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In Vicier - Character List - *Private* → 11 yrs ago Forum: Character Sheets
~Vicier's Character Sheets~


~Vicier's RP - Once Upon A Time - Characters~

~ Freya Beauchamp ~
~ Odette Swan ~
~ Eliza Brie ~
~ Kidagakash Nedakh ~
~ Gastone Rourke Le' Gume ~
~ Isabella De' Fortesque ~
~ Audrey Rocio Ramirez ~
~ Jaidyn Beachley ~

~Yoshi's RP - Once Upon A Time - Characters~

~ Isabella French - Enchanted Forest ~
~ Belle French - Storybrooke ~
~ Elizabeth Madden - Enchanted Forest ~
~ Jacqueline Fauxx - Storybrooke ~
~ Kaeden Liddell - Enchanted Forest ~
~ Henry Morgan - Storybrooke ~
~ Skye Palmer - Storybrooke ~
( ^^ Alice Liddell ^^ )
~ Mary Margaret Blanchard - Storybrooke ~
( ^^ Snow White ^^ )
In Once Upon a Time (Rebooted) → 11 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay

Rumpelstiltskin and Kaeden Liddell

Wonderland ~ Dungeon Cell


Run. That's all that he could do at this point was run. Run as fast as he could through the damn maze that was the only thing between him and the Queen of Heart's castle. That's where she was, that's where /he/ had sent her. That damn Dodo. He was going to pay for this. Pay through the nose for putting Elizabeth into this sort of danger. But that could wait... at least for now. The best thing that he could do was run as fast as he could, run until he reached the castle, run until he found her. She was all he had left... He couldn't lose her like he had the others... He just couldn't... He owed it to them; to Alice, to Jefferson, to Grace. He loved her, and there was no way he was going to do wrong by another person he cared about, not like he had his sister.

Skidding to a stop when he came to a fork in the road, he froze, his eyes searching frantically for something, /anything/ that would tell him which way was the right way to go. He had only been through the maze twice before... both times on the day he had let his sister down, the day that he had left her to die at the hands of the Queen. He had been a coward back then. Nothing more than a scared little boy. So he had turned tail and fled the scene... No. Worse than that. He had turned tail and fled Wonderland altogether, and now he was back. This was all his fault. He never should have let her go in the first place, not after the sinking feeling he had gotten in his chest when she had been telling him about the job that she had been offered. One last job. One last job as a collector before she gave it all up, and the two of them started a new life. Together. The way things were supposed to be... The way they should have been years ago...

Furrowing his brows slightly, he looked over the three paths that lay out ahead of him, each of them obviously leading somewhere, though he knew that at least two of the three paths were going to lead him to either a dead end or... or a /dead/ end... Shaking his head for a moment, he shoved the thoughts as far from his mind as he could manage, there was no time to be thinking about these sorts of things, he had come here for a reason. Come home for a reason. Letting his heart lead him further, he once more began to run, his legs carrying him down the center path, his ears straining, listening out for anything that might be lurking in the maze around him, not that it was going to help him much. He could fight, but something like the Bandersnatch-... Well he just hoped that he could find Liz before he had to even think about pulling a blade on the Queen's little-... okay, the Queen's big and vicious beloved pet.

His heart sunk as he heard the sound of a loud, frightened scream piercing the air, not too far ahead of where he was standing. He hadn't even realized he had stopped again, but the voice, that scream, it was unmistakable... that was Elizabeth. Pushing himself faster than he had in years, he forced himself across the ground, his feet moving as quickly as he could get them to move as he rounded the corner, his eyes catching on her. On Liz. The one person he had been looking for ever since she had missed her deadline in returning home, "Liz... Liz..! I'm coming!"

"Kaeden, no-..!"

His heart stopped dead in his chest, his eyes widening as he helplessly watched on to what was happening before his very eyes. Her body slowly changing before his eyes, all color in her... all color that she had... changing to nothing more than a dull grey as the stone took control of her body, freezing her in a perpetual state of terror. No... No, this couldn't happen... Not again... He couldn't lose her, not her too... Forcing his feet to move again, he stumbled forward as quickly as he could, his hands coming up to rest softly on either side of her face, his eyes stinging, letting him know that tears were about to fall but he didn't care. Nothing else mattered anymore. He had lost her... The last important thing that he had in his life, and she was gone... nothing more than a statue to decorate the Queen's garden.

He didn't even bother to resist... There was no point... He had lost everything that he had kept precious to his heart... His sister was gone. Jefferson and Grace, his brother and niece... both gone, disappeared from his life without a word. Elizabeth... A sharp pain shot through his heart at the very thought. Lifting his head slightly, his eyes flicked up to the statue that had once been the love of his life, her figure getting smaller and smaller as the guards dragged him away. He knew where he was going. He knew what was going to happen, now he was going to face it. And just like what he had forced upon his sister... he was going to face it alone...

---------


His eyes shot open. The pain as fresh in his heart now, just as it was when it had happened in front of his very eyes. It had been two weeks... maybe. It was hard to tell anymore. Not that he truly cared. He had lost everything that kept him going, everything that gave him the hope to live another day. To say that he wasn't terrified of death, that would be a lie. He was... the thought of losing his head and joining the rest of his family in the eternal slumber wasn't something that was easy to come to terms with, if there were another way-... No... He didn't deserve it. He was the joke of Wonderland, a failure in the Enchanted Forest, and the reason that his family were all gone. Maybe the world would have been a better place if he had just never been born in the first place.

The Queen had called his sentence the day he had been caught. Beheading. The same sentence that she had given his sister when she had been hauled in for her so-called crimes against the crown. Alice had been an innocent, she had done nothing wrong... but he had been too much of a coward to stand up for her then, too much of a coward to help her when she had pleaded with him to do just that, and he had been too much of a coward to even stay and watch it happen... Shutting his eyes tightly as he felt a sting go through them, he pulled his right leg in, his elbow resting softly on his knee as he dropped his head down. He hadn't moved in what felt like three days. Sitting at the back of the cell, his back hunched over slightly, though resting against the wall. What was the point in moving? What was the point in living anymore? Everything that he had been living for was gone... and soon he would be joining them all...

"Cozy little place you have here." a mockery of a child-like tone stated blandly, piercing through the bitter silence had had been Kaeden's only company save for the guards who brought him his spoiled curds and whey on a scheduled routine. But it was far too early in the day for his portion though. He hadn't even touched the last few bowls that he had been given. He had simply given up. Perhaps starvation was a better outlet than an outright beheading. "I'd love to see the Summer home!"

"If you're here to look upon the joke of Wonderland, than please be my guest..." Lifting his head up slightly, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze drifting up as far as it could go without him having to lift his head up any further. Truthfully, the last thing that he wanted was guests. He just wanted to be left alone... in the silence... alone with his thoughts. But it seemed that at this particular moment, he didn't have the luxury to be making any choices, "Though try and do it quietly, and without all the gloating... Some of us would rather be left alone with our thoughts okay mate."

Lifting his head up completely, he straightened his shoulders, his back resting flush against the wall that was behind him. The same wall that he had been leaning against for god knew how many days in a row. His guest... Could have been one of Caterpillar's men, could have been one of Dodo's, it was hard to tell, and with being away from home and out of the loop for so long, there was no way of knowing if he belonged to either of them without asking... though if he was part of the latter, if he was one of Dodo's men, he would be sure to at least make him pay for the pain he had caused him, even if it was going to be the last thing that he did... "So do what do I owe this pleasure, hm..? Which one of the big, scary men sent you; the bug, or the bird? Oh wait, no... don't tell me. You were sent by the snooty old cow sitting upstairs weren't you? I knew it... Well, you can tell that thing up there, that she can do what she wants to me... I'm done playing her little waiting game..."

There was a soft chuckle of amusement coming from the dark recesses of the prison before a slight pause.

"Oh no, I don't answer to any of them, dearie. You see..." Another pause... and then, stepping out of the shadows and into the light of the sole lit torch bolted to the stone wall emerged a figure, small in stature and sickly thin, though it was hard to tell from the amount of layers he wore.

The man was garbed in tight leather from head to toe; from the black leather boots that reached up past his calves, over the top of a pair of dark brown leather pants all the way up to the stiff, rigid-looking, brown dragon-hide coat he wore over the top of what looked like a black vest made from the underbelly of a crocodile that kept the blood red silk poet shirt nearly hidden from view. As though his clothing style weren't intimidating enough, as the man came closer into the light, screwing the cap on a silver flask and reattaching it to his hip, the warm flames of the flickering fire caught the hue of his skin which wasn't at all considered normal.

His complexion was a sickly, saturated green one would expect a novice sailor to achieve while sick at sea. But even stranger, embedded into the skin was what looked like flecks of gold that caught the firelight with each subtle movement the man made as he approached the front of Kaeden's cell and crouched down in front of it to be at eye level with him. The condition of the man's skin seemed to remain with him throughout his body, though only his hands, face and portions of his neck were visible for Kaeden to be unsure.

But even above the wardrobe, the sickly, glittering skin, the blackened fingernails... it was of no match to the man's eyes. If he was a man. Wide, full amber eyes where there was too much iris and not enough pupil... the eyes of a monster; dead, hungry, piercing right through Kaeden and into his soul. His thin, nude lips split into a smile, the very tips of his ruined teeth visible and making the creases within his older complexion deepen, a trill of soft giggles erupting from his throat as though the man himself didn't even know they were there.

"...I answer only... to me!"

"Well good for you, I'd give you a round of applause but... I don't want to. So why don't you just hurry up and cut to the chase, who knows how long you have before I lose my head, then you'll be stuck with the thick heads behind you, and trust me, they aren't much fun." Closing his eyes for a few moments, he tilted his head from side to side, the soft sound of joints popping filling the room as he moved, his body stiff from not having moved in so long. Not that he had anywhere to go, and even if he did... there wasn't really anywhere he would go. Life was long and hard, and full of pain, ending it was the only humane thing left to do. Now he just had to wait and see whether the starvation would get him before the beheading did...

"They can barely tell their left from their right, and if you ask them to show you where their nose is-... well, you get my drift... Point is, they're lousy listeners, so I'd hurry up and get to the point dearie" His eyes widened for only a moment, as though accentuating the last word that came out of his mouth, mocking him though with what he saw from the man in front of him, he wouldn't really give two hoots about his jab. Either way, it was a fun way to pass the time until his sentence was carried out, and while silence was golden... company was amusing.

The man stood in succession with Kaeden though unable to reach his full height, falling a few inches shorter. But his overall appearance somehow gave the illusion that he was much bigger than he was. The man drew back from the cell bars a bit, clicking his tongue thrice in a 'tisk' sound as the smile faded from his pointed features and into something that looked like a frown.

"My, my, my, aren't we the temperamental one? And here I was, having come all the way from The Enchan-ted Forest to help you." the man scorned, though in a somehow very light-hearted, playful manner. His speech was even odd, spacing out words that didn't need spacing, enunciating syllables at the ends of words with an extra breath and changing pitches as though he were singing instead. It was all just very... strange. Even by Wonderland standards.

"Oh my... well then, forgive me, this makes all the difference in the world. Come all the way, from the Enchanted Forest no less, just for little ol' me? I'm flattered, truly I am, but then... there might be one teeny, tiny little detail that I just can't seem to wrap my mind around..." Sighing softly, he turned his head, his eyes flicking about the dungeon cell before once more coming to rest on the man who claimed to be there to help him out of his predicament. Why he was there to do just that, he wasn't sure. But he would be lying to say that he wasn't curious about it... He needed answers. Especially ones that gave him clues as to just what this guy got out of helping him out of his execution, "Why would someone like you... give a crap about someone like me... It's not like my death would affect you in any way..."

Lifting his hand up, he tilted his head slightly, rubbing the back of his neck to get rid of some of the stress and tension that had accumulated within it over his time spent in isolation. The thought of it, the fact that his sister had had to go through it all in her last moments... alone, thanks to him... He felt another pang of pain shoot through his heart, "So tell me, why have you come here... what could possibly come from helping me out of losing my head to the witch upstairs?"

The posture in the man suddenly seemed to raise a little higher, giving him another inch or so as his back arched and his hands waved in an elaborate flourish, accenting the bout of giggles that came from him as though Kaeden had missed some sort of joke.

"Miss-ing the p-oint!" the man then said after coming off of whatever high had brought on the spontaneity of his behavior, though still waving his hands together in a 'no' fashion. "You. Freedom. Do ya want it or not?" he then asked, his voice suddenly very serious as he jerked his finger towards Kaeden in an accusing manner, then opening up his palm to slide it flat across the air on the word 'not.'

Freedom... Freedom was a joke. He was never truly going to be free. The weight of his parents punishment was going to be stuck with him for the rest of his life, the weight of his families deaths were on his shoulders and their blood on his hands. Yeah... freedom was what he would be getting from this guy... This was a waste of time, the guy shouldn't of even been here in the first place, but he was, so what was the harm in humoring him for even a while?

"Yeah, cause you can really offer me my freedom. I had freedom, once, but that was a long, long time ago buddy... and with each person I lost, my freedom was taken from me." Clenching his jaw, he narrowed his eyes towards the guy, he was not in the mood to play games, and it seemed like that's all this guy was about. So unless he was able to give him everything he wanted, the guy could just go and jump off a cliff for all he cared, "So unless you can give me my family back, I suggest you stop wasting my time... as you can see, I'm a busy man with places to be..."

