This is the tumblr page dedicated to the online roleplaying group called Celestials Fall, hosted on rp.me. We're here to show how awesome the group is... because let's face it, it's pretty awesome. Don't believe us? Just take a look!
Thereâs something about Daphne Iapetus thatâs unnerving, and it has nothing to do with the fact that sheâs a demon with a scary powerful ability. It might be her fierce loyalties to Gideon that does it; sheâs completely in compliance with everything he ever sets in motion. Maybe itâs the ruthlessness in which she follows orders. Maybe itâs her strong determination to get things done, and to do them right. Or, you know, it might just be the fact that she used to be a watcher, killed her charge, and then went demonic.
....Yeah, thatâs probably it.
See, in millenniums past, Daphne was a watcher for the original Saturn Celestial, and she was pretty good at her job. She had been raised for it, with the elder watchers spotting great potential in her from birth. As she grew up, she was strong for a watcher, and seemed to have a better control over certain things that the other Watchers just couldnât understand. She was the best of the best, which could explain how she was assigned to protect one of the most volatile Celestials, Saturn. But even then, there was little for anyone to fear. The planets in those days were well-aligned, and times were mostly peaceful. Daphne and her charge had little to worry about, because things simply werenât bad. Enemies existed, of course, but none of them were strong enough or dedicated enough to defeat the original protectors of the universe.
Of course, thatâs when someone with a real plan... a real thirst for destruction came into the picture and started the Fall. With all the perfect timing in the world, Gideon came into Daphneâs life at her weakest point, when indecisiveness reigned heavily through her mind. When the only world she knew started to disintegrate, Daphne couldnât help but wonder if this was really her place in the world... if this was truly what she was meant to do. A single battle with Gideon changed all that, and eventually her loyalties to the Celestials and the Watchers that raised her evaporated just as quickly as the semblance of serenity disappeared in the silver millennium.
Daphne turned on her charge in a weak moment and played a part in her death. Then, after playing the part of a Watcher for a longer while to get information to Gideon, she finally broke through the barriers and killed another of the Watchers. After that, the next step was obvious.
She became a demon.
A strong demon, actually, with the ability to manipulate gravity. Her loyalties rested strongly with Morgan and Gideon, and when Luna Zeru tossed the Celestial Crystal into the space-time continuum, Daphne made it her job to find it. So of course, thatâs where sheâs been all this time. Looking for the Celestial Crystal. It seemed unlikely that it would be earth bound... what were the chances that it ended up right where Morgan had centralized her life? Right where the Celestials were located? Daphne had been sure sheâd be the one to find it. Returning to Gideon with stories of failure was not a plan she wanted to enact.
Unfortunately, thatâs what she had to do. She came to him, confessed her deepest disappointment in herself, and prepared for any punishment she might deserve for failing. But who would have thought that everything she had been searching for had been easily found, immediately used, and then subsequently destroyed? It was a dizzying sort of reality for her, something sheâs still trying to get a hold on. Regardless, Daphne still has a job to do, and this one is scarier than ever.
Because of her familiarity with the other side, with âwatchingâ, Gideon has yet again given Daphne a purpose in life. That purpose, naturally, is to destroy the Celestials. Because Morganâs attempts had so clearly failed, the process would be different this time. Daphne would take them down, one by one, from the inside. It wouldnât be hard. She knows all about them. She knows the ins and outs of Watching... knows how the Celestials would react, how they function. She even knows a great deal about each of their abilities.
So Daphne does whatâs only natural. She becomes Editor In Chief of a newspaper office, putting her in the perfect position to screw with the Celestials lives. Itâs her thatâs doing the real cover-ups, but itâs also her thatâs having a part with the incidents that need covering up. She certainly knows how to do all kinds of damage, and the Celestials donât even know whatâs coming.
But then again, neither does Daphne.
She knows a lot about the Celestialâs history, sheâs witnessed it for herself, took part in it. She knows how demons grew and evolved on earth, how the gods hid from view while their creations were overrun. But with all that knowledge, and all those years lived, Daphne Iapetus is about to discover the first thing she has no idea about.
There was never an âOrderâ in the Silver Millennium, never a need to establish a âbalanceâ. Why would they surface now, and whatâs their true purpose? For now, Daphne knows nothing... and that might just be okay. After all, sheâs got enough to do with sabotaging the lives of the Celestials, setting them up for failure. Sheâll have plenty of time to deal with the Order after the remaining eight self-righteous children are slaughtered.Â
CONNECTIONS
1. EDGAR CROWE:Â
While Edgar is far from her dream ideal of a man, Daphne appreciates the appeal of doing the professional tango with a man the likes of Edgar Crowe. Dancing with death is one of the most exhilarating things on this stupid planet, and sheâs quite enjoying herself. Plus, itâs interesting to play ball with a being who seems to be on the same track she is. Sheâs helping him cover up things and heâs helping her cover up things. Heâs hiding things from her, and sheâs hiding things from him. Itâs a mutual relationship of sly looks and casual understanding, and right now, itâs nice. Edgar, after all, isnât the type to moon after another while she throws herself at him. It might not be love, or even anything close... but itâs genuinely nice to be close to something like him without expecting him to lose interest in her at the first sign of a pretty face. Besides.... playing with Death has a certain list of advantages... and thereâs no way Daphne could pass up something like that.Â
2. GIDEON ALISTERE:Â
There was a time when Daphne was uncertain of her future. She was uncertain of her present as well, uncertain of her life in general. Daphne was a strong woman, and one of the best Watchers there was. It was that strength that led her to begin to resent the celestials, as well as her own choices in alliances. She was doubting her desire to be a Watcher, and everything was crumbling around her. That is, until Gideon Alistere swooped in and saved her. He introduced to her to a new life, a new purpose. One that would be more fulfilling than babysitting an uncooperative celestial. Daphne owes her entire existence to Gideon, and she hasn't forgotten it. What Gideon says is concrete, and Daphne will do anything she can to ensure that the old werewolf remains happy. He introduced her to the wonderful world of being a demon, and she's going to introduce him to the true definition of loyalty.
3. HANNAH GRIFFITHS:Â
If ever there were a human to prove how naive their own race was, it's Hannah Griffiths. All it took was a smile, and compliment of Hannah's shoes, and the reporter was eating out of the palm of Daphne's hand. She used Hannah to cover up the Times Square Massacre, at Gideon's behest of course. She's continued to be a friend to the young woman, and has begun to genuinely like her. As it turns out, they have more than meets the eye in common. They both enjoy working for the newspaper (even though Daphne's job there is only a cover), and they both share doubts about the whole being a Watcher deal. Daphne, even if it was a millennium ago, still remembers the sting of an uncooperative charge. Truth be told, Hannah Griffiths isn't so bad. That doesn't mean, however, that Daphne has forgotten where her loyalties lie.
4. IVY VESPERILLIS:Â
Ivy Vesperillis is the very definition of the term 'demon'. She can't be trusted, as she'll turn on you as soon as you look the other way. She has ulterior motives and isn't the greatest at keeping them sealed. She's no slouch, that's for certain. But she isn't good for Gideon's cause. She never was. Daphne suspects that Ivy just wants to overthrow Gideon and take the chair for herself. Daphne doesn't like Ivy, not one bit. She pretends to, to suffice Gideon. He doesn't want his two trusted to be fighting, and Daphne does her best to seal her distaste. Still, the blond demon of darkness is nothing but trouble, and Daphne knows it. When the time is right, Ivy's disloyalty to Gideon will be exposed, and Daphne will be rid of the wretched bitch once and for all.
5. DONOVAN GALLOWS:Â
Daphne would like to think that she can do everything herself, but the fact is that she canât. Luckily, sheâs very persuasive. Only, itâs difficult to persuade someone when you canât even see them. Donovan Gallows is perfect for the job of infiltrating the celestials, since they canât see him either. Daphne has made a promise to Donovan, to keep Edgar off his trail. Of course, Edgar wants Donovan to move on, to go where heâs supposed to go. Donovan doesnât want that, and right now neither does Daphne. She needs him. After all, she canât listen in on all conversations, and she canât be everywhere at once. What better spy than a ghost?Â
6. STEPHANIE REMINGTON:Â
The newest of the celestials, and most untrained, is none other than Stephanie Remington. Daphne hasn't forgotten her time as a Watcher during the Silver Millenium, and Rem reminds her of that failure. That blond girl is trouble, just like the one from Daphne's time. And, just like that girl, Rem will meet her end. It's Gideon's end game for the celestials to die. Daphne is on board with the plan, of course. She's just a bit sore that she'll probably have to be the one to kill her. Daphne feels a connection to the newest celestial. One that slightly resembles empathy. Daphne can feel when Rem is upset, or in trouble. Feeling that is a bit much, and drives Daphne up a wall. She can't help but feel like she should aid Rem, even though she refuses to, and she hates Rem for that. Â She hates her for reminding Daphne of everything she hates about herself. It makes looking at Rem hard, and makes the thought of killing her even harder. Still yet, Daphne has an agenda. And this time around, Daphne will not fail.
7. ARTEMIS DACHIEN:
Daphne has never been one for pets, and the same goes for the Watcher Artemis. He's old, as old as Daphne at least. And he could be big trouble for her. If Artemis were to recognize Daphne, all of her plans could go out the window. Everything she's been working for since Gideon has been in power could be wiped out just like that. Luckily for Daphne, that isn't the case. So far. Daphne has been able to keep her distance, to keep even the thought of her as far away from the dog as possible. But, once she gets inside, keeping the old mutt away from her might prove to be somewhat difficult.
After an eternity of waiting patiently at Morgan Chrysoberylâs side, the time for rationality and order in the Underworld has finally arrived. Gideon Alistere, the very first Lycan, has taken control of the Chalice in the wake of Morganâs death. Heâs propelled himself to the very top of the demonic ranks and fell into his long coveted position of First in Command. It had been his plan all along, after all.
From the very beginning he knew heâd take command from Morgan. Almost all of his actions were to accomplish it, plotting in secret, gaining support, making hidden alliances with people in power. It was only a matter of time before he accomplished his ultimate goal, and that time is now, just like heâs always imagined. Although, he didnât exactly expect it to come from Morganâs death. He hadnât planned on killing her to overthrow her... he simply wanted to take the throne. She was what some might consider to be the love of his unnatural life, as painful as it is for him to admit it. And now sheâs dead.Â
Gideon watched as Darien Shields beheaded the only demon heâs ever managed to care about, even if he did have ulterior motives in getting together with her. Gideon swears revenge for it, even if it did allow for him to step so easily to the top of the demonic hierarchy without challenge. After all, most of Morganâs direct followers were dead. Her 2nd and 3rd in command, the only ones who could have successfully challenged him, were gone. And anyone who tried to challenge him? Well, they were shown no mercy. Gideon made examples of them, beheading most of them and using the remaining body parts to decorate the walls of his chamber. Most of Morganâs Chalice-created demons have been eradicated or exiled. Anyone else who wants to challenge him seems to remain silent these days and have ceased to present themselves.Gideon, therefore, feels confident in his new seat.
He isnât aware of the growing movement against him, moving silently as a shadow and as inevitable as death. The underworld is frustrated with Gideonâs lack of action, and a lot of people feel he doesnât deserve the throne heâs stolen. Heâs under the impression that the few deeds he succeeded with are enough to give him badges of honor. After all, heâs killed one watcher (Ryder), turned another into a werewolf (Greg), and however indirectly brought about the death of a Celestial (Fiona). Gideon is a smart man. He believes the way to destroy the Celestials is to destroy the people who care for them. Itâs still his plan, still what he expects will work. The Dark Chalice doesnât work for him the way it worked for Morgan... he canât make demons the way she did. Every attempt he made turned out horribly wrong.
His way is slower, one werewolf at a time.
He is building an army of werewolves, changing as many mundies as he can find, and he plans on slowly picking off the Watchers one by one. And yet, in the four year since the Rock has exploded, heâs done very little to actually put those plans into action. Gideonâs got a mind suited for strategy, which is something not many understand. He always has the bigger picture in mind, the greater evil forefront in all his plans. He wonât do something rash and irresponsible, simply because heâs not rash and irresponsible. Moving against the Celestials or their Watchers now is simply not the right time. With mundies slowly starting to believe in the existence of the supernatural, all sorts of problems are falling from the sky. Mundies outnumber demons... but itâs the demons who overpower the mundies.
Rather than provoking the Celestials immediately, or revealing the demonic race to the public straight away... Gideon wants to be subtle. Gideon wants to slowly build his army until they both outnumber and outpower the mundie population. He wants the Celestials to be unaware when the Watchers are suddenly ripped from their lives. He wants the Celestials to watch the world fall to the wolves before they get their own throats ripped out. And he wants it to happen soon.
Soon, but not now.
The thick-headed demons who disagree with him canât understand his unfailing patience. Gideon has instilled new laws of secrecy on his demons. Killing must be done away from the public eye. Massacres like the one in Time Square are forbidden, and any demon defying this will be punished. In fact, he still has the severed heads of a handful of demons who went a little too public with their kills just recently. No one understands what Gideon does; evil is strong, but it is not invincible. Mundies, when united, really can cause a problem for them. Celestials, when aware of whatâs coming for them, can fight back.
Patience is a strategy that Gideon thinks will win the war, and itâs strategy that heâs sticking to. But with the oncoming rebellion and a new threat on the horizon, whatâs a Demon King to do? Thereâs a time for sitting and waiting... and thereâs a time for acting. Itâs only a matter of time before Gideon is forced to move, and when that happens, thereâs no telling the hell that will rain from his throne.
