Fantasy The Illustrious Estate of Lord Solberg

[monochromegalaxy]

Soleil nodded to the servant in thanks and took her seat, taking in the mouthwatering aromas that wafted out of the kitchens. She shuffled about in the chair, trying to make herself as comfortable as her sore legs would allow her to. Having been travelling for days could to that to you, especially when dragging around a heavy bag and looking over your shoulder often. Soleil's relaxed expression fell as she pondered the whereabouts of her group.

'I wonder if Jack and the others made it.' Soleil sighed and signalled a servant over, muttering to them to grab a bottle of wine. Jack, a childhood friend of Soleil, was of the Blythe family. Eccentric tinkerers they were, Soleil would always say. The first boy Soleil paid with cakes to beat up anyone who showed ill will towards her family during childhood. 'God forbid they run into trouble.'

The servant returned with a bottle of wine, pouring the substance into Soleil's glass. She thanked the servant and immediately gulped the whole glass down, setting the glass back onto the table. The servant immediately poured more wine.

"Hmm? Who's this Norwood you speak of?" Soleil inquired, raising a brow at Maria. "For his sake, I hope he's a decent man."

 

[Cosmos]

Ellise had been staring at her plate for the past few minuets, sure she'd been glancing up every now and then to check on her siblings and give a casual 'I-It's okay!…. I'm fine…. really.' in reassurance to some servants coming over to check that both she and the food were okay, she knew she should eat but for some reason she just wasn't hungry tonight, and as much as she'd love to blame it on all the mess and fuss that'd just happened she very well knew she'd been feeling this way far before then, even back at the greenhouse. Thinking back she supposed that could've been one of the reasons she hadn't noticed the time until it was so late, sliding a spoon subtly off the table in a fake slip to be able to rather awkwardly bend down to check on the flowers that'd sprouted she quickly picked them and with her other hand grabbed the spoon, sliding the plantlike in her pocket whilst handing the silverware to a servant as they went to fetch a new one despite her insisting it was fine.

It was at this point she realised the package and discussion on what she could only assume was yet another of Maria's many suitors, "Really Maria?~…. Give the poor man a brake, we all know how fond of you he was back then, the least you could do is send a polite letter in return. After all, encourage the nicer mannered ones lest we get any of those angry mobs of half drunken suitors outside our gate again demanding to see you after the last ball, I swear I didn't get a wink of sleep that night with all their yelling!" she teased, giving a giggle as she continued to move the food around on her plate a little, "Well, at least it seems the little ones settled down for the time being~" she gently placed a hand on her stomach and caressed it softly with her thumb, she'd learnt mostly when he liked to rest and when he was most active, it seemed dinnertime was one of his few breaks throughout the day before seemingly wanting to squirm around all night.

monochromegalaxy SapphireSkylines U uesius Midnight Paragon The Forgotten Host

 

[Midnight Paragon]

Julius gave Alfred a very annoyed look, his eye twitching. Despite the departure of his parents and being forced to step into the role of Lord of the Estate, Alfred apparently still viewed Julius as a child. This bothered the almost thirty year old man to no degree, though in retrospect, with how Julius was, he couldn't really blame him. He shook his head and turned around in a sulking manner, crossing his arms. "I might as well be the official Lord of the Estate. Do you see anyone else having to deal with day after day after day of paperwork, stamping a seal on this letter and signing that one? Oh, why couldn't have Father just taken his papers with him...?" He mused rather childishly. Julius would really not mind the whole Lord thing if it just didn't eat into his entire day: he wanted to work on his magic and potions! But with so much to do, he found himself getting less and less time for himself each day, sometimes even having to work through the night. This really wasn't healthy for the skin, you know...
The others began to make their way to dinner, and Alfred, surprisingly enough, gave a bow before saying he would return to his quarters for dinner. Julius was more than content with that, but that voice in the back of his mind stopped him, and he let out a groan before calling out to Alfred. "Oh, just come eat with us. Soliel is back after five years of absence: You can eat at an actual table for one night." He said, continuing on to the dining area. Julius wasn't really sure what Alfred did in his spare time or for meals: he just assumed he ate in his room standing up at a window or something, usually by choice. But with the occasion being what it was, Julius was sure he would make an exception.
Quickly finding his way to the dinner table and taking his seat at the head of the table, Julius called a servant over for a clean cloth to wipe his hands on. The butler brought a handkerchief and his plate of spaghetti over to him, and after wiping himself off, Julius began to dig in. Spaghetti was one of Julius' favorites, and he ate his noodles with gusto, slurping them up much like how a child would. He casually dug into his pocket as he did so and pulled out an old leather bound journal and a small pen of his own design, setting it down on the table and opening it up, jotting down some notes inside: he always had his best ideas at mealtime. However, he stopped as the conversation turned to Maria and one of her suitors: Norwood. His eyes narrowed at the name: Julius knew some of the man's past, and he seemed decent enough in person: but being that he was courting one his sisters, he was automatically suspicious. Julius groaned. "Ughhhhh. Is he still trying to court you? I would have thought for sure he had given up by now. So, what did he send this time? If it's anything less than gold, hand it over and i'll see its melted down immediately." He said to Maria, the line of thought joking, but his expression uncharacteristically serious.

