#swynlake event

[ianthedisastrous]

NAME: Ian Lightfoot

GODLY PARENT (IF APPLICABLE): Athena

AFFILIATION: (Alumni 2012 - current) Alumni chair since 2021

SPECIES: Demigod

ABILITIES: Minor Audiokinesis, weapon proficiency

WEAPONS/ITEMS: Throwing knives. He also has an ornate ivory and silver pen with a carved owl feather design that transforms into a sleek larger dagger if needed - a gift from his mother from a quest years ago.

BIOGRAPHY:

(CW: death, panic attacks)

Wilden Lightfoot was not expecting a goddess to show up at his doorstep one otherwise ordinary afternoon, nor did he expect the day to end with an infant in his arms, his eldest son staring wild-eyed at his new tiny brother. But Wilden believed in things most people thought too impossible to be true, believing his son was conceived from a conversation and born of the curiosity of a goddess was hardly outside the vast realms of possibility.

But magic was harder for Ian to see when his father became ill, when he wasn't even old enough to reach his hand to hold beside the hospital bed. It went away entirely when that bed became empty and the boys drifted back to their little Detroit apartment with nothing but each other.

It was enough, in some ways; eighteen was meant to see his brother off to college but Barley never complained about seeing Ian off to elementary school instead before his job, or spending his evenings inventing games for the two of them to bring back some of the magic their father used to see everywhere.

Ian spent plenty of afternoons patiently waiting for Barley to get home when work ran late, nestled in a corner of the couch with a book or listening to one of his father's recorded lectures from the classes he taught at the nearby college before he grew ill.

And then one day Ian came home to strange low, rumbling, animal sounds and never saw the creature that was waiting on him in the hallway but he felt it, right down to the jarring scramble, the overturned table and the sudden, blinding pain that left him dazed. Everything after was blurry; other sounds, other voices with his eyes squeezed shut, that throbbing ache in his skull, hands over his ears trying to shut it all out.

It felt like the end of the world.

Thankfully, it wasn't. But the monsters didn't disappear, there was just a different one waiting for him when he could finally pry his eyes open; a strange creature with horns who looked an awful lot like someone he'd always seen around his neighborhood, urging him to his feet, urging him to leave, speaking about gods and monsters and everything Ian wanted to push away.

He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe, everything closed in around him.

When it all came back into focus he was alone in his bed, one eye still shut behind bandages and his jaw aching with to-be scars he would carry from that night, the hushed voice of his brother in the other room, a stranger's voice, talking about him, about leaving and how the things in the dark would never stop chasing him unless he did.

How they would come back, because of him.

Looking back Ian isn't sure what urged him to run, maybe he just couldn't trust the stranger, maybe he couldn't face anymore monsters or the idea of his brother being harmed. Something did, and he went, on his own, unprepared and frightened, but certain there was no way back to normal again.

Ian Lightfoot was not expecting to find his home in a camp full of demihumans and satyrs, nymphs and a host of other impossible creatures. Once, he would have thought the fear was impossible to escape.

But impossible never really was, not only because his godly mother’s open, curious mind is something he shares with her but because his father helped him believe it, the older brother he still visits helped him survive, and a lot of other people helped get him to that place after harrowing months alone on the streets because of his own foolish choice to refuse that first offer, too afraid to do anything but run.

But it is, and he's come to love it, to love the half siblings he meets each year as he remains, to take pride in his mother's name and the weight of it, and joy in Tony's music and laughter during campfire nights they entertain the youngest campers together with songs and stories.

He found shelter during a war he only fully understood after the dust had settled and purpose he grew into by being there, in guiding and helping the new kids, in calmly reminding the familiar faces not to test his mother's name *too* jokingly in his presence, and in just belonging.

The world outside moves onward, but Ian doesn't miss it much. In his books, in words, he finds his way back and forward in the same breath; his curiosity is never fully satisfied but it's tamed in quiet moments letting the pages teach him new things and revisiting the old.

With the reunion underway he's more resolved than ever to uphold his mother's name with pride, and eager to see old friends return with the stories of their lives out in the world, and new faces with new tales to learn.

[pall0r-mortis]

NAME: Sid Philips

GODLY PARENT (IF APPLICABLE): Hephaestus

AFFILIATION: Alumni (2013 - current)

SPECIES: Demigod

ABILITIES: Technokinesis

BIOGRAPHY:

(CW: Child abuse (past), injury, death)

Sid has never been anything but bold.

It was a survival necessity, right from the time he was old enough to understand his father's anger would always spin towards him, and he did learn that so very young. A man with so much wealth and notoriety in the medical field, and such shockingly little patience for his son, so little respect for his wife's success; Paul Philips was never fit to be a parent.

Sid tried to remedy the mistake as soon as he could start formulating plans to run away; he didn't belong there. But they always brought him back. They never listened. Home was not home for him.

He likes to think it was his real father looking out for him when one of his attempts to run led him right to a winged horror, snapping teeth, and a sudden realization.

He really didn't belong there.

The creature that found him - a satyr, he found out soon enough - was surprised. But Sid had been cultivating a talent for hiding all his life; it served him well when the beast came hunting for him. Nobody saved Sid, he saved himself; and he already knew the answer before the question was asked.

He was going home.

He went to his father.

Not the mortal man who had snapped his wrist in a fit of anger before it told him he was useless with the same regularity most parents say I love you, his real father. A god, a being who had never known him so had never forsaken him. The one who claimed him, the one Sid has worked hard to make proud.

That was where he belonged.

Sid never left. Why would he?

He has freedom he didn't before, he can build, he can enjoy the simple pleasure of creating with his own hands, melding and crafting and constructing what is needed, and whatever strikes him to. Hard work has never bothered him, he thrives there, meticulous, unwavering. It's a strange thing to feel content some days, but he is.

And the monsters don't frighten him, he knew plenty of those with human faces before, so he can handle the ones with claws just fine. In fact, Sid can handle a lot. He went to war without blinking, a child still, because every effort to shelter him in camp he ignored. He played no resounding part perhaps, but his cultivated talents served him well; he was impassively vicious when need be, detached, always a survivor. He returned when some didn't, and he accepted that was just the cost.

In the years since he's realized that cost was too high and has grown cold towards the gods who stir up war, but he is his godly father's son; his will is iron if it must be.

Sid remains at camp; most of his time is spent fixing things his less focused siblings break in their eagerness to create, or directing the newcomers around the cabin with a non-nonsense air. Because he wants to keep the monsters at bay for them, he wants them to survive. He wants to see some of the horror in their eyes fade faster than it did from his own.

But if any of his siblings happen to catch one of the younger ones running around camp with some intricate clockwork toy in hand, huddled together laughing over some gleaming trinket fit together with springs and scrap metal by a particularly talented hand, they know he'll only shrug off the questions about what he does so many late hours alone in the cabin workshop.

Maybe the cost of the years past have begun to add up in his mind; he sees too many mirrors of himself in the broken children who often arrive only to watch them fall later, far too many times.

But he can't save them, he knows; they have to save themselves.

He isn't as warm as he is direct, but he's learned to temper his anger away from the youngest and picks his fights with those better suited to matching his ironclad opinions and sharp tongue. He enjoys it, actually; sometimes the pressure builds so hot under his skin it has to go somewhere.

People returning back to camp to celebrate an old victory feels laughable to him, but ultimately he doesn't care; the gods like the attention and if it keeps them from starting little squabbles it's less hassle for him.

[superhiro-hamada]

NAME: Hiro Hamada 

GODLY PARENT (IF APPLICABLE): Hephaestus

AFFILIATION: Alumni (2016 - current. Graduated 2022)

SPECIES: Demigod

ABILITIES: Technokinesis

BIOGRAPHY:

(CW: Death, injury, depression)

Hiro's brain always ran too fast. Didn't matter what he was thinking about, always too fast, endlessly too fast. He excelled academically and failed entirely at being able to relate to anyone around him. Because he was too young, too smart, too loud, too reckless. Always too much of something. Always. 

When a weirdo with horns showed up and Tadashi left, Hiro thought it was all some dream until it wasn't, until his brother was gone to some camp and was the kid of some good guy named Hephaestus? Then it was too real, and Hiro waited for Tadashi to return. He kept himself busy, he waited, he turned his intense intelligence towards finding that camp, but he never could, he waited. He waited. 

