Re: The Ye Old Shoppe o' Curiosities (An OpenBook Production)

[OpenTheDoor]

Robin: My nerves continued to churn in my stomach as Johnny spoke but I couldn't take my eyes off of my father who, throughout my boyfriend's little speech, had his eyes pinned on mine as he tightened his grip on my shoulder a little more. But as he was finished, I watched as my father snorted to his response, pulling his hand away to rest it upon his silver skull-topped cane. But as he stared out into the sky, he began to smirk.
"Love? Such a trivial, pesky little thing. Gets in the way of the important matters of life."
But as he tittered to himself, something suddenly came over me. I didn't know what it was but it gave me the ability to speak. I expected that it had something to do with Molly, it just had that lovely warm little feeling of friendship attached to it. Eh, at least it was better than almost being killed.
"So if love isn't important to you, what is?"
He snapped back into reality, his maroon leer filled with just a hint of shock. But as the corners of his lips turned upwards, he opened his mouth once again.
"Power, mostly. Love gets in the way of that. But there's other things as well...and believe it or not my children fall under that."
It was my turn to laugh then.
"Because that's what a caring father does: leaves his children all of a sudden with absolutely no warning. He justs disappears one night in the middle of the winter when snow's falling down outside without even leaving a note behind, not a single word. You ju--"
"Oh, Robin. You still have a lot to learn," he almost cooed, patting the side of my cheek.
Ang just like that, he dismissed it all. All of those twelve missing years with a single line. I could almost have laughed if I wasn't that angry. If I had the nerve I probably would have spat on him but...y'know, "all powerful warlock" and all of that kind of made me question my actions a little.
"Until then... I don't know. I have half a mind to forbid you from seeing your "boyfriend"...however I enjoyed his response. He has respect...though that doesn't cancel out the fact that he isn't Blue Blooded. And the problem is I'm sure that we could find you a prince... Well, that's not a problem at all what with whose blood runs through your veins and looks you've inherited," he chuckled, "Hmm... We've got a bit of a dilemma."
But as he pulled himself away to think for a moment on whether or not I would ever be allowed to see my boyfriend, the guy who I loved, ever again, my heart sped up, my lungs trying to keep up with enough oxygen to full my frantic thoughts. Of course I was worried. I could literally feel my eyes reddening at the thought of never being able to see him again. Well, he could have easily have killed him if we did meet up again and that would have been even worse.
I hadn't noticed right there and then that the thing was happening behind me, the thing that happened when my thoughts wandered and I got worried. The tupperware containers had started to float, just lightly, maybe a few centimeters above where they were sitting a moment beforehand. But as he was about to open his mouth again, he quickly peered behind me, studying what was happening before he smiled once again.
"Very...interesting," he commented, nodding his head slightly, "However I do feel as though now isn't the best time to make a decision on this. I don't want to rain on your little picnic, eh? So, we'll speak later this evening Robin. Until then...enjoy your time."
And with a small smile to the both of us, he began to walk away again into the darkness before another word could be passed. By the time he was almost out of sight, I suddenly that little force which was keeping me in place give way, letting go of me and allowing me to fall backwards onto the grass before I could stop myself otherwise. But as I hit the floor with a thump, I gave out a small grumble, rubbing the back of my head as if it would somehow stop the pain that was running through my cranium. And with a sorry-filled sigh, I looked back up into the sky, watching as the clouds flew off again to go block someone else's sunshine.
I didn't speak for a while. I needed to let that all sink in. I needed to have a little bit of silence to consolidate my rambling thoughts, trying to make a quick bullet point list in my head to summarise it all.
Firstly, my father didn't approve of my boyfriend.
Secondly, he mentioned that he was going to kick Johnny out and hook me up with a prince.
Finally, he was returning that evening.
"It's ironic. When he wasn't here I wanted him to be but now he is..." I trailed off, my eyes puffing up a little bit more, "I'd wish that he'd piss off again."

Fergie: I raised my brows at her, just flipping a pancake in the pan as she appeared. Yeah, I was the best boyfriend ever, making pancakes and bacon for my girlfriend instead of making out with her or joining her in the shower. I would like to have seen any other guy do the same.
But as she said her plan, I couldn't help but grimace to myself slightly, my brain already finding all of the flaws in her idea just like that. If she got stronger that meant that it would be longer before Robin would match her strength - if ever - so that they could be around one another again. Plus, he defeated Lilith, a wise old witch who knew what she was doing from studying magic for around one hundred odd years. It was likely that he could beat a girl who didn't really know what she was properly doing.
"Well," I sighed, piling her food up on a plate, "One step at a time, Molly. But that's probably the only way that we can get rid of him...if Robin wants him to leave. But for now, we kind of need him. Didn't he say something to her about training her up? If you get his to leave right away, well... He wouldn't be able to do that and you'll never be able to see Robin again anyway. It isn't as if you can just resign from your position after two days or whatever..."
Even though I tried to keep those negatives out, it was hard going. Her plan was too simple, too raw, but it had a good direction. Basically, my girlfriend was going to become the powerful one out of the couple. Sure, it made me feel a little less manly but eh... I forced it onto her.
"But here you go!" I sang, putting the plate down on the table.
It was all nicely laid up with a flower - one that I had stolen from a vase in the living room, but still - and juice, a pot of tea... Literally everything that she could have wanted.
And I was damn proud of it.

Olly: Just...do...it...
My body yearned for hers, unable to withstand that torture for too much longer. I swore that if she took too much longer I would have flipped her over and pinned her down to satisfy that want, that need.
But she must have heard my screaming thoughts as she fitted us together, enough sensation driving through my burning body to make my breaths quake, a small selfish groan escape my lips. Instinctively, my hands rested themselves upon her hips, wandering up her lower back and spine.

[bookcrazI]

Johnny:
I stared out into the park for a moment, after the man, and grimaced.
I was such a weakling, it wasn't even laughable.
My arm snaked out and gently pulled Robin into my lap, she needed comfort more than I, and hugged her close.
I couldn't live without her.
No matter how cliche it was, no matter how romeoandjuliete esque it was, I still felt that way.
We had to do something, short of getting married, so that her father couldn't separate us.
Then again, it is 'till death do we part'.
I decided to forget that and just hug her tighter.
"So.. the weather's nice."

Molly:
I smiled at my food, presented oh so expertly for me at the kitchen table and tried to ignore the fact that each little thing Fergie said about my plan was right.
Great.
Yeah.
I know.
It sounded better in my head.
"Thanks for the food, it looks delicious." I said, planting a little kiss on his cheek as I sat down.
I ate quickly, his food being really quite good, and ended it with a solid belch and a sheepish smile. That's how I was raised though, my mom was a professional chef and always said to let her know if I liked it or not.
I was pretty little when that started and I've refrained from doing it in public but at home it was kind of a tradition.
I batted my eyelashes at him and then stood.
"Okay. Yum. Now... let's go... I have supplies to buy.."

Lila:
I arched my back as we just enjoyed each other, my gasps had turned into moans when his hands touched me.
After a moment I started to rise, bringing myself off of him before sliding back down slowly, a moan on my lips when our hips met again.
I continued my painfully ascend once more but gradually picked up my pace until I was riding him quite fast and my grunts were in time with each thrust.

[OpenTheDoor]

Robin: Letting out a muffled sigh, I rested my chin on the top of his shoulder, my eyes reddening though they wouldn't dare to spill over. I didn't know how I felt. Upset, of course but...
"What are we going to do?" I murmured, pulling myself away for a moment to look at him in the eye, "Sorry about ignoring your comment but..."
My hands literally shook as I straightened out his shirt and jacket, being feel panicky about the whole thing. Literally, we were just waiting for his word, one that I was pretty much dreading to hear about.
But then I had a little thought.
"Maybe..." I trailed off, looking back into his stare, "if I just do as he says for a bit. If I rebel then he'll just say no but..."
I gave a shrug, unable to finish my sentences anymore.

Fergie: I gave a small nod, smiling throughout her little display of enjoyment of my food. Of course the fact that her mother was a chef didn't cross my mind. She was probably used to amazing food almost all of the time like I was...
Well, private chefs and all of that, you know?
"Come on then, then," I smirked, putting her plate onto the side to be washed up later, "Let's get you down to the shops."
And with a grin, I fetched her her coat and aired it out for her and pulling out the edges so that she could slip it on easily. It was just a shame that Jeffrey had taken his holiday for that day. I'm sure that we could have done with a lift, but no, it was walking.
Yes, a posh kid walking. Not a very common sight.
"Do you even know what you need to buy?" I asked as I escorted her out of her house and down and out to the road beyond with a sigh.

