There were moments in life when nothing seemed to be happening and yet things spiraled out of control. To Ali, these moments usually involved boys who didn't even know she existed. Sometimes, recently, it involved Ghosts and professors. Today the feeling came from bookshelves.

She stood on tiptoe, reaching, straining for a book on the very top of the shelf, legs locked and eyes squinted as though the state of her face affected her ability to reach at all. She was looking in the history section, especially historic references to the paranormal, ghosts, anything. But the book she was looking for was of course especially placed where she would not be able to reach it. What a deterrent for smaller, younger students to not delve to far into strange things; just put it above their heads! What folly.

Her scowl didn't get any better, and she gave up with an impolite 'Mmph!' red curls bouncing. She wasn't happy, things weren't working and she wanted her personal healer here right now. Or some kind of ladder. They were of equal worth to her in that moment.

((Long time, no see, these two. Ath and Naul are back by L10 anyway, so it's about time to jump back in some Brunnhold threads. Crashin' your thread seemed appropriate. ))

"You know, some books are put up there on purpose, Miss Denore."

The voice and field were familiar, and yet it felt as though both had been more so in a different time ... weeks ago? ages ago? It was hard to tell. Still, Nauleth's tone was not entirely distant, even if his features carried a hint of a dazed, thoughtful look from a whirlwind of a break.

He still managed a lopsided grin, slowly reaching one hand from his uniform trouser pocket to rest his fingertips on the top shelf, more than a little taunting, "This doesn't look like your typical section," the dark-eyed boy chided, "Something I can reach for you while I'm passing by?"

Horace had just helped the young miss Stephanie to her dorm with one of the heaviest books in existence, yet he still wanted to go to the library. The library seemed to have become his home. He spent all of his free time in between the remarkable shelves full of masterpieces. For some reason a new subject had struck his fancy, the paranormal. He had know idea why such an odd subject had crept into his mind, but it seemed quite intriguing.

As he walked around the bend he saw to very familiar figures, Nauleth Siordanti and Alisoina Denore. He had met the two on two seperate occasions, he wasn't even sure if the two knew each other, to him this could have just been a chance of fate.

He approached the two with slight caution, he wasn't afraid of them per say, but he did not want a magma cast on him. He didn't know if the two could hear him so he quietly slipped a book out of the shelf, it so happened to be Woman and ghost: The untold truth.

You have to be clocking kidding me.

He quietly opened the book as if he picked it on purpose, skimming the pages with very odd illustrations. "Such an unconventional subject, is it not?" he said to the the two, showing his amazing social skills.

She whirled, unable to contain the happy smile with a forced scowl. Nauleth! Although it had only been a week, it seemed like a much vaster amount of time than just the few days. If they had been less than Ali and Naul, she would have hugged him. As it stood...

"It's that very purpose that makes me want them, Mister Siordanti. I'm not one to be kept from something I want." Her hand magically gravitated to her hip, and there was a little teasing bite to her grin. Well, if she fought hard enough anyway. She couldn't have people, but like hell was she going to let something as inane as height get in her way. She had her standards, and currently boys were at the bottom. Ish. She had an adventure now anyway!


Narrowing her eyes at the comment about her normal fare, she was about to comment that he should just download the entire top self for her when someone else sauntered into the section. Ho-- Horace, yes that was the name of the young man who'd been in the sweets shop and the library and whatever other fiascoes she'd had lately. With a toss of bright curls, she shrugged at his comment about her lack of convention.

The gall to interrupt her answer made her response to the sixth form rather cutty. "Well, to be quelled withing the confines of conformity is not something I wish to be, Mister Aquila." Her tone was cutty, coolly angry. Turning back to Nauleth, unconcerned if the freakishly tall student continued to linger. "And yes, Nauleth, I was looking at that one--" She pointed to a book bound in red leather and very pristine in appearance. "Hallowed Cities of Sleep. It's got a section about Brunnhold I want to look through."

"If you get too caught up in silly ghost stories," Naul's tone was almost chiding, lifting the book from the shelf to continue to hold it above the younger girl's head, treating Alisoina very much like a sibling, "Athrym will be most disappointed when you're too busy to be her maid of honor."

He offered her the book with a broad, lopsided grin, expression making obvious the results of their week in Vienda. There might have even been a hint of color that rose to his sharp, pale cheeks at the implication. It was good news, good enough that he held his tongue from snapping a comment at Horace, relinquishing the book to the red-head.

"So, you'd best be careful. I've heard you haven't been." He added sternly, a protective edge to his voice, "There'll be a wedding sooner than later, understand?"

Alisoina's words cut into Horace like a knife. He didn't mean to offend, he was in the section too. He liked Miss Denore's company, though. He didn't want to leave just yet. So he would make her think he was oblivious.

