div class="userstuff module" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 1088.62px; float: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; color: #2a2a2a;" role="article"
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"TW: mention of mild panic attacks and meltdowns/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"There are many things one should think when being held at knifepoint and Ty knew it wasn't 'beautiful. You are beautiful'. Tiberius was one for words and logic and had no idea where these thoughts had arrived from. But there he was, the boy he hadn't seen in 3 years, his shadow silhouetted by the moon muscles tensed and body bearing down over him like an avenging angel. And wow was he the very definition of beautiful: a poem between two lovers, a degas watercolour a perfectly balanced equation. The cold blade against his neck stopped him from making too many rapid movements, save him slitting his own throat, yet he could curl and uncurl his hands into fists in an attempt to calm himself./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"All too quickly, the weight was lifted off of him, taking with it that little bit of extra warmth that had taken the bite of the English cold away. Kit was now standing above him awkwardly fiddling with his hands seemingly not knowing what to do. Ty wondered what he was thinking. After a moment he pulled his body up from the dewy heath and stood opposite the other boy. He felt Kit's eyes travelling the length of his body and suddenly became all too carefully watched the other boy's eyes scanning over him and wondered whether he had perhaps gotten covered in dirt or left askew. He brought a hand up to where the knife had been against his throat where a weird tingling feeling had been left behind. Ty fixed his eyes just beyond Kit's at a point above his brow and opened his mouth to speak since Kit seemed to be choosing to remain silent./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Hello Kit' he said simply/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"-/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Kit's gut twisted and something ugly seemed to bubble up in his stomach./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'What the hell are you doing here?' were the only words he could find/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'I would like to lie to you right now as I'm afraid I cannot tell you' his voice sounded deeper now/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Can't tell me what‽ I deserve to know why you're in my hometown right now goddamn years after I-' ran away from my feelings? panicked? Gave up and threw a teenage temper tantrum? Had my heart broken? '-After I left' the darkness bled from him at a speed he wasn't expecting/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Kit couldn't help the blackness that was coiling around his heart, he deserved to feel angry...didn't he? Though he did feel slightly bad to see Ty's face fall and to watch his hands flutter at his side. He wanted to reach out and touch the other boys wrists and steady his hands, perhaps calm him just a little bit. He didn't. He stared though nonetheless. The thing about distance and time was that one held distorted images of who a person was in their head. Kit knew Ty would have grown but he still pictured him as the scrawny and awkward 15 year old he had been best friends with. Ty now though had filled out and even under his gear Kit was aware of the bulging muscles. He was also about a head taller than Kit and his hair seemed even more wild if that were even possible. And, oh god, his eyes were even prettier than before./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"-/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty was taken aback to say the least. Why was Kit so angry? If anyone had the right to be mad it was him. Kit left him. Without a goodbye he left Ty and the rest of the family with no reason, just after Ty had become comfortable around him and just after Livvy's death and failed resurrection. What happened to never leaving his side and always protecting him? Ty wanted to be angry but he couldn't find that emotion...he just felt deflated and was still in quite a bit of shock honestly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty supposed he wasn't intended to be out right now nor on his own but he hadn't been able to sleep back in the pub with the others...it was just so loud. Sure, the hotel part was upstairs and at the back of the building but Ty was still acutely aware of the low but constant buzzing sound thrumming through his head and the occasional shout from an over excited drunkard. No, he couldn't do it and he had sensed a meltdown coming, something he did not want Anush, who was currently sharing a room with him, to have to see. He hated them, they made him lose control and become volatile to an end wherein he could hurt himself sometimes. When he was younger, before anyone knew he was autistic, he had these meltdowns often and would end up covered in bruises or scratches and the only ones who seemed to be able to help were Julian who would hold and rock him and Livia who would whisper to him and run her hand across the back of his. Thankfully, Julian nor Livvy minded the occasional accidental injury and his family had even tried to make adjustments to help him, even without knowing just what they were trying to help with./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Under his breath Ty started to repeat the mantra that calmed him: Glass, twin, apple, whisper, stars, crystal, shadow, lilt, heron/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"It did nothing much to make him feel better but it did help ground him and stave off the edge of the earlier meltdown that was trying to claw back up. He looked up to Kit who was staring past Ty and mirroring his own stance, hands curling into fists at his side, knuckles turning white. Ty realised belatedly that he had not said anything...neither of them had. How long had they been stood in silence? The wind had begun to pick up and whip around them in a frenzy, whistling through the barren English countryside. He had to say something but what?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'I joined the Scholomance' even he wasn't sure what that meant/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Kit clearly didn't either as he stood straighter and with a poisonous voice asked 'and how the hell does that help? Do enlighten me?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Why had Ty left his headphones and his fidget toys at the pub? 'I joined the Scholomance' he tried again 'and once the clave had heard about a disturbance in this area, dueto the potential fae nature of the case, the scholomance was contacted and I was chosen, once again because of my connection with the fae' why was he telling Kit this? He wasn't supposed to tell anyone as it was most definitely classified./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Magnus' was all Kit seemed to be able to say before he turned and continued walking./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty was lost for a second before Kit span and told Ty to hurry up still not letting go of that anger. Ty wondered if it was perhaps some kind of guard the other boy had put in place like Drusilla had said his leaving without a word was. He had not believed his younger sister then and he didn't know what to think right now. Still, he followed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"After 10 minutes of chilling silence and heavy breathing, a large and beautiful house came into view, its orange hued windows the only light for what seemed to be miles. It looked like home and, by the angel, did Ty miss his own home. Kit, ahead of him a few meters, walked through the gates and up the stairs practically yanking open the heavy doors. Ty followed him into the house barely having time to enjoy the architecture before he found himself in a lounge room behind Kit. From where he was stood he could see the Carstairs and Lighwood-Banes all sat chatting amicably./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Tessa, without looking up asked 'how was the trip back dear? No trouble I hope'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Kit took a shaky breath and replied 'what the hell is this‽'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Magnus looked up from the tablet they had all been looking at baby pictures on and blanched for a second before his normal charm returned 'ah, that is a Shadowhunter dear Christopher, I thought you would have known that'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'That isn't what I meant'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Then you asked the wrong question' Magnus replied nonchalantly before moving his eyes over to Ty 'Tiberius' he said smiling and with a wink 'we weren't expecting you tonight were we?