Chateaux de l'Eclipse

[Annotations of Discordia]

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⇆ ℛσяу ℱєℓιх ℤєνєяαι ⇄

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тнєяє'ѕ ѕσ мυ¢н ¢яαzιиєѕѕ ѕυяяσυи∂ιиg мє
тнєяє'ѕ ѕσ мυ¢н gσιиg σи ιт gєтѕ нαя∂ тσ вяєαтнє
ωнєи αℓℓ му fαιтн нαѕ gσиє, уσυ вяιиg ιт вα¢к тσ мє
уσυ мαкє ιт яєαℓ fσя мє

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discordia

discordiaRory didn’t close his eyes when Alaric gently pushed him back and fed from his arm. He could feel his blood flowing out of him and just watching his soul mate feeding from him made him feel something so incredible it couldn’t even be put into words. He let out a soft moan when Ric kissed his wound, but it wasn’t out of pain. He wasn’t even sure if he could feel pain ever again. Every single thing that had happened up until this moment just felt so far away, and he never wanted to leave the cloud that he was on right now. “I don’t…” He began, but let his voice trail off. He was going to say that he didn’t know how to describe what he was feeling, but he did. “Perfect.” He whispered eventually, and it was completely and utterly the truth. Rory did close his eyes after that. Alaric was kissing along his neck and he knew that if he didn’t get a hold of his emotions, then something more would happen. “I love you most,” he murmured into his ear before opening his eyes again and watching him roll off. For a split second he just wanted to grab him and beg him not to leave, but it was Alaric who took hold of his hand, and Rory realised he was staying. He knew it wouldn’t be for too long, because he wasn’t even supposed to be there in the first place, but there was nothing but pure elation filling him and he didn’t even care that they were probably breaking the rules. Speaking of rules… He thought when Ric said he should stay with him tonight. Rory was pretty sure that Ryder and Alexis would want him to keep away from their brother for a while. He didn’t want to do anything that would make them hate him even more than they already did.

discordiaHe knew that he was probably expected to reply, but he kept quiet. There was no way he wanted to start thinking of things that would crush his amazing mood, and he didn’t want to upset Alaric either. Rory gently stroked his love’s soft brown hair and closed his eyes again. Hearing him breathe was something that had always soothed him. There had been so many times that Ric had fallen asleep next to him and Rory had lain awake just listening to the sound of his heart beat and watching the rise and fall of his chest. It seemed different this time though. It was almost as though their hearts were beating at the same time, like they were one person. He couldn’t help but smile at that. Alaric was the other half of him, he knew that, but it was almost like their hearts were agreeing too. His eyes opened again when he felt Ric move and an icy wave passed over him. It vanished as quickly as it came when he realised it was just because he wanted a kiss. Rory kissed him back and then gently touched his cheek whilst he was complaining. “I don’t want you to go either.” He said slowly, but knew that they couldn’t stay hidden there forever. Despite it not hurting when Alaric gripped him more tightly, he couldn’t keep the worry out of his eyes. A minute later he loosened it though, and said he was okay. So why do I still feel strange then? He thought, not taking his eyes off the dark blue ones in front of him.

discordiaIt was as though he could actually hear Rory’s thoughts when he spoke up again so quickly, and Rory instantly felt horrible. I don’t know… Was all he could think, but he sounded confident when he spoke up. He had to reassure Alaric, not crush his feelings after all. “If you have to go home, or even if you want to, I’ll always be right here waiting for you. I might miss you too much though, so maybe I’ll come and live in the forest surrounding the Soleil manor. You can pretend you’re going for a walk and then we can have secret tree meetings.” He was joking in a weak attempt at making him smile. He couldn’t leave Chateaux de l’Eclipse because he owed his life to them, but his life was surrounded by Alaric now, and he truly wasn’t sure what would happen if he had to leave. You’re thinking all of this though, but you still don’t know if you’re even allowed to stay here anymore… They’re well within their rights to throw me out after what I’ve done. The room was silent and he knew that he should say something else. How could he though when he didn’t know what was going to happen? Ric was tracing patterns on his chest, and he pushed all of his thoughts away. He didn’t want to be upset, not now when he was lying here with the person who held the key to his heart. “I know. I love you too.” He replied quietly, kissing the top of his head. More than anything in the whole world, he knew that he loved Alaric with every fibre of his being. His neck tingled where it was kissed, and he let a sad smile settle onto his lips.

discordiaIt was just a matter of time before they had to be apart again, and he’d known it from the second he realised that Ric was in the room with him. “It’s alright,” he said, only vaguely surprised that his voice sounded so strong. His hand had automatically gone to his cheek at the mention of Ryder, but he quickly changed it so that he was brushing through his hair, hoping that it hadn’t been noticeable. He had been expecting a lot more than one little punch, even if it had been hard enough to knock him over, but to have actually been helped up by him… He wasn’t sure what to think about it. He did know, however, that Ryder wouldn’t want Rory near his brother right now. Although his mood was darkening considerably, he couldn’t help but smile when Ric placed lots of little kisses upon his lips. “I’ll try,” he answered, his eyes fixed on his soul mate who was standing at the door now. It was difficult to say no whenever Alaric asked him to do anything, because he just wanted to make him totally happy. Rory was laughing when the door closed again, but then he was alone again and he wasn’t sure what to do. He let out a sigh before reaching over to his nightstand and picking up one of his ‘boring books’. It would be difficult to concentrate on it, but he couldn’t just lay in bed and do nothing all day.

discordiaRory was halfway through his second book when he realised that he couldn’t just hide away. Things had to be explained, especially to Logan. It had been Aeron who’d found him when he was first Turned, and it was him who’d let him stay in the manor. Since then, he’d gone out of his way to try and do as much as he possibly could for everyone in the Eclipse family, and he’d give his life for any one of them. Aeron was no longer there though, and he hadn’t really seen Logan at all since he became the new head of house. Before, he would spend most of his time with Elissiana, but she had changed too since Aeron had left. She was Lady Eclipse now. The thought of Lissi made his head hurt and he remembered the shocked look on her face after she whipped around and saw him fighting Alaric. Everything would’ve been so different if he’d killed Elissiana, or even if Alaric was actually dead. He didn’t think he would’ve been able to live with himself, but the trance would’ve never been broken and Clara would still be there. “Stop it.” He said aloud to the empty room. Rory took a deep breath and rolled down the sleeves of his jumper as he stood up from the bed. He couldn’t wait any more, he needed to know what was going to happen to him. Not even noticing that his glasses were still on his face, he slipped on a pair of black and white canvas trainers, took one last glance around his room, and then slipped through the door.

discordiaThe whispers of the various guests who were standing around in the hallways burned like fire at his eyes. He couldn’t cry though, he wasn’t even sure if he had any tears left after last night. He knew that he deserved everything they were saying about him anyway. It didn’t take him long to reach the ground floor and he saw two maids standing together in front of a painting. As he walked past them, he heard the word ‘traitor’ and his heart stopped although he made himself keep walking. That stung more than anything. He wasn’t a traitor. It wasn’t his fault. He’d been in a Maker’s trance. Keep telling yourself that, said his mind. Rory could taste bile in his mouth, and he quickly forced it back down. Giving the maids, who clearly hated him, vomit to clean up wasn’t exactly going to make them feel any differently towards him. His hands were trembling by the time he reached Woolfred’s office. He didn’t know where Logan was, and it was better to ask Sir D’eon if he could even talk to the head of house before just going to interrupt him. His hand faltered in the air though when he heard his name through the door. He’d been just about to knock, but now he let his arm drop back to his side. It was wrong to stand there listening, but he couldn’t help it. Everything about the explanation of the party seemed to make Rory feel even more sick than he had been doing and the words “Alaric had gotten hurt” echoed in his mind. He wasn’t even aware of edging back away from the door and along the hallway until he heard Woolfred saying his name again.

discordiaReluctantly, he walked back and headed into the office with his head aching. Logan was standing there with his arms crossed against his chest, and Rory had to avert his eyes so that he was staring down at the floor. How could he look him in the eyes when he’d tried to murder his family last night? Woolfred offered him a seat, and he slowly sat down on the edge of it, still looking down. His eyes met Logan’s though when he heard the question, and he shook his head. “No… After Ryder Soleil came out of Alaric’s room he told me to take him to… Her. Melody Devon came too. We went into the Kara forest, near the magnolia tree. She… Clara came out and Melody demanded that she released all ties with me. She put my blood and her blood on… On a ribbon and then said something - I’m not sure what - but then I felt dizzy and light… I knew she didn’t have any control over me after that. I couldn’t feel her anymore… Melody… She said that she could either be banished or face death… I’m not too sure, but she… Clara… Seemed scared of her. She said that she would leave and that she wouldn’t go near Vampyres or humans again. She left through the magnolia tree, and… That’s it.” Rory didn’t know anything about what sort of powers the Devon family had, although he did know the Eclipse, Soleil and Levana family histories. He had left out the part about him nearly drowning in the lake, because he was sure that Logan wouldn’t care. He did try to murder Elissiana after all, and he was probably going to get his punishment right now. If he wasn’t going to be sentenced to death for attempting to kill the Eclipse family and actually stabbing a member of the Soleil family, then he was almost positive that they would banish him as well, which would be like death to him anyway. He didn’t even want to imagine a life away from Alaric and the Eclipse’s, but he would have to. Rory stared down at the floor again, hating that his face felt hot as though he was going to start crying any second now.

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✗ ιf уσυя ѕку ιѕ fαℓℓιиg, נυѕт тαкє му нαи∂ αи∂ нσℓ∂ ιт. уσυ ∂σи'т нανє тσ вє αℓσиє, αℓσиє уєαн. ι ωσи'т ℓєт уσυ gσ ✗

συтfιт

[Mewling Quim]

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╳✖╳ ≽⋯⋯⋯нυgσ вσℓтση тнσяηє ⋯⋯⋯❥
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❝Old habits die hard when you got, when you got a sentimental heart. Piece of the puzzle and you're my missing part. Oh, what can you do with a sentimental heart?❞

HowdyTherePartner!!Outfit

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As Hugo laid there in his bed, he breathed in and out, trying to calm his nerves and relax. Just to have Oliver talk to him, and really talk to him, about everything had been enough to clear his head long enough to answer him as he finished speaking. “If he stays, then he stays. There's nothing we can do about it. But I doubt he will because he’s a human. They’ll probably send him back to his world, back to his life, and he’ll wake up from his ‘dream’ and things will go back to normal for us.” He said, thinking back to when the two of them were turned and how absolutely terrible it was for them. At least Vampyre’s were a bit different during these times. But still, there was the fact and reason that he was there. Hugo wasn’t even sure he wanted to know. Still, he didn’t think that he would apologize to Kai unless Oliver wanted him to. Everything was still just an open wound, especially since he had the habit of pushing the past away. Yeah, that did you some good, Hugo. He thought, but his thoughts were interrupted by Oliver wanting to play catch. Everything suddenly felt normal again, just like it did when his twin would try to cheer him up. Really. What would I do without him? He asked himself while tossing it back to his elder brother.

