Coming soon....

---

Hours later and the sun was going down on poor ol' Araminta. Justin, fortunately, was used to these weird-ass small towns being cold as all hell, thus he had remembered to bring his good ol' winter coat. It wasn't much, just a plain puffy winter coat that he got years ago. Still serves him to this very day... and he had a very strong suspicion that it wasn't going to last the night. He called all the Vanburens out here to discuss the matter at hand: what the hell are they going to do about the Wiccan cult and how? He had on jeans, and black combat boots that he got from the local military surplus store while they were out. Ironically he looks kind of like his doppelganger from earlier today but hopefully, the Vanburens will understand the practicality of the outfit.

Hopefully.

Today was a special day, not what he was honestly expecting but hey, life's full of surprises. He didn't expect to be impersonated by crazy cultists nor attacked nor did he expect to find them within the span of a day. They were some really shitty cultists, to say the least. They were able to be tracked in under eight hours! Maybe if they didn't scream each other's names like a buncha moron that would help, but that wasn't the matter at hand.

Justin was proud. He was powerful. He felt like he could handle juuuust about everything.

Not this time, though.

The cult was probably very powerful - their leader chick's hellhounds were tough enough to take several devastating attacks before even slowing down. The others... Justin wasn't sure about but if they all had magic it would be stupid for Justin and Tuyen to go in alone. Which was why he was standing out here on the grand old patio in the back that overlooked the snow-covered yard and garden that the Vanburens owned. He put his hands on the stone railing to the patio and felt the cold shoot up his hand - well, he would have if there weren't gloves on his hand.

It was going to be one hell of a pitch, but he felt that the Vanburens needed to hear it.

The Vanburens assembled one by one and Justin cleared his throat.

"Uh-" Starting with uh. Nice Justin. Justin scolded himself mentally yet again but he was going to get to his point. "Hello again, you're probably wondering why I called you all out here. I'm here to say that we've - well, with the help of Shane and friends - tracked down that cult to where they hang out... an old abandoned resort in the middle of the woods. Now you're probably wondering what you all have to do with that well..."

Now was the hard part. Maybe this was a terrible idea, but Justin was still going to stand behind it regardless of how stupid it may sound.

So he just came out and said it.

"... I think we all need to confront the cult. As like a group. I know it might sound crazy, but hear me out- I have a feeling that a loooot of powerful eyes are about to come looking for you all, and I think you all need to get used to these kinds of crazy fights. We should also take that cult out of the equation as soon as possible so we can focus on more important things. I know you guys didn't exactly..."

He awkwardly looked to the left as he said.

"... Do too good, but I think that was only because we were caught off guard and nobody knew how to handle them," Justin started, "If we catch them off then things will be different. And let's be real here, they're gonna come for the Horned God again and it's only a matter of time before they get lucky. So we should just work together and solve this problem and get rid of the Triple Goddess in the process."

Okay, it was a lot of talking. A lot more than he was used to. Justin knew that, if somebody else was talking, he would have been a lot briefer. Justin was, at the very least, desperately trying to convince them to go along with his stupid idea.

After figuring out where the wiccans were gathering, Oscar hadn’t had time to catch a break - instead he’d got another cab to go find his late dear father’s ward. He wasn’t sure how much the cultists knew, but he didn’t want them going after anyone else. Enough damage had already been done.

So after going home to pick up his car and sending a quick text he headed to the location given to him by Blu: the Dancing Goats Bar and Lounge. Hopefully before any cultists. Just thinking about them rampage in the centre of the city… not something Oscar wanted to happen.

Thankfully for Oscar, he’d massively overestimated the Wiccans and they didn’t go after the one (sort of) Vanburen that wasn’t around at the time of the attack. A quick scout of the place that was already in the process of a show proved that there weren’t any. Well, that was good. But it wouldn’t hurt to explain things to Blu.

So Oscar forgoed going home for a quick rest and instead lounged in his car, texting Blu to say he was waiting outside. Once Blu was done with his show Oscar dragged him in right away, explaining the whole situation with them being attacked and how he thought Blu would be in danger on the way.

Because he didn’t want to be late for the meeting when his family was already unhappy with him bringing the supernatural experts in in the first place. With an explanation on the road they should make it just in time.

---

---

It was even colder with the sun setting.

Tuyen was wrapped up in an oversized, thick winter coat with sleeves almost comically covering most of her gloved hands. It was well worn, a hand me down from her cousin from when she'd stopped growing but he hadn't. Still she was glad she had it because her newer (and less warm) jacket had been drenched in the earlier fight with the weird cultists. Twice. At least it would eventually dry out, unlike her poor phone (maybe the Vanburen's would buy her a new one).

She shivered slightly and stepped closer to Justin as he started speaking, just in case he started radiating heat or decided to set himself on fire. She glanced between the gathered Vanburen's, gaze neutral as she tried to judge their reactions. Most didn't seem experienced at all… but then again nor was their support group before being thrown head first into beating some eldritch abomination. They could probably take on the wiccans just fine, but the triple goddess would pose more of a threat. Tuyen really hoped she could get her shadow to cooperate because she was pretty sure they were still on shaky ground with the Vanburen's in regards to whether they even wanted their help or not.

Not that Tuyen had as much of an investment in that.

She’d just stay quiet for now and observe.

Trisha pulled a face as one of their teenage "supernatural experts" went on about how they had to go take the cult out of the equation or whatever. Yeah, no.

”Are you seriously suggesting we go fight a bunch of weirdos in a forest cause they might be a problem? And that we need to do it through working together or something? No thanks, not my problem. Isn’t it in your job description or whatever to deal with this for us?”

Oscar completely ignored one of their youngest airing her disagreements, nodding thoughtfully as he took in what Justin had said. He’d been one of the last to arrive, slightly out of breath with Blu in tow, but thankfully still in time to hear the full thing. He wouldn’t want to miss any information.

As much as he had no experience in fighting he understood they needed to get rid of the triple goddess, and he didn’t want to constantly worry that he might be attacked again. Apparitions were dangerous nevermind if they ended up with two to deal with. Plus it was an opportunity to see more powers in action. “So you’re saying we need to go to them before they come to us? That does seem like the better option… Yeah, I agree that we should confront them. The best way to ensure it doesn’t go wrong again is to ensure we have a plan.”

Half lost in his own thoughts Oscar pulled out a small notebook from his jacket. He leaned against the patio railing to read the scrawled notes, illegible to anyone else, within. He’d jotted some things down in the cab on the way to investigating, and again on the way back. Everything interesting went in here - he had a good memory, but it was better to have it all written down.

“They can do quite a lot. Control water and fire, summon hellhounds, disguise themselves and open portals. That’s just from what I saw and there were quite a few other cultists running around. It’s a lot for us to deal with, but if we know what each of us can do we can figure out who can best handle what. I know not everyone will be suited to a fight but we should do what we can to stop them coming after us again.”

“There’s also a healer,” Tuyen added quietly before speaking louder, something coming to mind that she’d forgotten after the chaos of the fight (and freezing to death before she could change). “Ah, I think the hellhounds are weak to water. I saw one turn to ashes or something when hit with water they used to attack us.” At least she’d discovered something useful for once.

Trisha seriously couldn’t believe this was even a consideration - sure their ‘experts’ may be all for it but why was Oscar going along with it? Oh yeah, an idiotic pursual of supernatural knowledge. What was the point of being a genius or whatever if you used it for this and were happy to traipse into the woods to fight a bunch of cultists.

---

Cold.

Shane had been so used to the Araminta weather and so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't realised the chill in the air until Justin begun to speak. Noting the two "magical experts" brought in by Oscar, wrapped up in warm clothing yet still hovering closely together. Set in front of a layer of undisturbed snow covering the expanses of the Vanburen Estate garden behind them. You wouldn't know the Manor had been practically smashed to shit with how still the grounds stood in the early evening.

Brought back to reality, Shane adjusted his jacket and slid his hands into its pockets. Thankful Sabrina's... Power, had made it for him this morning. He wasn't one for fashion but he had to internally note the quality as the soft cotton lining rubbed warmth back into his hands.

"Hello again, you're probably wondering why I called you all out here. I'm here to say that we've - well, with the help of Shane and friends - tracked down that cult to where they hang out... an old abandoned resort in the middle of the woods. Now you're probably wondering what you all have to do with that well..."

"If we catch them off then things will be different. And let's be real here, they're gonna come for the Horned God again and it's only a matter of time before they get lucky. So we should just work together and solve this problem and get rid of the Triple Goddess in the process."

Shane continued to look off towards the Estate. Taking in how peaceful the old home was capable of looking as Justin laid out his plan, for lack of a better term. Shane's jaw did clench slightly at Justin commending him for helping track down the Cult. It wasn't really something to be proud of. Magic or no, it would've taken him at most a couple of hours to find where they laid their heads if he'd been by himself. Thankfully, the cultists didn't exactly seem like the most street smart lot, so Shane doubted they'd lost much time in catching them off-guard.

