MILLS, seraphina delphyne

[Sera Mills]

I go by (dark), and my time zone is (central). I found this site by (caution). You can contact me (AIM & PM).

`time to figure, time to sin
your time is done when you begin*

NAME:

Moerae Reeves Moerae Hale Moerae Baker Evangelina Connor Seraphina Delphyne Mills
Commonly known as Sera Mills.
Nicknames; Sera, Era, Delphi, Miss Mills, and Moe.

AGE:

Her soul is 3,193, but physically she is 27.

GENDER:

Female.

SEXUALITY:

Straight, but at the same time bicurious.

SPECIES:

Human Angel.

NATIONALITY:

Greek, but passport says American.

OCCUPATION:

Owner of a small chain of Cafe's called Alicia's Haven and witch.

`live for suffer, live for revenge
know your life comes to an end*

APPEARANCE:

Standing at five and half feet tall, Sera is by no means a model. That's not to say she's terribly short, just that she isn't tall enough to be imposing or frightening based on that. Her body type is slim at best with womanly curves here and there to accentuate her femininity. Her hair is long, reaching about the middle of her back when straightened out completely. At times it has a lovely loose waves to it. In color her hair is often compared to deep oak brown. Rarely does she do more than style it and leave it down. It's her go to style, but some of the time she wears it up as well. Her eyes are blue like the ocean on a clear, sunny day. Light blue and quite lovely. She's no princess, so no her skin is not white as snow. In fact, her skin is a gold brown color, as a just tanned model to be exact. It isn't from hours of care, honestly her skin is naturally that color. She's just lucky like that.

Sera is a stylish girl, but in reality she simply follows her moods and what feels right. Most days she looks lovely and professional. As to be expected from the CEO of a small cafe chain. Though she's also very too herself, so there are also times where she dresses kind of wacky and others where she appears almost depressed. It's in the moment. One day she'll look like a prim and proper business woman, but then the next day looks like a punk, teenager. It entirely depends on her mood and plans for the day.

The first unnatural blemish upon her skin is a scar that has followed her through into her rebirth. It's the sword wound that ultimately ended her human life. It's no longer large or ugly, but a regular, run-of-the-mill slightly darker patch of skin over her heart and on the middle of her back. Later years, Sera got into the phase of adding beauty to her personal temple, to her body. It was a form of worship to the gods, or at least that's what Sera took away from it. Her first tattoo was a verse that helped her cope with life throughout her second round of adolescence. The tattoo was on her upper left back. The second tattoo was more towards herself and her ability to pull through. It was a skin colored tattoo on her right wrist an infinity symbol with love written through it. On a whim, she got a tattoo with a few church friends as a way to remember one another. The tattoo was a musical heart over her right ring finger. And for herself, she got a cross ring tattooed onto her left middle finger.

CELEB CLAIM:

Miranda Kerr.

`taste the blood, taste your fate
swallow your pride with your hate*

PERSONALITY:

Introvert | Sera has always been the quiet type. She's prone to observation, fits of brooding, and a wild need to be alone with her own thoughts. This does not stem from a lack of a desire for companionship. No, if anything, she yearns for others, but it is not her source of energy. She rejuvinates herself by quiet time on her own, doing things that bring her internal peace. She enjoys pondering the philosophical meanings behind things, the hidden agenda's of others, and especially enjoys disecting herself. All of these things can not be done outside of herself. Not without the fear of judgement.

Sensitive | While she puts forth a front of understanding and not being easily hurt, each word, critizism, unintended stab at her personality cuts her deeper than she lets on. So, later, when she's alone and safe, she will pick apart her feelings, brood over the hurt, and come to conclusions that soothe herself. She wears a mask of strength and wholeness for the world to see, but in the sactuary of her home, she's soft, weak, and loud. Her home is her sactuary, her haven to be childish, crazy, loud, and appear however she wants to be. Thus why time alone is required. Especially if she intends to bring forth an idea to the public eye, which could simply be telling a close friend of it.

Thoughtful | In a sense, no action Sera does isn't without thoroughly thought and planning. At times, she leads others into believing that it was a whim, a spur of the moment kindness. Truth be told, it never is. She could seemingly at random help at the homeless shelter, but in reality, she's compensated her schedule for days to allow for this sensible kindness to happen. That spur of the moment gift that sent you? She's painstakingly planned that for weeks, making sure the gift is just what you wanted, the card is perfectly worded, and no a piece of tape holding the perfectly cut paper is out of place. Along with this, no choice is done without well thought out details. If she comes up with an idea for a new drink combination, she goes through days of thought and testing before she introduces it to her staff at her cafe's. Or if she thinks a combination of clothes may look good, she obsesses over it for hours before showing it to a close, trusted friend for their opinion. Only with her friend's full support will she leave her home in this new outfit combination. Everything she does is methodically planned out down to the very minor details.

Kind | While no action she does is without planning and thought, Sera is kind. She makes time in her schedule for people, often gives to the poor, and is without a doubt out for the betterment of society. Alicia's Haven is widely known for being a charitable organization. Sera is a known as a frequent to most local and world-wide charity organizations. In other words, methodical as she is, she is a giving and kind person. She would likely over all the cash on her person to a homeless person, pay for the next person in line for food, or have a day of free samples at her shop for anyone. She is an angel afterall.

Fun | While she gain energy from being alone, Sera thrives in social situations. That isn't to say she's the life of the party, but by no means does she stay off in the backdrops either. She finds people with alike interests to herself or who look lonely and chats with them about whatever topic seems good. Want to talk about the newest movie? Sure, saw all the previews and am dying to see it. The newest video game? Looks great! The graphics, the story, the characters, all seem top notch. New clothing line? Oh, yes, she loved that new pair of shoes and those dresses look beautiful, don't they? Television series? Love them! She's far from the center of attention, but she flits around getting conversation going or starting them to help the shier ones join talks. She's drink, she'll dance, and she may even get flirty enough to kiss someone, but she will not sleep around. She just won't, but aside from that, she's a fun loving girl who loves to party. To an extent of course. She is still an intervert who requires time to recharge after large, long parties.

LIKES:

tea, pastries, cookies, coffee, scones, fish and chips, swimming, dancing, music, autumn, building snow figures, snow angels, flying, reading, learning new things, words of the day, her apple cell phone, romance sim games, clothes, boots, trying out new styles, texting, playing video games, computers, running, sword play, sweets, going to the movies, archery, and window shopping

DISLIKES:

waiting in line, rude comments, negative media, large crowds, horror movies, lightning storms, being afraid, the memory of being killed, dolls, cruelty, pain, the idea of dying again, and burnt foods or drinks

SECRETS:

being an angel, remembering all of her previous lives (human life, in heaven, being a guardian angel for a time, and now her reborn life), her fear of the unknown/the darkness, and her extreme dislike of escalators

FEARS:

the unknown/darkness, enclosed spaces, lightning storms, large crowds, most things related to horror movies, and never finding her love

DREAMS:

for her cafe chain to be successful, to find Leonardo and rekindle their love, and to find Alicia or discover her fate

