The Spark

After much discussion sister and I decided that the best route to go as to finding out the identities of our true parents is to go back to Europa and open the safe that father told us not to open. We loved our parents dearly, but now is the time for answers, and every day that passes convinces me that papa is not coming home.

There is something in my blood that burns, it fills me with ambition that I do not desire. I have to know who- maybe even what- I am before it destroys something.

Speaking of which I have been working to BUILD connections and alliances here, and I think it is going well. I can be of great use to the consulate, and I think they know that now. I never expected to find myself so devoted to the Baron and his Empire, but what can I say, I just want to do all the good I can.

Herr Greegar told me I smelled good. I hope I don’t smell good in the food way!

What a fantastic time I had last night. I feel like I’m getting back to myself almost. If I wasn’t in the midst of a terribly complicated move and wasn’t suddenly prone to illness/injury I think things would almost be perfect. I managed to impale myself very neatly on a small piece of DULL wood, yes, dull, and my arm is still throbbing. Oddly enough, it’s in the exact same place as my sister’s recent injury to her arm, which I neatly stitched up and promptly apologized for. Father would call me “wretchedly clumsy”, I am sure. I had gotten to thinking about his airship last night, the “Confounded Woman”, or, more properly, the “Alexandria”, named for his sister whom he loved dearly but often gave him grief.

Did I mention I’d recently been to Castle Wulfenbach?

I anticipate being completely moved by this time next month, and I have to say it’s a relief to have an indoor workshop and a garden that I can actually tend. Sister and I both want to grow our own vegetables and herbs, and we think this is the place to do it!

I have decided that I need a better torch. Hmm.

And, for your enjoyment, pictures of the dance!

My wonderful dance with the the Baron, and again!

My sister and the Baron won best dressed!
Aren’t they lovely?

And Signore Lunar, whom I am afraid I gave away when he showed up, graced me with a dance as well!

My dance with Mr. Dorian Gray!, who had been accompanied earlier in the night by a little clockwork doll named Lucy.

And then I had the pleasure of meeting Mister Sherlock Holmes himself!, who then shared a dance with me as well.

The lovely clockwork ADA and Mr. Holmes admire a gear fountain

All in all a lovely night.

It is no secret that I am not the same, silly girl that I was before father disappeared. I have become emotional, vulnerable, and easily frightened. I feel as though this happy, cheerful girl I am trying to be is a lie. I am sad, and I am lonely, even surrounded by loving people.

I can only say thank you to Signore Lunar for being such a good friend and welcoming me with open arms to Steelhead. I have to say I have been afraid I would not be able to settle in anywhere, but if I do it shall be Steelhead. I am exhausted and weakened and lost, and every time I turn about I feel as though I’m doing something to offend people or muck up everything I’ve worked for. I am the victim of a horrid crush on top of it all, and I am afraid my heart feels torn into a thousand pieces. I cannot seem to make myself not care, and the feeling that I am disappointing someone I care very much for kills me.

I will be honest, I have failed my sister. I am not the fleshcrafter my father was, nor the tinkerer he was. I am a passable-at-best tinkerer who makes pretty things and little more. Yes, I know, some of them are capable of a little magic, but look at what the inter-dimensional travel key got us? Completely uprooted. This is all my fault. All of it.

Of all the stupid things, I miss my mother’s quilt the most.

I know she will never hold me again, and that quilt was her way of me being able to be in her arms again. With father missing I’ve found that her loss is even greater.

Some chap called Victoria and I the “Heterodyne Girls” the other day. That’s most delightful and mysterious. Granted it was after a large explosion, so perhaps it wasn’t meant in the brightest light.

Absolutely sick as a dog today, woke up dizzy after a night of dreams about Othar annoying me to pieces and having the Baron *gulp* do brain surgery on me.. I am exhausted and I am suddenly completely unable to pack a thing! I do so hope this passes soon!

The storms are back, and they’re quite terrible. I am hoping we survive this one!

Remember to buy from us now! We need to fund our moving trip!