"Your family, hmm?" the man chimed, almost in song as he seemed to ponder the supposed outlandish request. "You mean... Elizabeth, Jefferson, Grace..." he paused, then, in a near low-whisper... "Alice..." The man twisted his wrist from where his closed palm had been facing down until it was upright and opened it up flat. The moment he did, a puff of purple smoke appeared over the top of it the size of a small melon before it wafted away into the humid air of the dungeons. There, sitting nestled in his discolored palm was a small key of remarkable craftsmanship, the silver and encrusted jewels catching the light even more than the supposed gold embedded into the strange man's skin.

The man, in turn, kept his dead eyes trained on Kaeden, that twisted smile returning to his lips as a ghost of a giggle slipped out between his teeth, clearly amused with himself but trying to hold it back.

His body tensed up. The sound of their names rolling off of his tongue... it just sounded so wrong, so sinister... how he even knew of them in the first place-... he wasn't sure if he wanted to know how he knew them or not. But what made it worse was what he saw next. The key. Her key. The key that unlocked one of his sister's many journals. She had always been writing, every night, that was one thing that you could count on when it had come to Alice. Though whatever it was that was written in the pages of those books, only she knew, and the keys that opened them... he hadn't been able to find a single one. She wore them, kept them close to her at all times. Ever since her execution...

He was up from the ground, and across the length of the cell in what felt like the blink of an eye, his body pressing angrily against bars as he reached through them and towards the guy taunting him with his sister's death, "Where did you get that... Tell me! Where did you get that!"

"Oh, what, this?" The man drew back his open palm, closing his knotted fingers down on it and maneuvering it so that when he made a fist, his thumb and forefinger were pinching the bow of the key, letting the rest dangle almost dangerously, as though he were threatening to drop it. The metal grate covering up the sewer in which he was standing on a sure ending to the key that had once been thought lost. "I'm a procurer of hard-to-find objects, a... collector of sorts. This shiny little trinket found it's way to my doorstep not a few days ago!" he explained almost too jovially, his free hand expressing individual words with different, small flourishes.

"N-No..! Don't..! You can't do that - please... That key belonged to my sister, that's the only thing that I've seen of hers since she died..." His eyes widened slightly as he watched the man dangle the only part he had left of his sister over the grate at his feet. He couldn't do this, that key was the only part of Alice that was left. To throw it away so carelessly... if the starvation and the beheading didn't kill him, losing the last bit of his sister certainly would. Furrowing his brows in concentration, he pushed himself further into the bars, trying to get his arm as far out as he could, though he knew it was no use... even if the guy dropped the key, he wouldn't be able to catch it.

Closing his eyes, he dropped his head, his knees shaking weakly as he continued to try and reach for the thing he wanted most. His sister, he just couldn't let her go, not when it had been his fault-... not when it had been his fault that she was dead, "Just who the hell do you think you are anyway..."

"Oh!" the man quickly exclaimed, his lips forming a perfect 'o' shape that matched the intense roundness of his wide eyes, as though he had just remembered something important. He dropped the key but it only fell for half a second before his fist snapped out and snatched it from the air, now enclosed safely into his fist. "That's right, we haven't been formerly introduced." The man placed one boot in front of the other, his hips squaring Kaeden off as he extended out both arms into the air and flourished in a deep bow, looking more like he was in the makings of a swan dive. "R-R-R-R-Rumpelstiltskin!" he elaborately introduced himself, bowing his head as though Kaeden had earned his respect. "Or as others know me..." he tilted only his head up, the crinkled mess of his dark hair covering half of his face as his dead eyes looked back to him intently. "...The Dark One..."

"..The Dark One..." Opening his eyes as he heard the name offered to him, he turned his head, his arm dropping only slightly as he eyed the man standing before him. He had heard stories... whispers of a man by those names... The Dark One; Rumpelstiltskin... though he had never had the pleasure of meeting the old coot, and now here he was. Standing in front of him, and offering him not only his freedom, but also a piece of his sister as well, though why was still as much a mystery as it was when he had first come to see him, "And what in the hell would the Dark One want with me anyway... I'm no-one; a joke. Though, if you are who you say you are, then I'm sure that you know all that already..."

He couldn't help it. His eyes kept flicking down to Rumpelstiltskin's hand, where he knew the key was being safely held. He wanted it, more than anything. He wanted anything that would keep him close to his family, and especially his sister. Even something as small as a key with no lock-... it was the sentimental value that made the whole thing worth it. He had already made up his mind, whatever it was, he had to get his hands on that key. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't at least try... but then if he didn't, he wouldn't exactly be living much longer anyway...

Rumpelstiltskin let out a sort of 'humm' sound that could also pass for a yes. Of course he knew who he was, his reputation, his sob stories, his life. That was why he was here and the smile spreading back across his lips and the eyebrows raising let Kaeden know right away that he already knew whatever it was that he wanted, the answer was yes.

"Well if you must know..." Rumpelstiltskin started, the first few words coming out in a bark-like laugh, "my reasons actually have more to do with a quarrel with your Queen that spans far beyond before you were even born... BUT! I may have my use for you yet." His eyes narrowed on Kaeden, returning to that sinister, serious look about him that often times left people wondering if The Dark One was capable of stealing souls just by looking at them. "You may have your sister's key..." Rumpelstiltskin started again, the fist in which the key had been nestled inside suddenly leaking out small wisps of purple smoke until the weight of a heavy pendant on a chain was felt around Kaeden's neck and chest.

His eyes closed as he felt the weight of the key pressing against his chest under his top, the cool metal causing his arm to drop and his forehead to press against the bars of the cell. This was it... He had no will to say no to him anymore. The man had just given him exactly what he wanted, something to keep him close with his sister, long after she was dead and gone from the world that she had loved so dearly. Though if the rumors about Rumpelstiltskin were true... there would be something that was needed to be given in exchange for what he had just received. He just hoped that whatever it was, he would be able to give it to him.

"...and you can have your freedom..." Rumpelstiltskin added on. His entire body vanished with the blink of an eye. No smoke, no theatrics, nothing. "For one teensie-tiny lit-tle job." his voice sounded, this time coming directly from behind Kaeden. His body had reappeared within Kaeden's cell, his body hunched over so that he was able to whisper the last few words into his ear.

Rumpelstiltskin, clearly amused with his showmanship, backed off from Kaeden to stand up, extending out a knotted hand for him to shake.

"Do we have a deal?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, the corners of his lips twitching into a wanting smile though he held it back. The same could not be said for the small giggle that slipped through.

He had been right. There was something that he wanted in return for his freedom and the key, but it seemed as though he wasn't willing to give up what it was until after he got his word that he would do it. Taking a few moments to let his words settle, he stood himself up, his hands slipping down the bars in defeat until finally he turned himself around, his gaze lifting to meet with that of Rumpelstiltskin's. There was no denying it. He hated the old coot already. He was a shabby old man, who showed way too much off with all the leather, not that he didn't have some style... But his personality didn't leave much to the imagination, and if he wanted what was being offered... he had no other choice but to work with the old dodger. Lifting up his hand, he finally reached out, taking a firm grip of the hand being offered to him, the lack of food over the last few days showing in the strength of his grip.

"Alright, deal... now what the hell do you want from me..?"

Rumpelstiltskin shook his hand back, his free hand coming up where he twiddled his fingers in anticipation while his dead eyes were fixated on the key he knew to be laying on Kaeden's chest. A sly, mischievous smile split his lips as he looked back up to Kaeden, keeping his head bent but his eyes moving up in an intimidating glower... with a smile.
In Once Upon a Time (Rebooted) → 11 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
~Kaeden Liddell - Enchanted Forest~




~General Information~


Name (Enchanted Forest): Kaeden "Joker" Liddell.
Other Names: Knave.
Occupation: The Red Queen's Knave (Presently).
Place Of Origin: Wonderland.
Age: 28.
Affiliation: Chaotic Good & Chaotic Neutral.

* A chaotic good character acts as his conscious directs him with little regard for what others expect of him. He makes his own way, but he's kind and benevolent. He believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. He hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. He follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society.

* A chaotic neutral character follows his whims. He is an individualist first and last. He values his own liberty but doesn't strive to protect others freedom. He avoids authority, resents restrictions, and challenges traditions. A chaotic neutral character does not intentionally disrupt organizations as part of a campaign of anarchy. To do so, he would have to be either motivated either by good (a desire to liberate others) or evil (and a desire to make those different from himself suffer). A chaotic neutral character may be unpredictable, but his behavior is not totally random. He is not as likely to jump off a bridge as to cross it.

Appearance:



Wardrobe Style: Preferring to stay out of the limelight unlike his younger sister, Kaeden's wardrobe consists of several different outfits that cover a range of different occasions (Casual, Knave), each serving for practicality purposes rather than for show; the young man preferring the more casual look, to the clothes that he is forced to dress in for the sake of entertainment for the Queen in which he serves.

~Relationship Information~


Relationship Status: Single (Actually in a relationship).
Partner: Elizabeth Madden (Presumed Deceased).
Father: Carpenter (Presumed Deceased).
Mother: Carpenter's Wife (Presumed Deceased).
Siblings: Alice Liddell (Presumed Deceased).
Other Family: Jefferson Madden (Faux Brother; Presumed Deceased), Grace Madden (Faux Niece; Presumed Deceased).
Pet/s: While not owning any pets, Kaeden has a fondness for horses.



~Personal Information~


Personality: Seen to be rather naive and idealistic, Kaeden shows exceptional talent and potential for his age, his enthusiasm to further his skills and abilities unmatched by any other in Wonderland, and though he is rather outspoken and slightly foolish at times, he rarely uses his abilities for himself and mostly for the benefit of others. Also possessing a very good, quirky sense of humor, enduring the constant teasing from the people of Wonderland, and frequently engaging in verbal sparring with those who push him far enough; he is quite capable of coming up with insults on the spot, notably calling the Red Queen a "clotpole" on more than one occasion, though when asked to describe the exact meaning of the word, the young man often claims that the Queen herself is the exact definition, causing his humor to occasionally come across as being quite dry and sarcastic.

Although constantly told that he is an idiot (among other things) by the other inhabitants of Wonderland, Kaeden possesses quite the intelligence, having grown into the same traits as his father before him by picking up on the mans cunning, showing those around him that he is exceptionally smarter than they give him credit for. Quite impulsive and reckless at times, Kaeden can come across as completely oblivious and unaware, especially when it comes to women and romance, most often unable to catch on to whether a woman is flirting with him or not. While constantly being put down by almost all those around him, he does not want anyone else to suffer punishment for his own actions, becoming extremely guilt-ridden whenever someone takes the blame, either knowingly or ignorantly, for something that he did, and oftentimes becomes determined to clear the name of the innocent individual, no matter what it takes to do so.

While showing both a keen sense of observation and slight wisdom on the very rare occasion, to his family Kaeden is known to be stubbornly loyal and good-hearted, though also quite foolish, outlandishly overprotective, and sometimes even weak; unafraid of insulting people of a higher class than himself, he tends to address them by terms that no others would (such as: "clotpole", "dollop head", or "prat" and on occasion "stupid, old arrogant tyrant"), showing those around him that he considers them to be actual people rather than what their titles suggests them to be.

Strengths: A somewhat skilled swordsman, which he learned from those around him in Wonderland, Kaeden at first was both clumsy and unskilled, though over time, his swordsmanship improved to a point where he was able to defend himself and his family against some of the Red Queen's men who had been sent to raid the village. Also quite agile and showing great reflexes, especially when it comes to handling a blade and a crossbow, Kaeden later became fully confident with a sword when fighting, allowing him to strike down several targets in quick succession.

In addition to his skills with a sword, Kaeden is also extremely talented at keeping secrets, though those who do not know him look down upon him and claim that 'he wouldn't be able to keep a secret if his life depended on it', he is quick to retort, claiming that they would be surprised by his abilities to do just that.

Weaknesses: Quite immature, especially naive and at times majorly reckless, Kaeden has the habit of attempting to see the good in everyone and everything, even after being specifically warned by Caterpillar that it could (in the end) prove to be his undoing, though the young man doesn't seem to care, claiming that the word of an old man doesn't count for the actions of others.

Surprisingly, Kaeden is also proved to be an extremely incompetent assassin, and during the only instance in which he was ordered by the Red Queen to kill a specific target, all of his attempts seemed to fail, though this was due more by luck, rather than by the lacking of skills needed to preform the task.

Magic Capabilities:
While it has not yet been discovered as to whether Kaeden possess any magical qualities or capabilities, he understands just how truly dangerous magic can really be, and knows that all magic comes with a price, though with all of Wonderland seeing him as nothing more than a joke, the young man is even afraid to try and find out whether he can perform magic or not; his feelings towards the subject causing him to harbor a slight jealousy towards his younger sister, Alice who is able to wield magic as well as she can.

Weapons:
Quite skilled and able to handle a range of different weapons, Kaeden prefers the feel of blades to most others that are available for his use, though with the choice at hand he will always chance a sword and daggers above all other weapons that are at his disposal.

Brief Biography:
Forced to be nothing more than the joke of Wonderland since birth, Kaeden grew up extremely close to, and quite protective over his younger sister Alice, the young boy doing all that he could to help look after and keep her out of trouble with the help of their two best friends, Jefferson and Elizabeth Madden, the four children soon becoming as thick as thieves, rarely ever being seen without at least one of the others by their sides; their relationships growing stronger as the years passed them by. Soon hit hard by the loss of both of their parents, Kaeden did his best to step up, and with the help of both Jefferson and Elizabeth, the three of them did all that they could to work together and continue to raise Alice together as best as they could, the young girl blossoming into a beautiful, curious and charming young lady right before their eyes, while his relationship with Elizabeth seemed to bloom into something more, the two of them finding love with one another making life seem just that much more brighter until disaster seemed to strike them all down.

