#location: selene's apartment

[irisandtheveilkeepers]

Chapter 4: A semblance of normality

The door swung open behind us with a soft creak, and I expected to step back into the cozy, dim tearoom we had entered from—but instead, we found ourselves standing in a vast, bustling corridor. The low murmur of voices and the clatter of hurried footsteps echoed around us. I blinked, disoriented, as the space ahead revealed something entirely different from the quaint backroom of the café. This was something far bigger—an underground nerve center of activity.

I turned to Selene, but she didn’t seem surprised. In fact, there was a flicker of amusement in her eyes at my confusion. “Welcome to the real heart of the Veilkeepers,” she said, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

The corridor stretched out in both directions, lined with doors that looked older than time itself, each inscribed with runes and symbols I couldn’t understand. The air carried a faint, herbal scent—something earthy, almost smoky, like incense mingling with the scent of old parchment. Shelves filled with artifacts and scrolls lined the walls, some with faintly pulsing wards. The magical energy in the air was tangible, like static electricity brushing against my skin.

“Is this...?” I started, trying to wrap my head around the scale of what I was seeing.

“The Veilkeepers’ headquarters,” Selene confirmed, her voice matter-of-fact. “This is where we work, train, and keep an eye on the world. It’s a bit of a maze, but you get used to it.”

“Are all these people...?” I gestured to the people in varied attire, robes, and modern clothing.

“Veilkeepers, yes. Some have specific tasks—tracking magical threats, translating ancient texts, developing magical wards. It’s more than just keeping magic hidden; it’s about maintaining balance and making sure no one... disrupts things too much.” Her voice took on a slightly ominous edge.

I barely had time to take it all in as she led me down the corridor. My head swiveled from side to side, taking in the ancient symbols, the glowing wards, and the people bustling about as if everything around them were perfectly ordinary. I couldn’t help but feel small in comparison, like a child stumbling into a world too big and strange to comprehend.

“Come on,” Selene said gently, pulling me along. “I’ll take you back to my place. You need some rest after everything that’s happened.”

I nodded wordlessly, still absorbing the sheer scale of the place. It was hard to believe that just hours ago, I’d been sitting in a café, entirely unaware of any of this. Now, I was here—wrapped up in magic, goblins, and an ancient order that protected the very fabric of reality.

We weaved through the corridors until Selene finally led me to a small, circular chamber at the end of a hallway. The walls were covered in intricate symbols, each glowing faintly with a shifting light that made them seem alive. In the center of the chamber stood a large, ornate mirror, its frame carved with symbols that mirrored those on the walls. The glass seemed to shimmer, reflecting not our own images, but a distant, misty landscape that changed each time I blinked. I stared at it in awe, the magic pulsing from it palpable in the air.

“What’s this?” I whispered, unable to take my eyes off the shifting landscape in the mirror.

“It’s a transportation chamber,” Selene explained. “A way for Veilkeepers to move quickly between our various locations. It’s like a portal, but more precise and controlled.”

I nodded slowly, trying to wrap my head around the concept. “And it’s safe?”

Selene gave me a reassuring nod. “Yes, perfectly safe. I’ll take you to your apartment, and I’ll come pick you up tomorrow for uni."

I hesitated. “Actually, would you mind staying over tonight? I don’t... I don’t think I can be alone right now.”

“Of course. I’d be happy to stay.”

Selene guided me toward the mirror, her touch gentle on my arm. As we stepped through, the reflection of the misty landscape rippled, and I felt a strange, cold sensation wash over me. It was as if the very essence of my being was stretched thin, pulled through an impossibly small space before being released again on the other side. For a moment, I was lost in a sea of swirling colors and distant whispers, the world around me fading into a blur. My heart raced, and I clung to Selene, afraid of being pulled away from her.

When the world came back into focus, we were standing in front of my apartment, the familiar sight grounding me once again. I took a deep breath, steadying myself against Selene. "That was..." I trailed off, searching for the right word.

“Different?” she offered with a small smile. “You’ll get used to it. It’s the quickest way to get around when you’re dealing with magic.”

I nodded, my legs still shaky from the journey. She guided me to the door, and I fumbled with my keys, still feeling disoriented. Finally, the lock clicked, and we stepped into my familiar living room. It was a relief to be surrounded by my things again, a small comfort in the face of everything that had happened.

My cat, Lua, greeted us with a meow, her tail swishing curiously at the sight of Selene. I scooped her up into my arms, burying my face in her soft fur for a moment, trying to find some semblance of normalcy. She purred in response, her warmth comforting against my racing thoughts. "Hey, girl. Sorry I was away for a while..."

“Hi there,” Selene cooed, reaching out to stroke Lua’s back. My cat arched her spine and leaned into the touch, clearly appreciative of the attention.

I set Lua down on the floor. She gave a quick stretch and sauntered off into the kitchen, probably in search of her dinner. With a sigh, I collapsed onto my bed, the weight of the day finally catching up to me.

“Are you doing okay?” Selene asked, her voice soft and concerned. She sat on the edge of the bed, her hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my face.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to collect my thoughts. “I don’t know,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s all so much to take in. Goblins, magic, a whole secret society... it’s like I’ve stepped into another world.”

“You have, in a way,” Selene murmured, her fingers lingering on my cheek. “But you’re not alone. I’m here with you, and we’ll figure this out together.”

She leaned in closer, her presence warm and solid beside me. Her fingertips brushed along my jawline, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. I shivered slightly at her touch, my heart fluttering in my chest. We stared at each other for a long moment, our breaths mingling in the small space between us.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice hoarse with emotion.

📚 Navigate the Story:

⬅️Previous Chapter 🏠Start from the beginning ➡️Next Chapter 📝Learn More

[aspidersreflection]

((Selene has a few burn scars from when she tried to get Lori Jean out of their apartment, and the aftermath of it. In spite of her advanced "Spider Healing", some injuries stick sound longer than others.

She's got a deep scar across her lip on the left side of her face. Protip, don't bring it up if you want your spine to remain in its current location inside your body.))

[windmills123]

what if... you told me all about your fansession (i would love to learn more about it)

no way the real moss guy in my inbox... heehe... im actually really excited to ramble about this!!! =D back when i first read hs i made many fan characters but i got an idea to make a fansession where, instead of the 12 zodiac signs it was the 22 major tarot cards..... and it kinda went from there!

because obviously 22 character session would be insane i at some point formed out 6 kids who were having The Session, and the rest of the characters were "npcs" made by sburb. but yknow, more humanlike than the carapacians, so kinda akin to the trolls. oh yea i changed some of the sburb worldbuilding for this, so i suppose its an alternate version of the game.... ;p also the session would take place around 2019.

okeeey anyways heres the players!

ester olsen (the star) is a knight of hope from sweden who's foolish and hyperactive but also very hopeful and loyal like a dog, she's internally a deviantart kid who draws exclusively on ms paint and sburb's quest for her is to become a typical hero. her land is a field with a country town inhabited by animal people.

her older brother emil (the chariot) is a rogue of breath who moves trough life very fast and always thrives to make progress by any means, and also takes care of ester... because hes awesome... his land is a giant sea of energy kind of similar to terezi's.

elio cassini (the sun) is the heir of light, he's just a really lucky boy who likes jrpgs and magic spells. he's anxious and keeps to the rules but well meaning; best friend of ester. he learns to accept the dark sides of the world instead of escaping from them. his land is an orange desert full of broken glass, ancient bones and mysteries.

elio's sister is nastia the maid of space (the empress)! she's kind of a snarky girl next door who likes art, gardening, fashion and baking but she struggles with persistence. her land is a field of giant flowers.. and frogs of course ;p

selene's the mage of void (the moon). (no surname i thought of for these two..... whoops....) she's the oldest one and also very lonely, although she isn't expressive she tends to cling to other people. she used to like weird and fascinating things, her land is a broken apart mountainous area flooded by dark water!

then selene's younger brother rasmus the prince of time (the emperor)! hes your average delinquent scriptie kid who tends to get into fights (usually with ester), but he's never completely malicious. his land is a fiery lava pool that's hard to navigate.

the goal is still to make the next universe via a frog, but theres no derse and prospit and instead dreaming just teleports your ghost self to a random location. there's still a fight between dark and light though, but this time it's the magician card (light) and the high priestess card (dark) who have their forces battling it out, which is pretty much everyone else, on a skaia stand in which is no longer a chessboard and now just a black and white planet. they're also the final bosses in place of king and queen, and they get stronger the session goes on so the party needs to act fast!!!

idk how to summarise the whole duration of the session to be honest because too much stuff gets involved.. but basically they do make it out in the end! (with some major character deaths though... hehh..)

well uhh this makes wayy more sense in my head lol, but i hope you like it! =D i have some drawings but i havent really made anything properly rendered that has all of them... also i would love to hear about your fansession!

[aquadestinyswriting]

A Circle None Can Break- Part Eleven

Summary: Selene has been called to the Archlector's personal apartment to meet with King Storri, the Archlector and Librarian Haneskeeper to discuss what aid, if any, Fangthane might be willing to give the beleaguered Grand Magus.

Words: 2,422

Warnings: None. Just some very frayed tempers on both sides.

Notes: This is the bit I've been most looking forward to getting to. I must admit, I didn't expect this to go in the direction it did, but I think it works out way better than the first draft now.

tags: @druidx, @strosmkai-rum, @homesteadchronicles, @warriorbookworm, @odysseywritings, @sparrow-orion-writes, @blind-the-winds, @writeblrsupport, @writeblrcafe

Selene whooshed out a sigh as she made her way through the Cathedral to the Archlector's personal apartment. It had finally been decided that the Cathedral was the most neutral place for this smaller and more intimate meeting, and the Archlector's apartment was the most comfortable place for the dignitaries that would be attending. The wizard was grateful that His Holiness had insisted on the location, her most recent experience of the palace had been less than pleasant, but she was still not looking forward to this.

