Ok, this is going to be HongWan with several other pairings. This will also make /almost/ no sense if you haven't done basic studies on WW1. ( Japan is still in control of Taiwan, tensions are high in Europe etc.)

A young Taiwanese girl held her bright red scarf close to her lips, the soft, thick cotton barely caressing them. The harsh wind pushed against her petite frame, almost knocking her over. She scurried quickly along the sidewalk, gripping her jacket snug. The weather was definitely normal for a winter's day. Surprisingly, not too much snow was present. Only a few clumps here and there from the weekend's small storm. Her footsteps echoed in the almost-barren town. Everyone was probably with their family and friends during this cold season drinking cider and nibbling on warm sugar cookies. Meili, on the other hand, had no one to turn to in the big city of London. She was strictly here only for business; to be the personal messenger for the Japanese man in charge of her very country. To relay his every word to the leaders in across land and sea. No time to enjoy silly little snacks. In her purse resided a manila enveloped addressed to a British man. There was no specific address where to deliver it, but Meili didn't need one. There was only one place where she could possibly find Arthur.

A sudden, strong gust passed as the the girl braced for impact. A large poster-sized image smacked right into her face, blinding her. Panicked, she scrambled to grab it, writhing around in fear of the darkness that enveloped her sense of sight. Mei ripped it off her face with a small sigh of relief. The paper was an ad for a freak-show. She gazed at it, curiosity sparking in her dark brown orbs. They were featuring a newly-caught mermaid. She blinked at the paper. It had a black-and-white drawing of a mermaid swirling around with a phoenix crown and makeup on it's face. Probably to make it look Chinese in some way. She snorted, a laugh barely escaping her lips. Her mood quickly changed as she continued to gaze at the print.

"Mermaid…" She thought out loud, raising an eyebrow. Meili ran her delicate fingers over the address of the freak-show, exposing them to the bitter cold.

.The Adnan Freakshow presents a live mermaid! Caught off the Chinese coast and brought to Europe for your entertainment!

Buy your ticket now!

13 Billons Avenue

Chingford

London

E46BH

Mei paused for a second.

Chinese coast?

The big, red letters tugged at something in her. Drawing her in. Numbly, she crammed the paper into her coat pocket. With each step, it crinkled against her slim body, hopefully it wouldn't tear. Her high heels left an imprint in the snow as she walked with a elegant speed towards the very address. It had left an imprint on her mind, unbeknownst to herself. Slowly, Meili began to walk faster. It was like something was calling out to her from the beyond, whispering into her ears gently, but with urgency. The moon, now deciding to show it's shy face through the clouds, illuminated the white-scarred street. Snow was now beginning to fall once more, some having the chance to rest their weary wings upon the chocolate locks of the seemingly-hypnotized girl. The soft ice clouded her vision as a colorful tent came into view.

Mei craned her neck up, looking at the blue-and-yellow tent. The main pole at the top stood tall, almost able to grab the star resting right above it. The North Star sat right above her, or as her co-worker referred to it, as Polaris. It shone brightly, like a lighthouse in the mix of navy and black; the others stood no chance of outshining it. She remembered of all the times he would tell her about it fondly, and with his trademark goofy smile...This was no time to be thinking about stupid things like that. The Taiwanese shook her head, clearing any thought of her friendly co-worker. She came closer to the entrance, hesitating to push the entrance flap aside. Dim light shone through the flap's crack, along with murmured chat in languages foreign to her ear. She stood there, half frozen, considering the idea of just walking in.

Thinking about it, she would end up paying for a ticket to get in or something similar; who could deny money nowadays? Mei pushed the flap aside, shielding her eyes from the bright light. A man with a mask glanced at her warily, a monotone expression glued to his face. He was sitting on a small stool, slumping over in a feeble attempt to keep awake.

"Two pounds for admission," he stared back at the curious messenger tiredly and let out a small yawn, only to quickly mumble an incoherent apology. It was late, and he would've probably been more cheerful if it wasn't ten o' clock in the night. Meili started to rummage through her small shoulder bag, and quickly fished out three coins, unaware of their individual values. She put it in his calloused hands carefully, letting the cold metal slide down from her equally cold palms.

"Keep the change," She spoke softly, forcing a smile onto her features. She stepped away from the man, holding her hands together in a desperate effort to keep any remaining warmth to herself. The man tipped his hat in silence, a grin barely escaping his poorly shaved face. Without any further hesitation, she jolted through the makeshift indoor tent door, entering a whole new world.

Cages were lined up on either side, creating a long hallway for paying customers. How it fit in the circular tent, she had no clue, but really didn't care. The area was dimly lit, only enough to read the podiums connected to the "freaks" cages. A new gramophone spun it's disc in a nearby corner slowly, playing it's continuous tune despite the frost that was starting to creep up upon it's base. Meili shivered, her small exhales coming out into shaky, visible breath. It seemed like she was alone in this dark circus-like room. Some lights flashed here and there, most just lightbulbs fizzing in and out. She came close to one of the cages and looked at the little description of what might lie behind the bars ahead.

It was supposed to be a cage for a younger man, with features as white as snow, eyes red like fiery blood itself. Mei had never heard of such a man before in her life. She touched the one of the cage's bar, still reading what the description had to tell her.

A stifled cry escaped her mouth as a pale hand grabbed hers tightly.

Ah, I really enjoyed writing this chapter~! I'm so excited to introduce the little gang of "freaks" in the next one.