With the news of his sister's execution weighing down upon his shoulders, and fear striking him in the heart, Kaeden turned tail and ran, unable to stay and watch as his sister lost her head, and instead running from her ultimate doom causing his last memory of her to be that of her calling out and pleading with him for help. Returning home and completely riddled with guilt, he quickly packed up what little belongings he had and sought out the White Rabbit, leaving Wonderland altogether, unable to live there any longer with the thought that he had betrayed and left his sister in her time of need. Finding himself in the middle of the Enchanted Forest, Kaeden wandered before finally settling down in the Kingdom of Avonlea, soon becoming a Knight under Gaston and King Maurice; a year passing before he found himself once more face to face with Elizabeth while escorting a carriage of gold from the Kingdom.

Now with only Elizabeth left within his life, and forever mourning the loss of the rest of his family, Kaeden did his best to do the proud and make up for all the wrongs that he had done in the past, their relationship becoming exceptionally close until fate seemed to have other ideas for the pair. Now following her lead and running with Robin Hood, Elizabeth was offered one last job as a collector, and with her promises of returning as soon as she could, he reluctantly agreed and allowed her to take on the job with the knowledge that once she got back, the two of them would be starting a new life together; a better life. Growing worried after Elizabeth had missed her deadline, Kaeden quickly set off after her, his searches leading him back to the Queen of Hearts' castle, and though he was haunted with the memories of his sister, his drive for finding the woman he loved kept pushing him forward, however, just as the two found each other, the Queen struck, causing her to turn to stone before his very eyes. Overcome with grief and shock at losing the only one he had left in his life, Kaeden gave himself up, not bothering to fight as the Queen's men dragged him away to the cells, forcing him to await the chopping block, just as his sister had done before him.

~Other Information~


Other: Originally belonging to his little sister, Kaeden wears a small key necklace around his neck in memory of her and everything that he did to wrong her; a precious keepsake that helps to serve as a personal reminder of the person that he never wishes to be again.

~Theme Song~

"I'm Still Here" by John Rzeznik.

In Once Upon a Time (Rebooted) → 11 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
~Elizabeth Madden - Enchanted Forest~




~General Information~


Name (Enchanted Forest): Elizabeth Madden.
Other Names: Lizard, Puss in Boots.
Occupation: Collector (Formally), Thief (Presently).
Place Of Origin: Wonderland.
Age: 27.
Affiliation: Chaotic Good & Chaotic Neutral.

* A chaotic good character acts as her conscious directs her with little regard for what others expect of her. She makes her own way, but she's kind and benevolent. She believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. She hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. She follows her own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society.

* A chaotic neutral character follows her whims. She is an individualist first and last. She values her own liberty but doesn't strive to protect others freedom. She avoids authority, resents restrictions, and challenges traditions. A chaotic neutral character does not intentionally disrupt organizations as part of a campaign of anarchy. To do so, she would have to be either motivated either by good (a desire to liberate others) or evil (and a desire to make those different from herself suffer). A chaotic neutral character may be unpredictable, but her behavior is not totally random. She is not as likely to jump off a bridge as to cross it.

Appearance:



Wardrobe Style: Practical though still quite alluring, Elizabeth's wardrobe consists several different outfits, each of them allowing her both the free movement and comfort she needs while she's out collecting, running from the guards, or proving her skills with a blade; her unique style in Wonderland, and the opportunity of taking her pick from the clothes brought around constantly by the clothes-horse, leaving her with something in any occasion (E.g. Collector's outfit, e.g. Enchanted Forest outfit, ect.) whether it be hanging out with her family, or doing her best to keep her head.

~Relationship Information~


Relationship Status: In a relationship.
Partner: Kaeden Liddell.
Father: Unknown (Presumed Deceased).
Mother: Unknown (Presumed Deceased).
Siblings: Jefferson Madden (Mad Hatter; Presumed Deceased).
Other Family: Grace Madden (Niece; Presumed Deceased), Alice Liddell (Presumed Deceased).
Pet/s: While not owning any pets, Elizabeth has a fondness for all animals in Wonderland and the Enchanted Forest.



~Personal Information~


Personality: Seen to be both an extremely spirited and quick-witted young woman, Elizabeth has a very compassionate and caring nature towards those who show her that they deserve it, allowing them to see the real her, rather than showing them just what everyone expects her to be due to her being a collector; the young woman showing nothing but comfort and love towards her family, and an almost motherly type care towards the two young girls that are in her life. Considered to be exceptionally beautiful by many who meet her, she tends to attract both the attention and affection of numerous men, and while the quite passionate and suave young woman is unafraid to flirt and lead them on to get whatever it is that she desires, she is intensely faithful and loyal to the one who has managed to steal her heart at any given time.

An incredibly intelligent young woman, Elizabeth proves herself time and time again to be not only beautiful, but also capable at handling anything that gets thrown her way, her strong fiery spirit, unbridled will-power and passionate independent streak helping the young woman to rarely ever hesitate whenever it comes to standing up against someone, whether it be her older brother or her boss. Displaying an immense amount of courage and a slightly heroic ability as a fighter when the situation calls for it, she is never afraid to intervene and put herself in the middle of an argument, extremely stubborn she is always willing to stand up for what she feels in her heart is right.

Despite portraying a rather fierce, just and kind young woman, Elizabeth sometimes has the nasty habit of biting at her nails whenever she gets nervous or overly anxious, the young woman sometimes having to force and consciously refrain herself from doing so when she is in the company of others. A vicious little thing whenever she is pushed far enough, she is widely known for being quite tough, not only being able to take a physical beating, but mentally as well, and though her conscience does sometimes tend to get in the way, the woman has a mean streak strong enough to shake Wonderland, her well-kept temper leaving her a force to be reckoned with.

Strengths: An extremely intelligent young woman, Elizabeth has a knack for both getting what she wants and getting her way, whether it just be information out of a reluctant party, or getting out of doing something that she doesn't particularly want to do; the young woman using her attractive physical appearance and strong charisma to her advantage, making it hard on others to say the word "no" to her.

Also a skilled climber, parkour enthusiast and a fast runner, Elizabeth has great reflexes, especially when it comes to handling a blade; her great speed and excellent flexibility allowing her to pull her weapon and strike down several targets in a rather quick amount of time. Mentally stronger than most and with a peak of durability, it shows that disease and illness rarely affect her in any way, allowing her to keep her keen senses sharp and ready to use at a moments notice.

Weaknesses: Immensely protective over her family, she tends to take any sort of threat against them with a severity like no other, intensely loyal to the ones that she loves and cares for, Elizabeth doesn't stop to think twice before jumping into action, the reckless young woman oftentimes letting her emotions get the better of her, and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep them safe, even if it means putting her own life on the line to do so.

Magic Capabilities:
Realm jumping - Elizabeth, much like her brother to come before her, has the unique and widely sought out ability to jump between realms, her boots allowing her to both quickly and safely travel between the different realms so long as they are all connected together through the bond of magic.

This particular for of magic does not work when trying to get to a realm that is not connected to others through magic.

Weapons:
Quite skilled and able to handle a range of different weapons, Elizabeth prefers the feel of blades to most others that are available for her use, though with the choice at hand she will always chance a sword and daggers above all other weapons that are at her disposal; the young woman also having no issues with using her body and flirtatious nature as a weapon against the opposite sex.

Brief Biography:
Born into a sweet and loving family, Elizabeth Madden grew up extremely close to her older brother, Jefferson, the bond created between the two of them strong and unbreakable, leaving the two of them almost completely inseparable, the older of the two doing all he could to help look after and raise his younger sister to become the beautiful and confident young woman that they all knew her to be. Following her brothers lead when it came to making friends, the two siblings quickly befriended a couple of the other children in their families village, the four children soon becoming as thick as thieves, rarely ever being seen without at least one of the others by their sides; their relationships growing stronger as the years passed them by. Eventually becoming the extremely feisty and ever outgoing young woman that every saw her to be, Elizabeth never feared or back down from whatever it was that lay in front of her, pushing her limits not only with her job as a collector, but also when it came to the bonds that she shared with those around her; her relationship with Kaeden soon blossoming into something more than she could of ever hoped, when she found love with one of her best friends.

Doing her best to be a mature and responsible older sister figure for Alice to look up to, the two of them quickly began spending more and more time together; the two of them, almost inseparable, always seeming to find themselves getting into some sort of trouble whenever she wasn't busy with her job, though pushing their luck a little too far, disaster struck the pair, leaving Elizabeth to watch on in horror as Alice was dragged away to the castle by the Queen of Hearts' men to await the time in which she was to be executed for her so-called crimes by means of beheading. Unable to take what was happening to her family, Elizabeth was helpless as she watched the death of Kaeden's sister tear him apart, causing him to disappear from her life without a trace; not wanting to be apart from the man that she had fallen in love with, she quickly packed her things and left Wonderland, determined to find Kaeden so that the two of them could once more be together, her actions causing a rift to come between herself and her brother, and the guilt of walking away from him and her niece to eat her up from the inside out.

Finding herself in the middle of the Enchanted Forest, Elizabeth soon found herself in the company of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, the band of thieves welcoming her into their ranks and introducing her into their way of life while helping her to find the one she had come in search for in the first place, their hard work not going to waste as a raid on a carriage from the Kingdom of Avonlea soon had her search coming to an end. Reunited with the man she loved, the two quickly made plans for a better life together, though with the promise of once more finding him, Elizabeth had no other choice but to return to Wonderland for one final job before being able to settle down with him. Wanting nothing more than to return to him in the Enchanted Forest, she rushed the job, her sloppy work causing things to go wrong and forcing her to run for her life before being turned into nothing more than a stone statue fit to decorate the Queen of Hearts' garden.

~Other Information~


Other: One of her most prized possessions, Elizabeth is rarely ever seen without the beautiful circular locket hanging around her neck; originally gifted to her by her older brother with a picture of the five of them together (Jefferson, Emeric, Alice, Grace and herself), she does all she can to keep it close to her heart, in hopes that one day, they will be a family again.

~Theme Song~

"Come Home" By Tonight Alive.

In Once Upon a Time (Rebooted) → 11 yrs ago Forum: Advanced Roleplay
~Isabella Français - Enchanted Forest~




~General Information~


Name (Enchanted Forest): Isabella Français.
Other Names: Belle.
Occupation: Princess.
Place Of Origin: Avonlea.
Age: 22.
Affiliation: Neutral Good.

* A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. She is devoted to helping others. She works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order.

Appearance:



Wardrobe Style: Though quite reserved and quiet than most girls at her age, Isabella's wardrobe is filled with nothing but the best available thanks to her father, the older gentleman wanting to be sure that his only daughter had something fitting to wear no matter the occasion (Ballgown, Casual gown, Riding/Travelling outfit, Winter/Travelling cloaks, ect.).

~Relationship Information~


Relationship Status: Engaged.
Partner: Gaston Le' Gume, however Isabella is in love with Rumpelstiltskin (The Dark One).
Father: King Maurice Français of Avonlea.
Mother: Queen Colette Français of Avonlea (Deceased).
Siblings: None.
Pet/s: While not owning any pets, Isabella has a love of cats.



~Personal Information~


Personality: Strong headed, protective and stubborn, Belle always had a knack for look after those who couldn't look after themselves; growing up quickly at a young age the confident outgoing child made it clear that she was mature and responsible enough to deal with the obstacles life threw her way; looking after her father instead when all she wanted was to sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy one of her many books. With determination and a hard working nature, she tries her best at everything she does, putting in a hundred and ten percent every time.

Strengths: An extremely intelligent young woman, Belle has a knack for researching, able to recall almost every piece of information that she has ever read. A great strategist, she uses her talents well and when called upon, catching any flaws in the plans that others tend to more times than none, run by her. Physically stronger than most and with a peak of durability, it shows that disease and illness rarely affect her in any way, allowing her to keep her keen senses sharp and ready to use at a moments notice.

Weaknesses: Irritatingly stubborn and overly heroic at times, Isabella tends to look at life as though it were a story in one of her books, the young woman holding a quite naive concept over what she believes good and evil to be, though it doesn't stop her from trying her best to see the good in all of those around her, even if she herself ends up getting hurt or have been hurt by them in the past; her way of thinking causing her to try and rationalize their actions by attempting to convince herself that they had a good reason for their choices.

Magic Capabilities:
While it has not yet been discovered as to whether Isabella possess any magical qualities or capabilities, she understands just how truly dangerous magic can really be, and knows that all magic comes with a price.

Weapons:
While not actually possessing any weapons, Isabella is able to wield both a blade, as well as a bow and arrow when the time calls for it. Her only other weapon being the vast amounts of intelligence that she has, giving her the unique ability to think and calculate her way out of almost any situation presented to her.

Brief Biography:
Raised by her mother Colette to be both a beautiful and charming young lady, Isabella grew close bonds with both her parents, each of them doing their best to give their daughter the best of everything, all the while nurturing her love of books and reading; the bonds with her parents growing stronger and stronger with each day that passed. However, with the Ogre wars falling hard upon the Kingdom, Belle found herself pulled further away from her father, instead kept busy and away from the danger presenting itself by spending her time at her mothers side, her mind however ever filled with worry for the people of Avonlea.

Finding herself trapped in the library with her mother during the middle of an attack on their families castle, Belle was thrown to the ground under the weight of her mother, watching in horror as the woman who had given her life to begin with, gave her own in order to protect her daughter. The tragic loss quickly causing a hard strain to come between Isabella and her father, only ever intensified whenever the young woman brought up the topic that was her mother, the lack of emotional support from her now only parent in her life helping to turn her to the only other man that was in her life, Gaston. Desperate for help and wanting to end the war that was raging throughout his Kingdom, Maurice swallowed his pride as best as he could, deciding to call upon the only one within the Enchanted Forest that he believed would help them out, Rumpelstiltskin.

