Estylwen

Iris Ascendis

Ciara Ventura

Wingram Academy, Main Building
@Nanaya, @ERode, @Psyker Landshark

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“I can only open a Door where I have been before. We can discuss this transaction at a latter time.”

“It will work.” The Voice was exuberant in her mind. “We can show the dark one where to go.”

But she quickly wiped the mischievous look off her face as Iraleth quickly loomed over them.

Otis mentioned a transaction. What was he referring to? Would there… be a fee for procuring his talents? She was familiar with the term, as her old side hustles delved into the such. But she had a strong feeling Otis wasn't interested in money. Did he have need of her talents…?

Ciara sighed, and took a step back.

While Otis spoke with Iraleth about secrets of his own, Ciara's eyes gazed around the cafeteria. The pet had… slunk away? To where? Was it safe? She had to assume yes, as the school was no longer under a barrage of Mannekin as it was yesterday. The only Mannekin to speak of, that she knew, were in the cafeteria itself, minding their own business. Along with Gulliver.

A part of her briefly wanted to watch him flinch at her approach, but she let the thought slide. Now was not the time, nor the place.

“Setting aside personal business, how was the remains of yesterday? Let’s swap information regarding this academy.”

Ciara wrapped her hands around one of the coffee's-to-go, the bitter aroma welcoming. She moved to sit as Otis called the group to attention, but Iraleth caught her eye. It made her heart skip a beat, for a moment.

”There wasn't much remaining yesterday worth speaking of. I'll see you in class.” Iraleth said, making Ciara blink in confusion as Iraleth walked away. Iraleth purposefully withheld information about their duel. Was that what her look was about?

But why?

Did she not trust Otis?

“The darkness is comforting, as well as biting.” Said the Voice in her mind, a deep baritone.

“What do you mean?”

“The dark one is trusted, but with the expectation of betrayal.”

“Why would…”

“It's the nature of darkness to seek itself first.”

“Ah.”

She took the lid off and blew on her coffee, wholly distracted by the Voices, making the pause at the table drawn into a poignant silence.

Then she looked up at Otis, ignoring Iraleth's unspoken advice, and admitted, “Iraleth and I got into a fight. Showdown is in the Iris Record… Tonight, 6PM.”

She took a sip of her coffee, unwilling to say why. Iraleth, of course, was right on the money when it came to suspecting her, and Ciara was the unmovable boulder that refused to give any answers. Refused to confess the truth. Refused to spell her own death sentence.

She stared glumly over her coffee, before taking another sip, sitting in silence, listening. Before she would say, “We should… head to class.” after anything else Otis would try to say.

And she would do exactly that, after the conversation in the cafeteria concluded, feeling a little more somber than normal.

Maybe the reality of the duel was… finally sinking in.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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ANTAGONÏZER - LORD OF THE TETRAMORPH

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Alizée Altieri

Location: Veni Vedi Veni, Parking Lot
@Punished GN, @AtomicEmperor

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"I don't know who you are, who you're with, or why you're doing this... But, please put our friend down before this gets ugly."

Silence.

Then, a long sigh.

She was surrounded on all sides. That escalated fast. From the necklace the girl on the left wore, to the girl on the right posied with sharp-seeming leaves, to the trump card leading the jump staring Alizée down from on the top of her car roof. How inconvenient.

The redhead chirped despite getting the life passively squeezed out of her. "Oh, I am so happy to see you all! That means the others are comin' right!?"

Others?

The ground under her drunkenly swooned, and she stumbled, hiccuping in an uninterested manner. There was a weight in her hand. Oh. The phone. The redhead's phone. It was still open. Alizée stared at the African-American woman in front of her for a long moment, watching if they would kill her on the spot or wait a bit.

They seemed to be waiting for a response of some sorts. Good.

She checked the phone, scrolling through the texts. One part stuck out to her as she skimmed. This... group. These magic-folk, they were looking for the Wolfpack too. That was interesting.

She looked up, her platinum hair stirring in the night wind, before half-heartedly tossing the redhead's phone up to the girl standing on her car. Instead of giving a response, she procured a cigarette and matchbox from her purse, striking the match and lighting the end, taking a suck that made the cherry end glow, lighting up a mind racing with thoughts.

"Well, well." Void said in a hushed, gravely tone in her mind, looking over Alizée's shoulder. "He's got some damn good timing, doesn't he?"

"Quel est le problème, ma douce main? La nourriture ne peut pas être si rare, non?"

