Ciara tried to imagine the kingdom as he described it. It sounded like a very beautifull and exotic place. She admit that when she heard of the kingdom of hell she thought that it would be a dark cold sinister place with fire and chaos everywhere but after hearing him explain how it really looked like she was more then eager to go there. As sharp as she is she noticed that this was already the second time that he went from answering her question to talking about his friend. "I admit that I had a very different idea of how the kingdom of hell looked like. You friend must be a very amazing person if the Prince himself can't help it but to talk about him. Am I right?"

"Great! I had a huge library near my room. So I'm there all the time."

Everleigh took a deep breath and stayed silent for a while. "I'm sorry, since my parents were killed in a raid, the royal council have decided that I be banned from knowing of the Kingdom's political status until I was to be wedded. So I have been protected from those evils all my life...till now" she looked at him "At least with that experience, your parents are able to share the wisdom with you in the hopes that it will never happen again. You'll be an amazing ruler of the kingdom of Dreams and soon to be...the kingdom of the Harpy as well" she smiled at him and glanced over at the cliffs. She fiddled with the rose again the looked up at the sun. "Have you....by any chance...been attacked on the way here? Or at least came in contact with a dark presence? I have been getting this strange amount of negative energy certain times of the day...lately. Perhaps my imagination. Anyways, have you had anything to eat?" her face lit up suddenly and smiled at him.

Parkrax looked her in the eyes too, they were gleaming at him, he liked them.
Parkrax smiled at her, he was happy.

Prysilla blushed so much that her pale freckles became visible. She smiled back "I really, really like you" she said, pushing her messy-ish hair from her face

"Me too" he replied, giving her a quick kiss, he found that she got embarresed easily quite cute, and he could have some fun with her embarresment too.

Prysilla giggled a bit, then softly kissed his nose, her face nearly glowing red. She always was the type to get flustered easily, at least she wasn't getting the hiccups

Riyoke looked at Ciara somewhat curiously as she spoke, it took him about a second to realize what she had said was true. He began to scratch his head. Ah..... This was a bit embarrassing.

Riyoke: Heh..... Heh...... I suppose so. Hes kind of like a brother of mine. Never actually had one. Hes a good fun respite from the expectations I had back at home. Do you have any important people princess?

--------------------

Tayvor: There is no need to apologize. And no, I have not.

He was going to continue on with the conversation over the negative energy but figured it was better not to if she didnt continue it herself. He smiled over at her

Tayvor: No, I have not. What do the people in the Kingdom of Harpy usually eat?

Ciara giggled slightly, he was somewhat cute when he was embarresed. "I have a couple of people who are very important to me, but I guess the most important person would be my father. Even though he's not always the best father he's a great king."

Riyoke: As to be predicted. My father was assassinated during the war a few months. I had to take care of the kingdom in my father's place because of the officials not allowing my mother to take the place. For the next few months I handled both my previous duties as well as those as a king and just recently my mother arranged this marriage idea with your nation.

He spoke of this with the same smile he had when he had asked her the question. It was clear that this was ancient history to him, something he had pushed aside and abandoned the need to be hung up about.

Riyoke: I was nicely welcomed though as the new temporary king and the status of the Kingdom rose. Im pretty sure the Kingdom of Hell would welcome you as the new permanent queen as well as me as the new permanent king. If not, I will handle out the measures and persuade them to.

Ciara's smile dissapeard a little when he started talking about his father being assassinated. He was talking about it which such ease, it is like he didn't even care that his father was killed. It made her chest clench a bit. She pushed her thoughts away and continous talking. "And I am pretty sure that everyone in the Kingdom of the Werecats will be very happy that you are going to be the new king later. We all heard great things about you. Ofcourse you aren't going to be the king emmediatly because of my father but when he gives the throne to you I'm sure you'll do a great job."

Riyoke: Indeed, I will try my best to rule our kingdoms in peace and harmony along side you. War shall not torture our kingdoms anymore. No needless deaths. No struggle. A world of peace. Doesnt it sound just amazing? The only worries we could possibly have would be our neighboring allies kingdoms, though I believe that no kingdom will want to wage war right after finding peace. Peace is a glorious thing, am I right?