As soon as Hugo told his twin that he was going crazy, he saw his reaction and immediately regretted it. Before he could tell him that it was about Melody, he had guessed. “Oh, hush, Oliver. Yes it’s about a girl. I don’t even understand what I’m feeling right now. About her at least.” He looked away when his twin guessed that he was talking about Melody and that was a perfect giveaway about his current conundrum. Hugo knew that as soon as he looked away, Olly knew that he was talking about her, and it only confirmed it when he spoke up again. “Yeah, that’s because I’ve never gotten so worked up over a girl before.” He sighed a sort of broody sigh and crossed his arms in front of his chest while looking the other way. He had to think of a way to change the subject and the only way he could think was to say that he wanted to eat. “Let’s go eat, Olly, I’m hungry.” Although he really wasn’t, he still could stuff himself to the point where he’d feel sick just for the pure enjoyment of it.

It took no time at all for the Thorne twins to arrive to the dining area and as Hugo reached for the door, he heard Oliver’s stomach growl and he gave him an amused yet concerned look. He really knew that his twin didn’t drink blood as often as he needed, and he could hardly stomach human food. It was sort of a relief as Hugo saw him, from the corner of his eye while piling his plate high with an assortment of foods, get a plate with a couple of pieces of watermelon. It’s something, at least. He thought with a slight smile. Hugo had to be strong for the both of them, but more for Olly, he always had. From the day they were born, and there were times where he wished that he wasn’t even born and that Oliver could have his health. He never voiced this, there were so many small things that he had thought over the course of their lives that he knew would just set his older brother over the edge. Hugo loved him too much to have him constantly hurting over the nonsense that he cooked within his own head.

Hugo shook his head seeing as he couldn’t answer his twin’s question just yet because he only just stuffed a roll into his mouth, but he smiled the best he could with the bread stuck between his teeth. “Iunno.” He managed to mumble through the roll as he took them to a table in one of the corners. As he set his plate down, he took the roll out of his mouth and set it on a napkin. “I can eat so much because it’s fun. It’s like… a very bad hobby.” Hugo told his brother with a huge grin, which halfway died as Oliver asked about Melody. He didn’t even ask, he told him to tell him about her. Hugo shook his head before his twin looked up and Hugo had stared at him with a tiny grin that was filled with mock annoyance. There’d be no way he would really be annoyed with his brother for asking things about Melody, in fact he was glad for it. This was just one thing that he knew he couldn’t keep to himself and there was no one else to talk about it. But before he could speak, Olly had spoken up again asking Hugo if he thought he would keep quiet about it. He shook his head while matching his twin’s grin. “You know,” He started, “I knew that you’d ask about her.” Hugo grinned as he took a big bite while thinking of what exactly to say.

Actually, he wasn’t even certain what he could exactly say. Oh, hello Oliver. You should just call me in-freaking-sane from now on because I don’t even know what I’m feeling, okay? Yeah, that’s exactly what I should tell him. What should I even say? The fact that she absolutely captivated me when “She kissed me.” He didn’t even realize that he finished that sentence out loud until he saw the look on Oliver’s face. “I mean…” Hugo shook his head and he furrowed his brow in a slight confusion. “You know that I don’t like to be close to anyone, but I told her, without thinking, about some of the things from our past. The locket. Why it meant so much. I don’t know what I did; I don’t know why I did it.” His voice had dropped to a faint whisper that only his brother could hear. The conversation was for his ears only, anyway. “All that I wanted to do was to go and get a drink in the pool house. Where no one would actually bother me with wanting to get me something else, or asking if I needed anything. And she was there, just swimming. I was an idiot too; I said she was a beautiful mermaid.” He held back a laugh filled with embarrassment before continuing on what he was saying between bites of food. “Then we got to talking and I don’t even know what happened, she had a strand of hair fall into her eyes, and I moved it away, and she kissed me. Then she apologized. Which she shouldn’t have, but then she walked away. Or rather ran, it looked like she was absolutely upset or uncomfortable and for some reason I ran after her.” Hugo paused while thinking about what he said. “Well, I didn’t run after her, I caught her before she pulled her jacket on to leave, and I did something crazy. I kissed her back.” He wasn’t sure whether he should have laughed at himself or kicked himself, but Oliver looked a bit amused by it. Hugo was terrified, though, and he didn’t want his twin to think that he’d leave him behind for a girl. Because he never would. “She knows that I care about you more than anything. But it was as though by some celestial something had just decided for us to be in that room at the same time.” He wasn’t even sure what he was saying now, nothing was making sense, and his thoughts were jumbled, but one thing was certain. His twin was definitely getting a kick out of the way he was acting. Finally, he was able to speak up again. “She said whatever happens, happens and I gave her my necklace and there’s just something about her that makes me want to show her that she can, in fact, be happier. And not the front that she’s giving everyone, and she saw through me just as well as I saw through her and I’m going crazy Olly, and I don’t even know what’s going on right now.” Hugo was just about to bring himself into a quick panic but it was quickly quelled as he drank nearly half of his tea before shoving his face full of food again so he didn’t have to say anything else.

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[Mewling Quim]

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♧♧❂↔cσяvσ ғιиℓєιɢн ωσσ∂↔❂♧♧
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Profile Layout made by: Mewling Quim♧♧

┏｡｡｡I won't let you turn around and tell me now I'm much too proud. All you do is fill me up with doubt.
This time, baby, I'll be bulletproof.｡｡｡┛

QuimCorvo could tell the set in mood that Ryder was in without even having to ask him about anything; it was funny how well they knew one another; just like he knew that if he offered Ryder the cherries, which were sweet, that if he took them he’d be okay. Eventually. “Mhm.” He mumbled as he bit into another cherry while listening to what Alaric was saying about them not inviting the twins to play pool. “Oh, shut up Ric. It’s not like it was planned.” He wasn’t being mean to the boy, it was quite the opposite, and as the older twin hit the cue ball and missed his shot, Corvo sent a cherry flying over towards him and it bounced off of the back of his head. “I second Melody. You two could be half a world away and then show up, absolutely uninvited, just to see what we were doing.” There was a mighty grin that had made its way onto his lips and it was unmoving He had never minded the twins, although he was rather mean to them way back at the Soleil manor. That was before Melody had touched up his attitude a time or two; she really was scary at times. Cor turned his eyes to Ryder for a moment and his heart sank. There had obviously been something he missed between his best friend and the twins, but he wouldn’t pry. Instead he sat the cup down on the bar and placed his hand on Ryder’s back for a second as a comforting gesture, but he figured that it wouldn’t do much for his best friend, so he removed it and folded his arms across his chest while stretching his legs out in front of him.

The entire time that Corvo and Ryder were with Melody he had noticed her reach up and touch her necklace more often than not, and although he didn’t want to pry, he was still curious. “Kat,” He said with a grin. “That’s a nice necklace.” His grin had widened and he was only partly trying to get all of the attention off of Ryder and Alaric, although putting it on Melody had really been a horrible thing to do. But they were all friends and he didn’t think that she would mind. Corvo gave her a small wink as she leaned against the wall and told Alaric she let him win. For a moment there, Cor felt like it was his fault that Kat missed the shot because he had said something about her necklace. But he could have just imagined it. As Alaric and Melody’s game had finished, Corvo pushed himself up and looked to Lexi. “Well, come on little twin, you’re going to play me.” He said, his green eyes looking right at her while he walked towards the pool table and set it back up again. From the moment that he met the Soleil twins, he always called Alexis ‘little twin’ because she was so tiny back then, and even now. Not that it mattered; it was just a pet name that he had for her; just as he would joke with Ryder and call him ‘darling’ or ‘dear’ at times. “You don’t really know how to play, do you? I don’t ever remember you playing with us before. So, how about I teach you?” Corvo asked, mainly to push Alaric over to Ryder, which he did as soon as he finished setting the game up. “Go talk to your brother, Ric.” He said only loud enough for him to hear as he gave him a nudge in Ryder’s direction.

Corvo only wanted everyone there to be okay, so he looked up to Melody and smiled before stepping towards her and gave her a friendly peck on the top of her head. He glanced towards Ryder and Alaric and the younger boy had sat down on the stool beside his brother and continued to stare down to the floor. Ugh. I hope this works. Corvo thought as he picked out a cue that would be suitable for Lexi’s frame and arm length and handed it to her. “Just remember I’m absolutely horrible at this game. But I know enough for you to get the grasp of it.” He said while picking up his own cue stick that he picked out earlier. At first he showed her how to hold the pool cue and how to aim. “You just do it like this.” He demonstrated for her before straightening back up and waving his hand to show that it was her turn. Corvo stood beside her and gently bent her elbows and positioned her arms how they should be. “You can’t really be shy and play this game.” He said with a grin, although he had never known Alexis to be shy. “Now just hit it like this.” He put his arms around her to help her guide the pool cue to the white ball with just enough force to send it right into the middle of the triangle set up, sending the balls scattering and even a couple dropping into the pockets. “Looks like you’re solids then.” He said before glancing back to Ryder and Alaric only to have them both looking back at him.

What really confused him is when he stepped back, Ryder, Alaric, and Melody all had glanced at him before trying to look normal again. “You pocketed a few, remember to go for solids and it’s your turn again until you miss.” He said with a tiny smile, feeling nervous all of a sudden, especially when he figured out why they had all been looking at him. He was only trying to help the girl learn how to play the game. He shook his head and leaned against the side of the pool table and took his next shot after Lexi had missed her shot and he missed his on purpose, but aimed just right for there to be a few possible shots for her to make, which she did. “You’re a natural.” He said after she hit in two of the ones that he set up, eventually she had won, even though he let her. “Well then, that only goes to show you how awesome you are at this game.” Corvo said with a smile before leaning against the wall beside Melody with a small sigh.

