Interactions: Sloane (@Atrophy), Amara (@Blizz), Aislin (@Estylwen), Clancy (@Zombiedude101), & Kenshiro (@AtomicEmperor).
Kari's House.
“It’s just a dent,”
Of course, Sloane went out of her way to invalidate Britney's feelings. It was a tiny dent, but the issue was that Britney didn't want anyone to go and trash Kari's house. It was bad enough that they were breaking in, but the last thing she wanted was for the group to ruin this place. Nor was she going to allow it. She returned Sloane's cold stare... with a smile.
”... Then it's cool if I make the same exact dent in your wall, right?” Britney laughed. Linqian decided to jump in, mentioning Jinhai, and Britney shook her head as she said, ”Linqian, I go-”
"Alright, alright everyone. Dogpile Sloane Hour was a decade ago, remember? We can afford to talk about how we're executing this after we're done, this is gonna be a long day. We can make it shorter if we don't get caught up on every little thing,"
Of course, Amara had to come over and stick her nose where it didn't belong - it was prompted by Linqian jumping in, which is why Britney wanted her to stay out of it. Speaking of which, Sloane had slipped off, backing down when the heat was too intense, naturally, which meant that it was up to Britney to defend her actions. She stared down at Amara with a completely neutral expression on her face. She didn't like Amara, even before it came out what Britney had done.
”One, I wasn't picking Sloane out specifically, and if it seemed that way, I will apologize to Sloane later,” Britney began before she put a hand on her chest. ”And two, I am just stopping a precedent that we should just trash Kari's house just because she's dead. Respect the dead. Respect Kari. I would have and will get on anyone's case if they did something similar.”
She sighed, ”And three, I don't want to be here as much as the next guy, but-”
"... You could've knocked,"
Britney was interrupted and turned towards the... boy? ”... Huh?” Britney tilted her head as she looked at the kid. She immediately recognized him from the shitshow at the strip club; he was the kid that got shot. She narrowed her eyes at him, realizing she must have an abstraction. Even if he had survived getting shot like that, he should have been in the hospital for months. Not just that, his parents should have been informed (and arrested for gross negligence).
"At least your friend's kinda onto a point, but you really are a shitty bunch of friends, to Ashley and the rest, d'you know that? If you can remember not to fight like a bunch of high school kids, maybe you'll get something done this time."
”Okay, one, you're a kid, what do you know?” Britney began, ”Two, who are you? Three, didn't you get shot? Four, why are you here?”
However, at this point, Kenshiro had an absolute meltdown.
"No! No, no, I won't stand for this now! Who... What... Why!? Can't we ever get fucking organized? It's just like making plans! Just like it, I make sure I come back for a certain date, I syncronize my cronometer between the two dimensions, I get home on time to texts telling me that things are canceled like Verizon exists in the Kingdom of Molaran?"
”... That's a good question,” Britney said, glancing at Auri for a second as she put a hand on her hip. On one hand, Auri hadn't even attempted to organize things. On the other hand, Britney wasn't sure if there was even a point in trying to.
"Sully!? Put the fucking cup away, my friend! Did you not have a dream the other night where a girl took it from a pedestal? And then, coincidentally, you got it stolen at the Festival? It's bad enough there's so many of us fucking here!"
”... The fucking Chalice got stolen?” Britney asked.
"My Second Clan? Come on, everyone, gather who will for a shot in Kari's memory... And PLEASE stop ransacking her house, because you won't find what you're looking for in any drawer or couch. Kari kept her most private things in a place so safe I'd bet my own life on it. Because I trust locks! And keys that lock the locks! I'm dead serious, Sully, pour the Sake for everyone... Because this isn't just for Kari. This is for Lyss, and Ashley, and for Kali and Jade and Jinhai... No more lost... Please?"
Britney couldn't help but smile as Kenshiro gave a smile. Finally, it is important to get the group back to the point of respecting the fallen members of their Coven, which Britney had utterly forgotten about. Kenshiro was needed, so Britney was glad to have him back. She walked over to him and said,
”... I keep a bottle of wine in the back of my car,” Britney smiled, as she put a hand on her hip. ”I could run to my car real quick to take a bit of load off Sully.” She gave Sully a warm look as she said,
”Yes, a toast for everyone to lost to Father Wolf: Elsa, Lionel, Kura, Samantha, Simone, Finn,” Britney listed off some names. ”And Alizee, too. She was one of the best of us, all negatives aside.”
