Author's Note: I just wanted to take a moment and wish all of my friends a very Merry Christmas, and if I don't get a chance to update again beforehand, Happy New Year's as well :D
The following morning, the Grandmaster was noticeably absent from breakfast when Olivia sat down at her usual table with Morgan, Alex, Bay, and Gat, her small circle of friends. As the kids on kitchen duty served the others oatmeal and fresh fruit, the young Cryomancer kept looking at her father's spot at the head of the room at the table where the teachers sat, waiting for him to show up. He was never late to anything; punctuality was his M.O. But he never came. Her mother was there, and once, she caught her daughter staring hopefully. The only time her dad ever missed a meal was when he was sick or too upset to be around people. So if he came to breakfast like normal, then perhaps he'd forgiven her and wouldn't take away her Rite of Ascension. But the nurse sadly frowned at her and silently shook her head no. Like a whipped dog, Olivia hung her head.
"Are you gonna eat that?" Bay asked as he pointed to her orange. Before she even had a chance to respond, the Hydromancer Elite reached across the table and snatched it from her.
"No, really, I don't mind," Olivia said crossly, even though she felt too sick to her stomach to even look at the food sitting on the table before her.
Bay was technically her uncle. After her grandfather, Halsey, was automated by the old Lin Kuei, the Black Dragon used his semen to artificially inseminate a Tibetan prisoner, the same as Alex and Gat and several of the other Elites now serving. But he was only two years older than her and had a sense of humor just like her Uncle Tomas', so they became good friends growing up. And every morning, he stole food from her just to make her laugh. That morning, however, she was not in the mood.
"Geez, who peed in your Cheerios?" he asked, peeling the orange.
"Shut up," she snapped, rubbing her aching head. Her blood pounded hard like a hammer through the veins and arteries running over her skull.
"She had a rough night," Morgan explained as she rubbed her best friend and cousin's shoulder. And then she filled the group in on everything that had happened.
"You're so lucky!" Gat, Cyrax's son, said when she was finished. "What was it like?" he asked eagerly.
"Loud," Olivia said, burying her face in her arms on the tabletop. "Very, very loud."
"I didn't mean the club, I meant the fight," he said, leaning over the table to get closer to her. "All we've done is practice. What was it like to fight for real? What kind of physics were involved? Did everything go like the Masters told us it was supposed to?"
"Switch off," Alex told him, pushing him back with a frown. "This isn't science class."
Olivia, meanwhile, looked at Gat with an astonished yet disgusted expression on her face. "Look at me," she hissed as she pointed to her black eye. It was swollen completely shut. "Does it look like I had fun? Does it look like I had time to take notes about it?"
Gat shrugged. "It looks as if everyone is staring at you," he said as he took a bite of his oatmeal.
"Let them," Morgan said, defiantly thrusting out her chin at him. "My dad would say it's a badge of honor."
"Dad wouldn't say that," Alex scoffed as he stared at her. "He'd make a joke-"
"Not that dad," she interrupted. "My other dad. Fujin." As she spoke his name, she proudly smiled and gripped a gold pendant that hung from a thin chain around her neck. It was small and round, with a rolling wave of lines sweeping across it to symbolize the wind. "He would say it's a badge of honor because Olivia defended herself against that pig."
"You think he'd let me stay with him at the Temple of the Elements for a while when my dad kicks me out?" Olivia sarcastically groaned, though there was the slightest hint of sincerity in her question.
Morgan smiled sympathetically and started to answer when suddenly, Tommy and Dominic, Olivia's younger twin brothers, along with Sam, her baby sister, flopped down at the table beside Gat and Bay. All three were Hydromancers like their mother, with Tommy and Dom born to the Warrior Class while Sam was a Healer like Anya. And all three got on Olivia's last nerve; she had absolutely nothing in common with any of them and tried to avoid them as much as possible.
