#Kalliope T

[brokenonyxestate]

DRESSAGE TRAINING IN THE WRONG GEAR

CALYPSO'S POV

If you are a little observant you will see that in this picture, and the many after this one, that I am wearing the wrong kind of tack for basic Dressage training, and so are Thor. Case is that our dressage tack is in for a cleaning, and normally I would do it myself, but my younger siblings Athena and Ares are in this competitive streak, and has made a competition out of who can maintain the leather and assemble tack the fastest - so who am I to say no to less work?

Anyways, so I took BOE Kalliope out alongside Thor and his horse for the day Sparrow's Dandelion. Kalliope enjoyed actually having the summerheat graze her coat, as we have had rain the last many days, so sweating a little did us both a lot of good.

When we came out there, Ma was out there too with little baby Kaida (BOE Solomeus x SC Keep the Faith). She is ready for some training from the ground, such as being lead around, move for pressure and moving backwards.

Dandy was very frisky today, but Thor handled her well as usual. I am always impressed with how Mom and Ma manage to find such excellent riders. One thing is being skilled at Dressage or Show Jumping, another is to have a good heart and being skilled at communicating with your horse. I think the last one is more important than skills in a few disciplines though.

While letting Kallie cool down a little in a slower walk (man, it was hot!), I watched as Ma trained the young Kaida. As always she was calm and collected, so different from Mom, who was slightly more well... she clearly has a temper, but of course never herself get irritated at the horse. She instead turns it inwards, and gets angry with herself - never ever the horse she is training.

And as HEC Sophie's Amber Eyes, aka. Amber Mom/Feline's private horse, will be ready for retirement soon, she is kinda jumpy about everything. She hates retiring a private horse, but as Amber has been pregnant the last few months maybe the change will be better for her. I worry about her though. Maybe it was better if she had another private horse, so she didn't have to say goodbye to an old one, to train an new one from the bottom up?

Anyways, we were finished with today's training, finishing with a glorious halt, Kallie standing squarely and surely on all four hooves. She is probably more of a Dressage horse than a Show Jumper, but Ma entrusted me with training her, and that's what I will do. It's pretty clear what the mare prefers though, even if she of course will jump too, if you ask her nicely.

"Hey Thor, do you think Feline will be okay? With her retiring Amber soon, I mean? Because it's not even for sure, if Amber's baby foal will be a horse for Ma," I said, as I worriedly scratched at Kallie's neck as a way to calm and ground myself.

"Well," the normally quiet man said, after all he has been a part of the stable family for awhile now, "I am sure she will be fine-"

I was trying to interrupt him, but he added a:

"-BUT I understand that you are worried for her. After all, when she said goodbye to Tallboy years back she was heartbroken. The dead of him was so sudden. This time she lets go of Amber on her own terms, and the mare will be in the pasture just down the road, if Feline needs her," he smiled kindly.

"I know, it's just... I worry for her sometimes. She is not exactly taking loss that well in general. And what if Amber doesn't make it through the birth of her foal? Mom will be heartbroken yet again," I wondered out loud, hoping that Ma couldn't hear us from the training arena as we passed it, while letting the mares walk to cool down.

"So that is why it took Hera so long to convince her to breed Amber!" It seemed as if a light turned on in Thor's brain just like that.

"Yeah, that's probably the real reason, even if Mom would postulate for a long time that it just wasn't the right time for her yet," I mussed, and shook my head with a short laugh, "Anyways, I really think Mom should get another horse, before Amber retires completely. So she doesn't have to be in this weird non-riding limbo for too long. Maybe even right away."

"You are probably right. I'll tell the other staff members to keep their eyes open for a calm horse with a good heart for Feline," he nodded in agreement.

"Especially bc Ajax, the baby's sire, is so different from whatever horse Feline would like. What if the foal gets more traits from him than from Amber? Then she suddenly won't have a horse to care for. And she has already been without riding for a few months now. I don't know, she seems a little depressed," I shrugged, my brows knitted together in worry.

"Don't worry, Calypso. We'll figure it out. I will alert the staff, and see what we can do about this," he said, patting me on the shoulder.

That lifted my spirit a little, as we turned around the mares to head back to the barn to cool them down with some water, before it was feeding time.

And then, after the cooling wash, they were let outside into the pasture again!

[kelly-clickspring]

I feel like I should post these side by side for once, though Kamon in the first image sorely needs an update. Here we see the Philosophers and their combined form Kamon! They're all one - but very much their own people. Kamon wanted more meaningful interaction with the universe to gain knowledge, so they split into my 7 *cough* nuisances *cough* Philosophers! They're all sentient glow clouds that can alter their avatars and habitats as they see fit. The 7 are based off the chakras and their personalities relate!

[hannahmanderr]

No one ever said being caught in the crossfire of cosmic power was easy.

Danny's about to find that out first hand.

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Whatever Frostbite had wrapped him in felt amazing. Like slipping into one of those fancy ice baths he’d been craving ever since the first episode earlier that morning. Or like that one time when he’d been playing hide and seek with the yeti cubs and had the brilliant idea of burying himself in a snow mound (somehow he’d still been the first to be found).

The heat in his core began to cool, and he found himself relaxing more and more. For the first time in what felt like hours, his mind felt clearer, even with the unfamiliar memories still swimming around. 

He wasn’t completely better, not by a long shot. The hot grip still squeezed at his core, but the pain had thankfully dulled from sharp, stabbing knife wound to annoying heartburn. That, he could manage. 

See? You will be fine, little Prince.

Prince?

Prince.

Oh, Ancients. 

The title suits you.

No way. Not in a million years. Not in this realm or any.

Well, you can certainly use King, if you prefer. Both are fitting.

No!

His eyes flew open.

“I’m not a king!” He surprised himself by the sudden ferocity in his voice.

Judging from the many pairs of eyes staring at him, they were just as surprised.

Silence fell over the chamber, save for his labored panting. His cheeks flushed cold; he could feel all those eyes on him. Especially…

He glanced up to the center of the table. Master Kala’s stormy gray eyes scrutinized him. Under his gaze, his memories mingling with Danny’s own, Danny felt tinier than ever. Like his very existence offended the Ancient.

Nonsense. You have authority over him anyway.

The gasp escaped his mouth before he could stop it. He wrenched his hands out of Kalliope’s and gripped his head. Please, he begged silently, just leave me alone.

“Danny?” A soft hand rested on his shoulder, and he turned to see Sam and Tucker. Their faces were blurry, no thanks to the tears pooled in his eyes, but he didn’t need to see to be able to taste their love and concern. Without entirely realizing it, he leaned further into Sam’s touch. 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. Slowly, he lowered his hands and grabbed the edges of the cloak, burrowing himself into its cool folds.

Wait.

He frowned and ran a thumb along the outer edge. “Where did this come from?”

“From I, Great One,” Frostbite said. “I’d meant to give it to you as a gift for the Solstice. I think it’ll serve you well now, though.”

Tucker whistled. “It’s wicked cool.” He picked up an edge, but quickly dropped it with a shudder. “Emphasis on ‘cool’.”

That earned a grin from Frostbite. “Precisely! The inner layer has been woven with yeti fur and imbued by a powerful spell of mine to absorb your cold energy and reflect it back into you. The outer layer is reinforced with a protection spell. It won’t prevent all harm, but it may offer you a little extra safety.”

Danny twisted to get a better look. The outside was a deep black, dotted with specks of white that he couldn’t decide were little stars or little flakes of snow. The edges were lined in a silky, pure white, and the hood had a thin lining of yeti fur. He opened up one side and nearly gasped when he saw the inner layer. The fabric was covered in a beautiful pattern of icy fractals, sparkling in the dim light of his own glow and the torch flames. The pattern itself glowed a soft blue - not enough to turn the entire inside blue, but enough to give the illusion of the layer being made of solid ice. 

“It’s really nice,” he whispered. As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt silly; this was far beyond ‘really nice’. The care that had been put into the cloak was clear, and it warmed his heart to think that Frostbite had gone to such an effort just for him. He looked up to meet the yeti’s eyes. “Thank you.”

Frostbite beamed. “Think nothing of it! It should be a much more practical solution to keeping your core temperature down than me having to hold you. And now, you can consider it a coronation gift,” he added with a wink.

The mention of a coronation sent Danny’s stomach into knots all over again. 

Indeed, it is lovely. Very befitting of a king.

“I’m not a king,” he said again. Whether it was in response to Frostbite or the voice in his head, he didn’t know. “I-I don’t know why anyone would think I’m supposed to be some king.”

“It’s not a random choice,” Pandora said. “It is Kilaris’ choice. It finds you to be a worthy champion, and thus it is trying to unite with you. It explains why your core is under the duress it is.”

“I still wonder if his suffering isn’t due to his… uniqueness,” Kala mused. “He is half-human, after all.”

Danny blushed again, and Sam’s eyes snapped back towards the Ancient. “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” she retorted. It was almost enough to make Danny smile. Leave it to Sam Manson to stand up for him like that.

“I mean, he’s not entirely wrong.” Zunje looked up from her tablet long enough to meet Danny’s eyes. “Your core makeup is gonna be different just by your nature. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s fascinating stuff! But… yeah, there’s not exactly a lot of history on how being half-human can affect a core. You’re one-of-a-kind!”

“But he’s not the only half-ghost,” Tucker said. “Vlad’s one too. He was having trouble with whatever those quakes were too. Just, not as bad as Danny.”

Kala hummed. “My point stands, then. All this could simply be a matter of the child’s youth and unique core.”

“I disagree.” Frostbite stood to his full height. “I sensed a taint to the Great One’s core. Almost as though something had attached itself to it. That would not be a consequence of his core makeup, however unique it is.”

Danny bit his lip as his heart picked up speed. The idea of something attaching itself to his core…

But how else could he explain the hot hold around it?

He taints you. He still holds what he has no right to.

Like that explained anything. If he was going to be stuck with this voice in his head, couldn’t it at least be useful?

It explains everything, little Prince.

A thought began to form in the back of his mind. He couldn’t put words to it, not yet, but it was enough to worsen the nagging feeling he already had in his gut.

“Only a force as strong as Kilaris could directly affect someone’s core without physical contact,” Pandora was saying. “If it is unable to truly connect with his core, it could turn volatile. It would explain the increase in his core temperature.”

“Then why does it not simply make the connection?” Storm clouds began to gather around Kala again. “This is the Heart! This is not child’s play! It is more than capable of forming the bond itself!”