Mentions:
The Forgotten Host SapphireSkylines ​

 

[The Forgotten Host]

Midnight Paragon SapphireSkylines monochromegalaxy Cosmos

Alfred looked at his young master quizzically. He had only eaten at the dining table all of twice in his life. The first time, when they took him in as part of the estate. They did so to have him feel welcomed. The second was the day he retired, where the family formally declared him a permanent guest by indefinitely extending his stay at the estate. The third lord told him it was in gratitude for all his dedicated years of service. Master Julius was but a child of four years at the time. His mother still cradled mistress Soliel in her arms. Mistress Maria was not yet conceived. He glanced at the ancient table he cleaned for almost seventy years of his life, then at young master. Not knowing what to make of the situation, he nodded.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded and made his way to the chairs. "I will help you with the paperwork master Julius." He said awkwardly sitting down on one of the chairs. "It is all standard procedure. If I could teach your father, I can teach you." It was then he realized, he was sitting opposite to Soliel. Having her come back after five years was the biggest surprise he would never let show on his face. Mistress Soliel, he never let anyone know, was his favorite out of the fifth generation, not that he disliked any of them. He knew she would become an authority the day he laid eyes on her as an infant. She had the eyes of the first lord he ever served: condescending, yet at the same time compassionate. When he scolded her for hiring children to beat up rats who bullied her siblings, he would secretly respect her for what at that age was tactical genius.

Uttering a short prayer, he grabbed a piece of plain bread. He didn't want to hoard any of the good food to himself. Listening to their conversation on suitors, the old man sighed. "I implore you to reconsider, Mistress Ellise." He took small bites than usual to seem well-mannered. "They all seem nice until you start encouraging them with formalities." He looked at the young mistress. Out of all the children he raised in the estate, he prayed for her the most.

 

[uesius]

SapphireSkylines Cosmos

Eve leaned in closer to Maria, eyeing the letter. "Ah, Lord Normwood," she said, faintly remembering whom Maria was referring to. "He sounds familiar. So many guests come and go, I can hardly put faces to names." She quickly read over the letter and nodded. "His handwriting is nice, at least."

Her gaze dropped down to the box, now resting on the table. The earrings inside were divine, there was no doubt about that. "He certainly seems to like you a lot judging by the fine piece of jewelry he sent you. But," she took her eyes off of the earrings and back up to Maria, "it doesn't matter what he thinks of you. More importantly, what do you think of him?"

She deftly picked up her fork and knife and took a bite of her meal, before patting her face with the napkin on her lap and setting her cutlery down. Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed Ellise bending down to pick something up and hurriedly shove the unidentified object in her dress pocket. Eve gave her a curious look, but didn't want to be rude and call her out in front of the entire family.

 

[SapphireSkylines]

Maria answered her sibling's questions one at a time. "Oh the Norwoods are another family like ours who just moved to London last year. Benjamin is the heir to his parent's estate." she shrugged to Soleil. "He appears to be a good man, but I don't know for sure. I don't know him or his family very well." Maria smiled at Ellise "Of course I'll send him a letter back. It would be disrespectful not to." Maria sighed. "Yep... I remember Ellise. I barely slept that night too, I was tempted to go out and speak with at least a few of them but our parents were strongly against it. Luckily they took care of them." She'd then look over at Eve. "To be honest, I don't know what I think of him. I need to figure that out for myself." she then smiled weakly over at Julius.

"They're diamond and pearl earrings. I think there's a little gold in them, but I'm not sure." she sighed and chuckled at Julius. "You're not too keen on any of your sisters getting married huh Julius?" Maria happily ate more of her spaghetti with an amused expression on her face.

