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March 2nd, 2009
young_tmriddle
 | 08:43 pm - In the Common Room
Mia is keyed to the House of Arch painting, as is Draco, but neither of them drop by often these days. So Tom is somewhat surprised, but pleasantly so, when he sees Mia step through the painting into the common room and library area.
He puts down the books he was shelving and smiles.
"Mia, how lovely to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
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February 1st, 2009
young_tmriddle
 | 01:03 pm - In Tom's Study
Tom sent an owl to Draco as soon as the response to Mia flew off on Croix's talons. He's been waiting in his study for him, pouring over an old spell book written in Medieval Latin.
There's something comforting in old books of power. It's the smell of the parchment, perhaps, or the promise of accomplishment when one achieves a spell. Books are solid, unchanging (except for the moving pictures), helpful. They never hold things against you. Well, maybe some of them are enchanted to do that kind of thing, but Tom doesn't have any in his library.
Once Draco steps through the painting, Tom closes the book and conjures over a scotch for the younger man. Drawing up another chair with his wand, he leans back in his own.
"Hullo, Draco."
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January 24th, 2009
smallestopener
 | 02:15 pm - In the Courtyard
Ingress brings Jenny through the final painting and into the walled House of Arch courtyard. It's one of her favorite places with a large yard to practice swordfighting and archery, and with tall trees and rose bushes in bloom all around. At least, they are in summer. Right now they're pretty bare.
It's still very pretty, though.
Her archery target is set up on one end of the yard. She has her quiver of arrows and her bow with her, and a bag slung over her shoulder with the pink crossbow Faith gave her inside.
It's time to shoot some stuff!
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January 10th, 2009
young_tmriddle
 | 08:21 pm
There is only so much a grown man can sulk. Tom's certainly fulfilled his quota for the year, and it's only the sixth day of it.
It's not that he's been ignoring Door or ignoring his duties, per se. He's been doing everything he must. But he's also been spending a great deal of time in research mode, staying in his study or workroom into the wee hours. Most of the time he's been researching. Some of the time, though, he's been hurling glass vials at the stone walls of his workroom in frustration. It's relaxing. Especially when he repairs them all afterwards, salvaging them from the destruction, asserting control over a chaotic situation.
It's therapeutic, if not exactly helping things. What helped a great deal more was Tom's conversation with Andrew the other night. He needed some time to think on what was said, because to be honest, it had hurt to hear Andrew tell the truth. Tom shouldn't be the one to rule the Underside, even if he can do so.
When he wakes today, his birthday, he decides to dress sharply (in the sweater and trousers Door likes best on him) and steer clear of the workroom and the study. He's received some good news, as well, thanks to a visiting rat. They'll be collecting Ingress later in the day from Ambergelder, too, and that will be a very good thing.
It's high time for Tom to stop sulking about what he cannot do and focus on what he can do. Whatever he does will be for Door, and with her. It's still with some slight trepidation he slips into her study. He knows he's not been the best of husbands lately.
"Morning," he says, hands in pockets and a small, chagrined smile on his face.
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December 22nd, 2008
smallestopener
 | 08:42 pm - In the Tea Party Room
Ingress sits at the table in the tea party room, gluing on some last minute bits and pieces to the many popsicle stick frames she's making for the friends she hopes will come visit. They are glittery, of course, but they also hold sticky treasures - old stamps, multi-colored bottle caps, shiny bits of smooth glass, antique beads, and rhinestones. They've been painted, when a surface of wood was left to paint.
There is tea, as well, with trays of Christmas cookies that she and Door made. There is also a Christmas tree, decorated entirely with ornaments Ingress found in old boxes or made herself.
She hopes her friends come visit.
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December 21st, 2008
young_tmriddle
 | 09:23 pm - In Tom's Study
The Black Friars, along with a few other monastic clusters dotted about the Underside, are the only groups that have history regarding London Below and its people written down. They have fairly little of it, however. Tom knows, as he's asked leave to go through each of the mean clusters of books that make up these private libraries.
