#it WORKED i GUESS. but yarn is not good at holding many items. and we didnt have clothespins so stuff would slide to the middle of it

[aropride]

how the fuck do u wash a weighted blanket

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Osborn’s 5✩ Inspiration: Black VS Black [黑色对峙] Date Translation (Prologue)

“Cat food, cat toys; everything was all set and ready… except for a cat.”

*Light and Night Master-list | Osborn’s Personal Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *This 5✩ Inspiration has 6 Endings!! *Osborn’s tag will be #For Night, For Freedom *Requested by anon! You can check my on-going requests and more here!

It was only when I stood before Osborn's door that I realized the startling fact: this was the first time I'd ever been to his place.

A few days ago, Osborn's neighbour entrusted their cat to him because they were going to be gone on a business trip. And shortly after that had happened, I'd received Osborn's obligatory cat-lover "Invitation".

And thus, that was how I now found myself before his door, with the glee of having received his invitation swiftly being replaced by nerves.

I hesitated, pulling our previous chat back up on my phone to double-check the address.

It was then that the door opened with a click.

Osborn: Oh? Already here?

A familiar voice sounded, making me abruptly raise my head.

Osborn was leaning sideways against the door, staring at me with an impish glint in his eyes.

MC: I just got here and I was just gonna check if this was the right place.

Osborn: Check?

Osborn: My bad. Looks like I'm going to have to remember which door it is next time.

MC: No need, no need. I can tell which door's yours now!

Osborn: Then, come in?

I quickly nodded and followed him in.

❖☆———————————★❖

All Osborn had on was a simple black singlet and a pair of casual sweatpants.

I'd rarely seen him in such a casual state of dress, so I couldn't stop my lingering eyes as I drank the sight of him in.

Osborn: Want something to drink?

MC: Nope, no need!

Osborn paused for a while after hearing my reply, but he continued pouring the water into the glass.

When the glass was filled, he turned around and leaned closer to me with a mischievous smile.

Osborn: You seem nervous today.

I felt my face burn. I swallowed my saliva and attempted to still my racing heart.

MC: Only because this is my first time in your house, and everything feels so foreign...

I averted my gaze, purposefully trying to look relaxed and at ease as I surveyed his home.

The living room wasn’t overly decorated and it was painted in a simple, minimalistic, colour. It was overall simple and refreshing. That being said, there didn’t seem to be a trace of there being a cat here at all.

MC: Right. Where's the cat?

Osborn handed me the glass of water before lazily sweeping his gaze across the living room.

Osborn: Mitt? Mitt!

MC: Mitt? ...Is that its name?

Osborn: Yeah. Its owner calls it Mitchell, but that’s a bit of a mouthful, so I just call it Mitt. It seems to understand me when I do, anyway.

MC: That's… Well, okay then…

Osborn: It was still slinking around here earlier. Might have run off into a corner somewhere.

His gaze snapped back to me. He suddenly raised a brow, gesturing at the backpack I was carrying.

Osborn: Just what did you stuff into that bag of yours to make it so bulky?

Osborn: And you've been carrying it this entire while too. Isn't it heavy?

Upon his mentioning of the backpack, I then recalled with a start about the “business” I was here for today.

I quickly placed the backpack onto the sofa, taking out the many cat necessities I’d packed in, enthusiastically showing them all to him.

MC: Look! This is a cat food bowl that I especially picked out! It looks like the gigantic face of a cat. Isn’t it cute?

MC: I also bought two flavours of cat food since I didn’t know which one it’d like. I’ve got salmon flavour and chicken flavour here.

MC: Oh, and this! I thought it might like it!

I picked up the cat teaser wand and shook it, ringing the silver bell attached to it and releasing a crisp sound into the air.

Suddenly, a small black head poked out from the kitchen door. Its eyes were wide and round as it stared curiously at the wand in my hand.

MC: Look, Osborn! It came!

Osborn: Looks like it really does like this one.

Then, it averted its gaze from the wand, giving us both a glance.

However, it disappeared from our sight as quickly as lightning before we barely had the chance to blink twice.

MC: ...Eh? And you're gonna leave just like that?

I shook the cat teaser wand again, but it never once reappeared.

Osborn looked at the items laid out on the table, frowning slightly, his expression tinged with a faint hint of confusion.

He picked up a small cat post.

Osborn: And what's this supposed to be?

MC: It’s a small cat post! It can be used to satisfy a cat’s natural innate tendency to want to climb everything and anything they see.

MC: It can also prevent them from messing the house up from all the climbing up and down they’re inclined to do.

Osborn: Oh. This one's well-suited for it.

MC: Haha, is it that playful?

Osborn: Hmm. Well, the owner said that their house was always in constant chaos thanks to it. They also said that their cat would normally be a little more obedient when it is in a new environment.

Osborn hesitated for a moment as doubt and a bit of helplessness slipped into his voice.

Osborn: But maybe my place isn't exactly new to it. Obedient, huh… Don't really see that happening.

MC: That bad? Maybe it wouldn’t attempt to demolish the house with all it's jumping around with all these toys here now?

MC: I even prepared yarn balls and stuff!

Osborn: A new boss is in office, and this one seems terribly well prepared.

MC: Of course I am! As soon as I heard that you were going to be temporarily housing a cat, I immediately went to place some orders online.

Osborn: You were looking forward to it THAT much?

Osborn: Looks like I'm gonna have to have it over as a guest more often.

My face flushed a slight red as I shoved the cat food bowl into his arms.

MC: No slacking! We're setting these all up together!

Osborn froze for a bit before taking the cat's food bowl from me.

Osborn: No problemo. I'm at your service.

MC: Ahem. Then, where would it be better for us to place all of these?

Osborn looked at the area for a while before slightly raising his chin and gesturing in the direction of the kitchen.

Osborn: The kitchen's entrance, I guess. It's almost always hanging out there.

After determining how and where we were going to set the whole ensemble up, we immediately got down to work.

Osborn casually opened a bag of cat food, pouring it into the cat food bowl I was holding. Following that, I tore off the plastic wrapping that covered the scratching posts, putting the simple cat post together with Osborn.

Cat food, cat toys; everything was all set and ready… except for a cat.

I looked all over, but I saw neither hide nor hair of it.

I attempted to call it out by calling it by its name of “Mitt”. Osborn had also attempted to shake the cat teasing wand in an attempt to lure it out, but we didn’t see even so much as a whisker of it.

Osborn: It’s usually ready to jump at anything and everything, but now it’s shy?

MC: Looks like it went into hiding. How about we split up and look for it?

Osborn: Okay. I’ll take the rooms on the north and you can take those on the south.

MC: Okay!

I searched for a good long while, but it wasn’t in either the kitchen or the study.

I was just about to go over to Osborn to ask about how his search was going when I suddenly noticed a small room right next to the study.

The door was also cracked slightly open.

MC: Huh. Did it go inside here?

❖☆———————————★❖

I gently pushed the door open and walked in. I was instantly greeted by display shelves that spanned the entire wall the moment I walked in.

Inside the many display shelves were racing trophies of all shapes and sizes. There were also photos of Osborn and his teammates, along with several race car models that were modelled after their real-life counterparts.

MC: Is this Osborn's collection room?

I couldn’t help but stop short. I suddenly caught sight of a black shadow seated atop a shelf.

MC: ...Mitt!

It was just about to get a paw on a red and white racing car model inside the shelf.

Probably having noticed the movement on my end, it tilted its head to look at me, its paw suspended in mid-air.

MC: What… What is it trying to do? Don't tell me...

I gasped in surprise, subconsciously holding my breath in nervousness.

We’d interlocked gazes for only a second before its ever-vigilant amber eyes flashed.

It lightly and resolutely batted its paw at the model it’d set its eyes on immediately after.

MC: AH!!

I subconsciously lunged at it, but all I caught was thin air.

The car model fell to the ground with a clatter, shattering into its many compartments with its wheels spinning in the air from the impact.

Upon seeing the result of its actions, Mitt quickly fled from the scene of the “crime” with a satisfied little meow.

MC: Wait!

I didn’t manage to stop it in time at all. It all happened in a split second, and now I was the only one left in the room with the overturned car model.

What am I to do now?

The cat caused an incident! What should I do?

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

✥ Choose your Ending:

END 1 | Choice: Do Nothing [都不做]

END 2 +3 + 4 | Choice: Call Out [呼唤] ⊹Speak⊹

END 5 | Choice: Listen [倾听] ❖ASMR

END 6 | Choice: Heart-throb [心动] ★Night★

❖☆————— ⊹ For Night, For Freedom⊹ —————★❖

[lokilickedme]

It’s been a long time since we were “that family“ in a public place, but dear god when we do it we do it up right.  The boys and I decided to hazmat up and go to this big warehouse store for a little out of the house time, which has been at a very strict premium for the last 8 months so we were, you know, inordinately excited about it.  Gigantic building, open doors, two customers per square mile, very low risk.  99.5% safe with the other .5 covered by our masks and good sense, no worries.

Except Little drank slightly out of date chocolate milk and some beef jerky before we left.  And we would have made it, if I hadn’t stopped in the textiles aisle to look at some Mizhrahi yarn...but I did, and so we didn’t.  Poor kid had started complaining about his stomach feeling sick after we’d been in the store for maybe 20 minutes, so I had turned us all toward the front and started working our way to checkout.  We were so close we could see the exits.

Damn that Mizhrahi yarn.  But he’s holding it together and I keep telling him he’s not gonna puke, he’s just thinking about it too much, and he’s standing there gulping air and nodding his head trying to agree with me.

Turns out I’m full of shit and shouldn’t be a parent.

So a few minutes later we’re actually just stepping into line when the child leans over and starts that godawful hrrrrrtttt....hhhhrrrrrrrrtt noise that comes right before the payoff, and before I can grab him and steer him away from the people in line six feet in front of us, he fills his mask.  And then he fills it again, because apparently he wants to see how much it can hold.  (Spoiler: it failed on the second hhrrrrttt)

So I pull him away from everyone and he unloads on the floor minus the mask, and then he starts again so I pull him halfway down a nearby aisle and he unloads again, all over himself and me this time.  I’m trying to remember where the bathrooms are (hint: they’re one row over, dumbass) and he unloads yet a third time (plus two for the in-mask loads) and at this point people are starting to notice and I’m starting to hear the general verbal mayhem of a mass freakout.  My escape reflex fires up and I drop my bags and purse and grab the kid and run to the bathroom, leaving Big standing there in a catatonic panic. 

Now, if you’re a mom to an autistic child, you know the catatonic panic isn’t anywhere near as calm or contained as it sounds.  Nope.  I’m in the bathroom with Little with the door standing open and he’s unloading again in the sink when I look out and see Big pacing back and forth talking to himself, flapping his hands and lunging each third step, which is his thing he does when he doesn’t know what to do.  It’s something I see a lot so it doesn’t seem out of place to me, but three people who work in the store have come running out to survey the mess and they’re a little bit freaked by this very tall young man pacing violently and reassuring himself in a loud voice up and down the christmas candy aisle.

So I yell out the door “He’s fine, he’s with me!” and Little hhhrrrrrttt’s again in the sink; meanwhile I can hear one of the store staff shouting orders for someone to get mops and paper towels and it’s becoming real obvious real fast that nobody’s happy with us, the lady who seems to be in charge is shooting me The Glare Of Death through the open bathroom door but all I can think right that moment is that Little managed to hit both my boots AND get it inside my shirt and that there oughtta be some sort of award for that.  And my purse and shopping bags are abandoned up near the registers.  Fortunately they’re splashed in puke so odds are good nobody’s going to walk off with them.

A few minutes later the circus seems to be over.  Little says his stomach isn’t pissed off anymore, so we wash up and gather Big, who has lapsed into his secondary self-reassurance mode of reciting the symptoms of Covid-19 out loud (yeah I dunno, he says it helps).  This isn’t sitting real well with the store staff or the remaining customers, needless to say...so I send both boys into the open-air lobby by the exit while I gather my bags (THERE IS PUKE INSIDE MY PURSE GOD IN HEAVEN WHYYYYY) and I make my way to the checkout, a shell of my former self.  I have vomit on my clothes.  A couple of items I have to hold up so the clerk can see the tags without touching them, because...well, you can guess why.  I apologize to everyone within earshot on my way out and me and the boys sorta run to the car, throw our bags in, and get ourselves gone.

We’ve all taken our turns in the shower now and everyone’s feeling better - most of all Little, whose status bar went all the way back to full the second he purged the chocolate milk.  Big will be a nervous wreck for the remainder of the evening, convincing himself it isn’t Covid by reciting the expiration date from the milk carton that he dug out of the trash to himself over and over until he realizes Little hasn’t puked any more.

And me?  I’m a mom, this is pretty much business as usual, and I’m telling you all that somebody needs to make a mask that will hold a minimum of three hhrrrrttt’s because that’s just about how long it takes to get a kid out of line and into the public restroom at a warehouse store.  I’ve done the fieldwork for you.  Get to it, this is something the world needs.

Also as a side note it’s amazing how many people wearing God Bless The USA teeshirts with religious inspirational home decor in their shopping carts and rhinestone studded crosses on their concealed-carry handbags in a store that plays loud Christian music will shout JESUS CHRIST!! the second a stranger starts vomiting on the floor.

It’s a wild world out there.  We’re going back behind closed doors for a while...for our protection, but maybe more so for everyone else’s.

[nicknellie]

By the time I finish/send this it’s going to be at the most random time so I say good night and technically good morning for whenever you read this!

I’m glad that you were able to finish your schoolwork, if it’s any consolation you still did hand them in, which is amazing! Also shame on them, they should’ve explained how all of this was going to work.

Same here! It’s so fun replying to these

Let’s do this

(Also if I were to make a tally of how many times I used exactly and agreed I would be in the hundreds by now 😂)

1. You are so brilliant, yes. Reggie just uses random stuff to hold his things especially considering that he has like 1000 scrapbooks so all the other stuff needs to go somewhere. (He also has used Luke’s and Bobby’s)

2. I didn’t think that Reggie actually has pictures of random baby, oh my goodness that is hilarious.

3. Exactly, and the reason why he doesn’t recognize the French dip is because he has no clue where it came from but it does belong to him

The non-box stuff

First two very random comments that totally did not come from me accidentally hitting some board games and seeing jam which led to inspiration for this

First point, Sunset Curve and then later Julie and the phantoms most definitely had board games. In this scenario I’m going to use Spin Master Hedbanz because, I have no clue when this game came out so I’m just gonna say it’s a game that the Molina’s play.

(Hedbanz is the fast-paced, easy to play question game of “What am I?” Ask “yes” or “no” questions, I think Amazon can be thanked for that description)

Anyways, so they play this and after not guess Luke flips a table. that’s this entire point that Luke is the one during game nights to flip tables (never play Monopoly with him)

The second point, the jams. First Reggie hates strawberry jam, loves raspberry jam and is indifferent to marmalade (I mention the last one although it’s not really a jam) however Alex loves marmalade and grape. Luke has no taste, but sometimes likes jelly, and Bobby like marmalade as well (honestly idk)

Now numbers,

2. Wait yes, I don’t know how else to describe it aside from that. (All of them feel guilty, and massive group hug and movie night after)

3. Luke as a frustrated puppy is his facial expression when Reggie accidentally scares Victoria and Luke sits down on the couch. Also yes, that is exactly the conversation they have (Yes Willie can also get through to him). Also it does work when Juli tries it however maybe not as much as when Alex and Willie talk to him.

4. Yes, basically Luke and Alex are two halves of a whole and can read each other very well.

5. Oh yea, Alex is always very sarcastic with the boys and is a tiny bit hesitant in front of Julie however after that interaction he acts more like how he normally is.

6. Yes and there’s no in-between (although it could be that he stayed there for a few days and hasn’t been back since). Aww, that’s so sad and exact what happens, however he doesn’t have someone who gives him a flower, unlike Julie, so he just sits there crying.

8. Yes! I like that theory as well, also for some reason Luke was always very good at solving Rubiks cubes however Bobby never was.

10. So I randomly saw this meme one day and you mentioning the spinning tea cups reminds me of it (I have no clue who made this sadly)

(Just change Luke to be sitting with Julie then) Also yes Luke doesn’t like things that spin, honestly I love the fact that I went off on a board game tangent and you went off on a theme park tangent.

Yes, every single ride Alex goes on, also yes for bobby. I love the little addition you made that they save it for the end of the day, adding on there’s like one ride that Bobby won’t go on (maybe the tea cups) and he always rides the logflume ride during that time)

Oh yes, anytime they go to a waterpark or go on a roller coaster or basically anything Reggie will take a picture of it, (also there’s quite a few of the boys going on roller coasters that Reggie doesn’t want to ride)

Luke goes on a ghost train once and regrets everything, he spends the entire ride with his head buried in Alex‘s hoodie. Yes, also Bobby has to make sure that Alex doesn’t accidentally bump in to random strangers.

Toffee nut- for a second I thought you said that Reggie didn’t know one of his friends was allergic to gluten and I was like this fits Bobby so much but I misread that severely. But that’s exactly what happens, also Julie brings it up once, just in general, and that’s where Alex has to be like ‘Reggie we are already dead’

11. The game to see if Reggie is lying or not, love that. (Honestly I wanted him to have actually met Queen Elizabeth very randomly however your theory fits so well)

13. Yes, they all just randomly dance around the studio. I mean the band in full cowboy outfit should be very high up on your list of things to expect for season two.

14. That’s exactly why I said that, because Nick shouldn’t be able to see the boys however since he’s actually Caleb during that moment he can. So he has to pretend like he isn’t furious, he kind of fails but somehow is able to pass it off.

They can’t deny good music, love this line and yes they most definitely can’t.

15. I’m glad that you like the little Han-solo idea

16. Yes, yes, we all know that Alex still lets them in the kitchen because he can’t say no to the puppy dog eyes however during that moment he tries his best to keep them out

17. Alex was most definitely the cutest baby also that is precisely what the photo looks like. (As you mentioned earlier I believe whenever Reggie was upset at Luke he would give Julie baby pictures of Luke. So of course Reggie does the same to Alex and shows Willie pictures of him as a baby. And Willie has heart eyes for the rest of the day from that photo

19. They definitely jump in puddles also the amount of times Luke has done that to Alex for no reason at all is a lot (also this is adorable)

20. Yes, I think everyone fell in love with Alex after the first episode as they should. ‘I have been crying for 25 years. How is that possible?!?!’

Yes Reggie and Willie definitely only talk in puns to each other and Alex is not happy (lies but for now they will let Alex be)

Also this makes me think that if flynn had known that Luke existed when she was going to egg Julie’s house, he definitely would’ve helped. Also yes, Emily buys those eggs right then and there, alongside toilet paper because.

21. That’s exactly what I thought but now seeing it in writing makes me upset. Him having a key symbolizes that he now found his home, and when Luke ran away Alex was so torn because obviously he supported his best friend more than anything however at the same time he just didn’t know what to do. (I don’t think I’ve seen this list but I am very intrigued, should we petition the show to let you write Mitch‘s character for season two) Yes, Alex and Luke are such brothers and we can blame Mitch.

24. The first time I saw the song I just thought that she sang in it as background vocals or something and then I was massively disappointed. Wait wait, what if in season two we get a song from Flynn that basically answers flying solo and shows how much Julie means to Flynn. I am in the same exact boat flynn is in a music program so at the very least we have to see her doing something they can’t just waste that talent like that. So I know this YouTube creator by one video and one video alone which is I’m going to kill Santa Claus, but yes I added it to my watch later (also you did get the title right, caps and everything)

25. Yes, he wanted to be strong for her which is why he initially went. (Third chance at getting a family 🥺🥺 awww)

Yes they exactly would’ve been uncle Reggie, uncle Luke, and uncle Alex, she definitely would’ve been nicer just due to the fact that the boys never would’ve let her get away with it.

26. I mean even when the boys forgive him, he still doesn’t forgive himself. Also yes, and the first thing he does is remake the hat for Alex because for some reason Alex hasn’t been able to find the hat (and or one for Willie because he wears beanies as well) Just imagine happy Bobby reunited with his bandmates (family) though aww.

28. Yes, also Reggie is like a cat when it comes to yarn so after he initially got tangled of course he got himself even more tangled until he just became a ball of yarn. (I love that title, also there is two parts because Reggie made a similar one again due to the fact that this happened twice)

30. Yes, Willie does have an old soul and him and Alex connect very well with Vitoria

32. Yes, best fan base ever. Legitimately they will get stopped on the street and if someone finds out that their sunset Curve they immediately get some sort of fanart or sticker (also a hug because Luke will give free hugs to everyone)

Yes, honestly I was thinking that Alex could be a cat as well however you’re entirely correct it’s Bobby who is the cat. I’m a bit stumped on what Alex would be, hear me out he would be a hedgehog just because that would be absolutely adorable. (Also I love the owl idea that’s brilliant)

Wait, not only does Alex get that but a fan handmade a puzzle of the band and it’s one of Alex‘s most treasured items from a fan.

34. The boys laugh for so long but the eventually help him out of the fridge, not before Reggie takes a picture though

35. Wait yes, Ray helps them out with the photoshoot. At first he thought that Flynn was asking him to take the pictures and he was completely prepared but then he quickly realizes that she kind of just wanted him to be there too not only help out but because he’s the greatest.

37. They take all of his hoodie expect the pink one, however they do wear it just give it back.

39. He says it immediately, honestly doesn’t even register that he says it until about five minutes later

40. It’s actually a mixture of both, also because Alex wears Luke’s shirts while they are practicing. Even if the practice doesn’t turn out the best they always have a great time just because they love spending time with each other and that makes everything better.

So you mentioning Willie wanting to learn lifts and stuff, and it made me think of the fact that Kenny Ortega has done dirty dancing which means they should have a scene like this

https://youtube/DIKpUa0O7Ns (if the link doesn’t load basically its the dirty dancing - time of my life final dance)

So now I need this in season two. (Also Willie is the one who is being lifted)

Also I agree this may take the cake for my favorite (also because I now have the dance I want Willie and Alex to do in season two)

Now I may have Time of my life stuck in my head ‘and I owe it all to you’ (actual a song lyric and technically I only have myself to blame)

I’ve been trying to answer this all day but kept getting interrupted by things including but not limited to my schoolwork and the fact that my kitten escaped the bathroom while my mum was trying to wash her which caused s t r e s s but I’ve finally got round to it so here we go!

Before I start, thanks! I actually managed to get most of my work in on time today which I’m really proud of (all of it was in on time if we ignore maths, but that’s my worst subject and I don’t think my teacher is excepting much from me anyway 😂😭)

And oh god I kind of am tempted to make tallies of how often we say that now lmaooo I’d add for me any variation of “ahdslflkdp” or “omg lmaooo yes”

Anyway! Let’s start!

BOX STUFF

1. Thank you!!!!! Exactly but somehow I can imagine he still manages to be messy. Like all his stuff is packed away neatly, but the boxes they’re packed away in are just everywhere and it’s a nightmare for Alex who likes to be clean and tidy. (Luke doesn’t care whether things are messy or tidy, and Bobby is messy but not as cluttered as Reggie I think) And yes!! He uses Luke’s and Bobby’s too, as well as a drum Alex accidentally broke and is now kind of like a box if that makes any sense lol

2. Ikr lmaooo he just puts them in there like “well we needed something” and when Bobby continues to say it doesn’t count because it’s not him he just claims the baby is an honorary member of the band

3. Yes! Maybe he found it one day, thought to himself that he’d read it and try it out later but then completely forgot about it and the box

BOARD GAME AND JAM STUFF

1. I am so in love with this idea oh my godddd, yes, your mind!!!! They have these extravagant board game nights that last hours and hours (while they’re all wearing their matching pyjamas or onesies of course). I love games like Hedbanz omg and I can totally imagine them playing this and also games like Cluedo, Pictionary, Articulate (great game btw if you’ve never played, highly recommend), and any game Julie finds like at a charity shop (because I can totally see her and Flynn going to charity shops and finding a bunch of cool stuff??) Whoever is in a team with Julie is pretty much guaranteed to win (unless it’s Luke, but Alex or Reggie with Julie are pretty much unstoppable) and in the old days Reggie was the master of all games. You’re so right about Luke getting angry lmao monopoly was banned after the first fifteen minutes of the first time they ever played it

2. I love how random that whole thing is but also that you’re 100% right. Also the fact that This Band Is Back is also called Reggie’s Jam has led to some interesting different versions of that song over the years

NUMBER STUFF

2. This kind of links in but not really - once they’re with Julie they have movie nights too and Flynn and Willie often join in. Julie and Flynn have a couple’s jumper and Reggie and Luke are jealous of how comfy they look all snuggled up together so because Luke is wearing one of Alex’s hoodies they both get into that. The only problem is Alex’s hoodie only has one head-hole so they end up stretching it and Alex isn’t happy. Him and Willie just watch the whole time, Alex not finding any of it amusing, Willie laughing his head off

3. Yes that was the exact image I had in my head!!! And it only works when Julie does it because it’s Julie and Luke isn’t really convinced but he’ll agree with her because it makes her happy and that’s all he really wants

4. Ok that made me think of Merlin if you’ve ever watched that show??? If you haven’t then you should, it’s on Netflix and one of my all time favourites. Anyway the phrase two halves of a whole is really similar to two sides of the same coin which is used all the time in Merlin and now I kinda wanna write a Merlin AU where Luke is Arthur, Alex is Merlin, Reggie is Gwaine, Julie is Gwen, Carrie is Morgana, Caleb is Uther, etc.

5. Yeah 🥺 I kinda just want more of Alex relaxing around Julie next season y’know? Like they’re obviously super close but he doesn’t always act around her the same as he does with the guys. I want to see them get closer, have nights where it’s just the two of them, maybe Alex officially coming out to her (though I like to think he already did that and it just wasn’t shown to us)

6. Omg ok that hurt. Wow. Because the boys don’t cross over or go to wherever Rose went after they died, they just stayed in the dark room for an hour, they can’t watch over Bobby and see how he’s doing and they can’t send him any signs like Rose did for Julie. If they had been able to do that then things would have been so much different!

8. What if Bobby started trying like everything the boys liked when they were alive? Like after he realises he can’t make jewellery or write poetry anymore he tries the Rubik’s Cube but can’t do it. So he tries puzzles but just can’t find them as interesting as Alex did. And he tries crosswords and sudokus but can’t wrap his head around them like Reggie. Eventually all his interests kind of drop away and he’s left with even less than he already had.

10. Absjdldl yes lmao that’s perfect! Honestly I love that for us, little random tangents here and there is perfect 😂

Yessss I love that lol like when he meets up with the guys again he’s soaking wet and grinning like an idiot lmao

Reggie has scrapbooks dedicated to their theme park trips and it’s kind of messy and most of the photos are blurry but he loves them as they’re some of his best memories

Also the image of Alex getting so lost in his happiness watching everyone having fun that Bobby just has to pull him out of the way of people is glorious and I love it

Also I had another random thought literally just now. This is kinda based on something that happened when I was 12 I think? So Sunset Curve goes to a theme park and they’ve just finished lunch and Alex wants to go back on rides immediately so they decide to go on something small and not scary so they won’t like vomit their food everywhere. Reggie goes with it because they won’t be going on a big ride. They go on one of the smallest rides there, literally it’s this platform that moves side to side I can’t really explain it better than that. And it is the most terrifying ride any of them have been on in their entire lives even though it looks fine and Reggie refuses to go on anything else for the rest of the day just in case he’s tricked by its tame appearance again.

Toffee nut - omg yeah no I love that! Bobby is definitely allergic to gluten. Alex loves baking special gluten-free stuff just for him and the others are banned from eating it (but y’know they ignore that and do anyway)

11. Tbh now you’ve said that I want it too and I’ve changed my mind, there’s a high chance he did meet her. Somehow. Even he’s not really sure what happened but yeah he did 😂

13. Honestly just any kind of fancy dress? Like cowboys is up there but I’d love to see Fairy Princess Luke ngl

14. I love the image of Nick very poorly containing his anger and ending up accidentally saying something like “they wouldn’t know sophistication if it snuck up and slapped them” and then having to explain what the hell that meant to Julie

16. No one can resist Reggie and Luke’s puppy dog eyes 😂 I love the idea that he shoos them away but they look at him through the door. So he shuts the door, leaving them outside, but they move to the window. He pulls the curtain down over the window but they come in through the front door and stand in the kitchen again and either he has to relent and let them stay or offload them to Bobby or Julie depending on when this is

17. Afjkgjl yes and Alex looks as if he’s embarrassed by it but really he’s isn’t, he’s actually angry because he wanted to be the one to show Willie his baby photos and Reggie stole that from him damnit!

19. This is kind of unrelated but it’s on the subject of water so kinda close - water fights. Absolutely. Especially in summer. Alex is the best at them. Luke sucks (it’s kind of becoming a theme that Luke is awful at anything competitive and I love that lmao)

20. LITERALLY. He said that and a bunch of other things (there’s too many to list lol) and I was immediately like “ok yeah he’s gonna be my favourite isn’t he” and I was right

Absjdidko yeah he hates the puns but love that they’ve found something to bond over, he’ll just never admit it. Whenever they’re doing it he just shakes his head disappointedly, trying to hide a smile

Lmao yeah Luke is well-practised at egging houses and for at least an hour he would have been thinking “I want to but it’s Julie” unable to decide and eventually he would have done it for the fun

Emily Patterson honestly would’ve won Mother of the Year imo (except the arguing with Luke, but that’s one flaw and otherwise she was great)

21. Omg yeah totally, he would have definitely struggled between supporting Luke by not going and supporting himself by going. Either he would have not gone, or gone secretly and updated Emily and Mitch to tell them Luke was safe.

YES DEFINITELY PLEASE AND THANK YOU. Honestly I love Mitch and there’s so much I want to see from him (especially a conversation with Ray) and I would love to write his character @ Kenny Ortega please hire me :)

Also here’s the list of you want to look through it whenever lol

24. I love this yesss we deserve to see Flynn’s response to Flying Solo! Honestly my prediction for her is that she kind of starts feeling left out of everything because she can’t see the boys (even though Julie and the guys obviously don’t mean to leave her out and they’re devastated when she tells them that’s what’s going on) which A) could be how she starts to reconnect with Carrie and B) could be the reason she sings a song for Julie. And YES Jadah Marie is so talented therefore Flynn is and that can’t be wasted!

Lmaooo I’m Going to Kill Santa Claus is one of the only videos I’ve not seen of his but I love all his other stuff. And I’m legit proud of myself for remembering that title 😂😂

25. Exactly! Like Trevor I think would be a semi-lenient parent and whenever Carrie acts up it would have been Alex who was the first to tell her off and tell her what she should have done. He would never shout, but he also wouldn’t sugarcoat it and would be honest. Reggie and Luke would have been gentler on her but Bobby would have just been terrible at discipline lol

26. Yes omg 🥺 the little gestures like making more hats are the things that get the boys to finally forgive him. And I know for a fact that Willie wearing a beanie is all I’m going to be thinking about forever now, holy moly

28. Ajsbdkspskke yes!! Eventually it turns into a whole series of songs that end with “Bobby I Swear I Will Hide All Your Knitting Needles If You Don’t Start Cleaning Up Your Yarn, This Is Your Final Warning”

32. I love that! The band is very sociable so they run into fans a lot and fans just start bringing their fanart and stickers wherever they go because you never know when you might run into Sunset Curve

Omg I can totally see hedgehog Alex that’s literally perfect I love it! Because he’s kind of shy and nervous but also prickly (like come on, his sarcasm and the way he just deadpans half his lines is brilliant)

Yessss it’s this really detailed painting made into a puzzle of all of them and Alex puts off making it for ages because he doesn’t want to damage it or anything 🥺

34. Lmao yeah Reggie has to take a load of photos because he’s using his Polaroid and he’s laughing so much that the camera shakes and the photo comes out blurry every time

35. Yes she wants him there because Ray is obviously the Best Dad Ever (I am definitely in agreement with Reggie on this one). Also it helps because then it doesn’t look like Flynn is by herself taking all these photos because the guys can’t be seen 😂

37. Yes lol the one rule is that if you take the pink one you MUST give it back. Willie is the only one who can occasionally get away with breaking that rule, in which case Alex just takes it back himself

39. Absjdldl yes especially because Carrie doesn’t comment on it (because she’s not really listening to him, just speaking her thoughts aloud, because I feel like she does that a lot? Talks to herself because it’s easier to understand her thoughts when she says them?)

40. Omg yes and that’s even better because Alex had done it with Luke and Reggie so he knows how! I mean, it doesn’t go well at all, but they have fun!

God me too now I’ve got it stuck in my head 😂 tbh I had Devil Went Down To Georgia and also Ring Of Fire stuck in my head for ages after we mentioned those so it only makes sense lol

[tamorasky]

Mistress Anna Chapter 18

Rating: M

Summary: It wasn’t uncommon for the women to be eventually cast aside, Anna was just naive enough to believe it would never happen to her.

Relationships: Anna/Kristoff

Words: 3,836

Canadian Frontier Au.

Masterlist 

AO3

Notes: I'm so sorry for the bad editing, I'm just so excited.BECAUSE in very exciting news my friend @leaves-of-laurelin has made a playlist for Mistress Anna (I love it so much) and with her permission here is the link:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5i00FG3ZjdWCLkbtZ7ZsaQ?si=lLrw2s5URsmkbxXcJniSUQ

(God I hope that works).

Big thank you to my close friend, Sophie (who apparently knows now that I write fanfiction and has for years) for editing some parts of this chapter for me!

Eliza squats low in the grass as her toy falls to the ground. Grabbing the wooden deer, she drops to her bottom as she sticks the toy into her mouth. Anna watches her daughter from the porch, her hands clutching her shawl closed as she absentmindedly brushes her forefinger against the soft yarn. Her gaze remains similarly fixated on Eliza as a hawk would eye its prey.

This is what it had been like for the past week since that day, carefully watching Eliza every waking moment. Anna wakes up throughout the night to ensure Eliza is still by her side. And every night, her daughter lies next to her sleeping soundly. Yet it brought no comfort to the young mother.

She wonders if her mother ever felt this fear, if Iduna had ever woke in the nights to ensure she and Elsa were still there. How many times did Iduna watch Anna while she played unknowing of the fear that consumed her mother?

A hand rests on the young woman's shoulder, causing her attention to divert briefly from her daughter. The corners of Anna's mouth quirk up as her sister stands beside her; Elsa's brows are furrowed as she stares at Anna.  

"Anna, come inside." Elsa tries to guide her younger sister inside, but Anna's gaze goes back to Eliza.

"Sure, just let me get her." Anna breaks away from her sister, picking up her skirts as she steps off the porch. She ignores the audible sigh that emits from the brunette.

As Anna approaches her daughter, Eliza looks up at her mother, calling out for the young woman. Despite being only 15-months-old Anna wonders if Eliza knew her mother watches her closer than usual.

Eliza whines as Anna scoops her up, clearly displeased that her mother has disrupted her playtime. Despite her daughter's protests, Anna carries Eliza into the house,

Elsa is sitting at the table as Anna steps through the door. She settles Eliza on the wooden floor, leaving the toddler be as she walks to the stove, putting on the cast-iron kettle.

"Anna, we need to talk." Elsa finally says, turning in her chair to face her sister.

"Would you like some tea?" Anna asks, avoiding the statement. She grabs the china teapot, an item gifted to Iduna from Agnarr. Anna wonders if he had gifted it to her mother as a consolation gift after leaving her for a white wife. She wonders if Hans will ever return to her, offering her gifts and whispering pretty words to her as Agnarr once had to Iduna.

"Anna." Elsa calls while standing up, placing a hand on Anna's shoulder as she grabs the tin which holds the earl grey.

"Is earl grey tea fine with you?" Anna asks, putting in two tablespoons of tea leaves into the pot, not waiting for her sister’s answer.

"We need to talk about what happened last week." Elsa states.

Anna sighs, knowing her sister would want to discuss her behaviour this past week. She knows Elsa had noticed the way Anna watches after Eliza now, seeing the increased paranoia around others; she didn't want to talk about it. Anna doesn't want to discuss that a week ago she nearly lost Eliza, the most important person in her life.

"There is nothing to discuss." Anna shrugs, grabbing the matching teacups.

"Anna, you haven't let Eliza out of your sight since that day." Elsa sighs, taking her hand off of her sister. "You can't spend the rest of your life watching Eliza."

Anna remains quiet at her sister's remark. She knows she can't watch after Eliza every waking moment. But she could for now, while Eliza is still young.

She hadn't understood as a child when her mother would tell her and Elsa, but she does now; never have more children than you can grab and run with.

"I know." Anna responds after a few moments of silence. "I know I can't watch her for every moment of the day, but I just…" she sighs, chewing the inside of her lip. "I can't let anything happen to her."

"I understand. But you're going to have to trust the community."

"It's harder said than done, Elsa…it's…" Anna sighs, closing her eyes.

"I know it is." Elsa places a hand on the auburn-haired woman's shoulder. Anna puts her hand over her sister's.

She knew that running from the missionaries was always tough on Elsa, as the older sister she always had to look after Anna. Children with Anna's complexion were often targeted by missionaries and traders, they were easier to pass off as white within the city’s, easier to assimilate. Eliza would be no different and that thought terrifies Anna.

"I don't understand how mama could let us out of her sight." Anna shakes her head. Elsa smiles, chuckling as her arm comes across Anna's shoulders, holding her close.

"I don't think she ever wanted to, but she knew we had to live our own lives." Elsa guesses. With a smirk, she pokes Anna in the side with her forefinger, causing her little sister to squeak. "If it had been up to me, I would have never let you out of my sight."

Anna nudges Elsa with her shoulder. "If you had, maybe I wouldn't have ever left." Both of the women giggle at her remark, resting their heads together.

The high-pitched whistle of the kettle echoes through the cabin. Anna grabs the cast iron vessel, covering her hand with the hemline of her apron to pour the boiling water into the teapot.

She places the teapot onto the table, surprised as she turns around to see Elsa squatting in front of the stove, snuffing out the fire. As she grabs the teacups, Anna meets her sister's eye, sighing she places the cups on the table.

Sitting at the table, Anna pours some water into her cup before pouring it back into the teapot. Elsa raises her brow as she watches Anna re-pour the tea, a seemingly redundant action.

A loud shriek emits from Eliza, who stands up slowly from the ground. With a smile, Elsa rushes foreword, picking her niece up by her armpits. Anna smiles as Elsa covers the little girl's face with kisses.

"I'm kind of glad I did let you out of my sight." Elsa states as she stares at the red-haired girl in her arms. Anna stands from her seat as Eliza reaches out to her with a grunt.

"Why is that?" Anna questions. She walks towards her sister and daughter, running a hand over Eliza's hair as the small girl lolls her head back to look at her mother.

"Because if I had not, you wouldn't have had Eliza." The brunette states, pressing a kiss to Eliza's temple before handing her off to Anna. As she takes her daughter into her arms, Eliza leans forward on Anna's chest, the breath getting knocked out of her from the force of the small girl's body propelling forward.

Anna holds Eliza close to her body as she follows Elsa outside. The brunette sits on the edge of the porch, haphazardly sewing a split in her buckskin jacket. Elsa looks up at her sister questioningly as Anna places Eliza on the porch.

"Would you mind watching her while I'm gone?" Anna hesitantly asks, still holding Eliza's hand in her own as she crouches low. She had planned on bringing Eliza with her this afternoon, but Elsa is right. She has to trust her sister to watch after her daughter.

"Of course. What task has Bulda talked you into helping her with today?" The brunette inquires, turning on her bottom to face her family.

"It isn't Bulda." Anna informs her, pressing a kiss to the back of Eliza's hand. "I promised Kristoff that I would help him forage."

A smile creeps over Elsa's face, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I see. You know…you've been spending a lot of time with Kristoff recently."

