Author: Lila, Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2023 5:05 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

Lila was blushing again and she was really quiet. “Always Myrri…” She sighed with a loving look towards him. “Forever.” Her father hadn’t been happy about her crush on Myrri but he got distracted by Alshaya getting married.

She was ten when she announced to her family that she loved Myrri. Janus had some inkling but he didn’t know how far gone his sister was. He laughed at her for three days straight in person and in resonance.

Her father just looked at her and told her that she wasn’t allowed to be in a relationship with the furball. Furball was the nickname Lewis had chosen from the moment he first held Myrri when he was born.

Of course, Myrri was a better choice than Llonan in Lewis’s eyes. No one really knew why he had it out for the elvish prince but at least Alshaya would always be taken care of.

This peaceful life they were allowed meant a lot to both Myrri and Lila. “I love you too Myrri Eraphim.” She snuggled into him and kissed him once again. “It’s always going to be you. I’ll love you like my dad loves my mom. A love that is forever.” Of course, they could never begin to understand resonance love the way her parents had but… what they had was close enough.

“The sunset here is the prettiest on the whole island.” She directed him to the sky. “I told Janus he should bring Neomi out here but he’s too busy mourning the fact she still won’t have sex with him.”

Author: Furball, Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 5:50 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

“Oh? Is that all?” he asked with a big smile on his face as he sat down next to her. “I expect nothing but the best, then,” he jokingly demanded as he stared out on the horizon. “So it really was always me, then?” he wondered, giving her a side eye. Sure, she had tortured her brothers for their betrayal, but the secret was out now. “I know you’ve said it before, but now I have proof.” He put his arm around her and smiled. “I think that’s kind of cool. I’m glad it was always you too. I can’t imagine anyone else. I don’t even want to.”

“I love you, Lila Terrowin. I always will.” It wasn’t some dramatic moment with life or death, nor was it some romantic book with high stakes. This was the reality that had been built for them by their parents, where the peace allowed them to flourish without a life and death struggle to survive.

And it was perfect.

Author: Lila, Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 5:32 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

Lila had Myrri’s hand and she was chuckling at him. “No. No. No. No.” She kept answering all of his questions. She stopped short and kissed him hard. Putting her forehead against his she chuckled up at him. “Shhh… Enjoy the journey.”

Lila took him through several bushes until they got to a cliff. It had wildflowers everywhere but a clear path where she had been coming through for years. “This is one of my favorite spots on the whole island.” She pulled him through the field of wildflowers. There was a small bench for children. “I’ve been coming here for a long time. Dad even built me this bench. Though these days I don’t need it anymore.”

She took him up to the cliff and sat down on the edge. “The sunset is the most perfect here.” She patted the ground. “I want you to sit here with me and watch it.”

Author: Furball, Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 5:25 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

Meanwhile,

Myrri was doing his best to keep up with Lila as they explored the island. He thought he knew all of the secrets, but evidently the twins had kept several secret from him. Of them, was one of Lila’s favorite spots. Evidently it was still a secret as she outright refused to tell him where they were going. All he knew was that it would be worth it in the end.

“So…is this like a part of your super secret plan to kidnap me or something? Or maybe you’ve finally grown tired of me, and are leading me to my final resting place?” He was being intentionally dramatic. “Or is this something dark and dangerous? Another portal to the fae?” He really did wonder if that might be the case. The twins had a habit of running into fae in the weirdest of places. “No hints at all?” he begged. “You know I like knowledge…this is killing me.”

Author: Neomi, Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 5:12 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

Neomi put a finger to his lips and got really close to him. “Shhh.” She was chuckling. “It’s a major turn-off when you start rambling about your mom.” She was willing to forgive him where others weren’t. “Lila told me to say that when you start.”

She brought her finger down and kissed him softly. “Because and this might come as a shock to you. There are moments when I want to be the only one you think of. Sometimes. Not all the time. I’m mostly understanding.” She whispered it up to him.