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'No, but I was out for a walk and uh...Kit found me' the name felt almost foreign on his tongue/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Oh how fortuitous. Do stay for a while won't you?' Magnus gave a wicked smile/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Goodnight' was all Kit said in way of reply before he turned and left the room, disappearing upstairs/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty had stood in the aftermath of whatever that had been for a few moments before Tessa had found herself and broken the silence, offering Ty a place to stay for the night. He had wanted to say no but he really didn't want to go back to the noise of the pub and he didn't really want to walk all the way back there in the cold either. Sure it was cold in Romania but at least there were warlock enchanted witch lights that provided both light and warmth. Something, he had been told, that Clarissa Fairchild had created alongside Magnus when they had regained control. England however seemed to have a cold that pierced the skin and chilled one to the bone. Ty hated it already./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The centurion was now laid in a wonderfully plush bed in the guest wing staring blankly at the ceiling and trying to puzzle out why Kit had been so angry. A riddle he had yet to solve. Ty had quickly sent a fire message to Anush to tell his friend that he would not be returning but had somewhere safe to stay./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The wind had somehow picked up even more and was rattling the old windows in their frames but other than that it was near silent. It was finally quiet enough for Ty to let his mind rest and to fall asleep yet he couldn't./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"I wish I'd never met you/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Words that stung like barbs long ago but were now a familiar weight on his back… tonight they seemed heavier than usual. Ty had not been gifted with a photographic memory but he could still picture those moments at the lake like a movie, the way Kit had looked at him with all the hatred in the world and uttered those words that had struck Ty like the final, piercing blow of a sword. And yet, he still could not figure out why Kit was the angry one, after all Kit was the one that had hurt Ty and then disappeared without a trace. Okay he was talking himself in circles now, he stood up slowly and began towards the hall in an attempt to calm himself and maybe find a glass of water, or something a little stronger, to relax his nerves and quiet his brain a little. But as he made it to the top of the main stairs he saw a figure moving on the staircase below him, wrapped in a cloak. They made to move out of the front door, carefully throwing a glance behind them before they descended onto the moonlit ribbon of road and out into the dying night. Before he was aware of what he was doing, Ty was back in his room placing his gear jacket back on and grabbing a seraph blade before stalking out after this person. He didn't know why but he felt he had to follow./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"About a mile down the path, the figure pulled down their cloak hood and Ty held his breath...he was following Kit. Should he turn back? If earlier was any indication Kit still hated him. Yet he made no move to turn and leave./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The figure, Kit, moved with a purpose and around 20 minutes later, they had begun down an old winding path that was possibly once a stream Ty thought, considering its topography and the fact that Ty could hear a quiet rushing of water somewhere nearby. It was pitch black along this path so he had to be increasingly careful, especially considering his earlier Nyx rune had started to fade along with it's night vision ability. He carefully picked his way down the path, occasionally losing sight of the blonde boy ahead of him who clearly must know this path particularly well. Ty wondered what he was doing here and why at this time of night./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"After 5 minutes more, the path seemed to open up to a haphazardly balanced open gate and then a small clearing of gravel that then met an open road. In the center of the gravel patch was a mound of grass at the foot of which sat Kit with his back facing the way they had just come. Ty focussed his eyes a little more and released, with a chill, that this was a grave for someone though it looked ancient which begged the question "why was Kit here?" It did not matter any longer because Ty was suddenly aware that Kit was crying, it was a soft sound at first but then it grew into a pained and guttural sob that broke something in Ty that he couldn't trace. He knew from Julian that this was what people would call a "private moment" and so he left./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Morning broke slowly over the moorland and steadily woke Ty from an ever bizarre dream. It was, however, the best sleep he had gotten in such a long while that he decided it didn't matter. Carefully, he pulled the delicate duvet back and peeled himself off of the soft mattress slightly begrudgingly. Ty realised that he only had his gear here since it was such an unplanned event and quickly slipped it on over his underwear feeling only mildly uncomfortable at the fact he was wearing yesterday's clothing. A small itch in the back of his mind./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"When he had found his way downstairs and into the kitchen he was met by Jem Carstairs who seemed to be fussing over something on the hob. He turned at the presence of another person and met Ty with a kind and fatherly smile...kind of how Ty remembered his father smiling at him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Good morning Centurion Blackthorn, please feel free to take a seat' he said gesturing to the small wooden table under the far window. It had a vase of daffodils on it and Ty loved daffodils as they were simple but most beautiful, though he preferred the ones with the more white or yellow centers as he really did hate the colour orange./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Tessa likes to keep them, she says it reminds her of Will' Jem's tone was wistful at the mention of his parabatai/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Ah yes they are the Welsh national flower of course' Ty replied recalling what he knew about the elder Herondale 'and please call me Ty, or Tiberius if you must, Centurion is far too formal' he added/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jem smiled once more though this time it didn't quite reach his eyes 'Ty it is. We will be eating in the grand dining room in about 45 minutes if you wish to train or shower or anything at all before we eat. It's just down the hall and to the left before the conservatory doors.' he said kindly 'I'm attempting to make a traditional English breakfast but it's surprisingly difficult to make for 9 peopl ' a meow sounded from the windowsill on the far side of the room 'and a cat' Jem sighed looking over to Church. 'I may have been making them for a long while now but never for more than 5!