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Skai
Estylwen
Sky Blue
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FernStone
swordmasc
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Chronic
ColdAtlas
Ten years ago, under that Sycamore Tree...Dusk hit, and the call was sent out to the friends and family of the three leaders gathered in the clearing... it was a gigantic field with lush green grass, and the Sycamore Tree was in the center. The Sycamore Tree stood tall and proud, its branches stretching out like the arms of a guardian, their leaves forming a natural canopy overhead. It wasn't long before night fell, but the torches and candles cast an ethereal light and were lit around the tree in a circle. They illuminated the massive field around the Sycamore Tree, and the various faces looked on. At the base of the tree stood the three future leaders of the Sycamore Tree Coven... ten years younger. Ashley had her long hair but had notable braces in her mouth, Daisy looked roughly the same, and Auri had far shorter hair tied in a neat bun that stuck out from the back of her head. Auri held a rolled-up piece of tapestry in her hands, and she smiled at Ashley. Daisy nodded her head at the girl as Ashley took a step forward and shouted,
"Everyone! Friends, families, and everyone else! Let me start by saying thank you all for coming here to hear us all out! Let me cut to the chase; we all have magic, and all have been dealing with the chaos of the Stygian Snake. Many of us have been facing it alone, but trust me... that comes to an end tonight!"
She shouted that last word as she pointed towards the sky; her eyes glanced and met each person.
"I've seen what it can do, and let me tell you, this is about survival! It's about protecting the people we care about and our home, St. Portwell! The Stygian Snake doesn't care about our world or the people here! It's here to destroy everything and stop at nothing until it gets what it wants! I believe that if we place our hearts and minds together, we have the power to stop the damn thing! It won't be easy, but I believe in you all. We've got the grit! We've got the skills! We've got the magic!"
Ashley's hand lowered, and she took a deep breath with her eyes closed before they opened. She continued,
"So I propose we ally against the bastard... let's call it a Coven. I know it's corny..."
Auri stepped forward, and she shouted, pointing upwards at the tree while holding the tapestry in her other hand, "The Sycamore Tree Coven! Named after this! Very! Tree!" After speaking, she placed the white tapestry on the ground and grabbed the Butterfly Staff she had slung across her shoulder. She held it with two hands and slammed the bottom on the floor, and a kaleidoscope of ethereal, glowing butterfly Apparitions came out the bottom like a wave. Flowing out in all directions, they quickly grabbed the tapestry and lifted it...
... revealed the Coven's own symbol on the white piece of tapestry, the one that Auri had painted herself!
"St. Portwell and everyone we love needs us! The Stygian Snake preys on chaos, fear, and hatred! As the Sycamore Tree Coven, we will end its rampage once and for all! We will put aside all of our differences! We will stand as a united front against the Stygian Snake and make sure it never threatens us again! So, who is with me!?"
"... Sounds like a fucking cult!" A young boy's voice spoke up, laughing... and that young boy was a sixteen-year-old with black, spiky hair. It was none other than Drake Blackmore.
"Drake, shut up!" His older sister, the eldest of the Blackmore siblings, Victoria Blackmore, chimed in. Like Ashley, she had braces and stood with a hand on her hip. She turned towards the three leaders and shouted, "I stand with you, Ashley!"
"You know I have to see where this goes, Ash!" Another girl, a black girl with curly hair and slim, didn't shout but raised her voice enough so that Ashley and the others could hear her. It was Lynette Dominguez.
"Que diable... Count me in." Alizée said, her gaze passing over the group before landing on Ashely.
"You know I'll follow you to the ends of the earth, sis!" A young Lionel Hunter was the next to speak.
"... Do I... Do I have a choice!?!?!?" Next to him, the ten-year-old Ripley Hunter spoke; he leaned onto his older brother's side.
"No, Ripley, you do not." Daisy firmly said.
"So we're only being asked to join as a formality," said Sloane Faris, dressed in all black, arms crossed, the disinterest in her voice making it impossible to tell if she was making an accusation or a mere observation. She shrugged and said, "Whatever. I'm in."
