The bag seemed like it would suffer through the fix, hopefully long enough to not cause her more problems. At least for tonight.

Still, she wasn't going to test her luck and she set the bag back in her lap after only a quick test of the weight and was pulling the strap over her head to sit cross body when he asked what her job was. Her eyes widened as her brow not in his view raised. This guy was persistent, if nothing else.

She let her face settle into a neutral state and finally turned slightly in the seat and set one of her booted feet toward him so one of her legs was now facing him, while the the other was still angled toward the doors straddling the corner of her seat. Willa tilted her head slightly, Myra grinning as she took a deep inhale of her scent and sliding her eyes toward Beau with a smirk, and unabashedly surveyed his now more upright position with her sharp blue eyes.

He wasn't exactly hitting on her, but he wasn't leaving her alone either. She couldn't decide if he was just a less than confident flirt, or if he was one of those 'knight in shining armor' types that just couldn't leave a girl alone if he thought she needed saving or a way out of something. The thought actually caused an image of him in platemale and open helm to flash across her thoughts. She had to nearly shake it away as she turned her eyes toward the door again as the station was announced and they slowed. She seemed to be looking for something that she quickly determined wasn't there and looked back to him again as she started to speak.

"Construction, eh?" She looked him over once more. He was built for it, and he wasn't bad looking if she was honest. Not drop dead gorgeous, but not a schlump by any means. Still she found herself hesitating. If she told him where she was heading currently, he might follow her. It could be a good thing, considering what shift she was pulling tonight, but he didn't look like he could be that big of a tipper so it could also mean a long night of him asking personal questions or spilling his guts if she couldn't shake him. There was rarely any in between when it came to this particular job. She rolled her eyes at herself internally, he probably wouldn't make it past the door anyway if he didn't have the kind of money to tip. She wasn't sure why she was being so cautious.

She crossed her arms on top of her bag and decided to stall anyway, maybe she could drag it out until her stop. "Working on any of the restoration projects in the historic district?" She loved the buildings and was a little tired of the scaffolding and plastic sheets on what she considered the better buildings of the city. She preferred the brick and mortar over the steal and glass sky rises of the modern buildings. She glanced over at the closing doors and the platform again and was looking back to him when they dinged and popped open again. She turned her head slightly but didn't see anyone dashing onto the train in their car or the ones near by and shook her head at the oddity that was quiet often the New York subway late at night.

She wasn't surprised that his answer was short. Even if she'd somehow tapped into some hidden passion for construction work, they were still two stops away from her station, and he was persistent. She refrained from huffing out a sigh and shrugged as she could tell he was still waiting for her to answer where she worked. Fine. It wouldn't kill her. She'd told guys she worked there before.

"I'm employed in various capacities at the Sapphire club. Over on Broadway and 52nd." She tried not to smirk at all as she asked, "Heard of it?" It was one of the more high end 'gentleman's clubs' in the City, she'd be surprised if he hadn't, but there was always the odd duck that hadn't, or didn't visit those kind of places. Or couldn't afford to even if the wanted to. She also didn't have the 'typical' look for someone that worked there she supposed, but times had changed. She wouldn't have been there, but the money was too good to pass up compared to her other jobs and the employees were well taken care of. It was always interesting to see how a man reacted, or what he assumed, once he knew where she worked, even if they didn't know what she did.

Myra on the other hand nearly hissed at the company that had dodged into the train at the last second, causing the doors to react even if none of the mortals knew why. The two burly characters were grinning as they made their way up the train car toward them, one of them grinning, one of them clearly taking a deep inhale of the air. She turned her nearly glowing eyes on Beau, swearing in several languages. "Damned Brightborn. It's bad enough when they know what they are, as clearly this one doesn't. If it's not clear you're claiming her, one of them is sure to report back to whomever they are lap-dogging for while the other keeps track of her." She grinned, her white teeth glinting sharp and dangerous for a moment, "Or I could... deal with them for you. But it could draw attention, and you'd owe me."

"Dang it! Dang it! DangIT!" She muttered through her teeth as she tried to catch and gather the contents of her bag now the strap was torn and the zipper had popped open from getting stuck in the closing doors. It could have been worse, she could have missed the train all together and that would have posed it own set of problems. Chris being able to catch up to her on the platform being the worse of the two things.

She should have just caught a taxi, or called Lis for a ride like she'd offered a million times, but she hadn't, so here she was.

She huffed after making sure she had a pretty good grip on her junk and dropped, facing the offending doors, into the closest seat she could before she dropped all of her things again. It reallyhadn't been her day.

