[center][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjEwNi4wNjhjOGUuVEdsc1lTQkNiR0ZqYTNkdmIyUSwuMA,,/gritluefdemo.regular.webp[/img][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/MyKmatB.png[/img][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/hQyGCk7.png[/img][h1][color=f49ac2]Edict[/color][/h1][/center] Oh Lynn. Oh poor, sad Lynn. These thoughts flickered across her mind as her eyes shot open and she realized that she had not in fact dreamt the night before. No, she was in Theo’s room. She was on her side which allowed her eyes the ability to scan the room in front of her. It was basic. There was a cheap IKEA dresser against a wall by a pair of doors, one a bathroom and one to a hall no doubt. There was narry any decorations, yet her eyes were able to pick out the string LED lights at danced across the ceiling where it met the walls. These string lights led her vision to an intricate and well set up gaming station. While Lynn did not know computers, the one she saw looked expensive and powerful. More led lights were visible behind the monitor and they cast a faint but present red glow that illuminated the room partially. Lynn looked down to the floor and saw her clothes still there from she took, or rather, had them taken off. She realized she was naked and she had a hand wrapped around her waist. The constant snoring she heard a sign that whomever she was with was still asleep. Oh Lynn. Why did I do this again? Lynn pushed the thoughts away. She knew that she had already ruined whatever chance she had with Theo. That despite how well their first time out together went, she robbed herself of what might’ve been by moving too fast. Her eyes flashed green as she quickly went to the possible future for answers. In the first, she quickly awoke the man and examined his face. Lynn knew it was Theo’s, and his expression was at least friendly in this future. Stupid, stupid, stupid fucking decisions Lynn. In the future, she started to test the best way to get out of bed without waking him. In most cases it was thankfully easy, though in ten percent of these futures no matter what ways she tried she always woke the man and these futures were always awkward and shame filled. Really fucking good call, Lynn. There’s a serial killer on the loose and you went and got [i]drunk[/i] and went home with the first guy who showed you interest in St. Portwell. Fan-freaking-tastic as always Lynn. She then used the future to search for the way out. It was a simple two story row house, with a second bedroom down the hall and stairs on the left. In eighty percent of these futures there’s a dog toy placed in a haphazard way that, if stepped on, would alert Theo, his roommate, and Theo’s adorable husky. That was to be avoided. As was the squeaky third, seventh, and fifteenth step down. Lastly, she checked the future to see if she could get dressed in here or if she would need to do it downstairs. In most futures the answer took her down. She then did a final check for any possible issues downstairs and made note of where they kept the dental sticks for their dog just in case he slept on the couch that night. Great job Lynn. I’m doing so good on my own. It’s not like the coven actually needs me. Lynn’s eyes returned to normal as she quickly found her way out of Theo’s embrace. She grabbed her clothes, her purse, and her shoes and silently opened the door and went down the hall. She sidestepped the squeaky toy and made her way down the stairs, avoiding the third, seventh, and fifteenth step as she did. Once she found herself on the ground floor she quickly got dressed and found her way to the front door and unlocked the first lock gently. A soft [i]boof[/i] informed her that the dog did indeed sleep down here last night. With a smile, she walked over to the shelf right next to the door and took off the lid to a jar. She pulled out a treat and walked over to the dog. [color=F08080]“Sit,”[/color] Lynn commanded and the dog obeyed, [color=F08080]“stay,”[/color] Lynn held up her palm as she walked over to the door and unlocked the final lock, she tossed the treat and said [color=F08080]“free puppy”[/color] as she swung open the door and stepped outside. She took a quick few steps down to the ground from the elevated doorway and looked around. She did not know where she was but the smell suggested she was near the harbor. The road she was on was flanked all across with additional row houses that had their unique charms. She flashed her eyes to the future once more as she checked which