A/N: Happy New Year! Welcome to part six the never-ending first day of Quarantine, or the chapter alternatively called: Unleash the Press Hounds. Here we have the press release and are finally done meeting all the new faces! I honestly had no idea how many people were press-related until I started to write them all. Will they join forces to shine a light on the truth and help fight New Asia?...Or will they all jump at the chance to fight each other? I guess we will find out! Hope everyone enjoys!

(If I told you this whole thing was written to the explicit version of Potential Break Up Song, would you believe me?)

Quarantine Day 1 Part 6

This was a bad idea.

Well, everything about the past twenty-four hours had been a bad idea in Joey Yates' book, but this was a particularly bad idea amongst the bunch.

He had no idea why the guard let him past the red velvet ropes and into the room crawling with people in black tuxedoes and fancy ball gowns. Honestly, Joey thought this was where the food was. He was so, so wrong. If he didn't feel out of place wandering the palace halls in his bright yellow hoodie last night, he definitely felt out of place now. He stood out like a badly-dressed beacon.

Which was how he found himself hiding back stage where no one could see him. Safe.

Except he wasn't exactly alone.

A girl poked her nose through the curtains to survey the crowd, her back turned to Joey so she could not see him staring. Her dirty blonde hair was thrown up into a messy bun, and she wore a knee-length emerald dress with no straps. Her shoulders had to be freezing, Joey thought. She pulled a pencil from the twist of her hair and it came tumbling down her back. She then used that pencil to scribble something on a notepad. Since she had no bag, where she kept that notepad was a mystery. Joey was forced to use his imagination.

She looked like a woman on a mission. Naturally, Joey was curious.

He walked right up behind her and said, "Jelly bean?"

Her reaction was predictable: She jumped right up and stifled a scream. Her hand was poised to strike; he was lucky she didn't stab him with her pencil. Blue eyes narrowed in annoyance when she realized that she was not being attacked, but being annoyed by a perky young man with a hand full of jellybeans. Her upturned nose wrinkled, and she turned back around.

"No thank you, I'm on the job."

"What are you doing, Miss...?"

"Etta. Etta Swan. And I'm looking for the truth." She cast a glance from side to side to see if anyone was listening in. But they were just two kids hiding behind the curtains of a busy stage. No one was paying them any attention. "Rumor has it there's someone in the palace who isn't supposed to be here, someone bad. I am going to find out who. And when I do, I am going to write an exposé so big that no journalism school in the entire world will turn me down!"

Her enthusiasm and optimism during what was, arguably, a really terrible time, was admirable. Maybe Joey had found a kindred spirit.

"I mean...how bad can they be if all they're guilty of is sneaking in the palace? It's not even that great."

"It's not just sneaking in the palace." Her voice took on an animated quality, like all this insanity actually excited her. "This certain someone is accused of being a New Asian spy! The King is holding them responsible for the virus! When they're found...only the worst kind of punishments are reserved for traitors. I wonder if they'll pluck their fingernails off one by one, or if they'll waterboard them first."

Etta raised an eyebrow, assessing Joey far too closely for his liking. "Why are you sweating so much?"

"Stomach troubles, gotta go!"

Joey ran away as fast as he could. No way was he sticking around so that crazy girl could turn him in to get his fingernails torn off! He wasn't a New Asian spy! He was just a normal guy; he worked in a pet shop for heaven's sake! He only snuck into this stupid party on a dare, and now he was going to get waterboarded for it? The King really needed to lighten up!

Unfortunately, his hiding spot was no longer safe. He was forced to mingle amongst the crowds. There were a few stares, a few curious turns of heads in his direction. But thankfully some of the guests had expected to sleep over and had changed out of their elaborate costumes into more normal clothes.

There was one lady in particular who was alone, just like him. She wore a nightgown so thin and gauzy that it was practically transparent. Her long dark hair covered anything that would be considered "indecent", but he got the distinct impression that she didn't care if she were indecent. All in all, she looked like a cross between a hippie and a goddess.

Her eyes locked on his, and he was trapped. She walked his way, sashaying her hips as she went, definitely on purpose. There was no way anyone could actually walk like that and get away with it.

"J-jelly bean?"

