map of the problematique | sienna

[rhys alexander greyback]

So scattered so lost

I want to touch the other side

January 9, 2028
Sienna Aurélie Linslee

Sienna had requested Rhys’ presence. However, only the condition that his daughter was with him. So really her presence was requested, but she couldn’t very well just get her. But he shrugged it off. Besides, it had been some time since they had seen one another, and not just in passing. Most of the year, she was traveling, and for all that time, Rhys had to deal with a drunk and sulking Rob, although most of the time Rhys was also drunk and sulking. The wolves couldn’t seem to do anything about this bumpy road they constantly traveled when it came to their respective partners. For Rhys, he hadn’t figured out how to not pick a fight every time he opened his mouth.

But things appeared to have settled, at least for the holidays. Rhys had to work for a few days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but he’d made it back relatively on time. But the delay meant that for the first time in a long time, Rhys entered the new year with only a buzz. It only meant his eventual spiral into the whiskey bottle took a few extra hours. Vasilia was working, naturally, and he’d spent the morning answering messages he’d put off because he was busy before getting everything ready to head here.

”I know you only wanted to see her.” Rhys accused, but he kept his expression light. When she opened her door, he hadn’t bothered with a ‘hello’. Honestly, Rhys didn’t mind. A part of him enjoyed seeing his sisters or friends fuss over Amelia. The last eighteen months passed quickly. Rhys couldn’t remember the last time he’d visited Si, but Amelia was not walking yet. He’d at least seen her for a few minutes when stopping by the apothecary, but they seemed very busy these days. He just wished he himself didn’t feel so tired.

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[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

9 January 2028

Sienna seemed to have gotten hit with a wave of baby fever – but not exactly in a ‘I want babies’ kind of way. More like baby-adjacent, since she couldn’t get over how cute her friends’ babies were and wanting to spoil them while still being glad to go home baby-free after a day of fun. Her world trip had gotten her loads of new potions knowledge, tricks she was happy to bring back to the apothecary, but it also meant she was loaded up with souvenirs. Fun kinds of magic candy, beautiful carvings and artwork, and a new toy for Charlotte in every city she stopped in. Rhys was an attractive guy (she wasn’t blind, after all) and he made cute babies. Even though it had been a six month hiatus since seeing baby Charlotte for the last time, Si still couldn’t get over her bright blue eyes and chubby cheeks.

“Isn’t Daddy so smart? He knows his place in the world,” Si cooed to Charlotte in baby-talk as she eagerly accepted the baby the moment she opened the door. In a stark contrast to her father, Charlotte was all smiles and happiness as she babbled and pulled at Si’s hair. Not that Sienna knew Maria particularly well, except for the knowledge that she’d slept with her ex-boyfriend in a vaguely (barely) acceptable timeline after their failed relationship – but Charlotte must’ve gotten her happy genes from her because there was no way it came from Rhys. No, he always found something to be grouchy about. Sienna continued to talk nonsense to Charlotte for a while, showing off the stuffed sunflower she’d bought her in the States, before she finally turned her attention back to Rhys.

And she sighed a little at the dark circles under his eyes and restless way he moved. Shifting Charlotte’s weight to her hip, Si raised an eyebrow at Rhys. “Coffee in the kitchen. And then you can catch me up on everything, including the reason for the zombie look you’ve got going right now.” She did feel bad at the general lack of attention she’d been giving Rhys lately. Besides her world trip, things at the apothecary had been ridiculously busy since her return and it felt like Si was still playing catch-up. He stopped by as always for Aware Wolf business, but their interactions had been much shorter lately. So yes, she might have just invited him to see Charlotte…but not just. They’d been friends for years at this point – so his problems were her problems too.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

So scattered so lost

I want to touch the other side

January 9, 2028
Sienna Aurélie Linslee

Si acknowledged him and then immediately took to Charlotte. The usual. But he supposed he felt better for that sense of normalcy. The two had struck a friendship since he’d been pulled into the Aware Wolf trials. And through those in-depth conversations, Rhys had opened up in ways he’d never intended. At first, it was for the trial, but then it just became something easier to do. So, while his patience for prying had grown thin these past months, he was glad to see his friend. And she looked good in the sense that the time away had been positive for her.