Anna stares down at her sister, her face heating up at the implication of her sister's words. She hates the way she blushes, knowing she is encouraging Elsa.

"Wait, what?" She questions, shaking her head as she blinks rapidly. "It's not like that, he's just been so helpful with Eliza recently that I owe him."

"Anna, it's okay. I'm only teasing. Have fun." Elsa hums, clearly amused by her sister's reaction, feeling only a little remorse.

The auburn-haired woman turns her attention back to Eliza, giving her a kiss as she smooths back Eliza's hair. "I love you. Be good for Auntie Elsa." With a groan, Anna stands, her knees clicking painfully as they straighten.

"Don't worry, we'll be good." Elsa reassures her, reaching over to her niece to wiggle her small foot, causing the little girl to giggle and bend forward to reach out to Elsa. Anna waves to her sister and daughter before stepping off of the porch, picking up the skirt of her dress as she steps through the mud.

As she walks along the road, Anna readjusts her shawl around her shoulders, the wind blowing right through her. She comes into view of Bulda's property, smiling at the familiar sight; Kristoff stands on the road in front of the river lot, kicking his feet against the dirt. Anna can't help but giggle to herself as she thinks back to him being a 15-year-old boy waiting for her to go fishing, she was always late.

She pushes forward, breaking into a jog as she approaches the man. "Kristoff!"  

"You're late." The blonde man states the smirk on his face indicating he held no ill will against her. "Come on feisty, what's your excuse this time?"

"I had a prolonged goodbye with Eliza." She states, taking the basket from his hands. Kristoff sighs, rolling his eyes.

"You could have brought her with, I would have loved to see her." Kristoff comments as the two of them begin to walk down the road.

"You saw her yesterday; you aren't tired of her shrieking and grabbing at your beard?" Anna questions, knowing how hard Eliza will tug at Kristoff's facial hair.

Kristoff chuckles as he begins to pull at his buckskin jacket. "I'll never tire of her. She's always so sweet."

"I'll be sure to give her to you next time she decides to have a tantrum." Anna's cheeks begin to hurt, her smile not wavering since he had come into her view.

"I don't mind. I love her so much." Kristoff shrugs. Anna looks up at him, halting abruptly as he continues forwards, staring at his back she feels her chest constrict as her mouth quirks up.

Kristoff turns around, his brows knitted in confusion. "Are you coming?" He inquires, placing his hands into his pockets. Anna nods, ignoring the tears pricking in the corner of her eyes as she moves forward to his side.

The young couple continue further east down the road, stepping off into the ditch anytime a wagon crossed their path; Kristoff's front faces away from the road in case anyone would recognize him.

As they face the forest, Anna holds her breath while the wagon rumbles past, the riders clearly interested in the two strangers on the side of the road. Her breath hitches as she feels Kristoff's forefinger brush against her knuckles, she looks up at him with wide eyes.

He smiles down at her, taking her hand into his and squeezing it reassuringly. "It'll be alright." Anna nods in response as she chews the inside of her lip, despite his comforting words, her heart still pounds in her chest. Anna's other hand comes to rest over their intertwined hands, pressing her shoulder against his bicep as the wagon rolls past them.

Kristoff watches as the men pass them, still holding onto Anna's hand. "We should get off the road."

Anna nods in agreement, relieved at the man’s suggestion. Kristoff's keeps his hand in hers, helping to keep the young woman steady as they make their way into the ditch. Anna keeps her legs stiff as she clambers down the slick grass, focusing her attention on not slipping and not on the fact that her hand still remains in Kristoff's.

Anna slips her hand from Kristoff as they come to stand on flat land. They meander into the forest; the crunching of pine needles echoes through the crisp cold air of the wood.

As they walk, Anna looks up to the grey sky, noticing the long-dead tops of the evergreens; she recalls Cliff telling her about a fire that passed through these woods when he was a child, it was only now that parts of it were coming back to life.

The two amble further into the woods, venturing away from the road where they would be safe from view. Anna watches as Kristoff scans the forest floor, paying attention to the moisture still evident from the rainfall.

"How long do you think we'll be out here?" Anna inquires, scanning the ground for any evidence of mushrooms.

"I'm not sure. We might not find anything." Kristoff shrugs with a sigh. "It all depends if wild animals got to them first. I know Marguerite has been trying to bring Sven out here to hunt mushrooms, they could have gotten here first."

Anna looks over at the young man, the urge to tell him that his sister and best friend would not have been looking for mushrooms if they were allowed to venture this far out of Ahtohallan bubbles up inside of her. She stops herself before giving him this information, despite the desire to scandalize her friend.

"Ah!" Kristoff exclaims, startling the young woman next to him. He kneels to the ground in front of a spruce tree, inspecting the fungus planted at the tree trunk's base. Anna approaches him from behind, looking over his shoulder to see the colony of mushrooms.

"Aren't morels poisonous?" Anna inquires, remembering a time when Kristoff nearly crushed her wrist to stop her from eating them. Kristoff chuckles, looking over his shoulder.

"They are if you don't cook them." He informs her. Sliding over, Kristoff makes room for Anna to take a spot next to him. She proceeds further, kneeling on the damp ground, her shoulder pressing against Kristoff's arm as he cuts away at the stem of the fungus.

As he turns it over to inspect, he sighs before showing it to Anna. "You see that?" He asks, pointing to the mushroom. Looking at the organism alone, she can't tell if anything is wrong with it, only a few holes scattered through the fruit. She shakes her head, eyeing Kristoff as his chuckles and nods, handing it to Anna.

Upon touch, Anna feels her hair stand on edge as the mushroom comes into her hand; it was soft and slimy. "Is it bad?"

Kristoff nods. "Yeah it is a little past where we want it. And if we take it and cut it open." He grabs the mushroom back from her, cutting it in half to reveal maggots already decomposing the fungus. Anna scrunches her nose up at the sight and the putrid smell. She is overly relieved when Kristoff throws it into the forest.

"Does this mean everything around this tree is rotten?" Anna inquires, slightly hopeful that they could leave and go back home.

"Not necessarily." He responds, cutting another from the ground. He slices it in half, no maggots to be found in the fruit much to her disappointment. Anna reaches over, brushing her fingers over the mushroom, soft and spongy at her touch. "That's what it is supposed to feel like. You take these ones; I'll go find another patch."

"Wait, what?" Anna asks, alarmed as Kristoff rises from the ground, two darkened spots on his trousers' knees. "You can't leave me, what if I make a mistake and pick a bad one?"

"Then we'll throw it out later. You are fine, Anna, I trust you." His hand comes to rest on her shoulder for a moment. Anna watches him as he wanders away from her, finding another colony a short distance away.

Her heart hammers in her chest as she looks back to the mushrooms in front of her, worried that she'll make a mistake. Anna has never been well-versed in foraging, uncertainness overtakes her as she plucks a mushroom from the ground, studying the fruit carefully; she does not want to mess this up.

The young couple continue to forage, Kristoff is much faster at harvesting than Anna is, but she takes her time in inspecting every mushroom she plucks from the ground before placing them into her basket. They go through multiple colonies of morels, picking a few meadow mushrooms as well on their way.

Anna's anxiety is soon replaced by excitement as they weave through the trees, gleefully pointing out colonies as she comes across them. Enjoying the way Kristoff immediately stalks over to them, even if it interrupted a task he hadn't yet completed. She notices how he smiles every time her laughter echoes loudly through the trees, how he chuckles whenever she teases him.

The sun peaks through the forest for the first time that day, casting a yellow hue on the young couple. Despite the sunshine, a few light droplets fall on Anna's forehead, she pauses as the cold water evaporates into her hair. She looks up at the sky, closing her eyes as it lightly rains, her palms upturned to the sky as she savours the feeling of the rain against her skin.

She had always love sun showers.  

Opening her eyes, Anna can't help but feel self-conscious as she feels Kristoff's eyes on her. Her gaze meets his with curiosity. There is no evidence of an amused smirk on his face as Anna had expected, no witty comment passes through his lips. Instead, his honey-brown eyes take in every inch of her before coming to meet her gaze.

Kristoff strides over to Anna and stands in front of her. She feels like his prey, ready to devour her at any moment. Anna notices the way his pupils dilate as he continues to stare at her, the way his adam's apple bobs as he swallows. He raises a hand as if to cup her cheek, but he stops himself, instead redirecting it to rest on the back of his neck.

"W-we should head back." He croaks, his voice hoarse as his eyes continue to burrow into her own. Anna nods, peering up at him through her lashes, a sigh passing through her lips as he walks past her.

Her heart hammers in her chest as she looks over her shoulder to watch Kristoff walk away. Anna places a hand over her breast, taking a few deep breaths to try to compose herself before following after him.

The two walk back to Ahtohallan in silence, Anna picks at the wooden basket as a shiver courses through her body as a slight breeze passes the couple. She wraps her shawl around her tighter, trying to generate some heat from the damp wool.

Kristoff looks over at her, noticing the way Anna shrinks into her wrap with a shiver. Without any hesitation, he shrugs off his buckskin coat, placing it over her shoulders with the hope it will warm her.

She looks up at him as the weight of his jacket comes to rest on her. "W-Won't you be cold?" Kristoff smiles gently at her question, shaking his head.

"No, I-I run warm anyhow."

Anna seems to accept this answer, stopping to pull her arms through the long sleeves. Kristoff can't help but smile at the sight of Anna in his jacket, the sleeves come past her hands, and the coat falls to her mid-thigh.

She sighs at the slight warmth the coat brings back to her body, causing the chill in her body to dissipate. They continue their way home, Kristoff smiling as Anna begins to talk with him again, not stopping until they reach Ahtohallan.

They come to stand on the edge of the river lot. Anna stands in front of him, beaming as the basket hangs loosely in her hands. "Come in for supper. I'm sure Elsa would like to have someone to talk about trapping with."

"Anna." Kristoff chuckles, shaking his head. "I do not want to impose on you two."

"Since when have you ever been an imposition? You never turned my mother down whenever she asked you to stay for dinner."

"Because you always used to beg me to stay." Kristoff answers, tucking his hands into his pockets as Anna purses her lips.

"Well I'm begging you now. Please, keep Elsa and my daughter entertained for a little bit, please just for me to focus on making dinner." Anna places her palms together as if she is praying. "Please, Kristoff."

She says in a way that Kristoff can't refuse, pleading and breathy as her eyes go wide. "Fine, I'll stay for dinner. But I'm leaving as soon as Elsa breaks into the whiskey after supper, it is always bad."

"Okay!” Anna beams up at him, leading the way through the property to the cottage. As they push through the door, Anna sighs as the cabin's heat envelops her, the tips of her fingers tingling as they warm.

"Oh, there you are. I was started to wonder about you two." Elsa comments, stoking the coals of the furnace.

"We got caught in the rain." Anna states, shrugging off Kristoff's jacket before handing it back to the young man. He takes it, unable to ignore the way is smells like her; sweet like bergamot.  

Eliza sits on the floor; her toys lay abandon as she takes notice of Kristoff. The toddler shakily stands, taking a few steps toward the man reaching her chubby arms out to him.

Anna giggles as Kristoff races toward her daughter with a smile. She knew Eliza had Kristoff wrapped around her little finger. The blonde picks Eliza up by her armpits as she shrieks loudly.

Eliza's next words cause Anna to stop, panic instilling in her as they resound in the quiet house; Papa.

Anna feels her ears burn as she turns to face him, shakily swallowing as her chest constricts. "Kristoff I'm sorry, I-I don't know where that came from." She makes her way forward, ready to take Eliza from his arms. But Kristoff holds Eliza closer to him as the little girl becomes enraptured by his facial hair.

"Anna, it's fine." Kristoff reassures her, his face flushes as he shakes his head "She probably just strung a few sounds together. It's not an issue."

The young woman nods, trying to find comfort in her friend's words but finds none. She turns back towards the table, her hands still shaking as she tries to prepare supper. Because despite what Eliza called him and what could have transpired between them that afternoon, Anna knew the reality that even if she asked him too, Kristoff would never stay.

[efrmellifer]

Entanglement

It was easier to pretend that nothing was happening, that Etien was knitting because that was what a wife of the highborn did. But it wasn’t true. She wasn’t working on a specific item, so it was clear she was knitting to relieve stress.

So it was easier to pretend. But it was better to be honest.

“I think I have to go back to the First again. I know I’ve been flying back and forth, but I think I need to go back and stay there until this is all finished up.”

“Why?” Aymeric asked, doing his best to stop the waver that wanted to invade his voice.

“There’s too much temptation if I stay here.  To keep eating the forbidden fruit and forgetting to do my job. I hate to call it forsaking the cause, but with Krile handling the Scions’ bodies so well, and with them not really needing me while they debate and research how to move their souls, it’s so much easier on my mind to stay here, where I can make the argument that I’m needed. Wanted, at least.” She didn’t look at him, staring forcibly at the navy blue yarn between her fingers, trailing from the wooden bowl wedged between her legs and Aymeric’s.

Etien put down the yarn and her needles and buried her face in her hands. “And despite all that, when I’m there, it’s easier to pretend I’m a hero. That they’re going to need me, eventually. And I guess they will. That makes me important.  It makes me think, though. Am I… do I measure up to what Haurchefant thought of me?” She sighed. “Am I what any of you think of me? Edmont, you, the Scions, gods, even Garlemald?”

Aymeric moved the bowl of yarn and pulled her closer, gently guiding her to rest her head against his upper arm. “In some ways, yes. Insomuch as we who love you think that you are a good person who only wants to help as many people as she can before she collapses, you are exactly that. But in other ways, I suppose you are not a perfect match to what people think. You are, however, something better.”

She sniffled lightly. “And what’s that?”

“Yourself, Etien. Someone who deserves to be thought highly of.”

She sighed, lying down so her head was resting on Aymeric’s leg. “It’s a lot to live up to.”

He brought his hand to her head in his lap, running his fingers along her ear and stroking her hair. “I know, dearest. I know.”

“And as much as they’ll need me when it’s time to bring their souls home, they don’t need me. They just need the soul that travels back and forth with its body. I’m little but a tool. Still.”

“Still?”

“When I was nearly 19, I was just a Miqo’te living in the Black Shroud. One making a lot of poor decisions, but making them for herself. But the second I was called by Hydaelyn, I started acting under the orders of the Scions, the whims of the star.” She huffed, frustration clearly mounting. “I can’t even have children with you yet because I need to make sure I can bear everyone else back without… losing anything.” Already, her hand came to her belly protectively, as if there were something there to protect. “I’ve been dreaming a lot about Amaurot.”

Aymeric just kept stroking her hair, coaching his tone and training his thought to remain listening to her, not thinking about his own feelings about Amaurot. So he asked, quietly, “oh?”

Etien nodded, a soft “mm-hmm,” accompanying it before she kept speaking. “A lot of the time, I dream about the fight with Hades. I had a dream once Hydaelyn punished me for struggling. It… was a nightmare. A bad one.” Her ears shifted to flatten out, and Aymeric lifted his hand from her for a second.

She looked over her shoulder at him, and he returned his hand to her hair.

“You say usually. Not this time?”

“This time, I dreamed about Hythlo- Hythlodaeus, I mean. It was like my reliving my memories, like it tends to be, but this time, I realized something.” She paused, and he heard Etien’s breath change. “I felt the same way, sitting there with Hythlodaeus, that I did every time I did in Haurchefant’s company. It was such a deep friendship that if I had had the tears to weep then, I probably would have broken down. Maybe I’m lucky. If I’d been able to let go, I might not be here with you now, instead trapped in the Tempest, a glutton for aether.”

Aymeric’s hand had reached Etien’s shoulder, and there it settled, gripping her tight.

“Can you sit up, dearest?” he asked her, voice bordering on a whisper.

He heard her sniffle, then swallow. Finally, he felt her nod. She sat up, and he scooped her into his arms and against his chest. “You’re safe here. You can let go now, if you need to.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and broke down into sobs. “How much more of this do I have to bear?” she pleaded, her voice cracking.

He rubbed her back. “I wish I could tell you. All I can offer you instead of answers is my support.”

He could feel the spots of her tears on his skin, wetting his clothing. She was hiccuping, too, her stomach spasming where it was pressed to his from how close they were holding each other.

Eventually, she stopped shedding tears, and a little while after that, her breathing had settled. Aymeric hadn’t said another word since his offer of support, and didn’t intend to do so now, simply holding onto Etien, letting his fingers run along her spine every so often.

He realized at some point during this that not only was it late, but Etien’s breaths had settled so much that they sounded the same as they did when she was asleep. While he wasn’t thrilled she’d cried herself to sleep, he was thankful that it had been in the safety of his embrace, at the very least. She needed the rest, after all, if she was going to be making the journey to the First in the morning.

So he stood, making sure he still had a good grip on her, and headed for the bedroom. Slowly, due to only using one hand, he pulled back the covers and carefully laid her on the bed, deciding against getting her into her nightgown, instead just letting her sleep. He changed into his sleepwear and joined her, covering them both up. Before he settled down for the night, he leaned across the bed and kissed Etien’s forehead.

As his wish goodnight, and to encourage her even as she slept, he told her, “Wherever you go, you go with my love and support, my friend and wife, and hero besides.”

[thelastspeecher]

A Case of Mistaken Identity - Chapter 2: Been Here Before

Chapter 1   Chapter 2   Chapter 3   Chapter 4   AO3

It has been over a year since I posted the first chapter of this.  Now, technically, I wasn’t planning on turning it into a multichap, but there was enough of a response to it that I decided to.  And here’s the second chapter!  Sorry for the wait, but, hey, grad school.  Whattaya gonna do?

I’ll just get to the point; y’all have waited long enough.  Fiddleford H. McGucket is pretty much the star of this chapter, in which Ford explodes something and Dipper chews on multiple pens.  Enjoy.

              Faint singing drifted up through the attic floorboards, accompanied by tantalizing smells.

              “I guess Old Man McGucket is really cooking breakfast like he said he would,” Mabel said.  Dipper looked over at her.

              “Are you gonna stay awake now?”

              “Yeah,” Mabel confirmed.  She slid off the air mattress Ford had found in the back of a closet.  “I’m starting to think that no matter how many times I wake up, it won’t have all been a dream.”  She walked over to Dipper sitting on the floor and sat next to him. “Did you find anything?”

              “No.”

              “So we’re stuck here.”

              “Until we find a way to repair the tape measure, or get a hold of some other time travel…thing.”  Dipper tapped his chin with an uncapped pen, unknowingly tracing out scribbles in blue ink. “Since the Author is here, we might be able to do the second option.”

              “Ooh!  Maybe there’s something written in the other journals!” Mabel said.  Dipper pointed his pen at her.

              “Exactly!  If we find the first two journals, there’s bound to be something useful in there.”

              “So do we ask to look at the journals or steal them?”

              “If we ask, it’ll be suspicious.  How would two random kids know about the journals?  No, I think we have to put Grunkle Stan’s lessons to the test and ‘borrow’ them.”

              “We’re gonna keep pretending we’re not from the future, then?” Mabel asked.

              “We don’t want to disrupt the time stream.”

              “Since when do we care about that?”

              “Since-”  Dipper looked away.  “Look, I want to figure out what’s going on.  I’ve been trying to find the Author all summer.  If we spill the beans now, we might lose our only shot on finding out more about him.  He’d probably send us back right away without telling us anything, because he’s the type who cares about the time stream.”

              “What makes you say that?”

              “He’s a scientific genius!  He probably takes precautions and-”  An explosion rattled the house.  The singing from downstairs stopped, replaced by yelling.

              “Stanford Pines, what was that?” Fiddleford shouted.  There was a muffled reply.  “You can’t do that in a house with children!  It ain’t safe!”  More muffled speech.  “No, there is no ‘safe level’ of magical experimentation when children are around!” Mabel stood up.

              “That’s our cue,” she said.  Dipper stood as well.  Mabel elbowed him playfully.  “Get it? ‘Cause we’re acting?  We’re pretending to be someone else?”

              “Yeah, I get it.”

              “It’s not my best joke,” Mabel admitted.  “It’s okay to wait for a good one.  I don’t need pity laughs in my life.”  She posed proudly.  Dipper laughed and shoved her.  Mabel shoved him back with a giggle.  Footsteps sounded on the stairs.

              “Dipper?  Mabel?” a voice called.  There was a knock on the door.  “Are you up yet?”

              “Uh, yeah,” Dipper replied.  The door opened.  Ford poked his head into the room.

              “Good morning,” Ford said.  Mabel beamed at him.

              “Good morning, Grunkle Ford!” she chirped.  Ford frowned.

              “What did you just call me?”

              “…Uncle Ford,” Mabel corrected.

              “Ah, okay.  My ears must still be ringing from Fiddleford scolding me,” Ford said.

              “Or the explosion,” Dipper offered.  After a moment, Ford nodded.

              “That would do it as well.”  He cleared his throat.  “Anyways, if you two are hungry, Fiddleford made breakfast.  I would take him up on the offer.  He’s an excellent cook.  Far better than I.”

              “You got it,” Mabel said with a wink.  Ford smiled at her.  

              “Perhaps over some pancakes, we can get to know each other better.  I’d love to find out more about my newfound niece and nephew.”

              “You don’t have to tell me twice!” Mabel said cheerfully.  She bounded out of the room.  There was a crash.  “I’m okay!”

----- 

              Fiddleford looked up from the skillet on the stove at the sound of footsteps. He beamed.

              “Good mornin’, kiddos.  Got some fresh hoecakes fer the two of ya.”  Dipper and Mabel cocked their heads, confused.  “Some folks call ‘em johnnycakes.”

              “They’re essentially pancakes made of cornbread,” Ford clarified.

              “Oh, okay,” Dipper said.  “That sounds…interesting.”

              “It’s a fam’ly recipe,” Fiddleford said proudly.  “My younger siblin’s always used to lose their minds when Ma made hoecakes.”  He wiped his hands on his apron.  “Go ahead, take a seat.  I’ve already set up a couple plates, so you can dig right on in.”  Dipper, Mabel, and Ford each took a seat at the table.

              “What was the explosion we heard earlier?” Dipper asked.  Mabel nodded, her mouth already full of hoecake.

              “Oh, nothing major,” Ford said airily.  Fiddleford set a plate in front of Ford, then took a seat himself.

              “‘Nothin’ major,’ he says,” Fiddleford muttered.  “Remember the last time there was an incident what was ‘nothin’ major’?”

              “Yes, but I regrew my eyebrows shortly and your skin stopped being purple after we realized the antidote was in the ink,” Ford said.  Fiddleford rolled his eyes.

              “How do the two of ya like the hoecakes?” he asked Dipper and Mabel.

              “They’re great, Mr. McGucket,” Dipper said.

              “Yeah, can you give me your recipe?” Mabel asked.  Fiddleford beamed.

              “Yer a cook, huh?”

              “I’m pretty good in the kitchen, if I do say so myself,” Mabel said proudly. Ford and Fiddleford laughed.

              “Actually, while we’re on the topic of these two charmin’ children,” Fiddleford said, turning to Ford.  “When will yer brother be arrivin’ to, ah, claim ‘em?”  Ford rubbed the back of his neck.

              “Given I have yet to contact him, not today,” Ford mumbled.  Fiddleford sighed.  “Look, I tried to call Mom last night, but my father picked up.”

              “Understandable,” Fiddleford said softly.  He got up and began to clear the empty plates from the table.  “But ya best get yer brother’s contact information from yer mom today.  These kidlets deserve as much.”

              “I know.”  Ford poked at the few crumbs remaining on his plate before Fiddleford took it from him. “While you’re at the store today, I’ll call.”  He grimaced. “It’s been long enough since I last called her that I’d prefer to do it without someone around to hear the yelling.”

              “Do you want us to go outside when you make the call, or what?” Dipper asked. Ford looked at him, startled, like he’d momentarily forgotten Dipper was there.

              “…Oh.  Well, that’s an option.”

              “No, it ain’t,” Fiddleford said firmly.  He set the empty dishes in the sink and crossed his arms.  “Who knows how long that phone call will be?  The forest is dangerous fer two children. I’ll take ‘em with me to the mall.”

              “Ooh, yes!” Mabel said, clapping her hands.  “I love malls.”  She grinned at Dipper.  “Maybe I can pick up some more yarn.”

              “What do you need yarn for?” Ford asked.

              “Knitting.”

              “Knitting?”

              “Yep.”  Mabel pulled her sweater away from her body, showing off the design on the front.  “I made this myself!”

              “Mabel makes all her sweaters,” Dipper added.

              “Wow,” Ford said.  He looked at Fiddleford.  “I don’t know much about children, but-”

              “No, yer right,” Fiddleford said.  “It’s quite the accomplishment fer someone her age to make her own sweaters. Particularly when they’re as well-done as the one she’s wearin’.”

              “Yeah, I’m pretty much knitting constantly,” Mabel said.  “Any time you don’t see me, just assume I’m making a new sweater.  After all, my motto is ABK.  Always Be Knitting.”  She grinned. Ford let out a small chuckle.

              “You’re definitely Stanley’s daughter.”  Ford looked at Dipper curiously.  “You’ve been remarkably quiet.  Do you participate in knitting?”

              “Uh, no, I’m not good at it,” Dipper said.

              “Then what are you good at?”

              “Well, I get A’s in algebra and science.”

              “An intellectual, eh?”  Ford’s eyes twinkled.  “I was the same way at your age.”  Dipper’s eyes widened.

              “Really?”

              “Yes.  I’ve had a fondness for the fields of science and mathematics since I was very young. It’s what drove me to pursue a PhD, meet Fiddleford, and come here to research the anomalies of Gravity Falls.” He blinked at the stares from Dipper and Mabel.  “Is something wrong?”

              “I thought we were gonna have to drag your mysterious backstory out of you,” Mabel said.

              “But you just sort of…told us.  Without us asking,” Dipper added.  Ford frowned.

              “I don’t know if I’d consider my abridged biography to be a ‘mysterious backstory’,” he said slowly.  After a moment, he shrugged.  “Then again, I don’t know the terminology that youths use anymore.”

              “I don’t know if ya ever knew ‘youth terminology’,” Fiddleford teased. Ford rolled his eyes.  “Dipper, Mabel, why don’t ya get ready to go? We’ll head out to the mall fer some clothes and other items fer you two, in addition to the errands I was already goin’ to run.”  Fiddleford eyed Dipper and Mabel.  “See if ya can comb yer hair a bit ‘fore we head out.”

              “On it!” Mabel said, jumping out of her chair.  She and Dipper went upstairs.  Fiddleford looked over at Ford.

              “There’s somethin’ a bit odd ‘bout those two,” he said softly.  Ford shook his head.

              “I don’t think so.  You’re probably just picking up on the oddities that tend to run in my family.” Fiddleford let out a heavy sigh.

              “Maybe that’s all it is.”

----- 

              “So, that’s how I ended up here in Gravity Falls,” Fiddleford said, concluding his story as he pulled into a parking spot at the mall.  “I’m further from my son ‘n wife ‘n the rest of my fam’ly than I’d prefer, but it could be worse.  I’ve still got two siblin’s who work in California.  That’s close enough.”

              “Why didn’t Tate come with you to Gravity Falls?” Dipper asked from the backseat. He and Mabel had forced themselves to pay close attention to Fiddleford’s long-winded story, trying to find clues as to why he was a homeless local coot in 2012.  It had been more difficult than they expected; Fiddleford kept rambling about his myriad of siblings, instead of his relationship with the Author. Fiddleford’s eyes flicked up to look in the rearview mirror.

              “I don’t recall tellin’ ya my son’s name,” Fiddleford said softly.

              “Gr- Uncle Ford did,” Mabel interjected.  Fiddleford looked away.

              “Hmm.  Okay.” Fiddleford let out a small sigh.  “I didn’t want to pull him out of school and come all the way up here, when his mom was goin’ to stay put fer her job. If’n this drags on much longer, I might ask my wife to bring Tate up, if only fer a visit.  I miss the lil bugger.”  An awkward silence fell.  “Well, let’s get us some groceries, kiddos.”  Fiddleford unlocked the doors of his pickup truck, and all three of them exited.  “I want the two of ya to stick close to me, got it?” Fiddleford instructed as they headed towards the mall entrance.  Dipper and Mabel nodded.  “The same rules as apply fer pups apply fer kids in this sit’ation – keep a close eye on ‘em while they’re in a new place.”

              “Did you just compare us to puppies?” Dipper asked.  Fiddleford nodded.

              “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Mabel said.  Fiddleford chuckled.  His suspicious demeanor from a few minutes earlier was gone.

              “Yer quite the charmer.  Not unlike yer uncle.”

              “You think Uncle Ford is a charmer?” Dipper asked.  Fiddleford shrugged.

              “He has his moments.”  They walked through the doors of the mall.  It was eerily similar to how it would be in 2012.  The same muzak played over the intercom, the same decorative plants wilted by the same fountains, and even most of the stores seemed to be the same.  The only major difference was the style of clothing worn by the mall patrons.

              “Where are we headed to first?” Mabel asked.  “The stuffed animal place?  The only good clothes store?  Ooh, the food court?”

              “None of the above, darlin’,” Fiddleford replied.  

              “Aw.”

              “Well…”  Fiddleford dug a piece of paper out of his pocket and squinted at it.  “We can hit the food court after we’ve finished the other tasks. We need to pick up some toiletries fer you two, and I need to get some more nuts ‘n bolts from the hardware store.”

              “Save the hardware store for last, then,” Dipper suggested.  “It’s right next to the food court.”

              “No, it ain’t,” Fiddleford said.  He pointed to a nearby storefront.  “That’s the hardware store, right there.”

              “…Oh.”  Dipper rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly.  “Guess- guess I missed that.”

              “Yeah, ya did.”  Fiddleford ruffled Dipper’s hair in a genial manner.  “It’s okay, kidlet.  Everyone misses things.  Anyways, since it’s right here, I’m goin’ to pop in and get what I need.  And I know most children yer age won’t be excited ‘bout screwdrivers, so as long as ya stay near the door, ya don’t have to come in.” Mabel made a thumbs up.  Dipper nodded.

              Dipper and Mabel hovered around the entrance of the hardware store while Fiddleford browsed the various screws and tools.

              “We need to get it together,” Dipper said.  “We’re going to blow our cover in an hour at this rate.”

              “Yeah, is it really that important for us to try to keep it a secret who we really are?” Mabel asked.  She idly scuffed the toe of her shoe against the floor.  “I mean, these guys seem a bit like goofballs.  Not hardcore science nerds like you thought.  Maybe they wouldn’t care about us messing up the timeline.”

              “Great-Uncle Ford definitely didn’t care about blowing something up this morning,” Dipper mumbled.  He took a pen out from a pocket in his shorts and began to chew on it.  “You might have a point.”

              “Whew, all done!” Fiddleford chirped, joining them.  He frowned at Dipper.  “Dipper, don’t do that.  You’ll get ink poisoning.”

              “Sorry,” Dipper said, stuffing the pen back into his pocket.

              “Actually, I got somethin’ to ask,” Fiddleford said.  He shifted his bag of newly purchased items from one hand to the other.  “Are ya psychic?”

              “Huh?”

              “If ya are, you can tell me.  I won’t tell a soul.”

              “No, I-” Dipper stammered.  “Wh- why are you asking?”

              “I just spoke to Frank, the owner of the hardware store.  He said there ‘re some talks ‘bout movin’ the store near the food court.”  Fiddleford grinned, but it seemed forced.  “So, are ya psychic?”

              “No, I just- the food court seems like a good place for a hardware store,” Dipper said.  Fiddleford’s forced grin was wiped away.  He nodded.

              “Mm-hmm.  Sure. Sure,” he said noncommittally. Mabel cleared her throat.

              “Where are we going next, Mr. McGucket?”

              “To get you and yer brother some shampoo and whatnot,” Fiddleford said, abruptly changing gears.  He set off. “Come on, kidlets.  Keep up.”

----- 

              Dipper chewed on a brand-new pen that Fiddleford had purchased for him at the mall.

              “I can’t shake the feeling we’re missing something,” he said quietly to Mabel. They had gotten back to the building that would become the Mystery Shack about half an hour ago.  Fiddleford had rushed off to help Ford with something, and so Dipper and Mabel were sitting in the living room, unsupervised.  Mabel scoffed.

              “Doy, Dipper.”  She set aside her knitting.  “We’re missing a lot!  We’re, what, fifty years in the past?  The person who says he’s our Grunkle Stan isn’t really our Grunkle Stan, he’s the Author, the weird old guy who lives in the dump makes even better breakfast than Mom does, and Mr. McGucket is gonna figure out who we are in like, two seconds if we don’t memory wipe him or something!”

              “I know, I just-”  Dipper huffed impatiently.  “I feel like there’s something else.”

              “What?”

              “If I knew, I’d tell you,” Dipper muttered.  Someone cleared their throat.  Dipper and Mabel turned around.  It was Fiddleford.

              “Dipper, Mabel, please join me in the kitchen.  I’d like to talk to the two of ya,” he said in a short, but still polite, tone.  Dipper and Mabel exchanged a look before getting up and following him into the kitchen.  Fiddleford gestured at the table.  “Please, take a seat.”  Dipper and Mabel did as they were told.  Fiddleford hovered uncertainly by a chair, then sighed softly and sat down as well.

              “…Are we in trouble?” Dipper asked.  Fiddleford let out another small sigh.

              “That depends.”  He steepled his fingers.  “Look. Ford is a genius.  I won’t deny that.  But in some sit’ations, he can still be an idiot.  Sit’ations such as this.”  Fiddleford pursed his lips.  “Maybe it’s ‘cause I’m from a big fam’ly.  I have younger siblin’s and a million cousins and a bunch of nieces and nephews of my own.  I know how children act when they’re bein’ deceitful.  I can tell when they lie.”  Dipper swallowed nervously.  “Or maybe Ford’s just bein’ willfully ignorant.  He’s excited ‘bout havin’ a newfound niece and nephew.  I’ve never seen him so happy ‘bout spendin’ time with fam’ly.

              “But,” Fiddleford said.  He paused to rub his face.  “It don’t really matter which one is goin’ on here.  What matters is that I can tell the two of ya are lyin’.”  Mabel opened her mouth.  “Fine, ya might not be completely lyin’.  But yer not bein’ completely truthful, neither.  So I just have one question fer the two of ya.” Fiddleford met their eyes with a steady gaze.  “Who are you, really?”

[sleepyfan-blog]

Can i request a ds errink extra angst.:333

Fandom: Dreamswap by @onebizarrekai

Characters and pairing: DS Ink, DS Error, DS Dream, DS Errink

Warnings: referenced kidnapping, implied brainwashing, cursing

Word count: 1,694

Summary: Dream, having noticed that his best assassin is distracted, helps to rectify the issue.

“-and Ink, once this meeting is concluded, I would like you to stay behind for a few moments. There is something that I would like to show you.” Dream said, addressing his best assassin, looking directly at the other for a moment, before continuing to speak with the group of investors, talking about the opportunities that their G had brought to several disadvantaged timelines that Justice Reigns had recently come into contact with. Fell timelines were always tricky to deal with, but as their leader - an Undyne - had mysteriously dusted a couple of weeks before Dream had approached them, their world in even more chaos, promising peace and freedom from their underground prison, in exchange for cooperation and adherence to JR’s laws and guidelines.

“Yes boss.” Ink answered flatly, barely glancing up at the taller skeleton before staring at his phone some more. He was incredibly bored and still had no idea why that Dream insisted that he went to these things It wasn’t as if any of the people who paid assloads of G and magical items into Justice Reigns would suddenly try to stab the CEO… Or one another. Even if most of them were in it for the money and opportunities that being able to expand their own businesses into new timelines, and because it looked good to the adoring masses to be so closely associated to the multiversal justice bringers. If they had any idea of even half of really what went on, well… Ink mentally shook himself, Dream would probably be able to spin things so that the public would still eat out of the palm of his hands, anyways. Besides, everyone who knew anything about the organization was aware of their no-mercy policy towards criminals.

His phone buzzed almost silently, and Ink was glad that his phone was on silent - as strictly speaking - the only person who should have this number is Dream - along with whoever temporarily has it if he has to work with someone on a mission. It was his boyfriend - Error. The other sent him a picture of a half-created knit creation of some kind (it looked like a… Blanket? Maybe? It looked too big to be a shirt or socks) and a cheerful message of [I’m almost done with this section! I’m going to be using that yarn that you got me a couple of months ago - it really is very gorgeous. Do you know when you’ll be able to stop by again? I miss you.]

Ink was very glad that his scarf covered his mouth - as otherwise everyone else in the room would have noticed him suddenly smile as he looked at his phone - and Dream would ask why and he’d have to come up with some bullshit excuse - like he was looking up a meme to troll the other with later or something like that. Which had about a fifty-fifty chance of flying past the powerful empath’s radar. He didn’t know that his eye lights gave him away - both of them hearts, one upside down, the other right side up, one pink the other yellow.

The boring as shit meeting eventually came to an end - after a truly mind-numbing amount of blather and as-kissing on the part of the investors. How Dream had managed to convince so many people that the son shone directly out of his ass, Ink could only guess. Then again, the other’s aura was incredibly effective at getting other people to trust him. Ink himself had been completely under Dream’s spell for much longer than he would have liked to admit, before Error, Cross and Nightmare had grabbed him and smacked his head on straight…

He’d fallen head over heels for Error a couple of weeks after that, during a fight in which he and several other members of JR had been sent after them, to try and capture three of the most wanted criminals in the multiverse. Error was an impressive fighter and a complete nerd. Ink had acted on impulse and accidentally splattered his JR compatriots with paint meant to bind the person or people hit with it, and had rushed over to free them, conveniently allowing the three criminals time to escape. That had been a little over a year from now.

“Ink, if you would follow me to my office?” Dream prompted him, the other’s aura feeling… Strange to him.

Ink nodded and answered back with some reluctance “Yes boss.” He hoped that he would get another mission soon - that way he could spend a couple of hours with Error. If he was lucky, it would be a longer mission and he might even get a couple of days without it seeming to be suspicious. He felt one of Dream’s hands land on his left shoulder as soon as the investors were out of sight, and the other teleported the both of them to-

Just outside of the holding cells. Specifically the section that housed the very dangerous, highly powerful criminals who Dream was either trying to work on in order to convert them to his side… Or to keep in power-restricting cuffs until the R&D people found out how to kill them. “Uhh… Boss? This isn’t… This isn’t your office.”

“No, it’s not. Then again, you haven’t been entirely truthful with me, have you, Ink?” The winged guardian responded, staring intently at Ink, folding his arms over his chest and staring the soulless being down.

“I… Uhhh… Wh-what do you mean by that, boss?” Ink answered, hesitant. There were all sorts of things he was lying to Dream about. Which lies had he been caught out on? Was the other about to try to throw him in jail? Because if so, the other was going to have a hell of a fight on his hands, as he wasn’t about to just waltz into custody.

“You have been delaying the completion of your missions in order spend time with someone. You have been romantically entangled with this person for at least a year, and have been spending increasing amounts of time with them. If you had simply told me of your interest in this person in the first place, you would not have felt the need to sneak around behind my back. Even if they are a wanted criminal. Or, well. Were a wanted criminal. I’ve fixed that little issue.” Dream responded, raising a browbone at the other before gesturing to the guards on the other side of the door.

Between four heavily armed guards was Error. The other looked at Ink and smiled warmly at him, the half-created blanket dangling from his needles as they clicked quietly. His clothes were… Different than before. They looked almost the same, but something was definitely off about them. Error’s eye lights brightened at the sight of him and he swiftly walked over to Ink, reaching out and lightly touching one of his shoulders briefly before stopping and saying “Hello, beloved! How are you?” There was something slightly… Off about the way Error said that, and his eye lights seemed to be partially fuzzed out.