“Unless if something still holds it,” Pele muttered. Neither Kala nor Pandora appeared to have heard her.

Danny did.

The nagging feeling grew stronger.

Think. You know the answer.

He wasn’t so sure about that.

Zunje also seemed to have heard Pele. She frowned and opened her mouth. “Wait, that’s -”

“Do not act like it is a matter of flipping a switch!” Pandora said, her voice rising in volume. The flames of her plume began to rise. “This is a bond unmatched by any other! It does not form overnight!”

“I never made such a claim!”

Danny looked back and forth between the two arguing Ancients. His heart pounded as he racked his memory, trying to remember what he’d heard.

Unless if something still holds it, Pele had said.

He was so close. He knew it.

Think back, little Prince. Think back.

Danny wasn’t too keen on trusting mysterious voices in his head. One experience with Freakshow’s crystal ball had been more than enough to turn him fearful of the idea in general. 

Still though, something about this voice… It didn’t have the same feeling of pressing up against his head like a hot dagger, like Freakshow’s mind control had. It didn’t seem to want to control him, period. The thoughts flowed as naturally as his own, almost as if they were his own.

And he could trust himself, right?

Trust yourself.

So he did. He thought back, scrolling through memories as fast as he could, even the ones that weren’t truly his.

( “- was that - that earthquake, or whatever you call it!” The human girl sprang to her feet and - )

( - couldn’t be right. The shade never changed. It never changed. It was impossible! It was - )

( - he brought a shaky hand up to touch the Crown, now completely absent of its fire - )

( - why did it seem so right? Like… like finding a part of himself he’d never known he was missing - )

( - was almost frightening how welcoming the power felt, and how much he found himself yearning to welcome it back. If only - )

( - The Heart was in desperate need - )

( “- something’s not right… It shouldn’t have attacked -”)

( “- leave him with the Crown. It will remain locked in the Sarcophagus -”)

( “- the presence of the Heart in its chosen. Kilaris does not… leave the King all at once -”)

Danny’s eyes snapped open.

“It’s stuck.”

Somehow, those two words were loud enough to silence the arguing Ancients. They turned and looked at him with wide eyes. It took every last bit of will for him to avoid shying away under their gaze.

“What’s stuck?” Of all the people to speak, he hadn’t expected it to be Kalliope. Still though, he was grateful it had been her and not someone as intimidating as Kala.

He swallowed. “The… the Heart. It’s stuck. It can’t… break free.”

The way Zunje stared at him with a hungry look in her eye made him want to wince. “How do you know that?” she asked eagerly. Her excitement was palpable across the room.

Kala, on the other hand, was nowhere near as eager. “Yes,” he said slowly, his eyes narrowing. Danny got the impression he was being examined inside and out under his gaze. “How would you know that?”

Oh. That was a good question, wasn’t it?

Why wouldn’t you know that? 

“It’s…” His tongue felt thick in his mouth. Ancients, he hated attention. And now with it all on him and his seemingly impossible knowledge…

Relax, little Prince. Simply tell them the truth.

Right. That easy.

Right?

He fidgeted with the edge of the cloak. “You… you guys did something to it, right? To keep Pariah from having total control over it?”

He’d expected one of the Ancients to jump in and take over after that, but they simply continued to stare at him, bewildered and curious.

Go on…

“You… you put the Heart into something.” As he spoke, the thoughts and memories became stronger, more confident. “Something you could take away from him, if you needed to. Like… a failsafe or something. 

“And - and now, it’s… it hasn’t been able to get out of that. Whatever happened to keep it in… it’s working too well, isn’t it? And so it’s… stuck. So even if it wanted to bond with me or - or something, and I’m definitely not saying it does, it can’t. Because it’s trapped.”

The room was silent. Only the faint crackling of the torch flames could be heard. Danny’s heart pounded in his ears.

His heart.

Your Heart.

He wanted to throw up all over again.

“He’s right,” Pandora said, so quietly, almost like she was scared to break the silence. “We bound the Heart to a physical vessel. To two physical vessels.”

“We swore never to speak of this!” Kala hissed. Thunder rumbled in his cloudy cloak. “There is a reason we swore ourselves to secrecy!”

“Wait, so you guys took your literal lifeblood or whatever, locked it away, and then decided to keep it a secret?” Tucker asked. Frustration tinged his voice.

“And here I hoped that ghost government would be a little less corrupt than human government,” Sam muttered.

“We had no choice!” Kala slammed one of his hands into the table. “Do you realize the chaos we would have put the Realms in? And no -” he said sharply, interrupting Babel as they opened their mouth, “ - not a productive chaos. Do you know how many beings would go to any length to obtain the power of Kilaris?”

“Then why even do it in the first place?”

“Because of Pariah Dark,” Danny answered Sam. “They - you guys were really worried about him. You wanted to be able to take the power away if he went too crazy with it.”

“We had no choice.” Frostbite’s words echoed Kala’s, but his held gravity. “The Timekeeper warned us.”

“Never mention that traitor again!” Kala roared. “He brings nothing but disorder and lawlessness!”

“The Timek- you mean Clockwork?” Danny asked incredulously.

Kala’s fury was on him in an instant. “Do not speak his name!”

“Enough of this!” Pandora stood, the flames in her plume reaching higher and higher. “He is a child and he is your king! You will treat him with the respect he deserves!”

Pele leaned forward and pulled out her iPhone again. “This ought to be entertaining.”

“That child is no king of mine until the Heart speaks it so!” Kala spat back. “I do not know how he has forbidden knowledge, but it means nothing! He is unfit, inexperienced, and he has offered no proof that the Heart has even chosen him!”

I don’t even want to be king! Danny wanted to shout, but something held him back. 

The one who rejects power is often the one best fit to wield it.

“He has aided the Realms time and again!” Frostbite said. His arm of ice glinted dangerously in the light. “He has laid down his life for them and everyone in them! Is there not anyone more worthy?”

“And who are you to speak for Kilaris? You would let your favoritism for the boy blind you to justice?”

He is right.

Danny blinked. What?

He does not speak on behalf of the Heart. That privilege is only bestowed to the one who hears. The one who is one with the Infinite Realms. 

He almost wrote the answer off as yet another nonsensical thought. Almost.

How did you hear those memories, little Prince?

His breath caught in his throat. 

“It told me!” he shouted.

He nearly expected the chamber to fall silent again, like it had minutes ago. Unfortunately for him, the Ancients’ bickering had grown too loud. Angry auras flared, filling the room with tumult. Sam and Tucker gripped him tightly. Their fear and determination tickled Danny’s nose. Kalliope simply watched the argument unfold, horrified.

He didn’t know what to do. These were the Ancients. The only ghosts powerful enough to put Pariah away. To lock the lifeblood itself away. To them, he was just a kid. Just some dumb human kid who’d somehow managed to stumble his way into their world. Some child who’d overreacted to a little change in energy. 

Kala’s right, he thought, dismayed. I shouldn’t even be here.

Why would you believe in such a lie?

Did he have much other choice? He himself still barely believed it was truly the Heart speaking to him. And if he didn’t want to be king, why even bother trying to convince them?

This is more than a crown. This is more than a bid for power.

Do what you have to do.

“I can’t,” he whispered.

Even with the Realms at stake?

He stopped. That… that had been the reason they’d come in the first place, hadn’t it? To figure out what was going on with the shudders? To try and help fix them?

Frustration bubbled in his chest. The voice was right. The Realms were in danger, and its most powerful beings were squabbling like kindergartners. Over one person, at that. Why waste time focusing on this when there were bigger problems?

Couldn’t they see the bigger picture?

They cannot. But you can tell them.

Easier said than done. Clearly, none of them really seemed to be in a listening mood.

Then make them listen.

Do what you have to do.

Make them listen.

He knew what to do. 

With a newfound strength, he pushed himself off the ground and lifted into the air. He ignored his friends’ questioning looks and focused inward.

He’d done it just a couple hours earlier after all.

He inhaled. The scent of anger was sharp on the air, so much so that he could taste its spice. Coming from ghosts as powerful as the Ancients, the spice nearly made his eyes water, but he steeled himself against it. 

He inhaled again. Breathed in their anger. Breathed in their heat. Let it fill his lungs. Let it fill his core.

But not his heart.

It was easier to find the root of his cool energy wearing Frostbite’s cloak. Whatever magic he’d cast on it worked wonders for amplifying the elemental side to his core. He latched onto it and drew on it. Let it overtake him. His lungs, his body, his heart. Drew on it more and more until it overtook the spice of anger.

Focused his heart. Focused his core.

And he exhaled.

Energy flooded out. Just like he’d done with Sam earlier, he allowed it to release into the air. He inhaled and exhaled again. With each inhale, he took in the hot anger. With each exhale, he redirected it and let it out, cooler and calmer than before. 

Yes. Just like that.

It honestly surprised him how good it felt. Redirecting emotional energy always felt so manipulative, but this…

Not manipulation, little Prince. Restoration.

Restoration. Yeah, that sounded nice.

He didn’t know how long he floated there, allowing himself to filter the anger out of the air. He didn’t mind. It just felt so right.

See? You are meant for this.

He still wasn’t sure about that. But if he could do something productive…

“Danny?”

Tucker’s voice cut through his daze. His eyes fluttered open.

Everyone stared at him again. Of course.

“Sorry,” he muttered, wringing his hands. He knew that Sam and Tucker both knew about his emotion eating, and they always insisted it was natural for him, but he still hated acknowledging it around them. And then to try and pull off such a risk in front of the Ancients…

To his shock, though, Tucker laughed. “Don’t be, man, look at you!”

“What?” He looked down at himself and found himself taken aback by how brightly he glowed. It radiated off his body; the fractal pattern in his cloak caught the light and threw it back out, casting shards of gentle blue glow around the room like a crystal in the sunlight. The cloak itself had billowed around him, allowing the light to be thrown even further.

He felt like his own little star.

Before he could react further though, the hot grip around his core returned full force and twisted, sending a wave of heat and dizziness over him. The glow died away and he swooned, his vision going dark for a dangerous second.

Was it just his imagination, or did he hear the echoes of a furious roar?

“Whoa, whoa!” Sam reached up and directed his fall into her arms. “You okay?”

“‘M fine,” he mumbled. Why did he feel so drained all of a sudden? “Just a lil’ tired.”

