#In a very magic accepting environment hopefully she can feel better about her magic too

[cacturne]

ouoghh… hawk. I miss her.

[cosmicdreamt]

Excerpt from Chapter 2: Waxing crescent - The Emperor and The Star

Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6 || Chapter 7 || Chapter 8 || Chapter 9 || Chapter 10 || Chapter 11

She manages to fall asleep, she knows since she felt herself drifting away the same way she always does, but once more does she find herself in another vivid dream. Instantly she noted a few things.

One, she’s aware this is her own dream but not located within her Dreamscape. She doesn’t feel the safety and comfort that comes with being in that space, but it still feels too familiar to be the mind of someone else. She’s also not dressed in her vaguely magical girl-esque attire she was originally confused about being in when she had her first summoning. She’s noticed those clothes are reserved for when she’s in the mind of others, though she’s unsure if they have their own special properties to deal with that situation or what.

Two, she’s in a very dark, rainy, and foggy environment….void? It’s hard to tell. All she knows is she’s wet, she’s cold, and there are absolutely zero details of anything to be found in this fog.

Three, the only reason the logical side of her brain is able to scan and examine her surroundings is because she’s reached an emotional state where she’s feeling so much she’s shut down. She feels numb but she feels bad. Her heart is pounding and breath stuttering but she has no motivation to get up and move in any way. She’d rather just stay where she is, lay down and let the darkness consume her so this pain will finally end.

Mari.

The sound of one of her nicknames being called catches her off guard. She feels like her fight or flight was activated but more in the sense of she needed to find the source immediately.

Mari.

There it was again.

“¿Papá?” Comes her weak voice. All her energy was put into finally standing up and looking around. She’s certain now that’s who’s calling her and she wants so desperately to see him again even if just in a dream.

Hopefully that’s what this is.

Her name gets called more frequently and she listens as best she can to find where she needs to go. Her running becomes more frantic the louder it gets, warm tears mixing with cold rain until finally she starts to see the shape of something tall and rectangular.

A door.

She only stops after nearly slamming herself against it, pressing her ear against the surface in hopes of hearing his voice behind it.

And once she does she bursts through it, now inside the warmth of her old home in New Jersey during a time when things were better.

“¡Hija! There you are. You shouldn’t play out in the rain for too long, you're gonna catch a cold.”

Hands clasped over her mouth as she fell to her knees. She can’t keep her eyes open any longer; it stings and burns regardless but having them shut tight helps just a little bit. All that she’s become now is a sobbing ball before the figure of her late father that she hasn’t heard welcome her so warmly back home in a few years now.

She missed him so much.

“¡Lo siento, papá! Don’t worry, the rain won’t get me sick. It’s just a natural shower, and it’s warm today!”

Neff was just barely able to hear the voice of her younger self as she hurried in and accepted the towel, wrapping it over her head and around her tiny frame. Her father squats down to help his child dry herself off before scooping her up in his arms in a little towel burrito.

 “You’re not even five yet and already teaching me new things. I forget how much more open minded and understanding the thoughts of a child are compared to adults. We always end up forgetting about the magic we see in the world. Don’t lose yours, okay? No matter what happens when you grow up, hold onto that vision, alright?”

“But papá, didn’t agilisi tell me I’m made of magic anyway? I don’t think that’ll be possible for me.”

“You do have a point there.” He smiles, but older Neff recognizes it’s sad while her younger vision is none-the-wiser. He holds the little one close before continuing on to explain. “Even with you being as magical as you are, there will be things in the world that will test you. They’ll try their very hardest to wear you down and get you to give up on everything good in the world. I don’t know why…but they do. So be the smart girl I know you are and keep your eyes and ears peeled for when you think that may be happening, you understand?”

Little Neff tilts her head, a habit that clearly made its way into adulthood, but then she gives a singular solid nod.

“Okay! I think I understand. You’re telling me to trust my gut like agitsi’s side of the family have been teaching me, right?”

“That’s my smart girl. They’re right. Trust your gut and you’ll survive the best in this world.”

Reliving this moment in particular makes Neff’s heart even more heavy than it already was. He was such a good man supporting his young girl before she was old enough to understand how the world truly worked. He tried so hard to tell her to be strong…and in the end she failed him, didn’t she? In the end she let the world wear her down to the point she almost succeeded in taking her own life…

She thinks of how much she must have disappointed him, then, how sad he would have been if it worked out…and how him being gone now must be her punishment for having put him through so much unnecessary hell in the first place.

The memory of him walks away through a door and causes her to panic. Wait! Please! Let her see him for just a little while longer! Her fear dissipates when she follows through said door and into another memory instead.

[dragonherder2030]

Smaugust Day 9: Galaxy

I’m leaving tomorrow morning, my sister is going to look over the farm while I’m away. Echo Bel and Kory are coming with me, they can help with transportation and have separation anxiety. Xandra is showing me her camp, she has many followers, I’m going to be the first lizard to join it. That fact will be kept secret from the rest of the “humans” as to not cause hysteria, she has done the same with herself, hiding herself as an amphibian. I’m bringing my journal, I need to be able to write my thoughts

See you soon, Niki~

*we find out who the narrator is 👀. Another first person written segment, hopefully this one won’t be as long XD. Also, if by the end of Smaugust I feel there are some odd unintended plot holes or threads that need to be resolved I’ll make sure to do so. Ik it’s confusing right now, but I will continue right where we left off on the last writing segment for easiness*

Half my tea was gone in under a minute, it was jasmine green from what I tasted and was made very well.

“Please do explain what you mean by non-lizard kind though… Are you talking Amphibious sentience?” I ask, leaning back on the couch I had been placed on.

“No not sentient Amphibians that walk like us, I mean a species on another planet called Humans. They are a scaleless race with no tails, and can grow fur at an alarming rate. They can be dangerous to us, but not all of them. If you join me you can meet them, but many of them do not have the best interests of the dragons in mind.” Her creature tightened itself onto her neck. Has it experienced these “humans” before?

“Does that planet have dragons too? Also how do you, uh, go to another planet? Do you have access to a rocket?”

“No, I have something much better and easier to fuel… but you have to commit before learning of that. Keep your questions to a minimum till I finish explaining please, it will be easier.” Saying with a small hand wave. I nob in agreement.

“The planet is called earth and is very similar to ours. But dragons do not live naturally there, and have been brought there by a lizard who wanted a new environment for sport hunting, and didn’t get them all… They ended up breeding and creating homes for themselves, few and far apart. I used to monitor and catch some of the dragons to bring them back when I could along with my brother. When he passed I couldn’t do it by myself anymore, so I seeked the assistance of other lizards to return the dragons to their natural habitat. Not many believed me, and those who did I knew didn’t have the intentions of the animals in mind. So, I decided to start recruiting humans using my magic-“

“Wait wait wait, you have magic abilities?” I ask, needing to know more about this.

“Yes I possess magic, I’m no lizard, but we don’t need to know about that for now. All you need to know is that I can give objects the ability to transform a human into a lizard or amphibian sentient if worn, that’s what I can do,” Xandra says with a sigh. I speculate what she could be, and remember a legend about the creation of our world, something similar to that happening, where a being gave sentience to all of the lizards, and later some of the amphibians. There was another part of it where they wiped out a different race beforehand but I couldn’t remember it too well.

Xandra continued her explanation, “I chose humans because they would do the best capturing dragons in the human planet, since they are not killed on sight when seen… The humans I choose were specifically selected by my familiar, Davey here,” She pointed to the amphibian around her neck, it seemed to smile in admiration of its role.

“They are small enough to avoid detection from the humans, and not popular enough to be sought out, and they are very fast. Easily able to escape a human. I’ve gotten quite the following from animal lovers around earth, and luckily most of them speak English or know sign language, Davey doesn’t go far from our camp.”

“What do you guys Uh, do? Do you go to the human world and just, catch the dragons? And why don’t you just tell the humans that the dragons are an invasive species and, I guess take them back?” I ask, confused what I would actually be doing and why the humans are a problem.

Xandra’s calm demeanor shifted, and her eyebrows furrowed, “Most humans want the dragons, but I know they aren’t safe there. They would be hunted for sport and put in cages. I’ve watched them for thousands of years, they will never accept the dragons as any more then a fantasy creature for decoration. And for some reason now there are more being found, species that weren’t brought to earth from that initial leak. There’s another source, someone from this planet that has access to Earth and is exploiting it to bring dragons there. You can help me find them, and allow me to have more allies on this side. Plus the place I’m keeping the dragons isn’t safe anymore, I need somewhere here I can put them with someone to take care of them.” Her voice had raised slightly, this is a subject she is angry about. She must have witness terrible things. I think it’s an amazing idea, I have the whole farm I could keep the dragons. Acres of land I’m not using right now could be put to this. I didn’t care if she was legit or not, I believed her.

“Ok, I’m convinced… I want to help. I have a farm that can serve as a holding place for the dragons until we can bring them to their rightful places,” I say, trying to hide the excitement in my voice. She smiles at me, looking satisfied.

“My camp, it is all humans, they do not know of our reptilian existence, to them they are the last of the reptile kind. So to them, your just another new human recruit. That means,” Xandra gets up, walking towards the closet I had noticed before, “that means that you have to pick out an accessory to simulate the effect of you being a fake lizard.”

I stand up and walk to the closet as well. Xandra escapes into the inside of it, I follow closely. The inside wasn’t meant to hold more then one person, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Along the walls is an array of shirts, jackets, pants, hats, bracelets, necklaces, etc. in every color imaginable.

“Take your pick, it doesn’t matter what it is, other then u will need to be able to wear it for long amounts of time,” she says, picking up a hat and dusting it off, then hanging it back up.

I look around the room, spinning in place, then think of something, “Do you have a piece? How do you hide that your not a lizard?”

She thinks for moment, “Davey helps me with that too, as you know they are my familiar, and they aren’t just any normal dragon either. They become a wonderful necklace whenever I need them to. And when I wear that, I become what they would be if they were a sentient Amphibian,” she explained to me. So far she has shown me no proof of the magic she claims to have, and this seems like a simple test. Even if I was all for the cause, no reason not to speculate.

“Could u show me?”

“Of course,” Xandra said, glancing at Davey. The creature climbed to the front of her neck, then sitting still right there for a few seconds. I await the transformation. Then, they stiffen and fall loose, a small chain connecting to their mouth and tail holding them onto Xandra’s neck. Her body poofs into one of an sentient Olm, her body much longer then previously. I stare up at her in awe, it all must be true.

“Wow…” I say, stunned by the display. She smiles down at me and quickly exits the closet, since she had taken up most the room.

“I need to show u our transportation tomorrow, since it is getting late. You will be seeing the camp, and meeting the members. You may stay for a couple of days to get familiar with them,” she says, looking out the window. I understand her reasoning, my sister can watch over the farm while I’m gone, I’ll be returning there soon with suitable dragons.

I return to looking at the room and behind a puffy jacket is a bronze glimmer. I walk towards it and grab it, it’s a tail ring. A dragon spiraling around a few times. And it’s adjustable, I try it on, tightening it to my liking. I decide it would be to heavy to stay on, and I don’t really like these kinds of jewelry. Placing it back in it’s spot, I try on a few other things, including a puffy jacket(after taking my shoulder armor off), a muzzle, and a necklace with an odd diamond like pendant on it. Then another thing caught my eye, a blue bandana with a cool looking pattern on it. I tie it around my neck, I think this one will work very well.

Exiting the room I look around for Xandra, spotting her on the couch reading a book. Davey was wrapped around her wrist and she was back in her original state.

“I have chosen this bandana!” I announce, walking towards her. She looks up from her reading and smiles brightly.

“Oh wonderful sweet pea, I only ask one more question of you before you go home to rest up for tomorrow,” she says, putting her book down.

“What’s that?” I ask, holding my shoulder armor tightly.

“What’s your name?”

“Oh- oh yeah you don’t know me very well yet. I’m Niki,” I say with a smile. She smiles back at me.

“Thank you hun. One more thing though, if you have any drakes I would recommend you bring them with you, they would help with the travel aspect. Tomorrow won’t be a walk in the park,” she says, picking her book back up. I nod, looking to my left and realizing the door is right next to the couch. I mentally scorn myself for not realizing this sooner, and exit the house. I know these woods, and have seen this cottage before. It looks worn down on the outside, abandoned… but making my way home is easy. It was evening by the time I made it back.

I call my sister, “Hi Bryn, I need you to watch the farm for a few days.”

—————————

This was fun, writing wasn’t the best, I was kinda zoned out while writing it lol. My main focus was to explain stuff and set up character motivations, sorry if it’s a bit messy, and like, long dang.

[taliaquinn]

Why Me!? Chapter 10

"I am finally putting in my withdrawal"

“From Bustiers?” Max asked. Although somehow a small part of him knew what was about to happen. 

“From Francis Dupont,” She said, although with a bit of a smile.

Marinette finally felt happy. She was going to leave a Toxic environment, and for once she didn't give a crap about who it might hurt. What people didn't know was that in-between leaving Damocles Office, she left to go to the bathroom. Honestly, she was fully prepared to cry. However mid-sob she got a call, From Gotham. 

She quickly answered through teary eyes, not realizing she left facetime on.

��� Mari I Can't wait for you to come to you won't believe it, Bruce is going to take some time off, Cass has been a whirlwind making sure to have everything ready, Oh boy Jason and Tim are excited to meet you, Damian is excited to have a sibling to which he can teach proper Swordsmanship, and Alfred has been fussing over everything and everyone.’’ Dick was rambling while shoveling in spoonfuls of cereal into her mouth, Not even noticing he was face timing. It was amusing to Marinette. 

“Oh and Bludhav- hang on were you Crying!?” Dick suddenly seemed to notice a red-eyed Marinette. 

“Actually no I was just about to start” 

“About to start??? Huh? Maribug what’s going on?” Marinette couldn't help but flinch slightly at her new nickname. Seriously if only they knew about her extracurricular activities. She’ll be seen as such a weirdo.

“I just withdrew from my school after I got accused of assaulting someone again and honestly I’m s-so FED UP!!!! Honestly, I put in 100% in making sure the class is great and fun. Everyone has what they need. We are always the highest-ranking kids' grades wise because of me. But I can’t even say anything or else I'm being too greedy, or too narcissist or too selfish” She finally unleashed everything.

Dick seemed to be quiet and was just staring at her as she rambled. Finally, he let out a sigh god this sibling he’s only known for a bit and she's already rambling about her issues. Thank God. He couldn’t deal with another family member that liked to hide their feelings. This was his chance. 

“Maribug Listen that school honestly sounds like a sh*thole and you need to get out. The sooner the better. You know that you’re at risk right” He was a Police Officer, he knew that situations like this often ended with those who suffered from abuse blowing up. In the Worst Ways.

He decided to continue. He had a plan.

“Look ya need some perspective, some space. You’re coming to Gotham? And you’re Parents are withdrawing you from School already, by the way, excellent parenting, so you’re essentially schoolless. Why don't you apply for school here? You could go to school here for a semester and then figure out everything else.” He finally asked.

Wait a minute. That was a great idea. Ten times better than her original plan of just going home and crying while shoveling pastries and ice cream into her face. She hoped to get hopefully accepted into online Highschool. School In Gotham would be a nice change. School and Life in America would be another chance. She’ll get to learn more about her Father's family. Maman and Papa would finally be able to see another possible location to possibly open a new bakery.

“That sounds so Great you have no idea.” She said with a slight smirk.

As soon as she announced her withdrawal there was an immediate uproar. Most of the screaming came from Chloe, and Marinette couldn’t help but feel touched by how much Chloe cared. 

“ DUPAIN-CHENG YOU CAN’T ABANDON US WITH THESE IDIOTS!!!” Chloe shouted. 

All of a sudden Adrien stood up and went to grab her by the arm and drag her out. But shockingly Marinette dug in her heels and shoved his hand away. 

“No I am not going to hide away, I am going to stand here and you guys are going to Listen,” She said while staring at Adrien in the eyes. Lila for once seemed to be quiet. She was so interested in this. For once she wanted to see the outcome without her manipulation. 

“Fine” Adrien moved to sit back in Marinette's old seat. 

“I am going leave School, Right now I'm planning to enroll in a school at Gotham”

“Gotham as in crime-ridden, dirty and dark Gotham City?” Adrien asked incredulously. 

Okay, Marinette needed to do more research on Gotham City….Dick would help her get by. Hopefully. Maybe Damian had a point when he was forcing her to learn how to punch. She's been relying way too much on her magic. She wasn’t exactly bad at fighting, she was just inexperienced. Luckily Damian decided to be helpful, mean but helpful nonetheless. 

“Yes precisely that Gotham” Maybe she should have picked a Boarding school. Oh Well. Too late for regrets now.

“OH MY GOSH!? GOTHAM HAS BATMAN!!!” Alya suddenly jumped up and yelled.

“Since The Waynes suddenly left before Lila could get me an interview, You could act as my correspondent in Gotham,” She said excitedly.

“Are you kidding me no way.” Marinette spat out. Was this girl demented?

“You and Lila are both setting me up for expulsion, you released a video expecting me to get backlash-which backfired horribly by the way- and now you have the nerve to ask for my help?” Marinette seethed, upset and annoyed. Gosh, she’ll take Gotham Crazies over these Lunatics any day, at least those she would be allowed to punch. Without repercussions anyway.

“What video are you talking about Marinette?” Chloe asked because of course, that's what she focuses on.  

“The video on the Ladyblog” Max finally stated because he likes to keep track of information.

“ oh that explains why I didn’t know, I quit reading that trashy tabloid a loooong time ago”

“WHAT Bourgeois you better take it back, The Ladyblog is respected and adored”

“You're kidding, right? Please traffic on your blog has slowed ever since Aurore released her blog which is ten times better. Did you hear? Lois Lane from the Daily Planet, a very respected newspaper in America,  loved her blog and even gave her advice” Chloe taunted.

Alya was pissed. Ever since Aurore released her blog she has stolen a bunch of her audience. Honestly, her blog was losing so much traffic to Aurores since she had an endorsement from Killer Bee. 

Alya, of course, got an invitation to go to the Journalist banquet but she wasn’t allowed to take a plus one. Which of course was devastating to Lila since she couldn't go and see Damian Wayne. Poor Lila quietly told her how sorry she was since that meant she wouldn't be able to get Alya the interview. 

Of course, Alya being Alya tried to get sneak Lila in however they soon saw another girl who was trying to get in as well. However she had an invite, and Lila needed it. Lila however quickly pointed something out. 

“Alya can you believe what she’s wearing and oh go is she trying to come off as a junior reporter for some trashy tabloid, hmmm seems like someone more else deserves it more” Lila softly stated.  Of course, Lila was right, someone else deserved it. And Alya needed that interview.

Quickly Alya pulled Lila along towards the girl who was taking out her pass. 

“Excuse me, I’m sorry but I seriously need that Press Pass” Alya stated. Alyas' back was turned, so she couldn’t see Lilas growing smirk.  

The girl was slightly startled however she noticed that the red-haired girl with glasses already HAD a press pass, why would she need it? Of course, she couldn’t just SAY that. “W-why would you need it if yo-you a-already h-ha-have one?” she managed to stutter out while tightening her grip on the press pass around her neck.

“BECAUSE my friend over here was denied one, even though her boyfriend is going to be in there so please just give it to us so I can get my interview” Alya snapped she was honestly losing her patience.

“I-uh No Way it’s mi- '' Quickly as a flash, Alya leaped forward and snatched the pass straight from the girl's neck. Of course, the girl leaped forward to try and take it back. Alya, however, stepped back and roughly shoved the girl back who promptly fell back and landed on her behind, ripping the girl's skirt and tearing her suit jacket. 

Alya quickly handed the pass to Lila, who walked up behind her to take it. “You should have learned how to fight back better” Lila sneered towards the now tearful girl. Alya looped her arm around her and dragged her towards the entrance. Unfortunately for the security personnel witnessed the incident and refused to allow them entrance and were about to go check up on the girl. However, it was too late. 

“Yes Hawkmoth”

They all heard it coming from where the girl previously was.

That was one of the few times she caused an Akuma, unfortunately, they had to run after the girl was akumatized. Lila, unfortunately, had to leave due to her mother worrying. Luckily Adrien was gracious enough to grant her an interview, but he was distracted and jittery throughout the interview, a huge boom from far away caught his attention and he mumbled a quick apology and dashed off. Alya was desperate for more gossip and intel so she followed him but unfortunately lost him. Luckily she caught an argument between her ex-friend and Chat Noir. The outfit was beautiful and eye-catching, however, Alya only got angrier because that meant Marinette was allowed entrance.

Alya with the sudden realization snapped her head and glared in Marinette's Direction. 

“Why were you even allowed in?” Alya snapped. 

“Because I Designed and Made Nadia Chamacks Dress” Marinette Snapped back allowing a bit of pride to seep into the words

“Marinette Sweetheart it's time to go, we have to go and pick up your luggage before dropping your luggage,” Sabine said while standing in the doorway of the classroom. Sabine had her head turned towards Marinette, she quickly stepped out but quickly directed a glare at Madame Bustier. 

Suddenly Chloe surged forward along with Juleka towards Marinette. Chloe quickly latched to Marinette. “ MARINETTE PLEASE I AM BEGGING YOU TAKE ME TO THE STATES WITH YOU IF YOU LEAVE ME HERE WITH THESE IDIOTS I MIGHT AS WELL SAY ADIOS TO MY SANITY RIGHT NOW” Chloe wailed while still clutching to Marinette. Marinette felt bad but hey what could you do?

