LOST IN THE LABYRINTH

mar'i hadn't been there for the build up, but certainly made it in time for the fall out. lian and irey --- having it out as only two people of their passion could and in the wake of both their untimely departures, mar'i's decision to follow is quick. she's unsure if her question will be met with the same anger her friend seemed adamant on releasing, and is ultimately relived when she all but deflates after the question leaves her lips. with irey's red hair splayed across her lap, mar'i instinctively cards gentle fingers through it, her other hand coming to rest on her friend's weary shoulders --- just as her mother often does when mar'i's own worries get the best of her. the admission gets a gentle hum of understanding from nightstar. irey, who loved as strongly as she fought, did not take kindly to those closest to her drifting away. a sentiment they shared, and while there was no doubt of the strength of bond between her and her twin, there was also no doubt this slight would manifest in ways she might not have understood immediately. " i have no doubt jai will confide in you in his own time. " she soothes, the notion that anyone--- even jai west-park could keep something from irey for long, downright impossible. " he values your opinion of him very highly, even if he doesn't show it all the time. maybe he's struggling to understand his own frustrations. " mar'i had noticed a change in his behavior as well, but thought it spoke more to indecision than any note of harm. but then again, irey was certainly the better assessment of her own brother, their bond unlike any other she had seen. because of this, mar'i understands the concern, and running a soothing hand on her friend's shoulders, asks: " has he spoken to your parents? "

it's an instinct. finely tuned over years of 'quiet . . . too quiet' and spectacularly failed missions, but an instinct she trusts with more than her own life. the shadows here stretch long. imposing, unnerving. magic has never been donna's strong suit --- that was always left up to lilith, but there was nothing more realistic than trial by fire and they'd certainly jumped into the flames now. she doesn't get what he means. not at first. the movie set makes sense, this house hardly looks well-loved, but for them? unlikely. that is until her fingers skim over photography books. the ones kory had worked with, the ones donna had been on the set for. there were orchards in the window --- donna's favorite, she got them from the farmer's market every month they were fresh, and the art piece beside the window was undoubtably themysciran. FOR THEM. a shiver runs down her spine. " then they know we're here. " more importantly, they knew the trail would LEAD them here, but that's something donna wishes to discuss in the privacy of their own homes. well, thought to be privacy. her fingers ghost over the book, not quite touching, the motion aborted just before she did like she would break the mirage upon contact. the feeling of unease didn't settle. there was more, she's sure of it. " we can handle difficult. " she says it more for the room than for regulus. he knows that and more, that this little stunt was just going to motivate them even more. was going to make this even more personal than it already was --- the insult that they thought this little smoke and mirrors show would deter the pair even a little. she looks around the room when she says it, a threat to the air she hopes carries. going to these lengths to shake them meant they were on the right path. her eyes search for his, trying to translate the things they can't say aloud. " and this means they have something to hide. "

she learned her unamused face from her mother. the drop of chin, the unwavering gaze, the elitist pinch of lips. except with serena, she never could hold it for long --- not with nate. there's no actual heat behind it, more so just the knowledge that she hates it when he's RIGHT. would she come back? it's not like college is her end all be all, not like education was ever really her passion, and PARIS? paris could be. paris could be every dream she'd ever had come true, and she could finally, FINALLY find the purpose of her life that had so elusive till now. her disapproving gaze of his devils advocate act turns quickly to pouting. " i would! " she says, a bit petulantly. it isn't a thought out answer, just a quick disagreement of HER MOTHER'S very argument, but it gets her thinking. would she come back? college aside, would she come back here? her eyes catch his --- that strong gaze, the way his hair falls just to those dark eyebrows, the curve to his lips when there's something troubling him, and something within her whirlwind stomach settles . . . yeah. she'd come back. but not for college. his encouraging words do little to settle her. she's a woman of ACTION. historically, thinking through her decisions has not been her forte, and when there's an opportunity at her doorstep, she LEAPS and doesn't give a second look. " it's just . . . do you really think college will get me there? " she knows she comes from a life of privilege but in her experience TAKING OPPORTUNITIES meant infinitely more than some meaningless collegiate credits. and that had nothing to do with the fact that she was dangerously close to failing all her pre-reqs. " what if college just . . . isn't for me? you know? what if there's somewhere else i'm meant to be? "

INFORMATION OVERLOAD. that was the word viktor used. appropriate, surely, for his current predicament, and fitting, undoubtably for the world outside of klaus' powers. ben could TALK to people. hell, they could even talk back. his siblings, even, despite the fact that they hadn't actually known each other for years, had immediately brought ben back into the thick of what made them THEM. and he appreciated it, he did. this freedom was new and he was near drunk on it, but he was also . . . exhausted. five was good for those moments. for a quiet, reprieve when he needed it, and that biting gallows humor when it called for it. ben laughed at his statement --- the truth of it shocking. six is not sure if it's the whole 'was dead' thing, or truly just the way their siblings had aged but ben now knew far more about their dating lives than he'd ever thought (or wanted). and these developments were especially weird because five was simultaneously the most and least changed. physically, exactly as ben remembered, save some traumatic world ending events, and still just as whip-smart as always but there was something different underneath. an exhaustion he hadn't had before. ghosts that had nothing to do with klaus' powers. he hadn't yet uncovered what those meant, but five was far more guarded than even the best of them. ben's nose wrinkles a bit, and the shake of his head is pointed, " not unless luther's 3 hour spiel about how sloane likes country music, but not old school is somehow the cypher. " he says, with a commiserating smile. it would be nice to solve this, but that just didn't seem the focus at the moment for one. and joking or not, ben kind of liked being regarded as someone who deserved to be filled in. he'd analyze that later. for now, the instinct to complete the mission drove his next words: " i do think diego is following a lead right now, though. "