ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ

[crownedinlight]

𝒞𝓁𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝑅𝑒𝒾𝓃𝒶 ;; 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦

Heterosexual ⋆ She/Her ⋆ Forty ⋆ Fairy

Powers ;; Photokinesis, Flight, Supernatural Sensing, Fairy Magic

Occupation ;; Politician

♫ Currently Playing ♫ ;; Seven Wonders by Fleetwood Mac

☀ Virgo ☾ Virgo ↑ Libra

From the moment she was born, it was certain that was destined for something greater. Even then she had the brightest eyes and a determined spirit. Her parents hadn’t expected to have a child knowing that they were both supernatural creatures it meant that she was doomed to the same fate. Those like them were frowned upon and that was made known to her from a young age. She hated that they all had to hide the things that made them special, only to practice alone in the forest when no one else was around. Clarion, then known as Claire, could always sense the presence of another who possessed power but kept it hidden. She instead protected them as best she could, even as a child. As a child, she was protective of those she cared about and fought for the freedom of those like her. Of course that didn’t mean much besides manipulating light to shine into a bully’s eyes so that they’d run into a wall. That was only the beginning. 

It started with one boy, Myles Hopper who never seemed to catch a break. The world turned against him and his own brother a raging bull. She’d known them at a very different time, before the Hopper family lead half of the isle and their mother still took up their free time. Clarion wasn’t sure if they were someone to be watchful of but she found herself befriending Myles before she knew it. Colin was a tougher nut to crack, though as the year passed she could tell he was more than everyone believed. He was a man haunted by his past, a sense of pride that stood as a brick wall before him. Even if he wanted to pretend as though he was heartless she saw his softness when it came to their mother and the loss of her truly changed them both. A darkness came over the blue eyes she used to swim in looking for the man she knew he was. He might not be a magic user but he was far more powerful than anyone knew. Then she was moved by her parents, rumors spreading that there were magic beings about and her family wanting to stay as far from the public eye as possible. 

That never stopped Clarion though, always pushing the envelope when it came to meeting new people. Her parents wished she would keep to herself but that she never saw the good in it. After moving a few towns over for college, she truly flourished. It came easy to her, a craving for knowledge and an ora of wisdom far beyond her years. Clarion wasn’t sure why she had been the one that was born this way but she was certain she’d use it to help others. As she grew up she started to realize what she wanted from life which included finding herself in a place of power to start making the changes for equality across the isle. Politics had never called to her in the sense that she wanted control, instead, she wanted to bring peace. That’s what brought her back to the place she called home for so many years. The borders closing has been her latest focus and she wishes to work to get the opened. She believes if they are to ever truly overcome this they will need to unite. Though she has never revealed her powers and wishes to be respected in her position for her knowledge. As Hopper has been growing his empire she has been lying in wait, knowing she will need to face him again and that they will need resources off the isle if they are to survive. Clarion knows now is the time to work together and she's reached out to the Order. If believes if they combine forces there is a way to keep magic users safe while also allowing society to go on as normal. After the most recent hunter attacks, she is on high alert to protect those like her, taking a special liking to the other fairies that inhabit the isle.

[hoppingseason]

Her compliment landed like a spark, igniting his ego and sending a rush of dopamine coursing through his system. After weeks of relentless survival mode, the tension in his body began to dissolve. There was something about Claire—her presence, her radiant smile—that felt like a breath of fresh air cutting through the smog of his polluted world. When her hand brushed against his cheek, it was as though his battered soul surrendered, if only for a moment. He was a man, after all, and the warmth of her touch felt disarmingly tender against the hardened edges of his existence.

"I wouldn’t want to get rid of you," he admitted, his voice low but steady. The pretense was gone, stripped away by the sheer force of what he felt. He hadn’t come all this way to hide how much he yearned for her.

When Claire, with her sharp wit and quiet confidence, asked why he was there—clearly aware that she was the reason—he paused, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. Her perceptiveness disarmed him as much as her presence did. "I need you," he confessed, the honesty raw and unfiltered. His eyes met hers, steady and unwavering. "I can’t get you off my mind, so I had to see you."