The Moradhir paladin that was accompanying Selene through the Cathedral looked back at the human wizard and sent her an encouraging smile,

"It's not often that anyone gets to see His Holiness' personal apartment. He must like you if he's invited you there." He said. Selene flicked her eyes to the floor briefly and shook her head,

"While I am incredibly grateful to hear such, I am uncertain as to why." She admitted, returning her gaze to the armoured dwarf walking in front of her, "As I understand it, most of your people are less than happy with those of us who chose to stay in Toreguarde following Drakemar's involvement in its reconstruction." The paladin shrugged, his pauldrons clanking at the motion,

"His Holiness was chosen as Archlector fer a reason, my lady." He pointed out, "Those of us who serve Moradin, or any of the other Gods worshipped in the mount, trust his judgement." 

Selene's heart lifted at the statement. While she had never met the man before, he had clearly believed her words to be important enough to cow the rest of the mountain into listening to her. Certainly, it seemed that the Archlector's words had been enough to convince king Storri to allow her to stay. Feeling better, Selene allowed herself a small smile. Maybe there was a chance for her to swiftly solve the problem of the Seal after all.

"Right, here we are." The paladin announced, "I'll be right outside just in case. There shouldn't be any more nasty surprises like there were with the Council." He added, stepping to one side after rapping out a code on the elaborately carved door. Selene inclined her head,

"Thank you, Ser Stonebreaker." She said, "Hopefully this will not take long, and I can be out of your collective hair shortly. I don't want to be responsible for bringing any more trouble, or grief, to your people." Stonebreaker shook his head,

"We'd be dealing with it whether you were visiting or no." He pointed out, "Good luck." He added as an attendant opened the door. Selene nodded to the paladin once more before following the beardling inside.

King Storri, the Archlector and Haneskeeper were already inside, all three sat on comfortable chairs around a large marble table. Another beardling –with wavy blonde hair and dressed in a smart, richly embroidered tunic – sat in a wingback chair next to a generously sized bookcase, his nose currently buried in a book. So His Majesty had brought Prince Garin with him, this was, hopefully, a good sign. The room was, helpfully, lit by a myriad of glowstones artfully, and unobtrusively, placed around the room, allowing Selene to see the various mosaics laid into the floor and the tapestries adorning the walls. Most were, understandably, related to Moradin, though a few seemed to depict old clan crests. Presumably the clans of Archlectors in centuries and ages past.

The attendant coughed politely,

"Presenting Grand Magus Frigidwake, as requested, Yer Holiness." She said, "Was there anything else you or your guests needed?" She asked, allowing Selene to step into the room. The Archlector's cragged face split into a gracious smile,

"Some more refreshments would be appreciated, if ye don't mind fetching them Dora." He requested, "We may be here for a while." Dora curtsied and quickly scurried off. Storri scoffed as Selene came to the table and took the seat next to Haneskeeper,

"I rather hope it doesn't." He said shortly, "I mean no disparagement on yer hospitality, Yer Grace, but I do have other matters to attend to." Selene's gaze flicked from king to Archlector, suddenly reminded that king Storri was still very young by the standards of dwarves. Archlector Vanskleig merely shrugged, shifting into a more comfortable position,

"I do understand, Your Majesty, however, this is a matter that  I believe, requires all the time we can give it." He said pleasantly. The elderly dwarf turned his attention to Selene, grey eyes meeting green. Selene felt a shiver run down her spine. While the Archlector's gaze was pleasant, almost grandfatherly, she could sense the centuries of wisdom and power the ancient dwarf held despite his frail frame. It reminded her very much of Yastromo.

"I have asked High Librarian Haneskeeper to see what information he could find regarding God Clay and its potential whereabouts with all the archives we hold here in Fangthane." The Archlector said, gesturing to the old, but not yet ancient, dwarf. Haneskeeper cleared his throat,

"Aye, I scoured every last shelf of the Library and the Cathedral's archives for ye." He said. Selene smiled at him,

"Thank you for being so thorough. Any information, no matter how scant, will be invaluable." Haneskeeper shifted uncomfortably,

"Aye, well, unfortunately, I regret to inform you that Fangthane doesn't hold any God Clay that might yet remain on the Material Plane." He said. Selene's smile fell a bit, but she shook her head,

"I suppose it would have been far too convenient if it were." She sighed, "Did your research turn up any possible locations?" She asked. The silence that met it was almost deafening in itself. The hopeful expression on Selene's face dropped entirely as an icy stillness descended on the room. Haneskeeper cleared his throat,

"It did." he confirmed slowly, his eyes flicking to king Storri, whose expression remained neutral, but his body language belied the silent rage building within him. Selene looked between the two men, briefly glancing over to note that prince Garin was sitting utterly still. She slowly leaned forward,

"And..?" She asked, her stomach dropping as the bubble of hope she'd started to feel earlier burst. Haneskeeper whooshed out a sigh,

"The God Clay's last known location was within the God Vault of the Redhammer Clan." He replied, "As their lineage was known to have been Blessed with the ability to Shape the stuff, it makes sense that this would be where the God Clay is currently located." He explained. Selene frowned,

"That makes sense, what little information I was able to glean from my own research made mention of this Blessing." She admitted. Her eyes narrowed, "So do you mind telling me why His Majesty looks like he's about to throttle me?" She asked lightly, looking over to Storri, who was now clearly biting back a tirade of some sort. Haneskeeper sent the younger dwarf a short glare before returning his attention to Selene, a haggard expression on his face,

"Putting aside some ancient dwarven Grudges, the ancestral home of the Redhammer clan used to be known as Kar'ak Ungor and was located in a volcano near the northwestern coast of Allansia, just off the Bay of Corpses in the area now known as the Dragon Reaches." He explained. Selene's annoyed expression settled into a frown as she mentally mapped out the area. Her heart froze as she finally realised what the old librarian was telling her,

"Wyrmholme." She murmured, horrified. The moment she had uttered the word, the damn holding Storri back finally broke,

"Aye. That ancient artefact that's sacred to our people is in the claws of the dragon ye sold yer bloody city to!" He snapped, "Tell me, Grand Magus, why is that knowledge suddenly so damn problematic?" He asked. Selene blinked herself back into the room and frowned at the enraged dwarven king. She shook her head,

"It's a problem because I know that, while House Drakemar provided the capital that allowed us to rebuild Toreguarde into what it is today, I don't believe that it has the best interests of the people at heart." She replied, "I am fully aware, too, of the general hostility that the relationship with Drakemar has caused between us." She added. Storri leapt to his feet, slamming his hands on the table and knocking his seat over,

"Then why ignore the advice given ye when that damned Emissary turned up?” he asked, with an angry growl, “We didna send ye 30,000 souls to fight off the damn demons you let into the world just so ye could turn around and work with that damned beast!” he shouted. Selene immediately sat upright, her knuckles white as she tried to reign in her own, dangerously flaring, temper. She sucked in a breath before replying in as even a tone as she could manage,

“First thing, Your Majesty, the decision to send so many people to help fight off the Demonic Horde was not ours to make. The blame for such lies squarely on the shoulders of King Nargond, gods rest his soul.” She stated, earning her a nasty glare from the young king.

“As for the matter of accepting the aid offered by the Emissary; what else would you have had us do? We had barely managed to build the bare bones of the old town, never mind enough houses for everyone that had been displaced by the time any money we had had run out. Besides, my own objections about Drakemar's continued involvement were thoroughly overruled by the time the Edict came into effect." Storri scoffed,

“Then why stay in the Dragon’s employ, love?” he snapped, “Ye had ample opportunity to leave alongside plenty others!” The shadows cast by the glowstones lengthened as Selene flushed, scowled at the king and stood, towering over the dwarves sitting around the table,

“Had I left, Your Majesty, the Sealed Hellmouth that lies beneath my tower would have been breached long before now and your mountain overrun by demons." She growled, "You would ask me to place the lives of over a hundred thousand souls spread over the entirety of the Pagan Plains at risk? You would ask me to abandon the people I was tasked to protect by Yastromo himself, all so you can feel all better about even deigning to talk to me?!" 

Haneskeeper yelped as a gust of icy wind blew around the room, knocking over some of the small knick knacks scattered around the room. Prince Garin huddled into his chair as much as he could, protectively holding the book he'd been reading to his chest. Archlector Vandkleig merely raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, unruffled by the emotionally charged magic that was building within his personal chambers. The elderly dwarf muttered a prayer and Dispelled it,

"I think we're rather letting our tempers get away from us." He said mildly, "Let us return to the matter at hand, shall we?" He suggested. He looked over to Selene, who bowed her head, chastened,

"Yes, Your Holiness, I apologise." She murmured, sitting down once more. Storri snorted, but also sat once more. Haneskeeper cautiously looked between his king and the Grand Magus,

"Getting back to our discussion, I'm sorry that we can't be much help to you with regards to the God Clay, hen." He said, "That's something ye'll need to take up with yer Emissary." Selene shook her head,

"I suppose I have no other choice." She sighed, "However, from my understanding, that only solves half my problem." She said, turning her attention back to the Archlector, ignoring Storri entirely as he made a grumble of protest. The Archlector stroked his beard,

"Ah, you did say your research mentioned Shapers. I can only surmise that you've worked out that you require one to use the God Clay." He said. Selene nodded,

"Yes, Your Holiness. I had kept the question of enquiring about this after learning what I could about the God Clay first. I really do not wish to ask any more of you-" 

"Then don't." Storri snapped suddenly, "We can't help you." Selene frowned, turning to face the still outraged king. Was he not aware of Meredith's talents? She glanced to the Archlector, who was gazing at his king with an exasperated expression.

"While I understand your reticence Your Majesty-" she began, only to be cut off once more,

"I just said we can't help ye! What are ye not understanding?" Selene inhaled deeply. While she did not personally pay direct homage to any god in particular, she found herself asking for the patience to deal with the frustrating dwarf in front of her from any that happened to be listening in. So long as it wasn't Him.

"Your Majesty, what I do understand is why you are reluctant to allow me to request the help of one of your youngest citizens. Unfortunately, given the nature of the situation, I really do not have any other recourse." She pleaded. All three dwarves stared at the wizard. Haneskeeper frowned,

"Now how did ye-?" He started as Selene quickly held up her hands as Storri's expression grew thunderous,

"I've been staying at the Hammer and Anvil. I was speaking with Gruk about the situation and he told me about his youngest daughter." She explained, as quickly as she could manage. "I don't want to drag anyone else into this but-" 

"No."

