Thursday 3 January 2013

Chapter 26 - All For Naught...



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Jane woke up with a mild headache the next day. The first thing she noticed was the strange environment. This wasn’t their hotel-room… She blinked again to convince herself she was seeing wrong when her eyes fell on the couch with a sleeping Julie and Rinka was sleeping on the other one.
…Oh, right. Club Grimoire… Jane‘s headache threatened to grow each time she tried to think about last night. …Boy, we must’ve danced the night away… She felt exhausted and hungry. The fireplace, no longer lit, gave off pleasant warmth. …This must be Damian’s house then… She had seen Rinka’s and this place was decorated more to a man’s taste …Where is Damian?

She readjusted her head on her own pillow to realize it was moving. Up and down it went- Up and down. And when she really put her mind to it, the steady heartbeat rang in her ears. Guess she found Damian. Oh no… Jane slowly lifted her head, without looking up, and tried to move away from him. She managed until a certain degree and had to stop because of the hand he had draped around her shoulder. …was his hand always there? She wiggled as carefully as she could out from under it. He made a throaty moan and she froze. …Oh, please, oh please, don’t let this be any more awkward then it already is… The moan was all she got from him. He appeared to be very much asleep still and his hand wasn’t on her shoulder anymore.

Jane moved a good distance and then braved it enough to look at him. …Crap! He wasn’t wearing his shirt- no wonder that pillow felt so good. Shit…! She quickly looked down at her own clothes and was relieved she still had them on, even though that didn’t necessarily mean nothing happened. ...What the hell happened last night? For some reason she felt dirty and embarrassed all rolled up in a big ball.
‘You’re awake’
The voice broke her train of thoughts and she looked up at Julie.

‘Jules’, she whispered, ‘What happened last night?’
‘What?’ Julie whispered back. She mouthed an ‘Ohhh’ and then just grinned like a Cheshire cat.
Jane sighed. That grin wasn’t good and knowing Julie, she wouldn’t get it out of her anytime soon.  WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?????
Julie gasped so loud it made Damian stir next to Jane. Jane froze and gave her sister the stink-eye. ‘What the hell?’ she mouthed.
‘We overslept!’ Julie whispered, pointing at the digital clock on the fireplace. It was a quarter past 12.
Oh no! They still had to swing by Jean to see what she found out AND pack their bags AND be at the train station all in 1 hour.

Jane carefully, but quickly got up from the floor. There was no time to search for the bathroom, so she checked her face in the window. ‘What are you doing?’ she whispered to Julie, who was walking up to Rinka.
‘I have to at least tell her we’re going’
‘No Jules, please! If you wake her, she’ll wake Damian. That grin of yours tells me something happened last night and I don’t know if I can face him right now. Please, let’s just go…’
‘You’ll have to face him at some point’
‘I know, just not now okay!’
‘Okay, alright! But how are we gonna leave?’
‘Cab… there’s bound to be a company in the area’

‘I’ll call directory and ask for the number. What should we do first? Go to Jean?’
‘No, motel first. I’ll try calling the auction house and see what she’s got, but we can do that while packing. I can’t believe we overslept…

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Farmer’s Garden
12.45 PM

‘What are we doing here Calum?’
Val looked around at all the different plots of earth growing various vegetables and fruits. Not a place you would find an Elite vampire and she wondered why he asked her to meet him here. To be honest she never even knew a place like this existed.
‘There’s nothing like picking your own fresh ingredients. It’s pretty relaxing too, you should try it sometimes’
‘Calum, we both know this isn’t what you eat’ Val lowered her voice when the farmer looked up, ‘and I have a garden at home too, you know’

‘I know you do, but those are herbs; it’s not the same thing if it’s for work. And these are not my life-force’ he dangled an apple in her face, ‘but it doesn’t mean I can’t eat them’. He took a bite out of it to emphasize his words. ‘I do have to compliment you; you taste way better’ he grinned one of his mischievous grins and tossed the apple in her direction.
‘So, did you find out anything about the swords?’
He led her to the empty bench between the 2 green houses, but more so out of the farmer’s earshot.