STRENGTHS:

well planned, detail oriented, well educated, good memory, kindhearted, logical, good with electronics, smart with money, a good eye for color patterns and good ideas, well controlled temper, good cook, very fast reader, multi-ligual (English, Greek, French, Spanish, German, and Russian), seamstress level skill in sewing, and very good at drawing

WEAKNESSES:

very sensitive to critizism or negativity, her fears, small children, easily taken in by flirtatious comments, a bit too trusting, too giving at times, too eager to help others, when she wishes to be alone she can come off as stuck up or rude, pride/inability to accept help from others if she does not see a need for it, and can get the common gestures or lingo mixed up between her previous lives and this one

`your last breath, your last stance
the last of all in your command*

HISTORY:

Early Life
Moerae Reeves was born a happy child. She was content with what she had nearly right away. Her parents were not poor, but they weren't terribly well off either. It was a good life. She was fed, clothed and well cared for. That's all a child of her time period could demand of her working parents. And so her life was good, but simple. There were no great strife’s to trouble her young mind, just the usual things. Her mother expected great things from her, while her father expected more. Her father was from a line of mostly daughters being born, so it was of no surprise when he was given a daughter himself. He wished for a son, but it was a fact of his life. He knew it was possible. He prayed to the gods otherwise, but a daughter was all he received.

Aside from this disappointment early on, Moerae was still happy. She worked her tail-end off to meet the expectations set before her, but knew without trying that she could never be what her father wanted. She was not a boy. She would never be a boy. It was known that she could not become a boy, but it was also known that she picked up trainings and work that boys would do. She learned to handle a sword, shoot a bow, and fight quite well. Her father was not displeased, but he showed little of this. He was not an outward sort of man. He never had been. Moerae knew this, and accepted the little ticks that what she did pleased him.

All the while through her training to be a little warrior, she was also learning to read, write, sew, cook, and tend to the womanly chores of life. Her mother expected a great deal from her only child. Moerae had much to live up to, but this pleased her more than overwhelmed her. It gave her a great of time to herself. It was time to think, process, and perfect activities before she willingly presented anything to her parents. Though it was stressful and a lot to take on, she did her best in everything set before her. Meeting most expectations the first time. Failure was unacceptable, and she strove to never fail.

Years passed, adolescence came, but she did not change much. Aside from the gift of her womanhood, she did not change her mind on anything she was doing. The biggest change was that she had the possibility of being courted. Nearly right away, her parents found a worthy suitor and the courting began. It was a yearlong affair, but it was plenty of time for Moerae to get to know Leonardo. Plenty of time to decide that he was the one for her.

Leonardo was much like her own father in the fact that he was not very outward with his feelings. He said what he meant or he expected his emotions to be understood without words. Moerae had years of practice to know what he meant, so there were few blunders between the two. She knew when his body language meant he was happy versus uncomfortable. When she said something pleasing, he set his jaw in a certain way, shifted a certain way, and he seemed more relaxed. There were little signs for everything he felt, and she marveled at being the only one to understand him. Her own mother was at a loss with him, but she grew to love him anyway. He loved her and that was enough for her. Even if he said it only a few times throughout their entire joining, it was enough.

Marriage and Death
Married life suited Moerae. She loved caring for her husband, loved tending to the home, and loved cooking. Every activity seemed to bring her joy. Her husband was a constant and she ever grew to love him. Especially during her pregnancy. He was a sweet man, no matter how little he showed it. She knew he loved her. The little kind things he did proved it. Fetching the water for her, though they both knew she could still do it. Little things, always the little things.

Alicia's birth was a happy affair, but at the same time, it was not. Leonardo, like her own father, had hoped for a son, but unlike her father, he did not expect a daughter. Leonardo wanted a son and was disappointed that his child was not a boy. Moerae knew this was not directed at either her or Alicia, but still, it did hurt. Still, he loved Alicia like any father should, and Moerae knew there was no call for concern. He loved her, she knew this because of the little things. He helped her, gave her things, and cared for her. Though he was distant and expressed little, Moerae knew. Beyond the disappointment of not having a son, he did love his daughter greatly. She was his child.

The two did try, for many months for a second child, but it would seem her body would not have it. At first, Moerae felt at fault and mourned for her failure. She was certain Leonardo would grow to resent her, but after days of this feeling overshadowing her, she was reminded of her husband's love. Though it was known that she would not come to be with child, he still made love to her, still helped her with small things, and still sought her company. He still loved her though she was unable to bare him any other children. Moerae returned to the knowledge that he loved her anyway, and she was joyful once more.

Alicia was ever trying to please her father, no matter how Moerae told her it was not a goal she had to meet. She was strong, brave, and perfect as she was. Still the girl tried to be a strong warrior. Moerae did not fault her in this. Her own mother had taught her that being a woman did not bar you from being attacked. A man with a sword saw a person, regardless of gender, and he would slay you. It did not surprise Moerae to catch Alicia trying to us a sword, but still she stopped her. The blade was far too heavy for her. Scolding the girl, Moerae stored away the thought to speak to her husband about getting a lighter blade at some point for Alicia. Upon telling Leonardo of the events, he was not patient, but went into a rage over it. He yelled at Alicia. While Moerae saw the possibility for the girl to learn, she also knew contradicting her husband was not her place.

That night, she spoke to him. Helped him see his harshness, and they agreed that Alicia could use a lighter sword to learn to fight. It would help in case of war in the future. Leonardo agreed to speak with Alicia the following day. It was set. The following day, he spoke at length with the girl and took her horseback riding. It was kind. Moerae stayed back to prepare dinner, but it was during this time that everything went wrong.

At first it seemed as though it was merely her husband returning, but then more male voices were heard. Weapon near where the men were, Moerae took the only option available to her and hid herself away. She listened as the men searched for her, but remained in her hiding place. It wasn't until she heard her husband's voice that she made any sort of noise. Hearing his voice calling out to her, she exited and went to exit towards his voice. She had hoped to get to his side before the men took notice. Sadly, it was not to be so. A man was near her hiding place and grabbed her by the hair before she could get far. Jerking her back, Moerae gave a yell of fright. Just as her husband entered the room, Moerae felt a blade slice through her and was tossed to the floor. Bleeding, Moerae slowly faded from life all the while watching her husband fight off those men.

An Angel
Next Moerae knew she was being called to by a very beautiful woman. There was light all around and without really thinking about it, she knew she'd died. She'd passed out and now resided with the gods. Was this woman a god? Pythia explained that she was not a god, but an angel. She served the god, the main one. Though some of the more powerful angels think themselves gods and some seem like gods, she thought there to be only one real god. Moerae absorbed this, but held to the idea that there had to be more than one. It didn't seem logical for only one to create so much. Pythia told her that now she was an angel and had to be taught how to fly, fight, and take care of others.

There was so much to learn. Especially for Moerae, who was like a hatchling bird with her wings. They were a part of her body, but it was all very foreign to her. If she didn't think about it too much, then the wings didn't feel so outside of herself. But as soon as she thought, which was often, she'd stumble and struggle with her extra limbs. It took her days of practice and falling for her body to adjust to the extra weight. And weeks more for her to be able to fly without extreme concentration. Pythia had to often remind her that no angel was trained the same. Some took years to learn everything, while others took months. She was doing averagely well, which should be something to be proud of. Moerae was not proud, in fact she felt slow in her achievements. It irked her, and she pushed herself to meet some unknown expectations.

