#by going through every single galen interaction possible

[greatprotector-if]

kicking my feet & twirling my hair thinking abt galen

[savrenim]

I gotta say I think my favorite part of Jeremy as a DM is that he takes the stupid half-jokes that I make offscreen and just. turns them into things for me. that also fit perfectly into the plot and the story seamlessly but feel special 

like I was making goddamn jokes about “okay but. but I want a bloodsword. we do blood magic. please. Jeremy. Jeremy what if I could make my blood into a sword. b l o o d s w o r d. I could go to parties and never be unarmed because mY BLOOD IS A SWORD. YOU CAN’T DISARM ME YOU WOULDN’T PART AN OLD ELF FROM HER BLOOD WOULD YOU, SO LONG AS I HAVE BLOOD I HAVE SWORD.” and then, like. because it was only half a joke and I got attached to the aesthetic I actively started planning on how to make one of my own, which was pretty much going to be that there are some shadow weapon spells either on the cleric/oracle or witch lists and I was just going to take one of those as I was leveling up in Caedic magic and request that because it’s blood magic can we please flavor it descriptively as being made of my blood and not of shadows like, just as a cool aesthetic piece, and I’d have my bloodsword. 

and then halfway through Book 4 Galen fucking Torus out of nowhere makes a really fucking rad bloodsword from his own blood and hands it to me and I kill a bunch of enemies of the Empire and feel hella cool and I go “c a n  y o u  t e a c h  m e” with starry eyes the next day and he goes “okay sure” and starts teaching me how to make a bloodsword and there are cool bloodsword mechanics and just. Iria Strell got a bloodsword. after I spent six months joking about it. this is an actual legitimate bloodsword not a cheap knockoff made from a flavored shadow spell, real genuine Caedic blood magic here.

and, like, there are a couple of other obvious things (I spent a while being excited about a Feat tree that I’ve now totally forgotten because I think I was looking for some weird way to add Int to attacks and there was something similar to feinting you used bluff for a round and I’ve forgotten about it because it became irrelevant because Iria has developed mechanical combat spurs that give her a pretty similar option, not a “sooo then in five levels I’ll be able to do this!”) I guess another one was joking for months okay not joking about how much in love I was with Arcadia Dominus and holy shit she liked me back and the “gay murder elf bachelorette” bit actually becoming a part of the campaign, this campaign got literally infinitely more gay because I made a dumb joke and then Jeremy went “okay” and followed up on it, we went from no gay to one of the longest running and at least emotionally important plotlines is “oh no Iria is so gay you utter disaster fire of a lesbian how are you going to mess everything up now because Pretty Girl”

but, like

the one that is hitting me really really strongly now-now is that I have been half-jokingly complaining for months and months that I regret So Much Iria Strell’s background as a minor noble because it limits the fanciness and quantity of dresses that I can get for her and goddamnit I want to put her in all the shiny things all of them and how Painful it is to pass all these cool costumes that I Want To Pull just in fashion posts and stuff but uuurgh I can’t because Iria Strell isn’t the sort of noble who would wear all those and she kind of isn’t allowed and that just goddamnit I need to make a character next game who whatever the context wears Cool Clothes so that I would get to actually do a shit-ton of character design and costume design 

and I am 1000% sure that this didn’t change from the original plans, like, the outlines have been in place for months well before I got obsessed with noble costuming, but the big objective of this book is Iria is investigating a maybe heresy/conspiracy that maybe involves nobles, and to do so, she has to go to a bunch of noble parties, and Galen Torus gave her an unlimited credit card and went “material resources are no worry go ham request whatever you want” and what her wardrobe is actively affects all the interactions she has with people and how well she can gather the information she needs to

which means that OOC I get the chance to design a full and changing wardrobe for Iria Strell to look cool as it is now her job as the secret leader of an investigation to actually do noble business and look pretty sometimes and talk to a bunch of nobles and go to parties but just. I’m limited in interesting ways by what is tasteful, but I have been given the full resources and an active in-character reason to utterly go ham on costuming, which makes me so excited as a person

