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Jallet

Jallet es un chico que le gusta andar por malos caminos que siempre estΓ‘ metido en problemas y que odia el trabajo

0 · 109 views · located in The Chrysanthemum

a character in “Weather Girls”, as played by Naithan collect

Description

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So begins...

Jallet's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

0.00 INK

#, as written by The_Queen
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter was sitting patiently backstage as the competitors continued to go out. She listened occasionally, but for the most part sat on the bench, the time passing quickly. "Winter, keep your guard up." Yuuki suddenly whispered, Winter swiveling her head around, wondering what could possibly happen at a piano competition, of all places. They were in an auditorium surrounded by people, it wasn't as though someone could sneak up on her without her noticing, right? She reached into her bag, she always had a bag with her to keep busy as these things could get quite tedious. "Hey," a boy stepped in front of her, grinning like a cheshire cat. "Hello," Winter replied coolly. She placed her bag at her feet, wondering what this boy could want.

"Do I know you?" Winter inquired, trying to maintain her polite stature. "No, but I'd like to know you." He stuck out a hand, wearing gray leather gloves. "Carter, Carter Grayson." From the music program, at the City Center, Winter recognized that name. "Aurora, Aurora Hresvelg." He quirked a brow, taking a seat beside her. "I didn't know the Hresvelg's had a second daughter," he grinned, his cat-like mouth pointing upwards in the corners. "Yes, well, I've just been adopted from outside of the Chrysanthemum, I'm lucky I suppose." She replied, "how convienent. Will you be studying at the City Center as well?" Winter gave a curt nod, "Yes, I'm starting there this fall." Carter tilted his head to the side, "I suppose we'll both be in the music program together then." He clasped her hands in his, his grin only growing.

He had sandy blonde hair, Winter noticed. Sandy... blonde... her legs, she hadn't noticed it until now, the sand wrapping around them. "What are you-" he covered her mouth with his hand, his leather gloves muffling the sound. She slammed her elbow into his solarplex, getting him to momentarily let go. She caught her footing, stumbling away from him. Why were the wings suddenly empty? Where was everyone? "You know Winter," he chuckled, "if you wanted to disappear, you shouldn't have chosen to make such an obvious new identity!" He lunged, but Winter dodged. "I don't know what you mean." She scowled, her shoulders tense.

"Winter Matsuri is dead, even the outliers know that." He hesitated, it was just long enough for Winter to find an opening. She kicked him between the legs. "Freak!" She added for good measure, running off. They were announcing the winners any moment now, no doubt that was why everyone had lined up. She took her place, in number order, straightening out her dress. "And in third place we have-" she wasn't listening, it was announced by numbers. It was her playing, wasn't it? Her playing had given her away. She had a style, a certain... essence, to her music. "And in first place, Number 32!" They all looked at her, 32 was her number, wasn't it? Yes, it was, she realized, looking at the small piece of paper clipped to her gown.

She strode onto the stage, trying to seem confident in her gait and took the trophy, feeling an oppressing gaze from behind her. He was watching her, waiting for a slip up. When the flowers were received and everyone was packing up, Winter went right for her bag, not wanting to stay much longer. "Hey," he blocked her path. "I just want to say," he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Sorry about before, but if you mention this to anyone, I know where you live." He leaned away from her, but Winter wasn't afraid. She couldn't use her powers, not here, but she could defend herself. "Carter Grayson, you are a pig." She looped her arms through the straps of her bags.

"And you intrigue me, Aurora of Hresvelg."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

0.00 INK

#, as written by The_Queen
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


"Winter, move!" She was suddenly grabbed from behind, Stella thrusting her fist outward, connecting with a face. Someone stumbled backwards, Winter whirled around, it was him, he had followed them outside, but why. He was grinning, but why? "I knew it was you." Winter's eyes widened with the implications of what Stella had just yelled. "Stella, go to the car." She stepped in front of Winter, drawing her gun. "Please, you can't fight him." Winter begged, knowing that Stella would not comply. "Please, you need to protect the others-" they couldn't defend themselves. The limosene suddenly flipped over, rolling onto its side. Winter screamed, panic tearing through her. "Winter, get back!" Sand was piling up around them, making the ground slippery.

"There are a few things I knew about you Winter, you play piano beautifully, you look great in the color white, and you're unsteady on your feet!" He closed his fist, the sand darting at them from all sides. Stella shoved Winter to the ground, her blood splattering against the white dress. Winter's eyes widened in horror. Impaled through the neck, stomach, and chest, all in vital poiints. Blood poured out of 009 like a waterfall. Her body was tossed aside like a ragdoll. "Stella!" Winter screamed, sliding across the sand, a dust storm picking up. "No, no!" This was her fault, if only she was stronger, if only she had heard him following her.

"Face me Winter, I'm your opponent!" They were in the center of it, the dust obscuring the view of anyone that might be curiously watching. "Spirit dress," her hands balled into fists, she knocked an arrow of ice onto her bow. "Winter, be careful," Yuuki hissed in her ear. He had been here the entire time, watching. "Nice, nice, I can see you've been practicing, but you see, your power is still too pitiful! We all know you're the weakest link Winter," she grit her teeth. "You're the sheltered one, the smallest one-" an arrow cut him off, striking him in the arm. "Stay the hell away from me." Carter's grin only grew wider. "Fine, if you're going to take this seriously, then I am too. Spirit suit," his outfit changed, it looked like something an Arabian dancer might wear.

"Let's dance!" He grinned, Winter launching another arrow. Claude's cry could be heard on the other side, he was still alive, which was a relief. She couldn't focus on that now. He was fast, Winter shot several more arrows, he dodged one, the other two striking him, but shattering. There was sand blowing around him in a shield, protecting him. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her. "Winter, move!" Yuuki screamed, she jumped back, a wave of sand suddenly crashing down. A bubble of ice formed around her, protecting her, the sand hitting her from every side. It was cracking, the sand was smashing against it, but she couldn't freeze every grain. She was still too weak, even after all that training, even after the spirit realm.

Why was she so pitiful?

"You can't win Winter!" He cackled.

"Carter!" The attack suddenly subsided, Winter was breathing hard. She thickened the layer of ice, there were men in hoods, all lined up just outside of the sand. Slithers, Winter would recognize them anywhere. "You're attracting too much attention." Why were there so many of them? "About time you got here!" Carter grinned, "I had to kill the guard, but she's still up for grabs." Winter took a step back, then another, inching away slowly. She needed to get out of here. "You're making a scene, finish this quickly." Sand suddenly blasted her on all sides, the bubble breaking in an instant. She was drowning, tiny pellets of sand like bullets hitting her on all sides. Yuuki was screaming in her ear, but the sound was drowned out by the sand filling every orfice.

