Tutankhamun Nekheny'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.

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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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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.

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Alaura's eyes narrowed on him as she watched is body tense up, unable to look at her as he muttered darkly, "Don't worry about it." She sat up a little straighter in her seat, eying him carefully as worry began to play over her face. "I can take care of myself y'know, I don't need you to babysit me," he mumbled, looking down at the table. Her eyebrows arched up slightly at his tone, a fist curling under the table. Was he serious? Did he not remember the state she had found him in? Iced out of his mind, drooling, stumbling around half naked? She shook just slightly, but took a breath and settled her nerves. The shaking stopped and she was able to calmly look at him again.

She watched as he covered his hands with his face, trying to rub away the hole she was burning into him. "I'm sorry," he manged with a sigh, looking across the table at her. "The classes are going great, no slip ups." Alaura eyed him suspiciously. "None?" "I promise, cross my heart and hope to die." Then there was that smile of his, that goofy grin that said everything was okay even if the world were falling apart around them. He even made an 'x' over his heart for emphasis. She opened her mouth to object, but then the food arrived and he was saved. She ate her food in silence, listening to Terrance talk if he would, or just enjoying the silence if he didn't.

It wasn't long until the sound of music was heard from outside, causing her to look up as she finished her plate. "Looks like the festival's starting," she said as her eyes searched the large bay windows of the cafe`. Sure enough, the streets were filling up with people and the glow of the lights outside cast a charming romantic glow. She smiled at their handy work. Everyone had done such an amazing job with the decorations. As they finished eating, she payed for the food as it was Terrance's reward for helping her all day, and headed outside. "Wow," she breathed, taking in all the glittering lights around them, and the busy street that once busy with cars was now busy with pedestrians. "Where to even start?" There was a smile on her lips, and for a moment she wasn't thinking about her pregnant sister, or her recovering drug addict best friend; she was just thinking about how wonderful the night was going to be. The sun was still setting in the sky, right on time, when she glanced over to Terrance with a grin. "Let's go ride the ferris wheel,"she announced, starting down the sidewalk towards the end attraction. It had been placed in one of the empty side lots- the only place that had room for such a ride.

She slipped into the long line of people and smiled up at Terrance. "I'm glad to hear that you're doing well, Terrance. No slip ups? That's... well, that's amazing. I'm so proud of you," she said with a smile, reaching up to tenderly place a hand to his cheek. "I'm so proud," she whispered, kissing the cheek that her hand wasn't on. Something about the atmosphere made her feel giddy inside. Her siblings would be alright, at least until she got off the ferris wheel. It was her favorite ride, and she didn't want to risk getting caught up in anyone else's drama before she got a chance to enjoy herself at the festival she worked so hard to put on. It was as she was pulling away from Terrance that she spotted Tut walking around through the crowd. "Tut!" she called, smiling and waving at him. "Hey, want to ride with us?" she called, indicating the ferris wheel which she and Terrance stood in line to get on.

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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.

Sitting with Alaura, Terrance ate silently after his small fit, focusing on the turkey club he had ordered, sipping at the water. A finger drew lines into the condensation on the glass after he had polished off his meal. It wasn't long after that he could feel Alaura starting to shift, anxious to get moving as the soft sound of music started to grow louder. As Alaura looked out the cafe window, Terrance took the moment to pull out his phone reading the text that Jade had sent to him. Even though he knew electronics from the inside out, he had never really picked up on the texting fab and slid his phone back into his pocket.

"Looks like the festival's starting," Terrance looked up at Alaura as she spoke, smiling as he watched her eyes light up. "Well, lets go then." Quincy put his hands on the table as he stood up, pausing a moment to unfold his wallet and throw a few bucks on the table. If Alaura was going to pay he would tip, leaving three dollars for Viona. With a sweep of his arm he gestured for Alaura to lead them out, though he pushed the door open for her on the way out. "Have a good night, Viona." Terrance gave a small wave and smile as they headed out.