Originally Gaston's fiance, Belle decided days before their wedding that the lives of their people were more important than walking down the aisle with the man that she loved, putting them before her relationship and ignoring the pleas of reason from both her father and her fiance, she agreed to the terms of the Rumpelstiltskin's deal, choosing to leave with him in the hopes that it would save everyone that she loved. Finding herself under the care of the Dark One himself, Isabella quickly became nothing more than a common housemaid, left alone to the chores given to her and the knowledge that she would never again see those that she cared about. Very slowly gaining trust over time from the man who had gone and taken her in, she began to open up to him, carefully pushing her luck in the hopes that eventually he would open up to her, and with each day that passed them by, she began to feel less and less as though she wanted to leave his side.

Hesitant of the feelings that had begun to stir within her towards him, Isabella decided to follow her heart, letting herself take a chance at something that she believed that she had seen within him, choosing to see past the monster that everyone had warned her of, and instead deciding to focus on the good that she saw within his heart. However, fearful both of what she was causing him to feel, and what was happening to him, Rumpelstiltskin quickly grew angered, casting Belle out of his castle with the fear that he no longer wished to have her around anymore.

~Other Information~


Other: A treasured gift and heirloom given to her by her father after the tragic and untimely death of her mother Colette, Isabella wears and is rarely seen without a beautiful golden necklace that once belonged to her mother, the pendant hanging from the delicate chain a small enchanted rose that had been encased within a glass dome through magic.

Though not able to possess it for herself, Isabella treasures a small tea cup from her time spent under Rumpelstiltskin's care within his caste, the beautiful china, though chipped slightly, holding memories that to her, can never be replaced or forgotten.

~Theme Song~

"Start Again" By Sam Tsui.

In Once Upon a Time... → 11 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
YoshiSkittlez' Jefferson Madden and Vicier's Alice Liddell


The very moment Jefferson Madden stepped foot outside, he was greeted with an almost overwhelming amount of fresh air in comparison to the stuffed-up, humid air he had been sharing with four other people in a house built comfortably for only two for the last few hours. Almost forgetting that Alice had followed him outside, he paused after shutting the door on the mushroom house and simply inhaled a deep breath, stretching his lanky limbs as far out as they could go. He may have had some rather... bitter feelings towards Wonderland, but it would always be his home, and there wasn't any other air quite like Wonderland.

With a renewed vigor now pumping through his bloodstream with the increase of fresh oxygen, Jefferson turned his head to look down at Alice (she being more than a head shorter than he) and gave her a wide grin, reaching ear to ear. He had counted on being alone for a while, but should anyone have followed him out, he was glad it was her. True he may have been closer with Edric, even now despite their minor differences they were starting to recognize in one another, but Alice had always been that welcome reprieve from the antics of Edric; the little sister that was always there, but necessary to make the friendship between 'brothers' that much stronger.

Keeping his smile, Jefferson extended out a hand, gesturing for Alice to take the lead. Where? He did not know. Anywhere would be fine. Anywhere away from those that would continually remind him of this... Storybrooke... of his Grace...

The odd duo took a somewhat inlaid path down and away from the Liddel's mushroom house, down the small hill that the home rested on and followed the path up again on a larger hill. The long, blue grass started taking over more and more of the path, leaving the two to create their own as they made the slight incline up to the top of the hill where a single, knotted, warped tree had rooted, a single branch extending out it's arm just a foot or so above Jefferson's head; even with his hat. Coming to a stop, though he knew not why, Jefferson removed his top hat from his head and spun it around his fingertips a few times before tossing it to the side like a frisbee, watching it land in the tall blue grass just a few feet away from them.

The sun was well past setting, the moon peeking through the dark purple clouds that rolled by making the light of the moon take on a florescent pink color, casting all sorts of glorious shades on the shadows of the grass and the knotted tree they were standing just underneath. Nearby, a handful of different clusters of fireflies blinked their various colors. Greens, blues, oranges, yellows... all twinkling their differed colors in their altered patterns.

"You know..." Jefferson said staring out at the break in clouds where the moonlight managed to stream through to illuminate the plane of grass out before them. "It's nights like these that make me miss Wonderland... if even for just a moment..."

Closing her eyes as she lifted her head up she took in a deep breath of the fresh air, her ever warm smile seeming to grow even wider over her lips as she quickly moved on ahead of him, her arm lifting up as she reached the top of the hill, her hand pressing lightly against the trunk of the tree as she tilted her head, her eyes seeming to glisten slightly as she looked out over the view that was lain out before them. Turning her body slightly so that she was looking back over her shoulder at him her lips parted slightly, her head tilting gently as her free hand played lightly with the skirt of her dress, "I know what you mean, it feels really good to be back home. I can't ever imagine leaving it again Hatter... everything is just so beautiful here, I've missed it all..."

Dropping her skirt back down she lifted her arm up, gently brushing some of her long locks of hair back off her face before she neatly tucked them behind her ear, her attention turning back to the amazing view of their homeland spread out before them, "Every little blade of the blue grass... the sweet songs that float through the air on the breeze... the fireflies that light up the night... just everything... I've missed it all..."

Turning her head back around so that she could once more see him, she let her eyes meet his for a few moments, the corners of her eyes crinkling slightly as her features seemed to light up, "..Especially you Hatter..."

Her compliment to his company had Jefferson's smile coming back across his face, looking over at her over his shoulder where the light of the moon lit up her features in a colorful display of beauty. A soft breeze picked up throughout the plain, a ripple coming across the blue grass which had each blade striking a harmonic tune that when all-together, sounded much like a song which caught Jefferson's attention right back in front of him.

"Heh, Bluegrass..." Shaking his head, Jefferson picked up his feet and carried himself over to the knotted tree where Alice was still standing, tilting his head to the side as he thought over her words carefully. "You very well could stay here for the remainder of your days, Little Rabbit. Edric and me... well... we have to leave. From the sounds of it, tomorrow. Whatever your brother's concerns are in Storybrooke that would pull him back are his own, but I have Grace. Regina tore her away from me, and now I have to get her back. I can't leave her there, or depend on someone else to bring her back to me." Sighing, Jefferson looked away from Alice for a moment, simply staring at the clouds overhead near the parting for the moon. "The Queen of Hearts is still around... somewhere. If she ever catches wind that you are still alive..." Jefferson stopped, shaking his head as he turned back to look at her. "It's not safe for you here... not alone anyway. I could ask you to come along to Storybrooke with us again, but the invitation has already been laid out. It may not be any safer there for you than it is here, but at least you would have people looking out for you. Your brother... me..."

Tearing her gaze away from him she lowered it to the view before them, her soft pink lips parting slightly as she let her hand slide lightly down the trunk of the knotted tree, her other arm coming up to nervously play with the necklace that rested softly against her skin, "He left me Hatter... I was so very frightened, all I could think about was the fact that death was waiting for me... and he left me... He turned tail and ran..."

Her lower lip trembled slightly as she tried her best to push the thoughts of that day, and the days that followed to the very back of her mind, not wanting to have to think about them too much even though she knew that eventually she would have to, "All that time that I was locked away in that dungeon... I thought I would never see you again... never hear you say the words 'Little Rabbit' again... I know you just want me to be safe, and I know that I'm going to have to be really careful because of the Queen, but... I don't know if I can trust him enough to leave with you both..."

Jefferson's neutral expression began to turn into an outright frown, her mention of 'dungeon' taking his thoughts to the years she was locked up by the hand of Rumpelstiltskin. He had done his own time as a prisoner, even had his head completely removed for a while, literally! But he had lost himself to madness and that... that at least made the last five years tolerable. Alice seemed completely mentally intact. Well, as intact as he could remember her being before he had presumed her dead. But not only had she spent time as Rumpelstiltskin's prisoner, but The Queen of Hearts and even in the end, Regina's through her curse. Three different captors - always a prisoner.

Feeling an odd sense of protectiveness coming over him, Jefferson took a single step towards her, his right arm wrapping around her back and pulled her into him, practically crushing her into his chest for a close hug; as though the action would make all her bad memories go away or at least his own bad memories he held for her. She seemed fine, but she had always had a hardened shell around her; it was always difficult to know just how Alice Lidell was feeling, so maybe he was just doing this for himself. He had felt protective of Alice before, but this time there was something... he didn't even know how to explain it other than 'different.'

Moving his free hand to hold the back of her head delicately, he held her there in his embrace, resting the bottom of his chin to the top of her head, getting in a whiff of the smell of her hair as the breeze picked up lightly once again.

"It's alright, Little Rabbit. I know what Edric did. I myself have some bitter feelings towards your brother at the present moment because of what he did to you. But I'm not going there for him. I'm going there for me, for my Grace. I only wish that you can be looked after, safely, while I'm gone but when I moved- when I left Wonderland... there isn't a single person I trust with doing that save for myself. Not here. And everyone I would have gone to in The Enchanted Forest has been cursed to Storybrooke." He paused, pulling his arm that was wrapped around her back to push her into him a bit tighter in a gentle squeeze. "I thought I lost you to death once, I can't do it again."

Lowering her head further down so that her chin was almost resting against her chest she closed her eyes, her breath catching in her throat and her hands coming up to rest lightly against his chest as she felt his arm wrap around her waist, her body turning and falling into his own as he gave her a gentle tug in hopes that he could make her feel better than she was at the current moment, the sweet action causing her eyes to sting as tears began to form threatening to overflow, "Hatter..."

Hearing his kind words of comfort to surround her she shut her eyes even tighter than she had already done, allowing the tears that she had been so determined to hold back to flow down her cheeks as she buried her face into his chest, her body pressing willingly closer and harder against his as she felt his grip tightening around her, "Hatter... I never wish to be away from your company again... I could not stand to lose anymore time with you than I have already been forced to miss..."

Tilting his head down so that his mouth was firmly pressed into the top of her brown hair (though not kissing it, merely resting) he closed his own eyes, feeling the sting of tears coming on as he heard her voice cracking as her own tears started to shed. This wasn't right. This was supposed to be Edric's job, her true brother, to comfort her fears and make her feel safe. But the coward had already made a mess of things, to both of them. Keeping his own tears at bay, he breathed out heavily through his nose, causing a few strands of her brown locks to sway at the push of air. He pushed his lips to kiss at her crown, a sweet gesture between friends or even something father and daughter shared in a moment of love and concern.

"Then come with me. I can't stay here, you know that. I can't abandon Grace. But if you come with me, then I can promise you one thing- that I will never leave your side, and to always protect you. Regina and Rumpelstiltskin may be there, but I will never, never let them harm you. Not again."

Curling her fingers slightly as she took a hold of the front of his top she tightened her grip and pressed her body even closer against his, the young woman savoring the feeling that she got from being in his arms, his strong but still ever gentle embrace making her feel welcome... safe, unlike the embrace that she had shared with her brother upon first laying eyes on him again. Lifting her head up slowly so that she was resting her chin softly against his chest, her eyes opening slowly as she turned her gaze up to meet with his own, a small and slightly shy smile playing over her lips through the pain that was still fresh in her mind about the things she wanted nothing more than to forget and leave behind.

"That's all I could ever truly wish for Hatter... To spend the rest of my days with you, and Grace... even with Edric... But I don't know if I can. You already have Grace to look after when you return, I can't ask you to look after me as well..." Taking a deep breath she dropped her gaze back down to her hands before she let it out slowly, her eyes saddening slightly as she stared at her fingers playing with his top, "I don't know... There's always Dodo's offer... Though no one seems to agree with it..."

"I don't trust Dodo." Jefferson replied blatantly, his voice raising a fraction as the small fears of what he knew Dodo to be capable of started to arise in his mind. He caught onto it quickly, however, and sighed to bring himself back to a neutral level. He moved his hand that had been holding the back of her head to tilt up her chin with his finger, forcing her to look at him though he did it gently. "I don't want to leave you here Alice. Not with Dodo, not with anyone. Please, you have to trust me. I can look after you and Grace, just as I looked after Grace and her mother before she decided to leave for her own reasons. I may stumble, I may fall, but I won't ever give up. Not on Grace. Not on you. Should the worst ever happen, it won't be from lack of effort."

Lifting her gaze back up to meet his as he guided her head up lightly with his finger, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink as she felt her heart stumble lightly in her chest, the young woman not sure as to why she was suddenly feeling so nervous around the man that she had known her whole life, "I do trust you Hatter, and right now, I trust you more than anyone else that I know... If you say that you can do this, then I shall return to live in Storybrooke with you, Grace and Edric... But my heart is still too weary to trust him..."

Managing to blink away the remaining tears that went unshed from his eyes, Jefferson continued to look back down into her bright blues and smiled, moving his hand that had been tilting up her head to hold the other side of her waist. "Good. Saves me from having to track down a genie." He quipped, his famous smile returning to his face that reached his eyes. "I wouldn't know what to do with the other two wishes anyway, except to maybe help your relationship with your brother. But I'd never entrust a wish like that to a genie. Such finicky things they are, wishes..."

"Hatter... My heart... It feels strange..." Biting her lower lip as she felt her heart once more stumbling in her chest at his dazzling smile, her gaze dropped from his for only a moment to rest on her hands as her cheeks took on a soft tinge of red, her stomach churning nervously as she forced herself to once more meet his gaze, her lip slipping from between her teeth as she tried to think of a better way of explaining what she meant.

