[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6D400qM.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/O6LA4nR.png[/img][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/b3RmLjEwNi43NjY3NjcuVTJ4dllXNWxJRVpoY21sei4w/bachelorette.regular.webp[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/r7scdkh.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/Uc5Nzr8.png[/img][h1]Lynette Domínguez[/h1][/center][right][b]Interactions:[/b] None[/right][right][b][code]The House on The Hill.[/code][/b][/right][hr][hr]

The door was pushed open after Sloane, the three Adoras stepped outside. [color=fd8a6c]”Sloane, no.”[/color] One of the Adoras placed a hand on her shoulder while the other two stood side by side. 
[color=fd8a6c]”I know it's all fucked up, but it's just not our place anymore.”[/color]

Adora sighed, [color=fd8a6c]”Just let that ditzy-bitch go. It's on her.”[/color]

Of the small list of people who would come after her, Adora had not been on it. Whatever emotion the surprise should’ve elicited was smothered by annoyance when Adora suggested that she just let it go. Sloane shrugged off Adora’s hand and turned towards her.

[color=silver]“I must’ve missed it at the other meeting. Is [i]’It’s not our place’[/i] the new motto for this iteration of the Coven? Oh, it doesn’t directly affect me, so why bother then? Is that it?”[/color] said Sloane in a mocking tone.

It was that kind of attitude that had allowed for problems like Alizée to slip through the cracks only to emerge at the most inopportune times. If they had sealed Void ten years ago when all had come to light about Alizée’s extracurriculars how different would their current situation be today? At the very least the meeting with Greenwood would’ve gone better, and it was quite obvious that the lives of those stalked by Alizée would’ve been vastly improved with their traumatic experience erased and hospital bills nullified. Sloane rolled her eyes. Fantasizing about what-ifs should be Lynn’s burden.

[color=silver]“Say something bad happens to Layla, like she becomes abscised by Alizée or is indoctrinated into Leon’s cult. Or Layla does something stupid, like releasing the Void Heart, and they begin tormenting normal people again. When we have a chance to do something and change Layla’s mind but instead choose to do nothing, is it really on her?”[/color] Sloane pointed at one of the Adoras. [color=silver]“Or are you just passing the blame?”[/color]

[color=fd8a6c]”And what do you expect to do about it, then?”[/color] The Adoras said, crossing  their arms as they continued, [color=fd8a6c]”Give her a rousing speech? Sis, do you honestly think she’s going to listen? Like, on God?”[/color]

As she spoke, she put her hands on her hips, [color=fd8a6c]”I’m not saying that I don't care, I’m saying you can’t help people who don't want help.”[/color]

[color=silver]“Yes you can. It just requires a little more…”[/color] Sloane laced her hands in front of her and shook them, as if she were either shaking some sense into or strangling the life out of a ghost. [color=silver]“...tact.”[/color] Sloane’s hands dropped. Adora had a point. What reason would Layla have to listen to her? [color=silver]“It doesn’t matter if Layla won’t listen. Something is off about this whole situation. It shouldn’t just be brushed off. It shouldn’t be ignored.”[/color] 

Her fist tightened at her side as she looked away from Adora and muttered through gritted teeth, [color=silver]“It’s not fair that Alizée gets another chance while the others stay dead.”[/color]

[color=fd8a6c]”I’m not saying we should brush anything off,”[/color] The Adoras said, shaking their heads. [color=fd8a6c]”It's not fair she’s back, and Brit should have sealed her spooky ass and we shoulda called it a day.”[/color]

Adora sighed, [color=fd8a6c]”Auri shouldn’t have invited her back in the first place. Would have saved us a lot of trouble.”[/color]

[color=silver]“Yeah, well, Auri is only good for making stupid decisions, and there’s nothing surprising about Britney doing the wrong thing,”[/color] said Sloane. 
  
[color=fd8a6c]”But again, we can’t do anything about that, really,”[/color] Adora sighed, [color=fd8a6c]”Maybe when-”[/color] Adora paused for a moment, [color=fd8a6c]”... We talk to Layla when she gets back.”[/color]

[color=silver]“If she gets back,”[/color] said Sloane coldly, eying the three Adoras. [color=silver]“You know, the point of the Triplicate Ring is that you can be in three places at once so while one of you was stuck in this pointless meeting the other two could actually be accomplishing something like finding the other two Trinity Rings. If you aren’t going to use it properly you should just give it back.”[/color]

One of the Adoras crossed their arms, the other two turned their nose up at Sloane.

[color=fd8a6c]”Then tell me wh-”[/color] Adora cut herself off, before skipping off past Sloane. [color=fd8a6c]”You know what, you’re right.”[/color]

The other two Adoras disappeared, and the remaining Adora looked over her shoulders back at Sloane. [color=fd8a6c]”... I’ll get to work.”[/color]

[color=silver]“And now you unsumm—yep, screw it, whatever, you do that,”[/color] said Sloane, pinching the bridge of her nose and glancing back towards the abandoned bar. [color=silver]“Still got a Counterfeit to fini—”[/color]

Sloane was cut off by the blaring of a fire alarm. The door shot open, and various faces left the House on the Hill… and one walked over to Sloane and placed a hand on her shoulder. It was Lynette Domínguez, and she had a warming smile as a rock with all of the snacks and drinks she brought floated behind.

“... Sloane-y, I know you don’t like me, but can we talk briefly?” Lynette asked. “It’s important. Super important.”

Sloane turned to give Lynette an annoyed look. If Lynette was so concerned about Sloane's opinion of her then it'd be smart of her to stop saying [i]Sloane-y[/i]. No matter how important something was, it was strange for Lynette to approach Sloane instead of one of her actual friends. Sloane hadn’t realized that the pecking order of the Coven followed the same rules as an extended family Thanksgiving dinner, where twenty-somethings had to wait for grandpa to croak to get a chance to have a seat at the adult’s table. Not that Sloane’s family ever had large celebrations. 

[color=silver]“Well?”[/color] 

Lynette took in a deep breath before she said, “Yes. I know this is going to sound shady. And yes, I know it’s going to sound [i]shitty[/i]. But, I spoke with Emily’s sisters and they have a problem with one of the factions - Yes, I know they just attacked you, but hear me out; this is bigger than Emily. One of the factions [i]that currently operate in the city and I won’t be naming them for [b]your[/b] safety[/i] kidnapped their little cousin - an eleven-year-old girl named Constance Reed - and they won’t release her unless they find the Apparition Killer for them.”

Lynette shook her head, “Now, I know the sword is missing, but either way, I don’t think giving up the Apparition Killer is a good idea for any reason, so I was wondering if you could let me have the [i]Aspiration[/i] Killer. It was a good enough replica to trick Stiggy; it should work on them. I’m not going to ask you to give me the Aspiration Killer for free, but I will do [i]literally[/i] anything for you if you give me that sword. [i]Anything.[/i]”

Sloane didn’t know exactly what she had expected to be “super important” for Lynette, but her forking up the ransom for a  missing child’s case had not been it. The disappearance of Constance Reed had been something Sloane had heard about on the news for the past few months now, being dredged back up with any real additional information whenever there weren’t enough horrible things going on in the city to fill the evening news. Perhaps she had made the connection before that the Reed she knew was connected to the missing Reed, but it had subsequently been forgotten. It was a fact that was almost unimportant until it suddenly wasn’t. 

