Achronum

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

Maximillian Gray

Echo

---

Location: The Mutant Underground: Max and Harry's Room
Skills: N/A

---

---

Concern furrowed James’ brow as Max slunked out. It was eerily disconcerting; Max wasn’t one to make a quiet exit. He supposed it was easy enough to figure out. Max and Sunshine went through an ordeal and on the surface, it seemed like everyone was clearly more concerned for her than they were for him. Anyone would be upset if they felt like the people they were supposed to trust and rely on didn’t care enough to even bother asking if they were okay. James thought the hug would be enough but maybe it wasn’t. Damn, he should have said something.

“Hey, I’m just going to make sure Max is doing okay.” James told Casper as a realization hit him. Of course he was upset. The kid still had m-pox! Fuck and double fuck! “Oh fuck, he hasn’t gotten a cure! I got to get him back down to get him some.” James was off quickly, taking the stairs two at a time.

Max gave Harry a simple smile. Looking at the glamorous mutant and seeing the concern in his eyes. "I'll be sure to rest up no worries. I'm getting some more practice in too and I learned quite a bit while we were...out. learning more still. If anything it appears like you need the rest."

Harry placed a hand on the blonde mutants shoulder. "You should probably go apologize to someone. Walking away from a hug like that is a bit rude." There was a long pause as he let the words sink into Max. "I'm not your father or anything-" "Thank goodness for that" "But I do know how you feel and how things have been since I entered the MU. I'm here for you kid" There was a sudden knock on the door and both mutants turned to face it. Harry guessed who it was as he sat back down.

“Max, mind if I come in? The x-men dropped off the m-pox cure.” James called through the door.

Harry gave Max a knowing look as Max rolled his eyes, annoyed at how right he was. He knew deep inside he had to apologize for his behavior, but now it felt as though he wasn't the one who initiated it and that it wouldn't feel as...right. "Come on in James, I was actually just about to head out to find you."

James pushed the door open. He probably shouldn’t have been surprised to find Harry here, considering this was his room, but he was surprised to see he’d beaten James to the punch. The vial of m-pox pills sat in Max’s hand already. James shut the door gently behind him. “Well, I guess you already have it. Good! No more bloody nights for any of us, thank God. Don’t know how much longer anyone would have survived. Hey, you mind if I sit?” James asked, doing so after Max nodded. He sat gingerly. He wasn’t sure how Max was feeling and he felt like he was intruding on whatever was going on between Harry and Max here.

“Sunshine mentioned some sort of haunted island. I don’t really understand any of this magic stuff but I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” James spoke seriously. Sunshine really didn’t like Max and James wasmore than a little concerned she may have done something to him given the opportunity away from prying eyes. “You and her don’t… get along well and I just wanted to make sure you came back in one piece. Are you okay?”

Max looked towards James, smiling at the show of concern. Granted James had always shown him kindness while others haven't but it was always such a refreshing pace to have someone care for you. "We seemed to have ironed out some of our wrinkles while we were gone. Who knew shared trauma could help you bond with a person." He thought back to the 'haunted island' wondering how much was ok to share.

"The haunted island seemed to either be this paradise that the hellfire club spoke of, or an old home for Magneto. There was a massive statue to him, a room for Pietro and what I can only assume was one of Wanda's old spellbooks." Max slipped the old tome out of his bag to show Wanda's book. "Its full of spells that can hopefully help us out in the future." Perhaps if he spoke enough about their adventure then maybe James and Harry wouldn't notice that he never answered if he was fine.

James nodded along as Max explained, chuckling darkly at his trauma comment. He wasn't wrong; trauma bonding was an effective, if not the healthiest, way to overcome issues. It's hard to hate someone who helped you live through a dark time. If it helped cut back on some of the tension though… Well, maybe James wouldn't poke it to that issue. “Kinda weird you randomly teleported to a Magneto hideout right before he handed our asses to us on a platter." James sighed. They actually could have really used Max. His powers, magic, or whatever it was always seemed to handle eliminating problems well enough. "But other than that, you're fine? We almost got killed by those exact people in the Princess' other world. I can't imagine they'd leave something behind like that without some guards at least."

Max chuckled at the mention of guards. Thinking back to the traps laid about by Pietro, and then towards the wraith that seemed to attack them. It was weird, looking back, how the situation almost seemed fun. "They certainly tried. Pietro had some old booby traps laying around, and we ran into a bloody ghost with an axe but we handled them both rather easily. Turns out some of my studies weren't for nothing. But more importantly, are you two ok? Magneto attacking here is no light matter. What happened?"

Harry tensed as the conversation began to shift towards the new subject. The kid had only just come back but he supposed he had the right to know what went on while he was gone. He didn't want to be the first to speak on the matter, trying his best not to relive the moments that he was paralyzed and the fact that he would almost never walk again had it not been for Sapphire, Luna, and James. "I'm alright with James here telling the story."