He waited forever, it felt like. 

Then one day he wasn't waiting anymore. Something was waiting for him on his way home. Something right out of a horror story. He won't forget the howls of the hounds soon, if ever. But he was fortunate, despite his injuries, because help still came, even if it came just a little too late to escape the scars, the wounds that took months at camp to heal and a year before he was back on his feet. 

Not whole anymore, but when Hephaestus claimed his angry child maybe that was fortunate too. His father was, after all, one with his hands in the fire and his wisdom in crafting mechanical wonders. Who better to rebuild what flesh and bone couldn't repair? 

Once again, Hiro waited. While he healed, while Tadashi was away at a war he couldn't follow him to. And then, Tadashi didn't come back and Hiro lost something he couldn't put a name to. Worse than the scars, worse than his leg, even worse than the parents he barely remembered before his aunt took him and his brother in. 

Even their godly father couldn't fix that, couldn't bring Tadashi home, and Hiro wanted to blame him. Wanted to blame Bones for forbidding him from following after his brother. Wanted to blame someone because it wasn't fair! 

But nothing was going to change that. 

Hiro tried, endlessly, to involve himself in the war, but he was so frightfully young, so utterly ill equipped for it back then; he still loathes admitting it but Bones probably saved his life on more than one occasion simply by keeping him out of that battle, and the trouble he went hunting for once the war was over. He knows, he does, but it's hard to voice. Because Hiro never stopped looking for something to destroy in return for everything he lost. 

He still is, but these days just throwing himself into fixing things around camp, inventing vicious new ways to fight the monsters that snatch campers on their way to that safe spot, it's never enough. But that doesn't mean he'll ever stop. 

As people return to camp again Hiro watches them curiously, waiting to see if there's more going on than pointless games and competitions. He doesn't want to earn his father's favor that way, not playing games, he wants to earn it by destroying the things that threaten the camp; he wants to be ready if the gods have some ridiculous argument and start another war.

He won't be stuck on the sidelines again. 

[bad-moon--rising]

NAME: Lucian Doyle

GODLY PARENT (IF APPLICABLE): Tyche

AFFILIATION: Alumni (2010-2016) Alumni chair 2022 - current

SPECIES: Demigod

ABILITIES: Tychokinesis

BIOGRAPHY:

(CW: war, death, PTSD)

The universe always had a funny sense of humor when it came to Lucian, which he never found particularly funny at all.

He felt a bit like an outsider from the start, his half siblings never made it a big deal but everybody else did. Everybody around town always had a word or two about his dad's stepping out on his momma. Strangers didn't just show up one day, baby in hand, then disappear again without it being just what it seemed like. Funny thing was, it wasn't even the only time it'd happened. Lucky still felt awfully guilty about it anyway, as he got a little older.

Wasn't much point in arguing after his first run in with a big ugly something he didn't have a name for and maybe it really was dumb luck that got him out of that one. But it was common sense that told him he had to leave with the one who came seeking him, even being just a kid he still knew. Pepper had left too, hadn't she? Not too long before him.

Camp at least put him on even footing, sorta. Lesser gods weren't as important but he got by fine. Didn't bother him much anyway, Lucian didn't depend on other people anymore. But damn if they didn't depend on him when the cards weren't turning in their favor. He couldn't say no, didn't seem right to.

But people, they never suck around. They left, they lost their lives, and when the war happened a lot of them never came back. Lucky did, his mother was looking after him, just like always. But he shouldn't have been there, not so young.

Fortune favors the bold.

The universe tilted in his favor, it was never his doing, was it? But it helped a few people who might not have come back otherwise. He took the stupid risk to go because children, even teenagers, believe they are invincible, and sometimes they believe that it is their job to save, if not the world, the people in it they can.

Why worry about himself? His mother wouldn't let him fail. He believed that with the devotion of the child he still was.

Lucian went home after the war, after a few years at camp to heal the wounds burned into him. Aching, haunted and too young still for the life he'd seen. He worked in his uncle's repair shop, felt a little better using his own hands to fix things for a while. Dreamed of bigger things but left the dreams alone because when they came so easily they didn't feel like dreams at all, put them off until later, later and later. Then the monsters came nosing around again and he didn't have enough of his mother's gift to risk staying and thinking it wouldn't end badly for people around him.

So he didn't stay. He was fine on his own anyway.

Fortune favors fools.

Lucian always got by. Never one place too long though, the higher powers didn't care much about him but sooner or later something with teeth and claws always came lurking around. Lucian was tough, the scales tipped, he always got away and counted his scars after.

Just one more lonely year to add to the stack of em.

He'd be around long after most people, he figured, and he certainly doesn't want for much. Life is easier for him than most, and he isn't responsible for anything but himself. Everything is just in reach; money, distraction, all those shiny things, but reaching isn't much fun these days. He makes friends as easy as breathing, wonders in the next breath if those friends even remember his name when their good fortune takes them to bigger places because Lucian always looks after his friends, always tips the scales when he can, for them.

He gets his answer most of the time, a lot quicker than he wished.

He's made a game of stupid choices, reckless chances, let's see how long his mother will lend her gifts before she grows tired of her wayward son. But she never does, and Lucian shrugs and laughs, time and time again. One day the house of cards will fall, but he hasn't seen that day yet; he's still coming out on top, somehow.

Returning to Camp Swynlake he doesn't see that much has changed, he laughs about that too, because why not? What ever really changes? The universe’s plans sometimes glimmer before his eyes, pretty and perfect, he can guess the odds. Sometimes that's the worst thing in the world to know, when you know someone's luck has run out.

He was made to be a fool anyway, no point in being upset about it anymore. It's a hell of a thing feeling like chance can't get too much of a grip on you. Wanting too much is the biggest joke when you could have just about anything.

Except when what you want money or luck can't get you, at least not for very long.

[zerohallows]

NAME: Zero Hallows OCCUPATION: Lead horror comic artist for EC Publishing BUSINESS DESCRIPTION: N/A CURRENT LOCATION: Swynlake, again. RELATIONSHIP STATUS (IF APPLICABLE): Don't listen to Greg, it's not that complicated. Once again, in a relationship with him. The angsty undead version now.  CHILDREN (IF APPLICABLE): Oh, absolutely not.

BIOGRAPHY:  TW: Death

Life is finite. That's the rule, right? 

Life changes too, sometimes not in the way he wanted to though. Because he didn't really intend on sticking around town forever, he just wasn't sure when he was going to leave. Things seemed okay, until he figured out that he hated uni, and then Greg was apparently just changing their collective plans and skipping out to the middle of nowhere Australia? 

Zero figured that was fine because everything good eventually ends, right? He'd lived by that logic his entire life. Except maybe he took it a little personal because that relationship? He wasn't ready for it to end when it did, even when he wished Greg the best with the words threatening to catch in his throat, bitter. 

So Zero got on with his own life because he wasn't waiting around anymore, time was just decaying.   He got a few calls from some of the many comic book publishers looking for artists he'd spent months contacting after he left uni, and when the first one offered he was gone to the States. 

Goodbye Swynlake, it was mostly fun while it lasted. 

Then life started. Really started. And in a year? He wasn't some obscure artist inking and listed on the back pages, he was working with one of the biggest producers of horror comics and graphic novels out there; his name on the front pages, and his life settled right into the noise of New York. It was pretty good. It was, surprisingly, more his element. He remembered the part of himself who loved the nightlife, the beautiful ruin of rusty places and time eating everything up around him under a soft glow of club lights.  It was fun, it was a world away from small towns and pixie hollows and that was just fine. 

Then Greg called. And nothing was fine anymore.

And Zero found that maybe not everything was simple when feelings were involved and the ex that had dug under your skin more than you meant for them to was really in trouble, really alone, and it really made the decision easy. He wasn't afraid, not of him, the version of Greg that's no longer breathing but still mourning the burden of living. Zero's never really been afraid of anything except chances left untaken.  

And then he was in Australia. Dammit. What a mess. 

Hello again Swynlake. 

Hello old haunts, remote work at his clunky drafting table, meetings on Zoom and Zero commuting to the London branch office when he had to because life was once again a small town, an apartment above R2F with his endearing, moody undead boyfriend, and laughing because it was all too absurd not to when there he was pulled back into that old ghost town of memories. Only now people who weren't his friends from before know him too, know his name; there's a certain satisfaction in it and a certain exhaustion. 