”Good to see you too.” Rhys muttered as he walked through the door, putting Charlotte’s carrier next to the couch. He resisted the urge to sigh loudly. Surely he didn’t look that bad, but he never learned that he couldn’t hide from certain people. Even that day, with a slight hangover and general exhaustion, it was his daughter that really motivated him to move at all. Rhys watched for a moment how she happily babbled and grabbed at any jewelry she saw and then hair. She loved pulling at Rhys’ curly hair when he let it grow.

And he just hoped she stayed that happy. He meant what he said to Maria that day. He would not subject her to what he had gone through if he could help. Obediently, Rhys walked into the kitchen to grab himself a cup of coffee—black. There was no sense in arguing when he’d seen himself in the mirror that morning. ”How was your trip?” Rhys asked as he walked back from the kitchen and took a seat. ”I think you even went to places I haven’t been to yet.” Rhys had traveled quite a bit with his work. And considering he was coming up on ten years as a Cursebreaker, he’d been to quite a few places. That made Rhys feel a little old, and he always had to fight the urge to retrospectively look back in hindsight. Somedays, it felt like yesterday he was packing his bag to start training.

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[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Her friendship with Rhys had been unexpected, if only because one didn’t usually befriend the test subjects for an experimental never-before-tried potion. But Rhys had been the first, and Sienna had taken a hands-on approach with the human side of the potionmaking. She still remembered the strangeness of giving Rhys his ‘feelings journal’ and asking highly intrusive medical questions so they could collect all the data possible in order to better understand the results. And from there – well, the intimacy had come slowly over the months. Sienna never talked to anyone about her mother, but the conditions had been right for that vulnerability with Rhys. And then there’d been the whole issue of the unexpected pregnancy, and Si finding herself once again as a discreet potions supplier for a friend in need.

The stakes weren’t that high anymore – now the most interesting thing about their friendship was the occasional request to babysit and her constantly ignored pleas for Rhys to wear a holiday sweater during Christmas. But there were miracles and then there were miracles, like convincing Rhys to change his mind about something. Si would take what she could get, like cooing over Amelia with the stuffed sunflower while she bounced the baby in her arms. She almost didn’t register Rhys’s sulky commentary to himself while he walked back and forth from the kitchen. Instead, Si sunk onto her couch and rearranged Amelia on her lap so the baby could pull at her hair while it freed her hands.

She brightened at the opportunity to talk about her trip – because even after giving Rob a play-by-play of her months abroad, Si still wasn’t tired of describing it. “Amazing,” she emphasized, a bright smile on her face. “It was hard at first, I didn’t really have any travel experience and I missed all of you. But the people and the sights and the magic!” Si’s gaze seemed faraway as she remembered all the highlights of her trip. “Did you know potioneers in Italy are also involved in glassblowing? They view the vessel as an equally important component of the potion, and its properties ultimately affect the potion’s composition too,” Si said eagerly. That had been a brilliant discovery, and she’d already informed Rob that they were both taking glassblowing classes to try it out. That would be an entertaining sight, even if they both failed horribly. “But it’s probably nothing like what you used to do. Unless cursebreakers also work in cities?”

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

So scattered so lost

I want to touch the other side

January 9, 2028
Sienna Aurélie Linslee

Many of Rhys’ friendships held a foundation from years at school or perhaps the shared misery of a cursed relationship with the full moon. And then others snuck in behind Rhys’ walls. Sienna was one of them. With frequent visits and working through the potion’s side effects, Rhys hadn’t even realized how close it had brought them. But while Sienna joined the short list of individuals who knew most of Rhys’ deepest and darkest secrets, she didn’t know everything. He was entitled to his secrets, after all. The trust was there, however.

It was any wonder she hadn’t needed to push so hard for the truth. Rhys’ nightmares and the deaths of his mother and best friend transpiring right before him. So naturally, it hadn’t taken her long to get the truth out of him about Amelia and her mother. Sage, the twin sister of his once best friend. And when Si shared something equally personal with him, that seemed to solidify it all.