"My heart... it feels as though it's trying to take off in flight. It keeps stumbling, like the wings of a hummingbird when it first learns to fly... I don't understand this feeling that I seem to get when I'm around you..." Pausing for a moment as she collected her thoughts she searched his eyes, looking for some kind of answer as to what it possibly was that she was feeling, "Please... tell me what this is so that I can better understand what it is that my heart is trying to tell me..."

He had to chuckle at that, because he hadn't even noticed until Alice had said something that his own heart was feeling the exact same way. Butterflies. Or in the case of Wonderland; breadandbutterflies. He was confused at first, but he had learned long ago that making sense of feelings was a conundrum best left alone, even in Wonderland. Easing up on his protective hold on her, he moved a hand from her waist to take hold of hers, placing both of them on his chest and over his heart with her palm pressing flat with his hand on top of hers, able to feel his own heart beating rapidly.

"Only if you can tell me the same thing, Little Rabbit."

He had always loved Alice, for as long as he could remember. She was the little sister in the relationship between a brotherly friendship. But that had been years ago. Being with Alice now... after such a long time... he never thought those feelings would change, but it seemed as though they had; developed into something more. Something stronger.

Lowering her gaze ever so slightly so that she was staring down at their hands resting on his chest, her soft pink lips parted, a small and gentle smile playing over her lips as her body relaxed into his, the constant beating of his heart within his chest only causing her own to grow even wilder with every beat, her voice soft and almost nothing more than a whisper as she spoke mainly to herself, quoting something that she had read during her time spent living in Storybrooke.

"I love you... without knowing how, or when... or from where..." Pausing for a moment she tilted her head only slightly, her eyes softening with each word that she spoke, both her heart and her mind seeming to tell her that what she was saying was nothing more than the truth in the matter, "I love you simply... without problems or pride; I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this... in which there is no I or you... so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand..."

Curling her fingers slightly under his hand as she continued to speak, her cheeks turned a bright shade of red, her gaze staying fixated upon their hands as she did her best to think about whether or not she should meet his gaze, the young woman only now realizing that in their close proximity, he would have heard each and every word which she had to utter about how she felt, "..so intimate that when I fall asleep, your eyes close..."

Jefferson's ears turned a brilliant shade of red, though the only indication being the sudden sting of warmth coming from them as his ears were covered up by the mop of brown hair on his head. However, his blush continued over his ears, into his cheeks, down his neck and straight down into his heart where it fueled the frantically beating organ into something fierce. And that wasn't something he could keep hidden with his hair. He knew they were not words of her own, but a quote of some kind. It didn't matter, for they had come to her in this very precise moment.

With his free hand, he moved it to place his finger back on the bottom of her chin, tilting her head up to look back at him once more. Searching her own blues with his, looking for something, he quietly and simply whispered, "Indulge me." Slowly, inch by inch, he bent his neck forward, his head coming closer to hers. His eyes never left hers, unable to help but to wonder if she would find what he was about to do at all offensive. It was a very thin line they were walking on; between family and friend. He just wasn't sure which side of the line she was standing and until very recently, neither did he.

He continued pushing forward until the breath of his lips fanned against hers, skin mere millimeters apart and stopped. He waited. For what, he wasn't sure, but as the moments seemed to tick on for an eternity, he closed the gap and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle, feather-light kiss, almost non-existent.

Tearing her attention away from their hands as she felt him gently guide her head back up by her chin, she let her gaze return once more to his own, her heart fluttering slightly at the intense look that seemed to be taking over his eyes, as though he was searching for answers to questions that he wasn't wishing to ask... or was just too afraid or nervous to find out the answers too, "Indulge you..."

Unsure at first, her breath caught in her throat as she finally clicked on to what it was he was actually asking her to do, her light blue orbs never leaving him as she watched him slowly leaning into her, inch by inch bringing his lips closer towards her own as he worked to close the gap that was left between them. Extending her neck only slightly, she lifted herself up onto the balls of her feet, her lips connecting with his in a gentle kiss that until this very moment, she would never have believed would have happened under any possible circumstances. Even now it felt like a dream; a sweet, sweet dream... one that she never wanted to wake from.

Sliding both her hands up and over his chest, she allowed herself to melt into him; her right hand resting on his shoulder, while her left continued up further, curving slightly as she slid it around the back of his neck. Tilting her head slightly, she couldn't help herself as she took another step closer towards him, her eyes fluttering closed as she put a little more force behind her lips, her heart craving for more attention, begging for more from him.

A flooding warmness enveloped his entire body then as Alice pushed herself forward into him, deepening their kiss. He felt as though his entire being was blushing fiercely; even more so now that his previous blush had been completely washed over with this new feeling. A tingling sensation started at his lips and pooled down through his veins and into his chest, making it tighten, but her hand sliding up his chest to wrap around the back of his neck seemed to loosen those knots almost immediately.

Removing his hand from her chin he wrapped it around her back gently, holding her to him, helping to stabilize her given their height difference as she was forced onto the balls of her feet. Keeping their lips together, feeling the want as she was kissing him back, he pulled away from a breath of a moment and pressed his forehead down onto hers. Their noses touched and their eyes connected, simply looking at one another until Jefferson broke out into a sudden, manic grin.

Furrowing her brows slightly as she felt him pulling away, she reluctantly tilted her head downwards, her forehead pressing gently back against his own forehead as she lightly let the tip of her nose brush back and forth over his, her chest rising and falling quickly as she did her best to catch her breath once more, the grip that her arms had around his neck refusing to let up as she made her choice, the woman not wishing to be apart from him any longer than she already had, "I-... I never in a million years... would have believed that I would want nothing more than to be held fast in your arms in such a way as this... to feel this wanted... to feel safe again... I have no doubts now that what I feel for you is love..."

The tightening he had felt in his chest a few moments ago returned in full vigor, forcing his heavy-lidded eyes to open a fraction more in a short surprise. In that precise moment, Alice, his Little Rabbit, had never looked more adult, mature and altogether absolutely beautiful in the many, many years he had known her. She had always been a girl of exceptional beauty even in her younger years, though a bit on the odd side. It didn't matter. As he held her now, close to him and feeling her heartbeat keeping perfect time with his against his chest, he upheld his grin and kept their foreheads together.

"My Little Rabbit... My Alice..." He breathed out, using her proper name for perhaps the first time since he had given her a nickname so many years ago. "I love you too."

Unable to help the small smile that crossed over her lips, lighting up her features and causing the corners of her eyes to crinkle slightly as she leant in, her lips pressing gently against his once more, his words sending her heart into a frenzy that she both couldn't and didn't want to even attempt to explain to anyone. It felt so right, so natural; like nothing else but this single moment, right here and now, mattered at all... and all that did was just the two of them.

Breaking away from him once again, gently brushing the tip of her nose over his as she did her best not to come across as stranger than she usually was, the five years having spent as a nun showing her just how different she truly was from the others she had been forced to spend her time with, "Jefferson... My dear, dear Hatter... Your words make me happier than even the brightest star, shining in the night sky above the mushroom fields we used to spend hours walking about together..."

Jefferson was only too eager to kiss her back, taking smaller liberties than he had before in their first kiss and pressing his lips to hers harder, already feeling more and more comfortable with this seemingly new method of contact between the two of them. When they broke apart, and she spoke with the fluid word phrase he truly had no idea where she had gotten in the first place, he couldn't help but to let out an airy chuckle. He raised his head up and let it fall back, his throat and the scar that wrapped all the way around completely exposed to her as he stared up into the sky, laughing still.

"Except there was always three of us. Ah, Edric is going to kill me!"

"My brother has not had any say in my life over the past five years that have been lost and left behind..." Closing her eyes slowly, she lowered her head down slightly, her lips brushing lightly against his neck leaving a gentle trail behind before she come to a stop, her head turning to the side as she let it rest against the nape of his neck, "And until he once more gains the trust and loyalty that he once held in my eyes and that he blatantly threw aside that day... I do not see why he should have any say in what I choose for my life now. He lost that privilege, why should I allow him it once more..."

"Because you love him?" Jefferson asked, more of in a statement than a question, trying to push away the goose-flesh that crossed over his skin at her gentle kisses across his neck. Even years now after his own beheading, the scars, both physical and mental remained, leaving them both still a bit tender. He allowed both hands to wrap around her in a gentle hold, resting his stubbled cheek on the top of her head. He loved Alice. That much he was certain of now on a more profound level, but his loyalties to Edric were just as strong... even if he was a moronic, womanizing bastard.

"I... do love him..." Her smile faded slightly as she thought about her brother, and how best to word the feelings that she had about him to the one that she now knew that she loved, her mind doing its best to try and figure out how best to fit her brother back into the picture now that she knew what she wanted, "Families are messy... I realize that, and accept it... and I know that sometimes the best we can do, is to remind each other that we're related, for better or for worse... Not to mention, try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum..."

Lowering her gaze slightly, her arm slipped down from around his neck, sliding down until her hand came to a rest upon his chest, her eyes lingering on her fingers as a soft sigh slipped through her lips, "But his betrayal to me runs deep and will not be easily forgotten... Maybe one day, I will find it in my heart to forgive him... but today is not that day..."

"Take your time, Little Rabbit." Jefferson said raising his head up from its resting position on her head. He in turn looked down at her, finding the way the remains of her blush across her cheeks almost breathtaking. Eyes flickering down to her hands resting on his chest, feeling his heart doing a sort of flip-flop at the sight, he moved his attention to his arms wrapped so intimately around her. He had to stop and wonder just why the hell they hadn't done this before.

His eyes moved back up to hers, a smirk coming across his lips then as he finished his statement with, "I get pissed off at him all the time too." It was a light joke; he knew the severity of what Edric had done, to break the close-knit ties he had created with his sister with one single action. But to allow Alice to dwell on such thoughts would bring a frown to her face, and that was not something he wanted to see ever again.

A small and gentle smile danced over her lips once more at his light-hearted words, causing her to reach her hand up so that she could softly caress his cheek, her thumb lightly brushing back and forth over the skin under his eyes, "As you wish... Also... please forgive me for the stress that I know I've no doubted put on the relationship that you and Edric share... Up until now, I have only been thinking of myself, my time in solitude undoubtedly making me selfish for your attention..."

Lifting her head back up she let her gaze once more catch onto his, her head tilting to the side slightly as she softened her gaze, a flicker of sadness crossing over them as she thought about the strain she had put on him and her brother because of this, "I have done wrong by you and my brother, Hatter... For that I apologize..."

Jeferson merely shrugged his shoulders, though lightly as to not shift her position of her arms or hands on his body.

"Hey, he'll come around sooner or later. I'm not too worried. You can't apologize for what's in your heart." He answered truthfully, taking a moment to lift one of his hands to hold hers that had his cheek cupped, bringing it towards his lips and kissed the top of her hand, keeping his eyes trained on hers. "Besides, whatever he can do to me... I've had worse." He chuckled, feeling the slight sting in the scar around his neck. He dropped her hand gently and returned his own hand to the position he once had it around her waist.

"My Jefferson... My sweet Jefferson..." Biting her lip softly as she felt him lift her hand up to his lips, she couldn't help the soft shade of red that crossed over her cheeks again, her heart fluttering slightly as she gazed back into his eyes, "You have been through so much, I feel so helpless knowing that I was unable to be here for you... Had I not run into the Queens guards, none of this would have happened... and we would never have been parted from one another."

Taking a step back from him, she kept hold of his hand, pulling on it gently as she moved backwards and closer to the trunk of the tree, her back pressing lightly against it before she dropped her head back against the bark, "Would things have been so different otherwise..?"

"Could be." Jefferson admitted, letting her lead him back to the tree and watched her get settled there, letting her hand drop from his though he kept close to her. Bending forward a bit, he pressed his lips to her temple, planting a soft kiss before he moved to her side to rest his own back against the trunk of the knotted tree, shifting a few times before he found a spot where the twists and curls within the bark weren't jabbing into his back too much. "There are a great many things I wish never happened. But then again, as I sit and ponder as I do, I realized that fate is inevitable. Had you not run into The Queen of Hearts' Guards, something else would have happened, something else that would have kept us apart for the same duration, or perhaps even longer; forever even." He pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest and kicking back one of his boots to rest against the trunk of the tree behind him.

Furrowing her brows as her smile dropped completely from her face, she shook her head softly, her body turning against the tree so that she was now facing him completely, her eyes meeting his, her expression showing him that to her, such a thing... such a path in life, a path without him in it... to her it would be nothing short of unforgivable, "If that was the case, then I take it all back..!"

Reaching up she placed her hand lightly on his neck, her fingers curling slightly to match the line of his neck, while her eyes seared his, unafraid to show the panic that was could clearly be heard behind her words, "I would do nothing differently... change not a single thing, if it meant that I would be able to spend the rest of my life by your side..."

His heart fluttered, and for a moment, Jefferson had to wonder if his heart would ever be able to beat normally again with her by his side. Bending his neck back a bit to embrace her hold on him, he let out a content sigh before pushing himself back to sit up straight and then hunkered himself down a bit to accommodate to her (smaller) height. He brushed away her hair covering the left side of her neck and planted a firm kiss at the juncture of her shoulder and neck.

"The rest of your life, hmm?" He asked quietly, moving his lips up an inch to kiss her there. "A topic we will have to revisit once I'm sure Edric doesn't run me through." His lips moved up another inch, just below her earlobe and kissed her there firmly, trying to pull her mind away from those thoughts she held onto, the ones that had her frowning, and in a small panic.

Pushing himself away from her, just a bit, enough to take both her hands to hold in his gently, he looked down into her eyes, taking on a serious expression once more.

"You told me not moments ago that you trust me, Little Rabbit..."

