Mutants Have Favorites Too

I decided to follow the example of Anastasia and let a few different characters give a list of their favorite things. The mutants are an interesting bunch, or well I think so but I might be biased. So, here are some of the mutants and their list of favorites.

Noah: Hi, it's me again. Seems I post in blogs often these days. This one should be easy. Here is the list of some of my favorite things.
1. My friends and family
2. Electricity (even though I hate the mutation, I also love it, weird I know)
3. My boyfriend
4. History
5. Physics
6. Reading
7. Helping Dominic keep his dreams organized and trying to interpret them
8. Dominic (I know I said friends but he's such a good one he gets his one spot)
9. Cats
10. Coffee


Dominic: Oh, my turn. *reads* Noah is so nice, I don't know what I'd do without him. So, my list isn't too surprising.
1. Noah
2. Sleep
3. Dreams
4. Caffeine (coffee, espresso, etc)
5. Food
6. umm Showers, when I don't fall asleep during them
7. Noah
8. Going out of the house occasionally
9. The band Noah got me that helps me stay awake longer
10. SS


Bastian: List of favorites huh? I guess I can handle this. It has been a little while since I've posted but I will manage. Favorites are:
1. Philosophy
2. Family
3. Noah
4. Friends
5. Military
6. Books
7. Questions
8. Organization
That's all I can think of, so 8 will have to do.


Ephram: My turn? Oh, okay. I have favorites, I think.
1. My bedroom
2. My parents
3. Sleep
4. Food that isn't burned
5. Candy and Soda, I don't have them much though
6. Trees are kinda nice
7. Having friends
8. Math
9. Art
10. Not having homework


Isaac: I get to post? Sweet. I have a few favorites to share, maybe.
1. Music
2. Dancing
3. Not having to move for a year or more
4. Making a friend or two
5. Art as a class, better than any other at least
6. Pizza
7. A bed would be nice to have
8. Clean clothes
9. Spending time outside
10. Being able to buy food.

Let me tell you a story...

A few weeks ago, we had a topic to share something from our childhood. But sadly, I missed the post, so I'm going to share a story with you now.

About Derac and I (Tyn) when we were kids - the time we accidently (and I stress the accidently) burned down The Harvest Moon Festival.

The Harvest Moon Festival is where the local farmers get together in someone's barn to celebrate the harvest. There is a huge bonfire outside, dancing, music, great food, etc. It's a great celebration that all the elflings look forward to every year.

Each festival would have what you call fireworks. Derac and I were in charge of keeping an I on them in order to make sure they didn't get wet or stolen or knocked over.

Oh oh wait, I forgot to mention. On this particular Harvet Moon Festival we were at Linnae's father's barn. Dearc was sweet on her at the time.

Anyway, we were in charge of the 'fireworks' but elflings as we were, we grew restless waiting or them to be displayed in the night sky. So we grabbed a torched, secured the stake in the ground and set one off.

Ooos and ahhs sounded as it exploded and Derac and I were happy! But of course, some of the adults were not. So they came over to us - including Dearc's mother, who by the way is one scary lady!

So in a panic, we ran - dropping the torch as we went. No one noticed of course as they were chasing after us, but the dry grass around the barn cought fire. Which spread quickly to the fireworks...and the rest is literally history.

Derac and I had to rebuilt Linnae's father's barn the following spring as it was literally blown up by the fireworks. *laugh* Oh the stuff we used to do! *sigh*

Oh by the way, Linnae brought us water and helped us rebuild the barn everyday that spring and summer. *chuckle*

Five things not in this story.

"Well this is boring," I say tapping the keys idly and listening to the clicks.

The laptop wobbles on my knees, unstable and heavier than I'll admit; every now and then Tyler lunges as if to catch it from a fall it never makes. And each time I bat his hand away with a tut. If I can engage in high speed chases, whilst being accosted by a writer, I sure as anything can use a laptop and not break it.

"Has it ever occurred to anyone that if we did these tasks when Mia asked we'd never be locked in the kitchen?" Braelyn the obvious pauses with her knife in the air. If it were anyone else I'd worry about the possibility of her missing the cucumber and slicing a finger. As it is, I stop tapping the keys and raise a brow. It's not worth an answer.

"So, aside from this huge string of nonsense here," Tyler gestures to the screen, "you know you've spelt misapprehension wrong, right?"

"Not helping." I sigh as I search and replace it. "We're zombie down, don't make me take you down too."

He purses hips lips, hands held behind his back, and nods. I'm not sure how I would go about taking him down to the state Adam is in, what with the glitter poisoning, but I could darn well give it a shot. And he knows it. Except either he can't resist another shot or he has short term memory loss.

"Irritate is spelt with and i," he says, leaning forward and covering my neck with the warmth of his breath as I type. "And it's "he and I" instead of that."

"If you're so up on language why don't you type?" I snap, flustered into saying something I immediately see as part of his plan. His eyes light up as he parts his lips into a smile.  Tyler can be just as much as a control freak as me sometimes.

"Finally." He snatches the laptop from my legs, sliding it to his as he sits. After a moment he scoots up beside me. To rub the victory in, no doubt, by letting me watch. "Now, let's start again because all of this stuff? Far too believable. You need some eccentricity."

"I'm not eccentric at all," Braelyn calls over her should as she deposits cucumber into the pan. Much to my disappointed surprise she has all ten digits still.

