After a Summer Away
Meeting @AngelFyre McCubbin in Diagon Alley after a summer apart
This was going to be the summer that would reunite him with life in London. While Hogwarts was grand and quickly became his second home, Simon couldn’t deny the longing he felt to be back where he had built his foundation - with muggle friends like Gabe Evans, Oliver Harris, Olivia Dalton and Mia Anderson. He wanted to once again roam the museums in and around South Kensington, visit his local library, frequent his church, and breathe in the comfort of a performance at Royal Albert Hall. Most of all, he wanted to be near Aunt Maggie and get better acquainted with her new husband, his Uncle Mark, as Mark had now moved in with his canine companion Porter. It would be a summer of reconnection - except it didn’t transpire into such.
No, instead, there had been a fire within the first DAYS of summer at Mark Prescott’s new steakhouse. Time and labor would dedicate too much of his aunt and new uncle’s time and when helping proved to be potentially dangerous, Aunt Maggie had insisted that Simon fall under more supervision than she could provide - so it was decided that he would spend the summer with his father.
It was then going to be a summer of disclosure. The last time he was at his father’s dwelling he had met a strange girl who had helped him and apparently lived nearby. He had been injured and his recollection of the events was hazy, so he looked forward to gaining some insight into who she was and why she seemed so different - dressing as if from a previous time era and talking in a language that was unrecognizable to him.
But that, too, had become a problematic plan for his summer as his father instructed him from the start of his stay that he was ‘to stay within the castle or on the castle grounds’ and not to ‘venture out.’ Was that to protect Simon’s safety or was it something else? Regardless, he had ventured out and he found the girl once more and strengthened their bond. She came from an odd sort of culture, at least odd in that it was vastly different than anything he knew, and reminded him of potentially a sort of Mennonite community. He came with her to a Circle of Healing ceremony for her people, but could not officially attend and had to look from afar. All he understood from that this ceremony was required - it was a time where Clara said they remitted their sins, prayed with their leaders, ate, danced, and chose a messiah - she had wanted him to come, but remain hidden, saying that she ‘did not think the village was ready’ for him. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of that statement or if he should be offended, but if this was some sort of religious celebration with their religious leaders, he wouldn’t intervene. Everyone had their customs and traditions. He was accepting of that, which made him almost more eager to see what her religious leaders were like because, perhaps, one day; he could approach them respectfully. But before the ceremony at the celebration began, Clara instructed him to leave, saying that the leaders would be there and she did not want them to see him; that it could complicate the situation. How? Simon always thought he came off rather unabrasive and accepting - but he wouldn’t upset his friend.
It was when he went to leave that he finally met the final remaining member of his father’s coven that he had yet to meet and it further became the summer of concealment and confusion. She told him that his exploring led to discovery and almost approaching and that he could NOT be approaching those villagers. She said something a long the lines that when, or if, his father presents him should he have any interaction at all and those people were off limits to him as if there was some possible secret there or perhaps a threat.
He would spend the remaining part of summer distant from Clara, unfortunately not speaking to her again before he returned to London just days before the school term would begin. His father kept him busy with preparations for the upcoming Hawthorne Ball where the coven would host other aristocratic and powerful vampire groups, as well as announce to the vampire community his son. That night was certainly a memorable one but not one of a prideful father, but rather an exercise of superiority. Vanessa had put it best, stating that others would be envious of Simon as dhampirs aren’t common and highly valuable to their community because they can do so much more beyond the limitations of a vampire. She referred to Simon as Adrian’s 'golden child, his pathway to something he’s never had before.'
That ball seemed to take forever to occur and when it did, the night was a clash of various groups, fancy dances, and more blood than he could imagine in one place. Goblets upon goblets had been passed around it it flowed freely as it cycled through a beautiful fountain in the corner of the ballroom. And when Simon needed to gather himself for a moment away from it and retreated to the lower level of the castle, he found bag after bag of it, stored away for later use - all collected on a previous day that summer. His father was not in the medical field. How on Earth did he get access to THAT much blood?
And it was a summer of loneliness.
How he longed for the daily companionship of his friends at Hogwarts and for the wealth of learning he gained from his classes at Hogwarts; but most of all - how he missed AngelFyre. He missed their talks, he missed her beautiful face, he missed her touch. He didn’t feel quite whole without her near.
But Summer was now behind him. Simon stared at his reflection in the mirror and freed the edge of his mouth from any lingering toothpaste before slipping a shirt over his muscular frame. In nearly an hour’s time he would be in Diagon Alley to reunite with AngelFyre to gather some school supplies.
He had big news to tell her. Upon his arrival back to London the night before, Aunt Maggie and his Uncle Mark had confided that they were pregnant, due around the Christmas holiday. Simon was overjoyed by their news and excited for them. He had never had a sibling before and this would be the closest he would get. Sure, there would be an age gap between them but he didn’t mind and looked forward to a special bond between him and his cousin.
He also had an important purchase to make while in Diagon Alley. Unfortunately, a summer away from his pet rat Rascal showed him just how much the little guy had slowed down and envisioning him accompanying him to Hogwarts for this year and the years to come seemed like a disservice to the rat, so Simon made the decision to grant him homestead that town home in London. Rascal had a lot left in him, but it was best to let him remain in relaxation and comfort with the rat’s beloved Aunt Maggie and her special treats that she would just for him. Simon had decided he would get an owl.
Heading upstairs, he passed Rascal’s cage, open so he had free roam of the house, but the rat was still asleep in his fluffy rat bed. Simon looked to the Hufflepuff Scarf rolled up on the table next to it, another popular sleeping spot for the rodent, and thought of Alexa Mackenzie - one of his former best friends who departed life too soon and Rascal’s original owner. She would have been happy that Rascal would be staying there, with this big set up and free roam of the house; with Aunt Maggie to love and care for him and feed him and Porter the dog to be his gentle playmate. It was the right decision.
Simon looked into the kitchen where Aunt Maggie leaned against the counter, watching Uncle Mark with a smile, her eyes fixated on his as if he was the most important person in the world. He was tossing some pieces of bacon to Porter who was expertly catching each morsel in his mouth and they’d both laugh when he did so. Despite a fire that was determined to make their new life together difficult from the start, they had persevered. They were going to get everything back where it was and they were going to be amazing parents and Simon was lucky to call them family.
“Fourty-one minutes until we leave for Diagon Alley,” Simon said as he entered. Mark smiled and playfully said, “good morning to you, too,” but then grabbed his coffee and took a sip from it while Porter came over to greet Simon. Simon rubbed each side of the dog’s face and looked to him and then over to Aunt Maggie with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I’m just excited. I miss her - immensely.”
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
After a Summer Away
Created by Thorn Cullen (mostly) & Tweaked by AngelFyre
The Simon-Shaped wHole @Simon Kincaid
29 Aug, 2024
Death Wings, by Fenwrick Limpole, might suit your needs," said the shop girl in a tone rife with indifference. She stood on the well oiled ladder, about two rungs above AngelFyre’s shoulders, offering her the book while looking down at her over the 1960's, retro looking eyeglasses she was wearing. They were black and shaped like cats' eyes. They even had sparkling rhinestones on the pointed corners. The shop girl, AngelFyre could not help notice, was not really a girl. She was a female, yes, but the time that she could legitimately be called a “girl” had long come and gone.
