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[Falling Mist]

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Post 106: Hormones x


Timeless x
Spec-Ops x
Emerald Courts x
Hormones x

[Falling Mist]

◜ᴛнᴇ ｡ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛʀᴇss
APHRODITExxGODDESSxxofxxBEAUTY
everything seems tempting, but nothing comes for free
like a moth to a flame,xxyou can lookxxbut you can't touch.
like a moth to a flame,xxyou can lookxxbut you can't touch

the forbidden fruit of your desire

▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅

Aphrodite flattened down the sheer material of her dress, studying her figure in the mirror. It was a beautiful piece of clothing; demure enough for her 'age' yet had the right amount of sparkle to pull people in. And the color! A blushing pinky salmon. That was the deal sealer. The rest of the outfit practically came together on its own after she had found that. Overall, the image was appealing. But, then again, when wasn't the goddess of beauty appealing? She was a bombshell. And yes, she was vain enough to say it and deservingly so.

The goddess bent down, adjusting the heel of her stellar, golden shoe, before straightening up, running a hand along her leg as she did. She knew very well that there was no one else watching, but she studied the movements of her body like a hawk, milking every valuable movement of the muscles. If you didn't practice such things in front of a mirror, you'd never know what to do in an actual situation where you were trying to lure in your catch. Fortunately for Aphrodite, she had plenty of experience and very little need to take advantage of all of it at once.


- - * - -

The bronze goddess smiled ruefully, eyeing the male dancers as they eye ******** her. She apparently was far more entertaining than their dance partners and it didn't surprise her in the least. She winked at a hot blonde who responded by cocking his eye brow and puckering his lips. That immediately turned her off and she had no problem showing it as she walked out of the family room through the double doors that led out to the garden patio.

"I didn't think I'd be seeing you out here..." A voice grumbled from her right. Ares. She refused to look at him, taking a generous sip of her 'Pink Poodle': sugar, vodka, grapefruit juice, grenadine and ice (of course). "I figured you'd be grinding between two infants, feigning at enjoying it just to piss me and your husband off..." He smirked darkly, finishing his drink before pulling himself off of the couch. The god of war snaked an arm around the goddess's waist, pulling her into his chest to kiss her neck. His breath was heavy and putrid, full of longing and beer. No one else in the house would touch him. No freshman girl was sexually active enough to be that crazy. No upperclassman girl was willing to damage their reputation by sleeping with a 'baby'. His empty hand was gradually finding its way up to her chest. Oh yeah, he had been denied for far too long.

She squirmed weakly in his arms causing him to hold on tighter, with more angry aggression. "Though you and I both know that it would really only be for me." Ares whispered into her ear before 'playfully' nipping on her ear lobe. She inhaled sharply before escaping his grip. Aphrodite quickly spun around. Her blue eyes were enraged tiny slits.

"If you dare lay another finger on me tonight you will have this drink all over you and knife between your ribs, got it?" Was it over the top? Not at all. He loved theatrics; it was the only thing that would register with her animalistic lover. "I am not playing any games with you tonight, this week, or this century until you learn how I like to play!"

He broke out into a fit of laughter, "Riiiight." He said in disbelief while rolling his eyes. "You'll never sleep with me again. Ooh, I know that whole story like the back of my hand, Aphrodite. And more importantly, I know that it always is a lie."

"Aphrodite! Have you seen Ha - oh. bad timing I guess. I'm just going to - "

Saved by the arrival of spring. "No, don't worry, Persephone... I was just leaving." He smirked mischievously as he passed Aphrodite before disappearing back into the house. Aphrodite disgustedly drained the rest of her drink before folding her arms and staring out into the empty yard.

"Is he bothering you again? Do I need to tell Poseidon? I can go get him if you want or even Hades - if I could find him - because they at least scare h - "

"Persephone. Shut the ******** up and get inside before I ensure that Hades brings another girl back to his sanctuary tonight." There was an awkward silence before the other goddesses footsteps slowly faded away. 'Finally. Silence.'

xxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

[Falling Mist]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.✩*◟xΡʘȘЄIDӪȠ
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxɢod of the sea - - ⊰xxx

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ★★★ ▬▬▬

.✩*◟xϲɑυsε мү εϲʜo, εϲʜo」 - - ⊰ ɪs тʜε σɴʟү νσɪϲε ϲσмɪɴɢ ʙɑϲҡ«!

❛ ▪▪ 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず ｡←





Poseidon sighed, stretching his arms behind his head as he laid on the square dock on the right side of his sanctuary. He inhaled deeply, listening to the roaring waters of the fall behind him and the soft squeaking of his overly excited dolphin. Though, he shouldn't be too hard on the boy. He'd spent the majority of the last few days away from the water in order to get re-acclaimated to school and its demands. Delphin had probably been through hell... Yeah, he really couldn't be that hard on him, not here at least.

He loved it here after all... it was the closest semblance to a home he had.

