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Seemingly out of nowhere, a crowd had gathered. Vyn didn't notice until their shadows fell on her. She could feel their prescence simply through their shadows. Rivener, Gage, walkers, and even more walkers had stopped by. Her spirits had lightened up momentarily when she heard Rivener's voice, only to dampen as soon as she registered the upbeat, unconcerned tone in his words. He didn't understand.

Then there were the walkers. Some of them tried to console her, others tried to offer advice. Initial bewilderment turned slowly into simmering frustration. The pity in their voice that they directed at her was unwanted. She was fine! The flowers weren't!! Why couldn't they see that?

Just as quickly, her anger boiled over and turned into simple disappointment, although her expression barely flickered. She didn't need their empty words, the Shadow Frei realized. They were the ones making the flowers die unnaturally. They would not understand. As for her own kind...Vyn watched, they didn't seem to understand either. Sevilin was eager still, brightly hovering about Gage, and Rivener was just looking on curiously. It didn't seem like they understood either. Vyn looked back down at the withered stalk in her hands, delicate brows knitted slightly together. Was it only her?

Suddenly, a hand shoved itself into view. Vyn glanced up, and didn't have to look far, for the boots she had been planting the baby's breath next to suddenly had a face as the figure had crouched down and was now offering her something. What was he saying? These small things turned into flowers? Her hard gaze did not soften, however, for his words still sounded like an excuse. However, she hesitantly reached out to touch the small round things in his hand. And then she felt it. They were like tiny, compacted flowers cramped into a small hard shell. Taking the seeds from Ravi's hands, she examined them more closely in her own small ones. Some of them were dead, but some of them were still dreaming of budding. Some of them just needed a nudge before they burst open. If she put these into the earth as the walker said...

If Vyn had understood the concepts of sin and redemption, she might have compared this walker's actions to that. All she could percieve of, however, was that this walker was the only one trying to do something.

Maybe the walkers weren't all the same after all. Vyn straightened up, nodding a little at the red-haired walker who was crouched before her. The sprig of baby's breath was withered in her hand now, but Vyn still refused to let go of it, clutching it in her hands along with the gift of seeds. Looking around a little haughtily, Vyn simply waited for the crowd to disperse, the heat being a little unbearable, she wanted to go somewhere else, but didn't want to push through the people if it meant she had to touch them. She didn't want to float over them either, floating higher was hard for her and she didn't like the idea of being too far from the ground. Instead, she drifted around Ravi a little to pool inside his shadow, soaking up strength from it as she did so.

Jae Eun felt as though she had tried to grasp a rose, only to be greeted by a handful of thorns. Standing up and slowly backing away, she gave a faint smile to Ravi, hinting that she would come and find him later.

Junsu noticed Rivener right away, and listening to the conversation, found it somewhat humorous. Wait, he knew the name Eiry, it was the bouncy green Frei at the merchandise booth! Were Eiry and Riv really brothers? Looking at them, he thought the female Frei and Riv were more likely to be related.

Jae slumped over to him, with a face that read 'let's go' as plain as day. Wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders, he steered her off towards the stage of the auction, not really knowing what was going on.

"Ah...Jae, do you know why people are raising their hands in the air?" Not really paying attention, he waved his hand in the air, and without realizing it, was taken for another bid.

Keeping her eyes on the crowd, she tried her damnest not to laugh as Alex kept raising the price on her auction. She wrinkled her nose playfully when she saw a cute, Korean by accidently bid on her auction. She shrugged her shoulders playfully, trying to get the attention of everyone in the crowd. The cafe owner wouldn't deny there was a certain amount of ego boosting, as the auction price climbed higher and higher, but at the same time, she wondered if people were merely getting caught up in the moment, or if they were genuinely interested in her.

I guess that's the price one must pay she thought as she waved to a couple of Durem University boys crowding the front of the stage. Natsuki felt naked without her trademark plastic glasses and her bright blue wig, and a certain vulnerability lingered in her eyes, regardless of how sexy she posed for them. With every pose, she mentally reminded herself, that she was doing the right thing, that she was sacrificing for her friends.

