Mixtape Ghost N

Recollections: The Compendium

THE.RUTHLESS.BLOOM
| The Carniverous Blossom | "Within its petals lies a hunger that knows no bounds, consuming all, even its own user." ORIGINS & CREATIONS: | A coven created the Ruthless Bloom in the universe of Shade. They sought to embody nature's wrath in a single artifact, merging botanical beauty with a monstrous appetite. The witches' collective hatred and desire for vengeance against their oppressors breathed life into this malevolent flower. | TYPE: | Life-Draining Artifact | LOCATION: | Thrown into the Pit for the good of humanity. | NOTABLE OWNERS: | Morgan the Terrible: A witch who used the Ruthless Bloom to terrorize villages, feeding the flower with the souls of the innocent. | ABSTRACTION-GRANTING: | Yes | .............................................................................	The Ruthless Bloom is a grotesque artifact, deceptively beautiful with its delicate, pale pink and white petals. Nestled within these seemingly innocent petals lies a maw lined with sharp, fang-like structures, ready to consume anything or anyone that comes too close. The Bloom’s surface is often covered in a fine layer of dew, giving it a deceptively fresh appearance despite its vicious nature. At the heart of its power lies the ability to Devour Life Force. The Ruthless Bloom can consume the life force of any living being that comes into contact with it. This process is excruciatingly painful for the victim and rejuvenates both the Bloom and its wielder. When the Bloom devours a being, it also absorbs their knowledge, allowing the wielder to gain valuable information and skills from their victims. The Bloom can use the absorbed life force to heal its wielder’s injuries, making them incredibly difficult to kill. The presence of the Ruthless Bloom instills an overpowering dread in those nearby. However, wielding the Ruthless Bloom exacts a horrific toll. As its powers are used, the wielder undergoes nightmarish transformations. Initially, the skin has slight discoloration and an unnatural sparkle in the eyes. But soon, twisted vines begin to erupt from the flesh, tearing through skin and muscle in a visceral display of agony. The body contorts and twists as bones elongate and warp, transforming the wielder into a grotesque mockery of a human form. The skin becomes tough and bark-like, covered in thorny growths and pulsating with a sickly, unnatural fluid. Limbs warp into gnarled, root-like appendages that twitch uncontrollably at blinding speeds. Flesh splits and peels away in layers, revealing writhing plant matter intertwined with necrotic tissue, the stench of decay ever-present. As the transformation progresses, the wielder's internal organs mutate, merging with plant life in a horrific symbiosis. Roots and tendrils snake through veins and arteries, spreading like a cancerous infection. The heart becomes a twisted knot of vines, beating with an unnatural rhythm. The lungs fill with spores and fungal growths, making each breath a painful rasp. The mind deteriorates, consumed by an insatiable hunger that mirrors Bloom's own. The wielder's thoughts become fragmented, driven by a primal urge to feed and grow. In exchange for these nightmarish mutations, the Ruthless Bloom grants a form of floramancy, allowing mastery over plant life on a grand scale. This power enables manipulation and animation of vegetation, creating grotesque plant monsters driven by an insatiable hunger for flesh.

Paragraphs: Agents of Death [FernStone & Shin Ghost Note]

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Lisa dreamed of tiddy.

Ella carried Lisa into their room with Saskia following behind. She looked at the bed, then at the fact they were still covered in horrible gunk. There was no way she was letting that get on their bed! No! Ew!

She went past the bed completely and into the bathroom, stepping in fully clothed (well as clothed as she had been!), turning on the shower while holding Lisa in her arms so the warm water hit them both.

Lisa’s tiddy dreams were violently interrupted when the water hit her. She screamed and thrashed around as she shouted, ”... AWWWWW WHAT THE FUCK?!” Before she just went limp, then raised her head to look around.

”... Shouldn’t we all be naked, Ella?”

"If I’d stripped you, you would’ve set spiders on me like you did to Olivia!" Ella said. She was half naked already! And this was two birds with one stone - clothes and bodies washed. Though it was very gross seeing all the blood, guts and gore go down the drain. "But we can get naked if you want!"

”I mean, I only did it because she didn’t ask before she start-” Lisa tried to say before she stopped, went silent for a few moments, and then said. ”... You know what, sure!” Lisa said as she threw the tattered dress onto the floor next to Saskia.

"Room for one more?" Saskia intoned, though they must’ve been joking since they didn’t try to squeeze in. They’d washed their hands and were holding two towels, still covered in gore otherwise. They held them out for when the other two were done.

Which wouldn’t be anytime soon for Ella! She was determined to get every last bit out of her hair, which she shoved right under the shower head.

”Get in, friend! There’s room for all of us!” Lisa shouted, squirting a bottle of body wash on her head. ”You know, like, it would be really fucked up if the drains got like really clogged, and they gotta take them out, and see all these guts!? ” She laughed with the widest smile on her face.

"Alright," Saskia shrugged. They also stepped in fully clothed, squeezing in beside Ella. They then took the body wash off Lisa and also dumped a bunch on the top of their head, rubbing it in. The blood that stained their blond hair red slowly started to come out. "Ooo, I wonder if we'd get kicked out? Or would they think there's a murderer staying here?"

"There probably is!" Ella said. She moved so that she was only holding Lisa with one arm - still possible with how small she was - and grabbed a fancy ass conditioner she'd bought with their totally not stolen money. But she had to keep her braids in tip top shape! She started carefully massaging it through, grimacing at the feeling. Gross, gross. "Not us, obviously. We only kill monsters that deserve it. Oh, maybe when we go back to St Portwell we should become magical girl vigilantes. We're real good at it!"

”We can go around throwing acid in people's faces!” Lisa said, throwing her hands into the air - and water all over the place. ”Maybe we can make our own Coven! What should we call it?!”

Ella immediately got excited at the idea. Their own coven! It'd be amazing! "The Super Sa-"

”No way," Saskia cut her off. "Hmm… it needs to be something cool. What about Mortifer Coven?"

Ella tilted her head, confused. ”That doesn't sound bad… does it mean something?"

"Bringer of Death, roughly."

”... Mortifier Coven?! Really?!” Lisa broke out laughing, as she washed her hair. ”That doesn’t ring at all! What about the Lunar Coven? It’s perfect because of Ella’s weird-ass obsession with Sailor Moon!”

Then Lisa looked at Saskia, ”... And take your clothes off! Do you wash your hands with gloves on!?”

"I like Lunar Coven! But it's not a weird obsession!" Ella shouted, splashing water at Lisa's face… which was kind of useless when they were already in the shower.

Saskia looked at Lisa, then at Ella, then back at Lisa. Then they sighed. "Fine."

They stripped down to their underwear, but no further. Ella was a bit disappointed… strange. Oh well.

"Lunar Coven works, I suppose. It fits all of us."

"Ooo, ooo, I can make us outfits!" Ella said excitedly, jumping up and down in an already cramped space. "I'll figure out a spell to give you magical clothes too!"

”... We can just go buy some, Ella,” Lisa tilted her head at her.

"But I could make extra durable outfits! And if you buy them you won't match me when I transform!" Ella shouted. "I'll make us magic magical girl outfits!"

”... Ooooh, can mine have spiders!?” Lisa asked, ”I would say put blood on Saskia’s, but that would make them want to shower with it on!” She snorted, sticking her tongue out at Saskia.

"Of course! I'll be able to make it look like anything!" Ella grinned, while vigorously scrubbing the blood off their body. "We'll all look so cool! I'll make Saskia's bone themed!"

”Boner-themed.” Lisa added.

"Haha, very funny," Saskia intoned, sticking their tongue back out at Lisa. "I know when it's real."

”... But do you know when soap and water is real?!” Lisa laughed as she flicked some water onto Saskia.

Saskia looked Lisa dead in the eye and said, "this is real?"

Then the showering went on… they all got out, fully bathed, and in various states of dress, and the first thing that Lisa did was flop on the bed and pretty much immediately fell asleep. She loudly snored, and had a snot bubble coming from her nose.

Ella looked at Lisa sleeping with a slight smile, before stretching her arms up with a yawn. She wasn't tired at all! If anything she was more away. "Saskia, let's-"

"No, I'm not practicing kissing with you again," Saskia interrupted.

"That wasn't-"

The laptop began ringing… someone was calling them.

GRETA M. FAUST.

"OH, IT'S GRETA!" Ella shouted, leaping for the laptop and answering. "Hi Greta!"

At this point, Ella was only wearing a towel, grinning, and waving at the camera. Saskia, fully clothed again, appeared behind her with a wave. Greta was wearing a white labcoat, holding a red potion in her hands. She also had a welding mask on… one that she lifted when they answered. She rolled her eyes.

“... I see you couldn’t bother to get dressed before you answered,” Greta snorted.

”I am dressed?" Ella tilted her head, confused. Everything was covered, wasn't it? What was the problem with it being a towel?

"You should've seen her earlier," Saskia commented.

Ella shrugged. "What's up, Greta?!"

“I was hoping to finish our touching reunion before your friend asked to see my backside,” Greta rolled her eyes as she grabbed a beaker full of water and poured it into a jar full of various ingredients. It bubbled as it turned green and began glowing. “You’re… you’re really back to life! I cannot believe it…”

”You get used to it," Saskia shrugged.

"It's amazing! So much has changed!" Ella shouted with a grin. "We're almost done here, then we need to do one other task then… we can come back to St Portwell!"

“Excellent,” Greta said as she put the potion down. “But, you three need to watch your back - and I don’t mean when you get back to St. Portwell, I mean in general.”

Greta narrowed her eyes at the two, saying, “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Daisy’s little brother, that one girl from Japan, Jade, Kari, and Elsa, was recently murdered. Nobody believes that there’s a pattern, but I do. And I’m certain that you three are targets as well.”

"Yeah Clem and Nessa told us they'd died! I can believe Kari… before we…" Ella's bottom lip trembled as she was overcome with emotion. Kari had been the other magical girl, Ella's other bestest friend, but she'd died before they could reunite.

"Why would we be targets?" Saskia said as Ella was crying. "They would have to know we were alive. We've been quite low-key."

Greta snorted.

“… The three of you have the subtlety of a brick thrown in a dryer,” Greta grinned. “Either way, don’t become… complacent. It’s the most insidious of all killers.”

"We won't!" Ella shouted, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "We're basically fighting for her life every day here! We'll come back stronger than everyone else!"

"Right… oh, want to hear how we beat a dragon, Greta?" Saskia asked.

“I’m more than certain I’m going to regret saying this,” Greta sighed. “… but, sure.”

"Ella showed him her tits and he came so hard he exploded," Saskia nodded.

Greta stared at the laptop for a few moments.

“… I think I need to go take a toaster bath now,” She sighed.

"Oh, can I join?" Saskia asked.

”Why are you taking a bath with a toaster?" Ella asked, confused.

“Yes,” Greta said. “To both questions.”

”Ooo, wait for me then," Saskia said.

Ella was very confused, so she decided to completely ignore it. "Greta! How is everything at home?"

“Terrible,” Greta shook her head as she finally sat before her computer. She gave her pigtails a twirl as she said, “St. Portwell has become a hive of scum and villainy. Though, things are a little better now that we got rid of the Nazi-cosplayers…”

"I hope you killed them in horrible ways," Saskia intoned.

"It sounds like St. Portwell needs us! The magical girls! To save everyone," Ella nodded. "Are you safe?! Do we need to come protect you?!"

“I would suggest staying as far away from St. Portwell as possible… for your own protection,” Greta snorted. “And I am perfectly capable of caring for myself, thank you. Don’t you have a job to do?”

"We can't go there anyway!" Ella groaned, throwing up her hands. "We're almost done! We've killed all of his stupid minions, now we just need to find and kill Morningstar! It'll be easy."

"Very easy," Saskia nodded.

“… Then what’s the hold up?” Greta asked. “Eliminate him already and gain your freedom.”

Ella scratched the back of her neck. "Oh yeah, you're right… well Lisa's asleep. So after some rest!"

"We still have to do another task," Saskia said with a frown. "We won't be free after killing him."

“Hmmmmmmm…” Greta mused, as she looked at these two psychopaths. “Do you have any idea what that task is? Do you have a time limit at all?”

"Nope and no idea!" Ella said cheerfully. "We'll find out when we kill Morningstar!"

“Well, if you weren’t told of a time limit,” Greta cracked a wry grin as she leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers. “Then you can assume there isn’t one until you are informed.”

She was silent momentarily, “You three are still Adepts, right? Death didn’t make you lose your connection to your Lux, right?”

"Of course not!" Ella shouted. ”Then I wouldn’t be a magical girl anymore, would I?”

“... Then prepare, devise some new spells,” Greta flatly noted. “Unless you’re that comfortable that you don’t need it, but… complacency kills.”

"Oh, you’re so smart, Greta!" Ella grinned. "We definitely should while we have time!"

"... We were planning to do that anyway," Saskia intoned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "We talked about it less than an hour ago."

"Oh yeah! I’ll develop a snow spell and one to transform all of us! Ooo, when we get back I can use it on you too, Greta!"

“… I don’t think such an outfit would compliment my figure,” Greta snorted, gesturing down at her rotund figure. “Besides, I’m not an upfront fighter like you three.”

"You'd look so cute, though!" Ella flailed her arms around, looking at Saskia for agreement… who just shrugged. ”But you're right… I'll save it for upfront fighters…"

“My fupa would be showing,” Greta flatly noted.

"Oh," Saskia got an evil glint in their eye. "Use it on Drake when we get back."

“And have his little dragon hanging out for the world to see?” Greta cracked a wry grin. “... Just make sure I’m not around when you do.”

"I don’t want to see it either!" Ella shouted, shaking her head. "No way! I’m not doing it."

"Aw… I’ll find another way to get revenge," Saskia shrugged, before yawning. "Anything else you wanted to warn us about, Greta?"

“No,” Greta said, “But, I would love to talk… about anything, really…”

"I can talk! Oh, oh, show Greta the stone, Saskia! Maybe she can help us figure out why it made you go crazy!" Ella said.

Saskia shrugged, pulling out the orange stone and holding it up. "I killed three people using this."

"And tried to kill us too!"

Greta leaned in, and stared at it for a few moments.

“... I have no clue what that is,” Greta began before she pulled out her cell phone and fired off a text. There was that ding, notifying her that she had received a text message. “But maybe our resident supernatural expert can help out.”

She chuckled… and a few moments later, Nadine King, walked into the room utterly towering over Greta. She wore a black sweater and a long-skirt and had rings and bejeweled necklaces around her neck. She leaned forward, staring at it for a moment, rubbing her chin, and said,

“... It’s the Orange-Stone, ya’ll,” Nadine spoke in a thick Louisiana accent. “It’ll boost your abstraction, but it comes at a pride. The more you use it, the more violent and destructive you get.”

Nadine shrugged.

“I wouldn’t use that thang’ if I were ya’ll,” Nadine said. “Where did ya’ll even get it from?”

"Who are you?" Saskia asked, before seeming to look at Greta (as much as possible through the screen. "Who is she?"

“Nadine King,” She succinctly answered. “Your lil’ girlfriend Greta’s Coven-sister.”

“She’s legit,” Greta said before tapping Nadine on the side and whispering something in her ear. Nadine nodded her head, and was silent.

"Saskia got given it by these spooky guys who kidnapped them!" Ella shouted, not caring who this other spooky person was. If Greta trusted her enough to tell her, then Ella trusted her too. "I agree we shouldn’t use it! You nearly killed us, Saskia. Lisa had to melt your face off!"

“If I had some to spare, I would get you all some of my Abstraction-Boosting Potions, but…” Greta was silent for a moment as she looked up at Nadine. “... The Orange-Stone is still an asset you three can and should use. Just be careful with it - though, that’s really asking a lot from you three.”

"That’s why I’ll keep a hold of it," Saskia said, putting it back in their pocket. "As the most sensible of us three."

"Hey, that’s not true! You’ll just use it right away to go on a rampage!" Ella shouted.

"I won’t. I’ll use it against Morningstar if we need it. But it’s not fun to kill him quickly."

"I want a turn! I bet I could resist it!"

"Denied."

"What- Greta, tell Saskia to let me use it!" Ella turned back to the laptop with a wail.

Greta just laughed as she reached forward.

“Unfortunately, I have no say in this matter,” Greta began. “It was great talking with you two; I must get back to work. Make sure to tell Lisa I said hi.”

Greta cut the call.

"Oh well," Saskia shrugged. "I’m going to bed."

"What, no, Saskia-" Ella started, but Saskia had already fallen into the bed, bundled themself in the blankets and closed their eyes. She pouted. Fine. They’d talk about it tomorrow.

Whistling to herself, Ella discarded her towel and pulled on some bright pink pyjama shorts and a t-shirt. Then she flopped onto bed with Lisa, wriggling up behind her and wrapping her arms around her (avoiding touching her tiddies).

Then she fell asleep, contentedly dreaming of her magical girl adventures.

The Ghost Archives

Hatanaka Yoko

Alternate Themesong

"I will not be able to live with myself if I do not become the very best Adept. The very best Hatanaka. The very best person."

_______________________________________________ Hatanaka Yoko She/Her | 22 | Japanese | 4'11 | 126 _______________________________________________ Resilient _______________________________________________ Skills & Talents "I refuse to be anything other than the gold standard." ___________________________________ [+] Martial Arts ⫻ Yoko has dedicated significant time to studying various forms of martial arts, including traditional Japanese styles such as Karate, Judo, and Kendo. These give her a solid foundation in striking and grappling techniques; Yoko’s skill makes her a formidable hand-to-hand combatant. Multilingual ⫻ Growing up in Japan and spending significant time in America, Yoko is fluent in both Japanese and English. Culinary Skills ⫻ Having worked in a café and helping her grandparents, Yoko has developed impressive culinary skills. She can prepare various dishes, from traditional Japanese cuisine to Western meals. Agricultural Knowledge ⫻ Yoko's experience as a farmhand has provided her with a solid understanding of agriculture. She knows how to cultivate crops, care for livestock, and manage the various tasks required during harvest season. Practical Mechanics ⫻ Yoko has picked up basic mechanical skills from maintaining equipment on the farm and handling minor repairs. She can troubleshoot and fix common mechanical issues, whether a broken appliance, a vehicle needing a quick fix, or agricultural machinery. Bojutsu ⫻ Yoko has studied the art of Bojutsu, the traditional Japanese martial art of stick fighting. She is skilled in using a long staff, or bo, to perform various techniques, including striking, sweeping, and blocking. Her training includes various katas (forms) and wazas (techniques) that blend offensive and defensive maneuvers, allowing her to transition between attack and defense fluidly. Yoko can adapt and use any long, stick-like object as a makeshift bo in combat, from broom handles to branches. Her Bojutsu practice has honed her physical coordination, balance, and reflexes while instilling mental discipline and focus. Sealing ⫻ Yoko is quite proficient in sealing, a skill taught to her by her older brother, Goro. While the process is straightforward, it demands careful preparation, unwavering belief, and exceptional skill; by drawing sigils with genuine conviction, she can successfully trap an Apparition within an object.

Appearance ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "I do not work out to be your eye candy, pervert." Despite her small stature, Yoko Hatanaka's mere presence commands an undeniable presence that makes her stand out. The girl emanates a fierce, intense, and unapologetically assertive aura wherever she goes, which makes her seem more significant than she naturally is. Her overall demeanor, often described as exuding a perpetual resting bitch face, adds to her unapproachable air, serving as a barrier to any who might think of approaching her without good reason. One of Yoko's defining characteristics is her unladylike demeanor. She moves with confidence and purpose, often seen as alien to someone of her background. Her mannerisms are straightforward, and she has zero patience for niceties or pretense. This is reflected in how she carries herself, with a straightforward, almost aggressive posture that further discourages unwanted interaction. Yoko prefers to present herself as unfiltered and raw, so she would never put on makeup. Yoko's physical build is another aspect that sets her apart. Despite her short stature, her body is very well-developed and muscular, a testament to her dedication to fitness. Her time at the gym has sculpted her physique into well-defined muscles, but it's often hidden beneath her choice of clothing, which typically consists of several sizes too large. These oversized clothes conceal her figure and add to her mysterious and unapproachable image. However, her clothing choice reflects her indifference to norms and trends; Yoko favors practicality and comfort over style, donning loose, baggy dresses or oversized pants and shirts that obscure her body. Hidden beneath her layers of heavy clothing are surprisingly large breasts, measuring around 38H, a detail that contrasts sharply with her otherwise androgynous appearance. Yoko orders custom-sized binders just for her, and they reduce the silhouette of her breasts significantly, but if the situation calls for it, she'll swap them out for a sports bra. However, Yoko is flat-bootied. Her physical appearance is the quintessential East Asian, with features that reflect her pureblooded Japanese heritage. Her hair, naturally straight and jet-black, is cut into a pseudo-pixie style that enhances her tomboyish charm.

_{Psychology
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"If it has nothing to do with my journey, I want nothing to do with it."

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Yoko's primary desire is to locate her brother Goro. She has no clue where he's at, but she's on the trail, and she will find him. While doing so, she wishes to honor her Grandfather's dying wish: recover the scattered artifacts and breathe new life into the Hatanaka name. Despite her initial disdain and reluctance for the magical world, she feels responsible for maintaining the Hatanaka legacy. This isn't just for her family, however. Still, it's for herself, and Yoko wishes to prove to the world that she is not only worthy of the Hatanaka name - but she is the gold standard for Hatanakas, warriors, Adepts, and whatever category you can stick Yoko in. In addition to this grand mission, Yoko seeks personal growth and a clearer sense of self. Her time away from magic, working various jobs, and honing her physical skills have shown her the value of normalcy. Yoko wants to find a way to integrate her duty with her desires, and she hopes to carve out a life that is true to who she is.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Yoko’s philosophy revolves around self-determination and authenticity. She believes in the importance of being true to oneself, even if it means bucking the norms and breaking from tradition. This mindset directly responded to her upbringing, where she felt suffocated by her family's expectations and obsession with status and prestige. Yoko values honesty and straightforwardness, often rejecting pretense and false niceties, favoring genuineness. Her time spent away from magic, working various jobs, and honing her physical skills has reinforced her belief in self-sufficiency and the importance of personal freedom. However, Yoko’s encounters with magic and her experiences during the battle with the Stygian Snake have instilled the girl with a profound sense of duty and responsibility. She recognizes the importance of understanding and respecting her heritage, even if she initially rebelled against it. This sense of duty is deeply intertwined with her desire to honor her grandfather’s dying wish to reignite the Hatanaka legacy. Her philosophy now balances individualism and familial duty, where she strives to honor her past without being confined. Despite her bold and assertive demeanor, she deeply empathizes and cares for those she loves, particularly her brother Goro, her grandparents, and the few people she considers friends. This compassion extends to Shirakawa-Go, where she takes on the responsibility of protecting them from the paranormal. Yoko believes true strength lies in protecting and caring for others, especially when it requires sacrifice.

SECRETS ⫻ One of Yoko's most closely guarded secrets is the depth of her fear and trauma from the Stygian Snake incident. While she outwardly projects confidence and resilience, the memories of that night and her subsequent Kindling-Event haunt her. She often experiences nightmares and flashbacks, which she keeps hidden from everyone, including Goro. This fear is compounded by a lingering sense of inadequacy, stemming from her initial inability to protect herself and her reliance on Goro during the attack.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Yoko identifies as asexual, feeling little to no sexual attraction toward others; despite this, she has a strong desire for romantic connections and is open to dating both genders. Yoko longs for someone who can appreciate her complexities and see past her tough exterior to the compassionate and fiercely loyal person underneath. Additionally, Yoko harbors a strong desire to have a child. This is due to her need to continue the Hatanaka lineage and honor her grandfather's wish. She envisions raising a child who can inherit the family's legacy with pride and autonomy, free from the pressures and constraints she experienced.

FEARS ⫻ Yoko’s greatest fear is the possibility of losing her brother, Goro. His sudden disappearance has left her vulnerable and desperate. The thought of facing the magical world without his guidance and support terrifies her. This fear is about losing a loved one, but also about confronting the responsibility of continuing the Hatanaka legacy on her own. Goro has always been her anchor, and going on without him fills her with dread. Yoko is terrified of being perceived as weak or incapable by her family and herself. This fear drives her relentless pursuit of self-improvement, but it also threatens to consume her if she cannot find a way to balance her ambitions with her limitations.

REPUTATION IN OLD COVEN ⫻ One of the many terrors of the Old Coven, Yoko had to be near-literally dragged along the fight kicking and screaming. She was not happy to be here, nor did she want to be, and the young Yoko was determined to make that everyone's problem. She was seen as bold, overly aggressive, and difficult to work with, constantly challenging authority and testing the patience of everyone around her. Her frequent fights with Amy Nakamura, leadership, and other influential members only cemented her as a troublemaker. However, Yoko's relationship with the Coven was shaped and defined by her association with Goro; his influential status within the Old Coven essentially was a shield that protected her against backlash. Members who respected Goro were more lenient towards Yoko, hoping she might eventually follow in his footsteps. Despite her rebellious streak, some believed that, with the proper guidance, she could become a valuable member of the Old Coven.

ROLE IN THE BATTLE WITH THE STYGIAN SNAKE ⫻ During the battle with the Stygian Snake, Yoko's role was primarily that of support. Goro taught her various Rituals passed down through the Hatanaka bloodline that boosted the Abstractions of others, ensuring she could contribute to the fight while hopefully keeping her name off the memorial. Yoko used her Rituals to enhance the Abstractions of her allies and boost Emotional-Fields - though her spells were rudimentary compared to her brother's mighty and more advanced feats of Orange-Lux.

FLAWS ⫻ Yoko's social skills have always been lacking. She's not a talker; she's a doer, and while this attribute helps her sometimes, it often works against her. She simply doesn't know how to sit down and talk things over, preferring instead to jump to violence or escalate situations. Her most glaring flaw is her excessive pride, which often manifests as a stubborn refusal to accept help or admit mistakes. This pride is a shield from years of feeling inadequate compared to her prodigious older brother, Goro. Yoko's pride drives her to prove herself, but it also blinds her to her limitations and the value of collaboration. Her need to stand out and be strong on her terms often leads her to act recklessly and jeopardize herself and those around her. Her abrasive demeanor and unladylike manners express her internal struggle; Yoko has always felt like an outsider, a misfit who doesn't belong.

This feeling of alienation was exacerbated by her family's expectations and the constant comparison to Goro. She rebelled against these expectations, embracing a new persona to shield her vulnerable core until it stopped being a persona. Yet, this armor she built to protect her ego only pushes others away when Yoko only wants to be accepted and loved. Despite her fierce exterior, Yoko is plagued by a deep sense of insecurity and self-doubt. The trauma of facing the Stygian Snake and the subsequent (attempt to) return to a mundane life left her struggling to find purpose. Yoko yearns for normalcy yet is drawn to the magical world she fought so hard to escape. This duality leaves her constantly questioning herself, torn between the life she wants and the duty she feels compelled to uphold. Her reluctance to embrace her magical heritage is not just a rejection of her family’s legacy but also a rejection of the pain and responsibility it entails.

Adding to her internal conflict is a mild case of survivor's guilt over the death of Ella Brooks, a dear friend from the Old Coven. Yoko was on the sidelines when Ella died, unable to intervene, and the guilt from this event has lingered. She often wonders if she could have done more and if her hesitation makes her less deserving of the life she now leads. This feeling compounds her sense of alienation, adding another layer of emotional distance between her and those she cares about.

_{Backstory
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"Wherever Goro is, I will find him."

The Hatanaka Family Roots

The Hatanaka Family was a legendary family of Orange-Adepts who were formidable artifact creators who specialized in creating magical weaponry. They had an entire arsenal of enchanted weapons they kept safe in their compound, and the Hatanakas were heroes of legend. Over the years, many tales were woven about the Hatanakas, defeating powerful foes and saving Japan and the world. The most famous Hatanaka, however, was Hatanaka Takashi, who fought in the Oni Wars and created the sword Murakumo—known worldwide as the Aberration Killer-and used it to kill Oni Emperor Daisuke. They also created the legendary Apparition Killer for the hero Reiner Stiller and were the decisive factor in defeating the Stygian Snake. These powerful weapons and the other artifacts they crafted earned the Hatanakas immense respect and fear, cementing their legacy of magical artifacts.

However, as time passed, the significance of their magical heritage waned. The once-revered Hatanakas gradually drifted away from their roots, focusing instead on amassing wealth and prestige. The modern-day Hatanaka family is now considered old money in Japan, living a life of luxury and influence but ignoring the magical legacy that once defined them. The magical artifacts the family once protected with their lives were, at some point, stolen and scattered across the All-Verse, becoming the stuff of legends and myths.

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Yoko was born and raised in Shirakawa-Go, a village in the mountainous Gifu Prefecture in Japan. All the girl knew from early life was the Hatanaka Estate, an ancient manor on the very outskirts of Shirakawa-Go. From the moment Yoko learned how to walk and talk, there was a distance between herself and her family and their magical roots. She was rebellious; her parents wanted to preserve their image, so they pressured her to fit it - but Yoko wasn’t that. Then there was her older brother, who was everything she was not. He was a wise, considerate prodigy who discovered and even embraced the Hatanaka family roots at a young age - while Yoko was oblivious to them. Yoko always stood out in school due to her unladylike, rude, brash, unapologetically assertive demeanor and temper. Her actions have often led to unnecessary controversy and attention on Yoko, but Goro was the only person who could get through to her. She held Goro in the highest regard, and he could temper the child when her parents couldn’t. Goro never introduced her to magic, as he felt she was unready.

The siblings had grandparents who lived in America (St.Portwell, Oregon, specifically), and they occasionally visited them (or when Yoko got in trouble) between school terms. Yoko didn't like America (or Americans) all that much, but she loved her grandparents to death and would love to visit them whenever possible. One such dramatic visit was during the Stygian Snake's rampage throughout the St. Portwell, and one night, Yoko was roused awake by one of the Stygian Snake's minions in her room. Naturally, Yoko freaked out as it tried to kill her, and the event was enough to cause Yoko to undergo her Kindling-Event. However, it couldn't save her, and Goro burst into the room with a glowing Odachi and cut the creature in half with a glowing Nodachi. Oblivious to what was happening, Goro grabbed Yoko and fled into the night as it was no longer safe at her grandparent's house.

After some fleeing, cleaving through the monster-infested streets of St. Portwell, they came across it: the Stygian Snake. And not just the Stygian Snake, the Sycamore Tree Coven, who opposed the serpentine menace... Goro helped them and eventually was introduced and invited to the Sycamore Tree Coven. Yoko wanted nothing to do with this Coven, the Stygian Snake, or even magic, but Goro pressured her into it, knowing the threat that the Stygian Snake posed. Yoko had to be ultimately dragged along, kicking and screaming, as Goro gave her a crash course in magic... he taught her some of the spells that were passed down the Hatanaka bloodline, primarily the support spells, so Yoko could stay out of the line of fire while also contributing towards defeating this world-ending threat.

However, that did not stop Yoko from being one of the Old Coven's many problem children. The young Yoko had the social skills of a brick; assertive and rebellious, she made it clear that she wasn’t happy to be here and constantly beefed with everyone over every little thing—especially with her “arch-rival” Amy Nakamura. On the other hand, Goro was seen as the model Coven-brother and was beloved by the Coven, working closely with influential members such as Jinhai, Britney, Jack, Amara, Kari, Ashley, and others. They were at war, and Goro was a quintessential member of the Old Coven, so Yoko’s behavior was tolerated. There was one person Yoko was friends with... Despite Yoko's best efforts to push her away, Kari Wilson reached out, offering friendship and support even though she never wanted it. Kari’s genuine kindness and patience slowly broke through Yoko’s defenses, and they eventually became best friends. Through Kari, Yoko met Ella Brooks, who also became one of the few friends Yoko had in the Old Coven.

However, tragedy struck before the Stygian Snake was defeated. Ella Brooks, one of Yoko’s few genuine friends, was killed by a horde of Apparitions. Ella's death struck a deep chord within Yoko, intensifying her feelings of inadequacy and igniting a fierce survivor’s guilt. The Stygian Snake was sealed, and then suddenly, they were harder on Yoko, and the weight of this tragedy bore heavily on Yoko as the Stygian Snake was eventually sealed.. Before Yoko could be voted out, the sibling’s time in America ended, and the two returned to Japan for their next school term. In between terms, Goro returned to America to spend more time in the Old Coven, but the Old Coven self-destructed after returning to Japan.

But Goro believed he had finally cracked it; the secret to magic and invigorating the Hatanaka legacy was connecting and learning from others. Yoko, on the other hand? She thought it was all rubbish, that her life was better without magic, and that she could not care less about the family legacy. After graduating, he chose to attend university in St. Portwell and learn from magical experts like Britney and Kari Wilson. However, returning to Japan was easy because he had a teleportation artifact made in collaboration with Kenshiro Murakin. Goro tried to teach Yoko more about Magic, but she wasn’t interested, so he gave up.