Selene stared at Storri, desperation writ plain over her face,

"Your Majesty. Please-" she began. Storri's nostrils flared as he lifted his chin,

"We've given ye what ye came here for." The king stated evenly, his voice colder than the winter winds that lashed against the mountain, "I will not permit ye to take anyone back to that godsforsaken place, least of all a woman as young and impressionable as Miss Ironforge." He looked to Haneskeeper, then bowed deeply to the Archlector as he rose once more,

"Since the matter's been settled, I'll see myself out. Grand Magus, I'll give ye one more day to pack yer things then I want you out of this mountain never to darken its doors again. Am I clear?" He didn't bother waiting for an answer, simply gesturing for Garin to follow him out as he walked away. Selene could only stare, dumbfounded as the king of Fangthane left the room, almost barging into the Archlector's attendant, who had just returned with a large trolley filled with food and beverages. Garin, bowed and muttered an apology before following his father out of the door.

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Anatole (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nickname- Tana by her sisters & the rest of The Horae

Age- 32 (immortal)

Location- New Olympus, Olympius (The Royal Palace)

Personality- Being a social butterfly goes well with her sunny disposition. She's also charming, outgoing, approachable, & talkative. She's casually dating.

She has the standard abilities of a goddess except shapeshifting. As the goddess of sunrise her other powers/abilities include limited photokinesis (not as strong as her eldest sister or other light deities, but a bit more stronger than her twin), being able to communicate with some diurnal animals, and limited circadian manipulation (as it relates to the sunrise). She's at her most strongest during the first hour of sunrise.

Tana & her fraternal twin Auge (goddess of first daylight) are members of The Horae.

She lives in an apartment suite at the royal palace, just a floor beneath her twin sister. The walls and ceiling are painted in hues of golden yellow, orange, red, light pink, & pale violet. The furniture style is the perfect mix of modern and coastal. The greatest housewarming gift from Theia (Titaness of sight & heavenly light) hang from her bedroom windows- yellow gold curtains made from the rarest most exquisite satin with added Imperial Gold accents.

Tana towers over Auge and her eldest sister Alectrona (goddess of the sun & morning) with an impressive height of 6''2!

A go-to drink for her are the homemade orange banana smoothies she makes. She also likes orange juice, sparkling grapefruit cocktails, pineapple juice, iced tea, coconut water, mango juice, lemonade soda, bellinis, shirley temples, and golden dream cocktails. Her usual from The Roasted Bean is a large hot decaf latte.

Tana has an animal companion- a pegasus named Callista. She's also a licensed chariot mini-bus driver. One of Tana's main responsibilities is to drive a chariot mini-bus of tourists (pulled by Callista) to the palace when it doubles as a museum. She loves the new faces she meets every month & the new stories she hears when she eavesdrops on their conversations. Tana also makes it a point to socialize with the passengers. She almost always covers the early afternoon shifts at the palace's gift shop.

In the group Tana is closest to Gymnasia (goddess of excercise & gymnastics), Mesembria (Bria) (goddess of the afternoon), and Sponde (goddess of libations).

Daylilies are her favorite flowers!

Even though their sister relationship has had its fair share of ups and downs, there's still love between Tana & Auge. She's constantly trying to get Auge to come out of her shell more. They both respect and look up to elder sister.

She hates when Auge constantly reminds her of being the "older twin."

Her favorite frozen treat is the citrus sorbet (made with oranges, lemon, clementines, & white grapefruit), She always gets an olympian sized cup from The Frozen Spoon.

Tana is well known for her delicious and cheesy croque monsieur breakfast casserole. She even made one for Zeus when news of Hera filing for divorce became public.

She loves using the Glory's Crown citrus superfruit hair oil for her short sunkissed blonde hair.

In the pantheon Tana's also friends with Eudaimonia (goddess of happiness), Matikós (god of performance), Damia (goddess of naturalness), Elpis (goddess of hope), Pherusa (goddess of substance & farm estates), Spermo (goddess of grains), Apólafsi (god of enjoyment), Elais (goddess of oil), Aegle (goddess of good health), Philotes (goddess of sex, friendship, & affection), Sardo (one of The Nesoi), Thilasmós (goddess of nursing), and Hesychia (goddess of quiet, stillness, rest, & silence).

She's also gotten friendly with the esteemed Titan family of Hyperion (Titan god of heavenly light), Theia, Helios (Titan god of the sun), Selene (Titaness of the moon), & Eos (Titaness of dawn)- being introduced by her oldest sister. Tana's excited about the invitation she recieved to Hyperion's upcoming yacht party to celebrate the Summer Solstice.

For other work/means of income she models for/endorses Olmorfia, Heavenly Spark, Phaelam, and the newest deal being for the jewelry brand Euryphaessa. Tana also has her own stall at the Emberglow Farmer's Market (in the Hearthwood neighborhood) where she sells various sundried fruits & vegetables.

Her all time favorite dessert is the mango pie from Hollyhock's Bakery.

Her go-to thing to get from The Bread Box is the citrus arugula salad (drizzled in extra honey lemon dressing).

Tana's favorite make-up product to wear is the Olmorfia liquid matte lipstick in the shade "Heat Wave," a burnt orange color.

In her free time she enjoys sunbathing, tanning, sufing, gardening, bike riding, yoga, scrapbooking, jet skiing, shopping, cooking, tennis, and football (soccer).

Her all time favorite meal is fried rice (added with sundried tomatoes) alongside a sweet n' sour glazed grilled salmon.

"Every sunset is also a sunrise. It all depends on where you stand."

[ofjoeys]

* — did you see JOHANNA ‘JOEY’ PAREDES at the party last night? the DJ/BARTENDER has been apart of the squad for SEVEN YEARS and i’ve heard they were the MISCREANT of the group. in my experience they’ve always been VEHEMENT, but i’ve heard they can be IRREVERENT. they remind me so much of alcohol-filled adventures, noise cancelling headphones on at all times, a perfectly curated playlist for every moodlet/situation in life, 90′s grunge fashion.

biography    connections   pinterest   playlist

STATS

full name: johanna alejandra paredes colosio

gender and pronouns: genderqueer, they/she

date of birth: june 6th, 1996.

fc: lizeth selene

place of birth: acapulco guerrero, mexico

current location: oceanview, ca.

nicknames: jo, joey, jojo, mojo jojo.

age: twenty-six

sexuality: queer

nationality/ethnicity: mexican-american/latine

languages spoken: english, spanish, portuguese.

occupation: dj/bartender

instruments played: drums, guitar, piano, bass, violin, harp, french horn, sax, marimba, ukelele, harp, accordion, harmonica, guiro.

tattoos: pink lotuses on her right shoulder blade, a set of headphones on her right wrist, equalizer bars on her mid-lower back, a set of rainbow dots on her right forearm, the word angel on her abs with two cherubs on each ribcage, a siren on her right arm, butterflies on her right forearm, flowers on her left forearm, ‘power’ on her right hand, ‘thankful blessed’, musical notes on various fingers, an eye on her left wrist, a flower on her left leg, the word angel on her left shoulder.

piercings: nose, septum and helix, used to have both her eyebrow and her tongue pierced but she got them both off and have heal since.

zodiac sign: gemini ☼ scorpio ☾ cancer ↑

label: the miscreant

pos traits: vehement, open-minded, energetic, quick-witted, adaptable

neg traits: irreverent, obstinate, sarcastic, cynical, impulsive, devious

myer’s briggs type: isfp

enneagram type: seven with eight wing: “the enthusiast.”

likes: music, art, partying, road trips, drugs, flirting with girls.

dislikes: being alone, being confined, repetition and routine.

hobbies: music, all the way. johanna lives and breathes music, traveling and meeting new people.

favorite color: purple, red and black.

favorite food: lobster mac & cheese.

allergies: peanuts, oranges.

right or left-handed?: left-handed.

parents: ricardo paredes (deceased), ana claudia paredes (storebroker, economist)

siblings: 6 in total, all residing in new york and jo was minimal contact with most of them.

BULLET POINTS (𝖿𝗎𝗅𝗅 𝖻𝗂𝗈 soon)

tw: substance abuse, abuse, death mention

joey was born in acapulco, mexico when their parents were visiting their mother’s family. it was a complicated birth and the family had to stay in the coast for around six months before moving to ny, where they resided

there is a total of seven paredes siblings, jo is the sixth in line

their family is… well accommodated in the new york social circle. their mom is a socialite daughter of a former mexican president and has made a name for herself in wallstreet (think jordan belfort) and their dad was a professor at columbia

joey was the black sheep of their family for a very young age, they were the polar opposite to the paredes', but had to play the part as one of the clan while living under their roof

they DID live a double life while in new york, whatosever. a pseudio socialite, golden child on one side and a rebel anarchist on the other.

they began abusing substances at a VERY young age, due to the people they had in their circle and their inability to handle stuff and feelings

almost got married, once. they broke off the engagement days before the big day after a big fight with their ex turned sour and yeah, they bounced

their father died when they were 21 which prompted them to finally leave ny and escape their family— which ultimately brought them to oceanview. they got themselves a job as a bartender at some local pub and slowly build themselves a career as a local dj— yet their dream is to one day become a music producer

PERSONALITY

they have a hard time letting people in? they are chill, will joke with you for hours and do their best to make you laugh, but actually connecting with people is hard for her bc trust issues.

lowkey has an alcohol & drugs dependency problem but won’t accept it because it’s the only way they can handle their life, rlly is trying to get it together and be LESS OF A MESS

is really a hot mess™ with a decent heart who just wants to start over and be themselves for the first time in their life and meet people and make people smile and have fun, for the most part means well ( unless she doesn’t like you then lol gl ) but feelings and things just… can’t. do. human. things.

hates the way they are. lowkey tho, lowkey. likes to pretend she is a robot and doesn’t feel anything but lmao who u playin’ she feels everything just doesn’t let people see that because caring is weakness

also ALSO their sexuality is… complicated? i’d describe it as pan? except she is v picky when it comes to men? like, hasn’t been attracted to men in years but with the right guy it could happen????? when it comes to girls tho???? 100% has a crush on 20 girls at the same time ngl and they are FLIRTY.

