---

---

---

Discussions were heating up as the House of Cards limo made their way to the Paragon halls. Valencia was dressed in a decored black suit, sitting beside Demos, who wore a slick black leather suit. Across from Valencia sat Isabella, hat drawn low over her eyes and puffed blouse sleeves softening her figure.

Isabella was leaned forward, hands raised, as if trying to grasp reason and shove it into Valencia's head. “With all due respect, Mother, if the Sycamore catches wind of you outting them on the deal, we're going to have fifteen-plus powerful adepts on our doorstep. Probably more with how their alliances are.”

“They're not going to find out. Luna's kept her mouth shut.” Valencia said, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah? What about people like Mr. Kane, hm? How do you think the Elite caught wind of your desperate search for the notes? Who's to say Mr. Kane won't ring the bell?”

Isabella pinched the bridge between her nose, taking a breath, before her voice lowered, her eyes tilting up to meet Valencia's. “Ma'am, we've been through so much. We can't take another information leak. The first left us without Phantasia, rest her soul. If my suspicions are right-”

“If your suspicions are right, then we tighten security when this all goes down, and plan backdoors in case things go south.” Valencia said, her tone hard. “I've got too much riding on this alliance with the Elite. This could be our big ticket to more opportunities around St. Portwell, connections. You know how important those are to our own prosperity, Isabella.”

“And what of Luna? What if push comes to shove? Do you really think she'd choose us over her coven?”

Valencia was quick in her response. “She knows the punishment for disobeying a direct order. She's loyal. I wouldn't have made her Underboss if that wasn't the case.

“Now, are there any other concerns you wish to air out, Isabella?”

Isabella stared for a moment, before reluctantly sitting back in her seat. “Just one. With our new intel, what do you plan on doing…?”

Valencia flashed her wolfish grin. “I'll tell you. Mr. Valos is gonna hate it, that's for certain.”

---

---

Paragon Halls were active at night… security was through the roof as the various families of the Elite were assembled in the conference room. The Schmidts were all in their seat, with the Liu Family represented by Jiao-Long and his wife, Chunhua. However, another family was present… The Pimms. The leader of the Pimm branch of the Elite, Elynn Pimm, sat in her chair with her legs crossed and her fingers steepled. She was wearing a black suit and tie, and next to her was her esteemed brother and mayor-candidate, Chester Pimm, who stood with his arms behind his back. The room was eerily silent, as the tension was so thick one could cut it with a knife.

The doors opened, and Jason Valos hobbled in, with his wife, Gabriela Valos, at his side wearing an ornate black dress. He walked into the room.

“You’re late,” Elynn quietly said.

“The fuck I ain’t,” Jason said before he flashed her a grin. “I’m a minute early in fact. So shut the fuck up, Elynn.”

Elynn rolled her eyes.

“Jason, you’re here!” Blake said with a wide smile, clutching a glass of wine while Phillis sat beside him. “I hope everyone’s ready! Our guest of honor should be here any minute now.”

“... We don’t have everyone,” Chester nodded.

“Well, fuck ‘im,” Jason said as he hobbled over to his chair and sat down. “I put out a time, and if they want to treat it like an afterthought? Not my problem.” He rolled his eyes.

“Actually,” Chester took a step forward; his sister said something quietly to him, but he ignored her. “Let’s address the elephant in the room.”

Jason grinned again.

“... Got something to get off your chest there… Chesty?” He laughed. “Geddit?”

“I do, in fact,” Chester narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. “... Why are you inducting that freak, Sage, into your part of the Elite?”

Jason kept that grin. “... Why are you worrying about it? You said it yourself, ’your part of the Elite’. As in, my part. Not your part. My part. It’s none of your business.”

“It is my business.” Chester shot back, baring teeth.

“Look, Chester-” Elynn tried to pipe up.

“Look Chesty,” Jason grinned, “If you’re so worried about Sage’s induction fucking with what little ‘authority’ - and I use that word’ loosely - you have here then maybe you should go bitch at your sister. Not me.”

“What game are you playing here, Jason?” Chester asked, “I know that freak, and they wouldn’t want anything to do with us without a reason… Just like how I know you wouldn’t help that freak unless it benefits you.”

“... And here I was thinking the untreated syphilis finally rotted your brain, Chesty.” Jason laughed before clapping his hands together and putting them up. “You do have a brain… but it don’t work all that good, though.” Jason laughed.

“You think this is all a joke?! A fucking game!?” Chester shouted, pounding his fists on the table.

“Enough!” Elynn’s voice sliced through like a blade and stood tall, “This isn’t the time for petty insults. Chester has a point. Sage is up to something. You’re up to something. We can’t afford that kind of instability right now.”

“‘That kind of instability’?” Jason raised an eyebrow, incredulously laughing. “Bitch, you say that, and your got those two crazy bitches acting as your attack dogs.”

He paused for dramatic effect; his grin widened, “... Tell me what about those two screams stable?”

“You want to talk about stability?!” Elynn hissed, slamming her hands on the table. “My sisters, those ‘two crazy bitches,’ as you so elegantly put it, are fiercely loyal and effective. Unlike you, who seems obsessed with jeopardizing everything we’ve worked for every chance you get!”

“Now, you know that’s bullshit,” Jason laughed again, leaning back in his chair. “Those two are a disaster on four legs. It’s only time until those two just crash out.” He laughed.

“... Surprised it hasn’t happened already.”

“They’re loyal to us,” Chester said. Unlike you, they know how to follow orders when necessary.”

“Bullshit!” Jason laughed. “They’re loyal to their fuckin’ impulses. Why else would they flit around like lunatics literally every chance they get?”

“And yet their chaos has proven useful time and time again. You forget, Jason, that a little unpredictability can be our greatest weapon,” Elynn calmly said as she sat back down and steepled her fingers.

Jason shot her a condescending glance. “... Up until that unpredictability fucks you over, Elynn.”

“That unpredictability hasn’t once screwed us over,” Elynn said, not even looking in Jason’s direction. “And you know why? Because I know how to control it.

“You’re fuckin’ nuts if you think you can control those two, Elynn,” Jason laughed at the notion. “They’re one intrusive thought away from killing the whole lot of ya’ll!”

“Better wild and loyal than a coward that undermines us at every turn!” Chester shouted.

“Shouldn’t you be busy fucking your sister?” Jason gave Chester the biggest shit-eating grin. Chester’s face went red, and he began shaking. However, Jason didn’t stop there...

“... After all, you’re such a knuckleheaded fuck-up you somehow couldn’t get a girl to bend over for you even if you throw all the money in the world at her.” He began laughing. “So, I don’t think you have no choice, do you?”

“Alright, fuck you!” Chester shouted, charging over to Jason, who drew his pistol.

“Try me, you ugly fuck up,” Jason began.

“Surely, that’s enough!” Jiao-Long shouted as he raised his hands and began waving them. “We have guests coming! This is incredibly poo-”

The doors opened.

To say the lay of the room was surprising was an understatement, but Valencia knew an opportunity when she saw one. As she and Demos walked into the room, she flashed her wolfish smile, first to Blake, then to Jason.

“Boss-man Schmidt, a fine evening with you around.” Valencia said, before addressing Jason, side-eying the new Elite member currently about to throw hands with him.

“Mr. Valos, though I'm all for a good fight… might I have a word with you, privately.” Her wolfish smile widened. “It's terribly pertinent.”

Her hand gestured to Demos, who had taken another step into the room. “I'll leave my husband to regale you.”

Jason glanced at Chester.

Then flipped him off.

Before sliding his sidearm into his coat pocket and turning towards Valencia, he limped over to her on his cane and said, “Let’s go; there’s a private room over here.” Jason hobbled toward the side of the room, his cane tapping in rhythm with each step, though his confident swagger remained intact.

Jason shot a quick glance back at Chester and Elynn, he muttered under his breath, “... Jackasses.”

Jason said as he pushed open an oak door with a grunt. Inside, the private room was dimly lit from a low-hanging chandelier. A large mahogany table sat in the center, surrounded by plush leather chairs. Thick velvet curtains were drawn over the windows, sealing them in from the world outside. “After you,” Jason gestured, holding the door open as Valencia stepped past him, and he stepped in, closing the door after him. Jason stood by the door and said,

“... So, what’s up?” Jason asked. “Is this about the last time we met? Lady, it was nothing personal; I’m just trying to protect our pockets.”

Valencia took a couple steps into the room before turning back to face Jason, her eyes like little shards of ice.

“...No. This is about something else entirely.”

A smirk, and she reached into her suit's inner pocket, pulling out a small recorder. Her finger hovered over the ‘play’ button.

“Now, before you get any funny ideas, I have copies of this, so don't try and steal it.”

Valencia pressed the button, and a recording of the conversation between young voices.

“Maybe it’d be worth snatching those notes from Blake…”

“... Yes, I think we should.”

“...We’re basically Elite already. Getting them can’t be that hard, right?”

Valencia pressed a button on the recorder, and the recording stopped. Her eyes glinted up at Jason.

“From what I've gathered, they're yours, aren't they…?”

She leaned back, resting her back against the edge of the table, smirking. She wondered if Jason could tell where she was going with this.

“Now, it would be a real shame if the rest of the families heard about this… tragic news that your own blood wants to overthrow authority here. Betray your own people.”

Her smirk widened. “What would they think? Better yet, what would they do? To you, to the young ones. Ostracizing you would be a given, if they're that generous. Loss of trust, of course. And that'll eat your profits for a long time.”

She paused, watching Jason's face, before she leaned in. “That is… if I tell them.”

Jason stared at Valencia, completely blankfaced before he grinned ear to ear.

“Oh, you’re clever, ain’t you?” Jason began. “I knew they were up to something… I knew you were up to something.” He began laughing softly.

“So, what do you want? Money? That bitch’s manifesto?”

Valencia's smirk mirrored Jason's. ”One million, and I'll forget all about it. You can wire transfer me here.”

“... And how don’t I know you’ll just show those bastards anyway?” Jason raised an eyebrow. “I ain’t born yesterday.”

Valencia's head rolled slightly, staring at him, before she spoke. “Eye for an eye. I'll give you incriminating files on one of my men. That way, you have evidence to jail him if I talk. Sound fair?

“Of course, after you wire transfer me.”

Jason stared at Valencia for a moment, clenching his jaw before he sighed. “... Fine, you win this round, lady.”

Reaching into his coat, Jason pulled out his phone and, with a few taps, began the wire transfer. As the screen loaded, he glanced up at Valencia…

“... I’ll have you know you’re playing a very dangerous game here, lady,” Jason seethed, shaking his head. “The kind of games that end badly.”

Valencia had a serious expression on her face. ”I realize that.”

After a few seconds, his phone beeped in confirmation. “... It's done. Now where are the files on your men?”

Valencia immediately pulled out her own phone, confirming the transfer. Indeed, the funds had been transferred to her account.

Good.

Valencia reclined her back a little more against the table, finding the drive that held the files. A quick share, and Jason would find a folder filled with pdfs, audio files and photos available for him to download, all from a text with a shareable link.

Valencia looked up from her phone. “His name is Gianno Francesco. Has a lot of dirt on his hands that I've kept for a rainy day. But lucky for you, it's all yours. Enough evidence to put him away for 25 years, if not life.”

She clicked off her phone and slipped it back into her inner breast pocket. ”Now I believe that makes us even. Shall we return to your people?”

“Hmph,” Jason rolled his eyes, and hobbled out of the room back into the main room with the others.

---

The main hall was quiet after Jason and Valencia left. The faint hum of the building’s ventilation system was the only sound that broke the uneasy silence. Blake Schmidt sat at the head of the table, reclining casually, a thin smile on his face as he said,

“Have a seat my boy! We have much to discuss, don’t we?!” Blake steepled his fingers.

“... I don’t trust him,” Phillis was the first to speak up, whispering in Blake’s ear.

Blake was silent.

“Oh, my dear Cassandra,” Blake said, not even bothering with whispering, “I got all of this in the bag. Just trust me.”

Blake leaned forward, his smile unwavering.

“Let me just say that it is great to meet you! We look forward to working with the House of Cards, don’t we?!” Blake grandiosity said, to relative silence and eye-rolling.

“... I would like to get to know you all a bit more,” Jiao-Long noted with a silent nod.

“That, that!” Blake loudly said. “What’s your name? Tell us about your organization’s goals and accomplishments. And how you came to your position!”

Demos stared out at the faces staring back at him, before she shrugged, taking a seat in one of the seats. “Demos Castles. Let me tell you a little story about myself…

“I was a young lad at the time, could barely grow fuzz on my chin. I walked into a bank during business hours, and I robbed it. Months of planning, to know which safety deposit boxes were heavy. It only took small explosions at the right place to pop them open, and dump out their contents. I was gone before the police, paranormal and mundane, came to the scene.

“I've always been one for antiques, physical wealth. With the gold and limited pieces I collected, I amassed five million that day.”

The story was sugar icing. Pleasant to listen to, but withheld any meaningful details. He, of course, hadn't answered Blake’s question directly.

Demos leaned back in his seat, gloved hand resting on the polished table. “I know my wife is very pleased to be working with you, Mr. Schmidt. Tell me, what's your stance on fencing? We're always looking for business partners who'll give our… lifted antiques a good new home.”

“Fencing you say?!” Blake grinned as he leaned back further into his chair. "Well, Mr. Castles, I do believe every business transaction has its, shall we say, artistic side. And, of course, we wouldn’t be where we are today without the occasional… transfer of valuable items!”

Demos nodded. “That's good to hear. It just so happens we have a new shipment of antique and new art pieces, and some precious metal pieces dating back 500 years. Perhaps we can set a time to discuss that business when it's convenient for you, Mr. Schmidt?”

Blake grinned.

“We can do it right now!” Blake shouted, “No time like the present!”

“... I thought we had an important meeting here,” Elynn piped up, crossing her arms as she glanced at Blake. “We all don’t need to be here just so you two can discuss buying art.”

“Unless it’s an Artifact,” Phillis added. “Or a sealed Apparition. Then that’s an entirely different subject matter, Elynn.”

Demos's eyes flickered, betraying a slight hunger, before he leaned forward, leaning his chin on steepled fingers. “If I said I could commission an Artifact for you, for the right price… What would you say to that?”

Blake’s face contorted into a wolfish grin.

“... Now you’re speaking my language!” Blake excitedly said, “Say! How long have you all been operating in St. Portwell?! I wish we met sooner!”

Demos’ eyes crinkled slightly. “About twenty-five years, but we prefer not to make too much noise. You know how it is.”

Cassandra and Angela looked at each other before Blake could respond. The door opened, and Jason rejoined the group…

“Jason! You’re back! Is everything well?!” Blake said, with a wide grin on his face.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s good,” Jason shook his head as he held his seat in Paragon Hall with the Valos family crest. He looked to the left, and to the right, then his gaze landed on Valencia, “Alright, let’s get to work, shall we?”

“Yes, you assembled us for something,” Elynn sipped her wine. “Let’s get this dog and pony show on the road already.”

Valencia took a seat beside Demos, smoothing out her suit. ”I'm all ears.”

“I assembled you all here to hash out the details on assembling those damn notes,” Jason spat out. “So that we’re all on the same page here.”

Elynn rolled her eyes, her head turning a different direction, “What’s so important about those damn notes anyway? Kari is dead, and unless they lead to more artifacts or resources we can ultilize, this is all a waste of time.” Elynn finished with a shrug

Blake straightened in his chair, "Ah, but that’s where you're mistaken, my dear Elynn. Those notes could be the key to unlocking new potentials, wouldn’t you agree?”

Elynn was silent, but Jason turned towards Valencia and Demos.

“... I’m just going to cut to the chase,” Jason said, “Me, Blake, and Jiao-Long have discussed using our laboratories on our headquarters, Elysium Island, as “our grounds” to decipher the notes. Then we get both of our muscle on the island, and that’s when we activate our two security measures, The Eustis Veil and The Eye of Ankhara so nobody gets on the island, and if they do, they’re going to have a hard time flitting around without us knowing.”

Jason nodded his head, glancing at Blake, then Jiao-Long.

“Is this Thursday a good time to decipher the notes so we can finally learn all the dirty little secrets that bitch had?”

Valencia paused for a moment before she nodded, grinning a little. ”Thursday works. Tell me a little more about your security measures, though. The Eustis Veil and the Eye. So I can be on the same page.”

Blake smiled like a fool, and Jason rolled his eyes.

“... I’ll let Blake take the floor on this one.”

“Thank you, my friend!” Blake began. “The heart of our defenses on Elysium Island was created by a genius named Eustis Avitus. Who fused the essence of a powerful Apparition into the Veil! When activated, it summons a chaotic storm that disrupts any teleportation magic! Anyone who tries to breach the perimeter through magic will find themselves lost in a storm of black clouds and lightning!”

“... Make sure to tell them about the downsides,” Elynn rolled her eyes.

“Oh, it’s nothing, my dear Elynn!” Blake laughed at her before turning back to Valencia, “Inside the dome created by the storm, you’re safe from its physical fury, but the longer you stay, the more you risk succumbing to the influence of the Apparition. It whispers; it pulls at your sanity. It’s a clever trap...” He shrugged.

“Oh yes, and the Eye of Ankhara, our surveillance system. Nefertari Ankhara, the creator, infused it with her mastery over sound and perception. Once activated, it creates a network of soundwaves that detect any movement or disruption up to a mile away. If someone enters the area too quickly or creates too much noise, the Eye illuminates their aura and alerts us. It’s sensitive to magical activities, too. Is there any use of magic in its vicinity? Instant exposure.”

Valencia nodded, brows furrowing slightly in thought. “...I'll want to be in the control room where the data from the Eye is relayed, so I can move my men as need be. It's likely we will have one group stationed outside the lab, one in another location… I'll need to see a map of the floor plan to best place them strategically.

“And just to confirm, no windows or ventilation shafts in the lab room where the decoding will take place, right?”

“There is no control room, my dear; if somebody sets off the Eye everyone will be informed,” Blake nodded.

Though, Jason turned his gaze towards Blake, and narrowed his eyes.

“There are no windows, but there are ventilation shafts; our people need to breathe, after all!” Blake said with a nod. “But, a floorplan is easy work! Our headquarters has two layers: the mansion above and all our facilities underneath! I can get it to you pronto!”

Then Jason facepalmed.

Valencia glanced at Jason, before grinning at Blake. ”Appreciated. As I mentioned before, I'll have my little genius take care of the decoding. We won't rest until those notes are laid out bare.

“Now, unless there was anything else…? I ought to get my people prepared…”

All the members of the Elite looked at each other as Blake just smiled. He got up from his seat, and walked over to Valencia, and extended a hand.

“Now, I’m looking forward to working with you all,” Blake began. “Hopefully, we’ll be working together more… People like us, you know, don’t have a lot of friends, and a lot of people who would love to see us fall.”

Blake laughed before he said,

“... So, perhaps an alliance is in order!?”

Jason leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes.

Valencia calmly stood, sliding her hand into Blake’s to shake. Her grip was firm.

”Then let's make it official. The Elite-House Alliance, born today, this Tuesday, November the 8th. Your enemies are my enemies. Your friends are my friends. May we both enjoy a long, prosperous alliance.”

Demos raised his hands and gave a light round of applause. The rest of the Schmidts and Lius joined him… Jason and his wife, and the Pimms just remained silent.

Blake just laughed as he gripped Valencia’s hand.

“Together, we will all achieve our goals!”

It was now a full twenty four hours since Lynn had her last drink, and she was feeling like hell in the middle of some cheap coffee shop . The bags under her eyes, the red look contained within them, and the constant shaking of her leg betrayed this. She had a finger in her mouth that her teeth began to chatter on and her nail. Still, this was suffering that was needed. Lynn knew that the possible trip to the pit was already dangerous, and it would be downright impossible if she was drunk, or dealing with these withdrawals then. A second passed before Lynn admitted to herself that she did not get sober for a possible trip to the literal hell of the magical world. She wanted to get sober because she was a fuck up and she could not live like one anymore. Lynn tried to fight the withdrawals with a plethora of sweet treats and sweet drinks. She had a Caramel Frappuccino, a smattering of Deez Nutz, a local chocolate covered nut, and a few cookies. The table was messy, but there was no point in being neat in a condition like this.

Lynn’s eyes darted to her phone as it finally hit noon. Drake would be here in less than a minute provided he wasn’t feeling generous to a homeless person, or rescuing a cat from a tree, or if he tried to take a shortcut and ended up in a traffic jam, or if he left a few minutes later than the futures told her, or if he got a call that he had to take, or if a freak windstorm blew him over and injured him, or if there was a water main explosion right under his car, or if the snake had broken free and Drake was one of the first victims of the new reign of terror, or-

The roar of Drake’s all-black Dodge Charger could be heard pulling into a spot… followed by the sound of the door opening when Drake Blackmore walked in. He wore a black leather jacket, jeans, a black t-shirt, a black watch, boots, a black chain, and a black baseball cap. He scanned the room a bit before walking over to Lynn with a smile.

”... Damn you look like shit,” Drake awkwardly laughed. ”Rough night?”

“Yep” Lynn knew that she looked like shit. “the roughest of my life so far,” Lynn smiled weakly but her eyes did not contain any joy. “Thank you for coming though,” Lynn paused as she grabbed another sweet treat and ate it, “ready to hear what I have to say about Goro and Yoko?”

Drake took a seat, then leaned back, putting his hands behind his head, ”Hit me.”

“I don’t know why he went in, or how he got there, but I do know that Goro is in the pit. Yoko, I do know, went in to find her brother. They’re still there as of today, but I think they’ll find their own way out eventually…if the idiots they’re with focus,” Lynn made sure to not drop too much detail about what she saw. There was no point in telling someone that three of their dead friends had somehow returned from the maw of the hound and were in the pit fighting every single day. She’d never seen a person who died in the past in the future before. Lynn paused as she looked at Drake, and then back to the table before she tossed a handful of Deez Nutz into her mouth. “Drake, I’ve never seen this before. I’ve never seen someone I know for a fact is dead alive in the future. Yoko is with Lisa, Ella, and Saiska.”

Drake was silent for a moment.

”... Who?”

Lynn blinked twice in rapid succession. Oh, they are doomed if they actually go to the pit with the covens ‘lights are on but nobody's home’ bad boy. Lynn’s eyes flashed green for a brief second as she pulled into the possible future, checking to see what way she could explain them.

“Anime girl who shouted her spells, spider girl who had her tits grabbed while flying away from Scott Reese and the edgy blood girl.”

”Yeah, don’t ring a bell,” Drake shrugged. ”So, wait, you said that they’re dead, but also alive? How’s that work?”

Lynn’s right eye twitched. “They were in our coven? They died ten years ago during the nightly battles we fought? Adora has crippling depression because she-…..you know what? Who they are isn’t important. They died, dead for a decade, but for some reason in twenty percent of the futures where we go to the Pit they’re there. I don’t know how. I’ve never seen something like that before and I’ve seen a lot of futures,” Lynn paused as she took a deep breath. She quickly grabbed the Frappuccino and took a big drink from it. “I could show you one of those possible futures.”

”I don’t really understand any of this, but hit me!” Drake said with a grin.

Lynn’s eyes flashed green and she was off to the possible future, projecting the vision onto the world so that Drake could see. It took just a moment for her to find the right way forward, and soon the vision began to show the potential details to Drake. After several, blazing fast seconds, Lynn’s vision began to slow down. The vision showed their position in the pit compromised. Several Autoknights had then surrounded.. Leon and Drake were both injured, Luna was nowhere to be seen, and it appeared the group was at their end. Suddenly, the knights were engaged and dispatched the metal monsters.

Lisa, Ella, and Saiska were painfully busy just being the worst people. Drake thankfully couldn’t hear what they said but their humor was crude, rude, and entirely unchanged from when they were kids. And then Yoko saw Drake, walked down, and began yelling at him. And yelling. And the yelling continued before she reached out and hugged him. Evelynn pulled herself out of the vision and groaned. The magic was feeling exceptionally brutal on her completely sober and withdrawal stricken mind.

“From there we would journey together, find Goro in one of fifty different places. The journey to him is even more dangerous, our group specifically is always woefully unprepared. In some of the futures you die not long after saving Goro, in some of the futures I die right before we find the exit from the Pit. In all the futures it seems like us going to the pit is almost more trouble than it’s worth. We always come home stronger, better equipped, and ready for what comes next, however.”

Drake leaned back in his chair, his casual smirk never fading.

"So let me get this straight…" Drake began. "We're going to the Pit, and there's a good chance we run into your dead friends or whatever who aren't dead anymore for some reason. But, like, we might also die trying to save Goro. And if we don’t die, we come back stronger. I’m not sure what part of this I’m supposed to be worried about."

He grinned. ”You’re acting like this is supposed to freak me out. But, come on, Lynn, haven’t we been through worse? Is it really worse? How can the Pit be any worse than fighting Stiggy?”

“I mean the pit is a wild place, that much is shown to me,” Lynn paused as she took a bite of a cookie. The sweets were not helping. She still felt like shit. Greyson was wrong. How could she get a reward if the cravings never end? “I want to be nothing but open. It will suck, arguably more than the fight with the snake. We had a lot more strength fighting that fight than we’d have fighting this one. The future tells me that the pit is important, but,” Lynn paused as she looked up to Drake, “I don’t know for sure. The last few days have given me…a clarity in the fog. That clarity is telling me that life is more complex than what the future shows.”

Drake raised an eyebrow.

”... And what do you mean by that?” He asked.

“I’m sober, just under a day now,” Lynn admitted, “I don’t know if it’ll last but I’m using my power for the first time…sober. Even back then I was drinking when we were fighting the snake. The future has always been this cold, detached, empty place that was empirical. Now, there’s more nuance to what I see. It feels more real to me. The emotions seem more real to me. And it hasn’t even been a day yet.”

Drake laughed heartily, "Usually it's the other way around. You start saying all the crazy shit when you're drunk…” He chuckled, shaking his head,

”So, if I am ‘getting it’, being sober is making you see the future different now? Well, how can we be sure it's not a side effect to your withdrawls or something?”

“Most of the visions of the pit I have checked were when I was drunk so,” Lynn paused, “I want to say that I got sober to get better at the future reading business but I just needed to. I think the added depth is just my brain screaming at me.”

”I mean, I’m no expert, but if the Pit looks bad when you’re drunk and even worse when you’re clear-headed, that’s gotta mean something, right? Maybe it’s not just your brain freaking out.” Drake replied.

“Who’s trying to freak out who now?” Lynn smiled as she looked across the coffee shop. “You may be onto something though.”

”Of course I’m onto something; I’m Drake Blackmore,” Drake grinned, ”But hey, if you’re saying I’m onto something, maybe we should start digging. See if there’s more to these visions than just a hangover and a panic attack.” He laughed.

“How should we start digging, and please tell me it’ll help with withdrawal symptoms?. Lynn placed their forehead on the table and.

”As much as I hate to say it…” Drake began. ”... We ask Britney.”

“Oh joy, that’s going to totally help, Lynn sighed, “should I see if she is free now?

”No, see if she’s free yesterday,” Drake laughed. ”Of course see if she’s free now.”

Lynn pulled her face off the table and pulled the phone to her face. Her eyes flashed green. A second later she was back and hit the call button. She put the call on speaker but lowered the volume. And then she waited as the pressure in her brain built up. Britney answered.

”Hello, Lynn,” Britney said, ”What’s going on?”

“Hi Britney, I have you on speaker with Drake . We’re at a coffee shop, you busy right now?, Lynn leaned back as she waited for a response

Britney loudly snorted, ”... You can throw a rock and hit a coffee shop, Lynn.” She began, ”But what do you need?”

“I am dealing with too much withdrawal stuff right now to even remember the name of this shop we’re at let me check their… the Twin Tails, Lynn paused as she looked towards Drake, “we’re talking pit stuff.”

”... You know it's a suicide mission, right? Britney said.

”Heh! Suicide Mission is my middle name!” Drake said, shooting Lynn the finger guns.

”... It's Dean.”

”You remembered!”

“You know what Britney, you’re right,” Lynn paused as she looked at the phone with anger, “Yoko has been in the pit for months but of course we’ll all die if we try and help her find her brother.”

”She and Goro are probably already dead,” Britney said with a sigh.

”Yo, how do we know she’s dead?” Drake tilted his head. ”I saw Yoko fight; she’s a tough cookie!”

”... And how do we know she’s still alive?” Britney shot back.

“In the majority of potential futures she’s alive. If it was one, ten, even a hundred different futures, of course I’d be more cautious about what I’m saying. I’ve seen her in thousands of futures, Pit or otherwise. The future has a part for her to play; she just hasn’t got to it yet.”

”But, this is Yoko we’re talking about,” Britney laughed. ”The rude, immature, and stupid pain in the ass we tolerated because of Goro… What exactly do you see her doing? She hated us! And I don’t mean ask your magic that. I mean, you… what do you, Everlynn Serelight, deadass think she will do?” She finished it with a sarcastic snort.

”Besides, from how you talked at the meeting; we only need what she has.”

”As much as I hate to say it…” Drake looked down at the phone, then back up to Lynn. ”... She has a point.”

“As much as I hate to say this,” Lynn paused as she leaned her head back and pressed her hands to her eyes, “I’m a fucking idiot. There are other artifacts we could use to search for Kari. I mean we won’t get the other fun artifacts but using what we can, here, is the right move. The pit needs to be a backup plan.”

”... It shouldn’t be a plan in any capacity,” Britney added, ”Unless we literally, ABSOLUTELY have to… though, I find your fixation with it-” Britney cut herself off.

”Fixation? That’s a strong word. Brit,” Drake crossed his arms.
”Pit or not, we can’t just leave them down there. Especially if Yoko has these... Wayfinders.” Drake looked at Lynn, scratching his head.

”And I get it Drake,” Britney sighed. ”Sometimes things are just… out of our hands. This being one of them.” Britney paused for a moment.

”... So, Lynn, what artifacts can we use to look for Kari?” Britney asked. ”Maybe I can point you in the right direction. Maybe we can find Father Wolf and finally put an end to this bullshit.”

“Uhhh I know the Mirror On The Wall and The Map Of The Drunken Sailor are in town. The mirror is a sealed apparition, a seer that can find anything or anyone. You have to answer three riddles without any assistance and they get harder as you go. Fail any of the riddles and you’ll be instead shown your greatest fear. The Map is this artifact that’s been passed around for ages. The surface of the map changes depending on the query. The only catch is you have to follow the map to get the destination, and rumor has it that the path it takes you on is filled with monsters and danger. It’ll mark the location of whoever, or whatever, you’re looking for with an ‘X’ which is kinda cute. I think it’s with a rich kid.”

Lynn grabbed some more Deez and offered some Nutz to Drake.

”Thanks, Lynn,” Drake said, taking the nuts into his hand. ”You picked some real fun options! And who are the “rich kid”?”

”... There’s a lot of them in St. Portwell,” Britney laughed. ”Be specific.”

“Honestly? I think I remember the name Jason Valos for the one and a Schmidt? Maybe Blake?”

”... Oh, great,” Britney said, rolling her eyes. ”Well, that tracks.” She sighed.

”Valos? That sounds familiar,” Drake rubbed his chin.

”There were three Valos in the Old Coven - they were in the ‘rich clique’” Britney asked.

”Oh yeah!” Drake said, ”I don't suppose we can just ask for them?”

”Or we can just swipe it from them,” Britney said.

“I won’t be very much help in either way right now,” Lynn said with a sigh as she put her forehead back on the table, “I really could use a drink.”

Drake popped another nut into his mouth, ”Stealing from rich kids? Sounds like Saturday night!” Drake cracked his knuckles. ”He probably won’t even notice it’s gone!”

”But people like them tend to have tight security, Blackmore,” Britney nodded her head. ”Plus, the Valos are not only unpredictable, but could be a part of the Elite. So… If we’re stealing it we might need to be careful.”

”We’ll just have Jack swipe it,” Drake shrugged. ”Piece of cake.”

”He could probably pull it off, the issue is that we won’t hear the end of it,” Britney laughed. ”Though, we don't know if Jason or Blake have any security around their artifacts.”

“I could check the future,” Lynn paused as she sighed, “but this craving is getting to me. I don’t think my mind can take the possible future right now.”

”You’re okay, Lynn,” Drake laughed, before popping another nut into his mouth. ”We got other ways to pull this off.”

”Sounds like if Lynn doesn’t get that drink, she’ll pass out,” Britney laughed over the phone. ”Normally, I wouldn’t support someone being a functional alcoholic, but Drake, can you please run and grab her something? Something strong enough to get her to perk up a bit.”

“No,” Lynn said but her mind said yes please, just one drink, anything. Lynn thought that one cheat drink wouldn’t be the worst, she’d just have to start from the beginning again and deal with a sleepless night, followed by the same terrible morning she had today, followed by an insatiable desire to drink all day long. She could do that again. She could totally do it. Just drink. Just. One. Sip. “I can’t.. maybe a single… no. no.”

Drake clapped his hands together, then threw them up,

“... You heard the lady, she said no.” Drake started before adding, ”Not like that ever stopped you.”

”Now’s not the time, Blackmore,” Britney coughed, ”But, look, Lynn, we don’t have to do everything right this second - okay, I know there’s a serial killer after us, and we need to go our separate ways again, but that doesn’t mean you gotta push yourself if you’re going through withdrawals like this.”
Britney sighed. ”I can just do some digging on Blake and the Valos and come back to you two, okay?”

Drake looked down at the phone, then up to Lynn.

”Call me if you need me!” Britney said before she hung up.

“Okay, thank you Britney.”. Lynn’s eyes went out of total focus. Her leg began to bounce off the ground. She wanted, no, needed that drink. The pain across her body swelled as every muscle in her body suddenly begged for the sweet release promised by a drink.

Drake popped the last of the nuts into his mouth before shrugging, ”... What happened to asking her about the visions? About your dead homies?”

”Hmmm?” Lynn paused as she looked over to Drake. ”Fuck. Fuck,” Lynn paused as she began pulling at her own hair. ”I completely forgot. Fuck. I fucking…”. Lynn paused as she let her head fall onto the table.

”Brooooooooooooooo…” Drake facepalmed with both hands. ”Look, I’m the last person who should be saying this, but you need to pull it together… I didn’t know you had this problem, but there’s a serial killer after us for saving the world. And we need to get our shit together.”

”I’m trying to, Drake, I can’t keep getting drunk. Like, bro I have been getting drunk since before the snake. How many more people will I lead to their death if I keep drinking? The future doesn’t know, and neither do I. But sober me has to be better. Sober me HAS to be.”

”I’m not saying drink, I’m saying…” Drake trailed off, before adding, ”Look, I don't want to leave everything in the hands of Britney, there’s gotta be SOMETHING we can do.”

”I….agree,” Lynn sighed as she groaned and took a big drink from the sugary drink, ” Drake, I’ll look back to the future tonight. I don’t know how much I will see,” Lynn paused as she sighed, ”but we need options. And I can give us options. And I’ll fucking woman up and find us something we can do, pit stop or otherwise.”

”Do you think I’m right about going to the pit?”

”I mean, I don't care about the Wayfinder!” Drake laughed. ”We can’t just leave them there!”

”Then let’s keep planning as if we’re going to go to the pit. Britney can help us with finding stuff to find Kari. We focus on finding a way to get our friends home.”

Drake shot her with the finger guns.

”Sounds like a plan!”

Jordan took several steps away from the lesbian chaos that was unfolding amidst the backdrop of the ruined 317. His eyes on Cindy, someone he and Sypha knew very well from their time back in Boston. Cindy was someone who had saved their life more than once, and that trend was only continuing all the way on the opposite side of America. Jordan, unlike most of the 317, did not harbor any ill will towards the PRA. He has history with them after all. You don’t save the world from a world ending threat together and not have at least a little respect for the people who helped you through it.

“So,” Jordan started as he picked up a large concrete slab and moved it towards the building, “you finally decided it was time to catch up after all these years by saving our asses again. When did you get to our neck of the paranormal world?”

“There was a big reshuffling of agents in the St. Portwell area,” Cindy succinctly nodded. “The Director wanted all of their best agents here, so, I got shuffled here with my best friend and some other Agents I’m familiar with.”

“Don’t tell me,” Jordan grinned from ear to ear, “is Mei Bae in town too?”

“You know it. Where she goes, I go.” Cindy nodded, “I’m taking up night shift for the week, so she’s probably in her apartment sound asleep. She’s going to be giddy to hear about all of this.” Cindy rolled her eyes.

“Yeah. Yeah this,” Jordan paused as he picked up another slab of rubble, “this is insane. Like I was sitting right there,” Jordan paused as he pointed to the front entrance, “eating a late dinner. One moment I’m joking with Aislin, Doom and Gloom while the old man watched over us and the next moment,” he pointed to the sky, “a ship opened fire, zombies started shooting at us, a monster took an ungodly amount of punishment.” He paused as he looked down at his exposed chest, ripped clothes, and sighed. “I haven’t pushed myself past my limit in so long, since that final fight back in Boston.”

“Don’t worry, one of Meifeng’s goals is to try to bring some semblance of peace to St. Portwell,” Cindy then smiled. “See how I didn’t say back to St. Portwell?” She then laughed.

“I’m learning this city is in need of it,” Jordan sighed as he sat down. “Do you have any idea who could’ve done this?”

Cindy looked to the left and the right, “Nothing definite, but I looked at some of the previous case files we had on Das Sonnenrad, and this somewhat fits their MO.” Cindy was silent for a moment. “Again, nothing definite, because a good chunk of them got killed, arrested, or skipped town, and not every necromancer is a white supremacist, but there are still a few groups left of them around St. Portwell.”

“Nazi’s again,” Jordan scoffed, “I thought we ran them all out of town.”

“We did,” Sypha added as they walked over, “how’s one of my favorite PRA agent doing?” Sypha was pale, drowsy, and tired looking. The yawn that escaped their lips drove home that point.

“I’m doing alright,” Cindy said with a shrug, “My back’s still killing me all the time, but my son is in remission, and he should be good.”

Then she gave Sypha a catty smile, “But, how are you doing? You know our medic has a spell that can remove tiredness… After he’s doing healing everyone.”

“I’m good,” Sypha smiled as she looked over Jordan with an intense stare, “and I’m glad that your son is in remission. How long now?”

“Six months now,” Cindy proudly said with a smile, “Cameron’s a tough kid. Way tougher than I was at his age.” She laughed.

“Honestly, there were days I thought about giving up the badge and turning my back on this Paranormal nonsense just to focus on him,” Cindy began, “But… shit like this proves that I am needed here.”

“We needed you back then,” Sypha smirked as they looked at Cindy, “and we needed you again today. Cameron takes after his mom, so I knew he’d be tough.”

“If you track down those responsible for this, we’re more than happy to lend our strength once again. I know we were never PRA bound with our lives, but that doesn’t mean we want you to face that alone,” Jordan smirked.

“She’s not alone, dear brother. Tell me, what do you think of your agents,” Sypha asked as they looked over to the tall and handsome one. They wanted to know their names as well.

“... I know you two are competent, but It's our job,” Cindy began. “My Agents? I’m surrounded by some of the PRA’s most competent and powerful agents. Some of which saved my ass…”

Cindy trailed off, “... And Trevor.”

“Your healer,” Sypha asked as they looked over towards the huddled masses, spotting Alex in the process, “we have a Trevor as well.”

“Once we get this place built back up we’ll have to give you the tour,” Jordan joked. Part of him wished to be apart of the fight that brought vengeance against the fuckers who dare attack his home, but part of him felt like it was no longer his place. “Be careful, Cindy, one of our artists has talked about that Scott fuckhead a few times since they joined. I felt how strong they were,” Jordan lingered his eyes on Cindy’s for a moment, “he was much, much stronger than anything I have experienced.”

Cindy laughed, before she turned to Maximilian, who was talking with members of Greenwood and the 317. “... And you haven’t seen Maximilian in action. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here…”

She sighed, “... A lot us wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”

Sypha smirked at the name, a cute name for a gorgeous man.

“I haven’t,” Jordan chuckled as he looked over at everyone talking, “he seems like a good person. I hope I never have to see him in action but it’s good to know that he’s on our side.”

“If Maximilian gets involved, then things have already hit the fan,” Cindy turned towards Jordan, her voice dropping low. “... Get what I’m saying?”

“I do,” Jordan swallowed the words as he said it. “This attack was that bad then?”

“Look around, brother,” Sypha returned their attention back towards the group. “We just lost everything that Faith has built in less than fifteen minutes. A pirate ship was fully visible in the middle of a very populated city. Do you think whoever did that cared for the PRA response? Or what every one-eyed open just witnessed?”

“Obviously not,” Cindy shrugged, “They had enough sense to split when we showed up so maybe they know a bit more than we thought.”

She then turned to Jordan, then Sypha, “... And the lack of regard to the whole masquerade is… Scary.”

“It feels like something big is on the horizon, no? Like,” Sypha paused as they looked towards the ruined building, “this feels like the opening shots of…”

“No, this isn’t the start,” Jordan paused, “we’re in the middle of something much bigger than I think we know and it just feels like the beginning again.”

“Yeah, if this is the start…” Cindy laughed, holding the world’s most awkward smile. “... We’re in for it, aren’t we?”

“Well,” Jordan squinted his eyes as he looked around for his glasses, “I’m just thankful we’re always stocked up on beer and wine. We’ll need it to survive I fear.” Jasper raised his eyebrows before laughing.

“I’ll need more than a drink to get through this mess,” Cindy chuckled. “But, maybe I can grab a drink or two… I know it’s drinking on the job, but who gives a shit right now?”

“I won’t report you,” Sypha smirked, “please mind the mess, I promise we’re usually more tidy.” Sypha motioned for Cindy to follow.

“Let’s go before Trevor sees,” Cindy laughed. “He’ll send the Director to come get me.”

“Hopefully he’ll meet Alex and the two can keep each other busy,” Jordan joked as he led the way into the 317. There were ruined homunculi that sparked ever so often. The walls were all damaged, and various paintings and canvas scattered the ground. He led the group to the common area nearly at the end of the wing. The destruction here was limited, only with plants and various decorative pieces littering the ground. Jordan opened the door and led them in. He walked over to one of the three fridges and opened the door, leaving it open, and then grabbed a pair of beers. He walked over to Cindy and offered her one.

“At least this room is still standing,” Sypha sighed as they walked over and grabbed a full bottle of white wine, pulled the cork out with a nearby wine opener, and began to drink from the bottle.

“Sorry, but, um,” Cindy raised a hand at Jordan, before pointing at Sypha. “What she’s having is more my speed.” She laughed.

“We have a fresh white, a couple lovely blends of red, sparkling and a rosé, what’s your poison tonight,” Sypha asked as she walked over to cabinets and grabbed a wine glass.

“More for me,” Jordan chuckled as he finished the first and started the second.

Cindy grinned, glancing at the fridge before returning to Sypha. "You know me, Syph. I’m all about the red tonight." She paused, taking in the chaotic state of the room, then chuckled again. "Might as well pretend this is some fancy dinner party..." She laughed.

“You need to join us for one of our legendary pub crawls,” Jordan joked as he opened a cabinet full of snack food, “apparently we’ve had one of your agents with us the last time.”

“Here you go,” Sypha added as they passed Cindy a full wine glass of red wine, “just a couple drinks.”

Cindy threw it back without a second thought, smiling with a pleased look. “... I would come, but I don’t think I have it in me anymore,” She said. “I usually get tired after seven these days.”
She laughed. “... I know when I was a teenager, I was just partying until twelve am every other day and then waking up for PT.” She laughed.