"You will be after I'm finished." He smiles, hitting the keys like he's playing a church organ. Even though the keys are clacking and thudding, he types surprisingly fast. "Alright. Number one? Raye is allergic to kiwi fruit and underwater hockey sticks. They bring her out in a rash."

"Ew." I wrinkle my nose. "No they don't."

"Do," he says. "And Braelyn? Well she likes to wear lavender dresses on a full moon only. Can't wear them apart from that."

"Wait-" Braelyn turns around, waving her wooden spoon.

"Number three and four," Tyler booms merrily over her voice. "Adam sleeps in a kimono and eats raw broccoli for breakfast."

"That's not even funny. Broccoli gives him nightmares." Braelyn's eyes are wide, as if letting in all the concern they can, but now it's not just Tyler ignoring her. I don't mean to, but I tend to oppose whatever she stands for out of principle. Everyone has to have a nemesis.

"What's five?" I lightly touch Tyler's elbow. He nods enthusiastically, still typing.

"Sometimes." He glances at me, and the cursor flickers on the screen in anticipation. "Often, you like to buy the dented packets from shops because you feel like they must be lonely."

I bite my lip, thankful Braelyn can't see my face and the colour that rises to my cheeks as he types. I hate somebody knowing me so well they can say the truest thing at a moment's notice. He knows me better than my anyone can, I think, and sometimes he likes to flaunt it.

"You forgot yourself." The pans clang as Braelyn chucks them in the sink. She's so innocent sometimes. So unsuspecting, unlike me. Tyler would do anything to hide his past and his secrets. This is just one tiny pebble of an example.

"Ha," Tyler says without much humour. "I guess I'm just a mystery."

5 Unknown Facts from Mutant World

Noah here. Dawn is distracted so I'm just going to do this week's post. Plus she has no idea which world to discuss for this list of 5 things about the story that isn't told in the actual novel. I'm going to come up with five, hopefully, that are from the mutant series, or at least the part of it that has my story.

Let's see...

1. Ty used to be my best friend. This was before I became friends with Dominic. In fact, I didn't really like Dom when we were younger. 

2. I wanted to study history in college and become a teacher. I dreamed about being normal simply so I could have a normal job and not worry about things like joining mutant organizations or worry if the government changes how they let us live.

3. There are religious groups in my world but they aren't seen in the current book, though there is the rest of the series to possibly showcase them.

4. My mom still wants a girl but will probably never have one. She has a box in her room that has a couple of little girl items.

5. The organization, SS, was designed by the government. Despite what some people think, still works for the government and has to report on a monthly basis to a special coordinator.

That's all I can think of for now but I made it to 5. That's what counts... right?

These are a few of my favorite things!

Derac's Favorite Things

1. His Sword
2. Kinir
3. The Kinir Elite
4. Dragons
5. Camping
6. Training
7. Missions
8. His family (parts of it...)
9. Taking over Anastasia's body so he can communicate with other people through the internet!
10. Training


Tyn's Favorite Things

1. Any bladed weapon
2. His faith
3. Praying
4. Women (more specifically A woman)
5. Any bladed weapon
6. Laughing
7. Praying
8. The Kinir Elite
9. Kinir
10. Healing/Medicine (as in learning about it)

Kie's Favorite Things

1. Training
2. The archery range at elite headquarters
3. The Kinir Elite
4. Her uniform
5. Camping
6. Warm baths
7. Kinir
8. Training
9. Missions
10. Training

Aeli's Favorite Things

1. Her hair brush
2. Brushing her hair
3. Dresses
4. Attending Grand Balls
5. Dancing
6. Good looking males
7. Saving innocent people
8. Solving puzzles
9. Kinir (the open plains and bright skies)
10. The Kinir Elite

Jardel's Favorite Things

1. The Kinir Elite
2. His dress uniform
3. Women/Females
4. Weapons
5. Fighting
6. Women/Females
7. Children who think he's an angel
8. Women/Females
9. Good food
10. Women/Females

Rakan's Favorite Things

1. Silence.
2. Quiet.
3. Silence.
4. Camping.
5. Silence.
6. His mace.
7. Silence.
8. His dagger.
9. Silence.
10. No sound.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Mianna dances around the terrace and onto the lush grounds.  She tilts a handwritten page between her hands as if it is her partner.  Cole smiles and steps behind her, peering over her shoulder.  He wraps his arms around her waist.  “What are you doing?”

She scrunches her shoulders and leans into him.  “It’s beautiful out here and I wanted to be inspired.  I rarely get to do guest posts and I’m just so thrilled that Charlene chose me for this one.”

“I see.  So, what have you written so far?”

She reads from the paper.  “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.”

Cole nods.  “Okay.”

“Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens.”

He looks to the side.  “Um...”

“Brown paper packages tied up with strings.”  She glances up at him.  “These are a few of my favorite things.”

“Mianna…”

She holds up a finger.  “Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes.  Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes.”  She lifts her arms and turns to face him, setting them on his shoulders.  “Silver white winters that melt into springs…”

“I know.  These are a few of your favorite things.”

She blushes and leans her head to the side with a cherubic smile.  “How did you know?”

“It’s a song on Cornerstone Summit.  Mianna, my love, you were supposed to write about your favorite things.”

“But these are perfect.  And they are my favorite things.  Or some of them.  And Charlene has been humming this song ever since she read the post topic.”  She begins to sway to the music in her mind.

An adoring smile spreads across Cole's face.  As he raises a hand at the woodland, birdsong fills air.  He takes her hand and leads her to the belvedere. 