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Church was an interesting creature and one that, to everyone's surprise, had begrudgingly befriended Ty when he was at the LA institute. He was an incredibly smart cat, almost human in nature and always knew where the nearest opportunity for food was./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'I don't think I'll train or shower thank you, as this was an unexpected stay I don't seem to have any clothes to change into' Ty reminded Jem politely/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Oh, of course I forgot. Tessa is awake and currently in the drawing room with Mina, i'm sure she could find you something to wear' Jem gestured in the general direction of the room with a spatula in hand/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Thank you' Ty said simply as he stood and walked off to find Tessa/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Once he found the drawing room, he quietly made his way in to see Tessa sat in a beautiful rose coloured sundress on the floor next to baby Mina who glanced up at the newcomer with a quiet interest./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Ah good morning Tiberius, I trust you slept well dear?' Tessa said in that motherly tone of hers/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'I did thank you. I was just in the kitchen with Jem and he said you may be able to provide me with some clothes since I have none of my own' he focussed his eyes at her left cheek and smiled politely/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Oh of course I can' Tessa jumped up and looked to Mina 'do you want to go find daddy and help him with breakfast my love?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Mina toddled off past Ty giving him a wide and toothy smile obviously more comfortable now that her mom had shown friendship to him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Tessa then turned her attention back to Ty 'follow me' she said and began to walk past him and out of the room/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty followed Tessa up the staircase and across the hall until they reached what turned out to be a bathroom. Ty held in a gasp at the beauty of the room. The whole house was a gorgeous time capsule but the marble floor in here met with a gold and white clawfoot tub in the centre was just breathtaking and like something out of a novel. Tessa moved to a cupboard along the wall and fumbled around for a moment before pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a simple heather grey shirt before moving to pass the bundle to Ty./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'The shower is behind the screen over there or you are welcome to use the bath. Towels are in the airing cupboard, if you could hang them over the rail to dry once you're done' She informed him before moving out of the room./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Once Ty was showered he made his way back down the stairs and into the kitchen where Jem was standing at a counter with Mina who was balanced on one of the kitchen chairs mixing something in a bowl. Magnus had now appeared and was rifling through the cupboards perhaps trying to find an ingredient or some crockery./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Has anyone seen the cat bowl' Magnus asked because of course that was what he was looking for/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Top left cupboard next to the dry food' Jem called back/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Got it' he spun and turned to face Ty 'Hello Tiberius how are you doing today?' he moved to place Church's bowl on the floor ready to be filled/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Oh uh good thank you, better now that I've had a shower' Ty said earnestly 'can I help in any way?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jem turned to him, carefully still keeping an eye on Mina as well as the food frying on the stovetop 'would you mind helping Magnus set the table?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty nodded and he and Magus found the crockery and cutlery and made their way to the dining room to set said table./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"After a moment of companionable silence Magus turned to Ty while still rifling through the Welsh dresser for napkins 'quite the lovers quarrel last night huh?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty was taken aback 'I don't understand what you mean?' he had never seen the point of being indirect/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Kit seemed rather shocked to see you, don't you wonder why?' Magnus gave Ty a mischievous look/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty was thankfully saved from answering because Mina ran into the room shouting 'Ty-Ty mumma says you have a cat and I have a cat and he is called Church and I love him so maybe I can love your cat too?' the nickname stung a little but how could she know/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty smiled and bent down to her level, contrary to popular belief he really did love little children 'I have a Carpathian Lynx or lynx carpathicus, if that is what you mean. She comes from the same family as the common housecat but is rather more wild'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Mina looked at him seriously as if she was taking in and nodded sagely 'cappian lynx' she repeated and it reminded him of a young Tavvy/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Breakfast went surprisingly well, Kit had joined them wordlessly but after a while had eased himself into the inane morning chatter as if last night had not happened at all. To most he looked totally normal but Ty could see the slight redness to his eyes and the dirt under his fingernails, the only reminder to prove that the outing last night had actually happened. He had pointedly avoided looking at or talking to Ty but otherwise it was pleasant. Magnus had explained that he and Ty were both here on the same mission and that they were originally working separately but now that the proverbial cat was out of the bag they could all work here together. Ty had heard the "cat out of the bag'' phrase before and remembered how Julian had drawn it for him the first time to help explain but Ty still didn't understand its use, not really./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The group were now sitting in the library, books spread across each and every available surface. Anush and the rest of the Centurions had turned up to Ty's request about 15 minutes ago and made introductions before sitting together in a corner and getting to work diligently as every good Centurion should. Ty was sat on his own table, headphones playing Coppelia- Ballade softly as he flipped through a textbook titled "A Little History of Devon'' because if being a Centurion had taught him nothing else, it was to listen to mundanes as they were often the ones with the best stories and tales even if they didn't realise how true they actually were. Ty looked up to see Kit glaring at the table of Centurions… was he mad at them too? That hardly seemed fair. He focussed back on his book once more flipping the page carefully, that was it! There it was in plain text: a place named Haytor rock where in the book was printed a picture accompanied by a body of text that read "Haytor Rock, sometimes known as Itterdown, is a rock outcrop on the eastern edge of Dartmoor." It then went on to state "Local legend states that, due to its staircase- like appearance, the rock itself is a path to another land. It is also a place that many have claimed to spot Piskie like creatures". That had to be it and if not it was the closest lead they had to anything First Heir related. Ty had heard this term only once before but struggled to remember when, though it seemed yesterday that was what the group here had decided was their best lead. Ty poked his head up from his place in the book and pulled his headphones down./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'I think I may have found something or at least something vaguely related' He said to the room/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Once