(10/1/02-10/5/02)
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And so, as the applause dies down, Big Joe steps back up to the Microphone.  He's clapping his heart out!  "Let's hear it for that singer, folks!  She was great, wasn't she??"  Joe smiles winningly, "Lets give it up one more time for her!  Yeah!"  Joe claps again.  Of course, the rest of the audience is getting a little restless.  Who's going to be going next?  Who could it be?  What will they sing.  Yes, these folks are really anxious to hear what's going to happen next...
Joe smiles a bit as he waves the applause down, "And, for our second to last number...I have a special treat for you all tonight.  I'm going to sing one of my most famous songs."  It must be told, since some people don't know, that Big Joe seems to think that he's Elvis Prestley, so, this means that he's going to be singing one of Elvis' greatest hits!  I wonder which song it could be...well, you'll find out soon enough!
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Know what the most fun part about festivals is? It's not as much what's there to do and what there is to see, it's the crowds. They're so neat! Full of lots of interesting people doing interesting things... Don't be offended if she's half around in her chair watching everyone /but/ the stage! It's like that strange boy that was here not long before, before that other strange boy dragged him off. Or the silly people who have been performing! That one woman quite made Khiea's eyes go wide with the amounts of naughty words she said. But that's over, and festivals are to be enjoyed! At Joe's announcement she turns her head back towards the stage, giving a brilliant beam. She /has/ to pay attention to /this/, don't you know! She knows Mister Big Joe, and she'd never think of ignoring a friend. So the makeshift princess settles somewhat in her chair, one leg tucked beneath her and still sitting at something of an angle, one arm leaning on the back of her chair as she applauds enthusiastically. A giggle, too! Silly or not, this is all such fun!
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Fun?  Ah, yes... Fun.  Such a faraway concept for Kea Satrina... no, 'Gabrielle Taisen'.  Kea Satrina died the day that her "double" left the Ethos to follow that pansy, peace-nik religion.  She really hadn't had much fun since then... except for that undeniable thrill she felt from armed combat.  But then, why was she here at a musical festival?  Mainly because the Gebler was playing host to it, and she needed some information from them.  She needed to know where the infamous "Dark Yggdrasil" was.  The D-Ygg may not have known it, but she was about to become their first chaplain....  But for now, she was content to listen to the wonderful, BEAUTIFUL angsty music and glare at the commonfolk, practicing her 'holier-than-thou' gaze...
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Practice time, schmactice time.  Marcus was having perfectly good quality time, busily winning over his precious little princess, and Kenji just /had/ to pull him off then.  And they weren't even next!  So dragged off an aisle away, Marcus is all but pouting, his posture a little slumped and his fingers instinctively looped in his pockets.  All things honest, he seems more peeved than anything else, "What was that for?  You're not even on until after this guy, right?"  Hey, if Kenji didn't practice his part enough, it's not -Marcus's- place to make up for it.  He's just the writer, right?  Brown eyes alight up about the stage with only minor interest to whatever person is going next, flitting glances over to the teenaged princess who has so readily forgotten that she was only chatting to him a moment ago.  He almost sighs--Irritation mostly--But doesn't, only distributing focus like something unnecessary to keep at one place at a time.  But his question hangs.
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Kenji sighs.  "Marcus, Marcus.  You want to impress her, don't you?  Then think about this, okay?" he gestures over to the stage, where Big Joe is about to begin his performance.  "Imagine this- after my five-star performance...," gesture moves to Khiea, "...she's going to ask who was responsible for such a moving musical masterpiece...won't she?"  Kenji's not exaggerating in the least.  Really :P.  "You're going to want to answer 'I wrote this song!' and then you'll have practically won her over."  This is what comes from Kenji's mouth.  In his mind, he imagines quite the opposite scenario happening.  Even if she tries to sound like she's open-minded, she's still Solarian through and through.  If she admits to liking a song that a -Lamb- wrote, of all people, Kenji will probably end up fainting.