Olly: The fire continued to burn in my abdomen, her actions only making it rage even more. And of course, the advantage of her controlling it all was that I could just sit back and watch it all, her reactions enough to make me hot under the collar. My top lip quivered as the emotions built up, the tension is my muscles increasing as the velocity crept up and up and up... A small moan escaped my lips, my mind lost in her actions.
And after a few moments, I was close to that final self satisfied groan.

[bookcrazI]

Johnny:
I ran a hand through my hair and grimaced, what could we do?
It might just be best if we did do what he said, I rather not anger the man more than necessary.
I rubbed Robin's shoulder and carefully calculated my answer.
"I think if we stay low and wait we'll be fine. We will just have to be careful, I don't want to lose you...so... let's just watch out."
I smiled weakly and grabbed a tupperware container filled with cake and opened it for her, handing her a fork in the process.
"Cake makes everything better."

Molly:
I slipped into my coat and grabbed his hand as we exited my house.
"We'll take the bus... and yeah... kinda.. I assume camping gear... and maybe... horse stuff? I dunno.. I could probably use magic if I really needed anything else..." I answered, my voice trailing in and out.
I lead him to a bus stop and pulled out my bus tickets, the bus being already at the stop, conveniently.
"I hope you're not too posh for a bus." I joked.

Lila:
I continued my movements in an almost possessed way.
My body had tightened and I was gonna ride my climax out as hard as I could.
With a sudden gasp I felt that euphoria that made my hips shake. My fingers dug into Olly's side to brace myself as I cried out his name.

[OpenTheDoor]

Robin: I tried to smirk as he brought out the cake but it was pretty useless. But as I murmured a thank you and began to break up the slice into little brown fluffy pieces, I gave out a sigh. To think, I thought that we were having a normal day...then he showed up and threw a downer on the whole thing.
Was it so bad to have a boyfriend who wasn't a royal?
To me?
Hell no. I loved the guy.
To my father?
A lot, it seemed.
But as I shoved in a load of cake into my gob, all of those thoughts and worries all seemed to melt away. Johnny was most definitely right when he said that cake made everything better. It most certainly did. So instead of rambling on about the situation, I let us enjoy the silence together, something which I needed to settle my spinning brain.
But after a small while when I had literally demolished every last crumb, I set down that little tupperware tub and gave him a small smile, watching as he finished the last of his off. But as he too put down his tub, I couldn't help but smirk. He had a little clump of crumbs in the corner of his lip. So, due to the fact that I was in a bit of an awkward position to do what I wanted to, I rearranged myself so that I was roughly straddling his legs at around his knee height. And as I planted my hands onto his shoulders, I leant over to kiss him on the lips to hook off those little remnants without him noticing.
Well, the cake was amazing. I just wished that he had packed more.
"Thank you," I murmured, keeping my lips hovering above his.
And with just another quick kiss, I pulled myself back again, kneeling back down with his legs between mine. Of course at that time I would have pushed him to the floor to make out a little more...closely but I expected that my father was watching from a distance even then. I didn't want to condemn us so early on.

Fergie Wergie: The bus? I was going to travel on a bus?
I think it was safe to say that it was the first time ever I had been on public transport, ever. Well, I was used to chauffeurs driving me around to wherever whenever I fancied it. I didn't need to go on a bus into town. It was pointless for me.
"Well, this will be my first time," I confessed, rubbing the back of my neck as we got onto it.
But as I bought my ticket off of the driver who gave me a really weird look as he heard me say that, I followed her towards the back and took a seat.
The first thing that hit me when we first got on board was the smell. It wasn't pleasant. It smelt of old people, cigarette smoke and mould, all combined into one toxic-tasting concoction. Then there was the amount of gum on the seats and the mess of the floor, old wrappers and plastic bottles rolling about. And then there were the other people on there around me. Sure, there were a couple of old people who were quite contented with shooting me looks that could kill and teenagers who were either in their gangs talking about drugs and stuff, but there was also a guy who was sitting at the front and was quite happily having a conversation with himself...
It was safe to say that I was going to be walking back that evening.
"I wouldn't think that you'd need things for horses, Molly. To be honest you might just want some camping stuff. They'll probably supply a lot of the things, I would have thought..." I shrugged, "but I don't know. That's my opinion. The King said that he was going to organise it all for you so it isn't as if you're doing this out of your own pocket."

Olly: My breaths quaked as my body shaked, that feeling almost upon me. My hands gripped onto her hips a little more as I flipped my head back, forcing my eyes to slam shut.
Just...
...a...
...little...
...more!
And then it happened.
My muscles constricted as that fire within me exploded, that burning relief travelling throughout my brain, that grand feeling of pleasure bursting forth from my seams. I looked back down to her, letting myself catch up with my breathing but not daring to mutter another word.

[bookcrazI]

Johnny:
Suffice to say I was surprised at her sudden affection, surprised and turned on. My hands rested on her back eagerly and grew a little limp when she pulled away.
I glanced into her eyes curiously and was tempted to pull her into a closer embrace but then that nagging thought that her father had eyes on us.
I rubbed her back and smiled.
"No need, it's good enough to see that you enjoyed what I made.. that's more than good enough for me." I answered with a quick kiss on her cheek.

Molly:
I giggled a bit at his disgusted look as we sit down, he wasn't one for public transport. I took his hand and smiled sweetly to the elderly couple and waved at crazy Jim.
"It's not so bad here..." I whispered to him as we sat. "And.. I'm not sure.. I'm just.. just working my way through here."
I brought my knees to my chest and hugged them, feeling that pressure on my chest again that made it hard to breathe.
The pressure was followed by those dark clouds.
I forced a smile through the frown and took a deep breath.

Lila:
I leaned forward, bracing myself on his chest, panting and gasping for breath before slipping off of him.
I laid on my back and rested an arm over my eyes while I tried to catch my breath.
"Good morning..."

[OpenTheDoor]

Robin: A small chuckle escaped from lips as he said that, the same time as something else passed through my mind.
"So, you cook and you dance... Very manly," I smirked at him.
But as I shuffled a little closer to him just so that his arms were in a more comfortable position, I let out a small sigh at him. I wouldn't have thought that I would have ever found a guy which I loved so early on in my life. Hell, I was damn sure that love didn't exist, that it was only a fairytale. But I guess that I was forced to maybe accept that it was genuine around the same time as when I spoke to Mr. Trotter the cenataur.
Whatever happened to that guy? Who knew.

Fergie: I gave a small sigh as she began to hug herself, "Well, you're not going through it alone as long as I'm here. And I'm going to be sticking around for a while, Molly."
And after draping an arm around the back of her, I pressed a small kiss to her temple, making sure that my point was reinforced. Well, I wasn't lying. I needed Molly. If it wasn't for her then, well... God knows what would have happened to me. Sure, I would probably be quite normal for a Lost Boy with blooming rich adoptive parents in the real world. Also I would have had time to spend on things other than making sure that we all didn't die.
Give and take, give and take, eh?

Olly: It took me a few moment's before I could answer her, trying to regather my thoughts. Well, it all happened quite spontaneously.
But as I rolled over to face her, I watched her, her chest rising and falling, her fatigue-washed face... Hell, I couldn't believe that she was my wife.
"Good morning to you too," I smirked, "Sleep well?"

[bookcrazI]

Johnny:
I laughed and flexed my arms around her.
"I dunno about you but nothing makes me feel more manly when my souffle comes out right...I could wrestle bears for you if you like, if that'd make me more manly for you... but I'd prefer to tango, much more manly..." I joked.
My lips kissed her neck lightly before I rested my forehead against hers.
The closeness was nice.
Very nice.
It almost made me forget the earlier daddy incident.
Almost.
My ears were twitching a bit, making sure nothing unusual was near by. I ran a hand through her hair and smiled.
Her father was wrong.
Love wasn't stupid or useless, it was magic.

Molly:
I smiled, to think that only a months ago I was smiling only to be nice to him and now he was my boyfriend.
I rested my head on his chest and watched the streets roll by as the bus made it's way the mall. My thoughts were ever so blurry but I could handle that, I just needed to get through this.
I wasn't alone.
"Thanks...You're a good guy..." I murmured.

Lila:
I threw him a grin.
"Yeah, it was great... a great sleep. We best be up and going...I'm hungry." I announced, standing.
Sure, I was a bit wobbly from earlier but I figured a nice bath would be nice. No one really expected much from us for the next few days aside from the occasional outing and getting our meals. Weddings were hard on everyone in the family, stress and whatnot.
I stretched my arms above my head and let out a sigh as a few snaps and cracks cried out. "You wanna join me.. hubby? I'm gonna have a bath..."
I swung my hips in a little wiggle before making my to the bathroom.
I was insatiable, I was spoiled, and he was my husband.