Vincent and James watch as Cole and Mianna enter the ornate gazebo and begin to dance to the melody.  Vincent folds his arms and shakes his head.  “Only Cole and Mianna could get away with waltzing to a song from The Sound of Music.  In a blog post.  Without it coming across as cheesy.”

.

10 Things and a Chat with Jalmari

The computer screen casts a dim glow on J.D.'s head. Her face is just visible under the pile of post-it notes. Deep, slow breaths claim the air as a trickle of saliva runs across the wood and dampens the ends of her hair. Jalmari phases into the room and glances at J.D. A sigh ensues before he phases back into the hall, then barges in, banging the door against the wall.

J.D. jolts upright then glances around the room in confusion for a few moments before she realizes she has company. "Oh, hey, Jalmari. Can I help you?"

"Yes. We need to talk."

JD puzzles the damp knot of hair stuck to the side of her face and goes to work trying to brush it out with her fingers. "You guys have a post due for the Character Cafe, don't forget."

Jalmari frowns. "Have one of the others do it."

A coy smile inches across J.D.'s face. "You're already here. The topic is '10 Favorite Things'." She waves at the computer while standing, then disappears into the adjacent bathroom. She enters the room again in an instant with a hairbrush and makes a constipated-looking face as she forces the brush through the snarled hair.

"If I do the post, can we talk about something serious?"

"Mm? Yeah, sure."

Jalmari narrows his eyes, giving J.D. his "I-mean-business look", but J.D. is oblivious and continues to work on her hair. With a sigh, he seats himself at her desk and types.

10 Favorite Things
by Jalmari ta Korento

1. Blood
2. Sex
3. Flying
4. Speed
5. Being the leader of my clan
6. Having an author around to write my biography
7. Which
8. She

9. Is not
10. Doing.

Jalmari hits "save" then leans back in the chair. "Blog post complete."

J.D. frowns, sets down the brush despite several locks of hair still being stuck together in one gooey chunk, and goes to look over Jalmari's shoulder. "Hey, you wrote that in chapter four of my WIP!"

"At least you have something in chapter four now."

J.D. narrows her eyes at Jalmari. "Let me guess, this 'serious talk' you want to have is about me not working on Dark Liaison, isn't it?"

Jalmari pivots the chair to face J.D. and crosses his arms. "Yes."

J.D. rolls her eyes. "Well it's not my fault! Jesu and Ema don't delegate the story like you do, and D.L. doesn't focus on you as much as the first book did, so you're S.O.L."

"But the third book does focus on me. I want that third book, J.D." Jalmari points a finger at a picture frame hanging in the center of the far wall. "You got that contract you so desperately wanted. You have a deadline now."

J.D. groans. "I know, I know."

"You made a commitment to yourself and to everyone, just like I made a commitment to my clan."

J.D. inhales a sharp breath and opens her mouth to speak--

"Do not even think about getting on the subject of the Council and me going A.W.O.L," he warns. "That is a completely different and justified condition."

J.D. exhales. "Oh sure, completely justified." She rolls her eyes.

"I'm going to send my brother and the girl in now. I expect to see some progress before you retire for the night."

A dead-pan stare crosses J.D.'s face then turns into a pout. "Fine, but have Ema make me a cup of coffee first. She's the only one that remembers not to mix blood into my drinks."

Jalmari nods then leaves the room. J.D. quickly shuts the door then flings herself onto the bed and buries under the blankets. A soft snore fills the room in no time.

Elijah Has A Secret

Noah enters a small coffee shop in Detroit. The door is unlocked but the sign says closed. No one is in the main room and most of the baked items have been put away. Finally, a young dark haired male enters the room from the back behind the counter.

"We're closed."

"I noticed. Are you Elijah?" Noah moves to a small table closest to the counter, picking a seat and settles in as he watches the man.

"Yes." Elijah tosses a rag on the counter, not stepping out from behind the counter. "Do I know you?"

Noah smiles. "Not yet. I'm Noah, from a different story. Dawn wanted me to come chat with you for this blog post."

"Oh right. Well, nice to meet you Noah." Joining him at the table, Elijah shakes his hand before sitting down. He looks a little uncomfortable and tired. "What are we supposed to talk about?"

"Something that happened before you died and became umm you know, what you are."

"Oh." He looks down at the table, his hands fold together underneath as if he is trying to hide the nervousness he feels over the topic.

Sensing the tension, Noah waits for a moment as he tries to come up with the best way to approach the topic he has been given. After some thought, he offers the question that seems least expected. "So... You're gay, right?"

Caught off guard, Elijah blinks and looks around the room to make sure they are alone before answering. "Yeah... why? Are you?"

"Of course. I mean, Dawn created us after all." He chuckles but the mood doesn't stay light for long as he brings out another question. "Does anyone else know you are?"

"Now? Yeah, they do. I kind of had to tell them after I almost slept with a guy I had just met. I had to confess to it." This got a slight smile from Elijah. It is short lived as he continues speaking, "before when I was alive, I did tell my parents. I was only 12 and probably should have waited because they responded even worse than the angels in the confession group."

Noah got up and went over to the one container of coffee that hasn't been put away yet. He fills two cups, bringing them back to the table with a few packs of sugar and hands a cup to Elijah. "Parents. I know the feeling. My mom didn't care but my dad was pissed when he actually found out."

"Thanks." He sips the coffee. "Both my parents were upset. They sent me to counselors, church officials and even considered sending me away to a place that claimed it could turn me straight."

"Sounds a bit harsh."