James peered at Max in disbelief, waiting for a laugh and then the real story. But when he continued on, James decided maybe the teleport did a little more than he thought or maybe Sunshine really did infect him with something, only to take it back before they returned. Traps, yeah that was reasonable. Bloody axe wielding ghost? Definitely nowhere near as plaus… Well, meeting Casper did open up his eyes to the whole living after death thing so maybe Max didn’t just hallucinate it. James decided just like with Casper, he wasn’t going to ask for details. Things were complicated enough with just keeping people alive. He didn’t need the headache that contemplating the afterlife would bring.

“Yeah so after you and your team headed out to confront Jack, Magneto showed up looking for his daughter. Harry and I went out there in some attempt to reason with him but his only demand was we released his daughter. Still don’t know why we didn’t but someone decided fighting was the way to go. So we met outside and if it wasn’t for the fact that Polaris woke up and walked out herself, I think a lot of people would have died here. But no lasting injuries thankfully.” James explained. “Luna and I got Harry back on his feet with some advice from Sapphire after some metal got into his back. Then, Luna got whatever bug was in his head out and I patched up the little cuts and scrapes.” James put it in much safer terms than it was; the whole morning after the disappearing act the troublesome twosome pulled was a fucking disaster and James was happy to put it all behind them.

“After you guys vanished, Veil put some feelers out for you two. We got a tip about where you were, which was very wrong by the way, and we were going to head out when the x-men dropped off the cures and asked us to handle a situation with cures heading to the White House. Echo, Casper, Spark Plug, Waverly, the new girl Zari, and I all headed after your guys at a strip club. We were all pretty sure it was a trap but on the off chance, we had to check it out.” James skipped over the whole possibly running into an ex of Casper’s that he didn’t even remember cause it still brought on a wave of jealousy that James didn’t like. They were definitely cuddling for the whole afternoon now that Max and Sunshine were home and safe. “And of course, it was indeed a trap. Casper got shot and I was pretty sure he was going to die. Some weird ass dude named X-Cutioner left us a message about a bomb for the X-Men and we can’t seem to get a hold of them so it looks like we’re back up.”

Harry couldn't help but noticed the oversimplification of James's story. Whether he was purposefully hiding details, or simply downplaying his own role, was unknown. James always did seem like the modest type even if his boyfriend wasn't. "A few scrapes and cuts? James here quite literally put me back together. If it wasn't for all their hard work and his healing I wouldn't be walking today. Magneto almost Xaviered me, but unlike Charles I was lucky enough to have James and the rest to patch me up before it became permanent."

Max's eyes grew wide, pupils dilating slightly as his hands clenched at the sounds of what happened. Why wasn't he there to help? Why did his powers have to pull him away when they needed more people to fight or keep Magneto at bay? He began to feel unreliable to the group but decided to push those feelings away before he drowned in them. "Sounds like quite the exciting morning. Glad to hear you're all alright from it, and I'm sorry I wasn't there to aid you in the fight. Ever since Magik passed away, I've felt this strange impulsive power. Something new that kicks in as an instinct. It tires me out, and those who follow with me, and it feels so draining at times. It’s hard to control right now but hopefully I can get a handle on it, evolve it, and make it my own."

“Yeah, that took a lot out of me. And I couldn’t get Casper’s bullet wound to seal shut so we had to have Callie cauterize the wound first. It was a mess. I’ve been under the assumption I could just do this as much as I want but today proved I need to get a handle on this somehow.” James admitted tiredly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, I’m excited to see what you manage to get from that power. I remember how shit was in House of M. Your abilities were practically limitless.”

"They felt limitless. I learned what I am capable of, saw what I could do. I tried to do some of that here, back while I was with Leighton. Its nice to see the light at the end, to see where you can go." Max had a far off look as he thought about what he could do, the room he had created, and the power he had weirded. He snapped back to look at James "Maybe you just need more practice to stop feeling so drained? Heavens knows that I hurt myself enough, so I'm sure you'll get your powers worth."

Max paused for a moment as he thought on whether or not he should tell them about his plans to learn about demons and how he wanted to bring back Magik. Deciding it was best for another day. "I was thinking of trying to create a new room, one outside the building that we could use for training. You know...in the event someone's powers go haywire we don't lose the base."

“Well, lets not get too hasty with helping me practice. Let’s keep the injuries to a minimum, zero even.” James interjected hastily. “You’re more than welcome to try. I know with the generators you said you needed a better understanding to try anything with them so let me know if you need to talk about structure. I can talk you through a few―” James startled as he broke out into a yawn. Definitely time for that nap. Hopefully, Casper would be down for snuggling.

