House on the Hill
@Shin Ghost Note

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As people had slowly filtered away, Clancy had taken the liberty of stepping aside from a now somewhat-stable Luca to poke through the old building in a hunt for something to wear, for what was probably the nth time in as many weeks.

As it was, he had been half-naked, wearing the tattered remnants of his shorts with sneakers that looked as though they’d been through a woodchipper. His shirt wasn’t much better, and as he’d moved around the tattered remnants of it sloughed away like dead skin, exposing the facade of pale flesh that had by this point reformed, painted back in. Even his eye had returned to occupy the empty socket, to the point he now looked as much as himself as he ever could. 

Given he stood out, he didn’t want to draw more attention than needed. The police scanners no doubt would be alive with reports of an underdressed child if he walked out like this, and that would in turn catch the attention of the hitwoman and her employers. An annoyance that threatened to become something more, and he wasn’t eager to experience that kind of pain again.

A few minutes of clambering over the bar and crawling through crevices eventually found him something that would work for now. A leather jacket, bundled in a heap in a corner under a dripping faucet.

It had seen better days to say the least. While it was still intact for the most part, the grainy patches of white material speckled across its edges betrayed a colony of mold that had formed across the surface. For Clancy’s part, that didn’t bother him. He didn’t need to worry about breathing in the spores, and the musty, mossy odour it gave out was no worse than the other array of things that assaulted his senses out in the wilderness. 

Slipping it on, Clancy found it had been oversized for him, enough that he had to roll up the sleeves, and it extended to the midpoint between his waist and knees, but it would do. It was better than nothing, and worst case scenario strangers would not annoy him with small-talk if it meant having to deal with that moldering-grass pungence that usually came with mold.

Luca and the swordsman would probably be leaving soon, In the corner of his vision, he caught a glimpse of Britney. She hadn’t yet left.

”Did you know this would happen?” he asked, pointedly, ”Your friends and the Prom Queen.”

Britney narrowed her eyes at Clancy, resting a hand on her hip. ”You’re gonna have to be more descriptive, hun.”

Deep down perhaps, he might have understood some of it if his perspective was in a different place. Maybe if they had been desperate.

”You might not trust me, but I try to be better than those parasites. And you've worked with worse than me.”

”No, no,” Britney raised her hands. ”It feels like I am actively working with worse - but that isn’t on my mind.”

For a moment, she paused.

”You might have the others convinced you’re not a threat, but be straight up here: what are you? What gave you these abilities?”

”Feeling is mutual,” Clancy cracked back, ”Not convinced about either of us.” For a moment, his face scrunched, ”What am I?” 

For a moment, he seemed to weigh his options.

”Twelve-and-a-half.” He answered with a flippant shrug, motes of dust flaking off the sleeve of his moldering jacket, I don’t know.” he said, dispassionately. 

”Come now, you have to know something,” Britney pushed, ”Where did it start? If you remember?”

”I’m not an expert in this stuff, like you people, I guess I ran into the same kind of monster that you fed people like Luca and Emily Reed to.” 

The truth came sharply. Bitter, painful memories surfaced and washed over him, colouring his words. 

[b]”If you really want to know… imagine you wake up from your worst nightmare. Except that’s the last time you’ll ever get any [i]sleep[/i again. You’re cold, but you’re not freezing to death. You’re [i]always[/] hungry, starving even, but you can’t make it stop. Not really. Food tastes like… dirt, sand, dust. It’s all meaningless. And you feel the world through a filter. Pain isn’t…. It isn’t there. And you can’t die, no matter how hard you push your luck. I’ve been under cars, trains, dropped into frozen rivers and fell from rooftops. I’ve been shot in the head enough times I could spit fragments out.”[/b] It streamed forth now, a diatribe on his situation, ”Do I like that? No. Do I have a choice? Also no.”

”So… maybe I’m still me, or I’m something that has all the memories of me. And I keep going by dealing with assholes and bad people. That’s how I keep control. That’s all I’ve had to keep going. Ashley? She was family, and I’m trying to find the asshole who murdered her, and stop her idiot friends from dying the same way. Does that cover it?”

Britney was silent, as she looked at Clancy.

”… Do you remember where or when it started?” She asked. ”Something had to have changed you… unless you are an Abominable.” She shrugged.

”I don't know what that is.” 

”A magical creature basically. Some are created… some are born,” Britney explained.

”Maybe, whatever.” Clancy shrugged, ”East. Somewhere between Huron and Michigan, maybe. I was twelve-and-a-half when it got me, and I woke up like this.”

Half of the truth. The closer he got to the memory, the more difficult it was to maintain a normal composure.

His last moments alive had been inhuman terror beyond anything he could understand.

”So I'll ask again. Did. You. Know?” Clancy switched back to his original line of questioning, ”What they would become, what they would do. What would happen to them? You know that boy-... that Luca is rotting from the inside, don't you? I felt it. I could smell it.”

Britney silently averted her gaze from Clancy. ”… No, I didn’t.”

”You know now.” Assuming she wasn't lying. ”Barely know him, but even I can see he doesn't deserve that. Even if they're assholes now, I bet 8th Street didn't deserve it before they chose to be monsters. Have you thought about whether any of this could be because of that?”

He let the point hang for a moment. 

”They were calling for your blood.”

”Of course I have,” Britney said with a nod of her head, ”Look, I understand what I did was fucked up. I’m not going to sit here and try and justify or excuse it. I had this conversation a thousand times already.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, ”If it’s my fault, then it’s my responsibility to fix it.”

[b]”Sure,” Clancy shrugged, optimistic of neither her chances nor her sincerity, ”If you want to make a start, Luca. You help him, and I'll probably keep Emily Reed from wearing your skin.”

If he could save one of them from being consumed by the monster that had taken their body, it was him.

He seemed to pause, then reconsidered.

”You said ‘abominable’ earlier. I don't know if that's what I am now. I'm Clancy Patrick. Or I think I am, and I have his face and memories. But you know these monsters better than me. If you want to do something right, maybe point me in the right direction on how to kill one of them. When our business is done, I'm going to end the thing that did this to me. I won't be anyone's problem after that.”

He offered out a hand to her, cold and unflinching.

”Deal?”

Britney hesitated for a moment, ”I’m already working on something for Luca. Don’t worry about that.” She shook her head. ”And look, at the end of the day, Emily and Vashti are my responsibility. Not yours.”

”Offer stands,” Clancy's hand pulled back, his expression creased a little further, ”You can do something good and leave the world with a few less monsters in it, for a change.”

Britney stared at Clancy, ”I think I am looking at one.”

”Maybe we agree on something, then,” The boy offered her a dour expression, ”But you're not above working with them, either.”

”No, I’m not,” Britney sighed, ”But, let’s just shake on it and be done with it, okay?” She extended her hand, and after a moment's pause, Clancy returned the gesture with a firm, icy grip. 

And maybe she needs a mirror, he considered, wordlessly breaking off from the contact as soon as they'd made it.

The meeting had been a shitshow stopped at just the right moment by a timely fire alarm. Linqian had already been planning to head out, but it gave an easy excuse to get the fuck out of there. Though with Britney in some kind of conversation with the not-a-kid, that was their easy ride out of there gone.

Thankfully, Edict had them covered - all it took was a quick call to have another car on the way.

Fucking rich asshole.

Linqian lit the cigarette she'd pulled out a while back as they walked a bit away from the main group, making sure to keep a tight grip on it and blowing the smoke away from Edict. Cheap shit, the kind of stuff he was likely to try snatch from her lips and throw away - and she really wasn't for waste right now.

”Well, that was an absolute shitshow,” she said, with a shrug. With her brother's voice in her head it was easier to reflect on the meeting without getting all tense about it, but it had still gone to shit. Very little decided... Again. She was still seriously considering striking it out with just Aryin to hunt the fucking murderer down themselves. ”Thank fuck Lila suggested that group shit, so I don't-”

She was cut off by her phone buzzing in her coat pocket. There weren't many people who'd call her, so it was either her brother or her (other) boss. She pulled it out with a frown. Andre, right. Less worrying than it being Henri.

”One minute, got to take this,” Linqian said to Edict before picking up.

”What?- I'll take whatever tone I want with you... Tonight?- Fuck no, I'm busy... I got loads of shit going on, fuck off... Just fire Sophie! She never does shit, hire someone more reliable, stop calling me! Yeah I need the money, but I can't-” The hand not holding her phone to her ear jerked about, trail of smoke following the aggressive motions. It was more comedic than it was scary, similar to the way she used to bicker with Jinhai. ”Oh, threatening to cut my pay again? Well you can go kneel at my mother's grave and beg for her forgiveness, cause her ghost won't be so fucking nice, Andre- Right, fine, you were just asking… Wednesday. Don't fucking call tomorrow, I'm busy too. I'll see you Wednesday.”

Linqian rolled her eyes, slipping her phone back into her pocket. She turned her head towards Edict with a languid smile. Unbothered, even after what sounded like a lot of aggression. She figured there was no point starting with any actual business while waiting around for a car, so she went with just complaining a bit. ”It's a fucking pain being in such high demand. As if I'd work a shift tonight after doing double Saturday and then yesterday- Well, I didn't really work in that way yesterday. I certainly worked out.”

Her eyebrows raised, smile turning more smug, before taking another drag of her cigarette.

“Oh, cram it… Like I wanna hear about you gettin’ stuffed by the big bad wolf.” Edict started off, knowing that it was going to be a long ride.

She was mostly relaxed now, even if he was acutely aware that he'd planted a funny little virus in her brain. His Jinhai construct had, at the very least, taken her off the doom spiral course and into a state where she could function. Function enough to think about getting plowed…
That fuck… Not even transparent cult shit? Because Ruby is familiar. More like she's actual family.

“You don't make much sense to me sometimes… Didn't I offer you a job? Not like some fuckin’ bullshit mafioso job like whats between us right now: And certainly not some dead end Temple bar where your boss plays cozy for a bunch of crazy people. A real job being in charge of real people…”

Edict ignored the whiff of shitty cigarette stench that rolled past him in favor of lighting his own. They were standing on the front side of the main area road, both pressed up against a shop's exterior wall. A scene not so uncommon ten years ago, when they would both loiter with their cheap smokes to bitch for fifteen minutes together.

Edict softened, clearing his throat.
“I'm serious… There is no catch: I think you'd be good at it once you got the hang of being a manager. I know it doesn't sound glamorous, but it's not a small position… More than enough for me to get you set up on payroll right now, and you never have to worry about that prick bothering you again…”

That piece of shit, tell him to fuck off. Don’t accept anything. Just walk-

”That ‘prick’ you’re talking about knew my mom her whole life, so watch it,” Linqian retorted, though there was very little bite to it, as much as Jinhai yapping away in her head wanted there to be.
”You offered me a job for after this shit is done. My bills don’t stop, and my debts sure don’t get fucking smaller. It’s not the lack of glamour- I mean fuck, what kinda glamourous job do you think a highschool dropout would be doing? This bar job’s one of the best I’ve had cause I can actually say no.”

None of it was said aggressively, rather just with blunt honesty, which she continued talking with. She watched him closely, trying to figure out if he was being honest. Was there really no catch?
”You’re actually serious? Look, a stable job and pay is all I fucking want… but I’m not quitting the bar one. I’ll reduce my hours, one day a week or fucking whatever if that’s what I need to, but I can’t. It’s not even a lack of trust- What happens if you die? I’d be fucked, again.”

“Linqian, that's the fucking point.” Edict grunted through a cloud of smoke.
“The farm, the club, the fucking… I have legitimate business with legitimate people! I'm not a fucking monolithic dictator sucking my wealth from the state, I'm a business man! Entrepreneurship with a self-replicating bankroll that I can use to expand. The people who I deal with down in Louisiana are starving for full time leadership, and right now the person I have doing the part time work can only handle so much. I'll fucking… Payroll you now. We'll go, we'll do the paperwork; but for God's sake, get some fucking sleep for a change. You nearly blew up your spot, and if people start to see you as a loose cannon, they'll be less likely to work with you!”

Edict was fantastic at jabbering. He jabbered, and did it some more before he finally took another cigarette drag.

“Besides… There's more pressing issues than work right now. If it takes me paying off your entire life for you to focus on that, I'll take the short term financial impact.”
His voice shifted slightly as a recognizable car turned down the boulevard.
“I need you to promise me something… That for the next twenty minutes, you will refrain from any sort of physical violence? I know it sounds weird now, but it'll make sense real soon…-”

The car pulled to a stop in front of them, and a young man got out of the driver's seat in a fresh suit. He practically sprinted to the back of the car, opening the carriage style door for Edict and Linqian to slip into.
Inside was a private rear cabin, the slight stretch of the vehicle allowing for two bench seats facing one another to be installed. Edict let Linqian get in first, then slipped into the seat opposite of her.
“My place, Fenzo. Thank you, my man.” Edict politely instructed, slipping a hundred note to the driver before they were closed into the private space.

Just punch him right now. In fact, use your magic. I won’t tell you to hold back. Don’t promise that.
”I’ve never fucking hit you for all I threatened it, have I? But fine, I promise, twenty minutes,” Linqian leaned back, folding her arms in front of her chest. As much as the car was really nice it was so fancy she struggled to relax. Which was probably good, because it prevented her from nodding off immediately.
I’m counting down the minutes.

Linqian laughed out of nowhere - at least it would look that way to Edict. She tapped her head. ”Honestly, you’ve no idea how much I’m fucking holding myself back right now. This is way too fucking realistic- but fine, I get it. Most people already don’t want to work with me, but that’s not the fucking point, is it… I don’t want to die. So give me the paperwork, I’ll cut back on the other shit, and I’ll actually sleep. So long as I can keep a roof over my brother’s head and don’t have to worry about the debt collectors calling round, I don’t give a shit.”

Edict didn’t want to mince words. If he had twenty minutes, it meant he had to calm her back down with Jinhai in her head. He couldn’t hear it, but a gentle prod into the recent opening let him know it was working overtime.
”Linqian? Your brother Henri… Uh… Look, I know you told me to keep away, but I’ll come clean with you. I don’t know if he told you like I told him to, but the kid Kindled. Recently, not so recent, but recent enough that he’s got no clue what he’s doing. But the kid’s strong, he’s… He’s learning, Linqian. About us, about you and Jinhai. I’m teaching him. The right way.”

His words hung in the air, waiting for swift and furious retribution.

”He told me.”
Linqian’s tone didn’t change - in fact it was entirely monotonous. Cold. Just like the temperature in the car, plummeting towards painfully cold without causing any actual damage. Her left hand covered the other, fingers touching the two wedding rings on her right ring finger. Her eyes narrowed.
I told you so. He can’t be trusted. Do you understand now, Qian-er? This is why I made you cut him off. This is all a game to him.

Somehow, Jinhai’s own vitriol calmed her down enough to stop her from immediately breaking her promise. Her skin was visibly pallid, the kind it went when her temperature dropped enough to actually hurt someone, but she didn’t make any more movements. Not that she raised the air temperature at all.
”What gave you the right to teach him? I told you to keep away for a fucking reason- and I told him to stay away from everyone too, fuck. Fuck, you piece of shit. If you’ve messed with his mind, that’s it, twenty minutes or not, I don’t give a fuck. And- and you told him to tell me?! Did you tell him to do it like that?! Acting like he thought I was going to fucking disown him or some shit. Fuck!”

Her hand jerked out to the side, punching the car wall - not denting it, but frost spiralled out from where it contacted.
”Give me one reason why I should believe any of this shit you’ve said before this- fuck, why I shouldn’t just beat your ass in-”
Seventeen and a half minutes.
”Seventeen and a half minutes.”

”Because when you go and ask him what I’ve taught him, you’ll know that every single bit of it has been true. Linqian, I came here with the same bullshit I left with. I was still holding onto it until I saw that kid. Until he let me in, and I saw who he was, and I felt fucking ashamed. You hear me, Jinhai? When have I ever felt fucking guilty about something? That fucking kid, he’s got these… These eyes, and they suck up all the light and the space in the room, they drag it all into one spot, I fuckin’-”

Edict shoved both of his hands forward, holding them out to Linqian.
”-Fucking kill me now if you think that’s necessary! If that’s really how you feel, like you can’t listen to my explanation, or give me the chance to prove to you that I’m trying to be fucking better, then just end it! Cash me out here!”

Jinhai was silent.
Linqian glared at Edict, seriously considering it. To protect her brother from someone that could be a threat, as much as she was starting to trust him. But it was that same need to protect Henri that stopped her. Everything that Edict said made sense. Henri was so bright, he lit up the room, and he brought out the best in people. He could make someone like Edict want to change just by being himself… that was exactly what her brother was like. He was her whole world, and she’d do anything to keep him safe. Sacrifice herself, kill someone, and… let someone else near him that could protect him too.

Her hands shot forward to grab his. On first contact it would be like holding ice, a sharp burn that quickly disappeared when her temperature moved back towards normal. Her expression didn’t change - still pissed off, scowling murderously. She held onto Edict’s hands like he might somehow jump out of the car rather than agree to what she was about to say.
”Promise that you won’t hurt him. In fact, promise that you’ll protect him if you have to. If I die, you make sure he doesn’t. If for some fucking reason there’s a choice between me and him, if one of us is going to die, you choose him. Every fucking time. Promise, and I won’t kill you.”

Edict’s eyes turned cold and dead. It was an expression that, until now, Linqian never would’ve seen him make in her life. It wasn’t the pain of being nearly frost-bitten, or how hard she was still gripping onto his wrists. He didn’t speak for a long moment, face slowly and surely narrowing the gap between them. When he finally spoke, it was darkness that left his lungs and traveled across the air into her ears.
”I will kill, and kill, and kill again. For that smile.”

He didn’t stop staring at her. Directly into her eyes. Into her soul.
”But we need to buckle you down too. No more work. Not so much that you can’t train. Britney and Me, we never stopped working on our magic. It’s good she got you out this morning, but it can’t just be a morning.”

Taking a deep breath, he finally pulled his torso back into the seat normally.
”And I’m thinking about renting a house. A bigger house: You, Henri, me, Brit, Aryin… Anyone looking to be included in our operations. I’m sorry, but we can’t keep that poor kid out of the loop, not with how he feels about you possibly getting hurt. We’ve gotta include him, and he’s gotta learn how to defend himself. God forbid something happened to him and he couldn’t do anything to stop it.”

Linqian took a deep breath too. It was what she needed to hear. She was pissed still, but just like Henri’s smile was enough to have Edict trying to change his ways, it was enough for her to push down her anger. For him.
Don’t even fucking consider it, Linqian. I’d sooner die than have you live with him.
”Seriously, use your inside voice… and you’re already dead,” Linqian groaned in Chinese, pulling a hand back to press against her head as Jinhai absolutely yelled within her mind. It was almost funny, if the current topic wasn’t so serious.
”This is honestly too realistic- ah-”

She grimaced, forcing the switch back to English, and back to the actual topic at hand - the one more important than making conversation with a fake Jinhai with an anti-Edict agenda as big as the real one.
”Aryin’s going to be delighted when she has to move again, since she’s moving into mine tomorrow… Which used to house five, by the way, but I won’t complain if you’re looking for somewhere larger- as much as I’m wary about it. You’re- fuck he’s going to yell in my head again, and I hate to admit it too, but you’re right. I thought that keeping it from my brother would keep him safer, but now that he has magic… Well, fuck, he’s at risk just by being in the city.”
Give him my spellbook and it won’t be a problem.

Just like she often had before his death, Linqian ignored Jinhai.
”I’ll train too. It’s not that I didn’t want to, I just didn’t have the fucking time. You think my sleep now is bad, you should’ve seen when I was working two full time jobs- but fuck, that’s not important. I started working on three spells this morning, but one’s fucking useless, so I need to keep trying… and I need to not work for that. Fuck! I’m still so fucking pissed at you, and it’s worse that everything you’re fucking saying makes sense. Fuck.”

She groaned, conflicted with all the emotions clashing in her mind while being squished into a corner by the Jinhai voice talking over them.
”When the fuck did you really start caring? Just when you got inside his head?”

Edict’s face deflated. She was going to hit him.
”Seriously? Fuck, Linqian, anywhere but the face…-” he mumbled before holding up his hands.
”I was… I was going to feed him a line. Get him hooked, to get under your skin and make sure you would stay in line when things got heavier… It wasn’t the first time I was in his head, more like the second. But he…”

Edict paused, staring at Linqian with a slacked jaw.

Without a single thought, Linqian shot forward, one freezing cold hand grabbing his hands to shove them out the way and another ice cold fist slamming right into his chest. It remained there and pressed in, forcing him to feel the painfully low temperature as frost spiralled across her clothing and almost seemed to form in her eyes.

But she didn’t follow up with another punch, pulling back to sit down across from him again, temperature lowering.
”I’m holding back for him, so keep fucking explaining.”

Thankful for the vest plate under his shirt, Edict accepted that she’d broken their agreement and decided to move on with minimal resistance.

”-He took me to your fucking childhood home. I saw pictures of you, your family, it was all in his mind. The kind of picture I would paint. In that moment, I wasn’t me anymore, I was… I was me from so long ago, Linqian! I was fucking younger than him again, I saw myself in him; every little part of me I thought these fucking ingrates burned to death! Him and his fucking smile, and his goofy curly hair, the way he fucking loves the two of you! You and… Jinhai… And how much he wants to keep you safe, Linqian! You’re the only thing he has left!”
Linqian would easily be able to feel the bubbling of pink Lux filling the cabin of the car as tears welled up in Edict’s eyes.

”Please don’t let this be how things are, Linqian… I wept in front of him, and I’ll weep in front of you, manhood be damned. I want to be a better man, Linqian. For Britney, for you, and Henri… Fuck proving the babbling ghost in your head wrong, Fuck proving the rest of the Coven wrong: They’re right. I’m still a piece of shit. But I can’t change that without y’all.”

She knew what he’d seen, because it was a real place - somewhere shitty and small and messy, but filled with love. It was a home that didn’t exist anymore outside of Henri’s head. Henri himself was her home now… She couldn’t lose him, but she couldn’t let him lose her either.

But with Edict crying, she wasn’t entirely sure how to react, just staring at him as pink Lux smothered her emotional field without trying to actually get in. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen other people- men- crying. Henri did all the time, and there were times when Jinhai did too. It was different with them…
”You might as well just confess your love putting me in the same sentence as Brit, haha,” she joked through the awkwardness, waving a hand in front of her face.

”I… I’m not standing on some fucking high ground where I can give second chances or shit. Henri is everything to me- so fucking be as awful as you want to everyone else, so long as you don’t hurt him, or me, or Brit… Change or whatever it is you need to do for that, so I can actually fucking trust you, and it’s-” Linqian let out an exasperated hiss, pinching the bridge of her nose. She really hated talking about such serious shit, even when it was someone she knew had deep dived into her mind and seen it all anyway.
”It’s not like I fucking trust anyone, alright? But it’s only because it’s you that I haven’t actually fucking killed you over it- You, Brit, Aryin. That’s it, outside of my brother.”

Her hands went back to her lap, fiddling with the wedding rings, a clearly non-confrontational posture.
”Do all of that for us, then, and I’ll try trust you- and Brit too.”

”There’s gonna come a point where you’ll need to take a leap of faith with me. Every bit of you is going to rail against me, and it’s going to look like I’m a filthy liar… But I’m wrapped up in something bad, Linqian. Something that I need to stick with, or we may never really know what’s going on with Father Wolf. I came into it with bad intentions, and they really think I’m in with them. They tried to hurt that kid, I’m certain of it.”

Greyson did his best to rope himself back in, taking a deep breath and leaning back into the seat again. His hand flipped through his pocket and started to rummage until he pulled out his cigarette case. One practically flipped into his mouth, and he held out the box to Linqian.
”So… In case anything happens to me, we need to set this up as soon as possible. It’s hard enough getting your crew to cover one another if anyone gets pinched, never mind cursory orbits. I haven’t talked to Brit about moving, but I don’t think she’s going to want to. Not even with this sub-group shit.”

Linqian took a cigarette, not even bothering with a lighter, managing to heat up just her finger tip enough for it to start burning at the tip. A sign of her growing control after just one training session.
”I’ll try take that leap of faith when it comes to it… But that shit aside, it’ll be hard to move if she doesn’t want to. I don’t think Aryin will be too happy about living with you, but I’ll be able to convince her. Can you convince Brit? Cause I don’t see how this shit works if you can’t… Well, I already live with Henri and Aryin- nearly- but five is better than three when it comes to watching each other’s backs. I don’t fucking know, I’m not a thinker… I’ll follow your lead with that.”

She took a long drag of the cigarette, holding the smoke in her mouth before sighing it out without much care for how it filled the space. They were both smokers anyway.
”One thing. Before we move on with this house shit- and the payroll stuff too- we’re sitting down and talking with Henri. The three of us, because I’m not dealing with anymore fucking secrets there.”

”Then we've gotta get to my apartment: I've been letting him use it to get out of the house, I've got games and shit. Him and his buddy… Uh… What's the name…?”
Greyson pulled out his phone and didn't see the tell-tale text Henri was instructed to send whenever he left. It was the deal to confirm that everything was spotless and in the same shape in which he found it.

”Louis.” Linqian pressed her free hand to her forehead, feeling a headache coming on with each new piece of information. She wasn't particularly happy that Edict had just had her brother at his apartment, and that this had been going on for almost a week without her knowing… but it was better than him out in less safe locations.
”Your apartment, then. Anything else you want to tell me? You haven't been training him to use fucking guns or anything, have you?”

Edict looked at Linqian with a strained expression on his face that could only have been his admission and resignation of his fate.
”Y'know, the guys love him. Started calling him ‘Q-Tip’ ‘cuz of the… Hair…”
The car ride to Edict's apartment was certainly hot for all the wrong reasons. Upstairs, there was a gentle beeping that Henri would've come to know as someone making their way up the elevator coming toward the penthouse. It usually only happened when Edict was coming home, so it served as a good warning to get their ducks in a row before he showed up.

”Hide the booze!” Henri yelled dramatically as he threw a game controller to the side, character on the screen quickly getting shot in the head. He jumped up, looking around in a panic at the pizza boxes spread out over the place as well. He thought they had more time!

“It's four cans of beer, and I can legally drink,” Louis commented, not even bothering to get up from the couch, eyes still concentrating on shooting as many other players as he could… before Henri went over and kicked him in the shin.

”I can't! Its- it's all yours then,” Henri shoved the cans of beer - two empty, two unopened, all over to Louis' feet and then started to close open, half eaten pizza boxes too. Otherwise the place wasn't an awful mess - they were a few strewn pieces of clothing, both men having discarded hoodies, jackets and shoes in random locations on the way in.

“You respawned,” Louis pointed out. “I'm going to shoot-”

”Don’t you dare!” Henri jumped to grab his controller, thought of tidying up completely discarded in favour of getting more kills in the somewhat realistic shooter game they were playing.

The elevator opened to an argument.
”-ian, I swear to God! I swear, it has not been that serious! I took him to a racket once to get a quiet space so I could do an exam, then after that it's all very casual stuff! You guys ain't even Italian! Not even a little! What makes you think I'd even wa-”
Greyson rounded the corner trying to avoid Linqian. Turning his head, he looked into the living room at the two younger men.

”Oh! OH! Henri!? Help me!”

”Greyson! Help you with what- Jie?!” Henri's expression went from a bright and cheerful grin at Greyson's appearance to wide eyed terror as Linqian came round the corner right after him.

”Don’t try and fucking drag him into it, Greyson,” Linqian hissed, pointing a slightly glowing finger at him. Not that she'd gone to punch him again… entirely… but heating up the elevator on the way up wasn't exactly pleasant.
”You think I give a fuck if it's casual or serious, I don't fucking want him around them, I barely want him around you and I'm seriously fucking regretting-”

”Jiejie, why are you here, I thought you had a meeting!” Henri bounded forward, physically putting himself in between Linqian and Edict. He put his hands on her shoulders with a bright grin that had her temperature lowering immediately. ”I don't know what you're arguing about, but I'm sure it can be resolved if you sit down and listen to each other's side!”

“Yeah, take a chill pill, Linqian,” Louis commented from the couch.

”Shut up, Louis, don't make me call your dad,” Linqian snapped, before looking up at Henri with a heavy frown. ”We’re fucking arguing about you.”

Henri's eyes widened again, head snapping towards Greyson, then back to Linqian. He hadn't even realised at first… oh shit! ”It’s not what it looks like, Jie, I swear!”

”I didn't say cover your own ass, Henri! I already told her everything, there's no point in lying. Just… Tell Linqian how you've been doing for the last week! In fact, why don't you show her the progress we've made!?” Greyson was trying to find a damage control method that would keep her from freaking out more.

If Henri showed her how responsible and diligent they'd been, he figured maybe she'd ease up!

”Oh! Oh- everything?! Even those things I asked for advice about cause I was too embarrassed to ask her?!” Henri asked with wide eyes.

”What things.” Linqian narrowed her eyes.

”Nothing! Look, look, Jie! I showed you what I could do before, right? I could absorb light but not do much with it, but look…” Henri held out a hand, absorbing light from one of the many in the room. Then, in a burst of speed, he dashed around the room - so fast it was only visible by the after trail, and the breeze it kicked up. ”I can also shoot a blast of it- I won't do that here- and heal myself. Hit me and I'll prove it!”

”I’m not hitting you, Yi-er,” Linqian stepped back, arms folded and still clearly pissed. But she wasn't aggressively going after Greyson anymore, so it was a step in the right direction. ”How do you even know that- you know what, fuck it… Is that all?”

“No! There's more… Louis, shoot a bunch of guns- in the game!" Henri shouted loudly enough that Linqian winced, trying to ignore the exhaustion headache that was just making her grouchier about this whole thing. A bunch of gunshots rattled off from the speakers, before going completely silent - while Louis was still quite happily shooting random people in the game. “Look, I can absorb and use sound now too!"

He reached out for Linqian with one arm, easily lifting her up… before going to do the same with Greyson, enhanced strength more than enough to pick both of them up at once. “We've been training really hard, Jie, I promise!"

”Fine, I get it, just fucking put me down,” Linqian grunted out, visibly softening. She could stay pissed with Greyson for hours, but as soon as Henri was involved and present… it was impossible. She'd always been to soft on him.

Greyson happily swung his legs, no longer the direct target.
”See? No harm, no foul. And tell her how safe we've been at the range and stuff…”
He stopped, pointing at Louis.
”You too! Don't act all innocent, I've been letting you hang around us and help him too… You got nothing to defend your buddy with? Anecdotes, anything?”

While he was mostly joking, peanut galleries were some of his least favorite social happenings. Spectators… Freeloaders stealing their entertainment from the frustration and pain of others.
”My point, Linqian, is that if I thought we were doing things the wrong way, I'd have kept it hidden from you, and the only thing you would've heard is that he was magic. Also my idea for him to tell you in the first place…”

“She's got my dad's number, I defend him and I get a beating when I get home,” Louis said with a shrug. “But he's been real chill, Linqian, nothing dangerous.”

”Right! It's been super safe, if anything, Greyson's made it safer- remember that one time we all went to a range for fun and I kept doing stuff the instructors couldn't stand? Well he doesn't let me do any of that!” Henri put both Linqian and Greyson down, turning to her with a pleading expression. ”He’s right! I wasn't going to tell you because I didn't want you to have more to worry about…”

”Fine! Fine.” Linqian let out a hissing breath, stepping back again and tilting her head back. Fuck, she wanted another cigarette, but that would mean going back outside. Just because she was calming down didn't mean she was done talking. ”I understand. I'm still not fucking happy about it, but I'm not going to beat your asses over it. It's as safe as bringing my little brother around any mafioso could be… and you fucking told me about it, even if it was a week.”

”Yeah, yeah, that's right, Jie! And you're real hard to tell stuff sometimes, yknow, you get all mad! So we can move on-”

”We’ve still got plenty to talk about,” Linqian cut him off with a sigh, before also pointing at Louis. She just looked tired more than anything now, as her explosive temper dimmed like it always did, quick as it came. ”You go home. In fact, go to the bar, cover Sophie’s shift so I have one less thing to worry about.”

“Well I know when I'm not welcome!” Louis joked, hopping up. He went over to Henri first, patting his shoulder and leaning in. “Good luck explaining the beers without me.”

Then he disappeared in a blink of green and purple, leaving the three of them.

”They're not mine,” Henri said immediately, pointing to the beer cans.

”Oh, Henri, what the fuck… You gonna sit and lie to two troublemakers? Who ‘you foolin’?” Greyson lifted a hand and swept it forward, his eyes narrowing in judgement of Henri’s fibbing.
”Who cares, man? A couple beers at eighteen ain’t gonna kill you. But lying? That could definitely get you killed anytime. Now-”

Going into his pocket for another cigarette, he held the case up to Linqian and took a deep breath in order to light his own.
”Pay attention, because this is important: As far as what we’ve been doing goes? She knows. Some things we’ve talked about? Not so much. Private, man things… Not vulgar, but… We’ve got different emotions, and without your older brother, you ain’t had many people to talk about that stuff with. It’s fine, and that’ll always be between us. But, whatever is magic? You make sure she and I both know what’s going on at all times. We’ve gotta be on the same page: The three of us. So, how do you feel about moving out of your house and into a new one with me?”

”Got it- wait, what?! Like- like with just you?!” Henri's mouth fell open, shock quickly coming after the relief that Greyson hadn't shared any of those private things they'd talked about… the magic and what they'd been doing was fine. He was glad it was all out in the open. ”I’m not sure…”

Linqian took a cigarette with a frown, but didn't actually light it. She didn't like smoking around Henri - he was the reason she'd been able to almost quit in the first place, even if Jinhai's death had sent her right back to doing it far too much again. ”I’m moving too. Me, you, Greyson, Britney and Aryin… remember I told you about her, you'll meet her tomorrow anyway.”

Henri scratched his chin as he thought about it. ”Well, if Jie's going too and she's already agreed to it! I love our current place but it's not got much space… and living with more people will be fun!”

”You have the largest room in the house- And it's for safety, not fun,” Linqian rolled her eyes.
”We’ll move back when everything's over…”
”What about Ge? He's still…”
”Hopefully we can have a proper funeral before then,” Linqian said, in a much quieter voice, with a sigh. It was easier for her to talk about when there was still the occasional comment from not real Jinhai in her mind, but the reality of her brother's ashes sitting in her closet was never a fun one to have brought up.

”That was also something… I know the last thing Jinhai would’ve wanted was me picking up the tab for his funeral, but every bit of my blood feels uneasy not having him properly rested. We may never have liked one another, but that doesn’t mean I can’t respect him. Right? So, that’s covered. We’ll get that done as soon as you’re willing.”
Which was the same kind of truth Greyson had given to Henri at the outset.
”But, it’ll be fun too, Henri. A property I’ve been interested in on the bay opened up, so we’ll have direct access to the ocean. You’ll all have your own space, the rooms are big enough. Me and Brit’ll take the top floor, you and Aryin can have the middle, and Henri can take the suite in the basement… Or, whatever, you guys work it out, but there’s plenty of room. We could have more people in, and I still don’t think it’d be a problem.”

Greyson continued to look toward Linqian, taking a drag of his cigarette and ignorantly flicking the ashes onto the floor.
”We’ll all be close. You’ll have three of the finest Adepts in St. Portwell to teach you, and it’ll be a place where you can use your powers without worrying if other people are gonna be affected. And if it ever comes down to it, you’ll be able to help protect your sister…” he said, head turning slightly to Henri with an encouraging smile.

”I’ll need to talk to Sloane first- I'd rather not, but she did offer to pay for the whole thing and I didn't want to accept that,” Linqian said simply, deciding not to argue with it. At this point, she wanted Jinhai properly buried, rather than sitting in her wardrobe like he was right now… laid to rest in a place they could visit, near their parents.

”Oh, the whole basement?! That'll be so cool… I've always wanted my own room. Properly… I always had to share with Ge till…” Henri trailed off, hanging his head slightly. Linqian reached up to rub his shoulder.
”At least you always had a room. I slept on a couch for years.”
”... Jie, you're awful at comforting people!”

Though just like that Henri brightened, as if easily cutting himself off from going down the many heavy emotions that came with grieving.
“Oh, if they're as good as you are I'm sure I'll be learning even faster! I can't wait… I have loads of ideas for spells, I'm just not sure about how to do them. Don't worry, Jie, I'll get strong enough that you don't have to worry about anything."

”Aw, that's cute of you,” Linqian managed to laugh, reaching up to squeeze Henri's cheek with an eye roll.
”I’ll be able to fucking defend myself, thanks, but we do need to train more-” Henri turned his head away as Linqian spoke, coughing. She frowned, glaring at Edict.
”Can you not fucking smoke inside?! I'm not having that shit around him if we're all living together.”

Greyson’s head tilted back slightly, a small grin forming across his face.
”Brit don’t like it either… But this is my apartment. He’s magic Linqian… The cure for cancer is in there.” he said, pulling his free hand up to his temple to tap away at his head gently.
”But, when we all move in together, I will not smoke in the house. Because that’s right.”

He turned his body, beginning to walk further away from the two of them and on toward the fridge.
”You got any more pizza in there, Henri?” he asked very casually, trying to make sure he didn’t stick on anything for Linqian to get mad at.

”Well I fucking hope he's got a cancer cure, then he can fix the two of us after all our bad decisions,” Linqian snorted, folding her arms over her chest. She was pretty fucking hungry too, having only managed to snatch a piece of pizza before everything went to shit at the meeting. She looked at Henri expectantly.

”Uhhhh…” Henri went over to one of the pizza boxes on the floor and flipped it open. There were a few slices left, and he held it up towards Greyson with an apologetic smile. ”Didn’t put any in there, y'know how it is, we got big appetites! I'm still growing.”
”I fucking hope you're not, you've already outgrown everyone.”
Henri laughed. ”Oh, I bet Jie will cook something quick! Or I can order more pizza… But Jie's cooking is nicer and I'm still kinda hungry.”

”Hey!-” Greyson prodded, poking the slice of pizza at him as he pulled it from the box. ”-Your sister’s a busy woman: She’s not your personal chef. If anything, she’s been pretty cool about this whole thing, so you should think about how you can make that up to her. While we go work on something that needs to be done. Capice?” he asked, head tilting and eyebrows furrowed.

”But I only know how to make eggs…” Henri said.
”He didn't mean with the fucking food, idiot,” Linqian moved to Henri just to slap him around the back of the head, though there wasn't any actual force to it. She tilted her head towards Greyson with an almost grateful smile. Not that she minded cooking- in fact it was one thing she enjoyed that she still had- but it was different when it was demanded.

”Ohhhh! I get it, yeah, then, capice!” Henri's fingers formed an ok symbol and he grinned.
”I’m surprised she didn't yell at us for hours- uh, don't glare at me like that, Jie, I'll do something for you! I'll think really hard about it!”

”So long as it doesn't involve making more mess for me to clean up,” Linqian pressed a hand to her forehead, looking between them both.
”Since I've been pretty fucking reasonable about this all… but don't get any ideas and think you can get away with other shit, alright?”
”Yes, Jie!”
Linqian sighed, and turned to Edict. ”Let’s go get that other shit done then…”

Nodding her along, Greyson led Linqian up to one of the doors that he'd been very insistent about not getting opened. The first night she was here, he'd told her not to open it… But it was fine now. If he really was going to try and work with them, anything particularly nasty was all moot.
Entering in, it was clear the place was an office. A messy one, with books on books strewn about the desk and small table within. Coffee cups were full of cigarette butts, a fly danced around a rotting apple core sitting on the floor next to a full trash can. On the desk, three monitors sat with a pale pink glow playing off the wall they were facing.

Specifically, the monitors illuminated a massive cork board. It was full of notes, names, pictures taken surreptitiously. Ominously, Linqian would recognize herself in a picture secretly taken at the bar she worked at. She was behind the counter face half-obscured by her arm held up pouring a drink.
There was also a glass display case, and inside were some strange, ancient carvings surrounding a notebook that sat on velvet cloth.

”Henriiiii!?- he called out. ”If you wanna be useful, come take these cups and wash them for me.” he chided, scooping up the cups off the meeting table. His foot pulled out one of the chairs, and he nodded to Linqian.

”Sit, sit. Let me just tidy up.”

”On it!” Henri shouted back, practically running to the door to take the cups off of Edict without even looking at the room, and running back out.

”Fuck, if I gotta give you credit for something, it's getting him to do that. You have no idea how much I need to ask for him to get off his ass and do anything,” Linqian commented, sitting down in the chair Edict had pulled out. Her nose wrinkled slightly, and she had to really resist helping tidy up. It wasn't her place, it wasn't her mess, but that urge was still there. With Henri in and out of the room quickly, and likely to be out most of the time, she lit the cigarette Edict had offered her and finally started smoking it.

That's incredibly creepy.

As Linqian looked around her gaze landed on the very ominous, and creepy, cork board at the back. She stayed sitting rather than getting closer to read anything like the voice in her head wanted to. But she did point to the picture of her, turning to look at Edict with raised eyebrows.
”You couldn't have gotten a better picture for your creepy stalker wall? No secret cameras when we were fucking? Hell, a day I was better dressed at work would've done.”

Greyson looked a little embarrassed about it.
”I didn’t take it; I complained when I saw it too, trust me. Didn’t get your face well.” he shrugged, sitting down at the computer and pulling up a landline phone. Holding it up, he shook it.
”Y’know what’s great about magic? Anti-tapping. Leon’s little brother; real cock sucker, and not in a great way. But: Hell of a wiz with magical computer components…”

As Linqian had to sit there, he plugged in a number. There was a ringing, then a little more, then it ticked over into a woman’s voice.
”Lotus Root: Julietta speakin’. What can I do for you?”
”It’s me.”
”Dat don’ change my questions: What’chu want?”

Greyson laughed aloud, shaking his head.
”Can you prep some onboarding paperwork for a management position on the Farm?”
”You finally found someone?”
”Yep, yep. Here in St. Portwell.”
”Dey there now?”
”Yes…”

There was a click on the line, then the computer began making a great deal of noise. Tilting his head back, he brought his hand up to usher Linqian around behind the desk.
”If I die, this woman becomes your Boss… So, come here. Come meet my sister.” he explained to her.

Linqian pushed herself to her feet with a half eyeroll, taking another long drag from her cigarette before tapping it off into her own hand, cooling down the ashes before dropping them in the full bin on the way past.
”Any chance I can swap bosses in before death?” she asked as she came round the desk. One arm went round the back of Greyson's chair to let her lean on it as she turned to properly face the screens. She raised a hand in a half wave.

”Linqian Han. I don't have much experience in farm management, but I've done plenty of person managing in bar jobs.” Linqian spoke with a certain amount of politeness Greyson probably wasn't used to - she was certainly never that polite with him. It was reflexive when it came to some new possible higher up in a job… him and Andre were different, since she'd known them well before working for them. And she'd rather lose her job than have to be weirdly polite to him.
”Nice to meet you.”

On the other side, an incredibly beautiful dark-skinned woman with the thickest dreadlocks tied into a single tail that hung down her back. Her clothes seemed modest, but her smile was beautiful with her teeth in perfectly straight rows.
”Greyson… Whad’we say about ‘irin’ your beddies?”
”Naaaaah, it ain’t like that! I’ve known Linqian for a very long time. She’s absolutely the right decision.”

The woman gave a loud laugh, tilting her head back and snorting.
”M’playin’... You said… Sister, spell that shit- L-I-N-S-”

”L-I-N-Q-I-A-N H-A-N,” Linqian replied easily, squinting at the screen a little. She'd slept too little and been wearing contact lenses far too long, screens were a fucking pain… but she could see well enough to know the Greyson's sister was very attractive. Not that Linqian was going to fuck up what she had here for something like that.
”And I made him wait ten years, would've done it earlier if I wanted to sleep my way into money- and honestly, someone easier with that shit.” She was joking, of course, easing up a bit with the forced politeness she'd grown used to. Possibly not a good thing… for Greyson.

She laughed aloud again, snorting even harder than the first time.
”M’likin’ what M’seein’! Gaddamn Gal… Call me Julietta, family L’roq. Dis’ clod y’call Greyson is my half brotha… Lil’ shit.” she snickered.
”Y’ain’ gotta tell me nothin’ boutcha qualifications. Far as I’m concerned, until you’re out there, y’ain’ more than a donation. Maybe y’ll be worth it one day, but ‘til then, I’on know nothin’ bout nothin’. Buuuuut I look forward t’seein’ you provin’ me wrong, aye?”

”Jules, it’s extremely important that we make sure there’s a position for Linqian at the salary we agree on, even if things don’t work out at the farm. I mean it.”
”D’ja get ‘er fuckin’ pregnant, Greyson!?”

”Ha ha.” Linqian tilted her head up, telltale heat radiating off her body. Jinhai yelling inside her head didn't help dampen her reaction at all. She was fine with all the rest of it - she didn't expect to be respected for qualifications when she had none, even if being seen as a donation pissed her off a bit when she'd worked so hard to get anywhere in life… but it just meant more hard work to prove it again, as she always did.

But that shit? Really rubbed her the wrong way, even as she took a deep breath to calm down.
”Fuck no. If he did I'd be fucking getting a lot more out of him than a job.” Not that she would technically know, when it'd barely been over a week and with her cycle completely fucked from stress, lack of sleep and poor eating. But she was pretty fucking confident gut feeling wise.
”He’s gotten fucking attached to my little brother. If I'm sorted, then he's sorted. He's the only kid in the fucking picture, so I'm not taking this job just in name or any shit like that. I'll work for that salary wherever I fucking need to.”

Julietta clicked her tongue between her teeth.
”Peeeeeace, Sister. T’wan mean’ta be affront, aye? M’play too much, ‘tis the nature of the Lotus…”
Greyson giggled and laughed slightly.
”She’be aflame?”
”Yes, Sister. She’s a fellow.”
”Den sh’gets what sh’wants! We’ll set’cha lil’ brotha up too, get’chu both onboarded so we can start unloadin’ a bit more of this cash. Salary’s a great way to get it out t’people. ‘Ow long y’thinkin’ we be watin’ before ye gettin’ down here?”

Linqian's temperature lowered fully back to normal, and she frowned a bit. Aflame? Fellow? Some cult sounding bullshit… did they mean about her magic? Well, whatever. So long as she wasn't dragged into that shit she couldn't give less of a fuck.
”Don’t set my brother up. He's a college student, he'll be back in a completely different city next summer…” She held back from saying any shit about him having a future unlike her, because that was not the thing to say to the people she was getting a job from. Probably the best fucking job she'd ever have, and one she'd never qualify for otherwise. But it wasn't what she wanted for him.
”And honestly? I don't fucking know how long it'll be. Gonna be stuck here till-” she paused and looked at Greyson, raising an eyebrow.
”Does she know?”

”’Bout Daddy Doggy? Aye, ‘das grim shit! M’told young G he should be comin’ back t’me Islands t’be wit us, but what d’wa know?” Julietta threw her hands up into the air before clearly moving around on her mouse and keyboard.
”So m’don one then. And what’s the portion, Grey?”

Greyson looked sheepishly at Linqian.
”How much do you want a year? After taxes… We’re legitimate here, so you’ll get your tax paperwork every year. Don’t worry.” he explained.

Linqian looked back at Greyson, lips slightly parted and eyes widened. For once, she was speechless. It wasn't often that Linqian didn't have an instant response, even if it was a fucking awful one… but straight up being asked how much she wanted? Choosing her own salary? Fuck, he really was serious about all of this shit…
”One moment,” Linqian said, pulling out her phone. She swiped through the lockscreen, displaying a picture of her brothers, and opened up a spreadsheet filled with numbers. Mortgage, bills, Henri's money, all the debts… the amount she needed monthly, how much she earned, how much she still had to pay off. A number higher than it had started at thanks to interest… and a very large one at that.
”Fifty five… sixty thousand? Fuck, you can just ask me what I want. I can tell you what I need, and that's about it if I ever want to be debt free.” she didn't even look up from her phone, frowning at the numbers. That'd cover all the current bills, and Henri's rent when he moved back out… plus it'd pay off enough of the debt yearly she'd be clear eventually. But it was also more than double any salary she'd ever had.

Greyson narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t sure in that moment if she didn’t understand the question, or if her expectations of lifestyle were simply that low. His tongue rolled in his mouth as he tried to find words to use to convey what he wanted to say.
”A-a… A year? Fifty five, sixty thousand a year?"
Julietta knew to keep her mouth shut knowing full well that it was her brother’s money that kept their privateering lifestyle afloat.

”That too high?” Linqian lowered her phone to look at Greyson, head tilted. With the amount he'd given her so far it seemed pretty reasonable - it wasn't excessive, but she'd be comfortable enough, especially when she didn't have to support her brother anymore.
”You can cut it when Henri's out of college, I don't really give a fuck then.”

Greyson stared at Linqian another few seconds, his eyes not saying anything particular about his actual feelings of disbelief. Finally, he cleared his throat.
”Julietta… Please set our friend here up with the level benefit package, and shoot for a yearly net income of one hundred and forty thousand, please. A five year contract. I expect that to be upheld and renegotiated based purely on inflation and a standard three percent increase in perpetuity. Until, God forbid, the company dissolves. Is that understood, Jules?”
”In perpetuity, Greyson, aye.”

Greyson’s eyes turned back to Linqian.
”When you do finally get there, and you start doing everything you’re supposed to be doing well, and you think you deserve more than that? You come talk to me and we’ll work it out from there. I expect to have to make adjustments.” he said, holding out his hand to her and standing up.
”Deal?”

One hundred and forty thousand, one hundred and forty thousand, one hundred a forty fucking thousand. Linqian was in fucking shock. That was the kind of money she'd dreamed of Jinhai making one day… she had never wanted it for herself. Hadn't expected much of it to come to her either. How much was she going to have to be working for that money? Every waking hour? Well fuck, she'd do it.
”Deal.” Linqian reached out to shake Greyson's hand.

Immediately afterwards, it came up to press against her forehead.
”What the fuck am I supposed to do with that much fucking money? Fucking thinking I deserve more… what the fuck would I need more for. Fucking hell, Greyson, how much fucking work am I going to be doing? Fucking hell.” It wasn't even a lack of confidence that had her in so much shock so much as realism about her qualifications, and how much she'd ever been able to earn. Sure, she hoped to do management in bars or some shit sometime, but that'd barely reach the amounts she'd said.
Well, fine, she wasn't going to fucking dwell on it too much. If he wanted to pay that much, she'd let him pay that much.
”Don’t expect me to be any fucking nicer to you cause of this.”

”Justifiably, ‘tis a lotta work. Big job, lots of machines, probably a hundred employees. I’ss not just a tobacco farm, y’got the livestock and the bumpa’ crop. ‘Tings y’d not think about just imaginin’ a place we grow a plant in. Mostly, it’s the processin’ facilities, where we age the product and roll them smokes… Important shit, reason we can charge almost twenty bucks a pack n’ rich people still be buyin’ em.”

Greyson nodded his head, hand waving toward his sister on the monitor. The printer under the desk began to spit out pieces of paper one at a time as she transferred them to him.
”Once it’s all done, I’ll scan it back in and send it off to you Jules.”
”Take a few days: Do you need any dough for now, Linqian?”
”I can cover her for now, just make sure I get another infusion soon. Double it.”
”You got it, Lil’ Brother. Linqian, I’ll pick up y’number off the paperwork and contact y’when it’s all set. And, Greyson, the property?”
”All set?” Greyson asked simply, leaning in.
”I’ve already called the movin’ company for you.”
”Oh, good shit. Alright, I’ll talk to you soon then; give Momma my love and affection.”
”I will, I will. She ‘spectin’ you back down ‘ere before too long so get your shit up there takin’ care of, Baby. B’bye for now.”

And then the screen closed, Julietta’s face disappearing to leave a blank desktop background. The printer was still printing away below, making little mechanical noises as Greyson leaned back, a smile crossing his face as he looked at Linqian.
”You really don’t have a clue about workman value, do you… You know, families like mine got started working through Unions hundreds of years ago: We believe in fair pay by merit. God, I’m just sorry you’ve been getting fucked so hard your entire life. They could’ve paid you better for it.”

”Well sixteen year old highschool dropouts aren't exactly in high demand, I took what I could get, and kept doing it,” Linqian shrugged, turning around to half sit on the desk without actually touching any of the shit on there. If he had a problem with that… well he could fuck off, honestly. And then she'd move.
”Not like I had any fucking comparisons, and even if I did, most of my bosses wouldn't give a fuck. Couldn't exactly afford to just tell them to fuck off and walk out. The poor salary was hardly the worst I put up with, anyway… current place aside. They're really paying me best they can.”

Did it even fucking matter if Greyson thought they weren't? Probably not… not like they'd slighted him like that bar he'd burnt down had, or any shit like that. Wasn't a risk.
”You don't realise till you lose your parents how much fucking shit you need to ask them. Fuck, they weren't exactly sitting us down as kids and talking about that shit. Even Jinhai with all his fucking brains didn't know shit about ‘workman value' or whatever.”
Her lips pulled up into a half grin at inner monologue Jinhai's protest to that, pushing it down. If she'd really been underpaid her whole life, it didn't matter that much. They'd made it to here. Henri was healthy. It'd get better.
”But y'know, I got fucked hard in some pretty good ways in my life.” Of course, it wasn't Linqian if she didn't sidestep that more serious shit with a crude joke.