Rhys sipped carefully at the coffee. Still hot, but not enough to threaten to burn his entire mouth. Si began to talk about her trip, lighting up as she did. The time away seemed to do her some good, a refreshed look in her eyes that wasn’t there before. He nodded as she spoke, acknowledging the words had not gone in one ear and out the other. ”Not usually.” That was quite rare unless work was done underground. But typically, it was all very remote, increasing the risk.

”If we can finish early, it's nice to explore a bit.” Learning about new places and cultures was a perk of the job Rhys enjoyed immensely. Although ‘exploring’ was a broad term, at least for Rhys. He was entitled to his secrets, including what he did with said free time. ”Where else did you visit?” Rhys couldn’t honestly remember from where every postcard arrived. But his eyes settled on his daughter, content with exploring whatever she could get her hands on—Si’s hair, in this case. ”Careful—she’s got a good grip.” Sage had mentioned losing an earring that way, and Amelia had taken Rhys’ glasses the other day. He didn’t wear them often, usually only when he had a headache bad enough to affect his vision.

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[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

After all the excitement of her trip abroad – the constant changes in scenery, the whirlwind of faces and names that changed every few weeks, and the strangeness of meeting other magical cultures for the first time – it was nice to come back to a sense of normalcy. Si glanced around at her apartment and everything was where she expected it to be. The herb garden on the balcony, the outdated potions magazines piled up by the lamp, a potion bubbling away in the corner with its lid sealed and baby-proofed so Amelia wouldn’t get her hands into the Pepper-Up Potion (seriously, having a potioneer and a healer in the apartment meant they saved loads at the apothecary).

Yeah, and Rhys sipping at his coffee while he looked like walking death. That was pretty usual too, even if the cause this time seemed to be ‘everyday angst’ instead of the occasional existential crisis that hit. It occurred to Si that they’d never actually spent much time talking about Rhys’s work. Like, everyone knew what cursebreakers did in a general sense. And Sienna had probed in the past about why certain trips had happened, like his sudden flight to Egypt once upon a time. But they spent more time talking about shenanigans and happenings in London rather than his work abroad. So his little hint about exploring after a job was interesting, even if Si was distracted from asking for more details.

Because wow, the baby had a grip. “You’ve got a little Seeker in the making,” Si pointed out as she played with prying open Amelia’s little fist. She gave up after a few moments and reshifted Amelia’s weight in her arms. “Alright now, let’s make a deal. You let go, and I give you loads of kisses,” she cooed, moving one arm to tickle her stomach while Sienna tried not to move her head. “One, two, three!...okay, one more time. One, two…ouch!” It took more negotiations and bribes until Si was finally able to brush her hair back and away from the danger zone. She replayed Rhys’s question in her mind and considered it. “I was all over, really. I had some nice quality time in the South Pacific, spent a few weeks up north too. Finally understood why they say to never invade Russia in winter, you know what I mean?”

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

So scattered so lost

I want to touch the other side

January 9, 2028
Sienna Aurélie Linslee

Rhys watched with some amusement as Si battled with the stubborn grip of a toddler. And Amelia was stubborn. Although eventually, Si got control of her hair back. In the meantime, Rhys sipped the hot coffee, taking his time with it. Holding the mug kept his hands busy and left him overall less fidgety. ”She’s stubborn—distracting her seems to do the trick.” Rhys had learned this very quickly of his daughter. She often saw items that were purposefully out of reach, and she’d let them know that it upset her greatly that the thing was out of reach. But nothing a shinier item couldn’t solve.

A memory of work he’d done years ago when Saffron was still alive came to mind. They were sent up north with a senior Cursebreaker, and Rhys had wondered if the endless cold had been some kind of curse on the area. Though maybe it had just shocked him since he was rarely uncomfortably cold. ”I do.” Rhys agreed, focusing more on his coffee. His work typically took him to warm and humid places, but it was a toss-up even these days. ”I haven’t worked over there in years.” The ice preserved quite a bit if you could get past it or find an untouched Scythian burial mound or a hidden stash of precious metals Vikings hoarded. There was also the issue of Cursebreakers from those regions. They were rather protective of their finds.