CONNECTIONS
1. CAITLYN MARSHAL:Â
Gideon finds himself missing Morgan Chrysoberyl more often now than he did in the immediate days following her death. He never expected her to get beheaded, of course, but he also definitely didnât expect the delayed reaction her death would cause in him. The feelings of loss came with an almost overpowering feeling of longing. But then he started dreaming of a very different woman. She is beautiful and mysterious and Gideon is certain heâs never met her before. He doesnât know why he sees her face when he goes to sleep, or why heâs still thinking of it when he wakes up. It makes him uncomfortable, sort of like heâs losing his grip on reality. In his waking hours he mourns Morgan as if her death was as fresh as the blood of a recent kill. But the second he closes his eyes Morgan ceases to exist, replaced with this strange woman heâs never met before, and is now succumbed with desire. These sorts of feelings confuse and disgust Gideon... such weaknesses almost make him feel human. Could it be that experiencing love and loss and longing have made the age old werewolf more human? Could it be that he may have finally learned the lesson that turned him into a wolf in the first place? Right now, it doesnât matter. Heâs got a war to wage and anxious demons to keep in check. Gideon Alistere simply doesnât have time to worry about who he loves, who he misses, and who heâs about to encounter.Â
2. DAPHNE IAPETUS:Â
One of Morgan Chrysoberyl's biggest mistakes as Queen was trusting the wrong people. Some of Morgan's most trusted demons weren't loyal to her. Not her Second in Command, or Third. He wasn't even loyal to her, not entirely. Daphne Iapetus, however, is the most loyal demon Gideon knows. More loyal than his own Second, but no matter. She is a trusted adviser, on all matters. She has no agenda of her own. Her agenda is to see Gideon's own succeed. She owes him, for introducing her to this life to begin with, but he doesn't remind her. He doesn't need to. She'll do whatever he asks, anything. And that's something that Gideon is going to need in the coming war.Â
3. IVY VESPERILLIS:Â
Gideon's Second in Command, Ivy, is a skilled demon. She has a very useful ability, and has been excersizing it quite a bit lately. She doesn't complain, and she does as she's told, but Gideon isn't oblivious. She was right there by his side, betraying Morgan. Even though things didn't quite go as planned, she is a part of the reason Gideon has his seat. Gideon has no reason to believe she wouldn't betray him as well. Eventually, Second won't be good enough. Gideon is well aware of the possibility, and is prepared. He will not however, poke the bear. As long as Ivy continues to stay in line and fulfill his needs, Gideon is content. Besides, they've had some pretty rough times together. In demon speak, that's a good thing... if you catch our drift.
4. SETH LEVIATHAN:Â
Seth is the last part of Morgan left, besides the Golden Chalice. Gideon views him as the weakest part there was to Morgan. He knows of Seth's attachment to the mundie Alexandra Vanderbilt, and will use it to his advantage if he has to. Gideon also knows Seth doesn't like him, and has reason to believe that Seth is the head of a rebellion. No matter. Gideon's plan will not fail, and Seth will see that first hand. Seth is like the rest of the demons, impatient. They want results now, instead of careful planning. That is why the rebellion will fall, and Seth along with it. Gideon will be more than pleased when that happens, since he never much cared for Seth anyway. In fact, he hates that wretched demon. Possibly more than a few select others, most of whom are dead now. Seth is self righteous in his power, believing that fear is the greatest weapon there is. Gideon is going to sit back and watch that weapon destroy it's maker. It's only a matter of time...
5. MOLLY MARSHAL:Â
Gideon has never had a family, not in the real sense. When he was made into a werewolf, procreation took a backseat to something more along the lines of infecting others with the werewolf gene and expanding his species. His lingering connections with others either had to do with sex or necessity, which makes his apparent concern for the individual known as Molly Marshal quite the confusing case. He has no desire for her sexually. He has no need to use her as a tool. She has no information he needs, nothing he can use to exploit her with. And yet, he feels genuine concern for her safety when she does stupid things like walk in the middle of a demon bar and try to save his life. Thatâs how he met her, after all. The precocious young girl who had the mistaken impression that Gideon would have been hurt by the clumsy attempt on his life by that lower level demon. Her bravery impressed him, but her stupidity gave him a headache. Molly has a lot to learn about the demon world, and Gideon doesnât exactly want to teach her... but he feels like he has to... like he owes her something. He wonât let another demon touch her under penalty of death, and the underworld knows it. So for now sheâs safe. But is Molly just another weakness Gideon needs to eradicate? Or is she something far more important than that? And when he realizes her connection to the mystery woman of his dreams? What then?Â
6. TRISTA WYZEN:Â
It's a fact that every being, be they human or not, has a weakness. Some are obvious, while others are concealed. Ask Gideon what his weakness is? He'll tell you he doesn't have one. We won't say he's a liar, but we know differently. Okay, we are calling him a liar. From the moment Gideon laid his eyes on Trista Wyzen, he was mesmerized. She was beautiful, and pure. Her friends, the other celestials, they were all tainted. Sleeping with the enemy, and some of them were her closest and most trusted demons. Trista wasn't, isn't, like that. She is so elegant, that Gideon thought she would be best suited as a mythical creature. She's the one being Gideon can't touch, can't feel her soft skin in his not so soft hands. If he were to indulge in the wonder that is Trista, then Gideon would become everything he despised. It doesn't really matter though, now that's she's dead. Gideon no longer has to feel the strong urges he felt for the Daughter of Time, and he can focus his energies where they need to be.Â
7. GREGORY WILLIAMS:
A hundred werewolves, maybe more, populate New York City now. They all wait for Gideon's signal, one that won't be coming for some time. They do his every bidding, and helping increase their population every chance they get. Things are going exactly as Gideon has planned, except for one thing. There's one werewolf in New York that refuses to follow suit. One werewolf that Gideon wants on his side, and can't get. Gregory Williams is a stubborn man, one who hasn't embraced his true self yet. Until that happens, Greg won't willingly join Gideon in his quest for a gradual take over. Gideon liked his odds in the beginning, he was certain Greg would fold. But now, very recently, it seems he's found a new werewolf friend. One that Gideon would rather kill than see Greg follow. In fact, that's exactly what Gideon is going to do.
To any girl who claims to âneedâ a man in her life, Amara Hayes will spend a great deal of time laughing straight in her face. In her mind, sheâs just as good, if not better, than any man and simply doesnât need one in her life or anywhere for that matter.
While some will call her the cliched version of a man-hater, Amara tends to feel she has a reason to not be so pleased with âTeam Menâ, considering that every man sheâs ever had in her life has let her down in horribly awful ways. Her father was nothing more than drunk whoâd emotionally torment his wife and daughter with mental and physical abuse. Occasionally, heâd drunkenly enter Amaraâs bedroom in the middle of the night and sexually abuse her. For a while she let it happen, feeling helpless and unable to fight back.
But then she became a Celestial, and something inside of her was suddenly stronger. The next time her father was around to hit her mother or touch her inappropriately, she let out a surprising burst of strength and shoved him across the room. He stumbled and fell backwards, slammed into the wall, and ended up breaking his clavicle. It was very awkward in the Hayes house after that. Her father, both fearing his daughter and resenting the embarrassment of being injured by her, ended up leaving the family shortly after. Her mother, weak-willed and pathetic, was unable to cope. She resented Amara after that for being the reason her husband left them poor and destitute.
Amara herself was shocked. She didnât have friends to comfort her or any pesky social workers to rescue her from that hell. She was alone, and had to deal with these things by herself. But Amara seized the opportunity quite well... she didnât know it yet, but the blessing by the gods was something that empowered her to the core, even before her abilities surfaced. Though she was quite young, only fourteen, she started working to support herself and her mother. And when her mother started dating another deadbeat that tried to molest Amara, she rightfully broke his arm. Then his nose. When her mother tried to defend the boyfriends actions, Amara went straight to her room and packed her bags.
When she left home, she never once looked back and didnât quite care to think of it ever again. She took care of herself for a while, living on the streets of Central Florida while attending school as often as she could. Somewhere along the way, she got behind the wheel of a car and got involved with a lot of underground street races. Sheâd go to school during the day, work at an office after school, and race cars during the night.
And for a while, life was good.
It got even better when she discovered her abilities by accident when she saved Michelle Terraâs life... the woman that gave her own life meaning. It was Michelle who gave Amara the courage necessary to ask her sleazy after school boss for a raise. This was before her boss figured out she was actually homeless and living alone underage. Instead of reporting her to the state, however, her boss offered her a deal. If she slept with him, heâd let her continue working there with the raise she wanted. Amara, not happy with yet another sleazeball in her life, decided to turn the tables. Using her strange ability once more, she threatened the boss to give her a 100% raise, under the condition that heâd never, ever speak to her again and she wouldnât report him to the police.
And that, dear friends, is how Amara Hayes supported herself into adulthood.
When she found out a while later that she could earn more money winning races than working for that sleazy boss (who turned white whenever she looked at him now), she decided to quit and race cars for a living. She spent a lot of time working with her ability until she realized that with it, she could fly. Not with wings or jetpacks or fancy magical floating skills... sheâs literally able to manipulate the air around her until she finds suitable jetstreams to propel her upwards and onwards. Itâs a thrill thatâs even better than the one she gets from speeding across a finish line. Still, she adored the somewhat lesser thrill that racing gave her too.
Amaraâs life, as it was, was perfect. She felt as if she finally could be happy, just her and Michelle, for as long as necessary. She believed that she lived her life to the fullest, with her cars fast, her liquor hard, and her body strong. Anyone who didnât like her was someone she let stroll right out of her life with no regret. She was Amara Hayes... she didnât need anyone but Michelle Terra.
So when she was instinctively called to New York City to protect the rock and a bunch of younger Celestials, she didnât exactly thrill at the thought. Her and Michelle at first resisted the idea of working in a group, but theyâre slowly getting used to it. Amara still doesnât like her watcher, but things have started to cool between them after everything they had been through.
Amara had been kidnapped and tortured and held captive in the underworld when Leon Balfour rescued her. He may have faked evil to do it, but a part of Amara had to admit she was grateful. And when she got in a fight with a fear demon, she was able to use some of Leonâs training to defeat the illusion... something Seth Leviathan claimed never happened before. It was enough to make Amara willing to work with Hannah Griffith and Leon when they needed to cover up the Times Square Massacre, and enough to give them them the benefit of the doubt.
When the rock battle happened and the other celestials divided themselves, Amara and Michelle decided to go back to the life they knew well. A life of happy solitude with only just each other as company. But Amara is quickly becoming frustrated with having nothing to do. Life has suddenly become repetitive without having demons to fight. The occasional sewer dwelling scavenger demon is not enough to keep her mind occupied. She races cars then goes home to a withdrawn Michelle day after day, and it was starting to wear her down to the point where she was almost glad to have an excuse to return to her Celestial duties.
Unfortunately, that âexcuseâ was Tristaâs death, and there was no comfort in that. Amara is ready to get back to action, but dealing with her friends death on top of Michelleâs new depression is going to be hard... some of the hardest things sheâs ever had to deal with are in her future. Will she be able to trust the others long enough to help get her out alive?
CONNECTIONS
1. MICHELLE TERRA:Â
To know Michelle and Amara was to know exactly that; Michelle and Amara. For years now, theyâve been inseparable. Each one being the glue that held the other together. Neither of them could imagine a life without each other. Michelle saved Amara, from death, just as Amara did Michelle. Numerous times. Their love transcended and went above everything else. Now, Amara is without Michelle. She doesnât entirely understand why, but Michelle has put a distance between them. She doesnât call anymore, doesnât text, and she wonât speak to Amara about the things that are bothering her. Amara knew that Tristaâs death would hit everyone hard, as it did her. She didnât expect Michelle to react the way she has, and she has no idea how to get her former lover out of this funk. She still loves Michelle, and she knows Michelle still loves her. Can Amara help bring Michelle back to her old self before itâs too late?
2. LEON BALFOUR:Â
The bond between a celestial and her watcher is supposed to be a thick one. An unbreakable bond. Celestials learn everything they need to know about fighting evil from their watchers. Everyone except Amara. Sheâs never trusted Leon, and still doesnât. She doesnât need him, and never has. Although, that isnât entirely true. Deep down, Amara knows she needs Leonâs help. She just doesnât want it. With Trista dying, and Michelle pulling away from her, whatâs the point? Nothing Leon can say or try to teach Amara can prepare her for things like that, and itâs things like that that make people untrustworthy. Question is, how much longer can Amara reject Leon and push him away before he gives up on her for good?Â
3. SETH LEVIATHAN:Â
Since Tristaâs death, and her separation from Michelle, Amara has seemingly been looking for trouble. She spends a lot of time out at night. After all, it is when the freaks come out. And the freaks are who sheâs looking for. Sheâs started numerous bar fights, with demons, and ripped them apart in the process. You wouldnât think Amara is much by looking at her. That attitude and stellar use of her ability is enough to prove you wrong. As she has many demons. Except Seth Leviathan. She doesnât try to kill him. She knows heâs a killer, but he hasnât come after her, or given her reason to destroy him. Not that she knows of... Instead, they exchange witty banter, and have a play fight or two in the alleyway every now and again. Thereâs no attraction there, since Seth definitely isnât her type. Itâs more of a respect thing, one that seems to be holding true thus far. She doesnât trust him, as she really doesnât trust anyone. The one person she thought loved her more than anything abandoned her, why would she? Besides that, Amara isnât stupid. She knows Seth is a demon, and itâs only a matter of time before he steps out of line. When he does, Amara will be there to smack him down and end him.
4. PATRICK TEAGUE:Â
Of all the creatures Amara has had to deal with, she never expected for a human to be the most annoying. Amara loves going to the racetrack, watching cars go as fast as they can in a race to the finish. She also enjoys helping out her favorite car. A little wind never really hurt anyone, right? Of course not, so Amara uses her ability to get her favorite car over the finish line first. No big deal, right? Itâs not like anyone has noticed, except for that annoying human. An annoying guy with an annoying and ridiculous name. Trick. Who calls themselves that? One that obviously thinks heâs tricky... or something. It doesnât really matter to Amara. Even though heâs there now, almost every time she goes. She doesnât care. Ever since their first encounter, when she put Trick on his ass, sheâs pretty much ignored him. She goes to the track, does her thing, and thatâs that.
