[City of Hawks] Of Candy and Comfort (Macau~~)

[Portugal]

For once in his life, Afonso was proud to say he wasn’t lost at all. The La Madre Maria had stopped enough in the Floating City of Hawks for the Portuguese navigator to know where to go or at least how to easily get back to the docks. So for once no one could say anything in terms of his navigational skills. Or lack thereof as Antonio liked to tease…

The proud grin that had been on his face faded into a more troubled frown. More and more members of the La Madre Maria were leaving the crew. Antonio was still grinning; trying to act like his dwindling crew was no big deal… But Afonso was sure it was bothering him more than any of the remaining members could even imagine. And just like always, the moment he begun to think back to the dwindling La Madre Maria, thoughts of leaving it himself began to creep into his thoughts. Arthur had asked him once if he would join The Grim, and it was becoming more and more appealing…

Ah, but he could never leave Antonio. Even if the air headed Spanish captain drove him up the wall at times. It would be like leaving his little brother behind.

Shaking his head to banish the thoughts he stopped by the large fountain that sat in the center of the city. Chuckling he slipped his hands in his pockets, gazing at the fountain and admiring the hawks that perched on top and around it. He could remember as a child when his grandmother would take him to the fountain in town. ”Make a wish,”[/i][/color] she would always tell him, ”and toss your coin in. Then little one your wish will come true!”[/i][/color] And each time, no matter how many times they’d done it, his eyes would light up as he took the offered coin, making a wish (often a silly one) and tossing it in.

Well, what would the arm in it be? Smiling bemusedly he fished a coin out of his pocket flipping it once or twice as he thought of a wish. He could wish to see Arthur more frequently, that the Brit was well. Or he could make a wish that he would find more treasure. Hell, he could make a wish where he’d learn how to fly. It’s not like the wishes ever came true. Though, still… Well what could the harm be.

”… I wish the La Madre Maria will survive.” Because with the way people were leaving it felt like the ship was falling apart. With a sigh he flipped the coin into the fountain watching the splash that it resulted in.

… And then realized belatedly that tossing a coin right near a flock of hawks was not one of his most brilliant of actions.

One moment he had been calmly standing in front of the fountain, the next moment he was racing down the streets of the city with a flock of hawks chasing after him. Afonso scrambled, shouting every curse he knew at them, waving his arms in an attempt to shoo them away. It didn’t work, if anything it seemed to anger them further.

He nearly crashed into someone, shouting an apology over his shoulder as he practically dived into an open door in a desperate attempt to get away. It worked, thankfully, though he could feel everyone who was in the store he’d taken refuge in staring at him. Clearing his throat and attempting to ignore how hot his cheeks felt with embarrassment he glanced around.

Oh… A candy shop? Well. This was definitely a place to hide out for. And as he was already in the shop it really couldn’t hurt to look around… Considering those hawks could very well still be waiting outside to attack, and the fact his candy supply had dwindled thanks to Antonio and Anaïs finding his candy stash. Slipping his hands into his pockets he ducked his head, trying to ignore the stares still sent his ways as he looked through the aisles of sugary delights. [/size][/color]

[Arthur Kirkland]

He was Macau. Macau, a small but thriving portuguese colony that was once a part of china, was what he - who he? -, Cái Matheus Chaves, was. It was something that he poked at mentall every day, waiting for the moment when it clicked into place and didn't feel like something he wasn't. Like he was intentionally pretending to be a national entity.

It was definitely something he was having a hard time coming to terms with. Cái spent a lot of time questioning whether these sometimes-dark sometimes-beautiful memories of times long gone were real or something that his mind had created to cope with all the other memories he'd recovered upon finding the man who had... had... done all those horrible things to him.

It was also the reason that he'd escaped from The Lucky Dragon for the day and was wandering the small island. He'd been dreaming and the dreams had shifted into reality and suddenly his room had become too small and too dark and before he knew it, he'd started wandering. His feet didn't know where he was going, but he let them lead the way - it wasn't as if he'd never be able to find his way back to the ship. In fact he -

"Oof! he yelped as the wind was knocked out of him as a tall, tanned man with the look of a westerner knocked into him and kept running. Cái could sort of hear an apology being yelled his way and he would have yelled back if he didn't feel the sudden urge to duck. As the flock of hawks flew by, narrowly missing his head, he found one of those rare moments where his high strung nerves and senses actually were handy versus related to something horrible. "You crazy westerners!" he shouted after the man in mandarin.

