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The Chrysanthemum is a part of 
Weather Girls.
2 Characters Here
Elise von Hresvelg [625] "Hide away from the light, the rain is the only refuge."
Winter Matsuri [625] As gentle as the falling snow.
Start Character Here »
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
Winter took Elise's hand while Ezra and Serenity talked about how things were going back on Earth. Oliver and Carter were friends now, Mercedes had distanced herself away from everyone, Claude found a woman and may end up making a family together with her. So much had changed, it was almost as if Elise and Winter had lost their place among them. It was akin to no longer belongong with them anymore. In a way, it was true. They truly did not, Winter was an Heir now and Elise was dead. While they could still go to Earth, Elise would not be able to for longer periods of time and Winter had her own life to live here in the Boundary. "It is okay." Elise said quietly as Winter cried, knowing how she was feeling. "It is okay to cry."
Zed wanted to make sure that his wife as not being bullied but he left just as quickly like a social butterfly storm. Ezra looked puzzled for a moment, as if distracted by Winter's crying but Serenit suddenly beamed yet again. "We're invited to the wedding? Is everyone back home invited too?" She frowned then, turning towards Mercedes. "Would Mercy even come? It's been years since she was in contact with any of us." Ezra shrugged as if it did not matter to him. "It's her choice, but we'll have fun either way. Congrats, Winter, I always knew you'd find a guy worthy of your smile." He cracked a grin, staring back towards Elise, strong emotion in his eyes. The black eagle almost withered away, but returned the stare with one of her own. They walked towards the food table, agreeing with Winter's proposition. Elise would not eat, but the others seemed to be hungry.
"I do." Elise said simply. "And I have better tools so this time it will not be as dangerous." There was a tiny margin of error last time, but now her calculations could be more precise, more exact. Suddenly it dawned on Ezra then, what that meant, there was a change in his eye as he heard the words. "With the Portal Generator you can go back and forth, right?" Elise nodded, that was probably true. Where would she end up though if she had no body? Waking up in a corpse would be worrying. Maybe she would be like the other Heirs, appearing wherever she pleased, independent of her physical form.
Someone came to approach them again. Even now, he was wearing beach shorts and a Hawaiian style shirt. Neptune grinned, waving his arm, a pale little raindrop girl behind him. "How are you, my favorite niece? And all your friends too!" Ame poked her head out, giggling happily. "All the food here is lame. I wanted smores, Uncle Nep, where are the smores?" Neptune shook his head, almost pityingly. "I'm not sure what a smore is, I don't think that's a food." Ezra glanced towards Winter, chuckling to himself. "Then maybe we can have Winter show us what smores are!" Elise flinched, catching Iris's glance. "Would it really be wise to?" Ame pouted, craving that rustic taste.
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
Was it alright to cry? Winter was no longer sure. After all, she had left of her own free will. Her curiosity had been her demise, just as her Grandparents had told her it would be. It was her own fault that she was stuck here and it was her fault that Elise had dead. If she had just told Elise no, that she had to do this alone, then Elise would still be alive. Perhaps she and Ezra would be married, or maybe she would have broken it off with him and found someone else, Winter didn't know. There was no use crying about it, she had messed up and people had suffered for it. Zed made sure she was alright before he was pulled away again, no doubt to discuss official Olympian business. Once he was declared ruler, she would barely get to spend time with him. Unless, like Iris, she would be by his side all the time and make decisions with him.
Of course, that would require Winter to learn politics, a subject that had never particularly interested her. Perhaps because of the Doc's grooming to make certain she would never learn the laws of the Chrysanthemum, aside from what her lawyer had told her. When Winter had told Zed about her past, about everything, he had been apalled. He had told Zeus, against her wishes. She didn't want her Father to feel bad for her or pity her, but he didn't seem to think any less of her for it. In fact, the opposite had happened. He had praised her for being so strong, for making it all the way here, even after nearly dying several times. "If you've never felt fear, then you've been brave. A true Olympian," he had said. She belonged her, he had exclaimed emphatically. According to Zeus, Winter deserved a spot in Olympia.
They went to the food table, Elise explaining that it would be much easier for her to build a portal generator. "Then you should," Winter squeezed Elise's hand gently. "That way Ezra and Serenity can go home," otherwise they would be stranded here. "We don't want to leave yet," Serenity said quicky, "So you can take your time. After all, it's nice here." She smiled, enjoying reuniting with her friends. "I hope the others want to come," Winter murmured. Would Carter and Oliver protest? No, it had been two years, no doubt they had moved on by now. Ezra had said they were good friends now, which was somewhat odd to hear. They had always been at each other's throats, but that could have been due to the amount of stress all of them had been under.
Neptune approached them, Ame behind him. It had been a very long time since Winter had seen Ame. "I'm doing well, how are you enjoying the benefit?" Winter smiled when he came. "I don't think we can really make s'mores here, but maybe later." After all, starting a fire in the middle of the benefit would not do well considering the reason the benefit was happening due to a fire that burned down a large portion of an elfish town. "Oh, Iris is coming this way," Winter blanched, stuffing a small cake into her mouth so that she wouldn't have to face her Step-Mother's imminent disapproval of her existence. Neptune laughed, it was clear something had displeased Iris.
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
Elise continued to drink from the punch at the table, pouring more into her glass as the others talked, thoguh she offered Ame a wave when she approached. Ame stuck her tongue out at her and began prattling about smores. The commoner treat that Winter had shown them - despite all the seemingly delicious and high class Heir food available, Ame wanted to go back to the simpler time, when it was just Winter, Elise, Ezra, and their Heirs camping out by the river a couple hours from that village by the portal. The black eagle played with her horn with her free hand, wondering if she would have to ask Kore for permission to borrow Svarog's tools to create a portal generator for the others to go back and forth.
"You should be a little careful with what you say, silly girl." Neptune put his hand on Ame's head, still looking jolly with is odd yellow goatee on his chin. Between the three brothers, Neptune really seemed to be the softest and easiest of the three. What was it like in Aqueas Palace? No doubt the environment was much more relaxed than the Underworld or Olympia, that much was for certain. "Some of the elves might think you're a little insensitive." Ame made a face, scowling. "But smores are yummy. Next time, Winter!" When was the next time she would be allowed in? Unlike Zoku and Yuuki, both putting in effort to be accepted as a Major Heir, Ame was not doing anything of the sort. She was only here as a special exception because of Neptune's contributions to the Boundary. "We're having a good time, Winter, thanks, but my unruly Ame here might need to be sent home a little early if she keeps acting up." Still his expression was gentle and light hearted. Was this were Ame got her odd personality from?
"If Kore allows it, I will visit you some day, Ame." Elise had an odd bond with her friend. Ame was something like a silly little sister that still needed time to grow and blossom into someone more mature and responsible. Though the black eagle figured she would miss how silly she was in her younger days. Ame nodded, smiling. "Too bad you died, but now we can see each other all the time!" She grinned, looking oddly pretty in her raindrop dress. Iris was coming over and Elise wondered just how this encounter would go. Her eyes unfocused for a moment and she grimaced, finding it difficult to stay standing. "El, are you okay? Is there something wrong?" Ezra held her by the arm, his grip strong. "I believe so? I..."
Suddenly she was enveloped in a white shawl, pulled into Kore's arms. The Heir of Mercy smiled at them all, holding tight to Elise. "Silly Servant, what have you been doing? Your soul energy's nearly depleted?" Soul energy? Was that not supposed to last at least another two weeks before she had to go and recharge in the Underworld? "I may have... trained a little with my-" Kore sighed, lifting her up with ease. "Sorry, this is an emergency! Have a great benefit, everyone!" Before Elise knew it she was whisked away into the mist and when she awoke she found herself in a white room filled with red flowers decorating the walls and pillars.
"Welcome to the Tower of Sentinels." Kore said, laying Elise down in bed. There was a window to the outside, a savannah of grassy fields and white flowers filling in the distance. "This Tower overlooks the northern border of the Underworld, before the gate that leads to the Pit of Punishment, which is where you were before." There was a dog that guarded the gates, with three heads and an aggressive demeanor. "Is this where you..." This was where Kore lived when she was not with Hades in the Onyx Palace. Kore placed a ball of mist on the night stand, sighing. "You really can't overuse your powers. You're only barely alive - a little bit overboard and you'll disappear!" There were odd tears in Kore's eyes as she spoke, empathy in her clear eyes.
"Rest, and please don't work yourself so hard anymore."
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
Elise was suddenly whisked away by Kore, having appeared to be faint. "I'm glad Kore is taking care of her," Serenity said as she munched on a cookie. Winter nodded, "She seems to be in good hands," Winter noted. Ezra's face had fallen, he had matured in the time that they were gone for. Winter was glad for it, but also sad. She had not gotten to watch him mature. "If you can, will you come back to earth?" Ezra asked, his eyes sad. Winter thought about it, "I'll come and get my body," she replied. "And probably to visit once in a while," Ezra nodded, seeming satisfied with that. "I hope you'll come visit us on your farm," Serenity nudged her. Winter nodded, "I'd like to."
