Harvey Mak Chinnen's Story

Darcy Lilith Ratri

The day had been everything but what Darcy had even thought would happen. From the second Renn appeared up at her window to being brought down to the beach to feeling Renn's lips touch her own, she was in utter disbelief. This wasn't the Renn she had grown to know on the Isle. He was completely different in the sense that he had shown her that he cared for her rather than bury the feeling like she often did with her own. She was feeling happier than she had her entire time on the Isle. The second he joined her in the water, Darcy felt like they had found a reason to be happy again. Renn had barely gotten in the water, but Darcy had worked with the effort by splashing him on occasion. The smile that Renn had put on her face had remained throughout the evening. The sun had already set by now, but they would have plenty more together at the rate their happiness for each other provided. She had just tripped back into the water when she heard the message flow across the Isle. "Meeting in the courtyard."

Darcy found herself by Renn's side expecting the two to walk to the courtyard together. When she offered out a hand for him to help her out, she expected to feel his hand quickly swoop her out of the water, but instead while she was glancing back at the water one last time, she heard Renn's voice. "There's a meeting in the courtyard. Bye." She glanced up to see what had come over him, but his back was already towards her and moving further away with every step. She stood there for a few more seconds hoping he would turn around, but he never once glanced back at her. "What the hell!"
She had manage to pull herself from the sand, where she now stood staring out to where Renn had headed off to. A mixture of anger and disappointment ran through her as the shadows casted by the rocks began to grow. She begged herself to gather control, but instead the shadows now took over the entire beach. She took several deep breaths until the beach was back to the normal state of shadows.

How could he just walk away? Darcy's breathing was irregular as she found herself inside her dorm room. Why am I here? Why.. Why? The dripping from her clothes reminded her why she had came to her dorm first. The sound of each drip that fell from her shirt was matched by a tear from herself. She had opened up to him. She had let him in. She let nobody in, and the first person just walks away. She gave her left eye a rough rub, trying to remove all the tears that were now building before they could fall. She stripped to her bare self as she searched for something to wear. She couldn't let Renn see that he had broken her again. She quickly put together an outfit that she felt would show that the moments today didn't phase her. When she looked in the mirror, she gave a small nod to herself for what she managed to pull together. Now to just seem like my old self. That shouldn't be too hard for her considering all she had to do was not smile.

It made her actually smile at the idea of not smiling to be herself. She shook her head as she grabbed her guitar, swinging the strap over her shoulder. It was a good enough excuse to explain why she was one of the last to arrive at the courtyard. She gave herself one last glance in the mirror before leaving the dorm room. She had been walking for only a few minutes when the crowd came into view. She didn't even bother looking for Renn because she knew where he'd be. That meant she didn't need to look for Aaron because then she'd more than likely find herself spotting Renn close behind the Omarain. She decided that being on the outer lining of the group was the better route to take, but the idea of Renn thinking she was hiding made her push through some fellow Isle members. Finding herself near the center made her happy until she did finally manage to see Renn. Seeing him indifferent made Darcy clinch her first, until a few shadows began to grow.

She had no choice, but to go near him due to Xylea being beside Aaron. "Fan-fucking-tastic," she spoke under her breath as she sat next to her fellow Navarene that she felt very connected with. "Hi." The only word that came out of her mouth as she sat close to her friend, letting her head rest on the friend's shoulder. "You look lovely as--" She stopped when she realized Xylea's attention was drawn to Michaela and rolled her eyes. Darcy knew Michaela was beautiful like every other student on campus, but most didn't realize that Michaela didn't even have to use her glamour to come off as beautiful as she was now. She envied the beauty Michaela brought to a crowd, but looked up to Omarain Guardian as if she was Darcy's.

She leaned back glancing at Renn, turning her face into the most stern one she could manage. "How has your day been?" Her question was directed at Renn, but considering neither of the three present in the area were looking at her they could all answer if they wanted.

---

Harvey Mak Chinnen

"I'm coming as soon as I'm accepted! I gotta be reviewed, bitches."

Michaela’s grin abated, and she let her eyes slipped closed. As serenity settled into place on her features, dusk truly descended. It was no illusion, no trick of glamour, but it hardly seemed a coincidence that the shadowy terminator was just now creeping over the westernmost of the tumbled-down fort’s walls. Twilight was upon them, and gravely, as the Omarain prepared herself, Matthew pushed himself away from his perch and stalked toward the wood he’d earlier stacked, choosing a path that steered him clear of clumped charges. He used a plain Zippo lighter to ignite a torch, and then thrust it into the tinder and kindling that had been arranged at the base of the soon-to-be-bonfire. Flames caught quickly, streaming smoke into the sky, and hungry fire began to taste the sturdier plinths of wood with flickering tongues. Matthew retreated, his duty discharged, but continued along in a circular path around the courtyard, using his captive flame to light braziers and standing torches that were used to light the fort by night.

As the last of daylight died, Michaela, eyes hidden away as if in repose, began to breathe deeply, rhythmically. Her chest swelled, making her breasts all the more obvious beneath the thin white cotton that veiled them. The fire crackled as it climbed the scaffold made for just that purpose, and then the luminous corona of white light that ensconced her began to spread out in every direction. At first it crept inches, and then feet, until every soul attendant was seemingly bathed in that light as well. Before their eyes, the light would seem to congeal, separating into motes that left impenetrable blackness between them, so dark all that would be visible aside from the pricks of white were their fellow charges and Guardians- each other, and the fire, which continued to burn. So potent was her gift that it might be a moment before some realized they were under the sway of an Omarain illusion, each and every one.

The walls of the erstwhile fortress were drowned in black. The library faded away as well, then the officer’s quarters, then The Compound itself, leaving nothing but endless darkness punctuated with little bits of light. It might be dizzying, or even frightful, to have the entire world as they knew it slip away from them, replaced with what might be the night sky, or the endless depths of space, or something else. Whatever it was or soon would be, the Omarain among them would know better than most how exacting the illusion must have been on Michaela. The other charges too; none of them, not even Renn, would ever have seen her display her power on such a scale before. Even the other Guardians seemed awed to behold it, all save for Simon, who simply folded his arms across his chest and made his face a still mask.

Adrift in blackness, they would hear her voice, but not from her lips. It seemed to come from all around them like the music of the stars that her motes of light were no doubt meant to represent.

”You have learned of your bloodlines, sweet ones, but most of you have been taught little of the ancestors from whom that blood flows. Most of what you have heard you learned away from this sacred place; lies, perversions, bastardizations meant to pollute what was once real magic, to reduce it to simple, commercial entertainment, to sanitize and slay it. Tonight you will learn more.”

The “stars” began to re-order themselves once more. They were legion now, great swarms of light particles in a silent dance with one another. They separated into five distinct-yet-shapeless clouds, leaving vast tracks of void beneath them, and then took their places behind the rough circles that the charges and Guardians described around the growing bonfire.

The largest free-wheeling constellation came to a stop between Michaela and Arietta, nearly between them but set lightyears back. Another settled into place 72 degrees to the first’s left, and another 72 degrees to the left of that, and so on until the five points of a star, or perhaps a pentagram, had been defined in the space around them. Some might have to crane their necks or turn about to see them all, and if they did, they’d note that the specks of light had begun a new dance, one that only lasted until they had taken on a new shape. The largest spread out, thrice as tall as Michaela (for in the illusion, sizes could really only be compared in a relative sense), and then grew even more massive as it unfurled its starry wings. The next separated into the three distinct forms, tall and slender. The next dance around the pentagram yielded two large shapes, one that seemed to walk on four legs and one that walked on two. After that, another large shape, but it was escorted by many smaller ones, and finally, to the right of the first, four distinct shapes of vaguely human size.

Michaela’s voice hummed like a leyline again, and as it did, the masses of stars, the tiny galaxies, would continue their dances, taking more distinct and recognizable shapes.

”The mighty dragons were fire and magic made flesh. They were old when the world was young. Their claws dug rivers, their breath stirred storms, and their battles raised the mountains and scorched the land into deserts. Their ways are mostly lost to us, but we know that they began primordial and will not end until the last Evincal is ended. The last true dragon was named Snowscale; she fled to the deepest reaches of the icy parts of the Earth after men had slain her brothers and sons. When the envoys came she agreed that it was the only way and shed a single frozen tear, the only component needed for the ritual that would make the blood of one strong mortal line draconic evermore.”

The largest shape was fully formed by the time she took a pause. The star-dragon was not a static thing. Its tail stirred through the deep blackness, its wings buffeted cosmic currents, and its head lowered, as if in a courtly bow, toward the circle.

”The envoys were the true fae, creatures either born of dreams or responsible for them. The truth will never be known, for they are all gone now, all sealed away in their own kingdoms to save themselves from the iron and church bells and saucers of cream that men learned were their banes. They were the architects of the Bloodlines, and stole away young men and women from a noble family for the turn of a single moon. They returned with lighter step and faerie blood and Omarain children in their wombs. The fae did not return, though. They locked the gate and melted down the key, consigning themselves forever more to dreams, until men are gone and their dreams with them.”

The three slender shapes resolved themselves into three fae, tall and willowy, with features that resembled those of humans, but too perfect to be anything but alien. They wore swords and finery of stars, and they too bowed, deep and courtly, toward the charges.

”The children of the moon had lost more and most to humankind. Their domains were the wyld places, untouched until civilization began its inevitable spread. They fought back with tooth and claw, but the advantage of men has always been numbers. The war of attrition dwindled them to almost nothing, but it made them remember that they were half-man themselves. Repentant rather than wroth, they chose a dozen humans and a dozen wolves, calling them The First Pack, and thus the Balaren were born.”

One part of the next set of stars became a dire-wolf so large that a grown man standing would barely reach its shoulders while all four of its paws touched earth. The other became a thing of nightmare, muscle and fur and claws and teeth. Both of the stellar apparitions lifted their head in an eerie, silent howl. The one on two legs declined its head toward the charges, and the one on four bent the knees of its forelegs, a lupine bow. The tale continued.

”The lords of the pit regarded humanity as little more than sustenance, things to be played with. They were the terror born of the darkness, the evil things that stalked the night, but they too were offered the chance to bind their fate more meaningfully to the races of men. Most balked or laughed, but one wise pit-lord agreed, abandoning the council of his enemy-brethren and infusing the most cunning and dangerous mortals he could find with his hellfire blood. The Mori would need his strength and their own as the centuries stretched into millennia, for there are cracks in the prison that was forged for demonkind.”

The demon lord that resulted of the dancing stars was nearly as tall as the dragon, powerfully muscled, with cloven hooves and a supple tail. In one hand he held a whip, and in the other a sword that glowed with starfire. He did not bow, but instead regarded the charges coldly with eyes made black by lack of stars.

”The spirits of nature only revealed themselves truly for the first time in the course of a single evening. They had always been there, perhaps for even longer than dragonkind, though it is not for me to say which came first, fire or dragon. They had sought harmony with men and beast alike, but men were too clever by far. Rather than being content with the gifts of the elementals, they found ways to trap them and bend them to their will without ever knowing the pain they caused. Still the elemental ones sought harmony, and bonded with a people who had never once enslaved them willingly that the Navarene might one day bring about the balance that was lost.”

The final four became fire, water, wind, and earth. Their shapes were vaguely human at best. Fire was the brightest, a burning crucible of stars. Water’s shape ebbed and flowed. The stars that formed Wind raced ‘round one another in vortices. Earth was more solid, compact and strong. As one, the joined what might pass for hands and bowed deeply.

In silence save for the crackling of the bonfire, the darkness receded, returning control of their senses to those assembled. The constellations remained, though, like an afterimage, and in the last light of dusk could be seen briefly in all their glory before they too faded. Snowscale’s armoring was gleaming alabaster, her eyes brimming with sorrow and intellect. The finery of the fae stole every color of the rainbow, and their skin was pale and far too smooth. The standing wolf had fur that was black as coal and eyes like slivers of the moon; its companion on all fours had fur of mottled gray and brown, and it was laying with its belly against the grass. The demon stood tall still, its skin burnished and rough looking, its features sinister but proud, its whip and sword forged of hellfire. The nature spirits were all the colors that they should have been, flickering or flowing or blowing or standing stalwart.

