[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6D400qM.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/O6LA4nR.png[/img][/center][right][b]Interactions:[/b] Luna ([@Estylwen]), & Kenshiro ([@AtomicEmperor]) [/right][right][b][code]The House on the Hill.[/code][/b][/right][hr][hr]

[quote=Luna][color=bcbcbc][b]“Does the name Blake Schmidt ring any bells? It probably won’t, for most of you. The bastard runs a group called the Elite.”[/b][/color][/quote]

Surprisingly, it rang a bell to Adora because she worked for one of his subsidiaries, and Kari was his secretary. She had no idea who the Elites were; going off the name, Adora knew this was not going well. Sabrina seemed worried for a moment before her face turned neutral and silent. However, she kept listening to see what else Luna had to say and how all of this tied together.

[quote=Luna][color=bcbcbc][b]“Kari was working for them. Had her sniffing out artifacts. After Kari died, disappeared, whatever, [i]he[/i] employed 8th Street to ransack her home specifically for those notes. Those notes… well. They’re in [i]his[/i] possession now. I have a plan on how to [i]aqquire[/i] them. Blake’s looking for someone to decode them. I can have my [i]associates[/i] reach out, offer to decode them, and [i]bam[/i], the notes will be ours to decipher.”[/b][/color][/quote]

Adora crossed her arms as Luna spoke... she wasn't sure about all of this, but she wasn't sure if it was her [i]personal bias[/i] against Luna or if there was something else. However, there was one thing that stuck out to Adora.

[quote=Luna][color=bcbcbc][b]“... my [i]associates[/i]...”[/b][/color][/quote]

[color=fd8a6c]”... Lotta emphasis on [i]associates[/i] there, Luna,”[/color] Adora cracked a wry grin at her. However, Jack's creepy ass appeared out of the blue - as usual.

[quote][color=6644ff]”... I knew Kari well enough that I would not trust her notes with a group of criminals like your “associates.” And if this Blake Schmidt is clever enough to employ 8th Street to do his work for him, then he may be resourceful enough to know that we are searching for them right now.” So how, exactly, do you intend to withhold the fact that you are connected to us when you offer your services to him? Several of us have not made a very concerted effort to be subtle about their actions, since the day we reunited. It would not be difficult for anyone to identify which of us are former coven members, or still maintain ties to us. If you offer to translate those notes, what will you do if he suspects you will hand them to us? Kari’s grasp of the paranormal was one that many people coveted, people [i]die[/i] in conflicts over it. The chances of that plan succeeding are low at best.”[/color][/quote]

He went on a [i]long[/i] triad that had Adora wondering if his abstraction involved a supernatural ability to hold his breath. Adora massaged her temples as he spoke - however, longwinded as it was, Jack hit the nail on the head. Will Blake part with the notes willingly? Can [i]they[/i] trust her mafia? From what Adora heard from Brit and the others, this mafia had a creepy interest in the old Coven and wanted to recruit [i]literal children[/i]. Now that was the [i]craziest[/i] thing that Adora had ever heard (Well, other than the fact that a magic snake metaphorically fucked the city with its hemipenis and got stopped by a spicy sword), but from the sounds of it, they groomed the fuck out of Luna here and wanted to do the same to the rest of them.

A room full of broken and lost people would be[i] excellent[/i] mafiosos.

Adora sighed; if Luna’s "associates" were anything like the stories she had heard, then trusting them with Kari’s notes was a gamble (at [i]best[/i]).

[color=fd8a6c]”Now, Luna, Tsukino - [i]whatever[/i] - I'm going to give you a [i]rare[/i] opportunity here,”[/color] Adora said with a toothy smile and clapped her hands together. She kept constant eye contact with Luna as she said, [color=fd8a6c]”We're going to forget [b][i]ALL[/i][/b] about what happened yesterday, and we're going to start fresh, okay? Okay.”[/color]

That was just a preface; Adora had a bit more to say but wanted to ensure that Luna knew this came from the most pragmatic corner of her mind! She continued, [color=fd8a6c]”First of all, this sounds too good to be true. You're telling me that [i]all[/i] we need to do is let your associates do all the work, and Blake will just hand it over? That's it? [i]Easy peasy?[/i] We [i]all[/i] know it ain't gonna be that simple...”[/color] She shook her head.

Adora finally got off the wall, took a few steps off the wall, and walked towards Luna... slowly. She didn't want to make it seem like she was about to attack her and end up bleeding out on the floor. Adora came to a stop some distance away from Luna and continued, [color=fd8a6c]”Secondly, even if they get the notes, [i]what's stopping your people from just keeping them?[/i] Far as I can tell, your mafia has no reason [i]at [b]all[/b][/i] to give them to us, and don't give a damn about us no how.”[/color]

She paused for a moment before she added.