[OpenTheDoor]

Robin: I couldn't help a small "mmm" pass my lips as he kissed my neck, those senses tickling over. But still, I had to keep them calm. I had to make sure not to do anything like what I wanted to in public. It was against the law.
Gently, as I continued to laugh, I shook my head, "No, I'll wrestle those bears. You just focus on your baking like a good little guy. Anyway, they're only little teddies."
I didn't think that after all of that that I could have been separated from him, and as I peered back into his eyes, everything that I knew was backed up by it. I couldn't have been married to some poncy prince. I couldn't have just sat there all neat and tidy as a million maids danced around to fix everything. I had a small taste of that at Olly's wedding and, to be quite honest, I hated it. I couldn't stand it for two days let alone the rest of my life.
So it seemed that I was going to have to talk to him, my father that evening...and do as he said.
I gulped at the thought.

Fergie: I couldn't help but smirk at her words. She was telling me that I was a good guy? I doubted that, not after everything that I had done. I wasn't any knight in shining armour, not on the inside at least. No, inside I was more like the troll under the bridge, ready to eat those delightful little goats as they go clopping across as happy as Larry.
"Don't worry about it," I smiled, "It's my job."

Olly: I was really being treated, wasn't I?
"I'll join you in a second," I called over.
And as I watched her nakedly sashay into our ensuite, I couldn't help but grin. Yeah, I was definitely a lucky guy, that was for sure. I was probably one of the happiest at that point too. But just as she ducked around the corner, I pulled open the drawer, retrieving the phone which I had carelessly thrown in. And after a few seconds on it turning off of silent, I gave out a quick sigh.
Five missed calls.
And all from the same unknown number.
"Weird," I muttered, "Probably Ricky..."
But just as I was about to put it back down, it started to vibrate in the palm of my hand.
With the same number on the screen.
So, with a sigh, I pressed that little green telephone onscreen and took in a deep breath.
"Hello?"
"Eight o'clock tonight. Meet by Ye Olde Shoppe o' Curiosities. Come alone. We need to speak..."
And they hung up.
But of course, I knew who it was. I recognised the voice instantly. It was my dad's.
"Ah crud."

[bookcrazI]

(Time skip? To the evening? We can have Johnny dropping Robin off, Molly and Fergie putting all the supplies they bought in the shoppe and Lila out with Olly, or out to dinner the shoppe so he could just sneak by or something...What do you think??)

[OpenTheDoor]

Umm, yeah it sounds like a good plan. Do you want to start it then?

[bookcrazI]

(Sure )

Johnny Whonny:
I took off my helmet and kicked the kick stand out on my bike so Robin could get off easier.
"D..Do you want me to go with you or do you think that would make matters worse? I'm just worried for you, you know?" He babbled, his hand going through his hair nervously.
The basket was strapped on haphazardly to the back so he could make room for Robin, after another quiet hour at the park he had packed up and taken her to a movie. Something she could just sit through and zone for a bit, she needed a bit of thinking time.
Obviously they went to an action movie which could be summarized with three words : Boobs, cars, and explosions. It would be the ideal guy movie.
With that done it was pretty late so he took her for a little drive, it was almost a selfish move so he could get her to hug tighter to him from behind.
It was a nice drive.
But now they were at Ye Olde Shoppe... and he was worried.

Molly:
I wiped my forehead and pushed the roll of fabric into it's place, a new space now cleared for the gear. I bit my lip and glanced around at the place. Sure, the spell had cleaned it up but it was still an disorganized mess and in the same condition that Lilith had left it; the way she liked it.
A grimace found it's way to my face as I started going through plan in my head to get the place the way I wanted it.
It was my shoppe now.
I was still a teenager.
My lips thinned with determination, other kids had it worse than me, I'd just have to tough it out.
I could do it.
A giant crash and girly screaming later I saw a disheveled Fergie climbing out from a pile of books.
I covered my mouth to hide the smile and went over to help him.

Lila:
I smiled at Olly from across the table but frowned a little as he glanced away, looking a bit nervous.
Was it me?
We were married after all.
We had spent almost the entire day getting to know each other better... in a multitude of ways...
What was he thinking about?
"...Olly... You okay?"

[OpenTheDoor]

Robin: Shaking my hair free from the helmet I gave a small sigh. I had been pretty much dreading that moment for a while by then. And even though Johnny had kindly paid for my seat in the cinema, I kind of felt sorry for wasting it. I didn't pay attention. I was pretty much off on my own thoughts the moment the first pair of tits were flashed on screen.
It was a guy film, what could I say?
"You wouldn't mind staying here? Well, you might want to go down the road a little bit but..." I trailed off, resting the helmet behind where I was just sitting, "Yeah, I don't want to make matters any worse or more awkward than they already are. He said that he didn't like you so..."
It actually hurt me to say that, that my father disapproved of my boyfriend. It wasn't as if he was a druggy pimp already with two kids and with another one on the way. He was a nice and respectful guy, and one that I loved at that.
"Don't worry about it. I'll be back in a bit. I'll send you a text when we're done talking, okay?"
And with a small smile, I gently pressed a kiss to his lips before pulling away once again to walk away from him.
But as I did I couldn't help but let a small feeling of anxiety boil within me, though by the time that I had reached the outside of the shop that worry had grown tenfold... But it wasn't just that. There was something else, something that was...warning me to leave, a feeling that was right in the centre of myself.
It was weird.
But as I stopped outside the shoppe and gave a shaky sigh, I looked up to the sky and sighed. I had a feeling that the conversation that I was about to have wasn't going to be conventional.

Fergie: After clearing throat from my very manly shriek, I looked around the place, frowning at the slight new mess that I had made. I always knew that those shelves would give way one day and I always knew that it was going to be when I was right underneath them, knowing my luck.
"Ouch," I mumbled as I pulled myself out of the wreckage, "Always me... And stop smiling, it damn hurts!"
But after giving out a gruff sigh, I peered back to Molly and almost blushed. Emphasis on the "almost". I didn't like that. Sure, I was a clown but I was also in pain. Those books were heavy and old. They didn't have paperback back in those days.
But just as I began to dust myself off, I gave a small frown, a small silhouette forming outside of the shoppe. I slowly began to hobble over to the window and the dusty old blinds which covered them. But just as I pulled them apart to take a look, I gave a small frown.
"Robin's outside," I murmured, being careful not to get her attention as I limped back to Molly, "and someone's walking down the alley now."

Olly: As a newlywed, my days were supposed to be blissfully happy, filled with metaphorical rainbows and unicorns and sunshine as we skipped happily along the yellow brick road. But no, I had to admit that I had spent the majority of that day pondering the very one-sided phone call.
Why the hell did he want to speak with me that time?
Did I really want to turn up?
Should I have told Lila?
To be honest, I was unsure about all of those questions and their answers. I didn't know whether telling my new wife was going to be a good thing but...I had promised not to lie to her and I wasn't going to start on the day after our wedding. That was just terrible.
So as I gave out a sigh, finishing with just pushing the food around with the plate, I looked back to her and frowned. I had to tell her...but it probably was going to make her worry.
"My father wants to see me...tonight at eight sharp. I-I don't know whether I should go or not. Sorry I haven't told you earlier, I didn't want to worry you."
I trailed my eyes away, unable to watch her reaction.
Anger?
Sadness?
Worry?
Probably a mix of the three but...I didn't want that to fall on her. It wasn't her job. I was the manly man. I dealt with all of those things...right?

[bookcrazI]

Johnny:
I ran a hand through my hair and nodded to her. Worry making lines across my face as I frowned.
"Okay.. Be safe." I whispered.
As she left I started up my bike again and drove off to the little cafe about a block away.
I sat in a booth and almost laughed over the day I spent with her.
Other than her father barging in and ruining a bit of it, it had been pretty perfect. She even liked the sugar free cake I baked.
I rested my head in my hands and grimaced a bit at the smell of coffee, it's mere smell making my nerves twitch with adrenalin.
She would be safe.
She had to be.


Molly:
My smile was almost slapped off my face and I grabbed onto Fergie out of instinct. My arms found their way around his waist as I stared outside, confusion and pain echoing through me.
What should I do?
What could I do?
Why was she here?
Who was the other person?
What was going on?
The questions flew through my muddled mind as the lights dimmed in the shop.
It was better to watch and collect information than do nothing.
Lilith didn't only teach me magic.


Lila:
I grabbed his hand and looked at his face with a frown.
Was he okay?
"It's okay... are you.. okay?... I'm a bit surprised really..." I murmured.
With a glance out the window a sigh escaped my lips, a bit exasperated but worried nonetheless.
I brought my hand back to rub my temples and tried to decide what I was thinking.
"Well... Are you gonna see him?"

