Chione Anapa's Story

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Ram lefted his head and closed his green eyes, soaking up the early morning sun as it bet down on the lake. Cool water sprayed in his face and a constant breeze ruffled his hair. It was perfect sailing weather and Ram had been up since dawn to make the most of it. His one man boat, named 'The Falcon', raced across the lake, skimming across the waves.

Ram opened his eyes as he drew closer to the shore. Standing up in the boat he shielded his eyes from the sunlight glistening off the water and took in the view. There, pretty as a picture, sat Northbay. It fit snuggly between the lakeshore and the hills beyond. He could make out the main street with its small array of shows on either side. There was a large amount of activity in the street, surprising for such a small town and so early on a Saturday.

Then again it was the day of the Lantern Festival. No doubt every spare hand the Elder's could rope into helping was busy putting up decorations. Ram's father Ramsey was a member of the Elders' Council so Ramses was able to get all his information first hand and fresh. The festival was officially an overdue welcome to the Greeks. Unofficially it was to try and calm down the rising animosities between the different groups in the town. As Ram's father had said, if the town could come together and enjoy this one, simple event then they would be one step closer to regaining peace and order.

Ram thought it was a vain hope. He highly doubted that bringing together the whole town into one street would solve anything. Quite the opposite really. Ram knew little of the Greeks but he had grown up with the Norse and his own Egyptian pantheon. He knew enough to understand that there would always be certain individuals who do anything but try to ease tensions.

Shaking such thoughts from his head Ram aimed the boat to shore. A moment later he pulled into the docks, jumping onto the wooden jetty with the ease of practice. He anchored his boat to the jetty, tying it securely. The day may have been calm now but Ram knew enough about Irish weather to know to predict anything. Besides, when you lived in a town of power beings you could never be sure when someone's powers would cause a little mayhem.

Standing up Ram raised his arms above his head and stretched, before straightening out his clothes. With a pleased smile he set off down the wooden walkway, heading towards the Sailing Club rooms and a much needed shower.

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Early morning carpentry was probably not the best way to deal with a hangover, but oddly enough Mack found the rhythmic thud of his hammer strangely calming. Or perhaps he was still drunk from last night.

He had visited Northbay's singular drinking hole, the pub, the previous night. It had started as a causal beer, but three bottles of beer, four shots of vodka and who knows what else later his night had ended up much larger than anticipated. He had woken up this morning still in his clothes, his light still on and his alarm cloak blaring from under a pile of clothes.

Mack had agreed to help set up for the Lantern Festival that night. He wasn't even getting paid, but doing it as a favour to the town. Not that he minded doing it for free. Mack didn't have too many expensive habits and the rent on his tiny apartment over the supermarket was relatively cheap.

"Mack! Can you move the lanterns slightly to the left?" Ebony Aset, aunt of the three Aset girls and member of the Elders, shouted from the street. Mack, standing up on a ladder, nodded down at the woman and moved the lanterns as desired. Satisfied Ebony nodded and wondered off to oversee another part of the preparations. Left to his own devices Mack returned to hammering.

Almost finished he gave one final hammer on the nail, only his attention must have slipped because the next thing he knew a sharp pain erupted in his thumb. With a yelp he jerked his hand back, making him lose his balance in the process. His legs went out from under him, his arms pinwheeling in circles as he tried to grab at anything to keep him from falling.
Unfortunately the ladder seemed to elude him and Mack quickly found himself falling. A gust of wind blew up the street, particles of sand held in the breeze. The wind increased in strength and pressure, directing itself around the falling man. Faster than the eye could follow it had formed into a miniature wind funnel, Mack being safely buoyed in the centre. Slowly he was lowered to the ground. Only when his feet had touched concrete did a movement of his hand send the winds away, leaving a thin layer of sand behind.

'Mack, as much as I'm glad you're not hurt...' The stern voice came from Ebony Aset, her foot tapping quickly as she surveyed the tiny beach of sand that his powers had called forth. She had a broom in her hand, 'I want all this sand gone before tonight.' Thrusting it into his grasp Ebony turned and left. Dusting the light sprinkling of sand off his clothes before beginning to sweep up the street, Mack wished - and not for the first time - that his winds didn't magically summon sand when he called them.

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The view from the hills above the town was spectacular. Asta, pausing on her descent, couldn't help but grin at the landscape. The lake was sparkling in the early morning sun, light glistened off the town roofs and there was hardly a cloud in sight. She could have stayed on the thin track that ran up the hills beyond Northbay all day, but one glance at her watch told Asta that she'd need to open the shop soon. With a last glance across the lake Asta turned and made her way, half skipping, down the track.

Most likely it was the excitement of the coming festival that had seen Asta rise so early and head up into the hills. She often went for walks, but rarely so early in the morning. Coming back down she hit the main street at it's beginning. The entrance to Northbay was decorated with a simple sign which read 'Welcome to Northbay'. Asta passed the sign, entering the main street of the town. She passed people setting up stalls, others hanging decorations and more than one person shouting out loud instructions.

Asta waved happily at Mack as she passed him. Curiously he was sweeping up sand, although where the sand came from Asta couldn't be sure. Down the street she went, dodging in and out of the workers, until she reached the Bookstore.
"Key, key key... Oh, there you are!" She muttered to herself as she dug into her cardigan pockets. The Bookstore owner had given Asta the responsibility of opening the store today and she would have hated it if she'd lost the keys already.

She pushed the door open and stepped into the dark room. The light switch was unfortunately at the other end of the store and Asta didn't fancy wondering through the dark to find it. So, holding her hand out, she summoned a small sphere of light and used it to guide her through.

Ten minutes later, the store lit, open and ready for customers, Asta sat back at the counter with a sigh of relief. From here she had a good view of the festival preparations, but instead of watching the workers outside she picked up her book 'Catch-22' and began to read. The doorbell would jingle as soon as anyone entered, meaning until then she could happily lose herself in Joseph Heller.

Liam rolled out of bed and walked across the room to his blaring alarm clock that was playing an incredibly annoying techno tune. "It is way to early for this..." Liam groaned as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He hated mornings sometimes.

After a way too long shower, breakfast, and some hygiene maintenance, Liam was finally set to go to work. They were going to be serving food at the Lantern Festival later and Liam was one of the servers in their's restaurants little booth/cafe thing. He was pretty sure his sister, Chione, was working the festival as well but he couldn't be sure.

Before he left his house Liam thought for a second... If he was working later... Why was he trying to go to work now? Grunting in frustration, he turned back into his apartment. He didn't have classes today because of the festival, and he didn't have work till later, so now he had nothing to do.

He flicked on the TV for about an hour before giving up on what was on and turning it off again. He pulled out his phone and decided to text Alaura.