"Yes..." Shifting slightly against the trunk of the tree so that she was a bit more comfortable, her heart fluttered lightly, her light blue orbs gazing deeply into his own, unable to pull them away for any reason, though in fear that she may lose herself to them. Nodding softly, she leant forward but a fraction, her thumbs brushing lightly back and forth over the skin of his hands, her lips parting as she tilted her head slightly, her long brown locks falling down over her shoulder, "With all my heart, and all of me... I trust you..."

"Then trust me when I say that Edric thinks of little else; how he wishes he could go back and change what he did. He knows he did wrong by you and he knows what he did was unforgivable. So trust me when I say that he is truly and deeply sorry. And trust me when I say that he will never make that mistake, or any like it, ever again."

"If that is what you see, and what you truly believe... then I shall find it in myself to give him a second chance... And in turn, I shall indeed return with you both to Storybrooke." Tightening her grip on his hands, her lips turned up in a small but weary smile, her hands twisting slightly until she was able to entwine her fingers with his, the young woman seeming lost in her own thoughts until she focused again, her expression changing slightly as she once more let her smile become more natural, "Although, upon my return, I think I shall give up on my profession as a nun... Thinking about it now, I do not believe that I am suited to that particular lifestyle..."

Offering a light chuckle, Jefferson, still holding onto her hands, pulled her away from the tree and began the walk back down the knotted tree hill (after collecting the faux top-hat) and back to the mushroom house where Edric, Snow and Killian were still, though they had probably long gone to bed by now.

Reaching the mushroom stem door, Jefferson opened it up for Alice, letting her in before he followed inside. Spotting Killian and Snow in the center of the living room, 'camped out' with a plethora of blankets and pillows, Jefferson smirked a bit to himself, wondering just how much longer this 'peaceful' reverie would last before things got all topsy-turvey again.

Walking Alice to the foot of the staircase, he gave her a simple kiss on her cheek and wished her goodnight, planning on joining in with Snow and Killian on the floor of the living room. He wasn't quite sure where Edric had ended up, more than likely having taken up his old room upstairs where Alice's was also.

Watching her retreat up the stairs, Jefferson stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels, unable to keep the sly grin off his face as he thought back on his good fortune. Alice was back in his life in more ways than he could have ever hoped... and Grace would soon be with him again as well.
In High school DXD (reboot) → 11 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
Posted, finally got something out that was matching all my other posts xD
In High school DXD (reboot) → 11 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
Her soft pink lips parted as she began to stir on the couch that she had made herself comfortable on the night before, the light from the sun streaming in through the club room window causing the rays hitting her to warm up her body, in turn causing her brows to furrow together and her lips to turned up in a gentle smile as the sensation spread through her. Groaning softly she slowly opened her eyes, letting the dark brown orbs adjust to the light of the room before she flicked them over everything that was lain out in front of her, the young woman happy to just lay there and enjoy the silence and aura that was surrounding her.

Closing her eyes once again she pushed her hands into the couch cushion, shifting her body into a sitting position as she very slowly slid her legs around and off the couch, the balls of her bare feet lightly brushing over the rug that covered the floor underneath her, the several blankets that she had managed to cover herself with the night before slipping down to her lap as she moved, now revealing a more human looking girl rather than the beaten up fallen angel that had been in her place yesterday.

Scrunching up her face in both pain and suppression she hunched her shoulders slightly as she did her best to stifle the yawn that was escaping through her lips, her arm lifting up as she slid her fingers into her hairline, working as best as she could to push the long dark brown locks back off her face though it was all in vein, the long strands of hair falling naturally back into place the moment she lowered her arm back down, "So I see you've finally decided to wake up, remind me again why I had to go home with the one responsible for all of this..?"

"Huh..?" Lifting her head up she narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze slowly scanning the room around her before they finally came to rest on the familiar figure of the kitsune leaning against the wall near her desk, his eyes full of worry as he kept a careful watch over his mistress, wanting nothing more than to make sure that she was alright and that she wouldn't hurt herself anymore than she already was, "He had nothing to do with my injuries, and if you want to get technical about it all, if it was not for him giving me more power... I more than likely would not be here right now..."

"Kaelani, he was reckle-..." His words cut off quickly as soon as he caught the look that she was giving him, the young fallen obviously not in the mood to hear out her familiar's jealous or angered opinions of the events of the day before, her eyes falling down to the plate of food and the note that was sitting on the nightstand that stood beside the couch, scrunching up her face in pain she reached over picking up the note between her fingers so that she could read over it, her eyes focusing on the words that were on the page in front of her as she spoke, "He was doing the best that he can, now I don't want to hear you ever speak another word about it. Understood?"

Twisting her body slightly she let herself fall back down onto the couch, her arm lifting up over her head as she dropped the note on the table, her stomach growling as the smell of food hit her, though she did her best to ignore it... she was still completely exhausted, there was no way she was going to have the energy to go to class and then hold the regular club meeting later on that day. No, today was going to be used for nothing more than resting up... and now, she was going to sleep until she couldn't any longer. Reaching down towards her feet she grabbed hold of the blankets, pulling them up and under her chin as she turned into the back of the couch, her back facing the rest of the room as she closed her eyes, letting herself slip back into a slumber...
In High school DXD (reboot) → 11 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
Working on a post tomorrow sometime after I wake up guys, not feeling too crash hot here atm, sorry v.v
In [ROLEPLAY CLOSED] - Once Upon A Time (Restart) → 11 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

Eliza Brie, Alan Woodard, Dominic Greyjoy, Annalise Brie, Daria Belikov, Rapunzel, Jaidyn Beachley, Sebastian Beachley, Morgan Reginald, Ireneo Funes, and Igor Pechorsky

Present Day - Lake Tahoe, Earth


"That looks great guys, you've really outdone yourselves and made it look amazing. It's even better than last years decorations." Reaching down Eliza picked up the front of her dress, her feet moving her across the room and over to the bar, careful to maneuver her way around the tables and chairs before she came to a stop in front of the bar, her other hand coming up to rest on top of it, her purse still clutched within her grasp, "Jason, how are we looking? Have you got everything that you and the rest of the bar staff need? If not, let me know now and I'll send Jake down to the storehouse to get more-..."

"Relax Eli, everything is going to be fine. Here, have a drink on the house, I've been practicing..." Lowering her gaze from his she watched as Jason placed a drink on the counter, the large blocks of ice that made up the bar keeping the glass cool and the drink even colder, letting go of her dress Eliza lifted her arm up reaching forward to pick the glass up, her eyes closing as she took a sip allowing it to calm her down slightly, the alcohol causing her already lightly pink cheeks to glow a little brighter.

"I know, it's just-... Well, this year seems to be a lot more important than any other that I've hosted... I don't know what it is, it just feels different to me..."

"I don't think it's that this year is more important than any other... I think it might just be the fact that you're getting older, and that you're starting to think more seriously about other things..." Sighing softly Eliza turned her body around, her eyes flicking about the room watching as the staff put up the final decorations here and there, movement in the corner of her eye causing her to turn her head just in time to watch as Jason leant forward over the bar top.

"You know, I think you're right about this one Jay. Things this year have changed, I mean my career is picking up, I'm getting more serious about my work; even my sponsors mentioned that they've seen a change in me."

"And that's a good thing, don't ever think that it isn't. Speaking of which, have you invited any of them here tonight? I know that some of your competition is coming." Nodding her head she lowered her glass slightly, her finger lightly circling the rim of the glass as she shot warm and thankful smiles to the staff that were quickly leaving to get ready, only the few volunteers working the evenings festivities, "Yeah, I invited a few people. There's a scout coming to meet a few boarders, my mentor, and a few of my friends that I met through them. But I haven't seen any of them yet."

Turning her body slightly Eliza leant her hip against the bar, her head tilting as she looked down at him for a moment before glancing over at the door where she could see guests beginning to make their way into the room, ready to begin the night of partying before the rest of the celebrations began the next day.

"Well when they see you, they're in for quite a shock, you look amazing in that dress... You've never been more beautiful Eli. Now go on, you're guests are arriving, best not keep them waiting."

Smiling brightly Eliza nodded in agreement, returning the glass to the counter before she pulled back, her body turning as she quickly and carefully crossed over the room once more, this time coming to a stop in front of the door where she began to welcome the guests one by one.

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Funes didn't know why he came to the party. He remembered Ilya's words perfectly, he had told him to come to the party, even knowing that the discussion with Alan had broken down before they had an opportunity to discuss the plan. He could only assume that Dominic and Alan had worked something out without him, and maybe they had relayed it to Ilya, which is why Ilya made his request. When Funes tried to get more out of Ilya, the man just told him that he had to get back to work. For this moment Funes just sat in the corner on his wheelchair (being disabled at least meant always having a fairly comfortable seat), reading a book called 'The Garden of Forking Paths', by Ts'ui Pen. He displayed the book prominently, partially to cover his eyes and reduce the amount of visual stimulation, easing the stress on him, and partially to display the book to others. Books were just about the only thing he liked to talk about, even if others rarely wanted to talk with him about them. They typically found him a little overwhelming, his memory meant that he could recite even the smallest details and talk about them at length.

Ilya was already in the room, watching the final preparations and standing next to the door. He was here to do his job, keep the peace. He didn't anticipate any problems particularly since there would be no alcohol served, due to the varied ages of the guests. Russians loved their alcohol, so much so that it was even said that Vladimir of Kiev chose the Orthodox Church over Islam due to that factor. That particular rumor was something that he had only heard since coming to Earth, and now there was no opportunity to ask the Vladimir he knew if there was any truth to the matter. Of course, the other world's Vladimir was full of contradictions, he had been the first king of Russia's old kingdom, yet had asked Ilya to restore Russian rule and defeat the pagan hordes that held Kiev for decades. The real world histories had placed hundreds of years between his life and that of the enemies he fought, and yet it all somehow made sense in the other world.

After a quick walk around, Ilya decided to consult with the young woman who had arranged this whole affair. His interactions with Eliza had been limited, they were not great friends. He approached her and asked,

"Ms. Brie. I was wondering, do you want me stand at door and check the guest list? If there's anything else you need, please tell me."

Turning as she heard her name being called, Eliza glanced over at where Ilya stood beside her, her eyes quickly flicking over his figure before once more lifting to connect with his, a warm smile on her face as she shook her head letting him know that there was no need.

"No, it's fine. Everything is already being taken care of. You're not working tonight, those who are, are already here and doing their jobs. Your only job tonight is to mingle and have fun with the other guests. So go and relax, I have everything under control."

Ilya chuckled a little bit.

"There's no such thing as being off the job where I came from. I'll do my best." He commented before leaving Eliza's side and found a seat at the (non-alcoholic serving) bar, giving Funes a nod when he saw him sitting in the corner.

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Annelise walked through the lodge seeing all of the guests, she gave them all a very friendly nod she looked over her shoulder at Daria and Rapunzel and smiled at them. She stood in line with some of the other guests. Her eyes would stare at the room her sister had always used for Snowfest, though she did help out with some of the festivities it was always her sisters planning. And this year appeared to look even better then last years, after being in line Annelise was finally able to get in. Upon entering the room Annelise looked over at Ilya and gave him a friendly nod and waved at him.

"Hey Ilya how are you doing?"

Ilya smiled a little when he heard Annelise greet him. He didn't hear that name very often, it was probably a coincidence, though he could never entirely rule out that something strange was at work.

"It's Igor, not Ilya. Been reading a lot of Russian legends lately? I'm alright, just had a lot to deal with lately, been preparing for so long."

Annelise looked at Illya for a moment and rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment for some reason she thought to call him Ilya when it was not his real name at least from what she knew.

"Only for my online classes with Russian Literature." She answered looking at Illya.

Annelise stood next to him for a moment and then spotted Eliza, she stared at her sister seeing her makeup as well as her dress. Quickly walking over to Eliza Annelise wrapped her arms around her sister hugging her tightly.

Eliza's eyes widened slightly as she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves tightly around her, her body tensing up at the sudden embrace before she turned her head, her eyes flicking to the side to take in the familiar figure that was her sister.

"You look awesome sis, I really love the makeup as well!" Quickly letting go of her sister giving her a friendly smile and stood next to her to greet the guests as well.

"A-Anna... Don't do that, you scared the living daylights out of me..." Relaxing her body once she had been let go she lifted her hand up, her fingers gently touching her hair to make sure that none of it had been knocked out of place by her sister's enthusiasm, "You're here early, usually Daria and yourself are one of the last to show up to the event. What happened? Get bored of missing out on all the guys that come?"

"Well I was just worried some weird pervert had taken my sister, because last night you just snuck out doing who knows what." Annelise said wrapping an arm over her sisters shoulder nodding towards a few of the guests who walked in. "I'm not sure where Daria went she was right behind me when we left her room." Gently running a hand through her hair and blushed sightly at the mention of guys. "So where did you go off last night anyway?" She asked her sister.

Forcing a smile onto her face Eliza hunched her shoulders slightly, the blonde not quite sure how to explain why she had snuck out, though she knew that her sister would find out eventually, especially since her reason for sneaking out was supposed to be arriving at any moment.

"There's no need to be worried about me Anna, I'm perfectly fine as you can see."

"I'm still going to worry because you are my sister, but I guess you do whatever you want without telling your only sister." Annelise teased.

"I was just... I went out on a date... and it may have become something worth it..."

Annelise smirked at Eliza when she admitted that she left because her sister actually had a date.

"Well I guess he is lucky to have you as a girlfriend."

Smiling softly Eliza pulled away from her sister, her eyes glancing over the crowd that was entering before she turned her attention back to her, a light blush coloring her cheeks a gentle shade of pink.

"Sorry, I don't kiss and tell... Besides, why do you want to hear about my private life anyway? I'm sure there are better things to talk about..."