Greyson teetered on the edge of danger as his brain thought of every innuendo it possibly could. He choked on the Pink smog that drifted up through the veins in his throat and out his mouth in a little hiss.
”You can’t be talking like that with your little brother in the other room… Really kills the potential. I mean, I could lock the door, but that’d look fishy wouldn’t it?”
Clearing his throat again, he leaned downward and slipped the papers out of the printer. It was a solid stack of them, all neatly marked for Linqian to sign.

”Now, I know you don’t have a lawyer, so you’ll just have to trust me that I’m not fuckin’ you over with this contract… Or, you can take it home with you. Sign it as you like, give it back to me on the day we move you guys into the new place.” he offered, running it through a hole punch in sections before sliding an empty binder out and putting it all in for her. His hand held it out to her.

”Well you're gonna have to figure something out when we all move in together, cause I'm not censoring myself,” Linqian's lips pulled into a playful smile, before she laughed. She really wasn't going for anything today, anyway, as much as it was always fun. One time led to another time which led to a whole night, and less sleep. She really needed that fucking sleep tonight.

”You can't fuck me over anymore than I already have been… unless there's some fucking indentured servitude clause in there, that'd be real fuck.” Linqian took the binder from him, flicking through it casually. A lot of long sentences and jargon she didn't entirely understand. It was the kind of thing she would've had Jinhai go through with her before… but he wasn't here, and as smart as Henri was he'd probably never read a contract in his life. He'd just get fucking distracted anyway.
”I’ll trust you this once, since I said I'd try to. Not like I'll understand it any fucking more in a couple of days.” She held out a hand as she scanned through it, assuming he'd understand she was looking for a pen.

”Hey, I figured you could give it to… I don’t know, Anya Baksh or something, have someone with a brain read through it. But fine, you wanna just go for it, please- Fill in all the info between the lines, sign on any stars. I’ll… I’ll call Brit; we’ll get reservations for a nice dinner tonight. You, me, Henri, her… Fuck it, bring Aryin too.”

Daylight burned away every shadow on the ground, and all the clouds on the planet seemed to fear this place. It was truly a beautiful day in St. Portwell, and yet it could not have come at a worse time.

In an untouched portion of the fancier part of town, Jack dragged himself across an old dirt road. The old forest of sycamore trees did very little to block the sun, and nothing but grass and silence kept him company on his death march. His body was wracked with a mixture of numbness and the worst pain he ever felt in his life. The snake got him good, there was nothing remaining of his left shoulder, just a fountain of blood that refused to slow. His leg, albeit intact, was functionally useless right now. He couldn’t even feel it if he tried.

Everything hurt, and everything felt ice cold. The Stygian Snake turned back time once again, meaning no one was at the usual “forward camp” they used as a meeting spot. The coven had a hideout that they would be in right now, but it felt like a million miles away for a kid who was cut off from his magic thanks to the damn weather. It was too bright for him to teleport, and even if he could, he just might make the broken ribs in his chest worse.

His head was spinning so much that it hurt to look ahead. It was like a dagger being plunged into his temple, but Jack couldn’t stop. He wasn’t a corpse yet, but he would be if he gave up and stopped before finding civilization again.

Looking up again, sweat, dirt and blood marred his vision. His right arm felt like it was going to fall off from the cauldron’s worth of things plaguing him right now. Jack recognized a pale gray shape flecked with green to his left, a large rock that wasn’t far from the hideout.

Not far for those in a car, at least.

I have to keep going.

And so he continued onwards, scratching and clawing at the dirt with half of his willpower and waging war against his lungs for breath with the rest.

Every pull across the dirt road painted the ground further and further with a stroke of dark red, every breath threatened to escape and never come back. Jack was on fire and at the bottom of the ocean, and he could not tell the difference when he dared to look up to get his bearings.

Aryin had been dragged far in their pursuit of one of those damned Apparitions that the snake had brought to battle the night before. They chased it through the town, through the woods, back into the town and then back out into the woods. They felt like this particular apparition had mocked them during their battle before it got scared and ran off, and it was this mocking that drew the ire of Aryin. It was weak, it was pathetic, and it said that she hit like a girl. The…fucking…nerve. If that wasn’t bad enough, the monster was always one step ahead of them no matter how fast and hard they ran. It always got out of the way of any blast that Aaron would send its way. Aryin wondered if it was even real or if the fucking snake had created it in their head to pull them away from the fight.

What mattered now was getting back to the lair, checking in with the coven to see if anyone else saw what they saw, and if no one did gaslighting them into thinking the monster was always there and present. Today would be a good day if they could do that, today would be a good day if nothing else happened that pulled them away from their plan and…… wait, was that Jack? Aryin’s head tilted as she saw the tell-tale signs of a hot topic addicted teenager walking her way, and she could sense the depressive aura from here. He was limping and he was…

”Oh shit,” Aryin whispered, stopping their steps as they did, as they noticed the missing arm and torrent of blood coming out of it. ”Oh shit,” they repeated as they felt their chest tighten and their heart rate increase. It was just a momentary hesitation before they took off in a sprint running as fast as their feet could carry them to their friends' side. ”Jack what the fuck we need to get you help,” Aryin said as they stopped and exclaimed the wounds, eyes wide with fear. ”Oh shit, guess who is getting carried? This emo kid who is about to bleed all over me!”

Initially, he didn’t even realize Ayrin was there until he felt his body moving. Unsurprisingly, blood sloshed off of his clothes and all down Ayrin’s arms and legs. His head rolled back as if he were unconscious.

All he could do to respond to Ayrin was wheeze and lazily open his eyes to look at her. There was no focus in those eyes whatsoever, just the threat of finally going to sleep.

”Oh no you don’t you fucking twink,” Aryin shouted as they picked up the pace and ran faster and faster and faster still. One of the benefits of their magic was their near-unlimited stamina, which allowed them to run as fast as their muscles allowed. They carried Jack along the old dirt road, never leaving the road until they hit the main road that would then carry them straight to the old mansion.

Consciousness eluded him further, being jarred around in Ayrin’s arms did not help with that. At one point or another, the world around him faded to black, and Jack was out cold.

---

Aryin burst through the door to the hideout and looked around for any of their healers. Fuuuuuuuuuck there were none in the front area of the mansion which meant that they’d have to carry this bleeding asshole all the way to the left wing of the mansion to the healers room. Already eyes were on the two of them as the coven watched in horror as the life began to fade from Jack. Aryin took off in a rush towards the room, shouting at everyone to get out of the way and to make room as they did. After a few more moments they burst through the door and spotted their healers who were already busy tending to the other wounded from the night before.

”He’s almost gone!” Aryin shouted to the room and was instantly met with initially angry eyes before shock, and fear took over. A second later a pair of hands grabbed Jack from Aryin and put him down into a bed as they began to work their healing magic,

The healers didn’t have an easy job with him. There was nothing remaining of Jack’s left shoulder, or the last two inches between it and his chest. His left leg was snapped in two places upon further inspection, and he had various skin-deep wounds all over his body. Some were deeply bruised from particularly violent attacks. He also had a pretty nasty concussion, indicated by cracks in the back of his skull that the healers had to treat carefully.

And there was the fact that he had lost a lot of blood by now. Enough that he had passed out before getting indoors.

They were able to stabilize him eventually, but Jack was going to be in absolutely no condition to get out of bed for a few days. Over the next few hours, they kept a close eye on him as he drifted in and out of a blurry consciousness. It was like fog rolled over his mind, and he was neither fully asleep nor fully awake. The healers could not leave him alone for more than a few minutes at a time, or else Jack might not ever wake up.

Aryin was one of the people who kept a close eye on Jack. They were still covered in their blood soaked clothes as were their arms and chest, and they couldn’t help but shift uncontrollably due to the emotional nature of her race against death. If he hadn’t been as fast as he was, or if she tripped and fell on his face, then Jack would be dead. Just another dead friend on the growing pile that had begun to build in the hearts and minds of everyone. She had spent this entire war protecting her friends, and Jack was yet another friend that nearly died despite his efforts. “Don’t you die,” Aaron whispered to himself as she watched over Jack, ” You fucking twink.”

Quietly, someone walked into the medical wing of the building, and laid a gentle hand on Aryin’s shoulder. ”Knowing him, he’s seen worse.”

Reza sat down in a chair next to her and across from Jack. He looked to be at peace, no doubt worried about Jack just as much as she was. ”I came as soon as I could, they told me you got him here just in time. He’ll pull through, and you did good.”

”I did good,” she paused as she scoffed, “the difference between him being alive and dead was the difference of single step over and over again” Aaron paused as he looked at Reza with tears in his eyes, ”I had to be perfect,” Aryin paused as she swallowed a cry, If I made one mistake his wounds would’ve gotten him. I don’t know if I can do it again. Keep doing that again without making a mistake.”, Aaron paused as he wiped the tears from his eyes, ”I don’t know if I can do that, be that savior again. I just don’t.”

He scooted over and put an arm around. ”It’s easy to feel that way, isn’t it?” He asked, gently. ”That your race has been run, like you’ve run out of things to give? I know that feeling. There’s nothing that brings a person down more than that. But you aren’t alone. The strength of this coven is its people, not one person. You made it here with him and saved his life. Don’t be too hard on yourself, you’re worth better than that.”

Aryin took a deep breath as he let his head rest on the side of Reza’s. Reza was right. While things like this were hard, scary, and impossible in this fight against the snake, they had the support of a great group of people who were fighting and dying to save the world. If anyone could support them as they did everything to protect everyone it would be someone found in this coven. “The fate of the world is on our shoulders. We’re just kids, and we’re forced to suffer through this,” she pointed towards Jack with his arm, “it’s not fair.”

”I know, there are so very few fair things in the world.” Reza was talking from experience, it was how had come this far to St. Portwell in the first place. ”But things will be better, one day. They’ll be better because of us. We fight today so we don’t half to once we overcome this.”

He believed in everyone, and he had to. It was part of him. ”When this is behind us all, we’ll make everything fair together. I promise.”

”I hope so,” Aryin stated as she finally fully saw just how much blood covered her body. Her shifting had finally slowed enough to allow her to focus, ”will you stay with him? I need a shower and some sleep before tonight.”

Reza nodded. ”Of course I will. Go on, and rest afterwards. And I don’t mean just physically.”

”Is he still alive?” Another person joined them, voice coming from the doorway. Jinhai leaned against the wall, eyebrow raised, eyes on Jack. He didn’t look particularly tired, but most of his night had been spent directing others rather than on the frontlines. ”All other stragglers have been collected, we’re moving to the ‘day shift’. I’m in charge today…”

He trailed off, eyes narrowing at Jack. ”Making sure no idiots go chase after the Snake in other worlds.”

“Our healers are good so I think so,” Aaron paused as he cleared his throat. It was evident that she had cried recently. ”I was lucky to find him when I did.”. Aryin moved towards the doorway and gave Jinhai a weak smile before he headed towards the shower and the sleep she needed.

”He’ll live. I’ve gone over his escape plan dozens of times before with him, when he goes out,” Reza told him, beckoning for Jinhai to come over and stop being shy in the doorway. ”He knew what he was doing.”

”Oh I'm sure he knew what he was doing going out without a radio and making it nearly impossible to find him,” Jinhai shook his head, with a dry smile. He came over to the bedside, leaning over it to stare at Jack with narrow eyes, ring on his finger glowing slightly. ”But correct, he'll live. But I'm worried other hotheaded idiots will try to follow in his footsteps.”

”I always make him bring a radio when he goes on these missions. But the fact he didn’t use it tells me he must’ve lost it, or it was damaged.” Reza leaned forward on his sword, resting the end against the floor in its scabbard. ”Besides, who else would even consider doing something like that, and actually have the magic for it?”

”There are plenty of other Purple lux users. Drake, if he put his mind to it,” Jinhai pointed out, moving away from the bed to lean against a wall. ”Reckless enough with access to the magic, and he’d drag people like my sister along.”

”True. But, I don’t think Linqian would. And Drake wouldn’t be subtle enough, have you ever seen someone hide with a sword made of lightning?” he commented. ”I do agree, though. Sometimes I wish he’d at least try to teach his spells to others. He’d be great at it if he could find the-”

At last, Jack stirred awake, with a groan of pain.

”...Time.”

”Is it time for round two already, Snake?” He opened his eyes and looked around like he had just woken up from being blackout drunk. Everything was blurry. ”Is that you, Jinhai?”

”And he’s awake,” Jinhai chuckled, leaning forward again, hand moving in front of Jack’s face. There was a light glow around his ring as he cast a green lux health check spell again, and more basic healing. Enough to help with his vision, perhaps. ”Yes. Me and Reza are here. How are you feeling?”

”Numb. Like I just passed through a tundra. A few pounds too light…” He blinked and looked down at what used to be his left shoulder and arm. ”That’s not coming back, is it?” He asked, a dry smile crossing his face as if it was funny.

”No, it’s not,” Jinhai replied with a light laugh, as if going along with the joke. Then his eyes narrowed, and his tone turned more serious. ”Do you have any idea how lucky you are to be alive? You’re a fucking idiot, Jack. If Aryin hadn’t chased an Apparition too far, you’d be dead. You’re lucky it was just your arm.”

Reza quickly pulled his phone out to send Aryin a text: He’s awake.

”Well… You’re welcome,” For someone as intelligent as Jack, he wasn’t seeing the fact that it objectively was a crazy thing to always be spying on the Snake. ”It shifted time back again, that’s why I went out. I still have notes about what was lost in the shift as usual. Someone has to.”

”Not alone. You die, then what? We’re already lacking people who can teleport- your suicide missions arent helpful. You’re just giving us more problems!” Jinhai tilted his head back, hand coming up the bridge of his nose. ”This is a team effort, not something to boost your ego with.”

”How many teleporters, of the ones we have, could’ve teleported through a time funnel? Other than me? Drake’s teleportation is too erratic, Kenshiro’s would take too long, and he would run the risk of being caught in the gap.” He looked up at Jinhai, not exactly brimming with confidence but still sure of himself.

”It doesn’t make us any less worried, though.” Reza stood up and walked up to the bed, taking Jack’s hand into his. ”You’re alive, that’s what matters.”

”All of that is why you’re indispensable, so start acting like it,” Jinhai sighed. ”Reza’s right… you’re alive, and you won’t be going anywhere for a while.”

The assembled group would hear a commotion starting far away. It just sounded like pottery shattering on the ground, before a muffled pair of voices entered the shuffle of sounds. Move, move get out of the way were heard before an equally loud chorus of what the fuck- fucking bitch -you’re crazy . The sounds drew closer and closer before the towel clad Aryin entered the room. He was shifting uncontrollably again, and she smirked. She had two towels on, one tied tight around his waist and a second wrapped across her chest. The towels, formerly white, were stained deep with the blood of Jack that Aaron had only just started to scrub off. ”You fucking bitch.”. Aaron paused as he laughed a hearty laugh as he leaned against the door frames.

Jack blinked slowly, grinning at Aryin and all the blood they were covered in. ”You look terrible.”

Aryin grinned before her jaw dropped ever so, ”you should see the other guy,” Aryin paused as tears welled in her eyes, “I’m glad you’re back with us,” Aryin paused as she walked across the room and gave Jack a big hug. ” Promise me you will be more careful”

”Yes, promise that you'll be more careful,” Jinhai echoed Aryin, fixing Jack with a hard stare.

”I am always ca-“ Jack’s answer was a pained choke as he felt his ribs sliding around under his skin when Aryin hugged him. ”Careful. But I’ll keep being careful, if that’s good enough.”

”Be more careful-”

”I heard that Jack's- oh fuck, Aryin, you kill someone while showing? It's a good look.” Linqian barged into the room, curls practically bouncing with the way she ran in. She screeched to a halt before properly crashing into Jinhai. ”Fuck, Jack, you've lost an arm!”

”What? Me? This?” He moved a shoulder that wasn’t there anymore. ”I’ve had worse,” he said, bluntly.

”We get worse every night, eh?” Linqian laughed, leaning over to slap Jack on the still existing shoulder.

”Linqian, seriously?” Jinhai hooked an arm around his sister’s neck and pulled her back.

”Ow.”

”Fuck off, Jinhai, what is it they say- laughing’s the best medicine? Some shit like that,” Linqian rolled her eyes, before pointing at Jack. ”Don’t go fucking almost dying again, you piece of shit.”

Aryin walked over to Linqian and punched her in the arm. “Someone tried to sneak a peak. I had to do what I had to do.” Aaron looked back to Jack and rolled his eyes. “You would’ve been worse if I wasn’t in the right place at the right time. With that said, I gotta hand it to you. You’re always ballsy as fuck.”

No one said anything for about five seconds. Instead, they just stared at Aryin.

A cough was heard coming from somewhere in the room.

”This is nothing. I’ll be fine. You think this might slow me down, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Watch.”

He pointed to where his sleeve and shoulder used to be, and now there was a flickering shadow in its place, shaped like the limb that the Snake was currently digesting.

”Problem solved.”

“You’re a problem.” Aryin chuckled to herself. The shifting had finally gotten itself under control and she laughed a little bit harder. “Don’t do that to me again, okay?.”

”I’ll try. For now, I can’t feel my left leg, so I’ll be stuck in this room for a few days. So, here…” Jack reached into his bloodied clothes and pulled out a notebook that was somehow only slightly smeared red.

”Updates on what was lost in the last rewind, before the Snake bit me. Reza knows how to read this if you need his help and I’m not awake.”

”You’d better not be awake if I come in here, Jack,” Reza chuckled, squeezing the edgy Adept’s hand.

“Good. You better listen to Reza, or else,” Aryin paused as they cracked their knuckles, “I am going to get clean, and then get some sleep. Rest up.” Aryin waved to Jack and walked out of the room. A few seconds passed before she ran back in, punched Linqian in the arm, shouted “BITCH,” before running out of the room again towards the showers.

”HOE!” Linqian yelled back, managing to wrangle herself out of the chokehold Jinhai had put her in.

Jinhai rolled his eyes. He then held out his hand towards Jack. ”Why don’t you hand it over so we can go through it with Reza, and you’re not tempted to stay awake.”

Jack handed it over to Jinhai. ”I’m not very tempted to be asleep right now, either. But I’ll behave myself… Perhaps, at least.”

Reza fixed a weary smile on him. ”I’m glad you made it, but don’t let me catch you sneaking out tonight, okay? You’re on house arrest.”

”If you say so,” Jack grinned. ”Sorry about the scare, but it takes more than a demigod to kill me. And on the bright side, now I have a new spell idea to work with. I’ll be alright.”

Jinhai took the book and tucked it under his arm. ”We’ll post guards around your room if you try leave. Actually, we’ll leave Linqian here to keep you company if you don’t think you’ll sleep. You can tell her all about your new spell.”

”What the fuck, no fucking way, you can go to hell, Jinhai,” Linqian kicked her brother’s shin. ”I’ve been hauling ass all over the city all night fighting that bastard, you keep him company.”

”I would love to, but we need to go through everything that was lost.”

”The worst of it was Hagan walking into a trap, which was reset, and Goro losing progress on his newest artifact. Hagan goes out at 7:30pm tonight, and a hydra ambushes him. It comes from the tourist district and-“

Reza cleared his throat.

”…You’ll see what I mean.”

A gasp could be heard from the doorway. “You okay, Jack?” Michael asked as his eyes remained wide at the sight of the shadow arm thing.

”Michael?” Jack looked over and smirked again. ”I will be, once I replace my lost limb,” he said without any reverence for the traumatic experience.

“That……looks painful,” Michael squirmed in place. A moment later five crows burst into the room and swooped around Jack as if they were examining the wound for the the themself. They rested on the surrounding area after a short while.

It was painful. Jack felt his arm despite losing it an unknowable number of hours ago. But the wound had been sealed up and taken care of. The shoulder was gone, there was a recess where someone’s bones should’ve been. But he was fine.

”I will be fine. Our coven has good healers.”

“Goo…good” Michael said with a sigh. He rubbed his neck with his hand, “Do feel better, Michael said with a half smile as he walked out of the door, and his crows soon followed.

Reza turned and left, smiling one last time at Jack.

”You’re crazy, you know that?”

Jack grinned, feeling so smug.

”Where would any of you be without me?”

---

Aryin could not stand to stay around the others after that disastrous meeting. It was a complete waste of time for everyone, it was a complete waste of time for Greenwood, and it was time that Aryin would rather spend doing anything else but this. Aryin walked through the streets, her steps echoed off the sides of the buildings and people scattered around her less they dare challenge the wrath of a person walking with vengeance at their back. They walked for several minutes before the walked past the old mansion that served as their home base ten years ago. Aryin continued past it before their steps slowed to a stop. She took a few steps back in order to get her eyes on the ruined structure. A tear welled in her eyes. Aryin was not bound by their dead friend's trauma, she had risen above it, she made herself stronger because of this. And yet she’d never been to the mural.

It was time to actually visit an old friend. It was time to reaffirm her commitment to this coven.

Aryin walked around the outer perimeter of the mansion, her eyes darting around the yard. Memories flicked into her mind of carrying Jack who was bleeding out, of practicing her joint spells with Linqian, and being chased by Lila’s crow after she accidentally ate some of the snacks Lila brought to feed them. Aryin smiled at the latter two memories, but the first was related to the person she came to see. Aryin finished wrapping around the building and saw it for the first time in nearly a decade. The tree, that beautiful tree, still stood strong even ten years later. As well, Aryin gasped at the beauty of the flowers that surrounded it. Someone had spent so much time and effort to make this peace as serene as possible. Aryin smiled. Their past may be marred by trauma and loss, but they did well at honoring their dead. Aryin took several steps forward but soon stopped as she finally saw the letters engraved on it. Tears began to well again, and she wiped them from her face

Aryin walked all the way to the mural and began to drag her finger down the list. She had long since forgotten what the code words meant, vaguely remembering that the animals were somehow related to the lux, and the trees to the role, but the extent of which was lost to time. As she reached the end of the list she gasped. She did not remember the code name she was looking for. Aryin tried to search the mural several times more before a few tears finally escaped her face. Instead of leaving, instead of hating her memory, Aryin committed to a new plan. Aryin sat down in front of the mural and cleared her throat and took a deep breath. She looked up at the mural with a smile.

”Hey everyone,” Aryin paused as she used her arms to pull her knees close, ”I hope that you are all still proud of us. I’m sorry it’s only my first time coming to see you.”

”They would be, if they were still here.”

This mural had no words for her. It had no solace to offer Aryin, just cold depictions of a time that will never return. But she wasn’t alone. There was a faint sound of someone walking over grass, getting closer and closer as Jack came within view. He had left the meeting around the same time as Aryin, and it had gone great until one crack in the glass showed itself. Beyond that point, it was downhill, between tempers flaring and a ghost from the past making itself known. Jack was considering it a win regardless. After all, he was the reason that meeting happened in the first place, but the others just couldn’t last one meeting without going for the throat.

”It’s hard to believe that,” Aryin used her hand to pat the ground next to her, inviting Jack to sit down, ”Hi Jack. I came by to see Reza but could not remember his name. Figured I’d try and remember as many as I could instead,” Aryin sighed as she returned her arm to the outside of her knee.

Jack kneeled down beside her, and pointed to one of the names. ”This one. Reza Cabrerra… Hero of the World Tree,” he read, remembering carving the name into the tree himself, back then. ”Fitting for him, I felt.”

”I forgot how to read our code names, who was what animal,” Aryin looked to where Jack pointed and squinted, ”hi,”

”The animals were symbolic of Adepts. Crows for black Lux, a tortoise for green. A snowy owl for white… The Aberrations were different, their names were simpler. Reza was named a Hero of the World Tree, because he was just that, a hero.”

”Is that how we did it,” Aryin chuckled at that mural and tried to remember what his friends' animals were. He wanted to see, alongside Reza, Ella. ”It’s easy to forget we were kids back then. Yet when you see that codename system, and how obvious it was, it’s like bam, only a kid would think of something like that,”

He nodded. ”We had families to hide from. They would never know, and it was a cruel world we lived in. Us, the weight of extinction, and a demigod bent on enacting it,” Jack mused aloud, staring up at all the names.

”The All-Verse is infinite, one cannot quantify the universes it holds. And yet, each and every one of them had all been in danger. If the Stygian Snake won against us, darkness would have befallen every corner of creation. We saved them all, more places, worlds and realities than we will ever know… Some things were best kept from our loved ones.”

”It was better to keep them in the dark,” Aryin said as she looked up at the mural. ”Do you remember which one was Ella?”

”Sun Conure of the Manchineel. Towards the bottom,” He said, pointing to her name. ”Every last one is here.”

Aryin emotionally swapped to Aaron at the sight. Their red flannel was now a bit too big, and their once oversized jeans now sat snugly on his waist. “Hey Ella,” Aaron said as he stared at her name, “I am sorry this is my first time coming to see you. I wanted to let you know I still carry a part of you with me. I still do that thing I learned where I, like some fucking anime dweeb, announce all my attacks before I send them. And,” Aaron paused as a weak smile spread across his face. “I think, I think I learned how to do that ‘Falcon Punch’ idea you had before,” Aaron paused as he looked down, “well, you ended up on a mural. I just miss you so so much, I miss all of you. This coven is missing something, and I often wonder what would be different if you were still here.”

Aaron looked over to Jack and asked, “if you could say anything to Reza, what would you say?”

Jack glanced at Aaron, and looked back at the mural. ”That I never forgot the time I spent together with him. That I never will.” It was a question he had asked until it could not be asked anymore. A question that he carried with him as he pressed deeper and deeper into the Void, as if he’d find the border.

”Wherever he has gone, I know he rests easy, and that is enough for me.”

“Do you remember the time I literally had to outrun death carrying you,” Aaron smirked as he remembered one of his hardest saves, “Reza was the first one there after the healers got you patched up. He was so wise as a kid. The strength of the coven was in the people, not the individual. Blew my mind back then, helped me fight harder to support everyone. What would he say right now, with everyone being this fucking awful,” Aaron sighed, “I’ve always felt that the snake took our heart, and without that heart,” Aaron paused as he looked at Ella, Reza, the rest of the magical girls, and finally the mural as a whole, “how will we accomplish anything like that victory again?”

”We will find it again, Aaron.” Jack had learned things from his descent into oblivion, wisdom that carried him further now. ”There are infinite possibilities in the world of magic, but something so very few people in life come to truly understand is that nothing is permanent. Everything has its season, and will not last forever.” Even in the Void, there were scarce traces of reality. Figments of entropy that had bled through the cracks, like the Shadowzone, as ruined as it was.

”Not life, not fortune… Not love,” he continued. ”But endings, too, are finite. Even darkest Winter gives way to brightest Spring in time. With each passing day, this infighting wanes, as all things do. We will find our way home, as we have found our way back to St. Portwell.”

“I want to find it soon,” Aaron joked as he wiped another tear from his eyes, “if not for us then for them,” he paused as he looked for the mural. “I haven’t felt this connected with my magic since a decade ago, and I think that’s because I’ve been back with everyone. I don’t want to lose this family again, you know?”

”Of course not. And neither do I. But old wounds must be healed before others are willing. Some of us have moved on, and these things take time, therefore. I learned, from my time in the Void, that all roads can lead to a place you once thought forgotten, if you walk far enough.”

“I feel that. I have some of that bad blood and it’s not my place to fix it,” Aaron said in reference to, “what if we try to bring the various groups together on an individual basis? Lila is right, we’re better in our small groups but I want us to be together again. As a whole. Without them realizing that’s what we’re doing.”

”We worked best when distanced from one another as children,” Jack pointed out. ”We all knew where we stood, it is not different now.”

“It sure feels different, Aaron said as he stood up, “I just don’t want to feel like I’m constantly losing, you know?”

”No one does.” Jack also stood up. ”But we are relearning our old ways. Give them time, it will all fall into place.” He knew this, and knew it was correct because it had to be.

“I don’t suppose you have any special alcohol you’ve found on your hero’s journey, have you,” Aaron said as he chuckled. He could use a drink.

”…I do, now that you mention it. I tend to hoard things that are good for gatherings. Not that I ever have a use for it.”

”Want to have a drink? To toast our friends, to commemorate the alliance you built, and to help with your hoarding problem,” Aryin said as they placed a hand on his shoulder, ”you fucking twink.”

Jack grinned. ”Certainly. Follow me,” he said, opening a doorway to the Eleventh Path.

---

”Faith,” Aryin said as she threw her arms around Faith's shoulders and hugged her from behind. Aryin was wearing one of Jack’s trademark coats, and she quickly turned around and grabbed Jack by the shoulder and pulled him to the table and pushed him into a chair. There was no chance she was going to let him miss out on some socialization outside the coven. ”Faith thank you for inviting us out,” Aryin said as she giggled as she sat down, ”you all should’ve seen the place we just came from, mind fucking blown. Oh. OH. This is my good friend Jack, Jack from the coven! He nearly died ten years ago and we’ve been besties since. This is Faith. Lori, and Thomas. They’re really nice Jack.”

Jack didn’t resist getting pushed into a seat… He didn’t remember this place existing back when they were kids.

Faith had invited Aryin to The Flying Dutchman. It was a small dive bar off the beaten path frequented by paranormal beings. It was kept safe for the blind and the one eye open by an adept who could sense a person's lux. If there were creatures inside they would be turned away. It was a rough bar, it was a crude bar, but it was a safe and queer bar. The vibe was also more relaxed and laid back than any other queer space in St. Portwell.

Faith looked at Aryin and chuckled. “You’re drunk already?” Faith was wearing a simple fit, a black bralette and a black puffy jacket on top, and jean shorts and tights on bottom.

Thomas smiled as he looked at Jack, extending a hand towards Jack’s good arm. “Thomas, pleasure to meet you.” Thomas wrote a simple striped sweater, black skinny jeans with a chain that fell off his left hip, and red converse.

Jack took the hand and shook it. ”Jack Hawthorne.”

“Sick arm,” Lori said as she leaned in close. She wore a simple overall over a colorful striped sweater, “how’d you lose that?”

”The Stygian Snake swallowed me whole, so I cut my way out of its stomach. I didn’t leave in one piece.”

Faith raised an eyebrow, and then raised a hand into the air and summoned a waiter. “Put his drinks on my tab.” Faith looked over the arm and then the man it was attached to. “So, you mean to tell me that you cut your way out of an all-verse threat and only lost an arm when you were, what, seventeen?”

“We might need to reconsider Octavia’s offer,” Lori said with a smirk, “that group would love to hear this story.”

“My liver can’t keep up with that group,” Faith said with a chuckle, “besides, despite your coven's best attempt to detail that meeting earlier it seems we are a part of the same alliance now. I want to be regaled by stories of a man who has seen so much.”

“How did the Stygian Snake eat you, and how did you not die,” Thomas asked, “and what do you drink?”

Jack leaned back in his sweet, resting his chin on his fingers. ”When we were in a war against it, I tracked the Snake across worlds to maintain awareness of time that was reversed. It caught me; I did not die because I have something of an advantage against creatures that prowl in the darkness; I’ll take a dark rum, thank you.”

“Cool,” Thomas said as he flagged down a waiter, “a round of a dark rum for the table, please,” Thomas waited for the waiter to walk away before he turned his attention towards Jack, “that was a lot of words that, individually, make a lot of sense. But together? So the war, and you tracked the snake across these words. What were those worlds like? I’ve never left shimmer.”

“Ask Alex,” Lori said as she finished her cocktail while she awaited the next round of drinks, “they can take you to a different world.”

“Nononooo. I do not like traveling through the art dimension,” Thomas paused as he looked to Faith, “what can we talk about?”

“Be open,” Faith said, “we’re all friends here.”

“The citizens of that dimension hate me, I can feel it,” Thomas said as he returned his gaze to Jack, “so. What are those other words like?”

”They were often in worse conditions than Shimmer, at the time. In Glare, I followed it to their version of Paris, which was overrun and no longer exists. Shade had a much more efficient analogue to the PRA, and they were able to defend themselves well enough,” Jack mused.

”Though, I did not stay for long. I preferred to follow it and move when it moved. It was safer, that way.”

“Fascinating,” Thomas said as the waiter returned with their drinks.

”He took a lot of risks, sometimes they paid off, sometimes they didn’t. But they’re a fucking hero if I ever saw one,” Aryin said as they grabbed a drink, their voice slightly slurred from the alcohol the two drank at the 11th path, ”yay,” she squealed as she grabbed her drink and took a big sip.

“Didn’t you go out just last night,” Lori asked.

”Shush,” Aryin said as she slapped Jack on the shoulder.

“So you saw all this death, destruction,” Faith said as she placed her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands, “and, as a kid, you kept following it. I have talked to my Sycamores and they told me tales about that time, it was a wonder any of you made it out.”

“What have you done since,” Thomas asked with a grin.

Jack didn’t answer immediately, but…

”I spent most of the last decade walking through the Void.”

All around the table everyone’s mouth dropped. Thomas was mid drink when he heard the word and immediately the drink fell from his mouth. Lori’s bow hissed from her violin case. And faith looked to Aryin with suspicion. They all heard the stories about the Void. No one wanted to ask the obvious questions, questions like how could one survive there? How can one remain sane after a day, let alone a decade? And would he be a threat? Anyone that wanted to hear more would be labeled a mad person.

“I would like to hear more,” a voice spoke from behind Jack, the sound of a chair being dragged across the floor soon . The man spun the chair backwards and sat down next to Jack, and then the man rested his arms on the back of the chair. The man had short, messy hair and glasses that seemed a decade or two out of style. He had a black and white vertical striped shirt, ripped black jeans, and entirely too many brackets on one wrist, and entirely too many rings on the other hand. “What was your average day like? Was the trip to the market better or worse than Shimmer,” the man paused as he realized there was something he forgot to say, “I’m Cyrus, pleasure.”

Jack turned around, taking a contemplating sip of his drink. ”There were no “days,” there. Time is a concept intrinsic to the All-Verse, not the space beyond it. One “day” in the Void is one and a half, or perhaps two in Shimmer.”

“Cyrus, you came,” Faith said with a half smile. “I didn't think you’d actually leave your little cave. And Hope? Was she going to come?”

“Of course I came,” Cyrus said with a half hearted laugh, “you just promoted me to the major league. I wouldn't miss my first night out as an official 317 member. Hope is on the way, don’t you worry.”

”Cyrus is a wizard with the camera, he runs a studio in the 317,” Aryin filled Jack in, ”he tends to be very sarcastic and dry with his sense of humor… and he can be a dick,” Aryin warned as she looked at Cyrus with a stern look.

”What, can’t a guy ask how another man survived in the void for ten years,” Cyrus paused as he placed his bracelet laced hand on Jack’s shoulder, “let me rephrase, how did you eat?”

”I didn’t,” Jack answered. ”There is no entropy in the Void, and time does not exist in the same way as the All-Verse. So I could spend years without food.”

“How did you avoid the pit on your journey to and from,” Cyrus questioned further.

”That, unfortunately, is a secret.”

“Alright keep your secrets traveling man,” Cyrus chuckled as he patted Jack on the shoulder, “how did you not go insane though?” Cyrus was asking questions that the rest of the table wanted to know, everyone had their heads firmly on Jack and seemed to hang on every word, except for Aryin. Aryin had her eyes on Cyrus with a neutral expression on her face.

”It takes more than eyes to see into the darkness,” Jack said, cryptically as fuck. ”Sometimes, the abyss gazes back. And sometimes, it is simply blind.” What did that mean? Who the hell knew?

“Fascinating,” Cyrus said as he looked over the rest of the group, he could tell that they were wanting to know more. They were practically hanging on each and every word that he had Jack spill forth. “But you must’ve faced threats? Anything memorable?”

Jack leaned away, and took a sip of his drink. ”Aside from being repeatedly banished back to Shimmer by the creator of reality, staring through the infinite eyes of the Denizens, and learning to navigate a place where direction is meaningless?”

”...A few things.”

”How’s enrichment feeling for you Jack,” Aryin said as she took a big drink.

“A decade away from Shimmer surely means its light shines brighter for you, no,” Cyrus continued Aryin’s question.

Did it?

”There are no shadows without the light. All roads lead back to it, it was only a matter of time before I returned. Not a question of if.”

“Well we’ll have to make sure that we enjoy you and your stories while we have them. Regale us some more funny magic man,” Lori finally erupted at a loud volume.

He took a contemplative sip from his glass. ”If I had known I’d be telling this many stories, I would have brought one of my books,” he joked. Jack had a book with him already. Granted, that book was his channeler, but it didn’t count. He wasn’t going to show something that important in front of strangers. ”Once, I had returned to Shimmer in another country, and a paranormal woman set me on fire in an attempt to learn my secrets.”

Cyrus leaned back off the back of his chair and scanned Jack from head to toe. “Well I’m glad to see you got better.”

“Shuuuush,” Lori said as she leaned forward, “deets, now!”

”She had, unfortunately, noticed me returning and stalked me for days. She was quite the power-obsessed individual. A chronomancer, no less… I despise time manipulation,” he explained. ”Imagine, if you will, being tied to a street lamp, drenched in kerosene and repeatedly immolated as time rewound until you broke. I did not.”

“That.. is awesome,” Lori said as the violin bow vibrated in the case.

“Painful,” Faith said as she took a deep drink.

“How’d you get away from a chronomancer,” Cyrus asked, though this tone was less playful than usual. It carried his honest intrigue at the situation.

”A simple task. Often, those who manipulate time are so fixated on one aspect of it, that they cannot see another. She dove into my past, expecting to find her answers there. By the time she had given up, I was no longer there.”

Jack was a vindictive trickster at heart. He played people for fools, outplayed them with his magic and laughed all the way to the bank. Umbramancy had its strengths, and one of them was making those shots in the literal dark land. ”And then, I teleported directly into her home, stole everything that wasn’t nailed to the ground, and left Shimmer.”

“I like this guy,” Cyrus said as he finally turned the chair the right way around and sat down again.

“What advice would you give a group of individuals who are going to be thrust into fighting for the first time,” Faith asked, “I’ve taught them all I could, Aryin has talked about the fights against the snake, as have Jasper and Aislin, but given your unique perspective I’d like to hear more.”

Jack leaned forward, thinking about the question. ”If you cannot fight directly, then do not. Cut the enemy’s legs out from beneath them, prevent their retreat. Avoid a direct confrontation if it is ideal. Victory is often decided by who has more options… Personally, I play tricks on my enemies.”

“And I turn my enemies into my tricks,” Faith said with a chuckle. “Let’s keep drinking. And I to know some more cheerful stories. Come, another round on me and let’s get to know each other more.”

” You should ask him to play some music. Another round,” Aryin laughed as she took a healthy drink to finish off yet another rum drink and got a healthy cheers in support from everyone else.

---

Jack had built the Eleventh Path with Kenshiro to be a place of safety. It was warmth, in a world where everything was cold. When his Lux flowed through for the first time, it was given out of love for those who were still on the Earth. He hoped, with a bit of effort and time, that it’d be a crossroads to bring back everyone who needed solace.

And now, all he could feel was loss.

He and Aryin had gone back, after a few more drinks, and now he was splayed across the couch in his room of the building. He stared up at the ceiling with his old, dusty guitar from better days in hand, as his hands recalled a song that Reza always loved. He felt empty, despite everything he had done in so little time.

At least she was here with him.

Aryin was holding strong. Despite the copious amounts of alcohol, despite the foolish decision to challenge Leon to a fight, despite getting the confirmation that the fight was on, despite a time remembering their lost friends, and despite that clusterfuck of a meeting Aryin was still holding strong. And then Jack started playing that song. Aryin swapped to Aaron and he sighed as he looked over the back of the chair he was draped across

“Was that the one Reza loved,” Aaron asked as tears continued to well in his eyes, “keep playing it.”

”I learned to play it… Just for him,” Jack said, and his voice was small. He kept going, thinking back to everything that had brought them together.

”It was only three months that we were all together. Three months, countless stories of life and death… There are gods in this life who search longer for something so priceless.”

“Three months that felt longer than the decade that followed,” Aaron joked as he wiped a tear from his eye. As the song kept playing Aaron found it harder and harder to stay composed. “I wish I would’ve appreciated the good that was there in those three months because I could really use some of that right now,” Aaron paused as he tried to laugh, “I wish I could’ve actually said goodbye.”

At the mention of a goodbye, Jack stopped playing.

And he laughed. It wasn’t a happy laugh, it was just an empty pantomime of one.

”…Goodbyes are such a cruel thing, wouldn’t you agree? Every time we say our farewells, we admit to ourselves that someone is never coming back.” There was a small crack in his voice.

”I left Shimmer because I believed that there was nothing left of us, did I ever tell you? Did I ever say my goodbyes to everyone who deserved to know whether I’d survive the Void? No. I left, and I never told anyone I’d be back. I have… Aaron, I remember nothing of my life from before the coven. Before that very same day Britney found me in a public library, tucked away reading books about pagan witchcraft,” Jack continued. ”I know nothing of who I was before I came to St. Portwell, or what circumstances introduced me to the paranormal. The- The earliest stages of my life were this coven…”

He craned his head towards Aaron. Long strands of black hair stuck to his face. He had tears dripping down his eyes. ”And even after Reza was killed, I abandoned you all.”

“You didn’t abandon us,” Aaron said to Jack in between sobs, “we should’ve been there for you,” Aaron paused as he matched Jack’s eyes, “I should’ve been there for you,” Aaron chuckled in between sobs, “I knew you were hurting the most near the end, and sure we were all hurting, but I saw that you suffered more than most, you know? But you leaving is not your fault. You were so alone at the end you went to the place you would truly be alone,” Aaron paused as he wiped the tears from his eyes, “It’s ours. Mine. I’m just glad you came back despite it all.”

“Goodbyes are a luxury,” Aaron said as he smiled, “and seeing friends grow old in spite of it is priceless.”

”I could have stayed Aaron. I could have rebuilt the coven with you, with Sloane, Drake- We could have found answers to 8th Street long before they wanted to kill us.” All things that Jack dwelled on for a decade, walking through the darkness before existence.

”There was nothing left of the Sycamore. I did nothing. Nothing. I surrendered, left you all to fend for yourselves. My own family.” Jack wiped the tears from his face with a hand. ”I… You were all the world to me. Every single one of you. I should have done more.”

“Oh Jack,” Aaron said as he stood up and walked across the room and pulled Jack from the couch and into a close hug. “You did the most already.”

He hadn’t been hugged since he was a kid. He let the guitar slide off him and onto the couch, and Jack just leaned into Aaron’s embrace, quietly, and rather drunkenly sobbing into his friend's shoulder.

”It is not enough,” He said. ”Not enough, until we are all safe again.”

“If this father wolf thinks he has a chance,” Aaron paused as he hugged Jack tighter, tears streaming down his face,“he doesn’t know that we’ve seen worse than him. Let’s do our old friends proud and make sure that our coven is safe again.

That was all Jack ever wanted. Everything he did. He did for them. He put his arms around Aaron and held him close, like he would disappear if he didn’t.

”…We will. I swear it.”

Reza would never come back, nor would Saskia, or Kari, or all the rest. But nothing lasted forever. They wouldn’t have to come back. Everyone would be reunited one day, in time.

And for today, that was enough.

---

---

Lynn returned from the possible future, eyes returning to normal, and shifted her head just enough to watch Sabrina pull the fire alarm. This was how this meeting would end. This is how this chaos would end. In a chaotic flourish this coven would leave this building and depart. No closer to finding their killer, no closer to finding Kari, and no closer to convincing the coven that her futures were useful. As she feared, but also as she had grown to expect. The only people who took her visions seriously were her close friends and even they did not stand up and voice their support for her. This day sucked. And as the alarm blared Lynn knew that she would need a God tier distraction, a distraction such as copious amounts of alcohol with a friend. Lynn ran through a short list of people she’d want to drink with and eventually she pulled out her phone and sent a single text to one friend in particular, Bianca.

“heyyyy. Meeting turned out to be a shit show per the usual. I need to get my mind off it. Want to grab a couple drinks tonight?”

Why do you do this to yourself, Lynn?

Lynn put her phone in her pocket before she looked around, making sure no one was watching, before she pulled out her trusty flask and downed a full flask worth of whisky. The taste was bitter and rough but she knew that a single drink this early into the night was not a problem. She did not have a problem. This alcohol was the solution to her problem and that was this crazy group of adult size children and the petty nature they carried. Hell, she could probably quit tomorrow if she wanted to if she was no longer around these corruptive fuckers and their stress. She grabbed a pack of gum from her pocket and started chewing on a piece. The wintergreen gum fought hard to fight off the lingering flavor of the whiskey, a battle that would last until Lynn got tired of chewing and spit it out into the trash. She pulled up another number on her phone and shot a text to the waiter from the day before.

“Heyyyyyyy. This is the girl from the restaurant you gave your number to. What’s your name and what are you up to tonight?”

Lynn turned around and found her people and remained on the edge of the group. Not because her breath probably still smelled like whisky, no not at all. She stayed on the edge of the group because tensions were high and she wanted to make sure she respected personal space. Totally.

Totally

And she didn’t feel the urge to drink some more. The warm burning sensation that lingered at the back of her throat and down to her stomach was the closest thing she could experience in her search for the warmth that love brought. She didn’t even consider pulling out the second flask that she always brought with her. Not even a thought crossed her mind as her hand reached into her bag and felt the cold metal that promised relief. Totally.

Totally

Lynn was totally in control. Totally. Now, and forever more.

A response came from Bianca after a short while.

From Bianca: That bad? It’s your lucky day, I’m actually off work - just text me a bar and I’ll meet you there!

Sick. Let’s meet at The Bar first and see where the night takes us. I’ll get an Uber and be there in 20.

Lynn looked at the group and threw on a fake smile. “Well that was a meeting. I’m going to catch up with Bianca, I’ll be home later,” Lynn paused as she flashed a more genuine smile at Jasper and Luca. “Don’t go too crazy without me tonight,” Lynn paused as she pulled up the Uber app and ordered a ride. Thankfully it was not long before the car arrived and Lynn hopped in and headed towards the night. Sadly, however, the driver was once again the same one from her first night.

“Oh hey, it’s you again! How are you Evelynn? Back in town again already,” the man asked which caused Lynn to grab the second flask and down it as well.

---

Lynn arrived and hurried inside. She had forgotten a winter jacket and it was already feeling cold outside. She was greeted at the door by a host who asked how many were in her party. She still hadn’t gotten a text back from the guy so she simply held up two fingers and was led to a small table close to the large windows at the front of the building. She sat down and looked at the menu and waited for her friend to show up.

”Heyyyyy, fancy seeing you here,” Bianca appeared pretty quickly, only a few minutes after Lynn got seated. She was dressed pretty casually, with an orange checked shirt open over a black bandeau top with wide legged jeans. She patted Lynn on the shoulder in a friendly manner and winked before sliding into the seat opposite her. ”I’m so fucking glad you asked me out - I was stuck helping at my parents shop, as if I get regular days off and just laze around with them. A drink is exactly what I need.”

“It seems we both had fun days today,” Lynn chuckled as she passed Bianca a drink menu, “tell me more about what sucked about your day and I’ll tell you what sucked about mine,” Lynn smirked as she scanned the menu and saw that they had a St. Porter on draft and Lynn quickly made up her mind on what she was going to get. “You hungry at all?”

”Deal,” Bianca laughed as she took her own menu, quickly looking through it and trying to decide whether to start on the beer or go right to the liquor… ”Fuck yes, definitely need some food. I’m no lightweight, but I want to make the most of my night off.”

”Don’t order any fish if you’re squeamish, because fish guts are a big part of why my day sucked,” she grinned, before waving over a server. ”I’ll have a Starry Flounder, and my friend will have…”

“A St. Porter draft please,” Lynn said with a smirk as she pulled out a food menu and passed one to Bianca as well.

“All right, I’ll let y’all look over that there food menu and I’ll be back right in a jiffy,” the water said with a smile.

“Only day off and your family kept you busy, eh?”

”Yup, as is the way,” Bianca rolled her eyes, leaning her chin on her hand. ”Fishing just doesn’t stop, and while my dad’s out the rest of the family’s selling it. The amount of fish I had to gut to sell today… you wouldn’t believe it. We buy ‘em from other fishermen, make them all nice to sell, then run a stall at the market. Pretty sure it’s ‘cause they’re still resentful I’m not taking over, like I don’t pay their rent. Hell, dad could retire and just do the selling part.”

She shook her head. ”Shit’s rough, and I’ve seen far too many dead fish eyes staring at me today… I’ll be having dreams of it for days. Makes me almost miss some of my more annoyin’ coworkers.”

“Not the pervert I hope,” Lynn grinned as she looked towards the bar and saw the bartender prepping their drinks, “what’s his deal anyway? He doesn’t read as ‘agent material’ like the rest of you. ”

”That’s the one!” Bianca laughed. ”Trevor- he’s a fucking three time trainee agent or something insane like that, but he’s an honest to god tech genius. Shame he’s incompetent in nearly every other way. He’s just weird- but you know what? He totally thinks he’s dating Anya or some shit like that.”

“Honestly I think that works perfectly,” Lynn paused as she smiled, “Please tell Trevor I’m so happy for him and that the future told me marriage is on the way.”

”Oh I will, they’re perfect for each other,” Bianca cackled. ”So, your turn. How bad was the meeting?”

“Where did it start,” Lynn paused as the waiter returned with their drinks, “So it was crazy. First, it was just a complete shit show with the way everyone was talking to each other. There’s so much fucking bad blood and it’s really coming to a head as things keep getting worse. We were just attacked by 8th not long ago and we were rattled. I get that but, I mean, it was too crazy even for that. Then the ghost of Alize showed up and tried to kill a few of us and resulted in a small fight. Then the ghost was apparently claimed by Leon and the temple and they’re going to adjoin the ghost to a fucking kid, well she’s an adult, but she looks and sounds like a kid. All the while Greenwood is pissed, Lila is ready to flip out, Luca got hurt, and then it just abruptly ended. Chaos. From start to finish.”

”That really doesn’t surprise me.” Bianca took a sip of her drink. The whole coven ‘reunion’ was always going to be a shitshow. ”There’s a reason it dissolved before… And I was there till near the end, I saw it all. But fuck, Alizee’s ghost, really? I sure hope she’s not as reckless as Alizee herself… I saw her get shot. It was shit.”

Bianca shook her head. ”Is Luca alright, at least? I always liked the little guy, real shit ghost he got stuck with.” you

“He’s good! He’s got a few ghost friends with him, and he has,” Lynn paused as she leaned in, “Jasper.” Lynn

”Oh?” Bianca leaned in too, lips pulling up into a playful smile. ”Is love in the air in the coven again? Honestly, I see it, they’d be so cute together… almost makes me wish I could be around just to witness it. I need some cuteness in my life.”

“Perhaps.” Lynn smirked as she took a drink, “honestly yeah, they’re one of the cuter pairings right now. Though there’s not too many as far as I can tell, but they’re really cute even If they haven’t actually gone on a date or confessed their feelings.” Lynn rolled her eyes while chuckling. “The cuteness can still be witnessed without coming around the chaos. I’ll have to invite you out next time we all do something.”

”Please do,” Bianca smiled. ”I don’t miss the chaos, but I miss some of the people- honestly, even with the chaos I’d come back, but work, y’know? I’m not allowed to. Conflict of interest. I’m doing my best to do what I can but… yeah. Please invite me, I need to bath in the cuteness and cleanse my daily suffering with it!”

“Oh for sure! We have Lila, Jasper, Luca and myself and we hang out every day with the threat of that father wolf, so there will be plenty of chances for you to be invited into,” Lynn paused as she leaned forward, “If Lila has her wings out promise me you won’t stare. Did you know Lila has wings now? Oh my god Lila has wings now!”

”Shit, seriously? I saw the… claws at the Halloween Festival, but not the wings. Don’t worry,” Bianca held up her hands. ”I’ve seen much weirder in my line of work. One of our agents- a lovely girl, honestly- is more mantis looking than she is human. Wings are nothing… But how the fuck did that happen?”

“Mantis girl right,” Lynn paused as a memory entered her mind, “we were all so worried that Jasper had the hots for a fed at the time. Oh how things change,” Lynn took a deeper drink than before to prep her answer to the final question. “Well….. Lila invited Britney over to discuss this Maiden who started to talk to her. We had a few, a few, drinks and during the sealing……from what Lila told me…. Britney sealed the apparition in her body. We didn’t know at the time so we continued to drink, and maybe summoned a demon. You know, typical girl slumber party things.”

”Hey, what’s wrong with having hots for a fed? Some of us are smokin’!” Bianca laughed, taking a large gulp of her drink before continuing, shaking her head. ”Oh yeah, I remember doing those all the time as a teen- but seriously, what the fuck? I know who I’ll be reporting next time we deal with a demon on the loose! Fuck, poor Lila. If I come across anything to help her I’ll let you know soon as.”

“Some of you, yes,” Lynn playfully winked at Bianca. “I can’t even remember which one it was. It was some giant skeleton that giggled. That’s about all I can remember,” Lynn paused as she sighed, taking another big swig of her drink, “the future is a complicated place for Lila. There are many good, many bad, paths that Sage could go down. It’s too soon to tell but I’m keeping an eye on her,” Lynn paused with a smile, “she’d appreciate the sentiment half the time and wish for the cure the other half. Some days I feel like she likes the maiden, and others she hates the idea of sharing a body.”