Just as quickly as it started, it stopped. Her hair was grabbed, pulled out from the pile. "It's nothing personal," Carter was kneeling in front of her, a handful of her hair in his grasp. "It's just business-" her eyes widened as he struck her in the side of the head, neck snapping back, the world going dark in an instant.

~~~~~

"Drive, drive!" Serenity grabbed Mercedes's arm. She pointed towards the hospital, where lanterns were breaking, filled with fire. "We need to get away from here!" This Oliver clearly had their location pinned, but how? How were they being tracked? Worry filled her. Serenity's family was at stake, she was not going to risk losing her siblings over this.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Useless, she was useless. Why was she chosen? Why did Yuuki give her this power? Winter wasn't desevering of it, she wasn't smart like Elise, or strong like Mercedes. She didn't bring anyone happiness like Serenity, and it was clear she didn't have the physical prowess like the boys did. She was drifting in and out of consciousness, she felt a tugging at her waist and groaned, her body battered and bruised all over from the barrage of sand. "You went overboard Carter," someone scolded, "You got her, didn't you?" He grinned. Winter fell back to sleep around then, waking up in a plain looking room. It wasn't a hospital and it wasn't the Von Hresvelg mansion. She was sore, her body covered in bruises. She was tired, having used too much spiritual energy. There was a tray sitting on the table beside the bed, all of the furniture white, the walls white washed. There was a door with a small window, no doubt so that they could keep an eye on her.

"Yuuki, you should give this power to someone else, someone who deserves it." She said softly, reaching for the food. She felt strange, off. How long had she been asleep for? "I can't," Yuuki appeared before her, his arms crossed, it was clear he was just as unhappy about this as Winter was. "It had to be you Winter," she looked back at him, bread in hand. "Why You keep saying that it had to be me, but why?" She didn't understand. "Because in order to give you my power, you had to be close enough to the far shore, but near enough to the near shore. Do you get it now?" In a sense, he needed someone who didn't have long to live. "How long?" Winter asked softly. "How long do I have left?" He seemed uncomfortable, "I'm not allowed to tell you." It felt like a front, as though she had been betrayed in some way. "Can I at least know how?"

"I-" he paused, looked away. "I don't know," it was a lie, but Winter wasn't going to push it. The door opened, Yuuki disappeared. "Well, well, it looks like you're finally awake. Congratulations," an unfamiliar man wearing a mask and gloves, as well as that dreaded hood. "For what?" Winter didn't understand, she was no longer hungry. Did the others know? "On your pregnancy! You're going to be a Mother," Winter blanched. The tugging on her wiast, it was coming back to her now. "Why? I didn't consent to this," she lunged at the Doctor, fury making her move. Someone stepped in front of him, Merlin. He grabbed Winter's fist in his hand, pushing her away, back against the bed. "Now, now, you don't want to overexert yourself."

"It's all in the name of science," what science? "Who's is it?" She asked, seething. "We don't know, it was a blind sample, selected from the healthiest of the bunch." They were all standing in the doorway, they were all looking at her, why? Why? Why? Why? She was going to be sick. "Cheer up Ms. Matsuri, the product of your womb will no doubt be incredibly gifted." She was going to die soon and she was going to be a Mother. Was the pregnancy going to kill her? Was that it? "Don't worry, as long as you behave, you'll be treated as an honored guest. Now, come with us." The strange man held out a hand. "No," Winter grit her teeth. "You don't get to tell me what to do." She threw the bread roll in her hand at his face, it bounced harmlessly off of his mask.

One of the boys grabbed her by the hair, pulling her off the bed. "Ezra!" The strange man snapped, "Did I not just tell Ms. Matsuri that she would not be harmed?" He released her, Winter stumbling. They took her to a new room, they clapped her wrists in chains and tied her to a chair. She looked as though she had been beaten quite badly, which in truth, she had been. "We know you're watching," they were all wearing masks and robes now. "Today's date is 06-22-3XXX," a public broadcast? Winter didn't know. She wanted to go back to sleep, she was exhausted. "You all thought that your precious Winter died a hero, but in truth, she had been alive this entire time!" She could tell they were looking at her, she looked up, wondering what the point of this was. "You placed your faith in a silly, stupid, child." Her head was jerked upwards, her cheeks pinched. She jerked her head away.

"The Chrysanthemum will pay for its sins, we've been waiting a long, long time."

It was over, she was deposited back in her room. "We should probably introduce ourselves," the boys lingered. One of them grabbed her hand, kissing it. Ice crawled across his palm. "My name is Oliver," the other one grinned, "I'm Ezra." She jerked her hand away. "Leave me alone," Winter turned away, curling up on her side to keep from crying.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter needed to get out before they did anything else to her. They had to treat her gently because of the baby, so if she could escape before then... It was late at night, maybe in the morning? Yes, definitely in the morning. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. She was too small to be able to physically carry a child to term, what were they thinking? Before Winter knew it, she was asleep. The next thing she was aware of was someone delivering hot food. "What are you going to do?" Yuuki asked as she stuffed oatmeal into her mouth, starving. "I'm going to break out of here, what do you think?" Winter whispered. She was eating for two now, she supposed, may as well stuff her face with as much as she could get. It was too healthy a breakfast for her taste, but she ate it regardless. Now, to get out of here. A day in here was a day too long. No doubt Cynthia was waiting for her at home, with delicious food to welcome her back.

She touched the doorhandle, freezing the lock off. Gently, Winter pushed the door open, not wanting to alert any guards. When it came down to it, it was going to be four overpowered boys against one girl, but luckily she had an advantage. They were going to try not to hurt her. "You couldn't win yesterday, what makes you think you can win today?" Yuuki hissed as she walked down the oddly empty hall. "Call it a Mother's instinct." She couldn't equip a spirit dress, not yet. That would take too much energy. She tip toed down the hall, her body still sore from being beaten up by Carter yesterday. She was quiet, getting lost in the halls of this strange building. Were they below ground? Winter wasn't sure.

"Hey you! How did you get out of your room!" Uh-oh, time to run. An alarm above her began to blare, the lights shifting, no doubt alerting everyone in the building that she had gotten out. "Time to run!" Winter bolted in the other direction, sliding underneath a closing gate. She had just reached a staircase when someone appeared at the top, Merlin. He touched his ear for a moment, Winter realizing that he was wearing an ear piece. She shifted her stance, sending spikes of ice up at him, causing him to slip and fall. She grinned, able to walk up the ice with ease and jump over him, she gave Merlin the middle finger for good measure, then took off once more. It seemed that they were not below ground, there were windows on this floor, what did they overlook? She glanced outside, her eyes wide.

She had never seen the ocean before. "Winter!" Yuuki yelled, just before she was hit by a barrage of sand. "Be gentle!" Someone barked. Carter was back, but this time, Winter was ready for him. She was mad, of course she was. Mad that she kept getting beaten, mad that she was impregnated without consent, mad that she was seen as the useless one, the weak link. Mad that she was going to die soon anyway. "I hate you!" Winter growled, ice shooting from her palms in dangerous spikes. Carter dodged, shooting sand at her. A wall of ice went up, blocking the sand. She needed to move before she was cornered. In an idiotic move, Winter body slammed into him, sending him flying into the wall. She ran in the other direction, following the windows, the ocean.

Ezra was standing at the end of the hall, grinning, a rock in hand. Merlin was just behind him, she backed up, running down the fork in the hallway, the floor sloping upwards. How big was this place? Someone was standing at the top of the hall, how were they finding her so quickly? Oliver, he had fire in his hands, she remembered this one. "We've cornered you, you have nowhere to run." He grinned, fire dancing in his palms. "You may as well give up now," his smug face bothered her. "After all, we wouldn't want to hurt the baby." She ran straight towards him, his grin slowly subsiding when he realized that she was not slowing down. Winter punched him in the face, her knuckles connecting with his nose. "You bitch!" He yelled, but she was already running towards freedom.

She flung open the first door she could find, running outside into the sunshine. Yes! She was on the roof! The ground began to shake, rocks suddenly coming at her from all directions. "Spirit dress!" A shield of ice formed around her, her clothing changing. "Give up Winter, it's four against one." She grit her teeth, she could hear helicopters on the horizon. No doubt they were coming for her, Winter should have known that Elise would plant a tracker somewhere on her. "Never," Winter drew her bow, sending an ice arrow at Merlin. It split off, exploding, large chunks of ice growing where they hit.

She swayed on her feet, the ground shaking once more. Fire blossomed, arcing just over her. She leaped to dodge it, teetering on the edge of the roof. "Hey! Get back here!" Sand pushed her back on, striking her from behind. She turned around, forming a second ice shield. She was running out of time, how did they have so much stamina? "Winter," Yuuki said softly. "Use burst," burst? She nodded, "Ice burst!" She yelled, ice bursting out all around her, large spikes catching them off guard. Oliver's fire could not melt the thick chunks fast enough. She was suddenly struck from behind, metal hitting her in the back of the head. She tumbled, head over heels, teetering on the edge of the roof. She was hit from behind again, this time with fire, she was surrounded.

"Give up," Merlin insisted, trying to be the voice of reason. "There's no reason for you to fight us Winter, we don't want to hurt you."

"No, you don't care about me. You're using me! Just like everybody else!" She could feel tears of fury and frustration welling up in her eyes. "I'm tired of it!" Ice shot out from every direction, she wasn't sure if it hit anyone, but her knees were buckling, she was at her limit. She could hear sirens below, the Chrysanthemum had caught up to them. No, she didn't want to go back to them either. She wanted to go home.

The ground was to her left, the ocean to her right. If she fell from this height, she could live, but the force of the waves might drown her. "Yuuki, how do I die?" Winter asked quietly, wondering if this was it. "You won't die today," he said softly. "But you're not going to like what happens next."

Her eyes began to glow, she was running on fumes, "Spirit suit!" They were gearing up now. It felt as though she was fighting a losing battle, but maybe, just maybe, she could gain some ground. "We're coming Winter!" From above her, it was Serenity and Mercedes. A helicopter, but it was too early to cry. "Grab my hand!" Mercedes screamed, but sand and fire shot up at them. Winter couldn't remember what happened, or how it happened. She was thrown against rocks, flames licking her legs. She was shooting ice from every which why, trying to reach the hand extended to her. Her fingers barely grasped, then connected. "Hang on!" But Winter couldn't, her grip was slipping, her palms were sweating. Sand grabbed at her legs, pulling off her shoes. Her spirit dress was slowly reverting back to her now torn and ragged clothing. It was a game of tug-of-war and Winter was the prize.

"No!" Mercedes screamed, desperately trying to summon a wind to pull Winter out of the sand lasso, but the gust pushed her down, it pushed her down so quickly that it knocked the breath out of her. The impact was like concrete, the ocean freezing. It pulled at her limbs, choking her, entering her lungs, stinging her eyes. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. Darkness teemed at the edges of her vision. Yuuki had promised that she would not die today, but he had also told her that he was sworn to secrecy. With one last heaving swallow, the darkness overtook her, and all she could hear was Elise calling her useless.