The sanctuary's primary structure appeared modest at first glance; a house on stilts modeled after those of the people that lived on the river in third world countries. However, if you were to take in the entire picture, Its overall location and furnishings, the entire scene could have come out of a fantasy.

The house was raised over a crystalline pool of water whose depths astounded those that dared to reach them. The pool itself was filled by a waterfall that cascaded over a jagged cliff face covered in vines. The cliffs surrounded the back of shore of the pool while the forest encased its front, enclosing the sanctuary from the outside world.

It wasn't the ocean, but it worked for nine months out of the year. Why the higher deities encouraged this form of interaction so far from their element during this century was completely -

"Poseidon." The cool voice interrupted the god's thoughts. The clean shaved man propped himself up, finding his older brother standing on the shore by the dimly lit path. He sighed weakly, sitting up straight before allowing the path of rocks to slowly emerge from the water's depths, allowing his brother to enter.

"What do you need, Hades?" He asked solemnly, slumping forward slightly as he stretched his arms towards his toes. Delphin suddenly surfaced by the side of the dock, bobbing about as he gazed between the two curiously. The boy was protective, and he had good reason to be. Poseidon and his siblings always struggled to understand each other. Hades, fortunately, was one that he only occasionally struggled with. Although, that was because he rarely saw him. His current presence was completely out of character.

"Dionysus is having a party tonight." 'Ahhh. That explains it.' Poseidon rolled his eyes before pulling himself up off of the ground. Hades came because he needed another enforcer - someone that would not only play by the rules but do everything in their power to ensure that everyone else knew what they were. How Poseidon had garnered that reputation was obvious... just unfortunate.

"Is he now?" He began, feigning a surprised expression before turning away to mount the ladder into the house. "Well, his antics are not my problem. Why don't you go talk to his father?"

"You and I both know that his father is nearly three times as bad as he is..." Hades corrected darkly, brow furrowing slightly.

"Ah, right. The situation is clearly just out of my - "

"Poseidon! Hades suddenly bit, causing the god of the sea to flinch slightly as he reached for the ladder. I need your assistance. I can only intimidate so many of them when they are sober... adding alcohol makes them all foolishly brave."

He allowed his arm to fall back down to his side. "..."

"I just - I need someone that they respect." His brother continued, a twinge of resentful desperation in his voice. They all hated to rely each other; family dynamics had never exactly been normal anyways.

Poseidon smirked, realizing what his brother was implying. He had never been good with garnering people's trust and admiration. Well, he had never succeeded until he met Persephone. "You mean, you need someone - popular."

Hades's face immediately contorted with rage. "BROTHER, I WILL END - "

"Oh relax! Poseidon chided through hysterical laugher, shaking his head. I'll join you once I'm dressed if you must be this insistent. Just - wait outside the house for me." Hades begrudgingly nodded before turning away to walk back along the path. When defeated, he had always preferred silence. Unlike Zeus, he knew when words would only make a situation worse. Poseidon's perception of communication was entirely dependent upon how impetuous (also known as: angry) he was at that given time.

He exhaled before beginning his climb up the ladder. "... That was silly, my lord." Delphin chirped, now standing above him and peering over the edge. How he got out of the water was a mystery...

Poseidon smiled weakly. "Everything is silly to you, little one."


((Out Of Charisma: ))

[Falling Mist]

xxx

████████████████████████████ ████ █ █ xxFALLING STARS DON'T CRASH THROUGH YOUR WINDOWxx
if you want itxxxgo get it, it's meant to be chasedxxxhold on to me tight when it all falls down
you can take myx ❤x when yours won't beat
you can take myx ❤ xwhen yours won'twhen you're brokenxxand you're shatteredxxlove will save you, from disaster
if you're torn apart i'll make you see, that nothing's impossiblexx ████ █

James laughed, relishing his first sip of the night. People only do get one of those after all. For James, it was a powerful statement - who you take it with, what it is, and how you take it - ALL of those factors set a tone. He liked to set a pretty stellar one. Besides, there was no point in half-assing a good time! Anyone who did was just a stick in the mud who was afraid to commit to anything other than their impeding future where they would in all likelihood still become the Buzz Killington. It can be such a shame... but it wasn't his problem! Not - "Ugh, It smells like wet dog." James couldn't help but smirk; his timing had been TOO comedic lately. He scanned the kitchen, searching for the girl who was brave enough to drop a comment like that around them. Then he saw her; the blonde in the floral dress with the pole up her a**. She glared at him as she leaned against the door jam, crossing her arms. He, much to her dismay he would assume, could only smirk. She was too adorable when she looked pissed.

