Trash Panda

~Bonsoir~

I think every school is different. Even in America, capstones aren't required at every university. Mine has one though, so that's what I'll be working on for the majority of my final semester. For my major, I have to design a "socially responsible" building by myself to prove that I'm ready to start working in the field. I'm not sure what I'll do yet, but I was thinking about creating a homeless shelter or a cathedral or maybe even a "pop up" house (the kind that are built in the event of a natural disaster that leaves people homeless). I have to figure it out before January and propose the idea to the professor in charge for approval.

~Bonsoir~

Okay! I don't expect my partners to have the same free time I do now, haha. Just wanted to let you know! My winter break is a month long, and then I'll probably be busier than ever because the next semester is my last one!! I have a huge capstone project to do (if you don't have one: it's a project that's presented in front of a panel of judges who decide if you're ready to graduate) that will probably take up most of my time from January to May. Until then though, I'm just relaxing and enjoying my time off ^^

~Bonsoir~

Do they not care about getting it done on time? Seems like bad planning if they're pushing it to the last minute. I don't blame you for being frustrated!

Also, I finished most of my semester early, so I'm back to being able to write daily again!

~Bonsoir~

Even after Peter had disappeared from the room, Vail watched the door with a leery expression. It was starting to seem like his father had expected him to relinquish his attachment to Victoria as soon as he was told the word “no.” If so, the leader of the clan was going to be horribly disappointed, because he wasn’t going to let her go until death claimed one of them. He was certain that Peter was starting to understand this. The only thing preventing him from killing her himself was her name. Since she was Lord Alexander’s daughter and therefore protected by the Saints, he couldn’t lay a finger on her. But the temptation to disregard those consequences was visible in his eyes, and it was enough to keep the Hygrace heir on his toes.

Caught up in his thoughts, Vail didn’t notice the silence that had fallen between him and Victoria until she broke it. He turned away from the door to look at her, startled by her sudden agreement with his father. Perhaps Peter’s strong pheromones had made her compliant or perhaps she had come to the conclusion on her own, but either way, he couldn’t accept the dark prophesies the clan leader had spat at them. Being with her would make his life more difficult, that much was true, but he was done taking the easy road. Additionally, there might have still been a way for them to make the journey a little less burdensome.

As Lady Crest leaned against his chest, Lord Hygrace slipped one arm around her back to hold her close. In the back of his head, he noted offhandedly how much more comfortable he had become with their gestures of affection. In the beginning, it had been difficult for him to work up the nerve to physically express his endearment to her, but now the touches they shared had become like second nature. He wanted to relieve her of the things that made her so upset.

“You’re not asking me to do anything,” he objected gently, leaning his cheek against her head. “This was just as much my decision as it was yours. It doesn’t matter what my father thinks, because I’m not going anywhere.” He fell quiet again, considering the proposal he wanted to bring up to her but hesitant to do so since he was unsure how she would take it. Even to him, it sounded outlandish and potentially detrimental. However, if he kept it to himself, there was no way of knowing if she would have agreed to go through with it. He took a steeling breath.

“And… there might be a way for our worlds to intertwine,” he started slowly, pulling back from Victoria just enough to meet her blue-eyed gaze. “I’ve heard stories from my uncle that when the first vampires came into existence, there were so few of them that they didn’t repopulate like we do now. Instead, they discovered that they could turn humans into their own by overpowering them with their pheromones and conducting some sort of ritual. I don’t know how it was done exactly, but I have to think the ability wasn’t just restricted to my ancestors.” He studied her face with a frown. “If it can still be done today… and if it’s something I could learn… would you be willing to go through with it, so that we could be together in the same world?”

~Bonsoir~

That's not good. Hope they get back to you soon! Group projects suck

~Bonsoir~

Oh okay. Hope that goes alright for you! I've never had to deal with anything like that, so I can't imagine how difficult it could be.

