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THE CRUTCH

The atmosphere in the grand hall slowly regained its vigor as the time ticked on, though retaining a certain sense of awareness throughout, with eyes frequently glancing past the dancing platform and onto the elevated point . Their attention was drawn to but a single figure, sitting at the very center, draped in clothes so ordinary one might mistake him for the side-street beggar, surrounded in a relaxed and tranquil countenance that almost seemed like a falsified front for what really lies beneath .

Though Lino had noticed their eyes, he simply ignored them as it wasn’t anything new . Instead, he excitedly chatted with Rammraght, introducing him to various things and people inside the hall, while Hannah sat to the side, smiling faintly . Unlike with her, nobody walked up to Lino to greet him, as even with the current relaxed atmosphere, there was a sense of absolute distance, the point which they should not cross .

\\"... right, where is Aaria?\\" Lino suddenly turned to Hannah and asked .

\\"Honestly, I thought you’d forgotten her completely . \\" Hannah replied with a cheeky smile .

\\"... I should have forgotten you instead . \\"

\\"I very much doubt that’s physically possible, considering all the unforgettable things I’ve done to you . \\"

\\"Yeah, like crack my heart like an eggshell time and again . \\"

\\"Well, something certainly did crack like an eggshell on occasion...\\" she said, her smiling widening .

\\"I’m fairly certain Aaria is the proof that nothing was a-cracking . \\" Lino replied, smiling back .

\\"... could you two possibly shut it?\\" Lucky grumbled from the side, yawning and stretching . \\"You’ve barely been back half an hour, and yet you’ve already made me wanna kill myself eight times . \\"

\\"Weren’t you asleep?\\" Lino asked .

\\"... got me . \\" Lucky shrugged, taking the bottle in front of her and drinking a bit .

\\"... you’re awfully grumpy for someone who’s about to adopt a couple of toddlers . \\" Lucky gagged and spat out a mouthful of wine, coughing violently right after while Alison buried her head into her bosom, her cheeks flushing . A strange silence quickly erupted on the table, with Lino grinning at the now-fuming Lucky . \\"I’ve always known it, but damn, you caved in rather easily . \\"

\\"... shut it, bastard . \\" She took a deep breath, calming down .

\\"... congrats,\\" Lino got up and walked over, patting her head gently . \\"Both of you will be great moms . \\"

\\"I’ll be a father, though?\\" Lucky’s lips stretched into the faintest of smiles as she swatted his hand away .

\\"Tsk, I’ve always known you were grooming a cock under all those layers of clothes,\\" Lino said, returning to his seat . \\"Too bad it’s not functional... sigh... what a shame...\\"

\\"Alright, quit yapping,\\" Hannah slapped him gently, barely containing her laughter . \\"She’s right . You’ve barely been back half an hour, and I already want to shove an ax through your brain . \\"

\\"... ah, dear Ram,\\" Lino sighed lamentingly, his expression of pain exaggerated as he swung his arm around Rammraght’s shoulder . \\"Do you see how they treat me? Their very Emperor? It’s like... it’s like I’m a pissed-on piece of turd to them, you know? See all the injustices I’m facing . \\"

\\"...\\" Rammraght rolled his eyes and sighed, wholly sympathizing with everyone except for him . \\"When you told me you were an Emperor,\\" he said . \\"I was picturing... something else entirely . \\"

\\"Right?!\\" Lino exclaimed . \\"You were expecting at least a basic level of respect, no?!\\"

\\"... I wasn’t expecting you to be so loved by everyone,\\" Rammraght said, smiling helplessly at the old man’s antics . If one were to distinctly remove his appearance, it’d be easy to conclude he was still a kid . \\"You must have done something special to this place...\\"

\\"...\\" Lino met the pair of shimmering eyes squarely as his lips broke out into a grin . \\"We’re each other’s crutches, is all,\\" he replied, taking a sip of the wine from the table . \\"I’m Emperor last, here . Titles are dead, after all; we are, on the other hand, very much alive . \\"

\\"... I’ll toast to that . \\" Hannah chuckled and raised her glass, and was quickly followed by the rest, even those who didn’t know what they were toasting to .

\\"That’s great and all, but you never told me where’s my little princess . \\" Lino said right after the toast, causing Hannah to sigh and roll her eyes, dispassionately pointing her finger at the hall down below and the small figure hiding inside a group of people . Lino grinned as he met the pair of starlit, smiling eyes . \\"Alright, spin the music . \\"

\\"... huh?\\" it was Hannah’s turn to nearly choke on the wine .