It was Serenity who dove beneath the waves, the helicopter flying low enough for her to jump in. On the other side of the building, the Slithers were being apprehended by the Chrysanthemum officials. They needed to work quickly. Serenity used her light to guide her way beneath the murky waves, fearing that it was too late, that Winter had been pulled away by the current. Then she saw a glimmer, the light bouncing off of pearly white skin. She surfaced, caught her breath, and dove once more, the dark current trying to take her too. She kicked, grabbing Winter by the waist, pulling her up. "She's not breathing!" Her body was cold, her lips were blue. Vincent and Claude pulled them up, the damage to Winter's body obvious.

"Move," Vincent nudged Claude away, the helicopter door closed, he was not going to lose his granddaughter, not before he could confirm that it was her. He began chest compressions, Serenity softly sobbing to the side, Mercedes hugging her. Winter was not moving, she was blue, her limbs twisted at odd angles. "What can I do?" Claude asked, wanting to help, his fingers twitching. "Contact the house, tell them to be prepared." He nodded, disappearing.

They arrived back at the Hresvelg Estate at sunset. The Doctors were waiting there, they took over for Vincent, who had been manually pumping Winter's chest the entire time to keep her breathing. It was hours before one of them emerged from the Hresvelg's private hospital room. Jeralt was waiting, as was Claude. Serenity and Mercedes were staying in the guest room for the time being.

"What's the damage?" He asked softly. "Her spine is broken in three places, we don't know how long she was under for, but I can guarauntee her entire body is paralyzed." She wasn't breathing on her own, there was a disonnect between the brain and nerves, Winter was hanging on, her heart was still beating, and it was clear she had been fighting for breath, but these were not injuries one could recover from. "We will hope for the best and prepare for the worst."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


She couldn't breathe, she couldn't breathe and she couldn't move. It was dreadful, not being able to cry out, not being able to so much as whimper. She could feel everything happening, she had been awake for almost an hour as they continued to work on her, bagging her, venting her, forcing things in her nose, up her private parts. She was trapped in a lifeless body, dead without really being dead. She wasn't sure when it ended, she wasn't sure when she woke up, or when her eyes opened. It was all outside of her control. She was laying in bed, her bed, she was naked, but there was a blanket covering her. When had her eyes opened? She wasn't sure. It was sunny outside, it was a beautiful summer day. How long was she asleep for? She had no idea. There was arguing outside of her door, but she wasn't sure what was being said. It felt as though she was still underwater.

What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she move? Winter could not so much as turn her head. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see the machines, the ones keeping her alive. Breathing for her, feeding her, making sure she stayed hydrated. What a burden she was. She hated it. They should have just let her die. She should have died that day at the concert. The whole world knew she was alive. There was no hiding it. There was no pretending to be something she wasn't. Not a Hresvelg, no, she could never be one of them. She made too many mistakes, she was too clumsy, too... incompetent. Claude and Elise were both brilliant, they were both masters at whatever they set their mind to. She was never going to be able to play piano again, wasn't she?

Her body suddenly spiked with pain, it felt as though a searing heat was tearing her apart. She couldn't breathe, even with the machine breathing for her, she couldn't think. The doors burst open, the machines were blaring, warning of something. It was horrible, not being able to express how painful it was. Her eyelids fluttered shut as something that burned even worse entered her system. "Rejection," but she didn't understand, what was she rejecting? Maybe her body had finally gotten sick of her, she was sick of herself after all. She could see their disappointed faces behind her eyes. Everyone she had ever let down. Claude should have stayed away from her. They all should have just stayed away, like she had wanted. Then Stella would be alive.

Then Winter wouldn't be here.

Then she wouldn't have friends or attachments or people she cared about. Yes, it was all better before. More burning, she was in so much pain now, pain she had never felt before. "It will be okay," someone whispered, stroking her forehead. "A little pinch, then you'll take a nice nap while we get these out." It was more than a little pinch, but Winter couldn't tell the nice person stroking her head that.

Oh, she was astral projecting. She was standing outside of her body. "Welcome to the boundary," Yuuki was sitting on a large snowflake, wearing robes that shimmered and shifted their color and hue. "How did things end up like this?" She asked quietly, "I told you, you weren't going to like what happened next." Winter turned to look at him, then back at herself, at the doctors rushing around her, trying to move her onto a stretcher. "It's going to get worse isn't it?" Yuuki said nothing, but his silence was enough of an answer. "Why couldn't I have just died yesterday?" She sank to the ground, hugging her knees, a soot sprite skidding away from her.

"Because I wouldn't have chosen you, if you were going to be useless and die so early." She narrowed her eyes at him. "I am useless, don't you get it? You picked a useless vassal! I'm not smart like Elise, I'm not strong like Mercedes, or beautiful like Serenity! I'm weak, I'm useless, and I'm dumb!" Yuuki shook his head, "You aren't useless," he drifted closer to her on his snowflake. "You've got these," he lifted her hands, stroking her fingers with his thumb. "Not anymore, I can't move my body." Yuuki helped Winter back up to her feet. "Then we'll just practice in here. We'll use this time to make you stronger, then when you can return to your body, you'll be ahead of the curve." He nudged her. "We should probably keep track of where they put you though, if you stray too far, your tail will get cut."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

0.00 INK

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter wasn't sure when morning came, she wasn't sure when her eyes drifted open. Cynthia was sleeping beside her, she could see that. One of the machines began to beep softly, Winter wasn't sure which one. She wished she could move, her limbs felt heavy, her entire body felt heavy. Her head suddenly lulled to the side, the tape pulling at her face. She wasn't sure why she had shifted like this. Someone came inside, tip toeing, trying not to wake Cynthia. She carried a bag with her, carefully shifting Winter's head back into place, she moved more pillows to make sure her head wouldn't turn again. The nurse changed things, shifting tubes, filling up bags, pushing buttons. She cleaned Winter with a warm towel, braiding her hair to keep it out of her face. Cynthia eventually shifted as the nurse was placing the blanket over Winter again.

"Good morning," she smiled. Cynthia was rubbing her eyes, "How is she?" Cynthia asked, the nurse shifting uncomfortably. "I'll let the Doctor explain everything," she disappeared. "How are you feeling?" Cynthia asked Winter, undoing the braid that the nurse had done to put her hair into two braids. "I'm sure you'll be up and about again soon, don't worry." Cynthia smiled, stroking Winter's cheek. It was warm, so warm. She tucked the blanket around Winter, kissing her forehead. The Doctor came in, Jeralt following behind him. Winter could tell the others were standing around outside the door, she could sense them. Jeralt closed the door behind him, "Cynthia, have a seat." He said softly. Cynthia took a seat, then took Winter's hand.

"Almost immediately, Winter's body began to reject the implants." The Doctor started, "if it was one break, it would be an easy fix, but Winter's spine is broken in three places." He brought up the holo projector. They weren't clean breaks either. "What do we do?" Cynthia asked, squeezing Winter's hand. "Well, the good news is, Winter is fighting hard to stay with us. She's probably listening right now," they had tested brain function of course, no point in wasting all of this on someone who was brain dead. "We're going to try again, once her body had a bit of time to heal, but it will delay being able to move to the house." Unless they wanted to move to the safe house first, then attempt the implants again.

The Doctor was right of course, Winter was listening. "For the time being, the nurse will come in every hour to move her limbs to make sure that Winter's muscles will not waste away." All Winter was hearing was more disappointment, it was just confirmation that all of this was a mistake. That she was a mistake. They should have never taken her in, Winter thought. She was just going to end up disappointing everyone. The door suddenly burst open, Mercedes looked as though she was about to cry. "It's my fault," her voice hitched, Winter had never seen her like this. "It's my fault, my grip slipped. I had her, I had her in my hands. She was fought four of them! And then my grip slipped. If it hadn't-If I hadn't-" she sunk to her knees. "Sorry," Serenity said softly. "She was up all night because of it." No, it wasn't Mercede's fault. Winter's grip had been weak.

She blinked, she was outside of her body again, wasn't she? Winter turned around slowly, she really did look pitiful and small. The room emptied, the nurse came back eventually. "So Winter, what are you going to do?" Yuuki asked quietly. "I'm going to train my butt off, I'm going to show them that I'm not the weak one." Her hands balled into fists. "I don't want to feel like this anymore."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter was not spending much time in her body, she was waiting out her time in the boundary, wanting a functioning body again. Yuuki was pushing her hard, as the limits to her powers were lesser without the strain of a physical body. When Winter did spend time in her body, it was normally accompanied by pain and the agonizing wish to move. The implants continued to fail, it had been almost a week and they had tried several different settings. Winter couldn't move, she coudln't even breathe on her own. There was talk of trying other things, of a spinal fusion, of a halo, of a risky procedure to replace the broken vertebrae. Winter could tell Elise was growing more frustrated with each day, that she wanted to go underground already. Winter was just as frustrated with the lack of success.

She was back in her body, for the time being, Yuuki having beaten her up quite a bit in the boundary. It was midday, Winter wasn't sure of the time, but she knew an hour had just passed because the nurse had come to adjust her and move her limbs around with strength bands and anti-gravity theraputics. Winter was lazing, as there wasn't much else she could do. "You're doing a great job," the nurse encouraged. Cynthia was spending time with her when she wasn't doing other things, reading Winter books, dressing her up in cute outfits, or putting on movies in case Winter wanted to watch something. Not that she could really watch an entire movie with her eyes opening and closing of their own volition. "I'm just gonna empty the bag and then I'll leave you alone," she pat Winter's head, then picked up the bag hanging off the end of the bed, putting a stopper in it so Winter's... bodily fluids did not get all over the nice floor.

She returned a few minutes later and opened up the windows to allow the summer breeze to drift into the room. Summer would be over soon, it was a shame Winter's was wasted. Her head had lulled to the side despite the nurse having just adjusted it. The door suddenly burst open, there was a scream from somewhere else inside the mansion. "You can't take her!" Cynthia was screaming, "You can't take them!" Chrysanthemum officials, dressed to the nines. "So this is where you've been hiding," Doc smiled. "It's a good thing we found you. Your little friends will be coming as well, don't worry. I didn't know you were keeping secrets from us Winter, you knew there were more like you, but you never thought to tell us." Mercede's army buddies couldn't fight them, they were enlisted to the government. In fact, Winter had no doubt that Mercede's calling in that favor had been what led them here.

"We're going to fix you up, don't worry," he pat Winter's arm. Cynthia was still screaming, she could hear Jeralt and Claude trying to intervene. "I could have you all arrested, but instead, I'm going to turn a blind eye. Kidnapping a child is illegal," a stretcher was rolled in, Winter was moved carefully, the machines rearranged around her. In the hallway, Mercedes and Serenity had already been secured. Did they have Elise too? Or did she manage to get away? "At least let us say goodbye!" Cynthia was sobbing. "Why?" One of the officials asked, "she isn't your daughter." A strike in the chest, a reminder that Winter did not belong here, that as much as she wanted to be one, she was not a real Hresvelg.