A couple of months’ worth of work had her flying effortlessly, running without bindings holding her wings, and holding her own in fencing matches with Pythia. It was all hard work, but there was a great deal more to come. While the physical training continued, there was also advancements in her intellect that had to happen. She had to learn customs, languages, and other histories to really fit into societies. If she took up the calling to become a guardian angel, she had to be able to fit into society. In whatever capacity that she felt was needed.

For the next one-hundred years she was taught and trained to fit into different societies, to fight in most any situation, and given the tools to life amongst humanity. There were aspects of Pythia that rubbed off on Moerae. Her methodical manner of handling situations and people, her perfectionist nature, and her critical view of the world. It wasn’t near as negative or obsessive as Pythia herself was, but pieces of it was instilled into her personality. A hundred years was more than enough time for her personality to alter and fit into the situation of living with Pythia. Though as a hundred years came to pass, her training came to a close and her first charge was born.

A Guardian’s first charge
It was a quick affair. One day she was training as per usual and the next she felt a near painful draw back to Earth. Pythia recognized the pull right away and went through the proper channels to get her placed where she needed to go. She had the proper papers, few belongings, and she was known as a nomad. There were a great many nomads traveling through those parts, some called her a gypsy. It didn’t matter her title, the important thing was to find her charge. The pull was like having a rope around her middle, constantly jerking her towards some unknown destination. It took her a few days, but when she met her first charge, she knew it. Meeting her charge was like re-meeting a long-lost child, she was familiar yet unknown.

The woman was of noble birth, but unlike her common folk in the wealth, she did not horde her wealth. No, she cared for those less fortunate. Like a good samaritan of old. Her name was Seraphyne Crawe. Her family owned and ran a rather well-to-do fishing harbor. All the profits had to be paid through her father, as per the ability to fish there. Basically, if you fished on the Crawe harbor or the surrounding waters then you had to pay a fee and your catch had to be marked in with the workers. If you caught a great deal for personal use, then a portion of your catch would go to the family. This was then sold out to the other wealthy people. It was a business. Seraphyne just saw a different path that could be taken, a way to benefit more people than just the rich.

She was a good soul. Moerae’s job was not to tell her of heaven or take her under her wing in anyway. No, she was a good soul doing the gods’ work, and it was known that there were those who wished to do her harm. To deter her from her work helping those less fortunate. It was Moerae’s job to make sure her work did not end, so she was to safeguard the girl. This required that she get close to the rich, and to her charge. Upon meeting her, the other nobles thought her nobility, and in a way she was. The life that the angels instilled into her place, it made her thought to be a noble from far East. She never said where, and they did not ask. It was simply a matter of putting on a mask of pompous attitude and getting friendly with everyone. Especially Seraphyne.

It was a few years after her arrival that the attempt on Seraphyne’s life happened. It all happened so fast that Moerae had no time to think about anything except keeping her charge safe. The charge who’d become like a little sister to her. One moment they were in the garden having a bit of tea and cake, having an all-around good time. Then, all of the sudden, there were people running towards their garden. There were yells of Seraphyne’s death, swords drawn, and too close to her charge for Moerae. And she reacted. Without thought of the consequences to her companion or those around her, she let her wings burst forth and caused a bit of holy light to shock the incomers. That gave them pause, and in her fury she demanded that they leave her companion be, in the name and protection of the gods.

Some of them took off right away, fearing for their lives, but a few remained. They thought this was some sort of parlor show put on to scare them off. In a rush of movement, she was atop one of the would be killers with a hidden knife to his throat. With a glowing hand, she let the gods show the man what they wished. It would be a vision of the future she assumed, but she did not know exactly what the man saw. The vision was of what would be if they completed their goal; the riots, the mobs, the gangs, and ultimately the demise of a great many of the noble families. Seraphyne was pacifying the poor and making their lives better, which was good for all. After that, the man who had the vision had his people leave and word spread of Seraphyne’s good works being for the betterment of all. Few believed the tale of how soft, weak looking Moerae did anything like take down a man twice her size or that she was a servant of the gods. Few knew the truth, but Seraphyne knew. She knew and that was nice, but with her life no longer in grave danger, Moerae was not needed. So, after a cryptic goodbye and a hug, Moerae left. She already felt the pull towards her next charge.

Next Charge
Her next charge was located miles away and it took Moerae some time to get to her. She traveled by way of horse, which gave her a bit more appreciation for the lands of the planet. She’d seen so little of it that it was nice to leisurely travel towards her destination, admiring the many splendors of the lands around her. The plant life, the animals, the hills and mountains, everything was beautiful. The animal life left her be rather well. She didn’t know if that was thanks to her species or not, but she liked to think they accepted her presence as no threat to them. She enjoyed the months it took her to arrive to the home of her next charge. It was soothing and a good experience. Her next charge lived in a small town in England, and getting to her was a simple thing. It was gaining her trust that was a hard thing to do.

Her name was Alexandra Worthington, a woman of noble birth disowned from her family of shifters for her whimsical views of the world. She joined a coven of Wiccan devotes and actively practiced witchcraft. She was strange, but all this was learned later on. Upon meeting her, she was guarded and hid away her real self to the mask of what society accepted. She ran a small shop that sold herbs, crafts, and clothes she’d sewn together. It was a matter of getting a job with Alexandra, putting forth an interest for the Wiccan culture, and gaining the woman’s trust. It took years; a great of time was spent simply gaining her trust enough to learn about her as a person. By then, she figured out what it was she was sent to do for this young, un-trustful witch. Her life was not in danger like her previous charge, well, it was. Alexandra was going to die, but there was nothing that anyone could do. It was a matter of gaining her trust enough to help her through it and ease her into death.

In the meantime of gaining her trust and becoming close to her, Moerae also got into the coven itself and learned about magic. There were aspects of the Wiccan culture that spoke to Moerae, it fit into the world she knew. There was magic in everything around her, each plant had a use that could create a herbal remedy or poison or a ritual, an incantation could do anything from mortally wound a man to a basic change of appearance (like making herself appear like a man), and the ability to call forth energy from herself and her surroundings to spark pure energy. It was exhilarating to learn all there was to know. Even after she’d gained her charge’s trust and her death was coming soon, learning was a passion. Alexandra’s death was a blow, but the coven saw the truth of it, her purpose, and she was gifted with the rights to Alexandra’s Wiccan properties. It was mostly books; spell books, herbal books, history books, Wiccan books, and so on. There was also jewelry, clothes, and other such things that the coven felt she had more right to than they did. Moerae had become like a sister to Alexandra, who had no other Wiccan family. It just seemed right to them. There was also the matter of her will leaving all her belongings and all she loved to her sister in name, Moerae Hale. It was kind and a surprise, but Moerae swore she’d care for the stuff.