“That was so cool!” Tucker said. “Whatever that was anyway. How’d you do it?”

Danny shrugged limply. “I dunno, I just… did it.”

And you did excellent, little Prince.

As he felt Sam push aside the cloak to dig in one of his belt holders - hopefully for one of his emergency supplement pills - he became acutely aware of the Ancients’ eyes on him again. 

“What is it with you guys and staring?” he grumbled. Screw the consequences for talking back, he was tired.

“Incredible,” Zunje breathed. “Stars above, that was a-maz-ing! In all my years I’ve never seen anyone with that kind of mastery over emotion energy! And to that kind of degree? Against a bunch of powerful cores? Eeeee, I knew I was right about you!”

“It’s nothing special.” Danny accepted the pill Sam held out to him and popped it in his mouth. “Jus’ a tri’,” he said around it.

“Nah, nah, I know tricks, kid.” Babel jumped off Zunje’s shoulder. “That was more than some trick. There was some juice behind that!” They eyed Danny critically. “You sure you don’t have socks with green polka dots?”

“Enough with the socks,” Kala growled. His attention turned to Danny, and his heart skipped a beat. “This still proves nothing! My judgment still stands! Until the Heart itself speaks -”

Whatever else Kala said was drowned out by the rush of static in Danny’s ears. “Are you for real right now?” he snapped. Yeah, he really didn’t care about the consequences now.

If looks could kill, Kala’s would have him fully dead. “Listen here, Phantom, I -”

“No, I’m done listening!” Oh yeah, he was so dead for interrupting again, but he was not about to let things devolve into yet another argument. He set his jaw and locked his gaze onto Kala’s. “This time, I need you to listen to me. The Realms are in danger, and you guys are just standing here arguing! Don’t you have a job to do? Like seriously, who cares if I’m supposed to be king or not?” I do, he added silently, but he pressed on. “Can’t it wait until after we fix the Heart or whatever?”

Hmm. Elocution could use some improvement, but otherwise well said.

Elo-what now?

“But don’t we need to figure out who Kilaris has chosen to tame it?” Pandora asked, and with a jolt of realization, Danny realized the question had been directed towards him.

Just say your piece and be done, Fenton. “But that’s what I was trying to tell you. You guys can sit here all day arguing over who’s supposed to be the king, but it’s not gonna change the fact that the Heart is stuck. It has to be freed before it can actually choose anyone!”

Kala looked about ready to erupt, but thankfully Zunje jumped in first. “He may be on to something!” she said, snatching her tablet back from Babel, who’d opened up a Talking Tom app. “It’s the piece we all forgot about! The Heart’s been separated this whole time! Which might be why…” She tapped a couple of buttons before leaning back in her seat and blowing a strand of silvery hair out of her face. “Yeesh, no wonder things are so whacked out!”

“You put the Heart into something you could take away from Pariah, if worst came to worst,” Danny said, cutting back in, mostly in an attempt to stave off Kala’s explosion. “I don’t know how, but you did. And it never got let out.”

“How do you know that?” Pandora asked. Rather than accusation, her tone was laced with curiosity. Danny suddenly got the impression of Mr. Lancer sitting there, trying to probe an answer out of him during literary analysis.

He averted his gaze. “I… I mean I can’t - I don’t know for sure, but I think… I think the Heart might have… shown me?”

“Shown you?”

“Yeah.” Feeling self-conscious, he pulled the cloak tighter around himself. “It… I saw all these things. Like memories, but they weren’t mine. I really don’t know how, but… I think it’s trying to show me for a reason.”

“What’s gotcha thinkin’ it’s Kilaris?” Babel asked. Despite having had the tablet taken away, their voice sounded suspiciously like Talking Tom’s.

Danny hesitated, then shrugged. “It’s just… a gut feeling, I guess. Like it’s trying to tell me without actually telling me.”

Why not tell them the truth?

Frankly, he didn’t know if he could handle the truth himself right now. To say it out loud, to make it all the more real…

Why shy away from who you are meant to be?

Meant to be.

Yeah, that would be exactly why.

And what if I don’t want to be that? Challenging the voice felt vaguely pointless, especially if he was right about it being the Heart, but banter had always helped him feel a little less out of control.

Destiny often finds you, whether you want it to or not.

Memories of a button, green lightning coursing through his veins, and the impossibly infinite sensation of being ripped apart and put back together again and a dead dimension using his body to blossom to life ripped through his head.

If this voice was going to constantly assault him with random memories, couldn’t it at least give a little warning?

Of course, little Prince. You need only ask.

Danny blinked. Needless to say, the unexpected concession took him aback.

Tucker, ever so astute, narrowed his eyes at Danny. Of course he did. They’d known each other since pre-K, why wouldn’t he key into Danny’s behavior so easily? “Did it just show you something else?”

“Um…” He loved his friend to death and beyond, but he was so gonna make him pay for calling him out like that. “It’s… I’m not…”

Remember your priority.

Right. 

He shook his head and set his jaw, drawing his shoulders back and standing tall. It was a stance he’d perfected playing hero for Amity Park, and despite his doubts, slipping into it felt like stepping into his favorite starry pajamas. 

The other thing he’d perfected as Phantom was his ability to focus. Make his goal his number one priority. Take in every detail of the battlefield, of his opponent, of the resources available, of the civilians in the crossfire. Leave behind all worries of anything that had happened before or would happen after. Center himself on the duty at hand.

He did that now.

“Look, I know it’s probably important to figure out,” he said. Though his voice carried confidence and determination, his heart still trembled. “I mean believe me, I’d love to know what’s going on with me. Or what all this king stuff is about, because frankly, I’m with Kala.” He jabbed a thumb in the Ancient’s direction. Hopefully the proverbial olive branch was obvious enough. “I’m not exactly sold on me being the best choice for king. But that’s not the most important thing right now.

“Here’s what it comes down to: the Realms are in danger. We all know that, right? And you guys have already figured out that it’s got to do with the Heart, right? So we gotta focus on that. There won’t be a need for a king if the Heart ends up tearing the worlds apart just to put itself back together.”

He took a deep, shaky breath. “And once it’s all said and done, then we can come back here and figure out this whole king mess, alright? I… I promise I won’t fight against it or whatever. I’m not just gonna leave the Realms hanging, you know? But…” He trailed off. How did he even want to end that sentence?

Did he even want the Infinite Realms dependent on him for survival yet again?

“I just think our energy is better spent trying to stop these energy waves or whatever. Since they’re… not normal. I think.” Top ten lamest finishes to a speech in front of a room full of ancient, god-like ghosts? Most definitely.

But he’d said his piece. Laid out his cards.

Well done.

It might have been his imagination, but he swore Kala’s eyes grew a little less stormy, and the clouds shrouding him receded just a bit. “It is no simple claim, to say that Kilaris speaks to you. The consequences of lying would exceed any you could fathom. And if you are wrong about these… visions…”

Danny shrugged. “What do you have to lose? It’s either trust me for like, five minutes or run the risk of the world falling apart.”

All six Ancients regarded him for a long moment, and it took every bit of strength he could muster not to cower under the sheer intensity of their focused gaze. Even though he knew at least Frostbite and Pandora would side with him, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being scrutinized, picked apart, analyzed, and put back together again.

Maybe that was one of their weird, Ancient-y powers. Intimidation tactics.

“I agree.” Surprisingly, the first one to speak was not Frostbite or Pandora. It wasn’t Zunje either, one of the other ones he figured he’d have an easier time convincing.

Pele had spoken.

She’d set her iPhone face-down on the table and was now watching him carefully, hands clasped in front of her. “A wise warrior knows when to fall back to duty when presented with an opportunity for power.” To add to Danny’s surprise, for the first time since he’d met her (which, to be fair, had only been a bit ago), she cracked the smallest of smiles. “You have chosen your battle well, Phantom.”

He couldn’t help the blush that creeped up his face. “Thanks,” he said shyly. Sure, it felt lame, but what else could he say?

“Our authority may be granted by Kilaris, and for that, we owe it our eternal servitude,” Pandora said. “Should it not also be our prerogative to serve the Realms that it so diligently gives life to?”

“I also agree!” Frostbite stood with a wide smile. “The Great One is right. We may not have a chance to select a new king if the Heart is in peril.”

“Well, I did have a croquet game with the queen of Sheba planned,” Babel said, looking at a planner consisting of hundreds and hundreds of individual sticky notes, “but, eh, what the heck! Queenie’s been dead long enough, she can wait a little longer. I’m in!”

Zunje looked as though she might keel over as she stared in horror at Babel’s version of organization, but she managed to shake herself out of her stupor. “First thing we’re doing after all this is teaching you the wonders of proper planning,” she muttered. “Anyway! You already know I’m down. I’d be totally fine either way, really! I’m practically swimming in new data and it’s fantastic! Just thinking about how long it’ll take to sort through and organize, it’s gonna be so much fun! And the graphs? Oh, don’t even get me started on those, I -”

“Enough, Zunje,” Kala rumbled, but much of the threat behind his voice had dissolved. He had not taken his eyes off of Danny the entire time, and it was becoming harder and harder to remain resolute under his stare. Had agreeing with him been the right play?

Ancients, he hated waiting. 

Was it weird to say ‘Ancients’ like that when they were right in front of you?

“While I hesitate to trust the source of these visions,” Kala began, “I am willing to set aside the matter of the Heart’s champion. Temporarily.” His eyes narrowed at Danny, and Danny found it surprisingly unreadable. “The matter of the safety of the Realms is the higher priority. We will address it first.”

“Oh, good! Because I was thinking…” Zunje trailed off as she searched for something on her tablet.

“Is no one gonna ask us what we think?” Sam muttered.

Danny couldn’t help the grin he cracked. “Like you guys would fight me on this.”

“Hey, just because you might be some big bad ghost king doesn’t mean you get to tell us what to do.” Tucker punctuated his comment with a playful nudge at Danny’s ribs. 

“You have my support too, mikrí.” Kalliope floated forward with a reverent head bow. “I am not much of a fighter, but I will offer my services here wherever I can.”

He wasn’t quite sure what to think of Tucker’s comment, or how Kalliope’s offer felt like a pledge of service to a leader, but for the sake of the moment, he bottled those up for later. Future Danny could deal with those.

“Right, here!” Zunje held up her tablet triumphantly. Danny couldn’t decipher anything from what he saw. “These were the readings I was talking about earlier, yeah? Like it looks like what a typical energy output from the Heart would look like, but it’s just so slightly skewed. And it hit me when Phantom said it, like duh, of course separating the Heart would have some serious impacts on it!”

