CAELESTIS

“No, you’re guessing a random number. Sometimes I think you never listen to me, Freddy.” She sighed, as if disappointed. But this was just the game they played. Loser was the one who reacted first-be it showing signs of anger or simply not responding. It was a game that Frederick tended to beat her at, loathe as she was to admit it. But she wasn’t about to lose this time. The die had been cast. 

Game on. 

“Higher? My dear, I’m just impressed you know what comes after ten.” She clapped slowly. “It was seven. I didn’t want to cause you any undue strain.“ Because she would never do that. Playing with her necklace, Ciela nodded at the newspaper in Frederick’s hand. “Anything catch your interest? Something with lots of pictures, perhaps?”

❀

In an amusing case of irony, Frederick supposed he should remain skeptical of the witch, as if he didn’t already. Though the truth was he had no obligation to save Earth or even care about the potential threat this dark force posed for the rest of the magical dimension. What kept him on Earth was his desire to be paid after all.

“What can I say? Being around you has a draining effect on me,” he deadpanned, knowing her bark was worse than her bite. “Just wondering how the people on this planet amuse themselves,”  he admitted with complete honesty. Nothing ever remained a secret even on a planet like Earth, and he was sure the diadem would fetch a high price on the black market. “I would give you the crossword to do, but I know you can’t read.”

˙ ˖ ✶

In focusing only on training her combat skills, Mina feels like she’s fallen behind when it comes to her powers. Well, behind for her considering if there’s one thing she’s confident on it’s her light manipulation. That’s why when the opportunity to train with a shadow manipulator witch had presented itself, Mina had taken it. “I suppose whoever taps out first,” Mina says with a shrug, not above giving up when things get tough but sure enough in her powers that she knows she’ll be a challenge, at the very least. “Ready?” Her fingers curl, a quiet humming sound that only she can hear buzzing in her ears as she channels the sun’s energy into small balls of light by her hands.

❀

Sometimes Frederick wondered if his instructors were right and he wasn’t living up to his potential with his magic. Maybe there was more he could do with his abilities based on what he seen his peers accomplished as students at Cloud Tower, but what he was capable of performing was good enough. Flashy displays of power were never his thing. Giving a quick nod to signal he was ready to start, he pulled out a pair of sunglasses crafted to remain on his head in preparation for her attack.

With a quick flick of his hand, he summoned the throwing knives he stashed away in his dimensional storage. Some knives were legit, while others were constructed from shadows. Let’s see if the faerie could tell the difference, he thought before sending a wave of knives at his opponent.

INTRODUCING NYMPHAEA.

✾

Gazing the man across from him, there was a creep of an old fear. His words came but weren’t heard. Amand stood low and started counting his disadvantages in his head. The memory of fights an echo that trying to guide him. Amand fought monsters and beasts. Lye was slower and smaller than both, but fought with experience. Mid thought, a nod came and tension jumped gear, the crack of wooden swords sharp in the air.  Lye’s strikes were heavy. Amand fought back hard. Who would falter first? 

❀

Ciela was originally content to just let Frederick scowl at the newspaper and curl up in a chair with her book but he spoke first. It would be positively rude of her to not respond. Not to mention whatever conversation they had was likely to be more entertaining than Earth research. 

“Damn. Are you sure?” She lounged across her chair, feet hanging over the arm rest. “Maybe you haven’t practiced hard enough. I’m thinking–” A manicured nail tapped against her chin. “-of a number between one and one hundred.” Never mind the fact that she was actually thinking about smacking him upside the head with that newspaper of his, but that was beside the point. “Twenty bucks if you get it right.”

❀

Frederick had half a mind to pretend he hadn’t heard Ciela. Sometimes silence was all he needed to piss her off, which was more fun than actually being civil with her. They might not be students at Cloud Tower anymore, but old habits died hard.

“Am I guessing the number of brain cells you have left?” he asked from behind his newspaper. More often than not, he countered her with questions.  Maybe he had developed a routine after all, even if it was as trivial as this. “Twelve? Am I aiming too high? he questioned, adopting a light tone as if he was asking about the weather.

His words caught Liqin’s interest. “What do you mean? A personal bias?” She asked, wondering if he had something against beaches…or if he somehow held them to a standard that the Venician beaches couldn’t achieve. “The beaches were one of the first places I visited, after the canals, of course. I think I’ve spent most of my time on the coast so far, I haven’t gotten to the other sites within the city just yet, but I’m sure they’re just as beautiful.”