AngelFyre was not being mean in this assessment; it was just a fact. The shop girl, and she kept referring to her as such because that is actually what her name tag said, “shop girl” (minus the capitalizations and all), was quite a colorful character. She was pleasantly thick around the middle and very stylish. She wore a black cashmere turtleneck tucked into and a black leather pencil skirt. Both of those were covered by a lengthy, spotted leopard jacket that landed just above mid-calf. AngelFyre marveled at her balance on the ladder as she was also wearing knee high, very shiny, patent leather boots, complete with 3 inch, wedge heels, maybe higher. The leopard theme carried forward onto the pill box hat she was wearing which paired nicely with her brassy, pineapple hued hair that was pulled back into a sleek updo. The only thing that would have Breakfast(ed) at Tiffany’s the whole spectacle up to perfection would have been a long, black, lucite cigarette holder resting between black gloved fingers. That she did not have.
What she did have, in spades, was an ardent infatuation with one Gilderoy Lockhart. Around her neck hung a cascading series of golden lockets, varying in lengths, sizes, and shapes, but all of them, without exception, contained photos of the aforementioned “Mr. Lockert” as shop girl had taken to calling him. Many of the poses were wizarding photos and captured the man’s vanity and puffery brilliantly. There was even a somewhat garish point of purchase display near the register selling Lockhart’s Gilded Lockerts that only made AngelFyre giggle. From everything she had ever read about the wizard, she was quite certain he would very much approve of the silly display. In fact, it would not have surprised AngelFyre in the least if the man himself had not dipped his toes into the merchandising of these vanity trinkets.
As AngelFyre reached up for the book being handed to her, shop girl could not help herself. Her indifferent tone turned to a high energy, used car salesman patter as she tried, for the third time, to entice AngelFyre with Gilderoy Lockhart’s unacclaimed, shall we say, treatise on thestrals, titled Can You See Me Now? AngelFyre simply smiled politely, for the third time, and gave her excuse. “No, thank you. I really am only interested in the Limpole book on the subject at this time, but if I ever change my mind, I shall certainly return here to purchase a copy.” That seemed to assuage shop girl’s disappointment and she climbed down the ladder rather gracefully. “If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to come find me. I’ll be around, most likely helping someone else as we are quite busy today, but the waits are never long.”
As she watched shop girl walk away, her gaze drifted beyond the leopard jacketed woman and expectantly towards the front door, bathed in sunlight. AngelFyre thought grudgingly what she most needed no one would be able to help her with except her boyfriend himself. And that would be taken care of easily enough with nothing but his mere presence, which would actually be everything.
She had staked her place out in the shop to give her the perfect view of his entry. This was no train station platform or airport. There would be no heart-sick, rambunctious schoolgirl running to greet him or jumping into his arms and that saddened her honestly. Then she stopped to think on that and wondered why, or when, she had subconsciously made that decision? Then that made her wonder why, of all the places they could have met at Diagon Alley for their reunion, Simon had chosen a dark, crowded bookstore? Was he getting too old for such embarrassing, childish displays from his girlfriend, or was it because their long separation, this time around, had finally smoothed out the ragged edges of desperation that had once been honed day in and day out from missing one another? Maybe it had all just been tempered with age; maybe it was just a factor of growing up.
He had arrived back in London yesterday, but had called her while he was still on the train and could finally get cell service. It had been forever, literally forever, since she had heard his voice speak anything to her that was not a recorded message. If one wanted to be precise... and apparently AngelFyre did... she could tell anyone who cared to know just exactly how long forever was:
48 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes, and 27 seconds = F O R E V E R ! ! !
Her summer had not been all bad. She did get to go on safari in Africa and had an amazing time with her family. She got to reconnect with Ainsley and Kendric who were still happily together. And of course there was Hillary, who was with her everywhere she went for 2 months (except to Africa). As wonderful as all of that was, however, it only served to punctuate the hole left in her life by Grandma Ruth’s passing and the shock to her system when she could not get her daily dose of one Simon Ezra Kincaid. Everything felt out of sorts, to some degree, without that boy of hers by her side, but this time it had gone well beyond simply missing him. It was the summer of silence and worry.
And more unsettling visions.
AngelFyre took some deep breaths as muscle memory was ramping up to whip her back into that state of perpetual uneasiness, but she had, she hoped, packed her bags and was ready to leave that state in the rear view mirror. There had been a Simon-shaped hole in her life all summer long, but today was the day that last, single most important piece would be put into place and would make her life Simon-shaped whole again.
That thought made her heart leap and it felt like everything that had been subdued within her and couched in emptiness was quickening to life. She found herself bounce-stepping in place, something she had not done since last June, in his presence most likely, and then it hit her.
“Why not?” she asked in a barely audible whisper. Bounce-stepping intensified on old, creaky wooden floors as thoughts manifested into hopeful words. A little louder and asked with a huge smile on her face this time, another “Why not!?!” was spoken into existence. She gently tossed the Limpole book on Thestrals down on a random shelf, and hurried to the front of the shop, politely, but firmly, propelling herself through the crowd of students doing their back-to-school shopping.
Stepping into the sunlight which was indeed bright, but blunted by a decent amount of cloud cover her dhampir would appreciate, AngelFyre waited, and watched for the first sign of Simon. The boy did not know it yet, but his girl was every bit as ready to run as fast as she could to him the moment she spotted him as she had been on that Edinburgh platform two and half years ago. He better be ready, or be able to put those dhampir-quick reflexes of his to use on the fly, because she was as certain as she had been back then that she was not going to be coming in for a soft landing.
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ReducioOOC: Simon and AngelFyre have given longstanding permission to one another to godmod their characters.
After a Summer Away
Reunited with @AngelFyre McCubbin and it feels so good
"You've got your list?" his Aunt Maggie asked as they stood outside the Leaky Cauldron. This is where they would be departing for the time being. Simon was going to be entering Diagon Alley to prepare for another year at Hogwarts but most importantly to reconnect with his girlfriend that he was away from for the entire summer. The agony of it! Truly!
"I've got my list. And we'll meet up later? Around supper?" She nodded and looked to her husband. Simon smiled at the two. "Best of luck at your appointments today," he said to them, knowing they had booked shopping appointments at John Lewis, Mamas & Papas, and at a few other places for baby furniture. That little girl of theirs, Simon's future cousin, was going to be well prepared for.
She was expected to arrive in January and Simon couldn't think of a better way to start off a new year with such a new adventure that would be filled with so much love. Mark and Maggie would make amazing parents, they already had unofficially been such with him, and he couldn't wait to slip into a role of 'big brother' of sorts - although technically it would be cousin. Aunt Maggie had been his guardian since he was only three years old, so in that respect it felt more like gaining a sibling when it came to this baby.
Simon couldn't wait to tell AngelFyre about it. He couldn't wait to tell her about his summer. He couldn't wait to tell her how much he missed her. He couldn't wait to see those eyes of hers staring back into his. He couldn't wait to see her smile, to hear her laughter, to embrace her. He couldn't wait to hear about her own summer.
They left him there and Simon turned around to face the brick wall behind him before drawing out his wand, tapping the brick that was three up and two across three times. This allowed the bricks to shift and form, not a wall anymore, but an arched passageway to get to Diagon Alley - the cobblestoned alley that was one of the most popular shopping areas of the wizarding world. It was where all the students went to get their school supplies to prepare themselves for another year of Hogwarts.
This year, Simon needed a new Standard Book of Spells for Fifth Year students, as well as needing to pick up some resource books he had put on hold on magical medicine so he had arranged to meet AngelFyre at Flourish and Blotts - the bookstore of Diagon Alley. There would be more heavily populated areas, like the ice cream parlour and the main square itself so meeting her at Flourish and Blotts helped insure that he would find her quickly: as if he didn't already find her first in a crowd.
