RPG Hybrid Vigor [PG-LV]

[Sakura]

[COLOR=Navy]Julia had made it to the ballroom just in time before it started, running a bit to enter the doors. Her hand came up to her mouth as she marvelled at the beautiful room set before her, it was so elegant and everyone in the room looked sophisticated. Suddenly she felt uncomfortable around the people even though they were smiling at her warmly. She smiled weakly in return and her hand drifted down to her neck where a delicate white gold necklet hung, resting on her collarbone.

Julia moved off out of the direct sight of everyone and made her way around the huge room, picking up a champagne glass from a waiter carrying a tray of them, thanking him and taking a delicate sip. She caught herself before she fell as her ankle twisted in the high heeled shoes, she wasn't used to wearing feminine things and it felt a little strange to her.

The music being played was beautiful and enchanting, so much that she had to close her eyes and just listen. The instruments looked different from the ones she remembered from before the coma, but then time [I]had[/I] passed. She was swaying hypnotically until she heard a waiter talking to her.

Julia opened her eyes. [B]"I'm sorry, what did you say?"[/B]

[B]"I asked if you'd like anything, madam."[/B] he repeated.

[B]"Oh, no thankyou."[/B] she smiled.

He bowed and walked away. Julia continued her stroll and sipped her champagne until it was just an empty glass in her gentle grasp. A waiter almost walked past her but presented the tray to her, indicating that she should set the glass down. Julia did so and gave her thanks, declining the offer of another glass.

She stood and looked around at the people dancing in the centre of the room and she nervously ran her hands over her navy blue dress. She continued to stroll, watching in amazement as the dancers looked unified as if it had been perfectly choreographed. Julia wasn't paying attention or concentrating so when she twisted her ankle this time, she wasn't quick enough to catch herself and she fell hard to the ground crying out, becoming a splayed form on the polished floor. She sat up and brought the ankle that she twisted close to her body to inspect it. Julia massaged the joint carefully, deciding it was ok she was about to push herself off the floor. She looked around and noticed that some waiters and onlookers had gathered, watching her to see if she was ok. A man with long brown hair that fell in front of his face knelt beside her.

[B]"You alright, ma'am?"[/B]

[B]"Yes, no major damage done."[/B]

[B]"Here, let me help you up."[/B] he stood and extended his right hand to her. She blinked and smiled, grasping it gently and allowing him to pull her upright.

[B]"Thank you."[/B]

[B]"No problem, ya think you can you put weight on it?"[/B] he asked, looking at her feet.

Julia tested it and nodded. [B]"Yes, it's fine."[/B]

[B]"That's good. Well, I'm Miguel... and what would your's be, miss?"[/B]

[B]"My name's Julia, pleasure."[/B]

[B]"Julia, hm... would you like to dance?"[/B]

She nodded and he lead her into the centre of the room with the other dancers. He bowed to her and she curtseyed before they came together, she put her right hand in his grip and rested her left hand on his shoulder as he placed his right hand on her waist. The music changed tune but remained at the speed for a waltz and at Miguel's lead, the two of them began to dance, she followed him easily as they danced circles, the pain in her ankle was forgotten as he lead her around the floor and joy shone in her emerald eyes, it had been a long time since she had danced and now she was trying to think of why she had stopped in the first place. And Miguel himself was intriguing because he had such grace and elegance in his movements, she smiled as he twirled her, then the thought hit her, maybe he was one of the 'others', if so she'd be getting to know him well, and that sat well with her.[/COLOR]

[Zen]

[color=navy][size=1]

Miguel?s natural charisma caused him to strike up the dance he had with the lovely young lady, Julia. [I]Couldn?t hurt to blend in, I guess...[/I] he thought to himself as he graced his hands upon the young woman as they began to dance a traditional waltz. Miguel wasn?t normally a dancer, but he had learned from his mother, who was an avid samba and mambo dancer. [i]Atleast it came in handy for somethin?... Heh.[/I]. As the two locked into one another in a slower part of the song, they caught each other?s eyes. [b] ?So Julia... what brings you here to this....?[/b] Miguel took a second to glance at his surroundings, [b] ?... lovely establishment??[/b] he said with a sarcastic tone.

Julia?s face turned to worried expression, a hint of uncertainty coming over her bright eyes. [b] ?To tell you the truth... I don?t have the slightest...?[/b]

[b] ?Bah! No worries. Neither have I... haha.?[/b] Miguel joked, trying to up Julia?s mood. [b] ?I got your back if you got mine. Deal??[/b] Miguel looked down to her with a suave smile, winking as the pair continued the three-step waving of the slow waltz.

[b] ?Hm.... Sounds good to me. Deal.?[/b] Julia replied with a soft smile of emerging happiness. Grasping around Miguel?s waist, she pulled close to him as the song sped up. She continued to conversate, [b] ?So, Miguel. Where do you happen to come from??[/b]

[b] ?The city that never sleeps, ma?am. New York, New York.?[/b] Miguel?s tone was humorous and care-free. His mood had been sharply lightened upon meeting Julia, however he kept certain to keep his eyes sharp.

[b] ?Oh my... how.... Exotic... hehe.?[/b] Julia gave a small laugh.

[b] ?Let me guess. Australian??[/b] Miguel replied to her with his cultural knowledge. New York was a great melting pot when it came to cities. Aussie?s where always easy to spot.

[b] ?That?s very good, sir. How?d you know??[/b]

[b] ?Ha. Lucky guess I reckon.?[/b] Miguel gave a warm smile to her, which was returned much to his pleasure. They continued their dance as the song sped up and the orchestra changed the rhythm to a different song. With the change, Miguel gave Julia a sudden dip, his hand catching the back of her head, running his fingers through her soft brown locks. He caught yet another deep look into her gentle green eyes. [b] ?You have some beautiful eyes, I must say.?[/b] Miguel added with charm, which was answered with a slight blush as he raised her back to her feet, twirling her with his fingers, and then pulling her back into his body backwards wrapping his arms around her in symmetry with the flowing music. The lavish setting mixed with the cultured ball room attendee?s were beginning to make Miguel regret more and more his decision not to change his clothing. However, he tried to soften his stress and concentrate on the dance. He didn?t want to draw attention to himself too much. Aswell, he was simply mesmerized by Julia?s brilliant green eyes... [I] This might not be as bad as I had though.[/I] He thought to himself as he reflected on the strange events of the past few hours.


Things could have been much worse in any situation. He felt lucky that the proceedings thus far were as calm as they had been. He almost felt at peace with that way the night had been going thus far. Gourmet food, fine drink, and a beautiful woman in his grasps were less than what Miguel considered ?hostile conditions?. However, he could not shake the thought that something within all of this was off kilter. There must have been a catch, and as soon as that Supreme Chancellor fellow showed his face, he was bound he would get answers.

