Fantasy Soulbound Castle

[Gaia]

Welcome, young one, at Soulbound Castle.


You have been told you’ve always been the other half of a Twin Flame, whether you like it or not, whether you want it or not. Both you and your twin flame represent the divine balance of nature and are like Yin and Yang. You couldn't be more different than the brutal freezing cold in the Arctic and the pleasant Mediterranean ambiance. Unfortunately, it’s up to you to tackle your assignment, from which there is no escaping until both of you complete your quest together. It has been decided by the Masters both of you - together - would “travel the Path”.

You have to get to know the other person through and through, because you are highly dependent on one another during the harsh, unforgiving and ugly times. Times will be rough; high chance you both even want to drop out, though you’re not permitted to do so. All young Souls have to finish what they started. That’s the contract you’ve signed the exact moment you step through the Gate.

Each pair has an advanced soul attached to it, a Guardian, or simply put, a mentor figure. This ancient soul watches from a distance and is capable of giving sound advice. However, the two of you have to do the work yourself. What does this work entail? Well, that depends on what you have to teach each other. This is embedded in your differences, in which you complement one another, and at the same time, challenge your twin flame like they’ve never been challenged before.

Just to be sure you truly understand some of the rules here: at Soulbound Castle, love is not forbidden, but it is strongly discouraged, because you know very well it distracts from your mission and Path. You are expected to be mature and wise enough to get serious about your goals. This will be confronting and requires a lot of dedication, commitment and effort from the both of you. After travelling the Path, friendships usually last a lifetime. You’ve been through quite a lot, so no one understands you better than your Twin Flame after all. It’s a special bond, so to speak, most cherish it.

Soulbound Castle is no place to slack off; here you will be pushed to the limit. You’re expected to work on your own goals and complete weekly assignments. Teamwork is your first objective.

You're supposed to stick to the mentor's directions, even if you don't agree with them. Consequences exist for those who avoid their souls mission, do not take it seriously or who go against the mentor. Former student souls didn’t exactly take a liking to them, but they’ve been necessary with the strongest ones. So they too reached their lowest point. Sometimes one has to break before one can build oneself up. Don’t worry, we do no harm, we’re only responsible to provide your Path with the most valuable lessons. Learning is tough and requires sacrifice.

You can rest assured your stay will be worth it, if you stick with us to the end. Soulbound Castle is known for its interesting curriculum and worthwhile experiences, dozen discoveries and exhilarating moments. After all, our motto is the following: "Always keep on traveling the Path. Don’t look back. Don’t waver. Progress over standstill. Courage over fear. Curiosity over prejudice. Open-mindedness is the way, grit is our game. Together with my kindred spirit we both shall reach the infinite powers resting in the deepest layers of our being. We will experience the good and the bad in order to thrive."

Make sure you arrive on time February the 14th in front of the Main Gate. Here you will come into contact with your assigned Guardian who will take you to your twinflame. On earth, February 14th is Valentine’s Day, at Soulbound Castle it is the day of the Amalgamation. Finally, you meet your kindred spirit, which accelerates your spiritual, life’s journey way beyond whatever you’ve ever envisioned possible. The Amalgamation is a once in a lifetime opportunity: don’t waste it.

Only those willing to travel the Path and endure all that’s coming, will reach enlightment in the end upon completing their Soulbound’s Journey. Let’s get started.

Yours sincerely,

The Headmaster​

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



Zedalb, dude, really?

 

[Gaia]

Myra's P. O. V. 12th February, around 4PM, afternoon.

​

---

Holding the letter in her hand, her fingers trembling, a pair of teal-coloured feline-shaped eyes looked up. "Tssk," Myra muttered to herself, her thoughts going in all directions. Something inside her bubbled up, an uncomfortable feeling of uncertainty about all that was about to happen. And this bloody vague, whishy washy letter didn't aid her in grasping the situation either. Ideally, the young redhead turned on her heels nów, pretending like nothing of importance happened and the letter had simply been delivered to the wrong address. Well, she realised there's no such thing as escaping reality when it hits your straight in the face; the letter was sent to a certain Myra Valerya, bless her. Besides Myra's sarcastic mental chatter she noted however her feet continued to steadily follow the route (through the dense forest) as if they had a life of their own. How lovely.

How had it come to this?
Well, she effed things up, that's one thing she knew for sure.
At least that the whole thing summarized, the short & simple version. Everything she's ever done led up to this point. Suddenly the girl tasted a small metallic blood-like flavor in her mouth and that made the mulling stop. Ah, she had bitten her lip, she concluded observing her small fingers touching her mouth, and she wiped the red stuff away absentmindedly.

Elena.
You never should have been the one who died that day.
Fate is not only cruel, it has a chilling sense of setting the record straight. They don't call it "karma" for nothing.
That day, I should have prevented Elena from getting into that dangerous situation. I should have protected you...... And I failed, unworthy of being your older sister. If we had stayed inside and just played games, as we so often joyfully did, this would and could never have happened. ​

Her eyes downcast, unfocused on the snow blanket her feet tainted, she lifted both of her hands, palms upwards. Those hands.... Those two almost innocent looking hands... Took the life she's sworn to protect, from the day their parents vanished in thin air.

Then I probably would have had a normal life with her, too. Together we would have made it, we would have survived whatever was thrown in our way because we counted on each other and supported one another. We trusted and cherished each other and our bond was inseperable. Especially since we had to look after each other as the last two Valerya's remaining... Our noble lineage destroyed.
If Mom had known about this, she definitely would have never forgiven me anyway.

Unwittingly, the most beautiful views passed by, but Myra didn't look up or down. Even the cold - a normally oh-so-utterly despised phenomenon - couldn't bother her at the moment. Nothing hurt more than the feeling of ultimate regret she has carried with her for over 9 months.
Chirping birds scurried away among the spruce trees. Her exhaled air transformed into condensation, posing as the only sign of life, besides the startled little birds. Well, at first this seemed to be the case until a bright red fox silently passed by and ran towards the tucked away paths of the forest.
A shiver went down her spine as she started humming - which before she got a hold of herself - turned into singing:

"As I walked home last night
I saw a lone fox
dancing
In the cold moonlight.

I stood and watched.
Then took the low road,
knowing
The night was his by right.

Sometimes,
when words ring true,
I'm like a lone fox, dancing
In the morning dew." ​

(Credits: Ruskin Bond)​

Somehow - even though she didn't believe in magic - the tones almost seemed to affect her like some magical spell to finally push her out of the woods. Upon doing so, the most beautiful and breathtaking view revealed itself to her, like she's never seen before. Leaning against a spruce to her right, which frankly, she badly needed with her knees buckling and heart pounding like a madman in her chest, the girl took in such a mesmerizing sight. Like two curtains, the spruce trees on either side seemed to make room, facilitating a direct panaroma of the Castle Hill and it's surroundings. She spotted the stretched out Castle grounds, it's enchanting lake and endearing little town in between. She made mental notes of it all, as far as the eye could see. Breathtaking. Stunning. Unreal.

"That's it. This has to be it. I finally found it." Myra whispered, feelings of exitement and anguish simultaneously flooding her brain. "Soulbound Castle."

 

[SoftSmile]

"Starlight, stop." Her mother spoke softly, removing her daughters hands from her mouth to make sure she didn't bite off her recently manicured nails. The woman sighed at the sight of her frazzled daughter and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

The two were riding in a royal carriage, pulled by pure white horses and decorated with golden trim. They had been in the stuffy carriage for far too long and the closer they got the more nervous Sapphire appeared. The princess had promised her mother from the moment they set out that she was fine, and that she was happy to go to Soulbound castle like her sister. Sapphire looked out of the window, and saw in the distance the great castle that she would be staying at. She had lived in a grand castle her entire life--But this one was on a different level.

Her unease faded as it was replaced with giddy excitement. "Oh, mother, I wonder how big the ballroom is? Oh, what do you think my room will look like--What will the other students be like?!"

Her mother chuckled and shook her head as her daughter went on and on about all the things she was excited about. "Well, you'll see darling. We're here." Before the little princess could clamber out of the carriage, her mother made a big fuss about her putting on a proper coat. "It's freezing out there. I packed you coats for a reason, and you will wear them. I don't want you to get a cold."

"Mom, please! It covers up my dress!"

This argument went on for a minute or two until Sapphire stepped out of the carriage with a pink dress coat that went slightly past her knees. "Okay, it is pretty cold." She admitted, putting her hood up over her head, trying not to mess up her hair. She turned back to her mom one final time, giving her a huge hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, my beautiful star. Make good decisions, love. I'll see you again as soon as I can, okay?"

The princess nodded, tears welling in her eyes as she got all of her things. Multiple bags had to be stuffed into the carriage, along with a dolly so the tiny princess could actually carry all of her expensive things. Then she was off, fueled by excitement. Pulling her dolly behind her, which had more than a few bags tied together so they wouldn't fall off.

---

The castle. Soulbound Castle. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was in front of her. She had seen a few castles that rivaled her own, but this one could absolutely dominate it. The birds around her sang as she breathed it all in, and she couldn't help but sing too. She was going to make the most of this.

"Don't want live as an untold story! Rather go out in a blaze of glory!"

Her pipes were something else, as she began to run to the castle. The birds around her flew out of their trees, disturbed, but decided to stay to see...Whatever this was.

"What a waste of blood and sweat, Ooooh! I wanna taste love and pain, wanna feel pride and shame, don't wanna take my time--Don't wanna waste one line! I wanna live better days, never look back and say It could've been me! It could've been me!"

Twin Soul: Wolfiee

 

[Mirgris]

Donavin Patterson Prelude.
Theme Song

As he reads the letter for the ten thousandth time he looks over the various notes he has made on the page.