Trisha, predictably, was not very agreeable to Justin's proposal. He couldn't entirely fault her, the plan more or less just boiled down to a frontal assault on some stupid but potentially desperate teenagers who could end up doing something very very stupid if cornered. Oscar and the female expert - who's name escaped Shane - alleviated concern for Shane somewhat however. Detailing the capabilities of some of the members. It was especially helpful Shane knew about a weakness to the damn hellhounds. He wasn't sure of all his family's powers but he was pretty sure he was one of the few that could at least take them on in a straight up fight. Having a way to deal with them quickly certainly helped.

"Going to have to put that cult down. Sooner or later." Shane said, in a tone that those unfamiliar with him could mistake for boredom instead of his general speaking voice these days. He deliberately looked at Trisha when he said it, quietly stressing to her the importance of doing so. "Kids or not, they'll keep being a problem. Might know something that could help us too." His dead-eyed gaze then shifted to the magical experts who's credentials he wasn't exactly wowed by.

"Can't speak about "Horned God"s and such, but they will do something stupid if they feel cornered. So somethin' more substantial than just a surprise attack is goin' to have to be in place before I throw my lot in." Shane had an uncanny ability for speaking in such a way where it could easily be mistaken as him speaking to himself. Indifferent on whether or not you were listening. His expression turned vaguely thoughtful as he continued.

"Abandoned or not, the resort's likely got pictures of it online in some capacity. Definitely on a map with the surrounding area. If you're asking my take, which you're not, it'd be smart to get an idea of the place they've holed in. Entrances, exits, what have you. Might not be completely accurate now; but s'better than goin' in blind."

Turning his head to face his family. Though, still possibly also talking to the experts as well. Or maybe no one.

"We've got some of their names and a few ideas of the places they haunt down in East Araminta. One of 'em may have seen us skulking around. Maybe. One of 'em also allegedly works down in a gas station nearby too." Shrugging, hands still firmly in their pockets. "Might be an idea to cut off the places they can go to if some of 'em slip by. Possibly get some home addresses. Somethin' to consider."

"Not everyone here's a fighter." His face turned to look at Justin, this time no mistaking who he was speaking to. "Even if they are?..."

They might still refuse.

If there was one thing every Vanburen seemed to have in common from Shane's perspective, it was stubbornness.

"Either way. I'm sure you've all got your own opinions on the matter."

A mumbled blanket statement as Shane turned and shuffled towards one of the railings, away from it all. He didn't imagine anything he said would be taken on board by his family but, hopefully, the kids might apply some of it. Shane disengaged from the proceedings as he allowed his siblings to no doubt vent their own conflicting thoughts and feelings about the situation. Justified or not.

He'd bluffed somewhat. He was likely going with the kids regardless. Partly because he was one of the more physical members of the Vanburens in both talents and power, as far as he was aware. Partly because, if the worst should pass he might as well be on the frontlines. Likely some of his brothers and sisters wouldn't mind one less sibling to deal with.

---

What a busy night, Blu thought—perhaps busier than usual. The atmosphere was bustling as he prepared for his performance backstage in one of the guest rooms. It wasn't anything fancy for such a small and local establishment—just a large couch, a few sitting chairs, a coffee table with an urn full of sweets, and a sleek-looking vanity with mood lights overhead. He could feel the energy from beyond his dressing room, patrons eager for his appearance, likely already drunk on alcohol and some other questionable substances he was unfamiliar with.

He thought the vibes would give him a boost, reinvigorate his heart—but alas, it remained heavy for reasons he didn't quite yet understand. Blu just felt this ominous tear—a dark rift within the chaos of an exciting night. He couldn't quite put his finger on what was bringing him this strange feeling, when suddenly, a knock on the door dragged him out of his revelry.

Blu held his breathe, but let out a relieved sigh when his bandmates (Holland, Ricky, and Terra) practically bulldozed their way in before he had the chance to open the door.

"Did you see that guy? He was practically all over me and we haven't even performed yet." Terra boasted as she plopped on the couch and stuffed her mouth with a cherry sweet from the urn.

"Mhmm. The one with the stained button-down and toupee? A real catch babe." Holland teased her with his swanky British accent.

The woman gave him a searing look and then resigned herself to another candy—peppermint this time. A few testy words later and they were bickering again—per usual.

Blu looked at them with a knowing smile and then turned back to the vanity mirror, staring at his reflection ominously when Ricky walked up and draped his arms over Blu's shoulder. He rested his chin on Blu's head and then they both looked at each other through the mirror.

"You okay?" Ricky asked.

"Actually, no. I'm not. I don't know what it is, but...I have this strange feeling that something bad is going to happen tonight."

Ricky's gaze tensed, "Something bad?"

Blu nodded and then turned to him. "Should I be worried?"

Aside from the audible bickering between Holland and Terra, it was as though the room stood still for a moment. Blu and Ricky basked in that silence, locked into eachother's eyes in thick contemplation. Finally, Ricky pulled Blu up from the chair and then pulled him in for a warm embrace. As they hugged, Ricky, who was a head taller, peered down at him with a reassuring gaze.

"As long as we've been friends...I'd be stupid at this point to doubt you and those tingles you sometimes get. But..."

Blu looked up at him, "But?"

"Buuuut..just try not to worry about it until after the show. It won't serve you any good now anyways and we need you in the zone for this performance. Okay?"

Blu wasn't wholly convinced, but he nodded feebly nonetheless—not wanting to disappoint his bandmates or the audience. The bar had drawn a reasonable crowd because of their band, The Loveless, so he didn't want to be a burden for everyone—including the bar owner who booked them again.

---------------------------------


After Loveless finished performing, Blu lingered around in the bar for a bit, interacting with bar patrons and his fans alike. It wasn't long after, however, when a text from Oscar came to his phone. It was unexpected, considering they hadn't interacted much since Oscar last tutored him. And that was some time ago. The urgency in his texts was alarming, and Blu thought back to the bad feeling he'd had earlier. Could this have something to do with that?

He wasn't certain until Oscar arrived soon after and whisked him away out of concern for his safety. On the drive to the estate (Blu's first time being there in-person), Blu was startled into silence as Oscar explained what was going on. Wiccans attacking the Vanburen family? The possibility that he could have been their next target? But what was this cult and how dangerous were they really? So many questions rumbled through his mind like an unfettered storm. He clamped his hands around the ocarina hanging from his neck. Would he have to use his magic tonight? None of the Vanburen knew what he could do, but the thought passed his mind—this might be the night. If these cultists decide to rear their heads again while he's with his (siblings?), there is absolutely no way that he could just stand by and feign impotence.

Once they arrived at the Vanburen Estate, Blu couldn't help but gasp—a lump filling his throat and stomach as he gazed upon the old abode as it came closer into view. From this perspective, it was truly grand. After they parked, Blu followed Oscar to where everyone was waiting. His almond eyes moved like a wave over everyone. Starting from the two he didn't know (Tuyen and Justin respectively) and then his eyes took in the presence of each sibling that was present. Aside from Oscar's tutoring sessions and the one time Ezra paid him a "friendly" visit at one of the music venues in town, he had almost no physical interaction with the Vanburen siblings since James' funeral.

Despite his own relation to James, Blu felt like an awkward outsider, like he didn't quite belong amongst the rest of them. It was as though his position as the ward was inferior to their actual position within the family dynamic. He was the mystery child that no one knew anything about, so he wondered if anyone would question his presence here. The air was stiflingly cold and the vibes were tense, so Blu remained quiet as he listened to everyone speak and the situation began to unfold more and more. He wouldn't say much of anything unless spoken to, not wanting to impose himself or his own ideas into an affair that the others may not feel he needs to be involved in anyway.

But the idea of confronting the cultists head-on did not appeal to him, but it seemed as though this was the current leaning of sentiments. Blu carressed his ocarina softly. Perhaps this was the dark happening that he had feared.

“Well, Miss Matthews, everything came out okay with your scans. No major tears or fractures to be seen, but you’ll need to follow the usual treatment for dislocations.”

Great.

The doctor before her set down a small stack of instructional and medical papers. Arabelle glanced over them quickly. Fortunately for her, she wouldn’t have to come back for any treatment. She didn’t see anything about seeing a physical therapist but she had an inkling that at least one appointment would be recommended. Arabelle would politely refuse.

“You’ll only need to wear the sling for a few days. I want you to wear it for two nights while you sleep with a pillow tucked under your arm for support.” The doctor continued as she helped Arabelle stick her arm into the fabric trap. Arabelle couldn’t feel a thing in her shoulder, but she knew that it would have hurt to move it without the painkillers.

Once the sling was properly secured, the doctor held up a bottle before slipping it into a paper bag, along with her instructional papers. “Take one pill in the morning and one at night with water and crackers for your stomach. There should be enough to last you until your shoulder is doing better. The papers have information and resources for physical therapy, but you can also look up treatment exercises online through our website.”

“Unless you have any further questions, I think we’re all wrapped up here.” The doctor finished with a smile. Arabelle nodded before pushing herself onto her feet.