Maybe even a little guilt that even though he visits Enchantra with Greg he hasn't stepped foot in the Hollow in the nine years since he's been back, and he never plans to again. 

Nine very interesting years of a truly disastrous dark fairy tale. Maybe that's what he wanted all along because in some strange, unsettling way; he's happy, most days. The days that he isn't, well, most of those are days when Greg's not…quite himself.  

Life is finite, but it's not that complicated.  @notmuchofatail

[swynlake-rp]

Hello Gorgeous will be the epicenter of all things wellness, self care, and a treat yourself moment! A local salon with the best in their trade coming from Miami and Manhattan and a bevy of positions open to any local artists and stylists!! The Hello Gorgeous loyalty card is free to all clientele. Any service you get done no matter the kind is a stamp - you collect 5 stamps you get one service free. Everyone will feel like a million bucks when they leave! That's a promise! *

WHAT: Swynlakes very first salon Hello Gorgeous opening!

WHO: All of Swynlake welcome!

WHERE: Hello Gorgeous Salon on main street (discord)

WHEN: Canonically 8 June but takes place 5th -12th

HOW: As with all events, hop in on Discord if you want your character to participate!

[notmuchofatail]

Ruff to Fluff's: PUPPY BOWL XIX 'TAIL'GATE & WATCH PARTY EVENT:

PuppyBowl Description: These puppies can't wait to take to the gridiron in the Puppy Bowl Stadium and show off their moves on the field for PUPPY BOWL XIX! Here's the 2023 full player line up from Team Ruff and Team Fluff. This year, PUPPY BOWL celebrates more puppies, more animal shelters and rescues, and more inspiring adoption stories than ever before. Will Team Ruff or Team Fluff win the Lombarky trophy?

Join us as Ruff to Fluff hosts its first annual PuppyBowl XIX 'Tail'gate & Watch Party! We have an eventful line-up of activities for the whole day, geared towards everyone! Please note; our park hours are scheduled to be limited so that we can prepared the yards for our Tailgate! The Enclosed Patio yard will be unavailable 2/12 until the Watch-Party begins!

Open Park Hours: Dusk-3pm (Closing early to set up!) Adoption Drive Event: 9am-3pm. Come in and meet our current adoptable animals, we'll be hosting an adoption drive up until our tailgate - and all of our animals have been sponsored, meaning they are free to an approved adopter!! Dog Treat Decorating: 12pm / 2pm. Like cookie decorating, but for your dogs! Customize a trio of homemade dog (or cat/critter treats!) with an assortment of animal-safe and delicious 'icings' and toppings! We'll also be raffling off a gift-basket full of goodies, and running a donation drive in partnership with the NTO shelter.

Tailgate & Watch Party: Tailgating will begin at 5pm in the main yard! All dogs attending will be able to pick their team & sport a custom Ruff or Fluff bandana! Dogs are then free to hit Mini-Swynlake and enjoy playing with all of their friends with themed Puppy-bowl and tailgating toys! (think stuff like this, and this. basically cute themed squeaky toys, footballs, etc). For the not furry friends; we'll be hosting a cook-out! Traditional American Cook-out foods will be served, as well as plenty of snacks (Vegan/Vegetarian options will be available and clearly marked)! We'll have soft beverages available, but feel free to BYOB (just be responsible!). Picnic Games such as Cornhole, Bocce, Ladderball, Washers, Giant Jenga, Horseshoe will be available to play! The watch party will begin at 7pm in the enclosed (and heated) patio area! BYO Blankets & Chairs (but we'll have plenty just in case!), grab a spot and watch the Puppybowl unfold on our projector! The play-yard will continue to be open at this time for energetic pups (or people) who'd rather keep playing.

[oh-phineas]

Boulevard of Broken ACLs | Self Para

Date: 19 August 2023 Warnings: Mention of surgery/medical stuff (not graphic)

Phineas begins his recovery.

Cheating death is supposed to feel a lot cooler than this, Phineas reflects as Patrick The Physical Therapist guides his leg in the correct motion for the five hundredth time that day. It’s actually pretty mundane. One minute, you’re being hauled to your feet by a girl you kissed at a party one time, being dragged through burning streets while your life flashes before your eyes, and the next you’re spending three hours a week in a rehab gym staring at the ceiling while a grad student chatters on about cricket. He came to Swynlake for adventure, and he’s pretty sure being snatched from the jaws of Hades (the mythical one, not the ex-mayor) is supposed to count for that. But he almost died, and all he got was this shitty Swynlake General Hospital Physical Therapy T-shirt. 

He tells himself that he can make the best out of any boring situation, that this is his superpower. That he never needed to travel the world because everything he ever needed was always in his backyard. And maybe that’s the worst part of all of this: that Phineas is supposed to be the eternal optimist, and he didn’t even get it that bad compared to some people, and still he feels this deep, awful, burning feeling that he is trapped. 

“Whoa, dude, slow down,” Patrick chuckles as Phineas races through his points-and-flexes. “What’s the hurry?”

The hurry is that Phineas wants to be out of here thirty minutes ago, but instead he just smiles. “Not in a hurry,” he says through his teeth. 

“Alright, well, you gotta take it slow to get the full benefit. It isn’t a race!”

Nah, it isn’t, because if it were a race, at least it would be fun.

The fact that he has the meeting with his doctor later to determine the next step feels like a fake milestone. It’s the end of a week of prehab, but it could be the beginning of more weeks of it, if the doctor recommends surgery. And if he doesn’t, there are still dozens of weeks of Patrick’s company ahead. Nothing’s really going to change, Phineas reminds himself as he goes into the exam room. 

“Well, there’s good news and there’s bad news.”

Of course. There’s always good news and bad news.

“Why don’t you just tell me the good news?”

The doctor chuckles. Phineas was kind of serious, honestly. He didn’t want any more bad news. But he was a responsible adult or whatever, so sure, he’d do the prehab, he’d do the surgery, he’d shove the instructions that the doctor printed out for him into the bottom of his backpack and actually dig them out later and show them to his parents and let them stick it to the fridge with a magnet. 

The surgery is set for three weeks from today, putting it squarely between the freshers week party and the networking event. Phineas considers texting Ed and Pip about it, then changes his mind. He doesn’t want either of them to think this will impact anything, because it won’t, because Phineas is determined not to let it. He considers texting Fawn, but then the remembers the announcement about the forest, and feels silly bothering her about this.

His parents have already moved onto talking about the plan for dinner, so while they’re not watching, Phineas hobbles out to Jolene on his crutches and drags himself into the back seat so he can prop his leg up. The car blinks to life hopefully.

“Ain’t nothing gonna break my stride Nobody gonna slow me down. I’ve got to keep on moving.”

“Aw, c’mon, it’s not funny,” Phineas grumbles. The dials spin mischievously, and then slow down. And then slowly, the volume climbs, like Jolene isn’t quite sure this is the right call.

It’s an old Green Day song. Phineas remembers jumping around his room and singing it a lot when he was younger and angry about all the things he didn’t understand, all the things he couldn’t disappear with optimism. He’s surprised Jolene even comes up with it. At first, he’s singing along quietly, but by the bridge, he’s practically yelling— and it feels good. 

He collapses back into the seat, breathing hard. “Thanks, Jolene,” he says. 

The lights just blink in response, and next up is an angry Fall Out Boy song. “Oh, fuck yeah.”

[assistedbyreason]

A Tale of Two Mediums || The King & I

So far Ichabod liked Swynlake. It was a quaint town that was kinda quiet. Of course there'd been the odd event here and there but he had been able to take it in stride. From the things he'd heard, he had expected far worse. And maybe there was. The little old lady whose name he still hadn't been able to coax from her had assured him that things like to go 'absolutely batshit' randomly and without warning.

He'd taken his time really acquainting himself with the town, though. So far he'd been here and there, often ordering in while he got his new apartment settled to his liking. It wasn't anything like his home back in New York but it was good for a vacation. Cozy, small. His living neighbors weren't nosy though the ones that weren't living were certainly making up for it. And, most importantly, his not so welcome specter hadn't tried to visit him. He was probably too annoyed with the change of other ghoulies and how chatty they were.