They were in his room alone with nothing but time and the very first chance he got, he rambled. Lila was right… He was a mama's boy but it was also kind of endearing.

Author: Argent, Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 5:04 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

The fact that Neomi was taking it so well was good, but when she started to add to the theory, his eyes lit up and he smiled. “You’re brilliant. That might be a big part of it,” he said, passing the information to Lila for later use. When they got to his room, her comments made him smirk. “It’s not really something anyone expects. For the most part, I really didn’t have much that I really liked doing. I helped Lila with chess every so often, but it got kind of boring when Uncle Xeik gave up. It was a lot of exploring the island and getting into trouble…I really didn’t have much I wanted to keep in the room.” He smiled when Neomi picked up the picture of Simone.

“She’s amazing. I’ve never really been able to describe it to anyone…” Though, the fact that she caught on to the resonance so quickly made his heart jump. “When we were younger, she’d tell me all these stories by the fire until I fell asleep. I can remember it clear as day, falling asleep in her lap while she stroked my hair. I miss it most days…it’s hard to find time to ask for stories by the fire when there are twenty-six other siblings to handle. Not that I’m jealous or anything, but I do think being one of her own blood would catch me-”

Janus was surprised when he was interrupted.

Author: Neomi, Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 4:35 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

Neomi listened to him and took a big breath. “And that bond has to do with why my grandma hangs around them so much. And you all.” She thought about it a bit. “I would wager she’s the direct reason for the bond between your mother and father. She’s not a people person. She wouldn’t go out of her way without something in it for her. My grandma isn’t a saint, she’s a scientist. And I know that’s hard to think about when you think of my grandma but it’s true. She’s married to her work more than her husband.”

Neomi gripped Janus’s hand. “I get it,” she smiled a bit at him. “That’s why she used to burst out laughing. You did something that made her laugh. It’s probably why all your classes are split up for the most part, isn’t it? So you don’t cheat off of each other?” She tilted her head.

Taking a deep breath she moved the topic back to his parents. “So your parents do have a romantic story they aren’t telling. It must be quite the tale if you don’t even know.” It sounded mesmerizing. Once they got to Janus’s room she looked around and put down her bags. “Somehow this wasn’t what I was expecting of your room.”

It was basic which surprised Neomi. She walked over to the desk and picked up the picture. Of course, it was his mother. “You really love your mom don’t you?” She smiled up at Janus. “I’m so happy you have someone you learned to love like that. It’s really a special kind of love.”

Author: Argent, Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 4:22 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

Janus hesitated for a moment. He would have to tell her a lot of it, but he wondered how to. “Well…it’s not easy to explain, and I’ll be honest…a lot of this goes over my head. Even Lila can’t always wrap her head around it. You’ve seen the marks on my back, right?” He paused. Well, it was now or never.

“Lila and I share…well, technically we share everything. Thoughts, emotions, pain, pleasure, all of it. If one of us is happy, the other can feel it. If I cut my hand, Lila will wince.” He wondered if that made any sense to Neomi. “How this bond happened, well…we got it from Mom and Dad. Though, from what we understand, our bond is different. Lila and I can turn it off whenever we want. Mom and Dad, from what I gather, can’t.” He crossed his arms.

“This is where it gets complicated. From what Lila and I can surmise, Dad used to be a famous assassin, and Mom was rescued by him. All I know is that whatever he saved her from formed that bond. And…from that bond, Mom and Dad took a backseat to assassin work, and started a family here. Uncle Xeik says that Lila and I were born from magic, but I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean. Remy and Damond were born with magic too, but they don’t have the same bond that Lila and I have so…” he shrugged.

“I bet Mom and Dad are keeping a lot from us to keep us safe, but I wager that there’s a lot even they don’t know. Uncle Xeik doesn’t do a good job at hiding it, but he’s been studying Mom and Dad, and us too to figure out what makes our bonds so special.”