“I don’t have any questions now, but if I do I’ll contact a PT.” She smiled at the nurse and took her goody bag, stuffing it into the hand that poked just barely out of the sling. “Thank you, Doctor.”

The doctor returned the smile. “It’s my pleasure, Miss Matthews. Let me help you with your cardigan.” Arabelle watched her with an awkward silence as the doctor turned to the chair by the door. She took a step forward, just in time to prevent the doctor from also picking up the (super fucking weird) ram skull hidden underneath.

Arabelle cleared her throat and scooped it up with her good arm before clutching it to her chest. “Sorry, it’s a- um, a family heirloom. Just want to make sure it doesn’t fall.”

I can never come back here again. Arabelle thought as the doctor raised an eyebrow.

“Mhm”

Yep. Never coming back.

The doctor placed her cardigan over her shoulders, said a short goodbye, and led her far enough out of the wing that Arabelle could find her own way out. Arabelle would have flushed in embarrassment if she hadn’t seen Ezra down the hall.

“Let’s go before they admit me to the psych ward.” Arabelle muttered to Ezra before she continued towards the exit. She wanted to get this ram skull back to the estate as quickly as possible.

---

Arabelle returned to the estate with too much on her mind. As she walked inside, her body shaking without her coat to protect her from the winter night, Arabelle immediately headed for her coat in the closet closest to the door. Thankfully the Vanburens were already gathering for a family meeting and missed the awkward display of Arabelle shuffling the coat over her shoulders. She wasn’t sure how she was going to manage wearing a sling for four days if it was this difficult to wear for an hour.

She could hear the whistle of a kettle from the kitchen. Tea time, right. Who would be making tea without a servant to help? Arabelle figured it was Georgie. She never missed tea time. Arabelle headed down the hall and towards the kitchen, but it seemed that she’d just missed the Vanburen sister. She was hoping not to miss the beginning of the meeting. Although what she had to say would be enough to explain why the cult attacked in the first place, she wanted to know what the others thought had happened first. Well, unless Ezra explained her hospital visit for her before she made it out there. Into the cold, cold night. Arabelle took a breath to compose herself as she made a hot mug of tea with honey to sweeten it. She sipped it on her way towards the others, anxiously pondering their reactions to her side adventure.

She stepped into the freezing air just in time to hear the beginning of the speech.

Arabelle stood a few feet from the circle with her back to the warm light of the estate home. She listened to the ghost facer’s opening lines. He seemed experienced enough to know what steps to take next, and even though he was young… too young, she listened to him closely. To hear that they already knew where the cult had its base was surprising. Arabelle honestly didn’t think the family was smart enough to put in that detective work. Especially within such a short amount of time. She glanced towards Shane for a moment and wondered if she underestimated the hermit, but she also figured it was partly because of Justin that it happened so swiftly.

They hadn’t even put a tarp over the hole in the estate yet. Was that what they were doing instead of working on repairs? Arabelle pressed her lips into a tight line. Was she the only one that cared about the state of their home?

By the end of his monologue Arabelle was fully ready to step forwards to explain the ram skull shoved between her elbow and ribs. Maybe even to object to fighting the cult without reason as well. Unfortunately the other Vanburen’s beat her to it. She was glad to hear one Vanburen was already against the fight. It wasn’t surprising that Oscar was taking Justin’s advice sincerely, since the Vanburen had invited them in the first place. Yet her eyebrows rose as Oscar described the abstractions of the wiccans. He had a point to strike first. Did he really think the others were capable of it? She hadn’t been around to see them in action, but based on her knowledge of their character she was only sure a few of them could hold their own in an offensive position.

“There’s also a healer.” The other expert, Tuyen, mentioned, and it lit a lightbulb in Arabelle’s mind. The healer was the woman that gave her the ram. Arabelle realized that she didn’t even remember her name. She blamed that tiny mistake on the shock of dislocating her shoulder.

"Going to have to put that cult down. Sooner or later."

Shane’s gruff voice sent shivers down her spine and Arabelle turned her head to give him an incredulous look. Was he suggesting what she thought he was suggesting? Yes, they’d broken into the estate, wrecked it beyond simple repair, and attacked them with water, fire, and hellhounds, but from what she gathered from the healer, they were extremely misguided. It didn’t warrant any bloodshed. His first words were enough to leave Arabelle apprehensive of what he had to say next. Still, she found herself surprised by his capabilities as he mentioned maps, the knowledge of a few of the wiccan’s names, and the possible locations of a few. It was enough to make Arabelle consider the quiet, brooding Vanburen in a different light. Perhaps he was capable of all of this before the experts arrived. How much else could he figure out on his own? Arabelle was now considering how much time Shane may have spent in his father’s study, before or after his passing.

Arabelle watched Shane as she finished voicing his thoughts and retreated to the edge of the balcony. He may very well have convinced most of the Vanburens to fight before she could get a say in. Before any others could follow after him, Arabelle took a breath and put her mug into her sling hand. It was time to make her own stand. She kept her head high as stepped her way into the circle, reaching for the ram skull under her arm. As soon as she’d taken her place among them she held it out into the center of the group by its horn.

“This is what they came here for.” Arabelle stated plainly as she looked at each of them. “The Horned God,” Arabelle tried not to visibly shudder as she spoke his name, ”is sealed within this skull.” Just saying it aloud sent shivers down her fingertips, up her arms, and to the back of her neck. His voice was an eerie caress across her mind that threatened to scatter her thoughts. He was still trying to convince her to set him free.

“A woman within the cult- the healer, spoke to me before I escaped. I confronted her in a room where she was searching for this. She is against this Morgana and the Triple Goddesses plan to release him, saying that most of the wiccans are misguided and unaware of what they are doing. What she said could be a ruse, I know, but she still gave this to me for protection.”

She turned towards the Liao ghost detective.

“Why would she hand this over so easily if it is what her leader wants? If this healer is truly against their plans, she may know a way to stop the cult without violence. She could tell us plenty more about this Triple Goddess and any weaknesses as well.” Arabelle glanced at Shane on that note to prove she’d been listening before she spoke to the other Vanburens in the circle. “I think we should try to contact her before we make any hasty decisions.”

Finished with her speech, Arabelle lowered her arm and looked down at the skull. She was careful not to look into its empty eye sockets. “We also need to decide what to do with this in the meantime.” The corners of her mouth tugged downwards in what could only be disdain.

---

---

Wrapped in a warm cashmere coat, Ezra remained quiet as the family started discussing what to do with the Wiccans. He almost appeared bored, watching the others with a neutral expression that hid the fact that his mind was going a million miles per hour trying to figure out a good argument against confronting the cult. Ezra didn’t buy Justin’s theory that his family would be subjugated to many more of these types of encounters, or maybe instead of not buying it he just didn’t like it. Going against the cult as if it were some kind of training exercise seemed like the equivalent of going to jail and stabbing a guy so other people didn’t mess with you. Maybe it’d make people think twice about jumping you for a pack of smokes, but you’ve just guaranteed more time in prison when you should’ve really been focused on finding a way to get parole.

There had to be some kind of alternative. His first thought was that they should pass on this information to the authorities and leave them up to the law instead of some brazen, old school style of frontier justice. He quickly dismissed it. Either they’d look like lunatics trying to explain to the sheriff how magic is real, or they’d have to omit the cult's powers and be culpable for the severe injury or death of a handful of policemen who got thrown around like chew toys. Trisha’s suggestion that their experts handle it made Ezra think that perhaps they could reach out and hire a few more people like Justin or Tuyen, but he threw that idea out even faster than the cop one. If James had something that the Wiccans wanted, it stood to reason that other so-called experts might covert things in his collection as well. The tighter all of this was kept the better. Oscar bringing in Blu was already compromising, but he understood his half-brother’s logic.

Shane spoke up, stepping one foot into Camp Confrontation that the experts had set up and Oscar had so eagerly plopped down his sleeping bag. Even Trisha, who made it clear that she didn’t want to sit around the campfire and sing kumbaya, still wanted the Wiccans dealt with. At this rate the whole family would be sharpening sticks before Ezra could come up with a compelling argument to convince them to cool their heads. Shane was right about one thing—the cult was likely to do something stupid the moment they felt cornered and Ezra didn’t want Araminta being synonymous with Waco or Jamestown.

He felt his shoulders relax as Arabelle spoke up. Her words confirmed a suspicion he had about how unorganized the Wiccans were. They’d used their names, shown their faces, and left tracks so obvious the amateur sleuths and a drunk could follow. This healer could be their ticket to avoiding a direct confrontation. At the very least they could get a sense of what kind of people the Wiccans really were. Perhaps some of them could become resourceful once given some proper guidance. If Justin’s crackpot idea that his family would face greater threats became true, it’d be nice to have a few more pawns on the chessboard. Ezra stepped forward.

