---

Maya was thoroughly enjoying watching Emily grow more and more visibly pissed off as she continued talking. So, of course, she wasn’t going to stop. Especially when Blake Schmidt himself was speaking directly to her. That would just be rude! And Maya couldn’t have that. She noted the glare from his wife, who her gaze had mostly been fixed on (totally not because of how attractive she was), and forced herself to not smirk. Keeping a mostly neutral, I’m adorable but don’t trust you, smile. She may be enjoying winding Emily up, but she had to not entirely fuck things up for everyone.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket as Blake began to answer her questions, and she ignored it for just now. It would be rude to divert her attention.

"Maya, Maya, a cute name."

Her face momentarily screwed up with disgust before she forced herself back to a polite (and more fake) smile. Yes, she was cute, but no she didn’t want to hear that from him. It just sounded sleazy. He went on to ask what he could do to make her trust him and if she was going to give an honest answer it would be nothing. She was never going to actually trust him. The thought of that made her want to shudder. She just about trusted that Coven, and they were full of (not rich) women.

No she’d asked her questions for two reasons: firstly, to wind up Emily. Secondly, to try and get him to slip up something useful. She didn’t plan to make the deal… She’d been forced into enough business meetings by her family to know she couldn’t. But she could at least help (though her main reason was to spite Emily, of course, the helpfulness was secondary).

All of what he said sounded nice, and probably fake, and Maya went to say something in response. Then Kayla started talking and she closed her mouth. She inclined her head slightly towards their leader to indicate that she was done with talking and would let her take over. As much as she wouldn’t do it when Emily told her to, Maya actually liked and trusted Kayla and was glad to let her take over. So instead she finally pulled out her phone.

"Phillis Schmidt looks angry. Find out if the rumors are true. Do what you do best- make friends."

Now that she could do. For once Maya actually decided to do what she was told - partly because it was from Kayla, and partly because she wanted to do it anyway. She slid closer to Phillis with a warm, somewhat sympathetic, smile.

“So, you’re interested in the supernatural too?” she lowered her voice: so that it wouldn’t distract the others from their discussions, but was audible to the woman herself. She started with a ‘neutral’ topic rather than going right into it like she had with Blake… because while he was cheating, rich scumbag his wife probably wasn’t (and she was hot). “What made you interested in them? Was it him? Are you looking to get some yourself?”

Maya paused for a moment as she realised she’d just bombarded her with questions. “That’s something I could definitely understand. It’s tough for women out there, but having magical abilities certainly help… and it’s how this little group formed.” She subtly indicated to the coven as she smiled, words soft but sweet. “I’d never had proper companionship before I’d joined. The world of the Extra-normal really brings people together.”

Step 1: ask questions about the common topic and pretend to speak about herself genuinely. Step 2: Find out information from her, cause chaos and maybe get something more…

It was hard to keep her smile friendly and warm because this was just too much fun.

"You didn't go to those other organizations. Let me be clear, Mr. Schmidt, we can't help you get supernatural abilities of your own. At least, I wont let my girls help you there," she began. "A few of them have lost who they were due to the nature of their abilities. I hope you understand, I do not intend to make a deal with a friend... Only to lose them to a profane genie in a bottle looking for a meat puppet. Any abilities you wish to procure of your own, you'll do so on your own time and of your own risk."

Blake frowned.

"Come now..." Blake shrugged as he took a sip of his exquisite wine. This was not the answer he was looking for and he was quite disappointed she wasn't willing to play ball. That was the one thing that he wanted more than them as enforcers! Still, he knew a little firecracker like her was unlikely the budge... he could tell from the tone in her voice. Well, this meant that he would have to ask one of the other members when this one isn't present. Everyone has a price, after all. "... Very well."

"Enforcing and asset protection is another matter. One I'm more than willing to hear out. But I want a contract. Written agreement of what you want us to do, how far you want us to go, and what we'd be protecting, and how we're being compensated. To the letter, for each job. I'll also want an attorney. I don't mind getting my hands dirty for the right reasons, but if the law gets involved, I don't want my girls going to jail."

"Contract? That's easy!" Blake answered with a smile. It'll take a bit of wording to explain his new security force but he's more than willing to provide all of this. "I'll get you everything you requested and more... set up first thing on Monday!"

"I'm sure you'll want some sort of demonstration, too, yeah? To know what you're paying for?"

"Sure thing..." Blake said as he placed the wineglass back and leaned back in intrigue. "I'd also like an explanation about the world of supernatural... an in-depth one. We don't need a contract for that, right?"

---

So, you’re interested in the supernatural too? What made you interested in them? Was it him? Are you looking to get some yourself? That’s something I could definitely understand.

Phillis was honestly confused because this girl was talking with her specifically. Her eyes widened at her kindness, was it just a ploy to get at Blake? Or was there something else at play here? Still, Phillis couldn't force herself to be rude to the girl. Especially given that her husband was working with them and knew better than to interfere with his business, whatever it was. Phillis listened as she sighed in response.

"... I honestly had no clue the supernatural even existed before today," Phillis bluntly answered. "And I'm still not sure if it exists... my husband just insisted I come here today."

That was the first thing that came out of Phillis' mouth but she was interested in the world of the extra-normal. "I'm glad that you found friends that care about you... but you all are supposed to be witches? I expected hats, robes, and green skin... you all just look like a bunch of twenty-somethings."

Phillis raised an eyebrow when Blake requested a demonstration and then she asked Maya.

"... Is magic really real?"



Taylor blew hair out of the way of her face when Kayla gestured towards the one chick. She was smart enough to take a hint and she was quick to get up and step over. And once Taylor got close she understood what was meant. The chick was fucking wasted. Drunk off her ass and tits... which Taylor had to admit was pretty fuckin big. Except she just realized she was put on drunk-duty and hissed between her teeth as she looked back at Kayla. Still, the girl looked like she needed some help.

“C’mon, let’s get out of here and have some real fun. I’m buying.”

In Madison's drunken stupor a lot of what Vashti said went over her head... much like what Herik said. Right now the world was fucking spinning and she was on top of it! Whatever that meant. Still, she didn't recognize this chick. "... Who the fuck are you?" Madison slurred as her head tilted and her jaw went slack, just for a second. "This sounds like some kinda..." Madison hiccuped. "... plan to take my organs. Well, ya' thot, you ain't gettin' none of this."

"Yes, she's trustworthy!" Claudette said as she used all of her strength to lift Madison. Eventually, Madison stopped resisting and allowed herself to be lifted by the slightly taller girl. On the other side, she was lifted by this red-haired girl that she never seen before but figured that she was a new member. Claudette was happy that somebody got off their ass to help her other than Herik. "She's one of us! She's..." Shit. Claudette didn't know her name.

"She wants to party!" Claudette was hoping that Vashti wasn't actually trying to get Madison drunker but she was playing along.

"Aight, aight, aight... aight..." Madison slurred as she looked up at Vashti. "But, I only party with hoodrats an' hoodrats only... you... look like the only partying ya' do is a bar mitzvah!"

Claudette rolled her eyes.

"Let's go."