However, leaving magic behind was more complicated than anticipated. Shirakawa-Go’s tranquility was suffocating compared to fighting against the Stygian Snake. Yoko tried to play it off but was haunted by what she went through against the Stygian Snake — and, more deeply, by the death of Ella Brooks. The guilt of standing on the sidelines during Ella’s death gnawed at her, leaving her questioning her role and responsibility. Going to school felt trivial, and she was frustrated and pent-up. She went to the gym to channel her aggression into something positive. The gym became a sanctuary to the girl as weightlifting, running, and martial arts became her daily routine. Martial arts, in particular, became something she desperately needed: discipline and an outlet for her inner turmoil.

In an attempt to gain some financial independence and to defy her family’s expectations, she took a few part-time jobs. She got a job in a cafe, a local convenience store, and even as a farmhand during harvest season, which gave her a break from her inner turmoil and allowed her to interact with Shirakawa-Go on her terms.

However, magic was never far behind, and she was drawn to inexplicable events and magical disturbances. She used what magic she knew to solve them, feeling a mixture of resentment, duty, and, worst of all, certainty. As she dealt with each new disturbance, she couldn’t help but think of Ella and wonder if things might have been different had she acted sooner. This sense of guilt, combined with her growing realization that she could never truly escape magic, pushed her to confront the reality that, like it or not, she would be dragged back into the magical world. This duality between the life she wanted and the legacy she couldn't escape did not make her particularly happy, but her survivor’s guilt complicated things. She couldn’t shake the feeling that perhaps she owed it to Ella to be more robust — to take control of magic before it controlled her. Eventually, Yoko decided that if she was going to be involved in magic, it would be on her terms, so she finally asked Goro to teach her.

Goro was delighted that Yoko had finally understood everything and prepared for this. He took her to the basement of the Hatanaka Estate and opened a portal to the Hatanaka Sanctuary. The Hatanaka family used a personal dimension for generations, which hosted their castle. This place was surreal, but Goro trained Yoko in more magic and taught her some spells. Even though Yoko didn't take to it initially, he eventually specially tailored his training regime to her. He also took her to the Hatanaka arsenal, giving her several artifacts.

Then, he cut her loose in Shirakawa-Go, where she used her artifacts and spells to keep Shirakawa-Go safe from paranormal threats between training and work. However, her grandfather’s health deteriorated, and Yoko and Goro returned to America. On his deathbed, their grandfather’s last wish was never to let the Hatanaka legacy burn out, to renew it, and to carry it onto the next generations. Their grandfather also asked them to find the Hatanaka family’s missing artifacts.

Yoko prepared for the adventure of a lifetime... Only for Goro to tell her that she was not going. When Yoko asked why, he told her she wasn't ready: she had only recently begun learning magic and fighting monsters. Despite Yoko’s insistence, he took off on a multiversal adventure but occasionally returned to drop off artifacts he found and train Yoko. While Yoko just pretended everything was okay and went back to her routine.

However, eventually, Goro went dark. Yoko had no idea where he went or where to find him. Thus, it seemed like it was up to Yoko to honor her grandfather's wishes and find her brother...

... Except she had no idea how to get back into the Hatanaka sanctuary.

_{Abstraction
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"I am the Hatanaka Lion! I will not let you break my pride!"

TYPE ⫻ Adept.

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Orange Lux. Yoko's Channeler is an antique comb gifted by her grandmother.

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ The Hatanaka magical arts encompass three distinct disciplines, all of which were passed down to Yoko by her mentor and brother, Goro Hatanaka. Each of these disciplines represents a different pillar of magic that the Hatanaka family upheld. In the Ritual Discipline, practitioners delve into the ancient practices that tap into the essence of Orange Lux, harnessing its power to imbue strength, resilience, and protection upon themselves and their allies. Armanant, on the other hand, focuses on combat spells and techniques honed over centuries, allowing wielders to transform mundane objects into formidable weapons and nullify the advantages of their adversaries. Lastly, the Weaponmaster Discipline embodies the renowned craftsmanship of the Hatanaka lineage, celebrated for its mastery in crafting legendary weapons. While Yoko is enthusiastic, she is behind because there was a lengthy period of her life in which she wanted nothing to do with magic.

RITUAL ⫻ What Yoko used in the Old Coven to support her allies. Yoko's Ritual Discipline delves into the ancient and intricate practices passed down through generations of the Hatanaka family. Goro taught her these profound ceremonies that tap into the essence of Orange Lux. Through meticulous preparation, precise incantations, and channeling her Lux, Yoko harnesses the power of these rituals to imbue strength, resilience, and protection upon herself and her allies. Each ritual is a testament to the Hatanaka legacy, a blend of artistry, discipline, and the profound connection between mind, body, and spirit.

Soul's Radiance ⫻ This ritual requires preparation and coordination. Yoko begins by meticulously drawing ancient kanji symbols on rocks, each representing strength, resilience, and vitality. Yoko then arranges these rocks in a ring around the target person, which they have to stand in the middle of, and then Yoko begins chanting. As the chanting reaches a crescendo, Yoko channels her Orange Lux, infusing the stones with radiant energy. The ritual's culmination sees a burst of yellow light before it fades away, and the target person feels stronger. This ritual bolsters their Abstractions for several hours.

Song of the Heart ⫻ This enchanting ritual is a testament to the power of unity and emotional connection. Yoko meticulously inscribes elegant kanji symbols onto the ground, representing emotions like courage, hope, and determination, and begins chanting. As the chanting intensifies, Yoko channels her Orange Lux into the target person. The ritual's climax causes the Emotional-Field to manifest as a faint, gentle glow, and this aura enhances their Emotional-Field, making them far more resistant to magic.

INCANTATIONS ⫻ Within the broader discipline of Ritual, Goro has taught Yoko the art of Incantations, a sub-discipline crafted for swift empowerment. With Goro's tutelage, Yoko has mastered the incantation rituals for use in battle or moments of urgency. Each spell embodies the essence of the Hatanaka legacy, offering Yoko the means to bolster her companions' strength and resilience when time is a luxury.

Power ⫻ The Power Incantation is Yoko's go-to when immediate reinforcement is needed. She draws a simplified kanji symbol onto a piece of paper, infusing it with her Orange Lux energy. As she chants a brief incantation, the symbol glows with a vibrant aura, symbolizing the power transfer. When placed upon the target individual, the symbol releases a surge of energy, temporarily enhancing their Abstraction for a few minutes.

Soul ⫻ The Soul-Incantation embodies a swift and focused channeling of Orange-Lux. Yoko sketches intricate symbols and kanji onto a small piece of paper. Then, she speaks ancient verses passed down through generations, resonating with the power of inner strength. As the chant unfolds, Yoko's Orange Lux imbues the paper, and with a final flourish, she places the paper upon the target's chest. Instantly, their Emotional-Field bolstered briefly, raising their defense against magical attacks.

Vigor ⫻ Yoko begins by sketching intricate symbols and kanji onto a small piece of parchment, infusing it with her Orange Lux energy. The parchment glows with a vibrant aura as she recites ancient verses, each word resonating with the power of strength and resilience. With a final flourish, she places the parchment upon the target's chest. Instantly, their physical abilities are bolstered, granting them heightened strength, agility, and resilience for a brief period.

Unity ⫻ As a last resort, Yoko calls upon the Unity Incantation, a spell of swift empowerment that saps her strength to bolster another's. She sketches a single kanji symbol onto a small piece of paper, infusing it with her Orange Lux energy. She speaks some ancient verses, and each kanji stroke symbolizes a power transfer. Through this brief ritual, Yoko weakens her magic to transfer a portion to another. Though it offers the recipient a potent surge of energy, it comes at the cost of Yoko's magical prowess, making it a risky gambit.

ARMANANT ⫻ An ancient discipline preserved by the Hatanakas, this encompasses an array of different combat spells passed down through generations. Rooted in tradition and refined through centuries of practice, these spells represent the pinnacle of weapons prowess within the Hatanaka family. Guided by the venerable Goro, Yoko has embarked on a journey to master this discipline, unlocking their secrets to wield them for her journey. Each spell, from the razor-sharp precision of Sharpen to the armor-ignoring potency of Pierce, embodies the indomitable spirit and unwavering dedication of the Hatanaka bloodline.

Sharpen ⫻ Sharpen was crafted to overcome the limitations of conventional weaponry and transform mundane objects into lethal instruments of war. The Sharpen spell allows her to imbue weapons and objects with a supernatural slice. She channels her Orange Lux into the object with a focused concentration, causing it to glow vibrantly. The object's edges become razor-sharp as the glow fades, effortlessly slicing through materials. Whether it's a sword, knife, or even mundane objects like rocks or paper, the Sharpen spell ensures anything becomes a deadly weapon in her hands. A favored technique of Yoko is infusing a blank card with the Sharpen spell.

Hardening ⫻ Grounded in the principles of resilience and grit, the Hardening spell embodies the Hatanakas' unwavering resolve in the face of adversity. Developed to reinforce their weaponry and equipment, this Spell grants objects unmatched durability and offensive prowess. Yoko's Hardening spell is a versatile enchantment that grants objects durability and some offensive power. With a dash of her Orange Lux, she infuses the object with it, reinforcing its structure, making it capable of tanking far more than it usually would and enhancing its offensive capabilities in some cases.

Extend ⫻ Born from innovation and creativity, the Extend spell reflects the Hatanakas' ingenuity in the field of combat. Inspired by the need for versatility and adaptability, this spell allows wielders to extend the reach of their weapons with just Orange-Lux. By channeling Yoko's Lux, she envelops the chosen object in a radiant glow, causing its edges to shimmer and extend. Whether it's a sword, staff, or even a mundane household item, Yoko's Edge spell causes the object to elongate magically, and Yoko can make an object up to three times as long.

Impact ⫻ Rooted in the ancient tradition that embodies strength and courage, the Impact spell embodies the Hatanakas' commitment to overwhelming their adversaries with their unmatched might. Yoko imbues objects with a magical force, causing them to strike with bone-shattering impact. Whether hurling projectiles or wielding melee weapons, Yoko's every blow lands with crushing force, overwhelming foes with the sheer power of her attacks.

Absorption ⫻ The Hatanakas developed Absorption as a countermeasure against magical assaults, aiming to create openings for retaliation. This spell harnesses Yoko's Emotional-Field, briefly altering it and channeling it into a chosen object. Yoko can suck a ranged-magical (such as a fireball) attack into the object through focused concentration, converting it into stored energy, and, at will, Yoko can unleash it through a powerful explosion of force. The size and potency of the blast directly correlate with the amount of magic absorbed. To use Absorption effectively, Yoko must remain still and focused while absorbing the incoming magical energy, ensuring maximum potential for the resulting explosion.

Parry ⫻ An ancient defensive technique honed through generations of practice, Parry embodies the Hatanaka family’s mastery of precision and timing in combat. This spell allows Yoko to enhance her wielded object with the ability to deflect physical attacks. When an enemy strike is about to land, Yoko channels her Orange Lux into her weapon, causing it to glow briefly. Upon contact with the attack, the Parry spell redirects the attack away from Yoko, leaving them open for a moment for Yoko to counterattack or flee.

WEAPONMASTER ⫻ The Weaponmaster discipline stands as a testament to the renowned craftsmanship of the Hatanaka lineage, celebrated for their mastery in crafting legendary weapons. For Yoko, the journey into this ancient discipline is not merely a pursuit of skill but a legacy to uphold. Guided by her older brother Goro, she delves into the secrets of Weaponmaster, learning the intricate rituals and techniques passed down through generations. However, her path is fraught with challenges, and her training remains incomplete as Goro's sudden disappearance leaves her grasping for knowledge.

Empower ⫻ Yoko's journey into the Hatanaka Weaponmaster discipline begins with Empower, a spell laden with potential but limited by her novice understanding. It is a spell that demands more than mere incantations — it requires an entire ritual to enchant an object. To begin the ritual, Yoko meticulously prepares a space adorned with symbols of her lineage, incense, and candles to honor her ancestors. With the ritual space prepared, Yoko places the chosen object at the center, then enters a meditative state, channeling her Orange Lux that radiates throughout the room. Through intricate gestures and chants, she imparts her will upon the object, imbuing it with the power to transcend its mundane origins.

The potential applications of Empower are vast and limited only by Yoko's imagination and her ability to collaborate with other Paranormals. For instance, she might seek the assistance of a Red Lux Adept to create a sword that bursts into flames upon command, adding fiery devastation to her arsenal. Alternatively, by collaborating with a White Lux Adept, she could craft a pendant capable of revealing hidden truths or detecting the presence of Apparitions. Beyond Adepts, Yoko might team up with an Apparition to draw upon its unique powers or an Aberration who has gained a particular ability through their curse or bond with an Apparition. However, as Goro didn't have time to train her fully, Yoko's attempts at empowerment are often imperfect. The enchanted objects may exhibit flaws or instability, requiring constant maintenance or refinement to function correctly. Furthermore, her inexperience limits the complexity and power of the enchantments she can bestow on objects, with more ambitious endeavors often ending in disappointment or danger.

TRADITION (Joint-Casts) ⫻ With a rare blend of skill and empathy, Yoko forged connections with others that transcend mere spells; it became a testament to her ability to forge unbreakable bonds.

The Place ⫻ This Joint Cast stands as a testament to the collaborative prowess of Kari Wilson and Yoko Hatanaka, merging White and Orange Lux to transform any location into their sanctuary. Conceived amidst their battles with the Stygian Snake in the Old Coven, this Joint-Cast was crafted to provide a haven where they could evade the serpent's minions and shield themselves from intrusion. To cast The Place, Kari and Yoko join hands at the center of the chosen location, their auras intertwining in White and Orange Lux. As they focus, a shimmering aura of yellow light emanates from their joined palms, spreading outward to envelop the area. The barrier solidifies into a protective shell, imbued with their combined strength and heightened perception. Empowered by their respective Lux, Kari and Yoko weave a protective aura that fortifies the physical defenses of their surroundings and grants them comprehensive insight into anything within its bounds. The sanctuary's walls, structures, and natural elements have enhanced durability. Stones become unyielding, capable of withstanding tremendous force, while wood gains an unbreakable resilience akin to iron. The air thickens, forming a barrier that deflects projectiles and dissipates the impact of magical assaults.

As Kari and Yoko deepen their connection to "The Place," their ability to gather information intensifies. Initially, they receive glimpses of random knowledge about those present, sensing emotions, intentions, and essential details. Over time, their awareness expands exponentially, evolving from sporadic insights to a near-omniscient understanding of their surroundings and the beings within. The sanctuary becomes a conduit of information, where every corner and every inhabitant whispers their secrets to Kari and Yoko.

Mirage ⫻ A unique Joint-Cast between Kari and Yoko. Yoko begins by projecting her Orange-Lux into their surroundings. Kari then weaves her White Lux into Yoko's energy, blending it into a dance of colors swirling around them like sand stirred by a gentle breeze. Together, their combined Lux creates a tapestry of light, merging into shapes that manifest echoes of past events. These spectral projections unfold like holograms, transporting Yoko and Kari through glimpses of different times and places. Within their shared aura, the scenes of history unfold unpredictably: from epic battles to tender moments of love and from moments of loss to profound discoveries.

Magical Girl Ascension! ⫻ Yoko performs a ritual that temporarily grants Ella an extraordinary power surge, boosting her Abstraction and physical capabilities. Yoko begins by drawing a complex circle on the ground, using her Lux to inscribe Kanji symbols that glow with a yellow light onto the ground, and Yoko stands at the circle's center chanting. As the ritual climaxes, a beam of yellow light descends from above directly onto Ella. Her body begins to glow with a golden aura, her muscles puff up, and her eyes become a light show. Ella’s Abstraction is boosted to new heights, allowing her to achieve feats never seen before. Simultaneously, her speed, strength, and reflexes are amplified. Her movements become a blur, her strikes capable of shattering stone, and her aura crackling with raw power. The transformation lasts for a limited time, during which Ella becomes a force to be reckoned with, but once the effect wears off, she returns to her normal state.

The Lightning Barrage ⫻ A unique display of Yoko and Ella's impeccable coordination, unfolds. They lock eyes, a silent understanding passing between them, synchronizing their breathing, focusing their energy. Yoko darts forward, unleashing a flurry of rapid strikes infused with her Lux. Ella steps in with her barrage of attacks, punches, and kicks, a blur of movement. The two fighters continue to alternate, never giving their opponent a moment to catch their breath. The Lightning Barrage culminates with Yoko and Ella launching their final blow, combining their energies for a decisive finishing move that should finish the opponent.

Radiant Annihilation! ⫻ Yoko and Ella, in a testament to their unbreakable bond, combine their Abstractions to create a massive ball of light that detonates with the force of a bomb, devastating everything in its radius. Yoko begins by channeling her Lux into her hands, creating a sphere of yellow light. Ella places her hands over Yoko's, adding her energy to the growing sphere. The light intensifies, becoming blindingly bright as the combined power of both Adepts merges into a single blast. With a final push, they launch the sphere into the air. It hovers momentarily, growing more significant and unstable before exploding in a blinding flash. The resulting shockwave levels everything within a considerable radius, leaving behind a scorched and barren landscape.

Dragon-Uppercut! ⫻ Yoko performs an incantation that imbues Ella with a burst of power, allowing her to deliver a super-strong attack, typically an uppercut. Yoko stands behind Ella, reciting an ancient chant, and a visible aura surrounds Ella, crackling with energy. As the chant finishes, Ella feels a surge of strength coursing through her. She launches herself at the target with newfound strength, delivering a devastating uppercut amplified by Yoko's Orange-Lux. The force of the strike is so immense that it shatters stone and sends its opponent flying.

LIMITS ⫻

RITUAL/INCANTATION ⫻

Typically, the Rituals/Incantations are a process that can be interrupted and takes time and resources to pull off; they simply can not be performed in a fight. Yoko can only perform her rituals a few times daily due to their exhaustive nature and the meticulous preparation required. Additionally, the effects of the rituals lose their potency over time, being less effective as the hours pass until their bolster disappears (usually under a day). The surge of energy provided by Yoko's incantations is temporary. It may result in weaker magic for the target, leaving them exhausted after the enhancement wears off. All the Incantations are brief, typically lasting around ten minutes, before they abruptly return to their original strength. Yoko must also wait around ten minutes before she can use any Incantations again after casting one. Regarding the Unity Incantation, Yoko's sacrifice of her magical strength temporarily weakens her overall magical abilities, making subsequent spells less potent for around twenty minutes after casting the Incantation.

ARMANANT ⫻

The effects of the Armanant spells gradually fade over time, typically lasting for ten minutes before returning to their normal state (certain spells, such as Armor Piercing, fade away almost immediately). Infusing objects with magical properties drains Yoko's magical energy, limiting her ability to perform other spells immediately afterward and making it difficult to sustain them indefinitely. Certain materials (such as organic materials, gems, artifacts, etc) may resist the sharpening effect or dull more quickly than others, limiting the spell's effectiveness on particular objects. Certain materials may resist the hardening effect or exhibit limited improvement in durability - for example, naturally hard materials such as stone and already supernaturally altered - affecting the spell's overall effectiveness.

Excessive extension of particular objects may compromise their structural integrity, leading to breakage or deformation. Maintaining control over the extended object requires precise concentration and focus, making wielding effectively in chaotic or high-pressure situations challenging. Yoko can only use Impact three times in ten minutes before she has to wait for a cooldown. Yoko cannot absorb melee magical attacks, only ranged ones. Yoko can only absorb a limited amount of magical energy before reaching her maximum capacity, requiring her to discharge the stored energy before continuing to absorb more. The conversion of absorbed magical energy into a usable explosion is not instantaneous and requires a brief period of concentration, leaving Yoko temporarily vulnerable to counterattacks. The Parry spell is less effective against powerful physical attacks. While it can easily redirect lighter or moderate blows, all-out blows might only be partially deflected, causing some damage to Yoko. The Parry spell is designed to counter a single attack at a time. If Yoko faces multiple attackers or simultaneous strikes, she can only parry one attack, exposing her to the others. Parry only has a brief window for Yoko to use; if she mistimes it, she has to wait a few moments before she can cast Parry again.

WEAPONMASTER ⫻

Yoko's limited experience limits the complexity and potency of the enchantments she imbues on objects, leading to imperfections and instability. The empowerment ritual demands significant time and preparation, with more ambitious endeavors necessitating collaboration with fellow Adepts. Over time, empowered objects may reveal flaws or exhibit instability, requiring ongoing maintenance and refinement. Additionally, their performance may deviate from expectations, necessitating constant maintenance and adjustment.

TRADITION ⫻

The Place ⫻ The Place can only be sustained for a specific duration, ranging from hours to a day, depending on the energy expended. The sanctuary's size is restricted to a set radius from the center point where Kari and Yoko join hands. Creating and maintaining "The Place" drains a significant amount of energy from both Kari and Yoko, leading to exhaustion if prolonged. Additionally, "The Place" remains fixed once established and cannot be moved. There is also a cooldown period after its use before they can attempt another similar Joint-Cast.

Magical Girl Ascension! ⫻ The boosted Abstraction and physical capabilities granted by the ritual are only temporary. The transformation lasts for a limited time, typically ranging from a few minutes to an hour, depending on how much effort Yoko puts into the ritual. Performing the ritual requires a significant amount of Lux energy from Yoko. If she is not prepared or if the ritual is interrupted, it could fail or result in a less potent transformation for Ella.

The Lightning Barrage ⫻ The effectiveness of the Lightning Barrage relies heavily on the synchronization and coordination between Yoko and Ella. Any miscommunication or disruption in their teamwork can prematurely end the barrage or leave openings for their opponents. Performing the Lightning Barrage consumes significant energy from both Yoko and Ella. They cannot sustain this level of coordinated assault for an extended period without risking the depletion of their energy reserves.

Radiant Annihilation! ⫻ Generating such a powerful blast consumes a tremendous amount of Lux energy from both Yoko and Ella. They can only use Radiant Annihilation sparingly, as repeated use could exhaust them entirely and weaken the potency of future spells for a brief period. Creating the massive ball of light for Radiant Annihilation requires time and concentration from both Yoko and Ella. They must channel and merge their Lux carefully to form a devastating blast, leaving them vulnerable during this preparation phase. They can only cast Radiant Annihilation once an hour.

Dragon-Uppercut! ⫻ Yoko must remain close to Ella while performing the magic for Dragon-Uppercut, limiting their flexibility during combat and potentially exposing them to danger. There is a brief cooldown before they can cast Dragon-Uppercut again, so if they miss they are out of luck before they can cast it again. The surge of strength from Yoko's incantation is short-lived. If Ella doesn't execute the attack quickly, the enhanced strength diminishes rapidly.

WEAKNESSES ⫻

RITUAL/INCANTATION ⫻

The Song of the Heart and Fortitude of Spirit rituals offer bolstering effects to the Emotional-Field, yet they carry a double-edged aspect. They inadvertently amplify negative emotions, triggering erratic behavior in the target. The surge of energy provided by the Incantations is temporary and can lead to a subsequent energy crash, leaving the target fatigued and vulnerable once the enhancement wears off. While the Soul Incantation bolsters the Emotional-Field, it also temporarily disrupts the target's emotional stability, causing erratic behavior and leaving them vulnerable to emotion-manipulating magic. The Unity Incantation exacts a heavy toll on Yoko's magical reserves, leaving her depleted and vulnerable for twenty minutes after performing the spell.

ARMANANT ⫻

After Yoko's spells wear off, the objects she imbues often become brittle and vulnerable to damage, creating a brief window where they can easily break and leave her defenseless. Overusing the Sharpen spell can cause fatigue and mental strain, diminishing her overall combat effectiveness. While the Hardening spell grants enhanced durability, it also makes objects heavier to wield. Extended objects can become difficult to control, especially in chaotic or fast-paced combat situations, increasing the risk of self-injury. Yoko's vulnerability increases while she absorbs magical energy, as she must remain still and focused, leaving her open to attacks from other angles. Absorbing too much magical energy beyond her capacity can cause a forceful explosion, injuring Yoko and anyone nearby

WEAPONMASTER ⫻

Due to her inexperience, Yoko's enchantments may become unstable, causing the object to malfunction or lose its power at critical moments.

TRADITION ⫻

The Place ⫻ As Kari and Yoko gain enhanced perception within "The Place," they risk being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of sensory information. The influx of details from every corner and inhabitant can lead to cognitive strain, causing headaches and nosebleeds, and can even cause them to pass out.

Magical Girl Ascension! ⫻ The transformation puts a strain on Ella's body due to the rapid increase in physical capabilities. Prolonged use or frequent transformations could lead to exhaustion or even bodily injury. The ritual drains Yoko's energy significantly, leaving her physically exhausted and vulnerable afterward. After the transformation wears off, Ella experiences a backlash of weakness and fatigue. Her muscles ache, and her reflexes slow down significantly, leaving her temporarily unable to fight effectively.

The Lightning Barrage ⫻ Missing the initial hit of the Lightning Barrage can leave them open to counterattack, and it's extra vulnerable to long ranged attacks. The rapid, high-energy movements during the Lightning Barrage place immense strain on Yoko and Ella's bodies. This can lead to muscle cramps, joint pain, and a significant drop in physical endurance.

Radiant Annihilation! ⫻ After casting Radiant Annihilation, both Yoko and Ella experience a prolonged period of weakness and vulnerability. Their bodies struggle to recover from the immense magical expenditure, leaving them defenseless. The explosive nature of Radiant Annihilation poses a risk to Yoko and Ella and a high risk of collateral damage or outright harming themselves.

Dragon-Uppercut! ⫻ The sheer force behind Ella's enhanced attack puts immense strain on her muscles and joints. If the attack misses or is blocked, Ella risks injuring herself due to the intense physical exertion. The surge of amplified energy surrounding Ella's attack makes her movements predictable and reduces her agility, making it easier for skilled opponents to dodge or counterattack.

^{Other
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"Even in the face of darkness, I will carve my path with the light of my brother. Or your burning body. Idiot."

The Hatanaka Sanctuary

THE.HATANAKA.SANCTUARY
............................................................ "Whispers in the air tell the tales of the brothers gone."	The Hatanaka Sanctuary is a surreal and enigmatic dimension where reality itself seems to warp and twist. Landmasses drift weightlessly in the sky, each island adorned with lush vegetation, ancient ruins, and meandering pathways that defy logical direction. Despite its enchanting appearance, an eerie silence pervades the realm as if all life has abandoned it. At the heart of this bizarre domain stands the imposing Hatanaka Castle, its towering spires and intricate battlements casting long shadows over the floating islands below. Beyond these walls, the silence is occasionally broken by the distant cry of a creature or the whisper of unseen shadows. Inside Hatanaka Castle, the labyrinthine corridors and chambers reveal a history of grandeur now obscured by time. The once-vibrant halls, where artifacts and relics were proudly displayed, now show signs of their absence. Once alive with the clamor of combat training, the training grounds now lie in a state of disrepair, overrun with tangled vegetation. This space, designed for honing skills and preparing for battle, features a unique system capable of summoning and creating monsters for trainees to face—a testament to the rigorous training of the Hatanaka Family. Although the grand dinner hall where camaraderie and strategy were once shared is now barren, it still echoes with memories of past gatherings. The Sanctuary also contains a hidden Artifact Storage area, a vault where the Hatanaka family's most prized artifacts are kept. This storage is a treasure trove of mystical objects, many of which were recovered by Goro and now rest safely within the Sanctuary’s protective confines. Access to the Hatanaka Sanctuary is a closely guarded secret, known only to a select few. The sole entrance is concealed beneath the Hatanaka estate in Shimmer, reachable only by those who possess Hatanaka blood.

Heyo

Welcome.

Paragraphs: Agents of Death [FernStone & Shin Ghost Note]

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Hours later….

The three staggered out of the tunnel, utterly drained from the relentless hours of battling the noise-induced exhaustion caused by the flying spider. Lisa's strength gives way, and she collapses upon emerging... Until a surge of determination, sparked by the sight of Ella’s tiddies, propels her back to her feet. She surveys their surroundings; they're still within the confines of the casino's warehouse.... And Lisa is left in the dark about the time. It must be, at the very least, morning, but she-

Lisa remembered that she had a cellphone and pulled it out… it was 11:23 PM. They were literally in there all night! Yay. Lisa was tired, and she slumped down to the side of the door as she said,

”Let’s find a window so I can make a spider so we can finally go…” Lisa groaned before she turned to Saskia, as a lightbulb went off in her weird little head. ”Wait! How about we just contact Kim and Jordan so they can teleport us…” She trailed off as she thought about it.

”... They said they had a tracking device in that, right? Right?”

"They did? I don’t remember that!" Ella said with a shrug. She didn’t seem tired at all as she put a hand on her hip and looked around for a window. She still had the scepter they’d stolen.

"They did… I think," Saskia also shrugged. "Just call them, I can’t be bothered walking further."

Of course, they don’t. Lisa thought to herself with a roll of her eyes before she dug around for that phone… and then realized that her dress was in tatters from getting immolated over three fucking times. Her pockets were decimated; she patted herself down and realized she didn’t have her phone.

Lisa loudly groaned.

”... I dropped it!” Lisa whined before glancing back into the tunnel. Yeah. No. She shrugged. Well, this is turning out to be shittier than expected, but what would Adora think of her leaving her homies to the dogs!? She sighed, turning to Ella, ”Elllllllllllllla! Call Kim! Or Jordan! Or both! Maybe Lupe!”

Then her eyes landed on Saskia,
”... And try to find that tracking device in the meantime!”

Ella looked down at herself and her near non-existent clothes, then back at Lisa. And then at herself. Then at Lisa. "I lost it."

"Here," Saskia threw their phone to Ella before pulling out the orange stone. They held it close to their eyes and started turning it around, trying to find some kind of tracking device on it. Eventually, they found a tiny black electronic weaved into the necklace.

Ella, meanwhile, found Kimberley's number on Saskia's phone and called her.

Kimberly answered.

“... Hey, you three were gone for a while,” Kimberly began. “Are you okay?! We were about to start looking for you!”

"We got lost!" Ella said cheerfully. "Oh we also beat Ignatius with my magical tiddies!"

Saskia, meanwhile, was using a tiny, thin bone spear to get the small electronic out of the necklace.

“I, uh…” Kimberly trailed off, “... Do you need us to get you out?”

"Yes please! We’ve been walking for hours and Lisa’s about to pass out!" Ella shouted.

“Okay, um, where exactly are you? You went to the Devil’s Fortune,” Kimberly began. “Jordan can only teleport to places she’s familiar with… so we may have to teleport there and then just find you.”

"Okay! We’re like… in the warehouse! I’m sure it won’t be that hard to find us, we’ll try get back to the actual casino!"

"Got it," Saskia muttered, finally prying out the electronic, throwing it onto the ground and stomping on it multiple times. Then Lisa spit on the remains.

Now they don’t have to worry about the Spooky-Ho knowing their every location! That was the only reason Lisa could think of her giving them the Stone… but if they also told them that there was a tracking device on it, why would they give it to them? For a moment, Lisa’s brain short-circuited before she just settled on the Sexy-Spooky-Bitch, trying to get rid of them peacefully and as fast as possible. Though, Lisa didn’t see herself trying to pick a fight with that many guns.

“Try to get onto the casino floor and, um… just blend in,” Kimberly said. “I’m not sure what’s going on there, but if you killed Ignatius… there are probably more on the way.”

"Blend in, right… We can do that!" Ella shouted, flashing a thumbs up Kimberley couldn’t see. "We’ll see you soon!"

Then she hung up before Kimberley could say anything else.

"We gotta get onto the casino floor and blend in, then they’ll pick us up!"

"Right," Saskia intoned, looking at them both with a raised eyebrow. "How are we going to do that, exactly? We all look like we jumped in a fire."

They had no time for this. Lisa just wanted to return to the hotel, hog-tie Ella again, and call Gretchen! She grabbed onto Saskia and Ella’s wrists…

”We’ll figure it out! Let’s just go!” Lisa said as she pulled them outside to the best of her ability, and she saw an elevator. Then a light bulb popped in her head as she walked to the elevator and pressed the up button. After an awkward silence, the door opened, and Lisa and the two stepped inside… she looked at the buttons inside and just shrugged as she pressed the button for the first floor. The elevator was silent…

There was something on Lisa’s mind.

The Orange Stone.

”... So, um, maybe we should talk about what we’re going to do on the crazy-person rock,” Lisa shrugged. ”It’s… powerful, but also dangerous! So, I think we should only use it unless we absolutely have to.”

"I agree! It made you try to kill us, Saskia!" Ella nodded fervently.

"That’s fine with me," Saskia shrugged. "After we beat Morningstar we won’t need it, anyway."

The elevator doors opened, revealing the casino floors, which were all red with various patterns on the walls, carpet, etc. Casino games were as far as the eye could see - but empty. The casino was desolate, save for a massive beast they could recognize as the last member of the endless seven.