Of Blood and Magic

_{December 7th, 7:25am - The Sinnenodel Dorm}

Varis stood after Aaron finished apologizing, smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes, with a disappointed hum. It was his mistake, he mused. He ought to have the boy grovel next time. That should make the silly mage sympathist cry and everyone else at least uncomfortable. He’d have another chance. All he could do is hope his dramatics painted him in the light he needed. Only time would tell. He gave Ben a dip of his head and took the offered envelope and tucked it away. “You proved yourself a delightful guest, Count Eve. Hopefully we can get together again sooner than Chaend; we’ll have plenty to discuss once your new books arrive. I’m looking forward to your thoughts.” Varis walked the group to the door, where the boy assembled the rest of the mages. It really was a pathetic collection next to the boy but even the white haired pollutant shone in comparison to the Spellman mage. None of them had spoken out against the Queen to her face so he supposed they had a waft of potential.

“You’ve all been delightful company. Take care getting home.” Varis bade each of them farewell. As expected, Eris stayed behind probably to discuss whatever superficial, inane judgement of each of the nobles he’d passed but Varis had other things to deal with at the moment. His attention turned to Aaron and his expression fell flat. “Clean up and then I expect you at my feet in the parlor. You have five minutes.” Varis snapped, returning to his seat in the parlor. He fixed Eris with a steely glare.

“I have been trying for 32 years and you choose this night to finally decide to have some taste.” Varis grumbled, crossing his arms. “And of all the bloods in the world, a Starags. How in my Lady’s name was I supposed to even guess that?! 32 years of work and contemplation, down the drain without a care in the world. I don’t think plant boy can top this.’ Unbelievable!”

---

Maddie stood at Aaron’s announcement, relieved. It was… nice having the opportunity to hang out with everyone but it was incredibly tense and all she wanted now was to hide in the Marivaldi dorm and take a long, relaxing bath. And she had to admit, she was a little curious how things went with the vampires. She doubted it went well; since they last saw Aaron, he looked like he’d been through the wringer. She offered him a sympathetic smile as she followed him to the door. “You’ve been a gracious host. Thank you for having us.” She told Aaron, her attention immediately going to Amaris. She offered her vampire a genuine smile, small and subdued but happy to see her nonetheless, and fell into step with Amaris as they finally escaped the Sinnenodel household.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: The Car -> The Mutant Underground
Skills: N/A

---

---

“Yeah, I had been imagining it wasn’t much more different than hitting the gym but I’m trying to move away from that idea. That one requires people getting hurt and I’d rather not. And I’m starting to get a sense that this isn’t something you can just practice away.” James frowned, trying to consider how to phrase what he felt. He’d never really spoken about his healing ability to anyone other than asking if they need help and it was a strange concept to verbalize. “Do you know how after someone gets hurt, like really hurt, they sleep and doze off a lot? Their bodies need the rest to stitch all that back together but I let you skip that. The months of bed rest and exhaustion and fixing all collapse down to those few minutes and you’re back up and ready to roll but I do it in your place, you feel? So I don’t know how someone practices how to not need a nap after breaking something but if you’ve got something, I’m down to try dude.” Hopefully, that was enough to explain how it felt. It was a weird thing to imagine, closing someone’s wounds but taking their exhaustion, but it was about as close as he could get it. He’d certainly appreciate any help he could get with this.

James snuggled back reflexively when he felt Casper snuggle into him, placing a soft kiss on Casper. The shouting made him frown and he was about to say something when Ben flickered into view and slapped Casper clean across the face. James sat stunned for a moment―did Ben get angry enough to manifest or did Casper unconsciously conjurer Ben to slap him? That second one had some problematic implications but he really was out of his league when it came to Casper’s powers.―before he intervened. “Okay guys, calm down. Regardless of what we think here, Veil’ll make the right decision. I don’t know what the whole argument is but taking shots at each other, verbally or physically, is just going to make the situation worse.” James gently grabbed his boyfriend, urging him out of the car. “Why don’t we check on Sunshine and Max and then go cuddle in bed until Veil gets back because honestly, there’s a 50/50 chance that I might pass out on the stairs.” James suggested as he headed into the Underground.

He’d been putting off thinking about what could have happened to the two. He was certainly in no condition to do more than slap a bandaid on someone but the knot of worry he hadn’t been fully aware of loosened at the sight of the pair still conscious and standing on their own. “Oh thank fuck.” James sighed in relief as he also wrapped himself around Sunshine for a moment,catching Waverly in a group hug, before he did the same with Max. The little book he was carrying sent off some warning bells in his head but he waved them off. They were fine and back and James just wasn’t going to think about what weird magic stuff he may have brought back. He stepped back from them, knowing how Sunshine got when she felt surrounded and cornered,and gave them space to tell their tale.