Rhys thought of asking how Rob was doing, even though he knew perfectly well how Rob was doing. But he decided against it. Either Si would tell him, or she wouldn’t. He was always grateful for her tact when she chose not to pry, not that he remembered that feeling when she did decide to push him. ”Well, I’m glad you’re back.” Rhys spoke. It wasn’t sarcastic despite his tone. He meant it. Plus, he was certain she would have immediately disapproved of the sheer quantity of alcohol Rhys and Rob had gone through in her absence. Not to mention they either sulked or almost fought every time they drank. Rhys recalled his temper flaring when Rob had snatched his phone over a message. They never learned, did they?

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[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Si hummed in acknowledgment of Rhys’s advice for how to break Amelia’s killer grip, and her sense of discretion told her not to point out that the same advice was true about him. Apparently the apple didn’t fall far from the tree in that sense. But Si had learned that it was better not to be direct with Rhys, because pointing out the obvious was usually enough to spook him and then it was a matter of coaxing him out from under the bed before returning to their original starting point. No, she’d learned a long time ago that the subtle approach was the only real way to talk to him. So she left the subject as it was and let Amelia play with a stuffed animal on her lap while Si tied her hair back. Not an impossible target for a baby, but she’d have to try harder to get a grip on Sienna’s hair.

Instead, she gave a little shiver at the memory of Russia. “I don’t plan to go back,” she said honestly, bouncing the baby in her lap as she thought about it. “I learned some interesting techniques for how they store their potions, but it was so dark the entire time I was there. It seems impossible to go weeks without really seeing the sun.” And anyway, she’d read in the papers of Cursebreakers having to deal with pirates and smugglers in the far north. Opportunists who waited for the enchantment on a tomb to be broken before dueling their way out and with the cursebreaker’s gold too.

Rhys didn’t expand anymore on his previous jobs in Russia, but his next statement made her smile. “I missed you both loads. I wanted to call more, but…you know how it is. Sometimes owl post was the only way to send a message.” Si spent the next few moments in silence, wondering if she dared to ask while she gathered Amelia’s wispy hair into a cute little ponytail. She’d invited Rhys over to catch up, mostly to see the baby too, but she hadn’t forgotten how much time Rhys and Rob spent together. And even though she’d seen a lot of Rob when she’d first come back, lately he’d been spending less time in the apothecary and took a long time to answer her texts (if he answered at all). And Sienna was worried, and had been agonizing for weeks what she should do about it. She didn’t know if he was avoiding her, if he’d decided their dynamic couldn’t go back to platonic after everything that had happened, or if something was actually wrong. Neither option was good, and it seemed wrong to hope for one over the other. So she finally mustered up the most casual tone she could and asked, “Have you, er…heard from Rob lately?” Because Rhys would know what was really going on…wouldn’t he?

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

So scattered so lost

I want to touch the other side

January 9, 2028
Sienna Aurélie Linslee

Rhys was not surprised Amelia had gotten ahold of Si’s hair. Unconsciously, he ran a hand over the back of his head. The hair felt rough against his fingers, but it always did when he kept it short. Like Sienna had discovered, Rhys had to learn the hard way that when his hair was longer, it was an easy target for a toddler. For now, Rhys’ daughter was happily distracted by a stuffed animal. For a moment, Rhys watched Amelia interact with the object. Wondering at which point his daughter would choose to randomly launch it as far as she could across the room to entertain herself.

The warmth of the coffee helped with the memory of that bitter Russian winter. And he recalled those dark days. It reminded a person how important the sun was to someone who lived in their head all day long. ”I avoid it as much as possible—the bank has a separate group managed up there.” There was much to the area, including bureaucracy, that probably required such a location. But Rhys didn’t care. He preferred the warmer weather in any case.

He had not missed Sienna’s tendencies to try and push Rhys in one direction or another, but he had missed his friend. And her absence had been felt by many. As his close friend, she was one of the few faces his daughter consistently recognized. There was much Rhys was learning about fatherhood, and Amelia’s mother, Sage, had a lot to do with that. A lot of his time was spent away working, leaving Sage with the bulk of the work. Part of Rhys felt terrible for that, but letting go of his career still felt out of the question.

