#Starbrook

[midnight-and-his-melodiverse]

potiential new melodiverse character, named minuet starbrooke?? hehe

[elonomhstoryvillage]

greene desert, aireverie

rich civilisation, second largest

general: demonym: ?? government type: meritocracy

districts: northern districts,, ganath, littlegan, sigie eastern districts,, abreden, inoneadene, myker, theraglen southern districts,, uron, starbrook, nonere, cerr western districts,, hellholt, ninothro, sunscott central districts,, hiju, long bank, icatid

geography: modest size land. the land is predominantly a desert. the weather is usually dry and windy.

population: population: ~18.8mil (63% male, 37% female) population density: 843 people per sq mile (increased) life expectancy: male = 68y, female = 88y average children per family: 2 population density: 26% urban, 69% suburban, 5% rural ethnic groups: 93% natives, 3% local and distant-origin immigrants, 3% refugees and servants languages: there is 1 official language religious beliefs: 97% major religion, 1% minor religion, 2% athiest

military: total military personnel: 3,580,000 (19% of total population) active military: 1,170,000 (6.25% of total population) maximum military manpower: 12,100,000 (~67% of total population) they immediately rush to the aid of their allies during conflicts. they have a defensive pact with 5 other civilisations. their military equipment is tight-tech and effective.

economy: unemployment rate: 19% of the population poverty rate: 12% of the population literacy rate: 89% of the population is literate resources: natural gas, gold, fabrics and materials, rare stones

culture: greene desert is known for its vocal style, music style, hair styles, textiles, and cusine. they have a guttural singing style and are very expressive. they wear their hair in curls and braids. the green desert women wear bright, flowy dresseswith elaborate headdresses and headscarves. instruments like flutes and stringed instruments are popular in greene desert music. greene desert fabrics are known for their intricate embroidery and detailing. local spices and herbs play a central role in greene desert dishes. the people are often stereotyped as being pious.

[tenth-sentence]

Starbrook's third pupil, Galin, had perished that night, in a vain attempt to protect his master's Field from desecration.

"Weaveworld" - Clive Barker

[sadsenpaisketches]

Fate Starbrook

My first DND character uvu

Name: Fate Starbrook Age: 24 Race: Human Class: Druid (Healer, crystal based) Alignment: Lawful Good Origin: Otha - Ashland Extra: Fate is blind, her familiar Calcite is her eyes.  Familiar: Calcite, a crystalline white ferret that produces crystals from its scruff, dropping them and being usable for various and random spells. 

(If you’d like to see her stats, click HERE)

[space-cops]

i never give these sweethearts the attention they deserve and it’s a SIN

alveth (left) is @cerula‘s boy, finnea (right) is my gal 

[somelazyassartist]

10

Is there a single leader, multiple, or are decisions made by the people? If the former, how are the leaders chosen? If the latter, how are decisions made?

Okay okay okay look okay this. This is probably the thing I worked on most so far so I'm. VERY excited. But also I wrote half of this when I was like half-asleep and the other half right after I woke up so if it doesn't make any sense, feel free to ask for clarification and I can elaborate. Also I'm gonna name drop like a LOT of characters so if you wanna hear more about any of them feel free to ask. Okay okay okay.

So basically, most Fey follow an Archfey of sorts, but they still have their own civilizations and kingdoms with rulers- they just are always one rank below the Faerie Queens. But yeah yeah yeah, okay there are definitely some places in the Feywild where decisions are made by the people, but we're specifically talking about "The Three Kingdoms" so like. They're kingdoms lmao.