[OpenTheDoor]

Robin: You know in all of the horror and action movies when the bad guy appears its always from the depths of the darkness or from thin air? Yeah, well, my father was falling well into stereotypes.
"Good evening. I take it as we're well?"
It wasn't as if his tone was happy and relaxed but it definitely wasn't as sinister as I had heard of it before. And as he stood there, leaning on his cane with his hair all in a neat mop, he peered right into my eyes leaving me unable to really look elsewhere when I was nervous.
"Yeah, thanks," I nodded weakly, "What do you want to talk about?"
As I spoke, he softly began to chuckle to hear my response, something which had already made me irritated with him. I hated that, when people laughed in my face. It made me feel as though I'm a joke.
"Not one for idle chatter then?" he grinned, raising a brow, "That's good to see. You've adopted my personality, very much so. I'll cut to the chase then."
The man, from his top chest pocket, pulled out a small silk handkerchief the same colour as the night sky. He unfolded it, laying it out in the middle of his palm, letting the edges hand off of the edges to let it cover his hand fully. Of course, I raised a brow at his actions, my curiosity getting the best of me.
"Originally I wanted to meet you to give you a present, so..."
And without hesitation, the man snatched back the cloth and revealed what was hidden beneath it all of a sudden. And there, lying in the centre of his palm, was a small golden key. And on the end, molded out in the tip was a small skull.
"A skeleton key?" I questioned, looking back up to him, "Why?"
"Not quite your conventional skeleton key, Child," he smirked, picking it up, "It's a lot more than that. The key can open any door normally but also...it opens up portals."
I almost spluttered out because of that. Portals? Really? From that little thing? It was easy to say that I was skeptical. I thought that it was going to be a lot like "Monsters, Inc." however I wasn't going to say that.
"Its useful for you to use. You never have to be late for events, ever have to walk to places. And you don't even have to put the key in the lock. Just have it on your person and hold onto the handle. Its simple."
Taking a couple of steps forward, he took a hold of my wrist and pressed the key into my palm and continued to hold onto it with both hands. Of course, I was feeling quite awkward from it.
"However, that it not where we're going to end our conversation. You have some other things to discuss."
And then he pulled his freaky stare again, something which instantly could make anyone feel ill at ease. Hell, my heart was racing faster than anything. He wasn't talking about Johnny was he? Had he made a decision on him? On us?
"But...we can't discuss this here. We have company."
I watched as his eyes trailed back to the shoppe behind me. And of course, I had to look, but as I saw the same thing as him: two pairs of eyes, one bright green, the other pale blue.
Molly and Fergie.
And that was why I was feeling all nervous then. Having her around there. It was that Light-Dark thing, wasn't it? My mind telling me to run in fear for my safety...
Well, that's a bitch.
"No matter."
And before another word could be said, a jolt of electricity ran up my arm but I didn't have time to react. The next thing that I knew everything was blank, though it didn't last for long.
But I was no longer in the middle of the city. I was, instead, in the middle of a field...in the middle of the night...in the middle of the cold. And I was quickly getting cold.
"Ah, I do prefer the English country air. Much less polluted."
Wait, what?
What did he just say?
"English? We're in England?!" I shrieked, snatching my hands away from him, "W-w-w-w-why?!"
But instead of answering my question, he shook his head at me and picked his cane up again. And as he turned around and began to walk away from me, I couldn't help but question what the hell was happening.
"Come, we shall walk and talk."

Fergie: I had to blink a couple of time to register what had just happened. First Robin and her father were standing there examining a key together, and then...
Poof!
There was a little flash of black light and then...they were gone.
"Well," I murmured, pulling away to straighten out my back, "That was...strange."

Olly: I just gave her a simple shrug, "I still don't know. I guess that I should. He'll probably just get at it until I do so... Better get it over and done with."
Well, that was what I had come to on my own. But as I studied her face, I couldn't help but frown.
That's why I shouldn't have told her. I knew that she would only worry. I didn't want that to happen. It wasn't fair on her.

[bookcrazI]

Johnny:~

Molly:
My eyes were wide and staring at the empty space they were before.
What had he given her?
Where had he taken her?
I felt an overwhelming need to protect her, perhaps it was the guardian part of me.
Or maybe just the fact that I always felt protective with Robin. Any shenanigan we got into I was always the one to get us out of it, though it may have backfired a few times.
How do you explain getting caught in an air duct was an accident?
Clearly they didn't buy the 'There was this huge spider and we were frightened' story and I had to stop Robin from going into the medication story.
We had used that one too many times.
I smiled sadly at the memories and turned back to Fergie to answer him with a nod.
"Yeah.. yeah it was... Remember when I first met you? You do know that was thanks to Robin, right? She had.. gotten stuck in the boy's locker room and I had to get her out... I had thought all of the guys were in PE already..." I chuckled to myself.
He was the old Fergie then but it didn't make me anymore embarrassed.


Lila:
I scowled in response to his frown, of course he'd think my worry was a bad thing. It may sound strange, but I actually felt better when I could worry.
It forced my mind to calculate everything more carefully.
Usually it was self directed.
"Go then.. I'll go with you if you want, but I can go home too.. either way it's up to you. Just know if you send me home I'll be waiting for you, that'd probably make me worry worse... whatever though.." I stated, waving my hand a bit and my face turning a bit neutral.
Yeah, I was a bit angry that he was worrying about me worrying rather than thinking about more important things.
Then again I was a little touched.
I let out a little sigh and watched him.
"Well?"

[OpenTheDoor]