he had explained briefly what he had found the room picked up in a flurry and quickly changed tactics in an attempt to find out as much about Haytor Rock and the general area as possible. Haytor was located pretty close to them and was around a 25 minute walk from another rock formation named Hound Tor that, upon looking it up, Ty realised was the inspiration for "Hounds of the Baskervilles" By Arthur Conan Doyle. At the thought of Sherlock, Ty felt an odd and almost unnoticeable pain in his chest...he wondered why. Suddenly, he was acutely aware of a set of familiar eyes watching him and waiting for him to notice. He looked up expecting perhaps Anush, Kit or even Magnus to be watching him but they were all head down at their respective study areas. That's when his eyes drifted up and met Livvy's...except it wasn't Livvy or at least not his Livvy. The aforementioned girl was hovering above one of the high bookshelves near the vaulted ceiling of the room, though her usual silken white dress seemed stained at the bottom and ripped, her hair a matted mess and, most disturbingly, there was a black knit of webbed veins across her skin. Ty thought that almost not possible what with her near transparency but there wasn't all too much research to tell him what was supposed to happen when one resurrected their twin from the dead with about half the success rate one should have had and all of that research was written by himself./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty looked over to where Kit was and his eyes were also raised to where Livvy was floating. Of course he had noticed. Something was wrong. Livvy raised one finger from her side oh so slowly and pointed directly at Ty before opening her mouth in a silent scream and letting water and what looked like seaweed flow from her open mouth. The moment of terror seemed to last both forever and a millisecond and once Livvy was done she left the room with another ear splitting scream. For the first time that day, Kit then made eye contact with Ty for a moment and even in his panicked haze the azure blue that Kit's eyes held let a sense of calm wash over Ty. The moment was over quickly as the other boy then turned to where Livvy had been searching for the flood that they both well and truly knew would not be there. Ty felt breathless at the look Kit had given him as well as the encounter with Livvy which had been nothing short of horrifying. He took a breath and tried to calm himself but no matter how hard he tried he could not seem to return his breathing to normal. At first, he thought he may be having a meltdown or perhaps a panic attack but as the moments grew longer he felt an unwelcome pressure against his throat as if someone was strangling him. Pancikedly, Ty stood up and sprinted from the room paying no mind to whether anyone had noticed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Once he had made it to his room and slammed the door behind him, he began to fully panic shaking violently, the door against his back the only thing left to ground him. He slid down it and began rocking back and forth, heaving and raspy breaths escaping him. That is, until someone pushed open the door and to some extent Ty himself, though he just, for want of a better word, flopped out of the way. The person knelt beside him and placed their arms around his gingerly before beginning to squeeze harder and harder. Only a few people knew this grounding technique and 2 of those 4 people were not here right now. Once Ty had begun to calm he realised he could breathe once more and looked up at his saviour only to find sea blue eyes staring back at him with a panicked look almost like a deer caught down the bad end of the barrel of a gun./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Kit suddenly sprang from him as if he had been burnt 'I'm meant to be mad at you' he said oddly/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Well okay' replied Ty 'but why?' he didn't like to "sugar coat" as Emma called it/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'No we are not doing this now' Kit said/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty decided not to push as he didnt want to have any deep or risky conversations right now either even if he had been the one to ask in the first place./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Okay' he said softly the way he would talk to a startled animal/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Now back to his right mind, Ty was aware of an odd pain around his clavicle. He stood and moved to the mirror, carefully pulling off his shirt to reveal a set of identical bruises on each of his collar bones just between the base of his throat and slope of his shoulder. They looked like three fingerprints, each with a bloody crescent crowning the top of it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'What the hell?' was all he heard from the other side of the room/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Okay I suppose I best explain' Ty gestured to the bed and moved to sit himself on it's edge/p
/div
div class="chapter preface group" style="border-width: 1px 0px 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.5em 3em; padding: 0.643em 0.643em 0px; float: none; color: #2a2a2a; border-style: solid initial initial initial;"
div id="chapter_4_endnotes" class="end notes module" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.643em; position: relative; width: auto; float: none; clear: right; min-height: 5em;" role="complementary"
h3 class="heading" style="border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline: 0px; font-weight: 400; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.286em; font-family: Georgia, serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0.5375em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; background: transparent; border-style: initial initial solid initial;"Notes:/h3
blockquote class="userstuff" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 1em; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0.643em; padding: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px auto 1.286em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Thank you so much for reading, I'm so glad you're all enjoying this! Please feel free to leave a comment or some kudos if you enjoyed...were finally getting into the good part. I'd also like to add that this story in my files was saved as Moorland 4: Moor Four Land but my friend said I couldn't call it that and instead gave me the current chapter title./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Also i work with young kids and the Mina and Ty moment is literally exactly how some of my conversations with the little darlings go./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Dictionary of Terms/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"A full English breakfast: a traditional English breakfast often reserved for a weekend or as a treat as it's somewhat efforting to make. Picture sausages, bacon, egg, tomatoes, baked beans, friend mushrooms, some kind of bread, some kind of egg and something called back pudding which if you really want to know youre welcome to google but i wouldn't./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"HoundTor rock: a really cool rock outcrop that really was the inspiration for hounds of the baskervilles along with dartmoor as a general. The legend goes that it used to be a pack of wild dogs that a witch cursed to be turned to stone./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"A little book of devon: A real book but i've not read it so sorry to people who might have as i sort of made up what i wanted it to contain/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The music Ty was listening to. Im a massive ballet nerd and have been dancing for 21 years so a lot of the music in this is just things i love: watch?v=ivZo_TioKLE/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Disclaimer: I wrote the panic attack based on how i have a panic attack and I've made it quite mild so as not to trigger anyone. Also, I am writing my best attempt at one variety of a person with autism and don't mean to offend./p