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Outfit

[Mewling Quim]

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✖׺°”˜`”°º×「ɑℓɑɾɩϲ ʈɧσϻɑș Ϩσℓҽɩℓ」׺°”˜`”°º×✖

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✗You didn't have to smile at me. Your grin's the sweetest that I've ever seen.➸
✗But you did. Yes you did. ➸
✗You didn't have to offer your hand. 'Cause since I've kissed it, I am at your command.➸
✗But you did.➸

Outfit

Alaric shook his head as Melody asked if he had been drinking. It was funny because he didn’t feel like his cheeks were probably as red as they were; it was as though he couldn’t feel much of anything but happiness. That was until he realized that Ryder seemed upset. What was he to expect though? He just broke his promise to see Rory and now, after everything, it had just started to affect him. The wonderful little high that he held onto after drinking from Rory had just about faded. “Haven’t had a drink all day, I think I had my quota yesterday.” He said with grin. After he asked if she was going to murder him he laughed at her reply. “You know, I’ve heard that it’s a nice a** to kick. So have your fun.” But even laughing at that had made his heart hurt. Why should he be laughing, especially if he had hurt his brother? All that he could do now was sit back and play the game with Melody. That was until he was finished and then he had half a mind to vanish for a while. He missed Rory with everything he had, but he felt so torn still. Between Rory and his family. He wanted them both happy and to like each other. “You’re right.” He said finally with a grin, although he was still looking down to the table. He was speaking to both Corvo and Melody when he finished speaking. “I’m pretty sure we would go through insane measures to find you guys. You can’t just expect us to sit idly by and wonder what would happen if we didn’t stick our noses in your business.” He glanced over to Lexi and smiled a mischievous smile that he was certain only Lexi would understand. It wasn’t but a few more minutes when Alaric finally won the game and he laughed at Melody’s reply while putting his pool stick away and leaned against the wall beside her. “Yeah, yeah. You’re just to afraid to admit that you suck.” He stuck his tongue out at her, he knew just as well as she did that Melody was actually the best at the game. “You know that I love you, Mels.” He said as he nudged her gently with a smile.

Only another minute or two passed before Corvo had spoken up to Lexi. He wanted her to play him and Ric looked up with a hidden grin and a sparkle in his eyes that as soon as he looked to Melody he knew that she shared somewhere near the same thought that she did. However, he could only keep eye contact for a second because Lexi looked as though she might fall over and he gently squeezed her hand before sending her forwards, which was funny, because at the same time Corvo had told him to go and talk to Ryder. There was no mistaking why he was so reluctant to go to his older brother, what could he even say to him? There would be nothing that he could actually say that he thought would make Ryder okay. He slowly nodded before walking over to the bar and settling down on the stool next to his older brother while turning away from everyone. He sat there and kept glancing back at his twin while Corvo was teaching her how to play pool, it wasn’t until he put his arms around her to help her guide the cue that he felt a sort of giddiness and the sudden urge to beat Corvo away from his sister. However, he was sure that Lexi wouldn’t like that at all.

Instead Alaric looked over to Ryder, who seemed to be avoiding him completely. “I’m sorry, Ry…” He said under his breath. His eyes were now staring down at the bar and he was counting the seconds between each of his heartbeats even though his heart was beating so fast that he could have passed out at any second. “You should be disappointed, so I won’t say anything if you are. I’m just going to tell you like I told Lexi…” But it was harder to tell Ryder. He felt like he let his brother down more than anything and it hurt. His mood was completely crushed now and he couldn’t help but look up to the liquor on the shelf and sort of long for it although he wouldn’t attempt to make a reach for it. “If I hadn’t run off then I would have attacked that human, I didn’t want to be alone, I didn’t trust myself being alone, and I had to make sure he was okay. He wasn’t okay and neither was I. But we talked and he knows about…” He pointed to his scar but he was still avoiding all eye contact with Ryder because he knew that if he saw the disappointment in his eyes that he would just break down and cry right then. “I shouldn’t have broken my promise and I feel terrible…” But I didn’t then. All I wanted was to feel okay before, so why do I feel so horrible now? Because I let my family down, I let down the people who matter the most. Rory’s one of those, but… Why does this all make me feel so bad? His thoughts were getting jumbled and he laid his head down on the bar. “I’m just sorry.” He finally said with a sigh. “…I’m not that great of a brother.” Am I? He wanted to ask, but he was absolutely terrified of the answer.

✖●Hello, goodbye, I'm rather crazy and I never thought I was crazy.●ღ➸

[x--A Beautiful LIE]

xxxxxxxxxxxxLogan xxxxxxxJamesxxxxxxx Eclipsexxxxxxx

❝If time’s a song, I won’t wait for its reprise
I am done wishing farewells and goodbyes
I won’t let this place overshadow my birthright
I won’t wait another eon❞

xx
xx
xx
xx
xx

"
Logan listened to Rory explain the situation, paying attention to each detail. He was relieved to hear that the maker's trance had been broken. He was concerned for Rory in the end despite what almost happened at the party. He had lived there for years, after all. Rory was close enough to be family, even to Logan. Losing Rory would affect the Eclipse family just as much as losing Lissi and whoever else Clara planned on going after the night before. With Melody Devon involved, Logan knew matters were settled immediately. He would surely need to thank her the next chance he could, seeing as no one else with any sort of power knew about the situation until it was over with, and no one else had the influence as a Devon did. As Rory finished, Logan had a smile of relief on his face. Although he wished things had gone smoother, he appreciated the fact that they did not lose anyone because of their unwanted guest. Things seemed back to normal, especially for Rory's behavior, so Logan could not find it in himself to be angry. He normally was not an angry man, and how can you blame someone for acting through a maker's trance?


"We're glad to have you back to normal, Rory," Logan said as he supportively put a hand on the young boy's shoulder. Rory seemed troubled still from the whole situation, or perhaps because he had to face his punishment. Logan hated to see anyone in his family, friends who became family included, upset. He knew he would be expected to be angry with him, or not trust him to stay in the manor, but he couldn't force himself to think in that way. That may be how Aeron would settle things, but not him. "From now on," he began, trying to make his voice sound as calm and understanding as possible. There was no reason for him not to be, but he wanted Rory to understand he was not as mad as he was expecting. "We will have to have someone watch over you, in order to make sure the tie was fully broken and there is no anticipation of Clara's return."

Logan was not entirely sure what other steps should be taken in this situation. Having someone keeping an eye on him would ensure there was no more surprises, now that they know Rory has some sort of connection to the Levana family. "I'm not sure what connection you have with the Soleil family, but it may be best if you keep your distance from them for a while." He did not want to order Rory to stay away from him, mainly because he was still uncomfortable with ordering people around. At this point Logan had stepped away from Rory and moved to the window, looking outside as if he was expecting something to be occurring outside the window. "I can only expect Lady Soleil will come over as soon as she hears the news, and we don't need you getting into trouble with them." He turned towards the other two and leaned against the window. "Did anyone contact her about her son, Woolfred?" he asked, not sure of what more was done about the boy. Logan was certain he did not want to be the one to make the call, although he believed he may be required to do so.

xx
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xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx
xx

『xxxxTrapped and isolated
Time is dislocated
Eternity is what a moment seems
When I am lost inside this dream
When I can’t speak and I can’t scream
And I can’t feel anything xxxx』

[The Celtic Enigma]

┌xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx┐
DESMOND ALISTAIR ECLIPSE

{Outfit} - {Third Eldest Son} - {Eclipse} - {20}

✙ Location: Abandoned Lake Housexxxx♋ With: No One
└xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx┘

Enduring both Woolfred and his older brothers double team upon him, Desmond was pretty much at his critical mass when it came to listening to anyone. His eyes stayed on Woolfred's as he talked in respect to the man who Desmond called his true father. But when his brother talked, he simply ignored it and looked back outside as if he didn't even care what his brother had to say. If anything, this entire conversation just proved and clicked in his head many things. It didn't stop him from slamming the underside of his fist against the decorative lining of the window sill, no where near the glass but still enough to make the glass shake. The comment that Woolfred brought up about Juliet being a child and Desmond scaring her half to death got to him. He's tried so heard to forget it and not let it effect him to this day. But he constantly lives with the nightmare. And Woolfred just tore open the stitched wound all over again. He didn't look at Woolfred after he slammed the sill due to how he didn't want to project a pissed off look at him. But when his brother spoke up again, Desmond would give him that death glare that was relative if not unanimous when he was about to break down and rage.

He had no words for a response as Woolfred had said what he needed to say and handed Desmond a bottle of Bourbon to send him off to the woods and take care of his anger. However, when his brother tried to take it from him with a grab of the bottle, Desmond walked straight up and went fact to face with his brother. Noses almost a centimeter or two away from each other and Desmond maintaining his glare. He would aggressively snatch the bottle back and allow Woolfred to lead him out of the door and close the door behind him. Not even five steps down the hallway, Desmond already cracked upon the bottle and began taking long forceful swigs of the alcohol as it burned his throat. He enjoyed it. And he needed it. But what everyone didn't know what that by letting him go tot he forest, he would be doing something that no one would expect him to do. Pretty much, if he was going to take out his anger it would be in the most violent and savage way possible. He expected there to be destruction and chaos and there was absolutely no way he would disappoint himself from his methods and ideas circulating in his head.

Unbuttoning his dress shirt while keeping his sleeves rolled up, Desmond tore the tanktop that he had under the dress shirt clear off and balled it up only to toss it in the nearest trash bin. Now that he was just in his dress shirt with his abs completely visible, Desmond would walk down the grand staircase and to the front door, slamming it behind him as he would take the long way around the mansion towards the woods. As he made his way there, he would walk by the gardens and notice that the girl he had just recently had in his clutches was there alongside Elissiana and some other female. Desmond of course would take a few more quick gulps of his Bourbon and allow devilishly enraged eyes to watch over the girl while also taking the attention to Elissiana just so he could hear what was going on. Of course his walking was aggressive in nature and quickened with how he wanted to venture in the woods and start in on his destructive tendency. But his ability to hear the conversation faded the farther he walked away and pretty soon he was just then passing the first row of trees with multiple gulps of Bourbon were taken from a near death grip around the neck of the bottle while his other hand formed a tight fist.