In the mean time however, he would enjoy his dance with Julia....[/color][/size]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=Sienna]Darren had finally found a spot where he could watch the other people without having to actually talk to anyone, well other than the occasional waiter that passed by to see if he needed anything. Although the wine one of the waiters had finally convinced him to take was excellent, he just wasn?t that thirsty or hungry for that matter. Which considering how wonderful the food smelled was a shame. But his stomach was still in knots and he didn?t trust it to keep anything more substantial down. He already felt incredibly uncomfortable just being there, throwing up in front of everyone was the last thing he wanted to do.

He leaned back further into the incredibly soft and comfortable chair he was sitting in. [I]I wonder if someone can show me how this place was built[/I]? He wondered. Now that would be something he would enjoy doing if he was going to be stuck in this place. Darren watched the people dancing for a little longer and then closed his eyes, and just listened to the music. If only he would just wake up somehow making this a dream, but the longer he was awake, the more real this other world became. Darren sighed and opened his eyes.

More people had arrived and all of them except one seemed to be either dancing or chatting with someone. There was even a priest among the people. Was he one of the others who had been in a coma? Darren was tempted to go and talk to him, but he had never felt very comfortable around religion, as he had never really believed in God. Still it would be nice to talk to someone. Just sitting here was making him even more depressed. Maybe once the priest was done chatting he would go over and introduce himself.

?[B]Can I get you something[/B]?? A voice asked.

Darren turned to see yet another waiter standing next to his chair, he had been so lost in thought he hadn?t even heard the man come over.

?[B]Thank you, but I?m kind of feeling a little sick[/B].? Darren said weakly.

?[B]Ah, I see[/B]," The waiter reached into his pocket, pulled out a little pouch and poured it into one of the glasses of wine on his tray before offering the glass to Darren. ?[B]It?s just a side effect of the coma sir, drink this and you?ll feel better in no time[/B].? He said with a smile.

Darren traded glasses with the waiter. ?[B]Thank you[/B].?

?[B]Just wait here for a moment and I?ll get you something on the soothing side[/B].? The waiter said as he took Darren?s glass from him.

Darren took a tentative sip of the wine the waiter had mixed the stuff in, no point in not drinking it. After all if they had wanted to drug him they could have easily done that while he had been in the coma. To his surprise the stuff seemed to work almost instantly. He finished the rest of the glass as the waiter who had given it to him returned with a plate of various appetizers and another glass of wine for him.

?[B]Feeling better sir[/B]?? The waiter asked as he offered the plate of food and glass of wine to Darren.

?[B]Yes, much better[/B],? he said as he gave the waiter the empty glass and took the plate of food and the other glass of wine from him. ?[B]Thank you[/B].?

?[B]My pleasure[/B],? the waiter said with a bow. ?[B]If you need anything else just let me know[/B].? He bowed slightly again and left to attend to other guests.

Now that he didn?t feel sick Darren realized that he was very hungry. To his relief the waiter had given him nothing but finger food. [I]I wonder if he realized that I don?t even know how one would eat at a formal ball[/I]? Darren thought. Well either way he was grateful. In a very short time he had eaten everything on the plate. It was the finest tasting food he had ever eaten. Before he could even think about what to do with the empty plate yet another waiter took the plate away for him.

Now that he was no longer feeling sick or hungry he took another look around the ballroom. With a start he realized that one of the women had long black hair with blue highlights that looked just like his sister from behind. She was dressed in a beautiful green gown and about the same height and build as Bethany was. Without even realizing it he was up and walking over to see if it was her, hope warring with dread over it being someone else. Either way, he had to know if it was Bethany or not.[/COLOR]

[Esther]

[SIZE=1]Dawn walked up to the white square that was placed next to the door, she lifted up her hand and waited a second before dropping it.

[B]?What if this is some kind of trap? How do I know that this isn?t going to like, shoot out arrows or something..?[/B]

She shook her head and loosened up her body.

[B]?Ok Dawn, you?ve got to do this. You need to get to this little ball and see what this whole thing is about. C?mon Dawn..,?[/B] she lifted her hand and pushed the white square. When the voice started giving out the instructions she flinched.

[B]?Please walk down the hallway...?[/B]

Dawn giggled a little and listened intently to the woman?s voice that was giving out instructions on how to get to the ball. It sounded like she was there in the room, but Dawn couldn?t spot any speakers of any sort.

[B]?Must be an intercom around here or something.?[/B]

Dawn walked down the hallway and made her way into the corridor, she noticed that three figures were opening a door and into a grand room, she only caught a glimpse of it before the door closed behind them. There was more? Her instincts were correct, there had to be more. After all, Anne said she had other people to attend to didn?t she? This was starting to get very weird, was she one of these ?hybrids? that the letter was talking about. She had to! This is what all this stuff is about! Or was it?

Dawn slowly entered the ballroom. It was marvelous! There were butlers running around with trays as if they were going to serve the Queen herself, it looked so exciting!

The ?others? were talking amongst themselves, and some seemed to have been dancing. Dawn took a seat at a small round table that was beautifully covered with a pearl white table cloth. She leaned against the table and heaved a big sigh.

[B]?I wish I was home...?[/B][/SIZE]---------
[FONT=Comic Sans MS]Sorry for the short post, I kind of had no internet access for a couple of days. If someone could interact with me, that would be just dandy.[/FONT]

[Kei]

[color=darkblue][size=1]Allisa looked herself over in the mirror one last time. The dress made her look fairly decent. A strapless number, it fit nicely enough to her frame, trailing off in the back to a short train. Of course, Allisa being self-conscious all her life, she could only think about how people might notice just how husky she is if they looked to hard.

?Presuming they don?t try an? kill me on sight. But that?d be kinda stupid, havin? me put on a dress and everything just so they could murder me. Then again, I do hear some weird shit like that on the news sometimes. At least, I used to...?

Allisa shook herself, looking hard in the mirror. She didn?t have time to be depressed. There were things to take care of.

?I need to find out what the hell is going on here,? she said, smoothing back a stray piece of hair into the well-slicked bun she managed to pull together with the meager amount of hair care items the room had. The staff that provided the items obviously didn?t know how to deal with black hair. Allisa cursed the black half of her heritage every time she had to get her hair done properly. Straightening perms burn like a son of a bitch.

Straightening herself, Allisa walked over, breathed a quick sigh and touched the panel. Surprised to hear the instructions to the ballroom spoken softly instead of the creepily-voiced death threat she was more than half-expecting, she opened the door and padded her way out into the hall. Seeing no one, but faint hearing voices in the direction that she was to go, she began slowly walking down the hall.

[i]?Just keep it up, girl,?[/i] she thought to herself. [i]?Don?t let ?em see you scared as all hell.? [/i]

Of course, her somewhat stiff movements, coupled with the fact that she?d only had the experience of walking in heels about three times in her life, would not only convince people that she was scared, but also that she was about to topple over at any moment and snap both her ankles in the process. Which was very likely to happen, considering her current streak of luck.