And speaking of familiar faces—Rhys’ eyes lingered an extra moment on Si before he sipped more from his cup. ”Not lately.” He responded, equally casual. Rob’s previous confession about Si had shocked Rhys, but the more he considered it—the more it all made perfect sense as well. The pair were good together; even someone as cynical as Rhys could see their special bond. Not to mention, it took something special to earn an Order of Merlin together. ”But I’ve been working quite a bit.” It wasn’t for lack of trying, and the holidays were a busy time between working and family. ”Isn’t he at the Apothecary these days?” They worked together. He figured Rob was the first person who would’ve welcomed her home. Then again, if their last drinking binge was any indication, Rob was still hurting quite a bit—but Rhys only looked at Si curiously.

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[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Amelia seemed happy enough in the moment to simply bounce in her lap and wave the stuffed animal around in her tiny fist, but Sienna kept her arms ready for the possibility of a mood change (and another mad attempt to swipe at her hair). None of her friends were in quite the situation to have babies yet, although the aging process was constant and relentless and would change that soon enough, so Si was learning a lot of things for the first time as a babysitter. Rhys also seemed to be picking up little tricks for managing his daughter – at least he also seemed to be keeping a close eye on the stuffed toy – but the dark circles under his eyes seemed to suggest some difficult nights.

Si took a moment to lean down and grab the stuffed animal from the floor to avoid making accidental eye contact with Rhys as he slowly answered. She kept a tighter grip on the toy as Amelia tried and failed to send it into flight again, but that was still easier than fighting the warring emotions in her chest that Rhys apparently didn’t have any news for her either. “Oh right,” she said, unable to completely keep the disappointment from her tone as she shrugged. His question seemed casual enough, but it didn’t completely undercut her suspicion that maybe he did know something and was just wondering if he should say it. “I did see him a bit when I first got back,” she admitted, “But he’s, uh, started to work from home lately. I thought maybe I’d just, well, missed something?”

That was about as straightforward as she could force herself to be. Si normally didn’t have any problem mustering the courage for an honest conversation – because really, she put a lot of stock into being able to talk about anything with anyone. But there’d been a slight disconnect between her and Rob in their last few stilted conversations, and it’d felt wrong to ask about his relationship status. Like maybe she would be hinting too strongly about the fact that her feelings hadn’t changed after six months abroad. But a lot of honesty could be found at the bottom of a pint, so she’d thought (hoped?) that Rhys might know something. “So you’ve been working a lot?” she said suddenly, trying to change the subject to something safer. “Anywhere special?”

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

So scattered so lost

I want to touch the other side

January 9, 2028
Sienna Aurélie Linslee

As much as Rhys wanted to claim he didn’t keep secrets from Sienna, a valued close friend, he knew that to be untrue. A part of him wanted to protect Rob, another close friend. Not that he was taking sides, so to speak. And really, pushing anyone in some direction was unlike him. Still, nothing he had just explained was a lie—Rhys had been working quite a bit, much to the dismay of his family and girlfriend. Missing holidays never led to anything good, especially not when Rhys found any opportunity to pick a fight.

Rhys watched as Si picked up the toy, and Amelia was simply happy to have it back. It still amazed him how easy it was to keep her happy. And if his daughter was happy, Rhys felt like things were good. It was easy to focus on that and dismiss everything else. Was it right to do so? Probably not. Other things did matter, but as the complexity increased, Rhys needed to numb all those thoughts with some strong whiskey. Rhys shrugged. ”Do you want me to speak to him?” He offered he had about another few days home before he was off to another part of the world.

In any case, Rhys would check on his friend. Breakups and things of that nature always needed time, and they were easier to live with. Rhys knew about this well, and alcohol had created a very open and honest relationship between him and Rob. ”Here and there.” There was no shortage of places to dig up artifacts. And he didn’t mind talking about work, or at least sticking to the details of it. ”The trainees won’t be field-ready until the summer, so we have to pick up the slack.” Gone were the days of learning by being thrown in the pool, so to speak. Rhys’ first two years felt like a constant trial by fire.

