#I need for Marcia fanart!!!

[lostghost0o0]

Marcia! WIP

[sexynetra]

I’m on day 2 of my draw a portrait of Marcia a day with no artistic training or knowledge until I become good at art and specifically good at drawing Marcia challenge and I think it’s going very well so far :) it still doesn’t look like her but I think it’s a marked improvement from yesterdays drawing!

[nspired1fanfiction]

Ichor & Pomegranate Fanart, Marcia Pennington, by Piink.Avocados

Jill tore her eyes away from the hair that had fallen over Captain Wesker’s brow and looked back down at the files.

"Nothing here suggests that?" she pursued.

"I'll let you tell me that." His chair creaked when he leaned forward further and pulled the first victim's file toward himself.

With her eyes again zeroing in on the crime scene for the second victim, Marcia Pennington, time ticked away from the clock on Captain Wesker's wall while she continued to flip through the different pictures. Her eyes traced back and forth to the images and to the abstract notes the detective had made.

Marcia had been laid against the wall of her church. Bound by her hands over a hook in the wall above her head, a single gunshot wound to her forehead had been what the coroner determined her cause of death to be. However, whomever had killed her had taken the time to cut portions of her top and bottom lips away. Right over where her incisors were on her top and bottom tooth line, the killer had cut out triangle-shaped portions of the skin to reveal the teeth beneath but had left the middle portion of both lips intact. The result gave Marcia's face a feral look in death.

Tick, tick, tick, the clock above strummed away in her companionable silence with the captain. His keyboard strokes would sometimes punctuate his own focus in front of hers.

While she thought, Jill's eyes wandered around at the pictured floor beneath Marcia's curled up legs. The church's floor was made of tile and had caused a slight reflection to the camera's flash. The crime scene investigator had adjusted the flash in the other pictures, but Jill paused when she noticed the small object in the right-hand corner of the photo.

On the ground, nearly out of the picture, sat a tiny pinecone that was beneath a pew.

Jill jerked back in her seat and when Captain Wesker glanced at her, she paid no mind to his curious stare.

Jill was flipping to the back of the report to read the evidence list that the crime scene investigators had taken from the scene.

The pinecone was not listed.

It was not listed in the abstract notes for the crime scene either.

With her heart pounding, she flipped back to the photo and focused now on the church painting that was on the wall that Marcia was lying against.

"Captain Wesker, I need to use a computer,” Jill uttered, standing up quickly.

"Computers are assigned to our officers. We haven't yet gotten you a desk with one set up,” he answered easily. "What do you have?"

"Can I use yours?" she distractedly asked as she began to round his desk.

Captain Wesker was closing his database server application when Jill dropped the file onto the desk in front of him. The pictures slid out of their cellophane fasteners and trickled slowly onto his desk.

With a hand on his armrest, Jill kneeled down beside her captain and hovered her hands over the keyboard. Captain Wesker did not scoot back but instead she could see him studying her intently from his close proximity.

"Valentine—" Captain Wesker demanded impatiently.

"Sir, please—I'm thinking," Jill interrupted quickly before she began to type.

[calamitaswrath]

Cal Lucia plays Fire Emblem Path of Radiance: Chapter 10

Ranulf's back! Does he join us now?

Ohh, catboy's got money for us! That's a start.

Guess he doesn't join us yet. But Lethe and Mordecai do! That's pretty nice. Though I suppose it won't be long now before I have to pick and chose who to deploy for each battle, which is always a bit of a tough one in older FEs. Definitely leaning towards using Lethe in my "main party", though.

Base conversation with a generic soldier that has Ike experience racism. Nothing too noteworthy, but a nice little worldbuilding detail

Marcia continues to flirt with Ike, and he doesn't care. There's no way that this man is straight. Interesting note about Marcia's brother though - I suppose he's encountered later on?

Now that I'm aware that this game also has the five support maximum, I have to admit that I am a bit more hesitant to just do supports as they become available. For example, I have unlocked the C support between Ike and Titania, but I'd really rather not do that one for fear of missing out on others

Mist and Rolf on the other hand, I think I can do. I want to save Mist's A support for another character that joins later and I know about, but she doesn't have any others yet, so I guess I can do this. And it's a pretty cute support - who would've thunk that sending children onto a battlefield could be bad for their mental health, though?