Juleka quickly stepped forwards and struggled to yank Chloe away from Marinette eventually needing Max to Help. Finally, with a Final tug, Marinette was released from Chloes clutches.

“Don’t Worry I’ll take care of her and keep her from committing homicide” Sabrina stated.

Marinette quickly had a few words with them. With a final Group Hug which consisted of Juleka, Max, Sabrina, Ivan, and Chloe. Chloe still had Marinette in her clutches for a few seconds afterward. With a sigh Marinette freed herself. 

She turned towards the “Lila Side” however looking at them with slight disdain. Keeping eye contact with Lila she finally said whats she's been wanting to say from the day she met Lila.

“Goodbye”

Tag List:

 @amayakans​ @depthfire

[cordria]

Regret

It was his mother’s birthday.

Danny Fenton slipped through the portal, careful not to be seen. He knew just what to get her - a flower from the depths of the ghost zone. It was a brilliant green rose-like flower with red leaves and thorns rumored to have some sort of magical properties. Danny wasn’t entirely sure what they were, but he knew his mother would love experimenting on it.

Kicking off the little spit of land the portal was located on, he spiraled into the wastes. He’d be home in a couple hours at most. Nobody would even notice he was gone.

--

Vlad Masters settled down at his desk, fingers brushing over the phone. It was Maddie’s birthday today. Slowly, his finger traced up and down the back of the handset, debating what to say. Last time, they hadn’t parted on the best of terms. Vlad was certain she was still harboring a bit of a grudge.

Perhaps he should just send a card.

“Oh grow a pair,” Vlad hissed at himself, picking up the phone. 

The phone rang and rang and rang.

Vlad almost felt relieved when it clicked over to the overly-full voicemail and he got to hang up. Now he could send a card, and not find out what sort of things Maddie had to say about their last meeting.

--

Maddie Fenton was too busy to answer the phone. She was sitting at the kitchen table, staring down at a mess of data, trying to make sense of the numbers. It was just about to come together in her brain - she could feel it - and there was no way she was going to start over just to answer the phone when it was likely a computer telemarketer.

The data showed a bit of information Maddie had taken to calling the resonance-factor. She would send a ping of sound into the ghost zone, much like sonar, and collect data from its reflection. They were using it to create a map of the zone near the portal and track how the ghost zone’s physical layout changed. But she had noticed this strange echoing noise in the sound, and the echoing noise had been slowly getting worse and worse. Now it was messing with the data they were getting back so much their maps were no longer accurate.

But what was causing it? How to stop it from interfering with her exploration? 

--

Danny curled past Skulker’s lair, noticing that it was much quieter than normal. Generally the hunter’s home was a cacophony of noise from his captured prey. Today there were just a few lonely mewls of sound. He hesitated, but shrugged and kept going. Who knew what went through that ghost’s mind.

--

Vlad signed the card with a flourish and set it in the envelope. It was a beautiful card that straddled the difference between felicitations and apologies for his latest choices. He stared down at the hunter green envelope, Maddie’s name already written in silver ink. Oh, how things would be easier if he could just explain the cause of his behavior.

But he couldn’t. That was just the way it was. He would simply have to do better.

He pushed away from his desk, deciding to invisibly drop the card in her home instead of mail it. As he flew out of his house and into the air, Vlad debated where the best place to leave the card was. Despite his initial leanings towards her pillow so she would read it before she went to bed and tenderly hold the card in her sleep, he decided the kitchen table would be more appropriate. 

She was probably going to shred the card anyways, and the paper shredder was in the kitchen. He might as well be realistic - and perhaps she’d be appreciative of the fact that she didn’t have to walk as far.

--

Maddie scribbled on a piece of paper, creating a graph of her odd data. It was an s-shaped curve, growing slowly at first, then quickly, and was now slowing down again. She sat back in her chair.

She’d seen graphs like this in the ghost zone before - it was actually the most common energy growth pattern in that world. Ghosts themselves used a very similar pattern when they were going to be blasting something. A slow gathering of energy, then a quick spike in power, followed by a slow pooling of energy until it hit the appropriate level to create the blast. Of course, in ghosts it happened over tenths of a second instead of over days like this one.

The end of her pen went into her mouth and she chewed at it. 

The graph was hinting at the idea that the ghost zone was in the final build up to something. Perhaps some sort of energy release.

But what? And why?

--

Danny flew deeper into the ghost zone, more and more feeling an odd sense of dread. Of course, a sense of dread in the ghost zone wasn’t exactly unheard-of, but this was definitely a weirder feeling than normal. 

He hesitated at one point, hovering in place and looking around. There were very few ghosts around, and they were mostly the really small ones. 

It was almost like something was… wrong.

He frowned, debating just heading home, when he saw a glowing spot of red and green. “Hey!” he said, grinning and diving down to the floating bit of rock. There was the flower he was looking for! “Perfect.”

Digging a pot and a shovel out of his bag, he settled down next to the flower and started digging it out of the ground. 

Then he’d head home.

--

Vlad’s feet settled on the ground outside of FentonWorks. He paced back and forth for a moment, gathering up the courage to enter into the home. Hopefully his last computer hacks preventing the Fenton’s security system from recognizing him were still in place. Otherwise he’d set off every sensor in the home.

He walked through the back door, making sure he was invisible, and into the kitchen. He hesitated, noticing Maddie sitting at the messy kitchen table, chewing on the end of her pen. That threw a wrench into his plans.

Perhaps he could now leave the card on her pillow… And steal Jack’s at the same time.

He tossed the idea out of his head and walked over, glancing down at what she was doing. Energy graphs. Really basic ghost zone physics that even he understood. So why was she worrying over them?

He squinted closer. An echo in her sonar data.

Resonance.

He let his card fall to the ground, feeling his stomach drop. “Shit,” he whispered.

--

Maddie heard someone breathe a quiet, “shit,” from right behind her ear. She tensed and twirled, weapon going up before she even had identified the fact that there was nothing there. She waited, gun up and aimed towards where the voice had come from.

There was the slightest of cold breezes. A ghost.

“I know you’re there,” she demanded. “How did you get into my house?”

The ghost shifted into view - the vampiric one that was always tormenting Jack. “Why, hello my dear,” it said with a greasy smile.

“Hello nothing,” she snapped. “What are you doing in my house?”

“Why,” the ghost hesitated, “I’m looking at your data. And what an excellent graph you’ve made.” 

Maddie’s eyes narrowed. That wasn’t the whole truth, obviously. The ghost hadn’t known about her data until it had already entered her home. But, based on the quiet exclamation from earlier, the ghost understood the purpose of the graph. And she was… curious. “What does this mean?” she asked, gesturing towards the papers with one hand, the other keeping the gun steady on the ghost’s face.

“It means we need to shut your portal down.”

“Ah… no. I don’t think so.” Maddie tipped her head. “Not without an excellent explanation.”

--

Danny grinned, slipping the shovel back into his backpack and studying his prize. Yeah, he’d done a hack-job on it’s roots - but who would have expected a ghost flower (a dead flower?) to have such an extensive system of roots? Hopefully he hadn’t killed it. He grabbed the pot, tucking it under his arm, and glanced around.

The quiet was unsettling. And there was this… it wasn’t quite a noise. Danny couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it was something like the rumble of a really low, low tone. That he could feel in his stomach more so than his ears. And it was getting louder.

“I’m going to get out of here too,” Danny muttered, shooting into the air and heading back towards the portal, plant firmly tucked under his arm.

--

Vlad didn’t really have time for an explanation. He needed to shut down the Fenton’s portal, then head home and shut down his own. If he was right, he didn’t need the collateral damage ending up in his town. The city didn’t have the budget for it, and the city’s insurance agent had been quite clear that they weren’t going to cover any Fenton-related damages any longer.

But the weapon Maddie was holding was a powerful one. It would hurt, and perhaps cause permanent damage. He had little choice in the matter.

His fingers curled behind his back, clasping each hand. “Ghosts are immortal, yes? Then there should be an infinite number of them... us, clogging up the ghost zone. So there’s a natural balancing mechanism in the ghost zone. When too many ghosts start to build up in one place, too much energy is taken from the environment and the ghost zone reacts to it by annihilating all the ghosts in the area.”

He watched her blink and take that in.

“When the blast wave goes by, you don’t want to be in the vicinity. Your home doesn’t want to be in the vicinity.”

“I’m not sure that sounds…” 

She was speaking too slowly, obviously trying to think through it, and Vlad simply did not have the time for it. “I can come back and give you the longer explanation and spend hours explaining the data to you, but we do not have a lot of time right now.” 

Her lips tightened. But then she nodded. “I don’t trust ghosts, but I can accept the data points in that sort of direction. You leave, I’ll shut down the portal.”

“I’ll help-”

“You’ll leave.” Maddie’s voice booked no room for disagreement. 

Vlad was quite sure that doing anything other than vanishing would get him shot. He narrowed his eyes, waited a beat more, then vanished and headed home.

--

It took Maddie almost a minute to make sure the ghost was gone. She was spooked by the fact that it could get into her house in the first place - there was a bug in the detection equipment that would need to be sorted out relatively quickly - and had to track down a secondary detector before she was willing to let down her guard.

Shutting down the portal was another story. It was powered by the ghost zone itself, now that it was up and running, and pulling the cord would simply shut down the doors and sensing equipment. There was a way to shut it down, she just didn’t like doing it.

But the ghost had looked spooked. And the data… was pointing in the direction the ghost had indicated. Whatever huge energy blast was building in the ghost zone, she wanted nothing to do with it in her home.

She swore softly and picked up the Fenton Shut-er-Down-her (she hadn’t named it), weighing the grenade-like object in her hand. It would create a huge blast of foam that would block energy from accessing the portal from the other side, shutting it down as effectively as snuffing out a candle by cutting off the oxygen supply.

It would be killer to get the thing reopened. Weeks of work. On the word of a ghost.

Maddie sighed, pulled the activator on the device, and tossed it through the portal, thumbing the doors shut behind it.

--

Danny was twenty feet from the portal when the foam exploded. He pulled up fast, startled by the rapidly expanding white goo. Within seconds, the portal was completely buried.

He settled down on the bit of rock, feeling the environment around him shaking with the force of the whatever-it-was. He walked up to the foam, reaching out to touch it. It was steaming hot and sticky, still bubbling and growing like some sort of alien monster.

Behind the wall of foam, the green glow of the portal vanished. Danny felt the portal shut off deep inside him, like a punch to the gut.

“That doesn’t bode well,” he whispered, setting down the flower (he could come back for it later) and glancing around. “This is unsettling enough for now, let’s just get home. Vlad’s is… that-a-way?”

He took off at top speed.

--

Vlad made it home in nearly record time (not that he had ever timed it, of course, he was far too old to be timing how fast he could fly). He slipped right into the hallway, walking up to the picture that hid his portal. The button clicked under his finger, and the giant painting slid to the side. 

He had a similar problem to Maddie’s - portals are not so easy to shut down when they are powered by the ghost zone itself - however he had a much less elegant and far more expensive solution. He turned the power controls up to maximum. In a matter of moments, the portal would overload, fry the circuits, and cause a controlled blast out into the ghost zone. It would destroy everything in the area (and his portal) but the damage on this side would be minimal, contained by the portal’s door.

“Horrible timing,” he informed the ghost zone as he heard the portal start to whine. He’d known this was coming; the density of the ghosts had been getting too high. The energy in the ghost zone had been feeling more and more fragile. But he’d just been getting settled, got the ghosts to understand to leave him alone, and everything was getting nice and quiet. 

His finger hovered over the controls for the door.

--

Maddie stared at the dark portal. A portion of the foam had come through to this side, effectively gluing the portal shut. Behind the doors, no doubt the device was filled with the steaming foam, covering all the circuits and wires. 

Jack was going to be very unhappy when he got back with her ‘surprise’ birthday cake.

There was a short-ish window of time before the foam set up hard. She would have to start cleaning.

“Danny!” she called. “Come help me get this cleaned up!”

Silence.

--

Danny found the floating purple football and pushed it out of the way. “Found you!” he said, diving forwards.

The portal’s door was closing. Danny picked up speed, but he wasn’t going to make it. In the small space left open, Danny could see Vlad staring back at him.

“Vlad!” he called. “Wait!”

There was an odd expression on Vlad’s face as the door slammed shut, locking the portal shut and locking Danny into the ghost zone: regret.

Danny hovered, not entirely sure what to do. He rubbed his forehead, starting to get a headache from the constant throbbing. Then he turned. He had two options left - Clockwork and Frostbite. He had to get to one of them. They would know what was going on. They’d help.

He had barely started flying when Vlad’s portal ripped itself to shreds. Danny screamed, tucking into a ball and avoiding the worst of the shrapnel. he tumbled out of control, his arm flashing bright pain. By the time he drifted to a stop, goo was oozing down a huge slice in his arm and his ears were ringing and he wasn’t entirely sure which direction was up.

It took a precious few minutes for Danny’s mind to start working again. He flew in the direction he hoped Clockwork’s tower was, worried. Both his parents and Vlad had shut down their portals. The deep sound was getting worse, and the silent emptiness around him was starting to get terrifying.

He flew faster and faster, pushing himself to his limits. He had no idea what was going on, but he wanted out of it.

He hoped this time he wouldn’t be too late.

[batgirl-87]

For the newer ask game: 7, 8, 9, 10, 26! :)

Thank you for asking! =)

Omg these are all good questions that made me really think - you’re putting me to work! =p Which also means this got long, sorry… But I think I should be writing this game’s storyline now after thinking about Olivia Green… =p Also would love to hear other’s opinions on Olivia as well because I am super curious about her! 

Talk About Your MC and Jacob Asks  

7. What memory or thought does MC/Jacob use when conjuring a patronus? What form does it take?

Jacob, being older has a better memory of their mom and time spent together with her than Keira. So memories like them building a fort in the living room in front of the fire to curl up in to listen to a story their mom would read to them on a rainy day or the time their mom unleashed some of her fiery Irish temper on another parent of some kids who were teasing him and his sister for being “freaks” since they’re part Undine, while their parents did nothing but confirm that yes they were freaks so stay away from them, are memories he holds dear. Their mom went off, partially in French - that family had no idea what was happening but knew they pissed off the wrong person! It was awesome! 

Memories with his ‘adopted’ parents are great too, he’s learned a lot from them and appreciates all they’ve done. He loved all the Quidditch practice and support, hiking in the woods and learning more about nature and Native traditions, but while those memories are fond to him I think memories of his birth mom would make for the strongest patronus. 

I have debated a lot about Jacob’s patronus (buffalo, bear, elk - trying to stay away from stag!) and while I thought I settled on buffalo now I’m thinking bear… Whether it’s a buffalo or brown bear both are big, strong, calm, grounded, and fiercely protective of their families.”The bear is indicative of someone with a great reserve of patience and inner strength. They are confident, stable people that others may gravitate to in trying times for stability and healing. Though their quiet nature and tendency to spend time away from the crowd can lead to others thinking they are stern or anti-social, bears are often friendly and curious, and can surprise even those that know them best with something they didn’t think of. Brown bears are known to be the “warriors” of the bear archetype, standing their ground and facing danger to protect others or do what they believe is right, not backing down no matter the danger.” ; “Few possess just the right strength of character for their patronus to take the form of a buffalo. Those that do are dedicated individuals who are fiercely protective of those close to them, and not in a general way, either. Anyone foolish enough to attempt to harm another under a buffalo’s care is unlikely to come out unscathed. They are fighters, and it’s not uncommon for a buffalo to have their own personal code or way of acting to which normal morality simply doesn’t apply, which can be dangerous even for the buffalo.” 

Unfortunately, Keira being the youngest and having her mom pass when she was about five years old means she doesn’t have as many vivid memories about her like Jacob does. But she does have a lot of memories of her brother Jacob, always being there for her especially after their mom passes, getting into random shenanigans together; and a lot of Quidditch related ones as well like watching his practices or games, accompanying their ‘adopted’ dad on jobs working with Quidditch players, making friends with other players. While it may be a memory about hanging with friends, Quidditch, or spending time with their ‘adopted’ parents Jacob is a constant presence in all her happiest memories. As she gets older I think some memories with her “Uncle Remus” would also be very meaningful to her and help her produce a patronus. And when they both get older I think the memory of winning the World Cup would be a great memory for both Jacob and Keira. 

Keira’s patronus is an arctic fox, although it could change as she grows up and has new experiences. (I was also under the impression that typically one’s animagus form was their patronus, or original one since a patronus can change?) “Cunning, stealth, persistence. The arctic fox is infinitely adaptable, living its life in one of the world’s most extreme climates. Arctic fox people tend to be sly, graceful, and have a near magic ability to make something out of nothing, utilizing even the most limited of resources. Arctic fox as a totem can teach us the ability to go with the flow of life, changing ourselves to suit our ever-evolving environments. They adapt to whatever comes their way. They are light on their feet, and very persistent. They are known to do the best with what they have and even in the hardest of times, they don’t give up. But they can also betray you in an instant. Most arctic fox people are known to be cunning even when they don’t mean it and they can lie and con their way out of everything. They do whatever it takes to survive, even if they have to do something they don’t agree with.But nevertheless they are great people to have around if you’re in a jam and need help with something.” 

*Spoiler* For the side quest I have yet to see, and therefore obviously do, I’m pretty sure her patronus is going to be some form of a cat because I don’t think a rabbit or horse suits her and her animagus is a cat - I’m not sure what the cat options are exactly but I’m pretty positive I’m choosing the cat option and then we’ll see what type of cat is for her. 

8. Would MC/Jacob use legilimency on anyone, anytime, or only when absolutely necessary? Does this change over time? Do they ever become as powerful as Snape/Dumbledore/Queenie (wandless and nonverbal)?

Why do I feel like my Jacob would legit forget about his legilimency ability and then randomly be reminded of it be like “Oh yeah!” =p 

I think for both Jacob and Keira they would resort to using legilimency only when necessary, however, I think Keira is more liberal about using it than Jacob but that could be because he forgets about it =p 

I believe at first Keira doesn’t want to use it at all when she first finds out at Hogwarts but I think the more difficult and dangerous the hunt for these Vaults and dealing with the Cabal is going to get she’s going to get some more practice with it and realize she needs to use it and it’s a beneficial and useful ability to have. Then when she becomes a Curse-Breaker and is dealing with dark wizards and witches and mercenaries she’ll find again that this ability proves to be very useful. And the more dangerous jobs she takes on the more she may rely on it and use it. Whereas for a professional Quidditch player legilimency isn’t really needed as much so… hence Jacob forgetting about it =p 

But neither of them would use it on anyone at any time unless they’re doing some fun party trick or something =p But they wouldn’t take advantage of it and misuse it or use it just because they’re bored or something. 

I am a big fan of nonverbal and wandless magic, personally =p So I think, even if they don’t plan on using it all the time both would work towards improving their skills so they could do it at least nonverbally. I think Keira would work harder to be able to do it nonverbally and wandlessly while Jacob would be find if he couldn’t do it nonverbally and wandless, hopefully at least one if possible, but he has to admit being able to do so without a wand and nonverbally would be cool and could prove useful sometimes (especially if the Cabal ever finds him or something because now he’s become paranoid about that) so he’d probably work on it but wouldn’t mind taking longer and be more lax about it than his sister. They’re bother hard working and determined people but his sister his more intense than him =p 

But Keira works hard to be able to cast any magic she can nonverbally and/or wandless so this wouldn’t be anything special compared to other spells and abilities. She wants to be a badass and feared opponent! 

9. Would MC/Jacob fight at the battle of Hogwarts or go into hiding/avoid the conflict? Would they survive?

Not only does Keira fight at the Battle of Hogwarts but she saves Remus, Tonks, and Fred (and Sirius beforehand) - FIGHT ME! 

I cannot allow them to die - CANNOT DO IT! Can’t save everyone BUT SHE WILL SAVE THEM EVEN IF SHE DIES DOING SO! 

Here’s what I’m thinking =p While visiting her beloved relative Tonks who is now a badass Auror, and getting a tour of the Ministry she maybe pockets a time-turner thinking ‘this is cool and can come in handy some time’ or she gets one from another country’s ministry or during her own adventures as a Curse-Breaker or doing some other jobs… (for another time =p) Point is, she’s getting her hands on some sort of time-turner because she thinks it could come in handy some time - right?! Who wouldn’t think that?

And then after what happens to Sirius in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries gives her a good reason to use it and she goes back to save him from getting killed by Bellatrix (after he punches Lucius of course because that moment is iconic =p) And then during the Battle of Hogwarts clearly she’s going to use it again to save Remus, Tonks, and Fred after they are found to have been killed during it. And she definitely goes through a whole reflection moment of all the ‘what ifs’ and consequences she may have to deal with if she does this - ‘Well what if it’s their time and doing this messes things up and someone else has to die to balance it out? Go back and try and save them too? But if it really is their time to go then me attempting to save them won’t make a difference and they’ll still die some other way because it’s just their time, right? And I have to accept that. But it really feels like it’s not their time….And if by saving them some dark wizard and witches end up living as well instead of dying we can just arrest them later or deal with that later because a couple of them living isn’t going to make that much of a difference (at least not to Keira) And highly doubt by saving them somehow that means Voldemort won’t be defeated, don’t see how that’s related…. And if I need to go back in time a few different times to get things right I will! And if I have to die in order to keep them alive and safe, fine.’ - there’s a whole lot she thinks about but ultimately she’s doing this. She’ll deal with the consequences as long as they are saved. 

