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Rhea Louverno

"A new boba shop just opened, wanna go try it with me?" under repairs.

0 · 1,174 views · located in Rhindeval

a character in “Rhindeval's Fractured Kingdoms”, originally authored by ililumi., as played by RolePlayGateway

Description

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"Is something the matter? You can cry on my shoulder if you'd like!"

space song | prom queen | never let me go | watermelon sugar | siren | when the party's over | bubble gum | here | backyard boy | double take

dialogue ; #f4c4c7. – thought ; #82ab9f.

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"Tender is the night, for a broken heart.
Who will dry your eyes when it falls apart?"


"Feel the fresh air, I can feel your eyes stare,
And I'm not gonna lie, I get a little bit scared.
My heart is on wings, I’m living in dreams; at the top of our lungs we sing."


"If I'm pretty, will you like me?
They say, 'Beauty makes boys happy.'"


"And it's peaceful in the deep, 'cause either way you cannot breathe.
No need to pray, no need to speak, now I am under."


ImageImageImage Full Name
Rhea Louverno.
[ ρέω meaning "flowing stream." Additionally, ἔρα meaning "ground." ]
[ Unknown origin or derivation. Potentially from Louvre, meaning "castle" or "brave wolf." ]

Aliases
Liliya Fae.
[ λείριον meaning "lily flower," or "purity, fertility." ]
[ From the old French word fei, meaning "loyalty, trust, honesty," or "fulfilling a promise." ]

Nicknames
Lily. By most who know her, even just acquaintances.

Gender
Female ; [ she / her ]

Age
Nineteen.

Birthday
November 22nd.
☼ sagittarius, ☾ cancer, ↑ libra.

Orientation
Heteroromantic. Heterosexual.

Occupation
Model for a makeup and fashion line.
College student.

Major
Majoring in fashion design.
Minoring in interior design.

Place of Residence
Fae Family Home.
Fae Home Bedroom.
Apartment Exterior.
Apartment Interior.
ImageImageImageImage Hair
A cotton-candy pink shade in color, it's quite pleasant to look at with that alone. In length, it reaches down to her waist, straight in form and texture, with bangs trimmed over her forehead and reaching past her eyebrows, to the tops of her eyes. It's often left down to do as it likes, but occasionally she pulls it back into a ponytail with two large sections of it freed to frame her face. Decorating with accessories seems to be a favorite style for her too, usually clips, headbands, scrunchies, little gems if she's not short on time. She rather dislikes braiding it, so will more often than not refuse to do that. Sometimes waving and curling it is nice, though debatable given her mood and the weather.

Eyes
A striking, bright blue shade, it sticks out brightly with the rest of her, eye catching and hard to break contact with. Bigger in size, but can grow sharp in an instant if she chooses. They're often decorated with makeup, eyeliner and mascara, and most often an eyeshadow of a red or pink shade at the corners of both eyes. They often hold a cheerful and bright look in them, but occasionally they're known to grow tired, or a bit indifferent to whatever she's looking at.

Skin
Light, not quite pale and entirely unblemished, even in tone or color. A perfect skin care routine with the best products available has certainly worked in her favor this way, and regular visits to get facials and massages to keep herself up to standard for her work.

Height
5'1"

Weight
108 lbs.

Build
Hourglass with an elegant and pretty look, perfect for modeling in the areas that usually scout her out. She is decently well endowed in both upper and lower areas, giving appeal to the more physical side of things and assisting greatly when she helps model for fashion lines that are more for showing off and catching gazes.

Piercings
Both lobes. Variety.

Tattoos
None.

Blemishes
None.

Stylistic Choices
Having seemingly taken to the cutesier side of fashion for the most part, Rhea's wardrobe is filled mostly with bright colors, dresses and skirts and blouses that fit her comfortably and prettily. That isn't to say she doesn't enjoy more alluring, or casual clothes however, and sometimes adds that little bit of spice into the outfits when she can. When she attends parties is where they often seem to make their appearances, in dress slits and low cut collars, dipping v-necks. In more casual, streetwear it's shorter skirts, more fitted shirts, midriffs and crop-tops, the list could go on forever really. In the end, her wardrobe has plenty of different styles for different moods, even if one dominates more than the other.
ImageImageImageImageImage Personality
Bright, Cheerful, Energetic, Cutesy, Childish, Caring, Romantic
Rhea has, for all anyone knows, always been a very happy and starry eyed girl. She often does her best to look for the bright side of things, to try and make the best out of situations that she or others may end up in, sometimes overdoing it and maybe in unhealthy manners, but she does her best to keep that under control. She simply doesn't want anymore pain, sadness, after suffering through more than enough in her childhood and relationships. Life is to be enjoyed for all she cares, and she'll do her best to make the most of it. Pursue her dreams, work her favorite jobs, try out whatever she can, and even better if she can do it with a friend, a partner. This desire to live and experience the world has grown her energy levels as well, as she's constantly eager to explore whatever it is her interest has landed in, and she has plenty of energy to do so, to devote the time and mental or physical efforts. It can sometimes tire out other people when she gets into certain moods or boosts and wants them to tag along or take part in everything she's doing, but she has enough self awareness to calm down and take into consideration another's state or mood in these moments. For all many might consider her selfish and narcissistic, Rhea is far from it, carefully keeping attention on her peers and those around her to be sure that they're alright, don't need help or care, give them a shoulder to cry on. Leaving others to suffer alone, to hurt by themselves is strictly against her moral code. She wants to be a good friend, not a careless, cold hearted stranger.
Rhea's known to be somewhat of a childish person in terms of personality. Emotional and a little bit impulsive, she can be quick to tears, get overly excited, act a bit playful and immature at times, but she doesn't really mind, and most others don't seem too badly affected by it. It's entertaining and plays into the "cutesy" image she often has going, whether for work and reputation or just because that's how she feels and wishes to be perceived. Donning cute clothes and accessories, using a slightly cuter voice than her natural one occasionally, cute poses and expressions, whatever it is she has fun with it, and it makes her happy. This isn't to say it doesn't have downsides, and she knows when to tone it down to normal levels if necessary. It's for fun, not to harm or make others uncomfortable after all. And it's not to attract in creeps either, though she has faced quite a few of them throughout the years thanks to work and her reputation.
Rhea isn't shy of romantic relationships, but this means she isn't shy of bad ones either. Her first love ended tragically, and the rest since then have had odd, shortly pleasant ones mixed in with far too many unfortunates. As pretty and pleasant as she seems to be to most who take an interest in her, many have come around to enter a relationship purely out of her looks, sex appeal and unfortunately money at times. She's ended up in far too many where she's wholeheartedly in love, devoted, only to have them turn around once they realized she was more than a pretty face, human, with her own personality and desires, not some manic pixie dream girl. These experiences haven't stopped her from desiring a form of true love one day, however long it may take, who will love her as much as she loves him.

Likes
⊳ Sunrise. ⊳ Shopping. ⊳ Romcoms. ⊳ Purple Lilacs. ⊳ Silk.
⊳ Flowers ⊳ Bright colors. ⊳ Plushies ⊳ Makeup. ⊳ Dresses.
⊳ Baths. ⊳ Trashy romance novels. ⊳ Binging Netflix. ⊳ Puffs.
⊳ Shoujo manga. ⊳ Sweets. ⊳ Dolls. ⊳ Rabbits. ⊳ Rhodonite.
⊳ Pink. ⊳ Blankets. ⊳ Nightgowns. ⊳ Accessories. ⊳ Clouds.

Dislikes
⊳ Night. ⊳ Horror. ⊳ Spiders. ⊳ Bugs. ⊳ Being alone. ⊳ Neons.
⊳ Roses. ⊳ Health visits. ⊳ Power outages. ⊳ Hiking. ⊳ Movies.
⊳ Campting. ⊳ Spicy foods. ⊳ Magazines. ⊳ Microwave meals.
⊳ Rumors. ⊳ Winter. ⊳ Wine. ⊳ Driving. ⊳ Tabloids. ⊳ Velvet.
⊳ Thunder storms. ⊳ New moons. ⊳ Card games. ⊳ Chicken.

Fears
⊳ The dark. ⊳ Spiders. ⊳ Bugs. ⊳ Creepy men. ⊳ Needles.
Jamison Chambers, current employer. ⊳ Bad relationships.

Stone
⊳ A rhodonite stone, formed into a teardrop and wire wrapped. She always keeps it on herself, or close by somewhere safe when working, as her job often means wearing specific outfits without the stone.

Oddities
⊳ Though she could continue down the path of modeling after her adoptive parents' footsteps and easily make a living off it for years to come, Rhea has always had a desire to pursue fashion and perhaps start her own line down the road.
⊳ She often visits a local cemetery during the summer months to replace flowers at a certain grave. It belongs to Cassius Wolfe, who apparently passed when he was twelve. She always places a variety with purple lilacs as the centerpiece.
ImageImageImageImage Family
Lennox Louverno. Rhea's father. Monarch of the Brimmix Kingdom. Deceased.
Rosén Louverno. Rhea's mother. Monarch of the Brimmix Kingdom. Deceased.
Luka Fae. Rhea's adoptive father. Model. Living.
Estella Fae. Rhea's adoptive mother. Model. Living.
Mathias Fae. Rhea's adoptive brother. Model. Living.

History
Rhea, born to Lennox and Roseén Louverno, the first and only child of the pair. Like many royals seeking heirs for their throne, they would have preferred a boy, but that didn't mean they were angry, upset, or disappointed in the end. They'd given life to a beautiful girl, after all, and if she was anything like the past queens of Brimmix, anything like her own mother, she would do just fine in her position once it came time for her to take the throne.

She was raised like any other heir would be; given the best of teachers and lessons in all different areas: history, etiquette and social conduct, literature, math and speech, the list could go on for ages. For someone as young as her once they began, it wouldn't be surprising to say that they would be overwhelming and tiring, but Rhea loved every moment of it. It was fun, interesting, and she caught on much faster than any of them expected. Proud parents would gift her with all sorts of things in reward for her beautiful performance: new gowns, jewelry, dolls and toys, when she was old enough to ride, her own horse that she had excitedly named Maverick for his white coat and strength. This lead to her taking trips down to the kingdom's beaches, usually followed by her parents, to ride along the oceanside for the evening and enjoy its cool breeze, the salty scents and sunsets over the waters.

As she grew older and more into herself, found less enjoyment just playing with her head maid or by herself, and no siblings to play with, her parents decided to find a playmate for her. Arhen Lagrange was his name, a boy about her age with just her a few months older. He was the youngest son of the Lagrange noble family, matching her age at the time of four. They seemed to get along fabulously well from the start, easily growing attached and clinging to each other whenever it was time to go separate ways at the end of the day. He became something like family to Rhea and her parents, another precious son, and if things hadn't gone as they did on that fateful day and visit, she likely would have been wedded to him when they both came of age.

But time did pass, and the future did come to be. Rhea had been left to be with the princes and princesses for the party, familiar faces that she would follow around and try and play with for the duration of the night, before a sudden agony hit her. The rest. And suddenly what was a simple party and playdate for her turned into the end of her world. Her parents were dead, and her gentle, innocent view of the world was shattered, with only one person to blame: Ivelda. The woman was a cruel keeper of the separated children for just a day or two, before deciding to take the princes to use for her own means and throw the princesses and her sister into some unknown world to never return from.

Her current memories began in the orphanage. The place was well enough off, with kind caretakers and children her age, an older boy Mathias who had taken to calling her his little sister and growing to be something of a protective older brother for her. Together the two of them played, caused mischief, acted like any other child their ages. With the two of them clinging to the hip, and the pretty faces they already had, it wasn't long before a couple swooped in to adopt them and take them home together. Estella and Luka Fae, models in the fashion and makeup businesses, plenty wealthy and more than happy to take in two children that would likely end up following their same paths easily. Life with the couple was fine enough. Liliya and Mathias never went without, and despite expectations the two made loving, kind parents. For all the confusion and pain that seemed to lay in Liliya's past that she could barely recall, at least now she was happy and content with a family of her own, a warm home, and plenty of meals.

As her and her brother grew older, their features grew into them more, and it was clear that they would be perfect fits for the model industry like the parents had hoped. While they would have never forced either of their children to pursue it, there were plenty of gentle pushes and encouragements to do so anyway, and in time both of them began to seek out the career path, or simply be scouted themselves. For Liliya though, just modeling for the rest of forever until she was too old or not pretty enough anymore wasn't satisfying for her, and she sought out scholarships and perfect grades to be sure she could enter college, and pursue her other passions. Fashion design, for one, was something she adored, and soon she found herself taking classes to do just that. For all she knows, her life has been smooth sailing and happy, and she hopes for it to continue that way. Unfortunately for her, fate has other ideas.

Face Claim
Zero Two ; Darling in the Franxx

So begins...

Rhea Louverno's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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Lilith Evers
Code- #C71585


The day of the Spring Festival finally arrived, and Lilith was ready! Today, all the preparation she had been getting ready for would come into fruition. Today was the day she would undo the brainwashing spell her sister laid upon the princesses. While she had never been as powerful as her older sister and late younger sister, Lilith did pride herself on being studious and she finally figured out a spell to undo the brainwashing one, but it had been very hard considering how magic wasn't known on Earth. It used to be very common apparently at one point during the Middle Ages, but then humans thought science could do things better and totally abandoned magic all together. It was sad really, but Lilith would worry about that.

The Spring Festival would take place at the local park. It was akin to what people might call a "Renaissance Fair". Lilith would actually be 'dressed up' as a "Fairy Godmother" and was set to read stories to the children at the fair. Interestingly enough, she would be wearing the exact same gown that she wore to Prince Richard's birthday. The events of that day would forever be etched in her mind. She did try to fight off her sister, but Ivelda was just too powerful. Seeing the looks on the princes' and princesses' faces as they felt the deaths of their parents was just beyond words. A part of her did regret that she would have to remind them of such heartache, but she couldn't allow her sister to have her way. It wouldn't surprise her if Ivelda had taken control of all of Rhindeval at this point, she had always been thirsty for power and attention, even before she became evil. For now, she would focus on the present and that was to help the princesses. All would be at this Festival. She had already cast a small spell to keep tabs on their pendants. It would be through this connection that she would unleash the spell that would help their memories return and to remember their true names. Hopefully they would seek her out this day.

