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#i also had a good time giving him all of his colorful accessories and charms/ingredients
c-rowlesdraws · 1 year
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recent commission of a Pathfinder gnoll druid named Muun! He’s peacefully mixing some herbs together in the morning, before the rest of his rambunctious adventuring party wakes up.
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acraftedmistake · 3 years
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A Person Who Has Never Played MCSM Writes A Story About MCSM Chp. 15
CHP 15!!!!! Some good times and bad times lie ahead...... 
Enjoy!
“Everything okay?” Jess asked. Aiden was about to leave the house but had stopped halfway out the door, turned back around, and scanned the first floor while Jess and Olivia waited for him.
“Yeah.” Aiden said slowly as he began to close the door, twisting the knob to make sure he wouldn’t accidentally lock the three of them out, “Just thought I heard something.” He walked away from the house and patted his hair down. “You two ready to go?”
“Mhm!” Olivia finished zipping up the olive green jacket Stella had lent her. She was hiding her face with the hood of the gray sweatshirt Cassie gave her the day before as well. She knew there weren’t too many people out at this hour, but better safe than sorry.
Jess was wearing the leather jacket and beanie again, but he wasn’t too concerned about hiding his face this time. Earlier, he made a minor complaint that his clothes felt rather stiff after wearing them for a few days straight, to which Aiden promised that once they got back home he would throw their clothes in the washer.
“Let’s get going!” Jess said, adjusting the beanie on his head. Originally, Jess wasn’t too thrilled at the idea of going out at this hour. Knowing there might be Awakening members roaming around, or his alternate self--who had no problem beating Radar in broad daylight--made Jess uncertain over the safety of Obsidian Town’s streets. Aiden assured him that they’d be alright, it’d be three against one, and--in his words--he ‘Wants to do somethin’ nice for Olivia after last night’.
Jess appreciated the thoughtfulness, and in the end, visiting Olivia’s grave was up to… Well, Olivia, but he’d still be ready in case a creep tried to pull something.  
Jess couldn’t really blame Olivia for wanting to check out her grave. It’s her place of death. When would you ever get an opportunity to visit a place like that again? Not to mention, Jess had been wanting to get a better look at Obsidian Town rather than getting glimpses or constantly staring at the ground.
The three walked to the left and started their journey to the cemetery. Aiden and Olivia were making small talk, so Jess took this time to absorb his surroundings.
Up ahead, he could spot a tall, crooked, ivory colored tower in the distance. That must’ve been the library Olivia mentioned before. Even from all the way over here Jess could see how ruined the place was. Cracks stretched across it, it was riddled with holes, and it looked moments away from collapsing.
Jess scanned the streets. The long, thin black lamp posts on each side had thin string-lights tied to their tops that stretched across the streets in a zig-zag like manner. It’s a shame they weren’t on at the moment, they must’ve been wonderful when lit.
There were empty stalls they’d pass by occasionally. Colorful, patterned tents protected the bare tables, empty boxes, and scraps sitting underneath. Jess noticed each stall had string lights, small lanterns, or candles for light. He’d catch quick glimpses at folded signs tucked away and papers taped onto poles advertising items and prices. Seeing all of this reminded him of the farmer markets Beacon Town. Jess would always act so crabby when he woke up early for them, but it wouldn’t take long for him to get hyped up and dashing around the place until closing time.
The stalls and all were nice, but Jess couldn’t help but find Obsidian Town’s buildings to be… Underwhelming.
Many of the buildings, from what he could see, were constructed with the same materials: stone, wood, bricks, concrete, the occasional polished granite and diorite, and the rare terracotta. There were variations with the colors, but seeing the same materials got real tiring real fast.
And most structures here were just shapes. That’s all that could really be said. Squared, rectangled, plain shapes to fit the equally-plain materials. Even the sizes of the buildings felt plain. Many were one to two stories, a large handful reached three, and hardly any were four.
Jess was so used to Beacon Town’s monstrous structures, giant jungle trees sprouting from windows, walls of colored glass creating magnificent designs, and bridges stretching from roof to roof that connected the town together. The fun types of builds! It might sound chaotic but that’s what made Beacon Town feel like home. Obsidian Town was just that. A town.
‘Don’t think the people here can risk being experimental, to be fair.’ Jess told himself as he remembered how often quakes struck. He thought back to his town again. He thought about how so many homes would quickly collapse the moment a strong-enough quake would hit. Beacon Town was fun, but it wasn’t built with ‘sturdiness’ in mind, unlike Obsidian Town.
While the construction and sizes of these buildings were on the more ‘basic’ side, the way the citizens decorated the exteriors of their homes and stores was magnificent. Oh, how he loved their decorations. From markets using barrels, wagons, and carefully stacked crates to advertise their fresh fruit and flowers, to cafes that’d have their furniture with their own color schemes and accessories to make them stand out from one another. Some places had porches decorated with flowers and swinging benches, while others had balconies with tiny lights.
Jess would get a second to peer into windows they’d pass by, catching glimpses of interiors that’d tempt him to come closer and press his face against the glass to get a better look. Actually, he hadn’t noticed it right away, but so many windows in Obsidian Town were colored. They didn’t have any intricate designs--a majority of them were one solid color--unlike the stained glass back at the Order Hall, but they were still charming. He pictured in his head how vibrant the streets must be when night comes… The lights from the inside mixing with the colors of the glass must be magnificent.
One place that REALLY caught Jess’ attention was a stone gray building tucked between two larger ones. It had a simple square base, but had a noticeable tilt to it. It had a staircase that wrapped around it’s walls and led to the roof, where a smaller room sat atop, equally slanted. A wooden sign hung from above the door and had the words “Glass Art” on it. Purple, pink, and blue glass shards and chimes were held by opaque strings from the overhang; there was a large, round, beautiful stained glass window with the same colors beside the door.  
The glass art reminded Jess of Ivor and his potions. Man… How is Ivor? Is he doing alright? Is he worried? Hopefully he’s not working himself to the bone trying to find a way to save him and Olivia. Jess couldn’t wait to get back home and give that old man a big ol’ hug.
Come to think of it, has anyone mentioned anything about potions while they’ve been here? He doesn’t remember Olivia’s book talking about them, nor any of Aiden’s friends bringing them up… Are there no potions here? Or maybe there’s a lack of materials? They couldn’t go to the Nether or mine without a license--which STILL boggles Jess’ mind--so that probably made gathering resources hard. How would Ivor react to this? He’d probably say: ‘Pah! A universe without potions is a miserable one. Back in my day, we’d travel hundreds of miles to find the finest ingredients for our--’
“Jess!” He heard Olivia call his name. He spun around and saw her and Aiden standing under a stone arch. Olivia had her hands on her hips.
“You done dreamin’?” Aiden asked.
Jess didn’t realize how far he had strayed from the two. He hurried over and joined them at the arch.
“Sorry, sorry, I was busy thinking.” He skidded to a halt and fixed his beanie.
“Just glad nobody saw you.” Aiden said, “I almost stopped her from calling you cause I wanted to see how far you’d walk off.”
“Could you imagine if he got caught like that?” Olivia asked, “One moment he’s strolling through the streets, and the next he’s being pounced on by guards all because he was too busy sightseeing.” Her and Aiden chuckled at the thought.
“Oh, so it’s a crime to appreciate a town now?” Jess dramatically placed his hands on his hips, mimicking Olivia’s posture.
“It's illegal for you.” Aiden said, “Now come on, there’s a shortcut through the park.”
Aiden walked through the moss-covered stone arch. On each side of the arch were thick, green hedges that boxed in the park. Olivia noticed that, unlike the buildings in this town, the hedges didn’t form an actual shape; it would jut in and out at random, creating odd angles and corners. It was strange but charming.
A path that started under the arch and looped around the area, creating a horseshoe-like shape. Aiden ignored the path and continued walking straight through the grass. Olivia saw the usual things most parks had: Benches, lampposts, a sign telling people not to litter. She also noticed leftover chalk on the sidewalk, laying right beside children’s drawings of stick figures and hopscotch.
Obsidian Town’s park was small, nice, simple, and… Honestly a little dark. The thick clouds were already blocking most of the sun’s light, but the few, tall, thick trees had branches that hid nearly every inch of the sky. Despite how dim it was, Olivia could still spot wild flowers sprinkled around the grass, along with the bugs buzzing around them.
Honestly--and Olivia felt bad thinking this--she preferred this sort of park over whatever the heck Beacon Town had going on. Yes, Beacon Town was great in it’s own way. People could build whatever they wanted, and that’s wonderful, but sometimes she’d just like to take a walk without a constant ruckus surrounding her. Sometimes she just wanted peace and quiet--
“That guy’s missing his entire head!” Jess suddenly whisper-shouted as he lightly shook Olivia. Her heart started beating frantically as she hurriedly spun her head around. Her mind was going all over the place. Was it a decapitated corpse? A strange, alternate-universe monster? Or--or--
It was a statue.
“Jess, you nearly gave me a heart attack.” She sighed with relief.
“Sorry,” He took his hands off of her and pointed, “check it out though!”
Both Olivia and Aiden were looking at the statue now. It was a man frozen midrun, an axe held back--stuck in a swinging motion--while the other hand held up his battered shield, which covered his face. If he had a face, that is. It had to be The Impossible Man. Olivia wasn’t sure who else it could’ve been.
“He’s definitely seen better days.” She said under her breath. Besides his entire head missing, a majority of his body was covered in dirt, children’s chalk, and other strange stains. Cracks started from his broken neck and traveled to his chest, his armor was chipped and scratched, and a good portion of his axe had broken off as well.
“Yeah, I think there’s a couple more statues around here?” Aiden mentioned as they continued walking, “They’re all in pretty bad shape. The kids like to mess with them.”
Aiden scanned the park. “There’s one,” He pointed to the upper corner on the left side of the park. A statue was placed on a podium right in front of a tree. Despite the fact one of his legs was missing, he appeared to be sitting comfortably, gazing at the tree tops peacefully.
“Annnndddd…” Aiden kept turning his head in different directions, “I’m pretty sure there was a head somewhere… Oh!” He spun around, walking backwards now as he pointed to the direction of the entrance. Jess and Olivia followed his finger, their eyes landed on a wooden bench--and right beside it was a small column with a broken bust of the man on top. Olivia couldn’t make out much of the man’s face from here, but she kept getting the eerie feeling that his fractured eyes were somehow watching her. Constantly. Unblinking. She shuddered.
“You think the quakes are the reason they’re missing some parts?” She heard Jess ask aloud.
“I find it really hard to believe they somehow stood through all of those quakes and just lost a head or a leg. They might've been stolen.” Olivia theorized.
Jess put his hand on his chin, stroking an imaginary beard, “I think I remember seeing Hadrian have a couple of statue parts at his place…”
“What? You think old people just like to steal random body parts during their free time?” She grinned.
“That’s what I’d like to do when I retire!” He chuckled. Olivia rolled her eyes playfully.
The three came to a stop in front of a wall of hedge that stood a couple inches taller than Aiden. Unlike the rest of the hedges, this one probably hasn’t been trimmed in months. The surface was extremely uneven; hundreds of tiny branches and leaves stuck out and got tangled with one another. This hedge was also covered in flowers. Tons of them. Clusters of fluffy-looking, light pink flowers were scattered throughout, and were nearly as big as Olivia’s face. The ground was covered in old petals.
Olivia made sure that every strand of hair was tucked inside her hood. There was no way she wanted to spend the rest of the day picking out the twigs, leaves, and petals that’d get stuck in there.
Aiden walked to the right, staring into the bush and running his hand over it as he mumbled to himself, trying to remember where the shortcut was. Olivia and Jess awkwardly shuffled along. Aiden soon stopped, crouched down, then put his hand into the bush. He then took it out, huffed, scooched over a couple more inches, and repeated the process.