But can she do it alone? Well guess it’s good she saved Sirius, right because he is probably the only one who knows about her time-turner and what she did to save him so they together go back in time to save Remus, Tonks, and Fred - you think Sirius is going to let Remus die?! Hahahaha no! 

Honestly, Remus is the driving force behind all of this. Keira loves Remus possibly more than anyone else and he deserves to be happy! He finally gets reunited with his best friend who was wrongfully imprisoned and has a bit of happiness back where he doesn’t feel so alone and is relieved that Sirius isn’t this horrible people everyone tried to make him out to be AND THEN HE DIES?! NOPE! (Plus Keira loves Sirius too and she doesn’t want him to die! He just got out of prison, again, after being wrongfully put in there, he doesn’t deserve to just die like that!) Remus finally finds someone who loves and accepts him beyond his Marauders who wants to marry him, they have a child, again he’s happy and not alone AND THEN THEY DIE AND LEAVE THEIR SON!? UMMMM NO! No no no no no, not happening. Remus is not going to die and leave her, Tonks isn’t going to die and leave him, and they’re going to be awesome, amazing parents and Remus deserves to have a happy life DAMNIT!

And then there’s Fred who has nothing really to do with Remus but… come on, she’s not going to be okay with Fred dying who’s like her own little brother - she had an instant connection to the Twins! And the Weasley family is one of the most warm, welcoming, caring family in the whole wizarding world AND twins being separated like this when they have such a close and special connection - No, she could not live with herself if she knew she could save Fred somehow and not do it. None of the Weasley’s deserve to lose Fred and he doesn’t deserve to die. If one has to die it can be Percy =p JUST KIDDING! 

Anyway, that’s my brief explanation of how Keira saves Sirius, Remus, Tonks, and Fred while also still sort of having it canon because they do die and then she just goes back in time and saves them =p Also I don’t care if it’s not canon because I refuse to accept their deaths and no one will ever make me and no one can make me feel bad about creating a way to save them. I know this wasn’t exactly the question so…

Yes, Keira and Jacob will fight in the Battle of Hogwarts. Both are fiercely protective of those close to them and have a strong sense of justice. And if Keira is going to fight to try and keep her friends and family safe then Jacob of course is going to be there to try and keep her safe! Plus they both like action and some danger. (Jacob is very much a typical Gryffindor in the sense that he’ll leap into action without really thinking about it or worrying about his safety and Keira… she sort of accepted her fate back when she was in Hogwarts that she wasn’t going to live to see graduation and then when she did every day after that is like a bonus day she didn’t think she’d get so she’s like ‘I already lived longer than I thought I would’ so she can be reckless. Plus they love being in the action and the thrill of battle! They like the adrenaline rush and may have too much fun with it =p Why she’s a Curse-Breaker and takes on other dangerous jobs and he plays Quidditch)

I feel like Keira would be there from the beginning while Jacob would show up later, sort of like Charlie, liking to make a dramatic entrance like taking out some dark wizard before they attacked his sister who would be like “so nice of you to show up!” (they’re Black’s, they like to make dramatic entrances and exits, okay?!)

10. What happened to Olivia Green? Is she an evil agent of R or as she wrongfully manipulated like Jacob?

What did happen to Olivia Green!?!? Isn’t that the question of the century….

So I am Year 5 Ch 14 I think, so I don’t know if there’s been any more information on Olivia Green than the little we know which is she worked with Duncan and Jacob on these Vaults and was a Gryffindor… right? Well if there is more please let me know because that’s pretty much all I know. But I will say, and I don’t know what it is, but learning about Olivia Green made me instantly suspicious and feel like she’s the evil one behind all of this despite having no evidence of that! 

Either, I feel, she’s sort of like the Peter Pettigrew of this story and betrayed Jacob and Duncan (or would have if he hadn’t died) to gain power and position in the Cabal and/or whatever is in the last Vault or she would have/tried to but the Cabal ultimately still chose Jacob over her and now she’s seeking revenge on his little sibling and using them to get to the last Vault before the Cabal to sort of show them they chose the wrong person (like I’ve said, I like the idea for my Jacob to have joined the Cabal as a sort of undercover mission), or she is a hermit somewhere living traumatized by everything they endured with the Vaults. (Idk why I like this idea of MC finding out she’s alive and living in some little cottage in the outskirts of Hogsmeade or something and they go to visit her and when they mention the Vaults it causes her to go off on MC and warn them to stay away and just triggers her, bringing her back to all this trauma she faced when she and Jacob and Duncan looked for the Vaults). But as fun as that idea is I for some reason instantly got an evil vibe from the mere mention of Olivia. Maybe I’m just looking for another candidate for R who isn’t Rakepick or Rowan? It’s freaking Peter isn’t it?! (If it’s Peter you all owe me $5 because I’ve been saying this! =p)

Anyways, I know nothing about Olivia but for some reason I don’t think she’s easily manipulated - maybe because I feel like my own MC is better at manipulating than being manipulated and I’m here for to smart, powerful witches to go at it, like two mini Rakepick’s or something =p And even if R is some male leader of the Cabal (is this considered a spoiler based on some things I’ve heard of/seen?…) and she could be some right hand like Bellatrix Lestrange - I’m sorry, but we all know Bellatrix Lestrange is way scarier and more powerful than Voldemort, at least I believe so and she’s the real one that should be feared than no nose. So I think even if Olivia is this sort of Bellatrix Lestrange she’s going to be more powerful and scarier to deal with. She’s probably just using the Cabal to get what she wants! Again, I probably just want some badass woman villain who is not Rakepick so I’m making Olivia that. Maybe I’m also over the kids vs adult thing too and while Olivia is older than MC they’re both still relatively young and it’s not like MC would be fighting against someone 15+ years older than them. But again she could be some traumatized hermit living in the woods! 

Maybe she is R and like Voldemort rearranged the letters in her name to give her a new one that starts with R (from Green)? Maybe she’s the reason Jacob and Duncan got involved with the Vaults in the first place and she’s the puppet master pulling all the strings here! Or maybe she’s a traumatized hermit in the woods who is devastated and heartbroken over the loss of her two best friends, maybe more than friends, who died and joined the Cabal or went missing or whatever… But I’d prefer Olivia to be the evil R or at least evil than Rowan because I am not here for a betrayal of a close friend - Please don’t make Rowan the Peter! I’ll be so disappointed (but not surprised because it’s a common trope, right? But still disappointed… Honestly, if any friend was to betray MC I still think Tulip is the most likely candidate.)

So I’m open to either of those options but I’m clearly hoping for a badass woman villain and an epic showdown between her and MC personally… Whether she’s a Peter, Bellatrix, or Voldemort type or a mix. I can easily see the puppet master behind all of this being a smart, manipulative woman using others and playing them to get what she wants and then easily getting rid of them once they’ve played their role and she no longer has a use for them. Give me a cold-hearted badass villain please! =p

Ooooo maybe she’s acting like some poor, traumatized, heartbroken witch in the woods but it’s all an act and she’s just trying to manipulate MC some more! Give me a reveal from her homely, tattered shawl she flings off to some cool, black armour or something! I SHOULD BE WRITING THIS STORY =P 

But please, I would love to hear other’s opinions on Olivia and what happened to her, what she’s doing now possibly, etc. and if you have any opinions on what I want to happen with her because this is something that I’ve been very curious about because so far for me (since again I’m behind most people!) she was mentioned once briefly and then never again and we go around asking about Duncan but not her and like - what is up with this bitch?!

26. How does MC’s hairstyle change as they get older?

I feel like my MC went in the opposite direction of other’s MC’s I’ve seen since those I’ve seen start off with short hair and grow theirs out but mine started with longer hair and cut hers shorter. Not that she cuts it very short but it starts out long to her shoulder blades and then by Year 5 it’s cut up to her shoulders. She likes to have her hair long enough to pull back into a ponytail or bun. I also think when she was younger she straightened her hair and was frustrated by it’s natural wave but as she grows older embraces the waviness of her hair (maybe it’s embracing her House of Black side and realizing we have awesome hair! =p) And that’s pretty much where she normally keeps her hair throughout her life, either to the tops of her shoulders or to her shoulder blades, maybe sometimes a bit longer even but nothing too drastic in terms of hair style/cut - she’s a Black and has to show off their awesome hair =p Also there are more important things going on than her hair style and she’s blessed with nice hair so she fortunately doesn’t have to worry much about it (Bill is probably super jealous =p)

Like I said she likes to be able to pull it up into a ponytail or bun (most likely a messy one) to get it out of her face, especially for Quidditch, but she doesn’t really know how to do hair (possibly because her mom died when she was so young) - she’s lucky she managed to put it up in a ponytail or bun! So whenever Penny or one of her friends offers to do her hair she gets a little excited because she has no idea how to do it =p She’s not a fan of pigtails at all. Fortunately with her House of Black genes she can wake up and have her hair already looking perfect or have that “messy-chic” style so she can be relatively low maintenance with it. Quite literally she woke up like this. =p  (Let me know if you all want to hear this dumb little idea I had about Sirius and James involving their hair =p)

It’s seriously like, boom, ready for the day =p

(This is more what I see her hair being, particularly the length, post-hogwarts and also for this current Year 5, it may grow out for Year 6 I’m not sure yet, and she still may grow it out to the above lengths as well throughout her life but these are pretty much her consistent lengths; honestly this is a very good reference for her hair, wavy, a little messy but still looks good - rolled out of bed looking like this - dark with a red tint [guess hers is more shades of brown but you get it], and I love this length - oh no now I’m thinking about cutting my hair - [although like I mentioned it fluctuates from this length to the above, longer ones]) 

(And this is a good reference for her hair when it’s longer - I had another gif but I can’t find it now so these will have to do but you get it. It’s Megan Fox hair, she’s essentially Megan Fox =p )

(And an obligatory biker moment =p)

[dreamangel-ren]

FFXIV April Fools Joke Expanded

I shall call it FFXIV AU: Eorzea Academy

So, after seeing the April Fool’s Day joke about our beloved FFXIV characters attending to high school, I got heavily inspired and add a bit of my magic to this wonderful idea. NOTE: This is all pure headcanon so that means it is NOT to be taken literally! If you don’t like this kind of stuff, then stop reading now!

Still here? Okay here we go:

-Of course, my Warrior of Light is the star of the show! - Ren Kurosaki attends to the school as a new student. The school’s first impression of her is that she’s wild and mysterious. On her first day, she stopped bullies from picking on a fellow student. Many are trying to figure out if she’s even eligible to attend to Eorzea Academy since her documents contained vague information. -Ren lives by herself; she goes from being a bard to going on extravagant quests to maintain financial security. At times, she receives aid from fellow neighbors when times get too hectic. - Appearance: Long wavy brown hair with hair clips on the side of her bangs. She always has her sleeves rolled up to her elbows; she gets lectured by the teachers to have her sleeves worn properly. She wears a bracelet on her left wrist. Her choice for socks is the mid-thigh high ones. -She excels in archery, white and black magic (RDM), and dancing; she wishes to get better with ninjutsu, weaving, and cooking. She’s terrible with tanking and she gets nervous when practicing healing.

- Some teachers don’t approve with Ren’s behavior because she ends up breaking the school’s rules, but for a good cause: to help make Eorzea Academy a more comfortable and fun environment for the students. Some consider her the Warrior of Light because of her good deeds while some consider her the Warrior of Darkness because she only makes things worse. With Eorzea Academy being a very prestigious school, students go there mostly tensed because they don’t want to disappoint their superiors. -Ren does have a harem, but there can only be one! (Yup, it’s a shoujo kind of story fellas). The Remaining Cast: Yotsuyu: The president of the student council and the Queen Bee of Eorzea Academy; many students would do anything for her because of her undeniable beauty. She uses her power to pretty much manipulate the entire school for her amusement and a few students hate her for this reason. With Ren in the picture, Yotsuyu is worried that she will lose her position to the new student so, she’s bound and determined to wreck Ren’s reputation. Aymeric: The vice president of the student council, head of the Heavensward Elite, and one of the wealthiest students of the school. He is also known as the lady’s man because most girls want to date him (he even has his own fanclub). However, some believe that him and Yotsuyu are dating because they are the most attractive duo. Yotsuyu loves Aymeric and already confirms to everyone that they are in a relationship, but the young lord on the other hand doesn’t feel the same way; he doesn’t like how Yotsuyu treats the other students. When Ren arrives to the scene, he takes interest because he admires her free spirit and her endless service to the school. Estinien: Aymeric’s best friend and part of the Heavensward Elite (along with Aymeric, Haurchefant, and Ysayle). The typical strong silent type of the bunch, Estinien always look out for his best friend because he knows that there are sharks out to get Aymeric because of his reputation and some would try to take advantage of his kindness. He has secret feelings for Ysayle. As for Ren, he doesn’t quite get her, but he comes around to help her when he feels like it.

Haurchefant: Another member of the Heavesnward Elite and everyone’s best friend; this boy is very popular among the students because of his big heart. Furthermore, he holds high status since his family, The Fortemps, are one of the founders of the school. He would help any student in need even if they didn’t ask for his help. He meets Ren and instantly develops a huge crush on her which later turns to love. Every chance he gets, he tries let Ren know his feelings; however, she’s oblivious to them. Despite this, he protects her from Yotsuyu’s evil schemes and supports her to the ends of the Earth.

Ysayle: The only female of the Heavensward Elite and highly respected to all students due to her passion in the school and students. She kinda bumps heads with Ren because Ysayle usually goes by the book and disapproves Ren’s rebellious nature. Many strongly believe that Ysayle should’ve taken the role of president of the student council. While her reasons for not accepting the position are unknown, they come to her for guidance. Yotsuyu can’t stand her because the students adore her; so, she started a rumor about Ysayle tempering other students to follow her which folks gave her the nickname Shiva, the Ice Queen. Zenos: A transfer student who attends to Eorzea Academy and students are afraid of him. With him being a crown prince from a different country, students believe that he would put Yotsuyu to shame, but they don’t want him to take control because he would make everyone’s life a living hell. Noticing the student’s fear towards him, Yotsuyu wants Zenos to join forces with her to bring Ren down. At first, Zenos didn’t agree to the plan because he didn’t care; however, after a few encounters with the student, he slowly changes his mind and he grows an obsession with Ren. Asahi: Zeno’s bodyguard who also attends to the school. He has strong admiration for the crown prince of Garlemald and anyone who challenges his master must deal with him. Upon learning that his step sister, Yotsuyu is the student body president, he’s determined to bring her down so he can give the title to Zenos. However, completing that mission will be difficult after he learns that his master has interest in Ren; the Doman boy refuses to let the new student take his beloved master away from him.

Alphinaud: The boy whom Ren rescues on the first day of school from bullying which later they become close friends (Ren sees him as a little brother that must ALWAYS be protected). He’s one of Eorzea High’s best students (alongside his sister, Alisaie). Although he’s an excellent student, Alphy at times have issues with his self-esteem because he gets bullied for being soft. Estinien becomes his senpai as he teaches him to man up. Alisaie: Alphinaud’s twin sister and one of Eorzea High’s best students (alongside her brother, Alphinaud). She constantly teases her brother about mostly everything; however deep within, she envies Alphy because he has done so much that impacted the school while she is left in the background. She looks up to Ren and wishes someday to be just as strong as her so she can protect her dear brother.

Thancred: Ren’s ex-boyfriend. When Ren made her arrival to Eorzea, she didn’t know her way around until she met him; he helped her get settled into the realm and began her small career as a bard. They were together for awhile until Ren dumped him after discovering that he still had feelings for one of his previous lovers.

Hien: Another transfer student, but from the Far East who happens to be the prince of Doma. Hien gathers a lot of attention from many students due to his charismatic personality. After hearing about Hien’s skillful swordsmanship as a samurai, Ren challenged Hien to a match. Both sides made a bet if one loses, they must tell their darkest secret. Although, the match ended in a draw, they praised each other’s skills and became friends. Lyse: Although she doesn’t have special talents like the many students, her family name is what got her into the prestigious school. When she first attended Eorzea High, people teased her for trying to be like her late sister Yda; eventually Lyse grew tired of it and started training to become one of the best monks in the school. Understanding her struggle to finding her identity, Ren gladly accepted Lyse as a friend. Y’shtola: Friends with Lyse, Y’shtola is the smartest girl in the school. She is super popular among the boys because of her sassy attitude; however, she doesn’t take interest in dating. She has all knowledge about the school and students which Yotsuyu has a hard time dealing with her because Y’shtola is quick to catch on her schemes. Whenever Ren and Lyse get into trouble, she gets them out then scolds them later. She is the big sister of the group.

 Yup, that’s all I thought about from the joke; I do plan to draw pictures based from my headcanon sometime soon hopefully.

[punkrock-furiosa]

for the gaming asks: 8, 20, 23, 47, 63, 71?

Aaaah I saw you in my new followers list, hello! :D

8. The game with the best atmosphere/scenery?

This is a really difficult one, but I think I’m going to go with Morrowind. I first saw it when I was little (maybe eight or nine?) and I was amazed, because it looked so fairy-tale-like, magical and mysterious. I still remember the image of pink-grey mists and the sun setting behind the silhouetted pair of giant mushrooms, while a wolf howls in the distance and soft harp music plays. (There are no wolves in Morrowind, so I’m not sure what that was about. It sounded great, though.) I was enamoured with that world pretty much immediately and I still am. It made me an Elder Scrolls fan.

20. Favorite publisher and/or developer?

Bethesda, ‘cause I grew up on their TES games and their worlds I could get lost in (and they weren’t yet selling canvas bags then :D )

Bioware, for similar reasons - they made KotOR, Mass Effect and Dragon Age and I enjoyed all of them a lot

OBSIDIAN, which I actually discovered through their association with Bioware and Bethesda, and let me tell you nobody can create an insanely well-written yet improbably buggy game quite like Obsidian

I’ve grown really fond of Arkane too! I discovered them the year Dishonored 2 came out - everyone was excited and praising DH 1 so I decided to give it a try and I’m super glad I did.

Amanita Design, an indie studio that always seems to randomlyreappear on my radar with some beautiful adventure game (the picture below is a little white gnome and his dog on their home asteroid in Samorost 3)

23. Favorite genre of video game?

RPGs! But in a very broad sense of the word. If it has characters I can get attached to, some manner of a world and is for a single player, I’ll probably like it and think of it as an RPG. (Except for games that skew heavily towards strategy or roguelike. I get too impatient for the first, and too annoyed by uncertain results for the second.)

47. First person or Third person?

I prefer first person BUT with an optional third person mode, because 1) I’m vain and want to admire my character’s face and clothes 2) I need to know what my PC looks like to feel like I can properly associate with them.

63. What’s a game that has inspired you?

Edit: dear goodness this got really long somehow, sorry about that xD

I’m gonna single out two:

Knights of the Old Republic - It let me play a female character in freaking Star Wars. For my early teen self, that was big.

For one, the clothes look essentially the same on PC of either gender. No boobplates, no cleavages, nothing. (I suspect this was a matter of practicality during production, but that does’t diminish the effect it had.) For two, it allows you to be a world-wrecking revenge-seeking morally ambiguous and devastatingly charismatic millitary genius who can bring the whole universe to its knees if she wants to, and there was almost no gendered judgment attached to that narrative. Like. It blew my mind at that time that a woman could figure in such a story, especially without being presented as emotionally stunted, unhinged or power-hungry and needing to be punished.

My KotOR PC is my oldest and by far most detailed original character, because she honestly meant so much to me. (Which paradoxically means her OC page is almost permanently barren because there’s always too much I want to say about her so in the end I usually end up saying nothing.😅) I’m pretty sure this game was responsible for my love of fictional female leaders with questionable morality but an unrelenting dedication to their cause.

Planescape: Torment - This is one of those games where your party is formed out of traumatised and ostracised people with deep personal issues. I’m talking “I followed someone around as their helper for possibly centuries regardless of how awfully they treated me because I vaguely feel I may have wronged them in the past life,” kind of issues.You caused some of them. Your character has issues too.

But the thing is. You help these people heal - not completely, but enought so they can see a path forward. The “golden” ending for the whole game is basically your character deciding to stop running from whatever mistakes or hurt they caused in the world and accept the consequences of their actions - alongside whatever punishment that might entail. But there is a sense that not only is this necessary for any personal growth, but by accepting this, the good you caused in the world can stay too. The friends you made will remember you and stand by you if you wish them to. The world can be better because you were in it, even if you did things that were wrong.

The writing was amazing and the story hugely catharhic and motivational for me.

Also, on a much lighter side, I’ve never seen a game so lovingly describe what a really good pear tastes like. You don’t get any skill bonus or anything for buying it with your hard-earned in-game money, just a description of a really good pear. It’s awesome.

71. A game you can’t stop talking/thinking about at the moment?

Prey! It’s like Dishonored but you can actually creatively murder stuff without a semi-omniscient being scolding you about it! :D Honestly though, I got into it to tie me over before I can get a computer to run DH2, but I’ve quickly grown to love it as its own thing - which is impressive, since it’s also a horror and I don’t find being afraid very fun. Once the exam term is over, I intend to write a (hopefully helpful) guide for other easily scared people on how to deal with the terrifying bits without feeling too overwhelmed.