She came to the doors of the ballroom just as soon as the small group of people ahead of her went in. In the back of her mind, she wondered if they were just as clueless as she was. In the front of her mind, however, she was considering the fact that they might be people she?d have to try and knock out if something went down.

[i]?I ain?t a fighter, but that don?t mean I won?t reach out and touch a bitch if I have to,?[/i] she thought to herself as she attempted to peek into the room. Of course, all her thoughts vanished when she noticed just how gorgeous the ballroom was and only one thing replaced them.

[i]?Holy shit.? [/i]

Wall to wall glitz, just like in the movies. The fixtures on the walls, the decorations, the room itself; Allisa has never in her life thought that she?d be able to see something this extravagant with her own eyes live and in person. As she was so caught up with it, she never noticed the server standing silently next to her.

?Bon soir, mademoiselle. Can I get you something?? said the sharply-dressed man. Allisa jumped at his greeting, covering her hand with her heart briefly. The man looked slightly apologetic automatically, but Allisa waved a hand.

?No, don?t worry, I?m okay. You just startled me a bit, but it?s my own fault. I was so caught up in the beauty of this room that I didn?t even notice you there.?

Adding on her best uppity chuckle, Allisa kicked herself mentally. It was hard switching forms of language and demeanor on the fly sometimes. She didn?t like doing it, since it was being a bit fake, but she?d learned a long time ago that there are certain times when the different halves of her heritage were better to use and this was a job for ?white snob.?

?I do apologize regardless, mademoiselle,? the servant replied. ?Please, come in and enjoy yourself. The other guests are still arriving, but there are many people already here to pass the time with. There are also refreshments, so do not be afraid to ask one of my fellow men to serve you.?

With a bow, the man ushered Allisa further into the room. Returning it slightly, along with a quick thank you, she walked slowly into the room, taking notice of the people on the floor dancing to the music that was playing.

?Oh, geez, I hope nobody?ll drag me out there. I?m horrible at that type of stuff.?

?You and me both,? said a voice from behind her. [/color][/size]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=SeaGreen]The first thing Bethany noticed when she walked further into the Ballroom was it?s sheer massive size. And the level of luxury was to be honest a bit intimidating. It certainly explained the expensive dress and jewelry they had provided for her to use for the ball, anything less would have stuck out like a sore thumb. Even the music being provided was being played by a live orchestra though they were using some form of technology to make the music sound as if it was coming from everywhere.

The waiters and waitresses waiting on everyone, the people out dancing in the middle of the floor, the few standing alone and the others chatting with one another, all of it just made her feel more isolated. She knew it was just her, but everything made her feel completely out of place. At least no one seemed to notice that she was a bit late. For a moment she was overwhelmed by a flood of what seemed to be others emotions and tantalizing aromas drifting her way from the huge buffet that was laid out along one of the walls. She smelled fear, despair, hopelessness and panic all mixed in with spices, breads and different meats. Her sinuses burned and for one moment she thought she was going to be sick. Then just as suddenly it was gone.

[I]What the hell just happened[/I]? She wondered. Bethany headed over to the buffet. What ever she thought had just happened, must have been a side effect of the coma. After all, how could she have possible though she was smelling emotions? The whole idea was absurd. As she approached the buffet table she noticed that there were plates with a variety of finger food already prepared for guests so she choose one and then looked for something to drink as there didn?t seem to be anything at the table.

?[B]Excuse me[/B],? she said to one of the waiters. ?[B]Could you get me some water please[/B]??

Bethany tried some of the finger food while she waited for the waiter to come back. The food like everything else was superb. She finished off the food and took a drink of water once the waiter had returned and then gave him both her plate and glass once she was finished. Although it was nice to be waited on, it made her uncomfortable.

Looking around again, Bethany saw that the others were still doing pretty much the same as when she entered. Though the people who were dancing had changed and who they were chatting with was different as well. A few of the people she couldn?t see their faces. She sighed. Considering how few people there were it was unlikely that either Darren or that her mother was among those who had survived.

One of the other women was sitting at a small round table by herself, she looked as despondent as Bethany herself was feeling. Bethany steeled herself and walked over, she had to start somewhere. And taking to one of the men, well other than the priest, just didn?t appeal to her. Not that she didn?t like guys, but she got tired of being pestered by them for dates especially since it seemed that a lot of them just didn?t know how to take no for an answer. She may have been in a coma, but on some level she doubted that had changed. Though I wonder if I?m being unfair she thought. After all she had never traveled and other states and countries didn?t have a dominant religion in the area that raised their men to believe that getting married was more important than anything else.

Bethany stuck out her hand and said, ?[B]Hi, I?m Bethany. I take it that you were in a coma too[/B]?? Hesitantly the woman shook Bethany?s hand before responding.

?[B]Yes, I was. I?m Dawn[/B],? she replied.

For the next couple of minutes they talked about where they were from and what they had been doing before the coma. If it hadn?t been for the circumstances Bethany would have enjoyed talking with her a lot more. It was the first time she had meet someone from the United Kingdom. Bethany was about to sit down at the table when a voice behind her spoke her name.

Surprised that anyone knew her name she turned around to see Darren standing there. For a long moment they just stared at each other, not trusting what they saw.

?[B]Darren[/B]?? she whispered in disbelief. His answering smile was all it took. It was Darren! He was alive! With a shriek of joy Bethany practically leaped into his arms and hugged him tightly. Tears were running down her cheeks, and she was sure that others were watching but she didn?t care.

After several minutes Bethany finally let go of Darren and then grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the table where Dawn was still sitting.

?[B]This is my brother Darren[/B],? she said to Dawn. Introducing them.

?[B]Pleased to meet you. I?m Dawn[/B].? She replied.[/COLOR]

[Pumpkin]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=#333333][b]OOC[/b]: I hope it's okay I used Zoraki, Ikillion.

---

Rin spent a long time thinking about wearing the dress, it was a strapless sparkly gold one that was tight on the waist, and pouffed out on the sides with embroidered orange jewels around the side. It definately wasn't anything she had seen worn in Japan or Africa, especially the long gloves with white trimming that came with it. She finally gained the courage to try it on, along with the unusual headband that had yellow canary feathers on it. She felt ridiculous even though it was beautiful in it's own way, but then again strangely enough she hadn't felt anything since she woke up. Her body was fine, and yet she felt numb emotionally. She had not thought of home, of her famiy, of anything and yet she was content with that.

