Keller. it's not gonna be another wedding incident all over again. If anything, Wilhelm would be more happy that we're leaving the country and going away from him, because last time I checked he never really accepted my apology for shooting him square in the face at the wedding."

Keller looked a little shocked at that.

"I have to leave as soon as the extraction team gets here. There's no other way." He turned to Ari and sighed. "I suppose this may be our last dance for a few months, Ari. We had better make it count. I know I said I wouldn't leave you but--"

Her eyes lit up, and she put a finger to his lips. Evidently she had an idea. And whatever it was, Ross wanted to hear it.

by **Kiu Ghesik** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 3:51 pm

Ari's heart had dropped when Ross had mentioned an extraction, no matter how much she had expected something like this to come around. It's happening. He's going away. And I'm going to have to win him back all over again the next time we meet. From her place at his side she wrapped her arms around him in as casual a grip as she could manage, not wanting to seem possessive but most likely failing. If I hold you then you can't go. If I hold you then-

And then she had a realization.

Ross had said he was going to be extracted here. And, well, she was here, wasn't he? Didn't that mean that they could... could they? No. Surely not. She had- she had things to do. People to look after. Patyu.

She craned her neck to look back to the dance-floor and after a moment found who she was looking for- or, rather, Paris. She stood out in any crowd like a sore thumb, and it was rather obvious that Patyu would clinging to Paris' waist. Poor, poor Patyu. Little sweater-clad Patyu. Whatever had happened to him, he was going to need some serious help after all this was through.

But... he had it. The look on his- her face was one of pure joy. Of satisfaction, assurance. Paris would look after her, wouldn't she? Surely she would. Paris, too, seemed to be swept away in the moment. And that meant that- Patyu didn't need Ari right now. She had someone to keep her safe. And when she went home she would have Khensu at least. And, hopefully, all this would wear off. Things could- things could go back to normal for him.

Ari, though, didn't want things to go back to normal, at least not for herself. She wanted Ross. She wanted to be with Ross, to never let him go. And now she had the chance to do just that. She looked back up to him, at the sad resignation on his face, and smiled.

"I have to leave as soon as the extraction team gets here. There's no other way." He turned to Ari and sighed. "I suppose this may be our last dance for a few months, Ari. We had better make it count. I know I said I wouldn't leave you but--"

She put a finger to his lips and ran the other down his hip. "You don't have to. Ross, I can go with you. I want to go with you. I... I can manage it. My calendar's clear."

That was a lie. But it doesn't have to be.

Before he could respond, she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. And held him there. For quite a long while. Keller most certainly felt rather awkward about the whole situation. Well, it's worth it. Have to make my point eloquently here, after all.

"If you've got space for one more, that is."

by **Socialist Macronesia** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 5:26 pm

Ross's eyes twinkled. "I'm sure we can squeeze you in. I mean, it's probably gonna just be the three of us." He motioned to Nate, who was instinctively gripping his gas mask. "And he's not gonna bother us, trust me."

"Really? I mean, you might be busy..."

"I haven't been busy for the last ten years. And even if I was busy, I can do that whenever I want. I only get so much time to be with you. And I love you more than anything else, so I'm putting you over everything else."

"Aww, that's sweet." She gave him a peck on the cheek. Ross blushed.

"Did I ever tell you how I met Nate?"

"No?"

"Then I think I have a story for you in the VALV tonight. But for now, I gotta wait on the police to arrive. Any second now."

by **Azur Deutschland** » Sun Nov 29, 2020 9:40 pm

Sylvia and Julienne stepped away from the dance floor. They were smiling and giggling playfully as they talked amongst themselves. They had been dancing like when they would watch the performances of Leuchtende Rose, the military idol squad they had formed. After expending that effort, the twins drifted away from the dance floor over to the buffet tables. They were ready to sit down, relax, and have some dinner. Looking over the food that was prepared for the occasion, they picked out what they wanted and ventured over to the tables set up for dining.

"I'm almost surprised that nothing bad has happened so far." Julienne remarked.

Sylvia gave a slight chuckle. She took a bite of the bit of roast beef she had picked out before commenting. "Now now, sis, don't jinx it already. Ross is still here, so we should still keep up our guard."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm still cautious..." Julienne said between bites of her own roast beef. Sipping a bit of her glass of water, Julienne pointed over at two figures. It was Jessica and Charlie. "I wonder if they'd like to sit down with us for a little bit."

The WF Halloween Shindig [IC; Closed]

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