“I agree with Arabelle. We’re missing a lot of pieces to this puzzle and if that healer can illuminate things for us then we’ll better know how to deal with the Wiccans and their Goddess. We could end things without even lifting a finger. Cults work because they create an us versus them atmosphere. If we confront them then it’s just like Shane said—they’ll feel cornered and desperate, and desperate people do dangerous things. But we offer them a way out? We may earn some gratitude. I say we meet with her and let her know that we’ll forgive and forget those members who agree to abandon their cause. Best case scenario she could help us unravel their little cult and win over a few allies. Worst case we know that negotiating is no longer an option and can plan accordingly,” he said.

Ezra hoped that his reasoning would convince his family from grabbing the torches and pitchforks, at least until they talked to Arabelle’s contact. He withheld the idea that isolating their healer would make things easier for them if things once again came to blows. He glanced at the ram skull in Arabelle’s hand. She’d kept it safe, but she’d been injured in the process. He’d read enough of James’s ramblings to know that they couldn’t just destroy it, and the uncertainty of the Wiccan’s powers made him uncomfortable with the idea of leaving it unsupervised, even if it was inside of a vaulet. He furrowed his brow and looked at the others. One of them should hold on to it, only…

Ezra sighed. It wouldn’t be right to volunteer anyone else as bait. He gave Arabelle a tight-lipped smile and held out his hand, “In the meantime I’ll hold on to the thing until we figure out what to do with it. Maybe we could seal it in cement. I’m going to be getting quotes for construction work all day tomorrow anyway.” He didn’t ask if anyone else agreed with him. It was better to act as if this was already the decision. He was right, but just because he was right didn't mean they'd listen. If they were committed to confrontation he'd have to help them. He just hoped that none of them realized that, giving them pause before doing something ruinous. “So, do you have a way to get in touch with this woman?”

Georgie sighed. Her breathe cloudy in the cold. Justin couldn't have this meeting in the kitchen? That didn't get ruined in the fight. In facet, the kettle on the stove should be ready soon. The earlier ambush ruined afternoon tea, then she had to change out her clothes and ring her hair after almost drowning by one of the wiccans, and then she spent the rest of the day with a few helping hands finding every apparition James mentioned in his writings. The few found in the library were locked away in The Garden. She thought perhaps the evening would be calmer, but no. It's one thing after another about shit she couldn't care less about.

She still couldn't believe Oscar brought this little team here to "help", especially when they're bright idea is to attack the wiccans. Not a one has a brain cell. Petty's pretty much brain dead in her opinion. Shane almost formed one with his idea if finding pictures online to get a feel of the place. It wouldn't beer hard for them to go to city hall and ask for blueprints, but that's too much work. She rolled her eyes and went back into the kitchen while they talk nonsense. The kettle called her name.

She made green tea with three sugar cubes in a thermos and went back outside in time for Arabelle to reveal she had The Horned God ram skull it was sealed in. That's quite the reveal. Tonight may be interesting yet. So far Ezra and Arabelle are beneficial to the group.

She cleared her throat, taking a sip of tea, then said,"Or, I can hold onto the skull. Every apparition James hid in the house is now in my Garden. What's no more thing to hold? I'm the only safe bet here. They can't get to it, unless I open the Garden and if I die, then it's trapped there forever. Problem solved."

The tea warmed her so much that she took off her leather and sheep fur-lined long coat, revealing a black jumper with red roses on the sleeves, a black skirt and wool tights. Her boys came up to her calfs.

"Ezra, dear, as good as your idea to find this healer is, there's a chance she's playing the long game. Lull us into a false sense of security, find out all our secrets to plot our downfall, then go for the kill."

She took a sip of her tea. "It's what I would do. So, we either go with your plan and feed her convincing bullshit to gain her trust while throwing her off, or we could go with my idea: stay here and do nothing. They're bound to try again, which means we fortify the mansion and stay vigilant. We'll have home advantage and can make several plans centered around the layout of the house. Having the home advantage, we could wipe them out."

---

When night fell, the Vanburen estate's entire tone changed. It went from a somber, yet beautiful, estate to a more sinister-looking place. The off-set this, Sabrina usually turned on the lights to illuminate the way for her usually walks through the estate grounds... she figured that she'd leave the lights on tonight as some strange effort to deter any type of intruders into her precious estate. Despite living here almost her entire life, she could always find some odd enjoyment in walking the grounds of the estate. The warmth of James always seemed to illuminate something inside the woman.

Because the temperature goes down drastically in Araminta at night; Sabrina had put on a few extra layers with the help of the Ghost of Mary Roberts. A heavy black winter coat and an extra-thick pair of jeans and some heavy black winter boots - nothing flashy because, for the rest of the night, Sabrina intended on staying her ass on the Vanburen estate. However, the rest of her family had other ideas. Or more accurately; the two little supernatural experts that the Vanburen family seems to turn to and trust. It's funny because James had taught them to stay away from the supernatural types; the fortune-tellers and the like. After digging into his library she figured that it was a warning of sorts.

Against this madness, Sabrina had the feeling that magic was something James didn't expect to ever return.

Mary Roberts materialized a scarf to shield her face as the cold winter breeze hit. Sabrina wanted to visit James' grave, despite it turning her into an emotional wreck and maybe it was not best to do it before seeing the others... but as Sabrina told herself, she had no interest in the meeting. However, Sabrina came to a halt when she saw something concerning when she came to a halt - stopping herself from gasping. Over James' grave, she saw a figure... a demonic one if she ever could tell herself. She couldn't make out the details, but it was skeletal and had these massive horns that never belonged on no man. Sabrina dipped behind some bushes as she watched the figure. It put down something before it disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

Wasting no time in getting over to her father's grave in hopes that, whatever she just saw, didn't desecrate her father's grave. She had to inspect the damage and... she saw nothing in particular odd about James' grave.

All she saw was a bouquet.

---

"Abandoned or not, the resort's likely got pictures of it online in some capacity. Definitely on a map with the surrounding area. If you're asking my take, which you're not, it'd be smart to get an idea of the place they've holed in. Entrances, exits, what have you. Might not be completely accurate now, but better than goin' is blind."

"Done and done," Justin stated with a proud smirk before pulling out his phone and swiping through all the photography of the place when it was in its prime. Some images of the resort were recent, but Justin knows that the place has probably been through hell and back. What caught Justin's eye and distracted him was Arabelle.

“This is what they came here for. The Horned God is sealed within this skull. A woman within the cult- the healer, spoke to me before I escaped. I confronted her in a room where she was searching for this. She is against this Morgana and the Triple Goddess's plan to release him, saying that most of the Wiccans are misguided and unaware of what they are doing. What she said could be a ruse, I know, but she still gave this to me for protection.”

Justin stared at the skull while Arabelle was talking... before he walked over to her and touched it, hearing the rather old gravely voice of the Horned God.

"Release me." The Apparition calmly said before Justin let go of the skull.

Before he touched it again.

"Please." The Apparition said before Justin let go of the skull again.

"You must find this very amusing," The Apparition said before Justin let go of the skull.

"I will end you when I break free." Justin had enough of the Apparition before he looked up at Arabelle.

"... For a hot second, I thought they gave you this random skull!" Justin awkwardly laughed as he ran a hand through the hair on the back of his head. Because, all things considered, it would totally would had made sense! It would have been a trick that Justin would have tried; gain the trust of some naive chick, give her a fake skull, and then and dip with the real Apparition. He listened (... kind of) to the rest of what Arabelle and Ezra said, before a question popped into his head. And that very question came out of his mouth.

"... Do you have her number?"

Then the question of what to do with the skull came up, and Ezra suggested a bunch of things, while Justin was just about to note what Georgie can do...

"Or, I can hold onto the skull. Every apparition James hid in the house is now in my Garden. What's no more thing to hold? I'm the only safe bet here. They can't get to it, unless I open the Garden and if I die, then it's trapped there forever. Problem solved."

"Sounds like a good idea," Justin stated, before noting, "I have a feeling though, that they might be able to sense where it is, so um, sealing in cement won't work."

"It's what I would do. So, we either go with your plan and feed her convincing bullshit to gain her trust while throwing her off, or we could go with my idea: stay here and do nothing. They're bound to try again, which means we fortify the mansion and stay vigilant. We'll have home advantage and can make several plans centered around the layout of the house. Having the home advantage, we could wipe them out."

This all made sense, but there was something that Justin just had to note.

"... but are you all cool with being cooped up in here twenty-four, seven?" Justin noted, channeling that old tiger's logic. "Eventually, one of us has to go out. And waiting around when we don't know the exact details of your curse is not the wisest idea... we don't know if there's some trigger that will cause it to instantly kill all of you."

He shrugged.

"... And besides," Sabrina finally spoke up. "You're the last person who would want to be stuck in here with reminders of James, Georgie." She chuckled, before a nervousness overcame her. She was tempted to tell he group about what she saw, but maybe her eyes deceived her; maybe it has little to do with the curse or the Wiccans. Some stranger has been leaving flowers behind for some reason... instead, she voiced a stupid idea of hers.