Arriving at the Festival in her gown, she quickly set up her area with plenty of books. She even had her old wand with her but kept it in a beaded knapsack around her waist. As she set up, she didn't notice one of the princesses approaching her.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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eloise grace.
dialogue ; #ab9b9d. – thought ; #c48d96.
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If there was one word to describe how she was feeling presently, it would be sick of this shit. Except that was four words, and Eloise was far too done with this day to care to fix it. Word counts are for essays, not life. If she treated everything she did like a college course and its homework, she would be like the miserable students who couldn't step out of the library until they were forced to at close, and then only kept studying back at their dorm. I mean, god, would it kill them to live a little?

Of course, essays and classmates with no lives weren't her main concern right now. Oh no, they were far from her mind, but passing her music class and keeping her scholarship were very much at the forefront. It wasn't as if she had tried out for the solo part of the spring festival, in fact she hadn't even tried out at all. But of course her music professor had approached her, mentioned the festival and before she could even object, there it was. "Miss Grace, I'd love to see you perform solo again. If you don't, you'll take a hard hit to your grade." Why thank you, Mrs. Barnes. That had been just what she'd wanted to hear, and exactly how she'd wanted to spend a free night. Goodbye, Netflix and instant ramen. Goodbye, going out with her friends to band practice. Hello, practicing the instrument she hated so much even more than she already forced herself to.

She was lucky she had no roommates, truly. They would have had to be subject to her angry, begrudging playing, and no one liked to hear that. Not even her own parents, who insisted that they loved to hear her play no matter what. Apparently, the sound of musical venting was not so nice to the ears of the listeners.

For as much as she hated this, she pushed through, because a "hard hit" meant failing her class in no short words. She didn't need her professor to sugarcoat it, she may as well have said, "do this or die," and Eloise would have felt exactly the same as she did now. But the woman's horrid treatment of her ever so faithful student didn't end there. Oh no, it went further. As if she couldn't be anymore humiliated by the prospect of having to attend a goddamn renaissance fair, she was told that part of her grade was presentation and participation. Oh but don't worry, the kind professor told her, she would provide the material necessary for those parts, it wouldn't cost Eloise a dime.

And so she found herself standing, staring at the horrid dress that she would have never been caught dead in if she had free will and choice. Staring at the thing that she was supposed to be wearing in just a week's time had made Eloise nearly lose her lunch all over the thing, and she would be lying if she said she didn't cry on her walk home after leaving her professor's office. Sure, it wasn't hideous by normal standards, and maybe dressing up like a little princess on the way to a ball was fun and appealing for some, but for her? Absolutely not. She wasn't some pretty dress-up barbie, she wasn't a little fairy princess, and she wasn't a renaissance fair goer, but in an instant the cruelties of university shove those things down her throat, and she was left with no choice.

When the day did finally arrive, she had nothing but a migraine and sour mood. Packing up the violin in its case, somehow managing to get herself into the dress that had hung in her closet since two days ago, and out the door she went. Who cares if the trail of the dress was wrecked with travel, she didn't. Maybe it would give it more personality that way, a little wear and tear. Maybe her professor would decide to let her put on something else of her own choice if the state got so bad it would humiliate them all.

Yet, when she did finally arrive to the festival, stepping foot on the grasses of the park, a single look around told her Mrs. Barnes had actually, genuinely, had mercy on her. Oh my god, she had had so much mercy. Her own dress was annoying, sure, but did these people realize what they were wearing when they put these outfits on? Did they know the colors, the size, the gaudy extravagance was one step away from making Eloise burst into hysterical laughter and point fingers?

Slapping her hands together in a prayer of thanks, she clenched her eyes shut and stifled another dumfounded laugh, please forgive me for my previous anger and cold words, Mrs. Barnes, for I am truly a fool. Thank you for not putting me in a bright pink ball gown, I owe you my life.

With a slight mood boost obtained through internally making fun of people, Eloise finally began making her way further into the fair and its sights. She had never been one to attend these sort of things, too noisy and usually dirty, with people lacking basic common sense and care in their overexcitement. Far too many children loose too, with parents no where to be seen, only made her feel more on edge, as they zig-zagged through every person and nearly tripped or knocked them over in the process.

But hey, at least there were plenty of stalls for food. Overpriced food, no doubt, but it was a fair's only redeeming quality in her eyes, and she would be sure to seek those out to eat away her emotions, to tide her over until the time for her performance came. For now, she kept her walk towards the small "stage" that had been setup for the volunteer and university orchestra. Lines of stands and chairs, plenty of places to set down instruments and supplies with a careful eyed man keeping watch over them all. She wasn't sure if he was supposed to be the conductor or a security guard, the way he was dressed along with everyone else. Not that it mattered, it wasn't as if she was here to steal anything. Rather, it'd be great if someone would steal away her violin before the performance. Oh no, she can't perform anymore without her instrument? What a shame! Guess she'll just have to try next time. (Never. Never again. This was the first and last time she would ever visit something like this, let alone perform in it.)

After placing her case somewhere safe enough and making sure it was locked, she took the key to it back, shoving it away into her bra, given there weren't pockets on the dress. Hadn't time moved on enough to provide those for women now? No? Whatever, she barely wore them anyway, especially not this style.

Given that her performance wasn't for another two hours into the fair, Eloise took to her feet to find ways to pass the time instead until then. Food was the first thing on her mind, and with her small backpack slung over her shoulder lazily, she made way for the first stall she could find, selling fruit cups. Sure, it wasn't the sweetest or most exciting thing, but this would be far from the last snack she bought. It was good to start out light, she told herself. Fruit was refreshing anyway, and helped to calm her nerves a bit.

Not that calmed nerves lasted very long; if her music professor wasn't already turning her hair grey, then her English professor was. Lilith Evers, the kind woman who was perfect in every way, that Eloise could only do her best to run from when she saw her on campus, and try and hide in the corner of her classroom when she was there. The woman was dressed to fit in with the rest of the fair, and against Eloise's own nature she acknowledged that, yes, it did look quite pleasant on her, even though it looked like too much for herself. At her side was what looked like a freshman girl, though she had never been that great at guessing ages just by looks. Still, the counseling vibes she got from watching the situation from afar made it feel all the more likely that she was just a first year.

Little freshman! Run! Don't fall for her kindness, or you'll never be free from it!"

Her thoughts are cut short, however, when she realizes that she's been staring at the two of them for far too long. Her gaze is quick to turn to the ground, the sky, other stalls, anywhere else in hopes that the professor hadn't noticed her attention, and wouldn't approach her.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Meridian O'Donohue
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”To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.”
Hex Code ~ #0B610B




The day began as any other, with Althea readying herself at her off-campus apartment. Except today would be different, as it was the day of the Spring Festival and all classes were cancelled so everyone could either enjoy their day or attend to their assigned class duties. For Althea, all that she had to worry about was the play that they would be putting on at 1:00pm, and then ensuring that if anything were to happen, as SeniorClass President, she was present to attend to any matters that arose.

She attended the festival wearing a simple yet elegant green dress that she had designed and enlisted the assistance of the fashion department’s help in creating. It was a dress that she was to wear in the play, and the director had requested she wear it at the festival to draw in people to buy tickets and attend the performance. Paired with a simple lavender flower crown she made and pretty iridescent green fairy wings she found online for a fairly decent price, she looked the perfect picture of a fairy princess and would undoubtedly draw eyes and therefore a fair amount of theater goers. Not to mention the splash of shimmering glitter she added to make the fairy look more realistic. Topping the look off with a simple pouch, she snatched up her messenger bag, intending to leave it in the locked dressing rooms.

She would be lying if she said it wasn’t nice to be rehearsing outside, when the weather was as lovely as it was. Inhaling deeply, she reveled in the fresh air as the breeze brushed around her, almost whispering in her ears. The chitter of a chipmunk could be heard as it skittered up a nearby tree, and the small mew of one of the stray cats traveled from a bush that she strode by. Pausing, Althea withdrew a small pouch from her bag, made her way over to the bushes, and crouched down. Almost immediately a black and white face peeped out, as though excited, and she let out of a soft giggle in response.

”Don’t worry, I brought you food,” she reassured it, popping open the pouch of wet cat food. Emptying it out onto the sidewalk right next to the grass lining the bushes, she watched as the cat scurried out and basically inhaled the food, gently stroking it behind its ear as it did. ”I’m sure someone will come and take you home real soon, okay?” she murmured softly, wishing that she herself could adopt the feline. Once it had finished eating and receiving attention, it returned to its nesting spot inside the bushes for what she assumed was a much-needed food nap, and Althea returned on her way, glancing at her smartwatch as she did so, noting the time to be 7:15 in the morning. This gave her around fifteen minutes to reach the outdoor amphitheater and start to get ready for dress rehearsal, and if she didn’t want to be late, she would have to hurry.

~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~

“...And Paris, too. Come, I’ll dispose of thee Among a sisterhood of holy nuns. Stay not to question, for the watch is coming. Come, go, good Juliet. I dare no longer stay.”

Silence rang heavily in the air as the remnants of the man’s voice faded from the outdoor amphitheater. The quiet quickly grew uncomfortable, and was marred by the clearing of a throat and the soft shuffling of a chair. A young woman knelt on the stage, seemingly staring off into the unknown, and it was clear that her mind was elsewhere instead of focused on the play at hand.

“Miss Regàlé, do you need your line read to you?”

When the director’s question was met with further silence, he pushed back his chair, shuffling the script papers in front of him before placing them in a neat stack on the table. Moving out from behind the desk, he approached the stage and lithely hopped up onto it, swiftly made his way across the floor, before placing a hand on the young woman’s shoulder, causing her to jump in surprise, having quite obviously been off in her own little world and not paying attention in any form.She blinked up at him with a blank expression for a moment before light dawned on her expression and a bright pink hue rose into her cheeks.

”I’m so sorry, Mr. Heinry. I suppose I was lost in my train of thought. There is little excuse for my behavior and I apologize - sincerely, sir. It will not happen again,” she scrambled out, bowing her head to him. ”I don’t require my lines, I remember them. Please, allow us to return to rehearsal.”

With a questionable look down at James, the young man currently pretending to be a dead Romeo, Mr. Heinry nodded in answer to Althea and strode back across the stage, hopping down and returning to the director’s seat behind his table.

“Alright, let’s take it from Friar Lawrence’s line beginning with, ‘I hear some noise.’” He spun his hand in the air, and following the cue, the young man playing Friar Lawrence cleared his throat and spoke his lines anew, this time with Althea paying attention.

“Go, get thee hence, for I will not away!” The man playing Friar Lawrence nodded and exited the stage, leaving Althea alone with her partner. Tears streamed down her face in rivlets, streaking her cheeks with stains. Her eyes moved to James’ hand and she grasped his wrist, raising it swiftly. “What’s here? A cup closed in my true love’s hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.— O churl, drunk all, and left no friendly drop To help me after! I will kiss thy lips. Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, To make me die with a restorative.” She leaned down and pressed her lips gently to his own, and when she retreated, a soft sob escaped her. “Thy lips are warm! Lead, boy. Which way? Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O, happy dagger, This is thy sheath! There rust, and let me die!” With that final line, Althea brought her hands into the air, raising the false dagger that shimmered as though real in the bright morning light, and brought it down quickly towards her chest. She let out a cry of pain and slowly slumped over James, the dagger lodged between them and her arm sprawled across his body.

The applause of their fellow castmates drew them up, and as she rose, Althea held out a hand to James, which he took gratefully as he allowed her to help him stand. She gave him a sweet smile, prompting his cheeks to turn pink, but she didn’t notice.

”Great work so far, James. Keep it up and we might even make it to finals!” she encouraged, patting him on the shoulder. His cheeks turned brighter and he rubbed the back of his head, a sheepish smile on his lips. “Thanks a lot, Althea; but if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have even made it to sectionals. You’re the one who brought the whole thing together. Not only did you direct the set building, but with you playing Juliet, there’s no way we can fail,” he gushed, looking down at her with shimmering puppy dog eyes.

Althea, ever the dense and naive when it came to recognizing clues and hints in the regards of romance, simply beamed in return. ”Ah, thank you so much, James! I appreciate the compliment, but we never would have made it this far if it weren’t for everyone involved,” she insisted, then bid him a quick farewell. Turning, she strode across the stage and grabbed her messenger bag from behind the curtains, making her way down the stairs on the side of the platform. Casting a gentle smile at people as she passed and they congratulated her on her performance, she headed toward the dressing rooms to change back into her original dress.

Excited to bring in people to watch her performance, she spent a majority of the day traversing the festival, pausing to chat with those who wanted pictures with her and who had questions about her costume. Little girls would run up and excitedly tug on her skirts, exclaiming that they had found a real-life fairy princess and they wanted to be just like her, and little boys professed that they would save her should she ever be kidnapped by a big, mean bad guy and need rescuing. This would draw laughs from their parents who would snap pictures for the memories, a bright smile on Althea’s face, and when the time came for her performance, it went off without a hitch, the show sold-out, much to her pleasure. A majority of the theater-goers were those who had stopped to take pictures with her, the little ones wanting to watch the pretty fairy princess’s show, and the parents intrigued on how well she could perform in a practiced situation. Needless to say, they were not disappointed, and they congratulated her after the show as they all left the theater, shaking the hands of the cast as they awaited them at the exit.

For Althea, changing into normal clothes could not come quickly enough. After sweating it out in the beautiful yet uncomfortable gowns she had been forced into throughout the day, she was more than ready to change into a pair of pants. The cast filed back into the dressing rooms, chattering away, and she joined in on a few of the jokes, giving a giggle here and there as they all reverted from Renaissance royalty and peasants into normal, 21st century civilians.