---

"... I honestly had no clue the supernatural even existed before today. And I'm still not sure if it exists... my husband just insisted I come here today."

Maya raised an eyebrow. Huh, that was interesting. Maybe he had another reason for having her there… but she didn’t dwell on it. She’d talk to Kayla about it later, she already had her words memorised. She also completely ignored Phillis’ clear confusion at Maya even talking to her

“Witches is a bit of a loose term for us,” Maya laughed, genuinely, at the imagery described. Her gaze flickered to Emily momentarily - now it would be fun to see her with green skin. “We may call ourselves a coven but we’re more like… a tight knit group of girls with powers. Though, robes would be pretty cool if impractical in the Florida heat.” She shrugged. “We may look pretty normal, but we’re really not.”

"... Is magic really real?"

Ah, the million dollar question. While Blake clearly believed in (and had probably seen) magic, Phillis must have not. Maya smiled.

“It is.” She automatically raised a hand to rub the back of her neck, right where her sigil was - even if it couldn’t be seen by the blind. “And I think you’re just about to get it proven to you, if you watch the demonstration.” She tilted her head, not taking her eyes off of Phillis. “I’d show my own but it's… a bit destructive.” She only took a moment to decide if she should continue. “I can release blasts of sound that can damage objects and the like. It does have the unfortunate side effect of ruining my hearing for a bit.”

Her smile widened. “But, if the demonstration they give isn’t satisfactory, I’ll gladly show you.”

---

Blake fucking Schmidt. Basically the human version of Megamind, but the big head was just a metaphor. From what Lyss had heard about him (and read about him when she looked the guy up), he was just another big money man with no real criminal allegations against him. Well, none that could be traced back to him. The fact that he'd contacted the Coven to "gain" supernatural abilities wasn't out of the ordinary for men like him. Lyss certainly didn't peg him as the Batman type, but that was besides the point.

Lyss was highly aware of men like this. There were many Blind buyers in the market. Blake was just another millionaire that wanted a little more excitement in his life. Would he perhaps use his gained abilities for the wrong purpose? Would this backfire on the Coven, in any way? It was possible. And yet, the suitcase full of cash was incredibly tempting. Lyss eyed it through her sunglasses as they stood in the elevator. She wasn't happy to be even meeting Blake, or even attempting to give him magical abilities... but the second she stepped out onto the private rooftop bar she laid her eyes on Blake. The way he and his wife were dressed. The way they sat at the bar. It was like they owned Tampa. They screamed money.

If this went through, and the Coven didn't immediately regret their decision to "help" him, she might just be set for the rest of her life. Enough money to survive. Enough money to move as far away from Miami as possible. Maybe even enough to pay back her former partners if they ever caught up with her. While the morality of this situation was debatable, the reward was just too high. So, Lyss approached Blake the same way she approached any of her buyers from the market. Head held high, shoulders back and loose, and an air of skepticism. He'd need to sell himself pretty well, if the group was to go through with this. She shared Kayla's caution, there was no doubt about that. She'd just gone through enough of these deals to think that this wasn't that much of a problem.

Lyss took the seat between Kayla and Emily. She turned to the bartender and asked for a glass of top shelf whiskey on the rocks as she listened to Emily, Maya, and Blake banter. She sat back in her seat, but didn't slouch because she was a goddamn professional, and gave Blake a nod when her name was mentioned. Second in command. Shoot me in the face. The bartender slid her glass over, Lyss nodded a thanks, and took a sip. The smooth liquor slid down her throat and warmed her belly. Thank you, Mr. Schmidt.

Just when she thought that Kayla would start the meeting, she heard Maya speak up. She said what most of them were thinking, although Lyss would have said it in a much subtle way. Lyss shot her a glance through her shades, but she turned her head back towards the man in an expensive polo. At least they would get their answers up front.

Lyss watched him closely as he spoke. If he lied, she would know. Flaunting? The corners of her lips turned into a small frown. Has everyone in Tampa seen that damn video from Greenwood? Better yet. Had anyone outside of Tampa seen it too? Which gave Lyss even more of a reason to need this deal to go through. Blake mentioned "enforcers" and Lyss immediately saw their way out of giving him powers while still getting paid. She glanced at Kayla and trusted her to see the better deal here.

Yeah, but what other supernatural "organizations" are as batshit as we are? Certainly not the DENs. They'd deny all involvement.

Lyss suppressed a smile when Kayla denied Blake's magical gifting. Then she smirked when Kayla suggested to go the personal protection route. Come on, Blake. Take the deal. How else will you protect yourself when your plans go awry? A demonstration of her own abilities would be... difficult. Which made her wonder if Blake had already gotten his hands dirty with apparitions and other magical beings? Paragon Lab Corps was a large business. With many buildings scattered across Tampa. Any one of them could be a secret hold of supernatural experiments. It also brought another question to mind. If he was as rich as the media made him to be, why hadn't he just gone to the black market for his needs? Why bother with the Coven at all? Was it because they appeared reckless? Did he think them desperate? Lyss, you are desperate.

Lyss took another sip of her whiskey. The commotion in the corner, by the Coven's one and only alcoholic, definitely didn't help their impression.

"We don't need a contract for that, right?"

Lyss set her glass down and turned to face him. The terms were set. If Blake kept his word, they'd seal it in writing by Monday. Now, it was time to convince him that this was worth his time too.

"Mr. Schmidt." Schmidty. "I'd be happy to answer any questions you have related to the supernatural."

"There are many things that exist in this world that the blind cannot see. The Blind being, you and your wife or any non-magical being.

There are Blind that have been exposed to extra-normal elements and have gained the sight to see magic. We call them One-Eyes. One of them is among us today as a member of our group." She didn't bother to point Herik out. If Blake was curious, he'd ask. "Next, there are the Awakened. The Awakened were blind, but through a traumatic experience they have gained their abstraction. An abstraction is the term we've given to our abilities. Each abstraction is unique to the owner."

She gave Blake a moment to think as she took a sip of her whiskey, and then continued.

"Next, we have those known as Aberrations. They manifest when they have encountered an apparition- a spirit, as you'd call it. There are multiple types of Aberrations. The Afflicted are Blind who have encountered an apparition, whether a Casper or a foe, and have been given a blessing or a curse." She shook her head slightly. "I personally think that the gifts cannot be defined as either. It is up to the Aberration to decide if they have gained or lost by becoming a part of our world." She thought about Vashti for a second, and almost wished that the girl had been around to hear her say this. Then she thought of the scales on her arm. "All magic comes with a cost. It is what you do with it that defines you and your ability."

She eyed Blake and gave her words a moment of gravity. How would you use your ability, Mr. Schmidt?

Then, she took a breath and continued on. "An affixed aberration have been bound to apparitions. The spirits rest within their bodies and can have symbiotic or parasitic relationships with their hosts." Emily walks a fine line here. "The apparition can even manifest in person, like the spirit beside Emily."