He's found nothing new about the Old Firm, but only reiterations of what they already know. They've been a brutal, primal part of the Underside from time immemorial. There is absolutely no knowledge on any way to stop them. It's quite depressing.
What is less depressing are his other plans. He's written them down, sorting them out between what would actually work and what would not possible, making notes on first steps to take, deciding which of their allies could carry out which of the small steps towards his goal. Door needs to know what he has planned for them. He knows she'll be pleased.
He knows it.
She should be home soon, as well, with Hunter in tow. With news of the Old Firm's return, allegiances are shifting throughout the undercity, and the House of Arch, Tom fears, is not benefiting from this in one bit. Marylebone, a powerful clan leader they've butted heads with on many occasions, is reeling in smaller fiefdoms that had pledged fealty to the House of Arch's allied baronies. Her complex is larger and her power base stronger than many of the allied baronies, and it makes sense that she would make a play for these fiefdoms under the auspices of protection from that which lurks in the dark once again.
He might have to chat with Hunter about taking her out of the equation for good. That would be a brilliant first step, actually. He writes it down.
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December 20th, 2008
smallestopener
 | 09:07 pm
Ingress is tall enough to groom Megwyn, as long as she can stand on the little wooden block to reach. She's been grooming Mewgyn a lot lately. Brushing, braiding her tail, braiding her mane - in other words, she's been sticking pretty close to Megwyn, when she's not sticking close to Door.
::Maybe I can braid your mane and put ribbons with jingle bells in them. Would you like that? It would be pretty.::
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December 17th, 2008
smallestopener
 | 07:56 pm - In the Family Room
Ingress sits on the floor of the family room, her back against the well-worn couch. She's busy illustrating another of her books with the markers from her skinny marker set out. They came in a box! She loves her giant box of markers.
She hears the rustle of someone coming through a painting. It's Door. She can always tell when her sister enters a room. It's the sound of her skirts.
"Hi Door! Oh, a rat came by earlier and said the next floating market is at the Tower of London in two days. Can you take me? I want to go by the stall where the lady with orange hair has books. I know just which one I'm getting for Tom for Christmas."
She's still coloring as she talks, which is why she hasn't noticed the odd look on her sister's face.
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December 16th, 2008
young_tmriddle
 | 09:49 pm - In the Common Room
Tom escorts Mal into the common room, a combination lounge and library for the House of Arch residents.
"I'm sorry it took a situation like this to bring you to the House for the first time, Mal." He gestures to one of the sofas.
"Would you like a drink? We have brandy and scotch. Not as good as at Milliways, but it will have to serve."
Although his tone is smooth and even, the circles under his eyes hint at his state of mind.
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December 14th, 2008
young_tmriddle
 | 10:15 pm - In the Library
Tom has always had a small problem with keeping things like stacks of books tidy. While he could easily take care of this with magic, sometimes straightening up requires Door manually removing them from their bedroom and bringing them back to the place they belong.
In this case, the books belong in the shared library, and Tom, wisely, is assisting in the task.
"It's my New Year's resolution, I swear," he says, placing a history of New York City back on the shelf. "The books will not stack up until they tower over."
They will still stack. Just not so high, perhaps.
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November 15th, 2008
young_tmriddle
 | 06:49 pm
The House of Arch has many rooms. Tom imagines there are rooms even he hasn't found yet - rooms Door's grandfather attached to the House and were lost, rooms her parents pulled in for which the painting portals have been misplaced. There are, of course, the rooms to which the family only has access. There are the shared rooms, the secret rooms, the rooms of their current guests. And then there are the rooms of guests who have gone and who may, or may not, return.
Tom makes the rounds of these latter rooms on a regular basis. Once every few months or so, he steps into them, uses a quick Scourgify spell to lift the layers of dust, and checks to make certain all is well. Sometimes, if enough time has passed, he and Door will decide to detach kitchens and bathrooms from their current configurations and reattach them into newer guest suites, or let them go back to the Underside from which they found them. The rooms of the Narnians, who are still very much missed, have been repurposed for newer guests, as they had once been repurposed from Anakin's wing.