After a minute of searching, Aiden started talking to himself. “Maybe it’s on the left side? I could’ve sworn we--!” Aiden suddenly fell forward and into a large hole in the hedge.
Man, if Aiden hadn’t fell through, Olivia would’ve also thought he’d forgotten where the entrance was. The branches hid the hole well.
Jess helped Aiden to his feet. Aiden thanked him as he moved aside, motioning towards the hole.
“You guys go ahead.” Aiden said, “I’ll wait for you to go through.”
Jess and Olivia glanced at each other before Jess gave her a little bow, “After you.”
“How kind.” Olivia curtsied. She crouched and crawled through. The dirt was already making her pants a little damp.
Luckily, despite a few scratches, the crawl only lasted a few seconds.
She got up, cleaned herself off, and waited for the boys.
Jess’ head soon popped out from the hole. Leaves and tiny branches were caught in his hair. He wriggled himself out and brushed off his clothes.
“Here, let me help with your hair.” Olivia started plucking the sticks out.
“Thanks!” Jess said happily as he took off and shook the leaves off his beanie.
It was quiet for a couple of moments as they cleaned themselves up. Olivia felt her smile twitch.
“Hey, Jess,” She started slowly, “I’m… I’m sorry.”
Jess put his hat back on, “What for?”
“I know you don’t have the best feelings towards Aiden right now,” She stared at her feet, “I hope it doesn’t feel like I’m dragging you along.”
“What? No, no, no!” Jess exclaimed, “Look, I was real mad last night, but I wanted to go with you!”
Olivia brought her head back up to Jess, a tiny smile of relief on her face.
“And I’m sticking to my word. We’ll stick together no matter what.” Jess shoved his hands into his pockets. “And uh… We don’t really have a choice when it comes to trusting Aiden and his friends, but things aren’t gonna get better if I keep blowing up like I did yesterday--” A sudden grunt interrupted Jess and caused both of them to jump.
They turned to see Aiden struggling to get out of the bush. How much did he hear? Hopefully not too much. Hopefully.
Aiden tries to use his free arm to pull the rest of his body out, but after a few more seconds he stopped fighting and let his face fall to the ground.
“... I’m stuck again.” He could hear Olivia and Jess snicker as they grabbed his hand and began to pull. They were able to pull him out in no time.
“Thanks.” Aiden said as he shook off the dirt--and the embarrassment. “The memorials are on the other side of the cemetery. Should only take a minute to get there.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When they entered the cemetery, Jess kept his eyes peeled for any familiar names on the gravestones. A few graves had rather unusual colors to them. There was a dusty red one, an uncommon shade, but not odd. Then he’d walk by a blue one; he’s never seen a grave that color before--well, Reuben’s memorial had bits of blue in it, does that count?--Then he walked by a purple grave, a green one, an orange one?
“This is… The happiest looking cemetery I’ve ever seen.” Olivia said as she beheld the rest of the graveyard.
“Is that a compliment?” Aiden asked.
Olivia kept staring at tombstones until she finally said “I don’t know, I’ve just never seen a place for the dead look so… Lively.”
Taking in the rest of the graveyard, Jess had to agree . What was usually a dark, gloomy, dreary place was so, so vibrant. Even under this cloudy, dull weather, the many colors still popped. This was more like a miniature festival than a cemetery! Many tombstone tops looked like roofs with their pointed tops and little overhangs. Their heights and widths would range from short and broad to tall and scrawny. Heck, Jess could spot a couple of graves as tall as him.
“What the heck are your cemeteries like?” Aiden glanced back at them.
“Plainer colors, I guess?” Jess shrugged, “You know, blacks, grays, browns, nothing too flashy.” The only exception Jess could think of was, once again, Reuben's memorial.
“Really?” Aiden sounded genuinely baffled by this. “We hardly got any of those. What do they mean?”
Olivia and Jess exchanged confused expressions with each other before Jess faced Aiden again, “Sadness? Loss? I don’t think there’s any real meaning behind those colors, honestly.”
“Right, we don’t typically associate bright colors with the dead.” Olivia added in, viewing the cemetery again. Scrawny trees and tiny flowers with stems that reached her knees that were peppered around the area; most were in between the graves. She thought about Aiden’s question, “I’m assuming the colors here represent something specific?”
“Yeah, buncha things. Too many for me to keep track of, but I remember the important ones.” Aiden started as they continued walking down the damp dirt path. “When a person dies, their friends and family can choose the color of their grave. It’s usually… Like… Hm. It’s supposed to show what the person was like when they were alive, ya know? Yellow for the happy people,” He explained while pointing to a shorter grave of said-color, “orange for determination, that sorta stuff. Stella’s memorized ‘em all. If you ever wanna know more, she’s the person to ask.”
As Aiden kept talking, Olivia and Jess kept taking in their surroundings. Jess had noticed something. Every single grave they passed was decorated with gems. The gems were placed close by the names and dates of those who passed, and seeing so many of them in various shapes, colors, and sizes made him curious…
“Hey, uh, what’s with the gems?” Jess spoke up, “Are they real?” He was wondering if maybe they were regular stones that were carved and painted. There was no way Obsidian Town could have an overabundance of minerals, especially since the citizens needed a mining license.
“Nah, they’re glass.” Aiden replied, “I thought they were real myself until we had to choose some gems for Lukas--” He suddenly stopped in his tracks. Jess and Olivia peered over and saw a lit redstone torch placed in front of a grave. Aiden plucked the torch from its place, a scowl on his face as he blew out the flame then chucked the burnt wood across the cemetery.
“Anyways, what was I sayin’?” He began walking again, as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.
‘What was that about?’ Jess thought to himself. It must’ve been linked to the cult, right? Why else would Aiden have done that?
“Right!” He snapped his fingers,” So the gems are basically like the colors of the graves. We had to go to this special place where the people there pulled out huge chests filled with those things. Took us forever to pick ‘em out.”
“Each color chosen means something for the person that passed…” Jess whispered to himself as Aiden’s words from earlier echoed through his mind. He was rather fond of how Obsidian Town remembered their dead. It was more uplifting than what he was used to. Maybe he could make some changes to the graveyards once they get back to Beacon Town.
Aiden was quiet for a minute before he added, “Gill took the longest. He was real worried his gem wouldn’t be good enough.” He paused. “He… he ended up crying.”
His voice got quieter, “I hated seeing him like that.”
Jess and Olivia both tried to think of what to say, what ‘s the next best thing to do, but Aiden immediately changed the subject.
“What do you guys put on your graves?” Aiden asked, he sounded ‘normal’ again, but kept facing away from the two.
Jess hesitated, “Names. Dates.”
“A description of the person who passed.” Olivia added.
“Just words? Doesn’t that get a little… Depressing?” Aiden narrowed his eyes.
“Oh, you think that’s sad? We once wrote out an entire dictionary on a guy’s grave back in our universe.” Jess answered jokingly. Olivia let out a little giggle, and they even heard a chuckle out of Aiden.
That small chuckle was all Jess needed to hear to continue telling quips and share short, funny stories at Aiden’s way to try and lighten the mood. Aiden was soon sharing his own experiences mixed in with his own humor. Aiden and Jess were bouncing off of each other, making fun of their own universes while Olivia would throw in her commentary every now and then.
‘This is so weird…’ Olivia thought to herself. The three of them laughing while walking through a cemetery… it’s something that’d usually feel inappropriate to do, but here she wasn’t all that bothered.
This whole experience has been surreal. Entering a rainbow of a cemetery through a bush felt like something that’d only happen in her dreams, yet here she was. Honestly, it was a nice change of pace to not feel worried for her and her friend’s life for a moment.
She had nearly forgotten the dread she felt when she originally suggested coming here.
And then Aiden spoke up.
“Okay, okay, we’re finally--” Aiden stopped. “Here.” All happiness in his tone had left.
That didn’t sound good. That didn’t sound good at all. Olivia grabbed onto the string of her hoodie and began to pull on it as she slowly peered over Aiden. Standing before him were two graves. Olivia’s eyes were drawn to the shorter one. She trailed down the grave, the coral color fading into a deep shade of red until she stopped at the flowers laying beside a lit, redstone torch.
Olivia held her breath. Jess got close to her as Aiden approached the torch. He grabbed it by it’s barely-scorched base and brought it to his face to blow out the flame. Instead of throwing it away like the last one, he just placed it to the side, only a few feet away from the grave. He wore an expression neither of them have ever seen on him before. Fear? Heartache? Pain.
“We’re here.” He said again. His voice completely devoid of energy. His body was stiff as he walked to the side of the grave, with his hands curled into tight fists and placed at his sides. There was another redstone torch placed in front of the grave to the right, but Aiden didn’t say anything. Olivia took a few small steps forward and gave him a small nod.
As she knelt down in front of the grave--in front of her grave--she heard Aiden tell Jess ‘Come on’, followed by the sound of footsteps growing distant.
She sat alone at her grave.
She didn’t want to read the text. She really didn’t. Isn’t that funny? That was one of the main reasons she wanted to come here. To see if there was a chance she could read about her death, what happened to her, but now that she was here, she was terrified. She looked everywhere else but the epitaph before her. She stared at the small bouquet of flowers on the dirt--the dirt… She noticed it seemed… Messier compared to the other graves. Like someone tried digging through it. The bouquet, though! There was a mix of flowers held together by a red ribbon. Clusters of tiny, magenta flowers, a few pointed, white flowers with many petals, and a type of flower she actually knew the name of: Lilys.
She then brought her gaze up, catching a quick glimpse of her name written in gold, to observe the gems placed into the tombstone. Two orange gems, one yellow, one gold, another maroon, and the gem in the center was amber. They formed an arch around the words in the center.
‘Stop avoiding it.’ She told herself, but she didn’t listen. She turned to Lukas’ grave. She had to see his. She had to. It was right here and--and he’s her friend.
His grave was turquoise and had thin, white stripes that stretched across the top, and seven gems instead of six. Three on each side, and the last gem placed above his epitaph. He was given flowers as well.
The words engraved in the stone read: “LUKAS: Courageous and loyal. An inspiring leader and a brilliant friend.”
Short but wonderful. It was perfect. Reading it over and over again, she thought about just how lucky she and Jess were with having their friend still around. He’s done so much for them. Constantly helping Jess run Beacon Town, aiding the citizens, always visiting her and Axel whenever he got the chance… He could’ve left them during that Witherstorm. He could’ve ditched them at any moment when things got too rough, but he never did.
‘I need to give Lukas a hug when I get back.’ Olivia thought to herself. Lukas could still leave them one day without warning. He could finally get sick of them, die in a brutal fight, or--or end up being kidnapped like this Lukas--Olivia squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, trying to get those awful thoughts out. Don’t think about that. He’s still alive. He still cares about them. He loves them.
Olivia kept her eyes closed for a moment longer before finally bringing her attention back to her own grave. She forced herself to read the words written for her; “OLIVIA: An intelligent, creative, and hardworking engineer. A bright spark of joy even during the darkest of days.”
Olivia stared at her words. A weird sense of reassurance was arising. She’s never thought highly of herself. She’d sometimes convince herself that others couldn’t tolerate her, and that she was one mistake away from ruining everything. She wondered if this Olivia ever felt a similar way. Was she constantly trying to make sure she said and did the right things? Try to fix any issue immediately so her friends didn’t think she was useless? Always second guessing her own thoughts?
Did this Olivia know her friends always loved her? Or was she riddled with fears and doubts until her sudden end?
‘She died a couple of years ago, didn’t she?’ Olivia tried to recall any mention of her death from Aiden. She wasn’t certain, but whether it was a few years ago, or a few months ago, didn’t change the fact that she died so soon.