Author: Neomi, Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 4:11 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

Neomi blushed at Myrri’s words for pointing it out again. Janus and she had been going really slow. It put a stop to how fast Janus had been going with other girls. There were a few reasons why Neomi was being like this. The first was that she was worried Janus was going to get what he wanted and be done with her, she wanted to build a relationship first with him. Two was that Lila had told her not to give in to Janus for a while. All the warnings from Lila made Neomi smart about how to handle Janus.

Excusing herself from the table Neomi took Janus’s hand as he showed her the expansive castle. “Wow… This castle is huge. It doesn’t look this big on the outside.”

“Oh… That’s because Dad used spatial magic on it. They are always finding kids and bringing them home,” Janus answered her easily enough. “Amazing isn’t it?”

“Yeah… Your parents are amazing too… So what is their story anyways? Your dad downplayed it but they seem like such amazing people.”

Sooo… How much can I tell Neomi?

How far do you want your relationship with Neomi to go? You’ll have to tell her eventually. Trust and all that.

You make a very valid point.

“You’re talking with Lila aren’t you?” Neomi was watching Janus’s face. “It’s not just a normal twin thing you guys do, is it? It’s something much more than that.”

Author: Argent, Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 3:54 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

Janus felt safe enough to re-establish the resonance, and mentally high fived his sister. The fact that the terrors were going through his room didn’t seem to bother him much, considering he barely had anything to hide. The question was less what they could have found, and more on the why. A question for later, once the prank war started…

Oh, and there would be a prank war. He knew for a fact that the terrors were planning it the moment summer break started, but Janus and Lila were prepared. They had a few secret projects int he works back at the finishing school, well and far away from where the twins could snoop. They would learn what it truly meant to be a master prankster.

But, until then…

Janus took Neomi’s hand. “Here. I’ll show you my room. It’s pretty basic, but since you’ll be staying-”

Myrri turned red. “W-what? Neomi is going to be in your room!?”

“Duh,” Janus replied. “You’re staying in Lila’s room…” He turned his attention back to Neomi. “And then we can walk the gardens. Mom has the best gardens. No one can compare.” He was gushing about Simone again, but he seemed better at keeping it toned down. “Oh, and Dad’s vineyard too!”

“Just don’t destroy anything,” Lewis called out. “Have fun. And don’t forget…”

“We’ll know,” Xeik replied with a dark look.

“You’d think Dad and Uncle Xeik had a resonance…” Janus replied with an eyeroll.

Author: Lila, Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 3:42 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

“Excuse me,” Lila said as she elegantly pushed herself up from her place at the table. “It’s good that you’re finally here Myrri,” she kissed his cheek and left the room. Shortly after she left the room there were terrified screams.

“MOMMY,” Remy and Damond were both screaming at the top of their lungs. “DADDY HELP US.”

Lewis quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head to his wife dramatically, “Are they in danger?”

“Nothing that they haven’t earned,” Simone was delicately creating a salad for herself. “Want some Love?” She made a bowl for Lewis next. “Lovely weather isn’t it?” The screams continued for minutes before Lila came back in. She was dusting her hands off.

“Don’t you dare take them down," Lila said proud of herself.

“Daddy…” Remy and Damond were whimpering.

“What did you do?” Simone looked at her daughter.

“Oh, I hog-tied them and hung them from the chandelier.” Lila seemed pleased with herself. “That will teach the little brats to go through my things while I’m not at home. I hid it really well too.” Her eyes narrowed. “Actually… I hid them in Janus’s room. So they were going through your things Janus.”

Neomi had wide eyes as she looked back and forth with everyone. This was normal? This was absolute chaos.

“Just make sure to take them down before bed,” Simone said. “It’s not the worst thing in the world if they get put in time out for a while.”

“Are all siblings this way?” Neomi squeaked up. She didn’t have any siblings to even compare. She had a lot of cousins, aunts, and uncles but not siblings.