“Now, it seems you bested Ignatius, but your luc-”

Before mid-monologue, Lisa y pressed five on the control panel, and the door promptly closed.

”... Change of plans.”

"To what?!" Ella yelled, far too loudly considering the space they were in.

"Let’s make him run up and down the stairs until he’s exhausted," Saskia intoned.

”How about we just go to the roof and just uh…” Lisa just thought about it. A lightbulb went off in her head. ”Saskia! Call Kimberly again!”

Saskia nodded and pulled out their phone, calling Kimberley again. The signal wasn’t great, but it got through. "Hello, Saskia speaking. We’re stuck in a lift."

“... Well, then get out of there!” Kimberly succinctly answered. “You have Lisa! Who can make flying spiders! Just try to get to the roof.”

"... Right." Saskia held a hand over the phone and spoke quietly to Lisa. "She says to go to the roof and make a flying spider. Can you make another one?"

Lisa threw her head back and loudly groaned.

”... Fiiiiiiiine!” She said, probably sounding like an annoyed teenager more than anything. Before she pressed the button again for the top floor and took the annoying ride up… hopefully, they could avoid that weirdo because Lisa knew he wouldn’t just let them leave.

The elevator reached the top floor, and Lisa resisted the lamentation that there wasn’t an elevator leading to the roof… though typically if there’s an elevator, there is a staircase nearby. Then again, this is a spooky demon-casino… though, after stepping out, she could see the door to the stairs right there. Without a second thought, Lisa ran towards it, through the door, and up the stairs, and… it was chained off. Probably after their fuckery last week (or was that a few days ago? Maybe Lisa has lost brain cells).

Lisa stepped to the side and gestured at it.

”Elllllla!”

"On it - Magical Girl Aurora, Prism Power Transform!" Ella went through her magical girl transformation sequence, spinning around and throwing up a peace sign at the end. Unfortunately (or fortunately for Lisa) it only transformed the clothes she had on already.

She then coated her leg in light and kicked through the chain, and it fell to the ground as Lisa grinned.

”... Well, that was dramatic,” Lisa laughed as she pushed the door open… and they were exposed to the searing mid-day Nevada heat. She looked to the left and right, and after thinking about it, she remembered that she needed to create another flying spider. She sighed in irritation as she summoned a jumping spider and applied the Enlarge and Hybridization Spells. She wondered why if they were just going to be teleported out-

“... As I was saying,” The last member of the Endless Seven floated onto the rooftop away from them. “I, Baala’Khan, am the last member of the Endless Seven, and I am jealous that somebody got to kill them before I got a chance to, but it ends here. Everything ends here. Me and Morningstar....”

While he rambled, rage bubbled inside of Lisa. She was tired of these assholes. Tired of fighting. She just wanted to kill Morningstar already.

“... Will rebuild the Society to be better. This is just the beginning, you insignificant runts; I’m not even going to kill you. I’m going to crucify the three of you on top of the tower of Babel and force you to watch the rise of a new empire as the birds peck at your eyes and the insects feast on your skin…”

Lisa balled her fists. She was reaching her limit...

“... And I’ll ensure that your agony will last as long as possible. Until the end of time, if possible. You will watch the Society’s plan change the world once we get our hands on the All-Blade. We’ll merge the All-Verse with the Pit and create a Sanctuary within it that everyone will fight to reach. That way, in this new world, only the strong survive, and once they get there, they will finally be free to behave and act as they see fit. Kill who they want. Take what they want. Fornicate with what they want. A true Society. This is why Morningstar named the organization the Society-”

The ice broke.

”... SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

Lisa had enough of this goon. She had enough of his rambling and his delusions. She stuck her right hand out at lightning speed, grabbing her wrist with her opposite hand. Out of her hand came a thick, pulsating mass of human flesh that was the same skin tone as Lisa. It attached itself to Baala’Khan, and his face turned to shock as he tried to break free to no avail. Lisa looked to Ella, then Saskia.

”He’s stuck!” Lisa began. ”Hit him with everything you got!”

"EWWWW!" Ella shouted, looking at the pulsating human flesh with a grimace.

"Whoaaa, cool," Saskia breathed out, crouching beside the flesh mass and looking at it closely. "How long have you been able to do this, Lisa?"

Lisa didn’t respond. She was accessing a dark recess of her mind that she was never prepared to show anyone. Not Adora, Kari, Aislin, Saskia, Ella… not anyone. It was supposed to be saved for Emily G. Reed - but Morningstar and his cronies were an exception.

They stood back up, blood tendril coming out from their back. They immediately stabbed it into his chest, using it to pull themselves up and onto his back, avoiding touching the flesh. They very brutally stabbed two bone spears into one of his heads, before moving onto the next.

Ella clearly didn’t want to touch the flesh, so she held up her Channeler to shoot a strong beam of light at Baala’Khan, starting at a head Saskia wasn’t brutally stabbing.

Baala’Khan tried to pull himself away, but he couldn’t break the Wretched Web—just as designed. However, Lisa didn’t anticipate Baala’Khan being stronger than her. So, when he began to backpedal, he sent Lisa tumbling forward and dragged her across the harsh rooftop as Saskia and Ella were barraging him. She could feel her skin tearing and peeling…

… Baala’Khan’s serpent head whipped around and attempted to bite Saskia. While Ella’s head appeared on his body, and shot a beam of light back at her.

"Oh, am I really that cute?!" Ella said, dodging the beam of light shot back at her. She ran towards Lisa, practically leaping onto her to hold onto her and stop her being pulled along the roof.

Saskia’s blood pooled across her body to stop the serpent fangs from piercing her skin, but she still let it bite her. She twisted around, stabbing it right between the eyes, and it thrashed around before it went limp…

Baala’Khan stopped struggling; he began violently shaking as he began “bubbling”. Massive, painful-looking growths formed on the right side of his body as he shook uncontrollably. Baala’Khan eventually fell over… and then he exploded. Like a fucked up pinata, he burst open and let out a gust of spiders, blood, and flesh that splashed in all directions. It began raining down, landing on all three girls, but Lisa was not bothered. She stood up to her feet, absolutely covered in that hellish mixture. She didn’t speak; she just sighed when the macabre rain stopped…

... And what could she really say?

"Oh cool," Saskia said. They’d fallen to the ground when Baala’Khan exploded, softening the blow with their blood armour. They even held up their hand as if they were standing underneath normal rain. "Well that made things easy."

They seemed completely unbothered by it. Ella, on the other hand, was very much bothered. She hopped away from the flesh covering the ground and started shaking her whole body, trying to get it off her.

"My magical girl outfit is ruined!" Ella shouted. "My- my hair! It’s in my hair! How am I gonna wash this out?!"

Lisa sighed. Typically, she would have made a joke about Ella’s uncle, but not right now. The spiders were crawling up and down her body before she threw her hand into the air and made them disperse. For a moment, Lisa wondered where they went, but it was one of the many mysteries of magic. She just shrugged.

A coral-pink sphere appeared right next to them and Kimberly and Jordan - wearing pajamas. They looked around before Kimberly asked, horrified…

“... What happened here?”

Lisa looked to Ella and Saskia… surely, they wouldn’t tell them.

”I stabbed him in the head then he exploded," Saskia shrugged. "These Endless Seven and their explosive orgasms…"

“... The one on his shoulders, right? Right?” Jordan asked.

”Kimmm, Jordannnn, they keep looking at my tiddies and exploding!" Ella wailed.

The two of them looked at each other before Jordan facepalmed.

“... Forget we asked.”

Jordan raised a hand, and the three were teleported away in a coral-pink sphere.

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They were teleported back into Kimberly and Jordan’s hotel room. Jordan opened her mouth to say something, but Lisa spoke first,

”... Lay low?”

“I was going to ask what the fuck happened,” Jordan laughed. “... You three look like you've been through hell and back!”

"We fought Ignatius, twice," Saskia began with a shrug. "He had two brains. The second was in his dick."

"Yeah and it exploded when I took my bra off!" Ella added.

Saskia nodded. "He went all super Saiyan the second time round… and the room was set on fire. Then we had to fight some other asshole, but he only had the dick brain, I guess."

Jordan’s jaw dropped, Lisa figured that her brain couldn’t comprehend the scope and depth of their epic adventure! Though, she found herself drifting to the sofa then sat down.

Jordan facepalmed.

“... Forget I said anything.” Jordan groaned.

Kimberly laughed, before her facial expression went flat, “You got Dollhouse their rock back, right?”

She then eyed that Scepter Ella had, “... You didn't leave empty-handed, I see.”

"Yup, we gave it back already," Saskia lied without a second thought.

"Isn’t it cool!" Ella shouted, holding up the Scepter with a grin. "I think it really matches my look - it shoots ice and stuff!"

Kimberly stepped over to Ella, and grabbed it; she examined as she said, “... This is the Ice-Queen’s Scepter. It just… shoots ice, but it also boosts any cyrokinetic abilities of whoever is holding it.”

Then she looked at the group, “... Which none of you have.”

"My Scepter!" Ella yelled like a kid having her favourite toy taken off her. "We can develop them! I could totally have ice spells!"

"We can’t," Saskia gestured to themself and Lisa.

Lisa scratched the side of her head. She was told that she has Green and Gold Lux…, with Green meaning Biological and Gold meaning Minion Creation or something. Did that entail ice at all? Probably not. Or maybe they were looking at it the wrong way.

”Yeah, I think only Ella can do that,” Lisa shrugged, before turning to Ella. ”Ella, you can be like Sailor Mercury!”

"Oh, you’re right! I could use her ‘Shine Snow Illusion’ spell! She could make a massive storm!" Ella said excitedly, before pausing. "Oh, but, I’m like Sailor Moon herself! I can’t be like two Sailor Guardians! Or maybe- maybe it’d be alright? How do I make an ice spell?!"

”... How did you make the other ones?” Lisa asked with a raised eyebrow. That reminds her… maybe Lisa should get to work on some spells herself! She was already versatile, but some ideas were cooking in her little head.

Ella furrowed her brows, seeming to think about it. "Well, I just kinda had ideas, then I kept trying until they worked. Like a training arc! Except I didn’t get to skip it."

"Oh, if Ella’s figuring out cryomancy, I have a few things I wanted to try," Saskia said.

”... Let’s do it!” Lisa shouted, pumping her fists… though she succumbed to the comfort of the sofa and how tired she was.

”... After a nap.”

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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The New Thule Society & The Elite.

^{Featuring the introductions of Blake Schmidt, Phillis Schmidt, Cassandra Schmidt, Angela Schmidt, Jiao-Long Liu, Chunhua Liu, Mika Liu, and the reintroduction of an old foe...}

Interactions: None.

Blake Schmidt's Mansion.

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A butler poured Berlioz a glass of wine... he grabbed it and took a sip. He felt content for a moment...

"... Now, Mr. Auclair, it is a honor to have you here," Until this buffoon,Blake Schmidt, had to ruin it for him. He was seated in this exquisite room, wearing a nice suit with the rest of the New Thule Society sitting around him on the table... except for the Dragonslayer, who stood by the door as if it was a silent sentinel. He was eating a roasted turkey; so much food was presented before him. Unseasoned, the way Berlioz liked it. He placed the glass of wine down.

"I'm glad to be here and meet your family, Mr. Schmidt," Berlioz answered.

"Mr. Liu and his family should be on the way," Blake answered before he gestured towards , a boy who couldn't have been older than eighteen. "So, this my son, Daniel. He's the youngest of my three children."

He waved at them.

Then he gestured toa tall, raven-haired woman. "This is my oldest, Angela."

She didn't so much as look up from her food.

Then he gestured to a woman with a shorter bob-cut, "This is my middle child, Cassandra."

"Hi!" She greeted them.

"... And you've met my wife, Phillis."

Phillis, a tall woman with black hair, silently nodded.

However, a group of footsteps approached, and Berlioz glanced over his shoulder as he saw two well-dressed butlers lead a group of three… subhumans. One man was the unmistakable head of Liu Pharmaceutical, the revered genius Jiao-Long Liu, and at his side was his wife Chunhua Liu. Jiao-Long was wearing a black suit, Chunhua was wearing a white dress, and that left the last one: an average height Chubby girl that didn’t look anything like Jiao-Long or his wife. Berlioz remembered her as a bastard, a disgrace of Jiao-Long that he was forced to take in because her mother died. However, her jaw dropped when she entered the room and saw the New Thule Society… Berlioz gave her a narrow look.

“Hello, hello, hello!” Jiao-Long said with a smile as he walked over to the table and shook Blake’s hand. “Blake, my old friend, seeing you again is great!”

“You too, Jiao-Long!” Blake said. “Have a seat! Grab a plate! The food’s getting cold.”

Berlioz seethed before he exhaled. The Lius had a seat near the Schmidt Family; he could see their bastard daughter glaring at them occasionally. If he didn’t care so much about this deal, he would have shot her by now…

“These people are our newest employees,” Blake Schmidt said. “Come now, introduce yourselves.”

Hearing that he was working for subhumans made Berlioz’s skin crawl, but he had to keep it composed. He gave him a warming smile.

“We are…” Berlioz looked between each of his followers, from Mabel to William, to his niece, to the Twins, to Conrad, and even the Dragonslayer. "... Sentinel Solutions. We are a private Paranormal investigation and enforcement agency. I am the leader of it, Berlioz Auclair."

“And they’re going to help us so we can stop relying on Emily G. Reed so much!” Blake said with a smile.

"That's right," Berlioz continued, maintaining his forced smile. "Our organization deals with situations that traditional law enforcement can't handle. We've seen our fair share of unusual phenomena and have dealt with many... unique cases."

"Like what?" Jiao-Long asked.

Berlioz took a deep breath, preparing to sell their front convincingly as possible. "We've dealt with everything from rogue Apparitions to ancient curses. Recently, we were involved in a case where an entire village was plagued by nightly attacks from what seemed to be a pack of werewolves."

"Interesting," Jiao-Long said, stroking his chi. "And you were successful?"

"Completely," Berlioz replied, his tone confident. "We not only identified the source of the problem but also managed to neutralize the threat without any casualties."

Blake Schmidt clapped his hands together, breaking the slight tension that had built up. "Well, it sounds like we've brought in the right team. Sentinel Solutions will be an invaluable asset to the Elite."

“I know we talked a lot about working for you all,” Paige finally answered her question. “But, what exactly will you want us to help you with, Mr. Schmidt?”

“Simple,” Blake Schmidt, “Asset protection and acquisition!”

The room fell silent, waiting for Blake Schmidt to elaborate finally. “The city of St. Portwell is dangerous! My people are only trying to survive, but the power balance seems to shift. Alliances are being made as we speak! It’s only a matter of time before they knock on our door demanding what we have! For no reason other than they want it!”

“And you said ‘acquisition’,” Mabel noted. “What does that entail?”

“I believe it’s the same as ‘asset protection’ if you look at it from a certain point of view!” Blake Schmidt grinned. “We are removing dangerous artifacts, apparitions, and whatnot from the hands of unworthy people before they are used against us and putting them in the hands of people who will use them.”

He let his words hang in the air as he took a breath and said, “... You know that Axe those crazy hippies use?! That was taken from my comrade Jason Valos! And look, it's being used against us as we speak!”

Berlioz bore teeth at the mention of that subhuman and his damn axe.

“... Trust me, we are well aware,” Berlioz tilted his head downwards. He could see their daughter glance at him again, and he returned the glance with a glare. The air was thick with barely concealed hostility. Blake Schmidt's words... the implication of a brewing conflict was clear to everyone at the table. Berlioz kept his expression neutral though his mind was racing.

The tension was cut with a knife when Phillis Schmidt said, "Mr. Auclair, can you assure us that your team can handle these... acquisitions?"

"Mrs. Schmidt, I can assure you that Sentinel Solutions is more than capable. Each team member has been handpicked for their unique skills and experience dealing with the Paranormal. We understand the risks and are prepared to face them head-on." Berlioz answered.

As Berlioz spoke, he noticed the Liu family's daughter glancing at him again, her eyes wide. He returned the glance with a steely gaze, quickly causing her to look away as if he didn't already notice her. Foolish subhuman.

Chunhua, quiet the entire interaction, leaned in just slightly. "Mr. Auclair, your confidence is reassuring. But, there are those who won't part with these artifacts willingly; how do you intend to handle these 'uncooperative elements'?"

"We have our methods, Mrs. Liu. Persuasion comes in many forms, and we are well-versed in diplomatic and more... assertive approaches," Berlioz answered.

Jiao-Long raised an eyebrow. "Assertive approaches? Are you suggesting force?"

"Only when necessary," Berlioz replied. "Our primary goal is to ensure the safety and security of our clients. If that requires decisive action, we are prepared to take it."

"Good." Blake Schmidt leaned back in his chair, "Because we can't afford to be passive during these times. The balance of power in St. Portwell is shifting, and we need to be proactive!" He threw a finger into the air.

"It's exactly why we need you. We've been trying to get our hands on a particular Apparition..." Blake trailed off. Berlioz raised an eyebrow as Blake gave him the most devious grin, "... It's known as the Stygian Snake. You know that 'natural disaster' that damn near destroyed the city ten years ago? Well, it wasn't natural at all! It was an Apparition all along! One of unimaginable power! And it's sealed somewhere in St. Portwell!"

Paige's jaw dropped, but she regained her composure before Berlioz - or Blake - noticed. Berlioz had a flat look on his face.

"This... Stygian Snake," He started, "If we do find it, what do you intend on using it for? Are you simply keeping it secure? Or are you going to utilize it?"

"Utilize it, of course!" Blake Schmidt grandiosely said. "It's considered a God. What good would it be rotting away in my private collection?!"

The room was silent.

"With it at my fingertips, we can change not just St. Portwell but the whole world!" Blake threw his hands up into the air.

Berlioz cracked a grin. Blake was really out of his mind, wasn't he? Berlioz knew all about the Stygian Snake, and he knew that Blake's grand goals would not go the way he thought it would. However, if his people found the Stygian Snake, he would not give it to Blake under any circumstance. Maybe he'd find some way to enact his great purge and eliminate all the subhumans as a parting gift once he finds his White Paradise - but the Stygian Snake seemed more trouble than it was worth. Berlioz took a moment to gauge the reactions of everyone present. Jiao-Long's expression was neutral but thoughtful, Chunhua's eyes were narrowed in contemplation, and the Schmidt children displayed varying degrees of surprise and skepticism. Phillis remained composed, her gaze steady on Berlioz, waiting for his response.

"... Mr. Schmidt, while the Stygian Snake's power is formidable, utilizing its power does not come without its risks," Berlioz steepled his fingers and leaned in as he spoke. "It's not just about using its power - but ensuring it doesn't also turn against us."

"... Precisely why we need experts like you. With you on our side, those risks are mitigated," Blake answered.

Berlioz was caught off guard... before he smiled.

"... Sure thing."

Blake Schmidt's smile widened.

"Excellent. With Sentinel Solutions on board, our goals are within reach." He raised his glass, prompting everyone else to do the same. "To new partnerships and future successes."

"To new partnerships!" Everyone echoed, though the enthusiasm... varied. Berlioz's people followed his lead, raising their glasses with the same forced smiles they had worn throughout the evening.

However, their forced camaraderie was interrupted by some approaching footsteps as a strange man around six feet tall walked into the doorframe and leaned against it. He ran his hand through his hair, and Berlioz gave him a queer look.

"... Scott Reese," Berlioz rolled his eyes. “You’re late.”

“I am...?” Scott Reese said before he looked down at his watch. “Oh yeah, I am, in fact, late... the watch is broken, by the way. So, let's get this show on the road.” He laughed as he grabbed a seat and sat down, leaning back with his arms crossed.

“... The show’s already over, you slow bastard,” Paige giggled.

“Aw, shit.”

"Scott, you're just in time for the toast! Let's raise our glasses again, shall we?" Blake said, and everyone complied, lifting their glasses once more. Berlioz took another sip of his wine, masking his irritation with a well-practiced smile.

"Now that we're all here, let's move forward with our plans, shall we? Berlioz, your team's first task will be to secure our assets. We must ensure no one can get close to them without our knowledge, lest we have another incident where Greenwood helps themselves to our artifacts. After that, you will begin our search for the Stygian Snake." Blake explained.

Berlioz finished his glass of wine... and looked between each member of the New Thule Society (or as they present themselves, Sentinel Solutions). Then he placed it back on the table...

"... Understood, Mr. Schmidt. We'll start immediately."

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"Johnny" Valos & Mika Liu.

^{Featuring the introductions of Jason Valos.}

Interactions: None.

The Emperor Hotel.

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Black Milk - Massive Attack

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Oooooooooh, back in Dad's old hotel.

Johnny thought to himself as he stepped off the elevator into the private bar one placed here so that the rich people can have a view. And what a view it was! You could see the entire city and the beach from here! Though having some booze wasn't on the agenda for today, it was a familiar face that hated his guts, but still a familiar face! Johnny strutted through the bar, wearing a black pinstriped suit, black dress shoes, his signature cane with a snake, and a wide-brimmed fedora. Eventually, he found the booth where Mika Liu was sitting, wearing a white dress with some sandals and holding a glass of tea. Johnny gave her a wide grin as he walked over to the table and slapped his hand on it. She didn't so much as lift her head up.

"... Valos, you're late," Mika softly said.

"What? No, hello? No how are you? No fuck you?" Johnny laughed. "Just... you're late." He rolled his eyes.

"... By an hour," Mika sighed. "Do you just get off on wasting people's time?"

"Oh, come the fuck on, Mika," Johnny rolled his eyes. "Like you got something to do."

"Meditating, relaxing..."

"Stuffing your face with some fancy-ass cakes," Johnny laughed as he sat down.

Mika adjusted her glasses and stared at Johnny head-on. "You asked me to come out here and talk with you, Valos."

"Yes, I did," Johnny put his hand over the backrest of the booth and grinned.

"How about we have some tea first?" Mika asked.

"What is that?" Johnny asked. "Like your fifth damn cup?" He rolled his eyes, giving her a playful chuckle.

"Seventh."

"Man, you fiendin' over that damn tea," Johnny laughed. Mika got up and walked off towards the bar, and while she was gone, Johnny whipped out his phone and scrolled Instagram for a few minutes. He heard the ceramic teacup hit the table and slid before him. Johnny looked down at the ceramic teacup and saw the steam rise above it.

"This is Da Hong Pao, also known as the 'Big Red Robe.' It's one of the world's most revered and rare teas, originally grown in the Wuyi Mountains of China." Mika explained, taking a moment to (dramatically) blink. "It is known for its rich, full-bodied taste with layers of roasted, mineral, and floral notes..."

"... Thanks for the tea lesson, Mika," Johnny rolled his eyes. "No, really, thank you, I appreciate it. I feel like a sophisticated ninja now..."

"Try it," Mika said. "Maybe it'll show you some class for once in your life."

Classic Mika. Johnny thought to himself as he sipped the tea. "Man, this some good shit... I'm not a tea person, but it's some good shit! But, it's missing something..."

Johnny dug into his suit jacket, pulled out a metal flask, and poured Hennesy into the cup. Mika's jaw dropped as she stared at Johnny, completely silent as he screwed the cap back on and took a sip. He drunk it, and grinned. "Now it's that good shit..." He laughed.

"I, um, what- the- what in the world, why-" Mika stammered, at a loss for words. "... Are you and your family soooooooo uncouth that they can't go twenty seconds without some goddamn alcohol?!" Mika shouted, shaking.

Johnny downed the rest of it.

"... It is one of the rarest teas in the Goddamn world, and you just poured some cheap alcohol in it!?" Mika shouted some mouth, literally frothing at the mouth.

"What's the big deal, Mika?" Johnny laughed.

Mika sighed.

"I don't understand why my sister associates with your boorish family!" Mika shouted. "There are better out there for her than the Valos! I don't know why she can't see that!"

Johnny didn't reply; he just pointed to the side and saw the other patrons staring at them, and Mika sighed, finally calming herself down.

"My 'boorish family'?!" Johnny sarcastically said, feigning offendedness. "What's wrong with Jake? Don't you believe in true love, Mika?"

"Please." Mika rolled her eyes.

"You just gotta accept that we like cousins at this point!"

"Please."

"... I mean, we're in the same boat right now," Johnny grinned.

"What do you mean?" Mika gave him a queer look.

"... You know exactly what I mean," Johnny tilted his head, keeping that shit-eating grin on his face. "You know all about that psycho-slashin' motherfucker that's targeting our siblings."

Mika was silent.

"The reason why I came back to this rathole of a city is because I want to keep my brothers and sisters safe - Lin included," Johnny said, "I don't know shit about this 'Sycamore Tree Coven' they were apart of back in the day but fuck 'im!" Johnny laughed, throwing a hand into the air.

"But, I overheard a conversation they all had the other day..." Johnny trailed. "About Blakey wanting something called a 'Stygian Snake' and how they want to stop him."

Mika immediately facepalmed, then muttered something in Chinese, Japanese, or something - Johnny didn't know!

"My lord, that girl..." Mika lowered her hand from her face and shook her head. "She's going to get us all killed..."

He took in Mika's exasperation with a grin before saying, "I know you don't like me - I wouldn't like me either! But, like me, hate me - whatever - our families are in this together."

"... Unfortnately," Mika sighed.

"Yes," Johnny began. "Unfortunately. But, we gotta get our shit together and figure this out. I have a feeling that Blake has something to do with the murders. I don't know why, but if it's for what I think it is... Then his ass is grass." He grinned.

"And why did you come to me?" Mika asked. "Your boorish father knows far more than I do."

Johnny shook his head.

"Cut the bullshit, Mika," Johnny said. "You think little miss 'I'd do anything for Daddy's approval' wouldn't be in on it?"

"Go to hell, Valos," Mika seethed. "You don't know me."

"In fact, I do..." Johnny grinned ear to ear like a crocodile as he leaned forward. "... I always saw through you, Mika. Beneath all that condescending, judgemental-ass, high-society bullshit you try to present yourself as..."

Mika stared at him wordlessly before Johnny finished.

"... You're just a soft little cuddly-ass girl who wants everyone to love her - especially ya' pops!" Johnny laughed as he leaned back in her chair. "You love your sister more than anything in the world! And you would never do anything that would hurt her..."

Mika stared at him silently as Johnny placed his arm on the table, looking off to the side.

"So, again, how about we cut the bullshit," Johnny began, shaking his head. "There is a reason why I went to you before my own pops!"

Mika took a deep breath, "Alright, Valos, let's. Why did you come to me?"

"Because I knew I could get you to help me," Johnny cockily said. "You know that whatever Blakey is up to, your sister's flat ass is on the line. I don't know anything about this Stygian Snake nonsense, but if my little bros and sis' think it's bad news..."

Mika sighed heavily, closing her eyes.

"... Fine, Valos," Mika said as she opened her eyes, hissing Johnny's last name like an insult. "I'll help you, but why do you care so much?"

Johnny gave Mika a toothy smile.

"... Because it's what family does! Maybe if you weren't so robotic and self-absorbed all the damn time, you'd know that!" Johnny obnoxiously laughed before he gave her a sinister grin. "And besides, I can't stand that bitch ass motherfucker, Blake. I'd do anything to knock him down a peg."

"Fine," Mika rolled her eyes. "I'll tell you everything, I'll even help you out personally... but we need to be smart about this. And we need a plan. While Blake is King-Boor himself, he is dangerous and unpredictable."

"Unpredictable?" Johnny parroted, laughing. "This is Blake 'I'll do anything to fuck any pretty white girl you put in front of me' Schmidt! And you're calling him 'unpredictable.'" Johnny had to finger-quote.

Mika was silent for a moment.

"... You'd be surprised."

Johnny raised an eyebrow, "Surprised? What do you mean by that?"

Mika leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Blake may come off as a simple-minded hedonist obsessed with orgasming at literally every opportunity, but there's more to him than meets the eye. He's got connections, resources, and most worryingly, ambition. I don't think he's dangerous... he's unhinged. A man-child that thinks the whole world is his playground."

"He's got a few tricks up his sleeve; you're saying," Johnny rolled his eyes. "... Big deal."

"It's more than just tricks, Johnny," Mika began. "He's been... making moves. He's planning something big. It may be bigger than all of us. Recently, I discovered he has employed a certain group of dangerous individuals..."

"Mika, we don't get time for this mysterious drama queen bullshit..." Johnny rolled his eyes. "Who are they?"

"Berlioz Auclair, a high-ranking member of the now-defunct Das Sonnenrad, and his like-minded compatriots..." Mika answered.

"The fuck and the fuck?" Johnny laughed.

"Radicalists. White supremacists. Nazis." Mika elaborated. "Blake and my family are oblivious to their true nature, but I know all about them..."

"Like fucking... Kill all Jews, sieg heil-ass Nazis?" Johnny raised an eyebrow.

"Well, they're more like wannabe Nazis, but..." Mika shrugged. "They don't call themselves that openly, but they're extremists, Johnny. Dangerous, ruthless, unhinged, and above all else completely unpredictable. Working with them can only end badly for all of us..."

"Okay, I knew Blake was a complete dumbass!" Johnny laughed, "But this is..."

"... Beyond the pale, I know." Mika ended the sentence for him.

"So, Mr-Fuckin-Stupid is in bed with some crazy skinheads," Johnny repeated. "But, I'm wondering... like, the fuck? I'm lost here. Maybe we need to take things a step back a little so we can get a good look at this big, fucked up picture..."

Mika was silent, so Johnny finished.

"Who are the Elite, and how do you play in all of this, Mika...?"

"Fine, I'll explain everything," Mika slowly shook her head. "But, this stays between us, okay?"

Johnny grinned.

"Okay!"

So, as promised, Mika explained everything (well, almost everything) to Johnny, and they made a plan to confront Jason Valos...

... Johnny's father.

The Valos Manor.

---

After an off-screen conversation, Mika and Johnny rolled back to the Valos Manor (after some protesting from Mika) to act out the plan that they had agreed on. They walked over to the balcony, the big fancy one that overlooked the waves, where several sun chairs were set up that gave whoever stood here a great view of the ocean, and it would be perfect in the summer... unfortunately, it was the fall. It was a cloudy day in St. Portwell. Nonetheless, the great and illustrious Jason Valos sat in one of the chairs, puffing a cigar.

The two walked up to him, and Jason didn't even look. Johnny took a step forward.

"So, Pops-" Johnny tried to say.

"Sit down," Jason said, pointing at the chair beside him.

Complying, Johnny sat down next to his father... and Mika remained standing up. Silently, Jason handed Johnny an unlit cigar, and Johnny, on reflex, slid it in between his lips and lit it with his own cigar lighter.

"... Why didn't you tell me you were back in town?" Jason asked.

Johnny sighed.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," He answered.

"No phone call, no text, no email, hell, you could have sent me a damn messenger pigeon," Jason asked. "You never thought to say 'hi' every now and then?"

"... You threw me to the curb," Johnny narrowed his eyes.

"I did," Jason answered, "I did it because you needed it. You needed to toughen up. You needed to gain some perspective. Otherwise, you were going to grow up to be a pussy like Jake or Jaska..."

After puffing his cigar, Jason leaned back in his chair and grinned at Johnny.

"... And look at you now," Jason began. "I hear all about the adventures about The Revolver... you're just like me."

"Hmph," Mika shook her head, "I know all about the Revolver, too...."

"Of course you do..." Johnny rolled his eyes before focusing on Jason. "Well, thank you for abandoning me. I really appreciate it."

"I mean, It wasn't anything personal," Jason shrugged. "You and your little siblings went on a magical rampage, y'know. Caused a lot of damage. While I can throw money at the problem to make it disappear, I had to save face. I had to look like I gave a shit, y'know? You were the ringleader..."

Johnny was silent. Which made Jason grin wider.

"See, Johnny," Jason began. "I always told you to never lie to people's faces. If you ain't shit, then let them know; things work out better that way."

"... I hate to interrupt your touching reunion," Mika rolled her eyes. "But, we didn't come out here for this."

"And look!" Jason said. "You made up with Mika."

"Let's get to the point, Mika. She wants to drink tea, eat cakes, and act like she's better than everyone else," Johnny laughed, making Mika shake her head at him. "I wanted to talk with you about your buddy Blake Schmidt."

Jason was silent.

"First off, he's not my friend," Jason seethed, "I hate him almost as much as I hate James and all his bastard children." He rolled his eyes.

"... What do you want to know?"

"You know about the murders, right?" Johnny asked. "Do you think Blake has anything to do with it?"

Jason rubbed his chin.

"... Yes, and no clue," Jason shrugged. "What? You're trying to play Sherlock?"

"Yes," Johnny replied. "Jake, Gabe, Jaska, and Sylvia-"

"... And my sister."

"... And chubby cheeks' sister," Johnny added to earn another roll of Mika's eyes. "Point is, they're in danger. And I only came to this hole-in-the-wall of a city to protect them."

