Mixtape Ghost N

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

yes

@Blizz

feet

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

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It was the following day, after a wild night of freaky sex involving thousands of spiders; the sun peaked through the window and hit the girls in the face. Lisa sat up, completely naked, and loudly yawned before she rubbed her eyes.

”... Ahhhhh!” Lisa said. ”... What was I mad about?”

She looked around.

”... Can we go another round!?”

Ella was still lying on the bed, also completely naked, and looked exhausted for once. She shook her head from side to side.

"As fun as that would be," Saskia said, also sitting up. Unlike Ella they felt refreshed after all of that - thought Ella had done most of the work as part of her apology. "I want a different kind of action. Let’s go kill Morningstar. Bathing in the blood of our enemy will make tonight even hotter."

”.. Hotter than all the spiders!?” Lisa asked.

"Yes, because there will be spiders and blood."

Lisa scratched her head.

”Where do we start? Do we go back to his mansion or the casino?” She asked, before a grin of excitement etched its way across her face. ”... Oh! We can ask Lupe!”

"I’m not calling her," Ella croaked out, covering her eyes with an arm.

"I’ll do it." Saskia rolled out of bed to find wherever their phone had ended up, grabbing it and quickly calling Lupe.

Lupe answered.

“Ay, mami!” Lupe hissed. “Is she ready to apologize, already?! Raul won’t talk to me anymore!”

"To him?" Saskia glanced at Ella, lips twitching up to a slight smile. "Probably. She’s tired enough we could probably get her to do anything… though I don’t think she’ll apologise to him in the same way she did to us."

“... Ooooh, mami!” Lupe said in a sultry tone. “What did ya’ll do to her?! Other than tie her up and put spiders in her hair.”

”It would be easier to list everything we didn't do," Saskia replied with a slight laugh. "But she initiated it. There were plenty of spiders involved, she-"

"You were going to ask about Morningstar!" Ella interrupted before Saskia could start spilling the juicy details of their night.

"Oh, right. Any idea where he is? We're going to kill him and then continue while bathing in his blood."

“Last I heard he’s been holding out at his bank,” Lupe said. “Are you three finally gonna put an end to him?”

"The place where it all began… fitting," Saskia said ominously. "We are. We'll kill him while he's weak."

Lupe was silent.

“... Well, don’t go without me, mami! I wanna be there to watch that bastard fall!”

"Sure, I'll text you when we're heading… we gotta get dressed anyway," Saskia glanced over at Lisa and Ella. ”Or you can come here and we'll go together."

”... Shouldn’t we also get Kimberly and Jordan?” Lisa tilted her head.

“Come pick me up, mami!” Lupe shouted. “... It’ll save gas!”

"Sure, we'll get you… see you soon," Saskia said, before hanging up and looking over at Lisa. "We can collect them on the way, they're in this building."

"What if they're all like ‘noooo we need to be prepared' and don't let us go?" Ella asked, finally sitting up.

"Then we can go without them," Saskia shrugged.

However, Lisa dug into a pile of clothes until she pulled out one of her dresses, threw it on, and slid her feet into some flip-flops. Lisa walked towards the balcony, and a glowing cocoon appeared… signaling that Lisa was creating a spider-mount. She looked over her shoulder as she said, ”Saskia, how about you talk to them while I get Lupe? Ella? Well, you keep being you.”

"... I’m gonna shower," Ella replied to that, rolling out of bed and heading into the bathroom.

Saskia shrugged. "Sure, I’ll get them. Don’t die while going to get Lupe."

They walked over to pat Lisa’s shoulder, before quickly pulling on some clothes and heading out of their room. They made sure to not take any detours on the way to Kimberley and Jordan’s room, just in case there were any kidnapping Dollhouse members hanging around. Thankfully they made it unscathed… raising a hand to knock on the door three times.

"It’s Saskia."

“... Oh God, not now!” Jordan shouted.

“Shhhhhhhh!” Kimberly hushed Jordan before a few footsteps approached the door. She threw the door open, wearing a cyan T-shirt and some diamond-patterned purple pajama pants and holding a wet toothbrush in her hand. “Hiiiiiiiii, what can we do for you?”

"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" Saskia tilted their head. "Were you two about to bang?"

“And what if we were!?” Jordan shouted from the sitting, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“No, and no,” Kimberly facepalmed.

"Oh, shame," Saskia shrugged, before continuing to the actual reason they were here. "We’re going to kill Morningstar before he gets more minions we have to fight through."

“Oh, cool,” Kimberly said with a smile. “Like right now though?”

“Do ya’ll know where he’s at?” Jordan asked. “And if so, do ya’ll gotta plan beyond going in and killing people?”

"He’s in his bank." Saskia intoned. "And we’ll do what we did at the start. Fly up to his office, crash through the window, and kill him since he can’t summon someone else to fight us this time."

“Now… now…” Kimberly tilted her head in confusion.

“Kim! Don’t even bother!” Jordan laughed. “You know they’re going to do what they want.”
“Okay, you know what?” Kimberly asked. “We’ll come; I think we can make a plan that’s better than just crashing through the window and going in swinging...”

"Well, I’m not against making a plan," Saskia shrugged, throwing a thumb behind her. "Let’s go to my room. Lupe’s coming along too, we can all plan together."

“Sure!” Kimberly said in a chipperly tone. “Hold on, give us liiiiiiiiiike twenty minutes to get ready!”

“And not get freaky!” Jordan shouted.

“Yeah, we’re going to need way more than twenty minutes to do that,” Kimberly snorted.

"Oh yeah, twenty minutes is nowhere near enough," Saskia chuckled lowly, nodding. "See you then."

She turned around and walked back to their room.

Twenty minutes later, everyone had gathered in the Agent of Death’s room. Ella was freshly showered and dressed (sadly), once again full of energy and unable to sit still. Saskia had sat down on the edge of one bed, looking at everyone else.

"Alright, you all know why we’re here. We’re going to kill Morningstar… And Kim think’s we should make a plan first, so…"

They turned their head to Kimberly.

“It’s pretty hilarious that’s being treated as an afterthought,” Kimberly laughed as she looked around, standing in the middle of the room by the TV. She wore a black t-shirt and green cargo shorts with various artifacts on her belt. “You know, in those movies, we would be around a table with a big well well-thought-out out drawing of our plan right in front of us!” She chipperly said.

“This ain’t the movies, unfortunately,” Jordan said as she sat on the bed wearing a hoodie and sweatpants… she took two sniffs as she said, “_{Why does it stink in here?} Oh, nevermind. So, you three want just to crash in and smoke him, right?”\

”Right!” Lisa chipperly said with a nod.

“Well, what about your… ‘Battlefield’?” Jordan asked. “His office building has other people in there. Civilians.” She looked at Saskia.

“People that have nothing to do with it. Morningstar’s an Apparition, so he’s definitely going to use them as a shield if pressed,” Jordan began. “Not just that, we have to keep magic on the low, you know? What if the fight gets really out of hand?”

“... And do you all know how to seal?” Kimberly asked before she pulled out the Artistic Integrity and presented it to them. “I mean, I can do it easily, but you all should in case we get taken out.”

"What’s sealing?" Ella asked cheerfully. "Can’t we just kill him?"

Kimberly, Jordan, and Lupe facepalmed; Lisa was confused....

“... You realize that Morningstar is an Apparition, right?” Kimberly asked, tilting her head at Ella. “He abscised someone, but even if we kill the body it won’t mean anything in the end if we don’t seal him.”

Saskia slapped her forehead. "Oh shit, right, sealing. No, never done it. An old covenmate tried to teach me… I just ended up drawing some really cool shit, never got to use it for sealing."

“Okay, let me teach you the basics for sealing,” Kimberly said, before she said. “Can I get a pen and paper?”

”Sure thing!” Lisa dug into the nightstand, pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to Kimberly… it was one of Saskia’s drawings, and she winced as she flipped the paper over and placed it on the bed.

“Okay, so,” Kimberly began drawing on the paper and spoke as she did so. “To seal an Apparition, first you gotta weaken it in a fight or with magic, something. Then, you have to draw this exact symbol. I mean this one exactly.”

Kimberly tapped the paper, and she had drawn a camera’s eye symbol. She looked at them and tapped it a few more times.

“... Don’t you need an object?” Jordan asked.

Kimberly facepalmed.

“Shit, I forgot…“ Kimberly said. “You need an object to seal him into, too. It can be anything. But, for future reference, super powerful Apparitions need to be sealed into larger objects.”

“One time someone sealed an Apparition into her draws!” Jordan laughed.

“... While she was wearing them?” Lupe asked.

"That sounds uncomfortable!” Ella shouted, looking intently at the symbol. "Won’t we need something super big then, cause Morningstar is like, the devil?!"

"Ella’s draws, then?" Saskia suggested, before pointing to the symbol. "Does it really have to be that one? That doesn’t seem right. My friend drew a different one."

“Please don’t- but, no, it’s just the symbol I use,” Kimberly said.

"So I could use one of my drawings as a symbol?" Saskia asked.

Kimberly smiled, “... If you believe it will work.”

"I absolutely do. I even have the perfect drawing in mind," Saskia smiled evilly, Kimberly and Jordan winced.

"... that doesn’t matter, what do we do when we draw the symbol?" Ella shouted.

“... Stop shouting!” Jordan rolled her eyes.

“Well, you-” Kimberly tried to say - before Lupe interrupted her.

“Nah, I got this mami,” Lupe laughed. “Look, after you draw the symbol, and place the object you’re gonna seal him into on top of it: ya’ll gotta’ hold hands and sing a song! Then, boom, mami! The evil is defeated!”

"We definitely don’t have to sing a song," Saskia rolled their eyes.

"If Lupe says we do, we do!" Ella grinned, bouncing around the room a bit. "Oh we can sing Moonlight Legend- that's the Sailor Moon opening! It’ll be perfect for defeating evil."

Lisa loudly screamed, grabbing both sides of her face. Lupe winced.

“It's gotta be like, um, some Korean chant!” Lupe laughed.