"And they were actually considering allowing electroshock treatment." Elijah pauses before trying to explain further. "Electroshock is when they..."

"I know what it is. I control electricity and have a degree in physics. What did you do?" He winced as he sipped the already cooling coffee.

Elijah looks away, absently stirring a spoon in the half drank cup of coffee. "I figured I was screwed anyways, so I did whatever and whoever I wanted. Finally, when I was fourteen I got tired of the therapists and my parents constant trying to change me so I snuck away and went home with a guy."

Noah watched him intently, trying not to stare too much, as he listens.

"I was mad and just planned to have sex with him a few times, then I'd go back home but when we went to a bar after he let me use a fake ID, that changed. There was this really hot guy there that everyone seemed to want. No one thought I stood a chance so I took the challenge and tried to get him to sleep with me." Pausing, Elijah picks at a pack of sugar, pretending to read the label.

"Did you succeed?"

Elijah nods. "Yeah, though I would rather not say what I did to convince him. But eventually he had sex with me. I was tired after, so he let me sleep in one of the small side rooms they had. When I woke up, the door was locked and I couldn't get out."

"What do you mean? What happened?" He couldn't drink the coffee anymore and he couldn't look away either.

"It turned out the man I had convinced to use me ran a prostitution ring. They forced me to take part. I tried to escape but there were too many of them." Elijah doesn't look up at Noah. He is still playing with the sugar packet and eventually tears it open, spilling the sugar onto the table. "It was several months before the police raid and I finally saw my family again. I died a couple years later."

"Wow." Noah isn't sure what else to say. He hadn't quite expected the discussion to go to such a dark place. "Does anyone know about all this in your story?"

He shakes his head. "No. No one really knows. Well, one knows some of the details since he manages the group but other than that I haven't told anyone yet. It's not easy to talk about and most of them wouldn't understand. The others are having a hard enough time with the whole being gay part."

Moving his chair, Noah put his arm around Elijah. He rubs his back as Elijah rests his head on his shoulder. "Thanks for telling me. You've obviously been through a lot. But things are better now aren't they?"

"They are better. Thanks for listening."

The Vampires Make a Character

Jesu:  Is the post were we write J.D. as a character?

Ema:  Yeah, we're doing it now since last time we announced the news about our book instead.

Jalmari:  This topic is simple, J.D. would love to be a vampire.

Jesu:  I agree.

Ema:  *Nods* Defiantly.

Jalmari's lips curl into an impish grin:  The real question is which clan would she belong to?

Jesu returns his brother's grin and pulls out a large, leather book crammed with wrinkly yellow pages.

Ema rolls her eyes:  Not that thing again.

Jesu sits and props the book on his lap. He flips through the pages:  I think the Eretikan clan suits her.

Jalmari:  Interesting choice...yes, I can see her quite at home with the Eretikan.

Ema:  Ahem, some of us have no idea what you're talking about.

Jalmari:  You ought to study then.

Jesu: The Eretikan was a Russian clan of vampires. Small, timid creatures, but very deadly. They looked a little bit like large fairies, but with fangs instead of wings.

Ema:  Thank you for clearing that up.

Jalmari:  It's too bad they're extinct.

Jesu shurgs: J.D. has the ability to bring them back, you realize?

Jalmari makes a face: I hope she didn't hear that.

Ema:  If Jalmari thinks that would be a bad idea, then I definitely vote against it.

Jesu:  Relax, this is only for fun.

Jalmari:  I'm sure that little tyrant would be queen of the clan as well.

Ema gives Jalmari a look:  I don't know how she puts up with you.

Jalmari:  You know I'm right.

Jesu:  As much as I hate to admit, I do think J.D. would be the villain in any story. Most likely a seductress.

Ema:  Oh, you guys. I think J.D. would take a secondary job, like Maria, helping when she's needed.

Jalmari:  Hey, Jesu, do you think she would have violet eyes or silver?

Jesu:  Violet. It is her favorite color.

Ema snorts:  I'm sure she'd have both.

Jalmari:  Ahh, so you admit our author is a tyrant.

Ema:  No! I just know she likes both of those colors and well...she made my eyes black and red...so why can't hers be violet and silver?

Jesu:  Alright, so Eretikan vampire queen with violet and silver eyes and long, black hair...

Jalmari:  With a Napoleon  attitude...

Ema:  What is with you and the short jokes?

Jalmari snickers:  You just don't like it because she made you the same height - or lack of...

Ema:  Oh, you are so dead!

Jesu:  Can we focus please?

Jalmari:  Call it "Dark Tyrant Imp"!

Ema:  I'm leaving now.

Jesu shakes his head and chuckles.

J.D. walks into the room as Ema leaves. Ema:  Do not ask them about today's post.

J.D. smiles:  I'm just happy I finally found a topic you were all so eager to discuss.

What Adam thinks about Raye.

I've been here for hours, watching the young people outside of my window and tapping Mia's pen against the paper. As I stand, the sun fades and the street lights flicker on. They coat everything in this amber hue. If the kids playing Frisbee notice the shift in light, they do not acknowledge it. I say kids, I am almost entirely certain they are in their mid-twenties. But it's difficult to tell these days.

I tap the pen to the beat of a heart, who's I cannot say. All I know is that it is definitely not mine, it stopped years ago in favour of lying dormant.  I don't particularly blame it. Sometimes I wish I could follow is example. Living is tiring.