/blockquote
/div
/div
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"TW: mention of mild panic attacks and meltdowns/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"There are many things one should think when being held at knifepoint and Ty knew it wasn't 'beautiful. You are beautiful'. Tiberius was one for words and logic and had no idea where these thoughts had arrived from. But there he was, the boy he hadn't seen in 3 years, his shadow silhouetted by the moon muscles tensed and body bearing down over him like an avenging angel. And wow was he the very definition of beautiful: a poem between two lovers, a degas watercolour a perfectly balanced equation. The cold blade against his neck stopped him from making too many rapid movements, save him slitting his own throat, yet he could curl and uncurl his hands into fists in an attempt to calm himself./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"All too quickly, the weight was lifted off of him, taking with it that little bit of extra warmth that had taken the bite of the English cold away. Kit was now standing above him awkwardly fiddling with his hands seemingly not knowing what to do. Ty wondered what he was thinking. After a moment he pulled his body up from the dewy heath and stood opposite the other boy. He felt Kit's eyes travelling the length of his body and suddenly became all too carefully watched the other boy's eyes scanning over him and wondered whether he had perhaps gotten covered in dirt or left askew. He brought a hand up to where the knife had been against his throat where a weird tingling feeling had been left behind. Ty fixed his eyes just beyond Kit's at a point above his brow and opened his mouth to speak since Kit seemed to be choosing to remain silent./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Hello Kit' he said simply/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"-/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Kit's gut twisted and something ugly seemed to bubble up in his stomach./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'What the hell are you doing here?' were the only words he could find/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'I would like to lie to you right now as I'm afraid I cannot tell you' his voice sounded deeper now/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Can't tell me what‽ I deserve to know why you're in my hometown right now goddamn years after I-' ran away from my feelings? panicked? Gave up and threw a teenage temper tantrum? Had my heart broken? '-After I left' the darkness bled from him at a speed he wasn't expecting/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Kit couldn't help the blackness that was coiling around his heart, he deserved to feel angry...didn't he? Though he did feel slightly bad to see Ty's face fall and to watch his hands flutter at his side. He wanted to reach out and touch the other boys wrists and steady his hands, perhaps calm him just a little bit. He didn't. He stared though nonetheless. The thing about distance and time was that one held distorted images of who a person was in their head. Kit knew Ty would have grown but he still pictured him as the scrawny and awkward 15 year old he had been best friends with. Ty now though had filled out and even under his gear Kit was aware of the bulging muscles. He was also about a head taller than Kit and his hair seemed even more wild if that were even possible. And, oh god, his eyes were even prettier than before./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"-/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty was taken aback to say the least. Why was Kit so angry? If anyone had the right to be mad it was him. Kit left him. Without a goodbye he left Ty and the rest of the family with no reason, just after Ty had become comfortable around him and just after Livvy's death and failed resurrection. What happened to never leaving his side and always protecting him? Ty wanted to be angry but he couldn't find that emotion...he just felt deflated and was still in quite a bit of shock honestly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty supposed he wasn't intended to be out right now nor on his own but he hadn't been able to sleep back in the pub with the others...it was just so loud. Sure, the hotel part was upstairs and at the back of the building but Ty was still acutely aware of the low but constant buzzing sound thrumming through his head and the occasional shout from an over excited drunkard. No, he couldn't do it and he had sensed a meltdown coming, something he did not want Anush, who was currently sharing a room with him, to have to see. He hated them, they made him lose control and become volatile to an end wherein he could hurt himself sometimes. When he was younger, before anyone knew he was autistic, he had these meltdowns often and would end up covered in bruises or scratches and the only ones who seemed to be able to help were Julian who would hold and rock him and Livia who would whisper to him and run her hand across the back of his. Thankfully, Julian nor Livvy minded the occasional accidental injury and his family had even tried to make adjustments to help him, even without knowing just what they were trying to help with./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Under his breath Ty started to repeat the mantra that calmed him: Glass, twin, apple, whisper, stars, crystal, shadow, lilt, heron/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"It did nothing much to make him feel better but it did help ground him and stave off the edge of the earlier meltdown that was trying to claw back up. He looked up to Kit who was staring past Ty and mirroring his own stance, hands curling into fists at his side, knuckles turning white. Ty realised belatedly that he had not said anything...neither of them had. How long had they been stood in silence? The wind had begun to pick up and whip around them in a frenzy, whistling through the barren English countryside. He had to say something but what?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'I joined the Scholomance' even he wasn't sure what that meant/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Kit clearly didn't either as he stood straighter and with a poisonous voice asked 'and how the hell does that help? Do enlighten me?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Why had Ty left his headphones and his fidget toys at the pub? 'I joined the Scholomance' he tried again 'and once the clave had heard about a disturbance in this area, dueto the potential fae nature of the case, the scholomance was contacted and I was chosen, once again because of my connection with the fae' why was he telling Kit this? He wasn't supposed to tell anyone as it was most definitely classified./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Magnus' was all Kit seemed to be able to say before he turned and continued walking./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty was lost for a second before Kit span and told Ty to hurry up still not letting go of that anger. Ty wondered if it was perhaps some kind of guard the other boy had put in place like Drusilla had said his leaving without a word was. He had not believed his younger sister then and he didn't know what to think right now. Still, he followed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"After 10 minutes of chilling silence and heavy breathing, a large and beautiful house came into view, its orange hued windows the only light for what seemed to be miles. It looked like home and, by the angel, did Ty miss his own home. Kit, ahead of him a few meters, walked through the gates and up the stairs practically yanking open the heavy doors. Ty followed him into the house barely having time to enjoy the architecture before he found himself in a lounge room behind Kit. From where he was stood he could see the Carstairs and Lighwood-Banes all sat chatting amicably./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Tessa, without looking up asked 'how was the trip back dear? No trouble I hope'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Kit took a shaky breath and replied 'what the hell is this‽'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Magnus looked up from the tablet they had all been looking at baby pictures on and blanched for a second before his normal charm returned 'ah, that is a Shadowhunter dear Christopher, I thought you would have known that'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'That isn't what I meant'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Then you asked the wrong question' Magnus replied nonchalantly before moving his eyes over to Ty 'Tiberius' he said smiling and with a wink 'we weren't expecting you tonight were we?