“I mean, it’s going to be the most ridiculous thing ever, but…” Jordan rubbed her temples. “... A Sailor Moon song can work.”

"YES!" Ella shouted, punching the air. "I’ll teach you it on the way!"

"I suppose some sacrifices must be made," Saskia rolled their eyes. "Is that really all there is to it? I draw, we hold hands, sing sailor moon, he’s sealed into Ella’s draws?"

"... can’t we seal him somewhere else?!"

”Yeah, that’s good underwear you know!” Lisa laughed. ”Wait, won’t the Hound want them?”

“... You have to fight him,” Jordan said. “Well, we do, but you can’t seal him while he’s in a body. You have to force him out, then you have to seal him…”

“Well, if he’s weak enough by then.” Kimberly shrugged.

“Yeah, that,”

"The fighting part is easy, we’re experienced in that," Saskia shrugged. They really weren’t worried about that. "We’ll just destroy the body so much he has no choice but to leave it."

"Yeah! We’re fighting experts!" Ella grinned. "We’ll definitely weaken him enough to seal him- in something that isn’t my underwear!"

“Actually, you know what?” Jordan rolled her eyes before she turned to Kimberly. “We taught them how to seal; let’s just go and figure it out when we get there.”

“Yeah, that’ll catch him off guard alright!” Kimberly laughed.

"The best plan is no plan!" Ella shouted.

"Can you teleport us in, or do we need to go by flying spider?" Saskia asked Jordan.

“Mami! Let’s make an entrance!” Lupe shouted, “Let’s crash in on a spider!”

“Depends on what you want,” Jordan shrugged.

”Definitely the dramatic entrance," Saskia looked at Lisa, smiling slightly. "Just how we started."

”Let’s do it!” Lisa shouted, hopping to her feet, before she stuck her hand out. ”Put your hands on top of each other, everyone! I forgot what this is called, but it’s like in the movies where they show teamwork!”

"Yay, friendship!" Ella shouted, hopping over to Lisa and putting her hand on top of hers. Saskia rolled her eyes.

"If I have to…" they put their hand on top of Ella’s, before looking at the other three.

Lupe put her hand on top of Ella’s, “You know, I gotta say, meeting you three has been amazing. You three are like the crazy little sisters I never had!” She

Jordan put her hand on top of Lupe’s; she didn’t say anything, though.

“You know,” Kimberly said with a smile, adding her hand to the stack. “I thought you three were going to get yourselves killed the first night we met!” She snorted.

“I’m glad you proved us wrong.”

“Proved us both wrong.”

”... FRIIIIIIIIIIIENDSHIP!”

Everyone threw her hands into the air.

---

As “planned,” the six flew through the top window of Morgenstern Banking on a giant Tetrablemmid spider with wings. However, four other flying-Tetrablemmids crashed through the other windows. Lisa raised her fist in the air as she shouted.

"WE’RE HERE TO END YOUR EVIL TYRANNY, SO LIGHT PREVAILS!"

”...WE’RE HERE TO AVENGE EVERYONE YOU HURT!”

”... and we’ll hurt you so badly you’ll wish it had ended sooner."

“... Can you three stop screaming?” Jordan rubbed her temples.

Morningstar stood on the opposite end of the room, holding a glass of wine, his back to the group. He downed it, as he turned around, and shouted,

“... Yes, yes, it does,” Morningstar said as he threw the glass on the ground. Behind him, a massive flaming portal appeared out of nowhere.

“Today is the day I end the pathetic existence that is you three.”

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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Lynette Hunter-Richoux & The Greenwood Coven

Interactions: None.

The Temple of Ass Charming and Graceful Individuals.

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“... Please.”

”No…”

“Please.”

”Ruby…”

“Please.”

”I don-”

“Please.”

”No!”

“Please.”

Greenwood (Sans Kashmira) stood in the Temple’s main hall, the one that Ruby destroyed a few days ago on the day of the Halloween Festival. She wore a red sweater and some khakis, with some timbs on. She held her tree branch in hand as the rest of Greenwood stood behind her.

”You don't ne-”

“Oh, come on! We just want some pizza!” Ruby shouted, “We’re not 8th St, we’re broke!” She scoffed.

“Offer to eat her ass!” Jessica shouted with a devious grin. She was wearing a white button up, jeans, and some cowboy boots.

“You know, Ruby, there’s an easy solution to your money problem,” Naomi said, wearing a Nike shirt, and some short-shorts. “You love eating ass but you do it for free. Just start turning tricks and get paid to eat ass! I bet it’s easy too: just put out an ad.”

“‘Will eat booty for 50$!’” Jessica said while waving her hand in front of her to accentuate her point.

“See?! She gets it!”

Ruby twisted her face up, “… Eating booty should be free.”

“But you can’t complain about being broke then!” Naomi shouted.

“… My lord, I’m getting a migraine listening to this,” Pearl said as she rubbed her temples. She wore a white dress with some boots.

“Just eat her ass in exchange for the pizza, we’re gonna be late!” Jessica shouted.

“That’s the same thing! Except without money!” Ruby complained.

“I mean we already told Sycamore that we’d bring pizza!” Jessica shouted back at hee. “We’re going to look like scrubs! Just do it!”

“… She has a point,” James said, while leaning up against the wall, cleaning his axe with a rag. He was wearing a grey hoodie and black sweatpants with some jordans.

Of course Lynette Richoux would do just about anything for her old apprentice. Her band of magical misfits were getting glares from some of the Temple members still present, save for the man Ruby knew as Furio.
He was intently menacing Ruby specifically, a rifle dangling from its sling as he draped an arm across it. Lynette herself didn't seem particularly pressed, sitting on the edge of the stage from which she usually preached. She had a ceremony dress, as they were in the middle of wrapping up the first of the evening’s Masses when Greenwood arrived.

Probably on purpose.

”Eating ass properly is a public fucking service, let’s get that straight.” Lynette snapped, hoping that the statement would at least jive well enough that she’d get the attention of the baying hyenas in front of her.

“See, she gets it,” Ruby says.

”Second… What, am I your fucking bank account all of a sudden?-” a hand flicked up, waving between Ruby and herself. ”-It’s been a week Ruby. And, what, no visit? No coming to Mass? And you missed Casey’s Ascension Ceremony!”

”Not that anyone missed you, Brat.” Furio commented, his nose scrunching together.
”Untrue!-” Lynette replied, throwing a finger into the air. ”I did. And Elise did. That’s plenty. So, tell me how you’ll make that personal slight up to me, Miss Springtime.”

“Hey eat my ass, Furio!” Ruby hissed at him before she turned to Lynette, the rest of Greenwood (somewhat) silent. “Now, I didn’t visit because I was busy making moves! I’m trying to save the world here, lady! Not only did I officialize the alliance between Greenwood and the 317, but we’re working on Sycamore.”

“... Hey, wasn’t her son there?” Naomi asked.

“Hey, Naomi, pleeeeeeeeeeease!” Jessica laughed. “Does he look like the type to run and tell mommy everything?!”

Ruby stepped forward, passionately raising a fist in the air, “I think, together, we can rid the city of all the assholes, but we’re going to look like scrubs if we don’t bring some pizza! So help a girl out just this once!”

“... We could just knock over a pizza joint,” James grinned.

“Boy! We’re better than that!” Naomi laughed.

“Hey now,” Jessica laughed, jabbing a thumb in James’ direction. “... How did you think we got the axe?”

”Okay, but… Pizza? Great. Glad you want to officiate some sort of relationship between the groups. But-!” Lynette paused, holding her finger to her lips.
”-We have food here! Already made and absolutely delicious, made by Andrade and his students! All you’d have to do is heat it up, and it’d be way better than pizza.”

“Well, why didn’t you just-” Jessica tried to say before Ruby interrupted.

“... You do not want that food, Jess,” Ruby spoke in a low tone to her homie before turning to Lynette. “... Yes, the food made out of the fucking ghosts? Broooo, imagine going to this meeting, and we have a fucking cut-up Fire-God on one of those metal trays in plastic wrap.”

“Okay, okay,” Naomi rubbed her temples… in the temple. She stuck both hands out at Ruby, “Who are these people again?”

Ruby was quiet.

“Family.”

“Shit, I thought we were your family?!” Jessica laughed. “Or wait, or are these the old hoes you threw away when we came around?” Jessica gave her a shit-eating grin.

“Will you do the same to us?!” James scoffed, shocking offense and putting a hand on his chest. “I dunno, I’m having second thoughts about this Greenwood thing. Boutta go to the 317!”

”She’ll only throw you away when you’re truly worthless. She’s learned from the best!” Lynette’s hand brushed against Ruby’s cheek.
”And who better than the Lips of God? Right? Ruby?” Lynette stared at the girl intensely.

“... On their face, right?” Naomi asked.

”Or should I put it another way? God is not yours to hear. That duty is mine, and I find it insulting that you’d come here and expect things with nothing in return. Now, if you really want this pizza?”
Freeing her hands, the woman undid her robes slightly, slipped a hand inside, and pulled out a small stack of business-card-sized papers.
”You’ll make sure that one of these ends up in every single Sycamore member’s hands. Or their pockets. Or, somewhere. Anywhere they’ll keep them.”

“I’ll stick it between their buttcheeks like they’re a stripper.” Ruby casually said.

All of Greenwood facepalmed.

Lynette smiled, biting her dark black tongue between her teeth.
”Spit it into their asses, you… Filthy filthy animal, you… Swear? Because you know I’ll know if you put them somewhere and forgot…”
Lynette’s free hand lifted into the air, the sleeve falling back to reveal a stack of cash.
”Or… Do I really need to get you something more than pizza?”

“You know, I’m kind of interested in what they’re serving...” Jessica shouted, laughing.

Ruby winced before nodding, “... Whatever you ask, oh anointed one.” She gently tapped her staff on the ground. The room was silent for a moment before Ruby grabbed the papers with her free hand.