There were several vehicles waiting outside, the mansion's gate was wide open. Winter was loaded into the back of one of the cars, an ambulance without markings on the outside. "Don't worry, we're going to fix you up," Doc pat her arm, then went about arranging things as the ambulance began to move. "Those boys told us everything," he wasn't smiling. It was clear that Doc wasn't pleased. He adjusted the oxygen, Winter's head suddenly spinning. Did the Chrysanthemum take custody of the boys as well? Her eyes began to drift shut, she wondered if Elise had managed to escape.

When Winter opened her eyes next, it was in a familiar place; the lab. "Welcome home, Ms. Matsuri," an unfamiliar Doctor was standing above her. "I hope you're settling in nicely," he smiled, but there was no kindness in it. "I took out those awful implants, we're going to fix your spine, but I can't promise it won't hurt." What did that mean? Winter didn't know. He stuck a second tube in her free nostril, then adjusted several dials. The nurse turned Winter onto her side, her limbs flopping over like a dead fish. She could feel pressure on her spine, but she wasn't sure what was happening. "We are going to simulate a womb, essentially. We'll be using stem cells to get your body to regenerate and heal your spine naturally. Of course, there are risks, but in this case, the benefits outweigh them."

He explained everything as she was lifted and placed in an isolation chamber. It worked on negative pressure, so Winter floated harmlessly on top. There were dozens of wires, nodes, and tubes connected to her, a burning in her arm signaling that she was going to be taking a very long nap. Winter's eyes drifted shut once more, worried that the risks outweighed the benefits.

When her eyes opened again, she was choking, gasping, trying to breathe. Her limbs flailed weakly, she was splashing around, trying to scream. The lid opened, that man and Doc standing above her. "You're alright," Doc soothed, he grasped Winter easily, he was a large man, and pulled her out in one fell swoop. Almost instantly she was bombarded by a team of nurses with warm towels and blankets, wrapped carefully in them. "It's alright, you're safe." Doc soothed, petting her head. He started taking the tubes out of her nose, Winter whimpering, as the feeling was quite odd. She was disconnected from most of the wires and was taken off of the respirator. "There, I'm sure that must feel much better."

"Y-yh-" Winter tried to speak, but her throat was sore. "Shh, lay down, sleep a bit, I'm sure you're still tired." She nodded, she was tired, very tired. She lay back down on the stretcher, falling to sleep once again.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Most of Winter's days were the same, every morning, the physical therapist took her for a lap around the floor. After that, she met with a speech pathologist, as it was discovered that Winter's jaw was essentially locked, which was why she couldn't speak or eat properly. She was still weak from the mild muscle atrophy, but working on getting stronger. "Alright, I'm just going to massage your jaw," the speech pathologist said, delicately attempting to unlock Winter's jaw from the place it was stuck in. She tried to relax, even as muscle relaxents were injected straight into the joint. Her jaw was massaged again, moving the relaxers around as her head began to spin. "How does that feel?" The speech pathologist asked, feeling around.

Winter felt a click and she could open her mouth once more. "Be...tt...er." She spoke slowly, feeliing for the familiarity of words. Her voice was hoarse from not having been used properly and she just realized how sore her throat was from the tube sticking down it. "Want to try some soft foods?" Winter nodded, a tray placed in front of her. She could feel Yuuki watching her, he hadn't left her side siince she had woken up in this place again. She had her old room back, the one with the large piano and the instruments hanging on the walls. She tried mashed potatoes first, adding ketchup to them and swirling them around. The pathologist was staring her down as she ate, no doubt evaluating Winter's ability to chew and swallow.

"It looks like your jaw is alright now," she smiled. Winter nodded, watching her go. Doc came to see her next, doing the daily evaluation to see how she was progressing. "You've put on a bit of weight, that's good." He smiled, Winter nodding her head. "G...ym?" She asked, her speech still slow. She just needed to rebuild the muscles in her mouth, as it seemed she had hit her head rather hard when she had hit the water. Even though her internal monolague was just fine, she was still a bit slow on the outside. "Yes, we'll go now." He reached for the walker, helping Winter up. The gym was empty, which was odd because Winter had heard people in there earlier when she was taking her walk.

She and Yuuki had been practicing in the boundary, it was time to apply it in the near shore. "S-pi..ri..t...dr..e...ss." She managed to get out, the change slow, her pajamas turning into her beautiful gown, complete with heels made of ice. Doc stepped behind the protective glass, observing. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Yuuki asked, "we can wait." Winter shook her head, she needed to get stronger now. "Alright," she was a bit wobbly on her own, like a fawn as she released her grip on the walker, drawing back her icy bowstring. She released it, allowing her projectile to arc into the sky and explode. It snowed down on them, the snowflakes turning into large, icy spikes. There was something relaxing about using her power, something familiar.

She threw her bow into the air, the ice changing shape and size, turning into a sword. She caught it, falling back onto her butt. Slowly, Winter rolled onto her side, getting onto all fours, then using the walker to get up once more. She could tell Doc was on edge the entire time, the worry was clear in his face. She made ice sculptures, swinging her sword at them, using her walker to move around the gym, hacking the ice in half with one swing to fell them. "Alright Winter," Doc said after an hour, "I think you should rest." She was tired, her muscles quivering with the effort.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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#, as written by The_Queen
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter was improving with each day, determined to get better. She was working double time to push herself past her limits, both physically and mentally. At the end of each day, Winter was close to collapsing, but it was worth it, in her eyes. She was now using a cane again, instead of a walker, and her speaking had returned to normal. She went to the meeting room everyday, but for the most part, she did not see Serenity or Mercedes much. Winter left her door open, in case they wanted to visit, but the rooms were supposed to be private, they were not supposed to enter one another's space until they were invited in. "It's lonely," Winter said softly, having grown used to the constant company of Elise and Claude. She missed the companionship, even if she would never admit it.

Winter stretched and lfited the lid on the piano, settling her fingers on the keys. Her mother's gloves were gone, no doubt in Cynthia's posession now. At least she still had her Grandfather's cane. Slowly, Winter began to play, trying to explain how she felt through music. Lonely, isolated, nervous, but she knew that her power was at its height, vassal was, she was the strongest she had ever been. "Whoa," someone said in the doorway. The music came to an abrupt halt, Carter was standing in the doorway, wearing fresh bandages and a few cuts and scrapes. "That's a lot of emotions," he grinned slowly, in that Cheshire-Cat like way that Winter hated. "What do you want?" She asked, her speech still a bit slow and slightly slurred, but for the most part, normal.

"I was just passing by when I heard you playing, they didn't give me a piano-" his gaze went towards the wall where Winter had instruments hanging up. "Whoa, you play all these?" She nodded, he took that as an invitation to come inside. Winter stiffened, watching as he went to the wall. "So I could just pick any of these up and you can play it?" He asked, whirling around, as though he didn't quite believe her. "Yes," Winter replied, "but please don't." She added, which made him laugh even more. He strode closer, Winter feeling suddenly nervous. "Why is your face cut up?" She asked, wondering if he had tried to escape. "Merlin and I were going at each other in the gym. You should see the equipment they have in this place."

"I have," she had been spending plenty of time there herself, mostly alone. "Mercy and Serenity... seem to be avoiding... me." She wasn't sure why though. "No they haven't been," Carter scratched his cheek. "They're standing just outside, listening." Winter rose, wondering what he meant. She went to the doorway to find them standing on either side. "Looks like we've been caught," Serenity scratched her cheek. "What are you... two doing?" Winter asked, the two of them seeming embarrassed. "We've been shadowing you," Mercedes admitted, "to try and um..." she was clearly trying to come up with an excuse. "Protect me?" They nodded, it seemed they really did see her as weak.

"I don't need... your protection." Winter shook her head, Mercedes followed Winter into her room, Serenity behind her. "We just want to keep you safe! You're the most vulnerable out of all of us! Nevermind Elise and her idiotic plans," they knew of Elise's attempts to kill herself, Doc had told them all about it. Oliver and Ezra too, were being kept away, sedated to prevent further damage. "This wouldn't have happened if they took us," Serenity crossed her arms, Winter had never seen her grumpy. "They're going to... justify it." She took a seat on the piano bench once more, picking up her water bottle. "They think they're... right."

"Do you think they're right?" Mercedes asked, crossing her arms.

"I don't think... anything." Winter replied, Legally they have... jurisdiction over me." Winter had, had her trial, after all.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


"Damn it!" Carter screamed, the whirlwind of sand attempting to break through Winter's shield. She wasn't even in her spirit dress. Her shield was impenetrable, not made of thick ice, but of concentration. She threw her arms outwards, the shield pushing back, Carter drowning in his own sand. The others looked on in approval, Mercedes and Serenity unable to beat her as well. They were proud, Winter thought, as Mercedes had helped bring Winter's physical stamina up and Serenity there to cheer them on. "How did you get this strong so quickly?" Merlin asked, hanging out in the rafters. Carter tumbled head over heels, the sand falling back. Winter released her shield. "Practice," she had trained until her astral spirit could no longer project, she had trained until Yuuki forced her to rest, she had trained until she felt like she couldn't breathe.

Winter didn't want to be the weak link anymore, she didn't want to be looked down on. She picked up her cane, walking towards where Carter had fallen. She didn't hate him as much anymore, only a little bit now. "I win," she held out her hand, Carter grinning as he took it. "Yes, you win this time. That's Carter two, Winter one." She blinked, scoffing. "Excuse me? One point, perhaps, but two? You can't be counting the roof top, that was four against one." She released his hand, he nearly stumbled. "I think Winter won that one!" Serenity echoed, "four against one is unfair!" She had held out as long as she could on the rooftop, "We'll call it a draw." Merlin decided, coming down from his hiding spot.

The doors flung open, Oliver was standing on the other side, making a dramatic entrance, like he always did. "Winter, Elise was released." She nodded, waving to the others as she exited the gym, heading towards where Elise was sitting. She was in the foyer, legs crossed, dressed to the nines despite having nowehre to go. On her lap was Mr. Snuffles, a stuffed animal Winter would recognize anywhere. "Stars Elise, you didn't have to make such a dramatic entrance." Winter said upon seeing her, "but I'm glad to see you up and about." The only thing Doc would tell her was that Elise was on death's door. He wouldn't say anything else, no matter how much she pried.

"Elise!" Serenity squealed, "we're glad you're alright." Mercedes strode in, hands in pockets. They were all dressed in plain clothes, the rather bland style that the Chrysanthemum provided. The only reason Winter's wardrobe was a bit better was because all of her belongings had remained here. "Stars Elise, you look like a stick!" Mercedes commented. "I guess death'll do that to you. How are you feeling?" Mercedes was never winded or out of breath no matter how much she spoke. Hanging in the doorway were Carter, Merlin, and Oliver, giving the girls a respectful distance to reunite with their friend and sister. What sort of deals had Claude made in order to get Mr. Snuffles in here? Winter was almost afraid to ask.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


