#( ophelia | whatever it takes i can cover the cost. )

[ellynneversweet]

Right???

El’s absolutely a pessimist who would take the worst case scenario numbers and assume those are the most accurate, but where is she getting these numbers from? Scholomance history textbooks? Wizard newspapers? Wizard puberty pamphlets (she gets one)? Who is producing these texts (enclavers, presumably) and why? To push that the scholomance and enclaves are the best and only solution for survival, so that any ends to build any number of enclaves justify the means?

I mean. It makes sense for El to be an only child, because her parents were star crossed lovers and her father died before they could produce a second baby (and Gwen had stepfather trauma and little El probably scared the piss out of any wizard man interested in Gwen). It makes sense for Orion to be an only child, because he was turned into an eldritch abomination in the womb, which sort of indicates his parents aren’t super broody and sentimental, and he was high needs in a very specific way, and maybe Ophelia did some damage to herself in whatever ritual she used. You can make the case that it kinda makes sense for Liu, because she was born before the official end of the one child policy (2016), although in practice that policy had softened dramatically in the 2000s so if you paid a fine or were an ethnic minority or a rural family or had a disabled child you could get around it, so I don’t see how wizards aren’t falsifying paperwork like they do passports. Because 1. we know from Liu’s grandmother that magically extending out fertility has a cost and 2. she is supposed to come from a big family, and I’m sorry but one uncle and two cousins do not a big family make. You can also make the case that Aadhya’s parents were so traumatised by her sister’s death that they didn’t want another baby after she died, but it makes less sense for them to have a five year age gap between baby one and baby two, and a three year age gap between baby two and the non-existent baby three, assuming their cultural values are for large families. You can make the case that Liesel is an only child because she’s illegitimate, because we don’t know when her mother was cursed, so maybe her mother was in a similar situation to Gwen’s, but in a less lovelorn way (and we also don’t know if she has half siblings on her father’s side).

But it makes no sense for Chloe, Alfie, Magnus, or any of the enclave kids to be only children. Given Alfie is Alfred, descendant of Sir Alfred, we might reasonably assume he is his family’s oldest or only son and has younger siblings coming through the Scholomance.

But okay, let’s play this out some more. Financially, wizarding parents have no disincentive to not have children because they’ve hacked the mundane economic system and can magic themselves up a do-nothing, moderately well-paid job and forged banknotes, so long as they don’t do so to a degree that it makes life difficult for the enclaves (who do stock and housing market manipulation instead). They do have a housing security issue, because although they can and do buy mundane housing, that’s no protection against mal incursions (and, off topic, I am massively and continually enraged that cost of living estimates deliberately exclude housing costs, at least in Aus, which is just lying with numbers). We know that some of the Beijing enclave kids offer to give up their places to Liu’s clan, so maybe those born into enclaves are only granted replacement-level inheritance of enclave spots, and there’s a risk that your third, fourth, fifth child have to become indie wizards, join another enclave, or you or they have to pay for enclave space for them in an expansion or a new satellite/outpost enclave.

Then there’s the question of when the population boom El mentioned happened. We know that modern enclaves are only modern by the standards of ‘made after the golden stone enclaves were destroyed’ so that covers iirc two or more thousand years, well before Industrial Revolution. But, the building of the Scholomance itself happens in the late IR, and contributes to the population boom. And it’s stated that enclaves, while safer than out in the wild, are still not particularly safe places for teenage wizards to be. We know the methods of modern enclave building have been industrialised (see: the mana brick stamper), and that the Scholomance was built in flatpack form in Manchester, and that modern enclaves have skyscrapers, so, possibly the IR contributed in that enclaves have a footprint area and found themselves suddenly able to build up when previously they’d been limited by building out.

We also know that magic doesn’t produce reliable contraception, that they go to science for that, and while forms of contraception have been around forever, reliable contraception that is minimally impactful on a woman’s body (ie, actually holeproof condoms, cervical caps that aren’t made of half a hollowed out lemon, the pill, IUDs, abortifacients that aren’t moderately likely to poison the woman taking them) starts in the 1960s. And on a related note we know that wizard healers who aren’t Gwen with her speciality of spiritual healing tend to go to medical school post-Scholomance and use a presumably more effective and mana-efficient blend of scientific knowledge and magical boosters, which indicates there also might be a greater survival rate among the very young and very old (since Scholomance students don’t have access to doctors, mundane or wizard), thereby increasing the population but also increasing the average age of the population.

So…we might say that the population boom took place between the mid-twentieth century and the 1960s, and by the 1970s the same cultural issues were coming into play in the magical world as in the mundane world — an existing population boom putting strain on resources, the ability to choose when and if to have kids pointing prospective parents towards a quality over quantity mindset, women’s lib (Deepthi’s parents wouldn’t have planned to send her to the Scholomance even if they could have got her in at the age when she predicted she would go, because she was a girl, while in El’s era the head of the most powerful enclave, New York, and her prospective heir are both women), and an aging generation with limited sympathy for the young except as a resource they can extract. Maybe even a sort of environmentalism in which mals (produced by humans) are a stand in for pollution.

In conclusion: ???

Also, the TFR in the scholomance books does not…make sense. Or possibly all the characters we meet are massive outliers for not having 6-10 siblings to account for what’s apparently a population boom in a population with a 20-80% child mortality rate. Or possibly El’s an outlier in just about every way possible (or possibly it got handwaved away by Ophelia’s speech about the increase in the mal population and the corresponding increase in mal attacks). Speaking of Ophelia, what a terrifying evil matriarch, I love her and want all the fic about her.

[opheliaevanss]

𝓞𝓟𝓗𝓔𝓛𝓘𝓐 𝓔𝓥𝓐𝓝𝓢 arrives at 𝓋𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝒶𝒹𝑜, 𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓁𝑒

the blonde is said to have arrived on a private jet and was followed out the plane by none other than johnny kennedy ( @jvhnnys​ ) 

[lesbianjackies]

A Tale of Death and Dancing - Chapter Two

Series Masterlist

Klaus Baudelaire x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3,324

Warnings: mentions of death and murder

Summary: The triplets want to have a ball for their birthday, Ophelia thinks you're crazy, Lelia sees your sisters too, and you meet four unusual siblings at the triplets' birthday ball.

You scream, lurching as far from the mirror as you can get and pulling the bedcovers up as if they’ll protect you. You squeeze your eyes shut, terrified of seeing another dead sister, and let out uncontrollable loud sobs.

“(Y/N)!” Ophelia bursts into the room. “(Y/N), what’s wrong? Are you okay?” You shake your head, unable to speak, and she runs over to you. “Please tell me what happened, (Y/N). Was it the mirror again?” You nod shakily and she pulls you into a hug. “Oh, (Y/N), it’s okay, it’s not real. Aurelie’s resting, okay? She’s not here anymore.”

“It- It wasn’t- It wasn’t Aurelie,” you whisper.

Ophelia pulls away, frowning. “What do you mean?”

“I- I saw Elvira,” you tell her.

“It’s- It’s a similar thing,” Ophelia says, though she seems unconvinced. “It’s still not real, you’re just upset about the others because Aurelie died so recently. Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”

You nod and your sister gets under the covers with you, her warm body filling you with at least a small amount of comfort. You’re able to sleep for the rest of the night, but your fears that what you’re seeing is more than just a response to Aurelie’s death won’t dissipate.

~

“We want to have a ball,” Primrose announces over breakfast.

“A ball?” your father repeats. “Whatever for?”

“For our birthday, obviously,” Everlie says. “We’re turning fourteen next week. We want to have a ball to celebrate it.”

“I suppose that could be arranged… Whoever would you want to invite?”

“Everyone!” Idalia excitedly chimes in. “Everyone in the town, Father!”

“Everyone in town?” Your father raises his eyebrows. “That’s quite a lot of people, Idalia.”

“Oh, but please, Father?” Primrose begs. “We want to meet people.”

“Meet boys,” Everlie adds with a giggle.

“Boys? I thought you were trying to convince me this was a good idea.”

“We are!” Idalia insists. “Ophelia could meet someone. You need an heir, don’t you? Since everyone else is dead, Ophelia’s next in line. She’s going to need a husband.”

You glance at your oldest sister. She looks uncomfortable, but doesn’t say anything.

Your father ponders Idalia’s point. “I suppose that’s true…”

“And (Y/N) could meet somebody too,” Primrose adds. “You know, in case Ophelia dies next.”

“Primrose Annabel (Y/L/N)!” Your father looks angry and taken aback.

“What?” Primrose says. “It could happen. With the curse and all.”

“There is no curse,” your father snaps, and Primrose doesn’t press further.

“Please,” Everlie says quietly, as if hoping to diffuse the situation. “We just want something to look forward to. With Aurelie’s funeral, and everyone else dying so quickly… we want something to celebrate, rather than someone to mourn.”

Your father sighs. “All right. We will hold a ball for the triplets’ birthday next week, and you will all receive new ballgowns and dancing shoes specifically for it.”

The triplets squeal excitedly, thanking your father with huge smiles on their faces, and you have to admit that you’re almost as excited for the ball as they are. It makes you feel guilty to look forward to something so soon after Aurelie’s death, but Everlie’s right, the triplets deserve a happy birthday rather than one focused on their sister’s passing.

~

Your father keeps his promise for new shoes and dresses; the next morning eight gorgeous gowns hang next to each other on a rack, with a corresponding ornate box under each. Your gown is the color of champagne, with pearls going over your shoulders and down your back to hold the dress on your body, and shimmery rose-gold decals decorating the skirt. It’s covered in lace and looks as if it cost more money than you can possibly imagine, and once it’s on you feel as though you never want to take it off. The shoes match perfectly, with the same champagne pink base color and pearl and rose-gold accents. They’re both comfortable and beautiful, and you love them more than any pair of shoes you’ve owned in your life.

Ophelia’s gown is a pale papaya color with bright orange flowers decorating the skirt. Though she’s taken an effort to make sure all of you know how little she wants to attend the ball, you can’t miss the pure joy on her face as she twirls around in her sunset-esque dress, smiling and laughing and admiring the way the light reflects off the shiny orange decals.

The triplets’ are identical except in color: all have the same poofy skirt, sleeves, and abundance of ribbons and lace, but Primrose’s is light pink and white, Everlie’s is a ocean-esque turquoise color, and Idalia’s is lavender with silver accents.

Analee is wearing an adorable periwinkle baby doll dress, which, though not as extravagant as the older sisters’ dresses, is shimmery and lacey and just as beautiful as everyone else’s. The other younger girls’ dresses are similar, though not as identical as the triplets’: Lelia’s is a collage of yellows and pinks that looks almost like a painting and Viera’s is lilac and decorated with satin roses.

The triplets twirl around the room in their new gowns; they’ve always been exquisite dancers, but right now you can really tell - they’re like fairy ballerinas floating around the room, all but sprouting butterfly wings and flying away. It’s impossible to take your eyes off them, and in this moment it’s abundantly clear why they wanted to have a ball for their birthday.

Though your sisters’ gowns are gorgeous, you have to admit that yours is your favorite. You look better than you’ve ever looked in your life, and though you’re not one for vanity, you can’t look away from the mirror, gazing at your reflection with an awe that says, “Is that really me?” Your awestruck smile then disappears. “Winona?” you whisper, seeing your second-oldest sister in the back of the ballroom.

You expect her to disappear with your second glance, like Aurelie and Elvira did, but she doesn’t. She looks right at you when you say her name, and walks toward you in a way that seems more like levitating. She’s slightly blurred and a bit transparent, but she’s definitely Winona; you could recognize your sister’s piercing gaze in a crowd of people identical to her.

“(Y/N).” Winona’s voice is far-away and slightly muffled. She’s staring at you with a mix of shock, elation, and desperation on her face. “(Y/N), I need to tell you - “

“(Y/N)?” You turn around to see Ophelia with that concerned expression you’ve gotten used to seeing on her.

“Hm?” You look for Winona again, but it’s as if she was never there. Maybe she wasn’t.

“Are you okay?” Ophelia asks. “You look like you saw a ghost.”

“A ghost…” you whisper to yourself.

“(Y/N)?” Ophelia walks toward you. “(Y/N), you’re scaring me, what’s going on?”

You swallow. “I… I saw Winona.”

Ophelia’s expression turns genuinely frightened. “(Y/N), remember, that’s not real. It’s just because of - “

“No,” you say distantly. “No, I’m sure this was real.” You look at your sister. “I didn’t just see her. She… she talked to me. She said there was something she needed to tell me, but now she’s gone.”

Ophelia looks more afraid than you’ve ever seen her look in your life. “(Y/N), please, you know this isn’t real. I want our sisters to be alive just as much as you do, but you’re only going to end up hurting yourself if you let yourself believe this fantasy.”

“I don’t think she was alive,” you say. “She was… fuzzy. Kind of transparent and wispy. Her voice was very echoey and distant. I think… I think maybe I’m seeing our sisters’ ghosts.”

“What!? (Y/N), that’s crazy. Ghosts aren’t real, you don’t know what you’re saying - “

“I know exactly what I’m saying,” you snap, and Ophelia looks taken aback. You never raise your voice, not at anyone.

Ophelia narrows her eyes. “You know what I think? I think those stories you’re so obsessed with creating have finally wormed their way into your brain and mixed themselves up with reality.” She storms off, leaving you shocked and wounded.

You change back into your nightgown and run up to your room, wiping away angry tears as you slam the door shut. You collapse on your bed, breathing heavily, and look around the room, this time hoping to see one of your ghostly sisters’ forms. “Winona?” you call out. “Aurelie? Elvira? Valerie, are you there too? Mother?” There’s no response, and you’re starting to believe that Ophelia’s right when a knock sounds at your door. Assuming it’s her, you scowl as you open it, but your expression turns to surprise when you see Lelia looking up at you.

“I saw her too,” your little sister says, and you almost cry with relief.

“Really?” Your voice is hushed. “You saw Winona?”

Lelia nods and you let her into your room. “Do you really think she’s our sister’s ghost?”

“I think it’s a likely possibility.” You keep your voice quiet, knowing Ophelia will be livid if she hears you talking about this to your five-year-old sister.

“Have you seen any others?” Lelia asks.

“Vaguely. Aurelie and Elvira, each in the mirror once. Winona’s the only one who’s talked to me. Have you seen anyone else?”