She was young.
Younger than her.
To have her life end on an abrupt note… It scared her. It scared her so much. Everything could be taken away one day.
As she sat over her body, she felt her fingers begin to dig into the dirt, like they were trying to reach in and find the other Olivia’s hand. A sick form of curiosity made her want to know more. More about this Olivia. Her life. Her mind. To have a connection with her. It was her body she was sitting over, afterall. Her corpse. Her--
“Olivia?” Jess placed his hand on her shoulder. “Are you doing okay?”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Come on.” Aiden gave Jess a light tap with his hand. He started walking away from Olivia. Jess hesitated. He looked at his friend for a second more before leaving with Aiden.
“We just needa give her some space.” Aiden said.
“Right, totally understand.” Jess wanted to stick around for a few minutes longer to study his friends’ graves, but that could wait. He didn’t want to make Olivia feel like he was breathing down her neck.
Jess thought back to the many instances where his friends’ lives were in danger, when they were so close to being taken away from him. He hated seeing his friends’ lives at stake more than anything; he’d go through Hell and back to protect them, and to be in a place where their deaths became a reality was so hard to wrap his head around.
Lukas left without a trace. No familiar faces to comfort him during his last moments, only enemies looming over him while he was in an unknown place. Just thinking about his fate made Jess worry sick about his Lukas back at home.
It was silent for a few minutes. Only their footsteps filled the void.
“So…” Jess started, wanting to make small talk, “What do the colors for Olivia and Lukas’ graves mean?”
“Olivia’s creativity.” Aiden replied, sounding short. “And Lukas’--” He paused and scanned the cemetery. He took a left turn and continued walking between the graves. “He’s…Don’t make fun of us, but his color stands for friendship.”
“Friendship?” Jess perked up at the word.
“I know, it’s probably super cheesy or whatever, but it fits him. It really does.” Aiden said.
“No, no, I completely agree! He’s a great friend--one of the best! If I had to recount all the times he’s been there for me, we’d be here all day.”
“Right. Same here.” They stopped at another grave with another redstone torch in front of it. This grave was short and purple, with many cool-colored gems placed in it. Jess didn’t recognize the name.
Aiden grabbed the torch and blew out the flame. Jess decided to ask another question.
“Any idea why The Awakening puts those torches there?”
“Probably for no good reason.” Aiden answered through gritted teeth as he chucked the wood as hard as he could across the cemetery.
There was something unnerving about the torches left at the grave. Their red glow would take over the colors of the graves, and their light under a thick, cloudy sky would claim your attention and make it hard to pull away. Their soft crackling would fill in the silence whenever he and Aiden didn’t talk; the occasional loud snaps from the flames would make Jess believe there was a threat following them.
Jess stopped at a tombstone and picked up a vase of flowers that had fallen aside. “The gems on their graves, what do they mean? Do you remember ‘em?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’d remember what the gems on my own friends’ graves would mean!” Aiden snapped.
“No, I didn’t mean it like that!” Jess held the vase tighter. “I was just--I wanted to know more about them.” Great. Now they’re both feeling terrible.
Aiden’s demeanor softened when he saw Jess’ reaction. “No, it’s okay. I’m sorry. I’ve been--” He hesitated, “I’ve just been thinking about someone is all.”
“No, it’s no problem.” Jess carefully placed the small vase back upright. He folded his arms and joined Aiden’s side.
“I’m uh, still interested to hear bout those gems if you’re wanting to share.” He said.
“Yeah. I can do that for ya.” Aiden answered.
“For Lukas,” Aiden began, walking through the grass. “Gill chose blue. I remember that one’s loyalty. Gold for compassion. White for safety--he’d always double check our belongings every time to make sure we were prepared.”
Aiden stopped and grabbed a torch, “It was kinda annoying, but I miss it now.” He blew it out and threw the wood.
They kept moving.
“Rose picked pink.” Aiden started running his fingers over the grave tops, “She was real embarrassed when she chose it. Kept refusing to show us cause she thought we’d laugh at her.”
“I’m guessing pink’s for love?” Jess said, trying to make sure he wouldn’t trample any flowers.
“Yeah, and--” Aiden chuckled, “Rose wanted his description to be: Pretty blond dork with a decent sense of style. All of us were actually on board with it.”
“Did you end up pulling through with it?” Jess asked.
“Nah, the guys making the grave wouldn’t allow it.” Aiden spotted a couple of gravestones with torches by them. They were already burnt out. He grabbed two of the torches while Jess grabbed the last.
“What a bunch of killjoys.” Jess joked. Aiden laughed as he prepared to throw the burnt wood. Jess mimicked each step of Aiden’s. Hold, aim, then throw. Once they lost sight of the rubbish, they followed the dirt path to the entrance of the cemetery.
The cemetery wasn’t boxed in by hedges like the park, instead, it had a stone wall.
Aiden leaned against the wall. It didn’t look like the most comfortable surface--the rocks were jagged and would probably fall apart in moments--but he seemed unaffected by it. Jess stood nearby and took a peek through the gate beside them. Unlike the rough, uneven walls, the black fence was tall, sturdy, and had a huge, elegantly curved arch.
“Olivia’s got a few similar gems,” Aiden started, putting his hands in his pocket, “Two golds, yellow… She’s got amber--Man, I always mix those three up. They sound different enough but when they’re placed by each other, they all look the same. Amber’s slightly darker than yellow, but not as dark as gold. Amber’s positivity.”
“Lotta happy ones for her.” Jess commented. He’d been staring at the decorated buildings through the gate’s bars as he listened. He could spot bits of pots filled with flowers on the other side of the wall, their colors as eye-catching as the cemetery.
“Always made us happy.” Aiden said with a shrug. “She also had… Ah…” He pressed his lips together, “Orange! She had that one too. And then there’s…” He had to stop to think again.
“It’s not… Well, it looks like red, but it’s darker… Ah, shoot.” Aiden cursed to himself.
“Carmine? Maroon?” Jess tilted his head.
Aiden snapped his fingers, “Maroon! Right! Creativity; same thing as her grave. Picked it myself.” He said rather proudly.
“You guys really cared about her.” Jess mumbled. He tilted his head towards Aiden, “And I’m sure Olivia loved you guys all the same.”
Aiden stared back at him.
A small smile spread across his face, “Thanks.”
The two became quiet and looked over the array of colorful graves before them. The clouds slowly began to part; gems glistened as the rays of sun shone down on them.
“Should we check on Olivia now?” Jess asked after a few minutes of silence.
Aiden got off the stone wall and stretched his back, “Yeah, let’s go.”
~ ~ ~ ~
When the two returned to Olivia, the last thing they wanted to see was to see her in distress. The tips of her fingers were shoved into the dirt below, her eyes were stuck on the golden words in front of her, her mouth was parted--barely moving--with no voice to match. Jess couldn’t tell if she was trembling or not, but she was scared. Very scared.
Jess bit his lip and approached his friend. Aiden was right behind.
“Olivia?” Jess placed his hand on her shoulder, “Are you doing okay?”
Olivia jumped and jerked her hands out of the dirt.
“Yes--! Yeah, no, no don’t worry, I’m fine. Thanks--thank you for checking on me.” She replied frantically. She took deep breaths.
Before Jess could question anything, Olivia spoke up.
“Aiden, this uh--the substance mixed into the stone,” Her fingers trailed down the tombstone, “is it redstone dust?”
Her voice was shaky.
Aiden glanced at Jess, who was equally nervous as him, then said, “Actually, it is.”
He took a step closer to Olivia, “They don’t usually allow people to mix stuff like redstone or glowstone dust with the colors--especially cause they’re hard to find--but they made an exception for us.”
Olivia nodded along, blinking back tears.
Jess read her epitaph, “Guess all Olivia’s are just the greatest engineers out there, huh?”
“Damn right. She didn’t have a bunch of dust to work with, but she’d still crank out machine after machine like no tomorrow.” Aiden said, “Man, I remember every year for her birthday that’d be all she’d ever ask for. Not weapons, not new journals, not even a dang cake, just redstone dust. Course, the only places you could find ‘em were in caves or old shrines, right?” He asked while facing Lukas’ grave and grabbing the lit redstone torch below.
“Yup, we found a bunch of it yesterday.” Jess said, sitting besides Olivia.
“Right, and since it was so dangerous, she told us to not worry bout gettin’ it because ‘It’d be stupid to risk your life for some red powder’.” Aiden gestured with the torch, the flame getting frighteningly close to his hair.
“Well, I’d always lose track of dates and forget to get her a gift, so one of the other guys would back me up and tell Olivia we bought a gift ‘together’, and I felt so bad.” He thankfully blew out the fire after saying that.
“So then guess what I did one day?” Aiden said.
“Walked out and found a bag of redstone on the ground?” Jess asked sarcastically.
Aiden laughed, “I wish.”  
Aiden began pacing, the trail of smoke whirling around him, “But I decided I’d bust into one of those dumb shrine and find some dust for her, and I didn’t tell anyone bout it besides Jesse. He was on board with the plan, he was great at findin’ stuff, plus two people finding dust was much easier than one.” Aiden fiddled with the burnt wood, “We headed off to the nearest shrine and actually found enough dust to fill up a bag and a half, but cause of the state of that dump, some rooms would collapse after you opened the door!”
“You two ended up getting hurt, didn’t you?” Olivia had her hand on her head, already concerned over the direction of this story.
“Course we did!” Aiden threw his arms up. “I swear anytime the two of us were together, things would fall apart or we’d break a bone--” Aiden stopped his talking to quickly chuck the wood away. “Anyways, anyways, we got back home right on time for Olivia’s birthday and man did we look awful. Clothes were all dirty, got some real bad scrapes on my knees, Jesse grabbed so much dust it looked like his fingers were covered in blood, and I somehow got a black eye? I think the top of a chest smacked me...”
Olivia rubbed her temples, “You two really shouldn’t have risked your lives over a birthday present--”
“That’s exactly what she said!” Aiden exclaimed, “Went through all that trouble, and you know how she reacted?”
“Panicked?” Olivia asked.
“Bet she loved it.” Jess said, giving Olivia a nudge.
“She did--but Hero did she freak out! Dropped her cake and rushed over to get us cleaned up. Olivia was wrapping up one of Jesse’s arms--” Aiden thought to himself for a second, “--I think a big rock landed on it? But she was going off on us. Raising her voice and lecturing us like she was our mom, telling us it’s a miracle we were still in one piece, and why in Hero’s name we did something so stupid.”
“I mean, it wasn’t stupid if things worked out for you.” Jess pointed out.
“Yeah, but still.” Aiden chuckled, “It was stupid. It was so, so stupid. But after that, she loved our present. I’d never seen her smile so much. She was working on her machinery, telling me and Jesse how everything worked while we pretended to understand.”
Aiden carefully leaned on Olivia’s grave, “Hero knows I didn’t understand a single thing she was sayin’, but seeing her so happy…” His smile grew as his voice softened, “It was great.”
“That’s all so sweet…” Olivia spoke softly. “I love it.”
She was shaking again.
Jess turned to his friend to mention something, but stopped when he saw Olivia staring at the ground, fingers picking at the dirt just like she was when they came back. That same, terrified expression on her face.
“Liv--?” Jess mumbled, but Olivia started rambling nonsense.
“I don’t know if my words mean much to you--I know I’m not her--but you’re a good friend, Aiden.” Her nails started to dig into the ground, “All of this, all that you’ve done for Olivia--you--you--Even when I just--” She kept stumbling over her words, “Even when she died one day you kept being so kind to me--”
The more she kept talking, the more concerned--the more scared--Aiden and Jess became.