Tom and Door keep the bedrooms, though, of those who have left and might return, along with the living rooms. If Snow and Bigby ever step back into Milliways, they will have a place to stay. Tom doubts they will, but even so, their departure was for a holiday, not for an afterlife. They keep Spike and Beth's suite for similar reasons, though Tom doubts that they will ever return either. He doesn't regret the loan of his invisibility cloak, but he does regret they are likely gone for good.
Tom usually doesn't linger in the rooms. However, there is one room in which he tends to stop for a time. Moiraine kept a room here - a study room which could be used for an overnight stay, if she so required. Moiraine left a chest within it. Since Tom received her letter - of farewell, presumably - he's come back to this room more than he usually would.
He hasn't touched the chest. Not yet. He hasn't even checked it for the wards that must exist to keep unwelcome eyes and hands off. Once enough time has passed - and Tom can't say when that will be; he'll simply know - he'll open the chest.
But not today.
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November 3rd, 2008
smallestopener
| 08:46 pm - In the Courtyard
Not long after Ingress and Mary return from Valdemar, Ingress' lessons resume. She is pleased to be in school again, and she's very pleased to see Marian more regularly.
She's especially happy today. It's a crisp fall day, and all is right in the world.
"Hi Marian!" She throws herself into Marian's arms for a hug.
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October 17th, 2008
smallestopener
| 08:14 pm
Ingress has brought many friends through the Milliways painting and into the House of Arch. Usually, though, they are much younger than X-23. And they are not usually teaching her intensive hand-to-hand combat without Tom and Door knowing.
Ingress hasn't lied. The subject just hasn't come up!
As they stand in the white expanse of the front gallery, Ingress says, "If you feel funny or saw anything in your mind, that's just us. You can feel memories in the walls when you enter the House."
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August 17th, 2008
smallestopener
| 08:41 am - In the Tea Party Room
It's not that Ingress forgot what happened in Valdemar? How could you forget such meanness?
It's more that summer is a busy time full of books to read, places to explore, and things to do. She's looked at the surveys that people answered and thought about what her friends said.
She did finally talk to Tom and Door, and while Tom was apoplectic with rage (and a little scary, if truth be told), Door was much more helpful. She listened and reaffirmed everything Ingress had been told."Sometimes it's hard when people don't understand you or where you come from. It's not like the Underside, where people don't care."
Megwyn did, as well, but the more she heard it from the other people she loved, the better she felt. Even Tom's kind offer to turn the offenders into toads and feed them to the snakes, was helpful. And tempting. But, Ingress feels, not quite the action for a Herald-to-be.
I would tell my friend that she knows the truth about herself and that no matter what others say, that will never change; don't let them get to you. be yourself; inform a teacher if the bullying is not merely verbal; remember that she has good friends, and people who care about her, and that the people saying mean things are wrong, and that as hard as it is to not think about the remarks, she should try; it's okay to be upset; we stay and we fight for what we know is ours, even if it might get worse, hoping that it will be better, because we know where we belong, not other people; maybe Valdemar isn't what you thought it would be, doll. Almost nothing ever is... But you'll be fine.
After thinking about things a good long time, she's decided that maybe she's ready to do something about it. Maybe.
And who best to help her, but Mary Lennox, the most fearless girl in the whole wide world? Ingress thinks she's just about as brave and smart as Door is, and that's high praise indeed.
"I'm glad you could come for tea, Mary. I've missed you a whole lot," she says, escorting Mary from the Front Gallery into the tea party room. Ingress isn't wearing a tutu or a costume.
This is serious business. She's wearing one of Door's fringed shawls over a dress, instead.
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June 7th, 2008
young_tmriddle
 | 09:02 pm - In the Study
It's been a long day in London Below. Longer than usual, as far as Door and Tom's current work is concerned, and a great deal more vexing.
Tom slumps into his usual chair beside Door's desk. He loosens his tie and stretches his arms back behind him. His shoulders are bunched and tight, but they need to go over this bloody business and plan their next steps.