The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning but spoken casually enough to mask his vulnerability. He downed the last of his whiskey in one smooth motion, signaling for another glass. In her company, the world seemed quieter, his demons a little less loud. For now, that was enough.

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

Since the beginning, they had returned to one another, a birthmark unable to be removed but neither wanting to get rid of the thing that made them whole. The way he looked at her was like electricity, she could feel it in her veins like a high unachievable anywhere else. It had all only existed in exchanged glances or undertones but now he was the one coming into her light. "Colin..." Her voice teetered off as she continued to listen and the glaze of confusion shifted into a glow from within. A man who always got what he wanted but now he laid down his sword at her feet, waiting for a response with the weapon in her hand if she wished to use it. Instead of interrupting that beauty in his own right, Claire took his cheek in her hand again but this time didn't falter after finding its shape. "Then you have found me, as you always do."

He'd folded to her but she wished not to take advantage of his vulnerability and hold him up as he had her for all these years. "I'm sorry to have taken so much of your mind away from your work. I know you're a busy man," she started, catching his eyes and unable to break their stare like a cat finally catching their prey. Claire hadn't seen herself as one with claws and still somehow had sunk them into the Isle's most feared. "Have you been cured since seeing me again? Or is this an ailment you think will take longer to heal? If even at all." While she believed to understood the weight of his words, she must be sure before stepping off of the ledge that had always held her so high. "Because you see, I fear I need you as well."

[hoppingseason]

-timeskip-

Once the borders reopened, the Mafia's operations exploded into a frenzy. Hopper was always on the move, fighting to maintain his stronghold on the Isle while chasing bigger opportunities beyond it. It was a hunt—high stakes, grander schemes—and Hopper thrived on the thrill. Everyone was scrambling for a piece of the new world, but his appetite was insatiable; he wanted the best.

Yet, despite the chaos and ambition consuming his days, his thoughts often drifted elsewhere—to someone.

Ever since the borders opened and she stepped away from his protection to face her own battles, Hopper had buried himself in his work. But every night, as silence crept in, he found himself wondering. Where was she? What was she doing? Was she safe—was she even alive? It gnawed at him, the not knowing. Reaching her now was out of the question; she was in hiding, always on the move.

Eventually, Hopper's curiosity won. He made quiet inquiries, tracked her last known whereabouts, and despite his packed schedule, he found himself stepping into a bar that practically screamed at him to leave. The place was eccentric, a mishmash of color and shadow, its atmosphere thick with unspoken rules. His entrance felt like a spotlight; Hopper could sense the hidden stares, the silent judgments. He was out of place, an anomaly cutting through their haze.

A soft cough behind him broke his thoughts. Turning, he saw her before he even registered the sound. She’d seen him first. "I gambled on finding you here," he said, his voice low, his eyebrow arched in that familiar mix of intrigue and confidence. The corner of his lips tugged into a sly smile. "You're alive. Looks like I won."

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

She was forced to exist in the shadows after the festival. Claire went between staying at her new apartment, visiting Liam whenever the quiet got too still, and hoping from the depths she could discover what she hadn't in the light. There were still so many unknowns that put those who were magic in danger, the woman taking it upon herself to ensure their safety from the monster who sought to strike them down. The quiet got lonely some days so she'd find herself in the company of a lounge singer and a glass of cabernet sauvignon. At least then she felt like she could blend into the crowd, nothing more than a woman at a bar enjoying the end of her day with a drink. This had been the first time she was caught but it was he who drew more attention than the one living in darkness. While the passersby guests gawked at the man out of his element, the force that went without saying, she was not intimidated as she stood in his blind spot where she frequented.