and it’s just. super tiny details like this that idk make the games feel....more than just special? or maybe it’s that I’m not used to being listened to? like. the game is so good. I’m having so much fun. we have gotten to book 5 and it is once again the coolest fucking thing I could imagine. and so was book 4, and book 3, and book 2, and book 1. it is completely unnecessary to throw in tiny things like the bloodsword in order to make me happy and it is all done so....seamlessly? like. if one of my hunches is correct. the bloodsword and a ritual that Galen Torus performed telling Iria it would make her better at the bloodsword wHICH IT DID BUT THAT WAS NOT THE MAIN POINT OF THE RITUAL, THE MAIN POINT OF THE GODDAMN RITUAL WAS TO CONSECRATE PRIESTS AND PRIESTS HAVE MORE ACCESS TO BLOOD MAGIC SO A SIDE EFFECT IS BETTER THAN A BLOODSWORD BUT A CONSECRATED PRIEST IS A SUPER HIGH RANK AND THIS MAKES HER A CONSECRATED PRIEST AT AGE EIGHTEEN WHICH IS VERY VERY VERY UPSETTING TO HER AND POSSIBLY UNPRECEDENTED EARLY 30S IS CONSIDERED RIDICULOUSLY EARLY TO BE A CONSECRATED PRIEST FOR INCREDIBLY TALENTED AND FAST-CLIMBING CAREER-FOCUED NOBLES NOT A MINOR DISGRACED KIND OF EXILED LESBIAN DUMPSTER FIRE LIKE SHE IS

but consecrated priest thing aside and that being one way or another a major plot point and that coming so seamlessly and so perfectly a surprise from the fact that she asked an Exarch if he’d teach her how to make a bloodsword

again I’m pretty sure “Book 5 is noble politics book” was always going to be a thing so it’s not “oh Jeremy wrote it into the plot that I get to be ridiculous and pick out every single dress and everyday wear and hair and makeup for my character all the time multiple times a session and have that matter” because it was always abstractly going to matter as that matters as a part of being a Caedic noble but just 

here and is everything I wanted and was everything that I was totally joking about for months except no joke I just. get to do it. which I’m just actively so excited about. I guess it just...feels weird to me because I’m... sometimes used to making my own fun? or just, like, making things happen in my own life? there have been way too many “well if you want to survive it’s only you that you can rely on” situations not even in a bad sense of my life is horrible like. I could go on a rant about how I....not don’t trust people as people but don’t trust people to be 100% reliable and so always make a backup plan so that if a person falls through I can still get what I need done to be done and it’s just more pleasant for everyone involved if I don’t pin pressure on people or things? but in a different way I do the same thing for the games that I’m involved in, I will find things to make me have Feelings and will make my own fun and write letters and befriend NPCs and insist on staying in touch and, like...I dunno I guess I’m not used to trusting any world, be it fantasy or real, to give me what I want, if I want a thing I have to carefully plan and invest time and energy to earn and take it and be prepared to fail and just because Jeremy’s my friend and I goddamn narrate everything jokes or not of how I/my characters feel and “okay but here is the 1000th picture of a cool dress that I’m sending you and because Iria Strell doesn’t get to wear cool dresses we’ll say it’s the Gothicus Maximus Spring 2019 collection” and just

I guess I’m really not used to a world that cares about what I want

and, like, is sometimes fucking brutal Iria is dealing with slowly losing her mobility and ability to fight to an injury that was her fault and she is descending into a lot of really fun mental health places that push fun buttons and Marian is spelljammer and is Marian don’t even get me started on Marian’s family suddenly reappearing or just. characters from the thousands upon thousands of words of backstory showing up but just idk it feels like even when things are really brutal to the characters......the world is still kind to me? it’s aware of what I care about and it cares about me?

