Title: The Archmage's Other Predicament (OhEmGee! It's not three words long!!)
Author: Meeee.
Fandom/Original: Original.
Disclaimer: Kassil is mine. Valeria is mine. Lettuce and Trixiana are mine. Phoenix is mine. Thyme is mine. Atticus is mine. Kaestra is mine... though I wish she wasn't.
Summary: Kassil. GO TO SLEEP NOW.
Author's Notes: This will definitely make more sense if you go read The Archmage's Predicament and The Loveliest Heart. In that order. And this is post-original story.

Part One

The door clicked shut behind me, and I hung my winter cloak up on the wall.

The demon Phoenix walked slowly by, his dark blue hair pulled back and his scarf wrapped tightly around his neck.

"Hello," I said.

"Mortal," he scoffed, and I wondered what had put him in such a foul mood.

I chose to ignore it, walking past him to the little fenced area where Thyme was sitting, during one of those times when she does absolutely nothing.

Thyme was a little brown rabbit, adopted by Kassil and I. I reached down and stroked her dark fur, and she closed her eyes, looking content.

Then, I began ascending the stairs, occasionally skipping a step to make the journey less monotonous.

About halfway up, Atticus rushed past, and I almost lost my footing. "Sorry, Lady Valeria!" he shouted back, still running.

A few seconds later, Kaestra was darting down the steps, not paying me any notice. I decided she was chasing after Atticus again and briefly wondered what he'd done this time.

At last, I reached the top of the stairs, and I pushed the door open.

"Hat-SCHUU!"

"Kassil?" I quietly stepped into the room, closing the door behind me.

He was at his desk, reading some important book about magic like he had been for the past two days. He hadn't been sleeping much, if at all. I strongly suspected he was ill because of this, if only partly.

"I'm back from my walk."

He cleared his throat and sniffed sharply, not turning away from the book. "Hm, yes, hello."

I walked over and pushed his long, dark hair back behind his ears, and he looked up at me with an expression that was both curious and irritated.

I sighed as he forgot me and returned his attention to the tome. "You didn't sleep at all while I was gone, did you?"

"No." He shook his head, his hair coming down over his face again like a curtain between the both of us. "Is that a problem?"

"Kassil, what book could possibly be more important than your health?"

No response.

I expected he was thinking about it, and wondered how he would respond, but then my thoughts were interrupted.

"Huh-eh-HATSCHH!" His head snapped forward, and he grabbed his handkerchief off the desk, pressing it to his nose and finally tucking his hair behind one ear, the way he always did.

"I don't know," he said thickly.

I sat down in his lap then, knowing the battle was already half over.

"Dear Valeria," he sighed, "this is hardly the time for that."

"I don't want to be cuddled," I said, trying not to smile, "I'm going to sit on you until you go to sleep."

"It's not like you to be stubborn."

"Then perhaps I've been spending too much time with you."

With a sniff, he said quietly, "All right, get off, I'll go to bed."

"Good." I smiled and leaned against the door, and he looked back at me a moment later.

"Why are you still here?"

"I can't leave you by yourself. Not until you're asleep. If I did, you'd pick up that book the moment I was gone."

"You have been spending too much time with me, dear gods."

"But you don't mind, do you?"

"No. Not at all."

---

That's right, Valeria. Sit on him.

There's still more XD

Did I write everything okay? It's been a little while since I wrote about these two... *fretfretfret*

Questions? Comments? Opinions? Suggestions? Mice with red ribbons?

Yay, more sneezy archmage!

Keep it up, I love your stories!

Yay more nummy archmage goodness! Personally, I think they were written excellently, the banter was wonderful as always, and I cannot wait for even more.

*casually glances through topics on the forum..Takes a look through art and obs...goes to peek around in stories. Sees something written by kittentissues....
Clicks
reads
melts*

kestrel: Thanks! I will most definitely keep it up!

Mewling: Oh, thank you! I was worried I couldn't write them as well as I had - my focus has been off them for a little bit.

Char: *takes a look around the forum once again. Sees new post in The Archmage's Other Predicament. Clicks. Sees comment written by Char.
Reads comment...
grins*

eh......








er......







uhm......






omgflailywazabuttercuppeanutoasterflowers!!! *sniffysniffy* more with the nummyness himself!!! and...a bluehaired demon...

Must... stop... grinning... like... idiot...

chui <3 Fank oo.

Hey, here's a nice mental image for you all: Kassil in a top hat.

>_> What? I like top hats.

Good Valeria! And... *flails in glee*

Think that's it.

Part two now yaaaay.

Part Two

Sitting up in bed, I glanced out the window. The sky was streaked with bands of gold, indicating that it was early in the morning.

I looked over at Kassil, and I smiled. He was still asleep, the way he should have been. I couldn't help but notice that his breathing was occasionally making odd snuffling noises.

Well, as long as he was asleep.

I slowly got out of bed, careful not to disturb Kassil. I slid my feet into my white slippers, quietly walked out of the bedroom, and started down the stairs.

Which was uneventful compared to yesterday, save for me nearly tripping on the hem of my gown twice.

Phoenix was in the kitchen, stirring a pot of something on the stove. I decided not to ask, and sat down at the table.

Kaestra wandered in a few minutes later, muttering something about chicken. She looked over at Phoenix, or his tail, to be more specific. She batted at it playfully, as if trying to get a hold on it.

As human as her soul was, she was still a cat.

The game ended when Phoenix slammed his tail down on the floor, almost hitting Kaestra on the head. She yowled fearfully, and ran away.

I silently chewed on some bread, not wanting to know how old it was, and I wondered what I was going to do today.