His team began to grumble but he quickly raised a finger over the island to silence them. He needed them to wait; he had to hear this. It was directed at him after all. Artemis pushed herself off the door jam and headed inside moving past James as she made her way to the fridge. "You know this is why I don't come to these parties.. Animals are allowed inside." The freshman was pushing her luck tonight. He smirked through another sip of his drink before placing his cup down on the counter to watch her weave her way through the kitchen. The blonde pulled open the fridge and filled her cup with pomegranate juice. She bumped the fridge door with her hip, closing it. What was she trying to prove with that gesture? His smile grew, laughing at her misplaced courage. She was due for a ruuude awakening very, very soon. "Come on Arethusa. Lets go. I can't stand the smell." She moved back past James this time not being so kind, bumping into his shoulder weakly. He rolled his eyes, finding it amusing. He had no problem noticing her; the bump was just unnecessary.

"James!" A teammate to his right hissed, in complete shock that a new girl had already been rubbed the wrong way by the resident cuddly bear of the team.

"Just wait for it." James whispered, watching her getting in an unnecessarily vocal fight with a friend? an ex? a boyfriend? a sibling? Yeah, sibling. They did look freakishly alike after - THE TWIN. Some detective skills he had...

"Bro, if you don't say something before she walks out of her, I will. And after that, you have no chance of bo - "

"WOAH. Is your brain talking or your d**k?"

He smirked and the others laughed. Shrugging innocently, he said, "I'm a teenage boy."

"And so am I but - HEY. ARTEMIS! He caught her just before the would be out of ear shot. The thought would have to wait, though it was going to become completely irrelevant after this. He'd have no way to combat the teenage maturity thing after this.

A devilish smirk spread across his face, completely unaware that he was hammering one of the last few nails into his coffin. "I'm really glad that the pole doesn't run all the way up to your head! Really glad. OH, by the way, behave and have fun tonight, kid."




❖ J A M E SxC A R T E R . . .

[Falling Mist]

★xxxx ★xxxx ★xxxx ★xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ★xxxx ★

「 ❖ 」 ｉ ｔｒｕｌｙ ｄｏ ｂｅｌｉｅｖｅ ↓

that everything that you do bad comes back to you,

so everything that i do that's bad, i'm going to suffer from it...


▇ ▇xxxxxＣ hａｒｌｉｅ Ｇｒｅｅｎｅ
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▹ xx ｂｕｔxｉｎxｍｙ ▇▇▇▇ ❖ - - ★↘ 「 ｍｉｎｄ 」 ❖ ❖ ❖



❖ ＩxＢＥＬＩＥＶＥxＷＨＡＴxＩ’ＭxＤＯＩＮＧxＩＳxＲＩＧＨＴ,


He made his way past Artemis, who didn't say another word to him. Good, she got the hint. He slide the shot glass from his sleeve and sat it down on the counter give Dionysus a wink as he pointed his thumb back at Artemis. A buzzed Artemis was better then a sober Artemis. Now for Charlie, he didn't want to seem to creepy, though she would probably still think it was. He made his way to the drinks and started to make another one, vodka and rootbeer. He glanced over at her, acting like he hadn't noticed her. "Oh! hey!" He was a good actor, he's had centuries to practice. "You look nice. I didn't expect to see you here." She was gonna be a tough one to crack. He honestly wasn't sure what would work with her, but that was what he liked. It was a challenge he hadn't had in a very long time. He really needed a challenge and she was just that. "I'm gonna be honest, you don't strike me as a party kind of girl. Am I wrong on that?" He finished his drink and took a few gulps of it. Now he was feeling a lot better about this party, It might just be a really good one, if not the best.

"And so am I but - HEY. ARTEMIS! He caught her just before the would be out of ear shot. The thought would have to wait, though it was going to become completely irrelevant after this. He'd have no way to combat the teenage maturity thing after this.

A devilish smirk spread across his face, completely unaware that he was hammering one of the last few nails into his coffin. "I'm really glad that the pole doesn't run all the way up to your head! Really glad. OH, by the way, behave and have fun tonight, kid."

Arethusa reached out, taking hold of her arm. "Artemis.. Don't.." The young attendant whispered. How dare he say that to her, A goddess! She ripped her arm from Arethusa's grip roughly, causing the girl to stumble slightly and try to grab her again. She slammed her cup down on the on of the counters in the kitchen, juice spilling out from the force. She spun around, her hair flying. She eyes were filled with rage, and hurt. She stomped up to him and in one swift movement slapped him at full swing. She hoped it hurt, she hoped it hurt a lot. She wasn't some weak frail girl, she was a huntress! She poked him in the chest with the same hand. "YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!" She gave him a slight push as she poked him in the chest again. "Don't. Don't act like you know anything about. Don't you dare act like you have me all figured out!" She poked him again. "You don't!" Her head was spinning, She couldn't believe this. She had been hurt by what he had said before, but now it hurt more. It hadn't been so bad when it was just them when he said it. But to say something like this in front of so many other people.. Her eyes looked around her realize everyone was staring now. She'd cause quite the scene. Her face suddenly fell. She looked back at James, her head falling some as she looked up at him. "Your an a*****e.." She said letting her hand fall to her side. Her cheek was suddenly wet. Was she crying? Why was she crying? She hasn't done that since.. the accident.