 

[monochromegalaxy]

Soleil smiled as Alfred took his seat across from her but shook her head with a sigh as he avoided everything but bread on the table. Typical Alfred, always thinking of their needs first. His dedication to her family appalled her younger self at first. Eventually, she came to admire his unwavering support. Well, that and how he was able to live on bread and simpler foods also struck the young Soleil. The young lady looked down at her own serving of spaghetti, untouched, but still steaming hot. Soleil didn't feel that hungry, seeing as she was pretty much only consuming wine. Thinking that it'd be a waste on the cook's part if she were to leave it be, Soleil pushed the place across to Alfred, using a small boost of magical energy to get the plate across without mess.

"You haven't changed a bit, dear Alfred," she pointed out, half teasingly and raised her hand as if to halt any stubborn attempts of refusal. "I haven't seen you eat a proper meal in years. Please, I know it's not enough to pay back years of service but feeding you good food is the least I could do."

Soleil then turned to Eve, Maria, and Ellise, her face solemn once again. The subject of courting and marriage when it came to her siblings always roused the protective streak. Soleil truly wished they could be happy with the right person, but that's the issue; the right person is hard to come by and find. For all she knew, Eve's destined soulmate could be a factory worker! Soleil knew she was running out of time as well in terms of suitors and settling down, but thanks to her apparent foreboding reputation and her focus on her family, it never made progress. It was even worse for Julius, the young (in her eyes) to-be lord of the Solbergs. Soleil wondered if any other noble families have inquired Julius of his status and offered their daughter's hand.

"Not to worry, Maria dear. I'll take care of this... Norwood and see if he's decent enough. Who knows what skeletons could be hiding in his closet," Soleil promised, already coming up with plans to send her 'little birds', she called them, to observe and gather intel on Maria's suitor. Soleil hoped Jack would be free by tomorrow. "Impeccable handwriting cannot secure a marriage, unfortunately," Soleil added jokingly, her glass once again empty. "How about you two?" Soleil glanced at Julius and Eve. "Anyone catch your eyes at all?"

 

[Cosmos]

Ellise blinked a few times innocently at Alfred's words before giving a small and somewhat awkward shrug in his direction, rubbing the back of her neck once again in her big brothers usual fashion. It was only when the discussions between everyone really picked up again she couldn't help but smile, between Eve's usual curiosity over the jewellery given to Maria's polite replies, Julius' stubbornly grumpy nature and even Soliel's 'helpers' being mention she couldn't hold back the giggle anyway as her face lit up with laughter, trying to cover her mouth with her hand politely, "R-Really you lot this is too much~…." she whispered to herself, it was like for the first time in forever…. They were a real family again. Even with their parents missing it was the most she could note anyone being themselves for a long, long time. She slowly dusted herself off a little and got ready to stand and leave, she was feeling rather tired and escaping the situation quickly seemed the best retreat, after all it's be good to try and settle down whilst the little one was still so calm.

monochromegalaxy SapphireSkylines U uesius Midnight Paragon The Forgotten Host

 

[Midnight Paragon]

Julius took a look at the present and inwardly cringed: damn, that was actual diamond in there! This Norwood guy or whatever his name was seemed pretty serious about courting Maria, then: buying jewellery as ornate as this was certainly something you did not do on a whim. He groaned inwardly and hoped that this wasn't enough to sway Maria: like the overprotective brother he was, he despised the thought of anyone, especially another man, coming to take his sister's away. He gave Maria a stern look, twisting some pasta around his fork. "Well of course I'm not! There's just too many people out there looking only for money or status: and I'll be damned if I see any of my sisters off to a man who only plans to use them!" He said stoically, then rather meekly moved his head downwards as he kept his eyes on his pasta. "Besides, with Father and Mother gone away....i'd be all alone here...." He said quietly. He let the note hang in the air only for a moment as he straightened up and gave a small laugh. "Plus, I would have to walk all four of you down the aisle and give you away, and there's only so tears I can shed, you know?" He said, finishing with a light chuckle.
He refocused on his spaghetti as Soleil spoke up again, mentioning how she would be sure to see if this potential suitor was up to her standards. Julius smiled at the scene: he had forgotten just how dedicated Soliel could be to the wellbeing of her siblings. He was so enwrapped in thought that he almost didn't notice Soliel speaking to him, and he took a moment to ponder her question. "Eh. I usually keep myself occupied with the business and everything. Not to say that there haven't been families who wished to acquaintance their daughter with me or meet me for a stroll in the garden or something, but I've really just been too busy for it. Ironic, though: you know, I actually wanted to be the first out of all us to get married. Have another little Solberg running around...with the track record we have, it would most likely be a girl, too. But someone beat me to it in that regard." He said with a small laugh, looking over to Ellise, who had just gotten up from the table and was excusing herself. Julius decided it would be best to let her go: She had been retiring rather early recently, so he assumed it must be because of the baby. He sighed as he twirled up some more spaghetti on his fork and took another big bite.