He also sent a text to his sister.


He threw the phone on the arm of the couch and relaxed on it, waiting for a reply.

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Grey eyes opened moments before the alarm sounded, the loud beeping sound bouncing around the cluttered apartment. Chione usually prided herself in keeping a tidy apartment and making it at least appear spotless. But when she cracked open her text books in a bout of studying the usually pristine apartment was turned upside down. Open books covered every table, notebooks filled with neat, cursive writing next to each one along with stacks of sticky notes and pens, half with the ink run out. One would think with it being the middle of Summer, and a Saturday, Chione would be outside enjoying the sunshine and just taking advantage of her break. But that wasn't how the descendant of Anubis operated. The Summer holidays were, to her, the perfect time to get ahead on her studies so that she was already familiar with a large portion of the curriculum before classes started again.

Reaching out she silenced the alarm and sat up, stretching before running a hand through her messy hair. Swinging her legs out of bed she stood, resuming her stretching before walking over the window to look out over the street. People were already up and about, hanging up decorations for the lantern festival. She smiled slightly to herself, it was no secret that it had been arranged as an unofficial welcoming for the Greeks. The smile vanished as quickly as it came, she wasn't sure it was a good idea. In a town like this, there would always be a few people that would use their powers to make some sort of drama show out of it. Chione was almost convinced of this. The Serrure's were on the top of her list for people who would do something to mess it up.

With a shrug she headed into her small kitchen, placing two slices of bread into the toaster almost absentmindedly before making her way through the apartment, tidying up the books into piles according to topic. She reentered her kitchen to see the toast poking out and swiftly placed the pieces on a plate, spreading strawberry jam over them before walking into the living/dining area that connected onto the kitchen. Sitting down on the couch she began to eat, looking towards the phone with disinterest as it vibrated across the glass coffee table.

She was ready to ignore it for the time being, she seldom got texts and she was never in a rush to answer them, but she caught sight of her brother's name flashing across the screen before it went dark. She lent forth and picked up the phone, opening the desk with a couple deft touches on the screen.

From: Liam
Hey sis. Are you working tonight?
Or are you gunna leave me with no one to talk to?

She chuckled, of course, only Liam who got along with just about everyone in town would ask if his older sister would leave him without anyone to talk to. Her thumb raced across the screen as she typed her reply.

To: Liam
Yes, I am. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of people to talk to :)

Chione had never really understood the whole deal with emoticons, but she found it easier to use them than to have to explain to someone how she was feeling. Tone didn't go over well in text.

Finishing her breakfast she washed off the plate before going about the rest of her morning routine, humming slightly under her breath. Pulling on a pair of denim shorts and a baggy band singlet she collected a couple of text books and her messenger bag before heading outside. She walked briskly down towards the cafe where she ordered herself a white chocolate mocha and sat down, pulling out the thickest of the text books. She thanked the waiter as her drink was brought to her and went about taking notes, effectively blocking out the world around her.

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Antares' eyes slowly opened as he rolled over. Huh.... must be early... the alarm hasn't gone off yet. He opened his eyes to asses how much time he had to sleep when his eyes popped open in shock. There sat the alarm clock, silent and mocking him as the luminous numbers declared it to be 8:30am. Antares jumped to his feet and ran into the bathroom where he had world record shower.

Great! Now his entire plan that had formulated before bed was out of whack. He was meant to have been at work half an hour ago, now not only did he have to apologize profusely about being late, he also had to start from scratch with his plan. He'd have to buy a new alarm clock and set one on his phone to make sure this didn't happen again. Maybe even a third alarm clock just t be safe.

He jumped out of the shower and slid, a yelp leaving him as he fell on his ass. Pain shot up his spine as he got to his feet, quickly getting dressed in the first articles of clothing he came across in his wardrobe. Pocketing his phone he quickly grabbed a muesli bar from the cupboard and raced out, he'd have to get coffee on the way to the library. He had never had a morning like this for as long as he remembered. He always checked and double checked his alarm clock the night before to make sure that it would go off, and according to plan, wake him up at 7am. He would have woken earlier if it hadn't been for an interesting late-night talk show he had stumbled across. Generally he would have ignored it and gone on with his schedule, but the topic was politics, he couldn't not watch.

His black cat, Lucky, mewed as she jumped from the couch, heading towards the food bowl and nudging it with her nose and looking up at Antares he raced to get the food into her bowl. He patted her briefly before saying, "Sorry Lucky, I've got to go, see you later." He raced out while the cat settled herself down to eat.

He raced out the door, the bar hanging between his teeth as he kicked the door shut. He was halfway down the stairs when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He fished it out as he raced down the street, dodging out of people's way as they set up for something.

From: Stephanie
Hello, um ah, would you mind going to the festival with me later today. We could meet up before or something, it doesn't have to be alone you know, I mean Brad and Bobby will be there too and um yeah, it’d be super cool if you could come. But I mean you don’t have to.

He ripped open the wrapper of the bar and gobbled it down before throwing away the wrapper and reading the text more carefully. He stopped outside the coffee shop, blinking like an idiot. That's right! The Festival! He hit his head and muttered under his breath, "Shit... I completely forgot about that..."

He texted her back as he entered the coffee shop and ordered himself a Chai Latte. He wasn't sure if she was working, so texting would probably be safest, just in case.

To: Stephanie
Yeah, sure, sounds like fun. When would you like to meet and where?

He took his drink and thanked the person behind the counter without really paying attention before racing towards the library. He slowed to a brisk walk as he entered the library, taking a nervous sip from the drink he looked around, trying to spot his coworker Gwyn. It didn't take long for him to notice the upturned bookcase and his coworker trapped beneath it. He placed his coffee on a nearby table and rushed over, taking hold of the bookcase and heaving, "Shit! You OK under there Gwyn?"

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A shrill sound filled Tut's apartment. The young man groaned, a headache pounding behind his eyes from the night before. He wasn't quite sure what he'd drank, but whatever it had been, it had been allot. His opened lazily to stare at the alarm clock. 7:30am.. too goddamn early in his books.

A fist lashed out and flatted the device, effectively silencing it. The cheap hunk of plastic that Tut had bought in an attempt to begin a routine was now in a million pieces, small arcs of electricity racing over the gap in the wires. Though now it was too late to go back to sleep. Rolling onto his back Tut slowly sat up and stretched, a jaw-cracking yawn forcing its way up his throat before he stood up, almost falling over as the headache spiked.

He turned around and sighed in relief when he found the bed empty save a couple of discarded shoes which were definitely his. He worked his way through his untidy apartment, eying a pile of dirty laundry beside his couch. Somewhere under there was an empty packet of sushi and his favourite pair of chop sticks. He shrugged as he entered the kitchen, he'll clean it up later. He ate some cereal before going about the rest of his routine at snail pace. By the time he'd gotten out of the shower and was brushing his teeth it had to be at least 8:15.