“I’m enjoying my youth while I can,” Jordan said with a smirk.

“I much prefer the easy night myself, but every now and again I will enjoy a night out,” Sypha took another drink from the wine bottle.

“If this is the start of something bigger after every messed up situation we should find the time to have a drink,” Jordan said as he finished another beer.

Cindy sighed, "... You know, this isn’t just about us anymore. The city’s changing, and whatever’s behind this attack knows that. They want to disrupt the balance, and they’re doing a damn good job of it..." She rolled her eyes, then chuckled.

"... But with the way things are going, we all might need to pick up drinking as a hobby just to keep from going crazy."

“We’ll be ready to defend this city, our friends, from whatever comes their way,” Jordan grabbed another beer and opened it.

“Hell, at this point, it’s starting to feel like we’re keeping the universe from falling apart!” She raised her glass toward Sypha and Jordan, “... A toast?”

“To saving the world, and maybe doing it again,” Jordan said as he raised his beer.

“At least we’re not dealing with those creepy witches this time,” Sypha joined the toast as she raised the bottle of wine.

“Please, no,” Cindy said. “Here’s to not saving the world. Because hopefully, it’s not in danger, right?”

“To not saving the world,” Sypha and Jordan said in unison as they extended their drinks towards Cindy.

Cindy laughed.

The glasses clinked as they made contact, and Cindy downed the rest of her drink in a single gulp.

---

Lila walked down the road as she made her way towards Sabrina’s home. Britney had texted her the night before, giving her the address, and was expecting her in a half-hours time. For some reason Lila decided that it was better to show up a little early without telling Britney. As they approached they rubbed their hands together, as visions of the surrounding area danced across her mind. The murder was in the sky above her, eyes scanning for any potential threat as well as any people who might see her walking towards the door. While the blind were safe from her more monstrous form, she was still wearing the same toga that Sully had thankfully gifted her. While it was not a perfect solution to her clothing problem, it still allowed her to walk around without having the blind see her naked form. As well, Lila did not want the one eyed open to perceive her. The murder did what it was told, and circled above and watched around without question.

A moment later Lila was by the door. She curled her hand into a ball, raised it up, and knocked. Lila knew that whoever answered the door would see a taller, more monstrous Lila. Hindlimbs replacing her legs, body completely covered in feathers, and unnaturally long arms and legs. Her face was thankfully still her own, albeit with black eyes with blue circles for irises but the rest of the body was very much changed. Nothing more so than the giant wings that curved adorned her back.

A few moments later, Sabrina opened the door,

“... You must be Lil-” Sabrina said before abruptly cutting herself off after seeing Lila, covering her mouth. “... Oh dear.”

”It’s cool, it’s cool, it’s LIla,” Britney said as she quickly ran over and put her hands on Sabrina’s shoulders as she looked over them. Then her jaw dropped. ”... LIla, what the hell happened to you?”

“The Maiden tried to take control. She forced a lot of transformations really fast, and the more I transformed the more she gained influence on me, and the more influence she gained on me the more she had me transform,” Lila paused as she smiled at Britney, “I figured out a way to weaker her as I learned more about the magic I have, and ta-da,” Lila paused, “kind of stuck like this until I figure out what to do next.”

”Jack needs to find that damn needle,” Britney said, ”At this rate, there won’t be any Lila left.”

“Hurry up, come in,” Sabrina grabbed Lila’s talon’s hand and guided her inside, and Britney closed the door. Sabrina leads her to the sofa in her living room. “Try not to make too much of a hoot. My little brother is in the other room, and already he’s One-Eye-Open.” She nodded.

“It’d be more if a caw but I get your point, I’ll keep it quiet,” Lila paused as she sat down on the sofa, “I am going to be a problem around the One-Eye-Ope. And the blinds because it is very hard to fit into my normal clothes. I can’t quite walk around naked!”

”As if your freaky-ahh wouldn’t try,” Britney laughed.

Lila paused as she placed her head into hands. “I’m so very tired, just tired, tired of this, and tired of all these changes.” Lila looked towards Britney and smiled, before she started a soft chuckle. “I do feel strong though so small blessings.”

“Well…” Sabrina shrugged. “That’s why you came here, right?” She tilted her head.

“My Apparition, the Silkworm, can create any clothes I can imagine; just, uh, tell me what you like.”

“Well I was hoping that Britney might give me some fashion tips to accentuate my wings,” Lila said sincerely, before she looked to Sabrina and smiled, “you did say you could make cute costumes so I am here to ask for your help as well. Can I get a cute costume, and some clothes I could wear on a day by day basis until I figure this…..this out.”

“I got you,” Sabrina said… as she stuck her hands out and created several outfits that would fit Lila perfectly. Shirts and skirts, jeans, and whatnot… a mish-mash so Lila can create whatever outfit suits the occasion. Sabrina smiled as she asked, “For the costume… I’ll need some pointers. Otherwise, you’ll be dressed up like a Power Ranger.”

“Well, before I go into that I have two questions. One, have you made anyone else in the coven a costume yet, and two can I change into something that is not a literal picnic blanket. These clothes look amazing, thank you,” Lila smiled a first true smile since she woke up this morning.

“No, and yes,” Sabrina said, before pointing at a room off to the side. “That is the guest room, you can change in there.”

Lila nodded her head and smiled. She walked over and grabbed the clothes before she walked into the nearby guest room.

[insert Britney and Sabrina if you want]

Lila emerged after seven minutes wearing the white hoodie and black skin tight pants that were included in the mash of outfits. Sabrina did the impossible, and the hoodie had somehow accommodated the spurs that connected her wings to her body. The pants, as well, fit comfortably with the hindlimb legs, and for the first time since the day of the meeting Lila felt somewhat more normal than a monster. Sure, the hands themselves were clawed and the black feathers poked out from the sleeves and from the neck hole, but to the blind, and One-Eyed-Open, Lila atleast had the look of a girl again instead of just a monster.

“If I was a hugger right now I’d give you one,” Lila said as she looked down at the clothes she wore, “feels right up there with the time I finally was able to dress myself as me. Thank you.”

Sabrina smiled,

“... Don’t mention it.” Sabrina began, “Is there anything else you need?”

“Well, Britney, is it smart for me to train? Like the bird bitch is bidding her time to try again, but in the meantime do you think it’s smart if I try and, I don’t know, try and get better at flying,” Lila paused, “like from what I know now I don’t think it’ll cause any further transformations. If it is safe I think I would like a costume.”

”I don’t see how it could hurt,” Britney said with a shrug, before a mischievous smile, ”We can make you like a superhero costume, you can be called the “Bird-Bitch’” She laughed.

“The Bird Bitch is in timeout right now,” Lila chuckled, before she laughed, and soon the laughter turned into a sigh. “but I kinda like that name for myself. I don’t want to look like a superhero. I want something that I can train in, you know? Like,” Lila paused as she pushed both wings fully out and each one was larger than she was tall by a noticeable margin, “I don’t think the blind will notice these but they’ll notice a girl soaring through the air. Maybe something that, I don’t know, gives me camouflage. Like a wingsuit, but cute.”

“... And I think you underestimate this city’s drug crisis,” Sabrina quipped.

Lila pushed both of her hands together and raised them up to her mouth. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, lowering her hands down as she did. “I never thought of that. I mean if it’s not as bad as Ohio I don’t know that I would notice.”

“But I get what you are saying… I trust that you will not be flying around in broad daylight?” Sabrina asked, “I can cook something up.”

“If it can be avoided it will be,” Lila smirked at the thought. Bird Bitch soaring through the air. “Thank you, so much Sabrina. Next time I see Trisha I’ll tell her that her sister is amazing.”

Sabrina awkwardly laughed, “That’s not necessary. She already knows how great I am to her and the rest of my siblings.”

“She’s got a cute boyfriend who has a weird friend,” Lila joked back.

“I heard,” Sabrina laughed, “While I do miss her, I don't have to keep Messiah away from her room.”

Lila remembered that Trisha’s boyfriend’s friend said she was quite the looker when she was even more monstrous than she was now. He was very much into the more bird-like appearance. “A chance you can make the costume with a monster fucker repellant? I worry that I’ll be attracting the wrong crowd like this.”

Sabrina awkwardly laughed, before glancing towards Messiah’s room, and as she held her gaze there, she said, “... That’s outside of my expertise, unfortunately.” She then shrugged.

“I’m certain you’ll find someone to help you with that.”

”Just carry around a spray bottle full of water and be like,” Britney added, acting as if she was holding the spray bottle. ”Pst! Pst! Pst! Get back you horny fiend!”

“Oh that’s a good idea. I call get a sharpie and write ‘horny be gone’ on the side so that I have my first superhero accessory.”

”Make Stormy come up with a spell just for that!” Britney laughed.

“We could test it on the coven, maybe we’ll have a bit more focus with it.”

”Oh, you know the problem isn’t just that they’re horny,” Britney laughed. ”I had to agree with Rubes here and there.”

“I know, I know. Was it like this ten years ago and I was just too innocent to remember,” Lila sighed with a smile. “I know I’m much more likely to speak my mind now, and it felt good doing so, but that meeting was,” Lila paused as a soft giggle escaped her lips, “my thirteenth reason. Honestly, I think it led to all this,” Lila paused as she pointed vaguely at her body. No. Lila knew better. The only person to blame for this, all of this, was herself. Why did she trust The Maiden? Why did she say what she did to Trisha? Lila wished she could say that it was the corruptive influence of The Maiden but it truly wasn’t. Lila fucked up, and now Lila knew that she had to deal with the consequences of it.

“Don’t joke like that, please,” Sabrina said.

”It was, but at the same time it wasn’t,” Britney began her explanation, taking a moment to wave her hands around a bit as she looked off to the side. ” As you said, everyone in the Old Coven had their little crews where they excelled… I mean, you didn’t see the Blackmores rolling with the ‘smart crew’.” She laughed.

“I will refrain from joking like that again Sabrina,” Lila spoke as she smiled towards Sabrina. “We were just different cliques held together by the end of the world. I still don’t know what my clique is called but I’m glad I get to see more of them this time around.”

”Eh, you’re acting like ya’ll need a fancy name!” Britney said, laughing. ”What about something corny and overdramatic like ‘Birds of a Feather’?” She grinned at Lila.

Sabrina facepalmed.

“I like it. We’re all dealing with an apparition in some way,,” Lila paused as she tilted her head, “except for Jasper. But we’re happy to have Jasper in our little flock. Especially Luca.”

Britney tugged at her collar, looking away, and then said, ”I’m glad… How’s Luca doing if you don’t mind me asking?”

“He’s oblivious to romantic advances, a little bit more sick, but he’s happy. As happy as he can be, but happy all the same.”

”I know I fucked him over,” Britney began. ”But I’m working on helping him. I promise.”

She nodded, ”I just think we should worry about Father Wolf.”

“I think you should make both a priority. What good is stopping father wolf for Luca if he dies right after? I can handle the Maiden for a while longer, but Luca needs help soon. He deserves the happiness he’s finally getting.”

”You’re right Lila, I’m just-” Britney cut herself off, taking a sigh. ”... I fucked his whole life up one time; I’m scared that I’ll mess it up all over again.”

“It is a character flaw of yours,” Lila joked with a soft chuckle, “It’s never too late to try and make amends.”

”Tell that to Sloane,” Britney rolled her eyes.

“It’ll take work,” Lila paused, “it may not even work. But if you want to try and make amends then don’t worry about what people like Sloane think,” Lila paused as she smirked a weak smile, “only you, and those you hurt, get a say in that. Fuck the noise.”

”Maybe you’re right,” Britney said with a sigh. ”But, could we discuss this another time? Maybe more one-on-one.”

“Of course.”

”... What do you think of our Greenwood buddies?” Britney asked.

“They seem nice. Sully is a good enough benchmark for their character. If he likes them then I think they gotta be alright. What do you think of them?”

”I mean, I personally think that they’re cool,” Britney started off. ”I honestly trust them more than I trust certain people in Sycamore - but if I had to be honest, that’s not saying much. I’m just wondering what they’re hoping to accomplish - like you know, get from this alliance.” Britney shrugged.

”I wasn’t surprised Ruby was just about ready to walk out, though. Sycamore doesn’t want to deal with Sycamore, so why would anyone else?” Britney awkwardly laughed. ”I mean, hopefully, what you suggested will help - God knows it’ll stop some of the screaming - but it’s just a bandage over our actual problems.”

”I hope so. I can’t face too much more chaos right now. I’m tapped out. My brain hurts in a million different ways so if the chaos is not lessened by my plan then I may have to take a few days for myself,” Lila sighed as shook her head.

”Brooo, I found a grey hair rhe other day,” Britney laughed.ghed.

”My feathers haven’t dulled, they still have their glossy blue-black shine,” Lila paused as she smirked, ”I don’t think they’ll last more than a few more meetings though.”

”Your feathers, or Sycamore?” Britney laughed.

”I think we both know the answer to that,” Lila chuckled, looking towards Sabrina, ” You chose a grand time to help us.”

“I mean…” Sabrina fiddled her thumbs and then shrugged. “I just don’t want to see people get hurt. Not when I can do something about it.”

”I am ready for this to be over. What do you plan to do when father wolf is killed, Britney?”

”... Go back to living my best life!“ Britney laughed a bit, before she shook her head. ”Well, I’m going to help Luca and whoever else needs or wants it… but, this has been one hell of a clarion call, so…”

Britney sighed, ”... I think I’m getting back into magic. Finding artifacts and training, you know. I know everyone else will go back to living without magic, but I don’t want to be caught flatfooted again if something like this pops off again.”

”You can’t be the only one who prepares for the next evil to threaten our life. If I’m still attached to The Maiden when this is all finished I’ll want to train as well. Maybe I,” Lila paused as she felt her stomach rumble. Instantly her eyes shot around the room, looking at every table and shelf for any signs of food that she could quickly and quietly steal before Britney or Sabrina noticed. ”I think lunch is in order! Are you two hungry? You look hungry! Can we make something to eat? NO! Can we order something to eat? Can we make something to eat and then order something to eat?”

Britney and Sabrina awkwardly looked at each other… Britney smiled widely at Sabrina, showing all of her teeth.

“... I can order us some food,” Sabrina shrugged. “But… are you okay?”

Britney’s eyes went from Sabrina to Lila.

”Hmmm? Oh me! Yes! Yes I’m fine just hungry,” Lila looked around seeing if there was any snacks she could spot once again, ”I mean I had a massive breakfast, a large snack on the way over, but I’m sure this hunger is normal. Normal. Normal!”

Britney pivoted towards Lila and stood straight up… she paused for a moment before she walked over to her. She grabbed Lila’s clawed hand before she looked at Sabrina - still holding that smile. ”... Lila and I will get some food! It was great having you!” She waved goodbye as she tried to lead Lila out the door.

”Okie-dokie,” Lila chuckled as she let Britney lead her out the door, bag of clothes swinging haphazardly as she walked.

After Britney made it outside, she closed the door slowly… and once she heard that click, she facepalmed, ”Jesus Christ we need to fix you… The Maiden is starting to seep into your brain.”

”No, no I’m fine! Fine! I’m just hungry,” Lila protested as she looked at Britney with a suspicious look. ” Promise promise last night I was totes much worse but I got food, oh my god the food was so good, and then I felt better,” Lila smiled as she remembered how good that food was. Lila saw through a crows eye that there was a single teenager walking down the road with a big bag of food from Dairy Queen. Her head shot over and waited impatiently for him to show up at their section of the road. A dozen crows landed around Lila and Britney and all looked towards where the teenager would show up.

Lila’s eyes narrowed as she focused.

”No, no, no,” Britney turned towards Lila, before grabbing her by her wrist and pulling her towards her car. ”We’re going to pick something up at the drive-thru and then we’re going to eat it in my car… then I’m dropping you off wherever you need to be.”

”Awww, but there’s takeout food coming our way,” Lila protestedbut let Britney drag her towards the car. ”okay fine. Fine. We can get our own food. I guess.”

Britney smiled at her.

”... Let’s go.”

---

”Don’t leave me here…” Amara’s legs were giving out, as the warmth of her blood slid down her stomach. Her left foot wasn’t working anymore, thanks to the severed tendon. She had tried to fight back, but the stomach wound was what decided she’d die here.

There was no one in this city of haze and glass for miles. Her old friend stared down at her, his dagger clenched in his hand. In hindsight, maybe she should has seen Hayden’s betrayal sooner. All that talk of “magic,” all that talk of the supernatural and people who saw visions of animals… It was always nonsense to her but he had shown it to her once. They were kids, and they would run down the paths into the bushes where his parents grew fellberries. They’d sneak until the bridge and Haden would show him little ghostly mice that he’d conjured with what he called golden Lux.

They were adults now, and so much had happened since those days. He had started creating dogs, then bears, then people out of that strange magical energy. And slowly, ironic as it was, the real people he had in his life had started fading out as one of his homunculi went rogue. Everyone surrounding him had been slowly murdered and it was Amara who found out.

She found out when a bullet went through her window, killing her father while Haden was helping him with their boiler. It was an accident, and Haden somehow knew that.

So now she begged at his feet. She begged for her life, begged that her friend wouldn’t betray her and let her die alone. She didn’t have anybody. All her childhood friends went on to university a few cities over, in that new school that a lord had sponsored. But her dad was old, so she took care of him when he needed it.

And sometimes she’d even fight monsters. Haden’s mother taught her swordplay when she was young. It was thrilling, and it paid for things.

She couldn’t fight back with her broken wrist, though.

“I can’t let you tell anyone about this, Amara…” Haden closed the distance between them and shoved her face into the cobblestone road. Her vision inverted and swam.

“I can’t let anyone know it was my fault my family died. My sister, my wife-“

”You weren’t-“ Amara coughed up blood. ”You weren’t going to marry her… She had that apprenticeship in Morrha… Your creature shot my father, Haden!” Amara tried to stand, but his dagger cut her across the eye and planted her right back on the ground.

“I mourn for Kyro, my friend. I do. But the Guard will hang me or worse if they know it was my Lux who killed them all.” Haden’s breath hitched in his throat at the thought. The Guard were magic prosecutors, working their way into every little use of paranormal abilities to regulate it.

If they found him, there was no telling what they’d do.

Amara’s blood mingled with tears that pricked at her eyes. Her hands started to tremble as she pushed herself upright. ”I- Look at me- Please… Haden…” She sobbed. ”I can help you… You created it! You know how to kill it and I can fight for you!”

Haden looked away from her with his dour, green eyes, and up into the cloudy sky above. As if expecting the three moons to give him an answer, he just sighed.

Did her only friend really want to kill her? Couldn’t he trust her?

”Don’t you remember? When we were just children and we always looked out for one another?” Amara’s chest felt cold. ”When- When you got in trouble with the consul at the court? I snuck you out. I…”

Her breath caught in her throat. ”I pulled you out of the river with a broken wrist… I stood up for you when you were interrogated a year ago. Your mother-“

Haden sunk the dagger into Amara’s collarbone, and she screamed.

“My mother is dead,” he growled. Amara’s vision twisted until she couldn’t see straight, she was on fire and cold as ice at the same time. She tried to pull away from the searing pain but only slipped on her own blood.

“I don’t think you’d keep quiet.” He ripped the knife out, and her left arm felt numb.

“So, I’m sorry…”

Stab.

“My old friend, Amara…”

Stab.

“But it’s just too convenient to get rid of you.”

STAB.

Amara wailed and cried with each fresh wound Haden opened. It was more pain than she knew a person could experience, more blood than she knew someone had inside them. She was too weak to stop him, only able to claw at his face with a bloody hand. And when Haden knew for sure that there was no fight left within her, he stood up and walked away.

She fought so hard to stop him. For an entire hour, they traded blows in this alleyway. Amara with fists and Haden with a sharp blade. But in the end, he knew her too well. And now she was unmade, lying in a dirty alleyway while her blood pooled.

She was dying. And yet she was all too lucid for death.

Everything was black to her. Shapes and lines with no color. Just foggy blots of ink.

Amara King saw a dog, fur like shadows and eyes like her stained hands. She felt a haze of apathy wrap itself around her, like a warm coat. It beckoned to her, it spoke of the continuance that all things experienced. That Death comes for all.

Amara felt cold indifference take her, and she made a choice.

”…”No.”

It was in that moment when Death came for her, that something foundational to the human condition cracked. That fear she fought against, that desire to live, to fight, it rubbed off on the world, and the cold feeling of nothingness fell like ash. A force of determination slipped the jaws of black oblivion, and it endured.

At first there was pain.

Then there was nothing.

And then, there was only war.

---

She marched through the tundra snow, crossbow held aloft. The wind whipped around her and threatened to cut right through her, but the ghosts stayed exactly within range, their formation just tight enough that one wouldn't lose the others. A single file line, like a pack of wolves following each other in a chain.

They followed the thin trail of red that blurred against the fresh snow. It was all she needed to keep the Staghorn within killing distance. Amara followed, pointing her weapon this way and that, just in case any of the bastard managed to leap out at her through the thick haze of grey that surrounded her. They loved snowstorms, there could be a dozen of them around here. Her fingers were numb beneath the thick gloves she wore, but she trusted her squad to jump in if her shot failed.

Each of the specters bore a weapon of their own, enchanted by the Quartermaster back home to take these beasts down quicker; A spear infused with holly oil, a rifle that could skipped bullets and simply put holes in things, two daggers that always hit a target if thrown together, a fire breathing shotgun, and a chain that partially sealed everything struck with it. Her crossbow could punch holes through solid rock, and so far it had made short work of two Staghorns. One of their skulls was packed up in her bag for later.

In this valley, they had been breeding so much that they were spilling out and down into Canada. An enclave of green Adepts mutated them into monsters to act as some kind of sick working class, but they were all killed months ago. Now, they were killing people in her town, and people started talking about the killings from outside town. And by damn she wouldn't let such a thing foment in her territory.

Seven.

Amara turned almost 180 degrees and pointed her crossbow forward. The knife-wielding ghost flung both of its weapons into that blanket of alabaster fog, and a shriek rang out as the creature slid forward. It came to a dead stop just before them, the knives embedded right into each eye.

”We’re getting close!” She shouted, over the wind. ”Front and gamma, take the advance! Find the nest and circle back to center. We’re going home when they’re all dead and nothing sooner!”

And so they marched, and razed a den of abominations to the ground.

---

Blades of ivory swooped just inches away from bee face as she ducked beneath Kirk’s swords. Every swing threatened to put her in the kind of pain that sapped a person’s strength despite hurting very little. Her army could’ve move, they were immobilized in their ghostly state by the swords. He drove her into a corner, and she dove under his arms as he tore through the brick walls.

”Chief!” A voice on her somalink shouted. It was almost hard to hear him over the rain. ”What’s your position?! We’re almost-“

BANG! Chief Amara King raised her mana pistol and fired it straight into Kirk’s chest, only for their latent magic to kick in at just the right time and deflect the bullet.

The blue Adept laughed, and advanced. That was what she wanted.

”Hold your god damned positions, Rosh,” Amara answered back without breaking a sweat. She tossed her gun overhead and swung her legs low. A technique often learned by those who studied capoeira, known as a zentosai. Kirk assumed she was trying to get a cheap shot in on him, and she was, but the gun was misdirection.

Kirk’s legs went out from underneath him, and he swore something in German. His curse-channeling swords clattered to the floor and Amara took a step back. Touching them was enough for his Ten Agonies to take hold, one of her captains learned that the hard away. Her gun fell before one of the phantoms, as she intended.

And this was the moment she sprung her trap. The phantoms flickered out of existence, and five more took their pace who weren’t cursed. Kirk didn’t know she could do that.

One picked up the mana pistol and hammered it across Kirk’s face just as he was getting to his feet, and three more grappled him.

And just like that, he was taken out. He needed his swords to cast his spells.

Amara pinged her somalink. ”All squads, Kirk is disarmed. Sending my location, prep the van for class nine. Bring a blue vessel for the swords.”

Arcane Peace Enforcement bans rolled through the rain and stopped in a circle around the chief. They fired anti-Lux drugs into him as her phantoms flickered out. He screamed in bloody agony as they filled his system and fell to the pavement.

“Bastards- Lightfather as my witness… You’ll all suffer when we’re through with you!” The scraggly man bellowed, and Rosh clamped a somatic mask over his mouth.

”I want him questioned by Viglance ASAP. We’re sending these fucking vagrants back the way they came, and he’s gonna help us do it.” Amara took her gun back from a phantom, and her subordinates took over.

The crystal pinned to her uniform chimed, signaling a message.

“Chief, we got word that more came in through the south side.”

”Get Mahayla and Vastel on that. We’re on our way.”

If the League of Luminescence thought they were going to get an easy win, they had another thing coming. Amara climbed into a van, and her squad sped off.

---

A phalanx of some three hundred phantoms marched into the canyon with Amara the Grey at the forefront. Flanked on each side by Grandmaster Crom and Diana, she led the army into the resting place of the dragon. Red rock flaked beneath them, the steady thundering of feet walking in perfect unison shook the walls. Amara nodded at Diana, and she sent her sprits ahead.

The plan was simple, provoke the dragon to make it come to them, fight it out of its comfort zone, and bring its corpse back to the Necropolis. Crom withdrew his athame, and the old man called forth a tornado that touched down a mile away.

Every phantom raised a longbow, and readied enchanted arrows. They waited silently, and after minutes passed, a figure the size of a mountain streak across the sky.

“You know what to do,” the necromancer whispered to the wraiths she bound, through the link they shared. “Drain it until it falls, make it land.”

“I’ll push it this way.” Crom flicked his channeler through the air, and the tornado warped in ways a tornado never did. Like bending a chain, it whipped around in place and smacked the beast’s wing. The old Adept saw this as child’s play.

”Phantoms! This is where we stop the monster’s streak!” The commander of Sablerock shouted. ”We’ll bring this thing down at last, and make sure it doesn’t rise again!”

The dragon was a zombie, a revenant that fed of life like a ghoul. Twice it had been slain, and twice it had risen again. Amara’s court had finally devised a way to ensure it stayed dead, by binding the creature within a prison fabricated from its own heart. The ritual would last two weeks, and require intense labor. But their people were powerful, this would be the worst of it. She had faith in them.

Ghostly figures hacked away with spears, siphoning what life energy it had and slowly compelling the undead dragon to fall.

FIRE!

All at once, three hundred arrows were released into the sky above the Earth. And all at once, they landed. Her spirits were were trained for war in days before time had a name, simple archery was second nature to them. Every last arrow struck it, piercing flesh and wing alike.

No one believed it would be enough, but that was why they planned for a longer campaign into this canyon. The dragon screeched, and the army readied another volley. Amara signaled again, and they let loose another hail.

The dragon exhaled incarnate Death itself, turning the wood of the arrows to ash and the silver to tarnished sands. Clouds above the dragon compressed into swords no smaller than the dragon, and they cleaved at its scales.

Grandmaster Crom, Voice of the Wind and Father of the Skies, unleashed another trick upon the beast. One moment, he was a mortal man of eighty years. The next, he was the wind, invisible as breath and fast as thunder. He appeared atop the dragon’s head between its horns with his arms crossed.

Amara gave a signal, and the man simply nodded.

He plunged his athame into its eye, which elicited a crack that reverberated across the canyon and shook Heaven. Blood rained down thick as water, and the rotting dragon veered into a cliff.

“Now that’s gotten close enough, I think we’ll be finished soon,” Crom remarked, standing next to Diana and their commander once again.

”Break the monster!” Amara shouted.

The phantom army obeyed, for there was only war.

---

”I’m scared.”

Amara hung from a branch, fiddling with a knife that Reyes had left her. Tara looked up at her and cracked a grin.

“You? Scared? Didn’t think you had it in you.”

”I’m serious. We don’t know how much longer it’ll be.” She stated out at the front lawn of the school, which was perfectly fine weeks ago. Yet now, it was full of creatures that made mockeries of humanity at night, only to persist in the morning if they weren’t killed.

Amara and Tara had taken to luring them out at night, whenever their parents had gone to bed, so they wouldn’t drag anyone down into the earth. So far, only two kids their age had been taken. The whole town thought it was a murderer on the loose.

”What if they don’t stop, you know?”

Tara floated up to eye level with Amara. “Yeah. I know. And what if we can’t kill them all? But we’ll be fine, okay?” The curly haired girl was always the optimistic one. Amara herself wasn’t so sure, though.

“Your ghosts have been reaching you knife fighting, right? Reyes told me they’re pretty knife-able.”

”Yeah… But I mean- They killed Wallace. They probably killed Emmet too, and we still haven’t seen him. How long are they going to keep coming?”

And tk make it worse, Reyes still hadn’t called back in. The guy was twice their age and moved into town after his white Lux rolled him off about something happening in their town. Amara just happened to be on his level in terms of training, so they all started working together. Her phantoms were out searching for him since yesterday morning. The guy was pretty damn okay.

“Hey…” Tara floated closer and kissed Amara on the forehead. “You worry too much, you know? I don’t like seeing you so worried.”

Amara blinked. ”…Nice time to break the news.”

Tara giggled. “Well, hey, I like you. Sorta always have.”

Amara put the knife away, sat up and jumped down, fixing a funny look on Tara. She always had feelings for her too, but…

”I- Yeah. Me too. I didn’t think you’d tell me now, though.” Amara slowly leaned in and returned the kiss. Her face felt cold against Amara’s. Tara gently wrapped her hands around Amara and embraced her. In the late night, the kiss was something special. Something Amara had never experienced before. It was nice, sort of.

When they broke off, Amara was frowning.

“What’s up? I won’t tell anyone, if you don’t want me to.”

”It’s not that. It’s just… Something’s wrong.”

“Like what?”

”You know how my phantoms can talk to me through my head? Well…”

Whoosh.

Amara swung Reyes’ knife right into Tara’s throat. She looked down at the knife like it didn’t even happen.

”I can talk to them too,” She continued, holding up the knife. The blood dripping from it was a sickly shade of yellow. ”And I had one watching your house all night. The real you is upstairs right now, watching movies and texting her boyfriend that I know she didn’t break up with.”

The mimic stumbled back, its eyes went from hazel to black as it gasped for breath. They spied on her, and they could apparently copy magic. Amara wiped her new knife off on the thing’s shirt.

She had the phantom guarding Tara’s house sneak in and warn her not to leave the house, and tell her that Amara was coming.

She fears for Reyes.

He’s not coming back. And if he does, you’re all ordered to kill him.

---

”We have existed long before you. In an age of swords, we first manifested.”

“In times of word and wit, we are the tactician. In times of strife, we are the blade. What are you, if not the soldier who lives to die?”

”Get the fuck away from me. I hate all of you. I am nothing like you.”

”You are the Soldier. We are the Army. Your fate is to fight and pass, and so your time is yours to spend. Spend it well.”

”You call that a life well spent? Dying alone in some fucking battle no one cares about.”

”Amara King is never alone.”

”I just wanted a normal life, away from all this shit. I never wanted to be a fucking Soldier.

”It is your path in life to be the warrior. You are not the gardener, and you never shall be.”

”Who gave you the right to decide that for me? I don’t want this. I don’t want what you all became...”

”War is not a question of desire. It is-“

”I DON’T WANT YOUR FUCKING WAR!!!”

There is War, young Soldier, and War alone.”

”I don’t fucking care… Just leave me alone.”

…

What? Finally giving it a rest?

…

…Good. Stay that way for once. You’re all fucking insufferable. The only reason I keep you around is because we need you if we’re going to survive that Snake.

I was alone once, before we were One. I remember the suffering of it. No warriors to keep the peace.

You will never feel that pain, my Soldier.

Never again.

In the skies above St. Portwell Lila finally found freedom in the midst of her new cursed form. It was practice night number two and she was cruising the skies with her murder at her back. And she was having fun. This was the first time she was able to get the timing right and she was up in the sky for a minute now. While she still had misfires with one wing flapping out of order she was still able to maintain elevation. She knew she needed to return to the ground soon as she felt herself grow tired as she flew. She pulled her wings close as she dove towards the ground like a bird of prey. As she neared the ground she pulled her wings wide and leveled out above the ground.

You got this.

You can do this.

You better be able to do this.

You are a strong, capable, bird lady who- is that a fence?

*crash*

Lila’s whole world spun in an instant as her body twisted and contorted as Lila crashed through a solid wooden fence somewhere out in the countryside around St. Portwell. The momentum from her flight carried her well through the first fence, then the second, into the dirt, another pair of fences, and then all the way across the ground beyond, down a hill, before her time was finally stopped by a large tree. She felt something break with the impact, and she groaned as she tried to stand up. Up the hill she watched as the backyard lights flipped on at the two houses. Her eyes lowered and saw there was a telltale dirt ditch dug by her body that pointed right to her.

“Fuck,” Lila cursed as she pulled herself to one leg, the other refusing to allow any weight. She quickly turned into the forest and hobbled into it as quickly as she could. Flying was easy, landing at speed was not Lila was coming to learn. As with most flying lessons she had to learn them the hard way first. As she pushed further and further away from the suburbs and into the forest she realized she not only needed healing, but someone to be here with her in case Father Wolf was on the prowl tonight. She had already burdened Sully once, she felt like needed to give him a break. She knew every other healer in the coven was either dead or not with the coven. The only other option was calling Jasper to have his 317 friend help but Jasper was busy. She sighed as she remembered one final option.

She pulled out her phone from the breast pocket of her costume, and called a number she never thought she’d call.

‘Weird red head from the Temple who said I was good looking’

The phone line rang.

Two or three rings got through before the telltale emptiness of a live line gave way to a warm voice.
”This is Norman… How can I help?”

“Hi, did you give your number recently to a bird woman,” Lila groaned as she pushed further into the woods, “that’s a roundabout way of saying this is Lila.”

There was an audible sound of interest accompanying the harsh noise of an office chair squeaking into the upright position.
”Oh, I am so happy to hear from you! Had me worried I wouldn’t get a chance to tell you how much you struck me…” his voice echoed through the line in the way a cat’s purr did in an empty room.

“I struck you,” Lila’s brain dropped the ball, forcing her body to stop moving. “I’m pretty sure I only struck Trisha. I don’t recall hitting you…. Anyway you said to give you a call wherever, and Casey said to ask for help with maiden stuff from the temple right? Can I call you whenever to ask you for help?e”

Lila would be able to hear the pleasure in Norm’s voice.
”Struck me mentally, H- Y’know, you’re right you didn’t hit me. And I really appreciate that. So, yes. Anything you need, I’m here for you. Consider me your Guide to Charm and Grace…”

“Oh did I insult you? I don’t,” Lila paused for a second as the gear finally turned in her head, “ohhhh I get it. Thank you….yes…. I may need medical assistance, could I ask for some help for that? I think I can limp back to town if I really needed to.

There was another loud shuffle on the end, Norm’s muffled voice only half breaking the sound of something scraping against the microphone over and over again.
”Shi-PHGHPGH-ucki-pHGHOSHGF-nd I’ll be right… Right there! Just, where are you? How bad is it!?”

“I’m somewhere… somewhere. I’ll be honest, I think I’m lost as well. I think I was over the farm fields to the north of the city but I was getting close to being back so probably suburbs? Can I drop you a pin? And oh, not so bad I think. Maybe a broken femur, ribs, possible concussion? So not so bad.”

More scrambling, frantic movement against the plastic of the phone.
”PGHGPGHGHPH-ckin’ pin and I’-PHGHPHGHGPHGH-ere to help! Do you need me to stay on the phone?”
There was wind now, and a whole lot of it before it all faded away into nothingness.
”Can you hear me okay now!?” he asked very clearly.

“Yes! Yesss,” Lila had a more giddy sound to her voice. A wind that was absent before rushed across the phone. “Oh my god the crow in front of me just did an aileron roll. I should try that, should I try that?”

”What!? No, absolutely not. I don’t care how bird-like your skull is, if you’re concussed just stay grounded. Where the Hell’s that ping?”

“Oh yes, yes, the ping that will tell you where I am at at I can be helped, yes let me,,” Lila paused as she grabbed the stylus from her pocket and sent the location pin. It would reveal that Lila was in a small wooded area just north of the city, maybe a twenty minute drive from the center. “I sent the ping that will tell you exactly where I am at this exact moment.” Lila put the stylus back in the pocket, and balanced on the tree branch she climbed up to. It was harder than it needed to be with just one leg but her talons made it much easier than not. The branch groaned under the concentrated weight.

On the other side of the phone, there was a loud shredding noise that sounded like glass being run over by a tractor trailer. Sharp crackling was the sole sound for a minute or two before everything got quiet again.
”I’m over the city, I can make it in… Twelve minutes. Can you just stay put there for that amount of time? Don’t get afraid when the ice rocket buzzes you overhead, okay, it’s just me…”

“Come again now,” Lila immediately responded as she contemplated if she heard ice rocket correctly. A caw was heard over the phone. “Like I should just keep an eye on the sky for you?”

”You’ll know: I make a lot of noise.”

As the minutes passed, Lila would be able to hear a faint crackling sound getting closer and closer, until the air above her head was filled with powdery snow. Colder, colder still, feathers would need to be ruffled to stay warm. And then, like a boat from the haze, a solid ice track slammed down from the heavens.
In its wake, a solid domed sleigh of ice, almost like an Olympic Toboggan, jettisoned through the air at an incredible speed.

”Bleeding momentum, stand by.”
A massive spiral of ice like a Hot Wheels track formed all at once, and the vessel with Norm presumably inside hooked into the spiral track to swing upward. Finally it caught a lip, flipping and smashing open into a cloud of snow from which Norm emerged with a frosty white beard and a suit of ice.

Rushing toward Lila now, he slid down next to her on his knees, an arm stretching out to open his hand and reveal a few packs of the good stuff: The green substance she’d been given to eat the other day that had healed her.
”Express delivery for The Maiden and her Host.” he was clearly out of breath, huffing and puffing, but grinning ear to ear as his gaze looked her up and down.
”God Damn, pretty soon you’re gonna be laying eggs…”
His grin immediately faded, and he smacked himself in the face out of embarrassment.

Lila, initially impressed by the theatrics, recoiled backwards, her wings covering her entire form. “I,” Lila tightened her wings around her form, “brother,” Lila paused as she reached out and grabbed a few bags of the good stuff. She consumed it thinking it’ll be nice and easy. “brother ewwwooohhh my god,” Lila shouted as the healing spell took hold and her femur, and ribs, painfully reformed in her body.

Several crows swarmed around Norm, cawing with an angry tone.

“Please don’t talk about a woman’s eggs, okay, like ever again. Also please do not talk to me like I’m going to lay an egg. That will not happen,” Lila put some weight on her leg and sighed as it felt normal. She pulled her wings even tighter to protect herself and her none existent eggs.

“Also the big bird is in timeout. You’re dealing with Lila, just me, and not the apparition calling my body home.”. Lila’s eyes squinted at the man as she tapped on her chest. She had thus far instantly regretted even calling the number. Sure, he got here faster than Sully would’ve, and she did not have anyone else that she could call at short notice to heal her, but limping back to town suddenly seemed like the smart idea. Hell, she could’ve flown back and just broke the other damn leg there and got healed by someone. She was more than just a host, she was Lila, and she was a force to be reckoned with. Lila stood up completely straight, stretching out her hindlegs as she did, and while she did not rise above the redhead’s normal height she at least looked down on him with even more prejudice.

“You are weird,” Lila giggled as the seriousness fell from her. She offered a hand to the strange man.

Instinctively, Norm threw his hands up in something of a shy acquiescence. A crow got particularly close, buzzing his shoulder with a taloned foot as it passed; something he had to deal with in order to prevent tension in the situation.
”You made your point, Lila… I figured a little joke wouldn’t ruffle any feathers, but…”
He let his hand wander out to meet hers, shaking in a firm fashion before it pulled away again.
”You’re right, though. I am pretty weird; that’s kind of the world we live in isn’t it? Coven Girl, Temple Boy… Y’know?”

“Oh to be mundane,” Lila faked a feign with the top of her palm pressed against her forehead, “but yes. Strange times with strange people,” Lila paused as she looked at where the crows were flying. “You guys are doing so good at defending my honor,” she paused as she pulled out a bag filled with nuts, dried fruits, and other tasty treats, “let’s leave the weird man alone now, okay? Is this offering to your liking,” Lila paused as she poured the contents into her hand and raised it up. Instantly the murder swarmed her hand and within a few seconds all trace of the food was gone. A moment later the crows no longer came close to Norm, however, one did come flying in from the direction that Lila came from. She could hear shouts from a woman about how a crow had stolen her necklace. A second later the contraband was in her hand. Lila could also hear the woman telling her husband to go look for it.

“Thank you, is this for me,” Lila paused as she pondered what to do with the necklace. She opened up another pouch and pulled out a few rings. Both looked expensive. “Take the necklace back okay,” she paused as she offered both hands up to the crows and they took the offering, and the stolen merchandise, and left. “So temple boy,” Lila paused as she looked back over, “any idea how they stole a necklace off a ladies neck?”

Norm’s eyes were wide, perplexed. They were pretty far out in the public forest, so the fact that there was anyone to steal a necklace from in the first place surprised him. But, there they were. He stammered for a moment.
”I-I… I uh… Well… They’re crows? Aren’t they, like, the smartest birds on the planet or some shit? Plus, magic… I’m more amazed that they’re willing to bring it back to where it belongs. But I guess in the end, you tell them what to do. Right?” he asked casually, the ice surrounding him starting to melt as the moments passed.

“Usually. Usually I give an offering, give them a command, and they go do it. Lately though they have been…. different, Lila knew that her crows were gaining some autonomy. While they still listened to her commands they seem to be more willing to steal what is not theirs and bring it back to Lila. “They are very smart, I’ll give them that.

“Whatever the reason, I'm sure nothing bad will happen. I mean how much damage could they cause?”

Norm’s lips pursed together slightly, thoughts crossing his mind.
”Miss Lila… They’re attached to the Maiden, no? From Temple records, she’s a Class Two Apparition! I… I’ve done a lot of studying when it comes to that sort of stuff; and from what I know, there’s a chance that-”
He paused, a little shy about her reaction from before. He wasn’t here to make offenses, and felt that ultimately he only wanted to help her.
”-Well, I mean… You probably already know. Everything’s kind of a struggle? Right? How it feels like sometimes you’re trying to eat with a hand that isn’t attached to your body? Maybe she’s feeling some kind of dissatisfaction, or boredom that you haven’t been able to fulfill.”

Shrugging, he had a look of concern splashed across his bearded face.
”Something to think about; and maybe something the Temple can help you with if you want to try.”

“Oh I know she was bored, Santa,” Lila paused as her eyes narrowed on Norm, “she was so bored, so dissatisfied, that she tried to take over my body. Like I get it, if I was trapped in someone else and my needs weren’t met I would be mad. She never told me what she wanted from me, what she expected from me, what I could do to make her time trapped inside me more bearable but no! Nothing. I only learned that she was going to kill me and take control after I was too fucking broken to do anything about it,” Lila felt the tears well in her eyes, and they could not contain them for long. “And now I have an angry prisoner inside my soul that wants nothing but revenge on me for daring to protect myself and a body that is not my own that I’m trapped in, once again, but sadly there’s no fucking pill I can take this time to change that. What can the temple do to help me with my fucking problem, Norm?”. Lila took a step back away from Norm. Her crows began to show more signs of agitation once again.

“I don’t want help Norm, I need it. Can I trust that the temple will have my interests listened to or will you be more concerned with the Class Two apparition?”