Everleigh smiled and thought for a bit "We have tons of delicacies but it's not the season for it. Our harvesters have just got back from harvesting cloud and moon drops from the sky. It's not much but it's pretty filling and light so it doesn't take much effort to eat" she giggled at the thought of Cloud Drop soup and Moon Drop cake. A light blush grew across her face just imagining eating it, it was her favorite dish "Our chefs are also accustomed to making the dishes your kingdom has too! We can have a mixed cuisine" she giggled again.

Ciara nodded in agreement. "It really is glorious." She was about to ask him more about himself but then a young maid walked in and bowed. You could easyly see that she was new and that she was nervous. "Prince Riyoke, Princess Ciara. The cooks have prepared a special meal to celebrate the union of the Kingdoms. We humbly ask you to attend to dinner." Ciara smiled sweetly at the maid as she stood up from the couch. "Very well. We'll be there in a minute." The maid bowed again and left the room.

Asha's visibly relaxed. It wasn't that she was afraid he wouldn't like the food, but she had just been so stressed for this whole meeting and arrangement. "Mazune...you may not want to talk about this right now, but, can I know your honest thoughts about this arrangement? Or can I know about your family, your kingdom?" she asks, her questions starting to overflow. She paused. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ask all of those at once." she adds, looking down at her food.

"Not at the moment no...though I'm sure I well." he says, still looking around. This place really was beautiful.

Gabriel smiled at her enthusiasm. "That's a relief to hear." he says, and it really was. Books were one of the few things he could talk about the easiest and have conversations about them with others.

"Would you like to see the library?" Nanette says with a smile. Books were basically her life, and if he liked ten to, that was perfect. She blew a hair up out of her face and grinned, excitedly.

Tayvor was caught looking up at the sky when Everleigh brought up Cloud Drops and Moon Drops. He had heard of Moondrop flowers, but he doubted that's what she meant when she said they were from the sky. He had never heard of a whole separate thing of Cloud Drops and Moon Drops from the sky. It peaked his interest on how they could possibly taste. If she was going to treat him to such foreign delicacies, when she comes over to his Kingdom, he would have to do the same. He stopped looking at the sky after a minute and looked back at Everleigh.

Tayvor: I cant wait to go try some.

He smiled and then chuckled a bit noticing her light blush over talking about the food. It was cute. He walked over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

-----------------

Riyoke: A meal, that sounds like a wonderful idea.

Riyoke smiled at the maid and then over at Ciara.

------------------

Mazune was quiet for a bit thinking it over as he began to eat the food. After a few seconds, he finished chewing his food and then spoke.

Mazune: Its something my sister had told me would probably be a brought up subject. Its fine. It would bring me a bit of relief to talk about it as well. My honest thoughts? *he took a deep breath and exhaled before speaking. Speaking infront of others wasnt something he was naturally good at but something he learned to adjust to. Nonetheless, he still disliked it. Especially voicing his mind* My honest thoughts are that.......... I like the fact that it would help bring peace to the Kingdoms though I dont really like the part about it being arranged marriages. It pulls me away from my comfort zone in my home into the actual politics of the world. Kazuya, my older sister hates it because it pulls me away from home. That brings me onto your second question. *he took another deep breath before carrying on* My family consists of my two parents and my older sister, who I had already mentioned was named Kazuya. Kazuya is a self made woman that developed her traits on her own with the only guidance from older people were her teachers. Our parents were often to busy with politics to take care of either of us much so Kazuya took care of me for the most part. For the last month, mother and father have been struck ill so Kazuya had taken the duty of watching over the Kingdom......... *again, a deep breathe in and out* Then there is the Kingdom. The Kingdom of Heaven is a peaceful area for the most part though most of the teenaged, young adults, and adults have grown to be amazing warriors. Those that didnt became amazing farmers or skilled in the arts and cooking. Our nation is ready for war when it comes, the warriors have quick response times and we keep the elderly and children in a safe sanctuary hidden high in the skies so they dont hold us back and they are everly protected. The ones that live in the natural lands would be the teens, young adults, and adults with the exception of a few who have to take care of the people in the sanctuary. The royal members live between both. *he let out a breath, glad that he was able to answer all of that*

-----------------

Kazuya: Would you like something to eat when we reach the sanctuary's royal castle? We have some Kingdom exclusive meals.

"Sounds good." Bash says looking over to her, his stomach growling as if on cue. When was the last time he had eaten? He wondered, thinking back and realizing he hadn't eaten at all that day.