”Right, giggling skeleton, I'll keep an eye out,” Bianca laughed, pulling out her phone to note it down. ”That seems to be the case with a lot of adjoined… less the future, I can't see that, but at least the mixed feelings about sharing a body. Some love it, some hate it, but most are a bit in between. Sometimes the help that's needed is more control. At least she's not alone, and there are other Adjoined in the coven…”

Bianca smiled, finishing off her drink and holding it up. ”Another? Should we order food too?”

“She’s been having it rough because The Maiden is like sealed in her body. Not just forcibly adjoined,” Lynn paused as she sighed as she finished off her first drink and smirked, “I don’t plan on getting too drunk tonight so yeah, let’s eat,” Lynn said as she flagged down the waitress.

”Ah, that's worse. Difficult to fix,” Bianca said cryptically to avoid talking about magic around the waitress that came over. ”I’ll have a Cracker pale ale and a double hamburger with fries, thanks.” She grinned at Lynn. ”I also don't plan to get too drunk, I sadly have work tomorrow.”

“And what about you, love?” The waitress turned to Lynn with an overly bright smile.

“How about a Twilight Sparkling Ale? And I’ll take a double cheeseburger with fries as well, light on the sauce,” Lynn said with a smirk. She turned her attention back to Bianca. “What is your day to day like,” Lynn asked inquisitively.

”Filled with a lot of paperwork,” Bianca laughed, rolling her shoulders. ”It’s like a menial office job a lot of the time, except the case files are about the paranormal… till shit hits the fan and we have to go out in the field. There's constant training too, as a team and individually… but that's much better than the paperwork, which is the bane of my existence.”

“I mean that sounds nice. The training, not the paperwork,” Lynn said as she leaned back in her chair, “I would be the worst agent though. I would never get my paperwork done. Before I left my job I had like a hundred cases I was working on and instead of just working through it I quit a week ago. Fuck doing that much paperwork,” Lynn chuckled as she leaned back.

”Oh yeah, the paperwork's the fucking worst,” Bianca shook her head, pausing as the waitress came over with their second drinks. She smiled and raised her new glass. ”Well here's to less paperwork for the both of us. Normally I try to push mine off to Trevor, anyway.” She laughed, and took a long drink. ”How are you doing with the… future telling? Anymore control than before?”

Lynn raised her drink and took a sip of the twilight inspired drink. It wasn’t good but it for sure had a charm to it. “I still suffer from the same issues as before. I’m much better at navigating the uncertainty but at the same time it’s hard to pin down events further away with any accuracy. Present events I’m really good at, however, as there’s less that can influence the outcome and a lot less steps to try and get a reasonable sample size,” Lynn said with a chuckle, “I do wish I could be whomever or whatever cursed my family. Maybe I could get a better deal.”

”Undoubtedly,” Bianca chuckled. ”I don't envy you with magic like that… Hell, really makes me feel lucky to be born an adept, even if specialising in boosting makes me an easy target alone… well, that's what guns are for! But hey, I'm glad you're getting there… if you ever need any help with that shit, give me a call. I'm a lot more knowledgeable than I was ten years ago.”

“I never envied your power but I gave envied adepts. I think life would have been much easier if I could control plants or something,” Lynn chuckled, “I will take you up on that, the more help the better,” Lynn chuckled.

”We have a lot of flexibility… even if it has to match our personality a bit. I could never be like Leon, using my Orange Lux to punch apparitions,” Bianca shrugged with a rueful grin. ”Good, I'm always happy to help… but enough with this serious talk! We’re here to relax after our shit days! You said about Luca and Jasper making cute eyes at each other… but what other romances are bubbling away at the coven? Or entertaining tensions, I'll take any gossip.”

“I can do that. Linqian and Aryin fucked Leon, Linqian, Greyson, and Britney are a throuple I think, Lila’s long dormant crush on a man has returned but I won’t say who due to a pinky promise, and a shy, timid, bit surprisingly cute waiter gave me his number” Lynn chuckled as she looked at Bianca. She was unsure if the Linqian mention would be bad but fuck Linqian she deserves any flak she gets.

”Fucking hell-” Bianca nearly spit out her drink as Lynn listed off a lot of sexual escapades focusing around her ex. Bianca had no problem with it, since she'd long gotten over Linqian… but wow. ”I knew Linqian had some stamina, but fucking hell- Britney and Edict? Well y'know, I can see it… but tell me more about this waiter. Is it like a crush or just a hopeful hook-up?” Bianca grinned.

“Well he’s like very shy, but cute. Maybe a one night thing, I don’t know yet. I did text him earlier ,” Lynn chuckled. “He practically stumbled trying to get the number to me, and Sloane grabbed it from him thinking it was the bill. I told her beforehand that the waiter would either give me or her his number based on the futures I saw,” Lynn smirked. “I don’t know how I’ll play this but I am open,” Lynn stuck out her tounge as she took another drink.

”Being open is good, just see where it takes you… so long as it ain't a bad place!” Bianca grinned. ”I wish I had anything like that… the one curse of being a lesbian, only ever straight dudes giving me their number. And the last time I tried to go to a strip club it turned into a gun fight! But hey, glad you're getting cute waiter’s numbers… even if it's after suffering Sloane's company .”

“I am bi so I get it. Sloane was not actually the worst. She had a very fair prediction on my futures for Kari. It’s what brought us together the other day,” Lynn paused, “If I see any hot lesbians I’ll send them your way tonight,” Lynn winked as she took another drink.

"Huh, I guess some of the others have matured," Bianca mused, talking a long drink. Hopefully the food would get here soon so she didn't have to watch herself… not that two beers was much at all. "Please do, you have no idea how fucking hard it is! Especially with my job, and then living with my family… literal nightmare, my parents are still tryna set me up with fishermen's sons. I need the stress relief…"

“We could,” Lynn leaned in, “go to that lesbian bar after here.”

Bianca smirked. ”That sounds perfect. I can pick someone up and if that cute waiter doesn't work out, you'll have other options. I ain't been in… fuck, years. No time since I came back here.”

“Who are you picking up,” Lynn smirked as she downed her drink, “anyone I know,” Lynn leaned back as she awaited the answer.

”I wish I knew,” Bianca laughed, also finishing her drink. Thankfully the waitress seemed to be on the way over with their food. ”Any fellow lonely lesbians at the lesbian bar! Do you really think I'd jump back into the coven pit for hookups or dating?”

The waitress silently put down their meals with a smile.

”Thanks, double rum and coke," Bianca said as she did, deciding after two drinks it was time to move past the beer… the food was here to soak it up anyway.

“Fuck no I don’t blame you,” Lynn chuckled. “Make that two double rum and coke ,” Lynn said as she followed the vibe. “We’re going to have so much fun tonight.”

”Oh yeah we are,” Bianca grinned as she dug into her food. ”I don't normally get to drink with people who can keep up with me.”

“I’ll put your liver to the test,” Lynn smirked as she took a fry and bit into it with ravenous intent.

”I’ll hold you to that,” Bianca grinned, grabbing and holding up her third drink when it arrived. ”To a fucking wild night.”

---

Another double rum later, and the two moved on to their next location. The famed lesbian bar of St Portwell, in the arts District.

Pink Pykes.

It was still earlier enough they didn't have to queue in, but late enough it was starting to get busy - busy enough there weren't any free tables, but plenty of standing room.

”Bar first?” Bianca asked Lynn, already feeling much more comfortable surrounded by women.

“Oh this is much better. Yes, yes let’s start testing that liver.”

”So, shots then?” Bianca grinned as she made her way over to the bar. She leaned against it, waiting for the bartender to come over. She looked around the bar, taking in all of the people.

“Tequila?”

”Hell yeah- it's one me,” Bianca grinned as a bartender got to them. ”Six tequila shots, two double rum cokes.”

As she waited for them to be made up, she continued looking around. It was mostly groups of people tonight, no obviously alone women… but that didn't mean that everyone was taken or nobody was looking for a good time. Nobody she recognised either, which was probably a good thing tonight.

”Maybe if we just stand here and look hot someone will come over,” She joked as their shots arrived. She picked up one of the tequila shots and grinned. ”Let's destroy our livers first.”

“Bound to happen, you’re literally the hottest person in here,” Lynn said as she picked up one as well. “To our health?”

”To our health,” Bianca laughed, downing the shot and picking up the next. She quickly went through all three, assuming Lynn would keep up. Then she leaned her back against the bar, looking around. ”Or maybe I should just shoot my shot with someone… Bein' this fucking hot, y'know? Get us some more drinking company too.”

Lynn followed suit and downed three shots of tequila without even thinking of using the salt or lemon provided. “Take a look into the crowd, does anyone catch your fancy?” Lynn paused as she placed a hand on Bianca’s shoulder. “These girls are ready for you, Bianca,” Lynn said as she grabbed her rum and coke and took a sip.

”Let’s see…” Bianca tilted her head towards Lynn, gaze trailing across the various women around the room. She didn't exactly have a ‘type’. Feisty, maybe. No, that wasn't quite true. Then she froze. [color=fa912]”Lynn… There's a man in our woman's paradise. A man.”[/color]

She pointed over to the group of five. Then her finger moved to a shorter, tattoo covered woman. ”She’s fucking fit. Maybe I can forgive them for bringing the guy.”

“She’s hot as fuck,” Lynn said as leaned back on the bar. She squinted at her face. She’d met this girl before, somewhere in this city but the alcohol had started to dull that pesky long term memory aspect of her brain. “You have great taste, Bianca,” Lynn said as she patted Bianca on the shoulder, “how do you think you’ll approach her? That man is very tall.”

”Just watch,” Bianca grinned, bumping her shoulder against Lynn's. ”Well follow me over. Watch by my side.”

With the confidence that came from three shoots, being hot as fuck, and regularly dealing with much worse situations, Bianca made her way over to the group. Namely, Trevor. Nothing could phase her. As she walked pulled her hair back into a ponytail to stop it from falling across her face, and slid her shirt down her arms to give it more of a cool off the shoulder look.

”I couldn't help but notice your tattoos from over there… they're beautiful. As are you,” Bianca began with a playful smile towards the woman in question. ”... really, it was you I noticed first.”

Then she looked at the wider group. ”Can I get you all drinks? Funny looking person you've brought in with you,” she joked, pointing to the man. ”But I guess we don't discriminate round here.”

The woman looked Bianca up and down, before she took a step forward and looked her up and down again. She was dressed in some very short shorts that truly showed off her body, a tube top, and a sleeveless jean jacket. The rest of the group had turned their heads to each other before a silent cheer erupted. Hands were thrown in the air, hugs were given, and this group of artists was ready to take Bianca up on her offer. “You are too kind. How about we take your drinks back to my table so you can see them more closely,” Octavia paused as she looked at Lynn, “Sycamore, good to see you again. I heard you had quite the meeting today,” Octavia paused as she returned her gaze towards Bianca, looking her up and down one final time for good measure. “I’m Octavia, beautiful,” she paused as she used her hand to guide Bianca towards a nearby empty booth that they had reserved, she would let Bianca take the lead if she so wished.

“Octavia Wilde.”

”Bianca Manalo… it's so nice to meet you, Octavia. Suddenly all the shit of a working day seems worth it,” Bianca smiled, completely unperturbed by Octavia's looking, even tilting her head invitingly at one point. After telling the bartender to keep a tab for her with their round of drinks, so they could just order whatever they want, she was quite happy to grab her drink and move towards the booth. She gestured for Lynn to come along with a smile because she was… curious…

”You know each other?” Bianca asked as she sat down, sliding across the booth, looking between Lynn and the artists. Of course, her gaze went to Octavia the most, and she didn't hide her open looking. Though in the better light… ah, 317, if she remembered correctly. Not noted as a threat, thank fuck. ”Those meetings sure are famous, huh?”

Lynn’s mouth dropped at the name and it remained somewhat askew as she followed Bianca’s lead and sat down at the booth, sitting next to a shy looking artist who wore glasses. She looked over to Bianca, over to Octavia, and then back to Bianca before she smirked “Oh we’ve met.”. Lynn looked towards Octavia and raised an eyebrow and Octavia simply looked at Lynn in a way that suggested ‘if you tell her before I do I we’ll kill your and use your skin as art’ and Lynn complied, “I met Octavia briefly back at the 317 before Halloween. She introduced us to an intimidating woman who made our powerpuff costumes.”

“Sycamore meetings have been very famous on the grapevine lately,” Octavia chuckled as she turned her attention towards Bianca, “they’re always so much fun to hear about on the grapevine. Which tattoo caught your attention first?”

“I’m Alex,” Alex said as they waved at Bianca, “you’re a goddess for the drinks.”

“Jordan,” he said as he adjusted his glasses.

“Zeri, hi! I’ve heard so much about Sycamore,” Zeri leaned in, “and his friends who saved the world.”

”Sypha,” they said with an amused glance towards Octavia.

“Summer. Pleasure to meet you, Bianca,” Summer said with a quick wave.

”Nice to meet you all,” Bianca grinned, holding up her drink towards them all. She turned to Lynn with a mock accusatory look. ”Why didn't you tell me you knew someone so hot- wait. Wilde… oh shit.”

“You know my younger brother as well I take it,” Octavia chuckled as she gave Bianca a long, long stare, “you’re not sycamore now, how did you meet him?”

Lynn leaned over to Bianca and smirked. “She scared me when I was a kid. She still scares me today. In that protective kind of way. It’s cute how much she cares for Jasper.”

”Ohhh, well some of us like intimidating,” Bianca said, with a grin and a wink. She then held up her hands, smiling at Octavia. ”Former Sycamore, so I knew Jasper ten years ago. I didn't go back cause of… conflict of interest. But y’know once Sycamore, always Sycamore. The knife fucker certainly doesn't discriminate.”

“I’ve been told,” Octavia cleared her throat, “while I wish there was more I could do to help, we have a former Sycamore of our own and I don't want to lose my brother, we at least try to offer our help where we can. If you ever find out who is killing you, have Jasper give me a call. We’re more than winning to help. But enough talk about that,” Octavia said as she leaned in towards Bianca, “we’re at the start of a legendary pub crawl, how about you two join us. I’m sure we can learn so much about each other.”

”Hopefully I'll be able to call you myself,” Bianca smirked, leaning towards Octavia too. She pushed the work part of her brain to the side, where she'd dissuade anyone here from trying to help. She couldn't just tell people to leave it to the professionals when she knew they had far too much on their plate as it was. ”We’ll definitely join. Lynn and I were just going to bounce bar to bar drinking, so a legendary pub crawl sounds great. Assuming you're good with that, Lynn?”

Bianca shot Lynn a look that was very much a ‘please do this for me.’ Then she looked back at Octavia. ”Getting to know each other… You said you have a Sycamore as one of your own. You're part of one of the group's round town, then? Lemme guess… the cool artsy one.”

“You had a night out recently with Lila. She talks very fondly of that night,” Lynn looked at Bianca and nodded her head, “ I’m in.”

“Ah yes, the night my brother came out to me,” Octavia smiled, “I will expect great, great, things,” Octavia paused as she looked at Bianca, then Bianca’s mouth, then back to Bianca, “out of you….two.”

”Oh, I'll make sure to deliver,” Bianca's lips curved up into a smile, and she leaned further towards Octavia, lowering her voice. ”I never leave anyone unsatisfied.”

She leaned back again, turning her body more to involve everyone. Especially when she was here with Lynn, it was rude to forget that in her pursuit of a really hot woman. ”We’ll drink you all under the table… but Jasper just came out to you? I always thought he was a little, y'know…”

“Oh I knew since he was a kid that he had a limp wrist. He was always way too well dressed to be entirely straight. Bi energy and all,” Octavia sighed as she grabbed a hold of her drink and finished the entire cocktail in one go, “well, we’ll see about that gorgeous.”

”Oh yeah, especially as a teen, all the other guys- aside from our favourite mobster- wore fucking sweats, when they bothered getting dressed at all,” Bianca laughed, before matching Octavia and downing her entire rum and coke. She shrugged off the slight burning sensation like it was nothing. ”You know who he's into then? Lynn was telling me about it earlier… they'll be super cute, honestly, Luca was one of the best of us.”

As she spoke she reached over for a menu, beginning to look through the cocktails.

“Some boy named Luca, right? I don’t really know him well, do you have a photo?”

”Let me see…” Bianca pulled out her phone, going to her photo album and going to one labeled ‘Sycamore’. She slipped through and pulled up a photo of a smaller group. It was a picture taken of a photograph from a disposable camera, if Bianca remembered right it was snapped in the last week before they beat the Snake. For memories, she'd insisted, using the disposable camera she'd snatched from a destroyed shop.

She was there with Linqian, arms wrapped around each other with wide grins. Aryin was next to Linqian, punching her shoulder. Moving along… Saskia looking like she wanted to be anywhere but there, Ella with a smile brighter than anyone's, then a small gap with Olivia beside her. Then a larger one and there was Luca. Younger, healthier, with a bright smile.

”There he is,” Bianca pointed to Luca. ”Well, at fifteen. I took a lotta pictures like this back then, this was a group of us before we went out for the night. Front liners, you could say. Oh, look at this!”

She swiped to another photo, that she wasn't in. It was of members of the traditionally ‘quieter’, nerdier group. Kari, Lynn, Aaron, Ella, Saskia, Lisa, Olivia, Luca… then in the background painting, Jasper too. Luca seemed to be looking at him, mouth half open to say something. Bianca had taken it while they were all sitting watching some anime Ella had forced on them all, the glow of the television lighting them all of

She showed it to Octavia, then Lynn. Her smile was warm, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes that Lynn would understand. ”Cute, right? I don't have any recent ones. Lynn might?”

“Oh it’s so cute, thank you for sharing that,” Octavia smile matched Bianca’s, “you all carried the burden of saving the world back then. I never fought that monster directly but I did what I could to save as many as I could.” Octavia looked over to Lynn who was pulling up some photos on her phone.

“Here we are at the Halloween festival,” Lynn said as she passed Octavia her phone. “Lila and I were the powerpuff girls, and they were the manly versions of us.”

Octavia looked through her album, pausing on one in particular. It was the one where Luca was practically on Jasper’s lap, head resting on Jasper’s broad shoulders. She looked to Lynn, then to the photo, then back to Lynn and laughed. “So they’re not dating already in this photo?”

Lynn shook her head no.

“And Jasper still doesn’t know if Luca likes him back?”

Lynn shook her head yes.

“My brother is an idiot,” Octavia chuckled as she shared the photo with the rest of the table. Holding up the photo to her artists first, then to Bianca.

“Oh yeah,” Alex said as they were in the process of cleaning their glasses, their eyes squinting as much as they possibly could, “even I can see that.”

“When you have an unforgettable gay night sitting that close to you,” Octavia said as she arched her back ever so, eyes drifting back to Bianca, “you have to take it.”

“Don’t be too hard on Jasper,” Jordan said as he took a drink of his St. Porter, “I mean we all know what happened after that fight. You’ve told us that much Octavia. I think he’ll get there in time.”

“Indeed,” Sypha responded with a smile, “he’s a good man.”

Lynn took her phone back up and pulled up another album. This one said ‘parties at Lucas’ and it was a daily snap shot into their lives together. She passed the phone to Octavia and Octavia raised an eyebrow at what she saw.

“My brother is an idiot. Is this Lila? She looks…different”. The photo in question was one where Lila’s mwings were out and her eyes black.

”She’s dealing with a nasty Apparition, I think… I was shocked too,” Bianca said, leaning in against Octavia to look at the photos Lynn had taken. They were cute, and she was glad to see that little group happy… or as happy as they could be. ”They’re all right, some are slower than others, not everyone knows what they want… even if it's that fucking obvious, holy shit.”

As Bianca said this she stretched her arm on the seat behind Octavia. She turned her towards Lynn. ”Does Luca have… better control over the rot, then? If they're that close.”

“Lila is,” Lynn paused as she contemplated her words. She knew that very little was as murky as what would befall Lila in the future. “Lila is still getting used to being an agent. And no, the rot is still very much present. Octavia and Sypha both saw that,” Lynn smirked at the memory, “ There was a bee and Luca jumped into Jasper’s arms and Jasper got the rot pressed to him.” Lynn paused as she raised a finger, “as long as their party tonight goes as expected he will learn Abjuration spells from Stormy. I imagine he’ll try and help Luca even if it’s not much.”

“How do you know,” Octavia asked as she scooted towards Bianca, a sly smirk filling her face as she leaned in closer to have a more private conversation.

“I checked the future.”

“You can see the future? How many fingers am I holding up,” Alex asked as they held up two fingers in full view of Lynn. Lynn looked at the two fingers, back to Alex, back to the fingers, and back to Alex. Lynn sighed as her eyes flashed green and a projection emanated forth showing Alex revealing that they had two fingers.

“Woah.”

”Pretty cool, right?” Bianca laughed, hand moving forward to curl over Octavia's shoulder. She shook her head. ”If a bee's all it takes for Luca to jump into Jasper’s arms, he's fucking head over heels. And if Jasper's learning spells for him…” Bianca whistled. ”Well, enough about them… tell me, Octavia, what do you do. Magic wise, that is.”

“Oh I can do a lot,” Octavia responded as she placed a hand on Bianca’s shoulder, “I can’t show you in here but I can show you once we are on our way to our next spot. Spray Paint Spell Slinging is the name I’ve given to it. I create glyphs and they do cool things, the bigger the better.”

”That sounds incredibly cool, like proper artistic shit? Was never much of an artist myself, but I always love seeing it… and magic like that? Fucking awesome,” Bianca grinned, genuinely interested in that kind of thing. Magic… the variety of it, what Adepts decided to learn. She had to understand it to boost it, and she loved understanding it. ”I definitely have to see that… Where's the next planned spot, anyway?”

“The Salty Sailor,” Jordan said with a smirk, “not quite as fun as Le Tournesol was, which was our usual second stop, but it does not have an open mic night. After that last time at Le Tournesol we’re waiting a bit to go back. Still, Salty Sailor is another queer space and the drinks are cheap and the liquor strong.”

”What happened last time? It ain't changed hands or anything, has it? I never got to drink but I swear, the food there ten years ago was the best….place has been there a fucking age,” Bianca shook her head with a smile. Her and Linqian would just chill there all the time, especially in the few months they stayed together after beating the Stygian Snake. ”Salty Sailor's fucking good too, though. Cheap enough to lure in some of the younger fishermen- and women- without em running away at the queerness.”

Bianca grinned, tilting her head towards Octavia. ”Plenty of us from those families are queer anyway.”

“I’d be more surprised if they weren’t,” Sypha chuckled as they sipped at their wine.

“There was a comedian there. He was bad,” Octavia said dully, “it’s usually so much better but we could only stay for a minute. I still have nightmares.” A fake frown fell across her face, a moment before she looked at Bianca with the sides of her eyes. “How about we get some more drinks, and then I show you my magic if you show me yours?”

”I’ll have to make sure you don't have any nightmares tonight, then,” Bianca smiled, hand dropping from Octavia's shoulder to wrap around her waist. ”Deal… we can do it at the same time. I need someone else's magic to even show mine. Booster, yknow?”

She then let go and when to stand up. ”Ill go get another round… what're the orders?”

“St. Porter,” Jordan said as he downed his beer.

“A nice red,” Sypha chimed in.

“Aby IPA,” Summer said with a smile.

“Anything sweet,” Zeri and Alex said together.

“Maybe some sex on a beach,” Octavia grinned.

“Double rum and coke.”

”Oh I'll get you some sex on a beach,” Bianca grinned, with a wink. Then she nudged Lynn. ”I'll need some help carrying all of that, c’mon, friend.”

Bianca headed over to the bar with a slight bounce in her step, flicking her dark hair over her shoulder as she did. She put in all the orders, plus a Naked & Famous cocktail for herself.

”I think this is going pretty well,” Bianca leaned against the bar, smirking at Lynn. ”Any news from your waiter?”

“It is. She’s fucking ready to jump your bones,” Lila playfully tapped Bianca on the arm. Lynn held up her phone showing a picture of the waiter that had just been sent to her. It was clear that the man was either into photography, or just had a photo shoot done, as he looked very good. “He’s asking where we’re going next.” Lynn held up her phone showing a text ready to send that said ‘Salty Sailor meet us there’ and Lynn smirked.

”I’m ready for her to do it,” Bianca grinned, nudging Lynn back. She leaned in to look at the picture, whistling. ”I don't swing that way, but damnnn, he's fine. Good fucking photo. We’re both gonna have a good night.”

The drink orders arrived, and Bianca managed to grab and balance just about half. ”Shall we? Let's get these drinks down then we can go meet your man of the night.”

“And get you back to the woman of yours,” Lynn said as she hit send and grabbed the drinks alongside Bianca. Tonight was going to be magic.

---

“Alright beautiful,” Octavia said with a wink, “you gonna give me a boost?”

Octavia had led the group back to the 317 grounds. It was at an in-between spot between the two bars. Octavia had two spray paint cans, one in each hand, and she used them to paint the first sigil on a wall. It was a large circle, with a few hundred small dots inside.

”Sure thing, babe,” Bianca grinned. ”What do you want? Just the basic strength boosting?”

As she asked she flicked out a hand, nautical rope bracelet lighting up a soft orange. She concentrated on boosting Octavia's abstraction to be much stronger - it was a potent, and refined boost, even after everything she'd drunk. Being tipsy was a much better situation than most that she cast in!

Octavia grinned as she held up her ring, activated the spell, and watched as the sigil seemingly grew in size with the added power. A second later a massive volley of ice spears began to shoot out at an even more impressive speed. They aimed for a section of her building that was also reinforced by a sigil of protection. A second later Octavia activated that sigil, and the side of the building began to glow a dull yellow glow. As soon as it was up the spears impacted the shield, breaking and splintering, and scattering ice chunks in every direction.

Jordan had his jaw down at the increased power displayed here. He looked at Bianca. “Can you do art, and do you want to join a collective?”

“I want her and I’m not even an adept,” Alex said in a dry tone.

“What else can you boost,” Octavia asked with a smirk, “your power is incredible.”

”Sorry, there ain't an artistic bone in my body, and I can't join anyway,” Bianca replied, leaving the last bit cryptic. She really wasn't supposed to talk about her job, even if so many people in the magical world knew about them. ”But I can boost any abstraction - you don't need to be an Adept. I can specialise it a bit more- duration, range, ability to penetrate emotional fields, increased emotional fields, boosting multiple people at once… I'm a specialist, really. Anything that can be boosted I can do it. Support type, if I was in a game. But thanks, it's been a pain in the ass to hone.”

“And I thought your beauty would be the most impressive thing about you. Well, it still is, but this is the second best thing this night has given me,” Octavia paused as she wrapped her hands around Bianca’s waist. “I am curious though, I wonder how strong Jordan would be with that power.”

”Aw, nobody's ever gone for me for my magic,” Bianca joked, hands coming to rest on Octavia's hips. She smiled at her, before tilting her head towards Jordan. ”I can boost him too, if he wants to try it out… anyone that wants it. One night offer only, take it or leave it.”

Jordan looked at Sypha, Sypha looked at Jordan, and the duo looked at Summer. “Where’s your brother?”

“DND night do not disturb on the phone,” Summer said as she laughed.

“Do we have any way to test Jordan’s strength,” Alex asked, “he’s already freakishly strong. How much stronger would he be?”

“Enhance me,” Sypha said as she cut open her palm and pulled out several blood tendrils.

“This will be good,” Octavia joked as she squeezed Bianca’s side.

”Oh, I'm excited,” Bianca grinned, leaning against Octavia as her bracelet glowed again. She boosted both Jordan and Sypha, layering emotional field boosting on top of the normal strength enhancement. ”I’ve boosted your emotional fields too, so you shouldn't knock each other out.”

Jordan, and Sypha both took in a deep breath as the spell effect took hold. They both closed their eyes and exhaled as they did, “Sypha, I haven’t felt this strong since we fought the Sunken King.”

“I was about to say the same thing,” Sypha said as their tendrils began to grow in size. The tips hardened into sharp and durable points. The tendrils began to wrap around each other and turned into a long crimson blade. Jordan, meanwhile focused his power on his strength, his durability, and his speed.

A decorative tumbleweed broke free of its place and was carried by the wind between the two fighters.

A moment later Sypha raised the crimson blade high into the air and brought it crashing down on Jordan, who instantly rushed forth away from the attack. The blade impacted the ground and splattered onto a giant pool of blood. Jordan moved at an incredible speed, but Sypha was not content with letting him have free access to them. The blood tendrils pulled back before they shot back out, easily counting in the hundreds, all aimed for Jordan. To avoid this Jordan jumped over them, fist cocked, and descended towards Sypha. In response. Sypha’s other hand opened up and an equal amount of tendrils shot out and impacted all across Jordan’s body, and forced him to a complete stop. One tendril slowly moved and hit his nose, “boop” escaped Syphas lips and a soft “oww” Jordan before Sypha and Jordan started laughing as the tendrils pulled back, Jordan fell to the ground, and Sypha said “my tendrils infected you, you’re delirious for an hour. I win.”

The rest of the 317 laughed alongside them. Alex , meanwhile, had a dour expression on their face. They wanted bloodshed. Lynn looked at the massive pool of blood and watched as a tendril shot out from Sypha, hit the pool, pulled it all back together before any and all debris was removed before it pulled back. “You remind me of someone,” Lynn said with a fond smile as she remembered a former coven member.

”Me too,” Bianca said softly, looking over at Lynn for a moment, eyes sad. It only lasted a moment.

“I felt so strong. If George was here I might’ve been strong enough to beat him in a fight,” Jordan said with a smirk.

”Well if you ever need to beat his ass, gimme a call, if I'm free I'll come over and boost you,” Bianca laughed, pushing through the somber feeling. ”So long as I get to watch the fight… well, no choice there, I gotta actively boost the whole time.”

“Well I’d need your number, you know, to call you when we’re in trouble,” Octavia smirked as she walked up to Bianca as she wrapped her arms around Bianca’s shoulders.

”Well, that ones easy,” Bianca grinned, one hand coming to rest on Octavia's waist while the other pulled out her phone. She unlocked it and held it up. ”Put yours in and I'll text you straight away. Call me anytime you want, babe.”

“I think we’ll get along well” Octavia paused as she typed in her number, “so you’ll be hearing from me. Ready for the next bar?”

”Mm, I think we’ll get along very well,” Bianca hummed, before nodding. ”Let’s go!”

---

The Salty Sailor. Just like its name suggested it was closer to the port than the arts district, filled with younger fishers and sailors after a working day. But they were mixed with people more like their group, and adult children of the fishing community. It was loud, it was rustic, it was friendly, and most importantly, it was cheap.

Bianca really loved it here. As one of those fishing family queers, it was a place she’d frequented whenever she came home from college… and it hadn’t really changed. Still the same good vibes, and less pretentious from some of the other queer locations of the city.

”So, your man of the night here yet?” Bianca managed to take a moment away from intensively flirting with Octavia to lean over to Lynn with the question as they went into the bar and headed to the bar.

“He should be here,” Lynn said with a smile, “he said he was at the-” Lynn paused as she looked across the bar she was now resting on and locked eyes with him. He had a warm, inviting smile that looked much different than the fake one he wore at work. His button up shirt was only buttoned up so far, and the last three buttons were left unbuttoned. His hair was actually styled, and he had that messy but natural look that worked well for his face shape. He had a simple hair of denim jeans, and black Doc Martens that were laced up all the way. He leaned forward and waved towards Lynn.

“As good as the photo,” Lynn said to Bianca with a smirk.

”Fuck yeah, even I can appreciate that,” Bianca replied, with a laugh. Aesthetically, he was pretty damn good looking, even if Bianca would never swing that way. She patted Lynn on the shoulder. ”Good fucking going… go on, bring him over. I gotta suss him out before I let my friend go home with him.”

Lynn smirked as she walked over to the man. Bianca would watch as Lynn and the man gave each other a hug before she engaged in small talk for a second. A moment later Lila led the man towards Bianca. As he approached it was clear the man exuded golden retriever energy and fully let Lynn take the lead back towards her friend.

“Bianca this is Theo, Theo my good friend Bianca,” Lynn introduced with a smile.

Theo held out a hand towards Bianca and smiled wide.

”Nice to meet you, Theo,” Bianca smiled back, reaching out to shake his hand firmly and with a bit of extra, unnecessary strength. Making sure that he knew, even if she appeared small, she could absolutely kick his ass if necessary. ”I hope you’re alright with joining quite a big, but fun, group for the evening! We’ve already had a fair few too.” She jerked a thumb towards the 317 lot.

“Pleasure,” Theo said as he looked at Bianca’s hand and made a mental note to remain on her good side, “Lynn told me she was out with friends, I always like a crowd. Totally not overwhelmed by them or anything.”

”You’ll get used to them,” Bianca laughed, as if she hadn’t only known them for a couple of hours. ”Look, we’ll do gradual introductions…” She waved at Octavia. ”Hey, Gorgeous, come meet Lynn’s… friend.” She smirked. ”Also, what’re we drinking?”

“Oh my,” Octavia walked over to Bianca and threw her arms around Bianca, “Lynn found herself a stray. I’m Octavia. I’m drinking anything you want me to tonight, beautiful.”

“I’m a beer kinda guy,” Theo joked as he held up a St. Porter.

“You’re lucky I’m a beer kinda gal,”

“Ugh you’re cuteness is boring,” Octavia joked as she hugged Bianca tighter, “I’m Octavia by the way.”

”Well we've moved onto stronger stuff,” Bianca laughed, wrapping her arm around Octavia's waist. ”Let’s go for this place’s special cocktail…”

She reached out with her free hand and tapped the bar, before holding it up. ”Oy, Ben, two Strong n' Salties. But hold the gin, put more rum in instead.”

“Y'think you run the fuckin' place, Bea? 'M chargin' extra for that.” The bartender she'd called over, a tall, muscular and rather rough looking man, leaned over the bar and hit her with a hard stare.

”Guess you like your fish pricey n’ less fresh then? Maybe a couple've bones left in 'em?” Bianca shot back, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, yeah, don' set your ma on me, I'll hold the fuckin' gin.” He pulled out various liquors. As he poured, he looked at the rest of the group. “How ‘bout the rest've ya?”

Theo looked at Lynn and smirked, and Lynn returned the smile. “Aye Aye, Captain.”

“Was that mean?” Ben looked at Bianca in confusion.

”You making fun of us fisher kids?” Bianca asked, reaching out to prod Lynn's shoulder while laughing. ”Whaddya- What do you want to drink? If you wanna go hard, get Strong n' Salties too… beer? Get the home brew if you want strong, cheap and tasting a bit like fish.”

“It was a SpongeBob reference you dork,”” Lila said with a weak tap on the shoulder.

“Oy, it ain' that fishy,” Ben laughed too, pushing forward the two finished cocktails. Vodka, rum, scotch, whiskey all mixed in and topped with a stout beer. Sea salt was lightly sprinkled over the top.

Bianca gestured to one of the glasses, looking at Octavia with a smile. ”It’s good, I swear, but it's gotta kick. You think you can handle it?”

“Strong n' Salties it is.” Lynn waited for the drinks and, once arrived, grabbed them and brought them over to Theo.

“You might as well be drinking water,” Octavia said as she stuck her tongue out at Lynn, she paused as she looked towards Bianca, “I can handle anything you throw my way.” Octavia winked as she grabbed Bianca’s waist and pulled her close.

The rest of the 317 were down the bar around Jordan who was drinking a full pitcher of beer. They were chanting “chug, chug, chug, chug,” as he drank. He finished it in remarkable time add put the pitcher down on the bar and beat on his chest like a drum.

”Good, cause I'll be throwing plenty,” Bianca smirked, leaning against Octavia as she looked along the bar at the chaos the rest of 317 were participating in. ”Fuck, that was pretty good.”

She laughed, and knocked back about half of her cocktail in one. It was a pleasant buzz as the alcohol really started to kick in now. ”Sooo, Theo, what d’you think of Lynn?” she really didn't beat around the bush with it.

“She intimidated me at first,” Theo chuckled as he took a big drink, “she was pulling this weird power move on someone else, she ordered ahead and told me exactly what to bring out and when. Very particular with the details. She’s also very pretty. Pretty and intimidating, and I think that’s a good mix.”

“Sloane,” Lynn said to Bianca with a smirk, “and it wasn’t a power move, guys like you are just blind to what we were doing.”. Lynn tossed out a quick warning to the rest of the group. As far as she could tell Theo was blind to the magical world that enveloped him.

”Fuck, if it was Sloane, you should’ve pulled out the weird power moves,” Bianca laughed - though she knew what Lynn had been doing really. Future reading and all the fun that came with that. She’d assumed the guy wasn’t magic, as she did with most - job instincts - but the confirmation meant she shouldn't have to cover up anyone else talking about it… something she was also used to.

”So long as you keep thinking she’s pretty but don’t forget she’s intimidating, we’re good,” Bianca said, leaning in towards the two of them. ”But! You seem pretty solid, so let’s keep drinking!” She’d already finished her first cocktail, waving at the bar for another. ”We gotta long night ahead of us.”

---

Lynn and Theo were on a mission together and the odds couldn’t be more stacked against them. They had to carry an unbelievable burden alone, a burden that would normally break any who tried to carry it, a burden that was so heavy a single misstep could break they’re precious cargo. Their destination could be seen, far across a treacherous passageway filled with moving obstacles that could send them crashing down to death and ruin.

“You ready,” Lynn turned towards Theo, her eyes bright and seemingly had a twinkle to them. The rest of Lynn’s face showed all too well the burden she bore.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Theo said as he looked down at Lynn, his eyes also alight.

“Yes you can, deep breath before we enter and hold it until we’re on the other.. other side,” Lynn joked as she took a step closer, “follow my lead,” Lynn smiled a happy smile, “and we’ll get through this, together,” Lynn took another step forward, the two nearly pressing into each other.

“Okay?”

“Okay”

With the confirmation Lynn began to navigate the shifting terrain ahead of them. She would take a step left, forward, right, back, to the left, and back forward. Every other step Lynn’s head shot back to ensure Theo was navigating the labyrinth okay and each time she’d see his smiling face following her. Eventually the two passed through the challenges they faced and emerged victorious into the cheering arms of their group. Lynn held up the drinks in her hand, and Theo followed her lead and did the same. Whatever bar they were in was packed tonight, and the two had just navigated their way from the bar back to the group.

Octavia was the first to emerge to claim her bounty. She grabbed two drinks before she backed herself into Bianca and began to dance on her while handing her a drink. The next was Jordan. His sweater was no longer on his chest. Instead he had a random button up that no one remembered how he acquired, or when, but it did strangely smell of fish. He grabbed two drinks, bringing one to Alex who had acquired the missing sweater and was actually having fun and dancing with the group. Lynn was now out of drinks to pass out, and she took a big drink from her cup.. Zeri and Summer walked up together and grabbed their drinks from Theo, giggling as they did. Their faces are red, but happy. Theo took a drink of his own and laughed.

“Are all nights out like this with your friends,” Theo asked as he took a step towards Lynn.

“If you want to find out I’ll just have to keep texting you to invite you to the next one,” Lynn smirked back as she twisted herself playfully. She looked over to Bianca and Octavia and shouted, “Bianca, treat her well. I want to be invited out again,” Lynn blew a kiss her way.

”You think I'd fumble someone so amazing?” Bianca laughed, words slurred from all the alcohol, winking back at Lynn. She had her drink in one hand, practically downing it, and the other wrapped around Octavia's waist as she danced along with her.

”C’mon, Lynn, have some faith! I ain't ever treated anyone badly. And anyway…” Bianca grinned, face leaning in close to Octavia's. ”I want invited out again too.”



The music suddenly changed, and an absolute banger began to play. It was an emo night party at whatever bar they were at, and it had drawn a crowd. The crowd swelled with excitement and everyone began to dance. Lynn smiled up towards Theo, “can I have this dance?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Theo giggled as Lynn pulled him into the center of the dancing mass.

“They are painfully cute,” Octavia faked a throw up sound before, “how about we give them their space and take off soon? I could show you my place.”

”Disgustingly cute,” Bianca laughed, watching Lynn and Theo disappear… She was confident her friend would be fine. She moved in closer to Octavia, body pressed close and lips moving towards her ear. ”Sounds good to me… I'd offer mine but you'd have to meet the whole family, we'll save that for next time. I can't wait to see yours- especially your bedroom.”

Octavia looked over to Jordan, and saw that Alex was being carried on Jordan’s back, arms wrapped lazily around the front, and Summer leaning on his side, and was too wobbly to walk herself Jordan caught Octavia’s eyes and he simply mouthed a ‘I’ll get them home’ and Octavia nodded in response. “Well then, let’s get to the tour of my place. There’s a lot I want to show you there.” With that Octavia led Bianca out of the bar, Jordan led Summer and Zeri out of the bar to get them home, Sypha emerged from the crowd with a random woman and the two headed for the door. This left Lynn and Theo as the last two of the group left at this crazy night out.

The two danced, talked, drank, and talked some more over the next few hours. The more Lynn learned about Theo the more she realized she liked the man. Not just on a physical level, he was truly nice, sweet, and genuinely made Lynn laugh. And the more she learned about Theo the more she wanted to play this a lot slower. She did not need to rush in as fast as she was used to. Lynn could get to know the man more, and more, and truly see if she could find love. If she rushed in tonight Lynn felt like this would end up like the plethora of men and women she liked. Nothing more than a bright fire of passion that burns out quickly. Lynn was determined to not make that mistake. This time it would be different, this time she would take her time with a guy, this time she would be happy.

“Want to take the party back to my place,” Theo said with a smile that was so inviting.

Lynn simply nodded her head yes, and the two were off.

Amara was not having a good day today.

She sat in her car, seat leaned back with windows up while her radio blared a song on repeat, loud enough that she couldn’t hear other cars pulling out of the parking lot she had been sitting in for the last hour. She just stared up into empty space while her thoughts left the world. One moment, she was there in the car. The next, Amara felt more like a passenger in her own body, staring down at herself while her foot slipped further out the door.

Why’d it have to be today?”

Amara heard the song cut off and start over, and blinked her way back a little. Her fingers curled up and she could feel the blood stir in them. She needed to distract herself, that would help.

She pulled her phone out and sent a message to all the different group chats that formed to keep the coven from tearing itself apart: I’m bored as shit. What’s everybody doing?”

A few minutes later, Amara received a direct text: I’m at the boardwalk trying to clear my head. You wanna come with?

Sure, why not. On my way,” she replied.

Amara drove off and stepped on the gas.

---

About five minutes later, Amara pulled up to a parking lot and then took a stroll down the side of the boardwalk.

Where r you

Turn your head like ninety-degrees to your left, Adora texted.

She had her hand up from her bench.

Amara turned and saw her there, walking over and falling into a seat on the other end of the bench.

”That was a fuckin’ disaster today, huh.”

Adora put both of her hands on her knees, staring at Amara for a second before saying, ”… Who you tellin’?” Adora laughed, ”It’s like people just want attention when we’re trying to get shit done.”

Adora sighed, ”At some point, I was like ‘Looks like we ain’t getting shit done today’,”

”Yeah, well, we got something done,” She said, rolling her shoulders and leaning forward. ”We just could’ve got a lot more done if people didn’t fuck around. I like fucking around as much as the next person but- I mean, shit. Time and a place, you know?”

Adora pulled a knee up and wrapped her hands around it, ”It’s people saying dumb shit that’s the problem,” Adora shrugged,
”Though, with Lila’s idea, we can quiet the dumbasses. Dunno how it’s going to work on us outcasts though.” Adora shrugged,

”Same way it worked back in the day. Drake had his group, we had ours, the scholarly fuckers had theirs,” she said. ”It worked because it had to. It’ll work now, and it’ll give people more room to take some damn initiative.”

”I hope so. We can’t work like this.” Adora shrugged, ”But, let’s talk about something else. There’s gotta be more to Amara King than the Coven. What are you up to?”

Having my skull hollowed out by a hivemind, not much.

”Nothing. Not these days, anyway. I’m not really doing much of anything that isn’t coven business right now since it’s our lives on the line.”

”Like you don't do anything to decompress?” Adora scoffed with a smile.
”Sounds like you need a hobby because dealing with them twenty-four-seven will make you want to eat a bullet.” Adora laughed.

”Wouldn’t be the first time I ate a bullet,” Amara half-joked. ”I’ll “decompress” when this is done.”

Adora shrugged, before looking out to the ocean for a moment before saying, ”I get that. But it ain't healthy. We’re in deep shit right now but you gotta find something to keep your head above water.”

”See, I know that,” She admitted. ”And if we had some kind of tangible progress we could look at, I might be getting hammered with Sully right now. But we don’t, we’ve barely gotten anything done. I haven’t done shit around here in years, I don’t even remember what there is to do, that isn’t shooting ghosts.”

”To be real, nobody knows what’s going on. Nobody has any real leads. Nobody has any idea. I know Auri is desperately chasing anything tangible, I honestly can’t blame her at this point.” Adora shrugged.

”And until we get our shit together, it is going to stay that way.”

”…Well.”

Amara stared out at the ocean.

”Shit.”

She paused, and thought for a second. ”Wanna get unreasonably drunk or something?”

”Fuck it,” Adora grinned, ”Why not?”

”Fuckin’ good. Know any good places around here that aren’t Sully’s Chalice?”

”No clue,” Adora shrugged,
”I usually drink by myself.”

”Oh. Huh… Wanna grab something from a store that doesn’t suck, then? I don’t live around here.”

“Sure, I’m down. There’s a liquor store a few blocks from here that’s good,” Adora replied, standing up and brushing sand off her jeans, “Could grab some snacks too while we’re at it.”

Adora gestured for Amara to come along before she shoved her hands into her hoodie pockets.

“You know, I wasn’t kidding earlier,” Adora said after a few minutes of silence. “About finding something to keep your head on straight. This whole thing… it’s a grind. Can’t let it wear you down too much, or you’ll end up tearing your hair out. And trust me, you don’t want that.”

Amara shrugged. ”I need ways of doing that more than a lot of people, I get it, trust me. It’s just that right now I think I’d rather have those ways be ones that actually do something for us. Something productive.”

“I hear you sis,” Adora said. “But sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is take a step back. Clear your head. Then maybe you’ll see something you missed.”

She led the way down a few quiet streets until they reached a small, unassuming liquor store. Adora pushed open the door and headed straight for the liquor aisle, grabbing a bottle of Fireball without hesitation. Then some Grey Goose, and grabbed some chips. Before paying for it all and rolling out.

Stepping outside, Adora said, “My place isn’t far from here,” she said, glancing at Amara. “You wanna ride with me or you got your own car?”

---

Following Adora’s car, Amara pulled up to her place, stepping out and locking her car with a beep. She took a look around for a second. This part of town felt familiar, but she hadn’t ever been here.

The front door to Adora’s house opened, as Adora waved for Amara to come inside.

She walked inside. ”So… Back at the meeting you had those clones of yourself. Did Sloane do that?” Amara asked, clearly forgetting how to turn her brain off.

”Yeah, it's her little counterfeit,”
Adora began, ”She let me have it after that whole thing at her apartment. She wants them back though.”

”’Course she does.” Amara closed the door behind her. ”It probably takes a while to make one for something that strong… Unless she cared enough to make multiple.”

”Maybe she did,” Adora shrugged. ”I don't care enough to ask her, to be real.” Adora had the drinks and snacks laid out on her coffee table… Along with several shot glasses and cups. She grabbed the Grey Goose and poured two shots…

… Then gestured to one.

Amara picked it up, and knocked it back without hesitation. ”...Yeah, that fucks.”] She nodded, appreciating the booze already. Good stuff.

Adora took her shot, and shuddered, ”Really put hair on your coochie, don’t it?”

”Yeah, no joke. I could drink half that bottle right now… Fuck,” she exclaimed, helping herself to another shot. ”Let’s get fuckin’ drunk.”

Adora passed her the whole fucking bottle, ”Yes, let’s make it easy for Father Wolf,” Adora smiled, before it went flat, ”Okay that was bad taste.”

”Nah. If anyone did get in here and make a move on one of us…” She paused and inhaled a fifth of the bottle. ”Then I’ve got five dead people on standby 24/7. My phantoms’ll take them out.”

Adora reached for the bottle, as she said, ”Does that ever freak you out- You don't have anything, right?” She said with an awkward smile..

”Any what? Magic? Yeah, they kind of are my magic, I’m Adjoined to all of ‘em. All infinity times infinity of the fuckers.”

”No, I mean diseases,” Adora facepalmed, ”You put your whole mouth on this.”

”...What? Noooo. God, no.” Amara cackled.

”Just making sure!” Adora says, taking a few gulps, nowhere near as much as Amara, and putting the bottle down. ”Where was I? Oh yeah, that ghost thing never creeps you out? I mean it's probably tame compared to what we been through.”

Amara’s face twisted a bit. ”Ehh… You get used to it after the tenth time they drill a hole through the back of your skull to make more room. The Army’s a lot bigger than Shimmer, there’s no point in doing anything about it. They Adjoined to me when I was born so… I’ve had plenty of time to think about it.”

”Wow, that’s scuffed,” Adora flopped down on her sofa, and then slid the bottle of Grey Goose over to Amara, ”... You can have more if you like.”

Amara grabbed a shot glass and sat down. ”Might be scuffed. But, I mean… Ain’t much you can do about it. Not like you can seal it into anything,” she admitted, knocking back the glass.

”I mean have you tried?” Adora asked.

”A lot of me tried. There’s one of me in every universe, and they’re all Adjoined to the Army too. If one of them could seal it, I’d know.”

”... Maybe it's not about sealing, maybe it's about breaking the bond. Like with Luca,” Adora shrugged, ”But don't ask me, I’m talking out my ass.”

Amara shook her head. ”Nah. Thing is, the Army exists in different universes at the same time. Like… A lot of ‘em. Unadjoin me to it, it’s like cutting off a hydra’s head. They just come back and get their claws in me again. I literally wasn’t even walking before they got me.” She fixed herself another shot.

”Wasn’t even tying my fucking shoes before I knew I was gonna be like them one day.”

”Yikes, let’s talk about something else?” Adora asked.

”Yeah, sure. Like, uhhh… What? How’s that new Trinity Ring actually work?”

”Technically the Triplicate Ring,” Adora raised her hand with the extra ring. ”One of Sloane’s creations, basically lets me create two clones I can do whatever with.”

”Huh. Are they any stronger than you? Like the real rings?”

”Ain’t tried it, but they are identical,” Adora said.

”Cool. Cool…” Amara wasn’t really good at this like she used to be.

”Okay, better question. After everyone packed up and went their ways, what happened back here? What’d I miss?” That would, hopefully, be a better conversation than small talk.

”... You’re asking the wrong person,” Adora shrugged. ”I left pretty much immediately after Stiggy was defeated. The only person I had contact with in the Old Coven was Kari… But I blew her off.”

”Yeah, I don’t remember Kari at all. Never met her. I think. I mean St. Portwell. First we save the world, then Nazis come back? Then Emily fucking Reed? What the hell went wrong?”

”I don't even know the answer to that, sis,” Adora shrugged yet again. ”What has the world come to?”

”Hell. Fuck if I know,” Amara said. ”Think I’d rather be back in the PRA shooting ghosts than here, feels like that was a hell of a lot easier. At least then, you knew what the fuck you were fighting.”

Adora was silent.

”... But did you know what you were fighting for?”

”Depends on when you asked,” she admitted. ”Eight years ago? Maybe. Five years ago? Yeah, sure. Year and a half ago? Nah, fuck if I knew anymore. Three my badge right in the director’s face. He can go fuck himself. You climb up enough, you’ll see shit you couldn’t before.”

”Well, if you don't mind me asking…” Adora leaned forward then asked,
”... Like?”

Amara paused for a second, looking off into nothing for a second. ”There was this one time, a whole group of cursed people wanted to make their own little society. Kinda like Leon’s cult, only not a cult. All of ‘em Afflicted, and their lives just sucked because of it.”

Amara took another shot. ”Weren’t even hurting anyone, they just wanted a way to live a life that wasn’t shit, but the curses they had gave them magic, and as a whole they were pretty damn dangerous if you pushed them far enough,” She sighed. Then leaned back against the couch. ”We had to kill ‘em all, because one agent of ours got on their bad side and paid for it. It was just self-defense, but before I knew that, we were told they were “highly dangerous paranormals.” They didn’t even stand a fucking chance against us, most of them didn’t even fight back.” They just ran.”

”Sounds like what they did to us, Adora began, ”But with less death.”

”Something like it. When you’re a big enough deal in the paranormal world that people talk about you, you either learn how to protect yourself or someone snuffs you out. They got away with setting that church on fire because they had guns and we didn’t. That’s it.“

”What you’re saying we should get strapped?” Adora laughed, pulling the bottle to her mouth and siping it.

”That’s exactly what I’m saying. I don’t care how long takes or how hard it is to get all these fucks in a row, most people with magic coming out of their asses aren’t bulletproof. Emily Reed isn’t, and I know Liao isn’t. Seen that myself.”

Adora started laughing, ”... I don’t know! You seen how the meetings went! I don’t think giving the Coven a bunch of guns would end well.”

Adora did a finger gun and ‘looked down the sights’ and said, ”Someone says something outta pocket and then pow!”
”Someone says something outta pocket, and they’re dealing with it like adults,” Amara corrected. ”Because if I put a gun in their hands and they start acting like kids, they’re gonna get the fear of god put in ‘em. Doesn’t even have to be everyone, just the ones who actually get in fights. Drake knows how to shoot already, Linqian’s just close enough to being questionably bulletproof that she could do with a gun…” Amara knocked back a shot.