Yeah, no duh, Danny thought dryly to himself. Getting yourself forcibly ripped apart isn’t fun. Been there, done that.

Which is why you can understand better than they can.

Yeah, yeah. Something something half-ghost half-human. Same story, different day.

Good. Then you’re in agreement.

Well…

“But then why didn’t it give you problems when you first put it into the Crown and Ring?” The words popped out of his mouth before he even fully registered them. Crown and Ring?

( - the weight of a pulsating ring lifting from his finger - )

( - and the angry flames of a crown trying to reject him - )

For what felt like the millionth time that day, all eyes in the room fell on him. He wanted to punch something. Or scream. What would it take to get them to stop staring?

“Wait, so you didn’t just lock it away, you shoved it into a couple of tiny pieces of jewelry?” Tucker said slowly. “Jeez, no wonder it’s mad.”

“How do you -” Kala began to ask Danny, but he stopped himself with his mouth hanging open. After a minute, he shook his head. “Never mind. Yes, we forged the Crown of Fire and the Ring of Rage for containment of Kilaris. We do not need to rehash the details.”

Pandora gave a little hmph. Danny’s tongue felt itchy; he could tell she wanted to protest that, but she held her tongue. Keeping her eyes on Kala, she instead said, “It was not an easy task. But we managed it. It seemed to operate well with the setup… until…”

“Until we first tried to separate the Crown and the Ring,” Zunje finished quietly. There was a deep sorrow behind her eyes, one that Danny could taste on the air. “It… wasn’t too keen on that. It’s like it knew that’s what we were trying to do.”

( - and power upon power tumbled through the Realms and ripped into the land and ripped into the sky and bled black inky tears and cried with the anguished wail - )

“It didn’t just fight back.” Danny’s voice was little more than a whisper himself as the haunting memory flashed before him. “It was ready to tear things apart. Like, for good.”

Pandora nodded soberly. “It’s the reason we elected to keep the Crown and the Ring close to each other when we secured Pariah away. One in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep with him, one left just outside of it. We wouldn’t run the risk of attempting to separate it from its host or itself. It was better that way.”

“It was our only choice,” Kala said. His shoulders hunched and his brow creased, his eyes staring blankly at the table in front of him. An oddly vulnerable position for someone who presented himself so boldly.

He’s just as worried about all this, Danny realized with a start. He doesn’t want to mess up again.

“Wait, wait.” Sam waved her hands. “Like I get it, it makes sense, but if it was fine for all those years - and I’m assuming it was since we’re all still standing here - then why is it suddenly not fine now? Pariah had both the Crown and the Ring when Danny locked him back up.”

If the dropping in Danny’s stomach before had been like a stone, the way it dropped now was nothing short of a boulder.

“Oh my God,” he whispered. It’s my fault. All this is my fault.

Not so, little Prince. You did not know.

He wrapped his arms tightly around his torso. His mind filled with static. Nausea washed over him.

All that effort to keep everyone safe… everything he’d done to stop the tyrant king… coming face to face with death for the second time in his short life…

It had been for nothing.

In saving the world, he had doomed it.

One of his friends laid their hand on his shoulder, clearly sensing his distress, but he shrugged it off. His core and heart were beginning to race again and -

( - Each labored breath pushed his overworked lungs closer and closer to the brink of giving out - )

- he couldn’t stop his mind from racing. His fears and doubts began telling him everything he’d done wrong. Taunting him. Laughing at his failures. Singing songs of his unworthiness.

And they want someone like you to be a king? they said. They expect you to actually help? All you do is get people in trouble.

He wanted to sob, even as another voice cut through the cacophony in his head.

You mustn’t listen to them, little Prince. You cannot let fear be your enemy.

Was it his enemy? Because right now, it felt a lot more like his master.

His fingers felt numb. Dizziness began to overwhelm him. 

It was his fault. His fault his fault his fault.

As if to nail the head on the coffin, the hot grip around his core squeezed harder and twisted. He cried out in pain as he fell to his knees.

And now you’re going to fail again, his fears whispered to him. Their collective voice was beginning to take a shape. He didn’t know how he knew. You will fail. That is who you are meant to be. A failure.

No. No. He didn’t have to be. He could still fix this. He could… 

He could…

He couldn’t…

Don’t listen to him. He wants you to doubt yourself. You will be playing right into his hands.

He?

The fears cackled. Their voice became clearer and clearer and somewhere in the back of Danny’s mind, he felt like he could recognize it. There’s no sense in fighting back. It will only result in more hurt. Give in to me. Give in to me and perhaps I will spare you long enough to see the world of your creation.

This time, he really did sob.

He knew that voice. 

“Please…” he whispered, though he couldn’t tell if the word actually left his mouth or not. The hot grip still held relentlessly tight on his core. Instinctively, his core began to pour out more cold energy, and somewhere, Danny could feel it being reflected back into him, thanks to Frostbite’s cloak.

But it wasn’t enough. 

You will not win this, ‘little Prince.’ Where the voice that had originally began calling him that said it with all the tenderness and care, this new voice held nothing but mockery and a desire to inflict pain. 

He remembered what he’d been trying to say during the onslaught of memories. How could he have forgotten? How could he have let himself get so selfishly distracted?

He needed to warn them.

It’s too late, the voice of the fallen king said in his head, cackling again. You will never be able to keep me from what is rightfully mine. You are nothing.

No. No, he…

Do not listen! The right is yours and yours alone. You mustn’t let him take it.

Like he could keep that from happening. He’d come within inches of death the last time - a full, proper death, not the impossible space he’d fallen into when he’d walked into that portal. He’d barely been able to survive the last battle, and that had been with a mech suit that had granted him a slew of extra power.

The king was right. He was nothing.

Yes, that’s it, the voice purred. Let me win. Choose the easier path, little Prince. Maybe I will find it within me to expedite your death.

Hands found his shoulders again, and this time, he didn’t have the energy to throw them off. He was too lost within himself, too far gone. 

You are never too far gone. You have more within you than he ever will. Where he holds weakness, your heart holds strength. It has always been within you. You must realize this.

You must do your duty to the Realms.

You must do what you need to do.

He couldn’t.

Not this time.

What a good little Prince, the king laughed. So obedient to his King. And as a reward for your obedience, I will make your pathetic human village my new throne. I will raze it to the ground and rebuild it into glory. It will have the honor of being the first conquest of my new reign.

The words sent a jolt through him, one so strong it nearly knocked him over. Amity Park, being threatened again…

He could deal with being berated in his own head. He could deal with whatever threats got thrown his way. He could deal with whatever the king could attack him with.

He would never stand for a threat against his people.

In this world or any.

That’s it. You draw your strength from a source more potent than he could ever dream. You draw your power from within, not about. Where do you draw that from, little Prince?

He gritted his teeth. Forced himself up onto one knee. Where did he draw his strength from?

The hands on his shoulders, one from each of his friends, answered his question.

He focused on the image of their faces. Of Jazz’s face. Of his parents’. Of Frostbite. Princess Dora. Mr. Lancer. Valerie. Pandora. Wulf. Cujo. Dani. 

Where did he draw his strength from?

More images came to mind. Dash playing fetch with his little dog in the park. Ember headlining a concert. Mr. and Mrs. Foley laughing together at the dinner table. Desiree smiling as she granted a child’s wish upon a star. Wes standing triumphantly in front of his conspiracy board.

Where did he draw his strength from?

And now places. His home, with the portal and his room and the kind of perfect chaos only a Fenton could create. The Far Frozen, with endless snow and ice and an entire tribe of yetis who welcomed him with open arms and a safe bed for him to rest whenever he needed it. Casper High, with all the little nooks and crannies he’d discovered for hiding places and the students and teachers who’d learned to deal with ghosts right alongside him and tiny wonders like the little blob ghost clan living in the condemned girls’ bathroom on the second floor. The sky, with its endless expanse and absolute freedom and the stars he adored so much. The Ghost Zone, with clouds of ectoplasm to swim in and new adventures behind every door and the perpetual thrill of something supernatural that drew him back every time.

Yes. He knew from where he drew his strength.

Some deep, secret part of him still doubted himself. Still wondered if there was truth to the fears being fed to him. He knew he was putting on a little bravado.

But if it meant fighting to keep the balance… To keep everything and everyone he loved safe…

The hot grip faltered.

Insolent child! the king snarled. Crown or no, you are powerless against me. Whatever you love, I will tear it down. I will make you watch as I kill each of your precious humans, one by one. I will burn your cities and I will force you to light the flame. Would you truly subject them to such torture for the sake of your own pathetic revolt?

The king’s words almost sent Danny grinding to a halt again, but he felt something prodding in his core. Something new, yet familiar. Something that he swore carried what could only be described as the promise of spring. It wanted let out.

He didn’t know how to let it out.

But he focused on it. Thought about Amity Park in the springtime and seeing its citizens emerging after a long, gray Midwestern winter. Thought about visiting the Realms and hearing about all sorts of traditional festivals of fertility and renewal and rebirth celebrated by all the different people of all the different realms.

Yes. That’s it. Focus, little Prince. You will not let him win.

For once, he felt in tune with the voice in his head. 

And it felt right.

He stood. Focused. Just like they had when he’d calmed the Ancients, his emotions calibrated themselves to his breathing. Only this time, he needed it internally.

Inhale the good. The light. Exhale the darkness. 

You think you can free yourself of me so easily, the king said with a sneer. What good will such naivete serve when I bring you to your knees and assert what is mine?

Focus. The good. Mr. Lancer’s proud smile when he turned in a book report on time. Frostbite teaching him how to sculpt little flowers out of frost. Unabashedly cuddling up next to his mom on movie night.

He could feel the king’s rage. It burned against his core. He wanted to cry out against it.

He didn’t. 

Clockwork’s patient eyes as he explained intricacies of time. Him and Cujo playing fetch in the sky. Sam and Tucker, ever loyal and always by his side.

The burn began to fade.

The fuzzy feeling of saving a civilian. The purpose he felt helping a spirit move on. The duty he had to both his worlds.

The duty he had to himself.

And what will you do about that duty?

“I messed up,” he whispered. This time, when he spoke, he knew he did so aloud. He couldn’t find it in him to talk much louder than that. The echoes of the king’s voice were still too loud.