Mentions:
Cosmos monochromegalaxy SapphireSkylines ​

 

[Cosmos]

Ellise, on the finishing teasing words of Julius had nodded politely with a small smile and actually arisen from her seat she so despretly didn't want to leave from with her back in its current state. Both hands on her back as she gave the group one last glance before starting the rather decently long walk back to her bedroom, she's never hated stairs more than Julius till she got pregnant, and kwoing the males tripping incidents that was a hard hatred to beat. Noting she best find somewhere to dispose of the flowers safely she was almost at the doorway before a sudden overwhelming dizziness took her over and she stumbled forwards and into the wall a little, her small body letting out a quiet thump as it hit against the stone structure, her eyes fluttering closed as she raised a hand to her head wincing a little, off balance as she let out a few stuttered breaths trying to calm her mind, no doubt she'd already created a fuss in front of everyone, "…. D-Dangit this…. is why….. I-I knew…. I should've…. L-left e-earlier….." she mumbled, she'd been allowing herself the small attacks from her magic when in privacy but could generally sense when they were coming on, with all this drama she either didn't notice or it managed to slip by her consciousness entirely. It was a few moments of leaning on the wall and her blurry vision staring at the others before her body slowly slid down against it and collapsed onto the ground below, arms spread slightly and small beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

monochromegalaxy Midnight Paragon U uesius SapphireSkylines The Forgotten Host

 

[The Forgotten Host]

Alfred always hated spaghetti. For whatever reason, it was bizarrely difficult for him to get it wrapped in his fork. Now Mistress Soleil offered it to him with nothing but good intentions. How cold he have refused? He smiled amicably and picked up the fork closest to him. He looked at the plate in front of him as though it was a particularly difficult puzzle. He stabbed the fork into the plate, spinning it in his hand. He glanced at Soleil who looked at him expectantly. He smiled again, knowing in the back of his mind he was about to look like a pure idiot.

Alfred always hated spaghetti. Having to eat it was something he almost considered some sort of cosmic joke. However, during the vein attempt to wrap the food around his fork, his eyes wandered towards Mistress Elise, who was ambling towards the door. There was something off about her. She swayed in a non-existent breeze, her gait was uneven, and there was a look of exhaustion about her face.

Alfred's dropped his fork as she fell over. "No. Not again."

Shifting into the shadows, he sped towards Elise, ignoring old body's plea to halt. Alfred shook her, ignoring his own creeping exhaustion. "Mistress Elise! Wake up, Mistress Elise! Elise! Elise!"

monochromegalaxy Midnight Paragon U uesius SapphireSkylines The Forgotten Host Cosmos

 

[monochromegalaxy]

Soleil's chair fell back as she stood up, hastily making her way to her younger sister's side. The loud thud of the mahogany chair against the floors resonated around the room like a deep drum. Soleil was immediatly worried, but didnt allow it to show on her face. She needed to be calm if she wanted to think through the situation properly.

The lady knelt down beside Ellise oposite to Alfred, her oil lamp lighting scratching the surface of the floor.

"Is there anything else I should know about Ellise that could've contributed to this?" Soleil asked, almost straining her words and she did her best to keep herself calm, the need to cry out her words hard to resist. She only knew basics when it came to emergencies such as this, but Soleil was unsure about Ellise. She scolded her many times to lessen nature magic usage before she left. Ellise's pregnancy was another culprit. But first, to get Ellise a better place to lie down. Soleil unclasped her lamp from her belt with shaking fingers and held it up, her eyes narrowed in focus.

"From the depths of my psyche, I call upon you," Soleil chanted as the lamp lit up, "to aid me now. Lend me your strength, ira!" At the last word, the lamp's light flickered and shot out from the confines of its brass cage, wrapping itself around Ellise like a cocoon but left her face open to breathe. Once Soleil felt her demon secured Ellise in its grasp, it started to make its way up the stairs and to her bedroom. As much as Soleil trusted the estate's staff and her family to carry Ellise up to a proper resting place, Soleil didn't trust the unconcious and it's strong link to one's magic. After all, that was what made Soleil ran away. One should never underestimate the enigma that is magic. It was safer this way for the Solbergs and the staff.