She wasn't looking forward to meeting others, especially since the dress made her skin appear even darker then usual, and that usually lead people to notice her slanted eyes as well. She had always been overly conscious of the looks people had given her. It wasn't until she put on her heels, that she noticed that she was thirty minutes late. "[b]First day, and I'm already late. This never happens to me, why does it have to happen now?[/b]" Rin thought to herself, as she stuffed her mouth with a candy that was left on the table and made her way out into the hallway. She arrived at a large wooden door, and heard chattering and music coming from the room and assumed she had arrived at her desination. She had forgotten to push the white button that the lady had told her about, but then again she wasn't feeling herself lately anyways.

She opened the door, only to have a few eyes give her an acknowledging glance, some welcoming others not so much. She noticed acouple of people dancing, and thought it would be strange that they could be in such a mood with such grave news. Throwing that thought away, she sat as far as she could from the others at a reserved table in the corner. She wanted to distance herself from these people the best she could, even though she could not understand why. A waiter had come up to her at of nowhere, taking her by suprise, "[b]Would you like something to eat or drink? [/b]" he asked politely only to reserve a head shake that mean't "No". She had been feeling gloomly lately, but it wasn't until later that she begun to get a migrane.

"[b]Oh my, this is getting pretty bad.[/b]" Rin told herself, breathing a bit heavier and laughed as she begun to hold her head. It felt as if her head we're splitting open and things we're racing through her mind. She began to feel as if the room was spinning and went through different mood swings such as feeling loneliness, sadness, amusement, amazement, scared, and one that struct a cord with her relief. It would have continued, if there had not been a firm hand on her shoulder. "[b]Miss, are you alright? You look really pale and you've been holding your head now for quite some time.[/b]" a man who looked quite young like herself asked her, apparently concerned she was going to faint. "[b]I'm fine...I just..have a bad migrane is all. All that is needed is some medication.[/b]" Rin replied bleakly with a false smile, she still felt numb and smiling had felt like the very first time she had tried it.

"[b]My name is Zoraki Sunoco by the way...What is yours?[/b]" he asked outsretching his hand in a friendly gesture. "[b]Rhodesia Matsumoto...but you may call me Rin. [/b]" she replied, it wasn't everyday you get to meet someone from a different country in the world. Somehow, she thought this might turn out to be different from anything she'd ever expected.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Sandy]

[font=palatino linotype]A waiter brought Bellerophon a glass of fresh water with ice on Liane's request. Bellerophon gulped it down in one go.

"Are you feeling better, non?" Liane asked, holding her slender hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, mercí beaucoup. Uh, excuse me, I need to get some fresh air now."

Bellerophon stood up and walked to the other end of the ballroom, leaving Liane sitting on the armchair with a worried expression on her face.

The headache and the spinning sensation were gone, but now he felt anxious with the masses of people around him. He had noticed that there was a balcony at the other end of the hall, just outside the tall windows that streched from the floor to the ceiling.

On closer inspection, each tall window had a small door leading to the balcony, which was fortunately empty. Bellerophon opened the door and went outside, getting the first taste of the air of Paris 2.

It was chilly and dark outside, it was probably autumn already. Bellerophon wasn't used to coldness, even the winters in Athens were mildly cool at best. He wrapped his arms around him and watched his breath steaming.

The lights of the nocture city flickered in front of him: monuments, buildings, some sort of vehicles that were like the evolved versions of cars, streetlamps... Then he noticed that there were no stars on sight, only the round pale moon partly covered by misty clouds.

The air had a peculiar taste in it. "Fresh" wasn't exactly the word he would use to describe it. How he longed for the sea![/font]

[James]

Lucas wore an odd deep gray suit that looked like it fit, but somehow felt completely uncomfortable. It was as though the suit were trying to crush Lucas slowly. Waking up in a strange location and reading an even stranger letter was enough to give Lucas a headache, but his clothing seemed to stifle him, as though it were limiting the oxygen to his brain; even being in the middle of an enormous, elaborate ballroom didn't alleviate the feeling of claustrophobia. He was in a spacious room, but his clothing seemed to be a subtle reminder that he was not here by choice. The ballroom was full of strange faces. But Lucas noted with some mild interest that there were no elderly people in the room; everyone was young, although there were very few bright faces. Everyone seemed to be as confused as him, although some were already adapting to their new environment. Had they simply accepted what they'd been told, or were they all presenting a calm exterior but really planning to make a break for it? A thin smile appeared on Lucas's face, at this latter possibility, but he also wondered where they would go...Paris's skyline was eerily different than he remembered. He wondered if he, a Parisian resident for more than a year, would have any idea about the strange and dark world beyond that ballroom. At the present time, it made little sense to Lucas to even attempt to leave. He didn't even know which building he was in, for one thing. But he also wanted to learn more about the situation; he considered the possibility that this was all a big hoax or that perhaps he was on some kind of exotic new reality television show. Lucas felt his eyes roll as he entertained this idea; he hated reality television. Everyone around Lucas seemed to be talking, many in excited whispers. But nobody was talking to Lucas. He had always been timid in social situations, but he felt particularly out of his depth tonight. Just as he was beginning to feel completely awkward, Lucas noticed a series of enormous windows running along the outer perimeter of the room. Each large window contained a door that led to a series of seperate balconies. At the very least, Lucas would be able to spend a few minutes alone in thought; ever since leaving his guest room (as it had been called), he had had no opportunity to be alone. And Lucas found that things made so much more sense when he was able to ponder by himself. He opened the door and felt the cool air surround him. As stifling and restrictive as the suit was, it at least kept Lucas warm. The balcony was smaller than he had expected and it was flanked on either side by elaborate vines, which looked somewhat alien to Lucas. Much to his dismay, however, Lucas was not alone. There was another figure on the balcony, standing at the edge. It was a young man, with his arms wrapped around himself. His breath formed short clouds in the cool air and he seemed to be deep in thought. Lucas decided that it would be better to go unnoticed - he was certain that this man was probably seeking the same kind of solitude and probably didn't want to be disturbed. Perhaps Lucas was too distracted by the figure, but in an instant, a loud crash reverberated around the balcony. The figure immediately turned around and started at Lucas. Lucas felt his cheeks flush a deep crimson, as he looked towards his own feet. There, laying near his right foot, was a large vase, which was now only [i]half[/i] a vase. The other half lay in thousands of pieces all around Lucas's shoes. Lucas momentarily looked up at the man, who's expression hadn't changed. For a moment, Lucas thought he looked angry. But the man waved a hand in the air and said "They have thousands of those all around this place. They aren't going to miss one." The tone was dry and masculine and Lucas could not immediately sense anything especially comforting about the way it was said. But then, the man smiled. And Lucas was immediately disarmed. He felt lucky that the second person he'd spoken to that night actually seemed [i]human[/i]. The man walked over to Lucas and extended a large hand. "Bellerophon," he said, with the hint of a mediterranean accent. Bellerophon immediately had the air of a man who was completely comfortable with himself and it seemed as though he was supremely self-confident. But upon closer inspection, Lucas noticed that there was a very slight hint of nervousness in his eyes. Lucas shook his hand - a slightly sweaty palm. It wasn't at all a negative thing, on the contrary, Lucas was pleased to meet someone who seemed slightly human. Even the people within the ballroom had mostly seemed somewhat robotic. Lucas suddenly realized he'd gone too long without responding. He was looking at Bellerophon's face, further pondering his situation. "I'm Lucas," he said quietly. "It's nice to meet you." Bellerophon nodded. "I had to get out of there," he said, suddenly easing up noticeably. "I've never been one for events like this. And under these circumstances, I am [i]definitely[/i] not in the mood to dance." Bellerophon moved over to the edge of the balcony once more and gestured for Lucas to follow. Lucas rest his hands against the ledge and looked over it into the abyss below - abyss seemed to be the best way to describe what he saw. There was really nothing identifiable that Lucas could see, the view instead consisted of a deep black canvas, punctuated with the odd set of lights. The moon loomed overhead, but it didn't seem to have much effect on the city; it was just as dark as it had been earlier, with or without the moon. "I don't know how to dance," said Lucas finally, breaking the silence. Bellerophon grinned broadly. "Lucky you. I know all too well how to dance and it gets me into trouble...people expect me to join in." Lucas nodded, but he did not look directly at Bellerophon. He continued to stare into the darkness below. Somehow he suddenly felt nervous in Bellerophon's presence, despite the fact that this was the first positive experience of the night.