”We ain’t kids anymore, there’s barely twenty of us left. These fucking dumbasses forgot that quicker than me, and I’m the one with fucking magic dementia.” The alcohol was starting to kick in.

”... Wait, what?” Adora raised an eyebrow.

”You heard me. Magic. Fucking. Dementia. Or magic alzheimers, I don’t fucking know. It’s not like it’s ever been a secret.”

”Talk to me, baby,” Adora said, ”The whole shtick with magic is that there’s a lot of weird shit that comes with it. Are you like losing your mind…?”

”Nah, nah- The Army of One’s fucking- It’s fucked up, right? Billions of years ago, I died alone, you know? Not some other version of me, but me.” Amara got another shot of the Gray Goose.

”What they don’t tell you in Surprise-Magic-Exists-And-You-Never-Knew School is that everything’s a pattern. Constants and shit, there’s other versions of everyone that are all different, but then there’s always that one thing or two that doesn’t change no matter where you go. There’s damn near zero fucking differences between all the mes that are still alive, and every time some bitch named Amara King is born? She’s a fighter, get’s adjoined to a hive mind of dead ghosts of her own damn self, and dies for something she thinks is worth dying for.”

She stared up at the ceiling, all the words just started coming and wouldn’t stop. ”And then- Then they take the mes that die and turn them into more ghosts. They hollow every single one of me out, day after day, every time I lean on ‘em, Adora. They- Fuck…” Amara stopped herself and cracked open the other bottle they hadn’t touched yet, and inhaled a fifth of it. When she sat the bottle back down, her face was a scowl.

”They just… It takes and it takes and takes and takes and takes. That’s what the Army does- It keeps going because war and fighting are all it understands, because when one of me died alone, she got so fucking pissed off at the universe that she was too angry to stay dead. So she found another me and Adjoined to her. Then it just kept going.” And every time I have to use their power, a little tiny piece of me gets taken away and replaced with it.”

Adora leaned forward, as the room went silent.

”... Maybe I should have turned on some music,” Adora broke the silence, before adding, ”That’s heavy. Like. Real deep shit there - actually, have some more to drink.” Adora pointed at the Grey Goose.

”... But, i get it. Thousands of versions of you all dying the same damn way, feeding into this... ghost army? Have you ever thought about not using it? Like, I know you have to sometimes, but maybe... I don’t know; take a step back. Let some of us handle things instead.”

”Look around us, it’s just a bunch of headless chickens so far. And yeah, sure, they’re getting better about it and their heads are coming out their asses,” Amara acknowledged. ”But… Fuck, Adora. Most of ‘em stopped knowing how to protect themselves years ago. I don’t exactly have a choice.”

”... And not a single one of them would give a fuck if you lost yourself protecting them!” Adora shouted, baring her teeth, before sighing and lowing her hands with her eyes closed. ”... What I mean to say is, it’s like with Luca; what good would surviving Father Wolf do if you or he gets killed by your Casper?”

”If I get killed, it gets shut out of Shimmer. The ghosts don’t waste what they’ve got on places where they’ve got nothing. If I just sit on my ass and do nothing, what’s the point of coming back at all?”

Adora facepalmed, ”... Okay, I know you said the other Amaras tried stuff and couldn’t find anything - but there has to be something that can help you. You can’t just cross it off because some MF that’s you - but ain’t you - said so.”

Amara leaned forward. ”You’re not- Look. Look. You can’t just seal the Army, it’s in every world where I’m alive, all at the same time. You unadjoin me to it? It just reaches back in and grabs me again. It’s not just one me that’s tried, y’know? It’s thousands, and thousands, and thousands of me that tried. And I know that because I remember everything they remember. The thing about me having magic dementia is that when they take something, it makes room for more ghosts to fill my head up. I’ve seen shit from other worlds, and I’m dead in them. One of me even tried sealing a god inside her, while trying to push the Army out. Didn’t work.”

”Oooookay, I got that,” Adora said, with a wide and very forced smile on her face as she put her hands together. ”... What I’m saying is that there has to be something that can help with your memory problems. Or SOMETHING that can off-set the side effects. Do you get what I’m saying? Maybe you don’t need to seal The Army; maybe there’s a piece that you’re missing.”

”Like what?” She asked, just a little exasperated. ”I’ve been dealing with this since I was old enough to walk. The PRA knew more about this sort of thing than me, and they had nothing. What are you suggesting?”

Adora shrugged, ”Now, let me just say I’m no magical expert, but there are tons of different weird ass artifacts, right? Maybe there’s something that can help you keep your memory? Maybe someone can make something?”

”I- Shit, I guess? I’ve tried it before. This one smug prick in the PRA gave me this fuckass crown and told me it healed memories. All it did was set my head on fire…” Amara sighed. ”Hell, you know anyone good enough for that?”

”I don’t know but maybe Jack or Britney does,” Adora shrugged.

She leaned back. ”Yeah. Maybe…” She knocked back another shot. ”…Fuck, I normally gotta be a lot more drunk to get into this shit. Sorry.”

”There’s nothing to be sorry over, you have a problem, it’s that simple,” Adora said with a nod of her head.

”Yeah… But we’re supposed to get stupid drunk and we’re just bitching and moaning… You think Greenwood would kick our asses if they saw us like this?”

”They seem cool… they’re probably more inclined to whoop up on Layla if I had to be honest with you,” Adora shrugged.

”Heh… Yeah.” She laughed. ”I bet they got the craziest fucking weed. Lord, I should’ve been Adjoined to a weed apparition instead.”

”You know, they fuck with me; I can hit them up,” Adora leaned back and laughed.

”Fuuuck. That’s what we need. You’re fucking great, thanks.”

Adora smiled.

”... I’m lovely, yeah,” Adora laughed, before she pulled out her phone and called Ruby. ”Good thing I got her number at the flower shop...” Adora mused out loud.

A few moments later, Ruby picked up.

“... WAAAAAAAASSUP!” Ruby loudly shouted through the phone, and Adora rolled her eyes.
”Hey, Rubes, wassup,” Adora began.

“Nah, sis, you gotta say it with style like WASSUP!” Ruby said laughing.

”What are you up to right now?” Adora asked.

“Nothing… me and the crew are about to head to the camp,” Ruby said. “Party off that meeting with the leftover pizza… We gotta get Sully’s ass first.”

”I got you,” Adora said, before putting the phone on speaker. ”You remember Amara, though? Ya’ll met at the Flower Shop Pow-Wow?” Adora gestured towards Amara.

“Yeah?”

”Well, she has a request for you all,” Adora laughed.

”Hey! Greenwood! Which one of you motherfuckers has the good grass?” She asked. ”I’m one step away from being drunk as fuck, who’s in a mood to get drunk as fuck with me?”

“Sis, siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis….” Ruby said, “We got all that good shit… Come party with us.”

Ruby laughed, “I’ll drop the location to Appie here… Be there or be square.”

”You know I’ll be there!” Adora laughed.

”I owe you bitches my fucking life. Thanks.”

“See ya there, babe,” Ruby said with a laugh. “We’ll be expecting you.”

She paused for a moment.

“... Don’t disappoint us.”

Then hung up.

”Well that was unnecessarily dramatic,” Adora said with a shrug.

Amara pointed a finger at the front door, and a phantom appeared out of thin air. ”She’s driving.”

A few moments later, Adora’s phone pinged, and it was the location of the Greenwood party.

”... Whatever you say, champ,” Adora said with a smile.

---

---

---

Lynette stared at the bar room surrounding her perceptional vantage point. From just behind Ruby, thanks to the myriad of cards still in her pocket, Lynette had a first row ticket to the comedy show of the season. She loved every bit of the chaotic nature that seemed to follow Sycamore around like a carrion feeder to a corpse. It was fresh, unpredictable: Qualities that let them win so long ago. If nobody has a plan, after all, how can countermeasures be created?

But then there was the matter of her own son and the prize that she knew was coming back to her. Alizeé Vul… Child of the Void. Ecstasy and longing returned to Lynette as she practically drooled over the potential. Leon's plan to adjoin her to Layla gave way to immediate preparations as she sent for people to begin prepping a ritual room for the process.

It happened so quickly, she stopped watching what Ruby was doing, so had no idea they'd be returning to her property within the next few minutes… A wind that carried leaves came from behind Lynette, right into her bar room. It spun around for a bit, before the Greenwood Coven appeared in front of her.

Ruby stood tall, in a heroic pose with one hand on her hip and the other on her staff.

“Dun-dun-duuun, dun-DUUUUUUN!” Jess made the sound effects, as Ruby dropped the bomb.

“... Bitch ass Ninja,”

Lynette grabbed the bridge of her nose in frustration as she was fixing herself a drink before the main event showed up.
”Wow! Wow, wow wow! What a fucking performance, Ruby. One for the fuckin’ movies… What the Hell was that!? My fucking cards? Nobody got them. Nobody, they’re im Sullivan McPherson’s fucking pocket! What the Hell…”
The woman openly frowned, almost pouting like a child.
”I trusted you! So, what did I get for that trust?”

“... One of the few competent members of that ‘Coven’ distributing those cards for both of us,” Ruby rolled her eyes, before aiming her staff at Lynette. “Toooo be honest, I’m not sure what you’re hoping to glean from those clowns anyway.”

Ruby shook her head, clenching her staff, “They are so chaotic I think we need to invent a new word for it.”

”Sullivan… Played football with Leon in highschool… Ruby, he was a moron then, and he's a drunk moron now! You honestly believe he's going to hand those cards out!? They'll wind up in a fucking washing machine after he's gotten drunk and forgotten them in his pocket!!!”

Lynette gripped her face with a pained expression, dragging the hand up to run through the tremendously thick locks cascading down from her head.

”A wallet, a purse: Someone takes a card they dont give a shit about, and they stick it somewhere they forget. Carry it with them constantly, never considering that I am now there with them. My magic records, I observe. What do I gleam? Uncanny knowledge of daily happenings. Anything I can hear or see from them becomes usable information that we can reign this herd of cats in with, Ruby! We need to make them useful!”

“Do not shit on Sully!” Ruby hissed, waving a hand in front of her. “Whatever you think about him, he’s one of us! And I could give less of a shit about those Sycamore losers, do not talk bad on my friend!”

”Then what happens next is your fault. I asked you to do one thing, Ruby! One! And you fucked off, because you feel like its not worth it. Why wasn't doing what I asked you worth it? Why is it that you all seem to just ignore what I ask and do what the fuck you want? You, Leon, Roxanne God bless her fucking soul… Am I a joke to you, Ruby!?”

Lynette rarely let her more base emotions run wild, but she was furious and had little concern for how Ruby felt in the moment.
”You wanted an alliance. I said yes. Did you think I wouldn't ask you for anything? Like a fucking charity!? Goddamn it!...”

Her face twisted into a frown, and she threw her hands up questioningly.

“And fucking look! You weren't there! You don't have the magic I have!” Ruby slammed a hand on her chest, “Half of those motherfuckers didn't trust us! Do you think they would have taken them from me?!”

Ruby paused, “If you say yes, you’re delusional!”

“... Should we, uh, go now?” Jess asked, pointing towards the door.

”Jess… Go where, sweetheart? Just… Hang tight, you all have a drink, enjoy your pizzas… Ruby? Can we please visit my office? So we're not agitating people undeserving?”

“To the orgy, ideally!” Jess shouted, only to make the rest of Greenwood roll their eyes.

Ruby clutched her staff and said to Lynnette, “Whatever you want, Temple-Mother.” Ruby’s tone was laced with venom.

“... And the orgy is mid.”

”The orgy is not Mid… It's a high class perpetu-
Lynette continued on incessantly about the quality of her cultivated sex dungeons even as she led Ruby off and down one of the many dark and intentionally unremarkable halls. Eventually, they made it to Lynette's personal office, where she was free to speak to Ruby like she was an equal.

Clearing her throat, Lynette frowned as she looked at Ruby.
”I'm not mad that it didn't work. I'm upset that it seems like you barely tried. Like you heard what I asked, and you immediately treated it like an impossible objective. Now, I like Sullivan. I really do, he's a sweet boy and we always loved him coming with Leon to our events… So I'm sorry I said that about him. But as your friend, you know that he's the person most likely to leave a piece of paper in his pants pockets while he does laundry! It's just the nature of things…” Lynette paused, looking expectantly at Ruby while she fixed them both a drink from her personal shelf.

Instead of grabbing the drink, Ruby went for the bottle and downed a fifth. Then she retorted,

“Hey! I was going to try, but crazy shit kept happening one after another!” Ruby rolled her eyes. “I barely got a chance to talk before the Void Heart’s little pet opened her mouth.”

”Her name is Alizée. Her b-b…-”
Lynette’s voice hitched, and she whimpered slightly as she tried to take a deeper breath. Alcohol was knocked back, a frown turned into a scowl that turned into a frustrated expression of guilt.
”The poor, stupid girl is a ghost now. And we accepted her oath years ago; that we would help her and Void Heart however we could. If that means keeping him from making his own bad decisions, so be it. We bring the two idiots together, we have everyone trying to release him in one well-monitored package.”

Ruby facepalmed.

“... I mean his other pet.”.”

Lynette tilted her head, waving her hand sassily.
”Duh, Layla. She was included; the other idiot.”
There was a chuckle, and she finally cracked a smile.
”Aw, fuck it. You know I’m just happy to have you hanging around again, don’t you? Try and get Sully to get those cards where he can; I don’t care if he’s throwing them in books at the local library, anywhere. Just increase my coverage and all is forgiven.”

Ruby shrugged. “If he fucks it up, just give me some more, and I’ll take care of it.”

“So, say,” Ruby began, sassily putting a hand on her hip, “Does the Void Heart like all his little pets white-haired and stupid?”

Lynette's stern expression had softened previously, and now she was like a warm hug again. Friendly, happy. She laughed at the question, trying to consider how best to answer her.
”Well, the stupid part makes his M.O. easier to pull off. But the white hair? Even I don't know what the deal with that is…”

She shook her head, topping her drink off from the bar and waving Ruby onward back toward her group in the other room.
”Leon will be home with Alizée soon. After what happened with Layla, I don't expect you to stick around. But- I do expect to see many Greenwood members at the end of the month. The Harvest Feast is shaping up to be the greatest feast we've ever held here, and I'd really love to see you and your own Coven come to celebrate. Bring Mummy too… You know I miss her, and she never answers my calls.” she frowned slightly, thinking about Ruby's mother fondly.

“I would rather gouge my eyes out with a burning hot knife than be in the same building with that bitch,” Ruby said with a sigh, twisting her face up. “Now, I will find the rest of Greenwood and leave because I know I’ll punch that bitch in the face. Knowing them, they probably found the orgy, and I’ll have to drag them out kicking and screaming.”

”Come, come… If they have found it, they'll likely be stuck. It may take both of us to pry them off the sticky wall.”

Ruby walked off into the halls alongside Lynette.

The House on the Hill -> Temple Grounds

---

Oh, how fun! Delightful, even titillating… You smelled what I smelled, did you not?
Leon’s mind was full of his ancient bride’s curiosity with her rare convivial prodding into the world surrounding her prison. She saw through Leon’s eyes at all times, whether dreaming or awake, and could only ever comment about the silly things she observed. He ignored her, knowing full well that Ruby and the other Greenwood members smelled like home. The only explanation is that they had been to the Temple, and there was some kind of game here that they weren't being honest about.

There were far more concerning and pressing matters he believed needed to be attended to. This Layla problem… He only hoped that Alizeè wouldn't trouble Layla any more than the others. He'd come to empathize with the young woman, her situation entirely lacking the quality required for envy. She barely retained strength, the beasts gnawed at her flesh constantly, it was a prisoner's lifestyle.

He was, at the very least, happy to imagine it ending soon. Happy to see the dynamic changing on the horizon. He just needed to get them both to a place that would be conducive for this ceremony.
Unlocking the doors, Leon popped the back open and held it for the two of them to get in. The ghost, having wound up ahead of Layla, seemed confused about the operation required to get in the car.

Layla had to go first; to demonstrate.

When they were both in and secured, he rounded the car to the driver's seat and quickly had them moving down the boulevard toward the highway that would dump them out in Temple territory.
Lelou didn't stop jabbering, mostly about the humor in an entity like Vul C'thara Mangak gathering enough lovers that he'd inspire one back from the dead.

He wasn't paying attention to her.
”Layla…-” he started, feeling the car under him vibrate as he pressed his foot to the gas. ”-You know I didn't want them to hurt Alizeé, right? That if you… If you don't want to try things out with Alizeé, nobody will shame you. But I would never do what Britney Williams did to people. We're not like that: Both of you have a choice to make here…”

Alizée was awkwardly fiddling with the seat strap holding down her half-floating form, before looking over at Layla. Layla was staring with her jaw slack slightly, before she gently shut it and moved her gaze to Leon.

Her lips pursed slightly before she spoke. “I… I was really scared. I didn't know-” Her gaze shot to Alizée. “I didn't know if they would take her away too.”

A weak chuckle left her, staring at Alizée a little more closely.“Alizée, you wouldn't know this, but it's actually thanks to you that I ever ended up with the Sycamore. We… used to be friends.”

With flashes of Britney and her sealing symbol impulsively staining her mind, Layla’s face darkened as she glanced back at Leon through the rear view mirror.

“It was this close. She was this close to not making it out of that, to being taken again, to being locked away, just like… like him.”

Her gaze dropped, and she uttered gratefully. “Thank you, Leon. I think your intervention saved her.”

A pause, before her head lifted slightly. “This is still what I want to do. No matter how much Void or the Void have shaped her, I'm willing to take that risk.”

Alizée curled a part of her floating white hair to the side, her masked face staring unfeeling at Layla. The only betrayal of emotion was in her red eyes. Longing.

“You think Vul has shaped me?”

Layla stared for a moment before nodding. “Definitely. I don't know how, but he leaves his imprint on those he bonds with. You, me. A mark that shapes the soul.

“It’ll only be a matter of time until we see how he's shaped you.”

Alizée pressed a gnarled finger to her chin in thought, breathing slow and deep. Wistfully. Before her glowing eyes slanted towards Layla.

“There's something else shaping you now.”

Layla swallowed, before carefully nodding.

Alizée's eyes narrowed into slits. “And this troubles you.”

Layla carefully nodded again. She could feel Mr. Riil staring silently from within her, fuming, his cold anger killing the will to speak in her.

Alizée saw the change in Layla’s eyes, and her own eyes tightened. A gnarled hand grasped a dainty, porcelain hand.

“...Do you want help?”

Layla trembled for a moment, staring. Then, she slowly nodded.

Alizée's gaze watched carefully, before it moved to Leon. “...I don't know where we're going, I don't know if I can fully trust you. I don't know anything about this Temple. But…”

A breath. “Without knowing the full story, I'm willing to do everything I can to protect her. I'm just… not sure how to start, or where to start.”

”The Temple of Charming and Graceful Individuals… It's something you were a part of when you were alive. Our family. Not by blood, but family still. We cared for you there, when Vul and Yourself still lived. It's also the resting place of your obsession, which I… I will be honest with the both of you: I have reservations about this course of action only because of him.”

Leon imagined a world where the two of them overpowered Andrade Salamente, destroying the Butcher's Prison-Blade and releasing countless unnamed horrors alongside Void Heart. There was no telling what the reaction would be, but he certainly feared the hellish army that could surge forth from an artifact like that.

”I strongly encourage you both to seek one another's comfort before making foolish decisions that you could be hurt for. Layla, please remember: Mr. Salamente is no pushover.- He may be a friendly man, and he may cook incredible food, but he's spent his whole life fighting and killing Apparitions. As far as I'm concerned, he's one of the greatest Adepts on this planet, and you would both be wise to avoid him… Especially if you're adjoined.”

He was only so insistent because he wanted them desperately on the same page. After a meeting like that, especially one where he was compelled to stick his neck out in the path of the guillotine, he needed a victory. Too many losses in the last few days were mounting on his confidence. Little social boosters were so necessary for his mental game.

Layla's head hung a bit, all too aware of the thinly veiled threat Leon cast over them. Of course. They would be in the presence of the Butcher, and the Blade soon. The artifact that held Void prisoner.

Layla gritted her teeth, her fingers pulling at the fabric of her black dress. ”I… I pledged myself, Leon. To you, to your mother. Her Grace promised… I would never betray your trust.”

Alizée seemed to be more hesitant. If the Butcher was responsible for Vul's sealing, his torture, she had to release him. One way, or another.

Alizée's silence caused Layla to look over, seeing the distant look in Alizée's eyes. The plan forming in the apparition's eyes.

“Alizée?”

“...”

“You can't seriously be considering what I think you're considering… are you?”

Alizée sighed, pressing gnarled hands to her face. She remained silent.

“I know you can't forget him. Neither can I. But we gotta take it one step at a time. Today, we're focusing on you and I. One day, we will focus on Void.”

A muffled moan escaped Alizée, and her hands tightened around her masked face. Layla watched with a pained expression, before she reached out, and patted Alizée's knee.

“Alizée…?”

Alizée's voice was broken as she spoke, muffled through her hands. “He's gonna be there. He's gonna be right there, and I'm not going to be able to do anything about it.”

She curled in her seat, face hidden firmly in her hands. Mist escaped her eyes.

“I miss him! I miss him so badly. Every inch of my chains ache to see him, even if it's across the ocean. And you're telling me he's going to be there, locked away in the Butcher’s knife, and there's nothing I can do about it?!”

Layla swallowed painfully, before she spoke. “It's… it's my fault, Alizée. If I didn't let Void hurt those people, if I was stronger… Maybe Void would still be with us. But that's why I'm here. I haven't given up on seeing him. And neither should you. But the timing has to be right. And right now… the timing isn't right.”

Layla unbuckled her seat, shifting over to rebuckle in the middle seat, and reaching out her arms to Alizée. Alizée sniffled, before accepting Layla's hug, and they both sat there silently, Layla resting in Alizée's chest, arms wrapped around each other.

Alizée gently stroked Layla's hair, and she spoke softly, a pained sigh escaping her. “I gave my word too… That I wouldn't pursue him, lest I be sealed…”

Alizée's cheek rested on Layla's head, “So… I'm counting on you. Please… don't leave me in the dark here.”

Layla nestled herself deeper into Alizée's embrace. “We won't be alone forever… Trust them. Trust the Temple, Her Grace, Leon. They are friends, family.”

Eventually, Layla lifted her face and leaned back, but kept her hands wrapped around Alizée's.

“I need your strength, Alizée. Today, and forever. The demons in me… I don't want you to get hurt.”

Alizée squeezed Layla's hands lightly. “I'm here, and I'm focused, ready. Let us return to your home, my old home too, and put your demons to rest.”

Layla smiled a little. “And Void?”

Alizée's eyes closed softly. “I leave that to you and the Temple.”

Leon's mind was wracked by nerves and questions about what this would entail. It was ultimately a book full of questions that he prayed Andrade would be able to answer for him.
A morbid thought crossed his mind, and he wondered about what could happen if he followed through.

”Alizée… Your previous physical form… We have interred it in a beautiful mausoleum. You were given a Martyr's funeral, honored many times over by our congregation. Once things are settled, and the two of you are Adjoined, I encourage you to visit… And, tomorrow… Well, should you both be up to it, there's an event: I told Layla about it. The Adjoined Night? We originally planned to find you some help with the Riil… But, if you'll be free of them, maybe we can present you from a more positive position.”

His big brother instinct was the only one active at this point. He wasn't a Temple Scion. He wasn't the host of Lelou Faim. He wasn't even the Timberwolf. Just a concerned older brother on pins and needles about what was to come next.

Alizée listened carefully, before lifting her head from Layla's, and tilting it. “...Visiting my old body. That's such a strange concept. But… Yes, I would like to go there, once everything is done…”

Layla offered a small smile, before she leaned back a bit, and nodded towards Leon. “Both of those sound great. I uh, imagine I'll be a whole new person without my uh… well, the Riil siblings doing what they do.”

Layla glanced at Alizée, before looking back at Leon. “Of course we'll attend. It'd be rude of us to not.”

Both, of course, didn't notice the brief look of morbidity that passed across Leon's face.
”I’m certain that a great deal of your current problems will fade away in the wake of new ones. Trust me, things get complicated sometimes; But you have to believe that we’re gonna be there to help you in the best and worst of times.”
Saying that stung a little more than he liked, considering what had happened to Alizée. He hadn’t been able to stop it, and now he was faced with this… Strange new problem. All Leon could hope for was that it wouldn’t be such a problem in the end.

As he spoke, he was taking a turn off the highway into the outskirts of St. Portwell where the lands turned into the forests again. It was easy to get lost out there, go feral in those woods… Some patches were so big, you’d easily get lost in the middle and never make your way out. As they got closer to the property, Leon turned his eyes up to the rear view mirror to try and catch Alizée’s reaction.
”You recognize this roadway at all? Feel any of the magic from the property?” he asked casually. ”Even when you were coming back to us in a struggle, you always seemed to calm down the closer we got. I never knew if it was you resigning to the fate of being hugged and fawned over, or if you actually felt good being around us.”

Alizée stared out the window, watching the trees roll by. Leon would notice her eyes slowly go wide.

“There's food here, isn't there? I remember… Void was never hungry for long. I was never hungry for long.”

Flashes of white motes scattered across her vision, reminding her of a time that no longer existed. The flash of a voidly smile. A bow in sincerity, before feasting. Hands raised in gratitude. Once, they struggled. But no longer.

Alizée breathed in, as if sampling the air, before she began to visibly relax.

“I like this place. When will we arrive?”

Layla watched with an incredulous look.“You can… smell the Temple?”

Alizée closed her eyes briefly, breathing in again.“I can smell Vul mixed with other notes. Light, airy, dark, poignant like pomegranate. We're getting close. It's… relaxing.”

Layla gave a soft smile,“That's reassuring. I can't wait for everyone to see you. The original host. It'll be quite the change for them, but… for the better?”

Alizée just nodded, feeling her inhibitions slip away, one by one.

---

The turn into the Temple’s three-square miles of Paradise was marked by something absolutely amazing for the returning members’ weary hearts:

Front and center, hung from the gates of the entrance and the security house in between, was a massive banner. Reading “Welcome Home Alizée!” in big, periwinkle colored letters, the sign was flanked on all sides by bundles and bundles of white, red and purple flowers whose shapes and colors would be a deep memory. A day which Alizée spent with the magnanimous Lynette Richoux and her closest sisterhood. A picnic, a field of those flowers; it was another world, another time… Another place that they’d brought her and included her.

Or, included Void Heart? Perhaps the goals were unclear, but Lynette was banking on the spirit at hand holding fond memories with little to no context: Any jogging of the memory was a dangerous game, so it was best to only jog the good ones. Leon certainly hadn’t been expecting it, nor the response time to get a banner like this up. Not only, but the roadway leading up toward the main bulk of the property was lined with bundles and bundles of these flowers. Leon had been to the President’s funeral, and had seen the rows and rows of flowers like this.
Hell, they hadn’t even done this for the poor girl’s funeral… It was lovely, sure, but this was thick.

The fragrance of flowers, it rang something deep within Alizée. It was a day when the Void Heart had been in a good mood, fed. He would rumble something soft in her head as she was handed sweets on the picnic cloth. Clasped hands, laughter, hugs… She only remembered the lightness in her soul.

Alizée stared out the backseat window, entirely transfixed as the flowers rolled past, her eyes and her heart in the fractured and erased past.

Oh my stars beyond… Lynette is in a panic!
Who the Hell would have expected this?
Is she not The Omnipresence? The One That Watches?
I find your sarcasm to be one of your more attractive habits.

A bit of outward affection shut the ghost up. Gave Leon a second to think about what the hell was coming next. First, he was curious as to who the plant was… Not like there were a lot of options to choose from; one possible perp may have even been totally unwitting. But… Had she heard what he said? Was there the possibility that she’d go against him if she had? And what would they do otherwise, just seal Alizée up like they had Void Heart and be done with it?

He didn’t want that… Part of him felt like turning around then; but, he was going to need his family’s resources if he wanted to make this any kind of possibility. So he kept driving them forward, trying to put a smile on and sound enthused.
”Wow, Alizée… You’re really uh… You’ve got everyone here excited that you’re back! Look up ahead!”

Alizée tore her red eyes from the window, looking up.

Pointing through the front windshield, Leon directed their attention to what appeared to be a fully stacked up gathering on the front green. There were banners, balloons, all sorts of fellow Apparitions and their various hosts. Getting closer, there were plenty of familiar faces. Kind ones, friendly, who only got more excited as the car approached and they could see the wispy, pale ghost in the back seat.
Pulling up, Alizée could look up the stairs to the church in the center of it all and see a tall, dark haired woman with tears streaming down her face. She was dressed in the most incredible kind of dress, a massive neck fan highlighting her face and body like a big white halo in the light shining from within the Chapel.

The car slowed to a stop, and Leon pulled himself up to look back.
”I can… Pull us off to a quieter place if this seems overwhelming, you two…”

Alizée stared, her eyes wide. It all seemed so surreal. But so, so right.

She soaked up the happy faces, wishing she recognized more. But they knew her, and that's what mattered.

Alizée turned her masked face to Leon, and gently shook her head, white hair swishing in an anti-gravitational manner.

“I feel… strange. But not in a bad way. I've… never felt like this. I… want to meet them.”

Layla stared at the gathering outside the car windows, swallowing nervously. Too many people, powerful people, if they wanted to take Alizée away, like they took Void away.

Layla shook her head to herself, eyes pinching. She was getting ahead of herself. Her Grace looked so happy. Surely, this wouldn't be like the last time she set eyes on the Butcher. Surely, she could believe in the goodness of the Temple.

Swallowing, she reached over and placed a hand on Alizée's knee. “Then let's go and meet them.”

Never forgetting her manners, Layla glanced at Leon.“I uh, appreciate the ride, Leon. It's… good to be back.”

Layla unbuckled and got out, coming around to open Alizée's door and unbuckle her. Alizée drifted out, her feet hovering inches above the concrete as she stared at the happy faces.

Instead of being scared, however, her chains rippled around her like bubbly, cascading sheets - an expression of happiness. New connections could be formed, and that was something that made all the difference in Alizée's world. A chain, a link, a representation of trust, of friendship, of loyalty. It all started here, where she had been known once before.

Alizée's red eyes surveyed the group, before they looked up to the lady in the extravagant dress.

“...I’m honored by this welcome party, but I have to admit, my memory is not what it… well, what it used to be. You’ll have to introduce yourselves to me uhm, again?” Alizée said, her eyes curling upward.

Layla stood a little behind Alizée, reaching out a hand to grasp Alizée's long phalanges. For comfort. She stared up at the group, finding it hard not to smile in the face of such enthusiasm.

She glanced up at Alizée. “This should have been the welcome you'd gotten earlier. You truly are amazing, Alizée. You just don't know it yet.”

As Alizée spoke, a cheer ran along the crowd. Small children, elderly folk, teens and their parents, Apparitions of all shapes and sizes accompanying them; there was a haze of familiarity that always managed to escape the pale Phantom’s grip. Only the woman in the dress, however, made any true impact. Alizée would be able to feel White Lux pouring from her, the small book in her hands at the epicenter of it all.

Raven hair, steel blue eyes, a smooth and regal expression of high-cheeked native beauty in powdered pale glory. She had small runes painted down the front of her forehead, the entire bundle of hair cascading down her front and in between the hands which clutched the book. The book which they opened, and the world around them flooded into the Pale. Colorless surroundings…
Only the words echoing.

”A Lady red — amid the Hill
Her annual secret keeps!
A Lady white — within the Field
In placid Lily sleeps!

The tidy Breezes, with their Brooms —
Sweep vale — and hill — and tree!
Prithee, My pretty Housewives!
Who may expected be?

The Neighbors do not yet suspect!
The Woods exchange a smile!
Orchard, and Buttercup, and Bird —
In such a little while!

And yet, how still the Landscape stands!
How nonchalant the Hedge!
As if the “Resurrection”
Were nothing very strange!”

And then there was no sign of that tantalizing, private and oh-so intimate magic. The book snapped shut, returning color to the world as the woman descended the stairs with arms outstretched and tears rolling from her face.
”Dearest, sweetest most Charming and Graceful girl… You… You’re just as beautiful as the day we thought we lost you~”

Arms wrapped around the Apparition as they could, unconcerned about the potential threat. There was hesitation, before long fingers wrapped back, gently. The woman held her tightly, and there was a gentle shaking that indicated some quiet weeping before she finally pulled back.
”You… Call me Auntie Lynette. You always have, and I hope you always will.”

“Auntie Lynette…” Alizée echoed back, feeling the words as they reverberated gently from her.

Taking Alizée’s free hand, she swept her own across the crowd.
”And this is your beautiful Family… The Temple of Charming and Graceful Individuals. We welcome you home with great enthusiasm and overwhelming love, Alizée Vul… You honor us.”
Another cheer drove the people into a frenzy as they excitedly chanted her name in three sharp syllables over and over.

The chains swirled around Alizée, betraying the surge of emotion bubbling up in her throat that her mask simply couldn't communicate. There was so much potential here, so many untapped sources of connections. The scents were sweet here, tinged with the Void, and the Void Heart.

Before her eyes fell on Layla, smiling, despite pain in her eyes. Pain they both felt.

Without wishing to dampen the high spirits, Alizée leaned in close, whispering in her aunt’s ear. “Auntie… You know what I'm going to ask… when the time is right, please, would you entertain me?”

To hear it from the source, where her Void had gone.

Lynette wasn't surprised to hear the request leave Alizée's ethereal lips. It was only natural that such an impressionistic soul would have the stench of the void still coloring it.

Leon knew, however. He saw it all coming, and wasn't sure he was going to be able to stop it… All he could do from here on was get Layla the support she needed. She was, in his perception, the weakest link in the whole chain. It only took convincing her that life was better without the Void Heart, and plans were over.

Get them Adjoined, get them into therapy, surround them with love. Don't give them the opportunity to question what if.
Standing next to Layla as Lynette spoke, Leon placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. One of comfort, and he smiled down at her gently.

Lynette took Alizée's hands herself, rubbing them gently in her own.

”In due time, my sweet girl… For now, let's get you fed. You must be starving, the both of you! Come, come, come!!”
Turning, she led Alizée up those familiar stairs and into that familiar chapel, where the pews were replaced by tables full of delicacies. For the night, all may be able to rest but the dreaded Riil, who could only look on in abject horror as the meal seemed to weaken them.

Deaden them. Make them sitting ducks for a greater predator. Time was nearing its end…

---

Temple Grounds

---

It was finally done.

Through the bitter fight, Layla was finally free of the Riil siblings. The meal had helped. Alizée and the Temple had done an excellent job of sealing them.

Not before, of course, Mr. Riil landed a hit directly on Layla. A vial of poison. Pain had laced her body. She collapsed instantly.

They had to postpone the Adjoining ceremony until she got better, or Sully had time to drop by. So now, a few hours after, Layla sat in her bed under three blankets, staring up at the ceiling and counting her breaths. The pain was a dull ache now. In a few more hours, she was hopeful it would vanish entirely.

Layla had to at least count her lucky stars. With the Riil siblings trapped in two pendants that hung around her neck, Layla was now free. She couldn't be hurt anymore.

Alizée, of course, was being fawned over by members of the Temple, and was out on Temple grounds with them. Layla was all alone in her Temple suite, the lights dimmed, door locked and curtains drawn over the window.

All she needed now was peace…

… Which she wasn’t getting tonight.

A portal opened in the ground, surrounded by chains, and Ezekiel rose from the portal… holding a burlap sack in one hand and a pistol in the other. He pointed the gun at Layla, then shouted,



“What the fuck?!” Layla's voice hitched, shooting up in her bed. Followed by an immediate groan, as her head pulsed.

With one hand pressed to her temple, Layla stared up at the gun level at her, then at the man holding it. Bright, curled hair. For the life of her, she didn't recognize him.

The color drained from her face as she hobbled from her bed, making her movements slow and deliberate. “You're not Father Wolf, are you? Please, please tell me you're not…”

She edged closer, hands raised in surrender as she stepped one foot, then the other in the bag. Holding her breath, her eyes wary on that gun.

Would the Temple notice if she disappeared…?

Whispering prayers under her breath, Layla sank to a squat in the bag, her small stature easily fitting inside. All the while, her blue eyes were fixed on the unknown man and his gun. Just who was he? What was going to happen to her?

With Layla in the sack, Ezekiel sunk back into the portal.

---

---

---

Layla was floated through the halls of the Funhouse… up until the sack was thrown into an empty room, and Layla was dumped out. The first thing she saw was down the barrel of a KS-23, held by Shaquita Walker, who didn’t say a word. She was in a large, barely illuminated dark room, with several members of Dollhouse around the room. Shaquita Walker, Adaobi, Ezekiel, Stephany, and a titan of a creature that stood over eight feet tall and waited by the door wearing a black leather trench coat.

“... Hello there!” Luis shouted, “Layla Hyacinthus?”

“That's a weird ass last name,” Natalie snorted,

“Come now, she never asked for it,” Luis laughed, steepling his fingers before he turned to Layla, “It is great to meet you, Layla! I’m sorry for the circumstances of it all, but… We need those Apparitions you’re adjoined to.”

“Play nice,” Natalie said, “And don’t try to run away.”

“... Not like there’s anywhere to run away to,” Shaquita said with a roll of her eyes.

“Or hide,” Ezekiel deviously grinned.

The rough and tumble of being dumped out had Layla coughing, before her eyes widened at yet another gun leveled at her. She looked about her, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the perpetual darkness. She could just barely make out faces of these… boogeymen. It was the only words that described them accurately.

Shivering in her pajamas, Layla slowly rose to her feet, eyes flicking to the monster of a creature standing guard at the door. The way out was blocked, regardless of a gun being leveled at her.

They hadn't killed her yet. On the contrary, they wanted the Riil siblings. Her remaining two. Father Wolf never took an interest in such things. So… perhaps it was her lucky day after all, given the circumstances.

Lucky being entirely relative, as she couldn't shake the fear gripping her.

Still very aware of the shotgun leveled at her, Layla slowly moved to undo the latch of her necklace. “Y-you know me, but… I uh, am afraid I don't know you… Feels impolite to call you Mr. Kidnapper.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Natalie rolled her eyes.

Layla held the necklace out to Luis, a weak smile on her face despite her terrible circumstances. “I'm… uh, I'm happy to be rid of them. Mr. Riil is in the wolf-shaped pendant. Bahlok is in the eagle. I was unadjoined from Mr. Riil earlier today…”

Her lips pursed. “There is a third, but… I don't know where she is.”

Luis took them before throwing them to Stephany, and the rotund woman stared at them for a few moments before saying,

“Yup! They’re in here!” Stephany said.

“Don’t worry about the third one; we… have her accounted for,” Luis said before nodding to Shaquita, who hoisted the shotgun and said, ”Thank you for your cooperation; we need something else from you.”

He smiled sinisterly as one of Dollhouse’s medics walked in, hoisting a metal cart with a Phlebotomy Kit—several vials with Layla’s name on them.

“... Stick your arm out,” Luis said.

The realization that these people might know about Balaas’ whereabouts was quickly washed out as Layla stared at the vials and nicely packaged needles.

Her lips parted in fear, as if to protest. Her gaze was torn between Shaquita and Luis, a sweaty pallor coloring her face. It was only now she was seriously considering running, despite the shotgun leveled at her.

Her fear stemmed from one place. It was thanks to Mr. Riil that she had such a fear of needles.

Alas, Layla's head hung a bit. She was dead if she didn't comply.

Swallowing dryly, she unbuttoned the cuff and rolled up one of the sleeves of her pajamas, knowing exactly what was expected of her. She surrendered her arm to the medic, teeth clenched to hide her fear. The veins the medic would need were easy enough to see.

”Just… be gentle. Please.” Layla said in a tight-gripped voice, her words barely carrying. As requested, the nurse dove the needle into Layla’s veins on her arms… and in a quick and painless process, filled up three vials. After the deed was done, she left and disappeared into the halls of the Funhouse.

Luis steepled his fingers.

“Now comes the matter of what to do with you…” Luis grinned.

“Ivan hasn’t had his exercise in awhile!” Natalie laughed, “Let him chase her around for a little bit!”

“No, no, no, we’re not sadists…” Luis said as he walked over to Layla and pulled her in close and asked. “Can you keep a secret?”

Luis could feel the slightest tremble from Layla as she looked up at him, feeling her stomach twist.

“On my life, I swear I won't tell anyone about you, about this.” She blurted out, eyes searching his. Luis laughed, as he dug into his jacket pocket….

… And pulled out a wad of hundreds, which he shoved into Layla’s hand.

“That’s the spirit, don’t tell anyone,” Luis said, “Not Lynette, not Luna, not the Coven.”

“God no, not the Coven!” Natalie laughed.

“Nobody! Think of it less as a kidnapping and more as a donation… One that you were handsomely rewarded by.” Luis said… as one of Ezekial's portals began swirling behind her. “We won’t bother you anymore, love.”

“Unless you do this,” Natalie said, as she snapped her fingers and thumbs together to make the talking gesture.

“... Have a great day!” Luis said before he shoved Layla through the portal, and she ended up back in her suite in the Temple. The portal closed before she could even realize what happened.

Layla could only stare at the empty space that the portal left behind, before her knees gave out, and she fell limply. Blinking, before her gaze dropped numbly to the cash in her hand.

Don't tell nobody.

She squeezed the wad of cash into her fist, and remained there on the floor, numb to the world.

---

---

Luca was quick to make his way out of the building when the fire alarm went off - the last thing he wanted was to be caught in something like that again, and force someone to help him out. It was a false alarm but… he was glad he didn’t take the risk. It looked like the meeting was over, anyway. They hadn’t really gotten anywhere… besides Lila’s good plan of sub-groups.

”Ken, do you want to come back to mine again? So we can discuss everything more? What about you, Clanc-” He realised midway through what he was saying that Clancy had disappeared… towards Britney, it seemed. Luca gave him a wave to indicate he could come back over when he was done, then looked up at Ken with a smile, before finding Jasper, Lila and Lynn in the crowd and gesturing them over.

Ken found himself torn between calling Jack back through the Eleventh Gate and spending the night around people who were… Well, enthusiastic about his companionship at least. Another night of drinking with Lynn and watching poor Luca cough and moan? When he was in such a wretched mood himself, it only seemed right to punish Jack with his presence…

But they wanted him around. And Jasper always had something good to say, so he was a genuinely welcome presence among the air of otherwise hopeful despair. He took a moment to let Jack know that he was going with them, and with what little enthusiasm he had left, he put on a smile for the others.
"Well, am I our transportation for the evening?” he asked the group with a smile, anticipating the alcohol at the end of the rainbow would dull the headache of having to scoop so many others up at once.

”Well Jasper drove us here, but there's not enough room for all of- oh,” Luca paused as Lynn said she was going to meet with Bianca and would be home later… alright. As long as she was safe! But Bianca was nice and a federal agent so she probably wouldn't let Lynn get hurt or anything. ”Well, I guess there is, even if Clancy comes with us since he can get close to me without worry… but it's still probably better for Jasper's car if I go with you? One of the seats in the back is looking worse for wear… so I'd really appreciate that, Ken! At least our fridge is properly stocked with food and beer and that… I think. Jasper, Lila, you didn't drink all of it when you got back last night, did you?”

“No,” Jasper sighed, “but Lynn was feeling the alcohol last night so I will stop on the way back! Am I cooking again,” Jasper smirked as he looked over to Lila and then Luca.

“What,” Lila said as she held up her talons before she pointed to Luca, “Do you think we’d be the best cooks for this party,” Lila smirked as she looked over to Ken and lost her breath for a moment, “what about you Ken? Can you cook ,” Lila asked with a smile.

It was easy to make Ken bashful. Lila had seen him cook plenty while he lived with Kari, and he took the compliment to heart.
"Can I cook- They expect farmers to cook! And I will simply cradle you in the seat, Luca. One is far easier than five.” he gave Luca a telekinetic pat on the shoulder.
"After we’ve arrived, I will return to my boat! I have special ingredients, and some utilities which will prove indispensable in the process of preparing the balls.” he beamed like the daytime sun, happy to talk about food.

“The balls,” Lila asked with a hushed voice as she tilted her head in confusion.

”B- Balls?” Luca's eyes went wide as he looked at Ken, then very subtly at Jasper, then at Ken again.

"Takoyakiiiiiii…-” Ken tilted his head back slightly, neck craning as he mimicked the sarcastic motion Kari would often do when he was being odd or foolish. "-What did you think I meant!? There’s just uh… Well, I have this cephalopod in my freezer unit and when I grilled it, it tasted delicious. So I figured making fried balls would suit it as well! But, I don’t have a word for it so it’s ‘random meat-yaki’. Hence, ]The balls.”

“That makes so much more sense,” Lila chuckled, her wings flapped in an amused way.

”Oh thank god, that does sound real nice Ken, but I was worried there…” Luca laughed, wiping non existent sweat from his brow. He then looked at Lila with a grin. ”I thought you were coming for mine!”

Clancy returned midway through the conversation from around a corner, only briefly stopping to pause in trying to figure out the context of people coming for the bird-girl’s balls. Whatever. It wasn’t the strangest thing any of them would have heard tonight, least of all him.

Whereas he’d been a little underdressed before, courtesy of the unseen assault on his person, he was now wearing a musty leather jacket, speckled with white patches that betrayed the presence of mold. For his part, the boy seemed unperturbed by this fact, and more satisfied that he was somewhat presentable, even if that meant rolling up his sleeves.

”Hey!” Luca turned to Clancy with a bright grin when he reappeared. Like Clancy, he was completely unbothered by the mold - also a frequent presence in his life. ”That’s all of us, if we're good to go- oh, assuming you wanted to stick with us? We were going to go back to my flat and… discuss things, I guess?”

”Uh.. sure.” The boy answered with a reserved expression, ”Just warn me if you see a dark woman in a trenchcoat on the way out.” he gave it consideration, then added, ”And run.”

Fortunately for them, no such woman was outside, or anywhere in sight.

“I think I saw her, at least my crows did. I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

The boy bristled at the answer, fingers tightening into a balled fist, releasing, then starting the cycle over again.

”If she shows up, don't waste your time with her. Just get out, she’s stronger than she looks.”

He looked over at Lila and gave her a once-over. ”Thanks… Lila. Right?” Names were still something he struggled with. Too many faces, too much time on the road. But he'd try, at least for now.

Luca nodded with a smile, glad that Clancy and Lila were getting along well enough! Not that he knew Clancy well at all but he felt a connection with the boy.

”We’ll all avoid her if we see her, right? But… let's get going! With Ken we can all fit in Jasper's car without me destroying anything…” He laughed awkwardly, but still grinned brightly.

”Quite the entrance to make, Clancy. Just another notch in the belt of insanity our Coven has decided to wear to the meeting…” Ken commented offhandedly.
”But you're unalone now. We will crush the woman in black together.”

“Yeah, we’re not useless in a fight. Jasper can paint magic guns now so we’re safe.”

”Oh yeah, it's been great for fighting all the bees!” Luca said, pressing his lips together in frustration. He still couldn't talk about the skeleton… which was annoying. But fine. He wasn't going to let it ruin time spent with friends, not after that meeting either. ”Ken’s right. If we stick together hopefully she won't approach you again. You're welcome to stick with us as long as you want.”

”I'll think about it, I guess.” Clancy truly was ruminating over the idea. A few issues complicated the matter, however. ”You don't owe me anything. Didn't have to help before, but… thanks.”.

”It’s not about owing it's just… helping a friend! But no pressure, we've got our setup for safety anyway,” he gestured to himself, Jasper and Lila. Then, which far more energy than someone who'd been hurt so many times that day, he started ushering them all away from the old mansion… without actually getting close.

”Lets go!”

---

This is home for you?” Clancy had asked as they passed through another row of close-knit blocks.

”Yeah! It's not that bad once you get used to it,” Luca shrugged. His words were a bit muffled, cradled and bubbled as he was by Ken's magic. ”I have a large place, and the landlord doesn't care how damaged it gets! Pretty perfect, honestly. Everyone minds their business too.”

”I remain unconvinced that you and your fellow tenants haven't simply decided to squat in that place. Or that the landlord isn't an exceedingly old individual… Not that I find anything wrong with either prospect, only that having such a nonchalant individual in charge of property maintenance bodes poorly for the investment's longevity…”
Sometimes, little pearls of simple wisdom fell from Kenshiro's mouth without him even stopping to think about them.

The topic had made Clancy bristle, ”Lots of landlords who are also assholes out there, I think.” Eventually, he shrugged, ”Seen worse though. At least nobody's shooting up on the corners here.”

”Hey, Ken, I pay my rent on time to an alright, middle aged man who doesn't really care about maintaining the place so much as he does getting my money,” Luca shrugged, seeming entirely unbothered by a landlord who to most people would be an asshole. He just had special needs… namely a place already in disrepair.
”Technically it's just my place… the other three are temporary residents. But Clancy’s right, could be worse!”

”Shooting up? Like, down in Los Angeles with the gangs and such? Dreadful business…” Ken frowned, shaking his head. ”You’re right. And if there were gangs, we would set them straight!”

”I don't know about LA, I never went this far west before I heard about Ashley… but back where I came from a lot of places had their bad side showing. Chicago, Flint, Cleveland… Detroit never got better.”

They had slowed at the next intersection. Just down the road was a gas station, an unusual shining beacon in an otherwise unremarkable block of apartments, permanently closed storefronts and laundromats.

“I keep forgetting I’ve been been a taxi lately,” Jasper said as his car beeped, and a status flashed across the dash saying Refill now - 50 miles until empty, “I’ll grab some gas real quick,” Jasper says as he pointed towards the gas station.

Pulling in, the only other car present was a silver-olive minivan of the late-noughts with a visible crack in the rear passenger window and a gouge in the paintwork below it. The car stood idle, both front seats occupied.

The driver was a thirty something with a beanie cap and a close-cropped beard, head bobbing to the faint thrums of some colourful music
leaked through to the outside. His companion, by contrast, was clean-shaven with a crew cut, but the lack of movement or interaction with the driver betrayed something off about the man.

The only sign he was alive was the occasional rotation of the head in a fourty-five degree angle, not unlike a camera on a swivel mount. A hollow, glassy eyed expression peered back at anyone who watched.

No attendant came out to greet them.

”Why don't we get snacks while we're here?” Luca suggested, carefully opening the car door and rolling out. He couldn't actually go into the gas station shop, even as rundown as it was, but it was nicer to be out of the car for a while… plus he couldn't see Jasper refilling the car so well from inside… ”I'll take basically anything!”

As he talked he looked over at the idle car, catching that glassy eyed stare and responding with a polite smile.

That seemed to yield no acknowledgement, either.

Ken, still dressed in full kit in the passenger seat of Jasper's car, did his best to slip out of his vest full of equipment without disturbing it too much. Too bad the massive sword he kept with him practically blocked all normal movement.
”Gah, fuck…-”

Popping the door open, he slid out from under the sword and was now standing in the parking lot like a modern ninja. His headband hung from his waist like a belt, and his black on black jumpsuit was still tightened to his body with padding. Unzipping the top, he slipped out and wrapped it around his waist by the arms like a mechanic.

His white tank top was dark with his sweat, muscles rippling as he stretched out for a moment.
”I will get us sodas, Luca! I crave corn syrup and red dye.” he said enthusiastically.
Moving to his vest, he popped a section open and pulled out a crisp twenty.
”You said snacks too? Chips? Or, something sweet?”

Lila could not even think of anything to say as her eyes remained on Ken’s form. Her eyes went black and her vision enhanced to get an even closer look.

“A mix of savoury and sweet if you could,” Jasper said as he began to fuel up the car.

”Chips and some chocolate!” Luca said cheerfully, going from a wide eyed stare at Ken to a wide eyed stare at Jasper, cheeks heating up a bit.

While Ken and Jasper stepped towards the station, Clancy had a wary eye on the van, his reserved expression betraying little else.

“Everything okay, Clancy?” Lila stayed behind due to her current bird form. It wasn’t as bad as its been but she still felt weird going out in public like this.

That made him tilt his head in her direction by a few degrees, offering a half-shrug, ”Just watching.” Truthfully, he was feeling a little more exposed than usual in light of recent events. Something about the two in the car rubbed him the wrong way.

Maybe the music. Although he couldn’t figure it out yet.

As Ken left to enter the station, a third man was stood by the counter, a squat twenty something with a green Oregon Ducks cap and a pair of aviators obscuring the top half of his face. He wasn’t in uniform; far from it, he was wearing and a khaki coat with what looked like oil stains smeared across their surreptitiously rolled-up sleeve.

Naturally observant due to his training, as Ken stepped into the shop he made a full three-sixty rotation in a slow and organized manner. His ankles smoothly rotated him mid stride as he got a good look at the place.

The store itself seemed no different from any other, save that it was perhaps due for another mopping. A reheated food stand stood with the lights on, but no products out. A shelf at the far side seemed somewhat disordered as though someone had knocked it over and made a half-assed effort to prop it back up, but otherwise all seemed business as usual for this side of town. Some generic radio station hit played from the overhead speakers, a sing-songy optimist’s track which contrasted against the vulgar, guttural politik-metal screeching that had been leaking out of the minivan,

The only other thing that seemed out of order were the surveillance feeds to the late 00s screens overhead the counter. For whatever reason, they were presenting a generic, bluelight NO SIGNAL error.