Hell, it hadn't been her year.

Willafred reached up a slightly shaky hand and drug it down her face and then started to reorganize the shambles of papers and sketchbooks, personal and work related, that hadn't been perfectly organized before being put through the subway door ringer, and were certainly worse for the wear at this point. She shifted her grip to straighten the pile a bit more, and only succeeded in causing the unbalanced mass to once again shift and several things to slip to the floor again.

She took a breath, rolling her eyes at herself behind her lids, but refrained from sighing. She quickly straightened the black accounting book and papers still in her grasp and got them back in her bag easily enough. She shoved at the loose stray strands of dark blond and multi-color streaked hair as she leaned over her own thighs to scoop up a worn sketchbook and a pencil case that had popped open to divest itself of many of the various pencils and sundry trinkets of her everyday life. Her hand paused next to a stub of a pencil that had rolled to a stop in a crevasse near a rather large shoe to her right. Her eyes took a quick travel up the legs long enough to reach nearly across the entire space between the forward and rear facing benches.

She was a little startled to see he was already watching her and she quickly looked away as she snatched up the last few pencils and pens and sat up. Her fingers clenched around the stack of sketchbook and pencil case and implements now on her lap before she forced her fingers to flex a little and she smoothly stowed everything finally back in the bag. She watched the occasional flash of light in the dark of the subway tunnel dash by the windows in the doors she was still facing and she shifted her shoulders inside the jean jacket she had on over one of her favorite hoodies.

Myra grinned wickedly, appearing in the seat next to Beau, turning her perfectly proportioned features from watching the passenger now sitting a little uncomfortably across from him and knowing, whether he acknowledged her or not, he could see and hear her. She answered his unspoken question clearly on his face as he looked at his train mate. "Because she must, whether she knows it or not."

Willa swallowed, still feeling his attention and looked around the train at the other two passengers too engrossed in each other to care about their surroundings. She reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ring bedecked ear again, tugging slightly on the one dangling from her lobe before she dropped her hand back down on her battered bag. She risked a glance at him over her shoulder from the corner of her sea blue eyes again, confirming that he was still looking at her. She worried a nearly two day old swollen and split lip, debating on moving seats. The small sharp pain of her teeth on the tender skin heightened her awareness of her surroundings in case something else was about to hit the fan.

On the one hand, she was already sitting here and she had a right to sit wherever she wanted. On the other, he had nearly a foot and a good many pounds on her and she'd clearly gained his attention, whether she wanted it or not. She forced herself to stop biting her lip and to look down to see if she could do anything about her broken bag strap. She did not need this crap. She swallowed, trying futilely to tie a knot in the two disconnected strap ends.

Myra's petite frame slid from her seat, tall heals trying to give her the height she actually lacked as she stepped a pace closer to study the woman again, her head tilting ever so slightly as she looked over the state of her with a critical eye. The glowing, dimly shimmering aura she could perceive around Willa pulsing slightly in response to her proximity. "Haven't you learned yet? Brightborns always seem to stumble across you." Emerald eyes so bright they really couldn't be real pulled away from looking at the disheveled human woman and to Beau. Her blood red lips dipped into almost a snarling smirk as she looked at him. "If you keep staring at her, she might do something drastic. Certainly if she catches you talking to or looking between us at something she can't see." Her eyes slid between the two of them once more as she blinked slowly and they landed on him again "Aldrich is still looking for you," Her smirk widened enough to flash a bit of her perfectly white and perfectly aligned smile and she stood to her full height again and smoothed a manicured hand across her sable styled locks. "He might forget the whole thing if you somehow brought that" her head tipped toward Willa, "to him."

I know it's not exactly kosher to talk about that "other" writing place, but just in case you all hadn't saved stuff you wanted from there, or haven't gotten their e-mail blitz... it's all disappearing sometime today (the 7th) since the cost got too much and they moved to a new server/host it's also. So if you didn't save stuff upon your exit from that place, you have a very small window to do it before it goes away and starts redirecting to their new place. I wish there was a way to get in touch with Beau... I'm pretty sure there is stuff that was written over there under his other profiles that should/would be wanted to be saved... but I just don't know what all it would be.

I know it's been forever. I know I'm a quiet little duck that hasn't quacked in a long time, but what I am is a creepy lurker duck, who had a craptastic day.

Being an adult, choosing to be an adult is terribly awful.
I hate goodbyes.
I hate ends that I wish weren't ending.