Was Lynette’s request shady? Definitely. Was it shitty? Absolutely. But the real question was did Lynette think Sloane was stupid, was Lynette stupid, or were the kidnappers stupid? Kidnapping a child related to someone who once knew a person who had a thing that they wanted was like robbing a bank so you could use the money to go buy liquor. Just rob the store instead, or, to abandon the metaphor, kidnap Ashley’s daughter. Sloane frowned, her mind already contemplating counterarguments. Did Sloane think that Emily would kidnap her own cousin in some harebrained scheme to get the Apparition Killer? Extremely unlikely. Again, Ashley’s daughter, basically begging to be snatched from the playground. 

But would Emily take advantage of a family tragedy to swindle others? If not, then the only reason she had yet to cross the line was merely because she didn’t realize it was there to step over. 

[color=silver]“What could you realistically offer that I would want?”[/color] said Sloane. The question was rhetorical. She cut Lynette off before she could reply. [color=silver]“It doesn’t matter. I don’t have it.”[/color]

Lynette smiled, tilting her head, 

“... Well, what happened to it?” She asked.

[Color=silver]“Perhaps you should've come to the previous meetings, [/color] said Sloane. [color=silver]“It was stolen alongside my other artifacts.”[/color]

“Well…” Lynette trailed off, “[i]... Shit.[/i] There goes my only plan.”

She touched her forehead, “Do you know who took them? Or have [i]any[/i] clues? I’m a very good detective.” She grinned ear to ear…

[color=silver]“If I knew that then they would no longer be stolen. The only clue I have was that there were no clues. No fingerprints, no signs of forced entry, nothing recorded on any cameras, no evidence of any of my Hexmarks being triggered, nothing,”[/color] said Sloane, casting a glance towards the departing Coven members as she lowered her voice. [color=silver]“This is only an educated guess, but I’d imagine that the thief is either someone who knew my spells well enough to avoid them. So, either a former coven member or someone connected to one.”[/color]

“Hmmm…” Lynette thought to herself before saying, “When did this happen? Recently? Or… a long ass time ago?” She laughed, perhaps not at Sloane.

Maybe the absurdity of it all.

[color=silver]“A few months ago,”[/color] said Sloane, her face tightening. [color=silver]“Right around the same time Father Wolf started to prune leaves from the Sycamore Tree. A seemingly untraceable killer whose crime scenes provide us with just as many clues as our master thief. What do you deduce from that, [i]Poirot[/i]?”[/color]

“A few months ago? Same time as Father Wolf, huh?” Lynette tilted her head, tapping her chin a few times as she hummed. “... Okay, I see what you’re saying. That’s [i]way[/i] too much of a coincidence to ignore. No forced entry, no traps triggered, and no clues left behind? Whoever took your artifacts either knows you way too well or…” Lynette took in a deep breath.

Sloane shot Lynette a look, as if to dare her to finish what was starting to sound like an accusation. It wouldn’t be the first time Sloane had been accused of stealing her own property, and the lack of any real resolution for the theft of her first Counterfeit was still a sore spot all these years later.

“Okay, there’s gotta be something linking all of this together, right? If Father Wolf and the thief were somehow working together, or maybe it’s the same person…” Lynette stopped, “... And you probably already thought about that; I’m just thinking out loud here!” She laughed to herself before saying, 

“Look, Sloane, I can tell you don’t trust me - and honestly, I’d be surprised if you did - but I’m trying to help you here. This isn’t just about Constance, the Apparition Killer going missing, or even the murders. Something bigger is happening here, and it’s gotta be connected.”

[color=silver]“It doesn’t have to be,”[/color] said Sloane bluntly. [color=silver]“Forcing a connection can sometimes be just as dangerous as ignoring one. Perhaps all of this is a grand conspiracy being strung together by some mastermind from the shadows. Or maybe it’s all just a series of unrelated messes that, once dumped on top of the other, happen to make a silhouette of a puppeteer.”[/color]

Sloane paused, and for a moment it sounded as if she was merely dismissing Lynette, before she rolled her eyes and said, [color=silver]“Still, we shouldn’t just ignore it. So, we have a kidnapper, a thief, and a murderer. The kidnapper wants the Apparition Killer. The thief, possibly, wants the Apparition Killer too, mistaking the Aspiration Killer for it. So what does the murderer want?”[/color]

[color=silver]“I mean, besides the obvious.”[/color] Sloane dragged her finger across her throat. [color=silver]“If we’re going to try to expand this world where everything is connected, then our deaths have to be accomplishing something.”[/color] 

Or preventing something. Sloane closed her eyes, one of Lynn’s predictions echoing around in the back of her head, utterings of an umbral corruption planted in their subconsciousness by the Stygian Snake. Lynn’s voice warped and pitched down, becoming Drake as he stood outside of a Dairy Queen, presenting what had then sounded like little more than an upsetting crackpot theory. Sloane visibly winced, blinking away the phantoms. 

[color=silver]“Unless there is a sniper hidden beyond some grassy knoll waiting to take the shot the moment they read your lips saying the name, then you should just tell me who kidnapped Constance,”[/color] said Sloane. [color=silver]“It might help us piece together the puzzle.”[/color]

Lynette awkwardly laughed. 

“... There very well could be,” Lynette said, as she walked over to Sloane and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Look, I’m not telling you who they are because I am hiding something - or playing some type of angle here - I’m not telling you for your own safety because they are [i]dangerous[/i]. I know how they operate, and people who tend to bark up their tree tend to go missing… [i]at best[/i].”

Lynette looked off to the side as she continued, “And, I’m going to be real here; I can’t tell you unless I can [i]really[/i] trust you not to tell anyone in the Coven - or anyone at all. Because they probably already have eyes on and [i]in[/i] the Coven. And I can’t risk you or anyone else getting killed because of me.”

[color=silver]“But you can risk me or others getting killed because you chose to withhold information that might be pertinent to our serial killer situation?”[/color] said Sloane, shaking her head. [color=silver]“C’mon, Lynette, you were in there. Even if I did say something, it’s pretty fucking obvious they already wouldn’t listen to me anyway.”[/color]

“... And that’s half their problem, isn’t it?” Lynette laughed, before she leaned in [i]very[/i] close and whispered,  “... [i]Dollhouse.[/i] Even if you don’t think they’ll listen to you, just don’t say anything. At all. I was serious when I said they probably have eyes in the Coven.”

There was no dead giveaway of the alarm bell that sounded in Sloane’s head as she nodded slightly. Lynette confirmed what Clancy had mentioned in their meeting at the abandoned church that now felt like ages ago: the Dollhouse were operating in St. Portwell.  What she knew of the organization was little more than rumors and speculations, extorters and potion pushers that sought wealth by turning magic into a commodity and offering it to the highest, almost exclusively criminal bidder. Her migraine from earlier made a grand return, kicking in the door to her skull, leaving its boots on, and stomping mud all over the carpet. 

[color=silver]“Okay,”[/color] said Sloane. This didn’t clear up the picture at all. It only dumped more shit on it. [color=silver]“Okay. Why would they want the Apparition Killer?”[/color]

“No clue,” Lynette said, “They could want to sell it, they could need it for something, or they could want it out of the picture.”

Sloane gave a little [i]hmph[/i] and folded her arms, [color=silver]“Allow me to rephrase that question: what would happen if they had the Apparition Killer?”[/color] Sloane held up her hand as Lynette started to respond. [color=silver]“Shut up, I already know the answer.”[/color] 

Nothing good. Sloane bit her lip. Why did Lynette have to bring this to her attention? She already had too much on her plate as it was and hardly the time to deal with any of it. Pinching the bridge of her nose, as if the act of putting it in words alone was hurting her, Sloane said, [color=silver]“Setup a meeting with Emily’s sisters. I’ll fix this, but only if I can deal with them directly. Carol, too. She has something I need.”[/color]

“I got you…” Lynette looked off to the side momentarily as if scanning for any other members of the Coven before she continued. “It will be a [i]little[/i] tricky because Luca [i]apparently[/i] told the Coven about Jacqueline’s abstraction. So, Emily doesn’t want them going anywhere by themselves.”