. . .Damn, Begnion takes up a lot of space on the map. Kinda surprised that they only really come up now, but I guess that's sort of to be expected

Ohh, we're actually shown on the map where our route takes us! That's cool.

. . .Wait, so Ranulf's travelling with us, but he's not playable yet? Am I understanding this correctly?

Ah. So, this chapter is basically a new recruit shopping trip? And a stealth mission?

New character, Volker! Goodness, that's a German name if ever I saw one

. . .I better not have to pay those 50.000 in terms of gameplay, or so help me

. . .Okay, that's definitely a unique way to do this. Hiring Volker to open cells. . . well, I haven't really used my funds that much yet, so let's do it

And now we are at the chapters where I have to pick and chose who to bring. . . that's gonna be a tough one, like I said. I'd love to just keep all of Greil's original mercenaries in my active party, but that's probably not very feasible

Now, let's see who I can get on this map. Sephiran - definitely heard of his name before, but I couldn't really put a design to it. Kevin - unfortunate name (and apparently also just a part of the German localization?? Huh??), but I suppose he's Oscar's counterpart. Brom - ohoho, that's peak character design. Nephenee - HER! I've seen her a lot in fanart already. Definitely a cute design.

Okay, after reading up on the recommended strategies for this chapter - which I did precisely due to the supposed stealth elements. . . yeah, screw stealth. Sounds like more of hassle than it is worth. Shame about the bonus experience, but I get a master seal out of it, so that's good.

. . .I did not expect the reinforcements that can move on the same turn as they spawn, and got Mist killed. At least I'm starting over from the first turn, urgh. . .

Okay, Kieran's definitely more out there in terms of personality than I would have expected. Quite the surprise, but a welcome one!

Hah, Soren's retreat quote telling Ike to watch out. . .

. . .Hold on, in order to clear the map I don't actually need to have everyone escape. Just Ike works! That means I can at least get the bonus experience for the turn count, so that's neat.

Due to the strategy aid pointing out that freeing Sephiran is completely optional, I didn't free him. So, his appearance after the chapter is the first thing I'm actually really seeing of him. . . and he is just being ominous for buggering off. Okay.

Oh, we actually get a choice whether Volker (side note, I think this may be another instance of the German localization at work? I think the Wiki calls him Volke) stays with us? I'll let him stay with me, then.

[western-magical-girl-confessions]

“I HATE how fanart depicts M**co as a cisgender man with a beard when he’s older. Didn’t the show explicitly say she’s a transgender girl? Let Marcia transition. We need more magical girl stories where the MC is Sapphic anyway.”

[aurorasilverthorne]

Vampires Don't Fall In Love: Chapter #2

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The Bailey School Kids series and its characters belong to Debbie Dadey and Marcia Jones.

Note: Mr. Hombre Lobo belongs to me. If you use him in fanfiction or fanart, please remember to give me credit as his creator. Thank you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Did you hear they hired a new music teacher?” Melody asked. “He starts today!”

“So?” Eddie demanded. “He’s just another teacher.”

“I heard he’s from South America,” Liza said.

“That’s all we need,” Eddie muttered, slumping in his chair. “Another crazy teacher with a dumb accent.”

“I heard he used to be a criminal and had to leave his country,” Howie chimed in.

They all grew quiet when their teacher, Mrs. Jeepers, entered the room. All the kids thought she was a vampire because her eyes flashed when she was unhappy and she wore a green brooch. It had to be magic since it glowed when she touched it and it seemed to be able to make naughty students sit down and behave.

She wore a white dress with scarlet polka dots under a dark green vest with black boots. Her curly sunset red hair was tied back with a black silk ribbon.

She wrote some sentences on the blackboard then turned to address the class.

“Good morning children. Today we will focus on our writing skills. I want you all to rewrite each one of these sentences using the proper punctuation and spelling.”

Liza raised her hand.

Mrs. Jeepers gave her an odd little half smile. “Yes, Liza? You have a question?”

