(Un)Steady

The rain had already taken hold, the fact she could randomly appear behind him, even with the lights of his motorcycle still brightly beaming told him more information than he needed to know. In order for her to teleport she needed the shadows. But for her to arrive, or rather her destination point did not require them. In a way it could be used to initiate or execute a rite of engagement. But as an escape mechanism it was rather limited. Of course, not many people dealt with the likes of Espada, Ryurou or even The Queen of Thrones. Lightning cracked again, the flash of light sparking across the radiant golden cross he wore upon his neck. The lightning cracking again like a violent whip cracking against the earthen hide of their planet as Humanity turned to face the Queen of Thrones. Not the demonic representation, but the youthful and spirited Andromeda of a woman.

   "Wouldn't matter." He said to himself under his breath as the Queen called him by his name with a y at the end, though he felt his hand clench slightly against the base of his scepter, a strong desire to utilize it flowing through him. The only betrayal of his calm exterior was the clench, his all else to him had been perfectly regulated. Perfectly within control. she made the comment that it took him long enough, though to be entirely honest it wasn't as if Thrones was something he knew a ton about. He was contacted by a representative, but it wasn't exactly as if the gilded card said:

 


 
   He was able to figure it out, however. It was simple enough, just narrowed it down to sheer probability. Then you have the extent of her durability and regenerative factor. Not to state her continual display of ability to smell him. Of course then he had a small issue arrive. Of all the things he was prepared for, of all the things he felt ready to tackle, there was one that he had been entirely unable to predict. A rather elegant and beautiful ring, a ruby heart cut with several emeralds placed around it; it was akin to the emblem he found upon the elegant and gilded card he had received initially.

   He looked at her after she revealed the ring, his eyes scanning her for a sudden movement of some kind. He read her as best as he knew how to. Her posture, refined and poised through practice, but not even a demoness could deceive a properly discerning eye. She was not intending to attack him; and her eyes conveyed absolutely no sense of hesitation, no sense of indignation from the previous scuffle. Though her eyes....they bothered him. That aura of superiority; that elegance that danced upon the line of both temptation and terror; the entire way she looked at him was far from what he'd have. This moment....it brought back memories. Memories long repressed....


     They'd remain repressed for now, having too many flashbacks was a good way to make a red-flag for yourself. Something Humanity wouldn't go looking for. With one motion he lifted his hand and took the ring, placing it back into Chelle's hand and folding it. It would seem as though he were denying the offer, however what was said next may have suggested something else.

  "I'm not drunk enough to marry someone I just met. This isn't a Disney story sweetheart." He said as he reached up with his other hand and took off his mask. His mask. His face. He regarded them both as one and the same. Both were his face, and each one protected the other. But now; for the first time ever he was able to be something else. Someone else. With a sigh he shook his head and looked around, up into the sky as it rained. "But, if you can give me a little while to change I'd love to try dinner." His eyes dropped from the sky as his head turned slightly, looking back to the demon that had apparently taken such time to hunt him. He raised his hand, holding it out for her to take if she so chose. However his posture seemed to be relaxed, vunerable and weak. It was far from the truth. He was always vigilant; half convinced she would take the initial rejection with irritation and rather try to inflict harm upon him. But more-so than anything else, he was far more interested to see how this chance encounter might end.

He completely brushed off her insistence that he try the ring on, doing so until her grip loosened and then quickly removing the ring with a little scowl, rolling his eyes in the process. The moment he removed it however, the woman's slightly entrancing voice was cut off as she crashed to the ground on her knees. Part of him was actually quite amused at the premise that the woman wasn't as immortal as she had believed, though he wasn't foolish enough to take the credit. This was far from usual. This woman was not a typical vampire that much is certain, though even the weakest of vampires had SOME form of healing factor, even if it was to simply keep them from total annihilation. Even if starved, the majority of them reacted very differently.

