sταrcrσssєd [ FULL AGAIN! ]

I am:

"Elite to Advance" (Psh.)	18.8%	[ 13 ]
Literate, as in I can read and write	40.6%	[ 28 ]
WTF? (Why the face?)	1.4%	[ 1 ]
*profanity!*	10.1%	[ 7 ]
Offended. That's what I am.	29.0%	[ 20 ]
Total Votes:			[ 69 ]

[Alcoholic Alien]

[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXp o o r l i t t l e m a g g i e

((I has an ideaaaaa!))

Maggie smiled up at him as he asked how she slept. How very polite.

Don't compliment him! You'll start liking him!

I wasn't complimenting him out loud. I was mentally making a statement of fact.

Are you really arguing with yourself?

Yes I am! ...Gods I need help...

Sighing inwardly at her own ridiculousness, she continued to smile at Vladimir. "I slept fine, thank you."

At the mention of her getting another coat she raised her hands in front of her, shaking them as well as her head. "No no," she said quickly. "There's really no need. I mean I don't have much money on me right now, and I'm perfectly warm with this. It's actually quite warmer than it looks. Honest." She smiled to add to the effect of her honestly.

Marguerite chewed her lip at his question about Vitus. She was still uncertain about whether or not the Gods were upset with her or not. She didn't want to bring their attention to her willingly... But it was going to happen either way...

Sighing, she shrugged her shoulders. "I... I really don't know..." She bit her lip, glancing at the door. "We can... ask..."

She started to reach for him, then realized her mistake. No. No touching. He obviously doesn't like me touching him, even if he's immune to my curse... So instead, her bare hand hovered beside him a moment before she dropped it. She distantly realized she'd lost her gloves somewhere at some point... Not good.

She pulled away. "Come on," she murmured. "It's better to call for him from outside. He can't really get in buildings easily without permission..." She shook her head and moved to the door, swinging it open.

As she walked down the hallway and down the stairs to the main floor of the small inn, she noticed the innkeeper giving her strange looks. He'd probably thought she was dead when Vladimir brought her in... Or that he'd taken her innocence. Or something... She felt her cheeks heat up as she continued outside. It was mostly dark out by that point out, the sky a dim gray, the sun hidden behind the horizon. She moved to the side of the inn, in an alley. She chose not to think about what had happened the last time she was in a little alley in this little town.

Kneeling down in the snow, she bowed her head, clenching her fists together in front of her. She glanced up at Vlad... She knew she looked ridiculous. She bit her lip and smiled a small smile. "It would be more... meaningful if we prayed together for him to grant us a meeting..."

[Whiite Stag]

『 vℓa∂imir τzvεtαn sɧapøvaℓov 』
t h exx b a s t a r d xx b r o t h e r

We were the ❝kings and queens❞ of promise
We were the victims of ourselves
Maybe the c h i l d r e n of a lesser God
[[Between]] Heaven and »»Hell

✖✖✖✖✖

At least she was well-rested for the trek back to Cence. That would prove to be very beneficial, and make things easier for Vladimir.

"If money is a problem, surely I can spare several coins or so in helping you obtain a better coat," he assured, wanting to express as much as possible that if she really was cold, he could make it better.

Gods, that was weird to say. 'Not like that!' his thoughts cried as they mentally slapped the ludicrous images from his mind. Blinking them away, he returned to reality as Marguerite began stretching her hand toward him. He didn't even respond until she recoiled and turned to the door.

Following her through the dimly lit hallway, they made their way to the ground floor of the inn. Vladimir ignored the looks the two were receiving from the innkeeper, and he pushed a few coins toward the man across the counter before exiting through the doors.

Marguerite was gone. Eyes widening in shock, he quickly glanced around for her, only to sense her nearby. He turned the corner into an alleyway, only to see her kneeling in the snow with her hands locked together before her. Momentarily his brows furrowed, concerned with what she was doing, and then he felt stupid. She was praying, obviously. Sighing at himself, he moved to the girl.

"If you say so," was his response. Though, he doubted it would do much good if he 'helped' her. He damned the Twelve everyday; it was more likely that he would get the both of them punished or sent to the Inferno for his disbelief. But he had no choice, and wanting to be polite, he positioned himself in the same manner as Marguerite and closed his eyes.

He had thought he heard fluttering, and eyes flickering open, he noticed a man standing before them. Immediately, he got to his feet, unsure of who this man was.

══════════════════✖✖✖✖✖══════════════════

[Alcoholic Alien]

[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXp o o r l i t t l e m a g g i e

It really wasn't a prayer... It was more like... positive thoughts mixed in with asking Vitus specifically to manifest before them. She'd found she'd never really had to pray to Vitus, as she did to any of the other Gods. He seemed to be apart of her, knowing when she needed him to come to her.

But as nothing happened, she began to doubt. Thinking, perhaps she had offended him and the others of the Twelve. Even when Vlad added his prayer to the mix nothing seemed to be happening. She felt her heart beginning to pound. She was in so much trouble...

Sighing, she finally dropped her hands, raised her head, and opened her eyes. "Maybe he's..."

She didn't finish. Didn't get the chance. She saw him there, in all his glory. He wasn't in a full raven form. Instead his black as night wings were sprouting from his shoulder blades. They folded back, faming his entire body. He seemed to glow. Not really with light, but with power. It was incredible...

"Vitus," she gasped. He never ceased to take her breath away. He was a god after all...

He stepped forward. "I'm glad to see you are alright, child," he said in his incredibly deep voice. He glanced at Vlad and though he didn't smile the gratitude was in his eyes. "I have you to thank for that I suppose."