And then, they were all simply gone. The courtyard was restored to reality, and anyone who chanced to look upon Michaela would see her looking very tired, and very, very old. She drew a single breath, and in that span was young and beautiful again. She managed a smile, the weariness of which would match Arietta on her worst day. The Omarain spoke again, only just audible above the feast of flames gnawing at the wood.

”Humans are forgetting their magic.” She opened her vibrant eyes again, and let her gaze pan once more along the circle of charges and Guardians alike, Omarain and Evincal and Mori and Balaren and Navarene. ”It is the natural state of all things, even men. Remember childhood, when all the world seemed new and bright and exciting? When imagination weaved spells all its own upon you? Man has been squandering his magic, though. It is not enough for him to lift a stick from the ground and make it, just by thought, into a cane, or shelter, or a pretend-sword. Now he must cut the tree open and count the rings, must abolish every secret of nature in the name of Progress.”

Her survey of them all was done. She brought her hands together, clasping them in front of her with a gentle clap. ”There is hope for magic though. It is here, not around you, but in you. It is you. History cannot reveal a time when so many have Awakened to their blood at once, been found and brought together. Such things happened once; they were called Convocations, and the Bloodlines would meet and squabble and boast and the world continued to suffer for their arrogance. They had forgotten, but we must not forget.”

She spread her hands, as if to gather all of them in her arms. ”We must come together, not ignoring each other’s differences but embracing them. The days ahead will be different than the days behind. We have lapsed, in order to bring you all here safe and whole, but on the morrow, we begin in earnest to help you become what you must. I know to some of you, this sounds fanciful, but think of what you have learned to do already, what you have seen your fellows do. On the morrow, we begin in earnest…”

With a flick of her wrist, she sent something that glittered as it flew through the air catching firelight toward Renn: a set of keys. Where she’d hidden them on her pocketless person was anyone’s guess, as was how she’d managed to produce them, but they were there. ”Tonight, though, we revel.” Her warm smile became a grin. ”Or, I should say, you revel. It would hardly be a party with a bunch of stodgy grown-ups about, would it? Enjoy yourselves. Learn of one another. Relax for one final evening and make merry together…” One of her eyebrows lifted to form a perfect arch, as she continued. ”But try not to overdo it. I meant what I said about the morrow. You won’t want to still be feeling tonight when you awaken.”

Her fellow Guardians were not unaffected by the display; like many charges, most of them were still recovering from both the power of the vision and the strangeness of being made to see what had been so long ago. Simon had already slipped off, possibly in the midst of the presentation. Arietta was smiling softly, her expression cast thoughtful, as she rose to her feet and dusted herself off, preparing to return to the library. Matthew was frowning, but shook his head and stretched out, nodding curtly to anyone who met his eye before he took his wolf shape without a single cry of pain and raced off beyond the walls.

Poor Fleet looked positively a mess, his lower lip jutting out as he directed his attention, eyes wide, toward Michaela. She laughed, and the sound was the tinkling of bells more than it was laughter. ”Sweet Fleet, you are less a stodgy grown-up than many of our charges. Of course you may stay.” The Navarene Guardian let loose a cheer, jumping several feet into the air and then floating back down, as if gravity showed him favor just as the Omarain had. ”I need to find my hat!” he exclaimed before taking off at a run and then dissipating into wind once more.

”Good night,” Michaela called, her smile sweet as she turned to make her way back toward the officers’ quarters. No poppies followed her now; indeed, it seemed that she might have strained herself with the display. With her gone, none but the charges were left around the fire, which was now a roaring blaze.

The night was theirs.








Faerie princes were used to being attended, and so it bothered Aaron not at all when so many valued friends joined him prior to the presentation. Seph was gifted with a warm smile, and absently, his hand. He reached out, taking hers in his in simple, friendly fashion. When Renn’s shadow fell over him, he craned his neck to look up at his most beloved advisor, craning his neck back so far that his smile for the Navarene would essentially be upside-down.

Daniel and Hazel came to sit beside them as well, and Aaron lifted his free hand in a wave to the two, slight and courtly. He said no words, for it seemed a time for silence, though delight danced on his features, almost moving him to an excited greeting when Milo came to crouch at his other side. He grinned at the boy’s bafflement, before his attention was again stolen, this time by the advent of the Western Wind, bringing spring with her as always.

He heard a question, and only then noted that Darcy was among them as well. His brow creased and his eyes hardened just a little when he gleaned distress from her demeanor, but there was no time to find the cause with Michaela drawing them all in. Then Graham was there, so close at hand, and the hand that wasn’t linked with the wolf-born maid came forward to comb fingers through the demon prince’s hair, affectionately and absently, as one might stroke a cat. The realization of who was near cast light on who was not, and he glanced about quickly, finding the others in their small clumps or solitude. He had no hands to wave with, so instead, he fought back the falling dusk with a dazzling grin.

When Michaela began in earnest, he was still and silent (save for his hand teasing through Graham’s soft locks and the slight rise and fall of his chest), captivated. Snakes might be immune to their own venom, but the fae-blooded were far from immune to Glamour. Aaron in particular was more inclined to fall under its sway than most, his resistances stripped bare in the course of embracing what he could of the fae so eagerly. As her words and phantasms enfolded them, even his hand grew restive, to slowly slide from the Mori and into his lap; his hold on Seph remained, but slackened. It was eerie, that darkness. Unreal. Even though there was still earth as firm and sturdy as Renn beneath him, he could almost feel himself floating through it, the persistent whisper of vertigo in his ear.

The swarms of stars brought movement, his head whipping this way and that to mark them and track their progress while their leader described to them their forebears, codified the images that had been dancing through his head. The fae he knew of well, but he knew little of the dragons, the demons, the spirit-folk, the wolves. They all had their secrets, that was the way of it, but Michaela had elected to lay some of them bare in a fantastic showing.

He wanted to weep when it was done, when the shadows of the fae had faded, when stark reality reigned once more. Not so stark, though. Nothing seemed entirely real when limned only by firelight, and he drew comfort from that even as he struggled not to shed a tear. The impact of the presentation on Aaron was obvious; his despair might well have been written on his face in glowing ink. They’re all gone, but we remain, he told himself. A faerie prince must only cry for love.

Fortunately, there was more. In his consternation he had forgotten the surprise! His mind was practically tripping over Michaela’s songbird words until it came at last: a revel. The eldest Omarain was retreating, leaving them to their own devices. He had known parties in his time, everything ranging from the boring but beautiful galas of his parents’ world to the crowded teenage affairs that happened behind closed doors in boarding schools, but never had he enjoyed a party on The Isle, before…

… and the faerie prince hardly needed a pretext to dance. He already had Seph by the hand, and his grip strengthened even as he lashed out with his other for one of Milo’s. ”M’lord,” he spoke, looking left, and then ”M’lady,”, looking right. It was courtesy, plain and simple, but in a show of absurd dexterity he untangled his legs and rose in one fluid bit of worship to the god of movement, drawing them up to stand with him. As he did, the music began. Organ music, oddly enough, to compete with the crackling flames and the murmurs that would no doubt follow Michaela’s departure. It was the only remotely impressive trick of illusion that Aaron had mastered as of yet, to bring music with him wherever he went. Female voices in harmony broke in over the electronic organ, making known the unspoken command of the faerie prince: let the beat control you, let the beat control you…

His Gift was only so strong, though. Artemis, alone across the courtyard after Simon’s departure, would be the only one outside the range of the song, but he might still know what the youth was up to (Aaron often provided soundtracks for their fencing practice to join the clash of foil on foil). Everyone else would hear the song, growing more and more cheerful, infectious as a pox one caught from overeating sweets.

Tethered to Seph and Milo, he kept things simple at the onset, shoulders swaying, head bobbing to the rhythm, arms swinging so that his friends’ would swing as well. He was well aware that neither were dancers, not like him (but then, who was?), but he was content to simply drag them however clumsily they might along with him into the embrace of music and motion. He turned to glance at Graham, his eyebrows providing gesture that his busy hands could not. Up, up, slugabed! they exclaimed, bouncing up toward his hairline. Just you and me, let’s break it down!

Even as simple as he was keeping it for now, there was undeniable Glamour in the performance. His grin, broad and goofy, beckoned any who beheld it to give in to the joyous imperative that the song professed. He just looked to be having so much fun that only an enemy of fun wouldn’t wish to join in. He let loose delighted, musical laughter as he began to sing along, leaning in close to Milo, to Seph, to anyone who came near enough, as if his words were meant only to serenade them.

With song and dance, the revelry was begun. Leave it to a faerie prince to conjure a celebration from the very air.

The Duke of Sighs

The day had been long over for Harvey when he seemed to make his way across the Isle. He had seemed to float about the entirety of the place until he found himself at his usual spot at the outer limits of the courtyard, lighting a cigarette to calm his nerves. He had been here most of the day scanning each person that seemed to come too close to him. He didn't bother trying to make friends because to him friends weren't worth having. Al though, there were a couple that he would be kinder to due to reasons he would never reveal. It seemed like hours had gone by when his pack seemed to have emptied. The life of a chain smoker. He gave the slightest cough, throwing his hair from his eyes. He probably should cut back, but the habit was too far gone to try to conquer with the simple steps. He felt that he'd be in therapy due to the withdrawal from the nicotine.

Deciding the head back to his dorm room as the sun began it's departure down, he heard the sound of Fleet that felt as though it had went straight through him with the sound of words that came together as an invitation more than a command to meet in the courtyard. Realizing it would only take him a couple of steps to me more visible to other's, he decided to take the longer route to head to his dorm to get another pack. He knew that the guardians were all about talking, so he didn't know long it would take for the meeting to come to a stop. He had made his way through the thick of the woods that came out right near the dormitories. Seeing several others heading to the court yard, he took this as the opportunity to make his way in. He had just made it to the first floor when he heard a far door shut. He stepped into the hallway as he watched the Navarene make her way to the courtyard. Sexy as fuck. He bit his lip as he thought about running up behind her and giving that ass a squeeze, but he wasn't that big of a dick.. Or was he?

When he finally went into his room, Harvey grabbed two packs because he knew he'd probably end up spotting Something with some of his own. She was one of the few that he actually had an open relationship with. She had a few friends on her own that always seemed to come up in conversation, but the second the two of them became a group of three or more he split. He couldn't handle the way Something changed into someone else with her other friends. He usually found himself trying to find Markus or Elvis to talk to. Mostly because Elvis was a fellow Omarain and Markus had the backbone to hold a steady conversation. As he had a slight hop in his step, he made sure to grab his leather jacket that he quickly put on to complete the look of a greaser. He thought about applying some gel in his hair to make the look official, but the sarcastic side didn't win over this time. The actually chance of him being late made him a little on edge, so he stuffed the two packs into his pocket and ran towards the courtyard.

Seeing that everybody was in the general area, Harvey found himself right on time as Michaela began speaking. Her words filled the courtyard as if an angel were speaking, and Harvey knew that her powers were on full tilt to hold the attention of everyone in the area. He wanted off the Isle so bad, but listening to the chance of him to master the gift made him think of the option of staying. When she finally stopped and gave them the option to continue the night, Harvey went straight to the small group of the four people he liked most; Something, Markus, and Elvis. He had already lit a fresh cigarette from his newly opened pack when he made it to the three. "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" He joked as if anything really happened on the Isle. The words had barely been out a second when the music filled the courtyard. "Fucking Aaron." He let his words linger as he watched the fellow Omarain twirl Seph and Milo around. Harvey's gaze had rested on Seph as a smile filled her face.

Shaking his head, Harvey turned his attention back to the group. "Need a cig?" He held out the pack to Something as he took in a long hit from the cigarette. Even though Harvey was a complete ass at times, he respected those who didn't smoke and didn't like smoke being blown in their face. He would always take a step away from the group he was with to let the smoke carry off into the direction away from the others.

Sinry had done her best to ignore most everyone else as she and Seph had made their way to the courtyards. She herself had decided to sit down by a broken down stone pillar, bringing out a pocket knife which had been stored in her, well, pocket. She had been about to set to work on her knees when Michaela decided to get things started way too quickly for her taste.