“No you didn’t,” Sam said immediately. “Why would you say that?”

“No, this time I really did.” He swallowed. “I took the Crown away from him before…” He trailed off. No. He couldn’t revisit those memories.

Not yet.

The room was quiet for a moment before Pandora spoke up. “So… he does not have the Crown? It’s not with him?”

Danny hesitated. “No. But he’s looking for it. Right now.”

“What?”

A doorbell rang.

[alexesguerra]

The Westwood Tarot (Tarot Deck and Guidebook Box Set) The Westwood Tarot (Tarot Deck and Guidebook, Box Set) Contributor(s): Haratsidis, Kalliope (Author) , Westwood, Yasmeen (Illustrator) Publisher: Redfeather Physical Info: 2.47" H x 7.2" L x 5.08" W (1.73 Pound) The Westwood Tarot takes you on a magickal journey of self-discovery: - Discover enchanted woods and glens, where whimsical characters await, ready to share their stores and wisdom - Recapture your sense of childlike wonder as you explore the storybook-inspired illustrations - The characters of The Westwood Tarot serve as your trusted allies, helping you find answers, igniting your creativity, and embracing the power within - Gain clear insights--each description in the comprehensive guidebook includes specifics on Love, Career, Wellness, and Finances The Westwood Tarot is a celebration of the profound connections between the human experience, intuition, the magick of divination, and the natural world around us. Discover The Westwood Tarot and embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Contributor Bio:Haratsidis, Kalliope Kalliope, named after the Muse of Epic Poetry, possesses an innate connection to magick and divination. Residing by the tranquil lakeside in southern Ontario, Kalliope finds inspiration in the loving presence of her King of Swords, two beloved boys, and her faithful black cat, Spell. Visit her at www.musekalliope.com. Contributor Bio:Westwood, Yasmeen Yasmeen Westwood is a self-taught photomanipulation artist living in Perthshire in Scotland. Her first deck-- The Tarot of Enchanted Dreams--was released in December 2019. www.Enchantedsoulart.co.uk

[hamsapriya-krishnamurthy]

#6 Published!!!

@onlinebookclub-org

Review of Play Golf Better Faster: The Little Golf Bag Book - reviewer Hamsapriya Krishnamurthy - OnlineBookClub.org https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=518621

[chrancecriber]

1.FM - Chillout Lounge Radio (January 15, 2023)

23:58 4tunes - Where Are You Now (Feat Hed) (Kandi Hotel Enigma Mix) 23:53 Fenena Garcia Mijas - Anja (50 Sunset Classic Lounge Edit) 23:47 Naoki Kenji - Bedtime 23:42 Pensees - She 23:38 Lowland - Cafe Del Mar 23:34 Chungking - Voodoo 23:28 Moby - Into The Blue 23:22 Frank Borell - Landpartie (A Touch Of Gregori 23:17 Wine Lounge - Dollars 23:11 Banderas - This Is Your Life (Easy Life Mix) 23:04 Nautic - Freedom Of The Floor (Open Space Remix) 22:58 Michael E - Sark Of Searenity 22:54 The Charly North Michael E Project - The Rapture 22:48 Jazzy Pecada - Slow Down 22:45 Synthetic Substance - Eternity 22:38 Frontera - A Baia 22:35 Viejo Abasto - G Spliff 22:27 Groove Armada - Inside My Mind 22:20 Deep-dive-corp. - Enjoy 22:17 Simone Fedi - Bitter Devotion 22:12 Mahoroba - Atmospheric Pearls (Wide Open Space Cut) 22:06 Guenter Haas - Ai Fu Lin 22:00 Victor G. De La Fuente Feat. 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Miyabi - Sakura 16:35 Dj Pippi Ft Rebeka Brown - A New Day 16:29 Jazz L'amour - Summer Dreams - See The Light Mix 16:25 Jamlimmat - Higher (Feat Crystal) 16:21 Deise Mikhail - Silent Sound 16:15 Sine - To The Sky (Original Mix) 16:10 Zero 7 - Passing By 16:04 Luminius - Hold On 15:57 Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes (Gabriel And Dresden Chillout Mix) 15:52 Air - La Femme D'argent 15:48 Shakes Seven - Best Friends 15:42 Angels Landing - Salt Tank 15:39 Charity Children - Whispering Still 15:33 4tunes - Where Are You Now (Feat. 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Miyabi - Inner Lights 11:49 Youandewan - 1988 11:44 Nylon - Rio70 11:39 Guss - Milesing 11:35 Ultraviolet - Ready Or Not (Chilled Out Mix) 11:31 Supreme Beings Of Leisure - Ghetto 11:28 Beta Band - Troubles 11:22 Tosca - Mango Di Bango 11:16 Afterlife - Breather 11:12 Ravi Costes - Lion Sleeps - Cafe Groovera Hotel Bar Del Mar Mix 11:07 Moroccan Blonde - Mirage 11:03 Plasma - Spring 10:58 Louie Vega Pres. Luisito Quinteri Ft. Anane - Our Love 10:53 Solanos - Shameless 10:46 Reflekt Ft. Delline Bass - Need To Feel Loved 10:40 Joey Fehrenbach - Edison Cylinder 10:33 Ltj X-perience - Empty Street 10:28 Hannah Ild - Right Beside You 10:22 Three Drives - Greece 2000 10:18 Out Of Sight - Comfort (Afterlife Mix) 10:14 Afterlife - A Little Bit Of Love 10:08 Jjos - Foolish Game (Feat. Deary's) (Evolution Vocal Mix) 10:04 The River Gods - Acadia House 09:59 Gary B - Set Me Free 09:53 Ascension - For A Lifetime 09:48 Bay Area - Santa Monica Blvd (No 17 Mix) 09:45 Röyskopp - Remind Me 09:40 The Sura Quintet - Lampedusa (Sunset Session) 09:35 Jeff Woodal - Your Love (The Dark) 09:28 Deep-dive-corp. - The Island 09:25 Oh Wonder - Technicolour Beat 09:20 Air - Alone In Kyoto 09:15 Brazilian Love Affair - Georgy Porgy 09:09 Jean Thibault - Trip To Infinity 09:04 Collective Sound Members - Journey To A Dream (Original) 09:00 Jjos - Breathe 08:56 Thomas Lemmer - Savannah 08:49 Phil Mison - Lula 08:44 Gifuto-chekku - Yasui 08:40 Melibea - Lamento (Al Ponerse El Sol) 08:35 Amethystium - Isabliss - Strangely Beautiful 08:30 Wharmton Rise - The Abyss 08:25 Mister Paul - You Don't Know (Comfort Version) 08:18 Jerome Isma-ae - Underwater Love 08:14 Direct To Dreams - Adagio For Strings Barber Remi 08:10 Ac - Meditarrean Sundance 08:06 Scubba - Fool 2 Cry 08:00 Peter Pearson - Smooth Talking (Moonrise) 07:56 Cafe Easy - Summerbreeze 07:50 Le Vent - Le Vent M'a Dit 07:45 Juan Belda & Carlo Galimberti - Wine Sessions 07:40 Merge Of Equals - Clear Blue Sky (Original Mix) 07:35 James Bright - No Better Feeling 07:31 Khruangbin - August 10 07:25 Henderson - Rain (Desansis Chill Out Mix) 07:17 Steely M - Summer Breeze 07:13 D Note - Sylvia 07:08 Kitty The Bill - Mister Mista 07:02 Aurosonic, Denis Karpinskiy & Kate Louise Smith - They Wait For Us (Chill Out Mix) 06:59 Mel T. Waters - Welcome Blue Hour 06:55 Navdeep - Immigrance 06:50 Blue Six - Love Yourself 06:46 Asle Bjorn B - Joe Dubcola (Asle's Stella Polaris Edit) 06:39 Joey Fehrenbach - Particles 06:32 Kansai - Remember This Night 06:26 Blue Lagoona - Going Outside (Nu-lounge Experience Mix) 06:20 Melibea - Antologia 06:14 Sweet Velvet - Recalling The Rising Sun 06:09 Coolinar - Wednesday Night 06:04 Zenyatta - Swimming Into Vibrations - Ibiza Downbeat Vocal Mix 05:58 Deep-dive-corp. - Trippin' 05:52 Gary B - Set Me Free 05:49 Sued - Feel Me 05:46 Mark Moon - To Another World 05:42 Sunlounger - Balearic Breakfast(Chill) 05:35 Jazzanova - Bohemian Sunset 05:26 Moby - The Lonely Night (Moby's January 14th Mix) Ft Mark Lanegan 05:22 Moon Tribe - Moon Tribe 05:18 Rainman - Riding On A Cloud - Ibiza Mix 05:14 Ingo Herrmann - A New Day Is Dawning 05:10 Tape Five - Longitude 05:09 Costes - Stéphane Pompougnac - Green Tree 05:03 Scott Simmons - Children (Mediterr-asian Chill Mix) 04:58 Kitty The Bill - Cabriolet Tour 04:54 Uko - Sunbeams 04:51 Clouded Leopard - Hua-hin 04:45 Soft Wave - Plenitude Part 2 04:39 Joey Fehrenbach - Ghosts 04:35 Engine-earz Experiment, Kate Havnevik - Blue Moon - Kinobe Remix 04:31 Alain Paris - Summer 78 - Chill Tribute To Yann Tiersen 04:24 Pacator - Tränen (Marcielo Ambient Mix Instrumental) 04:20 Caia - Remembrance 04:15 Lol Hammond - Baby Piano 04:09 Milews - Miami Beach View - Sunset Del Mar Cafe Lounge Mix 04:05 Va - For Want Of Her 03:57 Kosta Rodriguez - Purple Sky 03:52 Soulavenue - Try (Original Mix) 03:45 Leama & Moor - Coming Of Age 03:39 Afterlife & Kid Stone - Sleazebag 03:34 Coco Steel And Lovebomb - Yachts 03:30 Ralph Myerz And The Jack Herren Band - L.i.p.s.t.i.c.k. 03:24 Landslide - Tumbling 03:22 Costes - De-phazz - No Jive 03:17 Ralphie B - Icarus (Chill Out Mix) 03:13 Alex Baratini - My Play (Chill Out Mix) 03:09 Tiger Tanaka - Aki 03:05 Tall Paul Vs Inxs - Precious Heart 03:01 Deeb - Rooftops 02:53 Psoi - Evolution Of The Merkaba 02:48 Listening Deluxe - Guitar Dreams (Short Aqua) 02:37 Sangar - My Breeze 02:32 Vargo - The Moment 02:28 Quantic - Gecko Turner - Limon En La Cabeza (Quantic Dub Mix) 02:21 Simon Bareilles - The Sound Of Silence (Feat. Sara Keys) 02:15 Chilloutlounge - Breather 2000 (Arithunda Mix) 02:10 Poly Sphere - Child Play 02:05 Lux - Head Centre 02:01 Re:locate Vs Robert Nickson - Resource (Rechill) 01:57 Aloe Blacc - I Need A Dollar 01:53 Canis - La Strada (Turn Off The Lights) 01:49 Muki - Track 6 01:45 Sunset People - Summer Madness (White Sand Cut) 01:39 Son Que Son - Manon ( Instrumental Mix) 01:33 Omni Trio - Native Place 01:29 Synthetic Substance - Resignation 01:20 Puff Dragon - Qi Gong 01:15 Bent - Beautiful Otherness 01:09 Katcha - Touched By God (Katcha's Quiet Storm Mix) 01:03 Calido - El Calor (Patrick Marsh Chill Out Mix) 01:00 Dragon Lounge - Saigon Sundown (Asia Cut) 00:57 Thomas Prime - Breakfast (Feat. James Rose) 00:52 Conjure One - Make A Wish 00:47 A Guy Called Gerald Feat. Louise Rhodes - Humanity 00:42 Ohm-g & Bruno - Jungle Light 00:38 Nightmares On Wax - Nights Interlude 00:34 Airstream - Electra 00:28 Manoa - Jumaira Drive 00:22 Timewarp Inc - Epic Tones Feat. Rxn (Sundayman Remix) 00:19 Urban Phunk Society - Spring 2 Summer 00:13 Elcho - Lazy Summer Days 00:10 Amethystium - Berceuse 00:05 Polished Chrome - Beautiful 00:01 Vibraphile - Waiting For You (Instrumental)