5. AMY DAVIDSON:Â
Once upon a time, Amy was a quiet and nice girl. Amara saw her be devastated, for numerous reasons. One of them was Lunaâs impending death. Of course, Luna lived and all is well now. Except, not really. Nothing is well, and hasnât been for some time. For a while, Amy talked about training with Amara, and wanting to be like her. Amara was flattered, and wanted very much to help Amy. Now, Amara is on her own path and hasnât even seen the Daughter of Mercury in four years. A lot has happened since then, her tension with Michelle and Tristaâs death just being the icing on the cake. What will Amy think of Amara now? And letâs be honest, will Amara really even care?
6. RENEE STAR:Â
To see Renee Star these days is to know that Noelani Star is a person of the past. She no longer exists. Amara isnât happy with that. How could Tristaâs old Watcher turn around and go go gadget demon? Thatâs not right, and itâs a dishonor to Trista. Not to mention, the girl is only SEVENTEEN. What the hell does a seventeen year old really know about torment and evil? Whatâs worse, Amara has to wonder what Renee did to be turned into a demon in the first place. What set her on this path? Whatever it was, the deed has been done. And now, Amara is determined to return Renee to her former self, or at least some resemblance. The bad makeup, the provocative clothing, and the mess of a long hairdo has all got to go. So does Reneeâs association with Seth, and every other demon out there. With everything going on, and whatâs to come that no one even knows about, Amara and the others need all of the friends they can get. Noelani, we mean Renee, canât be on the opposing side. She just... canât.
7. LUNA ZERU:
Who would have thought that the act of saving a cat in an alley way would have lead to this? Lead to the past five years? A lot has happened since then, a majority of it not so good. That same cat today, though, is one of the most caring and intelligent people Amara knows. Luna Zeru faced death, and won. It was a feat that not many could brag about, and honestly Luna doesnât. She focuses her energy on helping others, Amara included. Especially, as of late. The old cat has been directing a lot of her time toward Amara, which seems impossible given everything going on. Still yet, Luna finds time. And that time is well spent, and reminds Amara that there are still good people in the world. People worth saving, especially if theyâre only a little lost. Even if only for a moment, Amara remembers. Maybe Luna will be the one to help set Amara back on the right track? Itâs a shot in the dark, but we can certainly hope.
To say that any girlâs life would change drastically after becoming a Celestial would be a big stinking pile of understatement. This is especially true for Michelle Terra, the only one of the original nine girls who could almost say she saw it coming.
You see, Michelle ability was never as immediately apparent as some of the other girls. When they were angry or scared or even happy, their skills usually presented themselves in some extreme ways. But Michelle went eight years before realizing what she was and what she could do; the Neptune Celestial who could see the future.
Growing up off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, she tended to just chalk up the occasional dreams she had to be just that... dreams... not predictions of what was to come. Most of the time she never even saw those dreams come to fruition, and any time they did, sheâd always just chalk it up to coincidence. Like the time she dreamed of her father strapped down on a table while someone sliced into his chest and the next day Michelle watched her father suffer a heart attack and be wheeled into open heart surgery. He survived, but Michelle was left shaken. As much as she told herself it was a coincidence, it was hard to figure out how that sort of coincidence could happen (and keep happening).
Still, Michelle was always a quiet, reserved person. She wasnât the kind of person to share this little quirk of hers, out of embarrassment and uncertainty. She much preferred to live her life in the shadows, staying out of peopleâs way, while taking personal comfort in late night swims and after school music practice (she was naturally skilled at the violin and the piano). These were the things she adored, forming a particular cadence in her life. Her parents sent her to the best school to give her the best education, and Michelle wasnât about to pass that up by acting up or revealing she might be some sort of strange prophecy girl.
But if it werenât for Amara Hayes, Michelle wouldnât have ever had to deal with any of that.
You see, Michelle was on private schoolâs swim team. During an away meet to Central Florida, Michelle was swimming the 100 meter freestyle when a vision gripped her. This was her first waking vision, and she found herself suddenly completely and unable to move underneath the water. She saw a vision of New York Cityâs Time Square on fire, with strange monsters and death everywhere. Distantly, she felt her body start to strain for air but was unable to actually do anything about it. By the time the horrific vision let her go, Michelle was almost dead and completely incapable of saving herself. Thatâs when she felt a sudden burst of air fill her lungs.
Inexplicably, she could suddenly breath underwater.
It was the strangest sort of feeling, but it was made even stranger when she realized that it was a strange girl in the stands who had saved her using some sort of an ability.
Theyâve been inseparable ever since, but thatâs besides the point. The point is that by finding Amara, Michelle found out who she was, and why she could do what she did. And as soon as she accepted the fact that it was an ability and not a strange quirk, the floodgates opened. She got visions more and more frequently, and some of them were stranger than others. Occasionally sheâd see the same sort of monsters from her vision in the pool, and that was terrifying. What was even more terrifying was the prospect of following up on those visions, which Amara began suggesting.
Slowly but surely, Michelle was expanding her knowledge of being a Celestial and fighting demons. Though her ability was completely useless in a fight, it was handy when it came to predicting where something awful might happen, and Amara was always there to back her up. They killed a few demons that way, together, always together. When Michelle received another vision of New York, this time showing other girls with the same kind of powers... Michelle was equally as hesitant as Amara to go. She knew on one hand that she had to, but on the other... she was so used to being a duo that she wasnât entirely interested in expanding that to a nine girl marching band. But she did. Amara and Michelle packed up and left home, heading to New York City to meet the other Celestials and apparently, their own watchers.
And it seemed that everything went wrong because of it.
In the face of these new girls, all with these larger than life abilities, Michelle wasnât exactly sure where she fit in. Although she had precognition, her visions never seemed to be quite clear, and they almost never made sense until after the event happened. If they did, her life would have been so much easier. For one thing, she could have done something to protect Amara from being taken by those lower level demons way back in the beginning. If she had protected Amara appropriately, she could have prevented Amara and Luna from being hurt in the underworld. Michelle could have prevented a lot of things, actually, but she didnât. She couldnât. For every moment Michelle could have helped someone, she found herself frozen in space, witnessing more horrors of the future.
If thereâs one thing Michelle has experience feeling, itâs being helpless. And with all that experienced helplessness, it wouldnât have surprised anyone if she decided to run for the hills. Especially when she witnessed Amaraâs watcher kill an innocent and join leagues with evil, all in apparent preparation to kill Amara. In what was probably the misunderstanding of the century, Michelle attacked Leon, left Luna, and dragged her lover out of there. It might have been an act of selfishness, and she still might be living down those feelings of guilt and regret, but it was possibly the first time Michelle had ever actively done something to help. It showed her that she could help, that she wasnât completely useless.
But that good feeling couldnât last long, not with the events to come.
Now, four years later, Michelle finds herself a bit alienated. Not only are the Celestials divided, but so is her relationship with Amara. Amara seems to be depressed by the lack of demonic activity, whereas Michelle is inspired by it. Sheâs been busier than ever with her celestial training. Sheâs even spent a lot of time meditating, too, trying to figure out if she could advance her ability at all. She now devotes a lot of her time to be on her own, taking a spiritual and mental stand over this new part of herself. Itâs her way of training, surrounding herself with silence and scented candles.
But the more Michelle trains, the more she falls away from the rest of the world. She's starting to forget about the things she loves and why she loves them. And whatâs worse... she really doesnât seem to notice.
Michelle has long ago given up the idea of giving her ability back to the god who gave it to her. After the rock exploded, she really had no choice. But now that sheâs accepted her gift, itâs becoming increasingly difficult to make room for anything else in her life.
Will Michelle be able to fight her way back to the rest of us, or will she drown in her attempts to master her ability? One thing is for sure... we need her, and no one is ready to let her slip away without a fight.
 CONNECTIONS
1. AMARA HAYES:Â
Michelle would have died without Amara Hayes, but not just because she happened to be around when Michelle had a vision under water and nearly drowned. Amara was her completion, her missing half. Amara gave her more than just a reason to keep existing. Amara gave her love, and through that, Michelle found a place in the world that accepted her. No one else could ever come close to that sort of love. Michelle canât imagine ever being without Amara. Itâs why she did some less than acceptable things to rescue Amara when she was held prisoner in the underworld all those years ago. Michelle stole a gun that she didnât know how to shoot and abandoned all reason to rescue Amara herself. Then, so concerned with Amaraâs safety, she abandoned Luna (who was helping her rescue Amara) and dragged Amara to the surface before even realizing that she had left someone behind. Michelle felt guilty, of course, but Amara was safe, and that placated the guilt. But thatâs how their relationship worked. Amara is always saving her, and Michelle is always saving Amara. That sort of love doesnât just go away over time. But now, Michelle is having a hard time finding her way back to that dedication. Her interests have shifted. Trista died. And in the wake of such loss, itâs hard for her to acknowledge that happiness she once felt with Amara. She needs to focus on herself now... she needs to find her way back to happiness that isnât so heavily dependent on Amara. Itâs all very complicated, and Michelle doesnât know why she feels the way she does. Maybe some distance is a good thing?Â
2. HANNAH GRIFFITH:Â
Four years ago, if you asked Michelle about her watcher, she would have probably shrugged and said nothing. Or she would have told you that Hannah wasnât so great with the âwatchingâ. Now, or at least recently, it seems to be a different story. Hannah has really been putting forth an effort, and Michelle can tell. It counts for everything. Sheâs been studying harder, and even training a little harder with weapons. Of course, Michelle still has to look elsewhere to advance in that area, physical combat. But Hannah is trying! Michelle was finally on good terms with her watcher, and then Trista had to go and get killed. Now, Michelle is back to shutting Hannah out, along with everyone else. Will Michelle be able to pull through, and get back to her normal self? Or is this the new normal for the future-seeing celestial?
3. TRISTA WYZEN:Â
A best friend is someone you can trust with everything, that will keep all of your secrets. They help you in any way you can, and theyâre there for you in ways most others canât or wonât be. Trista Wyzen was that to Michelle, the same as Michelle was to her. Theyâd been friends for quite some time, longer than most of the other celestials. They had a bond that you couldnât cut with the sharpest machete. Except, thatâs just it. Had. Trista is dead now, and thereâs nothing Michelle can do to change that. Thereâs nothing anyone could have done to save her, and Michelle doesnât understand why a good person such as she had to die. Trista never deserved this... And now Michelle has blocked everyone and everything from getting in. Whatâs the point? Theyâre just going to do die anyway. Tristaâs death impacted everyone, and Michelle is one of the worst. Michelle can be thankful for one thing, her gift. If it wasnât for that, Michelle would never have seen a future with Trista in it. That means Trista has to be alive, somewhere, Michelle is going to do everything she can to find Trista, and bring her best friend back home.
4. LUKE HUNTINGTON:Â
Luke Huntington is just another asshole demon. He was human once, less than five years ago. He made the same sick and demented choices the rest of the subhumans did. Heâs nothing special, thatâs for sure. So why is Michelle hell bent on ending him? Why is she training hard, and spending hours upon hours trying to trap and kill him? Michelle knows that Luke has no idea, but she doesnât care. Sheâs trying to kill a demon for a crime he hasnât even committed yet. Michelle knows heâs going to do it, she saw it. No matter, he is just another demon after all. Besides, Michelle would be doing Rem a favor by ridding her of this no good thing she calls her boyfriend.Â
5. ZOISITE CARNELIANS:
 Of all the things Michelle has seen, tolerating the presence of an evil vampire is low on the list of âunacceptableâ. Zoisite seems to really be putting forth an effort, and Michelle doesnât mind her company. Itâs true that Michelle doesnât speak to many people these days, and Zoisite is no exception. She is, however, someone Michelle can sit in silence with for hours on end. The two like to meditate together, and itâs nothing short of peaceful. Peace isnât something that comes along often these days, and the two women find it to be valuable time well spent. Michelle gets to clear her head, focus on clues that might lead to the location of her best friend. Zoisite, well... she gets whatever it is that she gets out of it. Regardless, the two have formed a pleasant bond, and neither of them see any reason why that bond should be destroyed.
6.ANDREW REED:Â
Andrew, the saved ice demon, is another example of crazy things. Heâs a new demon, new compared to the rest, and heâs a watcher. Not Michelleâs watcher, but a teammate nonetheless. Michelle doesnât really pay that much attention to him, but she doesnât go out of her way to make him feel unwelcome either. Heâs more or less invisible for the most part, since Michelleâs mind is clouded with a million other things. Most say that sheâs changed since Tristaâs death, and theyâd be right. When Andrew begins to poke around, trying to start conversations with Michelle, she reacts the same as she has to everyone else. She looks at him, and responds to his questions with either a shake of her head, or a nod. Sometimes, he even gets a shrug. When Andrew starts to ask more detailed questions, Michelle starts to get antsy and curious as to why he wants to know the things he wants to know. Will she tell him? Or will her slight suspicions keep her at bay?
7. LITA THOMPSON:
Michelle is tired. Tired of being pushed around, tired of being defenseless, and tired of not being able to defend herself. Whatâs the perfect remedy for that? Learn. Whoâs the perfect teacher for that? Lita Thompson. That girl packs a punch that would send a sumo wrestler sailing, and Michelle wants to be able to do the same. Well, maybe not exactly the same. She doesnât have the kind of physical strength and power that Lita does, but sheâs stronger than meets the eye. Sheâs been having fun, with these training sessions. Theyâre about the only time Michelle really smiles anymore. Lita is an excellent teacher, better than Michelleâs own watcher. The celestial of Neptune has acquired a few bruises along the way, but she thinks theyâre well worth it. Demons, beware of Michelle Terra. Sheâs coming for you...
Stephanie Remington always knew she was meant for something special, something big. She knew she was a fighter, someone to be on top, someone to defend others. For her, life as an average ordinary mundane was something that sheâd never be able to handle. It was something that sucked, wholeheartedly.