"... I'll help! F-for my f-family!" Kura Yoshia chimed in, trying to sound valiant, but stuttered.
"If Kura's in, I'm in! Don't expect me to pull punches; just stay out of my way, and maybe you all won't get hurt!" Amy Nakamura shouted as she leaned forward on her iron club; her placement was next to Kura.
"Ye better not be countin' me out!" A spirited decree, which undoubtedly escaped the mouth of Eksa Thresh due to the unmistakable Scottish accent, cut through as she posed her hands onto her hips. "I reckon you'll need all the help ye can get, aye?"
A giant girl with a curly black Afro stepped forward with her hands on her hips and shouted, "Was it ever in doubt? I'm in!" Samatha Alger was her name.
"Of course, I stand with you." A young Jinhai Han said with a smile that didn't reach his dark eyes. He nudged Linqian, who stood beside him, arms crossed and a perpetual scowl on her lips.
"This is stupid," Linqian muttered. Another nudge from Jinhai, and she rolled her eyes, saying, "Whatever, I'm in."
"Me, and Nikki, are in!" Amanda Blackmore shouted, touching her timid younger cousin's shoulder as she raised her fist valiantly.
“If we don't stop the Stygian Snake, it could mean the end of everything we know and love! I will fight for you!" Britney Williams, a girl almost as tall as Samantha Alger, spoke, raising her hand.
"I'm in if he's in," Tayla said, nudging James.
"I'm most definitely in!" James said.
“You have my sword!" Drake shouted, laughing.
"Draaaaake! This is serious!" Victoria shot her head towards her younger brother, "Stop fooling around!"
Seeing all the people willing to fight to protect St. Portwell made Ashley smile... a tear of joy dripped down her cheek as she took off her channeler, a Sharktooth necklace, and raised it. With tears of joy coming down her face, she shouted,
"EVERYONE! RAISE YOUR CHANNELERS, WANDS, AND WHATNOT!"
"... What if we don't have one?" Samantha asked, with her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised.
Ashley's hand went directly into her face, and she groaned before she said,
"Then just raise your hands! Something! I don't know!"
At this time, Drake raised his channeler, his wooden sword made out of nails and gorilla glue. Victoria, his sister, presented one of her favorite books, which operated as her channeler. Amy raised her club in the air. Lionel raised his pocket knife into the air. Auri raised the butterfly staff, and Daisy raised an old toy that was her channeler. Everyone, one by one, raised their hands or whatever object they had on hand.
"Now repeat after me!" Ashley shouted before she recited the chant, the Sycamore Tree Coven's creed that Auri devised...
"Beneath the sprawling canopy of the sycamore tree's wisdom, we united in the sacred dance of destiny. Cloaked in the tapestry of twilight and wielding incantations of yore, we became the harbingers of the Stygian Snake's destruction. Intertwining destiny with our magic to rewrite the tale of shadows into one where the serpentine darkness recoiled before our radiant might!" She shouted...
It took a moment before the newly formed Sycamore Tree Coven recited it back at her. Some voices were off, but they had the right spirit...
"...Beneath the sprawling canopy of the sycamore tree's wisdom, we united in the sacred dance of destiny. Cloaked in the tapestry of twilight and wielding incantations of yore, we became the harbingers of the Stygian Snake's destruction. Intertwining destiny with our magic to rewrite the tale of shadows into one where the serpentine darkness recoiled before our radiant might!"
"... Oh, we are so a fucking cult!" Drake chuckled.
"Drake, shut the fuck up already!" Victoria chided him.
Nikki Watanabe, Amanda, & Victoria Blackmore
Interactions:
The Blackmore Manor.A black Dodge charger with tinted windows rolled up in front of the Blackmore Manor... at least that is the cutesy name that the Blackmore siblings gave the house. The door to the vehicle opened, and Drake Blackmore came out, wearing a hoodie, blue jeans, and some running shoes - he reached into his car, pulled out a giant duffle bag, and threw it over his shoulder - he felt the October breeze hit him and remind him of the time of year it was. He walked up to the front pathways of the Blackmore manor. It was in the middle of nowhere, and Drake had fond memories of the place; he remembered playing there with friends and family as a child. Though, now that Adam was dead, there was an air of grief that was omnipresent throughout the house - but it was far better than staying in the old apartment that he and Jade had shared. Even though it cost Drake more money in the long run, he broke his lease and moved back home. The stone house was between a mansion and a regular house and had plenty of room for Drake. He walked up to the front door and heard the sounds of babies crying inside.
