[IC] The Dark Beyond: Adventures in Candyland (Prequel)

Pyramid Map

Here is the map for the new area of the pyramid, for everyone's reference! There is a locked door between 4 and 5.

[Estylwen]

The Dark Beyond: Adventures in Candyland (Prequel)

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"...How the most dangerous thing is to love..." Played over the radio as the tour bus traveled worn, uneven roads.

The hours struck midnight in Egypt. The sandy desert air cooled down from the intense heat of the day just hours before. There was an atmosphere of anticipation and hope. Hidden below the surface, though, played other notes. Guilt, anger, neglect. Quietly playing as the undertones as the bus made its way forward.

They had the entire bus to themselves. This was the way of the Louvre, of course. Always treating their agents finely while in the field, knowing the risks their people took every day to uncover the secrets of old. Thierry Claude de Villiers and his family, Sabrina, Aurélie, Theo, and Cosette, were the only inhabitants of the bus besides the bus driver. A Louvre staff, of course. Local to the area.

He hummed along with the radio, trying to keep the sleep out of his eyes. They had been traveling for some time, and he still had more driving to do after he dropped the de Villiers off at their destination. He glanced over at his passengers, feeling a loaded atmosphere. This family felt... different. Special, even.

Cosette sat in the middle of the bus in one of the window seats, parading her Hello Kitty flashlight across the window pane, pretending it was a doll. She had napped most of the way there, including the airplane, and felt quite refreshed. Her patience was starting to wear thin, and playing with her flashlight eventually just wouldn't cut it.

She got up, carefully navigating the bus aisle, before she found her mother's seat, Sabrina, and patted her knee. Her eyes were wide, her lip in a slight pout. "Momma, when will we get there?"

Almost on cue, the bus took a turn into a wide desert expanse, revealing a looming shadow silhouetted against the backdrop of a starry clear night. The Great Pyramid of Giza was waiting for them, patient and forthright on the horizon, its impressive shape making it stand as tall as a mountain in Cosette's eyes.

Soon enough, the bus stopped near the pyramid, a small, worn field of sand between them and the piles of stones. The bus driver turned to Thierry. "We're here, boss. Grab your things, there's another staff member waiting for you at the entrance."

It would take a short walk across the dark desert sand to the staircase etched into the side of the pyramid, mainly for tourists. It made getting to the entrance 20 feet up easier. At the entrance, an Egyptian man holding a flashlight stood, staring at the bus as it approached, waiting patiently for the scheduled archeologists.

[Days]

Theo’s lip and cheek bunched up on one side like he just ate something bitter, but it was just a text he got that left him with this aftertaste. In the back of the bus, the familiar click of a camera going off could be heard. The young teenager glanced to the side, only to be met with the big lens of a camera suspiciously close to his face. A lopsided grin flattered his features. ”Did you at least get my good side?” He asked, seeing his sister’s face appear after she lowered the camera. Her hazel gaze was downward, to the display of her slightly too expensive Canon, a dimpled smile on her face, almost mischievous. Theo leaned over, seeing the distasteful look on his own in the photo. Is that really how he looks when he sees a text from his situationship? ”Mon Dieu, no you didn’t.” He groaned, sitting back in his seat.

The two eldest were sitting way in the back of the bus, choosing solitude from the people in the vehicle yet seeking each other out instead. It was something they’d done their whole life. Aurélie rolled her eyes playfully, the dimple still present in her right cheek. ”You don’t have bad sides, Theo.” She stated, like it was a fact, then went back to focus on her camera settings, tweaking them to her liking. Theo let out a soft chuckle and looked back at his phone where the message was still displayed. ‘I miss yu bby, when r u comin bck sweetie!’. With his thumb, he locked his phone and shoved it into the front pocket of his hoodie, one he had only just put once a slight chill entered the bus. She may miss him, but he didn’t miss her. The only thing he missed were several vowels in her communication. And any form of real affection for her. Which he thought he had made clear. Who ends a question with an exclamation mark, anyway? His gaze shifted toward the scenery outside the window again.

This vacation already felt different from their other ones, but then again, could he really call it one? At the very least, their parents hadn’t put the pretence out there that it was. His parents, Thierry and Sabrina, had come here on request of the Louvre, Theo’s future employer. Or well, if Theo had anything to say about it. But, if there was one thing he was excited about, it was the prospect of getting to see Giza in real life. The aspiring archeologist with admiration for his father’s work, was buzzing on the inside. Sure, the building itself may be a cliché when talking about archaeology, but to Theo, it was the centre of what it meant to be one. Stuffing his hands into his front pocket too, he hoped his father would include him a little more on this trip, so Theodore could show him how worthy he was. And maybe then, he would talk to him a little more.

One of his favourite songs played on the radio, which had definitely played worse songs during this tip that seemed to take forever. Still, his eyes were on the outside, trying to catch a glimpse with an anticipating grin on his face. He rested his head against the side of the window. This was going to be the best family trip ever.

Aurélie made a mental note to keep this picture for if Theo ever decided to get married. She’d definitely show this picture in a slideshow, along with several other slightly incriminating but hilarious snapshots of his life. The tip of her manicured nails, babyboomer style this time, clicked against the hard plastic of the camera as she pressed some buttons, adjusting the settings to her liking. She raised the camera once more, the telltale shutter sound breaking the relative silence in the bus. She was sitting sideways in her seat, her leg pulled up to rest on the space before her, while her shoulder rested against the back of the seat, facing her brother and the window. The teenager put her camera back in her lap and looked at the photo she just taken of him and smiled fondly. This time he wasn’t looking like he just drank a bitter tea, but eager and excited instead. It reminded Aurélie of a younger Theo that would wait in front of the door, on the seat meant for putting on shoes, when their father was supposed to come home. When he did, Theo would jump from his seat and start telling him about dinosaurs or something else he’d learned at school before Thierry could even get his shoes off. More often than not, their father wouldn’t come home at that time, leaving the eager boy sitting for longer and longer periods of time until eventually, the bench went unused.

She decided to keep the pictures, both the bitter and the eager one, and started to put her camera back into its bag. It was late and dark, and Aurélie was feeling slightly bored. She’d much rather spend this time with her friends back in Paris. Once her camera was properly stashed, she took her earbuds and put them in. From her phone, she turned on Voilà by Barbara Pravi and let the music soothe her. Resting her phone on her thigh, she crossed her arms over her cashmere forest green sweater and closed her eyes. She didn’t really want to come, but it was a family trip and how can one complain about the lack of family time and then decline a family trip? Though it was more like a work trip, and Aurélie wasn’t really too interested in dusty stacked bricks. But Theo was excited and Cosette was generally happy to go anywhere with her family so, Aurélie bit the bullet. Her goal here was to ensure that her siblings had a good time, whatever happened, or however busy her parents would get.

It made her worry sometimes about how things would go now that she was going to university. Would she become busy, too? Too busy for her brother and sister? She doubted it. Spending time with Cosette was something Aurélie always made time for, and just thinking of her made her smile as the bus justled her while taking a turn. She peeked an eye open, glancing down the bus and seeing her baby sister standing in the aisle, by their mother’s seat. She wondered why, but a nudge of Theo’s elbow to hers got her attention instead. She looked at him, pulling one earbud out.

”Auri, look.” He said, facial hair-covered chin nudging toward the outside. Aurélie leaned forward, leaning on her brother as she looked out the window, too. It was a sight to behold, she couldn’t deny that. The Pyramid was both entirely the most boring piece of architecture she’d ever seen and the most exciting one. Or rather, an impressive one. Looming, something slightly sinister about it. ”Isn’t it amazing?” Theo said, full of wonder as he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Aurélie hummed in agreeance before her gaze shifted to Theo, who looked at the Pyramid like it was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. And maybe it was, to him. But to Aurélie, it was him looking like this that was the most amazing.

The bus stopped near it, and when the bus driver addressed their father, Aurélie knew it was time to pack up. Damn, she really wanted to stretch her legs, too. She put on her coat and grabbed her backpack, slinging it onto her back and watched Theo do the same. Together, they walked through he aisle of the bus until they came upon Cosette still there, standing by their mother. ”Are you excited, Cosy?” Aurélie asked with a smile.

[WhiteAngel25]

"None of this makes any sense, Thierry. These symbols aren't adding up. The age of what you found is way before Cleopatra and Marc Antony were assimilating Rome and Egypt together." The calm but confused woman sighed in frustration between her notes and sketch pad.

Sabrina Lennox-de Villers was a woman of simplicity. The light tapping of her pencil on her sketch pad calmed Sabrina's nerves on the drive from the airport. Her long brunette hair was twisted in a bun, and pieces of her bangs were loose to frame her face. Sabrina's honey-colored eyes stared down at the sketch pad in her lap. She wore comfortable leggings and a cream-colored camisole under a lavender knit, off-the-shoulder sweater. She was trying to decipher the symbols that Thierry had found at the last dig sight they had been on.

The figures she had drawn were a mash of Roman and Egyptian. Something wasn't right about this whole trip. Sabrina felt it in her gut. She glanced to the back of the bus, where Theo and Auri were teasing one another. A soft smile grew at the corners of her lips, as it was crazy to think all three were old enough to go on a dig site with her and Thierry. It seemed like yesterday that Sabrina was still carrying an infant Cosette in her body wrap while six-year-old Theo chased seven-year-old Auri around the kitchen with a frog he found in the garden, his attempts to slip said frog down the back of her shirt.

Sabrina's attention was brought back to the present with a gentle hand that patted her knee. She smiled at Cosette as the girl eagerly asked her question. "We are very close, mon petit amour," the mother replied as she laid her hand softly over the top of her youngest daughter. She gazed out the window to see they were nearing the Great Pyramid. "Now, remember, Cosy. You mustn't touch anything with the special chalk lines on the ground, tape, or rope. I know it will be hard not to touch. However, Momma's and Papa's work with others is important." She reminded her youngest, but her words were a warning to all three de Viller children.

"That goes double for you, Theo," Sabrina quipped with a wink at her son, although half the glint in her eyes was serious about him not touching anything.