"I will try to contain whatever her blasted magic pulls." Soleil declared, chasing after her Ira. "Julius, if you have a potion for this, now's the time to fetch it!"

 

[Cosmos]

…. Voices?…. The resounding and echoing sounds around her were vague in her mind as she squinted to try and see the figures beside her, she could feel the gentle shaking but it was so- distant, her lips slowly opened a little as though trying to get a word out but no sound arose, her fingers felt numb and her head was spinning like crazy, one eye still wincing, was that- Soliel?…. O-Or Julius?…. No, silly…. Only Soliel had black hair-….. Het thoughts were blurred but somewhat happy, as though in a state of quiet, the oil lantern caught her eye despite it's fuzzy form, it was something she remembered well from her childhood, she was always tucked to bed with it, it was always there until-…. until that night when…. And then there wasn't an oil lantern at bedtime anymore…. Only silence.

Her small smile fading at the thought as she felt a strange presence wrap around her, something that almost sent shivers up her spine and before she could think any further she was being moved and simply allowed it, her baby kicking lightly in distress of his mothers situation.

'I'm keeping them Julius! I don't care what you say!? Nobody has the right to just take away someones life!' the memory flooded back into her mind, she'd fought her own family for this child, the child everyone was against except herself, the bastard son of a noble who fled into hiding after it was discovered of her pregnancy…. '…. It's all gonna be okay little one, even if it's just you and me~ I'll always protect you, no matter what…..' It was strange when she'd first started talking to the baby as though it could hear her but for some reason- it just felt so calming, as though she had someone who could listen to all her fears and worries, someone who she knew was always by her side, maybe it was just the random disappearance of Soliel five years ago and then their parents but to her it was special.

As she was placed on the bed the discomfort of remembering things like that showed on her face, her barely conscious state wasn't thinking clearly and sure enough just like always…. The thorns began to creep, arising from below her and wrapping around her ankles and hands like usual, a delicate and slow progression as to not hurt their commander bu a wall of defence against others.

monochromegalaxy The Forgotten Host Midnight Paragon U uesius SapphireSkylines

 

[Midnight Paragon]

Julius was so focused on his spaghetti that he didn't realize a few other members of the table had suddenly stood up that he pulled his eyes from his plate and looked over, mouth full of pasta. When his eyes settled on the collapsed form of his sister, he choked a little as he practically threw his chair backwards and dashed over to the fallen sibling. Ellise's face was scrunched up in pain, and she seemed to be in a sweat. Alfred was holding her upright, and Julius took this chance to feel both her pulse and her magical reserve. Her heart seemed strong, but the magical pool that resides in all magicians was extremely low. He raised an eyebrow in confusion: it very well could have been the cause of her fainting, but how and why was she using her magic...? Ellise's magic had always been...unique in the way it was used: perhaps, with her pregnancy, it's usage was becoming too much for her? In a bit of a panic, Julius stood and turned, eyes closed as he racked his brain for a solution. She would need to be taken back to her chambers, made to rest...maybe one of the stamina salves could? Or maybe something to stabilize her magical pool...He turned around ready to disclose his plan, but Ellise was already gone, and Soliel was nowhere to be seen. Julius put two and two together and figured she must be taking her somewhere to rest, hopefully her room. Julius looked to Alfred with a serious expression. "Go and get a bowl of cold water and a rag and bring them to wherever they're taking Ellise. Now, Alfred!" Julius said, authority ringing in his voice. Julius very rarely sounded like a full blown adult, but when the times he did, you could be sure he wasn't messing around. At a sprint, Julius ran up and the stairs two at a time and dashed down the halls to the library. He threw open the doors to the sanctuary of knowledge and quickly pulled open the secret door to his Potions Room. He ran across the room, scanning bottle after bottle as he searched for correct poultice...

Mentions:
The Forgotten Host ​

 

[The Forgotten Host]

At his master's command, Alfred nodded. He was short on breath, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't follow it to the last word. Shifting into his shadow form, he swooshed through the mansion's hallways to the kitchen, startling a daydreaming maid. He ordered her to get all the items Master Julius asked for. The old man panted heavily, as she scrambled to supply the items to him. But in this short respite, the faintest hint of a smile formed on his face. "Julius. You give your orders like the lord second..." The maid returned sooner than he thought with a pitcher of water, a bowl, and a rag. He grabbed the things and summoned the remainder of his magic to shift into the shadow form. Pain was coursing through his body, as he whisped through the halls. He met his mistress in her room. At this point, his vision was blurring. Stumbling, he carefully placed all the items on the side table, falling on an armchair close by.