So as surroundings receded to pitch black, she successfully managed to stab herself. Soren winced, but made no noise otherwise, blood pooling just a bit, trickling down her shin. It hadn’t been a big cut thankfully, but it would still pose a bother.

But she was soon enveloped by the stars and the lights playing against her eyes. She leaned forward, crossing her arms over her knees, and her head resting atop her arms. She was immediately captured by the dragon, her eyes only leaving it to scarcely flicker across the other four.
The Evincal remained silent even after the visions had subsided. Now, she wasn’t at all too happy about being under the command of a Fae’s power, but she trusted Michaela (somewhat) to keep it only educational.

So when she gave them free reign of the night, Sinry wasn’t one to stick around. Though she took a second to briefly look over and watch the smoke filter up from the wood, soon being whisked away by a small breeze. Not only that smoke, but also Harvey's cigarettes.

By then her small wound had pretty much sealed up, though there were dried blood stains at her socks and along the skin of her shin. This wasn’t her forte anyway. She wasn’t social, so this, much like herself, would grow quickly awkward, and only make her feel terrible about herself anyway.
So without a peep, she slipped away from the campfire, knife in hand, and headed straight for the ghostyard, hoping not to be seen and not approached, but since when did such hopes ever stay fulfilled? Besides, the ghosts would like to hear what happened. Maybe she could even find a wisp or two…. Unlikely, but hey, she could at least look forward against faith that they’d show up.

She’d lost her chance to go look for them that day anyway. There was a small throbbing to her leg, but she wasn’t too worried about the leg injury. If anything, she was worried that the knife would rust, which was highly unlikely anyway. She made one last forlorn glance back to where everyone was still gathered, but decided to stay with what she wanted to do. She surely wouldn’t bother Seph, that’s for certain.

So Sinry shoved her hands in the pockets of her shorts, letting out a calm breath of air, turning and walking silently along the grounds, head tilted down and eyes focused on the ground towards her place of solitude.

Seph had to admit, she did seem to have made quite a few good friends since arriving. The setting in courtyard was much more usual for her than her meetings with Sinry in the library. Aaron had taken her hand, which had caused a momentary quickening of her heartbeat for some odd reason. It usually happened like that, and it went away quickly enough, especially with the distraction from all the others.

Daniel had come up and sat near her, asking her how she'd been. However, she gave him a shush motion with her pointer finger of her free hand even as she smiled cheerily at him. "No time, I'll tell you later," she whispered, in a playful tone. "She's about to start!" Hazel approached as well, slipping in between them. Seph returned the hug warmly. Hugs were perhaps her favorite human gestures of kindness, apart from gift giving, but gifts weren't nearly so common or easy to give as hugs.

She barely had enough time to give cheery waves to Milo, Xylea, and Graham, before Michaela began her story, and her powers took over. Seph was actually very fond of the illusions the Omarain could create, and this one was on another level from anything she'd seen before. She found herself entranced, by the darkness, the fire, the stars and the formations that Michaela willed them to form. The Omarain Guardian's voice echoed around her, or perhaps through her, she wasn't sure, but Seph soon found herself falling backwards, to lay comfortably on the ground, staring up at the constellations with a peaceful, blissful expression etched across her face.

She relaxed her small body as Michaela spoke of dragons and the fae, demons and elementals, and of course her kind, the kin born of the wolves. One of her hands dangled loosely in Aaron's, her other gently laid on her stomach. Her legs were outstretched, her dark hair falling in a beautiful mess on the ground around her head. Her breathing was slowed and calmed, and she felt she'd be content to simply lay there and listen and watch and feel whatever was going on for forever.

Most of what she said about the others Bloodlines was more or less lost upon her, but it certainly sounded exciting, if not somewhat sad. From the sounds of it, all of their kind had been far more prevalent in older days, and that things were certainly not as they once were. But her brief story of the children of the moon, those who had come to be known as the Balaren, resonated within her, even though she did not feel a part of the story. The warriors, the battles, the losing struggle that they fought against the humans. Seph had never been strong, never been a warrior. She never would have had a part in that story. But she wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to live up to the seeming honor of being wolfborn, of being closer to the wild, and her Bloodline's heritage, than any of the others. She would have to work hard to improve, or even to come close to the level the others had already achieved, but she was more than willing to try. Letting everyone down was not something Seph had in mind.

When the illusion ended, and Seph had returned to her previous sitting position, Michaela's next words proved the opportunity she was looking for. The morrow would bring challenges, chances to improve. Matthew was a strong teacher, and he would push Seph to her limits, she knew, but he was not unkind, nor was he unfair. It was what set him apart from the wolves she had known before, and what endeared him to her above all else. He understood her struggle, how things were more difficult for her than for the others. But he didn't treat her like a child for it; he didn't coddle her. He was going to help her overcome it, even if all the odds were stacked against her.

But, as Michaela declared, those were troubles for tomorrow. Tonight, they would enjoy themselves. Seph had been looking forward to a chance to connect with everyone, now that they were all finally here. With the Guardians gone save for Fleet, the revelry began in earnest, led by none other than Aaron, of course. She took a firmer grip on the boy's hand as he pulled her smoothly to her feet, and they started dancing. At first it was just her, Aaron, and Milo, and in fact, Seph wouldn't have even cared if no one else joined in, though she was sure many of the others would.

Seph had occasionally had the privilege of watching Aaron really dance, but even now, with this simple, loose, fun dance, she found herself somewhat in awe of his grace, how he seemed to put his physical beauty into motion. Seph herself was not nearly so graceful; her human body was even still awkward for her on occasion, though she was improving quickly. Her dance moves left something to be desired, but she expected if anyone was watching the dancing, they'd be watching Aaron, not her.

So she let Aaron's music envelop her, let his smile warm her, let his laughter elate her, and she ended up giving in the music, and into Aaron's infectious charm, more than she thought she would. She was soon laughing herself. On one spin, her eyes caught Harvey's gaze, and she beamed at him. Even he couldn't get her to feel negatively about anything at the moment.

There'd be trials and obstacles tomorrow, but tonight? Tonight would be simple, and fun.

The Smiling Fiend

Markus was just eying Erin concocting a plan of action, when Elvis joined him. Foiled. But hey, Elvis usually proved to be as interesting as Erin was, and required less work. He'd poke Erin later, perhaps. He'd not forget, because she looked particularly sullen today, which was always great fun. There were a few moments of pure co-existing, and then another entity joined them. Something. Markus stopped his rocking slightly back and forth on his feet, his face dropping into a frown for a moment. It melted back into a genial smile as he turned to look at the lass. She'd installed herself right between the two. Marky-mark. Lovely. "'lo, sweetheart." He replied with an empty term of endearment. It was a mandatory element for the charming young man, of course. He made no effort to sound any less Scottish, anyone who knew him well, which was no one on this forsaken island, would know that he only did that when he was annoyed. His accent usually hovered between American and English, mostly because he despised his Scottish family.

Elvis's words brought a smirk to Markus's face. His staccato sound of amusement was lost under the trill of feminine laughter that emerged from their third companion. He had enough control to tolerate her for a short while, but he'd have to make some kind of escape soon if he wanted to keep his sanity. "'ey, don't talk that way," He said to the man, this grin on his face two parts amusements and one part the dangerous madness that hovered in Mark's countenance, usually below notice. " If she catches you, she might charm you ta death."

As he got the words out, the large stack of wood was set alight. Were they going to set things on fire? Markus's interest was piqued at that more than at the thought of whatever surprise Michaela had promised them. But ah, no, no setting things on fire, apparently, the man discovered as the halo of light spread from the fire to the students surrounding it, creeping up and bathing him as well. Markus was of two minds about this. On one hand, he was utterly enthralled by this feat, but on the other, he didn't want to fall to the Omarain's powers. Everything around him faded away but his companions, and the rest of the group, and His eyes swept the darkness, which was peppered by little spots of light. Her voice reverberated around them, and Markus forced himself to be apathetic.

He focused his eyes into the darkness, but he couldn't help but listen, entrapped by interest. When it came to the Mori, he grinned to himself. He looked up at the star-daemon. That was what he wanted to be. That powerful creature, who instilled fear and respect into the hearts of everyone. But for now he was still Marky-mark. Woo-hoo.

Markus paid half attention to the rest of the Guardian's words because he was busy thinking about how someday he'd be a kich-arse daemon. The darkness of the illusion faded, but the imprint of the stars seemingly hovered in his retinas for a few moments before disappearing suddenly. The dark haired man shut his icy eyes for a moment, trying to reorient his vision. The man was quite eager to begin more intensive training, to rise to his full potential.

As the woman finished up her presentation, informing them that they could participate in 'revelry', A word that made him think of Aaron. Harvey trotted over and joined them then, smelling pleasantly of cigarette smoke. Of course. And most every thought of trotting over to mess with Erin had to be stifled. The sounds of music followed Harvey's sardonic words, and Markus looked over. Aaron? Harvey confirmed that idea with a mumbled sentence.

Markus ran a hand though his hair and surveyed the groups. Many people seemed to be stirring themselves into dancing or some such activity. There was no way in hell that he was going to do any of that. Mostly because he was a rather graceless creature. He was strong, but not light on his feet at all. Perhaps he could vanish into the forest at some point. He'd stay and watch for now, but it was more than easy to lose interest in these creatures, especially when he had to play at being polite and charming. for a moment he was like a trapped animal, looking longingly out at the darkness out of the reach of the bonfire, where he could do as he pleased for a few peaceful hours. But then he yawned lazily cocking his head back slightly and letting a bored look wash over his features.

"So much for a good surprise." He murmured with a shrug. At least a moderately annoying surprise was better than a nasty surprise. Somewhat.

Erin wasn’t much for the idea of Glamour. In fact she hated when people decided to take control of her senses and change her perception of things, which was exactly what was going on right now. Faeries and their intrusive manners. Fact was, that as the world began changing around her, Erin wanted to get out of there even more so than she had before. Only this time, it wasn’t to protect others but to maintain control of her own senses. Her features remained impassive, but inside she was incredibly irritated. She still wasn’t sure what Michaela wanted here, or why they all absolutely had to take part in it. She didn’t want to be part of some grand plan – to have some deeper purpose in life. What was she supposed to do, anyway? She could summon, control and banish demons… not very helpful. If anything, her ‘gift’ was to be used for dark purposes. Honestly she was on this Isle to learn to keep her powers turned off when she slept… or something. She was fairly certain that demons slipped through the cracks with the help of her magic, and she didn’t like the thought. That said, she harboured no illusions of ever being anyone’s hero or saviour. In fact, she didn’t want to be.

She glanced down at Irayah, who was arching her back slightly in a hostile manner, her eyes darkening by the second. The demon hated glamour even more than Erin did, but as oppose to the Mori, Irayah didn’t bother putting a lid on it. Anyone looking in their direction would be able to tell that the black kitten on her shoulder, usually calm and collected, was on edge. Fortunately, by now, most people were staring in wonder at what Michaela had created. Erin too lead her eyes wander when Michaela began her tale. She didn’t want to admit it, but the show was rather impressive, and frankly, if she’d been in a better mood, she would’ve been captivated. As it was, she listened, but she couldn’t find her spark of interest for the story. It just wasn’t there as it would have been on other days. Erin removed the little demon from her shoulder and sat down, placing it in her lap. She leaned against the wall of the building behind her and let her gaze rest on the sky, watching the beautiful illustrations accompanying the informative story.

Erin casually ran her hands through dark fur and felt the kitten unwind in her lap. They were both still slightly on edge, but Erin knew Michaela wasn’t a bad person – she just, like all faeries, had trouble comprehending the concept of others maybe wanting to keep their eyesight the way it was supposed to be. She was attentive, though trying to calm down Irayah. The demon was a trouble maker – go figure, and Erin knew she got much worse when she was agitated and she didn’t want the female creature jumping the next person who got on her nerves. Mostly because she’d probably be thrown to the ground somehow and it’d most likely shock her into her natural form, which wouldn’t be the best idea. Maybe she should be more worried about the person who’d end up without a face, but… eh. She wasn’t in the mood. Once Michaela launched into talking about the Mori, Erin wanted to roll her eyes, but refrained. Ah yes… her evil, vile ancestors. Yay. She noticed a grin on Markus’ face and shook her head a little. Typical.