Lelia nods. “I’ve seen all of them. Everyone but Mommy. They talk to me sometimes.”

“About what?” You lean forward, eager for information. “Anything strange or important?”

Lelia shakes her head. “They just keep me company. Tell me nice things about my paintings and comfort me when I’m sad.”

You deflate a bit, slightly disappointed, but too elated at the fact that you’re not the only one seeing the ghosts to let it truly bother you. You want to ask her more, but Primrose’s voice cuts you off before you can get another question out.

“(Y/N), is Lelia in there?”

“Yes,” you call, anxious for her to leave.

“Tell her that Analee’s looking for her.” You hear Primrose walk away.

“Sorry, (Y/N/N),” Lelia says, hopping off of your bed. “I wanna go play with Analee.”

“That’s okay, Lellie.” You smile, trying to hide your frustration and disappointment. “Just tell me if anything else happens, okay?”

Lelia nods, then runs out of the room to go find Analee.

~

You spend the entire rest of the week trying to contact your mother’s and sisters’ ghosts, but you have no luck. By the time the triplets’ birthday ball rolls around you’ve still gotten nowhere closer, and Lelia hasn’t told you anything either. You try to focus on the ball, on your dress and your shoes and all the fun you’re going to have, but thoughts of your mother and sisters won’t stop creeping into your head and replacing your excitement with frustration.

You wait in the ballroom with your sisters to greet the guests, your cheeks aching from forced smiles and hand cramping from too many handshakes. You’re bored out of your mind; you expected this night to be full of dancing and potential romance, and instead you’re standing and smiling and shaking the hands of people you barely know. You scan the crowd of people entering and your eyes stop on a group of children who stand out from the rest of the guests.

They’re far more casually dressed than the people around them, and they’re accompanied by no adult, as far as you can tell. The oldest is a girl who appears to be around Ophelia’s age, maybe a bit older. Her hair is long and dark and cut into bangs that fall over her forehead; she’s wearing a simple plum-colored dress with white buttons lining the front. She’s holding the hands of two little girls who are maybe around the ages of your youngest sisters. The girl holding her left hand has curly blonde hair and is wearing a floral-printed dress and the girl holding her right is a brunette wearing a navy dress in a similar style. Your eyelashes flutter when you notice the teenage boy standing with them.

His hair is the same shade as the older girl, cropped in an outdated style that looks good despite being an anachronism. He’s adjusting a pair of tortoiseshell glasses, his focused, narrowed eyes scanning the scene in front of him and eventually stopping on you. His mouth opens slightly and for a moment you’re just standing there, unable to move even to blink, until Everlie nudges you with a smirk.

“Got your eye on someone?” she asks coyly, tilting her head to the boy.

You turn to her, blinking. “Hm?”

Primrose snickers. “Ooh, (Y/N)’s got a boyfriend!”

You redden. “I do not! I don’t even know him!” You sigh, turning back to the boy. “I think I’d like to, though.”

The triplets giggle and grab you, pulling you toward him before you can protest. “Hello,” Primrose says, smiling.

The boy blinks, his eyes flitting to you before landing back on your sister. “Um, hello.”

“My name is Primrose, and these are my sisters, Everlie and Idalia.”

“We’re triplets,” Everlie adds.

“And this ball is for our fourteenth birthday,” says Idalia.

The boy smiles. “I knew some triplets once.” He looks back at you. “And who’s she?”

You open your mouth to respond, but Primrose speaks up before you can say anything. “Our older sister, (Y/N).”

“She says she’d really like to get to know you,” Everlie says with a giggle.

You jam your elbow into her side. The boy blinks. The older girl standing beside him turns around with a knowing smile. “Is that so?” she says. “Well, I’m Violet, and this is my brother Klaus and my sisters Sunny and Beatrice. I think Klaus would really like to get to know (Y/N) as well.” Violet winks at the triplets and they giggle. “Klaus,” Violet adds, turning to her brother, “would you like to get (Y/N) a drink?”

“I…” Klaus looks at his sister, then back to you, then swallows. “I, um, sure.”

Violet smiles. “Good.” She turns to your sisters. “Would you like me to make you a birthday present?”

The triplets nod eagerly and follow Violet, leaving you alone with Klaus.

“I’m sorry about them,” you say at the same time Klaus says, “I’m sorry about her.”

The both of you laugh. You bite your lip and hold out your hand. “Care to dance?”

Klaus smiles. “I’d love to.” He takes your hand and leads you in a waltz; he’s a surprisingly adept dancer.

“I’ve never seen you in town,” you comment. “Are you new around here?”

Klaus nods. “My sisters and I have been looking for some friends of ours. We used to live in the Baudelaire Mansion when we were younger and Violet thought it might be a good idea to look for them at the ball since everyone in town would be here.”

“What are the names of your friends?” you ask. “Perhaps I’ve seen them around.”

“Duncan, Quigley, and Isadora Quagmire,” he tells you. “They’re triplets.”

You frown. “I’m truly sorry, Klaus, I don’t believe I’ve met any Quagmires.”

He looks a bit disappointed, but quickly erases the expression from his face. “It’s all right. At least I got to meet you.”

You feel like butterflies are swarming in circles around your stomach. It’s as if you’ve transported yourself into one of those romance novels you so adore, or one of the stories you’re so obsessed with writing has come true. “I… um, would you like something to drink? I’m rather thirsty myself.”

“Sure,” he says, and you pull him over to the refreshments’ table. You select a sparkling lavender drink and pour him a glass as well. “Do you like to read?” he asks.

You blink at the sudden question. “Sometimes. I like romance novels, mostly. I’m more interested in writing, myself. f you want to talk to someone about books I’d suggest my sister Elvira.”

“Is she here?” he asks.

Your smile disappears, and you focus on the light purple color of your drink. “No. She died a few years ago.”

“Oh,” he says. “I’m so sorry.”

You look back up, smiling tightly. “Don’t be. My family’s rather used to death at this point.”

Klaus gives you a sad smile in return. “I know precisely what you mean.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Do you now?”

“Unfortunately. My sisters and I are orphans. Our parents died in a fire when I was twelve. And then almost every single one of our guardians were murdered.”

“Goodness,” you breathe. “My mother died when I was eleven and then four of my sisters followed after her.” You bite your lip, staring at him. Though you’ve only met him tonight, you feel connected to him, if only because of your shared experiences with death. “May I ask you something, Klaus?”

“Anything you’d like,” he responds.

You swallow and lower your voice. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

Klaus blinks. “I suppose I’m open to their existence. Why?”

You grab his hand. “Come with me.” You pull him out of the ballroom and run up to your room, praying not to be discovered, especially by Ophelia. You lock the door behind you and exhale in relief. Klaus is staring at you, confused and a little worried. “Okay,” you say finally. “This is going to sound crazy, but I think I’ve been seeing my sisters’ ghosts. I wasn’t sure at first, but my little sister has been seeing them too, so now I’m fairly certain.”

Klaus’s eyelashes flutter. “That’s incredible.”

“My sister Winona told me there was something she needed to tell me, but she disappeared before I could get anything out of her. I haven’t seen anyone since.”

Klaus adjusts his glasses, his expression focused. “I’ve read a few books about ghosts, and how to summon them. I’m not sure how credible they are, but it might be worth something to try.”

“I don’t know,” you say. “I never really summoned any of them. They just kind of appeared. I’ve just been kind of saying their names and hoping one of them shows up.”

“Hm… And that hasn’t worked?”

“Not so far. What do your books say?”

“Well, one suggests forming a spirit circle, but that requires five to six people so I don’t think we could do it. Mirrors are often places where people see ghosts.”

“Yes!” You say excitedly. “Yes, that’s where I’ve seen all of them. At least at first.”

Klaus looks almost as excited as you feel. “Okay, then why don’t you try asking for them while looking in the mirror?”

You nod and turn toward your vanity mirror, taking a deep breath. “Mother?” you call out. “Valerie? Winona? Elvi - “ You stop, noticing a shadowy figure in the corner. You turn toward it, and sure enough, there stands - or floats, more accurately - the transparent form of your second-oldest sister. “Winona,” you breathe. Klaus follows your gaze and gasps. “You see her?” You turn to him excitedly. He nods distantly. “Winona.” You turn back to your sister, and for once she’s still there. “Winona, this is my friend Klaus.”

���Nice to meet you,” is Winona’s echoey reply.

A smile stretches across your features. “Right, right - Winona. You said there was something you wanted to tell me. What is it?”

Winona’s expression turns frantic, scared. “Right. (Y/N), I wasn’t killed by a horse. I was - ” She disappears.

“No!” you cry out, scrambling over to the place your older sister once occupied. “No, Winona, come back, come back!” You slump to the floor, wiping frustrated tears away from your face.

Klaus walks over to you. “(Y/N), what did she mean she wasn’t killed by a horse?”

Your expression changes. “Winona- Winona died when she fell off a horse and got trampled by it. Or- Or not, apparently.” You look at your new friend. “Klaus, I think my sister was murdered.”

[tornrose24]

My Lordsona’s letters, diary entries, and journal entry in Mother Miranda’s Lab.

I remembered that in each of the lords’ areas, there tends to be letters/journal entries/notes that are either about them or that they wrote themselves in addition to what Mother Miranda wrote about each one in her lab. I thought it would be fun to make some for my lordsona as a way to add additional information (including what could have lead to getting a cadou in the first place, because I don’t think those are given out so freely).

There is mentions of  @artistcaptainbendy‘s lordsona Bendypants and their OC Benjamin.

TW: Mentions of gore

(All journal entries located in personal studio in the gallery. Some would hold clues to solving certain puzzles.)

Journal 1

May 3rd, 1968

(page 1)

I would rather swim in Moreau’s lake and be subjected to whatever goes on in Donna’s estate than give another art lesson to Alcina’s girls. She hoped I could cultivate some talent in the three of them, and there was some promise in both Cassandra and Daniela. Bela seemed disinterested and wanted to go to the piano instead. There was some frustration over the past few weeks and it made me thankful I’m their ‘aunt’ or else it wouldn’t have ended well for me.

Weeks later, they presented me with some abominable displays. That one ‘statue’ looked like one of the maids... or what was left of the poor woman. And I doubt that was red paint used on that canvas.

I don’t mind speaking with Alcina herself once in awhile when I want a bit of class and elegance. There’s certainly no denying her sense of taste in decor and her collection of artwork is incredible. But her daughters are too much for me and I don’t agree on her views of all men. She certainly never met my father or my...

(page 2)

Father....

Sorry, I got lost in my memories there for a bit. Tomorrow I am meeting with some of the village children and will give them an art lesson. They are more of a delight compared to those poor excuses for children in that castle.

They admire the other lords, but its possibly for the best that they aren’t allowed to get too close to them.

Reminder to self: Check to see if the Duke has any works of art to add to the gallery when he comes back.

Journal 2

September 2nd 1975

(Page 1)

It appears I finally have a new security guard. The bastard and a friend of his thought he could sneak into MY gallery and steal a painting that I said would cost a fortune. They fell victim to the Escher trap (clearly they didn’t pay attention to his surroundings) and the painting was destroyed.

All that trouble for a Van Gough replica that’d be worth not even a fraction of the true painting.

But then again, what should I have expected from the son of the drunkard who nearly paralyzed me for life with a bullet to the spine and sent me into Mother Miranda?

The man was completely brain dead. The friend was a bloodied mess, but I stitched his arms to the thief, added some details of my own, did a bit of fixing up, and used a Cadou. He’s dull as a rock and doesn’t recall his past life, but he’ll be good at protecting my gallery from other idiots. 

I call him David after the famous statue.

September 5th, 1975

(Page 2)

Unsurprisingly, Heisenberg thought my creation was, and I quote ‘a hunk of shit and dumbassery mixed together’ and said he could have done so much better. Unlike him, MY creations ARE true works of art. Of course I’m not interested in getting into an argument with him as he enjoys doing so with Alcina.

I brought David to someone else who’d be fascinated with him. Bendypants seemed intrigued and wondered if I could lend David to them to help build a set.

I’m deeply disturbed that I’ve sunk as low as the others. I didn’t think I’d actually use a cadou but I try to tell myself that what I’ve done was a fitting punishment. Besides, it keeps Mother Miranda off my back for a bit.

Note to self: Need to do something about the additional arms on David. They don’t look like they are as secure as I would like them to be.

October 10th, 1975

(Page 3)

It turns out David developed a soft spot for Benjamin. As in Bendypants’ favorite lycan. He’s been looking at him like a girl harboring a secret crush.

That was.... rather unexpected. I guess David isn’t as dull as I thought. I need to keep an eye on him in case he remembers anything about his former life.

Journal 3

January 20th, 2004

(Page 1)

Karl is crude and a bit much at times. But there’s no denying that he’s rather handsome and I finally was able to convince him to pose for some sketches for a painting after all these years. It took the finest bottle of whiskey the Duke had on hand to convince him.

Bendypants will be so envious of me. They too have a certain soft spot for our fellow lord. Perhaps I can gift them with a replica painting as a present in the future.

I admire that Heisenberg doesn’t bother putting on airs like Alcina and his.... extraverted nature is a breath of fresh air. However the whiskey caused him to spill something rather concerning. He seemed unusually interested in my family’s plot of land in the graveyard.

I’m very concerned about what his intentions are.

(Page 2)

I just paid the gravekeeper to unearth the remains of my family so I can burn them and bury them under the oak tree.

I am NOT letting any of the lords use my family’s remains for whatever they are planning.

March 15th, 2010

(Page 3)

Bendypants invited me to one of their plays. It was ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream.’ It was a delight and helped me take my mind off things. The idea of making some of the characters not quite fit into certain norms that are expected in the village would have made Mother Miranda squirm.

I showed them that painting of Ophelia drowning when we discussed Shakespeare the next day. Sometimes I wonder why the cadou didn’t make me lose my mind like Ophelia–would I have been happier without my sanity in the village, amongst the others? At least I wouldn’t have been aware of what sins I would be committing across the years.

I have deeply cherished my friendship with them. They were there at the funerals for each family member of mine who died. Their condolences were honest compared to the other lords and those who were trying to kiss up to me. Like me, they too have somehow defied time’s cruelty to the body, and have known the loss of a loved one. 

(Page 4)

The children are the only others in the village that I am fond of and would protect. Such innocence to the violence hidden in the corners. Sometimes I wish to give into the desire of motherhood, but that would have been the greatest pain I could experience....