Fire Emblem: The Slumbering Goddess

---

@Obscene Symphony

Clarissa savored the dish thoroughly, pausing between bites to survey the steadily filling room. Once upon a time, she’d have scoffed at such a past time and waved it off as a waste of time but as she claimed more responsibility in her family’s affairs, she discovered something even more wasteful: merchants. Their pleasantries and platitudes positively infuriated her in their insincerity, poorly crafted facades to curry favor with her father, and after numerous public disagreements―how they found so many empty arguments for special tax status astounded her. One man had the audacity to submit a 37 page testament meticulously detailing why he could ignore the harbor tax on imported goods and then changed his tune shortly after walking into the chamber Clarissa summoned him to. To this day, she still didn’t understand why he’d done it―her father demanded she keep her tongue civil. In lieu of civility, she chose silence and her attention naturally gravitated to more interesting affairs. Usually the retainers of whoever they were hosting that day, she soon found the behavior of their servants and retainers spoke volumes of the character of their employers. Now, she found herself enjoying people watching. It certainly was telling how people assembled themselves.

The Blue Lions took advantage of the new situation. No way to escape a meal you’d just sat down at without stumbling over your own tongue and insulting someone. Lienna blew away Auberon’s earlier assumptions she’d been avoiding them. She sat down across Derec on her own accord and certainly made a fair attempt at seeming proper. Clarissa giggled at her choice of silverware but after her brief interaction with her earlier, she knew Lienna was doing her best to fit in. Kellen, the mousey man, on the other hand seemed far more eager to keep to himself but managed to force himself to interact with the others. Good for him. Hopefully, Auberon would manage to take him out of his shell but honestly, she was under the distinct impression that Kellen’s nervousness left Auberon feeling awkward and unsure of how to proceed. The leader of the Blue Lions certainly had a challenging group on his hands but she felt confident he’d find a way to bring them all together.

Of course, she ought to have taken a page out of Auberon’s book and brought the Deer together for a bonding moment of their own but she believed that may be more damaging than productive. Jorah proved a natural magnet for attention, charming and charismatic in all the wrong ways, and the disaster trio would feed off each other, overshadowing Isolde almost immediately. She was a quiet thing, mousey after the disaster that was her family’s disgrace, and Clarissa wasn’t confident that surrounding her with loud, energetic personalities would be an effective way to get her to open up to them. It was a bit of a headache, with Raimund already dashing her hopes to separate them and bond with them individually, but she’d find a way to make it work.

A body flopping into the seat across from her and literally inhaling his food broke her out of her contemplation. She covered her mouth as she laughed at Jorah digging into his meal with all the gusto of her father’s hounds after a full day’s hunt. His portions were certainly as expected, enough to make you think he was starved back home, but it never failed to amaze her. Clarissa was certain Jorah had hollow bones and that’s where he stored his extra servings because they never showed anywhere else. “Jorah, my father’s hounds practice better table manners than you. Take a moment and enjoy your food. You’ll make yourself sick scarfing your food down like that.” Clarissa laughed before taking a reasonable sized bite of her own meal. “I think the only word that could describe that experience is divine. The Cathedral was beautiful and there was a serenity in there that made me never want to leave, like everything would be alright as long I just lingered as long as I could. The Archbishop’s sermon motivated and inspired me in equal parts. I think you’d find it an agreeable experience, even just once.” Clarissa sighed happily at the memory.

“Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to speak with the Archbishop and I’m glad I did. I left our Unit meeting with no small amount of trepidation. Professor Roland’s explanation of the reasonings and processes left a great deal of questions in its wake but Archbishop Ioannis cleared it up without hesitation. A break from Alliance politics will clearly do me good; I seem to be looking for meaning in every shadow of every candle.” Clarissa admitted ruefully. It was going to be a difficult lesson and one she feared would dull her senses when she finally did go back home. “Auberon joined us. He seems capable of performing his duties, a serious and focused head on his shoulders. His opinion of you is still malleable, he only made a specific mention of your natural informality, but the crown prince earned his immediate approval. Other than that, the Archbishop, Auberon, and I have plans for tea one evening. I hope it can be a more regular affair honestly; not only to make connections but it’ll be nice to have a solid routine I’m familiar with here.”

Clarissa took a moment to look over her friend and quirked a brow at the not so strange markings on his face. She remembered Jorah mentioning something about them invoking strange spirits but she couldn’t quite remember exactly which each one meant. “I see you managed to smuggle out your paints. I’m surprised the Duke didn’t turn each of your luggage cases upside down and inside out to make sure you didn’t bring any nonsense with you. I take it that means you managed to sneak out your favorite lute? I hope it’s making an appearance tonight. While I may not care for some of your more colorful additions to your repertoire, I can’t deny you do have a way with the strings and I’d love to hear you play again.”