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'No, but I was out for a walk and uh...Kit found me' the name felt almost foreign on his tongue/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Oh how fortuitous. Do stay for a while won't you?' Magnus gave a wicked smile/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Goodnight' was all Kit said in way of reply before he turned and left the room, disappearing upstairs/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty had stood in the aftermath of whatever that had been for a few moments before Tessa had found herself and broken the silence, offering Ty a place to stay for the night. He had wanted to say no but he really didn't want to go back to the noise of the pub and he didn't really want to walk all the way back there in the cold either. Sure it was cold in Romania but at least there were warlock enchanted witch lights that provided both light and warmth. Something, he had been told, that Clarissa Fairchild had created alongside Magnus when they had regained control. England however seemed to have a cold that pierced the skin and chilled one to the bone. Ty hated it already./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The centurion was now laid in a wonderfully plush bed in the guest wing staring blankly at the ceiling and trying to puzzle out why Kit had been so angry. A riddle he had yet to solve. Ty had quickly sent a fire message to Anush to tell his friend that he would not be returning but had somewhere safe to stay./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The wind had somehow picked up even more and was rattling the old windows in their frames but other than that it was near silent. It was finally quiet enough for Ty to let his mind rest and to fall asleep yet he couldn't./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"I wish I'd never met you/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Words that stung like barbs long ago but were now a familiar weight on his back… tonight they seemed heavier than usual. Ty had not been gifted with a photographic memory but he could still picture those moments at the lake like a movie, the way Kit had looked at him with all the hatred in the world and uttered those words that had struck Ty like the final, piercing blow of a sword. And yet, he still could not figure out why Kit was the angry one, after all Kit was the one that had hurt Ty and then disappeared without a trace. Okay he was talking himself in circles now, he stood up slowly and began towards the hall in an attempt to calm himself and maybe find a glass of water, or something a little stronger, to relax his nerves and quiet his brain a little. But as he made it to the top of the main stairs he saw a figure moving on the staircase below him, wrapped in a cloak. They made to move out of the front door, carefully throwing a glance behind them before they descended onto the moonlit ribbon of road and out into the dying night. Before he was aware of what he was doing, Ty was back in his room placing his gear jacket back on and grabbing a seraph blade before stalking out after this person. He didn't know why but he felt he had to follow./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"About a mile down the path, the figure pulled down their cloak hood and Ty held his breath...he was following Kit. Should he turn back? If earlier was any indication Kit still hated him. Yet he made no move to turn and leave./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The figure, Kit, moved with a purpose and around 20 minutes later, they had begun down an old winding path that was possibly once a stream Ty thought, considering its topography and the fact that Ty could hear a quiet rushing of water somewhere nearby. It was pitch black along this path so he had to be increasingly careful, especially considering his earlier Nyx rune had started to fade along with it's night vision ability. He carefully picked his way down the path, occasionally losing sight of the blonde boy ahead of him who clearly must know this path particularly well. Ty wondered what he was doing here and why at this time of night./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"After 5 minutes more, the path seemed to open up to a haphazardly balanced open gate and then a small clearing of gravel that then met an open road. In the center of the gravel patch was a mound of grass at the foot of which sat Kit with his back facing the way they had just come. Ty focussed his eyes a little more and released, with a chill, that this was a grave for someone though it looked ancient which begged the question "why was Kit here?" It did not matter any longer because Ty was suddenly aware that Kit was crying, it was a soft sound at first but then it grew into a pained and guttural sob that broke something in Ty that he couldn't trace. He knew from Julian that this was what people would call a "private moment" and so he left./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Morning broke slowly over the moorland and steadily woke Ty from an ever bizarre dream. It was, however, the best sleep he had gotten in such a long while that he decided it didn't matter. Carefully, he pulled the delicate duvet back and peeled himself off of the soft mattress slightly begrudgingly. Ty realised that he only had his gear here since it was such an unplanned event and quickly slipped it on over his underwear feeling only mildly uncomfortable at the fact he was wearing yesterday's clothing. A small itch in the back of his mind./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"When he had found his way downstairs and into the kitchen he was met by Jem Carstairs who seemed to be fussing over something on the hob. He turned at the presence of another person and met Ty with a kind and fatherly smile...kind of how Ty remembered his father smiling at him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Good morning Centurion Blackthorn, please feel free to take a seat' he said gesturing to the small wooden table under the far window. It had a vase of daffodils on it and Ty loved daffodils as they were simple but most beautiful, though he preferred the ones with the more white or yellow centers as he really did hate the colour orange./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Tessa likes to keep them, she says it reminds her of Will' Jem's tone was wistful at the mention of his parabatai/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Ah yes they are the Welsh national flower of course' Ty replied recalling what he knew about the elder Herondale 'and please call me Ty, or Tiberius if you must, Centurion is far too formal' he added/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jem smiled once more though this time it didn't quite reach his eyes 'Ty it is. We will be eating in the grand dining room in about 45 minutes if you wish to train or shower or anything at all before we eat. It's just down the hall and to the left before the conservatory doors.' he said kindly 'I'm attempting to make a traditional English breakfast but it's surprisingly difficult to make for 9 peopl ' a meow sounded from the windowsill on the far side of the room 'and a cat' Jem sighed looking over to Church. 'I may have been making them for a long while now but never for more than 5!