AtomicEmperor

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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Leon

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Mentions: Valjean the Scorpion| Location: St. Portwell, Oregon: Veni Vidi Veni Parking lot/Surrounding neighborhood

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The cars and other obstacles were spaced enough that the beast had little trouble weaving it's massive ligaments between them. Each step and kick was a dodge, each second a fading abstraction of consciousness as he fell further beneath the surface of his own flesh. Before Leon, there was a mirror. It spun a light show of a million colors across his body and face, and the golden hair that was not his own fell to the floor beneath him in a cascade of falling straw.
Slowly, surely, flame began to trickle from his eyes and scalp, raining down until it replaced what was lost. Blue turned deep into gold and white at the edges, and each second he stared at the reflection in the mirror, it burned his eyes more and more until they seeped from the sockets down his cheeks like molten platinum.

But he could see Her. The Lady, her bright sparkling gown the same fire falling down her body that fell from his, but her pure obsidian flesh contrasted wildly against it. Burning eyes stared back at him through all the color and the smoke, through the looking glass of the seals that held the ancient spirit at bay. She didn't leave any question of where they stood with one another, her clawed hands gripping at the glass from the other side.

"Come again and again! Each time you take from me and expect me to let you take more!?"
"Oh sweet Lelou! I will take, and take again and more! You are the source of Eden's Light, and by the grace of your power I will make you kneel in it!"
"You are a worthless wretch! I have been beneath the coil of my Master and once you've taken too much, your body will be a distant vessel! I will wear you like haberdashery and dance across the face of this scarred world beneath the shadow of my Master!"

Leon let his arms outstretch, and from the mirror he pulled the fire from her across his own body, each new lick of flame searing his flesh and boiling the fat beneath until charred scrap sloughed away. Flame took shape, replacing the musculature across his form with ethereal hellfire.
Far from his mind's eye, the body reacted purely on instinct. The creature's most basic memory was hung up on two things:
PROTECT, LEAVE, PROTECT, LEAVE, PROTECT
Searing pain engulfed it's hand from within, the Void pryed away Leon's clutch upon Alizée until it couldn't ignore the pain anymore. The beast dropped her, simultaneously missing a pace on its gangly limbs. Leon's limp wrist stuffed under the bumper of an SUV, wrenching him up into the air and slamming him on his back atop the roof of the same vehicle. The entire ordeal imploded, blowing every window and windshield clear out of the car as the weight of the massive creature caved in the crumple zone like any forty-five mile an hour vehicular impact.

There was screaming. Loud screaming. He wasn't sure if it was agony or fear, but his ears were so sensitive that the voices being so close drove him up a brick wall. Small rivulets of flame cautiously leaked from the beast's eyes, trailing down its body as an organized pattern began to form in the searing fur. The body pushed up, driving the broken bones back into shape with a yelp and simultaneously lifted the mostly flattened roofline of the vehicle. From the percarious impact, no glass remained in the fixtures of the windows as his enormous mutated claws pulled and yanked up until the screaming people in the car at least weren't trapped in a coffin.
In this state, while he wasn't fully in control, Leon had learned to exhert his willpower enough that short directory bursts could be made. He was like a rider of the thing, only so in control as the thing was trained. For now, it was all about redirecting the original thought, pulling on the reigns and driving the spurs toward the intended target. But the screaming, oh... How painful it was in his ears, he couldn't do anything here. The only answer was to run; to lose the target altogether and assume that there was only one place that she'd rather be.

The shouts and screams of the injured became more distant as the thing trolloped along at a brisk pace.
Minutes, Leon, not hours! Now!
It spun hard, long clawed fingers digging into the pavement and rotating the momentum as it tossed its own weight high into the air. Its springy rear legs made purchase in a window pane, pushing off the structure to carry it higher into the air until it crested the roof. From here, both eyes could see the strip club lights in the distance. A single massive hand planted down on a set of roof shingles, blowing them off the building as the creature redirected its momentum over the city block. It was getting hot. Not just because he was running out of time, but rather... He could smell the deep throng of magic essence as it built and built in the air like an ozone layer. The thing's tongue lolled from its mouth, tasting the entire ordeal like a buffet being readied just for it.

There was a very clear target: A similarly monstrous beast spewing way too much energy and malice. A lot of energy seemed to be focused on keeping it pinned, and though some would imagine it may be strategic for Leon to keep such a thing busy in order to free up others to help in the overall conflict, there was only one thing on the beast's mind.
CONSUME
Giant clawed hands hit one building, then another and another still with his springlike back legs pushing off everything they had the chance to. The beast soared through the air as it lept over the last building across the street from the club, and with it came a howl so loud that it shook the hot air around them.
Ninety seconds max...
He was not privey to the treatment of Bianca, and truthfully it'd have mixed results. The chances were just as high that it could boost Lelou and set her free as they were it would weaken him by diluting the mixture in his seals.

If it was going to be done, it had to be done on his terms.