Her breath caught in her throat that thought was only going to make it worse. She hid her face before anyone else could see. She turned around heading back toward Arethusa who had a look of worry on her face. She rushed past Arethusa who in turn watched in shock and tried to stop her. "Artemis.." Artemis said nothing, grabbing her glass and leaving the kitchen. She pushed her way through the crowd of partying teenagers. The first door she found she flung open, it leading into a small office that was never used. It was all for appearance. She slid into the room, closing the door behind her. She moved towards the desk and placed her hands it as she leaned forward, taking a deep breath. She was a goddess, she shouldn't get so upset over what some mortal teenage boy had to say about her. It didn't matter. Maybe it had to do with how her life had changed. Maybe she was getting comfortable with the life style she had.. Whatever the reason she didn't like it. She wasn't one to be emotional, but here she was nearly in tears. She leaned forward closing her eyes. She'd hit him pretty hard.. She was such a b***h. She moved, flopping into a chair in the room.

_____________

Arethusa was dumbfounded. She's seen Artemis blow up before, but not in years. She shifted around her blue eyes looking over at the boy who had so badly upset the goddess she's been devoted to for years. "Wow.. Really? You couldn't have just let it go. You had to just say one more thing didn't you? Had to have the last word." She crossed her arms to glare at him. "Your a real a*****e to do that to someone. I hope your satisfied, I hope you impressed your friends and get the bro points you feel you deserve.." She said with one last glared before she turned and left the kitchen as well. She just had to find Artemis now, wherever she had taken off too.



( o o c ; )


❖ ＳＯxＩxＦＥＥＬxＬＩＫＥxＩ’ＭxＧＯＩＮＧxＴＯxＨＥＡＶＥＮ ...

[Falling Mist]

◜ᴛнᴇ ｡ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛʀᴇss
APHRODITExxGODDESSxxofxxBEAUTY
everything seems tempting, but nothing comes for free
like a moth to a flame,xxyou can lookxxbut you can't touch.
like a moth to a flame,xxyou can lookxxbut you can't touch

the forbidden fruit of your desire

▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅ ▅

The goddess sighed, inhaling the welcoming scents of the many gardens that were nestled behind the trees and among the many paths. Her own was full of white blossoming lilies and was canopied by a large willow that whispered compliments in the wind. Persephone and Demeter were too kind to her vanity at times, but Aphrodite wasn't embarrassed by it. She relished it if the girl could hold her tongue. She was a bit too much of a free spirit. Then again, the blonde couldn't blame the poor girl. She was confined to Hades' side for half of the year. That would make anyone overly elated upon their release. There honestly was no way - no way that made sense to Aphrodite at least - that explained how the poor thing could enjoy such a thing. He was too dreary, too dull and too - dead.

She laughed silently at her little joke. It was a shame everyone pegged Athena as the clever one; Aphrodite could be quite witty when called upon, though it was usually in poor taste and at someone else's expense. The goddess of beauty's brow furrowed slightly in dismay; these kinds of thoughts weren't worth her trouble. If she were mortal, they would surely cause wrinkles. How many wrinkles could one get over centuries and centuries of 'living'? She shuddered at the thought, regretting the fact that she had drained her glass earlier. Ares. Her anger with him had caused her to do it. Why he had to be such a terrible brat sometimes was incomprehensible! She hadn't slept with Hephaestus, drunk or sober, in centuries. She hadn't touched Hermes since that ill-fated incident with the child. She didn't dare touch Poseidon ever since he became a moody introvert which was, well, ever since the Greeks lost faith which was, yet again, centuries ago. She hadn't slept with - oh. The technicality of mortals... there were far too many of them for her to even keep track. They were like leaves in the wind, fleeting but beautiful while they flew - while they were at their best.

Her existence was so cruel. As the goddess of love, she deserved eternal happiness in the form of a giving, gentle, and honest man with the most incredible physique. Instead, she had photographed images of imperfect beings and several beings that served as imperfect photographs of darker but simpler times.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Aphrodite was brought back to reality; nostalgia was dangerous, even for someone caught in a permanent state of youth. It would appear that she had been asked a question by her favorite, new photographed image. She wasn't expecting him so soon. Although, he wouldn't be around much longer if he kept up that smoking. She scrunched her nose slightly as he took another puff and shoved his free hand in his pocket, his exposed hand fiddling with his lighter. Why did she find herself enthused by men who enjoyed fire? "Everything alright?" 'Oh, you know, just thinking about my hundreds of intimate relationships and wondering why the few that still haunt me happen to be with assholes. - Yes, I did mean hundreds literally. - Oh, well - my age is in the hundreds too. - Your loss. My experience would - "You look beautiful by the way." He added, stepping closer towards her without any lustful gleam in his eyes - yet. She smiled weakly; the goddess could and would buckle at the knees over a compliment and his was so beautifully earnest. His questions were already forgotten. 'He is in so much trouble.'