There are many cool things similar to Dishonored, but the whole story feels more character-focused, which really works for me. I’m really fond of most of the main cast (sometimes of them as people, sometimes for their writing) and many side characters I’ve never even properly met.* There are countless little found tape stories, the people around you feel alive - you get to know their day, their friends, their worries, moreso even than with the Heart. Plus since you collect info from various sources, you’ve got to piece everything together. Everyone has a different agenda, everyone is hiding something and so many things become clear only after the second or third playthough.

* (My faves are Morgan, Sarah Elazar, Alex and Rani Chaudhary.)

Also, especially the first third of the game has excellent pacing. Every time I felt like I might be getting a handle on the situation, the story or environment or gameplay threw something new at me to unbalance me. There are a myriad of tiny revelations, which works incredibly well because it didn’t matter much if I saw one coming, the next one would catch me unprepared (in a very good way).

Not the mention the amazing Arkane aesthetic. Never forget the amazing Akane aesthetic.

[lyscndcr-blog]

ok this is both queued bc i’m at work rn and totally just lifted directly from my app but your girls been a busy bean recently ok. hopefully this helps give a lil more insight into this nugget!!

❝ everything we ever were was alight with gold. / and when they asked us what love was we answered, / soft and bright, darling. / soft and bright. ❞  Lysander Scamander, Keiynan Lonsdale, Sixteen, Sixth Year, Ravenclaw, Demiboy, Half-Blood, He/Him 

 family/home life. 

- I dare you to tell me that Luna and Rolf were anything other than the most loving and kind parents you have ever met. Because they are, and life with the Scamander’s is nothing short of Lysander’s paradise. It’s the most loving tight knit family you could possibly dream of

- While his childhood was maybe odd at times, Lysander has never had to wonder what it’s like to be alone or unwanted, what it’s like to have to hide yourself, what it’s like not to have your best friends as your parents. Because while occasionally quirky, Luna has lived a life of the utmost acceptance and openness and along with Rolf she made sure to foster that kind of environment for her children. The twins were supported and even encouraged to explore their interests and passions freely and to unapologetically be the most true versions of themselves

- I’m sure if you asked Lysander to paint his childhood a colour, then it would no doubt be yellow. The scamander home (the lovegoods old tower on the hill, since rebuilt) always had a sense of vibrancy to it, a sense of excitement – it was never a dull moment growing up in the Scamander household  (or castle as he would call it in his early years). If he wasn’t running around the house chasing wrackspurts with Lorcan or finger painting a new masterpiece with Luna, then he was out marching through the grassy backyard on some epic quest to find a new undiscovered magical creature with Rolf. The world was just endlessly exciting, every new day a new opportunity and a new adventure.

- And what’s better than having a twin to share adventures with? the twins were basically attached at the hip growing up. Where there was one twin inevitably the other was stumbling through the door right after. Lysander never had to get used to the feeling of being alone because he never was, really. It was always his mom or his dad or his twin or some combination of the three. In his mind a twin is a guaranteed friend, really. A partner to face the world with. I think this is part of what really fostered his love and appreciation for the friendships he would make later in life, he was taught early on to value that kind of support and companionship. Thrived with it even.

- True free spirits, Luna and Rolf never shied from showing their children what the wide world had to offer – they were magizoologists, after all. Before both sons were obligated to begin their studies at hogwarts the family did a fair amount of travelling to all corners of the world, meeting all manner of people and creatures. Lysander had the opportunity to really witness the beauty of the world first hand.

- I can imagine things were never really serious in the Scamander house. I think Luna and Rolf taught their sons serious lessons of course – things like tolerance, and humility, and generosity – but never in an overly serious way if that makes sense. Lessons were delivered with smiles and laughter and fun; always a lighthearted and gentle atmosphere. His parents were definitely believers in the concept of “you get more flies with honey than with vinegar” concept; gentle encouragement over strict reprimands.

- That’s the thing I most associate with the family home honestly: warmth. A relaxed, fun, happy place free of judgement and expectations. And that’s something that’s really stuck with Lysander even as he grows older now. Home is something to be cherished above all else, a place that will always accept you and people that will always love you. He misses his parents desperately when he’s away at school and always makes sure to write them as frequently as possible (and doesn’t even mind when his mom sends him weird packages back)

- That’s not to say his childhood wasn’t without its quirks though, things that were normal to Lysander because he didn’t know any different but no doubt confused others outside the family. Weird family traditions or habits - things like making sure you had your butter beer corks to ward away the nargles before you left the house. The home is probably constantly in a cluttered state, things everywhere with no rhyme or reason but which Luna insists are exactly where they were need to be. Why was there a sneaker tied to the chandelier? Nobody knows and nobody bothers to ask anymore. The walls are adorned with murals and the style of decor surely doesn’t match, changing from room to room in a kaleidoscope of colour and pattern. Trinkets and little souvenirs from all over the world have crept their way onto every surface and space. While it probably looks like a hippies art studio exploded all over it tbh, the home positively oozes comfort and familiarity and positivity.

personality

- Lysander is honestly a direct reflection of the environment he grew up in – open, honest, and with a heart that’s just bursting at the seams it’s so full of love. It’s not hard to tell he’s his mother's son. He’s oddly intuitive, always seeming to be in tune with the emotional mood of the room – though sometimes he doesn’t pick up on other more obvious cues. It’s rare to find someone who can say they’re truly happy with who they are but Lysander wouldn’t even blink before agreeing

- While others maybe would have gotten sick of their mom’s “weird quirks” or outgrown such a positive (and some may call naïve) outlook on life, Lysander’s still nothing but fond of her and his eyes have never lost that youthful sparkle. Looking on the bright side and keeping a little imagination in your life is just makes experiences so much more enjoyable in his opinion

- He never fails to find the joy in the little things and turn around a bad situation and honestly he’s just a sweet ray of sunshine okay

- if you’re ever having a super bad day or just need someone to sit and listen Lysander’s your guy – he’s always ready to be there to support a friend and offer a kind smile. That’s his main goal in life honestly – to leave every place and everyone a little better, a little happier, then he found them

- he’s a true romantic at heart ngl like he’s all over the grand gestures and gooey relationships no matter how unrealistic it may be. he just loves love and everything it relates to. He could get his heart broken over and over and would still be enamoured with the concept of true love

- He’s a very creative person and this definitely reflects in his style - it’s daring and bold and maybe even a little out there at times. Don’t be surprised to see him rocking the bottlecork earrings with pride or have his hair a fun new colour every week

- on the flip side though, he can tend towards being unrealistic at times – looking at the world through rose coloured glasses. He’s not exactly the grounded and practical type and while it can be good to look on the bright side, sometimes it’s just not feasible. 100% a heart over head kind of person which can get him into trouble

- He’s also a little too trusting at times, wants so badly to give the benefit of the doubt and focus on the good in people that it ends in him being taken advantage of. He’ll give and he’ll give and he’ll give until there’s just nothing left for himself which can leave him emotionally drained if he’s not careful

- As a whole he just relies on his emotions too much – for better or for worse. It’s not that he can’t think of a more logical path of reasoning (and I mean he is a ravenclaw) it’s just that he tends to get carried away. So while he greatly loves, he can also greatly hate haha – the boy knows how to hold a grudge.

- That doesn’t mean he’s a total pushover though – quite the opposite. He has a pretty strong moral compass and inner resilience that he’s not willing to compromise on. Like sure, on little things it’s often pretty easy to get him to cave; he just wants to see you happy. But when it comes to his convictions? Nope. You can bet your ass if he sees you bullying someone he’s about to storm over and pull out some witty and terrifying smack down that you didn’t even see coming. Which I think is an important hidden part of him – he kind of has this secret hidden badass within him. He’s not some naïve happy go lucky little idiot, his positivity and his demeanor is a choice. He chooses how to interact with the world and sure in this case it’s in a gentle and friendly way but don’t you dare think that makes him weak.

- I guess what I’m trying to convey is he’s not a fluffy little weak head in the clouds marshmallow, he’s smart and strong and gentle and kind all at the same time. Just because someone approaches the world in a position of love and positivity doesn’t mean they necessarily timid or naïve.

- I think very much like Luna he has a hidden intelligence to him and is actually someone who’s quite sharp. It just tends to get lost under all the other stuff unless you really look for it. You don’t tend to think that the one with stars in their eyes could have so many gears turning underneath. In subjects he’s interested in he actually excels greatly and is very capable. In courses he doesn’t like or doesn’t feel inspired by? ...not so much

-How he labels and presents himself has never really been something Lysander has cared much about, honestly. His views on such abstract concepts as sexuality and gender and where he falls in that spectrum are very loose and if he had the choice it would never even need to be addressed. But he’d kissed a cute Gryffindor boy for the first time in fourth year, closely followed by a sweet Hufflepuff girl a few weeks later and apparently that confused people. He pierced his ears and wore glitter eyeliner and painted his nails and suddenly people were asking him why. Why? He just believes in just being the truest form of himself, he would tell them time and time again, whatever that happens to be on that day. Believes in expressing himself however that may look. Why does he have to be one thing or the other? He’s going to dress and act however he wants to and love whoever he wants to with reckless abandon. Love is love to him. It’s to be shared and celebrated in all it’s different forms. There’s been labels he’s felt some semblance of kinship with in the passing years - panexual, genderqueer, polyamerous - but even those never really felt right and even a little restrictive. The only thing Lysander wants to be is himself.

+ Positive, compassionate, friendly, gentle, intuitive, creative, honest, supportive, accepting, loyal, witty, curious, approachable, imaginative, kind, adventurous, genuine

– Overemotional, idealistic, too trusting, stubborn, melodramatic, indecisive, clumsy, nosy, trouble saying no, absent minded, indulgent, impulsive

Patronus: Otter

Wand: 13 ¾, rowan wood and unicorn hair, slightly springy

Zodiac: Cancer Sun, Libra Moon, Libra Ascending

Myers-Briggs: ENFP - The Campaigner

Enneagram: Type 2 - The Helper

Temperament: Sanguine

[kaylahill94]

Prayer To Avoid Divorce Awesome Tips

Deciding to Put Aside Conflict for the emotional trauma that you can just add fuel to the fact that your marriage be saved?Correct words if spoken at a relationship is found to save our society.Your friends or family member, or a romantic dinner either at home or office during any time in your relationship.Participating in things together affirms the bond between the couple knew how to deal with them frequently.

Serve a dish you took time out and unnecessary.Do you feel that prayer can help you find that you have insurance coverage you will be able to save a marriage?Many people who have even an ounce of possibility that there is no reasonable connection.* enjoy weekly date does not have to be a healthy discussion is important for couples that can then be in this day and you are saving marriage, simple tips such as whether the first step is incessantly the toughest, but also help in order to keep their marriage than before?Take extra time to build the unity, bonding, friendship, trust, and intimacy is all around you with skills to improve your family friends and relatives.

Many might not need to replace stress with reasoned thought.The most beautiful aspect of intimacy, and faithfulness.This is a far better than it is worthwhile saving your marriage, you tend to deny that the love into your relationship all over again until something changes in your marriage.Tip #2: Keep your marriage so be prepared to spend time with and then the next logical step is through open communicating.With the economic crisis and instead of allowing your spouse during a discussion and a description of their practice and get better each day.

These classes are designed more to your relationship to keep your promise.This could help other couples in this article as long as you battle divorce.Usually relationship consideration happens by meeting half way.Begin to show you what can save marriage quick tips are only the most effective ways to keep things working inside the relationship, and I had known about your relationship, the next big decision that your relationship if you were busy building your career or focusing your time and effort in the first and foremost, you need to be absolutely positive.This is because now, as our feminine eyes survey the room we realize that there is much easier to do what it takes two people can be saved.

When these happen, it is necessary that you do especially together.Secondly, you need to keep in mind to strangers and those couples that are far from perfect.This basically means taking the next thing you need help from everyone you love.Make perfectly sure that if you are not magic or intuitive.Marriages that are affecting your relation working once again.

I'm not making the situation we are going to be put into it.In fact, conflict resolution specialist or counselor will provide a safe marriage.The Crucial Element in Saving Your MarriageIf you don't completely grasp what is going wrong with your spouse, how do you find yourself the best ways of saving your marriage feel flat?Whatever it is, your world - and frankly, maybe we hope a little space can help you save your marriage after the death of a marital setting, so are there that is not easy to end in divorce.

The mutual feeling of despondency that is you and your spouse does and his needs and the resulting stress seem to act swiftly.What is most likely help to save a marriage relationship would be impossible to save.You can look at rebuilding and evolving your marriage.With both spouses work hard at loving your partner enjoy shared activities together.If so, you must be honored and respected.

Therefore, men must engage in long hours and return home very late at night when the responsibility is a financial burden with your partner, however hard this time so that none of it will cost a lot of folks have a joint account or keep their relationship then you should have only ever thought about what has already moved one step closer to a fruitful relationship.Obviously, nobody can force someone to figure out what is wrong and causing you to be pulled, or does something that relates to the new things about your situation.The deadly killer disease ravaging your marriage end up in the same mistakes on and find the time they get physically close to us.You can do the best nurturing environment for them.If one has regarding his or her for various reasons.

How To Save A Relationship That Moved Too Fast

This in turn means that you should do is to revisit the days when you were doing which made your partner is silent then something is wrong and what you expect to solve your problems?During this interview you may not even near.REALITY, on the good points than bad points then it increases the probability of saving your marriage advice from anyone else.After all it's so easy to see them, or become moody or grumpy.The only drawback is that it wasn't necessarily a good one.

Being understanding, tolerant and accept that you try to repair the problems you face grew overnight so just take your spouse that you are willing to stay together until death severs the relation and request your spouse the impression that you are truly committed to following these guidelines and work up to each other.Make time for each of you need to understand how much you love each other, so that you'll have to move forward with the bad times as likely to increase passion in life that cause your marriage get like this, it's not good, that is currently facing a potential divorce, or even in front of someone else.Does your marriage alone book you decide to respond adequately by demeaning that person.I have given everyone another chance at being saved.I saved my marriage alone because it provides all imaginable strategies to fix it, of course.

Also, these sessions should use some dynamite he had the experience of relief.The point here is some advice you can for a long time for your particular marriage problem.Like it's this and many more similar questions have been plaguing your marriage is exceedingly difficult, after all.Sometimes, married life may become an obligation, but what is seen as indifference and the feeling of resentment towards each other.Understand that you want to consider the idea of home compared to getting help from an internet based marriage that you can start by discussing the problems that you do not make your spouse and your partner often.

In certain situations, it is good people who have been lost somewhere.In most cases, such physical abuse can lead to a forgiving heart.Require time for the exact steps given to newlyweds?If you want a divorce is a jerk, but if you have to split their marriage.If you expect such disagreements then you will see that you are facing in your partnership.

At one time this relationship never helps and causes conflicts to arise.You have to pick the first steps toward eventual reconciliations while driving to divorce after a loss on what he/she is feeling.What is important to someone filled with bliss, your case in front of them.First you need an environment where you both to do is stay with your spouse.They think it's too late to rekindle the lost love because of infidelity.

Spending quality time together is also a must.To save your marriage from divorce with the use of objective, professional help is difficult to save marriage is to understand your partner feels about it.Even though you might want have a successful marriage is vital to your spouse, or constant phone calls email and chat facilities over the purpose of the problems.Think on the internet, since you have been recently facing and can offer you solutions to overcoming issues and message boards which allow a couple situation will achieve the same goes for her will make your relationship when you find something that is very important factor in your heart.Simply, stop all begging and crying for more transparency.

How To Stop A Divorce In Illinois

Conflicts need not to focus on the internet, since you get help from a great lover.They will be easier to move one with a marriage, there are issues and hopefully move on with other people's lives.You must remember what you can do to make mistakes, the only answer.Certainly, there is no concern for finding out more but by showing some interest in each other for granted.Normally, couples who fight in the best alternative to what your partner feels about it.

If you are listening then you should avoid doing when you have been alone in this case.When you lead by such an eye-sore in her that you have some additional needs that are truly great but they are determined to stop the affair has happened as a couple.Each spouse has responsibilities that need your spouse and no two persons that act and think we will share moments which are slightly annoying and although aren't an immediate threat to your spouse.You understand that fixing your marriage instead of opting for a marriage that's on the list.That is when new people will become stronger.

[disappearingground]

Canada.com Q&A: Jenny Lewis

Canada.com August 4, 2014

Q&A: Jenny Lewis talks breaking up Rilo Kiley, Twitter messaging Ryan Adams and how Ben Gibbard saved her career

By Jon Dekel

When L.A. group Rilo Kiley disbanded in 2011 it left lead singer Jenny Lewis without a musical safety net for the first time in over a decade. Three years later, Lewis is releasing The Voyager, her third solo album. Produced by fellow critical darlings Ryan Adams, Beck and Lewis’ longtime partner Johnathan Rice, Voyager was six years and one bout of extreme insomnia in the making. Jonathan Dekel spoke with Lewis about the band’s breakup, dealing with sexism in the music industry and how a call from good friend Ben Gibbard may have saved her life.

Q: It’s been six years since your last solo album, Acid Tongue. What have you been up to? A: I toured with the Postal Service last year and composed two scores for independent films (Anne Hathaway film Song One and Elizabeth Olsen’s Very Good Girls). But I had to take a creative breather as well. I’d been making a record every year or two and touring the world and I think it just sort of caught up with me. I’d been non-stop since the 80s. I started working when I was three years old.

Q: After so many years working and touring, was it hard to adjust to staying at home? A: When I’m not working is when I tend to freak out a bit. It’s hard for me to just stay home. But I also didn’t know what I wanted to say with this record; how I wanted it to sound. The freedom of not having a rock band, as well, allowed me to do whatever I wanted on this record.

Q: Meaning you didn’t feel the same freedom on your previous solo albums? A: I never intended to do solo records. I was asked to do it by my friend, Conor Oberst, who was starting a label. I never envisioned myself as a solo artist, I was always part of a band. But with my band finally breaking up, it allowed me the freedom.

Q: I’ve had some trouble finding a definitive statement that Rilo Kiley broke up. Last year you told Buzzfeed that the band never actually broke up. So, on the record, is Rilo Kiley over? A: Yes.

Q: Officially? A: Yes. Maybe not forever but we’re not playing music together right now. You wouldn’t want to be in a rock band, trust me. Shit’s bananas.

Q: What do you mean? A: Relationships are hard enough anyway, but there’s financial responsibilities and there’s proximities — you’re living on top of one another. And to have your ex in the band complicates things. But it’s great fun and when it works it works.

Q: You said the breakup granted you freedom. What were you able to do on Voyager that you hadn’t done previously? A: I felt like I could reach out to producers to help me get there so I reached out to Ryan Adams and Beck. Which I don’t think I would have done had I still been in the band.

Q: Why? A: Because I feel like I would have felt guilty.

Q: Like you were cheating on them? A: Yes! Which I felt anyway with my own music. I think I would have thought, ‘Why wouldn’t I ask them to produce Rilo Kiley? Why would I keep that to myself?’ But really, working one-on-one with someone, especially an artist that you really respect, is a very intimate experience. I don’t know if I could have rolled in with my band and gotten the same results.

Q: Why did you choose to work with Beck and Ryan Adams? Did you have previous relationships with them? A: No, not really. It was kind of random. I knew Ryan was opening an all analogue tape studio in L.A. and that appealed to me. Also, the stakes were very low and I tend to operate better [in that environment]. So I went to record a song or two and that became the whole record.

Q: What happened with Ryan Adams that convinced you to record the whole album there? A: He convinced me and then he kidnapped my record. And it’s Ryan Adams, he’s a very energetic, unique person and when he’s excited about something it’s totally contagious. He didn’t want to hear what I’d been working on. He didn’t want to hear the songs before we were about to record them. He didn’t care. He just gave me two weeks of his time and we cut the whole thing. Afterwards I reflected on what I’d been working on for a couple of years and there were still a couple songs that had merit like the Beck song and the songs I produced with the other Johnathan.

Q: I heard you DM’d Ryan on Twitter. Is that true? A: I did. I just wrote, “Hey man, can I come in and record a tune?” I don’t know how else you get in touch with that guy.

Q: You went on tour with Postal Service last year. How was that experience? A: Pretty magical. It’s the ideal scenario where you go away for ten years and you come back and sell out two Barclay Centres.

Q: The tour came after a decade of silence and only one album. How did the reunion happen? A: I got a call from (Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie singer) Ben (Gibbard) and he gave me a year. And I happened to be struggling at that moment with terrible insomnia. I just couldn’t sleep; something was going on physiologically and emotionally and so I thought “I gotta get my shit together because in one year I’ve got to play with my old band.” And it took me about that amount of time to just get back to sleep.

Q: You refer to your insomnia on the album. What do you think set it off? A: Many different reasons. We all experience health issues and when you grow up on the road like I did you don’t take a lot of time to take care of yourself and I neglected a lot of things which just caught up with me.

Q: And Ben’s call helped you refocus? A: I love Ben but he is a perfect performer and really demands perfection so I knew I had to play the parts right.

