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Eight people sat around a table, three of them dark-haired, one blonde, three ginger, and one with mousy nondescript unkempt locks. There were notebooks in front of five of them; the other three weren’t particularly keen on taking notes. All of them had coffee or cocoa in tall mugs, and there was a plate of cookies and another of hot muffins on the table. No one seemed overly interested in the food, though.

I finished telling them about my plans for the Peter Pan story that had recently devoured most of my imagination and time. I turned to look around the table at the two main actors and my various encouragement moguls and assistants. “So, any questions?” There were none. “Thoughts? Pan?” Peter sat up from where he had been lounging in his chair with his light boots on the table.

“We’re dealing with some pretty weighty stuff here,” he said thoughtfully. “It’s as well you banned Tinker Bell from this meeting.” Everyone except Obi-Wan gave a collective shudder at the idea of the jealous and vain fairy disrupting the staff meeting. Wendy nodded.

“I like the multi-generational aspect,” she said encouragingly. “There’s an awful lot of theory involved though.” I nodded.

“This isn’t going to be such a light-hearted jaunt through Neverland. For some reason, as well as emulating J.M. Barrie’s style, I’ve also wound up adding doses of Tolkien in equal parts–completely unintentionally, of course.” Obi-Wan steepled his fingers; it was hard to tell whether he was channeling Mace Windu, or Sherlock.

“Please tell me you’re not attempting a truly dark fantasy, Erin.” he said in a tone that told me he was already fairly sure that I wasn’t.

“No, I’m not,” I said. “I just felt the urge to put my own twist on the classic. Don’t worry, Rowan and Margery, I’ll get back to yours as soon as may be.”

“Are you borrowing theory from our story?” Rowan asked.

“I don’t think so,” I said thoughtfully. “If anything, I’m borrowing it slightly from Heather Dale. But no, I think not. Your Scotland is a very different place from Neverland, and I think that the magic system there will probably be a bit more varied than yours. For instance, Shadow Summoners. Though your novel could do with one, I guess.”

“Mmm,” Rowan said. “I already get the feeling that you’re planning a scene with some sort of monster for us.” I grinned.

“It can only harm you if you look at it.” Rowan shrugged.

“I can walk just fine blindfolded, you know.” I grinned.

“Exactly.” Margery raised her hand, hesitantly.

“What about me?”

“You’re going to be helping him control the Amatane power when that comes up. In fact, I have a feeling that you’ll be key. As a matter of fact, I just realized that Wielders’ powers come from their compassion and their connections to other people and nature. I’m not quite sure how yet. Anyway, back to Peter.”

Iris had listened quietly all this time, but now she spoke up. “I especially like your idea of having Neverland begin to fall apart when Peter goes missing.”

“Well, in my mind, it just made sense,” I excused myself. “Peter Pan is, essentially, the life of fairy tales. His role is just to be, and to keep back the dark. So when he’s gone, or threatened, the person who threatens him is essentially threatening to let all the powers of evil–at least in this world–loose on both Neverland and the mainland. You know…” she paused. “If we could get someone half-decent to do the editing and effects, this would make an amazing movie.”

“It would,” Iris said. Obi-Wan decisively downed the last of his coffee and leaned back with a grimace.

“I’d suggest that you keep it doable, keep up a realistic outlook.” he said. “After all, unlike some of your projects, this one is completely doable.”

Kysherin gave an evil, uncanny, skin-crawl-inducing chuckle. “Yet.” I scowled at the Muse.

“This is why you’re ugly, Kysherin,” I said. She smiled evilly.

“I know.”

Suddenly, the doors slammed open and Legolas burst in. “Someone left the stables unlocked, and all the flying dragons and horses and even H’vyenteh are getting away!” he shouted.

Life as usual with Selay’uu.

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