[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/NvqYYuh.png[/img]
[img] https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240301/afc2e4e091f5e77155a2bde75504f79e.png[/img][/center][right][b]Interactions: Everyone[/b] [/right][right][b][code]The House on the Hill[/code][/b][/right][hr]

For all his gloom, Jack liked to consider himself an optimist. There was usually some silver lining to the way things went, and in this case, it was that the alliance had real potential thus far. Greenwood wasn’t asking for much in return: Vengeance when they had already been [i]craving[/i] for it themselves. There was something to resonate over, and then Layla had to throw a wrench in it. Jack’s fave twisted up in [i]bitter[/i] contempt for a brief moment, before falling back to dead neutral.

[quote][color=7ABBFF][b]“I may not have been there, but I've got the memories of an apparition who’s life was [i]destroyed[/i] after what you did. I know how Naomi egged her on, how Alizée was getting ready to leave, before Naomi fired her up and served her up to Wolfpack on a silver platter!”[/b][/color][/quote]

What exactly did she know, when the Void Heart had its possessive hooks in her just as much as Alizeé?

[quote][color=7ABBFF][b]“Naomi said it herself. Alizée was getting ready to leave. She [i]knew[/i] Alizée was easy to anger, she [i]knew[/i] Wolfpack was on the way. She [i]knew[/i] everyone needed to leave, else suffer. And what did she do?!”[/b][/color]

[color=7ABBFF][b]“It's her fault Alizée is dead. Naomi goes, or I refuse to acknowledge this alliance.”[/b][/color]
[/quote]

[color=6644ff]”The [i]Wolfpack[/i] is responsible for her death,”[/color] Jack corrected, with a firm tone. [color=6644ff]”The [i]Wolfpack[/i] opened fire on her, executed her as they had fully intended to execute [i]everyone[/i] present during that incident. Alizeé left Auri’s shop before that incident happened, immediately after we discussed a now-deceased member’s connection to the government. She left because she felt cornered, and Alizeé’s mind went to dangerous places when she did not feel safe. ”[/color]

[color=00ff98]”I remember that conversation.”[/color] Stormy cut in. [color=00ff98]”What you’re hearing there is Naomi Rodgers talking to [i]me.[/i] I had to step in to keep her from attacking. That was right before the Wolfpack arrived. Britney can tell you she wasn’t up to anything [i]great.”[/i][/color]

[color=6644ff][i]”Thank you.[/i] Naomi is entirely innocent regarding the death of Alizeé, as I am certain the House of Card’s spy knows, since she was [i]clearly[/i] present. Greenwood, pay no mind to her,”[/color] Jack said, addressing the others and disregarding Layla. [color=6644ff]”Layla is not Sycamore. She is associated with the Temple.”[/color] It was taking considerable restraint and patience for Jack to not delve into a tangent on why she wasn’t actually one of them. So instead, he just left it largely at that.

[color=6644ff]”Now… To answer your question. Some of you already know me from our first meeting during the festival. Jack Hawthorne, red-purple Adept, I specialize in shadow-based spells and dimensional navigation. I can be virtually anywhere on this planet within a matter of seconds. I have been to the Void and back, and I personally followed the Stygian Snake through several worlds during the conflict against it.”[/color] That sounded like bragging, but Ruby was asking about who they were and what they could do, so it was the answer she got. Jack thought it would be best if they just completely avoided entertaining Layla’s bullshit anymore than that. It was opened, it was shut, it was in the past.

The adults were talking, not her.