He walked out moments later, still yawning when the view from his living room window caught his attention. It was a beautiful day outside, from what he could see the wind was calm. The perfect day for a flight. A grin spread over his features as he opened the window and jumped out, phasing instantly and snapping his wings out to catch the air and drift skyward. A shriek left the falcon as it tilted to the side, heading out towards the lake. The water sparkled in the sun and small waves lapped at the shore.

He felt free, the wind rushing past his feathers and the headache was the furthest thing from his mind as he dived, pulling up just in time so that his talons skimmed over the water. He looked back towards the town, a mischievous glint entering the eyes of the bird as Tut realized something. Today was that stupid festival to welcome the Greeks to the town.

He remembered it vaguely from when he was still very young, the lanterns hadn't really captured his attention even back then, what were the odds that they would now? He rose into the air, contemplating this before coming to a conclusion, he would have some fun tonight. People were taking this thing way too seriously after all, he'd have to liven it up a bit. Knock a couple lanterns out of the sky, swoop a couple of people and steal their candy or whatever was in their hands. Harmless. As long as the uptight buzz-kills of the town didn't get in his way, though he was almost certain that every last one of them would be looking out for anyone causing trouble.

All that meant was that he had to be sneaky, plus, there wasn't anything like the element of being caught to make it more exciting. As he headed back towards his apartment he wondered if Bryce would be up for a bit of fun tonight. He landed in his apartment, swiftly changing back into his human form before flopping down the couch, thank Horus he didn't have to work today.

To: Bryce
Yo Bryce! Whatcha up to today for this festival thing? Up for some fun?

He grinned as he jumped off the couch and walked out the door, well there was no point in spending the entire day indoors.

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Chione closed the book, rubbing her temples as she looked up and out of the cafe. She could a small group of people that had gathered there. With a sigh she placed her text book in her messenger and left the cafe, hands shoved into her pockets. Mack was down the street sweeping up the last of the sand when Izzy Dias bumped into him. Chione's lips thinned as she watched her blame him for the collision before summoning a fork of lightning. The Dias twin was easily one of the few Greeks that Chione had taken in instant dislike towards to. Her teeth clenched against each other she resisted the urge to yell at her. She didn't care if her ancestor was Zeus, blood did not excuse actions.

She shook her head and continued walking, making a beeline between the people towards her home. She watched as one of the Aset girls, Jade, came rushing past on her bike, calling out to Mack. Chione whirled around in shock as the sound of the crash reached her ears. In the time it took her a few steps towards the crash site Jade and the person she had crashed into were already surrounded by a small group of people. She could hear Jade's voice, profusely apologizing to the man. Seeing that all was under control Chione shrugged and made her way home, placing the messenger bag on her coffee table, she would have no need of it for now.

Checking her schedule she noted that she had to work from three till seven. That left the rest of the night open to her to enjoy the festival. The small smile that had worked its way onto her face during this thought suddenly vanished. To enjoy the night fully she would need to hang around people, she could only look at the stalls, games and bands for so long on her own. There weren't many people in the town he called 'friend'. It was almost certain that her brother already had something planned with his multitude of friends so she wasn't going to make herself a burden towards him.

She paced her living room, coming up with only three people she considered friends. Gwyn, Ronan and Ram. She smiled to herself as she pulled out her phone, chances were they were all going to be busy, but there was no harm in asking right?

To: Gwyn, Ronan, Ram
Hello, I was just wondering what everyone was up to for the festival tonight? Anyone want to meet up? I have to work from three to seven, but after that I'm free.

Pleased with her attempt at socializing she pocketed the phone and headed back outside with no particular destination in mind. Maybe she'd help set up. It was too nice to waist the day indoors.

"As your best friend it's my duty to know you. If I knew nothing about you then well... I would be a terrible best friend." Leslie replied to Ram as he continued dipping his onion rings. Ram couldn't help but mirror Leslie's grin. Just as Leslie knew a lot about Ramses, Ram knew a lot about Leslie. They hadn't always been as close as they were now, in fact Ram had been better friends with Leslie's younger brother Ronan for most of his life. Then after Leslie's return from his travels the two had hit it off, moving from friends to best friends.

Knowing someone as well as Leslie knew Ram, he knew that his promise to pay Leslie back for the food would be refused. Leslie shook his head,
"You know when I do something for you I want nothing in return, but your happiness." Leslie's reply brought a smile to Ram's face, while his answer to Ram's suggestion about riding the Ferris Wheel brought on a large grin.
"You're talking to a guy that stayed like three days in the Cinderella castle... not the manliest thing I've ever done, but rides are always fun... I haven't been to a festival since I was fourteen, so you have to ride every ride with me and at least pretend you're enjoying it."
If the suggestion had come from anyone else Ram would have refused, but from Leslie all Ramses could do was shrug and shake his head. He could tell that Leslie was determined and perhaps Ram would let himself be dragged along onto all the rides.

A second later Leslie reached into his pocket, drawing out and checking his phone.
"It was Ronan asking if I was helping at the festival, are you?" Leslie asked. Ram nodded, his eyes subtly roving over Leslie's bare chest.
"Father has roped me into helping in one of the booths once the festival has started." He replied, "I'm on for an hour shift at the dunking stall." Ram rolled his eyes. He wasn't too happy with being forced into helping, especially given that the dunking stall meant he would be forced to sit above a tank of water as people aimed at a target. If they hit the target his seat would collapse and he would fall into the tank of water.

Still, it was slightly hard to concentrate on anything much with Leslie half naked beside him.
"I picked a horrible day to wear black." Leslie joked, fanning himself with a napkin. Ram grinned. His powers meant that the hotter and sunnier it was the better he felt.
A moment later Leslie announced that he was going swimming. Leslie stood and began stripping until he had reached the end of the pier.
Ramses, laughing at his friend, followed him down the pier. He stopped at the edge, watching as Leslie resurfaced from beneath the water.
"Come in, the water feels amazing!" Leslie shouted from the water. Ramses shook his head at his friend, a playful smile spread across his face.
"You know, I've just showered" Ram protested. A buzzing in his pocket drew his attention away from his friend and to the text message he'd just received from Chione.

'Hello, I was just wondering what everyone was up to for the festival tonight? Anyone want to meet up? I have to work from three to seven, but after that I'm free.'

Glancing quickly at the screen and then at his friend in the water, Ram hastily sent back a reply,


Text sent, Ram placed his phone onto the planks of the dock before pulling his shirt over his head. Next to come off were his shoes and socks, followed by pants. Then, only in his boxers, Ram moved to the edge of the pier. His toes curled around the edge of the plants before, in one graceful arch, he dove into the water. The liquid was cool against his warm skin and he was grinning as he come up for a breath.