Lynette grimaced, “... I’m going have to pull something shady on them to get this to work.”

[color=silver]“Sounds like something you’re more than qualified to handle then,”[/color] sniped Sloane, turning to walk away from Lynette and giving her a dismissive farewell wave without glancing over her shoulder. [color=silver]“Until then.”[/color]

“Hold on!” Lynette smiled as she extended her phone. “... How am I supposed to plan anything if I don’t have your number?!”

[color=silver]“It’s not like I changed…”[/color] sighed Sloane as she stopped, jumping to the conclusion that Lynette never bothered to save her number instead of any other sensible explanations. She pulled a Faris Imports business card with her number on it out of her pocket, turned sharply on her heels, and marched back towards Lynette to hand it to her. She gave Lynette an annoyed smile that was little more than gritted teeth. [color=silver]“There.”[/color]

Lynette smiled at her, as she placed her hand on Sloane’s shoulder.

“... You have a great smile, you know?” Lynette laughed as she removed her hand and then flashed Sloane the peace sigh. She walked past her as she said, “We’ll keep in touch.” The rock that held her snacks floated with her to her car. Moments later, the car drove off.

A truck horn honked to the tune of [I]Shave and a Haircut[/I] and made Sloane jump as it rolled up next to her.

[Color=goldenrod]”Ayy Sloaney, you need a ride back home?”[/color] hollered Sully, holding up her things that she had left inside. 

Sloane sighed. As much as she didn't want to deal with anyone right now, she still needed to finish her Counterfeit of the Chalice. She climbed in the passenger side, seatbelt barely on before Sully peeled out of the lot.

The door opened right as Sloane was gone. Drake Blackmore stepped out, stuck his hand out, and then shook his head.

[color=3874f4]”Damn it…”[/color] Drake began, [color=3874f4]”... [i]I missed again.[/i]”[/color]


[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/onHsgyw.jpeg[/img][h1]The Greenwood Coven.[/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/6D400qM.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/O6LA4nR.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/xHVRvPV.png[/img][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/b3RmLjEwNi5kYWE1MjAuVTNWc2JIa2dUV05RYUdWeWMyOXUuMA,,/roughsketch.regular.webp[/img][img]https://images-ext-1.discordapp.net/external/i9mJHtTQ4ljVlHKFlGvOBH8R-LYGwnr8vLigPvEQbVo/https/fontmeme.com/permalink/240204/a46d173d864e54efd06ab675a496cd2c.png?format=webp&quality=lossless[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/Sk5LLO6.png[/img][/center][right][b]Interactions:[/b] None.[/right][right][b][code]The Greenwood Camp. The Woods in North St. Portwell.[/code][/b][/right][hr][hr]

[color=fd8a6c]”... Hope this ain’t no fuckin’ prank.”[/color]

Adora said with a roll of her eyes as she followed the dropped pin that Ruby sent her. She had a phone (with the flashlight on) in one hand and the bottle of Grey Goose in the other. As they walked through the dirt road path, the animals made noises in the bushes. However, as they stepped forward, they saw the warm glow of a fire, heard music in the distance, and smelled the weed… 

Adora picked up the pace until she made it to the Greenwood Camp.

[hr][center][hider=Starry Eyed Surprise][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE6EkmhGhVY[/youtube][/hider][/center][hr]

The music could be clearly heard, as the loose movements of the Greenwood’s dancing could be seen. They didn’t even notice Amara and Adora at first, until James caught them at the corner of his eyes and grinned.

“... They’re here!” James shouted and pointed, and everyone else turned in their direction. 

“Why are ya’ll standing over there!?” Jessica loudly shouted with a snort. “The party’s this way! Stop standing there like abuncha weirdos and [i]par-day![/i]”

The car was parked by the ghost that Amara had instructed to drive, and she stepped out of the passenger seat. In one hand, she had a mostly untouched bottle of vodka, and the smell of weed hit her like cold water. 

[color=789caa]”Fuck yeah, it better be that way!”[/color] She laughed, walking over. [color=789caa]”Let’s fuckin’ [i]go.[/i] Is Sully around here?”[/color]

Sully, who was on his hands and knees fiddling with the fire to keep it going strong, perked up at the sound of his own. His head popped up out of a cloud of smoke, eyes nearly as red as his cheeks from blowing on the flame. He let out a bellow as he spotted Amara and Adora, staggered up to his feet, swooned ever so slightly as he was hit by a spell of lightheadedness. There was a scary moment where it looked as if he was about to spill over into the campfire before he course-corrected himself, taking a few stumbling steps towards the duo before finding his footing, moving in for the group hug. 

[color=goldenrod]“Ayyy, what are you two doing in this part of the woods? Oh good, you brought booze. My pouring arm can rest now. I’m so glad you’re here,”[/color] said Sully, his voice slurring. He pulled Adora and Amara in tight, whispering loud enough that Jess would hear. [color=goldenrod]“I need you to distract her so I can take over the radio. All she listens to are songs by the dude from Crazy Town. I can’t hear Butterfly again. I fucking can’t. I can’t. You gotta help me. Please. Help me.”[/color]

“... I heard that!” Jess said.

Adora couldn’t help but laugh before she shrugged, [color=fd8a6c]”... This sounds like a job for Amara, right?”[/color] She grinned at Amara. [color=fd8a6c]”[i]Right?[/i]”[/color]

[color=789caa]”...Is it?”[/color]

[color=fd8a6c]”Go rizz up that ginger,”[/color] Adora said.

[color=goldenrod]“Amara, you’re the only one capable of doing this. Meanwhile,”[/color] Sully pulled out a scratched-up and dented iPod with a cracked screen and slipped it to Adora, [color=goldenrod]“You gotta hook this baby up to the radio. The playlist you want is called On-The-Go 7.”[/color]

Amara took the busted up iPod and flicked her eyes towards Jess. [i]Now this looks like a job for me.[/i]

[color=789caa]”Mission accepted.”[/color] Amara slipped away and started walking off in Jess’ direction. 

Sully gave Amara a soldier's salute, ten-hutting his heels together, before his eyes widened as they fell on the iPod in her hand. How could Adora hookup the iPod while Amara distracted Jess if Amara was waving the iPod around in front of Jess’s face? How would they escape the clutches of Shifty Shellshock now and find refuge whilst being cradled in the sweet, sweet soft rock arms of singer-songwriter Jack Johnson?  Sully gripped Adora’s shoulder like a vise. 

[color=goldenrod]“Adora. Adora. You gotta fix this. The iPod houses the chillest of vibes only. If Jess gets it in her hands then I’ll never see it again.Then we’re forever going to be stuck having to dance all night, dance all night to this DJ.”[/color]

Adora put her hands on her hip as she pivoted out of his reach, and faced Sully, [color=fd8a6c]”... And what’s wrong with that? I think this song is chill.”[/color] Adora shrugged and grinned at Sully. 

[color=fd8a6c]”I was going to say that they can’t throw it back to death metal - but I  gotta feeling you’re into white girl pop.”[/color] Then Adora laughed.