[cornfield-doe]

Oh my, that´s so close to home, because currently i´m trying to be an artist, and grow in general, because my teenage years sucked, i was at a very low point and i stopped drawing for so long i need to relearn almost everything again, luckily my skills didn´t suffer that much, but, yeah... I rotted in my room, for like 2 and a half years and a little more.

I tend to do the blue curtains thing tho, i very much care abount meaning, the curtains must be blue for a reason, at some point i wanted to go by Juno, but Juno in greek mythology is Hera, and unlike other greek women, she is not about war or intelligence or something like that, she´s more like a wife, to zeus, maybe there´s more to her, i don´t really know, but it didn´t seem like something i´d like to go by.

I´m going by Kalliope right now, she is the most important muse of them all ,the muse of epic poetry, i aspire so much to be an artist, those are the shoes i think i need to fill, but soon i realized, i´m not a muse, i´m very human for that, i still have a hard time just to sit and write, i haven´t written anything in months, so i´m looking for another name. Maybe i just wanna be a little braver too, because i see some turbulence in my near-future, and i feel i have little time to do some big changes.

Knowing she named herself to feel brave is so cute, and, so personal. It´s so meaningful to know that, thank you for sharing it. ^^

(edit, it's funny how Laika means: little one who barks, (coming from the word "layat"=to bark), and kalliope means: beautiful voice. )

I´m very curious about this, i´m also a trans girl, who has a very hard time choosing a name for anything and everything, including herself.

How did Laika Chose her name? :0

Thinking about it, is it an important thing within the story? because in that case i´d love to wait and keep reading your comic, no matter how long it takes, your art is pretty cute. ^^

it is actually! for laika, her name isnt something that was chosen because of an epic adventure or meaning it had to her, it was more like she was looking upwards and stepping in to shoes she felt she needed to fill

for her, i think her name was chosen sort of like a badge of bravery, when she really wasnt feeling very brave. she would never tell anyone that which is why i dont feel its too spoiler-y to share here; she is someone who feels the need to put on a strong face for the people around her and i think her name is part of that.

[breezy-cheezy]

Whumptober Day 26: NO ONE LEFT BEHIND 

Separated | Rope Burns | “Why did you save me?”

More from my Genshin Daemon AU that I haven’t even written yet X”’’D Ft. That One Meme

It’s silly but it still counts right? Right.

Please don’t tag with ships! Thanks!!

[sevenleaving]

[ID: a digital drawing of two of the artist's OCs at a diner counter taking a selfie, both smiling. one is standing up, holding the phone in one hand and giving a peace sign with the other; they are tan-skinned and wearing black lipstick, their straight black hair is partially tied back in a low ponytail, and they're wearing an open black shirt with white pinstripes over a fishnet top with black acid-washed jeans with several patches and a checkered belt. the other is sitting on a barstool with one hand on the first person's shoulder and the other near her own face; she is darker-skinned and wearing purple lipstick, she has somewhat long magenta-dyed locs, and she is wearing a puffy holographic jacket over a black shirt with a light blue skirt over pink cloud-print leggings. the diner background is rendered in shades of blue and has a space/futuristic theme. end ID]

THIS has been a wip for like almost 2 months and i actually like. stopped working on it in the middle of it because i had to figure out haüyne's chest tattoos before i kept working on it (the fact that i went with one of the subtler designs i'd drafted adds a layer to this i feel) and also im allergic to backgrounds but that's why i gotta draw backgrounds man anyway have this

[aquillesbby]

Why drawing my baby is so hard?!

I never imagined that drawing my dear Kalliope would be so hard, but I guess I'm the one to blame, since I made her a damn spider-deer centaur thing. Like, she has six legs, I just can't-

And yes, her witch hat is indeed transparent, to match the Chinese wind chimes on the point of it.

But well, here are some facts about her:

• Kalliope is a spider-deer Nokori, Nokori is a species created by @lordsalisson;

• She's a very calm and polite person, often annoying the more hot-headed individuals, since she can be pretty dense regarding personal insults/attacks, at least when they're directed to herself. However, when her friends are offended she gets pretty mad and often has to be stopped or else she'll butt-head someone with her antlers --yes, she does have antlers, I'm just still figuring out how to make them;

• She's 17 years-old and currently, works selling potions that she makes to pay for her education. She's completely passionate and talented on witchcraft, alchemy and such, and dreams of making her name on those areas;

• Since she has six legs, she's normally pretty fast and sometimes doesn't even notice it, so to avoid complications, she tends to pick whoever she's walking with and place them on her back to give them a ride;

• She's in love with Fengmi, an oc that belongs to @lordsalisson, she loves just how small and cuddly she is. She also loves to watch her gardening, sometimes she even tries to help, but ends up distracting herself whenever a beetle appears;

• Talking of ✨ B E E T L E S ✨, she has a fluffy indigo colored beetle and his name is Emissary;

• She's a book worm and her favorites are fantasy and horror novels, but she also enjoys drama and mystery ones;

• Sometimes, she and Arthie - again, @lordsalisson's Oc - walk together to town, since they live near each other's house.

[colorsinsideofhell]

With a heavy heart, the kitsune listened intently to Husk's somber words, her own empathy tugging at her emotions in ways she often found inconvenient. Yet, in this moment, amidst the revelation of the theater's name—The Proscenium—a sense of reverence washed over her. There was something undeniably beautiful about the name, a testament to the love and passion that Viranna had poured into her beloved establishment.

As Husk spoke of Viranna's elegance and the breathtaking spectacles she had brought to life within those hallowed walls, Kalliope couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness creeping into her heart. Despite the accolades, there was a hint of melancholy in Husk's voice.

And then came the devastating revelation: Alastor, in a cruel twist of fate, had snuffed out Viranna's life and razed the theater to the ground. The news struck Kalliope like a physical blow, her breath catching in her throat as she struggled to comprehend the magnitude of the tragedy. To have one's life extinguished in such a manner, to see one's life's work reduced to ashes—it was a fate that transcended mere mortality, a fate that left scars upon the soul,and hearing that he had nightmares about it, that almost bring her to tears

Feeling the weight of Husk's sorrow pressing down upon her, Kalliope knew she had to do something to offer him solace, even if it meant venturing into unfamiliar territory. Though apprehensive, she resolved to lift his spirits, to bring a glimmer of light into the darkness that threatened to consume him.

꒰ ❛Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high

There's a land that I heard of

Once in a lullaby…❜ ꒱

As the first notes of "Over the Rainbow" filled the air, Kalliope felt a surge of determination wash over her. With gentle precision, she reached out, her fingertips brushing against Husk's hand in a silent gesture of solidarity. Then, with her other hand, she began to weave a delicate tapestry of sound, her fingers tracing invisible arcs over his head, conjuring a rainbow of harmonies that danced in the air like shimmering ribbons.

The lullaby she created was a symphony of comfort, a soothing melody that wrapped around them like a warm embrace. Each note was infused with a gentle reassurance, a promise of hope and serenity in the midst of despair. And as the music swirled around them, Kalliope felt a sense of peace settle over her, a fleeting moment of respite amidst the chaos of their world.

When the final strains of the lullaby faded into the silence, Kalliope turned to Husk with a soft smile, her eyes shining with warmth and understanding. She knew that her gesture was but a small comfort in the face of his grief, but she hoped that it had brought him some measure of solace nonetheless.

With a newfound sense of resolve, Kalliope took a deep breath, her excitement bubbling up within her like a fizzy elixir. She knew that what she was about to reveal would bring a spark of joy to Husk's eyes, and she couldn't wait to share it with him.

꒰ ❛Well darling i have something new to talk to you the proscenium will be back to life in no time...you see i am what they called the royal painter of the morningstars with all my money i am reviving the t theater and well your box will always be open for you beautiful and remade ❜ ꒱

"Are you an monster or an victim?...i know i am an victim.."

@colorsinsideofhell

@colorsinsideofhell

Husk eyed the fox demon over the rim of his glass as he took a methodical sip. He considered his words carefully before letting out a heavy sigh.

"I think I'm human," the bartender asserted. "Made plenty of mistakes and questionable choices, but I think my regret sets me apart from the monsters. Not innocent enough to be a victim, but I've sure as hell known suffering..."

He drank again, savoring the burn as it flowed down his throat.

"And why do you think that about yourself?"

[brokenonyxestate]

IT HAS BEEN QUIET

(IRL I have been packing up my apartment bc I am moving, but I wanna make a last update this month in my old apartment, and this is it!)

