and the arms of the ocean are carrying me.

SHAKING  HER  HEAD  ,  ALEXIS  BUMBED  HER  SHOULDER  INTO  LARUEL’S  .  “  i’m  not  sure  you  and  i  have  the  same  understanding  of  the  definition  of  GREAT  .  ”  she  teased  .  though  ,  she  had  to  admit  ,  the  two  did  always  have  more  fun  .  “  fun  ?  sure  ,  great  ?  not  so  much  .  ”  she  joked  .

“The fuck? Name one bad plan,” Laurel replied. 

“Oh my gosh but I was eating it,” Marc gasped dramatically as she held a hand up to her chest. “Are you telling me I’m going to die? Quick! Save me,” she quipped as she pretended to stagger and then collapsed dramatically at Emilia’s feet. Just as quickly as she had fallen Marcelline propped herself back up on her elbows as she gazed up at Emilia with mischievous look. “Come on! You really think I’m so stupid I would eat poison? I’m insulted. Truly.”

Emilia looked down at Marc, her eyebrows raised. “I don’t know, I’ve learned not to ask questions at this point.”

               SHAKING  HER  HEAD  WHILE  SHE  LAUGHED ,  aries  continued  to  look  in  the  box  in  front  of  her  .  finding  nothing  ,  she  moved  on  to  the  next  box  .  “  you  have  a  point  –  your    chaotic  mind  definitely  works  for  you  .  ”  she  agreed  .  it  was  odd  ,   at  times  ,  to  see  .  most  people  weren’t  able  to  work  around  they  chaotic  thought  process  but  violette  usually  made  it  work  for  her  benefit  .  it  was  definitely  a  flawed  method  ,  but  hey  ,  she  wasn’t  one  to  judge  .  “  you’re  about  to  love  me  more  than  you  already  do  .  ”  the  fairy  joked  ,  before  raising  the  shoe  up  from  the  box  .  happy  she  found  it  .

Violette smiled excitedly. “Oh, thank you thank you thank you! I love you so much!” Lettie said happily. Violette pulled the jazz shoes on. “Alright, let’s get going! Which dance are we working on?”

“And what exactly would you be intruding on?” Caleb asked, laughing, “I mean there isn’t a class going on.”

Kinsey shrugged slightly in response. “I uh, I don’t know,” she replied. She let out a small laugh. Kinsey stood up. “Uh, thanks again, for letting me in on you advanced classes. I was a little nervous joining a new place when I moved here.”

“No,” Everett said immediately, shaking his head, “I can’t go back there,” He hadn’t returned to England since he left and he had no plans to ever, “I appreciate it, Clary, but I can’t.”

“You’ll be with me this time though,” she replied. “Just think about it, yeah? Whatever you decide I’ll have your back.”

               LISTENING  TO  HER  ,  ATLAS  HELD  BACK  WHAT  HE  WANTED  TO  SAY  .  ‘ those  who  do  not  learn  history  are  doomed  to  repeat  it ’ .  atlas  ,  as  kind  as  he  was  ,  didn’t  always  know  when  to  hold  his  tongue  .  however  ,  this  wasn’t  the  case  now  .  he  cared  for  the  woman  and  just  didn’t  want  to  see  her  hurt  again  .  “  do  you  think  HE’S  ready  for  something  like  that  ?  ”  he  questioned  softly  .  miles  seemed  like  a  good  guy  ,  atlas  held  nothing  against  him  ,  he  really  just  wanted  to  be  sure  that  em  didn’t  jump  into  something  that  would  end  with  HER  in  tears  again  .

Emilia shrugged. “I think so,” she replied. “He seems believable when he told me he’s ready. He was forced to leave last time. I don’t think it’s him that I distrust. It’s his parents. It’s just, I think it’s different this time, at least it seems like it is. He’s older, and more willing to not let his parents control his life.” She sighed. “I don’t know Atlas. So many things could go wrong, him, his parents. Heck, my parents even. They’re the King and Queen, and Miles is not a mermaid.” Emilia threw her head back in frustration, letting out a groan. “But it’s so nice, Atlas. He makes me feel things and I like it.”

“I have a good support system,” Louis said, “I have a brother and a sister. Maybe it should be bigger though so I guess I’ll take you up on that offer from time to time.”

“I think most people should have who they know on their side. That’s whether it’s two or ten, or however many. The people you have close to you should always have your back.”

“Sloane,” Aiden said, spotting her come in and trying not to look too surprised. He was sure she had avoided this place as much as she could to avoid seeing him. But she was here now. He had finished his shift, having only been put on for the lunch shift, and was timing out with a bag of food for himself in his hands, “Hey…” He added eventually, moving toward her a little but then stopping, “What’s up?” He asked, noticing her expression. He couldn’t quite read it.

“I’m scared,” she whispered. “I’m scared that if you get close to me, that if I open my heart to you and you find out who I really am, you won’t love me anymore.”

“Oh come on, Is, that’s not true,” Louis said, shaking his head, “If anyone is good at ruining relationships out of us two, it’s me.”

“Considering my last girlfriend is the reason that I triggered my werewolf curse, I might have you beat,” Isaac answered, acting like it didn’t bother him, but Louis knew better, he just hoped he didn’t really say anything more about it. He could already feel the panic rising in him as he tapped his fingers anxiously on the table in front of him. “Anyway,” he continued. “So, is that a no on asking Seraphina on that?”