"Have we thought about just giving them the skull? Maybe they'll leave us alone."

---

"Have we thought about just giving them the skull? Maybe they'll leave us alone."

"Can't imagine that'd be a good idea." Shane said, continuing to look across the field. "Teenagers or not, they are still a cult. One that's apparently already got people tryin' to leave. Skull doesn't seem so friendly, so giving it to some stupid kids'll just cause more problems."

Part of him tried to be a little less blunt. He understood Sabrina's plight to be done with this mess but he really hoped to shutdown that line of thinking before somebody else tried to jump onboard. He seriously doubted the kids or the skull were directly related to the Vanburen's current affliction, but they'd absolutely do nothing good if left to their own machinations.

In truth, the skull slightly unsettled Shane. Enough for him to turn and watch it when it threatened that kid, Justin. He didn't think it was in great hands with the family but, better them than anyone else. He found himself so contemplative of the skull and caught up in Sabrina's plan that Georgie's had completely went by him for a moment.

"It's what I would do. So, we either go with your plan and feed her convincing bullshit to gain her trust while throwing her off, or we could go with my idea: stay here and do nothing. They're bound to try again, which means we fortify the mansion and stay vigilant. We'll have home advantage and can make several plans centered around the layout of the house. Having the home advantage, we could wipe them out."

It was pretty fucking moronic, as far as Shane was concerned. The house was already barely standing in places and as Justin and Sabrina pointed out, they had no idea if their conditions might worsen which wasn't likely to improve their already pretty poor cohesiveness as a group. Couple that with the fact that the family really didn't have much clue what other magical crap might be hidden in the walls of the estate. Georgie did have enough foresight to comb through James' books with the others to get an account of the artefacts he had, but if there was one thing the Vanburens knew about their father, it was how much he kept from them. Today was likely the most any of them had learned about him beyond the base qualities everyone knew already. It wasn't unreasonable to assume there was plenty more dangers here that James hadn't written down for one reason or another. The last thing Shane would want to do is find out while fending off another attack.

Shane shook his head, not even wishing to dignify the idea with further response. Instead glancing at Arabelle and Ezra.

"If she gave you the skull and we're willing to take the risk. It's worth a try, I suppose."

He wasn't crazy about the idea. A number of things could go wrong from it but thus far every idea presented carried some irritating degree of risk. Aside from the mouthy red head, Morgana, Shane didn't really get the feeling any of the teenagers were overly malicious. Beyond their blasé treatment of property that Ezra and the staff likely wouldn't forgive them for.

Speaking of, Shane was also not crazy about being in the same boat as his elder brother. If for no other reason than considering, in his experience, Ezra usually played an ulterior angle. The fact that he was already trying to commandeer duty over the skull seemed to give credence to this. He never counted Ezra as a charismatic negotiator, but he was a shrewd one.

Even still, the plan had the best possibility for success in Shane's mind. Or, at least, the one with the least possibility for bloodshed. He confirmed his standing with a curt nod to Arabelle. Turning and leaning against the railing to face everyone else.

---

"Have we thought about just giving them the skull? Maybe they'll leave us alone."

"Can't imagine that'd be a good idea."

“We absolutely can’t give them the skull,” Oscar said at the same time as Shane, before coughing awkwardly. Maybe he’d been a bit too enthusiastic in his response there… But he was sure his siblings were too caught up in the discussion to notice. He let Shane finish before continuing. “I agree with Shane. I’m sorry Sabrina, but allowing an apparition to be released just isn’t a good idea. They were all sealed by dad for a reason and we shouldn’t let them out.”

He quickly found his attention drawn to the skull instead of any conversation. Curiosity almost got the better of him as he took a slight step forward as if to also touch the skull, but he stopped himself. He didn’t need to listen to whatever was sealed within. He’d had enough experience of that.

Oscar shook his head, forcing himself back everything that was being said. A sudden thought came into his head. “Ah, Georgie, you looked through dad’s writings, right? Did he mention anything about the Triple Goddess?” They might as well look closer to home before getting information from another source. “Though talking to this healer is a good idea, I think. It’s always best to have all the information we can and plan accordingly…”

”Oh great, we’ve gone from fighting to attempted diplomacy,” Trisha rolled her eyes again, just as she had when Shane had pointedly looked at her while talking about taking on the cult. She still wasn’t joining in on that. ”At least it’s better than Georgiana’s idea, I’m not staying inside just cause some weirdos want that stupid skull.”

Not that Trisha was about to go along to some chat with one of the cultists. Best case scenario for her was that she went back to her room (thankfully undamaged) and left her more active (and idiotic) siblings to deal with the problem. Ezra was the oldest so it was his job to clean up all the messes. She was already pushing herself by being in the same space as most of the people here.

So she didn't bother saying anymore, folding her arms and looking as disgusted at being there as she could.

Tuyen quietly listened to what everyone was saying, lips twisting into a slight grimace when Justin had gone over to touch the skull. Yeah, she wasn’t going to jump on doing anything like that. She had enough to ignore with her shadow flickering around the corners of her vision.

But she certainly wasn’t in support of the idea of being stuck with the Vanburen’s. It had only been a day, and she was already tired of all the fighting between them.

"If she gave you the skull and we're willing to take the risk. It's worth a try, I suppose."

“If you can contact the healer, everyone has to be prepared for it to go wrong,” Tuyen decided to speak up after one of the Vanburen’s rightly pointed out that it was a risk. As much as she’d prefer to stand by and watch rather than airing negative opinions, she couldn’t let Justin do all the work. She was already useless enough. She also didn’t particularly like the idea of fighting (coward) but talking depended on trusting the healer… Which she didn’t. “Just because she handed over the Triple Goddess doesn’t mean she can be trusted. For all we know, we’d show up only for their entire cult to be there. I’m not saying I’m against it,” since it wasn’t her job to make the decision, “just that everyone needs to be prepared.”

She took a deep breath, clasping her hands together to stop them shaking. It was intimidating speaking in front of so many people. All of them watching her with disdain. She’d barely spoken to anyone outside of Justin, and the support group, after everything that had happened before they came here.

But she had to pretend to know what she was doing.

“Whatever happens with the cult, we’ll have to deal with the Triple Goddess.” She laughed slightly to cover up her nervousness. “Unless, of course, you want me and Justin to deal with it ourselves.” Which would be much more difficult.

---

---

Tansy stepped carefully to avoid the debris scattered through the halls of her childhood home as she assessed the destruction done by the Wiccans. The estate appeared alien with its scorched walls that had been broken through and flooded floors had been unearthed, winter’s chill drifting through the shattered windows of the dining room. She had not been home at the time of the attack, having opted out of Oscar’s little meeting to wrap up some business of her own, but Ezra had filled her in on the details after he picked her up after dropping off Arabelle. She’d maintained a sense of composure in the car, more focused on her breathing than what he’d been saying.

However, now walking through the Wiccan’s wake she felt her lips tremble in a suppressed rage. Supposedly Shane and Sabrina had tracked them down. It was likely the people who’d assaulted their house and attacked her family were the same kind of people that she and James had dedicated themselves to helping. No, calling them people was too considerate—they were a pack of wild dogs. Tansy rubbed her hand to sooth the perceived bite as she glared at the chair James used to sit in, an empty throne shattered and ruined by rabid upstarts. It was decided then and there that those dogs would learn a lesson. She just had to find somebody to hold them down while she rolled up the newspaper.

It was time for the meeting. She dawned a long double-breasted wool coat, wrapped a scarf Sabrina had given her from a previous Christmas, and made a quick pit stop before heading outside. She stopped before exiting, eying the mug in Arabelle’s hand but noticing the distinct lack of warm beverages for everyone else. Ezra had dismissed the staff for an indeterminate amount of time except for the girl, but just because she was injured suddenly she had the right to only help herself? In a huff Tansy turned and stamped towards the kitchen, grabbing the kettle, a stack of mugs, and a silver serving tray. If she’d been given more time she would’ve prepared some hor d'oeuvres. By the time she joined the others on the patio her head had cooled significantly, although she still bristled at the evening chill. There were plenty of rooms untouched by the raid. Why the need to risk all of them getting pneumonia?

Tansy set the tray down on a table and began pouring drinks for everyone. She listened intently, secretly pleased to hear the majority of the family favoring a direct confrontation. The Wiccans wouldn’t expect an immediate retaliation. A quick little show of force could send them scattering like rats. Raze the resort to get back at them from destroying their house. Follow it up with a few appearances at their home or place of employment. Make them realize that no place is safe for them in Araminta. She lifted the tray back up and began to serve tea to the group, first to the guests and then to the family. Only Arabelle and Georgie remained unserved, and only because they had helped themselves. She was careful not to interrupt the proceedings, smiling kindly and retreating quickly as she dropped off a mug. She tried to hide her wince as the conversation switched from aggression to negotiation.