She was always a bit of a tomboy as a kid, but that wasnât the main thing that put people off of her. It was probably the fact that she spent most of her free time at the shooting range, shooting away at target after target with whatever weapon she could get her hand on. She was good with a shot gun... she was good with any gun, really, and wasnât afraid to mention her pride. Her parents were always concerned... she just didnât act like a normal kid. She acted like a girl with a destiny bigger than anyone could possibly understand... but thatâs the thing about destinies, isnât it?
Rem dealt with a lot of teasing and a lot of serious bullying. She got into a lot of fights over a lot of silly things, and got expelled a lot. But that wasnât the worst part of her life. The worst part was that feeling of being alone... of being an outsider who never fit in. Â But if Rem thought being a normal high school student who got called a freak was tough, she couldnât even possibly imagine the suckage of being branded the newest Celestial.
After the last Celestial incarnate, Fiona Williams, died, Rem was destined to take her magic and align herself among the stars. Rem was rather busy while all of that was happening, fighting off demons, watching as a friend died in her arms. You could imagine her surprise when a glowing Luna showed up, grasped her hands, and transferred the ability of the Saturn Celestial to Rem. It was even more unexpected for the ability to take hold immediately, healing the friend in her lap and bringing her back to life.
Curing death? Not something Rem ever really hoped for, even when she was hoping for everything else.
In five seconds, Remâs life had gone from mundane to extraordinary, and thereâs no way sheâll ever be the same. All this power has been given to her, and she can finally be able to use it better than she ever could with that old shot gun (even if she canât bare to rid herself of it). Rem thought it would be easy having that kind of power, but she rapidly found out it wasnât all itâs cracked up to be.
Having a soul awaken inside of her that didnât originally belong to her felt... strange. Wrong, somehow, like she was robbing someone else of their position. Itâs impossible to forget that in order for her to have the position as Saturn, the original Celestial had to die. After the rock exploded, Rem found herself facing a sort of survivors guilt.
And itâs not like she won the lottery... her ability comes with a strong sort of darkness, heavy and dangerous, weighing upon her soul. Itâs the first time that Rem has to fight something inside herself, and that scares her. She never expected that the enemy sheâd have to keep in check would be her own soul. If she had a Watcher, he or she might be able to help her deal with things... to help her deal with her survivor's guilt, and understand what her ability does and how it affects her.
Sadly enough, Rem just doesnât get the whole package. Sheâs been watcherless for the entire four years since the rockâs explosion, and that makes life fairly difficult. Sheâs been powering through as best as she can, working with Serena, Luna, and Artemis, training and learning things as best she can.... but itâs difficult. She has Maddie, but even Maddie accepts that sheâs not a real Watcher... merely a stand-in.
No one knows about Saturn and the various dangers associated with her abilities. All anyone has been able to tell her at this point is that she can destroy the world, or she can heal it. Fiona Williams, the past Celestial, seemed to have suffered with it every day. Should Rem be suffering too? Will the suffering come later? Is the suffering what happens if sheâs not strong enough to fight? There are too many questions about her history, questions that no one else but a destined watcher could answer. Rem has to fight demons for real, now, as well a dealing with the aftermath of her new ability. Sheâs also dealing with a family who doesnât quite understand why she opted out of college and is working as a waitress when sheâs not busy training.This new job is a lot harder than she expected, and Rem figures adding colleges courses would just complicate things. Besides, she was never meant for the academic world...
She was meant to kick some serious ass.
Her position as a Celestial provided just that. She spent the four years working with Serena, Trista, Luna, and Artemis, fighting what few demonic attacks surfaced. Rem never used her ability... she never needed to, and the others always warned her against it until she understood it fully. They were always wary with her, as if Rem was carrying a nuclear bomb with her at all times. But Rem didnât mind, not for the most part. She got to go on patrol.
It was all good and fun until one patrol ended up with someone dying. Rem was the only one around on that fateful night when a demon snapped Tristaâs neck. Stephanie Remington watched another Celestial die, and did absolutely nothing about it.
But hereâs the question that haunts her, and will keep haunting her forever... could she have saved her? Was Trista Wyzenâs death her fault? And furthermore, what if it happens again? What if another person dies, and Rem doesnât know how to help? What is the darkness inside of her going to do if that happens? And ultimately... how can Rem expect to save the world when she canât even figure out how to save herself?
CONNECTIONS
1. LUKE HUNTINGTON:Â
If Rem had a choice in who she was âdatingâ it wouldnât be a demon. Sheâs been in a relationship with Luke Huntington for four years, and itâs certainly not by her choice. Heâs got some sort of hold on her, after all that is his ability. Heâs attractive, but that is about the only thing good about Luke. Rem canât help but feel drawn to him though, even at his worst demonic moments. The rest of the celestials donât understand, have no real idea as to why Rem stays in such a horrible relationship. Of course, Rem does do her best to keep it a secret. She also doesnât do so well with keeping their secrets from Luke. When Rem is in her right mind, which isnât often, sheâs devising a plan. A plan to rid herself, and the rest of the world, from Luke Huntington.
2. MADDIE FOSTER:Â
When Stephanie became a celestial, she sort of drew the short straw at the same time. She has no real watcher to speak of, only Maddie. Maddie does try, and does a damn good job of it. Still yet, there are times when theyâre both confused, when neither of them are sure what direction to go next. Maddie has been studying the past, studying the origin of Remâs ability as well as the others. Rem canât say she hasnât learned anything, because that simply isnât true. She is, however, quite a bit behind the others. Sheâs the most vulnerable to attacks, and to being tricked by the not-so-friendly types. Rem and Maddie do their best to help each other, and have formed a solid bond because of it. If that bond remains unbreakable, it can only be beneficial to both of them.
3. LEILA DRISCOL:Â
When Rem heard through the grapevine that her best friend had been admitted into a mental institution, she was floored. Leila didnât tell her herself, or anyone for that matter. Rem couldnât understand why, or why Leila didnât want to see her. They were, are, best friends. Rem and Leila have been to hell and back together. Fighting demons, fighting crazy ex-boyfriend demons, saving each otherâs lives. Those are the kinds of things that bond two people together, and that bond is much deeper than that of a normal friendship. So what happened to Remâs best friend? It it because sheâs dating Leilaâs crazy demon ex-boyfriend? Whatever the reason, Rem isnât going to give up on Leila. She will get her best friend back, and it will be as if she never lost her at all... Rem hopes.
4. DOMINICK ORION:Â
In a world like today, everyone is being hunted by someone. Mundies and celestials are being hunted by demons, demons are being hunted by celestials, and now... mundies are hunting demons and celestials. Who would have thought that a celestial, the good guys, would be hunted by the very things they protect. And Rem would have never thought she would jump start it. She hasnât met her Dominick Orion yet, but she knows sheâs been followed. It didnât start until the night her and Maddie cornered a demon on a dock. Rem used her ability to drain the life force from the demon, and turned him into a pile of rotted  flesh and bone. The demon was an older one, turned at a later age. He had been disguised as the CEO of some company for a long time, and was using his position to run a slaughter ring. Dominick knows none of this, and Rem doesnât know who he is or what he looks like. One thing is for certain, Rem needs help to get the jump on whoever this stalker of hers is.
5. ARTEMIS DACHIEN:Â
There is nothing bad Rem will say about Artemis. Heâs been nothing but helpful ever since Rem gained her new ability, and destiny. Heâs worked hard to help her, and her Watcher. Heâs trained with them, and guided them down the right path. Occasionally, Artemis seems a bit stand-offish, but Rem assumes itâs because heâs preoccupied. Thereâs a lot going on, with her and Artemisâ wayward charge. Tristaâs funeral hasnât made things easy for anyone, and now things are getting hairy again. Still, Artemis is always kind and helpful to Rem, and she hopes to return it all someday. After all, there may come a time when Artemis needs her, and all of the help he can get.
6. DAPHNE IAPETUS:Â
As if training, being hunted, an insane best friend, and sleeping with a crazed demon werenât enough, Rem has even on her plate. Thereâs a woman, once Rem doesnât recognize, thatâs been following her around. It seems like every time Rem is in trouble, this woman appears. She might be hiding, but Rem knows sheâs there. She can feel her. Yet, she never does anything. Nothing that Rem knows of, at least not yet. Rem doesnât speak about the woman to her friends. She has no idea if this person is friend or foe, and Rem doesnât want to add more problems to the ones the celestials already have. The womanâs intentions will be revealed soon, and Rem will be ready for it no matter the direction.
7. ASHER WOODS:
Remâs Watcher, Maddie, has been spending a lot of time avoiding a man named Asher Woods. He seems nice enough, and seems like he actually cares for her. Rem isnât sure why Maddie wonât give him the time of day, but she certainly does talk about him a lot. Rem listens, and is nice to Asher whenever heâs around. She explains the blow-offs, and assures Asher that some day sheâll come around. In the process, and unexpectedly, Rem has formed a small bond with the gorgeous man. Of course, Rem isnât falling for him in any way. After all, heâs clearly smitten with Maddie, and she has her own screwed up relationship to deal with. Still yet, Asher is a nice person to have around when you just want to talk.
Being the âstrongâ one isnât exactly the lightest burden to carry, but Lita Thompson somehow manages it with a kind of grace thatâs all her own. Sheâs had a bit of hard life, dealing with both of her parents dying in plane crash when she was very young. Having no real extended family to raise her, Lita was thrown into the foster system, being shuffled around from family to family whenever one got bored of her. It put her in a lot of tough situations, so Lita had to grow up tough.
She got into a lot of fights, but never ones she started. A lot of boys would pick on her because she didnât look or act like the other little girls... she was taller and somehow more muscular. She was much more of a tomboy than anything, and was way better than anyone at throwing a punch. She was independent and strong, and usually won in any fight she got dragged into. But it was these things that made various foster familyâs tire of her quickly, and it instilled a deep need for Lita to maintain some sort of semblance of femininity. She tried a lot of girly things but some of them just werenât for her. She wasnât the graceful ballerina or the pretty model that turned heads. She was merely Lita.
And you know what? That was okay with her.
It was okay for the Thompson family too, who adopted her officially when Lita turned thirteen. They found the little girl quite charming, and provided her with a very loving home. Lita was overjoyed... her adoptive mother even taught her how to cook, a âgirlyâ skill Lita picked up immediately and became very skilled with. Ultimately, Lita was happy. She was lucky enough to find a happy home with people who loved her and accepted her for what she was... at least, before she became a Celestial.
When Litaâs âcelestialâ inside awoke, it took some getting used to. Her natural strength and agility had suddenly become amplified to extreme degrees. She found herself ripping doors off their hinges and crushing phones within her fingers, all on accident. She met her watcher, Cade Tourmaline, a little late in the game, and eventually he was able to teach her and train her and take care of her like any good watcher should do with their charge.
But even he couldnât help her control her sudden surge of strength.
It was something she had to control on her own, and after some time, she managed it. Her physical strength was never any match for the mental and emotional strength she held inside. And when things in her life got complicated? Well, Lita was the only one who was able to be fully and completely honest with herself and the people around her.
She fell in love with a demon called Braeden Andalusite, and though he made no attempts at being âgoodâ, she saw a part of him that could be. They trained together, and he never showed mercy. He didnât expect her to be weak or to need help. He expected her to be strong, and Lita thrilled at the fact. Though she kept their relationship a secret at first, she eventually came clean... an action that no other demon-dating Celestial had done. Her watcher was furious, and her best friend disappointed... but Lita felt at peace with herself. Even though the truth of Litaâs relationship with a demon caused people to look at her differently, she held strong to the fact that her relationship with Braeden, however dark it may have started, turned into something beautiful.
But Lita wasnât stupid, nor was she one to shirk her duties as a Celestial. When Braeden became a threat to the Celestials lives and continued hurting innocence, Lita was prepared to put a stop to it. She would have willingly killed her boyfriend if her moral core told her it was the right thing to do. She even challenged him in a battle, while Morgan Chrysoberyl herself asked Braeden to kill her. Lita braced herself, then watched in shock as Braeden refused. Morgan then killed him, kidnapped Maddie Foster, and disappeared.
And you know what Lita did? She picked herself up and chased after them.
Can you imagine the strength something like that took? Not only to reveal your secret without shame, but to then admit that the man you loved needed to be killed, and to prepare to do it personally with little hesitation only to watch him refuse to hurt you, then die at the hands of the most powerful being in the underworld? It was heartbreaking, but she stood strong. She dealt with all of that emotionally, and still was able to join Serena in the gym during The Battle of the Rock to lend her strength to her friends. And afterwards? Lita didnât run away. She stayed right where she was, helping to pick up the pieces of everyone else.
But thatâs how it has always been, hasnât it? Lita, the strong one, helping everyone else with their problems, all the while being âstrongâ enough to overcome her own. Sheâs not exactly the kind of person to sit back and analyze this, thankfully, otherwise she might see some things that are inherently wrong with the way other people rely on her. But Lita powers through, like always. It doesnât even shake her up when people start looking at her differently, because of her confession. No one was hostile to her, of course, not even subconsciously. Itâs just that one half of the crowd was looking at her as if they expected her to fall into a pile of tears in mourning her dead boyfriend. The other half expected her to start donning leather pants and killing mundies.
It was one of the strangest things Litaâs ever experienced, especially since she never really planned on taking either option. Sheâs heartbroken, yes. Watching her boyfriend die killed a bit of her own heart too. But Litaâs too strong, yet again, to take that pain and use it for something destructive. Instead, sheâll take it and turn it into something constructive.
She helped rebuild the high school school. After that, she resumed training in various methods of martial arts while applying for different colleges. Then, Lita was accepted into LaGuardia College and dealt with her first year of college. Then the second. Then the third. In her fourth and final year, she was offered a grad position to study archaeology in Central America, and Lita took it. She took a bus all the way from New York City straight across the border into Mexico, where she has stayed for a little over three months.
Now, Lita has always known that she was never going to have a real career, but going on adventures in the jungles was a pretty good way to spend her time. After all, she spent a little more than three years in New York contributing very little to the overall fight between good and evil. There simply wasnât a lot of evil left in the city. The queen of the underworld was dead, and the attacks on mundies had slowed. Besides, Rem and Serena seemed to be doing a very good job of keeping the peace. If all the other Celestials deserved a break, so did Lita. And she was enjoying herself too. Itâs almost unfortunate that not even halfway through her grad study that she received a phone call that dragged her right back to New York City.