"Next, there are Agents, Abscised, and Adjoined. Abcised are those who have been possessed by an apparition. Agents are Blind that have come in contact with an apparition that was sealed inside of an object. Adjoined are those Agents who have agreed to fuse with their spirits and become one." She briefly thought of those who'd bought objects like this from her group. Hand sealed and delivered by none other than herself. If Blake was smart, he'd just get an object like this himself. If he was willing to fork over a large amount of cash. "While purchasing a sealed object may seem like the easiest option, there is a danger to submitting yourself to magic in that way. There are legends about an apparition named The Outsider in our lore."

"The Outsider once appeared in our world a long time ago. It is an ancient apparition that threatened our world's very existence. It took many of our kind to seal it away. Many died doing so. The term Pandora's Box is a reference to the very music box they trapped it within. If anyone were to ever find this box and open it, the world would surely be lost." She hoped that this little lesson would resonate with the man in front of her. She remembered hearing it from her grandmother when she was little. She remembered the fear that she felt thinking about such a spirit. Hopefully Blake felt it too.

She leant back in her chair, and decided to finish her little description of the Extra-Normal. "Lastly, there are the Adepts. Adepts are the oldest Extra-Normal beings. They descend from long lines of power and history. Magic was first given to them by beings from an alternate universe called Glint. Their magic is given to their children, and passed on down the bloodline. Their abstractions are unique to the Glint that gifted their blood. Each being from Glint had a specific type of lux: the lights that each are connected to and can harness. Each lux is connected to certain magical abilities based upon emotion."

"For example, a Red Lux experiences anger. With this anger, they are able to manipulate the elements. A Yellow Lux can create spells to shield or provide stealth. An Orange Lux can imbue objects with Extra-Normal energy as long as they are casting their spells. The list goes on, but I will continue if you'd like."

She took another sip of her whiskey now that she was done. "If you have any specific questions to ask me, now is your chance."

---

Vashti grimaced and drew in a sharp breath as Madison suggested she was planning to harvest her organs. She raised her hands in innocence and took a step back as Madison drunkenly slurred at her. Vashti could smell the alcohol on her breath. It made her eyes water. Thankfully, Claudette stepped in to both hold up Madison and back up Vashti. “She’s Vashti,” she interjected as Claudette tried and failed to remember her name. It was cool. Seeing as how Madison was already sinking back down to the ground before Taylor swooped in to help, Claudette clearly had reasons to have been distracted.

"But, I only party with hoodrats an' hoodrats only... you... look like the only partying ya' do is a bar mitzvah!” shouted Madison.

“Bat mitzvah but yeah, I’m actually in college so...” Vashti made a drinking motion with her hand and stepped past the other girls to lead the way to the elevator. The moment her back was to them her face tightened with sharp irritation. Vashti realized long ago that wearing her headscarf in public gave her a secret power: it quickly let her know who was an intolerant asshole. She had been teased and insulted for a culture that she didn’t even really identify with for years until she was able to bury her false identity in college. Vashti figured by now she’d have a pretty thick skin about the whole thing, but she didn’t. The least Madison could’ve done was make fun of the right fucking religion.

Vashti sharply inhaled. Cool it. The girl was drunk. There was nothing more embarrassing than getting in an argument with a drunk person, because the drunk person at least had an excuse for their dumbass behavior. She pushed through the glass doors leading inside to the elevator and shook her hands off to her sides as if she were flicking away the bad energy like it was water. She hit the call button and turned back to the girls.

“I’m a bit more wild than a hoodrat,” said Vashti. She looked amused but her words were peppered with saltiness. The others might notice, but she doubted Madison would sense the change. Hell, she doubted Madison would be awake by the time they were in the parking lot. “We can drink warm forties and do whippits behind the 7-Eleven if you want, but trust me: what I have in store for you will be the best night of your life.”

The elevator dinged. Vashti stepped in and turned back to the girls with a shark smile. She had no actual clue what she was going to do with Madison once they were away from the meeting, but throwing the girl in a bathtub full of ice did now sound appealing.

Izzy was excited for the meeting, though thoroughly disappointed that they were meeting Blake Fucking Schmidt today. She was woefully unprepared. Her clothes were average at best today, definitely not fit to me Mr. Playboy Billionaire himself. Plus the elevator up was messing up her hair. Not that she minded being pressed up against Herik, it just felt like the club only with significantly less dancing and music and way more light.

Izzy made sure to remember where the group headed before taking off to the bathroom. She quickly fixed her makeup and hair to accentuate what she could. This was her chance. The moment of truth. She couldn't fuck this up. God don't fuck this up. Anxiety started to well up in the red head as she stared at her reflection. Instantly, she got out her flask which was still mostly full of straight vodka. Anxiety meant she was too sober. Izzy downed a good half of the flask of alcohol and took a deep breath. Time to make her entrance.

Knowing the group, they would have absolutely have her head if Izzy made too much of a dramatic entrance. Plus with a man like Blake Fucking Schmidt, her subtle actions wouldn't go unnoticed, so Izzy approached the group surrounding Blake and his wife. She recognized his wife from the magazines, but she honestly looked way hotter in person.

Both?

Both.

We'll take both.

Her two brain cells quickly came to an agreement. Izzy found a seat at the edge of the group and simply listened to the conversation. For some reason the Coven seemed to think this was a group decision, but in reality it was more of an individual decision. And Izzy already knew her answer. Plus despite being an absolute moron most of the time, she still had a business degree. So while the other's led the charge Izzy was busy letting her imagination go wild.

Izzy noticed Maya talking to Mrs. Phillis Schmidt and frowned a bit. Hopefully Maya wasn't going to snatch the MILF away before she even got a chance. After Lyss explained how the supernatural worked, Izzy decided to pipe up.

"I'd be more than willing to provide a demonstration if you'd like." She gave an innocent grin to the group. Unlike most of them, her ability wasn't inherently violent or attention-getting. Plus she kinda wanted to give the man a preview of what he could be getting.

The "Second in Command", stepped up and explained the world of the supernatural... it was wordy but every piece of information was mentally logged. Blind were people with no powers or magical affinity, which he believed himself and his wife to be. But the next step was One-Eye? What a weird name, but he was mentally logging this. Now he wished he had one of his secretaries with him so she could write it down. One of them was one of these One-Eyes but Blake honestly didn't care. He was interested in magic, not some low life without them. If he wasn't being nice he'd tell them to get rid of that person.

Not only were they poor but they were also worthless.

Still, she got onto the meat: Awakened. Who were blind that went through traumatic experiences and gained powers from it and Blake... didn't see that as an option! He had money but he didn't want to risk his sanity in exchange for them! Then some Aberrations were beings given powers from Apparitions.... which Blake should ask a bit more about. They can give people powers by attaching, merging, and... even lending their powers to a human if they're sealed.

What was interesting was the whole bit about the Outsider... a dangerous Apparition that was sealed in this universe. He had to suppress the grin as Lynn - or was it Lyss? Who cares? - continued with her explanation of the Extra-Normal. Finally stopping with Adepts and asking about any specific questions.

"I have a few... what exactly are Apparitions? You say that they're spirits but would you kindly add details," Blake started. "And what exactly are you? I'm curious." He said with a toothy grin.