Iris had reached them, looking cross about something. "The Benefit is almost over and you've spent the entire time chatting with your human friends rather than socializing with the elites." It took every ounce of will Winter had not to roll her eyes at this. "I'm sorry Iris, I'll go talk to them now." She sighed, giving a wave to Serenity and Ezra as she was forced to walk the other way. A few minutes into making polite conversation, Zed cut in. "Can I have this dance?" He asked, it was the last dance of the vening. "Of course," Winter smiled, taking his hand, glad for the rescue. They walked to the middle of the dance floor, holding hands since Winter was very short and Zed was very tall.
"I love you my red rose," he whispered in her ear. Her cheeks turned pink, he spun her, Winter landing in his arms. The benefit ended with a flourish, a fireworks show over the hall. After that, Winter got into the carriage, Zed by her side. She lay her head against his shoulder, their hands intertwined. "Are you really going to return to earth?" He asked and she blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?" She looked up at him, his expression unreadable. "Zed?" Winter questioned. "You said to your friends that you would return to get your body, but your body is missing. How are you supposed to find it?" Winter figured she would just wake up in her body, like she always did. "It won't be long, just a few days." Winter promised, leaning her head against his shoulder again.
"I'm going to go with you," Zed said suddenly. "Trust me, you don't want to." Winter laughed. His hand tightened around her's. "Yes, I do." He insisted, "what if something goes wrong?" He was clearly worried about her, "It won't, I'm just going to get my body, then come back." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Winter, I love you very much and if a human ever lays a hand on you, I will smite their bloodline." He cuped her face in his hands, kissing her gently. "I love you too," she giggled. The carriage stopped, they had arrived home once more. He whisked Winter off of her feet, carrying her to the garden. It was sunset, the garden illuminated by the colors in the sky.
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
When Elise woke up she felt sick and groggy. What was going on? She was still at the Sentinel Tower, was she not? This was a place to guard and look over the Underworld, where Kore spent half of her time when she was not in the Onyx Palace with her husband, Hades. Kore was still staring at her, as if she had never stopped looking her way ever since she fell asleep in the bed of clouds the evening before after going here after the Benefit. "Good morning. How are you, my Servant?" Kore's eyes were almost glowing with empathy as she looked at her. Was this the power of mercy? "I do not... feel very well." She tried to stand up but her legs seized up, they would not listen to her. Kore shook her head, pushing the black eagle back onto the bed.
"Your body is remembering your physical condition before you died." Kore explained softly. "When you run out of soul energy, you begin reverting back to a corpse until you disappear and can no longer take form like this." So the more she used her powers, the faster she would degenerate? "But if I remain here..." Here she would be safe, since this was the land of the dead. "You can recover and heal while you're here, and then live back in Olympia until your energy begins to deplete again." If she was not careful this strange half death existence would come to an end. "Is it not natural that I can exist like this, is it?" She had a bad feeling that there was something greatly wrong with her being like this. Kore nodded, pain in her eyes. "Humans, when dead, are either sent to suffer and be punished in the Underworld, or are sent to reincarnate and be given a new life based on how they lived their past ones." Kore knew a lot about the system, being a co-ruler of the Underworld and of death.
She took Elise's hand into her own. "But you're here, not being punished, or being reincarnated. What is keeping you like this is the power I gave you when I made you into a Moirai." But it was only temporary. Sure, Elise could keep extending the time limit every time she returned, but if she was ever careless, she would not even have a chance to say goodbye. Elise smiled, knowing the stakes now. "Thank you, Kore. I will make sure to be very careful." According to Kore, it would be even more dangerous for her on Earth, since it was even farther away from the Underworld. Officially, Elise's status was that she was due for reincarnation, was her progress was "pending". It was stalled for now, at the very least.
"As long as you're here, you will lose your legs. Doing this will help you fill your body with my energy faster so you can return to your dear friends in Olympia." Kore placed a pile of papers on the desk then. "Once you eat, you can get to work. These papers are the life stories of each of the souls who applied for Salvation. You can touch them and see their memories, and decide if they deserve a chance to redeem themselves doing community service as half-living creatures (just like how Elise was now) until their sins were repaid and they can reincarnate." This was the job she signed up for when Kore took her in as her Servant. "I will judge them fairly, Kore." Her ruby eyes gleamed with purpose, knowing that she was trusted with the task.
It was busy work, and quite dizzying. Having to enter the memories of the fallen and see what they saw, feel what they felt. She was able to experience many lives, like a drunk teenager who crashed a hovercar, or a corrupt business executive who embezzled money. Everyone had their story, and Elise gave them salvation or further punishment according to the crime they commited. Sometimes Hades came by during the week to give her some advice and assistance, since she was one of the staff now. Elise even had a chance to play with Cerberus, the dog who was friendly to anyone that smelled like Kore.
Once the week was over, she felt strong and energetic. There were postcards from Olympia in her room, with plenty of messages from Ezra, Serenity, Ame, maybe even Winter, asking how she was doing. "You did wonderful, my Servant!" Kore hugged her in a way that was perhaps inappropriate for an Heir and Servant, but when did Kore care about the normal? "You surprised me." Hades seemed a lot more tame now, almost mild. He seemed less stressed than before. "When Kore told me about this, I thought she was crazy. But if humans can be allowed to prove their will to make up for their sins, then they can be saved." Hades did not want humans to commit sins. If at all possible, the more that could be reincarnated, the better. "My dream is for an Underworld empty of any sinners." It was why he was so hard on humanity - he wanted to scare them into being good.
Too bad many just did not want to listen.
"Anyone can appeal for Salvation. As long as they truly mean it, I will give them a chance." Elise explained, having forgiven Hades a while ago for what he did to her. He no doubt thought of her as just as bad as the rest. Evidently, he could smell the sin of murder on her. She did take lives with her own hands after all, whether justified or not. "Now you should go to Olympia. I know your friends are waiting." Kore gestured towards the mist ball and Elise nodded, wheeling herself over. Hades cashed in on a favor and had Svarog build on for Elise to use whenever she stayed in the Underworld. "Then I will be seeing you both."
Once Elis ereturned to her room in Zed's palace, she sighed heavily, feeling a little bit lonely. Hades, Kore, and Cerberus had almost become something like a family to her. Two parents, and a pet dog. She rang the bell to signal to Zed that she had arrived and returned from the Underworld. Now, she had three weeks to finish a new Portal Generator and begin the quest to finding Winter's body. "But no eating." She did not need to eat, it would only make her sick. Kore said she informed Zed of Elise's dietary needs - she could only drink for sustenance. She did not quite get thirsty, but drinking properly would help delay her body's reversion to it's death state. "I wonder if Winter missed me." Were Ezra and Serenity still in Olympia, or were they looking for the other Heirs now? She smiled, wiggling her toes. "Looks like they work again."
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
Serenity and Ezra spent two more days with Winter before leaving Olympia alongside Zoku to find the rest of the Heirs. Winter was sad to see them go, but she knew they would be back. After all, they had to return if they wanted to be able to use the Portal Generator that Elise was going to make them. How long would Elise be in Hell for? Winter wasn't sure. "Knock, knock," Iris entered her room, where Winter was sitting by the window, playing violin. "Oh, Iris, what are you doing here?" Zed was at work, with Zeus. Normally, Iris was always by Zeus's side. "I'm here to start helping make preparations for the waiting. All of Olympus is already abuzz," of course they were, no doubt Iris had told everyone the day after it happened. Winter shook her head, it didn't matter, she thought, they would have known during the benefit anyhow, considering the large ring on Winter's small finger.
They sat in the parlor, picking out invitations and choosing the wording. The next day, Iris came back with a book of designs for table clothes, flowers, and dresses. Winter spent all day with her, the two sitting across rom one another, drinking tea, until their respective husband and fiance returned from work. "How was everything?" Zed asked as they strolled through the garden. They held hands, the two of them as they talked. "It was nice, Iris is being amicable, which is more than I could ask for." Winter smiled as Zed squeezed her hand. "I'm glad you two are finally getting along." He kissed her temple, they ate dinner in the garden, beside the lake. "What was that Ezra said, about bathing with each other?" He asked, recalling the comment. Winter's cheeks turned pink. "We did not bathe together! He would spy on me while I was bathing in the stream!"
She grinned, looking at him from the corner of her eyes. "Why? Are you jealous?" Now Zed's face turned red. "Ah, I see." Winter rose, wiggling out of her dress. "What are you doing?! Winter!" She tossed her dress aside, wearing only her undergarments. "You want to see, don't you?" She stepped into the pond, Zed rising. "Winter, wait, no! If Zeus finds out-" he would smite Zed. She giggled, jumping into the water. "What's he going to do? We'll be married soon!" She splashed around. "Come join me," Winter grabbed his hand when he tried to fish her out, pulling him into the water, suit and all. "Winter!" He spat out water, rising to the surface, grabbing her. He spun her around, laughing. She giggled, the two of them floating in the pond until the staff rushed out to see what happened.