Welcome, young one, at Soulbound Castle. ^{Condescending, from a place of superiority. Bad sign.}

You have been told you’ve always been the other half of a Twin Flame, whether you like it or not, whether you want it or not. Both you and your twin flame represent the divine balance of nature and are like Yin and Yang. ^{The word divine concerns me is this a cult?} You couldn't be more different than the brutal freezing cold in the Arctic and the pleasant Mediterranean ambiance. Unfortunately, it’s up to you to tackle your assignment, from which there is no escaping until both of you complete your quest together. It has been decided by the Masters both of you - together - would “travel the Path”.^{Twin Flame soul bull shittery is concerning.}

You have to get to know the other person through and through, because you are highly dependent on one another during the harsh, unforgiving and ugly times. Times will be rough; high chance you both even want to drop out, though you’re not permitted to do so. All young Souls have to finish what they started. That’s the contract you’ve signed the exact moment you step through the Gate.^{Heavy Reliance on each other interesting not a great sign}

Each pair has an advanced soul attached to it, a Guardian, or simply put, a mentor figure. This ancient soul watches from a distance and is capable of giving sound advice. However, the two of you have to do the work yourself. What does this work entail? Well, that depends on what you have to teach each other. This is embedded in your differences, in which you complement one another, and at the same time, challenge your twin flame like they’ve never been challenged before. ^{Challenging each other more of this importance on the partner.}

Just to be sure you truly understand some of the rules here: at Soulbound Castle, love is not forbidden, but it is strongly discouraged, because you know very well it distracts from your mission and Path. You are expected to be mature and wise enough to get serious about your goals. This will be confronting and requires a lot of dedication, commitment and effort from the both of you. After travelling the Path, friendships usually last a lifetime. You’ve been through quite a lot, so no one understands you better than your Twin Flame after all. It’s a special bond, so to speak, most cherish it. ^{Aw fuck this means soul mate doesn't it. Love isn't forbidden while having this perfect opposite you rely upon and lean on, and it lasts a life time, and a special bond most cherish. FUCK A DUCK this is soul mate bullshit isn't it?}

Soulbound Castle is no place to slack off; here you will be pushed to the limit. You’re expected to work on your own goals and complete weekly assignments. Teamwork is your first objective.^{Cult red flag number 2.}

You're supposed to stick to the mentor's directions, even if you don't agree with them.^{Unlimited authority bullshit is a bad sign.} Consequences exist for those who avoid their souls mission, do not take it seriously or who go against the mentor. Former student souls didn’t exactly take a liking to them, but they’ve been necessary with the strongest ones. So they too reached their lowest point. Sometimes one has to break before one can build oneself up. Don’t worry, we do no harm, we’re only responsible to provide your Path with the most valuable lessons. Learning is tough and requires sacrifice.^{Sacrafice Dez nutz}

You can rest assured your stay will be worth it, if you stick with us to the end. Soulbound Castle is known for its interesting curriculum and worthwhile experiences, dozen discoveries and exhilarating moments. After all, our motto is the following: "Always keep on traveling the Path. Don’t look back. Don’t waver. Progress over standstill. Courage over fear. Curiosity over prejudice. Open-mindedness is the way, grit is our game. Together with my kindred spirit we both shall reach the infinite powers resting in the deepest layers of our being. We will experience the good and the bad in order to thrive."

Make sure you arrive on time February the 14th in front of the Main Gate. Here you will come into contact with your assigned Guardian who will take you to your twinflame. On earth, February 14th is Valentine’s Day, at Soulbound Castle it is the day of the Amalgamation. Finally, you meet your kindred spirit, which accelerates your spiritual, life’s journey way beyond whatever you’ve ever envisioned possible. The Amalgamation is a once in a lifetime opportunity: don’t waste it.^{Really MEET YOUR KINDRED SPIRIT ON VALENTINES DAY THIS IS FUCKING SOULD MATE BULLSHIT}

Only those willing to travel the Path and endure all that’s coming, will reach enlightment in the end upon completing their Soulbound’s Journey. Let’s get started.
^{Fuck Enlightment}

Yours sincerely,
The Headmaster^{Oh I bet your the fucking Head Master}

He folds the note back up and puts it into his jacket pocket. With a deep sigh he looks over the railing he has been leaning on. Looking over the vastness of the ocean he wouldn't have believed any of it. But with a flick of his hand acid drops fly from his fingers burning and bubbling on top of the moving sea water.

He knows for a fact magic is real.

Which means the rest of this bullshit?
It just fucking might be.

Including soul mates.

Ew.


"Lookie here boys we got a bon-a-fide celebrity on the ship"
Donavin turns to look at the person who dared to interrupt his dramatic brooding.

"Now ya see, I didn't believe it at first, but then we went and checked the passenger manifest. Your a cage fighter, and we do a bit'a fighting down in the lower decks. Fair betting, we'd love to have ya, see if your pretty boy ass can handle a real fight outside of a cage."

Donavin sighs, people always want to test the big buy, twice as much when they find out he fights for a living. Every dumb ass with anger problems think their king of the world, but a fool and their money are easily parted.

"Well, I'd hate to leave you boys with a inflated ego. Why don't you show me to the lower decks and we can put some money on the line."
They smirk at him thinking they found an easy mark and are about to make some money. He shrugs lightly taking his jacket off and throwing it in the open window of his car. He pulls out a money clip as he is lead down into the deep bowels of the ship.

"Aight, so the first mate is our bookie and arranges things you can talk to him over there." The large man says pointing to a small bookish man wearing glasses with his nose in a leather book.

The area is crowded with large men forming a rough circle around two men punching each other senseless. The area of the ship seems to be meant for storage but all the boxes have been pushed against the walls except for a few people sit on. The steel is rusty and well worn in this deep part of the ship not meant for passengers.

Donavin shrugs he has fought in far dingier and walks up to the first mate.

"How many real fighters ya got."

"I got a half dozen of the toughest sons of bitches on the sea."

"No you don't. Real fighters, some skill as well as power not just mindlessly punching each other until someone falls."

The first mate thinks for a second with a nasty scowl on his face at being called a lair.
"Fine, I got 3 of 'em that that can really fight they win against anyone cept each other."

Donavin nods, 3 sounds a hell of a lot more likely.

"What odds will you give me if I take em all on at once?" He asks while pulling out a money clip thick with hundred dollar bills.

"Well seeing as you are a professional and all, I'll give ya even odds of winning or losing"
It's a rip off and he knows it, they both know it, but it's also a take it or leave it situation.

Donavin sighs and gives a small shrug. Easy money is easy money even if he deserves more.

"Three grand on my win then, and I get 10% of your profit from the fight if I win, since I know you're gonna get a lot of bets because I'm a professional and all"
The mans face darkens. "Fine if ya want to be a fool, go for it". He responds snatching the money clip quickly.


Donavin zones out as he waits. The mental aspect is something he knows well, the waiting destroys a lot of fighters. Anxiety and nerves given time to build up can destroy even pro's. One of the hardest aspects is going into a fight with the right mind set. He doesn't listen as the little rat faced man hypes up the fight for ten minutes. He doesn't listen to the boo's and jeer's of the crowd when the first mate explains he's a passenger. He doesn't listen to the laughs when they think 3 on 1 is foolish. He listens only when his fighting name. "The Horse is called."

His opponents have names. He doesn't listen when they are said either. In his head he simply dubs them small medium and large. By height of course, noting that since small is a foot shorter than the other two he is probably the most skilled and dangerous. Large is almost as big as he himself is, presumably all muscle and force. Leaving medium somewhere in the middle. Watching them approach he notices mediums hopping foot work, a boxer then.

"You ain't a real fighter! Your fucking name is horse, a dick joke! your a fucking rodeo clown in a cage!".

He nods to himself lightly, that means they saw his videos, maybe watched one, but they were not really paying attention. Good.

Large is approaching him first, as he expected the other two are smarter and want to wait for a free shot and to see how their comrade does.

Donavin still hasn't taken a fighting stance arms hanging loosely at his side he watches as the large man throws a huge haymaker. Power is behind it, the man is almost seven feet tall and built like a brick shit house. Power however is a simple thing, it lacks complexity it lacks nuance, it lacks skill.

Donavin reaches out with an open palm slapping the mans wrist and pushing the blow into a tighter circle so the punch flies between the two of them instead of hitting his face. Redirection is nuance. His other hand punches the man in the solar plexus with considerable force, knocking the wind from him and forcing him into big gulping breaths as his lungs were forcibly emptied. Donavin responds by punching him in the throat.

Lungs empty and throat burning restricting how much he can inhale -Large- falls to the ground grabbing at his neck in the chocking sign. He isn't, it will however take him awhile to gather enough breath to be comfortable and longer for his throat to relax and him breath easy enough to fight.

"I am called horse, because I'm huge, but I'm also fucking fast." He says as the other two charge at him smart enough to realize coming at him single file would be a mistake.

Unfortunate for them it's easy enough to side step and put them between each other. In a small circle their numbers can easily get in their way. More so with their third number still on the ground.

Medium proves quick on his feet though and when he is closest to Donavin he hops forward throwing a rapid jab which donavin is only able to lean away from reducing but not stopping it's force. Speed, however while better than power lacks nuance. Lacks, intelligence, lacks planning. It lacks skill.

The next punch medium throws Donavin knows he is to slow to stop entirely but reach and tactics are brutal things to have on your side. He doesn't punch at the boxers body or face as the man expects. He intercepts his fist, having to move a shorter distance means he can match the mans speed more easily. Punching his wrist breaks bone easily. The fracture is called boxers wrist for a reason. All the speed and the force stopped on Donavins knuckles. It's a quick ending to the second mans attack.

He could continue but he hesitates punching Donavin got his wrist at least sprained, punching with the other hand seems foolish. Hesitation and half measures are terrible sins and the man is back handed into the ground for committing them. It is the last man small that Donavin is wary of and as the man front flips forward and kicks high into the air with a flourish he feels himself relax. He fights someone who has studied the physical arts of martial arts, but missed the mental, easy.

Small throws three high kicks in a row and Donavin simply steps back away from each. His long legs and great height making it simple to avoid. Eventually he responds with a low kick of his own aiming to sweep the man from his feet. When he fucking backflips over it donavin raises an eyebrow, the man is a fool. Skilled but foolish.

Donavin shows his skill as he calmly avoids another half dozen blows and keeps responding with his same low kick and each time the man back flips over it. A show man playing to the crowd. But having gone more than a minute without a blow landing the crowd is frustrated and jeers and boo's all the fancy dodging.

Small can not take this so Donavin preforms another sweeping kick, inviting the man to do something new. He jumps over the leg and forward to strike at the giant of a man. Who responds with his greater reach. His arm shooting out and grabbing the man by the neck before throwing him down to the ground so he slams into the metal floor.

"I think we are done here." Donavin says almost bored. Most of his cage fights challenge him, push him, make him enjoy the challenge and learn from it. This was a chess master playing strangers in a park for money. In short it was a hustle he did for cash.

He steps over the two on the ground and gives a nod to the boxer before going to collecting his winnings. The rat face first officer gives him what is probably closer to 5% but that's better than he expected when he asked for 10% anyway. He shrugs and pockets the cash. Now he has enough to get the rest of the way to the fucking harry potter wizard castle bullshit.