With the cards, Lynette handed Ruby the stack. It was a few grand at least by weight.
”Thank you, Graceguided. Now, take Leon with you.”
Her eyes closed, and Lynette flinched momentarily before her smile returned.
”He’ll be right out.” she grinned, finally sliding back and pushing up to her feet on the stage, making her several feet taller than everyone else.
”And enjoy! Seriously, we absolutely love those Sycamore babies… Have fun with ‘em, they’re all tense these days!” she laughed loudly.

Ruby sighed as she gestured for the rest of Greenwood to come along, and they followed after her

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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Dollhouse & The 8th St Coven.

Interactions: None.

Christiansands.

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La Mala Ordina - clipping.

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“... So, while you were beating up Sycamore,” Luis asked, holding up a femur bone, “Three Apparitions came to attack you all?”

“Yes,” Greta said. “That one nearly burned me alive.”

“It’s weakshit, though,” Amy groaned, crossing her arms. “I could beat its ass with my arms tied behind my back.”

The Dollhouse leadership met with various members of the 8th St. Coven in their VIP room. Luis and Natalie were sitting on a couch, Heinrich stood over them, and Shaquita was by the door. Casually standing there and overlooking the whole scene as the 8th St Coven stood across from the Dollhouse leadership, sans George, who was standing up holding Carol’s dead body underneath his arm in one hand and the axe in the other, and Amy who leaned up against the bar with her arms crossed. However, Jacqueline and Miranda looked to be very uncomfortable.

“They came with Tsukino Inuoe,” Amy noted. “I’m not sure if Sycamore finally sold out to those House of Card dumbasses.”

Luis laughed.

“... We know they haven’t,”

“Thanks for finding our axe, though,” Natalie leaned back in the seat, laughing. “Ten-k right there!”

“Wait, really?!” George laughed. “C’mon, it’s gotta be worth more than that.”

“You got it twisted,” Natalie laughed. “It’s ours, big boy, we’re giving you a lil’ finders fee!”

“What if I want to keep it?!” George taunted, flexing his muscles.

“... You best remember where you are and who you’re dealing with, boy,” Shaquita said from the background, narrowing her eyes. “Try something, and you’ll regret it...”

“I’d love to see you-”

“George!” Jacqueline said. “Just give them the axe…”

“Fine,” George said, handing the axe to Natalie, who gave it a playful slash in the air like a kid playing with a toy.

“But, since you all worked so hard to get the axe,” Luis said. “We’ll give you all an extra five-k on top of that, so you’re getting fifteen-k.”

“Not a small amount of money, I say!” Natalie added.

“As for the Apparition…” Luis rotated the femur bone. “We’ll need to speak with our… Appraiser.”

Natalie sucked in air.

”STEPHANY!”

A few moments later, the door opened, and a chubby woman with blonde hair and glasses came into the vip section with a smile. She waved at everyone as she walked in, “Hi everybody!” She chipperly said as she walked over to Luis.

“What is this Apparition, and what do you think it’s worth?” Luis handed the femur bone with Bahlaas to Stephany.

Stephany took the femur bone with Bahlaas sealed within it, examining it closely with a curious smile. Glowing white runes floated inches above the bone before they disappeared, and Stephany explained, "Oh wow, this is quite a find! Bahlaas Riil, huh? She seems like quite the fiery character," Stephany remarked cheerfully, adjusting her glasses. "Her Abstraction, Embers, allows her to conjure flames and sparks. Very handy if you ever need a light!" She added with a chuckle.

"What's the appraisal, Stephany?” Luis looked around at the Dollhouse leadership and the 8th St Coven members.
Stephany tapped her chin, "... Considering the strength of Bahlaas Riil's abilities and the fact she’s from the Void, I'd say she's quite valuable," she began, pacing a bit as she thought. "I'd estimate her worth around fifty thousand dollars, give or take. Of course, her actual value could vary depending on whether or not you intend to use or sell her." Stephany explained with a smile.

Luis turned back to Jacqueline and Miranda and said, “So you all are getting sixty-five thousand.” He grinned. “That sounds fair, right?”

The Reed sisters nodded their heads.

“Good, now, I’ll arrange for your payment in cash-

Suddenly, a blue portal opened, with chains swirling around it. A few moments later, a short man with a blonde afro and a suit came walking out. He had his hands in his pockets and spoke.

“... I need to speak with Hemorraghia imm-”

Heinrich put a finger up to his lips and made a shushing sound.

“Oops,” The stranger said as the portal closed behind them, “Am I interrupting something?”

“Look around, Ezekial,” Natalie rolled her eyes into her head.

“You’re welcome to stay, however,” Luis said. “Could you do me a favor and grab sixty-five thousand for our guests.” He gestured towards the 8th St. Leadership.

Ezekieak laughed.

“I just got here, and you’re already bossing me around!” He shook his head as the portal opened back up, and he floated back into it. “I’ll be right back.”

After a few minutes of silence from the Dollhouse leadership, and the chattering of various 8th St Members, Ezekiel returned with a briefcase under his arm. He placed it on the table, clicked open the hatches, and revealed the cash within.

"Here you go, sixty-five thousand in cash," Ezekiel grinned, gesturing towards the money. "Count it if you like, but it's all there."

Jacqueline opened the Expert’s Book, and after a few moments, she nodded at Miranda and said to the Dollhouse leadership.

“... Thank you.”

She grabbed the briefcase, and the 8th St Coven left. Natalie grinned at Luis.

“... To the Funhouse?”

He nodded.

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The Dollhouse Funhouse :)

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Deep within the catacombs of the Dollhouse… Funhouse. Barely lit by a makeshift electric system where portable generators provide all the power and illumination. Luis, Natalie, and Heinrich marched alongside Shaquita, Stephany, and Ezekial behind them. Where were they going?

A large chamber, where Dollhouse’s “Programmers” stood in a circle in the center of the room. There were various faces, but the most notable was a tall woman with white symbols painted on her skin… wearing a suit. Luis walked past them while his companions held back, taking various positions around the room. Luis placed the femur bone in the center of the circle.

“Adaobi,” Luis said, and the woman with the tattoos perked up. “You know the deal, I want to talk with the Apparition. If she doesn’t comply, then deprogram her.” Luis spoke as he took the Dollhouse leadership’s side.

The lady nodded as she fell to her knees and began singing a chant. Then, the femur was surrounded by a glowing blue mist. Slowly, Bahlaas rose out of the bone; however, she was bonded by ethereal glowing blue chains.

Luis walked up and clapped,

“… Hello there!” Luis began. “It is great to meet you, Bahlaas!”

Being sealed was an unsettling experience. It was suffocating, crushing, and ensnaring in infinite darkness.

All of that changed as blue mist brought In the light, and eased Bahlaas out from the darkness. She sucked in air, not that she required to breathe, but it helped shake off the feeling of asphyxiation.

Her eyes adjusted, and immediately a sense of unease welled up in her. She was surrounded by faces, none of which she recognized. Instinctively, she tried to run, only to realize she was chained down, with only enough give to kneel in the center of a circle.

Confusion turned to haunting dismay, until she heard a voice. She looked up as a bearded man approached her, and although he was handsome, she couldn't help but feel dread just from being in his presence.

Her painted face morphed into a frown as her fiery eyes showed hints of fear.

“...Where am I?” She demanded. “How do you know my name?”

“You’re in our…” Luis trailed off, waving his hands in front of him as if he was trying to figure out the words to say.

“... Our ‘Funhouse’!” Natalie shouted, laughing.

“That.” Luis said before gesturing to Stephany in the background. “And we know all about you because of our… Appraiser.”

“Hi!” Stephany waved at her.

Luis then clapped his hands and said, “So! Long story short, after 8th St sealed you, they sold you to us, Dollhouse. So, let me ask you a question…”

The room was silent except for Adaobi chanting. The tension was so thick that it could be cut through with a knife.

“Did you, a mighty Apparition from the Void, lower yourself to what is essentially a petty gang fight to help some wannabe Capo?” Luis put a hand on his chin as he stared at Bahlaas. “Why?”

The revelations coming through the pipeline sent a chill down Bahlaas's spine. What was she now, some sort of glorified prisoner? Her brother would be furious if he heard.

At Luis's question, she swallowed nervously, bowing her head slightly. “I did. I was listening to my brother. He said he'd made a deal with the girl, would get us some delicious bodies if we helped. So… of course, I helped. I wouldn't have wanted my brother mad at me, anyways…”

Luis paused momentarily, “... What do you need bodies for? To eat?”

“Oh God, Luis,” Natalie groaned, rolling her eyes. “We have enough man-eating monsters.” After she spoke, she jabbed a thumb towards Ezekial.

“I only eat the souls,” Ezekiel shrugged, leaning up against the wall

Bahlaas tilted her head, worry flashing in her face, “Yes, to eat. But I can subsist on blood only, bodies are more like a… delicacy. I have a preference to sweet blood - my whole family does… Is that… really so strange?” She said, confusion in her eyes.

“... You’ll get diabetes!” Natalie shouted, laughing her ass off.

“That’s not the strange part; you like what you like,” Luis crossed his arms with a shrug, taking a few steps off to the side. “What I’m wondering is how the House of Cards will help you? Those incompetent goons barely understand the full scope of the mundane world! No less the magical one!”

Luis laughed deviously before it went flat, “At Dollhouse… we have it all. And we can get you your ‘sweet blood’ without you having to lower yourself to fighting Emily G. Reed’s goons for it like some drug addict...” He rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, ditch those losers,” Natalie laughed. “Dollhouse is where it’s at!”

Bahlaas gave a half-hearted tug at the chains holding her down. “My loyalty was never to the House of Cards. It was always to my brother…”

She paused, before her eyes shot to Luis. “Wait. You're… asking me to join you?” Her firey eyes narrowed. “What's the catch?”

“The catch is that you work for us,” Luis answered.

Her eyes glanced around the room, before she sighed, her gaze dropping to the chains holding her. “I mean, of course I'll work for you. You paid for me, after all… Haven't you?”

She tried a smirk. “You even won't let me ‘starve’… Not a bad deal, I'd dare to say.”

“Not only that,” Luis grinned. “We’ll provide you with a body to use… if you choose.”