Jason rubbed his chin some more.

"... I mean, there's a security detail on all of them," Jason answered before laughing. "Don't you think enough is enough? When will you hang up this "The Revolver" bullshit and just relax for once, just chill?"

"Not today," Johnny sharply answered. "We want to know why Blake Schmidt wants the Stygian Snake."

Jason was silent.

"Now, I don't know Blake Schmidt's sudden obsession with that damn Apparition..." Jason rolled his eyes. "But, he's been acting strange lately. He's been gathering power. Allies. Goons. He had this one bitch, but..."

"Kari Wilson," Mika answered.

"Yeah, her!" Jason began.

"What can you tell us about that bitch?" Johnny asked.

"She was going around finding sealed Apparitions for our boy, and his wife was adjoining them to his fellow rich goons with this artifact he bought off Emily's goons. I know Blake tried to fuck her a few times - probably did it once or twice - but she was close to Lin..." Jason answered before he shrugged. "... Well, before she, you know, got iced."

"Like our Lin?" Johnny asked.

"She is not 'your Lin'," Mika seethed.

"Well, she's my future daughter-in-law, so she's one of us," Jason shrugged. "But Lin was her homegirl in the Elite. The two were inseparable. At least, before..."

"I know," Johnny rolled his eyes. "Who the fuck is Kari, anyway? She ain't in our circle."

"She's a nobody," Jason answered, "At least compared to us. I don't know about her; I know she ran to Blakey because Emily and her scissor-sister were bothering her. I didn't get to talk to her much - no one did - but I know Linda and her were tight. Like tight."

"Well," Johnny turned to Mika as he said, "I didn't know about that."

Mika winced before putting that trademark scowl back on her face. She didn't say a word, so Johnny turned back toward his father and said,

"That brings me to thing-two..."

"Maaaaaaaaaaaan," Jason rolled his eyes. "This is the first time I've seen you in over a decade! You immediately start asking me for shit."

"... Can you get me, Gabe, Jaska, Jake, and Sylvia into the Elite?" Johnny asked.

"Don't forget about Sage," Mika said.

"Sage can suck my dick," Johnny seethed.

Jason pointed at Mika.

"She's in the Elite, in fact, of the 'top' members of that topsy-turvy clusterfuck," Jason answered. "Why don't you ask her?"

"Because my father wouldn't induct the Valos into the Elite," Mika answered. "And it's better if you do it, since they're your children. The Schmidts and the Pimms will get suspicious if my father does it."

"What about Sage?" Jason raised an eyebrow.

"You know this. Sage is an outcast among their own family," Mika said. "You bringing Sage up into the Elite wouldn't bring as much suspicion as my father bringing four of his 'rival's' children into the fold."

"Well..." Jason sighed. "... I'll do it... but..."

He narrowed his eyes at Johnny before just cracking a grin.

"I know you're up to something!" Jason began. "Because you wouldn't be my boy if you weren't!"

Johnny cracked a grin.

Jason leaned back and sighed. "Alright, Johnny, I'll get everyone into the Elite. But you better remember this. And don't fuck it up."

Johnny's grin widened, "... Wouldn't dream of it, Pops."

Jason glanced at Mika, standing with her arms crossed, "Mika, I trust you'll keep an eye on him, right?"

Mika sighed.

"... I'll do my best, Mr. Valos."

"Good," Jason said, taking another puff from his cigar. "Now get out of here, both of you. And Johnny, next time you come back to town, at least pretend you missed me."

"Sure thing!" Johnny

Mika and Johnny walked back through the door to the garage. Mika walked up to the passenger-side door of Johnny's Hummer... but he whipped around, placed his hand firmly against it, and grinned at her. There were about twenty seconds of maintained eye contact before he spoke.

"... Why didn't you tell me your sister was in the Elite already?" Johnny asked.

"Because..." Mika trailed off.

"You know the whole damn time, didn't you?" Johnny added.

"... I didn't tell you because I wanted to protect her. Lin is in over her head, Johnny. She's not like you or me." Mika answered with a sigh.

"And protect her from what?" Johnny tilted his head at her. "Me? Jake? The Elite? The consequences of her fucking actions?"

"Both," Mika looked away. "Lin is... fragile. She always has been. She made strides, but even after fighting a world-ending threat, she still is... I never even wanted her in the Elite in the first place, but she just stumbled into things! If I kept her involvement a secret, I could find a way to handle this without dragging you into it..."

"Mika, Mika," Johnny rolled his eyes before he leaned in closer to Mika's face. "I thought we agreed on some transparency here. Some honesty. And now it turns out that you were lying to me about some things."

He was inches away from Mika's face...

"I know it's just little things, but you know," Johnny chuckled. "The 'little things' always have a way of adding up, don't they...?"

"Mr. Valos... Johnny, you have to understand that I wasn't trying to lie to you," Mika said. "I was trying to protect everyone. Me, you, Lin..."

"... How's that working out?" Johnny asked. "Not only is your sister in the Elite, but she was buddy-buddy with Blakey's living radar! That would have been helpful to know, Mika! For all I know, Lin's snapped and is the one icing those Sycamore-douchebags!"

"... Johnny, you know Lin's not a killer," Mika said.

"Doesn't matter what I know," Johnny shot back.

Mika was silent for a moment.

"... I get it," Mika sighed. "But, standing here pointing fingers isn't going to help us, now is it?"

"I'm not," Johnny added. "I just... look, I said I would help her, right? She's practically family at this point - she's my brother's fiance! I can't help her if you're gonna sit here and lie by omission, Mika..." He spat out her name like it was the more vile racial slur he could think of.

"Fine," Mika sighed. "I'm sorry, I won't do it anymore..."

"Is there anything else you want to share?" Johnny asked. "Let's get it out the way now, because if I find anything else out..."

"You're really making mountains out of molehills, Valos," Mika said. "But, no, I'm not hiding anything else."

"Good."

Johnny released his hand from the door.

"Then, let's go."

---

The "Rich Clique", The Schmidt Children & The 8th Street Coven.

^{And a surprise guest.}

Interactions: An annoying ass Coven.

The Harbor Longue.

---

---

The Valos and friends were assembled at everyone's favorite hangout.

The Harbor Longue!

Johnny didn't care about this place, but it was a "neutral ground" where their rich parents/family members/whatever wouldn't hear. Hopefully, they wouldn't hang out at a dump like this. The rest of the "rich clique" sat on the sofas on the balcony, with Johnny and Mika standing up, telling them everything.

"... So, Blake was using Kari to find Apparitions?" Gabe said with a shrug.

"I'm surprised she hasn't gone into hiding or something after the Coven dissolved," Sage awkwardly laughed. "I mean, with what Luna did..."

"Do you know if Kari was being used to look for the Stygian Snake?" Gabe asked. "I mean, I think she could do it..."

"Kari wouldn't have done it," Lin added. "I know she wouldn't."

"She's not important, like, at all," Johnny put his hands up. "She's dead. She's probably sucking dick in her next life." He rolled his eyes.

"Johnny!" Lin and Jake said at the same time.

"So, let's get to the fuckin' point instead of musing about some dead hoe," Johnny said, causing Mika to roll her eyes. Johnny jammed both of his thumbs into his chest. "I got us invitations into the Elite! Daddy Valos will induct us into this weird, rich, magical cult that bitch ass motherfucker Blake Schmidt runs. Where, all of us, will join for information and maybe a clean shot at Blakey if necessary."

"Oooooooh, when?!" Sylvia asked.

Johnny was silent for a moment.

"... I have no idea!" Johnny laughed. "I'm hoping we don't do this weird ass ceremony where we gotta sacrifice a goat or something else fucked up."

"I wanna bathe in a goat's blood, Johnny!" Sylvia shouted.

"... Of course, you do," Johnny rolled his eyes.

"So, while you sort that out," Gabe asked, crossing her arms. "What will we do in the meantime?"

Johnny was silent momentarily again.

"Nothing," Johnny succinctly answered. "Ya'll are gonna sit here and chill."

"There is no need to rush," Mika added. "Right now, we all know very little, and acting now would be...."

Mika paused.

"... Unwise."

"I mean, I know, but for all we know, Blake found himself another radar hoe-" Gabe tried to say before she was interrupted by...

"Gabe!" Jake and Lin shouted.

"I mean, that's what she was!" Gabe scoffed before she pinched her fingers together until they were almost touching. "For all we know, Blakey is this close to finding the Snake. The longer we wait, the worst shit's gonna get!"

Their corner of the balcony fell silent after Gabe’s outburst.

Mika took a deep breath. “I understand the urgency, Gabe, but we must be smart about this. Rushing in without a plan will only get us all killed.”

"This is a once-in-a-blue moon thing here, people, so write it down, save it on your calendars!" Johnny laughed, waving his hands in the air. "... But I agree with Mika. We all we know is a lot of irrelevant shit, and I don't know about you, but I've lasted too long just to get whacked."

"Will I get to shove my guitar up someone's ass?" Sylvia asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.

“This isn’t a game, Sylvia. We’re dealing with some powerful people here. We need to focus.” Jake shook his head.

"We need to find out where the Stygian Snake is, what Blake plans to do with it, and how he intends to find it. If we can get ahead of him, maybe we can stop him," Lin said.

"Find the snake?" Sage chuckled. "You haven't been watching movies, have you? Don't you know that cliche where the 'good guy accidentally leads the villain to the MacGuffin'?"

"I mean, leave that damn Snake where it is," Gabe rolled her eyes.

"We obviously need to secure it," Lin said. "Do you honestly think it'll end with Blake?"

"But, yeah, but going around looking for it is not very-"

"Look, we're not going to look for anything," Johnny put his hands up. "If anything, we take Blakey out, then take over his search for the tree. Make sure nobody else finds it... We can just yeet that fucker into the Pit or something and make it someone else's problem..."

"... The what?" Sylvia tilted her head.

"Don't worry about it," Johnny said.

"We can just use your father's connections to learn more about it," Mika noted.

"... And your pops," Johnny grinned as Mika rolled her eyes at him. "But, I can try, but my Pops is real tight-lipped about his business."

Finally, Jaska spoke up, "... What about us? What will we do?"

"I'm glad you asked," Mika smiled at Jaska, "... We just need to keep an eye on things. There are a lot of people looking for the Stygian Snake, and anything unusual can be a lead or at least something that can help us at this point. Maybe contact the Sycamore Tree Coven and see if they know anything."

"Not an option." Gabe immediately answered, crossing her arms. "Fuck them hoes."

"... I know somebody that can help if you just-" Lin tried to say.

"Nope!" Johnny waved his hands in front of him. "I know who you're talking about! And lemme tell you something; I know her and trust me, we do not want her involved."

"Is it Trish-" Jaska tried to ask.

"Nope! I said we're done talking about it, and that's it!" Johnny sighed. "Now, for now, nobody goes anywhere alone. Nobody goes off alone. I don't care if you all gotta take tag-team shits; nobody splits up even for a second - The bottom line is you're all targets. Guys stick with guys, girls stick with girls, and Sage...?"

Johnny's eyes landed on their nonbinary ally and rolled them. "I don't know, you can suck my dick."

Sage smiled.

"... You want it now or later, big boy?!"

Everyone laughed - except Johnny and Mika (who only cracked a grin). Johnny closed his eyes, sighing.

"I'm going to go see what else I can dig up on the low," Johnny began before looking at the group.

"Now, I know you're all adults, but puh-lease don't do anything retarded," Johnny sighed. "Or, at the very least, if you are going to do something retarded; at least fuck it up for everyone involved and not just us."

"Will do!" Sylvia said, throwing a thumbs up.

"... And I have to meet with someone," Mika said with a sigh before suddenly walking away. Johnny just shrugged before he gave them a wave goodbye and left.

They were all silent for a moment.

"... Who else thinks that was a load of bullshit?!" Sylvia shouted, laughing.

Gabe crossed her arms, sinking deeper into this stupid sofa.

"Yeah, I know!" Gabe began. "Sitting on our ass ain't gonna help us!"

"Look, guys," Jake said. "I agree with them; we just need to chill."

"But seriously, sitting around on our asses and doing nothing?" Sylvia smirked. "That’s not our style, Jakey. What happened to your sense of adventure? What happened to your balls?!"

"She's got a point," Gabe added, shrugged. "'Wait and see' ain't us."

Sage sighed, pushing their hair back. "Yeah, but we also need to be careful."

Lin stood up and said, "I understand being cautious, but we must stay proactive. We can’t just hope for the best here."

"Seeeeeeeeeeeeee?!" Sylvia stuck her hands out at Lin. "You get it!"

"What are you suggesting, Lin?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

"We need to gather more information," Lin said firmly. "We need to know what Blake is up to."

"How do we do that without pissing off the parents?" Gabe raised an eyebrow.

"Well..." Sage deviously grinned as all eyes were on them. "I have been talking to Daniel, Cassandra, and Angela since this started...."

Everyone looked at Sage, waiting for their next words.

"... They're going to be at Christiansands tonight."

Lin's eyes shot open in shock, unnoticed because all the focus was on Sage.

"So, we just wait out there and beat up his kids for information?!" Sylvia punched a hand into her opposite fist.

" Or we can just, you know," Jake shrugged. "Talk to them. See what they know."

"I..." Lin raised a hand, speaking before stopping herself.

"'I' what, Lin?" Gabe asked, tilting her head at her soon-to-be sister-in-law. "Got something to share."

Lin sighed.

"... No, I do not."

"They'll be there at eight, right when it opens. Let's try to get there before they get in, shake them down, and see what they know. I mean, they have to know something,"

"And shake some ass!" Sylvia shouted, hopping to her feet.

Jake sighed.

"... Let's not."

"Alright, alright, square," Sylvia rolled her eyes. "We will not be shaking ass, not this time."

"But, let's keep it low-key so Jake doesn't piss himself if we get into a fight," Gabe teased, grinning at her twin.

"We need to be smart about this... Just approach them calmly, gather information, and just go. We don't want to start a fight; we want answers."

Sage nodded in agreement. "I'll scope out the place beforehand and see if I can spot them arriving."

With their plan set (sort of), the group dispersed one by one... Gabe and Sylvia eventually began talking about random bullshit while Sage discreetly slipped out. Jake and Lin tried to keep them focused before giving up, and they filed out to meet at Christiansands.

Outside Christiansands.

---

"... Pssst, Eagle-One!"

Sylvia muttered... seemingly into nothing, but she had two AirPods in her ears. She was standing down the street from Christiansands, and there was already a line formed. All for this trashy-ass club that hasn't even opened yet! Sylvia was wearing a velvet-red colored satin dress and some thigh-high boots - her guitar strapped to her back. The "rich kids" formed a perimeter around Christiansands, with Sage on one corner, Jake on another, and Lin on the one furthest from Sylvia... Gabe was right by the club's entrance, chilling and telling everyone that "she's waiting for someone," and Jaska was opposite the club's roof.

"... Jaska is on the roof looking like Count Nosferatu!" Sylvia laughed.

"Sylvia, keep it down," Gabe's voice could be heard through the AirPods. "We're..."

"Suspicious as fuck already!" Sylvia laughed. "They probably think we're Feds!"

"Just keep it down and keep an eye open," Jake shook his head.

"Honestly, talking on AirPods is less suspicious than just standing there..." Lin noted out loud.

"You know..." Gabe mused out loud. "This plan is seeming a little bit half-baked..."

"Oh, when did you get the ability to think about the consequences of your actions?!" Sage laughed.

"Fuck you, Sage," Gabe laughed back.

"I mean..." Lin noted. "What's honestly the worst that could happen here? As long as we're all smart about this, there is literally nothing that can go wrong."

"... Jinxed it." Sage giggled.

"Oh, hush, you," Somehow, Sage could hear the sound of Lin rolling her eyes.

"Wait, I see them!" Jaska pointed at a car pulling up on the corner by Gabe, and the three Schmidt children came out. Starting with the eldest, Angela, then Cassandra, then Daniel, they walked alongside each other towards the club until Gabe stepped in front of them with a warming smile on her face.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeey, there!" Gabe stepped in front of them, waving. "Funny seeing you all here."

All of the "rich kids".

"... Move, Gabe," Angela said, pushing past Gabe and making the girl scrunch her face up. However, the rest of the rich kids started converging on Gabe's location. Gabe grabbed Angela by the wrist and said,

"Heeeeeeeeeeey now," Gabe said to Angela. "How about we catch up? It's been a while, hasn't it, old friend?"

"We're on important business here, Gabe," Angela said, pushing Gabe.

That sent Gabe over the edge as her temper flared.

"Okay, push me again, motherfucker! And I'll-" Gabe tried to say before Jake ran up and grabbed his twin by the shoulders.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on here," Jake said to them, holding his twin back from making their lives waaaaay harder. "Hey, Angela, Cassandra, Daniel! It's been too long-"

They walked away from him mid-sentence while Jake tried to tail but keep Gabe in check.

^{"Let's just drop it; they obvious don't want to talk..."}
Lin said to Jake in a low volume, shaking her head.

"Um, hey!" Jaska said over the AirPods that some still had in their ears. "... We maaaaaaay have a problem..."

Suddenly, Gabe and Jake stopped as they looked up to the rooftop Jaska was on. He pointed down the street. When everyone looked, it was a very familiar sight. Just not a very welcome one. It was a small group of people that would have been irrelevant if not for a few key figures... ghosts from the rich kid's past, you could say.

"... Well, well, well!"

George said as he walked up, wearing jeans, a white dry-fit shirt, and massive feet. He crossed his arms as he looked down at the group... He had a weird axe in his hand. the Schmidt kids quickly disappeared into the club.

"Didn't expect to see you dickheads here," George grinned. "Or ever again."

"Yeah, no one liked you motherfuckers!" Carol said as she walked up next to George, grinning as she leaned against him.

There were a few people they didn't recognize, but they recognized George, Carol, Amy, and Greta... and old wounds resurfaced.

"That's rich coming from Emily's pet," Gabe spat back. "Matter of fact, you're irrelevant just because you associate with her insecure ass..."

"Oh boy, it's you losers!" Sylvia laughed as she pulled out her guitar. She raised a hand and let off a dramatic riff before she said, "Shouldn't you be whining about your little Hourgl-"

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Jake cut Sylvia off as he stepped in front of her with both hands up. "It's been a while! Hasn't it?! Carol, you look like you haven't aged a day!"

"... Because I fucking haven't, you stupid motherfucker! Go suck your dad's dick!" Carol shouted.

"Don't talk to him like that, you fucking goblin!" Gabe screamed as she pushed back him. "Go find some pedophile and suck him off! At least you'd be useful for once in your damn life!" Her hands began glowing with a vibrant red light.

"We're in Dollhouse territory," Lin flatly noted to Gabe and Sylvia. "Relax."

"I don't give a shit!" Gabe shouted.

"And we didn't come out here for a fight!" Jacqueline and Miranda stepped forward, and Miranda held a black plastic bag. "We don't even know who you people are!"

"... And be happy for that," Greta noted as she walked up to their side and pushed her glasses up her nose; she stood with her hands behind her back. "These people are nobodies. Let's just go around them and stop wasting our time..." She rolled her eyes.

Jacqueline and Miranda gestured for the 8th Street members to come along, and they followed behind them as they walked past the group. It was tense as Jake held Gabe back, Sylvia gently played her guitar, Jaska was still in the room, and Lin and Sage were tense. However, Jake and Lin knew that this was far from over.

"... That could have gone worse," Jake rolled his eyes.

"We need to keep an eye on them. They’re here for a reason." Sage added, nodding their head.

"Agreed," Lin added, glancing towards the club entrance where the Schmidt children had disappeared. "We can't let our guard down."

"Hey, Jaska," Jake said into his AirPods. "Do you see anything else from up there?"

"Not yet, but I'm keeping watch," Jaska responded. "I’ll let you know."

"Okay, let's get the hell out of here," Jake said. "This is a bus-"

"... Who told you you were tough, Gabe!" George's voice, dripping with sarcasm, could be heard meters away from them with his arms crossed. "You were always good at pretending!"

"Let's do this motherfuckers!" Carol said, rolling up her sleeve. "Us two against you bitch-ass motherfuckers! You think you can make fun of what happened to me, you fucking rich motherfuckers!? I'll tear your tits off and make you eat 'im!"

"George, Carol, let's go!" Jacqueline shouted from the entrance.

"You know what?" Gabe bore teeth as her hands began glowing brighter.

"Gabe!"

"Gabe!"

"Gabe!"

"Gabe!"

"Gabe!"

Lin and Jake repeated repeatedly, but Gabe was past the point of listening...

---

Hypest Hype - Chase & Status

---

She threw her hands up, and let loose an eye-searingly bright laser-beam directly at George's chest, it hit instantly and burned him severely but he threw his hands up to block.

"Ayyyyyyyyyye! Let's party, bitches!" Sylvia shouted as she raised her guitar over her head and threw it at Carol. However, with how bright the laser beam was, she missed it completely and broke a nearby window. Her guitar floated back into her hands.

"... Son of a bitch!" Miranda hissed, shaking her head. She then pointed down the street as she commanded the rest of 8th Street. "Go help them!"

Amy immediately dropped her gym bag on the ground with a thud... she squatted down, unzipped it, and pulled out her kanabō. She threw it over her shoulder, grabbed it with both hands, and almost sprinted, but Greta stuck her hand out in front of her; she dug into her satchel and pulled out a glowing red potion

"Carol! Get down!" Greta shouted as chucked it surprisingly far.

"Oh shit!" Gabe shouted.

The rich kids had no clue what it was, as Sylvia played a riff on her guitar, suspended in mid-air - before it was launched back at them. Jacqueline and Miranda screamed as they dove for cover. Greta got down too, but from Violet... electricity arced off her body before a copy of her, made out of pink electricity, came out of her, flew into the air, and caught it.

"We gotta get out-" Jake tried to say before George closed the distance and grabbed Jake by the collar of his shirt.

"There ain't no escaping now!" George screamed as he chucked Jake down the street. "Ya'll can have him!"

"Hahahahah! Look at him go!" Carol laughed.

Jake screamed as he flew through the air.

"Jaaaaaaaaake!" Gabe shouted before she aimed one hand at George and the other at Violet's electric copy - she fired two beams off, one that hit George directly in the face and seared his eyeballs and the other hit the potion and caused it to explode in midair. Violet's apparition was instantly destroyed, and she dropped unconscious, and George thrashed around, hoping for his eyes.

"Violet!" Pink screamed as she knelt and grabbed her friend.

"Hold still, you giant motherfucker!" Carol shouted as she ran towards George with both hands out, but she saw Sylvia running towards her, guitar primed to hit her. Carol ducked and shot herself up with an upper cut aimed right between Sylvia's legs, and she yelped as she dropped her guitar and grabbed her ladybits. Carol came in with a right hook and broke Sylvia's nose as she was sent stumbling backward. However, she was hit with a laser beam that singed her clothes, and she screamed as she looked at Gabe.

A focused laser beam went directly through her skull, and Carol dropped dead seconds later.

"We gotta get Jake, where is Jaska!?" Gabe shouted as she ran over to a parked car, opened the gas tank, and used her abstraction to pull the gasoline out, and it floated into the air

"I don't know!"

Suddenly, a pink mist overcame them, and they began seeing their greatest desire...

Jake was pushing himself to his feet, only to have a boot pound him straight back into the sidewalk. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Amy Nakamura with her iron club over her shoulder.

"Ya'll pick a really bad day to pick a fight with us," Amy said, "Don't worry, I'm only going to break your knees, Valos."

However, Jaska came soaring through the air and tackled her to the ground, and Jake hopped up to his feet as he wrestled with her. He looked down at the pink mist and saw Pink and Miranda run into it... but Amy threw Jaska right into him, and the two landed on a car with a bone-breaking thud.

Gabe was hallucinating... distracted by it all. She didn't even notice Pink running up and clocking her across the face. She stumbled backward, but Pink grabbed her by the collar and came in with a punch to her gut before punching her directly in the face again. Gabe's face was oozing blood, but Pink grabbed her collar with both hands and slammed her head into the passenger side window of a parked car. It cracked, Gabe was knocked unconscious, and the pink mist faded. George's eyes were completely healed (while Miranda had received all the burns), and Sage was already unconscious, face battered and beaten...

"Uh, what?" Sylvia said before George snatched the guitar out of her hands and grinned.

"... Yoink!" George said as he tried to snap the guitar in half, but it just wouldn't break.

"That won't break, you dum-" Sylvia said before she was interrupted by Greta hitting her in the back of the head with a lead pipe.

"Oh my God!" Lin said before she left to turn and run... and George was directly in her path.

"... Where you going, sweetheart?" George said with a very devious grin as he took steps towards Lin. "The fun's already-"

A gunshot rang out.

He was hit directly in the back, but the bullet bounced off. He looked over his shoulder and saw Mika Liu with a smoking Snubnose Taurus 856 Revolver aimed directly at him. He laughed.

"You might as well be throwing cotton balls at me, fatass!" He laughed before marching towards Mika, and she let off a few more rounds that did as much damage as the last one. He cocked his hand back to deliver a backhand that would have killed anyone else.

"Mika!" Lin shouted.

The hand collided with Mika's face in what would have normally killed her... normally. The hand stopped immediately against her face as if it were nothing more than a pat. On the other hand, all the impact that should have went to Mika went directly to George's face, and he found himself stumbling backward as she rolled her eyes and said,

"... Idiot." Mika ran over to Lin, and grabbed her hand, then commanded, "We're leaving!"

"But, J-"

A poker card harmlessly fell from the sky directly behind Jacqueline... and in a cloud of smoke, Johnny appeared, wrapped his arm around her neck, and aimed a Taurus 444 Raging Bull Magnum against her head.

"ALRIGHT MOTHERFUCKERS!"

Johnny screamed as he pressed the revolver against her head.

"I don't know what the fuck is going on here!" Johnny kept shouting, "But you motherfuckers are gonna step the fuck back, or the bitch gets it!"

"... What's going on here?"

A voice could be heard from the rooftop... but Johnny immediately froze upon hearing it, expressing pure shock and horror. Before he looked up...

It was Shaquita Walker.

She dropped from the rooftops and landed on the sidewalk as if she had only fallen a foot. She looked to the left and right and said, "You're all causing a ruckus, so Luis told me to tell you to cut it out. You're scaring away the business..."

Johnny stared at Shaquita, jaw dropped, muttering gibberish as he couldn't find the words. Eventually, her gaze met him, and she half-grinned.

"Oh, Johnny," she began. You never told us you were back in town. Why don't you come upstairs? I bet Luis would love to see you again. We can all catch up."

Johnny winced.

".... Noooooooo, thank you!" Johnny said.

"Then let go of Jacqueline here, grab your people, and then get out of here," Shaquita barked at him, her smile vanishing and becoming a scowl. "We have business with them. Not with you."

As commanded, Johnny let go of Jacqueline and took a step back. He grabbed every member of the Rich Clique - conscious and unconscious - and shoved them into his Hummer. 8th Street entered Christiansands, and Shaquita stood out there, staring at him....

They sped off.

Paragraphs: Agents of Death [FernStone & Shin Ghost Note]

---

---

The inside of the vault was far different from the outside. Opposed to the tunnels that led into the vault, it was a massive fancy hall reminiscent of a mansion. The walls were painted blue, and the floor was made of brown wood, but there were no windows. A carpet path led to a massive wooden double door—slightly ajar. However, flanking both sides of the carpet were museum-style display cases—rows of each with a different artifact.

There was a trail of dissolved flesh that led to those double doors…

Saskia looked around the display cases with raised eyebrows. It was insanely tempting to start looting but… they had an asshole to torture and kill slowly first. Then they could steal the artifacts.

"We’re killing him this time," Saskia intoned, pushing a bone spear through their hand in preparation, ignoring the flesh tearing pain that came with it as she stalked towards the double doors. "Slowly and painfully."

"But we need to figure out where his second brain is first!" Ella said, seeming less wobbly on her feet than before.

"Probably in his dick," Saskia shrugged, pushing the double doors fully open.

”If that's the case, then Ella, you have to take one for the team!” Lisa dramatically said, throwing a finger in the air, before putting her hands on her hips. ”You have to show him your tids, once he’s erect I’ll dissolve it in acid!”

"Why me?!" Ella wailed, arms going to cover her chest - which was already only covered by a bright pink bra thanks to all the magma. "Maybe- maybe he’s into small tiddies!"

”No one is!” Lisa shouted, throwing her hands in the air, ”Except for maybe Olivia! Who’s an outlier and should not have been counted!”

"I am!" Ella shouted back. "I’m into ones of all sizes - small’s cute, big’s hot, medium’s-"

"A dragon is basically a big lizard,” Saskia interrupted, having been listening while thinking deeply about something important. "Do you think it has two heads like lizard’s do?"

Lisa tilted her head at Saskia,

”... What lizard has two heads?!”

"Oh Lisa,” Saskia shook their head at her innocence, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I mean their dicks.”

”Oooooooooooooooh!” Lisa said, in surprise. ”I’ll just dissolve both of them - but what we need to worry about is if they spray magma.”

"If I wrap my tendril around them they won't be able to spray anything," Saskia rubbed her chin. It was unlikely it would get to that point anyway before they dissolved it, even if Ella's tits were pretty great.

"Or I can burn the tips closed with my light beam!" Ella added

”Yeah, then I can just dissolve them with-” Lisa tried to interject, but she felt someone lifting her. They also lifted Saskia and Ella and carried them towards the door. ”... AW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!? OH NO! WE’RE DEAD! WE’RE SO DEA-”

They were all thrown through the door, and it closed behind them. This next room was exactly identical to the other room… except it was painted red. Lisa stood up, then shrugged.

Ella had been wordlessly screaming the whole time, whereas Saskia didn’t react at all. They also shrugged.

"Guess someone really wanted us to dissolve the dragon dick," Saskia intoned. They squinted, looking around, easily finding the trail of flesh to follow. They reformed their blood tendril in case it was needed. "Let’s go. Get your tits out, Ella."

"NOOOOOO!" Ella wailed, still covering her chest as she followed Saskia.

The trail of dissolved flesh led to another pair of double doors.

”He’s not even here!” Lisa shouted. ”What’s the point?”

"Coward," Saskia muttered, pointing to the second set of doors. "He’s probably behind there."

"I’ve got this!" Ella shouted. She drained a bunch of the bright red paint into her arms, reinforcing her colour punch, and then… kicked down the door with a rainbow leg, screaming. "YOU LIZARD BASTARD, WE’RE HERE TO CUT YOUR DICK OFF!"

This room was the same as the other rooms! Except yellow.

Ignatius was opening a case on the other side of them with a glowing red liquid, when they burst in. He whipped his head towards them before his expression switched to one of tiredness. He opened his maw and spewed magma at the floor between himself and these three psychopaths. Before he went back to opening the case…

Lisa’s spider legs erupted from her back, and she hopped onto the wall and climbed onto the ceiling.

"Ella, throw me," Saskia said, looking at the extreme game of the floor is lava (literally) in front of them.

"Yay!" Ella shouted. She picked up Saskia and straight up launched them across the magma on the floor. Saskia put their hands up above their head, bone spears shooting through them and aiming right for Ignatius. However, Ignatius whipped his tail at Saskia very dismissively to launch them.

"Ruuuudddee," Saskia said as they were launched onto a wall at the side. They stabbed their bone spears into it to stop themselves from falling into the magma, sighing. This was annoying. "Ella, plan B."

"What’s Plan B?!" Ella shouted, hands going to her face.

”The tits."

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Ella raised her Channeler, shooting a beam of burning light at Ignatius rather than going for the tiddy flash like Saskia had suggested. The beam hit Ignatius but didn’t do anything because he had demonstrated resistance to fire before.

”... We don’t mean that kind of flash, Ella!” Lisa shouted, before noticing Ignatius spewing magma in her direction. Lisa quickly dove to the side, landing on a display case and shattering it with her body. ”... Ouch.” She groaned as she pushed herself out of it.

Ignatius opened the case and pulled the potion out; he opened his mouth wide as he raised the potion to his mouth.

Saskia grimaced, snapping off one of the bone spears and throwing it towards the potion, leaving them precariously balanced with only one stuck into the wall. At the same time, Ella redirected the light beam towards the potion too. The potion shattered, and Ignatius roared at them.

“Fine!” Ignatius said as he hopped on all (three) legs towards the ground. “We’ll have it your way.”

---

The Doomsday Zone: SMBZ Remix<br>

---

He pounded all three legs on the ground and roared in the air as the ground violently shook. A pillar of fire surrounded him as light notes rose into the air… his body changed. His muscles got thicker; more spikes appeared on his body, and his skin hardened like rocks, as cracks glowed like magma. His leg regenerated as he said,

“... Get ready to die!”