The next day, Iris came again for a dress fitting. "A little birdie told me you went prancing about naked in the garden," she said as she sat down, clutching her fashion booklets. "That isn't what happened," Winter shook her head, quickly trying to quell her step-Mother. "I was wearing undergarments and Zed was wearing a suit." Iris did not seem impressed. "Please refrain from prancing around in the your underwear in front of others, you farm folk are so odd, honestly." Farm folk? Winter shook her head, but said nothing on the subject. "Lady Winter," one of the staff appeared, clearing her throat. "The bell in Elise's room just rung." Oh? So Elise had returned. "Well, send her in then," Iris said before Winter could, surprising her.
"I thought you didn't like Elise?" She asked as she undressed, the tailor arriving to take her measurements. "I am not fond of those... creatures, but she is your friend and you will have her here whether or not I want you to."
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
A friendly face poked her head in and smiled at Elise, looking over at her as she was putting her white cloak on, hood over her head. The elf did a little bow but Elise shook her head. "No need." She waved her hands, bowing in return. "We are the same status, we are both servants. May I have your name?" The elf almost blushed, looking startled. "Um, you can call me Nemia!" She walked over, placing the nutritious green and blue drink on the stand. "Sorry, it's just, you have a very noble way of speech, so I forgot you were a Servant just like us." It was odd being on the other side now. Once upon a time the black eagle was respected and seen as one of the elites of society. Now she was nothing more than a Servant, a second class citizen of the Boundary.
Still, it was better than being a human here. She began to slowly drink, the taste fruity on her tongue, an explosion of rich flavor, a little too rich for her sensitive tongue. "It is simply how I speak - do pay it no mind." What happened while she was gone in the Underworld? Had she missed anything? She swung her legs, happy that they were working again. She did not enjoy remembering her pitiful condition back when she was alive, ever since being shot by those polonium rounds that hurt her nervous system. "The Heir of Steel, Zoku, had two humans with her. Are they still in Olympia?" She wondered where they were and what they were doing. "Ah, them. Winter told me tell you that they left Olympia to go and look for the other Heirs. I think they were meeting up with Kazan to see if they could work together."
So Oliver's Heir was being proactive. Elise did not get to see much of him, only knew that he was responsible and dutiful, defintely an Heir worth respecting. "Thank you for the juice." She wrapped the cloak around her shoulders, enjoyng the fabric on her skin. "Do you think you can send me to where Winter is?" She frowned, suddenly realizing. "If she is not preoccupied, naturally." Nemia smiled, holding out her hand. "No worries, we can go wait for her. She's talking with Iris right now, but she'll be with you shortly." Elise nodded, following Nemia out of her room. There were a few new sets of clothes, and some decorations. She would come back later and see if she could add some more of her style to it.
It did not take too long for Winter to eventually show up. Elise gave her a little smile, raising her brows. "Hello, I have returned. I hope I did not frighten you after fainting during the benefit." She had not seen Winter in a while, but hopefully it would not be awkward. They never had a chance to have a good talk since her revival yet, not just the two of them. "Kore and I know what is wrong with my nutrition now, so I hopefully will not be sick like before." She looked at Winter, blinking. "...I am going to make the new Portal Generator as quickly as I can. When is the wedding?" They needed to figure out a plan for the outing. "Should we wait until after the wedding before returning to Earth?"
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
"Tighter," Iris circled around Winter. Winter was sucking in her stomach and holding her breath already. "I think that's fine," both the tailor and Winter sighed in relief. She stepped out of the dress, replacing her bathrobe. "Elise is here to see you," a servant said quickly, sticking her head inside. "Well, bring her in then." Winter stepped down. She was wearing a semi-sheer bathrobe with big fluffy sleeves adorned with goose feathers. "I'm going to go for now, I will see you tomorrow Winter." Iris packed up her belongings, taking her fashion magazines and swatches with her. "Elise!" Winter smiled upon seeing her friend. She blew a strand of hair out of her face, it was getting long again. She still wasn't quite sure whether she enjoyed having long hair, or if the Chrysanthemum forcing her to keep it short had been the right idea.
"I'm so glad you're back, I was beginning to think something bad had happened." Winter was glad that Elise and Kore had figured out what was wrong with her friend's nutrition. Hopefully now she would be able to stay here long term. "The wedding is in three months," Winter said as they walked down the hall, the large marble archways and giant windows letting in plenty of light. "I kind of would like to retrieve my body before then," she had never slept with anyone before and Winter didn't want anything crude to happen to her body while she could not defend herself. "I'm just worried since they lost track of it, that something bad could be happening. You know?" Perhaps it was paranoia, but Winter had a strange feeling about it.
"How was the Underworld?" Winter inquired as they stopped in front of her room so that she could get redressed. "Come inside," she beckoned, pointing to the large plush chairs for Elise to sit in while she changed. Winter removed her robe and put on something more comfortable, a long sleeved blue cropped shirt and matching shorts. Since Iris was not around, Winter thought it would be fine to dress a bit more casually. The door popped open, "Lady Winter, we've brought lunch." Nemia smiled as she began to set it up on the table, "thank you Nemia." She turned back to Elise to listen to her speak.
"Iris wants the wedding to be a big affair," Winter sighed, leaning against one of the plush cushions as she munched on a carrot stick. "I just want it to be a small thing, but apparently Zed has a large extended family and of course he can have all of them there, but I didn't realize that meant half of the Boundary." She sighed, "but at least I have permission for everyone to be there. Figuring out invitations is going to be a pain," how was she going to get invitations to earth? Winter wasn't sure. Should she just drop this bomb on them too? Serenity and Ezra knew, but what about Carter and Oliver? What about Claude and Mercedes? None of them knew what became of Winter or Elise and then, after two years, to hear that she's getting married? Would they even show up?
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
Winter was looking quite elegant in the almost sheer bathrobe with goose feathered sleeves. Elise wondered if she was at all undedressed in her uniform as a Moirai, as Kore's servant. She wore a greyish-white dress that hung around her ankles, wispy shoes with small heels, and as always, her white cloak that she draped around her shoulders, connected by a golden button around the chest. "You are looking well." A sardonic smile rose on Elise's lips. "Tired of the high class life yet?" Winter was always a little rustic, like a country bumpkin, a tiny bit ignorant but well-intentioned. She had a year to adjust though, but some things might never change. Winter was releived that she had returned. It would go too long to explain the mechanics behind how her body worked so she would try and be simple about it.
"I just have to return every so often so I do not get ill." No need to have Winter worry about a possibility of losing her again. It was no big deal, as long as she was careful and watched her symptoms. Elise was too prideful to admit she was afraid of losing her legs again, her mobility. She followed Winter to another room and found herself a seat by an almos leathery pillow seat, making herself comfortable. "Understood. I will make the new Portal Generator a priority then." She would hasten her project to make it quicker so that they would have time to retrieve Winter's body before it was too late. "Are you excited for the wedding?" Was it too early? Then again, Winter was almost an adult by now so perhaps it was just normal. Maybe ages were different for Heirs.
Winter asked what the Underworld was like. There was a lot to say, was there not? "I mostly lived in the Sentinel Tower, a tall white tower that looked over the Narcithean Plains." She described the long rolling hills of green grass and white flowers that decorated the patches of green, with a road that lead to an iron black gate, guarded by a three headed dog. "Cerberus is the name of the dog. At first he was intimidating, but Kore taught me how to bond and interact with her." Cerberus turned out to be rather friendly. "Cerberus seemed to enjoy playing catch during her free time." Elise explained a little about her job, diving into the memories of the Sinners too see if they atoned enough for their crimes to be eligible to begin earning the right to reincarnate. It was very interesting. "Naturally, I made sure to be careful with judging the Sinners." She even spoke a little about Hades's acceptance and kindness, of Kore's warmth beneath the somewhat distant look in her eyes.
Iris wanted a big wedding but Winter did not seem the type to want that. Zed had a big family though, so they needed to calculate for that. "I will attend, and so will Kore." She said with a little bow. "We can inform the others during our mission to Earth should we come across them." Hopefully they would come. Her brow furrowed thoughtfully. "I heard Mercedes distanced herself from the rest." There was something she needed to tell Winter though, something she confirmed from Kore. "No matter where your body is on Earth, if you call out to me, the mist I put in your soul will let me materialize at your side." If Winter was in a position of danger, Elise would ensure she could bring her home safe to Zed.
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
Winter shrugged, "It was hard at first, but now I've gotten used to it." Before coming to Olympia, Winter had dressed on her own, bathed on her own, brushed her own hair. "Somedays I miss being alone, but other days it's nice to be surrounded by people." She ran a brush through her hair quickly so that it sat nicely around her shoulders. She sat across from Elise, picking at her plate. "After you died, I kind of shut myself in, I was separated from everyone, alone. Zed started forcing his way inside, he would make sure that I ate, he would carry me to bed if I slept by the window. After a while, we just sort of started becoming comfortable around each other. Then he started making me come out of the room. We would take walks in the garden, or go the beach." They fell in love the way one fell asleep, slowly at first, then all at once.