Luis steepled his fingers as he said,

“... I just want to meet this brother you speak of and see if we can convince him to our side.”

“A body?” Bahlaas's eyes widened in unbidden excitement. So he knew it was hard for her to be in the Shimmer without an anchor. Plus, it could be used as a food source. “...Yes, yes that would interest me. A lot.”

She nodded her head, her excitement increasing a bit more. “Of course, and I know exactly where we can find my brother. He'll be with Layla. Layla Hyacinthus, the ‘sweet one’.”

Luis grinned, looking over his shoulder at Adaobi, “Adaobi, release her!”

With a nod of her head, Adaobi’s chanting intensified, and at its crescendo, she screamed. The ground began shaking as the chains around Bahlaas shattered, and the femur bone exploded. Bahlaas was free, and Luis extended his hand to shake.

“… I’ll have Ezekial over here talk with your brother,” He began, before looking over his shoulder. “He knows a little bit about the Void.”

He rolled his eyes in the background.

Bahlaas stood with a happy sigh, grinning as she shook Luis’ hand. Her eyes followed his to Ezekial, and she nodded. “I know the address.”

Her grin widened, excitement burning in her eyes. “I can't wait to start working with you.”

---

---

---

Sex Magik - Bloc Party

---

---

---

Hagan Rosefey's Interlude.

The Streets of St. Portwell. During the war with the Stygian Snake.

---

---

The Old Coven...

A shadow dragon soared over the skies of St. Portwell... below him was absolute chaos as the Old Coven fought for their lives against the neverending tide of the Stygian Snake's army. It let out a roar as it flew through the skies... as it soared through the air, dove low opened its maw, and unleashed a jet-black stream of fire that incinerated anything unfortunate enough to get caught. Friend and foe alike. After it finished its defacto-carpet bombing, the dragon took a hard left and came around for another volley. It opened its mouth...

"... NOW!"

A voice screamed from underneath as a young Hagan, wearing a black robe, was launched at the dragon from below. He swung his magical anchor at the dragon when he was in range. He hit it directly in its lower jaw and slammed its mouth shut, and it let out a screech of pain as it was sent careening off course. The dragon crashed into a building and utterly demolished it as its momentum carried it forward, leaving a trail of displaced stone and dirt before it stopped.

Hagan fell... before he came to a sudden stop, floating peacefully in the air. Before he dropped some more, he stopped and kept going until he reached the ground without shattering every bone. Caelea was right there, and he stuck his hand out to give her a high-five.

"... I told you it would work, squirt!" Hagan shouted.

“Fuckin’ pathetic lookin' fall,” Caelea snorted, stretching up their arm to slap Hagan's hand. She kept it held out. “Well fuck me, I said you could fuckin' hit me if it somehow worked… c'mon, I ain't got all day. Fuckin' hell, I can't believe it worked.”

Hagan grinned, cocking his fist back, but the crackling of electricity next to them served as a cold reminder to bring them back to reality.

“... Hey! Can you two idiots focus?” Claire O’Sullivan said, with Zoey Gray at her side - with her hands out, crackling with electricity.

Hagan turned towards Claire, throwing the anchor over his shoulder. He heard some buzzing over his shoulder and saw that weird girl’s flying spider with some people on it. He rolled his eyes before he poked Claire in the chest and said,

“Who you calling an idio-”

The dragon stirred itself back up, looked over its shoulder, and breathed a fire at the group. A light-blue aura surrounded Claire as she stepped in front of the blast. She tanked most of it effortlessly, looked over her shoulder at Hagan, and shouted.

“... Idiot!”

Before she took off towards the dragon, Zoey stuck her hands out and fired a massive bolt of lightning that sounded like the earth had split apart, creating a massive flash before fading. Hagan grinned at Caelea and said,

“Yeet me!”

Then he paused, face going flat.

“... Again.”

“Fine,” Caelea rolled her eyes. A light shimmer of air appeared around her body, and she angled herself down a bit. Then she slammed her hands into Hagan's back with an explosive blast of air to launch him into the sky. He screamed as the dragon fired black fire… and the fire badly burned his leg. However, he managed to get the Anchor into the dragon’s eye, and it loudly roared and thrashed around, spraying fire everywhere as Hagan held on for dear life.

“This is the part…”

Hagan shouted as he was getting swung around.

“... Where you shoot the damn thing thing!”

“I don't have. Any. Fucking. Ranged spells!” Caelea shouted as she flew through the air, foot slamming into the side of the dragon's neck with an intense blast of air. She then launched herself off and towards its face and Hagan, floating just above its head. “Heh, need some help gettin' down?”

]“... YES!”

A bright blue light could be seen in the distance as Zoey screamed.

“WHATEVER YOU’RE GONNA DO! DO IT! OR IMMA SHOCK THE FUCK OUT OF BOTH OF YOU!”

Caelea rolled her eyes at Zoey, getting in close to Hagan and grabbing him from behind… as much as she could when she was so tiny. She used a blast of air to launch them both away from the dragon, hurtling towards the ground, before another blast stopped them from crashing back into it. She very unceremoniously let him go, dropping the last little bit as she lightly landed beside him. “There. You owe me.”

Hagan grinned, holding the Anchor in his hand. “... Well, hey, I never said ‘you owe me’ whenever I saved your pale-ass!” Hagan laughed.

That massive bolt of lightning came out of Zoey’s hands and hit the Dragon, and it faded away into nothingness. Claire walked over to the two of them and dropped her barrier.

“... You two are fuckin’ crazy,” Claire said.

Caelea shrugged, cracking her knuckles. “Fuckin’ boring to take this shit too seriously. If I ain’t destroyin’ these ghosts I’ll go back to beatin’ his ass anyway.”

“Hehe, you wish, squirt!” Hagan said as he stood up on his feet. “You’d get defeated by the top shel-”

In the distance, there was an explosion of debris, followed by the Stygian Snake bursting out of a building… it let out a primal, guttural scream. Hagan just pointed at it, looking at Caelea.

“If you’re so tough,” Hagan laughed. “Go fight Stiggy for us!”

“Sure,” Caelea rolled their shoulders, not seeming scared [i]at all[i]. “You just stay watch like a fuckin’ pussy, alright?”

She clapped her hands together, before launching herself up to a building to their right, perching on the edge, clearly watching the snake. Though she did hold out a hand to flip the three on the ground off. Hagan flipped her off right back.

Claire pulled out her walkie-talkie and said,

“Um, fuck, what are ya’ll called again, fuck it! Headquarters!” Claire shouted into the walkie-talkie. “The Stygian Snake is in South St.Portwell. Advice.”

”Run,” Anya replied very succinctly. There was a pause. ”Ah wait, you’re with Hagan and Caelea, they won’t. Just let them fight it until the Trinity gets there.”

“And if those two idio-” Claire asked before she was interrupted.

“... LET ME SOLO IT!”

Hagan shouted, holding the Anchor over his head as he charged it head-on.

“You know what?” Claire sighed. “Copy.”

Zoey grinned at Claire as Hagan rushed in to ‘solo’ the Stygian Snake… it wasn’t long until Hagan was launched back at them, skidding across the floor and displacing dirt and concrete. He got back up, and swung the anchor at its darkness tentacles.

”Hah, the Snake just fucked your ass!”

Caelea shouted from the rooftops, before also launching herself at the Stygian Snake… She was a little more successful at not being immediately launched back, darting about it before finally getting smacked through the air, flying over their heads and landing with an explosive blast of air.

Hagan activates his immobility as the Stygian Snake whacks him with a massive tendril, then whacks it into the distance. It faded away into nothing.

“SUCK MY DICK, SQUIRT!”

Hagan laughed as he threw himself at the Stygian Snake.

“... Should we help?” Zoey asked.

Claire shook her head.

“Let these two have their fun,” Claire answered.

The two continued to fight the world-ending monstrosity that cut down many of their Coven sisters and Coven brothers.

Before the final battle. The Old Coven's Lair.

---

Michael found himself in the same spot he found himself most mornings after a night of fighting, down in the entrance hall to the lair reading a book. He was waiting for his friends to finish up with some tasks and walk home with him. It’s not that Michael disliked walking alone, but with everything going on he was terrified at the thought of somehow running across a monster during the day while alone. At least with Evelynn she could check ahead to ensure they’re safe, and Jasper would be able to protect them with his summons. Michael flipped the page and sighed. The book wasn’t good, but he was now halfway through it and figured he needed to see it through to completion.

“... What’s up, nerd!?” Hagan shouted with a grin as he yanked the book out of Micheal’s hands. He looked at it for a moment, “Reading books in here? How about instead of reading some books, you get you some bitches?”

He threw the book over his shoulder.

Michael instantly sunk into himself. Fucking Hagan. There were two people Michael hated running into, and Hagan joined George in that group. He was a bully, and Michael was an easy target for the bullying. All Michael wanted to do was go home, play with the makeup he managed to get from his grandma, and decompress before the sun retreated once again. He needed his relief from the constant pain, suffering, and this feeling of being small. Something inside of his mind whispered that enough was enough, and that he needed to learn how to stand up for himself. That this would only stop if he made it stop.

“Hagan,” Michael stuttered out and instantly it cost him any steam he had built up, “I had a long night. I just want to relax.”

“Long night doing what?” Hagan laughed as he walked around Micheal. “Talking to birds? Sucking dick? All your fuckin’ good for it seems.”

*caw*

One of Michael’s crows spoke its displeasure from above at the words spoken below. Michael was taken aback by the last question. While he was still figuring things out, and had told a few people within the coven of his questioning nature, word had still gotten out despite his request to keep those disclosures private. It was new ammunition that the bullies could use against him. Still, Michael counted his blessings that it was just that which found its way to the coven's bullies and not his own desire to not be called Michael, or his disdain for his male identity.

“Please leave me alone,” Michael asked as he tried to stand up. He wanted to grab his book and leave. Hagan grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the ground.

“... Or what?!” Hagan laughed. “You gonna run and cry to Ashley? News flash, she don’t give a shit about no one but her crew!”