Maggie hoped to the Gods that that meant she wasn't in trouble with the Twelve... She kept her eyes on him. As he looked at Vlad, she saw his eyes change. Almost as if he were disappointed...

Maggie couldn't control herself anymore. "Why did you send me here?" she asked all to quickly.

Vitus kept his eyes on Vladimir. "There were souls to collect," he answered. "And there was something you needed to see..."

Maggie frowned. "The shadow?"

Vitus looked at her and his eyes smiled. "Not at all, child. I wouldn't send you to a shadow. If I had known it was there, I wouldn't have sent you." He shook his head. "No, there was something else that you needed to see... But it's no matter now. You called?"

Maggie shook her head, trying to get the confusion out and clear it to focus. She then nodded, probably looking like a fool with all her head movements. "Y-Yes," she murmured. "We wanted to know if... perhaps, you could lend me your wings again to get back to Cence?"

Vitus smiled. Actually smiled. The sight itself was a shock. Vitus did not smile. His eyes, maybe. Sometimes. But he rarely gave a true smile. "Of course not," he said, amused.

Maggie stared at him, brow furrowed. "What? Why?"

Vitus continued to grin. "You still haven't seen what you need to," he replied.

Maggie stared at him in horror now, completely confused. He was going to make her find her own way back to Cence? What in Inferno?!

She watched as Vitus moved forward, stopping before Vladimir, looking directly at him. "You are to watch over her and escort her back to Cence," he told the man. "If she is hurt I will hold you responsible. She is the first sorcerer I've Gifted in a long time. It would be incredibly inconvenient for me if I no longer had her around."

He didn't wait for a confirmation. He was a God she supposed. He could really do as he pleased. Even if he was rude in the process. "Grigori will watch over the souls, Marguerite," he told her, as he began to walk away. "I'll see you in a few days."

With that he leapt into the sky, and was gone from their sight in seconds.

Fingers on her now aching temple, Maggie glanced at Vladimir.

"Gods, he needs to just start telling me what he wants me to know and be done with it," she growled. "This quest nonsense is becoming increasingly inconvenient."

She glanced down at herself. She was truly a mess... She needed new clothes and perhaps a bath...

She looked at him. "I need to find something else to wear... And a bathhouse..." she murmured. "As long as it's not too expensive, I'm sure what I have will cover it..." She glanced down at their feet. "How exactly are we going to get back?"

[jess inc o g n i t o]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx✕→ ♦ ✕ ♦ ✕xx e v e r e t tx d e L o n →

"BUT ONLY YOU CALL ME FAYETTE." He smiled with a nod of his head and she moved on. "Yes, for once I have time to myself! No Diplomats to speak with and no Alexavier to shadow my every footstep and intimidate everyone who comes close to me," she spoke happily. At least she wasn't paranoid or nervous without the body guard around, that may have been somewhat of a setback - or an annoyance depending on how one looked at it. But she wasn’t paranoid and she wasn’t nervous, or she was very skilled in not letting onto it. Everett watched her as she spoke, through the dimly lit space of the hallway he simply listened to what she had to say. He should have been listening for something important to slip, genuine information that would help his father’s cause, but Ev just liked to listen to her, though he would never admit it even to himself.

But then she slowed down and took a pause, eyeing him teasingly, ”Does he intimidate you, Everett?” she asked. ”Intimidate?” he repeated, stopping to think about it a moment. He hadn’t thought about it before then, what really bothered him about Alexavier? ”Intimidate is hardly the word for it, I think.” Annoyed was more accurate, though perhaps not even that. ’Speak of the devil,’ he thought as a dark figure appeared at the end of the hall though came no closer. He could tell it was the body guard by the way the figure stood, the immense of mannerism in that walk of his. That’s not to say it was out of the ordinary, his walk, just recognizable. Determined, like he had places to be and people to see, or in this case, a job to do.

The young man kept his gaze on Alexavier no longer than a moment, hoping perhaps Fayette would not notice him as well as her back was turned on him for then. He smiled, ”Nowhere in particular, just a walk.” In the damp coldness this portion of the castle seemed to retain he rather thought hot chocolate sounded like a good idea. ”How about this?” she said then, slipping her arm in his. Ev held it up for her to take better hold of, stepping closer to her side. ”Rather devious for an Empress, don’t you think?” he quipped, though it was a nice thought around her bodyguard. Surely the Alexavier lagging behind would have no objection to an idea of her own? Everett followed her with the gentle tug on his arm down the corridor.

The halls grew lighter as they continued, the smell of cooking food drifting in their wake. He imagined Alexavier was still tagging behind, silently, though he didn’t dare look over his shoulder to find out, potentially risking the light mood Fayette had found, or at least the slightly more unreserved one. ”. . .what have you been up to? I hope your stay has been good so far?” she asked as they were walking. ”I can’t say it’s the most exciting time, considering the circumstances,” he said. Between them though, their ideas on what that statement referred to may have been entirely different, but it would have been true either way, were he a true diplomat or a spying rival. ”But it can be as good as one expects, and I’ve met some lovely people here.” In reality he had only spoken much to the diplomats, the real ones, who were at the palace strictly on business. Acquaintances ranged from those grumpy old men to Fayette and them only.

The smell of the beginning of dinner had grown stronger as they walked, reaching its climax when they stood right at the door of the kitchen. Ev stopped at the doorway, leaning in to catch the eye of one of the workers there, ”Two hot chocolates, please.” He placed his order and the worker gave him a look, one that said ‘who do you think you are?’ ”For the Empress and her escort?” he prodded, averting his eyes to Fayette at his side, still wrapped around his arm. The woman scurried off then and he didn’t have to look to know what she was doing. The dark haired man glanced back down at her, still on his arm. ”But what about you, Fayette?” he asked as they waited by the door, ”Do you enjoy the time you spend here?”