Immediately upon opening the door to the bookstore he discovered her scent. Over the summer he had realized that it was becoming stronger and at first he thought maybe it was being so close to the coast and the sea air but no, this had stuck with him upon returning to London and wast just one of the steps to a dhampir's maturity.
He knew she was there and he was ready to catch her as she approached, smiling so happily as she did so. With rapid speed she pounced on him and he caught her into his arms and lifted her up before spinning them both around. "I needed this," he whispered as he set her down and then pulled his body close to hers, embracing her in a close embrace.
He did need this. He needed AngelFyre Afton McCubbin like he needed water to hydrate him, blood to nourish him, and air to fill his lungs. It had literally pained him over the summer to be apart from her so long and he found himself quickly being recharged by her much-needed presence.
His hand was at the back of her head and he let his cheek caress her cheek. "I've missed you so."
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
After a Summer Away
Created by Thorn Cullen (mostly) & Tweaked by AngelFyre
First the Drawback and then the Crash @Simon Kincaid
29 Aug, 2024
"Do not let go. Not yet. N-... not ev-rr."
Her voice sounded small and weak to her, and it wavered when she whispered her plea in his ear, but her grip? Oh that was anything but weak. It would have taken the jaws of life to extricate Simon from her embrace in those moments. She even doubted that his dhampir strength, if used in opposition against her right then, would have succeeded. AngelFyre felt him nuzzle his cheek against hers and then she buried her head in the crook of his neck. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut as she pressed into him and first tried to concentrate on the beating of his normally very slow heart and then on his scent, two things that almost always calmed her, but which were now rapidly being overwhelmed by other events. Her throat was doing that all too familiar constriction thing it did when she was trying to fend off a deluge of tears, but she could tell this time was different. This was going to be no simple deluge; seismic warnings pointed to a tsunami’s approach.
All summer long AngelFyre had held it together. She had had no choice. Yes, she had been sad that they had not gotten to see each other at all, and that they had barely gotten to speak to one another. That much had been evident and expected, but to not be able to do such things had not been debilitating. She got up each day and she functioned, but she rarely felt like she could completely relax.
Contrary to what many people probably thought, AngelFyre was not obsessed with Simon. He occupied most of her thoughts, that was certainly true, but when she absolutely had to do something, or concentrate on something, she did so. Even when she did not absolutely have to do something, she still managed to keep up with her own interests and friendships and pursuits outside of him. That was healthy and normal. But nothing about all of the fear, angst, grief, and worry that had roiled within her over the summer had been healthy or normal; none of it was borne from anything so bittersweet and achingly romantic as the feelings of simply missing the most wonderful person in the world that existed in tandem with the exquisite anticipation and joy of getting to be with him once again. No. She had instead lived all summer long in perpetual dread of receiving another phone call like she had received from his Aunt Maggie in the wee hours of New Year’s Day, informing her Simon had been hurt while visiting with his father. But that was not even the worst of it. What if such a call were to come again, but this time with news that would shatter her world?
Her mind wanted to tell her that she was overreacting. She wanted to believe that she was, but she knew better. Loving Simon meant trusting him… and supporting him … in his dangerous quest to learn more of himself and his vampyric half. To not be able to do so would mean having to part from him, and that she would never willingly do. Parting would be utter folly anyway because Simon would still still seek out Adrian Hawthorne, but AngelFyre would then be without Simon and still worrying about him all the same. Her feelings did not flow from a tap; they were not now, nor would they ever be, so easy to turn on and off, though there were times when she wished that she could. She was in a classic no-win situation no matter how she looked at it. She just had to do what she could to get through it. She also had to believe that if Simon were to ever feel even a tenth of the fear and agony she did over his choice to pursue a relationship with his vampyric father, knowing what she knew, he would drop it in a heartbeat... and it would be one of her fast beats as opposed to one of his slow beating ones. But he had never felt anything akin to the fear of losing her or possibly having to face living in a world where she was… not. Loving him as she did, she prayed he never would.
Simon had been all smiles upon seeing her running towards him, but she knew fact certain those smiles were not being reciprocated on her face. He would know her well enough by now to know how misleading such a look could be. In fact, her soberness probably told him more about precisely how happy she was to see him. Happy was just the tip of that iceberg. Relief was the other 90 percent.
The release of all of that tension exploded within her as his arms finally wrapped around her. It had been held back all summer long and there was no holding it back any longer. She clung to him and could not fathom ever letting him go again. She had so much to say to him, but the words did not come. The tears did not even come. Not at first anyway. It was the trembling. That was not unusual. Simon often had that effect on her, but this was… more. The tears were building up behind closed eyelids, but the seals were springing leaks. The harder she tried to stanch their flow, the more robust her tremors... now turned spasms... became.
She struggled for release from his grasp and was able to push away from him. He looked confused. The tears were now flowing and she felt like she was literally going to burst right then and there, but did not want to do it in that shop. Not thinking but simply reacting, AngelFyre grabbed Simon’s hand and dragged him behind her and out the door. There was an empty bench off to the left and she made a beeline for that, still dragging him with her. It was away from most foot traffic and surrounded by no greenery or signage.
She plopped down on it and he quickly did the same. She was looking down and could see his right hand through the blur of her tears. She focused on his claddagh ring, trying to calm down. “I-… I needed this too,” and then she leaned into him, burying her wet face in his neck and began to silently bawl for a good, long while. Her boy knew she was a crier, but this episode was on an unprecedented scale.
It went unspoken by her, but all she could do was to hope in those moments that he knew how much she had missed him, too, but even more than that... how much she truly loved him.
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After a Summer Away
Holding @AngelFyre McCubbin and not letting go
Simon cupped his hands gently to each side of her face, softly wiping away tears before leaning in, kissing her trembling lips once, twice, a countless number of times in a silent apology for having been gone so long. It wasn't his intention, nor was it his doing, but they had never had to go that long in duration apart. He knew she had been loving him the entire time, thinking of him the entire time, worrying about him the entire time - but this hit him deep in his core. He hated to have caused her to be this distraught, but his girl felt big emotions and that's what, in part, made her AngelFyre Afton McCubbin. He knew that this was all a manifestation of her love.
"I don't think I've ever looked forward to a new year of school starting more than this one. To be able to be with you every single day...." he leaned in to kiss her lips again. He never once more wanted to go this long without seeing her.
He let his words fall silent as he held her, her close to him, wrapped up in his embrace of an apology, his embrace of love, his embrace that allowed whatever it was that seemed to flow and intertwine them do what it needed to do to help aid in their time lost. Only when he felt that both of them were a bit more recharged did he pull back from the closeness; all while allowing his arm to stay around her.
"So much has happened this summer," he said softly, thinking about everything that happened while visiting his father. It was only months but felt like years and he wasn't even entirely sure his thoughts were clear on all that he had encountered. It all seemed so important, so connected, and yet left him in some foggy haze of misunderstanding all the same. "I'm going to be a cousin! Aunt Maggie is pregnant!" he started with some good news and said so in an uplifted tone, a smile coming softly across his lips. "She's due in January."
That was something he had not told her in any of their few correspondences. He hoped that Aunt Maggie would be with him and her appearance alone would make that statement but she was off on her baby purchasing appointments with Mark. She'd see AngelFyre later, but Simon couldn't hold in such important news any longer.