~Bonsoir~

Vail bristled when Peter went so far as to threaten Victoria with retribution from the clan. He wished he could beat it into his father’s thick skull that he wasn’t just with her because he was addicted to her blood. Sure, it had started out that way, but they were well beyond that now. If he had been solely hooked on the feed, he wouldn’t have even considered turning her, since he couldn’t drink the blood of another vampire. Of course, he couldn’t tell this to the clan leader about his plan though. Given how adamantly against their relationship Peter was, Vail didn’t want to risk facing any more push back if he admitted the idea out loud. So, he kept it to himself and instead parted his lips to repeat the vaguer point that he cared about Lady Crest more than his father was willing to believe.

Before he had a chance to speak a word, however, he was surprised to hear Victoria respond first with a fierceness that he hadn’t witnessed in her since the day he had inadvertently insulted her at the Black Bull tavern. He turned his head to eye her with interest, unsure if he thought she was being bold or rash. No one spoke to Peter Hygrace like that. Even when they’d had their disputes, he had always kept a respectful tone or backed down quickly if he started to raise his voice. As the combined leader and protector of the clan, his father had earned that much. But the Crest heiress owed him nothing.

Despite himself, Vail felt a hint of a smile tug at his lip. No matter how Peter reacted to her blunt declaration, he was pleased that she had been fearless enough to say everything that he could not. It also warmed him to know that she was just as determined to make their odd situation work as he was. After all, it wasn’t any less dangerous for her to be with a vampire than it was for him to choose a human. She had nearly lost her life once already. Now that he had resolved to stay by her side, he didn’t intend to let that happen again, but there was no denying that it was still a risk, especially while the Wynters were determined to get her back. Neither one of them had an easy path ahead of them, but they had both decided the reward outweighed the danger. That was enough.

At her final teasing poke, his small smile turned into a toothy grin. Every time she looked at him with mischief in her eyes, he felt his heart skip a beat. Her spunk was endearing, and it was reassuring to see that her spirit was far from broken even after all she had endured. Human or not, he was proud that she was the one he had chosen to be with. Unfortunately, he father wasn’t remotely as pleased with her speech.

“I’m beginning to grow tired of your arrogance, Crest,” Peter growled, visibly stiff with irritation. He was accustomed to humans submitting to him, not fighting back as fervently as she was now. It wasn’t a change he desired to get used to. Narrowing his eyes, he asserted his oppressive pheromones over her. “That you think you can protect a vampire is evidence of your delusion,” he went on harshly. “My son may be disappointed for a time when you leave, but he will move on. To him, your romance was just the blink of an eye. He will be happy that he didn’t lose everything over an infatuation, when—”

“Father, enough,” Vail interrupted suddenly. Although the clan leader couldn’t affect him with the tactic, his senses were powerful enough to detect the change in the air. He rested his free hand on Victoria’s forearm in a comforting gesture and met Peter’s gaze warily. “Don’t forget that she’s unwell. If you don’t reign it in, you may hurt her.”

Peter scowled at the heir. It would have been easier if he could simply uproot Vail from the bedroom and send him somewhere else until Victoria left the manor, but the rest of the Hygraces were too unruly to be trusted. None of them could be left alone with her, and he was far too busy to babysit a human girl all day. As much as it pained him to admit it, his son was the only one who could watch over her and make sure the rest of their family didn’t feed on what was left of her blood before she was returned to the Crests.

Reluctantly, he dialed back the predatory pheromones he had been releasing and rolled his shoulders. “I will send a servant to bring her dinner soon,” he grumbled, despising how little he could do because of her involvement with the Order. Eyes flicking to the heiress once more, he tilted his chin, “You ought to consider the consequences of your actions more thoroughly.” Having said his piece, he turned his back to the couple and exited the room, leaving them alone once more.

~Bonsoir~

Do you not get sick days?

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

I managed to squeeze in a post earlier than I thought, haha. Making good progress on my projects ^^ I'm almost done with the biggest one!

Nice! And me too! Decorating is the best. Now I just have to find a way to get my cat to stop chewing on the Christmas tree xD

~Bonsoir~

Oh no, hope you feel better! Get lots of rest ^^