The arc was clear and open: The tail of the Scorpion. Would it connect, the beast intended to get as close to the stinger as possible, sinking teeth into it and pulling down toward the pavement. At the same time, the great length of the beast allowed its forearm to reach the massive claws on its hand downward to fish for a limb with a claw, wrapping around and tugging it toward the same vector as the tail. Overall goal; to flip and pin the Scorpion on its back before going for a belly kill. And if he could eat any bit of it, he may wind up prolonging his control over the beast for just a while longer.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

@Estylwen

I hit post instead of hitting the preview button like a dumbass. That was a fantastic post.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

@Estylwen
Feel free to break out, pummel Leon as much as you'd like, or if you'd like me to retcon the post at all let me know!

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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Edict

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Mentions: Lyss Burns, Linqian Han, Auri Auclair| Location: St. Portwell, Oregon: Municipal Library

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Edict laughed at Linqian's proposition. Like letting staff members hang out at the bar, it was a great way to make sure you recouped losses in an efficiently scummy way. He'd happily sell her all the tobacco she could ever want knowing full well that it's all his own money going around in one big loop.
"I hope you do, and I hope you come to enjoy it as much as I do." he commented, watching the shadow of a female figure approach them. Lyss Burns, as the helmet came off. He was surprised to see her, given they'd left St. Portwell around the same time, but everyone had some sort of reason or another for coming back. If he stopped to wonder about every single one of them, he'd probably not have any sort of time to work out what he was required to. The note in his pocket gripped at him, calling his mind back to responsibility and the desire for the almighty dollar. Yet, here he was pissing it out...
"Well God damn, if it ain't Lyss Burns! I was just about to split; I need to check on some things that I haven't had the chance to yet. Auri ain't leave yet, so like Linqian said, if you wanna get in there and bother her I'm sure she'd be real happy to see, y'know, a face that isn't insane or whatever."
Edict laughed at his last comment before turning his head to Linqian.
"But, hey you have fun at Veni. And remember to give me a call, we'll set up a place to meet. Your terms of course, wherever you're comfortable. And, remember, Pink and Violet!"

Edict turned his body fully, taking one last drag from his cigarette before tossing the stub on the ground and trodding over it with a slide. He made his way down the road a ways, crossed the street, and inconspicuously made his way into the back seat of the car that had brought him there. The driver, surprised that someone would have the audacity to just open the door like that in the middle of the city, made a turn in his chair as his hand reached to his side for a gun. But, seeing Edict's face, he took a deep breath and tilted his head back.
"Shit Greyson... Don't scare me like that, what the fuck happened? It's only been like thirty minutes."
"Shit went south, Molo. Just get me over to the Brick Harbor."
"You got it, Boss..."
The car's lights came on, and before either Lyss or Linqian could see the plates, it was down the street and into the St. Portwell evening. The heading? The last Mafia bastion in the entire city: His Uncle's pet establishment and the Devola family's original
power base, The Brick Harbor.

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Leon

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Mentions: The Clusterfuck Coalition (AKA Sycamore Members)| Location: St. Portwell, Oregon: Veni Vidi Veni Parkinglot

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Things were so far downhill at this point that Leon was just biding time. There had to be a period of destress before he could reliably unleash the seals again, and if what he thought was going to happen was actually going to happen, he'd need all the energy he could get when the time came. At first, he backed off and tried to be as inconspicuous as a near seven foot tall man could be; especially with a bunch of ripped up clothes. He'd not even realized how big he managed to get during that short period, but the bulk of his transformation always destroyed clothes... Thankfully he wasn't a modest man, and between his figure and his confidence he didn't mind showing off a bit of skin. But, who really cared? The massive group of Sycamore Tree members rolling up on the strip club unannounced made him think that Auri had agreed with the idea of Father Wolf having something to do with Judas and his ilk, but this wasn't exactly what he had in mind. Five or six deep, most of whom he did want to talk with and catch up to. But, these circumstances were anything but conducive to that.

It was nice to see Britney, even if she wasn't his favorite person. He knew that Alizée loved her, and that hopefully she'd have some sort of brain about the situation. But, Sully, Stormy... Where was Drake? It didn't matter. None of these people were hanging around in St. Portwell regularly to deal with Alizée and her constant hunger. They all ran.
"Allez, ma fille, on ne peut pas rester ici plus longtemps! (Come on, Girl, we can't stay here much longer!)"
He stepped forward across the parkinglot, casting a gaze of death at everyone who chose to watch his massive bulk cross the parking lot. He approached Britney and Alizée, trying to smile.
"Alizée... Don't be a fool now, you know we can't be hurting people like this. I'm so serious, that this isn't the way we should've met everyone again. Come on now, we need to get to the Temple where there's someone willing to be fed on."
He tried to whisper, tried to be subtle, but then Stormy butted in. Pissed her off. She was so fragile these days, he felt like he was dealing with two Daisys. Before he knew it, she was back on her bullshit. The Void was very purposeful in keeping distance between itself and its eternal rival, and as she began to choke up on Stormy, she shoved the weakened Leon off his feet and onto the pavement of the parking lot. In that moment, he could feel the gentle vibration of the ground, and his head turned an ear to it directly. The sound of half a dozen bike engines roared in his brain.

They're coming...