If the only constant is change, make me a stone so I don't have to realize a hole has been worn through me
until it's to late to do anything about it....

This....

and

This

MMmm... yUp!

I haven't read everything since the initial check, but I am interested. I'll try and get caught up and see what I come up with.

Mel smiled and walked the rounds of the room dropping off drinks and picking up empty glasses. She paused at the threshold of one area of the bar and the next.

Her eyes slid to one side and she turned, feeling a chill brush of air on the back of her neck, thinking she caught a flash of green. Her eyes danced around at the patrons, all "normal" looking enough if you didn't look to directly. It was part of what kept them safe in the human world- the tendency for most mortals to look away from strangers, those that couldn't hide used glamors of some sort, usually.

But The Lock and Keye was generally a haven, it's entrance wasn't flashy, Mel never advertised in the traditional sense, and a mild charm turned most human type people away with a shiver running down their spine, though they did get the odd one now and again. She didn't see one, or anyone out of the ordinary really, and yet...

Her eyes slide around the patrons, scrutinizing, looking for the source of the feeling. Her brow furrowed the longer she looked. There were always a few new faces, travelers, new folks in town. She was after all one of the only handful or so places like this, and since she'd simply made the place welcoming and comfortable instead of picking a 'side' she got all walks.

Still...

She did one full turn of the place and then shook her head. She had been too tired this morning to stop herself from falling into someone elses nightmare and since it was so vivid it seemed she was having a hard time shaking it off.

She took a deep breath and pulled her smile back on as she walked back to the bar and dropped her tray of empty glasses into the hands of one of servers and her hand stopped a bottle before it was poured.

"Really Veena, you've been here two weeks, has Ced ever taken Wild Turkey?" Her brow arched at the elemental who closed her eyes and pursed her lips and shook her head.

Mel let out a smiling sigh, "Why don't you go on down and see what those young warlocks are wanting," she jutted her chin down the bar and Veena nodded and walked away.

Mel turned back to Ced, and reached under the bar pulling out a different bottle, "You're late, and I have half a mind not to pour you a drink smelling of beer as you do. Hurts a gals feelings when you go roaming to other places for drinks."

Ced looked young, but Mel could always tell the old souls, either from doing the job so long, or when she slipped and lost her carefully cultivated control over of her rampant empathic abilities. The fact that he'd been drinking before coming in strummed the strings of disquiet in her head. She tipped the bottle anyway, looking at the honey colored liquid as it filled the glass. She looked up at him and put her hand over top of it before he could reach for it. "There are better ways, other things to try. We are after all a full service sort of place."

She almost chuckled realizing what a hypocrite she was. She offered spells and potions to people on a daily basis, but almost vehemently refused to use them for herself, as was so recently pointed out by her roommate.

She heard a rumble of thunder and then looked up at the ceiling to see the image of the outside sky as the clouds split open and let loose their down pour. She slowly tipped her head back down, a little sorry to not be outside to feel it, and looked back at Ced as she moved her hand away with a half smile, "Hollar if you change your mind."

She stepped away to go and get a mop and bucket just before several bedraggled and soaking folks came stumbling in from the rain.

For discussions and stuff and junk... ^_^

Creppy Stalker Major to Minor version of a romantic song for the win

I am loving all of these Major to Minor songs. Makes me want to play a villain!

Sophia took a deep breath as she watched the girl dissolve into tears. She turned and looked at Lavina. If it had been one of the Iscala children, she would have known exactly how to handle it. Firm hand, gentle touch, kind words, plain speaking. Each of them she had helped raise since babes, where as Leandra was a visitor at times, but not around enough for the woman to know what she needed most right now.

Lavina looked at Margaret, who nodded and took the chard dress away. Sophia left the dresses and under things she brought with her on the chest at the end of the bed and followed Margaret out. The dress would still be saved, whether Leandra wanted it or not. That didn't mean it needed to stay within sight for now though.

Lavina pulled a light cotton dressing gown from the pile and walked back over to Leandra.

She gracefully melted down to the floor, despite her protruding belly, and sat propped on one hip and gently rubbed Leandra's back and hummed a well known lullaby for a few minutes until the rise and fall of her back evened a bit. Though she could still hear the quiet sobs.

Then gently she pulled her upright enough to pull the nightgown over her, guiding her arms through the sleeves. She took a deep breath and sighed before gathering up the small girl into her lap and rocking back and forth as she let her own tears slide gently down her face.