[size=1]Hopefully I've played your character somewhat accurately, Sandy. Please feel free to take it from here. I suspect this will be my last post before the chapter begins. Great work, everyone! I'm loving your posts![/size]

[Kei]

[color=darkblue][size=1]Allisa turned to see a woman only slightly older from herself looking at her with mild interest. Smiling nervously, she stepped back a pace.

[i]"Where the hell'd she come from?!"[/i]

Clearing her throat slightly, allisa began smoothing imaginary wrinkles on her dress.

"Forgive me for saying so, but you don't look like someone who doesn't appreciate a good go-'round on the dance floor."

The prim-looking woman chuckled quietly.

"You're right, my dear, I do. But the pickings aren't exactly enticing."

"I... see..." Allisa said, stepping back again. The woman had begun staring at her oddly again. Obviously, it was setting her on edge. Something was telling her that it might be best to escape the current situation. Quickly glancing over her shoulder to look for a possible escape route, she saw the terrace and thought up a quick lie. She seemed to be good at that in times like these.

"Oh, there's a friend of mine out there on the terrace! I should go say hello. Please excuse me."

The woman seemed to be about to say something, but Allisa, who was trotting very quickly from her immediate presence, couldn't have cared less.

Working her way through the slightly crowded area, she finally managed to reach the doors leading outside. Just as she was about to make her way out, however, she saw two men, one on the floor looking sheepishly at a broken vase; the other with a hard-to-place look on his face as he stared down at him.

[i]"Well, I ain't gettin' involved in that,"[/i] Allisa thought to herself.

Backing off and looking for a place to sit, as she suddenly found her feet hurting slightly from the heels, a row of empty chairs along the wall caught her eye and she made her way over, flopping down and setting her head in her hands.

[i]"I have no idea who to start askin' questions to,"[/i] she began thinking. [i]"Everyone around here looks like they're just here to enjoy this party. Except the one woman. She looked like she wanted to eat me."[/i]

Allisa shuddered slightly as she remembered the look on the woman's face.

[i]"It's times like this I wish a deus-ex-machina would come out of nowhere like in all those damn books I read..."[/i][/color][/size]

[Sandy]

[font=palatino linotype]Bellerophon helped Lucas to move the shards of the vase aside from the balcony's floor.

"So..." Bellerophon asked, bracing himself, as he crouched down. "Where are you from, Lucas?"

"From around here, France", Lucas asked trying to sound casual, but his nervousness shone through. "And you, you must be somewhere from the Mediterranean, right?"

"Yes, from Athens, Greece", Bellerophon replied with an encouraging smile.

Their eyes met, deep blue gazing into dark brown. As by chance they reached out for the same shard, and their fingers touched. They both flinched.

"Uh, excusez-moi!" Lucas uttered, blushing. Bellerophon quickly stood up.

"It's... alright. Heh,[I] if you were a girl[/I] that would've been like a scene from a lame love movie!" Bellerophon smirked nonchalantly, stressing just the right words to avoid any unintended signals.

He then wiped the dust from his white tuxedo pants and walked to the edge of balcony. His face got serious again. "This is insane, you know? I mean... How did we end up here?!"

"I'd rather not start asking those questions just yet", Lucas muttered as he joined Bellerophon.

Bellerophon felt a strange sensation, standing there on the balcony of a strange building in a strange city with this strange, this... [I]interesting[/I] man. He felt both confused and charmed by the situation. Everything was so [I]different[/I]. He felt different himself, as well.

Suddenly the hubbub behind them rose. Bellerophon turned around and saw everybody gazing at the same direction, towards the doors.

"We should go back in, Lucas", he said to his companion. "It seems that the Supreme Chancellor himself has graced us with his appearance."[/font]

[Esther]

[SIZE=1]Dawn was almost ecstatic that there were other people who were in the ?coma? with her. She had met two very nice girl who introduced herself as Bethany. She was from Salt Lake City, Utah. They had a very good conversation of where they were from and what not, then Bethany introduced her charming brother, Darren.

[B]?Pleased to meet you. I?m Dawn.?[/B]

Darren smiled and nodded his head slightly. A wave of silence came over the trio of chatters, but was soon broken by the ever anxious Dawn and her barrage of questions once more.

[B]?I wonder when this ball is going to end, maybe they?ll tell what we are supposed to be doing here. I really wonder why we went into the coma in the first place!?[/B]

The siblings watched her as she insisted to keep asking un-answerable questions at the time beings.

Bethany looked around the ballroom, [B]?Well. I?m pretty sure that us find out why we?re here is inevitable. I mean, they just can?t leave us hanging right??[/B]

?[B]You?re right,? [/B] Darren added [B]?they wouldn?t round us up for no apparent reason.?[/B]

Dawn nodded slowly as her eyes studied the other guests. There seemed to be one man, who she had overheard name?s Bellerophon, talking with a newer man who had just entered. Some of them seemed to be smiling and having fun, while others stood in the background staring into space.

Dawn smiled at the two, [B]?So, would you like to go grab a tad of tea -- wait! I think that's the Supreme Chancellor walking in over there!"[/B]

Bethany's expression to turned to that of confusion as she turned around asking, [B]"How do you know what he looks like?"[/B]

Darren turned as well to try and catch a glimpse of the man responsible of their presence there.