We're better off without her. She internally added. That was when Aislin had to ruin things by pulling out weed and offering it to the group. While Britney was no stranger to recreational drugs, there was a time and a place. And this was not it. Britney quickly turned towards Aislin as she said,
”Aislin, put that thing away,” Britney seethed, ”There's a kid here, and we got shit to do. You can get high lat-”
... That was when they were all pulled into a Recollection.
Kari's House.
“Why were they alone,”
”... Beats me, she always wanted to lone wolf it when she knows the killer attacks people who are alone,” Adora shrugged, as she crossed her arms, staring at her feet as she told the uncomfortable truth. ”... It was her fault, I'm sorry.”
As more people showed up, something popped into Adora's head. Was this really Auri's plan she held off for about a week? About twenty motherfuckers ransack a dead girl's house? Talk about grasping at straws. Adora crossed her arms, waiting by Lynn's side as the group assembled before her. She wouldn't make a fuss about it, but Auri was desperate to justify her leadership as usual. What was she hoping would happen? Kari's just hiding in a secret room in the attic? That they would find her with a bloodied knife in one hand and a manifesto in the other? It's all because Lyss probably just made a mistake. Of course, they can not confirm it now that Lyss is go-
BOOM!
Adora's heart started fluttering as she thought the super police were back, ready to fuck up their shit again. Her head darted towards the door, and Sloane had either kicked it down or used some gay ass magic - Adora didn't know, Adora didn't care. She gently placed a hand on her chest, taking deep breaths most subtly and inconspicuously as she could (In other words, not very) without tipping off the rest of the group.
That Sloane. Adora didn't want to seem like she was hounding Sloane after the disastrous first meeting - or second, Adora couldn't even be bothered anymore - so she kept to herself and let Britney and Linqian handle it. She didn't see the big deal, and if they cared that much, they could fix it on the way out. However, she had to speak her mind, so she stepped forward.
”... Look, ya'll, I get where ya'll comin' from,” Adora shook her head as she addressed the group. ”But, there's like twenty motherfuckers charging into one house like a herd of buffalo; shit's going to get messed up regardless.”
She shrugged, shifting her weight to one hip as she touched it, ”We can just fix it on the way out if it's such a big deal. So, let's hurry the fuck up before the magic police come barking up our tree again. I dunno about ya'll but I would like to not get teargassed again. I had to toss out that hoodie, by the way.” She gave the group a sinister grin that she hoped the group would interpret as sarcastic.
"No! No, no, I won't stand for this now! Who... What... Why!? Can't we ever get fucking organized? It's just like making plans! Just like it, I make sure I come back for a certain date, I syncronize my cronometer between the two dimensions, I get home on time to texts telling me that things are canceled like Verizon exists in the Kingdom of Molaran? Sully!? Put the fucking cup away, my friend! Did you not have a dream the other night where a girl took it from a pedestal? And then, coincidentally, you got it stolen at the Festival? It's bad enough there's so many of us fucking here!"
However, an Asian guy—she wasn't sure if she had seen him before, but he looked familiar—had a meltdown, and Adora was taken aback. She took a few steps back as she put her hands up at the rant. However, he calmed down shortly after, and Adora was relieved. She was hoping this wouldn't devolve into everyone freaking the fuck out over every goddamn thing. She sighed.
"-Her... Her delicates drawer. She usually kept the important notebooks in there." he closed his eyes, shaking his head. "There's no way I'm looking through them."
”Oh, hell no!” Adora laughed, keeping her arms crossed as she knelt over for a moment. When she stood upright, she kept one arm in place as she raised a hand and spun her index finger around while barely containing laughter. ”Everyone! Wrap it up; we are not digging through someone's panties! I don't kno-”
"That was... A joke."
”Oh,” Adora shrugged. ”You got some people here excited.”
She then stuck her tongue out at Kenshiro.
"You're Sloane. I think I recognise the 'Britney' and 'Adora', but I'm struggling to follow who you are. There's a lot of names carved in that tree, and Ashley didn't say much except how some people were assholes. She was family to me. I want Father Wolf. He wants you dead. Does that answer your questions?"