"I know about the boundary line," Winter replied softly, "and about the Heir's. My Grandparents were religious," they had a shrine on their property, but it was old. They only cleaned and visited it during the holidays. Still, her Grandparents had been superstitious. "We think you and the other children might be the key to unlocking the mystery of the boundary line." The key? What did that mean? Why did Yuuki suddenly seem uncomfortable? "The far shore isn't a place for humans," Winter said uneasily. Doc took one of her hands. Brainwashing, Winter wondered. She didn't flinch away. Did the Hresvelg's really think that one month worth of staying with them could undo four years of being under constant supervision by the Chrysanthemum? "It's perfectly safe, I assure you. A small rift has opened up, you're the only one that would fit through the hole." Winter felt queasy.

"Why? Why not leave it alone?" Winter asked softly. "Discovering such a place would make you a national hero. Don't you want that?" Doc asked, squeezing her hand. Winter didn't know what she wanted, but maybe, if she were going to die young, she would at least like to leave behind some sort of legacy. "Alright," Winter decided. "I'll do it," Doc nodded, rising. "Great, come with me." Wait, right now? Winter rose, following him. A hero, that's what she wanted to be. If she couldn't be a musician, if she couldn't be a regular girl, then she wanted to be a hero. They went down further, further then Winter had ever been before. Her ears popped, she didn't even know that there were sublevels. They walked through a decontamination room, where several armed guards were waiting.

Her clothes were replaced by a special suit, the hiss of negative pressure and oxygen rushing through her ears. "Ready?" Doc asked, they would all be waiting behind a special wall. "As I'll ever be." She glanced at Yuuki, noticing that he wasn't there. Maybe because she was so close to the boundary? Winter swallowed hard. She walked through the door, it sealed behind her with a hiss. No, this was a mistake. Her stomach filled with dread. Her feet felt like led. "I can't do it," she said softly. "I can't do it, I'm coming back." Why were her feet moving forward? She felt as though her body was acting on its own. What was wrong with her? "You can do it," Doc said encouragingly. The light was blinding, she stepped through, one foot, then the other.

Pain like she had never felt it tore through her body, ever cell and molecule being torn apart. She screamed, her com buzzing out, dying. What was happening? She fell on the other side, where Yuuki was waiting, disappointment in his eyes. Why did they all look at her like that? Why did she always make the wrong choice? "I died, didn't I?" Winter asked quietly. "No," Yuuki knelt down, helping Winter up, able to actually touch her. "Not alive, but not dead. You're somewhere in between, look." He held up a piece of ice, Winter held it, her hair having turned stark white. "I'm not a hero, am I?" Winter asked quietly. "No," Yuuki replied, "you just sparked the apocalypse." Winter felt nauseous, she was going to be sick. She turned around, watching as strange creatures darted towards the rift.

"You told me-you told me I was going to be a hero. What was all this training for! You knew this would happen! Why didn't you stop me!" Winter sank to her knees, "I never said that." Yuuki replied, "I never said you would be a hero." It was a strike to the chest, she felt breathless. "No Winter, your card was always predestined." Card? He pulled something out of thin air. She didn't even need to look at it to read it: The victim. "What was all that training for?" She asked, "I picked you to try and change fate. It was stupid, they all laughed at me, all the other Heir's." They never had faith in Winter to begin with. "This was all a joke? You told me it could only be me." Yuuki looked away. "You said we had a bond!" She wanted to throw up.

"We do," Yuuki took her hand, he was trying to be gentle. "But I chose wrong. I couldn't change fate."

He may as well have struck her down. "I hate you."

"Winter."

"I hate you! Don't talk to me!" She ran, blindly, trying to find her way back. She had no tail she realized, her physical body was here, in the boundary. "Winter, wait!" Yuuki was running, er, flying after her. "Don't talk to me!" Winter screamed, she threw her gloves at him. It was only then that she realized how much pain she was, physically and mentally. She sank to her knees, wondering if her entire extistence was a mistake.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


"Winter, where are you going?" Yuuki asked, following her. She was still his vassal, after all. "I'm going to the entrance of the rift," Winter replied. She grabbed her chest, feeling as though she had been struck through. "You're feeling the pain of your physical body," how could that be? She was dead. Her head hurt, what were they doing to her? "Winter, stop." Yuuki grabbed her shoulder, his touch was cold. "I'm going to guard the rift, I'm not going to let them cross." She shook him off, continuing, ignoring the pain. Her nose was bleeding, what were they doing to her body? "You can't do that alone, if you die here, you die permanently! There's no far shore!" Winter turned back to him, calmly, "I've already lost everything. My family, my talent, my body. What's one more thing?" She wasn't going to be the victim anymore.

He was still following her, they walked through a field, creatures peeking at them every so often. "What does your prophecy say?" Winter asked quietly, "I don't know. It ended the moment you died. There's nothing else written," it was almost reassuring. There was no destiny or path laid out for her, everythign Winter did from now on... it was her own decision. "You can't guard the rift on your own, there are monsters in here Winter, old ones. They'll kill you in an instant." She whirled on her heels, facing him. "Then what do you suggest I do?" She hissed, gritting her teeth. Yuuki was quiet for a moment, "Just... come live in the boundary. There's room, you can, you can come live with me even!" Yuuki had both of her shoulders in his grasp now.

"I can't abandon them, even if they think I'm dead." She turned away, she could see the rift now. She stationed herself in front of it. "Spirit dress!" Already unsavory creatures were gathering in front of it. "You're going to need more than just a spirit dress," Yuuki said nervously. "Try saying, spirit armor." She nodded, holding her arm up high. "Spirit armor!" Winter closed her eyes, the hazmat suit she was wearing changing slowly into a dress with checkered fabric and a long staff. "It looks like a normal dress, but it's stronger." Winter nodded, bearing the staff in front of her. "Air strike, ice blast!" She swept it across the field, the creatures disappearing. They were minor monsters, easy fodder.

She stood guard, unknowing as to how much time had passed in the real world. Occasionally she felt pain, occassionally she would drift off, only to find Yuuki standing guard, or preparing food. They had set up a small camp, the two of them taking turns sleeping and cooking. Time moved differently in the boundary, it wasn't linear. It could have been an hour on the far shore, it could have been a month. "Is there any way to contact them?" Winter asked softly, poking at the stew Yuuki had made. He was a terrible cook. "There is," Yuuki admitted after a period of silence. "But we can't do it here, so close to the rift. The connection would be unstable," Winter nodded. She couldn't risk leaving the area, not when they were under constant attack from monsters.

"How long are going to guard the rift for?" Yuuki asked with a yawn, "However long it takes." Winter replied, "you can't do this forever." Winter grit her jaw, she felt a pain in her leg, a tugging sensation of sorts. Hadn't they buried her yet? Was she feeling her body decompose? Winter was starting to develop her own fighting style, no longer just relying on Yuuki's knowledge. Everyday was the same, but it was a rhythm that Winter had grown used to. Wake up, fight, cook or bathe in the river, sleep in a makeshift tent, and repeat. She wasn't going to complain, but sometimes she found herself longing to play something, or talk to someone other than Yuuki.

~~

"What do you mean Winter is dead?" Serenity's voice warbled slightly. "That's not funny," Mercedes growled, hugging Serenity comfortingly. "Stop kidding around," they were gathered in the therapy room, the psychologist having broken the news. "I'm afraid it's no joke, Winter bravely sacrificed herself to protect Doc and the other workers in the sublevels." Was Elise there? Serenity hadn't noticed. Carter had turned stark white, Oliver's fists were balled so tightly his hands were shaking. Merlin was oddly quiet, his expression unreadable. "Can we... say goodbye?" Serenity asked softly, choking back tears. "I'm afraid there's nothing left to say goodbye to." It was a lie, but the psychologist was practiced in schooling her features. Winter's body would be preserved for research of course.

"What was Winter doing in the sub levels?" Merlin suddenly asked. "She was being fitted for anti-weather clothing." Merlin narrowed his eyes, it was clear that he didn't believe it. "Why wasn't that being done in the lab?" The psychologist shifted uncomfortably. It was easy to forget that Merlin had once worked with the Chrysanthemum. "What are you hiding?"

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Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


"Die you monster scum!" Ezra wiped blue blood off of his face. Winter fended off another wave. Ezra had found them sometime while wandering the boundary, Winter couldn't remember when he had gotten there, but she was glad to have another human to talk to. Yuuki too, seemed grateful for the company. "Why is the rift widening?" Ezra's eyes widened, Winter too, glanced over her shoulder, noticing that it was getting bigger and brighter. "Shit, get back!" Was there a new threat coming at them? "Ice make, wall!" A thick wall of ice went up as the rift hummed and glowed, the monsters too, glancing at what was happening. They fled, fearful to be swept up in the gravitational pull that the rift had. "Hold your attacks!" The glowing receeded, Winter's wall crumbled, turning into a harmless snow.

Winter marched forward, her ice staff in hand. Ezra too, was wearing his armor. Unlike Winter's though, his only covered his legs and head and was tan and green, the color of rocks. "The glow looks... human," the glowing was receeding. Winter was on the defense of course, was this some new monster? No, she realized, her eyes widening. "Shit, Ezra, make a stretcher!" Winter directed, Ezra nodded, smashing his fists together, a rock coming up from the ground, long like a table. Yuuki and Ezra's Heir lifted Elise onto it carefully. Had Doc tricked Elise into coming here? Winter wasn't sure. "Let's bring her to the camp for now," at least until she woke up. Winter was suddenly grabbed from behind. She swiveled, but it was only Ame. "You're alive! Well, half alive! I'm so glad to see you!" Ame sniffled.

Winter tried to smile, but she was tired. Today's wave had retreated. "I'm glad to see you too," their camp wasn't far from the rift, they couldn't stay too close, or else they could accidentally be pulled in. There were four tents around a fire pit and a felled tree that was being used as a bench. "Where should I put her?" Ezra grunted, "in my tent for now. She should wake up soon," Winter felt a sudden ache in her lungs. How much time had passed in the far shore? "It's your turn to cook Yuuki!" Winter called, deciding that it was time to take a bath. Her spirit armor melted away, leaving her in simple boundary fashion. A cropped sweater with embroidery that glimmered in the evening and shorts, as well as a pair of knee high stockings. It was comfortable, easy to sleep in.

"Oh, you also wanted a bath?" Ezra grinned, he was wearing a tee shirt with slits down the side and baggy pants. "Yeah, it's been a few days," she ran a hand through her hair. "Alright then we'll bathe together-" he grabbed Winter's tiny body, throwing her into the river, clothing and all. "Ezra!" She screamed, splashing him. He jumped in after her, laughing. Winter too laughed, perhaps for the first time since she had come to the boundary, for the first time since she had died. Ezra suddenly winced, no doubt experiencing pain in his physical body. "How do you think fancy Ms. I'm too good to breathe the same air as all of you, ended up here?" He asked, taking off his shirt. Winter too, began to strip.

"I don't know, I thought Elise was more clever than that." She scrubbed her body as best as she could, the river water being fed by a spring. It was perfectly warm and the dirt and blood that was caked on her skin washed away quickly. She emerged in the reeds, Ezra having the decency to turn around so that she could get dressed with some semblance of privacy. Yuuki called them for dinner a few minutes later. "You know, this doesn't taste like utter shit tonight," Winter said, halfway through her stew. "Why thank you Winter, I think I'm improving." Ezra laughed, "It's almost edible!" They turned in after that, Winter now sharing a tent with Elise. She tucked one of the blankets around Elise's shoulders, hoping she was at least comfortable.

"I guess we'll have a lot to talk about when you wake up." Winter said quietly, sleeping on the floor.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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#, as written by The_Queen