"Wow," Quincy turned his head to look at Alaura as she let out a content sigh. His eyes wandered over her body, admiring the lights that gave her skin a warm glow. Throwing an arm over his shoulder he took a moment to look around their work, smiling. "We did pretty good A." Terrance murmured in agreement. He had to admit, the day hadn't been wasted on setting up the decorations, it really did transform the town. Terrance felt like he was in a wonderland, the mad hatter, walking along with his Alice.

Walking along, Quincy found himself smiling to the others wandering around, also enjoying the night as the sun started to set behing the small town buildings. "Where to even start?" Alaura had asked aloud. Shrugging, Quincy just let out a small chuckle as his friend looked around, trying to decide where to visit first. "Let's go ride the Ferris wheel," Alaura suggested, causing Terrance to raise a dark brow in question. "You want to go on a Ferris wheel? You? Miss afraid of heights." There was a teasing tone to his voice.

"Alright, lets g-" He was cut off as Alaura practically dragged him down the street and into the empty lot where the Ferris wheel had been set up. They stood in line, Quincy leaning up against the railing that was supposed to keep the line single filed, though didnt do very well. The Norse man was smiling as he heard the laughter from the persons already riding the Ferris wheel, looking up to see if he recognized anybody.

Terrance went rigid as a gentle hand touched his cheek. "I'm glad to hear that you're doing well, Terrance. No slip ups? That's... well, that's amazing. I'm so proud of you," Alaura had said to him, her voice the softest of whispers to his ears. "Oh, uh, its nothing really-" His eyes went wide as the world blurred away, leaving only him and the woman who had brushed her soft lips against his cheek. The moment didn't last nearly as long as Quincy had expected it to, the world coming back into focus rather quickly. "Tut!" Alaura waved to the Egyptian man.

Gods, he couldnt catch a break. First Liam and now Tut, this day was unexpectedly disappointing. "Hey, want to ride with us?" Quincy's heart dropped like a stone, his head hanging slightly as he stood up a little straighter. As Tut walked closer, Terrance had absentmindedly taken a step toward Alaura, his arm brushing hers. "Hey guys! Sure, I'll tag along." The egyptian man sounded nice and unimposing, though Terrance couldnt help but feel that the other man was a threat to him. "How's your guys' day been so far?"

Terrance shrugged. "Fine. And I dont mean to be that guy, but these things are really only meant for two... That hadn't sound too uncaring, had it? Terrance gave an apologetic smile, shuffling forward in line, moving Alaura along as well. It was their turn now, the Ferris wheel car swaying slightly as the ride came to a stop. "We'll catch you later, Tut." Terrance took a hold of Alaura's hand as she stepped into the car, steadying her as it swayed, following on after, though his hand didn't leave hers.

The car gave a small jerk as the Ferris wheel started moving in a counterclockwise rotation, lifting them higher and higher as the sun slowly sunk lower on the horizon. While Alaura looked out at the town, set aflame in the sunset's glowing light, Terrance studied her. "Beautiful." He murmured simply. There was hardly any space between them anymore as he lifted his free hand to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. Unlike other times, where he respectfully returned his hand to his own personal space, Terrance let his touch linger on her neck the side of his thumb brushing her cheek.

The hand holding hers, fingers still intertwined, moved to tilt her chin up. His eyes locked with hers, getting lost in their green depths, though he managed to find his way back, gaze flicking down to her full pink lips and then back to her eyes. It was now or never, his moment to express the way he felt. Before he could make another move though, the car swayed again as the Ferris wheel stopped at the very top, coming to a pause. His eyes closed for a brief moment making a mental note: Tip the ride technician on the way down. It was just them up there, away from everything and anyone who could interrupt. His body had gone still, heart pounding in his chest, and then with a sudden finality he leaned the rest of the way forward. His lips found hers, the hand on her neck pulling her towards him.