The best part of the trip is the autobahn. It's been years since he has roads long enough and without police so that he could truly push his engine. A 1969 Ford Mustang it's a classic American Muscle car and as he passes the 120 MPH mark he can't help but to smile. He's got a pocket full of cash, a roaring engine and his cat in the back, life is good. He sighs as he realizes what he doesn't have is alcohol, or at least not a lot of it given how customs works. He slows down and eventually finds a gas station on his way to the castle.

It is in the gas station that he comes to an emotional conflict he was unprepared for. Given it's almost valentines day they are selling flows, cards chocolates and the like. He realizes he is about to meet his -twin flame- they never used the word soul mate, but that is the vibe he got. He is about to meet his twin flame on valentines day. Should he....? Should he buy stuff? For her? For valentines day?

He stands in front of the selection of love themed goods for an awkwardly long time. He googles it. "Of course google says to buy flowers for your soul mate, that's a stupid fucking question" he mutters to himself and keeps googling. Eventually finding himself on the wikipedia article for free will. "Deterministic universe, the fuck are they on about, I just want to know if I like have to like her of I might not or whatever". He sighs shaking his head, the revelation of soul mates and it's meaning on free will is an idea to be toyed with by a very very different person.

He responds to this emotional and philosophical problem in the way of a wise man and instead purchases over 300 Euros of beer and another 300 in harder alcohol. "Get the valentines day stuff man." The cashier tells him.
"What?" He asks looking up from the weird coin based currency. "Ja I don't know your story but you stood and looked for 20 minutes, buy it and hide in trunk, if you need it, then you have. If you have no need, then you throw away later, she never knows, no?" Donavin narrows his eyes. That makes....sense actually. Quite a lot of sense in fact, like condoms, hide em in case you need em.

He then goes back and purchases a variety of valentines day things and hides them in his trunk. Fucking soul mate is already costing him money and time and shit.

"Fucking hell baxter, I miss when it was just me and you. Now we gotta think about other people and shit." He says looking at the large dog crate he bought for his cat to travel in. The cat however doesn't respond. Nor should it he put more than a pound of cat nip in their so that Baxter would enjoy the international travel.

"Your right baxter, sobriety is what is making this difficult lets get to the castle."

It's not much longer that he arrives to see a small crowd outside the castle gates. He slides to a stop as he was well over the speed limit and didn't want to slam on the brakes. He gets out of the car and everyone notices. 7'1 and very muscular, he would stand out without the green mohawk. Of course the giant green mohawk does only make him stand out more. He wears cargo pants that are heavily worn on the bottom of the legs. Black boats and a leather jacket that he wears open with no shirt underneath it. Which is certainly an odd choice given that it's snowing. Standing out of the car he reaches into the back for a beer. He twists the top against his exposed chest to open it before taking a long drink.

"Okay, I'm fucking here."

 

[SavannahSmiles]

𝒪𝓁𝒾𝓋𝒾𝒶 𝒜𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑜𝓃
⚜⚜⚜
Interactions: Donavin Mirgris
Mood: Nervous and a little excited
Theme Song: Point Of No Return - Sam Tinnesz

Spoiler: Current Outfit

A small white cloud escaped from her parted lips as she exhaled a sigh, small booted feet tapping softly across the paved path as she headed into the small town, the taxi that had brought her from the airport disappearing into the distance behind her. The driver had offered to drive her through town, but Olivia wanted to enjoy the crisp winter air. They rarely experienced much in ways of winter back where she used to live and so she wanted to take her time and enjoy the scenery. Plus it had been a long flight and she was fully ready to stretch her legs, so walking up to the castle she was supposed to be staying at sounded like a good idea. Luckily she had looked up the weather ahead of time so she knew what to expect, even if that did mean she had to buy a few winter outfits since she didn't have many, but thankfully her hoard of sweaters was coming in handy.

The small town looked magical under the layer of snow and on another day she might have taken her time to explore all the stores and places it offered, but the letter she had received said to arrive at the gate today and she didn't want to run the risk of being late. Maybe after she's settled into her new living arrangements she can make the trek back down to the town and explore to her hearts content. Suitcase trailing behind her, she left the town behind and traveled up the winding path until the trees parted and her breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of the castle for the first time.

It was....everything she had imaged and more. It was magnificent and it was hard for her to come to terms with the fact that she would be living in a place like that. Her slowed to a halt as one slender hand reached up and tugged her fur-lined hood back, blonde curls fluttering in the breeze as she took a moment to admire the architecture and majesty of the place that she hoped she would be able to call her home.

This was it.

This was the point of no return.

Once she took this step, she would be starting a new chapter in her life, hopefully for the better. Butterflies fluttered through her stomach as her nerves returned in full force at the thought of the unknown. She didn't have a deep understanding about what the letter had meant when it said she had a Twin Flame or what that meant for her, but her desire for a greater control over her power was the only thing that was keeping her from sprinting back the way she came. She was here and there was no turning back; besides, she didn't have a life waiting for her back in the United States anyway.

Inhaling a deep breath to steel her nerves, she started walking again, thankful that they had paved the road leading up to the castle so she didn't have to battle her way through snow while dragging her suitcase behind her. When she eventually spotted the gate, she noticed she wasn't the first to arrive but she wasn't the last one too either. Sighing, she slowed to a stop, propping her suitcase upright on its wheels so she could catch her breath from the walk up.

Shivering in the cold air, she rubbed her gloved fingers together, softly blowing warm air into her palms as she did so. She wasn't sure exactly how many people were going to arrive, but she hoped they did so soon so they could head inside where it was warm. Despite the excitement she felt towards snowy weather, the fact remained that her body didn't handle the cold as well she would have liked.

Eyeing the people already standing around the gate, she shrugged off her backpack and dug around inside, pulling out a tupperware of cookies. She had made them with the intention of giving them to whoever her Twin Flame was -good impressions and all that- but she had been filled with so much nervous energy that she had baked way more than she probably needed to. Might as well make friends while she was waiting for the rest of the group to show up.

As she headed over to one of the individuals waiting, she mused about what kind of person her partner may be; was it one of the people already standing there or was her partner yet to arrive. She hoped that whoever it was, they would be able to work together well.

Breaking from her internal thoughts, Olivia blinked in surprise as her feet halted in front of someone. Glancing up (and up), she realized with a start that she had approached the giant man leaning against a car. This didn't make any sense, she had been intending to approach one of the others that looked a bit friendlier, like the girl dressed in pink, so why did her traitorous feet lead her over here? He didn't look particularly open to conversation and he was so tall compared to her, which made him all the more intimidating in her eyes. If she was braver, she might have apologized and made a quick escape but she was here and staring up at him and she needed to say something already.

"I...um.." Her cheeks tinted pink and it wasn't from the cold. Why were words so hard? As she shifted nervously, she was reminded of the container in her arms and quickly fumbled for someway to salvage this situation. Popping open the lid, she carefully lifted it upwards. "Would you like a cookie?" She asked softly. 'Great first impression Liv, you absolutely nailed it.'
​

 

[SilverFlight]

Crossroads.

The road continued its winding path around the mountain forest, such as it was, and vanished into the pristine white landscape. The bus that had carried him there was trundling down it now and away from him.

The other path, that lead into the forest, up the hillside. His gps told him he was almost there. Owen was tired. Train, flight, another train and bus. Still, the crisp, fresh air invigorated him, he watched his breath rise up in the darkness of the pines and steeled himself. Owen chose the forest path.
He rarely saw snow. When he did it was almost always fleeting, replaced by heavy rain the following days. He had forgotten how silent the world could be, when it was covered in snow. No wind, no birds, just the soft falls of his boots in the powder.

The silence gave him time to reflect. His family. His brothers. He drew back the memory of them all at the station, seeing him off. His four brothers taunting him, hitting him, but secretly missing him already. Only the youngest, Thomas, had cried for him. He recalled the weight as he scooped his brother up and hugged him, secretly, they were both afraid of what would come if Owen wasn’t there. They all were.

What if da comes back for them? He thought, and suddenly his wool sweater didn’t seem warm enough.
No. He couldn’t think about that, not now. He wasn’t going to be any good to them without mastering whatever curse or magic this was. Magic. Strange to think.
Shoving his thoughts to the back of his mind he hoisted the duffel bag and his backpack up across his shoulder. He began to run.

The cold air filled his lungs, stung them but he loved it. He felt his breath fall into a familiar rhythm, he ran on, for minutes, an hour, he didn’t really know. Jogging every day had helped with the stamina, both on and off the pitch. The terrain became more difficult, the snow deeper, twice he tripped over roots or rocks but he kept running. Flashes through the trees were the first he saw of it, a monstrous castle, looming over a ravine, surrounded by winter fields.
It was beautiful.

Suddenly—“Whoaa!” Owen slipped, he caught himself but stumbled, running down a little slope, unable to stop. He jogged a ways down, caught sight of a large tree and put his hand out. Caught it!
Owen slammed against it, his bag tumbling from his shoulder and into the snow, and the jolt against the tree send a wave of snow tumbling right upon his head. What he didn’t notice right away, was that there was another figure in the woods with him. Hair bright as fire. The poor stranger may have caught the aftermath of his blunder.

Icy slush crept down his back as Owen laughed, brushing snow from his hair. It was only then he noticed the girl, only partially at first, through a curtain of snowy-wet, black hair.

“Whups!” He laughed, and then he brought his head up and saw her properly.
Perhaps the feeling had started even before that, but when he saw her, it hit him like a bat to the head. The easy smile vanished from his face and he stared, stunned.

...What was happening?

Gaia

 

[beeswaxie]

Elle Sterling
Interactions: None yet
Mood: On edge
Theme Song: Soda - Nothing but Thieves​

Elle let out a deep and steady breath as she trudged up the path to the castle, letter clutched in her right hand. Every warning alarm was going off in her body, begging her to turn and run, but something was also pushing her to keep going.

Using her left hand, she adjusted her backpack as she let herself feel the cold for a minute or two, pausing. Maybe she should run, after all, only the Forlorn knew her full name. It had been such a long time since she was called Elle. Back when she was with the gang, they only referred to her as “kid”, or “little mouse” once she outgrew kid. She remembered when she first got the nickname after being sent on her first solo mission. Boss was impressed with how discreet it went, with her sticking to the shadows as if she were one herself. When she came back, Gus went “Aye Boss, like a little mouse this one huh?”, and Boss simply nodded his head before walking off.