However, at this point, some chick walked up, and boy she was gorgeous... Blake wondered if he could rearrange the deal a bit to get a jab at her. Exotic, in shape, curvy, red hair... Blake almost found himself drooling. She offered to give Blake a demonstration and he could barely contain himself.

"... I'd love a demonstration from you," Blake said with a smile. "Show me what I'm buying as your friend puts it! Hahaha!"

---

Off to the side, Phillis was eagerly listening to Maya... the whole tight-knit girls (and one guy it seemed) with powers seemed to make more sense than anything. Still, she claims her power is destructive and that got her worried... what about the other powers? The whole idea of magic was scary... but interesting. Like this little lady. The demonstration was, hopefully, about to begin but she wanted to know a little bit more about Maya.

“But, if the demonstration they give isn’t satisfactory, I’ll gladly show you.”

Phillis grinned.

"... Sweetheart, I would love a demonstration from you," Phillis started with a wink.



Again, most of what was said did not register with Madison. She caught something about college, the forties, whippits... Something sounded fucked up in the drunken Madison's head. She was drunk not stupid. "Dis' sounds like you're tryna kidnap me for human trafficking," Madison more or less repeated what she said earlier as she broke out into laughter. Then she suddenly stopped.

"... The fuck are you again?"

There was a twinge of embarrassment going through Claudette's body. Not just a twinge, but it was like a fucking dump truck was unloaded onto her. Her face was red as Claudette could just tell that Vashti was offended by her comments. This probably made a poor, poor, first impression for the Coven but at least it was just drunken tomfoolery. And not their usual bickering.

Or the FBI Raid last week which probably made everyone just a little bit testy.

Claudette pulled on her collar, "... She's usually has a lot more of a filter, very nice, you'd love her if she was sober." Claudette desperately tried damage control but from the look on her face, it wasn't going to work. She tugged her collar again as Madison was carried onto the elevator.

She was just hoping that Vashti didn't want to add more fuel to the fire.

Coven Meeting

Nina smiled brightly as the cookies she brought disappeared within seconds. It was the small moments like these she loved. The Coven might be highly unorganized and dysfunctional, but they were some of the only friends she had. She cherished them dearly, especially Maya who had kindly opened her apartment up to Nina the past week. Nina was still wondering how she’d repay her. Maybe she’d paint her something again. Or maybe she’d bake her some more brownies.

“I’m doing better,” Nina mumbled as Maya took a seat beside her. Nightmares were still keeping her awake but things would be much worse without Maya’s help. Emily shortly after made her appearance and explained the strange deal with Mr. Schmidt. Money didn’t seem a good reason to risk exposure again. She kept quiet during the meeting though. Even if she didn’t want to go, Nina refused to stay behind anymore.

Mr. Schmidt Meeting

Squished into the corner of the elevator, Nina counted the seconds until they were finally released into fresh air. She let out a deep breath of relief. Goodness, this was a bad idea. Glancing around the rather lavish rooftop bar, Nina couldn’t help but feel out of place. Was she even allowed to be up here? She wasn’t old enough to drink. Looking down at her casual jeans and shirt, she felt her face flushed in embarrassment. The heat wasn’t helping either.

Following Emily’s indirect suggestion, Nina simply nodded to Mr. Schmidt and his wife as she took a seat beside Maya. The couple was indeed beautiful and Nina couldn’t help but stare at them. What would life be like with that kind of money? It seemed too extravagant for Nina but imagining a life of endless vacation did sound nice. Money couldn’t buy everything though.

As the group began exchanging greetings and talking, Nina remained quiet. She wasn’t a leader and although she didn’t think this was a good idea, she didn’t want to ruin it for them either. Following along with the conversation, Nina flinched at the mention of Mr. Schmidt’s scandalous rumors. In front of his wife? She glanced over to Mrs. Schmidt and hoped for her sake, the rich businessman was faithful. Although considering the tone he used when speaking Maya’s name… Did they really want to make this deal with him?

Nina’s face grew warmer as the conversation continued on. Why was it so hot? She felt a wave of exhaustion and her shoulders slumped in response. Hopefully this meeting would be over soon. Maya suddenly turned her attention to Mrs. Schmidt and Nina gave the woman a warm smile. “Be careful, Maya,” Nina finally spoke as Maya stood to give a demonstration. She knew Maya was more than capable but she hated the strain it took on her hearing.

Madison chucked the bottle off the side. Well that didn't work. Okay, time for a new plan, but he didn't have to think of one. Vashti saved the day.

“Dude, I’ve been to resorts like these before. Everything’s watered down it’s a total fucking sham. We should go somewhere cooler! Surely there’s a club on the beach that’s better than this tourist trap. Drinking...dancing…Hot guys…”

He caught her look and smiled. He didn't want her to know he wasn't thrilled of the idea of them going to party and drink. That's not a good idea, but he didn't speak out about it. Better to get Madison out of here first, then protest the idea. Yeah. That'd work. Madison promptly squeezed her breast. Herik looked away. Oh boy. Okay. Yeah, they needed to go. He didn't want her to do anything else that'd she be embarrassed about later. At least she was up for it. Vashti led them to the elevator, while Taylor and Claudette half carried Madison out. He looked at the meeting one last time. They were still talking. That's not good. It didn't take time to tell someone no. He'll know how bad it is when they have their next meeting. They got on the elevator when it came up. It was just as hot as before, but there was more room.

"There's this place near my job we can go to. Great food for good prices and it's still by the beach if you really want to go. It's called Adrian's Skillet. It's a mom and pop diner, but good vibes and good people. It'd be best to get something in her stomach." Plus he was starving. He hasn't eaten since lunch. The portion sizes should be enough to soak up all of Madison's liquor. "Eat first, then beach. I've saved the lives of many people that thought it was a good idea to swim under the influence. Don't want to make an example out of Madison." Plus, he didn't think she'd be receptive to getting CPR from him if she drowned.

Izzy couldn't help the sly grin on her face when she heard Blake's response. She made sure to glance over at Phillis who was occupied with Maya. It was a little risky with his wife right there, but Izzy had a plan. She knelt in front of Mr. Schmidt and took out a small scrap piece of paper from her bag. It had someone's number scrawled on it, but she had forgotten who gave it to her. Then she gently grabbed Blake's hand and massaged it for a second.

"Sorry this might hurt for a second, but I'll make it worth the pain." She gave him a wink before quickly drawing the scrap paper over the pad of his pointer finger. Izzy held his hand firmly to prevent him from pulling it away. After a few seconds, a thin line of blood appeared along the paper cut. "It's just a normal paper cut, see?" She said letting him examine it like she was a magician performing a trick. "Now comes the magic."

Izzy looked up into Mr. Schmidt's eye as she brought his finger to her lips. She kissed the tip of his finger, letting Antheia's magic flow through her lips to the wound. It didn't take long to heal, but Izzy wanted to go the extra mile. She let her lips wrap around the tip of his finger and let her tongue play with it teasingly while still keeping eye contact. It was subtle, so hopefully unseen by Mrs. Schmidt. Plus Maya would most likely have her full attention. After all, the other Asian girl could be almost as captivating as Izzy if she tried.