Plus, it was the brightest part of his summer. The fire had been destruction, the days in and around the castle had been long, and the vampire ball had been chaos - and all that was felt while missing her completely.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
After a Summer Away
Created by Thorn Cullen (mostly) & Tweaked by AngelFyre
Here I Am, Finally @Simon Kincaid
29 Aug, 2024
Simon, as she suspected he would, let her get it all out in her own time. It was one heck of an ugly cry, and she knew it was, but AngelFyre could do absolutely nothing about stopping it at the time. All her defenses were compromised. Her sea walls had been breached, so she rode the crest of the ever rising surge, knowing the crash to come would destroy and then draw any residual debris back out to sea with it. Said debris, comprised of her angst and worries and never-ending “what ifs?” would no longer pose an immediate danger, but would yet remain a distant, swirling threat until such time she managed to find a way to take hold of all of it.
Simon, for his part, comforted her and held her close throughout the whole ordeal. It had not crossed her mind, until she was beginning to come out of it, that her poor fellow had probably had to brave any number of questioning, concerned, or possibly even disapproving looks as he held watch over his girlfriend’s very own public breakdown. Then, even amidst her dissipating brain fog, she dismissed that thought and recognized he almost certainly had not even been looking at anyone that may have been looking at them. She knew exactly where his concentration had been, and it had not been on anyone else but her.
The tears stopped long before the trembling did, but her body was still wracked with involuntary spasms. More often than not those were accompanied by equally involuntary, deep inhalations that she imagined looked like last breath death rattles. Once cried out, she continued to keep her head buried snugly in the crook of his neck, grateful to be in his arms. Her snuggle spot was now warm from the prolonged contact and hot tears, creating its own little steam chamber of sorts. Best of all, for the first time since their reunion, AngelFyre could take comfort in her favorite scent in the whole world… Simon himself. She told him once, while under the influence of an Amortentia-laced cupcake, that if he could figure out a way to bottle his scent, she would buy every single one. Even in her drug induced stupor, she meant it then, and she knew it would still hold true to this day.
As her body began to relax, she noted that his heart beats at his pulse point began to slow as well. Simon lifted her head and brushed her dampened locks, pressed firmly into her cheeks, away and covered her tear-streaked face in gentle kisses. If she had ever needed proof of the boy’s love, this would certainly be it. She knew she looked a right mess, but he looked at her in those moments as if she were the most beautiful thing in the world to him, and she knew, to him right them, she absolutely was. Love really can be blind, and thank God for it. At any other time that tender look would have brought tears to her eyes, but she, thankfully, was absolutely cried out. Her deep well of tears had finally run dry.
She continued to decompress as she heard him tell her he had never looked forward to a school year starting more than this one. No disagreement there. Turning her head away from his neck now and reaching up to wipe her face dry, while her head still rested on his shoulder, she heard him tell her what amounted to the best news she had heard in months… “I’m going to be a cousin! Aunt Maggie is pregnant!”
She stopped in mid face-wipe as he finished with the news that the baby would be coming in January. AngelFyre could feel her salt dried cheeks stretch into a slightly stinging smile as she sat bolt upright and looked directly at him. “No kidding? Oh, Simon,” and she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, but this time it was with pure joy, “that is fantastic news. Truly!” She leaned over and kissed his cheeks who knew how many times enthusiastically as everything they had just endured was jettisoned far from the happy reality of right then.
“How long have you known? I have called her almost everyday this summer and she never let it slip once. Do they know whether they will be having a boy or a girl or do they want to be surprised? Details. Give me alllllll of the details. Gosh. I need to think what to get them. Or maybe I can make something. Do you know what they will want or need? Are they registered anywhere? January sounds far away, but it will be here in no time.” Then she caught the rather bemused look on his face as she had just peppered him with a deluge of another type… a million questions.
She giggled lightly and looked down for his hand, squeezing it three times in their silent signal for ‘I love you’. When she looked back up, she was still smiling, but the overflowing exuberance had been tempered. “Thank you, love. You are quite clever, you know? And if you do not know it, trust that I do,” and she reached over to brush her fingers through his impossibly soft hair. When she pulled back, she looked down at his hand in hers and began to run her thumb over the back of it. For years AngelFyre had run her thumbs in the infinity symbol on the back of Simon’s hands, but in a most interestingly uncharacteristic lapse in her attention to oh so many details, that would be one she would never notice.
“You did not get a truly proper hello, but I think now is as good a time as any to rectify that,” and she leaned over again, stopping impossibly close to his luscious lips before first rubbing the tip of her nose against his. Dipping her head just a little to her right, she moved in and pressed her lips confidently against his, lingering only for six or seven, maybe ten Mississippis at most. Their eyes had been locked and open up until the moment contact was made, and then she felt his hand move around her waist. It was soft and sweet and perfect.
With one little tug on his bottom lip from both of hers as they reluctantly pulled away from one another, just coming in shy of that seventeenth Mississippi, AngelFyre told him in all seriousness, “You are going to make the most awesome brother ever, Simon. And yes, I do mean brother, love.”
What she was also thinking as she told him that truth was that he was going to make an even better father one day.
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After a Summer Away
A summer's worth of information for @AngelFyre McCubbin
"I only just found out," Simon defended himself from not sharing the news with his girlfriend earlier. "She wanted to tell me in person, said she wanted to see my reaction," and he was all smiles. "I guess I totally understand that because I wanted to see yours," and not through a phone screen. "They're having a girl." It was absolutely perfect for his Aunt Maggie - with her love of all things pink. Plus, she'd no longer be outnumbered by males n the household - at least not human or half-human males. That excluded the pets.
"They went shopping for some things....that's where they are now. Maybe you could crochet something adorable, like a bunny or something. I can't tell you what Aunt Maggie is calling her nursery theme, but very....her spring wedding feel meets English countryside tea party?" That was his take on it anyway. Maybe tea party made him gravitate towards thinking about Alice in Wonderland. Simon knew without a doubt that Mark and Aunt Maggie both would appreciate anything from AngelFyre - even if only being words of congratulations.
Simon was glad to get out the good news. It was the second-best part of his summer - only diminished by seeing his girlfriend after months apart just now and holding her, being in the closeness of her, and wrapping them up in the at intimacy that the two held.
"You have to tell me about your summer," he said to her - eager to hear about how her parents were, what the safari was like, and any stories she might have pertaining to her best muggle friends. He watched her, his eyes fixated on her own and saw an eyebrow raise - as if saying: "Really, Simon? You first."
Of course she had expressed her concern and worry when it was planned he stay with his father for the summer from the very beginning. She had wanted him to talk to Aunt Maggie and ask that he instead accompany the McCubbin Clan on safari. But no, this was an opportunity for discovery that Simon couldn't pass up. He inwardly needed to know Clara, the girl he had met and helped him on a prior visit to his father's, was real and not some figment of his imagination and he wanted to try and understand or read his father a little better than he had. That might have been hoping to penetrate an impenetrable force.
But it would be a risk to visit his father - as his father possessed some sort of evil or was some form of evil; or maybe perhaps he carried around some sort of darkness. AngelFyre had such a premonition as one of her first - and it was strong.
He had to try and understand the only living parent he had left and wanted to understand this vampiric side to himself in a quest for self exploration - self discovery. He knew it was risky, but her visions would act as a shield and he would proceed with caution.
He nodded, acknowledging that he understood her silent request and squeezed her hand three times. "I'm not sure I know where to start," he said honestly before giving it many moments of thought. Simon then took in a slow, steadying breath, and began.
"I'm not even sure that I know what's important," and that would mean rambling. So poor AngelFyre was about to hear it all - starting from the beginning, and would be given any detail that may or may not be relevant to anything at all but at least she would be thoroughly filled in on his summer endeavors.