"So, there's a lot to talk about in the Temple today," Tommy opened, crossing his arms. His lavender eyes glittered in amusement. "Word on the street is that Dad is going to send you away like he did to Aunt Miyuki."
"Go to hell, you little jackass," Olivia snarled, feeling ice creep into her hands at the mention of her crazy aunt. "This is completely different."
"Yeah," Alex agreed with her. "My dad said she was psychotic and evil and tried to kill your mom. Several times. The Grandmaster had no choice." He glared pointedly at the Hydromancer.
"What happened, sis?" Dom now asked, though his tone was more of concern than Tommy's. "Spill it. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she snapped. "I'd be even better if people would just stop talking about it."
"I hope you at least kicked some serious butt before you got that," her other brother joked about her black eye.
"Why don't you let Mom heal you?" Sam asked. "You look like you don't feel very good. Or I can do it if you want."
"I'm fine!" Olivia yelped for what felt like the millionth time in a day. Then she jumped to her feet and stormed off.
"Olivia-" Alex called, but she ignored him and kept walking, quickly leaving the mess hall and all the eyes staring at her. Her footsteps on the stone floor echoed far too loudly in her ears, drowning out the sound of her own voice berating herself for screwing up so badly, and the sound of her friends constantly asking if she was okay, and her parents yelling at her, and her father not coming to breakfast…Too bad the dull thud of her footsteps couldn't mask the overwhelming thorn of pain that pierced her heart.
"Hey," she heard Morgan call a moment later. "Olivia, stop!"
Finally, the Cryomancer obeyed. She stopped by the Grand Window, a two story tall pane which, during the spring and summer, revealed a magnificent view of the rolling hills of Arctika. Right now, though, it was pitch black outside with no moon to illuminate the snow, even though it was a little after seven. Her lips were quivering and tears prickled at her eyes as she turned around, and she knew if she said a single word, there would be nothing she could do to stop them from overflowing. So she remained silent as she watched her best friend catch up to her.
"Where are you going?" the Hydromancer demi-goddess asked as she raised her eyebrow.
Olivia shook her head. "My dad is such a jerk," she whimpered as her voice collapsed and she sank into her friend's arms. "None of this would've happened if it weren't for him," she sobbed.
"He is not the easiest guy to talk to," Morgan agreed, nodding her head yes on the Cryomancer's shoulder. "And if I think that, then I can only imagine how you feel."
"You're lucky that you have such a cool dad," she sniffed. "Two of them." She pulled away and looked her in the eye. "My dad keeps me locked up in this Temple, and I'm never allowed to have fun or do anything but what he tells me to do."
"Hey, my dads may be fun," Morgan began, crossing her arms, "but I have entirely different problems with them. Tomas has a Peter Pan complex. Like, somewhere along the way, I became more mature than him. So I don't tell him a lot of stuff because he'd probably just make a joke about it." She sighed. "Fujin, on the other hand, knows everything about me because I can't lie to him. He'd just look into my soul and see if I was telling the truth or not. Nothing is sacred. But he's not around much."
"Fathers suck," Olivia grumbled, wiping the tears from her face. She cringed as she dried her bruised eye. It was very tender and sore.
"Sometimes," she agreed. "If we were a different sort of young people, we might just feel obligated to do something about it." Morgan half-smiled and wrapped her arm around Olivia as the two started walking towards the Grandmaster's office.
They walked in silence for a few minutes. "Yeah, well now I have to go talk to mine," Olivia eventually complained. "And I don't want to talk to him. He's just gonna tell me how much I suck before he takes away my Rite of Ascension."
"It's not like he gave you a choice," Morgan scoffed. "You can't not show up."
"What makes you think I don't want you to kill me?" she grumbled.
"I would, but I like bothering you," she said. Then suddenly, she straightened and looked at her friend. "Hey, I know how you can get him to lay off."
Olivia raised her eyebrow. "How?"
"Just cry," she suggested. "It always works for me. Tomas backs down in a hurry when I play that card." She laughed, which made the Cryomancer smile. "Men don't seem to know how to handle it. Crying scares them. I bet you could use it on Alex too."