"Flattery will get you no where with a cigarette in your mouth, Jackson Ramsden. You are not a Mad Man from the 1960s who claims to not know any better and lives for extramarital affairs that he doesn't deserve because of his beer belly." She may have pushed it a bit too far there. Oh well! "I only hope that you don't have a beer belly because the rest of it is just - improbable." 'Though, definitely not impossible.' He better not be a closet demigod.

xxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

[Falling Mist]

xxx

████████████████████████████ ████ █ █ xxFALLING STARS DON'T CRASH THROUGH YOUR WINDOWxx
if you want itxxxgo get it, it's meant to be chasedxxxhold on to me tight when it all falls down
you can take myx ❤x when yours won't beat
you can take myx ❤ xwhen yours won'twhen you're brokenxxand you're shatteredxxlove will save you, from disaster
if you're torn apart i'll make you see, that nothing's impossiblexx ████ █

❖ J A M E SxC A R T E R . . .

[Falling Mist]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.✩*◟xΡʘȘЄIDӪȠ
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxɢod of the sea - - ⊰xxx

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ★★★ ▬▬▬

.✩*◟xϲɑυsε мү εϲʜo, εϲʜo」 - - ⊰ ɪs тʜε σɴʟү νσɪϲε ϲσмɪɴɢ ʙɑϲҡ«!

❛ ▪▪ 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず ｡←








((Out Of Charisma: ))

[Falling Mist]

friend.xxxxxxprankster.xxxxxxbrother.xxxxxxboy.xxxxxxguardian.

I'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.
I LOVE BEING ON MY OWN. NO RULES.
NO RESPONSIBILITY.

We're gonna have a little fun.

The small town was buried in three feet of snow due to a "freak" nor'easter. As the last few flakes fell quietly while snow plows desperately tried to clear the roads for the next morning, the mastermind could finally observe his art. And what a tableau it was. The halos of the street lights provided small spotlights for snowflakes to revel in the last few seconds of their reckless pirouettes through the sky. The trees, distant cousins from their spring time appearance, slept quietly, yearning for a spring that was not going to arrive any time soon.

The young man smirked weakly from his perch above the city. His handiwork really did look beautiful from the rooftop. Yet, a sigh escaped his lips. The view from the street itself would have been better, but it was too risky. Ever since he had become a Guardian and met Jaime, well, things had changed. People could see him now, well, not all people, but more than before. Granted, more than none is not a lot, but still! People could see him! Hear him even! It was almost impossible to believe... 'Jack Frost... believed in.' He shook his head as a faint laugh escaped his lips. He really hoped he would not be waking up from this dream any time soon.

The young man jumped onto the ledge of the roof and began to walk along it. His bare feet didn't mind the snow beneath them as he stomped about, kicking the snow over onto the street. 'What to do now... What do - ...' A sudden flash of light caught his attention. Pulling his hood down, he turned to the horizon: The Northern Lights. Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh come on." He grumbled bitterly, before emitting a long and low whistle. "If I'm being called up there for another conversation about wearing shoes, I'll freeze the work shop twice over." Sweeping his cane across his body, he leapt off the ledge off the roof to catch the wind. After gliding for an instant, he shot off into the night sky.

[Falling Mist]

The young woman smiled weakly as she studied the small patch of flowers she had just nursed back to health with the simple touch of her hand. The little pink patch of tulips wasn't much compared to the corporate orchards in the Netherlands, but the corporate orchards in Netherlands didn't have a small, elderly woman tending to them. This little patch did, and she tended to them every day along with the rest of her terrarium. The woman's smile grew a bit more, her green eyes sparkling. There was nothing sweeter in this world than tender and persistent devotion, or simply put, love.

She stood up, tucking a few stray tresses of hair back to weave them into her crown of flowers once more. In the end, they'd only fall out again... but she wasn't the type to get fussy over hair. Nurses had more important things to tend to after all.

Quietly opening the door, she stepped out into the cool night air. Her breath drifted sleepily up into the darkness The snow crunched beneath her bare feet before it slowly melted away to reveal a path of bright, green grass. If she lingered for too long, flowers would begin to sprout and she'd rather not give the woman a heart attack. Suddenly, a violent gust of cold wind billowed through the yard, disturbing the piles of snow. The loose flakes took off into the air once more, elated to find a second chance at flight. The woman's bright green eyes immediately shot to the sky to spy an insolent little boy with a cane gliding about in the clouds. "Would it kill that boy to have some class?" She grumbled through a sigh. One would think that after a few months as a guardian he would know a bit better, but there he was! And this storm! This had to be his doing. The area wasn't due for a storm. She'd spoken to several fairies just recently that ensured a clear sky for Valentine's Day, but now? Absolutely not. They'd be lucky to have the snow melted by then! Some -

The woman caught herself and sighed, laughing weakly before she reminded herself, 'May, you're not his mother... 'You're not anyone's mother...' Her smile quickly faded. Why did she let herself think that way? The Man in the Moon had given her such a high honor with this - ... promotion... 'but, at what cost?' No, stop that! The May Queen is meant to be happy. Edith - She... must be happy too.