With Alexandra’s death and all her loose ends taken care of, Moerae had no pressing matters to take off and no charges pulling at her for help. So, she was free to live amongst the coven her deceased friend’s home. It was bitter-sweet, nice to have a stable home for a time and horrible because she was constantly reminded of Alexandra who was long gone. She spent the next ten or so years amongst the coven, learning and growing as a witch. It was a positive experience, power was gained, but by the end of it, she had to leave. People were beginning to question why she was not showing any sign of aging. Even amongst the coven there were people wondering. With the wondering, the witches also accused her of using the forbidden and dangerous magic to prolong her life. It was dark magic due its negative consequences to the environment and the other witches. Such magic could very well bring about a witch hunt. So, after a talk with the Wiccan leaders in the area about her special case, she was given leave to pack up her things and leave in peace.

And she left in peace, in a wagon, which basically served as her home on the road. She became a traveling healer. At first she simply went from town to town, only getting supplies when needed. She interacted with people as little as possible. It was a survival instinct given how her previously stable home ended. Eventually she encountered a robbery victim on the road and nursed him back to health. He was a nobleman, someone who the smugglers where he lived had an agenda against. He was very close to helping the police get all the names of the main ringleaders of the smugglers. It was all very exciting, Moerae was sure. Even though it seemed like a great deal of drama to involve herself, she refrained. She didn’t want to be part of society that much, so once he was returned to his city, she went on her way. He was grateful, he said.

Weeks later, a letter came to her through a young courier who rode a horse. The young lord she’d helped promised her future payment for her help. Basically, he was asking her to come through the area every so often to help his people and she’d be paid. It was a good deal, and she was still free to travel around as she pleased. It was a deal. The courier had no letter to return, just her agreement to help him. She didn’t fully trust any of them, but she promised to help and that once a month she’d come through the city. He would receive a list from her of who all she’d helped and he would pay her accordingly. It was a good deal, and overtime she grew to trust the man.

A Charge’s Affections
It was on one such visit through the city that her body gained the pull of a charge, which was bittersweet. She loved caring for a charge, but her life was one she enjoyed. It wasn’t until she found herself in their familiar meeting place that she realized her charge was someone she already knew. It was the nobleman she’d saved those few years ago. His name was Nathaniel Baker, and she was at a loss as to what he could need of her. On a whim, or so he seemed to think, she decided to stay with him. He was a widower by this point, something she didn’t know about. His wife had been killed by smugglers in a robbery, which is what put him on the path of vengeance. So, it appeared only right for her to stay with him. People had been gossiping that he was courting the outsider this whole time, so her moving in was only a confirmation for them. Moerae didn’t see it that way. Or she didn’t at first. After less than a month of living with him, her feelings made themselves known. He was hard to ignore when they spent so much time together. It was hard to ignore her desire to be close to him.

Perhaps she hadn’t hid her feelings well enough or maybe he had feelings for him as well. Either way, after a week of her feelings being known to her, he made a move on her. It was nothing glamorous. He didn’t propose, didn’t jump her bones, no, he just told her. It was like something had broken inside him, some wall holding him back. All she’d been doing was laughing at something he’d said, fawning over how funny he was, and trying to hide her own desires for him. That’s when he said he couldn’t hide it anymore; he needed her to know his feelings. Her eyes widened, her heart gave pause, but her expression lightened of its own accord. She was happy about this, but she didn’t know how to explain her life to him. There was no way of knowing how long she’d be able to remain with him, no telling where her next charge would be.

It was not nearly as hard as she’d thought to explain to him. He was a hybrid, and his parents had taught him a bit about most every major species. That explanation included angels, so he knew about the guardian angels, and he understood to a degree her need. He hoped that he would get time with her, but he would understand if not. He was in love with her, not in need to own her. Whatever time she could give to him, he would be thoroughly happy with. Moerae was happy about this, and just like that, their love was joined. They consummated their love on their wedding night some weeks later. A small affair, but it was happy. Life was good, simple for a few years.

After a few years of marriage, no clear purpose for him being her charge other than a protective pull towards him, Moerae was faced with a problem. The day had been normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Nathaniel was meeting with a police constable in the parlor, talking about what he had on the smugglers. The years had put him in good standing, and he’d found out where the main base of operations was located. It was just a matter of getting the information to the police and busting them. Moerae was making sandwiches and tea when she heard a thumb in the parlor. Blinking in surprise, she thought herself overreacting, but still she grabbed a large knife and silently made her way to the room. Peaking in, what she found left her frozen for a moment. The constable was wiping his bloody hands on Nathaniel’s handkerchief and talking to the dead body of Nathaniel. He’d killed him. That was all Moerae needed to hear, and she was across the room, wings out, and knife sunk into the man’s shoulder. Chanting as he struggled to bear with the pain. Her spell had him bound before he fully processed what happened. It was like he was tied down, that’s what the spell did.

Hours later, she had him physically tied down, hit him over the head with a pan, dropped the knife, and went about setting up the scene so it looked less like she was a warrior. She was a panicked wife, coming upon someone having killed her husband and was now sobbing her eyes out. Getting the law enforcements there was a simple task, and no one batted an eye at her traumatized wife act. She was a little woman who narrowly escaped being murdered by a dirty constable. The police thought it was a miracle, a great thing, but Moerae knew better. She’d been sent to protect Nathaniel from dirty police like that man, and she’d failed. Her first failure in a long time. So, for the first time in a few years, she sold what she could not take and packed up for travel. She was a traveling healer once more.

Life goes on…
In her 150th year of existing, Moerae was not actively part of any society. She simply traveled through areas without any real connection to any of them. It was years and years of just traveling blindly through countries, provinces, cities, towns, villages, farms, and any other area open for her to travel without question. If she stopped and counted it, it was likely to be nearly 500 years of simply traveling about, helping people, collecting trinkets and herbs, and seeing the world. No one questioned her. She was a nomad. She was a woman in a horse drawn wagon traveling without a destination through the Eurasian countries. There were some countries she took a fancy to and visited enough to learn the language. It took months of learning surrounded by the language, but worth it. Or so she believed. Some knew her as The Healer, but it was only in areas that she visited often. It was a good existence, but nearing her 650th birthday, Pythia appeared.

It was nothing major. Moerae wasn’t in trouble or anything of the sort. No, she was actually being offered a different sort of opportunity. There were many young angels who needed to be taught and helped through their adolescence years. It could apparently be very trying years for an angel who’d passed on from the living world. Moerae didn’t really understand, but then she herself had never been terribly difficult to appease as a teen. There were those she knew who were very difficult to handle. She would be going from a guardian to simply helping with the angel young. She’d be given a few young angels to care for until she deemed them prepared for life, in whatever position they were chosen for. Each angel was chosen for a position purely based on their abilities and what they excelled in. Moerae didn’t know what she’d done or not done to deserve this, but she chose to see it as a learning experience. Not a punishment, though Pythia seemed to believe it was the latter.

There were things to be taken care of before she flitted off back to heaven and took up a new position. While she’d not been given a choice about her belongings in her human life after death, this was different. She had to make sure the gifts and things she’d come to care for were not. The books of spells, the ring from her marriage, and all of those things had to be kept safe. They were given to her, and she would prefer not to lose them. After some searching, she found a friend of Pythia’s who was willing to take her things. Pythia wouldn’t tell her much about this friend, only that she was willing to care of all of Moerae’s things without cost or need for repayment. At first, Moerae really wished to know who it was and why they were willing to help, but Pythia told her it was dangerous to find out. She told her that safe to say the person was not an angel, but some else. Something not good. Moerae left the topic alone after that. Pythia seemed genuine in her desire to keep the identity under wraps.