“E-Error?” Ink managed out, staring at his boyfriend, desperately trying to understand what had happened. There was no way that the other would be so calm normally. He looked up at Dream and managed to ask without stammering (don’t show weakness, Ink, keep it together!) “Uh… Boss? Wh… How?” and gestured at his boyfriend. Oh fuck what did Dream do?

“You have, against all odds, might I add, as you are soulless, fallen in love with someone. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? I am the guardian of positivity after all. As for Error, he’s been under the protection of Justice Reigns for the past few months, and in that time I and others… Worked with him, in order to ensure that he would no longer be a dangerous outlaw, but rather a fitting significant other for someone as highly ranked within my organization as you are.” Dream explained, a small smirk appearing on his face “And you needn’t worry about his two accomplices and friends. I have been working on them as well. Nightmare is a great deal more stubborn, but Cross on the other hand… Cross has some interesting properties of his soul that have allowed me to… Convince him to our side. Not that he hasn’t fully capitulated yet to my satisfaction. Now, off with the both of you. There are several fantastic restaurants within easy walking distance of Justice Reigns, and I want the both of you to enjoy being able to openly spend time with one another.”

What else could he do or say? If he reacted explosively, things would very quickly go to shit - he could see dozens of guards around them. So instead all he said was “Yes boss, thank you. Come on Error, let’s go on an actual date for once.”

“That sounds wonderful, darling…” Error murmured, his voice still distressingly spacy “I am very grateful to Lord Von Licht for showing me the error of my ways… Stars only know how worried you must have been about what I was up to, when we were apart. I’m sorry for worrying you so much.”

Fuck. Fuck he’d never thought this would have happened “I… Err… Shit, Error. I’ve wanted to cause some chaos in my time too. I just didn’t…” Didn’t want him to get hurt or killed by JR. Stars above what the actual hell did they do to him? Ink hoped that away from the cell and the torture, Error would come back to himself. The two of them walked through JR, Ink hovering close. If Error wasn’t haphephobic, Ink would be holding one of the other’s hands. As it was the assassin stayed as close to his beloved as he knew wouldn’t make the other uncomfortable and tried not to openly glare at every single being the two of them came across as they left the main part of Justice Reigns. The whole damn AU belonged to Dream - and from what the other had said… It was implied that Dream didn’t want the two of them leaving this AU together.

[selkie-elf]

Permission

Funeral Suit Chapter 3: 

This is the third chapter on my fic about the Wonderland twins before the Balance arc of Taz. 

Read the whole fic here

Lydia’s hands curled up to fists as she was sat down with the other employees of the shop in the breakroom. The shop had not even opened yet, so everyone was able to take part in this morning meeting. Strong scent of coffee tickled her nose as more and more of the employees started to sit down with their cups full of tea or coffee. Lydia herself had a red mug in front of her. She didn’t even like coffee, but it had felt like a correct thing to do.

A tiefling woman, who usually worked in the same shift as Lydia sat down next to her. In her jacket was written “Alma” in beautiful, pink stichting. She smiled softly and tried to reach out to hold her hand. Lydia didn’t pull her hand away, letting her fingers get linked with a tiefling’s light green ones. But her eyes stayed on the mug, watching as the milk swirled around, slowly dissolving.

Everyone had learned about the yesterday’s happening and was waiting for an explanation. Especially since few customers had been scared by the little scene she had created. Lydia felt the shame as a blush on the tip of her ears that hung low. Lydia was still tense, but the warmth of the other’s hand did bring some comfort. She was going to need it.

“So, Lydia? How are you doing today?” A halfling man asked. During the years of working in his shop, Lydia had gotten used to his boss’s voice. It still made her flinch, feeling his eyes on her. She quickly looked his boss in the eyes, even if every nerve in her brain told her to keep looking at her coffee.

“I’m doing fine sir. I’m extremely sorry about the scene I caused yesterday” Lydia managed to keep her voice professional and steady. For the moment.

“Can you explain what exactly happened? Is there something we can do to help?” She could now feel her coworker’s thumb starting to draw slow, calming circles on her palm. Lydia bit her lip, trying to come up with a way to explain the situation. “Lydia we are worried about you”, Alma said. Couple other encouraging and caring comments rang in her ears. The words got stuck in her throat,

“As.. as many of you know, my brother is… is very ill. We don’t know what it is but yesterday...umh...” she could feel her hands trembling as her grip on Alma’s hand grew stronger.

“It’s okay take your time”, someone said. Lydia didn’t want to take her time. She wanted this to be over so she could walk home and explain to Keats that they would live on oatmeal for the next couple of days. So that she could ask Edward to try finding a job once more. So she could starting to think about what she should do next.

“His illness has gone worse. Yesterday my other brother, Edward, called me in the middle of my shift and I… I just had to get home. My brother was there taking care of him of course, but he was panicking and…” Lydia managed to sob out, a heavy tear rolling down her cheek. She could feel everyone’s gaze on her. “ And Thomas tried to stop me but… I didn’t explain the situation and stormed off. I’m sorry I screamed at you”, Lydia looked up to a gruff looking man sitting beside her. He just offered a warm smile which Lydia tried to interpret as an acceptance of an apology, but she couldn’t be sure.

“And I guess that is that “, Lydia lowered her eyes back to the coffee cup. “I understand you can’t have an employee, who… who can’t do her job.”

For a first time in like a week, Lydia heard laughter. Yes it was a bit forced, but still. She let her grip loosen a bit and looked at her boss at end of the table. The hafling man was trying to take a sip of his tea, but a soft chuckle made it all the more difficult.

“ Lydia, I’m not going to fire you over that. I think what you should do on the other hand is take a break. Come back when things get better, okay? We will work things out” he explained, his smile growing as Lydia’s ears rose in surprise.

“And I’ll make sure that no-one touches your sewing machine or it’s settings”, Alma patted Lydia on her shoulder. The elf’s eyes were still glued on her boss. It was not a big deal for him.

“When things get better?” she muttered to herself. They were not going to. Lydia caught herself in the middle of that thought. When had she accepted that? Just a week ago she had comforted her brother about how they still had hope. Edward’s studies in healing were supposed to be the hope. What now? What the fuck was she supposed to cling on to now? She dug her nails in Alma’s palm and forced a smile.

“Thank you mister Bluefield. I promise to come back as soon as I’m able!”

Her boss had given her permission to head to home immediately, but Lydia still wanted to stay for a while. She didn’t trust herself to see customers today, but she still wanted to do something small.

“Alma, do you think Bluefield will be mad if I loan some supplies? I could at least work on embroidery commissions…”, Lydia muttered, while already stuffing yarn to her handbag. Alma nodded and offered the golden thread she knew Lydia used to sew her name to her works.

“As long as you keep your promise and actually take care of yourself. You should not be forcing yourself to work in that condition. And give yourself time too”, Alma said and put the needle down to the needle pillow Lydia had made her as company’s secret fantasy Santa. It was made to look like a strawberry. Lydia herself had gotten a sweater made by Thomas. She figured that the sweater would have more use nowadays, now that she would be pretty much homebound.

“I promise I will. But first and foremost I need to take care of Keats” Lydia sighed, and pushed the needles in her own needle pillow so deep that they would not fall out. “I know how it feels. But I’m sure boss won’t be mad, if you take a longer break. I took almost two months off last year when my mother passed, and the only thing that happened, was that all the coffee I had brought here had disappeared”, Alma laughed, raising her hand to cover her lips. “ But like, when that happened, I really did need that break. And I needed to take care of myself too”, she put her glasses down and looked at Lydia. The elf didn’t meet her gaze

Alma stood up and spread her arms. Lydia laughed weakly,hesitated for a moment, but in the end slumped forward, wrapping her arms around the plump tiefling. The warmth of her hug never stopped surprising her. It was probably a tiefling thing. Alma let Lydia rest her head on her shoulder, petting her hair gently.

“Remember, that you can always call me, right? And if you need any help, and I mean, any help, please call. And if you need money-”

“No, Alma. I appreciate the offer but… I’m going to be okay. We are going to be okay...”, Lydia murmured and let go of the hug. She didn’t dare to admit to herself that the offer of help was something, that nearly made her cry. She wanted to do this on her own. She and Edward would survive this. Alma still kept her plump hands on Lydia’s slender shoulders.

“You worry me Lydia. I just… I just want you to be okay.Okay?” Alma said, offering Lydia a warm smile. The elf returned the smile, but weakly.

“Thank you. I promise I will call you”, Lydia breathed out, swirling a curl with his finger. Alma nodded with a happy smile, and reached for Lydia’s bag, where she had put Keats’s suit and the summer dress she had promised to do.

“Well. I guess I’ll see you. Remember, don’t be afraid to call me. Unless you need someone to walk you home?”

The offer didn’t seem so bad.

-

Edward stirred the stew on the stove that slowly warmed up, humming to himself. Sometimes he would tap his feet along to his made up rhythm. Important thing was too keep making some noise. He had thrown some old newspapers to the fire, after he had cut out the job application pages from them. And some obituary notices, but those were merely for future reference. And the job applications were just a backup plan. If everything would go according to plan, there would be no need for either of those.

The firewood was probably the only thing that the twins didn’t have a shortage of. And in the end, they could always start burning their old sketches. Or Keats’s table. Edward brushed off the thought. Everything was going to be okay. Keats would still need his table to draw out all his ideas, and chopping off the legs of his bed would not do anything good either. He had a solution. Now, he only needed to concentrate on not burning their lunch.

Edward reached for the pepper mix on the counter. It was running low. Just one more item on their evergrowing shopping list. After adding the black powder and stirring the mixture for a while, he took a small test taste. It was not as good as mom had made. Edward took a closer look at the recipe, trying to see if he had missed something important.

Why had he even tried to follow her recipe, he hated mom’s cookings? The old hag had never done anything truly tasty, but still somehow acted how she was the best cook in the land. He couldn’t really remember why he had even kept the recipe. Maybe it had come with one the books Keats had brought with him, when mom and dad dropped him off and never came to pick up? He sighed and stirred the stew again.

The yellow piece of paper with elvish text on it looked at him mockingly. He had not done this right either. How did he think his plan would work in any shape or form, if even following orders from a piece of paper was so hard?

Edward’s ears started to flick, earrings ringing against the others. He wrapped his fingers around the paper, and carefully ripped it in to four pieces and fed it to the fire. Just in time for him to hear Lydia’s keys rattling on their door’s lock.

“ Hello Lydia! Did you get fired? Is this the last meal we are gonna eat this week?” Edward yelled from the kitchen with a slightly mocking tone. He trusted Lydia would not get mad. He could hear Lydia talk to someone on the hallway, before she closed the door behind her. No answer yet. Edward listened carefully as Lydia took off her jacket and shoes. The heels clicked when they hit the bottom of their closet. Lydia was not intending on going out anytime soon.

“Hi Ed!”, Lydia said and walked to kitchen, dragging the bag full of sewing supplies and a small shopping bag behind her. Edward’s curiosity was instantly woken up by the shopping bag. He could feel his tail starting to slowly lash around. Lydia left the plastic bag full of groceries on the kitchen table, and stepped through the living room towards her study. As soon as Lydia’s back was turned, Edward made sure that the stew was not going to overcook, and almost dove his head to the bag.

“Hey Lydia! Where the hell did you get money for all of this? Did you like, rob the your boss?” Edward yelled, looking through the groceries. There were expensive looking fruits, flour and milk, and even chocolate. While Edward was too busy trying count in his head how much he should ask from his books so they could pay the rent next month and hopefully not starve, Lydia had come back. She was wearing a loose, black top and jeans, a combination he would never leave the house in.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t pay for these”, Lydia chuckled and sat down on the old green sofa. She pulled the grey blanket from a pile next to her, only in the last minute see a grey tail tuft on under the blankets.

“Oh hi Keats. Did you plan on eavesdropping us?” Lydia smiled, when Keats’ messy head raised from the pile of blankets. Lydia reached to ruffle her brother’s hair and ton sweep some strands of hair from his face. Under, two foggy, blank eyes started back, but only kind of.

“Edward sings while he cooks, I just came to listen!” Keats laughed and took a hold of Lydia’s hand. Gods it felt good to see Keats smile again. And laughing. Lydia couldn’t help but let out a happy, but a small laugh.

“Well yeah, soon I’m going to start singing opera on the street. Care to explain did you like, steal this stuff? “ Edward leaned on the sofa, ladle still in hand. Lydia shoot him gentle smile.

“You remember Alma from work? Well I guess I looked so miserable today that she took pity on me… She said she would walk me home, but didn’t mention that the walk would also include a shopping trip. She payed and I didn’t dare to say no”, Lydia explained.

Edward looked at the bag again. If they would be resourceful, this could last for a while. “Talking about food, is dinner ready soon?”, Keats asked, still holding Lydia’s hand.

Edward rushed to the stove, making sure his cookings had not been burned. “ But yeah. Mister Bluefield said that I can come back to work when I want. But for now, I get to stay at home with you two”, Lydia smiled, still holding Keats’s hand, as he helped him to the table. His legs looked so weak. And even if there was a smile on his face, his tail still just dragged behind him, a mark sick and tired elf kid.

Edward set down the stew and started to pour it on to everyone’s plates. The smell was actually pretty pleasant. Keats waited until the sloshing of the stew had stopped, knowing that there was no more danger of him getting his hands burned. His still shivering hands started to pat around around the plate, until his fingers landed on a spoon. Despite losing his sight, he still wanted to show that he could eat himself.

"Ed, you have improved a lot! This is super good!", Keats smiled and shoved more of the stew in to his mouth. Edward kind of felt bad for not making a better breakfast for him. He accepted the compliments and started to ask Keats about he suspected would happen in the next chapter of a book, he had been reading with, or I guess for Keats. Between the theories and laughs, Edward suddenly looked at Lydia.

“ By the way, do you have plans for this evening Lyds?”, Edward asked, adding some more salt to his stew. It was not that bad.

“No, I was planning on uhm… working on a project? But I mean, I am not planning on leaving the house. You?”, Lydia answered, raising a curious eyebrow. Edward swirled his spoon for a while.

“I’m just going for a jog, you know...maybe go and try finding a job or something”, he sighed. Lydia put her spoon down. Edward couldn't really make sense of her expression, the curls covering her other eye again.

“ Keep you stone of farspeech near you and stay safe. But I mean, “walks” are supposed o be good for you. And me and Keats maybe read ahead on that book, if you take long. It’s your own fault, if we manage to spoil you”, Lydia said. Edward didn't really get no confirmation on what his sister thought about his plans, but at least he had gotten the permission.

[fearofaherobrine]

Roleplay Server Log #372

“Licht in the Sanctuary, SUGAR”

[Lie] She and CP are talking while having breakfast on their bed about the previous nights events-

[CP] - So yeah, that's what I know so far...

[Lie] - CP, I swear if I'd been more aware of what you had been doing, I would have catified you

[CP] - But I was legitimately helping this time? [Lie] Gives him a suspicious look-

[Notch] knocks on their door-

[Lie] - Come in

[Notch] Swings the door wide and centers on Cp before tapping his foot a bit- Well?

[CP] - Well what?

[Notch] Why is Licht here? I'm almost positive you had something to do with it.

[CP] - She was with Dofta and her Alex wasn't responding? [Lie] - I really should just catify you now...

[Notch] So out of the goodness of your hearts you decided to help?

[CP] - ... Yeeeeees?

[Notch] eyebrow-

[CP] - What!?

[Notch] okay... Good job then...

[Lie] - Well, somebody should probably go take care... Of... The animals...- Her tone turns to sadness

[Notch] Notes her tone and sighs a bit sadly himself- I'll get started.

[Lie] Please count the wolves, CP counted about eight of them missing last night

[Notch] I... I don't know how many there are supposed to be...

[CP] - Don't worry, I'll count them again

[Notch] I'll just... I'll go feed them.

[Lie] - Thank you

[EAlex] Wakes up first and paces around the room a little before washing herself and her clothes in the tub-

[Licht] Wake up after a bit and rolls over, trying to go back to sleep-

-A bit of text scrolls across her vision 'you can only sleep at night' -

[Licht] Groans- What fresh hell is this?

[EAlex] is done washing and wringing her hair out a little bit- what is it?

[Licht] - This message about sleep!

[EAlex] oh, it's because sleeping lets you avoid the monsters. It's a time skip, so it doesn't work during the day. I can get around it, but that's because of these- she points at her eyes. - technically I'm broken.

[Licht] - That.... Sucks, I really could have done with a bit more sleep

[EAlex] Are any of your counters low? I've never respawned myself, but it should reset everything to full.

[Licht] - It doesn't look like it...

[EAlex] Sits on the edge of the bed - can I get you anything?

[Licht] She thinks for a moment- Shit, Markus's son probably still has my phone

[EAlex] I... don't know where he is? Maybe we should try and find someone?

[Licht] - Yeah, probably for the best

[EAlex] Are you still feeling poorly? I can carry you easily enough.

[Licht] - I'll be fine, still just a bit in shock about being in a game

[EAlex] Ah well, that I understand. But hey, you basically cheated death, so things could be worse right?

[Licht] - Yeah, this is true. And don't think I missed those tears that you had

[EAlex] Are you going to try and shame me for caring? I think you might have been in deep lava if I'd have told the doctor you'd mistreated me.

[Licht] - I'm not shaming you at all, and they already don't like me much

[EAlex] Well... to be fair it looks like there might be a lot to protect here. And you are rather tenacious. - she opens the door and the little noises of the caged mobs get louder. The slime blocks are opposite the door and scrunch smootch squick up to the bars to look at them blankly-

[Licht] - Such weird monsters...

[EAlex] These guys aren't so bad actually they just... they get in the way.  They can push you into things, or off of things. They get really big and when you hit them they split into lots of little ones. - she looks to the side - Hot stuff... - they glance around the corner at the two big tubs, one with steaming water and the other brimmng with lava. - Don't think I need to warn you away from the lava.

[Licht] - Yeah, my one visit to a volcano was close enough- She starts gathering her gear

[Steve] Opens the door at the end of the hall and holds it graciously-

[TLOT] Kisses him as he passes through. HIs golden armor is gleaming in the firelight and he gives a bit of a languid yawn before spotting them.

[Steve] His head follows his mates- Oh, hello? I didn't know we got anyone new in. A glitched Alex, and a....?

[TLOT] Looks like a player with a basic skin to me. - he strides over. Addressing the Alex first -Greetings sister brine. Do you and your fellow have names?

[EAlex] EAlex and this is Licht.

[TLOT] Ah. I am Herobrine the Lord of Tears. TLOT for short, and this is my husband and high priest; Father Steve.

[Steve] Polite nod-

[Licht] - You're, religious here?

[TLOT] It's my Testificates. The natives of my seed hold me in high regard. I'm their god-king and they named my husband high priest.

[Steve] Sticks out a hand- Just Steve is fine.

[EAlex] How old are you sir, if you don't mind me asking?

[TLOT] I've got a few holes in my memory, but, at least 1000 years.

[Licht] - That's... Old

[TLOT] I like to think of it as being experienced. My Steve is much younger.

[Steve] blushes- I'm only a bit over 500. We're pretty sure Doc is way older then either of us.

[Licht] - How much older?

[TLOT] Well... as old as the first games?

[EAlex] Gives a tiny intake of breath.

[Steve] They told us both when we first met, they attained conciousness as a tiny cluster of scrambled pixels. They built themselves up into a human shape from random pixels.

[Licht] - This is just so much to take in, especially after last night

[TLOT] I take it we missed something? - he gives Lichts mind a gentle prod and gets the shape of what happened.

[Steve] Gets it second hand and pales- That's so scary...

[Licht] Now on guard- What did you do?

[TLOT] I read your mind. It's right at the top since it just happened.

[Licht] - I'm sorry, you can what?

[TLOT] I'm psychic. And I'm the native here, so it's even easier.

[EAlex] thumbs at TLOT- I guess this is why he's king.

[TLOT] Well... I'm also a shapeshifter.

[Licht] Just groans in frustration-

[TLOT] Cocks his head a little- Why does that annoy you?

[Licht] - This is just so much to take in and barely anything makes sense

[EAlex] I tried to tell you it was real...

[Licht] - I know, I know

[Steve] At least you have a brine to guide you. That can make all the difference sometimes.

[TLOT] Aww.

[Steve] We should look for Deerheart, and see what kind of day we're dealing with outside. I need a little sun at least.

[EAlex] Deer-heart?

[TLOT] You'll see.

[Licht] - We also need to get my phone...

[Steve] Did you lose it somewhere?

[Licht] - I think Markus's son still has it

[TLOT] Oh, Cp? Well, unless he hates you, he's not going to crush it or anything.

[Licht] - Yes well I need to call my work and let them know I'll be late

[TLOT] I'll let him know then. If his wife hasn't catified him for some reason I can probably get him to bring it over. He lives 2-3 chunks away. - typing in chat- Cp? Can you bring the new players phone over?

[Licht] - Catified?

[Steve] Chuckles- She can turn him into a little red cat when he's being horrible. It generally curbs his behavior.

[Licht] - Okay?

[CP] - Can't, Lie is in clingy mode

[Lie] In chat as well- Sorry TLOT, just having a cold spell right now

[TLOT] Well that looks like a nonstarter. Cp's very pregnant wife is using him for a space heater again.

[Steve] It's okay, I'll go over and get it. Let's go up so I can grab a horse.

[TLOT] If you want. Follow me please. - heads back past the cages-

[EAlex] trots along after him curiously.

[TLOT] Avoids the plate in the floor at the bottom of the steps. [EAlex] Walks on it accidently and gives a small cry of alarm as an armor stand with a chestplate and a zombie head is bounced up out of a hole that briefly opens in the floor and then slams shut again as the stand rattles to a dead stop on top of it.

[Licht] Instinctively reaches for her gun-

[Steve] Curses and points at the gun- what's that doing here!?!?

[Licht] - What? It's part of my gear! As a cop I'm required to carry it around when on duty

[TLOT] Oh dear... And there's no need to be upset. Doc likes to put little traps up, none of them actually hurt you. Just startle. But either way, please put it away. We don't allow guns here as a general rule. Doc finds them a bit triggering and Deerheart hates them.

[EAlex] Just stick it in your inventory, then no one can see it.

[Licht] Goes to holster it instead- Inventory?

[EAlex] it's the little frames under the hearts and food bars. Just put the whole thing on the floor for a moment.

[TLOT] It's how you carry things.

[Licht] Hesitates- If rather not...

[TLOT] I promise we won't take it from you, and it will still be easy to hand.

[EAlex] isn't the piece of food you took last night in one of the frames? Focus on that and it should go into your hand

[Licht] - Err, that's actually next to the bed...

[EAlex] Oh... Well it's probably gone now. Things go away if you leave them sit without placing them deliberately. Here, take this- they take out the mushrollem - just hold your hand out-

[Licht] Holds her hand out-

[EAlex] Gives it a tiny toss and it vanishes just over Lichts hand- now look, is it in one of the frames?

[Licht] - Um, yes?

[Steve] Just focus on the frames and you can scroll through whatever is in them, like this- he holds up a hand and items appear and vanish in succession: a porkchop, a pick axe, a woodblock, his sword, and a ball of yellow yarn.

[Licht] Focuses and does manage to get the mushrolleum into her hand-

[Silver] Approaches while caring Missingno and Sylveon trails behind them-

[Steve] There you go. Now take the gun off and suck it up the same way. It'll be close to hand if you really must have it. Just please don't point it at Doc.

[EAlex] Now I know you're not from around here.

[Licht] Pulls it out of its holster, it takes a few tries, but she does get it into her inventory-

[Silver] - Oh, hello

[TLOT] Hello Silver, how's little No?

[Missingno] Hides it's face away, whimpering a little-

[TLOT] Aww. Poor little thing.

[Steve] You don't have to be scared little one.

[EAlex] Why is it so frightened? Is it just a baby?

[Silver] - It was really badly glitched... But it's getting better

[TLOT] Gives a warm smile and exhudes some peaceful vibrations- They'll come around eventually with such a good trainer.

[Licht] - That pink one... I think I saw something like it in Dofta's office...

[EAlex] I know the feeling.

[Steve] Does she collect Pokemon? That's what it is. That's Sylveon.

[Licht] Shrugs-

[Silver] - We were just heading up to feed Lapras

[Sylveon] Rubs against Steve's legs-

[TLOT] Lead the way then, we're going up to grab a horse.

[Silver] Heads up the stairs towards the horse pen-

-As they pass up into a windowed area, they can hear the rain pattering on the windows. -

[Steve] Awww, darn, it's storming again.

[Deer] Is in the pen feeding animals-

[Missingno] Makes scared noises-

[TLOT] Ah, here is your other gracious hostess. Licth, EAlex. This is Deerheart. She's, everything. Literally.

[EAlex] ???

[Deer] - I'm the server itself, one of three here

[Licht] - The server?

[TLOT] She's the physical manifestation of the world itself. The earth, water, stone, air, buried gems and flowing lava, the burning Nether and the cold void of the End.

[Steve] Slow smile. - Deerheart, can we have some sunny weather please?

[Deer] - No, I'm mad

[Steve] Please? I was going to go get Licht's phone from Cp.

[TLOT] Why are you mad?

[Deer] - Because you'd think between Flux, Salvatge, and myself that we could find the intruder, but we can't! We can't even find Lies wolves!- The end of her sentenced is punctuated by a crack of thunder

[Steve] I'll just... I'll go fast.... - He scoots into the pen and grabs one of the skeleton horses to ride-

[TLOT] Are you sure it's still here? From the memories that I saw, it looked like Dolly got most of it.

[EAlex] Well I'm officially scared.

[Deer] - Salvatge saw it run off

[Missingno] Is very much scared by the storm outside and makes a startled noise as Sylveon tries to comfort it by touching it with one of its ribbons-

[Steve] Opens the big door and rides the skeletal horse out into the rain. The other horses shy away as the droplets blow in before the big door closes again-

[Gir] Wanders over to Deerheart and lips her hands a little.

[TLOT] I see...

[Licht] - Why is that horse dead?

[TLOT] They spawn like that. It's a zombie horse. That one is Doc's fav, that's Gir. -Gestures- The skeletal ones are much more common.

[EAlex] They spawn in storms... and when you get close, they multiply, and skeletal riders appear and fire arrows at you.

[Licht] - Then why would you get closer?

[TLOT] Ah, but if you defeat your foes, the horses are yours to ride. They're already tame, and they never tire or need feeding.

[EAlex] It's easy to mistake them for a normal white horse if it's dark, or partly concealed too.

[Licht] - I see...

[Silver] Is struggling to hold Missingno- I think I'll feed Lapras inside today...

[TLOT] Do what you need too. It's not like they can't get down into your room through the moon pool.

[EAlex] Looks a bit downcast.

[Silver] Heads back downstairs-

[TLOT] Something on your mind, sister?

[EAlex] Just feeling like a bit of a troublemaker....

[Licht] - You're not the trouble maker

[Deer] - Why do you feel like a trouble maker?

[EAlex] Well it sounds like the monster got in because you were trying to help me. I'm a weak excuse for a brine. I literally collapsed because I was away from my game for too long.

[Licht] - I would have found a way to help you anyways, and you were scared, it's not like you couldn't get to your game

[EAlex] Is just quiet.

[TLOT] Were you hiding from it?

[EAlex] ...Yes.

[Licht] - I don't blame her. He apparently made me choke myself

[TLOT] I understand. A lot of us here were abused by our NOTCHs. That kind of thing stays with you.

[Licht] - Well, at least you can go on my computer again instead of being in my phone

[EAlex] That's a relief...

[TLOT] You can always stay here if you don't feel safe.

[EAlex] I should be okay if that... thing is really gone.

[Licht] - Are you sure? You could probably learn a lot here...

[EAlex] I'll think about it. Is it okay if I visit? -this is directed at Deerheart-

[Deer] - Of course, I'll get Doc to white list you so you can come and go freely

[EAlex] Thank you. I feel like I have a lot of thinking to do. I might build a house on my seed too.

-the big gate opens and blows in some rain and a rather wet Steve on a skeleton horse.

[Steve] Whoa, Medic! Hey Licht, I got the phone!

[Steve] Hops down and leads the horse over.

[Medic] Shakes itself with a bit of a rattling sound to get the last droplets of water off its bones-

[Licht] - Thank you

[Steve] Takes the phone out and looks at before passing it to her- it's kinda plain, isn't it? Just looks like a little chunk of obsidian.

[Licht] Presses the small button on the top and it lights up- Excuse me a moment- She walks off a short distance to make her phone call

[EAlex] Watches her back-

[TLOT] Mentally listening to Licht-

[Steve] Rubs Medic down with a sponge-

[Licht] Lets the person on the other end know that she going to be late that day-

[Deer] Is lost in thought-

[TLOT] Nods in approval.

[Steve] Gives a little wet sneeze and finishes with the horse before coming back over.

[TLOT] Gathers his mate under his cloak and turns up his heat to warm him-

[Licht] Returns- Alright, they know I'm going to be at least a little late for work now

[Deer] Starts pacing add she makes frustrated noises, she's searching the seed still-

[EAlex] Good, considering how doggedly you searched for Notch it would be bad for you to be reported missing too

[Licht] - Yeah yeah, I do still have work to do though

[Deer] Sighs- I'm going to go find Doc...

[Mix] -Enters the castle through the shrine and wanders down into the kitchen-

[Yaunfen] Is fussing around in the kitchen

[Waffles] Notices Mix and pads over to her- mow?

[Yaunfen] Oh! Hi Mix.

[Mix] Mow to you too kitty! -Pats Waffles's head before turning to Yaunfen- Hey Yaunfen!

[Yaunfen] What are you up too? I was picking around and we're out of a bunch of things. It's annoying.

[Waffles] Bumps Mix happily and nearly throws her off-balance.

[Mix] I was just wandering around, really. If you're out, why don't you go get more?

[Yaunfen] I was considering it. Most of the stuff I'm growing isn't ready yet. And mom and mada are kinda busy. Do you want to come?

[Mix] Uhh.. Sure! I've got nothing to do for the afternoon!

[Yaunfen] Okay! It's more fun with company anyway. Empty out your inventory so we can get lots of stuff. But take a pick!

[Waffles] Circling feet, sensing fun about to happen.

[Mix] I.. don't think I even own a pick, Yaunfen...

[Mix] But my inventory's already mostly empty...

[Yaunfen] Oh... well I can get some. There's tools in the vine room, let's go!

[Waffles] is already going upstairs.

[Yaunfen] Hustles Mix a little and then starts opening chests- Here! This one's iron. It'll work.

[Mix] Sounds good! -Gives it a little wave before popping it into her inventory-

[Yaunfen] Follow me! - They go up the steps and out the front door. Holding it open for Mix and the big cat- Darn, it's raining. Oh, you haven't seen me in a while. Guess what?

[Waffles] Chuffs at the rain and darts under the overhang-

[Mix] I haven't, what's up? -holds one hand over her head to keep the rain away-

[Yaunfen] I got bigger! - They shift into their dragon form and pick up Mix by her clothes before plopping them in front of hir back spines. - Let's go! - They pick up Waffles like a kitten in their mouth and go racing off towards the cage-

-The dragon runs out of the rain and slows as they get closer to Lie's yard-

[Yaunfen] muffled- Sneaky sneak!

[Waffles] dangling, and looking slightly annoyed.

[CN] Is trying to get Blake to play fetch, but the wolf refuses to enter the rain-

[Blake] Notices the dragon and whines. Backing under the overhang some more-

[CN] Looks over- Huh?  Oh, hi!

[Yaunfen] Puts down Waffles and the cat pads over to look down at Cn- Mrrp?

[CN] - What are you guys doing?

[Yanfen] We're gonna go to my seed and get candy.

[CN] - Candy?

[Mix] Sweet stuff! -Leans over to wave at CN-

[Yaunfen] You want to come with us? Make sure you have lots of space to carry stuff. And a pick at least, or a shovel.

[CN] - Sure!- He rushes inside to empty his inventory and then rushes back out

[Yaunfen] Goes tromping over to the cave entrance and puts Mix down before transforming again and leading them down into the hole-

[CN] Follows cautiously-

-They emerge into the cage with a squeak of the iron door-

[Yaunfen] Waves to Lie's plant-

[Waffles] Sniffing around-

[Mix] -Follows Yaunfen down and looks up at the plant as Yaunfen waves- Woahhh

[Offensive plant] Watches all of them carefully-

[Yaunfen] That's one of Lie's meanies. This is a very special place. - they point to the consoles- That one has TLOT's world in it. And that one is all old NOTCHs and dragons. This one's mine. - They take out a piece of paper and twiddle their fingers as they read-

[CN] - So how do we get on it?

[Yaunfen] I'm doing it! - There's a bit of a wobble in the air and a small portal opens up. - We go in here! - They put the bit of paper away and gesture the others to follow.

[Waffles] Scurries in and bounds out into the sunshine.

-The hole has opened in the next chunk over from the one Stevie mostly froze and it's a lovely day. The pink iced cake-block ground is covered with popscicle and lollipop 'grass' and the chocolate trunked ice cream trees rustle slightly in a warm breeze.

[Yaunfen] Switches back to their larger form and starts digging with their claws- There's stuff to eat underground too!

[CN] Steps through and looks around- Woah...

[Mix] That's cool... and oh! -Looks around after she follows Yaunfen in- Wow... that is sweet!!

[Yaunfen] Just watch out for any lava flows. They're strawberry but way too hot.

[Waffles] Is chasing a chocolate chicken-

[CN] Picks some of the lollipop grass-

[Mix] -Picks a few lollipops and sticks one in her mouth, as one does when face to face with so. much. candy.-

[Yaunfen] Grinning. - Take whatever you want. It's an empty seed and there's lots. - they dig up some licorice coal and pop it into their inventory-

[Waffles] Got the bird and is licking chocolate off their whiskers-

[CN] Spots some tall trees and shifts to his bird form to go and investigate-

-The trees are festooned with redvine whips like moss hanging from them. And they're growing around a small lake of bubbly light blue soda water.

[CN] Lands on the tree and shifts back, beginning to gather the vines- Hey!  Look at this stuff!

[Mix] -Trots over to look, sampling everything on the way-

[Yanfen] Comes over- I like those! And the water is good too. - They lean down to slurp some up and let out a big belch from the bubbles, laughing-

[Waffles] Found a gingerbread zombie in a small natural hole and is beating the crumbs out of it-

[CN] Tries the vine- This is good!

[Yaunfen] Thumps on a small tree with their tail until the blocks are knocked out. - Check this out! - the saplings are ice cream cones and the trunk of the light colored tree is pure crunchy waffle cone-

[CN] Switches back to bird form to get down-

[Mix] -Cronch a cone- This is so goood! I wish everything was this edible back home...

[Yaunfen] Is harvesting plants around the little pond - The sugar canes are piroettes and full of sweet cream, and the bigger grass is towers of colorful marshmallow fluff.

-Distant sound of Waffles mudering a cow-

[CN] Just starts stuffing his face-

[Yaunfen] Rolls around in the sun a little, so happy to share with friends- It's the best!

[Waffles] Dragging a marzipan pig-

[CN] Is starting to get hyper-

[Yaunfen] Gets up and helps Waffles hunt a bit-

[Mix] -Cronching more lollipops as she collects things, she's using the pick for now, but it doesn't really appeal to her-

[CN] - Why don't we come here more often?  It's fun

[Yaunfen] I couldn't get in without help before. Mada gave me a special paper.

[CN] - Cool!

[Yaunfen] Ooh! Try fishing! The fish are fruit gummies!

[CN] - I don't have a pole though!

[Mix] Make one!

[Yaunfen] I'll find a spider, hang on- They go to the hole Waffles was in and starts digging furiously-

[CN] Starts knocking down tree's to get sticks-

[Yaunfen] Is halfway down into the hole and wagging their candy corn tipped tail in excitement-

[Mix] Ughhh... Now I know why I don't own a pick... -Has just tossed the pick in her inventory and pulled on a pair of wicked mitts! They're equipped with glistening crystal claws that are pretty huge. Possibly the alternative to pickaxes from her seed? And is digging around pretty excitedly, collecting cake dirt blocks for later.-

[CN] - Woooooah, that's cool!

[Waffles] Starts playing with the dirt blocks as they're tossed aside-

[Mix] Huh? -Looks up at CN-

[CN] - Your gloves!  They look so cool!

[Mix] Oh! Yeah, I bet they do! These are what we used for mining! -She pauses in digging to show CN the gloves. The claws are probably diamond, but could be anything-

[CN] Is fascinated-

[Yaunfen] Throws out a skeleton made of candy canes and it despawns with a clatter as it hits the dirt.

[Waffles] Decides to pounce at the light reflections from Mixs gloves on the ground.

[Mix] -Starts tilting her gloves to make Waffles dart around, giggling a bit- These are pretty easy to make, too. Do you want a pair, CN?

[CN] - mmmm, maybe?

[Yaunfen] Squeak of triumph. They drag out a spider with an abdomen that looks like a wrapped strawberry hard candy and give it a kick that makes it pop into two wads of white candy floss- here's your string Cn!

[CN] Grabs the string and starts crafting-

[Yaunfen] wades out into the water a bit and grabs some fruit sheet Lilly pads, they're also scaring the fish towards where Cn is-

[CN] Casts his line-

[Mix] -Scoots real close to watch-

- he immediately catches a large lemon gummy fish-

[Yaunfen] is hunting for squids-

[CN] Lets the fish bounce into his inventory and casts again-

-This time he gets a bottle of slightly glowy green fluid-

[CN] - A potion?

[Mix] Ooh! What's that? -Dips her claws into the water as she looks at it-

[CN] Opens the bottle and sniffs it-

[Yaunfen] You found a bottle?

[Mix] -Cronches some more lollipops-

-The potion smalls of a grassy field-

[CN] - Blech, that doesn't smell very good

[Waffles] Got a squid. It looks like a gumball machine with long table legs underneath, they give it a fierce shake and hard candy goes everywhere-

[Yaunfen] it looks mystical, just save it for later if it doesn't smell good.

[CN] - Yeah- He corks it and stows it away

[Waffles] Flops happy in the sun and starts purring

[Yaunfen] Just swimming and blowing bubbles underwater-

[CN] Throws his line again-

[Mix] -Eating sweets slowly beside CN, pupils getting big-

-This time its a stripy orange and white fish that smells like an orange dreamsicle-  

[CN] Shrugs as he stores it away again- Should we explore some more?

[Yaunfen] Sure! There's gonna be monsters if we stay out too late but they won't mess with me! - they strut a little with a big gummy smile.  

[Waffles] mrrrrrrrrr

[Mix] -Hops to her feet-

[CN] Is fully ready to follow-

[Yaunfen] leads them along a little river and around a hill, there's a bit of sugary desert on one side and an outcrop of rock candy on the other-

[CN] Switches to bird form and flies high to get a better look at their surroundings-

[Mix] Is that a desert? What's it made of? Sugar??

- the cliff is part of a ravine that's jutting a bit above the ground and shading down into a narrow valley that's dark at the bottom-

[CN] Swoops around a little just for fun-

[Yaunfen] Yep, it's sugar, tastes more carmelly then the cane drops

[Mix] That's neat! Stars, your seed is so cool Yaunfen!

[Waffles] Goes down into the ravine a little and licks at a sticky gold  block-

[Yaunfen] Prancing because they're just bursting with happiness- thank you Mix!

[CN] Lands and switches back again, reaching down and scooping up a handful of sand to try-

[Yaunfen] Follows the cat and mines out the gold block, it's full of gooey carmel chunks

[CN] Is bouncing a bit-

[Mix] -Collects some sugar sand in a bucket she can try later before trailing after the rest-

[Yaunfen] Grabs a creeper from a shadow and tosses it down hard, the drop is several colorful blobs that look like jimmie sprinkles-

[Splender] Teleports into the animal pen- Hello!