“Mrs. Jeepers, when are we going to get to meet the new music teacher?”

Eddie rolled his eyes.

Mrs. Jeepers’ smile faded.

She touched her brooch. Everyone sat straight up in their chairs. “I...I was not informed we would have a new teacher.”

“We found out this morning,” Melody told her. “Some kids were talking about it on their way to school.”

Their teacher had a thick Romanian accent when she spoke. “I am sure we will meet this new teacher soon enough. Let’s just focus on the task at hand, shall we?”

Ever since the spit ball incident a month earlier, Eddie had done his best to keep a low profile. He’d made the mistake of angering Mrs. Jeepers once. He wasn't willing to do it again. Their teacher wasn't a normal woman.

He still hadn’t told the others what he’d seen when the third grade teacher pulled him out into the hall to discuss his bad behavior. Nor would he. The flash of sharp, long eye teeth along with the warning that'd followed after still rang in his ears.

Learn to behave, băiat, or you will find out the hard way what befalls naughty children who dare meddle in other people's affairs.

Eddie shivered.

Mrs. Jeepers saw him and walked over to his desk. “Eddie, are you feeling alright? You don’t look well.”

She reached out her hand to feel his forehead.

Eddie recoiled. “I’m fine, Mrs. Jeepers. Thanks for asking.”

Mrs. Jeepers frowned. She didn’t get the chance to say anything about his reaction.

The clock read 10:30am. “It is time for music class everyone. Please line up and I will walk you over to the auditorium.”

Eddie joined his friends in line as they headed out into the hall.

The auditorium was a large, dark room filled with empty seats. Old risers sat on the brightly lit stage. A tall man stood atop a wooden podium. He had bronze skin and amber eyes. The top portion of his brown-black hair was pulled into a loose ponytail by a thin band. The rest fell in waves to his upper back. He wore a grey suit with brown leather shoes.

Mrs. Jeepers hesitated in the open doorway and touched her brooch. Neither Melody or Eddie seemed to notice. They just kept on walking. Liza and Howie stopped to stare at their teacher who had never acted that way before.

“Mrs. Jeepers looks nervous,” Liza whispered.

“It must have something to do with him,” Howie replied, pointing to the new music teacher.

The man turned toward them and smiled revealing his own lengthy, sharp eye teeth. He had sideburns connected to his chinstrap beard and an extended soul patch in the shape of a sleek inverted droplet. A well trimmed petite handlebar mustache with the tips curled rested above his upper lip. He also had a vertical scar over his left eye.

“Welcome to my music class. My name's Mr. Lobo and I will be your teacher this year. Please find your seats so we may begin.”

Mrs. Jeepers sat down in one of the auditorium chairs to watch the new teacher like a hawk. This surprised all the kids as she didn't usually stay with them when they attended the art or music classes. She would return to the classroom until it was time to retrieve them. Not today.

Mr. Lobo didn’t seem phased by her presence at all. He began to show them the proper posture and breathing exercises. He taught them to read music and played different instruments for them. They had to learn about melody, rhythm and pitch.

Mr. Lobo made them keep time with the music.

He knew how to have fun with it. Even Eddie liked him.

None of the kids wanted music to end. Mrs. Jeepers wasn’t too happy. She sat with her arms crossed the whole time. She didn't speak. She just stared at Mr. Lobo as if she'd seen a ghost or something.

Mr. Lobo put his conducting sticks away and guided students over to the stage stairs.

“Class is over for the day. We will pick up where we left off tomorrow. Do not forget that we will be having band rehearsals on mondays and wednesdays and choir rehearsals on tuesdays and thursdays. Have a good afternoon everyone! Eddie, remember to get your permission slip signed. I do not want to have to fail any of my students for lack of participation in such an easy subject. It would be embarrassing for both of us.”

"Yes, Mr. Lobo!"

"Bueno niño!"

His accent was different from Mrs. Jeepers. When Howie stopped to ask him about it he chuckled. “I’m from Colombia. My accent may seem strange to you, but where I grew up, it’s quite normal.”

“Well, I think your voice is nice,” Melody said.