and I’m just so not used to the world being kind

I don’t need the world to be kind to love it. I love this world even with how fucked up and hard it is, and I love the games that I play and the stories that I get to be a part of without them caring about me at all, I don’t need them to care about me, that’s not why I’m playing

maybe I’m just hella tired and the move has been awful my old housemate gave me a deadline less than 12 hours before when there was never a deadline in our original conversations and then she and her mother were also going through my room and my stuff I guess to try to determine how quickly I’d get out of there but, like, I do not like it when people go through my stuff and there was a scare about the landlord selling the new place and the new landlord would have to honor the lease for a year but then maybe not wanting me to have my cats so suddenly for two days even my new living place was up in the air and I was already jet lagged and stressed and barely slept to try to finish a week’s worth of work that I was under the full impression I had a week to do in a day and a half and definitely sprained my ankle but got to keep walking on it and internet took forever to set up and trying to fix my furniture and all my stuff is in boxes and I’m still walking around on a twisted ankle because it’s just me there’s no one here to help me, if I want things to be okay and to get done I have to make them be done myself and these boxes need to be unpacked by Saturday morning because the landlord wants to fix the floor and just. I’m stressed and emotional so maybe I’m hella overreacting to “oh you like costumes? well an aspect of this book is noble interactions and parties so sure I’ll let you pick out literally every dress that you’re wearing” but it just

it matters so much to me

Jeremy is really really good at the DnD thing

[digitalyogesh]

Kumaryasava

Kumaryasava (KS) is an advertised Ayurvedic detailing containing Aloe vera as the principle fixing. It has been utilized broadly for the treatment of liver problems; nonetheless, there is an absence of current logical information on hepatoprotection. The suggested portion of KS is high and up to 60 mL/day. The current investigation depicts the readiness of new KS concentrate and assessment of similar hepatoprotective movement of KS and arranged KS accumulate at 33% of KS portion against CCl4-instigated hepatic poisonousness.

Materials and Methods:

Creatures were separated into various gatherings (n = 6). The primary gathering got typical saline (control) 1.0 mL/Kg/day p.o. for 10 days. The subsequent gathering (poison) was given ordinary saline 1.0 mL/Kg/day p.o. for 10 days with CCl4 in olive oil (1:1 v/v) at 1.0 mL/Kg/day p.o. Third, fourth, and fifth gatherings got KS, KS concentrate and a promoted plan as standard) at portions of 5.0 mL/Kg/day p.o., 1.6 mL/Kg/day p.o., and 100 mL/Kg/day p.o. (tablet suspended in water utilizing 0.1% carboxymethyl cellulose) separately for 10 days alongside CCl4 as given to the poison bunch. On the eleventh day, blood was removed from retro-orbital plexus and serum was isolated for biochemical assessment of serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), basic phosphatase (ALP), and egg whites levels. Afterward, creatures were forfeited under high portion of sedation to eliminate liver tissue, which were taken out and washed with super cold saline for the assessment of lipid peroxidation. Liver tissue from each gathering was likewise fixed in 10% formalin for histopathological investigation.

Results:

Results exhibited that both KS and KS concentrate showed the security against CCl4-initiated hepatic harmfulness. This was clear from the decrease in serum SGOT, SGPT, ALP levels, and rise in serum egg whites levels noticed post treatment of CCl4 treated rodents with KS and KS concentrate, which were upheld by histopathological information.

End:

KS concentrate can be a valuable hepatoprotective definition which might help in diminishing the high portion of KS to around 33% of the suggested portion.

Catchphrases: Carbon tetrachloride, hepatoprotective, Kumaryasava

Ayurveda is the plant-based native arrangement of medication rehearsed in India since old times.[1] However, there is a developing requirement for logical proof toward the adequacy of the Ayurvedic formulations.[2] Asavas (matured mixtures) are considered as one of a kind and significant therapeutics in Ayurveda.[3] These are the restorative arrangements made by splashing the medications (powder or blending decoction) in an answer of jaggery for a predetermined timeframe. It goes through the aging cycle by creating liquor, which works with the extraction of dynamic standards of medications. The liquor produced during the interaction likewise fills in as a preservative.[4] Kumaryasava (KS) is a showcased Ayurvedic home grown plan referenced in the Ayurvedic model of India. It is a self-aged galenical containing around 40–50 unrefined medications and Aloe vera as the fundamental ingredient.[5] It is quite possibly the most broadly utilized over the counter items and utilized for the treatment of liver disorders.[6] However, there are absence of current logical information for the utilization of KS in the treatment of liver issues. Another issue in the utilization of KS is the high portion of the item which goes up to 60 mL of the every day portion.