[Falling Mist]

"Sir, we need to do something - the winds are going to pick up any second now and completely through our jets off!" A cabin hand bellowed, as he clung desperately to the rail on the deck that overlooked.

"I am well aware of the situation with the jets, Mr. Hawking. An imbecile would be aware of them, as would your own blind grandmother!" Irving Gray snapped back as a gust of wind from the right suddenly slammed into the ship. He was a gruff captain if there ever was one, but this was probably due to the fact that he was relegated to the city ship and would be for the rest of his life if he didn't change his attitude any time soon. Too much ambition was a dangerous thing in the skies... too much ambition was risky in the military. The man could only blame himself if he was unhappy.

The door to the top deck suddenly burst open. A young man in his mid-twenties sporting a large pair of goggles came out of the doorway, bee-lining for Irving. "Sir, due to the force of the storm yesterday and the cloud cover today, we don't have nearly enough solar energy to fight our way up above the cloud level. We'll need to go down. There's no other option unless you want to risk the emergency energy supply."

Irving grumbled bitterly in reply, shaking his head. "Can anything go right on this bloody fleet for once?"

The technician sighed poignantly. The rain hardly seemed to prevent his theatrics or contemplation. "Well, sir, it appears - "

"... Get back inside to your post, Blackburn!"

The man's golden eyes widened; he really needed to work on discerning his commanding officer's monologue from dialogue. "Right away, captain!" He quickly disappeared back into the bowels of Civicalum.

Turning on his heel, the captain looked out over his deck. The men were running around like helpless ants as they tried to secure all loose lines and boxes. They really were useless without him. "MEN, PREPARE TO FLOAT! ALL LIFE BOATS MUST BE PUT AT THE READY!" The sudden clap of lightning lit up the man's face in a sickening way as a devilish smirk crept across his face. "WE'RE IN FOR QUITE THE SHOW TONIGHT!"

A bit further down the deck on the on the starboard side of the fleet, a young blonde couldn't help but roll his eyes as he clamped down one of hundreds of crab pots. Given that this was a domestic ship and not a battle ship, it was heavily outfitted to feed and defend. The pots ironically served well for both purposed. "That guy's going to get us all killed one day, Jacky." He shouted over the sudden boom of the loud speaker that would relay the message of the descent to the inhabitants of the city.

A man suddenly jumped down from the top of the pot, smirking in spite of his mop of soaking midnight blue hair. "Part of me thinks death would be a nice change of pace. Less Rain." The sudden crack of lightning illuminated the sarcastic gleam in his teal eyes. Tyler's astonished expression caused him to laugh weakly before walking over to the next pot to ensure it was secure.

"You keep talking like that and you're going to get yourself thrown right of this ship, Jacky." Tyler called without avail after his friend as he climbed up to the top of the pot once more.

"Who says I don't want to be thrown off? I think some of those big fish down there and I could be fast friends!"

"More like fast food, jackass." Tyler grumbled in reply. The guy usually wasn't such a wet blanket. In all actuality, he was anything but! He was always the first to enable Jack to go for another drink, the first to encourage him to stay out past curfew even, but with storms... the kid froze up. The least Jack could do was try and get him to laugh until the skies cleared.

"Oh, lighten up. The storm'll be over soon and then you can go snuggle with your thunder buddy all you like."

"SHUT UP!" Tyler howled, kicking the cage to rattle it slightly. Jack simply shook his head and laughed as he set to work trying to find the straps that needed to be thrown down to Ty in order to lock the pot down. The first two were easy enough, but the third - well, someone didn't follow protocol when pulling the freaking thing out of the water. The third was wenched in between the guard and the back of the pot.

"Ty, this might take a second."

"Just be careful, Jack! We're about to - s**t." Suddenly, the ship landed in the water. It rocked violently, from side to side for several seconds as waves cascaded over the sides of the ship before finding the natural rhythm of the raging waves. The sirens began to blare as the voice returned to the loud speaker, demanding that everyone get back inside due to impeding "rough seas". 'A little late on that one...' The force of the landing slammed Tyler to the ground while the water carried him a few yards away towards the bow. "J-Jack?" He stammered through a wheeze, trying to pull himself back up to little avail. He waited for an instance but there was nothing...

"Jack?!" Silence. Against his body's protests, Tyler pulled himself up and stumbled forward at a light pace, glancing around nervously. None of the faces were his. Panic struck. Tyler took off a sprint, screaming to anyone that may still be on deck. "MAN OVER BOARD!!!"