Ezra considered the proposition that Georgie hid the skull in the Garden. It was better than anything he could come up with off the fly. He withdrew his hand from Arabelle and motioned towards Georgie, nonverbally relinquishing the ownership of the skull to his little sister. He made a face at her suggestion that they bunker down. It wasn’t much of a face, a lowering of the eyebrows, a tightening of the lips, and it faded the moment a chorus of voices rose up against the idea. He dipped into his mug, a wave of steam cascading over the top as he let a sigh of relief escape into the tea. Turning into stone wasn’t the only thing that cursed his family—they were all blissfully unaware of the cost of anything. Preventing further damage to the household was one of the higher priorities.

He glanced back up at Arabelle. She did have a way to contact the healer, right? He felt himself grow antsy and took a sip of the tea. Ezra did not swallow. Something tasted off. He took his tea straight, but this mug had been fixed up with honey and milk. It was the way James took his tea. Ezra frowned and looked at Tansy. Was she trying to mess with him? He doubted someone like her, who fretted over everything and always demanded to be involved, would make someone the wrong cup. He forced the liquid down and set the mug on a patio table.

Tansy served Shane last, slipping up beside him as he finished. Tansy handed him a mug and directed his attention with her eyes to the flask hiding in her coat pocket, careful to angle it so that only he would see. Perhaps it was a small gesture at a peace offering to quell the awkwardness between the two who hadn’t spoken much since last Christmas. Perhaps he’d just think that she was only trying to poison him, but they both knew that he didn’t need her help with that. She held her hand in front of the mouth to prevent any would-be eavesdroppers and leaned in.

“It’s good to see you’re alive. I made ours extra special,” she said softly before taking a sip of her own mug, the burn from the whiskey warming her better than any herbal tea would.

The corner of her lip twisted as her eyes narrowed, a cruel barb forming on the tip of her tongue. She pressed it against her cheek and frowned, a chill coming off of her shoulder as she turned from him. Once one of her favorite siblings, she’d yet to forgive him for dropping off the face of the world when they were in New York. Tansy shifted her focus to Arabelle, whom everyone wanted to hear from regarding if she got the healer’s digits or not. Tansy bit her inner lip and hid her contemplation behind the steaming mug. Then, her face brightened. Tansy stepped forward to wedge herself between Ezra and Arabelle, butting in before they could dominate the decision making.

“Arabelle, honey, your hesitation makes it all too clear. It’s fine. We won’t be upset if you don’t have a way to reach her,” said Tansy. Her voice was saturated in sweetness. “Perhaps it’s for the best? Just imagine how bad you’d feel if that woman had been trying to set us up and someone got hurt. How horrible it’d be knowing that it was your fault, worrying that the family might accuse you of being in league with the Wiccans, thinking what if I’d only kept my mouth shut?” Tansy's tone fell flat, her eyes stared down at Arabelle without blinking. Then the sweetness returned with a smile and head tilt, “You must be relieved and there’s nothing wrong with that! You’ve already done so much for this family. If you need help with anything while you’re out of commission, let me know.”

“Speaking of helping,” Tansy turned towards Tuyen, giving Arabelle room to finally breathe. “My family might seem like they enjoy disagreeing with one another and arguing in circles, but we were all raised to do the right thing. This is our cross to bear and it’d be wrong to shove all of the weight on to someone else. We’ll all help you two deal with the Triple Goddess. I mean, you’re the experts!" She laughed sharply, shooting a dismissive look towards Ezra. "You tell us what to do.”

Georgie could instantly tell no was keen on staying home. Fine by her. If they want to gallivant around town hunting a Wiccans with less brain cells than an ameba, then that's their propagative. Georgie's made up her mind. She's staying home.

"... but are you all cool with being cooped up in here twenty-four, seven?" Justin said, "Eventually, one of us has to go out. And waiting around when we don't know the exact details of your curse is not the wisest idea... we don't know if there's some trigger that will cause it to instantly kill all of you."

"... And besides," Sabrina said, "You're the last person who would want to be stuck in here with reminders of James, Georgie."

"Whatever your name is, I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't want to stay home. And Sabrina, chère, the whole town has James's name on it. No matter where I go, I'll be reminded of him anyway. Matters not if in the house or on the street."

Apparently no one else had the sense to ignore Sabrina's terrible suggestion of giving the skull to the Wiccans, so she stood listening to them explain why it's a bad idea, when it's obvious why it's a bad idea. Namely, the Triple Goddess destroying the world and Georgie's goals being flushed down the fucking toilet.

The last person she wanted to see, rivaling Patty, was Tinsel. Patty was an idiot, but at least she wasn't fake. Merry mother came around with mugs for everyone. Nineteen fifties housewife was not a good look on her. It never had been. She's glad she didn't serve her any. Mother dearest probably spit in it or slipped everyone cyanid. She'd be so lucky if Patty dropped dead.

“Ah, Georgie, you looked through dad’s writings, right? Did he mention anything about the Triple Goddess?”, Oscar asked.

”At least it’s better than Georgiana’s idea, I’m not staying inside just cause some weirdos want that stupid skull,” Patty said after, her voice irritating as ever.

Finally, someone asking smart questions and Patty had to ruin it. Her full name out of her mouth almost caused her to have a visceral reaction. "Patty, please leave the conversation to the intellectuals. Oh, pardon me. Was that word too big to understand? I meant smart people." She smiled as condescendingly as she could at Patty, then answered Oscar's questions.

"James indeed said quite a bit. The Triple Goddess and Horned God are a pair. Stronger together than a part. They control elemental magic, give people pleasure, knowledge, and power." She rolled her wrist in a dismissive gesture.

"Cults are a thing for these two. They give Extra-Normal abilities to their members to do their bidding for them, which leads me to believe that we weren't absolutely obliterated by the Triple Goddess earlier, because she doesn't have the power to do so. Think about it, she came and went so quickly. What if she's so weak that she can only appear for a certain amount of time before she's used up all her power and goes dormant again? He also said that she can be defeated by artificial materials, but that could mean anything." She shrugged.

Georgie sat down on a patio chair, legs crossed, enjoying her tea. It's still hot. Good. She loathe to put it in the microwave should it needed heating up and a making a whole new thermos would be wasteful.

“My family might seem like they enjoy disagreeing with one another and arguing in circles, but we were all raised to do the right thing. This is our cross to bear and it’d be wrong to shove all of the weight on to someone else. We’ll all help you two deal with the Triple Goddess. I mean, you’re the experts!" Tinsel said, her voice dreadful.

"Tinsel, please, shut your gob," Georgie said, purposely getting her name wrong.

"Most of us were raised to be successful, a few of us don't have the genes to make that happen." She pointedly stared at Shane and Patty.

"And you are a whore after James's own heart. At least you know what condoms are for." She took another sip of tea, smiling like the biggest bitch at the ball.

"Also, don't speak for me. My cross to bear is in academia and I'm only here, because being stone isn't in vogue. Unless this Triple Goddess bullshit has anything to do with breaking the curse, beside me hiding her bloody boyfriend, I don't plan to help beyond the confines of our broken home."

Georgie held out her hand to Arabelle in a give-me gesture for the skull, ready to toss it in the portal and let the garden bury it.

---

The night air was crisp and as blistering and stifling as the unfolding chatter. In truth, it was more like a debate, with the sprinkling of microaggressions and rancor that clouded the discussion in a way that made Blu realize that this was a faulted family plagued by dark memories he was not privy to. What kind of family was this? These were his siblings? The children that James had told him about and called his own? Blu could feel every drip of bitterness shared among them and it left a rather sour taste in his mouth.

He took the tea that Tansy had offered him, cupped it between his hands for warmth and stared deeply into its contents. He was so so confused. Everyone was saying things he didn't understand and using words that had little to no contextual meaning to him. Apparitions? Horned Goddess? The Healer? His head was spinning like a pinwheel and he caught himself feeling dizzy as he stumbled lightly into Oscar, gripping his arm for support. "I'm sorry..." he said softly, righting himself and taking another sip of the tea.

The warmth filled him—and for a moment, it dulled the negative emotions that made him feel soddened. Blu may not have been the smartest, most powerful, or a natural-born leader like the others, but his generosity knew no bounds and he wanted to help in some way—any way. If not for the Vanburen children, then for James, the man who took him in and helped him forge a new life and discover a new world. This is what James would want for him right? To pay back the generosity that he had received.

Suddenly, an idea struck him and though he was not certain of its validity, he felt it would be a disservice if he didn't say it while tensions were still hot and the plan ill-defined still.

He cleared his throat anxiously, chugged the rest of his warm tea, and stepped forward out of Oscar's shadow. "Ummm...If I may..." he stammered, trying to make eye contact with everyone as he fiddled with his fingertips daintily, "...what has transpired is lost on me, but, from what I'm hearing, these...Wiccans? who attacked you all...I think maybe I can help."