Once she was done, Althea gathered her bag and made her way into the festival, intent on perusing the wares, food, and activities.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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liliya fae.
dialogue ; #f6b8b4. – thought ; #82ab9f.
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Lights, camera, action! Welcome to Liliya's start of her day, and the very beginning of her plans to enjoy this weekend off to the fullest. A small paper laid over her kitchen's dining table as she ate her smoothie bowl she'd prepared for her breakfast, pink pen scribbling along what she needed to do, and what she wanted to do, all in a neat list that was organized by time and location. It was something her mother had taught her to do from early on, organization and scheduling, to make sure she could make the most of her day. Whether or not she always stuck to her self-created schedules, well that...was up for debate.

"7:00, smoothie bowl, check that off darling." She smiled to herself, making a swift mark in the box of the graph paper, marking off just one of her many desires to enjoy the daylight and soon, the moonlight, as much as she hoped to avoid being out in the dark for long, to be able to return to the comfort of her bright apartment, or her bedroom's dim fairy lights for sleep. She was the master of running from the dark now, while still using up every bit of daylight she could too.

"7:30, morning run." A glance to the clock, she smiled at the time, a comfortable 7:23am, just enough time to finish her food and get dressed into her active wear. Moving the wooden spoon around the glass bowl to get the rest of the fruit and granola, it was soon rested into the sink, rinsed clean and waiting for her to load it tonight when she returned from her activities. Over to her room it was next, half skipping to her closet and opening up the door, stepping inside. Those capri leggings would work nice, and that sports bra...and then out the door she went. It was always nice, brisk, the only way she could really wake up as entirely as she wanted to, and by the time she got back and showered, it was already 8:30am. An hour and a half of being awake and she was already as productive as could be. Maybe it's time for me to write my personal motivation book! Bet it'd just fly off the counters. A pause, maybe if I added a couple pictures in there of myself, too. A small snicker, before she's back in casual wear, wandering to her list to mark off some more things.

Hair and makeup, check. Lunch, check. Stopping by the agency to make sure that there was nothing left for her to do, check. Stopping for a drink at the new café, double checking her homework and projects were on track or finished, double checking the time of the fair, check check check. All that was left at this point was redoing her hair and makeup to make sure it fit the event and her chosen dress. It didn't take terribly long, pulling it back into a pretty little braided bun and leaving out sections to frame her face, and soon enough her makeup was slapped on, quick and perfect as always after years of trying everything she could possibly think up. Her day off was going to be stress free, perfect, and entirely enjoyable, with nothing to make her feel down or disappointed even halfway through the day.

Finally the dress was on, comfortable and perfectly fitting, all thanks to her own alterations that she had done by hand a week or two ago; she was going to be a fashion designer, so of course she had to learn how to do something like that. It was part of her classes anyway, and now this dress could work as a perfect piece to include in an assignment or her portfolio. If she recalled correctly, she'd seen some of he other students working on a dress for one of their upperclassman...Althea? Regardless, she hoped she could see the girl in the dress when she visited the fair.

She'd made her way out of her apartment soon after, catching a couple glances from passerby and neighbors, giving her a little bit of glee over the attention. Where would they think she was headed off to? She didn't know, but she was sure she looked beautiful; she'd put so much time into this look after all.

It didn't take very long for a familiar car to pull up, top down and easy to climb into as soon as she started running towards it. There were already three others sitting inside, two boys in the front and back, a girl in the passenger, and their excited cheers gave a small hop to her step as she approached. "Hurry up, Lily! Before we miss all the midday stuff!" Came Luke's voice, and she rolled her eyes as Galen reached across the backseat to open the door for her. Making sure her dress was well stuffed into the seat and wouldn't catch in anything, it was shut again a moment later before she relaxed into the seat comfortably. Off they went, the gentle breeze of the car running through her hair, though she wasn't that worried about it getting messed up. Queen of hairpins and hairspray, at your service.

"Looking beautiful as ever, miss model." Came Galen's voice from her side, and she gave a joking flip of her hair as she turned to look at him, eyes glinting with a childish joy at his compliment, "why thank you, Gale. You're ever so smooth with your compliments. Never miss a chance, do you?" A shift over to the middle seat, and pressed a kiss to his cheek, and he returned it with one to her lips. "Of course not, how could I? The dashing goddess herself accepted my request to date, after all."

It's a sharp giggle from her at his words, and she lands a couple playful hits on his chest as she leans back into her seat again, "enough of that, we aren't actually living in medieval times. I like your outfit Gale, wanna let me take it off you tonight?"

"Agh!" Came from the front seat, and Liliya let out a high laugh, "TMI, TMI! Don't you two lovebirds know that your friends are sitting right in front of you? Keep the sex talk to yourselves or wait until we're gone! We didn't plan this first double date for you guys so you could show off your gross honeymoon phase!" Tia's voice sounds disgusted as she speaks, and she only dramatizes it by sticking out her tongue and scrunching her expression. "If you're gonna act like that, get a room!"

There's only more laughter as they continue on, and soon it settles into comfortable conversation over the sound of the wind over the car. It had mostly been done to get a reaction out of them, really, but Liliya wouldn't lie and say she enjoyed her boyfriend staying over for the night, especially when her weekend was so free. Boyfriend, as in Galen, who she had only been dating for about two weeks now. So soon after being dumped just a month ago, and she still wasn't sure what to think. Was this love or just another one off relationship that would end in another week or two? She'd at least let herself enjoy it for the moment.

They'd arrived soon enough, jumping out of the car to the fair in front of them. Joy flitted over her face at the sight of the dresses and stands, and she didn't give anyone time to gather themselves before they were off to enjoy the sights. Unfortunately, the play was missed, and unfortunately the music performance wasn't for another couple hours, but there was plenty else to look for. Games, food, prizes, what wasn't there to enjoy? So she forced them to walk around for plenty long enough, before they began complaining, and Galen's usual impatience began to dampen the mood, make her feel uneasy as if their new fragile relationship might already be over if he lost his temper now. He wanted to head back to her apartment already, but it was only 3:00, and she still had things she wanted to try and see. "Go wait at the car or wait for me back at the apartment, then." Came her pout and half fit as she looked up to him. "There's still things I wanna do, and I cleared my whole day out for this, I don't wanna just sit back at my apartment for the rest of the night." And that was exactly what her friends and he had done, leaving her alone to the fair that she had barely managed to convince them to come to in the first place. Her pout had been stuck on her face for awhile after that, but joy returned soon enough when she spotted familiar faces a short ways away. Ms. Evers, and her classmate Dawn. In a sudden dash over to the pair, she approached the younger girl from behind before throwing her arms around her, bright smile making its appearance over her face, peeking out from the girl's shoulder.

"Dawnie!" Came out her name, and Liliya gave a small giggle before releasing the girl from her hold. "I didn't know you were coming! Or you, Ms. Evers! Come on, you guys should have let me know you were planning it, I could've come to hang out sooner!" There's a short pause to her giddy voice, and then she's offering a slightly flustered smile, "care if I tag along with you guys? My date ditched me."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers Character Portrait: Meridian O'Donohue
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Cassie Peters
Code- #46935C


Cassie Peters normally didn't make it a habit to attend festivals like this one, but she had been attending Spring Festival ever since she could remember since her family was from this area. Well, her adoptive family but that was just a word to her. Family was family. This time Cassie came to the festival with the track team but ended up going off on her own at one point. She didn't originally plan on wearing anything "middle aged", but started regretting it when she notice a good chunk of the crowd dressing up. She liked being unique, but now she was feeling like the 'odd woman' out. At the moment she had just gotten a big turkey leg from one of the food booths. It was very good as always.

She was walking when she saw someone she recognize, but had to do a double take for the sight was surprising. It was one of her classmates, Eloise. They currently had an English course and she had seen her in the Music Department area and learned she was taking a music class there. The woman definitely had a chip on her shoulder, but that's not what surprised Cassie; it was the gown she was currently wearing. She never pegged her to be the 'dress up' type. Now Cassie was really feeling out of place.
Maybe there was something here she could buy?

Ever the curious person, the green hair young woman approached the tall raven haired one.

"Hey, Eloise, that dress looks great on you. Are you okay? You don't look comfortable in it."





Dawn Henderson and Lilith Evers
Hexcodes- #547B9 and #C71585


"How have your classes been this semester, Dawn? Have you figured out a major yet?" Lilith found herself asking the young woman.

This made Dawn think. Why hadn't she picked a major? It was like something was holding her back and she couldn't explain why.

"I have been enjoying my classes, well, all but one. It's my history course. It's not bad, just boring. And I don't know what my major will be yet."

It was at that moment someone hugged her from behind and Dawn almost screamed, but she had felt a presence behind her.

"Dawnie!" the person said before letting her go.

Both Dawn and Lilith turned to see that it was Dawn's classmate, Liliya, or as Lilith knew her, Princess Rhea. Lilith smiled at the pink hair lady started talking again before asking if she could come along. Lilith herself was happy to see that Rhea hadn't changed at all, even though she was brainwashed. She remembered at the orphanage how Rhea bonded with with one of the boys there, and the two got adopted together. It was nice to see that even though Rhea had been adopted by a very wealthy couple, she still remained a cheery and kind person. She could have easily turned out snobbish or spoiled.

"Oh course you may tag along, Liliya. That gown of yours is lovely! You look like a real princess. Sadly, I will soon have to return to my booth to start my performance. Both of you can watch it if you want."

She hoped the girls would watch her, for she would be telling stories of Rhindeval before doing her spell. The audience wouldn't know the stories were true though.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Meridian O'Donohue
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”Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it is a memory.” ~Dr. Seuss
Hex Code ~ #FF0000





“Don’t forget to eat your breakfast!”

The loud voice belonged to a surprisingly small, gentle looking woman. Large golden eyes peered from behind thick brown waves of soft, flowing hair, and said eyes were currently trained upon a girl who, despite their physical differences, was clearly her daughter. The girl in question was indeed a woman, but due to her youthful looks appeared younger, and the bright pink of her hair and eyes did little to stem the physical judgement that she received from outside sources. Those piercing pink eyes rolled, as though annoyed, but there was a smile on the girl’s face as she glanced over her shoulder at her mother, tying her shoes as she responded.

”Yes, mama, I know. I’m going to grab something on the way to the park, don’t worry,” she assured her, and at her words and smile the woman relaxed a bit, holding out a large bag that was nearly bulging at the zippers towards her. Willow straightened and took it gratefully, slinging the shoulder strap over her head for easier convenience and adjusting the backpack that she wore to center the weight of both bags. Going on her toes to reach her mother as she stood a step lower than her in the entryway, she pecked an affectionate kiss on the elder woman’s cheek before she made her way towards the doors. ”Don’t forget to feed Maco for me,” she reminded her, and her mother nodded with a sweet smile. “Of course, how could I forget that cute little fluffball?” she asked, and as if on cue, the small rabbit in question hopped towards the duo, his little nose twitching in excitement as he did a small twist in the air as he jumped. Her mother bent and scooped the little furball in her arms, allowing him to hop onto her shoulder and settle in happily with a small scratch on the head from Odette. Willow smiled gratefully and with one more farewell, she was out the door of their house and crossing the entrance to the land that was the Vesta Family Dojo.

It didn’t take her long to walk to the nearby coffee shop, as it was only two blocks from the Dojo, and once there, Willow gleefully ordered two breakfast sandwiches, hashbrowns, a side of bacon, and a muffin alongside her delicious, Trenta sized Iced Caramel Coffee - with extra whipped cream, of course. Once it was done, she took it happily and made her way to a nearby table, ignoring the stares of onlookers at the small, brightly-yet-oddly-colored girl and her bag bulging with food. She settled in and ate her food with a smile on her face - food was always her happy place - and as she ate, Willow stared outside at the gleaming sunlight, an odd feeling of comfort and familiarity settling over her at the sight.

It didn’t take her long to finish eating, and after she tossed the balled up paper bag that once held her food into a nearby recycling bin, she was off, the remaining portion of her Iced Coffee clutched in her hand.

The walk to the park wasn’t far, as their Dojo was quite close to it as well as the university, much to Willow’s happiness, and when she arrived she made her way straight for the outdoor fighting ring that had been constructed by the university’s Martial Arts team the night before. Luckily for her, she had come dressed to begin so she wouldn’t need to change, as she was already clad in her black gi, adorned with a black, red, and white belt that bespoke her fifth level black belt status. As she approached the sparring matts, Willow dropped her bag beside one of the front chairs that had been set up for the onlookers to rest in, popped in her headphones, and immediately began stretching, ignoring the other members of the various martial arts teams that were beginning to gather. Before any match, serious or not, she needed a certain amount of time to prepare, and in doing so she needed absolute solidarity in order to get to the mental faculties that were needed to win.

The spars went off without a hitch, having drawn in surprisingly large crowds of people that both wanted to see the fights as well as those who wished to support the Martial Arts teams, both financially and emotionally. Willow easily won her fights - her partners each had a look of defeat before they even stepped onto the mat - and when she received her first-place medal alongside a gift card to any of the local eateries, she let out a sound of excitement, always easily won over by food.

Of course, after such a day, a shower was much needed, and she gratefully took one in the nearby rec center, which had happily obliged with allowing all of the volunteers and competitors access to its bathroom facilities, and once she was freshly bathed and no longer a sweaty-mess, she donned a simple outfit that sported her love for her favorite band, and with a tug of her beanie onto her head, she was off, her MMA bags safely secured in the office of the rec center.

As Willow explored the festival, she marveled over the beautifully crafted objects at the different stalls. She had yet to bump into any of her friends, but those who she recognized bid her hello and she did in return with a sweet smile, perusing the wares despite her inability to afford any of them.

So lost in thought was she that she didn’t even notice the gathering group of women, and as she turned, she slammed directly into a small green individual, one that she immediately recognized as a classmate of hers. Willow’s cheeks turned pink in embarrassment as she quickly caught the other girl’s upper arms in an effort to keep her from falling - she did bump into her pretty hard - and a stricken expression crossed her face.

”Oh Gods, I’m so sorry, Cassie! It was an accident, I promise! Are you okay?” she breathlessly shot out, her words being spoken at nearly a mile a minute.