His attention was snagged with a cough beneath her breath, a smile forming instantaneously when their gaze had reconnected after all this time. "I've never known Colin Hopper to not win a gamble," she replied taking a step toward her familiar stranger. "It's good to see you." A hand reached out to make sure he was real and not a figment of her imagination. His sturdy figure still a safe place for her touch to land, finding warmth on his cheeks that had been kissed by the winter breeze. "Oh come on now, you know it takes more than that to get rid of me. You still haven't been able to." Claire's arm wrapped around his as she took her place beside him and led him to the corner of the bar she'd claimed. It only took a wave to the bartender for him to notice, requesting a glass of whiskey for the man who joined her. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" An assumption that nothing Colin ever did was without reason and this one peaked her curiosity.

[bombshell-manual]

Annabelle Wallis in Georgia Hardinge

[wintermilori]

As Claire took hold of his phone, Liam practically felt his heart drop in his chest. She recognized the girl, that much was clear, which he thought could only mean one thing - Peri was indeed somewhere in this hospital. Though he wasn’t expecting a different name to come out of the blonde’s mouth. “No, it’s Peri,” he insists, having no clue who this Teresa girl was nor really caring at the moment. Under any other circumstance he would have been far more interested in the fact that there was another girl who looked so similar to his daughter in Clarion’s life - but right now, the only thing that mattered was finding Peri.

“Are you sure it was this Teresa girl, not my daughter that you brought here?” he asks, his tone a bit sharper than he usually speaks to her with - the stress of the entire situation clearly beginning to get to him. It was his worry over situations exactly like this why Liam had told his middle daughter she couldn’t come to Echo Isle with him in the first place. Now if she was out there somewhere lost or injured, or even in this very hospital, it was all going to be his fault. He wasn’t sure if he could live with that kind of guilt. “I just – I need to know where Peri is, if she’s alright. Are you certain it wasn’t her?”

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

The woman's expression changed to that of confusion, trying to understand how these two girls looked identical. If she didn't know better she would've thought they were related but now wasn't the time to ask such questions. Instead, she nodded quickly and placed an assuring hand on his bicep in an attempt to soothe him. "I promise it was Teresa who came in, she was with me the entire time. In fact, it's my fault she got hurt in the first place," Claire admitted with the taste of guilt coating her mouth. It was her job to protect the girls and yet she'd put one of them in danger, so much so that they ended up in the hospital.

"Of course," she agreed, knowing how important it was for him to make sure his daughter was safe. While she hadn't formally met the girl it had become her priority to make sure the girl was taken care of. "Have you been unable to get in contact with her? Amidst all this chaos I hear it's near impossible to get service with everyone on their phones." The entire Isle was trying to contact people which had made it a struggle to get through to anyone. Claire hoped she could find something to confirm to him that his daughter was alright, eyes scanning the room for sight of anyone to ask for assistance. "I haven't seen anyone else that looked like that, only Teresa. I bet she is safe and will reach out as soon as she can but if you'd like to stay and check I'd be happy to help. It's got to be better than sitting here waiting for news."

[bombshell-manual]

Annabelle Wallis via Instagram

[wintermilori]

~ timeskip, at the hospital an hour or so after the attack ~

While he himself hadn’t attended the island’s anniversary festival, busy in his room at Hotel Transylvania on a call with his daughters still back home. It had been a shock, hearing from them that they couldn’t find Peri anywhere then seeing the blonde here in Echo Isle - but as the weeks had passed, he had accepted his middle daughter’s presence, even if he still feared what it might mean for her once things started getting intense as he was certain they soon would. And he had been proven correct the moment he heard shouts from down in the lobby, hanging up with his family immediately and rushing down to see what was going on. It didn’t take long to piece together that there had been an attack - likely from one of the hunter groups that were scattered across the island - but Liam didn’t give much thought at the moment to who it was behind the chaos, instead jumping right into helping all of the injured bodies being brought to the hotel for sanctuary. Years of leadership amongst his royal court of magical beings back in his home country had prepared him for a situation like this, and he was moving almost instinctively as he started to help anyone and everyone he could.