[Falling Mist]

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The water was freezing. Jack bobbed along the surface like a cork, desperately pawing about to remain afloat as wave after wave threw him back beneath the water. Eventually... it all just became too much and everything went - black.

"Dont you die on me!" The command seemed to be coming from another time and place, another world even. But where - where was he then? What the hell was - "Don't you die on me, Jacky!" Tyler ordered through a slight slur as a heavy hand fell on Jack's shoulders.The navy haired man suddenly slumped up, sitting up as straight as he could in his - state. "There you are, mate! I was worried you left me for the other world!"

Jack rolled his eyes and shrugged his friend's hand off from his back. Tyler really was one for the dramatics. "All I want to do at this point, mate, is sleep. I don't understand why you won't just let me - "

"You are not going anywhere, Jackson Lee Crawley, until we find you a woman to treat you right. It IS your birthday. You will treat it as such or so help me!" Without thought, Tyler quickly yanked off Jack's coat and spun him around on his barstool to inspect him. He took a step back, pursing his lips. A devious smirk suddenly appeared on his face as he crossed his arms, "Give me your shirt."

"... Tyler. Absolutely not." Jack grumbled irritably, before standing up and extending his hand. "Now, I'm going home. Give me back my jacket."

Tyler only smirked, shaking his head. "Stupid.... stupid -

human!"Jack suddenly coughed up water aggressively as he was yanked violently out of his flashback. A slight drizzle continued to fall; the storm seemed to be on its way - The storm! His eyes suddenly flashed open, staring up into the night sky covered in rolling, storm clouds.'It's still night... I haven't been out that long. I have to get back to the chi - A groan escaped his lips as his attempt to pull himself up from the cold sand where the waves playfully licked his feet ended in his body's immediate protest. The young man was not going to move anytime soon and that was perfectly fine with him. He cursed under his breath before sighing and closing his eyes once more.

"How do I get myself into these messes..." 'Well Jack, let's see.' He chided himself silently. 'You, being the little s**t that you are, constantly try to finish the job - regardless of the risks.That time at the tethering post? You just had to climb off the ship to grab that flower because Ty thought it was pretty, and you ended up in the water. That other time when we were anchored in the shallows while the fishers were out stocking up - YOU HAD TO WALK ALONG THE SIDE. And you fell in. Again. He paused slightly and opened his eyes. "The ocean is trying to kill me. That is the only logical solution."

The drizzle was no more than a fine mist by now as he gently flexed his toes back and forth. At least those weren't broken, but everything else still hurt like hell as the stars in the night sky began to peer through the disappearing cloud cover.

He really hoped Tyler would cause a scene to motivate a search party. He did not want to die on this lump of sand in the middle of the planet covered in water.

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[Falling Mist]

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The rain had stopped and the stars - the stars were so beautiful. It had been a while since Jack had last stopped everything to just stare at them. His grandfather used to tell him all about the planets and the stars, which may actually be one in the same. The universe is huge, apparently, and we are only insects in it. That last fact really got Jack upset when he was a kid given that he was the type that took a liking to squashing bugs. The idea that someone could do the same to him? Oh, it freaked him out a lot. A faint laugh escaped his lips; things were so full of wonder back then - so simple. He always had time for the stars...

Jack just wished the occasion that gave him a pause to do so again wasn't so miserable. Tenderly moving his arms, he propped himself up into a sitting position. He winced slightly, his muscles were going to ache for a while after being thrown around like a rag doll in the waves, but the pain was bearable. It had to be if he had any intention of getting - "... Hello?" Jack hesitantly called out. He knew he wasn't crazy, well... he hoped he wasn't crazy because there definitely was someone out there in the water. His eyes could barely make out the silhouette in the dark but it was someone... just hopefully not something.

And a wave of revelation washed over him. 'Of course there is something out there...' Luck sure as hell did not get him out of the ocean especially because, as far as he knew, unconscious bodies don't float very well in water. Something saved him! Something actually saved him!

The curious smile that had been growing on his face suddenly disappeared. 'There are things in the water... WHAT THE HELL. THERE ARE THINGS IN THE WATER.' He leapt to his feet and cautiously backed away from the ocean's edge. He immediately regretted the action as he continued to limp backwards, but he'd dwell on that later. 'What if it saved me to eat me? What if it wants to make me its slave - its sex slave?! Oh dear god. I'm too fragile for that. I can't - ... ... ... why leave me alone on an island then?' "... Is anyone there?" The young man called out, finally stopping about fifteen yards back from the shore line. It seemed like a safe distance.

As stupid as it was, he finally took a second to study his injuries. He was a mess. Glancing down, he finally realized why those breezes seemed to dry his torso immediately; there was hardly anything left of his shirt, let alone the bandages he kept wrapped around his limbs from his sparing sessions. All he had left were his pants and thank god for that. The idea of being rescued by his crew with nothing on was anything but pleasant; it was humiliating and he would be laughed at until he was on his death bed. It wasn't really that Jack was ashamed or anything it was just that well - ... Tyler was insufferable when it came to that kind of humor!