    "I've killed Vampires, dragons, angels and demons. I've killed so-called gods and I've stood my own against the most evil of all things. I know when something isn't quite right." He said as he strode over to the woman and looked at the wound in her chest, pointing to the afflicted wound with the barrel of his scepter, though he kept his finger far enough away from the trigger. "That should have healed by now. Judging by the delayed reaction and the sudden shock I'd say it should have healed four minutes ago, give or take ten seconds. If your starved then the regeneration would slow immensely, but the pain...I've never seen a vampire suffer pain when they're starved. Starved makes them closer to dead than living. So....long dissertation aside... Something's blocking or regeneration. I've been around the block longer than you'd think. Picked up a think or two. Might be able to help if you tell me what it is. That glimmer in your eye screams vengeance, and THAT'S something I can relate with." He said as he brought his scepter back and looked over her for a second, wondering what exactly could manage to do this. There was a strong nagging sensation in the back of his mind. Some part of him was screaming to act out. To handle things differently.

Kill it...I'm the hand of God...
I made a promise. As a Patron and as a Man.
"Forget the promise, it'll be amusing to see where this goes."
Kill her and I'll be a king of more than just men.

"Kill her, and when I return I will forgive your previous rejections."

    Lifting his scepter once more he moved his second hand back on the chamber and unloaded the gun, the bullet spitting out and pinging off the ground as it danced back and forth before settling dead within the water of the puddles forming. He was left to wonder if he had made the right choice. Who knew how many this woman had taken before. Though that was when his mind truly in schism. He had grown soft, even sparing a supernatural creature of unknown power simply because of....

   He was thankful he didn't get the chance to dwell on that thought any longer as the woman had broken his trance. But deep down there was a lingering voice in his head. Lightning cracked as the rain finally began to pick up, the blood of the woman flowing like a stream to the ground. The rhythmic slaps of water upon the earth the underlying rumble overhead. But all he could hear was the darkest corner of his being.

 "You've grown weak..."

She was right, he really, really didn't want to hear that she'd fed recently. Of course he hadn't...really been to surprised by the notion. she was a vampire, and that was their compulsion. She wasn't like Muraro or any of the others who managed to somehow master themselves wholly. But his offer remained. She seemed to be afraid for a moment. The poor girl didn't realize his finger was nowhere near the trigger. Well, even the most perceptive missed details occasionally. He himself did so earlier, miscounting his arrows. three was such a small number, you seriously would have thought he'd manage to remember.

A faulty breath before a little shaking and a comment about her not knowing what it was but knowing who it was. That in and of itself was perhaps even easier to work with. You can track people down, you can scour for information. Having measly descriptions and then having to backtrack...that's more difficult. Of course she had to play her game, she had to keep control as much as she could, simply saying: "... I won't... tell..."

Well have fun dying then... He thought to himself irritated, though he didn't let his facial features alter in the slightest to reveal it. An image flashed through his mind and he immediately regretted his previous thought, though his compassion was feeling a bit strained. But there was a sense of familiarity in this woman and her sense of entitlement. He continued with his stoicism and shook his head, arching an eyebrow when she finished her comment, stating that she would only tell him if he agreed to become her king. Something didn't sit right with that with Humanity actually. It didn't exactly...make sense to him. So she's hurt and dying, and he can potentially save her life. But she doesn't want to be saved unless he agrees to marry her? Did this woman jump right out of a Shakespearian play or what in the name of god was happening right now?

"No... that's not how this works." He said with a slight tinge of irritation beneath his voice as he squatted down and looked over the wound and then looked to the infamous Queen of Thrones in the eyes. Letting out a slightly apologetic sigh he shook his head. "Look I can deal with the dominatrix thing you've got going. Just from the of the sheer fact that I'm assuming you're very similar to me, you don't like not having control.... But I really, really can't stand the playground promises. If you want me to be your king you need to live long enough to be my queen. That starts with trusting me." He said quietly, trying for one moment to just be himself rather than some vigilante with his identity revealed. His guard wasn't down, but he knew he'd never be able to connect with her if he allowed Humanity to be everything all the time. He knew very little of this woman but the voice in the back of his head simply told him that this woman was a lot more like him than he probably realized yet. His eyes were pretty wide at the end of his mini-lecture and he nodded as if prompting her with the silent inquiry of "Do you understand what I'm saying?" though he simply had nothing else he could do but await her reply. Though to be entirely honest he had absolutely no clue what her reply would bring.

The woman feel over a bit, her consciousness fading, he pulled on her shoulder and wrapped an arm under her head before she could hit the ground. Well he got the information he wanted, though the saying "be careful what you wish for" was certainly something that was reiterated within this life lesson. Or perhaps rather in this un-life lesson for the vampiric Madame. The rain spattering down intensified as he seemed to haze over in his mind, trying to process, trying to think with no avail.