After a moment, the red head pulled away and gave her best bedroom smile for a moment before returning to her normal grin. "See? All better." She let go of his hand to let him inspect it. "I have an apparition tied to me that allows me to heal wounds through affectionate acts. I know a paper cut isn't much, but I didn't want to hurt you sir." Izzy finally stood up from her kneeling position and dusted her knees off. "I can do way worse injuries as well. Just the other week, I healed a bullet wound, but the more severe the wound the more intimate the act needs to be or more time is needed to heal it."

Izzy explained her ability the way Antheia had explained it to her. It had taken a while for Izzy to actually grasp how the magic worked and how to use it, but according to Antheia it was because she was 'the dumbest, most incapable person I've ever had the displeasure of knowing' (Antheia's exact words).

As Izzy returned to her seat, she could still feel the alcohol running its course through her body. However, years of experience made the drunk good at keeping her balance. Once she sat down, she leaned backwards and let her body soak up the Florida rays. Now all she had to do was monitor Blake's reaction closely and make sure no one managed to ruin the good relationship she was building with this all powerful rich man.

---

She half heard Nina telling her to be careful, and glanced at the younger girl while murmuring, “I’m not going to do it here, don’t worry.” Then she turned her full attention back to Phillis.

"... Sweetheart, I would love a demonstration from you,"

“Well, in that case I’ll definitely have to give you one,” Maya gave a wide smile, even as her cheeks flushed slightly. She lowered her voice, and somewhat suggestively said, “but I’d rather do it somewhere more… private.”

She’d leaned in closer to the older woman, casually, as she spoke - and would have said more but noticed Izzy had gotten up to give a demonstration. Maya stayed where she was even as she indicated to the other girl.

“Ah, it looks like the demonstration’s starting. Izzy can heal people’s wounds.” She pointed to her own cheek, turning it towards Phillis. “Just earlier I had a bruise here, but it's all healed thanks to her. Her’s is one of the less… combative abilities but incredibly useful. She can do it thanks-” Maya cut herself off, mouth forming a perfect oh shape of faux shock as Izzy put his finger in her mouth. “... she doesn’t normally do it like that.”

The demonstration Izzy was giving was… lacklustre at best when it came to actually showing off magic. It was more like she was just sucking off Blake’s finger. Knowing Izzy, that girl knew exactly what she was doing and she definitely wanted more than that. But it was awful as far as proving magic or showing their true capabilities. Of course Blake would see that his paper cut was healed - but she doubted that Phillis had at all.

“Well, that really didn’t show much,” Maya commented, eyebrow raising as she turned back to Phillis. She continued softly, voice heavy with double meaning. “I’m guessing you’ll really want to see my demonstration after that one.”

---

Vashti looked at Herik with a raised eyebrow and a half-smile as he suggested they take Madison to a diner. Food might sober Madison up, but she couldn’t see someone that drunk sitting around long enough to eat. Even if she did, Vashti could only imagine the amount of chaos she would cause for the other diners in the meantime. Vashti chewed on the inside of her lip. Herik was thoughtful, kind, and utterly incapable of seeing the bigger picture. If Madison had chucked a bottle of water, imagine the mess she’d make with a hoagie. He would probably end up getting banned for life just for bringing her there.

“I've saved the lives of many people that thought it was a good idea to swim under the influence. Don't want to make an example out of Madison," said Herik.

“We don’t want that,” said Vashti, although her tone almost made it sound like she was asking a question as she watched Claudette and Taylor struggle with getting the drunk girl even to the elevator door. She had to block the door from closing with her foot several times as Madison accused Vashti of intending to harm her for the second time. Vashti rolled her eyes and squelched a sigh, trying her best to keep some kind of smile on her face. She was managing to scrape by until the drunk girl kicked her in the teeth with a pointed question.

"... The fuck are you again?"

Vashti’s face darkened as the forced smile was dropped instantaneously. Her arms crossed and her brow furrowed as she felt a knot twist itself in her stomach. Vashti, who was used to being cold in even the hottest of weather, felt a heat swell up to her face as she wrinkled her nose as if she had just smelled something disgusting. Claudette, smart enough to recognize the faux pas, began blubbering some kind of excuse for her friend’s behavior. Vashti wanted to believe her. Truly, she did. She was even trying to convince herself that the question wasn’t about what it obviously was about. It wasn’t working.

“...You’d love her if she was sober,” said Claudette.

“Yeah? And when is that?” said Vashti, her tongue lashing out with a fury as she fired off a withering, slit-eyed glare at Claudette that told the other woman that the question wasn’t one to be answered. She bared her teeth as her nails dug into her ribcage. Sure. It would be really impressive for Madison to keep her asshole comments to herself when she wasn’t drunk. Nobody ever accomplished that before. What an awesome person, right? Vashti scoffed and broke her staredown from Claudette. She wasn’t the one to be angry at. Vashti didn’t want to be angry at anyone one.

She just couldn’t stop herself.

“I’m really sorry but I must’ve misheard you, Madison. Could you repeat your question?” She wasn’t able to keep her irritation from seething through any longer. The elevator’s door closed as it started to descend and already the temperature in the metal tomb was at a boiling point. Vashti held up a hand to silence Claudette, who was surely going to try and intervene. “And please, be specific. What exactly do you mean?”

Her temper had already overflowed. It smashed against the levee, and only Madison’s words would stop it from breaking through.

---

Mr. Schmidt soaked up every word Lyss said. She could see the hunger in his eyes. If the Coven couldn't give him what he wanted he would get it some other way. Her words of caution hadn't hindered his plans. He was a smart guy. He would find the loophole somehow. His question about apparitions would be easy to answer, but Lyss felt herself tense when he specifically asked about her own extra-normal qualities. She didn't want to give him that knowledge. He was a man of power, and all men of power could find their way to the black market eventually. While there was a low chance that he'd speak with anyone that would know her name, she didn't want to risk anyone on the market knowing about her deal with Blake fucking Schmidt.

Thankfully, Izzy returned from wherever she'd gone just in time to draw Blake's attention. Lyss took a moment to reground herself as Izzy moved to give Schmidty a "demonstration." She picked up the glass beside her and took a sip. Her gaze moved to watch Izzy's performance just in time to see her take Blake fucking Schmidt's finger into her mouth. She almost choked. Instead, she finished off the glass and refrained from expressing her disdain. What the fuck is with these girls? I don't give a shit if they're sluts. Just have a little class with it.

She set the empty glass down and pushed it away from her. The bartender looked at her, silently wondering if she needed another drink, but Lyss waved him off. She turned back to face the millionaire as Izzy took a seat. She could barely look at him now. He's going to think we're easy now. No fucking way in hell I'm going to let that happen.

She frowned as she looked him in the eyes.

"Well, now that you've got a glimpse of magic," she started, her tone expressing her irritation, "I'll answer your questions."