As she started to get more and more emotional over the subject, Norm recoiled into a tighter and tighter space. He wanted to help as much as he could, but… This was the first time he’d ever bothered to put himself in this position. At once, he felt shame and potential packaged into a single inclination toward action.
In his hands were his convictions, his belief in the Faith he’d grown up in, and in front of him was someone begging to be helped. Begging to know what answers his Faith had for them.

So how could he reconcile his Faith with reality? The reality that, even if Her Grace was wrong about things, she could still end up being right because there was some kind of God on her side? He knew of things that would help Lila now, on a practical basis… But, was it for her? Was it not for the ultimate benefit of the Temple?
The Modus Operandi when dealing with Adjoined was to keep the Host in power… It kept the Human element most present, accessible by those outside influences. Bond-making, coming to feel that sense of community from within; it was how they maintained the Apparitional Host.

The outer ring, the buffer zone of the Temple’s social structure, was propped upon the shoulders of people just like Lila. Desperate people with unruly phantoms who come into the world of magic through often chaotic and inexplicable means… They’re the most vulnerable, the most in need of the help, and often the first ones to give themselves up for the cause that saves them in the end. Typically, as a born and Kindled Adept, he benefited from this cycle, and now he found himself with the opportunity to let things continue…

Or try something else…
”You want me to make guarantees I can’t make… But I know we’ve got resources. At the very least, offerings that can help you placate her; something to work toward an overall increased quality of your relationship. Our philosophy is generally skewed toward the Host maintaining autonomy over their lives, right? So, I’d say your needs align with our goals. Maybe that’s enough for you to at least let us try helping you?” he explained as calmly as he could, expecting her rage at the prospect of what he offered.

“And what does that help look like,” Lila asked as the fiery fury died down ever so, “the offerings? Will I have to curse people like she wants to? Turn them into FUCKING crows? Will that make her happy?”. Lila paused as she bawled her hand into a fist. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she focused on her breathing. She was unstable right now. She knew it. It was so hard to fight it though. There was something so natural about being unstable. Lila did not like that. She did not like how quickly her mind would fracture like this. This was weakness, weakness could be exploited by the bird and if she was weak against the maiden she would be gone. Black and white. Lila pushed the rage down, further and further with each breath until she almost forgot why she was mad. But not completely.

“I’m sorry. That fight with Trisha hurt my mind a lot. You’re just doing your job, I think. I honestly have no idea what you do at the temple besides weird orgies and a weird obsession with Apparitions,” Lila paused as she finally opened her eyes. “What is class two?”

Norm tried his best not to laugh when she listed the things she actually knew about the Temple. At first, he felt compelled to defend the monastic sexual rituals necessary to keep certain spirits among them appeased. It was, after all, just like her needing to turn people into crows: It was just the only option.
”Class Two: Entities are typically malign, dangerous to the Host, actively working toward their own power. They almost always seek to become Class One at all costs, for whatever reason. Those sorts of things are determined after a more comprehensive study.”

He tapped his chin for a second.
”Like, uh… Like Leon! He’s in the same boat as you; Class Two Apparition, constant grappling for the host body, the concern about whether or not you’re gonna be the one waking up in the morning… As far as I’m aware, the plan when he Adjoined Lady Lelou Faim was to treat her with full dominance. They weakened her inside him, applied a regulator that was held by a trusted companion, and from there the two started to work on their relationship from a different angle. Leon put a lot of work into it…”
He could only hope that name-dropping someone familiar to her would help her accept that there were similarities, and that with those came possibilities for good to come.

“Leon,” Lila furrowed her brow at the name. “I did not know Leon as well as I should’ve back then, and the coven is different now so it’s almost impossible to really get one on one time with people outside your group. I should’ve called him after the fight,” Lila sighed as she closed her here again and focused on her breathing. “I have been trying to ignore the problem by pretending everything was just as it was, but I can’t do that anymore. I should’ve,” Lila looked to Norm again as she opened his eyes, “I should’ve never trusted the bird. I don’t know what to do now, but I think l I’ll need to see when Leon is free next. Maybe drop in and break a leg unannounced?”

”You missed Adjoined night… The night you and Trisha got into a fight, Leon hosted his monthly Adjoined support night, and… Well, maybe it wouldn’t help too much yet. You should, I think. Come in and see us, that is. Even Her Grace would surely take the time to tend to you.” Norm offered, shoulders almost permanently shrugged at this point in the conversation.

He had no idea how people like Elise Richoux did this sort of thing effortlessly. Maybe she was just pushy about it; didn’t leave people with the time to think.
”Why… Why wait? We should go there now!” he extended his hand.

Lila considered it for a moment. What else did she have to lose? The more she thought of it, the more bad the idea started to sound. She was in a fragile mental state and that would make it much easier for them to influence her into making decisions she normally wouldn’t. She sighed as she shook her head. It was going to be no.

“Thank you Norm. Truly. But I am afraid that the answer is n-… wait did they,” Lila paused as she suddenly saw three of her crows flying in. One still had the stolen necklace, while the other two had bloodied earrings in their claws. She heard, through the crows, a man shout, “that’s it, I’m getting the gun,” and Lila’s eyes went wide. She knew it would be a matter of minutes, maybe ten, before the man stumbled his way towards their spot in the woods. No time to react. “On second thought guns beat magic, let’s go,” Lila quickly spoke as she grabbed Norm’s hand.

---

Traveling with Norm was quite a delight. Rather than the standard ass-to-mouth style olympic toboggan racing, he had the luxury of creating a space big enough for both participants to feel like jet-fighter pilots. The sliding, pill-shaped sled they hurled through the air in was solid and opaque ice on the floor, while being open and clear on the top for them to look out.

Occasionally, he formed a foil in between trees that took them so close it felt like they were bound to crash. But he followed the natural landscape, and when it was absolutely necessary, he’d form a blast of ice behind them that would send them rocketing back up to speed. It was like a roller coaster that neither of them were in control of, despite Norm’s clearly practiced performance indicating the opposite.

Thankfully, the walled off Temple lands were near enough that it didn’t take long to get back. Taking them in a low trajectory, Norm let the toboggan slowly shred itself apart as they descended. Each chunk ripped a bit of the object’s momentum away from it, the grain of his guide rails getting harsher and harsher until there was a popping motion at the end. Like an air break that gently launched them both upward just enough that it was like stepping off an elevator.
Being that it was the evening, the green of the lawns surrounding the various buildings of the compound were mostly free of Temple membership, leaving the duo free to make their way toward one of the bigger buildings.

”So, earlier… You asked me what help looks like! And I… I don’t really know exactly what it’s gonna look like. But I know that it’ll probably start here.-”
He pushed the door to the building open, and inside was some kind of kitchen. Or, more aptly, some kind of university cafeteria. It was a bit more intimate, with booths and tables set up like it was a restaurant as opposed to somewhere that college students could get a pudding cup. Small groups sat together, quietly talking and chatting. Some were alone with books or laptops, and others still were visibly accompanied by Apparitions of all shapes and sizes.

”-It’s our public kitchen. It’s kind of an if you know, you know sort of place, but it is open to the public. Anyone can walk in here and pay for a meal, just like one of Mr. Salamente’s restaurants. As one of our leaders, he’s able to use this place to allow magical apprentices the chance to learn how to use the Temple’s bevy of extraordinary ingredients.”

Perhaps the Maiden would be able to sense the magic of the area, the thick sludgy air full of Lux from all different sources. Apparitions, their hosts, the Adepts in the kitchen… Every single plate of food radiated some sort of energy or scent that screamed delicious to a potentially hungry phantom.
”It’s those ingredients that we find help our Adjoined friends. When the Apparition within realizes they’re being fed good, quality food that benefits them alongside the host? It’s a game changer. You can start to work together, instead of one trying to dominate the other for the scant resources that exist.”
He did his best to explain casually, just standing with her and walking slowly, waiting for any sort of interjection or outright rejection of the current situation.

Lila’s stomach rumbled as she smelled the air. She’d ate so much food today, a Chipotle bowl for lunch, a sandwich from Fox in the Snow cafe, leftovers from Jasper's dinner with Luca, several pudding cups, a chicken tender basket and blizzard from Dairy Queen, but for some reason being full eluded her.

“Smells delicious. Ever since I subdued The Maiden I’ve just been so hungry. Can we grab a plate and continue the talk?”

Norm’s hand swept out, graciously guiding her along around the corner. The place opened up into a warm, hearty looking buffet line where people of all ages and sizes were pulling food from. Beyond was a counter staffed by people who looked to be handing out special items, or made to order affairs which seemed to be equally accessible by all. And it was varied in its scope, with smells of Asian, South American, Latin American, Caribbean and African cuisines sliding up through Lila’s nose to splash against the pleasure centers of the brain.

”From what you’ve said, Lila? I think you’d really love some of the noodle dishes. Maybe at the back-” he pointed at one of the counters, where steam was billowing out from all sides. ”-They’ve got this Magufish curry, and some of the nova rice. I think you’ll find yourself a bit more relaxed, and maybe even a little more in control. They’re really filling, and you can hope the Maiden will be a bit sluggish because of it.” he explained.

“Honestly the noodles sound perf Norm. I’m just so..” Lila paused as she unzipped a pocket on her hip and pulled out her wallet and began to be pulled in by the smell. While she knew she was walking towards the location Norm pointed out it felt like she was floating along like a cartoon character following a smell in the air. Eventually she found herself in front of the counter and she looked at the person standing behind it with a rabid intensity. “I’ll take one of everything please.”

The woman behind the counter smiled warmly at her, taking a deep breath.
“Oh, dearie me… Fresh face aren’t we?”
As she spoke, it became very clear to Lila that nobody else was working back there. Just the pots, pans, knives, hammers, stoves and ovens; one other person was sliding around on some sort of board contraption, occasionally tapping on one of the self-functioning kitchen implements.
The woman turned her head.

“Did you hear her!?”
“Yes, yes… Let me work, damn you.”
Her sweet face turned back to Lila, printing off a ticket from the machine above her and handing it off to Lila.
“You go on and take this to the counter over there-” she pointed toward the end of the line, where there was a lone cashier waiting. “-and you’ll be able to pay. When it’s all done, we’ll bring it out to you Sweetie. Don’t forget a drink now, there’s juices and homemade soft drinks. Beer and wine, too. Just show your ID to the cashier.”

But Norm was clearly waiting for her as well, and as she was able to leave the food counter he caught her before the cashier.
”I’ve got you; no need to pay. I’ll take the ticket and scan it for my account.”
He also had a ticket, but also had a plate full of salad and croutons with some little anchovies and crumbled cheese.

“Yes, fresh face. Thank you!” Lila smiled warmly towards the woman behind the counter. She grabbed the ticket and looked towards Norm. She grabbed a juice as she walked over and held out the ticket. “Thank you. For everything today. I don’t know why asking my friends for help right now is extra hard but I appreciate you being willing to while I’m down.” Lila’s head slowly shifted as she caught sight of her crows cornering a lone patron. She reached into a pocket and pulled out some more jewelry and held it out. With her connection to her crows she simply commanded them to be on their best behavior here and a moment later a crow swooped in and took the offering, saving the patron from the mean mugging murder.

“They have so much more personality now. Are they allowed inside here?”

As Lila asked about whether or not the crows were allowed inside, a small school of fish floating around a person waltzed on through the hall and into one of the other parts of the building. Norm simply smiled, nodding toward an empty table.
”If there’s animals in here, we assume there’s magic involved. Wouldn’t just be a random crow; so they’d simply try to find you and ask you to get them under control. Which you have… They really love shiny stuff, huh? Is it specifically jewelry?” he asked as he sat down.

“They like things that sparkle, that are shiny, or are tasty,” Lila chuckled as she sat down, “when I was first adjoined I had to give them a gift for everything they did. When the maiden was sealed in me I had full control over them. Now, the crows that I have the ability to command, require the gifts once again.”. Several crows landed on the table between the two of them. Their beady eyes looked to Lila and then Norm with expectations carried with their look.

Norm had, among the many things on his plate, a small vine covered in thick, red berries. They looked like grapes, even. His hands pulled a handful of them off, holding them up to the crows and smiling.
”Eat, and be full ye leel Souls. Be what you are.”

The crows walked over the table, examined the offering, and began to take the berries from Norm. “They have been asking for so many offerings I’m worried. What if I have to go into battle with fat crows?”

Norm looked flatly at her.
”Surely they can’t get fat. They’re not… Well…”
He tried to poke one, and found it heavy and fully formed as a real crow.
”Wow… Well, maybe having bigger crows is better for combat.”
And then Lila’s food came. The friendly woman from before carted it over, and the order filled the table with various soups and dumplings, noodle dishes with bird and animal proteins of all kinds.

”Hey… Look at this, huh? There’s no way you’re gonna have a problem with her for the rest of the night, I’d say.” he laughed.

Lila took a deep breath, breathing in the savory smells around her, before she started reached for the first dumpling and placed it in her mouth and took her first bite. Immediately she could feel The Maiden awaken and float up to the surface, the icy tendrils tried to wrap themself around Lila’s mind but their strength was simply not there for her to manipulate Lila.

“This food…Eat slowly so I can savor it.” The Maiden whispered.

Lila began to eat quicker. But she quickly felt the same sensation that The Maiden did. This food was magical. The flavor was magical. Lila wanted to savor it too, but the rumble of her stomach quickly reminded her that she was too hungry to go slow. She finished the dumpling she had and began to pull a bowl of soup over. She took a single sip and she could feel the same sensation, and she could feel The Maiden rejoice.

“She woke up really quickly when we tasted the food. She wants me to eat slowly.”

”I hate to say she's probably malnourished. It's not really the host's fault ever: You could never be wrong for denying a violent spirit the feast of Mankind it may desire. That's why the Temple takes a great deal of pride in the food we make. We provide a healthy and happy environment for people like you. For hosts dealing with needy headmates, it can be a real relief!”

He laughed thinking about his own regulated diet of amplifiers and toners that had long since shaped and colored his pure Red Lux into a honed tool.
”I'd say you guys, overall, tend to have the bigger, more diverse menu than Adepts like myself. The nutritionist here really hammers Adept diets.”

He had been given a purely vegetarian meal… Because it pissed him off, essentially. The necessary rage for casting started off with the basic inconveniences sprinkled throughout one's day.
He picked at the salad of blue tomato and other whacky ingredients in the raw that Lila probably never would've seen.
”Anyway, eat all you like. If you guys need a second portion, we'll go around again together.”

Lila’s eyes froze for a second before she looked at the food. There was a visible shake to them as she looked at the food. They rose up to meet Norm’s. “I’m not eating humans, am I? I’m not having a feast of, and including, Mankind right?”

Norm shook his head.
”Oh, no! No. Much better. I would be breaking some vows telling an outsider exactly what it’s made of, but I assure you: It’s truly the compromise between the conscious Host and the ravenous Apparition. Our methods cross a thousand years of research and understanding of this symbiose, and as far as I’ve studied, we’ve learned what works best. Nowadays, we’re just making it better and better with modern magical technology.”

He was doing his absolute best to remember every pamphlet, every little seminar from the Eden Project, every single conversation he’d had with Ginara… Every bit of things even he wasn’t allowed to hear.
But there was a crinkling, or some kind of metal rattling that caused him to look away. His face became excited, and he slid himself from the booth.
”Oh, Your Grace! How expected you would find us!”
”Norman… You know nothing escapes my sight.” a deep, feminine voice cooed, passing against Lila’s ears like velvet.
”And is that sweet little Lila Blackwood? What a blessing it is to have you at one of my tables!”

Looking at her, Lila would find the stern, high cheeked beauty of the raven-haired Lynette Richoux. Her ice blue eyes stared down, warm skin tones peeking from behind the powdered pale meticulously applied across her body. She was clad in a black robe, golden spheres hanging from an equally gold chain belt. The weight of them kept the chain tight around her waist, causing the robes to separate clearly into an upper and lower half.

”You may not remember me… But I am Lynette Richoux, Prophetess and Highest Grace of the Temple of Charming and Graceful Individuals! I also happen-” she dipped her head slightly, almost humble about the coming fact. ”-to be Leon Richoux’s Mother… I do believe we met once, long ago when you were a teen. You came to these grounds for some healing alongside a group of the others, and I remember your sweetness fondly. And this is my dearest Crone and secretary: Lena.”

Beside her, something like a clone. She didn’t wear the same warm face, or have the same striking features. But the energy of an Adjoined could be felt as a radiation of expressive heat.
”Would you or the Maiden be opposed to our accompaniment?” she asked, a warm grin splitting her face down the middle.

Lila’s eyes slowly rose to meet Lynette’s. The blue irises with their jet black interior met the matriarch of the temple and trembled ever so. She listened to the women and remembered their shared past well. She scared Lila, as a kid and now. There was always something so off about the vibe she carried. “Yes yes, we met before though I wore different skin back then,” Lila paused as she cursed at herself internally at the strange comparison. “The Maiden doesn’t have a say in things right now. Please, join us.”

”Then it seems you’ve found pleasure in your stomach! Dinner is incredibly important to our closest family in these parts…”
Lynette let her hip bump into Lila, sliding her into the booth while Lena slid in next to Norm, tossing her arm into his bundle of jewel colored grapes and snagging a few to toss in her mouth. The two of them spoke lowly to one another for a moment.
”Odds?”
”You’d love to know.”

”Ehem? Children?” Lynette chastised them both, a brow turning up to cut their chatter. Lena’s face was immediately smug, while Norm looked across at Lila with some embarrassment.
”Pardon, your Grace. Yes, Sister Lila here had some trouble with the Blade’s Closest, and we assisted her. I passed along contact information, and today she requested our help herself. I was happy to bring her here.”

”And I am happy that she’s been brought here! I had little opportunity to cultivate relationships with you all back then, and it was such a shame more of you weren’t interested in coming to us. I can feel your radiant confidence and comfort as you continue to process dinner both metabolically and spiritually.”
She seemed so happy to talk about it. So thrilled, absolutely convinced by her own words.
”It’s by some of the oldest practices on Earth that we come to the same conclusion over and over again: You are what you eat. If you’re eating a balanced, fulfilling meal and treating your body, mind and soul how they should be treated, you will be fulfilled!” she spoke with the conviction of someone who knows they’re correct.

“The food is good,” Lila paused as she ate another dumpling, eyes shooting to the side as she looked at Norm and Lena. She felt a wave of distrust shoot over her, The Maidens distrust, as she looked back at Lynette. “The Maiden seems to like it. I’m not religious. You can thank my parents back in Ohio for not being super interested in joining back then and now.”

Lynette twisted her face into a look of joking horror.
”Ah, the purgatory of the Midwest. Ohio…”
She giggled, playfully nudging Lila.
”You’d hardly call us religious around here, unless the Gym’s a religion. I’d call us a Family, Lila. A big one, and we have some beliefs here and there that may align with a book or two… But it’s only religious if you treat it that way. Besides, what’s faith and religion when we know that things beyond our world and even dimension exist? If we know, then there’s simply no question of faith: Only a question of expectation!”

Lena was staring at Lila, but more so staring at her plate. Hungry eyes didn’t waver, only snapped away at the sound of a little ruckus down the row.
”I’ve told you to curse more.” Lena giggled.
”I find it impolite in good company…”
”Oh, we must be dreadful company then, Your Grace…” Norm laughed, elbow bumping into Lena’s as she shared the laugh.
”Ohhhh, eat shit, Norman.” Lynette coldly responded, leaving a moment’s pause before she too started to laugh.

Lila saw Lena’s hungry eyes staring at her food through a crow that was perched above them. She pushed an untouched bowl of noodles over as she maintained her focus on Lynette. “We had cedar point and corn hedge at least. Religion did enough damage that this place feels scarily similar. I distrust the higher powers if there are any. If there was someone, something, above us guiding us why did they allow the snake to kill a bunch of kids,” Lila paused as she took a deep breath, “I don’t have faith in anything or anyone other than my friends. And my crows.”

Almost on command a crow landed on the table carrying a phone. Not just the bedazzled and shiny phone case it had, but someone’s entire phone. Lila raised an eyebrow as she looked towards Lynette, then Norm, then Lena, before back to the crow. She grabbed a dumpling and held it out, sending a command with her mind to return the phone to their owner, and the crow grabbed the dumpling but flew off without the phone. “Little Shit.” That particular crow was becoming more well known to Lila for their unique blend of chaos and disobedience. As such, in the moment, she decided that the crow will forever be known as Little Shit.

”Little Shit indeed…-” Lynette pointed out. ”-Lena? Please take that phone back to…-” she picked it up, flipping it in her hand and looking at the case. ”-Miss Cleovetra. I’ll meet you in a moment.”
Lena was unable to enjoy the bowl of noodles offered to her, rather taking up the phone from Lynette and taking her wordless, thankless leave.

Refocusing, Lynette took a deep breath and maintained a smile for Lila.
”I encourage you to spend some time with us. Maybe you’ll find yourself a bit more comfortable being here as time passes, Lila… And if ever you need help, I’m sure Norm will be there as your main point of contact with us. If nobody else, I would trust this young man with my life a hundred times over.”
She outstretched her hand, and Norm happily took it like a son would take his mother’s hand.

”What praise!”
Pulling the hand away, she kept smiling at Lila.
”Did you… Well, did you want to ask me anything? Anything at all, I’m happy to put your mind at ease.” she offered.

Lila pulled the bowl of noodles back slowly, a clear look of disdain falling across her face. She had offered her food to a hungry disciple of the church and their matriarch denied her the gift of it. That was telling. She felt the maidens distrust grow as her own grew to match it. Lila did not touch the food from there, instead pulling over another dish and taking a bite. “No thank you ma’am,” Lila paused as she forced a smile across her face, “Thank you for all your help in both the past and present.”. She looked over to Norm and gave him a more emotion filled smile. “I may contact Leon soon about the support group here soon to see if that can help, at least a little.”

”And this is something else I would encourage! I sincerely look forward to seeing you here again in the future, Dear. Peace and Health be with you both, and you Norm.”
Sliding out, she stood and gently bowed. Then she was off like a phantom, as if she weren’t even there.

Norm took a deep breath, shaking his head.
”I… Hope that wasn’t too much. You did great.” he commented gently.

“It was very illuminating,” Lila paused, eyes tracking Lynette, before she slid the noodle dish towards Norm, “is there any way to ensure Lena gets some food? She looked very hungry.”. Lila grabbed the last of the dumplings and started chewing on three of them with a ravenous intensity. The Maiden once again protested the quick pace and Lila slowed her chewing to accommodate. It was weird that The Maiden was so friendly right now. Lila knew better than to ever let her guard down but it was nice that they could find common ground thanks to the lack of respect shown by the temple. Maybe Norm was right. Maybe the temple could actually help her with The Maiden.

Norm’s eyes darted from the bowl of soup back to Lila, laughing with a slightly nervous laugh.
”Uhh… I mean… Sure? I’ll be sure to, uh, make sure she gets that, Lila.”
Not the smartest, but perceptive; Norm was a precision fighter who always looked for the finest, smallest points of impact. Conversation and learning how to understand someone was no different.

”This is… It’s an offering thing? Like, a tradition? You give gifts to the crows, they take them without ever saying no. But, is it a problem if people don’t take your offers?” he asked her simply.

Lila looked at Norm, down to the food, back to Norm, and then to herself through the eyes of a crow. Did she just give a person an offering? She thought over it more and she realized that yes, yes that was some form of her offering. Why did she give a person an offering? Her vision switched back to Norm and decided to lie. “It was a gift. Totally not an offering. Just feeding a hungry friend of yours. Totally…..I think it was an offering… It might’ve been. I don’t mind if someone doesn’t want it, my crows can be picky too you know? I just dislike it when the choice is taken from them. I offered her food, and Lynette sent her away,” Lila finished as her eyes slowly looked away.

Norm's eyebrows raised. Conspiratorially, he leaned in toward Lila with a grin.
”If you knew her like we do? You wouldn't have made the offer… But I'm sure the Crone of Punishment will come to claim her gift at some point. So rest assured, she'll have what's hers. Now eat up, enjoy… I can take you home after you've had your fill, or you can hang around.” he offered with a kind smile.

“I see,” Lila paused as she leaned back and crossed her arms. She wasn’t fully satisfied with the explanation behind the behavior. Lila did know that Adjoined often had unique restrictions, arbitrary rules, and a generalized sense of bullshit compared to adepts and agents. If she didn’t have The Maiden sealed within her she knew that she’d be more confined to the whims of a murderous maiden. Still, Lila knew that being an agent like this was much more complicated. Lila pulled the rest of the food close. This was not going to be a pretty sight. This was not going to be graceful. There would be no honor found in the gluttonous display Lila was about to put on. She felt The Maiden give her blessing to eat away so Lila was going to put on a terrifying show.

“I just gained the ability to fly Norm,” Lila paused as she smirked, “you gotta let a girl spread her wings.”

---

---

Sabrina wasn’t going to give up.

Even though Sabrina had zero faith in the Sycamore Tree Coven (she could see why her sister and her friends wanted nothing to do with them), she wouldn’t give up that easily. She needed to lower her scope… and work with what she knew rather than hoping the rest of the Coven would be like Britney, Greyson, and Linqian… So, after inviting them, Sabrina sat at the head of the table at the exclusive and upscale La Bellezza restaurant. This exclusive room was draped in rich fabrics with a singular grand table underneath a chandelier - and most importantly, it was away from prying eyes with its unique staff. She hoped that this would work out better than last night…

”Whoa, this is amazing!” The first one to walk in wasn't a coven member - instead it was the younger brother of one. Henri walked into the private room with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. ”Jie, there's a chandelier!”

”I got eyes,” Linqian retorted, rolling them. She ushered Henri into the look, shooting Sabrina an apologetic look. Then she threw a thumb behind her at Greyson, who'd also come with them… since they'd all come from the same place. ”I know coven business, but someone got my brother involved in that shit, so he's part of it now too. Sorta. Nice to see you again, Bean.”

“It’s great to see you again, too, and it’s no issue to me long as he’s apart of the Coven,” Sabrina said with a nod of her head.

Greyson had, at the very least, provided the Han siblings with some half-decent clothing to wear to a semi-formal dinner at a nice place… It was mostly so he didn’t look so out-of-place showing up dressed to the nines, as was his pleasure.
”Hey, I asked… Sabrina, always nice to see you Hon; how’s the house now that the Bee Matron is gone?” he casually asked, leaning down to administer La Bise by kissing her cheeks gently on either side.

Having come separately from Britney, Greyson was a little nervous that his main squeeze would be MIA for some reason, and that their night would turn into a fiasco that they’d have to solve… Or worse.

“It’s been a lil’ bit lonely; I kind of miss the bees; you know they added a little charm to the household, I’m not going to lie,” Sabrina said lightly before she leaned in and steepled her fingers. “Order something. Whatever you like, it’s on me tonight. It’s just my way of saying thank you for seeing me on such short notice. Britney is on her way… She said she didn’t mind if we got started without her.”

”Whoa, you’re the best, Bean!” Henri said cheerfully, sitting down beside Sabrina and grabbing the menu immediately.

”I’m surprised the charm of the bees outweighs Trisha’s… whole personality,” Linqian snorted, taking a seat beside her brother. She grimaced, legs crossing in a much more ladylike posture than she was used to - because the somewhat fancy dress she’d ended up with was longer than she was used to and pretty tight. While Henri was engrossed in what he could eat, she was more actually interested in what they were talking about. Food was really second. ”What did you want to talk about? Oh, wait, there’s someone else coming too… Aaron. They're part of our… subgroup, I guess.”

“I think I’m one of the nicer parts of this subgroup,” Aaron said as he walked into the room. Aaron wore a perfectly tailored black suit, courtesy of Faith at the 317, with a white button up shirt underneath. The shirt itself had the last few buttons unbuttoned, revealing an expensive looking gold chain underneath. It wasn’t one hundred percent real, mind you, but to a quick glance it would pass as fancy. Their watch was a black banded smart watch, and their shoes matched the suit with a black color.

“I’m also the most humble.”

Linqian rolled her eyes.

“And most attractive.”

Linqian rolled her eyes again.

Sabrina couldn’t help but smile, “... And lively, I can tell.” She chuckled.

“But, I wanted to discuss the meeting, well, my offer to the Coven, that is, I know I got immediately brushed to the side, but I’m not giving up,” Sabrina began, nodding. “Unfortunately, well… I will be honest here and say that I don’t want to deal with the greater Coven.”

Sabrina shrugged, then continued, “I don’t mean to be rude, but that meeting was easily the second most dysfunctional event I ever had the displeasure of attending.” Sabrina was not a liar; she had tact but couldn’t sugarcoat this.

“However, I guess I have a more positive opinion of you three… five now. So, I believe that maybe this can work better if I worked with you all”

”Rude? You’re being pretty fucking nice, the coven’s an absolute shitshow,” Linqian laughed bitterly. Especially that last meeting. She really didn’t want to think about or remember it, if she was honest. ”I’m curious about what event was worse- you’ll have to tell us about that later. But yeah. The greater coven fucking sucks. We’ve actually kind of decided to work in smaller groups anyway so… that’d work. Not that I’m the decision maker.”

”You make plenty of decisions at home,” Henri commented, staring intently at the menu.

”Cause I’m fucking in charge there,” Linqian muttered back.

“You’re just saying what a lot of us think,” Aaron sighed as he rubbed his temple, “I may have a renewed desire to fix what is broken but this is going to be an uphill battle,” Aaron paused as he looked at Linqian, “this smaller group idea may be what allows us to put behind our differences and actually function. The other night at the 317 showed me we have to. If our coven was attacked like that I don’t think we’d be around to talk about it.”

“Unlike the Greenwood leader, I know it’s not my place to say it,” Sabrina nodded, placing a hand on her chest. “But, I got off track… I know you weren’t there to hear it, but I’m willing to supply you with resources or… my influence in the city.”

She sighed, “I didn’t get a chance to say it, but I can get you all in touch with the local information broker, Issac Kane.”

Greyson’s lips pursed together, having given Aaron a fistbump for the fit-of-the-day. Issac Kane was a well-regarded busybody who, in Greyson’s foggy memory of him, was all about keeping things even. Which, at this point, was great for the Coven. If the man’s modus operandi hadn’t changed drastically over the few years since he last heard the name, he was confident this was a good thing…

But he could never be one-hundred percent sure. All he could do was trust Sabrina because Britney trusted her, and in turn do his own legwork to satisfy his curiosity.
”That’s certainly a name to drop… I guess it’s still a reach-down for a Vanburen, but I won’t turn my nose up at the offer. What are the conditions?” he asked casually, doing his best to signal wait staff for an order.

“Simple, solve this Father Wolf nonsense,” Sabrina immediately answered. “That’s all I want. I don’t want to see anyone get hurt - not you, Britney, or Linqian… Nobody.”

”That’s really it?” Linqian asked, trying not to sound too suspicious. So far, Sabrina hadn’t proven herself to be anything but trustworthy… but Linqian just didn’t trust that someone would do something out of the goodness of their heart. Not that she had any idea who Issac Kane was but if Greyson thought it was a good offer… ”Well, fuck.”

”That’s really nice of you, Bean! I don’t know who this Issac Kane person is, since I haven’t been in the city for years and years, but if he can help that’s great! I really want the Father Wolf stuff solved too.” Henri smiled brightly at Sabrina, before twisting around to also try to get some wait staff’s attention with some overly large waves.

“That simple,” Aaron spoke with a smirk, “I don’t recall that name, but I can check the grapevine to see what others have said,” Aaron paused as he looked towards the waitstaff, “the question remains how will we find them to stop them? Our best connection to the murders is dead, Lynn is suggesting we go to the Pit, and no one is coming up with a solution or trying outside of a select few. I don’t suppose you have any fancy devices not locked in the Pit that could help?”

”Woah, woah… Don’t go getting greedy, cowpoke. We’ve got another group working on stuff like that; let’s take what we can get at our angles for right now… And I’ll vouch for Kane’s usefulness here. If I didn’t think he had other shit to do, I probably would’ve gotten in touch with him myself at some point. Even my Father and the Unions up North call on his expertise from time to time…” Greyson offered.

“Nora’s working on something,” Sabrina answered Aaron with a nod, and she was silent before she added, “... I’m curious about who this Kari person is, though. From your meeting, she seemed…”

The doors opened, and Britney Williams opened them… wearing a fancy black dress, loafers, and a smile. ”Aaron, Linqian, Greyson, Henri… Bean!” She walked over to Sabrina and hugged her, before taking a seat. ”Sorry I’m late; I had to make sure I looked cute.” She stuck her tongue out.

”Brit, you look fucking great,” Linqian raised a hand in a half wave, before smirking over at Greyson. ”She said my name before yours.”

”What did I miss?” She asked.

“I wanted to ask about this Kari person who got brought up a lot in the meeting and what makes her so important in all of this,” Sabrina leaned back. “You know, the burning questions on my mind...”

“I didn’t know her as well,” Aaron paused as he looked over to Britney and waved,, “from what I remember she was instrumental to our victory back then.

”White Lux Adepts are always doing shit… Surveillance and Intelligence is the name of the game, and Kari’s probably one of the best there is. From what I remember, she pretty much pinpointed every single artifact we had to use during the War, and coordinated a fuck-ton of countermeasures during the latter days.”

Finally, the waiter arrived, and Greyson smiled.
”Ah, perfect… I’ll take a separate check if that’s possible- I don’t love eating on other people’s dimes. A bottle of Pinot, and can we get a plate of salad? Like, do you guys do family style stuff here?” he asked, practically exiting the previous conversation to focus on sustenance.

”Well Bean, what Greyson said,” Britney said with a shrug, leaning back in her seat. ”She was a White-Lux Adept, she found a bunch of artifacts for us… Shit, this is hard to explain in a nutshell.”

She awkwardly laughed.

“We have all day,” Sabrina shrugged. “Messiah has a babysitter up until midnight.”

”Well, she’s White-Lux, and because of some weird shit we think that she has something to do with the murders,” Britney began. ” Either she’s helping or the murderer herself! But that’s a whole ‘nother discussion; according to Greyson and Tsukino, she was working for Blake Schmidt. He has her notes which….”

Britney shrugged, throwing her hands in the air.

”... Are important for some reason!” Britney said, ”Personally, I think we should be chasing other leads than that, but - surprise - we don’t have any!”

“Ah, I remember that part,” Sabrina nodded her head. “I didn’t get a chance to say… I can get you all at the notes, if necessary.”

”Oh, and I did talk to Lynn yesterday morning?-” Greyson added, finishing up the order for now.
”-And I’ve got her memories… She was kind enough to let me boost the negatives out of her brain, so I’ve seen her futures. The ones she mentioned, about Kari being responsible and shit… But, I’m thinking she’s in hiding.”

”If she is, she probably did it to save her own ass,” Britney shrugged.

”That wouldn’t fucking surprise me,” Linqian frowned, hand scrunching up the fancy cloth napkin in front of her. The thought of Kari fucking off and saving herself immediately made her tense. Jinhai hadn’t had that luxury. ”Didn’t think to fucking warn anyone.”

“What did you see in her memories, Greyson,” Aaron asked as he leaned back in his chair. He was also curious about the negatives being taken from the brain but important stuff first.

”Lots of bullshit, mostly. Stuff that just doesn’t make sense, which made my job easier. She asked me if I could help her figure out which futures may’ve had more of a chance than others, and… Yeah, that’s what I got. Two options that seem pretty grim, and one where… Well… You guys have had the same Recollections I have: I found that it seems pretty likely Kari’s after that little girl. Raven Jones…” he finished, his voice hanging in the air at the mention of Raven Jones.

”After her liiiiiike?” Britney said, tilting her head. ”It sounds like there’s nothing that can presently help us, right?”

“Well,” Aaron paused as he looked towards Greyson, then Britney, then back to Greyson, “is it possible that this Raven Jones is father wolf?”

Greyson shrugged his shoulders.
”That… That I don’t know. It’s a tough call to make; like I told Lynn, it’s like looking through the shower door glass when you’re observing shit like the future. It’s not really real, so everything’s got a foggy glass in front of it. I did what I could with what I could intuit, but ultimately it’s still fuckin’ future without reality. It’s all…”
Struggling with his hands, he finally let them both interpret the fleeting nature with fingers turned up toward the sky.
”Ugatz…” (Bullshit…)

”This shit’s above my paygrade,” Linqian groaned, holding her head. She really didn’t like hearing about Lynn, and especially not when it came with thinking about future bullshit. ”The dreams are warning about Raven so… maybe she is Father Wolf? But that seems a bit too fucking obvious.”

”Well, do we have anything on her?” Britney shrugged. ”There’s a lot on Sunshine, but nobody even knew she had a kid!” Britney laughed.

”Well, I’d like to think maybe Kane can help us with that step. At the very least, it’s another lead. Maybe there’s value in letting the shitheads who want to throw themselves into the Pit actually do it?” he offered the thought.

Sabrina was oddly silent the whole time, looking uncomfortable.

”You know all that’s going to happen is that they’re just going to end up being crash test dummies,” Britney darkly laughed.

“We’d be down at least one problem,” Aaron's eyes were on Linqian, knowing that Lynn said she’d lead the away team, “but can we really afford to lose anyone else though? Can we look at our friends on the mural and tell them that letting them go there was the only thing we could do,” Aaron asked the table as a whole. After the fight at the 317, and the night out with Jack, Aaron was becoming less willing to deal in lives.

“The 317 was attacked the other night, and that showed me that things might be getting really scary really fast. We should tell them.”. Aaron of course referred to bringing up Scott Reese.

Linqian frowned, before nodding. Yeah. She didn’t want to tell the rest of the coven, but Britney? That was fine. ”I don’t want to tell the whole fucking coven, because they’ll just make shit worse, but… we fought Scott Reese the other night. Fucker’s alive.”

“And just as strong. The full strength of the 317 was not enough to stop him.” Aaron paused as he looked towards Britney. ”Is there any chance, with Scott being back, that Stiggy is orchestrating our murders?

Britney’s jaw dropped.

”... Bullshit,” Britney awkwardly laughed. ”Adora yeeted him into the ocean during the final battle; when Stiggy was sealed, he probably drowned, and that was that.”

She laughed some more, ”... If he is alive, why in the world is so much shit from ten years ago popping up now?”

“... Is everyone from the 317 okay?” Sabrina finally spoke up.

“I’m telling you it was him,” Aaron’s hand started to shake, “aged up, but you never forgot a monster like that. That’s why we brought him up.” The stress from actually bringing it up forced a quick swap to Aryin and back, which caused his shirt to ride up and look unkempt. “We lived, thanks to Greenwood, Linqian, and the PRA, but the 317 was nearly destroyed. Thank you for asking, everyone is shaken up but that was the first time that most of them saw a fight like that.”

”Yeah, that fuck you mean if, Brit?” Linqian turned her head to narrow her eyes at Britney. Wasn’t quite her being actually pissed, but she was certainly annoyed about it. ”He was exactly the fucking same. I didn’t get nearly killed for it to be questioned.”

”Oh yeah they both were really badly injured yesterday!” Henri piped up.

”Fuck knows why he’s back now. But it makes sense, if we’re all fucking back, right?”

”Scott gets his power straight from Stiggy,” Britney put her hands together, ”Stiggy is sealed; therefore there should be zero conceivable way for him to get that power unless...”

She trailed off.

”... The Stygian Snake is already free.”

“Linqian and I both saw him. I am not smart enough to speculate but if Stiggy is free, or has influence outside that container, wouldn’t that be prime suspect number one for our murders,” Aaron asked inquisitively.

”Wouldn’t we know if he was free?” Linqian frowned. ”He wiped out the most of the fucking city last time, we’d all be dead if it was him… right?”

”Not necessarily,” Britney shrugged, ”It could be playing the long game now. Or, just busy destroying other universes.”

Britney paused.

”... There is that complete solar eclipse next year.”

“Scott is on the loose, the Snake may very well not be imprisoned, the only people who stopped him are being killed, and there’s a complete solar eclipse next year?”. Aaron held up both hands as he took a deep breath. “The only person who could check the other universes is also, coincidentally, missing.”

Britney awkwardly laughed,

”... Shit’s sounding real scuffed right about now, ain’t it?”

”Sure is,” Linqian said, leaning her chin on one hand and frowning. ”Maybe we're already all fucked and we just don't know it…”

”Can’t you find someone else who can look at other universes?” Henri asked obliviously.

Britney’s eyes shot open as if a bulb went off in her head, and she smiled. ”... Henri, you’re a genius!” Britney started. ”Well, no… What about instead of someone, we find something?” She grinned.

”There are tons of artifacts that can see into other universes… and I bet your sweet ass there’s at least two in St. Portwell.”

“What are they?”

”... I literally said there are tons of them, boy,” Britney laughed. ”I’ll be here all day explaining them all.”

She playfully laughed, rolling her eyes before she continued, ”Off the top of my head there’s the Nemean Eye… It lets you see into other dimensions but usually the people who use it end up going missing.”

“I thought you said there were two of them in St. Portwell,” Aaron whispered as he cursed his listening skills. “And I’d rather not end up missing. But we can look for other artifacts.”

”I agree with Aaron, going missing isn’t on my fucking bucket list… what’s the other one in the city?” Linqian asked, looking over at Henri, who was absolutely beaming at being called a genius.

Greyson liked to think he was capable of chilling out for a night, figuring he'd be able to just enjoy a dinner with some kind and gentle folk. People who could soften him, make him forget about the peril…
But as they discussed what potential artifacts lay in wait throughout the city, the wine and salad arrived. A big bowl of salad that the waiter tossed table side, breaking up the conversation. Long enough that Greyson's long stare at Sabrina could be extended.

She was, is, Britney's dear friend. And she was offering her assistance to the Coven for practically nothing… So, why had she given no emphatic response when it came to the Recollections? Observant, clever, yet she had no questions to ask about the girl called Raven Jones, and certainly no encouragement to seek those answers out. It sat poorly with Columbo Junior, and in his infinite wisdom, he decided he'd push the button again.

”See, that's why success in the Pit is necessary… Wayfinders? Potentially more than before? Yoko could be the key here, and we wouldn't know. I mean, I don't think it's a coincidence that all of our Recollections have had to do with Raven Jones and the Pit… And Sunshine, obviously…” he had the wine bottle, and was pouring each person a glass while he spoke.

His face turned to look at Sabrina fully, a smile curling up at the edge of his mouth.
”Has Brit actually talked to you about the whole… Y'know, Coven sharing Recollections? Pretty ominous, y'know, having a whole group of people getting the same nightmare about the same damn little girl.”

“I’ve heard about it,” Sabrina said as she shifted in her seat, and her hand went to her wine glass. Her eyes went to Britney for a moment before returning to Greyson, “Britney and Trisha mentioned it to me a few times, but I need a bigger picture of it before I can say if it’s something I can help with. Maybe Raven Jones is the key to everything. Maybe not. But, she has to tie into it, somehow, yes?”

“Would you want the whole picture? I mean one of us can share the recollections with you. I know we haven’t been the best company but,” Aaron paused as he looked towards Britney, “you’re one of us now, yeah?”

“... ‘One of us’, is this what being in a cult is like?” Sabrina laughed. “Well, hit me.”

Doing his best to hide a grimace, Greyson was in between this being a good and bad idea. Ultimately, he wasn't going to stop it, as he was too curious about what she may have to say.
”Maybe Brit? You guys are closest after all…”

“No, no it’s not a cult at all. But now that you mentioned it did we remember to order the koolaid tonight?. Aaron smiled as he looked towards Greyson.
“I don’t think I could do it anyway, I don’t have a strong magical background. Greyson is right, the ball is in your court Britney.”

”Well, if we’re a cult, we’re the most lit cult there is!!” Britney joked, sticking her tongue out. ”But, I got you, Bean.”

