girlyswot | Is it still stmargarets birthday?

Is it still stmargarets birthday?

Charlie proclaimed himself completely stuffed after demolishing most of

dogstar101's delicious dinner.

'Time to go, then.' Girlyswot raised a finger to attract the attention of Winewaiter!Albus. 'Have you got the portkeys ready?'

'They have all been slipped into pockets as you directed earlier.'

'Excellent. Can you activate mine and Charlie's first and then everyone else in ten minutes? We just need a few minutes to...' Albus's eyebrows rose suggestively '...get everything ready. Honestly, what is it with everyone assuming that all Charlie and I do is make out?'

'If the uncomfortable Regency corset fits...'

'It doesn't,' she told him firmly, rearranging her bosom just to make Gay!Albus feel uncomfortable in return.

He averted his gaze. 'Very well. We will join you in a few minutes.'

###

Girlyswot landed smoothly, safe in the circle of Charlie's strong, canon arms. She allowed herself a moment just to revel in his comforting presence.

'Here we are, then. Beaufort Castle, home of Clan Fraser. Did you get everything sorted out?'

'Think so. The pipe band are over there, and the Highland dancers are waiting inside to give us a display of sword dancing. There's a range of single malts for TDU to sample and plenty of black pudding ready to fry up for breakfast. I've checked all the charms - all the men will find themselves wearing clan tartan kilts, and the women will have plaids to put over their shoulder. Oh, and everyone will find that any injuries sustained so far will be healed, leaving only the scars.'

Girlyswot looked down. Charlie was indeed wearing a bright red and yellow checked kilt with matching socks that showed off his spectacular calves. She had a matching plaid over her Regency dress. She couldn't wait to start reeling.

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A/N: I posted on the previous site, at the same time that Ros was posting the new link. So... just so I won't miss the Plot Opportunity:

Megan was about to turn the corner into a long, dark corridor when the whispers brought her up short.

"Napier locked himself with Moonette in a cellar, and neither of them wanted to open the door. You know that Napier will take advantage of the occasion!" Hazel was saying frantically.

"And so will Moonette," Girlyswot hissed. Hissing was clearly her thing at this party, the Girlyswot response to eye-rolling.

"So you see we have to break them up. The only way to do it is to put myself in danger - and that's where you come in."

Interesting! Megan drifted away without making a sound. Where was Will? She ran into a long hallway, where Grandma Kate and Nic had set up cots and were arranging bandages.

"Have you seen Will?"

"We're looking for him, too!" Kate said.

On the front lawn, Rolf and Niall kept going at each other. Goodness, how long had they been at it? Megan approached Gabby, who was eating popcorn and waived her question away. "No idea about Will. But look at these guys!"

Finally, Megan came upon a wooden door at the base of the tower. She cracked it open and gasped. Will was slumped in an armchair and drinking.

"Will, what are you doing? You know that excess drinking is bad for you. You're not TDU, you know."

Will's head came up. "Oh, it's you. Go away. I should never have kissed you. I lost her."

Well, at least he wasn't denying his part in it. Megan found that promising.

"I know what happened with Byron - it was in the scroll. But Will, surely you realize she did that on purpose. Just to make you jealous."

"She did?" Will brightened up.

"Of course. It's not the men you see her with that you should worry about. It's the ones..." Megan cleared her throat and glanced at him beneath her lashes. He really was as hawt as Moonette claimed - what with that unshaven jaw that was now clenching.

"What are you saying? Is she with a man now? Who?"

"Does it matter?" Megan asked quietly.

Will was silent for a long moment, storms gathering in his eyes. Even though Megan wasn't particularly fond of moss-green, she had to admit they were rather fetching.

"No, it doesn't matter whom she's with. I;m through with her." He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair and gave her a forced, crooked grin. "Would you like to take a walk around the grounds? It's a beautiful park."

Now that the choice was put to her, Megan realized she hadn't actually considered what she'd do. If she said yes, she would only be a rebound girl. She sneaked another look at Will's classical brooding hero profile.

"Yes, Will, I'd be delighted!"

*****

To her surprise, as soon as they stepped outside, a strong wind buffeted them. When she turned to Will in wonder, Megan gasped. He was now dressed in a kilt.
Her heart beating wildly, Megan vowed that Moonette would have to fight her tooth and nail (or maybe blackened eyes and jaw?) to get him back.

Hazel stood outside at the river's edge and shivered with the sudden gust of cold wind. She stuck her hands in her pockets for warmth and was surprised to feel something hard and smooth in her pocket. Before she knew it, she was swept away in a woosh of Portkey sensation. She found herself on a riverbank in what had to be Scotland, with an incredible stone castle ahead of her.