(letter hidden in Lord Bendypants’ theater) 

Dearest B,

Regardless of what Miranda tells us lords, you are the only true family I have left in this forsaken village. I would have never imagined that wild, mud covered child of the woods would be the one person I could trust.

That woman never was and will NEVER be my mother. Regardless of what she gave to me, I had to watch my family succumb to old age and sickness while I still remain as I am–a Venus forever frozen in youth and beauty. I hope she burns in hell for her sins and for what she has turned me into across the years.

I suspect that whatever she wants with the infant she kept mentioning is not going to end well for us or the village. She is charismatic, but her lack of true warmth makes me uneasy. I get the feeling that death is certain, but as to who for is not clear yet. I have two requests for you if my suspicions are correct.

First, I am going to see if I can hide any children I can find. They were one of the few things that made me happy here and do not deserve whatever Miranda has planned, so I shall sneak them in a room within my gallery. Please do not let any of your lycans harm the children or attack me tomorrow night. Should things go according to plan, they will be able to have the true freedom that was denied to all of us.

Secondly, should I perish from whatever Miranda has in store, retrieve my body, burn it, and bury it under THAT oak tree where I placed the ashes of my family. I think I finally know for sure who was getting into the graves lately, but I will be damned if I let that asshole take my body too.

I will never forget our times together, or the visits to your wonderful theater. Thank you for being there when I needed it the most.

Your friend,

-R

(Journal in Miranda’s lab)

Subject Name: _______ Rose

Cadou Affinity: Somewhat Favorable

Brain Function: Normal

Subject’s spinal chord was damaged by a gunshot wound three days before procedure. Subject has regained full mobility after cadou implantation. Six horn like protrusions have grown out of subject’s skull, yet subject hasn’t suffered any damage to the brain.

Subject’s arms mutate into an armor and bone fragments extend out of limbs like thorns that are strong enough to tear through flesh when provoked. These abilities are somewhat similar to Alcina’s but pales in comparison to what she is capable of.

Insect-like wings extend right out of subject’s backside when the subject wills them to, yet immense pain makes this a rarity. The placement of the wings is exactly where a small piece of cadou was implanted to repair the damaged spine. Additional procedures were required to ensure that the subject could not be able to fly beyond the village borders.

Further mutation turns the subject into something resembling a fae, yet behaves and moves like an insect. However it takes the subject four hours to change back. Subject also becomes predatory in this state.

An unfit vessel for Eva.

[opheliaevanss]

@jvhnnys

[passmeabook]

Servamp: A Mother’s Face

I’m just going to refer to Mahiru’s mother by my own personal headcanon name of Shirota Haru because continuously writing Mahiru’s mother gets tedious after a while.

Shirota Haru to me is a fascinating character. She’s the mother of our protagonist, but we really don’t know much about her. Not her real canon name, not her inner opinions, and not even her perspective.

She’s an often unseen character who’s had much influence over Mahiru and his decisions. Yet, we rarely if ever see her face. This is important because in the manga Mahiru is usually the POV character, and despite the fact that he should know what his mother’s face looks like in his memories her face is either shadowed or not shown at all. The only time Shirota Haru’s face appears fully is when an external factor beyond Mahiru’s control causes him to feel strong emotions. Mahiru has never shown us, the readers, her full face from his POV without the influence of another person.

Hypothesis:

Mahiru actively blocks out the memories of his mother because he feels survivors guilt among other negative emotions about her death.

With the Ch. 97 raws it seems like there was a child’s hand in front of the car from Mahiru’s memories. Perhaps he accidentally ran into the road and his mother saved him at the cost of her own life? In the anime too we are shown a car accident that seems to be her cause of death.

Ch. 24: Tears

In this chapter we see the face of Mahiru’s mother clearly for the first time ever. Mahiru’s memories of her are brought upon by Licht playing on his piano-lead. Mahiru did not choose to remember his mother voluntarily. Licht’s piano brought up the memories of her. Since Lawless himself is also shown remembering Ophelia in this chapter we can guess that the music is supposed to bring up the memory of your most cherished and beloved person. In this case Haru for Mahiru and Ophelia for Lawless. We can only speculate who Kuro was seeing when the music played, but it's likely The Creator.

Since Lawless had regrets about Ophelia’s death and Kuro had regrets about The Creator’s death we can speculate that Mahiru himself also has regrets over his mother’s death. Ophelia and The Creator’s deaths devastated Lawless and Kuro beyond words. It is not a nice comparison for Mahiru to share this similarity.

Ch. 68: So That We Won’t Become Lonely

In Ch. 68 we see the face of Mahiru’s mother once again. Reaching out to Mahiru to hold his hand as they walk. I once again believe that the reason we see her face is because of an influence external of himself e.g. Tsurugi who interferes and enters Mahiru’s mind in the previous chapter 67. If you look closely you’ll see that the way Tsurugi enters Mahiru’s mind by standing on the ceiling is the same way Mahiru entered Inner!Kuro’s rose mindscape in Ch. 92. In Ch. 67 Inner!Kuro himself tells Mahiru that someone’s thoughts are intercepting his and calls mini-Tsurugi an intruder.

I think it’s important to realize that Tsurugi is the force that prompts Mahiru to remember Haru’s face. Because if you go back to the Ch. 67 chapter you’ll see that Mahiru and Haru had a colored introduction, but the top part of Haru’s face is shadowed. 

Continuing further on in Ch. 67 and we come to find out from Inner!Kuro remarks that they are inside Mahiru’s mind. Inner!Kuro pulls up a few memories that seem to be related to the topic of Haru and her death, and Mahiru becomes agitated at seeing them.

Even Inner!Kuro in Mahiru’s own mind couldn’t make Mahiru see her face. The scene above takes place right before mini-Tsurugi shows up.

Ch. 79: Touma Taishi- The Tower

We see Haru’s face come to Mahiru’s mind when Touma is giving him a run down of “The unjust conditions which you cannot choose.” It is only when Touma mentions “Parents” that Mahiru’s face changes as he remembers his mother. If you look closely you’ll see the picture of her is the same as in Ch. 68. Mahiru once again sees her face clearly because of someone else; in this case Touma.

Ch. 86: The Requirements of a Hero

This is currently the last time we see the face of Shirota Haru clearly. Again the reason we see her face is because of external factors beyond Mahiru’s control e.g. Toru being grievously wounded by Tsubaki and Iori bringing up the topics of heroes. Iori tells him, “It’s the fact that they will surely come back smiling… Toru knows that.” Iori is talking about Toru in regards to heroes coming back home and that Toru is Mahiru’s hero, but in the flashback Mahiru is shown to be thinking of his mother coming back home smiling. To Mahiru his mother is his hero.

Also the face Mahiru makes. It’s almost exactly like the one in Ch. 96 when he’s having his breakdown in the shower thinking about Toru.

Conclusion:

The topic of his mother is a sensitive one for Mahiru. Excluding Ch. 68, where Haru appears as some mixture between a memory and a sort of dreamscape being, all the times Mahiru remembers his mother are when he is his current age of 16-years-old. Just look at the faces he makes: Ch. 24 where he is literally crying, Ch. 79 where he has this shocked look on his face, and Ch. 86 where he just outright does not look good.

From what I’ve seen these four times in the manga are the only times that the face of Shirota Haru is shown clearly to the viewer. Other times her face is covered in shadows or only the bottom half of her face is visible to the viewers. 

I headcanon her name as Shirota Haru because we’ve never been given one for her, but I’m willing to bet that the chapter where Mahiru lets go of whatever negative feelings, such as survivors guilt, that he has about his mother’s death is the chapter where not only will Mahiru, and by extension us the readers, see her face clearly but allow us the readers learn her real canon name.

The other route for us to learn more about her is from either Touma, Iori, or Toru. Toru is her brother who grew up with her and also seems to know a secret about Mahiru’s birth, Touma is the biological father of her child and since both managed to keep their relationship a secret from Toru he probably knows a side of her that’s different from what Toru knows, and Iori would know her in passing as Toru’s sister and if she worked in C3 in any way. Iori also just seems to give off the vibe that he knows a lot more than he lets on. His conversation with Mikuni in Ch. 72 is highly suspicious to me.

I do think that there is more to her death than a simple car accident, but I’m not quite sure what. I look forward to seeing what the manga reveals about her.

If we don’t get as many chapters dedicated to her as we did to Touma and his backstory I will be sorely disappointed.

Picture Sources:

Ch. 24: @pastenaga​

Ch. 67, 68, 72, 86, 92, & 96: @hello-vampire-kitty​

Ch. 97: @svpages

I apologize for any grammar mistake. I also apologize that I couldn’t figure out how to properly resize the pictures. I’m still very new to this.

[savedpage15745]

ANDROMEDA BLACK \\\\ THE TOUJOUR PUR TRAITOR

Below the cut is a point-form info I have for Andromeda that I wanted to also link on her page as a bio-esque background

Andromeda Black was born on February 21st, 1958.

Andromeda is 5′7. She is the shortest of the Black Sisters.

Andromeda is only thirteen months younger than Bellatrix.

Andromeda has not always been the way she is now. Being raised by Druella Black, she was just like her sister, Bella, in the interest of purity and protecting the Black name, because that was all Andromeda knew.  She never questioned why to call them Mudbloods and Blood traitors, it was that she only knew how to do that. 

Andromeda’s middle name is Ophelia, which means ‘help’.

Andromeda’s shift from the Bellatrix-like girl who didn’t know to bite her tongue, and who she was now, resounded around her second year at Hogwarts, when she watched a Student begin to breakdown for her calling them a Mudblood. Andromeda was not aware of how cruel the word could’ve been. While she lessened saying such derogatory things, she stopped completely by her fifth year, waning off what she was to be someone more she could respect.

Andromeda is the glue holding the Black sister’s together. Bella’s short-temper could be redirected, reflected against Cissy, but Andromeda wouldn’t let her do that to their younger sister, knowing they need to protect her.

It’s a very clear fact that Andromeda can and will use Bella as an excuse to get people to leave her alone, and it works.

Andromeda is the only one who can call Bellatrix “Bella” or “Bells”.

Andromeda can speak fluent French, and  her favourite city in the world is Paris.

Andromeda is both excellent with defensive spells and charms, two classes she loves most, but knows she has no prospects of a future career. She tries in class, and gets good marks solely for the fact that after this, she won’t have much to live for. The socialite life has never been an interest of hers, but she hasn’t admitted to anyone she wishes to work at St. Mungos as a healer.

Bella has a lot more power over Andromeda than a lot of people would know or believe, but it isn’t in contempt or force from her sister. Andromeda wants to be everything Bella deserves as a sister, knowing Bella has taken the brunt of weight to be the powerful force she is growing to be. Andromeda wants to support her sister, and can find no fault in her sister. Trusting Bellatrix to let her sister live pain-free is Andromeda’s biggest downfall in the future. 

Right now, Andromeda is a brilliant actress, putting on the show of a lifetime. The girl who knows different but acts just like a Black would. Snide comments and glares, eye-rolling and moving away from anyone of dirty blood that those around her would consider unacceptable. Andromeda knows how to play that who she is inside isn’t what she is on the outside, but she is slowly breaking at the seams, too curious for her own good to want to get to know people before she leaves--after this all she’ll be is a Lestrange. Knowing her identity will be ripped from her grip soon enough is why she’s crossing the lines drawn before her, whenever she can without being caught. 

Andromeda’s obsession with astronomy comes from her name, and a lot of the time, you can find her sitting on the Observation deck in the Astronomy tower at night.

You won’t see her smile much so freely, unless you’re Bella, Cissy or Sirius. At times, Andromeda takes a chance to get to know the other students in the school, curiosity a pitfall for her, to know the people she’d seen in school, but finding it far too dangerous to get close to without hearing it from someone reporting back to her family. 

Sirius has always been Andromeda’s favourite cousin. During many family events, Andromeda always felt that Sirius was the only one who cared about what she really thought and felt. He was the only one who saw her screaming out for help in a room where no one would listen to her. It was why she showed up to the Potter home two weeks after he left, watching Walburga Black blast his face off the tapestry. The breaking point of Sirius being gone from their family was too much--it was her first major act of defiance against her family, to continue to see him in secret. 

Andromeda did not leave the Black family for Edward Tonks. Love was what was going to be waiting for her whether or not she left, with Rod (if she had stayed--though Andromeda would never call that love, as he might have claimed it to be, but still would’ve married him to be a dutiful daughter) or with Ted (with whom she did truly love and wanted to be with, but not at the cost of pain it would cause her sisters. By this point, Andromeda really didn’t care about her parents). Andromeda left her family because she couldn’t keep lying to them, she couldn’t keep up with the guilt, wanting to be honest with them of her thoughts and feelings. The lies physically were weighing her down and making it harder to keep, from her opposing thoughts on Muggleborns, which yes, you could blame Ted for a little, to Blood Traitors, coming to light that she had never cut Sirius off as explicitly instructed to do so. Andromeda was going to use the pull she had on Bellatrix and Narcissa to be able to convince her family to let her be one of them, let them continue to be one, and let her live her life quietly, out of their way. She was willing to be there, be quiet, do her part, bear the children to live the stupid legacy on--but she didn’t want to be a mechanism, she wanted to raise her children different, wanted to feel safe from the dark world they resided in. Andromeda wanted to stay, and was willing to end it with Ted to do so. It was Druella Black, who--like her sister in law Walburga, sent Andromeda packing, with a screaming rage of being tainted and dirty for sullying herself with Mudbloods, and her sisters who did nothing to defend her as their mother yelled. The only difference between Sirius leaving and Andromeda, was that she was able to walk out of the door with her head held high--just like Bellatrix taught her. 

After leaving her family, Andromeda got into the Healer’s Program at St. Mungos, where she worked from 1979-1995, after the death of her most beloved cousin.

Andromeda has never wanted to be an Order member, because of Bellatrix being her sister. She thought it was most cruel of her, but had been an avid supporter of the Order, offering her home to Sirius should he and his friends need a safe space to use for their meetings.