It's hard to say how long I stand, leaning against the windowsill and tapping, but it must be a substantial amount of time. It feels like moments ago that Mia left me here, to write my piece, and yet the door is already squeaking her arrival. I swivel to watch her unpack a bag onto the counter, trying not to mind that she seems to have purchased so many apples. There is such a thing as too many Granny Smith's. I wonder if she knows that.

"Finished yet?" She bundles the bag into a draw, slamming it shut. Years I have lived with her, and to this day I cannot fathom her system in the kitchen. "When you're done I have a fun thing for you to do."

"Fun?" I arch an eyebrow. Those are the exact words she described this task as.

"Yep." She smiles, drumming against the counter. I wonder that somebody so young can be so happy all of the time. Perhaps it is her heart I was tapping to. "Funner than fun actually, you will laugh so hard."

"What is the task?" I remove all inflection from the question, hoping she will note my lack of enthusiasm. She does not.

"You can't ask why, but after you're done you have to come outside with me and throw a Frisbee at somebody." She shrinks under my gaze. "Ok, fine, you can ask why. I need you to first steal a Frisbee from these guys outside and then throw it at them. I'm not, like, a revenge-y person normally but... ummm... well they nearly beheaded me."

"You're head seems fine," I say trying not to show my surprise. This is a task I might well enjoy, for once. It's not that I harbour any ill will against the boys outside but a task requiring both stealth and accuracy instead of contemplation sounds right up my street.

"I said nearly beheaded." Mia adjusts the mail pile, straightening it. "And it's only after you're done."

"I'm done now," I lie fluidly. She purses her lips, glancing at my hand and the notebook I clutch. I roll my eyes, motioning for her to lead the way. She does so reluctantly. And, as the door squeaks her departure I hastily pen the only thing I can think about the main character of Mia's zombie book before I follow Mia on a mission of semi-violent revenge. There are just three sentences:

I suppose, when it comes down to it, my main thoughts about Raye can be summed up in two questions. How does she always keep her hair so immaculate? And when will she return the book I loaned her?

Dominic Talks About Noah

Dominic takes over the computer as Dawn naps.

I'm late but it's because Dawn isn't feeling good. She has a cold and took some medicine. So, it's up to me to do this post. It's about the main character, Noah.

I have known him for a long time. We went to school together though at first we weren't friends, not even close. He spent all of his time hanging out with that other guy, Ty. They were always doing pranks and getting in trouble, even though Noah tried to be nice about anything they did. He was way nicer than Ty anyways but Ty has always been kind of a jerk.

I'm not sure exactly what happened but one prank went wrong and Noah changed. He stopped hanging out with Ty and even quite using his powers for fun. In fact, now that I think about it, that was when his tests stalled. He was marked as having the most potential of all the mutants at the school, though now all were mutants, just a majority. Noah was predicted to be one of the strongest they had ever seen but he hasn't reached that potential, though I think he's faking that he can't do more. After Ty left because he wouldn't follow the rules things changed more. I started talking to Noah a bit more since I never liked Ty and eventually we became friends.

Then, well... then my parents died. I had no one and Noah was there for me. His family let me stay at their house though his dad never liked me. I think he didn't like that I was sleeping in the same room as his son. He always suspected I might be gay, though he seemed not to notice his son was definitely gay too. And then they did something I didn't expect and I'm sure Noah had a lot to do with it. They bought a place for me to live.

Noah lives there with me, for now. I guess what I'm trying to say is Noah is complex. He has these amazing abilities that he keeps hidden, very little ego and an amazing amount of kindness. He truly cares and never acts fake about anything. I don't know what I would have done with him.

If I Could Write Charlene Into A Book...

Elaina and Vincent sneak into Charlene’s office and quietly close the door behind them.  Vincent sits down at the computer and logs on.

Elaina:  *whispers*  Hurry, hurry, Vince.  They’ll be here any minute.

Vincent:  *waves his hand at the door and an opalescent sheen covers it and the latch locks*  Eko Silyst.  *the air thickenes*

Elaina:  *squinches her cheek*  Do you really think locking and blocking the door will stop them?  *scowls and wiggles her finger in her ear as her words flattened*

Vincent:  You don’t have to whisper.  Eko Silyst is a silencing spell.  And no.  It won’t stop them, but it will buy us a little time.  Now…

Elaina:  *rushes to look over his shoulder*

Vincent:  *types*  The Meridian Maiden.

Elaina:  Charlene’s not from Meridian.

Vincent:  The topic is:  “If you could write your author into a book it would be called … and she would be a …”  *holds up a hand to accentuate the “…”*

Elaina:  *folds her arms*  Well then why not call it The Princess of Shilo City?

Vincent:  *smiles a toothy smile*  Because, I’m at the computer. 

The door knob rattles, the latch unlocks, the opalescent sheen fades, and the silencing spell breaks.  James leads Cole into the office.

Vincent:  *grimaces*  I forgot about James and his multi-tasking.

Cole:  Nice try, Kid.

James:  *motions for Vincent to move*  I’ll take over here.  *takes seat as Vincent gets up*  *types*  Goddess of the Ethereal Plane.

Cole:  Wait.  *a sly grin curves his lips*  The topic didn’t say the book was going to be a real book.  Why don’t we have some fun with this?  *everyone looks at him and he reaches over James and types*  Token Toad of Toad Suck.

All eyes widen. 

Elaina:  Cole! 

Cole:  What?  Toad Suck is a small community near where she lives in Arkansas.  I could call it Banshee of Booger Hollow.

Elaina:  *covers her mouth and snickers*

Charlene:  *enters the office*  How’s it going, guys?