When Michaela finally stopped blabbering, Erin took a deep, calming breath, closing her eyes as her hand, which had been petting the demon cat, stilled in the black fur. She needed to instil some sort of patience in herself if she was going to get through the night. Especially if everyone was going to… uh, revel. If she’d been more expressive, this would have cued her making a face. As it was, Erin merely opened her eyes, blinking a couple of times to welcome reality, and settled for a telling look in Irayah’s direction. The kitten shrugged, obviously completely back at ease now. Fortunately. Then music reached her and she got this incredible urge to hit something, her eyes landing on the most probable cause. Aaron. She liked him… sometimes, but right now he was annoying the crap out of her.

She was about to stand when the black ball of fur jumped out of her lap. Erin frowned, whispering on a sneer, “what are you doing?” Then demon sent her a mischievous look and ran off. Erin sighed, exasperated and moved into a standing position. She pulled down on her already short dress a little – it’d begun inching its way up of course. Meanwhile, the black kitten had made its way over to Elvis, Markus, Harvey and Something. The blonde gritted her teeth as she watched the damn thing purring as it rubbed itself against Markus’ right leg.

She cocked her head to the side, waiting for his reaction. Everyone knew the cat was particularly fond of Markus and Graham, but she hadn’t ever seen her do that before - acting like an actual cat. It was weird. She glanced from person to person in the group, steeling herself. She’d noticed Markus eyeing her a couple of times and she could tell he was up to no good, which she really wasn’t in the mood for. She glared at the cat, the rest of her face impassive. Of course she could command it, but she’d have to speak to it, which she usually tried to avoid. Commands with power made her voice deep, which was quite the attention-drawer. So she settled for heading over there… to recollect the god damned demon and then make her escape as quickly as possible before Daniel noticed her. She wanted him, more than anyone, very far away from her.

Erin began walking over to the group her pet demon had decided to infiltrate, pondering how to properly scold the damn thing… and then how to punish it. Irayah knew exactly what she was doing – forcing Erin to associate with people who promoted her dark side, and she also knew the Mori’s opinion on the matter… especially on bad days. Markus could be fun, and she didn’t particularly mind Harvey or Elvis either. Actually she quite enjoyed Harvey’s company, but not today… today was supposed to be a day for solitude and a lot of painting. Again she wondered why on earth she kept that bloody demon around.

Something's light greeting was met with a "'Lo sweetheart," from Markus, the irritated tone of which she was completely oblivious to. She gave a affable toothless grin, turning her attention to the Omarain beckoning her mind.

So susceptible to the magic, Something felt completely immersed in the vision. It felt so real; she felt so breathless. Eyes wide in an attempt to take it all in at once, mouth lightly agape, each light felt like it was pulling on individual strings in her heart, creating a beautiful symphony of music. Her heartbeat quickened, and she felt she might cry, but alas, she did not. As true as her emotions were, Something was not expressive enough to actually tip into that territory. Instead, she stood there mildly, while her mind went on a journey, twisting turning and suspended in space. It reminded her of New Mexico in a way. If she had taken acid in New Mexico. Which she hadn't had the chance to. She didn't have enough time to get properly acquainted with the desert with before coming out here.

Once it was all said and done, Something felt suspended in the air. Her body was not quite ready to function yet. She felt she had just lived years, experienced and learned so much, in such a short period of time. So when Harvey strolled up, asking whether or not anything interesting had happened, she simply shrugged. "Hmmm..." was her contemplative response, as if she were about to add something insightful, but she never did.

Not before she was immediately distracted by Aaron's music, that is. It surged and swelled. She grabbed the free hand of Elvis and, though he was no help at all, she spun herself in a tiny albeit clumsy circle, gripping the tips of his fingers. So invested in her inconsequential dancing, she (luckily) did not hear the scoffing. She looked hopefully at the three in her group. "I was joking," she grinned. She was terrible at jokes.

Luckily, Harvey tugged at her attention by offering her a cigarette. "Holy shit, sank you so much, monsieur," her French accent almost passable considering she had studied it...kind of...a long time ago. She gave a small curtsy, though it was so small it could have been a stumble. Putting the slender tobacco between her lips, grasping it with her teeth while she placed a cupped hand over the tip, bowing her head while she lit it effortlessly with a snap of her fingers--they were familiar motions to the girl. As if it were all apart of the process of lighting and smoking a cigarette, Something pulled her colorful Navajo inspired backpack to her front, rummaging around for a moment, puffing the little thing clenched between her teeth until she found what she was looking for.

But as she pulled it out, something small enough to fit easily in her hand, she pulled a face and cringed. She glanced up, eyes watering immensely. "I got smoke in my eye," she mumbled her confession.

And with that, she reached out her arm straight, limp wristed, and placed a blueberry in Harvey's hand. In return for the cigarette. Of course.

Before she could witness Harvey's reaction, she noticed a queer little shadow rubbing away at Markus' leg. She made a sound so small and quiet it was like the busting of a bubble or a drop of water falling into a glass. The reaction began immediately, though it was like the slow deflating of a balloon. Something began sinking, slowly sinking to the ground.

She knelt down, bottom hovering just an inch or two off the courtyard cement, with her chin resting gently atop her boney knees.

"Hi kitty," she whispered gently, wrinkling her nose then burying her mouth into her knees. "Hi Erin," she mumbled through the fabric of her jeans, eyes looking neither at the cat or Erin, but glued to the ground immediately in front of her.

THE PRINCE UNCROWNED

Something had shimmied over to them, trying too hard at nonchallance and just generally being as goofy as her human shell would allow her to be, and Elvis found himself wondering if this... this thing before him was at all manufacuterd, or if this creature could genuinely be as hopelessly oblivious as she was. She lacked all social graces- approaching the least friendly, wedging herself rudely between them without the blink of an eye. But the most peculiar of all was that you could see the cogs turning in her head- Elvis could visually, actually see these absurd thoughts buzz inside her mind. He'd never met a person so painfully open to read, and yet, her ignorance made her almost... almost difficult to manipulate, in a really weird way. She didn't catch onto subtler things.

Presley.

Of fucking course. It's not like he hadn't spent his entire childhood swallowing that name every damn time- every god damn time any hokey adult thought they'd be cute or smart or clever. Oh, fuck Elvis Presley. It was an ongoing joke that had run by his entire life and, needless to say, that shit was old- was old before it could ever have a chance to call itself new. He'd learned to despise even the man himself- Christmas time was torture because for some reason everyone thought holiday cheeriness and the rock legend were synonymous.

"Hey, that's cute. Did you come up with that yourself?" Elvis said easily, never missing a beat. His smile was natural on his face, his feigned surprise seemingly sincere. There was no falter- no indication of his lie. It was seamless. Naturally, it would be. It was such a simple one to tell.

Elvis merely snorted in response to both Markus and Something's reply to his sarcastic mostly-truthful bashing of fairy gaudiness. Something had commented on Michaela's loveliness- which he noted with a half hearted nod- while Markus had snarked back a warning. A semi-satisfied grin appeared on his face just at the sound of his accent. If he was right, and he was usually right about these sorts of things (he was a person-reading-extraordinaire-genius-fairy-boy, after all) the bearded man didn't usually have the endearing dialect.

As soon as Michaela began speaking, Elvis was gone- completely abducted into the world she weaved. He loved her illusions- or rather, envied them- and spent every passing second absorbing the power of it all. Such a command on glamour left him with both a sour feeling of bitterness and a sweet hope for his future. He was determined to become just as great. His admiration quickly transformed into absolute horror as soon as the festivities had begun, however. "No." he groaned in his own mind. He was transfixed on staring with disdain as Aaron- who he didn't dislike, for the record- began to trot about with his little enthusiastic tagalongs.

He was trapped in a pigeon hole, barely even noticing as Something grabbed his hand and spun her tiny little body underneath his towering one, his eyes still fixed on all the fun before him like it was noxious gas seeping closer and closer. "Oh no. No, no, no. I dont do parties unless hard liquor is involved." he stated while staring into the distance, his english accent peppered thick into his words. He felt the dread seeping into his bones. Suddenly, it was as if he was ripped out of his reverie and had just remembered other people existed. He whipped his head down to stare blankly at Something, then noted that Harvey had joined the group. The smell of cigarette smoke filtered pleasantly into his senses. He automatically breathed the scent in, feeling soothed just by that.

"Fucking Aaron." He'd said, and to this, Elvis barked out a real, genuine laugh- not that stuff that he faked (though it sounded just about the same). That was precisely the incentive he had thought. He offered Something a cigarette and Elvis had to stop himself from face palming so hard that his head would fly into outerspace, because the little ginger pixie had, no shit, given him a single blueberry in exchange.

There wasn't time to dwell because then Erin had practically clomped over like an undead nightmare due to the fact that her little pet had infiltrated their group. He wrinkled his lip at the demon masked as a little cat and clicked his teeth, not nearly as impressed as his counterparts.

"Mmmm, I'm allergic." he stated, eyeing the little fur ball, not too crass but rather precarious in tone nonetheless. This group was becoming a bit of a mess, he noted. Each one of them required a different type of charm to be most effective, so he found himself uncharacteristically quiet and really, really, really wishing he were somewhere else. Or, not exactly that. Just... just perhaps that alcohol comment was a better idea that he'd made it out to be. He wondered if it'd take much persuasion to get a real-life-actual-adult kind of party kicked, one with a little less merriment and a little more disaster. The type that you could remember the next day and regret. Not for him, of course. He just liked getting dirt on others, really.

"I'm going to see if I can get this party started." he stated before, simple as that, leaving the group. He'd spotted Vendicare standing all by his lonesome self, making little puppy dog eyes even when he didn't meant to. Elvis approached him easily, stuffing his hands in the pocket.

"'Ello, Vendi" he said simply, just a hint of mischievousness twinkling in his eyes. "Fancy the show?" He asked, almost sardonically, but he really was genuinely interested in what this cryptic man had to think of the parade.

“I won’t force you if you really want to leave, but I think you should at least dance a little bit before you leave. Trust me it’s really fun when you get into it” A voice suddenly presented itself to interrupt her thoughts. Not only was Sinry not expecting it, but it was Tally of all people. So Soren faltered in her step, freezing for a fraction of a second before regaining her footing and standing still.

The Evincal’s eye twitched lightly, and she wriggled the fingers of her right hand absently. I don’t dance. I can’t dance, I don’t want to dance, and it’s beyond awkward. I know that you don’t know me well at all, but I would have thought that such would be apparent. She thought silently towards her fellow dragon-born, watching her turn around and head back to the party.

Soren lingered for a few moments, her eyes scanning over the gathering and the people grouped around. She really didn’t want to remain in the area, especially as Aaron currently had free reign to use his Fae powers, which she despised most of all. With the arrival of alcohol however, she bit her lower lip, patting her pockets searchingly before nodding and quietly slinking back, a new plan forming in her head.

No, the necromancer was not going to be sticking around. Alcohol and large social gatherings were far beyond her, but she still crawled back over, hoping not to be engaged by anyone else as she gathered what she wanted. Without a word she came up by the small group clustered around the boxes and keg. Silently, she let out a breath of relief as no one else was really approaching yet.

Her fingers traced along the material of one of the lids before she popped it open from behind, her eyes quickly flickering over each individual bottle for the first letter on the labels. Her particular box was behind the keg stand, and it took probably four seconds before she found what she had been in quest for, and reached in, pulling out an entire bottle of rum, new and obviously unopened.

It was only luck that that particular alcohol had been hiding in the box, comfortably snug in the corner. Sinry backed away from the little area, walking mutedly towards another spot behind some random stonework in the area, her eyes scanning once more for one person in particular. Once having spotted him, she backed out into the darker portion of the clearing, away from the bonfire and circling in his direction.

Harvey just happened to be pretty occupied with at least three other people, so it would make her job immensely easier. Well, it still had a few bumps in it, but in a rough amount much smoother. Her lips were pressed together tightly as she walked up behind him, the rum unmoving in her left hand so it wouldn’t swish and make noise, even if the music Aaron had so… graciously bestowed was pretty loud and would most likely drown out any noises she made, it never hurt to be cautious with these things.