Arriving back in heaven was a bit different than her first arrival. The blinding light was somewhat average, and she recognized the warmth that filled the air. The heavens were a good place, simple as that. Coming to the residences of her charges, she was introduced to them by a rather sour looking angel. It was a contradiction since most angels that Moerae had met were quite happy with their lives. This angel seemed unhappy about something. Not bothering to learn this, Moerae focused instead on her three new charges. Two girls and a boy made up her charges. Millie Okin, Akai Mino, and Marcus Benai were their names. Millie was the youngest at seven and she seemed very serious. Akai was eleven and was too energetic, but still positive. Marcus was happy, warm, but seemed to need reassurance more at his age of twelve. There was no histories given, that was up to them if they wanted to share that. Moerae was unsure how all of this would pan out. She’d focus on teaching them what she could about the world and things they need to know.

Marcus was the oldest by a year in the living world, but it made no different in the afterlife. Due to the transition between the two species and everything, it would take at least a thousand years for Millie to reach maturity, less for the other two. It was how things worked, or so Moerae was told. It was why many of the caretakers in heaven were so very sour. They had years of work to strive towards before their charges could be deemed well trained enough to complete jobs of their own. It sounded very tiring, but Moerae was willing to give it a shot.

Millie was as she’d originally thought very serious at her young age of seven. Much more serious than Moerae thought it possible for a child to be. Nothing seemed to bring a smile the little one’s face. She did not talk about her past without it being a very negative example. She did not actively want to join the others in play or anything of the sort. She spent time alone or if need be she’d spend it with Moerae herself. She loved to learn, or so Moerae thought by her incessant need to know everything. Something about the child seemed to ring wrong with Moerae. Something was off about the child. Still, she was patient, taught her all she could, and hoped that one day she’d trust in her enough to share her story. Perhaps even become less sour.

For every ounce of seriousness in Millie there was equal amount of joy and energy in Akai. The child could not be deterred or dampened. There was little that could make her lose her smile. Her story was shared in front of the other two without any shyness. She came from a good family, happy childhood, and died in a house fire. She doesn’t know how it was caused, but she died her parents’ arms. It was not a great way to go, but she felt not negative feelings about it either. She was happy. Always happy, really. Moerae had no problem with this child. She learned everything like a dying sponge, taking it in as if it were her last drop of learning.

Marcus was not serious, but his joy and energy waned quickly enough. He distrusted others, and it took some time before he imparted his story to Moerae. He was bad luck as a human, constantly treated badly, and ended up being killed because of a bout of bad luck putting him in the wrong place. Moerae didn’t really know what that entailed, but he seemed so genuine that she didn’t push too hard for more information. After he shared his story with her, he became very attached to her. She favored him for reasons unknown to her. Maybe because he was the son she’d always wanted or maybe because he was so soft. His luck did not follow him in death, but still he feared others treating him badly. It was a very difficult thing to teach him out of. Even as an adult he was very watchful of others.

The Betrayal
Just into adulthood, her charges were just beginning to have it figured out what their jobs would be. Life was just starting to fall into place for them. Everything was going to go well from there, Moerae was sure of that. That’s when something went terribly wrong. Millie had always been terribly sour, but she wasn’t the only angel who saw the world through slightly darker glasses. She wasn’t perfect, no one was. Though there was a limit to the grace and attacking your guardian and surrogate mother was not the way. There was no coming back from that, especially not straight up killing a couple of younger angels.

It had been an average day; Moerae had just finished having tea with Marcus about his latest job well done. He was being tested to see if guardian was good job for him. Akai and Millie were to be caretakers just like she was. It was all very exciting. Moerae was cleaning up the tea when Millie came in. Moerae was not stupid; she heard and felt the other angel enter. She turned when she felt the younger angel come close more quickly and with a heat behind it that Moerae knew. Leaping out of the way, Moerae was confused, hurt, and angry at her charge for lashing out. The younger angel had blood on her hands, her wings were dark, and it was apparent what was happening. She was doing evil, corrupting her own power. She had to be banished, sent to either Earth or Hell. Chanting a well-known spell, Moerae watched her child stiffen and crumple to the ground. Much like she’d done with the dirty constable all those years ago, she had a binding spell on her charge. It would keep her in place for a while at the least.

The binding spell held long enough for others to come and judgement to be passed on her child. Millie was judged harshly because she’d killed all three of her charges. It seemed like a nightmare in real life, Moerae didn’t know where she’d gone wrong. What had she done so wrong? Her testimony confirmed some theories amongst those in charge. It was a disease of the soul that was easy to miss, but a caretaker would feel it after years with the child. It was something that no one had taught her due to its rarity. Not her fault, they said, but Moerae felt the blame all the same. If she’d brought the issue up with her superiors then maybe those children under Millie’s care would still live. Now their souls were lost for the next thousand years.

Millie was executed and her soul was lost in the hopes that the disease would be cleansed from her spirit. There was no exact way to do such a thing. There was only an act and a hope that it would work out for the best. Marcus cared for Moerae during her dark time during and after the execution. It was hard on everyone, but especially hard on her second family. Even Akai couldn’t hold her smile during her sister’s death. It was a very dark time. Though having her family close gave Moerae some closure and comfort. Marcus stayed by her side for some months after, but eventually even he had to go. There were people out there who needed him, Moerae understood. She always understood.

Solitude
Losing Millie had done something to Moerae. There was just something different about her, she’d grown darker. She trusted less, watched more, and was much more methodical about how she handled everything. Instead of staying in heaven to mourn, she made a request to join in on the battles going on down on Earth. She would fight in wars, be a silent help to the side that was good. There were hundreds of battles, both large scale and between thirty or so people; she partook in all of them. Any of the battles where she could remain a speck in the crowd, she helped. If it was duel or a small dispute then she kept on the sidelines, but she found in many battles. It was therapeutic in a way she’d not felt in a very long time. Holding a sword again was the most amazing thing to her, and using a bow was like stretching a long dormant muscle.

Nothing satisfied her need to help in battles. She felt like a vengeful spirit trying to gain some sort of salve through the battles that she no more belonged to than a rat amongst cats. It was maddening, but it was soothing for her soul. Some part of her knew it was a vain attempt to regain some piece of herself lost in her original death. Another part knew it was some sort of gain from her failure as a mother to Millie. Somehow helping in all the battles would help her get past the unknown things she didn’t see or fix when she raised the girl. There had to have been something she could’ve done. Something she could’ve seen or said to fix everything before it had been too late.

There were wars over land, resources, and over morals. All those things seemed very important to someone, or some group of people. More often than not, Moerae held no desire for any of it when she first joined in, but as the battles went on, she gained a reason. There were people who loved the land, those who would die without the resources, and others still who held those morals sacred against those who sought to destroy them. There were hundreds of reasons that pointed to the right side, and by the end of the battles she nearly always felt justified in the side she joined. Sometimes there were fights that were lost, but eventually things usually worked out for the best. Was the best always what Moerae wanted to happen? No, but it worked out best for the survivors.