path made the most sense. Following the street to the left would take her to an industrial area, and the street to the right a commercial one. Her eyes flicked back to normal as she started walking towards the right, pulling out her phone as she did, and begun heading towards civilization. As she walked, she saw that it was only eight in the morning, and judging by her texts with Lila she had been here since two. Lila was telling her how crazy it was at Lucas, and how much fun they were having and how cool Ken was. Abandoning my closest friends again, Lynn? Next thing I know I’ll be back in Chicago away from them all. I really am this covens fuck-up. [color=F08080]“Shut up,”[/color] Lynn whispered to her own thoughts as she made her way down the street. As she did, she checked her bags for her things and saw that she still had her flask but a quick jingle revealed its contents did not survive the night out. This meant that she would be sober for a few hours this morning, and this was a few hours too long. Already wanting another drink? How did last night end? [color=F08080]“Shut up shut up,”[/color] Lynn groaned as she used her phone's GPS to find the closest gas station. While the booze there sucked, she could at least grab a bottle of cheap vodka to drown these thoughts until she got home. She began walking faster. The cold wind of a winter morning stung, especially when Lynn forgot to bring a coat with her the night before. You would think I would remember at least that? How do I ever plan to stop father wolf if I can’t stop myself from being this big of a fuck-up? How do I get sober? [hr] Lynn walked through the door that Lila held open for her with a confident step and a warm smile. This was already a good day. She was up early, she would take a shower, and then she’d see what was on the agenda for the day after she got dressed and had a nice meal to start the day. [color=DA70D6]“We were worried about you,”[/color] Lila paused as she yawned. Her wings remained out but they too were a little sluggish this morning. [color=DA70D6]“Where did you even go,”[/color] Lila rubbed her eyes as she locked up the door and returned to the couch that was her bed for the night. She curled into a ball like shape as she dragged the blanket back over top. [color=F08080]“Oh you know,”[/color] Lynn whispered back, careful to not wake the rest of the sleeping members that resided in Lucas apartment, [color=F08080]“I went out to Bianca’s and things got kind of wild,”[/color] Lynn paused as she sighed. She happened upon the drunk text she sent Grayson. [code] “Hey friend, I neeed some help figuring something out with the future. You’re clever, pretty clever, think you could heeelp me out?[/code] She read on and saw that the two had agreed to meet up early in the morning at some cafe down by the harbor district. She grimaced at the realization that her drunken escapade had taken her close to the place she needed to be this morning. Still, she needed a shower and to brush her teeth and she wouldn’t get to do that there. [color=F08080]“But I’m back home now. I have to meet up with Greyson, he’s going to help me with the futures. Maybe I’ll get one step closer to figuring this out,”[/color] Lynn continued to whisper. [color=DA70D6]“I’m worried about you Lynn.”[/color] Lynn smirked at the words. Not a single emotion besides pleasant was visible on her face but she could already hear the voice in her head start up again. [color=F08080]“I appreciate your concern, but I promise you I’m fine. Rest up, imma take a shower and head out again.”[/color] [color=DA70D6]“Please take it easy with the drinking, okay? I see more than most, remember?”[/color] She’s right. And I know it. [hr] Lynn was at the cafe awaiting edict. She had ordered herself a nice cappuccino and a delicious little treat. For edict, she had ordered the same thing albeit with the stipulation to make it fresh when her company arrived. She had picked this place because this was a relatively known cafe, but also because it was run by an Italian family and they prided themselves on being authentic. Whether or not that was true was another debate all to itself. Edict knew Cafe Caponetta well enough: The Caponettas weren't connected, but they were always happy to jump into volunteer work every August as the Saint's Festival got closer and closer. He respected their clean business, and that sentiment was shared by his Uncle who made sure the business stayed out of anyone else's grubby criminal hands. As he entered the place, he stopped at the