Good morning gentle folks. I was released from the hospital this morning, with tests pending, but they think I am all right. I am on ordered bed rest (which is why, of course, I am sitting at my computer) and will have to go back in for tests. I will likely not be about for some time, I am exhausted and just a little frightened, and I need to be in an environment where I am not stressed, as they think that it’s severe anxiety which pushed me to collapse. They don’t actually know what is wrong with me and won’t for awhile likely, if ever, as falling unconscious is a rather common thing, or so they assured me.

Thank you all for your support, and I’m sorry that I won’t be posting for a bit.

To break the fourth wall, as it were, for a moment…

Alexandra is in the hospital, having collapsed at her workbench.

*frowns, frets*

I will post updates when I have them. Hopefully it’s nothing serious, but don’t expect her to be about for some time. We are in the middle of a move as well as dealing with this, as some of you may know, and we appreciate your concerns and patience. Any etsy orders placed will of course be shipped by myself and/or Gerrund.

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. I may be away for a bit, also; I’ve got to go be with her at the hospital.

Wishing her a speedy recovery,
Victoria

Lucrezia Mongfish is a menace to society. That is all.

Now, upon having been accosted by FOUR DIFFERENT Geisterdamen, I have decided to give in. There’s no use in fighting it, they’re going to follow me no matter what I do, so I might as well take advantage of the situation.

After all, better me than someone else, right?

I am extending my contest until further notice, likely I shall end it after we are finished moving!

MOVING. That’s correct! To a bigger place, this one has a LAB for me! Stone floors and everything! It’s just perfect, a dream come true! And it’s got a pool, so that’s fantastic! I will finally be able to work on dear sister’s legs and get them to the point where I feel I’ve done her some justice!

We need all the support we can get for this move, so please buy from our shoppe!

is it wrong of me, now that I’ve gotten past the creepy aspect, that I actually enjoy the company of these mysterious ladies?

I feel as though something is speaking to me now, calling me. These days of anxiety and fear and tears will be ending, I just know it. Perhaps this is a becoming.

The nightmares are less terrifying now.

Now, I know I’ve talked about the White Maidens quite a bit here, and maybe it’s all the artifacts and moonstone I am currently carrying about, but I have to tell you this.

Yesterday I ran into a Geisterdame. She stopped and started at me, then cried out and knelt at my feet, saying all the while “Mistress, Mistress, do you not know me?”

I must admit I just stood there in shock for most of the experience. I told her she was mistaken, but she would have none of it. She was afraid of the Baron, that was my impression, and when I would not go with her she fled.

What on earth could this mean?

As you all may know, my sister and I are, indeed, foundlings. As much as I would have given my left arm to be Alexander Sforza’s daughter by blood, I am afraid it’s only by heart, so we don’t actually know who we are. A rumor recently reached my ears that someone was whispering we girls were Heterodynes! Let me state now that this is preposterous and I will hear no more of it. I was raised a Sforza and shall stay a Sfoza.

I theorize, now that I have my senses about me, that the reason this Dame approached me was because I was, unfortunately, wearing a Geisterdamen artifact. This makes sense, does it not!? Yes, I thought so too.

She was unnerving to see, but here’s the odd thing- as frightened as I was, I somehow knew she wouldn’t hurt me. Her presence became comforting, familiar, something I knew but couldn’t remember. Like the whisps of a dream you’re trying to recall in the mid-afternoon sun.

I feel most strange.

Well, it looks like we will be moving after all! This place is just a little too small for us, and I REALLY DESPERATELY need a workspace that I can just close off from the rest of the house. I make SUCH a mess!

I am crossing my fingers that we will just love this new place!

An Edit: It is lovely! We’ve already started packing. I never knew I had so many gears! Gah! And to make it worse, I just received a new shipment of gears today! There’s SO much to do! The new house has a LAB! I am SO pleased! I shall be able to do torchwork and chemical treatments under a roof! Huzzah! And there’s even sufficient lighting!

If you’re wanting to buy a trinket from us, do it now! We can use all the help getting the 3,000 dollars that we need to move!