[color=fd8a6c]”[i]... They're a mafia.[/i]”[/color]

Adora paused to let her words hang in the air. [color=fd8a6c]”[i]Thirdly[/i] - [i][sub]This is getting long, I know[/sub][/i] - and this is [b][i]important[/i][/b], is there any way we can confirm any of t-”[/color]

[quote=Luna][color=bcbcbc][b]“Ah. Why don't we just be honest here, Jackie, and say what's really on your mind? You just don't like me, do you? Well. Might as well address the elephant in the room. You can't do better than what I've proposed, and you hate it. What, you think my friends care about Sycamore? News flash, not anymore. But let's not cloud your judgement. I mean, the judgment of a [i]traitor[/i]. What, you thought [i]I'd[/i] forget your little stint with Layla?”[/b][/color][/quote]

Then Luna shot back at Jack.

Adora couldn't help but [i]facepalm[/i]. They didn't have time for this! Adora knew all about what she was going to say.

[quote=Luna][color=bcbcbc][b]“Layla, why don't you tell them where you got those bandages from, hm?”[/b][/color]

[color=7ABBFF][b]“I… I don't want to talk about it.”[/b][/color]

[color=bcbcbc][b]“Oh come on, don't be shy. Really, you might as well scrawl ‘Jackie’ on each cut and bruise.”[/b][/color][/quote]

[color=fd8a6c]”Luna.”[/color]

[quote=Luna][color=bcbcbc][b]“You know she deals with [i]worse[/i] than the Void Heart now, yes? I've dealt with them directly, so you can't call me out on my bullshit. Little Voidy was a soul-sucker. But the new breed [i]you[/i] unleashed? Humans. Raw, half-alive, screaming. That's what they eat. With pleasure. That's what [i]you[/i] did to her. What you released onto the world.”[/b][/color]

[color=7ABBFF][b]“Luna!”[/b][/color]

[color=bcbcbc][b]“Layla, why you look like you ought to be in a hospital bed than here, huh? Tell me, tell us, don't be shy.”[/b][/color][/quote]

[color=fd8a6c]”[b][i]Luna.[/i][/b]”[/color] 

A blood vessel was about to [i]explode[/i] in Adora's head. This was so stupid and such a waste of time.

[quote=Luna][color=bcbcbc][b]“And you dare to question the god-send of a solution I've proposed for you. My ‘friends’ get what they want. And if they don't? We take Blake by storm, you and your alliances, and we beat him until he tells us the exact location of those notes.”[/b][/color][/quote]
[b][h1][i][color=fd8a6c]”... LUNA!”[/color][/i][/h1][/b]
Adora shouted at the top of her lungs, both hands balls into a fist, and shook them by her hips

She was getting pissed, really regretting letting bygones be bygones when they had important work to talk about, and she knew precisely what Tsukino was doing. Adora then said,

[color=fd8a6c]”[i]We[/i] need to focus on the matter at hand, and while I do care about what happened to Layla and [i][b]I[/b][/i] will be helping her, this ain't the time or place,”[/color] Adora exhaled, and crossed her arms. [color=fd8a6c]"I'm gonna be real with you here: [i]this plan sounds shady as all hell[/i].”[/color] Adora huffed before she continued, poking her fingertips into her chest. 

[color=fd8a6c]"It's just, it's just... I don't trust it, I don't trust your people, and I don't trust [b][i]you[/i][/b],”[/color] Adora sighed before she leaned up against the bar. [color=fd8a6c]”We need something  within [i][b]our[/b][/i] control, not one that pretty much leaves us at the mercy of people who [i][b]will[/b][/i] turn on us the second it's convenient for them.”[/color]

Adora crossed her arms; she was getting long-winded here! [color=fd8a6c]”Now, don't get the idea that I'm riding you; I [i]meant[/i] what I said earlier. I just don't think it's the best idea, and we cannot afford to take chances right now with the murders [i]and[/i] all the people that want to wring our necks. We need to take a step back and make a plan that's in [i]our[/i] control.”[/color]

She sighed.

[color=fd8a6c]”... We owe that much to Kari.”[/color]

[quote=Kenshiro][color=7B81B3]"There's absolutely no way we should be conceding ground at this point. Give no quarter: If they've got Kari's things, that means they're open enemies. If they're open enemies, I think we should lop their metaphorical heads off now, and reclaim what we want before they have any more time to mount a counter. Its bad enough that 8th Street has a chance of giving away that we know her notes are gone, we don't need them also knowing that we found out who has them."[/color][/quote]

Kenshiro, of course, comes in with the dramatics... openly sounding like an anime character. Though he has a point with not wasting time, Adora did [i]not[/i] want a fight if they could avoid it.

[color=fd8a6c]”Whooooooooa, there big guy,”[/color] Adora chuckled. [color=fd8a6c]”We got the Feds on our ass, remember? We don't need to give them more ammo - and this reminds me of what I was gonna say before I was interrupted...”[/color] 

She slapped a hand on her hip [i]loudly[/i], sassily turned to Luna, and raised an eyebrow.

[color=fd8a6c]”... Do we have any concrete information? Anything to confirm what you're saying other than 'trust me, bro'...?”[/color] She slightly tilted her head.