Annelise frowned slightly when Eliza pulled away from her and didn't want to expose any details who her date was.

"Well what do you want to talk about then, since you don't want to be the one to give me details on who the lucky boy is?" Annelise nodded and waved to a few of the guests.

"Exactly, you're not getting any details from me about this one. At least not yet anyway, you'll find out later if you're lucky enough." Chuckling softly Eliza shook her head, her smile never wavering as she continued to greet the guests that wandered in through the door at their own pace.

Back at the entrance, Morgan walked into the party, with another detective by her side. Detective James was a handsome sight to see in his black suit, while she wore a simple, but elegant, dark blue dress. She couldn't help but let out a silent subtle sigh after they entered, hiding that she didn't want to be there (despite how lovely the place looked). She wasn't exactly a party person. Detective James clearly noticed and said,

"Hey, cheer up now, Morgie! You really need the break, you know? Lighten up!"

Morgan slumped her shoulders at James's nickname for her and she requested in deadpan "Please don't call me Morgie. And you already know that my being here is a bad idea," It turned out that James had seen the entire thing, and later caught Morgan venting her anger out on a punching bag in the gym, which led him to inviting (dragging) Morgan with him to the party.

James waved it off and said, "Yeah, I know! The poor girl though, she deserves better. Hey, as long as you two don't bump into each other, it should be fine!"

Morgan stared at him and she asked incredulously.

"'Not bump into her'? Seriously, James?"

James laughed.

"Or...if you two do bump into each other, maybe you'll patch things up with each other and she won't hate you?"

Morgan retorted with a roll of her eyes,

"That seems...even less likely then your first suggestion."

James shrugged and then he walked off saying,

"Well, anyways, just enjoy yourself here! You'll be fine!" He then wandered off to go mingle with other guests, while Morgan walked to go find somewhere where she could enjoy solitude.

Daria, in the meantime, had followed Annelise into the party with Rapunzel in tow but remained at the bar when she had spotted her sister. She hopped up onto the bar stool a little ways down from Igor and batted her eyes at Jason.

Rapunzel awkwardly floated around after Anna disappeared into the crowd and Daria took a seat at the bar. The place was decorated quite magnificently and the girl was a little blown away that anyone could even afford to throw a party like this. Then again, Daria's hotel room had basically caused the same reaction... The amount of money some people had was amazing. She pulled her ponytail over her shoulder and started to wander around the room, taking in every crevice and every last decoration. Rapunzel loved details.... Maybe that was why she loved drawing so much.... It allowed her the chance to take in every little detail and save it for later. She made her way to a little table out of the way and sat down. The table was in the corner of the room, which allowed her to take everything and everyone in. As she sat there she wished that she had brought her sketchbook.... There was so much that she'd like to put on paper before she had to return to her less fantastic life.

Daria, back at the bar, pulled out a bill from her purse and handed it to Jason before he handed her a soda. She turned a little and looked at Igor. She didn't really know the man all that well but she had heard his accent, one that was very similar to her father's. She smiled before she let out a sigh.

"как может девушка получить реальную напиток здесь... мои извинения, вероятно, не сказать, что безопасность."

She sighed and took a sip of her soda before returning her attention back to the bottles behind the bar.

Ilya never cared much about the rules on underage drinking, which was the annotation he picked up on Daria's use of the Russian language. Although she had been given a soda, she wanted the harder stuff. In both of the Russia's he knew, it was only seen a a problem if people took it too far, there was nothing inherently irresponsible about it. He looked at Daria and said, keeping the Russian language,

"I'm off duty. Even if I was, it's not like I work for the government any more. Besides, it's just a soda." He was happy to get a chance to speak Russian again.

Daria looked at Igor for a moment before smiling.

"You are like my father in more ways that just your accent," She laughed a little and brushed some of her hair out of her eyes. "In Mother Russia, if you can raise the bottle, you can drink from it." She hopped off her seat and stood. She straightened out her skirt a little before she looked at him again. "The Vodka isn't as good as it is in Russia... But nowhere is."

It was good to get to actually talk to Daria for a moment. He'd know about her over the years, but this was the first time he could recall actually sitting down and talking with her.

"The best stuff is home-brewed, commercial ones aren't as good. How long have you been in America?"

Daria drummed her fingers on the bar.

"All my life... All my life that I remember. My parents immigrated here but we go back to Russia often... They are both Russian, so I just picked up the language from them." She moved and took a seat on the stool again, closer to Igor this time. She leaned against the bar and rested her hand on her chin, "When did you come here?"

Ilya took another sip before answering her question.

"A little less than a year ago. Back in Russia my only options were to re-enlist or keep trying with my failing farm. I had a friend here who helped me immigrate and adjust." He pointed to Funes, who was still sitting in the corner with his book.

Daria followed his finger to see a man sitting in a wheelchair reading away and basically ignoring the rest of the party-goers. She never really understood people like that... People who went to parties to sit by themselves. She turned her attention back to Igor and smiled.

"Well, that was awfully nice of him. Did you learn English in Russia or here? I mean... The few words I've heard you speak in English have been quite good," She joked before she ordered herself another drink from Jason and received a glass of water.

Languages had never been Ilya's strong suit, and he often missed his mistakes in English. He actually thought that Daria had given him a compliment.

"I learned it from books, studied for a couple years because I always wanted to visit. You can learn a lot from reading, that's how my friend learned everything he knows, including Russian and English."

Sipping at her water, Daria nodded her head.

"[i]I prefer to immerse myself in what I'm learning... Books are good and all but... Unless I'm really interested in them, I struggle to read them fully," She started to play with her necklace and smiled, "I suppose we all learn in different ways." She looked over her shoulder again at the man in the wheelchair, "So, why are you over here and not with your friend?"

Ilya smiled a little.

"We're both here on business really, not because we want to be. My friend especially doesn't want to be here, and I don't know why he is. It's like some unseen, outside force told him he had to be here. In a time like this, he doesn't really want to talk to me much. We're both waiting on someone else, who's been taking quite a while to get here. He's a bit of a pain, always shirking his responsibility and never apologizing, just whining about his misfortune. Of course, he would be doing better if he didn't make poor choices quite so often. But for now we need him, I don't know why, but someone I trust very highly told me we do. I think my friend doesn't have much faith in that anymore, but it's not like he has much else to do other than wait."

Daria just stared at him while he explained... something. To be completely frank, she kind of zoned out at some point of his reasoning as to why he and his friend were both there against their wills. It all seemed a little mundane. When he finished, she smiled at nodded.

"You do what you got to do," One thing that she learnt from her parents over the years was how to pull off not listening. The key was to make it seem like you were and add something in that related to part of the conversation. Normally it worked out and when it didn't... She normally managed to fix it. She looked around the party before she looked back to Igor, "Well, I'm going to go dance... Enjoy your evening off, Igor." She hopped off her seat, leaving her drinks behind and headed into the crowd of people, passing by Annelise on the way, vaguely catching onto the sister's conversation.

"Hey sis I'm going to go and have some fun, if you need me you know where I'll be." Annelise said giving Eliza a kiss on the cheek and then a quick hug, she looked around the room seeing a few people are already starting to dance.

"Huh..?" Frowning slightly as she caught sight of the detective from earlier entering the room, Eliza's attention was pulled away at the sound of her sisters voice calling out to her, her head turning so that she was now looking her over with a slightly confused look on her face, "Oh, go and have some fun. You don't need to work tonight, this is my thing anyway. Go and spend time with your friends. Enjoy the night."

Annelise caught sight of Daria passing her by and gave her a quick nod until she finally spotted Rapunzel sitting by herself in one of the corner tables and quickly approached her.

"Hey Rapunzel, sorry I left you I wanted to find out where my sister was since I haven't seen her since yesterday." Annelise said pulling up a seat in front of her, Snowfest seemed to hit it off rather quickly she would also notice Morgan though only seeing her a few times at the lodge before. "My sister always does a good job with this party every year and they seem to get even better then the last." Annelise said.

Rapunzel looked up at Annelise when she approached her and smiled, "It's quite alright, I haven't a problem with being alone... I was taking in all the decorations. Your sister did a really great job." She said before looking over to the girl in the blue dress that she had only spotted as Annelise approached her and noticed a man walking over to who she believed was Annelise's sister.

Dominic stepped through the threshold of the door into the auditorium-like room, glittering with decorations sculpted like hanging icicles, the tables dressed white as snow.

'Fitting...' Dominic thought to himself, a small ironic smile appearing on his bearded features as he took in the ambiance of the room, noting the meticulous attention to detail.

Finding Eliza in the slowly-swelling crowd, Dominic approached at a slightly-quickened pace, opening his arms up for a hug.

"My, my, you've really outdone yourself tonight, my dear! You'd put some of the museum's event organizers to shame." Dominic complimented, never letting the smile fade from his expression.

Lifting her head up as she heard the sound of a familiar voice, Eliza couldn't help the smile that crossed over her lips, her hand reaching down to lift the front of her dress up as she moved forward, her other arm lifting to wrap around the back of his neck holding him close as she stepped into the hug he was offering her.

"You really think so? To be honest, I try to keep those sorts of events in mind when I organize the festivals opening. I was really impressed when you took me to that event, it was just amazing!"

Relaxing her grip around his neck she pulled back slightly, her back arching slightly as she did her best to look over his outfit, a bright smile lighting up her features as she let go of her dress, letting it return to the ground once more, "I'm so glad you made it. I really hope that you enjoy the night; it wasn't just me who did this, everyone who helped worked really hard."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


"Dude, hurry up. We're late enough as it is; and seriously, you don't want to end up on the end of Eliza's death glare... remember the last time?" Lifting his hand up, Jaidyn rubbed the back of his neck softly, his eyes flicking downwards slightly so that he could glance down at his watch to check the time, the young man knowing that it would annoy his twin brother as the action just seemed to add emphasis to his words. Lifting his gaze back up so that he was meeting Sebastian's eyes, he slid his hands down the front of his suit, dusting himself off and smoothing it out before he shoved his hands into his pockets, a soft chuckle sounding through his lips as he flashed him a bright smile, "Dean has never been the same since that day, he still chokes up whenever he see's her coming his way... Actually, watching him wipe-out is pretty worth it..."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. I swear, you're worse than mum sometimes... deadly threat on the receiving end or not, if the world does, in fact, end, it's been proven that Australia would be the last to go. And guess what? We've got citizenship." Smirking as he jogged his way to gain the distance that he lost, Sebastian finally reached his brother and gave him a (harder than necessary) slap on the back. "What's got your knickers in a knot today? Eh? You've been wound since we got on the plane. Wouldn't have anythin' to do with that blue-eyed American dream girl now, would it?" He asked playfully, moving his hand off his brother's back to jab him in the ribs with his elbow.

"Blue-eyed American dream girl..? Pfft, yeah right..." Lifting his arm up as he brushed off his brothers words Jaidyn brought it back behind him, pressing his hand lightly against the back of his neck as he began to rub the skin softly, his body shifting awkwardly as his mind began to wander before eventually coming to rest on the blonde that he had become quite close to over the years that they had been sponsored by the same company, his eyes lowering to the ground for a few moments before he lifted them back up to meet with his brothers gaze once again, "I mean yeah, she's beautiful and all that... But there's no way she'd go out with a guy like me, Seb. I'm nothing but a friend in her eyes, and I just gotta settle for that..."

"You got that right. A face like that, you're no one's type." Sebastian chuckled, eyes looking forward towards the open doorway where he could hear the noise of the party starting to build as they got closer. Side-stepping over to the wall where he would be out of sight from anyone within the room, Sebastian ran his fingers over the jacket of his [url=http://www.moderngentlemanmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mens-style-green-suit.jpg]dress suit[/i] having chosen to take a different direction than his brother had and ran his fingers through his darker (in comparison to Jaidyn's) curls. "Paternal. Isn't it a wonderful thing? Otherwise we'd just be lucky to both have my looks." He shot his brother a white smile, clearly just having fun with him and not meaning much by it. "Now go on, get in there tiger. I need a wing-man."

Raising his eyebrow as he listened to what his brother was saying to him, Jaidyn turned to face him as he lifted his arms up from his sides, crossing them over his chest with a light and curious chuckle slipping through his lips, his eyes baring down into his though they had more of a light playful look flashing across them.

"Wing-man? Geez, you're becoming more and more like that Barney Stinson guy from 'How I Met Your Mother' every day... Besides, didn't Sarah only just break up with you back at Tullamarinne airport..? And what, now you're planning on trying to get with Eli?"

Shaking his head softly from side to side as he lowered his arms back down to his side, Jaidyn slipped his hands into his pockets, his normally happy smile morphing into a large grin at the thought of his brother getting his ass handed to him by their friend, his feet once more beginning to move as he began to lead the way towards the doors that led to the party they could hear from the lobby, "Alright, but you're asking for it... Come on, if I know her at all, I know that she'll be in there already greeting guests like a good hostess."

"Hey, if you're not gonna snatch her up, someone has to." Sebastian replied, keeping his white grin. He was joking of course, there was truth behind Jaidyn's words, his girlfriend did just break up with him before they left for America. Really it was a matter of 'when' rather than 'if' and he had been expecting it for a while. The local theater season had reached a massive peak, meaning Sebastian had been putting in almost double the hours he normally would have for the show that they just closed up yesterday... or was it today? This American time-zone had him all confused. But Sarah had fallen 'victim' to what each of his other girlfriends claimed to be deprived of. Attention. Attention that he couldn't give despite his pre-dating warning to the girls who gave him interest.