[pettyeti]

canvas: Does your OC have any scars, piercings, tattoos, or other markings? Do they display or cover them up at all?

malefic-xiv: OH I FORGOT TO SPECIFY FOR MY ASK, but pls answer for both! I am curious! Meme!

It would probably be easier to show through pictures so I included a few under the cut! Info on Vrai is also under there.

Etienne didn't have any tattoos until recently. After the Pandaemonium raids, he finally met Selene (his Azem) in Elpis. Eti struggled a lot during this recent raid series because he hit an internal level cap (his ability to use magic is limited due to exposure to Black Rose,) so Selene was nice enough to give him a power boost lol. Selene's magic manifested as these tattoos over Eti's arms and legs:

There's a lot of moon and star motifs because Etienne and Selene have heavy associations with the moon (go figure lol). The flowers are there because Etienne loves them, and on his left arm are glyphs that look similar to the same ones Selene uses for his magic. It's located just below an image of a fish native to Eti's homeland. The tattoos are manifestations of some of the things that make Eti... well, Eti lol. They're very important to him and he's proud of them, so he displays them a lot.

As of EW, he has a lot more scars on his body. I've been meaning to update his model to reflect that, but I am a very lazy person. The most gruesome one is a faded scar at his neck.

Vrai is covered in tattoos but they have much less sentimental attachment to him, save for the ones located on his hands and wrists. There's a big seal on his back that's the same as the ley lines black mages use, so he can permanently fire 4 super fast without worrying about "muh ley lines." Each seal offers him a different type of power, most of which he acquired through centuries of research and experimentation:

The seals on his hands and wrists are important to him because he acquired them before he became a voidsent. It was his greatest achievement back when he was still mortal. They offer him the ability to shape shift into any creature indefinitely, but he generally sticks to only a few animals.

When he hasn't consumed aether in a long time, his tattoos move and congregate in his arms, as though searching for something to rip apart. Don't forget to feed your voidsent some aether before midnight, otherwise bad things will happen lol.

thank u so much for the ask! <3

[mandralrealtors]

Beach Residencies by Sobha Realty Dubai | Luxury Apartments in Sobha Siniya Island, UAE

Discover the luxurious Beach Residencies by Sobha Realty Dubai located in Sobha Siniya Island, Umm Al Quwain, UAE. Surrounding a stunning crystal-clear lagoon, these exclusive beachside apartments offer a range of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom homes with all the luxury amenities you could desire.

Two premium projects are available: Selene Beach Residencies and Delphine Beach Residencies, with prices starting from just 1.10 M AED. If you're looking for a perfect balance of luxury living and prime location, these beach residencies offer unmatched value.

Key Highlights:

Location: Sobha Siniya Island, Umm Al Quwain, UAE 🏝️ Apartment Options: 1BR, 2BR, 3BR luxury beachside apartments 🏡 Prices starting from 1.10 M AED 💼 Luxury amenities included 🌟 Tags: Sobha Realty Dubai, Sobha Siniya Island, Beach Residencies Dubai, Selene Beach Residencies, Delphine Beach Residencies, 1BR apartments Sobha, 2BR apartments Dubai, Luxury apartments UAE, Beach apartments in UAE, Sobha projects UAE

For more real estate updates, like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for insights into luxury living with Sobha Realty!

[x-mencomics]

The Uncanny X-Men #184 - The Past of Future Days

Dallas, Texas

Raven Darkholme and Dr. Valerie Cooper arrive at Forge's building. When they get to Forge's floor in the building, Forge is having an argument with a man named Naze. It's an argument about putting matters right before life itself unravels... sounds kinda important. But Forge says it's up to others to take his place now, and Naze says they've tried to find someone to take Forge's place but failed. Naze storms out and Forge greets Darkholme and Cooper.

Forge has been working on developing some new technology: one item can locate other beings, one can banish beings to "an other-dimensional limbo," and another item is a gun that neutralizes the power of any super-being. Forge says he doesn't know if its effects would be permanent or temporary. The last thing Forge is working on is a scanner that detects if a being is an alien or a mutant. He turns it on and says it's picking up a mutant in the room. Raven is initially very concerned her cover may be blown, but then Forge laughs and says it's because he is a mutant that the scanner was picking something up.

New York City

A woman with short, red hair watches on TV as the X-Men fight the giant dragon in Tokyo. The woman recognizes the X-Men, and notes that Storm looks much different than last time she saw her. The news on TV discusses the Mutant Affairs Control Act and the woman is shocked to learn that Senator Kelly introduced it because in her time, that Act was introduced after Senator Kelly was killed by a mutant. The woman says her time shift was successful, and that she's in the past, but she's unsure if it is "the right past." Selene, still in the city after the Colossus/Juggernaut fight last ish, detects this woman's power and is excited that she may have found "an heir."

Selene tracks down and tries to grab the woman, but the woman escapes and runs into a crowded bar. Security tries to throw her back out, but the owner overhears the woman talking about Selene trying to hurt her and he wants to help. He says his name is Nick and he asks for her name. She's Rachel. (This is Rachel from X-Men #141 and 142!) Nick offers to help Rachel, bringing her to his really cool apartment, giving her some food, and allowing her to relax in his hot tub. Rachel can telepathically tell that Nick truly wants to help her.

Bad thing is Selene has followed them and she kills Nick while Rachel is in the hot tub. Rachel gets out of the tub and finds Nick's body and Selene! A telekinetic/telepathic battle between Rachel and Selene ensues, but Selene is more powerful. The fight, accidentally sparks a huge fire, which Selene is able to control with her powers. Suddenly, Charles Xavier contacts Rachel, having been alerted by Cerebro of the presence of two powerful mutants in the area. Rachel asks Xavier for help.

Xavier has already sent Rogue, Nightcrawler and Colossus ahead. They arrive and try to save Rachel from Selene, but Selene is very powerful and the fire has gotten so out of control, the X-Men can hardly see through the smoke and flames. Selene grabs Rogue and Rogue feels her own energy being drained. Finally, a psychic attack from Xavier makes Selene flee the fight. Storm arrives and stops the fire with her rain and wind powers.

Later, Rachel explains that Selene is like a vampire and she is sustaining herself by draining the life-energy of others. She tells the Professor that she senses "psychic keys" in Selene's mind, just like the Professor taught her to sense. Xavier is confused, and asks when he ever taught Rachel. Then Rachel gets confused - why is the Professor walking? Why does Storm look so different? Rachel realizes she has traveled to "the wrong past" and now the world is doomed!

[voidsumbrella]

huevember day 9 - marienne + h @ 340

MISSING: Lin-Whittier, Marienne Selene Basic Information- Race: white Sex: female DOB: october 19th, 19XX Last Seen: 06/10/201X Location: New York, New York marienne lin-whittier left a friend's apartment on the evening of june 10th. she was wearing a blue sundress and black slip-on shoes, and a necklace with a turquoise butterfly charm that her dads gave her for her 11th birthday. she did not get off at the stop closest to her home, instead staying on for four or five more and exiting seemingly at random. she has not been seen since. she has a surgical scar on the back of her right hand from breaking two of her knuckles in a fistfight in the 4th grade, and a tattoo of a bluefire jellyfish (Cyanea lamarckii) on her right thigh. If you have any information, please call:

[wholesalemagnesiumoxide]

triple helix pitching forward | chapter four: entanglement depth

word count: 5.3k

content warnings: violence, sexual allusion, psychological distress

The sun has crept far enough down the horizon that it no longer provides any light. Seen through the window, Elysium-4 is shrouded in near total darkness, lit only by the last embers of the sunset, the dim bulbs of its rocky moons, and the pinpoint lights of the stars.

The uniformity of the view makes it the perfect backdrop for Selene's work. Sitting in the living room for a change of pace, she's reading through laboratory correspondence. Augments project text onto her retina. Piecemeal decryption has its advantages, but the major downside is that the information is disgorged at random. Even if you know what you're looking for, you need luck on your side to find anything quickly.

When it comes up in her search, she almost doesn't recognize what she's found. She pages past it, skims a few more messages, then has to go back once the significance has worked its way through her mind. Its formal title and stilted scientific language don't fully disguise Minerva Verrine's initial report of THRONE's discovery. Included are the coordinates and an orbital photograph of the entrance to the cave THRONE was found in.

"That's not too far from us, is it?" Selene asks.

"It is an hour's flight away," Brutus says into her ear.

"What?" Asphodel looks up from her tablet. "Oh, you're talking to him, aren't you." Brow furrowed, she goes back to her reading --- writing unanswered letters can only occupy so much time. Selene's apologetic look goes unnoticed.

"Let's head over," she says, voice lowered.

"Do you expect THRONE will be there?" Brutus asks as the ship begins its subtle acceleration.

"It could be." She stands and stretches, making a mental note to do more flexibility exercises --- she aches from sitting. "If we're lucky."

"If it is, are you confident you will be able to eliminate it?" The question is pointed in a direction she can't quite determine.

"Nothing's managed to kill me yet, right?" She half-smiles. He doesn't respond. The dull pressure of his cameras on her is unyielding. Her awareness of his gaze -- so frequently a comforting background hum -- settles over her like snow.

"...I don't have to go if you don't want me to."

"It is one of our best leads as to THRONE's location, assuming it has not found another home."

"If it hasn't found another home..." She trails off, tapping her foot, looking at Asphodel. "Your hair's all tangled."

"What?" Asphodel looks up again. Selene can barely make out the cover of some mass-market romance novel on her tablet, the sort of committee-written commodity that served as the hardtack of her mental diet when she was younger and lonelier. "It's fine. See?" Asphodel attempts to run her fingers through her hair and winces when they get stuck.

"Hang on, I'll go get the hairbrush."

"You don't have to--"

It's not long before she's holding the hairbrush out to Asphodel, who tentatively accepts it. She spends a moment picking hairs out from between the bristles, letting them fall to the floor to get lost in the carpet's fibers, before she starts brushing her own hair. 'Tangled' had been generous; Asphodel meets harsh resistance. She threads her fingers into a particularly stubborn knot, attempting to tease it apart, before giving up and applying brute force. Hair rips, and Selene reaches out briefly as if to take the brush from her. Their eyes meet. Selene's hand retracts, and she tries to disguise the gesture as idle tapping. Asphodel doesn't acknowledge it.