"Thanks," she said, "but I don't think that'll work on my dad."
"Why not?"
"Because, in order to do that, he'd have to have a soul and feelings, and he has none of those things. Except anger. Lots and lots of anger."
"It's worth a try," she shrugged as they reached the Grandmaster's office. Then Morgan hugged Olivia. "Good luck, sweetie," she said.
"Thanks," she replied as she watched her best friend walk back towards their dorm.
Olivia now nervously wrung her aching hands as she worked up the courage to knock on her father's office door. He was mad at her like she'd never seen him before, and she was afraid of what he'd say or do. He just couldn't take away her Rite of Ascension. He just couldn't! That familiar ball of pain welled up in her throat, and she struggled to swallow it while she debated for several long minutes on whether or not to knock.
"You're going to have to face him eventually," a masculine voice soon said behind her, his words laced with a Czech accent. Olivia jumped, startled from her thoughts, and then looked at her Uncle Tomas with her one good eye. He stood behind her with his arms sternly crossed and all traces of his normal mirth gone from his face. "If it was me, I'd want to get it over with sooner rather than later."
Olivia nodded. "I'm just…I don't…I-" she stammered, unable to find the words she wanted.
"Very eloquent," he chided her. "Your sassy comebacks never fail to impress me." He scoffed and then squeezed by her, knocking on the door for her. The loud noise was like a death knell, and she looked at her feet as she waited for her father to answer it.
"Uncle Tomas?" she asked meekly, hating that she'd made him angry with her too. He was usually the first one to defend her when she screwed up. "My dad said he might take away my Rite of Ascension."
The cyber-ninja's expression suddenly softened to one of near pity. He sighed. "You know, Olivia, when I was a child, I was punished in ways I'm glad you can't imagine. But as ornery as I behaved, my elders never threatened to take my Rite of Ascension away." He looked at her wistfully and then patted her undamaged cheek. "You should probably think about getting your act together," he knowingly added as he smiled sadly at her.
Olivia nodded, and in a few seconds, she heard her father's heavy boots stomp towards the other side of the door. He flung it open and immediately looked from Tomas to her to Tomas again. His daughter, meanwhile, looked at her feet, afraid to step one more toe out of line lest she lose her Rite of Ascension on the spot. Even though she couldn't see it, she felt his scowl burning twin holes through her skull.
"She's been standing out here for the last fifteen minutes," the cyber-ninja reported, his voice almost smiling in amusement. "She seemed to be having trouble remembering how to knock. So, I helped. You're welcome." And with that, he walked off.
Olivia's father looked down on her, his gaze ominous and piercing. She didn't even have to look him in the eyes to know that they were colder than Arctika during a blizzard. "Come in," he growled, opening the door wider to allow her to step inside his office and personal library. When she was inside, he closed the door behind her and motioned for her to sit in the short-backed padded leather chair that stood before his giant mahogany desk. Nervously, she walked towards it, vaguely thinking about how many times he and she had done this dance in the last year. She was constantly in his office, being reprimanded, but those times, she'd never felt scared. Today, however, she felt as if she were walking to the electric chair.
"We missed you at breakfast," she softly opened, hoping to ferret out her punishment as quickly as possible.
The Grandmaster merely grunted as he sat in his own chair behind his desk and looked at her pointedly. "I wasn't hungry," he growled. "I was too busy thinking of what I should do to you."
"Please don't take my Rite of Ascension away!" she blurted out, fighting hard not to cry again. "I'll do anything you want, just please don't take it from me."
"I haven't decided whether or not I should," he coldly replied as he leaned forward and folded his fingers into a triangle on his desk. "I had hoped this conversation could help me make my decision." He sighed and looked at her with his piercing blue eyes, the same ones she had. "Do you know what you did to your mother and me?" he growled. "Your mother has been crying most of the night. And I don't even want to think about what could've happened to you…" He trailed off, and his voice threatened to break as he glanced at a picture frame on his desk. The photo was one of him and her when she was a toddler, she knew. "What on earth possessed you to do something so stupid?" he demanded to know.