❀

“Well, nothing can hold up to the beaches of Nymphaea,” he explained lightheartedly. Some of  his fondest memories included being out on a boat with his father and making sand castles with his eldest sister. “Have you ever been? Words and pictures can’t do it justice,” he asked. “That sounds like a good use of your time, I can see why so many humans visit Italy. My roommates and I actually visited one of the islands last night to look for leads. We didn’t find any clues, but the mosaics were amazing.” Although Earth itself was less technologically advanced from the other planets he visited, he did recognize the advancements the people had made. “I’m impressed with how well preserved they are.”

& .   ✧   ›  

sharing a space really isn’t the worst thing in the world — no. the worst belongs to whoever the hell picked out these bedsheets. she’s all for meeting new people and making new friends but like, why can’t they do that while sleeping in style? the lack of colors, the plain rooms with very few things going on, if you think a boring lamp in the corner of the room was exciting. really, this might as well be olivia’s nightmare. “ i suppose. i just wish that zyra had thought the bedsheets out a little more. these certainly don’t look…fresh. ” now ordering online, not a thought she considered. olivia was always more of a ‘in person’ kind of person despite the constant text messages she may throw whenever on earth but online shopping seemed like a nervewreck. if she’s in the store, she will know exactly what she’s getting.

“ yesss please. i’m thinking like a rose gold kind of scheme or maybe even gold. no one can ever go wrong with gold. ”

❀

"zyra must have had a limited budget,” he reasoned, attempting to find justification for the lackluster decor. “you’re not wrong though, i’m not a fan of the cotton sheets either.” crisp white sheets with a low thread-count, he wondered who exactly was responsible for stocking their room.  nonetheless, he preferred to solve problems instead of waiting for someone to hand him the solution. if he could fix up his room at red fountain, then decorating his room on earth shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. the real problem was going to be determining how to effectively use the limited space he had.

“for myself, i’m thinking champagne with lavender accents. after, i’ll probably stop by a bakery to pick up something for my roommates. want to tag along?”

☽

“That’s true, whoever she ends up with will have a long approval process.” She smiles in jest, knowing Delphina would hopefully make the best choice both for herself and the queendom. “Not to mention how eager anyone here would be to go outside their planet. It could work.” She shrugs, already deciding no one in the task force could be sibling-in-law material to her. Though, maybe she was being too judgemental too early, she was protective of her family in a different way from Lye. Her brow arches, choosing the direct route with him for it garnered better results. “And it’s not a Delphie suggestion?” She wasn’t blind to everyone’s role in the family, but she preferred to know what Lye was doing. “After the quest I realized how good I am at gaining information. Even on my little vacation with Olivia and Mina I got to learn a lot, might as well put this to good use and try to help.” She pauses, a soft light in her eyes as she admitted, “I think I can really do this. Espionage, that is.”

❀

"Will we even like whoever she chooses?” he asked jokingly, though there was truth in his question. There was always a reminder in the back of their heads the needs of their planet must come before their own. Sometimes, things worked out like they did for their parents, but Lye recognized he would forever be tied to the crown and have a responsibility to serve their people. “I just hope we’ll make it back in time for the festivities. Nothing could rival the events Athene coordinates,” he added, acknowledging the uncertainty of their situation. He would hope the dark force on Earth would be defeated by then, but he preferred to be cautious until more information about the opponent was discovered.  “It was approved by her,” he answered. Everyone even Nessie in their family had a role, whether it was assigned or self-appointed. Lye understood his future would be tied with diplomacy as his mother had told him, allowing him freedom to explore other planets and lands. However, he knew where his endgame was especially after the years of work he put into developing his own path under the name of the crown. “Zylstina is going to retire eventually, so Delphina will need to appoint a new spymaster in the upcoming years. It wouldn’t hurt for you to reach out,” he pointed out. Their eldest sister may be the sovereign, but the security of Nymphaea depended on a layered approach - their mother would always lecture them. A family was only as strong as its weakest link.

Patience was a virtue, Frederick reminded himself in the middle of reading the newspaper he picked up earlier this morning. Despite the orders he received, searching for the diadem remained a low priority for him. The decision to join the task force pissed him off, especially since he now wouldn’t be able to accept as many jobs as before. Per his research, the threat levels on Earth was fairly low compared to planets like Sycoria or Valorne which meant jobs in this part would offer less reward money.