But he was finally getting out to really see what the town had to offer. The map he'd picked up at Town Hall had been most helpful in figuring out what places to get his dinner delivered from but also in figuring out which places he wanted to visit first. And at the top of that list? Chapter Three.

Book stores were among some of Ichabod's favorite places to visit. Not all had the same wares and he had a feeling that Chapter Three was going to be as unique as the town it was situated in.

The bell rang above the door as he entered, his eyes quickly scanning his surroundings before he stepped further inside. Instinct drove his footsteps to a section that looked as if it boasted new additions; his thoughts on finding his newest book there among whatever else was new and current. Around him voices whispered but he did his best to ignore them as he caught sight of another more corporeal figure in the shop. "Excuse me, could you help me. I'm looking for a certain book and it's not with the new releases. Unless, I'm looking in the wrong section."

{outfit}

@trip-downtheriverstyx

[vcnatorr]

From the desk of Sheriff William C. Clayton

A statement about the events at the annual Lantern Festival:

As everyone is no doubt aware, last Sunday’s Lantern Festival was interrupted by an unfortunate series of events that ended proceedings and left one person injured. Whilst we are sure that many of Swynlake’s residents are concerned about the possibility of further similar incidents, after a thorough investigation by the Sheriff’s Office, no charges are being pressed against either Elinor Dunbroch or Gaston D’Avenant for their respective roles in these events. Any citizens who still have concerns are welcome to contact the Sheriff’s Office directly.

[roscoesykes]

NAME: Mason Ottavio Sykes AGE: 21 MAGICK STATUS: Mundus OCCUPATION: Ugh - attending a community college and working side jobs on the side.  CURRENT LOCATION: New York City  RELATIONSHIP STATUS (IF APPLICABLE): In a relationship - ...kinda.  BIOGRAPHY: 

Mason barely remembered Swynlake. He knew they lived there until he was like eight, but it felt like a distant memory. Like everything there had been so out-shined by moving back to New York. It felt like home the second they’d gotten there, Mason had never been more interested in all of the sights and sounds of the city. Everything was cool - everything was an adventure to be explored. There was trouble to be had around every corner. 

Growing up, he had no problems finding it. Between Uncle Tito and Uncle Dodge, Zio Desi and even his father, Mason truly had no boundaries in what he could get up to. 

So when his mama told him they were packing up and heading back to Swynlake for a little visit, Mason couldn’t help but object. He didn’t need to go back there for some dumb stuff event! He could stay home with Fagin and the guys! But Rita insisted. Said it would be..... fun for him and Vivi to go back to where they grew up. 

But Mason didn’t care about that. 

Dude, Mason just wanted to go the hell home. 

[ianthedisastrous]

NAME: Ian Lightfoot  MAGICK STATUS: Elven Sorcerer (Half Silver elf - Out) OCCUPATION: Therapist and children's book author  BUSINESS DESCRIPTION: N/A CURRENT LOCATION: Swynlake RELATIONSHIP STATUS (IF APPLICABLE): Married to Tony Lightfoot (formerly Rydinger) CHILDREN (IF APPLICABLE): Hattie (age 11), Harper (age 11) and Everett (age 6) 

BIOGRAPHY: 

Ian Lightfoot was meant to have a lot of time, that's just how it works for elves. But Ian has a bit less, because he traded it for something better, to break a curse, to have something to make that time really matter. And he made the right choice; he doesn't doubt that for a second. 

He knew it more every year; finding what he really wanted and putting his education towards helping the same way he'd been helped at his lowest points; listening to those with trauma or pain holding them back. Finding his voice in writing stories for kids who, like himself, hadn't felt like they fit in growing up because they were anxious, or Magicks, or learning to live with differences of all sorts. When he took a job at Jiminy’s practice, when his first few books were published? It brought the peace of knowing his own choices had led him there.  

Discovering his place as neither fully Arcadian or human finally meant something, and he made it something good working with Nick Morey to establish a safehouse for those who wanted to be a part of both worlds, or stepping away from one to find their place in the other. 

He stopped hesitating, because life didn't have much room for that, did it?

When it was time to become a sorcerer on his own he stepped into a role advising and teaching his experiences within the Coven of Owls alongside the mentor who had become one of his closest friends. Because that too was where he belonged; there was no point in trying so hard to separate the parts of himself, or his life, anymore. 

Ian had always been a planner, he just learned somewhere along the way that all the planning in the world only makes a difference if you take the first step to see it happen. He stopped waiting and started building a life outside of those old fears.

Sometimes that meant slowing down, letting go of those plans and just enjoying the moment. Watching his kids grow and his daughters take up Tony's old troublemaker mantle in their Secondary years, hugging his little boy close and listening to his dozens of questions over every little thing; trying hard to be the dad he liked to think his own would have been. Somehow, no amount of books written for the world ever felt as important as the bedtime stories that made them smile. 

It meant watching his husband thrive chasing dreams he'd nearly let go of after so long waiting and seeing more than only his business flourish as Tony finally started to heal those old wounds, accepting that his friends and family changed and sometimes stepped out of his life while holding tight to his faith that it would be okay; that they would be okay.

The world isn't what it used to be for him.

It's better, it's infinitely better. 

And now with even more changes ahead and his hometown stepping into an era of freedom from the old views that nearly destroyed him in his childhood, knowing that his own kids will grow up in a place that’s safe for them all, he truly believes the world can change for the better and he’s ready to see what comes next. 

Ian has plenty of time for the important things, and that’s all he really needs. @foreverydinger

[oh-heartlessman]

A TLDR on what Anya's Closed Characters Are Up To in 2038

cw: illness

NAME: Jane Porter AGE: 46 FC: Still Felicity Jones

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Back in London, going through her first round of treatment for Huntington’s. :) Taking temporary leave from the RAS. Her husband Milo is by her side. 

—

NAME: Eva Grimhelde AGE: Immortal (idk something like 500?) FC: Still Krysten Ritter 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Publishes a series of best-selling dark romance sapphic erotica called Her Poisonous Kiss (other books are: Her Venomous Touch, Her Deadly Embrace, Her Painful Release — the fifth book, Her Torturous Denial is out in two weeks) under the pen name E. H. Grim 

—

NAME: Roger Radcliffe AGE: 46 FC: Still Sam Claflin 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Raising his two kids (William (19) and Anne (17))  alongside his wife Anita! And also his best mate Paul! And Perdita! And their giant brood of children. He works as a middle school music teacher and they all live on a big former farm, that Perdita pays for because she’s the one in finance making money for them. 

—

NAME: Daisy Canard

FC: Imogen Poots → Billie Piper AGE: 43

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Senior correspondent at Vogue UK. Married to Amelia Smollet. Raising two kids, Reginald (15) and Audrey (13).  

—

NAME: Callie Harper

FC: Zendaya —> Andy Allo Age: 40 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Owns a queer bookstore in Gainesville, Florida. Regularly volunteers at the soup kitchen and other community-oriented projects. Married to Kiara!! They have FIVE kids — two biological (Callie carried Kiara’s egg; Kiara carried Callie’s egg); three adopted; they take in foster kids and give them a steady place and hope for a family reunion, but if not they treat them like their own 

—

NAME: Jake Long

FC: Peter Adrian → Daniel Henney Age: 38 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Still the American Dragon!!! Day job is working at a nonprofit dedicated to helping Magicks. L Living in NYC with his wife Deb, who is an art teacher and their kids Dylan (10) and Luke (7)

—

NAME: Rob Triton FC: Still Max Minghella AGE: 48 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Responsible for a huge data breach that incriminated half of the United States senate… though no one knows this. Shows up occasionally for Triton family events with Andy, with whom he has an on and off again marriage/partnership. 

—

NAME: Lymantria Khan FC: Still Franciska Farkas AGE: 42 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Still in Swynlake! She and Meg have moved to the farmlands for a bigger cottage. They have a lot of cats, descendants of the original Ash. They also have three kids (two biological, one adopted)

—

NAME: Barrel Adamson 

FC: Charlie Plummer → Chad Michael Murray  AGE: 35

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

A zookeeper in Omaha, Nebraska at the Omaha Zoo! He got married two years ago and his wife is expecting their first child soon :) 

—

AND NOW, If you made it this far...

CW: DEATH

NAME: Bradley Uppercrust III 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? In 2025, after a stint in jail, Bradley decided to sign up for one of Elon Musk’s Space X flights — it exploded upon launch.