Leon laid on the ground for quite a while, faking incapacitation as he felt Lelou's seals slowly but surely refresh. Once the engines were finally close enough that everyone knew, it was too late. All he could do now was activate what he could. If he kept it light, he may have another ten minutes in the tank, all that alcohol having made a decent buffer to start with. But now he was on his own reserve. It was either a powerful burst, or a low intensity burn. He'd pick his timing; and slowly but surely he began to release the seals again. One by one, the multitude of energies began to flood back into his body. He didn't pop the cork, letting the brew within ruminate as he continued to wait and wait again. He could hear them shouting, yelling, then... Someone said You there which wasn't exactly clear until Alizée spoke again.
"Wh-what do you want?"
It doesn't matter, Little Sister... They're bikers. They want revenge, but I know you didn't kill anyone inside. I was watching. I won't let anyone hurt you.
Then the kid got mouthy. Stepped in where he shouldn't have. Paid the price. Before Stormy had the chance to begin grandstanding, Leon's body was already shifting again. This time, it was serious. Flesh buckled and tore open rapidly, muscles on muscles building themselves unnaturally across Leon's frame. He let out a single loud snarl of pain amidst the group, and in a flash his unnatural physique saw him spin in place before the snapping and crackling of bones reforming themselves echoed loud as any shouting. A massive, claw covered hand made purchase on the ground, digging into the pavement.

"Oh, shut up Stormy... Who taught you how to talk like a hero?"

Pushing off the single fully formed arm, the half-transformed body of Leon flung itself across the pavement like Carpenters' "Thing". He was a mass of half broken meat and long blonde fur that peeled back further and further until he was right behind Alizée again, just like they had started things. Only this time, he wasn't playing anymore. It was rare for Leon to push it this close, but they had to be scared. Everyone had to scatter. He had to be the monster. His legs spun into place like some twisted flesh Transformer, digitigrade and fully clawed. Standing at full height, the golden werewolf was almost thirteen feet tall, and his hands were big enough to grip with the Void's hands. Instead, he fully wrapped one around Alizée's torso to lift her up off the ground. An instant later, they were both in the air. Leon had jumped over the bikes, over the gang, and began to take off down the street with Alizée in his clutches. He was headed for the only place he knew they'd both be safe... Home.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

@Estylwen

Posting in 3-7 hours! @AtomicEmperor, post soon! :)

@Estylwen

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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Edict

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Mentions: Linqian Han | Location: St. Portwell, Oregon: Municipal Library

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Whatever Hail Mary tosses he was making at this point, it was all done at a target behind a wall he couldn't see through. Not that he could really see the wall either; he was slinging action from miles off and he didn't even realize it until she gave that same kind of dry response that he knew all too well. Between her and a thousand other people who he'd read wrong, it was that same hollow feeling one got picking up desiccated wood.

”Maybe I should see a shrink if they can work miracles like changing you from criminal to nice guy tryna atone,”
Yeah, classic Linqian. Fair enough.

Since she wouldn't take the cash as condolence, which was fairly insulting to him as there wasn't much funny about someone's brother dying, he stuffed his hand back into his pocket. While he hadn't necessarily been the most helpful when it came to loss in the community, he was at least genuinely sorry that things were coming to this whole situation. As genuine as he could be, at least...
He came back out with a couple more rolls, unfurling them and slipping them together before handing over a slightly more substantial stack of cash.
"All business with you... Fine. Twenty-five hundred here, plus another five hundred for you to use if you're going to the club. It's lubricant, capiche? There's two strippers over there too, Pink and Violet or some shit; I already had a tip tellin' me to watch 'em so just be on the lookout for shady shit."

He handed over a business card on top of the stack. It was simple, but poignant: A solitary sycamore sat over the words "Home Grown Exports". Below that, an equally solitary phone number.

"Call that when you want to meet up and fill me in. And hey, if you go to the website, you can order the same tobacco I use: I'll make sure the screening team looks for your name, we'll get you a slick discount. I'm talking farm to paper prices!"

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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Edict

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Mentions: Britney Williams, Linqian Han Auri Auclair| Location: St. Portwell, Oregon: Municipal Library

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For a while, Edict stared up at the faded night with his cigarette lit. He realized how shitty Grays were just after taking the first drag and was resisting the urge to reach into his pocket and pull out one of his own rolls. He'd grown used to the quality of Louisiana tobacco on a trip down south for the Connection; hadn't looked at a pack of pre-rolls since. Thinking about it more and more made him think about all the other things he could be doing right now, and he reached a hand into his pocket to pull a small piece of paper out. Names...
Nour, Nakamura, Violet, Pink, Hayes... Shayton.
Fucking bikers... No way he was going to that strip club now, not without some sort of disguise or cover. Sycamore Tree gets back together, and he just shows up at a bunch of One Percenters' front door like the game has changed? Bunch of cocksuckers, lowlife fucks who couldn't keep dope out of their noses long enough to be anything more than a disorganized thorn in the side of a sleeping giant. But, connected? That wasn't going to be good for any of them. But Edict couldn't find a bone to care about warning any of them. A few Sycamores chopped down would be better for him. Blood made bad business... Usually, at least.