[Licht] Is scrambling for her gun and levels it at the tall being in surprise- The fuck!

[Steve] Easy! Easy!

[TLOT] Don't shoot! He's a friend of ours!

[EAlex] little scream-

[Licht] - A friend!?

[Splender] Tilts head curiously at the gun- Why is that here?

[TLOT] Because I was trying to be diplomatic and not take it away from her. It's apparently a thing she needs for work.

[EAlex] Just put it down please, I don't think it would do much of anything anyway...

[Licht] Slowly lowers the weapon-

[Splender] - What was I coming over here for again?

[TLOT] You don't seem unhappy or panicked, need to borrow a cup of sugar perhaps?

[Steve] I'm going to guess your mom needs something!

[Licht] - His mom!?

[Splender] - Oh right! I need to borrow a door!

[EAlex] Please tell me his mom isn't even bigger.

[Steve] A door?

[Splender] - Yes! A door!

[TLOT] That's easy enough. - he turns to a crafting table under the next floors stairs and makes a plain oak one.

[EAlex] But that door isn't nearly tall enough????

[Splender] - Thank you!

[Steve] What are you going to do with it?

[Splender] - Grab some things from Trenders workshop!

[TLOT] Oh! The door to anywhere like he did in the bar before the coronation. Working on a craft project I presume?

[Splender] - No, getting some stuff for mother!

[TLOT] You're a good son Splender.

[Splender] - Thank you! Now I just have to find a wall to put it in!- He teleports off

[Licht] - ... What the hell was all that!?

[Mix] -Jerks back, since Yaunfen decimates the Creeper near her, only to gasp at the sparkly colors- That's cool! What.. did it drop?

[CN] - It's usually gun powder...

[Mix] Yeah... -Collects it-

[CN] Chews on some of the red vines he gathered-

[Yaunfen] Yeah, I don't need that stuff. Mom would get mad if I blew things up.

[Waffles] Generally romping around.

[CN] - Lie would get mad too, especially if I accidentally hurt one of the animals

[Mix] All I did as a kid when no one was watching was blow things up! I'll happily take the stuff! -Mix no...-

[CN] - You were allowed to do stuff like that?

[Mix] When no one was watching me? Of course! The tribe loved watching me get up to shenanigans, even if they weren't quite the same as everyone elses!

[Yaunfen] Naughty! - They're chewing on the golden carmel- It's gonna be dark soon though. We should get going...

[CN] - Yeah, Lie would probably get mad if any of us got hurt...

[Yaunfen] And I kinda didn't tell mama and mada I was going out...

[Mix] Then we better get back!! -She's bouncing on her heels a bit-

[Yaunfen] Did you both fill up your inventories? I've got lots of stuff.

[CN] - Yeah

[Mix] Yep! I'm going to be eating so much sugar after this...

[Yaunfen] OH! I want to show you something cool though, then we can go! Follow me! -They hop up the stones and come fully out of the ravine, heading back the way they came-

[CN] Follows curiously-

[Mix] -Follows-

[Yaunfen] Leads them through the woods and back past where they came in towards an area that's mostly frozen over- Stevie did that!

[CN] - Wow, that's cold

[Yaunfen] Watch this.

[Waffles] Sits next to Cn-

-The dragon romps down the hill and makes a hard pounce against the edge of the icy water, there's a tiny shockwave and the ice shatters several blocks out from where they hit. The water is full of item drops now. Mostly colorful snow cones and gummy fish-

[CN] - How'd you do that!?

[Yaunfen] Big smile- I'm heavy! Mama taught me.

[CN] - Heavy?

[Mix] That's amazing Yaunfen!

[Yaunfen] Yeah, I can make a big stomp! And be near impossible to move. - They put a paw in the water and sweep the items onto the shore before shaking their foot like a cat - COLD.

[CN] - Well it was ice...

[Yaunfen] whisker twitch-  As Lie would say to you; shush.

[Mix] -Snickers a bit before going over to collect some of the items- You want any CN?

[CN] - Nah, I'm good

[Yaunfen] Sweeps up the rest without looking at it- I'm ready!

[Mix] Your loss, CN!

[CN] - Let's go then!

[Yaunfen] Shrinks down and pulls out the bit of paper again before making a portal back to the cage.

[Waffles] Pads out sleepily.

[CN] Follows and waves at the offensive plant-

[Mix] -Bounces out and looks up at the plant once before stretching her arms-

[Yaunfen] Leads them to the cave opening and peeks out- Man, it's raining so hard!

-The wind has picked up as well and thunder rumbles across the sky-

[CN] - Maybe we should get somebody to pick us up...

[Mix] Ughhhhh... More rain? I was hoping it would have ended by now...

[Mix] -Pulls her gloves off, since they're not much use in rain-

[Yaunfen] If we run we can get into Lie house?

[CN] - We can try...

[Yaunfen] Gives Waffles a poke and the cat makes a sour noise-

[Mix] I'm game for that. I don't like rain.

[Yaunfen] We'll race! 1, 2, 3, go!

[CN] Starts running-

[Waffles] bolts for the overhang, easily outpacing the others-

[Mix] -Is off like a speedy speedster. She REALLY doesn't like rain. She does laugh when Waffles bursts past her though-

[Yaunfen] Goes right for the door and scoots inside-

[CN] Stumbles in, already soaked-

[Lie] Hears them from the other room and starts approaching-

[Blake] was sleeping on the floor and leaps away from the huge cat - whine!

[Yaunfen] Trying to dry off near the lava. They wring out the long sidepieces of their hair.

[Mix] Hblblblbbbbb.... -It sounds like a disdainful whine as she moves over to dry by Yaunfen-

[Lie] Enters the room-  Where have you been!

[Waffles] Shake dry- shake shake shake!

[Blake] Runs back up the hallway-

[Yaunfen] Uuuuh....

[Lie] Typing in chat- I've found the kids- She then turns towards the kids- Why didn't you tell anybody where you were or what you were doing?

[Mix] We were hanging out, Lie.

[Yaunfen] We took an adult- Points at Mix-

[Lie] - But you didn't think it necessary to tell any of us you were leaving?

[CN] - We were just going to Yaunfen's seed...

[Lie] - YOU WENT TO A DIFFERENT SEED!?

[Yaunfen] It's an empty seed! Mada gave me a pass to go if I wanted too.

[Lie] - Yaunfen] - That's not the point.  Even if you have permission, you should let your parents know where your going.  We've been looking for you!  We didn't know where any of you were!

[Yaunfen] Wilts a bit- Everyone was busy.... and I got hungry...

[Lie] - We will never be too busy to listen to you telling us that you are going somewhere

[Yaunfen] Chagrin- Yes Lie...

[Doc] In chat- Where did you find them Lie? Are they okay?

[Lie] - They're at my house, and yes, they look okay

[Doc] chat- Good because Deerheart is not happy.

[Lie] - I can tell

[Yaunfen] Should I just go back out and stand in the rain for a while?

[Lie] - No!  That could make you sick Yaunfen!

[Yaunfen] Well it's raining because mom is mad....

[Lie] - Yes but I know she wouldn't want you to get sick!

[Yaunfen] Yes Lie.

[Lie] In chat- Do you want to come and get Yaunfen Doc?

[Doc] Chat- who else is there?

[Lie] - Mix is here too

[Doc] chat- Does she need a lift home?

[Mix] -In chat- If you're offering, yes.

[Doc] I'll just TP everyone-

[Yaunfen] chat- Don't forget Waffles!

[Doc] I won't forget your cat.

[Lie] - Thank you Doc

- /Tp Player MixMiner, Yaunfen, Animaltype:/Waffles to DoctorF/ -

[Yaunfen] Pops in next to their parent's bed with Mix and the cat- Hi?

[Deer] - Yaunfen...

[Yaunfen] I just went to get food and I took an adult! - points at Mix

[Mix] -Wobbles a bit before steadying- Hey!

[Doc] -sighs-

[Deer] - But you didn't let us know you were leaving, you scared us, we couldn't find you

[Yaunfen] But mada said I could use the note to go get food if I needed it...

[Doc] That is true.

[Deer] - And that is fine, but you should still let us know

[Yaunfen] Scuffs their foot claws on the carpet a little- oookay...

[Mix] -shifts from foot to foot-

[Yaunfen] Sorry mom, sorry mada.

[Deer] - Just, please, don't scare us like that again

[Doc] At least they didn't go alone.

[Yaunfen] We took Cn too.

[Waffles] Curls up on the floor and starts to purr

[Deer] - Which made Lie worry too because she didn't know where he had gone either

[Yaunfen] Quiet- Sorry...

[Deer] Sighs- It's almost dinner time, go wash up and I'll start making the food

[Yaunfen] I'm full.

[Deer] - Please, still wash up at least

[Yaunfen] Skitters away- yes mom!

[Doc] They inherited my absentmindedness apparently.

[Deer] - Doc...  That scared me, so badly, with that...  Thing out there

[Doc] it scared me too, I'd been dreading this, but they will have to learn to fight. For their own safety. They can already handle the mobs decently well.

[Deer] - But I doubt they could handle that thing, their first instinct is to make friends, and that thing seems just intelligent enough to try and use that to it's advantage!

[Mix] What thing?

[Deer] - There's...  Something that made it's way onto the server, and it's intentions most certainly aren't good.  Dolly really seems to be the one truly prepared to fight it...

[Doc] I'll have a discussion with them about stranger danger, certainly.

[Deer] - I just, I can't deal with anymore stress right now love

[Mix] That sounds worrying...

[Doc] I will do my best to not upset you further my treasure.

[Licht] Is in the library, watching the floating book on the enchanting table-

[EAlex] Browsing the titles - There is LOT of porn in this collection...

[Licht] - I noticed, how long do you think they'll keep us here?

[EAlex] I don't think it's a matter of keeping. I got the feeling the armored brine was waiting for the rain to let up so he could show us around, but I don't think that's happening soon with the server herself so distraught.

[Licht] - And I still have work to do out there...

[EAlex] Then I propose we go find someone, and ask.

[Licht] - Yeah, we should...

[EAlex] It is nice though. I like this server.

[Licht] - It is relatively quiet here

[EAlex] There's usually a little bit of ambient music, but they probably have it turned off.

[Licht] - Being inside a game though...  It's so surreal, and most games I've ever played were very...  Driven

[EAlex] starting to walk- I'm betting it's games like that that went into their decision to not have any guns on the server. The Doctor in particular looks like someone who would be getting shot at by a protagonist.

[Licht] Starts following her- Yeah, I guess your right about that

[EAlex] And these- She points at her eyes- They can get you attacked too. Herobrines can be bad news for players. Some of them are pretty cruel, and in a game where the objective involves building, having your stuff stolen and your house destroyed can be heartbreaking. Especially since a lot of players are little kids.

[Licht] - I wonder why...  CP?  Was it?  Is allowed to be here then...  He seems far more violent than the others

[EAlex] He has a wife and a little brother... and they said Markus claimed him as a son. Perhaps the family was the one that needed shelter.

[Licht] - We can ask later

[TLOT] Is coming up the stairs from the other direction- There you are. Sorry to jet off like that.

[Licht] - Was everything alright?

[TLOT] Yeah, it's fine. Doc's kid went off and didn't say where there were going. They gave their parent's a bit of a scare. They left the main server and got on one of the subseeds where I couldn't find them mentally.

[EAlex] Sub.. seeds?

[TLOT] We have several other worlds running on consoles inside this one, it's complicated.

[Licht] - Let's save that information dump for another day, and how young is the kid?

[TLOT] Mentally? Around early teens, but for a dragon? They're close to full grown.

[Licht] - I'm sorry, dragon?

[TLOT] Yeah, they're adopted. But both parents have an artifical  secondary dragon form, and I made a humanoid form for the kiddo, so it works out.

[Licht] Rubs her temple a little- Okay then, look, I need to be getting home.  I have my job to get to and other things to do

[TLOT] Okay. I'll take you to Doc. They're the closest person who can make a portal. I can't go irl myself.

[EAlex] How... how common is it to be able to go out?

[TLOT] Very very rare. But Cp can toss someone out and they'll sort of adjust after about two painful weeks of being horribly sick. - is walking and talking

[Licht] - There's also the problem of getting you back onto my computer...

[EAlex] ....

[TLOT] That's not so hard. They can take you out via your own seed and just leave EAlex inside. I mean, if that's what you want?

[EAlex] For now, yes, please.

[Licht] - Okay but my car is still at the Mojang office

[TLOT] I'm sure a ride can be arranged. All the seeds are connected to the mainframe through their Internet connection. And those of us that can make portals can come out through anything electrical, even if it's unplugged.

[Licht] - That doesn't make any sense, how can you access something if it's not charged or plugged in?

[TLOT] -shrugs- I don't get it either, but then I'm  also not good with redstone circuits. I just know that Cp and Doc both use a very old tv on an otherwise deserted beach to visit one of our friends.

[EAlex] that's oddly poetic.

[Licht] - All of this is starting to give me a headache...

[TLOT] Oh I can fix that, easy, here- he hands her a small bottle of warm, tan liquid as they pass into the vine room - it's one of my specialties and it's also a low level health potion with a speed boost.

[Licht] Takes the bottle with some suspicion-

[TLOT] Takes out two more and offers one to EAlex-

[EAlex] isn't used to drinking any kind of warm liquid and sips at it curiously-

[Licht] Finally takes a sip- Oh, it's coffee

[TLOT] Yeah, I found out if you scramble the cocoa bean coding you get coffee beans. Been growing them for ages. - heads down into the kitchen.

[Licht] Quickly finishes hers she's a bit of a coffee addict-

[EAlex] looks up at the bay above them- nice trick. This is such a chaotic build... Gives me ideas.

[Doc] Thank you. I worked really hard on it.

[EAlex] Oh! Hi again.

[Deer] Is sullenly eating-

[Licht] - Hello

[TLOT] chuckles at Licht and just gives her the other one - I can always make more.

[Licht] - Thanks

[Doc] gives Deerheart a little kiss on the cheek-

[TLOT] I believe our visitors are in need of a ride home.

[Doc] Ah, okay. Are you going to be okay for a little while Deerheart? Or do I need to make Cp do this?

[Deer] - You can do it, if you're quick

[Doc] understood. Can you follow me please? - they're heading up the stairs into the shrine- where do you want to go specifically?

[Licht] - I'd prefer near my car, but home will do as well

[EAlex] my seed if possible? There's a summoner there if that helps.

[Doc] it does, the node should have some of Lichts info attachted to it if the primary spot it's running from is her physical address. - they walk up the stairs with the map on one side-

[EAlex] looking way up the giant map and then even farther down as it follows the wall in a sheer drop- Whoah...

[Licht] - That's a big map...

[Doc] Oh that's most of the places we've explored, and it shows all the builds from overhead. And it's also only a fraction of the size of this world. - They go to the edge of the platform and point out a tiny rectangle with red dots, and a white square. - Here's the castle proper and we're right here. It's just too bad you can't see the glass window from above. - Gestures at the massive stained glass image of a Herobrine with outstreched arms and flames around their feet that towers over the mostly quartz room.

[Licht] - Bit narcissistic don't you think?

[Doc] Well TLOT's Testificates put the window together. I like to think of it as an open arm welcome for all Herobrines who need sanctuary. They don't do anything liturgical here. It keeps the map safe, and there's a comfy breakroom with chairs and such down one floor. It's a museum on the second floor and theres a pretty fountain and a nice view on the third floor. It's open for anyone to wander in and out, same as the rest of my house.

[Licht] - I see...

[EAlex] Is just looking around-

[Doc] Anyway, I said I'd get you home. This is a good place to start from- They rear back and transform. The dragon slams forward in the air and shatters a hole into the void, before kneeling a little. - Climb on, it's cold out there, and easy to get lost. -

[EAlex] Nervously climbs up and offers Licht a hand-

[Licht] Sighs but does take EAlex's hand, allowing herself to be pulled onto the dragon's back-

[Doc] Races out into the cold space and erases the portal with a sweep of fluff. They're following the pull of the summoner and comparing it with EAlex's numerical signatures to find the right one. -

[Licht] Watches everything around them warily- This kinda reminds me of that old matrix movie...

[Doc] I'm not comfortable watching people get shot at...  I mostly just watch funny stuff on Youtube. - Pauses and veers to the side- I think I got it! - They make a quick opening and burst out into the little area where Licht built the little dirt hut.

[EAlex] Regards it with her hands on her hips. - I think I have some work to do. But first- She grabs Licht and gives her a huge hug. - Thank you.

[Licht] - Er, um...  Yeah, your welcome?

[EAlex] Gives her a pat and hops down.

[Doc] Do you want anything? As a headstart?

[EAlex] A pick would be nice. Save me a little time.

[Doc] Easily done.- Xe pulls a diamond pick out of the creative and the glassy blue blade sparkles in the sunshine.

[EAlex] Gives them a small salute she saw Licht do at work.

[Licht] Grumbles a little as she see's EAlex do the salute- I don't think that's a necessary action

[EAlex] It's respectful? Right?

[Licht] - Towards someone who higher ranking than you, yes

[EAlex] Then I stand by it as they are older then me.

[Doc] Blushes and gives a little staticky cough- Come one then... I'm going to give Licht my number. Let me know if you need anything.

[Licht] Is ready to leave-

[Doc] Okay, I can feel you fidgeting. - They head back out into the darkness. -

[Licht] - So how do I get out?

[Doc] I'll just find a screen in the Mojang office and make a portal. I'm pretty sure there's a copier near the front door and you only need a code to get in, not out. - They're sniffing around a bunch of tiny distortions - It's one of these...

[Licht] - And if there's somebody there?

[Doc] I'll look first! Sheesh. You act like I've never done this before. - They find a small distortion and press one eye against it- Perfect....

[Licht] - I'm ready

[Doc] Makes a hole and gives a gentle buck to flip Licht through it.   - She falls out a few inches from the floor and a piece of paper with a phone number flutters down to land on her head. None of this stops Jeb from shrieking incoherently a second time and dropping a huge bundle of papers on the carpet.-

[Licht] - ...  This can be explained

[Jeb] I know. I'm just not in the mood to talk about it right now.

[Licht] - I'm...  Just gonna go back to my car now...

[Jeb] You do that. Good day officer.

[Licht] Slips out the door and hurries towards her car-

[siobhandesignstorytelling]

Notes from class/readings/own thoughts

Storytelling

The form in which a narrative is told also seems to matter. “the medium is the message,” and we’ve found this is true neurologically. we cry at sad movies but cry less often when reading a novel.

Stories:

Connect us to each other

Help us learn Lessons

Influence our mental models and therefore our actions

Influences Mental Models

Dramatic arc

This evidence supports the view of some narrative theorists that there is a universal story structure. These scholars claim every engaging story has this structure, called the dramatic arc. It starts with something new and surprising, and increases tension with difficulties that the characters must overcome, often because of some failure or crisis in their past, and then leads to a climax where the characters must look deep inside themselves to overcome the looming crisis, and once this transformation occurs, the story resolves itself.

narrative transportation

Science

Neurochemical | Oxytocin & Cortisol

In one version of this experiment, if we gave participants synthetic oxytocin (in the nose, that will reach the brain in an hour), they donated to 57 percent more of the featured charities and donated 56 percent more money than participants given a placebo. Those who received oxytocin also reported more emotional transportation into the world depicted in the ad. Most importantly, these people said they were less likely to engage in the dangerous behaviors shown in the ads.

So, go see a movie and laugh and cry. It’s good for your brain, and just might motivate you to make positive changes in your life and in others’ lives as well

Note: Behavioural change - storytelling - evolution - oxytocin

The actions we take make us happy - we want to do the 'good thing'

We also tested why stories can motivate us, like the characters in them, to look inside ourselves and make changes to become better people.

Those who donated after watching Ben’s story had more empathic concern of other people and were happier than those who did not donate money. This shows there is a virtuous cycle in which we first engage with others emotionally that leads to helping behaviors, that make us happier. Many philosophical and religious traditions advocate caring for strangers, and our research reveals why these traditions continue to influence us today—they resonate with our evolved brain systems that make social interactions rewarding.

Evolution

Activity | Making toast

exercise in systems thinking

movable links + nodes

Those who see their world as movable nodes + links have an edge

exercise links storytelling and mental models

makes our mental models tangible and visible

Let's make toast

What happened?

We all had different starting points

We're all storytellers - it's something that is innately human

We all had some kind of node and links, some of us used language, some of us included people in our diagrams, some only used the tools needed, some started at the bakery, some started in the kitchen

We all have unique perspectives when telling the story of how we make toast, but ultimately its something that is an everyday activity that we all knew how to do.

This was the exercise that linked storytelling and mental models

All have some kind of node and link - a node for the content or step and the link to show the connection between them

I guess in a way, Mental Models are stories we tell ourselves about the world around us. whether this be through language, or symbols (much like some of the 'Making Toast', exercise examples) Storytelling influences our Mental Models.

In research from Rook (2013) a Mental Model is defined as, "A concentrated, personally constructed, internal conception, of external phenomena (historical, existing or projected), or experience, that affects how a person acts."

The practice of COLLABORATIVE VISUALISATION is simple:

You start with a question

You collect the nodes

You refine the nodes

You do it all over again

You refine again and again

Patterns emerge and the group gains clarity

You answer the question

This exercise helps you get clear, engaged and aligned

Why the brain loves stories

as social creatures who regularly affiliate with strangers, stories are an effective way to transmit important information and values from one individual or community to the next. Stories that are personal and emotionally compelling engage more of the brain, and thus are better remembered, than simply stating a set of facts. (How Stories Change the Brain, 2013)

The readings/videos that we've been given about storytelling, remind me of the concepts discussed by Yuval Noah Harari in his work - I found the quote below that encapsulates his view

“Homo sapiens is a storytelling animal that thinks in stories rather than in numbers or graphs, and believes that the universe itself works like a story, replete with heroes and villains, conflicts and resolutions, climaxes and happy endings. When we look for the meaning of life, we want a story that will explain what reality is all about and what my particular role is in the cosmic drama. This role makes me a part of something bigger than myself, and gives meaning to all my experiences and choices.” (Harari, 2019)

Harari's work discusses concepts around humans relation to storytelling and has largely influenced my personal perspective on the matter prior to this class. In his work he argues that humans are the only species that create and connect around ideas and concepts that don't physically exist – e.g. legal system, politics, organisations and even money. Basically that human civilization is based on storytelling.

Popular tales do far more than entertain, however. Psychologists and neuroscientists have recently become fascinated by the human predilection for storytelling. Why does our brain seem to be wired to enjoy stories? And how do the emotional and cognitive effects of a narrative influence our beliefs and real-world decisions? The answers to these questions seem to be rooted in our history as a social animal. We tell stories about other people and for other people. Stories help us to keep tabs on what is happening in our communities. The safe, imaginary world of a story may be a kind of training ground, where we can practice interacting with others and learn the customs and rules of society. And stories have a unique power to persuade and motivate, because they appeal to our emotions and capacity for empathy.(The Secrets of Storytelling: Why We Love a Good Yarn, 2008)

We discovered that there are two key aspects to an effective story. First, it must capture and hold our attention. The second thing an effective story does is “transport” us into the characters’ world.

NB: Empathy is at play here

We attend to this story because we intuitively understand that we, too, may have to face difficult tasks and we need to learn how to develop our own deep resolve. In the brain, maintaining attention produces signs of arousal: the heart and breathing speed up, stress hormones are released, and our focus is high.

Once a story has sustained our attention long enough, we may begin to emotionally resonate with story’s characters. Narratologists call this “transportation,” and you experience this when your palms sweat as James Bond trades blows with a villain on top of a speeding train.

Transportation is an amazing neural feat. We watch a flickering image that we know is fictional, but evolutionarily old parts of our brain simulate the emotions we intuit James Bond must be feeling. And we begin to feel those emotions, too.

Such a neural mechanism keeps us safe but also allows us to rapidly form relationships with a wider set of members of our species than any other animal does. The ability to quickly form relationships allows humans to engage in the kinds of large-scale cooperation that builds massive bridges and sends humans into space.

By knowing someone’s story—where they came from, what they do, and who you might know in common—relationships with strangers are formed.

We have identified oxytocin as the neurochemical responsible for empathy and narrative transportation.

Storytelling is powerful at communicating ideas. Storytelling:

Stories are vessels for information

Evolution has hardwired the need for stories in our brains

Learning vital survival techniques | those who learn the lessons live longer

Stories create emotional connectiona good story makes our brain simulate what it would be like to live through said events your body can't tell the difference on whether something is real or not, it reacts as it would in real life

Creating and displaying cultural identity - culture can be defined as the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. They are a way of sharing who we are.

Evolution has made one of the most important things in life deeply enjoyable. Survival = Storiesit taps into a raw human desire, and fulfilling it gives a kind of happiness hundreds of thousands of years in the making

If we want to communicate facts or information, stories are powerful way to do so

(Catsnake, 2021)

References

Catsnake. (2021, July 16). The Power of Storytelling, with Sir Ian McKellen [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/125383660

Harari, Y. N. (2019). 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (Reprint ed.). Random House.

How Stories Change the Brain. (2013, December 17). Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_stories_change_brain

Rook, L. (2013). Mental models: a robust definition. The Learning Organization, 20(1), 38–47. https://doi.org/10.1108/09696471311288519

The Secrets of Storytelling: Why We Love a Good Yarn. (2008, August). Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-secrets-of-storytelling/?error=cookies_not_supported&code=4e69a7a4-beec-49eb-bc00-661da0ca397b

[steamishot]

sanctuary

food budget for november: we went over $120. there was thanksgiving and matts birthday, so we allowed some leeway. i think the same thing will happen for december. i’m growing more comfortable with the higher cost of living here. i’m more okay with spending $25+/person when we eat out. i guess it’s equivalent to living in more expensive areas of LA - cheaper areas/restaurants do exist here too but sometimes it’s just not as convenient to get to or worth it. if anything, this should be a motivating factor to get a higher paying job. when i lived in echo park, the surrounding restaurants weren’t cheap as well, but i would commute all the way to 626 for more delicious/authentic asian food (as well as save a few $ on food, but also lose a few $ for gas). 

i don’t tend to make many big purchases other than traveling and sometimes electronics - but mostly traveling. i always used to value experiences more than anything material. once you get to experience something, it can’t be taken away. if i got to visit somewhere new even if it was meh, i would still not regret the trip. this year, with obvious travel restrictions, i’m learning how to channel the money elsewhere and am seeing the fun/value in being more materialistic lol. i just bought an espresso machine yesterday. it was a little over $400 and i was resistant in buying it. then i questioned: why am i ok with dropping so much money on and during traveling, when i’m afraid of spending a bit of money on an appliance that i’ve wanted for a while and will last me for years? 

my aunt works at nordstrom and gets 40% off items in december. this is the time of the year when my mom, grandma and i give auntie a list of items we want. last year, i bought 3 clothing items, but ended up returning it all. this year, i requested face wash, eyelash curler, and a north face winter jacket. matt got a canada goose jacket and i really wanted one to match, but they didn’t have the style/size i wanted. 

today, i spent $110 on buying two plants to be shipped - a huge snake plant and medium sized zz plant. i like these because they’re low maintenance and the snake plant is supposedly a very good air purifier. back in LA, i couldn’t justify paying even $6-7 for a plant to keep in the office or in my bedroom. 

note: initially i purchased the plants from heyrooted, a small asian american owned business that i like. i then saw the plants were significantly cheaper on home depot so i went with HD instead. 

the justifications i’m currently making for my purchases are: covid. i have no friends or family here so i can instead develop bonds with lattes and plants. at least we don’t have any pets. i’m gaining more knowledge/skills and investing into hobbies. plants are beneficial to our living situation. we love good espresso. i’ve always wanted to learn how to make latte art.

counterargument: i tend to start things but may have trouble being consistent. i started crocheting weeks ago and bought a bunch of yarn - but the beanies i made aren’t as pretty as store bought ones and the fit is weird. so i’ve been holding off on crocheting in general. i’’ll probably learn how to do scarves next so the yarn doesn’t go to waste.

anyway, basically i’m investing money into making my apartment into a sanctuary - a place i love being in. usually, whenever i traveled in the past, most airbnbs/hotels i stayed at were by default “nicer”/better decorated than my room/house in LA. when i was researching airbnbs for our last trip (also there are less selections due to covid), i had a lot more meh reactions. living in a new building/apartment, my standards have increased. the temperature always feels comfortable in here even when it’s freezing out. we installed a bidet, and shortly after, installed a new and fantastic combo showerhead. with the espresso machine and more plants coming in, i’ll be even more in love with our home and staying at home.

in my plant craze, i’m sending a peace lily to my grandma as an xmas gift. coincidentally, matt’s mom wanted to do something special for his grandma this christmas. since matt didn’t have any ideas, i suggested we also send her a peace lily (and a postcard). a plant for you. a plant for you. a plant for everyone!

[ayaholliday-blog]

first middle and last name?

Aya Vanessa Holliday

age

25

favorite item of clothing

I like my sweaters? My mom knitted me one last Christmas so I guess that one has to be my favorite.  

drink you’d order at a bar?

I don’t actually go out to bars all that often? Mostly I drink champagne if I drink outside of the house... but that’s probably not really something you order at most bars. Wine, I guess?

what is your zodiac sign? 

Cancer

best physical attribute/worst physical attribute

I guess my hair? I get compliments on that sometimes. 

My nails are a mess. I really should  take better care of them.

favorite room in your house

I like spare bedroom. It’s not as large or anything as the other rooms, but it’s quiet and the window looks out over a patch of trees and sometimes deer even wander into the garden. It feels like looking into a fairy tale.

what was your last dream about? 

I was being chased by a giant horde of cats while I ran all around trying to find my ball of yarn to keep them at bay. I don’t know what it means.

biggest goal

To see my son happy in all his endeavors in life.

closest family member

My father, definitely. The funniest man I ever knew and one of the genuinely kindest. There will never be another one like him.

who would you call in an emergency?

911?

what makes you nervous? 

... a lot of things. I don’t like to be alone.

have you committed any crimes? were you caught?

I don’t think so! Not that I know of! Unless I did something and didn’t know it was illegal, but if I did, I’m sorry.

if you found a wallet, what would you do with it?

I’d find who it belonged to and give it back.

what makes you angry?

I don’t really get angry. Life is too short for that. I’d rather forgive and forget if possible.

have you ever been to the hospital? 

Yes. Several times. Last time was when little Henry was born.

have you ever fired a gun? 

No.

favorite swear word? 

Henry isn’t much of a fan of me swearing, so I don’t really use them much. I don’t think I have a favorite.

do you have any scars? 

None that come to mind. 

biggest weakness

I have trouble saying no to things. Sometimes that means I end up with too many things I have to do, but I’m working on getting better about that.

greatest strength

I like to think I’m a good person, but I guess most of all I just know how to live in whatever situation I end up in. No matter what I always find a way to make my situation work, whether or not I’m happy in it.

what kind of student are/were you?

I think I was a good student, though I never got a lot of points for participation or anything like that. I think I spent more time looking out the classroom windows than I ever did anything else.

most vivid childhood memory?

A lot of my childhood feels a lot like a daydream. It’s hard for me to even remember anymore how much of it was real and how much of it I just imagined.

what are you allergic to?

I’m not actually not allergic to anything, though in the Spring I do sometimes have an issue with the pollen in the air, I guess that counts. 

your personal philosophy

Do better today than you did yesterday.

biggest misconception about you?

I don’t know... I think I’m pretty much an open book. What you see is what you get.

who would be your ideal partner? 

I just want someone that I can spend time with and who wants to spend time with me. Someone willing to try new things with me and explore. Just someone who will hold my hand while we experience the world together. That’s all I want.

do you want children? 

I guess I never really thought about it, but now I wouldn’t give up my son for anything in the world.

biggest accomplishment

Having the most perfect little boy.

do you have much of an ego? 

Oh yeah, people tell me all the time that I’m way too confident for my own good. ... that was a joke.

can you do any other accents other than your own? 

I’ve never really tried. I suppose with some practice I probably could. I do silly voices when I read bedtime stories.

biggest regret

I don’t have regrets. Life is too short for that. Even the things I do regret all led me to where I am today and to things I don’t want to think about living without.

have you ever been in love?

Of course. That’s why I got married.

are you in love right now?

No. I don’t think that’s what this is.

I mean, yes, of course! 

do you believe god?

I believe in him, I just don’t always think that he’s got the time to look out for all the little people like me.

favorite school subject? 

Science. I liked science.

can you name all 50 states of america? 

I could when I was in school... so probably? I haven’t tried since I was fifteen.

what secret are you hiding from everyone you know?

... I let Henry take an extra cookie sometimes even though his father says I shouldn’t. It’s our little secret.

biggest wish

I wish for my son to grow up happy and healthy and to know that he is free to be with someone he loves, no matter what.

what do you hate most about yourself?

I just wish I had more confidence. Maybe if I did none of what happened would have come to be. Then again... that would mean I wouldn’t have any of the things I have now and I don’t know if I want that either.

what do you fear the most?

I’m scared of disappointing my father. After everything he’s done for me, I’m afraid of him knowing that I haven’t done everything he wanted for me. That he doesn’t know I’m not happy.

who was your first real crush?

I don’t really know? I mean, in school I knew a lot of people but I never really thought about whether or not I had feelings for them. There was someone in middle school. She had bright red hair and a laugh that you could hear all the way across the school yard and I always just wanted her to notice m

I guess my husband? I wouldn’t have married him if I didn’t like him. I can’t think of anyone else.

are you a very affectionate person? 

When it’s people you care about, it’s hard not to be affectionate, right?

do you think you’re a good person? 

I like to think so? I try to be. I don’t know if I always succeed, but I do whatever I can.

when did someone last admit romantic or sexual feelings for you? was the feeling mutual? 

My husband said he loved me before he left for his trip. Of course I love him too...

what do you do to relax at the end of a stressful day? 

I like to take walks, especially out in nature where it’s quiet except for the songs of birds and the rustling of wind. Nothing but natural sounds and fresh air.

what do you get complimented on the most? 

My looks, I guess? More than anything else really.

is there a song which can bring you to tears instantly? 

A lot of songs can do that. Or maybe I just cry too easily.

have you ever online dated? 

No. I downloaded an app once? But I never actually used it.

what are five things you want to do before you die?

1) Write a book  2) Travel the world 3) Climb a mountain 4) Go to my son’s wedding 5) Fall in love

[choisgirls]

Hello!! RFAs reaction to MC who casts spells? Like lights candles and casts spells like a little witch. MC started because she found spells online and tried them out, but they actually seemed to work! Whether or not they really do is up to you haha

A/N: guys idk if youknow this but i’m actually really into witchcraft- like magick, crystals,spirituality, spells, sO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS and i just im soRRY IM SOEXCITED FOR THIS REQUEST but i toned it down a little to spare y'all ~Admin 404

*YOOSUNG:

           -He was the one to bring the idea upin the first place, actually!

           -“MC!!! I can’t rememberanything! I’ve studied this same page for the past hour or so and I can’tremember ANY of it. Uhg, why can’t there be any kind of magic to help me withthis? You know, kind of like Harry Potter? Or the magic spells in LOLOL!!”

           -Now you weren’t witch-savvy but youwere determined to find something that could help him!! Or at least make himfeel as if he’s being helped! He needed to pass this upcoming test and seeinghim suffer made you feel terrible!

           -So, thanks to the internet, youfound a sort of “Study star” spell for him! You explain it to him andhe is so!!! ready!!! to try!!

           -You light up an orange candle, ashe focuses on the light. You had him draw a seven point star, had him dab a smudgeof sage oil in the center of the star and on his forehead between his eyes. Youalso had him repeat the chant a few times.

           -You had him keep the paper in hishand the whole time he studied, and when he was done, he blew out the candle

           -Neither of you knew if it didanything but he did have to admit that he was excited to try it anyway!!

           -He came home the next day from histest extremely hyper, loud, and just all around excited puppy yoosung

           -“MC! MC! I PASSED! I PASSED ITWITH FLYING COLOURS! IT WORKED, THE SPELL-THINGY WORKED! OH MY GOD WE HAVE TODO IT EVERY SINGLE TIME”

           -He was yelling in excitement,jumping on the other half of the couch as you bounced up and down on the otherhalf due to him. You agreed to do it every time he need to study, so he couldget and keep his grades up!

*ZEN:

           -He was disappointed about notgetting the part he wanted in a play

           -And the moment he walked into yourguy’s home, you were practically hit in the face with his negative aura

           -“Oh no, nonono, step backoutside”

           -You pushed him out of the frontdoor and he stood there completely confused. Too confused to even ask what wasgoing on, or attempt to re-enter the home

           -He watched as you mixed salt andgarlic and sprinkled it along the doorsteps, the windowsills, any entry pointto the house

           -“MC what in the world are youdoing can I please come inside now?? What are your sprinklingeverywhere??”

           -You explained that you protectedthe house from negative influences, and that now he was able to enter the house

           -“I don’t want your negativeenergy up in here Zen, so I’m protecting our home. Now, come on inside and tellme what’s wrong, love”

           -HE DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE INTO THISKIND OF STUFF???? MC can you give me more protection things? Self-care? BeauTYSPELLS????

           -You just sigh every time he asksbut you do secretly draw him an herbal protection bath at least once a monthand he just thinks you buy the MOST amazing bath salts because they smell andmake him feel a m a z i n g

*JAEHEE:

           -You’ve noticed her stress lately,it’s not like she hides it well

           -And you wanted to help!! But youjust COULDN’T think of a spell to help

           -You thought of maybe combining twoof them, but suddenly you had an idea!

           -You ran up to her with a bag fullof different colour yarn, and told her the meaning of each colour. She wasthrown off and wasn’t sure why you were telling her, but she played along

           -“You have to pick oneaccording to how you feel, as in what kind of problems you’re having! Did youpick one? Oh good! Okay, the next thing you need to do is hold it taut. Gotit?”

           -She followed your directionssilently. She knew you believed in things like spells and magic and she wantedto respect you although she didn’t believe in it herself. Besides, she knowsyou’re just trying to help, and she can’t complain about that!

           -“Okay now, concentrate on allof your problems you’re having. Really visualize them as you tie knots intoyarn. Yes, just like that! You’re tying up the problems and they can’t getaway!”

           -She held it out to you when she wasdone visualizing, “Alright now what? Do we do something about visualizingthe same problems and untie the knots, as if we’re letting go of- MC where areyou going?”

           -You snatched the yarn from herwhile she talked, holding it far out in front of you as if it was evil, and youran outside. She watched as you tried to quickly dig a hole in the dirt andthrow the yarn in it, figuratively burying her problems

           -She shook her head and couldn’thelp but smile. She didn’t feel any problems go away, but she did get happierknowing you wanted to help her bad enough that you’d run outside and try to diga hole with one hand

*JUMIN:

           -He came home one day to find yourubbing some sort of liquid across your wrist, heart, and forehead. And onlythose places. He was thoroughly confused. You weren’t new to spell casting buthe’s never SEEN you do it

           -It smelt like a mix of lemon juice,mint, basil, and a few more that he couldn’t place off the top of his head

           -He asked what you were doing andyou just smiled at him, shrugging before you answered

           -“I made a spell! I boiledbasil, bay leaves, coriander, lemon juice,-” He watched you list several thingsoff but just tilted his head to the side out of confusion

           -“You…casted… a spell? Likeas in magic? And witches?”

           -“Yeah! I casted itbecause…well.. I just wanted to strengthen our relationship and make sure ourlove is there and strong at all times…”

           -You looked down at your feet,pouting a little bit, hoping you didn’t freak him out, but he kissed yourforehead instead

           -“Oh, MC, you didn’t need aspell for that. The love I have for you is immense, there’s no need toworry”

           -Which wOW you couldn’t tell if thatwas just him being honest with you or if your spell DID work. You’d have to tryanother one to see if it worked.