"It was my father that came and got me from London and we took a train that same night. We did another round of Rapid Fire Questions where his to me mostly consisted of trying to understand the difference between a dhampir and a vampire and mine were some that hoped to gain some more knowledge of him. I found out he speaks "many" languages," Simon paused to use air quotes on that, because his father hadn't elaborated which ones or a number. "He was born in Yorkshire, England, hasn't any siblings, and has no interest in going to Cleveland in the States." Okay, for brevity he probably could have left that last part out.
"I learned that his parents, so my grandparents were named Eustace and Annora. He was a wheat farmer but an incredible artist. Adrian described him as....handworking and kind-hearted. He lost his mother when just a baby but said his father described her as beautiful. He lost his father just at adulthood. His....voice and demeanor sort of changed when talking about that. Reminiscent, sad - it was one of the first times I've seen any hint of emotion in that man."
"I was going to ask how he had become a vampire but I was cut off. I don't know, maybe you don't ask a vampire that question. Maybe it's too personal." Even if it was your own father.
"I got to learn some of what the vampires do to occupy their time - and gain an insight to their hobbies and interests. It was nice to see they had some unique personality traits because sometimes they fall into this paired rhythm with one another - I don't know if it's a vampire coven thing or just a group that spends too much time together but sometimes they'll do the same things or say the exact same expression on a matter that another said - even if they weren't in the room to hear what the other had to say. It's almost as if at times they share the same thoughts." And that was always weird when it occurred.
"Apparently Lilith likes to practice archery. She also collects antique and unique weapons. And she has this crow or raven she keeps as a pet," Simon wasn't quite sure which it was. "I suppose it's probably a raven," because it could talk and say some words - mostly in mimic fashion, stating the last word that someone said. That was pretty eerie and sometimes it popped up in parts of the castle and lurked in the shadows so he didn't realize it was there until it said something or rustled its feathers in movement. He remembered one time exploring the west wing and stating out loud that it was darker than death down there, and he was startled hearing ".......DEATH, .......DEATH, .......DEATH! "She also plays the violin quite beautifully. Lilith. Not the raven...." Simon grinned, knowing AngelFyre wouldn't have assumed otherwise but still wanted to throw that in.
"Samael was still off. I wonder if he's got just general delusion or if there's an actual mental diagnosis there. He speaks in slur, like - breaks up words in a way that you cannot follow the sentence for meaning but it grammatically works. Other times, he can be quite cognizant of it all," it was a mystery. And then there was that first meeting when the oldest-in-appearance vampire had thought someone else was in the room that wasn't there. "He spends a lot of time in what they call the Moonlight Garden. It's full of plants that bloom at night and thrive in darkness. When he's not gardening, he likes to hunt or use his time to construct displays and dioramas of the bones of things he has hunted...." Simon knew that sounded as gross as it was and felt bad he couldn't figure out a way to put that more delicately, especially for his vegetarian girlfriend.
"Gideon isn't only a writer but also likes to work on cars, or at least one car. He's got this old car from 1923 that he's trying to restore. It's one you have to crank to get started. Oh, and he and my father apparently like to venture into knowledge about Astronomy together."
"I didn't meet Vanessa right away but I hadn't met her the first visits either. My father told me that I was to not venture out," and he tried to imitate his father's voice with those last three words. "He said since I was hurt the last time I was there, I was to stay within the castle or the castle grounds. But, something about his tone just felt like it was more cautionary than protective." And of course that would only spark his curiosity more.
"It was hard not to be able to see my muggle friends that I was hoping to spend more time with this summer. It was hard not to be able to spend time with Aunt Maggie and Mark and help them get everything back in order. It was especially hard to be out of communication with you," he said as he tapped his forehead to hers, cherishing the closeness that they now held.
"I read. I read a lot. My father had filled my bookshelf in my room with The Bible, The Little Prince, and books about faith, music, science, and history. It was all things I brought up in our first series of Rapid Fire Questions. I read until I couldn't read any more - the words just began to blur together. I had to get out, get some fresh air......and find Clara."
Finding Clara was important. There were questions there. Questions that ranged from whether or not she was real or something from his mind to questions of who she was - where she came from. AngelFyre knew this had perplexed him from the start and he couldn't seem to shake any of it. He wanted answers about this friend who had come to his aid when he needed it and so this fixation on finding her and discovering more about her was to satisfy answers to a mystery.
"I found her. Days and days we would spend together, working to strengthen her English, gathering wildflowers, making floral crowns, and watching the rage of the sea from the shoreline. One day she got angry at me for going so close to the water, saying that....this water is end. She was adamant that I not go into the sea so I abided but, AngelFyre, it was just the ocean. The same ocean that runs along any coastline. There were no no waves of dangerous heights or big rocks or seemingly fast currents." He shrugged, not really understanding what Clara's problem was but he didn't want to upset his friend so he didn't persist.
"I saw a dolphin. An actual dolphin! It was in the distance and just sprang out of the water and glided through the air for that moment - as perfect as you see in photographs of them. So beautiful and so graceful." It was a big thing to see for a boy from London. "I thought it was amazing but Clara thought it was not good and sad. She implied that .......the dolphin...... was once like her long before and did bad things, very bad things against God so it was now like that and would always be." He gave a concerned look to AngelFyre. Maybe there was something in the air, something in the water, something that caused some swayed thinking because surely those sorts of delusions reminded him a bit like Samael in the sense that it just didn't make sense.
"I took advantage toward midsummer that the vampires all seemed quite distracted with something. I didn't know what it was but I was glad. I got some freedom and could try and attempt to understand Clara a little more - hoping to figure out who she was and what her culture was like. She showed me all these odd sort of ruins and markings in various places and said they were a boundary. No go. One was nothing more than a stone staircase, obviously man-made because it wouldn't have occurred like that in nature and she began to get mental when I wanted to go up it. I tried to assure her that it was okay but she was so stressed that I stopped. I'm not talking about just being concerned - she was absolutely terrified." He could still see her reaction in his mind.
"She showed me her home. The forest opened up to a large opening of parieries and wheat fields. There wasn't a paved road in sight, not a car, not a plane, no electricity towers," it was hard to describe that sort of silence. "There were bridges made from stone and primitive wooden fences with gates. There were sheep and other livestock. There were barns and buildings - all really old in style like from medieval times with thatched roofs and all. Doorways and entrances were blocked by heavy hides that hung down and the windows had no glass.
"Clara is a weaver for her town. Her home was filled with this large cloth weaving system and baskets upon baskets of various yarns sorted by color. She gifted me a blanket," he said before pausing and pulling his enchanted satchel onto his lap. He had placed it in there. "It's the softest blanket I ever felt," and he drew it out so that AngelFyre could touch it.
"I learned that Clara lived alone. Her mother and father both died from some illness and she had an older sister but she was chosen to be some messenger, so I guess sent somewhere else?" Simon paused, no. Clara hadn't said messenger, had she? "She said that she was chosen as a messiah," he corrected, "and that she knew she should take honor in it but she missed her sister." Maybe a messiah was used as someone who went on a sort of trip, like a missionary trip.
"They were having a festival that night. Clara called it the Circle of Healing where a new messiah would be chosen. She said her friend might get chosen and she didn't want to have to miss her. I tried to get her to explain more about the ceremony, hoping maybe I could pinpoint exactly what customs and culture she's talking about - maybe she comes from some sort of Mennonite society of some kind. She said that it was a celebration and they all must go. They remit their sins, pray with their leaders, eat, dance, and choose a messiah. It was the biggest night of the year and she invited me to come along. Well, come along to see but not really come along to be there. She said that she didn't think the village was ready for me." He was confused with that and gave AngelFyre a look before shrugging.