"We are taught from a young age that our tears should be private. I will tell you now you poor sweet girl, that that is not always best. They are not shameful. Sharing your tears with someone as grief stricken as you are can help. "

She started to gently rub her back again as she rocked, "I will stay if you like, but if you want to cry in private, if that is what feels best to you, I can help you into bed and let you have your privacy for awhile."

Because I live in rural/farming/ranching area the houses around here have really big yards/property so going from house to house requires driving, dragging kids along, wagons, etc and will power to stay happy while we trick or treat.  So a bunch of us get together in a church/community parking lot and decorate the trunks of our cars and/or trucks and the kids come around and say "Trunk or Treat" and get candy that way. So it's like trick or treating, but without out all of the "my feet are tired, can we sit and have a rest" or the "I don't want to buckle my seat belt, we're just going to the next house"

I've got to kick myself in the butt and get sewing on my hubs and my costume(Buttercup and Wesley/Dread Pirate Roberts), but then the plan is Halloween Carnivals with the kiddos both Wednesday and probably Friday night, a "Trunk or treat" Wednesday also, then Trick or treating with said kiddos for a bit Friday before going to a Halloween party hosted by another family with a bunch of other families with kids and trying not to eat all the good candy my children get... and this year they are going to score, because their costumes ROCK. I am the Halloween Mom of the Year this year because their Astrid and Stormfly turned out AAAAAAAAAAAAmazing. ^_^

I'm so excited!!!

No, Ora wasn't her name, not all of it at least. Aurora had been her name, so long ago she almost couldn't remember it, and Oracle was the only title she was supposed to claim for the rest of her days. Her lie was so close to the truth Ora was surprised at his remark. Usually she was the one picking up on half truths and out right lies, but her face didn't register her thoughts.

Her eyes followed Ollie and then Shen as he started to follow the large fisherman, she'd gotten a glimpse of both he and his wife, and their home, from the stone, though how long ago and what they actually looked like now she couldn't say with certainty.

Her eyes turned back to Shen as he spoke directly to her. Her brow raised at all he said but she remained silent. She did not trust him and would certainly not be asking for his help. Once she was certain he was gone, his footsteps still faintly crunching on the gravel and grass, she turned and made her way toward the kitchen.

She knocked knuckles on the door post and heard Gail startled, "Ora! My goodness, for a girl without sight, you certainly move quietly. What can I do for you?"

"Now that I have my things back, I'd like to change, I just wasn't certain where they had been put."

She heard Gail wipe her hands on a towel or her apron before she came toward her. Ora instinctively stepped back before the woman could touch her. "You were serious about the no touching thing, though for the life of me I don't know how you could tell I was close."

Ora shrugged, "A lifetime of learning."

Gail nodded, which she heard, and the woman belatedly said, "Of course... Well, right this way."

Ora couldn't keep her from putting a gentle hand on the back of her elbow, but again, whatever spell or magic the tailor had put into the clothing, the coat in particular, no vision racked her body. The touch was quick and quickly removed once they were in the room. Gail described the small space, though Ora could have figured it out. "Thank you. You and your family have done more than most. I don't have much, but if you'd let me, I'd like to leave a few coins for your trouble."

Gail shook her head, and again began to speak after the fact, "Certainly not! It is an honor to be the beacon in someone's storm. The gods will bless us plenty."

Ora's lips pursed at that but she nodded, "If you insist."

Gail nodded, "I do. I'll let you change, it won't be long before things get started and it would be a shame to miss the sunset benediction." She gently shut the door on her way out.

Ora moved the small desk next to the door, slightly in front of it- a habit- that alerted her better and slowed down any welcome, or more often unwelcome, company before she moved to her bag.

She pulled her gloves off and ran her hands along it, checking for holes, and getting a picture of Shen when her hand touched where he'd held a strap. He was good looking, even with his brow furrowed looking at her things. She moved her hand away and opened the bag, going through the contents, nothing was missing. That made her wonder too.

Still, she went through her usual routine, laying everything out in a specific order so she could easily pick up what she needed and then repack after she'd changed.

She pulled the veil off, and then unwound the head wrap, her head tingling from the loosening of the tight weave and twist. She ran her fingers through it, pulling a few tangles from the white streaked auburn waves that fell down her back. She knew she ought to chop it off, it would make it easier to play the part of a boy, but she hadn't been able to do it yet.

She sighed and then began to undress so she could redress in her own clothes that fit. She heard a low, quiet chuckle, and a shuffling behind her and she pulled a shirt up over her chest and spun around, a bright purple glowing man in her vision as her eyes narrowed. "Pip. What are you doing here and who have you told you've found me."