A figure came from the direction of the shop, stepping between the street lights headed pretty much right for him. Linqian... A face he thought about often, as he crossed airports and saw some exotic looking people but never managed to find someone quite as striking as her. She had beauty certainly, but he remembered she used to joke about Jinhai getting all the brains. He'd only ever seen her use that sort of thing to her advantage even though her fucking attitude was just as good at smashing any good will she scraped together.
Nobody was taking advantage of Jinhai these days.
He grimaced to himself at the dark thought, folding the note into his palm and tucking it hard to minimize the chance she saw anything at all.

”Room for one more?”

"As long as you don't start bitching at me like that, Linqian, you can stoop kid with me as long as you want sister."
She lit her cigarette off his, and he saw the cheap pack. It made his eye twitch, and it was fairly visible as his glasses were up pushing the hair out of his face. He listened to her ask questions, but all the while he stared at the trash cigarette in her mouth until it got to be so much that his hand flicked up and snagged it by the cherry on the end. There was a gentle hiss as he pulled the half a cigarette from her mouth, tossing both it and his own cheap trash cigarette into the street. His first free hand, with the note still jammed tight to his palm, slipped into his jacket pocket and casually swapped the note for a few other items; a small cigarette case and a book of matches. Popping it open, he pulled two cigarettes out and stuck the brown handrolled cigarette back into her mouth. The paper filter was a bit more sturdy than the cotton, and it had a bit more weight overall than something in the pack. He pulled a match and struck it off the cigarette case, lifting and lighting his own before pulling it out and sticking it up to hers to light.

"That's a smoke, ain't it? Low processed, compared to that garbage shit. Should be the fucking standard."
He looked at her, smiled, and took a drag of the earthy warm smoke. Flavorful; not just tar and gasoline.
"It ain't a cult. Still in The Life, just... Keepin' my nose clean, y'know? Makin' way more money than I ever was."
He took another drag, free hand slipping into a different coat pocket.
"Which reminds me, here. My condolences to you and your family: I ain't know if Jinhai had any kids or anything, but you let me know if your family needs any help. I'm here for everyone whose lost someone to this shit so far, I mean that. The priest thing? A little pretentious, I admit, but... Seriously. I'm here to help. This shit is Home, feel?"
His hand comes out of the jacket pocket and holds a small roll of cash up to Linqian. He had quite a few in there, some instant kindling to spark some fires that needed lighting. He figured this was going to be an easy first step. It wasn't hard for him to say one thing and feel a completely different way, to the point that lying didn't really register on his face these days. And if he got caught? Just tell another one. Throw as many darts as necessary for a bullseye.

"As far as jobs though, maybe you can help me out with some shit here in Porty?" he continued his line of questioning and logic.
"After something like that, I gotta just come clean with someone, right? Look; I've been hittin' some serious therapy and shit back East. My Doc is fantastic, and she's really helpin' me understand a lot of what's been wrong with me my whole life, y'know? All this shit with my family, and like comin' to terms with my Moms and shit? And, well, you know she can't really understand what people like y'all can. But, she says that I'm like..."
He sounded really heartbroken about this. He was, on occasion. There were nights he really wanted to be a better man, a more serious and legitimate person. An upstanding individual. But why fight that feeling?
"She says I'm more or less addicted to it. That using my Abstraction is like some... Some j-... Some substance abuser using a drug to get high and escape reality. And, I knew that I shouldn't have come out here like this, but when Auri gave me the call and I thought about how I always wanted to be that better person, I knew I wanted to make things right with you all. I figured maybe if I put on some bullshit heirs or something that everyone would just forget, but..."
He choked up a little bit again, playing off of what happened earlier now.
"I mean nobody bought it, right? So, there's no chance I'll be able to make anything right with anyone now."
He shook his head, hanging it in false shame so practiced and real you'd wonder how an individual can tow such a line and stay sane.

Finally, he took one deep breath.
"So... What I'm really trying to say is that... If you want a job, and you're willing to help me, then I can make sure that something like tonight doesn't happen again, but I can still help. I want you to be my eyes and ears, figure out who else is willing to hear me out and make amends, that way I know who I can really trust in St. Portwell, and who is just going to think I'm the same person I always was. I'm... I'm seriously trying to do this right, Linqian."
Carnegie always taught that to seal a deal, you should consistently use a person's name when directing toward them. It made them feel more inclined to you, warmer, more alert.
"I'm willing to pay for any inconveniences, but... I can probably point you in some good directions so that you can find other likeminded people to back you up quicker, y'know?"

Hider

Leon

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Mentions: Greenwood Coven, Alizée Altieri | Location: St. Portwell, Oregon: Veni Vidi Veni Parkinglot

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Leon counted himself lucky that the fighting wound down before the Void got any more intense. He was expecting rammifications from his dear friend later on, probably at the price of some of St. Portwell's innocents, which wasn't exactly the kind of thing he wanted. He knew he'd offer himself in their place gladly, letting the thing suckle from Lady Lelou until it had enough that the innocents could live for now. One more night in paradise... Between the two of them, there was enough power to seriously damage the city, and adding in this many Adepts was like adding fuel to the fire.
Still strangely transformed, Leon's massive overstretched hands scratched at the wound the Void had caused. His strange, slightly too long pale face stared out from his golden mane at the Greenwood Coven members gathered about as he addressed them.