As he spoke, his confidence grew and the usual softness of his tone became more clear and resolute. "It's unlikely that they know who I am or are aware of the...peculiar connection that I share with you all as James's ward. But perhaps, this unfamiliarity can be used to our advantage. I can go to the Wiccans first, on my own. I can feign interest in joining their group. Gain their trust. If your resolve is to confront them, I can keep them occupied and distracted while you prepare a proper strategy to ensare them. I really don't mind. James meant a lot to me and you're his children soooo...I want to help. Aaannnd...I swear I'm not as fragile as I look. I can protect myself if I have to."

Though in truth, he sympathized with Georgie on the matter. He would rather avoid this confrontation or at least, conclude it with no bloodshed. Blu hoped that this idea could help them end this without anyone having to get hurt.

---

Justin didn't think Georgie's idea was a good one because, as he stated, someone would have to leave the mansion at some point for food or just to get out of here. If the Wiccans were smart, they would just set up shop outside the manor and just wait things out - castle siege style. The Wiccans... while they floundered when their plan fell apart, were not especially dumb in his ass. By Justin's admission, there was some intelligence in their plan, just not a whole lot (nor were there any contingencies other than break shit). If Justin and Tuyen did not show up; they likely would have escaped with the skull. Or they would have messed up somewhere else and the whole plan would have crumbled at a different point. That wasn't the point; the point was; that underestimating the Wiccans, which Georgie was, was not going to end well. Despite Georgie's idea being, well, stupid; the little miss thing here was adamant about sitting on her ass in this mansion. What kind of sibling just sits on their behind while their family rushes off to war? To say the least, Georgie was not endearing herself to Justin.

Where Justin thought Georgie's idea was stupid; he thought that Sabrina's idea was the stupidest thing imaginable. The dumbest thing he ever heard. Fortunately, Oscar and Shane talked her out of it, so it was great to see that they were all on the same page here. Justin saw firsthand that letting out powerful entities was not the best idea. At best, the cult and the two Apparitions would become someone else's problem, which... was not how Justin rolled.

"I just..." Sabrina trailed off, feeling a little bit stupid for even suggesting it in the first place. Well, how in the world were they going to get rid of this problem without violence? Nobody had an idea other than hiding in the manor (which Sabrina was not here for) or going to fight them (which could always end badly for the Vanburens). Sabrina shook her head and just kept her mouth shut to see what their experts had to say. However, the lovely Tansy came up and served the Vanburens tea. "Why thank you." Sabrina said as she maneuvered towards the tea and grabbed herself a cup, easing her nerves as she held the plate and took a sip.

Justin also helped himself to some out of politeness... his mother and grandmother loved drinking tea but he never could stomach the stuff. Though, maybe leaving his many comfort zones was what he needed to get out of this. Tansy began to speak and something was odd about the woman, Justin didn't know what it was. Maybe it was her overly "motherly" aura that he found obnoxious. She put the spotlight on Justin and Tuyen and Justin was glad to steer the conversation back around where he wanted it...

... Only for Georgie to steer the conversation back around towards pointless bickering. Yeah, Justin did not like Georgie at all.

"Georgie! Enough!" Sabrina was the one who mainly felt like it was her duty to talk Georgie down whenever she went on these high and mighty rants of hers. It was too much for her to take sometimes! She grits her teeth as she pointed a finger at Georgie, "If you're not going to help, just go!" She huffed.

"...I don't think that's a good idea," Justin injected as he took a few steps in between Sabrina and Georgie. He was speaking to both of them, for obvious reasons. "I don't think any of us splitting up is a good idea right off. Even if you're so confident in yourself-" Justin turned towards Georgie, "-I doubt you can take on more than one of them."

Now, Justin was going to take Tinsel's advice and give them the advice on what he thought they should do. By his admission, it was not without risks but Justin knew that there was nothing they could do that wasn't inherently risky. For starters, he knew that even if they threw the skull in Georgie's garden, the Wiccans would still hound them. That was not something that Justin wanted, not one tiny bit. If they handled them and removed the Triple Goddess from the equation; the cult would cease to be a problem. Well, there was a chance that they would. However, it was obvious the Triple Goddess was the big issue here, if it was up to them he would have rushed them down guns blazing. That wasn't going to work here.

"How about we don't toss the skull in your dimension just yet," Justin noted, "I would be surprised if they didn't have some kind of ability to track the skull. Which is something we can use against them..."

Suddenly, the quiet Native American guy that was in the corner of the room had finally spoken up. Justin had largely ignored him as he had no clue who in the world this gentleman was, given that he wasn't there this morning, but would find out soon. Of course, he spoke up and came up with an idea that was not a bad one, but just a bad time. "The only problem with that is they're probably on high alert..." He drifted off toward Tuyen, "... They would probably see through it, but that's not a risk that I am willing to take."

He took in a deep breath.

"We need to get the Triple Goddess and take her out fast as possible," Justin stated, "My basic idea is to lure them somewhere else and ambush them. Not in the manor because they won't fall for that."

---

Shane had forgotten how grating the sounds of his sibling's voices could be.

Trisha was, predictably, committed to being no help. Oscar, as was seemingly their dynamic, was opposite to Trisha in that he was contributing, if nothing else. Trying to procure as much information before drawing a definitive line in the sand, which was more than could be said for the rest of the family - Shane included.

Not that the experts were doing so grand either, the girl was clearly unsure of herself. Normally, Shane would be at least sympathetic towards her clear anxiety at being amongst the Vanburens, but he really couldn't afford to suffer any potential dead weight right now. As could easily be gleaned, the Vanburens wore on each other just as much as they wore on Shane. Shane responded to her timid offering of her and Justin handling things themselves with a curt shake of the head.

So caught up in the bickering was Shane that he hadn't immediately noticed Tansy. Just barely keeping himself from showing surprise as she spoke inches from where he stood.

“It’s good to see you’re alive. I made ours extra special,”

Her tone was that soft whisper she'd sometimes put on. Shane had coined it as her "Sincerity Voice". Usually when trying to relate to someone or appear more caring than the family wealth could allow on its own. It was hollow. Even without being acutely aware of their lack of any sibling warmth, Shane could see through it. He used to like Tansy, used to even stick up for her when others would declare her the phony she was. There was no Tansy, just a meticulously crafted character acting out her rehearsed lines. Shane only realised this when she tried to "help" him. Which went as far as having letters or intermediaries try to convey the burden of reputation that was placed on both their shoulders. She eventually stopped trying, thankfully, but it also meant Shane was now below her performance.

Unless she needed something. Shane doubted many things about his eldest sister, but her attachment to the family home and her clear disdain for what had happened made him very much believe she was sharing in his libations. He took the tea.

"Thanks." He half-mumbled, quickly taking a little more than a sip from the porcelain cup. The warmth travelled throughout his body, shielding him from the cold of the weather and his family. Almost certainly did Tansy "enhance" his cup more than her own, considering it was more whiskey with tea than the other way around. Shane certainly wasn't complaining.

Good timing too, as Tansy defaulted back to her regular personality and Georgie seemed determined to do more belittling than helping. His ears did perk up at the mention of the Triple Goddess and the Horned God. This was all above his paygrade still, but it was useful information none the less. That... Figure of the Triple Goddess on the Vanburens lawn was certainly still fresh in his mind. He immediately switched off as she regressed back to sniping at Tansy and whoever else entered her brain. If she wanted to stay here, that was fine with Shane. One less person to babysit.

As that thought entered his head, the boy Justin and the other boy- The other boy?

"...what has transpired is lost on me, but, from what I'm hearing, these...Wiccans? who attacked you all...I think maybe I can help."

Shane narrowed his eyes. He knew him from somewhere.

It took a few moments but Shane placed him as the musician. His time at Vanburen functions were limited, especially when it came to remembering entertainment that may have been present, but Shane couldn't forget the look on Ezra's face. He was one of James' charity cases or something of that nature, likely much more than that if his presence here was anything to go by. Regardless, his plan to infiltrate the Cult was at least a constructive idea. Though, still one Shane easily found himself disagreeing with.

As Justin responded, the Cult would absolutely be on edge to consider unknowns at this point. Speaking of, the boy was an unknown to Shane himself. He at least had seen Justin and Tuyen fight alongside his family, he had no frame of reference for this newcomer, and no reason to trust him either.

"We need to get the Triple Goddess and take her out fast as possible. My basic idea is to lure them somewhere else and ambush them. Not in the manor because they won't fall for that."

"Then we're back to trying to contact the member Arabelle met." Shane interjected, still looking sternly towards Blu.

"Say you're right and they can track the statue. They just gear up s'best they can and come after us." Only then did he turn to face Justin. "Or, better yet, they figure out we're trying to lead 'em somewhere and decide to raid the house while we're off wherever."

Probably injuring or even killing Georgie.

"We need them more off-balance." He muttered. "Either through the girl who wants out so we can scatter 'em. Or, by being proactive and knocking them down before they can regroup."

Placing his cup of (mostly) alcoholic tea on the stone railing and folding his arms, Shane's brow dipped. Making his standard annoyed expression develop into more of a frown.

"'Cause, evidently, we're not usually on the same page." His eyes briefly glanced at his family. "If we do try and draw 'em to us, there's a higher chance than I'd like of us fucking it up and those kids making off with the other statue."