[superhiro-hamada]

NAME: Hiro Hamada  MAGICK STATUS: Vampire (most people already know but with the change in laws he's officially out) OCCUPATION: Detective (works with Perry and the rest of the chaos crew at the agency)  BUSINESS DESCRIPTION: N/A CURRENT LOCATION: Swynlake (Roommates with Luca) RELATIONSHIP STATUS (IF APPLICABLE): Single CHILDREN (IF APPLICABLE): Doesn't see that one happening. 

BIOGRAPHY:  TW: mention of death, injury, mild body horror

Hiro Hamada was born a genius, these days people know it, and they know he screwed some things up along the way and maybe his name showed up in the news once upon a time in San Fransokyo, but that was a lifetime ago. Literally. A lifetime he opted to end because his ambitions? They just didn't fit into a single life and he wasn't going to settle for that. 

Not too long out of uni, again, and not too far into his apprenticeship with local detective Perry Flynn, Hiro's past caught up with him and brought some pretty ugly news with it regarding the state of his…humanity. Which he already expected because, right, genius; he knew something was up with his brain. But Hiro didn't take it as some terrible dramatic realization; he just got mad about it. 

And then he decided he was tired of other people manipulating him from his past. 

For a long time he'd been just tired living with guilt, with secrets, with goals he couldn't reach. Just tired of living. 

And then he started to think about how that might just have been the answer. 

He hung around and put the time in with Perry, and Errol when he came along, following their guidance as he turned his superhero ambitions into a solid career as a detective himself while turning to his connections in Devtech to supply the means to continue his experiments with robotics. 

And then one day Hiro just disappeared. 

He went home, back to the neon glow and busy streets of San Fransokyo. But he didn't stay long, he had too much else to do. 

And when he returned to Swynlake to resume his work, it was on his own terms; with a new set of fangs and a certain sense of satisfaction. Behind him a path of destruction; the once powerhouse technology and research company Krei Tech decimated by the very tech, his tech stolen so long ago, that had built it. Just a little accident.

All just like he meticulously planned. 

In the seven years that followed Hiro has done just what he set out to; worked outside the laws to tackle the cases that were too dangerous for any typical Mundus, getting in over his head time and again because what's the point of being something more than human if you never use it? Being undead and losing human limitations if you don't take advantage of the possibilities to improve yourself? 

After all, Hiro has always been exceptionally good with robotics. 

He's also been too smart to get caught, mostly because he doesn't want to cause problems for Perry, but also, obviously, he can't worry Aunt Cass! Or his inventor bestie and housemate Luca, because they worry too much already! 

And now the MMLA is giving him the last piece of the puzzle he needs to really step into changing the world; he figured he'd have to wait a lot longer for that, lifetimes perhaps, but he's not complaining. Funny how he used to think his world was always ending around him for so long, but it didn't really even start until he finally took fate into his own hands and figured out what he really needed to do; evolve.

[kouros-herc]

RP Resolutions

No graphic because I am feeling lazy.

Write your RPer Resolutions for 2023! (What are some goals for yourself as a writer? Improve descriptions? Plot with more members? Etc.)

Be bolder! I think while I’m not afraid to message people and to come up with my own plots I am bad at combining those two things and messaging people about plots. Especially about offering my services/pitching ideas when opportunities arrive. 

Interactions with those people I haven’t yet - can’t believe I’ve been here a year and somehow not interacted with some of you so that is Item number 1 to fix.

Be more intentional! (One of my broader new years resolutions). Sometimes I get so lost in the ultimate thrill of ticking things off my thread tracker, that I don’t think I always get the most out of replies. So I want to maybe slow down, think of them a bit deeper, consider all angles and deeper characterisation.

Write at least one resolution, or “goal,” that you have as an RPer for your character(s)

Herc: Growing Pains - Herc has been doing a good job of slow growth within the gym, but let’s see him struggle with new challenges. It’s the only way to get stronger and bolder, buddy! I especially think it would be good for the tensions within the SSHIIT to ultimately come to a head. Plus some potential things already possibly in the works…

Jeremy: Big year for him in terms of starting to establish his reputation as a musician around town - I want to see him perform at open mics, get roped into events, both with the Gentlemen and alone, and with the assistance of Jenny of course.

Jessie: Get her to ‘accept’ that she’s staying in Swynlake for a while - let’s get this lady a house/flat to decorate extravagantly and drift around. Also, have her be more antagonistic. She’s a dick, let’s lean in to that more, Laura.

Write at least one resolution IN CHARACTER for your characters. What do THEY want to accomplish or change in the New Year?

Herc: Increase the gym’s profits! Pay off his debt to his parents. Don’t screw up the neighbourhood watch initiative!

Jessie: Resolutions are for fools darling she has all the time in the world (but might work on learning a new language, keep her busy).

Jeremy: Finish writing that song. 

List one or more characters you have never interacted with that you would like to do so

Mitte. I think maybe it’s time for vampire Auntie to meet Mitte. Or who knows maybe she just wants to snack on Hercules, either way, it’s time!

Robbie: I think there could be something really juicy with exploring the dynamic between a current / previous vampire, and like, so many life experiences. Plus Jessie would be so intrigued by his story. 

Finn: I think, given that Jeremy is a member of the Nemo appreciation squad, maybe he should start meeting some more of Nemo’s friends and building new relationships. 

Arista: Listen I just think she’s neat, ok?

Talk a bit about your plotting style – what plots are you most drawn to? Do you prefer to come with a fully-formed idea and plot off that, or throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks?

In terms of the development process, I tend to approach people with a vague idea worked out, but with room for flexibility to account for how people think their characters would actually act/respond.

A lot of my idea generation is very responsive though, especially when it comes to ‘bigger’ plots, and I feel very shy about actually approaching people about them. So I want to get better at approaching people and offering my characters - what’s the worst that happens, they say no it doesn’t work with what is already planned?

As for plots I am drawn to, I love gradual growth, I love people to have development - usually for the better because I am a softie - but with lots of hurdles along the way. I also enjoy the every-day, the mundane, the real-world and how that can complement much bigger events.

Talk a bit about character relationships – what relationship are you most drawn to? How do you prefer to approach shipping (if at all!)? What, specifically, are you looking for right now for your character relationships? 

I love ‘double take’ dynamics - where there are superficial similarities, with differences underneath (but then maybe, actually, similarities again underneath that?). I equally LOVE friends and friendships as may be quite obvious. 

I love romantic relationships but have some baggage. I often get a sense of chemistry quite quickly, and am trying to be better at setting out my clear ‘I have felt this… maybe you feel the same?’ stall. I struggle slightly with a tendency to want ‘endgame’ ships and struggling with relationships that maybe aren’t supposed to work out but it’s something to push myself with and get used to plotting with clear boundaries and just enjoying those shorter relationships and how you can use it to develop characters and different dynamics!

I have alluded in the past to having been burned a bit when it comes to shipping when I have had muns lose interest and had their characters dump mine without even telling me, or where communication has broken down and so other muns have lost interest and started other relationships. I am trying to be much better with communication from my end, and really appreciate people being clear with me  - so feel free to talk it over with me (which of course goes for everything, not just shipping!)

As for what I’m looking for currently - I think Herc could do with some more dating, something I intend to do whether played out or just hc’d with NPCs to work more on his hang ups around relationships etc. Jeremy is working things out, so will need his friends around him and I can’t wait to see him starting to talk about things at the moment. Jessie… Yeah some more petty enemies I think, she has a pocket of people she ‘tolerates’ which can give the false impression that she likes people. She hates most.  

Talk about your dash reply style and your Discord reply style! (And if applicable, also your doc reply style). What do you like about each type of interaction? What is something you feel is difficult? 

Dash - I tend to try to do a set on each character per day, working chronologically from oldest owed. I will sometimes mess things around if I have, e.g. 6 replies to do for Laur that are chronologically the next owed, then I will spread them out a little to ensure I reply to other people and don’t dump tonnes of replies on one person in one day.

Discord - I am trying to not take on too many threads in any one event/day, because then I tend to lose them and get overwhelmed. Instead, having a few that I think about more is a better move for me. Honestly, sometimes I will forget in the morning etc., so always feel free to nudge me.