By the time she had finally gotten over there, most of his little group had dispersed, though still one or two lingered to keep his attention occupied, and if they couldn’t hold his attention, she was sure Aaron’s new little dance probably would.

Soren’s quick gaze came into play yet again, and she scanned over the backs and sides of his pants from her own position. Holding her breath, she leaned forward, allowing her lithe fingers to flicker into his back pocket, the space between her index and middle finger enclosing around his lighter just enough to get a grip on it and almost seamlessly pull back out. However, Sinry wasn’t an all too practiced thief, and the tips of her two fingers brushed fractionally against the fibers of the material, probably triggering the smallest of reactions in his body and alerting his brain to something being off. Or if he was sensitive anyway; he may not even care.

But by then she had the lighter sliding up with a bit of momentum, her thumb and pinky enclosing around it as well so it wouldn’t drop, and she turned, already walking away, her left hand angled so the rum was a bit more of a prominent vision point, just in case he looked up and around. “I’ll just borrow this.” A hushed whisper, holding her relief in it as well, slipped through her lips, already drowned out by the chatting and music of the party.

As she walked back out, heading towards the Ghostyard once more, someone caught her attention. She allowed a very frail yet sincere smile to present itself as she turned her head to better see him. Altering her course slightly, she walked over to Omar, slipping the newly lifted lighter into her front pocket and made a small wave towards him. “Hey Omar, wanna come to the Ghostyard and sit with me?” Her voice was somewhat soft and reserved, smooth and the tone only altering a few times in the span it took to say the sentence.

Her fingers tapped the glass of the bottle, her facial features showing that she was in thought, though a bit leaning to still hear his answer. She was tracing a figure along her right thigh in order to remember it. She had a plan to entertain herself, plus she might even get to lure those bloody wisps out of hiding, and the sooner the better.

Hazel watched as her guardian Micheala used her powers to create brilliant spectacles of dragons, wolfs, fairies, and all the ancestors of the bloodlines. She explained what made each and every one unique and astounding in their own way. She was amazed at how well she was able to control the illusions. She was struck by all the dazzling colors and movements that made the creatures look so real that if you wanted to you could touch them and she was just that skilled in her abilities that she could actually make you touch and feel their heart beats and body heat. 'I wanna be that good! Now I'm going to try extra hard.' Hazel thought to herself in her head.

She was sitting on the grass between Daniel and Seph when Micheala, closed the show and then after a minute of thinking of how Hazel was to go about the rest of her days on the Isle, to progress in her Glamour, was she interrupted by the sound of music. Hazel looked up and saw no radio, stereo, or phone. It was odd and then the thought came to her and her eyes met the face of her fellow Omarain, Aaron. 'He's probably using his Glamour or something to start a little party with some music. Typical trick.' She smirked as she watched people start to get up and dance.

Hazel being a bit caught off guard by the sudden sounds of music decided to walk over to a small stone wall. She brushed off the dirt with her hands and watched as many people started dancing with each other. She looked over and saw Elvis and Harvey over to one side then saw Daniel go over and dance with Drusa. She did not like Drusa at all. Drusa was mean to her and just seemed to not like anything about Hazel. Hazel did not like her doing that, it wasn't like she had done anything to Drusa, but Hazel being the good person, always avoided her, afraid she might want to cause a fight. Hazel looked around at everyone dancing together and lifted up her legs to put on the wall as well. She hugged them close to her chest and smiled at everyone having a fun time. 'At least they all are having fun.' She thought to reassure herself. 'I might just go soon, perhaps the pond again.'

Darcy Lilith Ratri
The Twilit Princess

The turn of events caught Darcy of guard as a majority of the group around her had now dispersed into dancing. She knew that this would only lead to further Glamour control from Aaron, so she knew that she needed to get out of range from his powers. The sooner she stood up, the sooner she spotted Renn walking past her. Her face seemed to form into the darkest of expressions as the flash of Renn walking away from her came across her face. She was too late on changing the expression she saw that he had given her a smile of all things, so when she had mustered up a small lift of her lips into what one might consider a smile, Renn's back was to her.

She felt herself walking towards him until she saw the two boys that were close behind him, so she retreated to a distance that she felt was far enough from Aaron's grasp. She looked around the group of students, knowing that their destinies were all about to change. She knew that somewhere deep down that this time next year they wouldn't be standing around a campfire dancing. The quick site of death in her mind made her push back against the tree as the moon provided her with the shadows she needed to build up the wall to hide herself. She enjoyed being able to watch people without them being able to watch her back. She liked the way her power supplied her with it's own power in meaning. She played with the hem of her shirt as she bit her lip hard seeing how happy everyone seemed to be in their little group of friends.

It seemed that this was how Darcy was suppose to be the rest of her life; alone. Even Renn had walked away from her in a moment that she felt was so much more, but his lack of realization that walking off was a big mistake made her clench her fist into the grass as her back slid down the tree. "Fuck feelings." She said as the shadows grew to most intense shade of black, no longer letting her see outside of the wall she had formed. She didn't like having her feelings out in the open, so the chance of it happening again was slim to none. Hearing the clanking of glass, she let the wall fade as she spotted what the boys had been after. Alcohol. The smirk across her face was something to behold, but luckily for her only Renn had the pleasure to know she was able to. He had just finished setting up the keg that he all too soon disappeared himself into the outskirts of the forest, like herself.

She knew that if she wanted him to want her as much as she wanted him to want her that she would need to change the distance between them. Walking through the wall that had formed, she walked straight towards the refreshments. She eyed over the lot of alcohol, settling for two beers. She needed Renn to loosen up, but the idea of throwing liquor into his system scared even her. She knew that many of the people standing in the courtyard had probably never drank with their power, but the second her eyes hit Harvey she knew her statement needed to be revised. She hated all that Harvey stood for, but even she couldn't completely hate him. He had so much to offer to the world, but something in his past held him back. The thoughts of Harvey stopped as Darcy turned back to her present task. Talk to Renn.

With the cold beer against her palms, Darcy knew that her powers would be at ease with the sensation of the cool sweat from the bottles. She found herself in front of Renn faster than expected, but even she could admit she had been drawn to him. With no hands available, she pushed the nearest bottle towards Renn. "Drink." The word came out to be filled with so much more than the actually meaning, but only Renn would catch the cramming of emotion in the single verb. She wanted to yell and scream at him, but she knew that would get them no where. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she felt herself trying to come up with the right words. She had now managed to open her beer bottle, down half of it, and feel the need to go get another. "What happened on the beach?"

As soon as the question was out of her mouth, Darcy wanted to bring it back in. She closed her hands hard as she felt her powers building a wall between herself and Renn. She didn't want this to happen. The wall was growing darker as she stepped through it, making her only inches from Renn's body as she looked up at him. "I don't want to run from you, but when you just left me.." Her voice drowns off as the wall falls, allowing her to take back her original distance. "You just left me."

---

Harvey Mak Chinnen
The Duke of Sighs

Fuck me now. The thought sprawled across Harvey's mind as his gaze fell across the fire, begging it to consume his being. He closed his eyes for what seemed like hours, trying to fathom why the fellow Omarain insisted on doing shit like this. "I swear. Sometimes I want to beat the shit out of him." He felt her was bringing blood to his lips as he bit down hard before returning the cigarette to his mouth. He inhaled for the longest time, holding it deep within his lungs before releasing the smoke out into the forest. He tugged at his jacket, pulling out another cigarette because the way the evening was going he would need to entire pack.

Seeing Erin's cat welcome Markus kindly, he didn't dare test the cats limit by offering out his hand. He had the idea of kicking it, but for some reason he liked it. Of course that was mostly due to it's owner, who soon followed behind. "Erin." He nodded seeing the look in her eyes. He could tell that tonight was not the kind of night she would intentionally find herself in, so he kept his words minimal as he remembered Something's attempt at a joke. A thought crossed his mind that made him put the second cigarette back into his jacket. He smirked as his mind worked wonders on what could possibly happen if he successfully achieves what he has in mind. He tossed the blueberry into his mouth that he had forgotten was there, tasting it's sweetness almost immediately. He smirked at Something who was still remaining on the ground with smoke in her eyes. He had guessed that the presence of Erin was also having to do with her remaining low.

It seemed within minutes that Something and Harvey were on their own, so he placed a hand around her wrist bringing her back up to his level. "More blueberries." He said as he placed his arm around her shoulders, seeing his plan unravel in front of him. He leaned close to her ear, pushing back the hair so she would clearly hear his words. "Ever watched Dirty Dancing? I'm about to make you dance a little dirtier than that. Don't resist. It's all for fun." He smirked against her ear before pulling back a normal distance. He was just about to walk away when he felt the slightest movement where their shouldn't have been. With a quick pat down, he looked over his shoulder to see Soren with his lighter. She wants to play this kind of game. The smirk was replaced with the thoughts of how he could get back at her, but at the moment he was too busy shocking the majority of people in the circle.

He led Something to the middle of the students, pulling her against him as he let his glamour take control. Their hips began to grind as Harvey let himself darken the music, giving Aaron a look before he continued to grind against Something. "Let the music take over." He said through almost a whisper that only she would be able to hear. The movements matched what would look like a scene from Dirty Dancing, so he was pleased by the awe most people now gave them at their willingness to openly grind against each other in the most inappropriate way. Catching the eyes of Seph, the most devilish smirk came across his face as he licked his lips as he grinded with Something. The poor girl would never know what she meant to him, but in this moment he knew that it would be fun to play the game with her.

Though she had been crouching, and her greeting whispered, Something could not say she hadn’t noticed the way Erin and Markus had completely ignored her. I mean, WOWZA. Not even a nod in her direction. Definitely not a goodbye. Simultaneously, she could not say she was surprised, or that it made her sad. She had been crouching and whispering like a strange wild child. Perhaps Erin hadn’t heard her quiet greeting. Or perhaps they had forgotten about her since she was so near the ground. Or perhaps it was a joke of theirs. Maybe a joke... Yet while she was crouching on the ground, she saw from her peripheral Harvey plopping her blueberry gift into his mouth, and the corners of her small mouth turned up ever so slightly. A smile so faint it was mostly seen by the crinkling of her eyes.

Something was huffing and puffing on her gifted cigarette when unexpectedly, she was being pulled up from the ground. Her eyes grew wide as she drew her brows together, face concerned, mouth forming a little "o" as Harvey's arm slid comfortably around bony shoulders.

"Oh blueberries! Of course!" Why hadn’t she thought of that? Of course Harvey wanted more blueberries. They were particularly delicious this time. She reached around to her backpack, but Harvey had her already moving forward before she could get adjusted properly. She was having difficulty rummaging around while walking but she was certain they were right ther-...and then his hand. It pushed her hair, the tips of which caressing her shoulder, tickling her. Instinctively she shuddered and shied away, backpack slipping to the ground as her hands moved to swat his hand, the trembles down her spine uncontrollable. But he was persistent, and she was uncertain. His lips, she felt them against her ear. Her eyes grew as wide as they ever had been.

"Ever watched Dirty Dancing? I'm about to make you dance a little dirtier than that. Don't resist. It's all for fun." Harvey had cooed.

"Whaaa--?" her voice high and tiny, as her face blushed a bright unattractive red as his mouth moved in a smile against her sensitive ear. Her ears had taken their cue from her face, also adopting a flaming hue at this point. She didn't quite understand...there were plenty of scenes in Dirty Dancing, lots of dancing oddly enough. How was he expecting her too...did he really think...she couldn't dance like that. She simply didn't know how; she felt bothered by his closeness, ashamed even; and she wasn't sure if he was making fun of her. Her confusion added to the embarrassment, and it negatively fed into each other into a continually amplified loop.

Yet he pulled and pushed, albeit gently, and she clomped after him, resisting like a weak shell-shocked child, "I-..." she attempted.

As Harvey began to dance with her, she tried to scoot away from him, like a dog tucking its tail between its legs and leaping at an unfamiliar touch. She felt so unsure. This was a joke, right? She chirped nervously, wooden hips moving stiffly as her eyes fluttered from Harvey to those around her back to Harvey, searching his eyes for a reason.