“Hey, hey are you alright?” Jess reached out to hold her, but Olivia shot her head back up.
“I’m under here.” She whispered. Her voice was so unsteady.
Jess was taken aback, “What?”
“I’m under here.” She said again. “I’m so close.”
Her hand began to claw at the dirt, “I’m so close. My body’s all mangled up in that box below, and--and my hair’s so long now.” She felt sick talking about this, she felt sick thinking about it. “It’d be so easy to just dig myself up. For Aiden to see her again. Jesse--Jess, we’re so close. I could look at myself. Look at my body. I’m--”
“Olivia!” Jess shook her, “Do you want to get out of here?”
Aiden wanted to offer his support, but Olivia instantly got on her feet.
“Yes. Yes I want to leave. I want to go home.” She kept repeating that last sentence while she hugged herself, breathing heavily. She was freezing.
“Right, we need to head back anyways.” Aiden’s stomach was in knots seeing Olivia like this. His hands turned to fists, “I should’ve known better. I shouldn’t have taken you here. I’m sorry--”
“Don’t.” Olivia cut in. “I wanted to go. You took me. I saw--I saw what I needed to. I appreciate it. Thank you.” She was stiff as a board.
Olivia took one last deep breath, “Let’s go home.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Damn them.
Damn them all.
Locked every damn door and window in this house. They’re hiding her, he knows they’re hiding her.
Did they really think locking themselves in would stop him? He used to live in this Hero forsaken house; he knows every nail, screw, and plank that makes up this despicable place.
He still remembers that trapdoor on the roof. He knows how to claw his way up there. He’ll pry it open with his own bare hands.
He’ll find her.
He will.
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cursebreaker-lilith · 4 years
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I only posted her original profile in September, but I’ve changed some stuff and wanted to do a new drawing. Lili was pretty new to me then, and I’ve found her voice a lot more since so it only felt right to have a do over on her profile.
This is all up to the beginning of year 6.
EDIT: Some formatting changes made 5-12-21
BASICS
Name: Lilith Silvia Vesta Brooks
Nicknames: Lili, Pipsqueak, Pip
Name Meaning: Lilith references a figure from Jewish folklore, Silvia comes from her grandmother’s name and references a figure from Roman mythology, Vesta was also chosen by her grandmother and references the Roman goddess of the hearth.
Gender: Cis Female 
Pronouns: She/Her
Age: 16 (Variable depending on what year I’m writing about)
Birthday: October 19th, 1972
Zodiac: Libra
Blood Status: Half-blood
Ethnicity/Nationality: White Brit
Sexuality: Self identifies primarily with queer but is okay with being called bisexual. Is also probably on both the asexual and aromantic spectrum, but the words for them hadn’t been coined in her time period. 
Appearance
Body:
Height: 165cm / 5′5
Build: Average to stocky, hourglass shape
Eyes: A bright yellow-green, noticeably a bit big and round.
Hair: Pale blonde hair that is very thin and fine. She likes doing it up in different ways, from ponytails, to pigtails, to braids. Right before starting her 6th year, she cut her hair short and permed it on an impulse encouraged by her Muggle friends.
Skin: Pale skin that burns easily but quickly fades into a tan
Misc: Small and usually unnoticeable scars scattered across her hands and face from ice in the Ice Vault that will fade wholly with time (most already have by 6th year). Pierced ears--one in each lobe as a teenager but adds more as an adult.
Material Items:
Clothing: As a young child, she tried to keep up with mainstream Muggle fashion. She preferred lots of bright colors, stripes, gaudy jewelry, and scrunchies. Dear lord she loves scrunchies. As she got older however, she began to phase out of the bright colors and mainstream fashion into something which would soon be called grunge. Not completely grunge however as she still loves her statement earrings and scrunchies. Usually wears baggy/non form fitting clothing.
Accessories: Almost always wearing some sort of dangly and obnoxious statement earrings. Always has at least three scrunchies on her person.
In her school bag: Her wand, at least five scrunchies, school books and papers, books Rowan wants her to read, an old crochet penguin for good luck (her first attempt at crochet animals), crochet hooks and yarn, journal and papers related to Cursed Vault plans, at least three cool looking rocks she found on the ground.
Reference:
Face Claim: N/A
Voice Claim: N/A
Personality
Traits:
+  loyal, friendly, extroverted, responsible, mature, kind, adaptable, quick learner, resourceful, hopeful, courageous
+/— determined, good liar, intense, clever, intelligent, independent
— obsessive, untrusting, secretive, forceful, quick temper, angry, abrasive, single minded, rule breaker, rude, spiteful
Description:
Lili has a lot of pent up anger and a quick temper. She’s angry at her family, at authority, at the world. She’s not good at processing this anger and thus tends to lash out at people very often and often very cruelly and violently. She knows this and tries to keep in check but isn’t very good at doing so even as she ages. Because of her anger, she also tends to keep grudges for quite a while, even for stupid or petty reasons and is slow to admit she’s wrong.
In a better world, she would be known for her friendliness. Lili can be very friendly and relaxed. She talks first and makes a judgement second, trying to be as open minded as possible. She’s very casual yet polite and likes people being the same back to her.
Lili is determined in a way that tends towards the negative. Her laser focus on things tend to quickly become obsessions if someone she trusts doesn’t intervene quickly enough.
After her mother stopped being a parent towards her at a young age, Lili learned to take care of herself quickly. She’s become clever and resourceful in her steps to becoming independent. It’s left her mature and responsible for her age, but also untrusting and secretive, convinced she can do it on her own (or with Rowan only).
Lili is very loyal to those that earn her loyalty. For those she cares about, she would do anything. If you do something to lose that loyalty, expect harsh treatment after if Lili even deigns to speak to you. She’s not afraid of cutting people out of her life if they betray or anger her.
Other:
Likes: crafts (crochet, knitting, sewing), Rowan and Barnaby, scrunchies, dangly earrings, being busy, collecting things, fashion
Dislikes: Merula and Ismelda, Rakepick, Snape, most other Slytherins, people who get in her way, Dumbledore, Doctor Who after the 5th Doctor, not getting enough sleep, flying class
MBTI: ESTP
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Hogwarts
Hogwarts House: Slytherin
OWL Classes:
Astronomy: 6/10 (E)
Charms: 9/10 (O)
DADA: 9/10 (O)
Flying: 2/10 (A)
Herbology: 3/10 (A)
History of Magic: 2/10 (A)
Potions: 4/10 (A)
Transfiguration: 7/10 (E)
OWL Electives:
Ancient Runes:  9/10 (O)
Arithmancy:  6/10 (O)
Care of Magical Creatures:  6/10 (O)
NEWT Classes:
Ancient Runes: 9/10 (O)
Arithmancy: 6/10 (E)
Charms: 9/10 (O)
DADA: 9/10 (O)
Transfiguration: 7/10 (E)
Extracurriculars:
Clubs: Dueling Club (3rd-4th year), Fencing Club (2nd-5th year), Transfiguration Club (occasionally from 2nd year on)
Quidditch: N/A
Prefect or Head Boy/Girl: N/A
Best Classes:
Charms It’s the one class she’s very naturally talented at. She never needs to study much, but she barely has to try with Charms. Someday she’ll beat Ben and be the best in their year at the class.
Defense Against the Dark Arts She’s not good at this because of any professor, she’s good at this because of her excursions into the Cursed Vaults giving her practical knowledge.
Worst Classes:
Flying Listen, if people were meant to fly, then they’d have wings, or a spell letting people properly fly would be created by now. Lili will be staying on the ground, thank you very much.
Herbology She’s lived in the city her whole life and being around so many plants is strange. She doesn’t hate the class, but she does use it to catch up with her friends rather than study.
Potions She doesn’t have the patience for potions, and that’s even when she doesn’t have Snape refusing to acknowledge her existence.
Favorite Professors:
Flitwick She thinks Flitwick is great. There’s not much more to say. He’s responsible but not smothering, and still thinks well of her brother. If she ever had to pick an adult to trust, it would be Flitwick.
Kettleburn She had taken Care of Magical Creatures because Rowan had wanted a third elective and Lili didn’t want to take Muggle Studies or Divination. However, she ended up loving the class and thinks Kettleburn is hilarious. She honestly wished she could take the class NEWT level, but her schedule was already full.
Least Favorite Professors:
Snape She has a very complicated relationship with Snape. He hates her because of her brother (who he did not get along with), because she reminds him of James Potter, and because her nickname, Lili, reminds him of his lost love Lily Evans every time he hears it. Lili, of course, does not know any of this and thinks he just hates her for no reason. Jacob thought he was a Death Eater (he got that from whispers older kids who Jacob knew were definitely Death Eaters), so Lili uses that as justification to not like him.
Rakepick She never trusted her and barely liked her, even before she became a professor. Her opinion didn’t go improve any time in fifth year.
Magic
1st Wand: Blackthorn, unicorn hair, 11 3/4 in, shiny and slightly flexible
“Blackthorn, which is a very unusual wand wood, has the reputation, in my view well-merited, of being best suited to a warrior. This does not necessarily mean that its owner practises the Dark Arts (although it is undeniable that those who do so will enjoy the blackthorn wand’s prodigious power); one finds blackthorn wands among the Aurors as well as among the denizens of Azkaban.”
2nd Wand: Aspen, phoenix feather, 12 in, fairly rigid
“In my experience, aspen wand owners are generally strong-minded and determined, more likely than most to be attracted by quests and new orders; this is a wand for revolutionaries.”
Special Abilities: Natural Legilimens, Occlumency
Boggart
Form: Jacob telling her she’s useless and unwanted and that everything she’s doing is for nothing.
Riddikulus: Has not found anything yet that works
Amortentia
What they smell: the Owlery, Standard Ingredient, and something else, something she can’t figure out
What they smell like to others: Lavender, hot chocolate, campfire smoke
Patronus
Form: A goshawk. Independent and intelligent hunters who focus intently on stalking their prey.
Memory: A childhood memory of going to a fair. Jacob looked after her the entire night, and it’s one of the last times she remembers seeing both of her parents laugh.
What they see in the Mirror of Erised: Herself with her family–Jacob is there and looks like how she remembers him, and her mother and father are holding hands and smiling. As she ages, her mother and father are phased out of the image and replaced by her friends, her new family.
FAMILY
Father: David Brooks
Muggle
b. 1943
Works at an accounting firm.
In theory, he was alright with magic and the wizarding world. In practice, it unnerved him more than he could say. When his children started doing accidental magic, and when Jacob came home from Hogwarts talking about nothing but spells and magic, that was it for David. He filed for divorce in 1980 and hasn’t spoken to his ex-wife or children since. He has since married to a fellow Muggle, treating her children as his own and speaking rarely of his biological children. He doesn’t even know Jacob disappeared.
Mother: Carina Flora Brooks (nee Braddock)
Pureblood
b. 1944
Ravenclaw
Works for a wizarding travel magazine as a photographer, travels around the world frequently
She was perhaps not meant to be a mother, and would have been happier following in her brother’s shoes of travelling the world with no responsibilities. However, her mother was insisting she marry and Carina, in a fit of rebellion, decided to marry a nice Muggle she knew instead of the purebloods her mother had picked out.
Carina was never very good with either of her children, and in particular could never get along with Jacob, resorting to abuse (emotional and physical) to try to get him to behave how she wanted. Despite this, she totally shut down when Jacob disappeared, feeling like a failure. This led to her severely neglecting her daughter to wallow in her own misery day and night. It also led to an irrational hatred of Hogwarts. She refuses to read any letters sent by them and has made several subtle attempts to make Lili miss the Hogwarts Express.
Brother: Jacob Seraphinus Ulysses Brooks
Half-blood
b. March 8th, 1967
Slytherin
Currently missing.