"She wore a white dress. All the women wore white dresses. There was singing and dancing and laughter. The villagers went into this one small building to remit their sins - I guess that's like doing confession in the Catholic Church?" but that was just a ventured guess. "As the evening continued she grew fearful, saying the leaders would be there soon and I should leave. She said she didn't want them to see me because it would complicate things.....but I don't know why sh said it. It was as I was leaving that I met Vanessa for the first time."
AngelFyre at least knew the name. He had brought up her in passing quite often. Vanessa was the illusive other member of the Hawthorne coven, the one vampire that he had yet to meet. She had been described as a child, stubborn, irritable, always in a bad mood, devouring pleasantness as if it were needed for survival. Nothing good.
"Her first words to me were: I won't tell anyone you're here if you don't tell anyone I'm here. We can go back to the castle together. Simon, I presume? and while she wore a white dress similar to the others at the ceremony I assumed that with her speaking English and implying that we both go back to the castle together that it must be the one I had yet to meet. She... she's quite open with her thoughts for someone who keeps so much to themselves. It was surprising. She said I looked like I could be in Hollywood. I made sure she knew I had the absolute best girlfriend but she said I was flatting myself and just making a statement." He wasn't sure that was important information to know but felt AngelFyre needed to hear it all. She had been assured that Clara, around their age, was nothing more than a friend with a mysterious background to discover and he wanted her to know that Vanessa, who was also around their age, was quite forward but still no threat to their solid relationship.
"I learned pretty quick what my father meant by Vanessa devouring all pleasantness. She's quite pessimistic but I can sympathize and understand why. She didn't really feel like what she is now is an existence. She doesn't necessarily enjoy who she lives with. She misses who she was and feels nothing matters anymore." She was a sad lost soul, Vanessa Varon.
"Her parents and her younger sister and her went camping when they were attacked and she's got a lot of survivor's guilt from that. She feels she should have been able to do something to save them but....she wouldn't have been able to. She does like to paint. And she likes to press flowers and use the dried pressed flowers in her artwork. She paints mostly flowers that she no longer gets to see grow in the sunlight."
"She told me about the Hawthorne Ball which is what had the vampires so busy during the summer. The vampiric aristocracy host their own balls on an annual basis and apparently my father is one of the most notorious of the aristocratic vampires." That didn't so much impress him as it did terrify him.
"She said it was an opportunity to network with others and flaunt his success and that this one was most special of all because he got to introduce me." Simon did air quotes with the last two words. "I had expressed my worry that vampires don't really accept dhampirs fully into their society but she assured me that it was more that they'd be jealous, envious. She said someone like me is rare and I'm highly valuable to vampires. I can do more beyond their limitations. She said I'd be Adrian's golden child.....a pathway to something he's never had before."
"And then after saying I could so much more, she told me I should stay in the castle or on the castle grounds. She said I couldn't be exploring. Again, cautionary. She said that exploring leads to discovery and almost approaching. She said I could not be approaching and what would they think if they saw me; what would cross their minds. I think she meant Clara and those in Clara's village. She didn't realize that night we first met on the outskirts that I have befriended one. What's the harm in that? What's the worry in that?" He was asking AngelFyre but didn't really think she had the answers to it. He surely didn't have the answers. "I didn't tell her about Clara and our friendship. She said that the village and those people are off limits to me....."
His emotions were rising again, so confused by what that meant but he pressed on, trying to think of more detail of his summer.
"Lilith gave me dancing lessons. Oh, she loved that. And Gideon helped me brush up on proper manners and proper speech. My father shared with me a book," and he stopped to pull it carefully out of the satchel to show her. "He said to look into having it restored, or at least copied so that we can preserve the content." Why he had entrusted Simon with such a task he didn't know, but felt slightly honored to have been given it. "It contains his father's drawings. My grandfather's drawings. As he looked through the pages, he said that his father spoke highly of his mother, saying she was patient and full of love. She liked to bake things with the flour from his wheat and sell them or gift them away. They had lost two children in childbirth before my father. She cherished being a mother finally and spent every moment she could with my father before she fell ill." Simon was careful with the old book as he opened it and turned some pages. It looked older than the oldest book in the Hogwarts Library. He came to a page with a woman with long dark hair holding a baby.
The next pages depicted only a baby, then a toddler, then a child. to a teenager. "I asked if my father took over the farm when his father passed. He said no, that his father didn't want the farming life to be his because he knew his son didn't want to farm. Adrian told me he had become a soldier to defend his country an spread Christianity, to defend Christianity." Now that sounded about right in some places of the world but if his father was from Yorkshire, England, that only brought thoughts of the Crusades to mind in Simon.
"He said that Gideon was his closest companion before being turned and that he became a soldier with him. He said that their group was attacked by monsters, which I can only assume he meant vampires, and that they killed the lucky ones and left the rest."
Perhaps Adrian Hawthorne was one of the most prominent leaders of vampire aristocracy, but he certainly didn't feel lucky to be so.
"And just before leaving my father's," so just days prior, "we had the Hawthorne Ball." He was nearing the end of the story of his summer ventures and hoped that his girlfriend wasn't about to fall asleep from it all, but he knew she would not be. As he wanted to hear every word she had to say about her summer he knew she felt the same.
"I wore this," he said was very Royal Victorian meets Gothic Flare and fit just the right way. "And Lilith said my father wanted me to wear this with it," he said and paused again to riffle through the enchanted satchel to find the silver plated corsage pin. He was handing all of these items from his summer to AngelFyre, not realizing that maybe, just maybe, at some point she could pick up something since these individuals had touched them.
"I learned Lilith's backstory through Gideon. He and my father were out one night and she was being attacked by a vampire who thought she was nothing more than a common street whore that no one would miss. It wasn't just any vampire but Samael. That's how those two ended up becoming part of the coven. Gideon said a rogue vampire isn't good for any vampire and Lilith was a new vampire so a threat. He and my father aim to lay low of humans and not draw suspicion to who or what they are."
"Anyways, it seemed that the decoration for the Hawthone Ball is traditionally roses," and that shouldn't be of a surprise to either of them. AngelFyre and Simon had both previously spoken on several occasions about the roses that adorned the castle on even regular days and how they represented Adrian's lost love of Arabella Kincaid, Simon's mother.
"The corridors and foyer and staircases were decorated, the small lounge rooms. Outdoors, even though it was night - roses in the water fountain and along the carriage pathway. The ballroom was filled with outlandishly dressed vampires and music and roses."
"My father addressed all, all the vampires there of different guilds as The Kindred. He encouraged all to raise their glass as he introduced me, a future leader of the Hawthorne Coven of Babilstow, leading them to advance further with a dhampir in their rank. Advance further with what, I do not know. He then stated that he expected them to treat me with respect." Would they not have if he had no asked? Simon still questioned the reason for the statement.
"I uhh.... I drank following that toast," he said softly. He now looked down, averting his gaze for the first time from his girlfriend save for the few times he was searching through his bag. "I drank and I didn't even think about what I was drinking. I mean, it was a vampire ball....." he said and glanced up but didn't have the courage to keep the gaze so he retreated it. "I....I liked it. I liked it and somewhere it satisfied this need that I didn't realize I had been neglecting. It made me feel soothed and satisfied and that pain that's always there in the pit of my stomach was gone. Probably for the first time in my entire life - it was gone. I felt whole. Oh, it was so sickening and so fulfilling at the same time."