For Trista to die meant something serious was happening, something serious and ultimately wrong. And all of Litaâs strength... all of that steely resolve sheâs been clinging too... it might not be as solid as sheâd like to believe. With the way things are, that strong interior might just be crumbling, and Lita just might be in denial about that. Thereâs only so long a rock can stand the storm before it begins to crumble, and Litaâs about to find out just what is left after the rain stops.
CONNECTIONS
1. DOMINICK ORION:Â
Lita once thought that no one would ever replace Braeden in her heart. She was right, as no one has yet. However, there is someone in Litaâs life whoâs found his own place in her heart. His name is Dominick Orion, and heâs a human. Heâs a police officer, a breed their own. But heâs not a demon. They met while working out at a gym and sparred together for fun. Dom must have enjoyed the experience of getting close in combat to Lita, because he asked her out almost immediately afterwards. Since then, theyâve been on a handful of dates and theyâre getting along very well. Lita really enjoys sparring with him too, but itâs not the same sort of training she did with Braeden. Dominick is very strong, but he doesnât quite have demon strength. But after all, thatâs a good thing... something that makes Lita feel safe. He likes to spend time at the shooting range, and Litaâs gun skills have improved since she began to accompany him (she even had Leon train her on the side to prepare). They make eachother laugh, share common interests, and are both genuinely intrigued by one another. Itâs love at itâs time to bloom, and itâs wonderful. What wonât be wonderful is the day that Dominick turns from boyfriend, to enemy. Letâs hope Lita doesnât see that day... ever. After all, she deserves to be happy just like anyone else.
2. CADE TOURMALINE:Â
Some Watcher Diaries have mentioned some relationships with their charges. Some watchers were so in tune with their celestial that the two were able to converse through a telepathic connection. None of the celestials of current times have that sort of bond, but if there were a pair that would be close enough to pull it off... itâd be Cade and Lita. Or, at least it would have been. Four years ago, their close bond was ripped apart when Lita didnât choose her watcher over a demon. Of course, she didnât choose the demon either, but thatâs beside the point. Cade was the only one of their circle that could hold his own against Lita physically, and now that still shows to be true. Unfortunately, being brought back together under not-so-pleasant circumstances, and the past four years, has left them both quiet. They train together in silence, and only speak about missions. Both of them have a ton to say, Lita mainly about how much she misses him and wants things to go back to normal. Eventually, one of them has to start that conversation, but who will it be? And when that time comes, will it be too late?Â
3. MINA MARIANI:Â
Mina Mariani and Lita Thompson are good friends. Best friends. Theyâre the kind of friends who never had an issue with being friends. Their relationship wasnât just built on circumstance.... they likely would have become best friends even if the two didnât share a Celestial bond. Itâs simply that the two have such similar mindsets, such similar life goals, even if their own personalities are different. They share the fundamental things, and thatâs what makes them love each other. But a lot has happened to them since the Battle of the Rock. Lita grew up a lot in four years, and sheâs seen a lot more too. None of this is something she got to share with Mina. A small part of Lita is upset with Mina for leaving... and another part of her is jealous for escaping when Lita was stuck. But the largest part of her simply misses her. When Trista died, all of the Celestials were called back to New York City... and Mina still didnât come. Lita finds this ridiculous, and decides itâs going to be her job to get Mina home. Four years is long enough to âvacationâ in California. Itâs time for her Best to kick her ass in gear, and Litaâs going to be the one to kick it.Â
4. JOANNA WATTS:Â
Bad things are going to happen when Lita Thompson meets Joanna Watts... very bad things indeed. Luckily for Lita, she hasnât had the pleasure of meeting Jo yet. But with all the lingering connections she has to her? Itâs only a matter of time. Jo is Dominickâs widowed sister in law, after all. Thereâs going to be a meet the family portion in her new budding relationship with Dom, and Jo will most likely be there. And letâs just say, itâs not going to be pretty.
5. LEON BALFOUR:Â
Before Lita left New York for her study in Mexico, Leon was the Watcher to pick up the slack left over from Cadeâs slow withdrawal back into the shadows. Lita will always be grateful for that. Leon simply tried so hard to help her, almost as if all the times he tried to help Amara and wasnât allowed sort of just built up until they exploded onto Lita. Itâs surprising Amara wasnât more eager to work with Leon, because heâs proven to be quite the good Watcher... even if more than a few of Litaâs punches send him flying across the room. He makes up for it all with his talent for weaponry. Even Lita, who tends to pick things up pretty quickly, canât even hope to rival his knowledge and instincts when holding a gun. Sheâs taken advantage of that knowledge and had him teach her some tricks to use when impressing Dominick later. Thatâs what friends are for, right? Unfortunately, it might not last long. When Leon discovers something about Dominick, and realizes that Lita is dating that Dominick.... well, things are going to get a little messy.Â
6. RAYE CARTER:Â
Itâs hard to remain friends with someone when youâve killed their boyfriend with your feet. I mean, it was a simple back handspring move that decapitated Aiden Masters... but to be honest, Lita thought he was evil. He had been for the entire battle, apparently only changing back to normal seconds before Lita killed him. And that just... well, that sucks. Lita killed a demon, but he was a demon with a soul, that just so happened to be Rayeâs âeverythingâ. Stuff hasnât been the same with Raye since. The fire celestial seems to have healed herself from anger and pain, but she hasnât reciprocated any of Litaâs attempts to mend the friendship. And Litaâs trying. Sheâs really trying. She wants things with Raye to be the way they were... and even further... she wants forgiveness. It isnât easy thinking youâve ruined your friendâs life by killing their only love. Lita doesnât think the guilt of killing Aiden will go away, but it could lessen if only Raye would just give her a chance to apologize.Â
7. MICHELLE TERRA:
Michelle Terra, quiet, graceful Michelle, surprised the hell out of Lita when she requested that Lita train her. Lita had never viewed Michelle as a girl whoâd take charge and throw a punch. Michelle was the quiet one with the passive power that packed a preternatural punch, rather than a progressive one. Lita never thought poorly of Michelle because of it... in fact, Lita admired her grace and poise, and was often rather envious about it. Lita never could maintain the graceful beauty of a woman like Michelle. Hearing that Michelle wanted to learn to fight was exciting though, and Lita was happy to help. Lita rapidly discovers that she likes teaching people how to fight, and has quite a good time with Michelle during some sparring matches ...although she always has to remember to get rid of 75% of her strength, lest Michelle get bruised beyond recognition.Â
If someone were to guess which Celestial would suffer a downward spiral into evil, no one would have ever picked Rayelyn Carter. She was always the spiritual one, the dedicated one, the one who knew how important her place in the world was. Being raised by a mother who was a Cherokee witch who was descended from a long line of healers and magical folk filled her with faith and trust for the universe and its plan.
Raye grew up on a farm in a small town in Tennessee before she even came to New York City, and it was there that she learned about what she might become one day. You see, Akira Nakai sensed something in her young daughter and although she was unsure what would come of it, she knew Raye would eventually grow into greatness.
Unfortunately for Raye, Akira never lived to see her daughter become a Celestial. She died of Cystic Fibrosis before Raye became aware of her reincarnated self. It was a slow, sad death, with Akira choking on her own lungs in the last hours of her life. Raye was understandably traumatized. Her father never quite recovered from the death of his wife, and as soon as possible whisked a thirteen year old Raye Carter to the mean, hard streets of New York City.
Leaving behind the gentle life in Tennessee was hard for her... she missed the farm, missed the animals, and most of all, missed her mother. Itâs no surprise that she grew up a little harder than most girls, having had to be shaped by such a tragedy. But still, despite that hard shell... Raye always managed to maintain a true knowledge of what was right and wrong. Her American Indian roots are something she held to strongly, mainly because they were all she really had left of her mother. She had no real relationship with her father anymore... he had fallen too far into depression. He drank too much and spoke too little. Raye found herself yearning for guidance that he couldnât provide.
Luckily, she met her watcher Darien Shields, exactly the kind of guardian she needed. He was strict and stern, exactly the things her actual father wasnât. They developed a very close relationship, but ultimately a lot of things went wrong. Raye developed feelings that werenât exactly reciprocated. This sent Raye careening for someone else to give her the love that she needed. Unfortunately, she found it in a strange source: a chalice-created demon that had been exiled from the underworld for the crime of ânot being evil enoughâ.
Raye had always been very black and very white in her knowledge of good and evil, but meeting Aiden Masters seemed to change everything for her. He was a demon, and yet he wasnât bad. In fact, he was able to heal the hole in her heart in a way that no one else could. For a while, she was even able to be happy. But that was before everything went quite literally to hell. Another demon was attempting to turn her new boyfriend into an evil, soulless, killing machine, and she pretty much succeeded. Raye herself had to deal with both an attempted sexual assault by a frost demon and being held captive and burned by a telekinetic demon.
Then she had to watch the only person who ever loved her back go from good to bad... then good once more only seconds before dying.Â
It was quite a sight to behold, Lita Thompson murdering Aiden by decapitating him with her feet. Lita may have been under the impression that Aiden was still evil, but Raye did try to warn her... to stop her. But ultimately, she failed. While the other Celestials joined hands to defeat Morgan and stop the rock from killing everyone, Raye stayed behind. All of the celestials united, using each of their individual powers to focus on helping Serena.
Raye, the one who was always so focused and so dedicated, didnât help save the world.
Instead, she sat cradling the severed head of the last thing she believed to be wholly good in the world, reflecting on the events that lead her to that point. As Raye held the disembodied head in her lap, a feeling of helplessness overcame her, rendering her unable to move. How she had even escaped the gym was beyond her; she had become hollow. Numb. Empty.
In the course of a year, her world had been shaken to its core. Everything she knew and believed in had been turned on end, until she could no longer tell which way was up. Faced with something like that, anyone would alienate themselves. Anyone would forget their purpose in life. Anyone would traverse closer to the edge of darkness, any maybe anyone could topple over the brink of evil entirely. Anyone would expect it from Raye after all she had been dragged through in her time as a Celestial.
But Rayeâs faith surprisingly ran deeper than that. Her belief--in her purpose, in the other Celestials, in the gods and goddesses that had blessed them--ran deeper than any sort of psychologically achieved darkness. She didnât run away from her responsibilities, she didnât quit her ability. Instead, she did just the opposite; she dedicated herself to them entirely.
Instead of returning to Jefferson High after the reconstruction, Raye dropped out of high school, emptied her college fund, and threw herself into repairing her spiritual energy. She blocked out anything in her life that wasnât her Celestial duty, including her family and friends outside the business. She quit her job at her dadâs autobody shop and even moved out of her dadâs apartment. After tying up loose ends and making sure everyone knew what her plans were, Raye settled in on a plane and headed back to her birthplace in Tennessee. After her mother had died, Raye was ripped out of Tennessee, away from her home and her Cherokee grandmother. Now, it was the only place she could think of to return.
In the four years since the Rockâs Explosion, Rayelyn Carter found her way back to the very core of who she is, having stripped herself of the smoking city girl she had once been and returned to the spiritual, dedicated, and peaceful individual she knew was her birthright. Rayelyn Carter now holds a better understanding of herself and her purpose, a new appreciation for whatâs right and wrong. And when Tristaâs death summons her back to New York, she realizes that her recuperation period is over and sheâs ready to return to her life.
But the city, with all itâs toxins.... will it get to her again? She was completely hollowed out by the loss of Aiden and the betrayal of Darien. She placed new people and new feelings into the spaces left, but facing reminders of who she once was isnât exactly going to be easy. Itâs hard for people to change who they are, but itâs even harder to stay that way. Can she hold on to her newfound peace and serenity? Or will the world kill her soul all over again?Â
CONNECTIONS
1. GREGORY WILLIAMS:Â
Raye never really knew Gregory Williams before he was a demon, and she didnât know him when he dated Amy Davidson. She didnât know him when he was going through the worst bit of his transitions, and because of this, Raye Carter meets Gregory Williams with a fresh and unbiased opinion of him. This came at a time in her life where she needed someone like Greg, and itâs very likely that he needed someone like her too. Heâs struggling with his life and everything in it, which is something Raye is very familiar with. She went through the same thing four years ago when she lost all hope of goodness in the world. Sheâs been struggling ever since, and now that sheâs starting to find stable footing, her heart appeals to Greg to help him find the same. She didnât expect to have actual feelings for anyone since Aiden, but she canât help but feel for Gregory... the man with the great heart and just way too much to deal with. Sheâs not sure where their relationship might be going, but sheâs certainly eager to find out.Â
2. DARIEN SHIELDS:Â
Darien was a lot of things to Raye that he shouldnât have been. He was the father she needed after her real father checked out. He was the brother that supported her and threatened the boys she dated if they werenât good enough. He was the friend that helped her deal with high school dramas and childish insecurities. He was the Watcher to train her into the perfect Celestial, the perfect Charge. He was also a man that she had serious feelings for, but when it became apparent that Darien did not return those feelings... well, Raye was devastated. Itâs always dangerous to cross a line between lover and friends... but crossing the line between lover and Watcher? Itâs almost impossible to recover from. Raye kept in touch with Darien during her time in Tennessee, but it was very brief and very impersonal... enough to stave off those niggling crazies that came from a charge neglecting her watcher. Now that sheâs back, she understands that heâs duty bound to work with her again... but sheâs not sure if sheâll be able to handle that. After all, Darien let her down in a pretty big way. Not only did he reject her, but he also left her alone to get attacked by an Ice Demon... an Ice Demon heâs still calling his best friend. Not to mention the fact that heâs obviously in love with Serena. Old jealousies die hard, and its not going to be easy for a recovering Raye to handle these things. But sheâs going to try. She has to try... for the sake of everything and everyone in the world, Raye Carter has to make this right.Â
3. ASHER WOODS:Â
Asher Woods is actually someone very important to Raye Carter... heâs the man that she found in Tennessee who was willing to reconnect her to nature and the world around her while she stumbled down the road to recovery. Though she doesnât know his true nature, she knows that he was around when Darien couldnât be, and sheâs practically replaced him as her Watcher because of it. Asher is able to train her and get her to think about the world as a living, breathing thing... something that goes far beyond the training Darien was able to give her. The more connected she is with the earth, the stronger her own magic is because of it, and she has Asher to thank for that realization. He was even the one who got her to quit smoking. Needless to say, Asher Woods quickly became Rayeâs best friend... but she left him behind in Tennessee when her duties called her back to New York. She has no idea that Asher is now in New York too, with a duty very different to her own. All she knows is that Asher Woods saved her soul, and sheâs incredibly indebted to him.