This trip was important for the de Viller children. She just hoped that Thierry understood that. They had been married for two decades, and the man was still a mystery to her since the day they met. Sabrina glimpsed down at the dainty ring resting on her left fourth finger. The gold band was the nest for the black diamond and its smaller white diamond companions. She hoped that this trip would help everyone's moods. The school year would be resuming soon, and the routine of working from home would start all over again as she managed the trio's schedules while Thierry disappeared to who knows where on end.

[Lexisheeps]

It was a calm dictation that he listened to through his earbuds, Thierry's own voice. He listened to himself explain a few key points, as well as flipped through his own scribbled notes. Some of the symbols seemed off. Weirdly placed, some even broken as if trying to form new words. He listened to himself carefully, only rarely glancing up from his work. A few times he did find himself wanting to tell the bus driver to turn the radio down, but opted to turn his earbud up instead, by placing the second one in as well. If only so the babies didn't have to sit in silence. He didn't feel it fair to make them any more bored than they probably already were and especially not the true baby of the trio, Cosy.

After some discussions with Sabrina and much deliberating with higher-ups on the matter, he'd reluctantly agreed to bring the children on this particular trip. It was summertime again and like clockwork, the little ones weren't in school for the next eight weeks. It would be a learning oppertunity of how The Louvre operated on the field for Theo, much to Thierry's stern disapproval, a picturesque place for Auri, and much needed family time for Cosy... if not all three of them and Sabrina as well. Little did he know that this very assignment, this moment in time, this decision... was the start of a 7 year long battle with HiveMind. A company that at this very moment in time, was scheming against his very life. For vengeance by a company he didn't even know existed yet, for things The Louvre did that he had no personal part of.

He hadn't heard Sabrina as she spoke to him, but she'd caught his attention as he glanced from his notes regardless, "Look at this one,"He started and pointed, "Looks more like a warning and less of a tribute to a loved one. I'm beginning to wonder..." he lowered his voice as he glanced back into the rear view mirror, "If this is a tomb of a loved one or a trap designed to keep something in. And if you look at this over here..."

Just as Thierry started to point at a particular set of symbols, Cosy had snuggled up to the woman in his life, not of, "Momma, when will we get there?" He hushed himself with a quick glance up in the rear view mirror again.

The bus came to a stop. Were they there already? Thierry had been so preoccupied with his work, that he hadn't realized it was time to start packing up his notes. He started to hastily shove things about then stood after seeing how close the pyramid was. The bus driver spoke up, "We're here, boss. Grab your things, there's another staff member waiting for you at the entrance."

"Merci beaucoup." Thierry chimed as he started to walk off the bus, bag strapped over his shoulder. He tipped the driver several gold coins and then turned to face his children and wife, "We're walking the rest of the way, but it isn't far."

[Estylwen]

Pyramid of Giza, Outside

@Days, @WhiteAngel25, @Lexisheeps

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”Are you excited, Cosy?”

Cosette smiled up at her sister, swinging her hands at her sides. "Yes! We're gonna find mummies!"

She was excited to be with her sister. Her brother, too. Everyone was here. She was so excited she could hardly contain herself, and she was practically jumping on her feet as her mother spoke to her.

"Now, remember, Cosy. You mustn't touch anything with the special chalk lines on the ground, tape, or rope."

Cosette's smile grew, and she pressed her face into her mother's arm briefly. Her mother smelled like sunlight...

"Yes, momma, I promise." She mumbled into her shoulder before pulling back with a wild grin.

Cosette watched as her father dropped gold coins in the nice bus driver's hand. Her lips pursed in a pout. Would her father let her play with them if she asked? He might. And they looked so fascinating. More fascinating than her Hello Kitty flashlight.

But she stopped herself. Little Cosette could see the focus in her father's eyes. She didn't want to bother him.

Instead, maybe she would ask a question. One that would prove to her father she could be an archeologist one day, just like her older brother.

As the de Villiers crossed the expansive flat sand, the pyramid loomed as a silhouette against the starry night sky. The wind was warm, and gentle. The atmosphere was hushed, yet charged with anticipation, peaked by a single question, launched into the unknown.

"Are we going treasure-hunting, dad?"

As they walked, they found none other than Ramses waiting for them at the entrance of the pyramid. And, going over the notes from the top secret file the Louvre had given Thierry, he would know that the Void within was a 10-minute walk into the pyramid via the Robber's Tunnel, through a straight crevice, then up a steep incline called the Ascending Passage. The family would notice ropes sectioning off the Descending Passage, as the Subterranean Chamber was not fit for visitors. Climbing up the ribbed staircase would lead into the Grand Gallery, where granite stone was perfectly lined up in ascending columns on either side in a narrow triangle 15 feet high. This was where they would begin their excavation into the ceiling, and reach the Void. Or, they could excavate from the King's Chamber in a more horizontal fashion.

What they would uncover in the Void, though, was anyone's guess. There were theories, yes, of untouched gold and the untold chambers of the pharaoh's eldest son. The loot of a lifetime, and history that would shed light into the internal society of ancient Egypt.

However, there were darker theories that had made Egypt quite the looker in global news recently. Strange, unnatural energy signals were recorded from the Void. An undiscovered ancient technology, perhaps. A super weapon?

The theories were endless, which was why the best of the best were sent under the cover of night to put the theories to rest.

Just what was the Great Pyramid of Giza hiding?

[Days]

Aurélie smiled fondly down at her little sister, the light of her life. She looked so damn excited, stating that they would go find mummies. She said the world so adorably, too. God, Aurélie hoped not though, mummies creeped her out, but she knew it would excite everyone else in her family, aside from herself. So sure, for them, she hoped that there were loads of awesome things to find. Just maybe, kindly, not mummies. Or anything dead. At the very least, finding something cool would cause her parents to be happy and excited, their mood surely uplifting the small family. Her grinning, happy father was truly a sight to behold. And her mother’s laugh? Better than that shitty Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre. But then again, if it was too exciting, she feared she wouldn’t see much of her parents, nor would Cosette. It was definitely conflicting. She had already looked up various activities she could take her siblings too, should the parents become too busy. But, the young woman would never be one to damper the mood for her little light. ”We just might, ma petite lumière!” She said, grinning while behind her, Theo happily chuckled along with the conversation. She could practically feel the teenager buzzing, angsty to get out there and look at the pyramid in all its splendour.

But, at his mother’s words, Theo placed his hand splayed on his chest and mocked his insult at her words. ”Mother! I would never.” He said, really laying it on there, having Aurélie roll her eyes. He winked back at his mother before placing his hands on Auri’s shoulders, shaking the small framed woman. ”Come on, slowpokes. Let’s go, let’s go. allons-y!”

Aurélie couldn’t help but grin at her brother’s enthusiasm, before sending a knowing smile at the woman that was, for all intents and purposes, her mother. She took Cosette with her through the bus’s aisle, stopping briefly to get her belongings before they got off. The three siblings stood in a row, with different reactions to the Great Pyramid on their faces. Aurélie’s gaze shifted to her siblings instead, more enamoured by their reactions than the dusty pile of bricks someone once decided was special. Why were they here, anyway? In the middle of the night. She would be worried about Cosette’s sleep schedule, but the youngster was brimming with energy after a long nap. Still, she knew she would be the one who had to keep an eye on her as her parents went off to do important things.

As Theo grinned down at Cosette and the two shared excited squeals, Aurélie chastised herself for being a negative Nancy. With a sigh, she had to remind herself that this opportunity for her parents was a special one. That this chance to see the pyramid was an amazing chance for her brother, and that Cosette was incredibly excited about spending time with her family. Sure, it wasn’t her thing, but even Aurélie couldn’t deny that the Pyramid was… beautiful.

For a pile of bricks.

At the very least, she could make some beautiful photographs. Her father stood before them, telling them it was going to be a walk. She recognised that look in his eyes. Slightly frazzled, but enthusiastic. It was endearing, in a way. She walked with her siblings, feeling a slight nip in the air. Because of it, she ensured Cosette zipped up her jacket and didn’t bother trying with Theo. He was looking like he was about to make love to the pyramid while the leather jacket that was fused to his body hung open.

Theo’s love life was concerning, to say the least, but damn was he in love with this pyramid. He walked with his sisters and parents across the sand. Most of his strength went to keep his jaw from dragging over the floor. He only tore his eyes away from all the sights from outside and then within the pyramid once they came upon steps, that looked both daunting and exhausting at the same time. ”Come on Cosy.” He said, hunching down through his knees and holding his hands by his side. His little sister would know exactly what to do, and once she climbed on his back, he held her tight and straightened again. He had always given her piggyback rides, everywhere. Whether she was tired or just because she wanted to, big brother Theo would provide. However, he did have to compensate for her growth with more hours in the gym

He walked the steps, Aurélie by his side, and his eyes kept bulging out at every little thing he spotted. Every small detail he had researched, or that his dad had told him. It was even better than he had expected. And to be granted this chance to be inside of this amazing pyramid? A dream come true for him. He greeted everyone he saw with a big grin, his socialite streak never once falthering. Once up the stairs, he turned to his father. ”So, why exactly are we here?” He inquired. His question didn’t come from a place of complaint, but moreso enthusiasm and willingness to help figure out whatever needed figuring out. He wanted to be an active participant in whatever his parents were supposed to do here.

[WhiteAngel25]

"Ce garçon va me faire devenir gris," Sabrina laughed lightly at her son's dramatic display of pretending to be offended. She watched Thierry lead the trio off the bus before she double-checked the bus to make sure no one forgot anything, including Thierry.

Sometimes, when her husband was focused or excited to get to a dig site, he was absent-minded about little items like his notebooks, or his briefcase. She sighed softly and shook her head as she picked up a hand-sewn, light pink velvet rabbit with a soft red and white floral pattern in its long, floppy ears. It was affectionately named Chignon-chignon. The mother of three had made it for the youngest daughter when they found out Cosette was going to be a girl. She had made Theo a stuffed blue dinosaur, and Aurelia had a patchworked calico kitten when they were young. She grabbed the stuffed creature, dusted it off, and exited the bus.

Sabrina readjusted the straps of the duffle bags on her shoulders, holding Chignon-chignon in her hands as she followed behind her family. She smiled softly at the sight of all the members of the de Viller family together. It was something she had wished for since Thierry had been promoted.