Of Blood and Magic

_{December 7th, 7:15am - The Sinnenodel Dorm}

Varis certainly wanted to snap back at the Eve for even suggesting that he, the youngest heir to the Sinnenodel family to date, needed help. The comment was well called for; Queen knows if he caught someone tirading over such a simple task, he’d well suggest they’d be relieved of their mage entirely. Encouraged or not, the comment rankled but Varis kept a considerate smile on his face as he sipped at the boy’s blood. He couldn’t very well let the disrespect go unanswered but how to respond? Varis sat forward, a considerate glance thrown at the Astorio. “Perhaps our guest of honor has a point. The boy mentioned he trained with one of the Noilan guard dogs regularly so perhaps I switched methods too quickly. Maybe breaking bones and restricting access to life magic would be a better starting point.” Varis mused, fingers tapping on the arm of the chair. “It certainly imposes on the values of the Sinnenodels but sometimes excellence demands sacrifice. I’ll take your recommendation under consideration, Count Eve. I’ll be certain to have the boy write you a letter of gratitude as well.”

Victor chose an excellent moment to chime in with such an astute observation. Of course the boy’s ego and pride was in the way. He oozed smug satisfaction whenever he thought his performance perfect. It motivated Varis to knock him down all the more harshly. The fact that the Starags are still permitted to think so high of themselves even though they themselves do nothing but bow and kneel is a joke. Perhaps Landar had that spark of life in him but modern day Starags were little more than mindless livestock. “Yes, it certainly is in the way. The boy thinks highly of himself and his family. I did too until I met him. The Starags are considered the highest quality servant but reality quickly corrected me.” Varis admitted hands spread out as he shrugged. “And the fact that he skipped your mages’ blood is yet another shining example of his incompetence. All of the mages’ blood should have been served but it seems someone socialized far too long.” Varis sent Eris a warning look when he spoke up in the boy’s favor. That damned actor was far too soft on the boy. Varis would have to ensure Eris made the boy regret the little offer instead of letting him off easily later that morning. If Eris messed up his planning, Varis would stake the actor himself.

He glanced back at his pocket watch and stood. “While I would like nothing more than to continue our conversation, it seems the sun will find the sky soon. Boy, I expect an apology to Count Astorio for the disrespect you’ve shown him and then fetch the other mages.” Varis commanded Aaron. “In the meantime lady and gentlemen, I should certainly hope our next gathering will find you adequately prepared for an evening of conversation. I'll make sure that Chaend presents us an opportunity for everyone to speak together again."

---

Maddie would have to be blind not to see what was happening. Lilie must have stumbled head over heels into a crush on the worst possible person she could have. All Maddie felt for her was pity because anyone with any knowledge of the Sinnenodels knew she didn’t stand a chance. Lilie was a sweet girl but Aaron was so far out of her league, it wasn’t even funny. Aaron would set the record straight if it ever came to that but she hoped for Lilie’s sake that it would disappear before they got to that. They really didn’t need anymore tension in this group as it was.

“I’ll let the group know not to expect you two. It is a little nerve wrecking meeting new people so I can’t blame you.” She told Salem and Max, honestly relieved they didn’t accept. They spelled trouble and she was fully committed to avoiding them as much as possible now. “It’s wonderful that you two are having fun together. Queen only knows how much Aaron probably needs the support these nights.”

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: The Glitter Factory -> The Car
Skills: N/A

---

---

“Sweetheart, light of my life, apple of my eye, and I say this with all the love and affection in the world, but absolutely the fuck not.” James shook his head with a chuckle. “I’m about 100% certain I’d rather have someone put me through a woodchipper. Turning off my healing would be a disaster.” God only knows how Casper survived that. He pressed a kiss to Casper’s cheek as they helped him to the car and then listened intently as Waverly explained how she worked on her control. He wasn’t convinced it would be helpful. Though, who knows. Maybe it would be. Even he wasn’t sure how this all worked,much less how he gave it to someone else, but maybe all that weird new age vibration stuff had some merit. “It wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. Worst thing that comes out of it is that I feel a little more relaxed. Thanks for the suggestion!” James thanked her, climbed in so he could help Casper in, and then nestle in next to him.

Now, did James know Casper was playing at needing help still? Absolutely. Echo was up and walking around minutes after his spine was sliced through and Casper himself had been moving almost instantly the last time he and Jack showed up at the MU half dead. Did that mean James was going to do anything other than indulge his adorable as fuck boyfriend? Absolutely not. He snuggled in a little closer to Casper, leaving his hand out on his thigh for Casper to take once he was satisfied with mocking his dad. The guy certainly deserved it and more; honestly, James kinda wanted to punch him in the face for all the shit he put Casper through. At least James had a guarantee there wouldn’t be an awkward meet the parents dinner where he had to sit and play nice. Even if Casper for some reason did want to be in the same room as that man, James is 100% certain he’d win more of Casper’s approval if he did end up decking the guy. Of course, that would mean dealing with one of the most powerful telepaths in the world and frankly, he just didn’t want to.

