Quelques nouvelles / Some News !

- FR -

Salut tout le monde !

Voici quelques news concernant le Clan !

Je (Coda-leia) participe cette année au Nanowrimo et j'écris de nouvelles aventures du clan de Paris. Je continue les fanfictions comme nous avions l'habitude de le faire avec Louise, (avec mots obligatoires et tout) dans le but de "créer" des souvenirs communs aux membres du clan.
A l'heure d'aujourd'hui, il y a déjà deux fics terminées et une troisième en cours.
J'avais initialement prévu d'en écrire cinq dans le cadre du Nanowrimo.
Je les posterai ici quand le Nanowrimo sera terminé :)


- EN -

Hi Everyone !

Here are some news about the Clan !

I'm doing Nanowrimo this year and I'm writing new adventures of the Paris' Clan.
I keep on writing the same kind of fanfictions Louise and I used to write (with mandatory words) in order to "create" some common memories to the clan members.
Today, there are already two written fanfictions and a third one is in work in progress.
I planned to write 5 fanfictions during the Nanowrimo
Unfortunately they are all in french and I'm not planning to  translate them in a near future. But they'll be posted here after Nanowrimo ends :)

ENGLISH : CHALLENGE 3 - The Old Mill or Welcome Mélusine! - Louise

Hi guys !

Here is the last fanfictions challenge Louise and I did about our clan.
The following text is Louise' attempt that I translated (www.caillouvaudou.tumblr.com)

The third challenge was about including a scene in an old mill on Montigny's Property and had to take place just after Mélusine's arrival back in the 1960's. (So there's only Delacroix, Absinthe and Mélusine)
No mandatory words this time !

Enjoy !

Welcome Mélusine !

It's been a couple weeks since Mélusine came to the Montigny manor. Her arrival turned this little world upside down. Delacroix saw in her a new friend for his game, and for Absinthe, she was a girl who she could spend time with, without being bullied. However the little gargoyle didn't agree with that. After the first encounters surprise, she avoided the two kids in purpose to spend all her time in Montigny's legs. She was too intimidated by the two bullies.

We have to precise that the first game she'd ever play with them was an autopsy's simulation. Delacroix had just discovered this fascinating profession : forensic scientist in an investigation novel. And Absinthe was thrilled to be able to play something else than a corpse whom he searched for the guts in. Mélusine tried to refuse politely, the hair dressed on her head seeing all the knifes on the spare table. The night ended with Mélusine running from her two torturers. She only found shelter in Montigny's office who played the part of the bodyguard.

She quietly played with her doll in his office, followed him to the library and never went far from him. She knew that the situation was difficult for the old man but she couldn't move away from him for long when she was seeing the two monsters scheming in whispers. She could feel their bad and cruel glances in her back and she had shivers everytime she heard their whisperings. When she was alone in the corridors, shadows became winged and she thought she could hear child-ish and gloomy laughs behind every corner.

The night Montigny announced he had business to do outside the manor and that she couldn't take Mélusine with him, the young gargoyle felt like everything was falling apart. She cried, begged, wheeped but there were nothing she could have done. She'd have to spend the night with her clan brother and sister for more safety. More safety ? They'd better lock those two rabbid dogs up and loose the key!

They were still standing in the office and the man was about to leave. Montigny prepared several documents in an attaché-case, blew Mélusine's nose whose eyes were filled with tears and took her by the hand. She knew where he was taking her. To her doom, her hell, her death, her...

« Come on, don't worry. They aren't mean. They just want to mess with you for the last time. But if they hurt you, they'll have to deal with me. »

He was talking softly especially to calm her but she was still nervous. He smiled at her, took his pocket watch off and gave it to her.

«  Can you read what time it is ? Look, when the little hand will be here, I'll be home. All right ? It's not that long, isn't it ? »

Mélusine looked at the watch and nodded. She knew now how long she'd have to survive until his savior returns.

He wrapped the watch around her little wrist and took her to the living room.

As soon as she passed the door, she heard big screams. Delacroix and Absinthe were squabbling over the armchair. They both had their face covered with markers and each of them was pulling a colored pencil's left over the hardest they could.

« GIVE IT BACK TO ME ! LET IT GO, IT'S MINE ! »

« YOU NEVER LEND ME ANYTHING, I WANT IT ! »

« YOU ALWAYS BREAK MY THINGS ! »

« OH YOU LIAR ! »

«STUPID ! »

It seemed to get worse. Absinthe snatched the desired object from her brother's hands, but threw it away to be more confortable for fighting. They were rolling on the floor, one pulling the other's hair, one bitting another. They only stopped when Father took them off the ground and separated them. They both tried to kick the other with insults when they realised that Mélusine was standing there. She was watching them, frozen as a stone, mouth opened in a frightened position, eyes rounded like balls. They stopped fighting and Montigny put them back on earth.