"Cosette," the mother called when Auri was busy snapping photos while Theo was preoccupied with Thierry. She knelt and smiled gently, getting eye level with her youngest. "You must always double-check your surroundings, mon petit amour. I found Chignon-chignon under a bus seat," she gently corrected with a kiss pressed to the girl's forehead. "I know you would have been upset if you had forgotten her," she patted her daughter's mane of dark curls before she stood up.

Sabrina took Cosette's little hand into her warm grasp and scanned the pyramid. This place had an odd aura to it. She couldn't place why she felt that way exactly. However, she knew Thierry was on pins and needles to get here. "Shall we go find our tents?" Sabrina suggested with a soft smile down at her youngest.

[Lexisheeps]

Thierry stood there a bit frazzled with Theo. Hadn't Theo already asked this question a thousand times beforehand? Or was it Eli? Cosy? Well, he was frazzled with the whole lot, honestly. There were many reasons why they- or rather, he was there, but much of it had been listed as confidential. Most of which, wouldn't sit well under the gaze of a clever child. "Well," Thierry started, fumbled a bit with a frown then regained his smile, "We're here to evict Boris Karloff."

He was only half joking... Of course, he was keeping a lot of information about what was actually happening behind the scenes.

Locked away from his impressionable only son. He'd be damned if Theo became a Louvre agent as he had. He could never live with himself if something were to happen to Theo because the boy tried so desperately to emulate him. Thierry was definitely respected on the field, but what Theo didn't see was that Thierry had doubts. Doubts about himself. And no father wants their son to see that side of them.

The unnerved father looked to each child, as if he was a shepherd recounting his flock. He was terrified of something happening to them. Aurélie being obstinate, Theo constantly wanting to work with him, and Cosy? Wanting to play Barbie, Archeologist edition. Cosy was the least trouble of the lot as she at least wouldn't pester. Though, the lack of pestering felt heavy on his heart when he wasn't being drowned in paperwork.

And the files? Oh dear. He'd glanced at both sets before and on the way there, to this place normally reserved for the dead. Most of the files... or at least the ones even Sabrina wasn't allowed to view, spelled a certain amount of disaster if any of the children got out of line. Frankly, he'd never been very good at putting his foot down to certain things. He'd left most of the rearing up to Sabrina and particularly so when it came to the girls. It seemed that no matter what he did these days, Aurélie absolutely hated him. Now, he couldn't be sure if this was the case, but attitude had been had.

He stood there, first silently deep in thought, then mumbled incoherently to himself.

"Dad!"

"Right." He wasn't entirely sure which child had spoken, or if it was a figment of his imagination, but it'd snapped him back to a certain sandy reality. Before starting on, he headed over to Cosy and knelt down with a smile, "Here, you'll hold onto these for me, will you?"

Thierry pulled out a bag of coins he'd set aside just for her. Somewhere along the journey, he'd seen her glistening interest peak each time he pulled some of the foreign money out. He desperately wanted to pick her up and carry her along the sand, but just bending down to her level like that, had put a heavy strain on his knee. Being in this bent position made him feel is age, if not older. He could only imagine how his associate, Mr. Cress, felt.

He steadied himself upright. Cosette's Hello Kitty flashlight was adorably small for his hands, but worked like a pretend Tour Guide's microphone nonetheless. He started walking backwards so he'd still be able to see his family, "And on our left..." He started while using an exaggerated expert's voice, "A large pile of bricks. This is the final resting place of King Khufu." Despite several eye rolls, he continued, "So how was Giza built? Using a pyramid scheme!"

Dad jokes had become a bit of a specialty of his. He used all the bad puns and dramatic facial expressions as a way to hold back his true concern for this trip. According to the files, several mummies were alive and well. Should the files be believed? Or was it just drunkard agents that got a little afraid of the darkened resting place of the king?

Only time would tell.

Once they reached a certain point, an Egyptian man was waiting for them. He'd worked with Mr. Andrew in the past. The man's French wasn't very good, but he could speak English at least. They exchanged pleasantries... or rather, argued quietly to each other.

"You brought your kids? Are you insane?" The Egyptian mumbled softly.

"You can't really think I wanted to bring them here." Thierry spat softly back.

"Shall we go find our tents?" Sabrina questioned Cosy, causing Thierry to turn to face them.

"They can look around the main tourist's section first, if they'd like." Thierry tried to keep a calm tone to his voice. He didn't want let on that something was wrong. But this suggestion caused Mr. Andrew to squint angrily at him.

What fresh hell was he stepping into this time?

[Estylwen]

Pyramid of Giza, Outside

@Days, @WhiteAngel25, @Lexisheeps

---

”We just might, ma petite lumière!”

Cosette grinned happily up at her sister. Aurélie was so nice. Always have her attention, sometimes even played with her. Out of her two siblings, Cosette was certain she was closest with Aurélie. She hoped they found something good. Something her sister would like.

As they walked across the sand, Cosette heard her mother call her name. She turned, confused, until she saw her stuffed rabbit in her mother's hand.

"I found Chignon-chignon under a bus seat. I know you would have been upset if you had forgotten her."

"Chignon-chignon!" Little Cosette cried out, reaching out for her stuffed toy and giving it a squeeze and a kiss, momentary panic in her eyes, before she looked at her mom's soft gaze. "Merci beaucoup, maman."

That was when her father stooped down beside her mother, and held out a small gift. Cosette stared for a moment, taking in her parents' affection as both looked at her with love, care, and concern. An inexplicable feeling filled her from head to toe, warming her and bringing a healthy rose to her cheeks.

This was what it felt like to be loved. She just... felt happy. She wished her parents would look at her like this forever.

"Here, you'll hold onto these for me, will you?" Her father said, pressing the bag of coins into her hand. Her eyes stared in amazement. How did he know? There was a muffled squeal as she tried to hold back the desire to jump on her feet, brimming with joy.

"Yes, papa. I will!" She smiled, holding the bag close to her chest. She, of course, gave her father the Hello Kitty flashlight when he held his hand out for it and giggled along with all his jokes, though she didn't understand what a pyramid scheme was.

They reached the entrance to the massive pyramid, and Cosette watched her father speak with a strange man. She looked up at him, not recognizing him but liking him anyway.

"Shall we go find our tents?" Cosette's mother said.

Cosette gripped her mother's hand enthusiastically, nodding her head vigorously. They had tents? All to themselves? Were they big tents? She had to see them!

"They can look around the main tourist's section first, if they'd like." Her father said.

Cosette's eyes somehow got bigger. She stared enthusiastically at her father, nodding her head again, before turning to her mother.

"Please, maman? I wanna see it! I wanna see it!"

The tents Sabrina inquired about were about 200 paces to the right of the entrance, set against the foot of the pyramid. There was more than one tent, lined up in a row. One for Ramses, one for Thierry and Sabrina, and one for the kids to share. Each was spacious, proper archeologist style, filled with cots, desks, chairs, rugs on the sandy ground, and wired lights. There was another tent set slightly apart that was filled with crates. Tools and other equipment for the job. There were also several jeeps and excavation tools at hand.

The Louvre had outfitted Thierry and his family with everything they needed, plus more to get the job done and put rumours to rest.

The entrance to the Pyramid of Giza was lit up, with wired lights running along the edges as the narrow cut into the stone offered a unique, cool atmosphere, surrounded by ancient dust and slightly claustrophobic rock. The initial entryway split into a descending and an ascending path, the descending path roped off. The ascending path stretched onward into the far distance, wired lights ringing the top right corner. There was something spooky as well as entrancing, taking a step into the tomb of the pharoh.

[Days]

Aurélie’s eyes felt dry as she stood there, squinting to keep the dust from entering. She didn’t fully understand her parent’s passion for these bricks, nor her brothers, but she did accept it. Admire it, even. Theo had always known from when he was little, that he wanted to be like his father. At first, he was just obsessed with dinosaurs like quite a lot of young boys were. Then, as he understood more and more, he became more focused on history and ancient artefacts, wanting to study them. Every time Thierry somehow ended up with the both of them in his care when they were younger, and he had to work, he would sometimes hand the two siblings off to a colleague working in restoration. He usually let Theo look at a process that young Aurélie had found incredibly boring but made young Theo’s eyes practically bulge out of his skull. The restoration of artefacts and art. As usual, Aurélie didn’t complain because her brother seemed to be in heaven.

It was kind of how he was looking right now. Full of wonder, but it was more subdued by the teenager’s inherent trait of staying cool and collected, a chill guy. But he wasn’t fooling his older sister with that sparkle in his eyes. She saw it flicker and dim when her father answered his question with an evading joke, even though Theo let out a soft chuckle in response. Aurélie saw it all, every time, with her brother and her sister. And maybe that’s why she was the bitter one. The one that kicked against shins, their father’s authority or his humanity. Why she was the one who rolled her eyes when he promised things that made her siblings smile, and why she was the first to go yell at him when he disappointed one of them. She was sure if her father had to rank his kids, she’d end up last, but she was okay with that. The pureness of her siblings needed to be protected.

”Funny.” Theo stated, a grin still on his face as he looked around, cupping his hands in front of his mouth. ”Borisss….. Here Boris, Boris!” He catcalled, then winked down at his little sister. Aurélie let out a short closed-lipped laugh by exhaling through her nose. Her eyes drifted and went to her mother. More warmth flooded her chest. Where Theo was a copy of his father, physically and ambitionally, Cosy was incredibly drawn to her mother. In some ways, Aurélie envied it sometimes. To share more than just an upbringing with your mother. They shared genes and physical elements. Even small character traits from Sabrina were already present in Cosy, who cared and nurtured her stuffies and toys much like Sabrina cared and nurtured for her kids. Aurélie gave a short smile to her mother, winked and then looked toward her father again. She didn’t look like any of them. She looked most like her biological mother, with blonde and porcelain skin, and freckles. No brown locks and tanned skin for her. And sometimes she wondered if that bothered Thierry, her resemblance. She still had his eyes though.