If she were anything like his own father, ruler of Vonya, she never left the palace unless it was on extremely and utterly important business, mostly to travel to other countries to make negotiations and such. Never on whim or just because. His lips produced a small smile before the woman in the kitchen came over and handed him two mugs, one of which he handed gently to Fayette. ”It seems you do a lot for your country, but do you take much time for yourself?” he asked quietly as they left the kitchen door and moved away from unwanted ears. He lowered it so much so that Alexavier couldn’t hear, it was almost a whisper. ”I’m willing to bet you could leave this palace and no one would notice,” he continued, ”If only for a few hours.” And with that he wondered if prying her from her home would help his cause, even though he was struggling to find the words that would directly lead him to what he wanted to know. He'd convinced himself he would need to really get to know her to find out what he needed to know. But it was getting more and more difficult to separate the job from what he wanted personally. At this point it had only been a few times he had spoken even a word to her. He was unsure of what that meant exactly. They had come a bit of a ways from the kitchen, or so it seemed. Light streamed in through large windows that illuminated the hallways and displayed the snow-covered courtyard. He liked the cold personally, to him it seemed like a nice day for a stroll outside. "It wouldn't hurt. . .if you wanted to," he said, suggestion lacing his words.




i don't want to ( fall ) and say i ( lost ) it all
cos' ( maybe ) there's a part of me that hit the ( wall )
leaving ( pieces ) of me behind
and i ( feel ) like i'm ( breaking ) inside

[Whiite Stag]

『 vℓa∂imir τzvεtαn sɧapøvaℓov 』
t h exx b a s t a r d xx b r o t h e r

We were the ❝kings and queens❞ of promise
We were the victims of ourselves
Maybe the c h i l d r e n of a lesser God
[[Between]] Heaven and »»Hell

✖✖✖✖✖

He was going to die. Vladimir was sure of this. He knew as soon as Vitus looked at him that the god knew. Of course he knew! He was a god! If he didn't know, then surely, he would be stupid. Vitus glanced at Vladimir again as the thought passed through the young man's mind, and he froze, his eyes widening. "I didn't mean--!" he assured, his hands flying up before his chest in mock surrender. But Vitus then concerned himself with Marguerite.

Vladimir's mouth moved as Vitus spoke to him about the matter with saving Marguerite; not like it was that difficult of a choice. But he wouldn't voice that aloud. He shouldn't even have been thinking it, with the glances Vitus kept shooting his way. Disappointment. Marguerite seemed to pick up the silent conversation very quickly.

By Vitus' tone, Vladimir could only guess what the god meant by "something" Marguerite "needed to see." As if the god wasn't making it any more obvious than looking right at him! Might as well point at him and declare what he was.

But no. Vitus wanted to enjoy himself, being the sadist that he was, and have the truth exposed later on, by Vladimir's hand. He shot a glance at Vitus, who seemed quite amused with Vladimir's stubborness. 'I'm already dead!' the male declared in his thoughts, sure that Vitus could here him. But Vitus shot a look at him, similar to raising a brow, that challenged Vladimir's declaration, and Vladimir's Adam Apple bobbed as he swallowed saliva.

And the smile! It was creeping him out like crazy! He didn't like it, one bit. And the response Vitus had shook him. Internally, he cried out, 'What?!' Didn't Vitus view Maggie as like his daughter or something? Didn't he...?

No. Of course not. He was a god. He didn't care. He wouldn't care if Maggie died.

As soon as he thought this, however, Vitus approached him. The young man froze. He had a death wish, and certainly, Vitus was going to deliver it to him.

His thoughts were confirmed. Basically, Vitus didn't care, and they would have to return to Cence on horseback either way.

He refused to breathe until the god left, and once he did, Vladimir turned to the female. "Agreed," he stated, in reference to Vitus and his vagueness. "That can be done. Come." With that, he led her along through the small town.

Being it quite early in the evening, venues were still open, and within an hour or two, Marguerite was bathed and more properly dressed. "I have horses waiting for our departure. Is there anything else you need?"

══════════════════✖✖✖✖✖══════════════════

[Alcoholic Alien]

[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXp o o r l i t t l e m a g g i e

Some women were just truly stupid. Especially those of the country variety. Idiotic, gossip mongering bumpkins!

After they had found a cheap enough boutique, Maggie kept having to tell the idiotic seamstress not to touch her. But the foolish old bat didn't seem to grasp the subject until Maggie had to spell out for her that she would kill her with a touch if she didn't stop being so daft, and she'd do it with a completely clear conscience. The woman, of course shut up, left her alone, and stopped fussing over her about what clothes she should choose. Maggie was just glad Vladimir hadn't been in the boutique with her when she'd had her little outburst.

The word of course got around though. As did the word about the unmarried man and woman who had shared a room for an entire day. It didn't take long for the rumors to merge into one and then become more than they really were. All through her shower at the bathhouse, she heard the over exaggerated rumors about her and Vladimir running amongst the other women there.

Maggie really hated small towns.

Maggie was still trying to get used to the strange clothes she'd gotten. They were quite outdated and they were pants. Having been born and mostly raised in Balle, Maggie was used to wearing dresses. It was proper and, while her Viresian upbringing had made her become more adventurous by choose dressed that were shorter than floor length, she believed that dresses were the way to go.