« I have to go away for a little while. Mélusine will stay with you so do not bully her. As I'll return, you'll have to be good. Understood ? »

He agitated a threating finger but the two monsters already agreed on a truce with a single glance.

« Yes Dad. We'll be nice with her ! » they answered with a angel voice while they looked at the little girl with predatory eyes.

Montigny put the children at the table, picked up the coloring papers scattered all over the place and put the markers back in their pot. He gave his last orders before leaving under Mélusine's begging eyes who was still mute.

Outside they could hear the big door closing, a car starting up and fading away. Mélusine was trapped...

She swallowed and grabbed a coloring book with a unicorn and butterflies and began to use the markers with force. She didn't dare to raise her eyes from her drawing because she knew that her two comrades were staring at her intensively. She heard some whispering which made her accreasing her coloring speed.

She finally dared to look over her sheet of paper and was surprised to see the two terrors drawing calmly without fighting. They even were discussing quietly without insulting each other. Odd...

« Hey Mélusine, give me the orange pencil. »

She tensed up. Delacroix had talked to her and she didn't dare to move.

« Please. » He added.

An oppressive silence flotted in the air. She still wasn't moving, neither speaking, and now the two children were staring at her. Eventually, Absinthe sighed, threw herself on her belly over the table to reach the pencil next to Mélusine's hand and brought it back to Delacroix, with a scornful look at her.

« Lost your tongue ? » she asked acidly.

They waited for a reaction. Mélusine shivered and dared a little « No, no... » before she looked at her watch. No she just hadn't lived hours of torture but only few minutes. She felt despair overrun her.

« … OK ? Hello ? Are you listening to me ? Are you deaf ? »

A marker thrown by Delacroix pulled her violently out of her thoughts. She looked at him with eyes full of tears. Why were they bullying her like that ?

« You have to chill out, I'm not going to eat you. » Absinthe seemed vexed.

Mélusine stood in an awkward silence.

« OK. She doesn't answer. It means that you'll never be part of … the Club. And those who are not from the club, we... torture them. » Absinthe was saying that with a cold voice, looking at her straight in the eyes. Hearing that, Delacroix added :

« Yeah ! When the day comes, we throw them into the toilets so that they wake up all dirty at night and we make them eat garbages and worms and we put chewing-gum in their hair, and... »

« And we cut off their wings and we make them eat their own nose. » Absinthe successfully made Mélusine squeal. She swallowed and answered with a shaking voice.

« What do we do to be part of the club ? »

The two monsters looked at each other and a big carnivorous smile appeared on their faces.

« So you really want to be in our club ? There are tests to be accepted. It's very difficult. Lots of people tried to be in. Some of them even DIED. »

Mélusine nodded. She wanted to be free from this tyranny. What a shame she'd have to be part of a murderous sect or a satanic group. At least they wouldn't cut her wings and her nose off.

« What... What is your club's name ? »

Absinthe took her breath to answer but Delacroix was quicker than her.

« The Adventurer-Detective-Super Hero-Top Secret Club »

Absinthe threw a furious glance at her rookery brother before explaining :

« But it's better known as the Ruthless Death Secret Society. »

Indeed this second name was scarier. She prefered the first.

« We have to gather before deciding if you can pass the tests. Stay here, we'll come back. » Absinthe said.

She grabbed Delacroix's wrist and glided away, leaving the little girl on her own.

Mélusine waited for a little while, looking at her watch every thrity seconds. Let's hope that she could pass successfully the tests... let's hope it would work.

 The living-room's door opened and the two bullies entered solemnly.

« You will pass the Biiiiiig Teeeeeest ! Wait for the Society Examiners in the courtyard. » Said Delacroix with a melodramatic voice.

« We have to stay here and not influencing the juges to your behalf. » Absinthe added smiling.

They pushed her out of the manor and closed the curtains and doors from the inside. She was alone once again, waiting in the garden, all shaking.

Suddenly, two flashes of light appeared from behind the building. Footsteps creaked on the alley gravel and two white and ghostly silhouettes came out.

You could have noticed that they strangely looked like Delacroix and Absinthe under sheets but Mélusine was to frightened to think about it.

The shaking first silhouette announced that she'd have to follow them without fainting. The second one, motionless, added that the Final Test would take place in the Secret Society's Great Chapel. They bluntly led Mélusine into the forest, to a little clearing where stood an old water mill with a little stream. The building seemed quite old but not collapsing. There were tiles missing whereas the great wheel seemed to still work. Bad grass, ivy and moss covered almost all walls and bats were flying through wall's holes. Rabbits took off as soon as the three people came closer.

They stopped and opened the mill's door ; it opened with an horrible shrieking and with a roten wood scent.

« Come in... Your test takes place inside. »

« What shall I do ? »

« Stop talking. » the still silhouette answered with a scathing voice.