"But I know how much spending time with me means to you, so I'll just pass on little Miss America there and give you a shot if you're man enough to take it. But only because you're my brother." Sebastian chuckled to himself lightly and followed his brother inside, having to squint his eyes almost immediately in the change in color and... season apparently as he was finally able to decipher the decorations from each other. "Cool."

"Yeah... Guess I can try..." Frowning as his steps slowed to a stop beside his brother Jaidyn let his eyes narrow to get used to the lighting, his gaze slowly gliding over the room until they fell onto a beautiful figure standing not too far away from the two of them, the young blonde seeming to be in conversation with an older gentleman. Lifting his hand out from his pocket he shot his arm out towards where Sebastian was standing, the back of his hand hitting his brothers chest a little harder than he had originally hoped as he tried to get his attention, "Hey Seb, you ready then..? If you're giving me a shot at her, then you're going to be my wing-man. Admittedly she likes her waves a little colder than I like mine, but hopefully I can ride this one all the way back to shore..."

Not bothering to wait for a response from his brother Jaidyn quickly crossed over the room to where Eliza was standing.

"Dude..." Shaking his head, but keeping his smile, Sebastian followed his brother, though keeping a comfortable distance behind him, allowing Jaidyn the spotlight... for a while anyway.

Jaidyn silently came up behind Eliza before he lifted both his arms up, his hands coming around to cover her eyes lightly (though still not enough to ruin or smudge her makeup) as he leant into her, his lips close to her ear though he kept it far enough away so that it wasn't touching.

"Hey wipe-out wonder, guess who..."

"Wipe-out wonder..? Yeah right, look who's talking bail blunder." Lifting her arms up from her sides, Eliza kept a hold of her purse as she awkwardly grabbed hold of his hands, pulling them down and away from her face as she pulled away from his arms, her body turning to face him completely as a wide grin crossed over her lips, only taking a couple of seconds before she reached up wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, "Jaidyn, you finally made it. For a minute there I thought you'd gotten lost."

Unable to help the chuckle that slipped through his lips as he listened to what she had to say, Jaidyn wrapped his arms both tightly and gently around her waist as he pulled her in closer to him, his back arching slightly as he lifted her up and off the ground for a few moments, enjoying the hug for as long as he could before he reluctantly returned her back to her feet once again.

"Really Eli..? We're not that hopeless, are we Seb..?"

Having found a nearby wall to lean himself against, Sebastian simply watched, crossing his arms over his chest, raising his eyebrows as though he were surprised when Jaidyn brought the conversation over to him, knowing already that he was being used as a scapegoat.

"Eh, I wouldn't speak so soon for yourself Jai. Our plane could always go down on the return trip, and I don't think you would know what to do on an uncharted island haunted by demonic smoke and polar bears." Sebastian winked, quickly turning his attention to Eliza where he unfolded his arms from his chest and pushed himself away from the wall towards her, arms extended out for a hug. "Nice to see you again Eliza. You're not all... pixilated."

"You've been watching too much 'Lost' Sebastian, besides, I'm pretty sure that the big bad demonic smoke would come after you first and not Jai." Pulling away from Jaidyn as she spoke she turned her body to face Sebastian, her smile never leaving her features as she met him halfway, her arms coming up to wrap tightly around his neck holding him close for a few moments before she pulled away again, "It's great to see you again Seb, it's been way too long since we all hung out last. We have so much catching up to do."

Feeling a bit of material brushing against her arm Eliza turned her head over to where Dominic was still standing beside her, the young woman blinking a few times before finally snapping back to the present as she realized just how rude she was being.

"Oh my god... Uh, uncle Dom..! These are my friends Jaidyn and Sebastian Beachley; Jai and I are sponsored together. Guys, this is my Uncle Dominic."

Chuckling lightly, Dominic wore a wide, welcoming grin as he offered a calloused hand to shake.

"Jaidyn and Sebastian...Eliza speaks highly of both of you, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person!" He declared heartily, his smile never fading. He vaguely recalled meeting the "twins" at one point long ago, shortly after the transportation to Earth. But he had to continue to act vague now....only for a short while longer. If the Sorcerer's predictions were true (and they usually were) then tonight was the night he had been waiting for for thirteen years.

Flashing the man a bright smile as he listened to the reaction to Eliza's introduction Jaidyn couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped through his lips, the young Australian reaching out before taking a firm but still gentle hold of the one that Dominic offered out to him, his other hand slipping into his pocket as he shook in a more formal greeting.

"Ah, so you're the famous Uncle Dom... It's a pleasure to finally meet you Sir. Eliza has told us so much about you, and of the work that you do at the museum."

"A firm handshake, polite manners, a sincere smile....Oh, I like this one." Dominic commented with a half-smile, clearly impressed by Jaidyn's introduction.

At the young man's comment of his work at the museum, Dominic scoffed slightly, "Oh, Eliza over-exaggerates, I just run the archival department; lots of history to be found, you know." He commented with a chuckle, though he was sure the teenagers weren't in the mood to discuss 300 year old ledgers.

Waiting his turn, Sebastian took Dominic's hand after Jaidyn, giving it a firm shake with a curt nod, as if to confirm his brother's words rather than repeating them. It was killing him to be so... 'wallflower-y' but he had promised his brother the first shot at Eliza Brie; and to do that, he had to be... well... not himself.

"Well, I best let you kids have fun. I've got a few things to care of but I'll be sticking around. Don't work yourself too hard, Eliza, you hear me?" Dominic added on, his hawk-like eyes falling on Eliza with feigned-sternness adding onto his words. Not waiting for an answer, his expression turned jovial once more before he sauntered off, the same gentlemanly swagger to his posture that could only come from a certain background.

"Don't worry sir, we'll make sure she has plenty of fun and that she doesn't work herself into the ground. From the looks of this place, she deserves a night off just like everyone else who worked on this party." Nodding his head towards Dominic in a small farewell, Jaidyn waited for him to leave before he turned his attention back to his brother and his friend, the smile on his face never faltering as he slid his hand back into his pocket, his face seeming to light up as though something he had forgotten suddenly crossed back over his mind.

"Oh, hey Eliza, did you hear about the new record I set during the last competition? Wiped everyone clear out of the running, I managed to get the highest score ever seen in the competition. That last wave was just so sweet, carving across that baby was awesome..." As he spoke his hands slid back out of his pockets, his palm flat as he tilted it showing her the motion as though he was remembering it like it had only happened the day before, the young blonde snapping out of it long enough for him to flick his arm across again, the back of his hand once more coming into hard contact with his brothers chest, "Oh, and Sebs got some great news about his band too. Things are going great right now."

Shaking his head, exhaling a slight, winded breath at Jaidyn's hand making contact with his chest, Sebastian took an exaggerated side-step to the left, keeping his hands behind him and gave his brother a pointed look, his own grin widening at the corners as he returned the gesture, using the back of his own hand to thump Jaidyn across the chest.

"Of course she didn't hear, you bloody moron! You just did that yesterday, which would be today here, because we are living in tomorrow..." Shaking his head, returning his hand to rest behind his back again, Sebastian shrugged his shoulders. "Don't ask me how that works, I get lost in Doctor Who." He paused. "But Jai's right, we actually just launched our first album. Well, the first one that got accepted and a contract. It might have even hit here by now, but isn't scheduled to hit home for another few months." He paused again, taking a fraction of a moment to smile, clearly pleased with his own achievements for a moment before he seemed to shake himself from it, giving his attention back to Eliza completely. "But what about you? Jai gets to talk to you a lot more than I do, I wanna hear about what sort of mark you are leaving these days. Shiny trophies, glimmering medals... I wanna see it all!"

Shaking her head softly as she listened and watched the two brothers give her the update on their lives, Eliza's smile grew helping to light up her features as she chuckled, the blonde waiting for the two of them to finish before she spoke up so that she knew she had all the details correct, her arms lifting once more as she wrapped them tightly around Jaidyn's neck pulling him into a hug whether he liked it or not.

"You guys, that's great news! Ah, I'm so proud of you both! I know your competition is really fierce; and I heard that De Souza isn't too happy that you've passed him up either."

Relaxing her arms around his neck Eliza turned her body around in his arms so that she was looking over at Sebastian, her arm reaching out as she took hold of his hand, the young woman squeezing it lightly in her excitement for the two of them.

"As for your album, you know it's going to be on my shelf the day it comes out here, and I expect signatures from the band, don't think you're getting out if that one Mr 'I'm going to be a famous rock star'. That is too cool a thing not to celebrate. As for what I'm up to? Nothing much, my competition season is over as of a few weeks ago, so I've just been helping dad out and training whenever I have time off work, which at this time of the year is like... never."

Straightening the rolled up cuffs on his suit, Alan hesitated at the open door frame, taking a moment to try and collect his thoughts. He had spent a bit more time studying Dominic's book than he had planned, but with thirteen years of 'slacking off' as Dominic had put it, he had a lot of catching up to do, and not being the best reader in the world, he was only able to pick up bits and pieces here and there for the articles and little notes that Dominic had left behind. But he felt, at least now, that he had some idea of what he needed to do, and what it would take. But his heart, his heart wasn't in it anymore. For thirteen years he had known that this was his job to do, someday, and waited it eagerly so that he could shrug off the responsibility, but now that it was here... he was hesitating. Why? Alan hadn't hesitated a day in his life! He was very much a 'live life now, think of consequences later' kind of guy, even when he was a little boy made out of wood when he didn't know any better. It was a life-style that worked. Hell, it worked for him for thirteen years.

Shaking his head, Alan inhaled a small breath and crossed the threshold into the room. It was easy to ignore the soft-playing music and almost blinding lighting changes to accommodate to the sudden change in decorations. What was hard to ignore, however, was the moment his eyes found Eliza over the other heads within the room, was the two males that were holding her attention. Her arms were wrapped around one in a sort of hug, her hand holding onto the others, a smile that read... something, he wasn't too sure. Either way, his feet carried him briskly through the crowd, reaching them rather quickly, his eyes trained on the lighter-haired boy of the two that Eliza had her arms around and narrowed his eyes at him a bit.

"Hey man, you got a permit to touch that?"

"Whoa, chill out mate... Didn't realize that I needed one." Relaxing his hold from around Eliza's body Jaidyn lifted up his arms, his palms showing in a surrender towards the guy who had just shown up with a slightly defensive manner about him, his eyebrows both raising in curiosity as he shot a quick and curious glance over at Sebastian.

Pulling her attention away from Jaidyn as she heard the sound of a familiar voice getting closer to them, Eliza let her gaze quickly turn over to watch as Alan moved over to where the three of them were standing, her arms slipping away from her two friends as she moved over to stand in front of him, one of her hands holding the bottom of her dress up as the other lifted up to rest softly on his shoulder, the blonde leaning in to press her lips lightly against his cheek quite close to his lips, "Alan, you made it. I'm so glad you're here."

Taking another few steps so that he was between the two boys and Eliza, turning his back to them and completely shutting them out, Alan put one hand around Eliza's waist and leaned his cheek into her kiss, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I told you, Pr-" Alan halted suddenly, clearing his throat loudly as though the very word 'Princess' was no longer able to pass through his lips. Shaking his head a bit, Alan simply bent forward and returned a kiss onto her cheek. "I told you I'd be here." He re-alliterated.

Sliding her hand slowly up his shoulder Eliza curled her fingers gently around to cup the back of his neck, her head tilting ever so slightly as she smiled sweetly at the feeling of his lips pressing lightly against her cheek, the small action still causing her heart to flutter lightly in her chest with each time that he did it, "I know you did, but I really didn't want to get up and speak without you being here... It means a lot to me knowing that you and all my friends are here supporting me, and hopefully keeping me from making a fool of myself in front of this massive crowd..."

Tearing her gaze away from him for only a few moments she turned her gaze over to where the DJ was stationed, his hand lifting up slightly as he caught her attention showing her the microphone that he had hooked up and gotten ready for her to use when she was ready to do so, nodding her head a little reluctantly she turned her attention back to him, a nervous smile playing over her lips as she leant up pressing another quick kiss against him, this time however their lips meeting for a brief moment, "Wish me luck..."

Slowly pulling herself away from him she lowered her gaze down to the ground slightly, the young girl paying attention to each step she took as she tried her best not to step on her dress or trip herself up in any way, her stomach twisting nervously with every step that brought her closer to the center of the room where she was to address everyone. It had nothing to do with people watching and talking to her, she was used to being on show, all of that just came with the territory of her career choice that she had made. Out on the slopes she was free to do her own things and wear what she wanted to, but now standing in front of the large crowd all dolled up in a floor length gown... Things this year were very different...

Nodding her head in thanks to the DJ as he passed her the microphone Eliza slowly glanced at the people that stood surrounding her, the nervous knot that had seemed to form in her stomach tightening with every moment that passed her by, her feet slowly carrying her away from the DJ as she moved into her position in the very center of the room, a small and obviously hesitant smile replacing the one that she had moments earlier.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen... As you all know, my name is Eliza Brie, and on behalf of my father I would like to give a very warm welcome to all of you here tonight, as we celebrate what looks to be another successful Snowfest!" Pausing for a few moments she closed her eyes, giving herself time to take a deep breath before she opened them once more so that she could continue, the young woman's smile becoming less forced as she relaxed herself, "Tonight is sure to be... an exceptional evening - and I am so glad that so many special people have been able to join us here this evening; you all look so great. As always, to our absent friends - we will dearly miss you here. However, tonight is all about celebrating! Tonight is supposed to be one of those wondrous nights! So let's capture some magical moments, let's create many happy memories... and more importantly, let's surround ourselves with laughter and friendship as we celebrate this special occasion together. So please, have fun, mingle and enjoy your evening..! Remember, tonight is just the beginning of something bigger."
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