Adora turned her head when she heard her name and saw that kid in the church. It was no surprise he was already here and breaking into houses. Though, there was something odd about the little kid, the way he acted. He was a bit too mature for his good, but then again, Adora and many others in the Old Coven had to grow the fuck up fast. So maybe the little bastard had a shitty upbringing... which involved losing Ashley. She swore she had seen the bastard around as she ran errands, following her. She was wondering how the little shit knew her name in the first place! Thus, she lets Stormy and the others talk while she listens.
"My Second Clan? Come on, everyone, gather who will for a shot in Kari's memory... And PLEASE stop ransacking her house, because you won't find what you're looking for in any drawer or couch. Kari kept her most private things in a place so safe I'd bet my own life on it. Because I trust locks! And keys that lock the locks! I'm dead serious, Sully, pour the Sake for everyone... Because this isn't just for Kari. This is for Lyss, and Ashley, and for Kali and Jade and Jinhai... No more lost... Please? And quick, because the Old Bat across the street is a nosey hag, and if she saw us piling in here, she's gonna call the fucking cops! Do I know where she keeps her stuff... Up until a few years ago the panty drawer wasn't a joke. But I hooked her up. It took a few days and a lot of raw material, but I got it right eventually. Come on! Gather around and take a shot, then its off to the Basement we go!"
”Now you're speaking my language,” Adora said, sake wasn't her thing - she never tried it before - but she was willing to try it for the group. ”We're not going to lose anyone else, I'm going to make sure of that... homeboy.”
What's a nonawkward way to ask someone's name without making things awkward?
That was when Adora was pulled into the Recollection.
Kari's House.
"What's with the flowers, Drake? Trying to win Sloane over after last week?"
Oh boy.
Everyone knew by now.
Drake's face went a little red from embarrassment as he looked over to Stormy, though he wasn't surprised now. Sloane probably hopped up and down about Drake, even though she was probably right to do so. ”Y-yeah,” Drake shook his head, ”Bro... I just fucked up. Big time. She was my wife's friend, bro.” She sighed.
He observed the group forming before him, almost entirely different from the first meeting. Drake had no clue that Simone, Kali, Lyss, Finn, Alizee, and Eska were dead because he missed the second meeting. So he was just a little taken aback by the sudden wave of new faces, which questioned why they decided to care now. Well, either way, hopefully, they are here to help, and Auri was not just wasting their time by being here. He was happy to see Aislin... even if he would have appreciated it if it was under better circumstances.
Like the news of Lyss's death.
God damn it. Drake shakes his head and grits his teeth nonetheless. That bastard can't keep getting away with this... ”... When I get my hands on him.” He said. Lyss was his friend in the Old Coven... and he didn't even know that she was back in town. Now, he felt a twinge of pain and regret; he should have been prowling the streets looking for Father Wolf instead of wasting time at the Halloween Festival. Though, could it have been Kari? Drake didn't interact with her often, but Victoria did, and Victoria kept in touch for years until they fell out of touch.
He shrugged.
Sully wanted to offer a moment of silence for Lyss, and Drake took off his sunglasses, hooked the hinges on his T-shirt, held the flower in both hands, and hung his head.
BANG!
Sloane had decided to blow down the door with her magic - Drake knew it as the Hexmark. He knew she would because imagine someone like Sloane kicking down a door. Her leg would shatter in twenty different places, and the thought made him giggle like a girl. Some people got mad over it, and Drake just... shrugged. They're breaking off Auri's hunch, and respect is not being shown to Kari right now. The issue was that he was unsure if Sloane would be in a good mood... or if this would be a good time. Okay, probably not. Not. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Drake mentally seethed.
He kept the flowers in his hand as he walked in, bringing up the rear as there was... a kid? What the fuck? Stormy acted like he knew the little bastard, but if Drake were on duty right now, he would be hauling this young man to the station and making some calls until he could find his parents. Then give them hell for letting their kid break into someone's house. That's what they're doing right now, so Drake kept to himself. It was typical Coven chaos anyway, so Drake twiddled his thumbs until Kenshiro offered a toast. Not to just Lyss, but everyone... including Jade.
Suddenly, Drake's grief and loss resurfaced, and he needed a moment to compose himself. However, something caught his attention in the midst of it.
"... I'm almost positive we're being watched from those trees by someone. Just a feeling."