"I would love to." Gabriel says, standing up and smiling as she blew hair out of her face.

He didn't seem comfortable and she felt bad for asking so many questions. She was relieved too though. His views on the marriage were similar to hers. His homeland sounded so different and yet somehow so similar to hers. And the fact he was okay talking about his family to her was good too. She sighed the relief she felt. "Thank you for being willing to tell me all of that." she says.

Ciara smiles back at him. "Then let's go to the dining hall." She said as she started to walk to the door.

Nanette smiled once again and made her way to the study door. She opens it, and to be polite, she holds it open for Gabriel.

It did not take long for Kazuya and Bash to arrive at the castle. It had a similar format to the one on land though it was decorated it an colored much more to look like the sanctuary's area. Consisting postly of white blue and gold. Also, the flowers and garden for crops were different than the ones on land. When they entered the castle, food was already cooked and it just came out of the oven. She had predicted something like this and request food to be prepared. Kazuya led Bash into the dinning hall which was normally made for the family and had 4 chairs though the table itself was still big. The one on land was made for mass meetings.

Kazuya: Take a seat. *she sat down as food was walked into the dinning hall*

----------------------

Mazune: No problem.

Again he went for his food to buy time to think of what to say. What should he say...... Again after chewing his food he spoke up

Mazune: What about your kingdom?

-----------------------

Riyoke followed Ciara into the dining hall and sat down in one of the chairs. He didnt think it would be much different then the mass meetings where he went to nearby countries to discuss matters. He wasnt to sit in the king's chair nor the queen's chair but rather an open seat unless offered or asked otherwise.

Ciara decided to take a seat next to his and sat down next to him. Just as she sat down the King walked in with a big smile on his face and sat down on his own chair. Without paying much attention to Ciara he asks "So Prince Riyoke, is my daughter being nice to you."
Ciara emmidiatly glared at her father and growled which only made him laugh. Suddenly she picked up a knife and trew it at the King. Luckly for him he had quik reflexes and jumped out of the way but he tripped over his chair and fell down on the ground.
Ciara simply smirked and said "Now we're even."
The king stood up and crossed his arms. "No we're not. You could've killed me there!"
She simply shrugged. "But I didn't."
The king puts his chair upright again and sit down. He just looked like an annoyed child. "You really are mean. And you really should stop you weapon practices."
Ciara rolled her eyes. "And you are like a child and should grow up." They were both quiet for a couple of seconds but then started laughing.
A butler walked towards them and and shook his head. "You both need to grow up." He looked at Riyoke with a apolgetic smile. "Please excuse them for their behavior. They're always like this when they're near each other."

Riyoke clucked watching the scene and looked over at the butler, waving his hand infront of his face

Riyoke: Its fine.

He looked at the two laughing with eachother. It had reminded him of his younger days when there was peace, or at least when the war didnt show much if any effect on the castle of the Kingdom of Hell. Back when his only duty was to learn to ride a horse, practice swordsmanship (the first weapon he learned), and get working on his abilities. Back when he would frustrating the chefs by making the stove's fire grow huge while their backs were turned only to get lectured by mother when food was late due to them having to recook it. Back when father was still alive and mother wasnt ill and gloomy. Those were fun days. It grew better when Crilos was taken into the castle and treated like an adopted family member. That was when the pranks and lectures really came in. The glass cracked once the war grew deeper and he became skilled enough to head out to battle at the age of 9. But even then, after every bloody battle, he had home to come back to where the war had affect the surroundings, though it was still as enjoyable as ever. The glass shattered a few months ago when father had died which sent mother into a depression and he himself had to face the war on his own. He missed scenes like this from 9 or 10 years back.

Riyoke: Your highness, she has been a joy to be around.