counter to pay respects: Mrs. Caponetta was pushing seventy, still manning the drip press, and he had a small conversation with her. It seemed he either hadn't seen Lynn, or wasn't concerned about the speed at which he was getting to it. The old lady made him an espresso then and there, and he sipped the little cup with a big smile on his face. Eventually, there was some head nodding before Edict finally looked back into the cafe. Seeing Lynn, he nodded his head in acknowledgement before saying his last goodbyes; though not before the old lady gave him the coffee that Lynn had independently ordered him. With his fresh drink, he finally made way to the first meeting of the day. [color=f49ac2]“Heyyyyy, there she is… Lynny, how the hell are you, Hon?”[/color] Edict asked in a very casual way, as if he hadn't seen her just yesterday and heard her make a premonition about a crazed trip to the Pit. His arms were open wide, as if she may have some sort of impetus to give him physical affection. But he did wait for her queue to sit down instead of standing like an idiot. [color=F08080]“Oh I’m,”[/color] terrible, dead inside, regretting all of my decisions to this point. [color=F08080]“well I’m well, good to see you again,”[/color] Lynn paused as she stood up and gave him a hug, [color=F08080]“sit, sit! I see you knew this place well, I didn’t even need the future to guess that. Thank you so much for meeting me today, I really need more help with this future business.”[/color] Edict patted Lynn’s back gently, sitting down across from her and taking a sip of his cappuccino. [color=f49ac2]“Business?! Lynn! I’m flattered you’d be looking for some kind of business advice during these hard tiiiiimes… That’s [i]great[/i]. We love businesses, really; especially local ones. With physical locations. And independent owners.”[/color] He was grinning widely, leaning in slightly in a fairly conspiratorial manner. tender eyes [color=f49ac2]“What kind of business are we talking about here, Hon? Legal? Not-so-much?”[/color] he questioned, moving his free hand back and forth slightly in a playful manner. [color=F08080]“Grey area of legality. Maybe a future teller business, I could tell people their future and they’d pay me handsomely. Especially those about the future of our coven. I know have seen so many possibilities but I don’t know which one is true. They all seem to run into Kari in some shape or fashion. I figured you might be able to provide some help there,”[/color] Lynn said as she exhaled heavily, [color=F08080]“maybe figure out the business stuff too. I would be a fantastic small business owner.”[/color] Edict could only laugh at Lynn's sudden willingness to use her abilities on blinds. Back in the day, he'd encouraged just about everyone to develop a “cash spell”: Something they could reliably use to make themselves rich through trickery that the Blinds couldn't possibly pull off. Lynn had always, at least as far as he could remember, held her abilities to a higher standard than “cheap tricks”. [color=f49ac2]“Well I'm excited to hear you're less precious about using your magic… But you're more worried about our situation, ain't you? These random ass futures you see… You want odds or something? Like I'm a calculator?”[/color] he asked, trying to fish out what she actually hoped to achieve with his presence. [color=F08080]“Not quite.”[/color] Lynn paused as she leaned back. [color=F08080]“Remind me again, what can you do with your power,”[/color] Lynn said as she took a sip of her drink. [color=F08080]“If I finally let you in, could you, for example, see what I see?”[/color]. Lynn had never let Greyson into her mind. She was always paranoid that he would do something more than she asked. Lynn felt, no, knew that if someone could just see what she saw in the detail that the future actually brought she might have a fighting chance at figuring this out. Edict gritted his teeth slightly, leaning back in a nervous fashion. [color=f49ac2]“Oh… Well… Yes. Anything you have memories of, I can find and watch them with more clarity than you can remember them. But I think there should be some concern about just what that means for us… You have to understand that if I see something you didn't, it could theoretically hurt me. Or, worse, you.”[/color] Of course it was theoretical, but he didn't exactly trust White Lux. It had a tendency of making dreams a reality, and for a brain delver like himself, he found that certain entities could attach themselves to memories observed by White Lux methods. It was something like Schrödinger's Landmine. [color=F08080]“Could you see what I see in real time? Like can I walk you through the possible futures?”