Elle hated the pride she felt after that first mission. She was proud of herself for what, being a criminal? Impressing the man that killed her family and then promptly kidnapped her? She shook her head, starting to move towards the castle again. She remembered the beginning of how it all happened.

All too well, even if she was only six years old.

It started perfect, or as perfect as life was back then. Nowadays, her perfect was quite misconstrued from the societal view of perfect.

“Ellie!” Her mom’s voice sang into her dream at the time. She can’t remember what the dream was, but she remembers her mom’s voice. It was angelic, soft and melodic. She wishes she could hear it again, but when she was six, all she did was shove her face deeper into her pillow with a muffled groan. “Ellebell, rise and shine! Everyone’s downstairs waiting for you!” She could hear the curtains slide open, the sunlight surely spilling into her bedroom. Still, Elle pretended she couldn’t hear and was fast asleep.

She could hear her mother shuffle over, settling on her bed and laying next to her and placing her hand softly on her shoulder. “We made chocolate chip pancakes~.” She slyly whispered in a sing-song tone. Immediately Elle jolted up, rubbing her eyes. “Pancakes?”

A joyous laugh could be heard and her mother kissed the top of her head. “Yup! We’re all ready for you downstairs Ellie.” Her mother’s grey eyes shone into her own with pure light. Her soft brown hair was tied up in a messy bun and there were bags under her eyes, yet she looked like an angel.
“Let me grab Mr. Mango first! He can have breakfast with us.” Elle mumbled with a wide grin on her face, rubbing her eyes and starting to stretch.

“Alright sweetheart, I’ll meet you downstairs.” She planted a kiss on the child’s forehead and headed out the room. Elle wished she had known this was the last time she’d ever see her mother alive.

Climbing off of her bed, she scanned her room with bleary eyes, trying to find her stuffed bear among the mess of toys. She was probably going to have to clean this all up after breakfast. Normally she slept with Mr. Mango but he wasn’t in bed, having fallen off sometime throughout the night. Getting on her knees, she looked under her bed, squinting her grey eyes. Even though it was dark, she could see him there, somehow having made his way to the middle under her bed. Crawling under, she reached to grab Mr. Mango when suddenly she heard the front door downstairs burst open.

She could hear heavy boots and gruff voices, all unfamiliar to her. And there was a bloodcurdling scream, one that made her blood turn cold. It was her older sister. Then four loud quick pops echoed throughout the house. Terrified, Elle crawled under her bed, reaching Mr. Mango and holding onto him for dear life.

Then she heard the heavy footsteps reach the stairs and up they went. She hoped it was her mom coming back up, but she knew her mom’s footsteps, and her dad’s, and her brother’s, and her sister’s, and neither of them walked like that. The door to her bedroom creaked open and she trembled. She could see the boots from under the bed. They were leather and reminded Elle of her dad’s steel toe work boots.

They approached her bed, slowly at first. Maybe they wouldn’t think she was in there– And then a face appeared. A gruff man with a ragged silver beard Elle had never seen was grinning lopsidedly at the terrified child.

“Well what do we have here?” His teeth were crooked and Elle noticed he was missing a tooth or two. She couldn’t imagine the tooth fairy visiting a man like this one. He reached his large and calloused hand under the bed, gripping her small arm and pulled her out.

“Aw, you’re just a small one, aren’t ya kid?” Tears were now spilling down Elle’s cheeks as she trembled underneath the man’s grip. He had to bend slightly to hold her, towering tall. “Aye, they’ve got a youngin’!” He shouted over his shoulder and then dragged her behind him as he made his way to the doorway.

“How young, Gus?” Another voice echoed from downstairs. It was a woman’s, but not her mom’s or sister’s. The man huffed at this and squinted down at the young child he was holding onto.

“Ehh, how old are ya kid?”

“Six.” Her bottom lip trembled as she tried her best not to cry. Not in front of these strangers. Where were her parents?

“The kid’s only six, Nancy!” He shouted as they moved down the stairs, his grip still tight on her small wrist. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the living room almost looked unfamiliar.

“You know how I feel ‘bout shootin’ kids. It ain’t right when they’re that young.” Gus continued on.

At the bottom of the stairs was a woman in all black attire with short red hair. She was fairly tall, but the man who was holding her wrist was still taller. Her eyes narrowed at Elle as if she were some pest.

“She ain’t screaming or wailing?” Another unfamiliar voice came from the kitchen. Then a man wearing what Elle thought to be an expensive suit walked in. His aura screamed authority and a coldness remained in his brown eyes that made Elle want to curl up and hide.

“Nah boss, been as silent as a mouse this one. Found ‘er hiding under the bed. Could drop ‘er off at a gas station or somethin’.” Gus responded, his posture suddenly going ramrod straight as he turned to face the other man and using his free hand to wipe the sweat off the nape of his neck.

“What’s your full name kid?” The other man asked, kneeling in front of her now. His deep brown eyes were looking into her grey ones, as if seeing through her very soul. If Elle wanted to lie, he would know.

“E-Elle Mae Sterling, s-sir.” She responded honestly, remembering how she had rehearsed this in school. Her dad was the one who always taught her to use sir or ma’am when speaking to someone she didn’t know.

“Hmm.” He placed a hand on his chin as he straightened up and seemed to contemplate something.

Her eyes wandered from the man to the state of the living room. Furniture was pushed aside and pictures were on the ground, broken glass littered about. It looked like a bunch of animals had run through and trashed the place. And then she looked into the dining room where she was supposed to be eating chocolate chip pancakes with her family.

She always wishes she had never looked into that dining room because what she saw would haunt her for the rest of the years to come. At first, she thought they were sleeping with the way their bodies were slumped against the dining room table, but as she continued to stare, she noticed a strange thick and dark liquid spilling onto everything. Her sister’s face was facing the living room, mouth and eyes still open in terror.

After that, Elle didn’t remember much. Everything had frozen for her as she saw the dead bodies of her family. It was like the world stopped for her and only her and everything else kept moving. The men exchanged some conversation and then she was handed off to the woman who acted like being given a six year old to watch over was a punishment.

She ended up being tossed into the back of a vehicle and then they headed to where she would live for the next 11 years of her life. She was used as bait at first, using her age and innocent appearance to grab the attention of those with big hearts. As she grew older, she was then trained to fight, use weapons, and other activities used for crime. When she first settled in and reality hit, she swore that one day she would leave. She would leave and never see anyone in this cursed place again.

When she turned 17, she knew she had to leave soon or else she’d be doomed to be just like the rest of them, so she left. It was the best day of her life.

She chose a new name for herself, Beatrice Young. Of course she had all the connections to create a fake identity thanks to the Forlorn, and once everything was in order, she ran away to Canada and became a librarian’s assistant in a small unassuming town. Nobody questioned her, spoke to her, unless it was work related. It was quiet, happy, peaceful… and yet part of her always longed for something else, although she tried to bury that feeling far underneath.

And then she received the letter. The one with her full name written out, the one she hadn’t been called since she was six years old. The contents made no sense to her. Magic? Soulmates? Normally she would’ve scoffed and thrown it into the trash, yet something held her back. It was something deep inside her that resonated with the words, like it would make sense.

She also considered that maybe this was bait to get her back for leaving the Forlorn, but that wouldn’t make sense. Imagination was few and far in between in that group, and surely none of them would have imagined something like this. Besides, Boss liked having things done straightforward, like a knife to the back or a bullet to the head. Not some whimsical soulmate ruse.

So here she was, now in Europe, standing in front of a gigantic castle. She could see the gates now and there were a couple of others hovering about. Immediately she could feel her guard thrown up, her cloudy grey eyes narrowing at each figure.

So far nobody seemed too threatening, except for maybe the towering man who wore violence all over his posture. Elle mentally noted to herself to stay away from him. As she approached the crowd (but not getting too close), she wished there was some sort of dark corner to hide in.

That was her power after all, the shadows. She put it together after a couple of days, trying to understand what it could mean. It made sense, how the darkness clinged to her body and how she clinged back to it, wanting to be hidden, unnoticed. She wanted to laugh at first because what kind of cruel fate was that? But maybe it meant it could help her escape her past for good.

So instead, she stood a couple feet away from everyone else and stared at those pearly gates. She was supposed to walk in and then magically find out who her soulmate was and that alone made her want to laugh as well. The notion of soulmates was ridiculous to her, how could anyone even want their soul attached to one as broken as hers?

Shuffling in place, she tugged on her coat, wishing she had worn something more adept to the cold chill.

 

[Mirgris]

Interactions: SavannahSmiles
Mood: ughhhh
Theme Song: Click ME

​

The sight of her stops him dead in his tracks.

'Tiny'

She feels like an old favorite song that comes on unexpectedly. Exciting and comfortable, nostalgic and new all at the same type and just a rush that pumps your blood and makes you feel alive.

There are not feelings he expected or was prepared for. So as a wise man he takes his normal problem solving route when dealing with an unexpected issue.
He finishes his beer.

He is sorely tempted to get another but through a supreme act of willpower stops himself. Already the pause has gone on too long and his delay is awkward.

"Yes, I would like a cookie." The words come out stilted deliberate, more consideration put into them than all most anything else in his life.

He slowly, and gingerly takes a cookie out, like a large dog trying not to hurt a toddler. Again his actions seem to deliberate so stilted so uncomfortable.

"Beer?" He offers sounding a little more human, a comfortable task for him, he is familiar with the idea of sharing booze.

'My trunk, do I give her the valentines stuff? No it's themed for a holiday that is soon, it would be weird to do it early, but did she make me cookies as a welcome to being my soulmate gift? fuck I don't fucking know maybe I should google etiquette when meeting your soulmate! In the name of all that is awesome I hate this place already'

He has an instinct to offer her his jacket. It might be the dumbest fucking instinct he has ever felt so he squashes it, like he squashes a hundred other thoughts. It does however lead him to a reasonable one.

"Aw fuck, you're probably cold, we could talk in my car?" He offers as he glances away and takes a bite out of the cookie, warm at least compared to the air outside it's lovely and he honestly kind of wishes it was shit, but he isn't certain why.

 

[Gaia]

Myra's P. O. V. 16:30 PM

​

The castle radiated a truly enchanting, peaceful energy, but that moment of deeply felt introspection, awe and appreciation was brutally disrupted upon the sound of some idiot rolling down the mountain, colliding with the tree she leaned on and toppling down even further. What the actually f*k?