The King smiled at what he said. "I'm glad to hear that." He then looked at Ciara. "It looks like you really did behave yourself, kitten."
Ciara rolled her eyes and smiled at her father's little pun. When she was smaller he always called her little kitten because she was the shortest girl he had ever seen, or so he said. No he just kept on calling her kitten to tease her. Well, atleast he dropped the 'little' part. "Stop calling me kitten, dad." Even though she kinda didn't mean it. That nickname had kinda grown on her.
Suddenly one of the cooks walked in with a calm face but you could clearly see that he was annoyed. He bowed and said. "I am sorry to say that the dinner will be a little bit delayed and that there probably won't be a big dessert."
The king raised his eye brow questionly. "How so?"
Just then the same butler who apologized to Prince Riyoke walked in. He was holding up a little werecat boy around the age of 8 by his collar. The boy had golden eyes and white hair that sometimes shimmerd silver because of the light. "Because the Princess' little boy ate the dessert."
The boy shook his head and looked at Ciara with big eyes. "I didn't do it! Mama, i really didn't eat the cake!"
"Then how do you know it was a cake?" Ciara replied calmly.
The boy blinked twice and then laughed nervously.

Riyoke looked at the little boy. He was adorable

Riyoke: Whos this little boy? *he chuckled*

The boy crossed his arms and said with a big smile. "My name is Mao and I'll be the next king because Mama adopted me and she hasn't got a man yet so I guess the next king is gonna be me!"

Riyoke smiled at the young boy deciding just to go with his idea. Ciara had a fun family.

Riyoke: Your Highness, its a pleasure meeting you. I am Riyoke Venmonth from the Kingdom of Hell. You have a nice family here dont you?

Everleigh giggled as Tayvor kissed her cheek. "T-then I'll have them prepare it soon" she stuttered as she started fiddling with one of her feathers. She's never experienced any feeling of affection from someone outside of the kingdom so it was fairly new to her. She picked a Cloud drop from the bag and ate it. The sweet and mellow taste filled her mouth as she swallowed the chewy and fruit-like ball. "Want some? Just to give you an idea on how they taste like" she handed him some silvery white drops, Moon Drops, and pinkish and bluish drops, Cloud Drops.

Alexandra smiled at Zaiver. "i think you will become a great King Zaiver,Just try your best and i'll try mine okay." she remarked looking at him before looking out the window.

Zaivier: That sounds like a plan. *he chuckled* You want to see something?

------------------------

Tayvor looked at Everleigh and then down at the drops. Everleigh was just simply adorable right there. And these drops, they were interesting looking. He tried one of each and his eyes widened a bit as he swallowed

Tayvor: Wow these are good! *he eats more of the ones that were in his hand*

Tavyor stood for a bit looking at Everleigh considering something over. He didnt not see why not to do it. Sure he wasnt in the Kingdom of Dreams where he occasionally did it (though few actually got to see it), but this was the person his was planned on spending the rest of his life with. Its only fair.

Tayvor: *he finished up the Drops* Before we go off to get that delicacy, Ill show you something most those in the Kingdoms of Dreams havent seen yet.

His hair began to bleach to a pure white as it extended itself to back length. The hears pointed out a bit looking like the inbetween of elf ears and human. Along with such, his clothes flared in the wind as they changed as well. What remained the same though was the basic structure of his body, and his face, with the exception of the natural mark on the side of his face. Two red-orange wings unfolded that appeared like a butterfly's though rather than having two major parts it had three and along with them came small sparkles

Tayvor: How about a flight?

Alexandra smiled "sure, what is it you want to show me Zavier" she looked at him and wondered what it was he wanted to show him.

Mao nodded. "They really are the best! Wait, you're from Hell. So you are a demon?"

Riyoke: Indeed. I am. Though do not get me wrong and do not fear. Most demons arent the type they tell in story books and horror movies that feast upon the fears and flesh of humans. Most are actually quite friendly. Those were just rumors spread by our naturally more scarier transformations than wolves or angels. For example, I am Cerberus, my mother is Echidna and my father was Typhon. *looked over at the whole group of people at the dining table* Though of course, there are some demons in the kingdom that have a beautiful form rather than scary to fill their natural born insticts like the Sucubbi, Yuki-onna, and Incubbi.

The doors to the dining hall opened as a boy with blonde hair walked in. He looked 14, maybe 15 years old at most. He walked up to the butler and did a small bow. This was Crilos

Crilos: Greeting, Im Crilos Navenos. The people at the door were saying you were having a bit of trouble with the meal. If you like, I would love to help.

Riyoke: And then there is Apep. Let me introduce you, thats Crilos, an Apep demon, and is easily my best friend, general, and adviser. While he may look like a 4 year old, he shockingly 17.