Winter listened to Elise as she spoke about her body, about the fact that she had to return every so often. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, better than being a bird, she supposed. Was she excited for the wedding? Winter nodded, "Excited and nervous," she admitted, scratching her cheek. "I'm marrying the Heir whose going to eventually lead Olympia. To say that puts a target on my back is an understatement," even now, there was security all around the estate. Not that Zed couldn't take care of intruders himself, but when he had hired them and Winter had protested, he had said that there was no something worth protecting living with him. They lurked around the corners of the home and edges of the property, always there when Zed was not.
Winter listened as Elise described her life in the Sentinel Tower. It sounded like she had enjoyed her time there, judging by the sly smile on her lips. "It seems like you really like Kore," Winter was glad for that. "I'm happy she took you under her wing," she stretched in her chair, taking a sip of her tea afterwards. "I'm still mad at Hades though, he's only being invited to the wedding because he's my Dad's brother." Speaking of which, she hadn't seen Zeus in a few days. She would have to make sure to finish him before the portal generator was done. "It sounds like you have a hard job," Winter acknowledged. Elise was always up for puzzles though.
"I'm glad you'll be coming," Winter rose for a moment, going to grab something. "After all, I want you to be my maid of honor," she handed Elise a small box with a bracelet with it. "Will you do me the honor?" She asked, smiling nervously. Winter sat back down in her seat next to Elise, "Serenity told me. It sounds like Mercedes is a bit stuck-up," Winter admitted. She frowned, "You're coming to earth? But won't that hurt you?" Winter inquired, "You can only be there for three days, right?" If Elise didn't return after three days, would she disappear forever? Now that Winter thought about it, Elise no doubt wanted to say goodbye to her brother.
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
When Winter believed she was stranded and abandoned, it was Zed who pulled her out of the mise, Zed who was her light, who saved her. Now she was doing her best like she always was, in pursuit of a happy life, one that was denied her so many times now. "You are lucky you had him to support you." Cut off from everyone she knew, and the family she forged through fire and steel, Winter had to survive alone. Elise gave her a solemn stare, of respect and sorrow. At least she was eager for the wedding. Of course she was, Elise could see the nervous energetic pride she had with the ring she bore on her finger, an odd human tradition, but the Heirs seemed to share it too. "Many will protect you. I am one of them." If Elise had any say, Winter would not be harmed again.
It was an odd feeling. Kore went to her and offered her a position, one that turned out to be rather comfortable. "If it was not for Kore, I would have to beg an Heir to take me in." She frowned, trying to imagine the humiliation. As always, the black eagle would bear her pride on her sleeve. "I do not know if I could do that." If she was not able to find one, she would have been forced to reincarnate with the rest of the dead humans absolved of sin. Hades was certainly complicated. Sometimes he was frustrated at the evils humanity could do. Other times he drank too much to cope with the screams of pain that echoed in the Onyx Palace. "Hades has a heavy burden, harder than that of his brothers." She did not know how he ended up as the Heir of the Underworld, but she had a feeling it was not by choice.
An offer was made then, a braclet in a box was revealed in Winter's small hands. Would Elise be the maid of honor? "If not me, then who?" She grasped the box deftly in her own hands, placing it into one of the pockets of her white gold cloak. "No one is more worthy." Of the honor of being Winter's maid of honor. Of the honor of having Elise take that position. Winter was concerned about her going back to Earth. "As long as I have the mist balls in my rooms at Olympia and the Sentinel Tower, I can travel back any time I need." She explained. Her mist did not care about dimensional rules - it made travel very convenient. "You simply need to remember to call me back from the Boundary when you need me." It would be Winter's job to keep track of time and calculate for the time difference.
Time was faster in the real world, and was like a crawl in the Boundary in comparison. "Of course I will be going." She stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I have business to settle, including helping to rescue your body." She needed to see Claude, the last surviving Hresvelg. She needed to make sure that he was okay. Of course, she had a task to do as well - she made a promise to bring back Winter's body, one way or another. Her ruby eyes locked onto Winter's glittering pupils. "Let me know when you want to go. I will have the preparations ready by then."
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
Winter nodded, "Just let me know when it's ready," she said, taking another sip of her tea. Winter glanced at the clock on the wall, Zed would be back soon. "I figured you would want to see Claude," would Claude be willing to travel to the Boundary for the wedding? Winter hoped so. Where would they land? She wondered, no doubt it would be outside of Olympia. Winter would have to guide them here, since they would not be able to find it. She was already figuring out the logistics of it in her mind, an added step to the wedding preparations. Yes, Winter was very lucky to have Zed. "It was funny, because we were at each other's throats before," there was a clear dislike for one another until they had fallen in love. They would still tease each other, sometimes.
"Then there's the added pressure I'm sure Iris is going to put on me to have children once we're married," but Winter didn't want kids, nor did she think she could truly have any. She recalled being forceably impregnated by the Slithers, their Doctor's words. It would be her life, or the baby's and Winter would very much prefer her life. Besides, she never liked kids anyway. "Tomorrow we can go into town, I have to pick up some things," Winter decided. There was no time today, since Zed was already on his way home. Winter knew he didn't like it when she left Olympia, but she couldn't stay on the estate forever. "Do you have all the tools you need? We can pick them up there if you don't."
There was a sudden pain in her chest, sudden and sharp. She winced, but tried to pass it off by sipping at her drink. A knock came from the door, "Winter?" Zed poked his head inside, "Oh, I didn't realize you had company," he walked up behind her, kissing her on the head. "It's just Elise," Winter replied, reaching up to lace her fingers behind his neck. He picked her up suddenly, placing her on his lap. "How was your day ladies?" He inquired, sinking into the chair. Winter kissed him on his jaw bone, "Iris came and left like a storm. Are you sure she's the Heir of rainbows?" Winter asked, which made him smile. Well, there's always a rainbow after a storm," he looked at Elise then. "And how are you doing? How was your time in the Sentinel?"
"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Zed asked them, "We're going to go into the town, I want to pick up something," Winter replied, preparing her argument already. "Oh? Why can't you just send Nemia to do it?" He replied, surprised. "Because I want to go," Winter insisted, "Besides, I can't just stay on the estate forever. What if I'm invited to a social function? Or want to take a walk?" Zed sighed, "Fine, but you're not going alone," he was worried about her safety, of course. "I won't be alone, Elise will be with me." Winter replied, batting her eyes. Zed shook his head, "No, you can take one of the-" Winter stopped him. "I know you're worried, but Elise and I fought waves of monsters for months, we'll be fine."
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
It certainly was off. "We were at each other's throats once upon a time as well." Just like with Elise, Winter was able to turn that relationship into one that was much more fulfilling, though, the main difference was sisterhood versus romantic love. "You have a talent, it seems, to change the opinions of you that others may have." She finished drinking her juice, making a face. Too rich, too strong. But it was filled with the nutrients that would help delay the decaying of her soul, so it was important to finish the whole glass if her tongue would allow it.
"Children is your and Zed's choice. What Iris wants does not apply." She smiled wryly, knowing it was against the rules for a mere Servant to speak so rudely about an Heir. "Zed respects your wishes." Maybe they could adopt, or do what Zeus did and find another Heir once it was time to pass the reigns forward? She would get to work as soon as possible, though Winter said they would be going to the market in town soon to get to work. "I have none of the tools here, but I am sure I can visit Svarog and have him give me what I need." Svarog was odd, but certainly not a malicious Heir. For mending the veil, he would definitely feel it reasonable to let her borrow the tools to create a new, more permanent, portal generator. A tool for the others to go back and forth between Earth and the Boundary as necessary. So they could visit Winter if they ever wanted to. Winter was kind and gentle, so it was natural that they would. Elise was the opposite of that, likely, only Ezra missed her. Maybe Claude too, if he was not too much in love with his Jasmine now.
She was fine with that, really.
Most likely, at least.
Zed came in to ask them how their day went and Elise politely turned her head to allow them a moment of affection without eyes watching them. Once she deemed it safe, the black eagle turned her eyes back towards the couple, offering a sly little grin. Zed asked how her life was in the Sentinel Tower. "Different, but I am adjusting. Thank you for asking." Even in death, she was a Hresvelg. Proper posture and speech were written as codes in her soul at this point. Her back straight, she smoothed out a few wrinkles on her cloak as Winter told Zed her plan to go into town. It seemed Zed was protective. There was certainly reason to be, but Winter faught in a war. She was a soldier like anyone else.
"Just remember that neither of you have your powers as Vassals anymore." Zed reminded them, still watching over his wife. "If you are targeted, will you be able to return safely?" This reminded Elise of when that jerk was controlling her. Or when Gordon Grant wanted to possess her. Men had a habit of wanting to own and control women that they coveted, did they not? "If I may speak." Elise bowed politely, requesting permission. "Winter can handle herself even without my help. And as a Servant, Kore gave me some abilities to protect myself." She would not survive long in the Underworld if she did not have some tricks up her white sleeves. Elise could make a gun out of mist - and even in the Boundary, guns were a mighty tool for combat.