Joey offered a handful of the colorful beans. She lowered her head and licked them out of his palm, broad tongue sweeping over his palm up to the tips of his fingers in a way so blatantly erotic that he had to look away. She didn't even chew them before swallowing.

"Delicious," she purred. "Just like your co- "

"Medea Gloriana Aphrodite Venus Minerva Descartes O'Lyone! There you are!"

"Cookies!" she shouted, throwing herself three feet back from Joey and folding her hands in prayer as an older looking couple approached. "Cookies made from the sweetest sugar and flour grown from the fertile fields of God's green Earth, Amen!" She blinked wide eyes at the older woman. "Mother, when was the last time we made cookies together?"

The older woman softened, her face taking on an indulgent softness. "Now sweetheart, what did I tell you about talking to boys?"

"To abstain until I am bound to my husband in the sanctity of marriage."

Medea-of-many-names flashed wide, apologetic eyes at her mother, the perfect picture of innocence. Joey was amazed at how well this girl could act. Even he believed she was as pure as the untouched snow.

"Now is not the time for you to act out, Medea," her father admonished. "The King has asked me to say a blessing over the country before he issues his statement. I must go prepare, and I need you to stay with your mother. We must present a united front to the people of Illéa. They will look to us to guide them into God's light through these trying times."

"Of course, Holy Father," Venus agreed, bowing her head in a show of subservience. "May God bless us and protect us."

That seemed to satisfy him. He walked away, with Venus and her mother in tow. The presence of her holy parents did not stop Venus from looking over her shoulder and give Joey a wink.

Maybe it was best if he just stayed where he was this time.

Joey took some of his jelly beans for himself. He'd have to be careful. There was no telling how long he'd be trapped amongst the rich and famous, and he had a feeling there weren't any more jelly beans in the kitchen. These would have to last him.

A tugging sensation came from somewhere around his knee. When Joey looked down, he was greeted by two small children, their smiling faces fixed on his handful of jelly beans. Guilt tugged on his heartstrings. What kind of monster would he be if he didn't share his jellybeans with children?

Joey bent down so that he was face to face with the children - twins? - and offered a whole handful of jellybeans. The twins shared a look, and that's when it happened. Joey was ambushed. All he remembered was his shin stinging with pain, his jellybeans being stolen from his pockets by tiny, greedy hands, and the evil laughter that would proceed to haunt his dreams.

They were not children. They were demons.

Was everyone in this place insane?

On the stage, King Henry sat to the side with his back ram-rod straight in his seat. Queen Deirdre sat beside him, her small hand clasped in his larger one, trying to soothe his nerves. Prince Avery was nowhere to be found, nor was Princess Addison, though that was not shocking. Everyone knew that the Prince and Princess were less than interested in what went on around them. It was something everyone, especially the middle-lower class like Joey, tried to forget as it did little to make anyone feel confident about things getting better in the future.

The pastor, Medea's father, emerged center stage wearing ornate white robes. The lights dimmed and the crowd grew quiet. The only source of sound came from the click and pop of cameras and the instruction of the recording crew counting down three, two, one -

"Bow your heads and pray for God's blessing," the pastor said, raising his hands up over the crowd. "Dear Heavenly Father, we know we are not a perfect people. We are plagued by war and greed. We are cruel to our neighbors. But we are also filled with the desire to be better than our weak flesh. So we pray for mercy, for You a generous and gracious God. Protect these innocent children from unseen threats and grant them peace and comfort in the face of uncertainty. Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and lead us to a future in your eternal light. Amen."

No one was sure whether to stay solemn or to applaud, so the crowd did a mix of both, resulting in a very weak, off-beat clapping with some tears thrown in.

The King rose from his seat and walked over to the podium. He shook the pastor's hand as they passed one another.

"Thank you, Father O'Lyone," King Henry said, though much less eloquently. He simply did not have the same stage presence as a pastor. "Citizens of Illéa, these are indeed, trying times. We face many enemies, both known and unknown, from overseas and in our own back yard. This quarantine is meant to ensure the safety of all Illéans, and so that no Illéan life is lost in vain. Tomorrow morning, local government will provide further instruction on the new policies put in place to ensure the quarantine is kept. I understand that I ask a lot of you, that this will perhaps be the greatest hardship this country has faced since the time of the Rebellion. But, if we all recognize the severity of this unknown pandemic, and if we all work together, then I believe we will emerging victorious. I can assure you, my loyal subjects, that appropriate measures are being taken to isolate the source of the virus. With our brightest minds across the nation collaborating, I am confident that a cure will be found."