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Alaura smiled as Tut came over to join them in the line. She liked the Egyptian, he was quirky and had enough self esteem for the whole town. "Hey guys! Sure, I'll tag along. How's your guys' day been so far?" "Fine," she heard Terrance say from beside her, as he took a slight step toward her. " And I dont mean to be that guy, but these things are really only meant for two..." Alaura gaped at him, frowning as Terrance rushed her onto the awaiting cart that would lead them up to the top. Her heart was already racing, a mild panic in her stomach. She was terrified of heights, so why did she like this stupid ride to begin with? Her stomach turned over as the cage-like door closed them into the tiny seat together.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, Terrance had been right-- there'd be no room for Tut even if Terrance hadn't been an ass about not letting him come with them. "Let's hang out after, Tut!" she called to him, unable to sooth the clawing pain of guilt in her stomach. Why was Terrance being so... so... Terrance? a voice in her head said quietly, with a shrug. She frowned. Terrance wasn't always like that... was he? "We'll catch you later, Tut." There, that was more like the Terrance she knew. She let out a soft sigh of relief, not noticing that their hands were still together.

Alaura was busy trying not to have a mild panic attack as the cart slowly swayed back and forth... back and forth-- the motion making her instantly regret her decision to go on the ride in the first place. Just when she thought her heart was going to explode- or her stomach, at least, the ride slowly came to a stop. All around her the glittering lights of the festival twinkled and winked at her, bathing the street in a soft golden glow. All of her friends down below looked so happy as they walked around buying trinkets or testing their powers on certain games. Her hear swelled with pride and awe. This was why she loved the ferris wheel-- the view. That one moment, paused for a pregnant beat of pure beauty and bliss. "Beautiful."

"Isn't it?" she asked, as she turned to look at him, a little caught off guard to find him staring at her and not the lights. Instantly a blush bloomed in her cheeks, an uneasy feeling dripping down into her stomach. It was then that she noticed they were holding hands. She glanced down at their laced fingers in wonder, unsure when that had happened. As she looked back up at him, an unruly lock of her dark hair fell into her face. Before she could swipe it out of her way, Terrance gently reached up to tuck the strand behind her ear. It wasn't anything new to her; Terrance was always adjusting her hair for her. He was her best friend, no biggie... right? Only this time was different, his hand hesitated by her cheek, gliding down like melting butter onto her neck. His thumb felt rough against her soft cheek, but there was something strangely gentle about the motion.

A voice inside of her screamed red flag, Alaura! RED FLAG! But she found that she was rooted to the spot, her blue hues locked onto his as he unwound their fingers to use the hand to tip her face in towards him. By the gods, Alaura, say something! Do something! MOVE DAMNIT! BREATHE, SOMETHING! But she couldn't. Her mind registered her thoughts, but it seemed unwilling to comply. She remained perfectly still, aside from opening her mouth to say something, only no words would come out- leaving her mouth just slightly parted. The ride stopped moving, but she hardly seemed to notice. She was at the very top- the highest from the ground, her ultimate fear of being so high off the ground, and yet-- she didn't even notice. All there was, was Terrance. The soft golden glow of the town casting warm shadows on his face, reflecting in his irises. He was getting closer, and a gentle, urging, pull on the back of the neck brought her closer to him as well. Mouth still parted in an unspoken protest, their lips met.. and for that moment, time stood still. It seemed like forever, but it was only a matter of seconds before her lips melted in against his, pressing back in eager acceptance.

She had never even stopped to think what kissing Terrance might be like, but whatever she could have imagined- it would not have compared. A dark, secret side of Alaura clawed it's way to the surface as she gently bit his lower lip and pulled gently, before melting into his kiss again. It was all she could to resist crawling into his lap and reaching up his shirt, to feel her hands caress over his bare skin. By some miracle, she managed to stay in her seat- hands to herself.

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... and then the ride jolted, starting to move them downward. Alaura pulled away slowly, not wanting to move too quickly because her head was still spinning madly. A thousand mini-Alauras freaking out and throwing files everywhere, screaming that all seven hells would surely break loose now. What had she done? Terrance was her best friend! A recovering drug addict on top of everything else that he was, and who was she to get involved and mess up his process? Relationships were terrible for people trying to recover- they needed to focus on themselves and not relationships. Her mind swam with reasoning and worries and doubts, but all of them were silenced when she looked to him again. He hadn't had any slip ups- he was recovered. He was her best friend, always there for her when she needed him just as she was always there for him. And what was worse- how much she had liked it.. and this new, deep, aching need to do it again.