[B]"Because, there was a sculpture in my room of him!"[/B]

The three quickly hushed as the man prepared himself to talk.

[/SIZE]

[Doukeshi]

[SIZE=1]Watching the door through which her recent companion had vacated Liane frowned. To a casual observer her expression could have been read as one of concern and worry for the young man. Prehaps she was concidering following him, ready to lend comfort, to inquire as to his well being or any manner of pseudo friendly actions. In reality the concern that Liane did feel were less for Bellerophon and more for herself.

Now with the absence of anyone immediate to distract herself with, a whisper of nervous anxiety began to creep its way up Liane's spine. The pit of her stomach began to churn with an unconcious urgency and her mouth was Sahara dry. Pressing herself further into the cushioned chair upon which she sat, she cast a wary glance around the bustling room. The waltz had now given way to an easy sonata, allowing dancers to rest and more mingling to occur. Without someone upon which to focus her attention Liane was forced to cast her musings inward, something that she had put off doing since preparing for the ball. Caught in the middle of a world she did not know, with threats that she had no comprehension of, such thoughts could lead way to full mental panic.

Liane decided that the best course of action in this sort of situation would be to ignore any worries to the best of her ability. There was little she, herself, could do to resolve the predicament, short of causing a riot. Indeed, it seemed that the Supreme Chanceller would be arriving soon to answer their many, burning questions. Hopefully these answers would be sufficient.

The air in the ballroom was hot and heavy, something that Liane found oddly comforting in her current state. Letting her eye lids dip, she laid her head back against the head of the chair, listening absently to the hum of conversation surrounding her. The soft buzz, however, quickly declined into hushed whispers, causing Liane to once again open her eyes to regard the cause.[/SIZE]

[Sakura]

[COLOR=Navy]Julia and Miguel continued to dance, she glanced at him as they spun around the dancefloor with the other couples. He was obviously well informed about different cultures as he picked up on her being Australian even though she didn't have an accent that would distinguish her. They conversed simply, exchanging information about themselves. She was spun easily, then she felt the hand land on her waist and pull her further down than usual, she leaned back and felt his other hand cradle her head as he dipped her gently. He looked into her eyes and ran his fingers through her hair, commenting on her eyes and pulling her back up. She felt her cheeks heat up at the compliment.

Her mind wandered as she thought about the man that held her. She felt silly since she'd only known him for a little over 10 minutes, but she was already beginning to feel attraction for him. He was so appealing to her because from what she knew of him, they had similar personalities. She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts to get back to concentrating on dancing but the movement caused Miguel to question her.

[B]"Are you ok?"[/B] he asked.

[B]"Yes, I'm fine."[/B] she smiled and followed his lead.

The two flowed together gracefully, continuing to talk about a variety of subjects from their favourite things before the song slowed to an end. The couples separated and clapped their hands to acknowledge the orchestra. Julia smiled shyly and curtsyed to her partner.

[B]"Thankyou for the dance, I think I'm going to take a break."[/B]

[B]"I'll come with you."[/B] he said, escourting her.

The two of them walked away from the centre of the room and found chairs for them to sit on. She arranged her dress around her as she sat and reached down to feel her ankle which she had twisted earlier. It was a little sore from the dancing but she knew it would be fine.

[B]"Is your ankle alright?"[/B] he had spotted her rubbing at it.

She quickly sat up straight again. [B]"Yes yes, it's normal."[/B]

Miguel chuckled at her antics and patted her on the knee gently. [B]"Let me know if it pains ya, no shame in letting others know you're hurting."[/B]

Julia nodded and thanked him. A waiter chose to walk by, flourishing the tray before them with flutes of orange juice, water and champagne. She took a glass of orange juice and thanked the waiter while Miguel took champagne.

[B]"Why do you think we were brought here, Miguel?"[/B] she asked thoughtfully, taking a sip from her beverage.

[B]"That's a good question. I don't know, maybe we're supposed to save the world."[/B] he grinned and Julia smirked, hitting him on the arm lightly. [B]"What's your opinion?"[/B]

[B]"Hmm. Maybe we were saved from something terrible that happened to our civilisation and we were put into comas and were brought here."[/B]

Miguel nodded in acceptance, it was a possibility. Heck, any idea could be possible, after all, none of them would have thought this was possible, but it was proven that it could happen. They had been in comas and now they had finally woken years later to find themselves in a different location from their original place and the world had changed during their sleep. Julia looked across the room to where there were large windows which were also doors to the balcony, the sky looked the same, but if you looked below the expanse, the land had changed dramatically.

Miguel caught the look in her eyes, the look of confusion and the longing for home, back in their old time. He looked out the window/door as well and put a hand over hers which were in her lap, giving it a reassuring squeeze as she turned her own to grasp his in search of comfort.[/COLOR]

[Zen]

[color=navy][size=1]
Miguel felt a strange feeling come over him as he held Julia?s hand in comfort. A feeling he hadn?t felt in a long time. He knew it was strange, but he felt a strong connection towards her, a genuine care. Miguel had gained himself a reputation as a womanizer in the past, however, something about Julia naturally put Miguel at ease, while still making him concerned about her. He looked down to see her hand squeezing his for comfort, which caused Miguel to swell his chest up in a heavy breath of air. He continued to look out the window and felt sick for a moment. The flashing lights and cold looking architecture made him feel almost scared. He tried his best to keep his confidence amongst himself, but the anxiety of being away from familiar territory always felt the same. He had only learned how to deal with such situations, which he was ready to at anytime, as soon as he got some answers...

[b] ?Miguel... to tell the truth, I feel a tad afraid.?[/b] Julia whispered to him. She kept her eyes on the window, her eyes focusing on the Eiffel Tower?s bright lights.

[b] ?Heh. Don?t worry. I think soon enough, we?ll be getting some kind of answers... I?ll make sure of that. Haha.?[/b] Miguel laughed, trying to lighten the mood and soften Julia?s fears.

Julia looked to him with a light smile, closing her eyes she gave a small laugh. [b] ?Well, I?m glad you?re confident.?[/b] Her reply made Miguel think to himself a minute.

[b] ?Well, I guess I?ll just have to share it with ya. Haha!?[/b] he said smiling again, nudging her a little. She replied with a cheeky smile, which made Miguel feel a bit more at ease.

[b] ?It?s good to have someone like you around, Miguel. Hm. I feel like I can trust you.?[/b]

[b] ?Oh, no doubt. I really don?t trust anything here at all.?[/b] Miguel began looking around the room. [b] ?Heh. In fact, I?m a bit afraid to eat or drink any of this stuff... could be drugged.?[/b]

Julia gave a worried look to her glass of champaigne. [b] ?You don?t think...??[/b] she became worried again. Miguel took the glass from her and smelled the liquid inside.