4. ANDREW REED:Â
Andrew Reed is single-handedly the scariest creature that Raye has ever had the displeasure of knowing. Heâs the only demon that her fire couldnât affect... didnât affect. When he approached her in Der Waffle Haus that day four years ago, Raye had been completely unaware that the dorky and slightly awkward arcade owner had become a demon. When he tried to kiss her, she couldnât have predicted that heâd retaliate by using her ice to freeze her to the spot. For the first time in her life, Raye had become completely and entirely helpless, and no one was around to save her. Not Aiden. Not Darien. No one. Andrew was too strong to defeat. Raye suddenly found herself certain that she was going to die. Luckily, her instincts eventually kicked in and Raye was able to run to freedom... but the incident haunts her even to this day. Itâs especially sickening to think that the other celestials, Serena included, are now willingly working with Andrew and treating him as a Watcher. He is not a Watcher. Raye may have become more accepting of demons in the past five years, but she knows that a demon whoâs murdered before willingly and with joy is not someone who could be trusted to be a Watcher. She wishes she could convince Amy not to trust him, or Serena to burn him to ashes... but then again, maybe Raye could just do it herself? After all, her fire is now stronger than ever, and thereâs no doubt in her mind that Andrew is guilty for his crimes. He deserves to pay for everything heâs done, and Raye is eager to be the one collecting the fees.Â
5. SERENA BLACKWELL:Â
Both Serena and Raye are well aware of the fact that if not for their shared Celestial duties, they would never have been friends in the first place. Raye is very aware of this herself, but when she was drowning in guilt over her lack of action at the Battle of the Rock, Serena was the only one who kept in touch. The only Celestial who seemed to care that Raye had fallen off the deep end and was rapidly losing control. Serenaâs emails, though Raye would never admit it, kept her going. They kept her motivated. Eventually, after Raye was able to grow up and become accountable for her own actions, she even started emailing Serena back. The endless emoticons Serena used annoyed her to bits, but even Raye had to admit that she left each email session feeling somehow lighter. But thatâs how itâs always been... Serena is a source of light and good feelings in the world. Itâs no wonder Darien fell in love with her, even if heâs not admitting it. Itâs hard to hate Serena for being nothing other than âgoodâ. Raye decides to use her resentment towards Serena as a fuel for her own betterment... maybe one day if she can make people feel as good as Serena does, she can finally atone for her own sins? Though if that ditsy klutz starts crying at the sight of a demon one more time... Raye will calmly try to take a deep breath and refrain from tearing her head off. Tearing heads off, after all, is Old Raye. Sheâs trying to be new Raye. But the occasional fight is obviously inevitable, and who ever said a little healthy rivalry was ever a bad thing?Â
6. LITA THOMPSON:Â
Raye still sees it every time she closes her eyes, even four years later. The moment when Aiden went from being alive to dead... from being evil to good again. The moment when Lita Thompson ripped his head from his shoulders using her feet. It was almost too bizarre to be true, but the fact that Raye is constantly replaying it over and over again in her head means it has to be real. Sheâd be able to forget it if it werenât real. Sheâd be able to stop it from repeating itself constantly like a scratched CD replaying the same verse. Mediating with Asher was able to erase some of the memoryâs power, but seeing Lita again only brings it back to the surface. She canât look at Lita without seeing Aiden. She canât talk to Lita without hearing Aidenâs voice. She canât work alongside Lita without remembering how Aiden once swore to protect her no matter what. Raye has finally started to feel secure in her own body again, and she doesnât need the constant reminder of Aiden haunting her. Sheâs got a good thing going with Greg and doesnât want to lose that... but seeing Lita constantly serves as a reminder of everything that she once had. A friendship with Lita is so far beyond the realm of possibility that Raye canât even think about the concept. Lita killed the man she loved. She was the direct reason that Raye failed in her duties to protect the Celestial Crystal. And no matter how nice Lita is to her, Raye wonât be able to forget that. Ever.Â
7. AMY DAVIDSON:
Raye, Serena, and Amy were the first. The first Celestials to join together. The first friends to be told of their shared destiny. They worked together for a long time before the other Celestials showed up, and it formed a bond the trio is unlikely to ever forget. But now that Amy and Serena are on the outs, things are not as golden with their trio. Raye in particular has issues with Amyâs watcher, the Ice Demon that could have killed Raye. She makes her opinions known quite clearly, but Amy is always sidestepping the issue. She trusts Andrew, for whatever reason, and Raye canât help but feel Amyâs going to end up making the same mistakes she did with her last watcher... who just so happens to be Rayeâs current boyfriend. Itâs another one of those awkward things that no one is really talking about... the fact that Raye is dating Amyâs ex boyfriend, the same ex boyfriend who once tried to kill Amy. And Amyâs is using Rayeâs enemy as a Watcher, the same enemy that once tried to kill Raye. Itâs a complicated mess and no one knows how to react, especially not Raye. Thereâs not enough mediating in the world that could teach her how to handle that. Raye assumes theyâll just have to figure it out once step at a time.Â
Mina Mariani knew that falling in love would only screw her over. She spent her entire life guarding herself against it, claiming it didnât exist, and scoffing at all the other moon-faced idiots who claimed to be hit by cupids arrow. She hated love and all things to do with love. So what happened when she finally acknowledged that she might be in love with a demon? Naturally, it got her tortured and held prisoner. Then she ended up killing the demon she thought she was in love with. She lost the respect of her watcher, the closeness with her best friend, and the trust of her fellow Celestials.Â
Now say it with me folks, âLove Sucks.âÂ
Unfortunately, what sucks even more is having to mourn the dead demon, even after he tortured her. Now to try all that while trying to keep every last detail a secret from the people that matter most? It wasnât something Mina could handle.Â
Not even twenty four hours after the rockâs explosion, Mina found herself hopping on the first plane out of JFK. California, land of surf and sun, was supposed to be escape. She was getting away from New York City, away from her friends and her watcher, and away from her Celestial duties. She was getting away from the memory of Bastian, and the inexplicable guilt she felt over killing him.Â
Spending the summer with the father that abandoned her hardly warranted the title of a âvacationâ, but thatâs what Mina kept calling it. She kept calling it all through the summer, and even into the new year. Mina never officially graduated from high school (it blew up before she could), but it didnât exactly matter in California. She lived with her Dad in a small apartment on the coast, and had a hell of a time.Â
She was scarred, literally and figuratively, and dealt with it in the only way she knew how: by not dealing with it at all. She was more torn over Bastian than ever, more damaged than she ever thought possible. She couldnât go a single day in the bright sunny California without thinking about her smoke-scented ex-lover. After all, itâs hard to relax on the beach in a bikini when youâve got half of a demonâs name scrawled across your abdomen in scar tissue.Â
Mina did her best to make herself forget, doing things she wasnât proud of, sleeping around and partying more than she ever wanted. Lies became her only comfort. Sheâd tell one man that she was a girl from Kentucky, destined to make it in Hollywood. Sheâd tell another she was a local girl who had just become a professional surfer. The more upset Mina was, the bigger the lies got, until she reached a point where could hardly tell who she was anymore.Â
She had been in California two years before she received a job offer at a smokey burlesque club in a less reputable area of L.A. Mina preferred the term âexotic dancerâ, but she was more or less a stripper, no matter how many fancy titles you put on it. What other job can you really get with no real marketable skills and no high school diploma? She settled into her job over the next two years, and suddenly sheâs a favorite at the club.Â
She hasnât seen her watcher in over four years, and hasnât had contact with anyone from her old life. She doesnât even play video games anymore. The only thing that has remained constant is her ability, ironically enough. The same ability that had given her so much trouble in the past would stay with her, as long as she kept interacting with men. After each hormone-fueled night, her ability would gain a little boost of power. The more she tried to make herself feel something, the more her ability would respond. It wasnât love, not by a long shot⌠but it was enough that she pretended to want it, somehow.Â
Itâs no surprise that Mina hates herself right now, but thereâs really no visible way for her to get herself out it. She killed the only man she ever loved. The only man she ever loved was a demon, who tried to kill her and the only people sheâs ever cared about. Sheâs lied to the only people sheâs ever cared about for so long, she canât remember the last true thing she said to any of them. Then she left, ran away, hid from her problems like a scared little child.Â
Mina Mariani isnât just a distanced Celestial⌠sheâs a broken woman who lost track of who she is. When she heads back to New York, will she pull herself back together?Â
Or will Tristaâs death provide only one more thing to force herself to forget about?Â
Connections
1. BASTIAN KORONIS:
The bastard is dead. Dead, dead, dead. He was killed by none other than Mina Mariani herself. Electrocuted, into a pile of black ash. It had to be done. After all of the things he did to her, to her friends, to her Watcher. That bastard demon had to be stopped. Only now, since then, the Love celestial has felt like a part of her is missing. She hates that she regrets killing him, but the truth is that she's spent the last four years trying to drown that feeling. Four years, thinking she killed the one person, being, she ever truly loved. Four years, thinking that Bastian Koronis is dead. Little does she know, he's not. He hasn't been. In fact, he's been better than he was before. Mina doesn't know this, not yet. How will she react when she finds out? When he's standing right in front of her? We doubt she'll be running into his arms, but it will definitely make for an interesting reunion.
2. ARTEMIS DACHIEN:
All is not well with Mina and Artemis, a tag-team duo that was once considered to be the most tight knit friendships among Watchers and Celestials. Mina considered Artemis every inch her best friend. She practically grew up with him, after all, first with him as her pet dog, then the watcher who helped her discover her ability, then the man that saved her life over and over again as she continued to screw up time after time. Mina couldnât take that she had lied to him for so long, so she split. A lot of the guilt she felt in California stemmed from her guilt of leaving Artemis behind, without an explanation. Now that sheâs back in New York, sheâs not sure how to go about reconnecting with her old Watcher. She hasnât seen him in four years, and doesnât know what to say, or how to act. Artemis, Luna, and Serena had become the three musketeers, and Mina doesnât know how she fits into the mix anymore. Sheâs glad to see him again, but canât shake the feeling that Artemis isnât exactly happy with her... that he resents her for leaving. And why shouldnât he? Mina doesnât blame him for the disappointment, but she doesnât know how to make it better. And until she does, things with Arty and Mina will remain tense.
3. LITA THOMPSON:
Lita and Mina have far too much in common for their own good. They both loved demons, and theyâve both lost demons. Lita spilled her secret, however, and Mina never was able to do the same. Somehow, that point doesnât seem like it matters much anymore, at least not to Lita. She knows Minaâs secret. She knows itâs the same as hers was, but Lita is too good a friend to say anything about it. Instead, sheâs just patiently waiting for Mina to tell her on her own time, which in the end makes Lita a better friend then even Mina can realize. When Mina high-tailed it out of New York, Lita was the only one who kept calling, kept trying to make an effort to maintain their friendship. Not even Artemis bothered to call, all he did was send the occasional facebook update. Lita is a much better friend, and deserves a better best friend than Mina. Still, Minaâs happy that she can come back to someone in New York who doesnât resent her. While Lita didnât exactly throw a welcome home party, sheâs still there with open arms. Maybe this time Mina will learn just what that kind of trust and welcoming means, and start opening up for once.
4. ZOISITE CARNELIANS:
Mortal enemies is a funny term. It implies enemies that, given the chance, would kill each other in a heartbeat. Mina, for one, thought this applied to her relationship with Zoisite Carnelians perfectly. The two have a bloody history that can only be solved by more bloodshed, in Minaâs opinion. After all, Zoisite attacked and kidnapped Mina. Mina, in turn, got Zoâs lover killed when Bastian turned vengeful. Mina and Zoisite were never supposed to be braiding friendship bracelets together. So imagine Minaâs surprise when she walks into a room full of Celestials and is greeted by the smiling and friendly vampire. It doesnât make sense, and Mina is not happy about it. Zoisite is not someone to be trusted, sheâs a bloodsucking parasite that needs to be destroyed. Mina just doesnât get how no one else seems to think this. You can bet she wonât stop trying to prove it though, no matter what.
5. MADDIE FOSTER:
Maddie Foster and Mina Mariani have always had a complicated relationship. For one, they never were friends. Mina was a year ahead of her in school, and was far too busy with her own life to pay attention the Mad Maddie that got dragged around by the other girls. Maddie didn't even register on Mina's radar until she showed up outside Bastian's door, witnessing their secret romance first hand. It may have been four years ago, but the hit of being discovered still stings. Mina wasn't exactly all too friendly with Maddie back then, and Maddie clearly remembers that. Bastian nearly killed Maddie, after all, and Mina sorta just stood by and only interfered once Maddie promised her secrecy. Though Maddie never did tell, and it hardly matters anymore now that Bastian is dead, Mina can tell Maddie still remembers. Plus, Maddie and Rem are now BFFs with Artemis... Mina's Artemis. It's hard not to be jealous, especially since Mina's finding it difficult to fit into the new equation. Plus, Maddie is always looking at her too intensely... it makes Mina nervous, like she sees something in Mina that no one else can and is fearful of it. It's not a fun situation.