Her eyelids slid over them as she tried to blink the dryness from her eyes. She watched as her father kneeled in front of Cosy and gave her a bag of coins. It made the eldest smile, seeing the sparkle in Cosy’s eyes at her new addition in her things to play with. It was a sign that their father knew them better than Aurélie sometimes gave him credit for. She knew that he didn’t want to be a busy, absent father. However, her eyes flickered back to him when he righted himself. She couldn’t help but have her jaw clench as she watched him bite back the strain on his knee she knew he must be feeling. The eldest curled her fingers around the band of her backpack, where she had put some paracetamol and pain relief creme just in case he pushed himself too much. She wasn’t heartless, after all.

As he put on a show for Cosy, Aurélie couldn’t help but laugh at the silliness of it, and she playfully rolled her eyes at her father when he called it a pile of bricks, which she had been calling it all the way here. Menace. Beside her, Theo chuckled.

”Oh, dad, come on, not the painful dad jokes.” Theo mockingly complained, as if he was mortally wounded by the first joke. He focused back on his little sister, practically begging their mother to take her to the public section. All the good stuff that the tower had to offer to the public. Theo really wanted to go, too, but he saw his mother struggle with the bags she was carrying. ”Let me help you, maman.” Stepping forward, he gently took them from her and swung one over his shoulder while he held the other in his hand. ”I’ll bring these to the tents for you.” He said, with a big grin. While he admired and idolised his father, Theo was a momma’s boy at heart and would move mountains for her.

He also knew that she would barely be able to say no to the begging 10-year-old hanging from her arm, with these big eyes no one could deny. Looking down at his sister, he winked. ”Go find some good souvenirs, okay, Cosy? I’ll join you in a bit.”

With a small groan, he took the bags toward the tents, glad that he spent a lot of time in the gym. For this, really. Man of the household when Thierry wasn’t there. Carrier of things. Mover of furniture. A nice, pretty young woman grinned at him once he arrived, explaining in a cute accent who’s tents where who’s. He thanked her, flashing his signature grin, added a wink and walked to the tents. He was quick to dump his mother’s bags in her and Thierry’s tent before walking to his own tent, opening the flap to take it all in. After letting out a whistle, impressed, he put his own and Cosy’s bag down. The teenager immediately went to find a spot to charge his phone.

Aurélie let her eyes fall on the hushed whispers between her father and the strange man. He looked young and somewhat aggravated, his eyes flashing to her and Theo before putting them back on Thierry. She didn’t miss her father’s tone, or the man’s angry glare at her father.

Just what was going on here?

[WhiteAngel25]

Sabrina's neutral gaze flicked between the Egyptian and her husband. She nodded in agreement to turn the kids' attention to something less...behind the scenes. The times Sabrina had been assigned to work with Thierry before they were married, always ended them in precarious situations. She still could find the scars from the trip to Peru. The less the children were exposed, the better.

Sabrina smiled thankfully at Theo as he took their bags to the tent while she ushered Cosy and Auri to the tourist areas. She glanced back at the tents, catching her son flirting with a staff person, most likely an intern. Très bien, Roméo, let's stay off the device you've been glued to since we departed from the house and go see things your father suggested," she called out her son with a smirk and a knowing look.

Sabrina worried for her son as he gained his father's skills of persuasion, and sometimes she was worried that he'd use it to take over the world. Of course, that was a family joke, but she knew her son, and he gained his parents' knacks of finding their way into trouble.

"Auri, would you please keep an eye on him? If you two are not coming with us," the mother referred to Theo before turning to Cosette. "He's like Papa, isn't he, ma petite fille?" she suggested before she led the way to the tourist exhibits.

---

Sabrina had taken Cosette through the closest tourist stuff they could do at the moment before encouraging the young girl that sleep was important. It was technically early morning, and she would experience jet lag if they didn't try to go lay down for a moment. Once Sabrina had coaxed Cosette into pajamas and her cot with Chignon-chignon, she told her daughter that she didn't have to go to sleep, Cosette just had to rest her eyes and relax. She placed a kiss on each of the kids' foreheads like she had done the last almost sixteen years and went over to her tent.

Sabrina paused as she saw the light of the lamp where she had last left Thierry when distracting Cosy. She walked up and peered around the edge, smiling softly.

"You know staring at inscriptions won't make the answer jump out at you," she teased as she neared her husband, who hunched over an exam table. "You should really get some rest, Thierry. I know you didn't on the plane or the bus," she suggested as she laid a gentle hand on his left shoulder, rubbing it softly in a comforting manner.

[Lexisheeps]

The strain of his muddled brown eyes was a window to the unease in his heart. His chest was tight as he stood there, hunched over his paperwork. That was the only real pain that he focused on, as it was a direct result of his concentration. If he did focus on other little aches from the long day, places like his back being hunched or his bent knee would surly be felt. He hunched to gather that last bit of strength to stand. That last few precious minutes before his mind would simply refuse to stay conscious. If he was understanding the scribbled mess of broken hieroglyphs properly, someone had left a stark warning of something worse than death- far worse. Oddly though, there were two inscriptions and to an untrained eye, they looked congruent. But as an archeological linguist, Thierry could clearly see a second writer. But a second writer wasn't the reason his chest hurt.

The warning, if left to an untrained eye, would look consistent, identical even. But a lump formed high in his throat and hair stood on the back of his neck. He could feel a bead of sweat slowly move from his hairline. "Why? Why was it so imperative that I bring my children here? I'm not The Louvre's only linguist..." His voice hesitated as he inhaled, "Frederik doesn't even have kids. Dammit Mr. Cress..."

The most unsettling thing about the message was... how... fresh the second set of markings looked. "These are supposed to be from 2566 BC, mon Dieu, what is going on?" While the first line of hieroglyphics were true to the time period, with each read, it seemed as though the symbols were broken into a separate set of lines to create a cipher. It could take days or weeks or... Thierry cursed The Louvre under his breath.

"You know staring at inscriptions won't make the answer jump out at you."

Every bit of breath exited his body with a gasp as Sabrina spoke to him. He'd been so enthralled with his reading, that her appearance into his train of thought felt sudden. And he had been unprepared for it as he whimpered, "Dammit Sabrina!" He stood there quietly trying to find his soul. After a moment, he looked up from the papers, "I-I'm sorry. I just," He hesitated as he was unsure of what to say, "I'm... are the kids alright?"

He looked back to the original message; Death awaits you. Then his eyes floated across the added fresh message... I don't want to die. Was he translating the second message properly? He was sure the first message was speaking to Khufu's spirit, but this second message seemed to be speaking about Khufu's spirit. As if suggesting that... No. Thierry shook his head in disgust with himself and his wild idea. It was late and he'd had an incredibly long day, he was exhausted.

His worried gaze looked back up to Sabrina. If something, Dieu forbid, ever happened to her or the kids because of his mistakes, Thierry was unsure if he'd ever be able to forgive himself for it, "No rest for the wicked," His smile was tired yet charming, "But how are you holding up, my dear?" Despite his constant avoidance to the mother of his children, he really did care for Sabrina's well being. He cared for her happiness, even if he didn't always follow through on showing it.

Thierry had finally started stretching himself back into a standing position and yawned, "I want to check out the main burial chamber by myself tomorrow. Get a first hand glance at some of these supposed markings. But I absolutely do not want you or the children down there with me." His head throbbed at the idea of something happening, "Cosy's been so excited about finding a mummy, but..." His voice tapered a bit as he quickly shot out a lie, "I'm worried about the structural integrity of the room."

Sure, the structural integrity. Let's just leave it at that.

Thierry placed his hands on Sabrina's shoulders, but failed to pull her in for a kiss, "I'm going to go say goodnight to the babies and be right back. I'm sure you're exhausted and I don't expect you to wait up for me." Figuring out which tent was for his kids wasn't difficult. He could hear some shuffling mixed with light chatter. He stood just outside the tent a moment, catching his stability more than his breath. Then he pushed the flap aside to let himself in.

Thierry's knee was killing him, causing him to wince as he leaned on the desk nearest to Cosy's cot. She was the literal baby, so she got his fatherly attention first, "Are you enjoying your coins, Cosy?" Thierry listened to her response and chuckled softly then turned to Theo, "Did you find Boris yet? He was supposed to be out last Tuesday. Although I would like his autograph before he leaves." His smile at the dad joke was an attempt at keeping himself calm, not wanting to frighten his children. God, they were so young. Why was he out here? What was The Louvre's point in sending him? His children should have been in summer camp or almost anywhere but here. Yet Mr. Cress had insisted on it. Multiple times.

He mumbled something to Aurélie. It was supposed to be something about taking good photos tomorrow, but he wasn't sure if the words left his mouth properly. His brain was slowly in the process of leaving his body through his nostrils. His tiredness causing him to yawn and fight to stay awake. Thierry didn't trust leaving the three of them here alone like this. He hated leaving them, but hugged and kissed each child to their preferred comfort level, before heading back out of the tent. All three of his uttered, "I love you." Lines, were genuine in nature. Still though, he was certain Aurélie hated him, but his love and concern for her safety did not wane. Teenagers will be their parents bane of existence, after all.

He hesitated again, debating about having a word with their host and after a moment, approached the Egyptian man's tent, "Mr. Andrew?" He questioned softly, not wanting to bother the man should he be asleep.

Thierry heard some shuffling from inside before the man spoke, "Come in, habibi."

"The burial-" Thierry started but Ramses cut him off.

A puff of thick smoke exited the man's mouth as he exhaled, "They said you were good, but I didn't expect you to come question me this soon." The man leaned back, "But the mummy isn't why you're here. Boris," He shook his head with an eye roll, "Has already been evicted, albeit twice, but he's not the problem for now."

"Then what is the problem?" Thierry questioned, but wasn't completely trusting the man's integrity.

The problem seemed long and complicated. And much to Thierry's annoyance, Mr. Andrew seemed to leave out bits of information as he spoke. Either by intent or because he was incredibly high. One thing Mr. Andrew said did manage to stick with him as he headed back to Sabrina, "Mummies don't become ghosts, Monsieur de Villiers, they become gods."

[Estylwen]

Pyramid of Giza, Louvre Tents

@Days, @WhiteAngel25, @Lexisheeps

---

"Goodnight, maman... Goodnight, papa..."