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
"What Elise said," Winter nodded, reiterating. "Besides, I'm not powerless, I'm an Heir." Although, Winter had not tried to use her power for anything but music. Zed gently gripped her hand, kissing her fingertips, "I'm just worried is all." She nodded, winking at Elise as a thank-you. That night they ate dinner together and Winter took Elise for a stroll through the garden so she could see the plants that glowed in the dark. It was illuminated by the stars beautifully, a full moon guiding their path. When they returned, Winter wished Elise a "goodnight," and then got ready for bed. She was in her pajamas when the door opened, Zed poking a head inside. "Back from your walk?" Winter nodded, crawling into bed, he joined her, laying down beside her.
They did not share a room, not yet at least. "Yeah, it was nice," Winter smiled, snuggling against him. "You seem happier now that Elise is back," he played with her hair as she lay against him, her head on his ches.t "I am, I think. There's some distance between us, but I think we're patching it." After all, it was normal for there to be some distance between them after an entire year. "Now it's possible to see everyone again, it's given me a little bit of hope." Zed smiled, "I'm glad. I hope that we can foster that a bit," he nudged her and she laughed. "Goodnight," Winter gave him a quick peck on the lips and he left her for the evening.
In the morning, Nemia came to wake her up. "Good morning Lady Winter, how are you today?" Winter groaned, turning over in bed. "Just fine, I need to wear something casual today, I'm going into town." Nemia blinked in surprise, "Are you sure?" She asked as Winter rubbed her eyes. "Yes, Elise and I are going together. If my Mother comes, tell her I'm just with Uncle Neptune or something of the sort." Nemia nodded, picking out a dress that was a bit more casual. "Zed already left for work this morning, he had an emergency at the office," of course he did, Winter sighed. She sat still in the chair as the ladies arranged her hair and pat on a bit of makeup. "Will you take breakfast in the dining room?" One of the ladies asked. "No, have Elise meet me in the garden."
Winter waited for her there, sitting at a small, round table by the lake. She ate pancakes and munched on strips of meat, reading a book until Elise arrived. "Morning," Winter greeted her, pointing to the seat opposite. "Your juice is here, if you want it. How did you sleep?" Hopefully Elise was well-rested in order to be able to go to the town and back. They would get to spend some time together, unsupervised, alone at last. Winter almost never had time for herself anymore, especially not with the wedding on the way. Iris wanted her to plan every detail, with her input and supervision of course. She thought of herself as the Motherly influence that Winter had never had. It was both endearing and terribly annoying.
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
Elise made a face at her breakfast juice, and Nemia gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry if it's not to your tastes! But this is according to what Kore told us!" Elise knew that this concoction was best for lengthening her ablity to stay in Olympia for as long as possible, but that did not mean she had to enjoy the taste. It was so dense and rich, it was as if she were attempting to drink a whole brick melted down into a glass. "Thank you. I am finished now." Nemia made a face, seeing that it was only half drank, and so Nemia stamped her foot down and with her elven fingers made sure Elise drank the whole torturous concoctious to the point of nausea. At least the garden was nice. "I slept okay. I do not tend to dream when I sleep anymore." She noticed that she used to dream as a human, but not anymore. It probably did not mean anything. "How was your sleep?" She asked Winter, hoping she had a good night.
She was already dressed and ready to go, wearing her white cloak as always. The truth was, it was not always the same one, Kore taught her how to create it using mist. "Since you'll be away often, it'll be inconvenient to worry about laundry with your uniform. Why don't we just make it out of mist, Elise?" Now Elise could always keep her uniform on at all times, without being a burden to the others, though she still had to wear normal clothing underneath, consisting of a grey tunic top with a lopsided skirt bottom. "So first we are stopping by the volcano to gather the tools?" She would ask Svarog's permisson, of course. "I can transport them back to my room with this." She created a little ball of mist, floating a few yards above the palm of her hand, held upwards. By putting the tools into it, she could send them to her room in Olympia, or in the Sentinel Tower.
Once they were both ready to go, Elise and Winter took the carriage into main street complex of Olympia. "Thank you for the ride. We will be back later tonight." She bowed to the elf manning the carriage, then gave Winter a little smile at the bright day and busy streets. "Olympia looks largely the same. I even remember these streets from a year ago." It was odd how timeless the city appeared. It did not take long for her to find the same teleporter that transported her and Winter straight into the volcano, to Svarog's forge as he was working on his materials. The bull-horned Heir looked at her as if he was looking at an alien. "Elise, I heard that you were alive. And you're here too, Winter. My dwarves told me you two were living together again." He rubbed at his belly, clearly having just woken up.
"Good day to you too, Svarog." She peeled back her hood, reveiling her twin white horns poking out just over her raven hair. "Now I have horns too." He nodded, making a face. "I know, I can smell you. You're just like those three ladies that play wth red string." The Fates - well, Elise was now vaguely related to them thanks to Kore. "You're here for tools, right? No one visits me for anything else." He seemed almost lonely as he said it. But Elise was not the type to lie to someone friendly. "This time, yes. But I will visit another time to keep you company. Perhaps we can work on problems again like old times." He brightened a little at that. It seemed Svarog missed having a mind like his around to bounce ideas off of - to innovate together with. Maybe he regretted not taking her in before Kore did.
He handed something to her, something familiar. "Not all of it was destroyed when Hades attacked you outside Olympia." It was the remains of the Portal Generator. Cracked, broken, fizzled out, but still, it was here. "And here are some spare tools that can help you fix it. Don't forget to visit, or I'll invent something to make Zeus very angry." He chuckled, his cheeks rosy with warmth. "Thank you very much, Svarog. You are kinder than most Heirs that I know." One of the only ones who did not treat her poorly for having been human. After transporting everything to her room in Olympia, she and Winter left the volcano and the black eagle turned to her sister-by-choice. "Well." She said, looking around at the sunny day. "Where would you like to go first?"
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
Elise no longer dreamt, which made sense, because she was no longer alive. No doubt when she went to bed her brain simply shut off. It must have been nice, Winter thought, to be able to sleep like the dead. She still had some difficulty with night terrors. Reliving monster fights, close calls, and the accident that had caused it all in the first place. Sometimes, Winter felt as though the entire apocalypse was her fault. After all, if she had never triggered that storm in the middle of summer, they never would have found her. Then she was reminded that Merlin knew all along anyhow, because of Zoku, and Winter would have likely had her Grandparents murdered in a different, equally gruesome manner. Winter shook her head, it didn't matter. She finished her breakfast and rose. "Shall we get going?"
They went to Svarog's forge first. Winter had never been there, admittedly. She rarely went to other Heir's homes and when she did, it was usually for a socialite event. Which Svarog rarely attended in the first place. Her first impression of the forge was warm and well, messy. It seemed like the opposite of a place that Elise would want to frequent. Svarog was surprised to see them, but he was also joyous at Elise's return, which was sweet, Winter thought. "Lady Winter," he tipped his head in her general direction, not wanting to be rude. "Svarog," Winter tipped her head in return. "How are Zeus and that frigid woman you call a step mother?" She did her best to suppress her smile. "They're fine, I think. Zeus is... Zeus. Iris is frantic with wedding preparations."
They finished getting the tools and headed back to the carriage. They left the forge and went to the town, a magnificent square that reminded Winter of something she had read about in books. Mismatched buildings painted all different colors. "I want to go to the music store first, I had a special order put in." Winter admitted, "I wanted to come pick it up on my own," she left the carriage, leading Elise into the shop. It was painted golden yellow on the outside, with a large window that said the shop name in green. There were instruments playing themselves, the sound filtering out onto the street. A chime rang as they entered, the shop attendant rushing out. A selkie with long, flowing hair. "How can I help you today?" She asked, towering over Winter. "I'm here to pick up an order for Winter Matsuri." The selkie bilnked twice, before it seemed to dawn on her.
"Oh yes! Yes! Matsuri, just one moment." She rushed behind two curtains, the instruments all stopping at once. "Here it is," the selkie returned with a case, carefully carved out of mahogany. "Give it a play, it should already be tuned." Winter placed the case on the desk, opening it up to reveal a viola. She placed it on her shoulder, lifting up the bow string and playing a quick three notes. "It sounds wonderful," she smiled, relieved that the purchase was not in vein. "Truly the best sounding viola I've ever held." The selkie beamed. The violla was white, painted by hand with patterns of flowers all around it. Winter returned the instrument to its case and payed the rest of the balance.
"Alright Elise, your turn to pick. Where do you want to go?"
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
It warmed her heart to see Svarog again, to see that at least his kindness had been genuine. He did not even try to hide his relief at seeing her alive, and that was gladdening. It was nice to know she had another friend in Olympia. Leaving the forge behind, it was Winter's turn now to decide what to do. She had just the idea and Elise followed in step, keeping an ear around. She knew there was a chance of danger. Hades left the group of course, but there was still the anti-Zeus faction, and with Zed's succession creeping ever close, the risk of the anti-Zeus faction deciding to take action was only increasing. "When you're with Winter, be very careful." Hades warned her with a grimace. "You never know what they might do."
"Who is the leader? Do we know a name?" Hades shook his head, frowning. "The true ringmaster remained in the shadows, not even I know. But if I had to make a guess..."