It made that oppressive feeling of dread and sadness so much better. He still had the key, which he dug out of his pocket and stuck in the lock, turned it, and opened the door.
"... Who the hell is that?!" Drake heard a voice unmistakably Victoria... he turned his head to the left. He saw the kitchen - where the source of the crying was coming from - and saw his older sister running up... but various kitchen knives, forks, butterknives, and other pointy objects were floating around her. "... Drake?" She said, dropping her telekinesis Spell, and the various kitchenware fell to the ground.
"DRAKE!" Victoria shouted as she ran over and gave her little brother a big old hug! "It's been so long!"
"Yeah, I know," Drake said, with a chuckle.
"What brings you back?" Victoria took a step back and looked up at Drake... but she forgot that she was not... dressed for company. She wore a tank top that was pretty much see-through, without a bra, and gave her little brother a great view of her areolas.
Drake gagged, holding his mouth with a fist as he turned away.
"What's wrong...?" Victoria asked as she looked down and remembered. "Oh..."
Victoria shrugged as she put a hand on her hip and said,
"Well, you gotta remember, Drake, only girls have lived here since you left."
It was dinner time at the Blackmore Family dinner table, and Victoria had changed to something more appropriate: a bright pink hoodie with NIKE on the front and long sweatpants. Drake was sitting at the head of the table where his father, Adam, used to sit. With Victoria's triplets Stephany and Catherina to his left on a high chair, they significantly calmed down and played with toys on the high chair table. To the right of them was Amanda Blackmore, wearing a pink hoodie, sweatpants, and Nike slides. Across from Amanda was Nikki... who Drake was surprised to see here. She wore a tank top (thankfully, she had a bra on) and short shorts that did not accentuate her figure. It wasn't long before Victoria came from the kitchen; she gave the triplets their food on plastic dinnerware made for children. Then she returned with food for the rest of the Blackmore Siblings (and Nikki): Chicken, greens, and mac and cheese - all unseasoned because that is important to note.
The triplets began eating their food, and Drake's first bite was a bite of mac and cheese. The dinner table was silent, as there was an elephant in the room that no one present wanted to address. Drake was the one to break the silence as he said,
"... So, Auri wants to reassemble the Coven," Drake said.
"I know," Victoria said.
"Yeah, me too!" Amanda said. "I don't know what the fuck she's expecting!"
"Amanda!" Victoria chided Amanda. "Not in front of the triplets." She narrowed her eyes at her.
"Oh, sorry, my bad."
"And I take it none of you want to rejoin?" Drake asked the Blackmores (and Nikki).
"I'm doing things right now, and I don't have time to play witch," Nikki answered, finally speaking (but Drake was used to that from Nikki), then shrugged. "I'm sorry about what happened to Ashley, but I don't like Auri."
"Yeah, the fu- the freak she expects to happen?" Amanda asked. "She gathers the Scooby gang, and what? They solve the mystery with the power of love and friendship?" She chuckled, rolling her eyes.
"Frenchie should leave this to the St. Portwell PD because... it don't work like that," Amanda laughed.
"I would love to join, but I have a lot on my plate right now... you know I got a new job with the FBI..." Victoria glanced at Amanda and Nikki, and they nodded their heads. "... And this is the first time I got off for a few weeks since I joined. So I'm focusing on me and the triplets."
"But you know about the murders..." Drake was silent; he lowered his head and sighed. "Any one of you could be next."
"Yes, I am aware," Victoria answered and tried her best not to remind Drake about Jade. "But... we'll be okay. Trust me."
"Well, Auri wants us to meet her at her flower shop; I'm... going to hear her out," Drake said with a sigh.