Never able to make friends easily or keep his mouth shut, Jacob always had a hard time fitting in, so he turned to books. He preferred fiction over nonfiction, but one history book’s mention of Cursed Vaults on Hogwarts’ grounds led to a search that would dominate his, and his sister’s, life.
He was an outcast in his house and Hogwarts, besides for a few acquaintances, and instead focused on reaching his goals. He was reckless and brave (the Sorting Hat considered putting him in Gryffindor), but obsessive, secretive, and increasingly dependent on the idea of “the end justifies the means.”
Grandfather: Ambrose Braddock
Pureblood
b. 1903
Ravenclaw
Deceased
Known for being Britain’s first natural Legilimens in a century. The Braddock family is known for being a line of natural Legilimens, but none in the family had had the ability in five generations before Ambrose was born. This ended up leading to an offer of marriage from the Malfoy family who wanted the connection to this rare ability. Later realized his grandson was also a natural Legilimens, but died before he could teach Jacob more than the basics on how to control it and never realized his granddaughter also had the ability.
Died of sickness in 1975 at age 72
Grandmother: Silvia Braddock (nee Malfoy)
Pureblood
b. 1911
Slytherin
Never worked, has always been a housewife
Your typical upper class, conservative grandmother. She may not believe that strongly in pureblood mania anymore, but she still believes in things like “children should be seen, not heard,” and corporal punishment. Was in an arranged marriage to Ambrose and never really grew to love him feeling she was marrying beneath her Malfoy heritage. Fairly reclusive nowadays, only entertaining old friends for brunch and going to the occasional pureblood party.
Uncle: Victor Felinus Braddock
Pureblood wizard
b. 1940
Gryffindor
Has a different job every few months, deosn’t really needs to have one and his work ethic shows that
Considered a fun uncle by his nephew, and an annoyance by his niece. Has a lot of stories, and a slight drinking problem.  While his mother was annoyed at him for having a dalliance with a Muggle-born, she was even more furious that he refused to marry Suzie. Victor didn’t want to be tied down, and left her to raise their two daughters only appearing in their lives every few years.
Cousins: Donna and Caroline Jones
Half-bloods
b. 1960 and 1975
Both Gryffindor
Welsh
Their mother Susan Jones was a Muggle-born Sorted into Gryffindor in the same year as Victor Braddock. The two have had an on again, off again relationship since their Hogwarts years that has resulted in two daughters.
Donna was sorted into Gryffindor in 1971 (meaning she would have been roommates with Lily Evans which is a coincidence I swear) and it’s easy to see why. She’s confident, brash, and blunt. She has many problems with her father and refuses to interact with that side of the family. Works in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for the Ministry.
Caroline is the opposite of her much older sister and was surprised to find herself in Gryffindor (Sorted there in Lili’s 3rd year). She’s timid and quiet, but with a backbone hidden underneath. She wilts at any negative tones, but is always ready to extend a hand to anyone who has hurt her, even multiple times.
Step family: Sabina Brooks, Ioan and Luca Ciobanu
Muggles
b. 1949, 1975, and 1980
Immigrants from Romania to England
After divorcing Carina, David began dating Sabina shortly after and later married her, acting as a father to her two young children. The four of them live together in London.
Pets:
Alfred An easily frightened black cat that once belonged to Jacob
Doctor Hoot A large barred owl that frequently forgets it’s an owl and not a lapdog
FRIENDS
Best Friends:
Rowan Khanna Her best friend!! She originally befriended Rowan because Rowan reminded her of her muggle friend, but it soon blossomed into a different, much closer relationship. Whenever Rowan is gone, Lili doesn’t really know what to do (”I’m going to cut all the sleeves off my robes.” “Why??” “Rowan left an hour ago and she’s like 85% of my impulse control.”) and Lili would never have made it through any of the Cursed Vaults without her. She probably also would have gotten expelled for brawling and dueling in like second year without Rowan. I’m not joking about that impulse control thing.
Barnaby Lee Lili didn’t like Barnaby at first. Even before he worked for Merula, she thought he was nothing more than a stupid jock and made fun of how Snape would pick on him in Potions. Then she actually talked to him and did a complete 180. “I’ve only known Barnaby for an hour, but if anything happened to him, I would kill everyone in this room and them myself.” She liked how sweet and genuine he was despite his awful upbringing. He’s always there to support her, and she’s really grown to love him for that. He once thought he had a crush on her, but it wasn’t really romantic (”The feeling was friendship but he had never experienced it before.”).
Good Friends:
Bill Weasley He’s like the big brother Jacob should’ve been. She was not thrilled to have a complete stranger helping with the Vaults, but in hindsight she’s so very glad she listened to Rowan. Lili isn’t sure she could have gotten half of what she’s done done without Bill’s help and steadfastness.
Charlie Weasley Their friendship kind of crept up on Lili. Charlie was closer friends with Ben and Barnaby, so while Lili had a passing familiarity with him before the Forest Vault, she wouldn’t have called them friends. She was surprised when she turned out to really enjoy his company when he started helping with the Cursed Vaults.
Chiara Lobosca Chiara was someone Lili tangentially knew due to people confusing them for each other (the hair color; once Chiara hits a growth spurt and Lili doesn’t people stop). Then Lili is forced to partner with Chiara in Herbology in 3rd year, and besides seeing her Herbology grade go up the slightest bit, she finds a friend in Chiara, appreciating the girl’s seemingly infinite kindness.
Friends:
Nymphadora Tonks They get along in classes, but Lili doesn’t trust Tonks with anything serious.
Liz Tuttle The two have many overlapping friends but don’t really hang out with each other.
Badeea Ali She really respects Badeea, but they just don’t have many reasons to be around each other.
Jae Kim Lili thinks he’s hilarious and very smart, but doesn’t trust him as far as she could throw him.
It’s Complicated:
Ben Copper Probably the most complicated relationship here. She befriended him out of pity and continued their friendship because of his skill at Charms. He’s had a crush on her since they were 11 when she stood up for him which no one had ever done before. Then the Red Robed Wizard Reveal tm happened and Lili dropped him and ignored him, though he tried to make it up to her. 6th year only drives a deeper wedge between them as Lili can’t stand his recent behaviour. Ben finally confessing about his love for Lili in 6th year didn’t help mend anything either.
Tulip Karasu After finding out that Tulip had purposefully not told her about Jacob’s room, Lili instantly decided she was an undesirable but necessary ally. Lili does not like Tulip for most of their time at Hogwarts as she’s really pissed that someone would keep her brother’s things from her. Lili will talk to her about the Cursed Vaults, but they do not hang out and Lili does not consider her a friend. This really, really hurts Tulip’s feelings but Lili doesn’t really care. The relationship does get a bit better in 6th year, but it’s never going to be a close one. In a better world without the Vaults, they’d probably get along smashingly as while Lili isn’t a prankster, she has no problem egging them on.
Love Interests:
Penny Haywood Her first, longest, and most confusing crush. She was wary of Penny at first. Popular girls were rarely that 100% nice, but Penny truly was. She also had a nice smile and pretty hair and soft hands…. It took Lili quite a while (like four years and Bill telling her) to figure out it was a crush and then….she did absolutely nothing. She panicked and stopped talking to Penny for a while before sheepishly apologizing when Penny confronted her. They went to the Celestial Ball together, but “as friends.” That did not stop them from having a Moment that Lili interpreted completely wrongly and she assumed Penny didn’t like her romantically. Penny in fact did, and since Lili never reacted to their Moment in the proper way, Penny assumed that Lili wasn’t interested. The two continued having crushes on each other for the rest of their time at Hogwarts and remained close friends after they both graduated.
Talbott Winger Her second, less confusing, crush. Similar to Barnaby, Lili didn’t think much of Talbott at first. He was that one kid who was talented at Transfiguration and she once saw him chatting casually to an owl in the Owlery. He was weird and she ignored him. Then she was paired with him on a class assignment in 3rd year and a friendship bloomed despite Talbott’s protests. It was a casual thing at first, but then Lili helped Talbott find his mom’s necklace, and their talk under the stars about family and the past and future deepened their friendship. Having already figured out she had a crush on Penny by this time, she managed to get the signs that she now also had a crush on Talbott, which made her panic, again. However, since Talbott is even worse with emotions than her, she didn’t do anything drastic like she did with Penny. They went on one date in 6th year but that was going too fast for Talbott and they decided to stay friends until Talbott felt more comfortable being around people. Lili took this….mostly gracefully.
Diego Caplan The two met in the Dueling Club in 4th year. Diego was impressed with Lili’s skill and tried to befriend her and also maybe flirt with her a bit. Lili, who tends to gravitate towards people who are unashamedly themselves, found his over the top flirting hilarious and was instantly endeared to Diego. She really enjoyed being around him, finding his lightheartedness helped her forget some of her troubles with the Cursed Vaults, especially in 5th year. He asked her out on a date, her first one, and she agreed. She enjoyed the date, but 5th year was the peak of her obsession with the Cursed Vaults so she broke it off. They later dated again during 6th year, after Lili’s one date with Talbott.
Dormmates:
Rowan Khanna see above
Desdemona Selwyn An OC. Their entire relationship can be explained with that one text post that’s like “Bitch.” “Blocked.” “Wait unblock me I need to tell you something.” “Unblocked.” “Bitch.”
Vidalia Barrows An OC. Lili has said like two sentences to Vidalia and she plans to keep it that way. Vidalia just eats and sleeps and does whatever Desdemona says to do.
Doesn’t Interact:
Murphy McNully/Skye Parkin/Orion Amari/Erika Rath She’s not involved in Quidditch.
Andre Egwu I just can’t think of a way to work him into the plot lol They would get along somewhat well otherwise.
Enemies:
Merula Snyde Hated each other’s guts for a while. Then Lili gave up her Frog Choir spot and Merula gained a small crush (even if Lili was a total ass about giving it up). While they’ll never be friends, by the time of 5th and 6th year they’ve become reluctant allies similar to Lili and Tulip above. Lili will probably never totally befriend her, but she’s learned to be civil and that’s progress.
Ismelda Murk Lili doesn’t really like Ismelda but she considers her all bark and no bite. Ismelda hates Lili because she thinks Lili and Barnaby are gonna end up dating and is jealous.
Desdemona Selwyn An OC. See above.
Most of Slytherin House Lili has never been shy about being half Muggle and being proud of it, and in a house that still worships Voldemort, that sets her apart. The few that don’t find her being pro-Muggle distasteful don’t want to be exiles in their own dorms and avoid talking to her.
Story
Childhood:
Lili’s childhood was never that great. Her parents fought frequently over her and Jacob’s use of accidental magic, and this eventually caused them to divorce when Lili was 9. Her mother in particular was emotionally and physically abusive but Jacob spared her from the worst of it.
Jacob was always the best part of her childhood. She loved her parents, but Jacob was the person she always looked forward to seeing. When he went to Hogwarts, she was upset for weeks, and when he went missing, she was devastated (especially as he went missing the night of her birthday).
Her mother didn’t take it well. Carina was not particularly close with Jacob, but this obviously big failure of her as a parent hit her hard. She became very emotionally withdrawn from Lili and threw herself into her photography work, leaving the country, and Lili, for weeks at a time.
Lili had to become very independent very quickly after that. That, plus the fact that she didn’t have any non-Muggle friends meant she trusted very few people and lied often. Getting her Hogwarts letter was a relief and a promise of freedom
Hogwarts:
: )
see here: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1467043
Adulthood:
Lili is very distraught after graduation and leaves everyone she knows behind to travel Europe and find herself. She spends several years doing this, helping people and doing odd jobs.