Then the riverbank gave way with a crumble and she found herself hurtling down the rocky riverbank, only vaguely registering several sharp pains from head and other body parts striking sharp rock, before she plunged into the frigid, fast moving current.

Ah. Should I expect an equally nefarious accident? well, I'll stay close to Will so he can protect me. Really really close.

And you wonder why we all think you're the bad guy?

Obviously you wern't paying attention when I told Richard I didn't go in for the ridiculous man-dueling.

I'll eat the popcorn, though, thanks!

*looks innocent*

She had to be hurt to call Napier away! Don't you see? I'm trying to stay faithful to Will and advancing the plot simultaneously. Of only Megan had similar ethics.

Ack - IF only

In this case I think she's actually doing what Hazel wants -- to put herself (Hazel) in danger so that Napier will realize his devotion to her (Hazel again) and leave Annette in the head-reeling lurch.

And she thinks her head's reeling now...wait until she realizes Will and Megan are getting closer.

Perfection! *shivers at all the frigid water*

Oh, I was, but I'm good at reading subtext. I found it telling that for all that you weren't interested, you were there - of all places - watching them and commenting on it. That's like people watching wrestling and saying, 'I don't like these violent sports. Look at them! This shouldn't be on TV. Oh, did you see what that guy did? Do you think he was faking? Oh, honey, could you bring me another coke? I'm glued to the couch marveling at these bloody sports that shouldn't be on TV."

Oh, hey, no throwing rotten tomatoes!

"If only Megan had similar ethics." (<- correction included, since I'm an ethical person)

I would like to point out that I have been advancing the plot relentlessly. Why, Will and I are currently much closer to a climax - plot-wise speaking!

Before she could even smooth her skirt back down, Moonette was off and running down the hallway in her stilettos, chasing after Napier who'd gone after Hazel. Good Lord, Hazel was hurt? Wasn't an apicectomy enough? And it must be serious, from the expression on Napier's face. And now Moonette was feeling terribly guilty for kissing Hazel's creation. (Of course Megan had no such guilt about trying to steal Will.)

Moonette sprinted harder and actually caught up to Napier, even while in heels. She grinned smugly as they raced in unison.

"Napier - where are you going?" Moonette was breathing hard by now. He didn't answer. She grabbed his arm to get his attention at the same time he reached into his pocket and WHOOSH, the both of them were hurtling in Portkey fashion to Merlin knows where.

Then they rolled onto the ground with a loud grunt from Napier and a gasp from Moonette, who found herself sprawled indelicately with her skirt hiked high enough to show her black lace bikini underwear.

Napier's gaze traveled to her hip and stayed there until Moonette pulled her skirt down with a huff.

"Too late. You lost your chance, bad boy. Now where's Hazel?"

Napier's head turned from left to right. "I don't know. I've lost her." Then he grabbed his head again. "Wait. She's..." He turned to Moonette, his eyes wide. "She's in the river! Moonette, Hazel can't swim?"

Oh, for crying out loud. That's supposed to end with an EXCLAMATION MARK!

Well, thank you Gabby! At least SOMEONE understands what I am doing and how selfless it is!

St. Mags wondered where the cold draft was coming from. One minute she was in tdu's snug castle, dispatching Byron back in time to find his True Love, and now she was standing *outside* in the dark with the sound of rushing water nearby.

Luckily there was plenty of moonlight for her to see that the party bingo game was progressing. Moonette and Megan were teaming up and stabbing each other in the back simultaneously - all in the name of melodrama. Poor Hazel seemed to be the one out in the cold, after her dunking in the stream. Hopefully that scruffy man would warm her up soon.

Gabby and Richard were watching from the sidelines, of course - and Ros was pretending to care about shipping when she really just wanted to snog Charlie.

St. Mags shook her head at her ~~scarlet women~~ friends and headed toward the stables. She had to find Elizabeth who was dressed as a stable boy. It was a favorite trope of the Regency novel to have the heroine show her spirited nature by dressing as a boy. The fact that the hero was intrigued with a young boy was always a troubling subtext, but she wasn't too worried in this instance. She was going to send Elizabeth to help in the kitchen. There lemony goodness Elizabeth would find Little Debbie and Drake and a host of other overprocessed children who needed the firm hand of a loving governess.

St. Mags sighed happily. The tale of Duncan Hines was shaping up to be a true fluff fest. With five children, no less. Surely there was a way to work in puppies and rainbows . . . Poor moonette would never be the same . . .