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Church was an interesting creature and one that, to everyone's surprise, had begrudgingly befriended Ty when he was at the LA institute. He was an incredibly smart cat, almost human in nature and always knew where the nearest opportunity for food was./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'I don't think I'll train or shower thank you, as this was an unexpected stay I don't seem to have any clothes to change into' Ty reminded Jem politely/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Oh, of course I forgot. Tessa is awake and currently in the drawing room with Mina, i'm sure she could find you something to wear' Jem gestured in the general direction of the room with a spatula in hand/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Thank you' Ty said simply as he stood and walked off to find Tessa/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Once he found the drawing room, he quietly made his way in to see Tessa sat in a beautiful rose coloured sundress on the floor next to baby Mina who glanced up at the newcomer with a quiet interest./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Ah good morning Tiberius, I trust you slept well dear?' Tessa said in that motherly tone of hers/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'I did thank you. I was just in the kitchen with Jem and he said you may be able to provide me with some clothes since I have none of my own' he focussed his eyes at her left cheek and smiled politely/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Oh of course I can' Tessa jumped up and looked to Mina 'do you want to go find daddy and help him with breakfast my love?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Mina toddled off past Ty giving him a wide and toothy smile obviously more comfortable now that her mom had shown friendship to him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Tessa then turned her attention back to Ty 'follow me' she said and began to walk past him and out of the room/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty followed Tessa up the staircase and across the hall until they reached what turned out to be a bathroom. Ty held in a gasp at the beauty of the room. The whole house was a gorgeous time capsule but the marble floor in here met with a gold and white clawfoot tub in the centre was just breathtaking and like something out of a novel. Tessa moved to a cupboard along the wall and fumbled around for a moment before pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a simple heather grey shirt before moving to pass the bundle to Ty./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'The shower is behind the screen over there or you are welcome to use the bath. Towels are in the airing cupboard, if you could hang them over the rail to dry once you're done' She informed him before moving out of the room./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Once Ty was showered he made his way back down the stairs and into the kitchen where Jem was standing at a counter with Mina who was balanced on one of the kitchen chairs mixing something in a bowl. Magnus had now appeared and was rifling through the cupboards perhaps trying to find an ingredient or some crockery./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Has anyone seen the cat bowl' Magnus asked because of course that was what he was looking for/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Top left cupboard next to the dry food' Jem called back/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Got it' he spun and turned to face Ty 'Hello Tiberius how are you doing today?' he moved to place Church's bowl on the floor ready to be filled/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Oh uh good thank you, better now that I've had a shower' Ty said earnestly 'can I help in any way?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jem turned to him, carefully still keeping an eye on Mina as well as the food frying on the stovetop 'would you mind helping Magnus set the table?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty nodded and he and Magus found the crockery and cutlery and made their way to the dining room to set said table./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"After a moment of companionable silence Magus turned to Ty while still rifling through the Welsh dresser for napkins 'quite the lovers quarrel last night huh?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty was taken aback 'I don't understand what you mean?' he had never seen the point of being indirect/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Kit seemed rather shocked to see you, don't you wonder why?' Magnus gave Ty a mischievous look/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty was thankfully saved from answering because Mina ran into the room shouting 'Ty-Ty mumma says you have a cat and I have a cat and he is called Church and I love him so maybe I can love your cat too?' the nickname stung a little but how could she know/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty smiled and bent down to her level, contrary to popular belief he really did love little children 'I have a Carpathian Lynx or lynx carpathicus, if that is what you mean. She comes from the same family as the common housecat but is rather more wild'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Mina looked at him seriously as if she was taking in and nodded sagely 'cappian lynx' she repeated and it reminded him of a young Tavvy/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Breakfast went surprisingly well, Kit had joined them wordlessly but after a while had eased himself into the inane morning chatter as if last night had not happened at all. To most he looked totally normal but Ty could see the slight redness to his eyes and the dirt under his fingernails, the only reminder to prove that the outing last night had actually happened. He had pointedly avoided looking at or talking to Ty but otherwise it was pleasant. Magnus had explained that he and Ty were both here on the same mission and that they were originally working separately but now that the proverbial cat was out of the bag they could all work here together. Ty had heard the "cat out of the bag'' phrase before and remembered how Julian had drawn it for him the first time to help explain but Ty still didn't understand its use, not really./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The group were now sitting in the library, books spread across each and every available surface. Anush and the rest of the Centurions had turned up to Ty's request about 15 minutes ago and made introductions before sitting together in a corner and getting to work diligently as every good Centurion should. Ty was sat on his own table, headphones playing Coppelia- Ballade softly as he flipped through a textbook titled "A Little History of Devon'' because if being a Centurion had taught him nothing else, it was to listen to mundanes as they were often the ones with the best stories and tales even if they didn't realise how true they actually were. Ty looked up to see Kit glaring at the table of Centurions… was he mad at them too? That hardly seemed fair. He focussed back on his book once more flipping the page carefully, that was it! There it was in plain text: a place named Haytor rock where in the book was printed a picture accompanied by a body of text that read "Haytor Rock, sometimes known as Itterdown, is a rock outcrop on the eastern edge of Dartmoor." It then went on to state "Local legend states that, due to its staircase- like appearance, the rock itself is a path to another land. It is also a place that many have claimed to spot Piskie like creatures". That had to be it and if not it was the closest lead they had to anything First Heir related. Ty had heard this term only once before but struggled to remember when, though it seemed yesterday that was what the group here had decided was their best lead. Ty poked his head up from his place in the book and pulled his headphones down./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'I think I may have found something or at least something vaguely related' He said to the room/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Once he had explained briefly what he had found the room picked up in a flurry and quickly changed