[color=goldenrod]“See, that’s the problem, Adora. Everybody thinks Starry Eyed Surprise is chill the first time they hear it. Maybe even the second or third time,”[/color] Sully started to back away to the treeline, his eyes widening as he let out a maniacal chuckle, hamming it up like a bad actor playing the part of a gas station attendant found at the start of every campy horror movie ever made, put there solely to be weird and tell the teenage cast to turn back. [color=goldenrod]“But it ain’t gonna be played only a couple of times. Oh no, Adora, it ain’t gonna be played only a couple of times. Just you remember. I tried to warn ya. I tried.”[/color]

Sully disappeared between some evergreens then, dropping the bit, called out in his normal voice, [color=goldenrod]“Also, everybody likes white girl pop, Adora. That’s why it’s called pop. It’s the pizza of music. Be right back!”[/color]

Adora shrugged before she eyed the Greenwood members dancing in a group. With very little skill in dancing herself, she subtly weaved her way into the group and joined them.

Before Amara could reach Jess, a hand gently wrapped  around her wrist and stopped her. When Amara turned her head, she saw Ruby…

“It's dangerous to go alone,” Ruby began. “Here, take this.” Ruby presented a perfectly rolled blunt to Amara.

Amara took it and vowed to use it well.

[color=789caa]”So, what does one of the Four Maidens of St Portwell get up to at an hour like this?”[/color] Amara asked, sliding up to Jess with the vodka in one hand, and a well-hidden iPod in the other.

Jessica was sitting on a log, legs crossed and hands on her thighs. She grinned, “... You’re looking  at it, sugar!” Jess boisterous said, “Partyin’ n’ drinkin’! Drinkin’ n’ partyin’! Occasionally I fit fighting evil in there!” She snorted.

Amara smirked and sat down near her on the log. [color=789caa]”Heard. Haven’t done much partying myself in a fuckin’ [i]minute[/i] though. You got a light, you absolute fuckin’ Amazon?”[/color] she asked, holding up the blunt.

Jessica laughed loudly, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she reached into her pocket, pulling out a lighter with a flick of her thumb.

“[i]Amazon?[/i]” Jess grinned, holding the flame steady. “Sis, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that, I’d be rich enough to [i]own[/i] St. Portwell.”

She held the blunt up and lit it. Amara took a long, [i]long[/i] drag off of it and felt the chemicals hit her like water to a desert. [color=789caa]”Holy. [i]Shit,”[/i][/color] she breathed. The smoke left her nose like a dragon of legend. [color=789caa]”Ohhh, you beautiful fucks. This shit is [i]different.”[/i][/color]

She offered the mostly undrank vodka to Jess. [color=789caa]”I have found my people.”[/color]

Jess took it, “And we found you as well.” She took a sip of it, before handing it back. “Lord, don’t call me a lightweight, but that shit is strong as fuck! Puts some hair on ya’ chest.”

Sully emerged from the woods, dragging a large log with him and adding it to the circle surrounding the campfire so that enough seats were available for everyone. He dragged a red cooler so that it would be within arms reach and then sat down on the log with a groan across from Amara and Jess. 

[color=goldenrod]“Maybe we can convince Auri to have the meeting start off with a smoke sesh from here on out. Help stop things from getting so tense, although we still might not get anything done,”[/color] said Sully with a smile, echoing what Amara had yelled at the others during her meltdown at the meeting. The smile faltered as Sully cocked an eyebrow, a look of genuine concern crossing his face as he thought about asking if she was doing okay before deciding against doing it in front of a whole group. Instead he popped open the cooler and pulled out a vacuum sealed pack of kosher style hotdogs. [color=goldenrod]“Want a glizzy?”[/color]

“... After they’re cooked there, ODB!” Jessica laughed.

[color=789caa]”What she said,”[/color] Amara laughed. [color=789caa]”Light that shit the fuck up, Beer God.”[/color]

[color=goldenrod]“Did Ol’ Dirty eat cold hotdogs? I thought he died of an overdose, not botuli—ooooh,”[/color] said Sully, finally getting the joke as he struggled to get the pack open. He cursed under his breath as the little plastic ‘tear here’ bit ripped just short of opening the pack, eventually resorting to using the roasting fork to slice it open. Sully jammed all eight dogs on one fork and held it to the flames. [color=goldenrod]“So what the hell have you been doing for the past ten years, Amara? I mean, besides apparently smoking bad grass.”[/color]

Amara blew a cloud up into the sky. [color=789caa]”Shooting monsters, running around the whole country, taking heads when someone thinks they’re hot shit. Pretty much what we did when we were kids. ‘Cept with more guns and a hell of a lot more crazy shit every other day.”[/color]

[color=goldenrod]“Oh cool, word, word. Same for me too,”[/color] said Sully, slowly rotating the dogs. 

[color=goldenrod]“Minus the guns, the monsters, the decapitation, and the travel. Does shooting monsters come with a paycheck and a dental plan? I’m kind of between gigs right now.”[/color]

[color=789caa]”It did, but it wasn’t worth a shit, really.We didn’t really get tax breaks for hunting monsters… Don’t fuck with the PRA, kids. It ain’t worth it.”[/color] 

The music stopped. Jessica’s eyes shot open as everyone in Greenwood stared at Amara. The silence was [i]deafening[/i].

“... You’re PRA?” Jessica asked, her voice trembling.

Adora facepalmed as she tried to plug the iPod in.

[color=789caa][i]”Was[/i] PRA,”[/color] she said, not missing a beat. [color=789caa]”Quit around a year ago. Seen enough of that shit for one life. If you guys are serious about that alliance, you’d find out eventually. Might as well find out now, right?”[/color]

She let the silence settle and took another puff of the weed. This shit was [i]good.[/i]

[color=789caa]”You know that bitch running around, Meifeng Liao? I was up there with her once, same rank and experience and other shit like that. Ain’t worth it in the long run, shit’s too cruel. I don’t fuck with them these days.”[/color]

[color=goldenrod]“Yeah, um, cool man,”[/color] said Sully with a nervous cough. [color=goldenrod]“Once you’re out, you’re out.”[/color]

Another uncomfortable silence settled over the camp as Sully tried not to think about the dozen or so movies he’d seen where a retired cop/agent/assassin/whatever tried to stay out but kept getting pulled back in. The fire popped loudly.

[color=goldenrod]“I don’t only know cops,”[/color] said Sully, turning to Jess, feeling as if he had to explain himself for some reason. First Drake, now Amara. [color=goldenrod]“Like, Adora’s not a cop, right? Adora? I think you gotta tell us if you are?”[/color]

[color=fd8a6c]”Sully, [i]please,[/i]”[/color] Adora said. [color=fd8a6c]”If I was a cop, I would have said it off rip.”[/color] She rolled her eyes.

“I don’t know Meifeng,” Ruby said as she calmly walked over. “But, we do know Porter Johnson… very, [i]very,[/i] well.”

[color=789caa]”Yeah…”[/color] Amara nodded. [color=789caa]”That got around, he got fired. Everyone knew about it. Heard someone tried to take him out. Wish they didn’t miss,”[/color] she commented. [color=789caa]”Fucker.”[/color]

“You’re looking at them, sis,” Jessica said with an awkward laugh. “[i]James[/i] is the one that missed.”

“I’m still wondering how you could miss with [i]lightning,[/i]” Ruby rolled her eyes.

James flipped her off.

“Broooooooooooo!” James shouted, throwing his hands up into the air with the axe in his right hand. “Who gives a fuck? She ain’t come here to arrest us!” James said, grinning at Amara.

“So, let’s turn the music back on and [i]party![/i]”

[color=goldenrod]“Hell yeah. Adora, hit my music! These puppies are almost ready,”[/color] said Sully, leaning closer to the fire as he inspected the hotdogs. A perplexed look crossed Sully’s face as he turned towards James. [color=goldenrod]“Wait, why’d you be arrested for trying to date this Porter Johnson dude?”[/color]
[color=789caa]”He was a nazi, Sully.”[/color]

[color=fd8a6c]”Ooooooooh, [i]yikes,[/i]”[/color] Adora grimaced, that was before she, as instructed, hit the music and braced herself for the most white girl teen-y pop out there.