“Everett used to egg Alshaya on until she punched him in the nose,” Simone sighed. “And these two upgraded versions of the terror twins used to use each other to torment others, still do. Most of the kids are well behaved… There are twenty-seven of them so they are all varied.”

Author: Argent, Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 3:32 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

Remy grinned at the door, “OH MY SWEET MYRRI, WHEN EVER WILL YOU NOTICE MY CASUAL GLANCES!” He was yelling at the top of his lungs. From farther down the main hall, Damond’s laughter could be heard as he chimed in with his own verse from what was very likely one of Lila’s old diaries.

While Myrri started to turn beet red, Janus found himself feeling rather angry. Or, it was more accurate to say that he felt Lila getting very angry, and it was pouring over into his own emotions via the resonance. It was easy enough to sever the connection for the time being; it wouldn’t do well to have two mad Terrowins at the moment.

“So Myrri,” Janus said, clapping his roommate’s back. “I would suggest you get used to this kind of behavior. Once the terror twins bite down, they rarely ever let go.”

“I thought you two were the terror twins,” Myrri replied, trying to shake the feeling of embarrassment.

“We were, but then they got worse,” Janus replied. “We’re the artists formerly known as the terror twins.” He gave a sly smirk. “We’re unmatched when it comes to pranks.”

Author: Lila, Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 5:21 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

Simone interrupted, “They are best friends NEOMI.” Reminding Lewis that she was there and watching. “They just like to antagonize each other.”

“He can’t help it. He’s a dog,” Damond and Remy said together as they came into the room to raid the snacks Silva brought out.

“Not helping,” Simone got her kisses from them. “Are you going to introduce yourselves?”

“How good are you at memorizing?” The twins had their arms on each other’s shoulders keeping them close. They were identical in every way.

“I’m… fairly good at it,” Neomi was eyeing the twins.

“I’m Remy.”

“I’m Damond.”

“You’re Remy and you’re Damond,” Neomi flipped their names before Simone had a chance to yell at them for lying.

“How can you tell?!” They yelled together.

“…You looked at each other before giving me your names. Seemed mischievous,” Neomi gave them a smile.

“Witchcraft!” The boys yelled as they raided the juice. “Janus brought home a witch!”

“Myrri smells like dog,” The boys yelled again as they now were making their exit from the room. “And Janus is a mama’s boy! Lila is a closet pervert! Camille is a brat!” They made a face at Camille as Camille got up on her chair and slammed her hands on the table.

“I’M NOT A BRAT,” she yelled at them.

“Closet… Pervert?” Lila looked at her parents. “Where the hell is this coming from?”

Author: Argent, Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 5:10 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

“It sounds like your family has an exciting history,” Lewis said. “Ours isn’t anything special,” he lied. He would rather not go in depth on how his first meeting with Simone was an assassination attempt on her that, in all actuality, technically succeeded. The dream dive and resonance just complicated it all, and that wasn’t even getting into the part where he died and came back a night phoenix.

Speaking of Myrri, though…

Myrri, Xeik, and Mia stepped through the portal right outside of the castle, looking around. “See, I told you we’d be late!” Myrri said as he rushed in. “Lila, I’m here!” He said as he burst into the dining hall.

Everyone stared at him and Xeik and Mia walked past him and got themselves their refreshments.

“Oh…” he turned bright red and walked over to pour himself a cup of tea. “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“I see the furball still hasn’t learned manners,” Lewis said, rolling his eyes. He glanced over in Lila’s direction. “I’m disappointed you’re letting him get away with such abysmal etiquette.” That earned an elbow jab from Simone, as he had very little room to talk.

Xeik sighed, “Myrri, it’s okay. He’s just being an asshole.”

“Better an asshole than a know it all,” Lewis jabbed back at Xeik.

“A know it all who saved your ass too many times to count,” the healer replied snarkily. “And don’t even get me started on the tab you owe me for Everett’s nose alone.”

Author: Lila, Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 4:51 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

Lila was pouring herself some coffee as she settled into her seat. “Camille, what are you having?”