A very lean and tall young man was sitting cross legged on top of the small table, pulling at a piece of curly hair at his forehead. "Hello to you to," he said quietly, "you know it's nothing I haven't seen before, and I'd keep your voice down unless you want your hostess thinking your crazy as well as frightening and odd."

Ora rolled her sightless eyes, but also lowered her voice, "You didn't answer my question, and to remind you yet again, you and your kind I can clearly see, so it doesn't matter if you've 'seen it all before' I don't want you seeing it again."

Pip unfolded his long legs and stepped one pace closer, his hand darting out and then impossibly delicate, his fingers traced over her fresh stitches, but didn't contact her skin. "I came as a friend Ora, and you have precious few of those. I haven't told any of them that I know where you are... or where you are going."

Her jaw clenched and she carefully pushed his hand away through a piece of her shirt. "I'm surprised you're the only one that has worked it out."

Pip chuckled that deep chuckle again, his rejected hand going and twirling a piece of white hair, "I'm not. Your night time visitors should tell you that." She watched his head tilt to look at more of her hair. "You're going to run out of time before you get there if you don't pick up your pace."

She ignored his second statement and focused on the first, "Who then?"

Pip shrugged, "I'm not sure, one of the three no doubt- all wanting to prove to Farin they should take his place upon the throne at the next rotation. But I can tell you, all of us lesser beings are getting instructions to look for you, bring you back..."

Ora pulled away, the back of her legs hitting the bed and her hair slipping from his fingers, "Is that what you're here to do then?"

Again that chuckle, "No. I don't like any of them. Besides, I told you, I'm here as a friend, and to bring you a gift- two gifts actually- though one is a piece of advice, well two pieces of advice."

Ora rolled her eyes again, "Fine." Pip smiled, looking at her in a way that always unsettled her and pulled a hand from behind his back, holding something, it only had a faint outline while in his hand. She gripped it, it was her staff, the one that Shen hadn't found with her things. She raised a brow.

"You can't go leaving any of your things lying around Aurora, or you will be found."

"Was that the advice?"

"No, that is a fact. The advice is this- apologize and accept Shen's offer of help. You need it if you want to get to where you're going before it's to late."

Ora turned her head, Pip was a nosy lesser god that had flitted about her for as long as she could remember, though why that was, and seemed would always be, was a mystery. He had told her once that he liked contradictions, and she was a walking, talking one in his mind. She kept her head turned away "I don't need his help." Pip shook his head, "Yes, you do."

Ora still didn't look at him, "And the other piece of advice?"

"Dress in something nice, as the woman you are, for the festivities. Your disguise isn't as effective if anyone can tell someone coming here and asking what you look like in said disguise. Besides you're beautiful, and beauty can be a great tool. Who knows, gods forbid, you might even have fun!"

Ora's face turned back to him, feeling a cool brush against her mouth as she opened to protest, but Pip had gone. Disappeared as quickly as he'd come.

There was a knock on her door, Gail's voice coming through, "Everything alright? I thought I heard you talking. Do you need something?"

Ora chewed her lip for a moment, debating. She hated when Pip was right. "Everything's fine, I was just lamenting to myself that I don't have a dress with me to wear to the festivities."

"Oh! I can help you with that if you'd like! I've held on to a few dresses from my younger years, I'm bound to have one that we could make work for you! I'll be right back."

Ora almost instantly regretted her decision. She carefully pulled her white shirt on, and then quickly rewrapped her hair tightly back up in a black silk wrap, in a more feminine and popular fashion before Gail came back with the dresses.

Not long later, Ora was in a comfortable blue hued dress that went over her shirt, slits in the shoulders and the sleeves showing the white, that Gail had laced a bit tighter than necessary in the bodice, but left looser around where her stitches were. Ora could tell, despite that, the dress had made her even curvier than she usually was. Against Gail's protests, she'd pulled a black shawl the tailor had made over her shoulders, covering the handy work, as well as putting her veil and gloves back on. She had also refused to let her hair down. Even this far from the capitol cities, the white would give her away as who she really was.

Then, feeling ridiculous for listening to Pip, Ora had carefully taken one of Gail's baskets and started heading in the direction of music, slipping out while the older woman had gone to change herself.

Barrond caught Ava's eye at her backward glance and the whisper that would carry only to his ears. "What didn't is the better question." He started drying mugs, keeping his voice low, knowing she would hear him anyway, "Love, loss, betrayal, heart break, anger... death. At least four life's worth from what I can now remember."