Robin: But I didn't follow him straight away. Instead, I stood there, checking my surroundings. And even though it was the dead of night and I couldn't really see all that far in front of me, I kind of got the strange sense that I had been there before.
The yew trees over the brim of the hill, dimly lit by the small town behind it.
The old barn at the edge of the field, half rotting and hanging over.
But to the best of my knowledge I had never been in England before.
"I used to bring you and your brother here occasionally, when your mother needed some time alone to herself for whatever reason. However I forced myself to stop that after you decided that it would be fun to climb onto the barn roof when you were...three and a half, I think. You were always a little adventurer," he chuckled.
Peering back over to him, I watched as he stood there, leaning on his cane, looking at me as I studied the landscape with soft eyes. And for a moment, I didn't know what it was, but I suddenly felt a twinge of warmth within me. I didn't know but he was recalling memories of me...
Maybe he did actually care?
"Still am," I murmured, shaking my head, It wouldn't be like this if I wasn't.
And with that, I slung my hands into my pockets and approached him, watching my feet in case there were little "presents" left by the cows during the day. Well, that and because I was obviously out of my element being in a different country to the one where I was raised in. If I wanted to get back then I needed to do as he said... But even so he didn't seem like the kind of man to just ditch me. He didn't have the heart to.
So after a few minutes of walking alongside one another in complete silence, I gave out a rough sigh. It was obvious that we were moving towards the barn, the one that I had apparently clambered up at the right old age of three, and I couldn't help but smirk. That was one tall structure. I must have been a little monkey when I was a kid.
"Robin, there are three main things that I want you to take with you from this evening. The first you have already received so I shall move onto the second and third."
And then we stopped again, a few metres short from that old rotting building. He placed a hand on the walls, the peeling red paint, just for a second before lifting it away again. In its place was a small ripple, one that was quickly growing bigger and faster with each second. I took a few steps back, wondering what was going on to which he grinned. But after a few more moments it stopped. And with a snap of his fingers, there was a door. Like a normal wooden door, the typical ones that you had dotted around your house.
"For you to use," he explained, "You see...you've obviously inherited my powers so we teach you how to control them, correct? So every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening from six until ten I expect to meet you here so that we can work with it and try to control it. Of course I shall also give you extra material to study during the day and the weekend. Ideally, within the first few weeks I'd expect you to be able to control your powers, especially the telekinesis. The other thing, however, with the control of particles... That seems to be something you're already getting the hang of."
Control of particles?
"You mean fixing things?" I questioned, raising a brow, "You don't need to give it a fancy title."
Again, he chuckled as he peered back towards me, "It's a lot more technical than that, Child. If only it could be labelled that simply."
Well, I knew that at first it was pretty dull but it actually came in useful. The broken shelves, the locker and I'd even made a start on Rusty so that the engine didn't produce a load of smoke when I ran it as well as a few cosmetic tweaks. I just wanted to see Johnny's face when I rolled up in it. Maybe my little thing wouldn't look so weedy against his stunning bike...
"We shall begin this next Monday so that you're given time to change your schedule accordingly. Of course your brother will also receive similar treatment however, due to his age, he won't be here as much as you... And I still haven't decided on whether to start with Angelina right away. I think I just need her to adjust to having a father figure in her life."
A father figure in her life.
That was the bit that stuck out for me. That he was actually talking about something like that, being back. I secretly pinched myself to make sure that I wasn't dreaming, that it wasn't one of my many "He's back!" dreams so similar to the ones that I had had before.
"So...you're sticking around then?" I questioned, rubbing the side of my arm, "For good?"
The man peered back at me for a moment, his eyes softening at the sight. And as his rolled into a small frown, he gave a sigh.
"For the foreseeable future I will try to be around, however, as I have said in the past, there are complications hence why I was forced to leave last time. I didn't choose to leave. It was...circumstance. However now that I'm back I will make it my duty to stick around...though I doubt that your mother and I will ever be reunited in matrimony. I don't want to hurt her as I did last time."
I gave a small nod to his words. I knew that that wouldn't happen with my parents getting back together. I hadn't even thought about it. Mom wouldn't have let him back into her heart. Yeah, it was broken and she had only just let it heal over but...
A small sigh escaped my lips at the thought.
"And finally," he began again, glancing back at me, "the last subject: your boyfriend, the elf."
And suddenly my mind stopped wandering and planted back into the situation. He was talking about Johnny. I could already feel my heart beginning to race as I tried not to pull the whole rabbit-in-headlights look. My hands began to fiddle with one another as I looked away from him for a moment, trying to regain my compsure.
"This is a tricky situation. If I had stuck around then I would have had your marriage arranged my now and finalising things as the time grows near. But of course, nothing has been sorted for that. As well as that, you've been raised to believe not or magic so you've been dating boys as modern day society commonly dictates. That, and you're in a relationship right now... So now I'm left with a dilemma. I could either leave you alone with this common elf and then, if your relationship crumbles, find you a partner or split the two of you up to find a prince however, knowing you, you'd just rebel and cause mischief rather than acting as you should. Again, its not your fault, you were raised without a father figure. No matter..."
And as he rambled off, I couldn't help but smirk. Yeah, I probably would have done something like that if I was forced into marrying a snoot. I doubted that I could have just sat down and taken it all. I would have at least climbed through the vents to escape. I did that rather often.
"So, my decision is this: I will leave the two of you be as long as you follow these two conditions. First, you do as I say. You do not disobey me especially during the training however if I say for you in normal terms to do something for me I should consider it down. And second of all, if and when the two of you break up, I shall organise you a new gentleman. Dealt and understood?"
Basically he wanted me to do as I was told, something that I wouldn't have been able to not do in the first place due to the fact that I was scared of him. Also if Johnny and I went down the pan, which wasn't going to happen anyway, then he'd get me another guy. Right?
"Yep," I nodded, folding my arms across my chest, "but only if you don't excessively follow me everywhere. I feel like I'm always being watched and I hate that..."
The man blinked a couple of times, registering what I had just said, "Fine. However, I do it for your own safety. You're a young girl who can't control her abilities which you have displayed in public. Of course, however, I will oblige. Is the deal done?"
And with that, he stuck his hand out for me to shake, as though that was a normal action for a father and daughter to do. I was pretty sure that a nod would have sufficed but... Well, he was hundreds of years old.
"Done."
And as I took a hold of his hand, a small jolt of electricity ran up my arm again, making me snap my hand back. But as I looked to the palm of my hand, I noticed a small bright red circle in the middle of it, maybe the size of a nickel, in the centre of it. I frowned at the sight, looking up to see him grinning.
"Its an Apprentice Mark. Its rarely used nowadays and only in Dark magic however I find it useful," he began to explain as he took my hand, "The colour will change depending on if you're following the rules or not. The darker it is, the closer you are to breaking the agreement and the sooner I find you a new partner. When its black, that's it for you and your elf."
And as I continued to stare at it, the longer that I hated it being there. It was so obvious. It looked like I had contracted some sort of disease, some bacterial infection. It looked artificial, though, like someone had come along and stabbed me with a pen all neatly and tidily right in the centre of my palm.
"Non-magical beings won't be able to see it. Magical beings won't take notice of it. Don't worry about it ruining your outfit," he chuckled once again, "Now, we are finished and this is where I show you how to use the door. Simply just think of a place or a person where you want to be whilst you have the key on you and...you'll step out of the closest door. Just make sure that you shut it afterwards. Until we see each other again, Robin. Good evening."
And with a blink of an eye, he was gone.
Just like that.
Leaving me in the middle of a field and some half-baked instructions.
Brilliant.
But, I guess that I had to try and do that door thing. It wasn't that I would have chosen to trust him in normal circumstance but...I just that it was either that or walk home.
So, with a small sigh I put my hand on the doorknob, watching as my hand did that. And even though I probably didn't need to, I closed my eyes and pictured where I wanted to be. With Johnny, obviously. I wanted to be with him.
I turned the handle and opened the door, seeing a sight that I wasn't expecting. In front of me was the inside of a café, one that Molly and I occasionally went to when we needed a caffeine boost. But as I glanced behind me...there was the field, all dimly lit. With a sigh, I stepped inside the building and shut the door behind me, a small confused frown on my face. But as I glanced around I caught a familiar sight, one that was tucked away in the corner and looking pretty worried.
He was too sweet.
It was best if I ended his misery.
So, as I walked up to him, a small smile came onto my face. You know, that kind of smile that you can't really control but comes on whenever you're planning something funny or tricking people. Yeah, it was one of those grins. But I was a decent actress. I was able to wipe it off.
"Is this seat taken?"

Fergie: I raised a brow. What had brought on that? Her reminiscing...? She wasn't thinking about all of that was she?... Man, she really was missing her.
But I couldn't help but smirk at that.
"That was the first time that you met me? Not the first time that I met you... But yeah, I remember that. I was late for PE that day because some guys had locked me in a locker so the janitor had to get me out of it. So I ran into the locker room, put my bag down and began to strip. Little did I know the two of you were making your grand escape from there. Fortunately you had me on hand..."
I remembered that moment. Of course I did. It was the first time when we properly spoke and my distant infatuation was a little bit closer. Only very slightly closer, mind you. But it was when I first spoke to her and what did I say? "This is the boys' changing room. The girls' one is down the hall". Classic.

Olly: I let out another sigh. Making her stay behind would only make her worry even worse? But I didn't want to take her. But she seemed so angry. And it wasn't as if he was going to kill me, anyway. It was a chat. He was my father. He wasn't going to go all Darth Vader on me and cut my hand off, was he? He might have been evil and on the Dark Side but...this wasn't a galaxy far, far away.
"I'll go...but I'm still deliberating over if you should come or not. Of course I don't want you to be in trouble if it arises but if it'll make you worry then..." I trailed off for a second, "No, you can come...if you would prefer it."
And just like that, my little weight on my chest lifted a little. Sure, it was still marginally there but at least it meant that I could eat some food...though it was cold by then. Eh, cold fries were the best anyway.

[bookcrazI]

Johnny: I ran a hand through my hair again and took a sip of my water, really wishing I could have coffee or something.
Damn elf genes.
I looked through the windows and then down to my watch, should I go get her? Should I wait a little longer?
It had dawned on me, only a few moments earlier, that I had no idea when her little chat would be over, or if it'd be over. He could kidnap her for all I knew. Those thoughts were only getting worse with the hyperactivity of my brain due to the coffee in the air.
I twitched a bit out of nerves.
The waitress had come over several times already to make sure I was okay and I was sure that by now she thought me a druggie.
It was that familiar voice that made my head turn and not that little pull of my heart.
"For you? Always." I murmured with a newly relaxed smile.
She had come back.
Though I had no idea how, considering I had been watching the front entrance like a hawk and she didn't know where I was.
I decided to leave those questions for later.
I stood and enveloped her in a tight hug, my worry washing away as I held her in my arms.

Molly:
I raised an eyebrow at him, he had met me before that?
"Well, you seemed to be very good with directions.... You met me before that? Really?... I think I would have remembered..." I pondered.
I made my way over to the book mess and began to clean and stack them up as I waited for him to answer.
I remembered the old Fergie, he was always so shy and cute, though Robin always made fun of him. Maybe, maybe if he asked me out back then I might have fallen for him without the magic.
Though that brought up a whole new question all together.
Why, if he had been made 'pretty', did I not see him shimmer as I saw most magical things do. The magic eyes, for lack of a better term, were even stronger now and yet I saw nothing around him.
No sparkly aura.
No shimmery illusion.
He should at least have some sort of sparkle, him being a lost boy and all. That's where my musing became small ideas.
Neverland's magic made you forever young, it was my thoughts that it stuck to him when he came back. Keeping him in his awkward lanky state until Lilith had replaced that magic with her own.
I can only guess that the spell didn't really work but it did cancel out the other magic turning him into what he was, is now.
I rubbed my forehead.
Too much thought.
"Well?"

Lila:
I leaned back in my chair and pursed my lips, would I really prefer it? We both seemed to be analyzing one another intently and thinking, in such a way that I almost found it humorous, but I needed to come up with my own conclusion.
Would it be better for me to stay?
Theoretically, yes.
Personally? No.
Hell no.
We just got married and I wasn't leaving his side, I was going to be the stalker wife, in a way.
I just felt that for once I had something solid, a rock if you will, that kept me happy. It was one of the best things that had ever happened to me, if you overlook the cliche, but I secretly thanked the arranged marriage.
Cause I could be with him.
Normally that entire thought pattern would have caused projectile vomit and a slow death of being stabbed so I'd never have to hear that.
Marriage had made me mushy.
"I'm going with you. You're gonna need some man power anyway.." I joked.