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Jade stood quietly behind Alaura as she took control of the situation- like she did every situation."How can we ever repay you?" Alaura asked, and Jade looked to her with a bit of annoyance. It was over just a quick as it had flared, and she was back to staring at the ground. "No, nothing. I don't need to be repaid," Mack replied, adding "I'm glad you're alright Jade." Jade looked up at him and offered a shy, embarrassed smile. Not soon after, she felt a warmth on her hand and turned to notice Quincy, who she offered the same smile to. He leaned in towards Alaura, informing her that he was there to help if she needed. As always. Jade stared at Quincy for a moment as Liam walked up. Quincy was so in love with her sister, so willing and desperate to help or leap at her command. Jade wondered if Alaura even knew about the effect she had on Quincy.


"Okay... Hoping everything is alright. Maybe we should bring Jade back to her home... I know that she probably doesn't want to stay here at least," Liam offered, speaking to her sister as if she weren't there. Jade looked up at him then, but not to glare. She was too numb to be mad at anyone right now, even though she was feeling more and more claustrophobic by the second. Mack began to nod, which drew her attention back to him as he said, "Do you need anything? I can swing by the supermarket and pick up any supplies..." "I don't think there's--" "The doctor said I need prenatal vitamins," Jade cut in, speaking up as she took her hand away from her older sister. "And, I'm pregnant, not crippled. Alaura, don't you have festival decorations to be putting up?" She sighed, aware of the annoyed tone coming out in her voice. She didn't want all these people around-- she just wanted Gwyn. Right now, that's all she wanted- to curl up beside her and die if that'd make a smile lift Gwyn's cheeks.

Jade shook away the thoughts of her ex as she placed a hand on her steadily growing stomach. Just as the doctor had said; her womb was inflating steadily, even as she stood in front of her friends now. She could feel milimeter by milimeter expanding, and her shorts already starting to feel tighter. "Just go back to decorating for the festival, I'm sure they need the help. My house isn't far- I'll walk. I want to walk, Alaura. I need some time to think. Mack, if you could maybe bring the vitamins over later, or give them to me when you see me at the festival- yes, I'm still going, that'd be great." She glanced around once more to everyone standing, staring at her. "Thank you all for being so worried, but I'm healed now, and I'm okay. I was just a little shook up, but Mack totally took care of me so I'm good now, okay? I'll see you all at the festival." With that, and before anyone else could chime in to stop her, she walked out of the clinic and started up the sidewalk to go back to her townhouse, which was as she said fairly close by.

As her door closed behind her, she leaned up against the frame and slowly slid to the floor, sobbing as she held her growing stomach. This was not how she had wanted anyone to find out- at all. It was all just too much: the loss of her girlfriend, not knowing who the father was, everyone finding out that she was pregnant, the idea of facing everyone that night with a beach-ball for a stomach, but above everything else-- almost losing her children. All five of them. Five of them. The idea made her nauseous, and she curled into herself, holding her stomach gently as she wept for everything she had lost.

When she was finally done feeling sorry for herself, she clawed her way back up her door to walk into her bathroom. She slowly stripped down, still sniffling and crying a little as she stared at her naked reflection. Her stomach welled in front of her as her red, puffy, eyes trailed over her form. She had been so beautiful once- now she looked like a cartoon character that had swallowed a beach ball. With a sigh, she showed and dug through her clothes for a larger pair of shorts, and a loose enough top to flow over her new stomach. Luckily the butterfly print managed to cover all of her skin, but it was painfully evident that she was pregnant. There would be no hiding it now. Figuring that she should at least tell her father, Jade scooped up her car keys and headed out of the door. She was about to get in, when she changed her mind. She could walk there, too. She lived on the other side of main street as it was, so it would just be a short walk to the bakery. Before she left, she placed a postit note on her door, in case Mack tried to drop the vitamins off at her house.

With a heavy heart, she put her keys, wallet, and cell into her brown shoulder purse. Walking felt significantly different now that she had so much weight toward her front. She found herself having to lean back just slightly, and felt very comfortable with one hand on her stomach. As she walked down the street, she noticed that most of the decorations had been set up, and the road had officially been blocked off. Good thing she hadn't taken her car. As she entered the bakery, her father came around the counter with a very serious look on his face. "It's been a long time, Bella," he said, his accent still as heavy as the day she was born. She couldn't help but smile warmly, tears swelling in her eyes. "I know, Papa." "I see you bring good news," his tone lifted with his smile as he walked over to her and put his arms around her. "I bet Guinevere is very excited," he chuckled. Bella started to cry all over again at the mention of her ex, throwing her arms around her father in a tight embrace.

She spent the next thirty minutes filling him in on everything he had missed over the past year, and apologized for being so secretive and distant. Mr. Aset sat stone silent on the other end of the patio table, ignoring the coffee one of his helpers had brought them. "You mean you don't know who the father is?" His tone was gentle, but firm, and from years of listening to that combination she could also hear the underlining disappointment. "I've tried to remember, Papa... I really have, but I just... I can't remember at all. I'm scared, Papa. I don't know what to do." Mr. Aset nodded slowly, holding the ultrasound picture in his hand fondly. "That's exactly how I felt when I first found out your mother was pregnant with Alaura. I was terrified. But, I found a way, little bird. Just as you will. You said Alaura already knows of this? Yes, well, then you will certainly have a lot of support. I'm sure April will be happy to hear the news as well." Jade smiled in awe of her father's calm demeanor. He was always so cool- so collect. No wonder Alaura always had her head on her shoulders.

"I have to get back to the bakery, little bird. Lots of baking to be done, the festival is starting soon. You just try to have fun, and relax a little. All there is to be done now is prepare." Jade nodded and stood as her father did, accepting a kiss to each of her cheeks. She felt significantly better. With renewed hope for herself, she made her way through main street which was lined with rides, vendors and food stands now- all frantically trying to set up for the festival. She had been signed up to work the kissing booth by Alaura weeks ago, and she felt a small twist in her stomach. No one was going to want to kiss a pregnant girl. She helped herself to a large pretzel, as she stood on the side walk and pulled out her phone to text for emergency back-up. She couldn't tell Alaura that she wouldn't be able to make it- she'd have to find a replacement.