"See!" Amanda heartily said, throwing her arms behind her head and leaning back in the chair. "You'll get to the bottom of this for us."
"Amanda, sit normal," Victoria said with a roll of her eyes, and Amanda grumbled as she sat down normally. "Look, Drake... I know you're still..." Victoria quickly changed routes. "... a grown man, but please be careful. This is serious, and I'm not sure if Auri herself is innocent."
"Heh, you know me, Vic," Drake said, "I'll be okay."
"I hope so," Victoria sighed.
Afterward, Drake finished her food, and after checking his phone, he realized it was time for the first meeting of the reformed Sycamore Tree Coven. He left his duffle bag in his old room, walked outside towards his car, and got in... Where was this place again? Drake thought to himself as he typed in the address to Flowers and Canvases; it said it was a thirty-minute drive. Figures. They lived on the outskirts of St. Portwell, after all.
Drake pulled a U-turn and sped off towards the first meeting of the Coven.
Let's see what Auri has in store.
Lynette Domínguez
Interactions:
Downtown St. Portwell.St. Portwell was beginning to wind up as rush hour started; the downtown area did not see much activity, given that it was another Monday. So, the homeless population was free to sleep and otherwise stand around on the streets. A woman was lying down on a blanket that she had stolen; she was older with blonde hair that was heavily matted and dirty, wearing a sweater that was ripped to pieces, and had no shoes. She did what she did best, lied down, and waited for some kind soul to donate her some cash...
... She noticed someone standing over top of her. Someone huge. A freakishly tall woman wearing a blue-checkered pattern button-up shirt, jeans, and some black flats... holding a tote bag in both hands in front of her. "Hey there!"
The homeless woman didn't respond, and Britney laid the tote bag before her. "In here are toiletries. Stuff like toothpaste, baby wipes, a toothbrush, a washcloth - Oh! And lots of bottled water and some food that you don't need to heat up! No need to thank me. Take care!" Britney waved goodbye to the homeless woman as the woman was speechless, and Britney heard the woman digging through the tote bag as she departed.
That's good enough for today. Time to meet Lynette.
Downtown St. Portwell - The St. Portwell Park.It was a short walk from the downtown area over to the famous St. Portwell Park; it was a Monday, and children were off playing in the distance. Britney had one destination; she glanced at her phone and saw a text from Lynette telling her that she grabbed their usual spot. She walked through the parks and made it to the park where there wereconcrete chess tables with chairs... eventually, her gaze met Lynette's Domínguez's afro, and she smiled. The table had black pieces for Lynette and white pieces for Britney. She sat down and said,
"Let's get started; you know these chairs start to hurt my butt after a while," Britney said with a smile.
"I'm going to ask the mayor to install padding to accommodate your big ol' butt," Lynette said with a chuckle, "Make the first move."
"Gladly!" Britney said with a chipper tone as she moved one of the pieces.
"... Let's just address the elephant in the room, shall we?" Lynette said, grabbing her metal water bottle and taking a swig. "... You got the call Auri put out, right?"
"I did..."
"Did you take it?" Lynette asked as she moved a piece.
"I... told her I was going to come... but I'm not sure now..." Britney's voice got shaky; she grabbed a piece and was damn near ready to drop it. "... I did some things, and everyone... hated me." She sighed.
"Not everyone," Lynette said with a wide smile, "I admit, what you did was... messed up to say the least... but you keep forgetting..." Lynette smiled.
"... You were only sixteen at the time," Lynette chuckled again before she shrugged as she moved a different piece. "And at the end of the day, you messed up, you realized what you did was messed up, you got kicked out, the Coven disbanded, and everyone moved on with their lives. I'd be surprised if anyone actually remembered it."
"Thanks... I needed that, but I'm curious,"
"About?"
"Are you joining the new Coven?"
Lynette shrugged.
"I'll think about it; it was fun, and I love all of you guys... I have other things in my life that I have to sort out first; maybe once those things have been sorted, I'll join..."
"Girl..." Britney had to contain her rage at the statement. She just couldn't and stood up, slamming her hands on the chess board, throwing all the chess pieces everywhere. Then she said, "Someone is killing us, and you're treating it like this is some book club."