[OpenTheDoor]

Robin: I couldn't help but give a soft chuckle, wrapping my arms around his neck as he squeezed me tight. It was nice that, just being in his arms, feeling his warm, though quite twitchy, body. It must have been the coffee. We saw what happened last time when he had just a smidgen of cake... But as I looked back up to him, I pressed a small kiss to his lips, hoping that that would calm him down, maybe just a little. But as I pulled my lips away, just to let them hover there, I gave a small sigh.
"You think that you want to head back? I need to tell you some things and I'm kind of tired so..." I trailed off, looking back up to his stare, "Plus I need to show you...something."
I let one of my hands unfurl from his neck and wander up the front of his chest, just gently trailing up, lightly skimming his shirt. Yeah, ever since I knew that I wouldn't have to leave him a couple of...ideas had started to form in my head.
"Would you...mind?" I murmured.
And as I kissed him again, I suddenly got that inkling that we were being watched by the rest of the café, the waiting staff and the recovering drunks in the corner. Did I care though? Nope. Not at all.

Fergie: I gave a small nod, "Well, I knew you before that. I didn't speak to you just...from far away."
I swore that I could have felt my cheeks redden a little, almost as bright as my hair. Yeah, that was the first time that we spoke but...I knew her from before. The pageants, around school, around town, y'know? I admired from afar. I was too shy to approach. I was shaking like a leaf when she came in, probably because I was half naked and had the self confidence the size of a peanut. It took me weeks of practice to even rack up the nerve to just say "hi" to her when she was put next to me in Biology.
"Anyway, is that everything?" I asked, looking back to her, "And don't worry about Robin. She has a knack of ending up alright in the end."

Olly: I couldn't hold back a small nervous laugh. So, she wanted to go with me? To see my father? When I didn't know what would happen?
She was a braver person than me.
"Alright then," I nodded, "We'll go."
And after quickly paying for the bill, I grabbed her hand and led her back to the car with a small sigh. We had about half an hour before I was meant to see him, to have that little chat with him. What it was going to be about? I had no idea. I just hoped that it wasn't going to be anything dangerous. I wasn't necessarily the toughest nut in the casing. I was more of the brainy and tactical one who could run if necessary.
But he was my father. I knew the man, or at least I knew the old version of him, the one that I grew up to idolize and respect. I doubted that he was that man then. He had changed. Why else would be have left...?
But then again he came back.
Gripping onto the top of the wheel, I gave out a grand breath as I turned the key in the ignition.
Well, I was soon to find out.

[bookcrazI]

Johnny:
I pretty much lifted her off the ground and dragged her out, her words and actions causing much confusion and excitement.
Lets just say that by the time I got to my bike my little buddy had decided to take her words his own way. I pretty much slapped myself in the forehead.
Twice in one day.
Great.
I was just glad my pants were tight enough to hide it, for the most part. When I she her down by my bike I took a step back to study her for a moment.
"What is it you want to talk to me about... and show me... And no. I do not mind. Not at all." I said carefully, albeit a bit stiffly.
She was the one taunting me, with all the worry and stress it took very little to influence me, not to mention the caffeine was a stimulant as well.
I winced.
I could make all the excuses I wanted but it all drummed down to the fact that I was dating a goddess.
Yeah.
I decided that a few days ago.

Molly:
I nodded and rubbed my eyes once more, exhaustion had crept in around lunch but I had kept it at bay until now.
"Yeah...." I yawned.
I stretched my arms up and sighed, my mother was still in her charmed daze. She wouldn't even notice if I came home or not.
Guilt washed through my veins and battled for dominance over the tiredness. Great.
"Fergie... could I stay with you tonight... I don't know if.. I could face my mom at home.." I murmured, tugging at my sleeves.
Just a few days ago I would have given anything to go home and now I couldn't be far away from it. I felt bad, so very distressed over having to twist my own mother's thoughts.
I had to lie to her and it killed me a little, but the alternative looked far more grim.

Lila:
I slowly let my hand sink to his knee and I gave it a reassuring pat. I saw the worry lines in his face and they made me feel a little timid.
I forced the uncertainty out, knowing that he'd quickly pick up on it.
Instead I replayed a few scenes from yesterday in my head with a naughty smile on my face.
Those would take his mind off the stress.
Yeah.
I was one of those chicks who used sex as a reward.
I saw nothing wrong with it.
Though it did cause that more timid side of me to blush a bit like a school girl.

[OpenTheDoor]

Robin: As he picked me up and dragged me out, I couldn't help but smirk to myself. I let him carry me out and set me down upon his bike, still wearing that little grin on my lips. Yeah, that reaction of his. That made me do that.
But as I glanced back up to his eyes, I folded my legs over themselves and let out a sigh, trying to be a bit serious despite the flurry of emotions that were swarming inside of me. I tried to keep my attention away from that little bulge in his pants and I was doing a pretty fine job of it as I took in a breath.
"Basically, I'm going to relay to you what he said to me," I stated at first, "First of all, he gave me a gift but that isn't hugely important right now. What is important are the other two tidbits of information. So, secondly, he wants me, like, every other evening to go train my abilities and make sure that I actually can control them and so on..."
At that point, I had hopped up onto my feet, seizing a hold of hands to grab the rest of his attention. Already I could feel my excitement within me, just the thought of telling him the good news making me all jittering. And of course, I was grinning like a madman.
It was obvious that I was going to be the bearer of good news rather than sorrow.
"Third of all, as long as I do as I'm told and if we break up, which I highly doubt will happen, he can arrange the marriage then..." I smirked, pausing for slight dramatic effect, "then he won't break us up."
And before I could let him gauge a proper reaction, I was already up onto my tiptoes with my lips pressed firmly against his along with the rest of my body. I wasn't really able to contain myself too well. If there weren't people already watching us then I would had legs around his waist right there and then.
My father probably thought that we were just a teenage romance, all style and substance. I had a feeling that he wouldn't have let it happen so easily otherwise, just let me date a "common elf". Eh, it was his loss, wasn't it?
But after a few moments, I prised my lips away from his and grinned, resting my head upon his shoulder lightly, safe in the knowledge that I wasn't going to have my father come around the corner and tear us apart at any point. It was nice, that, just feeling that maybe something was going my way for once. I had just lost the ability to go near my best friend. I was pretty sure that if Johnny got taken away from me then I would have just broken down right there and then.
But no, I didn't need to worry about that.
So as I glanced back up to him, I quickly began to kiss his neck, nuzzling into it ever so slightly as I worked my way up to his pointed ear. There, after a small nibble on his lobe, I smirked against his ear.
"You're going to have to wait for a little bit, Johnny," I murmured, trying to make myself sound as enticing as possible, "I don't think I'm too comfortable with putting on a show for everyone here, y'know?"

Fergie: To see her like that, I had to frown. I didn't want to watch her as she looked so upset, so down and tired. I knew that she didn't want to be where she was, at least not without Robin. It was obvious that the two of them were fighting their own private battles without the ability to share it with one another. Well, a problem shared is a problem halved, y'know? I had observed the two of them and I knew that they each had gone through a lot. The main difference between then and when were the fact that they could go near one another without fear that one of them would die.
It was a harsh life.
"Of course," I nodded, taking a hold of her hand to give it a quick squeeze, "I'll just fetch our coats and you can finish locking up, okay?"
And after planting a small kiss to her cheek, I darted off around the corner to go find those said coats. To be honest, I felt guilty leaving her. I didn't want to let her out of my sight for a moment and I was actually glad that she wasn't going to stay at her place. It would have only meant that I wouldn't have slept as I would have been thinking about her too much.
Yeah, I worried about her. I was a bit of a pathetic excuse for a guy. But what could I say? I cared for that girl.

Olly: Letting out a sigh as I pulled out onto the road, I looked down to where her hand was, on my knee. And as I quickly glanced to her face, I did my best to wipe away that frown, replacing it with a small smile, one that barely turned up the corners of my lips.
And then her mental images came washing in, the ones belonging to the night before. A small smirk cracked up on my lips as I shook my head, disbelief running through my head. So, she was using our wedding night as a way of cheering me up?
Well it was working.
"Thanks for that," I sighed, turning down into another lane, "I know that it pains you... But look out for parking spaces."
And as I let out another smooth chuckle, my eyes drifted over to the lane, the one which ended with that shoppe I had heard so much about because of Robin. Well, her mind spilled all of the information that I needed to know.
But then as we drove a little further down, I had to double take. Speaking of Robin...
Personally, as her older brother, watching her caress the neck of her boyfriend wasn't really a sight which I wanted in my brain. I just tried to ignore the two of them as they stood there, way too close for my liking and concentrated on driving.
But it was just a shame that the only space was right by the two of them.
So as I pulled in and turned off the engine, I glanced over to Lila and sighed. I just hoped that she wouldn't say anything.