Startled and suprised, she looked right past the treebark she leaned on, her back leg silently positioned so as to run away if needed be. (You know, you could easily just run into a thief and fall victim to the latest robbery in town, which frankly, didn't make it on her to-do list for now).
Her boots firmly planted in the snow, she regained some composure and balance, which could not be said about the other person lying down, face first, (actually smacked) into the surface. That must have hurt bad, crashing into the bark of that tree. Auch.

"Are you all right over there, do you need help?" She started, frowning her eyebrows, her gut instincts telling her something's still off. Meanwhile, she could make out this person's probably one of the natives here, his features European. She could ask him to point her in the direction of the Gate, after helping him stand. Squeezing her eyes, she deduced the fallen soldier was a young man in his twenties, probably of the same age range as hers. Upon further closer inspection, she got attacked by the treebranch above her head, which just decided to unload all its horrific snowpetals on top of her. "For f*cks sake," Myra exclaimed, her complaint however cut short by another scene. A soft low sound seemingly making its way towards the two youngsters. Something's amiss.

Myra turned around and was gasping for breath. What she right then and there saw, took her breath away.

"You there, dark curls, wait, stay put-" she commanded the guy, like he was able to run away, with him still wrestling his way out of the snow.

Impossible.

Stones grumbled down the slope and this low vibrating sound turned soon into a rumbling, caused by....

‘No...."

Myra's eyes widened.

An extremely dangerous amount of matter (rocks and snow) rolled down, highly likely caused by the unfortunate young man further down the hillside. In a flash Myra remembered the right combination of time, place and circumstances can lead up to an avalanche. Physics in the end proved her prejudices wrong; she kinda despised this subject thinking she could never put it to good use, but right now, upon realising what was going on, her knowledge about this topic could safe their lives if they acted immediately and accordingly.

Their situation was critical. She had to act now.

In a flash, she pulled a sprint towards the boy with black curls, her backpack clamped firmly in between her arms. Time appeared to slow down in a weird way.

"Whoever you are, STAND UP AND RUN NOW!" she shouted at the person, her words contradicting all she'd said just before (never mind that if we'll end up dead anyway), and the redhead felt an electric shock running through her fingertips at the same time.

The familiar reaction when she was close to losing control.... Myra regained her composure - her good instincts taking over - watching the boy as she ran towards him. Need to stay calm. Have to get us out of here.

Adrenaline buzzed through her body. She was unable to determine who the boy was and frankly, right now, all that mattered was reaching him just in time before the snow would block off their airways and they'd be gasping for air, suffocating underneath a blanket of white deadly matter. It should have been only a few seconds to bridge the distance in between them, but the wall of snow was rapidly approaching them. At an alarming rate.... They need to make their way to safety, or they would not be able to tell the story, being buried alive.

Her fingers grabbed the only thing she could get a hold of, which was his jacket sleeve, and she pulled to help him up. The boy appeared to be trapped in the deep snow with his boots, so Myra pulled even harder, but ended up beside him on her knees.

And then... teal meets silver. Two set of shocked eyes stared at each other, and the electrical current Myra felt returned briefly, so she released his arm.

Who was this guy?

Meanwhile, the snow dangerously accelerated towards the two young adults. An avalanche of snow would bury them within seconds.....

SilverFlight

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/how-to-survive-if-you-get-caught-in-an-avalanche/336248

 

[Shy2Infinity]

Noella Lark

Interactions: None yet. ( catdog )
Mood: Wary.
Theme Song: Haven't decided yet.
​

---

There were multiple times all throughout her life when she'd do something and wonder why she did that. That moment when she was younger and she tried to fight a teacher? It was a wonder how she hadn't been suspended. Or that moment when she was a kid, slipping her body through an innertube and into the water beneath. Her foot had gotten stuck and she panicked. If she had just kept her cool, that would have been easier to handle. There were a couple of times when she'd yelled at her friends. They didn't know how to handle a traumatized person, she shouldn't have put that on them.

And now this, hiking through a forest path to find this mythical castle straight out of a fairy tale. This ought to be right up there on things she never thought she would be doing. She'd taken the bus as far as she could, but the bus driver commented on how tangled the path got, and she knew she'd have to make the rest of the trip on foot.

It was unfortunate. Because now, all she had were her thoughts to keep her company. When she'd gotten the letter, it had been a cool day. She'd forgotten to check the mail that day so when she came home from work, she slipped her hand into the mail box at the side of her door, and came out with an envelope. And as she stared over it, she frowned at the sender. The sender wasn't familiar to her at all, nor was the handwriting.

The things it spoke about seemed like it came out of a fairy tale, she was half tempted to just ignore it. But something about it stuck with her...

A few days passed while she was stuck on the words of that letter, but eventually, she decided to check it out. It was one of the most impulsive things she's ever done, and she made well sure to check in with her roommate. Who knows when she would be back, after all? Knowing her penchant for impulsivity, they said that they would be able to hold down the fort.

And now, here she was. Trudging through a forest and struggling to find the best way to get through it. Her hands held back many a branch, cautiously checking them over for bugs. She'd started this trek over thirty minutes ago and already a dull soreness began to seep into her back. With a grimace, she reached and began to massage the tender parts of her lower back. It was already growing increasingly stiff. The surgery she'd gotten way back in high school had gone a great deal to fixing her deformed body and, in turn, minimizing the pain. But that didn't mean she didn't get problems anymore. It simply meant she was able to endure more than she used to.

I wonder... What my parents would think of this? The thought took her off guard. She shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping. Mom probably still doesn't know that I left, and dad... She paused. What would he think? Did she even care? True, her dad had gotten better over the years, probably as a result of getting out from beneath her mom's thumb. But still...

She huffed and staunchly tried to ignore the turn those thoughts were taking.

Her mind was filled with silence as she stomped up the path. The sun could hardly pierce through the trees, though it certainly tried. Little spots of sun broke through on occasion, painting the ground yellow. A sweater covered her arms, protecting against the chill in the air. And yet, she rubbed her arms anyways. Her suitcase bumped along the ground behind her. Couldn't this place have been closer? She stifled the groan that wanted to rise.

Noooo, because that'd be too easy.

Yet, she'd scarcely had the thought before she found a gap in the trees. She hesitated only for a moment before reaching out to brush the branches aside. The castle loomed up, trying its best to pierce the sky. The gates in front of it remained closed. She found herself awed by the structure and stayed still, as if the castle might vanish if she moved too much. Of course, that feeling vanished as she noticed the other people. A wary caution built up inside as she trailed to the outer edges, hoping beyond hope that someone wouldn't notice and try to talk to her. Brushing aside the snow on one of the trees, she leaned against its bark and studied the castle.

The last thing she needed was some overly cheerful flower girl to decide that she needed friends.

 

[SilverFlight]

Owen was barely aware of the growing vibrations. The girl had told him to stay put, and he stopped struggling immediately. In the next moment she was pulling on his sleeve, shouting at him to move.

He tried, but trying just made him sink deeper. Then he felt it, the wave of snow coming down upon them, enough of it to bury them both. Adrenaline shot through his nerves, prickling his skin and then, someone was beside him. Why wasn't she running?
Her eyes were locked on his, the same look he had was apparent on her face. Why wasn't she running?

The snow roared overhead. No time.
Owen surged forward, grabbed the girl and pulled her to him. He turned his back to the thundering wave of white, putting himself between them.
A burst of rock shot forward and up, creating a roof over their heads, jutting straight from the side of the hill. The snow came down upon that, hissing as it slid to either side of it, the massive wave cleft in two.

The sound died slowly, sunlight still trickled in to them through the branches. The rock roof stayed where it was, solid as the hill itself. Suddenly Owen was aware of his breathing; heavy with fear and exertion. He took a few moments to let his mind catch up.

Once it did he realized he was still holding onto her. Owen recoiled as if he had been burned, falling back on his rump in the cold, wet snow. He was covered in dirt now too, little pebbles and flecks of moss, uprooted from their winter slumber by his magic. He'd shielded Myra from the snow, and worst of the mud, at least, but it coated his anorak and his sweater, streaked his hair, bringing with it the chilled scent of clay and decaying leaves.

"S-sorry!" He blurted. "I...I was mucking about and...I didn't know that would happen."

He swallowed hard, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins, he tried to steady his breathing.


"Are you...all right?"

Gaia

 

[Gaia]

Myra's P.O.V
​

Time slowed down.

That facial expression.
That look.

She recognized him.
But how? From what? Which time and place have they met before?

Everything suddenly happened in rapid succession. The man pulled her toward him and two powerful arms closed around her, wrapping her in a soft, but secure embrace.
Even more powerful was what happened next. Her eyes widened and she almost couldn't believe what she saw, her mind going full circle she'd really lost it in the end. Madness. She wouldn't be the only Maddison eventually ending up in some asylum hidden from civilization.

Alright, well, she tried to make sense of it all. It seemed as if they were being swallowed up into the earth..... OR as if an avalanche and earthquake were happening simultaneously. Listening to the loud and threatening noise, that could well be. Myra wanted to scream, but her voice let her down. She stiffened. Like a frozen lake, she held her ground and let the wave of snow wash over her. She closed her eyes. Resigning. Surrendering. Accepting.

Nothing, not even a snowflake touched her.

"What happened just now?"

Her eyes darted from side to side, taking in the situation and noticing that she had been holding her breath for some time. Letting out a deep sigh, Myra looked at her hands fleetingly. The electric shock was nowhere to be seen, as was the snow. Totally inexplicable.

The sound of rumbling finally had faded away. At least that should be a good sign. The boy, still with his arms wrapped around her, was panting and he seemed to be in the same state of mind as she was. Except for the panting that is.

"Don't worry, I'm doing just fine, not a hair out of place," Myra told him dryly in response to his question, her thinking speed at 700 miles per hour. She observed him distancing himself, his demeanor changed, as if he blamed himself for shielding her in the first place, as if that would have been something to apologize about.

"You though, seem truly exhausted." she noticed, her eyes scanning his being and following a trail of sweat coming down his forehead. "You sure you're feeling OK?" Myra softly asked, her voice trembling. She shivered, not because of the cold, but because of the haunting realization that this was not natural. This had been caused. She looked at the piece of stone, a ceiling above their heads, that didn't exist just moments before. This could not be possible. No natural phenomen existed on earth that conjured such stones from the ground in a split second. This means....

She shook her head. It wasn't the most important thing on her mind right now. She let all thoughts go.
The boy looked pale and she felt sorry for him. "Do you want some of my water, wait one sec- I got a bottle in my backpack, here you are."