"Thanks," she says when her hair's been tamed, avoiding Selene's gaze. The brush goes back in its drawer with auburn hairs contrasting Selene's sable.

The view from the window barely changes even as the ship moves; Selene's almost startled when a blue light appears over the horizon, dimly illuminating the rim of a crater a few kilometers away from the cavern entrance. Whatever subterranean reaction sustains the blue flame has yet to exhaust itself.

"What do you think happened here?" Selene asks.

"Meteor impact, maybe?" Asphodel says. She stands up, cups her hands and presses her face against the window to block out the glare of the interior lights.

"You did not see it when you flew in?" Brutus asks.

She pauses a moment. "No, I didn't. Minerva didn't mention it, either."

"Must've been recent, then." Selene tries to reconstruct his line of attack here. This is their first time seeing the crater, too. It's not inherently suspicious to be unaware of a particular location on some random planet. She knows he knows this -- no, more accurately, she knows he knows she wouldn't consider it persuasive evidence. So then...

Her train of thought is interrupted by him speaking into her ear. "We are ten minutes away from the cave."

Her armor slips on over her clothes like a holster fits a gun. She tests the flashlight on her helmet; it flickers a moment, blinking away sleep, before brightening. She turns it back off, satisfied. She holds out her hand for Legion before remembering it's still at the Biological Research Bureau facility. The final piece of her ensemble is a length of self-drilling cable she wears like a bandolier.

As the ship descends, Asphodel asks, "So where are you going, exactly?"

"The cave THRONE was found in," Selene says. "It might've gone back there."

"So you're following it home to kill it."

The blunt language is like a strike to the skull. "That's what you do when an animal kills people." When it eats people. "Isn't it?"

Asphodel's face twists. Selene can't decode her expression -- disgust or sadness, perhaps. It's a few moments before Asphodel responds, "Minerva wouldn't like it."

"Would you?" Selene doesn't ask if she's still alive to approve or disapprove.

"My opinion doesn't matter here. It's your job, not mine." She returns to her reading, eyes narrowed.

Selene steps through the airlock. The interstitial room is redundant in a breathable atmosphere. A pressure suit hangs from a hook, and she briefly shudders as she thinks about having to use it. A ladder descends just far enough for her to safely drop the rest of the way to the ground. The impact forces a cloud of spores out of subterranean fungal meshes. The air reeks of mildew.

In the absence of leaf litter or grass, the dirt is covered in sun-starved fungal whelps, braided mycelial patches, and slow-roving slime molds. Everything is damp, glistening in the beam of her flashlight. She looks up at the ship, then glances around. Orienting herself against the setting sun, she starts walking. Each step turns up more wheezing exhalations of spores. The canopy overhead starts to thin out as she comes up to the hungry mouth of the cave. Dull, sunset red on her right and unearthly blue to her left, she steps into the darkness.

Entering the cave is like wading into a lake; Elysium-4 rotates so slowly that air circulation is virtually non-existent. Cold, stagnant air meets her. The temperature doesn't bother her the way it would have in her youth. She's sure she's long since burned out the synapses governing goosebumps, shivering, chattering teeth, the way one can go blind from staring at the sun, but her chest still constricts as cold air fills her lungs. It's not the physical discomfort of childhood winters spent breathing recycled air at needling temperatures; breathing should be easy at temperatures far colder than this. Why, then, is this so difficult? Why--

"Breathe, Selene." Brutus's voice is like solid ground.

She breathes out, then in.

"Your oxygen levels are fine," he says. A hint of kind concern has crept into his voice, and she's momentarily embarrassed he thinks she needs it. She's even more embarrassed that he's right. "I will be monitoring them as you descend. If you even begin to approach suffocation, I will warn you."

His reassurance throws her emotions into sharp relief. So that's what this is. Childhood fears of asphyxiation digested and regurgitated. She's a professional. She should be better than this.

"Thanks, Brutus."

Steps almost mechanical, she begins her descent.

The cave walls gleam as though wet. Soil has slid down the throat of the cave, bereft of mycelial networks to hold it in place. It's like going from the lobby to an uncarpeted service corridor. She has to stoop to avoid hitting her head.

"We haven't gone this deep into the wilderness in a while," she whispers, voice conversational. "When was the last time? Two years ago?"

"You recovered the body of that missing executive from a forest nine months ago."

She frowns. "It was a park. That doesn't count."

"I believe it qualifies. If it were merely a park, the wildlife would have been much less of an issue."

The bite on her leg still itches occasionally. "Arcology parks are all like that."

The cavern grows livelier each meter she descends. Carapaces glint on the cave walls as insects feed on what Selene assumes is some form of bacterial deposit. Flies joined at the hip, fused together in all-consuming procreation, flit insensate through the beam of her lamp.

It's inaccurate to say Brutus exists anywhere, except perhaps the motherboard wired into the Slumbering Fury. He is intangible, he is omnipresent, he is data; his hands reach across networks, unbound by any physical concerns. Still, Selene imagines him existing inside her, circuits enmeshed with her veins. It's preferable to imagine that, when the alternative is her body as extended peripheral to him, an array of network endpoints he can run his hands over, paging through her like a book. The thought has its appeal -- she remembers the gentle hypoxia of his hand on her throat and sighs -- but most of the time it merely unsettles her.

A centipede about the size of her finger is crawling across the rock, eating lichen off the cave walls. It's ghostly, translucent in the light. It doesn't respond to the sound of Selene drawing close, kneeling down, preoccupied with its meal.

"Surprisingly fearless."

"Perhaps it is toxic, and everything has evolved to instinctively avoid eating it."

"Too good at defending itself to have to pay attention to anything?"

"It is a likely explanation. Complex sense organs are quite the investment. Once they become vestigial, I do not doubt evolution would do away with them quickly."

She nods, stands, and continues down the cave, wondering if this has happened to her. Physical strength and a partner seeing through her eyes obviate the need to bother with details the way she used to. She hopes the centipede eats well.

Ice catches her light, refracts it, scatters it into a million radiant shards. Psychosomatic chills grip her. She blinks -- quartz, not ice. Quartz juts out from the walls like the quills of a porcupine turned inside out. The path is clear despite the intrusions. Ducking under a crystalline spike, she presses onward. Mineral shards, knocked loose by some past traveler, crunch underfoot.

She hasn't seen snow in ages, not since the day she became Selene Morningstar. Arcologies tend toward the temperate, occasionally the tropical. Snow is reserved for resorts for the wealthy, the rare arctic park, and frigid planets used as computational hubs; none of them are places Selene has cause to visit. Suits her just fine. After she emerged from her icy chrysalis, winter lost its appeal. She's survived hypothermia, survived weeks in a ship running cold to avoid detection, survived living with minimal life support in a ship leaching heat to the void. Enough cold for a lifetime.

Even her previous iteration hated the cold. It still surprises her that nobody chalked the murder at Cocytus up to snow madness or some similarly overblown superstition. Sometimes she comes closer to believing that's what it was than she'd like to admit. Despite the several parsecs and years between her and Cocytus, despite being alone with only her beloved co-conspirator for company, it's difficult to imagine herself as the person who pulled the trigger.

A warning tone pings in her ears. "Selene." Brutus's voice is mangled by interference. She scrambles backward instinctively.

"That is sufficient." She stops, crouched down.

"What was that?"

"The layers of rock above you are causing interference. You are almost too deep for me to be able to communicate with you."

The words trickle through her like water through sand. "Oh."

"I recommend you turn back. We can formulate another plan to find THRONE."

"No," she says reflexively. "No, I can't turn back. It could still be here."

"Are you sure it is prudent to face it alone?"

"It's the best lead we have. I'll be fine, I promise."

Brutus is silent for a moment. "I trust you. Please return safely."

"I will." She adjusts her headlamp. "Love you."

"I love you too."

She resumes her descent. Eventually she's left alone with an inkling of something growing in her, taking root in her, and the hypothermic corpse embedded in her brain stem. She breathes in, holds, breathes out. Her helmet's visor fogs up with condensation, and for a single nauseating moment, she thinks she sees spores on her breath.

The cave walls are blue-gray, shining with accumulated bacterial glaze and the water that carved this cavern. The path twists, never steep enough to trip her. The inert stone of the walls constricts under her gaze, peristaltic action forcing her down the pipe. She's still in the esophagus. She wonders what will be waiting to digest her.

She's sure she feels mycelial networks snake through her lungs. Infiltrators and advance force of the fungal infection must be coursing through her. Oxygen saturation readings blink in her peripheral vision. They seem fine. Good, even. Her canary cells have not begun hypoxic die-off; they aren't screaming distress calls into implanted nerve tissue.

Deep breaths. The air still smells like mildew. Selene isn't sure what system drives fungal air deeper into the cave. It's been more than a decade since her last physics class; more than a decade since any education focused on anything more general than specific neurotransmitters, psychological fault lines, and techniques for memory analysis.

She hears a splash and looks down to see she's stepped in a puddle. A fissure in the wall disgorges a small stream of water. She begins her calculus, weighing up how much further she'll have to go, her level of thirst, likelihood of contamination. She stoops for a moment, about to take off her helmet, before she reconsiders and stands back up.

"You'd never let me live it down if I did that," she says. Brutus doesn't hear her.

Insects flit through her lamp's beam. It's been years since she's been alone -- Brutus has been constant, her heartbeat since they met. In the frigid isolation of the laboratory dorms, he was her only company worth having, the only conversationalist that wasn't her boss.

Layers of petrified lichen hang down from the high ceiling like stalactites; she's exited a tunnel and entered some kind of natural dome. Knowledge from her past life returns to her, and for a moment she imagines utilitarian metal flooring, endless rows of computers, the incessant drone of the array of fans; the perfect environment for gestating intelligences. Brutus's upbringing, back when he was called Dominion, was atypical. So was hers, back when she was called LC.