           -“But um, MC? What can I usedto wash this mixture off because I really dislike the taste. I probably shouldhave kissed your cheek instead.”

*SAEYOUNG:

           -Can’t tell me nerd boy hasn’t triedto recreate spells from Harry Potter or the show Charmed

           - i also believe that he’s trieda few protection spells for saeran growing up

           -But lately you’ve noticed he’s hada string of nightmares and you felt terrible! Watching him wake up completelyfreaked out broke your heart

           -You weren’t sure how to reallybring up the idea of performing a spell, so you just blurted it out

           -He just nodded and smiled towardsyou before saying, “Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Last time they gotreally bad I tired one and it seemed to help. Maybe with you doing it with me,it’ll work even better!!!!”

           - im sorry last time you whAT

           -You threw your shock out of thewindow when he pulled out the items you needed- salt, rosemary, rose petals,glass bowl, valerian, and polish moonstone

           -WheRE DID HE HAVE THESE THINGS ANDWHY DIDN’T YOU KNOW ABOUT IT

           -Helped him find a place by the bedto put the bowl where he wouldn’t accidently knock it over

           -Overall you had no real part inthis?? He did it all himself??? You weren’t NEW to witchcraft or anythingbut??? You’re just disappointed that you had nO IDEA HE WAS INTO IT

*V:

           -He travels often for hisphotography

           -But this most recent trip, therewas a little hiccup and made the trip a little dangerous

           -And you DID. NOT. LIKE. IT.

           -So you were determined to make surehe was safe every time he left the house

           -You were new to the whole magickaspect, and decided to find something on the internet and see if it would helpat all

           -(Or at least help ease your mindabout him leaving)

           -You decided to make a “SafeTravel” charm for him!!!

           -Crying a little on the inside asyou tore a bit of your red flannel shirt (MC it’s not like it fits anymore,it’ll be okay), placed some dirt, large pieces of rock salt, and one of yourfavourite silver rings into it. The moment you were done sewing it into alittle bag, you rushed to give it to him

           -He was surprised at the gift, buthis heart immediately MELTED when you told him what it was, what it’s made of,and why you made it. HONESTLY DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE ON TRIPS AFTER THAT, howcould he worry his MC that much??

           -He swore to be 500% careful when heleft the house, and NEVER do anything to make you worry. Neither of you knew ifthe charm actually worked the way it was supposed to, but it did remind himthat he needed to take your feelings into account when he takes trips

*SAERAN:

           -He’s seen you participate in spellsand rituals before

           -He’s even read up about the magick!Mainly because he was interested in the black magick aspect before meeting you

           -Now that he’s met you, and youparticipate in the white magick, he figures what could it hurt.

           -He’s been pretty down lately, andyou felt horrible about it! The both of you knew nothing really caused it, but youstill wanted to try to help

           -He was walking into the room to askyou a question about this new movie he saw, but noticed you were sitting at thealtar you set up

           -You were sitting in front of 3yellow candles, he could smell cedar, and he watched you sprinkle some herbsaround the candles

           -He kept hearing you mutter to yourself,and he decided not to disturb you. But once you were done, he definitelyquestioned just what you were doing

           -“You were testing a happinessspell? What for? Are you not happy, MC? Is everything alright?” Heactually got REALLY worried like oh nO MY MC IS SAD???

           -“No, no! I wanted to see if itworked because… I mean, if it does work I was gonna suggest you try it.You’ve been down lately and I just want to help but I guess I should have justasked if you wanted help and I’m sor-”

           -He cut you off before you couldapologize by hugging you. He muttered a thank you before he kissed the side ofyour head. He agreed to try the spell with you, as well! that was easy,thought i’d have to fight more

[firexdance]

Working for the council had perks, Hour had to admit, one of the few was being a well payed women, despite being a women. Many weren’t as lucky as she, but she wouldn’t sacrifice this for a minute. But it wasn’t just luck that got her position, it was also her great talent for the arts of magic and the fact that she was incredibly powerful in the community. Which was why she was currently in the Lobby of her luxury apartment complex, a spell page in one hand and a basket of supplies in her other. Her boss never told her what kind of familiar she was going to be summoning, but it wasn’t going to stop her. It wasn’t like her boss was going to try and get her killed by summoning a dragon or something.

One man spouted jeers at her, the man from the second floor who had opposed the magic protection bills. Rumor had it he had a golden dragon claw on a stand in his house, a hideous offence to the magic community. She payed him no heed, though, and continued with what she was doing, painting the runes onto her body and laying out the supplies she had gathered- including the rare flower she had had to find, sibilum draconis- and beginning the chanting she was required to do for the spell, while sitting in the middle of the supplies.

She sat for over an hour repeating the chant, but nothing happened. No one showed up but her regular neighbors. No familiar came in that she could tell. Nothing. Whatever she had summoned seemed to just- reject her summoning. She was packing up her things when she noticed the only neighbor she shared the top floor with- Lucifer. “Hey, Lucifer.” She sighed, her shoulders sagging as she pulled her pack of supplies over her shoulder. “Boss gave me a useless summoning spell again. Guess I’m destined to be without a familiar, huh?”

He would have preferred to spend all his time sleeping or eating, but humans worked for a living, so that was what he had to do as well. Now he was ‘home’ and could spend the rest of the day lazing around. He was burrowed deep into a pile of blankets, staring almost trance-like at the flame of a candle sitting on a windowsill. He had just opened the window and was debating slipping out for a short flight, when he felt it. There was a tugging sensation, and he was being pulled against his will by some unseen force.

He attempted to fight it, but it became more persistent. He stood up, the blankets falling into a heap at his feet. There was another tug, and he stepped over the blankets, growling under his breath about careless sorcery. He grabbed a knife before stalking out the door and down the stairs, because whatever this was, he wasn’t going down without a fight.

He stopped in the lobby, where a handful of neighbors had gathered, peering at the sight within. He took one look at the supplies scattered around the woman and tucked the knife out of sight. He tilted his head, studying the paper, but giving no sign that it was familiar to him. “Perhaps your boss should check his sources. Do you need help cleaning this up?”

Hour looked defeated as she put out candles and stacked them back in her basket. She pulled at her tunic slightly, a frown on her face as she motioned to the supplies scattered around her on the ground. “I don’t even know what the damn spell was supposed to summon, it was just a spell for a familiar. Next time  boss gives me a spell, I’m not wasting my pay checks on the ingredients. I can’t keep getting my hopes up like this, I just need to accept my defeat.”

“Could you? The help would be marvelous. I’m not even sure how I managed to carry it all down with me honestly.” She rubbed the back of her neck and picked up the rare flower. “I mean really, what the hell is this stupid flower even supposed to do? I’ve never seen it in any other spell, let alone a summoning. It’s name means dragon whisper but really.” She tossed it haphazardly into the basket, moving onto the next item, a pile of onyx and quartz rocks, which were standard for summoning as they represented balance, but still, they were heavy. Not to mention the hundred different colored candles the damn spell required.

“If you could help with the candles, I would be in your debt. It’s easy enough to light them with a spell, but I can’t put them out without putting out the candles lighting the walls.” Hourglass was stooping down and picking up the rest of the supplies, She had another basket for just the candles sitting off to the side and used a small tendril of magic to grab it and set it next to the group of candle lining the center of the yarn pentagram she had tacked to the floor with putty.

“Sometimes familiars take their sweet time arriving, I’ve heard. You shouldn’t take it so hard.”

He had been Summoned, which shouldn’t have even been possible. His kind, what was left of them, had spent precious time tracking down every record of spells strong enough to have any effect on them. Here was evidence that they weren’t thorough enough. What else could have slipped through the cracks? It was through sheer luck that he happened to live in the same building as one of the people who had attempted such magic, else he would have been found out the moment he showed up here.

He stared, mesmerized, at the flower- it gave off a faint scent he couldn’t quite place. He shook his head and turned his attention to the candles, kneeling down so he could gather them up.

“Magic isn’t always reliable. Are you certain it’s a real spell?”

“I guess… I guess I’ve just been waiting for so long, and I’ve been rejected by so many, I just don’t know if I even want to try again. I try for a weak familiar and I’m too powerful. I’m not compatible with half the magic creatures that I can summon. What’s even the point of wasting my money and my magic on it anymore?” Hour finished picking up the ingredients and started helping Lucifer with the candles.

Some of the candles had burned down past salvation and she threw them away, but the rest went into the basket. She answered his question with a frown on her face. “Everyone sees magic as being like technology, but it’s not. It’s like living thing, it’s fickle but it’s always there. It like some people more than others, and it obeys those people. Spells are just ways to concentrate that magic to do what it needs. Magic leaves it’s own residue on spell books and spell pages, and some more powerful witches and wizards can feel the aura. This page is seeped in it, so I trust it is, despite how old the magic is.” Hour tucked the page into the protector she had been given and set it in the basket with the rest.

She noticed him looking at the flower. “It smells weird, doesn’t it? I’ve never really smelled a flower that smells so strongly of smoke and ozone at the same time, but from what I researched it’s supposed to smell different to everyone.” She wiped some sweat from her brow and sighed as paint flecked off. She had almost forgotten about it. “You said that sometimes it takes familiars a while to respond to a summons…. Do you think they might still come? Is this some kind of trial? Do any of them still do trials anymore? Besides the illusive dragons, of course.”

“There is always a trial. A few are very particular, but these days they usually only last few minutes, which makes people believe they are a thing of the past. If you are not compatible, however, you might as well be screaming into the void for all the good it will do.”

He stared intently at the paper. It looked weathered from use and one edge was jagged, as if it was torn from a book. The question remained whether the page alone had escaped the dragons’ search or if there was a whole book lying around that presented a tangible threat to them.

He took hold of the heavier of the baskets and stood up. “Shall we get these objects upstairs? No doubt you will want a good rest after all that effort. I imagine it is exhausting regardless of its success.”

Hour shook out her pure white locks, her eyes betraying how tired she really was at the moment. She was glad he was willing to help her, and she was grateful he grabbed the heavier of the two baskets as well. “Even then! If this is some kind of trial I want to know why they don’t even show up. I would rather know then be caught blindsided. I’m risking my job if I can’t get a familiar. If I lose my job I lose what’s left of my fractured life. I lose my apartment, I lose access to the spell books in the library. I everything I’ve worked for, gone. They can’t have a witch without a partner on the streets.”

She grabbed her own basket and headed for the stairs. She didn’t have the energy to run the magic powered lift right now, so they would have to go up the old fashioned way. she shouldered open the door and held it open for Lucifer before starting up the stairs.

“I can barely feel my magic at this point, it’s gone dormant for the night. It was a strong spell and after so long… I’ll be surprised if I don’t collapse as soon as I get in my apartment.” Hour gave a small laugh. “I probably need a shower still too, I’m painted in berries and ink.”

“If you did not notice anything resembling a familiar, it is possible they live nearby, perhaps in their natural habitat. If they do not show up by tomorrow, I can help you search for them if you like.”

He trudged after her up the steps, the effort hardly bothering him. He was supposed to be only human, however, so about two-thirds of the way up he made a slight show of being out of breath.

When they reached her door, he took the other basket from her so she could unlock it. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Hour didn’t look at him at the offer. There was no point looking for a familiar you didn’t know what even was. “Thanks for the offer, Mr. Morrow, but trying to find them would be pointless and a waste of time. Both mine and yours. If you want to come over and help me start packing tomorrow, though, I wouldn’t exactly mind. Like I said, if this didn’t pan out I wasn’t going to try again.”

She opened up the door to her apartment with a sigh that was part exhaustion and part sorrow. This lovely apartment, with wrap around glass windows in the main room, showing off the glorious mountains, wouldn’t be hers for much longer.

“Thank you for the help Lucifer, I’ll see you tomorrow? For the museum tour, I mean. I- I gotta go get washed up so I can get some rest for work tomorrow. I have to hand in my report, after all.”

He set the baskets down on the nearest flat surface he could see and started slowly backing toward the door, having no wish to linger without invitation.

“I do hope to see you tomorrow. We’ve got a new exhibit- a real Hand of Glory. It was difficult to acquire, and my top experts and I believe it’s genuine this time.” He realized he was babbling and abruptly cut himself off. He did so love to talk about his treasures, and it tended to put people off.

He stepped back on the other side off the door. “Try to be patient with yourself. Details are easy to miss if you aren’t looking in the right places.”

Hour smiled at the excitement flaring to life in his eyes. She loved how open he was about his passion for his work, it was something that few people had. Something she shared with him, she liked to think. She loved her job, and she would be sad to see it go. But she couldn’t change it now, she wasn’t going to try any more summonings, and she couldn’t keep her position without a partner.

The cryptic advise confused her, but she thanked him anyway before bidding him farewell and sinking back into her lair, her workshop, her home. The next day she rose to find her magic had bounced back after some good sleep, and her workday, while uneventful, was only relieved by her extra long lunch break.

She bounced up the stairs to the museum with a smile on her face. The magical history museum was one of the town’s greatest treasures, especially to the magical community. She slipped in whenever she could to see all the artifacts. It was even how she first met her reclusive neighbor. “Mr. Morrow!” She called to him as she saw him. “You said you got a new exhibit yesterday, any chance I could see it first?” she asked, biting her bottom lip in anticipation.

He was being harassed by a trio of angry mothers; apparently they found some displays too offensive to allow their children to see. He had tried to explain that the brief description of exhibits was clearly written on the pamphlet if they had only bothered to read it, but they did not seem willing to listen to simple logic.

Hearing his name, he turned immediately, glad for an excuse to leave the woman. Paying no heed to their protests as he ignored them completely, he strode across the room to greet the newcomer with a smile.

“Of course, anything for one of my best patrons. It’s right this way.” As he led her to the display in question, he stole a glance at her. He was pleased to see she was looking much better than she did last night, if if a bit harried, but he wrote that off as usual work stress.

He stopped in front of the admittedly gruesome artifact. It appeared to be nothing more than a severed hand, even if if was partially encased in a rusted gauntlet. The base of the case was engraved with runes that, while not keeping it from being stolen, would fill any would-be thief with intense guilt until they had righted all past wrongdoings.

“What’s the verdict? Does it live up to expectations?”

Hour lit up when she saw the hand, and then her expression soured as the annoying mothers caught up to them. She had seen them arguing with Lucifer, and she could see how prissy they seemed to be, in their nobles clothes. She stood out for her gender, she knew, but not for her status. She wore men’s trousers and poet shirts, a red petticoat with black and gold mage runes embroidered into the fabric slung around her shoulders. She wore the apparel of a powerful mage, something not many women could boast.

“This is a museum of Magic, M’Ladies. It isn’t always pretty.” Hour silenced the woman with a wave of her hand and sent them on their way with a gust of air, pushing them out the door. She smiled in satisfaction and looked back at the case of glass and Lucifer. “My apologies, she had a foul temper and I hold a lack of patience for the trivial insults. Now- this glory.” She pointed at faintly pulsing blue symbols lining what little was left of the rusted metal.”It’s amazing, but what do these runes mean?” She could feel the magic, malevolent in nature, coming off it and frowned at the fact that she could feel it. “I can guarantee you it’s real. You should let me in some times to place a new rune in the base, it’s full of malevolent energy, there would be problems if it corrupted someone. How did you manage to even find one? These things were burned in the Fire wars.”

She looked over at the museum owner, genuine interest shining in her eyes. He had an impressive collection and she loved seeing every artifact, even the ones he kept in the vaults bellow the building. They never ceased to fascinate her and frankly, she loved helping him with her magic whenever she could. He wasn’t gifted with magic, and for someone without it he certainly admired the magical world more than most she had ever met. If she could guess, he even rivaled scholars of the order of Merlin in some knowledge.

“Did you get the candle with it or did it come by itself?” She blushed when she realized she was probably asking to many questions, but she couldn’t help it.

He blinked and tilted his head slightly at the unexpected show of magic.  “I prefer them over the man who brings his son here every week just to show him everything he should not do. I hope that boy turns out to be a powerful sorcerer just to spite him.”

He watched her carefully as she examined the display, glowing in pride at her awe. He reached out and pulled her back when she drew a little to close to the case for his liking. “No one has been able to get that gauntlet off. One of my assistants was overcome with horrific hallucinations after touching it with regular gloves. We aren’t sure whether it is cursed itself or if it simply absorbed some it. It only came with a locket that had a more powerful effect. Whatever the case, that is the only thing keeping this beauty intact.”

He gently tugged at her arm to draw her away. There was a reason there was an adults section in the museum, after all. Some things needed to be observed in small doses. “We got a delivery of ancient texts, if you’re interested. Most are just old explorers’ journals that we’re still going through, but you may see something of interest.”

Hour obeyed his touch , backing away from the obviously dangerous artifact without any protests. “I wasn’t talking about on the gauntlet, I was talking about the base of the display. I’m not even willing to touch that thing feeling the magic radiating off it. It’s just so wrong. Are you sure it isn’t an artifact from the wars? some of the rogue warlocks went to great lengths to… preserve themselves once they were faced with execution.” She withdrew her sight from the object. She could come in some other time to copy down the runes to try and translate, but that would have to take place over a matter of days.

“If you want I can put an even stronger enchantment on the display to prevent theft, this thing does not need to get stolen. The magic I feel off it is beyond anything else you have in this entire museum. That is a disaster in the wrong hands.” She took a deep breath once she was away from the hand of glory, not realizing she had even felt the pressure on her chest.

A wide grin grew on her face at the chance to see more new texts. One of the few things she was more passionate about- old spells. Plus, if she could pin point any magic touched journals then that meant she got the first opportunity to see them. “You had me at ancient texts.” She practically shook with excitement. Maybe if she got outright fired, or if the other job proved to miserable, she could try applying here. She wouldn’t mind being surrounded by magical treasures all day long. With a start, she slapped a hand over her mouth when she realized she had voiced her thoughts out loud.

“I honestly don’t know. The person I got it from was a bit sketchy on the details. She didn’t stick around long. It would serve a thief right if he got his intestines sucked out or something equally satisfying.” He shook his head. No one needed the violent turns his thoughts took at times.

He smirked in amusement at the mortified look on her face. “I could always use a magic user on staff. Gods only know how overpriced your people are downtown. But I wouldn’t discount your current job. You’re powerful enough; you might be able to get an extension of some type.”

He led her through a door with intricate designs that blended nicely with the wall but was still obvious to anyone looking for it. It’s purpose wasn’t to hide anything, after all. “Careful. The bottom step is coming loose.” He stepped on it, easily keeping his balance due to several years of getting used to the stairway getting worn down.

There was a hallway at the bottom. The doorway closest to the steps was carefully labelled Probably Not Dangerous, and it was this room he stepped into. It was a jumbled mess inside to anyone who didn’t know how he worked, but he liked the idea that only he knew exactly where everything was. He stopped in front of a rickety table that swayed slightly under the weight of papers and books stacked on top of it. “Here they are. I had a bidding war with the library over them. They aren’t very happy with me.”

Hour beamed at the thought, “You could also do good having someone who can cast strong enough spells to contain corruption. You see I’m not that interested in protecting thieves, I’m more worried about innocent bystanders who get caught in the corruption. Don’t need to have murders being possessed by rogue magic. There is a reason the magical items of Daedric priests and convicted warlocks got destroyed.” She floated herself down the last step, grabbing her charcoal pen from her pocket and crouching down by the step, sketching a quick ‘strengthening’ rune into the step and then letting a slip of magic be absorbed by it.

“Free of charge, no worries.” She said as she straightened up and followed him into the room, eyes going wide at the sheer amount of ARTIFACTS. She gaped. Light beaded on her skin before rising up into a ball above her head. There was some light, but this illuminated the room in all it’s glory. Books stacked on books, pots stacked haphazardly, stacks and stacks of intricate carvings. Scrolls stacked high on tables. Stacks on mirrors and portraits. It was…. fantastic. A sculpture stuck out to her and she reached out to it. Her fingers barely brushed it before her vision was over taken by a single image.

Wings blanketing the sky, scales stark against a cloudy blue sky. Eyes like blue crystals gazing straight into her, like it could see straight through her. She gasped as the vision cleared, snapping her hand back from the statue and darting over to the table Lucifer was at. It had been so realistic, but why was she getting visions of a dragon?

“Oh I bet they are, maybe some day they can get to read them through a glass case, like they make everyone else do when they get their hands on magic texts. Assholes.” She kept a bright smile on her face and cast a quick spell to bring a book down that was higher than she could reach and setting it on the table without touching it. She slid on a pair of cloth gloves and picked up the text. “Is this… Dragon skin? What the hell kind of collection did you find?” Hour ran a hand over the smooth scales, careful not to go against the scales so as to not cut her skin open on them.

“That’s assuming they ever allow them to see the light of day again. Bunch of stuffy old men deciding what the public is and isn’t allowed to read.” The scowl on his face stated quite clearly what he thought of that. People of all ages should be allowed access to anything they wished to learn about.

“Creepy, isn’t it? Makes my skin crawl. What is wrong with regular leather? I would get rid of it if it weren’t for what was inside it. Or rather, what isn’t inside it. The pages appear to be blank, but I believe there is more to them. We found it in a box that had six different locks.”

He lifted a large marble urn off of a chair with ease, so that she could sit down if she so wished. He set it down next to a glass case and returned to the table. “These came from that eccentric old hermit who passed away a few weeks ago. He had a bit of an obsession with magical creatures. And ghosts, for some reason, but that came in his later years.”

“You mean James Welbourne? Sweet guy, shame he died. I can’t believe he had this locked away, the man used to go on and on claiming the dragons weren’t as rare as people thought. He said we even had a few in town, the crazy man. He loved them, so why on earth would he have had something so hideous as this in his collection?” Hour wrinkled her nose at the journal and turned it over in her hand, bringing the light down so she could see it better.

“It’s certainly something that should be closely examined, it probably has a concealing rune on it somewhere.” She carefully opened up the pages and held her hand about half an inch from the parchment, trying to feel for any traces of magic a rune might put off.

On the back page she found something. “Here!” A small rune hidden in the top corner. With a small tendril of magic, she fed the rune, revealing the pages covered with notes and runes and directions. “It’s a spell book. Don’t know what on yet, I would have to translate it, but a spell book all the same. Considering the time period these things were made I wouldn’t be surprised if it were unsavory.” She set the book on the table and jumped when the writing vanished.

“I guess it only shows when the person feeding it is actually touching it. Well, now we know how to read it at least. I can figure out how to break the rune later so it permanently stays open for reading, but it might take me some time, I don’t think I recognize the rune itself.” She pulled down the next book, this one not covered in dragon skin. It looked to be just a regular travelers journal and the inside proved to be the case. Grabbing an inkwell, blank parchment, and a quill, she sat on the offered seat. “Translations paraphrased or direct?” She asked him. She enjoyed this work sometimes, especially in her periods of frustration, and she wouldn’t mind giving him copies of her notes so that he could display them accurately.

“Yes. Crazy.” He personally hadn’t cared for the man, and he had fallen away from Lucifer’s radar when the people dismissed his claims as the ravings of a madman.

He felt a sense of relief when the dragonskin journal was out of sight for the moment. “Direct, please. I can paraphrase later when I’ve decided whether or not to just leave this down here. Are you sure you have time to do this? You only came to see the new display, not do extra work.”

He tilted his head slightly, eyes flicking toward the door. His sharp hearing could pick up a commotion going on upstairs that might require his supervision eventually. “Will you be all right by yourself for a few minutes? I need to make sure no one has died or anything up there while I was absent.”

“I can do a page or two now, I’ll have to continue later. I got an extra long lunch time because You know me and the Museum.” Hour smiled and looked down at the book, pulling a pair of glasses from her pocket and set the translation runes in place before slipping them on. The black lines on the pages swirled and blended before separating out into plain text that she could read. Dipping the quill in ink she set to copying the text, waving Lucifer away without looking up when he asked to do so.

After about half an hour she stretched and removed the glasses. She had gotten through about two and a half pages and she cast around looking for Lucifer, standing and setting the journal and quill down. “Mr. Morrow?” She asked.

She grabbed her bag and jacket from where she had taken them off and looked around, expanding her witch light above her so it illuminated the whole room. The dragon statue drew her eye as she pulled off her glove, setting it on the table without tearing her eyes from the statues. “Mr. Morrow?”

The cranky women were back; this time with law enforcement and accusations of assault. He crossed his arms and glowered at them, not even attempting to hide his disgust. He would never understand human females and their inability to fight their own battles. He spoke with them in short sentences, making it clear what he thought of their intelligence.

When the officers were satisfied enough to leave, Lucifer directed an assistant to start closing up. He was no longer in the mood to play gracious host to ignorant humans today. He tested the bottom stair as he headed back down; still a little loose, but no longer in danger of detaching completely from the stairway.

He stepped inside the room. He lay a light hand on Hour’s shoulder. “Leaving already?”

Hour jumped at the tap to her shoulder and whirled around to see Lucifer. “How do you even manage to do that? You’re like a ghost sometimes with how sneaky you are.” She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, lips pursed as she glared halfheartedly at the man.

Shaking her head she said, “Sorry to say, but I have to go, my boss wants to meet with me about the… incidents of last night’s summoning.” She snorted and clicked her tongue in annoyance. “He’s probably going to try and give me the spiel about not giving up again before handing me another expensive and pointless ritual.”

She ran a hand over the shelf nearest her lightly, black painted nails catching on scratches and chipped paint. Gathering her courage she considered her next words carefully. “Uhm, Lucifer, I had a question…. Would you like to have dinner with me sometime? Like a date, I mean.”

“You are a lousy listener. It could get you in trouble someday. Just because you have cute little parlor tricks doesn’t mean you don’t need to pay attention. I was making quite a bit of noise coming back.” He absently poked at a mirror, watching as a rippling effect spread across the surface.

“I am always up for dinner. Any date is fine, as long as it is later in the evening. Not tonight, though. Something came up that I absolutely must attend to as soon as possible.”

He turned away from the mirror and stepped into the hallway, pulling out a ring of keys so he could start locking the museum up for the day. “Is there anything else you needed before we go? I’m closing early today.”

“My magic is not a parlor trick!” She snapped glaring, but following him out all the same. Hour pulled her hair out of the tie, letting it cascade down her back in a snowy blanket. “It’s not like I have the senses of a dragon, Lucifer. I’m completely human.”

She blushed as she scrambled for words to clarify her intentions, getting flustered. “I’m- that’s not what I meant. I meant as a romantic date- but I’m- just forget I said anything, I’m being stupid.” she shook her head and averted her eyes from his face, staring at the ground. She really should have expected something like this. Regular people didn’t like Witches, even the ones who were the most interested in magic.

“I’m okay, I think. Thank you for showing me the new exhibit. It’s fascinating. I guess I’ll see you later? At the apartments, I mean.” She shouldered her bag as she started climbing the stairs, still not meeting his eyes. “Uhm- Bye.” She turned and practically ran out of the Museum, shame coloring her cheeks as she made her way back uptown to her work.

He stared after her as she ran off, confused as to what had just happened. With a shake of his head, he turned and went back downstairs, going straight this time, to the hidden door at the end of the hall which opened to a tunnel that led straight through the mountains to his lair.

He shifted into his much larger dragon form and stood at the mouth of the cave deep in thought, for once ignoring the mounds of sparkling treasure surrounding him. At last he made up his mind and lifted off into the sky, heading straight back into the city.

The people below were like ants from this distance, and they were looking up at the sky in awe. He reveled in this blatant openness, of not needing to keep out of sight, and did a complete backwards loop in the sky out of a sudden desire to show off.

He landed on the roof of the building, a few tiles knocking loose and tumbling to the ground as he settled himself. He positioned himself so his serpentine head was closest to his neighbor’s window and his long, muscular tail draped over the other side of the building. His scales, normally an unblemished white, now reflected the glow of the afternoon sun. Paying no heed to the people gawking below, or even to the one annoying neighbor on a lower floor who went into an immediate tirade, he rested his head on his forearms and closed his eyes, waiting.

Her meeting went disastrous. Her boss said wait, consider it, give it time. But she was done waiting. She wasn’t here to be some toy to be batted around from desk to desk to make room for people with familiars. She wasn’t there to get sympathy. Unfortunately for her her boss wouldn’t give her the paperwork she needed, so she just left early, stopping by the markets to pick up food for dinner. She wasn’t in the mood for anything huge, so she just picked up some treated meat and bread before heading home, her cloak slung over her arm and hair falling out of the hair tie she had put it back into.

She didn’t even notice the dragon on top of the building at first. Not until the bastard from the second floor pushed her and started yelling obscene things at her, pointing at the dragon that seemed to be sleeping atop the building. A dragon. Her boss really was a crazy bastard. She silenced the man as she stared at the dragon, mouth open in shock.

“Mighty Drake, may I ask your purpose here?” She called out to him, using the wind to carry her voice. She had to be polite, anything else could end in disaster. Frankly, if this really was about the summoning she doubted she would be alive at the end of the week, let alone finishing that translation for Lucifer at the museum. She would have to go edit her will at the bank it seemed, if she even made it past the day. No one had managed to partner a dragon in a century without having prior experience. She was a dead man walking.

Blue eyes opened, and he peered down at the ground. There was a man on the ground practically hopping in agitation. His voice was rather grating and Lucifer was tempted to roast him alive where he stood. There were more important matters at hand, however, and he instead focused on the one who stood patiently watching him.

He stretched, almost cat-like, and jumped off the building, landing directly in front of her and making a slight indent in the ground beneath him. If this went well, it seemed he would have to work on softer landings.

He spread his wings out as far as they would stretch, causing the people who had gathered to skitter backwards in alarm, lashing his tail from side to side as an extra precaution to ensure they would be given ample space, before allowing it to rest, forming a jagged ring around the woman in front of him.

“You called, did you not?” he snaked his head downwards, so that he was eye-level with her. “Now I summon you. I am judge, jury, and executioner, and the trials have commenced. I am offering you mercy just this once, however. Should you choose to back out now, you will be spared the consequences of failure and I will leave, never to return.”

She stood frozen as the massive tail wrapped around her, leaving her no way to escape without getting closer to the dragon. Face to face, she could hardly tear her gaze away from his eyes, the light sky blues capturing her attention as he spoke, a melodic deep voice throwing her in a loop. It wasn’t what she expected from a giant winged lizard the size of a building.

He was here for her. She had managed to summon a dragon. She had lived throw the summoning process itself, something that had killed others in the past. The dragon was giving her a chance. Her heart was beating like a rabbit in her chest, but she remained standing firm, not betraying her elation nor her fear.

“Indeed I had, Mighty Drake,” She swallowed as she hastily gathered her words so as not to seem an idiot. She was talking to one of the most intelligent creatures on the planet, after all. “I accept your trials. What is it you wish to test of me?” She stood as tall as she could, despite how her legs had started to shake. She was a fool not to accept the mercy, but she wasn’t going to pass up this chance. If she died, then who would really miss her? Lucifer? He had already shown how he felt about her. Her boss just wanted to use her, she had no family, all she had was a cat.

Why not take the risk and stand the chance of being able to have someone to work with? Why not be able to keep her dream job she’s been working for for as long as she could remember?

“It would seem you have power. But perhaps it was just a fluke. After all, you certainly weren’t expecting this.” He flicked the tip of his tail threateningly as one of the bystanders bravely ventured closer, and their brief spout of courage fled completely. He then peered deep into red eyes with a piercing stare, surprised at her acceptance but satisfied with the determination he found there.

“There is a monster at the edge of the Southern Wood, by the river where the trees do not shed their leaves.” Was it a monster? Perhaps not. But it was a particularly powerful warlock who kept helping himself to Lucifer’s treasure in the mountains, and that was monstrous enough in his eyes. “They possess a circlet made of moonstone. Return it to me, that we may see what you are capable of.”

This was perhaps not the best, or perhaps proper, way to go about the trials, but he did not see why he shouldn’t kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Hour stood firm as the dragon flicked its tail, eyes only flicking to make sure the person was okay. She knew very little about dragons except that they didn’t like humans that much due to the fire wars, and they were very picky about the witches and warlocks. She also knew they were one of the most powerful familiars that weren’t extinct. They were up with Sphynx, Chimera, and Wyverns.

Pulling at her cloak, Hourglass nodded,” Alright. Do I have a time frame for this? How do I return it to you?” She asked brazenly, crossing her arm over her chest. She was terrified, yes, but she wasn’t going into this blind. It wasn’t like he was going to venture into the forest with her to tell her what to do. The trials were about proving herself, but that didn’t mean he had to send her in without any information when the sun was already falling behind the mountains.

She had been hoping for a quiet night at home, maybe practicing a few spells or packing up, but she hadn’t accounted for a damn dragon finally showing up to it’s summoning.

A low, irritated growl reverberated at the back of his throat. Humans and their incessant need to know every little detail! He flexed out his claws while he mustered up what patience he had left.

“I will return when I am ready. I will know when you are finished.See that you don’t keep me waiting.”

He lifted off into the air, his tail spikes catching on the end of her cloak as it uncurled around her, barely missing the flesh of her face as it whipped past her. He flew far above the clouds before shrinking to a smaller form and landing on the roof of the museum, fast enough that his silhouette wasn’t clear, and small enough to be mistaken for a bird.

He slipped through a hole in the roof created specifically for this, ready to close his eyes and forget about the fact that he had just set familiar trials in motion without consulting anyone about it first. He had done extensive reading on the subject; surely that was enough.

Hour tried not to move but her breath caught as the spikes tail whizzed past her face, a small patch of her cloak caught in it. Once it was out of sight she collapsed to her knees on the ground, staring at it pointlessly as she wrapped her head around what had just happened. A dragon. A fucking fire drake was performing the trials. She might as well as set herself on fire now, stick an apple in her mouth, and lay at his feet like a suckling pig. Chances of her coming out alive were slim to none.

Still, she stood on shaking legs and gathered her items into her arms, making her way into the building, ignoring anyone who tried to talk to her and floating herself up to the top floor. On her way she made a checklist of things to do and grab. She would have to get a dagger and staff for the monster, maybe a pocket spell book. Some pre-made enchantments would probably be needed, not to mention a pack of food in case it took longer than she anticipated.

Getting in her apartment, she launched into a flurry of activity, casting some spells to cut up her meat and bread while she worked on the spells she would need and gathered up her stuff. After what felt like hours but could only have been an hour at max, Hour was out the door with a pair of hiking clothes on and a warm cloak thrown over her shoulders. It was black velvet with green filigree runes sewn into it, setting runes of silence and protection. Her bag held a few breakable vials of spells, and a dagger was sheathed at her hip, and a wooden staff was clutched in her hand, the top a blue crystal encased in what looked like a dragon’s mouth while wings flared out of the sides. Fitting, yes, but also powerful. It had cost her a fortune to get, but it also produced a litany of different powerful spells when prompted.

As she locked the door to her apartment, she turned to see Lucifer and jumped. She hadn’t expected the other to be home yet, but he had said he was closing up early. “Hey, Lucifer. If anyone comes looking for me, can you tell them I’m out? Something came up…”

He had expected all the excitement to last much longer, but then again, how long did he think it would take to send someone on a quest? He could have simply left everything to his underlings rather than shut it all down, but since it was too late, he might as well go home. It might even be nice to curl up under his pillow for the rest of the night.

He arrived at his apartment just as the door across from his sprung open, and he tried to make enough noise to not startle her since she seemed a bit distracted.

She looked just a bit out of breath, and hastily put together, as if she was in a rush. What caught his interest, however, was the bag and staff. It was larger and a bit more full than usual when she went to work, and he could feel the power that emitted from the staff even from where he was standing. He hadn’t expected her to set out so soon. He he really come across as that impatient? Ah, well. It was too late now.

“Work emergency?” He furrowed his brow in what he hoped came across as a politely confused expression, although she appeared to be too agitated to notice. “Well, I’ll see you later, I suppose?”

“You could call it that.” Hour mumbled as she adjusted her cloak on her shoulders. “I should be back by morning, thanks Mr. Morrow.” She didn’t mind telling him what was going on, but she didn’t want him to worry about it. She had already sent a fire message to her boss calling out, so she didn’t have to focus on getting home so she could get some sleep. Hell, maybe if she survived this she could introduce the dragon to Lucifer. After all, the man was interested in the magical arts. She would just have to survive the trials first before she planned anything.

Her cloak billowed out bellow her as she floated down to the bottom floor rapidly. She nodded to her neighbors as she passed before sliding out the doors and taking off for the woods.

By the time she had found the warlock’s hut by the water, she had already figured out the dragon had meant the monster to be a thief. This time, she was alert, her ears and eyes pricking to even the slightest movements. She caught sight of the concealed warlock just a moment before vines were snaking up her calves. With a flick of her hand she dismissed them, striding towards the other mage and forcing him to his knees with a quick spell, the staff in her hand lighting up as she channeled the power through it. A fireball streamed at her face and she was surprised to see another warlock coming out of the cabin and a third sitting up in a tree. Cursing under her breath she cast a circle of flame around herself and the one already in front of her, grabbing two vials from her bag and tossing them at the other mages. The spell wasn’t meant to last long, but it did the trick as the other’s fell to the ground asleep. The man in front of her was a necromancer, and she wasted little time on him, sucking the air from his lungs and setting him aflame from the inside out. Next she turned to the woman at the door, a familiar by the looks of it, and according to the law she was as equally guilty for not stopping the man. Hour ended her life quickly, snapping her neck with a fast but complicated spell, eliminating the pain as well. The third person was just a boy, only around thirteen or fourteen. She didn’t have the heart to kill him, so instead she bound him tightly with vines and then turned the vines to metal. She couldn’t tell if he was a familiar or a warlock, so she inscribed spells to contain both before she started searching for the gem.

Eventually she found something in the boy’s bag- a moonstone head adornment with swirls of metal twining to make the tiara. Once she found it, she sat outside the shack for some rest, watching the stars and wondering if the damn dragon really was watching, all the while waiting for the boy to awaken, as his companions had already been done away with, hidden in the shack with the door closed and sealed.

He watched her go, and stalked into his apartment, grumbling under his breath as he flung open the doors of his wardrobe. There wasn’t much in here in the manner of clothing, as that he could conjure easily out of nothing, which left room to store other things he didn’t want unexpected visitors to see. Shoving objects aside, he dragged an old dusty mirror out. With a quick fire-polishing, he was good to go. Leaning the mirror against a wall, he called up the image he wished to see. He drifted in and out of sleep while he waited for her to reach her destination, and when she did he sat up straight, eyes narrowed and unblinking while he watched her fight.

When it was over, he finally allowed himself to give in to sleep. When he woke up a couple hours later, the moon was high in the sky, and no sound came from the building apart from the peaceful slumbers of the tenants who lived within. He climbed onto the window ledge and jumped, shifting into his reptilian form in midair.

He landed at the edge of the riverbank, a sweep of his forearm knocking aside a couple saplings that were in his way. With the tip of his nose, he nudged at the boy before turning his gaze on Hour.

“Took you long enough.”

Hour jumped awake at the first breeze of wind and was awake enough to glare daggers at the dragon as it came closer. It was well past high-moon already and if he was going to scold her about taking forever, she would throw a rock at his head.

Sure enough as soon as the dragon opened it’s mouth, she was seething. “Oh you pretentious self serving rude ASSHOLE.” She growled. “You send me on a trip in the dead of night to kill a warlock, his familiar, and his son, and then come back here scolding me about how long I took? Do you have any idea how long I’ve been sitting here?!” She slammed into him with as large a gust of air as she could, pushing some of the larger trees behind him to the point of cracking and breaking.

“Let’s get one thing clear right here and right now. I am NOT some toy you get to play with, dragon or not. I am NOT going to break ANY laws for your stupid trials, which means you are very lucky the warlock was a damn necromancer. And you do not get to act as if I am some ignorant fool!” Her hair was lighting with the static gathering around her, creating a halo about her head.