‘I did, but to get that information, I had to… melt… the sword’
‘You WHAT?’ he snapped. His eyes flashed red for a moment, but remembering where he was, he blinked and they changed back to their original color. ‘Talk faster Valerie, because I’m getting ready to SNAP your neck right here right now’
‘I’m sorry, but no matter what I threw at it, it didn’t budge. Only when I melted it could I decipher which ingredients were used to forge the blade; apart from the iron of course. You told me to figure it out and I did. Yes, the sword was damaged, but there was no way around it. You are seriously overreacting! It’s not like that was the only one you had. I saw 3 others on that couch…’

‘What part of uncommon- of extinct don’t you get? There are no other swords like these and here I find you melting one. They already weaken each time they are used… If I had any idea you would resort to melting it’, he spat the word like venom, ‘I wouldn’t have given you a brand new one. Here I think it would be easier for you if the magic is still strong and you… !’ He took a few calming breaths, just for the heck of it, because it didn’t work.
‘You should be glad I chose this public place for our meeting. The way I’m feeling now… You would’ve been dead already’

Val swallowed and wisely didn’t say anything. ‘You managed to melt it, find out what it was made from and which ingredients were used. Good, now re-make it!’
‘…I can’t…’
‘You’re very brave to try and toy with me Val. You really are!’ he said, looking at her briefly. The farmer walked past them again and Val worried even more for his safety than hers. The way Calum’s head snapped in his direction didn’t warrant anything good. ‘Your shop sells athames… I know for a fact that Preston MAKES those athames. So I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that and send Chase to pick it up in a week’

‘Calum, the sword has already been made’
‘Valerie, you’re giving me a headache’
‘When I said I can’t make the sword, I meant the magic that was tied to it. Right now it’s just a regular sword. It doesn’t glow green and I’m sure any vamp would heal just fine. I don’t know the magic to make it the same again… NO ONE does!! The only ones that could were the Taihinda witches and last I checked they’re extinct too’ Val took a breather and continued, ‘Don’t think I don’t know what you’re playing at. You hoped I would be able to figure it out and keep providing you with swords. I’m not an idiot Calum, so don’t make me out to be’

Val got up and was already halfway the exit when he blinked in front of her. She quickly scanned the area to see if anyone saw him.
‘I never said you were an idiot’ Calum eyed her, ‘Sure, I hoped for a possibility, but that’s not why I wanted you to check them out. All for naught, since it did more damage than good, but…’
He sighed and handed her a box wrapped in green paper with a bow.

‘What’s this?’ she eyed the box a bit weary. He didn’t have it on him when they first arrived.
‘They wrap it up this time of year. Don’t worry Val, killing you wouldn’t do me any good either’
Val took the box, but when she looked back up Calum was gone and she stood there alone. The gift box was filled with the veggies and fruits he had picked earlier when he was in a good mood. Somehow she didn’t imagine they would taste as good anymore.


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BellaDonna Cove Station
13.00 PM

‘Still nothing?’
‘No, and I’ve called 10 times already’ Jane hung up after hearing the busy-signal for the eleventh time, ‘Is she avoiding us?’ ‘Rosalie is her friend, I don’t think she’d do that to her. Not when her life is at stake’ Julie answered, watching Jane pick up the phone again. ‘Maybe there’s no reception in the orb room. The orbs could be static and block out other signals…’
‘Maybe Rinka?’

‘Hey, I wanted to wake her, YOU didn’t because of Damian. We could’ve had this whole thing sorted out by now’ Julie snapped, searching for her own phone. Jane couldn’t deny that Julie had a point there. If she hadn’t done -God knows what- last night, she wouldn’t have a need to hide her face. Plus they wouldn’t have overslept. Their clothes would’ve been neatly folded in their suitcases and they would’ve had plenty of time to go to the auction house to hear Jean out. Jane sighed and sat down just when Rinka picked up.

I can’t believe you left without waking me!’
Inwardly Julie scoffed. I wanted to! ‘Yeah, sorry about that. It’s just that we kind of panicked when we saw the time’ Julie answered her, all the while sneering at Jane.
‘Hey Rinka, are you at the auction house yet?’
Yeah, Damian and I just got here. Are you upstairs?’
‘Uhm, not exactly… We’re at the train station. Our train leaves in ten’

Nice Julie… Leaving without waking me and now leaving without saying goodbye’
Julie put her hand over the receiver and shook her head at Jane. ‘I’ll make it up to you the next time I’m in BC. But listen, can you ask your mom about the prophecy? We called her, but she’s not picking up’
‘Then she’s still in the orb-room. No telephone in there. I’ll call you when I know anything’
‘Thanks Rinka… and I really am sorry’
‘I believed you the first time… Tell Jane I said hi! Have a save trip’


To be continued...