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And so, Joe smiles to the audience, "This song is known as one of my best...It's called 'In the Ghetto."  Joe looks back at the band and smiles, "Ah one, and a two, and a..."  The band immedieately starts playing a slow paced song...the melody is kind of haunting.<br>
Big Joe steps back up to the Microphone and looks out on the audience, his eyes are a little...sad, for once.  He takes a breath and starts to sing...<br>
As the snow flies...<br>
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'<br>
A poor little baby child is born<br>
In the ghetto<br>
And his mama cries<br>
'cause if there's one thing that she don't need<br>
it's another hungry mouth to feed<br>
In the ghetto<br>
People, don't you understand<br>
the child needs a helping hand<br>
or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day<br>
Take a look at you and me,<br>
are we too blind to see,<br>
do we simply turn our heads<br>
and look the other way<br>
Well the world turns<br>
and a hungry little boy with a runny nose<br>
plays in the street as the cold wind blows<br>
In the ghetto<br>
And his hunger burns<br>
so he starts to roam the streets at night<br>
and he learns how to steal<br>
and he learns how to fight<br>
In the ghetto<br>
Then one night in desperation<br>
a young man breaks away<br>
He buys a gun, steals a car,<br>
tries to run, but he don't get far<br>
And his mama cries<br>
As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man<br>
face down on the street with a gun in his hand<br>
In the ghetto<br>
As her young man dies,<br>
on a cold and gray Chicago mornin',<br>
another little baby child is born<br>
In the ghetto<br>
At the last verse, Joe starts to tear up a bit.  It seems that the man of Booze does have a bit of a heart, even if it's hard to find.  Of course, a couple people here knew that already...but, most probably didn't.  And so, Joe steps back from the microphone with his head bowed a bit and just waits a moment.  Will they applaud?  Will they not?  Only time will tell.
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...Awwwww. Khiea settles as the song starts and continues, her haphazard position sliding down in the chair until she's practically sitting like a normal human being. Haunting? And with even Joe's voice shaking a bit? Joe's heart might be hard to find, but Khiea has always been the sappy humanitarian type. Unless it was Uncle Hyuga's family... But who's keeping tabs? Her eyes soften as she listens, but that seems to be just about it. She /listens/- Full attention, too!- Because she knew, knew, knew that Mister Big Joe would do well, didn't she? And that was really sweet! Her reaction is given first in a long bout of silence. And then in applause. So what if no one else does? Khiea will clap enough for everyone! Enthusiastic as can be. "That was really sweet, Mister Big Joe!" She calls out, heedless to whether she can even be heard from here or if he even knows her from outside the dream. But details are not things she adheres to religiously.
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How... touching?  Gabrielle just watches in awe, grabbing a Bartwiser off a passing merchant, flipping him the coins of 'G' without even really looking.  The best part about this was that since she filed with the Ethos that she was doing "missionary work", she was occasionally entitled to living expenses from them.  Combined with the pay she was anticipating from the Dark Yggdrasil, she would be able to live fairly well.  But none of this really mattered to her, as she kept staring at Big Joe.  ".... That man..." she muttered, her voice slipping up into her natural female tones, "... is wearing a pink jumpsuit."   Sure it seems obvious to everyone-- but the reality of it sometimes has to be said in order to be understsood.  Joe simply didn't compute in her book.  He shouldn't, logically, exist.  But there he was.  "... Not that I doubt God," she continued to herself, sipping her Bartwiser, "... But this only reaffirms the fact that I don't understand Him."  She politely claps at the end of the song.... but soon, her eyes are sweeping the crowd yet again for any fellow Etones, or any Gebler personnel....
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Well, see, the kid in this Shi-ka-go place or wherever that is, should go and find religion and he'll be fine. But not any of the standard ones.  Because burning down churches isn't -anything- like violence, is it?  ... Anyway, Marcus's thoughts aside, he's unimpressed.  It's a neat little song, good for him, but does it realy deserve Khiea's applause?  A brief frown is given to that, before he glances back to Kenji and.. Considering all this for a moment, nods, "Hey, you're right... This'll be great!"  Just take out the marker and write 'gullable' all over him, he's simply begging for it.  "And you're on next, right?  She'll be impressed, I'm sure of it."  Of course.  Because everyone always loves a writer.  So, with less of a pouting stance and a growing grin, Marcus seems... Well, appeased.  Poor gullable boy, indeed.