Okay so first of all, you need some backstory,,, The Three Kingdoms used to be one Kingdom, ruled by Zacria Xulaphani. Zacria is a LeShay, a powerful and immortal Elf-Like Fey creature of extraordinary power. Back thousands of years ago, the Forces of Darkness (I haven't come up with a better name for it yet that's just a placeholder, but it's an army of evil Fey, demons, Fomorians, and other such things that were trying to make a second(?) attempt at taking over the Feywild) banded together to try to take down one of the most prominent kingdoms within the Feywild to show their power and to scare other smaller rulers to just give in, because if Zacria's army couldn't stop them then nobody could. Zacria was vastly outnumbered, so she sent recruiters out to the Material Plane to try to see if anyone would volunteer to help with their plight (which is when Evalur and Keanan came to the Feywild, they willingly volunteered when they were only kids not understanding how serious it really was), and split the Kingdom into three separate ones so that she could have ⅔ more time to focus on fighting the war. She took over the section she called Shylha Dorthore, appointed the head of her royal guard, Briarloch Von Birus III, as the King of Arran Thalas, and appointed her royal advisor, Morsandoral Telloxia, as the Ruler of Maethveserine.

Long, long, VERY long story short, Zacria and her armies won and drove back their attackers into the Feydark, but it was a pretty close call, and Zacria didn't get out of the fight unscathed. During a confrontation with one of the more powerful demons they were up against, she was cursed (though she never told the public what exactly the details of said curse were to try to avoid causing a panic). When the war ended she decided to step down from ruling altogether, though the people weren't happy with that for a number of reasons, so she came up with a compromise of sorts. She'd still step down from being Queen, and somebody else would take her place to rule, but she set up a system to make sure there was extra protection put in place to keep the people safe from if there ever was an attack against the kingdom again. She set up a court of mages, twelve extremely powerful individuals with a rank only below that of their ruler themselves, who would each guard one of the twelve factions of Shylha Dorthore. The members have changed many times over the thousands of years it's been since it was established (only Zacria can remember who her original eleven partners were, it's been so long even Evalur can't remember them fully), but it always stays in the same pattern: 3 Bards, 2 Clerics, 1 Druid, 1 Paladin, 3 Sorcerers, and 2 Wizards. Zacria still has some power over one of the factions, as she is one of the three Bards in the court, but she is no longer a Queen and has much less influence than she did during the war.

Okay okay so that's like. The history of how Sylha Dorthore, Arran Thalas, and Maethveserine came to be. I already had a lot of stuff written down in a Google Doc so here's just a copy and paste of how the court of mages functions:

"Shylha Dorthore's court of mages are a group of twelve extremely powerful magic users, always consisting of 3 Bards, 2 Clerics, 1 Druid, 1 Paladin, 3 Sorcerers, and 2 Wizards, regardless of how often the individual members change. They act as advisors to the rulers, and help with any magic-related issues in the Kingdom. Each one lives in and protects one of the twelve factions of Shylha Dorthore, though all answer to the ruler and must be willing to drop everything to go to the castle at a moments notice if the need arises. They answer only to the ruler and each other, and to the common folk they may as well be rulers themselves. While some more corrupt individuals may try to get this title to abuse its power, the other members can step in and stop them if they truly must, and if the people don't like the current mage in charge they're more likely to try to replace them with someone else, so corrupt individuals never seem to stick around for long. The members can all be individually replaced whenever someone proves that they are more powerful than them by beating them in a magic duel; however the new person trying to get the role must be the same class as the current member they are fighting, to keep order. However, trials aren't too common as long as the people like the mage protecting them, and the current twelve members have never lost a fight to anyone outside their own court and may arguably be the most powerful magic users (that are not Archfey) within any of The Three Kingdoms. The current mages that are present today are: Fensira Rosebrush (Bard), Zacria Xulaphani (Bard), Falias Crimsoncrest (Bard), Tavmendi Dawnheart (Cleric), Quicksilver Dazzledance (Cleric), Dos'run Oakenpelt (Druid), Araquiel (Paladin), Stargazer Bluebeauty (Sorcerer), Urirel Starbrook (Sorcerer), Perlamin Wosantavir (Sorcerer), Enrona Eysiith (Wizard), and Xichikh Reetshe (Wizard)"

And here's a copy and paste of how determining new rulers works:

"Arran Thalas, Maethveserine, and Shylha Dorthore all have very different ways of determining new rulers when one is no longer fit. In Arran Thalas, the title is passed down by the current ruler to somebody they see fit, regardless of whether or not they have a familial connection (though it can often be their own family members if that's who they truly see fit to rule), and they start preparing as soon as they are coronated in case anything happens to them, and it's normal for the chosen person to change many times (the one currently listed at the time of the current ruler's death is the one that takes over). Maethveserine has a very similar way of doing things as Arran Thalas, but assassinations are a lot more common so rulers change incredibly frequently, though some do manage to rule for quite a while. In Shylha Dorthore, if a ruler is dying of old age, the title will go to the strongest in their guard so that they can protect their Kingdom if need be- but that is fairly rare; a ruler will be forced to step down on the 100 year anniversary of their coronation and will celebrate with a public viewing of the fight for the new ruler; the court of mages that the ruler has will all battle each other with wondrous feats of magic, and the winner (or possibly only survivor, if the others are so desperate for the throne they resort to murder, though typically the games are treated more like a friendly sparring match. The smaller fights that happen when a new commonfolk tries to overthrow a single member of the order to take their place are far more likely to end in bloodshed) will inherit the throne until it's time for the next ruler to be crowned. Any mages that do not wish to rule/risk their life for the chance may step aside before the games even start and let the others fight for the title, though it is usually very rare for them to do so and more likely that they will be forced to step aside mid-fight if they realize they will lose or if they become too tired/injured to keep fighting. If the other members survive they will be healed, but anyone who dies during these trials will not be resurrected as necromancy is heavily frowned upon within the kingdom due to old superstitions left from the war."

I haven't quite come up with all the details for Maethveserine's current Queen, but the current King of Arran Thalas should be Evalur Braveheart (I'm pretty sure the timeline works out? I have to double check but as far as I can tell he's still ruling after all those thousands of years. Only Zacria knows he's cursed/a Warlock, and she helps him cover it up by having convinced the people that he's descended from LeShay so his long lifespan just comes from that- instead of the truth that he gets it from his Warlock patron). The current ruler of Sylha Dorthore is a very very young Fey Eladrin named Kaivara Ravennight.

[grisdidthis]

hood building post #1ost-c0unt

After redoing the whole thing from scratch FOUR WHOLE TIMES because of being unable to settle on a terrain I was happy with, here we see Platform 42 in its final form. The place has come a long way since V1! (And by “come a long way” I mean, of course, “I am a masochist who loves giving herself more work”, but shhhh. It’s okay. It’s alright.)

To recap: P42 started as a hood this tiny, with seven households and no community lots, target population 201 sims. 

Backstory for it is that the world went up in zombies, and the only place where the undead won’t eat your brain is this city in the middle of the sea that’s run by evil scientists. A bunch of other people live there too, but most of them have been exposed to so much fuckery that by now, there’s not a normal person to be found among them. The story I have on standby at @platform42ts2​ (which is undergoing the slowest and most piecemeal of revamps while yours truly learns how to do Photoshop) follows the quest of a bunch of residents, new and old, who are trying to kick out the mad science gang and turn the place into a more wholesome environment. 

The current hood layout and household distribution, depicted below, reflect the aftermath of those shenanigans, because I’m not waiting the five thousand years it will take to finish and publish the whole story in order to start playing this hood properly. (I’ll just wait the two thousand years it will take me to decorate 15 buildings and edit everyone’s relationships and stats. Nyeh.) 

text to go with those numbers (AND to serve as an index for the “look at this decrepit pile of junk I spent a whole week artfully arranging!” posts that will pop up as I work my way through decorating all of these.)

Apartment Lot: Ardeidae Labs - Apt. #1 - Beaker (Circe & Loki) - Apt. #2 - Curious (Lazlo, Vidcund, Pascal, Jenny, Nervous Subject) Apt. #3 - Beaker/Loste (Kristen & Erin), Apt. #4 - McMillan/Muldeck (Dana & David) 

Community Lot: The Open Library - Owned by Caitlin Cartaine.