Britney stuck her hand out, and after a pause, Sabrina extended her own shaky hand. Then Sabrina saw everything, shown through a Recollection… And at the very end, her heart was pounding, as her jaw dropped. She averted her gaze as she was silent…

As Greyson watched the process unfold, he closely observed Sabrina’s face. Her reaction as things unfolded before her eyes, culminating in the fear and panic of the frankly disturbing visions. He didn’t blame her for finding that fear was an overwhelming sensation; but he couldn’t just drop his suspicion… Not with such an animated impression left on the table.

He cleared his throat to bring attention back to the topic at hand.
”All I was initially curious about was what you thought Kane would be able to tell us… But you’re one of the few magical Vanburens, right? Now I’m… Well, I can’t lie to you; I’d be curious about anything… Well, y’know, I’m sure James left plenty behind, right? So, anything we can check out that may be useful. Respectfully…”

Sabrina shrugged, “One, everything my father had belongs to my older brother and… We’re not on the best terms. And two, there’s nothing in there anyway, except old artifacts and his journal.”

”And I don’t suppose you’d let me… Y’know… Poke around in that head? Latent memories are a sonofabitch: They can hide from you for years, maybe…-”
He was stretching a bit as far as trying to hook her, baiting slightly for a reaction that may prove hostile or otherwise suspicious. But deescalation was a better choice, and he threw his hands up noncommittally before another sip of wine cleared his lips.
”Or, hey, even a meeting with Big Brother? Rich folk have the biggest ears, after all…” he playfully flapped his hands behind his ears like an elephant.

“... I could try with my older brother; he’ll blow me off more likely than not, but I will try,” Sabrina mused out loud, fiddling her thumbs. However, she turned towards Greyson, and stared him dead-on as she said, “But, what do you think you’re going to get from my mind?”

Sabrina let her words hang in the air as she said, “Paranoia is healthy for someone in your situation, but I don't know anything.” She shrugged.

He shrugged similarly, tossing a shoulder up.
”Britney doesn’t keep dumb company. You’re quiet, you keep to yourself… You take care of your youngest brother? I mean you’re here helping us get our shit together, entirely out of the good of your heart presumptively.”
He looked at Britney with an ounce of shame, but couldn’t help himself.
”It’s just… I don’t know, that’s a lot of money. A lot of unaccounted for potential that I… Well, back in the day Trisha used to get too defensive, so I couldn’t ask questions. I thought maybe you’d be willing to follow up on some unchecked threads I left behind.”

Sabrina listened to Greyson, her expression unreadable at first. She tilted slightly, considering his words before responding, “... I’m not in the habit of digging up the past. Some things are better left buried, especially when they involve him.”

Sabrina leaned back, crossing her arms, “But I get where you’re coming from. You have loose ends and believe that maybe I can tie some of them up. But the thing is: even if I had answers, I’m not sure they’re the ones you’re looking for.”

Her gaze narrowed as she said, “So, what exactly do you expect to find? What exactly are you really after?”

Greyson let the moment hang, trying to figure out what to say that wasn’t ’A connection to Raven Jones’.
”What’s a clam diver expect to find inside the shells? Meat. A little shit. Sometimes, Sabrina, they find pearls. Does the clam know it’s carrying a pearl? Probably not, it just develops inside, it’s a byproduct of natural processes. The clam doesn’t even think the pearl is special when it sees it… But the diver does.”
He took another sip of wine, finally scooping some salad onto his plate.

”Now, you’re obviously a woman, not a clam. But I hope you can accept that analogy, and go off of your faith in your good friend that I as her associate would never intentionally put you in any kind of poor situation.”

Sabrina stood straight up, hands on the table. Eyes fierce and sharp, “... Greyson,” Sabrina damn near hissed his name. “Enough with the metaphors, enough with the games.”

She paused, “I’m trying to help you from the goodness of my heart… Just come out and say what you mean. Plainly. Or I’m leaving.”

Then paused, “... And I’m leaving you with the bill.”

Greyson grinned. He loved the bill.
”Why’d you clam up when I brought up Raven Jones, Sabrina? That’s what I’m curious about, and about why we’re getting these visions and what she has to do with the Stygian Snake, or what she has to do with us here and now… I suggested Kane could help us, you didn’t react. You didn’t encourage the line, you didn’t offer to relay the first message: You just stopped, waited for a different subject. I’m not here to hurt you, or judge you or anything… I’m just a curious guy having dinner and noticing things I probably shouldn’t.”
He let both his hands climb, holding them up as if to display his own innocence.

“... And I can’t just listen?” Sabrina said, tilting her head. “You said it yourself, I’m quiet because I observe and try not to stick my nose where it doesn't belong. Sorry if you found that suspicious.”

His eyes still stared up at her, his grin unfading as he shoveled a bit of salad into his mouth. Chew, chew, chew… Swallow. He waved his hand dismissively.
”Well… You know me, right? Total opposite. I love sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong; gets me into constant trouble. So, I’ve gotten good at apologizing.”

His head nodded at her calmly before he finally shrugged.
”I’m sorry. Forgive me as you wish, forget I’m here… I humbly accept and appreciate whatever help you’re willing to give us.”

Sabrina sighed, “... Let's focus on what’s in front of us, and forget about this? Okay?”

”Mmmm, right. Sit, please… Enjoy the salad and the wine. Let the pocketbook rest tonight.” he chided playfully, his eyes turning to Britney for a moment.

“I can get you all an appointment with Isaac Kane today,” Sabrina began. “He’s probably going to want to meet you all in Mirrorland, however.”

”As in tonight? We should keep it small: You and I, Brit?” he asked.

”Why do you guys get to do all the fun things?” Henri piped up, after literally stuffing his face with salad and watching the exchange with wide eyes. Linqian reached over and smacked him round the back of the head.

”It’s not fucking fun, it's shit to help keep us alive,” she chided, putting down the wine glass that she'd been continuously drinking from.
”Keeping it small makes sense, I have no problem with going along. Got shit to do.”

”I don't have any shit to do, I still want to go,” Henri said, folding his arms and leaning back as if he actually had any say in this group.

“Is it smart to go as just a pair,” Aaron took a sip of his wine before he put the glass on the table, “I am really good muscle. Not saying I expect anything to go south but with everything that’s happened this week I don’t want to put you two at risk.”

”I’m good muscle too! I’ll just snatch all the sound and carry everyone away from danger, easy!” Henri interjected, before flexing… which didn't have much effect when he was dressed in a nice shirt that wasn't tight enough to show off any muscles. Linqian knocked back the rest of her wine, before going to pour herself more. She needed it.

”I mean, I don’t see why it would hurt?” Britney said with a shrug. ”Chaos and crazy shit seems to follow us where ever we go, so the more help the better?” She asked.

“I was planning for all of us to go,” Sabrina quietly added.

“Alright then,” Aaron smirked as he took another bite from the salad. “Is there anything those of us who…don’t walk in these circles should know about this place?”

”Yeah anything my brother shouldn’t say so he won’t get fucking stabbed?” Linqian commented, a good way into her second glass of wine.

”Jieeee, I’m not that stupid!” Henri pouted.

“Isaac Kane is among some of the more reasonable people in St. Portwell’s underground,” Sabrina shrugged. “And Mirrorland isn’t some shady venue, either. So, long as we use discretion, it’ll be okay.”

”Then we shouldn’t bring Yi-er,” Linqian joked, smirking over her wine glass. Henri continued to pout, gently shoving his shoulder against his older sister. She just looked at him, and laughed, before looking at everyone else again. She was fairly relaxed even at the prospect of completely changing her plans for the rest of the night, lips pulled into a playful smile as she continued to joke. ”And I’ll need a lot more to drink.”

---

The jewel of St. Portwell’s west district, Mirrorland, was bustling at this time of night… Though, it wasn’t as active as it would be on the weekend. Britney’s GMC Yukon pulled up in the parking lot to the left of the building, and there was already a line to the place. Several of Britney’s comrades stepped out, and Sabrina quickly took the lead as she gestured for everyone to come along and marched past the line (which caused them to grieve) right to the VIP line… She whispered something in the ears of one of the bouncers, and he nodded his head.

“Alright, all of you come here,” The large man said, “No firearms are allowed on the premises, you’re going have to get patted down before you come in.”

”Oh, you can pat me down all you want,” Linqian winked. Henri groaned, covering his eyes. Those four glasses of wine she'd ended up downing over dinner really had her inhibitions (only existent in his presence) lowering.

”Yeah, you said no firearms, but she’s got the artillllllllllllllllllery!” Britney laughed.

”Ohhhh yeah, you're gonna have to check all over, but ain't any way to disarm this,” Linqian grinned, leaning towards Britney and putting a hand on her hip. Henri sidled over to Aaron and Greyson, giving them both a pleading look.

“You’re lucky I’m not the other me right now. I’d be right over there with them,” Aaron shoulder checked Henri with a smirk.

”Thank fuck you’re not,” Henri whispered, looking over at his sister and Britney in despair.

Sabrina just facepalmed through all of this.

Unlike the others being so jovial about their lack of firearms, it was a much different experience for Greyson.
Typical.
Holding his hands up, scowl on his face, he looked at Sabrina with a side-eye before turning them to security.

”Be gentle with it.”
Slowly, surely, he slipped his overcoat and night jacket off to reveal his shoulder holster before pulling it off and passing it to security. Of course, they gave him another pat down and took the knife he had in his back pocket. But amazingly, he wasn't given a hard time over it- They simply passed him through, giving his jacket back and a ticket for his property later.

”Lucky, you got the proper pat down, ass and all,” Linqian joked as she got let through after a pretty brief pat down - weren’t exactly many places to hide weapons under an already skintight dress.

After everyone got patted down, Sabrina led the group through the various lounges in Mirrorland… up until they reached the Cigar Lounge. Before Sabrina opened the doors, everyone was hit with the aroma of the finest cigars...

---

---

They walked through the doors, and the atmosphere changed instantly… the smell of leather mixed with the aroma of the heavy smoke of fine cigars. The low hum of conversation filled the room, underscored by the occasional clink of crystal glasses. At the heart of the room, a small, raised platform housed a seating area that commanded attention. Plush, velvet couches wrapped around the space in a semicircle. They were arranged like a throne, intentionally facing anyone entering the room, making it impossible to ignore the man who sat at its center.

Isaac Allen Kane, the enigmatic Information Broker, relaxed as if he owned the room and the world. His posture was casual, one arm draped over the back of the couch while the other held a glass of something dark. He cut an imposing figure in the smoky haze, wearing a well-tailored charcoal-colored suit, the ever-present cigar hanging from his lips like an extension of his personality. In front of Isaac was a small, exquisite black table with a full cigar box and an ashtray carved from fine marble.

On either side of him stood his bodyguards, two towering figures dressed in black suits that were a little too snug over their muscular frames. They were silent, statuesque, immovable.

When Isaac saw them, he leaned back in his chair and gestured for them to enter the platform with an enticing finger. Sabrina was the first to come over and sit down, and she gently tapped the empty seat beside her. Isaac took a deep puff of his cigar, pausing momentarily to savor it, then blew it all out. He then leaned forward and said,

“... So you’re all looking for something,” Isaac began, placing his cigar on the ashtray. “You wouldn’t have come to me otherwise, but before we get to business…”

He grabbed the cigar box and opened it in a smooth motion. Inside was a selection of the finest cigars anyone could ask for. “These,” Isaac said, “Are special. Imported directly from a little island that knows how to take its time…”

He gently slid it across the table towards the group as a silent offer.

Linqian glanced over at Greyson, before leaning forward and taking one of the cigars. She pulled her own lighter out of her jacket pocket to light it, taking a long drag of it. As she exhaled, she spoke through the cloud of smoke. With the alcohol and getting to indulge in shit she'd been craving since going for dinner, she was maybe a little too relaxed. Her lips pulled up into a playful smile. ”This shit's fucking good - maybe it's all we’re looking for.”

“Thank you,” Aaron said towards Isaac, grabbing one of the cigars and smelled it. Isaac Kane pulled out a fancy silver butane cigar lighter.

“... You’re supposed to smoke it,” Isaac said with an amused grin, extending the lighter and pressing down on the button. It emitted a blue flame…

“I like to give it a quick smell first,” Aaron said with a smile as he let it be lit by Isaac. He pulled in the smoke, let it linger for just a moment to get the full flavor, before he let it out. Aryin leaned his head back, his face betraying the ‘not bad’ feelings. “Gives me an idea of what to expect.”

Greyson was a fan of utility, and felt out of sorts getting handed a cigar without his knife. The end served as a fine snipper, but he found the butts pre-snipped. Pulling his lighter, he gave the tip an even dose of flame and tugged the thick smoke into his mouth.

Don't talk about your tobacco farm, don't talk about your tobacco farm, don't t-
”These?-” Greyson grinned widely, holding the cigar between his fingers and gently raising it to direct.
”-I love these.”

He cleared his throat, gaze passing between the toughs.
”Do we get to shake your hand? Or if I reach too far, do my arms get ripped off?” he grinned and giggled to himself, the cherry red tip of the cigar passing between the bodyguards as he pointed. Still, he started to make a motion that slowly reached past the cigars, ever closer toward Kane.

”Devola, Greyson… I've seen you a couple times, but we've never been formally introduced.”

“Oh, don’t worry about them,” Isaac said as he glanced at them, a smile creeping across his face as he firmly took Edict’s hand and shook it. “They’re just here if you act a fool.”
”You set the stage just for us… fancy,” Britney said with a light tone, and reached for a cigar and unwrapped it. ”Never smoked one of these before, but… First time for everything, am I right?” She smiled at Isaac.

“Be careful with that,” Isaac began. “Don’t inhale it, just suck it like a lil’ straw and keep it in your cheeks.” He extended his lighter.

”... Advice you give a lot?” Britney asked, leaning forward and sucking in as the lighter’s flame hit the tip. However, she let out a few coughs.

“Whoa, there, be careful,” Isaac laughed, leaning back.

”I’m fine, lord,” Britney said, laughing.

Isaac puffed his cigar and looked at every group member, “You all need information on something? You all wouldn’t have come to me otherwise.”

”Of course,” Britney answered.

“... And you know information ain’t cheap?” Isaac added.

“Money isn’t a concern here,” Sabrina added with a shrug. “I’ll be covering your donation for tonight.”

“In that case, Ms. Vanburen…” Isaac laughed, taking another puff of his cigar, before shrugging. “What can I do for you all?”

”Give us all the information you have on Father Wolf,” Linqian said outright, in between enjoying the cigar she'd taken. But she leaned forward, elbow on her knee and head tilting. ”Any fucking idea who he is?”

Isaac steepled his fingers.

“Unfortunately, I do not,” He answered.

”... Of course, you don’t,” Britney rolled her eyes.

“Now, now,” Isaac chuckled, “I said I don’t know exactly who he is... but that doesn’t mean I’m not keeping tabs on him. Father Wolf’s been slipping through the cracks for a while now, but I’ve got eyes everywhere.”

He took a slow puff of his cigar. “... Serial killers are terrible for business. I’ll let you know when I find something tangible about him, okay?”

Britney nodded, puffing the cigar and then coughing, pressing a fist to her lips. ”Well, we have other burning questions on our mind, and we were hoping you could help us out.”

“Shoot.”

”What can you tell me about the Elite?”

Isaac began laughing.

“... They’re something, alright,” He chuckled, taking another puff of his cigar, then pausing. “So, it all started with Blake Schmidt one day stumbling upon the truth: magic is real. Naturally, he wanted in on that action. After hitting up a few factions and coming up empty-handed, he decided to make his own.”

He shrugged, taking a puff of his cigar. “Think of it less of a legitimate magical organization and more of a country club for rich assholes with magic.” He laughed.

”And how’s that working out for them?” Britney asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not as great as they like,” Isaac shrugged again, looking at his cigar as its embers burned. “They got resources. They got influence. Yet, they don’t got their act together. They’re too busy running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off and beefing with each other rather than getting anything done.”

Britney awkwardly laughed, her eyes drifting towards Linqian and the others. ”Sounds a lil’ familiar, don’t it?”

Isaac smirked, “Nobody knows who’s really in charge - they say Blake is, but he gets by on the seat on his damn pants. His authority constantly gets challenged… it’s like one big soap opera with magic.” He laughed again before he continued,

“The Elite is made up of several wealthy families. The Schmidts are in charge of Paragon United Tech Solutions. The Valos family is in the mix, running hotels, casinos, and clubs all over the West Coast. Then you’ve got the Liu family with their Liu Pharmaceutical empire; let’s not forget the old-money Pimms, whose businesses litter St. Portwell and Seattle, then…”

Sabrina awkwardly looked off to the side as Isaac looked her dead on.

“... You can say it,” Sabrina sighed.

“... Then there’s the Vanburen family.”

Linqian turned to look at Sabrina, raising an eyebrow. ”You aren’t part of the fucking Elite are you, Sabrina?”

Sabrina sighed, resting her hands into her face.

“No, I am not,” Sabrina began. “My brother and my sisters are. They tried to rope me in, but I… I couldn’t participate in the oppression of this city.”

She sighed again.

“I build, I don’t destroy.”

”Thank fuck- but which sisters? Trisha?” Then Linqian looked back over at Isaac. Looking for a threat they knew, or some kind of in, rather than one they didn’t know at all. ”In fact, are any former Sycamore members in the Elite?”

“... Yes, she’s with them, but please leave her alone,” Sabrina groaned.

“There are,” Isaac started, “There’s Linda Liu… But I heard they’re going to induct a few of them into the Elite this week. Jake, Gabriela, and Jaska Valos, and Sage Pimm.”

”Gabe? That pussy Jake?” Britney laughed. ”Hey, that dumbass will probably destroy the Elite for us!”

”Bet we can get shit from them too, easy,” Linqian looked at Britney with a smirk, then back over at Sabrina. ”Don’t worry, Bean, I’m not dealing with that fucking giant cult boyfriend she got. Someone like Jake’s much fucking easier to get to. I owe Gabe a burnt fucking face too.”

“I’d be careful,” Isaac laughed. “Heard that one of the big names out on the East Coast came all the way here to protect them from Father Wolf.”

”Big name what?” Britney tilted her head.

“Paranormal mercenaries… Johnny Valos,” Isaac said, tilting his head. “He calls himself ‘The Revolver,’ but he gets shit done for the right price.”

He paused for a moment.

“He rolled with some of the big names in Miami for a bit.”

”That guy sounds like bad news, Jie!” Henri suddenly piped up, having otherwise silently observed. He’d been munching on some chips he’d somehow pulled out of his jacket pocket… ”Let’s maybe leave him alone.”

Linqian rolled her eyes. ”We don’t have to threaten them. A friendly chat, old coven member to old coven member.”

“... I know Johnny,” Sabrina turned towards Linqian. “Well, I know all the Valos. Gabe and Johnny are completely out of the picture if you're looking for that. Jake and Jaska…? You might be able to get a conversation out of them, but they’re all… you know.” As a gesture, Sabrina interlocked her fingers.

”Believe me, I know,” Linqian rolled her eyes. ”And Gabe’s a fucking bitch.”

“If we can’t avoid confrontation, do you have any information as to what magic he wields? I say we play it carefully but we should be ready if it comes our way,” Aaron added with another puff of smoke.

“He’s got two main tricks up his sleeve, he’s got a lot of spells related to guns. He can make bullets bounce off walls, go through barriers, and use magic to reload his guns.” Isaac explained.

“His other trick is using poker cards to teleport and explode… But I’d be more worried about the guns.”

”Look, I don't think we should bark up that tree anyhow,” Britney said, taking the teeniest puff of her cigar. ”I get that you are excited for your rematch with Gabe, but I think shaking down the Elite kids for information is not going to end well.”

Britney shrugged, ”At least, not right now.”

“They got their asses handed to them the other night by 8th St,” Isaac chuckled. “Right outside Christiansands… Jiao-Long and Jason are pissed.”

”I’ll hold back, so long as her punchable face is nowhere near me,” Linqian held up her hands. At the mention of Christiansands she looked at Britney and Greyson with a smirk. ”Aw, did they have to use daddy’s money to cover it up?”

“I’ll have your back as always. I’ll keep the others off you so you can do your thing,” Aaron winked towards Linqian. Aaron turned his attention towards Issac. “While we’re asking questions, any idea who attacked the 317 last night?”

“Hmmm…” Isaac rubbed his chin for a moment. “... I’m not sure who exactly. I know there’s a new faction in St. Portwell. They’ve been going around mugging people of their artifacts… But, word on the street says they work for the Elite.” Isaac chuckled.

“Would be real funny, wouldn’t it?”

“Were these the same people who robbed Sloane Faris of her artifacts? This is starting to feel like one big joke that they will need to answer for.”

“Not sure, but give me some time, and I’ll look into it,” Isaac took a puff of his cigar. He laughed, “I’ll find you.”

”Well, what can you tell us about a man named Jason Valos?” Britney asked. ”Is he with the Elite?”

“A lot, and yes,” Isaac laughed, taking another slow drag of his cigar. “Word on the street-”

”... You say that a lot.” Britney rolled her eyes.

“-is that Jason Valos wasn’t always known as Jason Valos,” Isaac began. “Rumors suggest he was this mercenary named Goldtooth that used to roll on the East Coast. He pulled off heists and jobs that not even the craziest bastard would touch. Once he got filthy stinkin’ rich, he disappeared without a trace…”

Isaac laughed.

“... A few years later Jason Valos comes out the blue with loads of money.”

”Maaaaaaaaaaybe I should have been more specific because I don’t want this guy’s life story!” Britney said, ”I want to know about present-day Jason Valos. More about what he’s doing in the Elite.”

“Noted, my bad,” Isaac laughed.

”No, you’re good,” Britney laughed.

“’Present-day’ Jason Valos is a different animal,” Isaac explained. “He’s one of the key members of the Elite, in fact, one of the founding members. Jason? He’s all about his money.”

Isaac laughed as he twirled his cigar playfully, “He’s got his hands in nightclubs, casinos, you name it. Cutthroat. I would be careful when playing with him because if he is Goldtooth, he has much experience behind him. Possibly some powerful magic, too.”

Britney nodded, glancing at Linqian when she said, ”I heard he has a hobby of collecting artifacts, too.”

“Yeah, he’s a hoarder,” Isaac laughed. “He either buys them off 8th St and everyone else or…”

”... Lemme guess: he takes them.”

Isaac nodded.

”Well, there are two artifacts that I need that I believe that he or Blake Schmidt has,” Britney began.

“Well, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”

”The Mirror on the Wall and the Map of the Drunken Sailor.” Britney succinctly replied. ”o you know ”

Isaac rubbed his chin. “... I know 8th St found the Mirror on the Wall when they attacked some Elite prospects named the Pendletons last month. They sold it to the Elite. Last I heard it’s being kept on Elysium Island.”

”And the Map of the Drunken Sailor?”

“Jason has that one, but the word on the street is that it’s kept someone in the Emperor,” Isaac replied.

Britney nodded her head with a smile.

”Excellent,”

“I feel like a plan is coming together,” Aaron said with a smile, “without the need to go to the pit.”

Greyson had let them go on and on, taking mental notes as he sucked down the cigar and scotch. Mostly, he enjoyed watching Brit and the others take charge. It was almost a shame to be the person who had to bring up something that people didn’t like. That he had to get straight for his own head. But Aaron gave him a nice, warm little way to slink his question in.

”Speaking of the Pit… Something to tickle your brain about, Issac… What do you know about Sunshine and Raven Jones? We’ve been… Having some visions, and they seem to play a key part. I figured if anyone’s heard anything about someone like Sunshine, for whoever she is, it’d be you.”

“Sunshine…” Isaac rubbed his chin. “Don’t have too much on her, but to be fair most of what she did were in other universes.” His hand drifted from his chin and went to his cigar as he took another puff.

“She’s either still in the Pit, or escaped and is out and living the best life as some farmer in Montana,” Isaac laughed. “As for Raven Jones…?”

Sabrina briefly glanced at Greyson, before her eyes landed on Isaac.
“I don’t got anything on her. Are the two supposed to be related?”

Greyson shrugged, taking a deep breath. It was only fair, he figured.
”I certainly get the vibe, yeah. It’s all pretty vivid for me; I’m used to looking at dreams and memories. They’re Recollections, so if you’re not attuned it’s just like a movie. Some people think they can read the bones…”

“I can do some digging,”

”Broooooooo,” Britney laughed. ”You’re going to ‘do some digging’ on like twenty different things at this point.”

”Oh, I gotta question,” Linqian said, single braincell kicking into action. ”Do you know where Kari’s notes are… or anything on her? Like, if she’s still fucking alive, for example?”

“Far as I’m concerned, she’s dead,” Isaac said with a shrug. “But… I know exactly where her notes are. Or where they are going to be.”

”Do tell, Isaac.” Britney said. ”We know Blake Schmidt and his rich crones have them. And we also know that Blake needs them decoded.”

”They on Elysium Island.”

”Figures,” Britney said with a shrug.

“But, they ain’t gonna be coded for long,” Isaac laughed.

Britney raised an eyebrow.

“The House of Cards gave Blake an offer he couldn’t refuse,” Isaac explained. “So, they’re going to be the ones to decode the notes on Elysium Island tomorrow. They had a big meeting where they hashed out all the details yesterday.”

Britney grasped both sides of her head.

”... I swear to God! That stupid mafia is the biggest pain in the ass!” Britney complained. ”They’re not even a pain in the ass anymore! They’ve gone past the ass straight into the rectum! They’re a pain in the rectum!”

Looking at her grimly, Greyson shook his head.
”Then I need to be in Seattle tonight. I’m not gonna make a move on them without the blessing of my Father, but it’s too far. We need to hand their asses back to them for what they’ve done, Family be damned. My Uncle’s not gonna like it, but they’re all gonna understand when I get done with them.” he cracked his neck slightly.

”House of Cards as in Luna's shitty mob? The one she tried to recruit a bunch of us into when we were fucking teens? They're still around?” Linqian asked, looking between Britney and Greyson with a bit of confusion.

”Yeah, they are… And Luna’s like a fucking cousin to me, and I’m… Gonna have to do something I don’t want to do to her. Or to Val…” he said with a great deal of regret in his voice.

”...Maybe we don't need to do anything” Britney mused out loud, looking between Edict and Linqian. ”All we all to do is tell Jack and Kenshiro this and they are going to nut themselves.”

Greyson’s grin practically consumed his face.
”You know how much I love you?” he said with a dreamy voice.

”I know, babe,” Britney said as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

”Awwwwww, that’s so cute! Henri obnoxiously said from the side.

”It gets really fucking old real quickly,” Linqian rolled her eyes, casting a disgusted sideeye at Greyson. But she did then grin at Britney. ”I like that plan, let the fucking teleporters do that hard work.”

”Let’s, pack it up and regroup at Sabrina’s house,” Britney said with a nod. ”We can discuss a plan there… No offense, Mr. Kane, but I don’t want you selling our plans to an enemy!” Britney said as she put out the cigar on the ash-tray.

Isaac shrugged.

“... None taken.”

Britney stood up, ”Alright, let’s-”

The door opened and a group of people meandered in…

”... Speak of the devil.”

---

Sometime later, a large group of people attempted to enter the cigar lounge subtly. The group size and appearance made that problematic, as frustrating as that was. It was the “rich clique,” as they were colloquially called, led by Johnny Valos, wearing a brown overcoat, with a well-fitted brown pinstriped suit and black dress shoes… And his iconic wide-brimmed hat. Behind him was the rest of the clique. Jake was dressed similarly to Johnny, but black instead of brown. Lin and Mika were dressed wearing fancy white dresses and black loafers; the only difference was Lin's arrowhead necklace around her neck… Sage was wearing green sweatpants and a hoodie with white sneakers. Jaska wore jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather jacket with the backs ripped open so his wings could fit through.

Gabe tailed behind Jake and Jaska with her arms crossed… wearing a brown leather jacket, snug blue jeans, combat boots, and a t-shirt. She walked up before she paused the moment she saw the platform and damn near lunged forward and grabbed Jake by the sleeve of his jacket, and pulled him back.

Johnny looked over his shoulder as everyone looked at her.

Gabe pointed at the platform.

“... Do you recognize them?”

“Gabe, stop fucking pointing!” Johnny whispered through his teeth.

Jake looked at the platform before his eyes shot open, “... Is that who I think it is?”

“Yes,” Lin nodded her head. “Britney Williams, Greyson Devola, Linqian Han, and Aaron Thorne…”

“Who?” Johnny tilted his head.

“Members of the old Coven,” Lin answered.

“Those goons?” Johnny laughed. “The fuck is Sabrina rolling with them for?”

Gabe’s hands began glowing as she walked over…

Before Johnny yanked her by the collar.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Johnny said in a low tone, “The fuck are you doing?!”

“I’m about to get some answers about the other day,” Gabe said.

Johnny yanked her harder.

“God damn, you’re stupid sometimes,” Johnny rolled his eyes. “If you do that, all they’re going to do is play dumb and change strats.”

Johnny hissed through his teeth before laughing.

“... Do you, on God, think you can just walk up and get them to start yappin’?” Johnny said, tilting his head.

“They know something about Lin and Mika,” Gabe said, “I’m just not sitting here on my ass while they plot on us.”

“... And what if they decide to flip the script on us and change the whole ass game?” Johnny asked, “Use your goddamn head, or we’re all fucked.”

Lin stepped in, placing a hand on Gabe’s arm. "Johnny’s right. If we make a scene now, we lose any leverage we might have later. They expect someone to make a move, but they don’t know when. Let’s keep it that way."

“Play the long game. Let them feel safe,” Johnny said as he straightened his hat. “Let them fuck up.”

The glow around Gabe’s hands faded as she sighed, “Fine, but if they try something, it’s on and popping.”

“I’m going to see if I can, um, ’hear’ anything,” Lin said with a shrug as she slinked closer to the platform. Johnny nodded as Jake followed her.

Aaron stood up as he exhaled out more smoke. He stretched out as he took in the club. He had never really been in a fancy spot like this before, and despite everything he was actually enjoying the night out. His two brain cells were starting to get tired, however, so he had started to check out of the conversation. As such he began to take in the rest of the club from the raised platform. He looked at the decorations, the lights, the dancers, Gabe, the bar space, the ambiance, back to Gabe, lingering on Gabe, fixated on Gabe. Aaron swapped forms in that moment as they leaned over the railings and smirked.

It was only a matter of time before Linqian noticed, or these fucks did something to get Linqian’s attention, and Aryin was going to savor watching the chaos unfold when it did happen. They took another hit of the cigar and blew the song out in the direction of Gabe and mouthed a ”tick-tock” towards them as their smile spread even further.

While Linqian was trying her best to stay with the conversation, she was also starting to zone out as it got to shit she just did not give a fuck about. Then Aaron turned away, and naturally Linqian started getting twitchy. Then he swapped, and Linqian was hit with the irresistible urge to punch her.

”The fuck’s so interesting, bitch- is that who I fucking think it is?!” Linqian's fist froze midway to punching Aryin's shoulder. Sage, Lin, Jake, Jaska… Gabe. The last time she'd seen Gabe they'd gotten into a fight so bad even Jinhai almost couldn't calm Linqian down… and she'd said some shit that Linqian couldn't remember now but she knew had been fucked. But she did remember what she'd said.

”Oy, asshole,” Linqian shot up, not quite shouting but speaking loud enough for the rich clique to hear. She pointed right at Gabe, finger starting to glow. ”I told you do I ever fucking saw your ugly face again I'd burn it off.”

Johnny looked at Gabe, then Linqian. Then back at Gabe.

“... Bitch, go fuck your brother!” Gabe shouted, sneering as she looked at Linqian. “We ain’t even come here for your ass, so shut the fuck up!”

“Heeeeeeeeeeey!” Johnny shouted as he put a hand in front of Gabe, stepping in front of her with a wide, unnerving smile. “It’s great to meet you! I’m Johnny Valos…”

Jake, Lin, Sage, and Jaska were pretty much pulling Gabe away while Mika reached into her purse… only to pause and shake her head.

“Like my sister said! We didn’t come here for a fight! Just came here for a good time!” Johnny looked over his shoulder, and everyone was barely holding her back. “So, stay away from us; we’ll stay away from you.” He shot her the finger guns.

“Fuck that-”

“Shut up, dumbass!” Johnny whispered, “You’re gonna blow it!”

”Oh fuck all the way off Gabe,” Aryin said in an almost hushed tone. Their bemused expression had fallen from their face. A dull glow began to emanate from Aryin’s muscles. ”Is your healer any good? Like does your healer have a lot of practice? Are they good in a pinch,” Aryin paused as they gripped the railing tighter, ”because I’m going rip your jaw from your face and I want you to apologize after I’m done.”

Britney immediately ran as fast as - then tripped and fell flat on her face, then climbed back up - she physically could. Where? She put herself between the rich clique and Linqian and the others. She threw her hands up, awkwardly looking to the left and right. ”HEY! Chill the fuck out!” Britney shouted. ”Ignore these assholes! We got bigger fish to fry!” She turned towards Linqian and Aryin.

”... Please, don’t let them control you!”

”Oh shit,” Henri whispered, physically flinching at the brother comment.

Linqian was not going to chill the fuck out. Her hands and arms started to glow, physically melting through the railing so she could direct the most direct fucking route down. The moment Gabe mentioned Jinhai, it was over. ”My brother is fucking dead, you fucking bitch. Just because even your fucking family doesn't give a fuck about you- keep him out of your fucking mouth.”

She moved to try and get around Britney, managing to keep the metal burning heat to just her arms and away from her friend. ”Move the fuck away, Brit, I'm not fucking ignoring this shit. Not when she's fucking shit talking my dead brother.”

”Look, Linqian! She’s a just miserable nobody!” Britney got in Linqian’s way again and blocked her view of game. ”She wants you to get mad and beat the beat the shit out her! She wants to feel like she controls you.”

“... Oh lord!” Johnny said, facepalming. He stuck his hand out, and in the blink of an eye, a Thompson submachine gun appeared in his hand. He aimed it at Linqian. “... And you’re going to join that ninja on the other side if you take so much as one more step, ya’ dumb bitch.”

He grinned ear to ear as he said, “I’ll riddle you, your giant ass friend, and everyone behind you with holes. Try me, bitch.” He laughed.

“Oh my word!” Mika shouted as she took cover, then turned towards the rest of the group. “Get her the hell out of here! Can’t we go anywhere without something crazy happening!?”

They were physically pulling Gabe out.

“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Isaac shouted as he ran over without a hint of fear. “... Not in here!” He pointed at the door.

“Tell the bitch to back the fuck off, and I’ll walk away,” Johnny replied to Isaac.

Britney froze, staring at the gun.

Linqian didn't move, but she also didn't back down. There wasn't a hint of fear in her gaze, because in that moment of intense angry, and the everpresent grief, she truly did not give a fuck if she died. She just stared down Johnny, before only her eyes moved over to Gabe. ”You need you’re fucking big brother to defend you now? Looks like you've turned into a fucking coward- we'd take it outside if she wasn't such a fucking pussy.”

As Linqian spoke, a bunch of the lights in the back suddenly went out, before eventually flickering back to life.

”Run away Gabe. It’s all you’re ever good at,” Aryin said as they put the cigar back in their mouth as they eyed up the gun. Guns beat magic, her magic beats guns, but she did not know if her spell beats magic guns.

“Use… Your eyes dumbass!” Gabe said as the group damn near yanked her out the room. “... How about you losers come outside then!”

“Please,” Johnny rolled his eyes, “Play these childish games with ya’ homegirl Emily G. Reed. Not us.”

”Oh I’ll fucking come outside, if your asshole brother won’t shoot me the moment I fucking move!” Linqian shouted after Gabe, before looking back at Johnny. ”The fuck you keep bringing up that bitch? I’m just paying back a fucking debt!”

Her temperature continued to rise, spreading up her hands and arms and threatening to burn off the dress she was wearing.

“Because she’s a retard who calls herself a witch, you’re a retard who calls herself a witch,” Johnny laughed. “You’re all basically the same person!”

”Do not compare us to that transphobic cunt,” Aryin said as she pointed a finger towards Johnny, ”I never thought I’d be happy that she won a fight but I’m kinda glad they kicked your sorry asses.” Aryin kept the finger pointed towards Johnny as they considered swapping forms. They channeled their magic into their hand.

”Fuck off you fucking mafia imitating psycho,” Linqian suddenly dropped to the ground, slamming a hand into it. Their arm turned into a vine, which spread across towards Johnny… except the vines immediately set on fire.

”Wait, Linqian-” Britney tried to say.

“Well, it’s your funeral!” Johnny shouted before he pulled the trigger and the Thompson sprayed everything in front of him. Even though he was shooting an actual weapon, it didn’t so much as recoil in Johnny’s hand. Britney screamed as a bullet hit her in the stomach, and another hit her in the shoulder and she fell backwards and hit the ground.

Another bullet hit Isaac in the neck… but he didn’t so much as flinch. Only looked annoyed.

There had been a bit of a familiar itch that drove its way vaguely across the Emotional Fields of the Sycamore members present. Feeling it was like a slimy hug from a person you didn’t want one from. The hunting, prodding pink roots of the Lotus driving headlong through the crowd at their most subtle, each one searching for a break or an entry into the mind of a less-than-defended individual.

They didn’t make a distinction, latching into the first open mind they found. Sage. Two power words: Rush, and Push. The undefended person would feel themself surge forward almost outside of their own power, rushing toward Johnny’s position to shove him hard, hoping to stop the gunfire.
Behind them, Greyson was sprinting too, a fork in his hand as he made way for an unsuspecting nearby target.

Linqian had curled inwards, protecting her head as multiple bullets hit her. Her shoulder, her side, her legs brought up to protect her stomach. Another hit the right side of her chest. It hurt like hell and she doubled over in agony as her temperature shot up to as hot as she could get, her dress completely burning away. The blood spilling from the wounds started to congeal and the bullets were shoved out as her survival instinct kicked in, self heal spell developed enough to start working. But the pain that came with it was worse than getting shot in the first place, so excruciating she curled up into a ball on the floor, suppressing a scream in her burning hot, bare legs. Bullets shoved out of her skin and clattered to the ground as wounds were agonizingly burned closed.

Her vine arm was still reached out, on fire, still trying to grasp Johnny.

”Jie- Britney!” Henri shouted, appearing in a burst of light absorbed speed. He went to Britney first, kneeling beside her panickedly. ”I’ve- I’ve got you!” A bright light emanated from his hands as he started to heal her… thank fuck he trained loads after what happened yesterday!

Aryin moved at a supernatural speed once the vine shot out, knowing that her friends were in actual danger. She was too slow to stop the first of the bullets but soon enough Britney and Linqian would find a wall stood in between them and the bullets. Flattened bullets clanged to the ground after they collided with her back, each hit drawing a momentary gasp of pain.

“What the fuck?!” Johnny shouted as Sage tackled him to the ground, the rich clique had all but entirely yanked Gabe out the room. The bullets stopped.

“... It’s Greyson!” Lin shouted, arms around Gabe’s arm. “He’s controlling them.”

Aryin chuckled at the revelation by Lin. “Our coven's little devil strikes again.”

A poker card flew out of Johnny’s sleeve off to the side, and in an instant he and the poker card switched places. Instead of spraying the Coven with more bullets, he turned towards Sage as they got up and nailed them with the bullstock of his Tommygun. Sage hit the ground followed by a sickening crack of their nose.

“Johnny!” Jake shouted.

“Jake! Behind you!” Lin shouted, and Jake whipped around to see Greyson coming at him with a… fork? He grabbed the hand coming at him with both hands and was tackled to the ground.

“... Why the fuck are you coming at me?!” Jake shouted. “We’re trying to leave!”

“Slyvia! Make a portal!” Johnny commanded as he backstepped towards his people, holding the Tommygun with both hands. Mika quickly got from behind the counter and ran towards Johnny.

“Aye, aye, boss!” Sylvia let go of Gabe’s waist as she pulled out the guitar, and then swiped her hands on the guitar string and played a sick note. Behind her a shimmering portal made out of various music notes appeared out of thin air. However, Sylvia grinned as she looked at Edict.

“Don’t blink, papi!” Sylvia said as she threw her guitar at Edict.

Of course it’d be a battle of unconventional melee weapons. He’d long ago numbed himself, taking the impact of the guitar causing his body to twist itself slightly as the force pushed him around. But the legs didn’t stop moving, and he screamed like an animal as he surged forward to throw his body on top of Jake. The fork raised, and came down wildly.

The guitar flew back into Sylvia’s hands.

Lin screamed. Jake screamed.

The fork went right into Jake’s throat as he coughed up blood.

“Jake!” Lin screamed.

“Oh, fuck this!” Gabe fought herself free, then pointed an open hand at Edict and shot a laser beam directly at him.

With the chaos Aryin swapped forms and channeled his magic into his hands. He raised up both fists, one aiming towards Johnny, and one aimed towards Gabe, and with a jab like motion Aaron began to launch Ki Blasts towards the two targets. It flew towards Gabe and hit her in the back and knocked her over. The one that flew towards Johnny? Went directly for his chest.

Mika stuck her hand out in front of him. The ki blast hit her in the hand, and did nothing. No impact, no flash, nothing.

However, Aaron would receive the effects of the ki-blast in his hand as if it hit him.

With Britney at least stabilised, Henri used the last bit of light he’d absorbed to enhance his speed and put himself between Greyson and the laser beam. He held up his hands, absorbing the majority of the beam into his body. Some of it was sprayed back and hit his shoulders, burning them.

”I’m so sorry about all this!” Henri shouted, spinning around and shoving Greyson off Jake - because he was going to kill him! He then immediately channeled some of the light he’d absorbed into healing the wound in Jake’s neck.

Aaron cursed at the Ki Blast exploded in his hand, damaging it beyond use. He swapped forms and looked at the ruined hand before looking at Mika. “Neat trick.”

“... Can you all just stop?!” Sabrina shouted, taking cover on the other side of the platform as her voice cracked. “This is stupid! You all have more important things to do!”

”I agree with her!” Henri shouted as he continued to heal Jake. He removed his hands when the wound on his neck was healed enough to not kill him.

“The police are definitely on the way!” Sabrina added.

“If he puts the gun away I’ll consider stopping.”

“You motherfuckers lit the fuse and you want us to back off?!” Johnny incredulously said, tilting his head as he stepped back. Mika was by his side. “Suck my dick!”

”No, my idiot sister started it, and she’s on the floor dying, so you’ve done enough, surely?!” Henri shouted.

”I’m not dying,” Linqian groaned in between the slow and excruciating pain of healing herself from multiple bullet wounds by superheating them.

“Tell your people to back off, then!” Johnny shouted at Henri. “Bullets ain’t cheap!!”

Greyson only needed to hear police for his instincts to go from attack to flee. Blurry eyes looked for his group. Still covered in blood, gripping the fork with a death hold, he started to try and corral them.
”Come on! Let’s fucking go!”

Johnny looked over his shoulder and grinned as a poker card flew from his sleeve at Edict… Mid-air, it was coated in electricity, enough to give him one hell of a shock to whoever it touched. “... If going to the fucking hospital is what you mean by ‘let’s fucking go‘, then have at it!” Johnny said, keeping his gun aimed at Aryin.

Getting hit with the heavy stun of electricity, those in radius would be able to feel Greyson’s magic scream across them. For him specifically, with all his numbing spells gone, he felt every bruise and pain he could possibly feel. The shock dumped him to his knees.

“That’s what you get, dickhead!” Sylvia laughed.