Maybe it was better if he just continue on. "Once I collected myself, I was expected to mingle so I went to mingle. The others bowed to me and called me 'your grace' and such. There various other covens there....one was called the Order of the Illuminated and they wore gold makeup and paint and glitter all over their face and bodies and clothing. It was beautiful. Another was from a group called Followers of Flight and they seem to gravitate toward a fascination of bats and black. My father wasn't too impressed by them. And there was one called Circle of Starlight and they wore the most elaborate outfits. I swear it was like they were from some high fashion magazine where someone would look at their attire and think no one would ever wear that! They'd wear that. There were some that looked like the grim reaper or something, called The Cloaked and they dressed in black cloaks that concealed their entire identify."
Simon felt a little better now that he was getting back to his story and was nearing the end.
"There was The Union of the Carmine Eyes - vampires with red eyes that would capture anyone's attention. One group had what looked like painted or tattooed black veins upon their skin and called themselves Onxy Blaze. There was one group called Macabre Vanguardians and they wore gothic clothing or clothing that looked like they were caged in a skeleton. Some carried around ....hopefully not real.....human skulls. There was one called End's Craving which my father described as listless - as if they didn't care about anything or anyone or have any thoughts or desires that mattered; lying about. And lots were in masks and apparently they were still of high standing but had not joined a coven yet. They were there to mingle and network and find a place to call home."
"I had to dance at this debut of mine and I wouldn't have dreamed of saying no. I wouldn't even want to imagine what Lilith would unleash on me if I denied such after she was forced to give me lessons. I danced with Vanessa and she said my father's coven is formally called The Chosen Ones of the One God. I asked what else happens at the Hawthorne Ball - what happened when they were celebrating the debut of a future of leader. She said that they conduct The Ritual of The Chosen Ones of the One God but no one had prepped me on that. I was tutored in manners and speech and dance but nothing concerning what to expect at some ritual."
"At the end of our dance, Samael approached and said that my father has gone to fetch the messiah and they were to give their final honor soon. Vanessa, she.... she pulled me away and into the corridor, questioning whether I was told about this ritual by my father or by Gideon and kept saying that we should go. She seemed panicked. The other vampires, all groups, began to head outside and I felt like we should be there too but she just kept saying it was time to go and we needed to leave. She got so distraught that she tumbled into these crates that held bag after bag of blood - so much of it. The only information on it was a date in which it was collected." Shouldn't something like that, on such a large scale, be only in a hospital or blood bank?
"She was so distraught that I followed her to her room and saw some of her paintings of flowers. Almost all of them were of flowers. She laid out painting after painting after painting of flowers for me to see. They were beautiful."
"From the distance, I thought I heard screams. High pitched, horror-filled screams but as I got closer to the window they silenced. There was a painting that stood on the easel of the alcove, as if it had been her most recent painting and it distracted me in that silence. It was a portrait - of me."
"I stood there looking at it and began to hear chanting from outside so I drew back the curtains and saw the entire congregation of attendees from the Hawthorne Ball, save Vanessa and myself, down around a large fire. I don't really think it's a tradition of vampires to have a fancy ball and then go outside to roast marshmallows or make s'mores.... When I began to ask Vanessa about it, she just said "don't speak of The Ritual. To your father - to Gideon - to anyone. We were here in my room the entire time and you know absolutely nothing."
"And she told be absolutely nothing about it which makes me think there's something I need to know."
And that was how he spent his summer.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
After a Summer Away
Created by Thorn Cullen (mostly) & Tweaked by AngelFyre
What Fresh Hells @Simon Kincaid
29 Aug, 2024
Simon had never spoken at such length in all the time she had known him. AngelFyre was pretty certain even she had never done so herself, but this is apparently what comes from having little to no communication over a summer. Because this was not his normal communication posture, AngelFyre remained utterly silent throughout. Her sense early on was that it was going to be more important for him to get it all out rather than have her interrupting him for clarifications and only end up derailing his train of thoughts. She may have looked calm and serene as he spoke, but there was a five-alarm fire raging beneath the surface. She was both listening and feverishly sifting though everything that he was telling her, cataloguing most all of it... or desperately attempting to... in a mental gymnastics race that amounted to a debriefing triage. At times it was exhilarating and exhausting. It was also confusing and enlightening. But what it almost always was... was terrifying.
What was most terrifying was that Simon appeared unable to see what appeared to be so obvious to her. She suspected he was too close to the situation and his desire to know about himself, so he was unable to get an optimum perspective from which to view the bigger picture. Missing pieces were being filled in, yes, but so much of it only pointed to her visions being reason for her to continue to fear for him.
At one point, Simon brought out a blanket that Clara had given to him, wanting her to feel its softness. She smiled at him, loving that he would think to share such a thing with her, but that pesky inferno was still raging within. AngelFyre had not been expecting to play touchy-feely…well, not with anything other than Simon himself… but she was able to slip a sleight of hand past him as he was too caught up in his telling to notice she had not actually touched his blanket. Perhaps it had been in the back of his mind that if she touched something, she might get a hit on something new in another vision. If it had not crossed his mind, it had certainly crossed hers, but in the few seconds she had had to think about it, she managed to “stroke” the blanket with a tissue barrier, preventing any direct contact. As Simon had searched for the blanket in his satchel, AngelFyre had nonchalantly positioned the tissue she had been holding in her hand after her earlier crying jag. The blanket was definitely compartmentalized into a “Circle Back To” file. She would ask to touch it later, but more important than touching it and falling into a vision trance right then was hearing Simon out completely.
So much shuffling and directing of information was taking place now. The most clarifying… or should that be Clara-fying… piece of the puzzle came to AngelFyre through Simon’s moments with Clara. The mention of rituals in conjunction with “choosing” people to have the high honor of becoming a messiah (or did he say the messiah), along with the notion of remittances of sin positively screamed the unthinkable to her. Her stomach was doing backflip after backflip just thinking about it, but he was not done. No, there was so much more intrigue that followed.
Her ears perked up and took note when told that Lilith was an archery buff and had a raven. The raven might explain why their owls to one another, except for one or two, did not reach the other. Ravens and owls are known enemies, and as brave and awesome as Archimedes may be, Lilith’s raven would have had the advantage in his own territory. Filed away was the desperate need to speed up her research on finding a reliable communication method between she and Simon. Special attention was also paid to the fact that Lilith was handy with a bow. There was nothing in his telling that could point AngelFyre to Lilith being responsible for Simon’s injury last year, but her gut told her that she was. On this subject, the subject of the coven, AngelFyre felt confident that she knew what she knew…or suspected.
There was so much she was learning, but three things in particular really drew her focus. If asked to name her greatest fault or vice, AngelFyre would sadly have to admit that it was her jealousy. She had prayed fervently about it. She had even sought counsel from the Reverend Galbraith at her home church a few times. It was something she… and Simon… were both acutely aware of , but more and more lately, AngelFyre found she was able to control it, but she was making what felt like incrementally, slow progress. But progress was progress, and she recognized it as such when she did not hear so much as a gasp from her mouth when Simon mentioned Vanessa.
WTH-e-double-hockey-sticks, anyway? Why did Vanessa have to be close to his age and why did she get such easy access all summer long to AngelFyre’s boyfriend? grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Still, jealous soul that she could be, part of her was also a little relieved that Simon did have Vanessa around, so long as she was on the up and up. He seemed to trust her and she apparently did try to watch over him, but how long could that… would that… last? What precisely had she tried to shield him from at the festival and again at the Hawthorne Ball? Those were the questions her inquiring mind most wanted answers to. When (if?) push ever came to shove, where would Vanessa’s allegiances lie? With Adrian and his coven or with Simon?