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter rubbed one of her eyes, immediately peppered with questions the moment she woke up. "Good morning to you too," she sat upright, stretching, taking in what Elise was saying, but barely. She had just woken up after all. What was happening? Winter looked up at the roof of the tent. "The rift is a small hole that opened up between our world and the boundary. We're in the boundary right now, between the near and far shores." She stood up, folding the blanket that she had slept on and placing it on the end of her bed. She reached for a tooth tab, which fizzed in her mouth, the flavor of mint overwhelming her before she washed it down with water. "I didn't allow him to trick me into coming here." Winter replied, wrinkling her nose. "You've never been groomed, you don't know what it's like."

"I tried to say no," she added quietly. Supposedly Elise had confronted the Doc, but fat load that did her, considering she was now here, dead and within the boundary. "I guess the others will start putting together a plan now." There was no way to contact them, otherwise Winter would have. "How much time has passed hthere?" Winter asked as she started getting dressed. "Time isn't linear here, I can't keep track of the days." She had bandages around her wrist from a monster bite. Thankfully it wasn't bad, it barely even hurt. "There is no leaving," Winter said frankly. "We're not dead, but not alive. Besides, I can't go back even if I wanted to," she opened the flap to the tent, the sunshine streaming in.

"Come on, you'll get used to the routine pretty quickly." Ezra was already making breakfast, stirring a large pot over the fire. In the distance, you could hear monster cries. "They're getting an early start today," he turned around, his grin changing when he saw Elise. "Well, well, looks like Sleeping Beauty awoke from her enchanted sleep." Winter plopped down on the bench, "They sound close," she took a bowl, spooning poridge into it. "That's because they are," Yuuki appeared next to her, grabbing a bowl as well. "So, who's showing Elise the ropes?" Ezra's Heir asked, setting down on the bench opposite. "Shot not," Ezra sprawled across a tree stump. "I'll do it, Elise take a seat and grab a bowl." Winter instructed, the bowls made of wood so that they were easy to wash and wouldn't break.

They ate breakfast quickly, washing it down with cold water from the river. "Time!" Yuuki called, spotting the first one on the horizon. Winter and Ezra both jumped to their feet. "Elise, come with me." They jogged towards the Rift, where the first monsters were already gathering. "Spirit armor!" Winter changed in a flash, slicing through a monster with ease. They were unsettling looking, creatures with long arms and tentacles. Some had eyes that covered their entire body while others looked almost human. They all made the same unholy sound when being cut down, their blood blue. "Elise, behind you!" Icy spikes rose up, piercing the monster that had been reaching for her.

"For some reason, they all stop attacking when the sun goes down." It was their clock, the only way that they knew the days passed. "How's the princess doing?" Ezra called, crushing a monster between two rocks. He was splattered with blue blood, a monster himself on the battle field.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter's hands continued to tighten around her bowl. "I'm tired of your attitude," she said quietly. "Look around us Elise!" Winter gestured, "We are dead! There's no hospitality service here, no maids to tuck you into bed at night, no one to pick up after you! You think we've just been sitting around here, twittling our thumbs? Well guess what, we tried to get back! We tried to contact the outside world and we were bombarded by monsters the entire time!" She stood up, unfuriated, insulted. "It makes sense that you would be the traitor, you stuck up... asshole!" Ezra whistled, but Winter wasn't done. "You've looked down on us this whole time. Ever since we met, you've never treated me like an equal. You always thought I was stupid, easily manipulated; well guess what, life isn't black and white! I'm sick of your shit! I'm not going to let you walk all over me anymore!" No, she was tired of being walked on.

She was tired of being a doormat. "Get your own tent, you can bathe in the river on your own." She stomped off, tired of Elise's whining, of Elise's attitude, tired of Elise. She was going to bathe in the river on her own. "I hate to break it to you, Lissy," Ezra said, stretching, clearly feeling better after eating something and regaining his strength. "But you're on breakfast duty tomorrow." He gestured to the field, "since Winter kicked you out of her tent, it's safe to sleep out here." Chiyu shook her head. "Elise can sleep with Ame and I," Chiyu was smiling as well. "I'll go talk to her," Yuuki suggested, standing up, but Ezra held a hand out. "No, don't. This was a long time coming," Ezra started gathering bowls to clean up, but Chiyu stopped him. "I'll do it, go rest." Thankfully the sun would not rise tomorrow, so he would get to sleep in a bit. "I'll help, Ame, you too." Yuuki said, rising.

Winter ripped off her clothing in the reeds, sinking into the bubbling spring. She scrubbed the dirt and blood off of herself, wondering if she was going to end up killing Elise herself. "Thinks she's better than everyone because of her last name," Winter muttered, using a cattail as a loofa. "Thinks she can treat people like dirt," how had the Hresvelg's ended up with a gem like Claude and a piece of coal like Elise? Winter didn't know. Her fingers twitched, itching, she wanted to play, she would never get the chance again. She didn't know what was happening to her body, if someone was experimenting on it, if someone was trying to revive it, but the pain she had felt before reminded her of the electric paddles they used to restart your heart.

She dunked her head in the river, starting to calm down a bit. Elise was infuriating yes, but it was because she didn't understand. They didn't understand each other and that was why these things were happening. In the morning, maybe, just maybe Winter would apologize, but she felt that her outburst was justified. She was tired, she had been fighting on the frontlines everyday. Maybe she shouldn't have taken her frustrations out on Elise, but at least she wasn't going around, acting like she was superior to everyone. Maybe that was Winter's fault though, she had told her to put on a mask, but Elise needed to learn when wearing that mask was appropriate. She couldn't even dress herself, for pete's sake; but Winter wasn't going to baby her like everyone else was.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter was up early, the warmth of morning making her not want to get out of bed. She knew she had to though, after all, if she didn't, Elise was going to cook up some strange concotion for breakfast, considering she had never been in the kitchen before. Winter used to cook with her Grandmother, she would stand in the kitchen on a little stool and nead bread or frost cakes. When she went camping, her Grandfather showed her how to skin a rabbit and use a cast iron grill to season it. Unfortunately, they had few seasonings but hopefully today they would restock. Winter got dressed slowly, knowing that back home, it was probably already fall. She wasn't going to graduate, or perform at the Opal again, but at least she wasn't alone guarding the Rift anymore.

It was no surprise to see Elise awake, still trying to make her tent. She really didn't know how to ask for help, did she? Winter rolled her eyes, heading towards the fire to light it. They used a fire starter, two small rocks that you hit against each other, one set to spark. Once the fire was nice and hot, she put the pan over it and checked their food stocks. It looked like Winter would be making pancakes today, which was fine since they had the time. It was strange that the sun hadn't come up, but Winter's inner clock was telling her that it was time to get rarring. "What a weird place," she yawned, still not quite used to the ways of the boundary. She flipped the pancakes, wishing they had syrup to go along with them. The closest substitute they had was honey, which was fine, but not the same.

"Elise, breakfast." Winter said, standing upright and placing the pancakes on a plate. No need to yell, considering she was standing right over there. She stretched, raising the spatula high. "Breakfast!" She called to the others, expecting them to be rolling around soon. The fire provided plenty of light, the strange semi-dawn remaining. Ezra was the first to roll out of his tent, wearing a half shirt and pants. "Man, I never thought I'd be glad to see pancakes." He grabbed a plate, sitting down on one of the tree stumps around the fire. "I was feeling nostalgic," Winter glanced at Elise and Ame, one of them looking like she hadn't slept a wink. "I figured you wouldn't be up for making breakfast," aside from the fact that Winter didn't think she could stomach whatever Elise attempted to cook.

She took her own plate and sat down on a stump, digging in, drizzling her pancakes with honey. Yuuki and Chikyu joined them as well, taking their own plates. "You can take the dinner shift," the walk to the town was around an hour and a half, according to Yuuki. Would Elise be able to make it? Had she ever walked a distance that long before? Had she ever been hiking? Winter didn't know. Would Elise even accept the pancakes? Another thing Winter questioned. She finished her dish and was just waiting for the others now. "When we get back, we should all go skinny dipping!" Ezra suggested, it was clear he was eager to see Elise naked, considering he had already seen Winter and was no doubt disappointed by her scrawny body.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


"Your face?" Ezra looked at Elise in confusion, wondering what she meant. "Your face is fine," Winter recalled Elise having some problems before and Claude mentioning that Elise had never recovered from being "hideously scarred," Winter looked down at her own leg, it was smooth, no signs of the surgeries she had to endure to restore it to functioning. Did it have to do with why she always made Claude dress her and do her makeup? Somehow, Winter wasn't surprised. No doubt Elise had no idea how to reach out to others, the way she bossed everyone around, the way she had called Winter's pancakes "passable." She rolled her eyes, "You can put honey on them," she suggested, gesturing to the jar of honey Yuuki had brought them. It brought a sweetness to the pancakes that Winter greatly enjoyed.

"You know Elise, it's okay to ask for help," she gestured to the tent Elise had attempted to pitch adn the fact that Elise had mentioned that she would need to do research before she could properly make dinner. No doubt she thought she could concoct some fancy souffle on the first try with nothing but a fire and a cast iron pot. "I know you don't know how to do these things, like pitch a tent, or cook. You're allowed to ask us for help when you need it," asking for help was one of the things Winter had struggled with as well. "I grew up camping, so you could've just asked me to help you pitch your tent," instead, Elise had spent all night and pitched it over a tree, which would never have supported her weight.

"We should get going. If Elise passes out, I'll just carry her," Ezra stood, stretching. He was certainly strong enough. "Besides, we need to get you stuff now that you're here and I'm sure you're gonna want to do, whatever it is you do since you're useless on the battlefield right now," he winked, no doubt thinking that was some sort of compliment. Winter rose as well, "I'd like to stop at a bakery in town," she mused. Between Ezra and Elise, Winter almost looked like their odd child. She shook her head, Yuuki, Ame, and Chikyu all seemed eager to get the show on the road. They began their walk through the tall grass, Yuuki leading the way, Winter walking slowly behind them since she liked to take her time.

Occasionally she would stop to admire the flowers and jog to catch up. She didn't know whether or not Ezra had ended up carrying Elise, but by the time they reached the town, it was bustling. "Wow," it was quite the place. There were buildings of all shapes and sizes, some squat and fairy-tale like, others modern and floating. There were humanoid looking creatures, some no doubt stuck between the near and far shore like them. There were ones with tails and horns, ones with clothes that shifted color when they moved. Winter almost felt like the odd one out. "A bakery," she pointed, her eyes practically sparkling. There were pastries in the front window, ones that looked divine.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter was putting in a large order at the bakery, it would be another lunar month before they would be able to come back to town and she wanted plenty of sweets to last until then. Elise was eyeing the the puddings, it was clear she wanted quality pastries as well. "They don't value money here," Winter explained, ordering a few for Elise. "They value materials," Winter traded several bags of ice for the pastries, which Yuuki somehow put in a magic bag to take back with them. "We can check for materials next and get you a tent," Winter suggested. Ezra and Chikyu had wandered off with their own list of stuff they wnated to buy. Winter and Yuuki were also going to stop at the food mrket to buy more ingredients and spices.