”You buying’ something or not?” The clerk asked, somewhat impatiently.

”No, I thought I'd just ruin your peace of mind.”
As Ken made his sarcastic response, he was already at the drink cooler pulling out glass bottles filled with tasty, sugary soda. For a moment, he let them hover in the air as he removed their weight, then quickly gathered them again to prevent any Blind confusion. Moving to the counter, Ken placed the sodas down and smiled.

”Can you ring and bag those while I get the other stuff?” he asked out of courtesy. His back instantly turned to make way for the snacks.

“.. paid enough to be some fuckin’ errand boy..” The clerk muttered the statement beneath their breath, roughly shoving the drinks over to the exit area with a bag haphazardly left beside it.

The driver of the minivan had stopped appearing so animate in the time that had elapsed since then, although the music still seeped from the van in grinding pulses. His attention was now on Jasper, finishing off the pump and heading towards the station. He uttered a few words, although it was muted by the windshield between them.

“Filled up,” Jasper said as he could sense the discomfort of the group. He opened up the truck and grabbed a canvas as he walked in to pay for the snacks and food. He began to paint his knight.

“That your car?” Suddenly, the clerk's attention was on Jasper, knuckles impatiently rapping on the counter.

Jasper continued painting, but looked up long enough to see that the man was talking to him. Jasper looked towards Ken, before his eyes drifted back to the man. “It is. Why do you ask,” Jasper asked as he finished his painting.

“Because,” he grunted, a hand snapping into a coat pocket, “You're gonna hand over the key."

A split second later and he'd withdrawn a snubnose revolver, keeping it level with Jasper’s midsection. "Slowly. Hands where I can see 'em."

“B-A, one more near you!" the clerk hollered to the back of the store, and the storeroom burst open, another two men in similarly obscured garb emerging. “Keep an eye on the chinaman, any shit you send ‘em to buddha.”

Moments later, the storeroom burst open, another pair of similarly garbed men emerging with weapons at the ready. One was carrying a pistol, the other a cut-down shotgun.

Still standing at the counter, Ken’s brow furrowed as he looked back and forth between the scattered group.
”Keys? To the car? For what?”
He was holding onto the parcel of snacks trying his best to put them down onto the counter. Producing the twenty from his pocket, he still looked confused, totally missing the fact that they bothered at all to call him a Chinaman.

“Ken, he’s trying to rob me. Say, are you guys into the paranormal? Have you guys seen something that there’s no logical explanation for? Like,” Jasper paused as he pulled the knight from the canvas and the knight emerged between Jasper and the guns, “did anything change here?”. Jasper raised his hands up all the same
“Shut the fuck up and pass meEFUCK!” Startled, the clerk reflexively squeezed off a round in the direction of Jasper and his knight, “-it’s the forest fucks!”

The Knight simply took the bullets without effect, swung his sword and slapped the gun out of the man's grasp, tthen pressed forward, grabbing him by the throat and raising him up, blade pressed to his throat as he kicked away in a panic. “Can we have a talk about manners? Drop the guns, kick them over to me, and let’s talk.” Jasper asked as he continued to stay behind the knight but kept the armoured homonculus in between him and the guns.

“You know who you're fucking with, cocksucker?!” Shotgun had his 12-gauge pointed at the knight, while his pistol-wielding companion had sights on Kenshiro

”This isn’t how I imagined getting my soda today… Was it something I said?”
Ken let go of the snack bags, having removed their weight, and let them hang there in the open for a moment. His hand gently bumped them as he spun, and as they got close to the man with the shotgun, the chip bags exploded into fantastically salty confetti. The snacks flew toward the man’s eyes, and Kenshiro expected panic as the bags popped.

“Fucking greEARGH!” A panicked burst of buckshot was loosened by ‘Shotgun’, while his companion with the pistol had already skidded to the floor, firing off a round in the air in the confusion.

Kenshiro was already channeling his Mage Hand to block a barrage of bullets, pocketing and pressurizing big sections of air between himself and the gun wielding threat behind him. Even if the target missed, he was already swinging his fist toward the rapidly stacking layers of airbags. The second they burst, whether a bullet or his fist, a gust of air like a burst-cannon would be plenty to send a normal man flying.

From the car, it hadn’t been immediately obvious there were armed men. The pop of gunfire and the splintering storefront window immediately dispelled them of that notion. Clancy, whom had neglected to make use of the seatbelt, had clambered over to the door, squeezing past Luca’s personal space to climb out.

While he made a beeline for the storefront, his focus on the situation at hand had temporarily pulled his attention from the minivan - which, in a matter of seconds, had gone from stationary to accelerating, the front fender lighting up and slamming into the back of Clancys shoulders and crushing him down into the asphalt as the whole weight of the van came atop him.

Moments later, the passenger door opened and the glassy-eyed stranger stepped out. “A-are you sure that’s the kid?!” The driver asked, in a panicked tone.

Whoever he was asking gave no answer. Instead, the passenger continued towards the storefront, thrusting through the sliding door with their forearm with a pistol clutched in-hand.

A command was issued and the murder obeyed. All around the gas station her crows began to descend in three, black tendril like formations. One tendril quickly descended towards the man running, one towards the open side door to the minivan, and one towards the broken windows of the storefront.

The first to be hit by these attacks was the running man, the tendril simply passed over him and a thousand crows struck out with their claws as they passed by the man’s entire body. The second tendril began to attack the man in the van, they lingered and began to attack the driver’s eyes and throat, eliciting a shriek as he threw his arms up in defense.

The final tendril flooded into the gas station and began to do the same to the men inside. As they descended they too were struck by bullets and several more felled felled by the broken glass and falling debris, and Lila lost dozens in the first wave. The backlash hit her mind immediately and Lila grabbed the sides of her head as she screamed.

The situation was only amplified as the glassy-eyed man seemed to offer no reaction as the crows sunk talons into his flesh, instead reaching out and tightening hard-as-iron fingers around one bird’s neck and crushed it, using their other hand to do the same as if in some berserker-induced trance. The only thing Lila had achieved was to disarm the man, as one bird dislodged it from their grasp.

While the berserker pressed on into the store, they made for the nearest target - Jasper’s knight, mindlessly charging into the armoured golem like a football player.

Everything was suddenly going to shit, and Luca barely had the time to think. He reacted on autopilot, pushed to protect his friends without much thought for himself. He ran toward the beserker as fast as he could, physically shoving into his back in an attempted tackle that ended up more like a weak, but rotting, hug.

Thanks to Luca and his intervention The Knight was alerted to the coming berserker. He simply tossed the man he was holding towards the other men with guns and swung the flat side of the sword towards the berserker's face.

Skin blistered and atrophied as the man was pulled into the corrosive embrace, and at the same time the conjured steel appeared to burst the man's nose and cheek, blood spurting forth, and yet he seemed relentless. Instead, he spun in a sort of death roll with Luca as the two plummeted to the ground.

With crimson fluid seeping from gouged eyes and a broken nose, the man appeared to stare back at Luca with some cold determination, fingers prying for his throat and tightening, even as the skin fissured and rotted, his other features matching in short time.

Luca struggled underneath the man, hands grasping at his wrists and further decaying his flesh. He struggled to breath, though, and didn’t have the strength to push him off even as the decay across his skin intensified.

The man grew skeletal, cheeks hollow, what little hair remained falling away, his clothes in equal measure. Yet, no matter how the others might've tried to pry him away, he held on with a grip hard as iron, depleting weight still pinned atop Luca.

Pinned by the rear pair, who Ken was desperately trying not to simply crush into bloody pools, the usually vicious fighter felt sheepish and hamstrung: The situation was simply too strange for him to come to grips with, and he could only deal with what was in front of him. Hearing Luca’s pain, he decided he wasn’t concerned with the lives of a couple more individuals. The gravity around him plummeted as he channeled the Ten Ton stance, and his foot stomped a fissure through the heavy air that caused the very pressure to snap mundane bones like balsa.
Spinning he turned to face Luca… But saw something more horrifying.

There was a metallic crunch outside, followed by the sound of crunching glass as someone rushed into the storefront. A pair of smaller hands reached over the top of the berserker's head, fingers jamming into either side of their mouth, and wrenched hard, until the connective tissues between upper and lower jaw split, and the man was wrenched away in a visceral display.

Clancy relinquished the now-twitching corpse. He was slightly worse for wear, the back of his head missing a portion of scalp and a nasty roadrash gouged into his already-ragged jacket, but otherwise standing.

Unlike the berseker, beneath whom a pool of blood was slowly forming from where his jaws had been pried apart.

The ‘clerk’ had been knocked unconscioud in the fray, and the other two stick-up men were sprawled on the floor and bleeding, brought down between the efforts of Kenshiro, Jasper and Lila.

The driver, outside the store, had been suspiciously quiet, and the windshield and driver’s side window of the minivan was spattered with blood.

Clancy's cold gaze was set on the other two men at the far side of the store. Pacing past Jasper and Kenshiro, he kicked aside their weapons, peered into the storeroom, out of sight of the others, and scowled as the sight of the actual clerk's body tied to a chair, their face a purple, bloody swollen mess. The tile floor of the backroom had been broken apart with sledgehammers apart to reveal a safe, stacked with unmarked dollar bills and several baggies of powder.

It told a tale that he'd seen countless times over.

The boy stepped back outside, attention back on the main group.

”This was bad. I think they were with those biker assholes-” he moved towards the bloodied shotgun wielder, then crouched and tugged at the collar of his shirt to expose the runic tattoos just beneath his collarbone. ”Nazi assholes. You shouldn't be here. I'll cover our tracks and catch up. Is the car ready?”

”I’ll need… some help… back in the car,” Luca panted, looking over at Ken, holding his throat with one hand. There were slight marks there, red fingermarks and slightly rotted flesh. He’d managed to push himself up to sitting on the ground, but he couldn’t get up further, just looking at the carnage. ”Ken… can you help?”

“Hey, hey take it slow again Luca. Twice in one day, that makes it official you are not doing anything at all at the party. If you need anything I will provide,” Jasper paused as he looked towards the men who had attacked them. A rage built in his heart. Jasper’s Knight took several steps towards them before he raised his sword, and went to bring it down on the men. Jasper pulled his life force back from the construct before it connected and the knight and his sword turned into a falling puddle of paint that coated the men. “Ken, help Luca back to the car. I’ll grab our stuff.”

Scooping Luca into his protective bubble, Ken brought his friend close and slipped his hand against the pressure. It didn’t stop his hand from reaching out to touch Luca, the bubble forming a protective layer around it as Ken smiled and brushed Luca’s hair back a little bit.
”You did good, Luca… Rest; you protected us.”
His comforting voice brought the two of them back toward the vehicle, bubble rocking slowly the whole way.

While the others were occupied with carrying Luca back to the car, Clancy’s attention was on the three men. The clerk was barely conscious, gasping for breath after a close call with the knight, while the other two were in varying states of coherency. One had smashed his head in the scuffle and seemed concussed, the other was half-blind with a twisted leg and broken fingers.

It made no difference, they were disarmed and in no shape to fight. The boy found it easy to drag them into the backroom, one-by-one. One gave a whimpered shriek, the other barely snorting out an answer as a tiny hand dragged them by sleeves into the backroom, out of sight.

The clerk came last, spattered with paint. Clancy tugged at his foot, clutching and dragging him by the ankle like a cat that had caught a pigeon in its jaws. That elicited a startled yelp, “W-wh-wait, ‘m sorry, ah’ve gorb cash, jush lemme go!” to no avail.

A series of panicked noises and muffled shrieks seeped out from the half-closed doorway, and as they left, the lifeless body of the driver lay slumped across the dash, the engine still running with a metallic whine. It looked as though the man’s head had been slammed into the corner of the door from some external force, pulled repeatedly until it had been left a bloodied pulp.

---

After a quick stop at another store to actually stock up on snacks and drinks, the group of four reached Luca's apartment. Luca assumed that Clancy would be able to find them just like he had every meeting but… he texted him his address anyway as he got out of Jasper's car. He could walk again, though the continued support from Ken's magic was helpful.

He led the way into the rundown building, into the lift then out finally to his flat. As he opened the door, he turned his head to grin at them all. ”Make yourselves at home! Well two of you live here and you’re over often enough Ken, it practically is home! But let’s just relax… maybe talk about today. Plans and stuff.”

Jasper led the way for Lila, hands still pressed on her head. Lila quickly made her way to the couch and collapsed face first onto it and did a fake sob. “I don’t know why the bird bitch let’s me keep doing that,” Lila groaned.

”Turning into a bird? Or… losing them?” Luca asked hesitantly, moving out of the way of Jasper and Lila. He grabbed a more worn wooden chair and sat down on it, still in a lot of pain. ”Are you alright, Lila?”

“Losing them,” Lila answered, her voice muffled by the cushion, “no, but yes, but nooooo,,” Lila paused as she looked up over to Luca, “how about you? How are you?” Lila

”About the same,” Luca laughed slightly, shrugging. ”My body hurts, but that’s nothing sleep won’t fix. I just need to not push myself too much tonight! Sadly you’ll all have to wait to try my amazing and definitely existent cooking skills.”

“I wait with baited breath,” Lila laughed as she buried her head back into the cushion.

”Next time… but today, Ken’s cooking for us,” Luca turned towards their friend with a grin. There was some loud banging outside, like a fire hydrant was destroyed, but he barely reacted. Loud noises and violence was normal in this part of town. He’d grown used to it.

---

The group inside Luca’s place weren’t alone. A certain skeleton was watching, two skeletal arms holding them up while the others subtly drew images in the mist on the glass. Their glowing eyes peered over, watching their prey. They were happy… but not alone. They would have to be careful when hunting them today.

From below, a half-foot chunk of brick flew forward with sufficient velocity to strike the side of the entity's ‘head’, or at least their ribcage.

Skelly’s head twisted all the way around as if it was doing its best exorcist impression and stared down at the agitator.

The boy glowered back, his face onky barely illuminated by the street lamp ahead. He didn't recognise the skeleton nor it know him, although the two doubtless understood that they were staring at a fellow hunter.

In the dim lighting, the boy’s eyes were two sunken pits harbouring no light. The presence of blood spatter, still smeared across the corner of his scalp, along with the faint coppery tang seeping into non-existant nostrils only accentuated his feral appearance.

”Leave.” A demand. A warning.

Clancy growled with a child's voice, but something deeper rumbled behind it. Hunger, bitterness, hatred and self-loathing, all folded into one.

Skelly let go of his grip and plummeted to the ground. A few seconds later they impacted, knees absorbing the impact, with all his arms at his side. Their body twisted around to face the boy. Their eyes were on the ground, but slowly raised up to match Clancy.

A soft, guttural laugh filled the air as their arms spread wide. The shadows of the street seemed to come alive as each hand formed a fist. “They’re my mark.”

They were.” Like a cat, the boy cautiously stalked forward in a closing circle, undeterred by the gesture, ”But you're doing a shitty job, so now they're mine.”

Skelly’s eyes almost seemed to widen in shock, their skeletal head creaking into a tilt. Their hands opened, upper arms widespread in a mocking gesture. They didn’t move - towards or away from Clancy. Their lower arms went back into fists, moving in front of them. “You hunt messily. I hunt with style. And I saw them first.”

The boy shrugged, brushing a few fingers over his scalp, then snapped the other hand outwards, grasping at the skeletal wrist outstretched nearest him, ”Style.” he echoed, meaning to tighten his fingers until he felt bone buckle.

Clancy would feel the body of Skelly suddenly give way to smoke. As they disappeared into a shadow that fell to the ground. The shadows danced around Clancy before Skelly manifested behind him, and the two top most arms grabbed at Clancy’s shoulders and the other two at his arms.

“You know nothing about having a flair for the dramatic-”

”Shut-” The boy pulled taut, ephemeral fingers tightening around his tatterd sleeve until skin buckled and gave way, the old leather straining. Tanned hide and fabric tore, and the shadow of a skeletal elbow snapped free from the now-limp sleeve, jabbing backwards in the skeleton's direction, ”-up.”

With a quiet oof, Skelly took the sharp elbow to their skeletal hip, grip on Clancy loosening. But they started cackling. They disappeared into the shadows again as Clancy swung with the other fist now free, laughter still echoing around the street. “Silence is for the hunt, not for the climactic fight.”

Skelly reappeared at Clancy’s side, one of his arms lashing it with sharp claws at his side.

Spears of bone raked through the leather, briefly impedee by the facade of skin, before stopping at the underlying shadow that formed the boy's real body. A gnarled, skeletal hand with dark stalactites for fingers clenched around the arm, while the boy kicked one leg outwards into what counted for a femur bone with hydraulic force.

Skelly allowed the hit to pass through his form as they shifted to a shadowy form. The fire hydrant exploded behind him as he took a few steps towards Clancy, head twitching quickly. “You can’t stop me.” The guttural laugh once again filled the air. With Clancy’s leg still inside the shadow Skelly returned to their physical form, cutting into the middle of his leg with their spine. A moment later the skeleton retreated into the shadows. A voice seemed to ring out from every shadow on the street.

“You can not stop me, you can not stop the hunt.” Skelly reappeared a few steps away from Clancy and grabbed at him with all four hands. Two aimed for Clancy’s hands and two aimed for his feet.

Again, four limbs pulled taut, straining at their joints, cloth, leagher and illusory flesh tearing at their seams in a fashion not unlike a quartering.the boy’s eyes crinkled, and then he jutted his head forward, butting his the peak of his forehead against the skeleton's lower jaw.

Skelly reeled backwards from the blow, feeling the bone structure pf their jaw cracked from the impact. The creature was beginning to realise this wasn’t such an easy fight…and it was noisy. They had to end it quickly or leave. The hands on Clancy’s feet let go to grab his scalp and try to pull his head off.

Bony fingers dug into whatever promise they could find; temples and eyesockets. The boy writhed as this creature appeared to gouge his eyes out in its efforts to prize his head off, and then-

Snap. The boy's upper jaw forcibly yawned open, wider than it should've, the artifice of cheek and lips giving way to a shadowy, faceless maw, characterised only by needlepoint teeth and the skull-shaped outline of shadow that should've been a head which started from the lower jaw upwards. Legs freed, Clancy's remaining body jabbed a foot into the ground for balance, then wrenched an arm in as hard as he could, hoping to pull the skeleton's form a little closer, then snapped his jaws down upon the exposed length of bone with enough force to crack open marrow, snapping through it like brittle wood.

In an instant the full body of Skelly turned to shadows, which dissipated as a roar filled the nearby area. A few seconds later everything went silent. Across the street Clancy would watch as three hands appeared out of a shadow cast by the street light. Two of the hands made a motion like they were choking an invisible person while the third slapped at where the head would have been. A second later all three hands flipped off the boy, before they disappeared for good, leaving him to be drenched in the outpour from the broken hydrant.

---

At the other side of the same windowsill, a half-formed skeletal hand crept upwards, thin digits pressing into the exterior frame for grip. Another hand, moments later, reached up to fiddle with the locking mechanism, seeking to prize open the latch without breaking anything.

When that failed, the hand rapped its shadowy knuckles against the glass as lightly as it could, producing a rattle that shook the group from their conversation.

Luca let out a strangled cry, jumping and causing the chair he was on to topple backward. He fell on his ass, panic clutching him. It was the skeleton. It had to be. It was back to torment them and-

Wait, the skeleton wasn’t shadowy. The crown of a familiar head of charcoal hair peering over the top all but confirmed it. Fuck, it wasn’t the skeleton, it was… ”Clancy! Oh, uh, can someone get the window open?”

Jasper ran over and opened the window, stepping back afterwards to give the boy some space

One of the boy's feet was braced against a gutter pipe, the other an AC unit, from which he pushed off and used or momentum to clamber through the now-opened window. He looked worse than when they'd last seen him, a dark line of shadow bisecting his head where upper and lower lips met, leaving him with the impression of an oily glaswegian grin. And his extremities were again missing the facade of flesh, taking on a shadowy, angular appearance.

As if to add to his haggard appearance, the boy was almost drenched, droplets of water beading off his uneven exterior and tattered coat and into the carpet.

It took Clancy a moment to realise how messy that might have been, as he glanced at the wet spot forming wherever he treaded.

”Sorry about your floor. There was a skeleton… asshole, watching you when I got here. Says you're his mark. ”

”Don’t worry about it,” Luca waved a hand, pointing to all of the various spots of rotting in the apartment. Then he looked at Jasper excitedly.

“NEVER HEARD OF A SKELETON ASSHOLE LIKE THAT,” Jasper shouted incorrectly. He wanted to ask if it was the same looking skeleton that haunted their waking moments.

Clancy shrugged, ”Four arms?” then reconsidered, ”Three arms now, maybe.” In the narrow lighting of the apartment, the boy's face was lit up, only further highlighting the dark line running from either corner of his mouth. ”Never met a skeleton that talked, or grew back bones before. Too many of us in this town.”

”That’s- nothing like anything I’ve seen before!” Luca managed to get out after straining a lot. He groaned, trying to pull the chair he’d knocked over back up and accidentally rotting through the back. Another thing to replace… just the normal. Concentrating, he managed to pull what was left of it up and sit back on it like it was a stool. ”We don’t have a skeleton problem around here, just a lot of clowns. Constant clown attacks.”

“And bees. We often have to fight a bee swarm around here.”

“Who gets into so many fights with bees,” Lila’s voice was once again muffled by the cushions. Like really? Who willingly picks a fight with bees?

”Someone stupid enough to throw rocks at their nest, maybe?” Clancy shrugged again, then pivoted to shut the window behind him. That muffled the sound of water spurting and sloshing across the sreet from the burst hydrant, and for a moment he caught a view of his own reflection, the rictus grin cast across his face and the oily silhouette that formed his extremities. ”I'm.. sorry. That you got hurt because of me, today. I don't really have anyone to… talk to like this, but you're good. Thanks.”

His attention shifted back to Lila, brow arched, ”Prom Queen wanted you. I get Britney, but why you?”

Lila raised her head, but her eyes squinted in the light as if it was causing her a migraine, “Emily was being a cunt, deadnaming me, and I punched her in the face.”

”Deadname?” His brow arched, ”Is that like a curse or something?”

Lila pushed herself up with her arms before she rose to her feet and stood up tall. She looked to Luca before she looked back at the kid. “I wasn’t born with the name Lila. What do you know about trans people kid,” Lila asked with a soft smile.

”Uhhh…” Gears slowly turned, a vague understanding forming, ”Right. Like the people who are into different stuff. You weren't always…” he idly tilted a palm at her, ”Yeah?”

“Yes and no. Up here,” Lila tapped a clawed finger against her head, “yes, but the rest of me needed some help to get to where I felt most at home in my body. Which is why these wings and clawed hands are so annoying now that I think about it.”

”I think I get it… you're okay. You aren't an asshole. Emily is, though.” He raised a gnarled palm, the facade of flesh slowly filling in like paint coating an empty canvas, ”So you can be you.” Fingers clenched into a half-fist.

”I get it. I'm… older than I look. Not really a kid anymore. Stuck like this.” Where his sleeve was tattered, he pointed at a puckered section of flesh across his sleeve that looked like normal scar tissue. ”Fell off my bike a few months before I was made like this. That was years ago. But my body… or whatever keeps me like this, still thinks I'm twelve-and-a-half.”

“That sounds terrible,” Lila was lucky that The Maiden wasn’t as pushy when it came to accepting the gifts. She knew that the longer any of these changes lingered the harder it was to get them to go away. If she didn’t figure out a way to better control the wings she very well might be stuck with them forever. “how old do you think you are?

”A hundred years, maybe?” His expression crinkled, ”Drove horsecarts and read by a candle.”

”A hundred?!” Luca gaped. That was… a long time to be alive. A really long time to be alive. It was possible without magic, but most a hundred year olds weren’t so… spry. His shock quickly turned into a grin, and a joke. ”Shit, I didn’t realise we were in the presence of a grandpa… Got any wise words for us young’uns?”

”Don't believe everything you're told.” A strange cackle slipped forth from the boy, threatening to offer them a smile. It would've looked pleasant, if not for the thin gap still running across the boy's face and casting another glaswegian grin.

”That much is obvious,” Luca laughed. He shrugged. As much as he was always positive and liked to see the good in people, he knew a thing or two about not trusting them. After all… it was thanks to another person that he was like this. ”Especially with magic. We have a few people in the coven that can mess with your brain.”

”Older…” Clancy paused to consider, before more spilled out, ”I lost track. Years. More. My parents were in the war… Mom ran away from the nazis, lost her family in Poland… Old Man fought ‘em. My brother got drafted just after I disappeared, and he never made it home.” This time, there was no dryness to his tone. No wry grin.

”Shit, that’s rough, I’m sorry,” Luca offered genuinely. ”I bet it was hard having to just watch after you changed. I… kinda get that, a bit. I can’t ve around my family either. None of them are magic so just getting close to me would kill them. It sucks. I had to cut them off for their own good and that was… shit. I can’t imagine a hundred years of that.”

”I understand.” he nodded, eyes lidded, ”After I… changed, I wasn't me for a while. Didn't care who I hurt... spent a long time alone in the parks. I tried so many times to stop, and couldn't. Couldn't end it either. Only got me back by accident.”

Lila felt the cold talons of The Maiden drag her mind down to the mindscape and Lila was powerless to stop it . Lila’s body nearly stumbled over but her eyes quickly rose to meet the ‘boy’ and a smile spread across her face. “How fascinating,” The Maiden spoke through Lila with ease, “who are you, and I don’t mean you boy,” The Maiden paused as she pulled Lila’s body up straight and tall, “have we crossed paths before? I know the Rot very, very well, I like to be familiar with all my companions.”

Clancy's expression crinkled again, betraying irritation.

”It isn't in the driver's seat, and it'll stay that way.” His jaw set, ”I don't deal with parasites.”

“Oh I’m not a parasite.,” The Maiden chuckled as she knew she was something far worse. “You’re boring,” The Maiden faked a sigh as she released Lila and sent her back up. Once again Lila nearly stumbled as she returned to control. “I hate when she does that.”

”Does it make you hurt people, too?” he asked, bluntly.

“She’s pushed me into fights, but doesn’t ask that I seek one out, Lila added, “I think she tried to have me curse Vashti but that didn’t work but she knows what strings to pull to make me want to fight. To change people.”

”I’ve been trying to help her with that,” Luca offered, rubbing the back of his neck. He was uncomfortable from the moment the maiden had appeared, feeling the Rot stir inside of him. But it didn’t make any move to try and take over. It never did. ”I’ve spent ten years suppressing it. Not quite a hundred but… I’m good at it. It just sucks. Us adjoined- or whatever it is for you- gotta stick together, though, right? Maybe we can really help each other.”

“Yeah, you have the tradition Adjoined, the agent thanks to an apparition sealed within me, the cursed by an apparition which is vaguely adjoined, and whatever flavour of adjoined you are. We cover most of the bases.

”I don't know what I am. Britney thinks I could be an abominathing.” He seemed resigned, tired without fatigue. ”Maybe I am. I don't feel human anymore. Won't age. Can't die. Barely remember what it's like to sleep, or be warm. And I…” he hesitated, then glanced up at Luca, ”Can you trust me?”

”Yes,” Luca said without hesitation, before smiling. ”Even if you’re not technically ‘human’ that’s… necessarily a bad thing. Not all non-humans are evil. Plenty of humans are. And really, how human are we? I rot everything I touch and Lila’s turning part bird.” He laughed. ”Getting a bit too philosophical there but, I trust you. I’ve just got a feeling, y’know… plus the thing inside my head doesn’t like you. That counts for something.”

”I don't… I want you hurt, but… when this is all done, you need to stay as far from me as you can. You and your friends, it won't always be safe. This… I hurt people.” Clancy reconsidered, ”No. I said I'm in control of me, but that's not all true. I'm always hungry. Starving, but not dying. Only thing that stops it… meat. Fresh, live meat. I said I lost myself… I tried to stop when it happened, and something else took over. Don't remember all of it, just… forest, hiking trails, bodies.”

Luca smiled sadly when Clancy mentioned staying away from him when this was all over. If he was honest with himself, Luca didn't see himself living that long. His lifespan was shortening and shortening with each stressful incident. And for the first time he found himself wanting to tell someone that he was dying. But he didn't. ”We’ll deal with after when we get to it… But you stopped? Found yourself again?”

”I got lucky, something reminded me of who I was. I was Clancy. But I had to choose between being a monster, or being a monster that hurt bad people. Like.. those assholes at the gas station. Or the other bikers that went missing. Joe Skinner was my work. I'm telling you because you trusted me at the bar. Helped me, so maybe you'll get it.”

Luca nodded. ”I get it a bit. You… do what you have to in a way that minimises the damage. So you can still be yourself as much as possible. If I didn't just rot things… if I had to choose… I think I'd still have to do it. Or it'd take over.”

“Don't say that,” Lila paused as she concentrated, making a single feather on her wind spark to life. No one would be tempted to pluck the feather but they would feel the allure of the feather as it pierced through their emotional fields. “If you have to hurt people, and you have to rot stuff, what does that mean I have to do?”. The feather stopped emitting the cursed light as she chuckled. “One day at a time, right Luca?”

”Right,” Luca smiled at Lila, even though he felt that burning pain in his chest from the Rot straining within him. The allure of the feather, momentary as it was, had it wanting to get out. He suppressed it just like he always did but it was… uncomfortable. ”You’re right, Lila! It’s not like me to not be positive. I’m sure there’s a way to make things easier for all of us, so we don’t have to…or don’t have to as much. We’ll find a way.”

The boy quietly listened, ruminating on his thoughts. He looked back at his reflection in the mirror, contemplating matters.

“Regardless, Clancy, you’re like us. We got your back. If that bitch that shot you ever shows up again I’ll peck out her eyes, Luca can rot her knees, you can take your revenge, and Lynn can show you how nice the future looks without her in it.

Clancy had been silently listening, but the mention of the hitwoman had prompted him to speak, ”You should probably run if you see her. I've been hit with worse stuff before, but that crystal thing… hurt at the time, but it was the first time I could feel... any pain.”

It had almost been a reminder of what it was to be alive, in a twisted way. Thoughts drifted on. He was looking for his own revenge, but not on her, and not just that alone.

”I keep thinking about what happens if-.. when I find the asshole who killed Ashley. She was family. That wasn’t a lie. But after that... I don’t want to keep going like this. I’ve lost track of years, where I’ve been, what I’ve done... what if I run out of assholes to hurt?”

It was something he'd never opened up about before, his tone weighed with decades of a cold, lonely bitterness, interspersed with brief moments of blood and meat.

”I’m tired. I’m just... here. Not even really here, just what’s left of me, memories that I’m just hanging onto and needs to keep quiet. And always knowing that if I ever slip....”

Clancy balled up a half-gnarled fist, raising it to his chest.

”I’ve only told one other person this - apart from you, Luca. I guess it doesn’t matter. I want to find the thing that made me like this. I want to end it. Break the cycle. That's why I wanted Ashley and her knife. She was going to help me.”

Truthfully, he wanted more than he was willing to admit.

No more hunger. No more cold.

Just sleep.

Lila listened intently to the words that Clancy spoke. She was tired too and it had only been a month of her having the maiden sealed inside of her. She has lost bodily autonomy, sanity, and even her plans for the future. She dreamed of being this advocate for queer kids, to build a space that they could thrive in, and now her future involved the maiden, the crows, and the changes that come along with them. She couldn’t imagine what another year of this would be like, let alone the time that Clancy had to deal with this. Lila was tired.

“Don’t worry Lila,” The Maiden whispered in her ear almost seductively, “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll give you training tomorrow, teach you to master my magic, so that you never face to worry about what the future holds for you.”

”We’ll help you find the Apparition Killer,” Luca said, with a slight smile towards Clancy. He understood the want to be free. For him it had only been ten years… ten long years of not being able to live normally. But he was still alive and he was still himself. He couldn't imagine nearly a hundred. It must be tiring. Neverending. Even with so little time left himself, he wasn't jealous in the slightest. ”I don't know if we can help you find whatever made you like this, but we can try. So that you can be free of it and… rest.”

Luca understood well enough that Clancy wasn't adjoined like them. He probably wouldn't survive the destruction of whatever made Clancy into this, because it was what was keeping him alive in the first place. Not really alive… but he didn't comment on that. It wasn't his place. He was someone who'd accepted his own fate too.

”Thanks for telling us all this. I know it's not easy when people can… well they don't understand. We're not the same, but we're similar. We all have our struggles because of Apparitions. We'll find the Apparition Killer for you and everyone else it could help.”

”... thanks,” Clancy mumbled, after a moment's pause, ”No one else knows except…” For a moment, he contemplated invoking Adora's name, but he'd promised to keep that conversation between the two of them, or at least about the part involving her seeing a head doctor. Better to play it safe. ”... Britney probably has something figured out. Don't trust her.. not really. Not with what she did and who she talks to.”

”Britney… is complicated. But you’re probably right to not trust her,” Luca replied honestly. Because while he’d ultimately forgiven her for what she did, he didn’t trust her. He then waved a hand in front of his face. ”But let’s take a break from all the seriousness! Let’s put on a movie, have some of Ken’s famous ‘balls’- well I don’t know if you can eat normal food, Clancy, but you can still enjoy a movie, right?”

When was the last time he'd sat down to watch anything?

”Sure, I guess.”

---

---

---

]



Johnny’s voice could be heard through the unusually empty Harbor Lounge. He grasped both sides of his head as everyone sat on the sofa before him, stuffed on there, touching shoulders to shoulders. Johnny released his hands and took in a deep breath,

“... Why are you acting like this is the first time we did something dumb?” Gabe spat, looking up at him.

“Usually, when ya’ll did something dumb,” Johnny said, “It was all when we were kids, and we could laugh all our dumb bullshit off when we grew up! But we can’t!”

He took in a deep breath, “And of all the places you could have gotten into a fucking wizard fight, it just had to be at Dollhouse’s doorstep...” He seethed.

“I mean…” Lin said, not even making eye contact, then shrugged. “None of that was in the plan.” What was notable was the necklace that hung from her chest.

“Yeah, how the fuck were we supposed to know Emily G. Reed’s clique were going to pull up?!” Gabe shot back.

“By slowing down and using your heads,” Mika said with a roll of her eyes. “What would have happened if we hadn’t shown up?”

“Nothing, Mom.” Gabe sarcastically said with a roll of her eyes.

Sage, who had been silent, finally spoke up, “Look, look, look, we’re all stressed and trying to process what happened. We’re not going to get anywhere by pointing fingers.”

“Look, I’m just a little bit pissed that we made up an actual plan,” Johnny put his hands together, “Then you six just say ‘fuck it, we ball’ and then do this.”

“... I mean, it’s not like it interferes with our plans at all, Valos,” Mika rolled her eyes.

“Stop trying to play Devil’s Advocate, Mika!” Johnny hissed. “They went after Blakey’s kids, and started a whole thing with Emily’s band of retards. That’s unnecessary attention.”

“Bro, we were cornered,” Gabe shrugged. “George came after us! The fuck were we supposed to do?!”

“If you had acted with more foresight, we wouldn’t have drawn unnecessary attention. It’s not just about the immediate fight - it’s about the consequences.” Mika noted.

“Johnny’s right about the attention. But we’re past that now,” Sage injected with an awkward laugh. “So, what do we do now, oh-wise leader?”

“What I said before,” Johnny said, “We lay low, get inducted into the Elite, then figure out how to handle Blake, and then maybe take over the Elite.” Johnny grinned.

“... Good grief,” Mika said with a roll of her eyes.

“What?” Johnny laughed. “It’s clear these oldheads don’t know what they’re doing! Need some new blood to give them some direction!”

Lin glanced at Gabe, then Sylvia, then shook her head, then stood up, “... If we’re done with this, I’d like some food.”

“Sure thing-” Jake tried to say before Johnny grabbed his collar.

“Me and you, let’s have a lil’ word…” Johnny then turned to Lin. “Remember, we’re sticking together here so that Wolf Fucker doesn’t axe any of you.”

“I think I’ll be fine-”

“Nope.”

“But-”

“Nope!” Johnny said, “You’re a Valos now.”

“I’ll accompany my sister,” Mika said as she walked over, “We need to talk anyway.”

The group began to dissipate as Mika and Lin left the Harbor Lougue…. Lin and Mika stepped out of the Harbor Lounge into the cool evening air and replaced the upscale ambient of the lounge with the gritty city streets. The two were silent…

“... You did all of that,” Mika began in Cantonese before leaning forward and flicking that pedant Lin had. “And you didn’t have this on? Are you crazy?! You’re a target and yet you refuse to use your greatest resource!”

Lin shook her head before she replied in Cantonese, “... I had it on the entire time.”

Mika came to a stop, tilting her head before Lin elaborated.

“I used that trick that you told me about, duct taping it underneath your breasts or inside your thigh,” Lin said. “I’m only wearing out in the open because I’m getting to a point where I think I can tell Jake and the others that I have an Abstraction again.”

“... Do not tell him where you got it from,” Mika hissed, “Or our plans. You’ll get us killed.”

“And I won’t,” Lin said, “I don’t like lying to my future husband, but it’s for his safety.”

She sighed, grabbing the pendant “I’ve been reading everyone’s minds the whole time… this might be the key to solving this Father Wolf nonsense. Thankfully, nobody in our circle is Father Wolf, but I wonder if Sycamore, 8th St, or one of the other factions knows anything.”

Mika raised an eyebrow, “Then what are you suggesting?”

“Maybe they would be worth investigating,” Lin said, “If I can get close enough to read their thoughts, I might be able to figure out if they know anything about Father Wolf. It’s a long shot, but it might be our best lead.”

Mika looked skeptical. “And how do you plan on getting close to these factions without arousing suspicion? You know they’re not exactly welcoming to outsiders...”

“I don’t know yet,” Lin admitted, “But we have to start somewhere. I’ll need to be careful and use my abilities discreetly, but that hasn’t been a problem so far, now has it?” She smiled at her sister.

Mika rolled her eyes.

That was when a curious oddity happened. Something straight out of a fantasy, or old folklore.

There was a ringing of a bell, and soft mewing. A small, high-pitched voice, purring words that could be understood.

”Oh Maneki-neko, oh Maneki-neko,
With your bright white fur,
And your soft sweet smile,
Won't you come by and say hello~?

Oh Maneki-neko, oh Maneki-neko,
With your wide, pearly eyes,
And your taste for gold coins,
Won't you give me a dinero~?”

And, padding into their view was a small, white cat, a red collar with a large bell around their neck. Their brilliant blue eyes gazed up at Lin and Mika.

[i]“I wish you well, blessing swell~!”[i] purred the cat, giving a Chinese lucky greeting. “Fortune smiles on you both today, I have a message for you from the other side~!”

They both looked at the cat…

“... Something to do with Father Wolf?” Mika asked, taking a few steps back, reaching into her purse for her Taurus.

“Hold on…” Lin paused, and the Arrowhead glew for a moment before saying, “It has no thoughts.”

“We should go.” Mika said.

Lin awkwardly smiled at the cat as she stepped back.

“What’s the message?” Lin asked, “We can hear you from over here! Do not worry!”

The cat merely smiled, sitting back on its haunches so as to appear less shocking. Its tail curled cutely around its front paws as it spoke.

”Yes, I have a very special message for you, Lin Liu. From your old friend Kari Wilson~!”

The cat nodded to emphasize its point, eyes closed, before it raised a paw. ”You just have to do one thing for me. I have to make sure you are the one, after all. All you have to do, is tell me-”

Its blue eyes opened.

”-A little about what's on Kari's notes.”

Lin froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. The mention of Kari Wilson was enough to send a chill down her spine, but the cat’s request, however innocent it might have sounded, had red flags written all over it.

She glanced at Mika, who had visibly tensed, her hand still hovering near her purse, ready to draw her weapon if needed. Lin kept her expression neutral, a forced smile playing on her lips as she tried to think quickly.

“But Kari’s dea-” Lin cut herself off. “I don't know what’s in Kari’s notes, unfortunately. Is there another way to access this message?” As Lin spoke, she stepped back.

“We should leave,” Mika said, “Now.”

“Sorry, I know nothing about Kari’s notes. Maybe you’ve been… Misinformed?” Lin smiled as she stepped back further.

The cat paused, before smiling slightly. ”Don't be sad, do not worry! When you remember, I will be waiting~! All you have to do is call!”

And just as the cat finished speaking, a hard thud slammed into the back of Lin. A small child, a street urchin with her hood up, looked up in shock.

“S-sorry miss, didn't see you.” The child said in a hurry.

Unbeknownst to Lin, the impact had allowed a small listening bug to be placed on the inner side of her jacket, disguised as a button.

The child stared for a moment before they started to slink further down the street. The cat, meanwhile, was calmly licking its paw.

Lin stared at the child as it ran down the street… before Mika wrapped her hand around her bicep and pulled her towards The Harbor Lounge. She had fully drawn the Taurus magnum as she ran as fast as she physically could…

They cat only watched, patient, before turning, and walking down the sidewalk.

---

“... So, the cat asked you about Kari’s notes?”

Johnny asked as their group was hastily reassembled back at the Harbor Lounge. The wind blew, and he looked at the ocean as the waves danced and crashed against the cliffside. Johnny paused for a moment as he rubbed his chin. “Okay, that whole thing was weird, but if it had something to do with Father Wolf…” Johnny said as he turned around, and his eyes landed on his younger brother, Jake.

“You probably would have been dead,” Johnny said, observing the uncomfortable faces.

“Hear me out,” Sage pipped up, raising his hands. “But, I don’t think it has anything to do with Father Wolf.”

“Then who could it have something to do with?” Mika asked as she narrowed her eyes.

“You should be asking Lin that question,” Johnny said, eyes landing on Lin.

“I was close to Kari in the Elite,” Lin said, “But, I don’t know what’s on those notes… Or….”

“I bet it has something to do with the Coven,” Gabe said, crossing her arms. “It sounds like some type of trick those assholes would pull.”

“But, that raises the question of why?” Johnny tilted his head. “Do they know something we don’t but should? Are they plotting on us? Did they cast some kinda weird ass spell on Lin?”

“... She’s a bomb!” Sylvia shouted, laughing, but Johnny wrapped his hand around her mouth.

“Sylvia! Shut the fuck up!” Johnny roared. “Jesus, you tryna’ get us arrested!?”

“Good grief,” Gabe said. “I hate .”

“Maybe it’d be worth snatching those notes from Blake,” Johnny said, “If they’re valuable enough to have motherfuckas’ coming after us for them, they can be leveraged.”

He shrugged again, “Against who, I don’t know, but they can be used against somebody.”

A half-smile crept across Lin’s face as she said, “... Yes, I think we should.”

“We’re basically Elite already,” Sylvia said with a shrug, leaning back and folding her arms behind her back. “Getting them can’t be that hard, right?”

“Nothing’s ever that easy, Sylvia,” Johnny added. “Especially when shit’s getting more complicated, but I have an idea.”

“Well, we ain’t sittin’ here for our health,” Gabe said with a shrug.

“We meet up with everyone’s favorite Isaac Kane,” Johnny said.

”... Who?” Gabe asked.

“Information Broker,” Mika answered for Gabe and the others. “Very good. Very professional. Very trustworthy. He can help us.”

“We gonna meet him on Wednesday,” Johnny said, “But, until then, it’s becoming obvious that more people are after us…” He rubbed his chin, before he sighed.

“So, we’re going have to stick together. As in, one bigass group. At all times.”

“Awwwww, the fuck?!” Sylvia shouted.

“Yes, I know,” Johnny rolled his eyes. “But, that whole thing with Lin and Mika could have ended very badly. As in, they could have gotten murked right there.”

“I think it’s weird…” Sage piped up again. “All of this started with a cat. We just going to like… gloss over that?” Sage’s voice cracked.

“It’s magic,” Johnny shrugged. “It’s probably someone’s Gold Lux trick or something.”

“Either way, someone is making moves on us,” Lin added. “And we need to be one step ahead of it.”

“... Or we’re going to be one step behind and get fucked all the way up,” Gabe shrugged.

“Which is why we’re going to meet with Kane, snag those notes, then figure out what the fuck the Coven wants with us,” Johnny said before he looked at the group. “So, we’ll stick together, lay low, and don’t get shanked!”

He laughed.

“Easy as pie, right?”

---

A content ‘hum’ reverberated through the nose of a man standing on the rooftop of a building opposite of the Harbour Lounge. Long, dark hair whispered in the cool wind under a full sky. A long, dark trench coat covered a posh suit.

In his ear, a bud that was connected to the bug on young Lin's jacket. All the little juicy details that left the lips of Lin's little group were there, ripe for picking.

A cold smirk crossed the face of Elias “Fox” Castles as he passed a thin envelope to the street urchin beside him.

“You did good, Dolly. Stay low for a little while, and take the long way home. Get yourself something hot to eat tonight.”

The street urchin nodded, hastily pocketing the money, before hopping down the fire escape.

As the child fled the scene, the white cat from before made it to the rooftop, obediently walking into a carrier set at Fox's feet.

Fox shut the carrier door, then pulled out a cellphone, speed dialed a number, and pressed it to his ear.

“Yes, sweet sister-in-law? I have the most delightful news for you…”

---

---

---

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

Adora sighed, ”Just let that ditzy-bitch go. It's on her.”

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.

“I must’ve missed it at the other meeting. Is ’It’s not our place’ the new motto for this iteration of the Coven? Oh, it doesn’t directly affect me, so why bother then? Is that it?” 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.

“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?” Sloane pointed at one of the Adoras. “Or are you just passing the blame?”

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

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

“Yes you can. It just requires a little more…” 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. “...tact.” Sloane’s hands dropped. Adora had a point. What reason would Layla have to listen to her? “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.”

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

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

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

“Yeah, well, Auri is only good for making stupid decisions, and there’s nothing surprising about Britney doing the wrong thing,” said Sloane.

”But again, we can’t do anything about that, really,” Adora sighed, ”Maybe when-” Adora paused for a moment, ”... We talk to Layla when she gets back.”

“If she gets back,” said Sloane coldly, eying the three Adoras. “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.”

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

”Then tell me wh-” Adora cut herself off, before skipping off past Sloane. ”You know what, you’re right.”

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

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

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 Sloane-y. 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.

“Well?”

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 shitty. 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 that currently operate in the city and I won’t be naming them for your safety 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 Aspiration 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 literally anything for you if you give me that sword. Anything.”

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.

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

Lynette smiled, tilting her head,

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

“Perhaps you should've come to the previous meetings, said Sloane. “It was stolen alongside my other artifacts.”

“Well…” Lynette trailed off, “... Shit. There goes my only plan.”

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

“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,” said Sloane, casting a glance towards the departing Coven members as she lowered her voice. “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.”

“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.

“A few months ago,” said Sloane, her face tightening. “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, Poirot?”

“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 way 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.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” said Sloane bluntly. “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.”

Sloane paused, and for a moment it sounded as if she was merely dismissing Lynette, before she rolled her eyes and said, “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?”

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

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.

“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,” said Sloane. “It might help us piece together the puzzle.”

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 dangerous. I know how they operate, and people who tend to bark up their tree tend to go missing… at best.”

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 really trust you not to tell anyone in the Coven - or anyone at all. Because they probably already have eyes on and in the Coven. And I can’t risk you or anyone else getting killed because of me.”

“But you can risk me or others getting killed because you chose to withhold information that might be pertinent to our serial killer situation?” said Sloane, shaking her head. “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.”

“... And that’s half their problem, isn’t it?” Lynette laughed, before she leaned in very close and whispered, “... Dollhouse. 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.

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

“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 hmph and folded her arms, “Allow me to rephrase that question: what would happen if they had the Apparition Killer?” Sloane held up her hand as Lynette started to respond. “Shut up, I already know the answer.”

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, “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.”

“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 little tricky because Luca apparently 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.”

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

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

“It’s not like I changed…” 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. “There.”

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 Shave and a Haircut and made Sloane jump as it rolled up next to her.

”Ayy Sloaney, you need a ride back home?” 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.

”Damn it…” Drake began, ”... I missed again.”

---

---

---

”... Hope this ain’t no fuckin’ prank.”

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.

---

---

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 par-day!”

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.

”Fuck yeah, it better be that way!” She laughed, walking over. ”Let’s fuckin’ go. Is Sully around here?”

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.

“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,” said Sully, his voice slurring. He pulled Adora and Amara in tight, whispering loud enough that Jess would hear. “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.”

“... I heard that!” Jess said.

Adora couldn’t help but laugh before she shrugged, ”... This sounds like a job for Amara, right?” She grinned at Amara. ”Right?”

”...Is it?”

”Go rizz up that ginger,” Adora said.

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

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

”Mission accepted.” 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.

“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.”

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

”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.” Then Adora laughed.

“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,” 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. “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.”

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

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.

”So, what does one of the Four Maidens of St Portwell get up to at an hour like this?” 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. ”Heard. Haven’t done much partying myself in a fuckin’ minute though. You got a light, you absolute fuckin’ Amazon?” 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.

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

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

She offered the mostly undrank vodka to Jess. ”I have found my people.”

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.

“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,” 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. “Want a glizzy?”

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

”What she said,” Amara laughed. ”Light that shit the fuck up, Beer God.”

“Did Ol’ Dirty eat cold hotdogs? I thought he died of an overdose, not botuli—ooooh,” 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. “So what the hell have you been doing for the past ten years, Amara? I mean, besides apparently smoking bad grass.”

Amara blew a cloud up into the sky. ”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.”

“Oh cool, word, word. Same for me too,” said Sully, slowly rotating the dogs.

“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.”

”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.”

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

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

Adora facepalmed as she tried to plug the iPod in.

”Was PRA,” she said, not missing a beat. ”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?”

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

”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.”

“Yeah, um, cool man,” said Sully with a nervous cough. “Once you’re out, you’re out.”

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.

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

”Sully, please,” Adora said. ”If I was a cop, I would have said it off rip.” She rolled her eyes.

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

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

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

“I’m still wondering how you could miss with lightning,” 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 party!”

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

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

“James, you tried to date a na—” Sully was interrupted as the radio blasted:


“No, not that one!”

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.

---

---

“Yeeeeeeeah, there we go!”

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?”

“C’mon Rubes, you know it’s on the list,” 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.

---

---

The following day hit hard.
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.

”Ugh… what happened last night?” Adora groaned as she pulled her head from underneath the blanket.

“We fuckin’ balled,” Ruby said as she rolled a blunt.

”... Feels like we did more than that,” Adora groaned, rolling her eyes.

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

”No,” 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.

”Remember what I told you when we first met?” Adora rolled onto her side. ”’Show me how to cut loose.’”

Ruby started laughing.

“Oh, you cut loose, alright.” She grinned.

”... I don’t like the way you said that!” Adora’s eyes shot open.

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

”If you don’t tell me…” Adora hissed.

“Look down.”

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

”... Oh, you gotta be FUCKING-”

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

“... Your pants are over there.”

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

”I don’t kno-” Adora cut herself off.

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

”Just grab my pants for me, girl!”

Amara tossed Adora her pants and rolled her shoulders, checking her phone. ”You guys are slow as hell. I thought you did this a lot.”

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 party-virginity.”

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

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.

“... Don’t do it, she eats ass!”

Amara took it, without skipping a beat.

”And?”

“Das nasty, boo!” Naomi gagged.

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

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

Ruby laughed.

“... A very bad combination.”

”What?! To who?!” Adora said, as she froze.

Ruby shrugged.

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

Ruby awkwardly grinned.

“... Some very interesting pictures when your pants came off.”

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

Adora closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, ”You know what? It can’t be that-”

---

Adora stared at her phone in wide-eyed horror as she clutched it with both hands, shaking. A barrage of barely legible text messages…

... All to Stormy.

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

”Oh my God, I…” 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 miss you’, 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.”

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

“Broooooo…” Ruby rolled her eyes. “Relax. 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.

”He’s not some random guy…” Adora trailed, pausing for a moment. ”... 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!”

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

”I wish I had your fucking confidence,” Adora stammered.

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

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.

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

“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.”

---

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

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.

---

---

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.

”... Wassup,” Adora began. ”How have you been?”

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

He flexed his arms, pathetically scrawny muscles hidden by layers of clothing anyway. ”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.”

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

”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,” 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. ”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.”

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

”Just away from Emily - can you imagine, Sycamore is already chaotic enough! Maybe we form a new one,” 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. ”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.”

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

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

”She’s definitely the most reasonable and least connected… sure, I can.” 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.

”Heyyyy Greta,” Luca began, trying to figure out what to say. Did he just go straight into it? ”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?”

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…”

”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,” Luca said, looking over at Adora, then down at his phone. ”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.”

“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.”

”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!” 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. ”Maybe we really should form our own coven.”

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

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

”... 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…” Luca rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ”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.”

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

“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,
”... Why Memorial Park?”

”Cause that's where we are,” Luca replied with a slight laugh, gesturing to the park around them. ”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.”

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

”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!” Luca laughed. ”Animal shelter would be sweet, but I can't go to those.”

Greta was silent for a moment.

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

”Oh my God!”

Luca’s mouth fell open in disbelief. ”Fuck, Greta!”

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

“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.”

”And if we get Phoebe we get Maya… not that we necessarily want her.” 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. ”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.”

”... But if she doesn’t want help, there ain’t shit we can do about it,” 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. ”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.”

“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… contingencies.”

”Oh now that don’t sound good,” Adora sinisterly chuckled.