Mr. Lobo smiled showing them his sharp eye teeth. “Muchos gracias, señorita. I’m glad you like it.”

Mrs. Jeepers put a hand on Liza’s shoulder and the other on Howie’s while she looked back and forth in between Melody and Eddie. “It is time to return to our classroom. You can speak to Mr. Lobo again some other time.”

The children nodded. “Yes, Mrs. Jeepers.”

Mrs. Jeepers waited patiently for her students to line up at the door before she turned back to Mr. Lobo.

She was petite, barely five feet tall. Mr. Lobo towered over Mrs. Jeepers at six feet. No one could hear what she was saying. She always spoke softly and never raised her voice.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Melody asked.

Eddie shrugged. “Boring teacher stuff?”

“Mrs. Jeepers looks upset,” Howie noted.

“I don’t think she and Mr. Lobo like each other,” Liza told them.

Eddie snorted. “Figures. He’s tons of fun and she’s no fun at all.”

Melody elbowed him in the ribs. “This is serious. Mrs. Jeepers gets along with every other teacher at school. There has to be something wrong with Mr. Lobo for her to not like him.”

“Maybe he’s a werewolf,” Eddie joked. “Vampires and werewolves fight like cats and dogs.”

“In movies and books," Howie countered. "We don’t know how they’d act toward each other in real life."

“That's because they don’t exist,” Liza reminded them.

"We will speak about this later," Mrs. Jeepers said loud enough for everyone to hear.

Mr. Lobo scowled at her. "I will not argue about this. We shan't speak of it ever again. The only matters you and I need ever discuss are those pertaining to the welfare of our students."

Mrs. Jeepers' eyes widened and she reached towards her brooch. The students all held their breath.

Mr. Lobo caught her wrist before she could touch the green jewel. He pointed at it. "Don't bother. We both know that does not work on me."

He released her wrist and went inside his office closing the door behind him. Mrs. Jeepers just stood there completely taken aback.

None of the kids dared say a word, but Melody and Liza swore they caught a glimpse of tears in their teacher's eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[marciaillust]

it’s the queen

[smoosie]

Chin up !

[staygoldponebone]

Don't worry, guys. I won't quit my day job.

[lovelyisadora]

BESTIE I NEED THE FIC (no rush ofc but 👀👀👀👀👀👀 if I say I'll draw fanart of it will u finish faster ahdhdbdnd)

how about a preview? it's gonna take me a bit longer for the fic haha

—

He can’t do this. He can’t be here, and he can’t see her like this. Marcia won’t want him here anyway, so he may as well just get Zelda to check on her, even though he knows she won’t want that either. He turns to leave, but her voice stops him.

“Silas?”

Her voice is hoarse from disuse, as it had been three nights ago. Fuck, he thinks. He hadn’t known she was awake and he can’t very well leave her now, not after she’s seen him. He turns around again, unsure of what he’ll say, but it doesn’t matter—anything he might have said dies on his lips the moment he sees her, because he doesn’t recognize her.

He had been so relieved to see her the night he helped his children rescue her that he hadn’t taken notice of her. In the three days since she hasn’t moved from the bed she collapsed in, hidden beneath the heavy blankets they’d found for her, so he wasn’t able to get a good look at her. But now golden sun shines through the window and he can see the bruises on her skin, both yellowed and not. He can see her protruding bones, any muscle definition she’d once had gone.

“Silas?” she asks again. She blinks at him, confused, unseeing, and he can see the precise moment she realizes she isn’t where she thought she was. Her eyes widen.

“We’re at Zelda’s,” he assures her before she can panic, taking a step toward her. “You’ve been asleep. Domdaniel is gone.” The words sound empty to his ears, but he just doesn’t know what else to say to her.

She stares at him, almost uncomprehending. “How long?”

“Three days.”

She thinks this over. “And the children? Are they okay?”

“They’re downstairs,” he tells her, unsure if any of them are okay. Then, after a moment, he adds, “Can I get you anything?”

[workofthediesel]

Wait ur doing fic requests :O I read ur marcia and alther one and abdjdnjdnfnr ur SUCH a good writer if I didn't have a headache I'd be drawing fanart but uhh could u maybe write smth with marcia + septimus,, maybe angsty but u don't have to bshdbdjdn

askflghs thank you!! 💖 it would be my pleasure

fic requests are open! send me an ask!