"Well, that was a right mess we walked straight into," he says. "I can't believe the brothers came back to stir things up just when we'd settled everyone else down finally." He sighs heavily and shrugs out of his suit coat. "I'm starving; shall I get us something to eat?"
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May 25th, 2008
smallestopener
 | 04:31 pm - In the Courtyard on a Birthday Afternoon
The roses have just begun to bloom in the House of Arch courtyard; whether that's due to nature or a charm helping them along is immaterial. Ingress loves the courtyard. It's where she goes for archery and sword lessons, and it's nice, happy place to breathe fresh air. Of course, who knows from which century the fresh air comes; that is immaterial, as well.
Today the courtyard is festooned for Ingress' ninth birthday. There is a large table set for tea in the shade of the trees. Croquet is set up on one part of the lawn, and there are horseshoes to throw. Later, a badminton net will be erected, should anyone wish to partake in a game. There is room for both adults and children to play with the balls and wooden swords and shields strewn about, and there are winding walkways to stroll if the clamor of the party is a bit too much. There is room for Megwyn, Ingress' Companion, and Ingress will sit atop her back whenever she can spare a few moments.
Ingress herself is dressed in a white party dress for tea. It will soon enough be covered with grass stains and food dribbles, and then she'll change into her Herald grays, the uniform of Heralds-to-be. Then she'll be ready to play.
Come, have tea with the birthday girl. In addition to the biscuits, fruit, and finger sandwiches, there will be cake soon. As for the games, the more the merrier.
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April 20th, 2008
dragonofgrey
 | 08:58 pm
He and Mia had decided. Enough waiting. They could have a public ceremony, but they were getting married tonight if possible.
Draco stepped through the painting into the common room, and started to walk around, calling.
"Tom? Ingress? Are you around? I need to speak with you."
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April 5th, 2008
young_tmriddle
 | 08:17 pm - In the Family Room
Ingress is terribly excited about the prospect of visiting Mal's world. Truth be told, Tom wouldn't mind a holiday, and he definitely would like to go once more when not in dire danger. His actions helped keep a beam from breaking, after all, and destroying that part of the future.
Now, Tom is not one for mucking about with time travel, and Mal's world is his world's future, but it's so far past his own time, he thinks he can risk it. Besides, this holiday planet sounds like quite the place. He's curious, and this would be- it would be closure for Tom, since things had gone so terribly wrong with the Doorway Cave and Black 13, and learning of Door's abduction upon his return. Well, and to be perfectly honest, things had gone poorly before he'd even left, what with the horrific fights they'd had about his giving aid and succor in the first place.
Then he and their group of friends rescued Door. Tom and Door healed, with each other's help, and life went on. But there had never been closure. Just moving on.
So. This might be a good opportunity.
"Door, have you a moment?"
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March 15th, 2008
smallestopener
| 08:47 pm - In the Courtyard
It's been a long morning already, or so it feels to Ingress. She's showed Lan all the forms and long-practiced movements she remembers from Arithon's rigorous instruction. A lot of time has gone by, though, and she doesn't remember what some of the steps were called. She just goes by rote through everything she can recall.
Her arm is getting a little wobbly, and it's only her wooden practice sword she's using. She is out of shape.
Also, Lan is a little intimidating. He's not the stern, yet jolly, taskmaster Arithon was, and he's awfully tall in a looming kind of way.
But she's wearing her Greys that Kerowyn gave her a long time ago, and she feels like a Herald. That's a very good feeling.
"Um. I think that's all I remember." She lets her sword hand drop, resting her arm.
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January 27th, 2008
smallestopener
 | 11:29 pm - In the Tea Party Room
Today is a fine day for a tea party in the House of Arch. It is also a fine day for Ingress and a dear friend to get together.
"Shall I pour, Amy?" she asks, picking up the silver teapot with two hands. She's noticeably taller than she was at their last tea party. She can much more easily hand the teapot than ever before.
When she steps closer, she trips on the hem of her gown and a little bit of tea sloshes out the spout. "Oops."
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