That strange voice once again told him to stand up and stand up for himself. It wasn’t his own voice but it felt intrinsic to who he was. He could tell that the voice was feminine, much alike the voice he heard whenever he thought to himself but felt different enough. Was this his internal desire to do better, finally showing him that he did not have to deal with this bullshit any more? It has to be. This has to be a sign that Michael was ready to be strong, to be brave, to not deal with bullies.

“Fuck off.”

Hagan reached down, picked Micheal up with both hands and pinned him against the wall.

“... Suck my dick, Micheal,” He said before punching him in the stomach.

Michael instantly felt every sense in his body regret that initial decision. This is why he didn’t stand up for himself. This is why he stayed quiet. Yet, there was a distant feeling that began to creep towards the front of his mind. It was a sense of happiness. He’d never stuck up for himself, and if felt good despite the searing pain he felt. So intense was it that it caused tears to start welling in the corner of his eyes. Pressed against the wall, Michael tried to squirm out of the oppressive hold he found himself in.

“Ooooooh!” Hagan laughed, “You’re crying now?! I’m about to give you something to cry about!”

Hagan shouted as he threw Micheal to the ground and then began savagely pounding him.

Post-Stygian Snake. The Old Coven's Lair.

---

Night had fallen.

The only light Hagan had was the massive campfire, which was only a few feet away. It was very… atmospheric. Hagan sat on a log next to it, the Anchor in the ground at his side, as he sat there with a fist to his chin and the rest of the Old Coven before him.

Ashley walked up in front of the crowd, Auri and Daisy at her side.

“... Alright, I know a lot of you have been having problems with Hagan,” Ashley gestured to Hagan, and he flipped her off. “So, I wanted to call it to a vote: should we keep Hagan part of this Coven or not? You know the deal: just say yes or no and leave it at that. No need to add any stories or digs at Hagan.”

”... No,” Kari was the first to say, and she sat next to Elsa.

“No,” Elsa added.

Hagan rolled his eyes. He knew Emily G. Reed had been voted out earlier. Surely, these idiots wouldn’t jump straight to voting him out because he was just a little mean.

”No,” Britney said.

”Nah,” Drake leaned against the tree, steepling his fingers until Hagan’s eyes landed on him, and he threw Hagan the peace sign.

“No,” Lionel nodded his head.

“No,” Victoria said.

“I abstain,” Lynette said.

“Hell naw,” Amanda laughed.

”He goes,” Stormy said.

“I abstain,” Greta said.

”I abstain too,” Luca said. Olivia nodded her agreement to that beside him.

“No, he's out,” Jinhai said.

”Hell no!” Linqian said, immediately after him.

“Bye-bye,” Samantha said, giving Hagan a wave.

“No,” Vanessa and Clementine Washington said at the same time.

“No,” Amy said.

“Abstained,” Sage Pimm said in a high-pitched voice.

“Out," Trisha scowled, bees buzzing in sync with the single word.

Luna rolled her eyes, standing behind Hagan. “He's out.”

Layla glanced at Aislin, before mumbling a ”No.”

Aislin had a sympathetic look in her eyes, and sucked in a breath before shrugging. “I abstain.”

“I abstain,” Nikki said.

“No,” Jade said.

“No,” Paige Auclair said.

“That settles it,” Ashley nodded before turning to Hagan with a pointed finger. “You’re out, Hagan.”

“... Aw, this is bullshit!” Hagan shouted as he hopped up to his feet, pointing at Britney. “None of ya’ll votin’ her out!? I broke my fucking back for you all, and this is how you repay me!?”

”Shoulda acted your fuckin’ age, boy,” Amara commented, cleaning Apparition gunk off of a knife.

Hagan shook his head.

“Know what? Fuck ya’ll,” Hagan started, as he grabbed the Anchor and threw it over his shoulder. He turned to walk away. “I don’t want anything to do with you losers anyway! Have fun with the circlejerk.”

“... We want back the Anchor,” Ashley flatly said. “It was a loaner for you to help us. You’re now bullying us with it.”

Hagan flipped her off with his free hand.

“Fuck you,” Hagan walked away.

“... Get that from him,” Ashley pointed at the rest of the Coven, and Hagan immediately turned around on his heel and grabbed the anchor with both hands.

Jack appeared behind Hagan in a puff of black smoke, just out of the reach of his swing. ”Don’t make this worse than it has to be, and we can go easy on you.”

“Look, bro,” Hagan looked at Jack. “Are you really cool with her jacking my shit after I did all that to help ya’ll!?” He threw his hand up into the air.

“This ain’t fair at all!”

”We aren’t asking you whether or not this is fair, Hagan,” Jack hissed. ”You knew you would not keep the Anchor forever. Now, I’m in a very poor mood right now, so do you want to hand that thing over peacefully, or am I going to have to test my newest spell on you?”

From off to the side, Amara was slowly reaching a hand into the pocket of her sweatpants, for the gun she kept there.

“Know what?!” Hagan barked before he charged Jack with the anchor in both hands and swung it full force.

“YOU CAN GO TO HELL!”

Jack scowled, and simply ducked under the swing, lunging towards Hagan with his shadow hand, which took the form of a pointed blade, pressed firmly against his throat just firmly enough that it wouldn’t kill Hagan.

Not unless he pushed his luck.

”DROP IT!”

Hagan grinned, staring down at his shadow hand.

“... You forgot I took a hit from Stiggy, didn’t ya’, Jack?” Hagan said as he swung the anchor at Jack again.

Jack hit the floor, ducking further down then the last swing, and turning his hand into a whip to drag Hagan’s legs out from under him.

”That makes two of us. At least I learned something from it!”

Ailsin watched on, her heart rate spiking. At this rate, Jack could get hurt. It was best to get what Ashley wanted, and quickly.

She glanced at the fire, and it began to animate strangely as two flames broke off, soaring through the air as Aislin commanded them forward. Each flame struck Hagan’s hands in an attempt for him to drop the anchor.

“Just stop, Hagan!”
“Aw, fuck!” Hagan screamed as he hit the ground and finally dropped the Anchor. A trail of undead hands forced their way out of the ground and carried the Anchor from Hagan to Ashley’s hand.

“No!” Hagan screamed.

“Jack, get him out of here,” Ashley commanded.

”I tried to warn you,” He said, rising to his feet. Tendrils of darkness slithered out from beneath Jack’s clothes, and began dragging him over away from his weapon.

He planted a hand firmly on the fucker’s shoulder, and then they both vanished.

Aislin grimaced as she watched, and the flames dispersed into the air—one less problem for the family.

---

Jack had teleported Hagan back into the rainy streets of St Portwell… and the rain-soaked Hagan was defeated and mugged by the people he did so much for. Fuck those guys. Fuck them all! They can all kiss his ass! He’s going to go and get his artifact back and punch Ashley square in her sweaty pussy! He was going to show her who’s boss! He was going to show everyone who was boss.

Tears flowed from Hagan’s eyes as his fist pounded against a fence.

“Crying isn’t manly,” Hagan said through gritted teeth, though his words were hollow (probably because he was talking to himself). Powerlessness has taken hold of Hagan the first time in a while, and he hated it. He had been defeated, stripped of his artifact, and tossed to the streets like some dog!

But that was going to change.

The wooden fence post shattered with one final punch, and he was brought into his Kindling Event…

… He didn’t need the Anchor, after all.

Present Day. Seattle, Washington. 2 AM.

---

A door was thrown open.

A girl wearing a tank top and leggings stepped out with a tote bag slung over her shoulder; Hagan, wearing only black pajama pants and some sandals, held the door open for her and laughed.

“... Thanks, babe,” Hagan said as he smacked her ass on the way out and grinned as he walked his way back up the stairs of this ratty apartment complex. It smelled horrible and had dealers and crackheads lining the halls, but it was home. He walked to his door, threw the key in, opened it, and closed it behind him… though, did he remember to lock it? Not that it mattered because he was just walking down the stairs to show her out, and then he was back in his apartment. He walked over to the fridge, threw the door open, went straight for the bottle of whiskey, popped the top, and then threw it back. After enough, he used his free hand to wipe his face and returned it to the exact spot he had in there.

Hagan walked through his dark apartment; the only illumination was from the streetlights outside. This place was a rathole, but at the very least, it was better out here for dealers like him as opposed to the streets of St. Portwell. Not as nice looking, though, but it had the same amount of homeless people lining the streets! Didn’t matter to Hagan, though, because he was done with St. Portwell. He was done with the magical power struggle that city seemed to be caught up in 24/7. He was done with “Covens”. Most importantly of all, he was done with the Pack. Hagan flopped onto his bed, closed his eyes, and dozed off.

“... Hello, Hagan,” He heard a voice, and his eyes shot open immediately.

It was Shaquita Walker.

Dollhouse bitch.

Standing over top of him, staring at him.

How the fuck did she get in?!

“You owe Dollhouse some money,” Shaquita began. “But, I’m certain we can work out som-”

---

Dice - Guilty Gear

---

“... FUCK YOU LADY!”

Hagan screamed as he activated his Great Barrier, an orange wall of magical energy that shot at Shaquita at extremely high speeds and launched her through the wall. She flew into the next building, but given her reputation, Hagan knew she wouldn’t be down for long. He hopped out of the bed,

“... Shit, shit, shit,” Hagan quickly grabbed a Spider-Man backpack, ran to the vent next to his bed, and surrounded his fist in a barrier. He punched through it, letting out a metallic screech… and behind it was the jackpot. Oxy, heroine, fent, and other pills, and he quickly shoved it all into his bag. Alright, he just had to get to the bathroom….

He heard Shaquita’s feet land towards the opening, and his head turned towards her and saw her grin. That wasn’t a good sign, and Hagan threw his hand out and created a barrier that blocked Shaquita from himself as he ran into the bathroom, threw the tank open, and stuffed the goods he had in his backpack. Shaquita casually walked over to the barrier, cocked her fist, and then punched through it as if the barrier that tanked bullets was made out of styrofoam! Then, she walked past it as if she were some Terminator.