« You have to stay here alone and not say anything. If you scream just once, you're out ! »

Mélusine swallowed and entered the building. The door closed on her with a bang and a metallic noise indicated that it had been locked up.

She repressed her tears and waited for a moment to get used to darkness.

She could smell mould, dust, earth. Walls were cold and wet. Mill's gears she could catch sight of in the dark were covered with old mould flour. Even a tree had begun to grow between the big wheel's teeth. A owl hooted and watched the gargoyle hood up in the middle of the room. She could see the sky and the stars which slightly lightened the inside through the open roof,

She sighed, her arms crossed around her knees. How long would she have to wait here ? It could be a trap. Maybe they abandonned her here forever and let her starve and die from boredom all alone. Despair overwhelmed her.

When suddenly, she heard a strange noise. Like a scratch... and a heavybreath... and a little bit  far away, a groaning...

A cold and sticky dripped in her neck.

Her hair stood on her head.

She slightly touched what was dripping in her back and took it to her eyes. She repressed a scream.

Despise the dark, she guessed this liquid color.

It was red.

She raised her nose, shaking, worried to discover where this blood was coming from, but she could see no hanged corpse over her head. However she stood up and sticked herself against the closest wall. It wasn't that steady and all holed, the stones were crumbling under her elbows, but feeling something hard behind her back made her feel reassured.

Every crack took another dimension. Shadows were getting bigger and took ridiculous and frightening forms ; the old mill's gears became torture apparels where monsters were hiding ; and eyes were watching at her from everywhere, observing her, staring at her...

Mélusien felt her heart go wilder. She tried to put herself together, telling to herself that there were nothing there and it was all from her imagination but it got her fear stronger.

Still sticked against the wall, she was panting, frightened with the idea that the monsters would notice her.

Suddenly two hands coame from the wall and grabbed her shoulders ; She was about to scream when something cold and sticky was thrown to her face and fell on the floor.

Frozen by fear, she wanted to scream out loud but no sound came from her throat ; she clumsily moaned seeing a huge toad staring at her.

She tried to get rid of those hands who were still grabbing her she they didn't want to let her go. The toad croaked before bouncing out.

Exhausted, overwrought, she stopped fighting and wanted to collapse. She couldn't fight against demons so let them eat her now and her hell would end finally...

Whipping, she stared down at the hands still holding her.

They were electric blue.

A band-aid with planes even decorated one of the fingers' tip and its wrist was covered with different colors stripes.

She hold her breath and pricked up her ears ; She laughed a hushed laugh and whisperings coming from the outside...

« … a funny face when I threw the toad to her... »

« … still not screaming. What do we do ? Perhaps... »

« … No, it's too mean, shouldn't go too far, or else... »

« … Stop now or we keep on with... »

« … a heart attack, poor girl... »

It was too much ! They made fun of her during all this time ! How could she not notice that ! How could she not recognise those two stupids under their sheets ?

Her eyes glowed red in the dark and she pulled herself out from the hands holding her.

Furious and out of her breath, she started hitting the walls with her fists, howling with all her rage against those two miserable creatures who abused with her credulity.

« You are mean, cruel and vicious. I hope you had fun because when I'll go out of here, I will rip you wings off and make you eat them ! You are two stupid and horrible morons. I HATE you »

She kept on raving and hitting everything she could reach when a shrieking door called her to be quiet. She waited for someone coming in but saw  nobody coming.

She came to the door and put her nose outside. Everything was quiet. Just a little gooseberry jelly pot on a little rock.

Oh, the cowards ! They ran away ! Morons !

She yelled so loud that they'd even pee in their trousers, for sure ! They wouldn't dare to bother her anymore ! They wouldn't....

« Ouch ! »

A pine cone bounced on her head.

Mélusine turned to see two silhouettes flying away laughing. She got on their track howling insults towards the manor.

She ran and ran through the bushes, took branches in the face, scratched her arms with ferns, stumbled in the roots. She almost fell in the mud more than once but didn't stop ; She would make them pay for what she'd been through.

Mélusine went out of the forest and saw two little silhouettes enter the manor in a rush. She was still behind them. Finally coming into the great stairs she noticed they were waiting for her at the top with two happy faces. Delacroix threw his last pine cone laughing and they ran again like a fool.

She finally saw them, sitting as if nothing happened, eating cookies in the kitchen. They smiled at her.

Totally out of her temper the young green gargoyle rushed upon Absinthe, hitting her at the chin with a revengefull fist, threw her on the floor to shake her with all her strength. Absinthe responded with kicks and hysterical screams while Delacroix threw himself into the fight, kicking on his left and right, and having fun like a demon.

« Are you done ? What's wrong with you ? »

Hearing Montigny's amused voice, Mélusine rose her head instinctively. He was finally home ! But Delacroix brought her back into the fight as he jumped on her from a chair, announcing catch grips.