Docs - this depends on the nature of the thing. I include them in my tracker now, but will often put them to the back of the list to ensure I post on the dash, which I should get better at not doing. Obviously this is different if it is a time-sensitive / needs to be prioritised for plot reasons.

Plotting Exercise! Pick one of the resolutions/goals in #3 and plan a rough guideline to how you could accomplish it. Here’s an example.

Plotting exercise (Hercules, ‘hero’ of the Southern Isles … )

EVY calls Herc because something has been disturbing her bins at night. Herc comes round and takes a look, but can’t see any signs of anything obvious - he sets them right and tries to reassure Evy that it is probably nothing (this would be a lot more reassuring if Evy couldn’t hear him thinking I wish I knew what I was doing…)

Part B - Evy calls Herc again, the noises are back! This time he rushes round only to discover … it’s just some cats. The Nihon cats like to wind up Figaro by hanging around and Evy throws out some good trash. Herc shoos them off, and then has a cup of tea with Evy and does reassure her.

Infuriated by ANNIE’s latest SSHIIT edict, SMEE & HOOK (tbh Drakken & Sarina would also work amazingly for this) decide to have some fun. They leave fake animal footprints all around their property, start disturbing bins, flowerbeds etc, then call Herc out and watch as he flounders, clueless about what could have left the tracks and how to keep it away. 

Unable to work out what the tracks were made by on his own, Herc calls in a favour from SHERE, who takes a look at the photos Herc has of the tracks. He is able to identify them, but thinks the behaviour sounds very odd. 

Worried about what might be lurking around their homes, Herc turns to ANNIE - who tells him to Handle! It! Herc! She’s busy! Go see the Sheriff if you’re so worried!

So he goes to CLAYTON and alerts him that there might be a dangerous animal in Southern Isles - things have continued to go missing from gardens, bins, flowerbeds, etc still being disturbed, weird noises in the bushes at night, animals getting upset. This is the last thing Clayton needs, but he agrees to send some deputies on more regular patrols and endorses Herc’s ‘community advice’ about people being careful at night. (SMEE and HOOK think Huh… that’s weird. We got bored of faking this stuff ages ago … uh oh.)

EVY calls Herc again - something is back, outside, scaring Figaro and it sounds way too loud to be the Nihon cats again! Hercules rushes around, scared Evy is going to be attacked only to find… a dog! A big, stray dog, that has been roaming around living out of peoples bins, digging up flowerbeds, stealing laundry off lines etc. Herc manages to calm him down and catch him.

Herc takes the dog to GREG, and explains the whole situation. They scan it for a microchip/check the dog over etc. Herc seriously considered whether he should adopt the dog, but ultimately decides that he is not in a position to look after a dog at the moment with work, but that he would like one in the future.

[darius-dues]

November 2 —  Family Ties One-Shot Previous Readings: Family Ties One-Shot 2023 Takes Place: August 18-19, 2024

It was good to be home.

When Hunter had been summoned back by the Emperor, Darius did not hesitate in coming along. He needed to watch over the situation, and make sure that he came out okay. He couldn't let past events repeat themselves.

But it wasn't just that. Darius loved the Isles and would take any opportunity to return. As much as he enjoyed Swynlake and teaching, running the coven was his calling, and it had been awhile since he checked in.

Of course, the fantasy was always greater than the reality. When Darius actually did convene his coven, he was met with a mountain of problems that they should be able to handle themselves, but still thrust upon him anyway. He answered questions, circumvented circular conversations, and reassured everyone that they were going to be fine, even when he returned to the mainland once more.

It was annoying, and he could feel a burgeoning headache coming on as the meeting closed, but there was also a flicker of pride that warmed his chest. It was good to know that he was still needed, in the end.

He was the last to exit the meeting room, rubbing his temple with a sigh. There was a scout guarding the door--twice Darius's height and double his width, though hidden in the usual silver mask and white cloak combination. The Head Witch did not pay them any mind as they pushed themselves from the wall and walked in the same direction as him. After all, the meeting was over, and they probably had another job to move onto.

Though, it was odd when the scout began to walk in lock step with him, directly to his side. He attempted to pick up his pace, but the scout followed in turn. When he came to a stop, they took a few steps ahead and turned on a heel to face him directly.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Darius asked, annoyed. Instead of responding, the scout instead lunged forward, wrapping a thick arm around the Head Witch's neck and furiously dragging their gloved fist over his head.

Darius sputtered wildly. "Wh-wh-- unhand me this instant, you cretin! I will have you locked in the Conformitorium, you-- you..." His tirade trailed off when the sound of bubbling laughter filled the hallway. An eerily familiar laughter.

"Relax, I couldn't help it!" The scout giggled, releasing Darius and taking a step back. "I've always wanted to noogie that bald head of yours. Very satisfying, by the way." With that, the scout lifted their mask, revealing--

"Keython?" His brother's name was just as foreign on his tongue as the last time it shockingly blundered out, nearly a decade ago.

And just like last time, he was gobsmacked by how much his youngest brother had grown. Somehow he'd managed to get even taller, and his baby fat was now hidden behind a thick, dark beard that couldn't outshine his grinning face. The lines beginning to form in his forehead and by his nose betrayed a man coming into his thirties, but Darius couldn't help but note that he still seemed to have a full head of hair, which had not been the case when he'd transitioned at a far younger age.

But more than the man his brother had become, Darius couldn't wrap his head around by the Titan how he was standing in front of him.

"What are you doing here?!" He hissed, as if some terrible secret were being betrayed. Keython merely quirked an eyebrow.

"Uhhh...my job?" He responded, tapping his finger against the lifted mask. Darius shook his head furiously.

"But--since when are you a coven scout? Here?! What-- when-- how?!"

At that, his younger brother got a little sheepish, scratching his beard. "Yeah, I guess it is a little shocking to you, huh? To be fair, we were hoping to come to you earlier, but you've been on the mainland."

"We??"

"Well yeah, Stella too."

"Stella's here?!"

"Listen, you're going to have to stop being so shocked."

Darius straightened, a flush coming to his cheeks. Indeed, he wasn't used to being flustered like this, especially on his home turf. He took a deep breath, brushing out his cloak as he put on his more professional demeanor.

"Well forgive me, but this was about the last thing I was expecting. Can you at least tell me what's happened? I'm sure Ma and Pa don't approve of this."

Key flinched a little and Darius's stomach sank, already knowing where this was going. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well uh. Yeah, no. So Ma passed 'bout a year after we last saw you," he began. Darius's jaw tightened, attempting not to betray any kind of emotion at the news. While he knew that had likely always been the case, hearing it confirmed was a gut punch. Especially considering the last time they met had been a plea (no, a demand) to save her life with medical treatment only he could have payed for.

His brother paused, as if maybe waiting for some kind of response, but when none came he awkwardly continued on.

"So things got pretty intense. Stella had her baby but Pa was expecting us to both work full time around the shop," he continued on. Another thing Darius had tried too hard not to think about--that he had a niece or nephew out there whose life he wasn't a part of.

"And you know we had Tim, at least for awhile there," he explained, nearly eliciting an eyeroll from Darius. He never got to meet his brother-in-law after the marriage, and it seemed he wasn't going to as the next news dropped. "But then he kind of...cheated on Stella. Ran off with his mistress."

Darius scowled and clicked his tongue. When he'd been told his sister married Timothan Siltwater, he'd been aghast at how much better she deserved. Apparently he'd been completely right.

"Yeah, I know," Key said, reading Darius's response. With a shake of his head, he continued. "So things went pretty off the rails after that. Pa got...mean. Well, meaner," he added, once more seeing his brother's reaction. "Which, y'know, Stella and I could take. But when he started taking things out on Stella's kid, she got...pretty upset."

Another thing Darius had been right about. When he'd asked Stella if she was going to put her own kid through everything they went through, she hadn't answered him at the time. But it seemed she came to that answer in time.

"It was bad. And then it got worse. Tourism to the Hand died out and the shop really suffered. Eventually Stella and Pa had this huge blowout argument and she decided she couldn't take it anymore. She packed up her bags and left with Levy." His nephew, he assumed. Or niece?

"And I, well...I went with them," he admitted, almost like a confession. "I'm Levy's coveyparent, and I wasn't going to let Stella go out there all on her own. I tried to tell Pa to just sell the shop and we could start over somewhere else, but he wouldn't hear it. He disowned us both."