“Juice,” Camille was coloring at the table while they all talked. She was kicking her legs and softly humming.

Neomi nodded to Janus and gave him her cup, “A good cup of tea can warm the soul. That’s what Grandma says.”

“She’s not wrong,” Simone smiled a bit as Janus poured the cup of tea. “I have a lot of it so whenever you want some don’t be afraid to brew. I’m sure Silva wouldn’t hesitate to help you get a blend you’d like.”

“I’m always near the kitchen,” Silva spoke up as she got a snack for little Camille.

“Thanks, Silva,” Camille smiled up at Silva pat her head.

“I told you… You need to come to bed a lot sooner than you do…” Simone looked worried.

“Who do you hate so much that you’re a month ahead on letters?” Lila was a bit concerned. She could think of a few people he might do it to but no one concretely. “This is dedication.”

“You could take some time and walk in the gardens with me a few more times during the day,” Simone pointed out. “I would love to walk the peony garden with you some more.”

Neomi seemed starry-eyed at their relationship. Despite all this letter nonsense, she was really impressed with their marriage so far. “You both remind me of my parents.”

“Oh? How did they meet?”

“A random happenstance. Under a cherry blossom tree in Nisshoki. Although Uncle Belen tells it differently. He says he set them up. Father apparently pulled out all the stops and gave her a fairy tale proposal with fireworks and the whole kingdom of Sularia looking onward as he did it. Mother moved to Nisshoki with him afterward. He’s a folklorist and Mother is a scholar. My uncle Belen, my father's twin, is married to Tempest and acts as her mouthpiece. I know you know Tempest and Kite because of Lila talking about it. They both take life slowly. My grandmother is the goddess Shiloh and you already know about Grandma Ang.”

Simone was a bit surprised at the girl’s lineage, “So you are an Arriese princess?”

“Yes, it’s in my bloodline.”

Simone seemed to approve of her and nodded along. “Myrri should be here soon. He wanted to spend some time in Elysia before coming over.”

Author: Argent, Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 4:37 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

“Nobody of consequence,” Lewis replied as he avoided the question. “You better be behaving yourselves at school,” he said, changing the subject immediately. “We covered for you once. We won’t do it again.” That was a warning that was specifically aimed at the twins for their ludicrous pranks.

Neomi started to ask what they were talking about, but Janus and Lila got the idea, and instead pressured everyone to go inside. Silva led them all into the dining hall, where a small platter of appetizers, tea, and coffee were set out for everyone.

“Neomi?” Janus asked as he poured himself some tea. “Would you like me to pour you some? Mom has some of the best tea ever.” He sniffed his cup, “Rose, I think. It’s great!” He was excited to be able to share the small pleasures his home held.

Lewis was already pouring himself more coffee, looking exhausted. “I really should slow down,” he muttered. “I’m already several months ahead of schedule…maybe I do deserve a break.”

Author: Lila, Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 4:12 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

“Mr. and Mrs. Terrowin!” Neomi yelled as she was excited to see them again. They hadn’t gotten to communicate much in her eyes so this was going to be a good trip for everyone involved. After all, Myrri was arriving later and he knew them since he was born. He had a head start on her!

“Please, you can call us Lewis and Simone,” Simone hugged Neomi lightly and Neomi took it upon herself to hug Lewis. Lewis was wide-eyed and was staring at Janus. Neomi was much friendlier than his son.

“Thank you for letting me come visit! Your island is so pretty. Janus told me all about it but it was much prettier than he described,” Neomi was so cheery.

“You don’t have to work so hard to win them over,” Lila spoke up as she hugged her mother and father finally.

“Oh! I wasn’t trying to,” Neomi blushed a bit and took Janus’s hand. She waited to hear about her room.

“Your father and I discussed it,” Simone crossed her arms. “You can have them stay in your rooms.”

“But there are rules,” Lewis said as he took a similar pose to Simone.

“One,” Simone spoke up.