 Lucius Alba. The name itself stung more than he had expected it to as his lips twitched, a slight shake to them as if a dog growling and threatening the oncoming mail man. This man had been too long a thorn in the side of society. Be damned what that godchild believed in, Lucius alba was a menace; an utter fraud. The thunder lashed out, a perfect reflection of his internal anger. He smiled as he sat there, his mind running through possibility through possibility, and endless and painful number causing his brain to throb. But it was anger that numbed the pain...

  Throwing the woman's arm over his shoulder he hoisted her up and then shifted, her around to establish some balance before lifting her legs up and carrying her over to his motorcycle. It took a small amount of effort to rig this where she was able to be carried as he rode, though nothing some duct tape and wire-twine couldn't fix. You think he's joking, but with such short notice it's all he could do. Driving with moderate speed and excellent balance, Humanity's silent engine zipped as he rolled through the town, eventually retreating to a safe location.

  The place was an old, worn out building that most people had  honestly forgotten about. It was right on the outskirts of town and about 20 minutes away from Pittsburgh. It was Humanity's first hideout. His first sanctuary...from a simpler time, a time before Humanity. The windows were stained glass, dust and grime built up from years of neglect, an old parsonage rendered out of commission for the mold within it's walls. No one knew such a lovely, grey stone sided building was the lair of a vigilante.

   A thunderous boom rang out as the steel door flew open and Humanity walked through the doorway. A hooded figure in a jean jacket and home-made armored jeans stood up from their chair and put their hand to the pistol on their side. the hooded figured sighed upon seeing Humanity and moved from behind his table of monitors and computers over to the table, where the queen of thrones now lay. The hooded figure was roughly five foot and four inches, their arm was in a sling and a voice modulator rest over their mouth, their attire looking like the definition of a street thug.

  "What in the- Why did you bring her here?" His friend seemed to say, their arm hanging limp in front of them as it crossed their chest. Their voice modulator didn't hide the concern, nor did it hide the intense anger they tried to mask. Humanity had just brought a dangerous woman into the heart of the sanctum this street-rat had been using as their sanctuary.

 "It's Lucius..." Humanity said, though this didn't seem to relax his associate, as they shook their head, looking as if they wanted more of an explanation. Of course Humanity did in fact have time to brief him.

 "The Prime Minister of Belarus?" He asked, though Humanity simply stopped his haste to turn and look slowly at the man, whom raised their one hand in surrender as they turned back and went over to a table that had a microscope on it. Then they took out a glass slate and began to walk over to the glass laboratory refrigerator, where they kept the chemicals. Seeing professional laboratory equipment against dirty brick and basement cement had never truly lost it's appeal to him, despite how his compatriot had complained of it. There was something about the simplicity that had him captured, it kept him grounded.  The other man took a small swab of The queen's blood before going to he microscope and looking into it, a clear solution in avail next to him. The liquid inside sizzled in contact with the blood of the woman.

  "What are the readings?" Humanity asked, already knowing the answer and beginning to get sterile tubing out of the packet and walking over to the secured freezer, taking off a glove and pressing his thumbprint to it.

 "Red Energy. It's in her blood stream....how is she even-"
"She's a vampire...more or less. Though probably more. Vampires don't grow angel wings." Humanity ripped his mask form his face and unlatched his gauntlet, placing them both on a table before returning to gather a few more objects, though all of them he put back with a noise. the noise seemed to become more and more severe as each thing he pulled seemed to be a futile attempt in his mind. Though as his friend began to speak he froze, something coming to mind as he turned and returned to the safe of the freezer.

"What kind of abomination is this thing?" He asked, though he was ignored as Humanity looked into the secure safe, staring at it as he weighed his options. "So just how do you intend to counteract the-" His voice trailed off as he looked up and saw Humanity looking into the deepest and most secured area in the freezer, almost paralyzed at the thought of what such a stare suggested.

   "No..." He whispered, though even the whisper was loud enough for Humanity's head to turn a little, his eyes moving to the corners as if looking back to his associate. Humanity made no noises as he reached inside and withdrew a half gallon pouch of blood, bringing it over and plopping it down on a trey he had pulled over with his foot. Dropping the massive blood bag revealed there to be a pristine white label with a dragon symbol on it.
 