‘Why?’ her eyes pleaded.

"I-..." she tried again, but she didn't know what she would say, she was so flustered by the entire thing. She felt so strange. What was this feeling in her gut? In her chest? She didn't understand how she felt. A strange warmth, a pressure, a breathlessness. She couldn't fathom that two of the Omarains were using their magic to plant these seeds, these desires in her heart, neurons firing foreign messages that she had never felt before. Everything was incredibly conflicted. She didn't know where to put her hands, so she placed her slender arms gingerly around his neck, as if this was the prom she was not yet old enough to have attended. Was this what it would have been like? She was unsure of his own hands. Were they helping and guiding? Selfishly exploring? What? There was a war within her ribcage where two entities were ripping each other savagely apart. One that viciously sought the unfamiliar warmth his body had to offer, hungrily. The other wanted to crumble, to run, to hide. They both shrieked and raged at each other's throats, snarling with the flashing of gnashing teeth. Something was blinking excessively as she attempted to sort it all out.

They were grinding. "Let the music take over." His voice was so soft. He was speaking to her, not anyone else. This new part of her wanted to listen. Her body was thrumming and vibrating with this…But she couldn't completely. She knew she moved so awkwardly; she was not sensual by nature. She was not graceful. She was not one who was envied. She was not one who danced. And she was especially not one who danced like this. Even more especially not one who got to dance with someone of Harvey’s status. Every glance they got, she was sure was disapproving. Mocking. Judging. She bit her lip to fight away tears.

There was something that was wrong. She wouldn't act like this. It was so totally out of her character. Why did she feel like this? The chaos in her mind, this perpetual blush, it was making her hot. Or something else was. But she was sweating. Face sheening with this unnatural sweat. This feeling...a swelling feeling in her chest was a growing hive of increasingly agitated bees. Her heart was thumping as anxiety threatened to burst from her chest like an alien baby forcefully birthing itself from her ribcage. It pounded. She was afraid she might be breathing too heavily.

"I-.." she repeated unsure.

He moved so well; his movements felt so erotic to Something. He could be sensual. Like a well-oiled, experienced sexy bot machine boy. She felt like an ugly wooden puppet in his arms, grotesque in his strong hands. She felt so defeated that she almost gave in, eyes slowly dropping. And all at once she realized something. A horrifying something. A terrible awful monstrous something. His penis was centimeters from her leg, separated by layers of fabric. From her own private parts. It was there. She could feel it now that she concentrated on it. There. It was right there. It was right there!

Her eyes grew increasingly wide and then welled up with tears. In the middle of her dance, (which probably wasn't even good given how gawkily she moved, something she was self-conscious about in itself) her eyes began brimming uncontrollably with tears so hot they felt like her skin blistered as they fell. She believed they must have been boiling. She knew in her head she was fine. She supposed everything was fine. Her face was fine. But her heart felt like it had imploded from the building pressure. She covered her burning scarlet face with both of her hands and she tried to hold in the sobs, standing stiff and straight.

"I'm sorry!" she blurted.

She did the best she could to hold it in, to fight it back, holding her breath, yet she ended up sipping in little bits of air as she stood rail straight. Her knees felt weak so she just sank to the ground. Let it happen. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Harvey." she repeated. But she was making it worse, she knew. Harvey would be angry. Not only did she not dance well for him, now she was a quitter. He would be so mad.

"I just don't know how, and I'm not making excuses or anything I'm just so sorry," voice thin and muffled behind her hands. "I need a drink," she finished balefully, sniffing and looking up, doleful defeated eyes. "Let's get drinks." She clumsily gathered herself up and tentatively grabbed Harvey’s hand tenderly to pull him along with her, releasing her grip as they grew an arm’s length apart, darting to where the alcohol was.

"I need whiskey," she breathed towards no person in particular but rather anyone near the alcohol, wiping her face roughly, angrily even, with her forearm. Her voice was a bit lower than usual. Perhaps it was the determination. Perhaps the desperation. Renn, Vendicare, and Elvis technically had claims to the drinks, as they're the ones who invested their time and energy into getting them. She felt strange just swooping in and taking things that weren't hers. Hesitantly, she eyed a particularly attractive bottle of Jameson, fingertip scratching at the crevice where the bottle met the table. But a new thought brought a new worry to her a face. A worry that temporarily distracted her from her self-loathing; her face almost appeared to brighten for a moment.
"Oh, do you have any teacups?" She hated drinking whiskey from anything else.

Renn was confusing Seph, but he probably knew that. The winked he'd given her she'd come to recognize as meaning that he had her back... which, if he was doing that now, probably meant she should steer clear of the alcohol. Renn had become almost as helpful as Daniel or Aaron recently, as he'd started to see her more as a person, and less as a wolf. At first he had only been able to make her uncomfortable, asking her with his genuine curiosity what it had been like before she transformed, what being an animal was like. She knew he didn't mean to make her uncomfortable, but talking about her past wasn't something she was fond of. Anytime after that initial transformation was fine, but the year before... she hated even thinking about it.

But Renn had gotten over his curiosity, and as was only natural, her spending the majority of her time in human form caused him to eventually see her as a human, and not a wolf. Or perhaps not only a wolf. They'd become friends once he'd seen that there was more to her than the obvious unique aspects of her past.

And now he left Seph with another piece of his guidance, though she didn't quite know how to take it. She wanted to ask him more, but he was gone already, making his way away from the others. So she steered clear of the liquor. She came before the wine, which was apparently an acquired taste. She wasn't familiar with the phrase, and hadn't the slightest clue how one would go about acquiring a taste. It seemed to already have a taste. How could one acquire another? It didn't make any sense, so she moved on.

To the kegs of beer. Which apparently tasted like piss, from Renn's words. She briefly considered the implications of Renn knowing what piss would taste like, before deciding that line of thought wasn't going to end anywhere pleasant. None of this made any sense. If it tasted like piss, why would she drink it? She'd never drank piss before, but she'd smelled it, oh, she'd smelled it quite clearly, being a Balaren and all. And her past experience taught her that things that smelled bad typically tasted bad, too. But some of the others were doing it, so it couldn't be all that bad... right?

Best to get it over with, she decided, thinking that she'd used enough time over here by the drinks, and wanted to get back to dancing, maybe talk with Milo or Xylea, or just do something else. She snatched a cup up, filling it slightly the way she'd seen someone else do, and took a few precautionary steps away from the keg, as though it were indeed filled with piss and not beer. She held the cup firmly in both hands, lifting it to her face and taking a careful sniff. Not piss, she could tell quite clearly. It certainly smelled, though. Cautiously, she tilted the cup, and took a very small sip.

After taking a sip, she decided that Renn was lying. There was no way piss tasted like this. That said, it still wasn't satisfying at all, really, and it left this taste in her mouth... she didn't like it. Sighing, Seph decided that perhaps she would refrain from drinking anything tonight. Unless someone brought out some water or something.

Turning back towards the makeshift dance floor, Seph found herself more or less frozen by the sight. It was Harvey, and he was dancing with Something. His gift darkened the music, and the whole mood seemed to change somewhat. Harvey seemed to be enjoying himself, but Seph had learned that his enjoyment often came at the expense of others. Something didn't seem to be having a good time at all. It looked like she wanted to get away from him, actually. So why didn't she? If Harvey was doing something to hurt her, why didn't she leave?

Ugh, and here Seph had thought that Harvey couldn't make her angry tonight. He was really the only person who could do so, as she just didn't understand how he could enjoy doing the things to others that he did. She also felt frustrated that she didn't know exactly what was going on, and why Something looked so distraught. Come to think of it, their dance looked somewhat reminiscent of what some of the male wolves had done to those they'd chosen for mates... but converting anything wolves did to what humans did was extremely difficult.

And then he met her eyes, and he smirked, and licked his lips, and Seph suddenly found herself feeling uncomfortable, and a little indignant. He shouldn't be able to do this to people. Someone needed to stop him. And then Something was apologizing, and then they were making their way over to the drinks. And over to her. Something was leading the way, but she was bringing Harvey right to her. She was vaguely aware that she needed to say something.

"What were you doing?" she asked, unable to think of anything better to say. If there was some reason for what she'd just seen, she wanted to hear it. "Why did you do that?"

”That’s great! That you don’t mind, I mean. And my power isn’t like an air thingy, it is an air thingy! He dropped himself down into a crouch beside her, not actually sitting. He didn’t like sitting, especially not against a wall. He liked to have open space all around him, so he was just to her side, maybe six inches from the wall, but angled to face her. He bounced a bit on his heels and rested his arms across his thighs. ”I can do all kinds of stuff with air.” Her question had utterly derailed the story he’d been about to tell about the last party on the Isle. His mind only had room for so many topics at once- well, one topic at once, really. He was smiling though, quite enthused. ”I’m not sure what would be like an air thingy. Maybe a water thingy? That’s kind of like an air thingy, because liquid is more like gas than solid. I guess fire is kind of like air too, except it EATS air, and I don’t like that.” His eyes narrowed, and he gave the bonfire a dirty look, as if it might have offended him somehow. If any actual person had ever managed to offend Fleet, it had gone unmentioned and undocumented.

He saw her wave, and followed her eyes to Tally. He waved at her as well, lifting his right arm from his thigh and flapping it dramatically at the Evincal girl. Quite suddenly, his cheery grin wilted, turning into a heart-breaking frown. ”The Navarene Guardian was a Water-Touched. Her ability was like an air thingy, because it was a water thingy. I miss her all the time, when I remember to.” Despite it having been explained to him several dozen times that he was, in fact, the current Navarene Guardian, the Wind-Touched still didn’t quite seem to grasp it. His gaze dropped to the dirt in front of him, but then he lifted his head and tilted it, regarding Hazel. ”Wasn’t it sad when all those things Michaela made went away? I don’t like being sad.”

Just like that, he wasn’t. As if someone had flicked a switch connected to his mouth, he was smiling again. ”I’m glad we’re having a party. We had a party here once before, you know. It was nothing like this though. It was when Matt and Arietta got engaged. There was a lot of yelling, I hope there isn’t a lot of yelling tonight.” He shook his head. ”Yelling is just being sad except louder, s’far as I can tell.” He reached down with his left hand and extended his finger, drawing a frowny-face in the dirt.



He’d forgotten about the chocolate bar entirely while the Omarain Guardian made her presentation. By the time it was over, what remained of it was half-melted all over his hand, done in by his own body heat and that of the bonfire roaring nearby. A scowl had developed on his lips, washing away any traces of awe that would otherwise have been left over from the illusions she’d conjured. He’d become preoccupied with the standing wolf-creature, the one that towered over everything else but the sorrowful dragon. If he could become something like that…

But he couldn’t. His lycanthrope blood was thin. His war-shape was a paltry imitation of the monster that the faerie woman had showed them. That was the stuff of nightmares. No wonder humans were so afraid of werewolves, even after how ridiculously they’d been portrayed for years in the media.


All of that, and then the announcement, like it was some kind of gift or something, that they were going to have a party. Can we just skip to the training? he wanted to ask. He was sick of laziness. Running around the forest was fun and all, but he wanted to see what he could really do with his gifts. He’d sized up all of the other charges and found them wanting, save for very few.

He lifted his hand to his mouth and began to lap it clean of chocolate. An involuntary twinge went through him when Aaron’s music began. He quickly looked anywhere but at the Omarain. He’d learned before that it was easier to not feel anything he didn’t want to if he wasn’t actually looking at him, especially when he was dancing. The catchy little tune cut right into his brain, and he nearly growled as he quickly chomped down the rest of his chocolate bar and shot to his feet. The movement of shadows and his peripheral vision told him that a group was forming up to dance, but apparently he wasn’t the only one who didn’t intend to get his groove on.

Where had Matthew gone? He’d missed him taking off, whenever that had been. Matthew was about the only person around who he actually had any respect for. He looked around for his next favorites. Elvis was being taken by Renn somewhere, the only Balaren competition he had was going with them… His looking around meant glancing Aaron’s way, and for the brief instant that his eyes skimmed over that blond, dancing form, he felt his pulse trying to conform to the beat of the song, felt his fingers begin to tap away on his thigh to the rhythm. No, he told himself, his voice in his mind a guttural growl. His body and mind were his own. He wasn’t going to submit to the charms of Glamour unless he wanted to, and he decidedly did not want to.