Not good, not good… he reached into his bag, yanked out a sawed-off shotgun, and leveled it with her face the moment she got close and pulled the trigger. That explosive boom shredded all the skin off her face, and Hagan stuck his shoulder out and launched himself at Shaquita like a rocket. The two of them flew through the air before colliding with the wall of the opposing building, creating a cloud of dust and debris. He hit the ground and whipped around on his heel towards his prized possession.

His bike.

Hagan took one step towards it and felt a hand on his shoulder. Glancing over, he saw Shaquita as good as new!

“... That was rude,” she said before she punched him square in the face and sent him stumbling backward. However, he caught himself as Shaquita walked towards him with her arms behind her back, still grinning.

“How about you just stop for a moment and let me-”

Hagan created his Chain-Whip, a glowing orange chain made out of barriers. He swung it upwards at lightning-fast speeds, and Shaquita casually dodged it, moving just as fast. He swung it again, this time horizontally, and again, she ducked before it could even reach her. Okay, this isn’t going super duper well; she was still marching towards him faster than he could backpedal. Screw this. He looked up at the street light, attached the chain whip to it, and activated charge to launch himself onto the store's rooftop across from his house.

Like Spider-Man.

Hagan hit the rooftop but immediately heard Shaquita behind him It looked like he would have to fight out of this one. He whipped around, swinging the chain whip with momentum, and Shaquita ducked under it again all according to plan, as he charged her, launching himself at her like a missile and pinning her to the ground. His hands were covered in barriers as he unleashed a lightning-fast barrage of punches directly to her face. Pummeling her, but not shattering her skull like they should-

A geyser of blood came out of her body, and launched Hagan across the rooftop, flipping through the air… he created a great barrier in his path and smashed against it with a splat before unceremoniously sliding down. He was covered in blood, and so was Shaquita. He climbed to his feet and wiped it off… before looking up and seeing Shaquita standing over him. She swung her leg to kick him, and Hagan created another Great-Barrier that tanked the hit - but it cracked.

“Just let me-” Shaquita tried to say before the barrier launched outwards and sent her sprawling across the rooftop. Hagan hopped to his feet, and Shaquita did the same.

“Hagan,” Shaquita tried to say. “You can’t beat me. Use your head.”

“Fuck you, lady,” Hagan shouted as he threw the chain whip over his shoulder.

“I don’t even want that money back,” Shaquita began, putting her hands up. “I just want you to hear me out.”

“I said fuck off!” Hagan shouted as he swung the chain-whip at Shaquita at lightning, and she grabbed it. She yanked it and pulled Hagan off his feet towards her, and she charged him with her shoulder and slammed it against his face. Breaking his nose, some teeth, and more, and then she swung him around, slamming him onto the ground and spinning him around - he skidded along the floor until he cut the spell and came to a spinning stop.

“Hagan,“ Shaquita said. “I’m not trying to kill you.”

“Well, I’m trying to kill you!” Hagan shouted as he began yelling, surrounding himself with a faint orange glow; the ground began shaking as the glow became a disruptive energy field. One that flew around him like a wild tornado, and he grinned at Shaquita. “Come at me, bitch!”

Shaquita just shrugged… before she reached into her suit jacket, pulled out a Browning M1911, and then fired two shots. The first one missed, but the second one hit Hagan right in the abdominal region. He groaned as he stumbled backward… before falling off the room into a dumpster.

“... Shit,” Shaquita hissed to herself. “I did not mean to do that…”

---

“... Fuck.”

Hagan shouted as he forced himself out of the dumpster… he was bleeding. Badly. Blood and other fluids he didn’t recognize. However, he managed to get up, and keep fighting. He held his stomach, stumbling forward through these alleyways. He had to get out of here… he couldn’t go out like a bitch. Not like this. He stumbled against the wall, bracing against it with his arm, and took a few deep breaths. His hand was covered in blood - he wasn’t going to last long at this rate. Yet, he was going to keep fighting. He stumbled forward…

“... Oooooooh, Hagan,” He heard Shaquita’s voice like a witch taunting him. “I didn’t mean to do that, Hagan. Stop running; I can save you before you bleed to death…”

Fuck that. Hagan defiantly thought to himself as he escaped the maze on alleyways and made it to the nearby park. It wasn’t long before Hagan collapsed against a nearby bench and fell over…

Everything went dark…

He closed his eyes…

“... Oooooooooooooooooh, Hagan,” Shaquita spoke, and his eyes opened, and this crazy bitch was sitting on the bench over top of him. Grinning. She touched his forehead and said, “Let me in. Let me in if you want to live…”

“F-fuc…” Hagan groaned as he felt her pound against his Emotional-Field.

“You’re dying,” Shaquita said, “Just let. Me. In.”

Hagan groaned one last time before he let Shaquita in, and that bullet wound began closing, and all that blood and intestinal fluids were replenished, and that bullet came out of his body. It went into Shaquita’s hand, and she stared at it for a few seconds before tossing it aside like it was some trash.

“Thanks, lady?” Hagan said.

“Stay on the ground,” Shaquita commanded. “Will you comply now?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Good, because my patience is running very thin after all of that,” Shaquita began, narrowing her eyes at him as she stood up. “If you had just heard me out from the beginning, we could have avoided all that...”

“Sorry, I figured I’d go out swinging!” Hagan laughed.

Shaquita stared at him.

“Yes, dying on the ground,” Shaquita mocked, “Some way to ‘go out swinging’.”

“Suck my dick, lady.” Hagan hissed.

“No, thank you,” Shaquita said as she stood over Hagan. “Now, let’s talk business… you are aware that Judas Bennet is dead?”

“Wait, really?!” Hagan raised his head, only to get a glare from Shaquita in return.

“Stay down,” Shaquita commanded, and Hagan laid his head flat. “Yes, after a confrontation with the PRA, Judas Bennet was killed by their personal Superman, and Dean Walker assumed control of the Wolfpack over Valjean Vasil.”

“I mean,” Hagan shrugged while staring up at the stars. “That ain’t a shocker. Val can’t lead worth shit.”

“But that’s not it,” Shaquita began. “Dollhouse wouldn’t care about some inbred group of bikers, but we made a special deal with Judas… We gave them some Apparitions to do whatever with, and in return, they would occasionally do some jobs for us. Muscle.”

Hagan thought it was weird that Judas was giving out ghosts like candy, but he left the Wolfpack around that time. That was when the Nazis came into the fold…

“However, Dean has been showing some behaviors I find… concerning. I don’t feel as if he’s suitable for having our Abstractions or leading the Pack,” Shaquita let her words hang in the air before she continued….

"Mr. Rosefey, to provide some perspective here..." Shaquita flatly said, her facial expression not changing one bit. "... The factions are beginning to unite. The PRA have their personal Superman flying around. Emily G. Reed and Vashti Nour think the city is their playground. Blake Schmidt and his rich cronies are gearing up for something big. We suspect Berlioz Auclair has one of the most dangerous artifacts in the All-Verse in his possession, one that can destroy entire dimensions if wielded foolhardily. And the Vorpals will light the powderkeg due to their collective incompetence at this rate... and the most important thing to him is some useless junkie."

Shaquita rolled her eyes.

"... I have a feeling that he's going to interfere with our actual plan when push comes to shove," Shaquita said with a grin. "If it were up to me, we would have given that junkie to him so he could just get it out of his system already - Oh, wait, we can't. The old man thinks we can play both sides." Shaquita put both of her hands on both sides of her hips.

"Wait, you mean Tayla?" Hagan asked. "She's with ya'll?"

"... For now," Shaquita shrugged. "Luis promised to protect her and even gave her a fancy new Abstraction. But, in the end, we need Dean and the Wolfpack more than we'll ever need her..."

Shaquita walked a circle around Hagan before suddenly stopping.

"What did you tell Judas when you left the Pack?" Shaquita asked.

"... I told him as long as there was a single Nazi bastard in the Pack, I wanted nothing to do with them, then hit the door," Hagan answered.

"I'm glad you have no trouble sleeping at night while trafficking drugs and women, but white supremacy is just beyond the pale for you," Shaquita cracked another grin. "It's touching. It really is."

"Fuck you, lady!" Hagan hissed at her, and she laughed.

"Well, guess what, Hagan...?" Shaquita asked, crossing her arms and putting a fist to her chin. "The Nazis packed up and left. Followed Conrad God knows where. They probably knew their days were numbered with Dean in charge, so they decided to show themselves out..." She shrugged.

"So, to get to the point, I'm giving you the deal of a lifetime," Shaquita began, looking down at Hagan. Before she casually shrugged. "We need a fallback if things don't work out with Dean. That fallback will be you; you will pack your things, return to St. Portwell, get in Dean's good graces, and gain influence within the Pack. So, if Dean continues this unsettling pattern of behavior and gets himself killed or arrested, the Pack won't fall into the hands of Valjean Vasil and his sister." Shaquita shook her head.

"And before you get any ideas, no, you do not have a choice in the matter, Hagan Rosefey," Shaquita began. "If you say no, I'll tear your head off right here, and right now, head back to St. Portwell and enjoy a nice bath with a glass of wine and a book..."

Hagan was at a loss for words; this was a ton to process! Did this bitch think he could lead the Pack? He was only a grunt before! It always has been before he lacked the brains to do anything more with himself!

"Lady," Hagan said, and Shaquita gave him a menacing glare - one that told him that she was going to kill him with as most effort as it would take her to snap her fingers - before he added, "Do ya'll really expect me to run the Pack? Me? I'm not Judas, y'know!"

Shaquita looked down at him and said.

"... We know," She began. "Only Judas is Judas. And he's dead now. So we're going have to make due."

Shaquita stuck her hand out for Hagan to shake.

"... Do you accept?"

"Well..." Hagan finally sat up, "... I don't have a choice, do I?"

He took her hand and firmly shook it, and Shaquita smiled...

"... You have one week to take your ass back to St. Portwell," Shaquita said before she walked to the fence and looked over her shoulder. "If you don't, I'll find you."

She hopped over it, and she was gone.

Hagan sighed as he climbed to his feet and dusted himself off.

What the hell did he get himself into?

On the way to St. Portwell.