Andromeda never believed that Sirius killed the Potters. She knew him, knew him better than the accusations being cast against him, knew where his heart was. She’d known him all his life, as he knew her, that rumors and blame placed on him didn’t make sense, didn’t diminish who he was in her mind. That she wasn’t sure how, but there had to be something else. She knew he loved James, and that bond was not broken by lies being spread, but when he bore the name as Black--when others like them had been so openly accused. She tearfully looked down on the papers, crying for days when it was announced he would go to Azkaban.

Andromeda saw Sirius again for the first time in October of 1994, having dropped off a month’s supply of medicine to Bathilda Bagshot’s home in Godric’s hallow. Walking past the home that stood as a monument, Andromeda always made a motion to stop, stare--feel the weight of what two people suffered. How terrible she felt for the boy to grow up without the parents who loved him--how she’d entered adulthood the same, and Sirius--nearly his whole life. It was when she was walking down the path that she stopped, and caught something she thought she’d never see again. The black dog sitting perfectly still, head bowed before a tombstone even she had visited, out of curiosity and fear, mingled with a sickening sense that fell all around her. She knew that dog, that look--unlike any other. She followed the animal, unsure if her mind was playing tricks on her. A small awning, hidden from view lest around the corner completely--and the dog was gone, but behind her stood her cousin. 

Andromeda never told Ted that she had sent Sirius money every month, whatever she could put away to help him attain food and water, without being able to talk to him for months prior to the reformation of the Order of the Phoenix.

Andromeda had been back to Grimmauld Place once on the request of Dumbledore to give her the spells needed to cast over her home to create it as a safe house. It was the first time she’d seen the Black family tapestry since Sirius was blasted off it, seeing her own face now scorched from the wall. Toujour Pur indeed. 

Andromeda is silent but very strong. She was tortured for information in the rise of the Second War for information about Harry Potter, but was able to deflect, even though she was put under a rigorous amount of pain by Yaxley, and eventually Rodophlous Lestrange, who utilized the idea of a locked in Andromeda to break her mind. She did not budge, and left visibly shaken. 

Rodophlous Lestrange killed her husband, personally delivering the news to Andromeda in her home in March of 1997, carrying a wedding ring covered in Ted’s blood--the only thing she had left of her husband. It was the price Andromeda finally paid for leaving him and his obsessive state nearly twenty-years prior.

When Nymphadora was thirteen, having nearly set the neighbour’s house on fire from some summer reading with new spells. Andromeda--after reverting everything back--told them the truth, and accepted if they did not act properly--a memory charm would do just fine. Thankfully, it worked out for the best.

Since it’s AU, and this ties into the point above, Andromeda definitely fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, leaving her grandson, Teddy with the neighbour who lived nearest her, after putting the home under protective spells. Showing up at the school, it was Neville Longbottom who told her Bellatrix Lestrange had killed her daughter. Andromeda knew what she, Rod and others had done to the Longbottoms. What they had done to her. Bellatrix and Rod were made for one another, in Andromeda’s eyes--both so brutalized by her need of freedom they stripped her of the things she loved most dearly in this cruel world. It was why, for the first time in so long, she sounded just like her cousin Sirius. “Give her hell, Neville.” Was all she said before going off to help others.

Andromeda was the one to kill Rodophlus Lestrange in the Battle of Hogwarts, disarming and snapping his wand. She hung him from the rafters of the Great Hall with a suffocating rope curse, watching his lifeless body hang there for a moment, as a smile rose to her lips, the life choked so pathetically out of him. Even if war had been going on--Andromeda felt free of her demons. Even if she looked as deranged as her dearly departed sister in that moment. 

After the Battle of Hogwarts, Andromeda buried her daughter with her husband’s wedding ring laced in her hands with a necklace Ted had given her when she had told him she was pregnant with their daughter. After that, Andromeda lived her life quietly, taking care of her grandson with the help of his Godfather, Harry Potter. 

[lashcurled-blog]

*  lalisa manoban. twenty-two. cisfemale. she/her.  |  did you see corey manoonsil this morning on main street? i heard they were heading towards the protests. they’ve lived in ballard for eight years and last time i spoke to them, they were a salon stylist. if i remember correctly, they’re a virgo and whenever i hear ophelia by the lumineers, i’m reminded of them. 

full name:  corey rashida manoonsil dob: september 15th, 1996 hometown: thani, thailand occupation: salon stylist at studio rhita sexual orientation: bisexual living arrangements: a separate addition behind her mother’s house, as she isn’t keen on leaving her mother on her own. clothing style: feminine, sophisticated. lots of pastels, denims and dark colors. chunky gold costume jewelry. myers briggs: esfj-t (consul) temperament: choleric hogwarts house: hufflepuff alignment: lawful neutral

corey was born in her home country of thailand, but she really has no memories of it. her parents moved her at quite a young age, and the small family made their home in washington dc.

it was the only home she knew of, and after her parents divorced when she was five years old, everyone agreed it would be best not to uproot her a second time. her father had a fairly comfortable job as an insurance agent, so it was decided that he would be her primary provider.

corey’s mother laid down roots across the country in oklahoma, starting her own salon business, and making herself quite the local success. corey only got to see her about twice a year, and she always hated leaving her to go back home. she and her father’s relationship had changed after the divorce. they didn’t really speak much. he appeared completely disinterested in her life, especially after he had hit the dating scene again.

she basically had to raise herself, aside from the couple of visits with her mom. her father remarried when she was thirteen, essentially dissolving whatever was left of their bond. he even suggested that she go live with her mother in oklahoma; and though corey actually wanted that, it still devastated her that her father seemed to want to be rid of her.

still, she knew she really didn’t have a place there anymore, so she left the only home she’d ever been familiar with to set up shop in a completely new place. to her surprise, she fell in love with ballard’s small town feel. everyone seemed more patient and nice, and she actually had a parent who seemed interested in listening to her.

corey developed a pretty strong attachment to her mom, who honestly was a capable woman who didn’t need the hovering. still though, being used to caring for herself, corey tried to act like the parent more often than not. she’s always weary of her mom being lonely, even though her business surrounds her with plenty of socializing.

and speaking of, corey grew quite fond of her mom’s salon business as well. she began helping out on the weekends while she was still in school, and eventually, she even began styling hair. a bit of a prodigy, she’s now the most sought after stylist who works there.

once ballard began to fill with gentrifying business dealings, it genuinely upset corey, as she felt the small town she had grown to love was going to transform into something she didn’t recognize. she’d done the city thing, and she was perfectly content now, in her small town surroundings.

she protests the changes every chance she can, and her outspoken nature has gotten her in trouble at the picket line before. still, she has no intention of giving up, as she feels her mother’s business is on the line.

personality wise, corey is the kindest spitfire you’ll ever meet. she’s empathetic, but she can also be a bit of a sasshole. she has good intentions, though. she’s a simple person, who likes to laugh and hang out with the people she loves. she avoids math at all costs. it’s actual satan.

she will probably remind you of sewn on patches covering holes in jeans, cheap beer after work, impassioned arguments, wearing rain boots even when it’s not raining and taking in a firefly light show while a gentle breeze blows.

some wanted connections i’d love to have (other than the one on the wc page)!!!

drinking buddies ; it’s not uncommon to find corey chilling at hideaway after her shift. i’d love for her to have a regular at the bar that she drinks with! they can basically just vent about their days and how crazy the world is yo.

partners in crime ; corey’s best friend! the one she always goes to protests with, and they tend to push each other over the line sometimes. are they really your best friend if they don’t do stupid shit with you after all??? like as long as they have bail money ready tbh

former penpals ; this person lived in ballard while corey still lived in washington dc with her dad, but she met them on one of her visits with her mom. they hit it off immediately, and continued communicating after corey returned to dc. their favorite way to interact was through letters. since corey moved to ballard, they’ve gotten to know each other on deeper levels and remain close to this day.

and like Otherwise we can just plot stuff based on who our muses are so YEH let’s do that! can’t wait to love you!!!

[opheliaevanss]

@jvhnnys

[opheliakeeauthor]

Blurbs or Covers?

It's a serious question, isn't it? I mean the cover is the first impression a book makes on the reader. Authors tend to spend a good chunk of change on cover design. It should be reflective of the both the story contained within the pages and the genre it's supposed to belong to, right? Maybe. I've read a lot of fantastic hardbound books from libraries whose covers were very plain. It was the book description that lured me in far faster than the cover. So I ask, is the cover more important than the blurb? As a self-published author who is pure indie, I say no way. Not a chance. (I write, publish, and market my books. I don't outsource very much of anything. If someone else is promoting my stuff, you can bet I wrote the ad.) I have explained my particular style of branding in a previous blog I wrote about the parts of a book (e-book and paperback). If you have questions ask, and I will be more than happy to explain my book covers. I never thought that they were more important than the book blurb though, and the reason why is both important to the reader and to me as the publisher and marketer of the book. Simply put, the book description or blurb is the true selling point of a book. I don't know anyone who buys anything just based on the packaging. It's the contents we're most concerned with. (With groceries: Where was it grown, caught, raised, how was it treated, free range, wild, whole grain, organic, nothing added/taken away etc...). For example, the dented cans at the grocery store don't sell unless they're discounted heavily. It's not that we care that the can was dented, rather it's that we worry that the dent has somehow caused the contents inside to be damaged. Sure the labeling needs to be consistent so that customers can easily identify their favorite products. This is why major brands rarely attempt to reinvent their old familiar logos. Even at a reduced rate, we'll still pay more for an out of date brand name or a used version than we'll pay for a brand new top of the line generic version. Marshall's and Ross Dress for Less are well aware of this fact and sell last years Nike and Calvin Kline at a reduced rate, but it still costs more than going to Rainbows and buying their store brand t-shirt. In the world of literature, e-books don't get dented. The only way you get a discount with them is if the author or publisher runs a sale or the author feels that the market is oversaturated and reduced prices will mean more opportunities. A damaged cover at the bookstore on a paperback will get you the manager special, but you won't buy the book if it didn't already appeal to you. You won't buy Nike looking for a ballgown. That means that the contents must be something you feel you want.  

Example Blurb

"Lazlo Greyson, a millionaire CEO and descendent from a line of kings, is lonely. He's finished with gold digging socialites and seedy one-night stands. He needs something a bit more permanent. Peter Elliot might just be able to help him find what he needs, but the man is bad news and Lazlo knows it. When Elliot introduces him to Soraya Heffernon, a beautiful, trained orphan girl, Lazlo is sold. As Lazlo feared, Elliot had a hidden agenda. The woman he fell in love with isn’t what he thought she was. Things take a serious turn for the worse and his whole life is turned upside down when he lands at Draoithe in need of help from the tiger queen to save his life. Meet the Ghost King of Lyons Gate, a newly crafted outpost kingdom in this spinoff story from the Draoithe saga."

The Reader's Perspective

The blurb can't just hang out by itself. It comes with the packaging. The book jacket is like a candy wrapper. The cover is the image on the front, the brand and item logo. The Book description is like the information on the back of the candy wrapper and what is found on the back cover or inside the flaps. Just like the candy wrapper has a list of ingredients with some ingredients always listed vaguely as spices, a book description always hints at the story without giving away the ending. Just like the wrapper has the nutrition label on it, the Book description includes information about the author, the genre, and the story that is background information helping the reader decide on a good fit for their mood. (Chocolate versus peanut butter versus cinnamon versus caramel, etc... or Sci-fi versus fantasy versus romance versus mystery, etc...) ​Book descriptions are better than candy wrappers though because they get to add details that might matter to the reader that they might otherwise miss, like the idea that there are other books by the author (series numbers or noting that the book is part of a saga). Extra information about the magic, tech or world building that might be just what the reader was looking for or so intriguing that they now simply must know more about whatever might be in the pages of the book.

The Marketing Perspective

This is the reason why the blurb is still more important than the cover from the self-published author perspective. A well-developed book description aids search engine optimization. If the book is published on KDP, Kindle tells the author that the keywords he/she chooses should be words not already included in the title or obvious to the category (genre). If your book is entitled Bear Mate and is published as a Paranormal Romance, then you should not need to use those four words in your key words list. "Search keywords help readers find your book when they browse the Amazon site. You can enter keywords or short phrases that describe your book and are relevant to its content. The best keywords are those that do not repeat words in the title, category, or description, as these are already used to help readers find your book. Some types of keywords are prohibited and may result in content being removed from sale."

The book description blank on Amazon is 4,000 characters. So my blurb gets added with other things my reader might need to help them choose my book (the nutrition facts and ingredients list). This way I offer as much opportunity as I can to increase organic traffic for not just one of my books but all of my books if a reader pauses to browse even one. So this is an example of what gets put in my book description space:

Lazlo Greyson, a millionaire CEO and descendent from a line of kings, is lonely. He's finished with gold-digging socialites and seedy one-night stands. He needs something a bit more permanent. Peter Elliot might just be able to help him find what he needs, but the man is bad news and Lazlo knows it. When Elliot introduces him to Soraya Heffernon, a beautiful, trained orphan girl, Lazlo is sold. As Lazlo feared, Elliot had a hidden agenda. The woman he fell in love with isn’t what he thought she was. Things take a serious turn for the worse and his whole life is turned upside down when he lands at Draoithe in need of help from the tiger queen to save his life. Meet the Ghost King of Lyons Gate, a newly crafted outpost kingdom in this spinoff story from the Draoithe saga. !HEA! NC! PNR Adult Content Ghostly Kingdom is a spinoff miniseries of short reads set in Lyons Gate in the Draoithe Saga by the Adult Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Author Ophelia Kee. Fantasy world-building on a grand scale woven together with multifaceted magical characters to create a tapestry of thrilling stories all interconnected in the Draoithe Saga. Steamy hot, wickedly delicious paranormal romance and adult fantasy stories set in a dream to live for. It became a retreat and a sanctuary for immortals and gifted humans as Luke and Eli discovered love, magic, and danger. They find friends helping dragons, shifters, vampires, wizards, and stranger beings from the nine realms of the dream overcome their problems in exchange for different magic and skills to aid in protecting the sanctuary that is Draoithe. Those who come to Draoithe add to the balance and aid in the fight to restore that balance to the dream. Grab a good drink, curl up in a good seat, choose a book from the Saga, and escape into the dream while you meet the men and women who call it home. A place where myths, legends, and fairytales walk unmolested among the strange and wonderful, where the balance is often found in a lifemate, where the magic from the past lives again! Welcome to the dream... Titles by Ophelia Kee Complete Volume Miniseries Draoithe: Tantalu *Prequel Draoithe: A Pack Forms Volume 1 Draoithe: The Council Volume 2 Draoithe: Magic Calls to Magic Volume 3 Draoithe: Dragons Come Volume 4 Draoithe:The Ruiri Complete Volume 5 Draoithe: Light and Dark Magic Volume 6 Draoithe: The Dark Gift Volume 7 Draoithe: Elementals Volume 8 Draoithe: Fire and a Gryphon Volume 9 Draoithe: Synner And Sainte *Forbye Draoithe: Dream Therapy Volume 10 Draoithe: Filth and Death Volume 11 Dread Allies: Shadow King Miniseries *Spinoff Eyrie Iolair: Prodigal Sons Miniseries *Spinoff Eyrie Iolair: Sky Dreams Miniseries *Spinoff Draoithe: Dragon Masters Volume 12 Draoithe: Precious Treasures Volume 13 Draoithe: War Dogs Volume 14 Draoithe: Past in the Present Volume 15 Draoithe: The Library Volume 16 Draoithe: Midnight Magic Volume 17 Draoithe: No Negotiations Volume 18 Draoithe: Shadow Master Volume 19 Short Reads Set in the dream Draoithe: The Thread *Prologue Volume 1 Draoithe: Arctic Fox *Prologue Volume 2 Draoithe: Drake and Lorelai *Excerpt Volume 17 Eyrie Iolair: Dragonesque *Sky Dreams Tangent Draoithe: Weaver’s Tale Miniseries *Novela Draoithe: Smoke of the Fire  *Short Read Trilogy Eyrie Iolair: Risky Rewards *Short Read Trilogy Draoithe: Still Waters *Short Read Duet Draoithe: Wizards and Grotesques *Short Read Duet Draoithe: Fairytale Shadows *Short Read Duet

Notice the breaks allow the reader to read the book blurb then see information about the writing style, related other materials, etc... All the words in this one book description helps increase the chances that any of my books get seen beyond the scope of any keywords I might add. This allows me to use different keywords like shifter, vampire, alpha male, bad boy etc.. without repeating book description terms so that I am optimizing the search engine on Amazon as much as possible not just for one of my books but all of my books.