  "Here it is. Four point four-two-five pounds of liquid life." He said with a small sigh, tearing an alcohol pad before rubbing it on the port of the blood bag, where the surgical tubing spike would penetrate. "Don't suppose she can get sick do you?" He asked but as he prepared to stab the blood bags port, he was pushed and pressed against the wall, one arm pushing the spoke back.

  "NO! Stop would you think just think about this!? what are you doing Matt?" they asked, pushing his arm up to the wall and planting their shoulder into Humanity's sternum to keep him pinned. He knw he couldn't keep him down, but he had hoped that he wasn't going to get a spike in the neck. "JUST STOP! What are you doing? what are you doing!?" he asked.

 "John...let me go." Matthew ordered, his partner in crime obeying reluctantly, awaiting a moment before slowly lifting himself up, pushing off Humanity to do so. He backed away and Humanity sighed.

 "You yourself told me that...that blood bag. right there. It was the best chance you had of getting your powers back. Your best chance to have your life back. Your hopes, your dreams. Your power. It's all in that bag...think of what you're doing." But the second he had said that Humanity stepped forward and spiked the blood bag, pressing the small plastic chamber and filling it to the faint line and hanging the blood back on a small spike.  "What...why? wh-...what...you didn't use the needle..."

  Humanity ignored him and simply went back to work. Though to the second part he smirked and shook his head.

 "I don't need the needle. It's not going into her veins. It's going where the damage is..." He said, using a glove to slather the tubing in sterilized lubrication and placing the tube down her throat, then turning back to the bag and pointing to it. "Squeeze..." He said. His companion refused to move, but the moment humanity shot him a glare, he shuddered and moved, reluctantly executing his will.

******
******


  It had been a few hours, her condition had begun to improve. While the Queen of Throne was unconscious Matthew had changed into more mundane clothing, checking her vital signs every five minutes and taking records. Every hour he ran a miniature blood test, and having only one patient and two workers made it easier...especially when the workers weren't talking...

  "So how did you know this would work?" He finally asked. Humanity smirked and shrugged.

 "Because to stop destruction you need creation. You need something higher. The remnants in that blood should counter-act whatever was in Red Tide's." He said, though it simply brought out an explosive shout, one that was likely to bring attention form anyone nearby.

 "NO! How did you know her body could accept the blood!?" He shouted, anger quite prominent in his voice, though Humanity looked to him calmly, an eyebrow arched. "I-I'm sorry... I just.... Why would you do this? For her? She threatened you, she mocked you, she tried to control you. You had the possibility for everything and you just threw it down her throat. Why would you do that? You don't even know her..." the words were heavy enough for Humanity to dwell on them a little. He took in a breath and he sighed, leaning back on the wall and crossing his arms. It was a good moment but just as his friend had started to apologizing for questioning a decision that wasn't their business, he explained.

 "That bag held all possibility that I had to ever achieving what I wanted. What I desired. But that bag....was also something else. It was fear. It was hesitation. Asking "do I have enough for trial and error?" or "What's going to happen when I do this to myself?". But none of those are the reason I passed it up. No... In that bag, of all else....was False Hope, colored sanguine and filled with lipids. The hope I could ever have what I wanted. The Hope that I could one day have my life back the way I wanted." He took a moment to breathe and then contemplate how he could possibly explain this to another. The thoughts were there, but they were as feelings. Inexplicable.

  "When I met this woman she was a predator. But as I listened to her...as I do that...what do you and Pat call it? That "Eldritch" thing I do where I read people...heh... When I do that to her I don't see a predator. I see s horrified woman whose lost far too much. Someone who compensates by trying to control everything...like a game of chess. I see someone, who like me, would do anything to keep the ones they care for safe. I see someone whose tired of being the victim, whose tired of watching others victimized. So they try to control it. All of it. They play a game with fate..." He took a moment to shrug and clear his throat. "You're right, John. I don't know her. But that's exactly why I had to do it. This is someone's daughter....someone's sister. Someone's mother maybe. So if sacrificing my bag of false hope can give hope to someone like me.... to someone like her? I'd do it again. every time. I may be Akuyaku; but I refuse to let what they call me, what they perceive me as, to dictate wo I am...or what I do."