Winter led Elise to the next store, which sold camping gear, since it was quite the popular activitity in the boundary. They walked up a set of floating stairs and into a small shop, the bell ringing when they entered. "This is where we buy the camping gear, pick from the tents." Winter pointe to the wall. They each were magical, like the other tents and came with different kinds of furnishings. "This place prefers for you to pay in talent, so show them what you've got once you've picked something."Winter explained, knowing payment would be the next question. Many of the people in the boundary were creatures that got stuck between worlds and could not live in the fear or near shore. They didn't value money because they had nothing else to do except their craft.

Winter rocked back and forth on her heels while Yuuki haggled for a bedroll with jokes. "I got it," he grinned triumphantly, stuffing it into his bag. Winter gave him a thumb's up, glad he had obtained what he had come for. "I'd like to get some new shoes," she pointed to the ones she was wearing, the simple shoes she had come to the boundary in. It had not been a priority to get new ones, since her shoes changed whenever she shifted into her armor, but now that they were here, Winter thought it might be a good idea. Maybe some hiking boots, or something sturdy. Once Elise had obtained her tent, Winter led her to the next store. "You're going to need clothing, you want things that are functional, since storage is limited. Not a shopping spree, but enough that you'll be able to take the fluctuating weather."

While Elise shopped for clothing, Winter went to the shoes. The store wasn't all that large, but it was housed under several tents off the side of the road. No doubt Elise had never been to a flea market, which was what this was reminisce of. Winter traded a few of her hair's, which the seller had said she had never seen the color of, for a pair of brand new boots. She put them on right then and there, figuring that walking around town would help break them in. She was wearing thick socks as well, to protect her feet. Once Elise was done shopping for clothing, it was time to gather ingredients. "I used to cook with my Grandparents," Winter said softly while they browsed the fresh herbs, which they would have to dry themselves. "My Grandma loved growing mint on the windowsill, so if she ever burned anything, she could add some mint and the smell would go away quickly."

Winter smiled to herself, it had been a long time since she had spoken about her Grandparents to anyone.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter nodded, "Yeah, I can show you." She was glad that Elise was asking for help, even if she was attempting to do so indirectly. Winter figured that this was the closest she was going to get for Elise to ask her for help. "Yeah, mint is great for different things." Winter explained, "You can use it for cooking, but you can also chew on it if you have bad breath or a stomach ache." Mint was useful, herbs in general were useful. They could add flavor to meat and side dishes, or you could use them for a sour stomach, and even bug bites. Winter's Grandmother had shown her a lot, but she was very young. She hoped she had retained some of it, considering most of her childhood had become a blur due to the trauma she had suffered from the accident.

They parted ways after shopping for clothing, Ame taking Elise wherever she wanted and Winter heading to find food. "You seem to be in high spirits," Yuuki noticed, ruffling her hair. "I guess sharing a good memory helped put me in a better mood," Winter looked up at the sky, still only twilight. Her stomach growled, they stopped at a vendor for street meat wrapped in fluffy buns. It was good, probably the best food Winter had eaten since she had been sucked into the boundary. "If you hadn't saved me that die, would I have died?" Winter asked softly, wondering what the other outcome would have been. "No," Yuuki admitted, "but your life wouldn't have been great either." He took a bite of his sandwich, "after being cleared from your charges, you would've been put into foster care, but later on you would die from abuse in your foster home."

Either way, she would've died early. At least, this way, she would've done something with her life. Her card woudl've been the victim whether she liked it or not. "Things kept going wrong anyhow," Yuuki said and took another bite. "That day that you and Claude became partners? Everything hit the fan, destiny didn't know what was up or down anymore." That was interesting, it seemed Claude, no matter what, had always thrown a wrench in the plans. Winter finished her meat bun, even if she was no longer hungry, she needed the energy to finish shopping, since the others had wandered off. Winter picked out ingredients, she and Yuuki taking turns paying. They had bought more cooking utensils as well, colorful ones to designate for different tasks.

They met up with the others sometime in the afternoon, each with their own bag. "Got what you were looking for?" Ezra asked, boasting a new coat. "Yup," Winter nodded, glancing at Elise. "What about you Elise? Find what you needed?" She didn't know what Elise was looking for, but it was time to journey back to the their camp. The walk back didn't feel as long, since it was mostly down a hill. "Alright Elise, let's cook one of my Grandmother's specialties." Winter rolled up her sleeves and showed Elise how to start the fire. "You never help me!" Ezra groaned, "show me what to do too." Winter rolled her eyes, "go wash your hands first!" She shooed him away and pulled out a cutting board, "We're going to peel potatoes first." There was no wrong way to peel a potato.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter looked at the potatoes peeled by Ezra and Elise. "Try to peel in one direction," Winter suggested as Ezra took a bite out of raw potato, then promptly spit it out. She shook her head, "Now we're going to soak the potatoes," she made ice cubes in her hand and placed them in a bucket of water she had collected from the river. "The ice water will help get the starch out. Next, we're going to season the meat." She picked a few herbs, stripping them, "this is thyme, oregano, and tumeric. We're going to rub both sides of the meat with it," they then seasoned the pan with butter and seared the meat on both sides, then salted and peppered it. Winter finished it off by placing a whole pat of butter on the meat and then using the remanents to cook the potatoes in. She finished it off with a bit of garlic. "There, it's done. Ezra, would you mind cutting it?"

They doled it out into bowls, "cooking doesn't have to be complicated or fancy," Winter would try and cook bread in the fire pit tomorrow, if they had time after the monster attacks. She wasn't sure what Elise was going to do while they fought, but hopefully she wasn't stupid enough to follow them to the rift. "Ezra set up your tent after you passed out," two new tents had joined the circle, one for Ame and one for Elise. Hopefully the circle wouldn't get any bigger, or the near shore would lose the rest of its fighters. They were already missing three. "We should all take a dip in the river after this," Ezra suggested, it was clear he was enjoying dinner. "This is great," Yuuki grinned, clearly, he too, enjoyed the food.

"Who's taking the breakfast shift?" Winter asked, since she had taken today's. "We're volunteering Ame!" Chikyu decided, "she's not done anything yet." Yuuki nodded, arms crossed. "She didn't even set up her own tent!" They had to do it for her because Ame had nagged them half to death. "Tomorrow you're gonna start carrying your weight around here," Yuuki said, finishing his meat quickly and reaching for seconds. Winter nibbled on her food, staring at the night sky. In the distance she could hear crickets again, it was a peaceful evening. Tomorrow monsters would brim mon the horizon and begin to attack again. They could sense the energy from the rift, but could not move in the dark.

"I think we should all go dip in the river," Winter agreed, she was smiling to herself. If she died here, fighting, then that was it. There was a very likely chance that she or Ezra could lose their lives here. There would be no far shore to go to, no seeing her Grandparents. This was her last chance to live and so, she was going to do it right. She reached for a pastry from her bag of sweets, digging in. There were no adults to stop them, no one to rule their lives anymore. Winter was finally free from the chokehold of society. No one could make her finish her vegetables, no one would scold her if she didn't wash behind her ears. It was... strange, enlightening. Winter would enjoy this freedom as much as she could before a monster would inevitably strike her down.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter shrugged her shoulders, "It's a small spring, so there aren't really any fish and the water is clear enough that you can see the bottom." She took a bite out of her pastry, "Unless you'd prefer to just never bathe?" She used to swim in the river back home with her Grandpa, it was where she had learned. "Besides, we're already dead." Winter pulled her shirt off, she wasn't wearing anything underneath because she wasn't well-endowed. She could hear the heirs gasp, most of them were polyamorous, they had seen plenty of naked Heirs and humans in their lifetime. "It's not like there's papparazzi watching us," she pulled off her pants next. Ezra grinned, pulling his own pants off. "Come on Elise, don't be so uptight."

"Last one to the river has to clean up the bowls!" Winter bolted, the taste of the pastry still on her tongue and the smell of the fire heavy in her lungs. She ran, feeling the wind through her hair and the grass through her toes. She felt free, for the first time, wholly and truly free. This is what it was like to live a life where one was not bound by rules or restrictions, where you could use your powers freely, where you could sleep in however long you want, and eat whatever you wanted without getting scolded. Winter pulled off her underwear, plunging into the waters of the spring. She heard a splash beside her and knew it was probably Ezra.

Winter surfaced, laughing, splashing whoever it was across from her. The water felt good, it rushed down her back, running through her hair. Winter couldn't help but grin and laugh, the feeling exhilirating. Ezra was laughing too, but Winter had a feeling that it was for an entirely different reason. "Come on Elise!" Winter called, uncertain if she had followed. She floated on her back, looking up at the sky, realizing that she had forgotten the soap. Oh well, this was plenty relaxing just floating and it wasn't as though she had fought today, so she hadn't sweat much. Tomorrow she would have to go back to defending the rift with Ezra. Tomorrow she would put her life on the line again, but tonight, tonight she would laugh and splash and stay up late. Tonight she would revere her time with her friends and perhaps learn something new about them.

There were no fish in the spring, there wasn't enough life for them. There were reeds around, but they were mostly cattails that provided little to no nutrition for the fish. The bottom was covered in sand and there were only a few rocks, well, large boulders really for climbing. If Winter had been born here, she could imagine sunbathing on those rocks. "I love it here," Winter decided, standing up in the water again. "The real world sucks," she flinched, her chest feeling suddenly odd again. What were they doing? Winter wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


There were three targets in the tall grass. It had been about a week since Elise had arrived in the boundary and they had fallen back into their normal routine. "Ezra, to your right." Winter said softly, Ezra nodding. He placed a palm against the ground, the floor rumbling momentarily. They stood directly in front of the rift, blocking it off on all sides. Winter had placed a wall of ice in front of it, blocking off the exit for the time being. The ground stopped rumbling, the three monsters had disappeared. They had turned hunting into a game, having grown tired of the same fights every day. "Three points to you, huh?" Ezra grinned, she hadn't expected him to get all three. "Above us," Ezra said suddenly, stiffening. Winter looked up, her eyes widening. A dragon, with four wings and six claws, the wind created by the force of his strokes blowing the grass down.

"My bow," her staff shifted into a bow, she drew back the string, aligning the tip of her arrow with the dragon's heart. She shot three arrows in one fell swoop, the dragon turning to ash as soon as the arrows hit. Some targets were sturdier than others, while some were deceptively weak. "I think a dragon should count as five points," she grinned, Ezra shaking his head. "No way! You saw how easily it cru-" he elbowed something behind him, neither of them had heard it coming. "Ezra!" A claw grabbed him, dragging him into the grass. Winter chased after them, determined to not let them go. "Winter no, it's a trap!" She turned back, looking behind her. They were converging on the rift. "Shit," she poured on the speed, going the other way. Ezra could handle himself, Winter was confident.