“Shut up and just get in the portal!” Lin said, before she turned towards Sage’s unconscious body. She raised a hand and then they were telekinetically soared through the air into the portal. Jake stepped into the portal, aiming a glowing finger at whoever. Sylvia did the same, holding her guitar with both hands.

“Thanks for healing my bro… bro,” Sylvia said to Henri, winking at him. “Til’ next time, papi!” She said before hopping through. Gabe hopped through.

Johnny kept backpedaling as Mika just bolted for the portal and hopped in. Johnny grinned right before he got in.

“Let this be a lesson,” Johnny laughed. “Don’t fuck with the don’!”

He shouted before he hopped backwards and the portal closed.

Sabrina sighed, poking her head out.

“... Is it finally over?”

”Yup!” Henri said, running over to Greyson. He started healing him from the electrocution and grimacing. He looked around. ”Anyone else need healing?!”

”I got myself,” Linqian groaned, finally uncurling from her fetal position on the floor. Her temperature cooled down as all of the bullet wounds were completely healed. She was slightly busy from the pain… and naked. Again.

Aryin swapped forms as he unbuttoned his shirt, handing the shirt and jacket out to Linqian. His muscular chest, and body, neatly glistened in the club lighting. He held up his damaged hand and sighed

”Thanks bro,” Linqian grunted, taking them and pulling them on.

”Could use a little bit of healing here!” Britney shouted from the floor. ”Still losing some of that red stuff…”

”Got it! You should be good-” Henri patted Greyson on the shoulder after healing him faster than normal thanks to the laser beam he’d sucked in. He then ran over towards Britney, and also started healing her. The wounds healed, and Britney helped herself to her feet.

She smiled at Henri.

”... You’re so sweet,” Britney smiled. ”I’m sorry you got wrapped up in all this.”

Meanwhile, Sabrina quickly ran over to Linqian and put her hands on her shoulders, “... I got you!” Then Linqian was surrounded with a very basically black hoodie and sweatpants combo (with some sneakers).

”Why’re you apologising?! There’s only one person at fault!” Henri said to Britney, turning around and pointing at Linqian. He was shockingly angry, suddenly. ”Why the fuck did you do that?! Are you fucking stupid?!”

”我要淹死你 (I’m going to drown you).” Linqian glared at her brother.

”Don’t pull that shit again!” Henri narrowed his eyes.

Still gritting his teeth tightly as he stood.
”I’m gonna KILL that fake Gangster Fuck!”

“Enough,” Aaron said as he looked over the group, “time and a place, yeah? There’s a time and a place to discuss what just happened. It’s not here. Isaac, I’m sorry that we bright chaos upon you and your night. I doubt there’s anything I can do to smooth things over but on the off chance there is, please let me know. But we should leave.”

Isaac laughed, holding that cigar in his hand.

“... They were right, you know,” He started, “Where ever you all go; chaos sure has a way of following.” He laughed.

“I’d say you get used to it,” he paused as he looked at his hand, “but you don’t.”

“I would blacklist you all from my services…” Isaac said, taking a very long and slow puff of his cigar. He stared off into the distance, before his eyes landed on Sabrina. “... Money is money, game is game.”

He shrugged. “We’re just going to be meeting in your spaces next time we do business.”

Looking down at himself, Greyson found his entire upper body covered in blood.
”Oh, Jesus Fuck! We need to fucking go!” he exclaimed in a panic.

”Yeah, um!” Britney looked around. ”Let’s get the FUCK outta here!” Britney said as she bolted for the door.

”Agreed! Anyone need a hand, I can carry people!” Henri said.

As if by coincidence, Linqian had stood up and was starting to sidle towards the exit. Subtly. Or at least, with attempted subtlety. Less so subtle was her attempt to sidle around everyone as if trying to bolt away from them.

As Sabrina ran towards the door, she paused for a moment, and looked back at Isaac.

Isaac grinned.

“... I’ll send you the bill.”

---

“... Well that escalated quickly.”

Sabrina said with a shrug. The group was back at Sabrina’s house, and she sat on the sofa with a red wine in a clear whiskey glass.

”It… happens,” Britney laughed.

“It happens a lot with you all,” Sabrina answered, “Never a dull moment.”

”I mean it comes with magic!” Britney laughed, before she faced the rest of the group. She sat down, placing her hands in her lap. She was freshly showered, and switched to a black romper with a shower cap on. She took in a deep breath, and said,

”... I have a plan,” Britney started. ”I was cooking something up before all hell broke loose.”

Then Britney turned towards Sabrina.
”First thing’s first; we are not going to tell anyone from the Coven that the Vanburens are in the Elite,” Britney started off, ”Only because we have some real trigger happy headcases in there like Amara. I don’t want anyone coming after Sabrina.”

“Thank you,” Sabrina began. “I mean, Lila seemed nice.”

“What’s up with Lila, anyway? I remember the crows but she seems a bit…different than I remember,” Aaron responded as he looked towards Britney, “I agree though. Like Sabrina, you have been nothing but amazing. I do not want you to have any added danger for helping us.”

”Agreed,” Linqian nodded, sitting a bit off from the group… which was easy with the massive sofa. Having had to sit through Henri absolutely getting on her ass for the time others got changed, she was tired. ”Wouldn’t do shit for us, anyway, the other Vanburen we know is stuck in Leon’s hot mom’s creepy cult- and Sabrina doesn’t deserve shit just cause of her family.”

“Thank you, it means a lot to me,” Sabrina said.

”You know we look out for each other!” Britney laughed. ”Not everyone in this Coven does, but we do.”

Then Britney sighed, ”Now, I’m not as concerned about Kari’s Notes as the ‘Cult of Kari’ is, but we need to get to the Map of the Drunken Sailor and the Mirror on the Wall.”

“The fuck are those?”

”Two tracking artifacts, Lynn told me about them,” Britney said. ”Lynn wants to use them to find her boo, but I think we can use them to find Father Wolf and make some actual headway. The only problem is that Jason has one, and Blake has the other.”

Britney rolled her eyes. ”So, I had the idea… Now, I know for a fact that Jack and Kenshiro are going to basically break their necks to get Kari’s Notes back the second I tell them about the whole situation with the House of Cards. Probably going to end up taking a group there. So, I was thinking that I subtly push the group into going to the island.”

To accentuate her point, Britney slowly thrusted her palm out. ”Because - going off our track record - it will go completely tits up and cause a huge fuss. And that’s where you all come in. You all will use the distraction on Elysium Island to snatch the Map of the Drunken Sailor from the Emperor. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to get the Mirror on the Wall from Elysium Island, but I’d rather we come out with one thing than coming out emptyhanded.”
Britney smiled at the group.

”Then, we use them to find Father Wolf, kill his - or her - ass, hand it over to the Cult of Kari so they can find their girl, then go our separate ways” Britney nodded. ”I know it’s shady, but desperate times calls for desperate measures, and I’m just tired of leaving every meeting empty handed and with more questions than answers.”

“And if the snake is somehow involved we gain two powerful artifacts that can once again help us find ways to defeat it,” Aaron paused as he looked towards Britney, “I may disagree with them but I’d want to be where the greater risk is. I’m a protector, first and foremost, and if the island is a bigger threat I’d want to go with the rest there.”

”I’ll do whatever and go wherever,” Linqian shrugged. ”I trust your plan, Brit, don't give a fuck if it's shady. I want to find and kill that fucker more than anything… so I'll go rob a rich fuck rather than going to the island.”

”Oh, that reminds me…” Britney placed her hand on Greyson’s, and then looked him in the eye as she said, ”... I’m going to go with the group to Elysium Island, though.”

Greyson had simply been listening until it started to sound more and more like he was going to be moving units alongside the Han dynasty. He didn't mind either, his only concern being that he wasn't going to be able to protect Britney.
For a long moment, he held her hand and gripped it tightly, his eyes turning up to look at her. She'd probably seen the patriarchal look of disapproval a thousand times from his toxic ass, but something different happened this time.

There was no argument. There was no fuss or fight. He bent down slightly, brought her hand up to his lips, and kissed it gently.
”I believe in you… We'll be safe with one another again after.”
His head turned slightly to look at Linqian and Henri.
”You two will keep me alive, won't you?” he grinned.

”I’ll consider it… what do I get out of it?” Linqian replied playfully, lips curving up into a smirk as her eyes narrowed almost contentedly. ”I’m normally an aggressor, not a defender, so it ain't free.”

”Jie wouldn't actually let you die- and I definitely won't, don't worry! Even if you get shot a million times and are lying on the ground bleeding out, or if you're electrocuted and passed out, I'll heal you!” Henri said rather dramatically, holding a hand against his chest. ”Oh, actually- can I get a gun?!”

”… And I trust you’ll handle our white-haired mafioso friend?” Britney smiled. ”I know she jumped up and down about how she wants to be one of us… but I want to see her keep that same energy when her pockets get threatened.”

“For that reason I’d want you guys to get one more person. Someone level headed, and able to assist if shit hits the fan,” Aaron added while looking at Linqian before swapping, ”I know you think you can handle business you bitch but you’re so fucking dumb,” Aryin paused as they swapped back, “I just don’t want you guys to get blindsided by something that ends up being too much.”

”You’re fucking dumber,” Linqian retorted, rolling her eyes.

Sabrina waved her hands, then pointed both of her thumbs at herself.

“… I can get you all into the Emperor,” Sabrina shrugged, grasping her cup. “Maybe Elysium Island but I would rather step foot on that island.”

Greyson thought for a good moment about Luna. A good, long moment. He remembered being children. Not teens, not adolescents… Memories of being tiny, chasing one another along the pier while the adults held court inside the abandoned buildings along the harbor’s edge. Memories that would’ve been ancient history for anyone else was an easily accessible picture show to the master of Pink Lux. And each little bit of it was filled with a childish love of freedom. A different time.

”Right… Handle her. Sure.” he nodded slowly, thumb rubbing across Britney’s hand a moment longer.
”I guess I’ll make that phone call…” his throat cleared, and he stood up before pointing at Henri.
”And as for a fucking gun, don’t hold your breath. If you want a gun, we’re spending the next sixteen hours inside my head going over firing drills, ‘cuz I’m not letting you shoot me in the back… Fuckin’ cowboy… And don’t think I don’t remember you healed that prick at the club either. We’re gonna talk about that-”

Greyson’s face immediately turned to Linqian, sternly but not aggressively staring.
”-respectfully. Later. So that I can explain why I think that could’ve been a poor judgement call… Without any sort of malice or anger. Obviously.”
Then he spun and started down the hall toward the same room he’d used the night of the Halloween festival.

”I’m not saying you kill her or something!” Britney waved her hands in front of her as she forced a smile. ”I’m just saying make sure that she doesn’t, like, run off to her bosses.”

”I don't know why he thinks I'm gonna rip his fucking head off over every little thing,” Linqian rolled her eyes at Greyson's back as if he wasn't still in earshot.

”To be fair, Jie, you did try to last night,” Henri commented. He was still perfectly chill, not seeming bothered at all by the finger pointing or promised lecture later. After all, he'd been basically raised by Linqian and Jinhai, he was used to stern talking tos with varying degrees of anger in them.
”We can talk about that and the gun anytime later!” Henri called after Greyson.

Greyson’s thumping footsteps brought him back into the living room, torso peering around the corner of the wall.
”And y’all should decide who's gonna represent us at the Coven meetings from now on. It ain’t gonna be all of us so pick one: I’ll leave my vote with Brit unless y’all don’t conclude before I get back.”
Then he was gone again.

”It’s pretty obvious who, ain't it,” Linqian raised an eyebrow at Greyson's back, before looking between Britney and Aaron. ”Should be you, Brit… Honestly I think it should be both of you. One person doesn't feel safe, and you guys got the balance. You're smart, Aaron is well liked. Nobody will fucking listen to me, and everyone sees Greyson as a sleezebag.”

”... I mean, some of them don’t see me as any better,” Britney laughed. ”But, I get what you’re saying… We can be the dynamic duo, me and you.” She smiled at Aaron.

”Maybe we can start by nudging Auri to start a meeting.”

“The dynamic duo. I’ll keep you safe, don't worry. We should call her tonight. This feels like an urgent need, do you think we can get everyone together again in the next couple days?”

”... They’re gonna decipher the notes tomorrow,” Britney looked at Aaron, laughing. ”We gotta get the lead out, especially if those notes are as important as some of them act like!” She laughed, before she pulled out her phone and sent out a few texts to Auri.

A few moments later, her phone buzzed, and Britney looked down at her phone.

”Auri’s at her flower shop with Be and Todd,” Britney rolled her eyes. ”Want to ride with me over there?”

“I’m ready to go when you are,” Aaron paused as they swapped forms, ”I got your back.”

Britney got up and pulled her keys out of her purse, before smiling at Greyson and Linqian. ”We’ll be right back, don’t have too much fun without us!” She jingled her keys at the group as she walked out with Aryin in tow.

---

---

It was late at night, so Auri’s Flower Shop was closed, but she typically used it as a social spot. Britney wasn’t excited to see Be again, but this is what it takes to get to the bottom of this Father Wolf nonsense. Britney’s GMC Yukon parked out front, and the door was somewhat ajar, though, as she approached, there was something wrong. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she swallowed it, as she slowly pushed the door open.

What she saw confirmed all of her feelings.

Britney’s jaw dropped.

It was worse than she imagined.

Blood was everywhere.

Be, Todd, and Auri stabbed to death on the floor, with a wolf statue carved from Sycamore neatly placed next to them.

”... You gotta be fucking kidding me.”

”Jesus, fucking CHRIST,” Aryin shouted as she followed Britney in. Aryin’s first thought was being in groups was not as safe as she thought. ” Britney, what do we do?”

”I dont-I don’t know!” Britney grabbed both sides of her head and paced back and forth.

”No, no, no, please no, Auri, Bo, Todd, please no please not you,”” Aryin responded as she pressed her back into a wall and slid down it.

”Keep it. Together,” Britney sighed, as she pulled out her phone. ”I’m going to call the police.”

”Okay,” Aryin paused as they took a really, long, deep breath in before she took a really, long, exhale out. Aryin looked at Britney and nodded her head. She needed to be composed, she needed to be together, and she needed to be ready for questions that she did not have answers for when the police arrived. ”We were so close. Thank you for getting everyone back together, Auri.”

”… You know what it means right?” Britney asked.

”That there may be more of us murdered by father wolf than those who are still alive?”

”He’s raising the stakes, he’s no longer just going after people by themselves.,”

”Do we need to all live together? Like this…this takes our strategy for staying alive and fucking throws it in the mother fucking trash,” Aryin’s voice raised before she sighed.

”… But maybe this might work out for us,” Britney began, ”Maybe he’s finally getting sloppy.”

”We need those artifacts. If he’s getting sloppy…. We’re going to kill them”

---

---

MONDAY

---

---

_{In Collaboration with @AtomicEmperor}

---

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…

---

---

TUESDAY

---

---

Layla's night had not gone unnoticed. The Temple's grounds were under strict surveillance from multiple sources, with several alarms touching off at the unfamiliar Lux signature responsible for the teleportation. Layla's room was particularly bugged, given to her under the auspices of maintaining her privacy. The books already there, under the mattress, tiny magical sensors had gone haywire twice that night.

Lynette chose to keep her eyes on the prize. Whatever may've happened, she simply hadn't attached the girl to a proper Apparition to slake her curiosity and thirst for security. The game was still early. With her powers, she tracked her Eldest son across the compound as he made way for his Coven mate. Occasionally, he'd pause and she'd take a more direct view. From inside his pocket, she couldn't see; but hearing was simple, and as expected Leon was stopped by all manner of Temple Members wherever he went.

In that early morning, children asked for help with homework before class. Contemporaries asked about upcoming plans and Temple events. Distractions from his goal of waking Layla and bringing her safely to the Adjoining Chamber filled his life. But, she'd trained him well. His purposeful avoidance was casual, unthreatening and open for rapprochement later.

He was a paragon of his people, and she bristled slightly with pride. Eventually, he came to Layla's door. Having been spared the knowledge of her previous night's excursion, Leon had no idea that she may be a bit tired. Or, alternatively, perhaps jumpy about the situation.

Deep knocks echoed through the door.
”Yo, Layla? It's Leon, Sis… You in there?” he asked blindly through the wood, his dog-like sense of smell telling him she absolutely was there. It was, after all, a bit of a courtesy rather than a genuine question.

There was a flutter of feet, before Layla shyly opened the door. She was dressed in a loose-fitting back dress she had found in the closet, likely from Her Grace. And, indeed, the evidence of dark circles under her eyes were apparent. It seemed her sleep was fraught with frequent nightmares and sudden starts.

Regardless, she held a small smile on her face, swallowing any discomfort she felt. She had to maintain her silence, after all.

“Good morning, Leon. I just need to grab my purse, then I'll be ready to go.”

Alizée, on the other hand, was currently in the kitchen, of all places. There was amazement in her eyes, watching as foodstuffs were prepared for breakfast. Having no knowledge on the cuisine of humans, everything was new to her there. The smells, they didn't really interest her in an eating sense, but they were new and intriguing nonetheless.

Leon simply assumed the night spent alone in her own body was a change that she hadn't been ready for. Especially with the kind of dinner she was fed the previous evening; somnial root vegetable puree, Sandman filet basted in the clarified butter from the milk of an ever-sleeping brahm. Everything cursed to redirect its potent effects onto the Riil so they'd be easier prey.

But Leon knew eating that kind of thing made one feel worse. Empty. He was more happy that at least Alizée didn't seem worried. She'd be doing the leg work, after all.
”You look wonderful. Not that I think it matters what you look like in an Adjoining, but… Anyway, come on. There's a beverage waiting for you, and you really want to drink it hot. Speaking from experience…”
The beverage in question was tea: Grown in soil fertilized by the physical scrap remnants from the butchery of cursed Apparitions, some believe imbibing it can induce the Third-Eye Open condition upon a mundane.

Proven unequivocally, however, is its capacity to leave the human vessel open to visitation. Thus, Nether Tea is a small-batch staple of the Temple, who maintain a policy of forced Adjoining for those inner circle members unable to Kindle on their own.
Leon himself was dressed somewhat strangely, his wide frame covered by some kind of monk's robes, smiling a half smile down.

Layla nodded. Drinking something hot might soothe her. It always did. ”Alright. Wouldn't want to keep anyone waiting.”

As she got her purse, he nodded his head.
”You probably won't need that… Chances are this is all over in fifteen minutes, and you may end up passed out and shuffled back to bed. But whatever makes you more comfortable. Can I just-”
His hand slid toward her very slowly and gently.
”-look through it real quick? To make sure there's nothing in there that may affect the Adjoining negatively?”

He had been ordered to make her comfortable, but also to keep a close eye on her… This was simply part of that in his mind.

Layla bit her lip, before conceding, and offering her purse out to Leon to inspect.

”Sure, uh, be my guest.”

It was fairly mundane, holding a cellphone, wallet, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. However, what could be considered as worrisome was the large pocket knife nestled between the objects. Leon wouldn't know it, but it was the same knife she had used to threaten Jack and herself when the Coven had moved to take the Void Heart away from her.

Why she kept it around when her problems were always apparitional in nature was a bit of logic even she didn't understand. Perhaps she felt reminded of the Void Heart holding on to it. Or, more likely, it had something to do with safety, and remnants of shattered trust between her, Jack and Auri. Britney was a different story, of course, what with Mr. Devola's intervention.

Layla swallowed nervously, a part of her wondering if she was even allowed sharp objects on Temple grounds. She didn't want to be in trouble, not that early in the day.

Leon was extremely gentle about it.
”Do you… Mind if we just leave it here?” he asked, holding up the pocket book entirely.
”If it’s just to keep the knife; don’t worry. I’m your knife for the morning. We’ll be back before you know it, and there won’t be any harm.”

Handing it back to her, his look was somewhat expectant. As if he didn’t think she was going to push back against him.

Layla appeared somewhat uncomfortable when Leon said no to the knife, but perked up when he said he'd lend his own powers. She nodded, “Probably best to leave it all here, then.”

And she set the purse on her bed. Turning back, she stepped out of the suite, standing beside Leon as she closed the door.

“I'm ready, Leon. But uh, this ceremony. Is there anything I should be aware of? It won't be like… well, like the last last time, will it?”

She, of course, was referring to the time The Butcher had put her to sleep.

Leon shook his head, a wry smile crossing his face.
”No, no, Mr. Salamente is a splitter, not a joiner: His curses aren't a necessary part of inducing a consensual Adjoining.”
He trailed off, thinking about how deeply that moment must be burned into her brain. It made him feel terrible about the entire ordeal in both past and present. He could only make up for her nerves with consistent comfort.

”The Temple teaches us that an Apparition is made of unresolved intent: Something to be done which never had the chance to be. In this case, the satisfaction of returning to the Coven and being a hero for us…”

As he spoke, the two of them walked further and further down the hall, then down the stairs.

”So, we'll get Alizée, and then our destination is her mausoleum. The ritual is purely symbolic, as we ‘ask’ the interred body to pass everything that it was onto you. So long as our Casper is still fine with the Adjoining, it's a cinch from there. Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes tops. Easy, huh?”

Layla seemed to visibly relax. ”Yeah, sounds easy enough.”

They found Alizée still in the kitchen, her red eyes entirely transfixed on the plating of pancakes with syrup and a side of hashbrowns. A quick sniff, and Alizée's eyes turned to the door, creasing upwards.

“I thought I smelled a sweet smell.” She said, floating over to Layla. A quick double-take and Alizée's eyes slightly narrowed, seeing the lack of sleep in Layla's face.

A pause, before Alizée turned to Leon. “Leon? Are we ready to start? I've been waiting all morning.

“Did you know Layla doesn't really cook for herself? I was thinking I might try this ‘cooking’ thing for her. Strange what humans do, but as long as it fills their stomachs…”

Layla immediately looked a little shy. ”I do cook. Sometimes…”

“You had a granola bar to eat last night before you retired.” Alizée said flatly, arms crossed as she leaned down into Layla's view.

Layla blushed, holding her hands to her cheeks. “Okay, fine! Let's just, get this over with, okay?” She mumbled.

Alizée's eyes creased upwards again, before glancing at Leon. “Where are we off to?”

”A good place. Somewhere peaceful. Your Mausoleum.”

There was a small walk from the dorms and into the forest surrounding the property. Enough time for all parties to think about the implication of what was about to happen. Where. As far as Leon knew, it was a fairly easy process when all parties were willing: In his own experience, it was anything but. Lelou wasn’t looking to be “tied down”, and there was a great deal of pain and effort that went into getting their relationship even to this point. She was unstable, picky, needy, and wanted what she wanted. And if she wanted to stretch, but he left the seals tight?

Then the next time he had to open them, she’d make him regret it. It was all just… Fear. Of course, how much worse could it be than what she’d had to go through previously? The Riil, from everything he’d been told, were sadistic fucks who had made her suffer for a great deal of her life.
But Alizée had mostly taken care of that, and they were sealed within the amulets. It would be good. Had to be good.

Ahead of them, further in the forest standing beside the entrance to the grand, stone-filled graveyard of the Temple, were two other figures. Layla had at least met them both, coming to know one with a touch greater detail than the other: Lena, and Harietta. The former, in all her raven-like beauty, contrasted the bold and colorful energy practically brimming from the latter. Both were dressed in informal clothing, nothing too daunting or intimidating.

It wasn’t meant to be anything grand, after all. It was a process… One that occasionally had to be carried out. It just wasn’t usually done in such a symbolic place. But Lynette had directed it, and so it would be despite her not actually being there to be involved. Hari carried a book in her hands, turning it gently as they approached. Lena seemed to be empty handed, but her arms were tucked behind her back, hidden behind a black denim jacket.

But they were two of Lynette’s closest students. Crones of the Temple; of Punishment and Judgement.
”There they are…” Lena cooed gently, a small smile crossing her face.
”Oh, it’s so good to see you’re both doing alright after last night. Layla? Did you sleep well sweetheart?” Hari asked, almost treating Layla as if she were a young child despite their age gap being more like an age crack.

Layla smiled softly. The lie came easy. ”I'm fine, thank you. It's good to see you too.”

”Frankly she was in a rush!” Leon laughed, patting her shoulder. Layla made a shy-looking face. She was eager, wasn't she?

The group of five were able to continue on, strolling down the laneway toward an edge-plot that seemed relatively fresh compared to some of the others. The stones making up the outer design were clean, and the large metal door still shined like it had just been made. Leon took point, pushing them open gently and removing his shoes at the door: A practice that the others followed as well, clearly in an effort to keep the floors as clean as possible.
They were shimmering black marble, with cracks of purple and flecks of white that trailed to great pillars of dark grey stone. Bronze rings wrapped around the base of each, holding up the otherwise fairly small room.

Abudding the rear wall, the black stone floor seemed to naturally climb up the wall as if it were some kind of dead tree stump covered over in a thin facade. Atop this slab, a gentle, shimmering surface cascaded from the sides, curling down toward the floor in a wisp-like fashion; its purpose clearly to suspend the perfectly preserved, beautifully dressed and immaculately tended corpse of Alizée Altieri.
The same shimmer climbed up over her, encasing her entirely within it’s space that it somehow carved around it. Presumably, she would stay like this for as long as the spell was active; however long that would be, not even Leon knew.

But there were small cabinets, located beneath a small shrine to the right side of the room. They had candles, pillows on which people could kneel, incense… Everything one could need to commune with and mourn before the interred Saint of the Temple.

Saint Alizée of the Void.

”Please don’t touch the Chronoveil. Disruptions are very dangerous for the outside force.”
It was informative, not expectant. Truly, she didn’t want anyone losing limbs.
”I’ll give you both a second to get comfortable, my Dears. Then, we’ll get you Adjoined.” Hari smiled.

Leon and Lena both took pillows while Hari began setting up the shrine with the ritual “requirements”, being expectations as to what incense was burned and what candles would be used.

Layla too took a couple pillows, one for herself, one for Alizée. She found herself mesmerized by how they had Alizée Altieri kept. She seemed like a doll, the porcelain ones you collect, with her eyes closed. All she had to do was open them, that was how perfect she looked. As if she would rise and smile once more.

But as Layla turned to offer a pillow to Alizée, she froze, taken a bit aback. Alizée's eyes were voidless pits, staring yawningly as she beheld herself. Floating closer, creeping dangerously near the veil, so she could peer down at the sleeping Saint.

To anyone watching, white lights would flicker in from the edges of her chains. White matter was slowly building itself up, before it solidified in one or two new links on each chain. Another drop of water in the bucket. Another layer of understanding, woven into her being.

She was frozen in the air there, before the white lights faded, and red glowing pupils returned to her mask's sockets.

Her gnarled hand reached up, as if to touch her body, before she remembered, and rapidly retracted it. Instead, her eyes memorized every inch of her former shell's face, tracing with her eyes where her hands could not.

Alizée blinked, remembering herself, and turned to Layla. Staring at the pillow, then at the girl, then at those gathered. Then back to herself.

”It's me…”

Soon enough, Alizée and Layla knelt on pillows, Alizée dimming some of her levitation so her knees touched the satin. Layla watched the girls set up the ritual with interest, remembering back to her first prayer. Instinctively, Layla reached out to grab Alizée's hand. Alizée looked down, and her eyes did that little crinkle.

Both were ready.

Ms. Hari seemed masterful at the art of putting together a fully lit shrine. The way she ran a candle across the top of a few dozen others; wax never fell from the first onto the dark wood of the shrine. She held her hands high above her head, muttering things in Latin that were so esoteric one could mistake them for mad babblings. Lena, having taken a seat next to Layla, saw the latter take a hold on Alizée's hand.
Ever-tactful, Lena did the same to Layla's free hand. She slipped down, snagging the dainty pale thing with hands that were far rougher than expected.

Leon had re-settled behind them, closer to the door. It wasn't so much he thought they may try to escape, so much as he was meant to symbolically “Have Layla's back.”. She would be able to hear his droning hums following along with Hari's increasing tempo…

Then the noise stopped. Hari turned slowly, the last candle in her hand. Lena guided Layla's free hand upward, and there was a painfully slow transfer of the burning candle from Hari's hands into Layla's hands.

”Layla Hyacinthus… Your life is the candle which you cling to, and the ever-burning flame atop is the soul with which you are born into this world.”
Holding the candle, it was heavy. Heavier than a normal candle stick…

As it burned, wax never fell down it's neck, a gentle wisp of smoke curling from the top in a pinkish-purple haze.

Layla gently released Alizée's hand to hold the candle. It was indeed heavy. But she could see it. Her body was the wax, and her soul was the flame. Two separate entities, united together for one cause: her life.

Feelings stirred within her as she watched the flame, her voice mute, soothed into silence by the chanting that had started the ritual.

Alizée stared with interest, her head tilting curiously at the flame. It was a unique object, one she hadn't seen before. Having looked at them before, her first guess wouldn't have been that they produced light on one end. Fascinating.

This ritual was more for Layla, and Alizée was happy to witness it, fully immersed in the mysterious atmosphere.

Like before, the first time Layla had met Lena, the world around her began to fade away. While she may not have felt any kind of ominous threat, Alizée’s instincts would almost certainly find this to be a sensation of dread. From over Lena’s figure, two massive golden eyes shimmered into existence as spheres of metal which spun in place. From the dark, a sensation like something both of them would recognize. A whiff of the Void.

Two huge metal gauntlets, their accents shimmering in the low light with pure gold, scuttled upon their fingertips into the frame, flanking Hari on either side. The eyes hovered from Lena up into the air above the fiery red-haired woman, and her face became grim in return. But she did not speak.
”Alizée Vul… Always shall your eyes be upon the Candle. Its Flame shall burn bright in your gaze, shielded by you and kept safe within your grasp.” that same grumbling, growling voice… Lena’s Apparition Partner: The Warden Aufseher.
The gauntlets slowly closed the distance on Hari, sliding together from below until they cupped her within them…

Then they snapped shut. When they opened, it wasn’t Hari. It was Leon, transformed into a bestial form whose arms struggled to separate the gauntlets. Claws raked and slipped, giving way to the gauntlet smashing into his body.

”And this is the curse of Disharmony! The internal struggle, which is inescapable should you begin to find that this union is not what you’ve come for… But this is a commitment! You both have been given a unique second chance at your lives, and the Temple of Charming and Graceful Individuals will not abide.”

Hari stepped through the illusion entirely, ripping the image of Alizée’s body back into place and returning the room to what it was.
Everyone was still sitting on their cushions… And Hari was still standing before the temporal coffin.

”Our goal, dear Sisters, is to guide and assist in the process of a harmonious union…”
”Because once it’s done? There’s no going back for us. The penalty for Severance is death. For both parties, you see… I live with this, Brother Leon lives with this, and in our inner circle, dozens of others live with this. It is a fact of life for us.”
Lena’s voice was empathetic, even a touch warm. Loving. As if she were happy to say something like that.

”This is your last chance to choose. It’s a big decision, so the three of us have been asked to provide you with any guidance as you may require it. If, however, you have no questions, concerns or shred of doubt about your eternal union? Then I encourage you, Layla, to hand your candle to your new Guardian Angel, and invite Saint Alizée into your entire being; that the burden of one’s Candle may be enlightened by the strength of Another.”

Grimness was painted deep across both Layla and Alizée's faces. Each for different, yet similar reasons. Layla immediately thought of the Void Heart. If she went through with this, she would be giving up on ever being adjoined to the Void Heart entirely.

Could she really go through with that? To turn her back on the one apparition that had made her feel safe?

Alizée's thoughts wandered as well. Though she could not adjoin to Void Heart as she once had in her past life, it almost felt… like she was concluding her search, here and now.

No, that couldn't be the case. She wouldn't allow it.

Being adjoined with Layla for an eternity, that should scare her. Shouldn't it? But as Alizée sat there, smelling the sweet musk of Vul that perfumed Lalya’s hair, she realized there wasn't anyone else she would have preferred to be adjoined with. They already shared something that powerfully connected them. This would be good for her. This would be good for Layla.

Alizée looked down at Layla, finding the girl wracked with worry, but unable to voice it. Alizée suddenly had the strong desire to know those thoughts. To know those worries. So she could put an end to them.

A gnarled hand slipped around to drape Layla's shoulders. The Warden’s words were etched into her mind. This was a commitment, an opportunity. And for her, a chance to learn more about the Void Heart, more about Layla, for more connections, more power.

“Shh…” Alizée mumbled, slowly rocking Layla.

Layla trembled where she knelt, the flame shivering. “I want to be adjoined to him.”

Alizée's red eyes crinkled in understanding. “You can. But, Layla, I don't remember much, but I do remember he had a certain way with his words, actions. You're like a flower, easy to break. I fear he may hurt you.

“Can you love him from afar?”

Layla was silent. Alizée leaned her head down so she could see Layla's gaze, pointedly looking at the ground.

“You don't think I can satisfy your needs as your voidling?”

Layla's mouth hung open, opening and closing for words, but they wouldn't come.

Alizée continued. “You doubt I can protect you? Or… do you, in fact, crave to be beaten by him on his bad days?”

Layla glanced up reproachfully. “I do not! …He just… He's Void.”

Alizée nodded. “I know. I haven't given up on him, and neither should you. We will see him again one day, and you'll be able to sit with him all you like. I would never interfere with that. I won't stop you.”

As Alizée spoke, the tension in Layla's face visibly reduced. Eventually, Layla took a steadying breath as her hands stabilized. She looked up at Alizée with a stoic gaze, and gently passed the candle to Alizée.

“I give you full invitation to my body, and my soul, Alizée.”

Alizée took the candle, before clasping Layla's hand with her free one. “I accept.”

Gently, Alizée guided Layla into her arms, Layla's head resting on her chest where they knelt.

“Close your eyes, Layla.”

Layla did as she was told.

It was a natural thing, an inclination all voidlings had, especially in the Shimmer. The desire, and the know-how for adjoining. It was as simple as tying two threads together.

And, as Alizée held Layla close, their soul chains began to physically appear. Hovering in the air, rippling on invisible, turbulent waves. Until, slowly, the chains began to coalesce, and links evaporated and condensed, forming a new link that joined the two.

And then it was done. The soul chains disappeared, one by one. And, shiny and new on Layla's wrists and ankles, were iron cuffs with a few scant chains.

Alizée patted Layla's head, speaking telepathically. ”You can open your eyes now, Layla.”

Layla's eyes slowly opened, and she regarded Alizée with awe. ”Your presence… It's so warm.”

Before Layla looked down at her wrists, holding up one to examine. “Oh wow…” She breathed.

Layla's eyes turned to the Crones, to Leon, and she smiled shyly.

All three of them heard her talking about Void Heart. Only one didn't have a fake smile of excitement after… But all three appeared genuinely thrilled and excited. Truthfully, Leon was. He still found it a better position for Layla to be in than actually running about to chase the bastard. He hoped there would be enough “eventually” that they'd find a solution.
For now, it was all about the duo. About Layla and Alizée.

Lena slid around and forward, hugging Layla tightly.
”Day of days… To be forever with a true Sister… A Saint of our divine Canon… I'm a little jealous!”
As she pulled away, Layla would be able to see a small shape on Lena's shoulder. It was, surprisingly, the Warden. Its two ghastly eyes and disembodied hands came together to form an odd, spider-like shape roughly the size of Layla's palm.

Lena's hand reached up to it, letting it crawl down and around her.
”I pray that both of you maintain such a healthy and happy sisterhood… I would hate to see our Saint take a back-seat.”

Hari, hearing this implication, cleared her throat.
”Let's not concern ourselves with that, Big Sister.”
”Agreed… How're you both feeling? Up for some breakfast?”

While Layla giggled, nodding furiously to the Warden and Lena, Alizée was staring at Layla, her eyes a blank slate. She was deep in Layla's recent memories, especially the ones from last night…

Alizée's eyes narrowed. ”We need to talk later.”

Layla sweated slightly, keeping her smile up for appearances. ”R-right.”

Before she spoke aloud. ”I feel great! And breakfast sounds lovely!”

---

From then on, the day was full of celebration. Layla was the celebrity of the day among members of the Temple of Charming and Graceful Individuals. People she’d never known greeted her with faces bright like the radiant sun. They greeted her, told stories of Alizée and their fondness of her. Thanks, praise, well-wishes and gifts: And all the while both Leon and Lena were at their side. Not once did either of them leave until the end, when Lena took it upon herself to cart the various trinkets and new possessions of Layla’s back to her room.

Layla was all smiles, her fatigue eased by the kind faces. Alizée, despite holding some reservations, managed to loosen up, and enjoy the celebrations. In particular, she listened keenly to the stories of her, some powerful enough to add links to her chains.

It was late by then, or at least late enough that the sun had gone down below the wooded horizon. What was left came when Leon reminded her of an event happening in the city. Most Aberrations lived off of the lands reserved by the Temple, and thus gathered in one of the communal halls owned and operated by their benefactors. More accessible than having to drive all the way out to the hills behind St. Portwell, as the highway system only had so many routes out.

Though, neither got much of a say. Someone did bring Layla her purse before they left, and Leon bundled her up in a nice new coat he managed to get for her. The fur was warm, gentle against her skin, and the pockets were nice and deep for her to slip her arms into at any time. Layla thanked Leon profusely, not remembering the last time she had been given a gift. The car ride was peaceful as well, only passing a few cars on their highway trip into the city proper. This side of the city had less business traffic, and mostly gave way to suburban housing developments and various works of infrastructure that ended in full apartment buildings.

Six story brick units surrounded a large parking lot courtyard with a gate keeping the inside in and the outside out. The entryway doors to several of the buildings were open; children played around a half-grass and half-concrete playground consisting of a few different small structures and a half-court with a single hoop. Some teens and young adults hung out perched on car hoods and stood around them otherwise. Leon seemed to lighten up a little bit as they pulled in.

Some people approached the car as Leon pulled into the parking space.
”Alright, Ladies… The person who runs this place is named Tamara. She’s a sweet old woman, and… Well, you used to stay here Alizeè. You’d come around the Campus, stay a night, but… This is where your apartment was. It’s empty now, but people here know you. Some weren’t so fond, either. So, be ready and willing with open minds.”

Alizée's glowing eyes widened a bit. ”Not fond, eh? The heck did I do…?”

Layla piped up, raising a finger. ”As I remember, you and the Void Heart were hunting a lot near the end of the old coven days… Might have something to do with that.”

”Hunting?

”Like, eating human essence.”

An awkward pause.

”...Oh.”

Smiling, Leon opened the door on his side to greetings and cheers. Someone else, an older teen seemingly, slipped their hand into the lever of Layla’s door, popping it open from the outside and holding it for her.
”Oh me, oh my… Ladies of the hour! Come on!”
He was certainly effeminate, small in stature and dressed ambiguously in all black. Surely, he belonged with the goth crowd hanging about near the cars.

But he hugged Layla as soon as she managed to get out of the car. Layla blinked, before returning the hug, getting more and more used to the affection getting incorporated into her life now. And Alizeè got an even more emphatic welcoming as several of the others made their way in to meet them. It didn’t take long before the two would find themselves surrounded, especially as the children came to realize who the Apparition was. The younger ones seemingly played along despite not actually being able to see their beloved “Anty Ali”, directing their focus on Layla as the trend of pure white hair translated well enough. Layla stared at all the faces, feeling a little overwhelmed, but it certainly was a warm welcome.

The two would be able to feel Leon’s hand on Layla’s shoulder, keeping her close and flanked in order to protect her in some fashion. He was having something of his own conversation, talking with some of the others who clustered nearby. But his voice cut the crowd not long after.
”Alright everyone, come on! Quit crowding, quit crowding. Alizeè, Layla: This is Tamara’s Enclave.”
There was a wave of cheers from the crowd, and a raspy woman’s voice piped up from the far back in return.

”Y’all out here screamin’ let me through damn you! Let me on, c’mon!”
The woman strode through the slowly parting crowd on the back of some kind of… Turtle? Tortoise? It lumbered about on stoney legs, its neck craning from a shell adorned with all manner of ornament and trinket. Beads, flags, strings of coins; whatever could be hung from the infrequent and thickly-rooted spines that covered it.
Tamara herself had a dark complexion, hair short to her head and thick, dark glasses on even at this time of the night. She looked comfortable, legs crossed in sweatpants and back resting against the large custom chair strapped to the tortoise.

She couldn’t have weighed more than seventy pounds… She was tiny. Ancient. Decrepit.

”Alizeè, Goddammit! Get down here and lemmie look at you…” she spoke rather conspiratorially… The tortoise’s neck craned upward to squint at Layla.

Alizée's eyes blinked, a little taken aback with the forcefulness behind this tiny women. Not wishing to be rude, Alizée did as she was told, floating forward a bit and leaning down enough so she was pretty much eye level with the small woman.

Layla felt the turtle stare at her, and felt a little nervous. Didn't turtles bite? This was no normal turtle, of course, but she was careful with her fingers anyway, hiding them behind her back as she pursed her lips at the turtle.

Alizée, on the other hand, felt the old woman stare at her, through her, until-

”You still owe me a month’s rent!” she finally barked. This was clearly some kind of joke, as the entire crowd including Leon broke into uproarious laughter. It was, unfortunately, completely lost on Alizée, having no idea what this ‘rent’ was. She could only tilt her head and crinkle her eyes with politeness. Tamara smiled a thin, dry smile. Her arms outstretched.
”Come here, Sweetheart… We missed you, didn’t we? And without that loud-mouth jerk!” she chided, one hand waving at Layla.
”You too, Precious… God, look at the two of you: Albino peas in an Albino pod… Well… Blue eyes on one.” she laughed.

In the next moment, the three of them were connected in a warm hug, the smile light on Layla, and warmth in Alizée's eyes. Alizée was a little confused, though, not sure who the loud-mouth could be.

“Void.”

”Oh.”

Alizée could only smile at their new-found connection, finding herself more and more elated. Layla felt the subtle shift in emotion, and buried her head in Alizée's shoulder briefly, before they leaned back, opting to hold the old lady's weathered hands.

Alizée's eyes scanned the crowd, before she spoke, warmth colouring her distorted voice. ”I feel a bit ashamed; you all know me so well, but I haven't the faintest clue who you all are. You'll have to forgive me for my slowness; but I am truly happy to be here.”

Alizée looked down at Layla, and one red eye squinted into a wink. ”We're happy to be here.”

Layla nodded, taking up the cue from Alizée. ”I'm terrible with names, but I'll do my best. It's a pleasure to meet you all,” Her eyes flitted to Tamara. “And you especially, Grandma… May I call you Grandma?”

Tamara laughed aloud, tilting her head back and holding her stomach slightly. It was one, single long laugh that tapered off into little giggles which she did her best to speak through.
”O-oh, Layla, you can… You can call me whatever you like- My Lord! I wish everyone else thought I was that young.”
The group laughed, and Leon spoke up from Layla’s side..

”I’d call her Dead, but she just keeps going!”
The parking lot turned into a practical riot from the laughter. There was a moment where it seemed like it may not stop, but Grandma Tamara playfully leaned in among it. People took it as a sign to head toward the main area, laughter still filling the air as they turned and began to walk.
”You know… I was born before regular folk kept calendars in their homes. Only reason I know how old I am is ‘cus my friend here loves to keep up with the math.”

Her aged hand slowly crept out to stroke the tortoise’s head. Her torso craned just as the creature’s neck would, hunting for a leaf of lettuce.
”Eight-hundred and thirty three…”
She grinned, and the insides of her mouth and gums were pitch black. Like looking into the maw of a black hole… But she had a full, clean and healthy set of pearly white teeth. It only contrasted more against the ominous background.