   He had no idea of how long the woman had been awake, or if she had heard any of what he had said. But what he did know was that he believed it. He meant it...and he must really have wanted that drink, because he walked over to the small black refrigerator that they kept for food and took out a small brown glass bottle of Russian coffee-vodka and rum.

She squeezed his hand and it shocked him, he had to fight the surge to try and flip the table she was on. His heart started racing in shock before he sighed and chuckled a little, releasing stress in that format to cope with the sudden shift. He patted her hand and then he took himself back up on that offer of alcohol. He had watched carefully as his acquaintance had begun to examine the woman, then going and fixating upon some video footage of the "encounter" she had with Humanity. The footage revealed something strange, something he didn't notice before.  He realized that Humanity still had the one arrow left, and he found it quite peculiar that he'd leave this particular arrow be.

  "I see you didn't use B2... any particular reason why?" He asked, his voice indicating some form of suspicion, though Humanity simply shrugged, shaking his head a bit. "You went out there to set things right. To make yourself known. To put your sins to rest. Three arrows, grab the target and leave. It was that simple."

 "Plans change John." Matthew said before taking a sip, the mixture a rick substance that trailed down his throat, a nice and refreshing milky frost splashing down into his stomach. Plans did change, a lot. He didn't anticipate on being proposed to tonight. He didn't anticipate saving a vampire tonight. He didn't anticipate on the name Lucius Alba haunting him for the fourth time. His mind was running through all of the possibilities.

  "So I assume this means we're done. You're giving up on it now?" Humanity sighed after hearing this and he nodded, bringing the drink back up to his mouth and downing the contents. "I don't know what happened to you. I don't know why you think the plan's changed. But it hasn't... The Minister-Is absolutely right." Though Matthew's interruption was cut off by a long and refreshed sign, throwing the bottle and shattering it against a wall, the plentiful shards at the base of it showing that it was a common thing, even so much so that there had been dust on some of them. He would lean against the wall once more and brought his hand up, looking to the golden cross that hung around him upon a golden chain.

  "I'm not the safest thing. I'm not stable. I'm not normal. I never will be. I was almost blown up, clinically dead for a week and the only reason I didn't wake up was because an eldritch horror placed a curse on me so that I wouldn't come back of my own free will, or by the free will of any other than his own." He explained before shrugging. "John, it can never happen. What I was doing here, tonight. I was staring through the night. I was looking at my blood bag and... I can't do that. Humanity is all I can ever be to make up for what I've done. If that requires a-a- a political arrangement then....so be it..." There was an uneven silence, This friend of Humanity's, John. He wanted to do something about this, he wanted to say something but the very presence of Matthew being there prevented him. It stopped him dead in his tracks. Humanity walked up and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, shaking with with a smile before walking past him and looking down at the rousing patient.

  "Besides....it's like I said." He smirked before patting the woman's hand and walking past.  "This life is not mine..."

Matthew had taken his leave, excusing himself silently as John walked about, his shadowed over face unseen to most, though if the vampiric mistress had any form of night vision it would be quite a different story. His eyes furrowed as he looked over the woman, as if unsure what to do in this situation. Pulling out a pistol he began to spin it around his finger, the trigger not seeming to send the gun into a frenzy, quite the feat of dexterity on that account. The man hummed, musing over the being before starting to fish out the tube.

  "So I'd like to take this time to cut you open and disect you. Unfortunately Humanity is adamant that I not..." John said as he folded his one working arm, pistol in hand, folding it over his lame extremity. He seemed to watch whatever it was Chelle was doing, though she was probably very woozey, it was possible she was ready to attack, especially from what he had seen earlier. Of course he had himself ready, but there was still a sense of anticipation in his aura. He was not nearly as deceptive as his mentor, that much was certain.  

  "...I was equally adamant that he not leave me here with you....Rather creepy little creature." He said as he cleared his throat and began to move back over to his monitors, trusting that the woman wouldn't actually pay any heed to him. It was obvious that she wasn't here for him anyway.

"...What a whack job...." John said as he looked over the note, tossing it back onto the slab and walking back over to his computer, sitting down and looking for Humanity's location. The visual feed had been blocked by Humanity, his own paranoia leading him to be untrusting of even his favorite people. His protege beinf amongst them. "You two might actually be made for each other. A match made in He-what the-..." John stopped as he heard the audio feed from Humanity's end pick up faint traces of noise. John turned up the volume and began to examine the audio-waves.