As the moon rose over the rolling dunes and ancient stone of Giza, all was quiet. The kids, pampered and cared for by their parents, were safely in their tent. Alas, the moment would soon be shattered. The heavy darkness upon the dunes and pyramid gave way to an approaching feeling. As if, from the top of the pyramid, an unknown force stared down hungrily at the family at its feet, bearing sharp teeth. To reach out and touch it, was like touching a dream. Or a nightmare. Impossible, yet just within reach.

Something wicked was headed towards this family.

Hours ticked by as slumber took hold. While everyone was fast asleep, a slight tremor rumbled through the tents. It shook the base of the pyramid, urging something to awaken, urging powers at play to once again walk the plane of mortality.

As soon as the rumble started, it stopped, almost untraceable except for the sand scattered. However, upon exploring the pyramid in the morning, there would be a few fatal features changed. Factors that would send a chill down the spine of anyone with enough knowledge to understand.

One. In the King's Chamber, the tomb that housed the wrapped remains of the late pharaoh was... empty. The tomb now lay bare, with not even a single scrap of ancient linen in its grasp.

Two. Instead, inside the ancient tomb of the king, there was a faintly glowing, swirling vortex of purple and black light. There seemed to be a fair bit of depth to this light, almost as if it traveled through the stone below to strange unknowns beyond.

Regardless, the next exploration of the Pyramid of Giza would surely provide more questions than answers. Was this family ready for the potential danger that beckoned them?

[Days]

Aurélie leaned back against a table, currently cluttered by her camera equipment and the two teens’ charging phones, an e-reader and a tablet. Her hand threaded through her blonde locks, shifting her hair to the other side as she watched her father approach the youngest de Villiers. He had come to say goodnight, which is something he usually did, like a ritual. Or compensation for not having been there all day. A smile tugged at her lips as she witnessed how much Cosy enjoyed the attention of her father, and she looked at the scene, enamoured. He was a good father, when he was there. That was something no one could deny. And Aurélie knew she had to be less tough on him while they were here. Techinally, him and her mother were working, which meant she couldn't expect them to be there for them the whole time. She had to be reasonable. And try and keep Theo and Cosy off their case so they could focus on their work. Their passion.

Though, as her father turned to Theo, she studied him more closely. He was using the desk as a support and trying to be subtle about it, but the eldest spotted the trickle of sweat on his temple from the effort. A small, barely masked wince. Slightly laboured breathing from biting back grunts of pain. He had been pushing himself too much. By either standing too long or moving about too much. If he was like this on the first day, it wouldn't bode well for the rest of the trip. It wasn't like the Giza had elevators. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth as concern swirled in her.

Theo rolled his eyes at the joke but chuckled, hugging his father and clapping him on the back. Sometimes he thought maybe Theo had grown up too fast for his father, who still teethered between treating Theo as a kid, while sometimes treating him as a grown adult. Yet, any attention was good with Theo. ”I’ll keep my eye out for him. Night, dad.” the teen said, before flinging himself back on his cot, putting on his headphones back over his ears, snatching his phone from the table where it had been charging.

As her father approached her, Aurélie pushed herself up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek, receiving one back. ”Bonne nuit, papa.” She never really was comfortable with hugs, from anyone, and he respected that. He avoided her gaze, and she noticed he wasn’t all there as he mumbled something about pictures. Whatever the reason was that the family was along for the ride, she could see it was weighing on him, nagging and occupying. As he went to give Cosy a kiss, tucking her in, Auri made her way to her bag on her cot, rummaging through it to find the warming pain relief ointment for his knee. It would hopefully soothe the pain enough so he’d be able to sleep. Which he looked like he needed.

A grin graced her face as she finally found it, though it faltered as she turned and found the flap of the tent settling back into place, her father having left. She bit her lip, doubting for a moment. Should she follow? Her body moved before her mind decided, and she left the warmth and safety of the tent. Outside, it had gotten colder as the dark settled around them. Little dust clouds formed around her feet as she arrived at her parents' tent. She could hear her father’s voice, but it was in the next tent over. Curious, Aurélie moved past the middle tent and approached the last one.

"Then what is the problem?" There was a problem? She remembered the animated conversation Thierry and Egyptian had inside the pyramid earlier. Something was off, and the daughter couldn’t put her finger on it yet. She bit the inside of her lip as she turned, not feeling comfortable with eavesdropping. The Egyptian’s answer still reached her ears.

"Mummies don't become ghosts, Monsieur de Villiers, they become gods."

Aurélie frowned as she walked off. What did that mean?

”Maman?” Her manicured fingers curled around the fabric of the entrance of her parents' tent, before letting herself in. Smiling at her mother, she put down the tube on a nearby table. ”Can you give this to dad? He forgot it at home, as usual. So I brought it.” She cleared her throat and walked up to her, kissing her cheek and flashing a smile. ”Bonne nuit, je t'aime!”

She hurried off, arriving back in her tent. Cosy was fast asleep, all tucked in by her father and exhausted by the trip. Theo was on his back, his headphones slightly askew on his head as one hand rested on his chest, atop his phone. It went up and down at a steady pace, and Auri saw he had fallen asleep. There was something so innocent about the normally very socially present teen, now blissfully asleep. She approached, carefully taking off his headphones and placing them on the small table beside his cot.

As she changed and crawled into her own, the Egyptian’s words haunted her mind, and eventually, her dreams.

---

_{The morning after}

”Oh my God, this is so good.” Theo dipped a piece of thick bread into the dish of fava bean stew. And Egyptian delicacy, apparently. Though, Aurélie found it a little too heavy for breakfast. Her eyes sparkled with amusement at her brother, who sat cheerfully at the table and ate for 5. Insatiable, that teen boy. The family sat at a table before their tents, no expense spared on their lavish breakfast. The sun was in the sky, but a soft breeze made it a manageable warmth. Aurélie crossed her legs in her yellow sundress, taking a bite of a piece of bread with salted butter.

Theo was brimming with energy, eager to run back up the steps into the pyramid to just discover. This was what he dreamed about since he was a little kid, and the tourist section they visited last night did nothing to please his curiosity. He wanted to see more. He wanted to experience it all for himself. To work at the Louvre, to work with his mom and dad was his absolute dream. This was like the fucking best ‘take your kid to work day’ ever. He had a job lined up at the Louvre as a tour guide when he started college, something his father had done during his college years too. But Theo wanted more, so much more. And he would work hard for it.

He shoved his food in like he had places to be, which, if it was up to Theo, he did. His legs moved up and down in his beige shorts. ”Hey uh, dad?” He started, shifting a little in his chair as he looked at his father, sitting across from him. ”When you and mom go into the burial chamber, do you mind if I go along? I so desperately want to see it. I won’t touch anything, I’ll be on my best behaviour. Please?” He said, grinning widely, his signature charming smirk. Part his father’s charm and part his mother’s appeal.

[WhiteAngel25]

"I am fine. Tried from travel maybe but, fine overall," Sabrina replied when Thierry asked how she was doing. She arched an eyebrow at her husband when he expressed that he wanted to explore the burial chamber on his own tomorrow. Her golden orbs narrowed slightly when he was firm with the fact that he didn't want her or the children with him. And the structural integrity? That excuse was as old as their relationship. The last time he told her that he didn't want her to investigate a dig with him, she ended up bailing him out of a mercenary military camp in Mongolia.

Sabrina's honey gaze widened slightly when Thierry actually placed his hands on her shoulders. For a moment, her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest as she thought he was going to kiss her but he just patted her shoulders and walked off to kiss the kids goodnight.

Sabrina let out the breath she had been holding slowly. She couldn't remember the last time Thierry had kissed. Surely, it had to have been since Cosette had been born, right? Now, that the wife thought about it, that kiss in the hospital after she delivered Cosy had been a kiss on the temple, not even a simple peck on the mouth. Otherwise, Thierry had been on work trips or getting home from work at the Louvre. Even casual touching like placing his hands on her shoulders shouldn't feel like it was long ago.

"No, I am just overthinking things. Thierry loves us. I know he does," Sabrina murmured to herself before going to bed for the night.

---

Sabrina had her chocolate locks back into a high ponytail. Her amber gaze glanced up from the file she had been working on decoding for Thierry. She glanced at her husband and shrugged. Taking a sip from her coffee cup, Sabrina let Thierry stew a little for an answer to their son's question before saving him.

"Theo, mon cher, we just got here. Let's let your father establish a foothold in things before we overcrowd his workspace, okay? He needs to focus on marking objects and take notes on them properly," Sabrina explained as she smiled softly at the sleepy Cosy emerging from the kids' tent. She caught the gaze of her eldest daughter and smiled softly, as she couldn't help but try and cushion things between father and son.

"Bonjour mi petit, did you sleep well?" Sabrina asked as she got up and handed Cosette the butter and a few pieces of toast to make the first part of her breakfast before scooping some scrambled eggs and mixed fresh fruit onto the young girl's plate.

[Lexisheeps]

The Father

The next morning had barely begun by the time Thierry sat up. He breathed deeply a moment as he shoved newly awoken compunction aside. How had she not filed for divorce yet, considering his lackluster antics towards her? He felt guilty for not sleeping next to Sabrina the night before, if only briefly. He hadn't wanted to wake her up upon reentering the tent, or at least, that would be his excuse should she ask. Though, had he even drifted off to sleep? He didn't remember what he'd dreamt about, if anything had danced across his slumbering conscious at all.

Thierry's knee was still sore from leaning hard the night before, but slightly lessened now as he'd had the chance to stretch himself out. He cracked his shoulders, then pulled his clothes on. Was he over dressed despite being in the middle of the damned desert? He hadn't been affectionately nicknamed Monsieur sans the de Villiers attachment, for no reason. He was a true gentlemen, a true Mister. After triple checking all the gear in his Pequignet utility watch, he adjusted his shoulder holster then wandered to find Mr. Andrew.

The sun hadn't come to kiss the sand just yet, leaving the desert cold and eerily lit with modernized fixtures.