 

[SilverFlight]

Exhausted? He was. He knew he could have run for longer than that, but his limbs were trembling. He looked at the rock that had shot straight out of the hillside to protect them, his mind drifted back to another memory...or glittering gemstones in ruined flesh. He shook his head to clear it.
The look of pity from the girl was enough to galvanize his ego and bring him back to his senses.

"I'm fine." He said quickly, still, when the water was offered he considered it for only a moment before taking it.
"Um, thanks." He took a sip carefully, then another, handing it back with a grateful nod. "I'm Owen."

He got to his feet slowly, the roof was only just shorter than he was and he had to crouch to slide out from under it, wading into the freshly-avalanched snow. He started clearing a path for her, so she could get out without getting colder and wetter than she was already.
"I meant...sorry for the snow. It was probably all my running about that caused it to fall like that."

With the path mostly clear he glanced back at her, thumbing in the direction of the castle. "Gather you're headed to that white stone monstrosity over there, same as me? Oh, I hope your stuff didn't get buried." Owen began digging through the drifts to find his own belongings.
They were a bit wet, but safe. He hauled them up and brushed his bags off as best he could. It was clear from his clothes and his worn and ancient duffel that he did not come from money. In truth he seemed uneasy, even downright uncomfortable when he looked at where they were headed.

"I suppose it's safe you saw that then." He gestured towards the stone.
Whatever initial torrent of feeling had flooded him when he'd first seen her, it was dissipating quickly, though something was still there, niggling him with its presence. He couldn't describe it.

"Um...I can carry your stuff if you like...there, to the castle. Least I can do for you know, nearly killing you and all."
He offered her a smile then, uncertain but kind, and carrying the hope that just maybe, this castle school might not be as bad as he feared.

Gaia

 

[Gaia]

Myra's P. O. V.​

The Welsh accent stood out, hmm.... this guy probably had traveled less far than herself.

"Ah, don't bother, I will carry it with ease." she responded kindly, her mouth revealing a small smile, trying to put him at ease. Unbeknownst to Owen, her cheerful demeanor was a mask in itself.

The name is Myra, nice to meet you too," she said, gripping her backpack more tightly. "That was quite the entrance and unexpected, meeting you at first like that, one would say," she joked, deciding not to pay that much attention to what had happened, hoping it wouldn't make him too uncomfortable (Well, frankly, she was projecting this based on her own problems to deal with anything surreal and impossible for normal humans too experience). Plus, she concluded, she had to keep going, because dinner would start pretty soon and the sun was already setting, its red shades colouring purple and painting the sky in a magnificent way, adding to the majestic vibe radiating from the Castle.

Owen, in the meantime, cleared a path so they could both finally escape their small hideout. Ah fresh air, such a relief. Myra took the biggest gulp possible and exhaled deeply, starting to relax a little. The avalanche had made its way down and the only thing remaining was a culmination of rocks, snow and dirt. Or well, she pondered, this guy, this Owen might have something to do with that as well, but she couldn't ask him due to her own shyness with regards to this topic. She was glad he hadn't noticed what had just happened to her, because her hands were still tingling in a weird way.

You almost lost control again....

For a moment she clenched her teeth, hopefully invisible to Owen, as she was reminded of the bitter truth that no matter what happened, she could never éver lose control. Losing control could get someone killed in the end and the thought itself made her stomach turn and a bile taste bubbled up to the surface. Her hands clenched into fists and she closed her eyes for just a moment to regain composure, a mantra repeating itself over and over again inside her head.

Must never lose control
Never lose control
Lose control


"It's OK, I'm OK, we're OK." Myra repeated unconsciously, this time out loud. Oh damn.... that must have sounded a little crazy. Before Owen could reply or say anything, she hastily interjected: "Hahaha, I'm just- eh.... well, I'm kinda relieved we survived this craziness, so let's move on, shall we?" Trying to smooth things over she pointed her finger to the right towards a certain path leading up to the main road. "I guess this road will definitely help us to find our way towards that white stony monstrosity thing you just talked about," Myra answered swiftly, "let's see for now if both of our paths converge in the end," referring to their respective journeys, the corner of her mouth curled in a playful way.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

"Myra." Owen repeated it, committing the name to memory. "It's a nice name." He meant it too. He liked that name.

She seemed all right, for the most part, but Owen couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, then Myra seemed to retreat into herself, repeating something under her breath. Maybe all the magic stuff was starting to get to her. Owen had been shocked for days after the incident with his father, and then the letter had come.
Whatever reason it was, Myra seemed ready to forget what had happened, so Owen followed her lead.

"Well all right then. Let's go." He shouldered his things, tried his best to brush the mud and leaves from his hair and began to pick his way down the slope.

The road was not that far off, and from it, Owen could see the gates of the castle and what must be the other students slowly gathering in front of it.
"Well, we made it in one piece!" He said happily.
"I'm going to go make sure we're in the right place. Then maybe I can find a shower..."

He hurried forward and stopped the first person he saw, a young woman in the middle of a song. She seemed friendly enough.
"Excuse me, um, sorry to interrupt, but, is this where the students for the uh, soul..magic..school thing...gather?" He trailed off as he took in the expensive dress, the perfect hair and...the crown, glittering on the top of her head.

Is she an actual princess?! Owen's inner voice screamed at him.

Suddenly Owen felt very foolish, standing there in a shabby wool sweater, covered in dirt and soaking wet.
"U-um, sorry...your majesty." He didn't even know how to address royalty.
Owen managed a quick bow. What else could he do?

As they stood at the gates, the soft sound of a violin drifted out from the castle to greet them...

Gaia SoftSmile

beeswaxie Shy2Infinity (and anyone else who wants to interact)


*~*~*




In a small room at the front of the castle, Orion pulled the bow across the strings of his instrument like he was born with it in his hands. His mind was lost to the notes, enveloped so deeply he would not have been aware of anyone coming up behind him.

He liked this song, it reminded him of softer times, brighter ones and now, it was the only way he seemed able to reach them.
He was dressed for the occasion, in a long coat, crimson red and ankle length, tapered at the waist and embroidered in gold trim. There was lace at the cuffs and lace at his throat too, and his auburn hair was tied back with black velvet strands that ended in gold baubles shaped like hearts.

The window was open and the music drifted out to the courtyard and beyond. The chilled air took its place and Ri breathed it in with a smile.
What would they bee like? He wondered as he played. Surely a grand new adventure waiting for them all.
Ri pushed down his feelings of fatigue, for today he decided not to be tired, not to be in pain. This was a day for the new souls, and for the start of their journey.

Slowly the song came to an end and Orion lowered the bow and the violin, replacing both gently in a velvet-lined case. The music room was covered wall to wall in different instruments, but the violin? This particular one was his. Still, he left it in the room for now. It was time to go greet them.

He made his way down the steps and as he reached the bottom he clapped his hands.

"Anyone still left in the castle better make their way outside now! Or you'll be left out! Woo-oo! Ollie Ollie Oxenfree!"

As he said this he stopped at one of the main doors and pushed them both open, making it look as dramatic as possible, before stepping out onto the white cobbles that lead down to the front gates.
They were still a ways away, but Orion could just make out the figures milling behind the wrought iron. Their new students.

"My my, look at them all." He said to anyone standing nearby.

"Doesn't it make you think of our time in training? Remember that?"

If any of the students looked this way he would give them a joy-filled wave with his entire arm. They were welcome here. They were wanted here. This place, no matter where they had come from, was home.

"Que le spectacle commence."

catdog Bishop SoftSmile BOKEH. .titania

 

[SoftSmile]

Sapphire had almost given up hope, seeing the people around her slowly come together as they realized who the other half of their soul was, and here she was...Alone. Like always, left behind with not a single thought about her left in anyone's mind. Her pace of breathing increased as her brain began to berate her. No one cared about her, not even her sister. That's why she left. That's why she left. That's why-- Her thoughts were cut short as someone literally ran up to her to ask her a question. Was she really the most approachable?

She gave him a sweet closed eye smile and a small curtsey. "Yes, this is the gate to Soulbound castle, I can safely assume." She held out her hand for him to properly greet her as she spoke. "I am Princess Sapphire Saturn Star. It is a pleasure to meet one of my classmates." She gave him another wide smile, tilting her head to the side. "And--You are?"

She didn't think to comment on his clothes, as she was told specifically by her mother that most of the other students were commoners and that she needed to behave and make sure she acted like a 'proper' princess around them to not sully the family name. She would probably end up making him a new sweater or something in the long run, she had enough fabric to do so.

"I really am sorry, but do you think you could help me with my stuff? It's...A lot." She mentioned, and behind her stood a dolly with more than a few bags, all of expensive brands and light pastel colors sitting on top of it and tied together sloppily so they didn't fall off.

SilverFlight

----

Hua sighed heavily as another guardian came outside--Late--to meet their soul. "No, it doesn't. Guardians are meant to always be present and punctual. Perhaps you should join the Souls this time around." The pure white cat in her arms meowed in agreement. "I do hope my souls are not as violent as last time, but I sense that my wish may not come true."

 

[Shy2Infinity]

Noella Lark

Mood: Mostly annoyed. And then surprised.
Interactions: ( Gaia SilverFlight SoftSmile catdog )
Theme Song: I really should figure this one out, it usually takes me 5ever tho​

---

She was fully content to stand like that, of course she was. But as she continued to shift from foot to foot, she realized that may not have been a good thing... Not with the soreness lurking in her back. After considering the ground for a moment, she sighed and pushed her suitcase onto its side. Then she took her seat and rested her face in her hands. Taking the weight off her legs and her back went a great ways to relieving some of the soreness. A sour expression crossed her face as she considered things. It wouldn't take everyone long to realize that she has a condition at this rate and, in her experience, people tended to treat you differently once they found out. Either treating you fragile, or refusing to believe that you have a condition.

She didn't look disabled to certain people, and it was all bullshit.

Breathing in the cool air, she allowed it to cool her off before she could get too heated. Looking around the clearing, she noticed that many of the others seemed to be getting to know one another. Shouldn't she be meeting her twin flame herself? But as she looked from person to person, she didn't feel anything towards anyone. If it was like soulmate bullshit, then presumably, she'd feel this strong pull or whatever. But there was nothing.

Maybe it was a mistake for her to be here. They might've gotten her mixed up with someone else. She sighed at the thought and and stretched her arms out to the sky, feeling her muscles pop in a satisfying way. And then she got to her feet. The soreness was mostly gone by this point. Maybe she could walk around a bit longer and if she still didn't meet this mythical twin flame, she could go on her way. Besides, this had been the biggest risk she'd ever taken. No one would fault her for leaving.