As the contents inside the bottle of Bourbon started to dissipate the more he drank, Desmond would start to pick up his pace as he remembered about the abandoned lake house deep in the heart of the forest. It was a relatively small house. The size of a shed on steroids to be honest. But it was just large enough that he could walk around inside of it and completely destroy the thing. No one had ever touched it for years now and the fact it was still holding up just surprised the living hell out of him. But regardless, it was coming down tonight and he didn't care if he would be going down with it. Because as soon as he picked up whatever weapon he could find and went to work on the glass windows and the woodwork, it was going down. All of it. And he had plans to utilize the alcohol of the bourbon just as well. He half wondered if his baseball and bat was still there when he used to run to the woods and play by himself. Or if his lighter and cigar was there from when he tried it for the first time and eventually got a bad throat cold due to inhaling too much smoke. Should all of that be there, it would play to his direct advantage. And as he approached the shed an noticed just how old, frail and weak it looked on the outside, he couldn't help but start walking closer and eventually make his way inside to stand in the center of the shed and close his eyes. Because what would happen in a few minutes would be catastrophic.

[x--A Beautiful LIE]

xxxxxxxxxxxx Alexis Rosa Soleilxxx

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄ ▄▄

xxx " '

Lexi could feel her face turn red when Melody whispered to her. Was it that obvious? She was hoping to keep it a secret for at least a little bit longer. Knowing Kat, she would know everything about Lexi's new crush without her sharing the news herself. Lexi knew she would have to talk to her about it later, of course. She wouldn't want Kat to get the wrong idea. She also wanted someone to talk to about it tonight, and Alaric should be getting his rest instead of being pestered about her problems. Lexi was not going to let that little fact make things awkward between Melody and her, mainly because she did not want anyone to think anything was wrong, so she tried to act as normal as she could after that secret comment. "You still have that old picture?" she asked, laughing a little when she thought back to it. "How long ago was that?" She remembered the days when she wanted to play in the snow all the time, although she would still love to play in it now as if she was still a child. Melody found it adorable and took a picture while Corvo gave her a hard time for a few weeks for acting so much like a immature child. Of course Lexi would make sure Corvo was the first victim of her snowballs thanks to that day. Now that Ryder and Corvo are here, she will have to make sure they get one or two snowballs before the week is over.

The young girl couldn't keep herself from giggling as everyone spoke about her and Alaric always inviting themselves into their groups. Growing up Lexi loved to bother her older siblings and drag Ric around to see what they were up to. Lexi felt the best times were always when they would follow Ryder and Corvo around because of how much it annoyed Corvo. Thinking back on it, she found it strange how much she personally enjoyed pestering him. She could not explain why now, perhaps to get back at him for being so mean all the time. She would not mind continuing that now that he will be staying with the Eclipses as well, that is if she could manage it without blushing uncontrollably. Lexi could not find herself being able to look over at Corvo for more than five seconds without feeling the heat rush to her cheeks. It felt as though it was happening again just thinking about the situation. With that in mind, Lexi was glad that Melody answered her question. It served at the perfect distraction at the moment. "That sounds like fun," she said with a smile as she looked over towards Melody. Something peculiar about her caught her eye, knowing that she was keeping something from her. This caused her smile to grow larger and a bit more mischievous. Good, now she would have something else to talk about later that was not all about Lexi. Hopefully it was something exciting. Maybe Kat found a boy as well. Lexi did not want to draw any attention to Melody, since she was blushing and all, mainly because Lexi had hoped no one would notice her doing the same since she arrived. Instead she turned to Ric nearly right away as if the smile was for him. She was quite proud of him for wining his game, or at least played it off as such. It was not as if Lexi would ever manage to beat anyone in a game of pool, especially Kat.

Speaking of pool, Corvo had asked her to play a game with her. It wasn't suggested by Ric or Melody, and she did not feel as though he was awkwardly obligated to play her in order for her to be more included. That would be a job more for Ryder or Ric than it would be for Corvo. Instead he not only requested a game, but volunteered to teach her. This caused her to scream in her mind out of excitement, although she kept that level of thrill from reaching her face. "If you reeaaaallu want to," Lexi said with a sly smile on her face, but she lost her cool the second Corvo turned away to set the table back up. Lexi turned to make sure her back was to Corvo and Ryder, since she knew they had no idea about her strange new feelings. To Ric and Melody, who she trusted would keep her secret, she had a look of panic as she quickly mouthed "what do I do?!" She did not wait for an answer since Corvo turned and came towards the three of them. Ric did try to give her some sort of support as he pushed her forward, which helped her remember to keep calm. Nothing was different, nothing going on that should make her feel uncomfortable. It was only a group of close friends playing pool, nothing more. Lexi laughed at herself inside her head. It was as if she was playing pool with a celebrity the way she was acting. She tried to casually make her way to the pool table as she waited for Corvo to finish getting everything ready. "Oh you're not that bad!" Lexi leaned against the table and took the cue stick with a smile.

After he demonstrated how to hold it, Lexi copied him the best she could. She did not know why her body was so tense, but she guessed it was because she was nervous over doing something wrong. She did not want a silly game of pool to ruin any shot she had with Corvo, and she herself was silly enough to believe it could. When Corvo began to help her, she found herself holding her breath yet relaxing to his touch. She could not help but to close her eyes and she knew her face had to be a dark, crimson red by now. Inside her mind was cheering for her to do something as well as keep calm as if nothing was going on. Lexi wasn't certain why she could not think around him, especially while he was guiding her to do the right thing. She opened her eyes again just in time to watch as a few of the balls rolled into nearly pockets. "Yay!" loudly escaped from her lips as she did a little jump up and down excitedly. Lexi was clearly excited about being able to hit some of the balls into pockets, but also secretly for finding the strength to not collapse and faint into Corvo's arms. She looked over at the others, proud of what she just did, and found the three of them looking over at her. Lexi was suddenly embarrassed, and if it was possible for her face to turn any redder it most likely did. She tried her best to hide behind her hair from then on, and she was thankful that the lighting was dark enough to make it slightly difficult to tell she was blushing like mad. Lexi was hoping this wouldn't affect her, but she did have trouble playing the game. It was her first time playing, so she planned to make that her excuse. Lexi figured he was throwing the game for her, unless he truly was a horrible player.

When she won, a large grin grew on her face. "Jeez Ryder your friend really stinks!" Lexi said playfully as she stuck out her tongue towards Corvo. With a little bounce she sat on the edge of the pool table and looked over at her brothers. They both looked so down, which she didn't like to see at all. "So what do we do now?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood a bit. She hoped that having something to do would improve her brothers' moods. She did not want them sitting around like that, especially when she was in such a good mood.

Look, all I know is that
you're the nicest thing I've ever seen
And I wish that we could see
if we could be something
Yeah I wish that we could see
if we could be something

[Mewling Quim]

╔═══════════════╗
☽【ωσσℓӻɾε∂ ⇒∂'εσɲ】i☾
╚═══════════════╝

≫ ┪Well I looked my demons in the eyes lay bare my chest said, "Do your best to destroy me."┞⋙
≫ ┪You see I've been to Hell and back so many times I must admit you kinda bore me.┞⋙

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Woolfred already knew what happened. He had too many people who would watch things for him and report back without the Eclipse family really knowing. The only ones who knew of this small network were usually the heads of the house at that time, but he never let Logan know of the fact he knew that Rory was released from Clara. Not only that, now that he knew for a fact that it was actually Levana blood that changed Rory, he could tell whether or not his ties were broken. To be so close to the truth yet so far away, how did she cloak it? Then he thought back to his letter, knowing exactly who it was from, his face never showed the dread that his mind was emitting, but there were times where he wanted to bury himself in a hole somewhere for the stupidity that could shine through his normal demeanor. Even though Woolfred sat through and listened to Rory speak up before Logan did, his mind was racing with not only his own pain, but the pain that showed from the young Vampyre’s face in front of him. He knew that feeling all too well and little did Logan know that he already had people watching Rory. “I’ll take care of it, I’ll organize people to stay near him, but not so near that it smothers him.” He said while looking to Logan. “I sense no connection to Clara any longer; in fact I’m surprised that I’ve missed it all of these years.” No one other than the Eclipse children’s father and Melody Devon now, had known that he had any connection with the Levana family, let along belonged to their gene pool.

It seemed that Rory was unclear about Melody Devon and her powers that she had over other Vampyre’s, including Clara, so he waited until Logan had finished speaking for a moment before he explained this to the boy. “Well, it’s no surprise that Lady Devon went. She’s had very close ties with the Soleil family for years, and I’m sure she was as upset last night as the rest of their family was.” While he was speaking he rolled himself a cigarette and as he finished, he lit it and took a short drag before continuing what was on his mind while rolling back in his chair and cracking a window to let the smoke out. “Melody Devon is from the Devon clan, of course, she’s the only daughter. She’s practically a princess, in a way. Or in an old fashioned way, new times would suggest otherwise, however I’m an old fashioned gentleman myself.” He took a longer drag and gently flicked his ashes into a crystal ashtray while continuing. “The Devon clan is one of the largest clans on the High Vampyre Council. Her word is pretty much law, if I were Clara, I would be scared as well. However, Lady Devon probably would have done much more if Ryder wasn’t there, she doesn’t seem the type to be anything but ruthless when there’s a threat to the very people she considers her family. From what I know about her, the Soleil manor was the one place she stayed the longest before having to leave again.” Other than the Caius clan, but that was out of bounds to speak about. Most definitely. “However, we’re very glad to have you back to normal and looking so… healthy…” He said, knowing exactly how wrecked the kid was earlier that morning.