”Ooo," Saskia said, raising an eyebrow as he went through some kind of evil transformation. They were surprised he hadn’t done it before, but at least he finally had. It would make things more… fun. They swung themself and dropped on a sturdier looking display cabinet that didn’t quite shatter underneath them. They raised a hand and shot a blood bullet at him. Which bounced off of him; he roared before he charged at Saskia and swung their tail at them, leaving behind a burning fire.

Lisa, who was sweating because the room temperature had gone up drastically, looked at the artifact case that she fell on and broke. It was a fancy gem, and Lisa grabbed it. Before she did anything, however, she shouted.

”... There has to be a reason why he waited this long to do that!?”

Saskia had jumped over the tail using their tendril to propel them, landing on another display cabinet, wincing as it shattered underneath them. ”Because he underestimated us?"

"Maybe he’ll self destruct soon!" Ella shouted, sounding hopeful. She grimaced, hand holding out as she formed a large ball of yellow from the walls. When it was about the size of a football she shot it at Ignatius’ face. He just tanked the hit, laughing as he opened his mouth…

Instead of magma, a glowing beam of concentrated heat became blue and swept through the area, burning through artifacts.

Meanwhile, Lisa was running through all of the artifacts - leaving a trail of her blood - looking for something, anything, that would be helpful…

”Shittttt," Saskia jumped from artifact case to artifact case, foregoing figuring out if there were any useful ones to just straight up throw them at Ignatius.

Ella threw up her hands and started comedically running around the room, trying to avoid both the concentrated heat and the magma on the floor, slinging tiny balls of yellow constantly at him. He kept the blast tailing after her, ignoring the attack…

”... GUYS!”

Lisa shouted, holding a blue orb over her head with both hands. She chucked it at Ignatius, and it exploded against his head… into a (blue) fire. The fire began quickly spreading across the room as Lisa’s eyes shot open.

”Oops.”

At least Ignatius stopped shooting the laser beam!

”Good job," Saskia said sarcastically, eyes going to the ceiling. Now the whole place was going to be on fire… actually the smoke would probably kill them first.

"AHHHH FIRE!!!" Ella screamed. She started back tracking towards the door. "Girls, retreat! I’m too cute to die in a fire!"

Saskia rolled her eyes, ducking low. A bone spear shot through her hand, which she snapped off, and threw as quickly as she could towards Ignatius’ eye - and pierced through it.

“... God damn it, not again!” Ignatius seethed as he pulled the spear out of his eye… and he snapped it in half. “You’re not getting away from me!”

He shouted as he charged the door, horns primed to gore.

Spider legs erupted from Lisa’s back as she quickly ran towards the door… before her eyes landed on a unique scepter, and she stopped. She slammed a spider leg on the display case repeatedly until it shattered, and Lisa grabbed it, and aimed it at Ignatius with both hands.

”... Take this!” Lisa shouted, letting off a beam of ice at the dragon - which was enough to make him stop as the beam collided with him and froze half his face. She kept the beam steady on Ignatius… but it was hard to control, and pushed her back, up until she fell on her back and the staff fell out of her hands and wildly sprayed the room.

"Ahhhhhh!" Ella screamed as the freezing beam hit her leg, and she fell to the side. She hopped on one leg towards the spinning scepter, diving the last bit to grab it and point it back towards Ignatius, tanking a full blast to her stomach first. The blast of ice hit Ignatius, and froze half of his body and he roared as he opened his maw to unleash another blast of heat to meet the ice blast being sent his way. Filling the room with a sparkly mist.

Saskia grimaced, jumping to another display case nearer Ignatius. They were really fucking limited because of him being all covered and magma and shit… her blood attacks would just melt off him. Which left another bone spear shoved through her skin, snapped off, and thrown towards his other eye. Ignatius caught the spear in mid-air and snapped it half, dismissively throwing it away.

”... Ella, you have to do it!” Lisa shouted, while on the ground. ”You have to show him your tiddies! It’s the only way!”

Ella’s eyes widened as she looked at Lisa, then at Saskia, who nodded. She put down the scepter, stepped on it to stop it spinning and… took off her bra, looking like she was about to cry.

Ignatius was stopped in his tracks, confused by the weird ass display. Saskia took the opportunity to throw another bone spear at his other eye, piercing through his eye, and causing him to recoil. Taking steps back before he opened his mouth,… firing a concentrated beam of heat wildly throughout the room in the vague direction of the girls.

Lisa attempted to dodge but it hit her in the leg, and she screamed in agony as she got instant fourth-degree burns. Saskia dodged out of the way, slamming into a wall as they managed to avoid it.

Ella reached down to grab the scepter, running and holding it. But the beam hit her right in the tits, immediately burning her most loved asset. Ella screamed, and Saskia shed a single tear.

”.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Lisa dramatically screamed, sticking a hand out towards Ella.

But Ella fought through the pain of having her tiddies horribly burned, pointing the ice sceptre at Ignatius’ mouth. It hit him directly, stopping the heat beam. The ice cracked and melted, but the freezing effect kept at it. He thrashed before being forced to raise his hand, which froze instantly. The magma on his skin began to glow even brighter. However, he seemed to put a panicked expression on his face as he stepped back.

”Oh shit," Saskia said, shielding their eyes from the brightness. ”I think he’s about to cum."

"What?!" Ella screamed, awkwardly covering her burnt chest with her arms while still blasting him with the ice scepter.

Ignatius’s skin glew so bright that it was nearly blinding, and he fell onto a display case as the ice beam began to explode into the mist on contact with the dragon. His legs thrashed around for a few moments - before he let out one final roar and began to literally fall apart. He fell apart into different specks of ash until his arms and legs began falling off completely, and he collapsed into a pile of ash. All the fires in the room were extinguished…

Ignatius was dead.

”That was the most dramatic orgasm I’ve ever said," Saskia intoned.

Lisa wiped a bead of sweat off her head.

”... Ella!” Lisa shouted. ”You did it!”

She smiled before pointing at her burned leg.

”... Now come heal me so I can heal your tids! With lots of touching!”

Ella nodded, putting down the scepter and dragging herself over to Lisa. She collapsed by her side, holding up her Channeler to bathe Lisa in a healing light. Then she put a hand over her chest, breathing heavily, and looking up at Lisa, then Saskia, who also came over.

"Girls…" she grimaced, looking down at her charred tiddies. "I… don’t think… they’re going to make it…"

”No!” Lisa ran over and grabbed them, before releasing the Healing-Spiders - which forced their way out of the pores in her hands and arms - and they crawled from Lisa’s hands onto Ella. They burrowed into her flesh, and suddenly, her burned flesh was renewed. They were good as new in moments, and Lisa smiled.

”See!” Lisa gave Ella a toothy grin, ”Dr. Turner saved the day!”

"Oh thank Sailor Moon," Ella let out a sigh of relief. Saskia did too, staring at Ella(‘s tiddies) with a small smile. She looked around. "Thanks Lisa… Where’s my bra?"

Lisa looked to the left and the right.

Before kicking it behind a display case.

”... Nooooooooooo idea!” Lisa awkwardly said, then she looked around before grasping both sides of her head and saying, ”... Wait! We gotta find that stupid rock!”

"Oh yeah!" Ella sat up, very quickly moving on from looking for something to cover up.

”Maybe it’s in another room? An orange themed one, perhaps?" Saskia suggested with a shrug. They looked around for another door.

”... We haven’t even checked this room!” Lisa shouted, ”Forget it!”

Lisa shouted before she ran around the room, looking at every display case… before coming to a stop and looking at the two before pointing at the ice scepter.

”... Let’s keep that thing,”

Then kept looking around the room.

Ella ran over to the scepter and picked it up, holding it in her arms so she could sort of cover her chest.

”HEY GUYS!” Lisa shouted, gesturing for them to come over, and when they did, they found Lisa with her face and hands against a display case, just staring at what was inside. Then she quietly said, ”... Come look at this.”

It was one of the Trinity Rings.

"HOLY SAILOR MOON IT'S ONE OF THOSE COOL STRENGTH RINGS!" Ella shouted as she came over behind Lisa, easily able to look over her head at it.

”A Trinity Ring," Saskia said, slipping in at Lisa’s side to look. ”We should take it."

"Let me get it!" Ella declared. She picked up Lisa, deposited her behind her, and then did the same to Saskia. Then she straight-up punched through the glass. Lisa reached in and grabbed it. She tried to slide it into her dress, but stopped after realizing it was in tatters. She sighed as she put the ring on her finger.

”... Shouldn’t Adora have this?” Lisa tilted her head, ”Wait, didn’t Clem and Nessa use different powers?”

”Yeah they had like… a shield and something else."

Lisa then shrugged.

”Let’s continue searching the room.” Lisa just said. ”Before more of them show up!”

"I’ll just beat them up if they do!" Ella shouted. Before she started jogging around the room, full of energy, looking high and low for any sign of the orange stone.

”They’ll see Ella’s tits and stop in their tracks," Saskia commented, also looking around at a more sluggish pace. They’d be surprised if it was in here… surely Ignatius maybe wasn’t that stupid. Then again, he’d nutted so hard he exploded after seeing a (admittedly great) pair of tits.

”I’m tired of fighting weirdos!” Lisa just shouted, throwing her hands in the air. ”Let’s get back to searching the room!”

Lisa ran around the room like a junebug, and after checking everything, nothing. No Orange-Stone, just a bunch of artifacts they didn’t know what to do with. Lisa shook her head.

”Let’s head to the neck room and check that one…” Lisa said, before walking towards the double-doors that they entered the room through, and pushing them open…

Lisa stopped in her tracks.

Frozen.

There was a group of people here.

Except they didn’t look like the Society at all.

One was a tall African-American man that towered over the rest of them, wearing a white suit, with shiny VVS bracelets and chains… with a Draco in his right hand. He turned towards the three and didn’t so much as respond.

Another was a taller-than-average Japanese woman with raven-colored hair; she was wearing a tank-top with black jeans and a pistol on a holster hanging at her waist with a trench coat over all of it.

Another was an average-height African-American man who was covered in tattoos, wearing a black leather coat and sunglasses…

Another stranger was a short African-American woman with a pixie cut, wearing black boots, a leather jacket, and had an AK-47 strapped to her back.

Another in this strange posse was another short African-American man, and wore a black trench coat, unzipped that showed his pistol, and the various knives he kept holstered at his hip.

The last (normal-looking) one was a red-haired woman of average height who wore a white dress shirt, khakis, and combat boots… with a pistol at her hip.

The last of which, clearly inhuman, was a massive bull-like creature that seemed to be made of a patchwork cloth. It stood in the middle of room, not too far away from the three, and did not respond to them entering the room. It’s strange red eyes followed their every movement…

The group was holding various artifacts, and a black rift was on the other side of the room.

They all looked at the three.

“Awwwwww, shit,” The Japanese woman said with a smile. “Busted.”

“Hmph,” The tall man with the Draco raised it at the three. “Dunno who you three are bu-”

“... Hendrix!”

Shaquita said as she walked over to the man, placed her hand on his firearm, and lowered it… before turning to the three. She was wearing a trench coat that was zipped up but was not wearing any shoes or possibly anything underneath it. Shaquita grinned.

“I take it that Ignatius is dead,” Shaquita began. “If so, thank you.”

"You’re welcome strange, nearly naked woman!" Ella shouted with a bright grin.

Saskia sighed. ”... I take it you don’t need me to find that stone anymore?"

“... We never needed you to find the stone at all,” Shaquita laughed as she walked over to a nearby display case and punched through it effortlessly. She pulled out the Orange Stone and held it into the air. “We just needed you to distract Ignatius long enough for us to get at the supply. For that, we thank you.”

She laughed again before throwing the Orange Stone at the three, landing at their feet.

“Consider that a parting gift,” Shaquita said.

Then Shaquita turned towards the Japanese woman.

“Makoto! Drop the rift so they can leave.”

“Awwwwww…” Makoto laughed, “Don’t they want to have some fun times in The Dark?!”

“Drop it.” Shaquita repeated herself, and Makoto sighed as the rift disappeared, revealing the door. Shaquita smiled, gesturing towards it.

“... There’s the door.”

Saskia bent down to pick up the Orange Stone, putting it in their pocket. ”Right. Sure, thanks."

"Byyyeee, strange ladies and gentlemen!" Ella shouted, before grabbing Saskia and Lisa’s hands and practically dragging them towards the door, which she kicked down (no free hands) and pulled them out.

The Repo-men did nothing to the three as they stepped past the strange bull-like creature and walked out the door into the next room. The room was completely ransacked, every artifact was gone, and then they went through the vault door and were outside the vault.

”... Was it just me?” Lisa said as she summoned another Tetrablemmid spider, and it was wrapped in a glowing cocoon as it grew in side. ”Or was she really hot? Like suuuuuuuuuper hot?”

”Oh yeah," Saskia agreed, nodding. ”So hot I was hoping for a bit of torture from her."

Lisa shrugged.

”I mean we can always go back.”

”No way! All those men already saw my chest, I refuse to go back!" Ella shouted.

”I mean it made Ignatius bust the biggest nut!” Lisa shouted in response. ”They’re magical! We can use them to beat those goons!”

While Saskia would love to go back and get tortured by Shaquita in all sorts of ways, the tiny, sensible part of her brain told her that wasn’t a good idea. They’d probably get murdered. ”I’m sure we’ll see her again. We can wait."

Lisa just shrugged as the spider reached full size and burst out of the cocoon, with wings and everything… it lowered its body as Lisa climbed on. She patted a spot behind her for the other two to hop on.

Ella hopped on first, hugging Lisa… which meant if she even so much as moved her head she’d get a face full of tiddy. Saskia got on last, also hugging Ella and totally not feeling up her tits.

”Let’s go!"

The spider’s wings started flapping, taking off down the tunnel…

… They just needed to remember how to get out.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

---

Edict

Shaquita Walker.

Interactions: None.

Christiansands, ten on the dot.

---

---

supernova - aespa

---

---

The night hardly even started!

Britney was the first to approach the neon-lit street, wearing a black dress that fit her plus sized body well with a purse hanging off her shoulder. She stood in front of the line to the club, and naturally, it was huge because it was a Friday night, and people wanted to par-tay. Though she wondered where Edict and Linqian were, she forgot the unspoken rule among black people: never show up on time for something. There was no way they would miss her in high hell, so she pulled out her phone and started scrolling Instagram.

”Heyyy, what’s someone as good looking as you doing out here alone?” After about ten minutes of waiting, Linqian finally appeared (with Edict in tow), awkwardly trying to put an arm over Britney’s shoulder and giving up because of the height difference.

Linqian was obviously in a good mood, grinning up at Britney. Edict had replaced all of her shit - the most important being her phone, which had allowed her to take most of her shift tomorrow off (and make sure her brother wasn’t causing trouble anywhere). She’d also changed, again on Edict’s dime, now wearing a lowcut black crop top and tight black shorts.
”You been waiting long? Traffic was a fucking pain.”

”Eh, not that long,” Britney shrugged, before she smiled at Linqian. ”It’s Friday, you know all those fishermen gotta try to dive in a different kind of ocean, if you catch my drift.” She laughed at her own joke.

Edict had gone for some nice, freshly pressed slacks and a button down shirt with a fairly interesting, if not a bit gaudy, repeating print on it. It was kind of hard to discern that it was all roman numerals for some reason, cascading down the shirt like the fall of a mathematical empire. In the lights of the neons, the multi-colored shadows cast by them, you couldn't tell what they were at a glance.

He had his coat on still, and a pair of wing tips that matched his shirt in color.
“Y'know, this city does fucking suck for parking. Old cities usually, like Boston. No parking, no room for big lots, just density.”

He took his spot at Britney's side, craning his neck slightly to kiss her cheek.
“Wassup Goddess? Ready to go shot for shot?” He asked, grinning at Britney.

”Goddess? That’s new.” Britney chuckled as she let Edict kiss her on the cheek, before she gestured at the long ass line. ”Yeah, I am, but we’re going to be in line for hoooooooooours at this rate.”

She laughed, ”I would have said we should gotten here sooner, but we didn’t want to sit in a dry-ass club.”

”Maybe I can flirt with the bouncer a bit so we can cut the line,” Linqian suggested, twisting around to try to eye up whoever was on the door.

Edict grinned, popping his collar in a comical way. He was here to entertain as much as he was here to enjoy himself, so acting like the sad clown wouldn’t be so hard. Especially not for the clientele.
”Ladies? I know it’s kind of tough to keep up with what I do. Because, y’know, I just do so much. But, don’t worry. Edict’s got you both. Come on, let’s go, fuck-a-line.”

As they walked, he made sure to make a big thing of it to the Blinds who had clearly been waiting for quite a while now. There were jeers and stares, but it only served to inflate the man’s ego as he made it to the front of the line and locked in in front of the VIP ropes.
”Well well well! You boys miss me?” he asked, seeing familiar faces on the door crew. ”Or am I gonna have to call the Boss like last time?”

The two men, clad in black suits with red ties, looked at each other. Then, they pulled the stanchion’s hook, unclipped it, and gestured for them to go inside.

”... Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks, ya’ll!” Britney excitedly said as she strutted inside. She loves it when Edict pulls through! As expected, the club was bouncing, and they could hear the music blaring inside far more clearly. The only thing on her mind was the bar, so she grabbed Edict’s hand and Linqian’s hand with the other. She was briefly curious about the VIP section up the stairs, but a tall lady was staring at her with crossed arms that Britney didn’t recognize, but Edict wouldn’t mistake.

”Shit, you banging the boss or something, Greyson?” Linqian teased, very easily allowing herself to be dragged by the dick towards the bar. To her, this place was fancy as fuck. When she went to clubs - which wasn’t often with how busy she was - it was the shittest, cheapest ones. She narrowed her eyes as they reached the bar, squinting in an attempt to figure out the prices of things. ”So, shots? I’ll drink fucking anything, so one of you choose… If I do it’ll be the fucking cheapest shot on the menu.”

Edict laughed when Linqian mentioned fucking the boss, but his enthusiasm quickly diminished as he looked up the VIP at a glance and saw the most irate face imaginable staring back at him. She was ghastly, and obviously unmistakable as the bodyguard who, just that morning, he’d been making some pretty Greyson-Core passes at.
He could only pray that she wasn’t going to make his life miserable tonight. He figured that things were going to go just fine between Dollhouse and HoC, but… He didn’t want to speculate further and ruin the night, so he was happy to get back to the bar.

”Come on, Linqian, I own a club myself! You think people in my line of work don’t talk? I know the owner personally, he’s been a great mentor.”
He leaned across, calling for the Bartender whenever they were able.
”Now, I’m getting a couple bottles. Brit? You want your wine? Or something else?” he asked.

”Yeah, let’s pop some bottles!” Britney stuck her tongue out. ”Get tequila! Just don’t get that nasty shit!” She looked over her shoulder, and she swore she could see that lady that was staring at them by the VIP entrance for a second.

Maybe it was just nerves?

Getting terribly close, Edict whispered into Britney’s ear.
”You’re so cute when you’re having fun.”
He was a sappy leech, and doing his best to put the thought of Shaquita out of his head. The bartender arrived finally.
”Getting a couple bottles; Patron, the Platinum. And a D’Yquem, white, as old as you can get me for a thousand.”

The bartender looked a little taken aback by Edict’s candor and, more precisely, the request itself.
“Oh, Sir, if you want bottle service, you’ll have to buy Up for the VIP. There are tables available for walk-in, and if you’re asking for a thousand dollar bottle of wine, I can assure you that you don’t want to be drinking down here.”
”Woah, uh… What if I do?”
“I mean I’m happy to take your money down here, but we’re not cracking open a fifteen year old bottle of wine so you can foam the crowd like it's a music video. We’ve got more class here at Christiansands.”

Edict looked flatly, then turned his head to look at Shaquita, then back to the bartender. A nervous laugh escaped from his throat.
”W-well, yeah! I mean if there’s tables open, by all means!”
The bartender, with instant professionalism, slammed the card reader on the counter and grinned.
“Alright! Eighteen-hundred and forty four dollars after tax, go ahead and slide or tap.”
He did his absolute best to hold back the grimace as he pulled out his phone and tapped the payment. When it confirmed, the bartender reached down and grabbed a ticket that he handed to Edict.
“This is good for three bracelets! Head over to the VIP stairs, show this to Ms. Shaquita, and you’ll be all good! The bottles will be waiting at your table, and I believe… Marcos? Will be your server? Shaquita will know, so ask her if you care! Enjoy!”

And like that, he was gone, receding into the claxon of drink orders around them.
Edict cleared his throat, shot another look at Shaquita, and then did his best “I’m not worried” impression.
”You know? Special night, special place, special ladies in my life? Sounds like a VIP moment to me, lets fuckin’ gettit!” he grabbed both of them around their waists and jostled them all back and forth in a playful manner before forging ahead toward doom.

”What the fuck?” Linqian damn near exploded at the price, staring at the bar like it’d killed her parents. That was almost what she earned in a month… she could cover most of the mortgage with that… Fucking hell.

”My no-no square!” Britney shouted.

But it was pretty clear Linqian wasn’t suddenly, out of nowhere pissed at Edict when she didn’t throw his hand off her waist or get super hot over the jostling. In fact her exposed skin was slightly cool to touch - she was semi actively casting to balance out how sweltering that actual club was.
”And here I was thinking about flirting with the bartender to get us some cheaper drinks- fucking thousand dollar bottle of wine! VIP section! Fuck… please tell me the tequila ain’t worth that much.” Wait, why was she so worried about that? ”You know what, fuck it, sure! I won’t fucking complain.”

”C’mooooooooon, Greyson…” Britney placed her hand against his chest as she said, ”You don’t gotta do all that… it’s just a night at a shitty club, you don’t gotta blow all this dough...” Her face dropped a bit as she looked Greyson head on.

”Let him waste the fucking money if he has it, Brit,” Linqian interjected.

”Listen, whether I got it or not ain’t the question. I’m about to spend a lot of money at a lot of places; it’s customary to be polite when you’re patronizing someone else’s club. My own reputation’s on the line. Hell, depending on how long we stay here? I may blow through another ten or fifteen. The owner of this place, last time he was in my Club, spent forty large between pickin’ up tabs and blastin’ the house.”
Edict spun and shrugged his shoulders as they made their way to the stairs for the upper floor VIP section.

Of course, there she was. In all of her looming figure, Shaquita was there. He could only hope she didn’t mention the morning as they entered.
”Oooh, Shaquita! It’s bumpin’ tonight, what’s goin’ on up here?” he chattered, handing over the ticket for their VIP bands.

Shaquita stared at him with a blank expression. It seemed like it had been ages… before she cracked a smug grin and took them.

“... You’re bold,” Shaquita began. “You know that, Devola…?”

She followed that statement with a short laugh as she grabbed the stanchion rope, unclipped the hook, and held it. “The bosses aren’t in right now, so it’s dead up there….”

Shaquita stepped aside, “... However, the bar is fully staffed and stocked. So, enjoy yourselves….”

She paused for a moment.

“... Just don’t have too much fun,” Shaquita said.

”Dead?” Linqian whispered (though it was closer to a hiss). ”What’s the fucking point if it’s dead- guess we can get fucking wasted then hit the downstairs dance floor.”

At the thought of all the alcohol waiting for them, Linqian quite happily began to make her way up the stairs, pausing as she got out of earshot of Shaquita. Her voice was still kept to a low whisper. ”Just me or is she fucking hot in a could easily kill me kinda way?”

”She’s definitely built. I uh… I don’t know, I like wider curves, y’know?” he commented back, safe in his secure omission not becoming an issue.

Edict did his best to laugh off what Shaquita had said, quickly coming to the realization that, yes; it was fucking dead up here. No, Luis and his crew weren’t here.
”Shiiiit… Bunch’a broke motherfuckers down there - Ain’t nobody poppin’ bottles lookin’ for the good life?”

Their server was already waiting for them, as were their bottles at a table.
”Alright! That’s what we’re lookin’ for. Can we get a couple shot glass-”
Getting closer to the table, he found them already waiting. Three, even! And three glasses for wine.
”-Damn, y’know that just makes me want to go home and get my own shit squared away! I like my VIP like I like my wrestling matches, but this is so organized!”

“Well, it’s a little slow up here. Not too tough to cover four or five covers, Mr. Devola!”
Edict’s ego inflated as the man knew his name. His hands swept toward the booth for the girls to slide in.

”Fucking hell, I’ve never even been in a VIP section before.” Linqian slid into the booth first, forcing herself not to look around as if she was in a zoo or something. How dead it was wasn’t really her thing but… it could be nice for a while, let them catch up and get a bunch of alcohol in them before hitting the drunken masses.

”I worked in a real fucking fancy club four years back, but they only let you serve up there if you’d worked there a year or more. One of the worse places I worked at too, fuck, they expected you to bend over backwards just cause the clients were rich, while paying fuck all. I only stuck with it cause my ex recommended me-” Fuck, why did she go and mention him. Whatever. ”Then I got fired anyway.”

As she talked, she automatically poured two glasses of the wine, pushing them towards Britney and Edict, then filled the three shot glasses… rather than waiting for the server to do it for them.

”Today’s a first for everything, I suppose!” Britney playfully said, grabbing her glass of wine and downing it. ”But I wouldn’t count that as a loss. Maybe I can get you into modeling.”

Then she snorted, ”I mean, you clearly don’t have a problem with going around booty-out naked. So why not get paid for it?!”

She laughed, before glancing at the entrance… She saw Shaquita standing guard by it. Though, Britney swore that she was staring at them. She just shrugged.

”Let’s bump it up to something a little bit stronger.”

Edict raised his shot glass up.
”As hard as you wanna go, Babe! Lets get smashed and go back downstairs before people think we’re squares!”
He knocked the two hundred dollar tequila down like water, hardly feeling it even as it hit his gut to sit like a slick atop the acid.

”You really give a fuck what people think?” Linqian snorted, downing her own tequila shot, and trying not to think about how much it cost. It was pretty fucking good. She then turned to Britney, lips pulling up into a slight smile.
”Hey, you really think I could make it in modeling? That shit must pay more than bartending… Cause you’re right, I really don’t give a fuck about getting it all out in front of whoever.”

She waved a hand. ”But fuck thinking about money, let’s drink to forget the mundane shit.”

Britney smiled.

”Now that’s what I want to hear!”

---

Some time later.

Britney was thrown out on the street outside Christiansands. Followed by Edict, then Linqian. All by Shaquita who stood in the doorway, all eyes were on them…

”... Bish!” Britney slurred as she tried to push herself to her feet, only to stumble forward and end up back on her hands and feet. ”... The fuck?!”

“... I’ve had enough of your shenanigans,” Shaquita shook her head. Before turning to Edict, “Mr. Devola, you set a bad example.”

”B-bish!” Britney hiccupped as she turned around, aiming her backside at Shaquita. ”Only thing bad here is me! Tell her Greyson!”

“I-” Shaquita tried to say before Britney began shaking her ass at her, sticking her tongue out.

Which left Shaquita in a state of stunned silence.

There was nothing quite as disorienting as being thrown out onto her ass while drunk. The world was fucking spinning and it took Linqian a moment and Britney's very sexy shaking ass for her to reorient herself. She pushed herself to her feet, stumbling, and pointing a finger at Shaquita.

”Heyyyyy we didn't fuckin' do anything you hoe,” Linqian bit out, getting louder with each word. It was incredibly clear to anyone that knew her that she was well on the way to explosive, pissed off Linqian. Not only had this bitch thrown them out, she'd fucking thrown Linqian onto her precious ass! ”I’ll fuckin'... burn your fuckin' hot ass off…”

Linqian stumbled forward, hand rising and clenching into a fist as she tried to get super hot. Except she was just soooo hot already and her magic wasn't responding properly. Her body temperature ticked up until she was… like a toasty human hot water bottle, squinting angrily and very visibly gearing up for a swing.

Edict had, for the last few minutes, been doing his absolute best to sober up for the occasion, blasting himself with a quick Power Word before things got out of hand. As it turned out, the VIP floor bottle rule could be circumvented with one cheap trick: Walking behind the bar like you own it (preferably after spending thousands of dollars on floor shots for the entire club) and just handing shit out. At the time, he figured that so long as he paid afterward, there wasn’t going to be a major issue.

But people must get rowdy. People must get handsy. The same shit that was a nightly occurrence at his club was being treated like a crime by the security crew, and the perps were getting thrown out. Truly, a high-end place.
Now he was standing up after being tossed out, and nearly back to a functioning headspace. His limbs were still ropey, however, and he took a gating step toward Linqian, snapping her up before she could throw any big blows.

”Woah woah WOAH! N-no fisties. Capice?” he said calmly and quietly to her, his brain at least able to properly dictate his actions and follow through on a basic level.
”Now… Yes. Shaquita is right! I’m a bad influence.-”
Linqian still in his arms, he patted her back as he looked toward Britney breaking it down.
”-But she is… A certified Baddie! Look at that ass, Shaquita! Go Brit-ney! Go Brit-ney!” he laughed finally, looking back at Shaquita with a smirk.

Linqian pretty pathetically struggled against Edict's hold in an attempt to continue on her self righteous path to revenge over her poor ass hitting the cold hard floor. Except she was drunk as fuck and she needed her magic to overpower Edict anyway, and it wasn't fucking working!
”I’m not a fucking child,” she muttered when Edict patted her back like she was some kid need placating… except it actually worked. She stopped awkwardly flailing limbs that weren't quite listening to her, scowl turning into a pout and going completely limp. She was only still standing by virtue of Edict holding her up.

”You… you fucking show her, Brit,” Linqian slurred, managing to find focus on Britney's ass in an otherwise spinning world, uncomfortably twisting her head around to look at it.

Shaquita was stunned into silence. Wordlessly slinking back into the club, where she probably reevaluated her life choices. Britney managed to force herself to her feet and hopped around so her back was facing the club.

”.... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!” Britney screamed as she shook her behind again. ”Showed that bitch! Let’s go to your place, Greyson! This place is corny as fuck anyway.”

Edict laughed aloud at Britney’s antics, and he wondered for a moment about where the connection was between the reserved and regal woman and that same aggressively energetic young lady was. He fell in love with a different Britney for sure, but this one… She was shaping up to still be his type.

All the more reason to make things right. His sobering brain echoed the sentiment, and he let go of Linqian up to the wrist, which he gently grabbed to keep her wrangled. He managed to tangle her up into an actual holding of hands.
”Alright, c’mon… Troublemakers.”
His other hand reached out and took Britney’s, wrapping their fingers together tenderly.

”We’re hittin’ the most exclusive Club in this entire city.”

---

Thankfully it was a short walk to the Cabstand, and Edict was able to wrangle a cab back to his place. It was only a few blocks, but he figured his fine company would find some sort of trouble in that amount of time walking down the street.
This part of the city was always high energy on Fridays and Saturdays, and all it took was one Blind giving a drunk Witch a reason to cast a spell. Piss the Warlock off, he’ll make you dance. Piss the Witches off, you end up being branded like a cow or… The Manchineel…

The elevator climbed directly into the entry foyer of Greyson’s apartment, the dim lights and warm wood floors giving it a cozy cabin vibe despite being a penthouse suite overlooking the Bay and the Old Town. All masks came off across the threshold, and Greyson immediately went for the liquor cabinet.
”Aaaanything you want, Ladies. All yours. There’s still food in the fridge, Linqian, if you… Y’know, felt like cookin’.”
He grinned, doing his best to look cute as he turned back to look at her.

His hand pulled up a tall, thin bottle of amber colored booze. Whatever container it came in initially was gone, instead this strange and fancy looking slender decanter glowed like a vial of Godly nectar.
”Twenty-five year vintage rum. Technically like, twenty six.” he bragged, pulling a glass out and filling it up, only to summarily begin taking long draws from the decanter itself.

”You’re fucking pushing it… you’re lucky I’m so fucking good natured,” Linqian rolled her eyes at Edict, but there was very little bite to her tone. She’d both sobered up slightly and calmed down on the way over. She brushed past him, playfully smacking his arm on the way past and leaning over to snatch up the glass he’d poured then not drunk from. She took a sip on her way towards the kitchen, opening up the fridge and crouching down. She swayed slightly, eyes squinting at all the ingredients without being able to process it. It was fine, she wasn’t that drunk! She’d cooked feeling worse, and she was fucking hungry.

”What do you guys want?” Though she asked, her hands and mouth didn’t quite sync up, as she started grabbing random ingredients. Shit that looked appealing. ”Eh, I’ll just do whatever. Fucking anything I make is great.”

And with that she started hunting for a knife, stumbling from drawer to drawer.

Without a second thought, Britney snatched another bottle tequila, popped it open, and shoved it into her mouth. She downed as much as she could, pulling the bottle away from her mouth, then wiping her mouth. She loudly burped before saying…

”... You really gonna cook right now?!” Britney laughed, before she leaned over the sofa, bracing her hands against it. ”What I want is to party! Play some music!”

Then began shaking her behind again.