Shameless Self Promotion

Lyons Gate: Ghostly Kingdom Part 4  is releasing this weekend! It's coming to a reading nook near you! Lazlo get's sucker punched, but he really should have seen it coming. If you haven't started reading this miniseries yet, what are you waiting for? Each part FREE with Kindle Unlimited! Or only $.99 each to buy as ebooks. Y'all know I'm crazy and could get tired of publishing it in parts. Spring break is coming up. I might get time to sneak in an extra part or two.

I hope I didn't bore my readers with the technical jargon. If you stuck it out this long, the rumor is that I have begun work on a new series. I will validate the truth of the rumor. Sorry no details yet. Draoithe will wrap up production by the end of 2022. No time like the present to get a head start on what's coming next. And yeah, I know. I'm gonna finish writing those last three books in the Draoithe Saga. Unless God calls me home, I'm finishing this crazy dream. The slow move to Word Press has begun. Cross your fingers. I made a video book rough draft, but it was trash. I am getting better though. It's going to be super cool when I finally get it good. When you read, please remember to be kind and leave your review. It will make an author's day if you do. I gotta run. Lot's to do and never enough time to do it all. Be Careful! Happy Reading, ​Ophelia Kee

[huvall]

A new assignment ... catherine x hugo

Three different texts in a row, all marked urgent, had brought the demon down to Catherine's home. She had been actually anxious about Josie from what she had learned from Augustus. If her prized bodyguard was really running around the town taking people hostage and killing them in broad daylight, this needed to be stopped as quickly as possible. Augustus was right when he said eventually he couldn't bury it forever, and so, Hugo's services were needed once more. Sitting in her home office facing a window away from the door, Edwards, her butler, made Catherine aware he was here to see her. After giving the okay to send him in, she took in a deep breath, letting the demon's smell wash over her to indicate his prescence. "I need you to follow Josephine." she said flatly, still turned away from him.

There wasn’t a lot in the world that made Hugo nervous anymore but being beckoned by a certain Catherine Vernon always assured a slight twinge to begin in his gut, a light sweat under his collar if he predicted her mood would be anything less than unsavory. Today, however, he was for once blind-sighted on what she could possibly want from him. After all, he’d found out almost immediately, courtesy of Ophelia The Witch, what exactly had provoked the ghoul infestation last weekend so this week, Hugo was on an easily earned holiday of sorts. Well. Until now. A thing he appreciated about Catherine was her absolute candor, and impatience for beating around the bush. Plain and simple, the assignment was laid out before him not four seconds after entering her office. Hugo attempted not to let a smirk grow on his face just at the topic of the assignment. “She getting up to no good again, is she? Sounds like you’ve got a wild child on your hands.” He grinned, putting his hands into his pockets and shifting weight to the back of his heels. “See. This is why I’ve never really been interested in parenting.”

At his, of course, flippant reaction to it, she found her nerves being tested. Josie was a subject that Catherine avoided unless she was giving the girl an assignment or praising her valiance for their kind. Not today, however, and so the immediate reaction for her was one of steely aggrivation. The vampire spun around at once, revealing the hardened look on her face as her icy blue irises met his own. "I would love to know where in that statement I invited you to joke." Catherine never liked being this harsh with Hugo, but today, her patience was nowhere to be seen. Catherine stood up, "I know you and Josephine had some kind of...affair, and are aware of how unbridled she can become at a moment's notice, but I'm afraid that her gumption has been a danger to us all recently. She kidnapped someone and lost them, attacked another vampire in front of humans, and apparently has been up to her other usual nonsense with less--" Catherine's jaw locked on the words, eyes looking down away from him as feeling them strange to use as she described the woman she sired, "--discretion than I taught her to possess."

He wasn’t afraid to ever hold Catherine’s gaze, but just about everything else about her remained prickly and sharp like a cactus covered in glass needles, so he knew his place. His smirk sobered quickly, laugh lines fading into a stern and obedient sort of expression. “Wow,” He responded instead to her recount on Josie’s recent adventures, a little surprised at her ‘gumption’ as Catherine had put it. No shit, he thought, Josie could be reckless at times but she must have been seriously bored to let it go this far. For a moment, he wondered if he was Option A for Catherine in steering her prodigy back into formal formation, and whether he should advise Josie that an Option B would probably would cost her dearly, though he was sure he wouldn’t really have to. They both knew Catherine. They both knew how this would go if either of them displeased her out of their own redemption.  “Well sure, of course, you can always count on me, Mistress. Anything you need.” He assured her with a nod. “Under the circumstances that she speculates, though... what might you want me to tell her?”

Catherine liked Hugo for many things, the top of which was the way he could quickly take a hint when need be. He was intelligent, obediant, and sometimes...fun, if she was still allowed to use that word. When Hugo responded with the surprised mark, Catherine nodded somberly, "Wow, indeed, Hugo. Josephine has always been a handful, but just one. Now I feel as though I am juggling, if you understand." searching the floor with a bit of shame. Hadn't she been a better teacher than this? She had practically handed the girl everything she needed, and now, she was going to carelessly expose everyone? Perhaps she should have just killed her, like she originally planned. When he asked, Catherine's eyes squinted, thinking of what would work. Coming from behind her desk, she walked over to Hugo slowly as she thought, finally breathing out and looking up to address him. "I want you to try and stay a distance from her at first. Just follow and watch her. If she knows that I've sent a babysitter after her, especially you, who knows what idiotic thing she will pull." The vampire breathed out some of the frustration she felt, then looking over Hugo. Smoothing her hands over his top and straightening it, she continued talking, "If she finds you, asks questions, you have to stop her mid-murder-- whatever it is, pacify her. Tell her it's just you, you're crazy about her, threaten her, have something more urgent, whatever works at the moment. You're charismatic and persuasive, as your kind usually is, so use your natural gifts and you will go far with her." Once she was done, she pressed her hands on both biceps, smiling genuinely at him. "This--Josephine means a lot to me, to all of us vampires. She is what enforces our treaty, but, you, Hugo, are what stops my head from being ripped off by one of the canines."

Hugo had just been thinking it the second Catherine mentioned it. If Josie knew that he was reporting every detail back to her superior under some secret service, there was no doubt that she’d attempt to put his head on a platter next. Nodding again but this time slower, Hugo quickly went through his plan for the week and mentally highlighted when the best time to check up on Josie might be. Of course, due to her biological makeup, however, it would appear unlikely that he might be getting any sleep this week. The thing that made it all worth it though was having Catherine dote on him, slender fingers adjusting the material of his shirt that unfortunately served as a barrier to her cool touch that always excited him. Still, it coaxed him into hanging onto her every word regardless. Hell, it made him feel special. “It’s a fine head, I like it where it is, your highness.” He responded with a grin, suddenly feeling more at ease as she stroked his ego (and also his arms). “I’ll do my best with Josie, you have my word. Always.”

Hugo, whether he was aware or not, was easy to manipulate himself. Catherine had taken more than a few psychology classes over the years, and it seemed that sexual energy was the most effective on getting him to do what she wanted, that and money, like everyone. Still, Catherine wasn't above prostituting herself out to suitable gentleman, or just using her own sexuality to her advantage. Hell, it was why she was still living today. With, Hugo, though, she was usually genuinely interested, and so buffing him up was no challenge. At the title change, Catherine hummed out a pleased chuckle. "We shall save that title for when I get that bumbling Mayor out of the way, hm?" she asked, eyebrows lifting at her suggestion, fingers lighting clutching onto his fuzzy chin. "If you do well with this, you will be rewarded with more than just money." Catherine teased, voice tilting into the more sultry tone. Just as fast she had began, though, she turned back and went for her throne chair, talking as she walked. "Do what you have to, as always. She has to eat but...make sure she is discreet, and perhaps doesn't completely drain them." Once she sat back down in her chair, she sighed, "If she does something especially outlandish, but I mean something like standing on top of City Hall and murdering someone to announce she's a vampire, then you can kill her. Only then. Do you understand?" she asked, her tone becoming much more serious from the lighter one she had touted earlier.

He felt the hairs raise on the back of his neck the more Catherine cooed at him, sending him all kinds of signals, some of which he was too apprehensive to pursue lest it be the wrong move on his part. Her absence felt cooler than her touch, and Hugo only wished that this was a little more than his average business meeting with the Vampire Queen. “I wouldn’t intend to take it that far. Josie knows where the line is, I just have to remind her of it it would seem.” He responded, feeling a tender jab in his chest at the mere thought of having to put Josie down. He knew that ultimately when the declaration of war was nigh, there wouldn’t be a lot of choices left in the world. Still, though. Josie meant something to him if nothing else good in this world did. “But I understand.” He assured her. “Anything else?”

At his opposition to killing off his apparently still somewhat beloved ex, Catherine felt herself squint with skepticism. Did her pet know where the line was, or if it even existed anymore? She couldn't help but think no, after everything she was hearing, but instead decided to trust Hugo's judgement. Who knows what kind of hell he had to go through dating her, all Catherine did was groom her. She sighed, "Alright. If that is what you think is best." the vampire finally decided after a few minutes of silence. When asked if there was anything else, Catherine shook her head, picking up the pen on top of the pile of papers on her desk and beginning to scribble some things down onto them. "That is all. Thank you, again, Hugo, I know I can expect only the best from you. Perhaps in another life you would be a vampire," she mused for a moment before looking down to her papers, flicking her hand in dismissal.

[wickedninaryback]

The World Beyond || Alex, Zoey, Lauren, Ophelia, Emily, Nora, & Nina

Tagging: Alex, Zoey, Lauren, Ophelia, Emily, Nora, & Nina

Location: RIAP 

Date: July 7, 2017

Notes: The girls are summoned when the pain of losing Nina overbears Alex. They must make a tough decision, and Alex must take a trip to the Spirit World. 

Alex continued to scream violently as the last hunter fell to the ground, tears still were falling from her eyes. Watching as the ghosts around her disappeared now that their job was done, she dropped to her knees. Even though they were dead it didn’t replace her loss, it didn’t bring Nina back. Looking towards the dead body next to and Alex screamed out in pain as she put both hands over her mouth. “I’m so sorry.” Shaking as she pulled Nina’s lifeless body to her. Letting her tears fall onto Nina’s blood stained dress as pulled her closer. There was blood now covering her hands and clothes. “Please, Nina.” Begging the girl she was clothing onto for life, even though she knew there wouldn’t be a response. “I need you. Please come back.” Screaming again as she grabbed at the fabric of Nina’s clothing. Silently praying to whatever deity that may be listening. Offering up various things like her magic, happiness, money, or whatever they needed. All she wanted was Nina back, but her prayers fell on deaf ears. “You promised me that you wouldn’t leave, Ryback. It’s not far. You don’t get to leave me, not like this.” Not bothering to wipe her face that was red from her screaming and crying. Holding onto Nina even tighter as she shook, she couldn’t let go. She wasn’t sure if she could ever let go. “Come back, please! I’m begging you!” Alex asked angrily as she rested her head on top of Nina’s. “Please.”

Zoey felt as though the day couldn’t get any work. This attack was…brutal. She was so thankful for the glasses that she wore that aided in her aim, and pinpointed weak spots. She still had one of the hunter’s guns when she felt the familiar feeling of teleporting except she wasn’t doing it. The feeling made her heart sink because there had to be something bad occurring with one of the girls for this to happen. She didn’t even explain to Ophelia what was happening, instinctively she grabbed her hand. “Oh, God, it’s happening again! Hold on to me,” she instructed. One minute they were in the earth dorms and the next she and Ophelia were outside and all she saw were hunters lying dead, but the screams practically ripped her heart in half. It was Alex and the air witch she knew to be Alex’s friend. She put her hand to her mouth because she was…she was dead. Zoey didn’t know Nina but the sight brought tears to her own eyes. “Alex…” Zoey said, touching her shoulder. She was still holding Ophelia’s hand, forgetting to let go for a second probably afraid to let go especially in the middle of what looked like a war zone and had been.