[b] ?Hm. Well, smells alright.?[/b] Miguel gave it a slight taste. [b] ?Whoa.... hold on...?[/b]

Julia became even more worried as she looked to him with a worried expression. [b] ?What? Is something wrong?!?[/b]

[b] ?No! Haha. This is some really good stuff.?[/b] Miguel downed the glass himself. [b] ?Let?s get another shall we??[/b] Miguel smiled suavely and looked to a passing waiter, motioning for him to come to him. [b] ?Two glasses, please.?[/b] With that, the blank faced waiter poured them two glasses, Miguel took both and handed to Julia. [b] ?Might as well try and relax... that Chancellor fellow seems to be taking his time.?[/b] Julia took the glass with a smirk.

[b] ?Aye... To Paris.?[/b] she raised her glass to Miguel.

Miguel gave a short laugh. [b] ?Yeah. To Paris!?[/b][/color][/size]

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=#af992f][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Zoraki kept his plastered smile on his face as he let his eyes glaze over Rhodesia?s person. Such an interesting specimen she was. Like the fusion of two completely different cultures[B].? Rhodesia? Matsumoto.? [/B] A light smirk washed over him as his orbs continued to look at her body. [B]?Such an interesting name? For one who has such an interesting body.? [/B] As much as he wanted to keep his thoughts inside, he really couldn?t, she had one of the most interesting body complexions that he had seen in anybody for a long time. Well at least in the last couple of times he had interacted with other people in a social event.

[B]?Why thank you?? [/B] Rhodesia?s body warmed up as if she was to give off a blush, yet on her body it would be hard enough to notice, it was odd for her though, she wasn?t one to get such compliments from someone who she had just met a couple of seconds ago.

By now, Zoraki had a plethora of ideas flowing through his mind. Just why did he offer to assistance to someone who had no attachments to himself, well? that was unless this was no dream, no game, not even some kind of hallucination. That he was alive and in the future that, unbelievably, Zoraki was starting to believe was the truth. He did have many questions to ask the young maiden, yet he knew he had to try to restrain himself; she was suffering from a rather intense migraine.

[B]?So then?Rin I take it you are here for the same reason as I? To attempt to find some kind of truth in the tall tale that we were told?? [/B] At this point, Zoraki couldn?t believe what he was doing now. At first, he wasn?t the one who went out to try to help people, yet she seemed so distraught and so out of reality for the moment. He had to help her right? Then he had opted to start a conversation with the same woman. He had to actually think for a second, why had he done this? Did he fell some kind of sorrow or pity for her? No, it couldn?t be that. Yet when he did actually did start to think of it, what if she was some kind of an assassin? Sent just to try to kill him, by using some kind of ploy of having a migraine? Even then, Zoraki realized that he was beginning to get ahead of himself. She was just a normal person?right?

[B]?Well?Um? [/B] Rin stuttered as her eyes drifted across the room, looking at the cornucopia of activity it held within, some people were dancing, others were in a kind of conversation like she was in with him. Yet she could only help but wonder, what went on inside his mind. Did he think that she was weak, just because she had a rather harsh migraine[B]?? To tell you the truth, I really don?t know what to say. It?s all so much to take in at one time.[/B]

[B]?Well I guess such thoughts would be true, especially for those who weren't prepared to experience such changes in a short time.? [/B] He cautiously led her over to a chair on the sidewall of the ballroom and graciously sat next to her. [B]?Yet this is sure some... ball isn?t it??[/B]

[B]?Yeah.? [/B] Rin nodded halfheartedly having a though still stuck in her mind. [B]?Yet it could as well be a boring one. Nothing really exciting or heart-wrenching has even happened yet.?[/B]

[B]?Ah Rin that?s where you are wrong, we still have to wait for the supreme chancellor right?? [/B] He looked away around the room to where it would seem that someone important would make some kind of an announcement. It shouldn?t be to long now?[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Neil watched the ball get into swing, while he could dance quite well he had never picked up a liking for it and was internally quite thankful that nobody had come over and asked him to dance. Instead while others danced, Neil occupied himself with the stunning artworks, statues and architecture of the ballroom, much of it was unfamiliar to him, though classical styling of the works and his own lack of knowledge meant that many of these were likely centuries old or new works based on the same technique. Having read the Chancellor's letter it was entirely possible that the outbreak of Second Faction had led to a reembracing of past artists and their methods. Certainly a lot of the architecture was similar to that in the Vatican, either way he supposed eventually he would have the opportunity to go to a museum or art gallery and would find out.

He cast his attention back to the ball for a few moments, it was somewhat strange and yet reassuring to see people talking together as if old friends or family, he wondered if his appearance had meant people had shied away from speaking to him. It didn?t bother him really, he was used to being alone although he would have been appreciative if someone had come over and spoken to him, even if it mean he may have had to dance. He returned his attention to the series of busts he?d been studying, he could not place the figures in past or modern history, at least modern from his perspective, so it was likely these individuals were patrons of Paris 2. Neil?s mind had been so focused on the marble faces that he had not even realised the quietness around him, hairs pricked up on the back of his neck and he turned to face an older gentlemen who at first glance appeared in his late fifties.

[b]?I have heard people say that never before have so great a collection of individuals shared a single platform, if this is the case then I wish they had been kinder with my nose.?[/b]

Neil chuckled as the man grasped his hand and shook it by way of an introduction, he was not overly tall, a few centimetres taller than Neil and of a similar build. The bemused smile on his face was countered by sharp eyes which seemed to radiate a very keen intelligence, without intending to, Neil had mentally compared the nose of the Supreme Chancellor with that of his bust and had to admit the sculptor could have been kinder.

[b]?Supreme Chancellor Vilette I assume ??[/b]

The Chancellor?s smile broke even wider, into a full grin, perhaps it was so rare that someone had to actually hazard a guess at who he was, that he found it quite entertaining.

[b]?You are correct, I am Dominique Vilette. Now if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that you must be Father Gratzner. Although I must admit your collar and cassock make you easier to identify than a stranger would identify me, to be fair however you were looking directly at my statuette before we spoke.?[/b]

While finding the Chancellor to be quite pleasant, Neil could not shake a nagging feeling of doubt about the man.

[B]?I am Father Gratzner Chancellor, and now that we are both introduced I had hoped you might be able to answer some questions about Paris 2 and the events surrounding our arrival. I can only speak for myself but it seems as though I have been in this coma for a long, long time.?[/b]

A curious expression creased the Chancellor?s brow but faded an instant later.

[b]?I would be happy to answer your questions Father, but for the moment I?m afraid I must make my official introduction. Please excuse me.?[/b]

As the Chancellor left his presence, Neil was left to wonder exactly what that expression had meant.

[center]||||||||||[/center]

I?d be appreciative if anyone would care to interact with Neil a bit.[/SIZE]

[Retribution]

[size=1][B]OOC:[/B] Here you are, Gavin. Perhaps a bit more than you asked for? Haha.