[/color] [color=f49ac2]“We could induce a Recollection: I’ll get the gist. Or, we can walk through it step by step… You just have to [i]let me in.[/i]”[/color] he said very gently, taking another sip of his coffee and peering over the rim of the mug with sly eyes. Lynn did not want to do this. Every fiber of her being told this was as much a mistake as any that came before, that she should run and leave this spot and never look back, never talk about this, and try and find a different way to get help. She has never trusted Greyson, never really liked how he used his power, or trusted that he wouldn’t do more than was asked. Don’t do it. Don’t let your guard down. You will regret this. Lynn relaxed her emotional field before she took it down completely. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. [color=F08080]“The gist is not enough, you’ll need you see what I’ve seen.[/color]. Lynn opened her eyes and looked at the devilish ones of Greyson, [color=F08080]“go on then.”[/color] As Lynn looked him in the eye she could’ve sworn she’d seen them like that before. A memory flashed through her mind of a cold winter's morning in Chicago. [color=f49ac2]“Then just relax, Hon… I’m a straight shooter these days. We’ll take a trip together; I need you to open the connection to your own Lux.”[/color] Edict's hand slipped into his coat like the Devil reaches for a pen. Those gold-rimmed aviators, whose lenses had been replaced hundreds of times, still gleamed and sparkled like they were brand new. The amount of Lux current that passed through them practically ionized the metal, leaving them treated against wear and tear. It was like every motion he made was a purposeful struggle, time stretching out and away from Lynn as she was forced to wait for the treatment she was already so unsure of. The agonizing waiting, wondering what it would be like. Whether he'd keep his word in the end or not. She was quite literally letting him in past any kind of defense made to protect her from people like him: The Emotional Field of an Adept was their only line of protection against subtle mind altering magic, or unaccepted physical change, or anything that magic may do to you unwillingly. While Edict wasn't likely to know a spell meant to rearrange someone's internal organs wholesale, it was entirely possible for Pink Luxers to induce coma or even death. And with very simple spells, should they make it beyond the barrier, one could find their life irreparably changed. Strangely, his decision to make the moments as long and drawn out as possible was intentional: He wanted to make sure this poor-decision making individual had enough time to process the risks they were practically begging to take. He didn't ever want Lynn going to the Coven to say he tricked her, after all. He was content to hand her as much rope as she wanted, as was the way of a Mafioso. You hand out the rope: Whether they climb down from the tower, or hang themselves from the window? That was always to be left up to the subject. There certainly wasn't a tender night several years ago. Definitely one that wasn't tugging at his heart strings, making him think twice about what his actual intentions were at this moment. [color=f49ac2][i]You need another woman like you need a hole in the head. Don't be your Father.[/i][/color] As soon as his glasses touched his face, Lynn would be able to feel the enormous wave of Pink wash across the cafe. The feeling of a dozen tendrils wrapped across the back of Lynn's head and neck, cradling her head and keeping it looking straight ahead. [color=f49ac2]“Last chance to back out. The unknown is scary… I know.”[/color] [color=F08080]“You say that like I don’t see the unknown. I suppose I should offer you the same, last chance before you see a lot of it, a lot of death,[/color] Lynn responded as she felt a shiver run down her spine, [color=F08080]“alright straight shooter, ready for a trip through the possible future,[/color] Lynn pulled out her phone pulled open a stopwatch. Lynn could feel his tendrils grip the back of her mind, head, and neck. A weirdly familiar sensation, Lynn thought. A strangely familiar sensation. It was almost as if… Lynn has felt this sensation before. Chicago, it was a really cold winter's night. Lynn started the stopwatch as she flipped to the possible future, and realized that their history may be more complicated than she remembered. Lynn