« Dad, look ! I'm doing the 619 grip ! And the sledgehammer ! Yahaaaaa ! »

« Try avoiding my crocodile grip, you moron ! » Absinthe defied him, surrounding him with her legs.

As Mélusine saw that her anger was pointless, she went away from the fight. Did all of this happen for nothing ?

She took the hot chocolate mug from Montigny's hands and drinked some draft watching the end of the fight. Tied as it seemed. The referee gave each of them a slice of cake and everybody ate in silence.

« So, what have you done while I was away ? No problems I hope... »

Montigny wanted to have news from his little monsters.

« We played with Mélusine. » Absinthe splitted between two mouthfuls.

« Ah ? You played with Mélusine or with Mélusine ? » He looked at the little gargoyle with an enquiringly look.

She was taking her breath to say how mistreated she had been but Delacroix was faster.

« That was SO cool. We made a super cool top secret adventurers super heros club and we frightened her for fun but now she's part of the club but there were no club in fact and it was just for annoying her but we had a lot of fun together. »

Delacroix spoke his mouth full without taking his breath, his eyes were brilliant, as he remembered how awesome it was. Then he swallowed the rest of the cake up, leaving crumbles all over the table.

« It sounds very interesting, indeed. You'll have to tell me everything in details ! »

They all sat in the living room, on the couch or lying down on the soft carpet as Delacroix and then Absinthe shared their night with their father.

Mélusine was quite surprised with their story ; she was expecting mocking remarks but instead of that those two kept on speaking very highly of her. She didn't scream and she even tried to hit them. She pursued them through the forest ! And she fought with her bare hands against a giant and spitting fire toad who attacked her in the old mill ! How brave was that !

« And what about you Mélusine ? I feel like you all had fun, didn't you ? Have you been bored ? »

To be honest she couldn't have seen the time going by. Everything went so fast. As she thought back about it, it's been a great adventure ; She passed through all possible emotions in less than an evening whereas she'd been moping during all the week. And they weren't that bad. They seemed to have prepared all this little game to test her but not in a mean way...

She nodded but stood silent about what she'd been through.

Reassured, Montigny smiled at her and asked them what they wanted to do now. The two louts began to scream at the same time, raising their fists and fought to impose their idea.

« A movie ! We're going to see a movie ! The one with the giant monster ! »

« No ! I want a story ! Your movies suck ! »

« No ! YOUR stories suck, They sound roten ! »

« That's not true ! You're the roten one ! »

« Repeat that ! »

« You're roten and your movies suck ! »

Montigny separated them and proposed to listen to Mélusine's idea. She had no idea actually but she spontaneously opened her mouth, maybe to contest the two others' choices.

« What if we played to something ? A game all together ? »

Montigny approved on the spot, followed by the two kids. Delacroix was jumping around as usual and Absinthe made a complete list of their board games to help Mélusine in her choice.

After lots of debates, a simple card game appeared ideal, some board games were too complicated for them, some ended into horrible fights about cheating, some were incomplete, the missing pieces in somebody's stomach or scatted into all manor.

They sat at a table and got a card game already used. Montigny delt the cards. Everybody was quiet, observing the others, spying every move, every revealing tics, each one hidden behind their cards. Coughing or clearing their throat to make others believe they had a strategy ; and pulling down their cards with a victorious look before being overruled by a smart one.

At first Mélusine played « en défense », dealing with the cards she's been giving to and lost lots of times. However she never gave up and as soon as the night went by, she finally could read into others' games, allowing her to attack the game and change its course, which seemed to delight everyone. As the game went by and as she was destressing, she got her two comrades' thinking mecanims. But she couldn't read through Montigny.

Delacroix was using complex tricks, so unreal that it never worked. But it gave him interesting results. He was losing with dash, prefering style over result, as Mélusine analysed it.

Absinthe was quick but never seemed to think about her moves ahead. Her moves were simple but efficient, far from her rookery brother's complicated techniques. She determined an goal and did everything she could to get there, even if she had to loose almost whole of her cards to reach her purpose. Passionate, she even won several games. She didn't pride herself on her techniques and stood very discrete about her cards, whereas Delacroix couldn't help it but shout at every new card, warning the others against his dreadful strategy which would work, at least this time.

The game last long and ended with laughs and kind jokes. The atmosphere was totally different from the one at the beginning of the evening when a still shy Mélusine came all shaking. Now she knew everyone's qualities, strengths and weaknesses.

They gathered the results and it seemed like Mélusine won the game hands down, Montigny came second, then Absinthe and finally Delacroix. Good loser, he congratulated the winner and as it was almost dawn, asked for a revenge on the next night.

Mélusine smiled and claimed that whatever he'd do, she'd still be the winner. Delacroix was thrilled and challenged her in a spectacular speech that he would never give up and that she would eventually win the day that his corpse would rest next to the card game.