---

Out of the haze of emotion and music, Alexander gazed at a lone priest sitting at a table alone. Although Alex himself was slightly tipsy, he craved answers, human interaction, stability.

[I]My mother always told me to go to mass. I just don?t see why, though.[/I]

Reluctantly, he stood up from his isolated table and made his way towards the priest. With total disregard to the dancers, he strolled across the dance floor where he bumped into a stunning young lady. She opened her mouth to apologize, but he raised his hand and closed his eyes to say ?forget about it? before he kept moving.

The jovial music slowly became a mere throbbing sensation in his head as his mind continued to sink in the whirlpool of panic. Upon reaching the priest he had a look of total shock etched across his face once more, and all he could do was mutter a pitiful greeting before collapsing into the chair across from him.

?I? I?m Alexander. You must be a priest.? It was more of a statement than a question, but the man took it in stride, choosing to introduce himself.

?Yes, I am Father Gratzner. Pleased to meet you, Alexander.? His expression was one of genuine worry and calm reserve. ?Are you well??

?Oh, yes Father. It?s just I think my family is dead and my country is conquered, and by the way, I haven?t been to mass in twenty-five years. Not even for Easter.? His sentences poured out of him like water did from a broken faucet. Patiently, silently, Father Gratzner waited for him to end his rant. ?I respect you, really I do. And I think that it takes a strong man to be a man of faith, but I don?t see God, Father. Where is God? If we are God?s children, and we created the Hybrids, does that mean that the Hybrids are God?s children as well? And if they are, well,? he paused, blinked a few times to stem the blood rushing to his head, then continued, ?why would God create something to kill his children??

Awaiting a response, he stared blankly at the table, then back at Gratzner and back again in a rhythmic pattern. The thoughts of his refused to be quieted. The blood kept rushing to his head, giving him the distinct feeling of vertigo.[/size]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Nice post Retri, exactly what I was looking for.

Although slightly taken aback by Alexander's outburst, and perhaps even a little unnerved the man's obviously drunken state Neil still felt it his duty to provide some form of assistance, though regretfully he knew no more of this place than Alexander did. The man was still staring vacantly at the table, as Neil tried to order his thoughts into a proper response, clearing his throat he reached across and laid his hand on Alexander's shoulder.

"[b]We all make choices in life my son, such is the miracle of the Lord that He created this entire world for us to explore the vast potential of our own being. Whether a man goes to mass every day or only once in his lifetime is not important, if a man cannot see God in his life then there is no point in merely celebrating the blessed Eucharist because we fear what will happen if we don't. God Almighty is in all of us my son, he is all around us, in every living thing in this world, human, animal and even hybrid, all are God's creations and he loves them equally. If we cannot see him then there is something wrong with our sight.[/b]"

Alexander was staring directly at Neil now, the twenty-seven year old priest felt he was off to the right track but there were still so many gaps to be filled, he could not give a definitive answer without knowing more. But he would at least try and allay this man's worries. Sipping the water in front of him, he continued.

"[b]I admit my son that I have always believed in God, that never for a moment in my life have I doubted He is with me always. This has provided a great pillar with which I can remain strong, but I often wonder what great leap of faith those who stopped believing and then began to believe again must make. To see God is to truly see the wonders of this world, to look upon the beauty of nature, the mighty sequoia, the life-giving Nile and the immense magnificence of the stars above our heads, the wonders and mysteries of the universe around us. To glimpse the Lord in much of his splendour is merely to gaze into the cloudless night and see the absolute greatness of His work.[/b]"

Neil was about to continue before Alexander began to speak again, his tone was again frightened, but with an edge of frustration, even anger.

"[b]But our families, our lives, why would God do this do us ? If the hybrids have turned against humanity then why does God not intervene and save us. For all you know Father the Vatican itself may be nothing more than a graveyard.[/b]"

True, Neil did not know whether or not the Vatican still stood, whether the centre of all Christ's teachings for him still continued as a beacon for mankind. In his heart he hoped that it still was, Italy was not a particularly valuable military target, unless one were to be attacking from the north coast of Africa, or perhaps the Vatican itself proved a target because of it's value to humans in the war. He drained the last of the water from the glass in front of him, again trying to reorder his thoughts, but there was so little solid fact.

"[b]Alexander we are here because it is the will of God, I can give you no further explanation because I have no further explanation to give. Like you, and like everyone else here I have lost those around me, my father, my friends, my flock and yet I take solace in the fact that even if they are no longer in this world, that they are with God in Heaven. From my perspective last week I presided over the funeral mass of a sixteen year old who had been killed in a traffic accident, a young girl who had her entire life ahead of her. After the mass her father asked me why God would take his daughter from him, I answered as best I could, that his daughter had received God's call to return home, and that this briefest of life is but a test for us. We cannot scientifically prove that there is life after this, but in my heart I know that she is with the Lord and watching all of us.

Life is what we make of it, love, joy, war, death, we have had the burden of choice placed upon us, to live by the tenets of Christ or to stray from the path and become a lost soul that must be returned to the flock . While we are the children of God, does not any parent allow their children to make mistakes and to grow wiser because of it ? The lesson may seem harsh, but how many died every day because of famine created by a lack of compassion from one man to the next ? As I said I know little about this conflict, in time when I know more I will try to give you a better answer, a more complete answer. But for now I can only ask you to be thankful that we are alive now, and that we are somewhere where we are not being ill-treated in our vulnerability.[/b]"

Exhaling Neil hoped that he had done something of value for this man, he was not sure himself of their surroundings, and the Devil might very well cloak his most evil acts in great kindnesses.[/SIZE]

[Retribution]

[size=1]?Father, why would God create us, a creature so inherently flawed and capable of evil, and give us free will? And why would he then damn us if we were to give into the flaws he bestowed upon us? These flaws are not slight; they are fatal, Father. Murder. Adultery. Greed. Neglect.?

He gave a shallow sigh before continuing.

?I?m sorry, I don?t really expect you to have definitive answers. I suppose it is my belief that true light does not come from heaven, but from the human heart itself. But the problem is that the human heart also has quite a bit of potential for evil.? To this, the Father nodded pensively with a look of interest laid plainly on his face.

?Care for a drink?? he asked with a joking smile as he held the bottle of wine, pouring himself a glass. He knew full well that priests were completely forbidden to have any alcohol. Gratzner picked up on the sarcasm, returned the smile, and humored Alex.

?Oh, no thank you.?

?Are you sure? Under such circumstances, would it be so bad to sin a bit. Considering the rest of the human race is probably gone and the end is upon us, it wouldn?t hurt to live it up, would it?? Alex gave a thin grin, and then downed the entire glass in a swift gulp. The alcohol was slowly taking over, warmly washing across his choking mind.[/size]