sighed as she found herself in the possible future. She remained in the same seat she sat in the present, and the stopwatch would still be counting forward, and Edict would still be sitting across from her with his gold aviators on. Her Edict would be a fly on the wall. This edict had a question she needed answered. [color=F08080]“Hold Greyson, don’t use your Lux. I have one quick question for the real you back in the present. Have we ever shared a cold winter's night in Chicago,[/color] Lynn paused as she looked at the timer. Seventeen.. Eighteen.. Nineteen.. Lynn reset the possible future to a new instance. She needed to say that before she started and she couldn’t run the possible future if this possible Edict knew this was the future already. She looked at the stopwatch to show Edict as much as the timer was back to one.. She turned to this new possible Edict and smiled. [color=F08080]“On second thought I don’t think I’m ready for this, at least right now, can we do a rain check?[/color] Lynn did not wait for a response. She simply stood up, walked to the door, went outside and sighed. [color=F08080]“Welcome to the possible future, Edict, it may look the same but just.. slightly amiss. The sightly green glow is the obvious thing but there are some things that reveal the fiction lurking in the truth,”[/color] Lynn paused as she began to walk down the street, [color=F08080]“like if you see Linqian come up and hug me, if Lila detransitions, or if Anya is anything but a bitch, those kind of things,”[/color] Lynn looked in a window as she paused, [color=F08080]“I will take you forward from here. I will show you ten prophecies, and how I get there. Keep an eye out for anything I might miss, okay?”[/color]. Lynn continued along the path and began to take Greyson the possible futures in all its pained glory. Greyson would see visions that included his future, if inadvertently. He would watch as Britney, Linqian, and everyone he loved die in some shape or fashion. He would see that St. Portwell was destroyed a few times. He would see The Maiden take flight and a Harpy take her down. After five-hundred or so possible futures visited, which would’ve felt like a full couple days, Lynn was ready to go for five hundred more. Suddenly, Lynn was ripped from the possible future and brought back to the present. She gasped as she returned as she hit the stop timer on her stopwatch. She looked towards Greyson with a slightly angry expression, [color=F08080]“the fuck?”[/color] Greyson was still wiping the blood from his nose as Lynn complained about the stoppage. There was a long moment where he was just staring at her, a bloody napkin in his hand. [color=F5388C]”Alright… I… What, wait. I asked you when we started this: Do you think I’m a Goddamn calculator? You think I’m a supercomputer, I can read nine billion things? You’re going to give me a fucking aneurism!”[/color] he groaned. [color=F5388C]”I don’t even know what you’re looking for, Lynn! You-you… You brought up the Mid-west, you showed me… So much! Do you ever do any sort of organizing?”[/color] he barked at her. Lynn looked at Greyson bloody face, then down to the napkin, back up to face before it rested on the napkin for a moment. Each time she looked up and down more of her anger fell away until all that was left was sorrow and disappointment. [color=F08080]“I’m so sorry I had no idea that would happen,”[/color] Lynn said truthfully. She had never had a copilot before. Lynn paused as she grabbed her own napkin and offered it to Greyson, [color=F08080]“I was trying to find the paths back to the possible future. The last time I went that far forward was back at Kari’s so this was a fresh search from a new location. And my memory of the possible future is the organizing. I can’t take anything out with me so I just have to try and get all the details I can along the way,”[/color] Lynn paused as she looked up to Greyson again. [color=F08080]“Are you okay?”[/color] Lynn held up her smartphone to show only thirty seconds had passed. Greyson’s eyes were practically pink down to the pupil. They were watering, and he slipped his free hand down to grab his coffee and take another sip. [color=F5388C]”You’re lucky I’ve got a lot of storage… I have it all, I think: Yes, even in that short amount of time…”[/color] He tilted his head back, sniffing through one nostril that sounded like it was still full of blood. Subtly, tactfully, he slipped a handkerchief from his coat and spat a glob of blood into it before shaking his head. [color=F5388C]”Alright…-”[/color] Greyson leaned forward again, taking a final sip of coffee. [color=F5388C]”-Why did you bring up Chicago?! Y’know I could barely pay attention after that? Just confused the whole time as I’m trying to gather info- What do you think, I’m just not gonna stop and ask you about that?”