Community Lot: The Common Market - Owned by Izza Madhavi

Community Lot: Govender Gardens - Owned by Joko Govender

Community Lot: Administration Office

Household: Sala/Starbrook (Rita & Juniper)

Household: Madhavi/Hamadani (Izza, Fatima, Hafeez, Tariq)

Household: Heron/Maple (Philemon, Mace, Beatrice, the Drude)

Household: Grunt/Smith (Tank, Ripp, Buck, Jill)

Household: Von Laar/Madhavi (Lars & Nadeem) 

Household: Govender/Marais (Joko, Maraliese, Imka, Igmar, Alphonse)

Apartment Lot: Community Housing Center - Dumping ground for all those townies who will inevitably start growing on me to the point where I can’t help myself and promote them to playables.

Apartment Lot: The Old Fish Factory - Apt. #1 - Nagarajan (Nasim & Arjun) Apt. #2 - Nagarajan/Kahale (Alona, Sanjay, Kali, Lani) Apt. #3 - Nagarajan/Loner (Devika & Ajay)

Household: Madhavi/Salman (Abdul & Zeena)

Household: Cartaine/Yi (Moina, Caitlin, Eilis, Jiaying, Suyin, Subject 4) 

LOT USED FOR RANDOM STORY SETS 

So the number of households more than doubled, and the number of playable sims went from twenty to close to fifty (if you include the Strange Isle folks, who weren’t named in the list above because they live in a sub-hood.) HEY AT LEAST ALL THE PEOPLE I SET OUT TO MAKE ARE FINISHED AND PACKAGED. (And I’m long overdue on taking and posting some mugshots of the ones I haven’t shared yet BUT OH WELL.) I’ve resigned myself to the fact that this hood will take an ice age to be what I want it to be, so. Fifteen interior decoration hellscapes left to tackle!

(I say, as if making houses I will never be able to afford IRL isn’t the part of this game I live for.)

[biracialalistair]

YOU WERE ASUGARPLUMFAIRY FROM THE CANPAKE CREW???? I WAS STARBROOKE/IMAGINEHOWISTOUCHTHECARLOS

YES OMG.......... i think i stayed following u but i didnt know what ur original url was fjfjfjshfjjfjsks

[thepeachpen]

Floating heads: monk edition

Trying to get back into the swing of drawing warcraft elves. Have the sketchiest of concepts

[a-classic-story-so-far]

Classic: Helonia Shadowheart

– ––– the basics ––– –

   Name: Helonia Shadowheart

   Age: Adult [A few centuries old]

   Birthday: November 20th

   Race: Kaldorei

   Gender: Female

   Sexuality: Pansexual

   Marital Status: Single || Demiromantic

– ––– physical appearance ––– –

   Hair: Meadow Green || Waist Length || Single, Long Braid

   Eyes: Silver Glow

   Height: 7’5”

   Build: Lean with Modest Feminine Curves

   Distinguishing Marks:

Green Owl facial tattoos.

Small slash scar under her left eye.

A Dream Gate tattooed on her back.

   Common Accessories:

Bracelet decorated with eagle talons, saber claws, and a wooden spiral charm.

Necklace of bone and ivory, some of the fangs looking almost humanoid.

Heavy enchanted bow and quiver set.

– ––– personal ––– –

   Profession: Huntress || Outrunner

   Hobbies: Reading, Hunting, Alchemy, Traveling

   Personality Traits:

Positive Traits: Adventurous, Energetic, Faithful, Passionate, Strong

Negative Traits: Aggressive, Blunt, Feral, Secretive, Violent

   Languages: Common | Darnassian | Orcish | Taurahe

   Residence: Inns || The Wilds

   Birthplace: Shal’thalas, Ashenvale (Village no longer inhabitited)

   Patron Diety: Elune

   Fears: Loss of Freedom, Failure, Public Speaking

– ––– relationships ––– -

   Spouse: None

   Children: None

   Parents:

Mother: Lithedre Starbrook (Missing or Deceased)

Father: Cemearn Shadowheart (Alive, Darnassus)

   Siblings:

Asha’elania Shadowheart (Missing or Deceased)

   Other Relatives:

None (Open to establishing connections)

   Pets | Companions:

Black Night Saber named Shari

Tawny Fish Owl named Ashae

Brown Bear named Ytass

– ––– traits ––– –

   Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

   Disorganized / In Between / Organized

   Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

   Calm / In Between / Anxious

   Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

   Cautious / In Between / Reckless

   Patient / In Between / Impatient

   Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

   Leader / In Between / Follower

   Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

   Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

   Traditional / In Between / Modern

   Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

   Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

   Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

   Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

– ––– additional information ––– –

   SMOKING HABIT: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

   DRUGS: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

   ALCOHOL: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess

– ––– rp hooks ––– –

   Dragonsworn – While it is rare for the Green Dragonflight to seek out anyone other than Druids to serve, Helonia has earned her position among the Dragonsworn. For now, she travels freely, but should she ever hear the call, she -will- answer it.

   Former Outrunner – Helonia served as an Outrunner for the Sentinels and Wardens of Ashenvale and Feralas. However, when she heard rumors of survivors of the Sundering in other parts of the world, she retired from her position and struck out to see if she couldn’t find evidence of her mother or sister living on somewhere.

   Looking For Work – Having spent almost every gold on her trip to Stormwind and securing a safe place to stay, Helonia is looking for work as a huntress or leatherworker. She isn’t seeking a permanent employment position, but also won’t say no to a steady income if the circumstances are favorable.

[mentormodelagency]

Fab editorial just published in @hautepunchmag Credits: Photographer: Josephine Webster @josephine_webster_photography Model: Harriet Webster @harriet_webbo Makeup artist: Katie Ashton @_kate_ash_ Fashion stylist: Laura Karin @laurakarinstylist Hair: Kelly Starbrook @kellstarbrook / Hair assistant: Bridget Hawke Model agency: Mentor Model Agency @mentor_models / Select @selectmodelmgmt Wardrobe: @asos @hm @filauk @bravesoulcouk #model #teenmodel #filadisruptor #sportsmodel #retrosportswear #editorial (at England)

[tenth-sentence]

'Who is this Starbrook?' said Cal.

"Weaveworld" - Clive Barker

[brookes-moscow-petersburg]

At Brookes Moscow we are launching a series of exquisite classical music recitals in our Performance Hall. 5 concerts of the series will take place on Wednesday evenings (19:00) starting from May 26th. Some of the world’s famous musicians will take part in these concerts, among them the Russian opera star Ms Darya Davydova, brilliant pianist Ms Ekaterina Mechetiva, virtuoso violinist Mr. Graf Mourja. Some of our MusicPlus teachers will take part in these concerts, too, including Ms. Khristina Zaifidi (vocal teacher), Mrs. Elena Viner (flute teacher), and myself being also an Artistic Director of the series. Before the concerts and during the intervals you may enjoy delicious snacks and refreshments provided by our Kostya’s StarBrookes Cafe. We are looking forward to seeing you with your children, friends and family members at our recitals. However, please note that, because of the COVID restrictions we have a guest limit. You may reserve your seats and purchase tickets online, by clicking the links on the page. https://moscow.brookes.org/a-series-of-exquisite-concerts-of-classical-music-recitals/ Мы начинаем серию изысканных концертов классической музыки в актовом зале (Performance Hall) нашей школы Brookes Moscow. 5 концертов серии будут проходить по средам в 19:00, начиная с 26 мая. В концертах принимают участие всемирно известные музыканты, среди которых звезда русской оперной сцены Дарья Давыдова, блестящая пианистка Екатерина Мечетина, скрипач-виртуоз Граф Муржа и др. Среди участников концертов Вы сможете увидеть и услышать также наших учителей программы MusicPlus - Елену Винер (флейта) и Христину Зайфиди (вокал). Как художественный руководитель серии концертов, я сам тоже приму в них участие. Перед началом концертов и в антрактах Вы сможете насладиться вкуснейшими закусками и напитками, предоставленными нашим любимым Kostya’s StarBrookes Cafe. Мы будем рады видеть Вас с Вашими детьми, друзьями и близкими на наших концертах. Однако, просим отнестись с пониманием к тому, что, в связи с коронавирусными ограничениями, количество мест в зале будет ограничено. Вы можете зарезервировать места в зале и приобрести билеты онлайн ссылкам на странице. https://moscow.brookes.org/a-series-of-exquisite-concerts-of-classical-music-recitals/