James quickly waves his hand in the air and Cole straightens, turning deep red. 

Cole:  Uh, duh, uh…well…

James:  Cole came up with the perfect title and character.  Why don’t you have a look.

Charlene:  Oh, Cole, you did?  That’s great.  *looks over James’s shoulder and reads*  The Lady of Cornerstone Summit.  Aww.  *hugs Cole*  That is so sweet.

Cole:  *looks at James with a “thanks for the save” look*  Anything for you, Charlene.

.

The Announcement

Ema, Jesu, Jalmari, Maria, and Naamah line up shoulder to shoulder. Each vampire has a big, goofy grin on their face.

J.D.:  Okay guys, ready? Maria, we'll start with you.

Maria beams and steps forward:  Darling readers, today we hope you forgive us for not following the assigned topic.

Naamah:  While we would love to poke fun at J.D., we have an exciting announcement to share instead.

Jesu:  Yesterday, our author, J.D., received word that Dark Heirloom has been accepted for publication and is now under contract with Muse It Up Publishing Inc.

Jalmari:  So please take a moment to extend your sincere congratulations to J.D. Brown.

Ema:  And know that by this time next year, Jalmari, Jesu, Naamah, Maria, and I will be available on e-readers everywhere! Congrats Jen, we all knew you could do it!

*All the vampires gather around J.D. for a group hug*

J.D.:  Aww, I love you guys. *sniffle*

Ephram's favorite places

Dawn enters the room carrying a tray of frosting covered chocolate chip and sugar cookies. Leaves for a minute and returns with a few sodas and a bottle of water. She sits in a chair, cookie in hand, waiting. Soon Ephram enters the room and stops when he sees the cookies.

Ephram: What are those for?

Dawn: You.

Ephram: *already has a cookie in his hands* Why?

Dawn: Just thought it would be nice. You go through a lot in the chapters I'm working on, so thought you might like a cookie. And you have to do this blog post anyways. You can share the cookies with anyone who comments on the post.

Ephram: Thanks. *bites into cookie, crumbs falling on his shirt* What do I have to talk about this time?

Dawn: Your favorite place to spend your free time. That means, no homework or anything like that. Where do you like to be when you are relaxing or having fun?

Ephram: Oh. I don't know. 

Dawn: I am sure you an come up with something. Where do you like to be when you are alone? Where do you like to be with friends, like Isaac?

Ephram: Alone? I spend all my time in my bedroom, out of the way since my parents don't like me around. It's easier that way and I can spend time working on computers or reading. It's not very fun.

Dawn: Where do you have fun then?

Ephram: Well, I liked those times at the park. Playing on the swings. He was so crazy, swinging on his stomach like he was flying. I wish I could have done that too but it made me nervous. Or he would hang upside down on the slide. Isaac is just crazy and fun. Kind of wish I was more like him. 

Dawn: You are fun in your own way. And you've been stuck alone a lot, once you get out things will get better.

Ephram: If you say so. Are we done?

Dawn: Yeah, this is fine. And yes, you can have another cookie.

Ephram smiles as he takes a cookie.

What I Wanted To Be...And Got

Dressen: *sits, crosses his legs, and glares across the room at the others*

Elaina: *hands Cole his drink and leans close* Charlene really wanted him here for this post?

Dressen: I’d say she knows who the most driven of her characters is. Yes, Elaina. I heard you.

James: Drive has nothing to do with this topic.

Cole: Most driven. *mumbles* Nobody’s more driven than I am.

Dressen: I’ll grant you that you are determined concerning Anna. But you underestimate me, Cole Shilo. 

Elaina: *blinks at him timidly* What does that mean?

Dressen: I’ve been at this game a long time. I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up at an early age and I saw to it that I achieved that dream. Weak minded morals never got in my way. And I’ll have one of those fine Ambrosias from Meridian.

Elaina: Oh, sure, Lord Dressen. *rushes to get him a drink*

Vincent: And what would that dream be? A self-serving, manipulative gloat? 

Dressen: I get what I want.

Vincent: At the expense of others.

James: *holds up a hand to quiet Vincent* Let’s hold off on all that. That’s not why we’re here.

Vincent: And why are we here? If Charlene wanted Dressen to talk to the blog readers she could have just invited him to her office and leave us out of it.

Dressen And forego all this entertaining bantering?  *chuckles* She knows what she’s doing.

James: Perhaps she wanted everyone’s input. Elaina, we’ll start with you.

Elaina: *blinks to the side and turns red* Um, come back to me. I think I need to think about this. *hands Dressen the ambrosia*

James: Okay, Vincent.

Vincent: I used to want to train gilrues. The first time Father took us to a show, I wanted to take one home with me.

Dressen: *cocks an eye* What’s a gilrue?

James: They’re similar to a seal.

Dressen: You wanted to train sea creatures? *nods with a cooked grin* Charming.

Vincent: *growls and sparks dance along his fists*

James: Well, I wanted to travel to the stars.

Elaina: An astronaut? Really, James?

Dressen: Well, Sir Cole, I believe that leaves you. And I must say I’m looking forward to your youthful dreams.

Cole: * looks at his glass as he swirls the liqueur* I wanted to write. Adventure, mystery.

Dressen: *smiles* A writer. I would be very interested in reading one of your works.

Vincent: *scowls* What’s going on?

Dressen: Pardon me?

Vincent: You’re being awfully…nice. 