The current composition depicts the readiness of new KS concentrate and similar assessment of hepatoprotective movement of KS and KS concentrate against CCl4 initiated poisonousness in Wistar rodents according to the strategy portrayed by Bhoopat et al.[7]

Go to:

Materials and Methods

KS and KS concentrate were gotten as a gift test from Dabur India Ltd. The KS concentrate was ready by moving 450 mL of kumaryasva in 1000 mL round base cup and vanished to estimated 50–60% of the first example underneath 80°C temperature in the rotational evaporator. Further, concentrated example was moved into a 1000 mL container and kept on water shower (kept up with at 90–100°C) for 2–3 h, so that, 30% w/w of its unique dampness remained.

Hepatoprotective action

The hepatoprotective action of KS and KS focus were done on Wistar pale skinned person rodents according to the convention portrayed by Bhoopat et al.[7] Thirty creatures were acquired from the focal creature house office of Hamdard University. The investigation was endorsed by the institutional creature ethic panel and completed rigorously according to the rules.

The primary gathering got typical saline (control) 1.0 mL/Kg/day p.o., for 10 days. The subsequent gathering (poison) was given ordinary saline 1.0 mL/Kg/day p.o., for 10 days with CCl4 in olive oil in 1:1 apportion given at 1.0 mL/Kg/day p.o., Third, fourth, and fifth gatherings got KS, KS concentrate and new Livfit (standard) at dosages of 5.0 mL/Kg/day p.o., 1.6 mL/Kg/day p.o., and 100 mL/Kg/day p.o., (tablet suspended in water utilizing 0.1% CMC), individually for 10 days alongside CCl4 as given to the poison bunch.

On the eleventh day, blood was removed from the retro-orbital plexus, and serum was isolated for biochemical assessment. Afterward, creatures were forfeited under high portion of sedation to eliminate the liver tissue which were taken out and washed with super cold saline for biochemical assessment. Liver tissue from each gathering was likewise fixed in 10% formalin for histopathological investigation. In the serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), antacid phosphatase (ALP), and egg whites assessment were done utilizing financially accessible units. Lipid peroxidation was assessed in the liver tissue utilizing the technique portrayed by Okhawa et al.[8]

Factual examination

The qualities were communicated as mean ± standard deviation. The measurable investigation was done by single direction examination of fluctuation followed by Tukey’s test. P < 0.05 were considered as huge.

Go to:

Results and Discussion

Poison bunch showed essentially raised (P < 0.001 versus control) levels of SGOT, SGPT, serum ALP, and malondialdehyde (MDA), though essentially lower (P < 0.001 versus control) level of serum egg whites was contrasted with control bunch. Essentially lower (P < 0.001 versus control) level of serum egg whites was seen in the poison bunch contrasted with control.

Treatment with KS concentrate showed critical inversion (P < 0.001 versus poison) in SGOT, SGPT, ALP, and MDA levels just as in serum egg whites level. Comparative outcomes were acquired in KS and standard treated gatherings. Factual investigation uncovered that for various biochemical boundaries showed that there was the inconsequential distinction among KS and KS concentrate just as in norm (new Livfit) treated gatherings.

The histopathological assessment of liver tissue of various treatment bunches was completed, which showed the ordinary engineering of liver tissue [Figure 1a] in the benchmark group. CCl4 treated poison [Figure 1b] showed a serious level of cell rot and vacuolization. Histopathology after treatment with KS [Figure 1c] uncovered the diminished hepatic harm with little vacuolization. KS concentrate and standard gatherings showed the typical histological highlights [Figure ​[Figure1d1d and ​andee].