It wasn’t until someone stopped him, another guest of the hotel that Liam had spent a few nights conversing with at the bar, to tell him that they had seen his daughter being rushed out of the fray of the attack and to the hospital, clearly deeply wounded. And the moment that news had been given to him, he had bolted from the hotel. There were plenty of others there to help, to get everyone in safely and to offer the care that the injured would need. Where he needed to be right now was with his daughter. It would have been easier, navigating his way to the hospital if he still had his flight, but it also would have been far riskier. So perhaps it was for the best that he was stuck running through the city, even if it was slower than the mode of transportation he had known so well in his youth.

Nearly twenty minutes later, he had finally made it to the hospital, bursting through the emergency room doors and right up to the check in counter, demanding that he needed to see his daughter. Except they said there was no one checked in under her name, not her legal one nor the nickname everyone actually called her. And she swore there weren’t any Jane Does that met her description either. Which couldn’t be possible. She had to be here. This was the only hospital on the damn island - there was nowhere else that she could be. Liam was ready to shout just as much, to demand to be allowed back into each emergency room until he found her, when a gentle hand came to rest on his shoulder. Spinning around, half hoping it would be Peri herself, it was the first time he’s ever been disappointed to see Clarion standing by his side. “Claire,” he breathes out her name, the single word coming out as if the sight of her was an answer from God himself. “Please. You have to help me. My daughter, she’s here. Her name’s Penelope, or Peri, she actually likes to go by.” With shaking hands he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, pulling up a picture of all three of his girls and zooming in so the focus was fully on the blonde. “Have you seen her? Please, I need to know that she’s okay.”

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

The attack had come when the town was in celebration, leaving everyone vulnerable to the pain that rained from the sky. Claire had done her best to get people to safety but in the process had put those she cared for the most in harm's way. It was a girl she thought of as a sister who had taken a blow for her, something that the woman would never forget. The guilt that came with it had been a fault Claire wasn't sure she could forgive herself for what happened but there wasn't time for those thoughts right now. What was important was making sure that Tink made a full recovery. Claire had been sitting in the waiting room since she was admitted, her purse acting as a basket for her yarn as she anxiously knitted strands together. At least that was something she could control now that all she'd been working for didn't seem important at a time like this.

That's what she thought until a familiar man came rushing in and caught her attention. Claire left her things to reserve the chair, going to him to see what brought him there with such distress. "Who is it?" She asked instinctively. Even when the blonde tried to turn off her care it was impossible for those she held dear. Before Claire was able to deny hearing his daughter's name he provided a photo which she clutched immediately. The face of his child was identical to that of her own blonde fairy and confusion took place of the concern in her expression. "That's Teresa," Claire spoke without thinking. "They could be twins, they look identical. Teresa is here now, I brought her in, she got injured helping me during the attack. You don't think it could've been who they thought your daughter was, do you?"

[hoppingseason]

His lips curled slightly at Claire's words, finding amusement in her perpetual grace amidst the chaos of their world—a noble figure in his eyes. Despite their closeness, Hopper had always placed her on a pedestal, seeing her as untouchable, especially compared to his own bloodstained hands. It almost felt sacrilegious to hold her, so pristine amid the turmoil. Yet, her unwavering optimism remained elusive to him.

"Whatever you say," he answered with a slight shrug, though he disagreed, he had no intention of persuading her. Perhaps Hopper had witnessed too much cruelty to believe in the light at the end of the tunnel—as it often turned out to be another train to trample him over. Her response was swift and clever, drawing Hopper's intense gaze on her. There was a pause as he contemplated his next move. Her wit matched his own, but he was not accustomed to conceding.

"No one," he replied, his gaze unwavering. His own soul was not truly his, he was a fragmented being driven solely by desire. "Are you content with my absence? Are you satisfied with who I am?" he challenged. Claire knew Hopper well, understanding the depths to which he had sunk in his climb to the top—the irony of his ambitions. "Or will you vanish once more, as you did, when the borders open for us?"