While it wasn’t bad, it meant less babysitting for him, and it added to his workload. But, it put gold in his vault, which was gold for Amelia and her mother. ”I head back out after the full moon—Crete.” The Minoans left many secrets behind, but it was a highly sought out destination not only for Rhys’ lot but herbologists as well since it was the only place Dittany of Crete was known to grow. But as long as they didn’t get in his way.

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[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

The awkward silence that settled between them gave more credibility to the theory that Rhys knew more about Rob than he was sharing in the moment. Sienna had found, over the many years of their friendship, that it was easy to tell when Rhys was lying. There were always little signs to suggest that he was holding something back, or lying to himself, or all of the above. But actually getting him to share? To reveal the truth, to admit what was on his mind, much less actually trying to get Rhys to do something if he didn’t want to do it? That was impossible. He was stubborn, which meant external forces couldn’t force the cursebreaker to do anything. That decision had to come from himself, ultimately.

So Si knew that it wasn’t just a simple matter of Rhys being too busy with work. She thought that Rob had been happy to see her, and the first few conversations between them had flowed exactly like they’d always done. They were easy and effortless and (on her part at least), tinged with a little bit of longing. Wanting to get closer but not letting herself. At some point, maybe once it’d become clear that her trip abroad hadn’t changed anything for her, the dynamic had started to change. And Rob had started to become more distant. She seriously considered Rhys’s offer to talk to him, and spent a moment in deep thought while she bounced Amelia on her lap.

Finally, she just shook her head. “You’re two peas in a pod. If he wants to be stubborn, talking to him won’t do anything,” Si grumbled under her breath as she redid Amelia’s ponytail. She just needed somewhere to focus her eyes and hands, so she didn’t have to feel hurt about Rob avoiding her or annoyed that Rhys could be impossible sometimes. As they moved into safer territory, Si nodded absentmindedly about the trainees. Rhys had complained a few times already about having to wait until they’d finished school, and about the new curriculum, and how it hadn’t been like that during his trainee period. “Have you already been assigned one, or does that happen later?” It was hard to imagine Rhys as a mentor, but then again – seeing him with Amelia had really highlighted how he’d changed over the years. It wasn’t completely outside the realm of possibility anymore.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

So scattered so lost

I want to touch the other side

January 9, 2028
Sienna Aurélie Linslee

It was not unusual for Rhys to hold back what might have been on his mind, but he certainly felt this was not a topic he could speak on. Even when he’d gotten Rob to admit there was something between him and Sienna, Rhys had only asked after a lot of alcohol. Like that final push to satisfy a lingering question and curiosity. He raised an eyebrow at her response as he finished off the coffee in his mug, placing it far enough away that Amelia wouldn’t grab it and throw it given the chance.

”Must be a werewolf thing.” Rhys muttered dryly. Rob wasn’t anywhere near as stubborn as Rhys, not that he would use that word to describe himself. He merely liked doing things his own way without people nagging him. ”We usually get a few.” By the time a Cursebreaker reached Rhys’ level of experience, they hardly saw more than half of the trainees they trained with. Some quit, some retired, and others merely met with an unfortunate accident. His jaw clenched momentarily at the thought. Five years was nothing when mourning a friend.

When the work was easy, he could take multiple trainees along. And the higher the risk, the less they were likely to tag along. Fieldwork was still a large part of their curriculum, so he’d see one or two over the next few months until they were let loose in the summer. Rhys felt his phone buzz in his pocket and checked the incoming message. Vasilia. One of her diplomatic, polite messages told Rhys she was probably still slightly upset with him. It seemed the norm these days. He kept his expression as stoic as possible, returning his phone to his pocket. ”Unfortunately, I have to go.” He sat up, pausing a moment to observe his daughter calmly in her own little world. ”I have to bring that one back to her mum.” He tried to look a little bit apologetic, knowing how much Si enjoyed spending time with Amelia.

[ end rhys ]

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