He must have seen Alaric; he had the Soleil scent on him, so of course. But, Woolfred knew that if he was in Rory’s shoes, he wouldn’t have been able to stay away from… He stopped his thoughts just as Logan began speaking again. He watched as the emotions flooded Rory’s face even more than they had before and he couldn’t take it anymore, he cut in as Logan moved away from Rory and went towards the window. “Sir, I must advise you that wouldn’t be the best route to go.” This was no time to tip toe around the feelings of the Zeverai boy. “Last night, if Alaric wouldn’t have stepped in, as he did, then your sisters both probably would have been dead before I could have even gotten to them. Do you understand what this means, Logan? Alaric Soleil was able to pull Rory out of his trance long enough to divert his attention from Elissiana. Juliet was right beside her, he could have taken them both out, even if Juliet carries a dagger with her. She would have been no match.” Woolfred wasn’t certain whether Logan would have gotten angry with him or not, but all of the years he watched the Eclipse children grow into the people they were today, he had given them much more advice than he had given before. However, it seemed that Logan was unaffected by this as he continued on speaking about Lady Soleil.

Woolfred sighed and shook his head. “No sir. Alaric called her earlier, but I didn’t hear anything being said about what he had gone through.” He felt defeated as he stood up and snuffed out his cigarette before turning away from Rory and towards Logan. If he had to see the broken look that he had on his face any longer he was sure that he’d suffer his own heartbreak all over again, just as his dreams forced him to each night. “I’ll head to the library and inform her. Apologies that I didn’t do it sooner.” As he stepped around his desk, he gently clamped his hand on Rory’s shoulder as a small gesture to comfort the boy. He truly did look like the life had drained from his eyes and Woolfred just wanted the kid to know that he understood what he was feeling. Any emotion tying to a soul mate, even what Rory had gone through earlier that day, he knew all about it. Many times he tried to push the pain away with other women, devoting his time to the Eclipse family, acting when his human cohorts, who knew about his “condition”, would call him in for a job. Doing everything that he could for everyone else but himself never seemed to numb the pain of losing her. He knew probably better than anyone else what the distance would do to Rory, even Alaric, and he only tried to help.

It was only a minute before he reached the library and flipped back to the number where Sera Soleil and her company were staying. Woolfred took a deep breath and called there and after two rings it was answered. ”Hello?” The voice from a bubbly young girl had just about pierced his ears, so he held the receiver back a bit before answering. “Yes, I’m looking for Lady Soleil, is there any chance she’s still there?” Woolfred asked as polite as he could while readying himself for the girl’s squeaky, high pitched voice to crackle from the other end of the line. ”Uhhhhhhmmm! Let me see! No sir, she said that she had business to attend to at home right before she left earlier this morning. Two calls in one day! She’s rather popular, isn’t she?” Woolf had half the nerve to tell the girl that it was from the same place, but never did. “Yes, well thank you.” Is all he managed to say before setting the receiver back on its stand; it was only a moment before he found himself picking it up again, only to hold down the button so the dial tone couldn’t be heard. Always the bearer of bad news, Woolfred, now how are you going to handle this? He asked himself in his head before turning the dial and entering the Soleil manor’s number.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miss
Loves
You
Okay?

≫ ┪It's the hurt I hide that fuels the fire inside me.┞⋙
≫ ┪Will I always feel this way? So empty, so estranged?┞⋙

[Mewling Quim]

❁●ＳeraＥmiléＳoleil●☼
┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯

ThislayoutismademyMewlingQuim.PleaseDoNotSteal!

One way ticket's in my hand, heading for the chosen land.
My troubles will all turn to sand, when I get to the border.
And if I'm weary, I won't care, when I get to the border.

❁☼●☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵●☼❁

outfit

QUIMThe Arana estate was the first place that Sera Soleil had decided to take her middle daughter, Jennifer, on her first time traveling. It had almost been a shame when she informed her children, Léon, Emilé, and Jenny that they had to leave and after a long protest she managed to win them over with the fact that they would be able to see their other three siblings again not long after getting home. Aeron Eclipse, who had of course accompanied the rest of the Soleil family with the mindset of changing the views that most Vampyre families had on the Soleil and Eclipse family, had agreed to go almost as soon as Sera brought it up. For the past two years it seemed like he would do absolutely anything that she asked him to do as long as it wasn’t anything extreme or life threatening. Even then, she thought that he might do so. He was an odd one, to say the least, but she had known him for years and years prior to even marrying Sebastian and having their children. Although, back then, the Soleil and Eclipse relationship wasn’t as stable as it was now and she had never trusted Aeron until now. Even now her trust was only extended a bit further than it was when they were much younger.

Sera glanced to her middle daughter as she glanced out of the train window looking like someone had taken the fun out of everything. Well, that was me. She thought as she took her daughter’s hand and gave her a slight smile. “I know, Jenny. I’m sorry. There are things that need to be done at home though.” She looked away without saying anything else, towards her two eldest children, who were both sleeping and huddled in the same small blanket. With a sigh she pushed herself up and headed to the section beside theirs and knocked on the small door before opening it to find Aeron reading a newspaper and stirring a mug of coffee. “Evening.” She said with a small smile while sitting opposite of him. He glanced up from his paper while folding it back perfectly and setting it down. “Hello, Sera.” Aeron said with a half smile as he held out his hand gesturing towards the coffee pot. “Would you like some?” He asked and Sera nodded. “Please.” She said with a smile. “Was this completely crazy of me?” Sera watched as the Vampyre across from her poured a cup of coffee before adding cream and two sugar cubes, just as she liked. It was strange how well he knew her, even after all of these years of being away from one another.

Aeron was Sebastian’s best friend, well, that was before Sebastian married into the Soleil family, and as soon as that happened Aeron had stopped talking to the newlyweds up until three years ago when he came to Sera and apologized for Sebastian’s disappearance, as though he had his own secret about it. She did wonder about it most times, mostly because Sebastian was the love of her life and she couldn’t not think about him, where he went, why he left, and most of the time she wondered why she watched him walk away from their family that night instead of stopping him from throwing away what he had, as though he absolutely had no other choice. With the way some of the Council families were, she wouldn’t be surprised if he did have to leave, but he never did anything wrong. Ever. He loved her, he loved their children, and he wouldn’t have just left them like that. It did make her wonder about Aeron’s apology more and more, but she attempted to divorce herself from the thoughts of her missing husband and any doubts she had for Aeron.

“What? Heading back to your home only because of a phone call? It seems a bit rash, but if you really think that something is wrong, I don’t see the crazy in that. I know you miss them. But I’m absolutely sure that my family is taking care of them.” Aeron said after a moment of studying Sera’s expression. She gently nodded her head while biting the inside of her lip and stirring the coffee before taking a small sip. “Jenny is angry with me and I think Léon and Emilé are both used to me doing this, dropping everything for the twins, but… it’s just… I worry about them. A lot, I always have, but it progressed when Sebastian left. He didn’t tell anyone bye… and I just watched him walk away while hearing the twins call out for him through their tears. Do you know how heartbreaking that was? I’m not sure whether I love Sebastian to death or hate him for pulling this stunt, and I know I’ll never know the reasoning behind him leaving. He said he couldn’t tell me and he didn’t want to tell any of us goodbye.” It was always hard for Sera to talk about her husband, but for some reason it was always just easy to talk to Aeron about him, possibly because of their connection in the past, before her marriage. At times she felt guilty because it seemed like Aeron stopped talking to Sebastian because of her, like she took his best friend away from him, and it had always been on her shoulders until she mentioned it to her husband one night after Léon was born. ”It’s not your fault, my love, it never was and it never will be.” That sentence had stuck with her from the time he said it and she was absolutely sure she would never forget it.

Sera sat in silence across from Aeron until they came upon the place they’d need to exit the train, and just like many times before, she and her group had pretty much stepped off and all headed in the direction of the magnolia tree, except instead of turning towards the Eclipse manor, they all turned the other way towards the Soleil manor and used their Vampyre speed to get back to their home. Almost as soon as she stepped through the door the phone began to ring and she rushed to it and picked up the receiver and answered the phone. “Woolfred D’Eon, how did I know that you would be calling me here at my home?” She asked with a short and worried laugh. “I’m heading that way in a few moments, if you’d rather speak in person.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement, and she hung the phone up only to let everyone know that she would be back soon. It only took her a few minutes to make it to Chateaux de l’Eclipse by the car that was awaiting her out front. Once she stepped out, she adjusted her floral dress and straightened out her coat before stepping towards their door and before she could knock, Woolfred was standing there with a small grin. “Should I be worried?” She asked and he shook his head slightly from side to side and she felt like she could breathe again. “No ma’am, but I need to take you to see Logan.” He said as he closed the door and took her coat. “You’re looking lovely, Lady Soleil.” Woolfred said as he took her to his office where Logan and Rory were waiting.

Once inside the office, Sera looked from Logan to the boy in the chair and then back to Logan before turning to look at Woolfred who was pulling a chair out for her. “Logan.” She said in greeting as she sat down and crossed her right leg over her left and setting her hands on her lap. “I should say that I’m not even sure why I’m here, but my son called me this morning and he sounded upset and I got the next train home. Aeron is at the Soleil manor and… wait… who is this young man? Where’s Alaric, anyway? Is he… hold on… is he okay? Alexis? Ryder? Are they okay too? Or…” She asked, not even sure who the person in the chair beside her was, or why she was there. Her words sputtered out one by one due to her nerves, but she finally took a deep breath expecting the worst. But I spoke to him this morning. He’s sure to be okay, and he didn’t say anything about Ryder or Lexi. That hardly calmed her nerves, but still, it was a good thought to linger on.

[x--A Beautiful LIE]

xxxxxxxxxxxxLogan xxxxxxxJamesxxxxxxx Eclipsexxxxxxx

❝If time’s a song, I won’t wait for its reprise
I am done wishing farewells and goodbyes
I won’t let this place overshadow my birthright
I won’t wait another eon❞

xx
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xx

"
As Woolfred left the room to handle his own business, Logan returned to his seat next to Rory. His mind was racing in regards to what step to take next. He knew if he had the choice, he wouldn't punish Rory for what happened out of his control. He could not find any sort of motivation in his mind to do that to anyone in his family, biologically related or not. Logan felt as though he had to do something, as if it was expected of him to do so. He had no idea what to do, other than raise the level of surveillance around the manor. The threat of Clara was over, but now Logan worried something equally unexpected will arise. Worry for his sisters filled his thoughts; and although he always worried for his sister's safety, it rose to a higher level. The feeling finally sunk in that he could have lost Lissi and Juliet last night before anyone could have noticed. The idea frightened him because of how little time he spends with them as is. Logan's face was soft as he sat hunched over in his chair, his elbows propped on the armrest and his face buried in his hands. His head started to ache from the new stressful and possibly imaginary expectations he was putting on himself.