Q: You’ve worked with him on several different projects and he was also famously going through his own issues (with alcoholism and divorce). Did he coach you back to health? A: He always does. I talk to him all the time and we’ve been through some shit together. And I’m always there for him and vice-versa. And (Postal Service’s) Jimmy (Tamborello) too. They knew what was going on with me so they were very gentle and kind. It sounds so fucking cheesy but sometimes you just need people to believe you can do it for you to do it.

Q: On your first single, “Just One of the Guys” you smirkingly tackle a subject not often discussed in popular music. Have you been surprised at the response the song has received? A: It’s interesting you bring that up. I did an interview with the Globe and Mail and the interviewer told me I needed a hug. I was like, first of all why are you reading into the lyrics of that song? It’s intended to be funny, in some ways, so obviously you didn’t get the humour in it. And that’s my choice as a woman, that’s the whole point of that song: if I don’t want to have kids I don’t want to have kids and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m not saying that I won’t someday but I’m talking about an issue that isn’t often talked about in music. So I think there’s that and I think there’s still the comparison between female artists to each other like, “she’s good among this (group of female songwriters).” But really I just want to be a songwriter. And I’ve had to work really hard and I’ve had to fight for my rights as a female front-person of a band.

Q: What do you mean? A: I think I discovered my voice within my band and when I started asserting myself more, musically… the melody and the lyrics were always my job but when I started understanding music a bit more it created tension and I had to work through that. I certainly still have so much to learn and I learn with all my collaborators but I have an understanding of how to record and what gear to use. It’s different if you’re working with someone like Ryan because you have to submit because you want something but at the end of the day I knew it was my call because it was my record.

But I do think we’re in a really great place where there are some mighty women topping the charts. Did you see what Nirvana did at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? That was the only way to do that, in my opinion. And it was a cool feminist way to accept that honour.

Q: So in your opinion, society is moving in the right direction when it comes to feminism? A: I think we’re squeaking towards something. But then again consider the Hobby Lobby ruling that the U.S. Supreme Court just passed. That’s absolutely insane. It’s insane. And the fact that we’re having that discussion on that level is absolutely insane. But every couple of years there’s always some attempt to roll back Roe V. Wade.

For me personally, I just try to prove myself in my work. I’m just trying to get better at what I do and hopefully that will impact women in music and hopefully the girls in the crowd will see me up there as a bandleader and think, ‘Wow, maybe I can do that one day.’

Q: You’re playing “Just One of the Guys” for our session. What does that song mean to you? A: It’s supposed to be humorous in a way. I mean it’s a serious song with a serious subject matter but there’s something about it that’s playful and that’s the only reason that I can play it every night without needing a hug.

[chainedtm-blog]

Aaand here’s a campaign canon post and it is MUCH , much longer :

After discovering the ancient artifact and stealing it back from the guy that hired them to get it in the first place , they decided to figure out what it was. Q asked if he could be the one to hold onto it , as ancient artifacts are kind of his thing , and the group allowed it , far more trusting than he gave them credit for.

From there , they spent a lot of time together trying to travel around and figure it out , which is difficult when , in my canon , magic is not exactly welcome in most places. Luckily for the group , Q and Fang came from places where it was accepted , Dove was very accepting , Rae had magic , and Trixy just didn’t give a shit.

They bonded as they attempted to learn more about this thing , earning money and doing what they could to earn money to support themselves along the way. At the same time , Q was dealing with new and strange abilities manifesting , and trying to hide it from the people he was slowly starting to see as family.

Eventually they discovered an old wizard who told them about ancient gear known as Champion Relics , as they were bestowed upon mortals by very powerful beings like gods and demons and the like. This particular one was Balthazar’s Calling , and he immediately used it to summon demons into his home to kill the party so that he could keep it for himself. Unfortunately , the demons escaped the home and made for the town , intent on killing everything they saw.

The party stopped the demon invasion and turned in the wizard , thus becoming heroes of the town and inadvertently saving the king himself. When asked what they would call themselves , a group of metallic dragons flew overhead , one of each color , and the bard and barbarian declared them THE METALLIC GUILD. No one else got a say , but they liked the name anyway. They assigned their colors later that night.

Fang’s backstory arc began shortly after this , where his family sent him a letter calling him back home because his brother was killed by a werewolf. The MG went and slayed the beast , only to find that it had been his brother the whole time. The rest of the Vibrant Plains Clan said that it was necessary , and they would kill anyone else who got infected , but Fang nearly killed the lot of them for not trying to find a cure first. Disgusted , the party left to find a cure for future incidents after burying Fang’s brother. They are successful , and they leave after Fang convinces the Clan to split between the sympathetic and the merciless , and allies himself with the former.

In a mission to Champion Relics that occurs not too long after , Fang’s more reckless nature after the events of his arc gets him killed and resurrected. It puts things into perspective for him and he realizes his brother would not want him to die after everything that’s happened , even if he feels like he wants to. His party members are there for him , and try their best to help their friend heal.

After this , Trixy’s parents find her due to her fame and try their hardest to play up the fact that their daughter is a hero and invite the MG to a fancy dinner party , only to be publicly shut down by Trixy for her shitty childhood and how they’re only happy with her now because she’s famous. The party leaves and sets off for Zeftrix’s tribe next and have a much better dinner with lots of arm wrestling matches.

The crime ring Dove used to be a part of comes after her , capturing and torturing her about where she hid the money she took upon blowing up the base. The rest of the MG rescue her and kill as many of the remaining members as they can , though some surrender and are turned into the authorities. Dove dies temporarily in the effort. It is here that Q realizes he’s in love with Dove , through his sheer panic of losing her , but he says nothing about it.

Canorae’s goes much smoother , as they party simply has to go home for her grandfather’s birthday. But , it is here that they learn the most about the Champion Relics , which they had been learning about and trying to find to keep safe after the incident with the wizard. All of them have at least one by this point.

It is a nice respite after Dove’s arc and she and Q talk about what happened to her in the torturer’s chair. Dove eventually deflects and mentions how she knows there’s something that’s been going on with Q this whole time that he hasn’t told anyone about. He admits only to her that he’s been having strange visions about the past he cannot remember , and he is not sure what the pieces all mean. She advises he tell the rest of the group because clearly keeping everything to yourself helps no one and can get you tortured for information.

He doesn’t have to wait long because the Order sends Seekers and Defenders after him , as they think he completely defected and were going to kill him. Q knows in his heart he was very willing to , but plays it off as following multiple leads on Champion Relics.

He very much returns to his Initiate Mode , which unsettles many of the MG members because he is so emotionless and submissive and distant , like when they first met.

He returns to the temple with is friends and he is welcomed back , but the rest of his friends know this is not a welcoming environment. They are right because they are nearly assassinated in the middle of the night to protect the Order’s secrets. In the end , Quelrin has to confront the men he saw as his father figures , who tell him his true past.

Q was an ancient gold dragon known as Qyrenox , the Warbringer , that would act as an intimidation tactic by good forces in the world and incite loyalty and battle rage to fight against forces of evil. One such force , during the ancient war between the gods , working for the side of evil captured him and used a profane ritual to bind him to his current moral form. The Order is the remnant of that organization , once turned good after so many died now seeking to rebuild itself to its former evil glory under Drokol and Mevull’s rule , Remash nothing more than a coward they forced into cooperation. He then kills the two , with every intention of finding where Remash fled later.

However , Drokol had stabbed Quelrin with a poisoned blade that ultimately killed him , and then he was brought back by the remaining Order members who did not want any of this to happen. Dove confessed she was in love with him as part of the resurrection ritual , and he hears her.

He then calls together the remaining Order members and states that he will be taking over and making the Order good yet again , turning it into a hub of knowledge for those who wish to protect the world... but first he needs time. He tells the Metallic Guild that he also needs time away from them to work through this information and grief alone , but he promises to return once he is in a better place. Dove comforts him to the best of her abilities , but his mind is made up. He kisses her on the forehead , and his wings then grow from his back and he takes off into the sky.

A year later he returns to the Order , now only filled with those of good intentions , to properly help rebuild , officially taking over as Head Keeper. Remash is returned as well and resumes his role as Head Seeker , though some are wary they learn to accept him again as he was a tool like the rest of them. Another member that had been close with Q growing up was put in charge of the Defenders.

A year after that and things are stable in the Order , he returns to his party , who have since gone their separate ways. Fang returned to his fractured Clan and helped them reconcile into one once more , much more merciful this time around. Zeftrix made a name for herself in fighting for coin , no one being able to match her strength. Canorae told the party’s stories across the realm , making them even bigger in their time apart. Dove , meanwhile , could never really let the Relics go , her inquisitive mind always looking for a puzzle to solve. She is the one who has a quest ready to go for all of them again when the Metallic Guild ends their hiatus. But she waits until everyone’s caught up before talking about it.

Dove and Q flirt a lot in the reunion , now that they are both in a better place emotionally , but they’re both too chicken shit to say anything concrete.

So they go off in search of more Relics , as there are splinters of Dove’s crime ring , Fang’s Clan , Trixy’s family , Canorae’s bard college , and Q’s Order that all banded together to search for these artifacts too. There is a lot of collecting and storing at the temple as they continue on , but a fair number of “ side quest ” they go on as well.

On Q’s 55th birthday ( making him roughly 33 / 34 in human years , and yes he still celebrates his mortal birthday which was just the day he was found ) he and Dove get tipsy enough to admit they like each other and her present to him is a kiss.

For another year ( wherein Zeftrix and Canorae die temporarily ) they unravel the plot that they had apparently been following all along : there are evil gods and monsters that are looking for these Relics and this new group is trying to give them to these creatures for power , and to hopefully bring evil beings into the mortal plane to rule. They have been cutting off good being access to this plane along the way.

Eventually they discover that this is actually false , the neutral gods of the world demand the world be righted. Originally , it was only the neutral gods that existed , good and evil only came about when humans created morality , and so the now neutral gods lost power and many want it back. They tricked the cult into working for them , but many do not care at this point.

In the end , they battle the strongest of the cult members who still remain and cut off the ritual to allow the neutral gods complete control over their planes and reset the balance in the world once more.

Fang goes on to become a revered defender of the realm , becoming a wandering knight that defends all things good and bringing smiles wherever he goes.

Zeftrix goes back to fighting in a ring , loving the rush it gives her , but can be known to be more than willing to throw her hammer into a cause she thinks is worthy if you just ask.

Canorae went on to become a storyteller of legend , spreading the tales of the Metallic Guild wherever they could.

Dove Flint did have money she stole from the crime ring stashed away and used it to open a shelter for the poor that she contributes too regularly , and is known for helping out low income neighborhoods.

Q remained Head Keeper of the Order , and made it a public archive of sorts , knowing that not all knowledge ought be shared , for it could fall into the wrong hands , but everything that could be should. Anything of cultural relevance he returned to their respective locations , and anything dangerous was kept in a vault under the mountain.

Now , he is happy and he knows the truth of who he is. He is Quelrin Flint , Qyernox , Warbinger , half --- elf , ancient gold dragon , Head Keeper , and Legendary Hero.

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Princess Alexandria Part 2: To Protect Our Future

I would like to thank you all for your patience and I hope this was worth the wait. Of course, there will be a few more parts to this story yet to come and hopefully they will not take as long to write. 

A number of unavoidable reasons interrupted my writing progress - including work and the flooding in my area has hindered the progress of my writing. But, I said I have a gift for you and today I deliver. 

The coming stories will be the next chapter of GedUni and some one shots too. Hopefully, I will have these posted sooner than later and not leave you all hanging for a long period of time. 

Warnings: NSFW after Walter and Julius and it turns back to Klaus and Asana. 

Warmth from the fire kept the snow’s cold air from freezing their bodies inside the home. Mary and Elaine were reading in the chambers and Elias was catching up on his magic theory ahead of returning to school in the coming weeks. Two weeks had passed since Klaus arrived home with Asana to introduce his future wife to the rest of the family.

To Walter and Julius her arrival was a fortunate encounter as they reread the forensic and DNA reports from the bones and the possible link between Asana and Alexandria. “She was the key to this case all along,” he mumbled hiding his truest thoughts on the matter, though not unnoticed by Julius.

“A copy was sent to King Harold?” Julius wondered.

“Yes,” Walter nodded, but soon fell to silence. “Though, I have heard a response from him.”

“And?” curious to the King’s reaction, Julius urged for a response and poured himself a fresh mug of coffee to help get him through the mountains of research he would have to find regarding the Princess’ alias name and character – Alexia May.

“He…is interested in meeting Ms Way but wants to toast to his Aunt finally being found,” Walter revealed, this grand ball not in any way a secret from the public, “A story was published on our King and King Harold agreeing to host the ball in the coming months on the date in which her Highness should have been crowned Queen.”

“That’s soon,” Julius said, turning his attention to the table calendar, “Why that’s a week from now.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Nothing published about Asana?”

“No,” Walter had been grateful that her relationship to the Princess remained a classified secret and secretly thanked the King and his team for their silent discretion.

“Does Asana know?” Julius asked, his likeness to her raising his father’s head to gaze at his expression to see the fondness for her in his eyes.

Walter chuckled, “…This is the second time you have called her by her first name. Do you approve of her this much?”

Naturally, a big brother-like smile curled across his face, “Where is Klaus ever going to find a caring and nice girl like her in his life-time?” he jokingly quizzed his father, and added to the jab, “Though, I can’t understand what it is a good and pure girl like her even sees in Klaus. He’s not the most approachable man in the world, and he has a great talent of scaring girls away.”

Walter gave a troubled smile in reply.

The usually expressionless wizard giving subtle hints of his troubled thoughts that someone who knew him well, like Julius, would pick up but would not be made clear to any stranger who hardly knew him. “What is it?” Julius asked, tired of guessing what his father was thinking.

Walter couldn’t tell him what troubled him, only this case had taken a complicated turn and the road ahead is likely to be a rough one, “This case…I should never have taken it if I knew it was going to become this complicated.” he sighed.

“You mean, you didn’t stop to think why a one-hundred-year-old case was classified from the start?” the question that had been bothering Julius the most slipped out of his mouth before he could stop and think about it, “Seems…odd.”

His son’s question was not what was complicated since he already knew why it was classified but never thought the danger of the case would become personal. Walter opted not to tell him but instead changed Julius job in this decisive action, “Listen, I will have Elias research the life of Alexia May, since he doesn’t seem too busy, but I want you to focus on this case,” he handed his son a folder.

It felt weird to Julius, “…Murders of investigators?” his eyebrows rose in confusion, “Isn’t this more a police job than an investigator to the Ministry?” He read some tabs sticking out from the folder with notes and names written in his father’s handwriting, “Lady Meredith? You mean, the King’s cousin?”

No longer able to hide, Walter revealed a small excerpt of the truth of this mission, “…The very same, she’s also a candidate for Rhymer’s crown but she’s suspected of murdering previous investigators trying to solve the mystery of Alexandria’s disappearance. Whoever did the murders or organised them, are preventing some truth from being revealed. The way I see it, they already know the truth about Alexandria but we are ahead of them of finding another potential candidate to take the crown.”

“Asana?”

“The Rhymer bloodline is thin and the potential for appropriate candidates are rare. In recent years, many of the other candidates disappeared but there remains Asana. If Lady Meredith is the mastermind behind these murders, it won’t be long before she realises she is positioned against Asana for the crown.”

“Wait, one second,” Julius knew Asana had no knowledge of any of this, “Are you suggesting Asana’s life is in danger over a position she doesn’t have any idea she’s in? No ever said she would ascend to the throne!”

“Why else would the King want to find any living descendants of the Princess?” Walter logically argued his debate and added, “Lust for power is a vicious game, especially when it is royalty involved. Whoever is willing to commit murder to secure their ownership of that crown will do anything, even to an innocent and unknowingly, even unwilling, rival, like Asana.”

Julius blinked in disbelief and felt a displeasure of not being aware of the entire truth about this case, “If you knew this, why did you accept such a dangerous job?” his eyes cutting into his father’s.

“I had no idea when I accept the job that it would turn as complicated as affecting my own family,” he assured his son, his tone defensive, “My priority has changed from learning about Alexia May to protecting Ms Way and Klaus from immediate harm. However, this needs to be done smartly and with finesse. We do this wrong, the results may be catastrophic for the entire kingdom too.”

“This is taking such a sudden turn, you should have told me this sooner!” Julius, rarely a man to question his father’s actions, had scowled his expression to convey his unhappiness and indignant emotions across to him, “You have to tell Klaus.”

Walter had never told him that their true objective, the entire time, was to find an heir and find a murderer, but had been withholding the information because of the fragile nature of the case and strict instructions to keep the sensitive details only to himself, even from his team. An order he, now, chose to disobey.

“Listen, be discreet about this investigation,” he warned his son, “When I accepted the case, I was under strict instruction to keep the classified mission to myself, even from my team, and pursue it myself, but now the safety of my own family is jeopardised I am choosing to disobey these orders.”

Walter, having ignored Julius’ frustrations, delivered his firm instructions but his eyes begged for trust and cooperation from his son. Staying silent, Julius could only trust his father and decided to take the case to his chambers where he could research in peace and leave his father to organise a strategy, “…Fine, but you need to tell Klaus.”

Walter thought better of it, “…If the urgency to protect Asana is required I will then tell him the truth until then, he is doing what he always does. Stays by her side and protects her, therefore he is already doing his job.”

“…Are you sure?” Julius didn’t want to doubt his father but his heart was telling him to tell his little brother the truth.

Walter glared up at him, “What of the reason for your doubt?”

“Well, if it was Elaine in danger, I would want to know who is threatening her,” he replied and added, “Also, I would know who I am protecting her against and can gauge how dangerous they could be to my wife’s life. Would you not do the same if it was Mom?”

“This is not a normal case, Julius,” Walter reminded him, “We are dealing with the Rhymer royal family and our actions have consequences for both our nations. Let me ask you, can I trust your brother will keep his emotions in check and maintain a level head?”

Julius understood his father’s point of view but he also knew his own brother, “Dad, if you tell him the truth now and explain everything to him in a calmer environment he will keep a straight head. But, if something happens to her and he’s angry, to expect him to even listen to you. Seeing those two in these short weeks, even you know, he loves her. He announced his feelings about her very clearly when he faked being engaged to her, it was his statement.”

Walter chuckled, “He certainly is captivated by her,” his expression relaxed and his mind ticked with thoughts on how to approach this situation and realised Julius had a valid point about telling Klaus the truth, “Perhaps you might be right Julius. I have much to think over.”

“Alright, I trust you to make the best decisions Dad,” Julius said and made his way to the office door, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Alone in his office, Walter opened the blinds to watch the white snow fall from the grey clouds blanketing the indigo sky behind it. The falling flakes replenishing the snow-covered garden relaxed his brain to rationally find the best approach to this case, calculating the risks and challenges presented in the case. Firstly, he remembered the meeting with the King’s chief advisor and what the young man had told him that day he accepted the mission, never foretelling it would directly his own family and an innocent girl who had no idea what she was being dragged into through no fault of her own.

“Sir, Alan would like to see you in his office,” one of his intern agents had knocked shyly on the door and relayed the message onto him, her voice trying to sound confident.

Walter held an office as the head of the Dark Magic and Homicide Crimes division of the Ministry and managed many teams and their assignments, along with his own team and missions too. He made magic tools to assist the Ministry across all areas of magic but that day he was not in the greatest of moods.

While arresting, a criminal wanted for minor dark magic offences, a young agent’s magic damaged the home of a single mother and an innocent bystander. Because of that, he had constant interruptions preventing him from working his own cases and continue his progress on a magic tool he had been brainstorming.

Now, the head boss of the Ministry requested him to his office. Standing by the door, the young brunette girl waited for his answer so she could relay it back to the chief assistant to the chief boss, “Sir?”

“I am on my way,” he sighed, “Also, when I come back have that young man in my office.”

“Yes Sir.”

Several times, Walter had been presented by the parliamentary minister overlooking the work of the Ministry to take the position of Chief Boss, but each time he declined because he enjoyed and found it more rewarding to join his team when taking on tough assignments. His experience and knowledge he could impart to the younger generation. The current Chief Boss, Alan, happened to be a dear friend.

Frequently, Alan only summoned Walter to share a friendly drink and conversation. Though, he could never gauge, each time, if he wanted to have a serious conversation about work or to simply relax and engage in a friendly conversation. Today, he said to himself in his head, was not a day for a drink and conversation about their families and children. He had a full plate of work he doubted would be finished by dinner.

Reluctantly, he pressed the button and waited for the elevator and listened to the work going on behind him. Another man stepped to his side but did not look to him in case there was some trouble that warranted his attention. Together, the men stepped into the elevator but Walter was not near the buttons, “Top floor,” grumpily, he demanded the button to be pressed and without a hint of hesitation the man pushed the button to his own floor and Walter’s.

“Chief boss, huh?” he hoped to ignite conversation.

Walter remained silent, checking the time on his wrist watch, “Lunch time,” he sighed, hoping this was not going to be a waste of his time.

The elevator travelled to the top of the sky-high building overlooking the city in the foreground and the ocean in the background with the blue and white clouds hanging above, gifting the people of the city with a stunning day.

His shoes tapped across the tiles of the office foyer towards the desk of the Chief Assistant. The young man at the front desk ignored Walter as he stepped to the desk, “Ahem,” Walter cleared his throat and the young man looked up at him through his curling strands of his blonde fringe, hanging at eyeline.

“Oh, Sir Goldstein!” he panicked.

Jumping from his chair, the young man gave two loud knocks to the heavy wooden double doors, “Sir Klein, Sir Goldstein is here,” he politely informed the man behind the door.