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Figure 1

Histological investigation of liver tissue in various treatment bunches appearing (a) Control bunch with typical hepatic tissue design, (b) poison bunch hepatocellular putrefaction with high vacuolization, (c) kumaryasava treated gathering showing diminished hepatic harm with little vacuolization, (d) kumaryasava concentrate treated gathering showing ordinary histology of liver tissue, (e) liver tissue from standard gathering treated with new Livfit showing typical histological engineering

The current investigation is the principal study attempted to get ready and contrast the adequacy of KS concentrate and its customary plan with the reason to diminish its portion to 33% of its organization (at present given in 60 mL/day). A huge expansion in the degree of SGOT, SGPT, and ALP demonstrated the hepatic harm brought about by CCl4 [Table 1].[9] Additionally, the hypoalbuminemia was likewise seen in CCl4 treated rodents which may shows the liver cirrhosis. The expanded degrees of MDA showed the lipid peroxidation and film harm due to oxidative stress.[10]

Table 1

Impact of various treatment bunches on SGOT, SGPT, serum egg whites, and serum ALP level

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Item name is JPBS-7-297-g002.jpg

KS just as KS concentrate brought down the expanded level of these chemicals showing an inversion of CCl4 prompted liver harm. Likewise, an inversion of hypoalbuminemia by KS and KS concentrate supports their defensive impact. KS and KS concentrate reestablished MDA level toward typical showing impedance with oxidative harm and their enemy of lipid peroxidative property. Further, KS and KS concentrate might settle the plasma film prompting the decreased degree of lipid peroxidation.[11] Results of biochemical assessments were upheld by comparative consequences of the histopathological assessment.

The KS concentrate (and KS) contains Aloe barbadensis and nectar as its significant constituents. Already, A. barbadensis has been accounted for to have hepatoprotective action because of its cell reinforcement activity.[12] Similarly, in a near report, nectar has been accounted for to be more hepatoprotective than dark seed. These specialists can have commitment toward the hepatoprotective impact of the definition.

Relative examination during the investigation showed that there was genuinely unimportant contrast between the viability of KS and KS concentrate. For ideal result, roughly 60 mL of the KS is to be taken by oral course each day. Be that as it may, the same viability was seen with Kumaryasava

[wingedfabray]

Merry Go ‘Round || Self-Para

Tagging: Quinn Fabray with mentions of others When: September-October 2017 Where: New York, Connecticut, Italy, Switzerland, & Poland What: In which Quinn finds her number. Warnings: None.

She was sitting at her desk, when the package arrived. The soft knock on her door was enough to make her jump. Her focus was far away, drifing over campus, drifting up. Too much had happened, since Harper had slipped a note into her hand and walked away. There was too much to do, too much chaos, too much noise. The note had been slipped into a bedside drawer, and she had settled into casual research. But the knock at the door brought everything right back.

The package was obviously a book, wrapped in brown paper and tied with pale string. Her grandmother's looped handwriting was scrawled in one corner, "This should be everything you need." She opened it slowly, carefully, peeling each corner back with shaking hands. It was an old journal, the edges soft and worn. Her hands shook as she layed it upon her desk. This was important. This was something from her grandmother's past, something that she'd held close for so long. Quinn could tell. It was in the way the leather gave easily when she opened it, how the pages were bent and frayed at the edges. It was important, she felt like she was holding history.

Quinn hadn't expected much, when she'd asked for help. She'd expected silence, a nod, or perhaps another string of numbers that would take her months to decode. That would take Sam Evans giving her a nudge in the right direction. This was so much more than a nudge. This was so much more than a nod, or silence. Her grandmother had handed her a journal. She was almost afraid to turn the first page. What if it was empty? What if it was just another mystery?

Finally pushing past the initial hesitation, Quinn turned the first page. It was full. Her eyes widened as they trailed over the looped handwriting, the first entry was signed and dated Harper Fabray, but the second entry caught her eye. It wasn't her grandmother's handwriting at all. It was dated and signed Regina Isolde Anderson, the handwriting sharper, more succinct. It wasn't just a journal. It was a correspondence.