“I’m not a mind reader,” he said finally acknowledging the other person in the room. He didn’t need to look up from the newspaper to identify them. Shadow users had a distinctive signature, but more importantly Frederick made an effort to remember the people who manage to get a reaction out of him.

The training area felt rather remedial. Nothing was going to beat real life experience, a sentiment he expected many of his colleagues to share. Nonetheless, he recognized his lack of experience with handling light manipulation users posed a potential risk for him. However, he was still surprised the faerie had agreed to the practice match, especially so late at night. “What are the guidelines? We keep going until someone says uncle? First person to land a hit?” he asked, toying with the rings on his finger. 

The cheerfulness from the humans on Earth was draining, Frederick thought to himself navigating the streets with the stack of books he bought at the occult stores. Years since he first learned of the practice, the art of demon summoning still interested him. The magic that existed deep in Venice would be enough to support him in establishing a bridge between Earth and the dimensions demons resided in. “Not so bad for a first day on Earth, Cashew,” he murmured to his familiar resting on his shoulder.

However, he must had spoken too soon when he collided with another person causing the books to fall to the ground. “Well, it’s common courtesy to help,” he said, not taking a look at the person he ran into. If they couldn’t endure a harmless bump, then that was their problem.

“ Nothing. I don’t know much about Italy, actually. ” Though she’d visited Earth before, she hadn’t much interest in it for the most part, unimpressed with the lack of advancement and magic. Still, that didn’t mean Earth was entirely dull. Might as well start learning now.

“ But this city is similar to Nymphaea, right? ” As they walked out of the shop, she took a bite of her gelato ( dark chocolate and orange, decided after much thought ). “ Oh, shit, this is good — Anyway, I don’t mind starting there. Maybe our magical thief wanted to do some sightseeing. I dunno. Zyra was just like, ‘here, have at it!’ Also, do you think the mosaics actually have some kind of message or you just wanna see them because they’re pretty and old? ” 

❀

"I like Italy. In some ways, it actually reminds me of home to the point I wonder if someone from Nymphaea helped with the development of the Roman empire,” he answered. He wasn’t homesick, but the mission posed to be the longest he had been away from home since attending Red Fountain. While he loved his years at Red Fountain, Lye recognized his life would always center around serving his planet. Although he wouldn’t inherit the crown, he still had responsibilities as a member of the royal family to fulfill.

“I do love a good mosaic, but something like the diadem would have showed up in the folklore told by the people of this area” he started, having done his own research into Venice once he was told of his assignment. “An artifact like the diadem couldn’t show up on Earth without making an impact on the people. Earthlings are quick to use the excuse of divine influence to explain miracles.”

Though as expected for a member of house Vassilis, Lye was a capable combatant, he believed his strength was in research. His skill set played a role in his belief he belonged on Nymphaea. Few planets could boast a library as extensive as theirs, in addition Lye wasn’t fond of cold weather preferring the warm climate he was born and raised in. “After the fall of the Roman empire, Torcello served as a religious center which I think is a good lead for us. Besides the Vatican, I can’t think of a better religious hub in the area. If we’re going to find a lead in the history of the diadem, the cathedral would be the best place for us to start,” he explained to his roommate as he directed them to the bridge with a view of the island.

“One of the mosaic depict the end of the world which is typically illustrated with a great flood by the artists of the era. This could be alluding to the capability of the diadem,” he pointed out, pointing at the church he wanted to visit. “I mean let’s be first at something instead of following everyone’s leads right?” he added, though he did have ulterior motives. If he was going to live on Earth, then his roommates would have to get along. He didn’t know well enough to throw a pillow at his head like he did back home.

The man wasn’t wrong. It would be a hassle if they kept breaking things in their already too small apartment but she couldn’t be held responsible for how she acted around Lillia. “Fine. I will try to keep the damage at a minimum. Just because you’re Callie’s brother and the bags under your eyes tell me you’ve dealt with enough girls fighting to last you a lifetime.” Her words are not said unkindly but rather like she actually sympathizes with him despite it sounding like an insult. “I mean you have like five sisters, right? I can imagine that’s tough to deal with.”

She shakes her head. “I’d rather not share my light with her, thank you very much. We can buy some flowers to brighten up the place, though. That’d be lovely.” Then she stands, hands clapping together excitedly. Exploring whatever this planet had to offer was number one on her list, perhaps even above their actual task, but she’d never say that out loud. “That sounds amazing. I’m so excited because I’ve never been on Earth before. It’ll be so much fun.”