Setting

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Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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liliya fae.
dialogue ; #f6a3b1. – thought ; #82ab9f.
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Gleeful smile turned only brighter as she settled into the conversation with her professor and classmate, and Liliya's eyes looked practically starry as she watched the older woman move, speak. Her dress was stunning, and she was a little jealous that she hadn't thought to find something of the style for herself. Still, it probably wouldn't have looked as nice on her as it did Ms. Evers. No need to pout! I put so much effort into this dress, it'd be stupid not to feel just as pretty in it!

Still, something pricks at her heart as she watches the woman, an odd sense of familiarity even though there was nothing familiar about the dress or the situation. She'd always get these sensations around Lilith, around a handful of classmates and upperclassmen too, impossible to explain and always just on the tip of her tongue. She wouldn't let it bother her for now though; why not just relish in the renaissance period pieces? She could take inspiration for her next project and portfolio pieces through it, and both Dawn and Lilith's had easily won a spot in direct inspiration for it.

Moving down to comfortably stand at Dawn's side, her gaze settled back onto their professor again as she spoke, kindly as always, "of course you may tag along, Liliya. That gown of yours is lovely! You look like a real princess. Sadly, I will soon have to return to my booth to start my performance. Both of you can watch it if you want." The words brought a starrier eyed look to Liliya then, and she puffed her chest out just a bit with some sense of pride and joy, a joking, "you compliment better than my boyfriend, Ms. Evers. He'd be sooo~ mad if he knew," leaving her. It was a little true, she wouldn't lie. The second half of her words gained a faint pout to the pinkette's lips, though, as she let out a soft sigh, foot poking gently at the grass of the park. Leaving already? She'd just joined their group; the professor didn't feel like she had been kicked out by Liliya's presence, did she?

Of course, the next words brightened her right back up again, and she gave a quick nod in agreement to stop by. "Yes please! Yes please! I missed upperclassman Althea and James's performance earlier, so I'll make up for it with this! Make sure you save the best stories for when me and Dawnie come back, okay?" Not that Liliya was planning on missing any of them, but if she got distracted...she didn't really trust her daydreamy classmate to remind her the time.

With those words, her hand moves down to take the smaller girl's hand in her typical friendly manner, tugging at her lightly to begin moving, "let's stop at the game stalls first, 'kay? My friends ditched before we really got to try our hands at any of them!" Another small tug, and whether or not the girl is following her or being partly dragged at this point by Liliya's excitement, she's moving on towards the stalls. Excited, childish joy is already filling her again after the disappointment of the date; as always, nothing can keep the sunshine Liliya down for long! Perfect day, even if there was a little bit of a hiccup! (Internally, there's the ever growing sense of dread that fills up higher and higher in the background, but with so many distractions it was more than easy to ignore it and let it fester silently and unnoticed in the background.

Her hold on Dawn's hand stays there for awhile, happily swinging between the two of them as she moves around, helps them dodge the crowds and loose children that only add to the chaos of the fair. Her gaze is sweeping the prizes, searching for the stall that had the cutest stuffed animals she could find, before she's spotted them; pink colored, fuzzy animals of all different kinds, real or fantasy. "Let's go there first!" is all she says before getting closer, but he gaze is drawn to the brownish-blonde hair off the corner of her sight, and she's rerouting to seek out the ever familiar upperclassman who had only been passing by, not stopping anywhere.

"Miss Thea!" Comes her call, a bright and cute wave and smile from the girl, still keeping hold on Dawn's hand all the while as the approaches the woman. Her dress sways lightly with the movement, and soon she's settled comfortably in front of her before giving a half bow in apology, "I didn't make it to your performance, even though I was hoping I could after seeing the dress in my class's workshop! I'm really sorry!" She's straightened out again soon enough though, glancing back to Dawn and then back to Althea. "Did it go well? I'm sure it was great! You probably stole the stage with your dress and beauty!" A small giggle, before she pauses, looking to both sides and behind the older girl and then back to her odd eyes, "if you aren't attending with anyone else, wanna join me and Dawn? We're gonna try the games and then we're headed for Ms. Evers stories later. I bet she'd be really happy if you stopped in too!"

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Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens
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”Time is a figure eight;
At its center - the city of Deja Vu.” ~ Robert Brault

Speech Code ~ #0B610B
| Thought Code ~ #04B4AE




The wares being sold at this year’s festival were surprisingly impressive, or so Althea thought as she perused the different booths set up throughout the park. Each table held interesting and eye-catching trinkets of various sorts, from jewelry to decor and so much more - there were many wonderful things to see. She ran her fingers over an intricately designed mask, admiring the craftsmanship, but just as easily moved along to the next booth, knowing the value of her money whether or not she had a good amount of it.

Althea paused mid-step as a table caught her eye - it was a palm reading booth, and despite her skepticism, it wasn’t like she had anything better to do - what few ‘friends’ she had were busy with other fair duties, if they could be called friends, and her siblings were at tutoring lessons. As per usual, her parents were both busy with work, so that left her alone to amuse herself - something she was more than accustomed to.

Ten dollars later - of course she would tip the woman - and Althea found herself sliding into the surprisingly comfortable chair across from the medium. As she did, the woman smiled, her eyes shrouded in shadows as she kept her head somewhat lowered, and with an outstretched hand she motioned for Althea to take it, which she did slowly, uncertainly.

”Madam Alda will now tell you your future, my dear,” she spoke with a hushed voice, clearly overdoing the theatrics of the whole process as an indulgence, to herself or to Althea, she couldn’t tell. She stifled an eyeroll, instead opting to narrow her gaze a bit in trepidation for the coming fortune. A flipped hand and a gentle tracing followed as the seer moved a finger over her palm, murmuring so softly under her breath that Althea couldn’t have heard the words even if she had wanted to. After several moments of this, during which Althea squirmed a bit in discomfort, the woman finally smiled, seemingly pleased with herself.

”Madam Alda sees many eventful happenings in your very near future, child,” she began, her voice whimsical as she attempted to add some mysticism to the reading. As expected, she began with what most mediums believed every person wanted to hear - romance.”This line - it says that you will soon meet a strong, handsome man; a man that was once a part of your life, but is no more. This line,” she pointed to another, indicating that specific curve, ”it says that you will also soon meet an individual near and dear to your heart - someone long forgotten but still so strongly bonded to your soul.” She paused, moving her finger to a broken line and her expression darkened a bit. "This line speaks of danger, fear, and hurt. There are tumultuous events that will happen soon to you, and this break in particular warns of a drastic change where you will have to make many difficult decisions that will wholly affect the rest of your days.” At that, the woman released her hand, seeming a bit concerned over what she had seen. Althea rubbed idly at her wrist, her brows furrowed.

”Wait, I-I am a bit confused. Who are these people that I have apparently forgotten? How will I come to meet them?” The seer simply smiled softly and shook her head but said no more, making it obvious that she had said all that she had seen. Frustratedly, Althea pushed herself to her feet and stomped away - she never should have spent any money on that scam of a booth. Of course cet escroc* was completely full of it. There was no such thing as seeing the future, and there was no such thing as magic.

"Miss Thea!"

Jerking instantly from her thoughts, Althea skidded to a stop, her head moving back and forth as she attempted to see the owner of the voice that had shouted her name so familiarly. Fortunately, the area of the fair that they were in wasn’t that crowded, otherwise she may have had difficulty spotting the pink and blond bobs moving excitedly in her direction - or, well, Lilya was moving in her direction. The blond girl - if she recalled, her name was Dawn and she had spotted her a few times across campus - more or less was dragged behind the former girl, almost stumbling in order to keep up.

Despite this odd approach, Althea smiled gently at the pair, her body shifting a bit so that she faced the other two. "I didn't make it to your performance, even though I was hoping I could after seeing the dress in my class's workshop! I'm really sorry! Did it go well? I'm sure it was great! You probably stole the stage with your dress and beauty!" Althea gave the girl a slightly sweeter smile, holding the air of an older sister with the expression. ”You flatter me too much, sucré**. It went quite well, thankfully, but that was only thanks to all of those involved. Without everyone doing their fair share, it would have been impossible to pull off.” she blushed a bit as she spoke, clearly embarrassed by the compliments, almost seeming to wave off the words. She noticed Liliya’s wandering gaze before it flicked back to meet her own once more, startling her a bit as the woman excitedly spoke again. Just being around her really sucks out your energy, she mused a bit, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing."If you aren't attending with anyone else, wanna join me and Dawn? We're gonna try the games and then we're headed for Ms. Evers stories later. I bet she'd be really happy if you stopped in too!"

At that, Althea tilted her head a bit. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t interested - she did like Ms. Evers, and she also enjoyed a good story, especially a fairy tale. After a moment of thought, she smiled once more at Liliya. ”I will gladly take you up on that offer, ma pote***.” She paused, unable to help herself, ”Also, remember - it is ‘Dawn and me’, not ‘me and Dawn’,” she corrected, ever the teacherly type. With that off her mind, she cast a glance around at the immediate game booths, then at the time on her phone. ”If we want to listen to Ms. Evers stories, we should head that way now - it would be rude to show up halfway through, after all,” she reasoned, already turning to start towards the area where Ms. Evers had set up her stand. She did glance back to ensure that Dawn and Liliya were following her - she didn’t want to just abandon them, especially given that she was their senior as well as a student council member, it was her moral obligation not to simply abandon the two - and when they reached the area it was to be found that the seats were completely filled, leaving their trio to stand at the back and watch from there. She didn’t mind, though - standing was good for you.

cet escroc* ~ that scammer
sucré** ~ sweetling
ma pote*** ~ My friend, mate, buddy, etc.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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liliya fae.
dialogue ; #f6a3b1. – thought ; #82ab9f.
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Warm and happy and content, she smiled brighter as she spoke to Althea, the older classmate of her's gaining a smile of her own, however small it was, it still carried that warmth she knew from the woman from the times she had spoken with her, whether it was on campus or by chance somewhere else.

"You flatter me too much, sucré. It went quite well, thankfully, but that was only thanks to all of those involved. Without everyone doing their fair share, it would have been impossible to pull off."

Sucré? An absent thought as she speaks. What did that mean? French, definitely, but she couldn't remember the translation from the lessons her mom had given her all those years ago. Oh, she'd be so disappointed! No one tell her please! Still, the word sounds nice, probably kind or a cute little pet name that she was delighted to be referred to as. Who wouldn't be?

Would Galen even make the effort to do so, if he knew she liked it so much?

"Always so humble, Thea, give yourself some credit! I'm sure the others helped out, but you were still a lead in the show!" A little more insistent; Althea would never take credit, always tried to turn to spotlight to someone else when it was one her it seemed. "You were amazing!" Someone would say, and she would just respond that everyone else was too. "You're beautiful!" And she would tell you that she probably wouldn't compare to the others on the stage, or something. Liliya suddenly had the sense that anyone who tried to flirt with her would find it a lost cause, at that rate. How do you shower compliments and suggestive words to someone who deflects it almost as soon as the sound reaches her ears?

Still, with Althea's pretty face, Liliya was quite confident there'd be someone who would persist enough to get through to her with that. Or someone who was blunt and vulgar enough that she wouldn't even be able to deflect away if she wanted to. What would she say if someone called her sexy? That everyone else was too? Or if they tried to get her in bed? That the others should tag along? As if, she couldn't be that oblivious, right?

Still, her attention is taken away as her upperclassman is speaking again, accepting the offer in such a way that Liliya's eyes begin to sparkle. There's another French word in there, "ma pote," but at least this one sounds more familiar, didn't that mean friend or something? She would have to reread her study books for this later, right now she would just take comfort in the hope and idea that Althea wouldn't use a different language to call her cruel names. That sparkle in her eyes is dashed away though, lips shifting into a childish pout as her grammar is corrected, "remember - it is ‘Dawn and me’, not ‘me and Dawn’." A slight stomp on the ground digs her outfit's heel into the dirt, but she doesn't care so much for that. "Let me have at least have a break from English class here, Thea! I don't wanna think about grammar rules at a fair!" A slight huff, she finally lets go of Dawn's hand then to cross her arms over her chest, but it doesn't last when she's speaking again, trying to redirect them back towards where their professor would be telling her stories, giving her performance and finally Liliya would be able to see something like this at the fair, even if it was with an unexpected group and not her original date and friends.

Althea is moving and Liliya is following without a second thought, a small push and nudge to Dawn to get her moving as well, even if the girl seemed to be off in another one of her daydreams despite all the energy and chaos, and a conversation that had been happening right in front of her. She was far too used to seeing the girl like that now, after spending classes with her. Silently, she wondered how the girl passed all those classes when she seemed to often be in a whole different world during lectures. Just naturally...super smart, or something.

The walk to Ms. Evers stand and setup is short, given they hadn't really made it that far from where they'd originally talked in the end. Game stands weren't a far off travel, and Liliya was happy for that, given she was beginning to feel her feet hurt in her shoes, and perhaps it's okay for me to go barefoot in the grass for the rest of the night after watching this. I don't want to walk home with blisters.

Nearing the area let her catch the tail end of Lilith's words, the woman already donning on a persona for her stage to tell whatever she'd been practicing for this night. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Gather around and learn tales of yore and wonder! My name is Madame Lilith and I am a sorceress who has travel far and wide! Come, come and don't be shy!" It's fun, to hear her professor take on a more lighthearted and fairy tale-esque role, to see her in a not so professional situation. Weird too, that disconnect from the professor to regular person status she always had with her instructors. They had lives outside of school too, and she knew that.

Unfortunately for her, they weren't fast enough to snag seats, seeing the ones placed out around the area already filled with an audience, and she let out a small sigh as they settled in the back. Her feet kick off the pair of shoes easily enough once they find that comfortable space, and she lets the pair sit lazily on the grass as her feet settle on the comfortable blanket, and finally get to breathe and take the pressure off. Much better, it was good to keep comfortable, especially to be sure that the enjoyment of a performance was at the maximum it could be. And so, with Althea and Dawn at her sides, she settled in to listen to the older woman's words and stories, and hopefully they would fill her night with plenty of pleasant, ethereal dreams.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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liliya fae.
dialogue ; #f6a3b1. – thought ; #82ab9f.
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Ms. Evers performance was, simply, rather entertaining. A little childish, a little cheesy, but wasn't this whole fair exactly that? It didn't mean Liliya enjoyed it any less than she had been, in fact, it was a blast to her. Letting herself be enthralled by the woman's words and her acting, joining in with the audience just as much as the next, clapping and wowing as she gave her speech, set up the stage and setting she'd had planned. A sorceress? That was pretty fun, she thought. Next time, maybe she'd let Liliya join in and be an assistant?