Her blue hues drifted slowly to his lips, her heart pounding as the ride made it's way to the ground. She forced herself to look away from him, and as the ride came to a stop, she quickly crawled over him and out of the ride. She quickly forced her way through the crowd of people, a small ways away from the ferris wheel where she could stop and catch her breath without standing in the way of pedestrian traffic.

Her heart hammered madly in her chest and she looked up to Terrance as he caught up with her. "Terrance, I--" she felt the words slip right out of her in a sigh, whatever she was going to say- lost to the wind. She looked up at him with a blush rising steadily in her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry, that- that was so unlike me, I..." She waved away the air around her, trying to calm herself as she began to pace a little. "Terrance, you-- I... We're... You're my best friend," she started, but then stopped, her back facing him as she slowly turned to him, a realization dawning on her. The jitters, the worry, being so comfortable around him, missing him, thinking of him all the time.. it all slowly sank into her. She had spent so long crushing on Leslie and secretly pinning over him that she didn't even think to look at what was right in front of her. He'd been there all along. "Terrance, I... I love you.." The looked up at him quietly, having said everything she could think to say. It was the truth, though why she hadn't seen it before, she'd never know.

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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?

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Alaura stood there in shock at herself. Had she really just--? Yes, she had… and oh, how wonderful it had felt! She watched as he opened his mouth to speak, and smiled at him as he decided to pull her into his arms instead. She closed her eyes as she focused on the feel of his hand sliding against her back, smiling to herself. “Say it again,” she heard him whisper, feeling his forehead leaning in against hers. She opened her eyes, only to close them again as Terrance pressed his lips against hers in a slow and passionate kiss. “I love you,” she whispered against his lips, allowing him to pull her front completely against his. She giggled, shyly turning her face away so as to not cause a scene in front of the people walking around them.

[color=darkgreen] . "I love you, Alaura. I've loved you for a long time," she heard him whisper against her ear as his gentle lips pressed against her neck. She opened her mouth to tell him that she had never realized, but was silenced as he squeezed her frame against him and whispered, “Say it again,” once more. She giggled, and playfully shoved him away as his hands moved under her shirt, sending goosebumps up her arms. “I love you, Terrance Falr.” She smiled at him, stepping close to him again to kiss his cheek. . "I knew you would succumb to my good looks and infinite charm eventually,” she heard him whisper softly. This caused her to laugh and start to walk off, shaking her head. “You’ll never change, Terrance. Come on, we left our friend , very rudely I might add, by the ferris wheel.”[/color] She would fuss at him later for being so rude to Tut, but for now, she was just concerned with bringing him back into the group.

The poor guy was almost always left out for some reason, and Alaura’s heart just couldn’t take it. When she made it back over to the wheel she was thankful to see him still there. “Tut!” she called, waving over at him. “Tut, I’m sorry! I’m back,” she laughed, offering him a kind, breathless, smile. “Do you want to go try some of the games?” she asked, figuring that Terrance would probably be following her to the end of the Earth and beyond now that everything was confessed and in the open. She smiled as she added, “I think someone’s running the dunking booth now… how’s your throwing arm?” [/color]

[[ I apologize for my writers block and random absence. I'm back now and hopefully can get back to my normal writing length asap! <3 ]]

Terrance smiled as Alaura had turned her ahead away, knowing she was too reserved to show the same affection to him as he had to her. For some reason, he hadn't minded it, in all reality it only reminded him once more that they weren't alone and half the town was walking around. “You’ll never change, Terrance. Come on, we left our friend, very rudely I might add, by the Ferris wheel.” Alaura mentioned. That was right, he had seen Tut while walking after Alaura when they had gotten off the ride. Poor guy, he hadn't meant to be so insensitive, but he had been on a mission and hadn't let anybody stand in his way.