[color=goldenrod]“James, you tried to date a na—”[/color] Sully was interrupted as the radio blasted: 
[CENTER][h1][b][I]CUT MY LIFE INTO PIECES!

THIS IS MY LAST RESORT![/I][/b][/H1][/center]

[color=goldenrod]“No, not that one!”[/color] 

Sully set the roasting fork against the campfire, nudging a couple of twigs around the base of it to keep it steady so the hotdogs could keep cooking. The moment he got up and walked over to the stereo the twigs were knocked to the side as the fork rolled and teetered, the hotdogs hanging in a precarious balance on the edge of the campfire, ready to fall in completely at the slightest nudge. Meanwhile, Sully lowered the volume on the radio so that nu metal wouldn’t burst anymore eardrums and switched the playlist over to something that could make everyone forget about Amara being a cop or James apparently trying to bone a nazi. Something that was strong and uniting. Something powerful that everybody loved. Jack Johnson’s shoulders were too weak to accept the responsibility. He knew of only one such artiste. Sully hit play.
[hr][center][hider=Sully’s Song][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7_6cFe5tSg[/youtube][/hider][/center][hr]

[color=goldenrod]“Yeeeeeeeah, there we go!”[/color]

Adora loudly gagged, but the rest of Greenwood was loving it! Except, Ruby, who shrugged.

“Why didn’t you play something good like Born This Way by Lady Gaga?”

[color=goldenrod]“C’mon Rubes, you know it’s on the list,”[/color] said Sully, throwing his hands up with the rest of Greenwood while nodding his head like yeah. 

“Then let’s fucking go!” Ruby shouted, raising her blunt into the air. “To another crazy ass night between friends!”

Adora couldn’t help but smile, raising her bottle of grey goose high. The group settled into an easy rhythm, with laughter and conversation filling the air. Drinks were passed around, music pulsed, and the smell of roasted hotdogs mixed with the night breeze.[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/vMPZpL4.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/6kvzEXi.png[/img][hr][hider=Doyathing (Outro) - Gorillaz][youtube]https://studio.youtube.com/video/G9nC1jUzAnA/[/youtube][/hider][/center][hr]
The following day hit [i]hard.[/i]
The sun was barely rising, casting long shadows over the clearing. The campfire had smoked to a pile of ash, and the smell of burnt hotdogs lingered in the air. A few bottles and remnants of half-eaten snacks and discarded blankets were scattered around. The stereo was still softly playing, but Sully’s triumphant playlist from the night before had been silenced to a hum. 

Adora groaned first, still buried beneath a blanket. Ruby sat nearby, squinting as if the sunrise was a personal attack, holding a half-empty bottle of something that had gone warm.

[color=fd8a6c]”Ugh… what happened last night?”[/color] Adora groaned as she pulled her head from underneath the blanket. 

“We fuckin’ [i]balled,[/i]” Ruby said as she rolled a blunt.

[color=fd8a6c]”... Feels like we did more than that,”[/color] Adora groaned, rolling her eyes.

“It was a [i]party,[/i]” Ruby said with a dismissive shrug, putting the rolled blunt between her lips. “You don’t do this a lot, do you?”

[color=fd8a6c]”No,”[/color] Adora concisely answered, then groaned.

“... Well, you were throwing back shots like you did,” Ruby laughed as she pulled a lighter to the blunt and sucked it like a straw. She leaned back until she lay down as her face turned into a limp smile. 

[color=fd8a6c]”Remember what I told you when we first met?”[/color] Adora rolled onto her side. [color=fd8a6c]”[i]’Show me how to cut loose.’[/i]”[/color]

Ruby started laughing.

“Oh, you cut [i]loose,[/i] alright.” She grinned.

[color=fd8a6c]”... I don’t like the way you said that!”[/color] Adora’s eyes shot open.

“I’m surprised you didn’t notice that yet, but you got [i]crunk,[/i]” Ruby laughed some more.

[color=fd8a6c]”If you don’t tell me…”[/color] Adora hissed.

“[i]Look down.[/i]”

Adora poked her head underneath the blanket as instructed, and her eyes shot open.

[color=fd8a6c]”... Oh, you gotta be [i][b]FUCKING-[/b][/i]”[/color]

“Yep,” Ruby shrugged before pointing at a tent with some jeans draped across them. 

“... [i]Your pants are over there.[/i]”

[color=789caa]”Who the hell’d you bag?[/color] Amara asked, already up and on her feet and walking towards the rest of them… As if she didn’t get drunk. [color=789caa]”Wasn’t me or you’d have more than your pants missing.”[/color]

[color=fd8a6c]”I don’t kno-”[/color] Adora cut herself off. 

“It was no one,” Ruby shrugged. “So you have nothing to be worried about.”

[color=fd8a6c]”Just grab my pants for me, girl!”[/color]

Amara tossed Adora her pants and rolled her shoulders, checking her phone. [color=789caa]”You guys are slow as hell. I thought you did this a lot.”[/color]

Without a word, Adora slinked underneath the blanket and put the pants on. Ruby just laughed. 

“C’mon, give her a break,” Ruby laughed. “She just lost her [i]party-virginity.[/i]”

[color=789caa]”Man. I got more drunk than all of you and I’m on my feet already,”[/color] Amara laughed, twirling her car keys around a finger. [color=789caa]”I need all that, it was great.”[/color]

Ruby shrugged, “You’re welcome to come to the next party, and the one after that. Long as you stay cool, Greenwood fucks with you.”

She pulled that blunt out of her mouth and offered it to Amara.

Naomi jolted awake, eyes open with horror as she faced Ruby and Amara.

“... [i]Don’t do it, she eats ass![/i]”

Amara took it, without skipping a beat.

[color=789caa]”And?”[/color]

“Das nasty, boo!” Naomi gagged.

As Adora finally managed to pull her pants on, she hopped from underneath the blanket and patted herself down. [color=fd8a6c]”Holy shit, I got everything…”[/color] Adora sighed in relief.

“... By the way,” Ruby began, “You might want to check your phone. When you got drunk, you started [i]texting.[/i]”

Ruby laughed.

“... A [i]very[/i] bad combination.”

[color=fd8a6c]”What?! To [i]who?![/i]”[/color] Adora said, as she froze. 

Ruby shrugged. 

“Didn’t ask, was too busy partying,” Ruby said. “You did, um, send [i]whoever[/i]…”

Ruby awkwardly grinned.

“... [i]Some very [b]interesting[/b] pictures when your pants came off.[/i]”

[color=fd8a6c]”What?! You didn’t stop me [i]at all!?[/i]”[/color] Adora said, shocked.
“Now, hol’ up,” Ruby narrowed her eyes. “Going off your damn emotional state, you were on cloud fuckin’ nine. So, I [i]figured[/i] the person on the other end was your boyfriend or sum’.” Then shrugged again.

Adora closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, [color=fd8a6c]”You know what? It can’t be that-”[/color][hr]Adora stared at her phone in wide-eyed horror as she clutched it with both hands, shaking. A barrage of barely legible text messages…

[i]... All to Stormy.[/i]

Adora’s heart was racing so fast, that even Ruby could hear it.

[color=fd8a6c]”Oh my God, I…”[/color] Adora groaned, facepalming with her free hand… meanwhile, Ruby slid over and peeked over the screen. 

“Wow,” Ruby whistled.  “You went all out there… usually drunks just send a [i]‘I miss you’[/i], but…”

Adora slowly craned her neck in Ruby’s direction.

“... You should just go put it on him and get it out of your system.”