“It shouldn’t, but I have been working on a fallback plan in the - highly unlikely - 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.”

”Okay, but will you get on with it?” 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.”

”And what makes Vashti different?” Adora asked.

“Emily is still human, yes. Her hellfire is dangerous, and she can teleport, but she is still human. 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.”

”But we’d have to get close enough to remove it,” Luca said with a frown. ”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?”

“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 risky.”

”Risky for who?” Luca asked. ”Because if it’s something I can do… I’ll take the risk. I don’t have a whole load of time anyway.”

“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, at all…”

”What are you cooking, Gretchen?” 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. Trust me.”

”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?” Luca said. ”She was always reasonable enough.”

“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 desperately 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.”

”I can talk to them, easy! I have their numbers-” 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. ”Last time we met didn’t go so well, but that was cause of something else- I think if I- we-”

He looked over at Adora. ”Talk to them, they’ll listen and realise that… Vashti and Emily need to be overthrown at the very least.”

“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?”

”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,” Luca replied. ”There’s some people I’d like to tell, eventually, but for now let’s keep it between me and Adora.” As much as he didn’t like keeping secrets…

“Good,” Greta said, “Not that I have anything against Sycamore - I mean, I do 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?”

”... Unfortunately,” 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?”

”Don’t know them,” Adora began, ”But we’ll try.”

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

The phone hung up.

”Well, that’s that…” Luca laughed, letting out a sigh. ”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.”

He looked down at his phone. ”Should I try call them now?”

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

”Which could be in hours… Alright,” 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?”

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

“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?”

”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-” he looked over at Adora. ”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 any of you off. But I don’t want you guys- all of you- hurt for their decisions. So…”

He trailed off, trying to think how to word it. ”Would you be willing to jump ship? Not to Sycamore but to… something new.”

“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 trying 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.”

”... Fuck me, I guess,” Adora shrugged.

”Just in it for the power, Adora?” Luca joked, before continuing more seriously. ”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 actual coven. One that helps each other rather than hurting others…”

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

“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...”

”I’ll convince anyone in our Coven if they have a problem,” 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. ”As for the lair…”

Luca frowned thoughtfully. ”I don’t have an actual place in mind, but I have a lot 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…”

“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.”
”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,” he laughed slightly, clasping his hands together in front of him. ”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.”
He looked over at Adora. ”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?”

“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 anyone down any further. We’re building something new. Something real. And anyone who wants that is welcome.”

”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-” he looked at Adora and smiled. ”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.”

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. ”We’ll deal with it all together.”

“You are not good at this,” The Maiden whispered as she yawned.

“You’re not very good at being a mentor,” Lila scoffed as she walked a few more steps into the forest.

“Yet,” The Maiden chuckled back, “but you have the makings of a powerful avatar for me. You are charismatic, have a strong leadership drive, and are a natural with my beloved murder.” The Maiden with a hint of pride in her voice.

“Aww do you mean-,” Lila started but was hushed.

“You are also incredibly indecisive, don’t know how to wield the murder to its full potential, painfully naive,” The Maiden started with a stern tone.

“Okay, okay I,” Lila paused as she came to a clearing not far from the running trail, “the only people who are out today are crazy runners and they’re too focused on not realizing how much running sucks,” Lila said as she looked down at her outfit. She wore a thick pair of leggings with some athletic shorts over top. She had a tight fitting but warm athletic shirt under a thin red sleeveless windbreaker. She felt warm, and ready to train. “If anyone sees me they’ll just think I’m a crazy crow lady,” Lila said with a grin as she stretched her arms out.

“You are a crazy crow lady. I’m not actually sealed in you. Nothing has changed from before. You just have voices in your head,” The Maiden said with a dry voice. After an uncomfortable silence the entire murder cawed in what sounded like laughter. Lila sighed as she actually believed it for the briefest moment. “Painfully naiv-,”

“Don’t make me push you down,” Lila said before she felt the wings stirring beneath her back.

“And you make threats you can’t keep,” The Maiden said with an angry voice as she forced the wings to writhe under her back.

“Stop….. Please stop,” Lila begged as the pain became unbearable and she fell to her knees. A moment later the writhing stopped.

“You can’t even control,” The Maiden sighed, “you can’t even control my body yet,” The Maiden paused as she pulled Lila up like a marionette puppet, “whereas I can control yours.”

“Your body is inside mine,” Lila said as she pulled herself free from the strings, “there’s a lot of flesh between you and me,” Lila scoffed back, “it’s incredibly painful.”

“Two can’t be one if one rejects the other,” The Maiden tried to sound wise.

Lila looked at one of her crows with a dumbfounded stare. “What the fuck does that even mean?

Lila could feel The Maiden sigh. The murder began to form shapes in the sky above. They formed a crude stuck figure in the sky. Lila felt like it was supposed to be her. The crows put on a crude show in the air showing the stick figure in pain as wings and claws and more crow-like features erupted forth from their body. Lila had a look of disgust on her face. The crows reformed into another figure. It was more detailed, and had crow like features from the get go. A lot more attention was paid to the details here. The wings came out naturally as did the claws. It was as if Lila and The Maiden were one. Lila had a hand on her chin, and she nodded in understanding. “Two can’t be one if one rejects the other,” The Maiden paused, “do you understand now?”

Lila nodded for a second longer before she looked away from the display above her. “Nope.”

The murder cawed in frustration, the sound was deafening, and Lila winced at the sound.

“You reject my gifts at every advance, you prefer to keep looking as human as possible, you haven’t given a gift to the murder since I was sealed in you,” The Maiden paused, “we share a body now. Until you accept that fact you will only have a fraction of my power. Our power. You have to learn how to control the transformations and to do that you must transform more.”

“And how do I know you’re not trying to push your way to the surface more so that you can take full control,” Lila asked with a sigh.

As Lila asked she felt The Maiden's cold talons grip tightly around her mind. The sky around her grew distant and she felt herself pulled all the way down. A chuckle was heard coming from no direction but every direction at once. The laugh was The Maiden but also a chorus of thousands upon thousands of men and women. From the darkness floated forth a woman, her wings stretched far and wide and seemed so massive in comparison to the tiny wings Lila could summon forth. She wore a gorgeous dress with various jeweils and crystals. The laughter grew in strength until it reached a crescendo as the maiden towered over Lila, breaking for a moment as The Maiden leaned in, hands behind her back. Lila gasped at just how big the maiden looked and just how small she felt in this moment.

“You don’t.”

A moment later Lila felt the grip of the maiden release and she shot upwards back to the surface. As she ascended the laughter resumed all around her, sounding like it came from the darkness itself. As Lila assumed control once more she took a deep breath, and then gasped for air as she fell to the ground. She took a series of short shallow breaths before she realized there was something casting a vaguely wing shaped shadow on the ground. As well, her once skin tight athletic top had quite a few more ruffles of feathers that traveled far up her arm, which was seemingly much longer than normal. And her eyesight was much more focused than normal. A quick command was sent out to the murder. She needed to see. A series of crows flew past and she was able to capture just a quick few frames.

Her face was…different. Her nose was more beak like, coming to a much more visible peak. Her lower jaw had also grown a peak. Her face had much more of a beak-like feature to it. Half her face was covered in feathers. Her red windbreaker was also ripped in half, with one half still on each shoulder, pushed apart by the massive wings that now spread out much further than her normal wings. She looked like a proper crows maiden now, and Lila couldn’t help but gasp at the visage. Yet, this rapid and massive of a transformation would normally elicit a torrent of pain. But she felt none.

“Get it,” The Maiden asked finally as more crow swarmed around Lila allowing her to truly see the scope of her transformation. Lila unzipped her athletic top and pulled it apart and saw that her arms were longer and thinner and completely covered in feathers. Her legs were also much, much longer, which pushed Lila’s height up by a few inches. Lila's breathing stopped for a moment as she tried to understand what she was seeing. “Two can’t be one,” the maiden said with a chuckle as she pulled back all the transformations at once causing unimaginable pain all across her body. The wings zipped back into her back, her legs snapped back into their proper place, her arms shrunk and reformed, and every extra feather pulled itself back into her skin. She was covered in feather cuts, broken bones, and she couldn’t even scream. And yet, a moment later she felt a strange warmth envelop her and within a few moments her body was as good as new. She still had her talons, and feathers lower arms, but the rest of her body was back to normal.

“Get…it,” The Maiden asked as Lila pushed herself to her feet. As she rose to her feet she finally caught her breath. Lila could only shake her head yes.

“Good,” The maiden said as she summoned forth a new round of transformations, “we have a lot to practice.”

---

“I need a break,” Lila coughed out as she placed her clawed hands on her thigh.

“A pity. You’re making good progress somehow.”. Lila simply raised her middle finger to a crow as her transformation was once again reversed and the maiden healed all her wounds. Lila looked like a mess. Her clothes were shredded, none more than her leggings which were now cut off right above her knees. She simply wore her sports bra and had the athletic coverup overtop.

“Shit since when could you heal me like that,” Lila joked as she took a drink of water. “I‘ll be ready to go in just one second,” Lila paused as she noticed that her murder was revealing her position too much. As such, she commanded them to hide in the forest away from the trail for the time being.

“Holy shit, Lila?!"

Trisha had, maybe, deviated a bit from the route she'd promised Casey she'd take. Just a little bit. Half an hour of running by Temple after Temple business hadn't resulted in the clear head she'd hoped for, so she'd taken a detour through Memorial Park on the way back. Hopefully he wouldn't know… and she'd be back early, that would make up for it, right? This running path was a bit more out of the way than she'd liked, but it was the most direct way from where she'd ended up. She just picked up the pace… until she spotted many crows and someone familiar.

Different, but familiar. Lila, formerly Michael, looked different - and not just because of the ripped clothing. More like herself, probably. Trisha had heard through various Sycamore people she was still in contact with about the name change… and while she was many things, transphobic wasn't one of them. And while they hadn't been so close ten years ago, she'd been friendly with Jasper and Luca. Luca especially… the one person who'd really escaped her resentment.

Normally, she'd still keep going and ignore her. But, from memory, Lila wasn't like Adora. She was quieter, and less likely to punch Trisha in the face. Her ability to hold an amicable conversation with Leon, and Casey's confidence in her, was enough to make her want to try again. Maybe she could rebuild the bridges she'd burnt. It was possible to have a conversation without her snapping. That was all she wanted… just a conversation. To try and change a bit, to not have this resentment towards the entire coven for falling apart.

“Are you alright?" Trisha paused her running, jogging over towards Lila instead. As she did, the bees hidden in her thick, wavy ponytail started to crawl out and into more obvious positions - her shoulders, ears, a couple on her face.
“Isn’t being alone dangerous… uh, hi. It's been a while. Ten years."

“Oh hey,” Lila said as she leaned up and stretched her back, she thought a ‘did you see her coming’ to The Maiden and she could tell The Maiden had, “Yeah I’m fine. Just training today, you know? I’m never truly alone anyway so I figured if father wolf was on the prowl I’d at least have a chance. But it has been a while, you look good! How have things been,” Lila paused as she took a few steps closer.

“Is she a threat?”

“No,” she whispered back.

“Never truly alone… huh…" Trisha looked thoughtful for a moment, remembering that Lila was adjoined just like her. “I never thought about it like that when it comes to the Ghost attached to me. Next time I need to go somewhere alone…"

She shook her head, realising Lila probably didn't care about her needing excuses to be able to go out alone without a whole cult security team. Not that she wanted to go into it anyway… “Things have been good! Really good… I moved in with my boyfriend last week. I feel a lot safer thanks to that, and it's been really nice."

Trisha smiled, looking actually happy… it was difficult to not when she thought about Casey. Of course there was a risk with mentioning it, because of her reputation in the old coven. All of the short lived and explosively ending relationships she had…
“How about you? Did you… go back to the coven?"

“Yeah, it’s hard to be alone when your body is what sealing a ghost ha,” Lila chuckled nervously as she rubbed her arms. “Right now company
is needed with that monster on the prowl,” Lila talked about Emily but the words carried weight for the wolf, “that’s so cool though. How’s living with your boyfriend,” Lila asked genuinely.

Trisha's brow furrowed a little bit. She hadn't even realised an Apparition could be sealed by a body… well, maybe that was what it was like for Leon? She remembered it being a bit like that, but she decided not to ask any questions, for once using a bit of tact. Not asking things she'd dislike having to answer, and talking about something she could easily go on about.
“Honestly, it's great. Really comfortable, he treats me well… maybe a bit overprotective with the whole Father Wolf thing, but I get it. It's just because he cares." Trisha's expression softened further as she spoke about Casey, bees wriggling on her shoulders in reaction to the gentle pheromones she gave out that only they could smell.

“Our apartment is really nice and central, and there's loads more space for my bees too. It's perfect, really, aside from having to deal with his family more… oh-" Trisha paused, letting out a slight laugh. “My boyfriend- Casey- is Leon's younger brother… I don't know how much you know about his family- or the, uh, Temple, but it's a lot. Worth it, just weird. They're really obsessed with us- Sycamore, that is."

“Leon? Oh yeah that makes sense. How’s his brother? I don’t recall meeting him,” Lila chuckled as she stretched her arms out, “so do you remember Luca? I’ve been staying with him, Jasper and,” Lynn paused as her conversation with Lynn flashed through her mind, “Lynn. She went by Evelynn back in the day. Do you remember them? Luca’s apartment is nice enough and we’re safe together there.”

“He’s way more chill than Leon is… pretty goofy, but it's cute. He wasn't kindled ten years ago so… he wasn't around," Trisha smiled, before moving into the next question.
“Yeah, I remember everyone." And everything they'd done against her. Evelynn. Trisha had tried to be friends with her back in the day but it had gone how it always did… She could still remember everything Evelynn had said. About her future. About how she would die alone.

“Luca was always so nice, I- well, wish I'd kept in contact, maybe. Jasper too. I'm glad you're all safe together." It was true that Luca was one of the few people she'd never properly pissed off in the old coven. She wasn't sure if he could even get upset. Jasper was similar. But Evelynn… Trisha was really trying her hardest not to say something horrible right off the bat. She did what Casey had told her to do with Lena - imagined him, how happy he'd be that she was able to be friendly with another coven member. It held back the words on the tip of her tongue, turning into another boring question.
“Are they all doing alright too?"

“Luca and Jasper are doing really good. They’re both falling heads over heels for each other but neither are brave enough to make the first move. Jasper said he had something special planned though so fingers crossed on that front. I’ve been watching it all play out and it’s adorable,” Lila paused as she looked down, “I’m worried about Lynn though. She has been quietly struggling since way back when, I think it’s about to be a lot more visible soon with what I’ve seen. She’s such a good friend that I want to be there to help her but she always has these walls up, you know,” Lila asked Trisha, almost pleading for guidance.

Trisha was genuinely happy to hear that Luca and Jasper were doing well… and also that Lynn wasn't. She didn't deserve to. Why did she deserve Lila putting in that effort for her? And if Lynn had those walls up, they should just be left. Just like hers. But she had hers because she'd been hurt so much before, not because she was a bitch.
“If she's not letting you in, what can you do?" Trisha tried to hold back still. Thought about going home to Casey… but if Lynn got her wishes, Trisha wouldn't have anyone at all. She'd be alone. Like she always had been… and she'd said it as if she deserved it. But really-
“Maybe she deserves to struggle without any help. What did she ever do for anyone?"

“What did she-,” Lila paused as she let out a single chuckle as her head slightly crooked to the side. What did Lynn do for anyone? If only this bitch in front of her knew. But she didn’t, and probably couldn’t know. That didn’t excuse the coldness with how she delivered that final line. Lila did not know if there was any bad blood between Lynn and Trisha, but she knew that Lynn was there for her every step of the way. “Lynn helped me embrace who I always was well before the rest of the coven knew. Lynn helped me learn to stand up to people who misgendered me, dead named me,” as Lila talked her arms and legs began to get a little more feathered, “out of everyone in the coven, both past, present and future, there is no one more deserving of my help, my kindness, and my support,” Lila paused as she looked Trisha in her eyes.

“Don’t be a bitch like Emily, okay thanks.

“She said I was going to die alone but thinking she deserves to feel shit is the same as being a near Nazi?" Trisha hissed, eyes narrowed. She didn't look away from Lila but her gaze turned cold. Loud buzzing filled the air around her as around a hundred bees crawled out from in her hair, her skirt, and even under her tank top. They didn't move from her, instead their wings just flapped in what was supposed to be a threatening display. The sound almost drowned out Trisha words, delivered with a harsh coldness but no increase of volume.
“I’m nothing like Emily- but I get it, I say one thing, and I'm the worst. Fuck you. No wonder your friends with a bitch like Lynn who enjoys watching everyone's worst nightmares in their futures."

“Oh I’m friends with Lynn because we’ve also both struggled through loss, adversity and hardship unlike the rich bitch of the coven, Lila spat out as even more feathers sprouted forth from her body. Her arms and legs, most of her chest, and even her face were now covered with feathers. A moment later her eyes went fully black as well. At this point she was halfway between human and monster. “You never met a problem daddy’s money couldn’t fix. Well, except your rotten personality and your abrasive fucking voice. I see no amount of money could ever fix you.

“You don't even know me," Trisha snapped, not even flinching as Lila transformed. She didn't care. She'd seen worse - they'd both seem worse. This was nothing. Not when she was being told she was nothing without her father's money - the father who abandoned her, didn't care about her, and died before she was old enough to reform any relationship with. She was just a Vanburen. It was always that, never Trisha.

But that didn't matter, because in their eyes Trisha was something terrible that needed fixed. She was right.
“Don’t bring up my dead father- Maybe you should stop blaming all your problems on not being rich and realise it's because you're both bitches you deserve everything you get. Judgemental, callous bitches. I'm not the one turning into a fucking bird, if anyone needs fixing, it's you."

“I don’t need fixed, Lila spat out as she sudden felt her arms grow longer. “Remember this, cunt, Lynn may have said that you’ll die alone but I have the power to ensure that

YOU

DO.

Lila’s voice remained her own. The Maiden did not goad her into saying that, but Lila said it all the same. There was no regret in her mind. Lila suddenly saw one of her crows swoop down and eat one of the bees. She could sense it wasn’t the maiden who commanded it nor did she. The crow was simply hungry and the bee looked like a treat.

“You can't even help your asshole friend, what can you- fuck," Trisha jolted as a pain shot through her mind, like an electric zap to her brain. Just one bee… one bee too many…
“She didn't do anything to you, you murderous bitch," Trisha bit out. The physical pain subsided immediately, but the emotional pain - the loss of the bee, and Lila's words hammering at her already fragile confidence… it was all her worst fears. Everything she didn't want. Losing even the bees. Lila could do it. Her crows could eat all the bees, and then what would Trisha have?

The ninety-nine other bees with her all swarmed the crow that had eaten one of their sisters, trying to sting them to death. At the same time, Trisha called her entire hive, blinded by anger and the loss of a single bee.

Lila watched as the bees swarmed her crow. The crow attempted to break free from the stinging swarm but did not get far before it collapsed dead. Lila pressed her talon to her right eye as the immediate psychic backlash was profound and strong. Lila looked at Trisha with an even angrier look to her expression. All wildlife around them stopped making noise. Lila’s head twitched three times in quick succession. Not a single cricket, bird, or any other creature dared make a sound. Instead, Trisha would hear what sounded like a twig snapping. Yet this was no branch breaking, instead the rest of Lila’s bones finally gave way as she reached a true mid point in the transformation. Talons emerged from her feet, her legs stretched giving her an extra three inches in height, and her back exploded out revealing the much more massive wings that somehow had only grown in beauty.

From behind Lila the tree line erupted in a flurry of caws as a large portion of the present murder, tens of thousands strong, emerged from the tree line and beelined towards Trisha

Trisha commanded the bees to come back to her, landing all over her body. It would take at least a minute for the rest of the bees to arrive, she had to keep this group alive until then. She was at a disadvantage until then, she could grow wings like Lila, but she was far too pissed to back down or flee. Her phone buzzed in the pocket of her skirt. She had no idea who it was, and didn’t care, she didn’t have time to think about it as all the crows flew at her. She squatted down, making herself smaller. Her hands came up in front of her face but she glared at Lila from behind them.

“Stay back,” Trisha hissed, as she bombarded the area with fear pheromones. It would hit through Lila’s emotional field, enough to make her feel strong panic and have an overwhelming need to flee… but it wouldn’t have any effect on the crows.

“Don’t say that. We’re just starting to have fun, Lila started before the fear pheromones hit. In an instant she wanted to flee and run away from this chaotic mess of a fight but the maiden’s emotional field was barely holding together under the stress of the fear, and was the only thing keeping Lila where she was. Meanwhile, the crows had begun breaking apart the bee dome. Some acted as decoys to draw the bees away from one spot only to slash at Trisha from another. Some even stopped swooping down and began to pick off her bees one at a time.

As the crows attacked her, it was difficult for Trisha to stop her bees from scattering in panic. With such small numbers their natural instinct was to flee in front of things that could kill them. Instead some were distracted and chased away by the crows, and some hid in her clothes. Trisha hissed in pain as sharp claws cut through her shoulder, blood trickling down her arm. Another caught her cheek, beak gouging into her forehead. But the pain from the scratch was nothing compared to the constant hits of bee death as they got eaten by the crows.

“I’ll show you… fun…” Trisha gritted out. Her fear pheromones intensified, but she could sense her other bees now. They were close. She got control again, switching up the pheromones she was sending the bees here, commanding them to fly up into the sky and away from her.

Lila and The Maiden both struggled against this new wave of pheromones and they were both pushed to the edge of breaking. Lila’s wings began to flicker a pale green color. It was short, but weak, bursts of her cursed wings but they were powerful enough to draw Trisha’s gaze. A second matter they fizzled out in numerous flashes but they went dark for seven seconds. Then, without warning, they erupted at full power momentarily making the surrounding area dark. They were brought, vividly green, and almost irresistible. Lila’s crows meanwhile chased the bees up following their previous commands.

The bees Trisha had with her stopped suddenly middair… and a loud, intense buzzing broke through the otherwise eerily quiet surroundings, and the crows were met with an entire swarm of bees. Sixty-thousand bees clashed with them.

Lila looked up to the sky and her mouth dropped. “Good luck, Lila says as she looked Trisha in the eyes well aware the two were about to suffer.

The relief from the crows stopping attacking Trisha was short-lived as her gaze was drawn to the wings. She was lured to move towards them, to take a feather, going towards Lila with a hand raised.
NO!

A small group of bees sped down from the larger group fighting the crows, covering Trisha’s eyes and cutting off the link. She couldn’t see the feathers anymore, and the temptation was immediately gone. She couldn’t see anything but… she didn’t need to. The Queen was awake, and she could sense all of her bees' pheromones in a much more accurate way. She could tell where each bee was, what they could sense, and it gave her a picture of exactly what was happening. She didn’t need her sight.

So, naturally, she reached up and grabbed Lila’s hair to pull as hard as she could… While directing her bees to make targeted attacks on the Crows in groups of the hundreds, leading them around. Others swarmed Lila and started stinging her.
“You need the luck.”

Lila refused to back down from this fight. While her mind was shattering from the countless dead crows she knew for every one crow Trisha killed she had taken out many more bees. If Lila's mind was breaking so too would Trisha. Lila’s face had changed slightly with the increased death of her murder. Her veins had all gone black as well, and could be seen through the pale face that Lila had. Lila’s wings flapped backwards before they shot forward, sending all the bees in front of her flying with the powerful gust of wind. She commanded a small murder to envelop her in overlapping lines to try and keep the bees off her as best as possible. “Bitch.”

Trisha was in intense pain, as if her mind was being electrocuted. Blood dripped down her face from her nose in an unstoppable flood. She could hardly think, working on pure adrenaline and instincts sensing pheromones and commanding the bees. Some of her bees covered her in a similar action to protect her from the crows' claws, while more kept going at Crows and Lila herself. “Feathery asshole.”

”Bee freak.” Lila hissed out as she took a step towards Trisha.

“Bird bitch,” Trisha gritted out, bees reactively covering her front as Lila moved closer, a group going for her face. At the same time Trisha reached out to try and grab her wings.

“Buzz-kill.” Lila spat as she took another step and reached for Trisha’s hair.

Something moving faster than the speed of sound was bound to make an entrance with noise and flare… But the only noise that pierced the air between the two combatants was a loud crack: Wind spiraled between Trisha’s face and Lila’s hand, and it was hot like a summer day as the pressure knocked the incoming hand aside.
Impacting a fairly large crow in the vicinity, there was a loud pop resounding across the space as the poor thing ruptured into a red mist. The shockwave of the impact shattered the bones within, sending a shrapnel of bird bone shards that ripped its comrades apart in a small area.

Unclear of the cause, one could only look into the distance and see a squat tower structure and an old roof cistern overlooking the bay area. A gentle glint directed the eye to that water tower… Before three more whizzing cracks left equally exploded crows as puddles to rain down.

A fucking gun…

Trisha had no idea what was happening. All she heard was an ear piercing crack. She still couldn’t see, the bees beginning to peel back to show her a sliver of what was happening… only to see a crow explode. Her heart started pounding in her chest. What the fuck? What the actual fuck. It didn’t stop her from attacking Lila, instead she got closer, using the opportunity to pull harshly at her wings. In case the bees were next, somehow. Her head hurt too much from the hundreds dead to even consider who would be intervening. She could barely think through the pain and anger and pheromones bombarding her, that she had to be constantly intune to.
“You’re- getting what you… deserve… birdbrains…”

Lila, meanwhile, wrapped her wings all the way around Trisha instinctively as well as used her arms to grab Trisha around her waist before using her supernatural strength to pull Trisha with her back into the woodline of the forest and hopefully away from whoever was shooting at them. Once she reached the relative safety of the woods Lila used her wings to strike at Trisha. ” You’re so fucking dumb, do you even know what will happen if you pull a feather? No, because you have the intelligence of a fucking bee.”. Lila could barely even see straight at this point. Her mind had fractured into a hundred pieces at the death of so many crows. ” You are like baby,” Lila said in a slightly slurred tone before she commanded the murder to retreat to the safety of the canopy as she sent another wing strike. After the strike landed she quickly put her wings as far back as she could away from the hands of Trisha. She placed her taloned hands on a tree trunk to pull herself away from Trisha further but her strength was too much and she simply pulled a chunk of tree with her. Instead of dropping it to the ground she simply dropped it gently at Trisha’s head. The Maiden roared a command to the murder to look for incoming threats and their eyes would all begin to scan the area, she also ordered them to help pull any stingers out of any who were afflicted. Lila turned her attention back to Trisha and reached for her legs with her long, thin, arms with their long, sharp, claws.

“AND WHO IS SITTING SHOOOOTING AT US.”

“My bees are much smarter than you…" Trisha mumbled out. The second wing strike caused her to fall back onto the ground. She managed to narrowly avoid the piece of tree dropped on her head by rolling, sudden movement only making her dizzier… she didn't understand, but at least she didn't have any feathers in her hands. She kicked at Lila's hands as they came for her legs, half her bee swarm covering her skin in a constantly flickering mass and the other half going for Lila's arms.
“How would I know?! You got… the crows… bet they just think… you looked like a great target…"

It was really difficult for Trisha to process anything beyond keeping on going, as Lila's claws dug into her calves. Trisha curled forward, trembling hands trying to pull them off her. Her pheromones shifted slightly as the Queen woke up further, targeting Trisha with a light dose of aggression pheromones to help her get through the debilitating pain. She couldn't get up off the forest floor, but she could keep fighting Lila, practically becoming a mass of bees with their stingers out.
“At least I'm not part bird… who will ever like you… like that…"

With Lila rushing off into the forest, the hail of gunfire ceased for a brief moment. The two were allowed to get far enough in that they were surrounded by trees.
And then the assault continued. There was hardly any warning as the trunks of trees around the duo began to shatter and explode with loud, hollow wood noises. Those were followed by loud snapping, crackling as the wounded trees began to fall one by one.

They very quickly blocked any hope of easy escape on foot, leaving Trisha with no real options, and only the option of flight to Lila. Though, without much cover in the air and presumably magical bullets covering that angle, leaving in any way was getting more precarious.

“What the fuck?!" Now Trisha was panicking in a way she hadn't when fighting Lila - and even fight, someone she wanted to hurt without fearing her own death. But now she was terrified as the trees practically exploded around them, sharp pieces of wood raining around them. She went from trying to pry Lila's hands off her to gripping onto them… moving forward to practically cling to her in another instinctual move this time pushed by fear rather than anger. The constant throbbing of her head meant there were very few thoughts, and very few commands given to the bees who also acted on instinct… continuing to sting Lila even as their Queen clung to her in fear.

”Don’t worry, I’ll..oww.. I’ll protect…oww… I’ll protect you,” Lila responded in a sing-song manner as she maneuvered Trisha behind her and spread her wings out wide. Her vision had gotten only more blurry and her mind only more fractured. Lila barely even registered what Trisha had said just prior to her clinging to Lila out of fear. ”Maybe..oww.. this fight wasn’t my..oww.. best idea,” Lila scanned the area around them but she couldn’t see the forest for the trees.

“Don’t need…" Trisha wasn't even able to finish whatever contrary thing she was going to say, instead using the little bit of concentration she had left to get her bees to crawl back to her and stop stinging Lila. For now.

As the two Adjoined clung to one another out of fear and safety, the telling crack of a bullet passed Trisha's face within millimeters. The round smashed into Lila's shoulder like a full on jackhammer, causing a blast of air to knock both of them out of one another's grip.

”Trisha!? Trisha!!!”
Bounding out from the woods in the direction they'd come from, a massive man was holding a long, sleek and futuristic looking rifle. While his lower body moved, it was like his upper body was a stable platform that didn't lose its aimpoint no matter how much he jostled around. Legs moved robotically, almost automatically as they took great big strides across the ruined ground.
”Trisha, get back to the road, Now! Norm!? Get her to safety!”

”Fuck,” Lila said through gritted teeth, placing a hand over the impact sight and groaned in pain, as the man emerged in the forest calling out for someone named Visha, ” I will not let you hurt her,” Lila said and the murder began to caw as her anger builded. The sound of bones snapping and twisting could be heard a moment before the wings once again grew larger and larger. Lila spread them out even further as she tried to make herself look as big as possible.

Trisha could barely see past the wings even as they were knocked away from each other, once again landing on the ground with a light thud. Her vision was so blurred from tears and agony that she could only make out vague outlines - Lila's wings spreading, three men, one coming closer…
“No no no no no," Trisha said in panic, crawling back towards Lila again, ears ringing from the crack of the bullet and the constant buzz of bees as they clung to her and instinctively stung anything that came near. But eventually her slow, shattered mind processed what she'd heard. She couldn't see him, couldn't figure out where he was- not the one approaching, the bees told her as they couldn't sense any of their pheromones on that man. But he was around here somewhere.
“C-Casey?"

”Close your eyes when I say- wait, your boyfriend Casey?”

There was no time. Three more rounds sung through the air from Casey's rifle, blasting Lila further away from Trisha. Only enough so there was a gap between them where a speeding sheet of ice kicked up a torrent of snow. Trisha would feel the strength of frozen arms gripping her by the waist before accelerating in the opposite direction.

”Who the fuck sent you!? Fucking Bird Demons! All the fucking same!” Casey screamed as he closed in further on Lila, as if he was ready to begin the final confrontation.

”I’ll show you a bird demon if you keep shooting me,” Lila said as her limbs cracked and expanded, lengthening her arms and legs. Her chest also cracked and shifted as her ribcage grew wide. More feathers erupted and her face contorted into a more bird-like beak-like shape. ” Trisha, Trish, hey girl is this your Cassidy-Casey,” Lila asked as she looked at the man who shot her. She pointed two fingers at her eyes before she pointed them at the man with a growl.

“L-let go of me!" Trisha struggled against the frozen arms grabbing her with little luck, still confused and absolutely not thinking straight. The bees were going wild trying to sting through solid ice and their panicked pheromones were bombarding her. But without the active bee deaths the pain was beginning to alleviate a bit, enough for her to squint through the blurry vision and see what was going on a bit more. She could actually see Casey now, or enough of him to recognise where he was… pointing a gun at Lila.

“Yes, yes, my Casey, Lila, my boyfriend- Casey, babe, it's fine, I'm fine, it was just an argument!" Trisha shouted. It wasn't very believable when she was covered in scratches, some very deep, with blood all down her face and barely able to move. But she didn't hate Lila enough to want her to get killed- and she really didn't want Lila to try and kill Casey! Her brain was functioning enough to try prevent that, but messed up enough to think that she could somehow play it all off.

Norm yarded hard on his feet, skidding the ice to a stop next to Casey. An entire igloo-like structure seemed to form itself around them, leaving the gun barrel and a hole for Casey to talk out of pointing at Lila.
”Casey fucking Richoux… Tell me you're Lila Blackwood, Adjoined of the Maiden of Murders… The Veridian Wing…”

He hadn't recognized her off the bat, but Theo had been feeding him sight info through his ear piece since he and Norm first left the apartments. With the majority of remaining Sycamore Members picking up activity, he started to make assumptions. They'd collected a great deal of information about desirable additions: Lila Blackwood was among those the Temple had a vested interest in.
The Maiden was a fairly recognizable Apparition, even having a small part in the lore of the Temple long ago.

Casey had reverence for this fact alone; but if she was going to try and hurt Trisha anymore, he wasn't going to stop shooting.
”You tell me what the fuck happened here… Why are you threatening my Trisha?” he barked from inside the barrier.

” That’s a cool nickname, I like that nickname. Sounds terrifying and cool,” Lila, Adjoined of the Maiden of Murders, responded by doing a quick fist pump. ”Yes yes that’s me. We were actually having a wonderful conversation, Trisha insulted my friend and then I insulted her and then one of my crows accidentally ate one of her bees and then her bees killed one of my crows and, that hurt a lot a lot for the both of us we feel their deaths, and then we fought and it was epic. Birds fighting bees, bees fighting birds,” Lila paused as she smirked, ” I did say some things I didn’t mean to Trisha, I had alllllll morning having my bones broken, healed, broken, healed so my brain is not here. Good fight though Trisha you did great, great, great fight. Your boyfriend is cute, good for you,” Lila paused as she squinted towards Casey, ” At least I think so I can’t see shit.”

Casey, completely fed up with Sycamore garbage, pulled his gun through the little slot. This prompted Norm to drop the ice bunker, and it quickly blew away in a cloud of snow.
”What the fuck is the problem with you people? Leave Trisha alone, if she doesn't want to be a part of your dysfunctional gang, then steer clear of her. Tell your fucking friends that too: She's under Temple protection. We don't need you people around here causing problems like this…”

”We fought a world ending threat alone as kids and watched as so many died, and are all deeply traumatized as a result,” Lila paused as she used her wings to point to Trisha, ”She did approach me for the conversation, it is my fault we escalated first. And then Trisha escalated and then I...” Lila paused as her vision cleared enough to get a rough outline of Casey. Her brain began to feel less like a jelly.

“I- I-" Trisha looked down at her feet, vision swimming, in what was the closest to an admission of ‘guilt’ as she'd get. It was very difficult for her to stay standing, visibly swaying. The constant zaps had ceased but her mind was still trying to recover, and then there were the deep scratches bleeding all over her… it really hurt…

“I was just trying to be polite, I thought it would be fine, I didn't even do anything… I'm not deeply traumatised at all, maybe the rest of you are… her crows ate one of my- my bees…" The words tumbled out of Trisha's mouth in an absolute mess as she refused to look at anyone, but everything she said was what she believed was the truth… trying to explain why she approached Lila while getting away from any blame that she didn't believe should be pointed at her. She hadn't even said anything bad before Lila escalated.
“C-Casey, it wasn't- not worrying-" Trisha grimaced, sinking down onto one knee with a hand pressing into the ground to stop herself from properly falling over as another wave of pain hit her. The bees buzzed in panicked circles around her, with a few landing on Casey as they recognised her scent all over him.

Casey’s mind reeled at the possibilities surrounding the circumstance. None of them were good, and each took their toll upon his blood pressure. With Trisha and Lila both in various stages of dazed, he knew he wasn’t going to get a clear picture: But he knew he was pissed. Pissed that she’d been so far off the planned route, pissed that yet another Sycamite was responsible for Trisha having a bad day, pissed that he probably wasn’t going to be k-
”Christ on a small fucking bike, Trisha… Lila, just… Just fuck off! Whatever happened, you’ve made your point: But normal fucking people do not attack one another over their trauma! Fuck, go to a Goddamn Veteran’s meeting, talk to some of the guys that fought out in the Eastern Pacific and let me know if they attack one another or not… Fuck!”

As he turned his body, he knelt down in front of Trisha.
”Babe… Open up, just… Just eat. Don’t think.-”
He moved to his small pack, pulling a couple of the pouches of key lime mixture. Lila would be able to see the clear container with vibrant green jelly sliding about inside. One was held up to Norm, whose ice-covered form was barely recognizable as a man in a suit of frozen crystals.

Casey split the pack he was still holding open, putting the mouthpiece up for Trisha to eat. Norm began to walk forward toward Lila, holding out the package of green jelly.
”Temple’s famous Key Lime Pie. It’ll fix what’s broken, and the Maiden’ll love it. No funny business in there, I swear to you.” the icicle-covered man said with a gentlemanly accent.
”You’re uh… You’re quite the looker like that…”
”Norman!?” Casey barked up at him.

Trisha leaned forward, sucking up the green jelly. One hand curled around Casey's holding out the pack to her, while the other gripped onto his knee. It started to circulate her body, the deep gashes restitching themselves. Muscle reformed painfully, before the skin pressed itself back together. She finished the key lime before curling forward into Casey with pained groans as her body worked to repair any damage. It was strange, the pain from losing the bees getting worse before getting magically fixed… but the bees were still gone. Still an emptiness.
Oh, I like this… why don't you eat it more?
“I’m fine, all fixed… I didn't attack her over trauma, I didn't start it… I didn't mean to worry you again…" Trisha mumbled as her brain began to come back online, but she didn't have the capacity to consider what the Queen had said right now.

”Quite the looker,” Lila asked as her head crooked to the side as she grabbed the jelly and began to eat it while maintaining eye contact with the strange man. Instantly, as soon as she started chewing she felt herself pulled down by the maiden. Pulled back down to the delta depts with a chorus of caws around her as she fell. Soon, she landed near the maiden who was busy doing something she’d never seen before. The maiden was pulling a vaguely humanoid shape from the green crystal on her chest and combined it with a black colored magic from her hands. A second later the spell was complete and a new crow was brought into the murder.

“Don’t worry about the ones lost. I haven’t gave you any that couldn’t be replaced in a moments notice. That food is delightful, chew slower so I can savor every last bite. Oh, as punishment for the lack of focus you showed in that fight you are going to remain in this form for a full day. The changes won’t entirely be permanent, but some will,” The Maiden said as she flicked her wrist sending Lila back to the surface.

She immediately started chewing slower on the jelly as a fearful look spread across her face. ” Well it looks like I’m stuck in this form until tomorrow. The Maiden is punishing me,” Lila said as she slowed down on the chewing even more, ”quite the looker,” Lila asked the man again, still oblivious to the meaning behind it.

Listening to what Trisha said, Casey’s heavy dose of White Lux kept his ears keen and sharp enough to hear and respond to both conversations. His finger slipped up against Trisha’s lips, but his head twisted upward again to stare at Norm. The man in question was letting the ice crystals around him start to fall, revealing a handsome man with gaelic features and dirty-red hair and a beard to match.
”Looker, yeah… Like… Beautiful.” his deep blue eyes stared at Lila in all her avian glory like a man caught in the gaze of the Lord.

”Oh, for fuck’s sake Norm… Fine! When you end up having your eyes and guts picked out, you… Fucking…-”
Gritting his teeth, Casey took a deep breath while his face turned back to face Trisha.
”I’m actually mad. I’m so mad at you. And honestly, I don’t care if you get mad at me, or get sad: I’m going to have this one. I won’t rub it in, I won’t say anything more. Now, can you stand?” he spoke to Trisha in an incredibly stern voice, strained as it was by the frustration of the moment.

“I can," Trisha whispered, voice incredibly weak. She forced herself to her feet and hung her head with a sullen frown. Tears still reflexively streamed down her cheeks, her response systems not quite registering that the pain was gone yet. She wasn't mad, and just a little sad, but more than that she was scared. Not of Casey. She wasn't scared that he would hurt her or anything, just that he'd leave. Just his tone had her trembling, completely different from the Trisha who hadn't backed down when a whole group of crows were clawing at her flesh. It was just too like…
“I really didn't mean to." There were so many things she could mean by that, and really she knew none of that mattered or would dampen Casey's anger. But as long as he was there and angry it wasn't so bad…

She looked up slightly, towards Lila.
“I hope you can replace your crows." It wasn't an apology or anything, but it was at least an acknowledgement of the pain they'd both inflicted on the other.

Lila moved next to Norm as silently as she could, which was not very, and leaned over and whispered a not so silent whisper ”they are a cute couple,” she paused as she looked down at Trisha. ” And your bees. The maiden is busy bringing more out to replace but, but those were just the pawns I think. I’m worried about the rest of the board,” she paused as she chuckled. It was clearly a nervous chuckle. The death, the destruction, the compliment from an attractive man had made her very nervous.

Still holding tightly to Trisha, Casey turned his head to look up at Lila.
”You… Are always welcome to seek the fold of the Temple of Charming and Graceful Individuals. We can help you with whatever issues the Maiden may present to you. And I hope next time, we can avoid something like this happening. Until then, Lila Blackwood… Norm?”

Norm turned his head to look up at Lila. From his pocket, he produced a wet business card that had his name and number on them.
”Gimmie a call somet-”
”God fucking dammit Norman…-” Casey grunted, putting his free hand up to his ear. ”-Theo, pull the plug. We’re good.”

There was a strange series of noises that followed. In a danse macabre of rustling foliage and dust clouds, the fallen trees began to rise from their positions on the ground as if they were being pulled back through time. The explosions reversed, sucking the material back into place until the damaged forest had been repaired.
In an equally macabre display, the crows which had been shot initially were reconstituted into their whole forms; all were still dead, which left one to question the status of the trees, but their corpses now littered the road and the path into the forest from whence they came.

”I guess I’ll go get the car…-” Norm started, looking back at Lila. ”-I’ll never forget you!”
His foot flicked, and pressing off against the ground left a long trail of thin black ice that he skated off upon. Only Casey and Trisha remained with Lila in that final moment.

”And… I’m sorry for shooting at you. But we couldn’t have known it was you.” he said to Lila in solemn fashion.

”Nor will I, you wet card man Norman,” Lila said as she waved. ”I am tougher than I look, I don’t trust the temple fully but I know Leon. I may pay a visit in the future if that is alright,” Lila paused, ” this is all just so new and I don’t know what I’m doing,” Lila paused as she sighed.

”Then you find Leon, and you ask him to show you the truth. He will.”
Casey turned fully, his face twisting to look at Trisha fully.
”I’m so fucking glad you’re safe… God in Heaven, do you kn-” he chastised the girl on into the forest toward the main road until Lila was left alone in that woodland of dead trees, birds and bees.

Lila smirked at the silence. Finally after was alone again. She could head home and tell Luca what happened, how the fight went, and she was sure that he would do everything he could to help her with this new form. She could eat, watch dumb romcoms and just enjoy the rest of the day. Nothing could go wrong.

“That was just your break, remember,” The Maiden laughed as she pulled Lila down to her level. “Time for your next lesson.”

”Oh fuck.”

---

Always falling the same, always sent up different.

It took too many transformations to truly drive it home but she finally learned how the maidens transformation magic worked. At least, as much as one can figure out on the go as one’s own body is no longer entirely their own. The battle with Trisha took a toll on her mind, and this made her unable to prevent the maiden from trying to take full control. At first, she thought that the maiden just wanted to train her more to punish her for the failure during the battle. But as more and more of her body was taken away during these ‘transformation’ training sessions, Lila knew that she needed to figure a way out of it.

Even if she felt half drunk from her mind being broken into a hundred pieces she knew this with a steadfast clarity. She needed to find a way to stop the maiden. Her mind was held back by the death of five hundred or so crows today, a dozen or so yesterday, a few hundred over the past few weeks, but she had the formation of a plan. A dumb plan, a stupid plan, an out of the box plan, but a plan all the same.

Lila knew that controlling the process of the transformative powers of the maiden was only one piece of an equation that she had never learned but she did know she had to figure out the other half quickly. If she didn’t she would have single handedly brought doom to St. Portwell. That is what Lila thought, at least. To pull it off she needed to let the maiden put down her guard, and Lila needed to figure out how the curse magic worked.

As Lila landed she tilted her eyes and saw that her wings were positively massive at this point. They were easily twenty feet long each, and her body was also much more massive as well. She never remembered the ground being so far away. Lila fell from the light again and fell down to the cold depths of the maidens' sanctum. As she hit the ground she went limp so that the maiden would think that she was as broken as the maiden needed her to be. Her feathered head and crow-like head lay motionless as she watched the maiden manipulate the transformation magic to bring out more, and more, and more crows while her other hand infused them with the curse magic and, with a hand behind her back, Lila began to mimic the motions of the magic. She minced the motion of how the maiden pulled the crows out of her body and the way the maiden embedded them with her curses. The way the maiden shaped the magic. She tried to channel this magic into that hand.

“So,” Lila spoke as she left her eyes lifeless, “are you ever going to tell me more about yourself,” Lila asked genuinely.

The maiden paused her spell work as she started to grow massive and began to tower over Lila once more. Lila stopped practicing the magic and let her arm remain limp at her side. The Maiden head looked over the form that she had crafted thus far. “More practice is needed,”The Maiden paused and with a flick of her wrist upwards Lila flew back to the light. Back to transform once again.

---

Falling used to always felt the same, but this time it felt different. This time Lila had laid the foundation of her salvation without alerting the maiden. It was a simple transformation, but a powerful one in the grand scheme of things. A dull crystal was now present on the chest of her monstrous form, molded from her very own flesh and after the one that adorned the maiden. It was unassuming, and it was well hidden beneath the thick tuft of feathers that covered her chest. It wasn’t hard to pull off, which means that the maiden must be focused on getting ready to take over.

Thud.

Lila was once again in the sanctum of the maiden. Her body was even more monstrous, ever more massive, and she was completely okay with it. She did not know if she’d be able to reverse what was changed but she could at least prevent the maiden from doing what she planned.

“I assume you were a green-blue adept in life, and when you died you became whatever this is,” Lila said with an uninspired tone, ”how did you die?”

The maiden head crooked at the question. She continued with the magic work she had been doing all this time. “What makes you think I was a green-blue adept,” The Maiden asked back.

”The transformation magic, the cursed wings, this space,” Lila’s hand still mimicked the maidens motion, ”you kept your powers even in death but they got amplified, you curse people and turn them into crows, you keep their souls in that crystal right there. When one dies you use the soul again to create a new one, Lila paused, her head remained still on the ground her eyes staring lifelessly at the maiden, ”when our ancestors finally murdered you, a creature that desired revenge was born, Lila paused again as she finally pulled some magic into her hand for the first time ”how am I doing?”

The Maiden hissed as she flicked her wrist once again and sent Lila back up.

---

Falling no longer felt the same. The Maiden was distracted by the clearly successful line of questioning. So much so that she knew that The Maiden did not sense that she used the curse magic on herself. She just needed one final trip to the surface to execute her plan.

Thud

This time Lila stood up. ”I’m right,” Lila said with a sad tone, ”I know that I am. What did they do to you that caused you to be so angry that you became this?”

“They killed my wife,” The Maiden finally admitted.

”I don’t feel like you’re a force of rage, or revenge, or anything really. What emotion made you like this,” Lila asked and took a few steps towards The Maiden. Thanks to her massive form it was a large distance she crossed. A test.

“I was left alone, ostracized from what we considered a society at the time. Years passed, and I was still left alone. Do you know how lonely that solitude was,” The Maiden hissed back, “They made me feel that way, they made me feel so discarded so I developed a spell to make them feel the same,” The maiden paused as she looked at her crystal. Lila knew it. It was important. The Maiden paused as she looked at Lila, before she flicked her wrist and sent Lila back up once more.

---

Lila fell with a purpose this time. She knew how long it took to fall to the sanctum. The maiden had forced the transformations at least a few hundred times today, probably a few hundred times more so she knew the right moment to show that the maiden was not in control. Halfway through the fall Lila flipped her body and pulled her wings in close like a bird of prey. She dove at a frightening speed before she landed in front of the Maiden. Before The Maiden could react, the green of her crystal began to be corrupted by a fast spreading blue wave. Before she was pulled back into the Sanctum Lila had used her curse magic on herself once again, filling the crystal with her curse. She used this magic to curse her body in a way that would weaken the Maiden’s influence, thus weakening the bitch, thus giving her the edge in maintaining control over her body.

Once the last bit of the green light faded from the crystal blue lines shot outwards to The Maidens arms and then her hands and began to spread down her body. The Maiden tried to take full control over Lila’s body, to kill Lila with the magic she infused into the transformation magic, but she quickly realized that they was prevented from doing so, and that she no longer had the power to try it.

”I am so glad you apparitions are always the same,” Lila smirked as she began to grow in size, towering over The Maidens like she had done to Lila. ”Did you forget that I stopped a world threatening monster like you before?”

“What did you do,” The Maidens' voice echoed against the walls of the sanctum.

”I learned how to use your magic. Your magic is my magic. The transformation, the curse magic, I learned how to make a prison with a lock,” Lila paused as her form grew even taller over The Maiden, ”and I’m about to throw away the key,” Lila paused as she pulled herself out of the Mindscape. As soon as she was back she began to channel the magic into her hand. The magic took the form of a blue ball that seemed to generate a fog that fell to the ground. She slammed that magic into her chest and instantly she replenished the curse magic stored within the crystal and the blue feathers that now adorned her body began to glow. As it spread she tried to transform herself back to her normal form, she summoned all the magic she could command but the magic would not budge. Her transformation magic was weakened too much to even attempt such a feat

Lila knew that was why she was forced to undergo so many transformations. Lila summoned every last bit of the transformation magic as she tried to at least change the monster to be more presentable.

The air was filled with the sounds of bones breaking, muscles snapping, and the sheer agony that finally escaped her throat as she channeled the transformation magic of the maiden. She did not know exactly what to transform to but she tried to transform to something more her. Her body grew much smaller, quickly, and she watched as the ground grew closer and closer before she ultimately collapsed to it, landing on her hands and knees, and nearly passed out. The sheer physic toll on her mind from the death of her crows and the sheer pain of a day full of transformations had finally reared its head. The scream of agony that Lila sent out finally echoed back for several seconds before the transformation was complete.

And then she fully collapsed to the ground without seeing if it was a success and began to cry like she never cried before. The afternoon sun still shines bright, but it hid its warmth from Lila. She could feel the maiden trying to break free but the magic was much stronger than it ever needed to be.

All Lila could do is hope she was still quite the looker.

---

Lila panted as she pulled herself upright and pressed her back into the trunk of the tree. She was slowly losing her mind thanks in part to the pain that radiated out from her legs, and from the five hundred dead crows that dotted the landscape. She looked down and her eyes went wide at what she saw. Her legs were completely covered in a thick layer of feathers, there were now purple feathers that covered a swath of her legs, and her legs were contorted into a hindlimb shape with three large talons that replaced her toes. Every shred of her humanity was missing from what she saw. She closed her eyes as she started to hyperventilate. She dug her clawed hands into the dirt below. Her head began to pound as her fractured mind reared its ugly head again, no longer hidden from her by the maiden. As her breathing reached its crescendo a single caw forced her eyes to open and her breathing to stop. In front of her was a singular crow who seemed almost frozen in place. She held out a singular clawed finger and the crow landed on it without prompting. Lila held her breath for another second longer as she exhaled. The crow spun it’s head around and looked down at her legs. Lila’s eyes followed and she finally saw the real problem with them, they were both broken.

“Oh,” Lila chuckled at the sight, she giggled like she saw the funniest thing she’d ever seen. Her laugh was very reminiscent of a drunken night out that never ended. “I don’t like how that looks,” Lila said as she looked around for her phone, “I know who can help. Maybe some alcohol will fix this,” Lila said as she turned her head to her crow and she could’ve sworn it shook its head no, “healing elixir,” Lila asked and now she was sure that it understood as it shook its head up and down, “Sully. Sully! Sully could do both. Bring both,” Lila asked as she looked around for her phone. She found it, and the screen cracked down the middle. The time said 5:15PM, was it already that late? She tried to type in her password but quickly realized her claws did not register on the touch screen. Quickly she tried another solution that sounded smarter and she raised it up for her Face ID, but the denied screen and the reflection of her face on the screen made her realize that wouldn’t work either. She thought for a second before she stuck her tongue out and used it to tap in her password. “Okay Google, call Sully” Lila said confidently. When nothing happened she looked down at her Apple device. “Hey Siri, call Sully.”

The phone started to ring.

And ring.

And ring.

And when it finally felt that the phone had rung for too long and Sully wasn’t going to answer there was a click, followed by a, “Hey, what’s up?” only the “what’s up” was said like a Gen Xer making a dated reference to an old beer commercial, the epic whassup soaring on a melodic glissando. However, before Lila would be able to give a full response, Sully’s laughing voice would interrupt as he said, “Oh, man, just playing, you’ve been talking to a machine. Deuces!”