With a self-satisfactory nod, she studied the clearing again and noticed something that she hadn't before. A woman in expensive dresses and jewelry. Was she... Was she an actual princess???

No, there was no way. Maybe she was just a cosplayer that was really into her cosplay. And even if she was royalty, what did that mean for her? She definitely didn't intend to treat her differently just because she was royalty. Maybe that would be taken as some weird affront though?

She shook her head vehemently against the thoughts spiraling in her head. It wouldn't do to overthink scarcely before she'd actually met them. Her eyes slid to the others nearest her. It was like night and day, comparing them to the regal looking lady. Whether she was actually royalty or not, those other two definitely looked like commoners in comparison. Like her, she imagined.

She stared hard at the scene for a long moment, trying to figure something out. And then, after a bit, she sighed and picked up her suitcase by its handle. For just this one, she would socialize. It wasn't like there was anything else to do. With each crunch of the snow beneath her heel, she made the trek towards them.

 

[Bishop]

Alexander was making his way out of the castle, taking in the walls and doorways he passed by soaking up all the rich history this castle had to offer. He had been up early that morning, as always, walking around, poking his nose into conversations.

Today however he awoke with a different feeling, he awoke with the feeling something (or someone) was getting closer and closer. He he could here the chatter as he came out the front doors to the castle, heading towards the front gate.

Alexander had heard many different plays, musical competitions and orchestral numbers throught his life but he could always make out Orion's violin playing.

"Good morning Orion, Hua" he said coming up alongside his fellow guardians.
He took in Hua's traditional Chinese garbs. God, what he wouldn't give for togas to come back into style. He misses the classic feel of the breazy silk.

"And yes, I remember when we first got here. The nerves, the panic, excitement!"
His thick accent coming through as he become more and more excited to meet the new souls.


SoftSmile
SilverFlight
(I'm on mobile, sorry)

 

[Gaia]

Myra's P. O. V.​

Owen seemed OK and the two made their way through the deep snow towards the path leading up to the intersection. Indeed, they ended up walking at the main paved road and the two were able to continue the rest of their journey at ease. Walking in snow was more tiresome, that's for sure.

The big road turned around a corner and they had to walk through some gate decorated with golden roccoco type of art. Up until that point Myra was doing alright, she was curious though why Owen had to walk in the exact same direction. A big coincidence perhaps? On the other hand, she didn't dare ask him if he had also received a mysterious letter. She couldn't put her fingers on it, but she felt at unease the more they continued walking and the more the Castle got into view. Owen seemed to be walking around without a care in the world. However, Myra got the feeling he didn't tell her he was invited for exact the same thing.

Suddenly another - quite beautiful - ancient looking Gate loomed up; Myra had to admit this must have been the most beautiful gate she had seen thus far. The thing was immensely tall, had two towers on either side which seemed to guard and enclose the Gate. The whole thing came across as majestic and magical. And wrong. Could she still walk away? Would they notice if she slipped away silently, like nothing happened? Owen in the meantime started chatting with one of the other visitors waiting in front of this second Gate.

Wait a minute.
Hang on.
What did he say?

"Sorry to interrupt, but are the students from the soul, magic, school meeting here?", Owen asked beside her.

Soul....magic school? Excuse me? What the actual f*ck???

"Owen," Myra interrupted him, her tone betraying her confusion, even though she wanted to hide her nervousness. She didn't want the small crowd to pick up any negative emotions she experienced at the moment.

"What did you say?" she began, alarmed and startled. "A magical school? What do you expect this to be, Hogwarts or something?" she laughed out loud. Her laugh reaching everyone's ears. People stopped talking. Heads turned. "Or do you really believe Harry Potter might just apparate here, with all his lovely made up bullshit friends?"

Myra looked around and at the same moment, like Owen, she saw a beautiful lady walking in their direction. Her long, blond hair as shiny and soft as velvet and with a sparkle in the evening sun that made it seem golden. She had....a crown on her head. That made things even worse. Did she.... go mad?

Am I losing it for real? This is it? I'm seeing non-existing things? Getting paranoid? Or experiencing some psychotic meltdown?

Myra could no longer grasp or comprehend all that was happening around her; she wrapped her arms around her, out of a self-protective mechanism, and looked at the lady suspiciously, eyeing her from the corner of her fox-shaped eyes.

"And who are you... exactly?" she bluntly asked the lady.

To make things even stranger, violin music was also buzzing in the courtyard. At first Myra didn't see where the sound came from.
So Myra turned abruptly, tension building more and more, and saw there - the culprit - who produced these beautiful sounds. A man in a graceful red robe it seemed. Even though his violin play was soothing to the ears of most of the crowd, Myra however, couldn't really stand it right now. She was becoming more and more tense.

A girl with an effing crown.
A man in a red, French-style costume.

Roleplay?

"Ah! I get it," Myra shouted, trying to find her last shred of hope together she didn't really stumble upon Alice in Wonderland or lost her entire brain function all together. "It was always a joke, this letter.... this costume ball? A costume gala. And we apparently all fell for it, Owen. Isn't that funny? Or actually, well, it kind of sucks, but yeah, right now, we could just all laugh and admit this is just a stage, a play of some sorts? Is that it?"

SilverFlight Shy2Infinity SoftSmile catdog Bishop BOKEH. .titania beeswaxie

 

[beeswaxie]

Elle Sterling​

Interactions: Gaia SilverFlight
Mentions: Shy2Infinity SoftSmile
Mood: On edge
Theme Song: IDK You Yet - Alexander 23​

---

Elle’s grey eyes hardened as she watched people slowly gravitate towards one another, giving small waves, short smiles, and introductions. Her brows furrowed, was this what she was supposed to do? Introduce herself?

She looked down at her feet, shuffling in place. Going up to someone seemed to go against everything she was taught. She could hear Gus’ voice in her head ‘don’t be approaching anybody ever Mouse, unless yer ‘boutta stab th’ poor fellow or pop one in ‘em. Gives the wrong type of attention.’

The only type of human interaction she really got was to be bait for older people, or being a distraction so one of the gang members could do the work. She felt incredibly out of place. Sure, once she escaped, she tried to step in with normal society, but it was hard to remember what was normal when nothing had been normal since she was six years old.

She slowly shuffled closer to the group within earshot. There was some lady dressed up all fancy, as if she were royalty. Maybe she was, Elle wasn’t entirely sure of politics here. She performed a delicate song, pleasing to the ears, and Elle couldn’t help but think how nice it must be to be able to do that. She felt some strange connection almost, like a weird overwhelming urge to go up to her, but instead she brushed it aside and ignored it.

Another couple of people approached, both seeming shaken. A woman with red hair and a fierce look behind her eyes… who might be freaking out, and a man with dark hair and a soft gaze. Maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as she thought it was.

Swallowing any sense of pride, she began making her way towards the group, noticing another woman doing the same.

“Better to bite the bullet.” She muttered to herself, wondering what exactly that statement could mean.

“Uh, hi there. I’m Elle.” She held her hand out for a handshake, as she had seen others do before. “We all received the, erm…” Her nose slightly scrunched up as the words came out of her mouth, feeling as though it were ridiculous to say. “The soulmate letters?”

She hoped that the others wouldn’t stare at her as if she were some junkie on the side of the street with two needles sticking out of each arm. If so, maybe she could just run and never come back, after all she never even entered the gate and there was no sign of a soulmate anywhere.

“I’m sorry, this is the right place right?” She glanced back at the castle, hearing the pretty sound of a violin. Surely this was right? She found herself shoving her hands into her pockets out of nervousness. She shouldn't have done this, she should've stayed home, what if they knew she was here? What if this was some whole thing to catch her? Or maybe it was the Folorn's enemies? She had no clue.

She glanced over her shoulder, terrified someone was behind her with a gun to her head, but nobody was there. She let out a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly, wishing she could just calm down. She needed to be hidden, not out in the open. It was so bright, too bright even. Yet here she was and there was nothing she could do about that.

 

[SilverFlight]

"Oh God you are a princess." Owen could have kicked himself. "I mean, yes, ah, I can help with the bags. Um...I'm Owen. Haynes. Um. No title."

Then there were more people coming to them, apparently Owen had broken some sort of ice when he'd approached the young woman in the crown.

"It's the right place." Owen replied to Elle, taking her hand gingerly. "She's a princess, by the way." He pointed to Star, still amazed. "Apparently like, an actual princess yes."
Then his mind registered. The letters. Soulmates. Oh God he'd repressed that bit. He had been so fixed on mastering this bizarre power...
The girl in front of him looked like she was expecting to be ambushed. It seemed like this was a new experience for everyone, he happily repressed the soulmate bit for a little longer.
SoftSmile beeswaxie

Myra. She pulled his attention back, something was clearly wrong. She pointed out the ridiculousness of what he had said. He knew it sounded stupid, but the way she was acting...she was genuinely upset, denying it all like she couldn't handle it being true.

"Well I don't know Myra, maybe? Noting else in the past three weeks has made any more sense to me than that. How do you think that rock appeared to save us from the avalanche? I did that." He tried to sound calm, tried to keep a level head. He had to. In all the time of protecting his brothers from the threats of home, he held his ground.

She demanded the identity of the girl Owen had just shaken hands with.
"Myra..."
She concluded then that it was all a joke, retreating into that truth and...Owen couldn't even blame her.

He turned back to the actual princess. "Um, sorry, I'll need a moment, please."

Owen made his way over to Myra, putting himself between her and the other girls, making sure he was taking up most of her field of vision.
He thought of Thomas and how he would comfort his little brother.
Gently, he reached out and put his his hands on her arms, trying to ground her in that simple touch.
"Hey, look at me. Myra."

He waited a moment before speaking again. "I wish it was a joke. I wish there'd be cameras, and an abnoxious tv host that would come out and tell us "good job, have some tea" and we could all go home...but it's real. As stupid, and scary as it sounds. This is real."

Another pause, letting the words hang there in their realness. Owen wasn't sure what compelled him to do it, but he felt he had to be there for her.
"You're not going to do this alone, all right? I'm here, and so are they, in the same boat, all of us, and through those gates are people like us, ones who can help."
Gaia (and everyone around)

~*~*~

"Me go back to school? Ha." Orion bumped Hua playfully. "At least I can walk about without my plush toy." He gestured to the cat. "Besides, I might get you for a guardian. You'd try to murder me within the week."