Dressen: *shrugs* You all merely confirmed that Charlene chose correctly when she asked me to do this post. Each of you had dreams as a child that were simply that. Dreams. As a child, I wanted it all. Trained servants to do my bidding. The senior position in the Grand Marshal’s court. *looks into Cole's eyes*  A woman dedicated solely to me. And I saw to it that I achieved it.

Cole: *jumps to his feet and forces his thoughts to their minds* You’ll not have her!

Vincent: *neon flares arch from his fists*

James: *waves a hand and an opalescent barrier divides the room, separating them from Dressen*

Elaina: *gasps, eyes wide* Magic! *all look at her and she nods wildly* That’s what I wanted when I was little. And…and now I see it everyday!

Dressen: *chuckles and stands* It seems I’ve been exceeded. *raises his glass to Elaina then sets it on the end table* I’ll take my leave.

.

What Kat Wants to Be!

Hi! When I heard what topic we were going to be discussing, I got totally excited and told Frankie I HAD to share. I HAD to! Had to, had to, HAAAAD to!

I want to be sooooo many different things!

I want to be a fire fighter because you can go around and save people.

And fire's pretty neat, you know. Well, except for all the burning and stuff and that's kinda bad, but not too bad because it's still pretty and you do realize that the Earth needs fire to clean out all the dead stuff, especially in the forests *nods* so that the new stuff can grow in.

Can you imagine if adults didn't die? Us kids wouldn't have a place to grow. That would just be not good. You know?

BUT! Fire is also really, really, REALLY hot. And you'd be going into buildings that are about to fall down on you.

*scared shrug* I doooon't knooooow. I think that might bad!

AND look at their outfits! *shakes head incredulously* Those boots? I've tried wearing MOM's boots, and that's bad enough! They're HUGE!

*thinking face*

Hmmm...I also want to be a ballerina. *girlie smile*

They're so pretty! And graceful! And I look awesome in a tutu! I do! I do!

But I can't stand on my toes! *sad face* I've tried. And all those ballerina stretches and exercises? They HURT! And have you seen ballerinas? They're really skinny! And I'm NOT!

I'm not fat. I'm just not skinny. Mom says I'm just right and I like that. She also says I'm due for another growth spurt, so that means I'm going to be very tall because I'm already really super gargantuanly tall.

And ballerinas should be small, skinny, weigh nothing and NOT be tall.

*pouty face*

But I look so PRETTY in a tutu!

So that leaves my LAST thing (for reals) that I want to be (seriously).

A CUPCAKE BAKER!

*definitive nod* YES! I'm going to be a cupcake baker.

And I'm pretty good at it too. Cupcakes are pretty and they're easy and they're fun and it's neat to come up with all different kinds of concoctions.

*shakes head and mutters* But that mustard carrot cake cupcake was NOT good. No, it wasn't. Don't EVER make that one again. BLECK!

*evil giggle* Yup, yup, yup! That's what I want to be when I grow up!

Now if I could just HURRY UP and GROW UP! *frustrated screech* Seriously!

What does Braelyn want to be?

The clicking of the pages as I flip through the book, that's the only noise to break the afternoon calm. I love the scent that wafts off the pages. I'm thankful for the slight breeze against my cheek. It's welcome in this room, a place with no free air.

"See anything in there you like?" Adam peers over the rim of his spectacles. Even with his inquisitive stare it's hard to take him seriously. I guess lounging against the floor whilst reading the paper can do that to a guy.  Also, his hair cut. I always find people who look like they've fallen through a shrubbery comical.

"Loads," I say. He nods, a strand of his hair flops forward over his face.  Even his hair is dying in this heat. "One advert has a girl drinking a mimosa. I'd love one of those."

"Do you even know what a mimosa is?" Raye says, capping the glue stick. Her hair shines, metallic in the falling light. Even at the end of a long day she is full of colour, even as the sun goes down. I resist the urge to throw something at her as she smiles sweetly. When Raye does anything sweetly it's the exact opposite.

"I don't need to. Just like the way it sounds." I sniff and sit up.  "Something's burning."

"No. It's fine." Tyler's hand waves a jar from the fridge in my direction. It retracts and he goes back to his search. There's a clatter and several apples tumble out. "I'm practicing."

"I want to be able to eat it when you're done," Raye calls, liberally spreading glitter on the paper she's fully glued up.  "Can't you practice being a chef and not burn food?"

"I'm not sure. Can you practice being an archaeologist whilst lounging across the sofa and making a card?"

"It's for Mia," Raye snaps. "And you'll all be thanking me later when she forgets about this whole "what do you want to be when you're older" thing."

"I'm old anyway," Adam says, wrestling with his paper. "Hardly seems worth the effort."

"You'll get older." I set down the "top 100 jobs of 2010" book on the floor with a clunk. Really, the coffee table would be a better storage place but I'm not so certain Raye hasn't accidentally lathered glue on the rest of the surface.

"One would hope. But I'll be none the wiser if I'm still on the floor reading this newspaper in ten years." Adam glances at the book, red against the blue of the carpet, and then back to his paper. He looks like he wants to say something more but can't find the words. Probably something about where I've put it. Whatever. If he's such a book lover he can care for it. I'm reasonably sure Mia only gave it to us as a joke, a joke nobody laughed at.

"Don't be so harsh on yourself," I say to Adam. Lowering my voice, I lean forward to flick the top corner of his paper."I'm sure you'll at least get to the business section by Monday."

"Very humorous," Adam says in a flat tone. "And perhaps by then you'll have figured out what you want to do?"