Olivia nervously wrung her hands again and then looked to the floor, but had trouble finding her words. She hadn't meant to make her mother cry. That was a new low for her.
"The answer isn't on the floor," the Grandmaster said. "So you need to look at me. Now."
She gulped and looked at him. "Jacqui and I didn't want to," she quickly said. "It was Cassie's idea-"
"Cut the bull," he snapped. "You've got a mind of your own and you've marched to the beat of your own drum your whole life, regardless of what anyone thought. So I'm not going to let you sit there and pass the blame off on Cassie." He scowled. "I wholeheartedly believe she was the ringleader in this nonsense, but you should've had the courage to say no."
"I went along with it because I didn't want to look like a baby," she said.
"Who cares what you look like?"
"I do!" she yelled, suddenly angry. "You always treat me that way. I couldn't stand it if they did too."
"I don't care what your reasons are-"
"What are you talking about?" she hissed. "You just told me to tell you why I went to that club with them. That's my reason." Furiously, she crossed her arms and turned her face towards the wall of books, scowling.
"Livy, you're almost eighteen," he said with equal venom. "The Rite of Ascension is designed to prove how much you've learned in your training. Not just your skill as a martial artist, but as a person. And so far, I'm not impressed with you."
She scoffed. "Of course not."
"And do you really think I believe this whole thing is about you feeling like I treat you like a baby?" he snarled. "I'm not stupid. I know there's something else going on. So why don't you come clean now? What are you hiding?"
She glared at him. "I'm not hiding anything," she lied. She thought of Alex again and her relationship with him. They'd been together for a year now, and a few months prior, they took each other's virginity, and had been intimate several times since. If Olivia's parents knew about the complete and utter depth of their relationship, Alex would be dead meat in spite of his adamancy that the Grandmaster looked at him like a son. She couldn't tell her father the truth.
"Then why won't you let your mother heal you?" he shot back, not convinced. "Why haven't you let her or your Aunt Kailyn or any of the Hydromancers touch you for the last year?"
"Because I have a space bubble," she sassed.
"Or because you know they'll see what's really bothering you and tell me."
Olivia shrugged. "Whatever," she grumbled.
"This attitude is precisely why I don't think you're ready to test," he sighed.
"Yes, I am," she argued. "No one in my age group works harder than me."
"When you show up," he countered. "But you've been skipping your classes a lot lately. Why is that?"
"I am the best in my age group," she growled, ignoring his question, her voice dropping a couple of octaves.
"That's not true," he said. "You cut class, you lie to me and your mom constantly, you get into fights with your classmates, and now you nearly get arrested sneaking into a bar. By my count, that makes you the worst in your age group."
Tears filled Olivia's eyes. It was like he'd just slapped her in the face. "God, you never listen!" she exploded as the tears burst from her eyes.
"I could say the same for you," he hissed. "And since I am older and more experienced than you, perhaps you should be the one who listens."
"What should I listen to?" she challenged, furious. "You always telling me I suck?"
"That's not going to work on me," he retorted. "I'm not easily manipulated."
"God, I can't ever talk to you!" she shouted through angry sobs. "This is all your fault!"
"My fault?" he indignantly said. "I didn't make you go to New York. You're the one who begged me. And I certainly didn't make you go to a club that you're not allowed to go into until you're twenty-one."
She glared at him. "Maybe so, but if I could ever just talk to you, none of this would've happened. Maybe I wouldn't have been so desperate to get out of this prison and away from you!"
Once more, the Grandmaster looked bewildered. "Livy," he began, his tone softer, "I know I'm not the perfect parent, but if you ever want to talk to me, you know you always can."
She angrily wiped her eyes. "No, I can't," she argued.