"Rest easy, young mistress." He breathed. "Your brother will arrive soon." His eyes were growing heavy, but there was one more thing he could do to help. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his prayer beads. Leaning forward, he whispered prayers for the well-being of Mistress Elise and her unborn son.

Midnight Paragon Cosmos

 

[monochromegalaxy]

Soleil stormed into the room, still focusing on Ira. Seeing the thorns, Soleil removed Ira from Ellise's body, instead, the light shifting into a large, heavily armoured form that stood between Soleil and Alfred in case Ellise's magic goes haywire. Soleil averted her eyes to Alfred in an armchair, who was praying over her little sister. She quietly turned back towards Ellise, keeping an eye on the thorns, feeling her demon next to her whispering incoherent words. To others, it may seem like mindless chattering of a different language. But to Soleil...

"Stupid, stubborn, girl. Why does she never listen? Why is she always endangering herself?"

"Hush, Ira."

"If there was a way to purge her of her nature manipulation abilities, you'd gladly do it, Soleil. I know you would."

"..." Soleil pursed her lips, unable to deny Ira. It was true. Since Ellise's unique ability awakened, Soleil has always despised it, seeing how it affected her dearest little sister. But knowing how happy it makes Elise, Soleil couldn't bring herself to say much back then. Ira finally silent, Alfred's heavy breathing was apparent. The second eldest Solberg approached the retired butler, asking worriedly, "Alfred, what is it? Are you feeling unwell?"

Cosmos The Forgotten Host

 

[The Forgotten Host]

Alfred turned his gaze to his young mistress. He nodded in a vain attempt to look impartial, but his aching lungs betrayed him. "I will be fine." He assured her, his breathing erratic, but showing hints of growing study. "My body cannot maintain... that form like it used to. I just... need to..." Alfred instinctually assumed the form of a shadow cat. It was easier for him to maintain himself this way.

"A-apologies, young mistress." His ears splayed back. He slipped off the arm seat, giving Elise another look. "I will go rest in my quarters." He added, starting to walk away. One could tell his gait was uneven, like a malnourished animal. He had just woken up, and one incident had almost made him bedridden. "I am... no use... like... this..." He fell over, the last of his stamina drained. He was completely aware of his surroundings, but his body absolutely refused anymore demands. It was completely numb.

"How pathetic." The shadow cat mused, lying next to the bed.

monochromegalaxy Cosmos

 

[Cosmos]

Ellise could all but hear the fuss going on in the room around her, Alfred's distant but easily heard heavy breathing, the bowl's clink against the soft oak wood of the table beside her, Soliel rushing in and the strange figure of one of her eldest sisters shadow creations in front, it was something she'd always disliked about her power as a small child, whenever she got like this- too weak to control it the thorns stopped anyone from coming near, even as a small child when she was sick and fevered her own parents couldn't touch her in any attempts to soothe her state, the thorns would lash out and attack, and despite her warnings Soliel had been pricked more than once by them when attempting to sneak in and play with her sick sister.

She was older now though, she kept trying to convince herself she could control them, clenching a fist in an annoyed and yet weak manner the thorns dodged her figures so as to not hurt their mistress, though only tried to spread further in her emotional spike, her panting remaining as her chest heaved in and out weakly, her face flushed as she evidently winced, "…. b-big sis?…." she mumbled, opening her eyes a little, she heard Alfred's cat form collapse beside her after witnessing his form change, looks like she wasn't the only exhausted one around here, "…. you hate-…. me….. don't….. you sis?…." she whispered, her face scrunching up a little like a small child, and truely in this mindset she wasn't much more than that.

monochromegalaxy The Forgotten Host

 

[SapphireSkylines]

Maria gasped upon noticing Elise fall down. She would close the box and put her items in her dress pocket before going to rush over to her sister. She then saw Soleil summon one of her demons to pick up Ellise and take her to her bed. She had a lot more control over her ability, it must've been her training. She then followed Alfred and the rest of her siblings to Ellise's room and knelt down at the side of the bed. "I um.. can try to soothe the symptoms she has with my voice so that she's more comfortable, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to heal her completely." She looked up at Julius and Soleil. "If you two have something that could help her, I would at least try, see if we can't get her breathing to improve."

Maria frowned as she heard Ellise's words and shook her head. "No... Soleil doesn't hate you, she's concerned for you. She loves you, don't you Soleil?"