Eventually, she finds that she has a talent for languages, picking up a few easily in her travels, and starts to consider possibly doing something related to language whenever she goes back to Britain.
Miscellaneous
She fuckin loves scrunchies.
Has lived in a Muggle neighbourhood her whole life.
Likes muggle TV. Grew up watching Doctor Who. Not impressed with the 6th Doctor, and glad she was away at Hogwarts during his run. Favorite Doctor is the 4th and she knit herself her own version of his scarf.
Likes collecting things! She loves cool rocks on the sidewalk, tacky tourist souvenirs, and things you find for $1 in a thrift store.
She can knit, crochet and sew. She likes making little crochet animals and giving them to friends (or just keeping them and having a plushy empire around her bed).
Loves having her photo taken and has a whole collection of photos, but hates taking photos. It reminds her of her mother.
One of her Muggle friends got her into fencing. She thought it would be useful to hone her athletic skills with, so she continued doing it when she went back to Hogwarts in the fall.
The type of person who needs to be doing something 24/7. When she doesn’t have anything to focus on, she tends to be all over the place and rather annoying.
Quieter and more complacent as a kid. it was after her family broke apart that the need to be so driven started to become a part of her personality.
Love Like You from Steven Universe is a song for her and Jacob (from Jacob’s POV)
Chameleon by Michela is a song that fits her
Tropes:
Big Brother Worship
Determinator
Family Eye Resemblance
Good is Not Nice
Hair Trigger Temper
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
Parental Neglect
46 notes · View notes
advernia · 4 years
Text
fic: with my lips engraved on every cup
— seven days, four seasons. just enough time to find a place to call home. - seasonal snippets on the dormouse & alice the second.
1: luci's b-day gift ft. diplomouse content! disclaimer: it's totally not farming-sim inspired lmao ∠( ᐛ 」∠)_
winter He was there when Blanc handed the papers over to her, all of them checked, signed, and safely nestled within a long white folder. Behind them, standing tall but worn, was a cottage with a chipped black roof, musty stone walls, plywood barred windows, and piles of snow hiding a yard of dried grass.
All that a modest property enclosed by a picket fence with fading paint.
It’s a sore thumb among the many rows of homes and establishments around the Central Quarter; but still she accepted the deed with her shaking fingers and ecstatic grin. He watched quietly as she turned the folder back and forth, those blue eyes running over her own name written on the folder's front a few times; until she lowered her head and pulled the folder oh-so close to her chest.
The folder didn’t bend in her tight embrace, nor did its edges crumple in her firm grasp.
monday || spring 5 The yard has a touch of color now, meek greens that are far more pleasing to the eye than drab yellows and parched browns. She figures that flowers would make the yard look more lively, but the ground needed a little more care before she could get around to planting anything decent.
Advice from an expert gardener, she tells him.
Honestly speaking though, the yard wasn’t the only area of the property that achieved a new level of decency - cleaned and somewhat refurbished, she made the cottage look pretty, look more like a dwelling place rather than some long abandoned lot. Inside the cottage her belongings are little and decorations are sparse, but the simplicity has its charm and he’s sure she’d get by - long months of working under Cradle’s best confectionery allowed her to save up enough Lin to buy a house in Central, after all.
When she offers him a fresh batch of Earl Grey in what she mentioned to be her first ever tea set in Cradle (purchased with her own Lin, managed to coax a fifteen percent off to boot), he accepts it in a heartbeat.
tuesday || spring 13 The walls of the second floor mirror those of the first floor, that being the upper cement halves painted over with a calming cream color to contrast its dark brown wooden lower halves. It looked like coffee and cream that someone couldn’t bear to mix, something that brought about a sense of calm and warmth and also drowsiness. Then again, that might be his fault and also, it’s midday.
She serves him a cup of coffee along with something she called a calzone, a snack from the Land of Reason - the circular flaky pastry had been filled with bacon, egg, and more importantly cheese, and that ingredient alone made the whole thing absolutely delicious in his book. It paired surprisingly well with the rich coffee too, so maybe it’s no surprise that both his food and drink are gone after just a few minutes.
Maybe I should start a cafe, she says with a laugh, eyes dancing with mirth.
He dabs at the edges of his mouth with a napkin, pondering her suggestion. He tries to picture the first floor - a rectangular space that was much wider than it appeared to be - filled with tables and a wide glass display for assorted pastries and shelves storing canisters of tea leaves and coffee beans. Then there in the center of it all would be her, golden hair neatly tied up with a ribbon and blue eyes brimming with a kind warmth.
Welcome, she would say with a smile that reached her eyes, and he decides that it wasn’t a bad idea at all.
Maybe you should, he nods, tone completely serious.
wednesday || spring 21 It was his first time stepping into her kitchen, so he took his time to look around while she was still busy baking. He could’ve waited in the living room, but instead he sat on a stool near the windows and fought the urge to take a nap.
First of all, the place was at optimal temperature - a light breeze was flowing through the open windows to soothe the heat brought about by a running oven, relaxing the body in an environment that was currently a perfect balance of hot and cold.
Second, the scent wafting about the whole room was comforting - he’s not so sure how to describe it himself, but the warm aroma of baking bread along with the lingering touches of tea brewing in the air was more... soothing than appetizing at the moment.
And third, she was there and in the small space she truly looked like she was at home - feet smoothly going to and fro the counters to the oven, swift and steady hands prepping ingredients laid out on the counter, body upright and eyes lost in a state of focus. A practiced confidence exudes from her every action, and the longer he observed her the more he’s reminded that before she fell into Cradle, she was a confectioner from a place called London.
She hummed a tune as she worked, an unfamiliar melody to him that went up and down and up and down. It sounded cute and cheery and it’s something he could associate to her disposition, but all its chipper timbre couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.
So instead of struggling, he gives in - his eyelids flutter shut and he couldn’t see her anymore, but he could still hear the soft patter of her shoes tapping against the floor, the humming from her throat. He could still breathe in the scents coming from her fruits of labor, a hefty cheese loaf sure taking its time to be ready for consumption and notes of floral - maybe jasmine - tea.
... He’d been meaning to ask her if she truly resigned from the confectionery, but perhaps that would have to wait.
thursday || spring 29 There’s a pretty windchime attached to the thatched door now, made out of magic crystals and ringing out a light tune in response to the door drawing open. She sees him standing by the doorway and urges him to come in, three letters in one hand and each bearing a different seal on them.
One had a dark color, could be easily mistaken for a big blot of ink but was actually the clay seal known to be used by the Black Army. The other one had an excellent reddish shade, easily identifying itself as the crimson wax seal of the regal Red Army. The last one was a shining bronze, and that color was exclusive to the charm seal bearing the insignia of the Civic Center.
The letters are stuffed away in some drawer, so he assumes that asking about their contents would be impolite.
Once he’s seated on the sofa she disappears into the kitchen to prepare some snacks, so he’s left alone in a... strangely bare home. There’s little furniture, the flowery decorations she hung up here and there have vanished, the picture frames containing assorted pictures of her and the two Armies of Cradle aren’t displayed on fireplace’s mantel, and the row of tall shelves she lined with books ranging from the history and culture of Cradle to Glazed Sweets, and How to Perfect Them weren't around either. Even the fluffy fur rug that he often contemplated taking a nap on was gone!
Spring cleaning, maybe?
They’re halfway through their Assam tea and custard cake when he brings this up - the innocent question renders her quiet for a second then she chuckles, setting her cup back down on its saucer.
Maybe it is spring cleaning - I promised myself to get this place ready in time, she says.
Ready for what? he prompts, head tilting to the side.
A smile blooms on her face, eyes crinkling at the corners.
For... a ‘grand’ opening, I hope!
friday || summer 6 Through the long unbarred and new stained-glass-pane windows shines a bright light - it’s pretty late but still he knocks on her door, standing on the cobblestone path and staring at the neatly trimmed grass of her lawn. She opens the door seconds later, still dressed in her casual skirts and staring at him and his suitcase curiously - nevertheless, she lets him in without any questions asked.
It’s funny how the first floor now looked similar to how he imagined it to be on that one spring day - the room was now filled with at least eight tables paired with cherrywood chairs, looking tasteful and comfortable with plaid blue cushions attached to each seat. Near the far end of the room and close to the door that led to the kitchen was a wide glass display case right beside a clean long counter, surface empty save for a cupcake stand set one end. The tall shelves where her books used to be were relocated to stand against the wall near the display case, hosting an array of tea tins and coffee packs with a toss of assorted accessories and knick-knacks in between.
The dark wooden walls were repainted with an easy mint color, the whole room much brighter with the addition of the iron hanging lanterns secured on the ceiling. Curtains and decors such as paintings and flower vases were simple yet bursting nicely with summer-feel colors, and one corner of the room even had a neat display of potted plants.
The whole space seemed to be well-distributed, not too bare and not too cramped either - there were adequate spaces between tables, ample moving room on the floor for people to roam about. It was a nice place and definitely looking like a good place to nap in, but...
... I won’t be here for your opening day, he blurts out once they’re seated.
He doesn't miss the quick blink of her eyes, the glance to his suitcase, her slow nodding and the brief purse of her lips.
Oh, she says after a while, voice something small.
There’s nothing much to say after that, and he couldn’t find a good reason for her to stay when she stands up and excuses herself. He stares blankly at his hands that have curled themselves into fists on his lap, something sour and unpleasant brewing in his stomach making him feel all the more uncomfortable and -
- then there’s the soft clink of something tapping against wood.
He looks up to see a glass of water and beside it, a fork laid out on a napkin and piece of cake laid out nicely on a saucer.
A slice of triple coffee cheesecake for a busy diplomat, she announces.
His eyes count four layers of brown though, all of different shades and textures.
... Triple layer? he repeats.
That’s right, she nods, then points to each section of the cake according to her narration. The crust below is made out of chocolate graham crackers and set above it is the first layer, a traditional-style cheescake made with a combination of two cheeses. The second layer is lighter since it’s a mousse, the portion of cheese mixed in making it semi-sweet. And finally, the top or third layer is a whipped cream finish, soft and airy with just the right amount of cream cheese mixed in. All three layers also have varying amounts of coffee in them, that’s why -
- it’s a triple coffee cheesecake, he finishes, raising his head fully to meet her eyes.
She holds his gaze for a moment before her open palm gestures to the saucer.
I hope it’s to your liking... dear first customer, she says, the makings of a smile on her lips.
saturday || summer 14 It was only on the strangest of occasions that he had full appreciation for his past of being a former soldier, namely for that one phase in his life where he had undergone rigorous stealth training. The ability to be inconspicuous at will was a ridiculous skill for a diplomat to have, but in the country of Cradle and on this very special day, he’d beg to differ.
So he jumps over the white picket fence, making himself as small as possible by lowering his head and keeping his body close to the ground. As he crept across the yard he caught whiffs of a rich velvety aroma wafting in the air, slipping past that partially opened door just a few steps within his reach now.
When he rises up to his full height to push the door open, she turns around to the sound of creaking wood and the sudden rush of night air flowing into the kitchen, hands still wrist-deep in soapy sink water along with an array of saucers and tea cups.
They just stare at each other for a few seconds: he glances at her slightly mussed ponytail, blinks at the dark brown stains on the apron worn over her dress. She studies his disheveled clothing, takes in what looked like exhaustion written over the entirety of his face.
Tough Valentine’s Day? she decides to ask, voice kind.
He lets out a sigh, closing the kitchen’s back door behind him.
... I wasn’t even able to take a midday nap, he mumbles.
She laughs a bit at the sight of his sullen expression before raising a soapy finger, pointing at the teapot set on the stove.
How about we both take a break, then? she grins. There’s some leftover chocolate cake we can eat, too!