"And why not?"
"Because you're not the most approachable person in the world," she snapped as she pulled her knees on the chair and to her chest. "You always treat me like a baby and then get mad over every little thing I say. I don't trust you at all. I don't even like you. So why on earth would I want to talk to you?"
For the first time during their conversation, it was his turn to look wounded. "I see," he quietly said as pain filled his blue eyes. He cleared his throat. "Livy, if that's how you feel, then we need to work on that."
"How can we?" she demanded to know. "A leopard can never change its spots. At least, that's what Sifu Bomani says all the time."
He tensed. "You don't even know me," he hissed.
"That's right!" she yelled, even though the noise split her brain in two. "Because you never talk to me like an adult. Only like a little baby that always needs to be protected."
"We're getting off track here," he growled. "No matter what you're feeling, that didn't justify you breaking the law and getting into a fight."
She bitterly chuckled beneath her breath. "Have you ever stopped to think that I did all that just because I knew it would make you mad?" She shook her head. "You are ready to spit nails about it, and not because I scared you or you're worried about me, but because for once, I did something that you couldn't control."
"So you did all this just to thumb your nose at me?" he repeated. "Do you know how stupid you sound right now? And was it worth it? Getting in a fight, nearly getting assaulted. Was all that worth sticking it to me?"
"Yes," she growled.
"Livy-"
"Stop calling me Livy!" she erupted. "I am not a baby!"
Immediately, more hurt and confusion filled her father's eyes. "I've always called you that," he argued, puzzled. "Ever since you were born."
"And it's stupid and babyish," she snapped. "I hate it. Just like I hate you."
"Liv…I mean, Olivia," he began. "I-"
"Look, can I go now?" she interrupted in her most hateful tone. "I already know you're gonna take my Rite of Ascension away. So we have nothing more to discuss."
The Grandmaster sighed and nodded his head yes. "Go help your mother in the infirmary today," he said.
Olivia said nothing more as she got to her feet and left his office as fast as she could without running. The ball of pain swelled uncomfortably through her throat and prickled at her eyes, threatening to spill over. By the time she reached the door, she was shuddering from fighting the tears. When she closed the door behind her, she lost all control and began bawling.
"You know she's out there, crying in the hallway, don't you?" Tomas asked as he materialized in the chair Livy had just vacated.
"I suspected," Kuai Liang replied as he rubbed his temples. His head hurt.
"Please tell me you're not really going to take her Rite of Ascension away," he said. "Please tell me that's just a bluff to get her to shape up and fly right."
"I have to do something, Tomas," he yelped. "She doesn't care about anything else."
"Yeah, but come on," he said, frowning. "I was way worse than she is, and Bi-han was worse than me. You remember what he did before he tested? Mr. 'I ask permission of nobody.' If Oniro let us test and he hated us, why wouldn't you let Olivia test?"
"I just don't think she's ready."
The Enenra scoffed. "Of course she is," he defended. "She's not wrong about being the best student in her age group."
"She cuts class all the time-"
"She cuts class because she's bored with it, my pr̆ítel. It's not challenging enough anymore."
"Then maybe I need to make class harder on her," he muttered.
"Maybe," he shrugged. "She is your daughter."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Tomas grinned. "She's determined to get things right, no matter how many times she messes up. You mean to tell me that doesn't sound like someone we both know?" He looked at Kuai Liang pointedly. "Make it harder on her so that she has plenty of opportunity to mess up."
"She catches on much more quickly than I ever did," he pointed out.
"Well, she gets her brains from her mother," he joked.
"Har har," the Cryomancer jeered. "She gets her stubbornness from her mother," he corrected.
Tomas burst into laughter. "Oh, who are you trying to fool?" he asked with a smile. "You and I both know better."
"What am I going to do with her?" he sadly sighed. "I don't really treat her like a baby, do I?"
The cyber-ninja shrugged. "Kind of," he admitted.
Kuai Liang looked at him in wide-eyed surprise. "What?"