-------------

Zaiver smiled as he quickly transformed into his wolf form. His fur was perfect, he was well groomed and very clean. On the side of his hind leg he had a blue cresent moon that stood out from the black body fur he had.

Zaiver: Quite honestly, wolf forms are the most comfortable and common form amoungst the Kingdom of Wolf. There are some that do prefer the human form and stay in it, but about 75% of the population prefers the wolf form. Its also the best for using body language.

"wow that's so neat..here in the kingdom of the spirits all the people are eather in their spirit forms or normal forms." Alexandra hugged herself and shifted into her spirit form. "so it's not that rare." she said floating over him.

Everleigh smiled at Tayvor as he began to transform into another version of himself. She too began to transform into her more majestic harpy self and landed near him "Is that may I ask, your dream self?" she blushed slightly at how she became more and more captivated by him.

Mao escaped from the butler's grip on his collar and ran over to Ciara. He immediatly jumped onto her lap and looked in awe at Crilos and Riyoke. "This is amazing!" He squeeled excitedly "I've never met demons before!"
Ciara patted his head with a soft smile on her face. He could get so amazed at little things like this. She looked at Crilos. "So you are the one Prince Riyoke kept on talking about. Yes the cooks have a bit trouble with it because of the little demon sitting right here." She said as she pinched Mao's ear softly, making him laugh. "But I wouldn't want the Prince's best friend helping with cooking. I'd rather have you join us."

Zaiver: Oh thats such a cute form! I havent seen anything like that before!

Zaiver was quite curious over her transformation. It was like an adorable little fairy. His curiosity was quite visible on his face.

--------------------

Tayvor looked at Everleigh. That form was simply breath taking. Beautiful feathers, hair, skin. It was probably more beautiful than most in the Kingdom of Dream's dream form. She was simply infatuating though he controlled his blush.

Tayvor: You are breath-takingly beautiful Everleigh. *he spoke softly* And this is indeed my dream form.

---------------------

Crilos put on a jokingly smug faceover at Riyoke, mostly to annoy him

Crilos: Oh so he was now was he?

Riyoke: *narrowed his eyes to a glare at Crilos* When we get home, I roasting you for dinner.......

Crilos: hah...... Ill take that as a challenge to be put on hold.

The two chuckled quietly on both ends before turning their attention back to the Neko family.

Crilos: Are you sure about that Princess? It would be quite the honor to simply help make the food for the royal family of the were cats and beyond imaginable for me to eat alongside them.

Everleigh looked away with a blush on her face. Tayvor looked more and more like a dream. It's impossible for someone to look that good. His wings reminded her of a fierce fire yet his long white hair and gentle eyes assured her that he was nothing to be afraid of. This is the man she is going to spend the rest of his life with and she no longer regretted one bit of it. She glided off the ground and kissed his cheek even if her cheeks were already flushed with a bright pink.
"Please....call me Evie..." a huge wave of embarrassment washed over her but she shrugged it off with her smile.

Ciara simply nodded. Looking at Riyoke and Crilos she could easyly tell that they were really like brothers to eachother. And she couldn't possibly let the brother of her fiance help with the cooking. Plus she knew that Riyoke would be more comfortable with his friend around. "Ofcourse I am sure. Why else would I ask?" She asked jokingly.

If Alexandra was in her human form she would have blushed at being called cute. "thank you." she landed next to him "only spirits can take form like this, that's why you never seen a form like this before."

( i think we should wrap up the groups on their meeting day. Also, if the people that were paired up with my people dont appear in a few days, can I replace them? )

Crilos thought for a bit and sighed as he sat down on the opposite side of Riyoke.

Crilos: If her Princess insists.

Crilos couldnt say he disliked sitting and dining with the Princess and the King od the Kingdom of Werecats, but it was odd to be welcomed so nicely into another family of royalty. Sure the Kingdom of Hell was one thing, he was nearly adopted because of how much he and Riyoke played with eachother when they were younger.

Riyoke: Crilos, dont worry about it. Its no different from eating with me and mother. A royal dining is like any other royal dining, infact you have eaten with others during the wars.

Crilos: Its just odd, I didnt expect to be so warmly welcomed. *chuckled and smiled* Though you do have a point there. It sounded like this group is a fun one. Hey hey, if its alright with the Princess, after the meal I could take the boy out and treat him to a few demon tricks.