[color=fd8a6c]”What if I told him I got drunk and didn’t mean to send it to him?”[/color] Adora began shaking. [color=fd8a6c]”He’ll understand, right? [i]Right?![/i]”[/color]

“Broooooo…” Ruby rolled her eyes. “[i]Relax.[/i] It ain’t the end of the world if you get drunk and send a dude a pic of ya’ ass. Fuck, maybe he’s into you. Who fuckin’ knows. Sittin’ here killing yourself over it ain’t going to change anything either way.” Ruby shrugged.

[color=fd8a6c]”He’s not some random guy…”[/color] Adora trailed, pausing for a moment. [color=fd8a6c]”... He’s my Coven-brother, mate, friend, whatever you want to call it, and I had a crush on him since I was a damn high schooler!”[/color]

“Again,” Ruby rolled her eyes [i]again.[/i] “It ain’t the end of the world. Just relax.”

[color=fd8a6c]”I wish I had [i]your[/i] fucking confidence,”[/color] Adora stammered.

“You do,” Ruby grinned, touching Adora’s shoulder. “[i]You just don’t believe in it.[/i]”

Adora took a moment to let Ruby's words sink in, her heart still pounding in her chest. The laughter and fun of the night echoed in her mind… Adora took in a deep breath and then exhaled.  

[color=fd8a6c]”Okay, maybe you’re right,”[/color] Adora said, as she stood straight up, she raised her hands as she said. [color=fd8a6c]”I’m going to head home, shower, clear my head… I need to go meet someone at twelve.”[/color]

“Just remember,” Ruby added, grinning ear to ear like a crocodille. “If things get awkward, you can always blame the tequila.” She killed herself laughing, falling over as Adora just shook her head and walked away. 

Though, Adora had forgotten something…

“Oh shit!” Ruby turned towards Amara. 

“... I hope you didn’t ride with her.”


[hr]

As everyone cleared out, a wolf that had been watching them since last night walked off into the woods, probably to go kill itself. [i]The horrors it witnessed during that party cannot be put into words.[/i]

Meanwhile, Stormy looked at his phone and had absolutely no idea what any of the seventeen texts he received at 3 in the morning meant. 

[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/QIUSezo.png[/img]     [img]https://i.imgur.com/ycOCuCr.png[/img][/center]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/6D400qM.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/O6LA4nR.png[/img]
 [right][code]Memorial Park[/code][/right][hr]
After the chaotic meeting the day before, with very little opportunity to actually talk, Luca had organised to meet Adora the day after. He wanted to talk about… well, a lot. Namely seeing if they could get some 8th Street members to defect, or at least work with them. Then there was him dying… he at least wanted to fill Adora in on what he’d talked to Sloane about.

Just like when he’d met Sloane, he suggested Memorial Park. It was large enough to find an area without any people around, while being central enough it shouldn’t be too out of Adora’s way. With the weather cold like it was it’d be nicer to meet somewhere indoors but he just couldn’t risk it…

He got there a bit earlier than the agreed meeting time, waiting a little bit into the park. Dressed in loads of layers and all black it would maybe be a bit difficult for Adora to spot him, so he made sure to keep an eye out as he waited.

Adora silently sat down next to  Luca, wearing a red hoodie and sweatpants combo, running shoes, a facemask… She sat down, putting her hands in her pockets.

[color=fd8a6c]”... Wassup,”[/color] Adora began. [color=fd8a6c]”How have you been?”[/color]

[color=6B8E23]”Hey!”[/color] Luca smiled brightly at Adora, shuffling over a bit to make sure she wouldn't get caught in his rotting aura. [color=6B8E23]”I’ve been fine, yeah… I mean, I got healed multiple times yesterday. So I'm as good as new!”[/color]

He flexed his arms, pathetically scrawny muscles hidden by layers of clothing anyway. [color=6B8E23]”That was a shitshow yesterday… at least we got somewhere at first. I wanted to talk about 8th street… y'know, figuring out how the whole group won't get blamed for the crimes of a few.”[/color]

[color=fd8a6c]”I mean I feel like people like Kenshiro made up their minds,”[/color] Adora shrugged.[color=fd8a6c]”Then again he ain't seem like the brightest bulb.”[/color]

[color=6B8E23]”Hey Ken's not like that he's just… passionate and stubborn. Kari really hated 8th Street, and he really loves her so… I get it,”[/color] Luca rubbed the back of his neck as he defended his friend. He knew Ken wasn't likely to change his mind about 8th but… that was fine. [color=6B8E23]”People like Greta and Carol are there cause of their circumstances. I'm sure we could convince them to defect… Emily's sisters are reasonable too.”[/color] 

[color=fd8a6c]”Who else is willing to listen?”[/color] Adora asked, raising an eyebrow. [color=fd8a6c]”And should they come to our ‘Coven’ or just get away from Emily.”[/color]

[color=6B8E23]”Just away from Emily - can you imagine, Sycamore is already chaotic enough! Maybe we form a new one,”[/color] Luca half joked. Though he didn't think it was a bad idea… Sycamore could barely function. He loved almost everyone in the group, but they just made things worse by being together. While Emily was basically a dictator, 8th had structure. [color=6B8E23]”Aside from those four… Lee, I think. Emily's massively manipulated him to hate Sycamore more but I might be able to get through. Phoebe would listen too, I think, and if we convinced her that'd convince Maya… they're basically joined at the hip. Brianna, definitely. Oh, and Anabelle… Miranda and Jacqueline's friend. She's dealing with some… stuff.”[/color]

He clasped his hands together in front of him. [color=6B8E23]”We shouldn't talk to them all at once. Maybe we start with someone like Greta… or the twins.”[/color]

[color=fd8a6c]”I think I got through to Greta the other night,”[/color] Adora shrugged. [color=fd8a6c]”So she’s a start.. Can you call her?”[/color]

[color=6B8E23]”She’s definitely the most reasonable and least connected… sure, I can.”[/color] Luca pulled out his phone, an incredibly out of date Nokia brick, and pulled up Greta's contact. He hit call, switched it to speaker and put it on the bench between them so he didn't have to hold it and risk destroying it.

“... Yes, Luca?” Greta answered.

[color=6B8E23]”Heyyyy Greta,”[/color] Luca began, trying to figure out what to say. Did he just go straight into it? [color=6B8E23]”I’ve got Adora here with me too… we were calling to talk about, well, the whole shit show between your coven and ours! We know it's really Emily, Vashti and a few of the others and… would you consider… leaving?”[/color]

Greta was silent for a few moments and Adora looked on.

“... And go where, Luca?” Greta asked. “I need to move my lab as well. That's dozens of different potions. Plus my magnum opus which is massive…”

[color=6B8E23]”Well… I have some money saved from working so much and barely buying anything. Maybe we can find somewhere in my area! Not just you… Carol, the twins, Anabelle, Brianna… We can figure something out,”[/color] Luca said, looking over at Adora, then down at his phone. [color=6B8E23]”I’d invite you to move in with me, lab and magnum opus and all, but it's getting a bit crammed in there. Just… the coven wants to deal with all of you. I don't want you to get hurt.”[/color]

“You don't have to worry about me,” Greta answered. “But, if you’re serious about this, I’m going to need something concrete.” 

Greta paused for a moment, “Let’s figure something out today. And I will help you.”

[color=6B8E23]”Great! I knew you would… and we'll definitely figure out something more solid than just promises on my part. I'll put anything I have to into it. Not like I need to save up for retirement or anything!”[/color] Luca joked, bringing up then easily playing off his own imminent death. But it played a part in this… he wanted to see everyone he cared for happy and no longer at risk before he died. [color=6B8E23]”Maybe we really should form our own coven.”[/color]

[color=fd8a6c]”Yeah we can call it the Baddies,”[/color] Adora chuckled, crossing her arms as she added, [color=fd8a6c]”... Still would be more functional than Sycamore.”[/color]

“... Well?” Greta asked, raising an eyebrow. “What’s stopping you? Put it into action already.”