She crossed her legs and removed the sunglasses from her face. After she'd set them down on the bar, she turned her flat stare towards him. "The Blind are only 40% correct about ghosts or spirits. Apparitions can take the form of the deceased, but only if there is a powerful emotion that existed within them or another that knew them before their death. Even so, the Blind cannot see them because they are made of the same spiritual energy that the Extra-Normal harness to produce their magic. Most Apparitions are born of beliefs or emotions. As long as people continue to feel that emotion, or believe in their existence, they exist."

The whiskey in her stomach burned, but its warmth spread throughout her body. It was easier to relax now, after such an embarrassing act by the Coven's very own love aberration.

"Only the Extra-Normal can harm an Apparition. We can even destroy them with our magic, but if their source of energy still remains, they will reappear after a certain time. Apparitions have powers, as well. Their abilities reflect the emotion of belief behind them. Almost like a lux. Izumi's Apparition is the condensed energy of love, and she can therefore grant Izumi the power to heal through these acts of... kindness." Ugh.

"The most ancient Apparition known to our kind is the embodiment of death. It's name is The Hound. It has this name because of it's form: a large black wolf of smoke with red eyes that peer into your very soul." She couldn't imagine seeing the beast in person.

"The Hound is only seen by the Extra-Normal at their time of death, but it can appear when you summon him as well. Still, The Hound is always there for the Blind at their last breath. He is the balance between life and death. He cannot decide when, where, or how you will die, but he knows when it will happen. There are also rare cases when people die sooner than he expected. So, to fix the balance between life and death he hunts anyone who cheats him. There is no running from death. He is the most powerful of all Apparitions."

She took a deep breath and held her head high.

"To answer your second question, I am an Adept. My blood runs generations into the past. Our Black Lux was granted by The Hound himself to the beings from Glint, and passed onto many families. My family name was one of the first."

She held up her hand to showcase the antique ring on her right ring finger. "This ring has been passed down within my family for centuries. It is the means to which I harness the Black Light. Our lux was given the name of the Necromancery Lux, because we can manipulate the dead. Many of my ancestors could raise the dead from their graves, and many could manipulate Apparitions as well."

She rested her hand back in her lap.

"I can specifically ward, trap, and seal Apparitions. There have been a few times that I have also released an Apparition from it's cage, but I am aware of the dangers of doing so and I've chosen not to do so again."

She raised an eyebrow. "Does that answer your questions?" If he asks me about the necromancy, I'm going to need the bartender.

With Kayla finally doing the talking, Emily decided to just be quiet. Now, while she would love to be front and center she had to swallow her pride and stop the games just this once. She wasn't the leader and she doesn't want to piss off Mr. Schmidt with any dishonesty. While Lyss explained the supernatural Emily noticed that Maya and Mrs. Schmidt were off mingling... Emily narrowed her eyes at Maya but she honestly couldn't see the point in going over there and breaking it up. Long as she's not talking to Mr. Schmidt himself, Emily couldn't give two halves of a shit. Still, Lyss was very well versed in the world of the supernatural, it was surprising given that Emily had Babylon, their ancient supernatural expert.

However, the demonstration that everyone was so excited came as Izzy stepped to the plate. Emily was expecting the girl to do something small like maybe heal herself, or give herself a paper cut. Well, Emily wasn't that off when Izzy gave Blake a paper cut and... Emily's eyes fucking shot open as she dropped the briefcase and it slammed against the ground audibly. Her eye twitched.

This slut... Izzy thought it was an amazing idea to kiss his fucking hand. And not in a normal way, she just had to make it all weird and sexual. Emily almost fucking had a stroke. In front of his wife, too?

Meanwhile, Blake was enjoying the little demonstration... he was confused at first, then he was interested, then he was really interested. He smiled as he felt her tongue on his finger and... Oh! He was starting to get very dirty thoughts about this girl and her tongue. Blake was almost tempted to stroke her face but no, this was business... but business felt so good. She explained how her apparition worked but it kinda went through one ear and out the other. He was focused on the fact that magic was real and this beautiful young woman before him.

"... I'd love another demonstration," Blake chuckled.

However, when Phillis saw the demonstration her jaw dropped. How... how dare she? How dare him? She had reached a boiling point except the pot couldn't handle the heat. She was shaking in rage as Phillis watched the whole thing in horror... and all the accusations and rumors were starting to sound a lot more valid now. This little bitch must have been one of his little whores - but the audacity of this whore, to do it right in front of her. Well, two can play at that game. A hand drifted towards Maya's hand as she looked at her with a smile.

"Yes..." Phillis started as she got up and it was revealed that her swimsuit was also a thong. "... That would be lovely." She walked off to somewhere more private.

"Izzy," Emily seethed, "What the fuck?"

"... Ms. Reed?" Blake asked.

"N-Nothing, sir!" Emily said in a singsong with a forced smile... her gaze was still sharp enough to kill a man as she walked over to Izzy and grabbed her by the forearm and practically yanked her away from Blake. When they were a good distance, Emily just let her have it. Dropping the little cheery secretary persona and adopting G. Reed at its ugliest.

"... Izumi, what in the fuck were you thinking?!" Emily almost shouted as she balled her fists. "No, seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you? I know you're a massive slut that can't control her ovaries for one fucking minute but you are fucking over the rest of the Coven! Blake's a pervert, these games are gonna make him think we're not the Coven but his God damn Harem."

And each word got louder and louder until Emily corrected herself and lowered her volume. She pulled her in close until their faces weren't that far apart as Emily whisper-yelled, "And in front of his wife. Are you fucking kidding me? I can't put into words how stupid that was. You're lucky she didn't flip out the second she saw your slut game and throw the deal out the window. And you would have fucked up something real good."

Part of Emily wanted to slap Izzy but she looked around and saw that both Phillis and Maya were... gone. Shit. What probably happened is; Phillis saw everything and ran off pissed off and Maya is trying to comfort her. Except the latter was the worse case fucking scenario. The last person that should be comforting someone is Maya. Emily slapped a hand on her forehead.

"... And now Phillis is gone," Emily was about to go look for her before she looked over her shoulder at Izzy. "Come with me and help me look for her so maybe we can do some damage control."

Babylon was relatively quiet during the whole thing. Strangely quiet. There was something odd here... that smile was flat the second that Lyss mentioned the Outsider and her lips curved downwards at the mere mention of that thing. Babylon looked at Emily and made sure that she was invisible to Mr. Schmidt as she turned to Lyss.

"... You should not have mentioned that" Babylon said, her voice was strangely flat and unemotional. Strange as she was usually a bit more... bombastic, Emily noted. "The Outsider that is."

However, Blake paid half attention to Lyss... he was more concerned with his new friend than her but he picked out bits and pieces. Something about the Blind, Apparitions, 40%... and the Hound. Now he sounded like a fellow that got Blake's interest. And apparently he gave her bloodline their powers! Interesting. Blake wondered if he could do something similar.

"The Hound sounds scary... but could he give me powers like that?" Blake was honestly curious. "... And how are these black lux powers? They sound certainly interesting! Do people fear you for your abilities?" It was less of legitimate concern and more of a... power thing. Given the smile on Blake's face.

“I’m really sorry but I must’ve misheard you, Madison. Could you repeat your question? And please, be specific. What exactly do you mean?”