Lilith's words rang in her ears soon, though, that odd "spell" that sounded like some weird blip of medieval poetry, should have probably just been some performative part of her english professor's piece, but something about it struck Liliya, green eyes widening slightly before the sensation of something going into her pendant and straight through her chest hit. The chain holding it up almost shifts slightly, but perhaps that's just because she stumbles back with the feeling taking over so swiftly, leaving him falling backwards in confusion before lightly colliding with the ground on her butt. Very ungraceful, a little embarrassing, but that was entirely the least of her worries now.

An attempt to catch her breath and return to reality, she could only feel herself slipping further away, like hands trying to grip a cliffside made up of sand and glass. There was nothing to hold, and with a terrified look to the side, to where Althea stood, the audience and fair before her disappeared, before slipping her into the view of something else entirely.

For some reason, she felt small. Far too small, sitting on a giant, circular bed buried with blankets, in the middle of a room decorated brightly with plants, plushes, other variety of toys. Large windows let sunlight in through the thick leaves of trees that soared high into the sky around them, the wind blowing through to shift around the cast of sunlight in the branches, the trees. Where...was this?

Hopping down off the edge of the bed, her gaze moved around the odd, large room; large, even in comparison to her current bedroom at that apartment that she felt she was spoiled enough to have. This was...fit for a queen. Wandering around more, she found her feet cushioned and caressed by soft carpet, rug, making each step feeling like she was walking over clouds, and as she wandered further along, taking in the rest of the room, she finally spotted a mirror. Jogging over to it, the shock of this odd vision only grew, and she found herself staring at the reflection of herself, but far too young. Age regression? That wasn't even possible. What was this, some sort of insane dreamscape that she'd plunged into? But how? Why? And the way she was dressed, like some sort of fairy tale, pink hair done up in a pretty little bun while the rest of her hair was decorated with gems, accessories of ornate fashion. She would only don these for a modeling gig, or for some extra formal gala, but even then it was kind of pushing it. Who was putting a child in these sort of things?

Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a soft knock on the door to her left, and she turned around in time to see it slowly open, a woman in an unmistakably servant-esque outfit entering the room and bowing lightly towards her. "Princess? Arhen Lagrange has arrived, would it be alright if I let him in?"

Arhen? That name was far too familiar. And why had this woman called her princess like it was some sort of title and not just a silly little nickname or pet name? Still, she nods, curiosity piquing too much to turn down a lead on what was going on. If this was just a dream like she thought it was, then why would it matter if she did as she wanted anyway? That nod is confirmation enough though, and the woman servant opens the door wider before stepping back to the side, bowing her head again and revealing a boy. Small, with dark hair and blue eyes, who brightened up so quickly upon seeing her she thought he might as well be the sun in the sky.

"Rhea!" Came his giddy, high pitched voice, the boy - Arhen - running towards her so quick she didn't even have time to react before his arms were around her in a tight hug. "I'm back! Sorry I couldn't come the last couple days, mama n' papa said you and your parents were busy..."

He was cute. Childish and small and all bright, she couldn't help but smile and pat his head like she would any other child this young, not even thinking that she was, in terms of appearance, just as old as this boy right now. The pat of his head brings his gaze up from the hug to her though, and he smiles still just as brightly, getting one from her in return before-

The flash of giant wounds over his left eye, his neck. Disfiguring, horrifying, and she nearly lets out a scream at the sight before it all disappears before her, and she's left standing in the darkness of nothing. What was that? What had happened to him? Where had those even come from?

Letting out a shaking breath, she let herself crouch down, hands moving to the top of her head as she stifled a small whimper, cry, and then the sensation of something heavy over the top of her head, a more mature, feminine voice cutting through, "found you, Rhea."

Her eyes snap open at the sound, and she looks up to the one whose hand is on top of her, landing on the face of a woman who, by all means, was beautiful. Pinkish hair, a darker shade than hers, with eye colors that match it near perfectly. A beautiful dress, not just some simple costume but a genuine piece that only a monarch would wander about gardens in. She smiled down at Liliya, or was it Rhea? It doesn't take long for her to lift her up off the grass and into her arms. "Mommy and Daddy are sorry we were late to dinner...we didn't mean to upset our little peach..." A small pat on her head again, the woman's hand running down the back of her hair, "can Rhea forgive us? We'll be more careful from now on, we promise."

She's about to nod in response, if only to do something to take away the small sadness in the woman's eyes, but before she can another voice comes through, this one far more masculine in comparison to either of those, "Rosén?"

"Yes, darling. I'm here, I've found Rhea."

The sound of footsteps over dirt and grass, and soon a man appears in her line of vision, a look of relief crossing over his face at seeing her. "Oh, my little peach, I'm so sorry, it's all daddy's fault." He's crossing the distance quickly, hands reaching out and taking hold of her head before pressing a kiss - prickly, thanks to the scruff over his face - to her forehead. "I should have left sooner so I could spend dinner with you, my precious daughter. Will you come with us back home to have a late dessert instead?"

He backs out, and she's face with the two faces of people who call themselves her mother and father, warm and kind and gentle, perhaps a bit overly doting, but in her chest she warms, some sense of comfort and reassurance overcoming her just knowing she's with them, safe, in their arms and in their sight.

And then it's gone, and a twinge of agony overburdens that gentle kindness she feels. Like those very people who she was realizing were her true parents, were already gone before she could even accept it. Standing in a room with others all so familiar, screaming and crying, trying to run or fight against a woman in the shadows. All she did was stare, blankly, while tears that she couldn't even make sense of fell to the ground, and then the scene disperses again, leaving her in that same darkness.

When sight returns, she's back in her familiar body, in the familiar fair, next to both Althea and Dawn. Still on the ground, wide eyed, she can't even find the words to speak before feeling her own tears prick at her eyes, and a vice around her neck, making it far too hard to breathe.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Apollyon Evergreen Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Valken Aphelion Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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”Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.”
~Cicero

Speech Code ~ #0B610B
| Thought Code ~ #01A9DB




Ms. Evers began her stories, much to Althea’s delight, and as she stood near the back of the crowd she couldn’t help but marvel at the woman’s way with words. She easily drew in the crowd, and even those who hadn’t already joined the group had stopped as they walked past to observe. It was then she noticed an odd warmth against her chest. Reaching up, she touched the emerald pendant that rested between the dip of her breasts, her brows furrowing, but before she could do anything further, an odd force slammed into her, knocking the breath from her body and causing her to lose her balance. She fell back, landing directly on her tailbone with a wince, but did not have time to focus on the pain as she was assaulted with a barrage of images before her eyes.

~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~

”Come on, Artemisia! You have to keep up!”

Panting, the small girl struggled to climb the steep hill, her little legs only able to reach so far. ”I am trying, Aurora! Slow down!” she begged, attempting to use her hands as well to pull herself up in an effort to speed up the process. The blonde bob of hair that shone brightly in the sunlight ahead of her moved, and beautiful shimmering azure eyes focused on her.

“Hurry up, or we’ll miss it!” The other girl insisted, turning back and getting further away from little Artemisia. Tears gathered in her large green eyes, but before they could spill, she felt a gentle push from behind that helped boost her up a bit further and more quickly. Glancing back, she met a green and orange gaze that held a kind and loving tone to them. Orange hair that was only slightly lighter than her own glinted under the rays of the sun, and the smile that beamed up at her was calm and steadying.

“Don’t worry, Sia; I will always be here to help you,” the boy reassured her, his voice soft and holding a lilting tone to it. She felt happiness swell within her as she giggled and smiled back at him, using the back of her hand to wipe away her tears before they could fall.

”Thank you, Appy - I know I can always count on you!”


And then suddenly, more images blinded her from the festival. Hands lifted to rub at her eyes fervently as though in denial, but she quickly found herself drawn in once more.

Ever the follower, Artemisia peaked around the corner of a white pillar, ornately designed with leaves and flowers chiseled into it. Emerald eyes focused on the two boys who stood in the pretty inner courtyard, bickering over who would be the one to reach the Eternal Tree first. Her brother’s golden locks shimmered in the sunlight, as though honey under the golden rays, but she felt her eyes drawn to his compatriot unbidden. The complete polar opposite of his friend, the boy in question had a dark, full head of hair with bangs that fell lazily into his stormy eyes, and she felt her heart quicken a bit in her small chest.

Eager as always, Artemisia slipped from behind the pillar and uncertainly approached her brother and his partner, biting her lip and playing with her fingers.

”Um … C-Can I play, too?” she asked with a tiny voice, clearly nervous about the inquiry. This earned her a surprised look from both her brother and the other boy, who then exchanged a glance with one another before returning their attention back to her.

”I don’t know, Sia … You could get hurt, and mother and father would be very upset with me if I let anything happen to you,” her brother spoke slowly. Frustrated, Sia placed her hands on her hips and stomped her foot, pouting adorably. ”But that isn’t fair, Appy! I wanna play too! We’re the same age; just because you’re bigger doesn’t mean I can’t keep up!”

Before her brother could respond, the other boy fixed an amused grin on her, causing Artemisia to pause and stare, frozen under his gaze.

”Just let her join us, Apollyon. She can tag along with me, I don’t mind,” he cut him off with a shrug, and after a moment, he held his hand out in her direction. ”Come on, let’s go.”

Artemisia took his hand slowly, a sweet smile spreading across her cherubic face as he began to lead her away.


~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~

A loud gasp and a hand clutched at her chest as Althea jerked back to reality, her vision finally clearing and no longer clouded. As she gathered her bearings, she found Dawn - Aurora? - and Liliya - Rhea? - on the ground beside her. Their features were eerily familiar and she immediately recalled their given, original names despite her rattled state-of-mind. Her thoughts flittered back to the other women who had been a part of their group when speaking to Miss Evers and she forced herself to remain calm despite the inner turbulence that she felt. It was clear that whatever had hit her chest had come into contact with her companions, and after a moment to gather herself, Althea shakily pushed herself to her feet, both hands held out, one to each girl.

”A-Are you both alright?” she asked, her voice trembling a bit with shock.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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”Bravery is being the only one who knows that you're afraid.”
~Franklin P. Jones

Speech Code ~ #FF0000
| Thought Code ~ #FF8000




"Sorry, I'll pay you for it once I've finished… Thanks for grabbing one for me..."

The murmured words brought a small smile to Willow’s face as she paused mid-bite. Seeming to study Eloise for a moment, she shrugged and popped the piece of funnel cake into her mouth, enjoying the sugary sweetness that was unhealthiness personified. After what seemed like a solid minute, she swallowed and shrugged once more, already turning on her heel to start away, her free hand waving flippantly in the air.

”Don’t worry about it; you can just get me a treat next time, deal?” That said, she began to peer around their surroundings, her bright gaze studying the trinkets and knick-knacks offered by the merchants. There were a wide array of options to choose from, along with different foods and drinks as well, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t wish to have more money to buy the pretty objects.

As Willow popped the last sweet bite of diabetes in food form, she chewed the piece slowly, savoring its sweetness as she quickly cleaned her fingers with her tongue. A napkin had once held the dessert which she promptly used to finish cleansing her hands of the sticky delight. In the middle of doing so, however, she felt an odd sensation creep across her skin, the dazzling ruby that rested gently against her breasts thrumming softly. Before she could do anything to react, she felt the same sensation of foot-to-chest that she would often feel in spars connect with her body, sending her stumbling back. Thankfully, years of conditioning and practice gave her enough reaction time that she was able to catch herself on the nearest lamppost, preventing her from falling to the ground, but she dimly registered that her new friend hadn’t been so lucky. Whatever had hit Willow, hit her as well. Despite her quickly darkening sight, she took a single step towards Eloise, as though to help her stand, but was immediately assaulted with a barrage of images, all of which were full of warmth and light.

~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~

Yellow eyes blazed, boring into the pink irises of the small lifeform that trembled before the creature. Billows of smoke puffed from the dragon’s impressive nostrils, the infant animal fierce despite its young age. It was clearly attempting to use intimidation tactics, but despite these and the human girl’s obvious fear, her small hands curled into fists as she seemed to gather her courage. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the child took a few steps closer to the dragon and fixed a steely, intense gaze on it, easily meeting the fiery eyes of the large, beautiful creature.

”Yes, Oriane! Just like that - show no fear and assert yourself!”

At the words of encouragement, the small girl - known as Oriane - took three more trembling steps forward, her expression wavering despite her resolve. The dragon huffed a bit and shook its head, baring its teeth at the girl and shrieking a bit in response to her movement. She hesitated mid-step, but as her father shouted more inspiring quips, she found herself continuing in an instant, the brief moment of uncertainty seemingly gone as quickly as it had come.

Oriane finally found herself a mere two steps from the majestic beast who, despite its ferocity, was barely even her size. With a small smile, the girl raised her hand slowly, the dragon hissing immediately and scuttling back a few steps. Instead of running the other direction, however, she followed the creature almost insistently until it had nowhere else to escape to, at which point she paused and leaned forward until the soft flesh of her hand came into contact with the cool, scaly armor of the dragon. The sensation of the reptilian protection was odd - rough and bumpy to the touch, but strangely comforting, as though she were touching an old friend’s arm. As she turned her face a bit downwards, she paused, her expression frozen in its smiling placidity, for when her eyes meet the intense gaze of the dragon, the bond was sealed.