To: Ariel, Asta, Julian, Leslie, Ronan, Bryce, Chione, Ramses, Fin, Daphne, Izzy, Stephanie.
Message: [GROUP MESSAGE] Hey everyone! I know this is super last minute, but I was supposed to work the kissing booth and get it organized, but... something came up. I have the following time slots that need to be filled, and I would love you forever if you could take a shift? 6:00-6:30, 7:00-7:30, 8:00-8:30, 9:00-9:30, and 10:00-10:30. The thirty minutes between each time the booth will hold raffles- the money goes to the school playground! Martha ((NPC)) will be taking care of the raffles, so after your thirty minutes is up you're free (: Let me know, guys! Again, thanks so much!

Jeeze, what a long text. She sighed a little, and continued to text since she had nothing better to do- and because she was a little lonely.

To:Layla
Message: Thanks for checking on me earlier. I'm okay, by the way. (: I hope we can get to hang out tonight.

To:Gwyn
Message: We need to talk. Please. It's important. - Jbird.

To:Mack
Message: Hey, I don't know if you got my note on the door or not but I'm already downtown for the festival! I went to see my dad at the bakery. He took the news well. Thanks for being so cool earlier, and for taking me to the hospital. I'm glad I have a friend like you.

To: Quincy
Message: Hey... can you do me one more favor? Keep Alaura busy tonight at the festival. I really don't need her breathing down my neck, worried the whole night. I want to have some fun, and she needs to have some fun. I know you're the man for the job. Ps- Thanks again for today, Quincy... meant a lot.

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Tut walked aimlessly through the town, eventually ending up in the main street. People were buzzing about, setting up for the festival. He stopped at the end of the street, shoving his hands into his pockets. There wasn't anything to do today, he didn't have to work, but because of the festival everyone was either out helping or meeting up with the people they'd spend enjoying the festival with. Tut wasn't exactly most people's choice for an event like this, but this of course left him out in the cold a bit.

With nothing better to do than stand around looking at the people who set up the festival he decided he might as well pitch in... and perhaps start planning his fun of course. He smirked as he started walking towards the nearest elder, ready to ask where he could help when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

From: Bryce
Was gonna spend some of it with Layla, prob, but we can still meet up. Planning on chaos?

Tut nearly face palmed himself, how could he have forgotten? Bryce had a girlfriend, of course he'd be hanging out with her at the lantern festival. Idiot. He chuckled to himself and began his reply.

To: Bryce
Sorry man, didn't think of that. But yeah, maybe later. And you know it! Give me a buzz when you're free to hang. :)

With that sorted Tut continued to approach the nearest elder, "Uhh... Excuse me? Anywhere I could help out?"

The elder blinked at him, as if not believing her ears before pointing him towards one of the booths that had started being constructed. With a smile he walked over and helped set up. It was better than sitting his his apartment twiddling his thumbs, that's for sure.

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Chione had barely left the apartment building when her phone went off in her pocket. She fished it out only to have it buzz two more times before she even had the chance to unlock it to look at the first. She smiled as she spotted the first two names, her smile turning into a look of confusion upon seeing the third. She wasn't often texted by anyone beside her brother or her three friends, but here it was, clear as day, a message from Jade.

Curiosity getting the better of her she opened that one first.

From: Jade
Hey everyone! I know this is super last minute, but I was supposed to work the kissing booth and get it organized, but... something came up. I have the following time slots that need to be filled, and I would love you forever if you could take a shift? 6:00-6:30, 7:00-7:30, 8:00-8:30, 9:00-9:30, and 10:00-10:30. The thirty minutes between each time the booth will hold raffles- the money goes to the school playground! Martha will be taking care of the raffles, so after your thirty minutes is up you're free (: Let me know, guys! Again, thanks so much!

She blinked in surprise, a kissing booth? Under normal circumstances she would have ignored the message and let the other 11 people she'd messaged fill in the slots. After all, who'd want to kiss her? But remembering the accident from earlier in the morning Chione couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor girl. It seemed the accident had been worse than she'd thought, she should have gone over and helped, crowd or not.

With a sigh she replied.

To: Jade
I can take the 7:00-7:30 slot. Are you OK? I saw the accident earlier.

Her stomach churned as she sent it, that was probably the words idea she'd had all day. But she felt like she needed to make up for not helping out earlier. Even the scales as it were. With a sigh she opened the text from Gwyn.

From: Gwyn
I'm going- there's supposed to be an excellent Jazz band playing. We can hang out during it?

She smiled, quickly replying to the text. Of course Gwyn was going to be there if a Jazz band was present. She chuckled as she sent the text.

To: Gwyn
No worries. I just got roped into helping out with the kissing booth. Meet you by the Jazz band round about 7:30?

Her smile widened as she opened Ram's text, trying not to laugh at the image of him falling into the tank of water. If she was lucky, the kissing booth would be nearby and she'd get a look of him falling in. That would be priceless.

From: Ram
I'm at the dunking booth from six thirty to seven thirty. I can meet you after that.

To: Ram
Alright :) I told Jade I'd help out with the kissing booth from 7:00-7:30, so I guess we could meet after that?

With that sorted Chione made her way into the main street, since she was apparently in a helpful mood, might as well aid in the setting up.

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Mack was shaking his head as a pair of helpers moved a beam of wood into place,
"Watch where you're..." He started to warn the pair before, crash! the beam hit another pile of poles and sent them rolling across the road. Luckily most of the street was blocked off from pedestrians so there was little need for Mack to run screaming after them. Instead he simply pointed after them to the pair that had caused the crash.

A moment later a voice made him turn and he found Dehlilah Cyprus standing behind him.
"Um, hey I didn't want to interrupt but um can you ask the girl, my friend ran into if she's ok?" She sounded nervous, or perhaps she was just breathless from running across the street.
"Jade. Her name is Jade." Mack said. He felt uncharacteristically defensive of Jade. He was a friendly guy, he didn't take too many things to heart and was easily able to brush off most insults. But the crash this morning had almost cost Jade her babies and in his eyes Dehlilah had been more concerned with getting Antonio into the restaurant than caring for the hurt girl. Still, the fact that she was here asking after Jade meant that Mack's voice wasn't cold, it was simply lacking its usual warmth.

"I would have helped, but I didn't know if you'd want us... To put our noses in your business," Mack wondering who 'our' was meant to be, Dehlilah and Antonio? Mack shook his head slightly. He was about to argue that it had only been 'his' business because he had been concerned, but decided to hold his tongue. He liked Dehlilah well enough, from the little he had seen of her around town. Besides a moment later she looked over her shoulder. She said goodbye, placed a hand on his arm and added "Thanks, seriously," before leaving.

After she left Mack turned back to the set-up, shaking his head as he saw that in the few minutes his attention had been elsewhere all chaos had erupted...



Mack sat back, enjoying the cool beer in his hand as he watched the cordons open and the first residents enter the festival. Mack was at one of the stalls set up outside the bar, fairy lights twinkled above his head and the setting sun was caught and held by the string of mirror-like, plastic crystals that were twined around a nearby lamp post. Soon enough the whole street would be lit by the fairy lights and street lamp, creating a magical setting for the night's festivities.

