The Open University (which, Paul muses sometimes, should probably renamed Mansion Education Institute) is entering its last week of classes before the winter break ( Read more... )

It has taken time for this to happen, for the Dark Lord to gather it all, his influence of that which is not Arda but close enough to it, that which he hates about all else for the light of it remains a beacon ( Read more... )

It's Halloween, the darkest night of all dark nights, a night when the veil between the spirit world and the physical world lifts, the night when it's best to wear one's disguises, to hide from whatever might be creeping through that open portal. Outside, the full moon rides over the skeletal tree tops, vanishing at times when small clouds scud ( Read more... )

Gingalain's feeling pretty good about himself.

It's not that long ago that he got married, and the novelty of it hasn't worn off yet. He still hardly knows his wife, but she is pretty. And she gave him fifteen castles. He tugs his horse's reins to direct it down a fork in the track, and thinks vaguely about how he should visit all of them, when he ( Read more... )

Even wizards know that Valentine's Day is a holiday for flowers. If he'd managed to begin his plant business back home, this would be a busy time, but income really wasn't an issue at the Mansion. Even so, Neville loves his gardening, and he'd begun growing roses and other flowers with this date in mind. By now, he is well aware the Mansion is ( Read more... )

Riku has fond memories of Setsuban or the Lunar New Year, and given the number of Chinese immigrants in their neighborhood, his dad had offered a double celebration at Omoro. And so, as part of continuing to give back to the Mansion and the people in it, he's spent the past day cooking up a buffet of Asian delicacies, including Chinese dumplings ( Read more... )

To be honest, it was an exhausting day.

Layla Williams might have an apparently inexhaustible energy burning within her, but even sidekicks need their sleep.

So after getting back home (after school, after training) and speaking to Will on the phone - no roof? someone might ask - well yes, you see, he's been caught in a family reunion of the sorts ( Read more... )

Albert Herrera, formerly the Viscount de Morcerf--it was hard not to remind himself that with almost every step he took--heard the boarding call for the shuttle to Luna. He gave the attendant his ticket and passport with his new, and entirely legal now, name. It had been his mother's name, and after she'd retired back to Marseilles, he'd been ( Read more... )

In the common room, one might notice a brand new sign. Not too far from it, two students. A tall and lanky young man (though he's almost in his 30s), with brown hair and gray eyes, and a small dark-haired young lady are sitting by a desk and chatting a touch feverishly.

The sign?

Open College Project

Looking for students and teachers! Speak to us, we' ( Read more... )

Iggy has been checking and rechecking everything. Not an easy thing to do when you have to do it all by touch, but Icarus has managed. Now, everything is set up and good to go. The test runs worked perfectly, and he's got everything set to explode over the lake just in case there are any troubles. His friends really helped him out by making signs ( Read more... )