The square was full of energy and it was most definitely beautiful. Elise looked backwards again, wondering if there was anyone following. Hopefully not, but in Olympia, you could never be too sure. "I can hear the music here. It is not as good as yours, however." The sound as Heirs tried their hand at the instruments, comparing themselves to the Heir of Music herself, Winter. She walked in with Winter, making sure to bow politely to the selkie manning the front desk. A mahogany case was procured, and Winter had a new viola, playing it excellently with only three notes. "I wonder." A subtle amused look was in her eyes as she gazed at Winter, exiting the music store with her. "How would the Heirs feel when they realized your talent was born of hard work rather than a gift?" Winter may have powers, but her talent with music was born of her own blood and sweat. How many Heirs could say the same?
For once, Elise had an idea that was not related to work. "Shall we go to the street vendors and buy gifts for our former Heirs?" Yuuki, Zoku, and Ame. Yuuki was working hard to come back, and while Ame was not, maybe she would be motivated by a gift. Naturally, Zoku already earned her right to live in Olympia. "As thanks for all the help." They were not needy, simple thoughtful little gifts would be more than enough. The markets were very busy, with people advertising their goods all over. The snobs would look down on the public market like this, but Elise knew that the best gems were hidden in places like this, rather than in big official stores. "Would Ame like this?" Elise found a silver book holder that automatically turned the pages on a timer. It could be attached to walls or even tables. "Ame loves reading, and is very lazy." Elise made a flower out of mist to pay for the book holder, then looked over at Winter, wondering what she was buying.
By the evening it was time to return. Elise felt closer to Winter, it really was enjoyable to spend all this time with her. Sadly, that enjoyment was going to come to an end. "Winter, lower your head." Elise said suddenly right by the gates in the carriagehouse. An arrow flew, hitting the wall right where Winter's head was a second ago. Where did the assassin go? Elise conjured her mist gun and focused. The arrow came at this angle, so the assassin most definitely had to be up on one of those buildings. Calculating the angle, Elise fired, and a ball of mist hit a target, a cloaked creature falling onto the street. How many more were there? "There are more, we cannot take the carriage yet." She pulled Winter into the alley between two buildings. "No doubt if we tried to run for the carriages, many arrows would have hit us before we could even blink."
There were crosshairs aimed at them from many different angles. Elise was only one gun, would it be enough? Olympian Guards were already on the march, but they were not trained to look for assassins hidden in the shadows. "This is going to take up a lot of energy." Elise made a large mist body, roughly her size, and then another one of Winter's. She was panting when she was finished. "I will send these ahead... and when the assassins attack, the guards will know where to look." As expected, the copies were riddled with arrows and the guard captain - the same man who locked Elise up a year ago - called to fly up to the buildings to search for suspicious enemies.
"Now we wait until the guards are clear. Are you okay? We did not forget the gifts at the market, did we?" She still had Ame's gift, wrapped up neatly with pretty colored paper, in her arm. She was feeling dizzy and weak, but with enemies around, the black eagle knew not to let her guard down. As they waited, the guards eventually came for them. "It was close, but they got away." The golden-armored guards bowed in apology. "Come to the carriage house, we will escort you safely back to Zed's palace, Lady Winter." Elise let Winter go first, then as she stepped forward she saw a flash of color and threw her arm out. "I believe one of you guards was a traitor." Her hand was bleeding as she grabbed the blade of the dagger the hidden assassin tried to thrust, aimed right for Winter's throat. The other guards pushed down the traitor, yelling. "Tie him up, we'll interrogate him later!" One of the guards looked at Elise, fretting over the wound. "Kore is not going to be happy." He sighed. "But at least Winter was unharmed."
Then there was a bright light. A flash bomb! The disguised assassin was trying to escape while everyone was disoriented by the light. As he rounded a corner, it seemed that all hopes of finding out the ringleader was lost. A white haired Heir laughed, as if finding this funny. "Not only did I finish the nevermelting ice, I also caught one of the suspects." Yuuki stepped out from a corner, freezing the fleeing man's feet to the ground so he could not escape. "Yuuki. You are finally here." Elise was about to faint and one of the guards helped her into the carriage. "Just in time too. I missed you both." He made himself welcome in the carriage, after making sure the assassin was properly in custody.
"Do we know anything about the culprit?" Yuuki asked, already down to business. "Well.. I do have this." Elise cleaned her blood off of the blade and showed off the dagger. It was small and curved, which was not remarkable. What was, however, was the rainbow design on the hilt. Not Iris, but was there anyone else associated with rainbows? "Perhaps Hades was right after all." Arke, Iris's sister, who was once the Heir of Rainbows before Zeus kicked her out of Olympia and made Iris the new Heir of Rainbows. It seemed her grudge was strong enough to last all these years.
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
Winter nodded, "Yeah, let's buy them gifts." She agreed with a smile, the two of them heading to the bustling marketplace. People stayed out of their way, in general, knowing who Winter was. It perturbed her a bit to have some sort of fame to her name, as she simply wanted to exist. This was the price for falling in love, she thought. "Oh, this is perfect for Yuuki," it was a lamp in the shape of a cloud that projected snowflakes on the ground. It fit in the palm of her hand. "And for Zoku," a knife made of the strongest metal in the world. Winter payed for these gifts by playing on her viola, other vendors looking up to watch them. It wasn't embarrassing, Winter was used to playing for an audience. The vendors were smiling when she finished, giving a short round of applause. "You're too kind," she packed her viola up, taking the bag of gifts.
They were right by the gates of the carriage house when Elise told her to lower her head. Winter blinked, "What do you-" she ducked, an arrow whizzing over her head. She had heard it, the tell-tale hiss of a bow. Winter was familiar with it, a memory of her ice bow coming to mind. Someone was attacking them. "Elise, wait!" Winter did not want her friend to risk getting hurt as she made two bodies out of mist, sending them forward. They were ambushed by arrows, nothing left of them but wisps. "Shit," Winter murmured. It had been a year since she had battled anyone or anything, but still, she could do it, if needed. She was not weak, she just had not fought in a while. "You're going to tire yourself out." She worried, slinging her case over her shoulder.
"I'm fine, I still have everything, yeah." Winter nodded, the guards catching up to them. Winter was relieved, now they could go home. She rose, Elise reaching in front of her. She had gotten careless, it seemed. A knife had nearly killed her. The culprit was still on the loose, Yuuki suddenly arriving, a flurry surrounding him. "Yuuki!" Winter exclaimed in surprise. He joined them in the carriage, it was clear that Elise had overdone it. She also had a cut on her hand from the knife. Winter did her best to wrap it with a piece of cloth. "I've missed you," Winter admitted to Yuuki, sitting beside Elise and checking to make sure she was alright. "I missed you too. One minute I'm getting booted from Olympia, the next it seems like you're hooking up with the second most powerful man here." Her cheeks turned pink. "That is not what is happening!" She slapped him on the leg. He laughed.
Arke? Zeus and Iris had never spoken of her before. "I got you this," she handed him the lamp. He beamed, reaching across the carriage to hug Winter. As they pulled up at the estate, Zed was waiting them. "Winter! Thank the stars!" He had been pacing, rushing up to the door as soon as it opened to pull her out and into his arms. "I knew it was a bad idea, I should have been there to protect you." She shook her head, "I'm fine, it's Elise we need to worry about." Zed nodded, turning towards her. "Thank you for protecting Winter, Nemia, please take Elise to her room so that she can heal. I'll call Kore," Nemia nodded. "And Yuuki, thank you for catching the culprit." He blushed, looking away, "All in a day's work!" Was Winter imagining it, or was Yuuki fan-boying over her fiance?
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
During their day trip, after having bought gifts, Elise and Winter were assaulted by assassins - from bowmen hiding on the rooftops, to an assassin disguised as an Olympian Guard. Whoever was in charge of this - and if Hades's guess was right - was someone with a lot of influence in Olympia. How many people resented Zeus? Did even more have it out for Iris? It was hard to think now though, with her head spinning like this, as she sat in the carriage, she even let her posture relax a little by leaning on one side to keep her head afloat. Winter bandaged her hand, but the problem was that she had used a lot of mist. Hopefully Kore's yelling would not be loud this time. At least Yuuki was back, having finally earned the right to stay in Olympia as a new Major Heir. He was sitting with them in the carriage, catching up with Winter as they rode.
The gates to the Estate opened up, and Zed embraced Winter instantly. Elise took a deep breath, trying to hide her stagger as best as she could, the cloth bandage stained red from the slash wound on her palm. Zed wanted to have protected Winter, but Winter was perfectly safe without even a scratch. Winter insisted that it was Elise who needed to be looked at. "I am fine.... am not in an emergency yet." She might have overdone it a little but she did not feel as bad as the night of the Benefit. She did not feel like she had to go back to the Underworld just yet. "Careful, don't trip." Yuuki offered her a hand to assist her the rest of the way into Zed's flowery palace. Nemia took her by the waist as ordered and Zed thanked her for her efforts. "I only did... as I promised." It was not like before, but she was still able to fight in hew new form.