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Kenji 's face nearly turns a pale white.  "I'm....what?!"  That song went very quickly, and Kenji was too busy convincing Marcus to practice!  It seems all that confidence now turned to a droll nervousness.  Amidst all this, he somehow puts up a facade of being unfazed.  "Right, of course!  I'm next...aren't...I!" he laughs.  "Bring it on!  They'll hear the voice of an angel!" with a sore throat.  There, that kind of helps boost his ego a little bit.  So, he starts over towards the stage, trying to act as calm and collected as can be to hide the nervous twitching.
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And Big Joe heads back to the front of the stage slowly.  He pics up the microphone and says, "Thank ya'.  Thank ya very much."  He listens to the thundering applause and the praises of Khiea and a single tear falls from his eyes.  He wipes that away and smiles to the audience, "I'm undeserving...but, thank you for coming this even..."  Big Joe's closing statment is stalled by a couple of the techs.  He looks over to them.  The motion 'One More' to him.  Not what Big Joe wanted to hear.
oO(One more?  I was supposed to be the last act so that nobody would have to follow my performance!  Oh well, I hope this kid can do OK.)Oo  "Well, folks, it seems that we have one more contestant!  Give it up for..."  Joe looks over towards the techs, who mouth 'Kenji'.   "...KENJI!"  Joe claps and steps back to the rear of the stage.
<br><br>...There's someone else? But Khiea was already nearly out of her seat! She sits down again, confused but not disappointed- The more songs, the merrier, right! Or does it go like that?- But something about that name makes her blink. Kenji? Has she heard that name before? Ohhhhhhh... That's the weird friend of the weird Mister Marcus, isn't it? Khiea has such a gift with names! She settles down, confused but okay, and folds her hands on her lap. "I didn't know Mister Marcus's friend was going." She muses softly, shifting her weight a bit. She's getting a little tired of sitting, but it'd be so rude to leave in the middle of things! She can sit through another song, no problem!
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Who's weird? Marcus is normal to a T.  Or is that normal with a capital N?  Stupid metaphors.  But see, the point here is that with Kenji performing, Marcus can return to his seat right by Khiea.  Kenji?  Nervous?  Bah, that's ridiculous.  Kenji is the most confident person Marcus knows, if anyone can stomach that understatement.  And so Marcus passes it off just as edgy thoughtfulness, preparing for the song, and he gives him a brief wave as he goes, "Hey, good luck!"  But if half of what Kenji's said about his singing voice is true, he wont even need that.  Right!  Gullable.  Sheesh.  With that, Marcus glances back over to the Princess, looking fidgity as can be... And just clears his throat mildly.  Agh, it's so much easier to be confident when you're not actually anywhere near her.  Casually as can be he turns back and walks towards Khiea, a nervous grin on his face all the while.  Hey, his seat by her is still open!  Excellent. "Sorry about that." So polite he can be when he needs to!  Even though he doesn't even ask as he takes the seat by her.  Right.
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Yeah, you could say Kenji is a little weird.  Sure, he looks normal...but he has a philosophy that could only come from a couple of years in the happy house.  As he walks over to take the microphone, he chuckles.  "Thank you very much!  Yes, that's right!  I've come to grace you all with my song, tonight!  This one in particular was written for a princess from a world quite unlike this one, I should hope.  A world I miss...," the lights dim at this, and a tear forms on his eye.  "Oh, how I WISH I could visit again!  That world's beauty, and this princesses...I shall express to you this very night!" someone PLEASE throw something at him so he'll stop acting like an idiot and sing.  He clears his throat.  Now, what was the song again?  Oh!  There we go.  He'd almost forgotten the lyrics in his "stirring" speech.  So, it begins...
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Taking a deep breath, Kenji puts the microphone to his mouth and begins.  His voice is...unique.  It's not necessarily that bad a voice, but it's far from what Kenji makes it out to be:<br>
"My efforts cannot be in vain"<br>
"I whisper to myself again"<br>
"I see her from this distance, clear"<br>
"against the backdrop of the night."<br>
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...What was up with that speech?  Even as Marcus is settling down into his seat, he has to pause. And -stare-.  And -STARE-.  Putting it on a little thick there, aren't you, Kenji?  Well, that's... Um.  Marcus raises an eyebrow, but isn't too fast to suspect anything more.  Drama.  Yes, needless drama.  The song Marcus wrote needed that, but...