A crash of thunder sounded above in the clouds as her fiery eyes bore into the dragon. “Do you understand me you overgrown reptile?!” She was pissed, and fuck if she was going to let him treat her like garbage, threat of death or no. If she was going to die like this, then the least she was going to do was keep her dignity. “Now, if you need me, see me tomorrow. I’m going home, giving this boy to the police, and getting some damn sleep. Apparently you’ll know where to find me.” Not even remembering to give him the circlet, she grabbed the boy and placed him on a pocket of air, directing him back through the forest and ignoring the giant scaled beast that apparently lacked manners.

A low growl rumbled deep within him, and it soon turned into a roar. Moments later, his jaw opened wide and he sent a jet of flames after her. While it did not touch her, it did set the forest around her on fire. Lifting off once more into the air, he headed in the opposite direction, thinking to take his frustrations out on a herd of deer he could smell in the distance.

Well-rested and well fed, he was in perfect spirits when he headed into the museum’s vaults in search of a particular item. Shoving piles of treasures aside, a wicked grin crossed his face when he caught sight of a medium-sized box that was shaking of its own accord. Ignoring the incessant rattling inside, he carried it upstairs. He was attempting to put his jacket on the best he could with only one free hand when the door opened.

He stilled for an instant when he caught sight of who it was, still slightly irritated over yesterday’s events. The expression was gone as quickly as it came as he mustered up a smile he usually reserved for customers. “Back already, I see! Is there anything I can help you with?”

Hour felt horrible the next morning as she stumbled into the museum, beating herself up for acting so rashly the night before for the dragon. She had been horrible to him, even if he hadn’t been the kindest to her either. Frankly she was surprised he hadn’t killed her then and there. She had taken the boy back into town and dropped him off at the the police station without a problem, but once she had gotten back to her apartment, she could barely sleep.

She eventually gave up and started tinkering around her workshop, but it didn’t help any. She still couldn’t help the sick feeling in her stomach. Eventually she gave up on that too and instead, dawned some nice comfort clothing- a dark blue tunic and black trousers with a gold cloak draped over her shoulders. She was out of her apartment quickly, hair a white halo about her head. When she got to the museum she had to convince herself to go in. What she didn’t expect to see was Lucifer appearing to be about to leave.

Suddenly it didn’t seem that important again and she was about to leave, but then he noticed her and she couldn’t help how she refused to meet his eyes. “I’m- I was just hoping to talk, but if you’re busy then it’s really not that important.” She kicked her feet slightly, but didn’t turn to leave like she was tempted to.

He finally managed to get his arm through the other sleeve and made an attempt at buttoning the jacket the best he could with one hand. The task proved to be too intricate for his impatient mind, so he settled for simply pulling the jacket closed.

He tilted his head slightly and studied her. She didn’t look too well, and she was acting shy all of a sudden. He thought back to their recent interactions, trying to remember if they had gotten into any arguments or such recently apart from last night.

Then he remembered what had transpired here yesterday. This was a bit awkward. He had no desire to encourage anything between them before she found out what he really was, but it had not been his intention to push her away, either.

“I was actually just going to drop something off for the head of the agency. You could walk with me if you like, or I can just wait. I’m in no hurry.”

Hour took a small breath of relief and nodded. “Yeah, I can walk with you. I have to go brief my boss anyways. That’s what I was hoping to talk to you about.” Yesterdays conversation hadn’t even crossed her mind, her shame too focused on how badly she had screwed up.

“You know how you told me not to give up on that familiar showing up? Well, he did, and I managed to mess it up within the night.” she was cursing herself inside, feeling more hopeless than she had felt when she hadn’t thought anything would come to the summoning. “That’s why I was rushing out of my apartment when you saw me, he sent me on a task. He made me kill a necromancer to get back a little circlet.”

“My boss gave me the summoning spell for a Dragon, Lucifer, and I went and opened my fat mouth against him and pissed him off. I didn’t even get the chance to give him the tiara he told me to get.” Her mind was kicking her, throwing in her face just how badly she had screwed up.

“I don’t know if I can face him again if he shows up. What am I supposed to do?”

“I did hear some chatter about a dragon.” He shouldered his way through the door, holding it open so she could walk through.

He thought carefully on the words at their “first” meeting yesterday and could not recall ordering her to kill anyone. Seeing how a necromancer was involved, however, he supposed she didn’t have much choice in the matter.

She wasn’t exactly wrong about angering a dragon, but he was still slightly displeased about the whole ordeal so he automatically dismissed the thought of soothing her worries on that front, no matter how much he wanted that tiara back in his lair where it belonged.  Right now, though, she wasn’t addressing a dragon. She was just seeking advice from Lucifer, the eccentric museum curator.

“Did he give you a means of contact? If not, I doubt there is anything you can do except wait.” He frowned, deep in thought as he considered how to help her without seeming too sympathetic to the dragon. “We may be able to bully the library into giving up some of their books on magical beings, I imagine you’ve already read everything your agency has to offer on the subject.”

Hourglass rubbed her arms through the sleeves of her petticoat, looking away from Lucifer to try and put a smile back on her face. She didn’t need to ruin his day with her problems. He had better things to worry about then her likeliness to have a shorter lifespan than previously anticipated.

“You’re right, I’m probably jumping to conclusions too soon anyways.” She looked back at him as they walked, a forced smile on her face. “I doubt the library is going to be so kind to let you get into their collection after you bought that collection right out from under their grubby little hands, but I certainly would appreciate it if you could help me arrange it.”

Hour finally noticed the package and furrowed her brow. “What do you have for the head of the agency? I didn’t realize we needed anything for any cases going on.” She couldn’t imagine they really needed anything unless a new case came in while Hour was off traipsing in the forest for the dragon.

“The head librarians, no. But one of the assistants owes me a couple favors, and the other one just does whatever I ask for some reason. Within reason, naturally.”

He stumbled on an uneven groove in the sidewalk, nearly losing the load in his arms in the process. Grumbling slightly, he shifted the package slightly so he had a better view of the ground in front of him.

“People don’t seem to know whether magical items they find belong at the museum or at the agency, so they usually just guess. This dish set has a nasty habit of biting people who try to use it, but holds no historical value whatsoever.” He shrugged, a little half smile crossing his face. “That, and I was accused of conspiring with known fugitives. Again. So I’m showing my appreciation for their hard work.” And venting his anger for someone having the audacity to casually give away magic that had an effect on dragons, but she didn’t need to know that.

Hour let out a laugh as Lucifer stumbled, covering her mouth to stifle it. “Thanks, Luci, it means a lot that you’re willing to help.” She brushed a strand of snowy hair out of her eyes, not even realizing she had slipped up and used the nickname she only called him in her head. “You sure you don’t want me to help you with that? Seems like the curse might be throwing off your balance through the- hopefully warded- Box.” She pressed her lips together, teeth biting the bottom lip.

“I think this is the first time you’ve actually had one addressed directly to the boss, did he accuse you directly this time?” She raised a playful eyebrow at him. She didn’t know why she relaxed around him so much- or why he was able to completely turn her mood around so quickly- but it was a relief. “I think he deserves more than a bite from this particular dish set, though. I think he should be burned after giving me a spell to summon a dragon of all things. I think I might just let him have a taste of my magic for this one, or maybe just send that guy from floor 2 after him. I’m sure he’d loooove to sink his teeth into a chimera.” It wasn’t a secret that her boss was a familiar rather than a warlock, but no one cared.

Hour stopped outside the doors to her work building- one of the only buildings in town with a glass door. Heavily enchanted to prevent vandalism, of course. “After you, mister museum man.”

Luci. He mouthed the word a couple times before shaking his head and glowering at her. “I have superb balance, thank you very much. It’s the city council that is to blame, pouring more money into useless border patrol than into simple maintenance.” He punctuated his rant by kicking aside a loose piece of stone that was in his way, rather than step over it like everyone else was doing.

“Your charming leader signed his name on a document that allowed a surprise visit from his minions that put off quite a few potential patrons. Anyone would be upset.”

He frowned at the doors. “Shouldn’t it be ladies first?”  He tugged at the door handle with some difficulty due to having his hands full. “A little help please? I’m a guest here, after all.”

Hour rolled her eyes and used her magic to push the door in. “Push or pull door, the or being the important part. Besides, most people wouldn’t exactly say I’m very lady like in the first place, in fact I think half of them would demand my job if I was.” Hour followed Lucifer inside and let the door swing closed behind them. From the front desk a small cat transformed into a human- the secretary and familiar to the evidence room guardsman.

“Horatia Elien Tien what the hell did you get yourself into?! And don’t tell me the god damn historian is the dragon or I might just have the boos fire you myself! The whole station has been filled to the brim with panicked reports about a dragon and then you up and disappear?! James is going to have your head for this one!” The young man was hissing, slit eyes gleaming despite the fact that he had already transformed.

“Mister Morrow isn’t the dragon, Winston, and I’m going to see the captain now, no need to get your whiskers in a twist. Besides, James is the one who gave me the damn ritual without telling me what it was to begin with. I have every intention of feeding him his own tail if I make it through these damn trials- and then feeding him to the dragon for good measure. Do you think giving it food will make up for my idiocy last night? He seems like he would like a nice juicy goat.”

“I personally think you should avoid further insulting the beast. Predators would rather hunt than be fed.” He set the package down on the desk. It gave one shake of its own accord before remaining still.

He raised an eyebrow as his gaze rested on the desk. “You’ve redecorated! At least someone is still sensible around here. To be fair, I did write a note to the effect that the last delivery should be opened immediately, so the blame rests entirely on your own head. Come to think of it… can cats even read?”

He grinned, thoroughly amused at the idea of causing a panic. He had been so entirely focused on Hour at the time that he had not noticed the reactions of any witnesses. He made a mental note to pay closer heed to his surroundings next time. “If you can’t manage something as simple as track down something as large as a dragon, then perhaps a change in management is in order. Old age happens even to the best of us. Where is the little crossbreed, by the way? Is there a bell to summon him with?”

Hour grumbled at Lucifer’s comments, a soft “I never said a a dead goat” escaping a little louder than the rest. While Lucifer continued talking to Winston, Hour saw James walking around in the cubicles, and stormed towards him. “Captain Kamaer!” She called, her face settling into a stone cold mask of anger. He had played her like a fiddle. It wasn’t exactly secret that the chimera practically worshiped dragons, nor that his dream was to have a warlock strong enough to bond with one beneath him, but that didn’t give him a good enough reason to use her the way he had. Sure she was strong, but he as now risking her life without even telling her what she was getting into.

“Miss Tien, I thought you took the day off. What is Mister Morrow doing here?” the Chimera was staring directly at Lucifer as if he knew something no one else did. From her pocket, Hour pulled out the flower she had to get for the spell and threw it at his feet.

“Congratulations, James, you’ll probably be losing your best damn officer by the end of the week because you couldn’t just tell me what the fuck the spell summoned. I would give you this too but it’s probably the only reason I’m not dead yet!” Winston seemed to be about to reprimand Hour for the outburst but quick as a whistle, Hour cast a silencing charm. She pulled the circlet from her jacket as well and held it up so he could see it. “Next time don’t send someone into a possibly life threatening situation without a little warning you utter jackass.”

Catching sight of the captain, Lucifer straightened up, but Hour was already storming across the room. Deciding to wait this out so as to let nothing distract from his reason of being here, he leaned against the desk, picking up a pen and idly doodling on a piece of paper sitting on the desk.

A tantalizing scent assaulted his senses, and he glanced up in time to see that accursed flower fall to the floor. His nose twitched and his brow furrowed, still annoyed at the idea that a tiny little plant could have such an impact on his behavior.

His attention was drawn to a glint of light and his eyes narrowed at the familiar object that was grasped in Hour’s hand. He could feel a low inaudible growl building in the back of his throat as he battled against the sharp instinct to return what was his to his lair. The desire to rip off the arm that was keeping his treasure from him was very strong, and it was only the sudden heat building at his fingertips that snapped him back to attention.

He was back on his feet in an instant, pen and paper falling to the floor. As all eyes were drawn to him, he curled his fists tight. “Where’s your washroom? I don’t feel so well. I think I’m going to…” He rushed off in the general direction of said room, guided by vague memories of his last visit here.

Hour heard the crash and whipped around to look. With a small curse she pushed the circlet into her pocket once more and shot a glare over at the captain. “This conversation isn’t over, got it? I’m not done with you.” She moved to run after Lucifer and see if he needed help, but a hand on her elbow pulling her back stopped her. She hissed and yanked out of the captains grasp, magic twitching in her finger tips.

“Let me, I’ll make sure mister Morrow is alright. as for your outburst we will discuss it later, in my office, after mister Morrow has left. I suggest you wait there.” The captain was calm as he spoke, the dragons whisper flower twirling between the pads of his fingers. He walked on before Hour could stop him, gliding down the hall to the washroom which he pushed open with his foot.

“Mister Lucifer Morrow. You know, I recognized you weren’t human off the bat. So what are you? Unicorn? Manticore?” He paused as he tossed the flower onto the ground in front of Lucifer, “Dragon?”

James approached closer, right into Lucifer’s space as he crushed the flower underfoot. “Doesn’t matter, Miss Tien doesn’t know the power you have, even if you stink of it. But pass on a message if you do see the dragon, would you? At the end of the day she belongs to me, and it would be wise to keep that in mind.”

Once he was finally alone, Lucifer allowed himself to lean against the wall, drawing in an unsteady breath. He opened his hands, staring at the angry red blisters that had appeared on the palms from his barely successful efforts to keep the fire contained without anyone noticing. He let water run over the wounds until they finally faded away and turned his attention to calming himself. Deep steady breaths.

It shook him how close he had come to attacking someone he considered almost a friend. It had been years since he had lost control like that, and longer still since he had done so in front of other people.

His nose scrunched up. There it was again; that curious scent, drawing nearer. His heart skipped a beat as panic started to rise. Of course she would come to check on him; he had claimed to be ill after all.

The door opened, and in walked not Hour, but the captain. For a moment relief set in, until the man’s words started to register. The flower made yet another appearance, and irritation rose- would he never be rid of that thing? The scent grew stronger as it was crushed, and the irritation gave way to anger.

In an inhumanly fast flash of movement, he was gripping the captain by the throat and whirling around, slamming him into the wall. “You can bark orders all you want to your own underlings, but I am not one of them and I am certainly not your messenger. Find the dragon and tell him yourself, if you have the spine to do so!”

Releasing the man, he stormed across the room, yanking the door open with a crash and seething with a barely-controlled rage.

A sick grin split James’ face. He wasn’t afraid of what Lucifer could do, not in his human form. And if he wanted he was free to transform, the other might not have the option if he was so set on keeping his other form a secret. All of a sudden, Lucifer was gone and James could breath again- not that he ever couldn’t.

Hour’s head snapped to attention when she heard the crash, magic jumping out and creating a ball of water in her hand. Most times when there were fights a fire somehow broke out, so it was really a force of habit. When she saw it was just Lucifer she banished the water and stepped in front of him, a placating hand out in front of her as she searched him with her eyes, checking to see if he was hurt.

“Lucifer, Lucifer calm down. What happened? Do you need me to walk you back to the museum? The apartments?” She was going to kill the captain that was for certain. Lucifer had run in there looking sick, not like he was about to murder someone. All thoughts of the dragon went out the window as Hour met Lucifer’s eyes, trying to catch his attention enough to try to help calm him down.

“Do you want me to send a fire message to Jenkins?” Jenkins worked at the museum, he was Lucifer’s second in command from what she could tell. She personally found him unnerving but Lucifer seemed to trust and depend on him and that’s what mattered at the moment.

He shuddered to a halt when he realized he was in the open again. A tiny part of him was disappointed but a larger part was relieved to note the visible absence of the small trinket. This made things far less complicated.  His head was already slightly clearer, but his brief conversation with the chimera had still rattled him.

He shook his head, forcing his voice to sound calm. “That won’t be necessary. I think I’d just like to be out of this place already. Although, if you’d let Jenkins know I’m on my way, that would be lovely, thank you.” It was an innocent sounding message, but Jenkins would know something was up if Lucifer was notifying him of his impending arrival.

As he passed by the desk, he laid a seemingly idle hand on the box, sending a wave of heat through it- not enough to be visible, but just enough to rile up the cursed dishware inside. As a frenzied rattling rose up inside the box, Lucifer turned his attention to the secretary. “Do be sure that gets to your fearless leader, will you? I picked it out especially for him.”

Turning around, he gave Hour what he hoped was a reassuring smile, even as he stepped backward toward the door. “Perhaps I’ll see you later? I would love to know what kind of reception my little gift inspired.”

Hour grabbed a piece of parchment and scribbled a short message on it and then adding the rune to the back before she conjured a small flame and the parchment went up in ashes, swept away by an invisible breeze. She grabbed Lucifer’s arm and met his eyes but paused before saying anything, chewing her gums.

“I’m…. You know you can talk to me right?” She pinched her lip between her teeth and looked away. “I’ll come to your apartment? I can renew that waterproofing enchantment on your windows while I’m there.” The air was tingling with the energy of an approaching thunderstorm, so catching it early would be better than having to go around during the day while the electricity was screwing with her energy.

She took a step back and released Lucifer gently. “ I hope you feel better, you looked pretty green earlier. Get some rest. Kamaer is trying to get my attention, so I better go.” She shuffled on her feet for a second before grabbing the box of dishes none to gently an turning to go to the captains office. She pushed it into the captains arms as she pulled open the door, anger returning in stride now that she wasn’t focusing on Lucifer. “It’s a gift, your hands only.” she didn’t say who it was from, standing with her hands braced on a chair leaning slightly forward. James walked on looking at the gift in interest as he rounded his desk and sat in his chair, a look of almost boredom upon his face.

“I’m just going to point out you said you were willing to try anything and you didn’t ask what it was you would be summoning. You’re powerful, Horatia, probably the most powerful person in this building. If anyone were able to survive a dragon’s trials it would be you. I believe in you. You should believe in yourself, too.”

“James that isn’t the problem! You put me in a dangerous situation with no warning! You manipulated me to achieve what you wanted! You think I don’t know that you want a dragon in the agency?! You think I don’t know about your fascination with the fire wars?! Congratulations. Now I’m completely unprepared, and the damn Dragon is pissed at me because I went and opened my big fat mouth!” Hour huffed and ran a hand through her hair.

“Horatia- Hourglass. Look at me. Has your magic responded with hostility to the dragon? Did it jump to your defense when the dragon appeared? Or is it reaching out? What does your magic want?” James spoke softly as his eyes met hers, his head bowed slightly.

“How my magic is acting is none of your damn business, Captain, and it doesn’t make up for this. I could die for this, you understand that right? Whatever. I’m going home now. I have to find a way to give the damn dragon his jewelry back.” She straightened and pulled open the door to the office, slamming it closed as she left. She paused outside the office, watching through one of the windows as the captain unpacked the dishes, a smile lighting up her gloomy mood as one of them literally bit him, small cuts appearing on his hand with every dish he touched. Cursing could be heard and then a crash as one of the dishes hit the floor. After the main show, she left without a word to anyone else, heading straight for her apartment like she said she would.

“I did something I shouldn’t have.” That was what he chose to open with while he tried to figure out how to ask Jenkins the question that had been bothering him the whole way here.

The older dragon merely raised an eyebrow. “What else is new?”

Lucifer’s eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t you tell me there were plants that could affect us?” he demanded, his tone accusatory.

“Not ‘plants.’ Just a single plant.” Jenkins corrected with a smirk. The smile faded however as the implications of the question sunk in. “Oh dear. Were there people around?” The younger dragon’s jaw clenched, which Jenkins took as a yes. “Do you want to try contacting Ash? I’m sure we can get that mirror working this time.” With a low growl, Lucifer shook his head. He did not have the patience to put up with the quirks of a magic mirror that was missing a piece. “Hmm. Back room it is, then. I do believe there is some furniture you didn’t manage to destroy during your last tantrum.”

He spent the next couple of days avoiding his neighbor and behaving himself for a change so as not to give the agency a reason not to send anyone over to the museum. He was ashamed of anyone having seen him liked that and needed time to pull himself together. He swore he wouldn’t allow them to catch him off guard like that again.

His plan of avoiding his problems was disrupted when he was delayed at the bottom floor of the apartment building by the little old lady who insisted on handing out freshly baked sweets to everyone who passed. A pair of neighbors were blocking the doorway during their long-winded praises and thanks. Lucifer was seriously debating the merits of simply shoving them all out of the way, when something in the air shifted.

He turned to greeted her with an exasperated smile. “Someone’s been doing some early baking. Who even gets up that early by choice?”

Hour felt bad. It had nearly been a week since she had so much as glimpsed Lucifer. Initially she thought that he had gone on a trip for work- there was that mages weapon that showed up at a museum in Farous in the north that Hour was considering going to see. But by the way Jenkins had ushered Hour out with a claim that Lucifer was ‘too busy to put up with a pesky little witch’ she figured he was probably either avoiding her or something actually came up.

To say she was slightly surprised to see Lucifer in the hall being held up by the woman in the apartment below hers was an understatement. She hid a small smile and shook her head at his usual antics. She was probably just playing up what wasn’t there in the stress from the lack of contact the dragon was providing.

“Oh, I don’t know maybe someone who’s celebrating the birth of her grandchild.” Hour smiled and approached the woman, offering her congratulations and making small talk as she herself accepted a small pouch of the treats. She easily talked her way through the hall by making the excuse that she had to go deliver her morning tonics. The side job she had no problem doing for the extra cash.

She waited just around the corner for Lucifer, a small smirk playing against her mouth as she tossed the bag of sweets between her hands. “You know, I’m pretty sure Miss Moriss wont bite if you said you needed to get by politely.” She pushed herself off the wall and walked beside him, kicking her legs out as she stepped, arms clutched behind her back.

“Whatcha been up to? I tried stopping by the museum earlier this week to check some of my enchantments to make sure they stayed in place, but Jenkins shooed me away.”

“Easy for you to say. She keeps trying to convince me to give a lecture or two at the academy. I am a historian, not a teacher.” He slipped his new acquisition into one of the many pockets in his coat and redid the buttons.

“We’re starting to draw up plans for the next renovation- that time of year is just about here again. And pestering Myers. He moved his tavern closer to the center of the city, which means the old site next to the museum is just gathering dust. I have competition, though, so I have to stay on my toes if I want that expansion.” An almost predatory grin flashed briefly on his face at the prospect of a new challenge.

He fell into step beside her. “You know the head librarian is out of town this week? It shouldn’t be too difficult to sweet talk the assistants into giving us access to the restricted books in the back room. If you’re up for it, that is.”

“Another renovation? Lucifer you get one every spring!” Hour laughed and looked at him with amusement lighting her gaze. “How you don’t own the entire building complex yet I have no idea but at this rate you have more money invested into historical objects than the bank has in it’s vaults. Hell, you might be giving the dr-” She cut herself off before she could finish the comment. She wasn’t going to bring up the dragon right now, it was a sure way to sour her mood. “the landlord a run for his money, and he owns half the real estate in the city.”

“If you want some help with dealing, I’m willing to put up some wards on the new site for him if he cuts you a deal. Wards are pretty easy and I like your museum too much to not see what you would put into the extension.” Hour stopped next to an apartment and pulled out a small vial, placing it into the mail slot, along with a note detailing the directions.

Hearing about the prospect of getting into the library had Hour whipping around to look at him, walking backwards to keep up. “When? I’m basically free until I can get this thing with the…. trials figured out. The captain is refusing to assign me anything at the moment in case anything happens. I mean, maybe not right this second as I do have to finish my deliveries, but other than that.”

“Give it time; I can be patient on occasion. One day I will be mayor and own this whole place and Kitten will retire, thereby making you captain. We will rule the city with an iron fist.” He winked at her playfully to show he wasn’t serious at all. He had no intention of ever getting cozy with politicians.

“I might just take you up on your offer. You know the other guy wants to set up a butcher shop there? The smell alone will drive all the business away.” He wasn’t above sabotage to get his way, but if he could close the deal without drawing suspicion he and Jenkins can get straight to work without being delayed by law enforcement.

“I need to visit the carpenter to see about getting some furniture replacements made, and then I’ll have some free time. Perhaps we can meet up for lunch and then stop by the library?”

Hour grinned at that, shoulders shaking with silent laughter. He certainly knew how to lighten the mood. “The metal fist in your museum is good enough for me. I hate paperwork enough as it is, I don’t need to be saddled with even more. Could you imagine me sitting at a desk all day? I would be a total grump.”

“A butcher? Who? I know a better place than next to your museum for them to set up shop. There was a little bakery near the south shore market that got closed down after the owner died. Francis was talking about it when he came in to put up the new listings. I can get you a copy of the information to give to your competition, instead. That way the price doesn’t get jacked up in a bidding war.” She tossed a snowy wave over her shoulder as she back walked, head held high.

She let out a surprised squeak as she found herself on the floor, the heal of her boot have caught the edge of the carpet and brought her down hard on her butt. Her face lit up like a tomato as what happened caught up to her. Lucifer was right there and she had just made a fool of herself.

“Uhm- uh- y-yeah Lunch sounds- Lunch would be- Yea. How about…uh… How does high noon sound- at that little fish and chips place- the- uh- the Spinners hook!” She stuttered through the embarrassment and got to her feet, eyes trained to the ground in front of her.

“Not that I don’t enjoy a good healthy fight, but it does take the fun out of it when the prices get raised. Despite popular opinion, I don’t actually like spending more than I need to.” Just enough to make everything match his expectations. In spite of his words, he was very picky and very sure of what he wanted, and since he had the resources to spare, he might as well use them.

He blinked, startled, as she flailed until she ended up on the floor. With lightning quick reflexes, he reached out to catch a bottle that had fallen out of her pocket as she went, not knowing whether or not it was dangerous to let it hit the ground and break. When one spent time with warlocks, there was no telling what manner of objects they were carrying around. Not that he had room to talk, of course, with the ridiculous amount of pockets he had on his coat.

An amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he stared down at her. He made a movement as if to help her to her feet, but she managed just fine on her own.

“Well, then it’s a date, Miss Tien. I think I can manage high noon. I will see you later.” He stepped past her, but before leaving he turned. “I do believe you can stay upright much longer if you were walking forward. Evidently you do not have eyes in the back of your head. Just a suggestion.”

Hour sputtered at what his words entailed, the pink tint not leaving her cheeks as she avoided looking him in the eye. She pat her pockets and noticed one of the vials missing. She cast around but couldn’t find it. With a sigh she rubbed her temples and cast a tracking spell, watching the green string light up in front of her, leading to Lucifer who was halfway down the hall already. She would have to get it later, her dignity didn’t know if she could handle facing him right now.

Hour managed to not break the vials as she delivered the rest, going back up to her apartment after the last drop off to get her regular coat and cloak, the slight nip in the air meant she needed the additional layer. She also grabbed her translation glasses for the library, just in case they need a new one. The tiara she had been carrying around in case the dragon showed up was also secured in her coat, just in case.

She arrived at the Spinners Hook with some time to spare, so she spent some time outside with the little kids in the nearby park, creating little figures in the air. A fire dragon here, an ice butterfly there. She even made a pretty flower crown for one of the little girls. A soft smile lit her face as they ran back to their parents in glee. She didn’t miss the suspicious looks she got from the parents, many mundanes still thought that warlocks were the devil incarnate, but she was glad she could at least make the kids happy.

With a small sigh, she got up and made her way to the Spinners Hook.

He spent the morning arguing with the carpenter. Jenkins wanted matching  mahogany furniture, and since Lucifer was the one who ruined what they had he felt it was only fair to give him what he wanted. In the end, Lucifer grew fed up with the whole ordeal and set up a meeting between Jenkins and the craftsman.

He left the shop, breathing in the fresh air and thoroughly relieved to be outside again. Slipping his hands in his pockets, he felt something odd and his brow furrowed. Pulling it out, he sighed in exasperation upon realizing it was one of his neighbor’s bottles.

Shaking his head, he slip the vial back in his pocket and headed toward the Spinner’s Hook. There was a group of children running around, and he reflexively reached out to catch a ball that was thrown his way.  He tossed the ball in the kids’ direction without even looking their way and stepped past them.

Arriving at his destination, his hand reached out to push the door open at the same time as someone else, his hand resting on top of theirs. Glancing up, he realized it was Hour. With a sheepish smile, he withdrew his hand and stepped back. “After you.”

Hour ducked her head and pushed open the door. It was self seating so Hour lead them over to booth style seat by the window overlooking the park. The view out the window had a good shot of the mountains as well, the snow tipped peaks rising in the distance serving as a border to the neighboring kingdom.

A waitress came over and took their drink orders immediately and once she as gone, Hour turned her attention to Lucifer. “I don’t know if I’ve said it yet, but thank you for helping me and offering to get me into the library and all that, it means a lot, especially with everything dangling over my head right now.” she ran a hand through her hair and smiled a tired smile at him.

“This isn’t the time for that stuff right now, though.” A shit eating grin split her face,”Have you ever been here before? Best fish and chips place in town, and they make a killer peach cobbler too.”

“Oh, don’t thank me yet. I’ve been itching for an excuse to get into that back room, and we don’t know that we’ll actually find anything that will help you.” Much as he was professing that this trip was self-serving, however, he likely would never have gotten the motivation to attempt this what with the museum keeping him occupied.

“Once perhaps? A few years ago. I don’t often venture away from my work. Still, you can’t go wrong with sweets.” Not to mention he wasn’t really supposed to let people get that used to his presence. He made exceptions for pushing at people who annoyed him.

His gaze drifted towards the mountains, automatically focusing on the two distant peaks that hid from view the one that hosted his lair, idly wondering if it was time to switch out the museum’s current displays for fresh artifacts. He broke out of his reverie when his drink was set in front of him. He glanced across the table, color rising in his cheeks at the thought of being caught daydreaming, and he attempted to cover it up.

“So, you’ve got yourself a little bit of a vacation. That must be nice.”

Hour watched him as he stared off into the mountains. The more she thought about it, she realized that he didn’t let himself relax like that, at least not that she had ever seen. That was only the side thought to the way he looked with the sun hitting his face the way it was, highlighting the soft tones of his skin.

She let out a small laugh when he turned back and blushed. Waving a hand as if she were brushing the comment away she shook her head and looked down at the table. “It’s not really a vacation…. I can barely relax the way it is. At this point it feels like I’ve got my head stuck in a guillotine waiting for the mighty drake to drop the line.” she snorted and swirled the spoon in her tea, avoiding meeting his eyes. Thinking about it, she was glad Lucifer didn’t take her up on the idea of a date. It meant one less reason for someone to miss her.

“But I’m not going to get into the dragon right now, I’ll be spending enough time trying to work those issues out later when we go to the library.”She searched her brain for something else to talk about and her mouth opened in a silent ‘oh’.

“Hey, This morning did you happen to pick up one of my potion vials? I tried to complete my rounds but I couldn’t find it. The only place I could have lost it was when I -uh- When I took the tumble.” It was her turn to have the blush rise to her cheeks as she brought up the unfortunate incident.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out the object in question. One corner of his mouth lifted in amusement as he slid the bottle across the table. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You can’t be a graceful little bird all the time.”

Catching the scent of food, his head tilted slightly and his eyes slid to zero in expectantly on the door to the kitchen until it opened moments later. He waited patiently for the waitress to set their plates in front of them before speaking again. “What do you think about a greenhouse? It might give my nastier patrons a place to go when the main attractions offend them. Unless I add magical plants. Maybe I’ll even find one that will swallow them whole.” A wicked grin spread across his face. “I can hardly be blamed if someone doesn’t follow instructions properly.”

Jenkins naturally thought it was a ridiculous idea. He couldn’t see why they couldn’t simply plant a garden if Lucifer was so dead set on having magical plants around. “The only problem being that it can’t be so easily moved around when we want to renovate. Plants don’t seem to like to be moved. A bit rude of them.”

Hour examined the vial before pocketing it as the food came. “If the main attractions offend them so much they shouldn’t be visiting a magical museum in the first place.” She shrugged as she took a bite of the food that had been set down in front of her. “I mean, it would be a nice addition, maybe on the roof, but don’t do it for the prissy brats who can’t show respect for other people’s heritage.”

“Plus if you put it on the roof it shouldn’t have many problems if you need to do a renovation- unless that renovation means adding another entire floor to the building. But that’seems a bit overkill for a reno.” Quirking an eyebrow she considered the idea “Plus if you get some of the rarer plants that are used in spells and potions you might be able to harvest some of them as they grow and sell it for additional profit. Lord knows there are some plants out there worth a fortune for just a little bit.”

The rest of lunch was filled with similar small talk, gossip about rare artifacts and magical items and museum exhibits across the area opening. When the check came Hour grabbed it before Lucifer could try to pay for it himself. “My treat, you’re already getting me into the library.”

He raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t like he was struggling to get by. But moments later he merely shrugged, never one to turn people down when they were offering to pay for something. Slipping his jacket on, he walked outside with her toward the library, pointing out odd cloud formations to pass the time as they went.

The moment they stepped through the door, the assistant was in front of them, blushing even as her eyes went wide in nervousness. “Mr. Morrow, you shouldn’t be here! You know you’ve just been banned from the library!”

“Vera, I’m here on an urgent mission. Let me in just this once? No one has to know.” He gave an apologetic shrug and put on a little half smile that usually got him whatever he wanted.

Vera wavered for just a moment, then she shook her head. “Matron will be so angry!”

Knowing a simple please wasn’t going to cut it this time, Lucifer quickly changed tactics. He placed his hands on Hour’s shoulders and gave her a slight shake. “Look at this poor girl! She has a death cloud hanging over her head and she’s shaking like a leaf! All we want is to have a visit in the Room.”

When the girl still hesitated, Lucifer tilted his head, brow furrowed in a feigned look of pure disappointment. “Vera. Do you really want it on your conscience forever because you made this one little decision that could be the difference between life and death? Knowledge should never be denied to anyone for this exact reason!”

Vera sighed and pressed a little brass key into his hand. “Fine. But don’t tell Matron I let you in.”

Lucifer gave her a blinding smile. “Vera, you are my hero!” Dropping the key into Hour’s hand, he led her to the back of the library where there was a locked iron door. “That wasn’t so difficult, was it?”

Hour watched the exchange with barely concealed mirth, especially when he started shaking her shoulders. She could barely hold in the laughter enough to nod along to what he was saying. He may have a taste for the dramatic, but Hourglass herself was a horrible actor, at least when the situation didn’t hinge upon her ability to play a part.

As she entered the room she let out the laughter and wiped the tears of amusement out of her eyes. “That poor girl is absolutely in love with you and a total fool to top it all off. An urgent mission? Life an death? Really?” She took a deep breath to calm herself and watched him. “Even a library of information stands no chance against dragon fire. All the books would burn.” She said it as lighthearted as possible despite the fact that her heart fell in her chest.

“Now! How about we dig into some books, hmm? What are you looking for in here so I can keep an eye out while I search.” She spoke while slipping on her translating spectacles before starting down the first row of the old texts.

Most of the books lined up on the shelves lining the wall were old and worn, the bindings made of different leathers- some of them even dragon hide or chimera skin, there was even a feathered cover on one of the books on griffins. The one that unnerved her the most was the one book on warlock physiology she saw with human skin binding- from a warlock based on the faint trace of magic coming off it.

“So Lucifer, how did you get banned from the library this time? They can’t just ban you because you out bid them on a book collection.”

“Is this not urgent? We are on a time limit after all. What if our beloved Matron has a change of plans and has to turn around and come straight back home? I am certain your charming boss will jump at a chance to arrest me.”

He shut the door behind him and stared at the books. He had not expected to get this far and needed to take a moment to gather his thoughts. His mind immediately latched onto the thing that had been bothering him for the past couple weeks: her flower, the accursed plant that started all this to begin with. He could not find mentions of it anywhere, and he could not find a way to ask Hour or any other knowledgeable person about it without raising suspicion. History was supposed to be his forte, after all, not plants.

“Magical plants. I encountered one in my work that I did not recognize and can’t find information on it anywhere. I don’t want to be surprised by it again.” That was as close to the truth as he could get. “And possibly broken magic mirrors. Jenkins and I cannot find the missing piece to the one we have anywhere.”

A sick feeling roiled in the pit of his stomach when he saw the bindings on some of the books, and he had to take a step back for a moment in order to let the feeling pass. Why did people feel the need to skin magical creatures for something as mundane as book bindings? There were spells that did the job just as well.

“I have been accused of tampering with the wards that keep cursed beings out. They were weak enough that magic was not needed to break them, so anyone could have done it, but since I was here at the same time that a vampire found his way in…” he let his voice trail off and gave her an impish grin. “They couldn’t prove anything, but a book was stolen, so they had to take action somehow. I’m sure you had to have at least heard of the fiasco. I got to meet your adorable little owl and her charming partner. Those two are new, aren’t they?”

Hour listened even as she read title after title on the spines of books. They were probably going to be there for a while, considering how many books there were to look through. “Oh James is a drama queen and he knows it too, and even if he did find us he wouldn’t arrest us. I’m too powerful of a witch for him to arrest and he’s all about fairness. If he doesn’t arrest me he wont arrest you. At least, this time.”

Hour pulled a tome off the shelf that had curling vines on it- an illustrated book on magical plants. It was big enough that it should be all he needed to find the plant he was looking for. Setting it on the table in the center of the room, she dusted her hands off. “I have a book similar to this that focuses more on rare plants at home if you can’t find what you need in this one. It’s how I found that stupid flower for the dragon summoning.” Going back to the shelves, hour continued her search until she found a book on dragon behaviors. Grabbing the big book off the highest shelf in the room seemed to be a poor idea- considering she almost dropped it pulling it off the shelf. She did manage to cart the tome over to the table though, and she set it down with a huff.

“If you mirror is missing pieces, I can always track them for you. If I can’t find them then you might want to actually look into finding a way for it to work again without them.” Hour ruffled her hair and took a seat in one of the provided chairs, flipping open the book to start trying to find what she would need to placate the angry flying reptile.

“Oh my gosh, that was you?! They were probationary agents that James took on. That was their first job- they were terrified when they came back. they thought because they couldn’t catch the kid who did it they were going to be fired.” with a jolt Hour snapped her eyes up to look at him.

“Hang on a second- Don’t tell me you know the little eternal ten year old! He’s as big a pain in the agency’s ass as you are!”

“Odd that this is in here. You would think they would want people to be aware of which plants to avoid. I have come across quite a few people who were strangled to death by the sentient vines in the mountains. If they had only had a bit of sugar water on them, they would still be alive.”

He fell silent for a moment, flipping idly through pages and weighing the pros and cons of having this book go missing from the library as well. Anyone could waltz in here like they just had and con the librarians into letting them in here.

“You are never going to catch him so long as you continue thinking of him as a kid. He is older than almost everyone in this town.” His voice trailed off as he reached a section in the book devoted to plants that affected magical beings. Bypassing the chairs completely, he slid down to the floor and leaned against the shelf instead. “Zaze and I go way back…” he murmurred absently, his mind no longer on the conversation. After a few minutes of reading, he shook his head and looked up at her, realizing he had drifted in the middle of a conversation. “I’m sorry. Were you saying something?”

“Most of the people who end up injured in the mountains end up that way because they didn’t even try to do research before going out there. There is a book out in the main library that has all the local flora and fauna with illustrations and warnings. It was one of the first things I checked out the first time I came to the library. The reason that one is back here is because the cover is enchanted. The vines are currently trying to grow over your fingers.” Hour laughed and pointed at the book in his hands. The enchantment itself she recognized- completely harmless but would still scare any regular patron who didn’t expect it.