Nemie helped Elise to her room. "I don't know what happened, but it must have been scary. Don't worry, Kore is on her way." Nemia's voice was calm and soothing and Elise laid down in her bed. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Elise shook her head. Right now she just needed to rest and regain her strength. As soon as Nemia left to resume her other duties someone floated through the mist ball on her nightstand. It was Kore of course, wearing odd clothing for her station, dressed in what looked like an athletic tennis uniform. "I was playing tennis with Hades when I got the message, so I came right away." Kore explained, looking a little flushed. Elise nodded, holding out her wrist so Kore could read her pulse.
After a few moments Kore tapped her on the head. "You worked yourself pretty hard today. We'll have to push your Underworld visit up by a week, so you only get two weeks in Olympia this time." She smiled though, kindly. "But I'm glad that you can still fight and protect Winter and yourself." The gentle praise was soothing, almost therapeutic in her ears. Since when was Elise the type of person to need affection like this? "Hades was right. Arke is the most likely mastermind." The rainbow dagger was the best evidence she had. Kore nodded slowly, her brows burrowing. "She always hated her sister. Before I married Hades, Iris and Arke were always fighting over everything. So she does have a motive." A pensive look was on her face. "Now sleep, and I'll order an extra serving of health juice for you." More of that juice? But it tasted so bad, did she really have to? A hand waved over her eyes. "Sleep." Kore repeated and this time Elise could not fight it.
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
"Zed, it's alright. It's fine," Winter attempted to get him to relax. "No, it's not alright. I shouldn't have let you go, I knew something bad was going to happen." His grip on her tightened. "I could have lost you," Winter shook her head. "Zed, I'm not some damsel in distress. I could have handled it-" he grasped her shoulders. "You cannot handle trained assassins. I know you think you have everything under control Winter, but you don't. You aren't the most powerful one around anymore, you aren't even the strongest person on the estate." She pushed away from him. "Winter wait-" she did not turn around, instead, she went back to the carriage. "Where are you going!" He yelled after her. "To my parents!" She replied, shoving her viola case inside. He grabbed her hand, "I didn't mean that the way it came out." He tried to backtrack.
"Really? Because it sounds like you did! You don't understand, my entire life has been controlled by everyone else. I loved you because you didn't try to control me, but I guess I was wrong. You don't want me to-"
"I don't want to lose you!" He interrupted, falling to his knees. "You're the only thing-the only one that I've ever loved. I love you so much, that the thought of losing you makes me want to die." She reached out to touch his shoulder. "Zed, I love you, but this needs to stop." She said softly, "I didn't fight monsters just to be taken out by some assassins. I'm not going anywhere." He took her by the hand, she followed him back inside of the house. "Please, just for now, stay here. Don't go anywhere, I don't want you getting hurt." He kissed her forehead, "you're my precious lily." She crossed her arms, "Fine, but I'm still going to earth to get my body." She shouldered past him, still upset. "Lady Winter, shall I bring your belongings to your bedroom?" One of the maids asked, "Yes please." Winter replied, going to her room.
"There has to be something," some way to protect herself. She was the Heir of Music, she wasn't helpless. Winter looked at her hands, playing them in the air. Nothing. She tried opening and closing them, slashing them across the room. Then, an idea struck her. "Spirit dress," nothing happened. "That won't work," Winter jumped, squealing. "Yuuki! When did you get in here?" She crossed her arms, "I'm your lovely benefactor, remember?" He inquired with a sly grin, helping himself to the bowl of candies on her table. "Not anymore," she reminded him. "That's just the lingo, anyhow. You can't use a spirit dress anymore since you're not a vassal. Try saying, 'star dress.' Like you really mean it," he popped a candy into his mouth.
Winter stood with her arms out, focusing her intent. "Star dress," her entire body began to glow, encased in warmth. When it faded, she was dressed in what felt like silk and starlight. "This is new," her weapon, a staff, looked like a giant bow string. "Star bow," she tried to change it. It looks like a cello, whose strings pulled back to shoot musical note arrows. "I think your power will probably have to do with sound. Have you tried anything like a thunder clap?" Winter shook her head stupidly. "Figures you would get lazy in peacetime," he rolled his eyes. "Hey, I was grieving." She tried to defend herself.
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
The sleep was peaceful until the last few moments, when it turned fitful. She woke herself up by hitting her head on the bedstand in the early mornings of the day. Kore was still there for some reason, poring over a book by the bedside. "Hey there. So this is the kind of literature you like?" Kore grinned evilly, as if finding it entertaining. "I happen to like sappy love stories. Is there a problem with that?" Luckily for the black eagle she had Hresvelg blood inside her. She was proud of her tastes, simple taunting was not going to be enough to make her feel ashamed. Live with one's head held high - what else could she do but that? "No, not really. Just not what I expected from my cute little Servant." Kore winked, putting the book down, careful to leave the bookmark in place.
"So now that we know that Arke is behind it all, what is the plan?" Kore blinked, considering. "Well, even if she's the leader, who knows who else is in her employ? Angus is one, but she has to have other allies in Olympia, just waiting for the chance to strike." With Zed's succession creeping ever nearer, they needed to do something to weaken Zeus and Iris's power base over the city. "...What is their goal? Or are they attacking for the sake of it?" Was it all because of a grudge? "I imagine they all have a different reason. My silly Hades was jealous that of the three brothers, he had to take care of evil sinning humans, so he wanted to lobby for a different responsibility." Could they do that? Was that even possible?
Hmm, but if they all had different reasons for wanting to take down Zeus and Iris, then that would mean the anti-Zeus faction was not at all a coordinated effort. "Well, you shouldn't worry your adorable head too much, my little eagle.' Kore pat her head like one would a pet or child. "Winter was training herself a lot last night! It really was adorable. You humans try so hard, I can't help but love the efforts you put in." Elise frowned, unsure how that felt. "Well, she is an Heir now, and I am a Servant creature." Strictly put, neither of them were quite human anymore.
To Elise's confusion and surprose, Kore made herself welcome at the breakfast table where Winter and Zed and even Nemia were. Nemia served everyone breakfast with a few other elves that Elise did not remember the names of. "And here's your juice, Miss Elise." It seemed they were still trying to call her by something fancy. "No, we are of the same status..." It was strange. She was a Servant just like them, so why was she being given respect like that? "It's okay, don't worry, Elise." Zed seemed to look at her favorably. "You're a guest here, so you're to be treated like any guest." Kore seemed pleased at the breakfast food and was happy to eat.
"I saw your training last night, Winter." Kore mentioned as she finished her plate. "It was really cute! No wonder Zed likes you so much!" There was a faint blush on Zed's face as the Heir of Mercy spoke and Yuuki no doubt was struggling not to laugh. "I cannot wait for you to show your enemies that there's a reason you were able to fight against monsters and live." Not just a fragile little Heir of Music, but a warrior who was the strongest of all the Vassals.
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
"Lady Winter, do you want to take breakfast with Zed this morning?" Nemia asked nervously, having seen their fight yesterday. "Yes, I will be there." She replied, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She had stayed up late with Yuuki, attempting to manipulate sound waves. It had worked, somewhat, but it was only the first round. "Are things... alright between you two?" Nemia asked nervously as Winter sat in the chair to be prepared for morning. "Yes, things are fine between us. Zed just doesn't understand that I'm not some precious doll he can't lock away in his doll house." Nemia shook her head, he hadn't apologized either. No doubt Zed did not think he was wrong and Winter did not think he was right. Once she was ready, she left her room, Yuuki right outside. "Good morning," he grinned. "Morning," Winter smiled. "The dining room is this way," she led him, the two of them chatting and laughing until they reached the dining room.
She sat in her usual spot, Zed not there yet; Yuuki sitting across from her. Zed arrived a few minutes later. "Good morning," he said, as though nothing had happened between them yesterday. He kissed Winter on the top of her head before sitting down. Yuuki smirked, looking down at his plate. "Morning," she replied coldly. "Did I do something?" Zed asked, confused. "You haven't apologized for yesterday," he sighed. "Are you really going to act like a child with guests around?" He inquired, gesturing to Yuuki. "It's okay to admit that you were wrong Zed, even in the presence of others." She cut into her omlette. Zed gripped his fork and knife. "Other room, now." He demanded, "No." Winter replied, taking a dainty bite. She had seen his temper flare before, though rarely directed at her.
Kore and Elise arrived a minute later. "Good morning, how are you feeling Elise?" She inquired immediately, "And you Kore? I hope you're finding your stay here enjoyable." Kore spilled the beans almost immediately. That she had found Winter's practice to be cute. She stiffened, Zed's eyes boring holes into her. "Other room," he pushed. "Fine," she rose, "We'll be right back," Winter followed him into the next room, the doors closing behind them. "Training? Training for what?" He asked, there was concern in his voice, which surprised her. She was certain that she was going to hear fury. "In case I ever get attacked again," she replied bluntly. "Winter I-" she held up a hand. "Enough, I am more than capable of handling myself, I've made that perfectly clear from the start. What happened with Angus was a moment of weakness that I do not intend to repeat."
