#p. closed

Waking up late in the afternoon was an oddity to her. But she woke up with cats on top of her and arms wrapped around her. Seems everyone was tired from staying up so late. It was comfortable, and to her, the best way to start the first day of this new year.

Making sure not to disturb everyone too much, she got up. And after fixing herself a bit, she sat in their garden. There wasn’t a lot that grew during Winter-- one of the coldest, and truthfully worst seasons ever-- but there were some. Small flowers that withstood the cold. And it was there that Sonja promised herself something. 

That even though she was who she was, she wouldn’t hate that. Just like the flowers that grew during the Winter, they withstood some tough stuff. And that might have caused them to be a bit bruised, but they still stood. It reminded her of herself. And it was okay. To just live. To grow. To be. 

Call it a New Year’s Resolution: Sonja would look forward, and try to be the best she can be, and take care of herself. At the end of the day... She was still herself. And she’d just have to learn how to truly accept that that was okay.

Sonja smiled as she set her phone to charge after she texted "Good Night" to her friends. Now in bed, she wrapped the blanket around her, fitting snugly in bed. It was warm.

Jack rode his horse to where the keep once stood, the charred remains of what had been home to the Starkey’s for more than two millennia. Eyes searching over what had once been the great gate. Now only shattered left in a pile. Paintings and books, tomes and ledgers were gone. Everything... he closed his eyes as his mind reminded him of his first time coming back to the Keep after his Sister and Mother’s abduction by King Damian. 

He had been a lad of 16 a good and kind boy with blue eyes and thick dark hair. He had been trimmed in the best as befitting his new station, a station the good Lord and Lady Hughes had done their best to teach him. He touched the frame of the great gate door fingers learning the wood while the door was not as old as the stone around it he had no doubt that it had welcomed many generations of Starkeys. 

A man announced that at long last the Lord of Arcadamia had grown and returned. How funny he thought, he was just a boy still, with much to learn. He walked in through the throng to the Keep’s door this door was older still but not as old as the keep. The air was filled with the nectar of petals that showered around him. 

“Should you like to say a few words to them?” Lord Hughes suggested.

“I would.” Young Jack turned to face them.

Jack looked behind himself realizing he was being watched. He saw them his people they were still his people even with the fall of the Keep. “My People-

-though we have lost much and been faced with an uncertain future.” Young Jack said clear and strong. “I ask that you stay with me and help me rule you for without you I cannot call myself-

your Ruler.” Jack stared at them. “Though they have taken from us we will preserver on!” He smiled. “I will not abandon you-

I have not abandoned, nor shall I ever abandon you! If you never abandon me.” Young Jack stood before them. “My Father and his Father’s-

built this keep, it has kept you sheltered for all your lives. Let it be used to shelter you now.” Jack swallowed he would allow for the old rubble to be made into houses for them thick sturdy houses built from the burnt remains it was a fitting form of resolve. One that he doubted Jones would take kindly to. Arcadamia was not fallen, not for good, nor was she out of the war. “I have-

and always will love you.” Young Jack spoke his eyes full of hope. “For I am-

Jack watched from the Helm as his little Daughter walked among the crew in her pretty ruffled blue dress. Her blue eyes watching them work blonde curls fluttering in the breeze. She giggled as a crew member bowed to her then held out his hand. 

“Come Princess Ali, for your lesson in spotting things on the horizon.” He was larger than any of the men aboard his name Pheobus. Pheobus stood at 7′ 10″ his long black dreads reaching his back his skin was dark and his laugh deep. A terrifying sight to any who dared battle the Shakespeare. However he was a jovial fellow despite his intimidating appearance. In fact he owned a small kitten named, Jojy and was known to play the guitar with Jack on long voyages. Having been voted in as the quartermaster for his head for numbers and tendency for fairness. He was studded with decorative gold and gold was inter woven in his hair. He looked like a God on land. He lead the small child to the bow and taught her how to look through the spy glass.

Jack smiled bigger Ali loved it here. Though at night when they were tucked into bed she asked for Ponyo. How she missed her Mother. She would be home before she knew it. He watched for Jones constantly, it was the last thing that he needed. 

Azalea grabbed her suitcase and backpack, almost booking it off the bus. She stood at the bus stop, looking around as the groan and sigh of the bus faded into the distance. She'd be safe here for a couple weeks she thought. She started toward the motel she had looked up in the last towns library. She pulled her long sleeved shirt down under her jacket and flipped up her coat. She missed the warmer weather. 

She paid for a few nights at the motel, all but cleaning out her bank account. She really hoped a diner or a bakery in town needed help. She shoved the backpack under the bed and heaved the suitcase up onto the bed. She pulled out a clean towel, a change of clothes and her toiletries. She stripped and stepped into the shower. Of course it was cold, but by now if she wasn't used to cold showers what kind of runaway would she be? 

Azalea had been afraid to sleep ever since that first night, the first nightmare. She was able to sleep peacefully for a few nights after she ran from Brodie, but within a few days Damian was back in her dreams with no intentions on leaving. She started doing anything she could do to prevent herself from sleeping, whether it be swimming to Neverland and back or scouring the ocean floor for things she liked or things of use. And the no sleeping gave her plenty of time to think. She didn't want to think; the more she thought about Broderick the more she felt awful about everything and she just wanted the feelings to go away.