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

They were sitting on opposite sides of the same table as they had been since their youth. She watched him with an effervescent smile still cascading over her posie pink lips. He'd been curious to her growing up but now Claire believed she'd gotten a good look at the man he'd become. While many things had changed about the pair, there were ties to the other they couldn't forget. She knew him when all they had were their dreams and now they both stood as the people they wanted to be. The blonde moved a step closer to him, their gaze having never broken. Many people might've feared to stare death in the eye like this but she felt safe in his eye's embrace. She'd seen the man beneath the power and it was in him that she entrusted herself.

The woman stood tall in front of him as the space between them continued to shrink. While many would've bowed to his power she stood in its light and never shrank from its shadow. "Do you believe me to be afraid, Colin? Have you ever known me to ask you to change who you are?" Her hands rose to adjust the collar of his shirt so that it sat perfectly, laying it down with her palms before letting her arms fall again. "My place is here on the Isle, there is far more work to be done even if it must be from the shadows," she spoke assertively as she thought of her own ambitions. "We are not the children we once were. I've done enough vanishing in my time and I know now where I belong."

[bombshell-manual]

Annabelle Wallis at the Cannes premiere of The Apprentice

[loveisalwaystheanswer]

'There's tea'.

[imatinker]

Nodding her head in acceptance of the agreement, Tink led the way out the repair shop front door and around the building to the back where she and the rest of the employees parked. It was a short walk, one that she took often and never really thought anything about before, but now with the cagey way Clarie was acting she couldn’t help but the small bit of nerves that built up as they walked. “You know I’m never one to turn down a free drink. Coffee or otherwise,” she half-jokes, more so to fill the silence between them than for any other reason. Thankfully they made it to the car without any trouble, like she always did, which had the blonde feeling a bit silly for worrying in the first place. Unlocking the doors, she slid into the driver's seat and waited for Clarie to settle in the passenger side before finally addressing what she figured must be going on. “Who’s hurt? What happened? Are you okay?” The questions came out one after another, Tink ticking off every box she could think might have happened to put the older woman on such edge and spark a sudden visit like this.

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

While she didn't want to concern the girl with the troubles of the Isle, things were going on that endangered them all. Tink was tough and Claire knew she would be able to handle the truth. Perhaps that's why she'd become partial to the other blonde after seeing some of herself in there. A smile was given in return to her comment, never having known Tink to turn down a drink. Maybe if it was later in the day they could've grabbed something stronger but for now, they would just start with coffee. This had been the first time in the passenger seat while the younger was driving. The irony brought a small smile to her lips while she buckled herself in. Before Claire was even able to begin the questions were being fired off, causing her to reach over to put a hand of reassurance on her arm. "No one is yet but I fear something is coming. We need to be careful." That was only the beginning but she didn't wish to overwhelm her with the situation all at once. "I was seen flying by a hunter in the woods. I'm not sure if he saw my face, not that it matters, I saw the weapons. Something's coming, I feel it."

[wintermilori]

For all that she had been the one to send out the letter, asking for his help against the dangers she and the magical beings of Echo faced, there was still a part of Liam that had worried perhaps actually showing up as part of his offer was going to be a bit much. Nothing in her letter had outright asked for him or anyone else to come to the island, but at the same time, this wasn’t just some random old acquaintanceship they were talking about. Claire knew Liam, better than anyone else probably ever has. When she sent him that letter, warning him of what was happening around her, she likely knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would show up. And from the smile that grew on her face at just the sight of him, he realized that was probably exactly what happened. There had never been any real question in either of their minds that when she called, he would be there. No matter what, no matter where - Liam would be there in any and every way she needed him to be.