"Don't count on it," I say, folding my arms. It's not that I don't want to figure it out, it's not. I just don't think there's much point. My life is here now and I like it. I should live for today and not for a future I may never have.

What Isaac Wants to Be

What do you want (or did you want) to be when you grow up?

Isaac stares at the assigned topic. He looks around the room, stepping away from the computer before returning with a glass of water and an apple. Then he stares some more.

Isaac: Do I really have to write this?

Dawn: Yes, Isaac. I need someone to answer the question, so why not you?

Isaac: Yeah yeah. Umm.. What does it mean? Do what when I grow up?

Dawn: The general idea of the question is what you dreamed about doing once you are an adult. It could be a job, career or goal, though people often say dream careers. Is there anything you want to do when you are an adult?

Isaac: I don't know. I never really thought about it before.

Dawn: Why not?

Isaac: *shrugs* I kinda focus on right now. Surviving on my own and all since my parents... well, you know. Hard to think about being older when making fake school cards and stuff just to go to school. And having to move so much when bad things happen.

Isaac stares down at a few papers sitting on the desk. He starts to pick at a hole in his jeans above his right knee.

Dawn: I do know. Okay, how about this. Could you think about the question no? If you could be anything or do anything, in the future, what would it be?

It takes a few minutes of silence before Isaac puts his attention back to the blog to answer.

Isaac: Anything? That is so... much. Could I really be anything?

Dawn: Sure, you're young. Why not dream big. And it may change, you never know. I changed my answer to this who knows how many times. But I still know what I started with.

Isaac: What did you start with?

Dawn: Marine Biology. Something about living in the plains of Wyoming, no ocean anywhere nearby made me want to go study things in the ocean for a living. I still like biology classes but by high school I had moved to other things. Okay, I said mine. Your turn.

Isaac: Fine. I guess if I can say anything then it would have to be a photographer or video camera umm person. That would be fun. Oh and if I could take pictures of people displaying their mutations, not having to hide it or being kept from using it by those stupid bracelets. That would be fun.

Dawn: That is a great one. I'm glad you shared that. *writes down a note* Thank you Isaac.

Isaac: No prob. This is kinda fun, these posts. Okay, I should go sleep.

Dawn: So should I. But I'll work on finishing your and Ephram's first book soon, I promise.

Isaac: Great. I have work to do then...

Kie's Place

When Anastasia asked me to do this post, I was really honored. But, I'm just not sure what my favorite place would be to spend my free time.

My first instinct is to say the elite Headquarters. I love the stone building and our bunk. The team all together, talking (well aruging). But even the banter there makes me feel good and safe - everything is normal. The common room is comfy and cozy in dark, calming colors. Plenty to read and do at headquarters so I am never bored. Training, fighting, reading, etc.

But, I'm pretty sure you guys don't want to hear me ramble needlessly through this post about headquarters and why I love living there. As it is, we spend a lot of our free time there anyway, since we do live there, but I'm pretty sure that is not what Anastasia wants me to talk about.

So, besides headquarters, what is my favorite place to spend my free time?

After thinking about it a while, I'll have to stick with headquarters, but perhaps more specific - the archery range. No matter how bad I feel, I can always go there, fire a couple of shots, and instantly feel better. (Besides, more practice couldn't hurt right?) Even if it's windy or raining, I enjoy being outside with my bow and the targets as my only company. The quiet - no people, no commands, no mission - just me with my thoughts. It calms me like nothing else. I love it.

My Favorite Place To Be

Cole leaned back into his master’s chair and took a long swig from the bottle of liqueur.  The liquid seared his throat and heat spread through his chest.  He growled the sensation away.  Reaching for the family’s Candle Vignette, he passed a finger over the cleft in the top.  A visual flame flickered to life and he wrapped his hand around the thick cylinder.  Mianna’s picture appeared in the flame. 

He smiled and tilted the bottle again, allowing the bitter drink to coat his mouth before he swallowed it with a gulp.  He clenched his jaw tight and grimaced from the liqueur’s effects.  Leaning back into the leather chair, he propped his feet on the desk and cradled the magical picture album in his lap.  Cole gazed at the cherubic face of his love. 

“If only you could be here with me right now.  Charlene wants me to talk to the blog readers about my favorite place to be.  And the only place I can honestly say would be in your arms.”

Staring into Mianna’s blue eyes, he recalled the love that shown in them when she’d look back.  A heavy sigh warmed his lips.  “Remember when we met?  It was James’s idea to go on holiday to the Northern Territory.  An Arylin colony wasn’t my idea of the best time.  But what better place to meet my soul’s mate than in a community dedicated to the Goddess of Love?”

A chuckle rumbled his chest and he shook his head.  “And to meet the High Priest’s daughter.  I knew the moment you looked into my eyes that you would be the one my soul followed through eternity.” 

Cole ran his thumb across the encryptions on the Candle Vignette’s base.  “Every memory I have of you is stored in here.  You fashioning the topiary, the night of your first high social, our vows.”  He looked back into her eyes.  “The truth?  Anywhere you are is my favorite place to be.”

The plush carpet hushed Charlene’s steps as she entered the study.  Her hand rested on his shoulder and he looked up to see her soft smile.  He cleared his throat and took another long swig from the bottle.  Setting it on the desk with a ‘thunk’, he looked back at the image of his last wife.

“Probably not the post you were looking for.”

Charlene knelt at his side and looked at his memory of Mianna.  “It was perfect Cole.  Thank you.”

.