So the pants were a bit of a culture shock. They did remind her of thick tights though... They were black and clung to her legs, keeping them rather warm. The long, dark blue sweater made her feel like she was at least wearing something of a dress. She also wore her thin black jacket underneath a warmer, thicker black jacket. She'd also purchased blue gloves. They were quite as protective, but they were better than nothing and would keep her warm. She managed to untangle her giant knot of hair and discard of the black feathers that were clinging to her tangles. She looked less like a mess and more like a lady. Sort of.

Maggie trailed after Vladimir. At his words she answered all too quickly, wanting very much to get away from the gossipy old bats that seemed to fill the town as well as the younger women who kept sliding appreciative glances in Vladimir's direction. She wasn't jealous! She just didn't approve of... such glances... That was it! Nothing more!

"No, there's nothing else," she answered. "We should get going." She sent a disapproving glare at one woman who was staring at him through the window of a pub. "Where are those horses?"

[Whiite Stag]

『 vℓa∂imir τzvεtαn sɧapøvaℓov 』
t h exx b a s t a r d xx b r o t h e r

We were the ❝kings and queens❞ of promise
We were the victims of ourselves
Maybe the c h i l d r e n of a lesser God
[[Between]] Heaven and »»Hell

✖✖✖✖✖

And they said women were awful gossipers! Surely, they had never heard the gossip of men. That was an entirely different playing field all together; it was best not to get caught up in that mess. Waiting upon Marguerite in the boutique had been quite painful, to say the least. Not because of the time she was consuming--it wasn't her fault that the hag was slow and dull-witted. No, it was because of all the voices around him, both women and men, who spoke of the couple. 'Duo,' his thoughts corrected. 'Damn that innkeeper.' Deep down, Vladimir was quite convinced that it hadn't been the innkeeper's fault entirely; he wasn't the only one in the inn the night before, and he was sure that anyone who had seen the two exiting from the inn, without wedding bands round their third fingers, would have started the rumor.

A long sigh heaved itself from his chest cavity after he realized that he had not drawn or exhaled a breath in several minutes. The gesture received several bizarre looks in return, but he used his usual Vladimir stare-down to scatter those daring eyes and send the beholder scurrying. Snorting in light amusement, he turned back to sulking against the stone walls, his arms crossed over his chest as he observed the peasants weaving their way through the small town for food and whatever other things they desired.

If only he had known how much worse it would be at the bathhouse.

Although he was a good few buildings away from the bathhouse itself, people managed to recognize him from the rumors and point and whisper about him. Again, he felt his hands clenching into fists, his jaw hardening, but he did nothing.

He hated small towns. Hated them with a passion. He was ready to get out of here as soon as possible.

As soon as Marguerite exited from the bathhouse, he was at her side and leading her away, trying his best to ignore the looks and the excited whispers.

Gods, every single one of these vermin-like citizens should have been struck down with the plague. But thinking on Vitus, he immediately stopped.

"Not far," he retorted through clenched teeth. If one more person decided to blatantly stare at them, he was going to tear through that person's throat, retrieve their heart, and rip it out.

It was probably best not to illustrate that crude intention across his face, and his pale, fragile features quickly wiped all emotions like splashing heavy white paint across a tainted canvas.

Reaching the stables, the animals reacted quite violently to Vladimir's presence. Fie. He had forgotten about that small inconvenience. Shushing them softly, he avoided touching them at all costs, and tried reasoning with them telepathically. They were certainly cautious of him, but with the promise of cubes of sugar and extra hay, the 'stupid' (his words) animals quickly agreed.

"Quickly. We need to get started soon before it becomes too cold." Leading the gray Camargue horse toward Maggie, a slight smirk appeared on his features. "This is Marais, a Camargue horse. You may be familiar with them. They originated in Balle, and are known for their calm temperament, agility, intelligence and stamina, and are good for long distance riding." Hiding the small grin as much as possible (yes, Vladimir had one guilty pleasure--his scholarly intelligence. Whenever he found appropriate, he enjoyed flaunting it to improve others. Currently, he was attempting to impress Marguerite). "I was cautious of its coloring, at first, being out at night with a light gray horse. But there's snow, so we may be able to blend better."

Allowing the reigns to drop in Marguerite's hands, he then moved to his ashy grey Orlov Trotter. A breed traditionally originating from Vonya. It was rare to see them here in Vires, but it was a beautiful creature. "So you will ride Marais, and I will take Shishkin. Come." With a c**k of the head, Vladimir lead the two horses and the female out into the little courtyard. Balancing one foot in the leather stirrup, he quickly swung himself over and glanced to Marguerite. A grim expression crossed his moonlight-illuminated features, and he found himself asking, "You do know how to ride, don't you?" His hand then faltered back to the bags he had packed just behind him--several things of provisions to keep them full and hydrated, and a few blankets for the female. It would be difficult finding some sort of structure to house themselves in in the morning that would not penetrate him and cause him to explode into a pile of dust. He tried not to think about that.

══════════════════✖✖✖✖✖══════════════════

[Alcoholic Alien]

[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXp o o r l i t t l e m a g g i e

It had been ages. Well maybe not literally ages, but Gods it had been a long time since she'd last rode a horse.

In fact... she was relatively certain the last time she'd ridden a horse for a long period of time was during her travel from Balle to Vires when her parents had sent her away. That one had been a Camargue as well...

Sure she'd ridden other horses since, but she'd grown up in Cence. The capital city of Vires. The largest and busiest city in Unia. There had not been very many chances for horse riding, let alone riding of the recreational sort.

So needless to say she was incredibly nervous about this... Damn Vitus! Why did he have to take so much pleasure in this? And he was. She knew he was. Why couldn't he just have lent her the wings? She could have carried Vladimir or he could have used whatever means he had earlier used and they could be in Cence right now. She'd be in her own bed, not that of an old inn. She'd be wearing her own clothes, not secondhand, outdated clothes made by a gossipy old witch. And she wouldn't have to be riding a horse for nearly a week. Damn her a** was going to be sore beyond belief.