There's a light in her periphery, the glint of a gun barrel --- no, too iridescent, it's biological, a pair of shining eyes --- her gun's out of its holster before she notices somebody's beaten her to it. The creature, pale and spindly, is slumped backward over the stump of a stalagmite. Its jaw hangs open, and yellow-green blood runs down its face. The bullet hole is professionally placed, right between the eyes. Six forelimbs splay out like the fingers of a discarded glove.

Two pieces of information jockey for her attention. The first: this creature is likely a juvenile of whatever species THRONE is. She imagines picking it up off the stony floor, standing it up; it'd be a head or so shorter than her. Nowhere near THRONE's estimated three-meter height. Second: the ejecta of the exit wound is still pooling under its head. Scavengers have yet to reincorporate it into the food chain; it has not yet rotted into undifferentiated biological slurry. This thing died recently; whoever shot it is still here. Hand on her holster, she dims her lamp and leaves the dead behind.

She supposes it's lucky she met Brutus. Lucky she killed her past self to break him out. Otherwise, she'd have had no future but academia, and her success would have remained tied to him --- Latimer -- Dr. Hallow. Inventor of flash-etching. Responsible for the suffering of untold thousands. Her first boss, and the first man she ever loved. Better for everyone that he's gone.

Asphodel is probably still reading up in the Slumbering Fury. Is she worried? She'd have no reason to be; what is Selene to her but a captor? Half-forgotten physics lectures flit through her head --- the unknown variable in superposition, the observer's action that resolves it --- and she blinks as another fused mating pair of insects flies through the beam of her light. No, not a mating pair --- a mating trio, fused in strange trefoil shape. Biology was never her strong suit, much less xenobiology. She has no idea if the three are viable. She's not optimistic.

The high roof of the cave closes in; she's in another tunnel that twists in on itself and spirals downward. Bunched inward to avoid scraping the walls, she follows the winding path. Several meters in, she realizes she can't hear her footsteps. She looks down; the cavern floor is covered in moss. It's gotten warmer and more humid without her realizing it. She imagines it as the breath of some massive beast before dismissing the idea. Heat from whatever reaction sustains the blue flame high above, perhaps. She slows, draws her handgun, creeps downward --- combat in tight spaces was never her specialty; if she runs into THRONE...

They fly out of the beam almost as quickly as they flew into it. She rounds a corner, gun raised, and stops. Her arm goes slack. Rusted steel blocks her path; there's a large door built into the wall of the tunnel. She blinks, briefly convinced the fungal infection is terminal, that this is some form of dying hallucination--- but no, she raises a hand to touch it. She can't feel it through the gauntlet, but it's solid. Smooth, aside from the patches of rust and the seam down the middle where it opens. There's a scratched-up card reader built into the door frame, and for a moment she wishes she had brought Legion with her before dismissing the idea. Brutus's signals can't reach down here. She's only seen it off its leash once; if she had brought it out of his range, she's not sure she'd survive long enough to get to the door.

She clenches her hand into a fist, about to knock, but pauses. Whoever -- or whatever -- is on the other side of the door, she's not sure she wants them knowing about her. They could be a threat. She turns around, begins her re-ascent, unknowns diffusing across her mind. Potential views through the doorway fill her mind, each hazier than the last. A warehouse for storing unknown commodities. Another laboratory filled with yet more dead scientists. A barracks of soldiers for some unknown war. Each image flickers and fades when confronted with the ultimate question: why build that here?

She contemplates steel and how long it takes to rust. Even accounting for the ravages of humidity, that door's been around for decades, maybe longer than she's been alive. It could be abandoned --- but no, it couldn't be. Once again she comes to the corpse oozing pus-yellow brain matter. It's trivial for her to reconstruct the bullet's path, the way it must have toppled backward when shot. Whoever pulled the trigger was going further into the cave, not exiting it. They killed a creature in their way and continued through the door, she's grimly certain. The body's dead eyes stare upward, and she can't bear to meet their gaze as she walks past.

She's jolted out of her thoughts by a splash -- the water again. She watches the harsh glare of her lamp refract through it, play off its surface. She swallows. Her mouth is dry. She kneels, takes off her helmet, and drinks deep. It's bitter and earthy, chitin and petrichor. The mildew aftertaste lingers, and she stands, thirst slaked, fungal invaders in her bloodstream receiving reinforcements.

The fungal threat seethes within her, livid like an open wound, raw like reminders of every misstep she's ever made. Her involvement with Hallow, despite his crimes, the etching interfaces she wired into his AI progeny, her hand in constructing the perfect tactician... all the way back to her original sin, her rejection of the doctrines she was incubated in since birth. It all connects, traced backward by a long strand from the present moment. The lunar priesthood had sentenced LC Michaels to ritual airlock asphyxiation for some long-forgotten youthful crime, a baptismal trial he would not have survived; now, in the dark, she almost wonders if it would be better for everyone if his mother hadn't smuggled him out, if he hadn't survived long enough to become her.

"--ene? Can you hear me, Selene? Can you hear me, Selene?" Brutus's voice cuts in, repeating the same message.

"Anti-fungals." She says it louder than intended. A couple insects skitter away, startled.

"Pardon?"

"Hi." She swallows. "I love you. I'm sorry." Back to whispering. "Can you start the medisynth on some antifungals?"

"Has something happened?" There's a concerned edge to his voice. It rankles her, him putting in the effort to sound concerned.

"I think something here's infected me. I can feel it." Growing in her lungs, insinuating itself into her bloodstream, mycorrhizae tangling with circuitry---

"Your vitals are fine," he says, voice modulated in a gesture toward being comforting that Selene can only read as pitying. A moments silence, then "I cannot detect any anomalous bodies in your bloodstream. I do not believe anything here would be capable of infecting you."

"Please," she says, scared child tone to her voice. "Please, I---"

"I have already started the medisynth." Of course he has. "It should be finished by the time you return."

Of course he took her seriously. "Thank you."

"It is no trouble at all." His presence is steadying. "Please return soon."

"I'm trying my best to."

It's not long before she's pulling herself up the ladder three rungs at a time. She stumbles going through the airlock, catches herself on the wall with one hand, starts unclasping her armor with the other. Both halves of her breastplate hanging off her loosely, self-drilling cable dangling like a discarded sash, she kneels next to the medical arm. Brutus kneels beside her, the fabric of his dress bunched up --- even now, she's dimly aware of how difficult that is to simulate --- intangible hand rubbing circles on her back. Eyes closed, breathing deep, she steadies herself. She is calm enough to avoid panicking as he remotely stills her muscles, moves the arm into place, and injects broad spectrum anti-fungals into her neck.

There's a rush of chemical heat, almost a burning. The fluid --- viscous and, in Selene's mind, a livid red --- goes in slowly. The pain recedes, replaced with numbness and the awareness of his hands pinching nerve endings shut.

A trickle of blood leaks out of her neck, pooling at her collarbone. She stands, legs trembling in her greaves. "How long before it kicks in?"

"Any fungus in your system should be eradicated within five minutes."

Sitting against the wall, unbuckling and sliding off her remaining armor, Selene stares at the clock. Her hands work automatically as the seconds tick down. Plated steel formed to the shape of her body sits in a neat pile, and the five minutes expire. She breathes in. Even unconstricted by armor, the feeling hasn't passed; something is growing in her lungs, is taking root in her.

"You sure it should work?"

"I have absolute certainty."

Unknown afflictions sit in another superposition. Augmentation rejection syndrome, perhaps, or some allergy. The consequences of a lax exercise regimen, or breathing recycled air, or a life of---

There's footsteps on the carpet. Selene turns her head, blinking as she gets to her feet.

Asphodel's staring at her neck. "What happened?" Her eyes trace the flow of the blood from the injection site to where it stains her collar. A glance back up at her face. "Did you get hurt?"

Selene looks away, waves off the concern. "No, no, I'm fine. See?" She wipes the blood away; it isn't replaced. "I'm not bleeding anymore."

"Good, good." She's not making eye contact --- she seems preoccupied.

Selene has begun to ask if she's okay when she closes the distance.

"What are--?" Combat scenarios and escape routes snake their way through her mind, plans for move and countermove, the future unknown until observed---

Asphodel gets up on the tips of her toes.

"I missed you."

The wave function collapses. Asphodel runs her hands up and down Selene's back. The kiss doesn't last long. She blinks as it ends.

"Why--?"

"I just said. I missed you," she says. "Your mouth is cold."

She turns to leave. Selene reaches out a hand, retracts it. The door to the guest room closes with a soft hiss. The moment lingers like the taste. Earthy. Strangely bitter. She wipes her lip with her thumb absentmindedly. The anti-fungals are finally working.

"Interesting," Brutus says behind her.

"Is it?" She turns to look at him. "Are you jealous?"

"I would prefer if you were not smiling while asking that question."

"Am I?" She is; she blanks her face appropriately. "I'm sorry."

"I appreciate the apology," he says, hands clasped behind his back, head at a feline tilt, "and no, I am not."

Later, sitting at her desk, she asks, "What was so interesting?" Polygonal maps of the cavern, sketched out over an hour's worth of arcane key commands, extend across her screen.

He ignores the question. "There was a door at the back of the cave?"

"Oh," she says, zooming in on it. "I forgot to mention it. I was..." The tightness in her chest returns for a moment. "...distracted." The taste still lingers. "No text or symbols on it. Rusted steel, but sturdy. Couldn't get it open."

"Do you believe it is related to the facility we have been investigating?"

"The facility was only built a couple months ago, right? The door looked too old to have been built then."

Brutus is silent, projected eyes unblinking. Then, "That facility is the first known construction on this planet."

"It's tricky, right?" Selene sighs, leaning back in her chair. "I can't figure it out. The tangle leads nowhere." No, that's not quite correct -- it leads somewhere just out of her grasp. There are fuzzy outlines in her periphery, but the full shape eludes her.

"Strictly speaking, we do not need to know the purpose of the door," he says. "It would be satisfying to know, but we were not sent here to answer every question about this planet."

"Mm." She closes her eyes. "Maybe it'd get us closer to finding THRONE if we knew, though."

"You did not find it in the cave, correct?"

"No, it wasn't there. Found a dead juvenile of its species, but no sign of THRONE itself."

"It was dead?"