Horace was going to say something about the recent ghost activity in vita, but then Naul said something not to be suspected. Nauleth and Miss Bruthgrave are going to be wed!?

"Well congratulations, my good man!" Horace did not know Nauleth that well but a wedding was a cause for celebration even for the most strange of strangers. "Have you told anybody else? When's the date? When did this all happen?" Horace was rather surprised. He knew that Nauleth loved, proof being how he talked about her on the twenty ninth, but he wasn't expecting a marriage.

Athrym had spent the better part of the 10th just being, absorbing all that had happened in the eventful week away from school. Taking her time to dress this morning, she looked at herself in the mirror as she buttoned up her uniform, reaching up to brush her fringe out of her eyes, running her fingers through her platinum blonde hair. It was longer than when she'd last looked at it, just past her shoulders. Looking into her own blue eyes, she studied her features.

She looked the same, features were still the same, but she didn't feel the same. Too much had changed. She felt like she'd matured, grown. The girl that used to look out of the mirror was now seemed like a stranger. There was a young woman there now. A lady. Lifting her chin, she smiled a little, before turning and striding out of the dorm.

Walking through the halls, she barely noticed the other students, above their petty rumors and lies. Striding with a light sort of step, she moved towards one of the first places she knew she could find her friends. The library.

Pushing through the doors, she slowed, turning slowly, field reaching out for a familiar touch. There were at least two in here, the two she wanted to see most. Moving towards them, she smiled a little more.



Slipping up beside Naul, she glanced at Horace.

"Are we discussing what I think we're discussing?" She asked in a soft, teasingly unaware voice.

A pause, lime eyes wide.


As though it were from some ecstatic bird, Ali's voice shilled for a moment before she clamped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. Nevertheless, her eyes sparkled with utter glee. A Wedding! There was going to be a wedding! She had so many questions, they got ties up in her mouth and she contented herself just to smile a moment though her hands, accepting the book before promptly tucking it under one arm and forgetting it.

"Really? Oh Alioe this is-- I can't-- oh you should have told me sooner I was wondering-- and her parents didn't eat you alive? Oh my oh my!" She was trying to keep her voice down, but she wasn't managing very well.


Whirling, Ali didn't even pause to consider formality with this, her bestest best friend. dropping the book she rushed over and enveloped Athrym in a quick, tight, totally improper hug, buoyed up by the good news. "Of course we are this is amazing oh goodness I can't believe it I'm so happy for you!"

Releasing the older girl, she did notice the change in her. Athrym was so much less... what? Brittle? Broken? Jagged? Something in her had changed, and while for the better, Ali felt a stone sink within her. She and Athrym were so very different now, even more so than before. As Ali had grown out of the trivialities of childhood, Athrym was aging beyond the piddling concerns of Brunnhold and little redheads. It hurt in the same way it felt good, because now, now Athrym was happy.

Like a good friend, Alisoina pushed aside her own fears of abandonment and reclaimed the excitement. A wedding! "So is there a date, yes or no? Have you anywhere particular in mind? We must have dresses! Oh my!" Her enthusiasm was radiating off her like heat off a kettle, and she didn't notice she was parroting the sixth year.

Leaning to pick up the book, she tried to look at both Nauleth and Athrym at the same time. She had missed them so! Now, she had lots to catch up on. Ghosts, for this once, be damned.

What color had risen to the dark-eyed boy's cheeks at Horace's congratulations and Alisoina's excitement only deepened into a heated flush at Athrym's proximity once she spoke. It was not in chagrin for getting caught discussing their plans, however, so much as a warm wash of memories from a long, exciting week and an even longer, expressive carriage ride back to Brunnhold from Vienda. Nauleth bit his lip, caught off-guard by the effect the blonde now had on his person.

Laughing almost sheepishly at the younger red-head's excitement, he waited for her to release the older girl before snatching Athrym's hand and smirking amusedly at the other, taller boy,

"Er, no, we haven't told anyone else yet, seeing as we just ... got back yesterday. I don't expect we'll really be telling too many people, so I suppose you can consider yourself bearer of privileged news. Just don't go spreading it around and you'll save yourself a trip to the Lawn." Naul snickered, though he was quite serious, and shifted his gaze toward Alisoina, interlacing his fingers with the blonde's, teasing,

"One question at a time, Miss Denore." He chuckled, deciding to leave the better answers to Athrym instead of himself.

Horace chuckled slightly, he realized Naul was serious. The look in his eye gave it away. Ever since he heard Nauleth had cast magma, he didn't want to anger the older student. Horace smiled at the two female students in front of him.