Adrian had made no secret of his plans for Simon. He had made that subtly, but abundantly, clear to AngelFyre when they met unexpectedly last August. Simon was destined to be his own Little Prince, but Simon’s choice of a mate was definitely not to Adrian’s liking. All roads seemed, at least from where AngelFyre was standing on the map, to be pointing to Vanessa, and it was Adrian’s fingers doing all of the pointing. Clearly, if Simon was not going to leap in the direction of Vanessa himself, Adrian obviously had no qualms about pushing him towards the youngest of his vampires. From any angle AngelFyre looked at it, Adrian’s fingerprints, or handprints, were all over the situation.
It was a good thing they were sitting. More jealousy, spiced with a dollop of fury, percolated at the mention of Simon’s first dance at the Hawthorne Ball with Vanessa. If her fellow had been looking closely, she felt certain he would have noticed the tell tale signs of the metaphorical march of shame blooming and turning her complexion into one that could rival Elphaba’s any day of the week and twice on Sundays. ALL of Simon’s first dances, on any of his past, present, or future dance cards, as of April 2, 2022, were already marked with her name; not Vanessa's and not anyone else's. That seemingly innocuous first dance detail rather struck AngelFyre in a tender spot she had not realized needed protecting. But here, once again, Adrian had managed to insert his own will and desires upon her happy coupledom.
Would it remain a happy coupledom if he continued to run rough shod over them her? Now that was a question was it not? Maybe just not a question for now.
She shook all of that off temporarily and kept time with Simon's telling, momentarily being swept away from her own pettiness on parade party. A curious mention surfaced, yet again, of a messiah, but this time it came from Adrian’s lips himself according to Simon. Every hair on the back of her neck tickled her hairline as they sprang to attention. So, the Hawthorne Ball sounded more like the culmination of the festival begun with Clara and her village. Who was served by it? That critical bit of intel would remain shrouded, however, as Simon was practically dragged away from the event by Vanessa and corralled to her room.
To her room. To her room?
Simon’s catchphrase, ‘Come again?’ was circling in AngelFyre's thoughts as he was winding down his summer synopsis. The phrase was what his tongue spoke when his brain was actually screaming ’What the bloody hell?’
Simon had been speaking a long time, but not for as long as AngelFyre had cried earlier. The wellspring that fed her tear ducts was still dry, but her heart would be dealt one final bruise before all was said and done. Vanessa, it would seem, was quite the artist. Descriptions of her beautiful florals on canvas, masterfully created with dried flowers pressed into the paint by the girl who missed sunlight, were completely overshadowed by the revelation of the singular canvas in her studio that was not a floral, but was instead a portrait.
A portrait of Simon. Of course it was.
AngelFyre trusted Simon. It was the smart, non-visually impaired, friendly lasses with hearts of gold... or something else... who had direct access to her boyfriend that gave AngelFyre pause. Because, really? Who goes from painting nothing but flowers to suddenly painting a portrait of another girl's boyfriend? Surely there were other subjects she could have painted but had not. That was pretty telling as far as the Handsome Hufflepuff’s girlfriend was concerned.
No, Vanessa was on her radar and would remain there.
AngelFyre arched a dark brow and leaned back fully into the bench, looking straight ahead. She reached for his hand, squeezing it three times, saying nothing for a minute or two before turning back to him.
“I love you, Simon. I have not gotten the chance to say that to you face to face for almost two months, but it feels so good to be able to do it now. That is THE number one most important thing you should take out of everything that follows.” and she leaned over before kissing his cheek.
“You, my lad, had quite the summer. There is so much to digest there, and I will and do want to do that with you, but right now, I think all I am going to be able to do is to tell you that you do not need to be embarrassed with me, love, about finding out that you actually like the taste of blood. I would be more worried about you if you did not. I am glad for you about that discovery, for a lot of reasons, but primarily because it feels like a gigantic step you have made towards accepting yourself a little more. I recognize you are still conflicted, but my love, to state the obvious… you are a dhampir. I told you once you are perfectly made; that God does not make mistakes. You, mo chridhe[1] are not a mistake, and Simon… our children will not be either. For years I have never been able to bring myself to imagine that you would deny them what they will need to thrive, knowing that doing so would only cause them the same pain you have lived with all of these years. I guess my only regret is that I was not there with you for the discovery.”
She sighed deeply and reached over for her satchel. “The ancient book of drawings, done by your Grandfather Eustace, were amazing. Did Adrian give you any instruction as to where you are to take it for repair? She grew quiet for a few moments and told him that she had not touched the blanket nor had she touched the book. “ I know so little about my visions, and honestly, you were on such a roll, that I worried if I were to see anything, it would interrupt important things you were relaying to me. Further, I did not exactly relish some busybody catching sight of me in one of my vision states, so I thought we could tackle the blanket and the book later on, in private maybe?”
"In the meantime, I can show you a few glimpses of the highlights of our summer safari. Daddy was in heaven with all of the elephants as you might imagine. There are a few shots of me with giraffes and this one with a giraffe took place on a shoot. On our way to that giraffe shoot we came across a large herd of zebras. On my own time one day we went to a rehabilitation/sanctuary center and I got to feed a blind, orphaned lion as well as a lame elephant. Mom, of course got some fantastic photos. It was a great time, but it would have been more fun with you there."
“That is just a rule of thumb now, though. Anywhere is always going to better with you there.”
Reducio[sup[1][/sup] Scottish Gaelic for my heart
Last edited by AngelFyre McCubbin on 4 Dec 2024, 05:26, edited 3 times in total.
After a Summer Away
Looking forward to the present and future with @AngelFyre McCubbin
He knew it wouldn't matter to her. It was what had given him the strength to tell her about this newfound favorite drink of his - but to have her put it into her words that were always so eloquently spoken was that absolute confirmation that he needed.. And to hear her say that he wasn't a mistake, and that their children wouldn't be either made him smile. Their children.
Simon didn't want to rush their time together now - whether it was this very moment sitting on a small bench in front of Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley, their Fourth and Fifth Year at Hogwarts, their upcoming birthdays, holidays, and graduations. But he also was full of anticipation and couldn't wait to experience the future with her - a wedding, children, a lifetime.
He was so thankful and so blessed.
She mentioned his father's book and wanted to devote more time to it - and Clara's blanket - at a later time and he nodded, feeling that was just fine and slipped them carefully back into his bag. "My father didn't say where to have it done, but I'm glad he's entrusted me with it and glad that I get more time to explore it in detail." And maybe, just maybe, while he was getting it restored he could also have it replicated because this was a family gem. "It was the first time I captured any emotion from my father. He seemed to have loved his father very much," and it was evident through the drawings that his father loved him as well. How had Adrian Hawthorne become so cold and withdrawn and distant?
He squeezed her hand three times in appreciation before she began to tell him about her summer which he was eager to hear about.
She got to see so much. He had been amazed at the distant sight of a dolphin and she got to see some of God's most beautiful creatures up close and in person and he loved it for her. His eyes looked over each detail of every single photo but they did spend a little longer being attentive to her than the creatures that she was with. "I don't think I've ever been jealous of an elephant before now," he commented as she showed the last one of her kissing one.
He grinned, glad that they had shared about their time apart because now they could look forward to the present once more. "I overheard that Florean's has that Double Chocolate Swirl you like. Before we go. Not now. Right now, we've got to get reacquainted," and he leaned forward to place his lips to hers for a sweet kiss. It wouldn't be as long as he'd like, or as plentiful, but he knew she wasn't big on public displays of affection and he'd be respectful of that. Still, stealing a kiss here and there was something she'd never protest to.
"Oh, and we'll have to stop by the Menagerie to pick up my new friend."
He had made the plunge and finally had granted Rascal retirement. Upon this year in returning to Hogwarts, he wouldn't bring along his little rat pal but instead a new owl.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)