“I’ve never even tried to go after him- not worth it. I can’t say I’ve met him before either. I’ve only ever heard about him. He’s quite the topic around the agency when he starts causing trouble.”

Hour sighed and went back to her reading but paused when something occurred to her- “Hang on, you said almost. How many immortals do you know in this town? I mean I realize you’re probably one based on the fact that you haven’t aged a day in the three years I’ve known you and no one knows that much history and looks like their twenty, but how many can there be? This town isn’t that big.”

When he asked her to repeat she laughed and shook her head. “I was asking how many immortals you knew in town.”

“There should be a section in the library specifically marked for magic-related books, rather than shove them all back here to be forgotten.” He took a moment to adjust his grip on the book, disentangling one hand from the spine so he could turn the page. “If they were as dangerous as they think it is, then it belongs at the Agency.”

He blinked, startled as he was suddenly faced with a picture of the plant that was currently the bane of his existence. The illustration showed a rather life-like image of a cluster of the flowers, which almost gave off the illusion that they were moving in the wind. Although, judging by what kind of book it was, anything was possible.

He tore his eyes away from the page to fix his companion with a sharp, calculating stare. Years of experience told him to be careful what he shared, but they were trying to form a partnership which meant some level of trust needed to be shared, even if she wasn’t yet aware that he was the one she was attempting to form a bond with. “There are only a handful in town,” he said at last. It wasn’t the answer to her question, but it was more than he would give anyone else.

His eyes flicked downward and he nodded his head at the book in front of her. “Any luck so far?”

Hourglass narrowed her eyes at the response but let it go. She had other things to worry about besides the dodgy answer on the subject. The book she had in her hand was the last of 3, the other two being dead ends with nothing about behavior of dragons in them. She really just wanted to have the answer magically appear for her, but she new better. No spell could find information for her.

“No luck, most books containing accurate information about dragons doesn’t contain anything on their behaviour and instead only on their physical aspects and abilities. This books says it has a chapter on their behavior, but I can’t find it. It jumps from 12 to 14.” She sighed. “ This is no-” she cut off after finding the single page of chapter 13. A single paragraph characterizing how dragons we’re finicky, clever, and behaved much like humans or snakes. “Great. I’m no farther forward than I was before. Did you get everything you needed at least?”

“That’s too bad. People with enough interest in the more dangerous creatures to be of any use would much rather hunt them than write about them.” He glanced down at the page he was reading and then closed the book with a shrug. “I have a name, at least, which means I now know of other places to research. Plants are so much easier than people.”

He stood up and cast a glance out the window at the setting sun. “Where did the time go? I need to tell Jenkins he has an appointment, preferably before the person he is meeting arrives.” He gathered up her pile of books along with his own and started putting them back on the shelf.

He hesitated, thinking of the private library at the museum. He gave himself a mental shake; the book on familiars he had read said nothing about needing extra preparation, and it was best not to test Jenkins’ patience at this time. “You got through one trial already. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

Hourglass gathered up the rest of their things as well as the key they needed to return to the assistant librarian before they left. Pushing the chair back into the desk, she turned to watch Lucifer and the way his shirt strained when he reached up to a higher shelf.

“I could have put that back up with my magic you know.” She stated, crossing her arms. Once the last book was on the shelf she led the way out of the room, giving the key to the assistant as she passed. The sun outside showed that it was well past noon, and Hour needed to get to the markets soon if she had any hope of picking up her order from the herb merchant.

“I wish I had your confidence in me. I barely made it out of that last one alive because of my big mouth, what makes you think I wont do it again and get my head bitten off?” She shook her head and adjusted the bag on her shoulder, the tiara inside feeling like a brick.

“Tell Jenkins I said hi, would you? I think he’s feeling left out as a of late. Been giving me the silent treatment.” She forced the laugh as she turned to head down the street to the markets, hoping the merchant wasn’t already gone for the day.

The town was so tiny from here- he had only had one chance to see it in daylight a couple weeks ago and he had been distracted at the time. Now, even though he had a purpose today like he had then, he took his time to enjoy the view.

Despite his outward show of confidence in front of Jinx or Hour, he still feared this would all blow up in his face and they would have to go on the run- again. He had taken a big risk without consulting anyone about it beforehand- if it soured, it would take a long time to regain his family’s respect again.

If it went well, though, daylight flights like this could become a regular occurrence, and what a wonder that would be…feeling the sun on his back as he flew as high as he wanted…

He dropped lower, seeking out a very specific building- ah there it was! He had been to the agency countless times, but never like this. It was quite thrilling being amongst others in his natural form.

He landed on the ground in front of the doorway, a little harder than he had intended as he caused an indentation to form on the ground underneath him. He took a moment to inspect it- it did not look very big, so perhaps it wasn’t so bad- before settled down to wait.

Hourglass heard the whispers for the first half hour and ignored them- her coworkers were always whispering about something, but once the building shook she huffed and looked up from the paperwork she had been filling out. It was bad enough Kamaer had finally decided to assign her to the case of the immortal child in the midst of these dragon trials, but now by the sound of that crash she was going to have to go fix the pavement outside seeing as she was the only one on duty at the moment who knew the spell to do so.

She finished the packet she was on and pushed away from the desk, a fire lighting in her eyes as she grabbed her bags and charcoal stylist. If it was another griffin, she was going to scream. The damn things were horrible to deal with, and they had the horrible tendency to be pompous and cryptic at the same time. Not to mention last time came around they turned into their human form randomly and proceeded to try and feel Hour up. That one had ended up donating a few of it’s feathers to Hour’s potion supplies after she nearly neutered him.

Hour was looking through her bag for her small tea candles when she got to the glass door and when she looked up with the candles in hand she back tracked so fast she fell, her scream catching in her throat. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. She was so dead. The dragon was going to eat her for dinner and that would be the end. A hand on her shoulder had her actually letting out a scream before she realized it was just Captain Kamaer.

“If I die, I want my ashes sprinkled in the forest around Farous, only leaving a little bit that I want sitting on your desk.” She hissed as she calmed down enough to pull herself to her feet to go face what would likely be her death.

Oh why did she have to open her mouth in the forest?

The tip of his tail tapped impatiently, making a loud thud each time it made contact with the ground. He whipped his head around to growl at a dog that had bravely ventured forward to investigate, huffing in exasperation when the creature turned and ran off whimpering, tail tucked between its legs.

Once more, bystanders were gathering in clusters, whispering among themselves, their voices an irritating buzz in his ears. A puff of smoke in their direction ensured they gave him the space he wanted, though he kept a wary eye on them, just in case they tried to do anything foolish.

Large blue eyes narrowed as he heard the flurry of activity from inside and at long last the door opened. He fixed her with his gaze for a long beat, then two beats, then three, and then four, until he was satisfied that he had held her in suspense for long enough.

“Well? Do you have what I asked for?”

Hour refused to meet the dragon’s eyes, or leave the safety of the doorway. She was trembling where she stood and she had to be paler than a ghost. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the bag from around her shoulder and tossed it at the dragon’s feet.

“It’s in there. Take it and go, You’re disturbing the peace of the town. If you wish to come speak to me again, come in your human form, I know a mighty drake such as yourself is capable of taking one.” If her voice wavered as she said it she tried not to notice. Nor did she take note of how she felt like she was going to collapse on the ground again.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and reacted before the attacker even reached the dragon. A hunter that had come in to town a few days back was left suspended in the air by vines that Hour had called out of the ground, the spear falling uselessly to the ground and getting wrapped in it’s own set of roots before any other idiots could try something.

Turning back to the dragon she sighed and pulled her quivering outstretched arm back in. She was too tired to deal with this. “Unless there is something else you need, mighty drake?”

“No.” He nosed at the bag on the ground, a satisfied rumble emitting deep in his throat as he felt the familiar energy of the moonstones embedded into the tiara within. His first instinct was to snatch it up and go, but there was a more important agenda at play here. With great effort he pulled away from his and turned back to her. “It is part of a set. I would prefer it if you would return it to where it belongs. I’m sure a warlock of your skill can wrangle up a simple tracking spell.”

He lowered his head so that he was at least eye level with her, studying her carefully. “Perhaps get some sleep first.”

He turned with a low growl, fixing the hunter with an angry stare. He tail swept back and forth in irritation, serving the double purpose of ensuring that he was still given an adequate amount of space. There was a low hiss as he prepared to roast the hunter on the spot.

Hour groaned internally. Now he wanted her to track down the dragon’s lair too? What else could he possibly have to test her on before this whole thing was over? She did not come closer to grab the bag, and mentally she was already going over all she would have to get to track down the dragon’s lair, let alone the item the tiara matched. She would most likely have to track down a rare herb she had run out of a month ago.

She almost thought she heard concern in his voice when he told her to get some sleep, but that was absurd. He just wanted her not to collapse in the forest and lose the tiara before she could return it. He probably didn’t care if she died, honestly. He just wanted his collection complete, and someone to do his work for him.

The hissing sound had her alert, eyes widening at the dragon. “Stop!” She shouted at him, he may be able to destroy her without a problem, but that didn’t mean she was going to sit idly by while he broke the biggest rule of magical law. “You kill him and you will never be able to work for the magical council. Plus, every magical law enforcement officer will know to look for you and will have kill on sight orders. The fire wars still scare people, especially the council. The council will punish him for poaching as well as attacking a warlock’s familiar. Don’t screw up your life over this low life.”

Anybody who was still standing near the hunter had already skittered well away for fear of getting caught in the crossfire of the dragon’s wrath. A shudder ran the whole length of Lucifer’s body, and he shot a jet of flame mere inches to the left of the hunter.

There was a slight twitch of unease, and he gave his head a great shake and let out a loud roar to cover it up. Years of avoiding hunters or killing them on sight when cornered could not simply be erased, and it made his skin crawl just being near one and doing nothing about it. He was now desperate to be as far from here as possible.

He let his tail curl around Hour possessively for just a moment. “Do not rush yourself.”

With that, he spread his wings and lifted off into the air, flying straight toward the mountains.

Hour watched him carefully, so carefully. Willing him not to do anything rash, and her heart plummeted when the shot of fire shot out. Dammit! The flame cleared and she couldn’t believe her eyes. They hunter had some singed clothes and hair, but he was otherwise unharmed, having fainted from fear the moment the dragon had turned to him.

She squeaked when the tail wrapped around her and was afraid he was going to try and take her with him when he took off, but then he was gone and she was still on the ground. The confusion washed over her and left her just standing there dumbly for a few minutes. She had no idea what the move meant, but she was starting to think it was protective based on his words.

She quickly ducked down, grabbed the bag, and looked over at the unconscious hunter, letting the vines drop him from where he was hovering about three feet above the ground. A touch on her shoulder had her whipping around to see Kamaer coming out with a couple of the other council members, saying they would take care of the hunter.

As she set to work on fixing the ground she remembered the sour look on Kamaer’s face when he glanced up at the sky to check if the dragon was still around.

His only thought was to get away, far away. His mind was solely focused on that single goal, all his other plans and responsibilities completely forgotten for the moment. He remembered meeting a hunter once, with a shield that was made from the skin of two different dragons. Though there had been no shield today, it was that image which drove him forward even now.

It was quite some time before he took notice of the sound of a second pair of wingbeats, much larger than his own. Moments later a familiar scent filled his senses, and he slowed down, allowing the older dragon to match pace with him.

Jenkins said nothing, merely flew alongside him until Lucifer finally grew too exhausted to go much further, and he dipped lower to land in a forest below.

Hourglass pulled open the door to her apartment slowly, a frown on her face. She had been preparing to leave for 2 days now, and the lair was at least a 2 day hike one way. She had multiple little bags of the ingredients for the spell she was using, as the spell wore off after a few hours.

She looked at Lucifer’s door with a sad look in her eye. She wanted to talk to him, but she hadn’t seen him. Even the museum was closed at the moment. She had already talked to Winston and he was taking care of Arthur while she was gone. She had wanted to ask Lucifer, but the man was obviously not in town anymore. It probably upset her more that he hadn’t said anything to her about leaving in the first place.

She slung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her staff from beside the door, her magic immediately attaching itself to the crystal. She was more than prepared for this, she knew that, but she was still nervous. What if the dragon was waiting for her at his lair? It would be the first time truly alone with him. She didn’t know what would happen. But it didn’t matter, she needed to get rid of this stupid tiara before the dragon got angry.

Her door closed with a deafening thud, and she started walking.

A deer was flung on the ground in front of Lucifer. The deer was not quite dead yet, and the movement brought the white dragon out of his listless haze. He blinked at the animal, startled.

“Eat,” Jenkins ordered.

Lucifer glanced at the deer and turned away, resting his head once more on his forearms. A thump on his head seconds later made him growl softly. It hadn’t been hard enough to hurt him, but he still cast an offended look in Jenkins’ direction.

Jenkins was not ruffled in the slightest. “That wasn’t a request.” He lifted his tail threateningly, indicating he was fully prepared to keep going until the smaller dragon conceded.

With a huff, Lucifer snapped the deer’s neck and finished it off in two gulps. He moved to settled back down, but Jenkins growled. “Go find yourself another one.” Lucifer let out a low whine, but Jenkins merely nudged him to his feet.

The forest greeted Hour like an old friend as she picked her way through the underbrush, following the little line of blue light that only she could see. The early morning light filtered through the canopy and she watched as the pollen and dust motes danced through the rays. It was oddly peaceful, she thought, that nature was so calm even while she had turmoil raging inside her.

She walked all day, only stopping to pick some berries off a bush she recognized. She knew she would have to save what food she would have as much as possible, rely on what she could find in nature as much as she could. She brought enough bread to last a week, but the cured meat she had brought would only last so long.

That day turned to dusk, she found a clearing by a fish-filled creek and decided to set up camp. The trout in the creek were easy enough to catch, and as she roasted them by the fire she started thinking about the dragon. More specifically, what kind of food he liked. Did he like berries? Fish? Grain? Deer? If she survived to the end of the trial, she would have to ask him.

He had managed to catch a rabbit and even snapped up a bird mid-air. It might have been enough in one of his smaller forms, but at his current size it was barely even an appetizer. It was, however, enough to reawaken his natural hunting instincts enough to try for larger game.

He found a herd of deer grazing, perhaps finally calming down after Jenkins had scared them earlier. He swooped in and grabbed a doe in his jaws before they had quite realized what had happened, and by the time the herd started running, it was already too late.

Feeling much clearer in the head, he took some time for a refreshing flight high above the clouds. He returned later that evening to find Jenkins dozing by a stream. Lucifer paused long enough get himself a drink of water before curling up beside the larger dragon. Jenkins’ only sign of acknowledgement was lifting a large blue wing to drape it over his companion before falling back into a slumber.

Hourglass  woke up to the sound of birds singing a song above her and she groaned. The ground was hard and she would probably regret not having laid down on a softer place or at least collected up a bed of dead leaves like she normally would. Still, she got up and set about getting something to eat before she started her hike again.

As the day progressed, Hour noticed that the line was pointing towards a cliff side she could see over the canopy of leaves when she passed through clearings. Knowing her luck, the cave would be some ways up the cliff side, if not at the top.

Her fears came true as night fell and she was left gazing up at the rocky side. “Oh for FUCKS SAKE!” She screamed as she saw just how high up she had to climb before the blue light disappeared into a rather large opening in the side. A large opening that looked tiny from where she was standing.

Lucifer awoke to a splash. The sun was high in the sky, indicating it was probably noon or later. Jenkins was on the other side of the stream across from him. His silver-and-blue tail swept across the water, sending another spray of water at Lucifer.

Lucifer shook his head and stretched. His head tilted and he let out a playful trill, dropping into a crouch. His tail flipped back and forth as he prepared to pounce. Jenkins, however, was more than ready, and he flipped the smaller dragon easily into the stream.

Lucifer shivered at the sudden drop in temperature, but he was out of the stream moments later to chase the other dragon through the forest. They spent the afternoon frolicking through the forest and settled down that evening to rest by the stream, watching the fish swim by and occasionally snapping some up to eat when the fancy struck them. They both lifted their heads at a distant noise at one point, but deciding it was no threat, went back to watching the water.

Hourglass woke up much more refreshed than she had the day before, but as she looked up at the cliff side she felt her heart enter her throat. If she fell from that height without having a spell prepared…. She didn’t let herself linger on the thought as she pulled out what she would need to climb, glad she had brought some rope with her.

She wrote a sure grip rune onto both of her hands as well as onto the rope and hook she had in her bag. She also took the time to write the rune of binding into the knotted rope.

That done she ate some food, not sure how long it would take her to get all the way up the cliff. she could see a few places to take rests on the way up, but it would still take a while to reach each one. She slung her staff over her shoulder to rest on her back, not wanting to leave it at the base of the mountain. She used her magic to get the rope all the way up to the cave and hooked it into the rock.

Her heart in her throat, she hooked her boot into the first ledge she could find and started climbing.

It took a dragon a couple hours to get here; with his vampire speed, and the aid of the secret tunnel that ran between here and the museum, it didn’t take Azazel much longer than that. He had no idea how long it would take someone on foot going the long way around. If he had to venture a guess, Azazel would have estimated about double the time it took a dragon to fly.

He was well off the mark. It was at least a day and a half before he could smell the warm pulsing blood of a mortal, and a few more hours before he could hear her. He had sated himself so far with the blood of animals, but that was not enough for him. He needed human blood, and soon, so he was rather impatient by now.

He had the overwhelming urge to watch her ascent now that she was so close, but the sunlight at the mouth of the cave had confined him to the shadows. When he finally caught sight of her silhouette, he waited for her to get a good look around before speaking. It was an impressive hoard, after all, and Morning Star would be a little irritated if he didn’t let her get a good look.

The scent of her blood was too tantalizing, however, and he needed to send her on her way before he lost control and attacked her.

“I thought warlocks were faster.”

Hourglass was panting when she was finally able to throw herself into the cavern mouth. She had been climbing for hours. When she finally managed to get her feet underneath herself she created a ball of fire in her hand so she could see around the cavern. Her breath was still heavy as she walked around the cavern, looking at all the artifacts and jewels.

There was a staff- the most beautiful staff she had ever seen- in a glass case. She was reaching out to touch the glass when the voice sounded and had her jumping out of her skin. She swung the ball of fire around and her eyes landed on-

A boy?

He looked to be about 12, but that wasn’t the eerie part about him. He looked just like a child version of Lucifer. She took a step back, her ankle coming into contact with the base of the case.  “Are you the dragon? I must say I imagined a much more… magnificent human form.”

He grinned, flashing his fangs at her. “Are you saying I am not magnificent? But no I am most certainly not a dragon. The one you were probably expecting is off somewhere hopefully recovering from his little panic attack.”

He gave an exaggerated bow. “I am Azazel, night child extraordinaire. I believe my reputation precedes me.”

He stepped aside, revealing a black velvet cushion, upon which rested a silver headdress embedded with moonstones, clearly made for a large being. The craftsmanship was very identical to that of the tiara in the bag. “I believe this is what you were looking for.”

“The hunter… it scared him that much? Did I make it worse with what I said?” She was honestly worried about the dragon. The last encounter had been different, she just wasn’t quite sure what had changed so that the dragon seemed almost concerned about her.

It was amusing though, that that vampire that infuriated everyone else would end up greeting her at the dragon’s hoard and helping her return the item that had been stolen. It was a better first meeting than her arresting him though, that was for sure.

Her eyes caught the giant headdress and her breath escaped her in a soft “oh”. It was gorgeous she approached it without thinking, her hand reaching out to run along the giant moonstone in the center. She pulled the tiara out of the bag and set it beside it and then realized what it was. Lucifer had a painting of a dragon and warlock pair on display at the museum that had the dragon and warlock wearing a nearly identical set.

“This set…. it’s a dragon bonding set, isn’t it? I thought these were all supposed to be destroyed during the fire wars. What’s he doing with one?”

“We usually pack up and leave once hunters start showing up. It’s more of a kill or be killed way of life. He’ll be fine.”

A slight breeze wafted inside and he scrunched up his face. He then carefully stepped around her so that her scent wasn’t updraft. Turning away, he ran his fingers idly along a silver harp, humming softly to himself.

At her question, he whirled around and studied the set intently. Was that what it was? He had no idea himself, though it was possible the dragons were aware of it. “That was part of a much, much older and long-dead dragon’s hoard. We were looking for something” -someone- “else and we stumbled on a pile of ancient treasure instead.”

He clasped his hands behind his back nervously- maybe he’d be okay if he held his breath?

“It should be an easier trip down, yes? He won’t come to you again. You’ve got to find him now. The clues have been all around you all along. He’s been living in this town for a few years now. It’s amazing how you can walk right past people you know and never even suspect the secrets they’ve been hiding. Then again, most only see what they want to see.”

Hour picked up the larger of the set and ran her fingers over the engraved runes and embedded moonstones. “Dragons are supposed to be immortal. I’m going to guess it didn’t die by accidental or natural causes?” The words left a bitter taste on his tongue. She didn’t like the thought of any dragons dying, even when they scared her or threatened her.

“I hope it didn’t go to waste, a dragons hoard is precious to them, which means it meant something to someone a long time ago. It’s a window to that person. From looking around here I can tell the dragon likes magic, and sparkly things, and history.” She looked around again, setting the headdress back on the pillow. She had the feeling that this wouldn’t be the last time she saw it.

She looked at the vampire and tilted her head at his behavior. She pulled out a vial she had packed just in case she ran out of food. It was a worst case scenario, to fight off the itch of starvation but wouldn’t give any nourishment. She tossed it to the vampire. “Drink this. You look hungry, it will get rid of the effects until you can get a proper meal, and it will make you stop looking like you want to pounce on me. It will last probably about an hour for you, maybe less.”

The words had her perking up and staring at the vampire like he had a second head. “Wait wait wait, are you saying I know the dragon already?”

“Ohh, and music! Mustn’t forget the music. It’s how we met.” He picked up a simple wooden tambourine that seemed out of place among all the sparkling jewels and gold, giving it a little shake.

He set the instrument down just in time to catch the vial she threw to him. He gave her a doubtful look, then shrugged his shoulders and downed the contents. His eyes widened. “That is much better, thank you!”

He walked to the entrance of the cave, and turned to wait for her expectantly. “You do know him. It is a small town, after all.”

He sat down, feet dangling casually over the edge of the cliff. “One more thing. Do not come back here unless he says it is okay. Entering a dragon’s lair without invitation is considered one of the worst offenses you can commit against them. He must already trust you a lot if he let you come here in the first place.”

Hourglass nodded her understanding and gave one last look at the staff in the case. She wondered if she would ever be allowed to use it or even hold it. She went over to the vampire looking out over the ledge and realized she could see the town from here, could even pick out the apartment building. More specifically, she could see Lucifer’s apartment, still dark. She wondered if he would be back by the time she returned.

“You know him well? The dragon, I mean. Why doesn’t he scare you? I’m terrified of him. He makes me feel so… weak. I’ve never felt weak before. Not even when I was ignorant to my nature and i was terrified of what would happen to me, I never felt this… this defenseless.”

How can he trust me when every time I open my mouth I say something wrong? How can he trust me when I can’t do anything right? This is probably the only time I’ve managed to do a trial correctly and he’s not even here to see it! She hung her head in her hands and took a deep breath before getting to her feet. She wrote a rune onto her arms, legs, and cloak.

“Thank you for all your help, I hope when this is all over I’ll see you again. Maybe next time you wont be so hungry, yeah?” With that she muttered the words to the spell under her breath and jumped off the edge of the cliff. The wind caught her cloak and she drifted down slowly, touching down lightly on her feet.

“It’s the size, definitely the size. I met him when he was only a hatchling, you see. Good luck!” He watched her, making sure she reached the ground safely, before turning to head for the exit in the back of the cave, cleverly hidden behind a large bookcase.

Jenkins, meanwhile, was blowing gently on the water, making the ripples form into little shapes while Lucifer watched in fascination.

“We should be heading back soon, you know,” he said as he made a pair of watery rabbits chase each other in circles. “We can’t stay here forever.”

Lucifer reached out slowly to touched the water, trilling with pleasure when one of the water shapes leaped onto his foreleg. “There’s a hunter,” he said at last, speaking for the first time since they’d left town.

“A hunter who is now locked up,” Jenkins said gently.

“What if they let him out?” the smaller dragon’s voice wavered slightly.

“Veilmont is not like the Gulf,” Jenkins said firmly.

“What if it is?” Lucifer asked.

“Then we will raze it to the ground. All of us. Together,” Jenkins promised, his voice fierce.

Lucifer was quiet for a few more minutes. “Okay, then. let’s go.”

Hour took less time returning to town than she did on the hike out, only taking about a day and a half. When she finally returned to her apartment she sighed, tempted to knock on Lucifer’s door, but not wanting to disturb him in case he was getting some rest, if he was even home yet at all.

She rested her hand against his door softly, her head making a quiet thump as she rested it against the wood as well. “I’ve got so much to tell you… I wonder if you could help me with this last trial too… Like you have all the others.” Her voice was soft as a feather as she spoke, but she knew not to expect a reply.

She pulled away from the door and opened her own to head inside and unpack from her trip. She could talk to Lucifer when he got back. She could find out why he ran off so suddenly.

And now that she was back, she could take care of that hunter. She had asked Kamaer for the privilege of dolling out the punishment. It was her familiar that had been attacked, after all.  

Lucifer trudged up the steps to his apartment. It had been a long flight, especially when he had been reminded of how long they had been gone. There was so much catch-up work to be done at the museum what with it closing without warning, but he really didn’t want to think about that right now. What he wanted was to sleep, for many days, perhaps.

He paused when he reached Hour’s door. He had yet to talk to Azazel, and no way to even know if she had even left yet, or how it went if she did. He paused, thinking maybe to knock on her door, but it was late and he figured she wouldn’t want to be bothered.

He stepped inside his apartment instead. He glanced at the bed, but the thoughts of the trial had him far too antsy now, so he stepped out onto the balcony instead. He turned and climbed up the side of the building. When he reached the roof, he stared at the mess in horror. It hadn’t looked this bad when he was in his dragon form. He ran a hand along a claw mark, wondering how he could fix this subtly.

With a sigh, he shifted until he was lying on his back. The movement, however, had sent one of the tiles crashing loudly onto the balcony below. Please don’t wake up, please don’t wake up… He closed his eyes in defeat when he heard the sound of footsteps inside.

Hour had been unpacked for a while now and was quietly reading on her couch. An old book about the fire wars that she had been recommended by Jenkins a few months back. She really should have started reading it earlier, so far it gave her more insight into dragon behavior than any of the library’s books had.

The crash had Hour jumping up, hoping no one had gotten hurt. When she looked at the balcony and saw the tile she realized what must have happened. The only way to get up to the roof was through either her or Lucifer’s balcony, which meant Lucifer was home. On the roof. Possibly hurt, if anything else had fallen. She probably should have fixed the bricks a while ago.

She grabbed her stylus and gathered up the bits of brick that had fallen and climbed up the steps leading to the roof to join him. He was laying down, eyes closed and if it weren’t for the look on his face and the relaxed position he was in, she would have thought he had been hurt.

She set the brick and stylus down gently, just looking at him quietly for a few minutes before she decided to say something, “Hey. How was your trip?”

“Stressful. I hadn’t expected to be gone at all, let alone for a few days.” The excitement over even the trials had faded away by now, and he was just ready for it to be over by now so they could take the next step, whatever that was. The books hadn’t really gone into detail over how warlocks bonded with their familiars.

He opened his eyes and gave her a rueful smile. “I didn’t wake you, did I? I’m so sorry. I wasn’t expecting all this.”

He sat up so that he could move over to make room for her. “And how has your week been? I heard they finally let you come back to work.”

Hourglass sat down next to him as he moved, looking out over the expanse of forest and mountains, and the gorgeous starry sky that unfolded before them. The crickets chirping in the night air made it all the more peaceful.

“you didn’t wake me. I was reading a book Jenkins had suggested me, I’m too wired to sleep even though I’m exhausted.” A laugh tugged at her lips. “The dragon did this the first time he came to visit me. I just haven’t been up here to fix it yet. I’ll probably do it before we go back down. At least take care of the bricks before they crack someone’s head open.”

“My work let me back, yes, but then the dragon came to visit me there too. Kamaer made me go home, promised me that I could dish out the punishment to the hunter that showed up though. I got 2 days of rest before I left to go visit the dragon’s lair. Oh Lucifer you would have loved it. There was so many cool artifacts. Apparently that tiara I had was part of a dragon bonding set- identical to the one in your painting actually. I just got back earlier today.”

“It is a bit of a mess, but don’t rush yourself.” He frowned, remembering saying almost those exact words to her a few days ago. He laid back again with a tired sigh, staring up at the sky. It felt like he had screwed everything up, but he could forget that for the moment and just let it be for now.

He listened to her talk about his lair with a little half-smile. He did like it when other people showed appreciation for the same things he did. “It sounds like your week has been much better than mine. What-” he almost didn’t continue on the subject that had driven him out of town in the first place, but he shook his head and plowed on. “What is going to happen to the hunter?”

Hour liked it when he smiled. “I probably shouldn’t tell you too much about his lair, but I’ll just say this. He had the most magnificent staff I had ever seen, what I wouldn’t give just to touch it. I could feel the power coming off of it… It was beyond anything I’ve ever felt possible to come off a staff.” She leaned back on her hands but tensed at the question about the hunter, rage coursing through her.

“The law states that I can give any punishment short of dismemberment or death before we throw him into the cells to rot for the 10 year period he’s been sentenced to. I’m most likely going to whip up a living nightmare potion for him for the first part. Then I think I’ll give him the most painful tattoo of his life, right on his arm. I’m debating whether to give him an agony rune or a weakness rune. Either way he’s never going to be able to hunt again, even after he gets out. He wouldn’t be able to hold the weapon, let alone hurt anyone with it. I get to do one more thing to him, but I think I might ask the dragon once I find out who he is.” She paused,“ oh yeah, that’s right, I forgot to mention. My last trial for the dragon is that I have to discover who he is, based on criptic clues that Azazel gave me.”

“I suppose you could always ask him about it later.” Not being warlocks themselves, they had no use for such objects, but even they could feel the power of it. Such power seemed too dangerous to allow just anyone to get their hands on it, which was why a significant portion of his hoard would never be displayed at the museum.

“It sounds like you’ve thought very carefully about this hunter.” All his worries had been answered in their brief conversation, and without them nagging at the back of his mind, he could already feel himself beginning to drift off, the stars becoming blurry lights in front of him. “It’s a beautiful…night…” he murmured.

Hourglass watched him as he started to doze off, a soft smile on her face. “It really is, isn’t it?” She used her magic to connect some of the constellations in front of them with glittering lines. “I wonder if the dragon is outside right now, looking at the sky like we are. I wonder what constellations he can name. I wonder what his favorite one is…” She laid down and stared at the sky, her hand outstretched in front of her as she traced the designs lighting up the sky.

She looked over at her sleepy companion and hummed to herself. “I think he would like you, you know. You have such similar… interests…” A frown furrowed her brow as a stray thought crossed her mind. But that was crazy, if he were the dragon I would know. He wouldn’t hide something like that from me, not for so long. It’s probably one of the regular patrons at the museum, I’ll ask him later.

He stirred, blinking his eyes open. His sleep-addled brain was already searching the sky to answer her question. “There. Ignis- the great bird who swallowed the sun and…” he shook his head, trying to remember the old legends Ash had told him. “He swallowed the sun and moon and bathed the land in fire and ice and gave birth to the first creatures of magic. He was the first phoenix.”

He sat up once more and watched said constellation for a couple more minutes before casting her a sidelong glance. “I should be heading inside now. I’m falling asleep and you want to fix the roof. Thank you for that. by the way- I’m glad it was you who heard the noise and not one of our less friendly neighbors.”

Hour listened as he explained it, her magic going and outlining the constellation he pointed out. Raven had told her the story before, she recalled, and she smiled at how Lucifer’s sleep addled brain simplified it down so much. It was endearingly cute.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Lucifer. And who else would come up here? The douche from 2B? He doesn’t even have a balcony for a brick to fall on to.” She laughed and got up, offering the man a hand. “I have a lot to talk to you about, I’m hoping you’ll be able to help me think when neither of us are tired.”

Azazel had been at it again- stole another book from the library and asked Lucifer to hold onto it for him until the uproar over it had died down. Now here Lucifer was, trying to hide the book in between various stacks of paperwork in his arms, all while being questioned about the whereabouts of his ‘thieving little friend.’ He had been politely deflecting the questions up until then, and needless to say, he was not at all pleased about the name-calling.

“You ought to try Lune Court. He has a few friends there,” he told the official who was questioning him. It was a blatant lie, of course, but Lucifer knew perfectly well that a pack of werewolves had recently taken up residence there and it wouldn’t be a fun visit this close to the full moon.

He turned as he caught sight of a new visitor walking toward him. “Hour! It is a great pleasure to see your lovely face! How can I help you?” He called out, clearly dismissing the warlock he was just speaking with.

Hourglass had been watching the encounter with amusement, and if she didn’t hate the library so much, she probably would have plucked the book from the paperwork and handled the situation from there. Instead she waited until she heard him sending the official after the werewolves to approach them.

“Aaron, don’t worry about the werewolves. The old hag probably just lost her book and is making a big fuss about it. Again.” She rolled her eyes and looked over at Lucifer once the other warlock had left, her hand held out in front of her. “Which one of your friends took it this time? Don’t tell me Jenkins, you used that excuse last time.” She was in a much better mood than she had been these past few weeks, and a triumphant smirk was in place on her lips.

“I was coming to visit you, actually, I had a favor to ask.”

“Seriously? After all that you’re going to go all professional on me?” He scowled and his arms simply tightened around the bundle in his arms. “I owed Zaze a big favor, and I really don’t want to fuck this one up. It isn’t fair that werewolves and vampires are banned from public services, you know.”

He brightened when she said she was here to see him. Had she figured it all out already? But no, she was asking for a favor. “So, if you’re just visiting, that means you’re off-duty, right? So you can just let this slide. I promise I’ll make him return it when he’s done.”

“Me going ‘all official’ on you would mean I would have to arrest you and take you down to the station.” She held a hand on her waist and lowed the other one. “I’ll let it slide, only because he seems like a nice kid from when I met him. What did he do for you that you owe him you almost getting arrested for being in possession of stolen property anyways? Musta been something big.”

“I do need some information from you though, to help out with this trail. I need some of the records for your regular visitors. The dragon had a lot of magical historical artifacts and I’m thinking he might have a lot of interest in your exhibits.” She gave her best puppy dog pleading eyes.

“I sent him to deliver a message, and he got trapped without a decent blood supply for a couple days. He’s still a little cranky about it.” That was as close as he could get to the truth without outright blurting out everything, and he was reluctant to feed her any more lies than necessary.

He relaxed, but then his brow furrowed at her request. How had she not connected everything yet? He had been careful to lay out all the clues nice and neatly over the past month. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. Since this isn’t official business, though, you’ll have to look at them here. I don’t really have extra copies. My office is this way.”

He set the papers down on his desk, sliding the book into a drawer and locking it- he would put it in one of the storage rooms later when they closed up. Opening another drawer, he pulled out a very thick book- most of their records were written in Jenkins’ barely-legible scrawl, but he was not concerned with being helpful with what he viewed as a useless endeavor.

Hour furrowed her brow at those words. The timing lined up but…. no, she would know if Lucifer were a dragon. She shook her head to clear the thought. He would never betray her trust like that.  “He’s a good friend to be willing to do that for you and only expect you to hide a book in return.”

Hour followed him eagerly, her eyes lighting up at being able to look through everything. She wanted to get this trial over and done with as soon as possible. “Thank you so much, Lucifer! I’ll pay you back for this, I promise.” She didn’t waste any time and immediately started digging into the records, her face blanching when she saw just how bad some of the handwriting was.

After about a half hour she set it down on the table. With a defeated sigh. Not only could she barely read it, but not even the most recent records had anyone repeating but herself, Azazel, and one person she had never even heard of before. Hour left the office and went to go find the historian, a sad smile on her face. “Thank’s Lucifer, but it’s a dead end. I’ll still pay you back though.”

“Are you kidding? He’s going to complain about this for the next decade.”

Settling down on the edge of his desk, he started on the stack of mail Jenkins has shoved into his arms this morning. Mostly compliments and suggestions, but there was one memorable letter where a woman was complaining that her child was now studying magic, and if Lucifer didn’t take action to dissuade the kid, then she was pressing charges. With an amused smirk, he tossed that letter into the fireplace.

Thoroughly bored and not wanting to sit still a moment longer, he got a bottle of their best scotch off of a shelf and left to go bother Jenkins, who immediately confiscated the bottle and sent him off to do inventory. Which Lucifer was a little irritated about- wasn’t he the one who was in charge here?

He turned at the sound of her voice and attempted to appear regretful. “I’m sorry about that. And you don’t need to bother; I’m always happy to help.”

Hour leaned against the doorway, watching him doing what looked like inventory, his handwriting was much better than the writing in the book. That meant that Jenkins must have been the one doing all the records. She laughed at the thought.

“You know, Jenkins’s handwriting really doesn’t fit him. You would think it would be calligraphy-esque, but it’s more like chicken scratch.” She moved to join him in the room with a half smile. “Ah, it’s ok. I’ll find who the dragon is eventually. It’s only a matter of time.” She leaned back against a pillar to watch him.

“What are you doing anyways? I’ll help you if I can.” She wanted to help him, after how much he was willing to do for her. “I would ask who you think the dragon might be but… I don’t know, it seems kinda like that would be cheating. I will take your advice on where else I could look for clues, though.” She gave an impish grin, “ Either way, I doubt you’re the dragon. You wouldn’t lie to me for so long about that. ”

“He prefers reading to writing. He does make an effort when it truly matters, but visitor records aren’t all that important.”

He stopped in front of a case with a cursed book, his eyes making note of the darkening aura that indicated that the wards keeping it contained were unraveling rather rapidly. Bringing in warlocks constantly to maintain it was beginning to get expensive, so he wrote in a note to have it removed later this week.

He cocked his head, his mind already running through what he could replace it with. With a blink, he realized she was talking, and he tuned her in again. “Inventory is a bit boring. We make sure all the wards are intact and decide which exhibits are worth the effort of keeping around.”

His shoulders slumped as she mentioned the dragon yet again. He had the overwhelming urge to just shake her until she figured it out. “You’ll find him,” he said with more confidence than he really felt.

She watched him do inventory on the items and tilted her head. “Seems… Tedious.” She wrinkled her nose and looked around at the exhibits. “But I guess it does let you move the displays around, keep the museum interesting and new.” She didn’t know how he was able to sense when a ward was failing- probably part of whatever had made him immortal that she was determined not to ask about.

“You know, you probably have some cool gems in that storage room in back that you could put on display. Like that enchanted statue or some of the old books you bought at the auction.” She hummed, “ and, some of your really old exhibits that you haven’t had up in ages and probably won’t ever put up again, you could probably sell those and put the money towards getting some new stuff. You should start with that really inaccurate book on dragons that you had on display when we first met!”

He stared at her in disbelief. Really, he was starting to wonder why he hadn’t just let this whole thing go in the very beginning. They could both happily be getting on with their lives without this hanging over them.

“Sell them? Sell them? I went to a lot of effort to gather it all in the first place. Why would I want to sell it?” The very idea offended him. Why should he sell his treasures to some idiot who hadn’t even earned them in the first place. “These things come from all over the world and were a real pain to get to. Why would I give them to some undeserving collector who didn’t even have to lift a finger to get it?”

Drawn by the sounds of Lucifer’s agitation, Jenkins appeared suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, and lay a hand on Lucifer’s shoulder. “Hey, easy there, easy.” Jenkins cast an annoyed glance at Hour. “Perhaps you should go do your own job, lady, and let us do ours.”