Aida's baby has come home to us, and our oldest daughter Calypso has been training her today. Her name is Kalliope T, and she is a beautiful Oldenburg mare after two of my own horses. Her sire is BOE Rolly Joger, and she is just so much like her dam VC Aida.

Today Calypso brought her out for some lunging, and she did pretty well. I looked over them while they did it, and I am pretty sure she will be ready to get a rider on her back soon. She will be Calypso's private horse for now and probably forever, bc when an Aida offspring chooses a rider it's for forever.

Calypso has been working on strengthening their bond, so K (Kalliope) won't be too surprised by Calypso crawling onto her back at some point soon.

She is such a cutie, and they look so cute together. She has so much of her mother's build, and her dad's gentle soul, while she also has a little spice from her mother. They will be a very good equipage soon I am sure!

Athena has had the flu for a while, and hasn't been riding her pony Sterry (Orchard's Sterling) a lot since he got here. But she was happy to feel better today, and actually be able to ride again. She has clearly been missing that. She is her mothers' daughter after all!

She even did a bit of jumping, bc they will soon be entering their first show jumping competition together. Though next weekend they have their first show ever, just dressage though.

[lordsalissoon]

I know Halloween already passed, but if you ever do a Halloween themed chapter for the comic, Kalliope would be a B E E T L E. No questions asked, my word is .

I will do that! I have no idea when this chapter will be out or in which volume it will be, but I will do one for sure!

I think Tan would be a little concerned and will find it funny that someone is dressed as a beetle while he is one Hahaha

He probably will tell the whole party that she is his lost sister Hahaha

[alexesguerra]

The Westwood Tarot Deck and Guidebook, Box Set The Westwood Tarot (Tarot Deck and Guidebook, Box Set) Contributor(s): Haratsidis, Kalliope (Author) , Westwood, Yasmeen (Illustrator) ISBN: Product Code: 9780764368127 Publisher: Redfeather Release Date: September 28, 2024 Immerse yourself in the fantastical world of The Westwood Tarot. The Westwood Tarot takes you on a magickal journey of self-discovery: - Discover enchanted woods and glens, where whimsical characters await, ready to share their stores and wisdom - Recapture your sense of childlike wonder as you explore the storybook-inspired illustrations - The characters of The Westwood Tarot serve as your trusted allies, helping you find answers, igniting your creativity, and embracing the power within - Gain clear insights--each description in the comprehensive guidebook includes specifics on Love, Career, Wellness, and Finances The Westwood Tarot is a celebration of the profound connections between the human experience, intuition, the magick of divination, and the natural world around us. Discover The Westwood Tarot and embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Contributor Bio: Haratsidis, Kalliope Kalliope, named after the Muse of Epic Poetry, possesses an innate connection to magick and divination. Residing by the tranquil lakeside in southern Ontario, Kalliope finds inspiration in the loving presence of her King of Swords, two beloved boys, and her faithful black cat, Spell. Visit her at www.musekalliope.com. Contributor Bio:Westwood, Yasmeen Yasmeen Westwood is a self-taught photomanipulation artist living in Perthshire in Scotland. Her first deck-- The Tarot of Enchanted Dreams--was released in December 2019.

[cynicallystiles]

Seasons of Love: The One with How They Met

Disclaimer: Moodboard made by me. Pictures found on Google!

Author: @cynicallystiles

Request: @itrocksmysocks​ basically requested this by making me obsessed with the triplets a year ago.

Warning: Swearing maybe.

Notes: The long awaited series is here! The whole thing still isn’t finished ahead of time like I wanted. So, we’ll see if I actually stay on schedule with this one. Credit to @thotmendes​ for imagining the triplets into existence about a year ago! Thanks for your patience! Please COMMENT/REBLOG if you enjoy it!

Pairing: Kallie Hayes (OC) x Mendes Triplets

Masterlist Series Masterlist

SOL Teaser Chapter Two

Words: ~3.5k

Anais Nin once said, "Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

The first encounter Kallie had with the triplets was a memorable one. This could be because she didn't know they were triplets. She had just moved to town with her family and started her first day in the middle of October.

Kallie was just eight or nine years old, but she was nervous about starting a new school way behind the other kids. Once her parents dropped her off with the principal, she was led to a small classroom. The teacher smiled brightly as he welcomed her in.

"Hello! It's very nice to meet you..." he trailed off, expecting her to reply. Her gaze was anxiously flitting around to all the other students staring at her curiously. So, he cleared his throat.

With a slight jump, she whipped her head back to him. "Kallie, sir." She held out her little hand and gave him a firm shake. Well, as firm as an eight-year-old could give an old person with hands the size of baseball gloves.

"You're very polite! I can't wait to meet your parents," he beamed at her, not noticing the small flinch of her eye. Things don't always go nicely when her parents come to school. It's why she's always on her best behavior. "Well, I'm Mr. Flannigan."

He stood up straight and turned toward the class with a smile that was bright against his tan skin. "Class...this is Kalliope Hayes." So, he already knew her full name before she came into the room?

There was a pause as the students ceremoniously said, "Hi, Kalliope!"

Mr. Flannigan nodded as if the response was what he wanted. "Kalliope, why don't you tell us three fun things about yourself, and then we'll go into the lesson plan for today?"

Funny. He phrased it as if it were a question. But, when adults ask questions like that, they're more likely strong suggestions. So, she took one step forward and cleared her throat.

"Hi," she squeaked out. "My full name is Kalliope but I like Kallie better. Three things about me are..." She stalled a moment, forgetting every single fun thing about her. "Uh...I like bike riding...I'm really good at holding my breath!...and...I've never ice skated?"

Her green eyes look up to the teacher for approval as everyone claps politely. He's about to point to her seat when a small voice cuts him off. "How long??"

"Huh?" She asks as she scans the other kids for the voice.

The boy in the last row, second from her right and wearing a forest green hoodie peers past the rest of the students. "You said you're really good at holding your breath! How long?"

"Um, like, thirty-five seconds? I think," she responds uncertainly. It's been a while since the last time she had her sister time her. His brown eyes stare at her for a moment longer.

Then, he nods. "Nice." He grins at her in approval. She smiles a little wider in response and Mr. Flannigan tells her to take the only open seat left.

She walks toward the back, finding the open seat next to the kid who had questioned her breath-holding skills. As Mr. Flannigan starts the lesson plan, the boy leans over and offers his hand.

"I'm Shawn!" The eagerness of his voice makes her relax. Maybe she just made her first friend here. She takes his hand and shakes it a little. "Let's make up a secret handshake later at recess, okay?" She nods enthusiastically before they turn forward in their seats to pay attention.

Later at recess, Shawn and Kallie are standing under one of the shady trees on the playground, mixing an unnecessary amount of steps to their secret friendship handshake.

"Hey, Shawn! Come play tag!" Some other kids begin to call him to play games with them.

He looks over at Kallie. "Wanna come play?"

"No, thanks," she shakes her head causing her light brown hair to rustle in the wind, "I don't really like tag." He shrugs and squints at her a little, but accepts her answer before running off to join the game.

She decides to take a stroll along the fence to see if she could find some cool rocks to take home for the new garden her parents were gonna plant. As she does, she sees a boy crouched down with his hands cupped around something. He's wearing a jean jacket over his white T-shirt.

As she approaches, she calls out excitedly, "Watchya got in your hand?" The boy startles, his hands opening to let a frog jump out. He hurriedly reaches out and catches it again as Kallie takes a step back. She notes how carefully he cups his hand around it.

"A frog," he says plainly and he sounds slightly similar to...who does he sound like?

Her face contorts in minor disgust. "Why?" Is all she asks. When he turns to look at her, her eyebrows knit together in confusion. "I thought you went to play tag!"

"What?" He asks in genuine ignorance.

She looks him over and her brows come even closer together. "How did you change your clothes so fast, Shawn?"

"I'm not Shawn," he rolls his eyes with a sigh.

"What do you mean? You said your name was Shawn in class today," she reminds him.

He silently sticks his tiny closed fist through the fence to release the frog toward its home. Standing up, he wipes his hand on his jeans. "That's my brother. I'm Raul." He sticks out his frog contaminated hand.

"Oh, so you're like twins?" She swallows her squeamishness and shakes his hand quickly, then wipes it on the back of her shorts.

He shrugs. "You could say that." With that, he walks past her without another word. She turns and watches him run to another group of kids who are playing on the monkey bars.

She heads back to the tree, collapsing against its bark to enjoy the rest of recess. Her relaxing doesn't last long as something drops into her lap from above. "Ow!" She exclaims and opens her eyes to find a notebook in her lap.

"Sorry!" A voice calls out from above. She looks up quickly and finds an increasingly familiar face looking down at her.

His puppy dog eyes match his apologetic smile. Kallie sighs deeply. "Now, when did you get up there??" She was seriously starting to think she'd never woken up this morning.

"I've been here all recess!" He replies with an adorable smile. "Can you hand that back to me?" He asks, laying on his stomach to reach down.

She stands, stretching on her tiptoes to hand it back. Kallie then sees that he's wearing neither a green hoodie nor a jean jacket. Instead, he's wearing a blue, plaid button-up shirt. She frowns. "Don't tell me there's another one of you?"

"Huh?" He quirks his eyebrow for a moment. "Oh! You mean my brothers! Shawn and Raul?" She nods, but in her mind, she hopes it stops at three. Already, she could tell she'd never be able to tell them apart. "I'm Peter!"

"Why are you in a tree with a notebook?"

"It keeps me from getting hit by the dodgeballs while I'm trying to draw." He scrunches up his face like it's obvious. "Duh," he adds on.

The apparent obviousness of the statement makes her giggle. "What are you drawing?" She asks curiously.

He pauses for a long moment, sizing her up. Then, an adorable grin spreads across his lips. "Climb up here, and I'll show you," he half-invites, half-challenges her.

"Okay!" Without hesitation, she rolls the sleeves up on her Princess Belle shirt and scales the tree with only minimal effort.

Peter watches her settle in on the branch next to him in awe. "That was really fast!"

"Thanks!" She beams at him. "My sister can't climb so when she chases me with gross stuff I had to find somewhere to hide," she informs him happily.

He laughs and scoots next to her as he opens his notebook across both of their laps. Slowly, he flips through the pages to show her the different drawings. "These are really good!" She compliments him.