"Oh~ A date auction??" Jae giggled, turning to the lovely Italian lady they had passed. An evil idea crossed her mind at that moment, but, it only would've worked if her brother had been there.

"AH! She's so cute!!" Junsu cooed, as he watched Natsuki wrinkle her nose playfully at him. Crossing his arms, he watched her with a casual grin. "She's got stage experience." he muttered, probably something he understood from having to put an act on himself when he performed onstage with his band.

Jae grinned at the friendly stranger. "I don't think we've met before. Jae Eun. Nice to meet you!" Almost methodically, she held up two fingers in a "V" pose.

"Ah! Oh, yes, I was at the Valentine's Day Carnival earlier this year!" Pausing, she turned and delievered a swift yet playful punch to Junsu's arm. "If you think she's cute, bid on her you dweeb! You know it's all for the Lab!!!"

Laughing, Junsu waved his hand in the air again, giving a sly look to Jae. "Alright, but don't get upset if I win the date."

Shaking her head, Jae turned back to Alex. "By the way, you can just call me 'Jae.' That's my boyfriend Junsu. Oh...you said you were helping out? Are you running any booths?" She smiled admiringly at the Gwee and the kitten who seemed at home with Alex. In a way, they made her feel more relaxed around her. If animals were at ease with her, they why shouldn't she be at ease as well?

"Oh, you won't have to worry about me for too long, I can only afford to spend so much anyways." Junsu chuckled, raising his hand with a playful wink.

Jae smiled, hearing that Alex liked her name. A lot of people at Durem University thought her name was awkward, claiming it sounded like a guy's name. She felt extremely happy that she had bumped into Alex, in fact, she went all aglow when Alex dubbed them friends.

"Oh! Lorenzo..hi!" she cooed, carefully reaching out a hand to pet him on the head. The tiny dragon was absolutely adorable perched where it was, she almost couldn't help but try to pet it.

Alex laughed at Junsu's remark, taking a moment to shift the slumbering cat in her arms so that the hand closest to the two was free. Giving a wave to indicate her bid, she extended it as if she would clasp Jae's shoulder, but she simply held it still. Lorenzo knew what she was doing, and carefully climbed down the length to her elbow where he stopped and allowed Jae to lavish all the affection up him that she so desired. "He's a ham, and he doesn't bite. Not unless you're hiding a sweet," she ammended with a lopsided grin.

To Junsu, she said, "It's fun while it lasts, and for a good cause." Alex watched Jae and Lorenzo out of the corner of her eye, still giving a good chunk of her attention to the fiery woman on stage. At Natsuki's motion, she couldn't help but laugh again; normally, she would have pretended to clutch her own heart as if shot, but the big black ball of fur on her chest and the dragon on her arm kept her quite still. Speaking out of the side of her mouth with a grin, she said to Junsu, "I think we've got her sufficiently confused." Alex had her reasons, and she'd only reveal her purpose if she won...or if Natsuki cornered her later, which ever happened first.

The Gwee was an attention hound and, understandably, was partial to women more than men. He made a small noise in his throat that sounded like a purr, although it sounded awfully silly since his mouth was still a little open. Oh yes, he did adore the attention!

"You could always give the win to me anyway," the woman joked, chuckling as Junsu returned the heart to Natsuki. "Really though...I can't give up. I'm a woman on a mission." Alex winked playfully, giving a low hum in her throat. The Gwee took to the air momentarily, freeing her arm long enough to give a wave before replacing it as it was, allowing the dragon to light upon it once more.

Lorenzo was in love. He was the cutest thing ever, he knew, but he so liked to hear it. She was playing to his vanity, which Alex had already built up quite impressively, and he adored this new woman for it. He inched down a little more, so that his head was within his owner's palm; he then flipped onto his back, balancing precariously on his master's forearm and chirruping gleefully.

"Zoe, if you drop I'm going to laugh at you," she informed the Gwee with bemusement.