6. PATRICK TEAGUE:
Patrick Teague isn't exactly Ideal Boyfriend Material, but judging from Mina's past indiscretions, he may just be a step up. She met Trick when auditioning for his Burlesque Club in California. Mina had nailed the audition, but the auditioners wanted her to take off her clothes... something she had not signed up for. Mina said as much, and ended up insulting the auditioner. He tore up Mina's resume and told her to get out, but Trick had caught the show and was amused. He hired Mina on the spot, and eventually got to see her naked anyway... so Trick sorta won that interaction. Mina has fun with him, but that's just it... it's fun. Nothing more. She could hardly say she has feelings for him any more than he could say he has feelings for her. They're both well aware of what their relationship is, and are both content to keep it that way. But when Mina leaves Cali to return to New York, she basically quits her job and breaks up with him. So imagine her surprise when she catches a glimpse of him in Central Park. Something funky is up with Trick, and Mina wants to get to the bottom of it, sooner rather than later.
7. HUNTER WELLINGTON:
A bad memory. Thatâs Malachite Feldspar. Nothing but a bad memory... not since Bastian killed him. Mina never even knew that he staked the vampire and let him drown in the Hudson for her. She just knew that no monstrous vampire was attacking her anymore, and that meant she was lucky. She knew how close he had been to killing her, and wants nothing to do with that memory anymore. For all Minaâs concern, Malachite is dead and buried, and thatâs how heâs going to stay.
Ever since Amy was a little girl, the only thing she ever wanted was a fairytale life. You see, she spent most of her life with her nose in the books, all books, any books, anything with words that she could get her hands on. She was a girl who craved knowledge like a normal person craved societal stimulation. Jules Verne and Mary Shelley were her friends; Narnia and Hogwarts her vacation spots. It was all she ever really needed, until she became a Celestial.
When Amy started high school, she excelled almost immediately. It seemed she wasnât just good with stories and words... she had a knack for numbers and patterns and even knew her way around a computer. The teachers and staff absolutely adored the genius that was Amy Davidson. She was the first of her IQ levels that Jefferson High School possessed. But high school was an adventure her books had not prepared her for. It was messy and complicated and very, very lonely.
When she became a Celestial, it was like a blessing that opened up her world to an adventure to call her own. She met friends--best friends--and had powers--awesome powers. She even got a super hot sorta-boyfriend. But Amy Davidson never did end up getting her 'happily ever after'. She didn't even get the slightest hint of a fairytale. She didn't get her prince, her sunset departure, her triumph over evil. If anything, all she got out of life as a celestial was boatloads of crap constantly thrown at her every step of the way.
Her cancer-ridden best friend (Fiona Williams) died, not from cancer, but from a demon attack. Her crush-worthy watcher, Greg, the man she wanted to be her prince, turned into a monster and tried to kill her. She got attacked by vampires, almost found the rock, got cornered by demons, and was nearly killed by the one man she was supposed to trust with her life forever. Oh, and then she got suspended from school for the first time ever, which ruined her chances of becoming valedictorian, which, in turn, ruined her chances of attending Harvard.
Instead of finishing out her school year on the top of the world, as she was supposed to, Amy finished high school on the top layer of average. For someone like her, this was devastating. Almost as devastating of losing both Fiona and Greg within the course of a few months. Because of this, Amy spent the summer following the Rock's Explosion doing nothing. Hiding out in her room, reading books, rejecting social visits. And who could blame her? In the wake of such a terrible battle, with so much loss, who could blame Amy if she wanted to take a little time off. Everyone gave her space, gave her time to deal. The demonic attacks had slowed exponentially, at any rate, so it was alright that Amy wanted to take a break. All she wanted in her life was adventure, like the heroines of her beloved books, but not one author told her just how terrible the adventure would feel, how loss could destroy a person's heart so easily. Amy was sick of the Celestial nonsense, sick of everything having to do with it.
So, in her final year of high school, Amy officially quit being a Celestial.
She stopped talking to her closest friends and created a new life for herself. A new, ordinary life. She doesn't have a watcher, after all, so no one could tell her what to do. The rock was destroyed and the head of the underworld was beheaded. What more is there to do? Nothing. Just be normal.
And for the better part of four years, she succeed.
After finishing out her time at Jefferson High, she graduated, got a summer job, and started attending the local community college to build up credits to transfer to Harvard, late admission. After being rejected yet again (the black mark on her record that read, 'blew up the gymnasium' wasnât something theyâd considered a good extracurricular) Amy settled on Vassar College in upstate New York. It was far enough away from Manhattan that Amy rejoiced to attend, despite the exorbitant tuition fees. And for four years, thatâs where she stayed, in the happiest of all educational cocoons. She hasn't used her ability since the Battle of the Rock, which is more than fine for her. Manipulating water was always a weak ability, anyway, at least in her mind. And it's not like she needed it when running back and forth from one college class to the other.
So for an entire four years, Amy got away with being normal. But evil doesn't just stop being evil because you're 'tired of it'. There's a new bad in town, a new threat, a new force boiling in the underworld, threatening to bubble over and consume the world. It's a new complication in all the Celestials lives, and Amy is just going to have to suck it up and deal, no matter how much she wants to avoid it. Celestials aren't allowed to just 'quit'. The world won't let them.
But Amy's not going to join the group again willingly. It's going to take something big, a whole lot bigger than usual, to get her back in the game. The death of a beloved Celestial, perhaps? Who knows. Amy's love for normalcy runs pretty deep in her bones... who knows if she can pull herself out of it?Â
 Connections
1. CAIN VENATICI:
In today's society, things like dating your professor are frowned upon. Except, Amy isn't dating Mr. Venatici. Sure, she has a crush on him. He's handsome, and actually listens to her when she speaks. He cares about what she thinks. He's wise, and funny, and has a smile that lights up his entire face. Who wouldn't have a crush on someone like that? Still, Amy isn't doing anything wrong. That is until she starts to see Cain, Mr. Venatici, outside of class. It isn't until Cain starts to seriously compliment Amy that she thinks there could be something more than a professor/student relationship. He begins to become more interested in her life, and her way of thinking. He understands her. Cain makes Amy forget everything that is wrong with the world, and she isn't willing to let that go. Will everyone else be as understanding, and willing to let her keep her seemingly happy ending?
2. ANDREW REED:
Four years ago during the Battle of The Rock, Amy and Andrew combined their abilities and made a pretty impressive team, taking out demons left and right. And Andrew is actually kind of nice, once you get over the fact that heâs a demon. Heâs the only person Amy kept in touch with over the four year gap, and thatâs mostly because he seems to understand her position more than anyone else. He used to want to be extraordinary too. He was best friends with someone who shined brighter than he did, and he knew the pain of being constantly overlooked. He also knew the regret that came with being âextraordinaryâ and despite not wanting to give up on his ability, knows what itâs like to feel that way. Plus, four years ago, Serena used her ability on him and claimed his soul to be âredeemableâ, so itâs not like heâs 100% evil. Heâs constantly trying to get her to come back to her Celestial duties, but Amy has an easy time of ignoring him, and he never truly pressures her too far, which Amy appreciates. She even uses him as a soundboard sometimes when it comes to handling normal issues, like exam stress and boy troubles. He also keeps her informed of what the other Celestials are doing.... at least, the ones that stuck around, and even though Amy never asks him to, or says anything in response, she appreciates that too. Maybe her friendship with Andrew is a sign that sheâs not entirely done with the Celestial business after all? Or maybe it just shows that she still cares about the people who used to be her best friends. Andrew is the one that ends up telling her about Tristaâs death, and heâs the one that will help her transition back into being a Celestial. If that time ever comes, anyway.
3. SERENA BLACKWELL:
For the longest time, Serena was Amyâs best friend in the entire world, practically her sister. They discovered their abilities together, their destinies as Celestials. They had fun saving the world, then had slumber parties and did homework together. Their friendship was simple and easy, and had nothing to complicate it. But it didnât take long for something to mess it up. Serena was never on par with Amy, not really. She was the daughter of the moon, with a light ability that made her able to shine just a little bit brighter. Amy, though she loved Serena, wasnât exactly able to deal with it. She always looked up to Serena, but there was still that small twinge of jealousy when everything ended up being all about her. These days, Amy still resents Serena... but not because of her ability or position as Daughter of the Moon. She resents Serena for getting Amy suspended. She resents Serena for being a driving force that pulled Amy into such a terrible business. She resents Serena for ruining her chances at Harvard and normalcy. But most of all, she resents Serena for being a friend. Itâs hard to resent the person you care about, and Amy doesnât like it. Itâs why she pushed herself away from Serena for four years, and wonât even talk to her now. Itâs a weird thing, to miss the person you resent, and to blame your best friend for the things that went wrong in your life. Especially when Amy knows that Serena really isnât to blame in any of this. It will be a hard thing to get over, but itâs something Amyâs going to have to work on.
4. BENEDIKT KREED:
When Amy returns to New York City and catches Gregory with another obvious werewolf, Amy naturally jumped to the wrong conclusions. In fact, in her very nervous mind, Amy made a point of jumping to the wrong conclusion. She incorrectly associated everything bad that had ever happened to her to Benedikt Kreed, for she was certain he was the werewolf that bit Gregory. And when she once saw him with Cain? Well, thereâs no playing nice there. She hates his guts, and wants more than anything to have him dead and buried. But how? How could someone like her ever fight a werewolf? She barely escaped the first time she fought a werewolf attack, and the attacker was her ex-boyfriend? What possible weapon could she have over Ben? Answer? Her mind. Her books. When Amy is back in NYC, sheâs going to make a plan and research every possible way to kill a werewolf. And maybe his death will be the push she needs to be a Celestial once more? If thatâs the case, then please, step aside and let her take out the arrogant ass. Weâll be waiting.
5. AMARA HAYES:
Four years ago, when Luna went missing, Amara thought it prudent to find Serena. Instead, she ended up finding Amy. And when Amy heard the news that Luna was missing, might even be dead, something inside her... broke. It was the last in a series of possible disasters that pushed Amy right over the edge. Amara comforted Amy, and suddenly, Amy found someone she could look up to. A strong Celestial who turned her a ability from defense to offense with ease, and could handle herself in any situation. From that moment on, Amy had a whole new respect for Amara Hayes. In fact, if she were to ever start taking her Celestial duties seriously again, itâs Amara who sheâd like to train with... not Serena. Amaraâs the one that Amy can look up to and not be jealous of. It works better that way. All in all, Amara is truly Amy's role model, and she may even strive to be like her one day. But Amara's on a dangerous path right now, and Amy hasn't seen her in four years. Will Amy still be thinking of Amara in the same way when she returns to NYC? Who knows?
6. GREGORY WILLIAMS:
Can you say bad blood? Gregory Williams was Amyâs first love, her first dream come true. It was a relationship so short lived itâs almost hard for her to be upset about it. It's not like they ever even conssumated their relationship... other than a handful of dates and some steamy PG moments, their relationship didn't amount to much else. Plus, he's a demon. It would have been ridiculous for her to mourn that relationship... but she did. It took her a year to fully recover from dating Greg, but when you take into consideration that he once tried to kill her, you might get the heartbreak that she had to deal with. She hasnât seen him in four years though, and she's totally okay with that. She's over him, and on to better things. She now understands that the pain she felt was the pain of a Celestial being abandoned by her Watcher. Itâs one of the worst pains in the world, abandonment, and the fact that Gregory did that to her might as well have expunged him from her life forever. She hates him for hurting her, and she hates him for what heâs become. Sheâs also terrified of him, even after four years of normalcy. She has a hard time sleeping sometimes, flashing back to that night when the person she was supposed to trust the most turned his back on her, then attacked her. She wants nothing to do with him and his world anymore, she just doesnât have the energy to deal with it. And for an entire four years, she hasnât had to. But her vacation time has finally run out, and reality is forcing its way back into her life. Sheâll have to deal with him eventually, and who knows how that will work out?
7. RAYE CARTER:
You want some prime time high school drama for you? Raye Carter is dating Gregory Williams, Amyâs ex boyfriend. Gregory Williams is not only a werewolf, but a werewolf that nearly killed Amy for years ago. Now, Amy isnât exactly jealous of Raye... Amyâs closed the door on Greg a long, long time ago. But she does judge Rayeâs choice in men. Going from one demon to the other does not imply growth, no matter how âgoodâ both demons proclaimed to be. They will always inevitably hurt you no matter what. Aiden went bad. Greg went bad. Amy watched. Why would Raye trust something like that? It could be a case of the pot calling the kettle black, considering Amyâs own Watcher (whom she now trusts implicitly) is also one of those âdemons trying to make goodâ, and Raye is judging Amy for the alliance. Itâs all very strange and juvenile and is dealt with by only a few passive aggressive exchanges and the occasional wary look. Itâs all very High School. But Amyâs beyond high school now... sheâs in college. A great college. And her romantic interests are far from nonexistent... plus, they all have more important things to worry about. But when you remember that trusting the wrong person in this world can get you killed... suddenly the drama doesnât feel all that childish anymore. Suddenly it feels important. Will Amy and Raye be able to patch up their friendship before itâs too late?
Fighting evil by moonlightâŚwinning love by daylight⌠could it really be all that simple? Serena Blackwell once thought it might be. At first glance, being a celestial was supposed to be a shiny, glory-filled adventure that would lead to fun and love and ultimate happiness. It didnât take long for her to realize that it was definitely not going to be that easy.Â
She didnât sign up to get chased by demons. She didnât expect to see some of her friends die. She didnât plan on constantly living in fear of being taken and used for evil. Frankly speaking, Serena just didnât ask to be the one girl alive to save the entire world. All she did was save a silly talking cat in an alleyway, and suddenly sheâs the Moon Celestial. What? Save one helpless animal and suddenly youâre required to take a responsibility the size of the universe? That hardly seemed fair. Serena was too clumsy for something like that⌠sheâd sooner trip over a demon than kill one. Sheâd rather run away from a monster than face it fearlessly in a feat of fine fortitude. Serena would have been totally find sitting in her room, getting ready for prom, waiting for her handsome mysterious date to show up on her doorstep instead of facing down the queen of the underworld in a hole inside the high school gymnasium.