Dawn came closer and closer and they had to cut with the gigglings. Montigny escorted them to the roof where everyone took their position.

The sun appeared at last and turned the three children into stone.

On the roof, the three statues were holding hands, all of them smiling.

THE END

~ Louise

ENGLISH : CHALLENGE 2 - The Moustache - Louise

Here is Louise's version of the second challenge about a Gargoyle's disappearing.

Her words she had to place in the text were : Flashlight, fudge candy, sweetie

The Moustache

            Richelieu, proud griffin, as a living terror, fearless predator, was examining the chimney sitting on his rear paws, But to be honest, he was, actually trying to convince himself he was all that. In this early evening, Morphine decided to pile stuff up on his head and see how long it stood on place. Richelieu was sure that if he'd concentrate hard enough he could make disappear everything bothering him. The griffin was still experimenting his theory but sure the results would appear sooner or later.

With determination, he was repeating to himself « I'm a tiger, a monster, a creature of the night, I'm a... »

« Kittyyyyyyy, kitty kitty kittyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy »

            Morphine couldn't stand it anymore, she was laughing and had a lot of fun. Pile up stuff on Richelieu's full of dignity and serious head was the funniest game she ever played with him. So funnier than « dressing the griffin like a girl ». It was awesome. Now an empty cookies box, a glass, some (dirty) tissues, an old playmobil toy were decorating this little head. She was about to put the final piece, cherry on the cake : an horrible little marquise statue. It was pretty delicate. Like in Mikado game, everything should stay still, everything could collapse at any time. Her hand was shaking, she put the marquise, which weighed down all the composition and pulled her arm back. What a marvelous thing !

            Richelieu moaned a little but stopped really fast. He shouldn’t show interest to all of this. Everything'd disappear.

            Delacroix chose this moment to make his entry. He crossed the room with a conqueror pace and stopped right in front Morphine's sculpture. The young gargoyle was expecting scoldings and began to defend herself.

            « I agreed with all this ! And first of all, I ain't start anything ! And... »

            «  Oh ! That's so cool ! Can I try ? »

            Delacroix sat down next to the teenage girl who couldn't believe what she's just heared. He took an object from his pocket (an horrible badge right from the 80's) and put it slitghly on Delacroix's beak. The move was daring, beautiful, extraordinaire.

            The griffin had a squint for a moment and wore back his scornful face to the world. No, he wouldn't give up so easily.

            «  Hye, do you wanna see something funny ? »

            Morphine took a peek at Delacroix, a mocking light enlighted his face. She seemed to wait for an audience who would appreciate this performance for what it's worth.

            Delacroix bent and watched with attention what was going to happen.

Morphine took a fudge candy from her pocket and unpacked it from its paper with delicacy. She passed it to her partner in crime. It was written «Extra fudge»

            Her eyes glew with a dangerous brightness. She gently approached the candy from their living toy's beak.

            The poor beast saw this unexpected gift and forgot all his deep principles.

He opened his beak wide and rushed on the candy, making all the composition collapse. First pleased, his face shew then fear : as he was chewing, his beak got stucked with the fudge candy. It was so soft that he couldn't open his beak and all his strength was useless.

            Delacroix and Morphine were laughing at the poor animal, rolling on the carpet.

Poor Richelieu bent, jumped, wriggled on the floor, scratching his beak with his claws, trying to free his beak, Eventually, tired, whining and moaning he ran out looking for a comprehensive soul to help him out.

           

            As he walked through the door, he bumped into Absinthe's legs as she was drown by her clan brother and sister's laughs of joy. She understood what happened in a glimpse, looked daggers at Morphine and warned Delacroix with a squinting. Then she grabed Richelieu by his neck.

            « Again ?! How do you do to get in such mess ?... can't you just defend yourself ? »

            She pulled the griffin who was whipping while she carried him to the kitchen, where she could easier wash his face.

            She'd deal with the teenager later. Then Delacroix...

            Richelieu squealed as Absinthe was a little bit harsh with him. She was washing his face with a wet towel and pushed with all her strength to free his beak.

            «Stop moving ! » she shouted.

            Richelieu stopped immediately; petrified.

            « Damn... I'm sorry... But you always tend to act silly when Dad is not around... Here it is, you can open the mouth now. »

            Indeed, Montigny was on a journey for two days, putting Absinthe on nerves. Everybody was running wild during these unexpected vacations and she had to be there to get things straight afterwards. He would come home at the end of the night as he promised on the telephone. Meanwhile, until then, she felt responsible for everyone and had to watch over all the mansion. What a plague !

            « Oh, what a grumpy old lady ! Montigny on a travel doesn't allow her to piss of everyone. Damn ! As soon as he's out, she believes she's the leader ! And now I give orders, I grumble, I tell everybody off. She needs to calm down , the old one ! »

            Morphine kept on her long complain, hoping that Delacroix would come along with her discontent. But he stood up in silence and before leaving, he whispered in her ears.