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"Her smile will turn me inside out"<br>
"The mind it hides can make you forget"<br>
"That you watched a world fall free of"<br>
"Hope for truth, Salvation..."<br>
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...Still, it -is- Marcus's song, and Kenji's just it's voice.  And the way he's singing that, and with that speech.. And his gaze isn't drifting this way, is it?  ... Marcus must admit he's offended.  Deeper than he'd like to admit.  But it's not so strange yet... right..?  Still.  He watches, with a glance almost wary.
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Kenji really starts to get into the song, now.  "I've tried to be strong!" he calls out, his gaze now locked on Khiea specifically.  This is going to be his best (and...uh...first) performance yet!  And imagine, that!  It could even end in a promotion!  He'd better make the message clear.  "Working hard to earn everything i've ever wanted!"  If only he'd realize how much of a dork he's being, now.
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... Dude.  Watch where you're looking when you're doing my song justice.  Marcus's hands tighten against the rests of his chair in an act of glaringly blatant irritation.  What.  Are.  You.  -Doing-?  Those eyes narrow lightly.  Part of him, yes, is wondering what Kenji is doing with this.  Part of him is just growingly angry.
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Kenji his voice calms, as he looks up at the spotlight.  "How couldn't it be true?  How could...I be mistaken?" he paces to the right a bit as the music softens.  "There's something there..." he paces a bit to the left now.  "There's something that..."   He turns to look at Khiea, opening his mouth to finish...
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...No.  No, even poor old gullable Marcus can find good in this.  There is -no- acceptable good reason for looking at Khiea like that.  And if Kenji has a good reason for this, he better be ready to explain it.  Soon.  Because those narrowing eyes of Marcus's have settled into a narrow, pointed -glare-.  Fuming visibly, Marcus's grasp on the armrests have tightened to the point of whitening his knuckles.  Oh.  No.  -No- good can come of this.  "Excuse me." He says, low and even to Khiea-- Perhaps one of few times he's spoken without stuttering to her--As he slides his hand into his jacket, settling on the gun he keeps forever on him.  He -is- a good Etone at heart, you see.  Slowly, he stands.  And there is a soft click of a safety removed.  You've got until the end of the song to prove that Marcus is wrong, Kenji.  Really.  You accidentally hit on my precious soullmate.  Go ahead.  Try.
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Kenji hits a higher note as visions of fame, fortune and promotions dance within his deranged head.  This look towards Khiea, this song...and his beautiful voice could bring him much.  Just wait till he finally ditches this surface life and gets back home!  The maid will be too proud to hear of Kenji's accomplishments in impressing the princess.  Ooo!  Maybe he'll even get a position on her guard?  Wait...does she have a guard?  Wait!  Does it MATTER?!  "She hasn't seen..." he ends the song, as the music softens.
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And thusly, Big Joe steps up to the front, "Lets give this man a hand!  Yeah!"  Big Joe claps his heart out for the young man, even if he does think the song was a little odd, but, who's he to say anything...his was probably the weirdest of them all!  That isn't important at the moment, though, what's important is that he had to get ready for the closing cerimonies.<br>
Joe looks around, "I'd like to thank you all for coming to the Battle of the Bands!  I'm sure that we'll have the results back from the judges shortly, so you can all talk amongst yourselves, chew the fat, discuss life, the universe, and everything, take a look at the fine Big Joe Brand products that we've got in the back, and be sure to have a lot of fun!"  Joe smiles a little more and then steps back, yes, he'll be able to make a mint tonight...with any luck.
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'Excuse me?' What for? Khiea is... confused. So very, very confused. Her unfocused, squirming, more-interested-in-the-crowd demeanor has long since diminished and vanished in the face of this song. Why... is Kenji looking at her like that? She does not even think to listen to the words for the first few lines, so baffled she is. And then it hits. The lyrics. His looks. There's... a connection, isn't there? And her mind squirms and twists in a horror to avoid it.<br>
She's still /confused/, though, as to /why/.<br>
The princess is wide eyed and stunned, sitting still as can be as she watches Kenji. She can not decide if there is something /wrong/ with him, maybe, or if she's missing something or... Or if there is something very obviously going on that she would feel a lot better ignoring. She is not in the mood to be a teenager tonight. And something about the feeling that she might have to be is threatening to ruin her mood.  She blinks a look over to Marcus, distracted looking and confused, as she nods and gives a very soft note of, "Of course, Mister Marcus..." But for what? It doesn't seem really /important/ right now. She's just... Confused. And concerned. And staring at Kenji in a way that looks half like 'What is WRONG with you?' and half 'What, is there something on my face?'