"Look, my pr̆ítel, don't take this the wrong way," he said, throwing his hands up deferentially, "but you're a little too overprotective of all of your children, not just her. The other three just haven't figured it out yet."
"I care about them, Tomas," he indignantly replied.
"Well, of course you do," he said. "But I just think that sometimes, caring means letting them spread their wings to fly."
Kuai Liang pondered the wisdom of that for a long moment, but his mind couldn't let go of the things Livy had said to him. She didn't trust him, didn't like him, and in fact, hated him. The news astonished him. Because she was the only Cryomancer amongst his children, he'd always thought he'd shared a special bond with her. When she'd first discovered her powers years ago, and she was scared of them, terrified she'd accidentally freeze someone to death, it was he who'd calmed her and taught her how to control them. As she grew up and her powers over ice and snow became stronger, they would talk for hours about it and imagine all the things they both could do. They used to spend hours outside practicing in the snow, building igloos and forts for the kids to play in, making snowmen and sledding down hills on sleds they formed out of ice. It was a relationship no other member in the Temple could boast about having. He'd taken it for granted that she'd always feel that way too. The revelation that she felt anything but love for him stabbed at his heart like an ice pick.
"She told me not to call her 'Livy' anymore," he complained, his voice grief-stricken.
"Yeah, well, she said a lot of things that she shouldn't have," he muttered. "I've never heard her talk to you like that before. And I can't believe you let her off the hook so easy."
"If I postpone her Rite of Ascension, that'll be punishment enough for everything," he replied. "Where did I go so wrong with her?" he asked a moment later, the hopelessness and regret overwhelming his heart. "How did I make her hate me?"
Tomas sighed. "I don't think she really hates you, my prijtel," he said. "I think she's just mad. And parents are the bones on which children cut their teeth."
"Do you believe her when she says she's just sick of being treated like a baby?" Kuai Liang abruptly asked.
"No, there's definitely something else," he said. "And I think Alex and Morgan know what it is."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because whenever I bring it up and try to grill them for information, they clam up."
"Maybe I should just have someone hold her long enough for Anya to touch her," he mused. "Or maybe we should get Fujin to talk to her. He'd figure it out in two seconds flat."
"Absolutely not," Tomas said, tensing.
"I know that you hate it when he comes to see Morgan-"
"That's not it," he interrupted. He paused, sighing. "Look, Olivia already thinks she's a prisoner in this Temple. If you go invading her privacy, if you hold her down and force her to give up her secrets, you're only proving her right. How would you have felt if your dad did that to you?" Kuai Liang looked at him for the longest time, not saying anything, so he continued. "Patience, my pr̆ítel. She'll tell you herself when she's ready."
"Then what do I do in the meantime?" he asked in desperation.
"Make her Rite of Ascension really difficult," he suggested. "She'll have to prove her worth both physically and spiritually."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Send her somewhere for an extended leave of absence," he said. "Somewhere far enough away from you to count as an actual test. She'll have to learn to survive without you constantly protecting her and keeping her safe."
Kuai Liang did not like the sound of this so far. "And where is this place at?" he skeptically prodded.
"Send her to continue her training with Hanzo Hasashi and the Shirai Ryu," he said.
"Uh-uh, no way," the Grandmaster said the moment he heard the suggestion. He got to his feet and started pacing by his collection of rare books. "I am not sending her to our rival clan."
"Former rivals," Tomas corrected.
"Doesn't matter," he said. "I'm not sending my daughter to Japan by herself for several months. She couldn't even handle a weekend in New York."
"Would you just keep an open mind?" he said. "Her time with Scorpion would undoubtedly challenge her skill as a martial artist and force her to grow up both emotionally and spiritually."
"And undoubtedly traumatize her for life," he added. And then a new thought occurred to him. "Besides which, this is a moot point anyway. He'd never agree to this. He only trains boys."
"Maybe he'd make an exception," Tomas said. "He does owe you a favor."