            « Maybe if you did less of your monkey business, she wouldn't be on the edge, don't you think ? »

            And then he disappeared laughing.

            Morphine meditated his last words for a moment, shrugged off, then fell on the couch and grabbed her game-boy on the table, moaning as she usually did.

            « It's so unfair, I did nothing, I'm innocent. THEY are going wild... »

           

Delacroix slipped into the kitchen quietly, where a crouching silhouette was washing off Richelieu, The griffin looked at the new comer, and worried as he approached, prepared himself for the worst to happen.

            The blue gargoyle took his breath, stood up straight and opened wide his arms,

            « Just one scream and you'll have to deal with me. » warned Absinthe.

            Delacroix's cheeks deflated right away and Richelieu sighed, releaved. He snapped his beak with satisfaction, swallowed some croquettes and went away exultantly.

            « Listen. I'm not in the mood for this mayhem tonight, and I think you know that. »

She waved an accusing finger under his nose.

            « But... you really need to relax a little ! It could be good for you, you know. »

            He sat on the kitchen table and nibbled anything around him.

            « You will explode if you keep on eating like that. Hey,... it's not possible... biscuits are all gone, again. Look ! Damn ! That's crazy ! »

            Delacroix reached out the obviously empty cookies pot to Absinthe. He looked at the bottom a last time, thinking about those delicious cakes he wouldn't be able to eat and then got back to the subject he cared about.

            He layed down on the table, trying to look lustful, squinting with his half-closed eyes : his sensual look technique.

            « Come on Sweetie... Take it easy... »

            «  Ok, ok but I want to fix something before. Then we'll see a movie if you want. I'll catch you up in thirty minutes, ok ? »

            « YEEEEAH ! I'll fetch Back to the Future, it's been a week since I last watched it ! Anyway, we can't watch the first without watching the other two, so it's gonna rock ! »

            And as he said that, he ran away bouncing like a kid,

            Absinthe ran her hand over her face. Well. She had to do the checklist. Check if everyone was here where they were supposed to be and that no trick track was planned.

            She first went to the living-room and had a glance in the room. Richelieu stood next to Morphine on the couch and the little gargoyle was tickling the griffin's ear with a little twisted tissue.

            This griffin definitively had no memory or was he a little bit masochist ?

            Anyway, nothing out of the ordinary here.  

            Absinthe went down in the little gym room. Grimm was surely there.

            She even didn't have to open the door to check his wereabouts, she was perfectly hearing his shouting, his hoarse breath, and the blows to the sand bags from where she was standing. She had a look through the little window and went back.

           

            The green hair gargoyle found easily Svenn in the library, his nose in a big novel she didn't recognise the title. He watched her sit down in front of him, look at him for several minutes without a noise and go away without adding anything. He found that strange but... well, everything was strange here. So...

            Svenn didn't seem to be a threat. She could warry on her mission. There was still Mélusine to check on and then she could relax with Delacroix, She'd surely find her in her room, reading some lovestory books, chuckling on her four poster bed while Antonio, the mysterious masked thief was courting the beautiful desert princess. Or something like that.

             She knocked three times, waited an instant and the opened the door room. Empty. She took a look at the candles and incense. They hadn't been enlightened for the night.

           

Weird...

            Absinthe left the room and went up to the attic. Mélusine liked to spend some time there, discovering new surprises. But still no trace of Mélusine.

            She didn't give up hope and went back to the library.

            Svenn put down his book and looked at her with a troubled look. She opened the storeroom door, where Mister Montigny told her not to go because of the magic level of the place. It was a little room where grimoires and sorcery books were hold. It was one of Mélusine's hiding places.

           

            Absinthe reappeared a few minutes later.    

            « Did you see somebody go there today ? » She seemed a little bit upset... And Svenn knew right away when I first came in the mansion that he'd better butter her up in situations like this.

            « No, nobody... why ? » his curiosity was too strong.

            « Mélusine's disappeared. »

            « Mmm... Are you sure ? » he whispered, enquiringly.

            « She's not in her bedroom, not in the library, not in the attic, therefore she has disappeared. »

            She took her head in her hands and concentrated.

            Where the hell could she be ? In either way, it seemed fishy. And if Mélusine was hiding something, it surely was something magic.

            … Let's hope we find her before she does something beyond seriousness.

            Absinthe left Svenn in the library and ran into the living room. She grabbed Delacroix who was just put the DVD in the DVD player, freezing him in his movement.

            « Wait ! Let's play, ok ? We will all play to « who will find Mélusine before the others. » She's hiding somewhere in the mansion and I can't find her. »

            «  She disappeared... right ? It's like an investigation roleplay, isn't it ? » he asked smiling from a ear to the other.