Briefly considering chasing after the man, he gave the idea up, not feeling up to running after a mob of angry birds just to get in a few more words. Deciding that he hadn't been nearly knocked over badly enough, his feet took off at a decent pace, meandering the streets. Eventually he found a bench and his feet decided for him that this was a good place to stop - nice and open, with a fresh breeze and lots of sunlight. His spirits raised a tad as he flopped gracelessly down and leaned his head back against the cool metal of the back rest.

[Portugal]

Afonso knew he could only hide in the shop for so long, unfortunately. Hopefully though he’d hidden long enough. Still he was hesitant to exit the shop with his bag of sweets. But there didn’t seem to be any hawks lingering outside, it looked safe…

With a deep breath he exited the candy shop, wincing preemptively, anticipating any birds that would come swooping down at him. None came. Sighing in relief he began to walk down the streets in a much calmer manner then his earlier panicked run. A thought that made the heat rise to his cheeks, and him to duck his head. That was embarrassing.

”Stupid birds,” he groused, kicking a loose rock. There was a rustling behind him, like wings. Afonso tensed before speeding up and turning down a side street. Nothing came after him and the Portuguese man couldn’t help but groan, dragging a hand through his bangs and pushing them back. He was being too jumpy. Birds were not going to swoop down and attack… Again. He hoped.

Dispelling the thoughts he opted instead to try and figure out just where he was. He should probably head back to La Madre Maria, though he wasn’t too sure just where he was at the moment…

So much for his earlier confidence about knowing how to get back to the docks easily – he was completely lost thanks to those stupid birds! Frowning he looked around, spotting someone sitting on a nearby bench and while Afonso didn’t want to disturb them… He really wanted to get back to the ship. He’d only bother them for a few seconds anyway. With that thought in mind he walked towards the bench, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. ”Ah, excuse me?”

He waited until he had the others attention, and when he got a good look at his face Afonso couldn’t help but freeze. It felt like he’d been punched in the stomach, the air rushing out of his lungs. The annoying and ever present ache in his head returned to the stabbing pain he really had not missed, while blurred images resurfaced in his mind – like faded photographs and vanishing before he even understood them. A frustration that he’d not had to deal with in a while, and he couldn’t help but scowl at it, free hand rising to rub his temple. Afonso was sure he knew the young man sitting on the bench. He was sure of it but… How?

Why was there a numbing guilt gnawing at his stomach at the sight of him? Afonso had never met him even if it felt like he had, so why –

- If Macau was here, did that mean? –

He shook his head dispelling the odd thoughts that he really should be use too. Instead he forced his smile back in place, tilting his head to the side. ”Do I know you…? Ahaha! Desculpe, that’s probably a very odd question… You just look very familiar…”

Like someone from a distant memory. [/color]

[Arthur Kirkland]

Cái was startled out of his thoughts by a voice close to him. Flinching slightly, he had to remind himself that not every stranger was out to get him and forced himself to put the knives in his clenched fists back into their sheathes hidden in his sleeves.

For a brief moment he was glad his sleeves were long enough that his hands had also been hidden - he didn't want to set someone off screaming and get arrested. It was definitely not how he wanted to repay Yong Soo.. bail was expensive and their crew was barely making ends meet as it was - and with one quick breath to try and calm his furiously beating heart, he finally turned to look at the person who had interrupted his musings.

Only for his heart to practically stop beating entirely at the strangers face. Except it wasn't strange to that no-longer-forgotten part of him that spanned hundreds of years... that face that was such a large part of him and had left such a gaping hole in his soul when that man had died that he hadn't been able to continue on. Cái was struck dumb by all the mixed emotions he felt for this man that part of him loved and part of him never knew, but knew he'd lost in this life what he'd had in the last. A parent. Someone to guide him and care for him. The vague and blurry memories of his human parents quickly vanished under the flood of hundreds of years with this man. In mere seconds, the few details he could remember of his mother and his father were gone forever and he found he didn't regret the loss.

”Do I know you…? Ahaha! Desculpe, that’s probably a very odd question… You just look very familiar…”

After a long moment he realized that he'd been staring wide eyed with his mouth open - and that the pained look and the words that Portugal was saying shouted loudly that the older man didn't remember him in return.

That hurt so badly that he didn't even realize he was crying until the first wet drops fell from his chin and splattered against the silk of his shirt. Swearing silently, he rubbed his sleeve across his eyes viciously and told himself to stop it. After all, what had he expected in his last life? Some wishful fantasy that the moment they'd met again, his father would remember him and they would never be separated again? That his father would never consider chasing his beloved european into death, reminding Macau that he was not the most important person in his life?

"Um... sorry? No... no I don't know you. You okay though? You look like you might need a doctor..."

Forget it, Cái told himself. He doesn't remember... but he's alive and that's more than Macau had had before. It would have to be enough.