But Serena did those things, and many more, all because she was supposedly chosen by destiny to change the world. Through it all she maintained a kind of belligerent optimism that somehow kept everyone going, even if Serena was whining while she did it. She was always so insecure⌠was she really supposed to be the Moon Daughter, and if so, did she deserve that position? There may have been a prophecy that said she was meant to be great⌠but what if the prophecy was wrong? But despite all her hesitancies, despite all the crying and whining and fear, Serena did manage to do something right.
She found the rock, even if it was on accident. She kept the rock away from the side of evil⌠even if it meant making the rock explode. She saved the lives of countless mundies, even if it meant killing an accidental few in the wake of the exploded crystal. She may have also cost her fellow Celestials their immortality, since everyone knows the closer a being is to the crystal, the longer they will live. But despite all that⌠despite all the bad things that happened as a side-effect⌠they still won. Itâs something that Serena Blackwell, Daughter of the Moon, takes a lot of pride in. Sure, she feels guilty for the things that happened that she couldnât quite fix, but she also knows that those things werenât her fault.Serena is no stranger to screwing up, but sheâs also no stranger to saving lives⌠at least not anymore. Her overall karma has to be weighted to the side of âgood workâ. Sheâs done a lot of good since saving Luna, and even though sheâs certainly had her fair share of mistakes, the overall outlook looks promising.
But still⌠itâs a new world out there, itâs going to be hard for her to get used to it.
Ever since Morgan Chrysoberyl threw a demonic hissy fit in the view of everyone, the supernatural world is all too close to being revealed. There was so much work put into covering that up, but now the mundies have suspicions⌠something they never had before. Some people are even starting to believe that maybe, maybe thereâs something else out there besides just regular old humans. Protecting the identity of the Celestials is now of paramount importance. Serena needs to be careful, something sheâs never exactly been very good at. And what if a demon attacks in public? Should Serena do something to stop it, or should she put hiding her abilities ahead of mundie lives?
Itâs a complicated web to weave, and thatâs not even the whole of it.Â
Serena has spent four years waiting, going on patrol with her watcher in the grossest, smelliest sewers, trying to stop any demon that dares come to the surface. Itâs mainly been quiet, but who knows how long that will last?  Chaos is brewing in the underworld, and itâs only a matter of time before it boils over. Whatâs the old saying⌠never trust the calm before the storm? Serena needs to learn that phrase and learn it well. She shouldnât be concerning herself with her junior year of college (even if it is really, really hard). She shouldnât be worrying about her new waitressing job at Javva the Hutt. She shouldnât have to worry about the fact that there really are only a handful of Celestials left in New York City, and that most of her friends are so divided mentally and physically that itâs hard to imagine them ever patching things up. Serenaâs got a lot on her plate right now, but somehow, she manages it all with her thousand watt smile and cheery attitude and the occasional dropped tray of coffees on a customerâs lap. She is most obviously NOT the perfect student, the perfect Celestial, or the perfect fighter⌠but itâs the fact that sheâs trying that matters, isnât it?
Sheâs got a good head on her shoulders and sheâs working hard to do whatâs right. Serena Blackwell is trying, and more or less succeeding. Just last week she faced down a slug demon and only freaked out for twenty minutes instead of thirty like last time! But is this the right kind of success? Shouldnât we beg for perfection in the hero that will save us all? Are Serenaâs flaws and blind ignorance of those flaws something that will screw us over in the end? Divided from her friends, distracted by her life, is Serena Blackwell really destined to save the universe, or will she just drop another tray of coffee, losing the balancing act and destroying all of our hope with it?Â
 Connections
1. DARIEN SHIELDS:Â
Darien Shields is Serenaâs one true love⌠but try telling her that, and sheâs likely to deny all the way to China how untrue that is. For one thing, they never officially acknowledged their feelings for one another. He helped her out a lot four years ago, but since then, his presence seems to be pretty sparse. When he is around, heâs mostly teasing her⌠for ridiculous reasons. He makes fun of her hair, he makes fun of the fact she goes to Community College (and isnât doing the best). He even teases her for being a clumsy Celestial whoâd sooner run away crying than face down a demon. After all, it was Darien who killed the Queen of the Underworld⌠not Serena. All Serena did was blow up a rock, something Darien is constantly reminding her. She canât understand why heâs always so mean, and it always frustrates her (especially since sheâs not as good as comebacks as he is). But even despite all the meanness and the frustration, Serena always catches herself thinking about him. She doesnât want too though⌠she wants to focus on the hunky man of her dreams that she spent time with in a past life. But heâs not real, right? Darien, unfortunately, is very real, and very annoying. Maybe one day heâll stop calling her crybaby and Serena may think of him romantically⌠but that day isnât today. At least, sheâs stubbornly insisting that itâs not. But hey, anyone recall that Shakespeare quote? Methinks the lady doth protest too much!Â
2. LUNA ZERU:Â
Four years ago, Serena saw a group of kids picking on a small cat in an alleyway. Serena came to the catâs rescue, and soon after that, Luna turned into a human and revealed Serenaâs destiny. Naturally, Serena screamed and ran away⌠but after Luna caught up and explained in detail, a true bond was formed. Luna Zeru was like the overbearing mother Serena didnât exactly want nor need⌠especially since she already had her own real mother that was pretty overbearing too. But if Luna started out as bossy and harsh, Serena can only be grateful for it these days. Luna helped her grow up in ways her real mother simply couldnât⌠Luna helped Serena grow into a hero. Someone worthy of the title of Daughter of the Moon. Serena may not be perfect yet, but any progress sheâs made in the past five years has been solely due to Luna. She is a little frustrating sometimes, and her insistence that Serena still do homework even though sheâs a Celestial is kinda annoying. But ultimately, Serena cares a great deal for her Watcher. Luna gives Serena strength, encourages her to constantly do better, and thatâs what a girl like her really and truly needs. Serena simply wouldnât be able to handle it if she didnât have Luna in her life. Â
3. AMY DAVIDSON:Â
Amy and Serena were friends for a long time⌠even before they became Celestials. They were very close, and shared almost everything together. They learned their destinies together⌠the practiced their abilities together. Serena was always sad that Amyâs ability was more fun to play with than a simple light⌠but that was before Serena truly understood what her light was capable of. For a while, Serena was the one that was jealous of Amy⌠and believe it or not, she still is. Serena never asked for all this responsibility and commitment, and she frankly feels that her best friend would do a much better job at it. It hurts her deeply that Amy is refusing to speak to her, and has been for four long years. Itâs not okay, and Serena is not willing to accept that their friendship is over. Theyâre best friends after all. Thatâs forever. Even during the bad times. Even when one friend screws up and gets the other expelled from high school when they blew it up. She is optimistically certain that Amy will one day forgive her, as soon as she sees her. Itâs heartbreaking that the first time they reunite is at a funeral⌠ but Serena is willing to work with it. She wants more than anything for them to work things out, and is not giving up her best friend without a good, solid fight.Â
4. RENEE STAR:Â
Renee, back when she was still Noelani, was a little out of place in Serenaâs life. She wasnât sure how to react to her, given that she was basically a very demanding Watcher to Trista for someone so young. She also seemed to resent Serena quite a bit for reasons that Serena was never able to figure out. Plus, she was always around, somehow. Just, following Serena and the others around like a lost puppy, but a hundred times less cute. After the Battle of The Rock, she followed less and lessâŚ.but to be honest, Serena stopped noticing. She was really busy, okay, and the little squirt was always around HER friends, acting like the little sister Serena never had. People even started saying they looked alike, which Serena, for whatever reason, found annoying. Still, she had an unexplained connection to the squirt. After a while, she did start to wonder what happened to her. Especially now that Trista is dead⌠Serena wants to find Noelani again. Sheâs concerned for the girl, but hasnât seen her in a while. Little does Serena know that the Noelani sheâs looking for doesnât quite exist anymore⌠and when she finally meets Renee? Well, who knows how sheâs going to react?Â
5. RAYE CARTER:Â
Raye and Serena never really got along. From the very beginning, their personalities seemed to clash drastically, exploding all over one another in their intensity. Raye was always so serious, so dedicated. Serena was⌠well⌠not. Plus, Raye had always had a crush on Darien⌠something that bothered Serena (even if sheâd never admit it). Raye was always accusing Serena of being flighty, and Serena hated it (even if it were true). But Serena has a deeper forgiving nature than most people understand. When Raye was absent from the Battle of the Rock, when the Celestials pooled together their powers to save the world, a lot of people thought poorly of her. Not Serena, with her infallible good will. Serena was, surprisingly enough, concerned for Raye. When Raye left New York and headed back to Tennessee, Serena made sure to constantly email her to make sure she was okay. Eventually Raye started replying back, and some bridges were repaved. Their personalities still clash, and now that Raye is coming back, theyâre still going to fight⌠but theyâve officially been in the trenches together. They both know arguments over things in the past are stupid⌠now is not the time for Broken Connections. Now it the time for friendship. Raye and Serena are the first ones to realize that, and theyâre going to be the ones who have to show it to the rest of the world. Now if only Raye would stop spending so many hours training with DarienâŚ
6. ZOISITE CARNELIANS:Â
Zoisite Carnelians is a complicated friendship⌠or, itâs not so much a friendship as it is a weird sort of ⌠well, okay. Serena feels very much like a demanding queen when Zoisite is around, acting very much like her loyal servant. Itâs very strange the way Zo treats Serena with such reverence. Ever since Serena refused to kill her, Zo has pledged herself entirely to her cause, practically falling to Serenaâs knees every time sheâs around. Sheâll beg to do her laundry, or to buy her groceries for her, or even to carry her text books to her next class. Itâs bizarre and inevitably makes Serena feel quite uncomfortable. She likes being treated like a queen, obviously, but Zo takes it to some weird extremes. Still, Serenaâs heart is golden and she cares for the downtrodden vampire. Sheâs been helping her get better (and also act more normal) and is proud of her work in reforming the broken vampire. Now if only everyone else could be as certain of Zoisite as Serena is, maybe everyone would get along better?
7. IVY VESPERILLIS:
Ivy Vesperillis is perhaps every inch the opposite of Serena. Though Serena has yet to meet her officially, the darkness demon knows very well of her, and plans to make her acquaintance very soon. But the fact that Serena doesnât know anything about Ivy is a very dangerous fact⌠Ivy could approach her at any point and time and work on corrupting her without Serena even knowing. But her light is supposed to be entirely incorruptible⌠so whatâs Ivy going to do when she realizes this? Maybe sheâll try to destroy Serena in other waysâŚ? For now, Serena is completely unaware that she may be in danger, and thatâs fine. But ignorance is not always bliss, and sooner or later sheâs going to have to face the only demon who may just be invulnerable to Serenaâs light. And who knows whatâs supposed to happen then?!Â
"As she fell backwards, her gaze remained on Darien until she no longer could see him. Darkness swallowed her up and if she focused on it, she would be extremely terrified. Instead, her oceanic blue eyes slowly closed, seeing flashes of her best moments of life pass her by.
âYou did it! Oh Noelani! You did it! You see? I told you, you could do it. Honey did you see? Did you see that? Her first light!â Serena cried out of joy as she swung little Noelani in her arms and spun around. Colliding with her into her husband, he laughed and captured them both in a tight embrace. âUh choking!â Noelani squealed and laughed all at the same time, giggling and nuzzling between them.
âYeah! That was awesome, Serena! We did it!â Serena laughed and smiled at her family of Celestials, every one of them surrounding her in a circle and even Raye giving a high five. Trista as beautiful as ever smiled brightly with the confidence in already knowing everything would be alright. Lita and Mina nudged each other, chuckling at the amazing success of their battle against the Negaverse and of course witnessing Raye not insulting Serena. Michelle and Amara  shook their heads and grinned from ear to ear before looking lovingly at one another. Rem and Amy were the ones most surprised out of them all, yet all the more happy for their success in another battle. âYeah! We really did! I guess that makes us heroes huh.â
Luna smiled lovingly at Serena who was pretty much down, frowning on her bed. Knowing just what to do to make her feel better and get her mind off of the negative, she transformed herself into a cat and curled up into her lap, purring with affectionate rubs to her neck. It tickled and it made Serena smile, chuckling softly before bringing Luna into her arms, hugging her and feeling as if the world was shining brighter again.
âI really donât understand why you canât just let it happen, Darien.â Serena threw her hands up in the air and shook her head, pacing around her room back and forth while Darien stood still, watching her. âSerena...âÂ
âNo really! Itâs not fair that you have to suffer like this. Itâs almost as if youâre hurting yourself. Just listen to that heart of yours Darien. It doesnât mean that everything you care about will be gone. Let go of that pain. You know...I feel as if I can feel that pain of yours. Donât ask me how to explain it. I just feel it.âÂ
A touch was gently made to her arm, stopping her from her pace as she found herself staring back at Darien. âAre you listening now?â Serena blinked and before she could say another word, Darien spoke, saying the very three words he had never said to her before. âI love you.âÂ
Serena parted her lips and stared at him, stunned. âYou...â Darien smiled and it was a sight Serena adored. âYes. I love you, Serena. Only you.â With her heart a flutter, Serena smiled warmly as their lips closed the distance, brushing along each other, sweetly caressing and lovingly deepening with passion.
âOh Darien...â
âSerena...â
âThe Moon princess? Who would have thought!â
âOh my little dove...Itâs going to be alright.â
âSerena...â
âMommy look what I can do!â
âOf course! Thatâs the perfect name for her! Meatball head!â
âSee? You can be brave if you put your mind to it.â
âSerena...â
âMom I love you. You know that?â
âIâm really proud of you, Serena.â
âSerena... I love you.â
Serena smiled warmly to the flashes of memories passing her by and with Darienâs handsome face gazing down upon her, she parted her lips as if to say something. And then a slamming force of gravity pulsed her body, causing a loss of breath, falling endlessly into the empty abyss."
kianamaiart
gummygunk
izzy806
areudirty
titsay