The other guardian appeared beside them and Orion's smile brightened dramatically. He stepped closer to Alexander, shying away from Hua. "Alex! Thank God you're here. It's not even suppertime yet and Hua's already bullying me!"

Bishop SoftSmile

 

[SoftSmile]

Sapphire just nodded her head and smiled at Owen, doing exactly what her mother told her. She was also informed they were not taught about proper interaction, nor the importance of her status and she should always try to be kind but firm. She had gotten the first part down, but could never really bring herself to be mean or as her mother would call it 'firm' with anyone.

"Owen." She repeated sweetly. "It's cute!" She commented.

Then the ginger started having a breakdown, which, honestly Star would've had earlier if a person hadn't distracted her from her thoughts. Her first instinct was to help, but the tone used towards her made her step back a bit. It was rare such a harsh tone was used with the princess, the only person ever to get upset with her was her... She was scared.

"I-Uh, I'm--" She realized that the young woman in front of her was just confused, and having a hard time wrapping her head around the existence of the Soulbound castle. Luckily, Owen stepped in so the princess didn't have to defend herself, something she was personally terrible at. "Oh, it's okay, go ahead." She said to Owen as he went to comfort and explain things to the stranger.

Then she saw Elle. It was like she couldn't breathe, that sense of instant comfort came to her and her brain didn't know how to react but her body was already moving. The princess practically ran over to her, and before Elle could even register her presence she gave her a big hug, like two friends who hadn't seen each other in ages. "Where were you? I was so scared you wouldn't show up! It's you, yeah? You're my twin? You have to be." She let up on her embrace, looking up to Elle with her big blue puppy dog eyes and a heartbroken expression.

"Right?"

beeswaxie SilverFlight Gaia

------

Hua simply scoffed at the thought. She swatted his touch away with the hand that was petting Jerry, who groaned in discomfort about not getting affection 24/7. "Oh please, none of my souls have even come close to death. The worst I've had is a loss of a limb, and you know it. I sense they are almost ready to pass through the gates, so do not embarrass me."

Bishop SilverFlight

 

[Gaia]

Myra's P. O. V.​

"She's a princess, by the way." Owen's voice, Myra noticed, sounding like he's in awe. "Apparently like a real princess, yes."

Are they kidding me?

Slowly, without any of them really noticing, clouds began to gather. It had been getting darker for some time, so the shadows caused by the clouds were not easily noticeable at first. The young woman's feelings, however, were a reflection of what was happening above their heads, and upon realising, Myra tensed up even more.

In the hustle and bustle of the moment, with many people seeing each other for the first time, the young lad seemed to be the only one who noticed her displeasure. He replied with a convincing calm in his voice, trying to change her mind by gently but tactfully contradicting her words. He was being really careful adressing her concerns, which she would have appreciated in all kinds of situations besides this one.

"Well I don't know Myra, maybe? Noting else in the past three weeks has made any more sense to me than that. How do you think that rock appeared to save us from the avalanche? I did that."

"You're out of your mind, Owen, if that's your conclusion." Myra hissed, due to her feelings freaked out. She shook her head and averted her gaze. Again, she bit her lip. What if it was just like as he said? It reminded her of that time, when-....

The dark clouds began to swirl inwards. A small breeze accompanied the guests for a brief moment, but it steadily increased and couldn't be ignored for much longer. Around them the lanterns decorating the Castle walls moved from side to side in the wind, some gust caused some of the candles to go out.

His dark gray eyes stared deeply into hers, his eyes focused. He excused himself and turned away from the so-called princess. Well, Myra didn't pay attention to all the others anymore. She needed all her focus and headspace to hold herself back, knowing she might very well blurt something out she would regret later on.
Just for a short moment, Myra felt bad about her rude behavior; she knew the princess (or whoever that girl is) couldn't really help it, this was all due to Myra's rising stress levels. Yeah, frankly, she wasn't exactly making the kind of first impression someone wanted to make. But she couldn't help it, her arms plagued by palpitations and her thoughts going so fast that they dizzied her, just like the spinning clouds did.

Just before she really thought she would lose her shit...... before she could open her mouth, two calloused hands grabbed hold of her arms and squeezed them gently, as if they were trying to pull her out of this cruel nightmare.

A silence followed and no one said a thing, until the boy - his black curls blowing in the wind - said, "I wish it was a joke. I wish there'd be cameras, and an abnoxious tv host that would come out and tell us "good job, have some tea" and we could all go home...but it's real. As stupid, and scary as it sounds. This is real."

This is real.
This is real.
Is real.
Real.

Myra wanted to oppose what's being said, but his words ring true at a deeper level. For she knew intuitively that he was right. At that point, she couldn't look away. On the one hand, she felt frozen, but a fuzzy, weirdly familiar feeling crept up on her when his hands held her arms. A warm glow seemed to spread across those arms and she involuntarily relaxed her muscles.
"You're not going to do this alone, all right? I'm here, and so are they, in the same boat, all of us, and through those gates are people like us, ones who can help."

"Owen..." Myra started again, hesitant and unsure what to say or do next. "I-"

She wanted to say dozens of things to him at once.

I feel lost.
I know you.
You feel like home.
But I don't actually know you very well at all, so I shouldn't feel this way.
Why do we have this connection?
Why do my arms feel different when you touch them?
Why do we meet just at the same time, is this some freaky coincidence or "meant" to be?
If that was magic as you just said, are we slowly turning mad? Am I... a witch?

And then things went wrong. Very, very wrong.

The breeze, which was getting stronger by the second, seemed to be churning around Myra, wrapping around her like it protected its host. She let out a scream and pulled her arms free of Owen, realizing this was not his doing. What first seemed like a gentle friendly breeze turned into a storm. Myra's bag was flying from one second to the next, the clothes of some of the attendees flapped frantically in the wind, a skirt of one of the women went up showing all the goodies for everyone to see, and the princess's tiara was almost blown from the top of her head.

No. Not again.

No.

What's happening? How do I get out of here?

At the same moment, a gust of wind pushed Owen backward toward the gate.
That's when things turned ugly, quick.
Fearing Owen would crash into it, Myra grabbed his waist to stop him. Both of them were lifted up by the same gust of wind.

And Myra did the only thing she thought she could do right now.
Only it didn't quite work.

Instead of Myra grabbing Owen and holding him back as she intended, she accidentally launched the two of them - full force - against the gate. They would have crashed into it bad if the Gate didn't open as smoothly as it did, seemingly to let them pass, as if all of this had been anticipated.

SilverFlight .titania

 

[Bishop]

Alex chuckled and shook his head.
"Good too see you are doing well Orion" he half turned to the taller man but kept facing the gate.
"Hau, it's good to see you haven't changed" he said almost nonchalantly.
"Maybe relax a little, we are all guardians now we may aswell get along"
He knew she wasn't going to agree but the fact he tries made him feel comfortable.
Looking through the gate ge could see all the new students lining up.
There where a couple shady looking souls, a few rather flamboyant ones and...is that ball gown?
As he was studying the students he found a familiar taste in his mouth.
'Magic' The thought yo himself 'someone doesn't have control yet'
And as he began looking for the culprits two students where thrown through the gate with a gust of heavy wind
"Well" he said turning to Orion "I think it has begun"

SilverFlight
SoftSmile

 

[Shy2Infinity]

Noella Lark

Mood: Nervous, panicking
Interactions: ( catdog )
Theme Song:​

---

She hesitated. Everyone there seemed to be doing their own thing, freaking out or getting to know their own twin. She felt awkward. It was a strange feeling, feeling as if you didn't truly belong. This whole thing was a ridiculous situation regardless. Twin Flames, huh... She kind of wondered what hers was like. She shook herself out of her thoughts. If there was one thing she knew when interacting with other people, it was that you had to make yourself belong. It didn't come just from other people taking pity on you. And, well, she could fake it till she made it, at least.

Perhaps she could plaster on her customer service smile? ... Ah, no. No way. They would probably notice right away. It was always best to be truthful, right? And if that made some people stay away... Well.

Her brows furrowed and she glanced at the elegant woman, still finding it hard to believe that she was an actual princess. But that guy had pretty much confirmed it, right? "Um..." She hesitated, a question forming on the tip of her tongue. It didn't seem right to interrupt any of this. But she was already too near to be dismissed. One hand tightened on her suitcase's handle and she leaned against it, masking her nervousness as her trying to get more comfortable. "I... Got a letter, I'm guessing you all did as well." Her free hand made a gesture towards the castle. "Does anyone know if we're supposed to wait out here or something?"

It seemed almost cruel to pull them away from their own situations to answer her own question, but... Well, if anything else she could pull out a book to read.

Perhaps she should have held back though. She didn't notice one of the woman's rising stress levels, and why should she? She didn't know any of them. It suddenly went dark, when there had been no clouds before. She squinted up into the sky, gripping her arms as a chill gripped her, both metaphorical and literal. It wouldn't have surprised her if this situation, the thing causing the sudden change in weather, was supernatural. Considering what she had done when her abilities manifested for the first time.

At first, she hadn't believed it. But when she'd touched one of her coworkers, someone she genuinely hated, she'd collapsed and seen their dreams. Their hopes. What they wanted most. It... Hadn't been too surprising when she'd pinned down their fears as well. After all, dreams and nightmares were two sides of the same coin. She shouldn't have taken advantage of it, but with the way they treated her, she wanted some semblance of power back.

Oh yeah, she did get some power back. But they were scared of her after that, genuinely scared of her. And she didn't feel any better. Maybe if she had a better handle on her anger, that would have ended differently, but...

The wind picked up and she held herself tighter. Before, when she was climbing up the path, it hadn't been all that cold. She wore a sweater and the exercise had kept her from freezing entirely. But now, she was practically turning to ice beneath her flimsy sweater. Her hair whipped around her face and she tried to hold them back to see through the strands. She forced herself to take a couple of steps towards the tree line, fearing that she might need to hold onto something, or be knocked over.

And that's when she noticed two of the people be picked up and thrown towards the gate. A yelp left her throat, her hands smashing over her mouth.

They're going to hit the gate!

But that's not what happened. Before they hit it, the gate opened seemingly of its own accord. And they sailed on through. Her heart was beating in her chest like a war drum. She put a hand over her chest, trying to calm down from that latest bit of shock. Her eyes closed as she took in deep breath, after deep breath. Everything was fine. No one got hurt... At least, not as bad as they could have been. And then her brain decided to obsess over the gate swinging open.

How did it open like that? Strings? But considering what the gate was made of, it'd have to be something strong to be able to open them. And she couldn't see anything behind the gates.