Without any hesitation, his arms wrap tightly around her, pulling her even closer in the embrace than she had initially made herself. It had been nearly twenty years since they had last seen each other, since she had told him to return home and forget all about her - yet right now, with Claire in his arms, it felt as if no time had passed. If it weren’t for his annoying logical mind reminding him that he was here for official business, that she had only reached out in desperation and warning about the hunters, Liam could have easily let himself get lost in the embrace. To just stand there for hours, with the woman he had once loved wrapped securely in his arms. But as it was, he could only allow it to last a few moments longer before he forced himself to pull back. It was a harder task than he had thought it would be, letting her go, but he had to remember that they were no longer the kids they had once been. Claire had a life here, one that he knew nothing about, and he couldn’t just rush in and do anything reckless to ruin that. No, he needed to be professional, though the smile that had grown on his own face as he looked down upon her likely gave away a part of what his heart was screaming. “You needed help,” he simply stated, as if that was all the explanation that was needed. Because, in a way, it really was - his presence here on the island boiled down to that one simple fact. “So I’m here to help.”

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

One thing she knew went without saying was that Claire wouldn't have reached out if it wasn't for good reason. One thing about her was she was a woman who took pride in her independence, only asking for help when she found it absolutely necessary. Liam had known her better than most people and seen her when she was at her most broken. Claire needed people she trusted right now, and the man from her past was at the top of that list. After all this time she went to him as if it had only been months. Regardless of what happened their closeness wouldn't change but only shift how it was expressed. He had come, which meant more to her than she could find the words for. "Things have gotten worse here. I fear for us, we have nowhere to run with the borders closed," the blonde started quietly, pulling him further into the room so that they could have more privacy. "They made the borders sound like people were trapped in here with us but it's us that are trapped in here with them." Claire motioned to a chair for him while she sat in the one next to it. Even with the door closed the woman kept her voice low to assure no one but Liam's ears heard. "One of them saw me, I may be forced to step down if word gets out. If that happens I won't a way to keep making sure things move forward with getting the borders open."

[wintermilori]

closed starter for @crownedinlight location: claire's office

Returning to Echo Isle wasn’t something that Liam rushed into without properly thinking through. Sure, his first instinct the moment he had received the letter from Clarion had been to drop everything and run to her. But he had held back from doing exactly that without proper planning. He had sat down with his eldest step-daughter and had a long conversation as to what his departure would mean for the magical community of his own country, finally deciding together that it didn’t truly matter. They both knew that offering the protection and aid to the magical beings in their neighboring country was more important than the gossip and backlash that Liam may receive for leaving his post. Plans had been made and within a fortnight, he was on a boat, being snuck into Echo Isle once more for a heavy price. One that he was more than willing to pay.

Finding a place to stay hadn’t been as hard as he had feared it might be, the Hotel Transylvania more than willing to welcome him without any questions as to how he suddenly appeared on the island. And once he had a roof over his head secured, Liam didn’t waste any time in finding the person he had come all this way for. Finding out that Clarie had made such a name for herself on the island, achieving everything that she had ever dreamed, brought a warmth to Liam’s heart - one that he hadn’t allowed himself to properly feel in years, and one that he had to push back and attempt to ignore as he stood outside of her office door. This wasn’t the time for letting his old feelings come rushing back or getting lost in the past. There were much bigger issues to deal with - the safety of all magical beings on not only Echo Isle but the rest of the surrounding islands as well should be their first and only priority.

Yet as he knocked on the door and heard the oh so familiar soft voice calling for him to enter, Liam couldn’t help the skip of his heart as he pushed open the door, standing in the frame rather than walking right inside. “Hello Clarion,” he greets, hoping his voice was even enough and didn’t give away any of the swirling thoughts in his head. “I received your letter.” Was all the explanation he offered at first for his sudden arrival after twenty years of being gone. Of course there was far more to the story of why he was here, but the time would come soon for telling the whole tale.

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

Things had been strange around the Isle, nothing she hadn't prepared for but never welcome nonetheless. Since Claire had been spotted in the forest by Gaston's right hand it had been a bit of a spiral. Everything was happened faster than she'd planned and it was that fear which brought her to reaching out into the past. Liam was a name she hadn't written in years, perhaps too many, but she would be lying if admitting she hadn't missed the sound of it. For a time Claire believed that would be her husband and who would see her into the future she'd worked for. That was long enough ago that she'd almost forgotten the girl she was instead of the woman she'd become. Still, when it came to the stickiness of the situation with the hunters there were old a few she could trust with her life, Liam being one of them. Once it was sent all she could do was hope it had been well received and help would be on the way.