"... And a minute ago, you said you weren't sure you were going to go because you still think people are holding onto old grudges," Lynette chuckled before she whispered. "Look, trust me, I understand the gravity of what is going on... and trust me, I am confident you all will get to the bottom of this and stop...."
"... Father Wolf."
"But - Look, I'm going to be honest..." Lynette leaned forward, "... I'm a part of something, and if I rejoined, that'll create a sort of..."
She trailed off, shaking her head as she looked for the words.
"... Conflict of interest."
"I'm not a fan of keeping secrets, Lynette,"
"And neither am I, but trust me,"
"Just what are you ap-"
Lynette's phone rang on the chess table, and Britney caught a glimpse of the caller ID before Lynette snatched it. Regional... something? Lynette pressed the phone to her ear, and Britney just shook her head as she walked off, grumbling to Lynette,
"This isn't over, Lynette."
However, checking her phone reminded her that it was past time to meet the Coven. Oh, well... it was probably easier for Britney to show up late, anyway. Thus, Britney made her way to Auri's store; it wasn't that far away.
Auri Auclair, Justin Haggar, & Lauren Jones.
Interactions:
Flowers and Canvases.It was the big day!
Auri stood behind the register with a chipper smile on her face... her plan was to close her flower shop, Flowers and Canvases, early, but unfortunately, there was an old lady who liked to take her time perusing her wares. So, Auri stood behind the register, all chipper as she stared at the lady... Laurey was off trying to sweep up the areas she could without the old lady. However, when the lady turned her back, Auri leaned in and looked at her phone on the counter. She quickly swiped through and went to her text messages...
Justin wasn't answering.
"... You have a great day, dear!" The old lady said as she finally left, and Auri gave her a weak goodbye as she darted towards the door and turned the OPEN sign around to CLOSED and locked the door. She quickly turned towards Laurey as she grabbed a broom, "Laurey! We must hurry up! They're going to be here any minute." She began sweeping like a mad woman.
"... What are we cleaning up for again?" Laura Jones asked with a raised eyebrow as she briefly paused.
"Oh! Nothing! I'm just having a reunion with some friends! We're doing a new book club!"
"Uh-huh," Lauren just shrugged as she continued cleaning, and Auri continued cleaning up. It wasn't long until the flower shop was swept up, and Auri whipped out the mop. She began mopping the floor, and wished she had the butterfly staff on her.
... Someone knocked on the door, and Auri whipped her head around to tell them they were closed. However, it was Justin Haggar! Her beloved boyfriend, holding two foldable chairs in his hands. She smiled as she ran towards the door, unlocked it, and gave Justin a peck on the cheek as she squeezed past him to go to his white sedan... in the passenger seat was the Butterfly Staff, and she opened the door and grabbed it. The rest of the chairs were in the backseat, and she slung the staff over her shoulder as a mass of glowing butterfly Apparitions came out of the staff. They engulfed the remaining foldable chairs and floated inside the flower store.
Fortunately, Laurey had her back turned, and the streets were pretty empty around this time. They quickly set up in the middle of the flower shop, forming row after row after row... and Laurey turned her back, and the chairs were neatly arranged. She laughed,
"Damn girl, you must be serious about this!" Lauren laughed.
"... Your book club?" Justin asked.
"Not just any book club," Auri proudly announced with her hands on her hips. "My witch-themed book club!"
"Explains why you got that around," Lauren incredulously pointed at the Butterfly staff in her hands.
"Oh, uh, yes!" Auri said. "But, your services are no longer required, Laurey. I'll add a few extra hours to your check today!"
"Oh, thanks!" As she removed her green apron, Laurey said, "The Jazz Queens are having a show tonight. You should come."
"Oh? I would love to, but I think I'm going to be very busy... next time, though."
"Heh, suit yourself; it's going to be lit..." Lauren said as she walked out the door, "Later."
When Lauren Jones left, Auri wrapped her arms around Justin, shouting, "JUSTY! Love you Justy!"