Lauren had one thought replaying in her head as she watched the scene unfold: What the hell. All in the matter of what felt like a few seconds Nina had fallen, Alex had screamed, the hunters all died because of it, and now she felt like she was having déjà vu. It was only a couple of months ago she’d held a bloodied rag to someone’s wound and watched them slip away, leaving their crying best friend and Lauren in their wake. Why did it have to be happening again? She couldn’t wrap her mind around Nina being dead. The two of them were supposed to get through these together. They always found each other. And what the hell was she going to tell Isaac and Zach? Her knuckles were turning white from how tightly she gripped her bloodied sweater that she’d held to Nina’s wound as she looked down at the girl's body. She didn’t even react as Alex grabbed onto Nina and held her. Lauren couldn’t process what was happening, because Nina couldn’t be dead. She was Nina Ryback—this didn’t happen to her. Alex’s screams sounded like they were miles away, and she barely even noticed as the other girls from the circle started to appear. “Alex,” she said, her voice monotone as she reached out to place a hand on the older girl’s shoulder. “Alex, please…” She shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. “Alex.” Her voice cracked. She didn’t know what else she could say. She just watched like she had last time, only now she felt no need or desire to get up from where they sat or to get somewhere safe.

Ophelia had been exhausted from fending off hunters, but her, Zoey and Isaac had succeeded. No injuries had occurred and she was thankful for that. Looking towards Zoey, she didn't even realize the girl had grabbed her hand. "What? What's happening again? Are you okay?" Before she even knew what was happening, she was in a completely different place. All she heard was screams and, when she turned her head to see who it was, she saw that it was Alex. And, in her arms, she saw Nina laying limp. "Nina." Ophelia held tighter to Zoey's hand and then looked back and forth between both girls. "Isaac. You should've brought Isaac." That was all she could think of. If they had known what was happening, she was sure that would have been her first option. Ophelia would've preferred if Zoey took Isaac instead of her. But here they were. And now she worried for Isaac. "What just happened?"

Nora couldn't believe this was happening again and so soon. However, there was part of her that was glad. Ever since she heard the hunters killed her parents, she had been looking for her opportunity to get them back. Part of her worried if Declan had noticed the extra power Nora had been using against the hunters, but she also didn't care. They were getting exactly what they deserved and she would kill as many as she had to in order to get the message through. In what felt like a small moment of silence, Nora suddenly felt like she was starting to teleport somewhere. She had only experienced it a small number of times, so the feeling was odd and she didn't know what was happening, because she surly wasn't in control. Finally she ended up somewhere outside and looked around to figure out where she was. "Shit!" She called out as her thoughts went back to Declan. He had been left in the middle of a hunter attack, but she didn't know why or how. As she heard screams, her body turned to see Alex and the other girls sitting around someone's dead body. Quickly she moved towards the group only to notice Alex clutching the somewhat familiar looking witch in her arms. It made her heart stop for a second and she felt like tears were starting to form, but she took a deep breath and focused on the girls in front of her. "What happened?" She asked softly.

Emily had just wanted a family dinner. A FAMILY DINNER. Why was that so hard? They'd managed to hold the staff dorms but she'd failed to protect Mason. Once again the hunters were hurting the people she loved. She sighed, rubbing her temples, and all of the sudden she was being pulled away again like she had with Nora. First she wondered how she would explain this to her family. Then she was worried. Who was hurt? What was wrong? Suddenly she was surrounded by dead hunters. Alex was crying over- Emily's heart nearly stopped. Nina. This couldn't be happening. Tears started to fall, and she ran over, dropping to the ground near the other girls, surrounding Nina. She couldn't even put words together. The hunters had gone too far.

Alex feeling people touching her made Alex jerk, she moved closer to Nina so she was away from their hands. “Don’t touch me!” Screaming to the two girls next to her as she clutched onto Nina tighter, her tears slid down her face as they fell onto the limp body she was holding. Feeling her lungs tighten as she cried harder, it felt like the air was being sucked away as time passed. All she wanted was for everyone to just leave, for them to all go back to their lives and leave her here with Nina. “Just go away, please.” Begging the girls as she finally looked at them. “Just get out of here please.” Giving another scream as the pain inside of her built up once more, this felt like the only way she could actually release it. Digging her nails into Nina’s skin as shook more violently, she felt like if she let go it was going to kill her. “Nina, please. Come on please. You can comeback, I know you can.” Whispering in Nina’s ear as she ran her hand over Nina’s dark hair, she just prayed that Nina would wake up. That Nina was wrong than this and she could pull herself back. Resting her head on Nina’s shoulder as she sobbed, she just thought back to the memories she’d made with Nina.

Zoey turned to Ophelia when she mentioned Isaac. “It happened so fast I would have grabbed him too.” She just hoped he was okay because the news that his girlfriend was dead wasn’t going to be pretty. She knew how much this would hurt. As the other girls started filtering in, she wished there was more that they could do. Suddenly her hand went to the second charm on her bracelet. The book. She and Alex had talked about her other magic, but since it hadn’t manifested that was all they could do - talk. There was something there about resurrection, but she didn’t think Alex would like the costs. “Alex, what if…what if you could resurrect her?” It wasn’t a guarantee because it depended on her pulling from the strength of all four girls, and it also depended on how ready the dead was to come back, along with the price that the spirit child had to pay. A life for a life. Just the thought made her shiver. She didn’t even want to say it out loud. Didn’t even want the other girls to know Alex’s price if she truly wanted this and the consequences didn’t even stop there.

Lauren pulled her hand away when Alex jerked back from her touch. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I’m sorry." She looked down at her hands and while she’d become numb to the sight of blood after the first bonding circle, knowing that the blood on her hands was Nina’s made her feel nauseous and light-headed. She wanted to beg her to come back too., but she bit her lip and kept her hands balled into fists as Alex continued to beg Nina to come back. Her head whipped around when she heard what Zoey said, finally acknowledging the fact that the other girls were there but not enough to register or question why Ophelia was there too. “Resurrect?” she questioned. Would there ever be a day where all of this magic stopped surprising her? Probably not. “She can do that?” She looked between Zoey and Alex then to Nina’s body and knowing that if she and the others needed to help in any way, Lauren would do it without a doubt. She looked back up at Zoey. “How? How does that work?”

Ophelia: When a bunch of people started showing up, Ophelia started looking around. She shouldn't have been here. But Zoey had brought her. And Alex was here. And so was Nina. Nina, who was... Then she heard Alex screaming again and all she saw was Lauren backing up. Once Zoey started talking, she let go of her hand and knelt down in front of Alex. She didn't care if the girl had just told everyone else not to touch her. This was her best friend. No matter how mad she was at her, she was not letting her go through this alone. Placing her hands on Alex's face, she lifted it to look at her. "Breathe. Do not lose control. You are capable of a lot more than you give yourself credit for. And, if you can bring her back, you can do that, too. Hey," she paused and looked right into Alex's eyes. "I love you, okay? You can do anything. Isn't that what Nina would want you to do? Anything?"

Nora was looking from one person to the next as she was still taking in the situation. Alex clearly didn't want anyone to be here, but Nora didn't blame her. Even now she still wasn't up to seeing people. Her eyes moved over to Lauren and she noticed the blood on her hands, so she took a small step towards the other girl and placed a hand on her shoulder before giving a small reassuring smile. Her eyes moved once more when Zoey spoke and she paused. Since when could they resurrect people? It wasn't something she felt like needed to be asked right now, but more about how it could happen and they could bring their friend back from the dead. "What needs to be done?" Nora spoke, knowing that she needed to help her fellow circle member in any way she could.

Emily was overwhelmed. Alex's screams tore right into her heart, breaking it into more pieces. She didn't know how to help. She didn't know anything any more. How did they get Nina? She was so strong. Emily gave Alex space, her body shaking as she cried. Then Zoey started talking, and Emily turned to look at her, not daring to be hopeful. Resurrection? She sniffled, wiping at her face and for the first time since being teleported there she tried to talk. "How. How can we do it, how can I help." She turned back to face Nina, lifeless on the ground. "I will do whatever it takes to help." Also, Ophelia was here. Emily didn't even have time to really question how or why she had come along with Zoey, and was honestly just glad to have someone else here.

Alex could feel the ache in her chest from the pain she was feeling, she felt like she was going die at any moment. Tears still fell down Alex’s face as she listened to the chaos around her and she could only make out a few words. At the word resurrect Alex turned her head towards Zoey as she gripped onto Nina’s lifeless body. She tried to make out the other words around it to hear exactly what Zoey was saying, but it all sounded like another language. At Ophelia touching her Alex jumped slightly from the contact, but she allowed it. Letting her blue eyes meet Ophelia’s hazel eyes as she cried, she did her best to try and stay focused. Taking in a deep breath as she tried to control the now five elements coursing through her veins, but she could feel the magic itching to escape. Each element wanted to come to light and to have it’s moment, but right now she needed to save them. More pressing matters were at hang than her element problems. Listening to Ophelia, she nodded softly, she had the chance to bring Nina back. The change to bring back Nina, she knew it wasn’t even a question. She needed Nina back. “I love you too.” Lifting one hand off Nina’s body and she placed it against Ophelia’s hand. Turning her head towards Zoey as she looked at and nodded. “How do we bring her back? I’ll do whatever it takes it doesn’t matter the cost. Just tell me how we do this.”

Zoey waited for Alex to say she wanted to bring back her friend before she whispered the incantation for the book on her bracelet to return to life size. She turned straight to the page that spoke of spirit magic and resurrection. “You and Nina will be in the middle of the circle. Each of us will hold hands as we channel our strength and chant: Viața și moartea sunt împletite, cu dragoste și încredere în fiecare inimă care se va lega pentru a se reînvia.” Life and death are intertwined, with love and trust each heart will bind in order to revive. While we are chanting this, you will chant: Intrând în lumea spiritelor vin să găsesc spiritul celui în care se definește iubirea și încrederea mea. Cu această magie, spiritele noastre se leagă.” Entering the world of spirits I come to find the spirit of the one in who my love and trust are defined. With this magic let our spirits bind. “You’re going to pass out, Alex. You have to enter the spirit world and you have to bring her back, but only if she agrees. You can only bring her back if you truly love and trust her. Our chanting keeps the portal open, but you can’t stay long because it will drain us. If one girl,” she paused to look at each girl, “stops or breaks the chant for some reason, we could lose the both,” Zoey warned. “Ophelia, could you make sure that none of us break the chant?” She knew in her heart that ths would put a heavy burden on Alex, but it might be worth the risk. “Alex, do you want to know the consequences now or later?”

Lauren felt more tears prick her eyes when she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder and she turned to see that it was Nora. She gave her a small smile as she met her gaze. “Thank you.” She couldn’t articulate how grateful she was to Nora in that moment, especially because of everything she was sure Nora was still dealing with after the death of her parents. She turned to Alex and felt relieved when she pulled herself together enough to say she’d bring Nina back. That was all Lauren needed to pull her own self together and take a deep breath; there was still hope. She listened to Zoey carefully, suddenly worried about having to speak that mysterious language again but willing to become fluent in it if it was going to help bring Nina back. She nodded along to Zoey’s instructions, wiping her hands on her pants so none of the other girls were forced to feel Nina’s blood on their hands. She sat back more so Nora could be beside her, then turned to Ophelia when Zoey asked her to watch them. “You have full permission to slap me if it’s necessary,” she told her. Yet she knew that if it was keeping Alex and Nina safe, she was not about to let herself pass out or mess up. She finally looked at Emily too and tried to give her a reassuring smile. She knew Emily would do anything for her family and Nina was close to all the Bryants. She wanted her to know there was hope and that no one in that circle was going to let Nina stay dead. Lauren then ran the saying over and over again in her mind to make sure she knew what to do.

Ophelia stayed quiet as Zoey spoke about how to bring Nina back. This was something she couldn’t really help with, but she was going to be here through it all. After all, she had no choice in the matter since there were probably hunters still lingering about on campus. Nevertheless, she was still ready to help. When she heard her name, she looked up. "I'll try my best," she said in response to Zoey. As she turned her head to look at Alex again, she let out a sigh. “Should I move out of the circle or...?” The question was more directed at Zoey than anyone else since she seemed to know most of the information.

Nora smiled at Lauren and gave a small nod of her head before turning back to Zoey. She listened to the instructions quietly, trying to remember the words they needed to say. This was going to be a lot more than she needed for the day, but she knew everyone was probably in the same boat right now. Her eyes moved to the other members of the circle and the other girl who was here, Ophelia. "Whatever it takes to bring your friend back, Alex." She spoke, knowing that if she had been in the same situation, she would do whatever it took. Her eyes moved back to Zoey and the circle girls before standing up again. "Let's get this going, shall we?"

Emily listened very carefully to Zoey telling them what to say. Unlike the last time they had been doing rituals like this, she wouldn't have time to practice, and this was not a situation she was willing to mess up. She didn't like that Zoey was mentioning a price, but she wanted Nina back. She just wished that it wasn't all on Alex like this. Not because she was worried it would be too hard, if there was someone who could drag Nina back from literally being dead, it was definitely Alex. She just felt helpless in a way. She could keep the portal open for Alex, but that was all she was going to be able to do to help, and it wasn't enough. She looked over at Lauren, determination settling in on her face and nodded. She didn't know that she was going to end up so close and tied to all of these people when she agreed to do the circle, but she was glad she had. She threw her hair into a ponytail, ready to start. "Nothing like a good old chanting circle to really set the mood, am I right ladies?"

Zoey nodded to Ophelia at her question. “Yes, I don’t know if it’d take everyone inside the circle, or not so to be safe, stand outside of it. Okay, ladies, form a circle around Alex and hold hands.” Zoey sat the book down in front of her. With the amount of magic this was going to take, she couldn’t cast an illusion to keep them safe from anyone should they happen upon them. “Alex, start chanting when we all do, okay?” Zoey repeated the words that Alex would say one more time: Intrând în lumea spiritelor vin să găsesc spiritul celui în care se definește iubirea și încrederea mea. Cu această magie, spiritele noastre se leagă. “Okay girls. I’ll say it once and then we start ours.  Viața și moartea sunt împletite, cu dragoste și încredere în fiecare inimă care se va lega pentru a se reînvia,” she began to chant then.