Atticus entered the room, taking a seat in one of the other chairs. "Hello, Phoenix. Morning, Lady Valeria."

"Mm, hello," I said, studying the table, which was not very interesting.

Mornings are boring without Kassil.

"HEH-ISSHT!"

The sudden sound startled us both, Atticus nearly jumping out of the seat.

Phoenix coughed loudly twice, taking the pot off the heat. "What?" he asked, exasperated. "What are you two staring at me for?"

"You, uh, feeling all right, 'Nix?" Atticus drummed his fingers on the table, avoiding the other demon's piercing blue glare. "You seemed a bit, I don't know, off yesterda-"

"I'm fine."

"All right."

Phoenix disappeared down the corridor, taking the pot and whatever was in it with him. "H'ESHT!"

I sighed, finishing off the last of the bread. I was clearly going to have my work cut out for me.

---

Yep.

Ooooooo! Yes! Kassil and Phoenix? *dances around* Yay for multiple sufferings!

*muses of Mew silently sneak away from their grinning authoress*

Valeria will be very weary indeed by the time she gets to snuggle back into bed with her poor sick archmage... *cackle*

I love the title...the archmage's OTHER predicament
anyway
cute as always...you need not worry about your stories ( your fans will love them no matter what, because they never suck! )
wow I just realized how akward that last sentence was ( the one not in (). )
my favorite animal part is a tail...hehe...okay that was wierd....ANYWAY keep going please ♥

so very very very yummy.... i just love a yummy demon, dont you?

Carp. You all deserve an update before I go on vacation, but part three has been problematic.

So, instead, you can have a little of the fluffiness in part four.

---

I smiled. "You should be in bed."

"I've been asleep all day, dear."

I shook my head and sat next to him, looking out at the night sky. He put his arm around my waist, curling his fingers around mine.

"Kaestra sends her condolences."

"Mm, send them back. I don't want them."

---

And that is all I have to tell you about that.
Valeria pulls a Han Solo >_>

Mewling: *dances too* I love it when I get ideas like this.

queenie: Oh, yes, she certainly will...

lalaland: *grin* Thanks! I love the title, too. Never suck? I disagree... but I'm the author, my opinion on my own story doesn't count XD

chui: Yes. Yes, I do.

Oh, my friend's alter ego, who has fangs but is not a vampire, says that Kassil really is yummy.

Seriously. She bit him. We were all like O_O

Okay, you guys can have part three after all. Noodles make wonderful muse-food.

Part Three

Having nothing better to do at the moment, I journeyed up the stairs again. I slipped out of my gown and into a pastel-green dress that Kassil had said I should wear more often.

As I was combing my hair, I spied Kassil's dream journal lying upon a chest of drawers. (He should organize his things better.) Curiously, I picked it up and turned to the most recent entry, which was five days ago.

(Don't look at me like that. He'd said I could read it if I wanted to.)

I am in a grassy field surrounded by trees. The sky overhead is light blue with some fluffy clouds. In the middle of this field, I see my mother and father. They are not at all like I last saw them. They are young, attractive, happy, not fighting, and certainly not dead. I watch them for a few moments, though they do not seem to notice me.
Suddenly, I feel something hit me on the back of my head. Valeria, clad head to toe in her armor, runs up to me and shouts, "Hurry up! You're going to be late, silly!" She laughs and runs off, and I run after her.
I eventually catch up, and Valeria hugs me tightly and tells me we are here.
I ask where 'here' is, and she just laughs.
I turn around for no reason and there is a lake behind me. Valeria yells "Come on! Don't be afraid!" and pushes me in.
Just before I hit the water, I wake up.

I wish I had dreams like this more often.

I grinned and closed the book. It always surprised me how well Kassil remembered his dreams.

Kassil mumbled something about sheep and rolled over. I raised an eyebrow, wondering about whether to wonder or not. I decided not to, and went downstairs again.

Atticus was concentrating on some cheese, poking it with a knife, and I decided not to ask. The week before, it had been apples.

Kaestra wandered in again, talking quietly to herself about fish. She looked up at Atticus, shook her head, and switched the topic to pie.

I didn't know what I was going to do. Usually, I would be talking to Kassil, going to see my brother, or taking a walk. I didn't want to do any of these things, so I sat at the table and watched Kaestra ramble to herself about apples.

A bit later, Lucas, or as we usually call him, Lettuce, stumbled in, looking a little dazed. He pulled a chair out from the table and sat down with a movement that I can only describe as fhwomp. He laid his head down on the table, moaning quietly.

Trixiana followed, a look of actual concern upon her face as she hovered over him, running her fingers through his dark hair. "Come on, sweetie. Talk to me."

Lettuce raised his head a little, then coughed. "Don't feel well." He rubbed his nose, then sneezed twice. "Hh-eh-KSSCH! Heh-ISSHOO!" He sniffled a few times, groaning and leaning back in the chair.

I sighed, exasperated, and banged my head on the table.

---

Valeria: *headdesk*

Yep.

Man, I want to have dreams like the one Kassil dreamed. Seriously. D:

Oh, and this is pretty much how Atticus came to live at Kassil's place. According to Trixiana, Kassil, and Atticus himself, this is true.

Trixiana: Master, he followed me home, can I keep him?
Kassil: O_o

Goodbye, I'll see you all once I get back from vacation.

Have fun on vacation! Hope the muses keep you busy! (Oh, wait, was that selfish?) I also kind of wish she'd woken Kassil up, can't wait until he's miserable, feverish, and sneezy with Val again.

queenie: They most certainly did! I can't wait either.

chui: I know, right?

Part four is coming soon, but I have to work out the beginning and the middle. I'm also writing a new sneezefic, so... yah.

sits patiently.... next to a toad....