[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/XiUHyUc.png[/img]     [img]https://i.imgur.com/K7gWNb1.png[/img] [/center]
[right]Interactions: Amara [@Blizz], Sloane & Sully [@Atrophy], Ruby [@Shin Ghost Note]
[code]The House Filled With Fools[/code][/right][hr]
Everything was going to shit again.

Anya didn’t have a strong reaction to everything that was happening. Quite frankly, she didn’t care. Seal her, have her join, either way brought its own headaches. The former was less active. There was already so much she had to keep under control. The group's opinion was moving more towards sealing, so she didn’t have to hide her desire for that. 

[color=9966CC]”We already have too many liabilities in the coven,”[/color] Anya said quietly, to Sloane, pushed in between her constant chorus of ‘shut up’ that in turn made it more difficult for Anya to [i]think[/i]. But she clamped down any annoyance she may feel towards her friend. [color=9966CC]”Let’s-”[/color] 

[quote=Sloane]“RUBY IS FUCKING HIGH AND THOSE TWO ARE CULTISTS!!!”[/quote]

[quote=Amara]”SHUT THE FUCK UP, ALL OF YOU!!!”[/quote]

Anya’s delicate hand came up to press against her brow, a look of sheer exhaustion crossing her face for just a moment. Once again, she would have to do the damage control. 

[color=9966CC]”Amara, why don’t you take a moment? Maybe step outside? I can come with you, if you need?”[/color] As Anya spoke she stepped forward, hand coming up to press against Sully’s arm and attempting to push him politely out of the way of Sloane’s shot. 

[color=9966CC]”Ruby, I’m so sorry about this,”[/color] Anya turned towards Ruby, smiling at her. The sorry was genuine, though the motivation behind it was more selfish than it was selfless. An attempt to save the alliance before it had even fully begun. [color=9966CC]”Nobody means any harm, or to cause you and your coven any offence. Tempers are high with the killer around… I hope you can understand that?”[/color]
[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/FaCzAxe.png[/img]     [img]https://i.imgur.com/1Hvat1r.png[/img][/center]
[right][b]Interactions:[/b] Edict & Leon [@AtomicEmperor], Aryin [@NoriWasHere], Everyone
[code]Closer To Home[/code][/right][hr]
[color=5487FF][i]What’re you getting so worked up about, Qian-er?[/i][/color]

As the smooth, perfectly enunciated Chinese spoke in her ear, Linqian started to relax. It was as if Jinhai was right there with her, again. Soothing, judgmental, everything she’d missed.

It wasn’t real, but she was all too happy to let herself get lost in the illusion of it. Just like before, with the full hallucination. It dragged her out of the shit state she’d been in, shoved down all of the grief she was feeling rather than forcing her to deal with it. She could function again.

[color=5487FF][i]One little ghost and you lose it? You know I’m too perfect to come back as something like that.[/i][/color]

[color=a22929][i]You’re fucking insufferable, not perfect,[/i][/color] Linqian found herself thinking back, reaching up to wipe away the tears that threatened to fall. 

[color=5487FF][i]I’m not the one blowing up over the smallest things, am I? But don’t worry, I’m here now to stop you doing anything else stupid.[/i][/color]

[color=a22929][i]Why can you just be nice for once? A bit of comfort?[/i][/color] Linqian laughed internally, limbs loosening and fists finally unclenching. Of course he wasn’t. This was just like the real Jinhai. Exactly how he was, always. 

But when it really mattered he was always there for her.

[color=5487FF][i]I don’t need to tell you what you already know.[/i][/color]

[color=a22929][i]It’d be nice sometimes.[/i][/color]

[color=5487FF][i]So demanding. I’m here for you, Meimei. You know you and Yi-er are more important than anything else to me.[/i][/color]

[color=a22929][i]Fuck, I missed you.[/i][/color] It wasn’t quite what Jinhai would say, because they’d never needed words for something like that. There was an implicit understanding. But he wasn’t here anymore to have that understanding… and it was what she wanted to hear.

As Edict moved away, Linqian was able to pull herself out of her own mind to pay attention to her surroundings a bit more again.

She knew that letting Edict in her head, again, was probably the wrong decision. Magically dampening it all didn't fix her problems. Hearing Jinhai's voice in her mind didn't bring him back. But for now, it was soothing. It dampened all her worries enough, magically calming her so she no longer felt like she was just going to [i]break[/i].

[color=5487FF][i]You let [/i]Greyson[i] in your head? Are you stupid? That piece of shit? Seriously, Linqian?[/i][/color] 

Linqian put a hand over her mouth to hide her smile and dampen her half laugh, eyes rolling up towards the ceiling. He sure was fucking realistic. 

[color=a22929][i]Oh shut up,[/i][/color] she thought back. 

She looked over to the piece of shit in question, eyes moving down to the gun he’d pulled out. Her body tensed, but not in the same way it had before - ready for action, to use magic, but not about to explode or break down. Then, she looked at what he was watching.

What the fuck.