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A/N:
Sorry I had to stop the chapter there. It was too long, so I decided to make it 2 chapters instead of one. The other part will be posted on Monday!

For a much sadder part!
If you've been nagging about updates being slow, wait till you hear this!
My laptop has run its course... It's not starting properly - restarting 4-5 times before it eventually starts windows - and when it does manage to start up.... it's shutting down every half hour or so. That kinda makes it hard to run my game, take pictures, edit pictures... you know the drill. It's sad, but I have to put her to rest. (and my mind! I curse every time it shuts down!)I've had it for 3 years, so it's kind of entitled to break down on me now, since most start exhibiting strange behavior after a year or 2.
I'm buying a desktop to run my Sims better and that's already been ordered.

Wow Jilly, I have a craptop now too! LOL
I will keep trying to take pictures before it shuts down again, so the next chapter(s) will happen, but I just thought I'd let you guys know.
(My craptop did manage to stay on long enough for me to make a backup of my files, so the stories are safe! Hell, if I have to write it all again! Or make my characters... *shudder*)

14 comments:

  1. Okay, I'm glad you answered my question about the files being backed up. That is one of my biggest fears. Computers can be so temperamental! They must be female. >.>

    Aw crap, Jane! Eff you and your skittish behavior!!! I hope Damian shows up at that damn train station, buys a ticket, and harasses her all the way home! Geez, you didn't start a relationship with Dante because you felt weird about it and then regretted it later, now you're going to do the same damn thing again? I see how this is... You got all the sense -- and too much of it, and Julie got all the fun-ness attitude (for lack of something better to call it)! Gah. I'm so mad at you right now. Pick up your damn phone and call Damian right effing now before I jump into JM's crappy laptop, taking my life into my hands, and get into the game to ring your scrawny neck!

    Really? The chapter would've been too long? I don't mind long! Make it long! I no like waiting!

    Did she tell Calum what made the sword work? Did I miss that part? Maybe I did. Seems to me she just told him she melted it and reforged it into a plain sword. A plain-Jane sword... I digress. I'm glad he didn't kill her.

    I'm still hopping mad at Jane, and I may be for a while. *makes strangling hand gesture*

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    1. Mine is def a female, cause she's b*tching a LOT!
      LOL, yes I did the back up when it bailed on me the 3rd time. Shit got serious then... :(

      Ohhh, that would be such a Julie thing to do! I can actually see him board that train. You have the best ideas! That part has already been written, if not, I would've DEFINITELY used your idea :)
      She rejected Dante because he was married at the time... With Damian... SHE HAS NO EXCUSE! Girl, get off that train and let me write you a steamy scene!
      Too much sense is right. Time for responsible Jane to just let go and have fun! I'll dose her with Aphro some more!

      DON'T JUMP INTO MY CRAPTOP!!!
      It might shut down again. Restart is no good, so you could be stuck... FOREVER! Save us the grief! :)

      Yes, the next one is also long in itself and to think it was tied to this one... Haha, the wait won't be long... I hope, naw, I'm kidding!

      Calum had no need to know the ingredients to make it, he just wanted her to do it. She did tell him about the magic that was infused in the blade and that NO ONE, but the extinct Taihinda Clan witches, knows that type of magic. It was a secret that they kept... till the grave it would seem.
      Without that magic, it's just a plain-Jane sword! LOL

      Oh stop, you'll give yourself a migraine!
      Thanks hun!

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  2. hahaha I agree with Mypal about Jane!!!! WTF really you sneak out UGH I want to seriously slap that girl. That is rude and cowardice and just plain UGH you are a grown ass woman. If you were lucky enough to get laid last night be freaking happy instead you sneak out cuz you can't face the shame? SHAME???? WHAT SHAME HAVE YOU FREAKING SEEN THAT GUY. Do cartwheels on the front lawn!!! UGH!!!

    Ok think that's out of my system.

    She melted the sword? I don't trust her I think she knows what it's made of and how to make more. She's holding back on something I just feel it.

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    1. Jane's really getting it this time. Haha!
      Yeah, she snuck out... Leaves a bad taste in the mouth actually. LOL at the cartwheels. I'd have no shame whatsoever, flaunting him would be more like it :)

      Rant away, I'm a qualified doctor without a degree!

      Val has a knack for smells. She is a potion/reagent maker after all. It's pretty easy to make out ingredients by heating up the objects. In this case, melting it. But that also dissolved the Taihinda magic tied to the sword... which no witch, that isn't part of the extinct clan, knows.