Darius could see the pain on his brother's face. It was what he so desperately tried to avoid, when he left. He didn't want to drag his siblings down with him and left them to their own devices. But in the end, he couldn't save them from the same fate. Keython took a deep breath and continued on.

"It's alright, though. It was for the better, in the end. We moved up to the Shoulder for a little while. I got a job in the Construction coven and Stella was working on a salon. Then the Emporer's Coven came by for recruitment and Levy passed their entrance exam into Hexside and well, everything just fell into place! So we moved here! I'm living with Stella and Levy in an apartment in downtown Bonesborough."

Darius was silent, letting that all sink in. It was a chain of events he could've never dreamed for his siblings. Didn't even assume was possible. But they'd made it happen for themselves.

Without him.

There was something that stood out to him, though.

"Wait, you said they passed their exams. Did Stella have another child?"

"No?" Keython replied, tilting his head curiously.

"So it's just Levy? Our nnnn," he started, hoping his brother would fill in the rest.

"...Nnnnnibling?" He offered.

"Our what?"

"Nibling? You know. Not a niece or nephew," Keython explained.

Darius stared at him.

"Since they're non-binary? Aren't you the transgender one here?"

Darius blustered again. "Well obviously, but that doesn't mean I know all the terminology-- Stella is raising a non-binary child?" He asked incredulously. Keython just shrugged and nodded.

It was another gut punch, one that almost hit harder than even his mother's death. When Darius had come out to his family, he found no love or support, even from the sibling he was supposedly closest to. When they met again years later, she'd lamented how much she missed her "big sister". How much the family sacrificed and how it was all worth it.

Yet this was how everything turned out.

Keython was the first to break the heavy silence that followed. "...but hey! We've been meaning to connect with you since we got here! You're not heading back to the mainland immediately, are you? Maybe you can come over tomorrow, we can catch up."

Darius shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't sure how he felt, facing Stella again after everything that happened, let alone meeting his nibling for the first time. He tried to ignore his brother's pleading eyes, which had dragged him into the entire mess and confrontation of their last meeting, all those years ago.

"Tomorrow? I'm not sure..." His voice trailed off. Tomorrow was a big day--it was the day Hunter would meet with the Emperor again. But he realized in this moment, looking over his brother in his scout uniform, that this might be the answer he was looking for.

"Actually, can I ask your help with something?"

---------

One Revelation later...

"You what?!"

Darius flinched at his sister's screeching. He and Keython were sitting side by side on a couch that could hardly fit the both of them, the latter with his head hung and hands folded together as they were both reprimanded by a pacing Stella.

"You've been back for one day and you're already dragging Key into-- treason against the Emperor?!"

It had happened so fast. Darius and his brother had infiltrated the mansion dressed as coven scouts, just as a precaution in case something went wrong. They couldn't have anticipated just how wrongly it had gone.

"Alright, that's not fair. I needed to covertly watch over my-- student," Darius said, still unsure how to refer to Hunter, "who was summoned by the Emperor. I didn't know he was going to attack him."

They'd managed to escape, and helped shuttle the children back to the airport as quickly as possible to return to Swynlake. As much as Darius had wanted to go with them, he knew their cover would be blown if he did. With nowhere else to go, his brother had brought him back to their apartment.

"Don't you think maybe there was a reason for it?"

"Not a justified one. The Emperor's not a good person, Stella. He tried to kill a child."

She cut him a glare before shaking her head and returning to pacing.

"And that's exactly why I don't want Key and I involved. I can't believe you would pull this shit, you know he can't say no!" She insisted, gesturing to their brother.

"Hey, I tried to keep him out of it! I just needed a coven scout uniform, he was the one who insisted he come along!" Darius retorted.

"I wanted to watch your back! And I did, by the way," Keython cut in before looking to their sister. "Stel, I told you there's been something up with everything. Now we have proof! We can do something--"

He was cut off as she held up a finger, entirely reminiscent of their mother. "I don't want to hear it. I don't care if the Emperor is good or bad or if "something's up". All I care about is this family and its safety."

"Well, we are safe! No one knows it was us there," Keython reassured.

"Are you sure?" She asked cautiously.

"Positive. Stel, you know the moment I thought you or Levy were in danger, I'd get you both out of here. I swear on the Titan."

She looked between the both of them before her tense muscles released and she collapsed into the seat across from them, head in hand. "Fine," she muttered.

A heavy silence followed. Darius should've known this was how their fated reunion would turn out. No matter how much his brother tried to sugar coat it, Deamonne veins pumped oil, ready to explode at even the smallest spark. He felt just as exhausted as his sister looked.

"Good to see you too, by the way," Darius huffed, crossing his arms. She glared at him in between her fingers.

"What do you want from me? A big happy, sappy reunion? You're the one who showed up here out of nowhere. Maybe if someone had told me this was going to happen..." She cast her glare at Keython this time, which Darius found oddly refreshing.

"I wanted it to be a nice surprise," his brother pouted.

"Yeah. Well. Surprise," she muttered before pushing herself up so she was sitting forward on her knees. "Look, there are probably a lot of ways this should've gone differently and clearly we didn't do it right. But I want to do it right for Levy. They're going to be at their friends house for another hour before they're home and I want to sit them down and actually talk about this before introducing them to you. So for now, if you could just go, then maybe tomorrow--"

At that moment, the door opened, whipping all three of their heads towards it.

Standing in the doorway of the apartment was a young child, maybe--no, definitely, ten years old. They had brown skin, lighter than any of them, but their resemblance to Stella was unmistakable. They had the same, round nose, the heightened cheekbones, and a glint in their eye that Darius could distinctly remember from their childhood growing up together. They had dark dreads that fell in front of their face, though they tossed them back as they made eye contact with Darius.

"Who's this?"

Stella quickly stood, eyes wide. "Levy! You're home early--"

"Bombi's mom is sick so she said I had to go home," they explained, not looking away from Darius. Stella quickly moved in between the both of them. Darius sat still and stiff, attempting to follow his sister's lead on this. The last thing he wanted to do was piss her off more.

"Well-- okay. Can you go to your room for a bit? Your Uncle Key and I were just finishing up here with--"

It was in that moment that the spark in Levy's eyes lit into an all-out fire. "I know you! You're the man from the crystal!" They burst forward, easily weaseling away around their mother to meet Darius face to face. "The Head Witch of the Abomination Coven!" They were positively grinning now and Darius immediately took note of the sharp edge to their teeth, like a predator. Their Titan's Gift, no doubt.

"Ah--" Darius opened his mouth but quickly found no words coming out, as they had no idea what to say. While they were certainly used to meeting fans and admirers, none had ever been a family member before. They looked to their sister desperately, trying not to cross any boundaries.

"Y-yes! He is! He's here because, uhm...a-ah..." She stammered, but seemed just as lost as Darius in finding some kind of cover story. In the end, she seemed to give it up entirely with a defeated sigh as she admitted, "He's here to see his family. Us. Levy, this...is your Uncle Darius."

Darius's eyes widened. First, that his sister had correctly gendered and named him for the first time...ever. Then his shock turned to his nibling, unsure of how they were going to react. At first, they just stared at him, expression inscrutable. Then they looked to Keython, as if asking for further verification. His brother merely nodded.

Darius swallowed. "Yes, hello! I apologize I wasn't able to come sooner, I've been on sabbatical on the mainland, you see," he explained, realizing that he had zero idea how to talk to a child. "But now that I am, I must say how extremely grateful I am to meet you." With that, he stuck out a hand to shake.

Levy just stared. Darius wasn't sure what to expect. Maybe an angry outburst demanding to know why this had been kept a secret? An immediate fight and spectacle would be the Deamonne way. Maybe they would simply be excited that they had a famous Uncle.

Finally, Levy opened their mouth.

And clamped it over his outstretched hand.

"AGH!" Darius shrieked, quickly drawing his hand back. The sharpened teeth had punctured through his skin, which was beginning to bleed. He balked. "He-- she-- IT bit me!!"

"They," Stella corrected, but when he looked to her, he could see that she was biting back a smile and a laugh. He almost started shouting again but she spoke up first, taking Levy by the shoulder and drawing them to the side.