With a causal glance Logan looked over at Rory, who seemed more exhausted and troubled by all this than he was. He couldn't sit around all day pondering what happened. The past could not be changed after all. Logan rose to his feet, having the urge to leave the room. No wonder Desmond pointed out he was a horrible brother to them. He wanted to talk to his sisters and see how they were doing. He has not spoken to Lissi for days, and he never welcomed Juliet back from her trip. Missing the party made him unaware of the threat of losing his sisters up until now. The idea troubled him, as it should. He never asked to abandoned his family, the closest friends he has, for work he was never cut out to do. There were other things he should be taking care of, but he did not want to start his work just yet. If he was going to sit around, he might as well do it with his family instead of alone. Logan was about to turn for the door, beginning to say his temporary goodbye to Rory when Woolfred returned with Lady Soleil. 'Lovely...' There went his chance of a break. How long was he sitting in Woolfred's office deep in thought? It felt as through Woolfred just left to ring the Soleil manor.

"Good afternoon, Lady Soleil," Logan said with a bow of his head. He tried to keep a pleasant look to his face despite the slight disappointment in his mind. "I am sorry if we disturbed your travels." Logan had a decent level of skill in small talk, although he would rather get to the point and leave. He did not mind the Soleil family at all, but with other things on his mind, he did not want to sit still. Had he not been placed in charge of the Eclipse family, he imagined he would be spending the day care free with his sisters, aside from the trouble with Desmond. As Logan sat back down in his chair and brought his focus back to the group in Woolfred's office, he instantly noticed the worry on Lady Soleil's face. This gave Logan hope that jumping to the subject at hand would not be a problem. "Your family is fine,” he reassured her. "I’m not sure where they are at the moment, but you do not have anything to worry about anymore.” Logan bit his lip. He would be better off had he left that last bit off. It would only make her worry more. He knew they would have to start explaining what happened before she started getting ideas. He turned towards Woolfred for a moment, and because he was not taking the opportunity to. "I'm afraid your son was in some trouble last night," Logan began carefully. "Alaric was injured during the party. He was in serious condition, but I heard he has recovered.”

Logan took a moment to let everything he said settle in, he was telling the boy’s mother after all. He adjusted in his seat in order to sit in a more comfortable position without looking to dishonorable. "I do not know all the minor details of what happened, although I’m sure you would rather hear that from your children. But despite the injury, your son is a hero, Lady Soleil. He saved my sisters from an attack against a Levana.” Logan did not want to mention the fact that Rory was the attacker, especially with him in the room. Surely Lady Soleil would want some sort of punishment for the person responsible for her son’s injuries as any other mother would. Because he did not know how she may act with him in the room, as well as wanting to protect Rory like any other sibling, he deliberately left him out. "Clara Levana paid us a visit last night, but thanks to Alaric and Melody Devon, her plans fell through. I was told Miss Devon made sure we would not be seeing her again.” Logan assumed there were more matters about Clara that would soon come his way, but he hoped for a delay. There were already too many things for him to take care of as is, but they always seem to be new additions every time someone steps into his office. He was certainly regretting this job more and more each moment. Why could matters not stay as relaxed as they were only a few months earlier? He was surely in need of a break. The only thing he could think of at the moment was his sisters and worrying how they are doing after the attack last night. "If you want to see your children, we can arrange for someone to call for them,” he added. He figured she would want to spend some time with them, which would give him a moment to escape from his work.

xx
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『xxxxTrapped and isolated
Time is dislocated
Eternity is what a moment seems
When I am lost inside this dream
When I can’t speak and I can’t scream
And I can’t feel anything xxxx』

[Mewling Quim]

❁●ＳeraＥmiléＳoleil●☼
┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯┯

ThislayoutismademyMewlingQuim.PleaseDoNotSteal!

One way ticket's in my hand, heading for the chosen land.
My troubles will all turn to sand, when I get to the border.
And if I'm weary, I won't care, when I get to the border.

❁☼●☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵●☼❁

outfit

QUIMSera’s lips twitched into a pleasing smile when Logan Eclipse had greeted her and she could think of nothing else other than how different he was from Aeron, who seemed completely calm and collected when he was the head of the house. The poor duties of a middle son, if she ever had her way and if the time ever would arise then Ryder would never have to deal with anything of the sort. She was getting impatient at this politeness that had just radiated from the boy but the unsettling truth had cracked through the surface. What is even going on? She thought while meeting Logan’s eyes, her own about as polite as she could keep them. “Oh no, I needed to come home and collect some things, plus, I’m thinking that your brother really wanted to see all of you again.” She said while awaiting a response about her family. Sera gingerly glanced to Woolfred as the unbearable silence thickened to the point of nearly choking everyone before Logan said another word. Although she was relieved when he began to speak, she was also frozen to the spot upon hearing his words. Alaric? In trouble? My Alaric? Why does that not surprise me, but it does at the same time? She noticed how the boy she asked about previously nearly shifted in his seat, not looking up from the floor, as Logan finished his sentence. Just hearing that Alaric had been gravely injured had been enough to let her soft face move into a worried state.

Her eyebrows creased with a bit of confusion and she didn’t even notice that Logan had shifted himself, she didn’t care, she was only thinking about her son and how it might have been a mistake sending Alaric here and Alexis, she knew that once they cared about someone they would do anything rash. Especially Alaric. “Wh-“ She started to say, but she couldn’t continue. Sera crossed her left arm over her torso and brought her right hand to her mouth to cover it as she stood in silent thought for a few moments. It was a shock, but it wasn’t. She knew her children more than anyone. No matter how much she wanted to, she wouldn’t start pointing fingers until she heard the entire story, and just about that time Logan had started to speak again. Although it was only a few minutes from the time she stepped into that room to now, it had felt like ages upon ages had piled up forcing her to not be able to breathe.

It’s okay though, Alaric is okay, Alexis is okay, and Ryder is okay too. As far as I know. Oh god, what even happened? He’s not even telling me the entire story, I know he isn’t. Her thoughts were interrupted by Woolfred placing his hand on her arm and she gave him a tiny polite smile. “Thank you for calling me. Alaric is a fool, Logan, not a hero. He’s got a big heart and he isn’t sure how to use it, but I’m very glad that your sisters are okay.” Though her thoughts were nearly venomous she kept her composure and finished her piece before turning back to Woolfred. She knew. He knew that she knew. Never in the past had she held it against him until now, but she was sure that she still needed to hear Alaric’s story. She was sure there was much more to this than Alaric attempting to become a martyr for the Eclipse family to be safe from the Levana that had attacked. He was, after all, a Soleil.

“Yes,” Sera began as her eyes moved back to Logan, “It’d be best if I heard what foolish thing my child has done from his own lips. But I’m happy to know that Melody cleared the mess up, poor girl. She’s wonderful, and she’s straightened up Alaric a few times as well.” Sure, she was being hard on her son, but her heart was still racing and so were her thoughts and she still wasn’t aware of exactly what happened; only that Alaric had been in a serious condition. That would explain the voice that he had with her, the phone call, her face softened once again and her eyes met Woolfred’s as Logan informed her that he could arrange for someone to call her children up to her. “You know, I think I’ll have Woolfred escort me to where they are. I have a thing or two to speak to him about. Thank you for contacting me, Logan. I really appreciate it more than you know.” This little incident, no matter whose fault it was, had definitely caused a small crack to show in the thin ice that the two families had been walking on ever since the pact had been made. One small crack could start an entire world of trouble, and before she ended up breaking, she made her way to the door. “Thank you again, Logan, I do look forward to speaking with you again. Have a good night.” With one small glance back to the boy sitting across from Logan, she turned and walked away. Everything seemed suspicious and she couldn’t stop herself from shooting daggers into Woolfred as they walked along and he asked if anyone had seen the Soleil siblings.

Eventually they were pointed towards the pool house and Sera managed to shake her head as she followed Woolfred outside and towards the building that was a good ways off from the main home. “Woolfred, what is going on? What is really going on?” She asked, stopping right in her tracks, and grabbing his sleeve in the process. He looked nearly as shocked as she looked upset and angry. “Clara? Clara is alive and you never informed us of that? Woolfred, I know not many people know who you are, but really… You know that the Soleil family has held a small power over the Levana family since the feud began… I’d never use that on you, but someone like Clara. Woolfred, really. I’m not sure whether I should be upset about this or more worried about my children. I don’t know!” It was absolutely easy to speak to Woolfred, she even knew that from the times he would visit the Soleil manor when she was a girl. Out of everyone, ever, she was sure that Woolf had really been the most neutral one, even with his love of the Eclipse family.

It had only taken Woolfred a few moments to let what Sera said sink in. “Sera…” He began with apologetic eyes. “Sera, if I would have told you that Clara was alive she would have ripped your family apart and used your bones as decorations and there would have been nothing I could have done to stop it.” That would have been extreme, even for Clara’s standards. “Look, Sera, just go see the twins and Ryder. Hear what Ric has got to say. It’s all a blur for you at the moment, darling, but you’ll understand that your son is no fool nor is he even recognizing himself as a hero. You know him, Sera; just listen to what the boy has to say.” Woolf had unknowingly taken Lady Soleil by the arm and led her towards the pool house as he was speaking to her. Pleading with her to look at this with a clean slate, without the emotions of a mother, that he knew she could never shake. He gently kissed her hand and held the pool house door open for her, letting her go at it alone. They were her children in the first place, and she seemed like she was getting less upset and more livid as the time went by. With a small sigh, Woolfred shut the door and headed back to the manor. Once he reached his office, both Logan and Rory were gone and he silently thanked any greater power out in the divines as he lit up a cigarette and poured himself a glass of bourbon. I understand you more than you know, Desmond. He thought while knocking back his glass and refilling it again.