”Hey, it ain’t a party without some party food!” Linqian turned around brandishing a knife she’d finally found, laughing. She was really a pretty functional drunk, had to train herself to be at old workplaces… And the swaying of her legs was definitely just her shaking her ass along with Britney and not struggling to stay standing. But even though she was unstable, she turned around and started chopping up vegetables like she was completely sober. It was like a full autopilot mode, veg chopped, oil heating up, ass properly shaking along as she just about managed to stay standing.

”Don’t knock the Han special drunk noodles till you try em!”

Greyson was still laughing. It was almost too much energy, but he was so used to a different pace of life. His private places were usually private for a reason. But, these two were fine. It was fine. So, he made his way to the stereo system and began to pick through everything.

Mood Music

Taking another swig of his own, Greyson made his way to Britney.
”Don’t even act like you ain’t gonna be hungry in thirty minutes. All that dancin’ you doin’... Got an ass that’ll get a dude kicked out the club, my Lord…” he laughed his ass off, getting into the groove with her.
”Come on, lets dance in the kitchen… Be gatekeepin’ the dancing and shit.” He attempted to slowly manipulate Britney by the hips toward the kitchen so the three of them would be together.

”... It’s DARE!” Britney loudly, and obnoxiously screamed as she, as Edict wanted, moved into the kitchen. She ceased shaking her asss until she got in there, then she placed her hands against the counter and continued. She turned towards Linqian, and asked, ”... Whatcha’ makin, bacon/”

”The most amazing fucking noodles you'll ever eat,” Linqian grinned. She'd finished chopping a bunch of vegetables and had moved onto chicken, moving over to playfully bumping her hip against Britney before continuing. In reality she was just making simple Lo Mein noodles - something she could do in her sleep… or while drunkenly swinging her hips along to the music. She mixed most of the sauce ingredients and threw some ginger into the hot pan, not reacting at all when some of the hot oil splashed across her wrist. She tilted her head back towards Greyson.
”You got any dry Sherry- really any dry white wine will do.”

She then took a step back, fanning one hand in front of her face, grimacing.
”Also, why’s it so fucking hot in here? You got the heating on full blast or some shit?” It would be obvious to anyone with a single, sober brain cell that the reason Linqian was overheating was she’d forgotten to lower her body temperature back to normal rather than toasty warm after trying to attack Shaquita. Gentle heat still radiated out from her. She glanced between the two of them, shrugged, and decided, fuck it. They’d seen more.

Before just straight up pulling off her top, revealing the black, lacey bra underneath.

”Oh but I’m the only one who can’t control my powers…” he leered, moving away from the countertop to pull a bottle of shitty dry from a nearby cabinet.
”Good cooking families keep the shit wine with the oils.”

But when he turned back around, Greyson realized that Linqian was already taking clothing off. He wasn’t worried about her burning herself; more worried about the gradual escalation that Britney would be queued toward. She’d been staying pretty modest while he was at her house, but Greyson was well aware of her proclivity toward nude living. Now, Linqian was just opening the door to naked drunken noodles.

He didn’t mind necessarily; only that he had to keep his hands and his magic to himself unless otherwise prompted… And that was hard. Extremely hard.

”Good cooking families normally know how to cook,” Linqian shot back, grabbing the wine and pouring some into the sauce she was mixing up.

Greyson put his hands up playfully.
”Ayyy, you don’t know my Momma. She got the curry goat in the pot, and the jollof… Y’know, cookin’ is sexy isn’t it?”

Linqian laughed, throwing the chicken, lightly coated in sauce, into the pan.
”Oh, sure is, especially when I’m the one doing it,” Linqian winked, giving a little booty shake towards both Greyson and Britney, still laughing. ”Though I only bring out the sexiness in certain company.”

Britney loudly smacked Linqian’s behind, then laughed as she put her hands on her hips. However, she started playing with the tag on Linqian’s bra.

”... Viiiiictoria’s Secret! We had a shoot with them awhile back, you know!” Britney laughed. ”See, you’d make a great model!”

”You think? I do make even Target bras look hot,” Linqian grinned, easily moving her arms to toss the vegetables in the pan with the chicken without shifting the rest of her body. She flipped the ingredients a few times before spinning around, leaning back and to the side on the counter. She put one hand behind her head with her elbow on the counter and the other on her hip, which she shoved out to one side.
”You gotta pose all sexy and shit, right? How’s this?”

”You look like- I mean it’s alright, gurl!” Britney laughed, releasing her hands from Linqian’s hips. ”We can work on it! Greeeeeeeeeysoooon! What do you think?”

Greyson was, obviously, staring without care as to who was looking. It wasn't like Britney didn't know he and Linqian had been together; his only hope at this point is that he'd be able to scrape together the best of both worlds at once.
”Tha'ss a loaded question, ain't it? You gonna hit me for answering?”

”We turnt,” Britney said with a grin. ”Everything I say is going to be loaded.”

Edict grinned, sliding away from the counter and skulking off for a moment before coming back with a couple more sealed bags.
”It don't help, she picked the lamest looking set.”

Slapping the bags down on the counter, he slid one to Brit and one to Linqian.
”Bordelle. These are like six hundred bucks a set. I bought ‘em cuz I like looking at ‘em… But when they shipped, they shipped here. Not my house in Minnesota, so I ain't seen ‘em yet.”

He’d also pulled his jacket and shirt off, exposing his chiseled arms and neck muscles, as well as the tattoos on his arms - and Britney purred. Looking between them, he grinned for a moment.
”If y’all wanna put ‘em on for me, I’d love that… Hate to think I wasted money.”
As he leaned in across the counter, one hand went for the bottle of tequila and dragged it closer, the other tapping the set he put in front of Britney.
”Big tiddies… I can’t lie, I was thinkin’ about you when I bought this one.” he leaned in, staring into her eyes. ”And, maybe I sent it here cuz of that… But, you’ve got no evidence that it’s true.” he bit his lip finally.

”Fuck, six hundred?!” Linqian had flipped back round to continue cooking, something she was both unable to leave unfinished, but regretted slightly. Whatever. She threw in the noodles, flipped it all together, turned off the stove and turned back around. She decided to ignore the whole… sort of romantic vibe that was going on. Sort of. She picked up the bag near her and peered inside, eyebrows raising. Shit, it looked fucking good quality - obviously. Her gaze moved up from what was in the bag, to Britney, with a smirk.

”Well…” Linqian leaned forward so that she was pushing into both of their space without interrupting their eye contact. ”I’ll put it on if Brit does.”
It was pretty obvious she wasn’t planning to do it for just Greyson.

Britney returned the eye contact… wrapping her hands around Edict’s waist.

”... I know, you remembered my fuckin’ measurements!” She laughed. ”I’ll put it on… just for you, though, one time thiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!.” Britney followed that statement with another laugh as she broke eye contact and walked over to the bag, grabbing the bag.

”To the back, friiiiiiiiend!” Britney said, slapping Linqian on the behind again. ”We gotta build excitement! If we change our here Greyson might bust!”

”Girl, I ain't bussin nothin’ unless you tell me to. Actin’ like I don't see naked women every night of my life… Go on, get sexy for the Don.” Greyson split between them, slapping a cheek of each on their way toward changing.

”... Ooooh,” Britney purred.

Linqian just whistled, smirking and snatching up the bottle of tequila on the way out.

”Anywhere but the locked room. You don't wanna see the bodies.” he laughed, moving over toward the pan with the noodles. He opened a cabinet to get some plates and cutlery before trying to dish out portions for everyone to eat if they wanted.

”You mean the plant fertilizer?!” Britney laughed as she disappeared.

It took them a while to get changed - probably because both women were drunk (Linqian’s cooking induced soberness quickly wearing off). When they came back out, they’d changed into the lingerie like promised.

Linqian was pretty comfortable in it, even if the sheer lace and embroidered wave design didn’t leave much up to the imagination. There were lots of extra straps, giving it a slight BDSM look without actually being anywhere near it. Linqian would know.

She leaned in against Britney, wrapping an arm around her waist, fingers lightly rubbing her skin.
”How’s it compare to all those naked women you see every night, Greyson?” Linqian smirked, gaze equally playful and taunting.

”Guuuuurl, that’s a loaded question, ayyyyyyy!” Britney laughed, sticking her tongue out. ”You know we’re better! We’re us!”

Greyson was half-tucked into a plate of noodles with a fork in one hand and a cloth in the other. He didn’t look up until he heard Linqian speak, at which point his attention was taken entirely by the beauty and grandeur before him.

His mouth opened wide with the grin of a kid getting a new Playstation for Christmas. It was the surprise new car look, the profit at the end of a long night look.
The work was worth the reward, and it would be rendered unto him. In that moment, every empire in his bloodline coursed with power. Pink Lux filled the room, the veins in his throat turning bright pink as the Lotus’ roots spread across the room. A hand slipped into his pocket, desperate for his channeler as the Lux escaped through him in a great choking pain.

A pain he was used to. A pain he liked. But a brush of the metal rim on his finger was all he needed to direct a shot directly at a poor Blind on the next floor below them.
The hand still holding the rag wiped his mouth, and he blew out a curl of pink smoke from his mouth. Wordlessly, he rounded the counter.

”Y’all wanna ask me stupid questions? How’s it compare? How about rather than telling you, I just show y’all.” he bit his lip, a hand now resting on his belt while the other one pointed down the hall toward his bedroom.
”I’d run… Cuz if I catch you before the room, it’s goin’ down in the hallway.”

”Ohhh, is that a challenge?” Linqian’s eyes narrowed seductively, and she shifted towards Edict so that she was facing Britney. Both arms went around the other woman. ”Why not here? Maybe you’re the one that needs to run, before me and Brit have so much fun you’re no longer needed.”

”Before we do anything!” Britney said to Edict, as she approached. ”I know this coochie gon’ make you you fall in love but don’t ramp up on that lame-ahh lovey-dovey shit you been on before!”

Britney laughed, as she stuck out her pinky, ”Piiiinky promise?”

Greyson’s face shifted from lust to sentiment. Actually, a little embarrassment. His hand reached out, about to wrap his pinkie around hers before he paused. His forehead pressed forward, into her own.
”We’re talking more about it tomorrow, and I pinky promise I’ll leave it tonight.”

”Yes, we’re going to talk about how good it was and how it changed your life!” Britney laughed, wrapping her pinky around Edict’s harder. ”Can’t lie when I say I haven't been thinking about it - but broooo you gotta let it happen naturally!”

What else could he do but smile?
”Then I can’t be drinkin’ no more girl, get yo’-”
Still holding her tight by the pinkie, he lifted her arm up and spun Britney in place so she was looking back at Linqian. His free hand smacked against her ass with a loud clap.
”-ass in that bedroom… Talkin’ mad shit like I ain’t about to rock the both of you. Go! Go!” he cackled.

Linqian snorted, walking backwards at a leisurely pace. Her narrowed, suggestive gaze moved from Edict to Britney, then she smirked. ”Fucking acting like you’re the centre of this shit… So, Brit. Is that cactus available?”

”Of course! It comes in spineless and spine-y assortments!” Britney laughed as she did a dramatic high-kneed run towards the bedroom. ”But run Linqian! He gon get us!”

Then she disappeared into it, followed by Linqian and Edict...

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"Greta" Faust.

^{Featuring Luca!}

Interactions: None

The night after the fight at Kari's House. The Boardwalk.

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So Silent - Zack Hemsey

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The waves were Adora's only company out here... she stood at the edge of the boardwalk, the full moon shining above her, with her arms crossed. She had on a blue hoodie blue sweatpants, and some running shoes, and she had her ears wide open. She took in a deep breath, then exhaled; the boardwalk was completely empty at this hour because it was technically closed. However, she was out here for a reason.

She heard footsteps that ended at the bench behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Greta Faust. Instead of her usual punk attire, she wore a grey hoodie (which she had up), grey sweatpants, and sneakers.

Just like Adora. Almost made her crack a smile.

"... I'm here," Greta said, both hands on the bench, and she sneered, as she said, "I'm surprised you answered 'the call'," Greta said, finger quoted, chuckling.

”Why's that?” Adora narrowed her eyes.

Greta was silent, a mocking smile creeping up on her face.

"... I think you know why," Greta answered. "Now, let's cut to the chase, I have work to do."

Adora sighed.

”I wanted to hear it from you,” Adora began, pivoting on her foot to face Greta head on. ”Why are you following Emily around? How can you be okay with that shit she pulled at Kari's house? How can you be okay with her trying to kill Lila over some bullshit she started?” She narrowed her eyes at Greta, taking a step forward.

”We... we used to fight alongside each other. We used to be friends. How can you help her be a piece of shit?!" She hissed the last words out, before letting out a sigh and putting a hand on her chest.

Greta sighed, looking at the boardwalk underneath her feet.

"We used to be friends, but you left," Greta said before raising her head and facing Adora head-on.

”... I had to,” Adora weakly said.

"Did you really now?" Greta said as she raised an eyebrow.

”This isn't about me!” Adora shouted, slamming a foot on the ground. ”Answer my questions, Gretchen.”

Greta sighed.

"Honestly, these days; I cannot give you an honest answer, Appie," Greta began, chuckling at the nickname. "Ten years ago, I could tell you I rolled with Emily because I was so hurt... Oh, did you know the details of my departure from the Old Coven? Or did you just not care."

”They accused you of running around St. Portwell, making monsters,” Adora said. ”Turned out you weren't, but you left for some reason.”

"... Do you want to hear my perspective, then?" Greta gave Adora a sinister grin. "I'm sure it'd help you with everything."

”Yes.”

"You remember all those potions that you drank that made you strong enough to fight the Stygian Snake? Drive it off a few times?" Greta tilted her head, maintaining that sinister grin. "Or all those healing potions that saved countless lives?"

”... Yes,”

"... Did you know that I'm the only person that could make them?" Greta began. "Did you know I slaved away in my own lab near endlessly, making potions that would help in the fight? I know before I thought it was the best way to save my own ass, but in time I began to..."

She sighed.

"... I developed a soft spot for you all. It was the first time I had friends or people I cared about. You, Lisa-" The mention of Lisa made Adora's skin crawl, but she remained resolute and did not so much as flinch. "-Luca, Olivia, Britney... You all at least tried to be my friend, instead of treating me like a potion factory. So, I made sure to go all out, no longer because I just wanted to keep myself alive, but as many of you alive as possible. I had help sometimes, but I hardly got any sleep most nights because I was working so hard."

Greta narrowed her eyes at Adora, before she continued, "... How do you think I felt getting accused by the people I did so much to help? Getting treated like a monster that hurt people...?"

She gritted her teeth before shouting, "... How do you think I felt having all my hard work - that I did from the kindness of my heart - just thrown away because some stupid cheerleader jumped to conclusions instead of using her goddamn head!?"

She exhaled, slinking back on the bench. "You'd be hurt by it, too, Adora. You'd feel betrayed."

Adora laughed.

”... You sound so cute when you shout with that nasally, high-pitched, voice, you know?”

"... Don't diminish my feelings, Appie," Greta growled.

”I'm not, trust me,” Adora began. ”But, none of that explains how you fell in with an open hate-criminal.”

Greta sighed.

"Look, I was angry, lost, confused; many things," She began. "Emily gave me solace with her new Coven, one I thought would be better - though, I thought anything would be better without those three dumbasses around. She gave me something that I was missing... 8th Street wasn't all that bad at first. We just practiced magic. Had adventures. We were something that Sycamore should have been."

Greta turned her head away from Adora. "However, in time, Emily got worse. Vashti, too. They started turning us into their footsoldiers in their game. Lynette tried to stop them, but there was only so much she could do, and she had no choice but to leave for her own sake. Other people left, too, including Luca and Olivia, and I don't blame them."

Adora silently stared at Greta.

”So, why didn't you leave?” She asked.

Greta grinned.

"... And go where?" Greta said. "I made the sad, sad, mistake of making my entire life this Coven... but I know your little Coven would never agree with this, but we are only fighting the worst threats in St. Portwell."

”... Like us?” Adora said, putting a hand on her hip. ”A group of people who are only trying to stop a literal serial killer.” She raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't agree with any of that," Greta said. "We had better things to do. I have better things to do."

”... But, you still went along with it anyway,” Adora spat out. ”By enabling Emily, you're just as bad as she is! Matter of fact, you're worse.”

Greta sighed.

"... Is this all you wanted to talk to me about?" Greta said. "You only came out here to shame me?"

”I came here for an explanation,” Adora began. ”I know you're better than that. Better than her. You are easily one of the most useful people I know. So why don't you drop Emily's sorry ass and make yourself something?”

"I-"

”... And don't give me that 'this is all I know' bullshit because it's just an excuse,” Adora said. ”You... you have power. You have control. You have the ability. We all do. So, that's all I want to know.”

Greta was silent.

"... 8th Street is more of a Coven to me than Sycamore ever was, or ever will be," Greta said, tears rolling down her face. Her voice cracked "I... I just can't turn my back on them now, you know!"

”Tears aren't going to sway me, Gretchen,” Adora firmly said. ”Emily and 8th Street are all toxic. You. Are. Better. Than. This.”

"... Do you really think you know everything, Appie?!" Greta shouted. "You're still the same self-righteous bitch that you've been ten years ago!"

Adora grit her teeth, putting a hand on her chest.

”'Self righteous?' Gretchen, I'm trying to help you! That's not fair!”

"You know what's really not fair?" Greta sobbed, "How you, our strongest, abandoned the Old Coven - boxed us out - and now you're acting like you can just come back and act like everything is fine! I looked up to you, Adora. Because you were everything I wish I could have been! Confident. Strong. A fucking anchor. Instead, I was just the potion-gal that was to be used and tossed away when it stopped being useful! I was just a tool! You and everyone else always treated me like that."

Adora sighed, taking a step toward Greta, and putting a hand on the side of her face.”Gretchen-”

"Greta." She corrected.

"Greta." Adora said, surprised by Greta's interruption. ”Girl, I never knew you felt that way... I can't speak for the rest of them, but, you know, you were never a tool to me. I valued everything you did because, without you, that... memorial would be way longer.”

"I should have done more to help Li-"

”... Look, don't say it,” Adora interrupted. ”I know I hurt you by leaving. I know it looks like I'm just waltzing in here, but I'm not acting like shit's cool. I know it isn't. I'm just trying to help you. The others are bunching you up with the rest of those monsters, and I don't want you to go down with the rest of them.”

"... Do you really think I want to be with 8th Street, Emily? Under Emily and that psychopath Vashti?" Greta sighed, wiping her tears away. "I would want nothing more than for them to be gone. For better people to take their place. But, they're all I have. I have no family. I have no friends. I have nobody."

”No,” Adora said, shaking her head. ”... They're all you're familar with.”

"Maybe you're right," Greta said, looking off to the side. "I'll... have to think about it."

”... And you don't have to have it all figured out right this second.” Adora added.

Greta kicked her feet back and forth as Adora took a seat next to her. However, Greta faced the opposite direction.

"... How is Luca doing?"

”I'm honestly not sure,” Adora said with a shrug. ”Didn't get a chance to talk to the lil' guy...”

"I'm certain he hates me now," Greta continued to kick her feet back and forth. "I wouldn't blame him for it, though."

”Why would he?” Adora asked.

"I told him I wasn't going to help him if he left 8th Street," Greta sighed. "I... I wish I hadn't said that to him. I have been secretly working on something. Just for him."

”Wait, what does he need help with?” Adora asked, and Greta looked blank.

"... You don't know?" Greta asked. "Well, I imagine you wouldn't...."

”About what? Get to the point.”

Greta pushed her glasses up her nose as she said,

"Well... our favorite Britney was going around adjoining people to Apparitions to Shanghai them into the Coven," Greta answered. "I was mad about it at first, but I understand that things got a little... desperate. That memorial is proof of that. I know my Covenmates hate her, but I can understand some of the logic behind her decision."

”You...” Adora trailed off. ”... You are joking, right?”

"I'm serious."

”I don't believe you.”

Greta pulled out her phone, went through her contacts, found Luca, and said, "I can call him right now."

”Do it,” Adora said with a nod, and Greta called Luca.

”Greta?!” Luca picked up immediately, sounding surprised. ”What’s up? Has something happened?!”

“Um, no, dork,” Greta laughed. “I’m with Adora right now… She wants to ask you a question…”

Greta put it on speaker and Adora sighed,

”... Heeeey, Luca,” Adora began. ”I know we ain't talk much, how you doin’, buddy?”

”Oh yeah, I'm good! Got a lil sick again, but that's just life…” Luca trailed off, coughing. ”How bout you? What did you want to ask?”

Adora was silent. She honestly didn't know how to ask thi-

“... Adora wants to know what Britney did to you, Luca,” Greta chimed in. “She doesn't believe me, so she wants to hear it from you.”

”Oh…” Luca didn't say anything for a few moments. ”Yeah, she adjoined the Rot to me. But I really don't hold it against her anymore! It’s been years, after all…”

”I…” Adora put a fist to her mouth as she held her mouth. How could Britney do this? Why did Britney do this? ”... I’m at a loss for words, sweetie. I… trusted Britney. I am so sorry. I can’t believe it.”

”We all trusted her,” Luca said softly. ”It looked like she saved all of us, y’know? Technically she did- I can understand it a bit. So there’s no need to be sorry, I’m really as fine as I can be… But…”

There was silence on the other end of the line, as if Luca seemed to be deciding whether to continue or not. Eventually, he spoke again. ”Since you’re with Greta, she’ll just call me out on my bullshit. So I’ll be honest. You just have to promise to not tell anyone else in the coven. Especially not Jasper, Lila, and Lynn, alright?”

Greta stared at Adora head-on. Her look told Adora that she knew exactly what he was going to say next.

”... Come now, Luca,” Adora awkwardly laughed. ”Do I look like the type of person to run around airing out people’s business like that?”

”Welllll… it’s just pretty shocking!” Luca laughed. ”I’ll just come out with it then. I’m dying. The Rot is killing me. I found out a few years ago. It’s- it’s gotten a lot worse recently. Some days I struggle to get out of bed. Magical healing doesn’t help. I’m rotting inside, and that can’t be reversed. I’ve accepted it.”

He spoke as if he was just talking about the weather, rather than his own death. ”All the people who care in 8th know- I couldn’t hide it from Greta, haha, but I’ve kept it from everyone in Sycamore. Almost everyone… including Britney. I don’t want her to know.”

“You couldn’t hide anything from me even if you tried, Luca,” Greta laughed.

”... You… I…” Adora trailed off, at a literal loss for words. That was beyond fucked up. And somehow it got even more fucked up. ”... Britney is going to fix you. I’m going to make her.”

”No, no, no, if Britney finds out, everyone will find out!” Luca said, with a hint of panic in his voice. ”I doubt she’ll be able to. I’ve tried everything - we even tried to use the Apparition Killer ten years ago to cut the Rot out. It didn’t work. Even if we get rid of it… well… the damage is already done. I’ve made my peace with it. But I’m sorry for burdening you with it.”

”What do you mean you made your peace? You are literally dying,” Adora scoffed, putting a hand on her hip as she couldn't believe it. ”It's her mess to fix. I’ll do-”

“... I’m still working on something,” Greta interrupted, putting her glasses up her nose. “If he doesn't want you to do something; you have no choice but to respect it, Appie, regardless of how much you disagree with it.”

”Thank you, Greta,” Luca said warmly. ”When I say I’ve made my peace I mean I’ve accepted that I don’t have long left. I’m at peace with it. I just want to make the most of the time I have left, alright?”

He paused, before saying, ”Wait, Greta, I thought you said you stopped working on that when I left?”

“... Do you think I’m dumb enough to say that in front of George and Carol?” Greta asked.

”Ohhhh… Of course! You’re the best, Greta.” Luca’s grin was practically audible through the call. ”But I’m sure Carol would just say a bunch of shit but not actually care- ah, well, she probably wants me to come back. Either way… Thank you both. I might need your help in the future, Adora, when I get worse.”

”... What do you need, Luca?” Adora asked, pinching her nose. ”Please tell me it's not what I think it is….”

”No! It's not,” Luca said immediately. ”It’ll just get to the point where I'll struggle to leave my place… Jasper, Lila and Lynn are living with me for safety just now, but they'll probably move out when this thing with Father Wolf is solved! Just like, some company then… maybe bringing round some food. And a bit of help keeping it hidden from the others if it gets it more obvious! Nothing major…”

Another sigh escaped Adora.

”... I got you, Luca,” Adora said. ”But, trust, I’m going to do something about it. I have to.”

”... alright, I can't stop you,” Luca laughed slightly. ”Maybe you'll find something I haven't managed to!”

Adora sighed. She knew that the best bet was Britney, but Luca clearly didn’t want her involved - there wasn’t much that she could do on her own. She wasn’t a magical expert, she hardly had magic herself!

”I’ll be damned if I don’t try,” Adora said. ”I’ll find something. I promise.”

”Mm, I’m sure you will,” Luca replied cheerfully. ”... ah, I should let you know, Sloane also knows. She found out during the… hallucinations.”

”Ye-yeah… don’t remind me,” Adora sighed, wiping her head. She knew Sloane probably didn’t give a shit no how. ”But, can you trust her not to say anything…?”

“… He can’t,” Greta chimed in.

”And I don't,” Luca laughed awkwardly. ”She’ll definitely tell Anya… but I didn't have a choice! She overheard me saying about it when we were- well we were near enough she heard. I didn't tell her like I told you. But nobody trusts them. Hopefully they just won't believe it…”

”Look,” Adora sighed, ””If they bring it up to the Coven - I know exactly what to say. Trust me.”

”Alright, I will!” Luca said. ”Thanks again… I know it's a lot to take in.”

An exasperated sigh escaped Adora’s lips, because Luca was right; it was a lot to take in. She took a few steps forward, ”Yeah, let me know if you need anything.”

”Will do! You can get my number from Greta!” Luca said cheerfully. ”Also, Greta? It was nice to hear from you again.”

“It was great to hear from you again, too, dork,” Greta said. “You have my number.”

Adora put a fist to her lips as she said, ”Luca… just… hold on… I’ll find something to help you.”

”Thanks again, Adora,” Luca said quietly, before his tone turned more cheerful again. ”Catch you guys later!”

”Yeah,” Adora sighed, as she hung up the phone, and sat down next to Greta.

“So…” Greta asked. “What do you want to talk about now, Appie?”

Adora shrugged.

”Let’s just sit here,” Adora began. ”And watch the wave.”

Greta was silent for a moment.

“... I’d like that.”

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Interactions: None

Adora’s House > The Salty Seagull

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Oh what the hell did Greta know?

Adora internally seethed as she lay down on her bed. In the privacy of her own home, Adora dresses far less conservatively, as she has nobody to leer at her. She wore just some booty shorts and a tank top, and she played on her phone as that meeting with Greta played in her head over and over again. She just shook her head as she decided not to think about it. She was just making herself angry. Adora put the phone down and crossed her arms.

Greta was right. I have boxed people out.

While she would rather show up to the next Coven meeting naked than ever admit it, she was lonely. The life of a forced recluse does that, but she so desperately wanted something… it didn’t even have to be a romantic connection; she just wanted to talk to somebody. Anybody. Right now, Adora was stuck in a paradoxical contradiction: the only social group she had right now were the same people that were mildly triggering to her.

She should get out more, find a hobby, find the first guy she sees, strike up a conversation, or start clubbing. Being stuck between a rock and a hard place was terrible, but she had to stop. She had to think. Before she sighed, pulled out her phone, and sent Auri a text…

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Hider

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Moments later, she had Stormy’s number… and she stared at it for a few moments. Before she just mustered the courage to just up and hit call, and it was too late to back out then. She was going to face this.

After a brief moment, the call went through.

”Adora?”

Adora gulped. It was the moment of truth. That quelling anxiety in her chest was something she had to ignore. She sighed… before she realized that she had just signed into the phone.

”... Stormy! Stormy! How are you doing today, buddy?” Adora just spat out. Oh God, he probably thinks I’m weird. She thought to herself, her hand shaking as she worried that he was going to hang up.

”I’m as fine as I can be, after yesterday,” says the voice on the other end. ”And you? That entire thing was horrible.”

”I’m… fine,” Adora scoffed. She tried her best to play off how useless she was in that confrontation. ”I was wondering what you were up to today? If you wanted to grab something to eat.”

”I was going to take it easy today, so that sounds like a good idea. Where?”

”Are you by the boardwalk? Have you ever heard of the Salty Seagull? Very good sandwiches… On me.”

The line is silent for a moment. ”Give me thirty minutes, and I can be there. That doesn’t sound familiar to me, though. Was that after the disaster?”

”It opened up a few years after…” Adora tried to say before chills crept down her spine. ”... Yeah. I’ll be there. Food’s real good, I promise.”

”I’ll be there.”

”See you soon,” Adora said, sighing as she finally hung up. She sank back into her bed, relieved but realized that she would have to interact with people. One of the people who brought up bad memories, but the feeling of loneliness was more overpowering than those feelings. She hopped off the bed, and while Stormy might appreciate the show, she had to get dressed. There was that part of her that wanted to dress cutesy, but she filled her cutesy attire quota from the Halloween festival.

She also didn’t want Stormy to get it twisted and think she was trying to date him (An idea that she had to take baby steps with). Though, Adora quickly threw on some grey sweatpants, a red hoodie, and some white Air Force 1’s. She quickly maneuvered outside until she made it to her car, and then to The Salty Seagull.

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It was a relatively short and peaceful drive to the Salty Seagull. She parked, and got out - but before she walked up, she took in a deep sigh. Adora wondered if Lihn would approve of this, but Adora saw that it was a sign of strength, and getting her power back - even with bloodied hands. She threw her hood up, and walked up to the front door, and she was immediately assaulted with the smell of fried food, seafood, bread, etc. She sighed, as she looked around for Stormy, only to see that he wasn’t there… thus, she helped herself and sat in a booth as she waited for him.

An old, off-white Cadillac rolled up into the parking lot. It wasn’t the kind of car people drove very often these days, and there was a bit of a story to it, attached to the story of the Sycamore Coven itself through Stormy. He hadn’t been to this part of the city in, well… A decade. Not since he was fighting for his life, and the lives of others. He stepped out in a dark buttoned shirt, and a cargo jacket. Nothing particularly extravagant, and it was getting colder out. He liked to dress practically.

He walked in, looking at the place before spotting Adora, and walked over to sit down.

”Something smells wonderful in here.”

Adora cracked a half-smirk (not a full one, just a half).

”What are you talking about the food- or, uh, me?” Adora tried to flirt but there was that stumble that probably made it come out more awkward than it sounded in her head.

”I’m not sure yet, I just sat down,” he said, without hesitating or missing a beat.

Smooth.

”Let’s, uh…” Adora’s eyes drifted to the side. ”... Forget about that.” She punctuated that with a cough.

Stormy nodded. ”Forgotten.”

Adora blushed… thankfully, her skin tone made noticing that harder. Backpedal. Think girl, think! Something! Anything! Adora thought to herself as she tried to come up with something to make this less weird, and awkward. There had to be something.

”... Why didn’t you say hi to me at any of the meetings?” Adora asked. She couldn’t blame him for not approaching a clearly unapproachable person—or for looking like she was ready to throttle Sloane at the first meeting she went to (another regret of hers).

Stormy leaned back in his side of the booth. ”Well… At the first one, I almost killed Britney, so I suppose I was too busy seeing red to say hi to anyone, but I don’t think you were there for that. The second one, you were occupied. And then I wanted to apologize for nearly turning Auri’s shop into a war zone.”

”And then 8th Street happened at the third.”

”Ehhhhh, yeah, weird shit follows us where ever we go, right?” Adora said, resisting the urge to say that Stormy would have been justified in putting Britney down for what she did to Luca and the others. However, she felt a pang of regret for making a scene at the second meeting without even saying hi to anyone herself. What a hypocrite she was. Not that she was ever going to admit that. ”I wasn’t at the first meeting anyway. I… had work.”

She shook her head, hoping Stormy wasn’t perceptive enough to see through her lies. ”But, the first thing I thought of was getting my rings back from Sloane-y so we’d have some type of edge…” She rolled her eyes. ”... Having Trinity back would be great, would it not?”

”It would, but is it that simple? Just get all three, and carry on like last time? I don’t think I remember exactly how it works, did they need three people for each thing?”

”You do,” Adora awkwardly laughed. ”But, I don’t think it’d be hard to find three people to use them in the Coven, right?” She kept it to herself that she was not going to share her rings with anyone that are not Vanessa and Clem. Adora then laughed as she decided to add a joke.

”We could have shoved Emily’s monster right up her crazy snatch!”

”True,” he nodded. ”Maybe we can find them, I could possibly guess to how. Another time, though.”

”I mean…. No time like the present,” Adora shrugged. ”What is your ‘guess’, if you don’t mind me asking?”

”You’ve been in St. Portwell longer than me, right? How many people outside the coven can you think of that would want the Trinity Rings? There are groups of people outside the city that would love those, too. I mostly stick to mundane history these days, but I’ve always been good with paranormal history as well.”