❀

“I’ll hold you and Lillia to it,” he nodded his head, “Maybe we can have a swear jar but instead loser has to put money in when they break something.”  Lye made a mental note to review his skincare routine once he was done talking to Mina. The concept of him not looking his best felt ridiculous, more so because he never liked to show how hard he was kicking to stay afloat sometimes. The importance of his public image was drilled into his head before he was even allowed to leave the palace of his own accord. “Four,” he corrected, “Calliope, you know. Athene was a year ahead of you at Alfea. Nerissa and Delphina, you most likely met before. I can’t remember which year but Delphina was the keynote speaker at Alfea once.  The palace wouldn’t have been able to handle six of us under a single roof.”

“Isn’t it actually the sun’s light?” he asked out of curiosity. From what he understood based on watching Delphina, most light winx channel light from a source versus creating it to conserve their energy. “I’m fond of lilies. What about you?” he asked, already suspecting his future in the apartment as the mediator.  Hopefully, Mina and Lillia would learn to put their differences aside by the end of the week, but the lifelong feud between Nerissa and Delphina told him to keep dreaming. “I think Earth gets a bad reputation. Yes, the other planets are more advanced, but what the people here have accomplished without magic is impressive and deserves to be praised. I’m hoping we’ll be able to find out more about the diadem in the ruins.”

✾

catching the sword, Amand felt the weight in his palm. If he were honest he rarely used them. Sure they had a use but as a hunter that use is when you’ve made a mistake. He was significantly better than when he was younger, but that still wasn’t saying much. Amand turned to face Lye, rolling up his sleeves and appraising him. “I can’t promise the fight of your life but I’ll give you my best.”. Amand took slightly lower stance, waiting as tension began to take the air from his lungs. Breaths slowing and focus sharpening, his gaze moved from his own hands, to Lye’s, then to his eyes. “ready.”.

❀

“Your best is all I need,”  he grinned, assuming the proper stance. Though he preferred to fight with his spear, Lye wasn’t ready to reveal his whole arsenal to the group yet. Some things worked best with the element of surprise, and admittedly he hadn’t sparred with a sword in almost a year so now while they weren’t busy was the optimal time to review. He nodded his head before he propelled towards Amand, instinct taking over his body.  

open to: anyone

lyra hadn’t been wandering for very long, maybe an hour or so spent in the venician city streets in more of an attempt to get the lay of the land than any other rhyme or reason terribly apparent. in this breadth of time, however, the young woman had found herself with a companion most unexpected — a dog. 

the creature appeared a mix breed, tiny and entirely inoffensive aside from their habit of trailing strangers aimlessly. at one point she might have assumed it lost, searching hopelessly for its owners in a mass of bodies, though as she neared a set of canals and wooden benches, it didn’t seem as though the animal had much of a mind towards anyone in particular, really. they’d pace against the heated grey sidewalk, perk up for an attentive hand here and there, and then inevitably resume their trek happily forward towards her back. perhaps there was just something about her in that moment that seemed captivating? though lyra couldn’t dare begin to understand what. 

if she at any point thought she might be imagining the whole thing, that really the pup held interests further beyond her, it was all but confirmed the moment she let herself rest against the bench, with the creature immediately waddling a few steps forward eagerly in greeting. holding out a hesitant hand, the grinning that persisted — in the way that only a puppy could — and the wagging tail as fingers grazed against much softer fur than expected, a breath escaped the young witch in an evident mix of some confusion and light exasperation. 

“what am i to do with you, exactly?”

❀

although he already reviewed the documents on the culture of venice, lye decided a scroll through the shopping district of the city was harmless enough. he did need a break from whatever argument his roommates were having. one could only throw pillows at mina’s and lil’s heads so many times.

venice had its charm, but there were moments when he felt underwhelmed by the city. for each instance that reminded him of home, he was always quickly reminded how far he was from nymphaea. there weren’t water spirits lounging in the canals or vendors selling enchanted masks along the banks, however at least he found a new book to read to pass the time. since arriving on earth, he started to develop a fondness for italian literature.

“well, keep it obviously. i don’t remember any rules on pets,” he joked, before crouching down to pet the dog. the prince always had a soft spot for animals, lye was notorious for bringing home stray animals back to the palace. “no luck on identifying the owner yet?” he asked. frankly, lye welcomed surprises. spontaneity was when he shined best, so the appearances of lyra and callie on earth hadn’t fazed him beyond the standard questions. “her fur is filthy, which i don’t take as a a good sign,” he commented as the dog rolled on her back demanding belly rubs.