"Love you too," Justin said, running his hands through Auri's hair.
There was a brief silence as Auri grabbed Justin's ass. Then, the moment of truth came...
"... Where are the snacks?"
"Oh!"
"AWWWWWWWWW, DID YOU FORGET THE SNACKS?!"
Auri put her hands against Justin and "pushed" him out the door, shouting, "Hurry up and go get them! Get something! ANYTHING! They're going to be here any minute now."
"OKAY!" Justin shouted back as Auri closed the door and sighed.
She was not lying.
They were going to be here any minute now!
The 8th Street Coven, & Lynette Domínguez.
Interactions:
The St. Portwell Woods."Hurry up! We got shit to do!"
Emily shouted at her underlings as she stood in the middle of a clearing... she was deep in the St. Portwell woods on the edge of the city limits alongside her 8th Street Coven. Any further out, they'd enter the redneck towns that surround the city, and Emily would instead die then step foot there. Except this clearing in the woods was the aftermath of chaos: trees burned and knocked out, craters in the ground, rock fixtures sprouting, and water and debris everywhere. Emily took a step, and her hiking boots were coated in mud... thankfully, they were hiking boots. Emily looked up and saw that the sun was setting over the ocean... which meant they should hurry the fuck up. Their objective for today? Find the Apparition Killer... Emily had reason to believe it was out in the woods due to...
She gazed at the chaos and shook her head.
... Certain hints. Nonetheless, recovering the Apparition Killer was of the utmost priority. However, Emily slammed her foot on the ground, unintentionally splashing mud and water,
"HURRRRRRRY UP! BEFORE THOSE TREE-FUCKERS SHOW UP!"
She looked to the left... then to the right... then stormed over to her faithful second in command, Vashti Nour. "Vashti! Do you know where my sisters are? Weren't they right here?!"
"... I mean, they are your sisters," A voice chimed in... the Apparition that Emily was adjoined to, Babylon The Great. She was floating, as if she was longing in the air, with a smile. "What kind of older sister doesn't watch out for her younger sisters? Oh! I know, a very shitty one!"
"Babylon, FUCK OFF!"
"What? I'm just raising a point?" Babylon shrugged.
“Looks like rain, bro,” said Vashti as she held out her hand to check for drops, even though there wasn’t a rain cloud. She grinned at Babylon and cracked her knuckles, “Better hideaway now, Babby. Don’t want your fire to go out.”
The Apparition shrugged and said, “I can see where I’m not wanted. Toodles!” Babylon faded away, returning to Emily’s soul.
“And Emily, chill,” said Vashti, nudging her lightly on the shoulder. “If those Greenwood goofs show up, we can just throw some trash on the ground to keep them distracted. Anyway, they’re over there. Carol was crying about a twisted ankle, so Miranda is helping her out, and Jacqueline’s doing, you know, book things.”
Emily ignored most of what Vashti said save for the answer to her question. She caught the gaze of her two sisters and whistled, shouting,
“Jacqueline, Miranda, come here!”
Miranda perked up, looking at Emily, “Currently dealing with a sprained ankle… Nevermind.” The wound had instantly healed, and she walked over. Jacqueline had also presented herself. The two twins stood side by side.
Jacqueline, who was wearing hiking boots, jeans, and a denim jacket with the Expert’s Book nestled in her armpit, had said, “Are you finally ready to stop wasting our time? The Book said The Apparition Killer wasn’t here like three hours ago.”
“Shush!” Emily didn’t want to admit that she was wrong.
“Yes, and shouldn’t we be trying to help Annabelle?” Miranda was next to speak… She was ill-dressed for the occasion with a skirt and leggings, a sweater with black combat boots, and a little bowtie on her head.
“And Constance!” Jacqueline said.
“Yeah, just how are you okay with that?”
“I'm not, but don't you think we could use the Apparition Killer to help her?” Emily said, putting her hands on her hips.
The twins were silent.
“... Hello,” A voice spoke off to the side, one that Emily instantly recognized. Her head turned to see Lynette Dominguez standing on two undead hands she had summoned from the ground. Emily narrowed her eyes at her stilts and said,
“... Clever.”