The day started as what might've felt normal but would quickly shift into that of surprise. "Come in," she called to whomever tapped on her door. Claire hadn't even looked up when his voice rang through her office, not needing to see in order to know who stood in her doorway. "You came." The blonde had already gotten to her feet and was moving front behind her desk in order to greet him properly. A smile had taken over her face as she approached him, looking at the handsome man he'd grown into. Claire pulled herself to his chest before they said another word. A hug being the only way she could truly know he was really there. "Thank you for coming, you don't know what this means to me."

[swordoutofstone]

The stress that was relieved from the blonde's body with a simple acknowledgement of his willingness to help her was palpable. There were few people who he'd met who truly cared about others the way that Claire did--he knew that she was pleading with him out of her desire to keep the people under her jurisdiction safe, not for personal gain. Knowing this about her was what pushed Arthur to give in, to at least see what he could do to help her. "Get me a list, and I can reach out to them, too. Especially the ones who seem reluctant." Names were already running through his head, people who he thought might be at least neutral to the prospect of the borders opening again. "We need to come up with some way to protect us against the Hunters--even though it's not their season, I get the impression that Gaston, especially, doesn't really care about upholding any of the rules we've set," he grumbled, remembering their last encounter that almost ended in Arthur's head on the wall. "Let's not reach out to any other humans yet. That'll be reserved for if times become desperate," he decided, thinking of the people at the bottom of his mental list who might have personal stake in getting the borders open.

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

Claire didn't take help lightly, appreciating anyone willing to put themselves into the shoes of magic users. Some didn't even feel safe enough to be out once it got dark and others had watched their family perish at the hands of a hunter. After all the fighting she'd been doing to get the borders reopened, she didn't want to see it all go to waste and let them win again. She was relieved to see that Arthur had seen her side of things. "It'll be on your desk tomorrow morning," the blonde assured him. If he was on-board Claire knew this could truly come to fruition. The man didn't even know how important he was to the people, a face to be trusted, and a leader for all the people, not just some. "I could not agree more. There are a few powerful magic users that might be helpful. Even if we wouldn't normally be who they sided with, this unites magic users everywhere." A few names came to mind but she wasn't sure if Arthur saw it the same. If anyone would be able to convince them to join the cause it was him. "Of course." Claire nodded in understanding and agreement. "This is our fight after all and we'll be stronger if we work together. I think this is something that we all can agree on." The hunters had been an issue for all those who were magic which was why she thought it might be time to show them who they were really messing with. "I'm not sure they're all ready to hear the truth." Though it might not have been the way she wanted things to be it was the way they were. "A need-to-know basis right now makes sense. We don't know who could be delivering information back to the hunters."

[imatinker]

Now that she was roped in working closer with Hopper and his business than she ever expected or wanted to be, there wasn’t really a need for her job at the repair shop, but Tink wasn’t quite ready to give up her normal life just yet. Doing so would be admitting that there was no out, that she was stuck in the mafia world for life. Which she feared that maybe she already was, but at least when she was busy at the shop or in class or with her friends she could at least partially pretend like things were still normal. So she kept her part time job, which was how she was spending her afternoon - tinkering on taking apart an old television at the counter while her coworkers dealt with the actual customers. There were only a few hours left of the shift, and the blonde intended to spend them dedicated to finding at least a few worthwhile parts in the otherwise dead machine. A familiar voice addressing her certainly wasn’t expected, though it was never unwelcomed. Glancing up at the older woman, Tink’s immediate grin dimmed ever so slightly at the question and serious tone in which Claire had asked it. “Yeah… Of course,” she agrees, setting down her screwdriver and standing up from her stool. “Just give me a second.” Moving to poke her head into the back office that was roped off with only a curtain, she called out that she was going to leave a bit early today but promised to come in tomorrow to make up the hours. There was a muffled reply allowing it from the shop owner and that was all Tink needed to turn back and grab her bag from the spot on the ground next to her work space. Coming around the counter, she nodded at Clarion once more and then tilted her head in the direction of the door. “I have my mom’s car, we can go for a ride, if you want?”