It was 1,300 years later, many battles fought in, that Moerae returned to heaven with a worn heart. She’d seen so much, experienced more, and felt more whole than she’d felt in such a long time. She had no idea what was fulfilled after so much war and fighting, but she felt less drive to fight in battles she had no stake in. Her heart didn’t ache for some matter she could never have controlled. She didn’t feel her failures as heavily as she previously did. Her problems seemed so small in retrospect to the rest of the world around her. There were more than just personal and home problems to contend with. There were people who had worse lives, and she was more aware of that now. Much more aware. Pythia was there, waiting to greet her when she arrived.

A different life
Pythia looked at peace with life, clearly glowed with a certain power that Moerae had never seen before. In the more powerful angels, yes, she’d seen it there. Even in some of the angels claiming to be gods, that power radiated off them as well. But never before had she’d seen such a power in her longtime friend before. What had she done to gain such a power? Moerae asked what had happened, what changed, and what that meant. Pythia just smiled and said that her challenges had been passed. The changes didn’t make her any different, just harder to beat than before. It was a simple sort of thing. The power didn’t change her outlook and it didn’t make her think she was more than an angel. Pythia was still herself. That was a relief. It would thoroughly complicate life if Pythia became a claimed god as well. Moerae wasn’t sure how she’d feel about that.

It almost seemed like a whim, but a desire to be near loved ones had her following Marcus onto Earth. She wanted to see where he primarily spent his time. He, like her, had helped with the American Revolution, but his cause had been born out of being charged with the protection of some important person. Marcus felt it wrong to go into details, even with her, but she understood. She didn’t share about her charges with him either, but it was nice to know other angels had been in those trenches with her. Even if it had only been a few angels.

As she explored the areas, constantly returning to Marcus as her anchor, Moerae was thoroughly enthralled by the lands. They were vast, beautiful, and greatly underdeveloped. Like a whole new world open for discovery, and she loved exploring it all. This left her on her own or in only the company of animals for a great deal amount of her time. She didn’t mind though, traveling was becoming a passion of hers. Seeing this new world like a grand adventure. Sadly, though, as she was exploring a great expanse of hills, she felt a pull she knew well enough. It pulled her for many miles, and there were times where she wondered if it pulled her across the seas. She hoped not. She had belongings with her that she’d hate to have to leave with Marcus. Not that she didn’t trust him entirely with them, just that it was a burden she felt unnecessarily placed on him if she did. So, it was a blessing when she realized it was in a city harbor near the ocean, not across the ocean.

Though it was not across the ocean, it was far. And it was not what she’d thought it would be. Her charge was a soul she recognized. It was Nathaniel Baker, but he was reborn as something else. His death had been gruesome, angry, and cruel. She understood if he died with a bit of anger. Hell, she’d felt righteous fury at his death. Though, she did not blame him, her target was a demon. A demon who’d been feeding off of the evil in humans, driving them mad, and then taking their lives. Nathaniel was not the man she remembered. He was a twisted demon of justice, like vengeance, but without a just cause. He killed all who had evil in them, which for humans was especially hard. Evil as he was, it pulled at Moerae’s heart strings. This was the soul she’d loved, and now she had to kill him.

She couldn’t do it right away. She stalked her prey from afar for days, trying to find some evidence that he didn’t deserve this fate. Some sliver of the man she knew, of the love for her he’d had, but after a month of stalking him, there was nothing. He was twisted, he saw evil everywhere, and he was entirely consumed by his goal of “purifying the world”. He was out to rid the entire world of evil, which would result in all human life being killed. Everything would be gone, save the animal and plant life. Evangelina could not let that happen. So, she had to act. No matter how much she wanted to keep him alive, find the man she loved, and reunite, she could not. He was dangerous and had to die.

So, luring him away with talk of a desire to act impurely, and when he came, she attacked. It was not a simple thing, he was stronger than any she’d fought before. He was a demon, strong and committed to his cause. He did not go down without a fight. Neither did she, though. She threw every spell she had at him, and in the end, her magic was too much. Tears streaming down her face, she took the killing blow and his soul was lost. She hoped he would be reborn in a more pleasant way after years of cleansing, but it was just a hope. Nothing was certain.

Exploring soothed her dampened spirit, so she traveled alone for some time. She was trying to get over the loss she felt once again. As if it hadn’t been enough to lose Nathaniel once, but twice was almost more than she could deal with. So, she sought solitude once again. She slept in the woods, worked on her craft, and spent most of her time in complete silence. Nothing made her feel better more than long hours alone, to think, feel, and vent without the strain of other people. Though, after some years of this, Moerae felt a draw to visit her family, so she returned to where Marcus lived. And she took up residence in a small-ish house to find closure.

After settling back into a home amongst people, into her life, she was left with a desire for change. She’d always been Moerae, and it seemed like it was the last piece of her life that held her to her old ways. It seemed only right that she go through getting a new name for herself, something that didn’t hold her to people and places that were dead. Well, from what she was told from other angels out on jobs, Leonardo and her daughter still lived. She got whispers of what they were doing, tales of her husband remarrying, and clues of great deeds done by her family. It was enough to keep her from searching them out, which was just another reason she felt drawn to a change. A different name just seemed to fit her situation. After some discussion with other angels, Pythia, Marcus, and Akai, a name was chosen.

Moerae Baker was gone, lost in the battles and wars of Earth, and replaced by Evangelina Connor. The name was made of pieces of her new life, the bad and good things. It was comforting and it pulled her from the past and into the present. She liked the newness of the name, the pull towards new things and places. Just like that she felt like a new person. Perhaps it was silly, but not having his last name any longer helped with the sadness she felt towards his loss. Her focus shifted, she put forth her efforts towards helping people and healing. There was so much she had to offer people. So, for the next some odd years she focused on what she could do for people. Focused on the future.

Hunted
At first people didn’t treat her use of herbs and weird incantations to heal people any different than any other healers. Really, there was little difference, but when people started crying witchcraft, talking about the devil, and killing the witches, Evangelina knew she had to leave. Not having a moment to bid her family goodbye, she got her things and was out of there before anyone could point fingers at her. She had to. She had to run for days, get away from majority of the civilizations just in case they would name her a witch and kill her. It was crazy, but eventually she had to stop. Her pull was back and she had to go into a city. She didn’t know where she really was anymore, but there was a small town and her pull put her there.

The target this time was a person like her in one way. The person was a witch, but that was all the similarity there was. This person was using his magic to control people and using their blood as an agent in his magic. It was powerful, wicked powerful, but it was too much for Evangelina to take on alone. She didn’t know how powerful he’d be, but when he sent that killing spell at her, she realized too late. She barely made it out of there. Feigning dead was how she did it, but sending for Pythia was all she could do. Holed up in a cave, she tended to her own wounds as best she could and waited. It took hours for Pythia to come, but longer for an explanation to be had over what had happened.