[/color] [color=F08080]“Were you in Chicago in the last five years? Specifically during a rather cold winter, and if so did we..[/color] Lynn paused as she leaned back into this chair, [color=F08080]“having you in my head felt…familiar. And I have glimpses of a morning, a morning where you were there,[/color] Lynn paused as she downed her whole drink nervously. [color=F08080]“Did we have sex?[/color] Greyson threw both his hands up. He looked disappointed, but angry at the same time. Discouraged. [color=F5388C]”[i]Yeah.[/i] And now that you bring it up like it's a foggy fucking day, I'm really regretting it. You don't [i]remember[/i] because we both started off fucking trashed.-”[/color] Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. [color=F5388C]”At the time, I didn't ever think I was gonna be back here. I didn't think I was ever going to see you again… And I always figured if I did, you… Listen: I didn't do anything to the memory. I promise, it wasn't- I didn't-... We… We agreed, there was consent, I promise you.”[/color] Greyson slipped both of his hands onto the table, palms open and seemingly waiting to take her hands into his own. [color=F5388C]”I can show you. I can show you we both just… Chose to make the bad decision. Greyson Devola is a gentleman, not some date rapist, I'd never willingly prey on anyone in that situation…-”[/color] He paused, reconsidering his words. [color=F5388C]”-Y'know, for sex… Violations like that are heinous, you get killed in prison for them…”[/color] The topic seemed to be some kind of sticking point. Frankly, his nervous energy was misplaced… In the moment of trying to explain away what seemed now like a not-so-great idea, the guilt of every bad thing he [i]had[/i] done- The killing, the stealing, the pain -pressed against the floodgates of his remaining honor and dignity. [color=F08080]“I need to get sober,”[/color] Lynn sighed as she placed her hands on her forehead, [color=F08080]“I know you didn’t do anything shitty. I kind of remember the next morning, hot chocolate in bed while the snow buried the city. Now that I’m thinking about it more I’m getting flashes of memories. I,”/color] Lynn paused as she looked back up to Greyson, [color=F08080]“am not accusing you of being a monster. You’re a dick, sure you have always been kind of a dick, but you’re our covens dick. Apparently metaphorically and literally. Did you do anything that I did not ask you to do? No, I remember consent,”[/color] Lynn paused as she smirked, [color=F08080]“I seemingly trust you more than I thought I did so no, you don’t have to share the full memory with me. Thank you for being honest.[/color]. Lynn knew that he was telling the truth. Not just for the fact that Lynn had done that exact thing a hundred times already in her futile pursuit of love, but the morning after was lovely enough that she did know she did not regret the night even if she couldn’t remember it. [color=F08080]“I,[/color] Lynn paused as she rubbed the back of her neck, [color=F08080]“have always had a drinking problem. Even before the coven was founded. My memory is not the best when it comes to past events even if the future is always clear to me in the moment.”[/color]. This was the first time she admitted it was a problem. Why was she sharing this with Greyson, why not ask her friends for help? Lynn bit her lip as she tried to think of the answer to this question but she could only think that it was because she was tired of hiding it finally. Greyson just so happened to be the one nearby to hear it. Greyson frowned at the situation. Substance abuse was nothing new to him: He was a peddler and an addict himself. He was just thankful his addiction came from his own source. [color=F5388C]”I haven't met many Oracle-type White Luxers who aren't addicted to escaping their reality, Lynn… You see a million futures, most of them are bad, and then you think it won't affect you. It's nonsense. Normal people who have nothing crazy going on get hooked to the shit, it's practically expected that dealing with it comes with a price.”[/color] He took a deep breath, thinking about offering what he knew he shouldn't… But this was to help her, not to… Not to hook her. [color=F5388C]”If you really want to be sober, I can help you. You need to be willing to work toward it on your own, but I can set you up with something mostly non-invasive. You're aware of Pavlov's Dog, no?”