'Jack. Focus.' "... at least just let me know if you plan on killing me or not because hope is a cruel present to give in terms of time before murder..."

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[Falling Mist]

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Laughter. His concern about death was greeted with laughter - and it was - ... a girl's?! What in this universe was fair about that? For all he knew it was some walking shark beast out there! The fact that it was a girl certainly calmed him down a bit, but - well. He was still mildly - Oh come on, who are we kidding here? Jack was immediately relieved when he heard her bubbly laugh fill the air. If there was anything he could handle with ease, it was a woman. '... That sounded so much worse than I meant it to.'"You're a funny one, Mr. Sky Pirate."

He could almost hear the smile through her words, and in spite of any traces of apprehension that may have still lingered in his mind, he began to move towards the water. Laughter wasn't scary. Laughter was a good thing - hell, it was friendly! At least, when it wasn't maniacal... but hers certainly wasn't! It was - well, it definitely found what he said hilarious. Jack smiled weakly and shook his head. Anxiety on his part usually only got him his foot in his mouth. This case was no different. "Well, why do you say - ... ..." Whoever was there was gone, or hiding at least. If it were the latter, they'd be popping up out of the water any second now... any second now... any. second. now. "What the freaking hell..."

Jack wasn't crazy, or was he? He had seen that silhouette. He had heard the laughter. He had heard that girl speak. He was not crazy - ... did he hit his head on something? Maybe that was it, but then, how the hell did he make it to this island alive?! None of this made any sense!

He sighed exasperatedly as he flung himself back on the ground, staring up at the sky. "So, not only am I potentially hallucinating, but I'm stuck here... well, that's just brilliant."

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[Falling Mist]

The door slammed. The table shook. "The storm has passed. You need to let me lead a search party."

"I am not going to waste my crew's time on a miracle, Mr. James, especially when the man proposing the cause is driven by emotions rather than logic."Captain Gray muttered matter of factly, glancing up at Tyler through slitted eyes from his place above the map table. The young man's outburst had apparently interrupted a meeting of some sorts.

"Sir, would you really leave someone out there to die without looking? Without even trying?!"

"We are two days behind schedule, Mr. James, given the last two days of storms. We will barely make our date at the supply station as it is, and if you have a valid argument as to why we should miss it entirely so that the ship will be on rations for the next month - enlighten me." The older man sat down in his seat, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture. "I'd be delighted to hear your ideas regarding fair distribution of grains and protein."

Tyler was dumfounded. He - he had no way of arguing against that, and the asinine smirk on Irving's face - who at one time was no better than he was - only made matters worse. What was he even thinking in coming to talk to Irving? He never liked Jack to begin with! The guy could probably give a rat's a** about the fact that he was flung from the ship (again). It's not like Jack was really important to anyone, he was just - a stand-up guy that usually didn't get the credit that he was due... and Tyler usually gave him crap for that. 'God, I'm such an asshat sometimes! And I even think the last thing I said to him was a cross between an insult and advice! Not even that I liked his stupid face! I'm an a**! Dear God, I am an - "

"Sir, not to interrupt or anything -" Mason Blackburn hesitantly began, glancing cautiously between his commanding officer and the deck hand.

"... But you are." Irving intervened crossly, casting him a warning glance. He would not have insubordination on this ship. Not today.

"Yes, well, excuse my interjection then because I am going to continue anyways." Mason grumbled irritably, rifling through his papers to pull out one of the last fact sheets he managed to print before rushing up here. "We're going to need a bit of time recharging before we can go anywhere in the skies and if we opt to start cruising on the water - well, it'll only take much longer to fuel the jets."

"So, I have time?" Tyler suddenly interrupted, a hopeful gleam in his bright green eyes. Ideas were already formulating in his head.

"Approximately three hours after sunrise, yes." Mason reassured, much to Irving's dismay.

"I can - go out and find him?"

"If that is what you want to do with the downtime..."

"Yes, yes it is! Mace - I knew you were good for something, even when you were that weird gangly kid!" Tyler shouted gleefully, slapping the older man on the back heartily.

"Why - umm... thanks... I think." Mason muttered through a wince, lifting an arm to his shoulder to message it. He really was not one for the outdoors...

"MR. JAMES. NOT SO FAST!" Irving suddenly interjected as Tyler was about to swing upon the door and bolt for the transportation port. "If you are not back by the time we are ready to fly, you will be stuck out there, with or without Mr. Crawley. Is that understood?"

Tyler smirked, turning his back to walk towards the door, before turning on his heel to address his captain."Perfectly sir. I'd rather be out there with him anyways than trapped in this rig with your rotten mug."

"MR. - MR. JAMES!" Irving bellowed, but the door slammed once more before anything else could be said. Tyler had more important things to do. He'd make the sly joke to himself that he wished one of them were Jack himself but, alas. Some things were never meant to be.