Sera, being unsatisfied by Woolfred’s response, had walked inside of the pool house and allowed him to close the door behind her. Of course she could hear the mindless chattering of young Vampyre’s up the stairs, and she surely headed up that way. Now was the time to wipe off the emotions from her face, Alaric couldn’t know that she knew he was hurt until it was time to confront him about it, but she nearly failed as she reached the top step and saw her kids. By ‘her kids’ she even meant Melody and Corvo. They had stayed with them enough to be considered. “Ryder, Alaric, Alexis, hello darlings.” She said with a small smile before walking towards Melody and planting a kiss atop her head. “Melody, darling, I hope you’ve been well. You should visit us more often.” She said with a tiny wink while turning towards Corvo. “Ah, little Corvo is all grown up now, aren’t you?” Sera gave him a pat on his arm and smiled while turning back to her children and holding her arms out. “Well, aren’t you all excited to see me?” She asked, a tiny smile settled upon her lips even though she was trying to force the remaining emotions down. Her babies were alive and all well, the twins even looked happy for the most part, and Ryder seemed content and that was the best thing she could have hoped for.

[x--A Beautiful LIE]

xxxxxxxxxxxx Alexis Rosa Soleilxxx

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄ ▄▄

xxx " '

As the group continued to sit in the pool house chatting about they time apart, Lexi was sitting next to Ric off in her own little world. Her mind still could not process the idea of playing pool with Corvo; mostly the idea of him helping her play. Lexi hoped her face was finally returning to her normal shade of her pale skin tone. The skin of her arms tingled where he helped her to stand properly in the beginning of their game. She couldn’t figure out why she could not manage to clear her mind, but was instead internally acting as a young school girl would. Lexi did not know what everyone else was speaking about because her mind was elsewhere despite trying to focus on something else. As she glanced over at Melody, she was planning out a conversation she would have to have with her later. She had to speak to someone about this strange feelings and thoughts she was having, and Melody would be a good person to get a different perspective from. Alaric may be the person Lexi initially goes to with all of the problems, but with Melody spending time with Corvo before they found everyone, maybe she would know more about how he changed since they last saw him. Of course she would have to talk to Ryder at some point as well because she wouldn’t want to keep all of this from him. It did not feel right keeping it from him now, but there was not much she could do. She would have to wait until later that night when they could be alone, as well as after asking Ric and Melody for advice in how to confront him. There was no reason to fear Ryder, Alexis knew this, but she could not help but to feel a bit odd with the idea and worried he would not approve.

At this point, Lexi could not sit quietly for much longer. Her thoughts were driving her insane because she wanted them to stop more than anything. She wanted to pull Melody away from the boys and talk to her; she had to if she wanted to continue to sit with them. "Hey Kat…” she said nearly absent mindedly, her gaze staring out into open space. Lexi paused for a bit, feeling a little uncomfortable for a moment. She should have figured out an excuse for them to leave before she even spoke up to Kat. "Can you come with me back to my room? I need to go get something…” She had hoped that was a good enough reason to leave for a moment. Lexi did not want to leave the pool house and knew Melody wouldn’t want to either, but she had to clear her thoughts. Lexi rose from her seat after she got a response, glad that she was cooperative with this sudden idea. She was heading for the stairs when she paused, hearing someone else enter the house. Of course the pool house was not just for them, and other guests would surely venture over to see what was inside. She was initially waiting for them to come up the stairs, since she heard them ascend, but she did not expect to see who she did.

"Mother!” she cheered the moment Sera came into view. She had missed her mother since Ric spent less and less time with her, although she tried to find other things to distract her. It was not as if she could run back home and be with her solely because Ric found someone else to spend time with. She would have to grow up and deal with the idea that people grow apart, and that concept kept her not only still in the Eclipse house but away from the phone calling home every day. Lexi wanted to run up to Sera and hug her, but something about the boys held her back. Would it appear too childish to do that? Perhaps in context it would not, since Lexi has not seen her mother in so long, but knowing Lexi she would make a way of looking like the small immature child they knew her as. That was what Lexi did not want if she wanted to win over Corvo. As Sera greeted the others, Lexi stood with a large grin on her face. Lexi was debating whether or not she should stay or talk to Melody, since her mother’s presence was serving as a distraction from her previous problems, but she did not ponder the idea for much longer. When Sera asked for Corvo and Melody to leave, Lexi had an uncomfortable feeling settling in her stomach. Something was not right, or Lexi did not believe it was. She could not imagine Sera coming on a whim while they were supposed to be on a trip. Lexi hoped the sudden visit was because of the events last night and nothing had happened while her siblings and mothers were out. She expected if something had happened to the family, her mother would not be in such a calm state as she appeared, so Lexi hoped things were okay. As soon as Melody and Corvo headed down the stairs, Lexi took up the opportunity to be as childish as she wanted and ran up to her mother and hugged her tightly. She did not want to let her go even if she knew Ric would probably be jealous. He had always been closer to their mother where as she was to their father, but she had hoped he would share for once. Lexi felt so lonely for a long time and now things were finally about to change. "Is everything okay, Mama?” Lexi asked and curiously looked up to her mother’s face. "How was your trip? I thought Ryder said you just left…”

Look, all I know is that
you're the nicest thing I've ever seen
And I wish that we could see
if we could be something
Yeah I wish that we could see
if we could be something

[Mewling Quim]

☩┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓→

✖׺°”˜`”°º×「ɑℓɑɾɩϲ ʈɧσϻɑș Ϩσℓҽɩℓ」׺°”˜`”°º×✖

☩┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛→

✗You didn't have to smile at me. Your grin's the sweetest that I've ever seen.➸
✗But you did. Yes you did. ➸
✗You didn't have to offer your hand. 'Cause since I've kissed it, I am at your command.➸
✗But you did.➸

Outfit

Alaric and Ryder sat in silence for at least ten minutes before Ric finally turned back towards the rest of the group with a disheartened grin. It was almost as though Melody and Lexi had sensed his own tension and basically ran to his rescue with Corvo right behind them. “We’ll talk later, Ry.” He said, hoping that Ryder wouldn’t mind holding off whatever they needed to speak about until they were alone. The small group had spent nearly an hour or so talking about old times, new times, what was going on and what was happening in their life now, but Alaric still couldn’t get his mind off of how different his family had made him out to be. If he wasn’t completely in love he would have second guessed his entire relationship with Rory, but he couldn’t, and he wouldn’t. Instead his thoughts moved towards Alexis and Corvo. What would happen there and how would Ryder even react? Corvo was his best friend, basically like family, and Ric couldn’t remember a time where his older brother had ever been happier with anyone other than their family. That’s what made Alaric know that Corvo was special to Ry, but then again so was Lexi. That’s going to be a cluster. He caught himself thinking silently. He supported Alexis no matter what, but he also supported Ryder and this only put him in an awkward position. Especially with the fact that he had never been too fond of Corvo, at least not until now, when his younger sister had adored him so much that it had turned her into a, for lack of a better word, tomato. Alaric eyed her while losing himself in his thoughts. A strawberry would be more like her. Perhaps Mels should start calling her the Strawberry twin. Hah, Melody seems different too. A bit. I wonder about her and Hugo, it’s not my business. Oh but it is. She’s my best friend. After a few minutes, he spoke up, especially after Lexi asked Kat to go with her to ‘go get something.’ “Why not invite all of us girls?” He said jokingly, as he watched his sister and his best friend stand up and head towards the stairs. He shook his head and looked back to Corvo and Ryder. “Well, looks like I lost my invitation and I’m stuck with you two ladies.” His grin was absolutely unmistakable; this was the Ric that they all knew. The one that loved his family and friends, the one that loved spending time and joking with them, and the one that he managed to lose somewhere along the way of love and heartbreak.

He must have been speaking when the door downstairs had opened, because he didn’t hear anything until he heard his sister speak up, quite loudly and with good reason, calling out for their mother. Alaric’s head whipped around to face where the familiar voice had come from and he couldn’t help but jump right up and stare at Sera with a grin that had quickly faded. Oh god, oh my god. What am I going to do? Why is she here? Oh god, she doesn’t know about Rory. She’s going to find out. Oh god, she’s going to know about last night. Panic had settled upon his face and his bright red cheeks had turned to an even paler color than his skin tone. Slowly, he turned his head back towards Ryder, who looked nearly the same, as Sera said her hellos to Melody and Corvo and eventually asking them to a moment of privacy with her children. The same panic that had settled upon Ric’s face had found its way to his stomach and he felt like he could retch at any given moment, he knew that she knew. That his mother was there for only one reason and that was to give him a guilt trip and possibly send him home. Home, He thought, I’ve wanted to go home for such a long time, but not on these terms. Not because I wanted to save someone I love and his family.

Alaric stood back and let Alexis have her moment with their mother, and Ryder did the same. He looked back to his older brother, tears just about filling his eyes. They both knew what was coming, even if Sera was completely calm at the moment. She wouldn’t ever do anything harsh, she was never like that. Not since her parents, his grandparents, had given her the Soleil manor. As soon as Alexis began to ask about Sera’s trip, Alaric stepped in and put his arms around both Sera and Alexis all while shooting panicky daggers at his twin. Hopefully she would understand, especially since he was sure that she knew questions such as that would get him in trouble. No, Sera wasn’t there on a silly whim. She had caught word of what happened last night. There was absolutely no way that he wouldn’t get punished today for giving her such a fright and hurting his siblings. “Mama, how are you doing? You look beautiful tonight!” He said; a small attempt to suck up to her before she demanded to know what had happened. Ryder sat still though and Alaric was just about ready to beg the floor to open up and swallow him. Not only was he standing here just about ready to disappear completely, he was also finally crashing from his blood high and it made him absolutely jittery due to the state of his nerves.

Eventually Ryder had stood up and given Sera a hug as well and they all went to a sofa that was nearby while Sera sat in the middle of it and the twins sat on either side of her, Alaric on the left, and Alexis on the right while Ryder pulled up a chair. There was no way that he wouldn’t be able to notice the looks that Ryder and Alexis had both given him, especially now. They both knew everything and he was just waiting for either of them to crack. Every second that went by where Sera didn’t know what had happened was just another second he silently thanked his siblings for not saying a word. However, Sera was gripping him rather tightly, and he had a feeling that she knew. Of course she knows, Alaric, did you just expect her to show up out of the blue to give you a hug and a kiss? You know she’s busy and you pulled an idiotic move and called her. Stupid. You’re stupid, Ric. Stupid. No matter how hard he tried to regret calling his mother, he just couldn’t bring himself to do so. He was upset and only the sound of her voice could comfort him better than anything else in the world. Even Rory. Ric loved his mother very much and there was always that certain bond there and he knew that Alexis had it with their father. His eyes moved to his twin and he gave her a tiny grin. It felt like hours before Sera had actually spoken up after they moved to sit down, due to his mind constantly running itself thin, but it was only a few moments and he didn’t even notice that Ryder was actually speaking to her the entire time about how she was doing, how she was looking, and how their other siblings were. He even inquired after Aeron, which wasn’t a shock to Ric. But as soon as Sera looked to him, Alaric’s mouth went dry and he tensed up. He couldn’t hold back or lie to his mother, so he let her begin while staring up to her honey colored eyes with his own dark blue ones that had only gotten darker as he tried, quite unsuccessfully, to hide the truth.