Rather surprisingly, Mr. Andrew was already out and about. Thierry felt this was a good sign, but his mood dropped as he realized Mr. Andrew seemed wound up. The man was in a hurried conversation with a few agents, but all of it was spoken in Arabic, a language that Thierry couldn't form any significant meaning from. He questioned with raised eyebrow, "Boris again?"

Mr. Andrew shook his head as he turned to Thierry, "No, our problem lies with the living. Another TWG has been spotted at another site."

"I see." Thierry frowned at the man's vagueness, then questioned seriously, "Any damage done? Anything stolen?"

The Egyptian native sounded put out as he spoke, "You'll be more helpful to me if you focus on your job here, Monsieur." But Thierry didn't take it personally.

Within the hour, Thierry found himself mentally deep in a set of inscriptions along a north wall opposite of a purple glowing vortex. The shimmering swirl of purple light that warded off the darkness was nauseating. To make matters worse, the sitting position he was in? Was awkward to say the least. And he wasn't getting any younger. His knee ached from the bent pressure, causing him to bite his bottom lip, but he resolved himself with his desire to understand the second message. To understand the soft humming being generated some 40 yards from where he currently lay. They were located within a sectioned off part of the burial chamber. A fresh set of markings clearly overlaying the ancient ones, just as the photo had shown. He adjusted his safety lighting again, to better see his scribbled notes and varying opinions. One minute it seemed as if it was talking about a god or a pharaoh, but then the next it seemed to be something more about an energy of sorts. And a dark one at that...

"An evil one, maybe?" Thierry mumbled to himself, crossing off one of his ideas before scribbling down something else. He could hear echoing footsteps from several people in the distance. He didn't pay any mind to this.

Until the footsteps got closer and Mr. Andrew called out to him, "Monsieur, you should head back to camp. They're setting breakfast up now and food should be ready in an hour."

"No, thank you though." Thierry mumbled, keeping his attention focused on his notes.

"My friend, while I admire your work ethic, I don't think it wise to disregard your family while you're here." Mr. Andrew's words caused Thierry to side eye him angrily, but Ramses' continued, "People will talk. Theo will question."

Thierry grumbled to himself, "Damn." Mr. Andrew was right. Theo's eyes had been set on the burial chamber way before packing for the trip had even started. If Theo saw that he'd been to the burial chamber so soon, he'd surely want to play 20 questions. So, for his son's safety, Thierry folded his notes and winced as he pulled himself upright. A spot in his shoulder pinched as his knee popped. Carefully, he slipped out from underneath the enormous Anubis shrine and dusted himself off.

The sun was warm to his chilled skin.

After making his way back to the tents, Thierry handed Sabrina a set of new notes. Notes that didn't contain his opinionated scribbles, "Will you help me with these, dear?" He failed to explain how he'd gotten the notes or wish her a good morning as he'd spoken, but his tone was still warm and loving in nature. Not necessarily a good husband, but definitely a loving friend and certainly a dedicated archeological linguist.

Between The Louvre and Cairo Museum, no expense had been spared for all the worldly comforts the de Villiers' family had been given. Thierry was grateful for the treatment of his family, but he sat there absentmindedly twirling a spoon in his coffee. He hadn't touched his plate of... whatever it was he'd grabbed. He didn't particularly care about food at the moment. His notes, despite being tucked away in his utility watch, repeated themselves in the forefront of his mind. As time grew on, he was becoming increasingly obsessed with finding the meaning behind the clues. It was a daunting puzzle and he'd been tasked by The Louvre to aid in solving it. He hadn't understood why he'd been chosen, but he'd stopped worrying about that a few hours ago.

"...dad?..."

"...let your father..."

Thierry barely noticed Theo had spoken to him, but was pulled back to his senses by Sabrina. He fumbled emotionally while trying to figure out how to address the question, "As long as you stay within the orange boundaries, then yes, mon fils. There's a lot of unstable floorboards that need to be replaced." The father half lied with a stern tone of voice. The guides in place? He'd carefully put some 300 individual orange triangle markers. They weren't so much for structural integrity purposes, but rather, to keep inquisitive children out of harms way. Far from the reach of the newly christened, Purple Chamber. A room who's 7th wonders were still an active mystery that sported numerous rumors, many of which Thierry originally found ridiculous. Some of the markers would appear obvious in nature. Areas you could easily fall down, as well as stuff that currently needed to remain hidden.

Despite the amount of markers, Thierry was still careful to leave a wide area to roam. He knew Theo had been dreaming of a true exploration and while true freedom couldn't be given, simulated freedom was fair game. Still though, an internal sense of paternal worry caused him to exhale deeply. Thierry was terrified of Theo becoming a field agent, but how could he deny such excitement of his child? It was a potential chance to bond after all. Something he deeply regretted not doing more of, with all three of his children. Maybe he could even explain some of the lesser known hieroglyphs, but he sat there and wondered about his son's future. When had he become so handsome? Would he have to fend off any courtships soon?

Thierry looked to Aurélie with his charming half smile. Her yellow sundress was so cute, "Have you taken any good photos yet, sweetheart? I missed seeing sunrise this morning. Surely it was amazing." His question was genuine, despite feeling like a failure of a father. Time had gotten away from him and somewhere along the way, little Eli had started growing up. Had hobbies changed? Surely they had, but he wasn't entirely sure, so he stuck with what he felt safe with. There was a sense of safety in asking Aurélie about photography. She was growing up. Growing into things that would hopefully, with just a little more time for Thierry to be a father in between, help her be a wonderful woman. Maybe even a wonderful wife and potentially a mother one day...

And then little Cosy pranced over to Sabrina, getting something to eat. Thierry watched the interaction between his wife and youngest, as he sipped his old coffee. The littlest of his three children looked incredibly excited to start her hunt for Boris. Thierry wondered briefly who, between Theo and Cosy, was the most excited. It seemed to be a toss up. Realizing there was more to life than work, Thierry finally picked up his fork and broke into a golden Eggah. He might not have felt entirely hungry now, but he knew he would and soon at the rate he was going.

"Good morning, Cosy, darling." Thierry smiled after swallowing his first bite, "Are you excited to see the chamber too?" While he felt like a complete failure with Aurélie, Thierry only felt broken with Cosette. Broken, but easily taped back together again if enough care was given. There was still time to baby the literal baby of his three beautiful children. If it hadn't been for his knee acting up, he would have pulled Cosette to sit on his lap, "I know I am!"

The three of them. His babies. He didn't feel he deserved them some days and was thankful for Sabrina to take control. Thankful that, despite only being step, still treated Aurélie as her own. Grateful for what time he'd been given to spend with them by The Louvre. Was this why Mr. Cress had pressed so hard for him to bring them along? There was an understanding among field operatives. There was no point to this life if there was nothing to go back to. This. This moment with his family all together. His children and even Sabrina, despite his hesitation with her, was what he needed to focus on more than anything. He needed them very much, even if he wasn't sure if they needed him.

"I trust everybody slept well." Thierry pondered while taking a bite of a piece of Saboob. An idea popped in his head, causing him to turn to his eldest child bearing a grin, "Why don't you take a picture of us all together, Eli? Let's get closer and let your sister do her magic!"

Little did Thierry know that there was still another who needed him as well.

---

'Tourists' with Guns; an epilogue of sorts.

A slang term primarily used by societal employed field agents. It refers to wannabe archeologists that tote weaponry of some sort. These individuals are considered obstructive to an agent's field work, as well as destructive in nature toward whatever archeological site they prowl in. Egypt's many historical wonders are no stranger to chaotic friendly gunfire. It's happened many times throughout the country's history. Many field agents, including Mr. Andrew, regard Tourists with Guns, to be far worse than any grave robber or state sponsored mercenary. At least the government soldiers have proper military etiquette and were controlled. And the robbers were sloppy at hiding their tracks. TWG though? Many were flirtatious towards danger.

Somewhere within a tomb of an Unknown God...

As he hunched himself, his pair of untrained crystal blue orbs read the second message, "Worse than death, huh? Neat." He smirked with an eye roll at the statue, "But 2566 BC, my ass. You're way older than that."

Shouting could be heard in the distance causing him to adjust himself upright with a sigh, "Until we meet again, Anubis."

...

Death is only the beginning and Anubis waits for no one. These two paths are separate, yet somehow a loving couple...

[Estylwen]

---

---

Egypt, Undisclosed Location

---

Impatient tapping on dusty cement. A closed-off alleyway, a group of hooded, sleeveless lurkers, kicking stones. A motorbike rolled up, the smell of gasoline fumes in the air. Worn sandals stepped off, the aggressive twist of a key, and the engine shut off.

"What's the status, men?"

"Settled and unaware." Came a quick response from the left.

"Well," one from the right shuffled unsteadily on his feet. "The agents have been speaking, the Monsiuer. The Local. They... suspect something."

"Exactly what do they suspect?" The leader said, eninciating every word.

"Well. Suspicious of the burial chamber."

"Wise gits." A sigh. "Is it gonna interfere with our plans? Remember, we don't get paid, and we don't get belly rubs if this goes south."

There was a flicker of hesitation from the group. The leader, clearly irked, stepped towards the one who had spoken up, grabbing him by the collar.

"I said, are we gonna have a problem?"

The man whimpered, shaking like a leaf. "N-no sir. Everything will go according to plan."

"No. Everything is already going to plan. Now, don't muck this up. Monitor all channels. When the cage drops, we move. Fast. Got it?" He said, roughly letting go of the hesitant one.

"Yes boss."

---

Pyramid of Giza, Burial Chamber

@Lexisheeps

---

As Thierry examined the inscriptions in the burial chamber, any eye contact made with the glowing vortex inside the tomb was met with a... strange sensation. The vortex, with prolonged eye contact, would almost appear to become bigger, taking up more space in his vision. At least, until he would realize he had unconsciously moved closer, nearing the lip of the tomb. There was a lulling sense, a hypnotic trance that softly crooned for Thierry to do something so simple and easy: jump into the vortex, to come home.

Of course, a simple shake of the head would clear these thoughts. He could even write it off as exhaustion, staring at the markings too long. Regardless, even standing in the burial chamber appeared to be not as easy of a task as one would have initially thought.

