[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/217175409903534080/310915267373039616/coollogo_com-32460972.png[/img][/center] [hr] [b]Location: Croll Corner - Lost Haven Time: 1 Month Ago[/b] Parting ways with Maddie and Marie once they had returned safely to [i]The Shadow of the Moon[/i], one parting glance at the Wyrd Trio surrounding Maddie. In her back pocket was the weighty alchemical key, there was a certain amount of pride knowing she solved such a massive puzzle. Charlie took a long way home, careful to watch her back for anyone trying to follow her. Exercising some caution. Tracking along the side of [i]Croll Corner[/i] she rounded the other side, passing by the garden using her key to unlock the door. Lights were on and she knew someone would be up right now, she hoped she’d catch her gramps before he shuffled off to bed. “[color=honeydew]I’m home![/color]” She called out and shuffled out of her shoes, tapping her staff against the floor to hear a resounding tap from down in the basement against the floor. Cracking a smile she stepped down into the basement to see Nathanial smiling at her from his desk, a small bowl of cactus half done in front of him. Taking out the alchemical key from her pocket she proudly showed him how it perfectly balanced on the tip of her finger, “[color=honeydew]I figured it out.[/color]” “Congratulations, Charlie. I knew you could puzzle it out.” Nathaniel said with a clap of his hands, crows feet crinkling, smiling brightly - always pleased for her success. Dragging over a stool to sit by Nathaniel she put the key aside and began to gush, “[color=honeydew]Water! Immersed in water it reacted completely different than being tested with other liquid state elements. Nitrogen, mercury - none of it was doing anything! It was almost as hard to reset it back to its original state to restart the experiments with new angles. This was [i]beyond[/i] tricky.[/color]” Nathaniel nodded, “As it was meant to be. It was designed to frustrate anyone for a long time but you did well to figure it out in a handful of days. Truly, Charlie, well done. Exactly what I would expect of my grandchildren.” Gently squeezing her hand, there was no mistaking the pride that shone in his eyes. She grinned sheepishly, embarrassed he was laying it on so thick but it was exactly what she wanted to hear. “We were worried, Charlie. That. . . You wouldn’t find something to focus on, we worried you’d spend the summer uninspired and restless trying to find your own path.” Nathaniel began Charlie listened, leaning forward, “We certainly do not approve of you picking fights with a witch-hunting group, helping Madalena and that - necromantic creature-” “[color=honeydew]Her name is Berry, Gramps.[/color]” “Of course, of course, sorry Char.” He shook his head, then nodded, “Berry, helping Berry find a safe place. You like helping people.” “I don’t go outta my way, Gramps. They just kinda. . . Pop up and need help.” Charlie said with a shrug. “You do help, kiddo. I’m proud of you, that’s all we can really hope for out of you kids - we can rest easy knowing you’ll do the right thing no matter what.” He said with a firm squeeze and pat across her knuckles, “Alchemy, family, the tradition it’s all apart of it - carving your name into the world, our name.” She nodded seriously, it was important to her - living up to her name and making something out of herself. She felt a bubbling sense of pressure form in her gut, she didn’t shy away from it, she wanted to embrace it. “[color=honeydew]Yeah Gramps, I know. Won’t let you down.[/color]” The thought of her gut turned her back to what she wanted to talk to him all day about, “[color=honeydew]Hey Gramps, I’ve been feeling pretty weird lately.[/color]” “Have you been taking your daily vitamins and sleeping enough-” Charlie shook her head, “[color=honeydew]No no, I’m not sick just I’ve been getting weird feelings every time some spooky shit happens.[/color]” She began, Nathaniel nodded along listening as he did, he began tinkering away at the bowl, “[color=honeydew]It’s like all my instincts are freaking out whenever something witchy or spirity happens around me. I get goosebumps, the works.[/color]” Squeezing her knuckles to pop, Charlie’s expression pulled into a frown, “[color=honeydew]I know as alchemists we’re connected to a variety of things but I’ve never felt this weird feeling so strongly before.[/color]” Nathaniel nodded along, bobbing his grey-haired head, “Have you seen anything?” “[color=honeydew]Just the odd spirit, I don’t really see it until it shows itself - but. . .[i]I know[/i] it’s there.[/color]” She said hunching over the work table, “[color=honeydew]Do you see stuff, Gramps?[/color]” He frowned shaking his head, “I have a connection with my garden but spirits elude me.” “[color=honeydew]What about mom?[/color]” He shook his head, “She’s never mentioned seeing spirits.” Scratching at some of the grain, “[color=honeydew]Is it just because of all the witchy stuff or do you think Puck did something?[/color]” “We are sensitive to a lot of different types of magic, Char. Generations of mixing with other practitioners from witches, diviners, mediums, clairvoyants, enchanters. . .” He said looking to her, referring to her Dad, “As time goes on our family remains strongly capable alchemists but as we find the world is malleable, so are we.” He reached across the desk to pick a little decorative piece to add at the base of the succulent. “[color=honeydew]Yeah and?[/color]” “[i]So[/i],” He said patiently, “Consider it like we’re O type blood.” “[color=honeydew]Oh, cool. Makes sense I guess,[/color]” She replied thinking about her dad, feeling a little bit of sadness wash up. Wondering if either she or Harry would have picked up how to enchant the way he did. As much as an art as it was a science, it wasn’t often but when she missed him - she missed him. Nathaniel placed the little shell along the succulent glancing over to Charlie, noticing her drop in mood, “You’ll have to ring up one of your aunts or uncles. I know your cousin, Kate is trying to study occult with a focus on souls. She might help you out in understanding whatever you’re feeling.” “[color=honeydew]Krazy Kate.[/color]” Charlie resounded that earned her a glare from Nathaniel, “[color=honeydew]What? It’s true.[/color]” “Name-calling is really ironic coming from our resident Trash Can Croll,” Nathaniel said, Charlie grumbled at that, he continued, “Every generation has one with their noses in the books and they end up making amazing breakthroughs. [i]Be nice.[/i]” “[color=honeydew]She never joins the spars, Gramps. Just shys away.[/color]” Charlie complained, “[color=honeydew]But whatever, I’ll see if I can talk to her.[/color]” “Just because you and Charles buttheads doesn’t mean others want to get in between that,” Nathaniel said pointing a finger at her. Sighing dramatically she stood up, kissing Nathaniel on the top of his head, “[color=honeydew]Thanks for the talk, Gramps.[/color]” “Goodnight, kiddo.” Charlie stepped quickly up the stairs to the first floor, making a stop in the kitchen to grab something quick to eat, heading all the way up to the third-floor balcony to get some fresh air. Hang out with the planters, a hand in some homemade trail mix. Shoving a mouthful of trail mix into her mouth, she leaned across the bannister scrolling through her phone - the screen cracked in a dozen places. Above her, on the roof, an increasingly familiar figure sat casually by the antenna, where he had been waiting for the Croll household to settle in for the night. He watched on his kin, the culmination of so many generations - young, capable and infuriatingly ignorant. He moved quietly to the edge of the roof, not making a sound. He sat on his haunches, elbows resting on his knees, willing her to notice him. Charlie stopped halfway into another handful of trail mix, feeling a distinct tingle at the back of her neck. Pausing to swallow, she wondered how quickly she could be to drop the food and grab her staff. [i]Something wasn’t right.[/i] “Go on. Grab your staff.” Oswald said, monotoned - distinctly germanic to Charlie’s ears, “You’ll feel safer, I’m sure.” She took a breath turning her head to look over her shoulder.