The prospect of seeing chocolate again was slightly unnerving but he nods anyway, if only to see that sweet smile of hers once more.
sunday || summer 15 Behind her there’s a laundry basket filled with a neat pile of various cloths, stains on them ranging from a spectrum of playfully colorful to borderline suspicious.
Behind him is an open back door that led to the outside where the sun is high in the sky, round and bright and beckoning.
Neither of them budge, though - her folded arms are set on the table and her head rests on them sideways, eyes closed and breathing steady. Seated across from her, his elbow is propped up on the table with his chin resting on his hand.
In between them, his cup of coffee and her cup of fruit tea have probably gone cold.
There’s a thick lock of her hair splaying itself on the table, just within his reach. After some period of thought, his free hand reaches out to curl the strands in between his fingers.
Lift, spin, fall - slip in, slip out. Rinse, repeat.
As he idly toyed with her hair, his eyes traced the parts of her face that were visible to his point of view: they follow the curve of her eyelid, assessed the length of her eyelashes, studied those light dark imprints under her eye.
Her laundry can wait, he muses, letting the tranquil silence carry on a little further. It’s all so strange and new, really - the weather conditions, temperature, point in time, and location were all so ideal, but yet...
... with her sleeping face just right in front of him, the only thing he could possibly think of was staying awake.
monday || fall 3 The cafe’s pastel yellows and calm blues have been traded for warm oranges and homely browns, sweet scents of vanilla and sandalwood replaced with spicy notes of cinnamon and gingerbread.
The chalkboard menu doesn’t feature iced teas and fruit cakes anymore, but filling in for them was a selection of hot drinks and club sandwiches. The cupcake stand on the counter was now a wicker basket filled with an assortment of cookies, each one in a small bag secured by patterned ribbons.
There are the little things that stay the same though, like how the wooden sign outside the cafe already spells ‘open’ come six o’clock sharp in the mornings. The windchime attached to the door still rings out a clear tune that echoed throughout the whole room, and in response to that her swift welcome would follow, voice happily loud and smile reaching her eyes.
He stands up to leave when the clock strikes nine, the agenda of a general assembly still fresh in his mind. She’s attending to other customers so he decides to leave his payment on the table, right next to his empty mug of hot cocoa.
The windchime rings again when he pulls the door open, and before he’s able to take his first step outside, he feels something pull lightly at his arm.
When looks over his shoulder, she’s slipping a small bag with a striped green ribbon into his hand.
Have a good day, she beams, then she turns on her heel and bounds off to table three.
tuesday || fall 11 It’s only when she pours some more tea in his cup that he realizes that there were no other customers left in sight, and that from madding reds and oranges; the sky had already taken on dark hues of blues and purples.
I have to admit - I’m not so sure what other work a diplomat does asides from... communicating, she says with a laugh, taking the seat across from him. Do you do paperwork often, too?
He closes the folder in his hands, setting it on top of the other folders he had finished reading and set aside earlier.
It’s a case-to-case basis, he hums. But if you ask me... Establishing foreign policies, contracts, treaties, trade agreements, and the like usually end up with more talks than actual paperwork if there's already a relationship between countries present. New connections start up with more paperwork as a formality - I mediate and negotiate any meeting or summit, survey and study any paperwork concerned, but in the end it’s the Civic Center that makes the final decision and action.
... I see, she nods a couple of times, then she taps a finger on her chin. Um... I know I’ve been living here for a while now so this sounds silly of me to ask just now, but I’ve only studied the map of Cradle, and I was wondering... how wide exactly is this world?
No sooner than the question had left her lips, she finds his hands clutching her very own and his face just a handspan away.
His breath, smelling faintly of apple cider tea, fans her cheeks when he speaks.
Do you want to know? he asks, voice adapting a deep tone she’s never heard him use before.
Mouth going dry, her eyes try to skitter away from the intensity of his gaze but they’re hopelessly drawn to every facial feature of his that she hadn’t quite noticed before instead: the defined lines of his cheekbones, the sharp bridge of his nose, unusually long yet dainty eyelashes, the curve of his li -
Warmth pools even further in her cheeks, words a pathetic squeak stuck in her throat.
wednesday || fall 19 On the second shelf, he spots three tea tins and five coffee packs with different designs and packaging. He blinks and proceeds to go over the contents of the other shelves too, and in total he counts eight new tea tins and twelve unusual coffee packs.
When he picks out a coffee pack in gold and silver wrapping with a familiar sigil drawn on its center, he hears a hum of approval.
That has a strong smoky aroma but a sweet delicate flavor, someone says.
He turns around to see her standing not so far away, a serving tray in her hands and feet pointed elsewhere.
This coffee pack has the sigil of Tenniel, he points out. Their fine woodcarvings and colorful handicrafts are gaining popularity in Cradle, but there’s a general lack of appreciation for the extreme bitter flavors that all Tenniel food products seem to have.
Is that so? Then maybe more people should try tasting that coffee, she shrugs. I think that blend tastes rather lovely - not a tad bitter at all.
You also have coffee packs and tea tins from Gernsheim, Pleasance, Lionel, Ludovic, and Dalziel - Tenniel included, they’re small countries that Cradle formed trade agreements with. Those negotiations were recently made, so it’s natural that most of their products aren’t familiar and don’t have much of a reputation in Cradle’s markets yet. But why did you...
His voice began to trail off, as if the question on the tip of his tongue was slowly being answered the longer he stared at the soft smile on her face.
Someone recently taught me that the key to good diplomacy, she paused as she moved forward to pluck the coffee pack from his hands, ... is the effort to start with even the smallest of steps.
She winks at him before making a beeline for the kitchen.
thursday || fall 27 He picks off one glittery bag from the wicker basket on the counter, peering at the gingerbread cookie inside. It’s person-shaped, and there’s something about how its clothes are snow-white and the dot-buttons on it are gold.
Oh, he mouths after a few minutes.
He trades glitter for a star-patterned bag this time, and inside was another gingerbread cookie. Lo and behold, there it was: a person-shaped treat dressed in black clothes with silver accents.
Here’s your order, a cup of Dalziel’s triple berry te... what are you doing? she asks, setting the tea cup down gently on the counter.
In response to that he retrieves the glitter bag from the basket, then he turns around to wave the two bags in his hands.
You make Red and Black Army gingerbread men? he inquires. Her lips quirk upwards.
Children like those a lot, she explains. They find it really cute - and tasty!
He’d like to point out that while the Black Army as a whole would probably find this hilarious, it’s perhaps the majority of the ever-so proud Red Army that might find offense in seeing miniature versions of themselves being called cute and eaten by children.
He doesn’t, though.
What he settles for is putting the cookies back on the basket then leaning his body forwards, peering at her face instead. She stays in place but her head draws back a bit, eyes blinking a bit faster.
... What is it? she mutters after seconds of silence and scrutiny.
He goes over her features again; starting from the ends of her braided blonde hair, up to the center of her forehead, going to the blue of her eyes, passing the tip of her nose then down to those full lips.
I want a gingerbread cookie, he says.
The tension in her brow relaxes, her expression almost relieved.
Oh. Oh, that’s fine! Then you can have one -
... Of you.
- of those in the... wait, what?
friday || winter 4 There’s a long coat draped over her shoulders and a scarf around her neck, offering better protection from the cold than her nightgown could ever provide. Long socks cover her legs and fluffy slippers adorn her feet, and for a moment he ponders over how warm and comfortable that must feel.
Meanwhile, she’s going over the current situation - it’s just an hour before midnight, she’s about to go to bed but then she heard a couple of knocks on her door, so she decides to crack the door open just enough to take a peek. She ends up opening the door anyway because she sees him standing outside her snow-piled doorway, a lone suitcase his companion on the cobblestone path.
Well - this is familiar, she chuckled as she stepped aside and motioned him to enter. He accepts her invitation, pulling his suitcase along with him.
Another season meant that the silvery stripes and royal blues of winter would now take over the cafe’s warm oranges and homely browns, and the spice that used to linger in the air was cleared by the crisp smell of pine with touches of wood smoke from the fireplace.
The subdued colors weren’t so lively, but the cafe still felt so cozy.
When they’re seated and two steaming cups of fresh milk are in their hands, he pointedly stares at the large decoration set at the very center of the room.
Where did you get the tree? he asks, drawn to the shiny green leaves.
It’s... a generous donation from the Queen of Hearts, she grins. It came with a lot of decorations, too! I'll be putting them up tomorrow night, though.
I see. I’m sorry that I can’t help you with the decorating.
It’s fine, don’t worry about it! More importantly, where are you going this time?
... Ludovic. I’ll be there for five days.
Five days, hm? she hums for a bit, then later wrinkles her nose. Oh, didn’t you say that Ludovic is surrounded by mountain ranges? It must be way colder there right now since it’s winter! Are you sure you brought enough clothes?
I did. Ludovic’s winter has a lot more bite than Cradle’s, but I’ll be alright - I’ve grown used to it over time.
She pins him down with her narrowed eyes and pursed lips - he doesn’t shy away from her gaze though, choosing to meet her leering head on.
... Really? she mutters, a stern edge lowering her tone. How cute.
Really, he smiles.
He takes the sigh that follows seconds later as her sign of defeat, but he’s unsure on why she’s suddenly unraveling the layers of her scarf. She tugs at the cloth once and it lets go of her neck, yarn embellishments on each end falling loosely.
A couple of folds later and her outstretched arms offer him the scarf, a neat bundle of knitted beige cloth in her hands.
You can give it back once you’ve come home, she says.
saturday || winter 12 The papers spread out on the table are promptly ignored, just like how her intention of getting some accounting done was overthrown by a sudden interest in watching him brew coffee.
The blend was a gift to him given by a farmer’s village in Ludovic - the coffee beans were round in shape and black in color, earthy in smell and rather tiny. He opens the packet and scoops a spoonful of beans to put in the mortar, along with some...
Are those... beans? she asks from where she sat.
Ludovic’s cardamom, he replies casually.
Her brow furrows a bit, and it grows deeper by just watching him throw in some amounts of another unusual ingredient - star anise, she recognizes, and something in her shivered at the sight.
One of the locals taught me one of their favorite recipes, he says. They showed me how to make the coffee from start to finish, and when I took a sip of the finished product, it reminded me of you.
Hm? It reminded you... of me?
Yeah. The whole time I was drinking the coffee, I was thinking about how much I wanted to make it for you... and how’d you react once you had a taste of the coffee I made.
He isn’t facing her so she couldn’t see his expression properly, but there’s a solemnity to his confession that warms the tips of her ears.
... O-oh, she manages to spit out.
The pestle’s in his hand now, and the other one moves to hold the mortar. Grip tight and eyes focused, he began to crush the mortar’s contents. Crunching sounds accompany each grind of the pestle, catching both her eyes and her attention again.
Freed from their silk glove confines, she finds herself drawn to the bare skin of his hands, the curves of his knuckles, the bend of his fingers and the shape of his fingertips. They’re all so new sides to him that fascinate her, and after some prolonged staring she realizes two things -
One: his hands were larger than they looked, and they definitely belonged to a former soldier - some were faint and most were old, but her eyes could still pinpoint where some scars began and where they ended across his skin.
The second one, no matter how trivial it seemed, made her feel bubbly enough for her to vocalize that -
... This is first time someone’s ever made me coffee, she murmurs.
sunday || winter 13 A full moon’s blooming brightly in the night sky - the moonlight it trickles down on the stained glass windows makes each mosaic design shine, resulting in colorful shadows gracing the wooden floor.