            « Yes, as you wish but we have to find her. »

            «  You're worried for nothing... Come on, we'll find her to reassure you. » he whispered in her ear, he definitively was seeing clear in her game.

            Delacroix left the living room and came back from his bedroom with lots of hats.

            « These are investigators hats. I bought them on the internet. I knew we'd need them someday. » he add while Absinthe was looking at him in an appaled way.

            « Here. You're super hot with this hat, Aby. And Richelieu, you look badass. And you're really really cute with it. »

The blue gargoyle briefed his research team while he sticked the hats on everybody's head with a grinning face.

            « No need to talk none sense, we'll put your hats... » Absinthe sighed.

            « I'm no cute... What the heck... » Morphine mumbled as they began their hunt.

           

            Delacroix was ready and the investigation had a good start. His collegues were efficient but he, he had experience. It's been twenty years since he was in this business and people disappearing, he knew about it. He inhaled an imaginary pipe and thought about the situation. Let's see... Mélusine was a girl... A girl is a weird creature. It had weird ideas...

            « I know ! »

            He rushed into the corridor, his collegues on his heels and stopped in front of the bathroom's door.

            « It's been a while since we last saw her, right ? And yet girls get all dolled up for hours ! Admire ! »

            He slammed the bathroom's door open. But no hysterical scream. Room was empty.

Delacroix couldn't hide his disappointment and start to think. Meanwhile, Absinthe took the opportunity in the nearest rooms. She'd better keep an eye on everybody,

            Delacroix made Absinthe and Morphine running in all the house, finding each time new ideas and theories, each time more and more strange. They visited 2^nd floor's bathrooms, the cupboard underneath the sink and Svenn restroom. (who decided to do as if nothing strange was going on as they rushed in to frisk everything.) They were about to search in the spare room's cupboard.

As for Richelieu, he took off Delacroix's hat really fast and couldn't resist the urge to jump on the couch  as soon as Morphine had stood up. But now it was time to hunt for food.

He stretched up, letting his claws out, yawned happily after recovering full use of his beak and went away jogging.

            He was about to leave by the backdoor when he heard some strange sounds. A slightly whisper, like a song seemed to come from the door under the stairs. It wasn't an imposing door, rather discreet and it seemed to hold some strange secrets... A pretty mysterious door it seemed ! He pricked his ears once again and heard clearly heard a voice. All his hairs stood up on his head and he rushed into the corridors to warn the others. He ran and ran and ran. He took a little pause, exhausted, just in front of the kitchen. Coïncidence ? His stomach began to  rumble as he saw his tin dish on the floor fulled with succulent rabit croquettes. His favourites...

            The griffin went in and ran on the food, forgeting what he'd just discovered. Once full, he went back to the living room and fell lazily on the couch, putting with satisfaction his head on the cushion, he closed his eyes and...

            « Sacrebleu ! But where the hell could she have disappeared ? My dear Watson, we deal with a real mystery ! »

            Richelieu breathed out moaning. No way to take a quietly nap here. You're always disturbed by the inbearable kid, or Delacroix and his stupid games or these voices coming from nowhere...

            The griffin opened his eyes wide and stood up in a rush. He almost forgot ! He grabbed Detective Delacroix's shirt as he walk nearby and pulled in forward,

            « Richelieu, you already had food, and three times more than you should have had ! » Morphine scolded.

            « Aha ! I think that our faithful police dog has just found a clue ! » the detective announced happily.

            Richelieu shew an insulted face but kept on leading the group to this little door.

            Nobody seemed to have noticed it before, this insignificant door. No sound came from it but Richelieu scratched the door like an insane to open it.

            Morphine swallowed and helped the griffin. They heard an horrible creaking and an old wooden stair came down in the darkness.

            Absinthe slept away, came back with three flashlights and took the lead.

The stairs were creaking too and they could smell an old mould sent. This cellar wasn't really welcoming.

            They went down in the dark for few minutes, only their breath echoing around them. Then finally at the bottom, they stopped.

            « Psst... Eh Psst... » Delacroix was tapping hard on Morphine's shoulder.

            She turned over and yelled hysterically. Delacroix was doing grimaces above his flashlight and wanted to entertain his neighbour. He chuckled and then lighted the place with his light.

            A body was laying down. Face on the floor, in scarfes and shawl, All round it recently blown out candles were places all around in the middle of strange signs, drawn with chalk on the floor. An open book was next to the body.

            The teenage girl yelled a second time as she recognised Mélusine.

            They all rushed to her to help the green gargoyle. Absinthe crouched and took her in her arms, Delacroix covered her with his jacket, Morphine stopped yelling. Richelieu, worried, came and rubbed against the gargoyle.

            Mélusine was cold and had goose flesh but at least, she was alive. Huddled up against Absinthe, she woke up slowly, struttering.

She stood up and looked at them with surprise.

            « Whaft arfe... ?»