      She's not all THAT bad... Oh, who am I kidding, she's in bed with Calum... surely she has something TO her (I said 'to' not 'on') that appealed to the Elite!

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  3. Ummm what happened between them wow I think I can guess but isn't she the one with Mr hottie? oh well too hotties not complaining lol

    Loved it :)

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    1. No, that's Julie, the one in yellow.
      Jane, the deprived one missing out everytime, is the one that woke up on Damian. I'd go back to sleep... *whistle*

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  4. He wasn’t wearing his shirt- no wonder that pillow felt so good.
    ^HAHAHAHA yeah and you foolishly moved! FOOL! I'm with Pal and Meeks on this one lol. So mad at her. I was hoping that he'd wake up. But on the other hand, it'll be SO much fun watching Julie hold this over Jane's head as only a bratty, nagging baby sister can hahahaha cute. I hope they hear from Rinka and Jean soon. It is pretty important. I would suggest they take a later train but then that means Jane would have to face her fear and speak to the hottie.

    Sorry about your laptop but I am very happy to know you have the sitch sorted out already! I hope the desktop is here soon and provides you with everything you need to produce lots more chapters! I can't wait! We are slowly getting through this mystery :D

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    1. Oh, she will. Especially now that Jane also got Rinka a tad irritated at Julie. She be grinning and holding it above her sister's head for as long as possible.

      LOL
      There are no later trains - not to RiverBlossem Hills to be precise. Just one going back and forth. That's also why it takes an entire day to reach both destinations apart from the distance of course.

      They'll hear from Jean tomorrow (Sim-time) It's in the second part of this chapter. Even though the next chapter has a different name... (because I can!)
      Jane will have to face Damian at some point. I plan to make it MUCH sooner than she has in mind!

      I'm thinking of buying both. Desktop and laptop (I need a mobile one too), but for now I've been downsized to pen and paper again. Can't wait for my new gadget to arrive! Yay! I can already smell the new-ness!

      Thanks DJ!

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  5. Wow sorry about the laptop, I guess they all must go at one point or another...but you backed up your files and will be upgrading most likely so it'll be better in the end hopefully!

    Jane is pretty sneaky though to escape from that! I'm sure it will catch up to her!

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    1. Yeah, I consider this extra time with granny. 3 years is a long time for some electronic devices. I would've seriously taken a hiatus of a year or I don't know, if I hadn't backed it up. I can't even imagine losing it all again.

      I can promise you it will! :)

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  6. Jane was rather mean to leave without waking anyone or saying goodbye. I know she was nervous, but really. Now Rinka is upset with them. I think they should have rescheduled that train. They should not have left without speaking with Jean. I hope their actions don't come back to bite them too hard.

    Calum is a devious guy. Val best watch herself with him. I like her idea that he would have tainted the gift in some way.

    Sorry about your laptop. But happy to hear you're getting a new desktop :) I couldn't play or write or do much on a laptop and everyone seems to use them almost exclusively. I like my big monster machine *L*

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    1. Jane has a severe do-good, do-the-right-thing nature about her, so it didn't surprise me. It was mean, yes, after all they did for them. The next train would've been in 4 days. Money runs out if stayed past a date, you know. The others will fill her in as soon as they've spoken to Jean, but yes, personal would've been best.

      Calum is devious. No joke about that. His appearance may be a bit silly and or harmless, but he's all but... Val has a lot to fear from him and then she is exactly the person that doesn't have to fear him. It's all very complicated...

      Lol, big monster machine! I'll have one of those again soon. A laptop is better in the ways of mobility. I can write wherever, but a desktop can run my game better, so...

      Thanks for reading Zhip!
      I missed you!

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  7. Bah...Jane needs to ummm...relax a little. I understand she;s not really the showy kind but...I think she could really let a good thing pass her by if tries to pretend D and what happened with D never happened. Here's to hoping she will grow a pair=b.

    Val is playing with fire me thinks. Calum was/is none too happy and if i were her I'd watch my back.....edenz~

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    1. Lol, shall I order some more Aphro? LOL
      She needs to grow some Big ones. Her always-do-good nature is getting in the way of a lot of things. She missed out on Dante because of his -not-so-marriage- and now with Damian, the same might happen over something that may or may not have occurred.

      Thin ice, all I'm saying! He might not kill her, but he can hurt her. She should keep that in mind the next time they interact or do business.

      Welcome back Edenz!
      I missed you!

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