She had her own. It was bound in black leather, with the imprint of two angel wings imprinted in the bottom right corner. Harper had given it to her when she was very little, just after her Godfather had left, when things seemed to hurt the most, and there was no way up. Their interactions were sparse, but years had filled the ledger almost to the end. Quinn was familiar with how the worked, with the magic soaked into the pages. While she’d never heard it, Quinn felt like her grandmother’s voice was hidden in the looped scrawl of her ledgers.

Quickly flipping through, she found that some sections were blurred out, as though the writing was there, but hidden behind a filter. The pages felt warm, hinting at worse if she tried to lift whatever spell kept them from her sight. Resolving herself against knowing all of Harper Fabray’s secrets, Quinn turned to the beginning once more. A small flame of excitement flickered to life somewhere in her chest, and a grin spread across her face. Jenna’s tail twitched in interest, paws shifting against the carpets in response to Quinn’s mood.

September 23rd, 2017

“October 3rd, 1967: Yale is a storybook in Autumn. The leaves have turned contrasting shades of orange, yellow, and red. Sidewalks are adorned in bright colors, shiny with rain. I wish I could take you, my dear Russell. I do hope you’re doing well with your uncle. They’ve taken quite an interest in you. They’ll have you running numbers from dusk ‘til dawn, but my son, do not forget the sun, your swing set and the little wooden sword you made from birch, do not forget me. I’ll bring you a book back from Yale: something 'with pictures’ you said, yes?”

Yale wasn’t quite the way her grandmother had described it. The leaves were just beginning to turn, but they had not yet fallen, and a bright sun beat cool light onto dry sidewalks. Quinn wonders if her grandmother had walked those paths. If she’d taken the same route to the library, cutting through old brick buildings, past well-manicured lawns, dodging students absorbed in their texts. It was so long ago, she wonders how much it had changed.

The library itself was grand, sweeping views leading the eye down floors and floors of books. Somewhere deep inside the rare books section was buried, and Quinn barely paused as she made her way through, a pass clenched tightly in her hands. Her grandmothers decimal number was burning a hole through the pocket in her sundress, and she wondered why she’d even brought it. The number was emblazoned in her mind, she’d likely never forget it again, even long after she’d discovered exactly what it meant. Her footsteps only faltered through the literature section, her eyes catching on ‘Austen.’

Everything smelled like old books, dusty paper, and ink. Beinecke was quiet and still, her footsteps echoing off of the protective glass. It was clean, techs handling books and manuscripts with gloves, holding them out as though they were bombs, ready to burst with a simple draft. A tech shook his head gently, when Quinn asked about outdated listing systems. “Manuscripts are brought in and transferred out all the time. Sorry, can’t help ya there. Is there anything else you need?”

October 4th, 2017

“December 12th, 1968: Dearest Regina Isolde Anderson, I have finally arrived in Venice. It’s colder here, and the cobblestone is dusted in frost. St. Mark’s has proven to be an excellent suggestion, but I expected no less of someone as savvy as you. I’ll be spending a few days here, the corner cafes are exceptional, and I’d rather I never had to leave. I’ll be brief, as I’ve said this many a time in the past year, but thank you for your support. In light of recent events, this trip has been something of a necessity for me, one that has been made possible through the care and support of friends and family. I shall be back before too long, do keep me up to date on the happenings with the UMC.”

It looked like a church. Quinn’s heels click clicked against the stone floors, and her wide eyes caught on every arch, every contrast in the stone, every globe, railing, and leather bound book. Light filtered in through windowed walls, and she had to resist the urge to run her hands along the spines of each book as she walked by. If Quinn had ever dreamt of traveling, if she’d ever sat down and thought about where she would go, what she would do, this library would feature every single time.