Alex stayed in her position as she held tightly onto Nina and she knew that she needed to let go. At least for a few moments, she laid Nina easily back against the warm ground. Putting her hands on Nina's face as she looked down at her dead friend. Keeping Nina's hand in hers as she listened to What Zoey was telling her. Nodding at Zoey's words as she looked around to each girl, she gave each of them a weak smile. Mostly to thank them for all they were doing for her right now. None of them had to do this, they could have simply said no, but here they all sat around her. Letting her eyes rest on Ophelia as she looked at the brunette girl, she just stared for a long moment. "I'll be back. I love you." With that she turned away and started to chant her words to the group around her. As she said it a final time she felt everything go black, she passed out on top of Nina.

Michael had been here for only God knew how long. Time was different here, or rather time was absent here. There were old friends here, people roaming through this world, this place. Everyone seemed to have their own little corner, their own world just behind each door. His was a world where he could watch out for Zoey and his parents. It was a room of televisions and his favorite beer and chair, and cupcakes it wasn’t the best life and something felt as though it was missing, always and it was always cold here, reminding him that he was dead. That life got boring living in your own room alone, so spirits often visited one another. He was lingering in the hall, really with no destination planned just planned to chat up whoever else seemed to be bored of their own personal world when he saw a familiar face that shouldn’t have been here. “Alex?” he asked. “What are you…are you?” Funny he was dead but couldn’t say the word.

Alex didn’t know exactly what she expected in the spirit world, but this wasn’t it. Walking down the dark hallway as she wrapped her arm around herself. She just kept walking as she passed numerous rooms all with the door shut, she didn’t dare to open them, mostly because of the fear of what lurked behind them. Some doors were meant to stay shut. Looking down at her shoes as she walked faster, she didn’t know how she was going to find Nina especially with all of these doors. Checking every door in this place would take years. Hearing the familiar voice made Alex stop as she tenses up, she looked up to see Michael a few feet away. Instantly her heart started to ache, she felt the loss not for herself, but for Zoey. She knew that Zoey would have given anything to be here with Michael for a moment longer, to at least have a goodbye with him. “No– I’m alive still. I’m just looking for Nina.” Admitting sadly as she looked down. She couldn’t help but wonder if just maybe she could bring back Michael too, this way Zoey could have her happy ending.

Michael nodded then. He breathed a sigh of relief, not wanting Zoey to have lost him and Alex in what he thought was a short time, but he didn’t know anymore. “Oh…oh Nina’s…hunters I presume,” he asked, but figured that was the only way he could see his former student going. “She’d be with the Rybacks. Just above each door is a letter, first of our last names. New doors pop up all the time the halls extend and twist and turn, it’s never ending,” he informed then. Michael almost didn’t want to ask, but he figured why not. “If you have the time could you tell her something for me?” he asked Alex. He knew she knew which her he was referring to.

Alex had to admit she was just as relieved as Michael was that she wasn’t dead. “Yeah, she died just a bit ago and I’m trying to bring her back.” Biting her lip as she nervously rubbed her arms. “So many people’s last names start with R so this is going to take a hot second.” Giving him a small smile, but she was truly thankful for the help he’d just provided her. “Yeah, I’ll tell her anything Michael. Just tell me whatever you want her to know.” She figured it was the least she could do after how horrible she’d been to Zoey over the past few months. This was also a way to help give Zoey the closure to her former relationship that she hadn’t got.

Michael nodded. “I wish you luck. I don’t wish this, on anyone not that early in life. There are but she’s Nina I’m sure you’ll find her easily, and Ryback is probably near the end of the Rs.” He tried to be as helpful as he could. For a moment, Michael opened his door. So that Alex could see the tvs in his room. “I’ve got three tvs in here, one of my parents one channel is all Zoey, and one is the Food Network, but she’s never far, and I see her struggling. I just…I need you to let her know that I love her. That I’ve always loved her and I never stopped. It was stupid of me to end things but I was scared of how much I loved her, of how full of love I was with her and how I’d never felt this way before. She’s always been my heart, and don’t tell her this part but I am waiting and it can be a long wait for the day I see her again. But I just want her to know that she’s a Kingsley, and I wouldn’t change our story. I want her to be happy, I’m watching over her and I just want her to find happiness. It’s okay to let me go because I’m never far. Tell her to stop living in those illusions and pick up her camera again. So she knows it’s really me, tell her that I love her more than cupcakes.” If he could feel pain, he would but pain was earthy and he was just empty, but he still held onto his love for his parents and his fiancé. “Also tell her thank you for looking after my parents. Thank you, Alex for doing this and I hope you find Nina.”

Alex just simply nodded to him as he mentioned wishing her luck. She truly needed it right now. How in. The world was she going to find Nina in all of this mess. As Michael started talking Alex looked into the room, she could see Zoey sitting there as still as possible, she could see his parents. Feeling the tears already starting to fall as he talked, she didn’t bother to wipe them away. Instead she focused on listening to him while he talked, she wanted to remember as much of this as she could for Zoey. “I’ll tell her everything I promise.” Wiping the tears that were streaming down her face away as she just looked at him. “Michael wait–” Reaching out to him, but her hand went right through his arm. Realizing that she couldn’t touch him broke her heart, she knew that there was no real way she could bring him back for Zoey as much as she wanted to. Instead all she could actually bring Zoey were his words. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to bring you back to her. She loves you so much, Michael. I’m sorry that you’re apart, if I could I…” Trailing off as she wiped her nose and some of the other tears that were falling. “Rest easy Michael.” Waving goodbye to him as she just stood there for a long moment crying.

Michael knew she wouldn’t be able to touch him, but if only he’d have hugged her at least so she could take that back to Zoey. He nodded at her words. “Hey, Alex, tell her to listen to In Case You Didn’t Know, by Brett Young, sums things up perfectly…it was going to be our first dance at the reception,” he said simply before disappearing into his room once more.

Jack Mooney was sitting in the room he shared with his wife, listening as she messed with the roses. It had been hard being down here, even though it was just the beginning of it all. The hardest part was coping with the idea that they were away from their daughter. Nora had been the biggest thing in their lives, and they didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye. It was why their room looked like the family garden they had back at their house. There was Earth for the women in his life, and water for him. While he was able to keep Lily calm for the most part as they got used to it, he felt like her wasn’t going to do well for much longer, knowing how much pain their daughter was in. As he stood there he heard something outside and moved to the doorway, only to notice a girl who looked about Nora’s age wondering around, looking lost. “Hey there, Lass.” he called out. “Is there someone you’re looking for?”

Lily Mooney knew that there was no pain here, but she could have sworn that she felt the pain of being away from her daughter. She didn’t want to be reunited with her here, but she did want Nora to know that everything was okay even if she didn’t feel it was so right now. It could have been worst, she was at least here, sharing this afterlife with Jack. When he moved to the doorway, she frowned, not far from him. “Who’s there, Jack?” Seeing a young woman always made her feel as though the pain had returned. It always made her think of how Nora could be next and she didn’t want that. “Can we help you?”

Alex felt her heart growing heavier by the moment and when Michael mentioned his wedding song with Zoey she lost it. Hugging herself as she cried. She did her best to try and pull it together, even though she didn’t know if it was possible right now. At new people appearing Alex became more nervous, she wasn’t sure who else might pop out at her. “I’m just looking for Nina Ryback. I’m sorry to both you lovely people.” Frowning as she looked at them, they had a sense of familiarity to them that she couldn’t place for the life of her. “I’m sorry you both are down here.”

Jack Mooney looked at the girl with a little confusion when she spoke. He didn’t understand why she was sorry that they were down here, when he was sorry she wasn’t….Unless. “Are you not like the rest of us?” He asked, wanting to avoid the word dead if he could. When she spoke the name, he shook his head and gave a shrug of his shoulders. “I don’t know anyone by the name of Ryback,” He spoke as his thick accent made the name sound different. “But we have a couple old pals down that way and I can tell you that you aren’t too far off. I mean, you made it to Mooney, so you are almost out of the M’s.” He assured the girl.

Lily Mooney shook her head then. “No, dear, I’m sorry that you’re down here. You can’t be much older than our Nora, and I’d hate to see her here.” She didn’t want that day to come. “The Reinharts are close, down the way take a left. The Rs end the hall If you make a right at the end you’ve gone to S. If you run into Reinharts tell ‘em Mooney sent you, I’m sure they’d help.”

Alex frowned at him asking about her being like the rest of them, she moved some hair out of her face. "I'm not. I'm still currently living." As the woman mentioned the name Nora it caused Alex to raise an eyebrow. "Are you talking about Nora Mooney?" Asking curiously as she stepped forward to the two people near her, she hoped that maybe this was actually Nora's parents. Even though they had gave her useful information for later it caused Alex to smile at the last name. "Are you Nora's parents?" Asking with even more hope than before. "You both look just like her."

Jack Mooney sighed a small breath of relief and nodded his head. "Well, then I hope you get out of here as soon as you can. You still have so much life to life." He commented. However, as their daughters name was spoken, Jack's head perked up and he smiled at the girl. "You know our Nora?" He asked more for his own sake before looking at his wife for a moment, then back to the girl in front of him. "If you're talking about a little Irish girl who is very big into music, then yes. That's our little girl." Jack spoke, trying to keep himself calm. "You wouldn't happen to know if she's okay, would you?"

Lily Mooney ’s lip practically quivered at the mention of her daughter. This girl knew Nora. “If you mean that feisty little thing, that happened to snag her mom’s sarcasm then yes, that’s her.” Part of her hoped that they could get this girl by chance to send their daughter a message since she wasn’t one of them. “If you do know her can you tell her something for us?”

Alex nodded happily at their words, she couldn't help but smile. This was Nora's parents, which warmed Alex's heart like no other. She reached out to them, wanting to see if she could touch them. Maybe since they had died more recently there was a better chance, but her hands still sadly went through them. "I do. She's--" Trailing off as she tried to thing of the right word, but it never came. Instead, Alex just went with honesty, she hoped for the best. "Sad. She misses you guys so much right now." Wrapping her arms back around herself as she talked. "I'll tell her whatever you would like me to. I promise I'll tell her."

Jack Mooney felt a little excited to hear that this girl had known their daughter. He missed her so much, but there was no way to get to her. When she mentioned their daughter being sad, his smile fell a little a bit and he looked down for a moment before looking back up at the girl. "I mean, I don't..." He looked over to Lily. "Hun, what would you want to say?"

Lily Mooney had to think on it for just a moment. She took a breath, unbelieving that this was actually happening. “I want her to know that first we love her. We never stopped and I want her to carry that with her. Don’t let this close her off, I hope that she doesn’t stop living. Just as the life and the earth flows through her I want her to know that I’m there, it’s what we share. The plants and the trees and everything about it we’ll always be connected through it. I want her to remember us, to continue to love us but to keep living too, because though we can’t continue living, we will never stop loving her. And if she’s anything like me, she’ll want revenge, but tell her to kick ass but be careful. I don’t want to see her here, or I’ll personally find a way to send her back.” She was rambling and she knew it. “Honey?” she looked at Jack in hopes that he might have something to say to make sense of her rambles like he always did.

Alex: 'It's okay for her to be sad. She just lost you guys, but she'll be okay. I promise I'll be there for her." Biting her bottom lip as Lily started to talk, she felt like she was going to cry again. Lily's saying she wanted Nora to remember them was what broke Alex and the floodgates started up once more. Crying softly as she listened to Nora's mother talk, she smiled at the end. "I'll tell her every word of this." She knew Nora would want to know ever single word. "Is there anything else you want to say sir? I'll tell her anything.”

Jack Mooney was looking at his wife as she spoke and nodded his head. Every word she said was something he felt like his daughter needed to hear. His arm moved around his wife and placed a soft kiss to the top of her head. Looking back to the girl, he gave her a soft smile. "Make sure she knows we love her with all her and to let her music flow. We're there in every note and lyric she rights. Stay strong Sweet Potato." He paused, laughing a little. "She'll know it's us if you add in the Sweet Potato." He explained. "Thank you very much for passing along the message. We hate the idea of here being along, but we know she will be strong enough to make it through." Jack continued. "And we wish you the best of luck in your search for your friend. Hopefully you two can get out of here as soon as possibly."

Alex: Listening to him and she smiled at both of them, she just stood there silently for a long moment. She couldn't imagine how hard it was for Nora to lose both of these amazing people. "I'll make sure to add that in just so she believes me. Although I don't think she'll have much trouble." Who would really make up seeing someone's parents who just died. "I'm sorry you both are here, but I hope you both rest in peace." Walking past them as she gave them both another smile. "I promise I'll check in on her often." Keeping the fact her and Nora would be tied together forever a secret because the last thing she needed was more questions. "Thank you, both." Turning her head back straight as she walked down the hall as she tried to find the family that the Mooney's were talking about. As she walked farther down the hall Alex felt a pull that was leading her to her destination. She wasn't the least bit sure how she got here, but before she knew it Alex was standing outside a door with her fingers on the handle. Opening it slowly, she kicked it opened with the front of her heel to look inside. "Nina?"

Nina laid back on the replica of the dock of the boathouse from her home in Charlotte, listening to the water flowing. In her room it was practically eternally night because it was her favorite time, watching the moon reflect against the water. Her parents sat in lawn chairs behind her and it felt as though she was almost complete. She told them all about the things she’d been up to after they’d died, and they’d asked questions enthusiastically. One thing her mother didn’t really talk about was her birth father. She figured that there was good reason behind that. Probably that it was an awkward situation and it didn’t matter now, she’d never know him. Not unless he suddenly died. “Do we sleep here?” she wondered. ”There’s not really a need. We don’t get tired. We’re spirits, dead. There’s nothing human about us anymore,” her mother informed. Nina nodded. She closed her eyes regardless. Behind her lids, she saw Isaac and she could have sworn her heart ached. She let the silence permeate the room again and they all sat in contented silence. That was until a voice cut through the silence and Nina jumped to her feet along with her parents. Seeing Alex, she was annoyed. “Cromwell, I pushed you out of the way for a reason. What the hell are you doing here?”

Alex walked into the scene and she had to admit it was beautiful, it felt real even though she knew nothing about this was real. Walking out onto the dock, she practically cried at the sight of Nina. Not even thinking Alex ran towards Nina as she pulled her in for a hug. She realized for the first time she'd been able to touch someone; being able to touch Nina made her eyes start to water. Maybe she was able to bring Nina back afterall. "I'm fine." Putting both hands on Nina's face as just stared at her happily for a moment. "I came down here to get you, to bring you back home." Rubbing her hand down Nina's arm as she locked their hands together. "Please come back with me. I don't know how to do this whole life thing without Nina Ryback beside me." Smiling towards Nina once and she gave Nina's hand a gentle squeeze.