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Enough is enough. -Applause-? They're offering -applause- for that complete mutilation of Marcus's pure, beautiful lyrics? For the man who had, so confidently said that Khiea would attribute the entire performance to Marcus after this all, that this would somehow ultimately help Marcus... Oh, no. No, no, no.  Marcus might be the all-purpose lackey, with some divine note of 'Please, exploit me!' sketched into his eternal existance, but even he doesn't take likely to betrayal. And that's what it comes down to, doesn't it?  Sorry, Kenji.  Khiea is -mine-.  And you knew that well before you decided to shoot her looks that any good friend oughtn't.  Applause rings for Kenji's song, Khiea keeps on staring... And all of that, all of that, is too much.  He glares, lips curling slightly into the trace of a snarl.  She. Is. Mine.  "Forgive me, Khiea." He says, words almost anticlimatically calm.  And in one fluid motion, he snaps out his gun. His aim may not be phenomenal, and he might be right in the middle of a busy crowd full of innocent people... But hey.  Priorities.  Gunshot echoes, sharp and violent compared to the soft notes of applause and conversation, aimed right at Kenji's feet.  And if you're going to get a warning, that's just about it.
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Perhaps Marcus is just overreacting a TAD much.  Yes, that's apparent as a bullet hits the stage and sparks, causing Kenji to jump back.  The noise from the gunshot startles most all of the audience- and panic may just settle in if something isn't done about it.  "What in the?!" Kenji exclaims, looking around to find the source of the shot.  It's not terribly hard to see amidst the panicking people.  "Are you CRAZY?!  You could have really hurt me!" he calls to the man in the darker area who had shot in his direction.  Then, he realizes just who that was by the Princess he is sitting next to.  "...Wait a minute."
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Sorry? This gets weirder and weirder... Is something wrong with Marcus? He seems... really... up... se...  Oh dear.  There's a world of difference betweeen things being weird and things being /dangerous/ you know?  Khiea tenses at the ring of the waywaywaytoonear ring of gunshot, shrieking in surprise as she clamps her hands over her ears. She turns saucer-wide and horrified gray-blue eyes to Marcus and the gun held neatly in his hands.  He's... A little angry, isn't he?  But Khiea does not really care to sit, stare and ponder this.  She scrambles to her feet as fast as her limbs will take her, stumbling away from Marcus.  But the crowd is panicking, people are scattering... And that ironically doesn't make it very easy to get away from Marcus.  Someone runs into her, someone pushes past her, and with a whimper of distress she simply gives in and clings to the back of a chair, ducking behind it as if it would protect her from the lunatic shooting people and the lunatic crowds until she can find a neater way out.
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Oh, whiiiine.  I might have hurt Kenji!  For one thing, Marcus is the premeire whiner in the Holy Resistance.  And on the other hand... Um.  Duh.  "That's the -idea-."  Marcus half growls, heedless to whether his words, angered or not, can carry across a panicky crowd.  He stands his ground, as if nothing were wrong at all.  Because his focus is entirely on Kenji.  The rest of the world can matter when common sense clicks in.  He raises his aim slowly higher than just Kenji's feet to his legs with almost clinical precision--Marcus's next shot will not be nearly as harmless.  There is concern for the panicking and whimpering Khiea, who tugs at his focus out of the corner of his mind... And without even a blink, his eyes focused solidly on Kenji, Marcus merely walks over to the cowering princess and places a hand on her shoulder so gently that you'd never wager he was a pyromaniac gun-wielding lunatic threatening to kill his best friend in front of a crowd of hundreds.  Hey, he apologized, didn't he?  -She- has nothing to be afraid about.  He's doing this -for- her, after all.  ... Kind of.