There was a beep, a robot voice stating that the voicemail box was full,followed by another beep on Lila’s phone showing that Sully was already calling back.

“Lila! Que pasta?” hollered Sully, mispronouncing the Spanish.

“Sully,” Lila nearly slurred out. Her voice was entirely her own but there was a giddiness to it that was unusual. “Bro..bro..broo,” She paused as she had forgotten why she called him. “I forgot why I called you but it’s good that you answered! Why did I,” Lila paused as she once again saw the broken legs. “Oh THAT’S RIGHT! My legs are broken,” Lila chuckled again at the sight, “I think I’ve torn muscles, lots of muscles, a painful amount of muscles. Are you free,” Lila paused as she rested the base of her feathered head against the tree. She could still see that she was very monstrous. No transformation would fix that now, but at least she was able to control the end result even if it broke her the most. “I could use some healing and some bro bro time. Especially the healing. But also bro time,” Lila finally stopped talking. “I might be able to send you a pin where I’m at. If you’re free, that is.”

“What? What!? Yeah, send it, the calvary is on the way. Stay on the line with me, okay? How did you—” Sully was cut off by the sound of an engine roaring to life accompanied by a deafening wave of dad rock. “You said your legs? As in both legs? How did you break both legs?”

Lila pulled the phone away from her face as she used her tongue to send Sully her location. “I will. It was hard to call you because my hands are a bit rough again. I don’t know what kind of phone I have. Things are difficult with my mind right now so I don’t want to think too much about that,” Lila paused as she looked to the sky, “Nice day today though. What was I doing today?”. A crow fluttered in front of her face and Lila shook her head. “It was something involving the birds and the bees,” Lila paused, “OH OH I remember. The Maiden tried to take over my body! What a stinker. I broke a lot fighting her.”

“Okay, okay, okay, I’m not that far from there,” said Sully, glancing at the pin. Lila clearly sounded out of it, probably due to some heavy blood loss or a head injury. He felt like the best thing to do was to keep her talking, even if what she was saying was nonsensical. “Now you’re gonna be fine, buddy. Dr. Sully will be there in no time but for now let me just get this straight. You were trying to get your freak on but then the Maiden clam jammed you? How…how do you fight something that’s inside of you?”

“Is difficult. She’s much stronger than I thought, so I had to learn to wield her magic. Her curses, her transformations, the whole kit and kaboodle. I had to fight her in a place she called her sanctum, it’s like a mind thing where she brought me to when she took control of my body. Once I won there I changed my body. Rapidly. Rapid body changes are bad for the body. Very very bad for the body. Put a lock on the maidens' own power, and threw the key somewhere. I should probably find that key unless it was a metaphorical key?”

“You could always just find a locksmith. Trust me, way easier than finding a key sometimes,” said Sully, his new set of keys jingling in the roughly repaired ignition of his truck. He glanced over at the Chalice that rolled around haphazardly on the ground of the passenger seat. For all his bemoaning of being the supernatural equivalent of a waterboy, he was pretty certain he’d be able to soundly beat up the Chalice if it had ever challenged him to a duel. “Look, let’s not focus on the pain. All that’s gonna be taken care of real soon, real, real soon. Should be there in a couple of minutes. We’ll get you walking in no time. You won right? That’s pretty impressive using their own thingies against them, you know. So now what? Does this mean the Maiden is donezo or is this just a rest break between rounds?”

“We’re in between rounds. As long as she’s sealed in me I think we’re going to be tussling for the rest of my days,” Lila laughed maniacally, “ who’s to say who won and lost? I kept control but the maiden did warn me the gifts she gave would be permanent. And she made a lot of changes, a lot if gifts,” Lila paused as she looked at herself through a crow's eyes, seeing the blue and black feathers that now covered her face and body and the blue crystal that shined bright on her chest, “a lot of changes-a lot of changes. You’re close, good, just mind the hundreds of dead crows and thousands of dead bees on your walk over,” Lila laughed again as she remembered the fight with Trisha that caused all of this. What fun that was.

“Right, right, okay so actual birds and bees, okay,” said Sully. It didn’t make much more sense than before as he drove past a sign reading something about park hours and pulled into a small, empty parking lot. Sully killed the engine, grabbed the Chalice, and hopped out of his truck. Something squished under his boot. He didn’t have to move his foot to see what he’d stepped on. The path leading into the park was covered in the dead bodies of bees. Lots and lots of bees. He was lucky he hadn’t put his foot down a few inches to the right. He imagined that crow would be a lot more difficult to scrape off his shoes than bees. “Okay, um, that’s a lot of dead bees. Why are there so many dead bees? Aren’t they supposed to be like, I don’t know, hibernating through the winter or something?”

“The birds and the bees! Trisha and I,” Lila chuckled for several seconds, “had a talk about the birds and the bees.. oh we talked alright …specifically about who would win in a fight, the birds or the bees. The answer was neither. If you’re seeing the death that means you’re close,” Lila paused as she pulled her wings across her body as best she could to hide as much of her as she could.

“Hey, you’re going to see me very differently than yesterday. Promise me you won’t judge,” Lila asked in the first clear tone since the call started. No longer did she sound delirious. She looked at Sully through a crow and her crows began to caw out for Sully revealing her hiding location. She buried her head beneath her wings leaving only the broken and distorted hindlimb like legs that were birdlike and feathered visible for Sully to see when he arrived. He would also see a few crows pulling stingers from these broken legs.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m not going to rip on you for having broken legs,” said Sully, his voice raised to be heard of the cawing of crows that echoed through the phone’s speaker. It felt like he was walking through the aftermath of a war scene where the bee commander had horrifically ordered a full bee charge across No Bee’s Land and the crows had been taunted out of their machine gun nests to meet them. He followed the trail of broken wings and loose feathers until he came upon a huddled form that looked like it had been through hell.

“Oh, shit. Hey, Lila. New haircut?” said Sully, squatting down near the broken bird. The Chalice filled up with the healing elixir. “Sorry, dumb joke. Time to drink up, buddy.”

The wings parted enough to allow a clawed hand to reach out towards the chalice but the hand could only reach so far. She tried to stretch out even more to grab at it but soon it became evident that she had misjudged the distance. An audible sigh could be heard a second before the wings parted revealing Lila in the form of a harpy. Everywhere Sully looked feathers would be the only thing Sully would see. They were sleek, fit close to the body, but feathers all the same. The blue feathers were prominent around the chest, down the insides of the arms, and the front of her thighs and waist. The blue feathers were especially vibrant around a crystal-like protrusion on her chest that glowed with a vivid blue hue. Lila’s face was her own, albeit more pale. Her hair remained unchanged. Her eyes were still mostly black, but they had now adopted a circle of blue where her iris once was. Her clothes were missing but she was not exposed, thanks to the sleek feathers that covered her body. As well, her body was taller, longer, and lankier. Her legs and arms were disproportionately long compared to her torso.

Lila reached out and grabbed the chalice, her pain filled groan showed that her ribs were very much out of place if not broken. She brought it back towards her face as she downed as much elixir a single drink could bring. Immediately Lila leaned back as the healing elixir began to take hold, and the air was once again filled with the sounds of bones snapping and muscles being pulled back to their rightful place. It took thirty long seconds before she felt almost fully healed. She took another drink from the chalice before she passed it back to Sully as her wings once again covered her new form.

“Thank you. You’ve always been a good bro. The best bro. Really? Why are you so awesome? How are those Greenwood people, they good bros? Ruby is not mad at me is she?”

“Oh, come on, it ain’t nothing. You’d have done the same if you were in my shoes,” said Sully, rubbing the back of his head self-consciously at the compliment barrage. The only impressive thing he’d done was manage to keep his lunch down as the woods echoed with the snapping and popping of Lila’s broken body. “But nah, Ruby ain’t mad. Not at you, anyway. I probably could’ve made it a little more clear to her that the old crew puts the fun in dysfunctional. But Greenwood are all real good dudes. It sucks the meeting got so derailed. It would’ve been fun to be able to hang with everyone. I miss just being able to goof around. I feel like I’m spending everyday either lying low or looking over my shoulder.”

“I miss that too.”

As if to demonstrate, Sully glanced back down the path he’d taken towards Lila. As he looked back, he pointed his finger up at the crows gathering on the branches and swirled it around in a circle. “By the way, if any of your buddies spot a dude who looks like Jason Mamoa screen testing for a role on Sons of Anarchy give me a heads up.”

“You need anymore?” said Sully, jiggling the Chalice in one hand while reaching out to help Lila up with the other. “Or you good to get out of here? It’s starting to get dark. As cool as it is to hang around a bunch of dead birds, I’ve seen enough movies to know that we’d really be tempting fate. We can at least go back to my truck and chill in case we need to make a quick getaway. You hungry? Maybe once you molt we can grab a burger. Just don’t want to freak out the squares and have them start a pitchfork mob because they weren’t ready for Goth Big Bird.”

“I might be stuck like this so I need to figure out a disguise fast, Lila laughed extremely hard, “Goth Big Bird that’s meeeeee,” Lila leaned back as she laughed even hard, the crows cawed as if they too laughed at the comparison. In the laughter Lila passed the order to be on the lookout for the man Sully mentioned yet the crows did not budge, did not stop their caws, but they all looked to Lila with a familiar expectation. They wanted something in return. Lila craned her head as she stopped laughing, “how strange. They usually follow my commands without a gift. I think they want the gifts again. Lila gracefully grabbed Sully's hand and allowed herself to be pulled up, and she noticed he was no longer as tall as he used to be. Did he get shorter?

“I think I’m mostly fixed. Mostly mostly. Did you get shorter, I could’ve sworn you were taller yesterday. I don’t think I can molt yet I think I’m more on a bird schedule so if I do molt I’ll do it once or twice over the next year. I really don’t understand this magic fully. Like I figured out enough to win, but I was warned that transformations eventually become permanent and from what I remember permanent means something like forever, so I need to figure something out fast…if there’s anything that can be figured out,” Lila chuckled before she sighed, her voice less delirious again, “can we go back to truck and talk some more? I am really hungry.”

“Hey man, I really don’t understand magic at all,” said Sully, jerking his head back towards the path to indicate to Lila to follow him. He squared up his shoulders and straightened his posture up as he walked back to the truck, as if the comments on him getting shorter struck something, moving in a stiff, soldierly march instead of his usual slouched saunter. “Everytime Britney attempted to explain it all to me my nose would start bleeding and I’d forget where I was for a couple of minutes. Regardless, I’m sure there’s something we can do to change you back. Assuming you want to, you know. Personally I find there’s something kind of appealing about being a bird.”

They made it to Sully’s old beaten up truck. A quick estimate was all he needed to know that the cab, while possibly able to fit Lila’s wingspan inside, wouldn’t be comfortable. Sully fiddled around inside for a second, grabbed a now dry picnic blanket that he’d used to soak up some of the rain damage from the other day, and clicked on the radio. He jumped at the sound of some shredding guitar solo from some overplayed Lynyrd Skynyrd song blasted through the speakers, bumping his head on the top of the truck, as he turned the radio down to appropriate “background noise” level. Rubbing his head, Sully went around to the back of the truck, unlatched the bed, and raised his eyebrow in surprise at the small, banged up cooler sitting back there. Well, that explained the rattling he’d been hearing. He draped the blanket over the edge of the bed and sat on it, leaving plenty of room for Lila to come join him while giving her room to stretch her wings.

All the while there had been a meandering commentary from the guy, fantasizing about bird life.

“Like you get to go around everyday just singing and eating food. You got no need for glasses or contacts because eagle vision. And obviously flying would be the big winner. Plus there’s migration. Like, man, I’d love to go winter in Cancun every year. I’d imagine it’s like being on a singles cruise, just a bunch of hot, young birds chasing tail around. Of course, you know, thumbs are tight, and you gotta watch out for planes, cats, and those dangerous ass windows,” said Sully. He was clearly just trying to make light of the situation for Lila’s sake. “But going to the bathroom anywhere has gotta be freeing. Like, you could just follow a dick like Emily around for weeks just absolutely ruining their life whenever they go outside.”

“For the last week my crows have been shitting on Emily. On her, the entirety of her house, at vehicles parked outside, and they have been following her. If she goes to a store they’ll wait, before bombs away, Lila joked as she sat down next to Sully, carefully to avoid her wings smacking him in the face, “I haven’t heard or seen anything from them since then. Maybe she drowned in the shit.”

Lila sighed as a small smile crept her face. “You were right earlier, I’m sure there is a way to change back. Part of me likes the power I feel, you know? Like I was so useless ten years ago and now,” Lila paused as she raised her talons up, “I feel very strong. I feel like I can make a difference in a fight now. If I can learn a way to control the transformations further, most of me would go back in an instant,” Lila paused as two crows landed on her shoulders and looked at Sully. “Part of me is okay with staying. I was warned that transformations would become permanent and I let The Maiden convince me to transform a lot. This is a consequence of my decision to do that.”

“All of me knows that it’s hard to truly think at all about it. Every time I lose a crow I get this backlash in my mind. It’s strong, hurts like hell, and kind of prevents me from thinking straight. I lost over five hundred. I think my mind is broken and needs to be healed but your elixir refused to touch it.”

“Oh.”

The playful tirade hiding genuine feelings of inadequacy that Sully was going to go on about wishing how he was a big, strong bird instead of just a dude carrying around the Gatorade was killed in that moment. A real look of concern crossed his face before his eyes fell down to the Chalice as he turned it in his hands. The taste of bitterness rose up in his mouth at the thought that his stupid little cup was limited in what it could actually fix. Sully looked back up at Lila with a sadness in his eyes. He sighed deeply, moving to put his hand on her shoulder but dropping it as the crow sitting on it gave him a look that Sully could only interpret as the bird weighing in its own judgment on Sully’s uselessness when it came to something like this.

“You serious? That, uh, yeah, that sucks, Lila,” said Sully, fighting off the urge to deflect with a dumb joke. He racked his brain, trying to come up with a useful idea or some poignant advice. He was pretty sure Ruby knew a little mental magic, but nothing that qualified. Greyson loved rooting around in people’s heads, but Sully truly doubted that dude would leave anyone off in a better state than from where they started.

“Sorry, Lila, I’m a little thick,” said Sully. “But in a way I think everybody in the OG Coven is a bit broken. Going through the shit we went through and then pretending everything is hunky dory after…that doesn’t work, really. Not trying to belittle what you’re going through, obviously, just saying that you ain’t alone. Uh, to clarify, when you say broken, do you mean, like, man I’m fucking burnt out, could really use a little R&R, or do you mean like…”

Sully circled his finger on the outside of his head and whistled like a cuckoo.

Lila mimicked the motion while nodding her head. Before she stopped and sighed. She pressed her hands against the side of her head. Why did she mimic him like that?

“I don’t think I’m crazy? But my emotions are cycling so fast without any cause. I’ll go from giggling like a mad woman at the sight of my broken legs, to crying about how I defeated The Maiden, to crying with joy at how much I’m loving my crows and our closer connection, to hating them for not doing anything anymore. I was never given an instruction manual for how ‘crow deaths affect the mind for idiots’ so I don’t know what to expect,” Lila paused as she did some simple head math. “Since The Maiden was sealed I’ve probably lost a thousand. Looking back I did think it was suspicious that The Maiden let me be so bad with the murder. Like she needed me to lose to gain control.”

Lila smirked as she thought over the rest of what Sully said. “I’m blessed that I’m looking go-” Lila paused as she sighed, before she smiled again. “Sorry, that phrase is stuck in my mind. I’m blessed that I am surrounded by amazing people. Even if you’re with Greenwood now you still came. Being a Sycamore did have some perks, then and now,” Lila paused as she playfully tapped Sully, “looking good. You have always been one of the best perks. Thank you for being so cool. Like the coolest of cools. Even as a kid I thought you were fucking rad.” Lynn’s voice began to sound delirious once again.

“Takes a cool dude to recognize a cool dude, dude. I think that right there is proof you’re not crazy,” said Sully with a little, mild laugh. “Now despite having a magical medicine cup, I am technically not a doctor so all if this is me talking out of my ass, but maybe you’re still in like some kind of shock. Or concussed. Either way…”

Sully handed Lila the Chalice, once again filled to the brim with healing elixir.

“Wouldn’t hurt to have just a little more if it is a concussion or something like that. Who knows, it could clear things up a bit. There’s no manual for health potions either. While we wait to see if it works, you mind sharing why you were out here in the first place?” asked Sully, craning his neck to look around the park’s parking lot as if any of it was distinguishable from other parks. He was worried about Lila’s headspace, but felt like showing too much worry might agitate her when she needed to be clear minded. “Isn’t this place near where Leon’s family is trying to reenact Waco?”

Lila took the chalice and began to drink out of it. Maybe Sully was right. Maybe this fractured mind was just a symptom of something much more mundane. She finished the drink and passed the chalice back to Sully, feeling no worse but a bit better. “Training. I only used the sealed power in a very limited way. With everything that happened yesterday I wanted to get better. The Maiden offered to show me the ropes but she only did so to hang me by them.”

“Yessss. Casey, Leon’s brother, shot me a few times during my fight with Trisha. He was with another one of those temple cultists and saw my even more monstrous form and said I was looking good. Straight men are so weird,” Lila chuckled, “so be on the lookout for their recruitment team for me. I might have enough damage upstairs right now to listen to them.”

“Oof, yikes. We could mark down fetishists as another reason not to stay a bird, but frankly creepy dudes are gonna be creepy dudes no matter what you—CASEY SHOT YOU!?”

“Not with bullets? More like an incredibly powerful paintball gun I think? It hurt really, really bad.”

Well that was good, thought Sully. For a moment there he was worried he’d have to talk to Leon about his brother being a murderer. Now it’d just be about his brother being a dick, but he was pretty sure Leon already knew that.

Lila thought for a second as she nearly gagged. “oh nooooooooo, oh my god I’m their dream bird person now. I have to figure out this magic and fix this.”

“Oh man, it’s gonna be hell from now on. You’re gonna get so many dudes sliding into your DMs asking for talon pics. You could probably make a small killing, but I feel like thirst trapping isn’t really your vibe,” said Sully, then he arched an eyebrow. “Wait, would the Blind see talons or toes? Like magic Blind, blind blind would obviously not…what the fuck am I saying, give me that.”

Sully grabbed the Chalice back from Lila and took a quaff, worried for a moment that he’d hit his head a little too hard on the ceiling of his truck. He didn’t know if it did anything to bleach his brain, but the top of his noggin no longer hurt and a pain in his knee that he’d been ignoring faded instantaneously

“I should be safe for the blind, but the one eyed open,” Lila paused as she looked at her feathered form, “is there a paranormal strip club in town? I would make a killing. Could retire young,” Lila said with a heavy sarcastic tone, “but the blind should just see my normal form and….”. Lila paused as she looked down at her body. “I’ll appear naked right now.”

Sully hopped off the bed of the truck and threw his end of the blanket over Lila with a sharp laugh, “Ew, bitch, cover up. This truck’s shares the same, good ol’ fashioned Catholic values held by Father McDonalds when it comes to no shirt and no shoes. No wonder the choir boy was so shook up by seeing you.”

“But seriously we should get you some clothes that’d fit before a cop drives by and arrests you for public nudity,” said Sully, scratching his beard. “You know what might work?”

“Oh no, it’s not a big bird costume is it because that’d be in poor taste.”

“Nah,” said Sully, grinning ear to ear as he nodded to the blanket. “Toga.”

---

Streetlights fired up as the sun went down on St. Portwell. An office worker sat in bumper to bumper traffic on one side of the road, stuck thanks to a detour from road work that somehow led into even more roadwork, on the way back to suburbia. With knuckles tightening and head shaking she silently cursed the idiot in front of them and the asshole behind them, unable to fathom who even let them drive in the first place. A kind of jealousy was felt for the drivers on the other side of the road, the freewheeling bunch of vagabonds that didn’t work a nine to five, rats that had escaped from the race, who hadn't made the mistake of settling down. It was a jealousy that would go away the minute she pulled into the driveway, one that wasn’t really real, but in that moment it was felt. And in the next moment, the office worker saw something that she knew when she got home her family wouldn’t believe. Burning down the otherside of the road was a clunky, beat-up truck with its windows down, loudly blasting butt rock, the passenger and driver wearing little more than blankets fashioned crudely into togas.

“And this is how you remind me of what I really am!” belted out Sully, decked out yet again in a toga composed largely of flannel shirts tied together, the radio cranked as Canada’s finest rock band played. [color=goldenrod]“This is how you remind me that I’m a toga wearing man!”

He turned to Lila, who was rocking the picnic blanket toga, queuing her in as he continued to adlib, ignoring the stares from the people in the parking lot as they pulled into the line at a drive thru for Dairy Queen.

“It’s not like you to wear togas, turns out you waiting for a different toga, this time, uh, suh…something, FOR HANDING YOU A TOGA WORTH WEARING! JUST TWO PALS! IN TOGAS!_{...bottom of every bottle…}these five words in my head scream, are you wearing togas?”

The next song soon came on, and it was one Lila knew well. She waited for her moment to add her own rendition. “‘Cause you’re my Mississippi princess, you’re my California queen, like the Duchess of Detroit, wearing EVERY TOGA IN BETWEEN,” Lila sang along, her tone was off and her singing was a half second behind the song. Still, she held her arms against her chest as she sang and kept her wing as close as possible.

“Oh shi—” Sully turned down the Nickelback as a static voice came in over the intercom. “Sorry, bro. Yeah, I’ll have the Two Cheese Deluxe, and a Chili Cheese Dog, and the 4-piece Chicken Strip Basket. Does that come with a drink? Yeah, no worries, I’ll do an Orange Julius then. And, oh, a Peanut Buster. Oh, and then we’ll also do…Lila?” said Sully, flattening himself as much as he could against the driver seat so that Lila could shout her order over him.

“Can I have,” Lila paused as she placed a hand on her stomach. Without the butt rock blasting and the cringey adlib additions to the music to distract her Lila realized she was hungry. So. Very. Hungry. She could have fifty five burgers and fifty five fries right now but she couldn’t afford it. Thankfully her phone still had her Apple Wallet. “Can I get two 4-piece chicken strip baskets with the Orange Julius as well. Three Two Cheese Deluxe, and a large Oreo Blizzard? A large peanut buster. A thing of zesty pretzels, cheese curds, and one onion ring.”. Lila knew deep in heart that she was going to eat it all and want more, but she still gave Sully two thumbs up, “my treat.”

“You paying for it is the only thing that kept me from asking the dude to blend it up so we could baby bird that shit into your mouth,” said Sully, jamming up the radio to drown out Lila’s retort.

“I would eat it like that right now, don’t tempt me with laziness.”

---

“Thank you for not tempting me with laziness,” Lila said as she devoured another chicken finger. Lila had Sully drive to a nearby spot she remembered the coven using to plot excursions. Lila thought it would be a good spot to eat the feast she had bought and oh did she eat. The first victims were the zesty pretzels, cheese curds, and onion rings. Their greasy goodness could not be resisted forever, and as the two sat on the trunk door to the truck they were devoured with a rabid intensity. Next were the burgers and fries, the meat and cheese simply called her name in a sultry way and she was more than happy to oblige. Next was the Oreo blizzard, she needed a cool refresher after all that food. Within seven minutes she was then on her way to the tenders.

“Dairy Queen is special,” Lila chuckled as she ate another chicken tender.

”There’s a damn good reason it’s the only fast food available in St. Portwell,” said Sully, one-eye closed as he used the Chalice to pour a little extra hot fudge on his ice cream. He cursed silently as some dribbled over onto his fingers, licking both them and the rim of the Chalice clean. He joked, nodding to the chicken tenders, “I’m honestly kinda surprised after you housed all that food you’re still hungry enough to resort to cannibalism.”

“But, uh, for real. Now that you got some food in you, how are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m more crow than chicken soooooo,” Lila paused as she took another bite, “better. I don’t think I’ve ever been that hungry since first and second puberty,”Lila looked over to Sully, “I think I’ll be good. I am tired though. I think I will sleep for a day or two. Maybe a week.” Lila paused as she smiled weakly. “Thank you for staying with me tonight. I truly appreciate you.”

Lila looked out to the area around them. She knew she wanted to talk to others about what happened. “I will be okay. I think I’ll want to take a walk, clear my head you know? I know it’s not super smart to be alone with what’s going on but I’ll be safe. If Father Wolf wanted to kill me he’d have done it earlier.”

“Nah, you got too many homies around for that pun,” said Sully, pointing to the murder of crows that had been gathering around them. He tossed a handful of french fries out of the truck's window. “Hey birds, you keep Lila safe okay?” Sully rolled up the window before the flock could descend upon his own share of the fires.

“I should probably check in with Greenwood anyway before they start sending out search parties. But if you ever get attacked by a bunch of bees and the lady living inside of your noggin again you know who to call,” said Sully, reaching out for a fist bump.

“Ghostbusters,” Lila joked as she connected the fist bump, “keep this on the down low for me,” Lila paused as she turned around and raised a peace sign behind her. As she walked away it could be heard in the cold night air that a song was present. ““Never made it as a wise man, couldn’t cut it as a poor man stealing,” Lila laughed as she continued to sing along to the fun song.

---

It was dark and cold tonight. A rolling haze of clouds hit the stars from view over St. Portwell, and blocked out the moon from sight. It was the perfect conditions for Jack to navigate through. He appeared through the shadows, wearing his usual long wool coat and combat boots, walking into a clearing in the forest outside of St Portwell. The cool air was dead silent as he took his surroundings in. He seemed to be alone here, arriving before anyone else without a sound, as usual. He took his phone out and sent a reply to the message he received.

I am here.

Lila had texted him, asking to meet in this exact spot that some members of the coven had once used to plot their incursions. It was why he could be here so easily. She didn’t say why, but that was only moments ago, so he’d ask when he saw her.

“Hey,” a voice called out from behind a tree, “hey buddy. Buddy friend. So so do you remember when we were kids, when you lost your arm,” Lila started as she pressed her form further into the tree she hid behind. She hid her wings as best as possible. To Jack, the forest would hide her well and she wouldn’t be seen visually.

“How long did it take you to get used to that…. change?”

Jack could tell where she was, but he wasn’t capable of darkvision without a joint spell. ”...Long enough to stabilize the spell I used to recover. There were worse things I had experienced than that. It did not take long. Why?”

“Oh,” Lila paused as age tapped her claws on the trunk of a tree. She contemplated how to best explain. “It is… a long story. Very long,” Lila paused as she looked up to a crow on the branches above her and watched as it nodded its head at her, “so.” Lila paused, “it’ll explain something before I have to show you. Not that I’m hiding anything, drastic-drastic,” Lila chuckled nervously.

”Alright. Tell me.”

“Do you remember back in the day I only had ten or so crows,” Lila paused as she looked around and at the murder, “before I joined back up with the coven my murder had grown to nearly a hundred,” Lila paused as she tapped her talons again on the trunk, “I felt cursed, you know? Suddenly my murder grew, there was a voice in my head. So I got scared and I asked for help. Instead of doing it while we were sober we attempted the sealing while drunk and the maiden was sealed in me and my murder grew to the tens of thousands,” Lila paused as she looked down at the purple crystal on her chest, “mayyybe more. And I think there were tens of thousands more to come. I tried to ignore the maiden, and she is usually incredibly bored by everything and anything not utter chaos so it’s usually pretty easy. At least I thought it was. She wanted me to be her good little herald. This morning she convinced me to go train. And I did. She told me that I needed to master her magic. And she broke my body a hundred times because she wanted me to embrace her vision of who I was meant to be. A monster. And I didn’t like that one bit,” Lila chuckled as she took several deep breaths.

She was trying to decide if she was going to be brave at this moment and she went to move out of the tree line but stopped. Jack would be able to see her wings for the first time since the meeting, and he would see they were much massive. She looked down at her new form and pondered how she would be perceived. “So like the good agent I am, I learned more about the maiden. She was a green-blue adept in life several millennia ago. Her powers remained similar to them even after she became an apparition, she has the power to transform forms and uses her other power to curse,” Lila paused as she looked out from the tree line. “Do you follow me thus far, info dump of the year,” Lila chuckled.

”She cursed you. I follow,” he said, knitting his fingers together and observing the huge wings. They were surprisingly easy to see in the gloom. ”Sealing an apparition in a living person grants them full access to the apparition’s magic, that is not unusual.”

“So she forced a transformation and I didn’t know how to use her magic yet. She kept forcing me to become more, and more of a monster all the while she was preparing to take control once and for all and I allowed it at first because I thought she was making me stronger. Evidently I wasn’t strong enough to resist, at least yet. I learned how to pull her power and use it. I undid parts of the monster, but I had to use her curse magic on myself to keep her locked up. I couldn’t go back as some aspects of the transformation were already permanent ,” Lila sighed. “I don’t know how I’m going to go around the coven like this though. And I need a ride home,” Lila paused as she gripped the tree tightly causing her to accidentally shatter it.

Ah.

”We are surrounded by people who have witnessed a demigod tear reality to pieces, Lila. No one with a hint of empathy will think twice about whatever form you take, you have learned this before,” he said, walking around the tree and looking at her directly.

He saw the wings, the talons, all of it. And he didn’t see her differently.

“Okie-dokie,” Lila chuckled. Lila dropped the chunks of tree and took a deep breath. Two crows, seemingly sensing the apprehension, flew down and took a rest on her shoulders. Lila stepped out from the clearing and revealed the same form she showed Sully earlier. There were no modifications, no further changes, but it still felt like a giant leap of faith even with someone like Jack. Though the Toga did help her feel less naked

“Okie-dokie,” Lila repeated the phrase and paused her breathing for just a second, “I need new clothes, this Toga is a little breezy” Lila chuckled.

Jack tilted his head, quietly thinking of what might work for her. ”You have been cursed by her, and yet you should have her abstraction. That is strange, but for now, I may be able to help you.”

Jack held a hand out in the open air, and a door appeared suddenly. Dark wood, carved with kanji symbols. He opened it, and the light of an early day spilled through. Jack stepped through, and motioned for Lila to follow.

”Come. I have something to show you.”

“I have been cursed in a roundabout way. Did she curse me? No, not with magic. Was she a cunt, yeah, that feels like a curse being attached to her,” Lila chuckled, “as long as you don’t show me Ohio,” Lila said matter-of-factly, “never take me back to Ohio.” . Lila followed Jack's lead and went to step through the door but did not account for her wings, and was abruptly stopped in her tracks, before she took a step back and extended her wings and shimmied through the door sideways.

On the other side of the portal was a pocket dimension. The sky above them was a kaleidoscope of watery images showing distant worlds throughout the All-Verse, and before them was a stone staircase that led to a building styled like a japanese estate. Purple torches burned up and down the steps and down the side to a pathway into a large cave far behind them.

”This is the Eleventh Path, a pocket reality created by Kenshiro and myself. I believe I mentioned it at our most recent meeting.”

“You did,” Lila gasped as she took in the visage before her. It was gorgeous. “You did. this place.. quite the looker,” Lila repeated herself as she took a step forward and realized she was about to enter a building. “I’m not going to ruin the floor in there will I?”

”No,” he said, sliding the wide shoji door open. ”But if you did, I would only need to wave a hand over the damage to mend it. This space was made from mine and Kenshiro’s purple Lux, and so we can freely reshape it as we wish.”

Inside was a wide, spacious room that hadn’t been decorated much. There were stairs leading up to a second floor, which was visible from the ground much like a mall’s floors. There was also a long staircase leading downwards and away from the interior, towards a humid, mossy world tucked away.

”Down that passage lies Tennogama’s resting place. His builders assisted us in creating this, and it was agreed that he would have his own area to reside in.”

There were four other wide doors on this floor, and Jack was walking towards one.

“Wait.. the giant guy is here,” Lila asked as she smiled. “What’s he like in person? This place is crazy, if only we could agree upon anything as a coven. I doubt father wolf could ever find his way in here.”

”He is patient, calm and above all else, weary. We should not disturb him now. I will ask another time if he’d like visitors,” Jack offered as the door opened on its own. Behind it was a space that was very Jack. The room was dimly lit, with braziers and candles of purple fire illuminating it. There were bookshelves and a rather comfortable looking leather chair placed just before a desk, as well as a long couch resting against a wall.

“Jack, did you secretly read my teenage mind and create the most perfect space possible,” Lila’s wings spread out in this space. The crows that had tagged along flew off her shoulders and began examining the space in detail. They also looked for shiny things. Jack might notice a thing or two missing tomorrow. “it’s amazing.”

”Every individual room is a pocket space within the larger pocket space; they can be changed independent of the “anchor” room. That is why I can do this-”

Another chair appeared next to Lila, one with a back just low enough to accommodate her wings.

”Effortlessly.” He then started looking through the closet.

Lila sat down as her head craned, crooked, and shifted as she looked around the space. “That is incredible,” Lila said as her crows started to circle her again. She looked at herself through their eyes and she sighed. At least she didn’t look like that thing the maiden had her become. As long as Lila kept this form the magic she was able to draw from the maiden would keep the maiden far away from influencing her again. Far away from the light. Lila looked at her hand and tried to use the magic to bring the human hand back to the surface but her body did not yield and she was left staring at the claws.

“Quite the looker,” she repeated back from that conversation. “Jack, I have a question for you. Why in my entire life have I never attracted a straight man, nor ever wanted to, but as soon as I look like a bird monster I get a guys number,” Lila head tilted to the side.

Jack turned around and gave Lila a blank stare.

”You are asking the wrong person.”

“He said I was quite the looker,” Lila leaned forward, “he was painfully straight looking guy but I like my men a little more,” Lila paused as she laughed, “feminine.”

”Who was he?”

“Someone from the temple. Trisha and I had a little fight earlier which is, kinda, the catalyst for this. Which was fun, by the way, she’s gotten a lot stronger. I was impressed,” Lila sighed as she used a single claw to point to her body, “they followed the bee trail and shot me a few times. They had a cool name for me though.”

Lila took a deep breath in as she pulled a fist close to her chest. Her eyes closed as she looked to the ground. As she looked up, eyes opening, and fist shooting to the air as she confidently spoke “Lila Blackwood. Adjoined of the Maiden of Murders… The Veridian Wing…ahhhh” as Lila finished her crows cawed while she slowly dropped her hand with the palm facing up.

”The temple…” He scowled for a moment. ”Of course it was them.” He pulled something from the closet, a long woolen coat much like the one Jack was wearing right now.

He tossed it to her. ”You should be able to conceal your wings under this.”

Lila’s head crooked to the side as she looked at the coat. She spread her wings out fully, each one longer than she was tall, and tried to do the geometry on her mind. “I might have to cut out some holes for them I think,” Lila said as she grabbed the long coat from Jack and tried to get it around her wings. “I can try to make this work,” Lila said as she tried to collapse the wings behind her back. She pulled the wings back into her body just a little, the air filling with the sounds of bones crunching, before they refused to go any further. “I can’t change my form any further down.”

”That is large enough without being tied shut that it should have enough room. Have you tried folding the wings in on themselves?”

Lila folded her wings in if by command and the tips still stood out a good head length overtop her head. “That makes so much more sense,” Lila said as she tried the coat on again. It was not easy to put the coat on and several swear words, some English and some vaguely crow-like, could be heard before she finally went. “ta-da,” as she closed the coat. It did very little to hide her form and she very much looked like a bird like monster stuffed into a tiny jacket.

Jack nodded. ”That would certainly make you seem less Adjoined from a distance. I have few more, they may fit you better, if you’d like. I have too many to wear, if I’m being honest. I tend to hoard such things.”

“If only it were that easy.”

There were a lot of books and vaguely supernatural objects in this room that confirmed what he just said.

“I am all for not accidentally being a furry's wet dream as well,” Lila said as she shuddered, “bring them out Jack. We’re here anyway so maybe I can try on a few more to see if I can find one that fits better,” Lila took off the jacket and her wings instinctively spread and flapped, the force of which lifted Lila off the ground by an inch.

Jack pulled out a few more, each somewhat large or smaller than the other, and varying shades of dark blue, black or brown. ”Feel free. These would go to waste otherwise.”

Lila proceeded to do an impromptu fashion show. Her mind was still somewhat fractured from the loss of her crows, and for some reason this was the thing that called to her, even if she didn’t realize she wanted this. Each one had the same problem, her wings would stick out from the top but she felt much less exposed to the world even if her skin was long since completely it was buried under her sleek feathers. She smiled, laughed, and for a brief moment forgot all about the traumas of the day and focused more on the fun she was having with a friend. “There,” Lila said as she buttoned the first jacket Jack had brought out. ”Now I can completely hide these changes from my friends and they’ll never know I had the worst day of my life,” Lila laughed at first, then sighed, then groaned, then felt the urge to cry. She knew the jacket did nothing to help but she was hoping with a broken mind that it might.

Jack didn’t like the sound of what he just heard. ”If that is necessary… Are they your friends?” He asked, holding a bunch of coats she discarded.

”I am not myself right now,” Lila responded as she tapped her claws on her head, ”everytime I lose a crow I get a psychic backlash. It’s painful, and feels like my brain is breaking and fracturing. I lost five hundred crows today. My mind is broken in a way I’ve never experienced. I know they’ll be concerned, want to care for me, but my brain is still screaming in pain and I don’t have a way to quell that,” Lila paused as she looked up and smirked. ”Part of me knows I’m overreacting but I feel like I have a devil,” a crow landed on her left shoulder, ” and an angel,” the other crow landed on her right, ”fighting for control right now. Sudden change is hard to deal with on a good day, you know? Sudden, drastic, monstrous changes are harder.”

The other chair magically moved closer to Jack, who fell into it. ”That is not unheard of. Apparitions who choose to adjoin themselves to humans rarely have benign intentions, and the Maiden obsessed over you before she had been sealed, did she not?”

”Oh yes, oh yes yes. The Maiden didn’t even reveal herself to me until a few weeks before the coven reformed. She likes to talk about how strong I am, how smart I am, and how good I am for the murder, and how much I mean to the coven,” Lila paused as she leaned to the side, ”but she also tells me I am too weak to make a difference, that I need to let her change me to make me perfect, and she thought it was fun to break my bones and my body multiple times today to make me stronger, and she did make me stronger,” Lila paused as she took a deep breath, ”and I know she means to be a threat to humanity again. That pink mist showed us our desires, right? Back at Kari’s house. I saw one for me, which was kinda like this,” Lila said as she pointed to her new form, ” and everyone was still my friend, and they came to have a party with me despite how I look,” Lila paused as she took a deep breath, ”but I also saw hers. I saw St. Portwell burning, I saw our coven dead at my feet. Killed by my hands. I saw a murderous murder ready to sweep across the world and there was nothing that could be done to stop them.. Lila began talking deep shallow breaths. ”And I still let her in more, let her talk up my strength, but the entire time I knew she was planning to take over my body and cast me aside like everyone she’d ever loved. She’s an apparition of loneliness,” Lila’s leg began to bounce rapidly as her mind began to grow weak.

Jack leaned forward in his seat. ”Apparitions live very long lives, and those lives are often lonely without a host. The Maiden may be a century old, or eons older than Shimmer, and her understanding of us mortals is therefore skewed,” he said. ”I was subjected to those illusions as well. What you saw may have been her idea of “good,” but she only takes and takes, as I understand her. There are ways of removing apparitions that cannot or refuse to leave willingly.”

“I know. The problem is,” Lila said as she held out one claw on each finger and her crows flew over and perched on them, “these guys are quite delightful. They were all human once,” Lila smiled as she looked over them. “I think they deserve better than what the maiden commands of them. They deserve love.”

”Perhaps they do,” Jack acknowledged. ”But you deserve a fate better than theirs. A fate where your mind and body are not twisted by something you have no defense against.”

“You’re right,” Lila paused as she stood up confidently, “but I’m a pretty good seal. I beat the maiden at her own game and figured out how to suppress her,” she said as she tapped the crystal on her chest. “Maybe after we deal with the murderer killing us, 8th street, and every other threat we face along the way I’ll be more ready to look into getting her out of me,” Lila paused as she made a fist with her claws, “I can help more now like this. And I have all these cute guys to learn more about,” Lila paused as she made a noise that someone makes when they see a baby or a cute dog. She was clearly in a drunk state now, the heavy conversation weighed her down..

”That is a justifiably decision to make…” He chose his words carefully, wondering if he even should say this.

”…But if the Maiden is influencing your mind, at what point will your decision to stay Adjoined no longer be your own?”

“You won’t,” Lila repeated the maidens words from this morning back to herself as she slinked back down to the chair, “she’s really strong, Jack, but I think, no I feel, like this, this was me,” Lila said as she contemplated what was said. “Can you do any magic that would take away her influence, even for a minute, to see if I am making a stupid mistake staying like this,” Lila asked, unsure if Jack had any power or item to test this theory.

”Not unless the Maiden happens to originate from the Void,” he said, pulling the Black Star up and over his hand and handing it to Lila for a moment.

”How does she respond to this?”

“Well,” Lila said as she looked down into the depths where the Maiden resided and was greeted by the wrathful face of a apparition chained to the walls of a soul, “she’s not any more angry than she was earlier.”

”Then until Kenshiro and I find the Brass Needle, you may just have to be patient. We know where it is, and it may be able to unadjoin you, assuming you are not truly cursed.”

“I at least choose a good form to be my cursed form,” Lila said as she looked at all the purple feathers that covered her body, “very emo colored,” she chuckled.

”And useful, it seems. Have you tried flying?”

“Not yet,” Lila said as she narrowed her eyes at Jack and smiled wide. She unbuttoned the jacket and placed it neatly on the chair as she took several long strides back. She stood confidently, and stood tall as she did. It felt almost like it did the first time she gained a new power, ten whole years ago. A surge of excitement filled her body. “Will you two show me how it’s done,” Lila asked her crows but they simply flapped their wings in response. Lila sighed as she crouched down and raised her wings up high. She closed her eyes as she leapt into the air, her enhanced strength allowed her to jump fairly high as she began to furiously flap her wings. After a few frantic seconds she opened her eyes and she was still in the air. It was not graceful, it was not controlled, but she was airborne. For a few seconds at least before she miss timed her wings and fell to the ground hard.

”Be careful, there is a ceiling in here,” he commented.

Lila, face down on the floor, held up a thumb at the comment. “I hit the floor not the ceiling though,” Lila’s voice was muffled by the floor before an infectious laugh escaped her lips as she rose to her knees and fell down backwards to the floor. She kept laughing as she laid on the ground. “I will lay here for a second-a second. I think I’m trying to do much fast,” Lila said as her words began to lose their grammar. “How time here work,” Lila asked with a tone that hinted
she was feeling uneasy about everything again.

”Slightly quicker than Shimmer. Ten minutes here is eight minutes there.”

“So not in a way to help me train and control this body,” Lila sighed before she chuckled.

”You certainly could,” Jack noted. ”Four hours in here is only three hours in Shimmer. You have more time in this place than otherwise.”

“I don’t know if I have even that,” Lila said as she grinned, “friends worried you know.” Lila pulled out her phone and found it very hard to pull up her text app to see what Lynn and them were saying. Her clawed hands are still unable to register on the touch screen. She thought about using her tongue again but decided against it.

”If anything did happen, Kenshiro has access to this place as well, and could find us easily.” There was, unfortunately, no cell service in this place between universes.

“So we can stay here for a couple more hours,” Lila said as she craned her head to look at Jack, her eyes starting to feel heavy “I have had a long day.”

”I believe that. Yes, we can stay here. As long as I am here, or Kenshiro, then you’re permitted to be here as well. That was part of the agreement we made with Tennogama’ servants. No one can be left alone here without us.”

“Okay-okay, I’m going to take a nap. Please don’t leave then.” Lila said before she was swiftly taken away by a much needed rest. One of the two crows flew over to Jack and landed on his shoulder while the other remained with Lila

---

Lila opened her eyes once again and her head was pounding. The rest had not done much to fix the damage that her mind experienced but it was much needed all the same for her body. The pain from this day would forever be saved in the fabric of her body as a snapshot, but a nice good night's sleep was everything she could hope for right now. Lila's eyes flickered for a moment before she pushed herself up at least a little and looked around for Jack. The fact that she was actually here with him confirmed that this wasn’t the nightmare she had secretly hoped it was.

Jack didn’t look like he had gotten up. The remnants of the fashion show were put away, and he had several books stacked beside him, along with one in hand.

“You still here,” Lila asked as she yawned a big yawn. She could sleep for at least another twelve hours. “How long was I out for?”

”Two hours,” he said, turning a page without looking up. ”You must have been exhausted.”

Lila looked down at the crystal as she did another yawn. The vibrant blue color had begun to fade slightly as the maiden fought to release herself from the prison. Lila held up her right hand and a blue mist began to fall from it as Lila summoned the curse magic before twisting the magic into a ball before she placed it on the crystal. She held it there as the mist fell from her hand and onto the ground below. After a few moments the Crystal returned to its full glow. “Yeah,” Lila saw that her crow was on Jack’s shoulder. “I could go for a few hours more. Like twenty four hours,” Lila chuckled as she rubbed her eyes

”What are you doing? Is that a seal?” He asked.

“Hmm,” Lila asked before her mind clicked into gear. “No, I used the curse magic on myself. The Maiden’s curse magic can force things to transform. I forced my body to transform in a way to prevent her from trying to force me from the light. This just kinda holds the curse magic I think. It’s like a canary in the coal mine,” Lila used a claw to tap the crystal, “the maiden has something like this at the same spot though she used hers differently. She used it as a conduit for her power I think. When I took control over her I made one for myself thinking it would help,” Lila paused as she pointed to the blue feathers all across her body, “from what I understand these feathers are cursed like my wings, and have been affected by whatever I did. The crystal is truly just a repository of the magic that I wield now,” Lila responded with another yawn, “the more she fights the faster it drains and I have to refill the magic.”

He leaned forward, setting his book down on the stack. ”What power do you draw from to maintain it? Her? Have you found a way to bleed her of her own Abstraction?”

“Her magic,” Lila said as she leaned all the way on her side again, “today is day one Jack, I have a lot to learn.”

He nodded. ”That is very clever. Harvesting apparitions is not unheard of, but to do it as you’ve done is rare. I have books for this, one moment-” Jack stood up, and stepped over to his bookshelf, looking for something.

“The Maiden was cocky and taught me how to do it,” Lila smirked, ”she thought she broke me enough to make me weak and that I wouldn’t figure out how to draw her power for myself, but she just made me want revenge.”. Lila felt like she said that once before but couldn’t remember when.

”Here it is…” Jack walked back over and handed Lila a rather heavy book with an old illustration on the front. The Lifeblood of the Spirits, original author unknown. ”This details many ways of stealing the power of apparitions, especially ones sealed within their hosts. You should have plenty to learn from it.”

“I will hopefully be able to explain what I did,” Lila paused as she grabbed the book and carefully opened it to the first page. “Would I not have just used the powers like an agent would, like her power is based on curses and transformation magic,” Lila asked inquisitively. This was all new to her, and she was thankful that Jack was a wealth of knowledge.

”You could, if you learned. Though, every Agent is different, especially among those with the apparition sealed within them. You are essentially a living artifact, and your abstraction is now fundamentally bound to your soul. Unlike when you were Adjoined, your abstraction cannot be taken from you by the Maiden now. You have full access to every ability she does, there will be plenty to learn.”

“Which makes it difficult to get rid of her,” Lila finally said. “Transformation and curses,” Lila spoke to Jack, “application of these magics can go far.”

”Difficult, but not impossible,” Jack said, sitting back down. ”Moreover, there are ways to reinforce your hold on her, to ensure she does not poison your mind further. Continuously draining her power for your own use is a start, but all things magic can be improved in their own ways.”

“So I’ll have to train. A lot. And actually try to learn as much as I can about this power. After tonight, do you think I can come back here again sometime soon,” Lila asked Jack, “you have helped me a lot with this all. And I hate to intrude on you and Ken like this without asking.”

”You have permission, Lila. We constructed the Eleventh Path for the coven, not for ourselves,” he said this firmly. ”Anytime I am here, or Kenshiro, ask. This is a sanctuary, a safe space. You are welcome here.”

“Perfect,” Lila said as she finally stood up and stretched out her wings, her back, and then her arms. “I wish everyone could see this place. I think more would want to stay,” Lila said as she walked over to where Jack got the book but she held onto it. “Jasper, Luca, and Lynn especially.”

”Tell them. I offered to let the coven use this space as a meeting area, it still stands.”

“Would you want more company here tonight?”

”I would not say no.”

“If we get enough people to actually visit this place, I think it will be an easy choice to turn this into our meeting space. With you, Ken, Jasper, Luca, Lynn, and myself you have the votes to do it, Lila paused as she stretched her arms out. “this place feels like it’ll be perfect for what we need.”

He nodded. ”That is the intention. There are additional rooms we have yet to find a purpose for. We built a room specifically for the storage of artifacts as well. We have options, now that this is completed.”

“How about a tour of those rooms, and then we can go back to Lucas’s and see if they’re down to come, Lila smirked.

Jack stood up again. ”Of course. Follow me,” He said, walking back out of the room and up a flight of stairs. They both stopped before the would-be meeting room. A large circular table with over a dozen chairs, and plenty of purple candles floating around, suspended by magic.

Lila’s crows took off into the room and circled around the table, the floating candles, and then back to their shoulders. Lynn placed a hand on the table and walked along the circular rim as she did. This felt proper. This felt like a coven meeting room.

“This is what we need”, Lila said with a wide smile. Away from the chaos of the past two meeting spots.

Jack walked in behind her. ”My thoughts exactly, I would have explained more at the last meeting. But we had other things to discuss.” The candles floated one way and the other, making room as someone walked by. ”Anyone could be brought directly to this room, by Kenshiro and I. We could gather within minutes, and disperse just as quickly.”

“Could this be turned into something like what the mansion was for us back in the day,”

”Not quite. The Eleventh Path only has so much space within its walls, but we could rearrange one of the adjacent rooms to be a safe house if we needed. This pocket dimension is like wet clay, we do not add or remove anything from it. We simply reconfigure.”

“Still, this place is incredible,” Lila paused as she looked at Jack, “I’ll make sure it’s used.”

”I appreciate that.” He walked closer to her, and waved the door back to Shimmer into existence. ”But for now, I have rounds I should tend to, I’ll send you back to where we first entered.”

Lila sighed as her one leg began to shake. “Well I have to do this eventually,” Lila paused as she flashed Jack a smile as she tossed of Jack’s jacket, knowing all too well that that it would not do anything, “any chance I could convince you to drop me off at Lucas’s? Maybe in the apartment,” Lila asked with an almost pleading tone to her voice.

”That is where I am going first. By all means, let’s go.”

”Lead the way.”

---

---

---

Linqian woke up in cold sweat, to complete silence.

It was still dark. Dim street lights peeked through the flimsy blinds, streaking across the bed. Linqian’s head turned to the side, towards the clock she had beside her bed. She squinted to see through the fuzziness.

Six am.

Too early. Of course the first morning I can lie in I wake up early. Fucking hell, that your fault, Hai-er?

There was no response. Only silence.

Hai-er? Jinhai? Jinhai. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck!

Linqian sat up, hands grasping at her head and clawing her hair out of its tight bun. Her nails dug into her scalp as if she could gouge out the brother she’d known was never actually in there. It was all just magic. Magic that Greyson had put in there to calm her- but what the fuck? What the actual fuck?! How could he fucking do that. She’d had a glimpse of what things should fucking be like. Heard him again, just like she always should. Just like in the pink mist.

Then it was all torn away. Again.

It got worse every single time. She kept regaining the hope she’d fucking lost. She knew that he was dead… but it was still so fucking hard to accept. Every morning she woke up expecting to find him in the kitchen, or to wake up to him banging on her door with some snide fucking comment. But it didn’t happen. He was dead. Gone.

No matter how many times she heard his voice in her head, he wasn’t coming back.

Linqian’s face pressed into her thighs as if she could smother herself. She wanted to. What was the point in a world that Jinhai wasn’t fucking in? Things wouldn’t get better. It didn’t fucking matter how much money she got. There was an emptiness that couldn’t be fucking replaced… It was so difficult to care.

Why didn’t he come back? Why, why, why, why?

It was difficult to breathe, like hands were squeezing her lungs. Maybe it was Jinhai. She wished it was Jinhai. Each agonising breath was exhaled as a sob, dampness hitting her legs. Tears. She couldn’t contain them any longer… Fuck it. Fuck it all.

It should have been me, it should have been me, it should have been me.

Linqian bit into her thigh to choke out the pained cries that threatened to escape. She couldn’t wake up Henri… she couldn’t be seen like this. It was too much. It was all too much.

No matter how hard she held it all in, she was always going to break.

It was so fucking quiet with only her thoughts. They echoed over and over again with no response. It was just her. She was alone. Fuck, she was all alone, and she couldn’t deal with it. What the fuck was she meant to do? Why hadn’t it been her, why couldn’t it have been her?

Did she really deserve to live over him? No. She didn’t. Fuck, she really fucking didn’t. What was she without him? Nothing. She needed him… she needed him so fucking much. Without him she was drowning in a dark, empty fucking world. It hurt so fucking much. One hand came down to her chest, nails scratching through fabric to try and tear out her heart.

It would be so much fucking easier without it.

She was never fucking letting Greyson in her head again. Never. It was so much fucking worse when it all came crashing down. The emptiness more obvious. A barbed knife being twisted in an already gaping wound. His voice was so vivid in her mind, but it wasn’t there. What had began to fade was clear and it hurt so fucking much.