 

[uesius]

SapphireSkylines Cosmos The Forgotten Host monochromegalaxy Midnight Paragon

Eve took her napkin and folded it in half, then in half again, before setting it down on the empty plate beside her. Now that she had some food in her stomach, she was feeling less angsty. She looked up at Soliel and shook her head. “No, not really.” The expression on her face wasn’t one of sadness, but of acceptance. Eve had a hard time opening up to others and was prone to quickly shutting down any sort of affection from outside her family. When she was younger, like most teenagers her age, she often fantasized about a “prince charming” coming down and swooping her off her feet. However, the real world wasn’t like her imagination, and Eve was okay with that. She continued, “I’m sure with time someone will show up, but it’s not the forefront of my troubles at the moment.”

She looked over at Julius with concern. Surely, being the head of the household, he was bound to have found a suitor by now. After all, a Lord needs a Lady to accompany him with his duties, it was only fair. Having so much strain rested on one person could be detrimental to one’s mental health. But, like herself, Eve knew Julius would eventually find someone worthy of the Solberg name, one who would gladly put up with his curious antics.

Eve looked over at Ellise as she got up and left the room, then tensed as she heard the girl fall to the ground. Her siblings quickly got up and rushed to her aid, leaving Eve sitting at the table alone. A pain of guilt twisted in her stomach, like a knife churning her insides. Here they all were, quickly able to summon her magic in a time of need, and what was she supposed to do? Create a vision of a butterfly out of thin air, to try to distract her sister from her tumble? She shook her head. How selfish. Now’s not the time to pity yourself, she chastised herself as she pushed herself away from the table, pausing to scoot her chair back in.

Eve hurried to Ellise’s side and held her palm, gently massaging her wrist and back of her hand. It was all Eve could think of doing at a time like this. She wasn’t sure whether or not it helped, but it certainly beat sitting at the table and staring at them all while they assisted Ellise. This gesture was something their mother did when they were young to comfort them when they weren’t feeling well.

The sight of the demon startled Eve, but she adeptly maintained her composture, as it was normal for your estranged sibling to return home with otherworldly creatures at her calling. She found herself overwhelmed with questions. Did Soliel always know how to do that, or was this something she learned while away?

She turned back to Ellise and crooned, as a mother might do. “Sshh, it will be alright.” She palmed Ellise’s forehead, then placed the back of her hand against Ellise’s cheek, feeling for any signs of abnormal warmth. She was quite warm, but the dampness of the compress fetched by Alfred would be sure to cool her down.

 

[monochromegalaxy]

Soleil's expression almost faltered as Alfred slipped away. Memento mori, Soleil would often think on her way home. Her family or friends might not stick around as much as she liked to. Maybe that was why she returned out of the blue. Nearly losing a close friend can do that to you.

At the sound of Ellise speaking, Soleil, raised a brow, a look of disbelief on her face. It could be the exhaustion talking, but still, she almost felt offended and disappointed, mostly at herself. Had she not done enough to reassure her love for her family will never break? The few instances where Soleil would get into a disagreement with any of her siblings would always resulted in Soleil feeling guilty afterwards. The 'I hate you's were never said with real hate, for Soleil's anger or annoyance would always vanish in a matter of seconds. She was still human after all.

"Never. If I hated you, or any one of our sisters and brother, did you think I would've gone through the trouble of returning?" Soleil muttered softly, then sighed. Through her demon's eyes, she could see Eve was uncomfortable with its presence. It was an odd combination. A demon made of light?

"Apologies, my dear Eve. Precaution must be taken. I promise I have better control. Unlike last time..."

 

[Cosmos]

Ellise felt Eve's hand gently touch her cheek as her breath shipped out from her lips in a hot and mist like temperature, shallow breaths escaping from her chest, at Soliels voice echoed through her brain as she continued to stare at the ceiling, or whatever the burry image her eyes had settled on was as the thorns continued to spread, "You know-…. I waited every day for two years for you to return…. I always- blamed myself…. If I- just apologised more…. If I was stronger-…. If I was better at my magic…. something- I would've….. I would've been able to make you stay….. It wasn't much but every sunset…. I was-…. there-" she stuttered out with a teary expression, "Now you finally come back…. a-after all this time….. and I'm pregnant to some random guy who I couldn't-…. keep off me he-…. he was able to take advantage of me- I couldn't…. use my thorns he'd already activated…. A-A counter charm and I was so scared-…. I just…." she continued to stutter out, "I-I'm not ready…. to be a mum but I-…. I want…. this child-….." she continued, "…. I'm always-…. s-so weak…. you're all so strong…. I just-…." she stuttered, the thorns continuing to slowly spread out causing her to wince, slowly turning her head sideways, the baby kicking a little she let out a weak chuckle, "W-Wanna…. feel?…." she whispered in a weak tone.