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Big Joe just blinks and watches the spectice in front of him...first with horror, then with disgust, and then, finally, with Rage.  Joe glares at Kenji and Marcus for a few moments before standing taking a deep breath and then stepping towards the two.  Yes, something is about to happen...something...frightening.<br>
Big Joe's face is red, Bright red.  He looks like he's about to explode...and, with good reason.  They have ROUINED the entire event!  They've made a mockery of the sacred event that was happening before them...they have disturbed the sanctity of the Battle of the Bands...this is why Big Joe was now righteously pissed off.  And a Righteously Pissed off Big Joe is something that is terrifying indeed.  Big Joe hasn't been this angry in almost 500 years...not since the last time someone tried to stiff him...but this, this deserved whatever rage Joe has been building up for those years.  And Joe is going to give it to them...in spades.<br>
"YOU LITTLE, IRREVERENT SONS OF BITCHES!  YOU LITTLE SHITS!  DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DOING?  DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'RE DISRUPTING??  DO YOU HAVE ANY CLUE???"  Joe takes a menacing step towards the two young men, "I don't think that the two of you do...I think that the two of you have no idea what you're messing with...or who you're messing with.  I know that ignorance is usually bliss, but this time, it's not going to be blissful for you.  I'm Big Joe.  That's right, BIG JOE!  That name not mean anything to you?  Well, it will after I kick your sorry asses out the door."  Joe starts to rummage around in his pockets, pulling out a single sawed off shotgun from those dimentional holes that he seems to have, "You have two choices right now, you can either stop what you're doing and leave quietly, or you can continue, and I can kill the two of you where you stand.  It's up to you, got it?"<br>
Yes, Joe IS mad, why do you ask?
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Kenji tilts his head, coming to a glare.  "...and what exactly did -I- do?!  Shouldn't you be saying that to the lunatic over there that tried to kill me?!" he yells, before pausing.  No, it wouldn't be the best idea to taunt this already angry, gigantic and strong looking barbaric man, now...would it?  This calms him down- making him turn around and start off the stage, "...of course, seeing as I didn't do anything either way- I have no problem with leaving.  This event was stupid to begin with and I had no idea why I even thought of participating!  Good riddance!"  He seems fairly bitter, doesen't he?
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That's not comforting, Mister Marcus. If you really wanted to be comforting, you'd stand about a country away when you randomly start shooting people! Khiea twists her shoulder protestingly out from his grasp, shooting a dirty look up to Marcus. Even if she's still on her knees and clinging to the back of a chair for dear life. A glint of silver-blue in those eyes, sparks of ether shining along the rim of her eyes... And gone. Khiea's tell-tale sign of being seriously displeased. Joe's outburst startles her, causing her to stare, surprised again!, at the furious man. She.. hadn't expected that. Silent as can be, she watches. Still as can be, on her knees still, with her hands clasped onto the chair before her as if she hadn't yet remembered to stop.
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If anything could shatter Marcus's little narrow world, which was currently focused entirely on shooting Kenji and ignoring anything else that isn't named 'Khiea', then a screaming, cussing, 4,000 year old Elvis-impersonator might just be it.  Well, okay.  One with a gun.  Marcus blinks a few times, slowly... And turns, even slower, to look at Joe.  It's almost dreamlike, the way that his gaze skims over panicking masses and frightened people as if it were unexpected or somehow new.  And as he finally stares at Joe, with his gun at hand and threatening wildly... Marcus swallows softly and lowers his gun. Finally.  Kenji's getting away, agh!  Some part of him screams at that.  But...  Well, with the initial burst of fury aside, Marcus is beginning to realize that perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to do in the first place.  Almost reuctantly he slides his gun back into his jacket into it's hidden holster, and offers only a mild, "Well... he started it, you know..."  Hee, Marcus?  Frightened?  Of course not!  Although who would blame him for being intimidated by a big, raving man set on kiling him otherwise?  Marcus clears his throat mildly, "Well, you see... I'll..." A pause, as he glances down at Khiea, squirming out of his grasp and looking up at him with such an unpleasant glance.  And... was that a glint of light in her eyes?  Ah, nothing but the lighting here.  Nothing but.  He frowns, hurt by that... And adds only softly, "I'll just be on my way, then."
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"I don't give a damn who started it. I'm finishing it.  NOW.  The two of you," he points to Marcus and Kenji, "Will leave right now.  Kenji is disqualified for being a part of this horrible thing.  Do you understand?"  Joe cocks the shotgun, "Leave.  Now."  He glares again.  "Or I'll make sure that your lives are miserable for the remainder of time.  I will make it a living hell for you, your children, your children's children, for the rest of eternaty."  Joe is looking very...scary right now, "Believe me, I've got nothing better to do with my time."