"Yeah, it was shot." Repeating that fact reminds her just how much she doesn't know. She feels very small. "Probably by whoever's behind that door."

Again he's silent for a moment. "Are you certain that is what happened?"

She opens one eye, looks at his impassive projection. "I know what a bullet to the brain looks like, Brutus."

"My apologies for doubting you." Sincerity creeps into his voice. "I do not intend to insult your intelligence."

"It's fine." She idly pans over the map. The facts rot away into undifferentiated mush in her mind. She sighs and powers off her terminal. "Are you sure you aren't jealous?"

"I have encouraged you to explore outside companionship several times, Selene. I can recite the conversations we had, if you require proof." The level monotone has returned. "It is simply concerning to see you so infatuated over a kiss from our prime and only suspect."

She stares at him. "I am not infatuated with her."

"I have lived with you for a decade, and your body language is unsubtle. You do not have to lie for my sake."

"I'm not lying." The words come automatically, and she pauses after saying it, unsure if it's true. Results: inconclusive. "I wouldn't lie to you."

Brutus is silent. She's not the only one who's transparent --- she can tell when he's weighing his options. Then, "If you had to make a bet for your life, would you bet that THRONE is or is not Asphodel Verrine?"

"What?"

His voice is firmer as he repeats. "If you had to make a bet for your life, would you bet that THRONE is or is not Asphodel Verrine?" She opens her mouth to protest, but he preempts her. "Please. I would appreciate an answer."

Breathe in, breathe out. "I'd bet on it being her."

"You do not sound certain."

"I'm not going to kill her on circumstantial evidence," she says, getting to her feet. "And I'm not convinced I want THRONE dead, either."

"Why? Selene, it is responsible for the deaths of at least five people, possibly six. What is the root of this hesitation?"

"You saw that cage. You saw that enclosure. I think of it in there, and..."

If he recognizes how that sentence ends, he doesn't show it. "I see."

Selene leans against the wall, arms crossed. "So maybe they had it coming."

"Selene," he says, voice lowered, tone filled with artificial matrix-product kindness. "I believe your sympathy is letting THRONE take advantage of you. What other reason would Asphodel have to kiss you, given that you are essentially her captor?"

She doesn't respond; she stares at the hologram in silence.

"Did you believe that kiss was genuine? It was transparent manipulation, an attempt to either convince you it is human or earn a stay of execution. Either way, it was an attempt to break free to somewhere it could wreak further havoc."

"Of course you'd say that." The words are out before she can think about it; once she realizes what she's said, she blanches as much as her cyanotic skin can. "I'm sorry."

"What do you mean by that?" he asks, head tilted, eyes alight, voice pointedly monotone.

She can't answer; the words would come out covered in ice, the crystals would lacerate her throat, she'd drown in her own blood. "I'm sorry."

"I am not an unfeeling automaton, Selene. You know this, or have professed to have known it. You have a symbol on that knowledge on your finger."

She rubs the scar coiled around her left ring finger with her thumb. "That wasn't..." She closes her eyes. Misgivings on the nature of inorganic emotion could maybe be forgiven. To admit to her true meaning --- of course you'd say that, you're military hardware --- would be something else entirely. "I'm sorry," she says, weakly.

His avatar stands, motionless. "You should sleep," he says, and the softness in his tone gives her the creeping awareness that he figured it out, can see right through her. "You have had a difficult day."

"Yeah," she says. "Yeah, I should."

A few minutes later, when the lights are off and she's lying in bed, she says, "I'm sorry."

"I appreciate the apology." She can't tell if he's forgiven her. "We can discuss THRONE and our mission tomorrow. I have ideas I would like to suggest. For now, you need sleep more than anything."

She doesn't sleep well that night.

[mementomoriisms-archive]

@tofuisms said: ‘ holy motherforking shirtballs . ’

“I appreciate the self-censorship.” Selene hummed as she opened the door to the apartment open wider, further revealing the mess of clothes that had taken over it. “Sorry for the mess. I could not Leila’s tutu this morning. Unfortunately, she refuses to do anything without it.”

[kth1]

kth1 Wip Poll (221108)

Here is where tumblr user, kth1, is requesting feedback and interest in their list of active floating wips I have running around in my documents and head. Please, if you have the time and patience, follow through the poll and fill out the necessary areas! Thank you so much in advance and Happy Reading! 🧡

i completely cut down on a handful of wips too... like seriously... a handful! (honestly, like I cut about 9 fics) full descriptions and ideas aren’t labeled due to laziness and other reasons. please don’t take the ideas i have laid out. but if something inspires you, like we could totally work together and make a lil mini collab. bet. hit me up!

Below the cut are the list of fics I am currently ready to elaborate more on! The poll is located at the end of the post!

total wips: 11

Amalgamation [MYG]

⁀➷ Idea: Beautifully based off the Underworld film series. Events are very similar but more in the OC perspective! Like, I can’t express this anymore. Yoongi is basically Selene in this and OC is Michael. ⁀➷ Pairing: Vampire!Yoongi x Fem Human!Reader ⁀➷ Themes: fantasy/supernatural, action, thriller, romance, smut

To Find the Sheep [JJK]

⁀➷ Idea: Based off of Red Riding Hood film (2011) which is adapted from the original Little Red Riding Hood fairy-tale. ⁀➷ Pairing: Jungkook x Fem Reader ⁀➷ Themes: fantasy, angst, mystery, romance, smut

Power Hour [KNJ]

⁀➷ Idea: OC works at the HYBE gym and falls head over heels for the beefy hunk who works out routinely every week. They develop a nice little crush on another (kind of) and then they... well... you know. ⁀➷ Pairing: Namjoon x Fem Reader ⁀➷ Themes: strangers to lovers, smut

Safe Haven [PJM]

⁀➷ Idea: Jimin is a royal guard for your family. Proving his loyalty and dedication to you once your family gets attacked by rebels. This one I do have coming out in a collab in 2023! But please give royal guard jimin a chance to sweep you off your feet and save you from the rebels! He’s got the moon sequence tattooed down his back! ⁀➷ Pairing: Royal Guard Werewolf!Jimin x Fem Princess!Reader ⁀➷ Themes: semi-modern day au, forbidden love au, smut

Game Point [KTH]

⁀➷ Idea: Basically, OC is the new assistant coach for the Korea men’s national volleyball team. She quickly learns that someone on the team was one of her last drunken hook ups, but it unfortunately isn’t the handsome ambidextrous right side hitter by the name of Kim Taehyung. This one is scary for me to write and I come back to it ever so often. I love volleyball and would love nothing more than to see Taehyung in a volleyball setting. I just don’t know if anyone else would care. ⁀➷ Pairing: Volleyballplayer!Taehyung x Fem AssistantCoach!Reader ⁀➷ Themes: strangers to lovers, smut

Haven’t Had Enough [KTH]

⁀➷ Idea: When things begin heading down the rocky path of bad behaviors and habits while on the road to success, the two of you struggle to keep the heartwarming connection you once shared. Where countless reminders of not having another serves you every single second in each others presence. Even though the two of you collectively agreed to the split in the first place, neither one of you are comfortable enough to give up on another. Apart of a future collab! Yes they break up but they get back together. ⁀➷ Pairing: LeadSinger!Taehyung x Fem MerchManager!Reader ⁀➷ Themes: established relationship, angst, smut

Feeling Frisky [PJM]

⁀➷ Idea: Hybrid!!!! Jimin purposely hunts oc for fun, a casual encounter between the two of them. The thrill of the hunt and capturing his prey is always arousing. ;) Snowy mountain caves with secret hot springs are the thoughts here. Just a nice little frisky fun loving. ⁀➷ Pairing: SnowLeopard!Taehyung x Fem BlueSheep!Reader ⁀➷ Themes: fwb, fluffy, smutty

Lessons Learned [KTH]

⁀➷ Idea: Aight, here me out. Pokemon themed. Taehyung runs an Eevee/Pokemon daycare/breeder facility and OC is trying to get her Eevee to evolve! So OC and Taehyung work alongside another to help OC’s Eevee become comfortable to change. Blue hair Taehyung is the need. I won’t ruin the innocence of Pokemon here, I promise! ⁀➷ Pairing: Taehyung x Fem Reader ⁀➷ Themes: pokemon au, strangers to lovers, fluff, smut

Pursuite to Articuno [PJM]

⁀➷ Idea: Surprise, another pokemon themed one! This one is basically Jimin as a trainer, looking to collect himself an Articuno so he travels to the Seafoam Islands in hopes to battle and capture one. However, the one he finds already has a trainer. OC. Purple hair Jimin is the vibe.⁀➷ Pairing: Jimin x Fem Reader ⁀➷ Themes: pokemon au, strangers to lovers, fluff, smut

Velvet Voice [JJK]

⁀➷ Idea: Uprising lead singer Jungkook has never had a problem finding himself a nightly companion to share a bed with. What he doesn’t expect is that he finds himself with a true nightly companion after his set. Yes, oc is a vampire in this one. ⁀➷ Pairing: LeadSinger!Jungkook x Fem Vampire!Reader ⁀➷ Themes: supernatural au, strangers to lovers, smut

No Title* [PJM]

⁀➷ Idea: Jimin is attached to a very rare and exotic flower which OC ends up buying to spice up her apartment decorations. Throughout the days, she begins running more and more into this very seductive, beautiful man which she never had met before. ⁀➷ Pairing: Incubus!Jimin x Fem Reader ⁀➷ Themes: supernatural au, strangers to lovers, smut

I am very willing to chat a little more about each fic, but I will not give the whole run down on what I plan on doing with them. Me asking for your feedback is me looking for reassurance and hope. Interest and excitement. I don’t normally reach out like this, but I am willing to try and see exactly what some of you guys may be looking forward to seeing!

Just shoot me an ask if you have any questions! 

Other than that: HERE IS THE POLL FOR THE FICS

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Arktos (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nickname- Mama by her son

Age- 49 (immortal)

Location- New Olympus, Olympius (The Royal Palace)

Personality- She's a confident woman with a deep sense of independence & a thirst for challenging adventures. She's currently single.