"Made-" Claudette tried to protest but Vashti put a finger up in her face and was insistent on going down this path. That would lead nowhere good.

"Drop it, sugar," Taylor finally spoke from the other side that was hoisting the girl up. She was listening to the entire time and honestly, she could tell that what Madison was saying was getting to Vashti. And that was the problem; why in the world was she taking drunken ramblings to heart like that? Taylor was no stranger to parties and she knew when the drinks started pouring who knows what was going to fly out of people's mouths? "She's so drunk right now she's about to pass out... and no offense but she's thick-" she unintentionally let that fly out of her mouth, Taylor meant to say something along the lines of "big", "-as fuck. She'll ring your bell if you fight her."

"Ya' need some hearin-" Madison slurred but she was strangely silenced.

"That's enough!" Claudette raised her hand using her classic "sit down and shut up" maneuver that she used oh so many times in the Coven. A wave of darkness overcame the elevator and Taylor's gasp was silenced and it got a lot colder. Claudette was hoping that it would calm down the two because she doubted that Vashti knew, but Madison was dangerous. As in the Jaws was not something many members of the Coven would tangle with. And Claudette really didn't want Madison drunkenly activating the Jaws in such a close environment - she was lucky that didn't already happen!

However she, and probably the others, noticed that the elevator stopped and she realized that she forgot something. Something really important and she felt really stupid for forgetting it. The Darkness didn't suppress sound; it absorbed energy. And it absorbed the energy out of the elevator. When she dispelled the darkness, the elevator was dark and they were stuck in there.

"... The hell did you do, sugar?" Taylor shook her head as she was relatively calm about the situation... all she could feel was this giant drunk chick on her.

"I... I'm so sorry!" Claudette said, "I made a mistake."

"No kidding," Taylor slid a cigarette between her lips and was about to light it but she had some courtesy. "Just do whatever magic mumbo jumbo you just did and bring it back."

"Oui, I'm afraid it's not that simple," Claudette said.

Taylor sighed.

"It never is, is it..."

The mood shifted to dangerous quickly. Vashti felt she was insulted and he couldn't blame her. Madison was not the worst drunk he's ever seen, but it definitely brought out the worst in her. He tried to think of was ways to deescalate the situation, but Claudette did it instead. He felt like he hadn't seen her use her power in awhile. The darkness disappeared just as soon as it appeared, but the elevator also stopped working. He didn't know the details for Claudette's power, but he can't recall it ever stopping power before. That's not good. It's over 100 degrees outside, no air conditioning, and no circulating air.

They were on the in between floors, the manual ticker on stop of the door was stuck between 8th and 9th floors. There were two ways out of an elevator, the emergency hatch at the top and prying the door open. He couldn't fit through either, but the girls could get. Maybe get some help. There's also the call button. Yes. Emergency button. He pressed it, but nothing happened. Needs to power to work, that's right. Back to hatch or door.

"Let's not panic. I can open the hatch and if you can fit you can get out that way and get some help, or I can pry the door open and you can climb out that way." Maybe Madison will sober up in the mean time.

---

“She'll ring your bell if you fight her."

Taylor made a good point. An excellent point, really. Vashti never really thought of violence as something that would be used against her simply because it was something that she’d never use herself. Harsh words, cold shoulders, and stink eyes made up her armory, not fists and knives and bats. Still, it didn’t stop Vashti from throwing another stop motion out with her hand toward Taylor, leaving her wide open for a sucker punch. Let Madison hit her. It’d prove her point, even though Vashti no longer remembered what point she was trying to prove. It didn’t matter. She’d still be right, and being right would be a victory.

Vashti took one combative step forward as Madison started to speak and then the world was suddenly whisked away. Vashti was surrounded by darkness and drowned by silence as a chill went through her spine. At first she thought she had been knocked unconscious. She had stepped up to Madison, and Madison had slugged her out. As quick as the thought came it went, and with its departure came sound again. Vashti could hear her own breath. It was rapid and heavy. She deeply inhaled and held it to shut herself up. If the Leviathan had been stirring around, there was no doubt in her mind that it would’ve unleashed itself then.

She slowly exhaled as Claudette began to apologize and Herik started to strategize. Vashti knew that Claudette owed no apology—if anyone should be sorry, it should be Vashti. She had allowed a drunk girl to get to her. Likewise, she was aware that the best person to go get help would be herself. She was the tiniest second to Taylor, and it would separate her from Madison which would probably do them all good right now. These were the smart, logical things that Vashti’s mind thought of and quickly trashed in favor of letting loose.

“Are you kidding me? If you had a mute button the whole time why didn’t you use it on her when we were up there, you stupid fucking bitch?” said Vashti to Claudette, her words rapidly flying out of her mouth like a drumroll on a snare. There was no cymbal crash at the end, just the quiet choking sound of a voice breaking as its owner’s brain finally caught up with its words. The darkness of the elevator hid the look of horror on her face. She stepped back and found the wall waiting for her. Softly, and sounding as if she was at (her own) funeral, Vashti said, “Claudette, I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. I just…”

Vashti just didn’t have an excuse. Not a good one, anyway. Better to end it there then to continue burying herself. “Sorry. This is my fault. Herik, if you can actually get that door open I’ll go.”

At this point, she was certain that nobody would protest with her going, but almost everybody would have a problem with her staying.

---

Oh, for satan's sake! It was as if Mr. Schmidt hadn't heard a word she said. He's thinking with his other head. Is that how he's always made decisions? Lyss watched his wife strut off with Maya. Oh, great. Another "demonstration" for the Schmidts. She was steaming on the inside.

Then Babylon had to pipe up in her ear. Lyss frowned. She shot the spirit a cold glance. Even if Blake had the "smart" idea to go after a powerful apparition for powers, there was no way to find the cursed music box. Not even the Burns family knew where it had been disposed, and they had been a part of the ritual to seal the bastard in it's cage.

Blake's questions brought her attention back to him. Oh, so he had been listening. She thought bitterly. His last question was offensive, to say the least. It didn't do anything for Lyss's sour mood. Her frown deepened and she looked him over. She avoided his pant area lest her eyes would be burned by his bulge.

"You do not want to have anything to do with The Hound. Yes, he is powerful, but he will cross you as quickly as he can and guide your soul straight into the pits."

At least he didn't directly ask me about necromancy.

"My family has been feared in the past. Before we started focusing less on necromancy and more on apparitions, people would avoid the Burns name like the plague. My family has and always will be a statement of power, but with power like this there are many consequences." She narrowed her eyes at him. "If you should seek any lux of your own, I would advise you to look in the opposite direction of the Black Lux."

Deciding to give him other harmless options, Lyss sat back in her seat and gestured to the bartender for another glass.

"Your family name is another type of power in this world. You could have anything if you wanted it. I don't see why you want to join our part of the world, but to each their own.

So, I'd like to ask what kind of power you seek? While we've made it clear that we will not help you gain any extra-normal abilities, I'm curious what you had in mind if we'd accepted."

She looked back at Blake once her drink had been place in her hand.