“So on a scale of Max accidently setting a roof on fire to M-Pox decimating the mutant population unchecked, how fucked are we and how are we going to fix it?” James asked the group. He’d caught a little of the X-Cutioner guy’s commentary, something about a bomb and the x-men surrendering, but he’d been focused on his boyfriend dying on the ground in front of him. The thought made him wrap around Casper a little bit tighter.

Fire Emblem: The Slumbering Goddess

---

The room she’d gotten from Lienna was more than ample for her. A little small but she certainly wasn’t planning to spend much time in her, sequestered away from the marvelous views the mountain offered. It wasn’t the ocean she was familiar with, no salt in the air or sudden gusts of wind carried in on the waves, but the dizzying heights gave one a perspective on just how small everything was in the grand scheme of things and she found that thought oddly comforting. Small was never something she’d consider herself or her goals but here, tucked neatly away from the rest of the world, she was content with it.

Laughter bubbled up as she put away her things. How odd of her, waxing poetic over a sense of serenity. Perhaps it was that she’d have to stand still for a year, an unusual occurrence for her. She was certainly no stranger to travel, accompanying her father to Duke Reagan’s territory since she was barely past his knee and then to the other territories of the Alliance as she sought to gain footholds and allies. She shook her head as she neatly put away her books in alphabetical order by the author, set up her sword’s stand near her bed, and neatly folded and hung her clothes. It was true she’d never imagined she would stay still for quite so long but it promised to be just as exciting as back home.

Clarissa heard the ruckus of others outside. Lienna wasn’t wrong when she said characters of all sorts would be right there. Honestly, it didn’t bother her. Having the noise of everyone around them seeping into her room made it feel a little more alive. She put two wooden frames on her desk, smaller copies she’d paid the portraitist to make her once they were finished. One was her family, a portrait they'd commissioned shortly after her coming of age ceremony to officially declare her the heiress to House Edmund. She remembered how proud her father had been, how nervous and apprehensive her mother was, and how bored out of his mind the little six year old was at the time. The poor boy had been squirming in his seat from the get go but Mother hadn’t let him complain a bit. Clarissa knew things were still a little strained between them but it was the little things, like that, that reminded Clarissa her mother still did her best to support her.

The other felt more personal. Years ago, Duke Riegan and her father bribed, bullied, and commanded them to sit still for the Duke’s portraitist. They must have been no older than 13, Jorah eager to cross his father at every opportunity and Clarissa unwilling to give up valuable time to sit for a portrait of all things. But she was glad they did now that they were older. She survived hard times because of her friendship with him and while she had a sneaking suspicion the Alliance wasn’t large enough to hold Jorah forever, she’d always make sure a memory of her best friend was always around. There was a time when she once thought about joining him on the adventures he claimed with all certainty he’d have. The daydreams of a girl with no direction and no responsibility. Now, she’ll make sure the man always has a place at her table, just to make sure he always comes back home.

She gave the place a final inspection, straightening a few things here and there, just as the dinner bell chimed. And just in time it seemed as her stomach made itself known loudly. Thankfully, no one was around to hear that. She pulled on the coat of her uniform, having removed and hung it for a moment while she tidied up, and took her leave of the room. She still hadn’t gotten around to touring the grounds but she could see what she remembered was the dining hall when she’d passed. She did give the green house and the pond a moment of her attention, resolving that at the very least, she’d visit those before she retired for the evening.

She hadn’t been inside it earlier but the dining hall was quite a bit larger than she expected. Several long, sophisticated tables ran the length of the hall and she gratefully noted each sat on it’s own rug. She could imagine that stone got cold in the winter months and an extra barrier against the chill was most welcome. But the room didn’t keep her attention for long. The familiar aroma of fish in a pan of sizzling butter caught her nose and it drew her toward the front of the dining room where chefs were cooking in an open kitchen. A two fish sauté, her favorite, was sizzling merrily in a pan. Technically, the dish was from Enbarr but a merchant who frequented the border brought the recipe back and she’d loved it at first bite.

A plate of butter sauteed fish in hand, she took her place at the end of the closest table. Honestly, she couldn’t think of a better way to start a new adventure.

Of Blood and Magic

_{December 7th, 7:05am - The Sinnenodel Dorm}

The Countess was in… Varis would say rare form but putting her foot in her mouth seemed the norm for her. Honestly, her skill rivalled the Spellman’s and he’d thought that was a feat in and of itself. Aggressive and sharp and bumbling, it was like watching a little vampire learn how to feed from a vein rather than a bottle. An utterly disgusting and humiliating display truly. He’d started out with a little pity for her and now he just felt nothing but contempt. But it would be fun to egg Count Benjamin and the Marivaldi on in the future. Maybe when he got bored with this institution, he’d pit them against each other for the fun of it.