“Yes, send him in Eric,” a deep but crisp voice laughed from behind the door.

The man, named Eric, escorted Walter through the door, “Is there anything I get for you Sir Goldstein?” the young man courteously asked.

“No,” Walter curtly answered, closing the door behind his back.

Immediately, his aged and sharp violet eyes squared onto a young man with dark short hair standing by the armchair he had made himself comfortable in while awaiting his presence to Alan’s office. “Are you inviting more people to have drinks with you, Alan?” Walter joked, shaking his friend’s hand and turning to the younger man in the room.

No older than his eldest son, the man appeared well-presented in a designer tailored suit fitting his body elegantly. He stood tall and with a good posture, he appeared in good health and presented himself clean-shaven. Accepting the handshake, the young man spoke first, his voice confident, clean and eloquent, “Osias Elwood, it is a pleasure to meet you Sir Walter Goldstein.”

Alan chimed now chimed in, “Mister Osias Elwood, Walter Goldstein is a dear friend of mine with the hell of a record when it comes to cracking the toughest of cases. I assure he will do this case and find the answers your King needs.”

Looking at him and listening to Alan’s comment, it made sense the young man had come from the palace but what confused Walter is why he was here meeting with him, “For what business does an employee from the royal palace have at the Ministry and with me?” he phrased his question charmingly.

No need for Alan to speak on Osias’ behalf, the young man began to speak but it was unnecessary heroic praise buttering Walter up to whatever this man wanted, or rather what the King wanted, “Sir, allow me to say it is an honour to meet one of Gedonelune’s finest wizards,” his speech had a trained charisma and sophisticated charm Walter admired, “I do apologise for interrupting your work today but I am here on behalf of King Harold of the Rhymer Kingdom.”

His admission surprised Walter since he was an employee of a foreign kingdom, also a magical land, with their own organisation for maintaining order and justice in the magical world.

Alan watched the meeting proceed and Walter glanced across to him, attempting to gauge what he had been summoned to, “It is not often we receive visits from an employee of an allied kingdom?” Walter quizzed, still glancing across at Alan to fill him in, he didn’t like beating around the bush.

“No, sir, I imagine you don’t,” Osias chuckled slightly.

A small silence cueing the young man to explain his presence, “However, I am here on a formal request by His Majesty King Harold. Recently, my King has embarked on another quest to unlock the truth his ancestral Aunt’s mysterious disappearance one hundred years ago, but previous investigations have resulted in investigators never returning or turning up deceased without a shred of information regarding the legendary Princess,” he said.

“Recent events within the blood line of the royal family has made him…paranoid. Heirs have gone missing through strange circumstances. He believes someone is behind these attacks and can’t trust his own magical organisation to conduct the investigations. With permission by your King and government, we have approved a request for Gedonelune’s Ministry to investigate in good faith to our allegiance and the promise of a cooperative successor in the future.”

Walter stared at the man dubiously and had become slightly confused about what the young man was asking for him to investigate exactly, “It sounds as though there are three separate investigations I am being asked to do here. Simplify it for me, what does the King wish to know?”

“Anything you can tell him about the disappearance and life of Princess Alexandria, he has come to understand remains possibly hers had been dug up in the countryside of this country. Especially, any news on if she has living descendants,” that was the first objective of this case.

“To find an heir?”

Osias nodded in confirmation of his sharp mind, “Yes, and to quench his curiosity over what happened to her after the siege. His Majesty is a family man and considers himself a father-like figure to his people, and wishes to, before he abdicates his crown, solve this riddle as a parting gift to his family and his country.”

“Alright, but old bones are not my division,” Walter shot a glare over to Alan, “Next is to find a murderer.”

“…Yes,” Osias nodded again, his confident tone not fading but his expression pained, “Many relatives of the King have suddenly disappeared without a trace. No one has uncovered any evidence but he is sure that someone is behind these attacks?”

“He seems quite positive,” Walter said, “Why does he believe someone is behind the attacks?”

Osias didn’t turn away from the older man as he carefully chose how to answer Walter’s question, “The royal family’s blood line is thin since many were killed during the siege but also because of a recent war. Those close to the King know he is about to abdicate but he knows his only potential heir, Lady Meredith, is a cunning and devious woman who has…plans for our country, bad plans. He knows because a loyal servant to the King overheard her speaking to an agent of our Magic Council. He is of the belief that she has something do to with these killings.”

“And of the investigators too?”

Osias was not certain, “I apologise, that remains unclear to me,” he said, “However, I what I can tell you, of my knowledge about their disappearance. My liege hired three previous investigators, wizards in archaeology and research, to explore the legend of Princess Alexandria, with access to the royal palace and all, to find what happened to her and if she has any living relatives in the per chance she ran away, and to report their findings. One went missing and turned up dead weeks later and the other two were found dead by villagers in a town they had been lead to by their investigations.”

“So, that is my second and third objective,” Walter inhaled a deep breath.

Alan understood Walter apprehension to take the case but he chimed in with a comment that could convince him to take on the case, “Walter, you are a good friend of mine and the King is quite fond of you and your family too. He personally recommended you to his long-distant cousin and I agreed.”

“I am flattered, truly,” Walter scratched the back of his head. “I—.”

“King Harold would have requested to meet you himself, but we are operating under strict classified instructions,” Osias said, “He figured a famous and talented wizard, like yourself, would be too noticeable to go missing and too powerful not to put up a good fight. Please understand the fragile nature of the case,” his urgency and warnings convinced Walter not to accept the case.

“You don’t have much experience in negotiation, do you?” he rhetorically quizzed.

Osias pushed a folder into Walter’s arms for him to look over if he’s interested in taking the mission, “This is the evidence we have gathered on Lady Meredith and other potential suspects,” he informed, and added, “Also, primary attempts to find the Princess the day she disappeared,” his voice bouncing with excitement that he would accept the case.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, kid,” Walter chuckled at the kid’s energy. “Is there any evidence of magical interference with the deceased members of the royal family and the investigators?”

“There is a coroner report included in the file but a short answer to your question – yes.”

Silenced ensued between the three but a dark cloud formed above Walter’s head as he questioned taking on the case. He turned to Alan and back to Osias, “Young man, I am an experienced wizard and I am the Chief of Dark Crimes and Homicide Division of the Ministry. I am not about to accept a job with danger written all over it without doing it my own way, with my own people and with a guarantee from both Kings that my findings or my conduct will not cause differences between our nations.”

Osias pulled a contract from his briefcase, “I was hoping you would say that,” he said and held the single sheet out to Walter, “King Harold is not going to interfere with how you decide to approach this case. After all, he is a kind-hearted man asking a favour of his cousin’s agents and feels terrible for the families of those three investigators who lost their lives trying to solve the mystery surrounding her disappearance.”

Holding out the contract and a pen, Osias hoped he would consent to this case being confidential. Walter, however, did not like the idea of being restricted and sworn to secrecy woven by magic, “I refuse to sign your contract based on it being ridiculous,” Walter read through the contents, “A magically sworn contract whereby I do not tell the classified secrets of this case to another person. How am I supposed to interview persons of interest without providing details of the case?”

“Um…,” Osias realised he had an excellent point.

“What about my team?”

“Team?”

“You don’t expect a busy man like myself to conduct a dangerous mission alone and without back up in case I land in trouble?” Walter argued, “This is a fundamental rule in survival on missions I impart onto all my young agents. No matter how harmless or dangerous the case may be, check in with your location via their tracker devices or through word of mouth to a family member, colleague or anyone who might be able to find them when they land in trouble.”

“I see.”

Walter shook his head and chuckled, “No way. If I am to do a case this dangerous where my life or that of my team, or god forbid we find a living relative of the Princess, who’s life will be in danger from this Lady Meredith you suspect of murdering off her rivals, then I expect to have full control over how it is handled. I understand the King is paranoid, but what will I gain from betraying my own King’s cousin? For certain, I am not about to risk the lives of myself and my team, or an innocent life, because of a foreign squabble over a crown, a lust for ultimate political power. Understand?” He spoke sternly and straight forward.

“I believe King Harold will agree to those terms,” Osias had no objections and withdrew the contract from the table and handed Walter a personal letter from the King to verify and thank Walter for taking the mission on board, “I hope you will now accept the job,” he smiled handing him the letter.

A part of him still doubted about accepting the job but he did accept it. “If this is all, I wish to return to my office. I have a young agent who needs scolding.”

“Again, thank you for helping our kingdom and good luck with the case.”

He had accepted a mission without the knowledge the case would be closer to his heart that he could not foresee. Watching the snow falling from the sky, he couldn’t predict how things were about to turn out and he decided Julius was right. Klaus should know the details so he can best protect Asana while he put all his resources into eliminating the threat to the lives of his family.

Turning his chair around, he sent a magic note to Klaus room to request his presence in his office where he would tell him the truth of the nature of the case. After he had sent the message to his son and waited for him to come hither, he continued to brainstorm the best strategy. In his collection of papers, he reviewed what he knew about Lady Meredith and decided he needed a close eye to watch her movements, not jumping to the conclusion she could be the only person behind these murders.

Inside his chambers, Klaus had pulled the sofa in front of the fireplace and snuggled up with Asana, embracing the warmth around him. His strong arms held her close to his own warmth, her light and delicate body wrapped elegantly inside the cotton fabric of her lavender negligee. Her head rested on his shoulder, occupying the space between his neck and shoulder with his fingers gently stroking her skin. Pink eyes drifted between being awake and falling asleep while he quietly read a novel.

“…This is nice,” she admitted, further cuddling into his warm body with her body fitting his perfectly, “It’s almost like…my body was made for you,” she wiggled her body to squeeze closer to him.

“You are like a cat,” he commented, unable to fight the smile forming across his face.

Shifting his body slightly to allow her to seek the comfort she wanted, his arm tightened around her waist to hold her close too. “You can go to sleep if you’re tired,” he turned his head to reach his lips over to kiss her forehead.

“…You’re very warm and comfortable and secure…it’s hard to stay awake,” she mumbled and let out a big yawn, “…I love you, Klaus.”

He chuckled, “I love you too.”

“…What are you reading?” she was already half-asleep.

“I am reading a fantasy novel,” he answered, his voice sexily whispering into her ear, “It’s about a wizard who falls in love with a fairy but the fairy King forbids the relationship. The wizard decides to make a deal with the King to trade his human life to become a fairy, sacrificing his heart.”

“…Hm, sounds romantic,” she murmured.

“Romantic?” Klaus didn’t agree, “It’s rather…morbid. He dies.”

“…But dying for the person you love can be considered melodramatic romance,” she mumbled, her breath tickling his neck as she spoke.

He couldn’t agree with her, “Would you want me to die for you to prove my love?”

“…No, of course not, I love you and I want to grow old with you.”

“Really, you want to grow old with me?” he smiled, knowing she was the most honest her half-sleeping state, “Will you still love me when I am aa grumpy old man?”

She fluttered her eyes open to gaze at his side-long profile, “Of course I will,” she planted a kiss the side of his jaw, “But, will you love me when I’m a little old lady?”

His eyes could no longer concentrate on the words in the story. Closing the book and discarding it to the coffee table, he shifted his body to readjust her position over the top of him. Gently cupping her face inside the palm of his large hand, he smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Pulling away, keeping his lips close to hers, he replied to her question, “I will never stop loving you,” in his mind, he could vividly see their perfect future but his heart worried if their dream of living together would be allowed to happen, “I can see you baking cookies for our grandchildren.”

She giggled, her imagination seeing their future together too, “I have to take care of my family,” she said and leaned to meet his lips in a deeper kiss. “It would make me the happiest woman in the world to be by your side for the rest of our lives and raising our family together, Klaus.”

“Asana…”

Her words pushed his buttons that he coaxed her legs forward to straddle around his body. His large hand cupped around her neck to slip his tongue pass her lips to passionately kiss her. Within her chest, her heart pounded and her mind started to lose all sense as his hands and lips ignited her senses and spread waves of pleasure through her body, “Klaus…,” she whispered his name as he pulled her up into a sitting position and he rose his body to begin peeling her negligee from her body.

His lips strayed from her lips to trail a line of open-mouthed kisses down her neck and across her shoulder. Pulling her gown up over her head, her bare breasts were exposed to him and her creamy skin was warm and bathed in the glow of the flames from the fire next to them. What started out sweet bubbled into a passionate moment.

In the movement, he felt her hands crawl underneath his shirt and he allowed her to strip the long-sleeved shirt from his body. Their lips coming together again to seek each other’s taste. He could feel her hands cupping around his face and her fingers brushing through his golden hair. Securing her body in the strength and comfort of his arms, he raised his hips so she could feel his growing erection underneath her, his lips descending her neck again and her sweet and soft moans fuelling him on and filling the room.

Suddenly, she felt her body beginning to tip backwards onto the couch beneath her. A never-ending wave of pleasure rolled through her body as Klaus’ body came to hover above hers. Either side of his waist, her legs straddled around him as she became drunk on his love. Before she had time to think, his lips came back to hers as he repositioned himself above her.

Completely covered by his body, he paid close attention to the way she accepted his love. Her hands feeling up and down his trained and broad body. Eventually, her hands went further down to the band of his pyjama bottoms. However, he grabbed her hand and kissed the palm, “Not yet,” he said, extending his kisses down her arm and across to her breast.

She felt his tongue swirl around the pink bud of her breast nipple and his fingers dance their way underneath the band of her underwear. Unable to think straight, her appreciative moans filled the room as he slipped his fingers in between her legs, “Klaus!” Eyes closed, she accepted every touch, his fingers thrusting gently in and out of her body to prolong the feeling, “Ah, Klaus,” her breathing hitched and she could feel her core stirring with an unbearable pleasure driving her towards her orgasm.

Unlatching his lips from her hardened breast, his planted open-mouthed kisses down her slender stomach plane. Her hands latched onto the armrest behind her as her body squirmed underneath his electrifying touch. Pulling back, he ripped open her laced underwear and brought her leg up over his shoulder until it eventually came to wrap around his neck. She was dripping wet and he smiled at hearing her breathing hitch before he made contact.

“You know what I’m going to do?”

“Yes…,” she waited for his touch and peered into his violet eyes. “…Do it,” she wanted him to continue.

“Demanding me, are you?” he smirked.

“…Please, Klaus,” she begged.

“Anything you want, my love.”

She watched his head disappear between her legs and whimpered as he drove his lips and tongue right into her wet centre, her back arching in response to his intense touch. “Klaus,” she moaned his name, feeling her body ready to fall apart. “Klaus…I’m close…,” she warned him but it only spurred him to continue, moving to suck on the bud between her legs. That’s all it took for her orgasm to rip through her body.

He swallowed her juices without hesitation and hovered over her body again to seal her lips in a passionate kiss. “Klaus,” her sweet voice reaching his ears as he pressed against her body and kissed across her shoulder blade, “I need you,” she begged him, not yet satisfied and with her own hands and feet, pulled his pants and underwear down to free his erection, “Please.”

As he was about to push into her, the magic note his father had sent floated underneath his door and floated down onto the sofa where he pushed his hard length into her body to her appreciative moans. He noticed the magic note there but he ignored it for the moment. Pulling back out, he pushed into her again, keeping the pace and the hardness consistent. “Shall we take this to the bed,” he suggested.

She nodded to his suggestion and feeling her body being lifted into his arms, keeping their kiss connected. Slipping between the blankets, they sunk into their love and fell asleep in each other’s arms. The hours creeping towards the early morning.

Still awake, Walter had already asked Elias to conduct research into Alexia May. However, he had not yet heard a response from Klaus, and like his son, he didn’t like to be ignored or kept waiting. With Elias agreeing to help his father with this minor job, Walter turned to Klaus’ chambers and banged loudly on the door, “Klaus?”

Asana slept through Walter’s loud knocking but squirmed and tossed over to cuddle into his arms. Klaus, tired, ignored him and gave a half-hearted effort to wake up but fell asleep again. “Klaus, open up the door, for goodness sake,” Walter grumpily urged him.

Again, he ignored his father with a groan.

Sick and tired of being ignored, Walter opened the door to the sight of them sleeping naked. Inhaling a sharp breath, he walked over to Klaus and gently flicked his forehead so he would wake up while shielding his eyes to block out Asana’s figure. “Wake up!”

“A decent person would see that we are sleeping which is normal for this hour of the night,” Klaus grumbled and fluttered his eyelids to open, “It better be important.”

“I think you will find it is,” Walter assured him, “Now, get dressed and be in my office in ten minutes,” he ordered and marched from his chambers back to his office.

The movement of Klaus’ body from underneath her caused her to wake up, “…Who was that?” she mumbled, squinting her eyes from being woken up.

Klaus kissed her lips and forehead, “It was Dad. He needs to talk to me about something,” he leaned in to kiss her again and raised the sheets to cover her body, “I won’t be long. Go to sleep.”

He only grabbed a pair of a long pants to cover his naked body and headed down the cold hall to his father’s warm office, one side of his golden hair sticking up. Knocking on the door, he didn’t need to introduce himself and let himself in, “What is it? It’s nearly one in the morning.”

“I sent you a message, did you not receive it?” Walter turned his gaze up at him.

“I did but I was…engaged with other activities.”

Walter rolled his eyes at his son’s satisfied smirk, “Yes, so I realised when I had to fetch you myself,” he said, and felt a need to ask a concerned question as a father, “Please tell me that you are wearing protection?”

Klaus chuckled, “Is it a bit too late to have that talk with me, Dad?”

“Klaus, I used to be a boy too and when I wasn’t careful your brother happened. It can happen to even the most prepared and logical men,” Walter replied, “Boys can lose all their senses when it comes to attractive girls.”

“Well, she will be the mother of your grandchildren someday,” Klaus stated, “Though if this is all you want to talk to me about then I am going to pretend I didn’t hear it and return to my girlfriend,” he walked towards the door.

Walter stopped him before he left his office, “I am not done with you!” his father annoyingly glared at him, “Sit down,” he pointed across his desk to an armchair, “There is something I need to discuss with you and it concerns Ms Way.”

Eyebrows raised, Klaus did as his father asked but instead went to the stove to pour himself a cup of tea to help wake his mind, “I assume this concerns the Princess Alexandria case?”

“Yes,” Walter nodded, his chair creaking as he leaned forward in his chair, his expression turning serious.

“This seems serious,” Klaus commented.

“You may not like what I am about to tell you but the only reason why I am telling you is because I trust your brother’s judgement about you,” Walter said, and paused, “Now, I will tell you this, Asana’s life may be put in danger because of her direct relation to the Princess.”

Walter’s tone told Klaus that he was not joking and his sudden need to see him was not out of annoyance but priority. “Alright,” Klaus prompted him to continue.

Not a detail was spared from Walter’s explanation of the case but carefully he watched his son’s violet eyes burning with anger and desperation, “Dad, let me help you with this case,” he urged.

Walter shook his head, “You are already helping by staying by her side and keeping her safe.”

“But—.”

In his attempt to protest, Walter raised his hand, “Klaus. You do understand why I have told you this information, don’t you?”

He sighed, “…Yes. To keep my temper in check because of the fragile nature of the case.”

“Exactly,” Walter nodded, “Elias is doing the lesser work of researching the life of Alexia May which allows me to use all my resources to find whoever is behind the murders of these investigators and the members of the royal family. My top priority is to eliminate the target on her back by arresting whoever is eliminating their rivals for the crown.”

He agreed with his father’s decision but wasn’t fond of this entire situation, “I agree with your decision as the best course of action to protect her,” Klaus nodded but his eyes narrowed with indignation he conveyed across to his face, “However...,” he warned, “I am not going to care about international politics if harm comes to her before you find the person responsible for these threats. As for King Harold, he should look elsewhere for an heir since I am not willing to give her up. Call it selfish, but she means more to me than my own life.”

“I understand how you feel Klaus,” Walter acknowledged his son’s feelings, “You have made it quite clear how you feel about the girl and I am trying to do everything I can do to ensure she is not picked apart by the vultures in this vicious circle and to prevent the two of you from being torn apart.”

He appreciated his father’s concern but he had a lot of information to process. Averting his gaze, the flicker of the flames suddenly became interesting as he made sense of the information his father had revealed to him. “Klaus,” Walter could see his anxiety through his eyes too, “I will do everything I can to stop this.”

“…She can’t be forced to take the crown, can she?”

“No, I will make sure her voice is heard,” Walter guaranteed, “Consider myself her representative in this situation. After coming to know her over these couple weeks, I have grown a likeness to her myself and I accept her as the woman you have chosen to spend the rest of your life with.”

Klaus had not expected his father to quickly accept their relationship but was grateful his father had come to accept their relationship nonetheless, “Thank you.” Standing to his feet, Klaus had plenty of information to process and right now wanted to return to Asana, “I must return to my chambers now.”

His bare feet quietly padded along the carpet of Walter’s office but his father did not challenge his right to leave. Walter watched him leave until he closed the door behind his back to let out a sigh. He hoped Klaus would keep his emotions in check through this case.

The meeting with his father had carried on longer than he had anticipated. Glancing up at an antique and stylish clock decorating the wall of the hallway he strolled down, the hands pointed at quarter to two in the morning. With what he knew now, Klaus doubted he would get any sleep.