[/color] he asked gently. [color=F08080]“Pavlov’s dog? It rings a bell,[/color] Lynn smirked, [color=F08080]“Why? What did you have in mind?”[/color] Lynn was tired of the hangovers, the drunken mistakes, the regret filled mornings, the constant hiding of her drinking, the lying to friends, and the lack of progress as a person. [color=F08080]“Us oracles have always sought answers in a cloudy mind, maybe that’s what has held me back?”[/color] Greyson cleared his throat. [color=F5388C]”It’s natural in your position to have your mind cloudy… The Oracle at Delphi sat in a cave full of sulfur fumes when they gave their predictions. Italian history, y’know-”[/color] he petered off, totally unaware of Delphi being Greek or that he was mixing them up with the Sybil of Rome and southern Italy. [color=F5388C]”-Anyway, fuckin’... Pavlov’s Dog, essentially you train the dog to drool at the sound of the bell. You don’t need the food after a certain point, you just need the bell.-”[/color] again, a terrible summarization. [color=F5388C]”-So, we can either kill your desire for drink; and you’ll have an empty place in your heart forever because you’ll never feel normal around alcohol ever again… Or, we can set up a long-term reward system for you. Give you something better than the drink, but it only hits you if you’ve successfully fought the urge to relapse. That way, you can’t fake it: You have to go through a specific chemical process in your brain of feeling an urge and letting it pass by before the reward comes. I’ve had relative success applying this to other people looking to get clean, so… I’d consider it proven, even if adjustments need to be made after-the-fact.”[/color] Lynn pondered the situation in detail. She could be free. She could feel great every time she made the conscious decision to not drink. It sounded perfect, almost too perfect. I’m not seriously considering this? Am I fucking insane? Don’t do this, don’t even consider this. The benefit will never outweigh the cost. You’d be beholden to home. You’d need to have him in your mind. You’d have to keep. coming. back. Do I want this? [color=F08080]“Can I have a minute to decide? Like,[/color] Lynn took a fast series of breaths as she looked down to the table, [color=F08080]“let’s talk about what you saw in the future, and then I’ll let you know. Is that okay?[/color] Greyson folded his hands, but not in a dismissive way. His face said understanding, and his posture read as relaxed, so ultimately he didn’t seem put off. Really, he wasn’t. It wasn’t his problem whether or not she drank herself to- [color=F5388C]”Sobriety is patient. It’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready to accept it into your life one way or another… So take your time. Now, let me just think about it clearly for a moment.”[/color] He had, at the very least, been crunching some of the information in his head while they spoke. Sure of many futures that were unreal or unrealistic enough to completely brush aside, he was starting to narrow the number down to a place where Lynn had stopped. Ten. Ten real places that could exist knowing everything that he knew from his outside perspective… It was time to start scraping away the sticky remnants that clung to what truly was. He even polished off his coffee, going to get another and coming back with a little huff. [color=F5388C]”Three. I think… I think realistically, I can narrow it down to three with everything I know, all the angle’s I’ve scoped.”[/color] Already having the in into Lynn’s mind, the gap still fresh and unable to deny him, he plugged back in to interface with her mind. Memories specifically highlighting the three realities were presented to Lynn’s psyche as dossiers: Thought files that detailed every single intricacy and hidden layer to the realities that Lynn presented. One was labled “A Sad Reality”, one “A Wretched Reality” and the final being “A Hopeful Reality”. Speaking to her directly through her mind, Greyson’s voice echoed across the empty span between Lynn and the dossiers. [color=F5388C][i]She’s dead, she’s killing us for fucking revenge, or she managed to get the jump on something real evil happening, and now she’s lambed up. Sad, wretched, hopeful. I don’t particularly love any of these; White Lux memories are like trying to watch a movie through a plastic cup. But I’ve done what I can.