 Matthew was sitting in the dark room, his boots were off and he walked in his socks across the soft, cream colored carpet. The room distinctly smelled of mandarin orange and cranberry, likely the result of the candles in the room. As he walked, Humanity licked his forefinger and thumb before he pinched the wic's, a sizzle sending a whisps up. Matthew knew full well that this smell was pleasant...but it wasn't amongst the favorites of the one whom resided within this room. Removing his lighter and reaching into his backpack he withdrew four candles, two different kinds, each one of them a contested favorite. With a spark, he turned the candles upside-down.

  Winter's garden and Ocean Star.

   They were his favorite. He always dreamed sweeter dreams when these candles were lit. It was funny, when these two candles were placed in his room the following morning it was always hardest to wake him from his sleep. He always wanted to sleep in with these candles. He always wanted to do his homework in his room when these kinds were what his grandmother had placed in his room. Of course Humanity had merely assumed it to have been his Grandfather, the small gesture being a way for him to keep some semblance of his own mother in their lives. It seemed unlike him, though people do in fact change...

  Moving over to the bed he took a seat, the darkness surrounding him, the candlelight and starlight outside the only things keeping the darkness at bay. Placing one on the counter by his television, and one on his night-stand, Matthew finally eased himself onto the bed, the mattress making a small groan before he simply sat there, trying to breathe as quietly as possible.  His eyes behind his glasses, the flame flickering from them and a small smile playing at his lips. His hand came up and his thumb pushed back a small drift of black hair aside and looking down on the small and sleeping child.

  "Mama, come here. Approach. Appear." He whispered with a slightly off tuned song hiding under his voice.  His thumb brushed against the child's cheek. "Daddy. I'm alone. 'Cause this house don't feel like a home." His voice shook a little as he placed his hand on the boy's cheek and his breathing seemed to shallow a small bit.

  "If you love me... don't let go. If you love me. Don't let go." He said as his hand shifted and he rhythmically seemed to pet the child. "Hold, hold on, hold onto me. 'Cause I'm a little unsteady. A little Unsteady. Hold on, hold onto me. 'Cause I'm a little unsteady. A little Unsteady." The song wasn't one Matthew knew too well, but it was one he had heard this child sing before. A song that this boy enjoyed. A song that his son enjoyed. In that aspect he took great love in the song.

  "Mother, I know. You're tired of being alone." Humanity began, though the boy shifted and he almost jumped, horrified yet somehow wanting nothing more than for his child to open his eyes.

  "Daddy" was all he said as he pulled on the comforter and brought it up to his cheek.

  "I know you're tryin'...." Humanity said as his eyes were drawn to the night sky, and exactly as he continued the song he had seen a rather magnificent image. "To fight when you feel like flyin'. " He had noticed black wings of obsidian against the midnight sky, for a brief moment all color was lost to it as it passed, eclipsing like a brief shadow, a shade dancing across the night sky. He knew it had to have been her... He continued to sing...or rather butcher the song and call it signing, as he turned his head back to the child.

  "If you love me, don't let go..." He leaned down and he took in a short breath before whispering again, his hand slipping into his son's. "If you love me..." He leaned down and kissed his son on the forehead.

  "Don't let go" The child's eyes began to open a little, but when he managed to open them he realized that no one was there. But as he looked he noticed that he must have fallen asleep with something in his hand. When he looked, however he saw a golden cross, upon a golden chain within his hand. A curious thing, as he hadn't ever possessed one for himself. The child sat up and repositioned himself in bed, and looked at the cross for a while as he noticed a strange aroma in the air. Looking around he witnessed the candlelight's were upon candles he hadn't smelled before he had gone to sleep. Perhaps his grandmother had placed them there, the other's worn out their novelty. Citrus, snow and pine, ocean waters surrounding him in smell. The child stirred for a moment before cocooning himself within his comforter, and leaving his arm out before him, to look at the cross in hand as he fell asleep once more, the noise of the crickets singing out in his yard.

   John leaned back in his chair, as he sighed. He finally realized what Humanity had done. Rather than infiltrate and taking the child back by force, he simply went in and made his peace. He had said goodbye. But that was not the most shocking part of the events, oh no. He had sung.

  John hadn't heard Humanity even try to sing in a very, very long time...

       ...something had changed.

(Topic Concluded)