            « AHAHAHAHAHA ! »

            Delacroix bursted laughing in front of her. He hold his ribbs, fell on the floor and rolled, still laughing out loud. Morphine was panting while laughing, complaining she couldn't take her breath anymore. Richelieu already ran away squealing, hiding under the living room's table, his hairs all dressed with terror. As for Absinthe... she couldn't move, her face stood unflinching, her eyes serious as well as cold. But when she opened her mouth to talk, we could notice a little bit of blood, as if she'd just bit her tongue…

            « Mélusine... are you OK ? Do you feel OK ? »

            « Yef, I'fm finfe.. Whatf... Whatf if going onf ? Whatf if hafppeningf to mef ? ABFINTHE WHATF'S IF HAFPPENINGF ? »

            Mélusine panicked and didn't understand what was happening to her. She had trouble to see, had trouble to speak... But what the heack was happening to her ?!?

            « We'll fix that. Delacroix, stop laughing like stupid and take the grimoire. Morphine, take my lamp and light up the way out. I'll help Mélusine to walk. Help her not to stumble with... well... let's go home. »

             « Wfhatf ? I donf't underftand ? Strumfblef inf wfhatf ? »

            Mélusine followed the group to the living-room obediently. Oddly she saw everything like through a veil and the situation was starting to freak her out. Absinthe dropped her off in the couch and Morphine held a mirror to the green gargoyle, laughing.

            Mélusine's eyes rounded up before she fainted. She had just seen her reflection decorated with a huge curled moustache and eyebrows so long that her eyes disappeared underneath the hairs. It was a nightmare.

            They woke her up again and she began to wheep in Delacroix's arms. Absinthe leafed through the Grimoire's pages, looking for a solution and Morphine was puting hairpins and ribbons on the capillary newnesses. It was for Mélusine not improve her sight and speaking, she said.

            « I see, it's a spell to « reward curiosity », isn't it ? At least you'll recover now. »

            Mélusine sniffed, wiped out some tears with her hand and then took of eyebrows hairs from her sleeve's button. She began to explain what happened to her,

            Meanwhile, Grimm was searching the manor from top to bottom to find the others. For once he wanted to see people around him, evertbody was out. They always had fun without him. He was sure they were making fun of him as they speak !

            He heard a noise from the living-room. He's been there before but they all seemed to have come back. He was about to walk in and... could just see Absinthe running towards him and slammed the door under his nose. And lock it moreover !

            He couldn't believe it ! Stood still, couldn't speak as completely astounded for a moment.

            « Please Grimm, don't come in. Mélusine needs to rest a little. » 

            What do you mean a rest ? Is he disturbing ? She can't rest with him around ?

            The red gargoyle groaned and hit the door like crazy. Hey ! He definitively would get in and he would be calm and stay still. She'd see how CALM he could be.

            Some whispered behind the door and Mélusine talked with a weak voice.

            « Please, Grimm, don't come in... »

            « WHY ? »

            « Because I am.. because I... » Her voice hesitated but kept on, less confident. « Because I am... Mmm... naked. »

A terrible silence followed, Grimm stopped hitting the door. Well... if she is naked...

            - I can't get in. And if I have a look, Absinthe would say I'm a pervert, and Delacroix would laugh at me and...

            Suddenly he realised.

            « WHY ARE YOU ALL NAKED WITH EVERYONE AROUND ?! »

            He yelled with rage. They wouldn't take him for a stupid man. He took an impulse and ran to the door which opened under the shock. There was nobody left inside, just an open window. Grimm groaned and rushed into the corridor ; They wouldn't fool him so easily. He'd catch the other from the inside and he'd know what they were all about. As soon as he was out, Delacroix's head appeared behind the couch.

            « Well... it was close. Why didn't you tell him ? »

            « I don't want him to see me like this... That's all. » Mélusine answered with a little voice. « What will I become ? »

            Absinthe looked at the big clock on the wall and smiled.

            « Papa will be back soon. He will be able to help you better than we can. You maybe should wait for him in his office. »

            Mélusine flew discretly with Delacroix's help to Montigny's Office. She hid there in a place not filled with papers and waited.

            A little while later, Montigny's black car parked in the alley. The old man walked out the car as Absinthe and Morphine welcomed him. They explained what happened with lots of details, Montigny bursted out laughing but remained serious as he entered his office and took care of Mélusine.

            The young gargoyle walked out the office an hour later, with no hair traces on her face.

            « He told me the moustache fits me well. » she said, brooding. But she never told what happened in this office. And the other gargoyles never knew how Montigny broke the spell.

            « I hope you'll stay away from magic for now on, I assume? » Absinthe took his rôle back

            « Yes, yes... » Mélusine answered with a pensive voice, smiling.

She hold the new book her father gave to her in her back,

            A magic Grimoire, he assured.

  ~ Louise