'Or, with the way my luck's been going, something worse.' Shane thought to himself, looking back out towards the garden. He was done trying to formulate a plan of his own, his siblings had their own agendas that were more trouble than they were worth. The best he could do at this point was try and mitigate their worst impulses. Protecting them from themselves, like always.

---

“Thanks Tansy,” Oscar smiled warmly as he was handed some tea, letting the mug warm his hands before taking a sip. Exactly how he liked it and perfect to combat the chill in the air. He turned his attention back to Georgie, nodding as she spoke about what she’d found. “I think you’re right Georgie… She had to send her cult in to get the Horned God rather than coming herself, so she must be in a weakened state. And artificial materials…” He trailed off scribbling something down in his notebook, then laughed. “So we should just hit her with some human created chemicals?”

He was thoughtful as he stopped talking, starting slightly as Blu grabbed his arm. ”It’s alright.” There was a slight concern in his eyes when he glanced over at Blu and responded, but it didn’t last too long before he was right back to his notes.

It took all of her will power, and Oscar speaking before her, for Trisha to not outright try to deck Georgie. Her anger was clear on her face, lips twisted down into a viscous smile and dark eyes glaring holes into her most annoying sister. How she hated her, standing there thinking she was so superior.

”Oh fuck off, Georgiana,” Trisha snapped when she could finally get a word in. ”At least I’m not a robot who’s never been taught how to talk.”

With a muttered “fuck this” she stomped off to further away from her family, grabbing a chair. She pulled out the laptop from her background and proceeded to try ignore everyone as best as possible, while still being in earshot. This whole meeting was far too useless for her to stay there and listen to Georgie’s conceited words or Tansy’s holier than thou speeches. She may as well do something useful with her time.

Tuyen was given a cup of tea, then made to feel guilty for speaking up. She should have just kept her mouth shut. She couldn’t tell at all from the tea giving lady if her tone was serious or sarcastic, but either way the words themselves felt belittling. It made her feel like curling back into her shell or hiding away. She was such a coward.

She didn’t even like tea. If anything it brought back unsavoury memories of far too many family gatherings, forced to sit with relatives she barely knew while drinking tea out of china cups that she’d be punished for weeks if she damaged even slightly. Not to mention that her aunt and uncle had been avid tea drinkers… which meant she disliked it by association. But she still forced it down out of politeness.

The arguing didn’t help her already frayed nerves - Tuyen was starting to really dislike Georgie, and she generally didn’t dislike anyone but herself. Everything that came out of her mouth was pointlessly contradictory to others ideas, making this process take much longer than it should do. She really didn’t want to be here anymore. As the features of the arguing Vanburen’s began to flicker, growing more twisted, she averted her gaze. It was an obvious illusion from her shadow, but unnerving nonetheless.

Things are less effective when you see them everyday and are already worn down.

... "It's unlikely that they know who I am or are aware of the...peculiar connection that I share with you all as James's ward.”...

"The only problem with that is they're probably on high alert… They would probably see through it, but that's not a risk that I am willing to take."

"Not to mention that they already knew who we were," Tuyen added softly, glancing at Justin with a smile that just about concealed her nerves. She was a little too relieved that he’d drifted back over to her. Focusing on what was going on, and the security of being near an actual friend, managed to stop her from spiralling more. "And our contact with anyone here was minimal. I don’t think it’s safe to assume they don’t know who you are, or to treat them like idiots. As Justin said, it’s not a risk worth taking."

She tried her best to sound confident even when she didn’t really want to speak anymore in front of this family - but she needed to keep up the impression that she was an expert, not just someone tagging along with Justin (which she kinda was). At least he was doing most of the talking. She would just fuck everything up anyway. She quickly finished off her tea so she could put down the mug, clasping her hands together again. Justin’s idea of luring them and ambushing them was much better… and certainly something she could get behind. It was much easier to psyche herself up for a fight she knew was going to happen.

“I agree with Justin,” Oscar nodded, flashing Blu a reassuring smile. “Not that I don’t trust you can protect yourself, but there’s a lot of them… and they’re powerful. Nobody should be putting themselves in danger when we can work together.”

"If we do try and draw 'em to us, there's a higher chance than I'd like of us fucking it up and those kids making off with the other statue."

“I think you’re being a bit too pessimistic, Shane,” Oscar laughed lightly after his older, likely much more realistic, brother was done talking. “They weren’t able to get the statue even when they caught us off guard, nevermind if we’re the ones doing it. Surely we can put our differences aside enough to deal with this?”

Probably too much to ask, but Oscar had never understood why everyone was always at each other's throats anyway.

“But I do agree that contacting the healer is a good way to go, cause we can always try to lure them that way.”

“I don’t think they’re organised enough to prepare well enough to beat us if we lure them out,” Tuyen added, looking at Justin as she spoke rather than any of the Vanburen’s - it was much easier to keep calm that way. “And they won’t come after your house. They’re after the Horned God and not whatever else is in there… they had plenty of opportunities to steal when they attacked us this morning.”

“I think she’s right about that,” Oscar nodded. “If the cult wanted our money or other apparitions, they could’ve gotten away with something in all the chaos. If we lure them somewhere it’d mean everything’s on our terms too. Can always throw the statue right in Georgie’s garden as soon as they appear. We’d need somewhere away from other people too…”

He paused, before jokingly saying, “how about a family picnic?”

---

---

Ezra gave Arabelle an apologetic frown as Tansy swooped in and began to pack her mind full of enough emotional baggage to properly supply Arabelle for an extended guilt trip. He massaged his temple as he broke from the pack and leaned against the patio railing, staring like a shell shocked soldier at the snow covered trees past the hedges. Tansy was correct about one thing: their family enjoyed disagreeing with one another and arguing in circles. They were so eager to put in their own two cents that they didn’t give anyone a chance to expand on what could be a million dollar idea.

You’re the experts! Ezra had caught the look Tansy had thrown his way. It was the same look she gave when she sided with James when Ezra argued business with him. He knew she didn’t have any idea of what she was agreeing to, he just knew that she enjoyed undermining him. He snorted out a silent laugh as Georgie told Tansy to shut up, thankful that his back was turned to the family so they couldn’t witness his amusement. He wiped his expression blank and spun back around to enjoy the theatrics.

"And you are a whore after James's own heart. At least you know what condoms are for," said Georgie.

“Well this family already has one mistake,” said Tansy after recovering from the initial shock with a smile so full of shit it was clear she meant Georgie. Was the “academic” so sheltered by her puritanical school life that she thought slutshaming would set Tansy to tears, as if she hadn’t spent her whole adult life dealing with hushed whispers about her proclivities? Did she really think calling her a pretty decoration would cut her down? Why would someone as accomplished as Tansy even care what an emotionless, useless little bitch thought about her anyway? Yet as she spoke her eyes watered, her face flushed, and her hands began to shake. Even her fake smile faltered as she spat out the rest of her thought, “I wouldn’t want to make another.”

Ezra watched with a look of disinterest as Tansy turned and briskly made her way towards the tea set, her hands trembling and spilling a bit of the kettle as she topped off her mug. Some were clearly done. Some of the others were still attempting to do a brainstorm—Ezra grimaced when Blu’s attempt to offer assistance was quickly shut down. A part of him worried about what the ward would say of his dysfunctional family to the townies once this was all over. A part of him felt sorry for Blu having to deal with everyone’s ego. Ezra rolled his neck and rubbed his shoulder. He felt a migraine coming on, enhanced by Oscar’s joke about a family picnic. Had he even eaten today? He needed a cigarette.

“Perfect weather for it. After that we can invite the Wiccans out for ice cream,” said Ezra with a sniff. It was a rare joke accompanied by an even rarer smile from their oldest brother. He looked tired. “It sounds like we might’ve actually formed a plan. So in summary, we attempt to contact the turncoat and bring her to a secluded location. Potentially we can get some info from her, but considering how on edge the Wiccans might be it’s more likely they’ll follow her. So we spring an ambush, capture one of them, send the rest fleeing, find out where this Triple Goddess is, and hit her before the Wiccans can regroup.”

It wasn’t a perfect plan. Ezra wouldn’t even call it a good plan. Still, it was a better plan than spending another moment freezing his ass off outside while watching his siblings continue to trade barbs and propose more asinine ideas.

“So where’s the meeting taking place? It’s gotta be somewhere private in case the Wiccans come in full force.”

“Daddy’s clinic,” said Tansy into her tea. She rubbed her cheek, straightened her spine, and turned around to face the others as she elaborated, directing her attention to Ezra and Justin. “I own a lot near the woods in East Araminta. It’s for a rehab clinic but it’s little more than a construction site now. The area around it is all abandoned buildings and empty lots.”

“I’m surprised you’d offer up your pet project. You’ve seen what happened to the house.”

“It’s insured,” said Tansy.

Ezra didn’t like how pleased she sounded. He turned to Justin, “Does that work?”