That would be the lemony goddess.

And it's the Tale of Duncan Hines and Elizabeth Crocker. The napkins have been monogramed and now there are children involved. So all of you homewreckers will just have to figure out how to untangle moonette, Megan, and Hazel from their mess.

Hmm...I must write my scene setting better next time -- I was pretty sure that Richard and I were inside and Niall and Rolf were outside.

And who said anything about tomatoes?

Spluttering, Hazel floundered and fought the swirling water but the swiftness and chill, plus the bangs to her head combined with the weight of her sodden velvet dress tugging her under the surface was rapidly stealing consciousness.

Bits of Ray Mears' advice floated dream-like through her head. Flashes of the past--that tsumami with Marcus--came and went. This would never have happened with Marcus. An eddy swirled her round and she cried out when her back connected hard with a rock. Unfortunately, that meant she got a lungful of peaty Scottish river. The river tumbled her on and the dreamlike chill only deepened...

Sure it was...they're on opposite corners of the keyboard. Your fingers must be dyslexic like mine.

So all of you homewreckers will just have to figure out how to untangle moonette, Megan, and Hazel from their mess. *grins* Moonette and I have a Cunning Plan; All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well...

I don't know about completely selfless...I mean, you did get your snog in before heading off to rescue Hazel.

Better you than me, though -- If somebody smelling of cigarettes tried to kiss me, I think I'd have to cough in his face.

"And now Moonette was feeling terribly guilty for kissing Hazel's creation. (Of course Megan had no such guilt about trying to steal Will.)"

As she saw that on the scroll, Megan put a hand on Will's naked chest and stopped him. She needed to think about this guilt trip Moonette was pushing on her. She ticked her fingers:

1. Moonette was NOT in any danger that she could see, other than twisting an ankle while running on river banks in stilettos. Hmm, not much danger there, since Moonette was practically born in stilettos.

2. Will was NOT Moonette's creation, and his creator had never tried to claim him.

Nope, no reason for guilt. Sighing in relief, Megan dropped her hand and whispered, 'Go ahead, Will.'

"Ouch! Damn!" A woman swore as something crashed to the floor inside the castle.

"Reparo," a man's voice sounded.

"So Bill, where is everyone?" It was Amamama who'd finally arrived at the scene, she and Bill were walking through the rooms in the castle where their delayed portkey had landed them. "Oh, look! There's Will!" Amamama pointed out one of the windows. "And he's walking arm in arm with MEGAN?! Bill, what's going on?"

"No idea, I've been just as busy as you have my dear." He waggled his eyebrows as he looked at her. "What say we go find someone to explain to us - or maybe we just sneak back out again and stop by tomorrow? I think I need some rest..." He leaned in and nuzzled her neck.

"Bill! You're insatiable!"

"Takes one to know one."

"OK, OK. I'm coming. I'm knackered anyway. I just feel so bad because I've missed out on everything. I just didn't have time to spend by the computer today, and it's Mary's birthday party and I love our parties and now I haven't been able to contribute a thing and I'm supposed to host the Akershus leg tomorrow night and I feel totally lost!"

"There, there, it's not that bad. You just need rest. I will all seem better tomorrow you know."

There was a four poster bed in a room at the end of the corridor, where the door was ajar. As everything was quiet that hopefully meant the room was unoccupied, and gently Bill steered his hulder in the direction of the big bed. She really needed sleep. In a while.

"All right. You know me so well, Bill." Amamama rested her head against him and just went along. Hopefully she would be able to play with her friends tomorrow morning, and then it wouldn't feel so weird to host the Akershus party in the evening.

Moonette cast her eyes heavenwards as Napier pelted off downstream. Honestly, he wasn't so much losing his bad boy image as tearing it to shreds as he searched frantically for his author. Much more of this and he'd lose all his appeal in her eyes.

An approaching whooshing noise made her duck--just in time. A broomstick of unidentified manufacture zoomed past. "Damn!" Now she'd missed the chance to fly with him. Hadn't Hazel said he used to be the Gryffindor team Beater back in school? Trouble was, thoughts of Quidditch only took her back to Will...

Hazel was going to need a Healer when Napier found her. That would mean asking Will to--Moonette straightened her shoulders. Not until he came to his senses and admitted he'd got the wrong end of the stick over Byron! She had some training. Napier couldn't be completely useless. she'd tell him what to do. Satisfied with this compromise, Moonette jogged after the dark speck that was Napier airborne.

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