Alizée and Layla both had surprised expressions. So Grandma Tamara was long-lived. Layla had guessed she was old, but not that old.

”I’ll let you guess where I’m from, Baby. C’mon.” she laughed. The elderly tortoise, slow in its ponderous nature but used to building up a pace, managed to bring himself up to walking speed fairly quickly.
The first part of the early evening was relatively uneventful, slowly but surely getting Layla used to the people around. Some of the other Elders, not nearly as old as Tamara, welcomed Layla in with open arms and offered her the apartment in case she ever wanted to get away from the Temple. Layla was shy at first, but was eventually buttered up enough that she accepted graciously. At some point, Leon stopped and slipped his phone from his pocket, stepping away from Layla and leaving the two of them to fend for themselves.

And then there was another woman there. Staring. She had chocolate hair, green eyes and a smile that tears dripped down the corners of. She was crying. Moving forward toward Layla, she bowed herself.
”H-hey, A-l-Alizeé… Miss Layla…”
Letting her torso come back up, her smile remained despite the moisture.
”Irina… I k-know you don’t remember. It’s okay. It’s for the best, probably. I wanted to introduce myself again. I figured maybe we could do it all over again…”

Her hand extended to Layla, and a separated phantom-like hand, bedecked with wristlets of precious metals reached out to Alizeé. A gaunt, feminine face and shoulder contracted from Irina’s shoulder. Statuesque, it didn’t speak.

Alizée and Layla moved like a mirror, both hands extending out to grab the ones offered to them.

“She's crying…”

“Comfort her. It helps build the connection.”

Layla smiled empathetically, seeing the tears in Irina's eyes.

“Of course we can do it all over again. Why are you crying, Irina?” Layla said softly, patting her hand.

“It's not becoming of your beautiful face.”

”Leon's gone.”

“Errands?”

“Fair enough. Try to remember these names, any one of them could become a link in your chain.”

Layla's eyes glanced down to the cuff gleaming on the hand that still held Irina's, pensive, curious. Intrigued.“Right, right…”

Irina looked somewhat brighter after Layla and Alizée's lukewarm reception. Layla wasn't exactly the person she was here for, but it became more clear in her head as she thought… She had to be. Ali was dead… A ghost attached to this girl. This Layla…

”I'm just… Very happy to have a second chance. Alizée was a great person, and… I was dreadfully short-sighted in my decision. I ruined our friendship. And I'd like to do better without the same judgment I held in my heart.” she managed to crack a smile.

The Apparition, stone face unblinking as it stared at Alizée, seemed to do something like take a deep breath. Subtly, slow like a glacier, a smile formed at the corners of her mouth.
”Death parts people from their spirits. The separation. It's not every day you get the chance to see someone come back, right? So, I figure God wants us to reconcile. Wants to give me the chance to do better… I cried and cried at your funeral, Ali. And I've been in your shrine every day since at some point or another. I… Selfishly feel like my prayers maybe helped you find your way back.”

Realization dawned behind Alizée's eyes. She stared at the apparition, before looking carefully at Irina. Quietly, she disentangled her gnarled hand from the apparition, ghosted forward a bit, and gently wrapped Irina up in a hug.

[color=916BB4]”I'm sorry. That must have really eaten you up. It's your lucky day, I remember nothing. I harbor no ill will. And I would love to be your friend again, Irina. Did I have a nickname I gave you? What's your favorite memory of us?”

Layla only watched silently, fascination in her eyes. ”So this is how you go about making connections…”

”All you have to do is care.”

Leon arrived shortly thereafter, in the midst of Irina explaining their friendship to Alizée. Seeing Layla wrapped up as a spectator, he too watched silently as the game of catch-up played out before him. But Irina was just as excited to bring Layla and Alizée into a wider group. A softer kind of people, the kind of people who loved Alizée deeply, and maybe… Just maybe… Would’ve also been the kind of people that Void Heart would’ve loved to toy with.

He was acutely aware of the possibility unfolding in front of him… But Irina had truly mourned Alizée’s passing. He’d seen her, watched, admired her dedication. The argument they’d pushed one another away over was never about them… And he felt like Irina had finally recognized that. That she too was charmed by Vul. That their entire group had been charmed, and now they huddled around a new flame.

He only hoped there wouldn’t be more custodial disputes.

Leon loomed as he approached, listening to the young woman’s club chatter on as Layla was introduced, and Alizée reintroduced, to a collective of half a dozen similar girls. Different hair, different shapes and sizes and colors, but all seemed… Meek. Almost awkward, like the most mouse-coded book club one could imagine.
Irina, her Apparition called Boudica; then Mazie and The Playful Thing. Wendy and Morbord. Annalise and Writhe. Tanya and Accretion. Nora and High Priest Loboldo. Vanessa and Ouraksh.

They formally introduced themselves as “The Silent Sisters.”, a group of self-described activists pushing for greater autonomy for Aberrants within the Temple’s societal structure. Mostly through the spreading of literature and small scale gatherings like the very one they attended.

”And of course, we mostly have Mr. Leon to thank. As the acting Bridge, he’s been a tremendous help to our cause when it comes to Adjoined rights in particular!” Annalise, probably the most energetic of them, explained with admiration as a hand pointed Leon out.

”It’s easy for people to discount it… But he saved a lot of people by Adjoining. Foregoing his Adepthood, removing himself from the Lux Currents. It was a sacrifice, and he’s been a part of us ever since.” Vanessa added, monotone as her sullen eyes would suggest.

Alizée gave Leon a look, feeling a drop of understanding added to her bucket.

”But… Alizée? You helped us a great deal as well! Just as much, maybe! During your time with Lord Vul, the closeness between himself and Her Most Graceful proved to be a powerful force for change! We’ve… We had our disagreements in the past. But, I have always admired your strength and courage in the face of adversity!”

Alizée's eyes softened. ”...Lord Vul, eh?”

Quietly, another link materialized on her chains.

”We all have. And we’re happy to welcome you both immediately, if you believe you wish to…” Wendy’s voice was more like two voices, giving it a rather dark and sinister undertone despite there most likely not being any wayward intention.
Leon cleared his throat, patting Layla’s shoulder gently.
”I would encourage it… I haven’t met a more united front in my life. Like the boards of a ship hull. Uh, Y’know-”

”We get it, Mr. Leon…”
The group laughed, but ultimately sincere gazes, and potential expectations, fell back upon Layla.

Layla gazed up at the expectant group of eyes, before glancing to Leon, then Alizée. Alizée's eyes crinkled, and she nodded.

Layla nodded back, and smiled at her new friends. “I would be honored to join you. Alizée and I both.”

Alizée's head tilted curiously. “You say you advocate for rights. What rights are those? How would they be infringed?”

Like a thirsty sponge, eager to soak up knowledge. Layla could only watch, seeing how at ease Alizée appeared. Like she was made to be here.

”Well, some of us come to the Temple of Charming and Graceful Individuals as Aberrants. Others?”
”Others take the Oath of Aberration. Mostly One-Eye Opens who can’t manage to Kindle themselves. We’ve all grown up here: I think we all hoped and dreamed we’d have more of a say as we grew up, but that’s not how things have gone.”

”Mind you, Layla… I would never have brought you into such a thing if I didn’t think big changes were coming.” Leon was quick to add from behind, clearing his throat.

”Right… It all starts with Aberration. You can’t become magic on your own? You either have your mind wiped and end up homeless somewhere in California, or you petition for some kind of Apparition to be brought in, and you take an oath. That you’ll-” Mazie’s voice was smooth, like butter on silk, but it was easy to tell the thought alone got her angry.

”-She knows, Mazie… They took it today.”
The group seemed to get a little quiet, but Vanessa’s sleepy monotone continued.
”The book says if you can’t stay together, you die. They’re not lying. So you do whatever it takes to stay with your Apparition. And if the Apparition doesn’t want to be there, they have to get creative. Sedatives, suppressants, hypnotherapy… The list goes on.”

Both Alizée and Layla winced at that.

”Which reminds me, Girls… When Eddy and our new friend Trisha get here, Ed’s gonna need some love. I guess while they were driving over, Serenity-”

”Oh God, are they okay!?” Wendy looked shocked, her voice traveling up as many octaves as possible.

”As okay as they can be. Trisha’s a bit of a firebrand, so I’m just hoping she’s gonna be alright when they get here.”

”Is this new girl driving them now?” Vanessa questioned.

”Uh, no… No, I told Trisha to uh…”

There was a moment of bristling. Layla and Alizée would both clearly feel the tension mounting in the moment.

”Leon!?-” Mazie started up, a finger rising to point at Leon, who worriedly put his hands in the air.
”I don’t know if she can drive a manual, you know Ed’s car!”
”-And you didn’t even think to check!? What the fuck Leon!?”

Vanessa’s hand, full of different colored rings and gems, wrapped around Layla and held her a little closer.
”It’s a shame sometimes his mind is still like an Adept’s. No other solution but to drug us.”
”Listen, I made a decision… I thought it’d be the easiest way to put a new guest at ease…”
”At ease!? Do you think Ed’s gonna be at ease when she wakes up and finds this new girl standing over her with a syringe of Formula Four!?”

And just like that, the group of girls was a pack of sharks taking pieces of Leon’s hide. But what they’d already said more than likely left an impression upon the sponge-like young woman.

Layla gave the hand holding her a squeeze, feeling all different types of nauseous. Was getting drugged a common Temple practice? Alizée, red eyes going wide, finally slapped the mask of her forehead and shook her head.

”I don't see that turning out alright at all… From all the times I've seen Layla drugged, it's had dire consequences.

“But it's already been done, hasn't it? How shall we welcome them?”

”Like fucking idiots! We welcome them like we don’t fucking know, and like Leon didn’t just tell us that!” Tanya finally piped up, tears welling in her eyes.

”Aw, Jesus Christ…”
”We’ll definitely need him.” Vanessa replied to Leon, shaking her head solemnly.

”Tawny’s right… If she thinks we knew, she’ll think we consulted.” Nora’s soft voice cracked gently from the back of the group.
”Yeah, great. We look awesome girls, super effective. This is really a great stride toward those rights we were just talking about.” Mazie growled.
”Mazie… Listen, girls… It's tempting, but… But, we’ve gotta be the ones to make things right, don’t we!?” Irina seemed like she was in a great deal of conflict about the situation. It was clear on her face.
”Fuck no! Fuck, fucking… Fuck no! Absolutely not, this is Leon’s problem. If Ed wants to make it a big deal and run off to her fucking-”

Tanya and Leon locked eyes for a long moment. A long, tense moment.
”I’ll deal with what comes… We all know none of you had anything to do with it.” Leon, deflated, tried to reason with the situation and offer some sort of consolation.
”Will you? I’d say you’re on thin ice, Leon. Here we were praising you? Now you give this back to us? It’s tiring.” Nora’s quiet but convicted voice spoke truth to power always.

The giant man looked fairly sad. Not annoyed, not pressed: Sad. Like a beloved pet passed away. He shook his head and in one motion, his body turned away from them.
”Just make it fucking right, Dude! Jesus, is it so fucking hard to not hurt people you claim to love?”
He didn’t fight back.
”Enough, Mayz… Point made.”
”I’ll break my fucking point off in his a-”

Vanessa’s hand swept out, knocking Mazie’s chest about.
”Calm your tits, Sis.”
Mazie’s hands squeezed together rapidly, and she took several long and deep breaths before shaking her head. By then, Leon had walked off again, leaving Layla and Alizée alone with their new old friends. An awkward enough situation if everyone wasn’t steaming mad about something that the two of them only had a vague clue about.

“I'm desperately trying to keep up with this conversation, but…” Layla's gaze was drawn to Alizée.

”Ignore it. If they want our input, they'll fill us in more.”

But Vanessa seemed to be a steamship in the fog, calm and peaceful. A beacon of lights.
”Now, come on Layla. Lets get you two caught up, since others need to cool down.”
Over a rough half an hour, the Sisterhood managed to take a collective chill-pill and explain a bit more about their positions. About how Temple Culture, through its connection to an older Heretical Christian sect, was built and predicated upon the usage and exploitation of Apparitions. About how Adjoined were often little more than manual laborers, mundane secondaries, or otherwise simple holding pens for Apparitions deemed “of use” by the Crone of Judgement.

That Crone, of course, being Harietta Von Voletta. The very same woman who had joined the duo to master the ceremony she’d participated in. The person who administered the Oath. It was then explained that the situation which had caused the uproar directly involved a member of what they called “The Most Graceful Family”.

”So Ed, Etiennette L’matise? She’s part of a Polycule… With Harietta, and-”
”And her cousin… Mia Richoux. Leon’s baby sister.”
”She’s our age… Pfff, Baby.”
”Whatever, they’re cousins is the point. It’s weird.”
”Ugh, nobody cares how you feel about the setup, Nora. It’s the setup of the power dynamic that’s more creepy.”

It was getting progressively clearer that they were just as much a sewing circle as an activist’s group. The tea was hot and dark here…

”The idea that Eti- Eddy… Ed. Gets special treatment. We… We kind of pushed the matter. She’s well known, the three of them, as addicts. Junkies, and Ed uses her Apparition-”
”-Stop. Not that shit. The point is that she causes trouble for a lot of people by accident, and if any of us did it, we’d be sedated immediately. But for two years, she was allowed to escape it. Because Hari and Mia are both Adepts embedded in the power structure that oppresses us and shelters them.”
”So six months ago, after we made a big deal of it at a meeting, Leon waited for the first complaint… And he immediately spiked Ed with a suppressant. The bad stuff. Formula Two… Ed was in the hospital for a month as it passed through her system, and she hasn’t been right ever since.”
”Not not right, but definitely a lot more cautious. Which was kind of our goal? We want equal treatment, and we want them to know that we’re not cattle. We see what goes on. It’s… To hurt them.”

A collective shrug rose from the group.
”But a one time thing. The point was made… She is one of us, after all, it’s not like we want her to suffer infinitely.”
”But if we can force someone like Leon’s hand? There’s hope for us. Hope that we can make changes one step at a time.”

Layla's eyes were wide like saucers. “Leon really did that? He was like, a hero.”

Alizée had a gnarled finger on her chin, chains twitching as she thought. Anyone could see the tenseness in her glowing eyes as she scoped in on Layla.

Was she really safe here?

Layla, immediately feeling the intensity of Alizée's emotions, had to bite down on whatever she was saying, breathe, and give Alizée's hand a squeeze.

“They've been good to us. Trust Leon.”

“They use medicine that induces sleep and who knows what else as punishment.”

“We have to behave well so they'll give back Void.”

“I… I have doubts on that.”

A moment of silence, Layla's eyes staring fixedly on the ground. Before she cleared her throat, and addressed the girls around her with a mixture of empathy and passion.

“I think you're all very brave to be doing what you're doing. I guess I never realized there would be such favoritism at play.”

Layla pursed her lips, before she thumped her chest with a closed fist. “If there's anything I can do to help your movement, and make more moments like that happen, tell me. I have a lot to live up to, after all.”

Layla was shyly looking up at Alizée as she trailed off. Her predecessor. Alizée glanced down, a bit surprised, but her expression softened out.

“Hey, I don't remember squat. You're your own person, Layla.”

Before Alizée looked over at the girls surrounding them. “Put your faith in Leon, he knows what he's doing. We'll pick up the slack if there's any.”

”Oh, we have Faith, Sisters… But, we do need to keep reminding the ignorant until the habits finally change.”
But as Irina said this, it appeared their time was up. The half-hour between the start of the gossip and the end was enough that now a new commotion filled the front of the hall.

”Leon Richoux… Private place. NOW.”

The entire table of girls practically stood up to crane their necks… So they could see. Ed, and the newcomer whom Layla would vaguely remember from a time long past: Trisha Vanburen, ex-Sycamite. In a flash, they had Leon in a side room with the door slammed. Tanya quickly broke from the table, her physical form evaporating in an instant. She was gone with the wind, presumably to eavesdrop as best she could.

”Holy fuck, was she awake!? Like, Ed Lamb? Up?” Mazie’s eyes were wide with shock.
”Then the stranger didn’t stick her… She just came here? She knows how to drive a stick, I mean, that’s kinda cool.” Vanessa’s head slowly nodded, giggling.
”Is- Oh, yeah! Walt! Walt and Felicia… They were probably waiting for a nightmare…” Irina gossipped, pointing subtly for Layla and Alizée to follow her fingers.

Two of the goth people from the parking lot, the ones hanging out by the crazy cars… A fairly soft looking young man in subtle makeup, and a punked up woman covered in chains and zippers. The two of them made eye contact with the group and sneered slightly, as if to ward them off.
Irina’s voice reacted thoughtlessly, yelping gently as she realized she was being counter-spied, and spinning her head as if she’d never been looking in the first place.

”Oh my God, Felicia Newark just fucking locked eyes with me…”
”She’s pretty cute…” Wendy looked a little dream-lost.
”She’s gonna think we told Leon to do it!” Irina snapped, whispering across the table.
”Nothing. Fucking. Happened. We’ve determined this, Reen…” Nora growled.

Tanya reappeared in a cloud of black fog, a wide smirk on her face as she slipped right back into her seat.
”Oh my God they’re ripping his asshole out.” she reported to the table.
At once, the seven of them all threw up their half-clenched fists into the symbol of devil horns, clashing their hands together to meet one another in a clear group cheer.

Irina was once more peppy with the news, immediately turning to Layla.
”Celebrate with the girls? The horns are up Sis!”
She threw the devil horns up for Layla to meet with her own.

Layla blinked for a moment, before she smirked, and her fingers slid into place, matching Irina's with a slight bump. “Here's to more where that came from!”

Alizée, however, hadn't let slip the sneer she spotted from the girl, Felicia, and the young man. Her red eyes slitted, and light glinted off the teeth of her mask. She floated in place, turning slightly to face them, placed a gnarled hand to her mask, and…

Pulled it up halfway, exposing an unnatural black abyss where a face should have been. A hint of the Void, enough to shake the senses and drive fear deep into maddening depths.

And she glared. Hard.

Before the mask slipped back on, and Alizée turned back to the group like nothing happened. Though it wasn't hard to mistake the smugness dripping off her.

If the glare had some kind of effect on the woman, she didn’t stick around long enough to let Alizée see it. The door which Leon had been brought behind opened back up soon enough, and by that time, Tamara and the same group of “Elders” had slowly made a gathering about the area. The girls about the table quietly settled into a still observation, waiting to see what came next. Though, Mazie did tap up at Alizée and throw up her horns as a show of admiration.

It was showtime…

---

---

There was a lot to do when it came to starting a new coven, and very little time to do it. At least, Luca wanted to get everything sorted as quickly as possible. For the safety of the 8th Street Members, and his own peace of mind…

Of course, after they’d formed there would be loads more to do. Alliances, inviting some of Sycamore, informing the rest of Sycamore, making sure certain friends of his didn’t get too upset… But that was a worry for then. For now, Luca had organised to meet up with Miranda and Jacqueline - along with any 8th Street Members they thought should come along. He’d left that to their discretion. He’d also invited Adora, because they were doing this together.

Hopefully they could find a new lair today… and maybe even form the coven itself.

He’d chosen a rundown cafe out of the centre of town to meet - with its outdoor seating and general quietness, it was perfect for him without having to meet in a park again. The tables were plastic and uncomfortable, but it saved them from the constant rotting. Even with all his layers it was always affecting everything around him. Another thing to think about if he chose to move in with everyone in this coven… but again, not for today. For now, he just waited.

It wasn’t a long wait, before Jacqueline, Miranda, and Greta walked up… Jacqueline was wearing green cargo pants and a white t-shirt, while Miranda was wearing a green dress, while Greta was wearing a somewhat ill-fitting grey hoodie and sweatpant combo that rode up and down if she moved her body in a certain way.

“Hi, Luca!” Miranda said as she had a seat. “I’m glad you’re doing well.”

“Yeah, how are you?” Jacqueline said, sitting next to Miranda, but Greta didn’t sit.

“Where is Appie?” Greta asked, sliding her hands into her pockets.

”Hey Miranda, Jacqueline, Greta,” Luca nodded to each in turn with a bright smile. ”I’m alright! And Adora’s on her way, she just had… some other stuff to do first. She didn’t specify.”

“Well, we gave her a time,” Greta shrugged as she sat down. “The floor is yours…”

Greta glanced at Miranda, who sighed.

“So, to get to the chase, while Vashti and Emily were out, we talked to everyone…” Miranda awkwardly said, her voice cracking at the end.

“Alright, the good news is that Brianna, Lee, Phoebe, Maya, Amy, Violet, and Pink have agreed to leave Emily and come with us.” Jacqueline cut right to the chase, and as she spoke, she gestured all the way. “Bad news… everyone else said no.”

Miranda sighed, “Aaron and Nadine want to keep getting paid… and since we’re no longer going to terrorize the city, I don’t know how we’ll keep the money flowing.” Miranda laughed at the end.

“I suggested selling my potions, but…” Greta butted in. “... We all know that’s just going to stroke the fires of this city.”

“And that’s too much work to keep two scumbags, so we’re minus a heavy hitter and our intelligence guy,” Jacqueline sighed. “Honestly, we haven’t tried talking to Carol or Cynthia about this yet… They’re going to be a tough sell.”

“I don’t want to leave Cynthia to get killed,” Miranda said.

“Well,“ Greta began. “If you let Cynthia eat all the children she wants...” Then she shrugged.

“No, Greta!”

“Jesus Christ, Greta!” Jacqueline said in shock. “There’s going to be an amber alert every other night!”

“... You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.”

Luca’s lips pulled into a thin line as he thought about it. It was a good list overall… But it still left them in a precarious position. If Cynthia stayed too that meant Emily still had most of the heavy hitters - Nadine, George, Cynthia… Though Luca was glad George wasn’t coming. He wouldn’t be able to accept that.

”For Carol… I can try talking to her. Britney victim to Britney victim, y’know?” Luca laughed awkwardly. ”I might be able to convince her, but it’ll be hard, since she really wants to kill Britney as much as she wants cured…”

“... You might not be able to,” Greta voiced out that reality.

As for Cynthia… ”I might have a solution that solves the one less heavy hitter problem, and Cynthia. Maybe… Miranda, Jacqueline, you remember the kid who gatecrashed us last time? Clancy? He’s not a kid at all, he’s older than us… and he’s strong. I doubt he’d actually join but he’d definitely help. Like Cynthia, he needs to eat… people. But he targets bad people. Maybe Cynthia could tag along with him? Then she gets fresh food, rather than just eating parts of you, Miranda. And you don’t have to deal with that anymore…”

Greta raised an eyebrow as Miranda awkwardly laughed.

“Oh…” Miranda looked off to the side. “... That kid,”

“I mean, he did seem serial-killer-y,” Jacqueline laughed, except genuine.

“Well, she’ll have a buffet of bastards to chow down on, then we can easily sway her,” Greta said with a roll of her eyes. “That is what she wants, right? To eat people. She doesn’t care about the ‘Pack’ or whatever. Just to eat as many people as her heart desires.”

Greta sinisterly laughed.

“... That’s why she was having such a ball when we were fighting the Nazi Cosplayers.”

“I don’t know…” Miranda shrugged. “From what I saw about the kid, I got some nasty vibes from him; what’s stopping him from hurting Cynthia? Or any of us?.”

”Because he’ll leave as soon as there’s a risk of him hurting us,” Luca replied honestly. ”I understand being worried about it… but he’s as likely to hurt you as I am. It’s a similar situation. If the Rot takes over, I could kill you all.”

Luca rubbed the back of his neck. ”Plus, he’s been staying at my place since Monday, and he’s yet to hurt any of us. I’m not really appealing in that way, but Jasper, Lynn and Lila are staying over too - they’re not literally rotting. He hasn’t made a move on any of them.”

“... Just because he doesn’t hurt you all doesn’t mean he won’t hurt us,” Greta said to Luca, not even turning in his direction. “You said some people in Sycamore want us all dead, yes?”

”He won’t, trust me,” Luca shook his head. He understood the scepticism… And that Greta probably assumed it was just his positivity coming through. But at the end of the day, Luca was actually a realist. An optimistic one, but a realist all the same. ”As for Sycamore… yeah. But most want Emily and Vashti, and can separate them from you all. Some… can’t. One mainly.”

Luca looked directly at Greta, even though she didn’t look at him. ”Ken. He wants you all dead, and is in denial about me ever being a part of 8th. When everything’s sorted, I want to talk to him about it. He might budge. But if he doesn’t… if anyone else from Sycamore wants you all dead? They’ll have to get through me first.” There was steely determination in his dark eyes. Ken was his friend, but if he wasn’t going to hurt so many people Luca deeply cared for.

“Well, killing all of us won’t change anything,” Greta shrugged. “Then again, he always seemed like the dumb one.”

“That’s sweet, Luca, but…” Miranda sighed. “... We can’t ask you to do all of that for us.”

The three went silent.

“While we tried our best to keep Emily and Vashti in line, we did help them terrorize the city for years. We’re just as complacent in that as Emily.”

“I would like not to die, though,” Greta snorted, steepling her fingers.

Luca smiled at Miranda. ”I’d be doing it because I want to. You don’t deserve to die and there’s plenty in Sycamore who did just as bad. I want to protect you all.”

And what did he have to lose, apart from the people he loved? His own life was worthless. Every day was a bonus. It was so easy to sacrifice yourself when your death was so close anyway… ”Hopefully it won’t come to that! After we sort everything out, get a lair and move everyone, I plan to talk to the other people who I think will support it. I think they’ll join too… Then, I’ll talk to the problems. Then, the whole coven.”

Before Jacqueline, Miranda, or Greta could respond, Adora walked up… Wearing a red hooded tracksuit with a black facemask and sneakers. She kept her hands in her pockets.

”Sorry I’m late, got caught up in traffic,” Adora laughed, ”You know how it is.”

“Ah, Appie, we’ve been expecting you,” Greta said, before she pulled a cheap plastic chair out for Adora. ”Here, have a seat, we have much to discuss.”

Adora sat down next to Greta and red flashed over her face before she turned away.

”Guess we do,” Adora shrugged, before she turned to Jacqueline and Miranda. ”You two are… Emily’s sisters?”

“Yes, I’m Miranda, she’s Jacqueline,” Miranda chipperly answered, before she extended a hand. “It's great to meet you!”

Adora shook it, forcing the biggest smile she could.

”Adora Phoenix-Prescott,” Adora introduced herself. ”I’m glad to meet you.”

There was an awkward pause.

”... Where were we?”

“Oh, nothing,“ Greta gave Adora a catty smile, “Just not getting wiped out by Sycamore. Nothing important.”

”Look, that’s going to be easy,” Adora said, and everyone looked at her, ”Sycamore can’t focus on shit unless it's literally right in front of ‘im. So all you have to do is just keep your heads down and let them forget about ya’ll. Easy.”

Adora finished her speech with a shrug.

”If they were really serious about it, they would have done it by now.”

”Adora’s right,” Luca said with a light laugh. ”Sycamore’s a mess. Their focus has already shifted from 8th to the people who currently have Kari's notes. So if we just… exist, they'll ignore us.”

He then gestured to himself and Adora. ”We’ll still be going to Sycamore meetings anyway. I’m still going to help find Father Wolf… so hopefully they won't see it as a betrayal or anything.”

”I mean,” Adora said with a shrug. ”They don’t have to know, right? We ain’t gon’ screech it from the heavens.”

“We will try and help you as best we can,” Jacqueline nodded. “But, if we’re keeping our heads down, there’s not much I can do.”

“I can give you some of my potions,” Greta shrugged. “Though, we really should be saving them.”

”No need,” Adora said. ”Sycamore can handle Sycamore problems, right Luca?”

”Right,” Luca nodded. ”You guys don’t worry about it! Me and Adora can handle it.”

Along with Jasper, Lila and Lynn if they agreed to join when Luca talked to them… because he trusted them. ”So we have a plan for Sycamore, a sort of plan for Cynthia and Carol… What's next? Looking for a new lair? Miranda said yesterday you’d already looked at property a bit, right, Jacqueline?”

”At some point, we should decide on what our goal should be,” Adora softly added with a nod of her head. ”But, that’s just my thoughts.”

“I checked out a few spots in the outskirts of town,” Jacqueline nodded her head. “They’re nothing fancy, but should be able to accommodate everyone and their needs… the issue we’ve been having is paying for it.” She rested her face in her hands.

“We could swipe some money from Emily before we go…” Miranda suggested before she sighed. “... But given how she got that money, it wouldn’t be right.”

“You could use the book to sell secrets to Isaac Kane,” Greta said with a shrug.

“Oh? That shady bastard?” Jacqueline said.

”Heh,” Adora couldn’t help but morbidly laugh. ”That’s the price of doing good, right?”
Everyone looked at her.

”It’s all about doing things the hard way.”

”What’re you suggesting, Adora?” Luca looked over at her, tilting his head. ”I’ve got a good amount of money just lying around, since I don't really… buy things and my rents dirt cheap- but I don't think it'll be enough. We'll still need a bit more… the hard way. Do you just mean, like, working?”

”What I mean by ‘doing things the hard way’ isn’t a shortcut like a shady deal or robbing some motherfucker,” Adora leaned back in her chair, and rolled her eyes. ”From what I heard, 8th St has been running buckwild for years now. Stealing artifacts, terrorizing the city, selling shit to sex pests?”

Adora paused as Jacqueline and Miranda looked uncomfortable.

”That’s just doing things the easy way. The hard way - the right way - is bettering yourself, stopping relying on stealing, and terrorizing poor innocent people. That’s what I’m talking about. Changing for good. ”

”Adora’s right,” Luca nodded, looking at Jacqueline and Miranda with a smile. ”I know you can all do it- we’ll do it. You’re all good at heart, really. This is the fresh start. We’ll do things right as a coven. Help people, maybe.”

He then rubbed the back of his neck. ”That doesn’t really help with the money problem, though. Maybe I can take out some loans… wouldn’t need much with what I already have. Then, if I live long enough for it to matter, you guys can slowly pay some of it back as your share of the house.”

“I mean… I don’t think we can ask you to do all that for us,” Jacqueline said.

“Yeah, we can figure something out,” Miranda nodded.

But, Adora just rolled her eyes.

”Look, sweetheart, I know we just met like two minutes ago,” Adora began, crossing her arms. ”But, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. If we keep up like this, we’re going to be sitting here all day - and my ass is getting sore from this chair - sooooo...”

“So…?” Miranda said as she tilted her head, then Jacqueline tilted her head. Adora uncrossed her arms and put her fist to her chin.

”... Just make up your minds already. Shit.” She rolled her eyes.

”Again, Adora’s right. And I’m really fine with that. I’m going to be part of the coven too, remember? You’re second in command. And if you really want you can pay it all back eventually.” Not that Luca expected to live that long. ”If you don’t have a better suggestion, just accept it.”

“I just don’t want to run us into debt,” Miranda awkwardly laugh. “And I don’t want to run Luca into debt.”

”And I understand that,” Adora shrugged. ”But, again, you have to make these sacrifices now that you’re no longer making easy money.” She finished that statement with a roll of her eyes.

”... And right now the only thing you’re sacrificing is our time,”

“Fine,” Miranda said, turning to Luca, “Let’s do it. We’ll pay you back, I promise.”

“... And stop acting like you’re definitely going to die, dork,” Greta then rolled her eyes. “My schedule has cleared up, so now I have more time to work on something to help you but the magnum opus I told you about has to take priority.”

”You know you never told us the fuck it was,” Adora raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t worry about it,”

”I trust you, Greta, so prioritise what you have to,” Luca nodded. Greta was right that he had to stop acting like he was definitely going to die - even though he’d accepted it, that didn’t mean he should just sit around and let it happen. ”And with you and Adora on the case, I’m sure I’ll be fixed in no time!”

He then turned back to Miranda and Jacqueline. ”Alright, so now that we’ve agreed, what were the houses you found?”

Jacqueline cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention. “I found a place that might work. It’s not fancy, but it's cheap.”

”Define cheap.” Adora raised an eyebrow.

Jacqueline shrugged, “Well, it’s on the edge of town. Kind of... abandoned. But it’s not falling apart - just needs some love.” She twirled a strand of hair around her fingers. “It’s an old Victorian-style house. It's pretty big, too, so we’d have space for all of us. And it’s got a basement that could be perfect for, you know... Coven-stuff.”

”... Please tell me you’re not planning on sacrificing goats to Satan or something,” Adora rolled her eyes up into her head.

“Oh, no, not at all,” Jacqueline said.

“Well, I claim the basement so you’ll have to do Coven stuff outside,” Greta pushed her glasses up her nose. “I need the space for my lab.”

”Why is it so cheap? That’s a red flag.” Adora nodded her head.

“Well... there are rumors. People say it’s haunted, cursed, or whatever,” Jacqueline shrugged again. “That’s probably why it’s been empty for so long. But nothing we can’t handle, right? I mean, we deal with way worse regularly.”

”Oh yeah, some of us have ghosts in our heads,” Luca half laughed. ”It’s probably an apparition, right? We can seal it and be done with it… and the rumours help too. It'll keep other people away from us.”

He nodded. They had enough strong abstractions in the group - even if some of the group coming with them was a bit… dysfunctional. ”It sounds perfect for what we want, and I bet the owners will want rid of it so we can get it quickly. Then the next problem is… moving everyone over without a confrontation with Emily and Vashti.”

“I mean…” Jacqueline said, “With Brianna at our disposal, we can open a portal overnight or while those two are out and then just dip.”

“The issue will be moving my lab,” Greta said, “I’m not going anywhere without my materials.” She narrowed her eyes.

”Right… how hard will that be? Is it just a case of needing more hands for manual labour, or… the materials are dangerous?” Luca asked. He couldn't exactly help either way… he'd need to stay away from the materials, really.

“Well, ’my materials’ in this context is all of the potions I created and everything I use to make them,” Greta began, and as she leaned forward, she steepled her fingers. ”So, they are hazardous in regards to the explosive potions, the acidic potions, the smoke-creating potions, and… the Magnum Opus.”

”The fuck are you cooking?” Adora asked, tilting her head.

“Don’t worry about it,” Greta said, “The Magnum Opus is the most dangerous, but long as we are careful while-”

Greta was cut off by an explosion in the distance, a mushroom cloud of green smoke, and a flash of light. Everyone turned their head towards it and could see two people getting launched into the upper stratosphere. Greta just sighed.

“... the Magnum Opus no longer needs to be transported,” Greta shrugged. “Maybe as those two plummet to their deaths, they will learn to follow instructions in the next life.” She nonchalantly rolled her eyes.

”We don’t have to move everything in one sitting, you know,” Adora shrugged. ”Just move shit piece by piece to the new lair, I can help.”

”... you’re talking about Maya and Phoebe, aren’t you?” Luca said quietly, still looking at the mushroom cloud. They’d… probably be fine, knowing them. ”Adora’s right, we can do it bit by bit - can it go through Brianna’s portal? It wouldn’t take long, then, if everyone helps… except me, I shouldn’t touch any of it- I can maybe get more help too? I wanted to… talk to Jasper, Lynn and Lila about this sometime. I think they’ll come with me, and both Jasper and Lila would bring some extra muscle.”

“It went through Brianna’s portal just fine every other time,” Greta noted with a shrug.

”I can also see if Stormy can help,” Adora shrugged. ”He seems cool and can help if things go south.”

”If Stormy comes along I can help too,” Luca flexed his arms - though even with his baggy clothes it was obvious there was no muscle there. ”Assuming you three are alright with that? I- we- trust those four, but I wouldn’t be sharing it with or inviting along anyone else.”

“... Long as none of them swipes any of my potions,” Greta snorted.

“Look, beggars can’t be choosers,” Jacqueline shrugged. “If they’re willing to give us another chance to make things right, then I don’t see why not.”

”They definitely won’t swipe them, Greta,” Luca laughed. ”If you’re sure, I can talk to those three tonight! Adora can handle Stormy…”

He smiled. That was another weight off his shoulders if he could actually talk to them about it. He didn’t like keeping secrets, especially not from his closest friends. ”So, moving’s sorted… sort of. Honestly, this is all working out faster than I expected, so long as we can get that house easily. Next… we need a name.”

”The Baddies,” Adora suggested.

“Labrat Coven,” Greta suggested.

“... What’s the name of this place?” Miranda asked, looking up at the sign.

“The Coffee House Coven,”

”I should’ve picked a better location,” Luca laughed. ”The Coffee Labrat Baddies? No, that’s awful… uhh… What about something like the Lotus Flower Coven, or just Lotus Coven? It’s a flower that represents new beginnings in a way.”

”... Subtitle: The Baddies.” Adora added.

“I like Lotus Flower Coven,” Miranda smiled at Luca. “Is everyone in agreement?”

“Aye,” Jacqueline said.

”Sure,” Adora shrugged,
“That means we have to form our pact on a lotus flower then,” Greta noted.

”... I’m sure it’s easy to buy some. We even know a flower shop owner,” Luca looked over at Adora with a smile. ”Will the pact still be valid if we destroy the flower in the process?”

”I feel like that’s a bad omen, bruh,” Adora flatly said.

“Eh, I doubt it’ll make much difference,” Greta said.

”It’s not like I can control it!” Luca held up his hands. ”But… this is good. I like it. Lotus Flower Coven, a new beginning. It’s exciting.”

He looked at them all with a bright smile, then specifically at Jacqueline. ”... So, do you think we can get that house sorted today?”

”Usually buying houses takes time,” Adora said with a shrug. ”Like months.”

“If the house has been on the market for so long, I think all we have to do is wave some money in their face and get rid of it,” Greta shrugged.

”That ain’t how it works,” Adora said.

“I mean, if we get a mortgage, then yeah,” Jacqueline said, “But, I think if we can give them the cash up front, then they can just sign it over. If not, maybe we can just slide them some extra dough so they’ll let us move in early.”

”That’d be ideal, we don't have months. I can probably get together that cash today, tomorrow… Quickly, at least. The longer we wait the more likely Emily and Vashti will catch on,” Luca said. ”Not sure where we'll get extra from if that's needed, though! Guess I can just take out a bigger loan…”

”I don’t be spending money like that, so I can help out,” Adora said with a shrug. ”But, my job doesn’t pay like that.”

“Worst comes to worst,” Greta pushed her glasses up her nose. Then, in a completely monotone voice, she said, “We can all just sell ourselves to pay for it.”

Jacqueline, Miranda, and Adora looked at Greta in horror.

Who just shrugged.

“... It’s an option.”

”Nobody is selling ass,” Adora shook her head.
”... Sell myself as a hitman, maybe,” Luca laughed awkwardly. ”It won’t come to that. I’m sure we can scrape together enough for the house, especially with my savings… and a bit of a loan. Don’t want to start of the fresh start like that…”

He smiled. ”But everyone helping sounds like a plan- not in that way. Aside from money is there… Anything else we need to talk about?”

”Like, what are we going to be doing as a Coven?” Adora asked.

“Well… I think we should help St. Portwell,” Miranda said, “It’s the best we can do after everything we did under Emily’s rule.”

“What 8th St should have been,” Greta said.

”I agree,” Luca nodded, smiling. ”The city's… a mess, magically. We should help with that. Make alliances, make amends where we can. And also learn and grow together. That’s what I first joined 8th Street for. Companionship, learning and helping others.”

”I’m sure we can pull it off,” Adora said with a shrug. ”We just have to play our cards right, keep our heads down, just look at everything Sycamore is doing, and then do the opposite!” Adora laughed at her joke.

“But, I wanted to talk with you about something later, Appie. You too, dork,” Greta began. “It’s… important..”

”Oooooh boy,” Adora rolled her eyes. ”Just send my anxiety through the fuckin’ roof, will ya?”

”Yeah, is it not something we can talk about now? Or like… in a short while?” Luca rubbed the back of his neck, also feeling just a little bit nervous about that. Especially if it was important.

Greta sighed, looking off to the side as she began playing with her fingers. There was an awkward silence as she just sighed.

“I don’t know how to say this…” Greta trailed off.

Adora narrowed her eyes.

“... But, Lisa is alive.”

Luca’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open slightly. Lisa… alive? That didn’t make any sense. He didn’t want to tell Greta that he didn’t believe her, but he just couldn’t entirely believe it. ”How? And how do you know…”

“The Hound revived them,” Greta began, pushing her glasses up her nose. “They, being Lisa, Ella and Saskia… He told them to defeat Morningstar for him - in which they were successful.”

Greta then looked at Luca, “And how do I know? They contacted me. We had a cute little video call where they told me everything. The second they opened their mouths, I knew it was them.”

Luca frowned. Saskia and Ella too? He wanted to believe it, he really did. But it was hard to… why would they come back? Why now? Was that even possible? But why would Greta lie about it? He was confused. ”I… do you have more proof, Greta? It's just hard to believe, even if it's coming from you…”

“Would I lie to you about this?” Greta asked, “What would I gain from that?”

”Nothing, I know you wouldn't,” Luca shook his head. ”But it's just really hard to believe, you know? I'll need some time to process it…”

Adora was completely silent… though she was scraping her nails on this shitty table as she bore teeth. Then she damn near-hissed, ”... You sure a lil’ bit of Emily ain’t rub off on you, Gretchen?” Adora began, ”Because this ain’t cute. This ain’t funny.”

Luca didn't say anything at first, looking over at Adora with concern. He wanted to comfort her somehow, but knew he couldn't. ”Adora…”

He then looked at Greta, speaking quietly as he tried to think of some solution. A way to prove it to them both so that Adora didn't spiral more, and there wasn't a rift between her and Greta. ”Can we… call them too?”

Greta sighed.

“You can’t.”

”Why not?” Luca asked.

“... Because they’re in The Pit.”

“I mean,” Miranda awkwardly tapped her fingers together as she looked at Adora - who didn’t look too good. She smiled to defuse things, “Maybe we can ask the book.”

“... Maybe we should call it a day,” Jacqueline glanced at Adora.

”That’s probably for the best,” Luca agreed, smiling at Miranda and Jacqueline, though his expression was still mostly concerned. ”Why don't you contact the person who's selling that house? I'll get as much money together as I can… then we can reconvene to look at it and hopefully buy it?”

“Yes, sounds like a plan,”

Adora didn’t say a word; she simply just pushed herself to her feet… she stared at Greta for a few moments, before turning on her heel and walking away.

Greta sighed, shaking her head, “... I don’t think she took well to that.”

”Of course she didn’t.” Luca watched Adora go, feeling conflicted. Should he go after her? Would she even want him to go after her? ”Why did you tell her? From what I know of the Pit it’s… a deadly place. Will Lisa, if she’s really alive, come back from it?”

“I’m not sure,” Greta shook her head. “I thought she should know… I have been holding onto it for quite some time now.”

”I understand…” Luca trailed off. It was a difficult one. Tell her, and hurt her like this… but don’t tell her, and possibly hurt her more. ”I don’t think you made the wrong decision, assuming it’s true, just… give her time. You know how bad it was for her more than any of us.”

Luca clasped his hands together in front of him. ”How did the three of them seem when you talked to them?”

“The same as ten years ago,” Greta shrugged. “Literally the same. I actually think the Hound took some extra braincells from them.”

”Being brought back to life can’t be simple, I wouldn’t be surprised if they came back with less,” Luca shrugged, laughing awkwardly.

Greta sighed, resting her face in her hands.

“... I ruined things with her, didn’t I?” Greta sighed again, “God, I’m such a fuckup!”

”Hey, that's not true, Greta,” Luca said immediately. His hand started to move forward towards her then he stopped, dropping it into his lap. That would just hurt more… ”There was no right answer. If you'd waited until Lisa came back… if she came back… Adora would be upset too. I'll try talk to her tomorrow if she's feeling up to it. But they're not ruined. She just needs time.”