By the time he was through wrestling for control and imagining Aaron with a pair of wolfish jaws clamped around his neck (not killing him or anything, just forcing him to be still and silent for once in his life), Elvis was back. Wynston turned and headed toward where they were setting up the alcohol. His features were practically blank as he approached in his dirt-and-grass stained clothing. He nodded to Elvis, and then nodded even more slightly to Renn, and then finally initiated a stare-down with Vendicare. He wasn’t going to break it, so it would be up to the Italian Balaren to do so… or to move the challenge up to the next level, the level where someone ended up on their back or their belly. Wynston was fine with either result.

Seph didn't even warrant a glance. She might as well not have been nearby, for all the attention he seemed to pay her. He was vaguely aware that she was talking, that she moved off to speak to the asshole Omarain, but he didn't need to acknowledge her existence to know that.

Tally scurried away, and Artemis had a strong urge to chase after her, pull her close and, he shook his head while casting a glare at Aaron, “You’re causing trouble there mate…” he commented but doubted anyone would hear him. But, having gotten himself settled he just sat back and watched the others for a bit. They were all having great fun so Artemis decided to let them be for the moment and headed off toward the fortress interior. He returned a few minutes later with several boxes and left again in the same direction, after a few trips he’d retrieved a table, several plates of party foods and snacks, some non-alcoholic beverages, and his last trip consisted of a cooler, and a bag of ice slung over his shoulder. This was abnormal as typically the Isle was rather strict on supplies, but Artemis had made a point to catalogue what he’d take and would allocate more to the food budget to make up for it, Michaela had told them to enjoy themselves and he could tell from the look on several faces that many were probably getting hungry, dancing and just generally being up later than usual was no doubt to blame.

He laid out the fare on the fold out table next to the beverages and the alcohol and retrieved some plastic table ware from the first two boxes he’d brought and then just stepped away, letting the ravenous teens at it as they say, though he grabbed a few finger sandwiches himself before moving over to get a beer. He didn’t normally drink; he just had a Yingling (he kept a stash in his dorm) with Simon every now and then, maybe Renn if the other young man needed to unwind. The brand here was not his favourite but it would do for a buzz, and that was the point of drinking after all, that and socializing. His strange mind went to work as he took a bite of one of the sandwiches wondering why all this food and drink had been so easy to find, and why the kitchens had been unlocked. Maybe it was just Fleet had unlocked it but why had the prepared foods been ready? A smile crossed his face as he instantly recognized that someone, probably Michaela, had intended for this. Hell, she might have even implanted the idea of gathering the food for the party in his head during her display, as he’d been contemplating it subconsciously for a while, “Check and Mate.”

Artemis hadn’t really re-joined the others yet but as Seph came over and tried some beer he took note of her, she was newer to the island compared to most of Artemis’ friends and they didn’t speak much socially beside a kindly hello in the hallway, still he knew her name, much like he knew of most of the new arrivals, and he couldn’t help but inwardly chuckle at the face she made at her no doubt first drink of alcohol, “Aren’t you a little young to be drinking?” he asked with a nonchalant grin, clearly he really couldn’t care less about that, “It’s not the best tasting, but it’s the effects most are after…” he was careful to be lack and seemingly sluggish when talking to her, having learned that she was a Baleran he knew much about how body language spoke volumes for regular people and could only imagine someone who could change to a form with almost all communication being non-vocal. He had noted that she seemed skittish around him, and so he was careful not to give her any cause for concern.

He couldn’t help but follow her eyes over to Harvey and Something coming their way. Something was a kind enough person form the look of her, but Harvey, he was someone who gave Artemis pause. He was cautious around all like him, but that guy particularly rubbed him the wrong way second only to Markus. Artemis stood a little straighter. Harvey might not have seen Artemis near Seph before, after all he had been sitting a few minute s prior across the yard and after that bringing out food. He had no doubt his presence would not give the man pause over causing trouble, but if Artemis was nearby he could keep an eye on it.

Darcy Lilith Ratri

The evening seemed far from perfect at this point in Darcy's mind, so she didn't expect Renn to actually try to show her any affection. She quickly darted the sign that he cared by taking a step by. This was far from the way things were going inside her head when she had played through the scene in her head. She wanted to get to the bottom of the incident on the beach and standing here wasn't going to help. With every word that came out of her mouth, she watched Renn's expression change from hurt to confusion faster than she could keep up. This was beyond frustrating to her, so she decided that she should just go. She wanted to leave Renn like he had left her.. Just standing there.

But even Darcy knew she wanted Renn more than anything. Feeling him brush the strand from her hair, she let herself fall into the touch more than she wanted. She didn't want him to see the need she had for him, so this was harder for her than expected. She straightened back up before he could tell that if he really wanted her that she was all his. She knew he hadn't noticed her need because he started drinking again. She had yet to take a sip from her own, so she tilted it back and downed half with no problem. She smiled as the burning reached her stomach. She needed this to get through this conversation. "You brought me a gift. Like the flower." His words weren't expected, so a nod would have to do as a response. "I don't think you understand how this works."

His words confused her more than helped her understand the situation at hand. "Then how does it?" Her voice was just higher than a whisper because she felt like the whole world would hear everything they said. She didn't want people to see how much she just wanted Renn because then that would be her weakness; him. He seemed to be drinking more than she thought he would, so when she felt herself being tugged farther away from the crowd her heart found her throat. She felt like this moment would make up for any moment that would go wrong for them. She anticipated where this was going. She felt her breath hanging by a thread as she looked into Renn's eyes, searching for the meaning of it all. It all went by too fast as she felt herself pinned against the tree. She tightened as she felt his hands find her waist.

"What are you doing?" Darcy tried to push against his hands, but he kept her there. She felt anger boiling deep within her, but something deep down made her want to stay. She guessed it was the fact that he was touching her.. That he wanted to touch her. That he had purposely touched her. "We both know I can't comprehend the severe disadvantage of power you have over me. So instead of speaking to me with words I don't understand... meanings I can't fathom..." His eyes were absolutely breathtaking as the enveloped her entire being with their stares. She wanted him more than anything right now, but knew this wasn't how she wanted things to go. Speak to me," The kisses were making her fall into his trap of desire where he had decided to lead them. She wouldn't be able to stand much more of this, and with the placement of his hips against her's she was done for. Her heartbeat seemed to match with his as he continued, "...in a way that I can understand."

Darcy let herself be at the control of Renn at this moment, but knew she didn't want this to happen. She had just been about to kiss him when the feeling of doubt flooded through her. "I can't do this." She repeated the phrase a hundred times it seemed like until her eyes connected once more with his. "I can't.." She licked her lips, reaching up to touch his. "..I won't." With her eyes locked on Renn's lips, her body pushed against him until their lips met. Her darkness began to intensify as she kissed him over and over again until finally pushing him back. She stood frozen as she wanted more. She wanted all of him...now. With her breath slowing, she finished the rest of the beer until the bottle was completely empty. "I need something stronger, so I'll do something I shouldn't." Her lips formed the most direct smirk that she knew Renn would be able to read even in his state.

---

Harvey Mak Chinnen

What a fucking disaster of dancing.. Harvey wanted to grab Something up and apologize, but she'd done enough apologizing for the both of them to enjoy the fuck out of him. He had been dragged away from the scene that had played out horribly to the drinks. He wanted to just walk away, but he couldn't do it to Something of all people. He needed to drink the embarrassment she'd caused them both. "I need whiskey." He reached over her shoulder to grab the obvious bottle of whiskey in front of her. "Here. Calm down." He grabbed two small shot glasses, filling them with the whiskey. "And please for the love of god, quit apologizing." He brushed his hair out of his eyes, taking back the shot quickly. He filled it up again, taking the second shot just as quick.

With two shots in him, Harvey knew his nerves would smooth over. He didn't realize the crowd around the drinks until he looked around. He sighed as he noticed all the eyes falling on him and Something. "What the fuck are you looking at?" His remark was thrown at everyone until he heard Something speak up. "Oh, do you have any teacups?" Harvey looked around the table, spotting a few. "Why the hell do they have teacups for alcohol?" His remark was matched with him filling up a teacup with whiskey. He took the shot he had poured for her original, making his shot total three. He needed more than this to feel anything. He grabbed the bottle, filling up a teacup of his own. "I'll make a note to never dance again." He whispered into Something's ear to show that he had cooled down.

"I need a smoke right about now." Harvey knew that smoking and drinking combined would be the perfect combination for the boy, so he pulled out his pack. He was just about to light one until he realized that his cigarette lighter had been snatched by Soren. "Just my fucking luck." He shook his head as he spotted Soren with Omar. He had no desire to even move away from Something at this point, so he placed his hand on her lower back. "Got a lighter I can use?" His question was asked subconsciously as his eyes fell on Seph. "What were you doing?" She actually seemed to be talking to him at this moment, only making him smile. "What did it fucking look like, little girl?" He was in need of a cigarette very badly to match the intake of alcohol. "It's called dancing, sweetheart."

At this point, Harvey had taken several steps towards Seph. He was close enough for just the two to hear his words. "Why did you do that?" The question caught him off guard and frustrated him. "I did that because I fucking could. I do stuff because I can. That's like asking you why you're such a tight ass." His hand shook as his body signaled the need for nicotine. "Why the fuck do you even care what I do? You don't know me, so quick trying to judge me. You got that shit?" His need for nicotine had made him angry, so the words that spilled from his mouth were worse than usual. "Stupid little virgin." He said as he licked his lips, stepping as close as he could get to Seph. "Let me know when you want me to change that because I'm more than happy to now."' He licked his lips before placing a hand on the table of drinks.

Seph turned rather sharply at the sound of Artemis' voice. She subconsciously took a half step backwards, though her facial expression was not one of fear. "Probably," she said, shrugging, "depending on how you look at it, I'm either nineteen, or just over five. But I was thirsty, you know?"

Seph had been uncomfortable around Artemis as soon as she'd learned what his power was. She had... and extreme distaste for lightning, and storms in general. And she'd seen him shock people before, even if it was just on accident. She had nothing against him, she just didn't feel comfortable around him yet was all. But she didn't really have time to think any more on that subject, as Harvey had made his way over to the drinks with Something.

He'd gotten very close to her after she asked her questions. There was no one quite like Harvey in Seph's eyes. No one else on the Isle could make her legitimately angry. Uncomfortable, sure, confused, definitely, but angry? No, only Harvey could do that. It was just the way he was an insufferable ass to everyone he knew, including himself. The way he treated everyone and everything like it didn't matter to him. Maybe there really was nothing that mattered to him. If that was the case, she felt sorry for him.

At first she hadn't understood his intentions when he talked to her like this. She had just been confused when he called her things like sweetheart, little girl, tight ass, stupid little virgin. But after seeing him interact with others, she came to understand that his intention was to legitimately hurt people, for his own amusement it seemed. Now, she had come to despise some of the wolves back in her pack, the alphas mostly, but it was for reasons she could understand. They were ruthless, but they still had compassion. They helped the others grow and improve... she had just been incompetent, and worthless in a pack. But Harvey... there was no cause for his malice, no reason she could see as for why he so... so... evil to everyone.

But she was determined not to back down from him, or to let him get away with this one. He'd embarrassed Something, and hurt her, she could see it in the poor girl's face. She'd be stronger, though. She wouldn't break down and profusely apologize for impeded his amusement. She'd let him know that not everyone was willing to put up with him anymore. Seph wanted to see him change... for both their sakes. She just had to figure out how to do it.

The others were probably just about to jump in. Daniel was always quick to keep Harvey away from her, as was Aaron. But she wanted to do this herself this time, without someone stepping in to protect her. She silently held his gaze, keeping her face blank even as he came mere inches from it, to the point where the smell of smoke on his breath was nearly overwhelming her heightened senses.

"Try it," she said, her voice cold and even, "and I'll bite your dick off. Even the smallest wolf has bigger teeth than you, and even the smallest wolf won't be intimidated by your pathetic little bark."