~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~’.’~

Chattering voices slowly began to seep into the mindset of Willow - or was she Oriane? - as she came back to reality, her misty vision slowly returned. Hand to forehead, she held herself in the same spot for a few moments, attempting to gather her wits. A few passers-by were heard muttering about the girl on the ground, and once her mind was clear, she focused on what they were talking about, only to find Eloise - or was she Euphemia? Willow had no idea anymore - sitting on the dirty ground, her pretty dress undoubtedly gathering mud and grime beneath her bottom. With a slight wince at that thought and the budding headache that was beginning to pound at the back of her head, Willow crossed the small area separating herself from her companion, hand outstretched towards her before she had even reached the woman. As nausea churned her stomach over the previous visions she had received, she gave a shaking smile to Eloise, sweat beading across her forehead.

”Seems like we have a bit more in common than we originally thought, huh?” Her joke was dry, humorless despite her attempt at such, and an internal wince followed it, a combination of her horrid joke and budding migraine. Once she had ensured that Eloise was on her feet and steady, Willow cast a glance around the immediate area, noting the crowd had rather quickly dispersed and they were now alone with a few other young women scattered throughout the area. As her gaze fell upon each girl, she recognized them in turn as members of her home - Rhindeval - and a small pain twinged at her heart in response.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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Lilith Evers ~ Dawn Henderson ~ Cassie Peters
Codes- #C71585 ~ #5477B9 ~ #46935C


Cassie was still struggling to get a handle on her emotions. She felt so many at once from intense happiness to despair. It was like she was remembering things but couldn't put them all together like one cohesive piece of music. As she walked she saw Oriane and Euphemia . . . . wait, Oriane and Euphemia? No, their names were Willow and Eloise though, right? As confusion swells within her again, she caught another flash of memory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5-year-old Meridian gasped in awe as she saw Ori with her bonded dragon, who was just as young as her, for its kind at least. Her family was visiting Scylla and it just so happened that Effie's family was visiting too. All pure coincidence. Of course as the adults were talking, the royal children were being supervised and Ori wanted to showcase her dragon. Eager, Meridian came up to the pink hair princess.

"She's so amazing! What's her name?"

"Her name is Idalia! Did you want to pet her Meri?"

"Oh really? Thanks! Hello Idalia."

The young dragon was intimidating but was very gentle towards Meri as she pet the dragon.

"Effie! Val! Come over here, she's really nice!" the young girl called out to the dark hair siblings.

"Uh, I don't know Meridian. You sure it's safe?" Euphemia said, still unsure.

"Aw, it'll be alright, sis, Meri petted her and she's fine. Let's give it a shot, okay?" Valken encouraged.

Meridian watched as the dark hair kids pet the dragon and the image faded.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cassie now felt tears burning in her eyes. Those two girls looked exactly like her classmates, and there was a boy, one who she remembered as Val, short for Valken. And a dragon?! But those weren't real! Nothing was the same anymore. Needing to find some kind of clarity, she walked towards the two and said the first thing that was on her mind.

"I know both of you before college. Can I ask you something? We're both of you adopted? I know I was, but those memories are a blur. Sorry, I feel so confused, like a dam just burst inside my head and I am remembering things prior to the age of 8 and they're overwhelming."




Dawn was still trying to piece things together into her mind when she heard a voice penetrate her thoughts.

"A-Are you both alright?”

It was Althea, but that name didn't feel right for now the voice reminded her of someone else. And look up at the young lady, she got caught in another memory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A little blonde baby about a year old was sitting inside her nursery with twin toddlers interacting with her. Their parents in the same room watching the children interacting.

"My goodness, Helios, Aurora has certainly gotten bigger since I've last seen her," Queen Antoinette said.

Aurora's father smiled as he watched his baby girl.

"I can't believe it either. Seems like yesterday when it was her Christening."

Aurora was making baby noises while trying to say the names of Apollyon and Artemisia, but just called them Appy and Sia instead. She was crawling after Appy when Sia caught her attention.

"Lookie Aurora, I have a pendant to show you."

The baby smiled, seeing the Emerald pendant. The adults stopped talking as they watched the baby suddenly move to get on her two little legs. She struggled at first, but Apollyon spoke up.

"Come on Aurora, you can do it."

Feeling the encouragement in those words, the baby managed to stand on her two feet for the first time and to the amazement of the adults, took her first few steps, but fell down on her bum and started to cry. The twins quickly came to her and helped her stop crying before their parents interfered. Helios swooped his daughter up in joy and Sia and Appy's parents told them how proud they were.

Dawn saw this and felt tears in her eyes. Sia and Appy, they were always there for her. The image faded as reality set back in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The flash of memory shook Dawn. Was that baby her? The two toddlers, one of them looked like Althea. Look at the girl, her gaze saw the Emerald pendent, the same one from that early memory.

"I'll be fine . . . . Sia," she said quietly.

Her gaze drifted and came into contact with her professor. Was the spell she said, was it real? She recalled all the dreams she had of late. Were they real? They felt real.

Lilith watched as Dawn's eyes made contact with her. She could tell the three princesses were still processing all of those memories. She waited patiently for one of them to approach her and hoped the other three would find her soon too. She could feel the magic of their auras now. With the spell over them broken, their magical auras had appeared too, which didn't surprise Lilith in the least.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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rhea louverno.
dialogue ; #f6a3b1. – thought ; #82ab9f.
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"A-are you both alright?" It's Althea - Artemisia's - voice now, cutting through the chaos of Liliya's- Rhea's thoughts, as she tries to solve the visions, tries to figure out what was going on, why she was here and why she was using a name that wasn't even her own. Why she was in some entirely other world that wasn't even her own.

It's that odd, nagging sensation again, the same she had as a child. Like those one off dreams that would haunt her the entirety of the night, that made no sense because as far as she knew she was a child of Earth, not Rhindeval. She was no princess except that that's what she was exactly and entirely. An identity such as that just whisked away in the moment of her childhood, along with her-

Her parents. Her true family, that she's wondered over as she's laid in bed, the quiet only pushing the thoughts further and further; were they kind? Were they strict? Had they even wanted her? Where were they, what had happened to them? But now she knew, and even the hope that they could still be alive out there somewhere, that she might get a chance to meet them again one day is dashed away. They were dead, long gone, and she hadn't even had time to grieve over their deaths before she had been dropped into an unfamiliar world, all on her own, nothing but herself and a pendant from that realm before.

Perhaps the other girls with her were there too, in that orphanage, but it's been years; she can't remember any of it, and it hurts her head to keep digging for more memories when they were unleashed on her all at once without mercy. Trying to recall the painful early years of her life on Earth were not something she was hoping to seek out now, she knew that. There was already too much pain in Rhindeval's past.

Letting out another shaking breath, Rhea carefully draws control back to herself, that grounding sensation she needs as she plants both unsteady feet on the ground, but she can't bring herself to stand, to even try and rise a bit. Instead, just sticking to the ground is easier, a better choice perhaps, better than being up and falling back down again. Was her dress ruined? Maybe, it would undoubtedly have grass stains now, but it was a dark enough green that they wouldn't show too much, right?

Why was she even worrying about her dress? There were so many other more important things, yet her mind wanted to run from it, the reality of a past she'd always wondered over, but never sought after.

Catching her composure and her breath again, she let her voice break out from its cage in her lungs, a weak, "I'll be alright," making its way out. Honestly, she didn't feel like she would be anytime soon, but her adoptive mother had always taught her to push through the difficulties, and even though it felt like things were literally falling apart, she'd do her best to heed the woman's words. "Thea…" A shake of her head, Rhea's hand moves up and pulls lightly at her own hair, as if that would help knock her memories and thoughts into place any better. "Artemisia," comes the other woman's true name, almost choked out, but it's in the air now, and by the feel of this situation she had been seeing the same things the rest of them had, if not curated for her own memories.

"I'll be fine…Sia." Is Dawn's, Aurora's words, and with that nickname she's positive that they were all seeing the same thing. There's no way they hadn't, with these reactions, these names falling out of their mouths like it was supposed to be natural, the truth.

Still, just that is enough to begin confirming it all, to reassure her that it wasn't some fever dream that Lilith had somehow placed down on her with renaissance sorcery poetry and-

Lilith? She blinks once, brows furrowing again as she thinks about the woman. It wasn't just them from Rhindeval, wasn't she as well? Her English professor? Somehow that's even harder to think about, and another shake of her head to dispel the thoughts. Could she ask in a moment? Make her explain what the hell was going on, and why she'd never even said anything before or-

She didn't even know anymore.

Moving a hand out to…Artemisia's extended - god, it felt far too difficult to change names now, she felt like ripping her hair out - slender fingers take hold of her offer to help up, and slowly she pulls back up off the ground, away from the grasses and dirt of the park, away from where she'd sat to watch the flash of memories, both warming and horrific. Mother and father so doting and kind, and then dead, childhood friend so eager and innocent, and then ruined. It seemed that nothing of her previous life had ended in a peaceful, kind, not enough for her to look back and think of the faces of friends in family in a light that didn't feel traumatic.

A slight sway in her stand, she shakes her head a bit before looking back to the woman at her side, to Dawn still half on the ground, and then back to their professor who stands silent, patient just a few paces away, still where she was performing moments ago. Instead of a full audience, however, it's Rhea, Artemisia, Aurora's gazes on her. Green eyes stay still, watching, before the quiet almost breaks her.

"Professor?" She doesn't know what else to call the woman, even though Lilith alone might be fine, but she's not ready to acknowledge everything at once yet. "Why...? What did you do...?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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euphemia aphelion.
dialogue ; #ab9b9d. – thought ; #ed97a5.
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Trying to gather herself, her thoughts and her composure once more are difficult. She doesn't feel anger like she normally thought she would, she doesn't feel bitterness, not towards her own parents or brother, but rather towards the woman she'd seen at the end, that oppressive force and nature she held nearly stealing her breath away with an agony she can't contain, a burning grief that won't subside, for her family, her family that she had forgotten. How could I? They protected me, they saved me, and yet I... Her brother, so young, so terrified, standing up against the towering woman who would leave him a bloody mess on the floor at her feet, was he even still alive? He is, comes the sudden thought, perhaps a self comfort and a useless cling to hope, he has to be.

Choking back the sob, but unable to control the tears that break out of her dam of emotions - goodbye, makeup. Goodbye, reputation and image. No more mean tough girl, you just cried after falling onto the ground like a little girl. They fall freely down her face, onto the ground and onto the dress that has a layer of disaster around the edges, crawling up her legs now too at this rate. It was the least of her worries all the same; why would she give a damn about performing tonight after this shit? Surely her stupid professor would be willing to let her call out on it, for having a genuine flashback and break through for her memories? Not that the woman would believe any sort of story of those memories she could tell. Let my shitty understudy do the solo, I'm done. I'm done. It was a return to the apartment, that was all she wanted. To get out of this stupid dress and these horrible shoes, to sob into her bed and sleep for the rest of forever.

Sure, her memories were back, but what did that mean? And where had they been? Rhindeval? She didn't even know a country of that name, didn't know any subzero countries that kept to medieval era fashion and culture. What, was it some sort of parallel world? Then how the hell had she ended up here? Some land where things were modern and livable and she was just some orphaned, bad mouthed girl that caused far too much trouble and garnered every glare and bit of hate wherever she went? Not that being an exiled, presumed dead princess sounded all that much better, perhaps worse than the life she had now. Dead parents there, living adoptive parents here, no friends there, friends here, ancient living conditions there, modernity and comfort here. Really, which was worse?

But my brother, comes her thoughts again, and she winces at the pain it brings, the flash of his young face in her mind again. How old would he be now? Mid-twenties? If he were still alive, and her heart cried that he was, what had he been through? How had he survived that woman? What had he had to do, to live? Could she just turn her back on him again, like she had all those years ago?

I was a child. She thinks, but so was he.

Her conflicted, panic of thoughts are interrupted then, gaze moving up to look at the woman before her, that Willow Oriane that she knew from her childhood. Had they seen each other often when they were young? Living in such different environments, the bitter cold and the sweltering heat, she wondered how common travel and visits were, memories still slowly unpacking and reminding her of the past.

"Seems like we have a bit more in common than we originally thought, huh?" The words of her's come out in what seems to be an attempt at a joke, but she can find it in herself to laugh, to try and brighten the moment. Perhaps Oriane had the personality for optimism and the light at the end of the tunnel, but Euphemia had consistently lived her life as a glass half empty girl, and that wasn't going to change now. Not when her locked memories turned out to be more horrific than she had even imagined. Instead, she just gives a nod, and in the haze of her shock takes the other girl's hand while she's pulled back up to her feet. Steady, steadier than she thought she'd be, she takes a step or two back until she's leaning against a post, no doubt pricking and tearing at the fabric of her already ruined dress now as well. Would her professor charge her for it? Or was it some poor fashion student's project that had fallen to tatters at this point, a definite "F" on their report card.

"You...saw it all too, then?" She doubted it was the same as her own visions, but the girl had that same look in her eyes that Euphemia was quite sure she had in her own. "Oriane?" The name comes out in almost an echo, uneasy and unnatural even for its newfound familiarity. Still, the terrified tone it holds shines through more than she'd like, and she tries to swallow back tears again. "Who am I? What...what's happening? What happened?" The anxiety and discomfort of an anxiety attack raise up inside of her, and she tries to push the building emotions back and she shoves her gaze to the ground, "why here? Why now? What am I even supposed...what am I even supposed to do now...?" Go to Rhindeval, find her brother, that's what she wanted to do in this moment, yet at the same time there isn't even a clear path or way to get there. No safety with the idea either; disappearing off the face of the earth would only harm her parents, her living, loving parents, and the last thing she needed to do now was cause them anymore pain, whether it was by them thinking she'd lost her mind with these stories, or simply never speaking to them again when she left.

Another shake of her head, a hand moves to run back over her bangs, into the rest of her hair before falling back in a tussled mess. This disaster certainly wouldn't solve itself, and the more she thought, the more her gaze wandered, out from the empty stalls and lack of crowds to the trio of girls her age, to the woman who stands so patiently at her stage of performance, as if she knew exactly what they were experiencing, what they were seeing. And that was probably true, given the woman was Lilith Evers, after all. Not her English professor, she was the sorceress that had been exiled with them, that had kept this a secret until now, without warning.

That rage begins bubbling up again, so familiar and burning, but even then it's redirected, doused with a bucket of water as another overly familiar face appears; not Cassie, Meridian.