Greta sighed, “Fine, but… fine.” She shook her head. “Can I just share a lil’ secret of mine? Something between us.”

“I mean, we’re here!” Jacqueline snorted.
“I know you two dorks can keep a secret.”

”Hey, you know how well I can keep secrets,” Luca said with a reassuring smile.

Greta sighed.

She held her breath for a moment.

“... I always had a crush on Adora.”

”Oh.” Luca’s eyes widened slightly. ”Always? Like… for ten years? I couldn’t tell. You’ve kept this to yourself the whole time?”

“Yes, it’s not something I’d blurt out,” Greta shook her head. “Not that I had a lot of chances to act on it because she left the Old Coven.”

Luca smiled, getting over his shock… mostly because he hadn’t been able to tell. Then again, what did he know? He had no experience with stuff like this. It wasn’t like he could ever be with anyone… his own crush wasn’t going to go anywhere.

”No wonder you feel so bad about it- but it’ll be fine, Greta, really. You were just doing what you thought was best. And I think… Maybe you still have a chance? And if things don’t work out, we’ll be here for you. You’re looking at Mr Eternally Single over here!”

“I guess - maybe,” Greta said, rubbing her temples. “At least I don’t think I can make it any worse, right?”

She smiled half-heartedly at Luca before slowly pushing herself to her feet.

“I’m going for a walk or something to clear my head. If Adora comes back, tell her I’m sorry.”

”Sure, I will,” Luca raised a hand, smiling as comfortingly as he could at Greta before she left. Then he turned to Miranda and Jacqueline. ”Guess it’s just us left, huh? Was there anything you wanted to… speak about with just the three of us?”

Jacqueline shrugged.

“Nothing here,”

“Let’s just keep our heads down and play the part,” Miranda said. “Emily is too busy dealing with the aftermath of Saturday.”

---

---

Late in the afternoon, as the sun was making its way towards the horizon and the temperatures dropping, Luca was once again waiting to meet someone. He’d chosen a nice location - a cafe with a larger outdoor seating area, barely populated at this time of year. It was a nice place with a good selection of food, with Luca having arrived early enough to already have a sandwich in front of him he was slowly getting through. The table he sat at was out of the way enough to have a conversation about magic without worrying about eavesdropping, while being obvious enough that he could be found. It was also central enough to be easily accessible by bus… He’d done everything he could to make this easy and comfortable.

It was just unfortunate it had to be outside. The cold weather wasn’t good for him, and he doubted it would be good for Layla either. But the alternative of him getting too close to Blinds was worse. So he’d bundled up, plenty of layers offering extra protection against his rotting touch anyway - black, ragged clothing and slowly decaying gloves that his fingertips peaked through.

Luca had reached out to Layla, getting her number from Auri the day of the meeting, mostly to check up on her. She’d left so quickly on Monday… and he just wasn’t comfortable with it. While once he would’ve said he trusted Leon without questioning, with how he’d been speaking then he found that trust faltering. He had to make sure that Layla was fine - that the adjoining had been consensual, and that… she wasn’t being dragged too far into something she shouldn’t be.

Alizeè too, though he was less concerned when it came to the Apparition. The two of them… he should be able to relax if they were happy together. Hopefully. But he had to see it himself. It was in his nature, constant concern and care for others - especially those in similar positions to him.

The ride out from the Temple grounds into the city was rich with inner turmoil. A lot of mental back-and-forth.

“And you just let them take the Riils? Do you know how much danger you were in?!”

Layla was riding on her little motorcycle along the freeway, Alizée safely tucked away deep within the recesses of Layla's body.

“Yes, mom, I know. I wasn't suppose to tell anyone, you can't say a word of it to Luca.”

“Someone besides me should know.” Came Alizée's bitter response.

“You saw the memory. If I tell anyone, they'll kill me. I literally cannot afford to speak a word of it to anyone. Even you knowing might be too much.”

“They'll never know.”

“They're monsters. They knew about intimate details like I was getting the Riil siblings sealed. If they knew that, what else could they know?”

At that, Alizée was quiet for a moment. Before she spoke up again in her mind.

“So, what are your thoughts on the Temple? And no, I'm not putting this under the rug; we aren't finished talking about Dollhouse.”

Layla rolled her eyes, coming to a stop at a red light.“Right, right. Uhm, well they seem to care. Especially about you. But they do seem a bit… suffocating?”

“From what I have pieced together, in my previous life I was quite content with them. However… they have Void… and they haven't let us see him yet, nor have they freed him. The pleasantries might be a distraction… What if they never give him up?”

Layla felt a twist in her stomach, seeing the cafe rolling up. “We can talk more about this later. Remember Luca stuck their neck out for us; let's enjoy our time together.”

“I remember Luca trying to exert his voidling's strength over me…” Alizée grumbled.

“To be fair, you caused quite the scene. With everyone on edge due to Father Wolf, it was… a reasonable response. You should really be more concerned with how Sloane tried to curse you.”

A pause. “...Right, right.”

Layla slid into some street parking in front of the cafe, giving Luca a wave. She slipped off her helmet and turned off the engine, pocketing the keys in her backpack. Dressed in a leather jacket and wool leggings under her black dress, Layla was well-dressed to spend some time outside.

She slid into the seat one down from Luca, giving respect to his aura.

“Hi Luca, hope I didn't make you wait…”

Pulling her bag in front of her, Layla withdrew a long black cloak. She then handed it to the air beside her, where wisps began to coalesce, bringing into form Alizée. Alizée was quick to wrap the cloak around her as she sank into her seat, positioned a little closer to Luca.

Apparently someone had talked to her about blending in more. Now she would hopefully come off as an eccentric cosplayer. Even the chains she had forced to lie on their belly.

Alizée eyed Luca carefully, before giving him a nod. “I'm… grateful for what you did the other day. Your name is Luca, right?”

”Hey, hey, no, I didn't wait long at all!” Luca smiled brightly as they both appeared, glad that Layla had managed to sit outwith his aura. With Alizee between them too it was less of a risk… it couldn't hurt Apparitions, anyway, just his touch. ”Yup, I'm Luca. It's nice to properly meet you, Alizée. I'm sorry about how I reacted at first at the meeting… I just had to make sure no one would get hurt. I’m not sure how much Layla has filled you in, but nonconsensual Adjoining is a… sore spot.”

“Is non-consensual Adjoining a thing?”

“With Luca… Yes.”

There was a flicker in Alizée's eyes as she watched, smelling the Void wafting off of Luca. The Void that wasn't wanted. Same as it was at the house on the hill, but… now in a different context. More human.

Luca then looked over at Layla, eyes softening. Sure, they'd never been close, but Luca wasn't the kind to care about that. He just cared about people. Every coven member, bar a few. He'd spent the last ten years isolating himself from near everyone, anyone. Maybe now he felt he should use the time he had left to help people… ”We didn't leave things on a great note then, so I wanted to catch up… make sure you're okay. I take it you're both adjoined now? Are you… happy with it? Both of you.”

Layla saw Luca looking at her. Really looking. The last person to do that was Mr. Devola. It wasn't something she had entirely gotten over. But, Luca had a different feel than Mr. Devola. Softer.

Alizée glanced at Layla, a crinkle in her eyes. ”Are you? Remember, no take-backsies.”

Layla gave Alizée a light smack, giggling. Before she settled a bit, and nodded earnestly at Luca. ”I couldn't be happier. The chains get some getting used to, sure-” She lifted up her arm, revealing a bright cuff and a few links. “-But Alizée is actually a lot like her old self, I just don't think she realizes it. Still has her old temper. But without… you know, the Void Hearts's uh, overshadowing… She's got quite the mothering side. Made me breakfast this morning.”

Alizée's eyes slitted, levelling a flat stare at Luca. “She doesn't cook for herself. It's no wonder she's just skin and bone.”

A pause, before Alizée glanced at Layla, then back to Luca. “She's naive, but a sweet little thing. I was happy to get rid of her other voidlings.” She sniffed, eyes narrowing into slits. “Bunch of losers.”

Luca relaxed slightly as he looked between the two of them, smiling genuinely. They weren't faking it. In his experience, people didn't tend to when it came to adjoining anyway. If the Apparition wanted to leave, they could. If they didn't… the host had no choice, but most tried to get rid of them. Like Layla had with her last ghosts. Like he'd been trying to do for his own. ”I’m really glad. I think what you two have now is how it should be between Apparition and who they're adjoined to. You have to look after each other, right? Make sure you're both satisfied and happy… It's a balance. I think you'll both be fine. I'm really glad. Hopefully you'll start putting on some weight then, Layla? It's nice to have someone to cook for you.”

His smile, already soft, grew softer as he thought about his own, improved meals thanks to Jasper.

Layla nodded at that, smiling softly. ”It really is. I mean, I don't mean to be lazy. It's just… hard, ya know?”

Then, his expression turned a bit more solemn. ”I’m really sorry you had to suffer for so long without any help. I know we weren't close ten years ago… but I should have reached out. For both of you. I was too busy dealing with my own problems. Maybe I could've helped Alizée before… though there's no use dwelling on that. But I probably could have helped you, Layla. I'm really sorry I didn't.”

Of course he'd only been fifteen at the time, with an Apparition that meant he couldn't live a normal life. But she'd only been ten… and he could have helped. He understood what it was like to deal with something constantly draining you. ”At least your tormentors are gone, now.”

Layla shrugged, waving him off. ”It's my own fault. I didn't ask for help. A mistake I hope not to repeat.”

Alizée scoffed softly. ”Funny.”

Layla shot Alizée a mixed look, before glancing back to Luca. ”But enough about me, Luca. What's going on with you? I don't think we've had the chance to properly catch up. I only get to see you at those hectic meetings.”

Luca watched them both carefully, but didn’t say anything about the exchange, just smiling again. ”Not much, honestly! The same as I was ten years ago - still dealing with the Rot, and taking each day as it comes. Recently things have been quite good. Jasper, Lila and Lynn are all living with me right now, so my life’s a lot busier. Which is nice.”

He laughed slightly as he thought about the hectic meetings… ”The meetings really aren’t a great time for talking to people, are they? The first one wasn’t so bad for the first half… But I actually don’t mind it, all the attacks aside. It’s nice to be around everyone again. I think I’m in a unique position there. I can only be around other Paranormal. My aura can cause someone like you to feel pain, but it won’t actually hurt you. It can kill Blinds.”

He shrugged. He hadn’t meant to go into so much detail - while he was checking up on Layla, he wasn’t here to unburden his own problems on her. And he spoke about it lightly, anyway, as if it was something he’d completely accepted. Since it was. ”The coven isn’t particularly functional, but they’re all people I care about and like to be around. Even though it might not have seemed that way when I hurt Leon last time…”

“Water under the bridge.” Layla said quickly, waving her hands frantically. As far as she was concerned, Luca was absolved of attacking Leon. Luca had only been trying to look out for her, after all.

She gave a soft smile. “It sounds nice that you've found people you connect enough with that you'd all be okay moving in together. I'm sure that's fun.”

A pause, before a flash of guilt crossed her face. “I should have reached out sooner, Luca. You and I are so similar. Dealing with… well, bad ghosts.”

She smiled at Alizée, “I consider myself fortune, Alizée just… beat them all up and helped them get sealed. But it… it makes me feel bad.”

Her eyes glanced back to Luca.“I… I can only imagine what it's like to live with the Rot, Luca. I'm… really, really sorry.”

”It’s alright, I’m pretty used to it by now! Means I don’t have to worry about recycling things,” Luca played it off with a joke and a reassuring smile. He was very aware of how shit his situation was, but had accepted it a long time ago.

Another pause, before Layla's face grew dark. “It's not all roses and chocolates, though. I uh, learned something pretty disturbing today. About Leon's group?” Her voice squeaked right at the end, betraying tension.

Layla glanced at Alizée, who only nodded, before she gazed earnestly back at Luca. “Can I… tell you? You promise not to tell anyone?”

Luca’s smile faded, replaced with a light frown. There was still care in his dark eyes, but also concern. ”Of course you can tell me. I… can’t promise I won’t talk to Leon, depending on how bad it is, but I’ll make sure it won’t affect you. That I can promise, and I won’t tell anyone else.”

He knew about the Temple, vaguely. They were open about being a cult, but he hadn’t realised Leon was part of it- a big part of it- until recently. Even then, he’d assumed they were mostly harmless… a false assumption, it seemed. He smiled reassuringly at Layla. ”You can tell me anything.”

Layla made an anxious face as Luca mentioned Leon. “I… I don't want to hurt Leon's feelings. He's well meaning. You'll mention that if you do talk to him, right?”

”I will,” Luca said reassuringly.

A steadying breath, before Layla's eyes dropped to her hands, wringing themselves anxiously on the table.

“Anyone who misbehaves… No, Adjoined particularly, who misbehave… who aren't the favoured ones… They get drugged. Sedated. It's a… viable, logical and often-used solution for them. It only makes sense when you understand… they don't see Adjoined as people...”

Layla kept her eyes down, unable to make eye contact with Luca.

Luca couldn’t keep up his normal smile after what Layla said. They drugged Adjoined who didn’t behave? They didn’t even see them as people? It was a kind of hierarchy he knew existed among some Adepts. Blinds were inferior, as were those not born into magic… but this was beyond it. It went beyond discrimination to active harm.

And Leon had dragged Layla into a place that did this.

”Do you know what this sedation does?” Luca asked quietly, hands hidden under the table as the gloves he was wearing started to rot away. He tried his best to keep his emotions under control. ”They haven’t sedated you, have they, Layla?”

He was concerned. Incredibly concerned. They - the coven - had let this young, impressionable woman be dragged into a cult. He understood how it had happened. She’d been in pain for so long and they offered her an out. Ten years ago he would have accepted the same… Anything to get help. But he was older now. Maybe there was only five years between them, but it was enough for him to feel responsible.

Layla swallowed, nodding as she recounted. ”I know a little. They have different formulas. I've heard mention of Formula Four and Formula Two, so I imagine there's four variations… Someone was hit with one of the formulas and they ended up in the hospital for a… A month.”

Layla thought for a moment, before she shook her head. “They uh, haven't used the drugs on me. I was put to sleep magical-wise once, which I think is in its own category…”

”I’m glad they haven't don’t that… though that sounds just as bad. I’m sorry, Layla. That’s not alright at all. Us Adjoined have our unique problems, but we are people. We’re equal to all others in the magical world. That’s… You shouldn’t be there. It’s not safe. Do you… do you want me to help you leave?”

“It's…” Tears began to bead in Layla's eyes, and she softly shook her head.“They have Void, Luca. They promised they'd give him back to me if I did what they said. I can't leave. I've probably already said too much. I don't… I can't have them angry at me. What if they never give back Void…?”

Of course they had Void. Luca didn’t entirely understand Layla’s obsession with Void… now, he did, somewhat. If she was tormented by these other Apparitions, then Void got rid of them for a while of course she’d be attached. He was her saviour. It didn’t matter that he was also not a nice Apparition. ”Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I won’t put that at risk for you.”

As much as he wanted to say Layla should give up on Void for her own good, he couldn’t. He knew it would fall on deaf ears and he wanted her to trust him. Needed her to so he could help her. Hopefully, with time, she’d heal with Alizée and move on.

”I understand… I’m sorry, Layla, that they’re blackmailing you like that. I understand that you can’t leave… but will you at least let me help you as much as I can? Even if it’s just meeting up like this more often… And then if you do ever want out, I’ll make sure it happens. I promise.”

Layla hastily rubbed the tears from her eyes, nodding her head fervently. ”O-of course, Luca. I uh… appreciate it. I appreciate you going out of your way here. And I would like to meet up more often, yes.”

Alizée's head tilted. “He’s a kind one.”

“He is.”

Layla stared for a moment, before she blinked, flustered. ”I should probably order something, shouldn't I…”

Luca laughed, smiling again. Of course he was still worried. As soon as they were finished here, he was going to organise to meet up with Leon. But right now… he’d push it to the back of his mind. ”Probably. Order anything you want, on me- this place makes great soup. It’s perfect for a day like this.”

---

---

Luca didn’t get back to the apartment until later on in the evening - the sun already dipping below the horizon, and long past dinner time. He’d texted the three in advance to let them know, and also asked to talk to them all when he got back with an ETA.

He’d been pretty accurate. But he still paused outside the apartment door, taking a deep breath. This could… ruin his friendships. He hoped not, and he hoped his judgement of all three was correct, but there was still some worry there. Maybe they’d see it as a betrayal, especially after what 8th Street had done to Lila.

But he’d rather that than lie to them, or just leave.

So he unlocked the door, which had been shoddily repaired from yesterday, and walked into his home. An immediate warmth… just from the sounds of people being in there. Around.

”I’m home! Uh, did everyone get my text?” Luca asked as he stepped properly inside and into the main room.

A loud crash erupted from the guest room. The sound of Lila swearing, falling, scrambling across the floor before a loud thud was heard as the door jolted. Eventually the doorknob slowly turned as Lila slid out. She wore a cropped white shirt and bicycle shorts. She wanted to feel comfy and she was. Lynn was on the couch and had a blindfold over her face as she tried to rest through the withdrawals. She had the TV on and had a sad romcom playing for background noise. Jasper was in the kitchen making a second dinner for Lila..

“You’re home! Yessss, i got your text. I wanted to send you a text to ask you to grab food but Jasper said noooo,,” Lila tapped her claws on the wood of the door as her eyes slowly shifted from Luca to Jasper cooking. She licked her lips.

“Hi Luca,” Lynn said as she waved across the room from the couch. She did not move much more than that.

Jasper flipped more burgers and the sizzling filled the air. He was making smash burgers, and a lot of them. “Welcome back my saviour,” Jasper said as he winked at Luca.

Luca smiled, feeling himself relax. Sure, it wasn't perfect - Lynn was struggling, Lila was eating the entire apartment worth of food but… it was warm and filled with life in a way his apartment hadn't been for ages. ”I feel like I'm coming back home from a hard day's work to my husband and kids- haha.”

He played it off with an awkward laugh, moving further inside and taking a seat on a wobbly chair. He pulled off his hat, gloves and jacket and just dumped them beside him for now. The good smelled great… as he settled in his stomach grumbled. He turned his head towards Jasper. ”Is there enough for more than just Lila?”

“I’m making enough so of course you’ll get one,” Jasper said with a smile.

”You’re the best, thanks,” Luca grinned, before turning to the girls. ”I, uh, wanted to talk to you all about something. I already mentioned it vaguely to Jasper but… now I can share it with all of you. In full detail. Just, please promise to hear me out? It might seem like a betrayal but I promise it isnt.”

“Oh no. A betrayal? You’re,” Lila paused as she tapped her fingers on the wood of the door again, “i'll be honest I have zero idea what a betrayal from you looks like.”

“Oh is it this day already? Okay then,” Lynn sighed as she leaned up and took off the blindfold as she squinted towards Luca.

Luca couldn't help but laugh lightly at their reactions. Of course, Lynn had probably already seen this in the futures… why didn't he think of that? It made it feel a little easier.

”Well… I'm forming a new coven. I already told Jasper about this bit. I don't want to abandon Sycamore, but I don't think it's… really a coven at all. It's just people trying to save themselves, which is fine. But some of us, I think, need more than that.” He looked at Jasper, gaze lingering, before looking at Lila, then Lynn. ”That’s why I'm forming something new. I still plan to attend Sycamore meetings and help find Father Wolf, because I rejoined to help others in the first place.”

He took a deep breath, looking down as he continued. ”That’s not why I feel like it's a betrayal. I'm forming it with 8th Street Members- technically former, soon. Emily's sisters, Greta, and about half of 8th Street. They don't want to go along with what Emily and Vashti are doing anymore, and want to make amends for it. None of them are bad people. And I really care about them all. They were there for me- and Olivia- for years.”

Luca forced himself to look up, especially at Lila. ”I know Emily and Vashti have hurt you, and that the rest of the coven followed them. So if you're upset at me… I understand. But I was hoping all of you would give them a chance, and maybe come with me to the new coven.”

Lila’s eyes shot over to Luca at the revelation and the blue iris shrunk as her vision focused on him. Her breathing quickened as she began to tap the door rhythmically.

“The 8th Street part is a little difficult to wrap my mind around,” Lynn added as she stretched.

“It’s been almost a month since Emily said what she said,” Lila added as her head tilted backwards, eyes still locked on Luca, “I don’t know what to think right now. On one hand, I trust that you wouldn’t want to be around transphobic people and if you’re forming a coven with them they’re obviously not,” Lila paused at she tapped the door twice, a faint blue glow emanated from where the claw hit, “on the other it’s taken them nearly a month. Hell, all of this” Lila paused as she pointed to her body, “is because of 8th street. If Emily had kept her fucking mouth shut I wouldn’t be emo big bird,” Lila sighed as she shook her head.

“I will join this new coven because you’re right. But they will have to make some fucking amends somehow,” Lila added as her eyes once again drifted away from Luca and back to the cooking food.

“If Lila is in I’m in,” Lynn responded as she fell back down to the couch.

Luca nodded. He understood how Lila felt, and everything she said was valid. It made sense. They didn't know these people like he did. Nor did they know how 8th Street itself ran. ”They’re not transphobic. That's only Emily… but they also know they need to make amends, don't worry. Both me and Adora talked to them about it. Not just to you, but 8th Street bullied a lot of people. While 8th Street is a coven where you have to follow what Emily says, or risk getting killed by Vashti or eaten, it doesn't remove responsibility from them.”

Luca smiled at them both. ”We’re forming this new coven to help the city, and each other. It'll be slow but it's a step in the right direction… a new beginning for them all. For us too! You'll get on with them all, if you can look past some oddities and that they were in 8th Street for a while. I'm sure that the first thing Miranda and Jacqueline- Emily’s sisters- will do is apologise to you, Lila.”

“Good,” Lila said as she fully pulled herself out from the room as she began to stalk closer to the food.

“What are we going to do, as a coven, once we figure out Father Wolf,” Lynn paused as she held up a finger, “like are we going to just be a social group kinda coven, or a magical protect the realm focused one? We had a lot of the former back in Chicago and they get a bit dull after a while” Lynn laughed at the memory as she finished talking.

”The latter, but smaller - protect the city more. And help people like us,” he gestured to himself and Lila. ”People in difficult magical situations. It's why a lot of us joined 8th in the first place, as well as for the company. As much as there were some shit people in it, it was like a chosen, magical family in a lot of ways. And did those Covens in Chicago live together?”

Luca grinned as he said that. ”Right now they're all living at '8th Street' Manor, but Jacqueline's found a place we can afford _{just about} to move the new coven to. If there's space, which there should be, I'll go too - but only if you all want to come with me for that too. Otherwise we can stay here, it'll just be a fair commute to visit.”

“If Lila moves in,” Lynn coughed, and then had a coughing fit for a few seconds, “I’ll move in.”

“As long as Jasper is cooking there,” Lila paused as she moved body closer to the ground as she continued to stalk closer to Jasper.

”Jasper already agreed to move, I'm sure he'll keep cooking for us,” Luca looked over at him with a grin. ”Right, Jasper? There's a few other decent cooks in 8th too… if you can get past her general lack of clothing, Maya makes amazing Korean food.”

“Good,” Lila said as she readied herself to pounce. The sheer hunger compelled her to do so. She couldn’t take it anymore she needed to eat and she needed to eat now. The temple food had kept her full for so long but this, this was barely enough.

Jasper smashed buns to burgers and burgers to buns and turned around with ten rather large burgers split between two plates. Lila grabbed three and walked towards a chair and sat down cross legged next to it. “Our food budget better be insane,” Jasper said as he walked towards Luca, holding out the burgers.

“Please save me one. Sobriety sucks and I might vomit if I move right now but I want one,” Lynn said from across the room.

”The food budget is my pocket,” Luca laughed, reaching out to take a burger. He bit into it, relishing in the flavour. It was really good. As he ate it the bun started to turn grey, and any veg wilted, but he didn't care as he practically scoffed it down. ”Right now it'll mostly be funded by me, cause all the money they have is from… theft and stuff. They won't be bringing anything with them from 8th. All the shit is staying behind- including Emily, Vashti and George.”

He reached out for another burger, still hungry - while not to Lila's level, half his food rotted before it even reached his stomach, so he had to eat way more. ”This is great after a long day… coven making is hard work. Especially naming it, Adora wanted to call it the baddies! Imagine!”

“The Baddies is kinda rough not going to lie,” Lila chuckled as she ate another burger in just two bites.

“That will need to be decided before I join, actually. I can’t join a group called the baddies,” Lynn chuckled as she held out a hand towards Jasper, who moved over and gave her a burger.

”Hey, you think I'd accept a name like that? We've decided on the Lotus Flower coven, because it's a new beginning,” Luca said with a laugh. He also took his third burger, eating this one a bit slower - even though with each bite that made the taste worse. ”Adora got overruled, so don't worry about it. As coven second in command I never would've allowed it.”

He chuckled, looking at all three of them with a soft smile. ”I’m really glad you're all willing to give them a chance and come with me. It'll be… almost all of the people I care about in one group.”

“I fuck with the Lotus flower coven name not going to lie,” Lila chuckled as she visibly calmed as she ate another sandwich.

“Indeed, you said you’re second in command. Who is in charge again,” Jasper asked as he took another bite.

”Jacqueline and Miranda. I know they're Emily’s sisters but they're honestly nothing like her… everyone coming with them trusts them more than they do Emily. People will follow them, and they balance each other out. And I balance them, I think! But I don't think it'll be a dictatorship like the old coven, or 8th… it'll be a good balance between having leaders and the complete chaos of sycamore,” Luca said as he finished off his third burger, leaning back with a hand on his stomach. It was so good… fuck, he'd die happy eating so much of Jasper's cooking in the upcoming months.

“They were sweet, nice even. They tried to stop Emily, and called her out in the moment,” Lila paused as she looked towards Luca, “I would like to meet with them soon.”

”I’ll see what I can do! I'm sure they'll want to meet all of you too… They are sweet, and don't agree with anything Emily said. They've just finally decided to not put up with it too.” Luca smiled, looking back at Lila. He was glad, because he was most worried about Lila agreeing.

Lila pulled out her stylus as she finished her burger and pulled her phone from her pocket. The sound of a message being typed filled the air.

”Oh also… Can we not tell Ken for just now? I don't think he'll take it well.”

Lila moved the stylus to the bottom right of the phone screen and held it there for several seconds. “Of course.”

Luca looked at Lila, tilting his head. ”You weren't about to text Ken, where you?”

“Perhaps.”

”Lila, please delete the text,” Luca said, look almost pleading. ”Please.”

Lila held up her phone. The text line only read ‘Heyyyyy ;) ;)’ now as Lila had already deleted the rest of the message. ”You caught me in time.”

Luca let out a soft sigh of relief. ”I’m glad… I know it seems bad, but Ken really hates 8th Street. He’s in denial that I was ever part of it. I’m going to tell him eventually, but I’ll have to do it carefully… and I think people like Adora would rather I didn’t tell him at all.”

“You owe it to him to be truthful at some point. Being honest with friends is hard but it is important,” Lynn added with another cough added in.

”I’m sure he’d understand eventually, but you need to find the time and the place to make him fully aware of your past.”

”I know, and I don’t plan to hide it from him for long. He’s done too much for me… I couldn’t do that to him. I just want Lotus Flower coven to have moved in first, so everything’s stable,” Luca said to them both, with an awkward smile. ”As soon as that’s done I’ll sit down and properly talk to him about it. But it’ll have to come from me.”

”If you need a few friendly faces to help break the news you can count us in,” Lila smiled as she fell backwards on the floor and stretched her back against it.

”I really appreciate it, we’ll see when I get to it,” Luca said with a light laugh. He leaned back in the chair he was in carefully, relaxing more. ”Y’know, I did so much today, I’m exhausted. I met Layla after figuring out shit for the new coven… her and Alizee actually adjoined. They seem happy, though.”

Lila’s eyes widened at the revelation, she stopped stretching and shifted her eyes towards Luca. ”Well that’s…as expected. What did you guys talk about?”

”About the past… I apologised for not reaching out earlier and funnily she apologised for the same thing, since we’re similar,” Luca smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes for once. ”In terms of being stuck with shitty ghosts. She also told me some things about the Temple… you know, Leon’s group? A very shady cult would be a better description.”

”The Temple? Absolutely a cult. I think they’re trying to recruit me,” Lila paused as she stood up and walked to the kitchen, ”I know what I’ve seen there and I know I need to stay away.”

”They’re trying to recruit you?! You definitely need to stay away,” Luca said abruptly, sounding panicked. He took a deep breath. ”I promised Layla I wouldn’t tell anyone but… they don’t treat people like us well.”

”The guy, who is very excited about the possibility of me laying eggs, seemed to treat me well. He bought me so much food,” Lila said matter of fact, as she grabbed a bag of chips.

“WHAT,” Lynn shouted as she ripped off her blindfold. Jasper spit out the water he was drinking.

”LILA, WHAT?!” Luca’s mind went wild with the possibilities. The Temple didn’t view Adjoined as people. They drugged them. Were they planning to drug Layla and make her… lay eggs for some twisted cult experiment?! Were they trying to fatten her up like… a hen?! ”You can’t see him again. Lila, he’s using you for… something. I’m not sure what, but the Temple is bad news.”

”I’m pretty sure he just wants to fuck me because I’m bird like. Like he’s into monsters. At first I thought it was a him thing but looking back,” Lila tried to clarify.

“NO,” Lynn shouted again as she jumped off the couch and began to move towards Lila. Jasper dropped the glass he was holding but caught it before it hit the ground.

”Stay away from him!” Luca jumped up, tripping over his chair and falling onto his knees.

”Okay I can see now that there’s a problem here….,” Lila did not see what the exact problem was and she squinted trying to figure it out. ”I won’t see him again. As long as I don’t fall into a silly mood again it shouldn’t be a problem. I don’t have too many of them…... What did Layla tell you?”

”She told me…” Luca grimaced, expression twisting. He’d promised he wouldn’t tell anyone… but he couldn’t keep it from Lila when she was being strangely courted by a Temple man, possibly to become part of a magical egg farm. ”This doesn’t leave this room. They’re a cult- a scary one. They don’t treat Adjoined like people, and they drug them. I don’t know how but it left someone in hospital for a month… I’m going to talk to Leon about it tomorrow.”

Lila’s head jolted to the side and looked at Luca, the blue irises shrunk instantly as every last feather seemed to puff at the words Luca spoke. ”Come again?”

”They drug people like us. Hurt them.” Luca repeated. ”Adepts oppress Abberations.”

Lila’s head remained fixated on Luca. ”I…I didn’t know. I…how can they..,” Lila took a deep breath, ”I can never go back.”

”I’m sorry, Lila,” Luca said softly. ”I didn’t know until today either. I think it’s some sort of insider secret… Layla took vows at the Temple. She’s part of it now and refuses to leave because of the Void. I don’t want anyone else to get trapped like that.”

”We can’t,” Lila’s eyes began to dart across the room as her wings began to spread. How could she not realise that? The place was a cult ten years ago, it is still a cult now. Norm was just trying to get her to let her guard down, to invite her in, and then… would she be forced to be something she wouldn’t like? Would she be subservient to them? Lila’s breathing increased as she placed her hand on the counter. Her eyes finally stopped drifting, before they slid to the door. This couldn’t stand. Lila wondered if she was strong enough to stop it? She leaned towards the door as if she was about to head towards it.

”Wait, wait, Lila-” Luca pushed himself to his feet, putting himself between Lila and the door. He wasn’t sure what she was planning to do, but he assumed it was something to do with the Temple. She wasn’t.. Thinking of going there, was she? ”What are you doing?”

”We can’t leave her trapped, what about Trisha? Is she trapped there too,” Lila took a step forward but felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist. Lynn had slid in behind Lila, and dug her feet into the ground. ”I’ll call bird freak off and get him to meet me in the middle of nowhere and start breaking bones until I get an answer,” Lila paused as the already tiny iris’s grew even smaller.

“I have Wagyu steak in the fridge. If you stay I’ll cook you a meal with it,” Jasper added as he channelled the phantombane aura to his brush.

Lila’s eyes immediately went wide as her head shot towards Jasper with a smile. ”Oooooo that’s a much better idea,” Lila’s wings pulled back in as her arms were brought in close as a look of excitement fell across her face.

”Yeah, that sounds great! Loads of food here,” Luca said cheerfully, keeping himself between Lila and the door. If she changed her mind she’d have to get past him… and extra bird powers or not, the Rot would hurt. He just didn’t want it to come to that even if it was to protect her. ”Layla begged me not to do anything right now. But as soon as she wants! Sure.”

Then he paused, frowning. ”Trisha’s involved with the Temple too?”

”She’s dating Leon’s brother Casey. He’s the one who shot me,” Lila responded as she licked her lips at the thought of food. Sure, she still wanted to storm out those doors and wage a brutal war against her new found oppressors. She’d turn them into crows over this injustice. But Wagyu sounded too good.

“You’re eating a lot, Lila,” Lynn added as she released her grip, “what’s your secret? I wish I could eat like that and not gain weight.”

”Have an Apparition attached to you, stealing half your food,” Luca said with a half laugh, rolling up his sleeve to show his skinny arm. Of course, his situation was… different where the food also rotted before it even reached his stomach. But he knew the Rot took some of it as fuel.

Luca also took in everything Lila was saying with a slightly furrowed brow. Leon had a brother… who Trisha was dating… and shot Lila. The shooting Lila made sense if she was fighting with his girlfriend, as much as it angered him. ”And I’ll ask Leon about Trisha tomorrow, Lila. Make sure she’s safe.”

”Good,” Lila’s expression softened more as a wide smile crossed her face. ” even though we fought, even though it was what caused this whole mess I can’t help but respect Trisha. She is a lot more impressive than I remember and I do want her safe. If she’s not, or if I hear that Layla is hurt,” Lila paused as her irises went tiny once again as she spread her wings wide once more, “I’ll sip the marrow from their bones and turn them into my crows.”.

”Alright, of course, we won’t stop you! I’ll come along and help then- but only if that’s the case,” Luca said, holding his hands out in front of him. ”I’m sure she’s there by choice, though. Trisha that is. She never struck me as the kind to fall into a cult!”

”Good,” Lila says as her voice went back to her own. ”Keep me in the loop,” Lila said as she moved towards the chair in the living room and sat down next to it once again.

”Don’t worry, I will,” Luca let out a soft sigh in relief. ”But for now let’s eat loads and loads!”

---

---

---

---

---

The sterile hum of the lab filled the air.

The only sound was Heinrich Thormer's whisper. His lab was dimly lit, save for the harsh light beaming directly over the steel slab on which Layla’s blood sample rested. The delicate vials, marked with her name, seemed out of place here, surrounded by strange instruments and technological apparatus that defied reason. Heinrich’s towering figure loomed over the sample, his mannequin-like body hunched at an unnatural angle, long fingers manipulating the delicate glass. His faceless, ceramic head tilted toward the blood as though he were studying it with eyes he no longer had. The silence of the lab was broken only by a soft, mechanic click as a syringe extended from his index finger before piercing the seal of the vial. He extracted just a few drops, carefully placing them on a small, magical glass slide.

"Curious," Heinrich whispered.

He placed the slide under an apparatus glowing with enchanted symbols. The device hummed to life, its projections displaying complex patterns and symbols, none resembling conventional scientific data. His fingers twitched, triggering a series of movements within his body. Hidden tools slid silently out from his limbs - needles, clamps, tiny scalpels - all poised to act as he continued his analysis. With a rotation of his mechanical wrist, the readings shifted, revealing intricate patterns of magical residue intertwined with Layla’s unique blood composition. Heinrich tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table...

"Luis will want to see this."

---

As Heinrich entered the meeting room, his strange, mannequin-like form limped eerily. The dimly lit space was enveloped in deep red velvet, and runes shimmered faintly along the floor and ceiling. Luis was already seated in one of the high-backed chairs, his fingers steepled. Next to him was Natalie, who was twirling a revolver as she leaned back in a chair. In the corner of the room was Shaquita Walker, with her hands behind her back. She glanced in Heinrich's direction before her gaze went forward. Luis grinned.

"Ah, Heinrich," Luis began, "I believe you have interesting news."

Heinrich stood hunched over for a moment before speaking with a menacing whisper.

"Correct," Heinrich said, "I have examined Layla's blood and its magical properties."

"And?"

"... And I determined it can be replicated," Heinrich said, and Luis gave him a jolly grin.

"Perfect," Luis said. "Music to my ears, so we can keep the Rill siblings fed without relying on constantly extracting blood from Hyacinthus."

"Aaaaaand, we can leverage those spooky fuckers," Natalie laughed, her gun twirling coming to a stop. "Maybe it'd be worth icing Layla after this." She laughed again.

"However, we need a backup," Luis said, his face flat as he angled his steepled fingers perpendicular to the floor. "I think we can make a backup plan for the Rill siblings and our spies in Sycamore if push comes to shove."

Heinrich was silent for a moment as he got the drift.

"... I will get to work."

"Perfect!" Luis said as that grin returned. "Make sure to make it count because we'll lay low for a little while."

"But, what about that boy?" Shaquita piped up. "You still want him captured."

"I do, but..." Luis trailed off, shaking his after. "After the whole thing with Phantasia, I think it'd be best to keep our heads down."

Luis began his speech, paused for dramatic effect, before saying, "As much as she took it there, that is far too much attention on us. We're still very early in our plans and can't afford to have the PRA or Sycamore tipped off to our presence. Our spies know what to do, and we will only do essential operations like our sales."

"What about that clusterfuck on Rich Street?" Natalie laughed. "Word on the street is that Faith is gearing up for something big?"

"That works out in our favor because we finally have our in to the 317," Luis said with a nod of his head. "We finally have eyes on the inside, and..."

Luis shrugged.

"I doubt they're going to, I don't know, start a giant war that will consume the city!" Luis laughed before he looked between each member of the group.

"Everything is going to work out just fine."

---

---

---

The portal flickered in to existence.

Sage was chucked through it and landed on a plush rug. Then Jake and Gabe, adrenaline flowing through their veins, followed by Lin and Jaska. Sylvia entered with a flourish, her guitar slung across her back like a warrior's weapon. Finally, Mika quietly walked in with a flat expression, and Johnny hopped backward through it, landing on his feet with a cocky grin on his face.

The portal flickered out of existence.

"Oh my lord!" Lin said as her eyes scanned the environment. "Wait..."

Then Johnny looked around; they were in the foyer of some mansion. A grand spectacle of a place with high ceilings, white wallpaper, and marble floors and columns. Antique furniture lined the walls, and vibrant paintings depicting serene landscapes hung between portraits of strangely familiar faces.

"Wait... is this the fucking Liu Manor?!" Johnny asked, turning towards Sylvia, who awkwardly grinned and shrugged.

"Hey! You said 'Make a portal'!" Sylvia said, "So that's what I fucking did, Papi!"

"Why the fuck were the Lius the first thing that came to mind?!" Johnny shouted. "Why didn't you take us back to the Valos manor!?"

"Papi, I panicked!" Sylvia laughed. "I was thinking, 'Oh, the Harbor Lounge!' then realized that was a terrible fuckin' idea, Papi! So I had to come up with something else!"

"It was! But-"

"This place has more class than the Valos mansion ever will," Mika said as she walked over to her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder as she said in Cantonese, "Are you okay?"

Lin nodded.

"Yes," Lin replied.

"That's great," Mika turned her head to the rest of the group and said, "Don't get blood everywhere, please."

"Thanks for your fuckin' concern, Mika." Gabe said with a roll of her eyes. "You should have let me tear that bitch up!" Gabe shouted to the group.

"Yes, and burn the building down and have the PRA so far up our ass it's like a colonoscopy!" Johnny threw his hands up into the air. "You know what a federal colonoscopy is like? It ain't fun!"

"Why the fuck did you have to bring up her brother?!" Jake shouted, grasping his neck.

"I didn't even know he was dead!" Gabe replied, throwing her hands up into the air.

"... Oh Lord," Mika said, rolling her eyes. Before she promptly walked away, she said, "I'm going to get some tea. Don't kill each other."

"But still! We don't bring other people's family into shit! You could have said anything else, like call her a hoe!" Jake grasped both sides of his head.

"Everyone knows she's a hoe," Gabe shouted back.

"... What about Sage?" Jaska asked as he flexed his wings, pointing at the unconscious Sage. Then everyone looked at Sage.

"Oh yeah," Gabe shrugged. "We should make sure they're not fucking dead."

"Can Chunhua heal them?" Jake asked Lin.

Two footsteps approached from above, and Jiao-Long placed his hands on the railing and looked down at everyone - Chunhua was right over his shoulder. Everyone looked up at him.

"... What in good name is going on in here?" Jiao-Long asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Lin said with a shrug before she pointed a hand at Sage. She spoke to them in Cantonese, "Mother, Father, good evening. I hate that we interrupted."

"It is fine," Jiao-Long said as he looked at Sage. "What happened?"

"We got into a fight at Mirrorland," Lin replied; the last word was spoken in English.

Jiao-Long paused for a moment as he asked,

"... With who?"

Lin looked at every member of her clique before she said in plain English, "... The Sycamore Tree Coven. They attacked us after an argument."

"And I gunned down two of those fuckas'," Johnny then shot Jiao-Long the finger guns. "You're welcome."

"... And knocked out Sage and let Jake get stabbed with a fork," Sylvia teased before getting slightly smacked on the back of the head by Johnny.

Jiao-Long just shook his head.

"You all need to be careful," Jiao-Long began, "Your fight with the 8th St Coven was, what? Less than a week ago?"

"... I mean, they are the Valos," Mika said as she returned to the scene.

"Bitch, your sister's one of us," Gabe said, putting her hands on her hips as she turned toward Mika.

"Hardly, boor," Mika spat back, sneering at Gabe.

"This 'boor's' about to smack the shit-" Gabe said before Jake grabbed her by the bicep.

"Gabe, chill," Jake began, before adding, "... You don't even know what that word means."

"Yes, I do-"

"... What's going on here?" Amidst the shouting and screaming, a young boy no taller than four-ten walked over wearing light-blue pajamas. He rubbed his eyes, and Mika immediately rolled hers.

"Haaaaaank!" Lin said with a smile as she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him. She gave her younger brother a warm smile. "Go back to bed, " she said to him.

"But I heard yelling. That person is unconscious. And he said he gunned down someone," Hank said; he glanced over at Johnny, who gave him a sarcastic salute.

"Just a figure of speech, little man," Johnny grinned. "No big deal."

"Doesn't sound like it," Hank narrowed his eyes.

"It’s late, Hank. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?" Lin sighed, running her hands through his hair, and gave him an assuring smile.

"Hank, listen to your sister," Jiao-Long sternly said. Hank turned towards his father before sighing and nodding.

"Alright..." He glanced back at Lin before whispering, "But you'll tell me later, right?"

Lin gave him a gentle nod. "I promise."

Hank finally went back toward the stairs, glancing over his shoulder. When he was out of earshot, the room fell back into its earlier tension, but Lin sighed and turned towards her mother.

"Look, can you heal Sage?" Lin asked Chunhua.

"It should be no issue if you can get them outside,' Chunhua replied.

Lin pointed her hand at Sage, and they floated through the air, and Lin slowly walked outside.

"When could you do that?" Gabe asked, crossing her arms.

"Since now," Lin sharply answered as she continued outside. Before Chunhua shuffled down the stairs and followed after her.

Jiao-Long, who had been silent, finally spoke, "You are all too reckless. You four wish to be a part of the Elite, correct?"