monochromegalaxy U uesius SapphireSkylines Midnight Paragon The Forgotten Host

 

[SapphireSkylines]

Maria smiled weakly at Sol. She knew that Sol's disappearance affected Ellise greatly, clearly this was a conversation that needed to happen between the two of them, so that Soleil could clear the air and explain why she had been gone, that it wasn't Ellise's fault... actually it technically was a conversation she needed to have with all of her siblings. Maria could speculate all day on why she left, but at the end of it all, she still wouldn't know why, unless Soleil finally explained what she did on her journey. Maria then heard Ellise explain herself and as she was hearing the story of how she conceived, Maria's heart sank. Deep down inside, she knew that's how it happened but maybe she didn't want to admit it because the thought of any of her siblings being raped invoked discomfort, rage, and sadness. A part of her wanted to track that guy down and kill him. But she didn't want to hurt Ellise or any of her other siblings by committing murder.. no.. she had to be there. She especially had to be there for her new niece or nephew that didn't ask to come into the world.

Maria breathed in from her stomach and began to sing as she moved her hand up to Ellise's forehead, hoping that her healing voice would at least help soothe whatever was ailing her. "♪You are my sunshine... my only sunshine, you make me happy... when skies are grey. You'll never know dear... how much I love you... please don't take... my sunshine... away...♪" A blue glowing mist would come from Maria's mouth into Ellise's chest as she sang and would stop once she stopped singing. Once she was done she would continue to sit at Ellise's bedside with the rest of her siblings.

 

[monochromegalaxy]

Soleil took a step towards Ellise but stopped, shrinking back by her light demon's side.

"After nearly endangering all of you that day, I..." Soleil trailed off, shutting her eyes in fear as her memory of that day nearly surfaced in her brain. Hoping to drown out the memory with talking, she continued, "I had to run. I needed to control my power. I spent five years doing unspeakable things to uncover my darkest aspects and learn to keep them under control. Five years of having them whisper my darkest thoughts, thoughts I never knew myself are capable of even thinking of. Five years of my family's lives I've missed." She almost sobbed the last sentence, but managed to retain her strong facade. "We Solbergs are strong, my dear Ellise, not perfect. As you can see," Soleil gestured to herself, chuckling out a grim, "I'm a coward. But I refuse to believe any of us are weak. We are all strong in different things, my dear. We're all stronger than we know."

As Maria began to sing, Soleil let out a happy sigh, hit with nostalgia. She had almost forgotten how sweet and soothing her little sister's voice was. A true gift, Soleil thought often. Soleil had attempted singing, but couldn't reach the notes Maria could. If she cannot lull her siblings to sleep with a song, reading them to sleep was always an option.

'If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was an angel,' Soleil thought.

"Hmmm. Eve?" Soleil turned to Eve, whispering quietly so Ellise couldn't hear. "Perhaps you could deceive her into falling asleep and having a good dream? Maybe even deceive her senses to not feel pain? What do you think?"

Cosmos SapphireSkylines U uesius

 

[Cosmos]

Ellise seemed to calm a little at the song, her eyes fluttering closed for a few breath seconds as the pain subsided a little, the thorns retracting eve if only by a bit before she re-opened them and let her head gently tilt sideways to glance timidly at Maria, a light pink blush coming over her cheeks clear on her pale skin. At Soliel's words she looked over with slightly wide eyes and an open mouth before giving a small and kind-hearted smile, one carrying so much innocence and caring nature it could only be one of the youngest sister, "I suppose- y-you and Julius share…. that habit, of knowing- j-just what….. to say…. a-at the…. r-right time, huuh? If only…. I had something like that~…. I'd try to make- ev-everyone happy…." she stuttered out a little awkwardly.

Before wincing a little again, one of the minor contractions coming about, "The doctor-…. said it wouldn't be long…. t-till he's ready to come out it's-…. a- a bit early but it seems he's- j-just as impatient…. as his mother s-so…." she tried to lighten the mov at the kicking, slowly lifting a hand up as the thorns disappeared when she touched her stomach, gently rubbing at the small kicks that could be seen.

SapphireSkylines monochromegalaxy Midnight Paragon The Forgotten Host U uesius