"I'll catch up in a few." Quincy said to Alaura, watching her perk up and seemingly float over to Tut after calling his name. From the distance he could see her quickly apologize and start chattering away like she always did when she was nervous or caught off guard. It was cute, the way she wrinkled her nose when she smiled and laughed at even the smallest of things. Terrance gingerly took the cigarette from behind his ear, placing the butt between his lips as he reached in his jean pocket for the lighter. Cupping his hands around the end to shield the flame from the wind, he lit the smoke, taking a slow drag from it.

The soothing taste of nicotine and menthol instantly calmed his frayed nerves, allowing all his muscles to relax at once. Capturing the cigarette between two fingers he pulled it away from his mouth, blowing smoke out of his nose as he stuffed his free hand into his front pocket, hunching his shoulders slightly as he watched Alaura and Tut. With the sun nearly set, the temperature started to drop rapidly and he could feel the wind kick up, blowing ash off the end of his cigarette and into the street below.

Lifting the smoke back to his lips he took another slow hit off of it, reveling in the second wave of relaxation that coursed through his body. It felt nothing like shooting up, having that instant hot venom blaze a trail up the arm and then explode to the rest of his body. He could recall the first time using the diamorphine drug, drunk off his ass and smoking with an out of Towner in the loft of his music shop. Michael Westfield had introduced him to the powerful opioid, using a spoon, candle, and stolen syringe to prep the drug. He had been hesitant, almost unwilling, but after feeling that first initial rush...

Terrance looked down, knocking off ash with a simple flick of the two fingers holding the cigarette. He brought it to his lips inhaling softly, but instead of pulling it away like before, had left it there using his now free hands to pull out his phone and look to see if he had any messages. He didn't, of course, Alaura and Asta were practically the only people who texted him and since Alaura was with him and Asta probably out having fun, nobody would be texting him tonight. He smiled absentmindedly around his cigarette as he reread Jade's earlier message. After a moment he texted her back.


Holding up okay J Bird?

Terrance slid his phone back into his pocket, respectfully pulling his smoke away from his lips to exhale all that he had inhaled. It had taken the edge off, though it wouldn't last long before he started to crave another smoke...and when that failed to satisfy him...that was when things would get bad. It had been almost a full month since his last injection and almost five years addicted. That first two years had been his worst, sometimes waking up on the floor of his bathroom or in his car parked out in the middle of no where with needles littering the floor. Towards the end of the second year was when he had met Alaura, driving down the road to see her broken down and stranded a few miles outside of town. Pulling over and spending an hour shirtless and under the hood of her bug, wiping oil and grease off his hands, he had gotten the Volkswagen into a stable enough condition to drive back to town.

Making sure she didn't break down again he had followed her back to where she lived and then leaving. Having used all his money for his heroin he had been living out of his car, parking around town. One night, hammered out of his mind and stumbling around like an idiot, Terrance had collapsed, leaning against an alley wall to keep himself sitting upright. Alaura had walked past, carrying groceries when she had spotted him, swooping down to his aid quickly.

After explaining his situation shamefully the next morning after waking up on her couch, Alaura had practically forced him to move in, though on one condition...He had to quit and get better. That first night was a dark one, his body aching and hurt as he sat in Alaura's bathroom tub, sweating madly and shaking uncontrollably. The night after was no better, but as the week progressed and the shakes ceased, Terrance was on his way to recovery. He'd slip up every once and awhile over the next two years, falling back to Alaura to help him through withdrawals, but as time moved on he found himself using less and able to cope with the symptoms of cold turkey by himself.

Taking one last drag, Terrance dropped the cigarette, putting it out with the toe of his boot. With a sigh he reluctantly let out the last exhale of smoke from between his parted lips, running a hand through his dark hair before deciding it would be a good time to go find where Tut and Alaura had run off to. Quincy adjusted the sleeves of his long sleeved shirt, making sure the bruises on the inside of his elbows were well hidden by the fabric as he started walking in the direction he had seen Alaura and Tut heading. He would tolerate the company of the Egyptian man, hell, he considered Tut a friend, but he wanted-no needed-Alaura to himself...Alone.

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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.