She paused in her mental complaining however when he handed over the horse. He was so... gentle with them. The way he spoke about them and handled them... It was so gentle...

She found herself staring at him, eyes watching his movements. Without really realizing it, she let her guards down, completely fascinated and mystified by this different side of Vladimir...

But when he asked if she could ride she shook her head to clear it, that misty look leaving her eyes. She smiled almost playfully at him. "Of course I can ride," she said confidently. Sure she wasn't entirely sure she still could, but she could bluff couldn't she? She had her pride after all. And she was incredibly stubborn. She had to prove to him and to herself that she could handle it.

She moved to the horse Marais, caressing her nose and neck, soothing the animal. When she was sure she'd gained the horse's trust, she began to prepare herself to get in the saddle.

She didn't necessarily lift herself up into the saddle expertly but she was impressed that she actually got on the right way.

Taking hold of the reigns, she glanced at Vladimir. "See?" she said. "No problem."

[Whiite Stag]

『 vℓa∂imir τzvεtαn sɧapøvaℓov 』
t h exx b a s t a r d xx b r o t h e r

We were the ❝kings and queens❞ of promise
We were the victims of ourselves
Maybe the c h i l d r e n of a lesser God
[[Between]] Heaven and »»Hell

✖✖✖✖✖

Vladimir's brows flashed skyward at the girl. "Really?" he mused, deciding to call her bluff. "Hopefully this is true, because we will take few breaks," the male bluffed as well.

But he wouldn't be so eager to openly display that he was joking. Rather, he wanted to learn of her reaction.

Turning his head to hide the smirk he was forming, he then glanced back to realize that she had managed to mount her horse, at the very least. A low, unimpressed hum rumbled from his throat into the cold air, and turning, he decided he wouldn't give much else to the girl.

He enjoyed toying with her. She was just as stubborn as himself, and although he wanted desperately to mock her more so by openly illustrating his sardonic jokes, he felt it was all the more fun keeping it secret and having her fume behind his back.

With the flick of the wrists and slightly digging his heels into Shishkin's flanks, the horse jolted forward and began trotting to one of the few exits of the town. Immediately, Vladimir was met with cold winds. But he pressed on, only to glance back at Marguerite and see if she would be all right. Hearing no response, and not meeting her gaze, he turned back, and started the horse at a trot. Hopefully, Marguerite could catch up.

After a few hours of pounding across the blanketed landscapes, Vladimir slowed the horse to a stop. He allowed the horse to pace a bit and slowly make its way to a pond. Vladimir followed and used the heel of his boot to break the ice and allow the horse to drink.

His attention then returned to Maggie and Marais.

"Are you well? How long do we need to rest?" he questioned the female, concerned. Her cheeks and face were pinked from the whipping winds of the north, and it was probably best for her to catch her breath. They had been riding fairly hard across the terrain.

══════════════════✖✖✖✖✖══════════════════

[Alcoholic Alien]

[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXp o o r l i t t l e m a g g i e

He was the most infuriating, maddening, strange, uncouth man she had ever met!

That little noise he made, as if he didn't think she could. As if it were shocking to him that she could do it. And that maddening way he spoke to her. As if he were challenging her. Well she'd show him! She could handle it just as well as he. Better even! She knew what she was doing! ...Sort of.

It didn't quite dawn on her that it might be a bit odd that he was able to affect her emotions so easily. One moment she looked at him with gentleness in her eyes, letting all her guards down and exposing her true emotions. And the next he had her steaming man and completely annoyed. Oh no, this didn't come to her attention at all during the hours they spent riding. Not at all. The frigid norther winds whipping past her face and through her hair didn't even bother her. Oh no! She was too busy fuming over Vladimir and his infuriating manners!

When they finally stopped to water and rest the horses she dismounted and led Marais to the water beside Vladimir's horse. When he spoke to her, the concern and caring in his voice didn't even register in her mind right away. She'd been far to busy fuming over him the entire ride to notice when he was actually concerned about her well being. "I'm perfectly fine," she answered, stepping away from him, face emotionless. "I doubt I'll need any rest at all. We can continue as soon as the horses are ready." She turned away from him moving to a small tree covered in ice that grew beside the little pond. She made sure she was facing away from him as she leaned against it and took in several deep and much needed deep breaths of icy air.

So very stubborn...

[Whiite Stag]

『 vℓa∂imir τzvεtαn sɧapøvaℓov 』
t h exx b a s t a r d xx b r o t h e r

We were the ❝kings and queens❞ of promise
We were the victims of ourselves
Maybe the c h i l d r e n of a lesser God
[[Between]] Heaven and »»Hell

✖✖✖✖✖

Vladimir smirked to himself as he realized that she was still fuming at him. He found it quite entertaining, yet at the same time, he was concerned. She had carried these thoughts for the past three hours, at least. Shouldn't she have cleansed herself of them by now? Surely, it was not healthy to dwell on them and allow the anger to continue boiling inside of her.

Eyes softening, he opened his mouth to respond to the girl, only to find that she had stalked off.

A sigh created a plume in the air as Vladimir moved forward.

"Maggie, now is not a time to be stubborn. I realize I have said many things to anger you for my own entertainment, but I wish to apologize now so that you don't have to harden and push yourself beyond your limits," he voiced aloud, giving the female no time to interject.

"The horses are not the only beings that need rest. You do too. You've barely healed from your encounter with the Shadow. We will not rest horribly long."