[color=6B8E23]”... Nothing really, except I rejoined Sycamore to protect people I cared about - Jasper, Lila, Lynn, Ken, Sloane and the like. Ken would never agree, but the rest…”[/color] Luca rubbed his chin thoughtfully. [color=6B8E23]”I guess I could still do that with another Coven. We’d still be looking for Father Wolf. More effectively… Sycamore’s a mess. Everyone’s fucked up, understandably, and they’re constantly fighting.”[/color]

He looked over at Adora with a smile. [color=6B8E23]”It’d have to be Memorial Park Coven, obviously, to keep up the naming tradition… Or maybe the Memorial Baddies if you really want.”[/color]

“I’m not surprised Sycamore is a mess,” Greta said, the sound of her computer chair creaking could be heard in the background, “Unfortunately, the one thing that Emily gets right is that she doesn’t let people in that won’t fit in the mold.”

Adora put a hand on her hip, and raised an eyebrow as she said, 
[color=fd8a6c]”... Why Memorial Park?”[/color]

[color=6B8E23]”Cause that's where we are,”[/color] Luca replied with a slight laugh, gesturing to the park around them. [color=6B8E23]”Sycamore Tree was named after the tree it was founded under, 8th Street cause it was founded on 8th Street… and third time's the charm, right? But yeah, we'd have to be selective about it otherwise it'll go to shit like Sycamore. As much as I love everybody and like to see the good in them! It'll be for the sake of keeping everyone alive.”[/color]

“... What if we form the Coven somewhere else?” Greta snorted, laughing, “Imagine the name ‘Strip Club Coven’ or ‘Animal Shelter Coven’.”

[color=6B8E23]”Can you imagine the start of that? ‘Hey guys, we want to invite your to start of our new coven, come down to the strip club'... the most troublesome members would find out and join!”[/color] Luca laughed. [color=6B8E23]”Animal shelter would be sweet, but I can't go to those.”[/color]

Greta was silent for a moment.

“... It’d save them plenty on euthanasia.”

[color=fd8a6c]”Oh my God!”[/color]

Luca’s mouth fell open in disbelief. [color=6B8E23]”Fuck, Greta!”[/color]

He laughed awkwardly for a moment, before deciding to move on. [color=6B8E23]”So… do you think other members of 8th would be willing to move?”[/color]

“Hmmm…” Greta trailed off. “Malik has been trying to get me to ‘see the light’ so he would be an obvious pick. Brianna, Phoebe, and Nadine don’t like Emily so that they may be talked into. The issue will come with Carol… who believes all the lies Emily tells her. Though, I think she’s just too angry to know better.”

[color=6B8E23]”And if we get Phoebe we get Maya… not that we necessarily want her.”[/color] Luca frowned, thinking about Carol. He knew she wouldn’t just move… she was too angry and hated Britney too much. He understood that too. She’d gotten the short end of the stick in a lot of ways. He really did understand. [color=6B8E23]”You’re right about Carol. She just wants revenge on Britney… which I understand. Maybe I can talk to her and bring her round, but I have tried before. I don’t want to leave her there. Emily’s never going to help her and she deserves help.”[/color] 

[color=fd8a6c]”... But if she doesn’t want help, there ain’t shit we can do about it,”[/color] Adora said, crossing her arms.

Luca frowned, looking down at the ground. He understood that, but he really didn’t want to accept it. Carol was his friend and he wanted to help her… it was difficult to accept he maybe couldn’t. [color=6B8E23]”Well… we’ll have to get rid of Emily eventually, I think. Carol can’t die so hopefully she’ll be safe if she won’t listen to us. We can help her then.”[/color]

“I don’t know how we can solve her Hourglass problem… it’s not like your Rot problem, but if we can separate the Hourglass from her, then maybe Carol will finally listen,” Greta said. “However, removing Emily and Vashti from the equation may be necessary. This stays between us, but I have been developing some… [i]contingencies.[/i]”

[color=fd8a6c]”Oh now that don’t sound good,”[/color] Adora sinisterly chuckled.

“It shouldn’t, but I have been working on a fallback plan in the - [i]highly unlikely[/i] - event that Emily and-or the greater 8th Coven turns on me,” Greta continued to explain. “Though, with this Father Wolf nonsense going on, I feel slightly more justified in my decision.”

[color=fd8a6c]”Okay, but will you get on with it?”[/color] Adora said, rolling her eyes.

“Ah, impatient as always, Appie,” Greta laughed, “You both know the source of Emily’s power is Babylon, but neutralizing her would be fairly simple compared to Vashti.”

[color=fd8a6c]”And what makes Vashti different?”[/color] Adora asked.

“Emily is still human, yes. Her hellfire is dangerous, and she can teleport, but she is still [i]human[/i]. Vashti, on the other hand, is incredibly durable, and that’s what makes her dangerous. Not her strength or the storms, her ability to tank damage,” Greta explained. “But, there is a way… the source of her power isn’t connected to her soul like other Abstractions. It’s similar to you and I, Appie, in that her power is sourced from an object. The shawl.”

Greta dramatically paused. “It contains the Levitahan… Now, I’m not sure where she got the Leviathan from or how she sealed it, but it’s within her hood. If we remove the shawl, then she has no power.”

[color=6B8E23]”But we’d have to get close enough to remove it,”[/color] Luca said with a frown. [color=6B8E23]”No one gets close without getting killed… she’d slice their throat before anyone took it off. I could maybe… hurt her enough? Can the shawl be rotted or would that release the leviathan?”[/color] 

“I’m not sure, Luca,” Greta said, “Releasing the Leviathan would only cause it to latch onto her, which creates a whole new issue… I think we should find some way to separate her from it. I have a few ideas… but they are [i]risky[/i].”

[color=6B8E23]”Risky for [i]who[/i]?”[/color] Luca asked. [color=6B8E23]”Because if it’s something I can do… I’ll take the risk. I don’t have a whole load of time anyway.”[/color]

“Dying or not, I’m not letting you take a stupid risk, at least when we can help your condition,” Greta said, before pausing for a moment and saying, “... But maybe we don’t need to separate Vashti from the shawl, or eliminate Emily, [i]at all[/i]…”

[color=fd8a6c]”What are you cooking, Gretchen?”[/color] Adora said, putting hands on both sides of her hips.

“We need to get Brianna on board,” Greta said. “Or else this won’t work. [i]Trust me.[/i]”

[color=6B8E23]”Do you think you can get Brianna on board? Or should we talk to her- I’m not really as friendly with her but I’m sure she’ll listen, right?”[/color] Luca said. [color=6B8E23]”She was always reasonable enough.”[/color]

“I can, easily,” Greta said, “She is, like most of 8th St, there for a reason that has nothing to Emily. So I can easily sway here. But I need you to talk to Miranda and Jacqueline.”

Greta paused for a moment before she continued, “Those two have been [i]desperately[/i] trying to get Emily and Vashti to back down while there is time, but there isn’t much more they can do. However, we all know that 8th St is more willing to follow them than they are Emily and Vashti.”