"Forgive her... She i-isn't..."
It was dreadfully difficult to speak like this. He could hear and smell so many different things, and there was the everpresent echo of bloodlust itching at the Fire seal like it was a scratch and sniff. Leon stamped his foot down on the ground, spinning to look at Alizée and seeing her doing... Something? He'd heard a child's voice, but didn't smell any children. The blood was fresh, but... More? Where? Inside?
Finally, he grew frustrated, smashing a fist off the pavement and pointing up at the gathered Greenwood.
"Go! Now! Before Judas arrives and we're all in trouble!"

Leon spun, trying to get his massive hands to slip into the proper somatic positioning to channel the energy required to seal himself back up enough that there weren't going to be people up and down the street grabbing their pitchforks. However, he was struggling. He was usually prone to bouts of nausea and weakness after dealing with Alizée's wonderful companion, and rarely did he have the chance to reseal himself when they settled disputes. Usually it was his Handler doing it... Usually Daisy... He had to count on himself now, and took a deep breath. Fingers twisted, and as he released the oxygen he felt everything relax. The leftover essence curled from his lungs in a huff of thick black smoke as his body deflated and buckled back into something of a more natural shape. But, he was still woozey and unsure of what was coming. He didn't even turn back to see if the others cut their losses and ran or not, only moving toward Alizée.

"Petite soeur, viens! Nous devons fuir avant que les indésirables n'arrivent!" (Let's go, little sister! Before the Undesirables show up!)
As he approached her, he looked past and down. A child? The voice! But, as the last bit of truesense left his nose, he grimaced as he looked at the thing.
"Alizée! Not here, Fille, we need to go! We've fucked everything up now, let's go find you a meal in the Temple! Vite!"
He felt a certain amount of distrust and disgust with the child that Alizée was doting over, and there was a gut reaction to want to run from him, like an instinct of distrust.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

<Snipped quote>

When the 2v3 turns into a 1v4. o-o;;

@Estylwen

Only temporarily! If this little stunt doesn't end things, they're getting howled on.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Edict

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Mentions: Britney Williams, Kali Mahendra, Linqian Han, Luca Olivera, Sloane Faris, Sully McPherson, Stormy Carson, Auri Auclair | Location: St. Portwell, Oregon: Flowers and Canvases

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One may ask the question: If a tiger could change its stripes or its colors, would it? Or was there pride in the orange, black and white that made them so striking and so efficient at remaining hidden by the jungle. In their environment, the color may change based on evolution, but the tiger itself as an individual could never have a say in the color they end up. It simply is. So, for such an immediate backlash, especially as he was really only making cursory rubs at the different spheres that crowded the room.
Edict couldn't help that he loved the feeling of touching them; of rubbing against it all and seeing what rippled and what caved in... This Kali shit wasn't good. Brit showing up had left Edict totally vulnerable, and knowing what he did about Kali made him sure that there was going to be something-
He grunted slightly, not having much time to get into any other cracks he was feeling. Luca had split right open seeing Brit, but in the same moment he saw an opening, Kali slipped in behind him mentally. It was a dark room, maybe a dark house. The whole thing quiet, but Edict knew there was an intruder. The gun in his hand shook as he went from corner to corner clearing the building step by step until the basement stairs peered up at him with eery darkness unmatched in the rest of the house.
"Everyone else isn't on their radar... but you."
Edict raised the gun on instinct, and seeing the outline of the darkness begin to writhe behind the fog below caused him to panic. He screamed, shouted, fired the gun several times...

But then Britney was there...
"But, what in the world are you wearing? Halloween ain't for another week; take that shit off!"
Edict couldn't help the reaction of what he had just seen, and tears began to roll down his face as the surrounding peoples continued to shift and shuffle. Linqian was the first to complain, drawing the attention to the action itself before following up with a comment about his and Britney's previous relationship. She didn't seem vulnerable at all, which was fine. It was all fine; he just... Just wanted to feel them. He couldn't explain that the prodding and knocking was just for the sake of it... That was just as creepy.
”If you ever want anyone to drown your sorrows with, I’m here.”
He'd probably think about it...

The chance he had to crawl into Luca's rotten abode similarly faded as he ran off, replaced by another fucking new sphere he had to try and feel in order to recognize. Sloane didn't give him a chance to do so, however. He felt that she had sat and let him prod, which made her reaction much more surprising.
“Your choice.”
At this point, he was still leaking tears as a reaction: The same way the human body sweats to cool, his eyes had to leak to get the things they saw out of his head... But his nose stuffed up, and as he took a snort inward, he felt his hands shake a little.
"Sloane... Come on now. I'm not here to hurt anyone, alright?"