---

Riding down the Interstate-5… Hagan took what Shaquita said dead seriously. He didn’t want to go back into the fold with the Wolfpack, but he also would like not to die at the hands of that spooky bitch. So, he has to play with the shitty hands he’s been dealt, unfortunately. His motorcycle had a top packed with drugs, money, clothes, and whatever else he would need. He would first off, need to find a place to stay, then getting back into the Wolfpack would be easy. He sighed as he pressed the touch screen on his bike and called Caelea. When she answered, he said,

“Hey, squirt, what’s up?”

“You oversized fucker, what's up? Really?” Caelea snapped from the other end. “Everything’s going to shit is what's up. Judas fuckin' dead, Dean’s obssessed with that fuckin' bitch… The fuck do you want?”

“I heard,” Hagan sighed. “Um, remember that money I owed those Dollhouse peeps? Why I skipped town in the first place…? ”

“Course I do, I’m not fuckin’ stupid.”

“Well, their boogeywoman beat the fuck out of me last night,” Hagan groaned. “She almost killed me! But, then told me that Judas made some deals with Dollhouse… I mean, it sounds about right with the Pack getting a bunch of magic outta the fuckin’ blue! But, they want me to take over the Pack if Dean keeps fuckin’ up.”

Caelea burst out laughing. She laughed for a solid minute, before talking in between laughs. “You- haha- the fuckin’ leader of the Pack… You? Fuck- hahaha- that’s fuckin’ hilarious! They ain’t shit if they think you can lead, hah, the fuck… That mean you're comin’ back?”

“Well, duh, squirt,” Hagan laughed. “But, that’s what I told them! I ain’t leadin’ the Pack, y’know! I’m not Judas… nobody is…”

“Fuck, might as well just ditch it,” Caelea snorted. “I got fuckin’ pissed at Judas all the time, but there ain’t anything like him- fuck he kept shit tight. Dean? Nah. You? Well, fuck, it’d be more fuckin’ fun than this shit. You’ll see when you get here.”

“Heh, where the fuck would you go?” Hagan laughed. “Back to Sycamore? Oh, wait - they fell apart!”

“Back to beatin’ up assholes like you for petty cash,” Caelea also laughed. “Wait, you ain’t heard? Course you haven’t, you ain’t in the fuckin’ city… Sycamore’s back together. Course they didn’t invite us.”

“Man, fuck ‘em!” Hagan gave her a hearty laugh. “I wouldn’t go back to that clusterfuck if they gave us a million dollars! Not even a trillion!”

“I’d go back to beat their fuckin’ asses,” Caelea said, the sound of something cracking coming through the phone. “‘Specially since it was their fault Judas got offed in the first place.”

“Wait, really?” Hagan asked. “The fuck happened?”

“Dunno the details cause I was breakin’ some bastard’s kneecaps, but that bitch with the pervy floating testicle started shit at Veni with that hippy tree fuckin’ coven. Buncha riders went out, got fucked, then Judas also got fucked. Dunno who did it, but Sycamore was at the scene. Some of em, at least.”

“Fuckin’ Sycamore,” Hagan laughed. “Always ruining shit!”

He looked as he passed a sign 500 Miles to St. Portwell. He shook his head as he said,

“Scary bitch told me that the Feds iced Judas, but who fuckin’ knows these days!” Hagan paused for a moment. “You’re gonna have my back, right? You know… I think I’ll knock Dean down anyway and take over the Pack. Just you and me…”

“Course I got your back,” Caelea replied immediately. “I’m sick of dealin’ with his shit. We can thrash him, easy, then run this shit way better than he could. Go back to runnin’ the town instead of chasin’ after some whore’s shitty ass.”

“Hell yeah, we’ll get all the bitches!” Hagan laughed. “I’ll hit you up when I get back, alright?”

“You better, shit's been boring as hell without you around,” Caelea said.

“I bet it is!” Hagan laughed. “Are those Nazi bastards gone?”

“Gone and fuckin' dead I hope, one good thing Dean did.”

“Great!” Hagan shouted. “I’ll be there in a few hours! Meet you there, squirt!”

Hagan accelerated…

… Then got pulled over.

The Wolfpack Clubhouse.

---

Hagan’s motorcycle stopped in front of the clubhouse… man, he hasn’t been here in awhile. He remembers telling Judas to fuck off when the Nazis came in. Though this place was home - well, it’s about to be home again!. Hagan took a deep breath before stepping off the bike with his backpack slung over his shoulder as he took one step.

“Took you fuckin' long enough!” Was the only warning Hagan got before an air enhanced foot was shooting towards his chest, Caelea launched herself away from the wall she'd been leaning against while smoking. It hit Hagan in the chest, and he immediately fell to his knee, grabbing his chest.

“... I just show up and I’m already eating shit,” Hagan said in between huffs. “... Thank you, squirt.”

“Ain't my fault you've gotten fucking weak,” Caelea laughed, slapping his shoulder before holding out her hand. ”C’mon, get the fuck up before anyone gets ideas 'bout being able to beat your pathetic ass. That's my job.”

“Suck my dick, squirt,” Hagan laughed as he got up to his feet. “Where’s Dean’s punk ass at?!”

“You wish,” Caelea rolled her eyes, before gesturing towards the main door to the clubhouse. “Inside pining over his hoe or some shit… oh, maybe there's some fuckin' new recruits, dunno, I just can't listen to his annoyin' ass.”

“I know just what to get his mind off her!” Hagan deviously grinned as he walked towards the door with his fist balled and his chest puffed out. He threw the doors open, and howled-

And immediately got four guns drawn on him. Each of them were short, blue-haired, women with some shitty tattoos.

“Who the fuck are you?!” One of them shouted, before sniffing the air. “We don't recognize your scent!”

Hagan immediately activated the Great Barrier and created a transparent, curved, shield between himself and these four.

“Hot damn!” Hagan whistled, “When did the Pack get clones?!”

“Like a… a week ago or some shit? Fuck if I remember or care, Dean brought em in,” Caelea laughed, popping out from behind Hagan (who completely hid her) and holding up a hand. “Put the fuckin' guns away if you don't wanna get blasted, he ain't a problem. Remember his scent or whatever. He's way more useful to the Pack than you bitches ever will be.”

“Try us you stank!” One of them shouted back, waving the gun

“... Oh lord,” Shayton groaned from the bar.

After a few moments, the door got kicked down, and Hagan grinned.

"... Dean! It's about damn time you showed up!" He began. "I want back into the Pack."

---

---

Cynthia's Interlude.

The Pit. God Knows How Long Ago...

---

---

The red glow of the sky...

It was a memory that felt primal to Cynthia. It felt comforting. It felt amazing.

It was one of the earliest memories of the "Abyssal Hunter," but Cynthia never used that term. To Cynthia, there are no Abyssal Hunters, only "her kind" and the humans and the various types they come in. The smell of rotting bodies was just the typical aroma, and the sound of screaming (or the screeches of another horror) in the distance was simply background noise. The young pup, before she was known as Cynthia, stood outside of the cave in which her Pack resided... while the Pit was a savage, lawless land, those with some familiarity with the area knew not to approach for their safety. She stared into the red sky, fearless and, in a strange way, enjoying the beauty of it all...

A bark from behind, and Cynthia turned around... it was time to feed. The young pup fled back into the cave as a man in tattered clothing, covered in wounds - slashing and bite marks - was dragged into the center of the room. The other pups were getting excited. However, the Pack Leader loomed over; her colossal figure was imposing, and she walked over. She was the authority to Cynthia. She was power. She was safety. She was everything Cynthia wanted to be as a pup, one of her kind in charge of a mighty pack. Except, she wanted to be in charge of the most significant pact in this place.

The Pack Leader barked. Then, she turned her head to leave.

The other pups hopped in and began to consume the man. He screamed, thrashed, and begged... which was just gibberish to Cynthia at the time. She just ate, ate, and ate... eventually, she got annoyed by all the screaming and hopped up to his throat and tore it out with her jaws. Before consuming that as well... It wasn't long until he was just bones, and Cynthia and the other pups licked the leftover blood off the ground before it was all gone. The pups picked up the bones, piece by piece, and placed them by the entrance of the cave as her kind valued cleanliness, and it served as an intimidation factor for any human that dared approach. Though Cynthia could smell human... She still hungered for flesh.

The rambunctious pup followed the trail that her nose led her to... and before she could even react, she was placed into a burlap sack and teleported away...

Eight Years Ago. St. Portwell. Tiffany Beck's Hideout.

---

Kill. Kill. Kill.

Thrash.

Rip and tear.

Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Consume.

Destroy. Devour. Shred.

Blood. More blood.

So much blood.

Hunger. Endless hunger.

Claws and teeth. Bite and crush.

Tear flesh. Snap bones.

Savor the screams.

Rip and consume.

Nothing stops. Nothing lives.

Nothing left.

Crimson feast. Endless feast.

Kill. Thrash. Consume.

Hunger never ends. Hunger drives.

All must die. All must feed Cynthia.

Destroy. Devour. Shred.

Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat.

Cynthia's mind was a frenzy, her face was covered in human blood and it was delicious. She charged through this abandoned parking garage that her Pack Leader chose as her base of operations. Cynthia roared as she lunged at the one in the green dress. She disappeared, and Cynthia felt her frenzy get worse as that was the most infuriating thing of all time! Her prey escaped not because they were more clever than Cynthia but as a cheap trick to save themselves. Cynthia roared as she turned on her heel and chased the scent. She may have teleported, but she did not get far. Cynthia kept charging as fast as she could, like a rabid animal.

The girl in the dress - Emily - stood there with a crocodile smile and her Pack Leader in her hands. Emily was holding her by her collar, and the woman was severely burned... Pack Leader was still alive. Cynthia could hear her heartbeat... the Pack Leader was defeated. Before Cynthia? There was something wrong with that image. However, Cynthia was too rabid to give it much thought beyond how she would consume Emily—starting with her intestines.

"Cynthia, help!" Tiffany begged - which was, strangely, making Cynthia angry. "She's going to kill me!"