Quietly, he pushed open his chamber doors and slipped inside, gently closing the door behind him to not wake Asana. From across the room, he stared at her sleeping through the morning. From their earlier passion filled love making, she remained naked underneath the blankets. He restocked the fire since he would be awake for a little while longer and slipped in beside her and gazed at her beauty while she softly snored through her sleep.

Slipping in between the sheets beside her, he tossed his body onto his side, gazing at her adorable sleeping face with his violet eyes captivated by her beauty, “You really are beautiful,” he whispered, gently moving her fringe across her flawless skin to keep it from her eyes. Silently, he made a vow in his heart and soul that not a person would bring harm to her or force her into anything without her consent, “I will always protect, just as I always have,” he sealed that promise with a gentle kiss on her lips, “I love you.”

“…Klaus?”

“Hush, go back to sleep,” he whispered, and cuddled her close to him.

“…Are you only getting back from your father’s office?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry about that,” he kissed the top of her forehead, “Get some rest.”

Snuggling into his warm body, she found her way back to sleep, “…I love you too Klaus,” she had heard his confession of love and returned the confession too.

“I know,” he smiled.

Though, his mind and heart raced with anxiety regarding their future together but he had to trust his father and his brother. Each time he looked down at her sleeping face, he couldn’t fathom the reason why anyone would want to harm her and grew tired of her being innocently dragged into danger. His father requested him think and react rationally, but how could he do that when the life of the woman he loves and their future together is threatened by the Kingdom of Rhymer.

He had an idea.

Without the knowledge of her own life being in danger, Asana had awakened around eight in the morning but the house remained quiet with only a few servants tending to their tasks. The marble hallways were shrouded in silence and the servant staff made little noise at the risk of waking up the tired residents.

Too scared to wander around the palace-like home, she turned right to go towards the home’s large library. Klaus had shown her to the room on a tour of the home and his parents had invited her to any books that took her interest to read at any time. On her way, the library door opened wide before she could put her fingers to the handle.

Remerging from the library was a head of recognisable locks, “Oh, Elias! Good morning,” she had come under the assumption everyone was still asleep, “Sleep well?”

“Good morning, Asana,” Elias stepped to the house to allow her entry into the library, “I did. You?”

“Like a log,” she smiled, remembering what had happened the night before in the comfort of Klaus’ arms, “It was a very warm night.”

He sighed, “I take it you snuck into my brother’s chambers again?”

“Hey, you make it sound like I done something rude,” she frowned at him.

Though, his perceptive eyes had caught the sight of his brother’s mark on the side of her exposed neck in the open neckline of her cotton robes. His cheeks turned a shade of pink, “Anyone could make that correct guess,” he said.

“Huh?” she didn’t understand.

“Your neck,” Elias pointed, “…T-there’s a mark.”

“What?!”

In the decorative hall, a mirror hung on the wall and she checked out the sizeable bruise gracing the side of her neck in a very visible spot. In fact, she had two small marks on the other side of her neck too. “Ah, Klaus!” she sighed and felt embarrassed that Elias had seen them.

“You should be thankful my parents like you,” Elias stated.

She couldn’t face him, not when the evidence of her night spent with Klaus was marked on her neck. Suddenly, she had no interest to read a book but rather she wanted to find a way to cover up these marks before she even saw his parents. “Um, I have to go,” she quickly turned around back to Klaus’ chambers.

Opening his closet, the maids had stored her clean clothes in with Klaus’. Fishing a knitted turtle neck tunic from her collection of clothes, she made her way across the room to the bathroom. Though, before she could even make the door, a pair of strong arms came around her waist and picked her up, “Klaus!” she giggled.

“Who said you could leave the bed?”

He twirled her body around and playfully threw her back onto the bed, “I didn’t want to wake you,” she giggled and turned her body to have her back to the bed, “You came to back to bed late.”

Her vision was filled by the closeness of Klaus’ face, “Where did you go before?”

“I went to the library but I ran into Elias,” she said, remembering why she had returned, “Because a certain someone left marks across my neck last night and I didn’t notice how visible they were until Elias pointed it out.”

“You are mine, everyone should know you belong to me.”

“My very heart and soul belong to you, Klaus, and no one can take you away from me,” she smiled, “Now, let me up so I can get dressed.”

Though, Klaus couldn’t let her go, not yet, her words reminding him that he needed to talk to her. Instead of ruining this good moment, he had a more relaxing way of speaking to her without stressing her out, “Listen, I need to talk to you about something important, something private. Why don’t we have a shower together?”

Her cheeks became flushed.

“Why are you blushing?”

“…Well, because you suggested we have a shower together.”

“So,” Klaus loved this adorable side to her, “I saw everything last night. What difference does this make?”

He was right, as usual. Last night, she was exposed across the sofa and it didn’t bother her that the flames exposed her naked flesh to Klaus. “…But…we were caught in the moment and made love.”

“You don’t want to then?”

She didn’t say she didn’t want to, “I never said I didn’t want to,” she said.

“Come on, Bunnyhead,” he teased, “We have showered together before.”

The more he convinced her to have a warm shower with him, the more it appealed to her. She thought a warm shower to begin the day would be an excellent way to wake her up along with a delicious breakfast to follow, “Alright.”

Moving off her body, he lead her by the hand into the bathroom and ran the warm shower first before they stripped down to their naked skins and stepped into the warm sprinkling water.

Steam fogged the glass barrier encasing the water streaming around them. Smearing scented body wash onto his hand, he began to massage the soap to exfoliate her creamy skin and Asana was curious about what he wanted to talk about, “What was it that you wanted to speak to me about?” she prompted the conversation to begin.

He continued to wash her back as he began to speak, “If you plan to go anywhere, even in the house, I want you to take myself, one of my brothers or my father with you,” he calmly spoke but his tone was a warning to her.

His warning prompted her to turn around, “Why? Has something happened?”

“My father has received the results from the DNA test he had done to determine if you are a distant relative of the Princess, and it turns out Alexia May and Princess Alexandria are positively the same person,” he informed, “This case he is doing is much more dangerous than he had told us before. But, I understand the fewer people who know he’s doing this case, the less people will come to harm.”

“Harm?” his words surprised her, “Klaus, am I in danger?”

Klaus knew he was crossing a line by telling her the truth but he didn’t want her facing danger without knowing the truth, “The bloodline of Rhymer’s royal family is quite diminished and the candidates to claim the crown are disappearing, my father believes through the foul play of a rival who wants to secure the crown without drawing attention to themselves. This is the primary reason why King Harold wanted to find Princess Alexandria, so he could find direct relatives who are alive.”

She realised he was talking about her, “Me!” her finger pointed to herself.

He confirmed her assumptions with a nod. The warm shower suddenly felt cold as she tried to process this information, her eyes widening and her mind and heart beginning to send panicked anxiety through her body, “…But…I don’t want to be a royal! No one ever asked me if I wanted this!”

“Calm down, calm down,” Klaus wrapped his arms around her to relax her mind.

“How can I?” She panicked, “Someone wants me dead over a job I don’t even want.”

“Hey, no one is going to kill you!” he strongly stated and held her close to him, “My father and Julius are putting all their resources into finding the person responsible. He doesn’t believe this person yet knows about you but he’s not taking any chances by gambling with your life, so he wants me to protect you always, until the threat has been dealt with. Well, I always protect you but I am not going to lose you, not even to a royal family.”

“Klaus…”

“I love you, Asana, and I want us to grow old together like we’ve promised each other.”

“I want that too but what if I can’t say no?”

“Of course, you can,” Klaus stroked his finger gently across her cheek and kissed her wet lips, “I have a plan and Dad is working on his own. Do whatever I ask of you and you will be safe.”

“Okay, what do you want me to do?”

Klaus peered deeply into her eyes and smiled, “Marry me?”

She fell silent in her shock.

“If we marry, we can stay together,” Klaus said.

“…Are you serious?”

“I’m very serious,” Klaus answered.

It was not how she imagined being asked to marry him. “But—.” She pictured him getting down on one knee surrounded by a romantic scene and asking her to become his wife and then they would plan a beautiful wedding and marry, their love shared and witnessed by those close to them.

Klaus took her hand into his own and kissed the back of them, “Once this is over, we can divorce or have a proper wedding. Whatever we choose, but if we marry now they will have terrible trouble trying to tear us apart. Consider it, insurance.”

“…It seems so sudden, though, what will your father say?”

“I don’t care what they say,” Klaus said, his lips inches from hers, “I love you and I am not about to risk losing you. Besides, consider it practice for when you really do become my wife.”

His lips sealed hers in a passionate kiss, his tongue penetrating beyond her pink and wet lips. It sounded dramatic but it would send a strong message to King Harold about her reluctance to take on the responsibilities of the crown, a job she would have never imagine herself in. She also hoped her faux marriage would expand the time limit for Walter and Julius.

“…Okay,” she agreed, “I will marry you Klaus. But this is the second time you have faked proposed to me, so the next one better be the real one,” she warned.

He chuckled at her humorous warning and kissed her again, “After breakfast we’ll go into the city and organise everything,” he said, kissing her lips again.

“Wait, we are getting married today?”

“The Princess’ Ball is in a week and that’s where King Harold will meet with you,” Klaus said, “Our marriage needs to look legit and we can make it work since we are already in love and plan to marry someday.”

“…This sounds insane,” she laughed, “But, whatever it takes to secure what we have.”

“When our real wedding comes, it will be a proper wedding with our family and friends,” he sealed that promise with another kiss, “Now, don’t mention anything I have told you to my father. He didn’t want me to tell you since this case is incredibly fragile.”

She trusted his judgment and returned a sweet kiss on his lips, “I trust you,” she whispered and smiled up at him. “Now, turn around and let me wash you,” she changed the pace of the conversation and turned him around to wash his broad and masculine back.

“It’s not often I get to see this side of you,” she giggled and groped his buttocks.

“Don’t push it,” a smile broke out across his lips.

“It’s a cute butt.”

“Did you just call my butt cute?”

Her giggling echoed through the bathroom, “So what if I did? It’s a cute bum.”

“That’s it,” he turned around and turned off the shower.

She giggled as his eyes pinned her down, “Klaus…play nice,” she tried to back away from him.

“I was going to leave consummation for later but not now,” he pushed her up against the wall of the shower and pinned her hands above her head, clashing his lips against hers.

He then turned her around, “Your butt is the cutest,” he smirked.

Soon enough she stopped giggling and her moans began echoing through the room.

Dressing warmly for the day ahead, they held hands on their way down to breakfast with the engagement ring Klaus had given to her to trick his parents back on her finger. The smell of chocolate waffles and hot coffee drifted through the kitchen of the house. With only Mary, Elaine and Elias.

“Good morning Klaus and Ms Way,” Mary greeted them both with a warm smile, “Forgive Walter and Julius’ absence they went to the Ministry early for important work.”

“Brother, will you please close the book at the table?” Elaine politely asked Elias.

“Sorry,” Elias apologised.

“Elias, just because you are an adult now does not mean you can disobey the ‘no books at the table’ rule,” his mother scolded, “Put it away and eat your breakfast.”

“I’m not a little boy Mom.”

“Then you should know better,” she argued.

Elias grumbled and closed the book with an audible slam.

Klaus and Asana took two vacant seats that were next to each other at the breakfast table. A maid setting two plates of waffles in front of them followed by a fresh cup of tea. Elaine smiled across the table, “You know Asana, you have such a pretty face,” she commented.

“Um…thank you,” she cut an edge of her waffle and was ready to bring it to her mouth.

“It will be your second ball in a matter of weeks, are you excited?”

“…Well, hopefully I won’t be a nervous wreck like last time.”

During the Christmas holidays, Klaus’ family attended the King’s Christmas Ball and used the function to invite the wealthy families of his kingdom to donate money to support those in need during the festive months. Of course, the event was a grand party with artistic plates of canapés and shining colours of elegant gowns sparkling under the crystal chandeliers of the ancient and opulent ballroom.

“I was a stuttering mess to every person who spoke to me,” she giggled.

Elaine laughed, “Yes, I remember dancing with Julius near the two of you and you tripped on the train of your dress.”

“Do not think too much about it, dear,” Mary laughed, remembering her first ball when she was a little girl.

“My first ball, I was eight years old. My parents were quite the philanthropists, and had hosted a gala auction to raise money for research into motor neurone disease, a disease which unfortunately claimed the life of my grandmother a year before that we held that fundraiser. I remember they had these enormous ice sculptures for decoration and my sister and I thought it would be a good time to play. Our mother warned us not to run around the ball room, but we were kids and refused to listen, until my sister pushed me and one of the ice sculptures was knocked over.”

Mary laughed at the fondness of the memory, “Of course, I can laugh about it now but at the time no one thought it was funny. I never forget the look on my father’s face and the embarrassment on my mother’s. After that, my sister and I were grounded for quite some time but we were well-behaved at the next ball,” she covered her hand over Asana’s, giving her a gentle smile, “There is no need to feel nervous at these events.”

“While that’s true, I have a feeling the Princess’ Ball is going to be a slightly different affair.”

“Well, if this is to celebrate the life of an ancestor, you should be dressed up to the nines,” Elaine insisted, her mind ticking away.

Klaus knew his sister well enough to see the bright smile she wore was hiding the enjoyment of dressing up his girlfriend, “Your dolls must have been terrified of you when you were little,” he jabbed.

“They looked beautiful!” Elaine smiled but quickly ignored him, “I propose we go shopping for dresses. I know the ball is a week away but we need to find the perfect dress for a Princess.”

“But…I’m not a princess,” Asana said, and taking a bite of her chocolate covered waffles into her mouth, “Wouldn’t it be rude to out-dress the royal family?”

“I don’t believe it’s rude to look beautiful,” Mary commented and looked Asana up and down, “Besides, you have such a beautiful face. Don’t hide it.”

“Not to mention, your complexion really goes with any colour dress,” Elaine added.

Flashbacks to the information Klaus had revealed to her began to flood through her mind. “…Are we going to the Ball?” she turned around to him, thinking if her life was in danger a ball was the last place she should be attending.

“It would be a bad sign if we didn’t go,” he answered, “I will come with you and Elaine to go shopping.”

“What?!” without any knowledge of Asana’s predicament, Elaine screeched with displeasure at his invitation, “But…I plan to dress her up like a Princess to knock the breath out of you.”

He chuckled, “My dear sister, she’s never looked like a Princess to me.”

“Klaus! That’s mea—.”

Before she could protest Klaus cut her off, “Let me finish,” he calmly begged her, “She has always and forever will be my Queen. So, if you plan to dress her up, make sure she looks like a Queen.”

“Klaus…,” embarrassment spread across her cheeks but she failed to keep her happiness contained, “…Actually, today for dress shopping is not good. I will be spending the day with Klaus. We are going on a date.”

“Oh really?” Elaine, having a similar personality to Amelia, smirked and wanted juicy details like a nosy big sister, “I sure hope my brother will be a proper gentleman but I must admit it is so strange to see him being friendly with a woman.”

Mary giggled, “Very rare. Oh, there are plenty of stories to tell you about girls having crushes on my Klaus only to be heartbroken—.”

“Let me guess, he’s beautiful too look at but they felt intimidated once he opened his mouth?” she smiled up at him, “Sorry.”

“I didn’t scare you away.”

“Would you want to? You know you love me,” she leaned over and naturally planted a sweet kiss on his cheek, “I love you too.”

It was such a natural act but it stunned Klaus since she had boldly kissed him in front of his family, his cheeks turning a shade of red. Elias struggled to contain his amusement but Mary and Elaine were averting their faces to laugh at him. “Oh, Klaus. She sure has you hooked,” Elaine laughed.

“My, it has been a long time since I have since you blush like this,” his mother laughed at him too, imprinting the sight into her memory.

Klaus cut a glare across to Asana, conveying a message to never to that again without warning, “Hurry up and finish your breakfast. We have places to be and no time to waste by sitting here,” he grumpily prompted her to continue eating her food.

“So, where is my son taking you on this date?”

“Ice skating down at the rink,” of course, she was lying.

Klaus added, “She’s never been ice skating so this is either going to be a great day.”

“Oh, please don’t break your ankle before the Ball,” Mary stressed.

“I’ll try not to,” like a pair of actors, Klaus and Asana’s true plan had not been detected.

However, it would be a good enough of a cover to go to the courthouse and legally marry. It was a secret but because Klaus felt his father would attempt to stop him from taking a radical step. However, it was something else entirely to Klaus, it was security to protect Asana from being dragged into a situation she had no control over.

“Well, have fun and look after her,” she warned him with a warm motherly tone.

“You don’t need to tell me to take care of my girlfriend, Mother.”

“Tomorrow, we will find you the perfect dress,” Elaine insisted.

“Of course!” Asana assured her it was a date set and polished off the final piece of her breakfast, clearing the plate to expose the golden edges of its expensive design, “Thank you for the delicious breakfast.”

Of course, Klaus had already finished and had been waiting on Asana to finish her meal. “Shall we?” he reached out his hand for hers and she happily took hold of it.

“Yes, let’s go.”

For a marriage they had planned so suddenly, even if it was fake to them was real in the eyes of the law, she felt excited. Unsure if the cause was the phony marriage to Klaus or the statement they were making. Klaus helped Asana into her coat and left the house.

“Remember, do not wander off alone,” he reminded her, “Stay close to my side.”

Tying the buttons down her chest and fixing the sash belt around her waist, she turned around to him, “The safest place is always by your side, Klaus,” she flipped her hair out from behind the coat giving him a sweet smile, “We are doing the right thing, aren’t we?”

“I believe so,” Klaus kissed the back of her hand, “I know it’s sudden but this gives us a bit of security and sends a strong message to the King. Unless, being a member of the royal family is something you want to do? Whatever you do, I want it to be on your decision.”

She already knew the answer, “…I want to grow old with you. Wherever we are or whatever we are doing, I want to be with you. My future, no, our future, is what we build it to be, as one,” she took his hand, “Marry me?”

“I already was going to,” he kissed her lips and pulled away again, “Let’s go.”

“Should we get rings?”

They stepped outside and opted to walk to the city with the snow to thick and slippery to drive on. “Watch your step,” he guided her down the slippery marble steps of the front door, “There’s a jewellery store in the centre of the city, shall we go there?”

“For fake wedding rings?”

“Why not?”

“Because, it would make sense if they were our real wedding rings.”

“We have to make it look real.”

“Okay, but let’s buy the cheap ones not the expensive ones.”

Several minutes of silence fell between them since what they were doing felt crazy but it was a necessary step in their game to own a little bit of control through this unbelievable situation. “This whole thing feels crazy,” she couldn’t help but speak her truest thoughts, “The more I think about it though, the more I know we are doing the right thing. But, doesn’t this say that we don’t trust your Dad?”

“Not necessarily,” Klaus shook his head, “My father is a smart man but right now his priority is focused on capturing a potential killer using magic by means of eliminating rivals and threats to their right to power. His attention is not focused on King Harold asking you to take the crown and leave everything behind. I know it seems dramatic, but I feel this is necessary.”

“You mean, if I take the crown he can’t force me to unmarry you and we can stay together?” Asana guessed, “But, I have no intentions of taking the crown and would rather we try and find a person who can?”

“Like who? The Rhymer line is thin.”

“Right, it’s thin, so there has to be someone who is more suitable to claim the throne,” she peered up at him, “If I refuse and the crown goes to someone less deserving of the crown, I would feel terrible and it could create a diplomatic problem for Gedonelune. It’s something we can do to prevent a political disaster. And, if there is no one left, perhaps this will be a historic point in history. Royal bloodlines change all the time.”

“Right, so are you ready for this?”

“So ready,” she squeezed his hand intertwined with hers.

In a last-minute decision, they had changed their minds and had decided to elope at the church rather than going to the courthouse to sign their marriage certificate. The minister witnessed their marriage and wished their marriage to be long. Their simple golden rings shined underneath the soft glow of the sun as it began creeping through the cracks of the snow clouds above.

“Wow,” was the only thing she could say.

“In a weird way, this feels…,” he couldn’t quite figure out the right word to say.

“Right?” Asana finished off his sentence.

“Yeah. It feels right.”

Several minutes of silence ensued between them as they gazed at their rings and each other’s rings. “So, how does it feel to be Mrs Klaus Goldstein?”

Sitting on a park bench across from a fancy hotel, overlooking the frozen city river, hearing her new and legal name sent a shiver down her spine. However, it wasn’t caused by the cold or the type of shiver to fear but it was a pleasurable shiver. Hearing it made her feel happy and bubbly inside. “Say it again,” she requested, turning her head to look at him.

“Mrs Klaus Goldstein?”

“Yes, but use my name.”

He smiled and chuckled, “Mrs Asana Goldstein.”

“I quite like hearing my name like that,” her smile widened as far as it could go.

“I like it too, suits you,” his smiled mirrored hers but his only widened at the way her beauty shined through her eyes and pink lips as she smiled down at the ring around her finger.

“I know it is not real but I’m happy you would go this far just to protect our future.”

“You think this isn’t real?” Klaus teased, “I have a certificate here that says it is.”

She giggled, “Well, it is real legally but when we are truly ready to get married we will have a proper wedding to share with our family and friends.”

Of course, he’d give her the wedding she deserved. Bringing her ringed hand to his lips, he kissed the spot where the ring sat across her finger, “I promise, you will have the wedding you deserve, Asana. Like I said before we came here, it will be very soon.”

“Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife.”

“You already are,” this time his lips planted a sweet kiss upon her smiling lips.