---

Pyramid of Giza, Louvre Tents

@Days, @WhiteAngel25, @Lexisheeps

---

”When you and mom go into the burial chamber, do you mind if I go along?"

Little Cosette blearily stepped into the tent, dressed in the clothes her mother had set out for her the night before - a frilly white cotton blouse and jean shorts. As she rubbed her eyes, she couldn't help but overhear her elder brother, begging her mother and father to see the secret parts of the pyramid. Her pyramid. He was going to see something she wouldn't see? That wasn't fair.

She could feel tears prick her eyes, as she piped up. "Maman, I wanna go! I'm a grown-up too!"

Her mother hushed her gently, offering breakfast. "Bonjour mi petit, did you sleep well?"

Cosette immediately compared her breakfast to Theo's. When she saw it was the exact same fava bean stew, albeit in a smaller portion, she almost immediately sunnied up. She pranced over to her mother, her mouth open in awe as she accepted breakfast. Smiling wide, happy to have the same food as her brother, she sat down at the table beside her father.

"Good morning, Cosy, darling. Are you excited to see the chamber too? I know I am!" Her father said beside her. Her smile widened, literal suns in her eyes. Her father actually said she would get to see the chamber. She was over the moon. A happy squeal escaped her lips as she bounced in her seat.

"Oui, Papa. Je suis vraiment enthousiaste!" She chattered enthusiastically, smiling up at her father. In that moment, he was larger than life.

She then glanced up at her mother, sitting on the other side. "Maman, can we take pictures with Auri's camera? I want to remember ALL of this."

She then glanced at her older sister and smiled wide. She loved Auri's camera. Sometimes, Auri would even let her take photos with it! "Can we pleeeease, sis?"

Enraptured with the idea of taking photos after breakfast, Cosette dug into breakfast, trying to finish as quickly as possible, her little legs bouncing under the table. For that morning, the family was together, blessed, and united. Smiles exchanged, and internal troubles were eased and momentarily forgotten. They were picture-perfect, all together, happy.

For now.

[Days]

Aurélie shifted in her seat as she cleared her throat, Theo’s question hanging in the air over their breakfast table, claiming attention. It was an innocent question, but Auri’s eyes darted to her parents. She watched as her mother put down a file, which she had been staring at with slightly squinted eyes for a while now. Auri hoped Sabrina wouldn’t get a headache because of it. The sun above them was equally warm and bright as the eldest slid one leg off the other, resting both feet on the sandy ground in her sandals. While it was still morning, her legs were already slightly sticking together from the warmth. Maybe a sundress wasn’t the best option for today. She could always change before they go anywhere, though Aurélie wasn’t quite up to date on today's itinerary.

While taking a sip of her coffee, her eyes fluttered to her brother, and then back to her father, expecting him to brush Theo off one way or another. It seemed like he wasn’t fully there either, and Aurélie scrutinised the man, her blue eyes blinking over the edge of her coffee cup. His interesting conversation with the Egyptian still played in the back of her mind. Did the man truly believe that mummies could become Gods, or was it a euphemism for something else? Or a translation error? And why was it a problem? The aspiring journalist’s curiosity sparked, and her nerves skittered for her to investigate.

It was her mother who answered Theo, a reasonable request. She couldn’t blame her parents, in this instance. They were here for work, after all. And not just boring desk work, this was their passion. This morning, she spent some time on her phone to find activities for Theo and Cosy, so Aurélie would be able to ensure her parents could work in peace. All the activities she seemed to find were not up her alley, but entirely up Theo’s and Cosette’s. Tours, tourist traps, something with a camel. Theo desperately wanted to go to the Archeology Museum in Cairo, but that would be more of a whole family thing. She would offer to take her siblings off their hands if her parents seemed unsure of how to keep them occupied and work at the same time. It wasn’t the first time she’d keep them occupied. However, in reality, there was an amazing photography-centered tour Aurélie desperately wanted to attend.

This all brought the question of why the Villiers kids were even here in the first place. In any case, a burial chamber didn’t seem like her idea of ‘fun’ but she couldn’t deny the rest of her family seemed entirely excited to dust off bricks and stare at drawings etched, and then spend countless minutes discussing the true meaning of markings most likely made by a bored child many, many years ago. She wondered if it was in their genes. Genes she didn’t possess, much like the one that brought forward dark, beautiful hair and golden and brown eyes. Still, she was enamoured by their passion.

Theo’s gaze shifted to his mother as she explained, and the teen slowly sank back into his chair, but his grin remained on his face. Masking. Something he was good at. ”Right, ofcourse.” He said, flashing his mother a smile. He knew that he wasn’t properly trained yet, nor did he want to push himself on his parents, but he so eagerly wanted to discover. His father had to mark objects, and take notes, but Theo could help. He’d be the best assistant ever. Even if he just held his dad’s notebook. Maybe he could show his father how much he’d learned already, and how eager he is to learn more. Maybe Thierry would spend more time with him, then. His admiration of his mother shouldn't be forgotten, either, and Theo was eager to learn from her as well.

The teen cleared his throat and took a sip of water from his glass. Just one more year of high school, and then it was off to university for him. Archeology. It’ll be him, next time, going into that chamber and dusting, finding the next amazing artefact. The whole thought was entirely too thrilling to him. Theo put his focus back on his dad, beaming brighter than the sun when told he was allowed in, albeit with conditions. For a second, his eyes went back to his mom, feeling a little bit awkward that the two seemed to contradict each other, but his happiness took the upper hand. He put the palms of his hands together and made a small bow as a joke, addressing both his parents. ”Thank you, thank you. I’ll be on my best behaviour. Mom, no overcrowding from me, no ma’am. Dad, I’ll be the very best assistant ever. Promise. I’ll actually listen to you for once.” With a chuckle, he leaned back in his chair and draped his arm over the back of it. As his little sister came up, he raised his hand and wiggled his fingers at her in greeting. Nothing could kill his mood now.

Now that everyone seemed focused on breakfast, Aurélie smiled as she looked around the table. Maybe she should let go of the reason why they were here, or whatever the hell all those hushed conversations were about. She should probably focus on the good things this holiday could bring. The last time they all sat at a table, eating together, was forever ago. It was marvellous and Auri should have let it in more, she knew that.

She never chose to be the sour one. The spoilsport. But she couldn’t help not having the same interests, nor could she help being the oldest, and not possessing the ability to beat around the bush. She gave it to her parents straight, about Theo feeling neglected, and not wanting the same for Cosette. But she fought mostly with Thierry, which didn’t quite help their relationship. Maybe she should enjoy the happy faces of those she loved most, right now. One of them addressed her, and she turned her head to her father inquiring about her photography. She’d been obsessed with the hobby ever since he got her a disposable camera on a family holiday when she was like 7. She ran around with the thing all day, snapping pictures, and making people pose. The resulting pictures were horrendous, but a hobby was born. She wondered if he remembered that. The way he had tried to keep his face straight to compliment her photos, while the humour was sparkling in his eyes. Her mother hung the prettiest picture up in the kitchen. Aurélie’s face grew a genuine smile as she gave him a firm nod. The little girl in her still squealed in joy at attention from her dad, something she’d been starving for, but knew she had a hand in its deprivement.

”I did, actually. I made a very beautiful picture of the sunrise peeking up behind the pyramid. The light was just right, and I tried some things out with composition and-” Aurélie blinked, knowing she was rambling and she didn’t want to bore the man. ”I’ll show you later.” She said instead, flashing him a grin as she put her focus back on her coffee cup, taking another sip. But the conversation remained on taking pictures, and the big sister grinned widely at Cosette, wanting to take pictures. ”Ofcourse ma petite lumière” She exclaimed with a grin, setting her cup down on the table. ”I’ll go get it.”

Moments later, her sundress billowed slightly in the warm wind as she returned, camera in hand while her manicured hands already fumbled with the settings. Seeing mostly finished plates, the teen nodded and glanced around, trying to find a good spot. ”Stand over there, then I can put the camera on the table.” Grinning, she started to position the camera, using her hand to signal her family members to scoot a little to the right.

Theo grinned, standing next to his father. Despite his age, he was already slowly outgrowing his father, which he was really proud of for no reason. It won’t be long until he can tease his dad about his greying hair. With a big grin, he looped his arm behind his father’s waste while his little sis and his mother found their spot on the sand as well. Behind them, the pyramid loomed, promising adventure and family bonding.

When she was satisfied, Aurélie addressed her family, flashing a grin. ”This little light here will flash quicker the closer it gets. Everyone ready? Say Boris!" Quickly, she made her way to her family and found her spot.

It didn't pass by Aurélie how nice it felt to have everyone smiling, laughing even, standing close in half embraces and big grins as the light flashed quicker and quicker until eventually the flash and subsequent shutter sound captured the famille pittoresque.

[WhiteAngel25]

Sabrina blinked her honey eyes at the new set of notes given to her by her husband. She took a glance at the notes and tilted her head in confusion with the glyphs she recognized off the bat. 'Anubis, Death, Energy, Darkness? What an odd combination of hieroglyphics.' She thought as she served Cosette some fava bean stew with white rice and a glass of freshly squeezed juice.

"Prudente, le ragoût de fèves est chaud," Sabrina warned her youngest of how hot the stew could be, indicating for Cosy to blow on the bites she would take to eat it. She felt awful seeing the familiar glint of hurt in Theo's eyes. It wasn't like Sabrina wanted to steer him away from Thierry's work. The issue was that working with Thierry got complicated fast.

The dark-haired woman was about to spit out the sip of coffee she had just taken when Thierry agreed for Theo to join him. Sabrina raised an eyebrow at her husband. Her expression was less questioning and more impressed. Yesterday, he had instructed that she and the kids needed to stay as far as possible from the burial chambers, and now he was offering for their son to join him. Maybe he just needed some sleep, not that he came to bed very often. At home, Sabrina would often find Thierry asleep in his armchair in his study or on the sofa, usually with his notebook or some sort of paper in his hands. It was usually after the second time Cosette asked for a glass of water in the middle of the night when she would go check on Thierry, she always carried a blanket with her, knowing that he'd be out cold from exhaustion of studying artifacts.