"I've met men like you before, and every answer is generally the same. I want to know if you're different than the rest."

"Your family name is another type of power in this world. You could have anything if you wanted it. I don't see why you want to join our part of the world but to each their own."

"That's the thing, Ms. Burns..." Blake said as he swirled the wine around in its glass. He let the words hang in the air for a few moments as if he was attempting to find the right words to convey his thoughts. "The supernatural changes things... and I don't want to be the victim of a supernatural criminal." He took a sip of his wine as he kept his gaze on her.

"... You need to keep expanding your power or someone will eventually beat you."

"So, I'd like to ask what kind of power you seek? While we've made it clear that we will not help you gain any extra-normal abilities, I'm curious what you had in mind if we'd accepted. I've met men like you before, and every answer is generally the same. I want to know if you're different than the rest."

"Hmmm..." Blake trailed off as he honestly hadn't thought about it. Or he didn't want to say that he wanted to get the strongest abstraction. That totally wouldn't end well. He got up as he swirled his wine in his hand dramatically as a rich douchebag could. He looked off to the side as he said, "... I'm honestly not sure. The red lux sounds appealing, yes? But, what sounds more appealing is a loyal group of well-paid, well-organized, subordinates because it's not like I'm going to be the one doing that kind of work."

That was probably the more realistic option in this situation... but he saw his lovely wife Phillis walking up... except her makeup was messed up. Her hair too. Her swimsuit was also a little messed up. Like it was thrown back on. Still, he was more than happy to see his wife as she ran up, grabbed his face, and deeply kissed him in the middle of the whole meeting. While he wasn't against the PDA... something was wrong here. Very wrong.

"... Phillis, what's that awful taste in your mouth?" Blake asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's my new friend Maya."

"Wha-what?"

"Since you seem to love all these little whores!" Phillis turned her head around and looked at Izzy as she shouted the last word. And she was hoping her words were sharp as knives. "Sooooo much, I decided to try one for myself."

"No..." Emily flatly said as she dropped the briefcase as everything just got a lot more awkward. She was frozen in shock.

"And I gotta say, she was great," Phillis started as Emily almost fucking screamed in rage as she helplessly watched. She was shaking like she was barely holding something back. "Much better than you and guess what?"

Phillis took a few steps back as she stuck her hands out and an aura of pink light came off her body and lasers shot out in random directions. She smiled as she felt the power course through her body.

"And it gave you powers?!" Blake damn near shouted.

"Yes... and it feels great, it feels amazing," Phillis said, "... But I want to know how it feels to get a taste of your own medicine?"

Blake bared his teeth as he started uncontrollably shaking. He squeezed the wine glass so hard that it broke and blood dripped down from his hands. He turned red and Emily theorized that he was gonna awaken from the sheer rage.

"I offer you all the deal of a lifetime and then you fornicate with my wife?!" Blake said as he threw the glass shards on the ground and then pointed at the elevator, "I'M REDACTING THE OFFER! ALL OF YOU, GET OUT OF HERE!"

"Fucking Maya!" Emily shouted before she turned to Izzy and pointed a finger in her face, "No, fucking Izzy! This is all your fault!"

“Are you kidding me? If you had a mute button the whole time why didn’t you use it on her when we were up there, you stupid fucking bitch? Claudette, I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. I just…”

The words cut sharp in Claudette. As she was trying not to use her abstraction in public like that... she could had done it, but that didn't make Vashti's response anymore justified. Her mouth went agape as she was more than insulted by the girl. To the point where her apology didn't even register. It merely came in through one ear and left the other.

"Nah, you meant it, sugar," Taylor spoke. "Own up to it."

She thought that she should have at least used her abstraction earlier but sometimes, hey, shit happens. Taylor didn't take the words of a drunk bitch all that seriously and it was Vashti's fault for getting all that emotional in the first place. Taylor shrugged. Shit happens, like the fact that they were stuck in here. Taylor just shrugged. She was about to light a cigarette but that was not smart given that they were stuck in here. What was less smart was using her abstraction at all. So it seemed like the best way out of this was Vashti crawling through. Taylor would have crawled through herself, given that she was pretty small. Vashti wasn't too big herself.

"Just crawl on through, sugar," Taylor said. "I don't want to die from heatstroke." She said as she noticed that it was starting to get hot. Real hot.

Then it cooled down as Claudette used her darkness on the walls of the elevator to absorb the heat out of it. It'll eventually cause another problem but it should slow things down.

"Help me get Maddie down," Claudette said as she and Taylor put Madison down and propped her against the wall... where she finally passed out. Thank the Lord. They could get some respite... and Claudette was going to get Henrik to carry her the rest of the way.

---

Maya appeared just a bit after Phillis, having taken a bit more time to properly put her clothes back on. She ran a hand through her hair before just deciding to work the messy, post sex look. She had absolutely no qualms about what had just happened. Honestly, she was riding the high of it. So she was happy to follow after Phillis, clearly looking like she’d had a good time.

Arriving just in time to see Phillis properly kiss Blake. A smirk crossed her lips and she had to smack a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing at the conversation. She hadn’t expected her to just outright say it but… What could Maya say, she was enjoying the show. And damn did Blake deserve it.

She leaned against a nearby chair, smile wide as she watched their exchange. If she was honest, the aftermath was almost better the sex itself. This was the kind of shit that Maya lived for. It hadn’t even been her plan (honestly, she’d been very happy to get laid) but it was working out so well. Really, this made up for all the money they were ultimately going to lose out on. For her, that was.

"And I gotta say, she was great. Much better than you and guess what?"

“Hear that? I’m so good that she awakened,” Maya commented, eyes on Emily and enjoying her clear anger just as much as everything else. There was smugness written over all her features - the compliment had gone right to her head. Better than Blake Schmidt? Fuck yes was she holding onto this. She didn’t even care that she’d been called a whore with all the rest before.

Her smirk only widened as Blake crushed a wine glass in his hand, even as she flinched at his anger. She subtly moved herself so she was actually next to the rest of the coven members still there rather than standing off to the side.

"I offer you all the deal of a lifetime and then you fornicate with my wife?! I'M REDACTING THE OFFER! ALL OF YOU, GET OUT OF HERE!"

“Are you sure you don’t want Izzy to heal you first?” Maya asked tauntingly, still smiling in the face of his extreme anger (knowing the Coven members would probably protect her if anything happened). She completely ignored Emily as she continued - though it seemed she’d turned on Izzy rather than Maya herself, for once. “I have to say, I don’t understand why you’d go for any other woman when you have such a perfect wife… but that’s your loss and my gain. It must really hurt that she got the powers you wanted so badly.”

Maya paused, looking towards Phillis with a more genuine and less taunting smile. Her expression went back to full on smug as she looked back at Blake. “It seems some things just aren’t meant to be, like you getting powers. But it was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr Schmidt.”

With one last smirk she walked towards the elevator… only to stop before it and turn back around. She looked directly at Phillis and put her hand up to her ear in a phone like motion, mouthing ‘call me’ before winking. With absolutely no subtlety.

This had been the best day.

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