“No funny business,” Lewis spoke after her in sync much like the twins did in their rather creepy moments.

“Two,” Simone held up two fingers.

“We’ll be watching so we’ll know,” Lewis’s deadpan answer was more pointed at his daughter.

“That doesn’t mean you won’t have privacy but we have our ways,” Simone spoke up after her husband.

“Why does this sound like you are weaponizing Uncle Xeik?” Lila seemed to pinpoint the answer to all of this.

“He was in agreement to do this,” Simone waved her hand. “So you may sleep in the same bed but…”

“No funny business,” Lewis and Simone said together.

“You can get away with it at school but we’re asking you to hold back here,” Simone nodded.

“We can do that… Seems simple enough,” Lila crossed her arms. “I’m shocked Dad isn’t going to go on one of his Furball rants.”

“Your father is a bit preoccupied with his letters… Let's just take this as a blessing,” Simone held up her hand as if blessing the ground Lewis walked on.

“…You’ve been writing an awful lot lately… It’s not like you have friends,” Lila put her hands on her hips and Neomi’s eyes got wide.

“We have plenty of friends… Just no one we would write to,” Simone corrected.

“… Are you harassing someone?” Lila pointed at Lewis. “Who’s the unfortunate soul this time?”

Author: Argent, Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 3:55 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

Janus was content letting his sister steal the spotlight for the tour as she showed off the start of the island features. There was plenty left to show off to Neomi at a later time when they could be alone, especially on the far side of the island where the caves were. He wondered if Raile was still stashing goods there for an emergency.

Camille was, as always, happy to see him and nearly fell out of the second story window trying to get to him. Luckily Silva was there to stop her, but that didn’t mean much as moments later she burst through the main door and tackled Janus head on.

“Camille!” he said as he hugged her. “You know better than to jump out windows.”

“I would have made it,” she said confidently.

“I’m sure, but it’s still dangerous,” Janis replied. “Is it just me or are you getting taller?”

“Yeah! I grew a whole two inches!” she replied excitedly. “I’m gonna be taller than you!”

“Somehow I doubt that,” Lewis said as he walked out with Simone at his side. Janus was already taller than his siblings, and easily taller than Simone and Lewis. Something about Lewis being malnourished and stunting his growth, and Simone was just short. The details really didn’t matter to Janus, though. All he knew was that he was tall.

“Mom!” Janus said with his eyes lighting up. “And Dad,” his added, his eyes dimming a little. “Did you prepare a room for Neomi?” He was secretly hoping they had forgotten.

Author: Lila, Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 3:45 PM, Post Subject: Home for the Holidays [R/P]

It was the holidays and the Angelus Academy was letting people go home. It was decided by the parents and the group that Neomi and Myrri would spend a week with the Terrowins. Sapphire and Cyril also invited Janus to spend a few days with them as well. Lila could go see Xeik and Mia whenever she wanted.

The group was all packed up and they opened up a portal home. Being that the academy was in winter the twins told their partners to pack only for summer. Neomi hadn’t been honestly sure of what the island was like but eagerly had packed away a few of her summer kimonos. Lila offered some of her dresses but they didn’t fit Neomi.

They decided it was best to warp at the beginning of the wisteria tunnel. “So… This is what our mother put all of her time into when they got the island.” Lila showed it off.

“Oh… wow…” Neomi looked around. “You really do have a whole island to yourself. This is amazing.” Lila took the time to show her everything as the castle came into view. “You live in a castle?!” She looked up at Janus with huge eyes. “I mean I’m used to Gram and everyone in Sularia having a castle but you?!”

“It was Dad’s present to Mom,” Lila waved her hand. “No big deal.”

“…Wow…” Neomi stared up at Terrowin Castle and looked back at Janus. “Your dad must love your mom a lot.”

“JANJAN!” Camille threw open the second-floor window and hung out of it. “YOU’RE HOME!”

“Miss Camille!” Her name got yelled by Silva as the five-year-old got pulled back inside the window.