"Wow, such a prestigious postion, Alisoina. You must be quite happy?" Horace picked up the book Alisoina dropped. He slipped it back into the empty slot it came out from. He turned to Nauleth. "And don't worry, Nauleth, I won't tell a soul. I am actually rather happy to be holding such privileged information. I came in here looking for a book on ghost and I find out an acquaintance is getting married." Horace turned back to Athrym. "This must be one of the most times of your life. A girl only gets married once... usually, take all the joy this time brings you with open arms."

Athrym laughed as the young red head crushed her in an embrace, hugging her back warmly. She'd not realized how much she'd missed Ali, and her enthusiasm was infectious.



The platinum blonde glanced at Naul as the girl pulled back, not able to answer all her questions.

"Like Naul said, we've only just got back, so I don't know anything yet. Except maybe dresses." Shooting Alisoina an almost daunting look, she shook her head.

"My mother is sort of interested in certain traditions. She will probably want to talk to us together about dresses." Smiling as Nauleth took her hand, the blue eyed girl looked at him again, noting the change in his color and the catch of his lip. Her smile widened and a hint of color rose to her own pale cheeks, dropping her gaze to the floor, she hid behind her fringe. The ride back from Vienda had been more than she could have expected, and it had expelled some of the fears she had clung to for so long. Glancing up at him through a curtain of white blonde hair, she couldn't help but grin at their shared secret.



Athrym looked up sharply, smile fading, looking first at Horace then at Alisoina with a slight tilt of her head. Was Ali still caught up in this ghost story? The older student narrowed her eyes a little, studying the girl. She looked so different. Older in some ways, perhaps a little distracted.



Looking at Horace, she shook her head for a moment, concentrating on what he'd actually said.

"What, oh yes. Sound advise." Glancing at Alisoina again, she raised an eyebrow.

"So, Ali, we need to discuss so much. All three of us." Looking at Nauleth again, she squeezed his hand gently. They had to discuss not only the wedding, but she wanted to have a chat about this ghost business.

Oh my.

Something had changed, alright.

Ai wasn't altogether sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing her Athrym and her Nauleth were behaving like every other Susan and Harold in love that fogged the halls. They seemed less kill-you-now, then again, that was one of the things Alisoina had always liked about the pair. They never compromised.

Perhaps it was just a thing, like those illnesses that came around every spring. It would come and go and they would be back to snarking and ripping other students to shreds. Alioe, she'd offer herself to the slaughter if it meant they'd go back to being them.

For the first time in months, Ali felt totally alone again. It wasn't a pleasant feeling at all. Sucking in her bottom lip, she was almost thankful for Horace. Almost. His presence made it harder for them to explain how happy they were, how little they needed a redhead who seemed to be nothing but stupidity and curls.

"Yes! Much to discuss!" Ali retrieved the book, tucking it into the slope of her growing hips. She wasn't sure if all that was going to be said was abut Athrym... but the least said about ghosts to Athrym, the better. She had her own concerns. A girl with a fixation didn't need to be one of them.

"As long as we're all meaning to talk about the living, that is."

Naul smirked, tone of voice still stern, practically bordering on the threatening. The only encounter in his life with ghosts had been more than enough for the rest of his lifetime as far as he was concerned. The boy didn't really know the details of Alisoina's involvement, save for a mention from Frederick. He didn't like the sound of it and wanted to know more but wasn't really interested in prying.

Athrym narrowed her eyes slightly at the redhead, well aware the girl was holding something back. She knew her to well.



Nodding slightly, the blonde smiled a little.

"Indeed." Sighing, she pushed the whole topic aside for a moment and broadened her smile.

"So, Alisoina, why don't we all meet up at lunch? The usual table? It would be good to eat together again."

Horace realized that his time with the group was done, there were matters that he was not a part of. The wedding seemed like it was going to be a small gathering of friends, which he was not. Nauleth and Athrym were such a couple, they were meant for each other. Horace didn't want to cause any unwanted stress, which he seemed to cause ... a lot.

"Well it seems my time here is done. I'll see you guys later. Good luck with the wedding you two, and Alisoina ... I'll see you around." He smiled at the group and started to walk away.

Ali nodded, marking the time in her mind. She'd try and be there on time, she was just-- forgetful, these days. Moreso than ever before. Not one to cast blame, she had only the current saga of the undead to pull at her mind, but still she would swear nothing was wrong. That steel made itself apparent in her eyes as she smiled and bobbed.

"Yes yes! I shall endeavor to be there on time, but I do have some things to take care of with my professors and Miss Rosthren... Eee I have to hear all about this! I'll try really hard no get there!" She was mostly enthralled with her friends but still there remained a taste of Couldin in her mind. He was green and fresh and strong, like sap and filled with all that potency. Athrym was crisp, like fresh linens, and Naul was a tickler of strong green apple. The tastes warred, but... Athrym won. She'd be there if she possibly could, no doubt.