[bookcrazI]

Johnny:
So my mind was pretty much in fireworks and I was having trouble concentrating when she tasted so good.
Everything about her was delicious.
When she pulled away I almost whined, she was slowly turning me into her slave, not that I minded much. Her lips were enough to bring me to my knees and pledge my allegiance and become whatever she needed me to be. I'd be her vassal or serf or whatever, she had me going back in time.
It took a moment for me to register the fact that I wasn't in 15th century England nor was I a slave and I had to be a little more presentable than a drooling teenage boy.
It was difficult.
Her words made it harder.
I've heard girls say that some guys make them go weak in the knees but I was ready to fall over at Robin's words.
Her sweet, devastatingly painful, words of desire.
If not for my bike to lean on I would have surely been a puddle on the pavement.
"Then... shall we go somewhere else?" I asked, I hoped not too eagerly.

Molly:
I smiled at him and quickly turned off all the lights with magic and stepped outside, with Fergie behind me, and locked the shoppe.
My shoppe.
I was bitterly proud of that fact.
With a shiver, I took my coat from Fergie then took his hand.
I still had him.
Robin would have called me a fool for loving such a guy, she'd probably call me stupid and whatnot but I couldn't help it.
He may break my heart a second time, he may not.
I had to take that risk.

Lila:
I covered my little giggle at seeing Robin and glanced over to Olly, sensing some brotherly fuming coming my way.
I patted his knee and got out of the car, a quick little wink his way.
I'd be good.
For the most part.
Robin was pretty lucky though, her handsome boytoy was nicely muscled and yet still soft looking. He was what most girls would consider prime real estate.
Or I thought they would.
I never went to highschool, I only knew what I'd seen on tv or read in books and what my personal opinion was.
But from the jealous stares Robin got from girls passing by, I could assume I was right in my thought pattern.
I opened my door and got out quietly, waiting for Olly and holding back a whistle.
I was an adult.

[OpenTheDoor]

Robin: Was really I a bad person for enjoying torturing him? I didn't know what it was, whether it was the fact that I was just wishing for a little bit of fun or if it was little Dark thing within me. Either way, I couldn't help but grin against his ear to his words, the fact that I could control him like that making those similar emotions swarm within my stomach.
"Might be a good idea," I chuckled softly, "Take me back to yours."
And as I recoiled myself back, I suddenly got a little twinge in the back of my brain, one that was coming from behind me...and it wasn't coming from that group of girls from school who usually gave me and Molly hell. Well, right there and then they were more green with envy. I couldn't have enjoyed that moment any more.
But as I glanced back to the newly parked car behind us, I grimaced slightly, watching as Lila clambered out of the car, a little smug smile on her lips. But in the driver's seat was probably the worst thing: Olly.
All of a sudden I was forced to shove down those emotions and put on a small innocent little grin as he got out of the car, trying his hardest not to look at us. I just hoped that he wouldn't come over as I glanced back up to Johnny and showed him a small grimace.
Then I suddenly remembered.
He had left quickly when he found out that Lila was coming to our house originally.
And she was staring at us.
Shit.
"Get your helmet on," I murmured, directing towards it, "Lila."
And with a small sigh, I ran my hand through my hair and looked back to Olly, offering him a small smile.
He really had to show up then, didn't he?

Fergie: Letting out a small as we reached the top of the lane, I continued to lead her towards the bus stop, trying to keep my thoughts happy and light. Sure, there was a lot of things that we could have been focusing on, namely the whole "Quest to the King" thing but that didn't need to be worried about until the morning. Until then, I was going to do my best to make sure that she was cool, calm and collected rather than a little ball of stress. I was already thinking up little ways of trying to do that.
Bubble bath.
Foot rub.
...maybe something else.
But then my little plan got wiped away as I saw a familiar face, one that was grinning at another guy as Johnny was looking a little dumbstruck, the first time ever that I had seen him in that way. But I knew that face pretty well. It was one that I had worn myself so...
Oh.
Brilliant.
And we were walking towards them.

Olly: Getting out of the car, I did my best to act cool. It was just a good thing that she was looking almost as embarrassed as I was. Well, she was pulling that "I wasn't doing anything" face, the one that she put on whenever she did something or was doing something which she really shouldn't have done like when she was tried to make chocolate pudding in the paddling pool a few years ago.
But as I gave her a small mutual nod, I shot a look to Lila and almost grimaced. She was eyeing up my little sister's boyfriend, wasn't she? I didn't know what I hated more, the fact that she thought that he was "hot" and probably better looking than me or that my sister was doing those sorts of things in public.
And then a flurry full of thoughts were running through my head.
How the hell did she get him?! from the jealous classmates.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit, from my delightful little sister.
Some other thoughts about my little sister that I did not want to recollect.
So as I walked over to Lila and took a hold of her hand, I gave a small look, one that hopefully read "leave it and come on". But just as I was about to take another step, something else came pouring into my brain, something new, something...unwanted. But it wasn't like a thought. It was like...an aura or something stupid.
So as I turned around to see the new pair of people walking down the road, I gave a soft smile. It was only Molly and her boyfriend. No worries...
But for some reason my brain was telling me otherwise.

(All six characters in one place! Ooo!)

[bookcrazI]

Johnny:
My brain took a moment or two to recognize what words were and when I finally did I took my sweet time as my fingers panicked.
They fumbled around for my helmet and shoved it onto my face quickly.
It wasn't really that Lila seeing me was a bad thing.
Okay.
It was.
Maybe.
I had enough trust in her that she wouldn't rat me out, kind of.
I might have not told Robin every single little thing, I love the girl but I couldn't have her worrying about me.
She didn't really care enough to ask, so I didn't really tell her.
Tell her that it was a bit taboo for... someone like me to date a human.
I did leave my family and decided to stay in the city but I never really told her why.
I never got the chance to explain that the tattoos I had weren't given to every elf. They were only given to the children of the elemental monks, those who were expected to carry the magic on.
I grimaced under the cover of my helmet and watched as Lila and Olly made their way past, only to stop at the alley way.


Molly:
I stopped at the end of the alley way, a small pounding in my head and wide vulnerable eyes as I saw Robin and Johnny and Olly and some girl.
Remember when you're little and you're passing a store with your parents and you've been thinking about something, candy or a bike or whatever, for weeks and you want it really bad? That little outing with your parents seems normal until you pass a certain store and that thing you've been lusting after is right there, just a bit of glass separating you but no matter how much you beg your parents won't have it.
Then the eyes go big with tears and the lower lip quivers as they pull you away.
That's kinda how I felt.
Just add a stabbing headache and a mangled heart.
My lower lip quivered and I stared forward and no matter how much I wanted to run to Robin with my arms open and engulf her in a hug I knew it'd kill her.
I knew I could kill her.
Quite easily too.
Tears began to leak out of my eyes as I stared.
"....this... this is just a shitty, stupid mess..." I choked out finally.


Lila:
I patted Olly's hand when he gave me a look, one that looked a bit wounded.
Enough so that I was influenced to place a little kiss on his cheek.
After I pulled away, him being completely unresponsive, I looked around. It couldn't have been because of Robin and her boytoy...
Wait.
A new couple entered the scene and the girl seemed quite distressed, the boy seemed a bit annoyed and Robin was just blankly staring.
Olly, on the other hand, looked like he was extremely puzzled.
At the girl's words I frowned.
What was going on?

[OpenTheDoor]

Fergie: Why is it that they had to be around here? Sure, Robin was just talking to her dad before disappearing all of a sudden but... Well, at least Molly knew that she was safe enough and she hadn't been in any danger. It was just weird how she went...and returned...
But as I gave out a small sigh, I engulfed her in my arms, letting her head fall to my chest as a sponge for her tears. I didn't want to see her like that but it wasn't as if we could have done anything. As she knew, if she dared to run over there and even give her a high five then that would be the end of their little friendship...and Robin.
"There, there..." I murmured, patting her back lightly, "It's okay, Molls Moyce. I know what you're saying...but we need to keep on going with this, okay? Yeah, it's screwed up everything but this is the situation we're in and crying about it is not going to change that. Being strong, however, is going to help. Just push Robin into the depths of your mind, okay? Trust me. Within the year you'll be back together...as friends."
And as she continued to weep, I watched as her older brother and his...new wife, I was guessing, were beginning to walk over to us. Sure, Olly looked a little confused which was probably normal. However, after a couple of more steps, I watched as he stopped all of a sudden, shutting his eyes.