[space-cops]

i’m Mostly Content now look at these children................ @cerula‘s boy alveth is here too, in his Pumpkin Shirt

thank you @swanlinqs for showing me so many awesome cc sites i’d be dead without you holy FUCK

bonus Tacky Gay Formal Attire, presented by Svetlana

[mega-futuristicdetectivestudent]

Voleibol Nacional en intercambio con equipo New York, en 1960 El 25 de marzo de 1960, precisamente hoy hace 60 años, un equipo integrado por varios jugadores denominado ‘Estado de New York’, inició una serie de cinco partidos frente a la selección dominicana de voleibol masculina, en un fogueo que atrajo unas 3,500 personas a la inauguración de las graderías de la cancha del Centro Social Obrero, de Villa Francisca. Los encuentros, además del CSO, fueron efectuados en las canchas del Golfito Tennis Club (en la avenida Bolívar) y en el antiguo liceo Ulises Francisco Espaillat, en Santiago de los Caballeros. El sexteto dominicano estuvo integrado por los atletas Carlos Morales, Andrés Graciano, José de Jesús Sánchez, Rafael Justo, Freddy Quezada, Ulises Lewis, Mario Crispín, Martín de Moya Canaán, Rolando Miranda, Luis Reyes Corsino, Tomás Binet hijo y Germán Coradín. Vinicio -Güini- Santana fungió como dirigente. El plantel extranjero -en su mayoría sobre los 35 años- lo conformaron William -Bill- Cluse, Derwood Mason, Donald Starbrook, Fritz Koerbel, Arthur Carmichel, Morris Rose, William Mott, Raymond Brand, Winthrop Davenport y Carlos McNeil, quien hizo las veces de manager. Todos vinieron acompañados de sus respectivas esposas, en unas francas ‘vacaciones’ y alojados en el desaparecido hotel Paz. Los dominicanos ganaron ese primer partido y la serie por 4-1. El inicial por 3-0, con pizarra de 15-9, 15-4 y 15-11). El único encuentro en que triunfaron los visitantes fue el cuarto y celebrado en Santiago por 10-15, 15-8, 15-7 y 17-15. El equipo criollo fue el mismo que acudió, unos meses antes, a los Juegos Panamericanos de Chicago, Estados Unidos, en 1959. Por Antonio Valdez #osnyenlosdeportes #voleibol #pasiondeportiva https://www.instagram.com/p/B-LM9WBgLxs/?igshid=1w5jugeticszu

[talkfantasytome]

34. “Anybody else notice the small child staring at us?” + 36. “Why are you so determined to see this ghost anyway?”

Could it be a Nessian + Gwynriel double date with those prompts?

Thanks for the ask!

I love the prompt, hate what I did with it...but gonna share anyway because I wanted to post something today. It's...eh...but hey, Nessian + Gwynriel double date is a wonderful idea! Content for both ships. 💕 Hope just any random content is enough. 👀😂

Nesta stood in front of the old Starbrook Manor, her brows furrowed. She still wasn't sure why they were there instead of going out to dinner like normal couples did, or a movie, or even some random autumn festival.

Not that it was Cassian's fault they were here. Oh no, this one was entirely on Gwyn, and it had Nesta seriously reconsidering their current system on determining activities for their monthly double dates. Clearly, one person could not be trusted to decide unilaterally what the whole group would do.

"So…" Cassian started, sounding about as confused as Nesta felt, his hand gripping hers tightly. "We're here…to find a ghost?"

Gwyn rolled her eyes, sighing loudly. "Essentially, yes."

"And would you like to explain why you're so determined to see this ghost?" Nesta asked, not stepping toward the house.

"Because this place is abandoned! Has been for decades, and yet last night, on my way home from work, I know I saw someone in the window," she explained, her voice steady and sure.

Cassian scratched his head. "How do you know it wasn't just some local kids checking out an abandoned house close to Halloween?"

"Or having a party," Nesta added.

"It was one person. And they weren't teens. They looked like they were five or something."