"I knew both of you before college. Can I ask you something? Were both of you adopted? I know I was, but those memories are a blur. Sorry, I feel so confused, like a dam just burst inside my head and I am remembering things prior to the age of eight and they're overwhelming." An outflow of words and questions, that same confusion that they were all wrestling with through migraines.

"You're hardly the only one that feels confused," Euphemia manages, bites back the disaster of emotions once again, "we all saw something like that."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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Lilith Evers ~ Dawn Henderson ~ Cassie Peters
Codes- #C71585 ~ #5477B9 ~ #46935C


Dawn watched as the the person she now knew as Rhea approach Professor Evers. Seeing the professor this time, her eyes widen and once again she remembered more. This time the image was a much darker one. She recalled fear as she was in a dark area surrounded by other girls in a cell and nearby Lilith wearing the exact gown she was in now. She remembered a dark figure standing before them with a cruel smile in her mouth. She was clinging to Sia who damanded to know where her brother and the other boys were.

The woman, whose name brought fear, laughed and said, "Oh they're safe. And don't you worry your pretty little heads my dearies. Soon all of your worries will vanish."

Everything went black after that. The woman's name, it was Ivelda, and Dawn remembered, she was the one who killed her parents, killed all of their parents. Lilith, she tried to stop her, but failed. Fresh tears appeared in her eyes again as she felt a wave of grief washed over her.

Lilith watched as Aurora cried but turned her attention to Rhea as she approached and asked her what happened. Smiling gently, Lilith answered her.

"You have every right to remember who you are and where you came from. I know it's a lot to remember and not all of it good, but I am sure you had unanswered questions most of your life. I just wanted to give you the answers to those questions, Rhea. As for the pain you're feeling right now, I know sorry isn't enough, but I truly am sorry for I have failed you and the others. I only hope I can atone for my mistakes and hopefully this will be one of those ways."

Dawn heard those words and tried her best to stop crying. Taking deep breaths, she too approached her professor.

"But why now? Why couldn't you unlock our memories when we first arrived here?"

A look of pain crossed Lilith's face.

"I only recently gained enough power to reverse my sister's spell on you and this planet doesn't have as much magical energy as Rhindeval does. It was a slow process to regain my magical powers for I nearly used it up trying to stop Ivelda. Plus I knew all of you would be here today."

Dawn nodded.

"I remember . . . . I am Princess Aurora Givens. All of those dreams . . . were they?"

"Yes, Aurora, all of those dreams were of Traumet, the kingdom of your birth. Those dreams were a sign to me that my sister's spell over all of you was coming undone. Blocking memory goes against nature, so it's no surprise they were trying to break through."

During this time, Cassie nodded when Euphemia/Eloise answered. She sounded mad. Cassie couldn't blame her for she felt the same way. Were her memories even real? Sure she always wanted to know what happened to her birth parents and why she had green hair, but she wasn't expecting to remember things that belonged in fairy tales. Still, her parents were always telling her that anything was possible. Looking around, Cassie caught sight of her English professor and saw three other young ladies. She recognized all of them at once, even though two of them weren't in her class. The other one that was, Althea, Cassie always had a sense of deja vu about her. Suddenly she remembered . . . they were cousins, Cassie's birth father and her mother, they were first cousins. Her name, it wasn't always Althea, it was Artemisia and she had a twin brother. There were other guys, Cassie remembered. What happened to them? Still wanting answers, Cassie walked towards her professor, hoping she had the answers.

"You, you unlocked my memories, didn't you?"

"Yes I did. Do you remember your birth name now?"

"Yes, but I don't know if I can accept it. These memories, they can't be real, can they?"

"I can see why you would feel that way. You were raised in a world that doesn't believe in magic. How else would you explain your green hair though? Or the fact that these other girls have memories of you. I certainly remember you as a child, Meridian. Always wanting to be outside and driving your mother crazy with your antics," Lilith said with a small smile on her face, recalling those memories.

Cassie's eyes opened wide. Her mother, she remembered the last time she saw her . . . she told her to live and be strong. That was before she felt her mother give her own lifeforce so that she may live. That evil woman, Cassie tried stopping her, but got critically injured in the process. She had done this after she felt her father's death. Ivelda may not have directly killed her mother, but she was the reason her mother gave her only life to her daughter. Intense guilt swamped her just now.

Lilith saw the look of guilt and replied, "I am sorry, I wish I could undo what my sister has done."

"Why? Why did she have to ruin everything?" Cassie asked wiping angry tears from her eyes.

"Ivelda craved power for a long time, but even I didn't know what lengths she would go to attain it. If I did, I might have been able to stop her from killing our sister and father."

Aurora looked at Lilith, she forgot she too suffered loss at Ivelda's hand.

"What happened to my cousin, Apollyon, and the other boys?" Cassie asked suddenly.

Lilith hesitated, looking at Artemisia briefly before turning back to Meridian.

"I . . . . I don't know. I can only hope they're still alive. They fought to stay with you girls though, so very hard. I can only assume that Ivelda block their memories too. If she was smart, she would keep them alive. She wanted the royals to release the reigns of the kingdoms to her, so it wouldn't surprise me that to attain that she would use the princes as leverage to get the cooperation of the other kingdoms. That's the best answer I can give you for now."

Aurora sighed, she hoped that was true. Richard had been like an older brother for her. Sia's brother . . . . he was special.
She recalled her parents asking her what she thought of Appy and she remembered saying she liked him a lot and was always sad when she had to leave him and Sia's side. Looking back now, she realizes she did have a big crush on him.

Looking back at Lilith, she asked,"What will you do now?"

"Me? I plan on going back. I won't rest until I stop my sister."

"Alone?"

Lilith hesitated again before answering, "I was hoping all of you would come back with me, but I know it's a lot to ask of you, plus it's dangerous, so I am leaving the decision up to you."

Cassie's eyes widen at that, and without thinking, she said, "I can't go back, I have a life here! Plus, it's not like I have anything to return to. If Ivelda did take over Rhindeval, how can you, how can any of us stop her? Our parents couldn't."

"That's not entirely true Meri. I am sure Angalais needs you. And if the boys are alive, they'll need us."

"I never asked for this though. I can't be a princess . . . I was never good at being one to begin with."

"Oh? I recall your father telling me once that he was a lot like you as a kid and he turned out to be a great ruler."

"Still, I . . . . I don't know if I want to face Ivelda again. I tried stopping her once, nearly died because of my mistake and my mother ended up paying for it."

"Sweetie, you were only a little girl and were trying to protect the others."

Cassie really didn't listen and started crying again. Aurora came up to her wrapped her arms around her, offering her comfort while her own tears resurfaced again. Lilith stayed silent, letting them trying to process the emotions they were feeling.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Orion Nox Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens
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”Life can only be understood backwards;
But it must be lived forwards.”
~Soren Kierkegaard
Speech Code ~ #FF0000
| Thought Code ~ #FF8000




Despite her own issues when it came to coming to terms with her newfound memories - as well as the budding headache at the back of her skull - Willow found herself helping Elo-Euphemia to her feet with a quick and easy hoist. "You...saw it all too, then? … Oriane? Who am I? What...what's happening? What happened? A pause and the girl continued, her voice weak, to the point where it almost trembled as she spoke. A bit of concern furrowed Willow’s browline. ”Why here? Why now? What am I even supposed...what am I even supposed to do now...?" A hand lifted to rub idly at her right temple, betraying her growing head pain.

The other woman’s questions weren’t unreasonable ones. With these new memories came overwhelming waves of emotions, ranging from grief to rage, from melancholy to fury, and if she wasn’t careful she could quickly find herself wrapped up in those feelings. Wrapping her arms around her body and hugging her elbows as though to console herself a bit, she felt a hollow sorrow reverberate throughout her chest. The image of intense ruby eyes and snow-white hair continuously assaulted her vision, leaving her with a sense of utter dread. Who do those eyes - that odd hair - who do they belong to? Just as suddenly as the orbs appeared, they were replaced with burning, fathomless violet spheroids - a pair that instantly struck her blood cold, her arms prickling with goosebumps. Like a prey under a predator’s hungry gaze, Willow found herself frozen in complete terror at the sight of those eyes. Tears clouded her vision, threatening to spill - Don’t cry; don’t show weakness - she rubbed roughly at her eyes and steeled herself, seeming to physically plant her feet more firmly into the ground.

”I … I did see something too, yes …” she trailed off, as though uncertain, before finding her courage again. ”I’m … I’m not so sure myself what’s going on here, but I-I do know that … Even though I’m supposed to be Willow, I’m also somehow Oriane? And you - you’re supposed to be Eloise, but also Euphemia?” At this point, she was more bewildered than anything else. Where were all of these memories coming from anyway?

"I knew both of you before college. Can I ask you something? Were both of you adopted? I know I was, but those memories are a blur. Sorry, I feel so confused, like a dam just burst inside my head and I am remembering things prior to the age of eight and they're overwhelming." The sudden interruption startled Willow a bit but she found herself staring at the person who had spoken, her surprise evident on her features. She would recognize that green hair anywhere - the only other girl who had understood how it felt to have a hair color that stood out even among the other royal children. The thought of them all being royals gave her a bit of an uncomfortable feeling in her skin, but she forced herself to shake it off; there was no use denying these memories, especially if so many others who resembled those within her recollection were also suddenly having their bouts of amnesia cured. It couldn’t be a coincidence - there was just no way.

”Yeah … I was adopted. Everything before my new life was basically erased from my head, but now it’s like it’s all slowly starting to come back. It’s still hard to remember everything, and I’m definitely getting a little headache, but I do know that even though you’re Cassie, you’re also Meridian? I’m just as confused as you are, and so is Elo-er,” she paused and looked over at the woman in question awkwardly, ”I’m sorry, but what would you like us to call you? I know that at least for now, I prefer Willow, since it’s what I’m used to being called at this point.”

With a pause, Willow seemed to be attempting to gather herself a bit. Her headache was becoming more intense by the minute so despite her wish to stay with her two new ‘friends’, she found herself moving over to one of the seats that had been so recently vacated by the audience. She plopped into the seat and leaned forward, dropping her face into her hands and breathing shallowly. Things were not going well for her, and she could feel herself trembling a bit as the thought slithered through her head. Before she knew what was happening, she was suddenly sucked into another reverie, one that stole her breath away.




”Watch out for the arch up ahead, Ori!”

Pink hair billowing in the wind of the azure sky’s, the small girl in question gave a determined look and tightened her grip on the reins. They were connected to a magnificent dragon that was only a little over half its full size due to its young age, and with a simple twitch of her wrist, the beast twirled in a circle. This drew a giggle of glee from Oriane as she tightened her legs on the saddle, and once upright ahead she relaxed. A forward lean increased Idalia’s speed as the stone gateway came into view, looming ominously in the cloudy sky, peeking from the top of a mountain with a glint. With a flourish and another spin, the duo easily glided through the opening in the arch.

A slow in the flapping of the dragon’s wings brought both her and Oriane down to the ground below. Awaiting them stood a boy only slightly taller than herself, his snowy hair glinting in the light that managed to slither through the mountains which towered around the castle and its immediate village.

An excited hop and the bright girl was crossing the small distance that separated her from the pale, stoic boy, and before he could react she had thrown her arms around him, her smile beaming and bright.

”I did it, Ori! I did!”

A gentle smile and a pat on the head brought Oriane’s face back upwards, her eyes meeting the intense, ruby gaze of her cousin’s.

”You did amazing, and I’m so proud of you.”





Willow came back to the present with a start. A gasp and she shot up straight, her hand clutching the ruby pendant tightly at her chest. Who - who was he exactly? Her cousin - Orion … The name echoed throughout her mind with a near-melancholy reverberation, and she found herself fighting off tears. What had happened to her beloved cousin, who was so much more than just a simple distant relation? The one who had become like an older brother to her; the one who had taught her everything that she needed to know, and guided her through life despite his own hardships and problems. The boy who had always been there to cheer her up on a day where she hadn’t been having a good time, and the boy who had so expertly guided her through her bond with Idalia.

Idalia. The name echoed in her head and before she could stifle it, a small sob escaped her. Please, please - you have to be alive. Pressing her fingers roughly into her eyes in an attempt to stop them from leaking, Willow drew in a few shaky breaths. When she was finally calm, she dropped her head onto the back of the chair, her eyes fixated on the clouds and birds moving so carelessly above them.

What I wouldn’t give to be a bird and fly away from everything right now.

A shuddering inhale followed by an equally uneven exhale and Willow dropped her head once more, her gaze moving to Professor Evers and the gathering group around her. Each and every face was eerily familiar and as she looked closely, it was almost as though another part of her was whispering their names into her ear. It left her uneasy and uncertain, and despite her having processed the information pretty quickly, she was still confused by it all. Gone was her identity of being simply Willow Vesta. Of course she had always known that she was adopted - she looked nothing like her family, after all, and was also adopted at such a late age that despite her lack of memories, she knew that the Vestas weren’t her blood relations. But to be from a royal family, and an entirely other world no less; it was all too much to wrap her head around, and she found herself lingering off to the side, unable to bring herself to join the others. She was far too overwhelmed as is, let alone adding in a social interaction. Instead, she simply hovered nearby in her seat, listening into the ensuing conversation between the other princesses.

As the conversation came to a stand-still with Meri bursting into tears and Aurora attempting to console her, Willow found herself unable to hold back anymore and instead felt rage bubbling within her chest, barely able to be contained. She was on her feet in an instant, her hands balled into fists at her sides, and her feet brought her closer to the group.