And then that new foreign energy broke in, and it was exactly who he assumed. One of the Jock Squad, just like Sully... Fucking Stormy. Who else to start shit with Britney? But, before he could step in to defend her, Auri raised her voice again to try and get a grip on the situation. He knew Britney wasn't going to want him white knighting for her regardless of his inclination to do so, so rather than pushing it any further, he smiled and laughed. There were still tears leaking from his eyes like a sieve, but his expression seemed to shift and change to reflect his actual annoyance that was beginning to bubble up past his restraint.
"Like this, Sloane... All this? We're all on different pages. All it takes is fifteen minutes, and everyone in this room can be calm, collected, and ready to work together using me as a link. But nobody trusts Greyson. Nobody wants to act like Greyson can help. Priest? No, but... My life is a lot different where I am now. People count on me to mediate and moderate... They call me Edict, like a holy command. But-"
Edict shook his head and tightened his jacket slightly. His eyes lingered on Britney as he started to walk around her before turning to face the group.
"-I'll just remove myself. If it's so detrimental, if nobody's willing to use the resource, you can come find me when you need some money or something. Just like the old days. Better to not hang around with feds and narcs anyway."

Realistically, he wanted to get distance between himself and Kali... The goal at this point was to work outside his range, not make a stink, and try and get what he could out of this visit. He had clients, after all, and their needs had to be met first. He'd scarcely complete anything with a Fed that could dopple him running around nearby. It was all too much, and rather than make any sort of worse impression, he figured he'd just bail. Reset, essentially, and let the people who wanted to seek him out do so on their own time.
"You've got my cell number, Auri. Give it to anyone who wants it."
And he pushed past Stormy, staring at him trying to figure out if he had something to say in Britney's defence before he left. Nah. Auri had it covered, or she didn't. It was her problem, and he knew Britney wouldn't want him involved... Instead, it was out into the breezy St. Portwell street. His driver wasn't expecting him, so the car didn't pull out of the space to come claim him. Rather, he moved across the street and down a few hundred yards to a small library's front stoop. It was closed at this point, so it was the perfect place to stop and have a cigarette, which he still had from Eve. He sat down on the step, leaned back with the cigarette in his mouth, and took a big deep drag before breathing the dragon's smoke back into the air.

Precious fuckers.

Hider

Leon

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Mentions: Greenwood Coven, Alizée Altieri | Location: St. Portwell, Oregon: Veni Vidi Veni Parking Lot

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Leon immediately kicked himself in the ass for letting Alizée go on about her very special way of negotiating things. He had been behind her when the blast went off, and when Alizée was tossed, she impacted his knee and drove him down to a slide as the gale ceased.
Shit.
He was feeling the effects of the booze still. His legs were weak, and he was spinning around in his own brain fluids even as the fireworks began. The one with the webbing was behind them, and very soon they were dealing with the full surround, leaving Leon in an incredibly strange position. On the one hand, Alizée and he had more than an understanding; it was a kinship developed through years of physically fighting one another and coming to agreements. They felt similar about things, and the whole French thing helped with trust and unity. He loved her like he loved his little sisters, and nothing was going to keep him from protecting her.
But on the other hand, this was stupid. He had no fill-in, no real idea as to why she was even at this bar in the first place. She was being more than reckless; she was being wild. If he didn't know any better, he'd assume she was just looking for a mark and managed to find the absolute worst case scenario... But it wasn't going to get resolved unless one side or another broke off.

"Alizée!"
Leon broke his silence as Alizée began to push her powers forward. Trying to step, he found that his whole right leg was bound to the ground by the strong net. Magical garbage... But, his companion was getting ahead of him. He had to break out, had to stop her, had to diffuse the situation before anyone else showed up and made things worse... He had to get sober.
Fuck it.
There was a low rumble around Edict as his fingers began to snap from position to position; somatic components meant to trigger emotional responses that would in turn loosen the seals within him and allow a greater level of power to flow through him. By virtue of her abilities, Alizée usually won their little spats, but usually she was paying attention to him. This time, he figured he'd be able to do something. He'd be able to protect her from herself.

The first seal was the Spirit seal, its essence filling the inner chamber in which the power culminated. Lelou didn't protest, knowing full well that whatever was coming meant a stretching of the legs. Some time out. He didn't love the prospect, but he and Lelou had to make compromises for one another in order to function without struggle. The give and take was always a tenuous alliance... But, there was no concern as the spirit seal loosened right up. It filled his physical form with magical energy that he figured he was going to need.
"How many times have I had to tell you: If you're hungry and desperate, you come to me! Don't go hunting like this, Alizée! Drop her now!"
He knew what the best defense was against his companion; feed her until she's satisfied, and hope you last. Unlike others, he knew Lelou was plenty of food, and going off his previous assumption that's all he assumed she was here for.
The Earth and Water seals opened further, pouring into the neutral Spirit energy and coloring it a deep golden hue that dictated the further physical transformation of Leon.