"Guys, come on," Azriel pleaded as Gwyn forged ahead. "Just do this for Gwyn. We'll go in, see there's nothing there, and then we can grab dinner somewhere."

Nesta's stomach grumbled in response. "Better be quick or I may start eating one of you." She shook her head and began to follow Gwyn, pulling Cassian behind her.

Az jogged up the path to get to Gwyn while Cassian and Nesta took their sweet time reaching the house.

"I don't understand why we don't just wait out here and let Az help Gwyn with this," Cassian whispered to her as their friends waited for them by the door.

Nesta huffed out a soft laugh. "Don't tell me you're scared."

"I'm not!" He sounded almost offended. "I just think we could have more fun out here." Even in the darkness she could see the smirk he flashed her.

"I think we'll have the most fun if we're able to get home in one piece," she countered just as they reached the steps of the front porch.

The wood creaked loudly beneath their feet, to the point Nesta wondered if it would still be able to support them. Clearly it was starting to rot, at least, based on how grainy it looked, and the hole in the center of the first step.

"Let's go!" Gwyn ordered, somehow both whispering and yelling at the same time.

Nesta couldn't help but laugh. She always found Gwyn's determination amusing. "Excuse us for taking our time in entering a haunted house."

"Except that you don't believe it's haunted." Gwyn pulled the door open, the four filing into the house with her leading the way, the flashlight on her phone pointed forward.

"No, I don't," Nesta agreed, stepping through the threshold. "There's no such thing as ghosts. Or witches, or magic, or vampires or wer-"

She cut herself off as she ran into Az's back, cussing softly before stepping around him. Cassian moved to her right as the two looked toward the spot their friends were gaping at, completely frozen in place.

Nesta understood why as she stared into grey, translucent eyes, resting in the truly white face of a young boy. His clothes seemed ragged, his face gaunt, and there was something Other about him that had Nesta's breath hitching.

He didn't speak or move. He just stood there, watching them, as if he were waiting for something.

"Anyone else notice the small child staring at us?" Cassian wondered aloud, his own stare focused on the same kid.

"Yes. Yes I do," Az answered shortly, his voice far less steady than anything Nesta had ever heard. She couldn't blame him, considering the trembling she felt in her own body as her heart raced and her organs twisted.

"Told you so. Do you believe me now?" Gwyn jeered.

"Yep! Now let's go!" Cassian didn't wait for a response as he grabbed Nesta's hand and darted back out the house, dragging her with him as he ran all the way down to the street.

Gwyn and Az joined not a second later, the four of them panting, more from fear than the physical exertion of such a short run.

"Well, that was fun," Gwyn sighed as she caught her breath, standing up straight.

"Seriously? Fun?" Cassian breathed, disbelief written on his face. "You and I have very different definitions of the word."

"Yes, it's very fun to prove you all wrong," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him as he mockingly laughed at her words.

Cassian didn't respond, though. He simply wrapped an arm around Nesta's waist and pulled her close to him, keeping contact between their bodies wherever he could. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight, knowing it would provide an added comfort.

"Assuming that child was actually a ghost," Az argued, one side of his lip twitching slightly upward.

"What else could he have been?" Gwyn demanded.

"A normal child," he deadpanned. Back to his expert-level control of his voice and face.

Gwyn scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well let's just go back and find out, then!" She took all of one step before Az had his arms around her waist, pulling her back to them.

"Let's not, love. Cassian's scared enough, and I can hear Nesta's stomach from here."

"Hey!" they both exclaimed, glaring at Az as he chuckled.

Gwyn didn't respond to their reaction, her eyes solely on Az. "Fine. Just admit I was right."

He smiled down at his girlfriend. "You were right," he offered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Now can we go to dinner?" Gwyn nodded and Nesta had to hold back a cheer.

The four of them adjusted their positions as they started down the sidewalk toward their small town, each couple walking arm in arm.

"So, where should we go?" Nesta asked the group.

"I vote somewhere well-lit and filled with living people," Cassian suggested, earning a small laugh from the others before they began to more seriously discuss which restaurant to choose.