Evangelina’s target was powerful, and according to Pythia there was only one good way to kill him. It was a stretch and few knew what the magic would do, but if Evangelina was prepared to use it, then Pythia would join her. Pythia did not know what would happen, she had theories and that was all. There was hope it would not kill them. It was possible, but it was hoped against. So, days later, when the two found him again, Pythia started her magic. While she worked her magic, Evangelina had to keep the witch occupied and focused on her, not Pythia. If anything she had to make sure he didn’t notice her.

The battle was long, spells were taken on both sides and at some points, Evangelina wondered if she would even survive it all. She was bleeding from her side and shoulder, but he was bleeding from his head and stomach. It was not equal, it was not a fair fight, and she knew all this going in. Her only real hope of defeating him entirely was for Pythia’s magic to work. Finally, after hours of fighting, something flashed between them. It had to Pythia! Evangelina looked, but she found herself targeted by the magic as well as the other witch. She had no idea what was happening. It was painful, strange, and hot.

The spell was taking the male’s magic, all his power, and it was shoving it into Evangelina. It was unclear if that was how the spell was supposed to work, but when it was over, Pythia dealt the killing blow. Evangelina saw it through bleary gaze before the world grew dark. She heard Pythia calling out to her, but it was all fading quickly. The spell had put as much of the male’s power inside of her as possible before it dispersed into the air. She was a conduit of sorts; the spell used her to make the energy safe and pure, which took a great deal out of her. Some of the energy could not be converted and was shoved inside of her. It worked out and the male was dead, but it was unclear the cost.

Weeks later, Evangelina awoke feeling very sensitive to everything and sluggish. Her family of three was there, but they seemed weighed down by something. She was not fully herself any longer and a great many of the angels thought it better to kill her instead of chance her hurting anyone. They explained it all, told her about the dark energy inside of her, the evil festering, and what they planned to do. There was paths and magic that could be worked so that in a hundred years she would be reborn an angel. Her body, mind, and spirit needed the time to work through the darkness and de-age to that of a young toddler. It was a long shot, and they may still have to kill her in the end, but it was a possibility. A shot in the dark that even Evangelina couldn’t deny.

After some hours of thought, she agreed to it. Within the fortnight, the magic was sown and she was locked up tight for her sentence of one hundred years of solitude. It was not bad, she thought and slept more than she’d ever done before. It helped her come to terms with things she didn’t even know still plagued her. A hope plagued her mind, no matter how much she deterred the thought. She wanted to see her husband again; she wanted to see Leonardo again. He’d loved her, he’d been her whole world for years, and she yearned for him. Memories of him, of their life, their child, their love, all of it plagued her mind. It was a good plague, but still it bothered her. Last she knew, he’d been happily married with another woman. What right did she have to change that?

Amongst the thoughts of Leonardo, there were also thoughts and memories of being a caretaker. The memories of the children, raising Marcus, and the joy at her own accomplishments. She’d not always done right or well, but she’d done good things. The children had made it to adulthood, had jobs picked out for them, and were well out of her care by the time bad things happened. Had it really been her fault? No, she didn’t think it was. Not really. Any caretaker could’ve missed the hints at the disease. She was not perfect, and she felt better about it.

There were hundreds of things she remembered, both good and bad. Leonardo and Alicia plagued her mind the most, but others that occupied her thoughts. The hundred years was spent in that manner. She had no way of really knowing what would happen when she woke up, but it was still very odd when it did happen. Theory told her that her memories would be intact, but it was not so. Slowly, as time wore on, her memories seemed to fade away. At first she couldn’t remember most recent things, and then it took away older and older memories. By the time her hundred years ended, she had no memory at all. She just knew about the now. Nothing else really existed to the nearly newborn child.

Reborn in a way
When the child awoke, Pythia was there. The face was unfamiliar, warm and kind, and so the child reached for it. Pythia had a plan, so it was no time at all before she was walking into an agency to offer up the child for adoption. She had distinct plans, specific people picked out, and no amount of argument from the works would change it. It took hours, but by the end of it, the child had a family, a home, and would have plenty of room to grow and remember. While it would take time for her to remember, eventually the memories would return.

And so Pythia watched from afar as the child grew. The new parents, Tirian and Stephanie Mills, were overjoyed at the prospect of a child. They’d not been able to have a child, no matter how hard they’d tried, so she was a gift from god. More literally than they knew, in reality. Evangelina was no more, and now she was Seraphina Mills. Seraphina was a name that Pythia picked out, something familiar that would help in the long run. Well, Pythia hoped that it would jog some memories, but really, there no certainty. The magic could’ve faded along with her return to being a toddler, but she hoped not. That was the reason that Evangelina had agreed to the process in the first place. Death seemed kinder than forgetting her adoptive children and sister. Pythia agreed.

Life treated the young angel well. She was happy nearly all the time, and constantly wanted attention and affection. Stephanie loved her child, but it was Tirian who smothered the child with affection. Everything was going great. Her parents had good jobs, money was no issue, and there were no disagreements or disputes to put a damper on the child’s life. Sera was a fortunate child with good luck throughout her early childhood.

Things remained the same until her fifth birthday when her mother became large with child. It was all very experimental with medicine, but Sera was quite beside herself with joy. A little brother or sister seemed like the perfect addition to her nearly perfect life. A playmate that she would love dearly, and though the concept felt familiar somehow, she thought nothing of it further. Her sibling would be loved and that was all she felt was important. Though, she was impatient about how long it took for her sibling to arrive, like only a child could be, she was loving about the ordeal. Her mother had a small baby inside her belly, which was how she understood. She saw the energy inside her mother, so she knew it was true. What the energy was, how she saw, or what that meant was all lost on the child. All she knew was that the adults weren’t pulling her leg; there was a baby inside of mommy.

Months later, a little boy was born into the world. His name was Nicholas and he was adorable. And while Sera hadn’t specifically voiced her desire for a sister over a brother, it had been a hope. So, when she met her little brother she was happy about the whole affair, but she was sad. She told her parents that she’d wanted a sister ever so badly, and made them promise to try for one. She didn’t care if it came from mommy’s belly or if they adopted her like they’d done with her. At first the parents were surprised she knew about it, but then she couldn’t explain how she knew. She just did. A sign of memories returning.

Slowly, Sera came to love her brother, but a hope held for the sister she desired. Some part of her wanted that sister. She didn’t really understand it, but she wanted it. Like any child, she knew she wanted something before she could put into words why. Especially for her given her slow return of memories. And keeping to their promise, her parents did look into having another child and adopting a little girl. So, they would either get pregnant again or adopt a child around Sera’s age. It was a fact, but until they were certain of either, neither spoke of it.

Elementary school was a happy affair for Sera, especially learning. She loved to learn. She loved to talk with other kids, to play, to run, but she most loved the quiet time. She loved reading books about far off lands, adventures, mysteries, all the things she could learn. She wanted to know everything she could, which was how she started her collection of books. At first they were simple books, easy to read, but as her abilities in reading excelled so did her books collection grow. It was like a timeline of her aging. Like a chart for height, her books grew into larger and more difficult to read novels.