Mack's hangover of the morning was well and truly gone. In fact, if he found the right people he wouldn't be against making an event out of tonight. He finished his beer and signaled for the bar keep who passed him another. He popped it open, appreciating the tsk of goodness being released.
"To a good night." He said to the bar keep, tilting his bottle in a salute. He returned his gaze to the street, took a sip and leaned back, waiting for the night to begin.

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Chione placed her hair into a tight bun as she finished putting on her work uniform. She looked at herself in the mirror for a long moment before she left her apartment, walking towards the restaurant. People were already placing the finishing touches on the festival decorations, a band setting up on a stage. Chione smiled to herself, remembering the Jazz band Gwyn was looking forward to seeing. She entered the restaurant, smiling at Mabel as she floated across the room. She looked around around and quickly spotted her brother, ordering another ghost to help clear a table.

Chione chuckled and waved at her brother before heading into the back of the restaurant where she hung up the jacket she'd been wearing before quickly clocking in.

She made her way out into the main area of the restaurant where she began to work.

-5pm-

She looked outside the window to see the street flood with people going about the festivities. She smiled to herself and wiped her hand on the pencil skirt before walking clearing a nearby table. Chione stood beside her brother, "When does your shift end Liam? Got any plans for the festival?"

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-1pm-

Antares rubbed the back of his neck as he stood by the docks, looking down at his watch. His gaze flicked up as he searched the docks, was he early? Had everyone suddenly decided to ditch him? Should he just head to the festival and make a new plan? His stomach churned at the thought, not only did that mean two changes of plan in one day, but that no one wanted to spend time with him. He sighed and walked to the edge of the dock, sitting on the wood and letting his feet dangle off the end. He watched the water ripple below him and swung his legs.

Stephanie had said around one, he had also told Ariel to meet up about the same time. Now here he was, and no one else was. He understood that no one found it as necessary as he did to make sure they were always on time. But he was starting to get edgy. Where were they all?

He looked down at his watch once more, 1:02pm. He swallowed and wrung his hands, muttering under his breath. Where were they all? Had they forgotten about him? Biting his bottom lip he looked towards the town, trying to stop himself from overreacting, which he knew was more than likely if no one rocked up soon.

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-5pm-

Shoving his hands into his pockets Tut walked into the festival, a smile on his face. He wouldn't cause any trouble yet, the night was still too young for that. With a smile on his face the descendant of Horus walked through the stalls, clicking his fingers in time with the folk song that floated through the air. He stopped to look at the occasional stall, fingering the wallet in his pocket with a thoughtful look on his face.

A grin spread over his features as he remembered something: Ramses was to be at the dunking booth later on. That would be fun to try. He stopped by a stall selling small fantasy figurines, the more expensive ones moving about on the cloth, staring up at the customers as they passed. He cocked his head, weighing whether or not he needed, or wanted, the small dragon figurine that crawled over the table, spined head shaking before a spark of fire erupted from its jaw.

With a small grin bought the little dragon, watching as it flew up to his shoulder, nestling itself beside his neck, looking out into the crowd. Tut continued to walk, trying to spot anyone that would be up for some fun.

Liam was growing slightly annoyed until his sister finally showed up. "When does your shift end Liam? Got any plans for the festival?" She asked him. Liam was relieved that his sister was there 'cause in truth, his other co-workers were starting to annoy him to no end. Some either refused to work 'cause they were mad they had to miss out on the festival and others were ghosts.

"I actually think our dear manager wants to run me to the ground since, before you got here, I was the only one actually trying to work." Liam said, "Plus, I think helps that I don't have any plans."

"I'm going to assume you have some sort of meeting within the next few hours?" Liam teased his sister as Mabel came up to him holding a tray of dirty dishes. Liam pointed to the back where she was supposed to bust them, like he had done every other minute.

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Antares sat at the docks, fiddling with his thumbs as he looked out over the water. He constantly glanced down at his watch, watching as the seconds slowly ticked past. 1:08pm passed and still neither Ariel or Stephanie had showed up. He started to get edgy, his mind racing to make a myriad of new plans depending on when the two girls showed up. He pulled out his phone in case one of them had texted him about being late, his heart sunk. He should have checked it earlier. There, as clear as day, was a text from Ariel that had arrived shortly before one o'clock.

From: Ariel
Ok, great! Sorry for not replying sooner I was busy. See us there. Bye bye love ya.

He sighed with relief as he read the text. His shoulders slumped and a smile worked its way onto his face. He hadn't been forgotten. He got to his feet, she should be here any minute according to the text. His gaze was fixed towards the town, a smile coming over his face as he spotted Ariel, power walking towards him.

"Sorry I'm, ten minutes late!"

She gave him a quick hug, which he returned before taking a small step back. He chuckled, the nervous tension that had been coiling in his stomach for the past ten minutes suddenly being released, as if a tight cord had been snapped. He rubbed the back of his neck before chuckling, "That's fine Ariel!"

He was just glad someone was here. He looked down at his watch once more before saying, "Shouldn'tbe long before Steph shows up."

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Tut continued to walk through the milling crowd. He hadn't been to a festival like this since he was about 13, in a way it was nice to be out here enjoying the night. He smiled to himself, a hand reaching up to stroke the head of the small dragon on his shoulder, yelping as the scaled beast decided to nip at his finger, pain flaring along the length of it. He shook his hand and glared down at his little novelty, wiping the finger on his shirt before continuing his stroll.

He stopped in the middle of the street, people walking around him without so much as a second glance. He looked up to the see the ferris wheel towering above the crowd. Laughter came from all around and idle chatter of those stopping by the numerous stalls as they looked about the merchandise.

Tut hummed along with the music that floated through the air as he made a bee-line through the crowd, stopping only as he neared the ferris wheel, a familiar voice calling out his name.

"Tut!"

He turned, searching the crowd for the source of the voice. He smiled as he spotted Alaura waving at him from the line waiting to get onto the ferris wheel. Terrance stood beside her.

"Hey, want to ride with us?" She pointed up at the ferris wheel, a smile on her face.

He looked up at the ride, before shrugging. Why not? He had nothing else to do, and Alaura and Terrance were cool. He waved at them and walked through the crowd to stand beside them in the line.

"Hey guys! Sure, I'll tag along." He grinned, "How's your guys' day been so far?"

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Chione chuckled as her brother spoke, it was true, next to none was working at the restaurant that night, in fact, even the cook had been looking up at the clock every few minutes as it inched closer to the end of his shift.

"I actually think our dear manager wants to run me to the ground since, before you got here, I was the only one actually trying to work. Plus, I think helps that I don't have any plans."