"Really?" He asks shyly. Kallie nods vigorously and continues to marvel at the sketches. Peter smiles and watches her admire his work for a few minutes more.

But, they're not alone for much longer. "Kallie? Where'd you go?" She looks over the notebook below them. Shawn is looking around the base of the tree.

"Up here!" She giggles. His head turns toward the sound of her voice. "Peter was showing me some drawings!"

Shawn covers the urge to frown with a bright smile. "Come down! We gotta finish our super-secret handshake before recess is over," he reminds her.

"One second!" She calls down and turns to Peter. "I gotta go. Thanks for letting me see your notebook!" Then, she carefully climbs down the tree.

Once she hops onto the ground, Shawn slings an arm around her shoulders as he leads her away. "Our handshake is gonna be so awesome! And it'll be just for us! You know what else? You can come with me and my family to our lake house to ice skate in the winter since you've never been!" He chatters happily as he leads her further away from Peter.

From that day on, the two of them were inseparable. That day was the first time the boys had gotten jealous or competitive over Kallie. But, it wasn't the last.

It was disorienting at first, never knowing who was who. Except for Shawn, of course. Kallie could always tell which one was Shawn because out of the three, those two were the ones joined at the hip. Not to say that she didn't grow close with the rest of the boys. Just that Shawn was who she was close with first.

Throughout the years, they were like the Four Musketeers. Getting into all kinds of trouble and mischief. They enjoyed the best of their times throughout the year at the Mendes' cabin in the Muskoka Lake District. Since the very first year they became friends, their parents were kind enough to bring her along on all of their little trips.

Occasionally, her parents and sister came along. Which was nice because a majority of the other parents didn't take kindly to hers. She loved that they were so kind and included them in their trips. That cabin became like a lifeline to them as the years wore on.

They shared every holiday, celebrated every event, and recovered from unexpected hard times at that cabin. Christmas time? They went to the cabin. Someone's birthday? The cabin was there. The worst time of their lives? The cabin saw that too.

The four of them could never imagine not having that cabin, or each other to get through life. Which is why it hurt all the more when they got the news. After graduating high school, the four of them went on to university. Together.

While they all had different majors, it was hard to find time for each other at first. So, they made it a rule to have dinner every Saturday night at one of their dorms. Rotating between them as hosts to the gathering. Which became easier when they all moved in together after the first two years of having to live in the dorms. They were now coming off of their third year of university with one left to go.

As the four of them piled into Shawn's Jeep for the trip home with their bags stuffed in the back, excitement floated through the air to finally be able to relax for a time before heading back to Toronto for the most important year of schoolwork.

"Shotgun!" Kallie, Peter, and Raul call at the same time as they race toward the front seat.

The three slam into the side of the vehicle with laughter. Looking to Shawn to be the referee, he rolls his eyes. "Kallie got there first," he chuckles.

"C'mon!" Peter groans.

"You always let her have it," Raul mumbles as he slides into the backseat.

"My Jeep, my rules," Shawn shrugs and buckles into the driver's seat with a chuckle.

Kallie happily hops into the front seat, smiling at Shawn before turning to grab her seatbelt. "Thank you!" As she buckles it, she exchanges a secret glance with Shawn and he winks at her.

"Anytime," he responds as she bites her bottom lip to contain her laugh.

With that, the four set off toward home. Well, more like toward the cabin. They were planning on stopping at their houses to see their families first and then spend the rest of the summer in Muskoka.

Half an hour later, the boys drop Kallie off at her parents' house before heading down the street to theirs. "Dinner at ours at six?" Peter confirms as she grabs her bags out of the back.

"Mhm," she replies and walks around to his window, while Raul gets out and gets in the front seat. "And then breakfast at mine at ten tomorrow?"

He nods with a grin. "We'll be here!" She mumbles a 'perfect' and leans through the window to kiss his cheek and he kisses hers at the same time, something they've gotten in the habit of doing when they part ways. Shawn shifts his grip on the steering wheel as he watches them in the mirror.

"See you tonight!" Raul calls as his eyes trail after her, lower than they should be when she disappears into her house. Shawn reaches over and slaps the back of his head. "Ow!!" He rubs the new sore spot with a chuckle as Shawn pulls away from the curb.

Later, as promised, she enters the Mendes household as if she lives there. She's right on time for dinner, but it's unusually quiet around the house. "Hello?"

"In here!" Someone calls after a long moment of silence.

Kallie makes her way into the living room where the brothers are seated on the couch. "Hey! What's going on? Why is it so quiet?" She questions as she sits in between Shawn and Peter's legs, stretching her own across Peter's lap and resting her feet in Raul's.

"Mom has news," Shawn says surprisingly seriously. It's then that Kallie notices the shock on their faces and that Karen is sitting in one of the other chairs.

She leans her torso back into Shawn and shrugs. "What is it? Bad news?" They nod and she looks at Karen as she takes a deep breath.

"Well, sweetie," she begins sweetly. "As I've just finished telling the boys..." she pauses, gathering the strength to tell her. "We've decided to sell the cabin."

Kallie's expression falls into the same shock that the boys wear and she feels like her whole body goes numb. "Wh-no. H-how...why-no!" She finally stutters out.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I know how much that cabin means to you all," she sighs. "But...we just can't afford to keep up with it year-round anymore. Especially, since we haven't been back since you all were in high school."

Her eyebrows furrow together in confusion. "Wha..." she breathes out, unable to think straight. To stop her mind from spinning, she focuses on the things around her.

Like the feel of Shawn's heartbeat against her back and the rhythm of his breathing. Like the goosebumps on her legs caused by Peter lightly tracing his fingers over her knees. Like the cold metal of Raul's rings as he squeezes her ankles comfortingly.

"When are you selling it?" Raul asks, taking charge of the situation. It's something he tends to do as the oldest of the three brothers. When things get tough, he steps in to steady everyone.

Karen shrugs. "We haven't found a buyer yet."

"Well," he sighs. "Then, we're still gonna go out for the summer. And every chance we get until you sell it. We can clean and pack up stuff along the way."

She smiles gratefully at him. "Thank you, honey. I hope you all enjoy the summer there...you deserve it before your last year at university!" She smiles, the tension slightly diffused but not dissipated. "Dinner will be ready soon."

Then, she silently heads to the kitchen to leave the four of them alone. Kallie shifts her body to stand up and face the boys. One hand goes to her hip as her eyes train on the carpet. With the other, she pushes some loose strands of hair behind her ear.

"I'm gonna..." she trails off, not having any words. "I'll be outside," she whispers and immediately exits the room.

Shawn leans forward to stand up. "I'll get her-"

"No. Lemme handle it," Raul interrupts and follows her without another word.

Sitting back down defeatedly, Shawn looks at Peter. "The hell was that about? Thought I was her best friend..." he grumbles.

"We're all best friends," Peter reminds him. "Besides...they have been closer since the twelfth grade." He shrugs and pulls his sketchbook out of his bag.

Shawn's brows crease together and then rise on his forehead. "You don't think they're-" He stops himself short because he doesn't even want to go there.

"What?" Peter looks up from the sketch he's working on. His face falls flat when he sees Shawn's panicked look. "Oh my god! They're not. Raul isn't even Kallie's type," he scoffs and focuses on the bright green irises he's drawing, only slightly concerned that Shawn may be right.

Shawn twists his features into an offended sort of confusion. "Her type? We all have the same face!"

"Yeah, but none of us are dating her...are we?" Peter scoffs dismissively.

"No," Shawn grumbles as he sinks further into the couch and crosses his arms grumpily.

Raul steps out onto the porch, barely squinting his eyes at the now-setting sun. Kallie's ash brown hair catches the light stunningly, almost as if it were milk chocolate silk. The red undertones give her hair a cinnamon-like shine you can only see under the sun. He sits next to her on the top step as she hugs her knees to her chest and rests her chin there.

He doesn't say anything as he leans back, letting his palms press into the wood. Time ticks by and he doesn't talk. She doesn't talk. Her body just slowly tips toward Raul until she's collapsed into his side. He feels her sigh heavily and he scoots closer to circle his arm around her waist.

"This isn't the end of the world," he promises like he always does when she gets like this. She huffs, annoyed that he seems to always downplay her sadness at first. "I'm serious."

She sits up, turning on the step to stare at him direly. "Oh, are you? I couldn't tell," she deadpans. "I know it's not the end of the world, Raul...that doesn't mean this all still doesn't suck," she murmurs as her hands move to her words.

"Life's allowed to suck," he chuckles. She watches the light dance in his hazel eyes and sighs. "You're even allowed to wallow about it," he continues.

She throws herself into his lap dramatically. "Then, let me wallowwww," she whines playfully. He rests his arm across her torso.

"But-"

"No...no buts," she begs as she turns her face into his stomach to hide. She curls her legs up until she's almost in a ball on her side.

Raul gently strokes her back. "But," he says pointedly, "you're not allowed to wallow forever. Eventually, you have to pull on your big girl pants and show life who it's messing with."

"You're so lame," she laughs and ventures a peek up at him.

He tilts his head and smiles smugly. "Got you to laugh didn't I?" She nods slightly. "I know how much the cabin means to you. It means that much to all of us," he soothes her.

"I somehow always forget that you guys feel it too," she whispers.

Raul moves his hand to brush her hair out of her face. "I'll make you a deal," he begins. Her attention peaks because he always offers her the same deal and she'd never pass it up. No matter what it is. "Suck it up for now. You can wallow when the place is actually sold."

"What do I get for pulling on my big girl pants?" She challenges.

He scrunches up his face in obvious sarcasm. "What do you always get?"

"Prom night?" She replies hopefully.

"Prom night," he confirms mischievously.

[dramioneasks]

Kalliope Zabini and the Mahogany Box - TheBespectacledLass - T, 10 chapters - Hermione Granger discovers world-shattering news about her own history. Immersed into yet another struggle, she sets aside her emotions and does what she has to do again. How will she cope with these changes? If that wasn't enough, discovering incredible new powers will allow Hermione the opportunity to continue her fight against evil with a surprising partner at her side. Will Hermione accept her fate or will she turn away from it and embrace the chance to rest? Has she been through too much to face another year full of unanticipated events? Laced with references to mythology (more as the work progresses) and dripping with emotion, this story was absorbing to write and hopefully to read! This is my first fanfiction so I hope you will forgive any mistakes. I am writing it as a sort of therapy. This is a post-war fic. The ages have been adjusted as I needed her to be a bit younger.