Jiao-Long raised his hand, cutting off Johnny before he could speak. The look in his eyes was enough to silence any protests.

"You think this is a game?" Jiao-Long continued, "You get into a brawl one week. Then the next week you get into a shooting! You expect your father to just clean up after you? Act like it's all under control? I get what living under his shadow is like, but this isn’t how things work."

"Look, oldhead, we handled-" Johnny's grin faltered.

"You handled nothing," Jiao-Long interrupted, his gaze boring holes into Johnny. "Do you know what would happen if the wrong people saw? The Sycamore Tree Coven isn't some random gang, Johnny. They will retaliate against us for this!"

"They started it," Gabe said, narrowing her eyes at Jiao-Long.

"And you finished it?" Jiao-Long asked. "They won't come after us because you killed two of them? Tell me, did you eliminate all of them? Ensure they won't run back and tell the rest of them what happened?" Jiao-Long raised an eyebrow.

They were silent, and Jiao-Long crossed his arms.

"Figures," Jiao-Long hissed; "In your recklessness, you’re missing the bigger picture." He paused, looking directly at Gabe. "Killing two members of the Sycamore Tree Coven isn’t a victory. It’s an invitation. You’ve started something that we may not be able to contain or control."

Gabe clenched her fists, biting her lip, but remained silent.

"Being part of the Elite means understanding consequences. Magic is not just a weapon to wield when angry or when your pride is hurt. It is a force that can shape this world. And the path you're on leads to destruction. For you and everyone around you."

Johnny opened his mouth to argue, but Jiao-Long’s raised hand silenced him again.

"You four have potential; I won’t deny that. But if you think for a second that I'll stand by and let you recklessly endanger everything we've built... you’re gravely mistaken." Jiao-Long’s voice dropped to a low, dangerous tone. "If you continue down this path - brawling in public, spilling blood - I will personally make sure your induction into the Elite never happens."

"But, Papi! Those motherfuckers attacked us! Were we supposed to let it happen?" Sylvia spoke up, tilting her head.

"And what do you think letting loose achieves?" Jiao-Long said, tilting his head. "You all think you are still teenagers, and think your actions will just be thrown under the rug without consequences. No. You're all adults now. You are no longer representing yourselves, but your families - and by extension, The Elite. If the Coven retaliates, it could start a war! A war we cannot afford to lose."

Jiao-Long shook his head, “The Elite is already dysfunctional enough! We already have to deal with Schmidt's impulsive children, and those two psychopaths the Pimms barely keep leashed half the time. The Elite doesn't need more people adding to the chaos when we're barely keeping together as is! It would be best if you learned to think before acting. Otherwise, you’ll find yourselves out of options and time.”

With that, Jiao-Long walked away, disappearing into the mansion's halls.

"... He has a point," Jake agreed.

"Look, he does," Johnny wiped his face. "Just not the point he thinks he does."

"So, what now?" Gabe asked.

"Look," Johnny paused. "Let's just... call it a night. I'm going to see if I can get another meeting with Isaac. Just keep your heads down, please?"

They all nodded before they left the Liu Estate.

Aaron walked outside of the house and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. His eyes scanned the night to see if anyone was watching and swapped to his other form for safety. She pulled a cigarette from the pack and lit it. She inhaled deeply and immediately felt a small nicotine rush fall over her mind. She looked at her hand and smirked. That was some fancy magic that person had. She would need to be very careful if she ever fought them again. She exhaled the smoke as she took a seat on the ground and pulled her legs in tight as she began to think about the coming struggles.

“... You smokin’ without me?” Aryin heard Isaac Kane's familiar voice behind her. When she turned around, he was wearing another well-fitted black suit. He had an unlit cigar in between his lips as he quickly lit it. “Prefer these, though. More class if you ask me.” He laughed.

“Told you I’d find you, didn’t I?”

”They are classier but there’s something about a crappy cigarette,” Aryin paused as she exhaled and looked up to Isaac, ”especially on nights like tonight. You’re fast,” Aryin said with a smirk. ”Shall I grab my checkbook?”

“Hold on, since what I’m about to tell you is unsourced, I don’t feel like it’d be fair to charge you,” Isaac began, before he grinned. “... But, tips are appreciated.”

”Oh I can give you a tip.”]

“Yeah, I’ll cut to the chase,” Isaac began, “The Elite employed those who attacked you, Blake Schmidt’s new lackeys known as Sentinel Solutions. He’s been paying them big money to go around and mug people of their artifacts.”

He took a few steps in front of Aryin before saying, “It was a test. They want to draw Greenwood out because they want back the axe that ya’ boy James carries.”

”Wait, wait,” Aryin paused as they shot out, ”we weren’t even the mark? They did all that damage in the hope that it would draw Greenwood into the fight?” Aryin inhaled deeply as they looked at Isaac. ”Which means that going forward they may attack us again, may attack the coven, just to try and find a way to get that axe back.” Aryin sighed as they finished the cigarette and put it out under their feet. They knew they would need to get this information to the 317, verified or otherwise.

”How did the elite get Scott Reese involved? Did you uncover anything relating to him?”

“Don’t know,” Isaac said. “Last I heard, Scott Reese was in Das Sonnenrad. Disappeared after it went down. Just popped back up the other night.”

”Does the Elite have any artifacts that you know of that could level the playing field against Scott, at either the island or the Emperor? Or would I need a checkbook for that question?”

“Well, that depends on how much you value your - or the 317’s - secrets, Aryin. The Elite’s got a few toys up their sleeves, but I’d say most of them are more flashy than effective against someone like Scott.” Isaac shrugged.

”What do you mean about our secrets?”

Isaac’s smirk widened as he took a long drag from his cigar, “... You still don’t get it, do you?” He started, “Information? It’s more valuable than any magic or artifact because what good is having all of that if you don’t know where to put it? Why do you think Kari was so valuable? Why do you think people want to know what she knows so badly?” He raised an eyebrow.

"Information is everything, Aryin. It's not just the ‘who’s got what’ or ‘who’s on the move’ kind of stuff. That’s useful, sure. But I’m talking about the kind of power that wins wars before a single shot is fired, the kind of knowledge that lets you win a fight without even showing up."

Isaac tapped his cigar and let the ashes and embers fall peacefully to the ground, "information? It’s like currency. Everyone trades it, buys it, sells it. But not all currency is equal. Some info is like a pocket full of pennies - enough of it can still get you something… eventually. Then, you got gold bars in a world of inflation. And that’s where secrets come in." Isaac then took a few steps forward and closed his eyes.

“Secrets are the currency that matters the most. They’re rare, protected, hidden. And the more dangerous they are, the more valuable they become. They’re the insider trading of our world - knowing someone’s breaking point, their weaknesses, the skeletons they thought were buried too deep ever to see daylight again. You can turn nations with a single secret. It’s why people will kill to keep or spend fortunes to learn them."

Isaac opened his eyes and turned his torso to look at Aryin over his shoulder, "Artifacts are just tools. Powers? They’re weapons. But secrets? Secrets are control. Control over what people do, what they think, how they react. You don’t win wars with brute strength alone; you win them with leverage. And leverage is built on secrets."

He gave Aryin the biggest shit-eating grin as he looked at her over his shoulder.

“So, tell me some of the 317’s dirty little secrets, and I’ll give you exactly what you want,” Isaacc then shrugged. “If not, then that’s fine. I hope you got that checkbook on hand, though!” He started laughing.

”Those secrets are not mine to spill. What would the bill be if I didn’t tell you a secret,” Aryin joked as they pondered if they should ever share that dirty little secret.
“Always the professional, I like you,” Isaac said, laughing as he walked a slow circle around Aryin, and tapped the ashes off his cigar. “Since you’re asking for straight numbers, and this is a somewhat vital piece of information… [i]Fifty grand.[i] Cash. No checks, no installments.”

He paused, looking at Aryin over his shoulder, “And before you start thinking that’s steep, consider what you’re up against. When it comes to folks like Blake Schmidt and his merry band of rich psychos, you're not just buying information from me. You’re buying time. And trust me when I say…" Isaac leaned in closer,

"... Time is running out."

” What if I introduce you to someone who can make the determination on the secret, or get the cash for the payment” Aryin asked as their eyes watched Isaac as he circled her, a small smirk spreading across their face.

Isaac raised an eyebrow.

“.... I’m listening.”

”I am going to get in contact with leadership after we finish talking. I could introduce your services, get the foot in the door so to speak, and from there they can decide how much this information is worth. I think they will find value in knowing how to handle that monster.”

Isaac rubbed his chin.

“... I like the sound of that.” He chuckled, extending a hand.

”I thought you would,” Aryin shook his hand as she smirked even wider. ”How do I get back in contact with you? Or will you find me again?”

Isaac reached into his suit pocket and offered Aryin his card with his contact information.

”I‘ll be in touch,” Aryin said as she grabbed the card.

Isaac nodded his head before he walked away.

---

---

---

The rain beat on… Though, this wasn’t a natural rainstorm. Ruby knew precisely what it was. The Greenwood Coven stood on the cliffside, which gave a great view of the Elite Headquarters: Elysium Island. However, it was obscured by a thick, swirling storm. Ruby held her branch tightly as she narrowed her eyes.

“... They have the Eustis Veil active,” Pearl noted.

“They are up to something,” Ruby noted.

“How do we know they haven’t caught someone else on the island?” Jessica asked.

“Then it would be the perfect time to get in there and leave with their artifacts,” Ruby hit her blunt.

“Man they are probably havin’ one of them freakoffs!” James grinned, only to get elbow jabbed by Naomi.

“Maybe it has something to do with Sycamore?” Naomi shrugged.

“I’m learning where Sycamore goes,” Faith spoke up as she approached, “chaos always is right behind. My money is on chaos brewing for Sycamore.”

Ruby looked over her shoulder.

”Especially after what happened tonight,” Aryin said as she walked over to James and punched him in the arm. James laughed.

“Fascinating,” Summer said as she walked over to the edge of the cliff and pulled her steampunk inspired glasses from her bag. Her hand glowed a golden glow and soon that energy infused the glasses. She put them on her eyes and soon the lenses extended out. She began to look at the island in more detail.

“Thank you Ruby, once again, for being to meet on such short notice,” Faith said as she walked up to Ruby, “I have news to share.”

Ruby took a long drag of her blunt, blowing it out as she asked, “Lemme guess; the cult of rich assholes are up to no good?”

“No good at all,” Faith sighed as she put her hands on her hips, “they were the ones who attacked us. And they didn’t do it for our artifacts.”

”They did it to draw you out to get the axe,” Aryin added as she crossed her arms.

“The fuck?!” James shouted.

But, Ruby couldn’t help but laugh, “... Of course those little rich pissbabies couldn’t live with their L.” Ruby laughed.

“Well…” Pearl shrugged. “I take it we’re going to counterattack?”

Greenwood went silent as they all looked at each other.

“We have to,” Ruby said. “They are going to keep pushing us… If we let them.”

“You won’t be alone,” Faith responded as the corners of her mouth curled downward. “Those fuckers attacked our building, hurt my friends, and assaulted Aryin again tonight. They’re lucky I’m out of the monster making business.”

“How does the Veil work,” Summer asked as the lenses zoomed in.

“The Eustis Veil works by creating a defensive storm that blocks teleportation,” Pearl explained. “However, disabling it is easy.”

“Getting past the Eye of Ankhara is the tricky part,” Ruby nodded.

“Where’s the eye,” Summer asked.

Ruby shrugged.

“... On the island.”

“I know that,” Summer said with a sigh, “where on the island? Is it out in the open or obscured?”

James put a hand on Summer’s shoulder.

“What our perpetually high friend is trying to say is,” James raised a finger. “... We don't know.”

“We raided the island a year ago before the Das Sonnenrad war,” Pearl said.

“Yeah! We almost died!” Jess said, laughing.

“If it wasn't for our late member, Lyric Brown, we wouldn’t have made it off,” Pearl nodded. “She had a plan to get back onto the island…”

“... But, with all of her artifacts gone, we can’t pull it off,” Ruby hissed. “Probably on the island.”

“Tell me more about what the Eye of Ankhara does,” Summer asked as she took off the glasses, “I doubt I can make something to get past it, but I can try on short notice.”

“What does it do again?” Ruby asked.

“Essentially emits a field of sound waves that, if disrupted, will illuminate your aura for the whole island to see,” Pearl said. “Moving too fast, making too much noise, and using magic will activate it.”

“That’s a tough thing to get around. I don’t have an idea how to disable that,” Summer responded with a sigh.

“We find it, then smash it!” Jessica laughed.

”Scott Reese is always going to be our biggest threat,” Aryin paused, ”them being alive is already super fucked for the future. Them seemingly fighting with the fuckers down there means that any attack is likely doomed to fail.”

Ruby was momentarily silent, “... Both 8th St and Greenwood combined couldn’t beat that fucker. Their portal bitch had to get rid of him.”

“However, he can only transform at night,” Pearl nodded.

“So the best time to take him out is now,” Naomi added.

”Wait how long has he been back,” Aryin asked as her mouth dropped.

“We don't know how long he’s been gone!” James laughed.

“We fought him a few times when we threw hands with Das Sonnenrad,” Ruby answered, taking a drag of her blunt. “Guess he decided to clean up his act.”

”He should’ve died ten years ago,” Aryin groaned as she put her hands on her head, ”I thought we ended him,” Aryin groaned again.

“No time like the present,” Ruby shrugged. “Guess it’s just one more mess ol’ Sycamore left us with.”

”In our defense we were just kids, many who just kindled due to the snake,” Aryin paused as a small smile crossed her face, ”one minute I was a dude living my best life, the next I was a girl fighting monsters and talking hits that broke the others. We had no idea what we were doing,” she looked towards Ruby, ”we did the best we could against the monsters we faced.”

”Where was everyone else? We faced that shit alone.”

“Were kids?” James gave Aryin the biggest shit-eating kid. “Some of ya’ll-” He got jabbed by Naomi’s elbow.

“... She’s not wrong,” Naomi agreed.

“Living our best lives,” Ruby shrugged. “We had no clue what was going on until way later.”

“Look, Sycamore is not to blame for any of this, Ruby,” Pearl nodded. “At least not the previous version.”

“Yeah, let’s focus on what we can change,” Jess said. “Not pointing fingers.”

”Agreed,” Aryin said as they looked towards Ruby, ”how can we help with this?”

“Sycamore?” Jess asked, scrunching her face up. “Would they even help us?”

”You guys coming to our meeting today?”

Ruby tilted her head, “... There’s a meeting?”

“What Ruby means is; yes, Greenwood will be attending,” Pearl added..

”Good. You’ll learn what Sycamore has in store. I know I wont be able to do the plan justice but Sycamore has something in store for the fucks down there,” Aryin said with a shit eating grin.

Ruby grinned.

“... Well, I guess it’s time for bird girl to back up her shit talk,” Ruby laughed. “Because Sycamore ‘boutta enter the big leagues.”

”Lila has surprised me thus far. That slut better keep it up. We need it,” Aryin paused at they chuckled. ”She is looking more bird girl, you’re right.”

“I assume your people are ready for what’s coming next, right?” Ruby asked, putting a hand on her hip.

”Yes. Whatever happens next will be chaotic,” Aryin paused as they smirked, ”that is Sycamore’s natural element.”

---

”I haven’t been here since I’m a kid,” Aryin said as they walked through the doors of The Coastal Harbor mall.

“Not much has changed. These malls are, and always been, a blight. The pretzels are pretty good though,” Faith responded as the two made their way towards the food court, finding a large table, and sitting down. “They should be here any minute.”

”We have much to discuss,” Aryin responded with a smirk.

And on cue, Ruby showed up… wearing a red hoodie and sweatpants combo with a baseball cap on. Yet, Ruby wasn’t alone, accompanied by the entourage of Jess and Pearl alongside Naomi and Autumn. As she sat down at the same table as the rest of them, Ruby said.

“... You know, a fucking mall isn’t what I had in mind for a tense, important meeting,” Ruby laughed.

“The baseheads add ambiance, you know!” Jess grinned.

“So, we’re supposed to be meeting our giant friend from Sycamore here?” Ruby said, cracking a wry grin as she leaned forward and interlocked her fingers. “Well, where is she?”

A few moments later, Britney Williams approached, wearing a white sundress, a tan sunhat, and some tan loafers. She smiled,

”Heeeeeeeey, it’s great to see you all,” Britney began sitting down by Aryin, before turning her attention to Faith. ”Faith, right? It’s great to meet you.”

She extended a hand.

Faith reached out and shook it. “Sycamore, pleasure to meet you as well. I’ve met many from your coven over the past few weeks. Thank you for joining us on such short notice.”

”Heard you met the wonderful Linqian,” Britney laughed. ”But, let’s get to business… I heard you all got information on our mutual rich headache. Also heard that you all had a plan for dealing with them?”

“Linqian was a… delight. She’s strong though so she helped save our asses.” Faith paused as she rubbed her temple. “For those rich fucks we’ll just hit them fast,” Faith chuckled as she paused as she looked towards Ruby, “she’s the one who has more insight into dealing with the mutual rich headache.”

Britney’s gaze landed on Ruby, who was silent. The latter leaned back in her seat, and then shrugged.

“... My plan is basically to drop their gay little storm veil, and then we rush in and burn the island to the ground.”

Britney gave Ruby an awkward, broad smile, showing all of her teeth.

”... Are you for real? Like deadass?”

“Yes,” Ruby shrugged again. “All of those rich fucks - or at least the important ones - are probably on that island right now. We drop the Eustis Veil, and then we open with Jess and James lighting the bitch up from a distance, then we charge in and kill 'em all.”

Ruby raised a knee on her seat before wrapping her hands around it.

“Daylight apparently makes their monster weak, and daylight also gives us her magic,” Faith paused as she pointed towards Jess, who gave Faith the thumbs up, “plus it keeps our element of surprise. From what I’ve been told they’ve struck first by attacking us. I want to make sure that when we strike back they stay down for fucking good.”

”But, there are some artifacts on the island that Sycamore needs,” Britney noted, staying silent for a moment. ”What will you do about them?”

“... Take them, naturally,” Ruby shrugged. “I figure Greenwood, the 317, and… Sycamore - if they can pull it together long enough to participate - splits whatever we pillage three ways.”

“But, whatever artifact you need, we will give it to you as long as you help us,” Pearl said with a nod.

“Alliances are fun, are they not,” Faith sighed as she leaned back in her chair, “like they said. As long as everyone pulls their weight I see no reason why we can’t share the spoils. There may be artifacts I’m after as well, I just need to decide if the cost is worth a meeting with a shady information broker.”

”... Isaac Kane?” Britney raised an eyebrow.

”He came and saw me after I got home,” Aryin looked over to Britney, ”we were attacked by a group called Sentinel Solutions the other night. All of it was an attempt to get an artifact back from Greenwood. Isaac doesn’t know if there’s anything there that can touch Scott, but,” Aryin sighed as she cupped her face with her hands.

“We won’t know for sure unless I pay fifty grand,” Faith rolled her eyes at the thought, “but if there’s a chance that one of them would allow me to fucking murder that Nazi and turn his corpse into a monster than I think fifty grand might be a small price to pay for that satisfaction. Alas,” Faith paused as she raised her hands. “I’m out of that business now so I might just have to savor his death.”

”I mean it’s one hell of a gamble, not going to lie,” Britney awkwardly laughed.

“... And I mean; who the hell else could it even be?” Ruby asked, raising an eyebrow. “I say we go there anyway because…”

Ruby let her words hang in the air as she dramatically paused.

“... Even if they haven’t already, they will find a reason to fuck with you all,” Ruby leaned back in her seat. “That’s how those rich fucks be. They just try ya’ll just for the sake of trying ya’ll.“

“I know you guys are dealing with a wolf in y’all’s hen house but this is also a problem that will come to affect you. If they came for us, how long will it be until they come for you? For your artifacts, for your secrets,” Faith added as she looked at Aryin than Britney. “So. I think this is what we need to do. I’ll pay the devil for information, see if there’s anything that can stop Scott at their locations, when we attack them we do it as one. Greenwood, Sycamore, and the 317 covens acting as one. We take out their knees, take what makes them strong, and make them regret ever trying to push their influence into our town. After the fight,” Faith paused as she looked towards Ruby, "Sycamore gets their artifacts, we get ours, and Greenwood can have their fill.”

Aryin was hung up on one singular word, their head twisting and turning as they tried to make sense of what they heard. ”Is the 317 a coven now,” Aryin asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Fuck.”

“Might as well,” Ruby shrugged. “When we take 8th out of the picture, we can be like a Coven… triumvirate.”

“Man you don’t even know what that word means!” Naomi laughed.

”What I’m wondering is… do ya’ll have any plan past taking the Eustis Veil out and slugging it out,” Britney said with a nod of her head. ”Getting into the Veil itself will be a challenge…”

“... Unless we give them a reason to drop it,” Ruby grinned.

“I suppose there’s no harm in talking through it. We give them a reason to drop it, how so,” Faith asked as she smiled.

“We have been tracking movements in and out of Elysium Island,” Ruby began. “There are a few members of their rich cult that are not on the island at the moment… I suggest that we scare them onto Elysium Island.”

Ruby let her words hang in the air.

“We give them a big enough scare that they haul ass onto the island, forcing them to drop the motherfucker. It might be a small ass window, but the second it’s dropped, Jess and James unleash holy hell onto the island, and we teleport there and take it from there.”

”Maybe a few of the 317 can be the ones who scare them,” Aaron added as he swapped forms, ”we were attacked, revenge is fresh on all of our minds. It would make sense that we lash out at the first rich bitch we run across. We could have Alex with us to get us to the island after you guys start the fight. You’d just need to bring a painting with you.”

“Amelia can get us on the island afterward,” Ruby said, “But, otherwise, have at them. Long as you got them running scared.”

Then Ruby turned towards Britney, “I presume you have your way onto the island?”

Britney awkwardly laughed.

”... Yeah, he just talks a lot.”

“You can hitch a ride with us,” Naomi added. “It’s not like Amelia can’t handle it.”

“So a few of us will prime the powder keg, and you’ll all light the fuse. After it explodes, and the Veil is taken down, what happens? Do we just fight through whatever happens or is there going to be a plan,” Faith asked as she looked towards Ruby, “I like plans. If we don’t have a plan and have to improvise that is going to make my hair fall out but I guess I’ll learn to deal with it.”

“Hey, if we don’t know what we’re doing, neither will they,” Ruby laughed, then shrugged.

”As fun as that sounds, I would like to devise some sort of plan that doesn’t involve rushing in there like a bunch of crackfiends,” Britney laughed. ”How about we split up into two groups… One group raises hell on the island to keep their attention above ground while another slips in from behind.”

“I have an idea,” Naomi said, “If we’re going to scare one of those MFs onto the island, then how about I tag along?”

”How?” Britney tilted her head.

“I never told you - or used it - but I can transform into an itsy bitsy spider,” Naomi said. “So small, I can cling onto someone’s clothes or hair without them knowing.”

“It’s risky, tho’,” Ruby said.

“And you end up booty-out naked!” Jess laughed.

Naomi scoffed, “If I can get somewhere vital… Then it’s worth it.”

”That could work,” Aaron leaned forward, ”we scare the pour idiot we come across. You hitch a ride back with them. Would you be detected by the eye?”

Naomi shrugged.

“Not sure,” Naomi answered.

”If you don't mind me intruding,” Britney began. ”What’s ‘The Eye’?”

“The Eye of Ankhara,” Ruby answered.

”Oooooh, they have that…” Britney trailed off, ”It’s extra sensitive to magic being used, so it probably will set it off.”

“That’s why I think we should just go in for a shock-and-awe,” Ruby said. “All that’s going to happen is we’re going to get caught and then we start swinging.”

”But, the Eye only has a radius of a mile,” Britney said. ”Elysium Island is way bigger than just a mile.”

”Maybe we can use the time while the veil is down to get everyone on the island outside the radius of the Eye. Once we’re all on the island and coordinated we can go scorched earth,” Aaron added.
“And that depends on how long it’s down,” Ruby said with a nod. “We don’t get time to fuck around. Everyone’s gotta be on their shit.” She looked around at everyone before her eyes landed on Britney for a second.

Before she turned to Faith.

“... You said you had ‘fresh blood,’ right?” Ruby asked. “We can depend on them, right?”

”Fresh to the active ranks but a few of them have seen quite a bit of action,” Aaron paused as he glanced towards Britney.

“A few have, and a few more are green around the gills or not very useful in a fight,” Faith added, “I trust them to be dependable.”

“Your faith in me is always appreciated,” Cyrus interjected as he slid into an empty chair, a grin on his face. He examined every Greenwood member with a devilish look in his eyes. He was dressed well, with a well fitting white button up shirt overtop simple black chinos, “thank you again for saving my ass the other night. I’m Cyrus.”

“No problem, boy!” Naomi laughed, waving her hand.

“Yeah, saving asses is what we do,” Jess smiled at Cyrus.

“... Because how else will I eat them then?” Ruby monotony said.

“Sadly they did save you. Oh how I looked forward to calling on your ghost. Hi, um, I’m Olivia,” Olivia added as she walked up to the table. Wearing a cute denim overall, with a white shirt underneath, and a pair of red high top converse.. At first she did not understand why Cyrus had wanted to bring a group to the mall but she now understood as her eyes fixated on Britney’s. Instantly memories flooded to her mind of the fight against the snake, the bullshit that followed, and the text she ignored from Auri.

“I should’ve known,” Leah added as she crossed her arms as she stood to the side off Ruby, her thick French accent painfully present, “you truly didn’t need help picking out new clothes. I’m Leah.” This was particularly egregious. Her fashion was impeccable. The dark shirt was oversized, yes, but the tight fitting striped shirt that ran to her wrist made up for that fact. The yellow high waisted skirt commanded attention, and the tights underneath and large black platform boots simply complimented the whole fit. The fact that this man lied to her to just get her to come out here infuriated her.

“Cyrus, Olivia, Leah,” Faith spoke as her eyes narrowed, “what a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?”

“Monica talks a lot without realizing, have you ever noticed that? She told me you and Aaron were meeting our saviors today, by saying a big meeting was happening at the mall, and I wanted to bring all the fresh blood to them,” Cyrus smirked as he leaned back, “so they could see who they’re working with.”

“You didn’t even bring everyone,” Faith sighed.

“Riley said he was tasked with guarding the artifacts and a ‘good soldier follows orders’,” Cyrus said as he used finger quotes to drive home the point, “and Monica said malls are a symbol of American capitalism and by entering one you contribute to the continual erosion of the small business dream. Everyone else is here though so you’re welcome.”

“Well thank you for your help Cyrus. I don’t know what I was thinking of bringing you into the fold,” Faith muttered as she grabbed at her hair, “but you are right. It is good for Greenwood and Sycamore to see who we’ve added. Where are the others?”

“Nearby. They will be here soon,” Leah responded quickly, “I think.” As she finished taking the telltale ding of a text message played out from her phone, pulling her attention away from the table. She pulled the message open and saw it was from the babysitter, they sent a photo of her two children eating their meal. They looked happy, filled with joy, and okay. Leah took a big breath and exhaled with a smile.

As the conversation went down, Britney leaned into Aaron and whispered, ”... Let’s hope the fresh blood can keep from bleeding all over the place.” Before she turned towards Olivia and smiled.

”Something on your mind, Liv?” Britney smiled. ”... Did you ever find that Snake?” She darkly laughed.

“I thought that was you,” Olivia smirked slightly as she shook her head. She hadn’t been called Liv in nearly a decade and the name made a smile spread across her face, “I did not. I’ve been looking for it over the last ten years. How have you been? You look like you’re doing good.”

Britney incredulously laughed.

”... Yeah, I ‘look like’ I am,” Britney responded.

“That bad, huh?”

”My hair is greying,” Britney laughed.

“I’ve heard through the grapevine,” Olivia’s eyes flicked towards Aryin before they landed back on Britney, “that things have been rough.” Her eyes once again flicked to the side, this time resting on Leah, before coming back to Britney, “is there anything I can do to help track down the killer?”

Three women approached… The first was a skinny Spanish woman,, except instead of sitting at the table or going anywhere near the group, she decided to lean up against a table across from them. She smiled at them from underneath her pink hoodie and slid her hands into her pockets. However, the other two approached the table, notably, a very tall and dark woman wearing a trench coat, who calmly sat down.

Everyone stared at her for a moment.

“... I’m Lucia. It is great to meet you all,” she said, then gave them the finger waggle.

“Lily!” The girl with the dreads shouted. “I think it’s best if I stay over here!”

Then an average, a heightened girl with pronounced facial features walked over. She wore an all-cyan tracksuit that clung to her features tightly and an expression that screamed that coming here was a bother. She didn’t make a grand scene; she just sat down and started playing with her phone.

“Jasmine.

“It’s great to meet all of ya’ll,” Ruby monotone said.

“Hey, maybe we can throw a party once this is over!” Jess laughed.

“Why can’t we find people like that.”

”So we’re really doing this,” Britney said as she glanced around the table. ”Y’all crazy.” She laughed before her eyes met Faith’s, then Ruby’s.
”But before we start the Fall of Rome Two,I gotta ask...” Britney turned towards Ruby, ”How sure are we that they’ll drop the Veil? Scaring them onto the island is one thing, but what if they don’t drop it? What if they see it coming? What then?” Britney put both of her hands up.

“Look, love,” Ruby gave Britney a dull look. “You’re relying way too much on plans and shit here… typically how it goes is; we make a super complex master plan, something unexpected hits us, and then everything goes titties up.”

”... And that’s my point,” Britney sighed, massaging her temples. ”What happens if they don’t… play along?”

“What do you suggest, Britney, what would you do if you were in charge of this assault,” Faith asked with a raised eyebrow.

“We should have convinced the soldier to abandon his post,” Leah sighed as she looked up from the phone. She was doing her best to hide a creeping panic that was threatening to consume her. Leah knew that no matter what she could not put herself in that much risk, but at the same time she needed to meet more of this Sycamore coven as they were the only ones working to get revenge on that father wolf. Her eyes slid back down to her phone.

“His perspective would’ve been good to have,” Faith paused as she looked over to Ruby, then back to Britney. “You know what? We have a big problem with the attack on this island. The plan to get in works. But we need to make sure we can get back off. What if we spit into smaller teams when we begin the shock and awe? One team ensures the veil is taken offline, another goes for the artifacts, one team acts as support, one team acts as a decoy to draw their fury, while the rest stay back and engage and support from range. I don’t know, break the problem down into smaller chunks.”

”Would these teams like…” Britney said, waving her hands around as she tried to find the right words. ”... Be a mixture of the three factions, or we’re just going to delegate each faction to a task?”

“What would give us the best chance at victory,” Faith asked as she looked towards Ruby, “I think whatever gives us the best chance is the route we take. If that means we mix and match we mix and match.”

Ruby nodded.

“Can we trust Sycamore to be on their shit?” Ruby asked.

”Yes,” Britney nodded. ”We can arrange for a big meeting between our leadership and Sycamore so we can come up with a plan.”

“I trust my Sycamores, and the ones they’re close to,” Faith added as she looked towards Aaron and smiled, “Octavia’s brother is in Sycamore, Aislin is doing both, the crew likes doing the pub crawl with them. I don’t know if I trust Sycamore as a whole but I trust enough of those in it.”

”Sycamore doesn’t trust Sycamore,” Britney laughed, before her expression went flat. ”I’m not gonna lie to you here; Sycamore is a mess. We’re getting murdered, we got our problems, and some people clearly don’t want it to work. But, if somebody motivates them, we can get shit done ”

“Plus with Sycamore diluted amongst our crews there’s less chance for them to fight themselves, you know,” Faith chuckled as she shook her head. What a mess. What a colossal mess. “The after party better be lit. We’ll need it.”

“Oh yay, who’s job will motivating them fall to?”

”Trust me,” Britney smiled at Aryin. ”Leave that to me.”

Faith tossed Olivia a side eye, and Olivia got the message as she held up a hand as she backed off.

”Well we can start by making sure the problems are not on the same team. Drake and Sloane, Lynn and Linqian, and so on can not be in the same group,” Aryin added as they swapped back.

“... And keep that white-haired dolt the fuck away from us,” Ruby narrowed her eyes, before glancing at Naomi. “Especially away from Naomi.”

”That’s also implying everyone comes, but we should try to keep the people who work well together,” Britney said.

“So we got a bit more of a plan. How about that,” Faith sighed as she looked at Aryin. She wondered if she was making a terrible mistake. She looked to Ruby, then to the new members of her crew, and then back to Britney. “A fair point. When we know more about the headcount we can plan our teams out a bit more. I guess the only other thing I want to ensure is that we’re off that island and away from them before nightfall. I do not want to face Scott Reese again. How do we ensure we can teleport out, and how do we coordinate our departure?.”

“All we have to do is make sure the Eustis Veil stays off,” Ruby said with a nod. “And our teleporters alive and safe.”

”And if they turn it back on and turning it back off isn’t feasible? If they bumrush our teleporters?” Britney asked. ”The Eustis Veil is tough to destroy.”

“... Hope you can swim,” Ruby shrughed.

“What if we dedicate a group either to taking the Eustis Veil, or guarding it once we turn it off?” Naomi said with a shrug. “That way, it’s a non-issue.”

“And as for coordinating, we just need to decide on a signal of some sort,” Ruby said. “Something we can broadcast across the island without relying on a singular person or place.”

“What about flare guns,” Faith asked as she thought outside the box. “Not based on any person or any lux. Can be seen across the island. Give one to each group. And if it’s hard to destroy we’d need to dedicate some serious strength to protect it, we’d also need to dedicate some strength to protecting our supports to ensure we can leave.

”Four teams,” Aryin interjected, raising four fingers, ”support, agro, artifacts, and Veil.”

“We should have enough healers to cover all the groups,” Faith added.

”Just to be safe,” Britney said, ”We should give each group as many flareguns as possible. Ideally everyone gets one.”

Ruby nodded.

“... I can ask Lynette-” Britney rolled her eyes “-to give us some, but I asked for a pretty big favor last time.”

”Also, how many healers do we all have?” Britney began. ”Sycamore has one.”

“Greenwood’s got two, but one of them is more of an ‘off-healer’,” Ruby nodded

“We have two,” Faith added.

”... And how many teleporters do we have?” Britney said. ”Sycamore has two but I’m not sure if Jack can mass teleport in the window we’re going to get.”

“Like I said, Greenwood has Amelia,” Ruby said.

“We have one,” Faith responded, “though we’ll need to bring a painting to use them,” Faith paused as an idea hit her mind, “is the veil able to be moved? I think I just figured out how to get the Veil off the board. If it can’t be moved can we fit a painting around it?”

Britney laughed,

”I mean, it’s a big ass hunk of stone,” Britney started, ”You’re going to need a big ass painting to fit around it.”

“Can’t we just blow it up?” Naomi asked, raising her eyebrows.
”That’s a possibility, too,” Britney said, ”Probably would be easier than trying to move it unless ya’ll want to use it.”

“Let’s just blow it up,” Faith responded. She sighed as she wondered if such an object could help Sycamore against Father Wolf.

”Yup! Let’s just destroy a valuable artifact!” Britney began laughing. ”I mean, better safe than sorry. It could be used against us later.”

“I’ll shove the whole thing up Blake’s ass,” Ruby said.

Faith turned towards Britney. “Would that artifact help you against Father Wolf?”

”Probably not,” Britney started. ”Not as much as the Map of the Drunken Sailor would be.”

Britney then shrugged, ”... You know the Eustis Veil isn’t infallible, it also makes you crazy the longer you stay under it!”

“Then it should be destroyed,” Faith finally, and definitively, said.

“So, is there anything else we need to discuss?” Ruby asked, “We have to disseminate this information to our respective groups and organize…”

“Nothing else here,” Faith said as she looked towards Britney, “well, one thing. After we fucking embarrass these rich fucks, burn their island and steal their shit, how do we fucking celebrate?”

Britney shrugged.

”A nice little party, you know. Music. Drinks. Dance. Y’know.”

“’A little party’ is what I call an orgy, babe,” Ruby said as Pearl, Jess, Naomi, and Autumn, facepalmed.

“Please no.”

---

---

After the meeting with Greenwood and the 317, Britney brought her ass to the rooftop - not before urging a meeting with Jack. The simulated beach was the best part of this place when she was a kid… but now it doesn’t hit the same. They got rid of all the good stores, and they refused to get rid of all the junkies. Though, that wasn’t important… She stood up, hands against the railing as she watched the waves. In the distance, she could see the Eustis Veil active over Elysium Island. She knew the Coven was going there one way or another. So, she figured it should be on their terms.

Jack appeared in the blink of an eye, behind her and walked closer. ”Britney.”

Britney smiled as she turned towards Jack.

”Jack, thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” Britney started, ”Trust me, it’s very important… First, you know Auri is dead, right?”

”...No, I didn’t” He frowned. ”Since when?”

”As of last night, Aryin and I found her alongside Be and Todd,” Britney sighed. ”... Which means Father Wolf is no longer going after people who are just alone.”

Shit.

He sighed. ”We’ll tell the others as soon as we can. But for now, you called me for something else. What is it?”

”So, to make this brief - ^{something you can learn from!} - Lynn put me in the direction of two artifacts in St. Portwell - the Mirror on the Wall and the Map of the Drunken Sailor - that can help us find Father Wolf, but Blake Schmidt and his cult of rich assholes have it.” Britney began before she pointed at the veil of swirling storms in the distance.

”It’s on Elysium Island, but we have two big problems. Problem numero uno is Greenwood and the 317 plan to raise holy hell on the island. Ruby is talking about razing the whole island to the ground. She’s way more intense than I thought. While they said that they’ll give us a cut of the artifacts they have on there, I don’t think it’s going to work out like that.”

Britney shook her head, ”One I don’t trust them to give us a fair share or even what we need - they are two powerful artifacts, after all - and two, Ruby is literally talking about nuking the island as the opening attack. From how Ruby’s talking, she’s more concerned with taking the Elite out of the picture than securing the artifacts.”

Britney leaned her behind against the railing, ”And problem number two is that the House of Cards Mafia was going to decipher the notes for the Elite the whole time. I’m not sure if Luna was trying to play us, but Greyson killed her…”

She shook her head.

”We should consider the House of Cards an enemy from here on out.”

Jack nodded, taking all that in. ”I warned the 317 against frontal assaults, but they aren’t idiots… How does Greenwood plan to do this? Do they think the island isn’t guarded?”

”Well, the Elite has the Eustis Veil up, do I need to give you a crash course on that, or…?” Britney asked.

”A sealed Apparition that halts teleportation,” he answered. ”I’ve heard of it.”

”The Greenwood Plan is basically to bully some members of the Elite onto the Island so they drop it to let them in, and then quickly teleport onto it while it’s down. Once they get on, everyone will split up into four groups… One will either take the Eustis Veil off Elysium Island or make sure they don’t turn it back on. Another will run underground to their artifact vault. One group to support. And another group to draw their attention. Then they will vaporize the mansion using their abstractions, and it’s on from then on.”

”Have they asked us to help them? Or did you simply hear about this at the last minute? I could teleport them in and out easily, if they need it.”

”They did ask for our help,” Britney said with a nod. ”But a little bit of the second thing, y’know. But, that brings me to my point…”

She cleared her throat, ”... We need the Map of the Drunken Sailor. We need the Mirror on the Wall. I honestly have no idea of how we will find and stop Father Wolf otherwise, and at this rate, Father Wolf will take out more of us than who will survive.”

Britney sighed, ”I can tell the Coven at large about all this, but they won’t listen. People like Sloane will be more worried about trying to take over the Coven. People like Blackmore and Kenshiro are too busy trying to pin this on me because their heads are up their asses. But they’ll listen to you.”

Britney paused for a moment.
”The reason why I asked you to come here is because, if we’re going to finally come out of this with something, YOU need to tell them. Please, Jack…” She sighed, grasping her forehead.

”They trust me more than they trust you. I understand that.” Of all the things that Jack could have added on to that, he just smirked. ”Blackmore and Kenshiro helped me recover the Brass Needle yesterday. Along with two other artifacts. If Greenwood betrays what little trust we were able to build, we can simply trade for the artifacts. And I’ll discuss the raid with those two, so they listen.”

”And that goes for anyone else who wouldn’t listen to you.”

”Look, you don’t need to do all that,” Britney said. ”All you have to do is assemble the meeting in the Eleventh Path or whatever, and just tell the Coven at large what I just told you.”

Britney sighed.

”I’m not expecting a miracle here - it’s already clear who’s going to be helpful and who isn’t - but I just need some help if we’re all going to pull this off.”

”And you will have it. Wherever I’m needed, you only need to ask.”

”Now, are you cool with the 317 and Greenwood meeting in the Eleventh Path?” Britney asked. ”I know the whole thing with Greenwood didn’t end well, but I think if we- you give them something to focus on, things might go better.”

”Absolutely,” Jack said, without skipping a beat. ”That is why we made it in the first place, a safe area for us to do what we need. The only condition is that Kenshiro or myself need to be there, we can’t leave others unattended.”

”That’s fine,” Britney sighed. ”So, it’s time to put out the call. Can I trust you to do it?”

He nodded, pulling out his phone which, funnily enough, should’ve stopped working a decade ago. It was old as shit. ”I’ll tell them immediately.”

---

The Eleventh Path was quickly filled with the members of Sycamore after Jack put out a formal notice to the Coven for a meeting. All over St. Portwell, magical doors kicked open and allowed them entrance into a large, circular room centered around a table. The meeting room gave off a vibe that conveyed nothing less than serious business, from the many chairs that blinked into being with a wave of Jack’s hand to the braziers of purple fire that dotted the walls.

Jack stood at one end of the round table, watching everyone file in. He had brought books and journals, as well as the artifacts he and a few others had recently plundered from Gloom. Today was a day where nonsense wouldn’t be tolerated. They had work to do. But first…

”Thank you all for coming,” he began, addressing all who had decided to come. ”We have important matters to discuss. But, before we begin, I have grim news. Auri Auclar, Todd Dancing River, and Bé Rochefoucauld were taken from us by Father Wolf recently.”

Britney just silently nodded.

”...They were murdered together. Not alone, and not separate from one another- Together. In the same place.” Jack’s expression was grim, with little light in his eyes. ”Whoever Father Wolf is, they have changed their approach. He is targeting groups now.”

He went quiet for a moment, so everyone could process this news.

”... A moment of silence, perhaps?” Britney said with a nod of her head.

Jack nodded, and didn’t continue speaking a second.

There was only the faint crackling of magic fire as the memory of Father Wolf’s victims was not forgotten. They were so few in numbers now, more dead than survivors.

Jack was the first to break the silence.

”Greenwood and the 317 will be arriving shortly,” He announced. ”They have asked for our assistance in raiding Elysium Island, a place owned by the Elite. Their goal is to take artifacts, and they’ll likely explain the plan in full. I am asking that the rest of you at least consider joining us as we do this. Their people are ours.” Sully and Aryin, among others. ”And the artifacts they are interested in are our best chance at finding definitive answers to our killer. We need this, and we cannot do it without our alliance.”

And then there was the matter of the mafia. ”The House of Cards will also be at Elysium Island, where they are attempting to decode Kari’s notes. If we see them, kill them on sight. They won’t hesitate to do the same.”

He gestured to the three artifacts in front of him. The Brass Needle, the Stasis Hammer, and the Map of Theseus. ”Drake, Kenshiro, Aislin and I found these in another world yesterday. If anyone thinks they could benefit from them during the raid, ask for them.”

And with that… ”Questions?”