“I understand,” Miles said, nodding but he struggled to keep any kind of smile on his face, “I won’t promise you that you won’t ever get hurt again. Those are just words,” He reached out and touched her cheek gently, “But I will tell you that I plan on spending every moment I can making it up to you. All I want to do is make it right,” He paused, “You choose to do what’s best for you, I don’t want to tell you what to decide, nor should I. But just know that I want you and I want to make this work and I’m not letting anything keep me from you if it’s what you decide.”

Emilia sighed, picking at her fingernails, a nervous tick she picked up throughout the years. It made her nervous, she rarely got to choose what she wanted. Her parents always chose for her. Emilia nodded. “I want to be with you,” she told him. “I really do. Can we just take it a little slow?”

“No, no, absolutely not. I won’t hear it,” Quinn said, covering their ears at her comment and then he reached for her hand again, “You are irreplaceable to me, okay?” They asked and then pulled her toward the bar, “Let’s start with drinks.”

A  TWINGE  OF  GUILT  RAN  THROUGH  HER  AS  SHE  THOUGHT  OF  MILES  .  it  was  definitely  small  enough  that  she  figured  he  wouldn’t  mind  ,  but  lettie  was  right  .  shrugging  it  off  ,  sera  promised  herself  that  she   w o u l d   remember  to  run  things  by  him  and  violette  next  time  .  “  you  would  think  that  living  with  housemates  would  be  easy  for  me  ,  but  my  brothers  didn’t  care  so  i  never  had  to  ask  them  .  ”  it  was  her  odd  was  of  apologising  without  actually  saying  the  word  ‘sorry’  .  “  anyways  ,  how  was  work  ?  ”  she  easily  changed  the  subject  knowing  the  woman  could  go  on  about  work  pretty  easily  .

Violette shrugged. “It’s understandable, plus it’s only paintings, it shouldn’t matter. If you went into my room and rearranged my room, that’s another story, but I know you’d never do that,” she told the blonde. “It was fine, I had a light day, Caleb picked up one of the ballet classes today so I could finish some paperwork. I’m just starving now. What did you get up to today?”

                 “  yeah  ,  that  makes  it  so  much  better  .  ”  SHE  RESPONDED  SARCASTICALLY  .  ALL  SHE  COULD  DO  WAS  ROLL  HER  EYES  .  his  response  made  her  want  to  slap  him  .  he  could  be  so  painfully  obvious  .  “  obviously  isaac  .  ”  she  pointed  out  .  “  what  happened  now  ?  ”  she  couldn’t  help  but  think  the  worse  …  sera  was  great  at  staying  calm  ,  though  when  it  came  to  brothers  her  mind  did  go  worst  case  scenario  .  only  cause  she  really  didn’t  think  she  could  handle  losing  them  .  not  like  she  lost  everyone  else  in  her  life  .  it  took  them  all  so  long  to  warm  up  to  each  other  ,  hell  isaac  still  didn’t  seem  to  keep  them  at  a  distance  …  they  all  had  their  issues  that  they  didn’t  share  with  one  another  ,  but  their  was  no  doubt  that  they  were  family  at  this  point  .  adopted  or  not  ,  broken  or  not  ––-  she  did  love  her  family  .  “  is  he  still  struggling  from  the  last  full  moon  ?  ”  sometimes  the  transformations  had  lasting  effects  ,  sometimes  it  was  like  it  never  happened  .

“I’m not sure it’s that,” Isaac said, he bit at his thumb nail, aa nervous tick he picked up throughout the years. “I caught him having a panic attack in the alley. Panic attacks are normal for me, but Louis, I’ve never seen him have one in my life.”

“Bet I could have you beat,” PJ replied, “A normal day didn’t exist once before I moved here and even after I did, it’s sometimes pretty out there.”

“Get a drink with me sometime and tell me about it?” Kinsey asked. “I mean, if you want to.”

“Thank you,” Adelina replied and put the dress she’d just shown over her arm. Even if it didn’t turn out to be mind blowing, she was going try it on anyway just in case. She then picked out another one, “What about this one?” She asked.

“Better,” Nova answered. “Not mind blowing, but better.”

               THE  MAN  ONLY  SHRUGGED  HIS  SHOULDERS  SLIGHTLY  .  he  had  no  issue  avoiding  his  siblings  ,  as  in  he  never  felt  bad  for  it  .  the  man  loved  them  all  ,  but  to  him  ,  the  family  was  [  b e y o n d  ]  broken  .  he  didn’t  completely  understand  nova’s  point  in  trying  to  fake  it  .  “  if  it  makes  you  feel  any  better  ,  i’ve  been  avoiding  all  of  you  .  ”  he  knew  it  wouldn’t  ,  but  it  was  the  TRUTH  .  the  feeling  of  wanting  a  family  was  something  he  DID  understand  ,  he  just  hated  having  to  force  it  .

Nova frowned at her brother’s comments. “Why would that make me feel better?” she asked. “Honestly, Lucianus, when are you going to stop with this whole we’re not a family thing?”

“Well that’s rather the opposite of the impression I get from him,” Vanya countered as she thought of just how much disdain her uncle felt. She did speak to him rather often so hearing such a contrary descriptor to the Lucien she knew was odd. “I don’t mean to contradict you but he cherishes his solitude far more than most other things. Not to say you don’t know your brother but I see him often enough despite you not doing so and I think you are misreading him. In my opinion he will be least pleased of all to be called in to help Northknot. Uncle Erik has an attachment to the town. Lucien does not.”

Nova shrugged. “He won’t be please, no, but he’ll still do it. Erik on the other hand, he can get a little out of hand because of his attachment to Northknot.”