Marcia awoke with a start. She shot straight up in her bed, her heart hammering painfully in her chest. She took a deep breath to try to calm herself, but the jittery feeling refused to leave.

It hadn’t been her usual nightmare. For the first time in years, she hadn’t dreamt of the awful hopeless pit she’d been cast into in Dungeon Number One. No, tonight she had a much more recent terror on her mind.

“It’s alright, Marcia,” she told herself. “He’s alright. He’s just in his room, sleeping. Like you should be.”

It didn’t matter how many times she repeated that. She had to see for herself.

She slipped out of bed and quietly padded over to the door. There was only a scant amount of moonlight filtering in through the windows, leaving her rooms mostly in darkness. She was tempted to light a candle to better see where she was going, but she didn’t want to risk disturbing Septimus with the light.

She’d only just gotten him back from being trapped in the past with the ghastly Marcellus Pye. She was sure he needed his rest. She did, too, after the stress of the past few days, but she put that thought firmly out of her mind. Septimus came first.

Marcia crept down the hall on tip toe. It was well into the early hours of the morning. Despite these being her rooms, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was doing something she wasn’t supposed to, like she was a little girl again, sneaking out of her room past her bedtime.

The faint glow of Septimus’s Dragon Ring shone through the cracks of his doorframe like a beacon. Once she was outside his door, Marcia paused. Letting herself into his room like this felt like an invasion of privacy, even if it was only to check on him.

Technically speaking, she didn’t need to open the door to check on him. She could just as easily Listen for his heartbeat to know that he was still in his room. But she knew that wasn’t going to be enough for her.

She placed her hand on Septimus’s door and slowly started to push it open. A hurried shuffling sound met her ears. Before she had time to wonder what it could have been, the door was open all the way and she was looking right into Septimus’s eyes.

Septimus was sitting straight up in bed, wide awake despite the time. He wore the same guilty expression that Marcia was sure was on her own face for being caught.

For a moment, they just stared at each other. The awkward silence between them was so thick, Marcia felt she could almost choke on it.

After a few seconds, Septimus cleared his throat. “Um, Marcia?”

That snapped Marci back into focus. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“No, you didn’t,” Septimus said, oblivious to the way those words sent a pang through Marcia’s heart. “I mean, it’s fine, I was just…”

Poor Septimus. Of course, he would be having nightmares. After the ordeal he’s just been through, anyone would. Marcia cursed herself for not realizing that sooner.

Nervously, Septimus looked away, his eyes flicking to a corner of his room. That hulking chest they had dug up from under the coat closet sat there like a predator waiting to pounce. How many bad memories must Septimus have associated with that thing? They should have stored it anywhere else.

Marcia swallowed thickly around the knot in her throat. “Are you having trouble sleeping?” she asked hesitantly.

“Oh, um… Well…” Septimus stammered. His eyes flicked to the chest in the corner again. If it hadn’t been so heavily lined with gold that it took multiple Wizards to get it up here, Marci would have dragged the horrid thing out then and there. “Kinda, I guess? But I’m alright.”

Septimus gave her a reassuring smile, but Marcia was far from reassured. He was clearly trying to put on a brave face for her. Marcia’s heart sunk. He must have been so lonely in that other Time to think that he had to go it completely on his own.

Marcia knew that she had never been a very comforting person. It had never bothered her until now. Part of her wanted to sit down next to Septimus on his bed, to coax him into talking about his nightmares and everything he’d been through until he began to feel better. Part of her wanted to bring him into the kitchen, to share her own nightmares over a cup of warm tea so Septimus wouldn’t feel so alone. Part of her wanted to offer that he could spend the night in her room, if it would help.

She did none of those things; she couldn’t find the words. “Are you sure?” she asked, hoping the words didn’t sound as choked as she thought they did.

Septimus nodded. “Really, Marcia, I’m fine. You can go back to bed.”

“Alright,” Marcia said softly. She was no good at this. “I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

Slowly, in case Septimus wanted to stop her, Marcia stepped back. When no objections came, she closed his door and retreated back to her own room.