A pause for dramatic effect. Then:

King Henry cleared his throat, hardened his eyes as he stared the camera down. "As for our enemies in New Asia, I only have this to say. You have tried to weaken us, to cut us off at the throat. But you were not successful. Like the phoenix, Illéa will rise from the ashes stronger and more powerful than before. We will be ready. And we will not forget. Thank you."

The crowd erupted into applause. The cameras allowed time to capture a few moments of it before the red lights blinked off. No questions were taken. The king and queen promptly exited stage left.

The press release was over.

That was...it? All that pomp and circumstance...for nothing? The vague promise of a cure? Not even any answers as to what was being done to feed and support the people? Small business would be ruined. So many people would be out of work, unable to provide income for their families. Would the government provide monetary relief? Would the government do anything other than delegate?

It doesn't matter, Joey thought. Everything will be fine so long as I keep positive.

"OMG, chills!" Etta trilled, scribbling something down on her notebook pad. How the hell did she find him again? "Did you see the King's eyes? He is out for blood. At this rate, the spy will be scrambling to hide. The game is on!"

"B-blood?" Joey liked his blood on the inside of his body, thank you very much.

"I need to blog about this immediately. The people need to know the truth about what's going on." She turned to Joey, bouncing on her toes with excitement. "Do you have a computer or a phone I could borrow? Mine's dead."

Joey didn't know what to say. Luckily, he was saved from answering when someone, quite literately, stormed through the back door right at them.

"Out of my fucking way Nancy Drew!"

Before Joey knew it, a very angry girl shoved Etta so hard she was knocked right off her borrowed black heels. She didn't even stop to check if Etta was okay before continuing her war path, trench coat flapping as she all but ran toward the stage.

"YOU!" the angry girl shouted, pointing one long finger at a woman in a black dress. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Excuse me?" the woman asked, confused and a little affronted at being dragged into conflict. The cameraman standing next to her looked just as confused, but he didn't put his camera down to intervene. Instead, he looked like he wanted to keep rolling.

"Are you trying to steal my job, you overpaid party planner?" the angry girl accused, hands on her hips.

The angry girl had brought backup in the form of a man who looked like Superman but with the energy of a lost puppy. He stayed silent behind her, but Joey didn't blame him. He didn't want to get in between whatever this was either.

"Your job?" If the woman in black's eyebrows raised any higher, they'd fly off her head. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Geneva Hollander, Palace Media Correspondent," Geneva said with a ridiculous amount of pride. "You're Isabel Greene, Palace Event Coordinator. You're not even qualified to run a Q&A with the King's second cousins, nonetheless demand his presence for a press release! You don't have the training, or the knowledge of proper protocol, or - "

"Well, it's over now, and the King seemed to like the idea just fine enough to deliver what I thought was a pretty rousing speech." Isabel folded her arms over her chest and leveled Geneva with a smile that was more dismissive than sincere. "These are hard times. Everyone has to chip in and do things they wouldn't usually do. So why don't you get off your high horse and let it go?"

"High horse?" Geneva's voice went up an octave. "High horse?! That's rich coming from the woman riding a power high from a single press conference that she managed not to fuck up out of sheer luck! A press conference you didn't even tell me about! How rude is that? You needed me to guide you and you still need me. This whole palace needs me and - "

"I'm sorry that no one told you about the conference. But maybe you're just not as important as you think you are."

Isabel seemed like a nice lady. Joey was sure she didn't mean it like she said it. But he couldn't help the flinch at how easily Isabel cut to the quick, how she essentially called Geneva useless.

Geneva definitely did not take it well. She turned an ugly shade of red, so red she put a tomato to shame, and jumped at Isabel.

Joey would have been impressed at the amount of air Geneva got, how gracefully she leapt the full six feet it took to get to sink her hands into the black fabric of Isabel's dress and drag her down to the ground. It was obvious that neither girl had ever been in a physical altercation before, but they were gonna give it their all. After all, their reputations were at stake.

Hands were flapping, hair was pulling, phones were using precious battery filming.

Joey wished he still had some jellybeans right now.