His hair faded, rapidly whitening to match Alizée before burning back into a matching color to the energy within and growing further down his neck and back. His size increased rapidly, legs beginning to buckle and turn to digitigrades as he pushed up over the seven foot mark. His upper body; shoulders and chest and arms, began to bulk up more than his already substantial musculature allowed. He didn't let the transformation get much further here: This was to maximize durability. He was making himself juicy. Finally, Lelou had something to say.
Grip and rip: Break it! You need more! Let me kill it finally!
He felt a lashing pain as the Fire seal did its job in preventing an overflow that would drive him berserk, but a small influx did flood in. It was fine: Mixed into the cocktail, it was just a bit more strength he'd have to be careful of. By this time, Alizée had backed off into a somewhat defensive position where the Void was able to whirlwind its assets about in a blanket of protection. With his body saturated, the energy being used quickly sapped the alcohol from his system and sobered him up. The web snapped as he flicked it off his leg, and in a fell swoop he would attempt to rush Alizée in order to give her something far more concerning to think about.
"Drop the fucking Ginger!"
He went low like an Olympic wrestler, squatting and launching himself forward at a low angle hoping to grip her by the legs and disrupt her channeling. If the void decided to focus on him, the unfortunate victim could at least attempt an escape with her companions. They could ask questions later; for now, they had to pull off. Things were beyond too hot.

If he were successful in getting to Alizée and taking her out at the knees, he'd wrap his hand around the back of her head to minimize the chance of deadly injury before power bombing her into the concrete parking lot... As gently as possible, of course. He didn't want her hurt, only to stop and reconsider her actions.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Hider

Leon

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Mentions: Auri Auclair, Lynette Hunter-Richoux | Location: St. Portwell, Oregon: Gravity Gym - One Week Ago

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Whump Whump Whump...

The sound of the heavy bag swinging in between the guitar riffs kept the pace. Leon stared at the thing as if it had killed everything he loved, an intensity that hadn't been matched in some time. His blood was boiling, and at this hour of night he should've been sleeping rather than up punching something that didn't care about being punched. Something was telling him there was shit going wrong out there, and ever since the call about Ashley came in, the Remnants had been on lockdown. Or, at least the ones he and Daisy could account for.

Whump Whump

Whump

Whump-Kshnk!

The last blow caught the heavy bag deep in the gut, driving it upward on its chain and causing the whole supporting structure to rattle as Leon continued to pound away with bare knuckles at the inanimate object. It was focus: Sheer focus on one thing and one thing only. Getting the job done fast as possible with as few mistakes as possible. There was no score card after you drive someone to the brink of life and death. You leave them there, they falter, and once they regain consciousness the match has already been called. You had to be able to deliver the killing blow from anywhere, and he couldn't help but catch a glimpse of his own physique as his body contorted hard to the side to delve another devastating kidney shot to the, again, inanimate opponent that didn't seem to care at all about his assault.

Whump Whump, Whump Whump, Whump...

Whump, Whump, Whump!

Whump-Kshnk-Kchkchkchk!

The hundred plus pound bag hoisted upward again like a Smash Bros. trial participant, yet showed no signs of yielding in its slow and methodical counter-assault as its chain slammed off the support beam above it. Everything was probably fine... Just another late night energy attack for a kid who was always doing too much. He tried to think about the current events: A wolf statue ended up on Ashley's doorstep, then she's dead? Why? He knew she wasn't the greatest witch, she wasn't even necessarily the greatest friend, but when the time called the people rallied to her call and, what? She's condemned to death? He already had suspicions that it was one of their own. Some other rejected member of society who can't fit into either world they exist in, some corrupted Stygite for whom the war never ended and the Sycamore Tree never stopped screaming in their ears.

The phone in the office began to ring. Leon took deep, protracted breaths meant to bring his heart rate back down as quick as possible. Sweating like he'd just been out in a storm, he picked the towel up from it's hanging place on the equipment nearby and began to run it across his face and head.
Never good news at this hour.
No... No it wasn't ever good news at this hour. He tolerated the jabbing from his inner prison, long ago having come to accept that he would never be able to shut her up without holding the pillow tightly over her face while she slept. While she still had access to his physical senses, his own mind was a secure office in which he could think and plan without her knowledge or consent. It was her punishment for preying upon the Coven... Now here they were almost a decade on, and things hadn't been an issue until now. Why now?
He stepped into the low-light of the office, leaning himself against the table like it was a stool for his massive frame. The phone looked little in his similarly sized hands, but he still pulled it from the receiver to his ear with grave.

"Gravity Gym, you've got the Wolf: Howl at me."
A practiced answer. The reply wasn't so practiced. At first, Leon's face caved forward into a confused scowl, but that very quickly shifted into a far more open and peeled back look of fear and concern.
"Auri, listen... Listen to me! There's an explanation! There has to be; Daisy wouldn't say something like that to you and then not follow up if there wasn't a good reason!"
Another pause. He was starting to think that there was probably a good reason for his heart being up tonight.
"That's the last thing we're gonna think about right now! Let me call Lynette a-"
Interrupted. She didn't want the Temple involved. Frankly, he didn't either. His Mother always had a bad habit of getting stuck to things she didn't belong in, but she and Daisy were family. Direct family, and Leon thought that her involvement was justified. Auri wasn't so convinced.
"Fine, fine! I'll be there in ten then, just stay alert and flood the fucking place with butterflies!"