He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, even if she couldn't see him, "She was doing so well..." a drink order from one of the barmaids took his attention then and he went about keeping things from 'revolving into chaos' as Anne was always sure it would without her watchful eyes.

Anne for her part tried to shake off the clinging strings of memory and alternate lives that weren't the one she was in.

She took Ava down to her usual door, but she'd remodeled a bit since her friend had been here. The room had pushed out into the open space behind the tavern. It also had it's own private back door that opened into the gardens and could also access the kitchens back door, as well as follow a path back toward the cottage Anne claimed as home- even if she was only there when she was sleeping.

There was also now an enclosed private bathroom with a deep claw footed tub. Anne smiled, "I cleaned myself, so you don't have to worry about what the maids missed."

She took the dresses from Ava and hung them in the large upright armoir on the far wall, then pulled the chair from the desk and turned it backward before she sat and faced the large bed. "Now, tell me all about your adventures." The smokey tendrils on her arms came to life again and she held the fruit in her hand again, "I'm most interested in where you found this, if I'm being honest."

For Barrond's part he wasn't completely unobservant and he took note of a few hooded figures in the bar, it wasn't until Catherak was sitting alone, or well, with one or two of the bar maids buzzing around him, that Barrond took real notice. His eyes swept around the tavern room for his companion, but didn't see him. He debated on disturbing Anne, but decided to just keep an eye on the older warrior for now. Though the temptation to go and set him on fire with the heat building in his fists, was not lost on the older brother.

At about that same time, Anne's eyes glazed over slightly and her body shook as a shiver crashed down her spine. Her eyes traced a path along the wall, paused at the door and then continued before snapping back to Ava and what they were talking about.

Lavinia sat back and regarded the girl and her question and then her stubborn attitude. She pursed her lips, a face her children knew meant the beginnings of deep displeasure, but Leandra would not know yet.

Calmly she turned the girl and her fingers deftly began to twist the strands into a beautiful crown across the top of her head. She had just promised not to lie, so she wouldn't, but her voice was choked with repressed sadness. "I honestly do not know if your family lives. From what you described, I suspect that they do not."

She took a deep breath, "But if they do live, as I have said, we will help them. That being said, you need to understand, Lord Alta is not a forgiving man. That means that their, and your life, as Escalas is over. None of you can survive without pretending to be someone new." She finished the braid, tying a bit string into the braid as it curved along the back of her head and then down over her shoulder.

She turned Leandra around and took one of the girls hands from clutching the towel she was wrapped in and put it on her stomach where the baby kicked most often and placed her hand over the top of the smaller one.

The baby kicked and Lavinia looked down as she held Leandra's hand over the spot and the baby continued to shift. After a moment she looked back up to Leandra, "I am not asking you to forget who you are."

Though she hated the thought of hurting or scaring the girl more, she had to make herself clear. Her voice stayed very gentle, though her gaze was intense even as her eyes welled with emotion, "I care for you Leandra, and I want to keep you safe. I will do all I can, but your safety ultimately wrests on your shoulders. I believe what Lord Alta did is awful. But do not think for a moment that I will not do all in my power to protect my family from the same harm. If you wish to stay here under our protection, to be part of this family, you can no longer be Leandra Escala. You have to pretend, or... or I'm afraid you cannot stay." She wiped at a tear that escaped before she cleared her throat and straightened, her hand gripping Leandra's slightly tighter for a moment before letting go.

Sophia gave a soft knock just then and let herself in before Lavinia could answer, Margret in tow. Lavinia dabbed at her cheeks as she looked back at Leandra with sadness and pity, she even ran her fingers down the braid, gently twisting the firery strands at the end, her heart hurting at the thought of her dear friends. "You have at least a day or two to think about what I have said before you decide. During that time, you and I are not going to leave these rooms. If anyone were to see you, recognize you, we will all be in great danger."

Sophia brought over some very nice gowns that had been commissioned for Lilla and were still a good deal too big. They wouldn't fit Leandra perfectly, probably a bit too short, but they were of fine make. Lavinia stood and walked over to Margaret as Sophia approached Leandra. "See what you can do about salvaging her own dress. We'll need to dye it, and mend much of it, but we need to keep something for her. Besides, it will give us something to do while we're here."

The wiser, older woman nodded. She'd saved many of Lavinia's own things for her over the years from when she'd left her home after marrying Lord Inosus.