Fifteen minutes had passed, but he still showed no sign of waking up like he had promised her earlier. Not like she had the heart to wake him herself, considering that he’d been in Tenniel’s grand court from dawn to midday solving a miscommunication, returned to Cradle just in time for a meeting in the Gardens, was afterwards ordered to mediate a growing village dispute somewhere around the closer outskirts of Cradle’s borders, then was hauled away immediately to act as an interpreter for the Gernsheim envoys having difficulty expressing their wish to pass through Cradle’s seas.
All that jumping in and out of Cradle in one day, made possible by magic - he surprised her when he suddenly appeared in her living room too, looking worse for wear than she’d ever seen him before.
Gently, she picks up the tea cup and saucer on the table - maybe it was pushy of her, forcing him to eat and drink something when his eyes could barely keep themselves open. Still, he drained the tea cup and left little traces of the cheesecake on the saucer without a single word of complaint.
Then he passed out on her couch.
... Five more minutes, she muses. Before heading back downstairs, her eyes go over his sleeping profile one more time: head laying sideways on a pillow, brown hair going about all sorts of directions across his face, jacket loose and vest unbuttoned, legs curled up near to the chest, one arm dangling off the couch.
One beige scarf around the neck, a hand keeping the fabric close to his lips.
Her face eases into a kind smile, her gaze as equally warm.
Welcome home, she says, a gentle whisper in the silent night.
.
.
.
.
.
2: oh man.... going back to writing dialogue with no quotation marks is an experience™.... and tbh i still can't settle on a temporary 'footing' for mousse's character┗(・ω・;)┛it's nice to know that he's pretty passionate about his job though! altho rly cybird... why isn't this diplomat fixing the diplomatic trainwreck that is cradle itself lolol 3: alice living in and owning a cafe in central is one of my personal headcanons - i was allowed to be self-indulgent, lol! ( ᐛ )و and the names of the countries on fall 19 btw are actually names of people that are one way or another related to the making / publishing of alice in wonderland! idk if cradle really has... uh, small neighboring countries... but i'd like to think there are??????? probably??? (゜▽゜;)
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quiltdeer52-blog · 5 years
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Cranberry Bliss Bars
Tis’ the season for Cranberry Bliss Bars! So first of all let me preface this blog post by mentioning that I could house an entire box of Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars to myself. In one sitting. They are one of my all-time favorites. So I decided to make a gluten-free, grain-free, copycat version because why the hell not?! It’s Christmas!
Okay so another thing I should maybe mention is that I’m obsessed with Christmas. Like OBSESSED obsessed. I put my tree up the day after Thanksgiving and I’ve had eggnog in my fridge since late September. What?! I can’t help it. Christmas is the best. Mainly because everything is covered in lights, Uggs are acceptable footwear, scarves are the best accessory, and the baking is on point. Oh man is the baking on point. Not only is baking so fun and delicious, but then you can also use the heat from the oven to heat your house, so it’s kind of like you’re saving money. Is it? No, it’s not, but just go with it.
So I also have been meaning to write a follow up to my July blog post about how I quit drinking for 8 months. Oh, you haven’t read that post yet? Well let’s go ahead and pause here so you can get caught up. It’s fine, I’ll wait…
And we’re back. So lots of you wonderful blog readers have reached out wondering, “What the heck Vanessa, are you a full-blown alcoholic again after your Honeymoon, or what? The people are dying to know.” So let’s go ahead and get right on into it, here’s my recap: I drank on our Honeymoon, I had champagne, piña coladas, dirty martinis, the works. I really enjoyed myself and I was surprisingly not hungover at all. I think the most drinks I had in one day would be about 4 though, so it’s not like I was a college girl after finals or anything.
I definitely felt and still feel myself sliding back in though. As I type this it’s only be 6 days since I’ve had a drink. After vacation ended I stayed sober until I visited a friend in San Francisco for my birthday (about a month total) and then I didn’t drink at all the month of October, I did a “Sober October” to try and get my sh!t together. Then November came in hot! I’ve basically drank every weekend in November, usually 3-4 drinks, sometimes in one day, sometimes over the whole weekend. We visited family in Tucson earlier in the month, then I had a friend in town, and then it was Thanksgiving…blah blah blah excuses, excuses. So I basically feel like someone who is walking up a steep hill and then every few feet or so, I slide back down part of the way. I believe “a slippery slope” is the easier and technical way to say that right? Ugh. See. Alcohol makes you dumb. Even after 6 days without it.
The original plan was to only drink on Holidays, special occasions, or when it’s really worth it. That plan has proven much harder to stick to than I originally thought it would. I think I just want to be one of those “in moderation” people so bad that I’m like, “Oh yeah, totally, I can make that work.” I’m still going to earnestly give that route a try because it makes the most sense to me. So the goal now is to make it until Christmas Eve without a drink and then start fresh in the New Year and go as long as I can again.
Each time I drink now I make a conscious effort to really ask myself, “What is it about this that I think I like so much?” because to be completely honest, the last few times I’ve gotten buzzed, it’s given me a sort of nervous paranoid anxiety that made me feel like, “I don’t like this, I feel uncomfortably fuzzy, I can’t articulate what I’m trying to say to this person, and I feel like everyone knows I’m drunk.” but then I still continue to do it anyway.  Why? Is it to just check out of reality for a second? Or make things more challenging just for the fun of it? What is it? I’m still trying to figure this out.
On our 6 hour road trip to Tucson, Brad and I played the New York Times 36 Questions to Love which you are actually supposed to play with someone you’ve never met, but I thought it would be a good way to kill time. We’re married, so obviously we already knew a lot of the answers to the questions about each other, but it was still fun and there were actually quite a few that we didn’t know about each other. Like Question 1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest? He said me! Isn’t he the best?! That’s why I married him, but then I made him pick someone else besides me and he said Jesus. Which I thought was strange since he doesn’t believe in God, but anyway that’s another blog post for another time.
Fast forward to Question 12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be? His answer was amazing, he said, “I’d wake up without any vices.” Well, wow, that got me thinking (mainly because my answer was something dumb like be invisible or be able to sing) what causes us to have vices or need vices? Is that why I think I’m entitled to a drink whenever I want one? Is it because we live in a world where we feel entitled to our vices? Like we’ve earned them?
So I guess the Cliff’s Notes version of this blog post is I’ve realized I don’t particularly enjoy drinking that much anymore, but I’m still doing it anyway, and I have no idea why. Maybe I need therapy?! Or maybe I just need to read This Naked Mind again. Then the other part of me is like, who cares, YOLO, just drink and be merry. It’s the quintessential angel and devil on each shoulder.
So knowing what I know now, would I have still chosen to drink on my honeymoon or would I have continued my non-drinking stretch? The answer is yes, I would have still drank regardless. I enjoyed having piña coladas in St. Barth’s and having expensive champagne on my wedding night in St. Maarten, and drinking a cocktail as I watched the sun set over Anguilla. Yes. I’d do it again and again. It was part of the experience for me, and while it’s true that I know I would have had just as much fun without it, I still liked the feeling of just letting my hair down and completely indulging with no guilt. Just like you’re supposed to do on vacation.
As someone who rarely lets their hair down, meaning that figuratively rather than literally, because I’ve actually been wearing my hair down a lot lately, as I feel a workout bun is just not an appropriate way to present myself to society, no matter how convenient it may be and I spend way too much money cutting and coloring my hair to just throw it up so no one can see. I’m rambling aren’t I, where were we again? 
Ah! Letting my figurative hair down felt really nice and carefree. And since I’m an abstainer, it’s hard for me to get out of the drinking cycle, if I’m still drinking on weekends. Are you as confused as I am? It’s hard getting all of your random thoughts and feelings into one concise point or blog post, so forgive me if this post seems scattered. I blame the alcohol obviously. 😉
I’m excited to see what 2018 has in store! I’m excited to get off the drink again and get back to that place where I was living my best life and things weren’t so foggy. As much as our society worships alcohol, I think there is really something to be said about living an alcohol-free life. It’s charming almost, simple and charismatic.
So anywho! That’s that. The married life rules too in case you were wondering. I love it! Everyone I tell that to says, “Oh well enjoy it while you can, that will change real soon!” Um, excuse me, that’s not nice. Be nice. Speaking of being nice, you absolutely have to make these copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars because they are just too delicious not to, they are very nice. So nice in fact that I think Santa took them off the ‘Naughty’ list just for you.
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12 tablespoons (170 g) salted butter, browned
2 cups (184 g) sifted fine grain blanched almond flour
1/4 cup (40 g) coconut flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup (135 g) sifted maple sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (6 oz./180 g) white chocolate, chips or chopped
½ cup (70g) dried cranberries
16 ounces (452g) cream cheese, softened (see Notes for dairy-free option)
8 tablespoons (112g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (115g) (70g) powdered sugar, or sifted maple sugar
¼ cup (60ml) light-colored raw honey
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (50g) finely chopped dried cranberries, for garnish
½ cup (90g) white chocolate, chips or chopped, for garnish
Brown the butter by placing it in a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan (2.5qt./2.3L) and cook over medium-low heat. Stir intermittently using a rubber spatula. As the butter melts it will start to bubble and foam. As the butter continues to brown, the color will turn from lemon yellow to amber and go from a loud bubble to quiet simmer. When the butter is ready, brown specks will have formed at the bottom of the pan and some will start rise in the foam. The butter will also have a very pleasant nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 15 minutes. While butter is cooling prepare other ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, ground ginger, and salt. Stir together using a fork until well combined; set aside. In a separate medium mixing bowl add the maple sugar.
Once the butter has cooled, use a rubber spatula to transfer it into the maple sugar bowl, use the spatula to scrape in the browned bits as well. Beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Once the butter and sugar are mixed together, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, and then add the vanilla. Increase mixer speed to high and continue to beat until smooth bubbles appear on the surface, about 1 minute.
Transfer the wet egg mixture to the dry mixture. Use the spatula to scrape out any remaining liquid in the bowl. Beat on low until thoroughly combined. Then mix in the white chocolate and cranberries by hand. Scrape the dough down into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly on the surface. Place in the freezer to chill for one hour.
About 15 minutes before the hour is up, adjust oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9x13 quarter sheet pan with parchment paper; set aside.
Once the dough is chilled, use fingertips to grab some dough and spread the dough evenly across the pan. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough and roll out until the dough reaches the edges of the pan. It will rise during baking. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until browned on the top and edges and a toothpick comes out clean. Make sure the middle is cooked through completely. Cool completely before frosting.
Add the cream cheese and butter to a large mixing bowl or to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat together using a hand mixer or stand mixer set on medium speed until fluffy and combined. Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition. Then add the honey, vanilla, and orange extract and continue to mix until smooth and creamy.
Use an angled frosting spatula to spread the frosting across the cookie layer. To garnish, sprinkle the dried cranberries across the frosting.
Melt the white chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir until smooth. Another method is to place the white chocolate in a large glass or metal mixing bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir intermittently, using a rubber spatula, until the white chocolate is completely melted. Once melted, let slightly cool, then transfer to a piping bag or re-sealable plastic bag with the corner cut off. Drizzle across the top of the frosting.
Use a sharp large chef’s knife to cut into 12 squares, wiping the blade after each cut. Then cut each square in half diagonally. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To make these dairy-free, sub ghee for the butter (I recommend Tin Star Browned Butter Ghee or 4th Heart Ghee) and sub dairy-free cream cheese for the cream cheese in the frosting. Kite Hill makes a great dairy-free cream cheese and you can find their products in health food stores across the country. Omit white chocolate chips or use a dairy-free version.
Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind http://cleaneatingwithadirtymind.com/
December 1, 2017 | 17 Comments
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Tags: Bars, Cookies, Eggnog, Holidays, Paleo Desserts
Source: http://cleaneatingwithadirtymind.com/2017/12/01/cranberry-bliss-bars/
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