But try as he might, the female was too damned stubborn, and even refused to turn to him! His tongue flickered beneath his top teeth as he considered what to do.

There was no other choice that to get in her face.

With a few swift movements, he found himself in front of her, pinning her to the tree with his hands on either side of her shoulders. Because of the force he used, snow and ice drifted from the branches, covering him, and probably her as well. At least it would be used for extra emphasis.

"Look at you. You're covered in snow and ice, and need to get warm. Please?" he pleaded with her. Gods, why was he trying so hard all of a sudden? His muscles and joints stiffened and locked at this thought, but he didn't budge. If she was going to be stubborn, he would do the same.

══════════════════✖✖✖✖✖══════════════════

[Alcoholic Alien]

[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXp o o r l i t t l e m a g g i e

She had her arms crossed over her chest, trying to camouflage the fact that she really did still need to catch her breath, and her head was turned toward the way they had come, refusing to even chance a look in his direction.

She realized she was pouting and being stupid and stubborn... But she couldn't seem to stop herself. He just drove her mad! She couldn't control the mixture of emotions he evoked within her. It was so foreign to her. She just didn't know what to do with herself.

And then he was there. Standing before her, pinning her to the tree. She gasped softly. Not from the snow and icy the fluttered down onto them. Not from how quickly he'd gotten to her. Not even from the intensity of his gaze. No. She gasped because of the closeness of him. He was so... close! They were almost touching. His hands were on either side of her head against the tree. He was looking down at her with those dark eyes of his... She was sure she could hear her heart pounding frantically with... what was it? Shock? Fear? Pleasure?

She'd never admit it out loud but she had a feeling it was the last...

She stared up at him, biting her lip, dark green eyes boring into his with that same intensity, that same stubbornness. Her arms, which at fallen to her sides after the initial shock of his appearance right before her, came back up to cross over her chest. She arched a thin red brow at him, pursing her lips slightly. "Fine," she growled, pulling on her stubborn facade, trying the hide and push away those momentary feelings of pleasure at his closeness.

She ducked under his arm and dusted the snow off of herself as nonchalantly as she could. She stepped to a large, cold boulder beside the pond. She climbed up and found the least iciest spot and sat down.

[Petite Hibou]

T o d a y I A m:xxxxx

Ĕlle Reece Hamersmith

xx Something has changed within me, Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules Of someone else's game !!



The chill was not something the elven girl enjoyed much. She much more enjoyed the feeling of warmth on your skin, the bright sunlight beaming down on your face, giving you a healthy glow by the end of the planting season. That was the time Elle enjoyed, not this cold wet crap they stumbled upon recent in the last few days. Equipped for such weather, she wore a large coat, with fur that outlined the top, with a hood, that sat draped on her shoulders still. Sometimes the feeling of a large hood made her feel closed in. That wasn't something she said she loved. Most of her people disliked being closed in small areas, being in open wide fields was the best, and most calming for the elf. Pulling her bag up to her shoulders the girl pulled out a few coins for the keep. She had stopped for a warm drink, just to take a quick rest. She barley slept, and when she did- it was not for very long. She much rather would travel in the dark hours when there were less people, and it was quiet under the high rising moon that it was almost serene. Taking the last sip of the frothy warm drink, she exhaled deep, letting the warmth fill her body. It was nippy outside, and she needed to keep moving, there was no doubt about that. Her blue eyes looked to the bar keep, who collected the coins with a nod to the elf. She gave a polite smile, and stood from her chair. The way he just looked at her sort of irritated her...His eyes...They were to shifty. To much for her. Closing her eyes for a quick second, she attempted to compose herself from doing anything rash. She really needed to stop. It was not healthy! The blonde felt her teeth sink into her tongue slightly as she kept form muttering a curse. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself as she exhaled deeply. She needed to get out of the building, for a few reasons more.

Her left arm then hoisted up her bag, and with a quick motion- it was on her back, both arms supporting the two straps of the pouch. Across her body, a quiver was placed, the two relaxed against her back in unison, not to uncomfortable, or heavy- just right. The blonde has her bow around her body, like the quiver, simply in the opposite direction. She had to look like quick the visious person at this moment. Aside from her fair skin, and light hair- her clothes were practical, the large coat was to keep her warm in even the cool night air, on her back, she had enough that she needed, a blanket of woven fur, a few medical supplies, and the other various things you'd need for such a journey she was embarking on. Wiggling her nose a bit, feeling the unfamiliar feel of having a warm nose, she quite liked it. Alas, it was time to go, and keep on. She would take another break out in the night time but right now, she knew if she stayed much longer in the little tavern like building, it would become rowdy. The afternoon hour would soon dwell into the likes of evening, and the elf did not wish to stick around that long. The blonde girl pushed her stool back in that she was sitting in, and stepped towards the door. The quick break was not only to relax, but also in hopes that she had lost that pesky follower. She found him rather irritating. More so than the oddly glancing Tavern keep. Which rather frustrated her. She was a modest elf compared to most, and disliked any odd glances, rather they be "good" in that manor or not- she disliked them.