✖●Hello, goodbye, I'm rather crazy and I never thought I was crazy.●ღ➸

[Mewling Quim]

❁●ＳeraＥmiléＳoleil●☼
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ThislayoutismademyMewlingQuim.PleaseDoNotSteal!

One way ticket's in my hand, heading for the chosen land.
My troubles will all turn to sand, when I get to the border.
And if I'm weary, I won't care, when I get to the border.

❁☼●☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵☵●☼❁

outfit

QUIMSera loosely balled up her fists and placed them on her hips while a bright smile shone straight past the panic and pain that was threatening to surface. Her children, at least her youngest ones, had most definitely grown up a lot more than she expected. It had been at least a year since the last time she saw them, she made them come home for Christmas the previous year and even then Alaric seemed different, but she never asked why. In fact Sera wouldn’t complain because Ric was always so different around people he didn’t know, just as he was when Melody and even Corvo came to visit the Soleil manor for the first time. While Sera would have loved for Melody and Corvo to stay and chat, she had bigger things at hand that needed to be taken care of, and she was sure that she needed to thank Melody for doing what any friend would. Especially friends with that much power. Instead, Sera looked to Melody with thankful eyes and hoped that the girl would understand for that moment, she was always good at reading people. But she smiled to the both of them and waited for someone to say something. When the silence got to be a bit awkward Sera finally spoke up. “Kat, Corvo… Do you two mind if I have a few moments with my children? It really is lovely to see the both of you. Don’t be strangers and come around the manor some more.” She kept her smile upon her lips as they agreed and left down the staircase and right out of the pool house.

As soon as the two of them disappeared Alexis ran up to Sera and threw her arms around her and she had to bite down on the inside of her mouth to keep her tears from falling. It was so unlike Lexi to be the first one to hug her, but at that moment Sera felt absolutely special. “Everything is fine, honey. The trip was okay, the Arana family was absolutely lovely. I just thought that I should come and see you three. I missed you!” She wouldn’t burden them with the fact that Alaric had called her just yet. She was sure that Ric didn’t even mean to worry her to the point that she came to the Eclipse manor. But from the time that Sebastian left to now, and she was sure for the rest of her life, she would always be there when her twins needed her the most. But before Sera could finish saying anything, Alaric had pulled both her and Alexis into a hug of his own and she didn’t hesitate to wrap her arm around him and kiss the top of Lexi’s head and Alaric’s cheek. “You’ve grown since I last saw you, Ric. You’re taller.” Did he have to ask her how she was doing? She figured that he would have guessed that she knew by now. But she wouldn’t ruin the bit of a reunion that they had for now. “I’m okay, baby, what about you?” There was an edge to her voice that was hardly noticeable to anyone, but she could tell, so she tried to calm down just a bit more. When Alaric told her that she looked beautiful Sera just shook her head and laughed. “Why don’t we all go sit? I swear these shoes are going to be the death of me.”

Before they went to sit down on a nearby sofa, the twins had both started walking towards it, and Ryder had given Sera a hug, but she could sense that he was holding something back. The four of them sat and talked about various things for a while before Sera finally looked over to Alaric and met his dark blue eyes that he inherited from his father. Both of the twins looked so much like Sebastian, Lexi with her hair and Ric with his eyes. There was much more than that though, but Sera shook the thoughts out of her head and looked away from Alaric. “I brought you all gifts, they’re in the car. But I’m sure that you three will love what I got you.” She wanted to keep the conversation going for a while longer because she didn’t feel like actually breaking down. Alaric still looked as though he might pass out from his nerves, and that made Sera nervous.

“So!” She said cheerfully, “Tell me how you guys have liked the place? Is it any different than last time? I know that Melody and Corvo are here this time; I thought that they might have lifted your spirits a bit. We all miss the three of you at home too, and when we’re traveling. But Aeron is good; he’s a good traveling companion.” She paused, thinking of things to say but coming up with nothing that made much sense, so she just said what was on her mind. “I know that this pact has been upsetting, but it had to be done. I hope you twins understand that. It had been centuries before the Soleil or the Eclipse families had even said a word to one another without being cross. Aeron and I used to be friends before the pact and we would talk about the days that we could achieve when we were both heads of our households. It’s funny looking back, but this was nothing like we had in mind. I miss all three of you so much.” She pulled the twins close to her and leaned forward to kiss Ryder’s cheek. “And, with that being said…” Sera turned to Alaric and her face turned grim. “What happened before you called me, son?” The look on Alaric’s face just about broke her heart, so she turned away and Lexi’s expression nearly mocked her youngest son’s. But when she looked up at Ryder it was a whole different story, it was like he was about to explode and tell her what she needed to hear, but no one said a word. “Out with it, Alaric, I heard the basics from Logan and Woolfred, now I need to know what happened. I hope you didn’t think I was just here for the fun of it, what did you expect when you called me nearly crying? That I would just forget about that?” She turned to her other two children. “And you two, why didn’t either of you call me? Were you going to let this sit?” Her voice had become a bit edgier and her mixed emotions poured out into her words. “What in the world pushed you to be so damn reckless, Alaric Thomas? Can you imagine how we feel? I don’t even know what exactly happened and do you even know how I feel?” She was beginning to get angry, so she ceased speaking and sat in the silence until one of her children decided to speak up.

[x--A Beautiful LIE]

xxxxxxxxxxxx Alexis Rosa Soleilxxx

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xxx " '

"I missed you too, Mama!” Lexi said as she hugged Sera tighter for a moment. If only she knew how much Lexi missed living at home. Of course Lexi did not mind the Eclipse manor; in fact, now that Melody and Corvo were here, she was beginning to enjoy it. However, there was something to be said about the safety and comfort of one’s home. What she would give to be young again; to curl up on her father’s lap or to sit and talk with her mother once more. She missed the days when the three of them could spend time together without a worry in the world. Of course Ryder would join in too, had he not been busy with his friends. Most of all, she missed having someone looking for her each day and wanted to spend time with her. Once Ric began to spend all of his time with Rory, there was no one else who would remember to include Alexis unless they happened to see her in the room already. Although things have improved within the last day or so, seeing her mother again would definitely help improve her mood. She had no reason to feel lonely anymore; in fact she felt more like her self than she did with Melody.

As she followed her family to the couch, she kept herself close to Sera. Her hand was wrapped around her mother’s as she led her to the couch. When Ryder approached, she gave them their space and followed Ric to their seats. As soon as she saw Ric’s face, her own was covered with worry. She did her best to cover it as she took her seat, not wanting to give off an impression to their mother that something was wrong. But Lexi knew as she looked at her twin that this was not going to end well. Lexi was also trying to keep an eye on Sera’s expressions and attempting to pick up on whether or not she knew about what happened the night before. She couldn’t stop herself from looking up at her, trying to use her sweet smile to hide the worry from her face. If Sera was going to be relaxed, Lexi would try to be as well. "What did you get us, Mama?” she asked anxiously, perking up a bit. "Is it from the Arana family? Huh? Mama! What is it!?” Her voice had a bit of a playful whine to it in the end. She couldn’t help but to giggle a little bit. She was always bad with being patient. Lexi and Ric used to pester their parents all the time about surprises and gifts. Lexi could always get it out of their father without any trouble, but Sera was another story. Ric could surely get it out of her, but then they’d keep it a secret from her. Lexi looked over at Ric once more, and he looked more nervous than ever. She tried to give him a discrete cheesy smile, one of those that would remind you to force yourself to be happy.

"It’s better here now that Melody and Corvo are here!” Lexi said just as cheerful as ever. She was sure things would get better, now that she would have Melody to talk to and Corvo to stalk. Of course she would not truly stalk him. Not without Ric and Melody. Lexi couldn’t help but to giggle a bit at the thought; this would surely make the next few days more interesting. She would certainly have to speak to Sera about all that Corvo business later. Her mother had to be the best person to go to for help when it came to boys. She never did it herself, but she had watched her older sisters do so over the years and knew her time was near. As Sera continued to speak, Lexi rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, allowing herself to relax. Alexis used to be good with getting away with her devious deeds. It was always Alaric who would be bribed later by Sera to spill the beans. She knew she should not be as calm as she was at the moment, but it couldn’t harm the situation. Alaric may have nearly died the night before, but as long as their mother did not know about that, they shouldn’t let her think something went wrong. Or that was Lexi’s mentality, as it often was. Whether it be breaking something in the house or scaring tutors half to death; what Sera didn’t know never harmed Lexi. When she finds out, that may be a different story. But for now, they would wait until the idea time to tell her and from what Lexi planned, everything would work out fine.

With Lexi in her daydreaming state, she nearly missed what Sera said about a phone call. "Wait…” she said, dragging out the word and she leaned forward and glared over at Ric. "You called her?! And you didn’t let me talk to her?!” Alexis was hurt by that, until she realized what her mother was leading into. Her face fell into a mixture of pain, sadness, and worry and she couldn’t bring herself to look up at Sera. Lexi’s arms flew around her and she hugged her tightly, her face burring into her mother’s shoulder as she began to lecture her twin. "Mamaaa…” she started to say before Sera turned her attention to Lexi and Ryder. Lexi recoiled, now leaning against the arm of the couch and trying to create a greater distance between the two of them. She couldn’t move her gaze from the ground, and she could feel her eyes begin to water. Lexi couldn’t defend Ric anymore, not against their mother. Sera was the only person Alexis feared the most when she was angry. She hoped one of the boys would speak up and soon, before she began to fully cry.

Look, all I know is that
you're the nicest thing I've ever seen
And I wish that we could see
if we could be something
Yeah I wish that we could see
if we could be something