Leon had turned about as white as you could get. Linqian had never seen something like this before… not that she had much experience with Adjoined. 

He'd gotten taller too, fuck, like he is wasn't already tall enough. She wondered... Her calm gaze moved down to his crotch.

It wasn’t a thought she could keep to herself. And she had to get out from behind the bar to be able to hit anything, anyway. On her way round, Linqian patted Edict on the shoulder, leaning in. It wasn’t quite a thank you, but the light brush of her hand down his bicep as she pulled back was the closest he’d get. [color=CD5C5C]”I got your back. Or front, I guess.”[/color]

Her accent was heavier, most noticeable in where she stressed her words and the pitch of her speech. With Jinhai's voice whispering Chinese in her ear it was more difficult to speak that correctly pronounced, American English she'd perfected over the near 16 years she'd lived here. It was more similar to ten years ago, when she was still not fully adjusted to speaking it - not when it was essentially her third language, at the time. 

[color=5487FF][i]Leave him. Protect yourself first. Like he’d do anything for you. He's a dishonest creep.[/i][/color]

Linqian snorted, walking back over to Aryin, taking her place back beside her closest friend. She slung one arm up over her shoulder, looking relaxed, but Aryin would be able to feel the subtle tension - a readiness to fight if needed.

[color=CD5C5C]”Shit, you think his dick’s gotten bigger too?”[/color] Linqian commented not so quietly as she leaned in towards Aryin. She pointed towards Leon. [color=CD5C5C]”Maybe if we look close enough- Fuck! What the fuck are you covering everything up for, you piece of shit! Get the fuck back out here, Leon!”[/color]

[color=5487FF][i]Seriously, Qian-er, you’re so desperate.[/i][/color]

[color=a22929][i]”Shut up,”[/i][/color] Linqian muttered under her breath.

[quote=Leon]"If anyone dares lay a finger upon this Soul, or the Body meant for her; I will be their retribution."[/quote]

[color=CD5C5C]”I know I was all down for it last night, but that kinda cult shit is a real turn off,”[/color] Linqian muttered to Aryin. [color=CD5C5C]”Keep that controlling shit away from me. Fucking hell.”[/color]

She leaned back away, observing for a moment. She didn’t particularly care anymore. She was pulled out of it enough to get some entertainment out of the other’s reactions - namely Sloane losing it. What a hypocrite. 

[color=CD5C5C]”I’m glad you’d stick with me, if I fucked off,”[/color] Linqian said, still talking quietly to Aryin. She twisted her body towards her friend, playfully punching her arm. [color=CD5C5C]”Guess we’re not fucking getting rid of each other anytime soon, huh? Wouldn’t have it any other fucking way.”[/color]

[color=5487FF][i]Back on topic.[/i][/color] 

[color=a22929][i]Oh, right.[/i][/color] 

[color=CD5C5C]”Whether we seal her or not, we don’t all have to watch this. More of us weighing in will just make shit messy… Let the people who know what they’re doing handle it. Some of us have good enough reflexes to jump in and start punching if needed, anyway,”[/color] Linqian spoke up to the coven members around her, jerking her head towards Britney and Sloane. Her gaze found Lynn, narrowing. There was a coldness in them but instead of saying anything she moved on. As if Lynn was nothing.

She was.

Linqian easily ignored Lynn just as she did the ongoing situation obscured by the fog.

[color=CD5C5C]”Let’s talk about the shit we actually need to. Like…”[/color] 

[color=5487FF][i]Solid next steps. What was discussed before isn’t enough. How are you next meeting, Anya’s dream merging or the pocket universe?[/i][/color] 

[color=CD5C5C]”What the fuck we’re doing next. We don’t all want to meet up in person again, right? Too dangerous. So Anya’s dream shit, or Ken and Jack’s weird fucking dimension?”[/color] She pointed at the people in question, even managing to resist the urge to flip off Anya as she did. [color=CD5C5C]”Anya works on getting to that rich fuck, Luca and Adora convince some assholes to leave the bigger assholes at 8th and the rest of us… what? Sit around doing fuck all? There must be something we can fucking do.”[/color] 

As she spoke, she kept her eyes on Leon, Layla and Alizee - at least what she could see of them. Ready to make a move if she had to. It was all surprisingly sensible coming from Linqian. Really, it was from Jinhai. He whispered, she spoke. It wasn’t really her.

Except it was nothing she didn’t already know or hadn’t thought of. Jinhai was based on real memories of him, sure, but it had to be information she already had. It wasn’t like she could suddenly gain his intelligence thanks to an auditory hallucination. She was the one putting it together, really, she just never had the confidence to do it before. Always backed out, put herself down.

If anyone was putting her in the box labelled stupid, it was herself.

[color=5487FF][i]Take some initiative, Qian-er. Investigate yourself.[/i][/color] 

[color=a22929][i]With what information, asshole?[/i][/color] 

[color=CD5C5C]”Do we have any other leads at all? Or are we just going to leave this meeting with fuck all again?”[/color]