The sudden burst of mirth ended as inexplicably as it began, she turned to Liam blinking. Liam Anapa, he little brother Liam, the social butterfly of Northbay, didn't have any plans for the lantern festival? She frowned, crossing her arms, "What do you mean you have no plans? Didn't you organize to meet up with any of your friends?" The frown deepened before vanishing at the next words form her brother's mouth.

"I'm going to assume you have some sort of meeting within the next few hours?"

She nodded, a smile spreading across her features, "As a matter-of-fact, I do. I promised Jade to help out at the kissing booth after work and then I'm going to meet up with Gwyn and Ram." She shrugged, Ronan had never replied to her text, so he must have been too busy. She grinned, She couldn't help but get excited. It had been so long since the last festival, she had been 15 and at the time had spent most of it on her own, wandering the streets with nothing better to do.

But this time around she had friends she could go with, it would probably be allot more fun this time around.

Liam glanced over at his big sister who was giving him what he loved to call, "The big sister look" as she crossed her arms. "What do you mean you have no plans? Didn't you organize to meet up with any of your friends?" She asked.

But before he could answer her she started to smile again. Thankfully. "As a matter-of-fact, I do. I promised Jade to help out at the kissing booth after work and then I'm going to meet up with Gwyn and Ram." She said happily.

"Does that mean you're not going to go all loner this year?" Liam teased. Last time, Chione was by herself pretty much the entire time. He was happy she'd finally decided to hang out with some people. Liam could usually just pop into any group of people and they'd be cool with it. Not so much his sister.

"And by not having plans. I mean I don't have plans. I was hanging out with Alaura and Quincy but her sister had to go to the hospital for reasons I still don't know. And since I figured she wouldn't want to be too crowded I decided to leave her be since I knew Quincy wouldn't leave. I guess by the time I was done with that little ordeal it was time for me to get ready for work. " Liam explained. He knew he'd have to stop working at some point since he was already putting in way too many hours of overtime, but he didn't like seeing that stupid and pitiful look on their manager's face.

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Antares smiled as Ariel spoke "I can't wait for her to get here too! We're all going to have so much fun!" He grinned, Ariel was such a bubbly person. It was something refreshing, "The last time I went to a festival I was six. That was so long ago! Gosh! It doesn't feel like that long though!"

Ariel had been the first person in the entire town of Northbay who truly welcomed him. With a bright smile and even brighter words. He was baffled at first, wondering why she was talking to him when there were obviously people in the town that she knew for longer. He had been so happy to see someone that welcomed him to the town that they had basically become instant friends.

They hadn't spent allot of time together, yet he felt confident in saying that the two were good friends. He smirked as Ariel continued to talk, the slight childishness that was part of Ariel's charm seeping through. "I think my favorite part is the games that involve powers! I mean there will probably be no games that would allow me to use my abilities, but it's fun to watch others!"

Antares grinned, "Yeah? Doubt I'd be able to do any of those games anyway... We could watch them together. Might be fun!"

He looked down at his watch and frowned, Steph really was starting to be late. And Steph knew about his slight OCD. Although, slight might have been an understatement. He tapped his watch and looked around expectantly, "If Steph doesn't show up soon should we just head down towards the festival?"

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Chione chuckled as Liam spoke, bringing up the last time the lantern festival had been held. "Does that mean you're not going to go all loner this year?"

She shook her head, "No. This year I've got friends to go with." She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. She had friends to go out to the festival with. She wouldn't be standing by her own, having to wait for another loner just to be able to get on the Ferris Wheel! Because apparently a murder victim from the middle ages didn't count as a partner. She couldn't believe how much things had changed since that last time.

Sure, majority of the people in the town still thought of her as either weird of closed off, but she had friends now. Not many. But she did have some. He was avoiding the question she had posed earlier and she was about to bring it up again when he answered, much to her approval.

"And by not having plans. I mean I don't have plans. I was hanging out with Alaura and Quincy but her sister had to go to the hospital for reasons I still don't know. And since I figured she wouldn't want to be too crowded I decided to leave her be since I knew Quincy wouldn't leave. I guess by the time I was done with that little ordeal it was time for me to get ready for work."

She sighed, of course Alaura would have run at the first sign that her little sister had been harmed. "Jade was in a bicycle crash earlier with one of the Greeks. It didn't look that bad, but apparently it was worse than I thought if she had to go to the hospital." She frowned, she swore it hadn't been that bad, was there something else going on? "But from what I saw it wasn't that bad... I wonder what happened..."

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Tut stopped beside the two in the line, noting almost absentmindedly how Terrance took a step closer towards Alaura, as if defending her from something. He didn't let his smile dim, even as Terrance's next words effectively eradicated Alaura's earlier invite. "Fine. And I don't mean to be that guy, but these things are really only meant for two..."

Tut took an almost instant step back, the smile becoming slightly forced as he took in Terrance's smile of apology. If Tut was right, that look of apology was just as faked as his own 100-watt smile. Alaura seemed just as taken aback as Tut was, though she made it obvious with a look of shock. She turned to look at him, "Let's hang out after, Tut!" Though Terrance didn't let it bother him much more as he took hold of Alaura's arm, escorting her to the front of the line were he called back to him, as if on second thought, "We'll catch you later, Tut."

Tut nodded and continued to take a few steps back, holding his hand up in a wave, "No worries. I'll just wait here." The two got onto the cart, holding hands. He cocked his head, it wasn't really anything new, but they usually didn't hold hands for that long. The ride started and Tut reached up the dragon, thankful that the little beast decided his fingers didn't taste that nice after all and instead rubbed its little face against it.

He swallowed and sighed, "Yup... just wait here. Just me and my dragon." Shoving his hands into his pockets he rocked back and forth on his heels. Maybe he should just go, maybe wreck some havoc over by the dunking booth or turn into a falcon and steal someone's prize, making them chase him all across town. He sighed, there was always time for that later. Plus, who knew when he would be able to go a festival like this again.

The grin returned as they got off the ride, he raised his hand in a wave before it dropped to his side, watching Alaura force her way through the crowd... away from him and Terrance in tow. Had he don't something wrong?

((ooc: Sorry. Could find any inspiration to write in this RP for a bit XD))

"Jade was in a bicycle crash earlier with one of the Greeks. It didn't look that bad, but apparently it was worse than I thought if she had to go to the hospital. But from what I saw it wasn't that bad... I wonder what happened..." His sister said.

Liam placed a few plates in front of other people. "Maybe I'll ask Alaura later. But maybe once she calms down some. Pretty sure Quincy has succeeded in that." Liam said, his face shifting into once of disapproval. Who knew what that man would try tonight. Liam would have to ask Alaura what went down between those two later. Maybe once he was done with his shift he'd ask how her night went.