Leon

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Mentions: Greenwood Coven, Alizée Altieri | Location: St. Portwell, Oregon: Veni Vedi Veni

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Fucking Judas... Hadn't shown up all day. Leon had spent the earlier parts of the day staked out in a nearby coffee shop hoping to interrupt some of the Wolfpack's business. While there was no surefire tip that the man in charge knew anything about Father Wolf or the ongoing problems for members of the Old Branch, it was too difficult to have his own moniker dragged through the dirt while some fuckass used it to kill his friends. Ex-friends. Some were still close, but those memories were cold in the grave. He missed seeing the guys, or hearing about what others were getting up to. Even some of the more troublesome people...
His right arm was occupied by one of the floor matrons of Veni Vidi Veni, and while he hadn't been especially receptive to advances, he was perfectly happy to have her there for getting him stuff. He'd already stuffed a cool grand in her pocket to keep his name out of her mouth when dealing with the other girls, and had done so similarly with another who happened to greet him when the establishment opened. He came with a band, and was prepared to spend the whole thing to make sure that when Wolfpack did eventually show up, Leon would be the first person Judas Bennet would be dealing with.

But, that was hours ago. It was getting later, and he was half a bottle of rum deep with the Earth seal pulled back ever so slightly to keep the alcohol metabolizing at a higher speed. Booze, as it turned out, was great fuel for the Lady. Spirits. Leon giggled to himself in a stupor as he listened to the music. Still, he was staring at the front door, only occasionally peeling away to place a drink down or pick it back up. Even conversing with his hostess was half-hearted, his focus too pointed on the issue at hand. He passed the drinking off as an energy store in case things went south with the MC, but frankly this was the first time in a week he'd sat down for more than ten minutes... He didn't want to go to the meeting Auri was having, hoping to hear about who actually came through before he decided to get into the business of briefing and debriefing people about the involvement.
Then, who came through the door? Certainly not Judas fucking Bennet, but a familiar face none-the-less. From the corner booth, he'd recognize the pale white hair and slender features of his fellow Aberrant anywhere: Alizée Altieri! He nearly broke off from the dark corner booth, but decided that his legs were too gelatinous and sludgy to reliably carry him on into a conversation with her. But, he was able to question what the fuck she was doing here: Out of anyone, he figured she'd be at Auri's little meeting, if anything to save face for the nightly business. He was curious about what drove her off, but equally curious as to what her intention was here. She wasn't looking to hunt, was she?

The Hand, the Hand! It grips and pulls at us! Break the vessel, break the beast!

Leon frowned a bit. Drunk bitch... Leon continued to stare as some kind of exchange was happening at the bar. The red head looked familiar, like someone who had shown up at the Gym a few times. She was ripped, and he found himself nodding along. Maybe she'd get away from Voidlight. Leon's hand slipped into the pocket of his jeans, and he pulled out a small wad to hand to his hostess.
"Y'know, you've been swell tonight. But, I think I'm gonna be going here soon, so-" he politely folded the bills into her hand. "-be free, ma tourterelle. Don't spend it all in one place now, and... If you see me sleeping? Just nudge me awake and I'll slide on out."
"You sure you don't want me to call you a cab Mr. Richoux?"
"Nah, no worries. My ride is here." he said, pointing up toward the bar at Alizée.
The girl nodded, taking him at face value and thanking him for the relaxing shift before prancing happily back into the back to get ready for ending her shift. Leon, now alone, knocked back the rest of the drink that was sitting in front of him before fully outstretching his legs. Even in that short span, things had begun to turn at the bar. Alizée had started in on her own beverage, interacting with the red head and seeming to be joking about in some way.

It wasn't until Pink and Violet started their stage set that things got weird. Out of nowhere, the bartender was whistling for security and the red head seemed to ghost out as fast as possible which... Well, it didn't go well for her. At once, Alizée's massive spectral hand gripped her by the chest and squeezed tight. Leon had felt it dozens of times, some willing and some by chance, but no matter what it sent a visceral sensation through his body. It was a sympathy pain of the highest order, and kept him from moving for a moment as the adrenaline of his body began to mix into his own charged blood. He leased the Water seal, followed by Air and Fire, letting the energy pool in him before flushing it out through the Spirit seal. It didn't mean he wasn't still drunk, only that in a few minutes he'd not be drunk, and if he kept things to a light strain, he'd probably soak an extra five minutes out of the sugar in his gut and the booze in his liver.
Alizée pushed out the front door with her target in tow, and as he felt Lelou's connection, he stood up with a great big exhale. The giant at the corner of the bar slipped down, grabbing his hat and his flannel from the booth and slipping them both on before slapping another couple hundred on the table and making his own path to the door.

As he immerged, the Greenwood Coven was already moving to surround Alizée, so now it was pretty clear that backup was a necessity. He let the doors swing shut behind him, sauntering closer and closer until he was looming over Alizée from behind.
"Quel est le problème, ma douce main? La nourriture ne peut pas être si rare, non?" (What's the problem my Sweet Hand? Food can't be so scarce, no?)
His voice growled, and his Emotional Field pushed outward as Lady Lelou's energy bolstered his own. He'd only slightly released the seals, the hair on his face thickening into a black fur matching his long flowing hair that cascaded down his shoulders. Leon's eyes looked up at the Red Head in the clutches of Alizée, then back out at the assailants.
"Let me guess... She's with you?" he asked toward the Greenwood Members, having only a vague idea of exactly who these Portwell Power Rangers actually are. "And, who is you, exactly?"