Drake turned his head to Tayla. While anyone else would have missed what Tayla said (or be dumb enough to press the matter), Drake was smart enough to pick up what Tayla meant. She was probably using some of her Pink-Lux bullshit to keep an eye out and picked up that someone was watching them - she pointed in their direction and everything. Drake knew Tayla didn't like him and looked like she didn't want to be here, but he was not stupid. That bastard was probably tailing them now, waiting for the perfect moment. He wasn't going to let it go without so much as looking for it. He tapped Tayla on the shoulder as he whispered,
”... I'll take a look,”
Then he stepped outside, surrounded by an aura of electricity as he took flight. In his right hand, he created a round, circular shield large enough to cover most of his body. He darted in the direction Tayla pointed, leaving a trail of crackling electricity. It would be dead evident to the stranger what he was doing when he stepped out, but he went full speed in said direction, hoping to catch them off guard before they got a chance to escape or react.
However, he was pulled into the same Recollection everyone else was....
Recollection: Elsa Connor.
Interactions: Yes.
Kari's House. A month before the murders began.
July.
It was a beautiful day in July. The sun was shining, and this was long before Father Wolf's murder spree, so Elsa could rest easy. So could Kari. Or at least Elsa wished that she was enjoying herself. The girl wore a tank top, and some daisy dukes as she mowed the lawn with a push mower. The Airpods drowned out the sound of the motor in her ears as she blasted a song. Kari always wanted to hire a landscaper or pay some snot-nosed kid to mow Kari's gigantic lawn, but Elsa always shot that down because they have a lawnmower, two arms, and two legs; they could do it themselves!
She wiped the sweat off her forehead... though doing it themselves meant it got hot. It was time for a break. She cut the mower off and walked up the stairs to Kari's (also technically hers) house. She skipped through the house, walked over to the refrigerator, opened it, and grabbed a water bottle.
"... Lionel, Lionel, I get it,"
Elsa could hear from the other room - Kari's den. It was Kari's room where she kept her computer and just a place where she... relaxed. Kari has been acting slightly strange lately; people have been coming by, including the Old Coven's favorite, Emily, and some of her goons a few weeks ago. Elsa tried to drive them off... but that resulted in her needing to see Jade. The chattering in the room went on, and curiosity got the best of Elsa as she took off her heavy combat boots for yard work. She sneakily walked down the hall, hanging out directly out the doorway. She poked her head in to see Kari wearing a black dress and sitting at her computer desk. She was hunched over it, with a phone to her ear and her other hand against her face with her elbows holding her up.
"... I know you don't approve of them them."
The other person, who could only be Lionel Hunter, chattered momentarily before Kari answered.
"Yes, I know," Kari shook her head before she quickly snapped back. "Emily came by here three times already. You know Elsa can't handle her, Vashti, and George. Yes, I know you went to their mansion and played tough guy, but they came back. You know Emily doesn't know when to quit."
Kari rubbed her forehead and shook her head as Elsa could hear Lionel's chatter. "... Emily desperately wants me in 8th St. No one else is doing anything. I tried going to Sloane, but she was all 'that's great!'"
She sighed as Elsa could hear Lionel speak, and Kari then answered,
"I don't know about you, but I can't see a world with me in 8th St. I know it's been ten years, but I know the places she pushed Lisa to for fun. I know how she treated people like Ella. It's been ten years, but they were my friends, and it'd be disrespectful to their memory even to consider working with Emily in any capacity."
Lionel chattered some more before Kari said,
"At the end of the day, the only way to get Emily off my back was to join them," Kari began, sighing again as she continued, "I know they're shitty, but no one else is helping."
Lionel spoke some more before Kari cut him off.
"Look, Lionel, we're going in circles here," Kari began, "I'll talk to you later, bye. BYE."
She hung up the phone, and when Lionel called back, she immediately declined the call. Kari massaged her temples as Elsa slowly walked into the room smilingly. When she was in range, she pounced on Kari, wrapping her arms around her in a hug.
"Kari!" Elsa excitedly said, "Whassup?"
Kari jumped before she smiled back, "Nothing, nothing."
"I just heard some chattering and... are you okay?"
Kari paused for a moment as she strained the smile.
"... Everything is fine," She began. "Trust me."
The Recollection ended as they embraced each other.