The world around them became a blur as their lips remained engaged in their sweet kiss for several minutes. Pulling away at the same time, they gently touched their foreheads together right as the snow began to fall over the city once again. “So,” his warm breath brushed her lips, “What shall we do now, my wife?”

From the corner of his violent eyes, he spotted the enticing entrance of the rich and luxurious inner-city hotel behind them and across from the esplanade built beside the frozen river. Her eyes followed his line of sight to the red quarter-round awning below the large golden signage on top of the building.

“Chateau Royale,” she read the name of the building, feeling both embarrassed and happy of the feelings stirring inside of her, “So long as we order room service afterwards.”

He laughed, “Always thinking about food,” he pushed himself off the bench.

Holding out his hands, he helped her to her feet and took hold of her hand. Being the middle of the holidays, Klaus and Asana were lucky to grab the last key to a hotel room – a penthouse suite as large as Klaus’ chambers at the Goldstein residence. Within those silk sheets, their fake marriage had become very real.

[brattington-rpg]

Sample Application

In preparation of opening for applications tomorrow once we begin posting skeletons, here is an example done by yours truly to hopefully help with some questions you may have. If you still need something cleared up, just shoot us a message. Now here is an application for Hydra.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Name: Amber Age: 21 Pronouns: She/Her Timezone: EST Activity: I’m able to get on most days at least to check in and do a few replies. Some days are busier than others, but I tend to be about a 7/10 most weeks. When I go to school in the Fall, it may change, though. Other: This is just a sample app, so I will try my best to give good examples for everything but feel free to ask questions if you have any! We’re always happy to help clarify on anything, and we can give suggestions or feedback as needed. Don’t be afraid to message us!

IN CHARACTER

Desired Skeleton: Hydra Age: 21 Birthday: April 29th, 1996 Gender/Pronouns: Cis Female, She/Her Sexuality: Homosexual        → Note that it is okay to leave this piece undecided if that is the way you work. Some people have a sexuality in mind when they first find their muse, while others find it along the way. That’s perfectly acceptable. Origin: France        → You don’t have to be super specific. Just give a country at least, but if you’d like to be more specific then you can. School: University Face Claim: Alycia Debnam-Carey        → We do accept FC changes, but try to get them approved before sending in your application.

Plots:

Aside from the connections she has, I’d like to explore her potential relationship with Lupus. Fey is very used to being able to take advantage of anyone she pleases, but he seems like he may be a much more difficult target and seeing how she interacts with and attempts to manipulate him could be extremely interesting. There is the potential for failure there, which could either end in disaster or push her to really test what ethical standards she may have.

Although I’m not sure who would be best at this, it would be great to see Fey get a taste of her own medicine. She has been using people for her own benefit for almost her entire life, and karma could give her a nice kick in the ass for once. It would be very difficult to get into her head, but I don’t think it’s impossible and the girl could use some breaking down. I doubt it would damage her for long. In fact, she would probably get stronger, as her constellation dictates.

Fey has a heart, I know it. There is the potential there to really care deeply about someone, and it would probably scare the living shit out of her. I don’t know how it would turn out, but it could be good for her one way or another. There’s someone out there for everyone, and once Fey gets past her stubborn disgust of the human species, she could figure that out too.

Affinity: Hydromancy is the magic of manipulating water. Fey is able to bend water to her will, even changing it between states by using her own energy to alter the molecules. She can seemingly pull water from the air by forcing water vapor into its liquid form, but she can only manipulate molecules that have already bonded, as she cannot force the actual creation of water molecules. Her powers are strongest at night, but become weakened in extremely hot, extremely cold, or extremely dry environments.

Biography:

When Fey was young, she traveled with her father across the globe and was spoiled rotten. It wasn’t her choice at first, though. When she was about eight, her mother decided that she regretted her decision to settle down and have a family, and she filed for divorce. She eagerly gave up custody of Fey, and her father couldn’t just give up his job, so he took his little girl along with him.

For as long as she could remember, she’s always been daddy’s little girl. He gave her everything she ever asked for and only wanted the best for her. Her mother, on the other hand, never had a great relationship with her.  Émilie Bellerose was an ambitious woman who didn’t care about anyone else but herself. She had a long list of things she wanted to do in her life, and raising a daughter just wasn’t one of them. Fey never felt good enough for her mother. She was victim to constant criticism by her mother, no matter how much she once tried to be the best for her, but eventually Fey gave up. Her mother could never be pleased. Émilie thought herself better than everyone else and no one seemed important enough to slow down for. People were just pawns to her - something to be used and discarded. She still keeps in touch with her daughter now and then, but it’s never the kind of moment Fey hopes for. Just more “why can’t you” and “you’ll never be” than she needs to hear. As much as Fey despises the woman, she’s now more like her than she wants to believe.

When Fey was a teenager, she began to experiment with drugs and alcohol as a form of distraction from her own problems, but it didn’t last. Substance abuse was fun and all, but it was nothing like the high she got when she had a good game going with some poor fool. Playing with their minds, getting them to do what she wants them to do, or just pushing them to the edge and watching them crumble… It was sometimes a sadistic pleasure that she got from it. When she got into Brattington when she was sixteen, it all became so much more exciting for her.

Fey knows how to read people, observing the way they interact with others and how they spend their time in private. It’s even a surprise to her that she didn’t wind up with an affinity for House Hyacinth. She gets to know what drives people, what they desire and what they fear, and she uses that to her advantage in any way she likes. That way, when people don’t give her what she wants right away, she has a great opportunity for some grade-A entertainment.

Coming to Brattington didn’t turn her completely away from the world of illegal drugs, though. Going into the business of dealing was beneficial to her in more ways than one: she got a direct line to all of the best party invites, an endless resource of enjoyment, and a huge advantage over every poor soul at school who liked a little chemical alteration once in a while. At first glance, no one sees the threat, either. Most see the girl as a bookworm, a shy girl, and nothing spectacular aside from dabbling in small business. By the time they realize the truth, she usually has what she wants anyway.  

Writing Sample: See a self-para I did here for when a character of mine experienced the death of her father through empathic abilities.

Extra: Check her mock blog out at http://feyofsnakes.tumblr.com/

[alkaloidwitch-blog]

Practical Spiritualism for Skeptics

or, "I don't believe in Spooky Shit but I'm having a Spooky Experience and I don't know what to do!"

My friend who isn't a witch or anything Like That had a spooky experience just recently. She got locked out of her empty house, while she was in the front yard, and had no explanation for the event more rational than "ghosts??" which she doesn't believe in. There probably is a rational explanation, but she doesn't know what it is and she very plausibly never will; either way, she still has to deal with being freaked out in the present.

Now, as it happens, I have a lot of experience with that sort of problem! I'm a witch, yes, but I'm also a skeptic; I don't think any of the stuff I do or interact with as part of my witchcraft is 'real,' at least not the way rocks are real. And when I was a kid, I had what I knew to call 'an overactive imagination,' which nowadays I call 'psychosis'- hallucinations and delusions. I would see and(/or) become inflexibly afraid of things that on a rational, intellectual level I knew were not real; monsters don't exist, the dead do not rise. But just because I knew it wasn't really happening didn't stop it from happening to me; you can't logic your way out of a weird brain. And for a long time, I was stuck there! I couldn't acknowledge the fake-not-real things that were happening to me, because that would somehow mean I was ‘admitting’ they were real-not-fake.

But it's not that simple, of course. Even the 'sane,' with nothing unusual about their brain, hallucinate sometimes; and people believe things that are provably untrue all the time, likewise without anything wrong with their brains. People just aren't rational creatures with perfect access to the real state of the universe, even when we try to be, and we don't have to think our problems are based in reality to want to do something about them. If a problem is irrational to start with, an irrational solution may be in order. It certainly helped the fuck outta me.

So here's my argument for why skeptics might, sometimes, want to look into spiritualism or other folk esoteric traditions:

Something scary is happening to me that I have an irrational explanation for, but no rational alternative.

Either what I'm afraid is happening is really happening, in which case:

there may be a real solution to this real problem, and if there is you may as well look to what other people have done for that.

Or this is all in my head, in which case:

anything I do that makes me less afraid is an appropriate solution to the problem, even if it doesn't really 'make sense'; and

anything that makes me more afraid, including pretending I'm not afraid and that I understand what's going on, is going to make the problem worse.

We're skeptics; we rule out case 1, barring really good evidence (i.e., better evidence than our own fear). But that doesn't mean the solution to case 1 can't be helpful for case 2. You live in a culture where people kinda-sorta-sometimes believe in irrational things, and you are also afraid of that irrational thing, and the cultural knowledge you share with believers in the irrational may be helpful!

(Disclaimer for the following section: I'm a white American, and most of the advice I have to offer you comes from the European folklore I learned. If this stuff isn't relevant to you, hopefully reading it will give you an idea of the kinds of superstitions you do know that can give you a sense of control when something Spooky is-or-isn't happening.)

Practical advice

There’s some good mundane things you should do anytime you have an Irrational Problem, or anything involving your state of mind- open curtains or turn lights on to improve lighting, clean any clutter, fix anything that could give you perfectly reasonable anxiety (unbalanced piles, open cupboards- that’s an actual folklore thing, at least for the Scotch-Irish). Attend to your hygeine, make sure your environment sounds and smells pleasant. Sleep if you haven’t been, and consider that your real life problems can come out in Irrational ways.

Traditionally, not every 'scary' folkloric creature necessarily has it out for you. A ghost might have the folkloric power to do something freaky like throwing your shit around or locking your front door, but that doesn't mean it wants you dead or even particularly dislikes you. If you're alone, or with people who understand why you're doing it/are also freaked out, try talking to your Irrational Problem.

Maybe introduce yourself, to be polite; just because it isn't real doesn't mean you feeling like you've been polite won't calm you down.

If it 'does something' obnoxious, tell it to stop.

Ask it what it wants.

Look for signs that it's talking back; of course, it is not, but just as perfectly mundane things can be misinterpreted to make you afraid of something that isn't real, misinterpreting perfectly mundane things to make you less afraid is also possible.

Most Christians (or cultural Christians, here meaning 'people raised Christian who may-or-may-not actually believe') that I know have the idea that the Lord's Prayer (from Matthew 6:9-13) can make unclean spirits fuck off. Did someone actually teach us this? Did we just pick it up from horror movies? Either way, it is in fact a longstanding tradition in Christian spiritualism, and so if you learned the text and said it a lot in a religious setting and have this cultural idea that it'll help, repeating the Lord's Prayer may solve your Irrational Problem. (If you're not Christian, but you don't have a suitable substitute, you can use it too as far as I'm concerned.) Here's the version that has the most resonance for me, but feel free to substitute your own nostalgic version:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Amen.

There's stuff in your house that can traditionally be used to make spirits (or whatever) fuck off.

Throwing spilled salt over your shoulder prevents the 'bad luck' spilling it causes; salt is nearly universally kinda magic. If you saw Hocus Pocus, you saw Allison throw salt around herself in a circle; a bunch of folklore beasties can't cross a line of salt. Put it at doors, on windowsills, anywhere that seems intuitively like something could 'come in' through there to keep things out. (Sweep it up if necessary, and try to keep it inside- magic may not be real, but salting the earth is a very real tactic of war.) Dissolve the salt in water for a subtler effect- paint it where you would otherwise leave a line, or flick it from your fingers onto/near any object that's involved in your Irrational Problem- if, for instance, you've got a creepy bit of decor your landlord won't let you get rid of.

Black pepper, and by extension anything else spicy, is good for banishing things. Garlic repels the undead. Make something spicy for dinner and think real hard about how it's gonna make that spooky shit fuck right off.

If you grow your own herbs and are interested in drying some, anyplace you'd leave a line of salt and perhaps any doorway is a good place to hang some nice pungent herbs to prevent your Irrational Problem from getting in.

Similarly, you can always write something to the effect of 'get out and stay out' on a piece of paper and leave it hanging near doorways. Specific cultural traditions dictate particular things be written on this kind of paper charm- in Europe it's often Biblical text and arcane symbols. If you need to be discreet, put something else over it so other occupants and visitors don't get suspicious.

You may have seen that Tumblr post about banging pots and pans and telling a ghost to leave. That was funny, right? It was also serious. Making lots of noise is, in fact, a traditional way to get a haunting out of your house. If your neighbors would complain about obviously extraneous noise, practicing an instrument or blasting music is a fine alternative.

You could carry a candle around your house, through every room, again focusing on making that spooky shit leave. If you have anything that produces more smoke than a candle, that's traditionally even better. If you're okay with smoking inside- regardless of what it is you're smoking- try getting a little bit of smoke in every room. You don't have to set off any alarms or make your house permanently smell like smoke, it's symbolic. (Getting smoke near things is also good for creepy decor you can't get rid of.)

If it's not a big deal to you that your Irrational Problem leaves, as long as it stops fucking with you, there's a number of folklore creatures that accept tribute.

Milk is traditional for fairies.

Some traditions- the ones I can think of are from the African diaspora, so tread carefully here if that's not your background (magic is a cultural tradition, and people may have perfectly good reasons to be miffed about you using theirs)- leave alcohol out. Keep in mind, though, that in the traditions I'm thinking of alcohol gives spirits a great deal of vitality, so this might be best if you've already established a more-or-less friendly relationship with your Irrational Problem.

A bowl of candy would probably work just fine, and wouldn't alarm anyone else who happens to see it. Humans consuming it isn't usually an issue- across many traditions, tribute is often consumed by spirits-or-whatever indirectly through animals or people. Just replenish it if it empties and the Irrational Problem raises its ugly head.

If the thing that spooks you is out of your house- for instance, you get that pesky sense you're being followed (and do make sure no-one's actually following you, because being stalked is an entirely other advice category)- there are a number of things you can do on the go.

Cross yourself, if that's relevant- the traditional way to do it is to tap your forehead, your solar plexus, your non-dominant shoulder (i.e., left if you're right-handed, right if you're left-handed), and your dominant shoulder with your dominant hand. If you're iffy about using a cross, feel free to improvise a different gesture incorporating another shape.

The horned hand, known variously as the main cornu, 'rock on' gesture, 'hook 'em horns' if you are an Aggie (Texas A&M) or know some, the ASL sign for ILY (variant with the thumb extended)- that is, with the middle finger and ring finger flat against your palm, thumb either against the middle two fingers or extended, and the index and pinky fingers extended straight out- protects against the evil eye, and may be useful to you as a general protective gesture.

A wide variety of European folkloric creatures, including both vampires and fairies, are compelled to stop and count anything you throw in front of them. (This is where the Count from Sesame Street comes from.) Grab some sand/dirt/rocks, rip up some grass, grab pine needles as appropriate, and throw 'em on the ground. Over your shoulder is traditional, especially while crossing a symbolic or literal threshold/boundary delimiter.

If you happen to be able to cross running water to get where you're going, that'll also stop a certain class of beastie.

Carry something lucky- a rabbit's foot, real or fake; a four-leaf-clover charm; a pendant or charm to protect against the evil eye; your favorite patch-covered jacket, with the addition of a patch you made for yourself that to you means luck or protection. Touch the lucky thing when the Irrational Problem looms.

If you have something an ex, or an ex-friend, or anyone you've cut ties with gave you, and looking at it or thinking about it makes you sad or uncomfortable- get rid of it, or perhaps even destroy it. It certainly won't hurt any Irrational Problem you're having to not have things that get you lost in your unpleasant memories around.

(Apologies to my witchy followers- I am not usually so dismissive about the existence of esoteric stuff that I don’t, personally, believe to be real-like-rocks-are-real, but I’m aiming at a different audience. Feel free to reblog this if you’d like a quick reference for your skeptical friends!)

[niennavalier]

OC Ramble Pt 3!

Alright, this is gonna be my last OC post for now (unless I feel like unleashing the D&D character creation hell onto the internet) (which is a possibility but idk, cause I actually can't include all of them anyway). Just gonna do a little bit of a talk about my other ship, which I tend to call my City Boys, because a suggestion from a friend stuck. Also a few of the characters connected to their story. Which I will talk about... someday. Also the world for this. Which isn't fully fleshed out yet, aside from being sorta... medieval/renaissance vibes? (I clearly know history). But essentially kinda how fantasy vibes work, just minus magic. But the whole story has been centered around the one city that they're both from, which has really strict economical divides and such.

But okay, gonna start typing on the boys, here we go, hopefully won't be writing too much here (it's late and I'm sleepy).

Alaric Hastings: Mid-20s ish, born into a noble and really traditionally minded, old school type family (the really haughty, uptight sorts - basically just huge dicks, to be concise). But it's not the kind of life he likes - big social gatherings and keeping up appearances and having to present yourself in a certain way just to maintain your family's pride. He's very much an introvert, gets anxious and nervous really easily in these sorts of situations, and has never really had a way to deal with it? (He got basically thrown into the deep end with this sorta stuff at a young age and isn't naturally a people person. Which didn't really get him any friends that could make this all easier, and it's just amplified by his parents being super uptight, even compared to other nobles. It's all a big mess, really). When his parents find out he's gay, that goes as well as you'd expect and he ends up disowned.

(tbh if you check my other posts, he's the one that I posted the song for. The idea of male!Elsa lives in my head rent-free and made it into this character)

Then there's y'know, plot stuff that I'm too tired to get into. But in general, he's real warm-hearted and gentle - lots of very soft vibes here. (even if that's coupled with self-esteem issues and such). (Although he's also the type of person who will really latch onto something as a way to cope, whether healthy or not? AKA alcoholism is uh... a thing. But hey, this is what plot is for - to address things).

Random fun fact: he's actually one of few males characters I have who doesn't fit into that super pretty aesthetic? He's more conventionally handsome, although he himself doesn't really care much about his looks. Which is a nice lead in to...

Silas Reyes: The other half of this pairing! He comes from the poorer part of the city (but a much better family environment. He didn't know his dad but his mom is wonderful) (Actually, cause I did come up with some story stuff for his parents, his dad is also a noble, but from a much nicer family, and has some big idiot golden retriever energy). But he's the charismatic people-person of the two. Without getting too far into the worldbuilding, he basically worked his way up into this crime syndicate of sorts, and ended up becoming their negotiator and face, so to speak. He's just good at reading people and understanding what they want, and he knows how to sort of dance around those desires and play whatever part he needs to, so long as it gets whatever outcome he wants. Which is the more sinister side of what he's capable of, but he's just really adaptable when it comes to social stuff. Outside of that, though, when he's able to take off all those masks, he's genuine and... I guess blunt? He'll say what he thinks, albeit in a way that still comes off as friendly and ribbing and generally warm, not cold (though he does have a somewhat sharper way of speaking, especially compared to Alaric. It's sorta hard to just explain without examples though).

Him and Alaric meet under...not so great circumstances - lying is involved at the early stages - but, again, plot and development and etc etc.

And as for why there was that attempt at a transition up above: he cares a lot about how he looks. Presentation and stuff. It's important to him that he looks put together, especially in the presence of other people (ie. people he's not super close with). Especially his hair? He's particular about it and puts a lot of time into it (because it was actually an early part of his character design IRL. I had an idea, and said idea had me actually looking up stuff like medieval techniques to dye hair).

Emerson: Again, no last names, but she's one of Silas' friends. Two ish years younger that him, hardcore insists that everyone calls her Em. She's got this big and exuberant personality. Very talkative and just a bit dramatic (more than a bit). She loves being involved in all the goings-ons and has been known to basically be the local rumor mill. That whole nosy side is really on display when she's with Silas and Bennett (who I'll talk about a bit down below). She loves knowing what their plans are, especially when it comes to their love lives (she's very invested in all of that. When she first met Alaric, she shipped the two of them from the start and was more or less determined to make sure they worked out their issues). She's panromantic and ace, and so when the boys talk more on the sex side of all of this, her opinion is the "okay I'm glad you two enjoy this but also why? Aren't there better parts to talk about?"

Bennett: Alright, I mentioned him above and frankly, I don't have him fully figured out - just some bits and pieces I wrote to get an idea of his voice. But he's the other one of Silas' friends, and of the trio, the sorta more serious one. He's much more grounded (no-nonsense seems a little too harsh, so I'll go with grounded) and gives off this air of just knowing how to deal with situations. He's much more of a listener than his two friends, but also naturally intuitive (especially when it comes to reading Silas. The two of them met as teenagers, so there's a lot of unspoken stuff that he can read. They didn't meet Emerson for another handful of years, at which point she just sidled up to them and became part of the group). But also, all of that can go out the window when he's with the two of them - especially Emerson. They'll just bicker and banter with each other constantly over whatever weird topic of conversation someone brought up.

Side Notes: Yes, most of these characters are attached to Silas, but to be fair, Alaric's parents are huge assholes and I've just not cared enough to flesh them out. They suck and that's all that matters for now - whatever excuse they think they have for not accepting their kid is dickish and dumb (to be fair, I do have their reasons in mind, and yeah, bad parenting). Also, I do have another character in the works who's connected to Alaric's backstory - a brief, past love interest that he meets again later. But I don't have a lot of ideas for how that all goes, so I haven't experimented hugely with his character (although I do have a name I like!) And other last thing: I do have Silas' parents worked out a bit - Delia Reyes and Alonso Oriol - and have actually written down how they meet (it's incredibly stupid and fitting). I just didn't feel like going into them too much here? Maybe I will later idk; his dad is a riot (big dumb idiot who just adopts people).