He was silent for a moment, holding her hands, his grip gentle. His thumbs rubbed small circles on her palms, sending chills down her spine. "Is it so wrong of me to want to protect you?" He asked softly, "when at the expense of my freedom, yes." He sighed, "I'm sorry. I won't be so restrictive... we just have to be more careful until the wedding and coorination. There are people that are out for blood hunting you down." There was one thing that Zeus and Zed had in common, the quickest way to get to both of them: Winter. "I know," she sighed. "I'm just bored, you're at work all day and I'm stuck here and Iris is driving me crazy." He nodded, "I know, but hopefully soon you'll be coming to work with me." He kissed her fingertips, "Now let's rejoin the others." They walked back into the other room, Winter taking her seat once more.
Yuuki winked, no doubt he wanted the tea later. "Sorry about that," Winter said, placing her napkin on her lap. "Now, where were we?"
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
Zed bristled, Winter was ice cold. There most definitely was tension going on. So when Kore acted up by calling to attention the fact that Winter had been practicing her combat abilities last night, Zed called Winter aside for a private talk. Nemia was whimpering. "Oh no, oh no, but they never had a fight before!" She looked as if she were withering. "My apologies if it is above my pay grade to ask... but why did you do that?" Elise asked, giving Kore a distinct stare. "What are you attempting to accomplish?" Her question was direct and to the point, even as she drank her juice with a refined and practiced posture. "Well, the basis to any relationship is good communication." Kore explained without missing a beat, finishing up her breakfast meal. "As a married woman to someone like Hades, I don't want Winter and Zed having communication issues so close to the wedding."
Yuuki of all people nodded along with what Kore was saying as if he understood. "Winter's very strong willed. The sooner Zed understands that, the more harmonious their wedding will be." He had not, actually, received the invitation yet, but it was all but guaranteed Winter would give one to him at first chance. "If you two say so. Winter is my sister, so I hope you two know what you are doing." She sighed, rolling her ruby eyes as she put the overly-flavorful juice away, feeling sick to her stomach. "You should also worry about your own relationship." Kore's voice was pleasant and warm, but her eyes saw very far. "Is there one?" She queried, puzzled. "But it has been two years for Ezra. We are alive and dead. How could we possibly..." Kore's smile was enigmatic for sure. "That's something for you two to discuss, darling." There was an oddly affectionate look from Kore. As usual, with how much she smiled, it was impossible to know what was going on in Kore's mind.
The sparking couple returned to the table, no one acting any different than they had before. At least there seemed to be something akin to an understanding between them. Had Kore done the right action in causing an argument between the two? Elise could only hope that that was the case. "Welcome back. We were discussing... if there are no plans today, I think I could make a lot of progress on the portal generator today." All the tools and materials were safe in her room after all, so if Zed could give her a workshop to work in, she could do very well. "We can proceed to find your body shortly." Thanks to Svarog giving her her old one, it would be much easier and quicker than last time, when it took her days to finish the construction of the machine.
"It's sad." Kore said with mock suffering as Nemia hastily gathered up the finished juice glass and breakfast plates. "No one would guess that Elise is my Servant of mercy and salvation. They will all think of her as one of the ugly volcano dwarves that works with smelly Svarog!" Elise frowned, wondering where the attitude was coming from. "I will always take my duties as your Servant seriously." She tried to reassure her Heir. "...But please do not insult Svarog, he is very kind." Kore giggled, a laugh like wind chimes. "It's so adorable how you defend your friends." Kore pat her head over the hood for some reason. Elise rolled her eyes again, scanning Winter's face with a striking gaze. Was she okay? Was the engagement still going well?
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#BDA0CB ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
"I don't have any plans today, so that sounds fine." Winter nodded, although she knew that Iris was eventually going to come over to bug her. "The sooner the better," considering Winter had no idea what was going on, on the surface, she was quite worried about where her body was. Zed finished his breakfast, no doubt not wanting to spark another argument, he rose. "I'm heading off to work," he leaned over for a kiss, Winter indulging him. A quick peck on the lips, "bye, be safe." Winter watched as he left, waving until he was gone. "There's a spare room you can work in, I can show you there." Winter said as she drank her juice. "Are things alright now?" Yuuki asked, since Zed was gone and it seemed as though Kore and Elise were too polite to ask. "Yes, better than before at least," she admitted, no longer hungry.
Nemia popped her head into the room, seeming nervous. "Lady Winter, Iris is here." Winter groaned, pushing away from the table. "I have to go greet her, the room is down the hall and to the left. Nemia can show you," Yuuki jumped up to follow her. "Why is your step Mom here?" He asked as she walked down the hallway, the light sending stars dancing through the stained glass window. "To prepare for the wedding, she comes everyday." He nodded as Winter opened the doors to the parlor. Iris had come with an entire fleet today. "Oh good, you're finally here. Who is this?" She asked, gesturing to Yuuki. "This is Yuuki, my benefactor from when I was a Vassal." Yuuki bowed with a flourish. "Lady Iris, it is an honor to make your acquaintance." She smiled, holding out a hand, which he took. "The pleasure is mine, Winter did not tell me she had such a... unique looking friend." It was not a compliment, but Yuuki took it in stride.
"Now, let's begin. Winter, what do you think of these flower arrangements?" She was presented with several bouqets, "Ew, absolutely no babies breath," Winter wrinkled her nose. Those flowers smelled, although they were quite pretty. "I'd like blush colored roses for the bouqet and some calalillies." Iris seemed surprised that Winter knew anything about flowers at all. Yuuki was already helping himself to biscuits from the tray on the table, draped over a chaise lounge-chair. "Have you decided on two colors yet?" One for the groom and one for the bride. "Zed wants gold and I want blue." She began undressing as the tailor gestured to her. Her wedding dress would be custom, of course. Iris would not allow Winter to have anything less. "Blue? Not blush pink?" Iris asked, surprised. "Yes, blue," Winter confirmed, "but light blue." She said aloud. "No, no," Iris shook her head. "That will look far too tacky," Winter frowned. "Then we'll go with the pink," Iris nodded, pleased.
By the time Iris left, Winter was dizzy and hungry. "You should eat something," Yuuki pointed out, "you barely ate breakfast." Nemia poured Winter a cup of tea while she redressed. "Thank you," she reached for the plate of food the maid had brought. "I have to go check on Elise," before Zed returned and then he would want to spend time with her. Was she going to have less time once they were married? Would she be expected to always be beside him, or arranging parties? Winter wasn't sure. Iris did not prepare her for such things. She ate quickly, gulping her tea down. "Careful!" Yuuki quipped, not wanting her to burn herself. "I'm fine, let's go check on Elise's progress."
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❝A second return, but what for? And for whom was I brought back?❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#0C94CC ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #CC0C2E】
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
Once Winter dropped Elise off at the spare room, she thanked her for the help. "Do not let Zed walk over you, you are stronger than he knows." Elise offered a few words of support. She certainly was no expert in relationships, but she knew that Winter deserved respect for what she was able to survive and live through. "I will try to work as quickly as I can." Kore hovered around for some reason, a pleasant look in her eye. For some reason she was still making herself welcome. Elise was not sure how long Zed intended for her to be here, but the Heir of Mercy decided she would remain. When one was made of mist, perhaps locations were a little fuzzy. "So what are you doing here?" The black eagle asked her benefactor as she set up her workstation, placing the broken portal generator on the table.
"I am simply here to help. I can be an extra pair of hands for you!" Kore laughed breezily, pulling up a chair to make herself comfortable at Elise's side. She reached out for the tools, seemingly eager to make herself useful. "Is this appropriate? I am your Servant, not the other way around." Elise always had been one to pay attention to power roles and structures. She accepted her place as a Servant, and knew she was below Heirs here in the Boundary. "Hmm, well then I order you to tell me how best I can be useful." Kore grinned as if she were a genius coming up with a master plan. Was it really that imprssive though? Elise sighed. When Kore wanted to do something, it seemed not even Hades could stop her. "Then you can take those tools and begin..."
It had been a few hours when Winter came by to check in, Yuuki with her. The portal generator was up and running, a little dented, but refurbished and fitted with a stronger and new battery that did not need water power to run. Now it operated using a battery of mist, supplied by Kore herself, from the Grey Garden, a hidden garden full of fog and silver grass in the Underworld that Kore enjoyed visiting. Elise had been there once or twice and enjoyed how calm the locale was. "Hello Winter." Elise stood and bowed in a smooth graceful motion before returning to her portal generator, shutting off the test portal. "Thanks to Kore's help, progress was much faster. I was in the process of running a few test sessions to ensure that all was going well."
Making the portal generator was much easier this time. "How was planning the wedding with Iris?" Kore seemed to want to get right into the thick of things. "It's funny to think of a hero who faught so many monsters is put on decoration duty." Was she trying to cause trouble again? "We fought together. But Winter always had better control of her abilities than anyone else." There was a reason why Winter was the most feared and coveted by the Doctor way back then. "Winter, do you believe you can have your affairs arranged by tomorrow? If so, then we can return to Earth tomorrow and begin." It was important to find Winter's body and ensure it's safety, and they were almost ready for the trip. "I'll be watching too, naturally." Kore's eyes were gentle. "Should anything happen, we can send the harpies to bring the other Vassals back to assist." They were traveling with Zoku right now, but of course Kore knew how to reach them if Elise and Winter needed their help.