She has the standard abilities of a goddess except shapeshifting. As goddess of the night sky & constellations her other powers/abilities include limited lunakinesis, umbrakinesis, limited aerokinesis, and summoning & controlling stars and constellations. She's innately stronger at night, even more on a clear night, when all the stars are out.

Arktos is the oldest member of The Horae. Per her responsibilities, she often takes the evening shifts at the palace's gift shop, also closing too.

One notable feature is her height. She's one of the shortest goddesses in the pantheon, standing a bit over 5 feet tall!

Arktos resides in an apartment suite at the royal palace on Mt. Olympus. Inside, most of the walls are built out of amethyst geode (the ceiling is moonstone) while the doors are made out of scolecite. Instead of traditional lighting there's projection lighting (her favorite being "starry sky mode") in addition to having string lights. Outside on her terrace stands her most prized possession- a highly sophisticated telescope made from materials from a meteorite, inlayed with tektite & Imperial Gold.

She has recently become an empty nester when her only child and son Urso (god of bears) moved out. They've always had a close bond, so she's been finding it difficult to give him his space while he focuses on being on his own for a while. They keep in contact through text & video chat. She has yet to be invited to his new place.

Arktos has an animal companion- a pegasus (a boy) named Sirius. He's her usual mode of transportation and a common pasttime od hers has been late night flights on Sirius when she can't find sleep.

Even though she values her friendships with all the other members of The Horae - she's a lot closer to Mesembria (Bria) (goddess of the afternoon), Auge (goddess of first daylight), and Gymnasia (goddess of exercise & gymnastics).

Because she normally sleeps in during mornings, Arktos will have a late breakfast. Go-tos for her include a steaming bowl of maple brown sugar oatmeal (topped with honey & dark chocolate chips) as well as the hash browns (made extra crispy) from The Hearthside Diner.

Another notable physical feature are the tattoos of all the constellations on both her arms & back. In her godly form, the tattoos glow white hot!

A go-to drink for her is a blueberry martini. She also likes cola, gin & tonics, lavender tea, water, ginger ale, rum & cokes, and the cocoa overload milkshakes from The Frozen Spoon (a dark chocolate milkshake topped two full sized chocolate brownies, chocolate fudge sauce, chocolate sprinkles, & chocolate whipped cream). Her usual from The Roasted Bean is a large dark chocolate mocha.

Arktos loves getting the dark barbeque rib sandwich (topped with extra coleslaw and feta cheese) from The Bread Box.

She loves the Olmorfia nail polish in "Graphite Sparkle," (a sparkly black) & "Midnight Mantra," (a dark navy blue).

For other means of income Arktos writes the horoscopes for The Oracle newspaper. She also models for/endorses Heavenly Spark, Stella Ferrea (The Hyades' jewelry brand), and ýfasma óneiro- the fashion brand of Rhapso (goddess of sewing)

In the pantheon she's also friends with Nárkosi (goddess of sedation), Asteria (Titaness of falling stars, astrology, magic, necromancy, & nocturnal oracles and prophecies), Hysminai (goddess of fighting & combat), Lycana (Titaness of lycanthropy), Selene (Titaness of the moon), and Eváeros (goddess of air & the zodiacs). Arktos admires Nyx (goddess of the night), despite never meeting her. Arktos was the official mentor towards Urania (muse of astronomy).

She's also grown fond of her son's girlfriend Lykos (goddess of wolves).

Her all time favorite dessert are the cinnamon brownies from Hollyhock's Bakery.

She hasn't been in a real relationship in nearly a century- her primary focus being her son & responsibilities. Arktos would partake in the occassional one night stand. She briefly dated Helios (Titan god of the sun). Lately she's been hanging out with Oreios (one of The Ourea). So far, she's been enjoying their friendship.

Her all time favorite meal is stifado along with roasted potatoes.

In her free time Arktos enjoys reading, binge watching TV (true crime, historical documentaries, & trashy reality shows being her faves), archery, basketball, astrology, football (soccer), listening to music, jogging, baking, and writing in her journal.

"The constellations are like a celestial canvas, painting a picture of the universe."

[the-al-chemist]

The Beginning of a Symphony - Chapter 13

Summary: Héloïse learns some English with the help of an unlikely new friend.

OCs mentioned: Professor Bane @kathrynalicemc, Siobhan Llewelyn @kc-and-co, Gwen Archeron @thatravenpuffwitch, Roxie Haley @belovedbucky, Henry Lovecraft and Selene Fraser @lifeofkaze

Warnings: language barriers.

February 1896

Héloïse had now been a student at Hogwarts School for exactly one month. So far, she could not say that she was enjoying the experience. The customs here were bizarre to her, she did not understand her lessons, and was still struggling to communicate with her peers, having yet to learn any useful words in English aside from locations within the castle, the names of the subjects she was studying, and of a handful of her classmates.

The brown-haired girl in her dormitory was Gwen and the blonde Roxie, whilst the red-headed girl was Siobhan, though Héloïse had seen the name written down and heard it spoken aloud, and was not sure how the two were one and the same. There were other girls in Ravenclaw house and boys, too. Héloïse had even made a friend, a boy named Henry who she had encountered looking almost as lonely as she felt having sneaked out to the Astronomy tower one night in the middle of January. It had not been easy to converse with Henry, he having only English and she none at all, but they had managed to get by, gesticulating until had either understood one another or had started laughing, something that Héloïse had not done in months.

The laughter had done her some good. She did not yet feel happy to be at Hogwarts, but at least she now felt hopeful that there was some happiness to be found within the castle’s walls.

Héloïse’s first lesson of the day was La Runologie - or Ancient Runes, as it was called at Hogwarts. She took her usual seat at the back of the classroom and started to look at the runes she was supposed to be translating into English, but naturally, could not.

However, just because she did not know the English translations of the runes, that did not mean that she was unable to understand their meanings. She had studied this subject at Beauxbatons, too, and recognised most of the symbols on the little stones. Unsure whether Professeur Bane, the instructor, would understand her work, she translated the runes into French, and then again into Latin, for good measure.

It did not look like Professeur Bane would be checking Héloïse’s work any time soon, however; she was currently engaged in a heated discussion with two girls from one of the the other houses. Héloïse did not know either of the girls’ names, but she recognised both their faces and voices. The pair of them were seldom seen apart, and even rarer was it for them to be quiet.

Currently, the girls were growing louder by the second, and Professeur Bane increasingly frustrated. Eventually, she placed her fingers into her mouth and whistled loudly, causing the entire class to fall silent. Professeur Bane pointed her finger at one of the two girls, and then at the empty seat next to Héloïse. The girls protested, but their teacher remained unswayed.

One of the girls - the taller of the pair - stood upright and stomped her way across the classroom towards Héloïse, a sulky expression on her freckled face. She flumped down into the vacant seat and greeted Héloïse.

“Matilda,” the girl called her.

“Héloïse,” Héloïse corrected the girl, the way she had attempted to correct everyone, so far to no avail.

The girl did not seem to listen to Héloïse and instead began to talk to her English in great length and at great speed. Héloïse blinked at her, not understanding a word. After a few minutes, the girl stopped talking, sighed heavily, and returned to her runes. Héloïse watched as she separated out the stones, picked up a quill, and wrote down the symbols on a scroll of parchment.

In less time than it had taken for her to grow tired of attempting to engage Héloïse in conversation, the girl scrawled a word next to each of the runic symbols, seeming to translate all of them in almost no time at all.

An idea struck Héloïse, and she sorted through her own runes until she found the ones she wanted: Request; Assistance; Understanding; Non. Slowly and deliberately, she pushed the runes towards the girl, one at a time. The girl looked at the runes, and then at Héloïse. A look of realisation passed over her face, and she started to speak to her again.

Héloïse sighed and shook her head before pointing at her mouth. The girl frowned, rummaged through her own runes, before sliding two of them on the table: Speech; Non.

She pointed at Héloïse, who shook her head once more and pointed at the last two stones she had picked out: Understanding; Non. When the girl still looked thoroughly confused, Héloïse found yet another rune: Difference.

Héloïse pointed at the girl’s two runes and then at her newest one: Non; Speech; Difference. Then, to demonstrate her meaning, she showed the girl her own parchment.

The girl gasped, ducked under the desk, and pulled a textbook out of her satchel. She opened the book on the table and flicked to a page which was illustrated with a world map. She fetched two more runes, and placed them on the open page: Home; Location; Question.

Smiling, Héloïse pointed to France on the map, and the girl nodded excitedly, before setting off in yet another fluent stream of English. When Héloïse looked confused, she stopped abruptly and slammed her her hands to her mouth. She pointed at Héloïse, and then slapped one hand to her forehead with a giggle that proved to be infectious.

Once both of them had stopped laughing, Héloïse began to copy out the English translations of the runes, comparing the new words to the familiar French ones. Finally, she thought, she had learnt some real words.

For the first time since arriving at Hogwarts, when the bell rang to mark the end of her lesson, Héloïse finished the class with a sense of accomplishment. However, it did not appear that her new acquaintance had finished with her just yet.

Before the bell had even stopped ringing, she had grabbed Héloïse’s hand and pulled her out of her seat. She began to run, pulling Héloïse with her into the corridor and towards the large communal room that the other students called the Great Hall. For what purpose, Héloïse was none the wiser.

[daemxnium]

for: caspian stanislav / @collectixesoul​ location: outside of a nice restaurant in town

Selene slung her purse over her shoulder, pausing only when she caught sight of familiar azure eyes. The Stanislav’s were familiar to her, she knew Zephyr and the others well, but Caspian liked to stand apart. Her lips, painted crimson, curved upwards in a sly smile and she strode towards him, pleased for the attention that the weight of his stare brought. “You know, your timing is terrible.” The blonde glanced back, over her shoulder. “If you’d of been just an hour earlier, you could have paid for my meal.” In this stint of being human she was enjoying indulgences that a vampire had no use for: fine dining, the flush that flooded pale cheeks after too much wine, warm sunlight. She’d also indulged too much in the company of a hunter, but he was just as addictive as the wine she liked so much, and tonight had been a way to cut herself off. “Humanity doesn’t suit you Caspian,” Selene noted, delighted to tease him. “You almost seem fragile.”