“Count Astorio, I didn’t know you were a vampire of hidden talents. I never would have assumed you a comedian!.” Varis laughed at the question. How perfect! He’d practically given up on playing this angle but he couldn’t say no if the brute was going to open the door to opportunity. “He’d have to have any talents for me to squander them. He’s come to me even worse that your average house trained mage. He actively seeks out opportunities to prove himself to me that are barely a challenge.” He turned to Count Benjamin and waved his hand in disbelief. “That’s how our mages came to cross blades, actually. I directed him to find himself a sparring partner so his skills stay sharp―a simple task surely, I thought, for someone with ten years of experience under his belt―so he found your mage and he expected me to praise him as if he found some sort of decent challenge.” Varis’ heard the tell tale clinking of the boy coming with the next round and continued with a smirk at the corner of his mouth. How wonderfully fun!

“And at the dinner that got your mage caught up in this Red Hand business, Count Astorio, the boy made an utter fool of himself in front of both the Queen and my Lady! The Princess and I gave him very simple instructions on how to avoid drawing my Lady’s attention and that of her mind mages and at the very first chance, he threw it all into the wind because another mage got a little woozy. While it’s grand that chivalry isn’t dead, that left him defenseless against her and she wiggled her way into his obstinate, dull head. Varis clicked his tongue in disappointment, taking the glass as the boy poured it but otherwise ignoring him. He took a break in his ranting to take a sip, savoring that touch of brightness beneath the citrusy flavor, and resisted throwing it back like a shot. “Not that there seems to be much in there―he couldn’t figure out how to affix cufflinks without me, after all―but he certainly knew plenty about the Eve mage and his family. As much as a pride myself as a skilled strategist, her mind is still an enigma. Who knows who or what caught her mages’ eyes.” He closed his eyes as he took another sip, letting himself relish the taste. This was a dangerous thing;he’d have to start going back to bottles to keep himself from draining the boy empty.

“And the most infuriating part is that no corrective action so far has proven effective. I took away all his doors because he hasn’t earned privacy yet, he’s written plenty of lines and his handwriting is barley improving, he drafted and presented public apologies for those he put under my Lady’s attention and now they’re hanging in his room as a reminder, and just recently I’ve had to take away his Noila toy sword for a whole month because he went behind my back on the matter of his schedule. At least it makes an excellent foot rest at the arena. Too bad I’ll probably have to have it melted down if he keeps misbehaving.” Varis sighed. “I’ve tried being relatively tame with my punishments, he’s adjusting and all that, but I expected more from even a throw away Starag. It just means I’ll have to introduce him to proper Sinnenodel punishments sooner than I’d like to.”

He glanced at his pocket watch, clicking his tongue again. It was a little late in the morning so they’d have to wrap this up soon. That would explain why they skipped the Spellman boy’s blood. Varis couldn’t say he was upset by the decision but he’d make the boy sweat to explain it nonetheless. And if anyone brought it up, what an excellent opportunity to damage the boy’s reputation here.

Aaron's blood

Orange and Cloves with a pleasant brightness

---

She’d thought Firefly was adorably amusing but it definitely did not have the same impact as Maestro. Firefly got a shake of the head, amusement or irritation she wasn’t sure, but Maestro had Aaron red. Maddie watched Aaron as he hurried back to the kitchen, little wheels turning in her head. She turned her attention back to the group and smiled at Max and Salem, neither speaking up at the mention of the invitation. “Don’t feel pressured to come, of course. It’s just meant to be laid back and fun.” She offered them, letting them step out without an awkward no slamming into Lilie’s excitement. “If you do make something Lilie, let me know. I’d love to bring something too!”

All in all, the evening had been… interesting. Max was someone to avoid, especially as he called the Princess a lying bitch. That was a mess waiting to explode and she didn’t want to be in splash radius. Salem was odd but he seemed harmless. Lilie was nice and sweet but there was a landmine to avoid around her labeled “Vampires” and she didn’t want to navigate that. She made a note to avoid gatherings with her if vampires were likely to be in attendance. Aaron was the only one she didn’t have any rela misgivings about because she knew where he stood and he knew where she stood and they didn’t have to play games about what not to talk about and what to lie about. She’d have got advice from Amaris about this whole mess. Maybe she’d have a good idea how to navigate this mess.