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"I'm afraid you're too late, dolt!  I'm already out of here!" calls Kenji as he storms off-stage.  Big Joe is rather intimidating, yes, but Kenji's furiousness as this whole ordeal sort of counter-balances that.  Kenji's fame!  His fortune!  And Marcus could have maybe even gotten the princess!  And what happens?!  The idiot pulls a gun and tries to KILL HIM?!  It makes Kenji even more mad, the more he thinks about it.
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Go. Go away. Now. Please? Khiea... Khiea does not /like/ things like this happening. This was supposed to be a fun little festival, cheerful and happy and with not a bad memory in the world to it's name. And now... Now Marcus had to go and try to kill someone who was performing? Khiea might not have understood what was going on.. But she knows when she's scared and upset. With a small sniffle she finally unpries her fingers from the chair and rises to her feet, looking a little bit shaky and very irked, but nonetheless okay. "I think it would be best if you left now, Mister Marcus."  Her voice is just as shaky, fingers re-curling around the top of the back of the chair. "I don't know why you did that, but you've made an awful mess. Please go." That's far too kind a wording for all the surprise and irritation Khiea is feeling right now. But no more ether glints by her eyes; She doesn't look like she's about to blast Marcus through a brick wall. Just go. Go.
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Um, right. Phew.  This... Um.  This isn't going particularly well.  Joe is threatening all means of things--Geez, the guy needs a hobby.  And more importantly, while Marcus might wonder why a threat to kill him is going along with a threat to kill children we're glad the 16-year old doesn't have, well... Point made.  He gives a heavy sigh, annoyed and frustrated, adrenaline and unspent anger still coursing through his veins.  He didn't want it to turn out like this... Awkard, and with no good result whatsoever.  He didn't want Khiea to be upset, or to ruin a thing.  It's just Kenji... All -Kenji's- fault, damn it.  "Fine, already.  I'm leaving."  He says, very sharply and shortly to Joe before turning around once more to look at Khiea.  The poor thing... She looks so upset, so shaky.  Mrf... That's the worst thing of all here, as far as Marcus is concerned.  Causing public havoc and upsetting Kenji is all quite secondary to earning the distress of Khiea.  His brown eyes soften softly and... Well, hey, when else is he going to get the chance during this festival?  With fear quite forgotten beneath the ebb of anger and unvented emotion, he only very purposefully walks up to her, puts a hand on her shoulder... And softly kisses her on the forehead.  "I'm sorry." He only says, before he releases her and continues walking away, rather swiftly.  Damn... Why'd he do that?  His mind starts running through doubts almost the dawning moment after.  But no matter, as he tries to make his way out of the area before he's shot by the enraged Joe.  Hey, after all, Marcus is entitled to enjoy -something- tonight, isn't he?
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Big Joe puts the gun away and massages his temples, "Ok, this thing is over.  We'll give the results of the contest in a few days.  And now, I need a drink."  Joe just walks out and goes to the nearest bar, then he gets drunk out of his mind so he forgets everything that's just gone on.  Damn kids.  Damn, stupid kids.
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...<br>
...<br>
What the /hell/ was that?<br>
Oh, wait. Sorrysorrysorry! Khiea doesn't cuss. She /tries/ not to. But really! Really, really! What the heck? Khiea said /go/. Go away. Now, now, now, because you upset me and I don't understand why you did what you did and... And... And... Please, just go. I don't know why you and Kenji are acting so weird around me, but I don't like it and I don't want to deal with it. Is that so hard to understand?<br>
But no. He /kissed/ her. And without word or whim of explanation, just gave a 'sorry' and walked away. Oh! Oh! Is that supposed to make everything better? You said sorry, but you still make no sense at all, you're still really weird and /why/ did you do that? Khiea is too stunned to respond, react, much less move.. And remains there, still and wide-eyed and staring as he walks away.<br>
A twitch. And she shakes her head sharply, as if to rid herself of all this little worldly nightmare, an angry noise given as she clenches tight her fists in what is frustration and threads of anger both. Sparks of ether flicker at her hands, brief but bright, until she unclenches her hands and makes one wide, all encompasing, two handed dismissive gesture to it all.  "I am so sick of everyone being such a moron!" She yells, somewhat shrill.  And with that alone, she stomps off towards the exit, heavy in her steps and with a frustrated frown etched upon her face.