Liam allowed one of his hands to roam down his face in an exhausted manner. He worried about that girl way too much for his liking. Maybe he'd hang out with one of his friends later after all. Maybe Tut or Lucas even. Just, not a female. 'cause then he'd start worrying about his friend again. He had promised himself he would try and trust Quincy again. And since Alaura seemed so sure of this guy, he would try and see it the way she does.

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Chione watched as her brother placed a couple of plates on a table, his face morphing into that of disapproval, "Maybe I'll ask Alaura later. But maybe once she calms down some. Pretty sure Quincy has succeeded in that."

Chione raised an eyebrow at her brother's tone. She was never good at reading people's tone, their guilt? She had that down to a fine art. But sarcasm, jealousy and all of those things that were conveyed in tone. That was uncharted territory.

Unless it was her brother.

Having lived with the young man for a large number of years Chione had been able to slowly learn the subtleties in his voice that signaled different emotions. She still got them wrong allot, but no where near as much as around others. Turning to him she adopted the 'big sister' look once more, arms crossed across her chest, "Are you jealous of Quincy, Liam?"

Despite the fact that she wanted to do her utmost to keep her brother safe and away from any kind of heartache, she had to be honest she had no clue what territory she had stepped into with that question. She felt uneasy about where to proceed or if she should just change the subject and get on with her work. But her determination to make sure her brother was happy and everything was OK didn't allow her to back down from the question, even if Liam refused to answer or told her to stay out of it. A quick glance up at the clock told her she had an hour left of work before her shift ended and her shift at the kissing booth would begin.

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Antares felt the ride begin to slow down, the cheerful music that flitted through the air never wavering although small children groaned audibly their disappointment that the ride was coming to an end. As it finally come to a stop Antares climbed off the grey horse, feeling concrete ground beneath his feet.

Antares followed Ariel to the exit gate of the ride, chuckling as she skipped out and to Steph's side. His steps were more regulated as he walked, a smile on his face as he walked to stand before Steph. His smile vanished almost instantly as he spotted the sling, "What happened?"

Antares frowned, he had seen Steph come back from fights in worse condition and he had a sinking feeling that she'd fought someone again. Though before he could question her about what had happened to her arm Ariel burst into tears, blubbering as she spoke, obviously upset by Steph's injury, "I'm sorry about whatever happened to you, does it hurt?"

"I just thank the gods you're alright! Will you be able to ride anything? Because if you can't I'll sit out with you."[/i] Ariel brushed the tears off her cheek, cheering up as she spoke.

Antares, finally spotting his opportunity, spoke, "What happened Steph? You get into a fight with someone?" He allowed concern to colour his voice as he spoke, awaiting her answer.

"Are you jealous of Quincy, Liam?" His sister asked, crossing her arms and giving him the "big sister" look once again.

"What! Of course not!" Liam denied instantly, "I just don't trust him. He has the potential to hurt her in more ways than one. She's too kind to people like him."
Liam shook his head in annoyance. His sister always did have a habit of being able to poke in the wrong places. But it's not like he didn't do that to her.
"What on earth would make you think I was jealous?" Liam asked, before glancing up at the time as well. He had a feeling work was slightly stressing him out, so maybe he would leave earlier than their boss would like.

He still didn't understand why his sister would believe he is jealous though. Alaura is his best friend and he wants to protect her. Quincy is a recovering druggy who could easily fall back into his previous slump. This wouldn't only hurt Alaura, but she'd probably think it was her fault to a point. Plus, what was there to be jealous of!?

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"What! Of course not! I just don't trust him. He has the potential to hurt her in more ways than one. She's too kind to people like him."

Chione blinked at his sudden denial. She had obviously overstepped some line or read something completely wrong. Both of course were highly likely. "What on earth would make you think I was jealous?"

Her arms dropped to her side, biting on the inside of her lip briefly as she thought it over. What had been the reason that she'd jumped to that conclusion? She sighed and shrugged, "Because despite the fact that you don't trust him and want to make sure Alaura isn't hurt by her. And I'm going to assume here that she's aware of this fact." She raised an eyebrow as if to confirm her assumption before continuing, "You're jealous because despite all this, she's spending time with him instead of you right now."

Chione seemed almost pleased with her own answer, the light smile vanishing in a heart beat as she asked, "I overstepped a line again didn't I?"

She sighed, she really had to learn to keep some of these things to herself. She always seemed to be able to find peoples' buttons and didn't realize that she should keep her trap shut for once. Small steps to begin with though. Once she figured out that she'd stepped out of line she could go about making sure it didn't happen again.

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Tut stood there patiently, though he was tempted to continue walking around, maybe find something else to do. He was about to do exactly that, handing reaching up to reassure himself that the dragon hadn't abandoned him. When his fingers met smooth scales he let a small smile stretch his lips. He froze -mid step- when he heard Alaura voice call out across the street.

“Tut!" He turned to see her approach him, though, surprisingly given how Terrance was so eager to be alone with her, he wasn't at her heels. “Tut, I’m sorry! I’m back. Do you want to go try some of the games?”

Tut grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets, "Love to try some of the games!"

And that's when Alaura said the best possible thing she could possibly have said to cheer him up, “I think someone’s running the dunking booth now… how’s your throwing arm?”

He'd heard a few days earlier that Ramses Atum would be the person that would be dunked into the water. And there was no chance in hell that Tut would ever miss out on sending him into the water with a well aimed throw. Linking his fingers he stretched his arms out before him, a series of cracks emitting from his knuckles as a giant grin dominated his face.

"My throwing arm? Dead accurate when it's to dump a certain someone into a giant tank of water!"

He wondered idly where Terrance had gone.. knowing him, probably having a smoke. He would be back soon though.

"Because despite the fact that you don't trust him and want to make sure Alaura isn't hurt by her. And I'm going to assume here that she's aware of this fact." Chione asked, raising her eyebrow at him, "You're jealous because despite all this, she's spending time with him instead of you right now."

"I overstepped a line again didn't I?" She asked. Well at least she knew it.

Liam placed a hand in his palm, "No... You're just being your usually nosy big sister self if you ask me."
He looked up at her and gave her a small smile, "You're the only person I know that knows how to push every button of mine. Even the ones I don't know of."
He loved his sister, but she was too good at what she does. And it is actually quite scary. A sister should not know more about her brother than he leads on.

He briefly wondered what Alaura was doing at this moment in time. He knew she was with Quincy, but... Where?
He looked outside and saw a Ferris Wheel... Alaura's favorite.

"Hey, isn't it time for you leave, Chione?" Liam asked, looking up at the clock. He didn't want her to miss out hanging out with her friends this year.