Olly: Robin had never brought a guy home before so I never really knew if she had ever had a boyfriend or not. But even so, I knew that she was in love with the guy. She thought about him all of the time. Seriously, there was never a second spend without her reminiscing or missing him. It was quite annoying to have that going through your mind 24/7 but at least I found out quite a lot about the guy:
He was elf... Although Lila was the one to break that news to me.
He rode a motorbike, something which I was pretty worried about hearing at first because, firstly, it's dangerous, and secondly because I thought that she was probably dating a punk or a guy with a beard.
Hey, with Robin you can't assume anything. You always get a surprise result with her.
But as well as all of that, I also learnt something else, something else, it seemed, that dear Johnny was keeping from her: the fact that he shouldn't be with her.
Thus engaged "protective older brother" mode.
"I'll be right back," I murmured, pressing a quick kiss to Lila's cheek, "Do me a favour and make sure that Molly, the girl there, is alright, could you? She's the one who Robin was talking to at the wedding and you had no idea how she got in."
Eh, maybe that would make her talk with her but I really didn't want her following me. Hey, apparently if she saw Johnny then that was his relationship with her over and done with. Well, I didn't want my little sister's heart broken, did I?
So as I jogged back over to them, I shot a quick smile to Robin all before turning all of my attention to Johnny. Quite swiftly, a small frown appeared on my face as I looked at him through the visor. I snapped it up, not really giving a shit if it broke it. Robin could fix it later...and I had something more important to talk about to him. It was just a shame that from that little distance he looked like he was a lot less taller than he actually was. It wasn't that I was short, though. I was probably around the six foot mark, maybe with another inch or so, but even so, I looked at him square in the eye as mine smouldered slightly. Needless to say, I was suddenly a bit naffed off. I had even lowered my voice just loud enough for him to hear.
I was probably quite scary when I was angry.
"If what you just thought is true then you better tell her that right now. I don't give a shit that she didn't ask about it but it doesn't bloody mean that she doesn't care. She trusts you enough so that if something like that was a problem you would tell her right away. That girl doesn't trust easily and she has a reason to. She's been let down so many times that she closes herself up to most people, guys especially. If she let you in then that's a privilege, a privilege that not many people will get to see. If you're hiding that from her then you must have some nerve, kid. Yes, its probably going to break her heart and she'll run away from you just to get away from you and just think to herself. And at that point you'll probably be sitting at home hating me for making you do it but I can tell you that if you don't and just prolong the wait then I shall make your life hell. How I'm going to do that? Thus far I truly have no idea but I think the fact that I married to your princess might help me think up something. She trusts you unconditionally. She made a deal with our father that if you two break up then she's willing to give up all of her freedom to marry some prince. She didn't even think twice about it. I doubt that all arranged marriages are going to be like mine. I was goddamn lucky to get a girl like Lila. I know that you love her and that she loves you but if you knew that because your parents are monks that you couldn't be with her then you shouldn't have let her let you in, but it's too late now. So, before you go any further, especially if you want to do those sorts of things that you're thinking about and I certainly don't want circulating around my brain, you take her to place where you can talk in private, sit her down and tell her everything. I'm doing this because I love my little sister and I will make sure that she is happy and everything is right for her. I've always done that. I've made sure that she is fine before myself. I did that with Angie too, but that's beside the point," I continuously scowled relentlessly and without break, "She doesn't hide anything from you and so you shouldn't hide anything from her. You should have told her before you won her love. Now you're just going to break her heart. I'm forewarning you. And knowing her she's going to go back to square one with you. She's going to force herself to get over you no matter how much it pains her. She's going to erase all of those emotions from her heart after a week of sitting in her room alone. And then it's going to take a lot of work to be able to get her trust back, but if you truly love her then that would be nothing to you. I know you're a good guy and this is a mistake but... I know my little sister enough to know how she'll react to the news. I just thought that I would tell you to make you realise how big this will be to her. I'm doing this because she loves you and you know that. You're a good guy so do the right thing."
And with that cheesy little line at the end, I turned back around and peered down to my frowning little sister, the one who was wearing that little confused face. Of course, she knew that I never got angry. It must have taken a lot for me to get like that. The only time that I had gotten up in someone's face was when the teachers weren't doing anything to stop some of the other girls from picking on her. Let's just say that the principle is scared of a certain Mr. Olly Parlour. 
Without murmuring a word to her, I gave Robin a quick hug, probably making her freak out any more but, in a way, if she knew that something was wrong then she would keep on asking him about it until she got what she wanted. Sure, I was probably suggesting things to her but... Eh, I needed to make sure that she was happy.
"If you need to talk to me then don't hesitate, okay? My number hasn't changed and my door's always open. I'm sure that you could even stay a night if you wanted to. Just... Just don't take it out on yourself... Don't do anything rash. Think before you do anything big."
And after pressing a quick kiss onto her forehead, I glanced back around to Johnny to make sure that the message had set in. Well, I felt that I had probably repeated myself a couple of times throughout that little rant but, you know what they say, repetition drums it in. And as I walked away from the pair of them, I continued to clench and unclench my fists, my teeth grinding together to hold in all of that anger that was boiling up within me.
Man, did I need to punch something.

Robin: I doubt that I really needed to say it as it was safe to assume but...I really had no clue as to what happened right there. First I was giving a sigh of relief as the newlyweds strode past without any sort of word about Johnny but then... Then Olly was right up in his face, using that growl of anger that was rarer than a triple rainbow in the middle of a thunderstorm on the moon. 
Yeah, I made that analogy when I found out that he had blown up in Principle Sones face. It was a good six years old at that point.
So with his words buzzing around my head, I gave a soft frown as I looked off and up to Johnny. I didn't know what to say but I was guessing that my telepathic brother had heard something which was floating around his brain. And from the odd words that I could catch it was something that he was keeping from me...
Suddenly a small knot twisted in my stomach as it began to get riddled with doubt, something that I had never felt before when it came to Johnny...but Olly was so angry. It couldn't have been for no reason. I trusted that. I trusted the two of them as well. 
"W-what was that about?" I murmured, not able to move my feet closer to him, "W-what's happening? Johnny?"
Yeah, I was nervous. I had a right to be. I was the only one not to know something, something that he was keeping from me. But despite my brain being a little screwed up from the past events of those last few months, it was still working...kind of. It was making little sums, ones which I barely understood until it came up with an answer.
It was to do with why Lila couldn't know why he was there. It was to do with that, wasn't it? There was a big reason why. There had to be. Olly wouldn't have gotten so mad otherwise. He wouldn't have gone over and started getting up in his face. Johnny wouldn't have been so pale. It wouldn't... It couldn't...
And as my thoughts grew ever more panic, I had to grip onto the top of the bike, my breathing getting quicker and quicker. I think I was hyperventilating. I had never done it before so I didn't know for sure but I was sure that that was what you did when you were.
Heavy and paced breathing.
Blurring thoughts.
Shaking hands.
Yeah, I was sure that was what it was.

[bookcrazI]

Molly:
I hugged him close and turned my head to Robin.
It was like she didn't see me.
It hurt.
The reasonable me noted that it was probably for the best, if we saw each other we'd just end up in a teary stare down. Neither of us would be for the better.
My hands were clutching his shirt tightly as I tried to control myself, knowing he was right. My tears wouldn't do anything, I had to be productive with my emotions.
I closed my eyes tightly and took a step back with a breath. I wasn't gonna have a break down. I was gonna act like this never happened. Nothing happened.
Then the woman with Olly came my way.

Lila:
I smiled cautiously at the couple, "Hey... are you okay?" I asked.
The girl sniffled and nodded, Molly I think, a forced smile on her lips. I glanced back at Olly, who was having a rather heated conversation with the guy in a helmet, with a stranded look. What was I supposed to say to them?
I wasn't a good conversationalist, unless it was about water polo or stuffy insignificant things. I was less of a comforter than a chatty Cathy, this situation left me searching for an excuse to leave.
"Well... that's good... I'm gonna.. just go.."
Molly nodded in response and I offered the two a little salute wave as I awkwardly made my way to Olly.

Johnny:
Shit.
Shit.
Shit.
Shit.
Shit.
Damn.
As her brother left me I was left with a confused and worried Robin, this was not good. I've been told that I looked pretty scary when I was angry but Olly rivaled me in that, I was pretty intimidated.
Of course he was completely right.
I should have told her.
I never really thought I'd fall for her, it was surprising.
I never had the chance.
Robin's panic attack brought me back into the present.
"Okay... Breathe.. It's okay... I.. I have something to tell you... But we're gonna go somewhere a bit more private.. kay? You okay with that? You're breathing right? Good girl... C'mon.." I murmured softly and as soothing as I could.
It might as well been now.
She'd be okay with that right?
She wouldn't get pissed that I was pretty much a runaway... right?
Yeah..
Right.

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