Apparently the boy had two gifts.This, was rubbish to her. It mattered not if he had been blessed by the gods with one hundred gifts, he was still getting on her nerves. The blonde could feel her face brighten with not the cool of the outdoors now, but at the thought of their encounter. Stepping into the town road, bustling people about, her gaze looked to the direction of her journey, and also the dark haired male who had persisted on following her since the woods before this small village. Those woods would be avoided now. Why you ask? Only a few hours prior to her escaping to rest, the girl encountered a nice sized body of water. It was bigger than a puddle, yes, but smaller than a lake. Perfect to purify, and warm up with a quick little assistance from the purifying procedure. A nice warm bath was just the trick for after a long two days of travel. With her clothes hung on the nearest tree, to keep from getting wet in the snow, she made a bold move of becoming un-clothed, and for a brief moment of chilly-ness, she gained a blissful bath. The warm water was just what she needed, that is until the dark haired boy appeared. Being startled, she of coarse gave out a loud shriek, attempting to pull back into the snow, to retrieve her clothing, the boy had to have seen more than she had liked. Her stomach felt sick at the thought, pushing her hair back, she still recalled the next sequence in the passing event. Pulling her now favorite coat- that streamed across her whole self- she yelled at the boy. It was very unpleasant to sit in cold snow on your bare bum, and to be seen exposed by a stranger? And that stranger of the opposite sex?! Oh Seda! What to do at a time like this?! And for her first body Cycle? This was not something she was expecting to encounter.

Elle shivered,the dark haired boy was lucky her rage didn't end up working as a curse. He would be one sorry person, because she would not release him from it until she had finished all the others. He would be stuck with whatever be-fitting curse she could think of for quite a while. Elle still was very curious why the curse did not even work on the boy. This was not something that was anything she'd encountered before. This in itself very frustrated the elf. She knew she was trying to break the habit, but this?! This boy deserved it! She didn't think Keir and Seda would punish her for one more cursing. Especially under the conditions of this one. The blonde pushed her hair from her face as she watched the warm of her breath turn into a puff in the cool air before her. With the looking she had just accomplished she didn't see any sight of the dark haired meddler. Apparently her frustration made him curious or something twisted like that. She wasn't all that sure why he was following her, but all she knew- was he was as confused as she was when the curse did not work at all to the boy. Was this the god's way of telling her she has no longer earned the ability of her people? What if that was true? Would she be able to speak of it to others? Should that be her fate, would there be something that could be fixed about it? Letting a frustrated sigh escape her lips the girl turned towards the direction she oppositely came. The quick break was needed to cool off a bit, so to speak- also to warm herself up. The distance she must have covered between the water incidence, and the village she was not leaving was a nice stretch of land. She practically ran from the space the boy and her met until now. To try and escape the infuriating figure she left behind, and hopefully- for good.





xx


Too late for second-guessing Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts: Close my eyes: and ℓ ε ą p!!

[the wind up doll]

xxxxєʟʟαsтαsια αʟʟч яσиιsтαʟʟє

xxxxxxτнє cursєd τrαιτσrxxxxxx
( rabbit ) out my hat {yes}
thats what i'm bringing
tricks up my sleeve [for noticing me]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

Ella hadn't wanted to leave Alexavier, she wanted to know more about what he did in the castle, wanted to go into the castle, wanted to just be around him, but that wouldn't work. She barely knew the man, she had to gain his trust before she pried him for information, it had to be a slow moving game so that nothing seemed like anything other than her just being curious. And besides his being able to hopefully help her cause, she just wanted to be around him, and she was also proud of herself for sneaking up on him, wolves are hard to sneak up on, but she'd tried it a couple times on various wolves, it seemed she finally figured out how to get it right because he had successfully been snuck up on. But she didn't take long to pat herself on the back, it was cold, too cold for her liking and she pulled her coat tighter around her body. Ellastasia needed to get back into the city where there was an inkling of body heat and warm places to go. With warm food, the loaf of half eaten bread that she carried had cooled off in the chill of the air.

When Ella had made it back into the city, thoughts of anything but warming her frozen hands were far from her mind. She kept her head down as she pushed passed people, not really looking where she was going. Ella figured she could go back home, she had some things there and she could get back to her work that she had abandoned that morning for the cool air of the city. She'd basically roamed the entire main section of Cence since she'd left that morning and she was running out of places to go and coins to spend, she'd only brought a handful, and she didn't have the greatest sum of cash anyway, she mostly did odd jobs or occasionally filled in for the empty shifts at a bar in the middle of the city. A friend of hers owns the place and pays her a good amount whenever she works, he'd even offered her a full time job there a few times, but she always declined, saying she had enough money for what she did. He always muttered about living in a better home in a better part of town, she usually shrugged it off.

Thinking about that, made up her mind of where to go, she'd visit a friend, possibly pick up a few hours for the near future to get some money, she was dwindling down to nothing, and warm up, Alistair always sold warm drinks when it was cold out. Ellastasia finally looked up to see where she was, she hadn't payed to much attention before, only walked and went with the flow of the crowd. But it turned out she wasn't too far away from her destination. She pushed ahead of a rather large pack of people who were walking horribly slow, and rounded a corner. She could see it, in the middle of the line of buildings was Alistair's bar, she hurried through the cold so that she might not have to endure it much longer.

As soon as Ellastasia pulled the door open one of Al's most hard-working and trusted employees's who also practically lived there greeted her and told her to come sit at the bar. Like there was really anywhere else to sit. A few tables scattered around but it was mostly a walk in and sit at the bar type of place. "Hey Mae, any interesting news today?" she asked as the woman brought her a cup of tea. Ella liked her tea really hot and really strong, and Alistair actually made her her own pit of tea at first, she'd pay for a normal cup but would get whatever it was he gave her that she loved so much. Someone had asked for what she was drinking one day, now he just sells on the menu, turns out not only Ella likes it. "Nothing that your looking for. No one's got nothing interesting to share lately. And, a dear friend of mine, whats her name? Ellastasia Ronistalle I believe, hasn't had the decency to stop in and say hello in days." Mae said smiling. "I'm here now aren't I? But let me know when you hear something that could help, I'm fresh out of idea's Mae. Well, I might have snagged something but I have to be careful with it." Ella said, sipping her tea. Mae's eyebrows went up at that, "And what might that be?" she asked, a look of interest visible on her face. Ella put her index finger to her lips and made a shushing noise, "Can't tell you yet." she said. Mae and Alistair were the only two people who knew what she was trying to do to the government, they were just as finished with it all as she was. Especially since Alistair had been her fathers closest friend and confident besides her mother. "Where's Al?" Ellastasia asked, taking another sip of her hot tea. Mae nodded to the other end of the bar, Ella hadn't noticed the middle-aged man standing by a blonde girl, taking her pay as she got up to leave. Ella recognized the girl, she couldn't place her exactly but recognized her. When she got a quick glance at her face, it all clicked. That had to be the elf who cursed her, there was no way it could be anyone else.