An uncomfortable tightness still rested in her chest and Marcia slipped back under her covers. In the morning, she would send for Sarah and Silas, and hopefully they would help Septimus feel better in a way she just couldn’t manage.

Or perhaps she’d send for them the day after. Septimus could use a day to try to rest.

[calamitaswrath]

Cal Lucia plays Fire Emblem Path of Radiance: Chapter 11

Oh, that chapter title definitely isn't ominous

Ranulf picking a diguise that definitely won't draw attention to him. But I guess if you got cat ears and a tail, your options are kinda limited

A peaceful port town in Crimea. Considering the opening view of this chapter, it most likely won't stay that way for long

Soren's judgment of this town. . . woof. Def something that resonates

Oho, we're getting another hint of something deeper going on with Soren!

Several months at sea?! That sounds a suspicious lot like multiple boat maps. Unless we're making landfall somewhere along the way, that is. . . the map thus far has left the south-western lands suspiciously empty thus far.

Well then, let's check the base conversations:

The first one with the generic guy does make a good point: to the average citizen, it really doesn't make that much of a difference who's on the throne. The king's gonna do his kinging either way, and they don't really notice a difference. 'Course, this being a FE villain, there's probably gonna be something that's gonna make Ashnard still by far the worse choice, but for now, it is a valid argument. The racism on the other hand, not so much.

. . .You know, the design for that guy in that three star conversation really made it seem like we just ran into a bandit. But it's really just somebody gifting Ike a sword, huh?

Elincia's getting to take a look at the city. Neat little character building moment, but it really is just a little one.

Kieran continues to be one of the Most Guys Ever

Aww, Brom's a sweet guy

Hmm, Nephenee's isn't really getting into her characterization all that much yet. . . well, I hope that gets rectified later

It was that I realized that you can just save scum bonus exp level-ups, because now I'm doing that, hah. I had about 1500 bexp left, after all

Ike telling Elinica that all he really needs are his sword and his cape, and that he can sleep everywhere with his cape. There has to be fanart of that.

That's reason enough for Elincia to flirt with him? I mean, it's understandable enough, but I think he's really not receptive to this.

Ah, Daein's here. Figures they'd show up sooner or later.

God. . . how long has it been since I've seen a Fire Emblem game actually involve the general populace like that? Like, sure, in-universe it sucks cause of the racism, but it makes for some good storytelling. Develops Ike and Ranulf's chemistry, gives an actual view of the conflict that doesn't just concern itself with the nobles and war leaders. . . it's good!

And now I understand why the militia leader in that base conversation looked like a generic bandit. He's an enemy in this map. But, I already know that I get bonus exp here for sparing the militia, so that's what I'll do

Now we're really in the part where I need to pick and chose who to deploy. . . I ended up "shelving" Rhys, Ilyana, Volke and Mordecai. Shame about Rhys, since he's one of the original mercenaries, but I really want to level Mist.

A guy named Zihark on the map, hm. How to best recruit him. . . okay, looked it up. Gotta have Lethe talk with him, since Mordecai's not getting deployed. With how beast forms work, that should actually be doable.

Ohh, Nasir! That's the guy from the first pirate map!

Ah. The Black Knight's here. I already heard about him just chilling in a house during a map. . . thankfully, the game was kind enough to give me a rough idea of where he is.

The militia's not actually moving unless I get into their range, hm? That's convenient. Still leaves the issue of getting to Zihark, but it's a start.

Urrrrrgh, I just barely missed out on visiting on of the houses 'cause one of the thieves got there first. It apparently however only had Elwind, so I'm not resetting for that.

Oh shit, the boss moves.

Oh shit, the boss is an archer.

Oh shit, I left Marcia in his range.

Oh good, she survived the attack.

Oh shit, there was a sword knight left in her range.

. . .Starting again!

Okay, on my second go around on this map, I managed to send Titania to the middle house before the thief got there. Elwind's not that important, but at lesat I got it.

Jill! I was wondering of these wyvern riders just off-screen, but I guess their boss being lazy explains that. Jill's a character I heard about though. I think she has or forms a connection with Mist?