Sabrina thought for a moment that she may have slipped into an alternate universe where her husband decided to include their children in their field research. He even asked Auri about her photography! She felt the need to pinch herself, refraining from doing so as that might be too sarcastic of an action in front of her children.

"I think a family picture would be very nice," Sabrina agreed with a smile as the family gathered around one another after Aurelie set up her camera. The mother had no idea how many times she would cry over this simple picture in the future.

---

Just before the family set out to the burial chamber and while the kids were getting ready, Sabrina gently touched Thierry's shoulder and handed him her take on the glyph notes. "They are discussing some energy field of sorts. One that seemed to be used as a power source. A power source for what, I'm not sure. They warn of how dangerous it could be to absorb such energy. One could meet Anubis if not careful or strong of heart," she explained with concern in her eyes.

"There's more to this job than just digging up artifacts, isn't there, Thierry," Sabrina stated more as a fact and less of a question. "We don't have to bring the kids. They'd understand. Auri and Theo, especially. If it could become too dangerous, they need to be aware of what's going on. " she murmured as she smiled softly. "We all do, Thierry. You know I don't like being left in the dark with these situations," the mother of the de Viller children reminded her husband as she could recount the times that Thierry left out information in hopes of protecting people got them in trouble, and that was before Auri entered the picture.

[Lexisheeps]

Photographic Memory

The thought of Theo being his assistant sounded like good bonding time. If this trip wasn't as dangerous as it was, that is. Still though, this didn't let Thierry stop from laughing along with his only son, "You'd better be!" He took a sip of his fresh coffee as he continued his conversation with his oldest.

"Sounds lovely! I can't wait to see it!" The mannerisms that were about his expression was nothing less than jovial. The happiness that Thierry exuded? Genuine. This particular conversation with his oldest child? Perfect in every way. His eyes sparkled as he realized he'd forgotten to tell her something. He spoke hoping she'd be excited, "I forgot to mention that I booked a photowalk as well. Along with the thing with the camels for Cosy."

As the Louvre man pulled his children around him, he took extra caution to not leave Sabrina out. Pulled her just as close with a tight squeeze and let his head momentarily tilt against her silky soft hair. He might have been romantically negligent with her, but she was still the mother of his babies. And what a magnificent mother she was. He was proud to stand there paternally opposite to her maternal stride. Just the way a virtuous father should.

Cosette was pulled firmly in his arms, despite his opposing knee. Gave her a kiss on the cheek as she wiggled about his grasp, causing him to giggle. His lack of shaving that morning must of tickled her. Her exhilaration was infectious, to say the least. Then he turned to his son who was radiating charm as well, "When did you get so much taller than me?!" He playfully frowned while looking back to Sabrina and pretended to be insecure about it, "Je ne suis pas petit! I'm standing in quicksand!"

Thierry could feel Theo's arm make it's way behind him. As Cosette turned excitedly, her movement caused Thierry to wince in pain, "Cosy..." The shooting pain reached his mid back. A little reality check to how bad his knee was that day. While it was sweet that Aurélie had remembered his lotion, physical therapy would probably be necessary again. But it seemed someone had noticed his labored breathing start. A hand or two helped relieve some pressure from Cosette's weight.

With the much needed aid, Thierry was able to regain his composure and charm. As Aurélie told everybody to 'Say Boris,' an endearing toothy smile came out. The camera flashed. Everything seemed perfect at the time. 7 years would soon go by. Not a single day would Thierry go without looking at this picture. He would carry a copy of it in his wallet. Pace gingerly with a framed copy sitting on his desk in both of his offices. Gaze longingly at it as birthdays passed. Clutching it while clinging desperately to his future husband, whimpering.

Honestly? It was a relief to put Cosette down, "Cosy, ma fille..." He tilted his head down to his daughter while pretending to be stern, "I absolutely forbid you from getting any bigger!" And shook his finger at her before booping her nose. With a laugh he turned and pointed to Theo, "And that doubles for you, jeune homme!"

In the midst of walking back to the tents, Thierry turned to Aurélie, "Thank you for remembering my ointment." And smiled graciously while leaning in for a impromptu hug, "Where would I be without such a thoughtful fille, hmm?"

With The idea of getting back to the burial chamber, Thierry found himself standing there. Triple checking his gear after triple checking it. His anxiety was picking back up. After about 20 more minutes of that, he'd wandered with Sabrina outside the tents. His own set of notes in hand as she spoke. She was quick in confirming some of what he'd suspected, but also added her own spin. He smiled at Sabrina's sagacity. It was something he truly enjoyed about her.

Thierry spoke with a certain levelheadedness, "It sounds like they're talking about electric shock, but I don't see how that could possibly be what they mean. Could you imagine the sorts of artifacts we'd be uncovering right now, if they had electricity?"

But his smile faded as he locked eyes with her. The perturbed expression lingered about her facial features. As Sabrina questioned him, he gazed to her with pleading eyes. But he wasn't really sure what he was pleading for. Pleading for her to not question him? No, he wasn't that elusive. But then when she spoke of being left out, his own features fumbled a bit as he was unsure of what to say. He looked around to make sure the kids weren't in ear shot. A little nervous about what he was about to say.

"I"m just..." Thierry started with slight hesitation, "Worried. It feels like there's an entire backlog of information that the Museum's not giving me." His honesty made him sigh as he looked back to his notes. He looked back to his wife, "I went in and placed markers this morning. As long as the kids don't go past those, everything should be fine." At this point, Thierry was trying to convince himself more than Sabrina. For the first time during the trip, he opted for the unabridged truth.

The linguist agent turned paper pusher laughed at Sabrina's comment about digging up artifacts, "You have no real idea, my dear." But the laugh was filled with anxiety as he spoke, "I hate it, but I can't seem to get enough of it. What am I to do?!" He hesitated while keeping eye contact with her, "I trust you with the kids and my life, Sabrina. I'm sorry I'm not always there for you the way you deserve."

Thierry didn't always apologize to Sabrina about his work life, but when he did, it was sincere. He knew, or at least felt he knew, the toll it took on her and the children. And he hated it. That side of him. His drive for adventure, or rather, chaos.

---

Thierry looked with raised eyebrow to Theo, "I mean it, Theodore. I want your best behavior!" But smiled charmingly as he pulled his kid-friendly edition of notes out for him to examine. An abridged version of notes that would show Theo interesting things. Along with what it was like to be a linguist for The Louvre, but not an agent. He'd never forgive himself if Theo became an agent as he had. Never.

The notes talked about the Pharaoh and his ascension into the afterlife. No mention of dark energy or...

His nerves didn't get the better of him, as he patiently waited to see if Theo wanted to play 20 questions. But there was a moment as he realized he'd lost track of Cosy. He looked about the great room and breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been so wrapped up in thought, that he hadn't heard her prancing footsteps. She was with Sabrina and Aurélie. His wife and oldest seemed to be keeping up with Cosy's heightened energy levels just fine. Which was fantastic, as he'd come only half prepared. How did they manage? The father silently admired his baby's enthusiasm from afar.

The look of worry had completely dissipated from his face, as he looked back to his junior assistant, "Do you want to brush some of that wall off for me? I have my tool kit if you need it." Hands on experience. Thierry knew Theo was desperate for it, but little stuff like this, was the best he could manage without real risks involved, "Or help me with my Rosetta Stone notes?"

Thierry smiled softly as he spoke, "Not nearly as glamorous of a job that your father has, now is it?" The intent of his comment? Keep the truth of being an agent for The Louvre as far away from Theo as physically possible. Maybe, just maybe, if Theo thought it was a dead end...

A soft chuckle escaped him at what the girls were talking about. Their chatter prompted Thierry, "I bet Cosy wants her history lesson now. I don't think she's found Boris!" Thierry nodded in his girls direction as he had spoken, "Pop quiz! Khufu facts, go."

There was a definite amount of dislike that lodged itself in the pit of Thierry's stomach. He didn't hate having his children with him, but it was certainly a relief once he found himself alone in the Purple Chamber. The glow of the portal he stood before, made him feel nauseous. While the hum that emanated from it, beckoned him to step closer.

"I'm..." Thierry's voice trailed as he stared at the glow, "Just tired."

With direct eye contact broken, Thierry was able to make his way back to the Anubis shrine. His knee wasn't agreeing with his antics for the day, so he couldn't completely sit the way he had that morning. Instead he slid himself against the wall and leaned while standing. There was enough support from the wall, that some weight was removed from his angered knee.

His real work began.

Every now and then though, it felt as if the... "No. I'm losing it." Thierry shook the voices out of his head. The safe removal of his family had been secured and Mr. Andrew along with his agents were in another part of the pyramid all together.

---

Middle of the damned desert...

"I see you, hotshot." The binoculars were pulled from his blue eyes. Wiped some sweat off his brow in the process. Everything so far, had led up to these assholes. Whoever the hell they were... "Nice bike." He smirked.

That was something Nick could understand. A man and his bike. He had a bit of a muscle car obsession himself. He didn't particularly like his uncle, but was still grateful for the rust red 1984 C4 Corvette he'd given him for his birthday. The car needed tons of work and a new paint job, but it gave him an excuse to tinker when he visited. If he wasn't here in the middle of the desert right now, he'd be back in the States. Probably flipping through a car magazine or installing a new transmission. Or whatever the hell it was that normal kids did these days.

Unscrewing the bottle just long enough to take a tiny swig of water, Nick looked at the cultists again, "But I don't like that you're fucking around with my Anubis statues."

His statues?

Because the 16 year old clearly owned the world. Or rather, he hated seeing the statues being defaced. He just wanted to read them. Learn what the different inscriptions said. Protect them. These guys though? Destruction seemed to follow along.

Nick had been speaking as if he wasn't alone. While yes, he could see the bike rider pull up and threaten the guy, he couldn't exactly hear them. Giving him freedom to run his mouth as he pleased. The way he preferred. A lone pistol was pulled from it's holster and he examined his ammo situation, "Damn." Now was not the time to be seen from his lofty hiding spot on the damaged obelisk. He'd wage hell later. For now, he pulled the binoculars to extend his line of sight.

The annoying sound of yelling started on the opposite side of the wall, "You've gotta be kidding me."

Had he been spotted? Followed?