”Please come back. Please just fucking come back.”

It was so cold. The kind of cold that wasn’t warded away as Linqian pulled her duvet around herself, still curled up into a tight ball. It was the kind of cold that came with being empty. It wouldn’t go away.

And he wouldn’t come back, no matter how much she begged for it, or how much she silently screamed into her skin. Jinhai was dead.

And he’d taken most of her with him.

---

---

Linqian couldn’t believe she was actually doing this. She’d reached out by choice to Sloane to talk about the funeral and organised to meet her Tuesday morning, bright and early. At least she’d gotten plenty of sleep the night before for once… it meant she was less likely to snap the moment she saw Sloane’s dour face.

Since she’d suggested meeting, Linqian had also selected the place. The Lampside Bistro was a small, rustic restaurant which served food throughout the day. It was only a fifteen minute walk from her house and primarily served locals, rather than having any appeal to tourists, being located in the Southern side of the city. It had been around as long as Linqian could remember. While small, the wooden booth style tables offered some amount of privacy and the food was nice.

Most importantly, it had been one of Jinhai’s favourite places to frequent, both as a teenager to study somewhere out of the house and as an adult the few times he returned to St Portwell.

She hadn’t been in a long time, and never without him.

It seemed fitting. Living as close as she did, Linqian got there a fair bit early, ordering a black coffee and finding a seat tucked away in the corner but still visible from the entrance.

Sloane opened the door precisely at their agreed upon meeting time, a black SUV driving off behind her. Her typical stark and rigid appearance like that of a highly-decorated military officer was betrayed by near microscopic imperfections that on anyone else would be imperceptible—a wrinkle on her shirt, a bit of lint on her coat, a piece of hair refusing to fall in line with the others—that hinted at some kind of unravelling. Exhaustion, undoubtedly, and a deep one at that judging by the dark bags under her eyes that could’ve been mistaken for sloppy application of eyeshadow. Sloane looked around the restaurant. At first she glanced over Linqian, her eyes focusing on an empty booth by the window where she’d last seen Jinhai in person, old regrets resurfacing anew.

Her jaw stiffened and she moved forward, sitting down in the seat across from Linqian without any real acknowledgement as Sloane busied herself with something in her purse. She pulled out a sleek, black notebook and an old fountain pen, setting them neatly on the table, before most peculiarly producing a glass bottle of kombucha, taking a sneaky sip out of it, and slipping it back into her bag. She made a disgusted look with her face and then flipped open the notebook, revealing neatly written notes categorizing different types of memorial services and their costs. She picked up the pen, clicked it, looked at the cup of coffee in front of Linqian, and then finally made eye contact with her.

“I never understood why he liked this place,” said Sloane matter-of-factly. “The coffee here was always terrible.”

A comment about how no amount of kombucha would get rid of Sloane's toxicity was on the top of Linqian's tongue, but she managed to swallow it back down with a deep breath. While waking up that morning without Jinhai's voice in her head anymore had been horrible, she'd had her emotional reaction there and then. Now, she was as calm as she could ever be… calm enough to not immediately blow up at Sloane over her comments, at least. It was an active struggle. ”Habit, comfort? He got attached. It was the only place close enough and near enough he could study in for hours as a teen. Cause y'know, we've never been fucking rich. Coffee's coffee.”

She let out a harsh exhale. She hadn't invited Sloane out to bicker - if there wasn't something practical to be done she wouldn't want to see her at all. At least here Sloane's efficiency and general lack of emotion was useful. Linqian leaned forward to look at the notes as best as she could when they were upside down, loose curls falling forward off her shoulders. The prices she could easily skim through like that, but the details…

”This is… impressive,” Linqian said, meaning it as she gestured to the notebook. She hadn't even had time to think about the specifics outside of needing to bury her brother. Between work, looking after her brother, and all the coven nonsense she'd barely had time to care for herself… well fuck, didn't look like Sloane did either. Those dark bags were the kind that Linqian regularly had to cover up under her own eyes with magic. It didn't exactly make her feel any sympathy, but at least it proved that Sloane was human.

”Let’s just get it over with then. First off, I got a new job… Pays pretty fucking well. I'll be able to afford the service myself.” Wasn't technically true, since she didn't know when she'd get her first paycheck. But saying that Greyson would pay for it was a great way to have Sloane get all pissy. Linqian wasn't dealing with that right now. She'd just rather owe Greyson money than she would Sloane, since he could take it right outta her fucking paycheck if he wanted to. But unfortunately, much as she would rather Greyson cover the costs, she'd rather not have him involved in the planning. ”So I can afford it all now, thankfully. But…”

Linqian grimaced, tilting her head back to look up at the ceiling rather than Sloane. She swore under her breath. She really didn't fucking want to say this. Fuck, it was the closest to being nice to Sloane she'd ever gotten. Jinhai better be fucking happy wherever he was now. ”I’d still like your help with the planning. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing with it.”

Sloane’s hand stilled, gripping the corner of the notebook. It had moved to close it the second Linqian mentioned paying for the funeral herself, anticipating Linqian to follow up with a sharp fuck off that, frankly, would’ve been deserved. Outside of a little research online and a few phone calls, Sloane had felt like she had failed on her end of the deal with Linqian regarding Jinhai’s memorial. There were dozens of excuses as to why she’d never been able to bring up fundraising with the people Linqian had suggested, but the ultimate reason was that Sloane didn’t want to. Forking over a few extra thousand was less painful than trying to have a conversation with Britney or needlessly being questioned by the others who would surely doubt her intentions.

“Okay,” said Sloane. It was worse than admitting that she’d like to help but infinitely better than agreeing with Linqian that it was clear that she didn’t know what the fuck she was doing.

She flipped the notebook so that it was easier for Linqian to read. It was clear that a lot of thought and care had gone into the planning. Too much, almost. Listings of types of services and potential venues, means of burial and gravemarkers, varieties of urns if Linqian wanted to keep the ashes, and places to spread them if she didn’t. Some of the spots would be familiar to Linqian, areas that she’d recognize as significant to Jinhai, while others would be foreign, secret haunts whose significance were known only to Sloane. The list was essentially a confessional, letting Linqian know then and there exactly how deeply Sloane had cared about Jinhai. There was a kind of pathetic sadness to it too, as the list had glaring omissions in it that Linqian would immediately notice, their absence serving to highlight how her brother’s feelings towards Sloane could not be described as mutual.

“I had a few ideas,” understated Sloane, sliding the notebook over to Linqian. “I circled the ones I thought Jinhai would like, but you should obviously get the final say anyway. And not just because you’re paying for it. Congratulations, by the way.” Her words were hollow. They almost sounded like an admittance of defeat. Sloane clarified, “On the new job, I mean. What is it?”

Linqian raised her eyebrows, while trying to figure out how to explain what her new job was without immediately pointing to Greyson. It shouldn’t unless Sloane started questioning it too much, and hopefully she wouldn’t care enough to. They weren’t exactly fucking close. Linqian was surprised she had even congratulated her on the first place, even if it was the most lacklustre congratulations she’d ever received. ”It’s a manager job on a tobacco farm… Not here, but there’s enough I can do long distance.”

It was a simple enough explanation, and one that shouldn’t lead to many questions. It wasn’t like a highschool degree was obviously needed for a job like that. She leaned over to properly read through everything Sloane had written out, wanting to move past that topic quickly. It was… incredibly well thought out. Enough that Linqian could tell just how much Sloane actually liked Jinhai from it. It was in a way that Linqian would have probably worried about and disliked when her brother was alive, but now…

It was sad in a way that Linqian could almost feel sympathy. At least she accepted that Sloane was grieving him too… and grieving something she could never have. ”This location would be best. I want it to be small, and private. Me, our brother, family friends, you and any other coven members that were close to him. Not an open invitation.”

She’d pointed to a circled venue that was a small function hall within St Portwell university - in an older building with a clear academic feel. It wasn’t expensive to hire, but that wasn’t the focus. While Jinhai hadn’t attended the city’s university outside of a few academic conferences, his intelligence and achievements would be reflected by a venue within a university. It was the place he’d spent most of his life. ”I already know where I want to bury the majority of his ashes… There’s a small open plot near our parents in the cemetery in this part of the city. That would be after the ceremony with even less people. There’s some Chinese traditions I want to incorporate into that - burning joss paper, and the like. It’s what we did for my parents.”

She moved onto ash scattering locations. ”For scattering the rest… The old coven lair, of course. Cascade Pines… out of the way, but nice. Oceanview Gardens- cause fuck, it’ll be a bit weird to do it off the coast there, but he… we went there a lot. It’s not on this list, but there’s a smaller park in this area, too. And if there’s anywhere significant other people want to scatter them, that would be fine.”

Linqian leaned back, looking away from the notes for a moment. Her eyes were practically swimming from all of the words, but more than that, it was the thought of organising all of this for Jinhai. Jinhai, who should still be here, who’s voice had sounded so real in her mind the day before… ”I don’t even fucking know where to start with the ceremony itself. Eulogies? Much as he’d probably want it, I can’t fucking speak at it. It’d be a shitshow. Our brother… he’ll break down. Fuck.” Linqian grimaced, pausing long enough that Sloane could actually interject.

“I could always say something, but…” Sloane stared at the table. “Eulogies, prayers, whatever, none of those really ever seem to bring any sort of comfort. There’s a surrealness to them, an artificiality that no matter how heartfelt still always feels phoney. We could do them if you feel the need to adhere to some kind of tradition, but personally I feel it might be best to have something a little more stripped away from all the pageantry. Something more akin to a celebration of his life instead of us simply mourning our loss.”

“There’d still be photos and flowers, but also some food and drink. People can simply come and go as they please to swap stories, pay their respects, and to meet with people whom they never would have met or stand with people who they normally cannot stand solely because of how much your brother mattered to them. No real structure or ceremonies. No priests, no funeral staff, tears acceptable but ideally caused by laughter or a bittersweet memory. To those outside it would look like a farewell party,” said Sloane.

“And although it isn’t my call, I think you should make it an open invitation. Your brother was special,” the ‘to me’, while implied, was unsaid. “I’m sure he was special to a lot of people, more than you or I were ever aware of. His college friends, for one. Roommates, exes, people who knew a side of Jinhai that we didn’t have a chance to know. I’m sure some of them might be fucking terrible,” said Sloane with a bitter laugh. “But if Jinhai can allow for the two of us to sit down across from one another and have a civil conversation then I’m sure that those people would easily be able to behave themselves for him for a few hours.”

“Anyway, if all of that sounds good then the only question that remains is when,” said Sloane.

Doing away with the eulogies and prayers that Linqian would’ve never allowed anyway was something Linqian could agree with. It sounded nice. A good way to remember him, letting them talk about the positive impact he’d made on people. She wasn’t one for crying around others anyway, and wouldn’t have to deal with people thinking she was cold or unfeeling for not doing so at her own brother’s memorial service. ”I agree with stripping it down to something more natural. While he was fucking good at faking it, Jinhai never like stuffy things like that. We’ve already missed most of the traditions I’d consider following… He’d love to have that many people talking about him. I can cook some of his favourite dishes.”

But then there was the open invitation. Sloane was, annoyingly, right again. There were people outside of St Portwell that deserved to be at Jinhai’s memorial - even people who didn’t. But it was none of them that were the problem… it was him. Her ex-boyfriend who was originally close friends with Jinhai, and still in his circle of college friends. But surely he wouldn’t? Not after everything that had fucking happened and how Jinhai had cut him off. Even if he heard about it, he wouldn’t be that bad. Fuck. She couldn’t cut off so many for one absolute piece of shit. ”And we’ll make it an open invite. There are some people I can contact so the word goes out.”

”As for when… As soon as possible, but there needs to be enough time for people to get here. End of next week, or early the week after. I don’t want to push it back much longer unless I bury him separately. He’s been… neglected for too long.”

A silence hung between the two.

“I can see about calling the university and reserving the hall. Making some of his favorite dishes is a good idea, but I’ll arrange for some other food and drinks as well—I imagine there’ll be more people than one person can cook for. You’ll have to handle calling about the cemetery plot. Oh, and maybe you could make a blog about it on,” Sloane snapped her fingers trying to remember the name, “Friendster? I don’t have one.”

Sloane slid the notebook back over to herself. Her lips parted and trembled ever so slightly, then she reached into her purse as if going back in for her kombucha to quench her thirst. She instead pulled out a checkbook, the trembling having been silent counting, and jotted down a number on the check before tearing it off and passing it over to Linqian. There was an almost aggressive flourish to the way Sloane clicked her pen and returned it and the checkbook to her bag.

“I’ll take care of the hall. That should cover the plot,” said Sloane, staring Linqian square in the eyes. “As I said before, there’s no strings attached. This money isn’t for you. It’s for Jinhai. But, if for whatever reason you find that unacceptable, you can always try to pay me back once you start collecting paychecks from this,” the corner of Sloane’s lips twitched, forming a blink-and-miss-it smirk, “lucrative remote farming job.”

Linqian narrowed her eyes at Sloane, before tilting her head down to look at the cheque. Her lips pulled down from a thin line into a scowl. Of course. Of fucking course. Sloane didn’t believe she had a job. What did she think she was doing? Quitting her normal one and just living off fuck all? Linqian didn’t even take the cheque, forcing Sloane to put it on the table. One rough fingertip pressed into it. ”Jinhai wouldn’t want to accept the money either. Believe me, I know him way fucking better than you do.”

Now glaring at Sloane across the table, Linqian pushed the cheque back over. ”Pay for the hall, I’ll cover the fucking plot with the job I actually have. Why the fuck would I make something like that up? Unlike you, I’ve gotta worry about bills and keeping my brother fed. I don’t need any of your money, Sloane. I’ll pay for the hall too when I have more money. You can take your shit attitude and inherited money elsewhere.”

A flush of red came to Sloane’s cheeks. It felt to her as if Linqian had just slapped her across the face. Sloane’s hand shot forward as if to strike in retaliation, smacking the table so hard as her hand hit the check that some of Linqian’s coffee splashed out of the cup. Meanwhile, the check careened across the table, flying off of the edge and bouncing against Linqian’s chest before falling into her lap.

“Don’t make this a thing. Rip it up later if you want. Burn it. I don’t care. Just fucking take it. Besides,” Sloane gritted her teeth.

Besides, I wasn’t the one who said the job was made up. Oh no, I’m sure there are so many managerial jobs that require neither a high school degree nor previous job experience nor a single ounce of interpersonal skills whatsoever. There’s tons and I’m sure they all pay extremely well. I mean, what would the other reality be? That you’re so stupid, prideful, and petty that you’d sink yourself further into debt just to spite my fucking act of kindness? But that would mean you’re a shitty person then. Oh, wait, thought the tiny voice in the back of Sloane’s head..

“Besides, I heard what you said at the last meeting. You’re not a fucking idiot. Or maybe you are,” Sloane shrugged stiffly, her eyes dull and unfocused. “But while everyone else wants to chase after billionaires or take a field trip to hell, you can at least realize how fucked we are when it comes to dealing with Father Wolf. So either you can hope that he gets you before me, or you can just take the money so once we’re both dead your little brother doesn’t have to keep you in a fucking shoebox next to Jinhai.”

”Don’t fucking bring my little brother into this,” Linqian snapped, snatching the cheque off her lap. She wanted to burn it right there and then, but they were in public. She wasn’t stupid enough to display magic like that… so she scrunched it up and shoved it in a pocket. ”You’re right we’re fucked with Father Wolf, but unlike you, I actually have people who’d care enough to bury me. Greyson, for one - he fucking cares enough-” about Henri- ”to try pay for Jinhai’s funeral too. Who’ll fucking mourn you? Anya? She won’t fucking care.”

”So if I die first, don’t fucking bother.” Linqian’s hand also slammed on the table, more coffee splashing out and onto her hand. She didn’t even flinch. She stood, just to lean over closer to Sloane. ”Also? He’s not in a fucking shoebox, he’s in a nice wooden one that I hand engraved his name in myself.”

Sloane turned her head, studying the tile on the floor. Her crossed arms gripped her sleeves so tightly that the seams holding the sleeves to the shoulder were threatening to pop. It was funny. Normally she didn’t care what someone like Linqian would think, because normally she’d assume that someone like Linqian was wrong. Yet today her words hit harder. If the refusal of her money had been a slap, then saying that nobody would care if she died was a knife in the chest. Maybe it was the stress. The exhaustion. The little nagging voice in Sloane’s head that told her that Linqian probably wasn’t wrong—except about Anya. Sloane shut her eyes hard, her face scrunching as if she’d taken another sip of kombucha.

“Don’t make a scene,” she said. To herself? Hard to tell.

”Don’t make a scene?” Linqian repeated, eyes narrowing at Sloane. The lack of response only made Linqian more pissed off, even as she tried to pull herself back in. What would Jinhai say? He'd tell her to chill out and not let it bother her too much, or to just back away. Except she couldn't fucking hear him say that anymore, because he was fucking dead. And because he was dead she was forced to tolerate Sloane's presence to make sure he got the memorial service he deserved. ”It’d be a lot fucking worse if I was making a scene.”

Linqian’s jaw clenched, biting down on the more heated words and actions that would follow. Fuck Sloane, but fuck giving her anymore of her time. She could be sad and miserable alone. Linqian had better fucking things to do right now. With that in mind, thinking about Jinhai, she managed to pull herself down from a full on explosion. ”Take care of the hall. Text me the details and I’ll set up a blog. I’ll be civil on the day for Jinhai, but don’t expect it from me any other fucking time.”

She didn’t wait for Sloane’s response, already on her way out the door with a cigarette pulled out and pushed between her lips, half drunk coffee left on the table. Sloane watched Linqian leaving in the reflection of the baked goods display. She moved to stop her, sliding to the edge of the booth. Something Lynn said the other day had burrowed its way beneath Sloane’s skin and it would require someone like Linqian to lance it before it got worse. She placed her hand on the edge of the table to help herself up then stopped, settling back down in the seat as she watched the trail of smoke disappear beyond the front window of the store.

Sloane huffed, blew a loose strand of hair out of face, and pulled out her cellphone so she could call the hall. She told herself that the window of opportunity had closed, even though she could easily have caught up to the smoker. She told herself it wasn’t worth the fight, even though they were fighting already and had been fighting, in some way or another, for the past ten years. She even told herself that she hadn’t said anything for Linqian’s sake, because there felt little point in making her miserable life even any worse, even though she didn’t care for the woman (and even though Linqian was so ungrateful that she couldn’t even say thank you for all of the work Sloane had done).

“You’re fucking welcome,” muttered Sloane.

Sloane was unsure if the ringing in her ear was just the phone. She tried to ignore the pit forming in her stomach, a common symptom that occurred typically when she lied to herself, such as now. She had so nearly convinced herself that the only reason she hadn’t asked Linqian if Jinhai had seemed any different the days before he was murdered was anything other than fear. It was the fear, however seemingly impossible, that one of Lynn’s predictions was right. Fear that everyone in the Coven was, how did she put it, ticking time bombs, incubating some kind of corruption left over by the Stygian Snake that could pop at any minute. Fear that Father Wolf was less psycho killer and more necessary evil. Fear that, while he didn’t deserve it, Jinhai was better off dead.

Maybe they all were.

The ringing stopped as someone picked up the other line.

“Hello? My name is Sloane Faris, I’m calling about…”

---

---

Aaron pulled up to the side of the road, putting the moving van they rented in park as they opened the door and exited the vehicle. The street parking was not free right now so Aaron pulled out his phone and scanned the QR code to pay for a few hours. He then looked around to see if anyone was watching before he swapped forms to Aryin. Ever since father wolf started his killings Aryin has spent much more time in her stronger, more durable form. She had to stay as Aaron to rent the van and drive because, at the end of the day, all their identifications were Aaron. Still, now that she was safely at her destination she was now in the form that not only was durable, but also had the stamina to keep up with the rigors of a move.

Aryin sent a quick text. It was simple, a “do I have to do everything my fucking self’ followed by a ‘I’m here whore’.

After a few moments, there was a shout from across the road. ”You couldn’t have fucking knocked on the door, you bitch? Did you expect me to just fucking stand on the street and fucking wait?!”

Linqian had her hands on her hips, scowling over at Aryin. A door to one of the small, semi-detached houses was left propped open… It wasn’t like there was much of value to steal, and they’d fucking notice. A car drove by and then Linqian walked over, punching Aryin hard in the shoulder as soon as she reached her. She even added a little heat to it. ”Let’s get this fucking over with so we can relax with some beers, cause fuck, I need it.”

”Can we watch shitty movies while we drink,” Aryin chuckled as she opened the back of the moving van. The van was fully half packed, with the mattress, dresser and nightstand only taking up a small amount of the total move. The dresser was big, heavy, and was made of solid wood. The boxes were all stacked neatly and were ready to go from this side.

”If you're fine with a shitty quality TV then yeah we fucking can,” Linqian replied, looking up at the shit ton of stuff they had to move. It'd be fine… she was dressed for the exercise, at least, in a sporty tank top and leggings. ”Y’know I told my brother you'd be coming today but instead of sticking around to help he fucked right off cause he's got essential 'training’ as if that couldn't wait a couple of hours.” She rolled her eyes. ”Where do you want to start? Your room is mostly clear.”

”Let's start with the easy stuff and we’ll make our way to the small amount of furniture I bought?” Aryin scoffed at the mention of Henri not helping, ”when he gets back we should make him do a few hundred pushups and squats. Training.”

”I like that plan, both the easy stuff and making him do all that,” Linqian laughed, stepping into the van and squatting to pick up one of the boxes. ”As if I don’t have to train my magic too… I’ve been too fucking easy on that kid. Well, at least he’s doing something, I guess. He was doing fuck all before.” As she talked Linqian began to cross the road, going towards her house.

Aryin grabbed four boxes, and carried them in each hand, and followed Linqian. ”Look what I can do now,” Aryin said as she started to have a dull glow emanate from her muscles. ” Figuring out how to do plant magic led to me figuring this out,” Aryin laughed, ”Since we’re roommates I'll have to teach you Stonewall now. Get you some training so I don’t have to hold the fucking line by myself,” Aryin Smirked.

”Huh, that’s pretty neat,” Linqian said about the glowing. She then twisted herself to kick Aryin’s leg. ”I’ve already gotta fucking version of Stonewall in the works, from when you were punching me yesterday! It’s much better than it fucking was before, just gotta keep it up a bit longer.”

As they entered the house, they were met with a small entrance hall. Normally Linqian was strict about shoes off inside, but she didn’t want to bother with taking them on and off constantly. As they stepped further in there was a door ajar to their left, showing a kitchen. Linqian just kept going forward and up the stairs right in front of them. ”I’ll show you around after we’ve brought all your shit in.” Up the stairs, she turned to the left, then into the first door on her right. It revealed a medium sized, pretty bare room - containing a bed frame and a wardrobe. ”Here we go - you can do whatever the fuck you want with it.”

”That wardrobe can fit my cosplay stuff,” Aryin said with excitement. She carried the boxes over to the widow and placed each stack down neatly. ”Have I thanked you enough for this? You’re literally letting me move in, can I buy you a beer or something? Like a PBR, something shitty just for you,” Aryin smirked as she looked at the room. It was quaint, but just a bit smaller than her crappy apartment that was stuffed to the rim. She was going to throw away some stuff but she was going to have Linqian and Henri see if they wanted any of it.

”Fucking nerd,” Linqian laughed. ”Yeah, you thanked me a shit ton Sunday- but I’ll accept that beer. You can get a bunch of beers for us tonight, cause there ain’t any in the house. I’ll take a PBR or five cause fuck, it’s needed. Maybe I’ll even let Yi-er have one.” Linqian backed out of the room, gesturing to the door at the top of the stairs. ”That’s the main bathroom. There’s a toilet downstairs, but the only shower’s in there. We might have to time it… I gotta be in there like an hour or two the days I’m properly washing my hair.”

”Timing showers again” Aryin laughed as memories of the mansion flooded her mind, ”I remember your hair routine all too well. Didn’t Emily yell at you for hogging the water one morning? That cunt,” Aryin side eyed Linqian, ”will it be his first drink? If so we need to get some absolutely terrible ones to make it look like drinking is not cool.

”She was such a fucking bitch - I wasn’t even using water most of the time, it’s more the fucking drying stage and shit… Like I want to take so long. It was only like once a week too!” Linqian got a bit pissed just at the thought of Emily, the absolute cunt that she was. But it cooled down thinking about her brother. ”Unfortunately it won’t be. He probably drank at college… and he definitely did after the halloween festival. Little piece of shit, we should definitely get him terrible ones anyway.”

”We could get that awful beer from the import store, what is it called, Tsingtao? We could get that and some Korean BBQ for dinner,” Aryin chuckled at the idea. ”Now. It seems to me that I have more boxes in the van than in here. Lazy ass, let’s go grab some more.

”Sounds fucking good, I’ll send Yi-er round when he’s back, save us delivery cost,” Linqian said, before reaching out to punch Aryin in the shoulder. ”Shut the fuck up, you hoe, I’m doing you a fucking favour here.” But Linqian still went back downstairs and out to the van, grabbing three boxes this time… Anymore and she couldn’t see over them. ”You better fucking do the work too.”

”Will Greyson hire a moving crew next time,” Aryin chuckled, ” he should treat you to the move. And by extension me,” Aryin laughed as she grabbed another four boxes. ”Say, how are your arms and legs feeling? Feeling tired yet, you weak ass bitch.;”

”He fucking better, all that fucking cash and shit… I bet he’ll hire one for him and Brit, so if he doesn’t for us, I’ll get Yi-er on his ass. He can’t resist his overly goofy smile,” Linqian snorted, as she bounded up the stairs to prove that she wasn’t fucking weak. ”Just fine! After four boxes, I don’t feel shit. I’ll keep up for the whole fucking thing, just you watch.”

---

”Why… the fuck… do you have so much shit?!” Linqian complained as she lugged up another three boxes - which felt like the fucking hundredth. ”I fucking swear, I’m beating your ass after this if I don’t get a nice cold beer right a fucking way.”

”I’m an artist and I make my own cosplays,” Aryin said without even breathing hard. This was easy. She was even feeling a little chilly. ”I need my art supplies, sewing machine and supplies. I did also bring a lot of stuff I may throw out but I wanted to see if you or Henri wanted. Old art equipment, boxing equipment, literal iron bars that I strategically placed in your boxes,” Aryin passed Linqian with ease into the house, ”I will be a doll and get you the coldest, most delicious beer I can find…. If you can beat me on the next round of boxes.”

”You fucking bitch, I’ll kick you outta the fucking house,” Linqian groaned, hurrying up her pace. The fact that she was actively channeling her magic to stay cool definitely wasn’t helping with her energy… but she refused to get sweaty and have to take another fucking shower. Not after she’d washed her hair this morning. No fucking way. ”You can sleep on the cold hard ground and see how you fucking like, then crawl back begging to be let back in.”

Aryin placed the boxes down and turned to face Linqian. She pointed towards Linqian with both hands, she then brought them close to her eyes and mimicked a crying motion, before she pointed back to Linqian. Aryin chuckled as she turned around. ”Hell, I’d even do it wearing a maid outfit if you can beat me back up here with the next rounds of boxes.”. Aryin walked to the window and could see the moving van outside.

”Just a maid outfit? Why not a full fucking cosplay… which would you wear?” Linqian asked, quietly moving back towards the door after putting down the boxes she had. Hopefully Aryin would start monologuing about her cosplays and she could quickly go down and back up.

”How about my Jane Doe cosplay,” Aryin chuckled as she knew that nothing Linqian could do would ever make her win this challenge, ”her walk and all. Like you’d be able to beat me. You’re exhausted, and I literally cannot be exhausted. I’ll still get you all the cold beer you can desire tonight though. As my-”

Aryin paused as she watched Linqian grab three boxes from the van before turning around and saw she was indeed gone. ”Fucking whore,” Aryin said with a scowl, but chuckled as she ran to the stairs. ”YOU BITCH.”. Aryin did not block her way, ”that desperate to see my Jane Doe, huh?”.

”Oh you know I do,” Linqian grinned, winking at Aryin as she took the stairs two at the time, panting heavily by the time she got to the top and moved past Aryin into the room. ”Go on, get it fucking on. I gotta get some eye candy to keep going, y’know? Ain’t any better options around.”

---

An hour later Aryin walked up to the van in her full Jane Doe cosplay, tail, wig and all. It was a very faithful, and very accurate, cosplay and Aryin was quite proud of it. As she walked she did the strut that she did even while wearing the high heels she wore. She looked back at Linqian and winked, opening her mouth while licking her teeth seductively. ”All the boxes are done. Are you ready for the really, really, really heavy furniture that I have? Is this eye candy giving you strength?”.

”Do I have a fucking choice?” Linqian groaned, doubled over in front of the van with her hands on her knees. She still had enough energy to keep her skin cool enough to not sweat, and tilt her head up towards Aryin with a teasing leer. Her eyes went up, then down, Aryin. ”Oh yeah, it's the only thing keeping me fucking going… and that beer at the end. Fuck! I need to develop some strength spells.” Linqian forced herself up and into the van. ”Let's get this shit over with.”

”Good,” Aryin said as she turned back around. She grabbed the heaviest piece of furniture, the long and solid wood dresser, and picked it up all by herself and began to carry it as her muscles began to glow. ”Be a doll and grab the mirror for this. So you can watch yourself be weak in real time. Bitch.” Aryin laughed as they navigated the staircase terribly. While she could carry it alone, it was more difficult to make the turns without someone as a guide. Eventually she figured it out after her one brain cell figured out the geometry and she made her way to the room. She placed it down on the wall opposite the bed. ”I think I made a mistake.”

”If I find out you dented the wall at all on the way up you're fucking paying for it,” Linqian said, coming in behind her and putting down the mirror. She was panting heavily, and honestly, felt a bit like she was dying. She wasn't exactly unfit - years of working on her feet saw to that - but she wasn't healthy thanks to constantly sacrificing her own meals and sleep. ”Fuck, you ain't bringing these to the place Greyson’s getting, are you? It'll probably have all the shit we need… if I gotta move this all back here after we deal with that bastard I might just end it all.”

”No, I’m going to have to serve you a beer in this,” Aryin said as she chuckled as she walked over to Linqian, placing a hand on her cheek, ” It’s giving major ‘ruin our friendship’ vibes and I don’t want people to get the wrong idea about us,” Aryin tilted her head while shaking it no. ”I would not do that to you, what’s here will stay here. At most my cosplay and art stuff will travel. How about another wager,” Aryin joked as she pulled her hands onto her hips. ”I’ll treat you to beer all night in this cosplay if you can beat me back with one of the paintings in the front seat of the car.”

”You wish you could ruin our fucking friendship,” Linqian laughed breathlessly, punching Aryin in the shoulder. She straightened up and backed towards the door. She needed a boost of strength. Some way to get in and out before Aryin. She looked at Aryin, and smiled. It was a sad smile. One that said that maybe, the lengths she was going to go to would be what ruined their friendship. ”I’m sorry, Aryin.”

With a burst of energy, Linqian ran down the stairs and out the door. She slammed the door and locked it from the outside. It was an old house - a bolt lock only, with no way out without a key… and Linqian hadn't given Aryin hers yet.

Aryin was aghast. She had no intention of letting Linqian win, but it seemed Linqian did not intend to lose. ”You crafty bitch,” Aryin shouted as she pounded on the door. Aryin continued to pound on the door as she mentally prepared for a night in cosplay, serving beers to Linqian.

Linqian just grinned, waving to Aryin through the tiny window in the door. She leisurely made her wave over to the van, grabbed a painting, and walked back. She unlocked the door, ducked passed Aryin before she could grab her, and ran up the stairs. ”I can’t wait to watch you in that outfit all night! Oh, maybe I’ll send some photos to the coven!”

”Send the photos to the coven you coward,” Aryin hissed back, ” they’ll be blessed to see my cosplay, Aryin smirked, ”I look hot.”. Aryin paused as she followed Linqian upwards to see which painting and checked which painting she grabbed. When she saw it she tapped Linqian on the shoulder. ” Could we put that one in the living room? The other one is the bedroom portal, that’s the common area one.”

”Bedroom portal like for all your fuck buddies?” Linqian asked, pivoting and going back down the stairs with the painting. She went down the hall and turned into the second door on the left, putting it down in there. ”Put it wherever the fuck you want, I haven’t had the chance to decorate yet.”

The living room was pretty bare when it came to decorations. There was a small television with an older console hooked up to it at the other side of the room, with a three person couch and armchair facing it. Along the wall to their left were shelves and cupboards, with various books and a couple of photo frames. In the corner was a smaller one - the shrine for Jinhai along with her parents. It was where the most effort had gone in. She hadn’t had time to do the rest.

”It’s a quick way for us to get around the city. If I’d rather not walk I’ll call up Alex and they’ll take me through the art dimension,” Aryin said as she leaned it on the couch. Aryin saw the shrine in the corner and she looked at Jinhai’s photo. ”How about I finish off the stuff in the van, you get comfy, and I’ll go grab some beers on the way home from the U-Haul store. Unless you want to come?

”Nah, I’ll stay here, tidy up some of my brother’s crap,” Linqian said, gesturing to the various clothes strewn across the living room. ”You gonna go in cosplay?”

”You fucking know it.”

---

Aryin began to walk into the living room with a beer in one hand and her cosplay knife in the other. As she walked, she twirled the cosplay knife around a finger like a fidget toy. She took her time as she crossed the room, before she reached Linqian. She put both of her feet together and began to bend over stretching out the drink with her hand.

Linqian lay across the couch, recovering from all the carrying. She had one hand over her forehead, breathing still pretty heavy. Outside of the dramatic posture she didn’t look like she’d been exerting herself. She looked up at Aryin with a smirk, tilting her head as she reached up for the beer. ”Fuck, I could get used to this service.”

Midway through her sentence, the door creaked open. ”Jieeee, I’m home- what the fuck is going on?! Did- Did I walk into something I shouldn’t have?! Oh my god, Jie, you look awful, is it because-”

”Shut the fuck up.”

”No, not what you think,” Aryin paused as she let Linqian take the beer, ” your sister and I were just discussing the fact that she is weak, your bloodline is weak, and neither of you will survive the winter without me, Aryin shot a wicked side eye towards Henri, ”I lost a bet and have to serve your sister in cosplay all night. You arrived just in time to not help with the move. Fancy that, how was training?”

”I’ve survived twenty six winters without you, bitch,” Linqian rolled her eyes, making a kicking motion towards Aryin before taking a long drink of her beer.

”Riiighhhht,” Henri looked between them, before laughing. ”Hey, I had this training organised from before I knew you were moving in! But it was great, I can really increase my strength by absorbing sound now. It’s super cool! But I would’ve helped out if I hadn’t already told Greyson I was gonna work on my magic today, y’know, he can be real fucking scary when I try get outta that shit! Oh, Jie, what’s for dinner? I’m starving.”

Linqian just looked at Aryin, will to live leaving her.

Aryin looked at Linqian with excitement in their eyes. Finally, some of Linqian’s great cooking. Aryin would be remiss if she didn’t admit that she was looking forward to this dinner since Linqian invited her to move in. Then Aryin saw the pained look in her eyes.

”Pizza?

”Yes please,” Linqian groaned. Much as she was normally all for cooking, she didn’t want to get up right now. She was fucking hungry too, and making anything would take a while… much as she knew Aryin well enough to recognise that look. Her cooking was fucking amazing, but she’d have to wait till tomorrow to get blown away. ”Moving in treat or whatever, it’s on me. Back to regular scheduled cooked meals tomorrow.”

”I’ve been having pizza all the time at Greyson’s, it’s hardly a treat now!” Henri pouted, going over to sit on the arm of the couch.

”Too fucking bad, Yi-er, learn to cook if it’s a problem.”

”It’s not, it’s not- I’ll even do the order! I’ll pay for it!”

”With my money?”

”No! Greyson’s, he’s been giving me like… well he keep just fucking handing me these massive stacks when I ask for some to buy pizza at his!”

Linqian closed her eyes, and turned her head away, as if to just not see him or think about that. For fuck’s sake… it was just one thing after another.

”How about it’s our treat, Linqian, after all Henri here had a really, really busy day with training,” Aryin paused as she walked towards Henri, ”say, does he have the same lux as you?”

”Sure, whatever… and yeah, that’s kinda how that shit works, idiot,” Linqian said, turning to look back over at Aryin.

”Yeah, I’m Red-Green!” Henri said proudly, puffing up his chest. ”I kindled recently, but one day I wanna be as strong as my siblings!”

”Good. Do you know what is important for us Red-Green Adepts?”

”Uh…” Henri tilted his head, looking a little confused. ”No?”

”A strong body. If your body is weak, like your sisters, your magic will immediately be weak as well. Do you want to be stronger than your sister, Henri? You ready for your second round of training today, Henri?“. Aryin closed the distance and tapped him on the shoulder with one hand. Aryin looked down on Henri with an intense stare that showed she was serious. Was it the fact that she was forced to wear this cosplay and service Linqian all night that drove this rage? Or was it the initial reaction to a simple decision on food? Did it matter? ”Shall we begin?”. Henri would earn his dinner tonight.

”Bitch, you don’t need to keep shit talking me,” Linqian rolled her eyes.

Henri immediately jumped up and straightened his back, bringing him to his full height of just over six foot where he normally looked shorter thanks to sloucher. ”I’m ready! I was always ready! We can begin whenever you want to, whatever you want!” He was overly enthusiastic and seemed entirely unbothered by how intensely Aryin was looking at him, at least, still brightly grinning.

”Good.”

---

An hour later there was a knock at the door. Pizza was here, and Aryin could smell it. Aryin, however, was busy training Henri. She had been having him do push ups, squats, and pull ups off her arm and now they were doing unlimited pushups until one of them failed. ” Strong body, strong magic. There is a reason for this Henri, I promise you. Just fifty more and you can stop and get the food.”

”Ok, no problem!” Henri was taking to the intense exercise pretty well. Sure, he was sweating, face more red-brown from the exertion. His curls were an absolute mess, but he was still going at the pull ups. He hadn't even absorbed much sound to help with his strength. It was like he was getting through it by sheer positive will alone. ”I understand why, don't worry!”

Aryin counted each one until fifty were achieved. ”You did it! Good work, I spent many years in the gym getting stronger after the snake. Got pretty good at boxing as well, which made the application of my magic easier.”. Aryin paused as she walked towards the door, opening it, before remembering she was still in cosplay. She quickly grabbed the food, gave the man a tip, and closed the door behind her. She walked the food over to the table.

”I need to get out of cosplay, I think that delivery driver just fell in love with me,” Aryin smiled towards Linqian. Aryin couldn’t wait to bring this cosplay out at the next con in Portland or Vancouver.

”Course he did, you look fucking hot,” Linqian commented. She also got up, stretching her arms above her head. ”I’m gonna get changed into comfy clothes too, take my contacts out and shit… I've been wearing them too often. Overnight use is really fucking with my eyes.”

”I think you look great too, Aryin!” Henri shouted, getting up off the ground. ”Lemme take a quick shower, then we can eat! I'll put the pizza in the oven so it stays warm!”

”Can I change.” Aryin quickly turned towards Linqian, and held her hands up together like she was praying. ”I could use my comfort clothes.”

Linqian narrowed her eyes, as if she was thinking long and hard about it. ”I suppose… it's only fair. Just no comments about the fact I have to wear fucking glasses.”

Aryin sighed in relief, helped put the food in the oven, before taking off upstairs to get changed. She emerged fifteen minutes later, dressed in simple red and beige sleep shorts and a massively oversized t-shirt. Her hair was now in a ponytail behind her head, and she was ready to enjoy some tasty pizza and enjoy her first night in the new place. Aryin smiled as she sat down at the table. One of the additional perks of having unlimited stamina was how little she sweat even with an intense workout. She was still going to take a shower before she laid down for bed, but she was glad she didn’t have to fight for the shower on the first day.

Aryin stood up and grabbed three cold beers from the fridge, placing them at each spot. She then grabbed three plates, and three sets of napkins and made the table. Finally, she grabbed the spicy honey and bird seed flakes she brought and placed them in the middle of the table before sitting back
down.

A text message from Jordan popped up. It was a simple message, and it was just him wishing her luck with the move. Aryin would’ve expected the text in the morning but she was not one to judge when someone remembered to send a text. He sent a picture a second later. It was him with Cyrus, and was captioned ‘welcome to the true collective’ and Aryin could only react with the heart emoji while chuckling. She sent a text a moment later saying ‘tell him to not be a dick now’.

”Hurry up, I’m hungry,” Aryin shouted as she got another text from Jordan. It was another photo, this time with Alex, with a message reading ‘we don’t think that’s possible. You coming to 317 tonight? Alex is taking off and I’ll be stuck with Doom again,’ and Aryin simply responded ‘nah, moving day blues and what not. I’ll be by in the morning though’.

”Fucking calm down!” There were thudding footsteps before Linqian emerged. She was dressed in a slightly oversized hoodie and leggings, giving Aryin a tired look from behind gold framed glasses. Generally, she didn’t wear her glasses around anyone that wasn’t family… but Aryin had moved in, so she was as fucking close to it anyway. Her hair was pulled back into a looser bun than normal, a few coils falling across her face. ”Some of us can’t just fucking pull our hair back and be done with it, I washed it today, so it’d fucking ruin the hard work I did. Fucking straight hair privilege, you bitch.”

But even after saying all that she moved over to Aryin, hugging her from behind for a moment. It was a show of appreciation for setting the table. She then sat down. ”Let’s start without-”

”Jiieeee you’d start without me?!” Henri bounded in with a mock gasp. While he’d changed clothes, there was minimal actual difference - a tshirt of a different color and jeans. ”Whoa, you set shit up all fancily! Nice!”

”Thank Aryin,” Linqian waved her hand as he sat down. She then raised her beer. ”Here’s to a good fucking time living together.”

”Yeah don’t mention it. Figured I’d do my part,” Aryin paused as her phone vibrated once again on the table. ”Here’s to the start of a great future,” Aryin paused as she raised her beer with a smile, before she blew a kiss towards Linqian. Her phone vibrated once again. Aryin quickly checked the messages, another one from Jordan with Octavia, and one from Alex half into the art portal.

Linqian pretended to catch the kiss and threw it away, laughing. ”Dig in. Fuck, I need this food.”

”Yeah you do, Jie, you need to eat more! Now that you got that better job you better start looking after yourself!” Henri started as he grabbed a piece of pizza and started munching on it. ”Like Aryin said, strong body strong magic - Greyson goes on about it all the time. If you don’t eat how’re you meant to get better at magic?”

”Are you seriously lecturing me over all the shit I did to raise you? Ungrateful piece of shit.“

”I’d say let’s make him do more pushups but that would be rewarding this behavior,” Aryin smirked as she grabbed two slices.

”Yeah, pushups are quite fun, honestly! Y’know that was basically just a second workout, I did all that earlier today too,” Henri grinned, already on his second slice. ”I’m also still keeping up with my studies to go back to college next year! So don’t worry too much about me.”

”I’m not,” Linqian rolled her eyes, though she very much was. She reached over to ruffle her brother’s hair. ”Just don’t get too cocky, that kinda shit’ll fuck you over. And don’t start acting like Greyson, he’s nice around you but he can be a real piece of shit. If you gotta have a guy to idolise, idolise Aaron.”

“Awww thank you,” Aaron said as he took a quick bite of his pizza. “I have never been told that I should be idolized but I might get used to it,” Aaron chuckled, “as long as you are aware of who Greyson is, and can do, you should be fine. You have a good head on your shoulders like your sister so make sure you use it,” Aaron took another bite of his pizza as he looked to Linqian and smiled.

”Sometimes I gotta be nice, make you feel like you’re some kinda shit before I drag you back down,” Linqian said, though she grinned back at him. She remembered back in the day when a lot of people thought they hated each other - though Linqian was a bit easier on Aaron. Really, it was just how she showed she fucking cared.

”Don’t worry, I know exactly what he’s like! He literally went inside my head and told me his evil plan to fuck over Jie, but he’s like… tryna not to that!” Henri said far too cheerfully. While he definitely looked up to Greyson, it wasn’t quite like Linqian thought… It was how he could protect his loved ones. That’s what Henri aspired towards. And he did believe he was going to try. ”He can’t lie in there. But I already think you’re pretty cool too!”

“I appreciate it. Both of you. Truly,” Aaron smirked as he shifted his eyes towards Linqian, “thank you. We both know I have an ego that, if unchecked, will grow quite problematically and I thank your bitch ass nature for keeping me grounded,” Aaron smirked even deeper as he took a big bite of his food.

”Yeah what the fuck would you do without me, huh?” Linqian laughed, finishing off her first slice finally and going for another.

Henri practically shoved a whole slice in his mouth before talking more. ”Thank you for being Jie’s friend all this time! Y’know she really doesn’t have many- mph!”

Linqian cut him off by shoving another piece of pizza in his mouth. ”Any of that kinda shit my brother spills stays here, alright?”

“Oh I knew that,” Aaron joked, “once you’ve met the best friend ever no one else can live up.”

”Oh shut uppp,” Linqian jokingly groaned, slapping Aaron on the shoulder. ”See? Insufferable.”

Henri smiled. ”It… kinda reminds me of how you used to bicker with Ge. Normally you properly snap at other people.”

”C’mon,” Linqian glanced at Henri, before looking away, smile wavering a bit. ”We’re not getting all sentimental over our pizza.”

“We’ve had our ups and downs,” Aaron smiled at being compared to someone as impactful as their brother, “but we always find a way back to each other,” Aaron smiled as he looked off to the distance. “Emotional stuff is par for the course right now. I got drunk with Jack last night and we were both weeping by the end. Most emotions I’ve seen from him I think ever.”

”Jack crying? Fuck, alcohol sure does work wonders,” Linqian said. She did know exactly that… she’d only properly cried over Jinhai when drunk, or hit by a shit hallucination. ”Doesn’t make me enjoying talking about that shit more than I have to. Was bad enough I had to talk to Sloane of all people about the funeral today… shit, I barely got emotional, but it was like even mentioning Jinhai was emotional.”

“I put on my brave face a lot but you know me,” Aaron paused as he swapped back and forth several times between his forms before stopping on Aaron, “I still wear my emotions on my sleeve,” Aaron paused as he looked back to Linqian.

“How about I take you to a rage room tomorrow. No stress, no talking, just two pals destroying stuff to try and feel better.”

Linqian considered it. It did sound… nice. It was the kind of way she could deal with this shit. Not talking, not getting emotional, just destroying stuff. ”Can we print out pictures of annoying coven members and put them over the shit we’re destroying?”

“Uh, of course. Is there any other way we worlds do that,” Aaron paused as he smirked, “I have a printer at my flat that I forgot, or we can stop by the UPS store and pay someone to do it for us. Bring extra for the worst offenders.”

”Greyson’s gotta printer we can use, Yi-er has access to it,” Linqian said, not really wanting to pay for that shit if she could avoid it. Anyway, he had his fucking murder wall so he shouldn’t have a problem with them printing off a bunch of pictures of coven members to beat up. ”Loads of fucking Sloane and Anya then- and Lynn. Fucking assholes.”

”Oh yeah, I can use the printer! Dunno if we can get into the office though,” Henri said cheerfully.

“I think if we ask for forgiveness, rather than permission, he won’t get upset. Let’s get a good night's sleep right, and then tomorrow we can figure out a thing or two about getting those pictures printed.”

”I don’t give a fuck if he gets upset or not anyway, fucker owes me for not breaking his fucking nose yesterday,” Linqian said, before nodding. ”Let’s finish up this pizza then we can watch shitty movies till we’re tired.”

”Oh, I’m going back out! I promised Louis I’d keep him company while he worked…” Henri rubbed the back of his neck.

Aaron looked at Linqian after Henri finished his statement. Was he like this at Henri’s age? Always one event after the other, and constantly having late nights. Aaron shook his head as he looked at his good food before taking another bite. Looking back at Linqian Aaron smiled. “Scary movie or twilight, bitch.”

Linqian grinned. ”Twilight, of course.”

---

An hour or so later, they were deep into the start of what was looking to be a Twilight marathon. Linqian hated the movies - but it was the kind of hate that made the movies fun to hate watch. There was entertainment, unlike horror movies that just ended up boring after fighting the Stygian Snake.

”I’m surprised there weren’t more green luxers walking around pretending to be fucking vampires back when we were teens,” she commented, finishing off her fourth beer. Since she’d actually eaten for once, it wasn’t doing much for her yet. - thank fuck.

Aaron knocked back his third beer. His liver was a little worn after the past two nights of drinking but he was still in a good spot. “Honestly yeah, why weren’t we doing that? I mean you would look fantastic with that glittery skin, and fangs! You would look amazing with fangs,” Aaron paused as he looked back at the TV, “I did want to look like Alice as a kid. I don’t know about that anymore.”

”You think so? Maybe I should develop a spell for that… imagine the shit I could bite through with super hot fangs?” Linqian laughed, grinning with very normal teeth. ”Hey, you could still fucking cosplay her or something? What’s stopping you.”

Aryin pulled up a phone album called ‘my cosplays’ and passed a specific photo to Linqian. It was Aryin in an Alice cosplay with one of the worst, most unkempt, most basic, wigs in existence. “I did! Though I’ve done it much better since, you don’t grow up in this area without wanting to do a twilight cosplay.”

Linqian raised an eyebrow, looking at it before passing it back. ”Well you gotta do a new improved version or some shit. Fuck, maybe we can get a stupid fucking group together. I know it ain’t halloween anymore but… could be fun around all the shit we’re dealing with.”

“Dude, yes. Imagine if we got all the cool people together to do that? That would be fun. Who would you want in the group?”

”Fuck… I think I’d make a pretty hot Rosalie. Like, not perfectly accurate, but I’m hot enough to be her,” Linqian laughed. ”Oh, fuck, Brit’s gotta be Bella cause then Greyson can be Edward, he’s kinda creepily obsessed like that. He’s got that same fucking self pitying edgy vibe too sometimes.”

“LEON AS JACOB!”

”Fuck, yes! That’s fucking perfect! I bet we can find a creepy as fuck doll for him to carry around- oh god, that’s fucking perfect.” Linqian held her stomach as she started laughing at the image of Leon, of all people, being dragged into this group. Fuck, it was too good. ”Sully should be Emmett, he’s fucking goofy like him… Shit, is anyone hot enough to be Carlisle?”

“I don't know… We can grab Jordan from the collective to be Carlisle, he’s got that dad energy. I think the better question is who has the mustache to be Charlie?”

“Can I be Jane?” A raspy voice asked from behind them on the wall.

”Stor- What the fuck?!” Linqian jumped up from the couch, spinning around to face the intruder in an immediately defensive posture, temperature rising.

Aaron quickly swapped forms and readied a punch before realizing who it was. ”Alex,” Aryin paused as she tapped Linqian on the shoulder, ”what’s going on? Is-,”

“We’re under attack, you need to get back to the 317,” Alex paused as they took a deep breath, “hi, I’m Alex. Cute place. Hurry up and get in the painting, you're the first one I’m grabbing.”

”By who,” Aryin moved towards the painting.

“Unknown, but Faith said it was an explosion,” Alex responded.

”I got to go Linqian, time to put my skills to the test once more, Aryin held out a hand towards Linqian, ”unless you wanted to help me kick some ass.”

”Bitch, you think I’d let you take all the fucking glory?” Linqian said, slapping her hand into Aryin’s. As if she’d let her best friend just go into unknown danger alone. ”Of course I’m kicking ass with you.”

“Okay, okay, okay you can come,” Alex said as they grabbed Linqian and pulled her into the painting before they did the same to Aryin, “but listen close, do not deviate from the path I take you on. Do not linger. You are a guest in their home, an unwanted ghost. We move, we move fast, and we get you both out as fast as we can. Understand?”

All around Linqian would see a sea of white and emptiness but on closer inspection would see that there were many, many painting frames spattered across the entire landscape. Around the frames would be the contents of the paintings itself. In the nearby area there was a painting of a squad of knights fighting a dragon, and the knights and the dragon were visible and they were staring at Linqian. There was a malicious vibe to the way they looked at her, like they did not appreciate that an outsider was brought to their home.

“This is our path,” Alex pointed to the paved ground beneath them, “let’s go.” Alex took off in a sprint.

”Go,” Aryin took off after Alex, ”what kind of explosion?”

“Unknown,” Alex responded as they waved the two on faster, “but big enough that Faith knew that we were under attack.”

”Fucking… 317, right? That’s what’s under attack?” Linqian asked as she picked up the pace, trying to ignore the fucking creepiness of the place. It was… nicer than Jack teleporting, kinda. ”So we have no idea what the fuck we’re walking into?”

“Yup, home base too,” Alex paused as they looked back at Aryin, “all the toys are there too. I have zero idea what to expect, so go in expecting the worst so that way whatever it is seems somewhat tame.”

”Why are the toys on sight,” Aryin asked back.

“Promotion night, Faith and Octavia wanted to show the newbies,” Alex responded.

Linqian had no idea what they meant by that, and she couldn’t be bothered to ask. ”Well, whatever, I’ll punch anything thrown my way.”

The trip ran for another minute before Alex pointed ahead towards a rectangular painting that showed the basement of the 317. “There, that’s the portal out. I’ll be back with the others as soon as I can,” Alex paused as they stopped, watching Aryin and Linqian run past them.

“Good luck.”