She leaned forward a bit, feeling the monster of a man towering behind her as he asked his question. The cigarette was pressed to her lips again, another draw lighting the end. Smoke swirled around her purple and red eyes, mixing with the shades of Voidlight passively wisping off her aura.

This wasn't good.

They were outnumbered. She was unsure of the talents these magic folks possessed. She was also unsure if there were more. She had back-up. But... would it be enough?

She took another long draw. About 45 seconds had passed since she grabbed the redhead. Time was slowly ticking down for the lady, but that's what Alizée had. Time. She could see the flickers of white light seeping off the woman's gripped body, coalescing around Alizée, slacking a portion, a sliver, of her thirst. Time...

Time to fight?

No. Time to negotiate.

"Merci, Leon," She glanced up out of the corner of her eye at the towering man. Her friend. Her elder brother. "Mais il semble que nous ne soyons pas les seuls à rôder ce soir."

She took another long drag, before flicking the cigarette down, and crushing it under her heel. Her lazer gaze glanced up at the woman standing unceremoniously on her car.

She gave the redhead a squeeze in her phantom grip, relishing it for a moment before a helplessly predatory smile crossed her features.

"Tell me what business you have with the Wolfpack, and I'll let her go."

The Dark Beyond: Adventures in Candyland (Prequel)

No rush, you can even let me know if it's easier to skip this round. Whatever works best. Thanks for the update!

The Dark Beyond

Sounds good, Angel, thanks for the update!

The Dark Beyond

It's always okay to brainstorm. Encouraged, actually. :>

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

//rubs hands together gleefully

I'll have a post up tomorrow, ideally.

Iris Ascendis

I'll have a post up tomorrow!

The Dark Beyond

Absolutely amazing post, absolutely amazing collab. I was hooked on every word. Truly worth the wait. :D

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Whoops, lemme change it.

Edit: Done. Made it more intimate and risky.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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F.O.O.L & THIRST - Motor

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Alizée Altieri

Location: Veni Vedi Veni
@Punished GN

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"SECURITY! GET HER OUT OF HERE!"

The comfortable rush of adrenaline that shocked her system the moment the bartender whistled brought a welcomed smile to Alizée's face. The night-stalker had been blocked before she could truly get to work. Now? Now, everything would be rushed, but she wasn't opposed to it. In fact, her mind relished rushing through possibilities as the towering bouncers pushed past folks in the dive to get at her.

Like second nature, phantom hands rose beside her, the appearance of melted night messing with the edges of reality. They grew in size, to about the length of a baseball bat, and like a swatter to mosquitoes, one hand locked onto the targets. In one second, the bouncers were marching towards her. In the next, they were sent sailing, crashing tables and patrons into the wall, surprised screams in their wake.

Alizée gave her phantom hand a flex, smirking. Before she spotted a red eye staring at her from the edges of the groaning aftermath. A furious, red eye surrounded in darkness. A hint of the horrors of the Void.

Alizée swallowed nervously, the world swirling under her as she pushed away from the bar. She took two steps forward and had to catch herself, stumbling. The liquor hit hard. But she didn't care. She would be fine, the buzz was even welcome, made her less afraid of the horrors. The buzz wouldn't interfere with her business, she told herself.

But she did have to move. It was best to give the horrors their space.

Now, she was left with a significant decision. The entire dive was staring at her, including the girls. Including the bartender. Including the muscular redhead who had smartly refused Alizée's gift. An almost gleeful look passed over Alizée's features, considering her options in that split second.

"It's obvious. Take the girl, and let's get out of here."

"Not so obvious."

"What are you on about?"

"Why are we here?"

"The murders."

"Yes. Father Wolf. What is a more direct approach, the girl or the texter?"

Void raised a shape of an eyebrow. "Interesting. And what if the texter has nothing to do with Father Wolf?"

"We know where Violet works."

"Ah. So you're changing victims."

"Yes."

"Very well. I approve."

Alizée smirked, and with the go-ahead from Void, she reached out with her other oversized phantom hand and grabbed the muscular redhead, squeezing tight and pulling the redhead off her feet.

"Let's get to know each other a bit better, sister..."

If Alizée was successful in capturing the redhead, Alizée would swipe the woman's phone and make her way to the door, giving a knowing smirk to Violet, staring for far too long, before heading out. She would shove the redhead into the backseat, phantom hand constricting around her arms and torso, and tore off into the night.

They say to never bring business home, but she was certain, by the time she was done with the redhead, they wouldn't even think about crossing her. So, obviously, her destination was the studio apartment she rented at the edge if downtown. No prying eyes there. And if she was careful, the redhead would have no idea...