Nina let confusion mar her features for a moment, because people didn’t open other people’s doors. People who weren’t dead also didn’t hug and touch dead people. “I’m sorry, what?” she asked, as she hugged her tightly. She was happy to see Alex, yes, but none of it changed the fact that Nina was resigned to her fate. “Alex, I’m dead. I have a room. My family is here. Hayden’s in the Ls with a Strip Club. I’d say I don’t know how to do life without you, but I’m dead so I won’t have to worry about that. There’s no pain in here,” she told her then.

Alex just licked her bottom lip as she stared at Nina, she silently prayed that Nina wouldn't fight her too much on this. "I used my spirit magic to come down here and get you. It's a long story, but the sparks note version is you can come back with me. I promise I'll explain it all later to you, but you have a chance right now. You can walk out of here with me and be a living breathing person once more. At Nina mentioning her family and then Hayden living it up in the dead her eyes flickered red as she filled with rage. Of course, Hayden was partying like the trash queen she was. While she knew she couldn't attack her right now, next time though Hayden's little spirit ass was going to be hers. Sighing as Nina continued talking and she let go of Nina's hand. "How nice it must be to not have pain." Rolling her eyes at Nina's words before she looked towards her and she let her face soften. "You don't wanna be here, Nina." Sighing heavily again as she ran a hand through her hair. "I get your in pain.... I couldn't imagine if I had lost what you had." Looking towards Nina's parents who were still on the doc. "I don't know if you ever truly come back from that so I get wanting to stay. It's nice to be numb, but that's all it is. You're numb right now. The problem with being numb though is eventually that will grow to not be enough for you anymore. Do you honestly think someone as great as you can just sit here day after day feeling nothing." Nervously playing with the ring Ophelia had given to her as she tried to find the right words to talk. "I know I can't stand here asking you to do this for me or for Isaac. It's not fair to ask that of you. I'm asking though that you look at your future though Nina. What is it? If it's here then fine I'll leave you. If it's up there though then you know what you have to do."

Nina heard what Alex was saying. She did, but she thought about the fact that once she left this world that old pain, that old hurt would come back. She could see Hayden now and the pain wasn’t there. That blind rage didn’t matter because there was nothing left. She could see her parents and her grandparents and that sadness and loss wasn’t there anymore. “Maybe I don’t want to be here, but I don’t want to be there either. Not living like that, not crying every day because of it.” Suddenly it was as if she heard Zach’s voice in her head as she’d mentioned crying. “Whatever is going on and whatever’s making you want to cry, its okay. Everybody needs to cry sometimes. I know I do. I gotchu.” She swallowed the lump in her throat thinking about her friend. “That’s the thing…I don’t come back from that. I’m going to be in pain like this forever, nothing erases it but death.” It was Mason’s voice that she heard then, telling her the opposite once upon a time. “Nina Ryback, you’re a fighter, you’re amazing, you have been through so much and come back the other side, you have more than survived, you made it, life keeps trying to knock you back and you get back up again, stronger and better.” Nina sighed, trying to drown out the memories that came back to her in painful clarity. “I’m not that great. I’ve killed so many people, it’s like Karma has caught up to me.” It was a memory of Emily that weighed in next. “I can’t wait to see who Nina is, deep down.” Followed quickly by the very person that she was talking to. “I love you, okay? If you ever need a reminder about how you’re not a monster come find me and I’ll list you a number of reasons why you’re not.” Nina sighed. This was asking her to go back to hurt. To constantly losing people and watching almost helplessly as those she loved were harmed. She did remember though that she did have those people. She had people that were there for her. She had Lauren, who’d said, “But Nina, I would never have left you behind. As much as I wish things could have been different, especially for you, I want you to know that I’m glad I found you too. And I don’t let just anyone fly me up into trees and, you know, other heights.” She had Nic and in his own Nic way expressed that he cared about her.“Nina, I keep remembering why you’re one of my favorite people every time you speak.” “Is the pain really worth it, Alex?” but as she asked, she thought of Tyler. “Whatever you need, I’m here for it. Even if it means just sitting here and letting you talk through it or if you need to get anger out or anything, I’m here for you. Always will be. Just let me know what you need.” She heaved sigh then. “Do you even think I’ll get that family and future I want? Those three kids I want two girls and a boy. Mostly named after me and Isaac and all of you. It’s only a matter of time before I lose it all because of who I am.” Yet again she recalled words that disproved that very thought this time from Isaac. “I don’t care about what we go through, I care about you. That’s the deal, babe. I love you, better or worse. Look, we go through stuff and we deal with it together. It’s not conditional, I don’t want us to ever pick and choose. I just want to be there.” If that wasn’t enough, here Alex was in the fucking spirit world to come retrieve her, defying all kinds of laws of magic. The love of her friends greatly outweighed any love that her family had ever given her. She took Alex’s hand in hers then, looking apologetically at her parents. “I think I’m going back.” She looked back at Alex. “You and the rest of them love me way more than they ever have. Take me back.” She wrapped her arms around Alex in a tight hug. “And I love you too. Even though you’re crazy enough to defy magic laws for this.”

Alex watched closely as Nina made her decision, all she could really do was stand there and wait. “Nina—“ Reaching out to touch her, but she knew she couldn’t make this decision for Nina. This had to be Nina’s decision to come back, but if she said no then Alex was prepared to drag her back. She didn’t care if the spirit world crumbled on the way back, Nina was coming back one way or another. Although Alex believed in at least giving Nina a chance to reach the right decision herself. Taking in a deep breath as she played with her ring some more, she tugged at it nervously. Shifting her weight as she bit down on her bottom lip, she knew this wasn’t looking good right. “I do actually. If anyone can get happiness and that future it’s you, Nina. You will have Lily Alexis, Isaiah Edward, and Natalia Nicole even if I have to carry these damn children and give birth to them for you. You’re getting your family do you understand me. This is happening.” Putting both hands on Nina’s face as she spoke, she was serious. She’d do anything she could to make sure this was Nina’s future even if it killed her I promise you it’s worth it. At the end of the day it’s going to be worth it.” Looking at Nina when she said she would lose it all and she shook your head. “You are so wrong Nina Cromwell. You will always have me. You are just as much blood to me as my sisters and Sera are. You’re one of us. I love you so much.” Wiping away the few tears that were falling as she talked, she had to admit she was starting to feel tired and hopeless. Holding Nina’s hand back as she looked in the same direction, she frowned at Nina’s parents. Hearing Nina say she was going back actually shocked Alex and she hugged her back tightly. “Oh thank god.” Letting out a sigh of relief as a few happy tears fell and she was holding onto Nina for dear life. “I’d only defy the laws of magic for you, babe.” Letting go of Nina slightly, she started to feel more weak. “We have to go. If you want you can take a moment to say goodbye, but my energy is draining quickly. The girls can only hold on for so long.”

Nina shook her head but smiled as she did so. “People around me die then I die. Do I look like I get happy endings? I died. I get more pain and suffering every time I try as hard as I can and things like this happen.” She didn’t want to be a downer, but what do you do when you already died? Things couldn’t get much worse. “Alex, as much as I appreciate that, I want babies that also look like me and I want to be the big house of a pregnant lady. But I died, who’s to say I won’t be back here.” Alex believed in her future more than she believed it would happen at this point. It was as if she was already preparing for the worse. “Now where were you when I was trying to change my last name? I could have used that.” It meant so much to her that she had Alex in her life and she had a sister. “I’ve always wanted a sister, somedays rather I wanted a sister.” She was too spoiled to want a full time sister. “I love you too. This couldn’t possibly have been easy and I want you to tell me what you did,” Nina said, knowing that something bad must have happened to get her out of here. She was an Occultism major, she knew that people didn’t just leave the Spirit World. “It’s fine. I don’t want to say goodbye. Just, I’ll see you guys later,” she promised. “Mom will be back topside as a ghost. I know it. Dad, you can come too.” To which her mother and father nodded. “We can go,” she told Alex.

Alex just laughed softly at Nina's words. "I mean hey most of your friends are still kicking." Although she didn't really count the hell beast that was Hayden as one of Nina's friends. She was more like the demon who had been summoned to ruin everyone's lives then die the moment she actually had to deal with any of her bullshit. "You'll get a happy ending, I swear." Giving Nina's had a squeeze as she smiled at her once more. "Hey if you die again then we'll start this all over." Shrugging lightly, she knew she wasn't lying. She didn't care if she had to do this over and over again, she'd do it for Nina. "I guess I never got the memo." Hugging Nina tightly once more before she let her go. "You know if you want to change it then you're welcome to." Offering in case Nina still wanted to change her name, she wasn't sure if she did. "It's not easy at all. I promise I'll explain it all to you later." Her body started to feel weaker as the longer they stayed in the spirit world, she tucked some hair behind her ear. "Oh okay." Giving Nina's family a weak smile as she took Nina's hand and she started to lead her out. Walking back into the hall and towards the now bright light. As they made it to light Alex looked over at Nina and smile again before she pulled Nina into the light with her. Jolting up from her sleep and she gasped for air as she looked around. Her body felt absolutely drained from all the energy she used, she put her hands on the ground to try and steady herself. "She's back." With that Alex laid back against the ground, she did her best to keep her eyes open.

Nina nodded then. “I’ll think about changing it I’m sort of hoping Ryback is a temporary thing anyway.” She shrugged. “But who knows what the future holds.” Death sure was around every corner. As they walked toward the bright light, Nina couldn’t even prepare or brace herself for every emotion that left her to come back to her full force. She felt her body come to life once again, gasping for air as if she couldn’t catch her breath. Kept gasping but instead of a sense of calm all she could do was cry. That perfect dream felt like a distant memory. She didn’t just cry, she sobbed because she was back and so was everything else. The hole in her body that killed her was gone but it felt almost like tenfold her grief came back. She looked down at the bloody dress she’d been wear. “My fucking dress,” she cried harder practically hysterical at this point.

Zoey was so glad when Alex was back. She didn’t feel like she could even stand anymore she was so weak. She sank to the ground, trying to keep from simply laying there and never getting back up. She did have to say something to Alex though, the price was an urgent one. She crawled over to the other girl then. “Alex,” she whispered. “you have twenty-four hours to take a life or she’s going back. It’s a life for a life.” She didn’t say it loud enough for the other girls to hear. “There’s more…side effects but for now you have to that or all of this is for nothing.” She spoke with urgency, before looking around at the other girls then. “We all okay? We need to get Nina to the healing center and get to safety. I know we’re tired but we have to move and soon.”

Lauren had chanted as she held onto the other girls’ hands desperately. Nina and Alex were depending on them and it was very clear to Lauren that she’d do anything for them, whether that meant guarding the door or chanting in a foreign language even though she could feel her energy slipping away from her. She didn’t know how much time passed, but she nearly collapsed from relief and exhaustion the moment she heard Alex’s voice. She opened her eyes and took a few steps towards the two of them before she fell to her knees beside them. “You did it. You’re back,” she breathed out, reaching out to grab Alex’s arm then looking at the hysterical Nina who was devastated over her ruined dress. Lauren gave a weak smile as more tears flooded her eyes. “She found you.” Her arms felt like lead, so all she could do was grab onto Nina’s hand with both of hers. “She’s totally our savior daughter now. Nina… I’m so glad you’re back, Nina.” She nodded slowly at Zoey’s question, and while getting up from the ground seemed like the greatest challenge they’d ever face, she reminded herself they just brought someone back from the dead, so she could definitely stand up. “I can call Isaac...tell him to meet us there."

Emily felt like her mouth was a desert. Chanting for that long was hard. There was something else at work too. Standing up, even holding her arms that long shouldn't have tired her out. It was far less strenuous of an action that what she was used to. Still, she was drained, like the energy had been pulled right out of her. A weak smile moved her lips when Alex woke up, Nina suddenly gasping next to her. "I knew you could do it." Slowly she lowered herself to the ground, a long sigh leaving her lungs. She knew they needed to move, but it seemed next to impossible right now. Then again, so did bringing Nina back from the dead. She crawled on the ground over to Nina, putting an arm around her very bloody dress. "Don't go dying like that again on us, got it?" She tried to laugh but her throat was parched and she just ended up coughing.

Nora didn't know how much longer she was going to be able to hold. This kind of magic was taking more out of them then they really could handle, but she knew they were doing it for a good reason. They had to help their fellow circle member out as well they could. As she heard Alex's voice, Nora placed her hands on her knees and took a few breaths trying not to completely fall out from exhaustion. After a couple seconds, she moved towards the rest of the group before giving herself a chance to sit down. Getting a chance to relax was needed, after both the attack and this, but now they were talking about moving again and Nora was almost ready to just chill there. After a moment, Nora talked herself into standing up again and listened to the plants around here. "If we are moving by foot, now would be the time to go. The hunters aren't near this area and we can find some more hiding spots further on campus." She spoke, looking to the other girls.

Ophelia watched as they did all of their chanting and all she could do was stand there. Her eyes darted around them to make sure everyone was okay. It seemed like quite a while for the procedure to finish. When she saw Nina and Alex both wake up, her eyes widened. Then she looked at Zoey, her ears focusing in on the life for a life part. Letting out a breath, she shook her head. "I need a nap." All of this was too much to process.

Alex just put her hand on Nina as she heard Nina start crying, she did her best to try and comfort her. Even though she extremely exhausted and felt completely drained. She could hear others around her talking, but everything faded out as Zoey told her the price. A life for a life. The clock was already ticking away as each second past. Setting up as she bones ached, she knew she had to get this done. "Just get her to the healing center and call Isaac please. I gotta-- I gotta go." With that she pulled herself up wobbly and put her hands on her knees. "Thank you. All of you." Looking towards the girls as she gave them a weak smile. "I love you guys." Putting her hand back on Nina as she looked at her for a moment. "You'll be okay. Let them get you to the healing center." Placing a kiss on top of Nina's head, then she took off back towards her apartment. She needed to get her phone and get this done as quickly as possible.

[opheliaevanss]

𝓞𝓹𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓪 𝓔𝓿𝓪𝓷𝓼 | 𝓑𝓮𝓽 𝓖𝓪𝓵𝓪 𝓐𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼

[opheliaevanss]

[opheliaevanss]

[opheliaevanss]