[/i][/color] And then he pulled back out, leaving Lynn to see his face across the table again. He looked fairly serious, if not a little tired now. [color=F08080]“So we agree. Three bad options being the most likely outcome, three options that are unlike our Kari, and three options that will take us no closer to finding father wolf,[/color] Lynn smiled as she shook her head. [color=F08080]“the possible future is a bitch like that.[/color] Lynn paused as she tapped her finger on the table. [color=F08080]“Thank you, Greyson. Truly. You’re the first person I’ve taken to the possible future. Even if I don’t know any more than I did before I at least know that someone has seen what I’ve seen and come to the same conclusion,”[/color] Lynn paused as she thought more about whether she would take Greyson up with his help. Please don’t do this. I don’t…I don’t know how I will feel. [color=F08080]“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared of sobriety, Greyson. Will I suffer making the right choices? I don’t want to check that myself.”[/color] Shaking his head, Greyson tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling for a moment. Unsure of how to answer the question, he did his best to reach for something in the ether. [color=F5388C]”There’s no point in not trying a different mode of suffering. You wake up, you can’t remember x amount of time, you’re with someone you don’t know, you’re asking all these questions to yourself… Doesn’t it get boring? Of course it does, or you wouldn’t even be contemplating the change.”[/color] A sip of coffee broke up the heavy atmosphere. [color=F5388C]”So, you trade it. You trade the emptiness and the sad feelings of loneliness. You get a pet. You bury yourself in your work, you take up a hobby, you do something to take up your time because we’ve evolved out of our basic instincts. You can’t just not think about it all… So you suffer by being tired. By making every dream you ever had become a painful reality. And you do it with the clarity of sobriety, knowing that ultimately you’re doing what you do because you love yourself. And I can’t really give you that feeling, Lynn. As much as I can program it, or mind control you, something will happen one day and the little Bell in your head keeping you safe from all that goes away. So, you need to be trained to do it on your own. So-”[/color] He leaned forward. [color=F5388C]”-that’s what I’ll do. Essentially, the reward is a set of chemicals produced by a trigger in the brain. When you’ve gone through the valley that dealing with a problem presents to you, the trigger will pump the production center. You’ll feel uh… Like you just did something incredible. You’ll feel like you just swam across the English Channel, or climbed Everest on your own. It’ll condition your brain to do this regularly, so that when the spell fades, it’ll still happen. But it’ll be something you have to internalize. Recognize. Learn to believe the feeling.”[/color] [color=F08080]“Do it,”[/color] Lynn softly responded. She’s said things that she didn’t mean, burned bridges she can never repair. She needed this much more than she admitted, and she needed all the help she could get. As she settled into the seat, awaiting the inevitable. Part of her still fought to stop what was to come, too afraid of the possibility of restless nights where sleep was robbed from her. Of dream filled sleep that torments her. She was terrified of what her body would do without alcohol, and how sick she might become. This fear was front and center in her mind and there was nothing that could stop it. Yet there was a glimmer of hope that continued to burn through this. A hope for healthy relationships, of a better future. Of love that was not conditioned on someone fixing her. This was a long time coming, and she was suddenly ready for what came next. [color=F5388C]”Alright… And, Lynn? I believe in you.”[/color] For Lynn, the sensation would’ve been something like surgery. The kind of surgery where one moment you’re talking to the anaesthesiologist, and then the next moment you’re in the hospital room with a nurse fussing over you.There was no sign that Greyson had done anything, except in the case of basic White Lux energy sensory, Lynn would be able to feel the lingering fizzy pinkness that was telltale of a Pink Lux spell in effect within her. But the man himself was gone. There was no coffee cup, there was no man… Only a small stack of hundred dollar bills and a donut with a note. [color=F5388C][i]You’re gonna want the sugar soon.[/i][/color]