Mid way through middle school, her little sister Miriam was adopted into the family. She was a quiet girl, but Sera loved her endlessly. It didn’t take more than a few weeks for the new child to warm up and connect to her big sister as if they’d always been together. Nicholas was still there, a big part of their lives, but he couldn’t compete with the bond of sisters. It was something special. And unknown to either child, Miriam was the reborn soul of Millie. Her evil was gone, the disease cleansed, and she was pure once more. It was why the two clicked so well. Neither knew it, but eventually Sera would know it. Though she did know the soul was familiar, she knew nothing else.

Memories returned
High school was little different than middle school. Her friends were the same, and her life continued without much difference. The biggest change was the dreams plaguing her mind, no matter if she slept or was completely awake. There were people, faces, battles, and all sorts of things in her mind. She couldn’t place them, but something told her they were real. Something in her told her that the dreams were real. It was especially shocking when she saw a face from her dream. It was brief and only a glimpse, but Miriam’s soul had the face and feel of someone in the dreams.

It was neither quick nor slow, but over the four years of her high school career, Sera regained her memories. Her time as a human, as an angel, married life, all those things that made her who she was. While the memories returned somewhat quickly, it took her longer to organize them into her mind. And it took her even longer to believe that they were memories of her own existence. How could someone have all these things happen? How did she live so long? It was all very confusing, but the answers were in her own mind. It just drove her near crazy to spend so much time alone. So, the process of regaining her memories had to be done in spurts so she could spend time with her family, learn, and doing other human things. She still had a life, clubs, and friends to manage along with her returning memories of over 3,000 years of life.

Graduation from high school came and went, but by the time she was a month out of high school, her memories were there. They were intact and she came face to face with Pythia again. Pythia watched her, almost unsure of what she was to find, but Sera took the choice from her friend. Running headlong at the other woman, she tackled her into a hug as if she’d not seen her in years. It was true, but all the same it was intense. Tears were shed, but happiness was all that was felt. The two talked for hours before all was heard. It took Sera days to get in contact and make it make sense as to how she knew all these people. Marcus posed as a student at a university, so Sera visited the campus. Akai was a barista, so Sera frequented the coffee shop. Pythia was a professor at the university, so the first reason applied.

After a few visits to the university, Sera decided it was a good choice. After talking to her parents, Sera was able to pick and choose her classes and start going to the university. It was a wonderful experience full of learning, parties, and reuniting with the son she’d lost due to her memory loss. Some thought they were dating, but Sera was quick to deny those thoughts. Marcus would never be able to draw her in like that, but he didn’t want to. He was her son, not a lover or love interest. Other tried, but few got close enough to do more than date her. Marcus was a protective man, and he would not see his mother hurt.

Dreams
After the education was complete, Sera looked into using her degree in Business Administration to start up a coffee shop of her own. It would put her closer to Akai, and Marcus also got the same degree, so she hoped he would join in on her business. It was a deal before she even tried to bed the two to join, so within a year, she had a shop open in their home of Salem, Indiana. The name of the shop was Alicia’s Haven, which held a lot of memories for her. It was the perfect name. A lot of people came because they knew her or the other two, and it was a huge success. It was enough of a success that Sera looked into opening another shop in another city.

The second shop opening was odd because it meant that Sera had to either hire a manager to look after her first shop or one to see about the new one. After some thought and talking, she left the first in Marcus’s care while she oversaw the opening of the new. It was in Texas, so it was far away, but that was her intent. She wanted her shops to be widespread before they started popping up all over. It seemed the most logical, which was decided amongst her team of three.

While she was working on the third shop opening, Sera met up with someone. The person claimed to be a friend’s of Pythia’s and that she’d been watching Sera’s things. Seeing the woman, Sera was at a loss as to why her identity had to be kept a secret. What was she before? The woman did not share her history or anything about herself, but she returned all of Sera’s belongings. Apparently while Sera had been growing and regaining her memories, Pythia had taken it upon herself to gather her friend’s things to be kept safe. And after talking with Pythia about all this, a story was devised to explain how she came upon all of this stuff and money.

Pythia had helped Sera find her birth parents that were into collecting historical items and money for selfish reasons, same as their own parents. They’d left it all to their child in the possibility that they died, which neither thought possible, so it was all kept in a home in France, which is where her parents were originally from. The home was not huge, but it was a five bedroom home and it housed a great deal of things. Which is explained why Sera was able to fly over there with no problem and look through it for days. The story was mostly false, all the way down to her parents even existing. It was a story told so that no one questioned how she came to own all that money and stuff, and there were false documentations to support the story all over the place. Everything was air tight about the story, so Sera was safe from any sort of persecution or hunting from anyone.

The fourth shop was easy to open now that she had some experience and money to back herself. It was soothing to know she was getting the hang of it. Did that mean she had an easy time throughout her working career? No, there were ups and downs to owning a business, but the money helped keep her afloat. Plus she had friends and family who wanted to see her succeed. So, there was rarely a shortage of people willing to advertise about the shops, either in person, in social media, the newspaper, or whatever. It was a good circle of people working to make Sera’s dream of a haven possible.

The shops weren’t just coffee shops, but shops that worked towards helping charities and helping people. Sera and the shops had their hands in all sorts of pots, whether that be charities or other organizations who wanted to look good by donating to Alicia’s Haven. The shops were doing especially well by the time Sera heard whispers about Leonardo. It was unclear at first, but after some time and work, she found his location. It was along with that that she was finding a good next location to open shop. Luck would have it that Leonardo’s location and her next locations happened to be in the same city. It was a beautiful coincidence.

The present
By the time Sera was 27 she had that shop opened in Essex, NJ, and she was mildly searching for Leonardo. She didn’t want to give herself away or force herself into his life; she just wanted to see him. If he was happily with someone, then she wouldn’t bother him, would just take in the sight of him, perhaps talk a bit, then she’d leave him be. She wouldn’t be the cause of him losing whatever happiness he had. There were other things that had her attention also; her magic, her hobbies, and writing letters to her friends and family. Along with this, she also had her shop to focus on, and the city seemed to be a beautiful place with a great many magical beings. She wanted her shop to be a haven for them, especially those in need.
(11,802 words in total)

FAMILY LIFE:

Delphine Reeves: mother, human, deceased
Theon Reeves: father, human, deceased
Leonardo Hale: husband, angel (to her knowledge), assumed alive
Alicia Hale: daughter, angel, assumed alive
Pythia Mensah: mentor/friend, angel, alive
Seraphyne Crawe: charge, human, deceased
Alexandra Worthington: charge, shifter, deceased
Nathaniel Baker: charge, hybrid then demon, deceased
Marcus Benai: charge/manager of cafe 4, angel, alive
Akai Mino: charge/friend, angel, alive
Millie Okin: charge, angel, deceased (reborn as Miriam)
Tirian Mills: rebirth father, human, alive
Stephanie Mills, rebirth mother, human, alive
Nicholas Mills, rebirth brother/friend, human, alive
Miriam Mills, rebirth sister/bff, human, alive
Sparta: pet, husky, alive
Nancy Keen: manager of cafe 1, human, alive
Dave Green: manager of cafe 2, human, alive
George Hobs: manager of cafe 3, angel, alive
Greece: pet, husky german shepherd mix, alive

OTHER:

The witch communities she knows in Europe and Asia know her as Moerae, Moe for short.

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