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

It hadn't been why she wanted to visit Tink that day, but other things were at play now. As much as she wished she'd brought good news that wasn't the case today. Claire still provided a smile when she arrived to not startle the girl more than she might have already. "Take your time," she assured her before scanning the establishment she'd been in a thousand times. The woman hadn't intended to change the trajectory of Tink's day but she believed that this was reason enough to do so. What might be coming soon was worth being informed of before the wheels were in motion. She knew how clever the younger blonde was, wanting her to inform the other fairies of what could happen in the coming weeks. Claire hoped she saw this was a fight for them instead of against them. When Tink came around to join her the smile reignited, giving a nod and a glance outside. Perhaps it would be safer for them to take a vehicle that wouldn't be as recognizable. "A drive sounds perfect, I'll buy you a cup of coffee on the way," Claire said while making her way to the door to hold it open for the other.

[hoppingseason]

"‘Happiness,’" he repeated, the word feeling foreign on his tongue, almost like a mistake. For quite a while, the only thing that brought him any semblance of joy was the knowledge of Annette’s existence. Yet, even that was a mixed blessing, tinged with fear. He felt grateful for his daughter, yet terrified that his own blood-stained hands might one day cast a shadow over her innocence. She was too pure, too far above the darkness that haunted him. He shook his head, as if trying to dislodge the concept entirely. Without fear accompanying it, he didn’t know what true happiness was, so he chose to bury it under actions, under whiskey, under smoke. “Molt is always happy,” he added bitterly, knowing full well why. Oblivion bred happiness, and his brother remained blissfully ignorant as ever. “Must be nice.”

Colin raised an eyebrow, a silent warning that Claire was treading dangerous ground. Hopper was not a mere spark; he was a raging inferno, capable of consuming everything in his path. “Claire, you’ve been brazen,” he noted with a smirk. Despite their shared history, he had maintained a respectful distance, but now, with business concluded, he had few reasons to refuse her request. “Do you want me? Clarion Reina?”

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

A word she knew rarely left his lips from how it had just then. Even the man who held the world in his hand had not been able to find a true form of happiness. She sympathized with a man who knew had bloodstains on his hands, having ever since they were children when he got his knuckles bloody for her. Colin hadn't saved her in quite some time, but right now Claire saw nothing else besides the man she'd always known. "I don't think your brother is as simple as you think," the blonde ever so slightly corrected. Myles and Colin never truly saw each other as she came to know by seeing them both so clearly. "The world hurts us all eventually. We've all suffered a broken heart." That was one of the many pains that unite people in emotion, the same kind she hoped would bring magic users out to fight for their freedom. "There can be light beneath it though, even if it only peaks through," Claire reminded him with a small orb of light appearing and disappearing in the palm of her hand. A simple trick but one she recalled showing him in their youth.

There was a wildfire tumbling towards her and she stood unflinching in front of its flames. He had been a force of nature for as long as she'd known him. Claire's eyes looked up into those of the fire before her, giving her own a small squint from a sitting smile. "Can anyone truly have what they want? Can anyone really have Colin Hopper?" These two questions she'd pondered before in a different context. Something had been beneath the surface in unspoken glances, lost time, and sharing stale cigarette smoke. "What do you want, Colin?" The blonde turned the question back at him, tossing back the pour of whiskey before intercepting his gaze once again. "I've never known you to be a man who doesn't take what he wants."

[valyrianpoem]

Annabelle Wallis as JANE SEYMOUR [2/2] The Tudors (2007)