"Levy, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but you can't bite all Uncles. Just Uncle Keython, okay?" Stella smiled at Keython, who wasn't even attempting to hold his laughter back as he held out his arm.

"Yeah, kiddo, not everyone's as tough as me. Come on." With that, Levy sprung forward and grabbed Keython's arm, sinking their teeth into it and gnawing on it. Keython had been gifted by the Titan with a tough hide, which apparently meant he was a chew toy now.

Titan, did his sister birth a kid or a Slitherbeast?!

Stella smiled fondly at the pair before looking to Darius, infuriatingly smug. "Sorry. It means they've accepted it, though," she explained with a shrug, glancing at his injury. "Should I get you something?"

"I've got it," Darius hissed through gritted teeth. With a wave of his hand, a glob of purple goo came out of the jug on his hip, and he guided it to wrap around his palm. It wriggled and pulsed, but when he pulled it away, his skin had closed and he was no longer bleeding.

Stella watched this with disgust but Levy looked up, eyes sparkling. Spitting out their Uncle's arm, they scampered back over.

"You made it better with the ooze!" They gasped. Darius flattened his fingers and the glob began to spin, sanitizing itself with its work now done. Levi watched, mesmerized before shouting, "I make abominations too!"

They ran off to grab their school bag, which they'd dropped in the haste of everything. It was in that moment that Darius processed what they were wearing--it was a Hexside uniform, with the distinct purple sleeves and leggings that denoted the Abomination track.

Levy didn't know about their abomination-famous Uncle, but still pursued it anyway.

His chest swelled, and he completely forgot about the lingering pain in his hand.

A few moments later, they returned with a purple mound held between both hands. "This is Zeeby, I made it in class!" They announced, holding it up to show. The mound shuddered and then began to move, attempting to right itself into a standing position, but its limbs and structure seemed to melt back into itself. A goopy mouth opened before the bottom half sloughed off into their fingers. "I can't get it to walk yet."

"Hmmm," Darius hummed, his eyes narrowing. He could feel a dangerous look boring into him from his sister, silently warning him not to crush his nibling's hopes and dreams. Still, he couldn't lie to the child.

"The problem is this ooze was created with too high a liquid ratio," Darius said matter-of-factly. He could already see his sister springing into action to try and coddle them, so Darius cut it off by asking.

"Would you like to make some together?"

----------

It was...strange. Just a few hours ago, the idea of there being a new generation in his family, one he had no connection to, had been a faraway, foreign thought. Now here they were, together, doing what Darius did best.

Perhaps it was cheating, that it turned out their nibling loved all the same things he did, but he wasn't going to question it. Instead, he got to take on the same educational role that he did with his students at Pride U, only this time teaching his greatest passion and life's calling.

Not to mention, this single child was more attentive and enthusiastic than an entire assembly hall of first years.

In the end, he was able to teach them the proper way to create abomination ooze. They said it was even better than what their teacher made (which, obviously)! They integrated the ooze with the creation Levy had already made and after a few shaky attempts, Zeeby finally took its first steps across the spellcrafting table.

Levy ran out to show Keython their success and soon the two of them were excitedly going back and forth in the kitchen. Darius lingered behind in their nibling's bedroom, rearranging their spellcrafting table so they would have an easier time moving forward. Honestly, what were these Hexside teachers even doing, allowing their students work to be this messy? No wonder coven recruitment was at an all time low.

A clearing throat sounding behind him drew his attention. It was Stella.

"Well, well, well. Not bad for Uncle's first day, hm?" Darius said, raising his eyebrows. Stella rolled her eyes.

"Glad to see you're just as insufferable as always," she replied, moving into the room and going to sit on Levy's bed. "But yeah. Not bad."

"So. How annoyed were you when Levy started following in my footsteps?" Darius asked, a smirk on his face. Maybe he was testing his luck but it was so easy to fall back into the smarmy sibling patterns he had grown up with.

"Pretty fu-- freaking annoyed," she corrected herself. Darius chuckled a little, knowing it must be hard for his sister to let go of cursing with a kid around. "...So, how much did Key tell you?"

Darius glanced back at her before returning to his work. "Everything, I suppose. At least, it sounded like everything. Ma and Pa and Tim..."

"Go on. Say "I told you so"," she huffed.

"I would never," Darius replied, mock-offended.

"Yeah, right," she snorted, a ghost of a smirk on her face as she shook her head. It wasn't long before it was gone though as she sighed, a silence falling over them. Darius straightened out a few tools before taking a deep breath and turning to face her.

"I'm proud of you."

"What?"

"For standing up to Pa. For getting Levy out of there. For breaking the cycle and starting a new life on your own terms."

"It's not on my terms, Darius," she shot back. It was strange, for her to be using his desired name with such venom on her tongue. "You don't get it. You never have. I didn't want to leave the Hand. I didn't want this new life. I wanted to raise my family in the home where we grew up, I wanted to take over the shop and continue our traditions. But-- it's just not realistic. No one goes out to the Extremities anymore, no one cares about the small towns. The only way you can even attempt to make a living anymore is in the cities."

"Really? After everything, it's still about the shop?"

"Yes? No! Ugh, nevermind. I don't have to explain myself to you," she huffed, going to stand and leave. Darius stood as well and went to meet her, catching her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait, no-- I'm sorry. You're right, I don't get it. Maybe I never will. And-- I'm sorry about Tim, the shop, your life not working out the way you wanted it to. That is genuinely hard. But you were able to see a situation for what it was and change it for the better, all while keeping your family together. Ma and Pa couldn't do that," he paused before swallowing. "I couldn't do that. I went to change for the better, but I left all of you behind in the process. And I'm-- I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

A long silence followed. She didn't move, nor tear herself away from his grip. When she finally spoke up, it was quiet.

"Did you already give Key this whole speech?"

Darius shook his head. "No."

"Of course not. Because Key just accepted you outright. You didn't need to beg for his forgiveness."

Darius winced a bit at being accurately called out. His brother didn't seem to hold onto those negative feelings, and Darius didn't want to test that by bringing it to the forefront. With Stella, he didn't have a choice.

"Well I don't forgive you," she shot back, turning to face him head on. "What do you want me to say? Everything would've been so different if you just stayed. If you'd just explained why you wanted to leave or waited for Key and I to grow up enough to understand-- maybe we could've come with you! Maybe we could've convinced Ma and Pa to come too. Maybe Ma didn't have to die as early as she did. Maybe Pa would've gone down a different path. Maybe I wouldn't have wasted my twenties with some bastard who was going to run off anyway."

Darius watched her throughout the rant. Every jab dug deeper into his chest, piercing his lungs and threatening to suffocate him. There was always a part of him, deep down, that wondered about what he left behind, but he always told himself that it wasn't his fault. That they were all in control of their own lives, just like he had been in control of his. But maybe that was naive thinking. They were all intertwined together.

After all, if Caleb hadn't made the decision to take him in, where might he have ended up? Did his own decisions leave everyone where they ended up now?

His sister clearly thought so. He opened his mouth, hoping some kind of apology would fall out, but it all seemed hollow now.

"...But then I wouldn't have Levy. And my life would be worse off for it," she admitted, drawing a look of surprise from her brother. She gave an exhausted sigh. "Look, we could go on and on with the "what if"s. I know I have. And yeah, I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive the sister who left me behind."

She locked eyes with him, a familiar glint shining underneath.

"But I'd like to have both my brothers in my life if I can. I do want to break the cycle. Of doubling down and holding grudges and declaring whose right and whose better-- I'm tired of it, Darius. We all are. I don't want to feel bad about the past anymore, I just want to build my future. With my family. You think you're up for that?"

Again, it felt like cheating. Like he'd been given an out without any sort of real punishment.

But maybe it wasn't. She wasn't forgiving him--maybe she never would. Just because she was going to keep things friendly didn't mean they would ever be close again. Maybe he'd left that possibility when he'd left her behind.

Or maybe there would be a chance to rebuild something new. Only one way to find out.

"Yeah. I'm up for that. Thank you, Stellana."

"Don't thank me yet."

"Wha--" He was interrupted as she lunged forward, wrapping her arm around his neck and frantically rubbing her knuckles across his scalp. He shouted and was able to push her off much easier than their brother. He stumbled back, nearly tripping on his own cape as he balked at her, though she just returned it with a smile.

"Key was right. That's really satisfying."