\\"What? Can’t a father dance with his daughter?\\"

\\"... shouldn’t you dance with me first?\\"

\\"Danced with you plenty . \\"

\\"We danced like three times in our lives . \\"

\\"... really?\\"

\\"Really . \\"

\\"Eh, you’re old . You have more patience . \\"

\\"... did you just call me old?\\"

\\"I’m sorry; I meant you’re enviably young . \\" Lino said, quickly getting off the chair, avoiding Hannah’s deathly glare . \\"But, seriously, tell whoever’s in charge to start the music . Firefly!\\" he spun and ran off, shouting and causing the hall once again to throw in a towel, turning silent . \\"Come ’ere,\\" he signaled to Aaria as he made his way to the empty dance platform . Aaria sighed, knowing full well there was no point to resistance and made her way through, slightly embarrassed yet also excited . \\"Boy, you’re all grown-up now! Sheesh, looks like it’s time to marry you off...\\"

\\"... mom already made that joke . \\" Aaria rolled her eyes as she walked up .

\\"Tsk, she keeps stealing my jokes . \\" Lino clicked his tongue, glancing at Hannah .

\\"... welcome home, dad . \\" Aaria said, stopping in front of him, tinkering with her fingers .

\\"... what are you doing?\\" Lino looked at her dubiously, tilting his head .

\\"... u-uh... following etiquette?\\"

\\"... what etiquette?\\"

\\"... a proper one?\\"

\\"...\\" the music suddenly began, dousing the silence in a breathtaking symphony . Lino seemed unperturbed as he continued staring at the nervous-seeming Aaria . \\"Etiquette is fine and all, kiddo,\\" he crouched down, lifting her chin gently and meeting her eyes, smiling . \\"But, whenever you don’t hug me, I lose about one-tenth of my total lifespan . This old heart of mine can’t take it anymore . \\"

\\"...\\" Aaria rolled her eyes and extended her arms, throwing herself into him . She had already forgotten that there was a massive hall full of people around her, as in her eyes there was only the single figure – someone who can draw that attention away . A figure she respected more than anything or anyone else in the world, someone whose shade could blanket the entire world and protect it . \\"I missed you...\\" she whispered softly as Lino hugged her back .

\\"... missed you too, firefly,\\" he chuckled, slowly standing up . She was good three-four heads still shorter than him, but even if it was awkward to dance, neither seemed to care much . \\"Listen...\\" he mumbled, glancing upward . \\"Do you know this song?\\"

\\"... no . \\" she replied .

\\"It’s your mom’s favorite,\\" he chuckled . \\"I remember her threatening to leave me if it didn’t play at our wedding . \\"

\\"... ha ha, that does sound like something mom would do . \\" Aaria chuckled faintly, closing her eyes and letting the sounds sweep her along his arms . \\"You stink, by the way . You really should have at least washed up...\\"

\\"... sorry . \\" He chuckled awkwardly, finally having realized it himself .

\\"Nhm...\\" she shook her head faintly . \\"It’s fine . It reminds me of you...\\"

Hannah remained seated, watching the two figures rocking back and forth in place, growing teary-eyed . There was something between the two of them that was their own, a small piece where she had no place to intrude; at times, she really did feel like an outsider looking in, yet she didn’t mind it all that much .

The song slowly came to its end as the music ended, followed soon after by applause . Aaria looked up and met the pair of encouragingly-black eyes who looked at her smilingly . Lino patted her head gently, chuckling .

\\"A’right kiddo, run off to your mom now . \\" He said . \\"Your dad’s gotta do something first . \\"

\\"Hm . \\" Aaria nodded faintly before turning around and leaving him alone on the stage . He walked up to the edge and looked down at the audience that grew quiet immediately . He maintained the silence for a few moments before speaking out .

\\"... we are victorious,\\" he said simply . \\"Whatever little that means . Before we roll off to another war, and before we begin scuffling and battling and bickering over this and that, at least try and remember the cost of the crown . It’s a cheap piece of jewelry built upon the sea-laden corpses . The throne but a chair built by the endless stretch of bones . The flag but a piece of cloth woven by the tears of all those left behind . All these titles just worthless mementos of vanity . I won’t care for how you go about obtaining power, hoarding wealth, and whatever other dreams you may have; but, if any one of you, be it those I’ve yet to meet, those I’ve met, or even those I love, ever fan the flames of war again, I’ll behead each and every one of you on the spot . \\" Everyone in the hall felt cold shivers run down their spines as the black eyes scoped across them . \\"Consider me a tyrant, or a hypocrite – I don’t care . We can either prosper and live together in peace, or I can spend a few years weeding through you lot . It’s entirely up to you . Enjoy the ball . \\"