Well, that boss was pretty graceful about being killed.

. . .And there's the Black Knight. Who just so happened with in the space where I had put Lethe. Guess what I'm doing?

Rngh. Can't kill the boss, or the Black Knight will spawn. Can't recruit Zihark, or one of the milita guys will get aggro'd. Though.

. . .Some mistakes were made. Lethe has Zihark rescued, bot now she's completely boxed in by militia units. Ike is too far away from the exit point to end the map without some shenanigans. Now let's see if I can pull those off. . .

Nope, I can't. Starting again. Again.

Okay, it took a ton of maneouvering, but I managed to get Zihark out of enemy range without killing any of the milita, made sure the Black Knight spawns without anybody in his range, got the boss literally cornered. . . let's bring this home.

AND IKE GOT A LEVEL-UP IN EVERY STAT???

Finally made, it urgh. . . that was tougher than it seemed at first.

Uhh, Ranulf is taking on the Black Knight, complete with an in-engine battle? How's he getting out of that one?

Sephiran! Did not expect to see him again this soon. I already lightly spoiled myself and heared that he's someone important, but I still don't know in what capacity. But also let's be honest, it was pretty clear that he'd be someone important

That red-haired guy, Norris, is spewing some big talk for a guy that has all the look of a generic chapter boss. But, paying onto traitors as traitors deserve is a neat thing to include

Ah hey, Giffca is actually doing something! Gonna be honest, based on his luck, my first impression is that he might be an antagonist, but I'm still not sure

Huh? What are he and Ranulf talking about a watchdog?

Ah! First glance of Ashnard! And he's talking about a medallion. And here I thought that Mist's medallion isn't important.

We got a mole in our ranks. Is that Volke, or. . .?

I think the most surprising reveal about Sephiran being prime minister of Begnion is that that political position exists in Tellius at all.

And now we're on the boat. Boat map time.

[aurorasilverthorne]

Vampire Don't Fall In Love: Chapter #5

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!!! The Bailey School Kids books and all of the characters belong to Marcia T. Jones and Debbie Dadey.

Note: Hombre Lobo belongs to me. If you use him in fanfiction or fanart, just please remember to credit me as his creator. Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mr. Lobo walked from his house on Forest Lane to the old Clancy Estate on Delaware Boulevard. It wasn’t a long trek. Ten to fifteen minutes at most. He carried two bags of supplies in one hand and a large tool box in the other.

He kept telling himself the only reason he was going anywhere near Mrs. Jeepers was because Eddie and his sister needed the old house to be livable. He was doing the work for the children not her.

Lobo paused on the sidewalk outside the overgrown yard. The Queen Anne Victorian had been left in shambles by the previous owner. Busted shutters dangled haphazardly from window seals, leafy vines crawled up and along both sides of the house, broken glass panes, crumbling wooden boards and eroded metal frames dared local prowlers and thieves to take their best shot.

Lobo noted how the steps and porch groaned under his weight. He lifted the heavy iron knocker. It struck the wood. Once. Twice. Three times before the old door creaked open. He found himself face to face with Mrs. Jeepers.

She wore a polka dotted dress, a pair of black boots and her curly red-orange hair pulled back into a ponytail by a ribbon. The dark crimson spots on her crisp, white blouse and matching skirt looked like blood spatter peeking out at him from beneath her black silk vest with its silver buttons.

She tried to smile for him, but it just came off as awkward and a bit forced. “Thank you for doing this. I appreciate it and I am sure the children do too.”

Lobo doubted it. The children didn’t like them. Perhaps they sensed the beasts that lurked just beneath the skin, or Mrs. Jeepers had slipped up and let her true nature show.

She stepped aside so he could enter the house. Cobwebs and dust greeted him.

“Where do you want me to start?” he asked.

“Why don’t you begin in the backyard and work your way in from there,” she suggested.

Lobo nodded.

He spent the rest of the day ripping out weeds thick as a man’s fingers and mowing grass so high it brushed his hips. He laid out stone pavers and lights, even planted seeds for an herb and vegetable garden before he added a different batch of seeds in the front for a flower garden.