”None that come to mind, ho-” Adora tried to answer before it hit her and she got it. No one outside the Coven should even know that the Coven has the Trinity Rings.

”Every now and then, some paranormal near where I work will contact me and ask me about things. Usually, it’s to check facts about an artifact or a big event that happened in the past. Like the Necromancer Purge or the Oni Wars,” he explained. ”Sometimes, I hear about artifacts that I actually recognize. I might be able to ask them about the rings, if they’re willing to talk.”

Adora raised an eyebrow.

”Please tell me if you get anything from them,” Adora asked, before curiosity got the best of her. ”... And Necromancer Purge? Oni Wars? Sorry, I turned my back on magic a long time ago - what are those?”

”The Necromancer Purge was recent, more or less. By that I mean we and our parents were alive for if. Louisiana used to be the United States’ capital for Necromancers, they were everywhere down there, and then someone with a vengeance purged all of them, to put it politely. Very few people made it out. If any.”

”And the Oni Wars happened centuries ago. The latest of them taking place in the early 1500s. They were a series of campaigns by demonic Apparitions looking to take over Japan. Most of them were during the time when samurai were common, and they failed every single time,” Stormy said. ”Sometimes they would win ground, other times the old demon hunters of the era would win it back. But they never found any footholds that lasted more than a few decades. That’s why there were multiple. The Oni Wars weren’t very well documented early on, so the best records are from the later ones when most of the Oni Clubs were accounted for in what is today the outskirts of Osaka.”

”... Didn’t that one girl have something like that?” Adora tapped the side of her head a few times as she tried to remember. ”Shit, forgot her name. You know... The short Japanese girl - well, no. The real tough-looking one with the short hair.”

”Amy Nakamura? I remember. Most of the Clubs were kept hidden by paranormal families throughout the centuries. Feudal lords, certain samurai who earned the right… Anyone who knew what they were doing in terms of magic. I’m not surprised she had one.”

”Yeah, her!” Adora confidently said - even though she wasn’t confident that was the correct person. ”Whatever happened to her?”

Stormy thought about it for a second. ”I’m not sure. Maybe she never returned Auri’s call. I hope that’s all there is to it. Someone like her would be very hard to kill, considering the way the Clubs work.”

”A lot of people never answered Auri’s call, it seemed like,” Adora chuckled, and almost Adora herself was one of them. Though she was curious as to why. Did that many people not like Auri? Or were they that disillusioned with the idea of a Coven?

”Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, she didn’t seem like a bad person, you know.”

”I don’t think I remember her much. It would be nice if she suddenly appeared again, deciding to help us figure everything out. But wherever she is, hopefully she’s fine.”

”... Hope so, too,” Adora laughed. Though, with all the murders going on, Adora couldn’t help but assume she’s been murdered. Not much she can do about it, either. Though, there was a question on her mind. ”What do you think of the Coven’s current lineup?” She couldn’t help but end that question with a chuckle.

”I mean… I know people probably have strong opinions of me there.”

”To be completely honest with you, it worries me,” Stormy admitted. ”As kids, we beat a god into submission. But there were over a hundred of us. Most of us didn’t come back, and I’m worried the ones who did are going to get themselves killed.”

”I mean, it’s obvious a lot of people just don’t give a shit,” Adora said with a roll of her eyes. ”Either they’re acting like this is some pow-wow, or just care about themselves - Auri is hardly doing anything to keep anyone in check or focused.”

”It’s not entirely her fault, when some of us just refuse to take this all seriously. There’s a difference between having a life and acting like what’s currently happening doesn’t mean anything.” He was willing to let a lot of things slide, but what really got under Stormy’s skin was the way some people just didn’t give a fuck about the serial killer hunting them all down.

”You’re right but,” Adora awkwardly laughed. ”Tweedle dee, and tweedle dum rushed out there, tits-out, and dragged the whole lot of us into a fight - and Auri just sat on her ass.”

”True. But I can’t blame people for that. That’s what I would’ve done, and I damn sure wouldn’t let them drag anyone away just because they had a giant flesh… Thing with them.”

”I…” Adora stopped herself because there was no way that she could see herself disagreeing with that response. Especially since, if she had the ability to, she would have shoved Vashti’s head up Emily’s ass. She sighed. ”You’re right. It wasn’t Auri’s fault. It wasn’t even those two goof-balls fault for not wanting to be pushed around by Emily.”

He nodded. ”It would be different if they walked up to us and… Politely asked to settle something with those two,” Stormy had to suppress the urge to laugh at the notion. But let’s be honest, “polite” isn’t in Emily’s or Vashti’s vocabularies. And maybe we could have handled the fight better, made less mistakes. But a lot of us were done with magic entirely. I think we did the best we could with what we had.”

”... Me included,” Adora chuckled, as she never intended to put the Trinity Rings on again. ”I’m glad to see that Emily hasn’t changed at all… she’s still a complete bastard, but I, uh, can you keep this between us, okay?”

”What is it? I’m listening.”

”I convinced Gretch- Greta, to come meet me at the boardwalk last night,” Adora began. ”I tried to convince her to leave 8th, but I can tell what happened hurt her. She is in too deep with 8th St.”

”Too deep? What’s stopping her?”

”She claims 8th St is ‘all she knows’ but I told her ass it was all she was familiar with,” Adora began. ”I was trying to get her to realize that she’s better than this. But she said she was going to think about it.”

”I think that’s about all you can do in that situation. Didn’t most of her coven choose it?” Stormy asked.

”I don't know them,” Adora shrugged. ”Who knows what their situation is.”

”I’m sure someone does. If you’re trying to convince some of them to turn their backs on Emily, we could try to ask the others. Some of them have been here longer, after all. Drake and Sloane never left, Luca’s always been close by.”

”Hey now, let’s take a step back,” Adora put her hands up. ”I’m not trying to convince them to turn their backs on Emily; I was trying to help an old friend see the light before someone hurts her.”

”Right. Okay,” He metaphorically backed up. ”You know her better than me. What do you think it would take for her to leave? What did she have before 8th Street?”

”From what she claims, not a whole lot,” Adora awkwardly laughed, ”She saw me, Luca, and… You know who, as her true friends.”

She sighed, ”... She may just have to find out the hard way how bad 8th St is.”

”Hm… Back in the old coven, Emily rounded up Britney’s victims, promising them an outlet for everything that happened,” he said. ”Did Emily offer her something in return for loyalty?”

”None that I am aware of, but to me it sounded like Greta was more pissed at Daisy than anything.” Adora answered.

”I think I’d be angry too, if someone accused me of making apparitions after what we all went through. That lab was expensive, wasn’t it? I remember driving some of us around to find things for it when Greyson couldn’t source anything with his connections. But Daisy isn’t here anymore… I think you’re right,” he concluded. ”I don’t think there’s an easy way to convince her.”

”... Well, sounds like there is nothing we can do about it right now,” Adora sighed. ”But what have you been up to lately? You said you left St. Portwell… Where did you go? go?”

”I moved to Reedsport, half a day from here. I’m a college professor, as of four and a half years ago. History. American, world, and others depending on the year.”

”Sounds… Fun,” Adora said, she was a little bit jealous, she had to admit. ”I work as customer support for some computer company. I spend all day trying to teach oblivious old people how to unfuck their computer… At least they let me work from home.”

”I haven’t ever tried that, working at home. I usually enjoy being there in person, it keeps me distracted. Though, I moved everything to online classes so I could come back. Is it difficult, trying to get through phone calls with people over something like that?”

”Eh, it’s annoying,” Adora shrugged. ”... It works best for my situation. That's what matters to me.”

”That’s always the important part,” he said, grateful she didn’t notice that he mentioned being distracted. ”I take it you don’t get out much, because of that?”

”I’m…” Adora trailed, ”... A homebody.”

”Mm. That must be perfect, then,” he says.

”I wouldn’t say its perfect…” Adora said, before throwing back up her walls. ”... But, it works.”

There was an awkward silence.

”... I just realized we haven’t ordered anything.”

”...Right. I forgot we were here for a reason,” he chuckled. ”I’ve never ate here before, I hope it’s good.”

---

Interactions: None

The Boardwalk > Sloane's Apartment.

---

---

Amara liked to tell herself she could take on anything that life had to throw at her. Mundane life? Manageable. Armed combat? Just had to keep your head down and your eyes open. Solving a murder mystery? Well, she had help for that.

But after that tragedy of a fight a few days ago, with those punks that made Britney’s problem everyone’s problem, She came to the conclusion that this was going to be a challenge. The coven wasn’t really a coven anymore. Hell, it wasn’t even organized. Auri wasn’t experienced enough with this like Ashley was. And Ashley might’ve been a nepotistic ass at times, but at least she could keep people on the straight and narrow. But Ashley wasn’t here, and neither was Daisy. So Auri had to fill those shoes.

And Amara’s memories hadn’t gone so far to hell that she forgot how she contributed back in the day. If no one else was going to step up, then she’d fill the shoes herself. And, she thought, maybe she could help Auri with that.

And that started by taking some initiative. After asking Auri for a few phone numbers, she dialed the first one on her list. After a few rings, someone answered.

”… H-hello?” Adora answered.wered.

”Adora? Remember me? It’s Amara, from the shitshow at Kari’s house a few days ago?”

”… Describe yourself,” Adora began. ”My memory ain’t that good.”

”Bitch who made plans back in the old coven? Whole army of ghosts for an abstraction?” She explained. ”You and I worked together a few times back then.”

”… I meant what you looked like, goofball.” Adora laughed. ”Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t remember you. The Coven gave me a lot to forget.”

She awkwardly laughed before she added, ”… But, from the way you’re talking, you’re definitely one of us. So how can I help you?”

”After what happened, I figured it would be a good time to try and get things into some kind of working order. So I’m calling around, touching base with people about things. Trying to help make everything easier, y’know?”

”Sure,” Adora began. ”… Do you want to meet in person?”

”If you don’t mind, yeah,” Amara said. ”Doesn’t matter much to me where.”

”I was just hanging out with Stormy,” Adora said. ”I’m not too far away from the boardwalk. Is that good?”

”Yeah, I’ll be there in… A bit. On my way.”

”I’ll be there chilling, take your time,” Adora answered. ”See you soon.”

---

Adora was sitting at the bench, staring at the waves, hands in her pockets and a hoodie up. She was blissfully unaware that Amara’s greatest desire was her yams.

Amara walked down the boardwalk in sweatpants and a light gray hoodie. The boardwalk felt odd to her. In that strange area between familiar and foreign, where a lot of things seemed to find themselves these days. There weren’t many people out, with the days getting shorter and the weather getting colder, so Adora wasn’t very difficult to spot.

Amara walked up to her, hoping she didn’t scare the girl off by doing so. ”Didn’t keep you waiting too long, did I?”

”Oh no, not at all,” Adora said,
”I hardly have anything going on, anyhow”

She gave the spot next to her a few pats. ”… Have a seat.”

Amara nods and falls into a seat on the bench. ”So, like I said, I’m trying to pitch in around the place. Trying to reconnect some so I can do that. So I’m just gonna ask the hard question and you can reel it back if you don’t feel like answering.”

She paused, and then gently asked, ”Why’d you give the rings to Sloane of all people?”

Adora was silent for a moment.

”… I didn’t,” She succinctly answered. ”’Nessa and Clem did when they left the Coven.”

Adora then shook her head, ”I tried to get ‘im back before all this craziness went down, but Sloane didn’t want to give them up. Probably already lost them.” She shrugged.

Amara didn’t fully remember Vannesa and Clementine. Blurry faces in a mirror that was cracked to hell. ”But there were three of them. You handed yours in?”

Adora just raised her hand, revealing the ring she kept on her finger.

”Well… Okay. That’s a start. Ever try finding the other two? I heard that Sloane lost them.”

”I mean… Where do I fucking start?” Adora laughed, leaning forward and putting her hands on her face. ”St. Portwell is a bigass place - if they’re even in St. Portwell!”

”There are ways, girl,” Amara said, thinking about it. ”I’ve got at least two ways to start. One, I use abstraction to figure it out. The other… Promise not to freak the fuck out?”

”Well, long as you’re not torturing kittens…” Adora chuckled.

”Well…” She began. ”I was in the PRA for most of the last ten years. Quit around a year ago. I knew people that could probably find the rings easier than me… And I could keep them quiet about it.”

Adora smiled.

”... You were expecting me to flip out over that?” Adora scoffed. ”You got the wrong idea about me. Though, I don't trust them.”

She crossed her arms, ”They ruined one of my hoodies.”

”Yeah… They ruin shit. It happens. But they know a lot about paranormal things. I was kind of a big deal, and I never heard about your rings. Not once.”

”... Good, we shouldn’t be airing out all our secrets to the Feds anyhow,” Adora said. Before she signed, ”I’m not sure if I want their help though…”

”If they know I’m the one asking, I’m sure I can get them to mind their own business. I was around before the guy currently running the place was. They take whoever they can get, since they’re always underfunded. That means I had to keep people from doing stupid shit more times than I can count. As long as it’s not someone like Liao or Keagen, I can likely handle them.”

”... I’m still not comfortable with the idea,” Adora answered. ”How about we see what Sloane knows, then we hit up the feds.”

”Yeah, that’s fine if you’d rather do that.”

”... She has me blocked.”

---

20 minutes ago, Amara shot Sloane a few messages, asking if she was free for some in-person conversation. She made sure to phrase it as “coven business” and “proactive planning,” which was neither a lie nor different from Amara’s idea of the whole thing. Sloane was allegedly the last person to know the whereabouts of the rings, after all.

An elevator ride with Adora later, she knocked on Sloane’s front door.

”... You told her I was coming, right?” Adora asked.

”Well yeah.”

A moment later, announced by the sound of a series of deadbolts being unlocked, Sloane opened the door. She was dressed bizarrely casual for herself, wearing an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt from the Halloween Festival, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. There seemed to be a small, thin streak of paint on the edge of her tightening jawline as her tired eyes looked from Amara to Adora then back to Amara.

“You didn’t say she was—whatever, come in,” said Sloane with a huff, her eyes rolling as she turned to lead the two into her penthouse’s living room. A silver platter with a porcelain teapot , two cups, a saucer of cream, a few cubes of sugar, and a handful of tiny sandwiches made with smoked salmon and cream cheese sat on her coffee table. Tea for two. Two. Not three, two. Sloane glared at it. “Have a seat wherever. Help yourselves. Just…just…just give me a second.”

Sloane loudly sighed and stormed off to the kitchen. Her practice of having “proper hosting etiquette” echoed down the hall—the rattling of condiment bottles on the door of the fridge, a quiet “shit”, the opening and shutting of cabinets and cupboards, the hissing of a tap, and the clicking of a stove followed by a whoosh of flames.

”Huh… I thought that second text went through,” Amara said, checking her phone after Sloane stepped away.

”Oops. Forgot to hit send.”

Adora facepalmed.

Sloane returned with an opened bag of potato chips and a third tea cup. She carefully set the empty teacup down on the platter, turning the little handle ever so slightly that it lined up more aesthetically with the entire presentation, and then unceremoniously dropped the big bag of chips onto the table next to it, likely smashing up a good chunk of the chips.

“I’m out of bread,” Sloane said matter-of-factly, then poured herself a cup of tea. She sat on the edge of an armchair, looking ready to rush back off to the kitchen the moment she heard the kettle whistle. She gestured to Amara, letting her know it was time to start explaining why she was being bothered. “Well?”

”Like I was saying earlier,” Amara began, sitting down gently across from Sloane. ”I’ve decided to be proactive about the state of the coven. Talking to everyone, fixing the little problems that add up into major ones. First on the list was the Trinity Rings. And you were the one to have them last. Adora thinks discussing that with you was the better idea, so we’re here.”

Adora sat down next to Amara,grabbed the teacup, and sighed, ”... And I was hoping to apologize for my behavior at the second meeting.”

“I believe you owe an apology to Anya, not to me. If anything I found your behavior…typical,” said Sloane.

”... And my actions were not directed at her at all,” Adora narrowed her eyes. ”So, she’s unimportant right now.”

Sloane turned to Amara, “I take it this list has yet to be properly organized? As I’ve already told Adora, the two Trinity Rings given to me were stolen alongside the rest of my collection. If I had any leads or information on where they might be I would have them already.”

”You’ve been sitting on a whole system of leads since your collection was taken,” Amara retorted, blunt and concisely. ”I asked around, to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. The way I heard it, you had more than just the Trinity Rings. You even had mock versions of most of the big name artifacts we all used. You’ve always been meticulous,” She continued. ”So it’s only natural you’d keep everything locked up tighter than the Pit.”

She leaned back in her seat. ”You were robbed, and there’s a pattern when people get robbed. Sometimes it’s as simple as realizing they got in through the window by hitting the latch with a screwdriver. Sometimes the locks can be tripped with a high powered magnet. It’s no different when you’ve got magic involved. So the way you have your vault set up is a clue to how it was breached. You following me?”

“I understand how theft works,” said Sloane, hiding a sneer by taking a sip of tea. “I didn't just have a vault. I had my collection spread out and reinforced by my hexmarks to protect them–at home, at work, at the bank. There was no sign of forced entry, no prints, no hair, no…anything. My hexmarks were gone, but none of the effects had been triggered. If not for the missing artifacts it was as if nobody had been there.”

”Which means whoever was there was the type of person who can one, leave no trace when they rob someone, two, nullify magic in some way, and three, gather up a lot of information,” Amara said, thinking. ”Magic isn’t just raw power. It’s rock paper scissors, attack and counterattack. So the logical jump there is it’s likely you were robbed by multiple people coordinating. How many people knew about your collection before it was taken?”

“Apparently too many,” said Sloane. It wasn’t like some grand secret. A handful of former covenmates had taken up her offer on storing their unwanted artifacts, and many more had refused her but were aware she was asking around. A kettle hissed in the background. “But you’re wrong about magic, Amara. It plays by the rules until suddenly it just doesn’t. Sure, logic would dictate that it was likely a group of people working together, but it’s also possible that it may have been one person working with multiple versions of themselves. Excuse me.”

Sloane returned moments later with another pot of tea. She sat back down in her chair, “Let me ask something before we get ahead of ourselves. Say we get the rings back. Who do you plan on having them?” She gave a dismissive glance towards Adora. “Surely not her?”

”... Oh yes, not the person they belonged to,” Adora rolled her eyes. ”Now, Sloane-y, I know you’re not taking these murders - or even that fiasco at Kari’s house - seriously, but we need every asset we can get right now.”

Sloane choked on her tea. Yeah, she was notorious for not taking things seriously.

Adora narrowed her eyes, ”... Britney - as hard as it is for me to say her name right now - said that the rings are one of the most powerful artifacts in the All-Verse: what good are they sitting around in your house, your job, or where ever, right now?”

”They might not be of any use sitting around in your vault, but that goes for anyone whose hands we keep them out of as well,” Amara said. ”That’s the point of locking them down when they’re not needed, right?”

“Something like that,” muttered Sloane.

Sloane didn’t like the idea of Adora having the Trinity Rings, and she wasn’t the only one: there was a reason Clem and Vanessa had given them to her instead of Adora. Adora couldn’t handle the responsibility. She shutdown in the face of pressure. It was ridiculous that she even had the nerve to bring up Kari’s house—Sloane didn’t recall Adora doing anything to stop 8th Street from overrunning them. The temptation to verbally smack Adora down was enticing, fueled further by her having the nerve to call Sloane “Sloaney”, but there was something holding her back. An annoying, filthy four-letter-word: tact.

“You two make a fair point. We need every asset we can get, and we need to keep them out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them,” said Sloane. She gently set down her cup of tea, held her palm out, and stared blankly at Adora. “Give me your ring.”

”... Hell. No.” Adora sharply responded.

Amara… Laughed. This didn’t surprise her.

“Calm down, you’ll get it back. But with it I can remake my Counterfeit which will destroy the previous one. An asset for us, less useful toys for our thieves,” said Sloane. She curled back her fingers, closing her hand. “Or is that not what you want?”

”Would you be able to make three of them, to fake the whole set?”

“Not quite. Well, not always,” said Sloane. “Again, magic doesn’t always do what you think it should.”

Adora was silent for a moment. Before she sighed, ”... How long will it take?”

“Long enough that we should probably order an actual lunch,” said Sloane, frowning at the untouched sandwiches. “So? I’ll even pay.”

”I can pay half if you’re gonna insist on it,” Amara said. ”And I figure that since we’ll be here that long, we can talk about what else needs to be unfucked in this town.”

”I just ate so you don't have to worry about me,” Adora shrugged. ”The list of St. Portwell’s problems is so long that we’ll all be old ladies by the time we make some headway.”

“You two can talk, just keep it down,” said Sloane, putting down her phone after quickly ordering some Indian food for the three of them. Despite what Adora said, she’d definitely want some once she smelled the garlic naan. “I’ll need to concentrate. And I’ll need that ring.”

Adora sighed as she took the ring off and presented it to Sloane. She took it, then left, then Adora awkwardly smiled at Amara. Before she leaned in and quietly,

”... I didn't want to say it front of her ass,” Adora asked. ”But, do you know any ways to get the Rot out of Luca?”

”…Not off the top of my head,” Amara admitted, quietly. ”I know there are some Agents, capital A, that work solely with sealed Apparitions. Binding them and unbinding them whenever they need, but I’ve never met anyone like that. It’s… It’s not impossible to force an Apparition out of someone, but… We can’t do that with what we have.”

”There has to be a way, something, anything,” Adora threw a hand up, ”I told the lil’ guy I’d do something but I don’t know where to start…”

”Speaking from experience, us paranormals usually do better in groups. It sounds pretentious coming from me, but you can’t really do everything alone. You could try asking some of the more bookish members of the coven. The ones who did all the research back then. Like that guy with the magic hand… I forgot his name.”

”... Jack,” Adora shuddered. ”Is there anyone else? So I can just do a full sweep?”

”Britney. Anya, if she can be bothered. Maybe you could ask Linqian if she has any of Jinhai’s books and promise you’ll treat them right. That’s the best I got.”

”Anya’s an automatic no. I’m certain Linqian still doesn't care for me, and Britney…” Adora shook her head. ”... This is her mess to fix. So best start with her.”

”I don’t think she appreciates me being around, but I can come with, if you prefer that.”

”Sure,” Adora said.

Amara nodded. ”Maybe Britney can tell us a thing or two about 8th St we don’t already know while we’re at it.”

---

Interactions: None.

On Mellon Collie Hill.

---

---

Amara was at Adora's side.

They reached the top of the hill and reached the Stone Altar that rested at the end of the pathway to Mellon Collie Hill. It was a touristy spot where witches met and shit, but now Adora wondered how much of it was bullshit. Legends say it was neutral grounds for witch Covens and other groups in the past, but it had nothing to do with Sycamore far as she could tell. This was a location where Britney suggested that they meet as a sort of symbolic "neutral area" for the two parties to meet. Adora wasn't happy with Britney right now, but she was also the best bet to solving the Luca problem - even though he didn't want her getting involved. Of course, there had to be a way to help Luca before he fucking died.

Once they made it to to the alter, they found Britney. She had a blue bonnet on her head, her skin was moist, and it looked like she just tossed on a grey romper and hauled ass over here... just sitting there on the steps. All by herself, and Adora couldn't look her in the eye. she just turned away as she said,

”... Why are you sitting here by yourself?” Adora shook her head. ”Are you trying to die?”

”Jack's watching over me,” Britney responded. ”You just haven't noticed him yet.”

Amara looked around, through the trees and down the path behind them all. She usually had a good sense about this sort of thing, when it came to getting the lay of the land. But she couldn’t see the edgy fucker anywhere.

”…So, is he gonna show himself or- Oh.” Amara turned back around and saw Jack sitting on top of the stone altar, above and behind Britney. Jack wasn’t there a second ago, so he must’ve been making another one of his stupid entrances. He stood, and dropped down to the ground, landing on his feet with a dull thunk, walking over to the other.

”I saw you two on the way here, we are alone, and no one is searching for us here, that I know of,” he said. Jack was in his usual outfit, with a long wool coat thrown over dark Autumn-appropriate clothes… Did he ever change that style up? Probably not.

Adora kept her arms crossed as she stared at Jack, a scowl on her face. She sighed as she said, ”Let’s get this over with.” She looked up at Britney. ”... We need to help Luca, and you’re, at the moment, the best option to do that - even though you created this mess in the first place.” She rolled her eyes.

”I did, there’s no getting around that,” Britney sighed. ”Let’s cut to the chase… It’s incredibly difficult to force an Apparition to unadjoin from its current host, but there are some ways.”

”... Lemme guess,” Adora put a hand on her hip. ”We don’t have access to those ways.”

Britney nodded her head.

”Typical.” Adora crossed her arms.

”If we had a Black Lux user, they could devise a spell to torture the Apparition out of its host, unfortunately we don’t have one.”

”She’s dead.”

”It is what it is,” Britney shrugged. ”There’s a sort of artifact that can do something similar… but last I heard it fell into The Pit.”

Britney shook her head.

”Thus, we should cross that off as an option.”

”Nothing in magic is truly impossible, though…” Jack trailed off for a second. ”There are other options. More feasible ones. Yellow Lux could, in theory, guard one’s soul against the bond of an Apparition. Black Lux could bind it into something other than Luca. But my understanding is that we have neither in sufficient form.”

”So… Some other artifacts we could look for?” Amara asked.

”Kenshiro and I have been thinking of making trips out of Shimmer to look for artifacts that we know the definitive locations of. But we want to discuss that with Auri first.”

Adora slid her hands into her hoodie pockets. ”That’s swell, but I came out here to talk about helping Luca.” Adora shook her head. ”... Ain’t Stormy a yellow-Adept?”

”I am, but I don’t think I’m that powerful.”

Stormy made his appearance behind everyone, wearing faded jeans and an old gray jacket. ”Got here as soon as I was able. The thing about Apparitions is that they can usually choose to unadjoin themselves to someone, but sealing them is an entirely different subject.”

Adora turned towards Stormy, and grinned, ”... It’s been a long time, Stormy. How have you been?” She chuckled to herself.

”Didn’t we just meet up yesterday?”

”... That was a joke, sweetie,” Adora rolled her eyes.

”That is also true,” Britney said, ”It was… a fucked up thought, but maybe we can goad the Rot into adjoining to something like a rat, or perhaps even a blank homunculus. Most Apparitions would rather be Abscised than Adjoined.”

”The hard part is getting it out, though,” Amara said. ”It’s one thing if we could do that, but we can’t do anything while it’s trapped. And what if the Rot likes being trapped in Luca? Some Apparitions have a preference.”

Adora turned towards Stormy, and asked, ”... Can you make it not like being trapped in Luca?”

”Technically, I could make any Apparition not like being in any host. Phantombane makes Apparitions feel like they’re submerged in lava, burning alive and slowly dying. Back at the festival on the island, Babylon started screaming in agony when she got caught in it,” Stormy explained.

”But… The Rot’s different, somehow. It was winning during that thing with Emily. It got through Luca’s walls and had him right where it wanted, dead to rights and ready to take over. I stopped it, and it just gave in. I don’t think it just “likes” being sealed in Luca. I think Luca is ideal, or outright perfect for what it wants.”

”... So, our only option is to find some type of artifact to get rid of it?” Adora asked, turning to Britney. ”C’mon, Brit, this is your fault. You gotta know something.”

”Right now, we don’t have a lot of options, if I knew one, I would have helped Luca by now..” Britney just shrugged. ”I don’t suggest we go to the Pit under any circumstance. Our only Black-Adepts are dead…”

Adora bared teeth, ”... You’re an ‘expert’-”

”Yet, like Jack said, nothing with magic is truly impossible,” Britney cut her off. ”There is a way. There is always a way.”

”I will name a few. One: We convince Sloane well enough to develop an orange Lux spell capable of producing artifacts of that magnitude, rather than counterfeit versions. Two: We outsource the problem to someone, anyone who comes to mind, capable of acquiring or fabricating an artifact that powerful, or an Adept with appropriate spells. I knew one such Adept long ago, so that may be possible, but I would not count on that.”

Jack continued. ”Three: We find a way to strip Luca of his Emotional Field, which he benefits from through the Rot. By extension, the Rot would be vulnerable to magic that can target it without targeting Luca. If we can access such magic.”

”Most of that sounds damn near infeasible.”

”Who’s this Adept?” Adora asked Jack, uncomfortably shifting in her feet. ”More importantly, will he or she do it without hurting Luca or putting another target on our backs?”

”There are organizations beyond St. Portwell,” Britney noted. ”Like, St. Portwell ain’t the only supernatural hotspot. There’s… LA, Las Vegas, Mirage Springs, Miami, Philly… and so on. It might be a stretch but maybe we can reach out to one of them?”

”Mortimer Zapata. An orange Adept who could create virtually any artifact he wished. In theory, he would never need to even know Luca. Either by name or by meeting him. He works, or worked, by selecting specific materials relative to what he made.”

Jack reached into the collar of his shirt, and pulled out a small prism of something black, connected by a chain of small dark beads. ”I owed him a great deal of paranormal research, in exchange for this once. But that was years ago,” he said, holding it up where the others could see. ”I don’t know if he is still alive, but it would not be difficult to confirm.”

Adora shrugged.

”... Well, what other options do we got right now?” She asked.

”The Army might be able to reach out to other places outside Shimmer, see if there’s any extra-dimensional shit we could exploit. But that might take awhile to get back to us.”

”... The Army?” Adora tilted her head, saying in astonishment before she smacked herself on the forehead. ”Oh, wait, your ghost thing, right.”

”... And I know this might be an unpopular opinion,” Britney added on, staring at Adora. ”But, first and foremost, we should worry about stopping Kar- Father Wolf. It won’t matter if we help him if he just gets axed in the end anyway...” Britney sighed.

”And that won’t matter if the Rot gets him killed,” Stormy cut in. ”And there are already enough lunatics in this city who would love to wring our necks, so what is stopping us from protecting everyone from both?”

”... That is true,” Britney sighed. ”Speaking of lunatics, that reminds me… ” She awkwardly chuckled.

”... I think worrying about one lunatic trying to kill us made me forget about the other group, but Greyson told me that the House of Cards mafia is after us - well, after everyone that participated in Voidy’s sealing…” Britney sighed. ”Like dead, they want us dead.”

Jack and Stormy stared at Britney silently for a moment.

And then Jack sighed, breaking the silence. ”I knew I should have killed them all before the coven disbanded.”

”What?”

”You heard me.”

”I’m not sure if it’s Greyson being… Greyson,” Britney shrugged. ”But, it’d be stupid to blow them off.”

”Who the hell are they again?” Amara asked. ”The big ass artifact hunters? Wait, no that in Arizona… Remind me.”

”I’m fucking lost myself!” Adora laughed.

”... Do you remember Luna Inuoe?” Britney asked.

”Don’t ring a bell,” Adora shrugged.

”Well, the House of Cards is a mafia that operates out of one of the casinos downtown,” Britney explained. ”They were led by some lady named Phantasia Vorpal who had a hell of a hard-on for us back in the day, but Voidy saved her life back in the day, and she harbors some fondness for the bastard. Though she got iced the other day, I’m unsure if they are still after us - we have to assume they are….” Britney shook her head.

”They were the group that Luna sold us out to - Layla’s selling us out, too… which is one more person who’s pushing someone else’s agenda when we’re fucking getting murdered.” Britney ended it with a huff.

”You have got to be fucking kidding me. What are we doing about Layla, then? Is this a double-mole thing? Are we waiting to kick her out? Using her to lure us to them? What’s happening?” Amara asked, more than a little tense about being spied on.

”Honestly, I haven’t had a chance to talk with Auri about it,” Britney shook her head. ”If it was up to me, she would have hit the door by now…”

”Look, fact is, if what you’re saying is true,” Adora shook her head. ”We need to get rid of her soon as possible. No if’s, and’s, or butts.”

”When we went to search Kari’s house,” Stormy said. ”We found Luna spying on us in the trees. I had to keep Drake from vaporizing her. They have more than just one person keeping tabs on us.”

”We need to cut the dead weight. It’s one thing if someone in the coven can’t contribute a lot, but it’s a whole other ballgame if they’re actively working against us. That’s not good for the whole “let’s save our lives” thing. Get her, and anyone else we think has an ulterior motive against us, and toss them, in my once-professional op-”

”No.”

Amara stopped and looked at the edgelord. ”What?”

”Let’s assume, for just a moment, that Layla is not the only “traitor” in the coven.” Jack’s whole demeanor seemed to shift, at the notion of booting people. ”Linqian, Anya, Drake. Or even our “leader,” Auri. Anyone you can think of who might have a reason to defect, I don’t care. Then what? Do we throw half of our surviving members to the wolves? Let them fend for themselves when we are already spread thin? Layla will have nowhere to turn to, other than a criminal organization that only cares for her abstraction, if we remove her.”