-----------------------

Tayvor was about to flourish red, though like most Dreamwalkers, they had a measure of emotion they can hold in. Rather than flourishing red, he showed a blush and looked of to the side, trying to hide it.

Tayvor: U-uh alright Evie. *he lifted off from the ground* H-how about we have a nice flight back to the castle to get that desert?

------------------------

Zaiver: *chuckled* How large of a variety do these spirit forms come in?

(Hello?)

(sorry, I was very buzy yesterday XP )

Ciara's eyes widened at his proposal but Mao just smiles big and looked very excited. In delight he squeeled out "That would be awsome! Mama wouldn't mind! What are you gonna teach me?"
Ciara cleared her troath to get the little boy's attention and then said. "You are already dangerous enough without demon tricks to help you. Plus you are a werecat and there's a big chance you can't even do demon tricks or that they will go wrong. So it's a no." She didn't like being strict to him but this was way to dangerous in her opinion.
Mao's ears flattend on his hand and looked down sadly but deep inside he was smiling. He just knew that he could win his Mama over just like this. And it worked. She just couldn't stand seeing Mao like this. With a sigh she said. "Fine. Only a couple of tricks."
Mao smiled big. "Thanks Ma!"
"But," Ciara then looked at Crilos. "No matter if you are my fiance's best friend. If he gets hurt I will not spare a single hair on your head. Got it?" She said in a very threatening voice.
The king simply chuckled and said jokingly. "That's my daughter. Nice and sweet on the outside but very lethal on the inside."

Alexandra went back to her normal body. "from giants to mice,from dinosaurs to humans, we have a large variety of spirits here."she laughed "i even forget how many there are"

((Sorry I haven't had a lot of access to wifi))

Asha smiled. "Well, We don't have any sanctuaries, like yours does. In fact we've been at war for such a long time that I don't know if there is anyone alive still who remembers a time of peace. That's saying something since we can live to be a couple hundred years old." she said half jokingly. "But that's not to say it's all bad." She thinks a moment. "We have a beautiful land, and though you've really only seen a little bit of it, it has its peaceful moments. There are areas designated for peace too. So I guess in a way those are like our sanctuaries. Since my mother and father died when I was very young, I well admit I see an uglier side to things. Like the wars for instance. But it is home still." she says quietly.

((Sorry Brooklyn, sorry Riku))

Gabriel walked into the library and immediately he was in awe. The books everywhere were something he could live with the rest of his life. "Nanette this is amazing." he says, turning back to her.

Bash took a seat somewhat close to Kazuya but not too close, not entirely sure where he should sit. As the food was brought out he inhaled deeply, the smells were so different but still so good.

(*grits teeth* Then one of my more common rping people just insulted the Homura Clan. PS: I just finished reading K: Memory of Red if you know it. Sad when you combine it with the anime. And I love tragedy. Its hard for things to touch me like this.

Im actually quite pissed right now *takes a bite of the cookie* Though this will hold me back. *finishes the cookie* Anyways, I would never want to take out anger here, especially when the rper is in a totally different rp on a different club.)

Crilos: It will be fine. Im an experienced general, I know the dangerous stuff from the fun stuff. *looked over at Mao* Not sure yet. Ill see when we get there.

Riyoke had a bit of a somewhat worried thinking face on about Crilos's statement. Then he spoke.

Riyoke: Fine, remember though, the Kingdom of the Werecats isnt as demon accident proof as the Kingdom of Hell. No transforming, you are a destruction, chaos based demon, it might not roll nicely in the Kingdom of Werecats. No fire. No toxins. No smoke causing or usage. No weird possession stuff you learn from the gho-

Crilos: Yes I know mother. In short nothing that can cause a fire or be harmful to an average human boy or human over all right?

Riyoke: Alright, dont do anything crazy. *chuckles*

Crilos: I know mother. *chuckles*

----------------

Zaiver transformed back aswell.

Zaiver: When is the meal if it isnt too rude of me to ask?

(Sorry, didnt see the last two posts, I dont have time right now to reply because I got to go, though I will tommarow)

(It's okay!)
Nanette smiled. "Isn't it? I love it. You can go find a book if you'd like." Nanette motioned to all of the bookshelves. There were at least 80 of them, and there were books on tables as well.This is where Nanette was most comfortable, because she could just disappear in her books for hours.