”I for one refuse to let that evil, psycho bitch keep causing pain and misery for the people that we love and are obligated to protect. If that gets me killed, then so be it. If it was worth it to my parents to sacrifice their lives for not only us but our people as well, then it’s worth it to me, too.” Her voice was firm, her expression determined, and when she met Lilith’s gaze her eyes held the fire of the Scyllan people.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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”That which could be destroyed by the truth
Should be.”
~P.C. Hodgell

Speech Code ~ #0B610B
| Thought Code ~ #01A9DB




Seemingly content with their reassurances of their states, Althea took a step back from them both, idly rubbing her hands together as though to comfort herself. She much preferred to be on the sidelines watching from afar and observing as opposed to in the thick of the mayhem. It made things easier to process and understand; easier to control her emotions and reactions as well. So there she stood, her emerald orbs darting back and forth between each of the women gathered within the small area as they spoke in turn. Her fingers plucked at each other as information was revealed and emotions were spilled, and she found herself lost in thought a bit. The one thing at the forefront of her mind was her brother and whether or not he was still alive. The last that she had seen him, he had been standing before her ready to throw himself at Ivelda to protect her and the other princesses, his small frame almost glowing in the torch's outreach.




Sobs racked the tiny body of the Emerald Isle's princess. Blood was smeared across her cherubic face, tear trails streaking through them, and she sat huddled on the dirty floor of the dungeons, trembling arms wrapped around her dress-clad legs.

"Don't cry, Sia. I promised mother and father that I would always protect you, and I don't plan to break my word today."

Her brother's words brought a bit of comfort to the girl, her tears slowing somewhat. A small cloth rubbed at her blood-stained cheeks and she forced herself to ignore the cries of the other royal children around her, each of them absorbed in their own misery over what they had just seen.

Turning swollen eyes up to the boy before her, Sia found herself clutching at his shirt. "Please, don't leave me too, Appy." Her voice was pleading, desperate after the young child had witnessed her own parents being torn apart.

Apollyon placed a hand gently to her face, his thumb wiping at her lingering tears.

"I promise that I will always be there for you. You're my baby sister, after all; who else will always be there for me?"





After she had processed everything, and despite her overwhelmed state, Althea found herself taking a few steps towards the group, still wringing her hands together.

”Pro-Miss Evers …” she paused as though uncertain before gathering her courage and continuing, ”You have no need to apologize to anyone. You did everything you could given the circumstances. You are not responsible for anyone’s actions other than your own, so you do not bear the responsibility of your sister’s evil deeds simply because you share blood.” She paused again, but this time due to her thought process. ”On top of that, if there is one thing that I have learned in my short but eventful life, it is that blood does not necessarily mean family. Family is who you choose - those who you love and love you in return.”

Absent-mindedly her hand reached up to twine around her necklace, gripping it tightly. Her heart ached in pain over the loss of her mother and father; she would never have the opportunity for her mother to guide her through becoming a mother herself, or for her father to walk her down the aisle; there were so many things that she would never get to experience and all because of Ivelda. Not to mention that the mere thought of whether or not her beloved brother was even still alive made her blood run cold. She didn’t know what was worse - the knowledge that her parents were dead, or the lack of knowledge about Apollyon’s wellbeing.

Her eyes turned back up to Lilith’s, snagging her gaze.

”I may love Earth and my family here, but I could not live with myself if I abandoned my people and worst of all, my beloved brother. I will do anything that I can to save them.”

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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eloise grace.
dialogue ; #ab9b9d. – thought ; #ed97a5.
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At least someone here knew how to ask the right questions. Or something like that, if the way Rhea- Liliya? Rhea? God, she didn't know anymore. The pink haired underclassman of her's was at least the first to approach, in a far gentler manner than Euphemia herself ever would have taken. Rather, she would have snapped, vented her rage out on the woman before them all, made her know that dumping this bullshit dam of memories at a renaissance fair and in public was, put gently as she could think, a huge fucking mistake. Excuse her language, but how was she supposed to deal with grief that had been stunted and hidden for thirteen years all at once right here? How was she supposed to deal with these memories of a family she'd had half dead, and a mystery brother who she didn't even know the status and condition of at this point in time? And how the hell could she explain this to her parents here? Would they believe her? Would they look at her like she was drunk, or high, or in the middle of some mental break episode again, just like in high school? Probably all of the above, at this rate.

How do I even start this conversation!? Hi Mom and Dad, sorry to show up looking like I've been sobbing my guts out for the last week, turns out I'm actually a pretty little princess from a wholeass alternate world, and I'm going to travel there soon to save my long lost brother! Hello nurses, we're checking Eloise into the psych ward for the third time in her life now. We don't think she'll hurt anyone, but she's seriously lost her mind this time. Call us back never! She wants to shriek, and scream, throw up and jump off a cliff and sob on the ground pitifully and ugly all at once. It was too much to deal with, too much to process and now she wasn't sure which emotion dominated: burning anger or heart-stopping fear. An agony that twisted her heart and stomach, and she finally lets the first few tears escape her eyes, even if she brushes at the furiously with her palms. Fuck this. Fuck this. Fuck this!

Lilith's voice is filling her ears through the absolute breakdown she's experiencing though, and she heaves out another shaky breath as she lets herself lean fully into that post, legs shaking but unseen under her now ruined dress. Hair shadows over her face as well, and she hopes to god that no one can see the tears, or even pay enough attention to try and notice in the first place. I just want to be ignored.

Words of comfort mixed with apologies, and hope are what she gathers from the woman's words, the falsely titled English professor that's apparently a real goddamn sorceress from a magical fantasy land that Euphemia wishes she could pretend wasn't real for a bit. She'd wanted her memories for so long, sought after them, torn herself and her mind to bits in the late hours of the night to just get a glimpse into her past and what her family was like, who they were, and yet now even just thinking about it felt like she was staring in the face of some ridiculous fantasy book made for children. "Rhindeval," they said, and all she could think of was some Lord of the Rings knockoff that made her sanity turn in its grave. "Come back and be a princess Euphemia." And she wants to tear her hair out. Her? A princess? Absolutely not, the only reason she mildly resembles one right now is because of this joke of a final exam assignment. Have you seen her wardrobe? Have you seen the alcohol she has in her fridge? The leftover weekend drugs her and her friends used, that she's left inside her bedside nightstand because she's too lazy to dispose of them? Even the tattoos that sit over her body. Yeah, no, she's not a princess, thank you and goodbye. If those two are really my parents, they'd be beyond disappointed in me.

They are your parents, and they are disappointed in you, comes that incessant voice that never gives up, and she almost screams out her anger at that alone, only further risking the look of completely lost sanity.

That endless barrage of thoughts and lost patience with herself and her mind ends though, when Lilith speaks again, such a simple offer and hope, a question that nearly makes Euphemia blow her top off, but instead she quiets, listens, "I was hoping all of you would come back with me, but I know it's a lot to ask of you, plus it's dangerous, so I am leaving the decision up to you."

Go back. Of course the woman wanted them to do exactly that, why else would she have clicked that lock right off of their blocks? Her brows furrow as she thinks, as she listens to their others and their choices, finds their final decisions almost jaw dropping. Some of them made sense, others had such a haughty, already regal phrasing that she wants to laugh out loud at them. Protect their people? She didn't even know the face of her own damn "subjects!" Who was she protecting!? She only knew one face, and it was her brothers and by god she wasn't...

She wasn't going to let him suffer for her anymore than he already had. Than he still likely was, if he still breathed and lived as she did.

"Fuck this," she hisses, that spark of rage and bud of hatred still lodged in her chest, a weed that wouldn't let go of her heart, that she was sure would be here to stay for ages longer until that grudge and the emotions with it were there to stay with all the others she refused to let go, "I'm going with you, but not for anyone else. Just Valken, just my brother, I don't give a damn." Her gaze turns fiery as she looks at Lilith, glare still apparent over her features, "once I make sure he's alive and okay, I'm done with this, that's it. I'm sick of my life choosing to be a shitshow with every turn it takes."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Rhea Louverno Character Portrait: Euphemia Aphelion Character Portrait: Oriane Soleil Character Portrait: Artemisia Evergreen Character Portrait: Aurora Givens Character Portrait: Lilith Evers
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liliya fae.
dialogue ; #f6a3b1. – thought ; #82ab9f.
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"You have every right to remember who you are and where you came from. I know it's a lot to remember and not all of it good, but I am sure you had unanswered questions most of your life. I just wanted to give you the answers to those questions, Rhea. As for the pain you're feeling right now, I know sorry isn't enough, but I truly am sorry for I have failed you and the others. I only hope I can atone for my mistakes and hopefully this will be one of those ways."

"Not all of it good," echoes in her mind once, and again those images flash in her mind, that horrid scar on her friends face, that tearing agony over her parents' deaths that took her breath away before she even saw or heard that they'd passed, that they'd been murdered by none other than her English professor's sorceress's sister. It's not Lilith's fault her sister chose this path, comes to mind a moment later, and her brows furrow, shaking her head, of course I know that.

But still that woman's face comes to mind again, the terror of the moment that she looked them all down as children, that made her mind shut down, blank, empty as she listened to screams and cries, her own expression of agony just a blank face and silent tears, wide eyes that grew emptier with each passing second. And again, that flash of a memory that she doesn't expect, leaving her blank in the current reality too as she tries to process it. At least this time there's a chair for her to half fall into, rather than just the grass and dirt like before. A not so graceful fall later and she's staring at nothing, just darkness, until she realizes that it's because her face is buried into her arms and knees.

Lifting her head, once again she's in that far too small body, tiny features and too childish to be right, but she's starting to get the hang of this now, or so she hopes. Who knew how many more scenes like this she'd be thrown into? At least wait until I get home...

The area around her is not much brighter in contrast to the buried arms from before, but at least she can make things out this way. There's a dull, fading agony in her chest still, the chest that's too small to carry all the emotions that she knows she's feeling in this moment in the past, but at least now she can make herself disconnect from it. A tattered dress, covered in muck and grime and no longer fit for the princess that she knew this child was, but no other options in the musky, putrid smelling place that this was. It didn't help keep her warm either, and with the slight damp edge and spots now soaking into her skin, an uncontrollable tremble kept her in its grip as she looked around more.

It was a cell that she was in, almost entirely alone if not for the two boys in front of her, one laying on the ground and the other crouched over him, hands moving to try and stem...bleeding? Or perhaps just readjust the haphazard cloth being used as bandages. The boy over the injured one doesn't even look much older than her, yet he still tries his best with his work, even as the small hics and whimpers near silently escape him.

That was...Xiaoli, wasn't it? He couldn't have been older than nine. And the one on the ground...

"Xiao? Valken...my brother is okay, right?" Such a familiar voice, and as she turns to look, spots Euphemia, or Eloise as she knew her, just a few paces away but behind a different set of bars, keeping her separated from their trio. Her brother. The girl had clearly been crying, but all of them seemed to be, even herself as the uncomfortable sensation of tears over her cheeks made itself known.

Xiaoli is quiet, doesn't respond for a moment, but eventually that far too childish voice makes its quiet sound, a soft, "...I think so." Sitting back then, the boy runs hands through his hair, letting out another soft hic, sounding more his age as he does. What made him seem so mature for such a young age? Was it his family? Something told her that was the case.

A quick glance to the older boy on the floor, and with his labored breathing, the feverish state he appeared to be in, all together with the giant gash over his chest, his stomach, something told her that him being okay would be a long shot. Are the people here just going to let him die? Or, perhaps, they were confident that they'd be able to bring him back out of whatever state he ended up in by the time they got around to the handful of children trapped in some sort of horror-story prison, without food or water or clothes to change into, blankets or beds.

That silence, beyond the sobbing and wails from all different cells, settles for a bit, keeps things feeling as hopeless and terrifying as she knew they were, the fear beginning to grip even her actual self, so hard to pull away from even in a...right mind, if one would call her state that. Yet it doesn't last; instead, there's the sound of something opening, a heavy door that slammed shut and reverberated around the dark, echoing chamber. Despite better judgement, Rhea feels herself tense up in the small body, wide green eyes moving up to look over at the woman who makes her way in, steps elegant and smooth, full of confidence and power, striking fear into her tiny, child heart. Just a glance and Rhea knows this woman is her enemy, and a terrifying one at that. Someone to run away from and do your best to hide, just to pray that you wouldn't end up in her hands and at the mercy of her twisted experiments. Lady Lithera Helare, she found herself thinking, knowing better than to try and call the woman anything else in her position. Blonde hair and dark attire, that odd, rigid circlet-crown she always wore before being sent to Brimmix's prison. The woman is staring at Rhea alone, and before she can even think to run to the other corner of her cell, that elegant hand is reaching out for her, taking a too tight hold of her memory form's chin, jaw, twisting it up to look at her.

"By the gods, you're a hideous little thing." She hisses, forcibly twisting her hand to shift Rhea's head the other direction, "if Ivelda wasn't keen on just sending you somewhere else, I'd be rid of you myself. Surely it'd make for worthwhile entertainment, leaving you in the pit of a starving beast..."

Without thinking, Rhea finds herself bursting into tears, a high, terrified cry echoing around the room, but the woman's grip is lost as the other small figure in this room with her intervenes, Xiaoli's hands moving to tear away Lithera's, slamming them into the cell's bars hard and roughly. The woman lets out a surprised cry, but it only turns to rage as she puts her foot through the gap, square into the boy's chest and knocking him across the stone floor. "Damn brat! You're lucky our queen doesn't want you dead!" It's a shriek, and one of her hands moves to grip the bar, the other to grab a handful of Rhea's hair before she can run to the other side, yanking it upwards as she lets out another cry, "I'd take you apart piece by piece until you begged for death! Huang should have just cut your head off that night, it would be better for you to be dead and out of my hair!" Another yank of her hair, and the vision fades out, drags her back to reality even as she tries to process anything she just saw.

Shaking her head more, her hands move to run through her loose pieces of hair, trembling breath leaving her. She'd process that memory in full later; right now would be too much. Instead, it would be better to focus on what their professor was saying, apologies and worries, a plan, though still weak given she hoped that the girls would all choose to follow her. Follow her, right. That's what she was asking. That fear returns for a moment, but so does the desire to see this land for herself. To see the people that looked to her family as support and stability, that adored her as their tiny princess.

Letting out another slow breath, she looks to Lilith again, faint smile even making its place despite the restless emotions. "It would only be right to go, wouldn't it? To leave others to suffer like that for all those years...I don't think I'd be able to rest knowing that it's still happening, when I've had the chance to change it by my own hand." Will I die?