She topped it off by emptying her cup of beer directly in his face. "Does that make it clear enough for you?"

Without waiting for a reply from him, or anyone, she pushed past him, and walked swiftly away from the courtyard, and the bonfire, and the booze, and the music, and everything. The forest was calling... she had a desire for a kind of simplicity that only it could provide. Something to just... get away, from all these confusing people. The wild was harsh, unforgiving, and often very cold, but it was one of the few things she truly understood.

She winced at the pain, but her anger at Harvey allowed her to push it aside, as her human form reverted back to her natural self, a small wolf with raven black fur, skinny and sleek. It felt... comfortable, for once. She took off at a run into the forest, reveling in the feeling of four padded feet pounding against the earth, her tail swishing behind her, her body feeling light and agile rather than awkward and clumsy.

And she kept running. If someone wanted to come after her, they could, but she wasn't stopping for anyone right now. It had felt good to stand up to Harvey. It was one of the first times she'd done it herself.

It wouldn't be the last. He could count on that.

The faerie prince hardly needed to be dragged, having been the one to propose that they journey together to the nest of containers of alcohol that had been assembled. His steps were light and sure as he gallivanted along with Graham in his usual spritely fashion. If anything, the Mori might find himself the one being tugged, bringing to mind the image of a particularly energetic puppy using the tether of its leash to enthusiastically drag its owner about. Of course, the idea of anyone leashing Aaron, much less owning him, was dubious at best.

He had not responded to the older boy’s replies. That he’s agreed to accompany him was all that truly mattered. He had no urge to dignify the obvious insinuation of Graham’s teaching him of certain crimes with his attention, or to agree to any sort of promise regarding his potential regrets. In his admittedly haphazard study of the supernatural beings which had made a legacy of their blood, he’d learned well enough that making promises to either fae or demon was a fool-hardy thing to do. He fully reserved the right to regret every second of the experience, if he chose, but it would have been in poor taste to make that so explicit audibly.

When Graham released him to survey their drinking options, Aaron let his attention wander away from his companion toward the others who had assembled in proximity of the social lubricants. Many of them were the same lot who’d dared not to join the festivities in earnest, but it seemed that almost everyone who hadn’t wandered off was being drawn inexorably toward the makeshift beverage center. He saw Artemis move off toward the compound for some purpose, saw Fleet and Hazel in conversation. He smiled to Tally, letting his chin dip in a nod her way. She was drinking beer, one of the only sorts of liquid intoxicant that he did have some experience with, none of it good. The only positive thing he could think to say of it was that, when cold, it could be fairly refreshing… but that was true of almost any liquid intended for cold consumption. He could say quite a few negative things about it as well, but didn’t, merely noting what she was drinking instead.

Elvis, Harvey, Something, Vendicare. Seph as well, and Wynston. He spared a glance Graham’s way to see what progress he was making and found him staring at a wine bottle contemplatively, but he was more interested in what the others were up to. He’d seen Harvey dancing with Something and actually been surprised that the usually caustic Harvey, the last one he would have expected to give in to the celebration, was actually having a bit of fun. He waggled his fingers Seph’s way, smiling brightly, and then frowning when she didn’t seem to notice that she had his attention. He couldn’t quite make out what was being said from his vantage point, but he certainly saw what followed the exchange of words between the Balaren girl and surly Omarain boy. Artemis had returned with food, he noted.

His laughter was just as musical as any other sound he made. As the beer dripped down Harvey’s face, though, there was a subtle note of scorn laced through it. Firelight and mirth danced in his eyes as he watched for a few more seconds, bringing his hands together in polite applause even as Seph took her leave. Smirking Harvey’s way, he let his eyebrows lift a bit on his brow, then shook his head. The electrical Navarene got his shots in first, but the faerie prince was quick to follow. ”You certainly have a way with the gentler sex, cousin. They hardly seem so gentle when you’re around.” he remarked, lifting his voice to be heard above any competing sounds without actually stooping to the indignity of shouting.

His gaze trailed away from Harvey, toward the towering Elvis, the roughly-hewn Vendicare, and the authoritative Wynston. He pursed his lips as he tried to sort out exactly why that arrangement seemed a bit tense, but was unable to reach any meaningful verdict. Instead, when he formed his mouth into a sultry curve and tried to catch the eyes of Elvis and Vendi, since Wynston was facing away from him. That was all he offered, a flirtatious little smirk, before he rounded to check on Graham’s progress.

The prior song ended, and without teenage lust to distract him, Aaron seamlessly transitioned to the next song in his impromptu play-list. He verged a bit closer, laying his hand on the small of Graham’s back thoughtlessly as he poured. The way that the teacup was thrust at him was nearly alarming, enough so that he felt a tiny thrill build up and die. It was the same feeling one had when almost anything was quickly coming at their face, but he neither shied away nor threw his hands up to block. Instead, he brought both hands up, touching them to the somewhat absurd vessel that Graham had chosen for the cabernet. He didn’t take it though, not immediately. The Mori would be forced to either let it fall, or to continue holding it at Aaron’s full lips while he loomed so close.

He arched a blond eyebrow as the characteristics of the wine were laid out for him. ”Olive and oak, coconut and chocolate? You smell all of that? I can’t imagine how it tastes.” His nose wrinkled, and his voice bore a hint of derision that was just as noticeable as the olive top note of the deep red wine in the teacup. He did sniff, though… and tried to smell all of the things Graham was describing. He didn’t, of course. To him it smelled just slightly like acetone and berries. There was a certain sharpness to the scent that was almost oily in nature; not that it smelled like oil, but that it smelled like it might feel oily on his tongue. He finally accepted the teacup by its pert handle, frowning into the liquid as if he expected to see his fortune in the dregs at the bottom. ”How long must I wait? he asked, glancing up again.



The Wind-Touched Guardian’s spine straightened slightly as Hazel came closer, and his eyes grew just a bit wider when she embraced him. When her lips brushed his cheek, they grew wider still. An instant later, Hazel would find herself in a bit of disarray as the wind-formerly-known-as-Fleet swirled and gusted about her, surely wreaking havoc on her hairstyle before it slipped out of her arms and skirted a few yards away.

He became flesh and blood once more staring at the ground. His cheeks were very red, though they’d only seem dark in the lack of light. He let out a very loud, awkward laugh, hahaha, then reached up to rub at the back of his neck. ”Oh I’m not sad, I’m not, don’t you worry, not at all.” He laughed again, the same awkward, bleating sound. ”Oh look, Artemis brought finger sandwiches. I bet they don’t have any fingers or sand or witches in them!” With that, he adjusted his hat and took off at an ungainly, loping pace for the little snack area that his fellow Navarene had set up.

His head bobbed as ungainly as anything else he did to Aaron’s music, and then he remembered to snatch up a plate before loading it up with goodies. He was still blushing, and his lips were moving, but if he was saying anything at all he was sub-vocalizing it.

Xy leaned back as Dan's hands came around her torso. She had let go of her grip on his neck, so (had she been a child or not light as air) would have been very hard to hold up in this position. As it were, she leaned back on his arms as they spoke, her legs still wrapped around his waist, holding her in place. "Hey there Xy! Good to see you again." She laughed at his words, a playful, giddy laugh. It was silly to her for him to say it as though they hadn't seen each other in a long time, they'd just seen each other yesterday! Either way, she found joy in the idea that he'd missed her for the time they'd been apart, however short.

"My night's been pretty good Xy, so I can't exactly complain. Danced some with Seph, said hi to Erin, watched everyone have fun." Xylea's eyes grew wide. Seph! She hadn't seen her yet, or at least, she didn't think she had. Her wolfy friend had to be somewh-- she audibly gasped at Erin's name and looked around. She knew Erin was always somehow watching whenever Dan and Xy were talking/playing/doing anything. Xy didn't really understand why or what it meant, but she was extremely curious as to whether or not the blonde mori was watching at this moment too. It was like she had some sort of homing beam on their friendship that sent off alarms whenever the two were near each other. "Oh how cool would that be!" Xy exclaimed, making "pew pew" homing noises as Dan continued. "It's been nice, nicer that I've had in a while."

Xy's confusion took form in a small frown on her face. She was about to ask him what, exactly, he'd had that could be nicer than the chocolate cake they'd had for dessert, but was immediately defeated by a fit of excited giggles as Dan began spinning them around. She threw her hands up and her head back, enjoying the soothing feeling of the wind intertwining with her fingers and pushing through her hair. She could feel every follicle dance on her scalp as her light blonde tresses whipped in the wind and it brought a titillated flush to her cheeks. As he slowed to a stop, her heart rate continued to flutter with the excitement and she just hugged him again. "Dan! You're the best!" The loving statement rang with honesty, she'd known Dan longer than anyone else at the Compound and her trust in him and friendship with him was definitely the strongest. He wouldn't let her get away with her wandering thoughts though, being very used to the way she would flit from one subject to the next, Dan reeled her back in, "Oranges huh? I'm more keen on pears myself. Why don't I find you some sometime?"

Xy allowed her forehead to be tapped with his as an airy, light chuckle escaped her lips. All limbs, she scrambled from his arms and stood in front of him, patting him on the head as though he were a small child, "Of course you'd rather have a pair of them! Two are always better than one!" She laughed again at her silly friend, playfully and bubbly. She skipped around him in circles, enjoying the bouncing movement immensely, then startled herself with a thought as she came to stand in front of him again. Wide eyed, she turned to look him in the eye. All playfulness gone, her new-found seriousness creating a dire feeling, "What if we had a bunch of oranges? A whole box! There would be a pair for..." she looked around and started counting everyone near the bonfire. She had gotten all the way to 5 when she noticed Seph dumping the contents of a red solo cup all over Harvey and shift quickly into her native form, running off into the woods. Xy gasped audibly. She'd never seen her friend turn into a wolf before and it was quite a different experience than she'd expected, to see the bones breaking and re-forming, the fur growing, to feel the vibrations of the air around her as matter moved from surrounding a human shape to holding a dog-like form.

Xylea stood there awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to do. She'd seen what Seph had done in movies before, and usually with some thick pink or brown liquid in a 1950s diner.... They always look so cute with their skarves! I have to get me one of those poo-dull skirts some day... Wait! Focus! Those situations had usually been... bad, right? Whenever someone was splashed in the face by someone else it was usually because something had gone terribly wrong... Or they'd had the wrong answer on one of those crazy Nickelodeon shows. Xylea chuckled in spite of herself as she remembered the orange or green ooze shows. Then she made up her mind in a split second decision: oranges. Without a second glance or goodbye to Dan she ran towards the Compound.

Being faster than most humans, thanks to her light body and long legs, she sprinted across the yard and past Harvey and Artemis quickly. Just as she left the area they stood in, she clapped and waved her hand toward the boys on an after thought. Wind flowing from her to whip around them suddenly. She paused as she got to the door of the Compound, looking back at the boys to manipulate the pocket of air that engulfed them. Artemis would mostly just be caught in the wind, an innocent bystander , but Harvey would be taken up in the flurry. Xylea wasn't doing anything to harm, though, simply to dry. Her eyes grew silver-blue as the small gusts flew through Harvey's hair, across his face and neck, moved through the microscopic holes in the weave of the fabric of his shirt. It was a gentle but non-stop force until the Fae stood where he had been, completely dry if somewhat disheveled and smelling of hops. Artemis, on the other hand, would probably be a mess of static.

Then Xy thought of her friend, the she-wolf she'd grown close to must have been feeling bad to have slimed Harvey in the first place. Ever so gently, she pulled the wind and sent it after Seph. She used the softer patches of air that spelled movement to trace where the Balaren had been. Finding her tail, Xy sent the small gust to play in Seph's fur, tugging lightly at the scruff just behind her ears. She didn't need to say anything or for Seph to stop running to let her friend know she was there for her. Seph would know that it was Xy's way of saying that she'd be right next to her in a heartbeat if she wanted.

Smiling to herself, she let the gust drop and charged inside. She found the kitchen with ease and, after a little snooping and a quick cookie (or 4), she snagged a large box of oranges. Returning triumphantly to where everyone seemed to be gathering around the alcohol, she set the box of fruit down and proclaimed, "I brought one for everyone!