“So when did you have the opportunity to see Aaron play? I knew he danced but I wasn’t aware he was an accomplished musician.” Maddie asked.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: The Glitter Factory
Skills: Healing Factor

---

---

“Yeah, you’re a little well done right now, honey. Nothing we won’t get fixed sooner or later.” James smiled appreciatively Waverly as she took Casper, a groan escaping him as the weight came off. The man was nothing but dead weight right now and James was barely in any condition to be schlepping him around. He gave her a thumbs up and laid down on the floor for a few seconds longer to catch his breath. He even closed his eyes but he felt the pull of sleep and he snapped them right back open and forced himself up onto one knee and then up the rest of the way. He rolled his shoulders for a few seconds, rubbing away the soreness of laying on the floor, and turned to follow Waverly.

Just in time to see Casper hit the floor. He winced at the nasty sounding thud, another bruise or bump he probably couldn’t mend right now, and made his way over as Casper rambled about Ghostbusters. Waverly tried to keep him moving but she was barely faring better than he had been. “Since no one else is in danger of dying or bleeding out, give me a second to try and close him up one more time and then maybe together we can keep him off the floor. Teamwork makes the dream work and all that, right?” James suggested as he knelt down next to his boyfriend one more time. Everything, and James literally meant everything, in him protested but he laid his hands out again and focused, searching for that familiar feeling. It took a moment, long enough that James was sweating at the thought of yet another fail, but finally he clung onto that familiar heartbeat and fixed the remaining bullet hole.

“Oh, thank fuck.” James sighed as he hoisted Casper to his feet and got him moving to the car with Waverly. “Making sure Echo was okay took way more out of me than I thought. Does it wear you out to use your gifts, Waves? Do you do any training to make it less exhausting to handle stuff?”

Fire Emblem: The Slumbering Goddess

---

@Hero@Scribe of Thoth

Clarissa considered his evaluation of the Blue Lions and the Crown Prince a moment. He clearly put deliberate thought into his words but whether or not that was because he was still getting his thoughts in order on the subject or because he was treading carefully, she wasn’t sure. Still, it seemed he was in a similar position as herself given they’d had little time to get to know everyone. Everyone was still a bit of a mystery in the other Houses at least. Her own were infuriatingly straight forward and the future headaches she was expecting were unpleasant. Maybe she ought to acquire a remedy sooner rather than later. Nevertheless, one detail sat out in Auberon’s commentary. Kellen, the boy who stumbled over himself in his introduction, was noticeably absent. Perhaps Auberon had even less time to figure him out but he at least theorized about Lienna. Maybe that’d be something to keep any eye on.

“I think you have Jorah perfectly described.” Clarissa laughed. She was perfectly content with that answer for now; Clarissa would follow up later in the year. Jorah had plenty of wonderful qualities, even if she’d probably jump out of a window before telling him otherwise his ego would swell twice its size, and she knew his familiar attitude in these situations could turn the serious kind away. “We certainly are an unusual group but I hope you’ll persevere through their antics. I doubt you'll find people more loyal to each other and those they call friends but I know they may be a tad overbearing for a few months. Jorah’s reunited with one of his closest friends and has two new ones to make and he has the uncanny ability to wrap everyone up in his exuberance. If you ever need advice on how to handle them or just need them out of your hair, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I have plenty of experience keeping them from going overboard.”

Her attention shifted to the Archbishop as soon as she started speaking, For such a young child with an impossible burden on his shoulders, he certainly held it well. She nodded along with Ionnias,practically beaming as he explained himself. Everytime he spoke, she found her respect for him growing. This was exactly what she believed would benefit the Leicester Alliance, high and lowborn reducing the significant gap between them and unifying together for the betterment of their country as a whole. Jorah must have had too much sway over her because she was two seconds away from picking him up and whirling him around she was so excited but she had to remind herself this was not her little brother and it would be far too improper to swing the Archbishop around like he was, no matter how excited she was. She cleared her throat and kept herself perfectly still.

“I appreciate your honesty, thank you! Actually, that’s similar to how my family governs. With our limited size and resources, we rely almost entirely on the weight of our economy so reducing the wealth gap between all citizens improves our financial status and helps us maintain our relevance in an increasingly aggressive production age. I have no doubt we can raise ourselves to your expectations, if for no other reason than to give others proof that you deserve to be involved in anything you decide to put your mind to. If there is anything we can do to help you further, you only need ask and I will do my best to assist you.” She offered with a determined glint in her eye. The last part had just slipped out, a spur of the moment decision she made as his situation struck a chord with her. She was no stranger to being dismissed because she was young and she wasn’t about to have this child, Archbishop or not, struggle because his clergy wouldn’t support him. Absolute nonsense. He clearly had ideas and dreams and if she could make the path to achieving that a little easier, she would do everything she could to make that happen. “That being said, I’m afraid I’ve lingered for far too long. I’d intended to get a lay of the grounds, get my things put away, and then talk with Professor Euphemia about a few things but I couldn’t miss an opportunity to chat together. Maybe the three of us can have tea one evening? My father and I used to make a habit of it and I’m afraid I’m going to miss it dearly.”