Too many days were spent in Venice, even after she’d rifled through every possible answer it had to offer. She wore her hair in curled up-dos, gloved hands wrapping silken scarves around her neck, sunglasses shading out the bright but cool sunlight. Days were spent in corner cafes, just as Harper had done so many years before. When she left, she was no closer to an answer, but she felt lighter, and closer to her grandmother than she ever had before.

October 12th, 2017

“June 26th, 1974: Daniel Fabray, I’ve found myself lost. Please, do not be alarmed. There’s no need to send for me, it is in..

I am in St. Galen, Switzerland. It’s so different here, than it is in New York. It’s different in ways that feel more like home than New York ever has. You see, Daniel, I’m lost of mind. I’ve found myself surrounded by books, so full on information that I should be content. But there’s no way for me to voice it. What good is knowing what I know, if I can’t use it? You know better than anyone, dearest brother. You know what this means. We’re capable of so much, you and I. What we can do is beautiful, grand. I remember how it felt, how wonderful and quiet and peaceful it could be. Now I’ve seen so much more, inked into ancient pages. The words sound so beautiful in my  head, Daniel. But I’ll never know what they feel like, will I?

My apologies, I’m simply missing home.”

There was something darker about the cobblestone streets of St. Galen. The ground was uneven beneath her feet, stones wet from a recent rain were painted in the golden light of the streetlights. It was just cold enough to warrant a coat, which was drawn close against her chin, a scarf covering her mouth and nose. Most people passed by her with their heads turned down, unconcerned with another lost tourist.

She’d spent hours in St. Galen, most of which running over Harper’s words over and again. It hurt, somehow, even years later. She wondered if her grandmother had ever learned what those words felt like. There was a difference, she knew, between reading a spell, and saying it. Enochian felt different. It wasn’t just conveying a point, it wasn’t just another way to say ‘hello.’ She knew that, even before Harper’s cryptic note, even before her journey around the world.

She knew that, when she stood outside St. Patricks, asking the doors to open and feeling empty instead.

There was a book, tucked away in Abbey Library of St. Gall. It was old, the pages dusty. It wasn’t it, Quinn knew, but it was more than she’d had before she began her journey. She’d pulled out an empty notebook, whispering a quiet << Transfer >> and stepping back. The words inked themselves into the empty pages, her circle hovering above them, spinning slowly.

She’d tucked the book back where she found it with a sigh, fingers lingering over the spine.

“June 27th, 1974: Dearest Sister, Please come home.

I’ll be back soon; I’ve only one more stop. Please give Russell my love.”

October 25th, 2017

“September 19th, 1974: Daniel Fabray, I have found it! Daniel, I do believe Father was expecting me. I asked for their records, and he simply smiled. This text is beautiful, but it is old. You wouldn’t believe the kind of magic it proposes. It’s everything that I’ve ever wanted. It’s what I would have made of myself, had I still...

There is no use dwelling. I will record what I can, and return home as soon as I’ve had my fill of Poland. Father has expressed interest in visiting New York, perhaps I’ll bring a visitor. I’ll see you before too long, dear brother.”

Quinn traced the words over and again. Poland. She couldn’t help but wonder what she was truly looking for, when she stepped through an obscure portal in Kraków. There was still a number in her pocket, but...Quinn knew who her grandmother was talking about, she was sure of it. She knew he had bushy grey eyebrows, and a kind smile. His accent was strong, but his voice was gentle. He spoke with a slow patience that settled her, even when all she wanted to do was scream and cry. She could still hear his quiet “You are loved, Lucy.”

When she walked through the doors of the Parish of St. John, she was looking for him.

But the pastor was young, and he spoke very little english. Quinn quelled her disappointment with a sharp breath, fists clenched at her side. She offered a smile and inquired about their records. He smiled, as though he’d been waiting for her.

They made their way down a set of stone steps, leaving the grand architecture behind, replaced by plain cement walls. The air was dry, and it smelled of paper. Flickering lights illuminated rows of books, each with a number written in crooked ink at the bottom of the spine.

When she found hers, it had two angel wings imprinted into the bottom right corner.