“As always, Em,”
“Lynette!” Both Jacqueline and Miranda said as they ran and hugged Lynette. Lynette wrapped her arms around them.
“I missed you two!” Lynette said.
Emily almost gagged and kept her arms crossed as she said, “What? Are you finally off that bitch’s tit?” She didn’t even make eye contact.
Lynette laughed in response, “I see you’re stilll trying to play supervillain, Ms. Reed.” Her gaze went over to Vashti, “And I guess you are still the same if you’re still following her around?”
“Duh. Why change perfection?” said Vashti with a sweeping gesture as if she were presenting a prize on a gameshow before mirroring Emily’s crossed arms and cocking an eyebrow at Lynette. “What are you doing here, dude?”
“I’m here to chat with Emily… and see my two best friends!” Lynette smiled as she embraced Jacqueline and Miranda. “I tried to call you two, but… I was blocked. On everything. Funny that.”
“If you were blocked, that isn’t an invitation to come in person,” Emily firmly said as she crossed her arms, turning away from Lynette.
“That’s… weird,,” Jacqueline said as she pulled out her phone; she went straight to her blocked contacts and saw that Lynette was blocked. Then she went onto social media… Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram… “What the hell…?” She tilted her head before putting the Expert’s Book on the ground and opened it up… mentally asking how Lynette was blocked.
Emily went into your phone while you were asleep and blocked her.
The words jotted down across the singular page on the subject, and Jacqueline stood up, shouting, “EMILY!? WHAT THE FUCK?!” Grabbing the attention of the nearby members of the 8th Street Coven.
“... Just when are you two going to stop making excuses for Emily and face facts?” Lynette calmly said as she put a hand on her hip.
“And what are those facts, Lynette?”
“Ooooooh, nothing,” Lynette said as she rolled her eyes. “That you’re just a garbage person that has to resort to doing the lowest of lows just to stay relevant in someone’s life. But all you’ve done is doom yourself to becoming a different type of irrelevant. Like an annoying background noise that people turn the music up to ignore so they can go about their day.” Lynette gave Emily the biggest smile.
Emily gasped, put a hand on her chest, and replied with a “... And what makes you think you are soooooooo much better, then? If you forgot, you’re working for an actual despot. She’s like Emperor Palpatine, and you’re her Darth Vader.”
Emily put one foot forward, bent her knee, placed a hand on her hip, and flicked her hair like a diva as she said, “At least I can say I carved my path.”
“What makes me better than you? You know…”
Lynette smiled.
“... My great personality, my smarts, my good looks, my wits… and my junk in the trunk.” She followed it up with laughter as she looked at Emily’s sad excuse for behind and said, “... Pancake.“
Emily’s face went red… then literally red as she ignited with red hot flames, infused with the faces of Babylon’s countless victims. They screamed out in pain as Emily balled her fists and growled.
“Emily!” Miranda got in between herself and Lynette with her arms outstretched… knowing that Emily would never chance it.
The fires disappeared, and Emily rolled her eyes with her arms crossed. “Look, if you’ve come here to pretend you got a sense of wit or something, then fuck off.” She answered.
“Hey now, you asked,” Lynette was not phased by the display and didn’t so much as flinch. Of course, she was right next to both of Emily’s sisters, so that could have been it. “Then let me get to the point…”
Lynette trailed before she added, “Now, I know you heard about the murders…”
“Don’t tell me you came all the way out here to accuse me?” Emily turned away from Lynette.
“No,” Lynette laughed, “I know you’re not responsible; you’re at least smarter than that.”
There was a brief silence before Lynette continued.
“I’m wondering if you know anything useful so I can get to the bottom of this?” Lynette said… and there was silence as Emily looked at Jacqueline; Jacqueline looked at Miranda, and then Miranda looked at Emily.
“... Of course not,” Emily responded with a roll of her eyes. “You know what happened to Ashley! Go look in instead of out!”
“Then, Jacqueline, can you use your book and inquire on the matter for me?” Lynette asked, and Jacqueline grimaced… she shook her head left and right.
