#terncliff

Gaius coughed as smoke filled his apartment, grabbing for Heirsbane as he pushed out his door. 

"Sound the alarm! Assemble the other volunteer fire force," he yelled out into the night, shielding his face as lights flashed in his face, "Hells! We're under siege!"

As his eyes adjusted, the staccato of an electric keyboard rang out over the city, followed by a small murmur of cheering from those gathered at his favourite reading spot. Keith's voice crooning through what Gaius now realized was artificial fog. The lights centering on a crane with Keith hung on it, the Garlean groaned.

"🎶 I got myself a notion

 And one I know that you'll understand

We set the world in motion

By reaching out for each other's hand

Maybe we'll discover

What we should have known all along 🎶"

Gaius pushed through the crowd as Keith sang, glowering as the Gyr Abanian was lowered enough to gently take Avilina's hand in his own as he stepped onto the marble railing. The singer spun the Auri girl in his arms as he continued to sing on.

"🎶One way or another

Together's where we both belong 🎶."

The Garlean stopped short as he watched Avilina and Keith start to dance together and sing, finding himself beside Allie who watched quietly with the crowd.

"🎶If we listen to each other's heart

We'll find we're never too far apart

And maybe love is the reason why

For the first time ever we're seeing it eye to eye 🎶"

Gaius grunted as the two pointed to their eyes then each other before finding himself pulled in by Keith. Spotlight on him, the man felt himself freeze in terror, only pulling out of his state by Keith giving him a little nudge as he continued.

"🎶If a wall should come between us

Too high to climb, too hard to break through

I know that love will lead us

And find a way to bring me to you

So don't be in a hurry

Think before you count us out

You don't have to worry

I won't ever let you down (nothing's gonna stop us now) 🎶"

As Keith and Avilina went into the chorus again, Gaius tried to make his escape, finding his route blocked by the orphan children jumping and cheering. In a panic, he looked to the ledge and then to Keith. Grabbing the other but scruff of his outfit, he chucked him over the edge, the music cutting out with only the sound of Keith screaming

"WAAAAAHOOOHOOOHOOHOOOEEEEEeeee" before splashing.

The crowd gasped a bit, looking at the Garlean as he tried to catch his breath. Swallowing, he straightened up, brushing at his house coat. Catching the frowns of the children up front, he looked to Avilina as she looked over the ledge, letting out a sigh of relief as she watched Keith swim toward the hanger.

"What is all this madness," he asked.

"An Amity concert to celebrate our friendship with Eorzea," the girl answered, "And that was our main act."

"Of course Summers would-," the man grumbled, hearing the whispers of Terncliff people behind him, "How much longer did he have?"

"We just started sir. It'll be some time for him to climb back and the crowd seems a bit restless," Avilina said, looking to Gaius expectantly.

"No. Hells no. Running the fun was not my intention but I'll be damned if…," Gaius growled before looking back to the crowd and then to the concerned looking orphans.

With a sigh, he relented to buying time for Keith to return. Face red and eyes upward he began to belt out the first song that came to him.

"🎶 Oh give me a home. Where the buffalo roam,

 Where the deer and the antelope play.

 Where seldom is heard, a discouragin' word, 

and the skies are not cloudy all day. 

Home, home on the range 🎶"