tactics in an attempt to find out as much about Haytor Rock and the general area as possible. Haytor was located pretty close to them and was around a 25 minute walk from another rock formation named Hound Tor that, upon looking it up, Ty realised was the inspiration for "Hounds of the Baskervilles" By Arthur Conan Doyle. At the thought of Sherlock, Ty felt an odd and almost unnoticeable pain in his chest...he wondered why. Suddenly, he was acutely aware of a set of familiar eyes watching him and waiting for him to notice. He looked up expecting perhaps Anush, Kit or even Magnus to be watching him but they were all head down at their respective study areas. That's when his eyes drifted up and met Livvy's...except it wasn't Livvy or at least not his Livvy. The aforementioned girl was hovering above one of the high bookshelves near the vaulted ceiling of the room, though her usual silken white dress seemed stained at the bottom and ripped, her hair a matted mess and, most disturbingly, there was a black knit of webbed veins across her skin. Ty thought that almost not possible what with her near transparency but there wasn't all too much research to tell him what was supposed to happen when one resurrected their twin from the dead with about half the success rate one should have had and all of that research was written by himself./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty looked over to where Kit was and his eyes were also raised to where Livvy was floating. Of course he had noticed. Something was wrong. Livvy raised one finger from her side oh so slowly and pointed directly at Ty before opening her mouth in a silent scream and letting water and what looked like seaweed flow from her open mouth. The moment of terror seemed to last both forever and a millisecond and once Livvy was done she left the room with another ear splitting scream. For the first time that day, Kit then made eye contact with Ty for a moment and even in his panicked haze the azure blue that Kit's eyes held let a sense of calm wash over Ty. The moment was over quickly as the other boy then turned to where Livvy had been searching for the flood that they both well and truly knew would not be there. Ty felt breathless at the look Kit had given him as well as the encounter with Livvy which had been nothing short of horrifying. He took a breath and tried to calm himself but no matter how hard he tried he could not seem to return his breathing to normal. At first, he thought he may be having a meltdown or perhaps a panic attack but as the moments grew longer he felt an unwelcome pressure against his throat as if someone was strangling him. Pancikedly, Ty stood up and sprinted from the room paying no mind to whether anyone had noticed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Once he had made it to his room and slammed the door behind him, he began to fully panic shaking violently, the door against his back the only thing left to ground him. He slid down it and began rocking back and forth, heaving and raspy breaths escaping him. That is, until someone pushed open the door and to some extent Ty himself, though he just, for want of a better word, flopped out of the way. The person knelt beside him and placed their arms around his gingerly before beginning to squeeze harder and harder. Only a few people knew this grounding technique and 2 of those 4 people were not here right now. Once Ty had begun to calm he realised he could breathe once more and looked up at his saviour only to find sea blue eyes staring back at him with a panicked look almost like a deer caught down the bad end of the barrel of a gun./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Kit suddenly sprang from him as if he had been burnt 'I'm meant to be mad at you' he said oddly/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Well okay' replied Ty 'but why?' he didn't like to "sugar coat" as Emma called it/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'No we are not doing this now' Kit said/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Ty decided not to push as he didnt want to have any deep or risky conversations right now either even if he had been the one to ask in the first place./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Okay' he said softly the way he would talk to a startled animal/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Now back to his right mind, Ty was aware of an odd pain around his clavicle. He stood and moved to the mirror, carefully pulling off his shirt to reveal a set of identical bruises on each of his collar bones just between the base of his throat and slope of his shoulder. They looked like three fingerprints, each with a bloody crescent crowning the top of it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'What the hell?' was all he heard from the other side of the room/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"'Okay I suppose I best explain' Ty gestured to the bed and moved to sit himself on it's edge/p
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div class="chapter preface group" style="border-width: 1px 0px 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.5em 3em; padding: 0.643em 0.643em 0px; float: none; color: #2a2a2a; border-style: solid initial initial initial;"
div id="chapter_4_endnotes" class="end notes module" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.643em; position: relative; width: auto; float: none; clear: right; min-height: 5em;" role="complementary"
h3 class="heading" style="border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline: 0px; font-weight: 400; font-style: inherit; font-size: 1.286em; font-family: Georgia, serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0.5375em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1; background: transparent; border-style: initial initial solid initial;"Notes:/h3
blockquote class="userstuff" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 1em; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0.643em; padding: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px auto 1.286em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Thank you so much for reading, I'm so glad you're all enjoying this! Please feel free to leave a comment or some kudos if you enjoyed...were finally getting into the good part. I'd also like to add that this story in my files was saved as Moorland 4: Moor Four Land but my friend said I couldn't call it that and instead gave me the current chapter title./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Also i work with young kids and the Mina and Ty moment is literally exactly how some of my conversations with the little darlings go./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Dictionary of Terms/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"A full English breakfast: a traditional English breakfast often reserved for a weekend or as a treat as it's somewhat efforting to make. Picture sausages, bacon, egg, tomatoes, baked beans, friend mushrooms, some kind of bread, some kind of egg and something called back pudding which if you really want to know youre welcome to google but i wouldn't./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"HoundTor rock: a really cool rock outcrop that really was the inspiration for hounds of the baskervilles along with dartmoor as a general. The legend goes that it used to be a pack of wild dogs that a witch cursed to be turned to stone./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"A little book of devon: A real book but i've not read it so sorry to people who might have as i sort of made up what i wanted it to contain/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The music Ty was listening to. Im a massive ballet nerd and have been dancing for 21 years so a lot of the music in this is just things i love: watch?v=ivZo_TioKLE/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Disclaimer: I wrote the panic attack based on how i have a panic attack and I've made it quite mild so as not to trigger anyone. Also, I am writing my best attempt at one variety of a person with autism and don't mean to offend./p
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