Hour was taken aback by the reaction and held her hands up in surrender. She didn’t think she would get that kind of reaction out of him, not even close. It was kind of startling. “I’m… Sorry. I didn’t realize how difficult it must be to get the exhibits. I probably shouldn’t be talking about things I don’t know or understand. I’m sorry.” She chewed on her lip and rubbed her arm.

When Jenkins came in and started yelling at her, though, she felt annoyance claw it’s way up her throat. “Jenkins I don’t know what I did to piss you off, but I am not here to be stomped on like a bug. I’m here trying to help where I can, so show some fucking respect instead of yelling at me with no explanation of why.”

“I’m sorry, Lucifer. I won’t say something like that again. I’ll see you later.” She cast one last glare at Jenkins before quickly making her way out of the museum. Apparently she wasn’t wanted or needed there at the moment anyways.

Lucifer was startled when she started yelling, and then he was angry. He opened his mouth to put a stop to that, but Jenkins tightened the grip on his shoulder in warning.

He did not respond to her and studiously went back to inspecting the displays. After making sure she was gone, Jenkins attempted to get Lucifer’s attention. After getting only silence, he merely stood by his side and made quiet comments about the different exhibits.

“This- this ward shouldn’t be collapsing. This is the third time this week.”

Lucifer turned around to see Jenkins narrowing his eyes at the cursed book. “Hmm. I’ll put in a formal complaint in the morning.”

Jenkins shook his head. “It isn’t going to last that long. We need to take it down tonight at the latest.”

Lucifer cursed under his breath. He had been hoping it wouldn’t be a late work day.

Hourglass didn’t feel like going to work, so she found her feet heading towards the south shore instead. She didn’t notice when the soft sound of wings following her transformed into a set of footsteps walking next to her. She really wasn’t in the mood to notice much of anything around her, actually. Her head lost in thoughts.

It took all of ten minutes before the other got tired of the silence and grabbed her arm to stop her. She tried to shrug the grip off, but it did no good. “Hour, Hourglass, stop. Something has you pissed but you can’t run away from your problems that easily.”

“Let me go, I’m not in the mood for your sagely word of wisdom right now.” Even as she said it she could feel herself slowing down and tears pricked at her eyes.

“Come here, my little Hourglass girl.” He said softly pulling her into a hug. She didn’t hesitate to put her arms around his middle and bury her head in his chest as she started crying.

“Where the fuck have you been, Raven?”

“Come on. Out you go.” Lucifer reached under the table and dragged the kid out by his suspenders.

“Five more minutes. Please? I don’t want to go home.”

“I don’t care about your preferences. We’re closed now. Out.” He made a shooing motion at the kid.

Lucifer locked the doors behind him, and turned to see Jenkins giving him a disapproving look. He glanced at the retreating figure of the child and rolled his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. I could have just tossed him out the door, but I didn’t.”

Jenkins sighed and held out one of two pairs of protective gloves. “Let’s just get this over with, shall we?”

Hour found herself later that night sitting on the roof, leaning against Raven as she stared out across the town. Her eyes were swollen and puffy from crying, but she had managed to tell Raven all that happened since he had left.

“If I ever get to meet this mighty dragon I have every intention of giving him a piece of my mind. He should be trying to be nice to you, not trying to scare you shitless.” Raven was rubbing her arm soothingly but she pulled away.

“No! I’ll be fine, you don’t need to go put yourself in danger for me.” She frowned even as she said it. “Besides, the last time I talked to him he seemed almost like he was worried about me.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll drop it about the dragon, but I will be talking to that museum assistant, Jenkins I think you said. He certainly owes you an apology.” Raven had that knowing look in his eye as he said it, and Hour wondered what exactly he had in mind though she let it drop.

The moment the glass case was opened, there was an immediate change in the atmosphere. Their moods automatically dropped, and they found themselves snapping at each other every other minute. It was possibly just his imagination, but Lucifer thought the sky outside had grown even darker than it already was.

But then Jenkins was dropping the book into the protective box and the air immediately lightened. Taking a deep relieved breath, Lucifer turned to cleanse the case in a layer of flames. It was runed to be impervious to be inflammable, of course, but dragonfire was good for getting rid of magical remnants, good or bad.

“Do you want to go get something to eat? That old cafe down the street changed its menu. Could be interesting.”

Jenkins narrowed his eyes. “You overdid it last time and got sick. How about a hunt instead?”

Lucifer grinned. “I bet I can catch a good-sized deer before you can even catch it’s scent, old man!”

Jenkins glowered at him, but he was satisfied that tonight, at least, the younger dragon wasn’t going to be attempting to ingest questionable food.

Raven felt the wash off magic and felt himself bristle, already able to pinpoint the source. He may be immune, but others in the town weren’t. He subtly lit his finger in Black fire and traced a rune into the fabric on Hour’s back. It wouldn’t appear on the cloth, but the magic outline of pheonix fire would be there to protect her from whatever had spread over the town.

“Hey, it’s getting late. Let me take you inside.” He said gently. Nudging her with her shoulder and then getting to his feet, pulling her up with him. He placed a gentle kiss to her forehead before leading her down the fire escape.

“Do you have some place to stay? You can stay here if you want.” She was adorable when she was worried, but Raven had something to do and already had a little cabin out in the woods for himself to stay at.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” He waited for her to go inside before climbing back up to the roof and transforming into the giant bird most people assumed to just be a raven.

They flew above a cover of clouds, Lucifer playfully nipping at Jenkins’ tail every now and then. Once they were deep enough into the mountains they flew closer to the ground. Lucifer caught a scent and immediately dived to investigate. The blue dragon let out a hiss of warning, but the younger was already to far away to listen.

Annoyed, Jenkins circled the area to make sure there were no impending threats before he, too dropped lower until he landed on the ground. He’d be having words later about scouting for danger before jumping into the fray. Really, Lucifer was old enough to know better by now.

He could not hear him, but he could still smell Lucifer just up ahead, so he ambled off a little ways away so as not to disrupt the other dragon’s hunt.

Raven had spotted the dragons in the distance and didn’t hesitate to approach them, flying below the cover of the clouds so as not to crowd them. When the smaller white dragon descended, Raven followed. The older one he had met before, he could catch up with him later. For now, he focused in the white one.

He entered a steep dive before he landed in a tree and transformed. Resting leisurely in the tree and watching the dragon.

“You know, that little witch of yours has herself in a tilt right now. I just sat up on the roof with her for probably 3 hours while she went on and on about you.” Raven twirled one of his feathers in his fingers. “You can do away with the big scary dragon look now, I have a good idea of who you are and I don’t plan to get in the middle of how this trial is gonna end. That’s going to be your shit storm to handle.”

He could hear a heartbeat coming from a hollow log and his eyes glinted in amusement at the futility of hiding in such a defenseless place. He blew a puff off smoke into the log to flush the creature out and then gave chase.

He was distracted by the sound of wings- smaller than him, and maybe even bite-sized? His muscles gathered in preparation to jump, but then it changed shape in front of him. Lucifer jerked back in surprise, and then he sent a spurt of fire straight at the tree.

“Keep your beak out of affairs that do not concern you.”

Raven straight up laughed, his body shaking as he let his hand play in the dragon fire. “Oh you innocent child. I’m afraid your fire isn’t going to do anything to someone who’s very existence is fire.” Raven jumped down and brushed a bit of ash off his singed shirt.

“I’m afraid this does concern me, actually. She means quite a bit to me, and you mean quite a bit to her as well. Now come, come, let’s do away with the facade. Show your human face. Talk like gentlemen. Do not worry, I won’t reveal your secret unless you reveal mine. See, she doesn’t know what you are, but she also does not know the real truth about me either, and for the time being I would prefer it to stay that way.” Raven conjured a ball of black fire in his hands and looked at the dragon.

“Ah, It doesn’t matter. I just want you to know, when she finally finds out who you are, it’s going to hurt her. A lot. I want you to think long and hard about how much you care about her, because at the end of the day you’re going to be the one having to prove yourself to her if you ever expect to even be friends.”

He stared, entranced by the dark flame. Then he blinked and the moment was gone. He growled and whipped his tail toward the insolent creature. If fire didn’t affect it, maybe he could at least get some satisfaction in knocking it over.

“You are mistaken. This is no facade. The form you take on now, however, is.” He glared at the being in front of him. No doubt Jenkins had already had his fill and was now looking for him, while he was wasting time speaking to this thing. “You should know better than to interrupt a dragon’s hunt. I suggest you leave, before I crush you like the insect that you are.”

Raven rolled his eyes and stepped out of range of the tail, laughing. So predictable, he acted just like his mother did when she was annoyed. “I must say you are most probably correct, after all our true form is our soul, not our body.”

The phoenix concentrated for a moment. “Look for food towards the east, you’ll have better luck. And think about what I said, about my little Hourglass girl. She’s been hurt by a dragon before, I don’t think she deserves to have that memory corrupted by betrayal as well.” Raven let himself burst into black flame in his transformation, mostly to show off his beautiful iridescent plumage before he let the fire die out and became a plain looking raven once more as he flew back towards town. He would catch up with the elder dragon later.

She stalked through the town, exuding pure confidence and paying no heed to the stares as she passed. Her stride never faltered despite the fact that she was wearing high-heeled boots and was dragging a muscular body much larger than herself behind her. Her victim looked like he had been through hell and back, whereas she didn’t have a single scratch on her.

She stepped through the doors of the magical agency, pausing only to rip a wanted poster off a bulletin. She slammed the paper down on the secretary’s desk. “I’m here to collect a bounty,” she announced.

Hourglass was just trying to pass by and get her paper work done when Winston called her over, having spotted a woman dragging a man behind her approaching the doors. Hour was honestly impressed and she waited at the desk for him, letting Winston go collect some files while she handled the bounty hunter, as it turned out.

Hour looked at the poster then at the man and raised an eyebrow. “I mean, it’s obviously him. Good job breaking his nose.” She winked at the girl and straightened up. “I’ll take him, then we can go take your statement and fill out the paperwork so we can get you your reward. Sound good?” She switched to her official role, grabbing one set of paperwork for the hunter to fill out, the rest of the work being set aside for her to grab. “Stay here, fill this out, and I will be right back to take your statement.” Hour removed the metal cuffs on the mans wrist and cast some vines in their place, handing the metal ones back to their owner before disappearing around the corner to holding.

Ash crinkled her nose as she glanced at the papers. This was the less glamorous part of the job. Since it appeared she might wind up staying for a while until she fixed her brother’s mess, however, she needed funds that did not require her to draw from her stash of treasures.

She set to filling out the paperwork, her sharp hearing allowing her to listen in on the office gossip going on around her. When she finished, she leaned back and carefully studied her surroundings. It was always good to know all the details of a place on the off chance one would need to make a quick exit.

“I don’t suppose you could point me in the direction of the nearest tavern? I think I might stay a couple days.” Knowing her brother, it would be more than a couple days, but that was more than anyone needed to know.

Hour grabbed her paperwork and motioned for the woman to follow her. “Uhm, there’s a place in south shore market. From here you just follow South street.” Hour motioned for the girl to sit in the chair across from her desk and took her own seat. “The Tavern is called Faery Bites, the owner Janet has a room upstairs she rents out to travelers.”

Hour wrote in her information on the front of her packet and flipped it to the second page. “Before we proceed, I must inform you legally of your rights. You have the right to privacy, which means you do not have to answer any of the questions in relation to your identity if you so wish. You also hold the right to refuse bounty services, which means you don’t have to answer any questions regarding the arrest but in doing so you forfeit payment for the arrest. You also reserve the right not to incriminate yourself, you cannot be arrested for any crimes you may have committed in trying to complete the arrest. Any outside crimes you confess to you can still be charged for.” Hour handed the paper with the disclaimer over to the bounty hunter to sign, “Please sign here to acknowledge that you understand your rights and are allowed to leave here at any time.”

Ash only half-listened to the spiel, having already heard it almost a dozen times already by different people. With delicate looping letters, she signed the document with the persona she had spent the last couple years building up- Scarlet Ashburn.

“Anything else?” She was quite anxious to be out of here and settling in before she spoke with this girl alone- and she had no doubt this was her target. She could catch Lucifer’s scent on her quite clearly. The strength of it worried her- had he fucking imprinted on this girl on top of all this familiar nonsense? If he had, then it was already too late to convince him to give it all up- the only shred of hope left was to talk some sense into this warlock.

“Just finish up on the statement, the personal information you wish to divest, and then sign. We’ll review it and then get your payment ready, you can pick it up at any point tomorrow. For now, we have a portion of the bounty for you. It should be enough to keep you comfortable until we can get the entirety to you.” Hourglass shuffled the paperwork in front of her. The rest was up to the council to fill out.

~

Hour had felt uneasy since the bounty hunter had left the precinct, her nerves on high alert like she has been in the days after she screamed at the dragon. She could hear her co-workers gossiping about her last trial with the dragon, and she already knew there was a betting pool going around. With a sigh she pulled her stuff together to leave the precinct, only pausing outside the door when the feeling of being watched grew stronger.

Ash paused at the top of the stairs, glancing from one apartment to the other, before finally making the decision to pull out her lock-picking set. Letting the others know she was here could wait till later; she’d much rather get this over with before her brother’s protective instincts kicked in. He wasn’t stupid; he’d know exactly what had drawn her here the moment he saw her.

She saw the wards shimmer just before the door opened and shrugged, stepping inside. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want the apartment’s resident to know she was here.

She did a thorough search of the apartment to make sure she knew exactly where every possible weapon was (and even scoffed in disdain at the poor taste in fashion when she opened the closet). She paused to absently scratch a cat between the ears before lowering herself into an armchair to wait.

Hour hated feeling so on edge, but something was wrong. Something at home- oh shit, my wards. She paused in her walking and started running, getting to the apartment in half the time it normally would and tapped her foot patiently to wait for the winch to recognize and connect to her magic. Getting on to her floor she practically threw her door open and stopped.

Sitting on her arm chair was the bounty hunter from the precinct, and sitting on her lap was Arthur. Wonderful guard cat you are. She rubbed her temples and grabbed her staff from the case that only her magic could open. “Okay, I have no patience for this at the moment. Let go of my cat and get out.”

In response, Ash merely rubbed the cat’s head in slow, gentle circles. “If you keep going as you are I’m afraid this is going to become routine. I would much prefer it if it wasn’t however.”

She ignored the presence of the staff. Spells and curses typically took a good deal more power than usual to affect a dragon than it did for most beings, and Ash figured that would give her enough time to either get out or shift before the warlock tried to hit her with a stronger spell.

“So you’re the witch who thinks she can tame a dragon. I am here to ask you to stop. There are plenty of other creatures out there you can make into your familiar. I saw the looks your dear captain was giving you at the precinct- I am positive he would jump at the chance.”

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Chapter 4: Welcome Back To Mafia Town

There wasn't time to waste the next day, as the morning sun shone through and past the cracked metal of the broken orbital station. The toppats would yawn as they slowly awoke from their slumbers, as the few who were up keeping eyes on the fires were allowed to rest. Someone had found a spare box of food from the kitchen the day before, luckily. And while the Canned and Un-canned Fruit, Bread, and Energy Bars weren't the same as what most were having yesterday, they didn't complain.

Hat Girl went through hers quickly, she wanted to get ready for what that day would bring. She still remembered walking down the streets of Mafia Town, back when she was still a bit shy to species other than her own. She had to convince her Dads to let her grab some stuff from her room. It was still a bit dangerous inside, but she had pointed out that she had been through a lot worse, and that the items would likely help them if they ran into trouble in Mafia town.

They were still a bit reluctant, but allowed her to go to the room as long as one of the others were with her. She agreed, her and Calla Fox quickly heading to her room. Things were tossed around in her room from the crash, but luckily the room itself was still intact. She found herself stepping over many things to avoid tripping, a bit disheartened when some of the relics were among those items she had to avoid.

She didn't let that distract her, however, walking over to her closet and opening it up. She pulled aside the racks of clothing, and pulled out a box and a backpack. Calla glanced over her shoulder as the teen opened the boxes, eyes widening slightly. Hats, masks, headbands, she didn't know the girl had all these. Were they all from this planet? "Woah, did they have a hat deal going on when you were last here?" She asked in awe.

"Nope, but they left plenty of yarn around!" Hat Girl replied with a giggle, humming as she went through them all, before pulling out each of her choices. A ribbon, a cat headband with mask attached, purple night cap with cat ears, a fox mask, clock shaped hat, and a few badges all found themselves placed within the bag. With an umbrella at her side, the girl slung the bag over her shoulder, snapping her fingers as it seemingly disappeared into thin air.

"Huh? How?" Calla asked, her having to shake her head when with another snap, the bag reappeared. "Alien tech, I guess?" She chuckled slightly as she headed out of the room. She looked around, it was hard to believe just yesterday she and Sven were chatting, walking through the halls without a care in the world. Now she had to make sure the ground she walked on wouldn't fall apart. "If that's all, we should get out."

Hat Girl nodded, hoping beside her with a snap. "I would explain how it works, but I can't really remember myself." She said, shrugging slightly as they began to walk down the hall.

Calla gave her a slight sad glance at that, and glanced forward. "Blossom said Sven should be good to start helping out again tomorrow morning... as long as he takes it easy. And guess who's gonna have to make sure he takes things easy?" She chuckled, shaking her head slightly at the thought of keeping her boyfriend from overworking himself, even when there shouldn't be too much work to be done.

"Will he ever learn?" Hat Girl asked, hopping onto the grass as they got to the exit. She allowed herself to take a breath of fresh air, before walking to where the rest of her family was.

Reginald was finishing talking to a few members, most likely giving orders, while Right Hand Man adjusted the bandana around his neck slightly. The two looked a little bit tired, but were doing their best not to let it show. Platinum was the exact opposite, fully charged up and tossing a small ball he found to a few of the kids nearby. Reginald glanced over, seeing them. "There you two are! I was starting to get worried."

"We had it under control, Mr. R!" Calla said with a giggle as she glanced at Hat Girl, the teen heading to stand beside her robotic brother.

"Well, if t'at's everythin' taken care of, we should probably get goin'." Right Hand Man said, grabbing a bag of gold and gems, swinging it over his metal shoulder. "T'e sooner we get to Mafia Town and get t'ese pon t'ings, the sooner we can work on gettin' 'ome." He glanced over in the direction where the purple ghost lived, a slight glare on his face before he sighed. "Luckily we know w'ere a boat is."

"Oh yeah, where Dad fell into the sea or something, right?" Platinum asked, glancing over before getting a slight glare in return, making him raise his hands slightly.

"Alright, remember to take care of everything while we're gone." He glanced back at the members he was talking to, who gave him a nod in respect. "Just make sure the kids and others don't go inside, and make sure everyone stays safe." He said, to which a few others nodded as he let out a sigh and began to head to one edge of the forest, the others quickly following him. "At least the station crashed somewhere pretty."

"It's a bit weird how there was that clearing in the middle of the woods, just the right size to fit the orbital station without actually damaging the forest."

"Guess we just got lucky, Platinum." Right Hand Man, sighing as he glanced to the side. "We're goin' to need as much luck as we can get." It took a little over a half hour later, the salty smell of the sea meant their senses. Reginald walked over to a dark green boat, sitting inside and grabbing one of the ores. "We can just use my rocket feet, Reggie." Right Hand Man said as he walked over.

"Oh, it's fine Righty! I always wanted to try this anyway." Reginald said, smiling at him.

"Well, let's get going!" Hat Girl shouted, rocking the boat as she hopped in, causing some water to splash onto Reginald and the boat's interior. "Whoops..." She said, rubbing the back of her head slightly with a chuckle, hearing Platinum's giggle come beside her. Right Hand Man shook his head with a sigh, pushing the boat a bit before hopping in himself. "I can't wait to see Mafia town again!"

"We should really get a town of our own." Platinum chuckled. "I can just picture it. A hat shaped island with hat shaped buildings. We'll call it." He waved his hands in front of him like he was showing off something grand. "Toppat Toptown."

The others in the boats let out a few giggles at that, as Reginald rowed the boat, watching the forest disappear from all of their views. Seagulls pasted over their heads, some catching up fish that swam a little too close to the surface of the sea. The wind in Hat Girl's hair, she found herself smiling as she glanced up at the sky. Everything felt so perfect about this...

"Hey, look, a yellow air balloon!" Platinum called, pointing out the shape in the sky. More of different colors appear in their view, causing the teen girl to quickly turn around from her set There it was, the place she took her first step on this planet. "Woah... is that a geyser in the middle?! Man, this place is so cool!" He quickly stood up, only to be dragged back down by RHM so Reginald could see.

"The dock's over there!" Hat Girl pointed. "Probably best we don't let them see us right away..."

Reginald nodded, spotting what appeared to be a houseboat of sorts near the very edge of the dock. He carefully rowed next to it, not wanting loud splashing to alert the people there of the boat's percent. Once the boat was fully hidden, he sighed as he placed the ores down, heading beside Hat Girl and Platinum to take a glance around. The place seemed nice, although the mafia did intimidate him a slight bit.

"Alrig't, we're 'ere." Right Hand Man said, garbing the bag again as he hopped out of the boat. "Now, 'o's in c'arge 'ere?"

"Mafia Boss should still be. He was still in charge when I left, and it wasn't like he was going to be dying any time soon." Hat Girl said, hopping out of the boat with a smile, taking in the island's air. She bent down, feeling the docs under her feet, the aged wood so familiar. Her hat fell into her view, making her catch it quickly, playfully glancing over at her brother, who was playing a whistled tune into the air, avoiding her gaze.

"Alrig't... w'ic' one of t'ese copy-paste guys is 'e t'en?"

"Righty, I know you don't wanna be here, but please don't do anything that might start a fight." Reginald sighed, beginning to head down the dock, trying not to make any direct eye-contact with the suit-wearing men around him. Some did seem to glance over, a few stared in shock when Hat Girl would wave, but none came over. Reginald let out a sigh. "Well, so far so good. Maybe this won't be a big issue."

The wind seemed to stop, yet the temperature didn't seem to change. The seagulls fighting over a fish stopped their squawking. The group of four seemed to stop as well, before taking a few sudden steps back.

"Well, so far so good. M... hold on." Reginald said, glancing to the others as he stopped. "Didn't I just... say.. that?" He found Right Hand Man and Platinum nodding, just as confused as he was. "Why did I..."

"Take that!" A voice called, followed by a shout as a Mafia Goon was knock over, falling into the water below. A bag flew out of his hand as he did so, Mustache Girl grabbing it, then glaring at where the man fell. "That's what you get for trying to steal Mr. Hopkins pons!" She glanced around, spotting an hourglass by her feet. She picked it up with her free hand, before glancing over in their direction. "Huh?"

"Woah, that's so cool!" Platinum said, smiling at the blonde girl as Hat Girl chuckled. She could never forget that feeling, even after all these years.

"Oh, it's you two again." Mustache Girl said, crossing her arms the best she could with the two items as she let out a sigh. "This is... kinda awkward, not going to lie. Wasn't expecting to see you again so soon." She seemed to let out a mumble, before glancing down at the hourglass, then at them again. "Uhhh.. Sorry about that. Didn't mean to get you caught up in the time-rewind loop there."

"Time-rewind loop?" Reginald asked, glancing at Hat Girl. "Do you know what she means by that? And... have you two met before?" He glanced at Right Hand Man, who seemed to be focused on the hourglass.

"Yeah Dad, she's one of my old friends from this planet!" Hat Girl said, the mustached teen's face filled with surprised at those words. "Although, we weren't on the best of terms when I left...." Hat Girl let out a slight sigh, before walking over and placing a hand on the her shoulder, glancing back at her Dads. "As for the time-rewind loop, it's hard to explain. Especially since I haven't used any in years."

Mustache Girl allowed herself to relax slightly, placing the bag on the ground, right by her feet. She glanced over at the two men, coughing slightly as she looked at them. "Uh, Nice to meet you. I'm Mustache Girl, but you can call me Mu. Prefer it too other names I been given.``

Reginald walked over to her with a smile, reaching out a hand to her. "Well, it's nice to meet you Mu." The girl glanced at the hand slightly, before shrugging and giving it a shake. "I'm Reginald, and this is my Right Hand Man." RHM glanced at the girl slightly in acknowledgement, before glancing back at the hourglass. "It's nice to meet some of Hattie's old friends. I bet you two had some fun together."

"'ate ta interrupt, but t'ere's somet'in' I feel t'e need to ask." Right Hand Man pressed a button on the back of his right hand, another hourglass appearing out of thin air, him quickly garbing it.

"Wait, huh?" Mu asked, confused as she looked at the timepiece she held, walking over to where the man was. She placed hers up to his to get a better look. They were the same in height and width, but that was where they're similarities ended. His lacked the three rods that went from both ends of it. The glass was blue with faint yellow sand inside while hers was clear with glitter white. Yet the energy she felt from it was similar.

"Call it bottled time. Used to be t'e same as t'e one ya 'ave t'ere, back when Hattie gave it as a gift." He glanced over at his daughter, who smiled at him. "Was wonderin' how ya 'ave one."

"Really?" Mu asked, tilting her head to the side slightly, glancing at Hat Girl. She didn't see anything wrong with her giving it to one of her fathers, probably belonged to him anyway. She was confused on why he would change it; however, it didn't make sense in her mind. But she didn't ask, judging by the bag, they were here for something other than seeing her. "Well... you do you then, I guess."

Right Hand Man nodded, glancing over at Reginald slightly.

"Well, why don't me and Righty head to the Mafia base to do the trade, and you two can catch up with here a bit, then come after us later? I'm sure with Mu's help you'll be able to find your way to us easily." Reginald said, a smile on his face as he looked at his kids.

"Really!?" Platinum asked, glancing over at the two, a brief look of trouble in his eyes. He bet there was so much chaos that could be caused here, it will be a blast! Who knows, maybe they could even hop in mud and scare that weirdo mafia Hat Girl mentioned once. It will be a pain to get it out later but it would be so worth it! "You're the best, Dad!" He said, nearly knocking him over as he hugged him.

"I know, I know." Reginald said, patting his silver hair slightly. "Just don't get into any trouble alright? We still need to get back to the clan soon."

Platinum groaned slightly at part of the request, making Hat Girl chuckle as she came over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We won't be long. If memory serves me right, you should go that way in order to get to the Mafia HQ." She said, pointing to her right. There was faint hesitation with Right Hand Man, but Reginald placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a comforting smile. With a sigh, they two left the group.

"So..." Mu glanced at the two slightly. She should have returned the pons and headed back to her cave by now. But she didn't want to seem too rude. "I take it since they're going to try and trade something, things with your crash ship isn't going well?"

"Yeah." Hat Girl shook her head, glancing up at the sky slightly. It felt like so long since she was able to see it, but ehh, that was orbital station life for you. "Since pons are the main currency of this planet, they're hoping to trade some gold and stuff for some. I thought I would be able to give them some of mine, but turns out I only have a little over 200."

"And you know even if you had over 10000, Dad likely wouldn't make you use it." Platinum said, sitting on the bridge's rib. "He will likely tell you to save it in case there's something you want to get while here." He glanced over at the mafia climbing out of the water, chuckling. "You really got some skills, you know that Mu? Being able to take that guy on all by yourself. You really showed him."

"Well, thanks I guess. Just me doing my duty as the hero of mafia town." She shrugged slightly, glancing down at the bag by her feet. She spent the past few years fighting the mafia the best she could.

"Well, I take it they still haven't learned not to mess with you." Hat Girl chuckled slightly, looking over at her. Mu huffed slightly, crossing her arms with a pout. She walked over, glancing at the timepiece in her hands slightly.

Mu glanced down at it slightly. She had a feeling this was going to happen since she saw the girl the day before. She reached it out to her. "Yeah... I think it got left behind when you took the others back. Just woke up with it beside me. You probably want it back, so take it." She made a huff and glanced to the side.

Hat Girl looked a bit surprised, but then smiled softly. She pushed the timepiece back to her. "I don't really have a use for it now. Besides, I left it behind for you to use. Taking it back now would just be meaningless." She shrugged slightly. "Besides, you're likely used to it always being with you now."

"You... really left it behind? Why... after..." She shocked her head. "You were always a tough one to understand, Hattie." Platinum tilted his head slightly, a bit confused why they were suddenly having an emotional moment of sorts. "Well, I guess I'll keep in then, if you're not going to be using it anytime soon." She said, placing the timepiece behind her back, in a pocket of sorts.

"Hehe, you too are catching up well." Platinum said, hopping over and wrapping his arms around the girl's shoulders. Mu mumbled, while Hat Girl giggled at the action. He chuckled and let them go, smiling happily at them. "Sooo.... I see one of the nearby walls is spray painted. Which means there's cans of spray paint nearby. Wanna grab some and mess around? Maybe we can sneak into a building to-"

"I think you two should head back to your parents." Mu cut him off. "While I know you probably wish to tell me every little detail of your life these past seven years, Hattie, I don't want to hold you all back from getting the work you need to get done. You have an entire clan to look out for after all." Hat Girl looked at her sadly. "And before you say about it only being 3 minutes, you know how things can be in Mafia Town."

"I guess you're right." Hat Girl sighed, walking over and garbing Platinum's hand. "Well, I guess we'll have to continue this conversation later than Mu. See you!" She waved happily, before racing away with Platinum. Mu waved in return, before finally heading to return the stolen pons.

-------

Reginald was holding his stomach slightly, even as they walked through the red-carpeted hall. He could still feel the faint glares of the mafia goons from the doors they came from. Hattie could've warned them that they would have to go into a rocket in order to reach the base. He remembered being dizzy once he had landed on the ground, he was surprised he didn't throw up. He was lucky he was able to convince the mafia goon to let them inside.

"Don't worry Reg." That lovely voice said as he felt a hand on his shoulder, making him stare into those beautiful brown and red eyes. "I can do most of the talkin' if ya need ta rest."

"It's fine Righty... Just... carry me down when we go to leave, alright?" He asked him, holding his hand slightly, allowing a smile to form on his face. The cyborg nodded, a smile forming on his flesh and metal face. This was going to be a long road, but at long as they had each other, they would be able to get through this. "Everything will be fine, we'll get home." he said, more to himself then to the cyborg.

"So, Hatted Men are the ones here to see Mafia boss." A voice called they're attention to the front of the room, one of the mafia's standing in front of a throne looking at him curiously.

"Yes, Yes we are." Reginald said, straightening his posture quickly as he looked at the man. "I know it was rather rude of us to come here unannounced, but we're in desperate need. I... know this may sound strange, but we're from another planet, and our orbital station crashed here, and we do not have the type of currency used on this planet. I was hoping we could speak with your boss, if you're willing to summon him-"

"I am right here!" An angry voiced roar, jolting Reginald back in surprise. He then took a glance at the throne he thought was empty, seeing something... strange was on it. A jar with a chef's hat on, a pinkish-purple liquid with... were those blue eyes inside of it?!

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry!" Reginald said, quickly trying to find his professional tone again as he looked at the jar. It seemed to glare at him slightly, an electric screen where his month would be showing an unamused frown. "I'm so sorry if I came off as rude. I wasn't told you would be a jar..." he coughed slightly. "None the less, we would like to do business with you, if you wish to do so, that is."

The Mafia Boss let out a sigh, glancing it's eyes away with a slight huff. "I wasn't always this way. I used to be the strongest man on the planet, but then she came, killed me, and her little friend captured my remains inside of this jar!" He hopped up angrily.

"'nd I t'oug't I 'ad t'ings bad..." Right Hand Man mumbled, glanced at his metal hand slightly. Sure people said that he was stronger then before, but it had taken a bit to get comfortable in his own skin again. He couldn't imagine the mental trauma this guy went through, even if he was a bit of a jerk. Although the words 'she' and 'her little friend' stuck out in his mind, there was no way he could mean...

"But that's long been in the past now." Mafia Boss cut him off his train of thought, looking back at the jar on the throne. "So, man in two hats said something about needing pons. I suppose that could be arranged... if you have something of value you're willing to give us in return..."

"Yes, we do have something in return." Reginald claimed, motioning to Right Hand Man, who gave him the bag. Reginald placed it on the ground, opening it just enough so the gold and gems were easily able to be seen. "I know you already have lots of this, but we also have many other treasures we can trade to you if you wish. Items that hold a great value from where we come from." He glanced up hopefully.

The Jar let out a humming sound. "While I was hoping more for one of your corpses in mind, neither of your bodies seem fit for me. I suppose we could make this work out..."

Right Hand Man glared at the jar, putting his hand in front of Reginald slightly, keeping him at a slight distance in case the two goons in front of him tried something. "Not t'at any of our members will be willin' to give up t'ier own anyway." He glanced at the bag on the floor. Hopefully these gold gems would be enough, then they could get out of here and never have to interact with this jar again.

"Pops, Dad, there you two are!" A familiar robotic voice call from the hall, the two looking over as their robot and alien kids raced up to them. "Sorry it took a bit, I tried climbing up that blue and a yellow star thing next to the rocket and ended up slipping."

"You what?!?" Reginald said, instantly grabbing Platinum's arms and checking for any injuries on the topbot, having to remind himself some of the scratch marks were from the crash yesterday. He sighed in relief, looking at him. "Platinum, I know I programmed you as a bit of a chaos maker, but you shouldn't do stuff that could get you hurt. Especially when me or Righty isn't around!" He let out a sigh and he just shrugged in response.

"It's alright Dad, I was there to catch him." Hat Girl said, giving a slight smile to her brother, who rolled his eyes in response at the look. "So, how did thi-"

"YOU!" Mafia Boss roared, the metal-plate thing under his jar lifting him up with a slight flame. Hat Girl glanced over, slightly spoked from the sudden shout. "You're the one who did this to me! I should have known, your parents look just like you rude child! You killed me, tormented me at the ship, and didn't bother rewinding time far enough for me to be human again!" The jar fell back on his throne with a growl.

"In my defense, I didn't choose a certain about of time to be rewound, knowing it would fix the world either way." Hat Girl shrugged, her Dads giving her confused looks. "And besides, I saved you when that ship started shrinking!" She crossed her arms with a slight smug look.

"You were just embarrassing me! I knew for a fact one of the mafia would come for me, but you just felt the need to show me off!" The wires connected to the jar started sparking slightly. Why did he even bother updating his jar body, he seemed fine before. Suddenly, a smug tone could be heard in his voice. "Well, so be it then. It may not be the type of revenge I wanted, but I can at last get my revenge: by refusing your offer."

"Wait, no!" Reginald said, panic in his voice as his mind reached for something, anything he could do to make the jar reconsider. "I-I know what Hattie did to you is awful, and can't just be undone, b-but you have to understand that we d-"

"I Do not care!" The mafia jar shouted, anger in his eyes. He tilted his body to the two mafia in the room. "You two, take them out!" The mafia glanced over at Hat Girl slightly, as if with faint hesitation. "Did you two not hear me, take them out now!" One walked up and garbed Reginald by the arm, while another held Right Hand Man back from attacking. Hat Girl looked at the jar slightly, glancing at the umbrella.

"Let's go." She said as she glanced over to Platinum, walking after the two mafia and her parents. Platinum gave her a questioning look, but decided it was best to follow. "That was dumb, should have waited outside."

Reginald was honestly a bit surprised when he wasn't tossed to the floor as soon as they entered the next room. "Mafia apologies for Boss' behavior." The one holding him said, while Right Hand Man glared at the one who grabbed him once they let go. "Girl is the hero of mafia town. Girl made it to where Mafia didn't need to eat lava for breakfast. But mafia must follow boss' orders, and boss doesn't understand."

"I'm sorry." Hat Girl sighed as she walked over to the two, Reginald looking at her as he adjusted the necklace around his neck. "He had one of my timepieces and wouldn't give it back unless I fought him. I didn't even know I killed him, I just thought I knocked him out of sight. This is all my fault." She looked down at the ground somberly.

"Oh Hattie, it's not your fault." Reginald said, placing a hand on her shoulder as she looked up at him. "He's just someone who can't let go of the past. We'll find a way to get pons somehow. We'll be fine." He smiled as he brushed some hair out of her eyes. She still held a bit of sadness in her eyes, but a small smile formed on her face. "Now... since our... business here is done, we should get going."

"Probably t'e best idea. If I stay 'ere another minute, I might do somet'in' t'at'll make our lives 'ere worst." Right Hand Man sighed, walking over to the exit of the building, doing his best not to glare at all the mafia's around him. Or shoot a laser through the door of where the mafia boss was.

"Mafia wishes Hat Family luck." The Mafia Goon said, before heading back to the room where the boss was. The family was mostly quiet as they headed back to the boat. The most talking they did was getting down from the platform in the sky, mainly how Hat Girl was able to survive a fall back down from that height. She had to explain that she didn't, just used her spaceship beam to summon her back up on it.

"I don't get why you didn't just beat him up again Hattie." Platinum broke the near silence as they found themselves back on the dock. "I mean, you beat him up when he was a human that was likely taller and stronger than you! Why not just.. tip him over?"

"Well.. He sold me the Compass Badge, which I used to find the parts for my relics and items to make more hats." Hat Girl said, glancing over at a nearby corner where she found part of the Earthly Sitting Device. "Thanks to him, I was able to have something of my time here."

"Well, I don't let 'im. 'opefully we won't 'ave to see 'im agein." Right Hand Man huffed, as they turned the corner to where the boat they used to get there was hidden. He looked over at Reginald. "Let me just use my rocket feet t'is time, Reg."

"Well, I suppose it's best we get back to the clan as soon as possible." Reginald sighed, as he climbed inside the boat while looking over at him. His foot hit something, him hissing as he glanced at it. "Huh, this box wasn't here before..." He opened the top of it, glancing inside. "Huh, this is all camping gear? How did it get here? Did one of the mafia's place it in this boat by mistake?"

"Don't know, don't care." Right Hand Man said, as Hat Girl hopped into the boat, Platinum following after. "It's best we don't get back to the clan empty 'anded after all. T'e mafia probably won't miss it."

Reginald glanced to the side slightly, letting out a sigh. The clan likely wouldn't be too happy, but he could deal with that. He was doing the best he can, and at least they come back with something. "Alright then, let's go."

Platinum placed the lid down on the box, sitting down onto it after. Then he got a confused look on his face. "Wait, where's the bag you two had?"

Right Hand Man paused slightly. "Ya two didn't grab it?"

"We were meant to?"

"It's already in they're own gold and gem piles by now." Reginald said, garbing his husband's hand before he could try anything. "We still have more than enough to try getting some pons somewhere, if we ever find someone willing to trade. It's best if we don't bother."

"Ya worry to much Reg, I can take t'em." He sighed, his feet lifting himself into the air as he grabbed the edge of the boat. He hated how much Reginald worried about him now. If that Stickmin never showed up, everything would have gone smoothly...

"You really think those tents will be enough?" Hat Girl said as she glanced at the box. It looked like it could hold about 11 tents, maybe a bit more if you tried crushing them together. "We need a better place for the clan to stay, unless until we make the station safe for the clan to walk through again."

"Don't worry about that Hattie." Reginald said, giving her a soft smile as they began to head away from the dock. "Leave that for me and Righty to figure out. Future leader of the clan or not, you're too young to be worrying about these things."

Hat Girl glanced to the side slightly. "If it makes you feel better..." She looked at the cyborg slightly. "I can fly around tonig't, see if t'ere's anywhere better we can stay. Would t'at make ya feel better?" A smile was the answer, him responding with a nod before focusing ahead of them.

Mu watched hidden from one of the nearby rooftops, as the family's small boat began to be rushed away from the town. She had a strange feeling about the dads. They didn't seem to be purely good guys, but she couldn't quite label them as bad guys either. She sighed as she began to hop down, heading back to her cave, her home... Maybe if there's a next time they come to visit, she can seek them a bit more.