[color=6B8E23]”I can talk to them, easy! I have their numbers-”[/color] Luca said, almost sounding excited, before remembering the last time. They’d… still talk to him, probably. He just had to make sure Clancy wasn’t around. He was sure the sort of boy would listen to him if he asked. [color=6B8E23]”Last time we met didn’t go so well, but that was cause of something else- I think if I- we-”[/color] 

He looked over at Adora. [color=6B8E23]”Talk to them, they’ll listen and realise that… Vashti and Emily need to be overthrown at the very least.”[/color] 

“Then… let’s get to work,” Greta said. “I’ll try and get Brianna, and maybe whoever else I can under the nose of Emily and Vashti… Say, is anyone else in Sycamore aware of this?”

[color=6B8E23]”We said that we’d try to talk to sympathetic members, but not… this whole plan. Only that we’d try and get help against Emily and Vashti,”[/color] Luca replied. [color=6B8E23]”There’s some people I’d like to tell, eventually, but for now let’s keep it between me and Adora.”[/color] As much as he didn’t like keeping secrets…

“Good,” Greta said, “Not that I have anything against Sycamore - I mean, I [i]do[/i] but the more people who know, the more of a chance that someone will come to mess this up. You do have Tsukino back in the fold, correct?”

[color=fd8a6c]”... Unfortunately,”[/color] Adora said with a roll of her eyes.

“My point exactly,” Greta began. “Now, I will be going now. Time is of the essence. I trust you two will talk some sense into Miranda and Jacqueline?”

[color=fd8a6c]”Don’t know them,”[/color] Adora began, [color=fd8a6c]”But we’ll try.”[/color]

“I have faith in you, Appie,” Greta said, “You too, Luca. Take care.”

The phone hung up.

[color=6B8E23]”Well, that’s that…”[/color] Luca laughed, letting out a sigh. [color=6B8E23]”Don’t worry, the twins are nice. Just don’t get all aggressive at them… which I know you won’t! Last time we talked, Clancy gate crashed and it didn’t go well.”[/color]

He looked down at his phone. [color=6B8E23]”Should I try call them now?”[/color]

[color=fd8a6c]”... It’s like what she said,”[/color] Adora crossed her arms, [color=fd8a6c]”[i]’Time is of the essence’[/i], and I would like to get this resolved before Emily or [i]someone[/i] from Sycamore escalates things [i]further[/i].”[/color]

[color=6B8E23]”Which could be in hours… Alright,”[/color] Luca nodded. He suppressed the rotting touch, face scrunching up in discomfort as he did, and reached out for his phone again. He found Miranda’s number and called it, putting the phone back down between them.

Miranda nervously answered.

“... Luca? What’s up?”

[color=6B8E23]”Hey, Miranda! Are- are you alright?”[/color] Luca immediately noticed that Miranda sounded a bit off, and was immediately worried for her. [color=6B8E23]”You’re not in trouble or anything are you?”[/color] 

“I’m… good…” Miranda awkwardly laughed, “I’m just breaking my neck trying to put out fires here!”

She paused, “Did anyone in Sycamore get hurt? Are you okay? Do you need healing?”

[color=6B8E23]”I’m fine, don’t worry! It’s not a Sycamore problem… well, it is… It’s about those fires you’re putting out, really. With 8th, I assume. We were-”[/color] he looked over at Adora. [color=6B8E23]”Oh, Adora’s here with me. A Sycamore member, but you can trust her. Anyway… It’s about Emily and Vashti. I’ve been doing what I can here, but Sycamore isn’t just going to let them go. Some people don’t want to let [i]any[/i] of you off. But I don’t want you guys- all of you- hurt for their decisions. So…”[/color]

He trailed off, trying to think how to word it. [color=6B8E23]”Would you be willing to jump ship? Not to Sycamore but to… something new.”[/color]

“I mean… Jacqueline and I have been thinking about it,” Miranda began. “After the Halloween Festival and the mess at Kari’s, I can’t look Emily in the eye.” 

She sighed, then nervously laughed, “But, I’m getting off track here, aren’t I?! I am [i]trying[/i] to say that I am willing to form a new Coven. But I want Jacqueline and I to be in charge of it. And you’ll be our second in command.”

[color=fd8a6c]”... Fuck me, I guess,”[/color] Adora shrugged.

[color=6B8E23]”Just in it for the power, Adora?”[/color] Luca joked, before continuing more seriously. [color=6B8E23]”We can share that second in command position but… this makes things easier. I don't even have to convince you guys! I trust you both to be in charge too of an [I]actual[/I] coven. One that helps each other rather than hurting others…”[/color]

He nodded. [color=6B8E23]”That’s really fine by me. Most of 8th trusts you both too… I already talked to Greta. She agreed with the idea too.”[/color]

“I’m curious if your Coven will be okay with it?” Miranda asked. “I mean… Maybe it’s not important right now.”

She sighed. “I can get some of the others on board easily, but we’ll need a new lair since the 8th St manor is all in Emily’s name...”

[color=6B8E23]”I’ll convince anyone in our Coven if they have a problem,”[/color] Luca said. There were some people who, honestly, didn’t matter even if they weren’t okay with it. Others, like Ken, that he’d try his best to convince. [color=6B8E23]”As for the lair…”[/color]

Luca frowned thoughtfully. [color=6B8E23]”I don’t have an actual place in mind, but I have a [i]lot[/i] of savings. Probably a surprise, but my remote job pays well! And I don’t exactly buy much since I’d just destroy anything… But I’m sure I could buy somewhere for us. It might not be so fancy, but there’s some big houses in worse areas that I could afford…”[/color]

 “That could work,” Miranda mused. “Doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just something with space for everyone. Somewhere we can breathe, you know? A clean start.”
She paused momentarily, and shuffling papers could be heard faintly through the call. “Jacqueline’s got a good eye for property, with the all-knowing book and all,” Miranda added with a playful snort. “We’ve been looking around in case we decided to split. Might be worth getting her input. I’ll talk to her about it. Honestly, this whole thing could come together faster than I thought.”
[color=6B8E23]”Yeah, I wanted to talk to you both about it, so please get her input… really I'm happy with anywhere you choose if I can afford it. And we rot proof some of it,”[/color] he laughed slightly, clasping his hands together in front of him. [color=6B8E23]”I honestly didn't expect you guys to be on board right away… Emily's your sister, after all, even with all the people she's hurt.”[/color]
He looked over at Adora. [color=6B8E23]”I’m not going to talk to anyone in Sycamore about it just yet, aside from Adora, but… I think there'll be a few people who'll want to come with me. Maybe. Jasper, Lynn… Lila. She's really got no issues with most of 8th’s members. What do you think, future coven leader?”[/color]

“Emily’s my sister, yeah,” Miranda softly replied, “But I can’t keep making excuses for her, not after what she’s done. I love her and always will, but it’s time for us to forge something new. Something better.” Miranda paused, and Adora narrowed her eyes. 

“I never thought it would come to this. I never wanted it to. But I can’t keep pretending. We can’t keep being the ones to clean up her messes. Not anymore,” Miranda began. “I don’t know how it will play out or who will come with us… but I know this: I won’t let Emily drag [i]anyone[/i] down any further. We’re building something new. Something [i]real.[/i] And anyone who wants that is welcome.”

[color=6B8E23]”You’re really strong for making this decision, you know, Miranda, and for everything you’ve done till now. Jacqueline too. It’s not easy to leave and start something new like this. I’ll support you every step of the way. We’ll-”[/color] he looked at Adora and smiled. [color=6B8E23]”Build it together. I’ll talk to the people I think will want to join… Eventually, I’ll have to tell all of Sycamore. But we’ll deal with it when we get to it.”[/color]

While this wasn’t what he’d planned to do when he’d come out to meet Adora today, it was maybe the best outcome. A new start, a new coven that would help each other. Better than 8th… and Sycamore. [color=6B8E23]”We’ll deal with it all together.”[/color]