After watering the seeds and returning the push mower he’d borrowed from a neighbor, Mr. Lobo paused to examine all his work. Both yards looked better, but he was already calculating in his head everything he’d need to repair the interior of the house.

A delicate hand, its tapering fingers tipped with green polish, rested on his shoulder. He didn’t  turn. He knew who stood beside him. Mrs. Jeepers smelled faintly of wintery night air, damp, clean earth and roses.

“You’ve done enough for today,” she told him. “If you would like to return tomorrow after school lets out, that will be fine. I must ready myself for work. There is much to do and little time for it.”

“I’ll be here around three-thirty or four. I need to pick up some more tools and supplies at the hardware store. Give me a call if you need anything.”

He jotted down his number on a crumpled up napkin he’d found in his pocket and gave it to her.

“Goodnight, Mrs. Jeepers.”

“Goodnight, Mr. Lobo.”

Lobo watched her walk back inside the house and waited for the unmistakable click of a door lock sliding into place before he headed home.

Bailey wasn’t a large city, more like a small town, but that didn’t make it safer. A woman living by herself was a prime target for all manner of criminals.

All werewolves were protective and territorial. Lobo kept watch over the human residents and a close eye on the preternaturals who called Bailey City home.

He saw Boris Hauntly working in his conservatory at the Hauntly Manor over on Dedman Street. Boris’ mother, Madame Hauntly, was treating some local children to milkshakes at a Doodle Burger on Main. Drake and Frank were at the park shooting hoops with O’Grady and Eugene. Dr. Granite and Mr. Ore were off helping Dr. Victor with an experiment at the Shelly Museum.

Everything is as it should be, he told himself.

Maybe, if he kept telling himself that, he’d brainwash himself into believing it. He’d try anything to stop thinking about her.

Yeah…right…

His mind immediately drifted to the all-too-familiar scent of cold night air, damp soil and roses. To the pale, beautiful face that had haunted all his dreams for more than a century.

Mr. Lobo pushed old memories aside and unlocked the door to his house. He saw no reason to revisit the past. Better to put it behind him than to obsess over what might’ve been and would never be again.

◇◇◇

Justine Hauntly froze upon seeing her favorite cousin’s tears. “Sorina, what…what happened?”

Mrs. Jeepers quickly wiped the salty droplets from her cheeks with the back of her hand. “It is nothing. Allergies, perhaps.”

Justine folded her arms. “This would not have anything to do with Hombre Lobo, would it?”

Mrs. Jeepers bit her bottom lip to keep from sobbing. “No…”

Justine sighed. “Sorina, it is only natural for you to feel as you do. I am sure seeing him again is not easy. The two of you were close once and things did not end on the best terms.”

“I left him at the alter on our wedding day with only a letter asking forgiveness and no real explanation,” Sorina reminded her. “Hombre despises me. He will not so much as look my way unless it is necessary to maintain professional appearances.”

“Have you tried speaking with him privately?” Justine asked.

“He will not stay in a room with me if it means we will be alone together,” Sorina replied. “I…I may have upset him during his first music lesson. I panicked at seeing him after so many years and…”

“And…?” Justine urged her gently.

“I touched my brooch,” Sorina went on. “I should not have. His breed are immune to our allure, I know, but the magic…touched him. Hombre became angry. He believes I did it on purpose.”

“Using magic to coerce another is considered taboo amongst the werewolves,” Justine admitted. “But you did not mean to do it. I am sure he will calm down, and once he does, you will be able to discuss what happened and why it was necessary for you to react as you did.”

Sorina sniffled. “I hope you are right. I can not stand that he is so upset with me. I wish I could make Hombre understand that I regret my decision. He does not realize how badly I have missed him.”

“Perhaps fate is giving the two of you the chance to reconcile and start again,” Justine suggested.

“If so,” Sorina replied, “I do not intend to waste the opportunity I have been granted. I will speak to Hombre. Even if he rejects my feelings, at least I will have done all that I could to right the wrong I committed against him.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[marciaillust]

yall cant tell me he never gets tired of all this shiz

[marciaillust]

Local crab boys finally chill out