He crossed his arms and looked around at the others. ”Should we vote Auri out of the coven because she has a life in the mundane world? Linqian, because she cares more for avenging Jinhai than solving a murder?”

”I think you’re getting ahead of yourself just a little, there.”

”Jack, I get what you mean, but let’s use our heads here,” Britney poked hereself on both sides of her forehead. ”There is a world of difference between Linqian wanting to avenge her brother, and Auri having a life outside the Coven, and someone actively working against us. Yes, there are probably other traitors, but we’ll be better off without the liabilities.”

”Yeah I mean…” Adora shrugged. ”... It seems like Layla picked her people. And if it don’t work out for her? That’s her problem.”

Adora gave Jack a narrow look as she said, ”Fuck around and find out, that’s what I say.”

”We are playing a dangerous game by making those choices… Fine,” He relented. ”I won’t object, but I do not approve of this.”

Adora rolled her eyes before she turned to Stormy and asked, ”So what happened to Luna? Did you and Blackmore run her ass off or what?”

”She ran off on her own when 8th Street decided to make a move on us. I don’t know where she is now.”

”Hopefully she just fucked off,” Adora shrugged. ”Any other information ya’ll holding onto? Any other burning questions?”

Jack had something on his mind, actually. ”We haven’t had the chance to do this, but Greenwood suggested an alliance between them and us after I thought they stole Sully’s Chalice.”

”Greenwood…” Adora mused. ”... They seemed cool.”

”I mean,” Britney shrugged. ”We can use as many friends as we can right now.”

”I told them I would make it happen, if Auri or the others wanted. I’ve been keeping contact with them when I have the opportunity.”

”Before we forget,” Amara interjected. ”We need to talk about 8th Street. Britney, you know more about them than me. I know a lot about one guy in particular, so before we leave, why don’t we get each other up to speed- I can’t remember everything about them. Some of them grouped up because they were pissed at you, right?”

Britney sighed.

”... Yes, but I don’t have a whole wealth of information on them, unfortunately. I know the people who were in the Old Coven, and that’s it,” Britney answered. ”I do know who the former third-in-command was for them, Lynnette Domingeuz.”

”Doesn’t ring a bell. I’m listening.”

”We can hit her up and see what she knows.”

”Can we? They didn’t exactly seem willing to play nice the other day,” Amara noted.

”I can be on standby, or be there in person. If they try anything,” Jack offered.

”... Lynette isn’t with 8th Street anymore,” Britney flatly noted. ”And she’s my girl. We can trust her.”

”If you’re sure. Just don’t go alone. I wouldn’t put it past them to tail her after she defected. Or quit. Whichever.”

”I’ll have Auri there with me,”

”Good. Good.. Not trying to make a big deal out of it. Just…” She trailed off for a second. ”Dealt with plenty of assholes like them. Back in the PRA.”

”You can come if you like,” Britney said, ”I hung out with Lynette plenty of times, and I haven’t seen a single member of 8th Street.”

”Then…” Adora shrugged. ”We know what to do next.”

Adora nodded her head, as everyone went their separate ways.

---

Lynette Domínguez.

Interactions: None.

Downtown St. Portwell.

---

---

Night had fallen.

Adora's day began with feeling lonely, followed by hitting Stormy for lunch, questioning Sloane about the Trinity Rings, brainstorming ways to help Luca, and meeting with the previous third in command of 8th Street. At the very least, Adora doesn't feel lonely anymore! The three rode with Britney in her giant Sedan - rich bastard. Adora threw her hoodie up as she climbed out of the car. She tailed behind Amara as Britney led the way through the park downtown. They walked over to the section with the outdoor chess tables and chairs... and sitting there was Lynette Domínguez. She wore jeans, a blue hoodie, a New York Knicks baseball cap, and... some timbs. Aggressively, New York, if Adora had never seen it herself. But Adora didn't know much about the gal; she was glued to Britney's hip in the Old Coven. They hung out a few times, and Lynette ain't change in appearance much - still got her poofy ass hair.

Lynette smiled as they walked up.

"... Hello, hello," Lynette said before she looked up at Britney. "Big butt!"

”Lynette!” Britney said as she walked over and hugged Lynette; after a moment, she released her.

"You know, I thought it was a little late for our usual chess matches, Big Butt," Lynette laughed.

”We're not playing chess tonight, Lynette.”

"Aw." Lynette feigned disappointment. "Though, we never had spectators before... Amara, Adora, it's been so long... I'm glad to see you, especially Adora. How have you two been?" She laughed.

”I’ve been okay,” Adora shrugged, standing over the chess table.

”I’m afraid I don’t remember you, if we’ve met before.” Amara took a seat across from Lynette at the chess table. She could, in theory, whip Lynette’s ass at it if they had the time. But alas, they didn’t.

”Have we?”

“Wow, rude,” Lynette laughed. “We were both in the Old Coven… How could I forget ‘General Amara’?”

”I dunno,” she shrugged. ”Probably the way I forget things all the time.” Not that anyone knew just how much she was forgetting things…

Yet.

”Anyway- We came by to talk. You were in 8th Street for a while. Britney told us you’re out now.”

“Yes, and yes,” Lynette said. “I was the… ‘third-in-command’ of the 8th Street Coven for awhile. Had a lot of good times with them… I kept Emily and Vashti in line. At least before they went full supervillain!” She laughed.

“... What do you need to know? And why?”

”We need to know about them,” Amara said. ”Things we can use against them. How their magic works. Where they go to lick their wounds. Whatever you can tell us. And we need that because, well, I’m pretty sure you were there when they damn near killed us all recently.”

Lynette was silent momentarily as she leaned forward and put her hands on her face.

“... Now, Amara, are you accusing me?” Lynette simply asked. “Because I have nothing to do with whatever Emily does with the 8th Street Coven. And as long as she and Vashti are in charge, I want nothing to do with them either.”

”If you weren’t involved with that,” Amara pressed. ”Then you have to at least know about it. Something like that doesn’t go unnoticed when you hang around them. I’m not here to throw blame around, but we need to know what we’re dealing with.”

“Again,” Lynette shook her head. “I’m more than willing to help you all out. But I don’t hang out with them anymore. The only people I still have contact with in 8th are Emily’s little sisters - now the new third in command. This is the first time I heard about Emily attacking ya’ll… but it isn’t out of character for her.”

”Then do you know anything about her sisters’ abstractions?” Amara asked, not letting up. ”Anything at all that you know about them helps. The more we know about them, the easier it is to put up a fight if they try that kind of thing again.”

“Well, her one sister, Miranda, is a healer,” Lynette began. “She has a super strong regenerative factor. I saw her regrow her arm in seconds one time. She’s next to impossible to kill. As for her other sister… Jacqueline….”

Lynette paused for a moment, rubbing her chin. “She has an Agent that let her shoot lasers; each has a different effect. Freeze. Heat. Teleport to different locations. Et cetera.”

”That is a weird abstraction to have, but alright… Some sort of artifact? Apparition she’s got sealed?”

“Sealed Apparition,” Lynette answered.

”Cool, cool… Are Emily’s sisters as batshit psychotic as her?”

“No, in fact, they are not,” Lynette answered. “They are sweet girls… Like less melanated sisters to me. They are just blind to how horrible and toxic Emily is.”

Amara’s eyes narrowed substantially at the sound of someone in the Reed genepool being a functioning member of society. ”How does that add up? Third in command, not aware of the shit Emily gets up to?”

Lynette gave her a blank look.

“Now look, Amara,” Lynette began. “You asked me to come out here to help you out, but all you seem to do is second-guess what I’m telling you.” Lynette narrowed her eyes.

“... It's obvious you don't trust me. And still think I’m with 8th St despite that phase of my life being over. So, I’m done talking to you. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

”... Look, Amara, let me do the talking,” Britney stepped in. ”This is going nowhere.”

“Awwww,” Lynette smiled. “Big butt coming in for the clutch, how can I help you?”

”Look, let me start from the top, and explain everything,” Britney began, putting her hands up, taking a brief moment to pause to explain this. ”It starts at the Halloween Festival with Lila, Lynn, and Emily and her sisters - now, it’s beyond me why they were engaging with Emily in the first place. Still, Emily said some fucked up, bigoted bullshit, and Lila flew off the handle and beat the tar out of her.”

“I heard about that,” Lynette said with a laugh. “I would have made a video!”

”Lila humiliated Emily and George, and now they’re back for blood… We went to Kari’s house, and they ambushed us. They had this giant ass undead monster which fell out of a portal. Emily and Vashti, Carol, and George were there too. This chick with an Aegis Piercer, this Asian girl, and then this fine-ass guy… wish he wasn’t with 8th, hehe....”

Britney laughed before awkwardly tugging at her romper.

”They threw up this ice fortress in the background. It was… kinda crazy, so I didn’t get to see everything that happened, but they opened a portal, and zombies fell out of it. Then they threw up this pink mist it made everyone see things they made them happy...”

Adora winced, awkwardly grabbing her other arm, and shuffled in her feet.

”What can you tell us about 8th Street?” Britney said. ”How can we beat them? How can we stop them? Because I’ll be damned if they hurt Lila...”

“Hmmm….” Lynette paused for a moment. “Well, a lot, but since ‘General Amara’ over here wants intel about them, I’ll start with the members. You know about Emily, Vashti, Carol, and George, so I don’t need to review them. I have zero idea about the pink mist, the chick with the Aegis Piercer, or that fine boul - ^{but if you want me to get his number, I can get it from Miranda and Jacqueline}.” Lynette whispered the last part, and Britney gave her a thumbs up.

“The undead monsters were created by a woman named Nadine King… you may remember her from the Old Coven - I’m not saying she was a member, but we ran her out of town when she came trying to scam people after the Stygian Snake. Emily plucked her up, and, for some reason, she works with 8th Street. She’s their resident Necromancer. She’s dangerous and cunning… might be among their most powerful members.”

”That tracks. That thing smelled nasty.”

”... Sure it wasn’t your upper lip?” Adora laughed.

“Most undead things typically do, ‘General Amara,’” Lynette cracked a grin. “The Asian girl is Maya… She can shoot sand and manipulate sound, but not all that bright. She is easily tricked, distracted, and-or manipulated. She usually doesn’t follow instructions, but don’t underestimate her. Usually, she hangs around her bestie Phoebe… who was probably the one that threw up the ice wall. Green-Red Adept, she can create and transform into ice. She may seem stupid like Maya, but it’s all an act. She’s way smarter than she appears.”

”Okay. Good to know, I’m guessing they’d stick close in a fight.”

”I didn’t see them together,” Britney noted.

“She’s like a… tallish, skinny, black girl, she has yellow and green dreads,” Lynette explained. “Definitely couldn’t miss her - but to my knowledge, Maya and Phoebe have some joint casts, I just forgot what they were. Oh yeah, Greta and Brianna are also in 8th, and, uh, yeah…. There’s Cynthia… she’s, um, a monster from the Pit that someone else took, turned into their personal attack dog, and we convinced her to turn against her previous “pack leader,” and I still have nightmares about it!“

She awkwardly laughed, “Cynthia is a man-eating monster; she’s strong, fast, tough, and worst of all she’s capable of attuning her Emotional-Field to your abstractions, which can make them half effective. She tanked a full-forced punch from George before… but she also has a perfect sense of smell - before I forget! Glamour is applied to her, so she typically appears as a lil’ black girl with a blonde afro. Cynthia is extra dangerous when the other members of 8th are backing her up.”

”I didn’t see her out there with Emily,” Britney noted.

“So she was probably guarding Greta and Brianna like she typically does,” Lynette raised a finger. “There’s Stanley - well, we call him Lee - he’s a white guy that's average heightened, well-built, has a golden gauntlet on his left hand. The Hero’s Gauntlet.”

”Heard of that…” Britney mused.

“So, you should know everything he can do, Big-Butt,” Lynette smiled.

”He can create different weapons, swords, a bow and arrow that explodes into fire, a dagger that can summon powerful winds, a hammer that can cause an earthquake, and a barrier that reflects any magical projectiles…” Britney explained to Amara.

“There’s Malik, the tall black guy with the glasses… last I heard, he can shoot stars and fly,” Lynette said. “Then… last member I know about is Annabelle Heart, an Agent that could control birds and teleport - but… I saw her recently, and um….”

Lynette awkwardly laughed.

”What’s up?” Britney asked.

“She’s cursed,” Lynette said. “Something has happened to her; I’m not sure what.”

”I’m not really a curse expert,” Amara said. ”What happened?”

“Not sure,” Lynette shrugged. “All I was told was that 8th got into a fight with Greenwood, and Annabelle got cursed in the crossfire.”

”That’s rough,” she commented, without any sympathy. ”But… That’s useful to know. All of this helps, thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” Lynette said. “I know we got off on the wrong foot, but maybe things can be better from here on… do you know when the next Coven meeting is? I may go.”

”No idea. But we can ask Auri.”

”I mean, I don’t think it should be that long,” Britney shrugged. ”We have some type of a lead, and for once, we didn’t get knee-deep in some shit but….” Britney loudly yawned.

”I’m getting sleepy,” Britney began.

“Do you want my number, in case you have any other questions, ‘General Amara’?” Lynette cracked a grin.

”Sure.”

Lynette stuck her hand out, “Phone, please.”

Amara reached into her pocket, pulled her phone out, and handed it to Lynette.

“Well…” Lynette asked the group, “Is there anything else I can help you with?”with?”

Adora turned to Amara, then Britney.

”Nothing I can think of,” She said with a shrug. ”Thank you.”

Then Lynette turned to Britney,

“Big Butt…” Lynette laughed. “Would you like to play a game of Chess?”

”Another time, I’m sleepy, I’m not sure if I should take another shower or not...” Britney said, before she turned to Amara and Adora. ”Let’s go.”

The four went their separate ways.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Heinrich.Thòrmer

56 | Heinrich Thòrmer | He/Him "..."

Description: An associate of Hemorrhagia and the Apparition of a Nazi scientist that, in time, lost faith in the whole Nazi idealogy. However, Heinrich didn't lose the fact that he was one of the greatest scientific minds in the world, and after becoming an Apparition, all he was interested in was science. He wants to use magic to expand the fragile limitations placed on science. Heinrich found himself joining the Dollhouse and became Luis' third in command - in charge of the experimentation side of their organization. Heinrich has long lost all humanity and sees humans as mere tools and test dummies at worst. Because of this loss of humanity, Heinrich doesn't even use a human body... but instead inhabits a strange human-sized mannequin doll that stands twelve feet tall (he's hunched over most of the time so he doesn't look that tall). While it may appear feminine, this doll-like body has no face. This body looks like it's made of ceramic, and he walks in ways that make it look like he should fall over. The worst part about this frame is that it hides tools inside its body and has blades hidden in its arms and legs. Whenever he talks, he speaks in a whisper. Abstraction: Unknowmn.

Here is Heinrich Thormer's NPC sheet.

Paragraphs: Agents of Death [FernStone & Shin Ghost Note]

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Behind the door was a strange, ancient-looking tunnel that seemingly went on forever and ever… Lisa raised her hand and summoned a Tetrablemmid that was wrapped in a glowing cocoon of webs. Before it reached the size of a sedan, the spider burst out, and it was large enough for one person to mount on it. That one person was Lisa, who climbed on, and then waved her hand in front of her face a few times.

”... Man, it reeks in here!” Lisa laughed… before looking at the trail of dissolved flesh that Ignatius left behind. She pointed at it, before she silently followed….

”Whose fault is that?!" Ella shouted, covering her nose with her hand in the hope that it would help… but it just made it harder to breath. Gross! She almost stepped in a piece of dissolved flesh, grimacing.

"You couldn’t have made the spider big enough for another person?" Saskia muttered, at the back of the group.

”... I just like it when Ella walks in front of me, that’s all,” Lisa said, leaning forward on the spider.

”I’ll carry you, Saskia!" Before Saskia could complain, Ella scooped her up in a bridal carry. They were pretty light so it wasn’t difficult to carry them at all. She peered in the little stone… shelves as they walked. ”What do you think this place is used for? I don’t see any artifacts!"

Lisa shrugged, ”Who knows! We just need to get the Orange-Stone from the white-guy!” She said, as they proceeded forward… Eventually, meeting at a nexus-chamber that split off into eight tunnels that each went a different direction. The trail of dissolved flesh ended here.

”... Oh, this isn’t good,” Lisa groaned. ”We’re gonna get lost! Where did he go?!”

Ella stopped, squinting her eyes in the hope she’d catch sight of something, sniffing the air as if she’d be able to smell of dissolved flesh… but she couldn’t. ”Let’s try them all, starting from the left!"

"Or Lisa sends a spider down each," Saskia suggested.

”I mean… I don't have that Joint Cast with Kari anymore,” Lisa shrugged. ”It's not like I can see thro-”

A few droplets of magma from the ceiling cut Lisa off, before she looked up.

Ignatius was hanging from the ceiling. He opened his maw and spewed magma at the three. Lisa tried to dodge on the spider but it hit her in the shoulder and splashed on her face. The spider was cooked, and Lisa hit the ground screaming.

Ella screamed, pulling Saskia close to her chest and rolling to the side. Magma splashed across her back, burning her skin and through the magical girl outfit. She gritted her teeth at the pain, rolling across the ground with Saskia in her arms as she re-did her magical metamorphosis - narrowly avoiding baring it all for the world to see.

"You evil bastard!" Ella yelled, ignoring the burning agony across her back. She let go off Saskia, who was entirely unharmed, and jumped to her feet. With a brandish of her Channeler she shot a beam of burning light at him, and it hit the flesh that was weakened by Lisa’s acid, and he screamed in pain.

"Oh, looking to go another round?" Saskia said, standing and shoving another bone spear through her arm, snapping it off.

Ignatius didn’t even respond… he simply fell from the ceiling, attempting to flop on the three.

Saskia haphazardly threw the bone spear as she ran out of the way, leaping to the side with a grunt, foot getting crushed underneath him with a horrible snap. Lisa had to drag herself away to the unseen tunnels to cocoon.

"Saskia!" Ella had been far enough away she just had to keep rolling to avoid it. She got to her feet, running forward with a steel hard foot aimed for his acid damaged side. The attack ripped through skin and exposed his flesh and organs as Ignatius roared. He swiped at Ella with a burning claw. Ella raised her arms to grab the claw with strengthened hands, wincing as it burnt her. She shoved it to the side as Saskia twisted around, throwing the bone spear still in their hands at his other eye. Digging into his eye-socket, and he roared again, spraying fire wildly. Saskia pulled herself out, rolling away from the fire.

Ignatius whipped his tail towards Ella in a wild frenzy, his tail with an aura of fire. It slammed into Ella, sending her flying and burning through her leotard (thankfully she had a bra on).

"How could you!" Ella shouted after hitting a wall, picking herself up with anger burning in her veins. Her magical girl outfit! This was- it was blasphemy against the true saviour of all, Sailor Moon! And she didn’t have time to remake it! "By the power granted to me by the light, and my love of Sailor Moon, I will end your life as painfully as possible!"

Saskia rolled her eyes, hand raising to shoot a blood bullet at Ignatius - which penetrated his skin. Ella jumped back in, fist aiming for the bone spear still in his eye… which dug deeper into his eye, and made a squishy sound as it popped out through the other side of his skull.

Ignatius fell limp.

Ella continued to shove the bone spear into his eye brutally just to ensure he was dead, before pulling it out. Then, for good measure, she shoved it through the other eye, twisting it around to ensure she’d stabbed through his brain… who knew! It could be more protected in a dragon.

"Do you think he’s dead?" Saskia said drily, foot snapping back into place as they propped themself up.

"Can’t be too safe… maybe I should open his mouth and shove it up through there too!" Ella said far too cheerfully. But this bastard had burned her magical girl uniform. He had to pay, and she had to ensure he was dead to never hurt another magical girl outfit again. "Oh, where’s Lisa?"

”... Right here!” Lisa walked up… all of her burns were gone, though her dress was immolated, burnt to scraps. She walked over to Ignatius’ “body”, and then kicked him in the head. ”... I think he’s probably dead.”

She shrugged before clapping her hands together.

”Alright!” Lisa started. ”... Where the hell is this vault?”

"Ohhh I guess I’ll leave this then," Ella said, pulling herself away from the jaws she’d been prying open and dropping the spear. She then looked at the eight tunnels, then at Lisa and Saskia. Then at the eight tunnels again. "... down one of those?"

"No shit," Saskia rolled her eyes. Of the three she was the least worn, just visible limping but fully clothed. "Of course that bastard couldn’t go any further… He sure was weak after all that shit about beating Morningstar."

"Yeah! Well, let’s just go down a random one," Ella shouted, pointing to one in the middle.

Lisa shrugged, before turning to Ella and pointing in front of her, ”I like it when you walk in front of me, Ella.”

She took a step forward - but came to a stop when she heard a footstep. Lisa immediately turned around, only to see nobody. She shrugged, and began her journey into the depths of the tunnels.

---

Hours later…

The three were exhausted on yet another Tetrablemmid spider. Lisa lay down on her back before they approached another vault door. It was enormous, but Lisa groaned.

”... Another door?!” Lisa complained with a roll of her eyes. She hopped off the spider and walked up to it. She tapped it, as she looked back to Ella, ”It doesn't have a homosexual repellent shield. So you’re okay!”

Lisa gave Ella a thumbs up.

”... So kick it down already so we can get this stupid rock!”

"Phew, okay… sailor moon aurora, transform!" Ella shouted, spinning around in a very lazy transformation sequence (since it had worn off in the hours searching). "Take this, door!"

She slammed her glowing, steel hard foot into it. It connected, but the door didn't even budge. And the door was really fucking hard!

"Ow!" Ella moaned, pulling back her aching foot after another few kicks. "It's not budging, girls!"

"Guess we’re going to have to be smart about this…" Saskia frowned.

”... Kick it again!” Lisa shouted without a single thought...

A fireball immolated the Spider that they had mounted earlier.

“... You three made it far enough!” They heard a voice behind them as what had to be a portal appeared… except that wasn’t any voice…

… It was Ignatius’.

The dragon-demon stepped through the portal, both of his eyes intact, and all the chemical burns that Lisa inflicted were healed. However, he wasn’t alone… he had an entire party with him. Flanking him at both sides were two bipedal demonic dragon-like creatures that stood over fifteen feet tall.

Behind them was a gathering of four, different, women that looked familar.

One of them waved at the three, all of them smiling.

“We look familiar, don’t we?!” She said, “You killed our sister!”

“So, we’re going to avenge her!” A different one said.

“We aren’t even going to kill you!” A different one spoke.

“We’re going to break you and make you our slaves for the rest of your miserable existence!” The fourth one spoke.

”... You don't look familiar at all," Ella squinted, trying to recognise them. Who were they trying to avenge? "Are you sure that was us?"

“You three idiots were in the PRA office, right?” One of them asked.

"Ooo, what are your torture plans?" Saskia asked, blood crawling across her skin to form armour.

“Well-”

Spiders crawled from out of everyone’s view on top of the ceiling… Lisa kept her eyes on Ignatius as she asked, ”... How are you alive?!”

Ignatius laughed.

“... I have two brains,” He answered, before slamming a claw on the ground. “So…”

He opened his mouth, and sprayed a geyser of magma at the three… when he closed his mouth, he shouted.

“... DIE!”

Saskia flipped herself over and away with a blood tendril, wincing as blood once again hit the tip and melted it away. Lisa hopped up into the air using her spider-legs, climbing on the ceiling.

”We should’ve stabbed him all over!" Ella shouted, as she dodged out of the way of what was a pretty obvious attack. She hit the wall to the side of the vault door and used it to push herself off. There were so many of them, who to hit first? The big one…

Ella ran right for Ignatius, if possible, bright colours of her remaining bracelets running down her skin and infusing her fists, aiming for a hard punch. A rock flipped up in the way of the punch, and the three strange women laughed.

“You bested our sister with that?” They spoke in unison as the rock launched at Ella. The two dragons charged after Ella with a roar… however, the ground rumbled as spiders - specifically funnel-web spiders - burst out of the ground like a geyser and covered the two dragons. They were trashed as they were covered in hundreds of bites from one of the most venomous spiders on the planet.

Ignatius rolled his eyes, as he roared, spewing magma at Saskia. Suddenly faster, she both ran and pushed herself out of the way.

”I bested your sister- well I don’t really remember!" Ella shouted, straight up punching through the rock, ignoring the pain that came with it. Alright, those three really wanted the fight. She picked up one of the pieces from the shattered rock, throwing it at them - which was telekinetically caught in mid-air - before leaping forward with a kick towards the nearest woman. Which knocked her out of formation, and sent her skidding across the floor with broken bones. However, she was telekinetically pulled back into the formation by the others.

They stuck both hands out and sent out a telekinetic wave of force that had enough power to pull rocks off the ground and strong enough to launch Ella.

"I killed her,” Saskia pointed out. A bone spear pushed through her arm, leaving a horrible gaping wound, and they snapped it off… Doing what seemed to be their new favourite thing, throwing it at Ignatius. He stuck his hand out and caught it mid-air before he snapped it in half. He roared as he charged Saskia, horns first, leaving behind a fire trail.

Sweat dripped down Lisa’s forehead, as she hung on the ceiling - the two dragon-like creatures were still thrashing around. However, the spiders on the ceiling were wrapped in glowing cocoons as Lisa applied the Hybridization spell. She sighed as she focused on the chaos below and the dragon-like creature… she launched herself at one of them, which was getting eaten alive by the spiders, and landed on its back. With the wallcrawler spell, she attached herself to its back and then used the spider legs to stab it to death violently.

Ella was slammed against the wall, breath knocked out of her. She managed to land in a crouching position. Her kick had easily knocked back one of them, so she just needed to get close enough again. She formed a small, bright pink ball of colour from one of her rings, like a small, steel ball, and shot it towards one of the sisters. She then immediately made another, and another, shooting six in quick succession as she ran towards them.

Saskia waited until Ignatius was almost at them before launching themselves into the air with their tendril, foot kicking down towards his head with a bone spear shooting out of it. It collided against his head, but didn't penetrate as he chomped his jaws at Saskia. His jaws caught their leg, but they super reinforced the blood armour there, leaving them at a deadlock of no penetration.

The Pale-Chorus raised their hands and flipped a stone upwards to tank the attack. They laughed, and one of them spoke,

“... Do you honestly think you can kill all of-” She was interrupted by a hole appearing in her chest. She stumbled for a few moments before falling backwards.

“Sister!” The rest of the Pale Chorus shouted.

"What- who stole my kill?!" Ella shouted. She couldn't see anyone so she continued forward, straight up punching through the stone before flicking up her leg into a strong kick towards one of the remaining Pale-Chorus. Which knocked her over, but she flipped back up to her feet with telekinesis and threw both of her hands forward… before her stomach was cut open, and her intestines fell out and plopped to the ground. She screamed as she desperately tried to pull her intestines back in.

A bloody hand could be seen floating… and blood splattered against what had to be pieces of somebody

The dragon creature had fallen to the ground - dead from a mixture of the venomous funnel-web spider’s venom and Lisa stabbing it - and Lisa turned to the other one. She saw Saskia in peril from the corner of her eye, so she waved her hand at the spiders on the other dragon and activated the acid-burst spell. They exploded and dissolved the creature in acid, as it thrashed around on the ground. Lisa focused on Ignatius’s leg as the ground started rumbling, and spiders erupted from the ground like a geyser aimed directly at his hind leg. In mid-air, she applied the acid-burst spell to them, and they exploded into acid that sizzled when it made contact with his leg.

Ignatius yelped, letting go of Saskia as he whipped his head around. Saskia’s tendril shot out to curl around his neck before they fell, pulling them up towards him, bone spear shooting out their hand and jabbing towards his eye.

"THERE’S A FLOATING BLOODY HAND!" Ella screamed, punching one of the still living Pale-Chorus in the gut as hard as she could - making her gasp as she grabbed her stomach, kneeling over. The hand went upwards as if it was facepalming… leaving some blood on something.

Lisa whipped around towards Ella and shouted.

”... Punch it or something! I don’t know!” Lisa shouted back, leaving Saskia in the dark. Above her, the spiders burst out of their cocoons, and had wings… and they flew towards the member of the Pale Chorus on the ground. They landed all over her neck, before they exploded, and her head fell off.

Ignatius had put his hand up over his face and tanked the spear… before he quickly spewed magma at Saskia

"Oh fuck,” was all Saskia managed to say as she pulled herself up. Her legs got burnt in the magma, melting away her flesh until it was just the bones. She managed to shove herself away with the blood tendril, using it in the place of her legs to get onto the floor without snapping her neck. "Lisa…”

"AHHHHH!" Ella shouted, punching the bloody hand and whatever had blood left on it. She wasn’t going to let some spooky hand come steal her kill and possibly kill her friends!

The hand quickly picked Ella up by the collar of her shirt… Before throwing her at Ignatius.

"AHH- FLYING PRISM KICK!" Ella, battle hardened and thick skulled as she was, took being thrown in the air in her stride, twisting her body and stretching out one leg to fly at Ignatius with a super strong, flying super prism kick. Which collided with Ignatius’ side and sent him tumbling into a wall.

“... Ignatius! I got you!” The last member of the Pale Chorus said, sticking her hands out. But she was interrupted by a few bites on her thighs. She threw her dress aside, only to see her leg covered in Funnel-web spiders.

They all bit her.

“Shit, Ma-” She tried to call out to their teleporter before a spider leg pierced through her chest. She looked down, panicking… Before the leg retracted and she fell to the ground.

"Take this, you scaly bastard!" Ella yelled, absolutely pummeling Ignatius with her hard as steel fists.

“... Get away from me, you trash!” Ignatius shouted as he whipped his tail at Ella.

"You’re the trash!" Ella shouted back. She bent her knees, stabilising herself with enhanced legs. She caught his tail in her arms, moving back with it and managing to put the brunt of the force through all of her body. It hurt, but who cared! Not her! "And I’m going to put you in the garbage where you belong!"

She used the momentum of his tail to flip herself up, arms wrapped around it and supporting her, legs aiming right for his jaw. Which slammed his mouth shut and broke several of his teeth. He groaned, before opening his maw and spraying magma (and broken teeth) at Ella.

Meanwhile, Lisa applied the Enlarge spell to some of her remaining spiders.

Ella’s eyes widened and she let go off his tail, dropping herself to the floor. The magma skimmed over the top of her head… singing the tips of her beautiful hair and splashing across her shoulders. Her hair! This couldn’t stand. She was much more bothered about that than the magma painfully coating her upper arms.

"Die, you fashion destroyer!" she shouted, going for a stomach punch. Ignatius winced, before rolling over and swinging his head at Ella like an organic-mace. Ella brought her fists in front of her chest and took the blow head-on while slamming both fists forward at him.

After all, she was incredibly thick-skulled! Or so Lisa and Saskia kept saying. The attack caused Ignatius to flip and hit the ground with a thud. He growled, backpedaling towards the vault door as he sprayed magma at the floor between himself and Ella.

Ella was on her knees holding her head, incredibly dizzy. She felt something curl around her leg and yank her back before hot magma killed her, falling face first and being dragged across the floor. With a groan she rolled over to see Saskia, legs still incredibly damaged, hitting her with an incredibly weary stare.

"Saskia!" Ella quickly shot a healing light at her, ignoring the pain it caused her as Saskia’s legs were completely healed. Her head felt like it was being hit by a sledgehammer and everything was incredibly blurry. There were three Saskia’s, but somehow she managed to heal the right one, because they stood up in front of her with a grumble.

"You are so fucking stupid.” Saskia shot a blood bullet at Ignatius, which might as well been a cotton ball.

"Awww, you’re sweet, Sas-kia~" Ella giggled, swaying. Oh, there was still a massive, ugly lizard to deal with. But she couldn’t stand up, the whole world was going on some kind of psychedelic trip around her. She raised her Channeler and shot a burning light at Ignatius… well at the Ignatius that was on the ceiling, so not actually Ignatius, but the roof above him.

Ignatius looked at the ceiling, then back down to Ella before his tail hit the vault door. Lisa’s spiders had erupted from their cocoon, now massive and sporting dragonfly wings. He stopped spraying magma, and chanted,

“... Venmor, demos, kant’tar, ven, ven, ven, balkar, fen’ra, mar’shak, dra’catarnis!”

The runes on the vault door illuminated, and the gears began turning. The door opened inward, and Ignatius limped inside and tried to close it with his front legs. However, the spiders flew between at lightning speeds and then exploded, spraying acid and chitin shards in all directions.

He roared as he ran deeper into the vault to escape. Lisa grinned.

”... Let’s go! Before he finds a healing artifact or something!” Lisa ran towards the door.

”He's not getting away this time," Saskia intoned, following after Lisa.

Ella, still very much dizzy and out of it, blinked as they suddenly left.

"Wait for meeeeeeee!" she shouted as she stumbled after them.

… Unbeknownst to them, someone was tailing behind them.