“Look, Lynette…” Jacqueline trailed.
“Lemme guess... You have an excuse for why you can’t tell me. Maybe Emily does have something to do with it.”
“No, no, no!” Jacqueline said, waving her hands back and forth. “There’s… there’s a lot more to this than you think. If I told you… then that’d be the end of us.”
“... And I don’t think losing 8th Street would be bad,” Lynette answered.
“Good thing it doesn't matter what you think. Miranda, Jacqueline, it’s getting late. Time to say goodbye to Lynette,” said Vashti, taking a step toward Lynette with a sly smile. She glanced at Emily for the nod.
“Fascinating… you are Emily’s Darth Vader,” Lynette said with a smile; Emily knew she had picked up on Vashti’s intentions. “If you wanted me to leave, all you had to do was say so.”
“How about you learn to read the fucking room then?” Emily rolled her eyes. “Fuck off. Then keep fucking off. Fuck off until you come up to a gate with a sign saying, “You Can’t Fuck Off Past Here.” Climb over the gate, dream the impossible dream, and keep fucking off forever. ”
Lynette shrugged.
“Whatever you say,” she started before turning around and walking back into the woods. However, before she faded into the tree line, she looked over her shoulder towards Jacqueline and Miranda. She said, “Oh yeah, and tell Emily to behave because someone really powerful is coming to St. Portwell. Trust me, I’ve seen him in action. Goodbye!”
Lynette said as she disappeared, and Emily rolled her eyes and said to herself,
“... What a cunt.”
However, she heard an imposing figure approaching her; she could hear his heavy footsteps approaching. She turned her head, looked up at the giant person, and grinned.
“.... Oooh…” She started, “Back so soon?”
Auri Auclair.
Interactions:
Flowers and Canvases.As Auri predicted, people began trickling into her fancy flower shop. She arranged the chairs so that there were several rows of foldable metal chairs, with one in front that Auri had sat on herself. She had released some butterfly Apparitions, and they floated around the store. Being the curious spirits they are, they followed some of the members of the Coven around as they entered and found a seat. Auri personally greeted every member as they walked in, and she sat and leaned back in her chair, holding a clipboard and a pen in hand. Once enough members arrived, Auri decided to begin the meeting!
"Hello, everybody! I know it has been quite a while, but it is great to see you all here alive and well. I thank you all for accepting my call! Now, let's get started... So, how is everyone doing?"
"Good as I'm going to get," Drake was the first to speak up; he had his hands on his head and was leaning back.
"So, it's been a wild decade since we defeated the Stygian Snake. Now, we are up against a new threat... Father Wolf. This man... their deaths demand our attention, and I cannot turn my back on it any longer. So, it wasn't an easy choice to make, but I decided to reform the Sycamore Tree Coven not just for protection but to get to the bottom of this senseless death."
Her gaze met every person before her.
"The Stygian Snake is gone, but darkness wears many faces... and it's starting to look like Father Wolf is the next threat. I know many of us had our... issues in the old Coven, but if we put our hearts and minds together, we can get through this!"
"Yay, power of friendship... yay..." Drake rolled his eyes as he dryly said, then leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "So, where is the bastard so I can kill him already?"
Auri raised a finger,
"Currently unknown, but I'll get to that," She started, "We need to set some ground rules first... first and foremost, on this day, we begin a new chapter, which means we are going to let go of any past transgressions and move forward as if we are a brand new Coven! We cannot let the same mistakes that occurred in the first Coven happen again... but I know we all had a lot of maturing to do between then and now, right? Right?"
Auri awkwardly laughed before she continued.
"But, I believe that many of the problems in the old Coven were due to... the leadership making decisions for the group without informing the group! So, I will not be barking instructions at each of you or trying to micromanage... instead, I will be a guide and mediator when conflict inevitably arises. Treat this new Coven as less of a dictatorship as it was under a certain someone but a collaboration between old friends. Remember, we are not a Coven; we are a family.”
Drake raised an eyebrow.
"Are there any problems with that? Suggestions maybe? I'm open to them, and snacks will be here shortly!"