"Uh, Mae, sorry to make a hasty get a way, but I need to go." She said, standing up from her stool. "Wait Ella, you just got here! Relax a bit." Mae said, Ella dropped a few coins onto the counter. "I know but this is important." She said, as she moved toward the door that the elf girl had exited out of she heard Al call out to her. "Ella! I didn't see you come in, I've been meaning to ask you if you could help out tomorrow, we need an extra hand." he called over the noise of the other people occupying the bar. "No problem!" she called over her shoulder as she exited the bar. It took her a minute to find the girl after she got out into the street, but she spotted a blonde head and followed it, ignoring the stinging pain in her knee, someone must've fallen. Looking around, she saw a little boy with a bleeding knee, he would be the culprit. Ella ran to catch up with the girl, and when she did she reached out and grabbed the elves arm. "Hey! I know you." she said, spinning the girl around to face her, she had picked the right person all right, "What are you doing here? Giving more people curses for no reason? Because I'd really like to know why I got mine." she said, obviously none to happy about seeing the elf.

[Petite Hibou]

T o d a y I A m:xxxxx

Ĕlle Reece Hamersmith

xx Something has changed within me, Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules Of someone else's game !!



The small town that she had managed to find wasn't bigger than maybe a few streets connected to nothing but wood.s The area was not far though from other towns that neared it by simple paths that took less than an hour to pass from one to another on foot. The elven girl looked up at the dreary sky with a sigh. Her eyes looked each way as she could, keeping on alert for the creep that kept right behind her. This last time she must have used her skill in the woods to her advantage, because so far she'd not seen him at all. The steps that lead from the small Pub to the street she now stood on were starting to cover with a bit of snow, as it danced gracefully from the sky downwards in it's own melody that most didn't take moments in their day to look at. The elf watched a small flake drizzle from the others, and land on the ground only to absorb into the continuously dampening ground. Elle watched a few more flakes fall with her blue eyes before her feet began to move on her. Only, it seemed something else had another idea for her. Before her feet could move anywhere something pulled against her arm. With a sharp glare she looked back expecting to see the Dark haired annoyance she'd become slightly used to seeing trail behind her, as though he had nothing better to do or something?!

With a yank of her arm the girl spoke "Would you-" With her arm out of the figures grasp she continued "-stop following me already?!" Instantly her blue eyes blinked in confusion as her arm suspended in the position she had just pulled it to. The elf girl listened to the hostile female before her speak. With a curious and agitated tone the girl had asked her why she had received her curse. To be honest, taking a look at the girl- she couldn't place what order she was in. With a grumble she took a step from the girl, and looked her up and down. The fair skinned girl seemed familiar, yes. But what she had given her? Oh rubbish. What was it....Oh! What lovely luck! The girl standing before her was none other than the very first curse the elf had placed, well in general actually. Truth be told she'd refrained from cursing until this indecent. Her grandmother had warned her- keeping her natural ability locked up for even the short seventeen or so years, was not good. There might have been some side effects to such an act. Maybe such a reason was her addiction to cursing? The blonde pondered for a moment in her own mind before looking at the transliterated girl before her.

She knew her curses were not always good. Towards the end of her binge on cursing they did become rather ridiculous. Whatever this girl had- could be helpful to know what time she had been cursed during. If it was a curse towards the beginning of her addiction, it would be something good, solid, and rather frightening she supposed for a human to have. The blonde looked at the girl and spoke "What exactly was your curse?" With a step out she turned on her heel, as she did so, she felt a rock rub into the back of her heel just the wrong way. A burst of agitation ran through her leg, and it seemed almost at the same time, the girl before her looked as though she was in pain as well. The Blondes face lit up, and a wide grin was shown to the human. "Of coarse! How lucky I am to find you!' The elven female raised her arms up with a spin in her step, she twirled to show her excitement. it must have been the work of the gods! Oh thank Seda! Really, if it would be this easy, she would simply stand here, and await for the rest of them to grab at her. The blonde elf's face turned form from her cheerful grin to a bit of confusion, until she realized that the girl before her had no clue what the elf was on a mission for.

The dulled expression lasted only a moment longer before her face lit up again "Oh how lucky you are! What would you say if I were to simply make your curse-" Her arms lifted, and her hands bursted open - Disappear?" She was very happy right now. The excitement couldn't be contained, but she also wanted to know this human wanted it. She needed to show the elf it would be nothing more than a god sent to have the object removed from her life. Surely it was very inconvenient to have such a curse, and no doubt in a time of war! The elven girl felt a bit sad for the human before her. What annoying job had she done to the female? Could she have suffered these past years too much? That couldn't be so, or she would have let the pain get to her by now. This was a strong human, not an ordinary one at that either. Perhaps she could be of use to her?





xx


Too late for second-guessing Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts: Close my eyes: and ℓ ε ą p!!