"You're missing the point," he argued. "I don't want her to go. She belongs here in the Temple with me and her family."
"That is all the more reason why she should go," he insisted. "Maybe a break from each other would do you both good. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that nonsense."
"That is a stupid saying."
"Look, Kuai Liang, she needs to test her wings in this world," he argued. "She can't do that if you're constantly hovering over her, watching her every move." Tomas got to his feet and joined his friend, resting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "My pr̆ítel, it's time to let the baby bird leave the nest and learn how to fly."
Kuai Liang thought about it, and frowned when he realized he was giving serious consideration to Tomas' idea. The mere thought of Livy leaving the Temple, however, hurt him almost as bad as the words she'd spat at him earlier. She'd never been away from him for more than a weekend, at times when he and Anya would drop the kids off at his mother's house so they could have some much-needed alone time. But for several months and thousands of miles away in a clandestine clan full of nothing but men? The thought sat poorly in his gut.
But what if Tomas was right? Maybe time with Hanzo – who was sure to challenge Livy more than anyone – would make her appreciate what she had at home. She would also benefit under his tutelage; Raiden often raved about what an astounding teacher he was, and usually he brought it up when he was trying to needle the Cryomancer. But knowing Hanzo, the reports were accurate. The Shirai Ryu, when he'd observed them in recent years, were well-disciplined warriors with unimpeachable morality. Livy could come back with a deeper understanding of Ninjitsu and other Japanese martial arts, and perhaps a new-found respect for him, her family, her friends, and her entire clan.
Kuai Liang weighed the pros and cons in his mind, but came up with no discernable answer either way. He sighed. "I can't summon Scorpion here until I am a hundred percent certain this is the right course of action," he began.
"So what are you going to do?"
"I need a second opinion."
"From who?"
Kuai Liang saw a familiar face in his mind, knowing that he'd be difficult to contact but also knowing he was the only one who would give him the answer he wanted. Without another word, he strolled to his desk, grabbed his satellite phone, and began dialing a number.
Dr. MKDemigodZ-Warrior: Well, Subby won't find out about Olivia and Alex's relationship for a while. But yeah, I do have something planned. Hopefully, the overriding theme of this is how they both come to make peace with each other and learn to appreciate each other. I want them both to grow and change so that they can rekindle their friendship and trust.
ROCuevas: Thanks!
Obelisk of Light: Yeah, but like Johnny said, Sonya yelled at her enough for the both of them! LOL I know that I want Alex to be quiet and chill, but I'm still experimenting with Morgan. I know that when she's with Fujin they'll be total goofballs together. But outside of him, I think she's going to be sweet but snarky.
en-lumine: Thanks for the double-review! It does make sense that the Lin Kuei had kids too, but alas, that's the only appearance Cassie and Jacqui will make in my story! I don't want to revisit a character soup like I did in Curse ever again! LOL Yeah, I wanted to make each parent's reaction different but a lot more entertaining than most real life discussions are. Anya's yelling seemed like a perfectly humorous thing to do when faced with her drunk daughter.
PunkRoseBlitz: Oh, yeah, she definitely needs an attitude adjustment. By the time she encounters Erron, she'll be singing an entirely different tune! Yeah, Subby's reaction was largely to show that he cared about Livy even though he was painfully mad at her. Kenshi will come into play after Reiko kidnaps Olivia and Takeda, and he will be none too happy. But I don't want to ruin the details for you, so that's all I'm gonna say about that ;)
Firebending Master: I hope I can depict Reiko as the badass I imagine, but time will tell. I want him to be frightening in a different way than Rain, Onaga, or Frost were.
Guest: I agree. Having an OC can be a liberating thing, but I also think you have to do it well or else he/she turns into a Mary Sue. Olivia is kind of tricky because I'm making her so bratty at first. But she'll start to realize it and knock it off. Anyway, thank you for your support and I'm glad you enjoy my stories so much!