"Not today!" Winter slashed through three with her staff, guarding the Rift as best as she could. What was Elise doing? Winter wondered. If she had her water powers, they could use her help right about now. Winter shook her head, she had to focus. "I'm coming!" Ezra yelled from somewhere in the grass, Winter whirling around and striking a beast in the chest. She was grabbed, a claw digging into her shoulder. Ezra struck it through the middle with his rock sword, the beast turning to dust. They stood in front of the ice wall, protecting the Rift as a group of monsters converged on them. "Come and get it!" They slashed and slaughtered their way through the crowd of monsters, the sun finally beginning to set on another long day of hunting. "Looks like we live to fight another day," Ezra grinned.

His grin slowly began to fall, "Winter, your shoulder." She glanced at it, having expected a claw mark. She did not expect to see a bite. "I guess the adre-" her knees felt weak, she thought she might vomit. Her shoulder had a large bite that encompassed the top of it, the veins around the area turning black. "Winter!" He grabbed her, able to lift her easily. "Let's get to the camp, I'm sure the Heir's will know what to do!" Winter nodded, her spirit armor returning to her clothing, blood beginning to seep through the cloth. "Chikyu!" Ezra yelled, his bare feet pounding against the ground. "Chikyu! Yuuki!" He did not call for Ame, whom he figured was pretty useless in this situation. "It's Winter," Yuuki paled when he saw her, struggling to breathe. "What did this? Can you describe the monster?"

Winter opened her mouth, "no, not you. Come on, let's get you to your tent." Her shoulder throbbed from the slightest touch, she moaned, her lips turning blue. "It's important that you tell us as much as you can."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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#, as written by The_Queen
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


Winter knew what the monster looked like, she could tell them, but her lips wouldn't move, her entire body was stiff, as though it had been filled with led. It was hard to breathe, a sense of dread filling her stomach. This was how she died, wasn't it? "It had spines," Ezra was babbling in panic, trying to describe what it looked like and for the most part, getting it right. "Long tail, nasty set of razor teeth, no wings, but a barb at the end of its claws." Winter tried to nod, it seemed Chikyu noticed. "It sounds like a Razor-back Snaggletooth." Yuuki was rifling through a book of monsters. The tent flaps had been left open, Ame wandered inside, no doubt wondering why they had all gathered there and weren't already hunkering down for dinner, it was Winter's turn to cook. Of course, where Ame was, Elise wasn't far behind. A few minutes later, Elise had arrived, asking what had happened.

"A monster took a chunk out of Winter's shoulder," Ezra exaggerated a bit, but it certainly felt like a chunk. "She's my vassal, I'll take care of it." Now that they had identified the monster and Yuuki had the book open, he knew what to do. "Elise, I'd like your help since you have such steady hands." He gestured towards her, "I'll take over dinner duties, don't worry," Chikyu volunteered, since Winter would not be able to move for the next few hours. "Come on, let's give them privacy," Chikyu grabbed Ezra and Ame by the shirts and dragged them out. Yuuki closed the tent flap, "can you cut away the rest of Winter's shirt?" Yuuki asked as he began grinding herbs together. It felt like she was going to suffocate.

Which was strange considering they were already dead. "This is gonna hurt, I'm not gonna lie," Yuuki said quietly as he began to wash around the wound with water from the spring. Winter stiffened, it felt like fire, her fingers attempting to clutch the blanket. "Elise, if you could hold Winter's hand while I do this," he said softly. She wanted to scream as he drained the wound, the poison from the Snaggletooth a sickly green as it was leeched from her veins. Slowly, she regained feeling in her limbs, the led-like sensation beginning to subside. Unfortunately, it meant that the sensation was replaced with pain. She was able to squeeze Elise's hand a bit as Yuuki continued to work, occasionally asking Elise to replace the water in the bowl or to grind herbs. Winter was small, it didn't take a lot to take her out and yet, she was somehow still kicking.

"Alright, that should be all of it," Yuuki said after about three hours. Outside, Chikyu was calling them to dinner. "How are you feeling?" He asked softly, then he turned to Elise. "Thank you for all your help, you were indespensible," certainly, Ezra could not have done what she did. "Better," her throat was hoarse. "Try not to move, I'll fight on the rift tomorrow." Heir's were not supposed to fight, it was why they were never with Winter or Ezra in the field. They were not supposed to interfere, but this was a special circumstance, Yuuki thought. Winter nodded and winced, her shoulder sending flecks of pain through her body. "I'm sure Elise won't mind sitting with you tomorrow, will you Elise?" The bandages would need to be changed every few hours as the residual poison was leeched from her body.

"It's fine, I can-" she winced, taking in a raspy breath. She didn't want to rely on Elise, as odd as it seemed.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


"Thanks for all your help Elise, I mean it." Yuuki smiled as she left, going to get her dinner. "I'll bring your dinner here, don't worry." He stood, going to get the food Chikyu and Ezra had made. Winter watched him leave, trying not to move. She hissed as she shifted her head, the pain in her shoulder making her wince. She didn't want to sit out tomorrow, she wanted to go back into the field, to fight monsters alongside Ezra. Instead, she would be laying here, useless once more. It frustrated Winter enough that she wanted to cry, but instead, she balled her hands into fists, knowing that shedding tears would be useless. Yuuki returned with two bowls of food, "I'm gonna prop you up, don't worry." He helped Winter sit up and fed her dinner, reminding her of when she was in the hospital at age 12, a nurse feeding her while the Doctors debated if reconstructing her leg or amputating it was the best choice.

She fell asleep after Yuuki gave her something for the pain, it melted on her mouth and tasted like lemons. She had gotten dizzy after that, then drifted off. When morning came, Yuuki chagned the bandages on her shoulder and fed her breakfast, since Winter wasn't supposed to move around too much while her shoulder was healing. Hopefully by tonight, she would be able to move on her own once more. Elise came in sometime after that, supposedly with a task for Winter to repay her for her help. Not that she did much, aside from let Winter squeeze her hand. Still, the company would be nice, she supposed. Maybe she could take this opportunity to get to know Elise a bit better, since Winter really didn't know much about her, except that she had a stick up her butt and thought she was better than everyone else.

"What is that thing?" Winter rasped, wincing because of the pain in her shoulder. Just breathing hurt, but she had hopes that it would go away. "Rift generator?" Had Elise been going to the Rift when they were asleep? Did she know how stupid and dangerous that was? What if something attacked her while she was out there! Winter had half a mind to give her a piece of her mind, but she was too tired to do so. Elise wanted Winter to write a message, but Winter couldn't move around much. "I can relay a message," she said softly, her mouth awfully dry. She wished she had some water right about now. How was Ezra doing? Was Yuuki watching his back? She hoped so. The Heir's were not supposed to be fighting, they were not allowed to meddle in the affairs of humans.

"I just need you to write it," would the message go through? Could physical items pass through the Rift? They would have to find out. The thought of it was nerve wracking and Winter wasn't even sure she wanted to return to the Near Shore. She had no place there, no identity. Here, she could do whatever she wanted, but there... well, she didn't like the prospects. "If you find this, let everyone know we're safe." Winter started, speaking slowly. She closed her eyes in thought, "We're fighting our hardest over here to get back to you." Was that enough? Winter wasn't sure. She thought that sounded simple enough, vague enough. "Sign our names at the bottom too." She added, deciding that they may as well know who it was from.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Winter Matsuri Character Portrait: Elise von Hresvelg Character Portrait: Jallet

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#, as written by The_Queen
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❝I put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#BDA0CB β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #F7B3DA】
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||


They left soon after they finished dinner. Yuuki remained, just in case Winter needed help, but she was fine. "I can get ready on my own," she popped a toothpaste tab into her mouth, chewing. It fizzed, cleaning her mouth and ridding it of the fishy smell. "Not that it matters, but I think Ezra went to harrass Elise by the river." Winter laughed, "He probably wants to start a fight." He wouldn't stop talking about fighting her, ever since Elise had shown up in the Boundary. Winter changed into her pajamas and laid down in bed, attempting to find a comfortable position with her new friend, the tail. It kept pulling her pants down, so much so, that she tore a hole to stick it through so that she could stick it through. Was her real body growing a tail? Winter wasn't sure. She closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep quickly.

It was bleary, everything was disorienting, Winter felt as though she couldn't breathe. She wanted to claw at her throat, but couldn't, her hands were stuck. Something shifted, she opened her eyes, looking at her body. She was naked, her chest open. There was a mask over her face, tubes inside of every orfice and a machine sending electric waves to her heart in order to keep it going. The good news, was that here was no tail sprouting from her body. "Another wave today," Mercedes strode into the room. She was dressed different, wearing all black. Where were Elise and Ezra's bodies? Winter wasn't sure. Serenity was sitting in a chair, an ice pack on one of her eyes. "How long is this going to go on for?" Serenity whimpered, it was clear she was injured from the blood leaking out of her eyes.

Claude strode inside, wearing a lab coat and a badge. Winter didn't understand what was happening, was this a dream? Or was she seeing the near shore? They were all there, Winter realized. Where were Ezra and Elise's bodies? Why was she suspended like this? "Status?" Merlin asked, Carter was standing in the corner, arms crossed. "Stable, but we don't know how much longer her body can be used like this." Used? Winter turned, why was her chest cracked open like that? Why was she suspended in liquid? "I still think it's a terrible idea!" Mercedes slammed her fist against a desk. "What other ideas do we have?" Carter countered, "besides, it's Winter's fault this happened. She's just paying for her crimes." He laughed, full of mirth. "Shut up!" Claude suddenly struck Carter across the mouth.

"This is our only chance of survival. You should be thankful, Winter's powering your weapons."

The sacrifice.

It all made sense now. She wasn't going to have a body to return to. They were using it. This was her sacrifice. "What if she does wake up one day?" Serenity asked, her voice quiet. "What if she comes back?"

"We already confirmed there's no possibility of that," Oliver spoke up. "She's essentially a vegetable. She should be thankful she can still be used," Claude was about to strike him, but Mercedes stopped him. "He's right," Mercedes said quietly. "She's lucky she'll be remembered as a hero, instead of the one who started the apocalypse thanks to your sister. Winter was a victim too, we can't forget that. You all are so easy to forgive the Doctor, but you forget that he manipulated and abused Winter her entire life, up until the end."

She looked at the gaping hole in her chest, there was no heart in there, she realized.



Winter bolted upright, feeling sick to her stomach. It was morning, dawn, she could see the sunlight filtering in through the small holes. Was that just a dream? She hoped so. "Spirit staff," it felt good to hold it in her hands. She felt stronger today, somehow. Winter got dressed slowly, wondering what would happen if her real body died again. Would she go to the far shore? Or would she be trapped in the boundary, unable to move on?

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