More begging. Cynthia ignored her Pack Leader's cries as she charged forward, not finding it strange that the rival pack did not interfere. Her claws were outstretched as Emily just rolled her eyes.

"... NOW!"

The rival pack leader shouted, and Emily teleported away, leaving Tiffany behind. Cynthia didn't notice the glyphs drawn onto the ground in her hunger. They all began glowing, creating an electricity cage. The first thing that Cynthia thought about was running through it. However, upon contact, she was electrocuted, and she relented and faced Tiffany Beck for a moment.

"Now, you three wanted to try and reason with the Pit monster." Emily rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips. "Have at it."

At the time, Emily's two little sisters weren't the third-in-command but just the Coven sisters; they walked up to the electric cage and waved at Cynthia. The Abyssal Hunter relented slightly as she took a low attack position, ready to rip and tear.

Miranda smiled at her and waved.

"Hey there, Cynthia," Miranda said. "I'm Miranda."

"And I'm Jacqueline,"

"Cynthia could care less who you are," Cynthia spoke in a growl. "Drop this barrier so Cynthia can rip your intestines out."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Miranda laughed, putting her hands up. "Slow down there! Take me to dinner before you rearrange my guts." She grinned at Emily, who rolled her eyes.

"We wanted to... talk with you," Jacqueline said. "We know the truth about you. We want to help you.."

"What do you know about Cynthia, human?" She said.

"We know that she..." Jacqueline pointed at the wounded Tiffany Beck. "... Is not a worthy Pack-Leader."

"Cynthia, don't listen to them, please," Tiffany Beck said.

Jacqueline leaned in as she said, "Listen to her! She's begging! A rival pack bested her! She's a weak, pathetic excuse for a pack leader and should not be leading you!"

"Cynthia! I took you out of the Pit; I raised you! I made you into what you are today! Are you going to let this psychopath's sister-"

"... Does that sound like a Pack Leader you would follow?" Jacqueline asked.

Cynthia was quiet. As custom for her kind, the Pack Leader must be the strongest. The wisest. The safety for the entire Pack. However, Tiffany Beck was defeated, burnt to a crisp; Cynthia saw her charred limbs and knew they were useless. She was limp. She was weak. That rabid ferocity began to return to Cynthia as she got hungry. Though, a question appeared in her head.

“No,” Cynthia said. “Without a pack, Cynthia is nothing. Tiffany Beck is the pack. Without Tiffany Beck, Cynthia has no pack. Cynthia is aimless. Where will Cynthia go next?”

“Well, we have a better Pack Leader for you,” Miranda smiled before pointing at Emily, who rolled her eyes. “You can join us. You can be more than an attack dog, Cynthia.”

Jacqueline leaned in and whispered into her ear,

“... She’s not wired to be anything more than a pack animal,” Jacqueline said before speaking to Cynthia. “We will let you into our Pack, Cynthia. A better Pack. One where you can eat whoever you want.”

Cynthia was silent.

“... Are we really going to add a monster to our Coven?” Carol asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Why not?” Miranda laughed. “We’re all varying degrees of human if you think about it...”

“I know you can keep her under control,” Lynette said with a smile.

“Cynthia, we all know you want more than just the scraps that Tiffany is giving you,” Jacqueline began. “On 8th St, there is a whole feast waitin’ on you to gorge yourself on!”

“You’re not just a monster, Cynthia; you’re a force to be reckoned with,” Miranda said. “Joining us is channeling your hunger into something purposeful!”

“... And what does Cynthia get in return?” She asked.

"Respect. Fear. Power. All your urges will be sated!" Jacqueline said with a smile. “And you’ll no longer have to follow this fool around.”

“Cynthia…” She said. “Cynthia cannot follow a weakling like this around. Cynthia will join you… only if you maintain your promises, human.”

“That’s great! Alright, Lynette, drop th-”
“... But first Cynthia must dispose of the rival pack-leader!”

Cynthia pounced Tiffany Beck, Jacqueline put her hands up and said, “Wait, Cynthi-”

Cynthia’s jaws met Tiffany’s abdomen, and she thrust upward, throwing Tiffany’s intestines into the air. She begged for her life as Cynthia ate her alive right then and there. Blood splattered everywhere as Cynthia devoured Tiffany Beck down to the bone. Jacqueline turned and vomited. So did Miranda. Then Carol. Then Greta. Phoebe pulled out her phone in excitement and recorded it. George just laughed. Nadine walked away shaking her head after some blood splashed on her. Emily did not so much as flinch. Lynette closed her eyes and covered her ears.

Tiffany Beck was just a stain on the ground when it was over.

Cynthia walked over to Jacqueline and Miranda…

“... Cynthia welcomes herself to your pack, human.”

Present Day. St. Portwell. The 8th St Manor.

---

Cynthia was mauling a kid that she had dragged into the 8th St Manor. Emily had run up and tried to pull the screaming child out of her jaws while whining.

"... Oh my God, Cynthia! Let go of her! George! George!"

“… Coming! Oh yeah!” George shouted as he ran over; he grabbed the little girl’s leg - yet that made Cynthia even more rabid. She began pulling back, “Let go of her, girl!”

“George, pry the kid from her-“ Emily tried to say, before George grabbed the kid tightly and swung her and Cynthia around. Trying to get her free…

“George! Are you retarded?!” Emily facepalmed with both hands.

A loud shush came from the couch as Vashti, without even turning her head to check on the commotion, turned the television volume up to one hundred to drown out Emily and the screaming kid with the intro for the Real Housewives of Mirage Spring. She leaned forward and resumed painting her fingernails a radioactive green, not even watching either show.

“Vasti! Get off your ass and-”

However, there was only so much a little girl’s arm could take, and it was torn off with Cynthia attached. Launching her across the room, hitting the television - shattering it - before she hit the ground and hurried out of the room with the child’s dismembered arm.

“Holy shit! Miranda! Get in here!” Emily shouted.

“What the hell is going on in he- Oh sweet Jesus!” Miranda shouted, and Cynthia could hear chattering get fainter and fainter as she escaped into the halls of the 8th St manor with her goods. It was dripping blood, blood that Cynthia wanted to consume later. Cynthia approached Pack member Greta’s lair… Pack Member Malik pushed the door open, and Cynthia gently trailed behind him as he walked in with his hands pockets. Cynthia just quietly ate the child’s arm as they talked….

Pack Member Greta was mixing one of her potions when she stopped and looked at Malik, saying, “Oh, Malik, what can I do for you?”

“I wanted to talk with you about things,” Malik began. “What happened at Kari’s house…”

“Ah, yes,” Greta flatly said. “When Ghosts from the Void came to fight us.”

“Well, not just that…” Malik trailed off. “I wanted to talk with you… You’re a good person, but Emily kicked the hornet’s nest, and it’s only a matter of time before-”

”... WHAT’S UP BITCHES!?”

Cynthia overlooked Pack Member Pink and Pack Member Violet approaching… though she was more concerned with eating this arm as fast as possible. She briefly glanced over her shoulder before she went back to eating.

“Malik! Baby!” Violet said as she ran over to Malik and wrapped her arms around him. “How are you doing?!”

“I’m, um…” Malik nervously said, looking off to the side before Pink began twerking against his leg. “... Alright.”

“Violet, Pink,” Greta said with a roll of her eyes. “What can I help you two with? I think I told you two already that my lab isn’t your strip club… Multiple times…”

Violet let go of Malik. Pink stopped twerking. The two gave each other a devious look before they held hands and thrust them into the air as they screamed.

“... BBL in a bottle!”

Greta’s jaw dropped as she tilted her head. She stared at these two psychopaths, only able to mouth the word,
“... What?”

Violet strutted over to Greta and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. She leaned on the far shorter girl as she said, “It’s an idea for a potion! You drink it, and you get a fat ol’ ass! You could make a killin’ selling that on the street!”

“I wanna walk around like I got lipoedema!” Pink shouted, throwing her hand in the air.

However, Greta sniffed Violet’s fingers and then winced.

“... Why do your fingers stink?”

“I was playin’ with my booty earlier!” Violet proudly said.

Greta shook in red-hot rage, before she pointed at the door.

“All of you! I have work to do! Get out!”

“What did I-” Malik tried to say.

“... GET OUT!” Greta shouted, and Malik silently left. Violet and Pink twerked on their way out.

However, Greta heard Cynthia munching on that kid’s arm

“Cynthia! Cynthia! I told you not to eat in here repeatedly!” Greta shouted at Cynthia as she ran out of Greta’s lab. “You’re gonna have my lab smelling like ass!”

Most of Greta’s fiery rambling ended up a mumbled chattering as Cynthia ran through the halls of the 8th St manor… she came across the stairs - she knows that she’s not allowed up there, but it’s not like Pack Leader already isn’t happy. Cynthia crawled up the stairs, leaving a trail of blood from this dismembered arm. She reached the top of the stairs and figured that she would find somewhere-

She caught a familiar scent. One that immediately made her drop her prize. It was a scent that nearly sent Cynthia rabid every time she picked it up. It wasn’t any pack member or a member from an enemy pack, but it was something worse. Something that Cynthia despised with all of her heart.

It was the sent of another Predator.

You see, these grounds belonged to Cynthia. She may have submitted to the Pack Leader and respected every member of the Pack, but she didn’t like intruders. She clarified that every corner, aperture, nook, and cranny belonged to her. However, this Predator always accompanied the scent of Pack Leader Jacqueline, which was strange because every time she approached, the Predator would flee. This transformed Cynthia’s rage into glee, and he knew his place as a lesser Predator.

He knew Cynthia would grow to consume all.

Cynthia approached, as low and silent as possible, to Jacqueline’s room. She could hear some muffled chattering, but before she got close enough to hear, the Predator fled. This time, Cynthia got more frustrated and turned on her heel in defeat. Cynthia needed to teach him a real lesson: rip his intestines out and consume them slowly. She needed to be sneakier; she needed to get the drop on him and kill him like the pig he was. Cynthia walked back, picked up the dismembered arm, and walked to the back porch… where Pack Member Amy was. She was sitting on the brick wall that overlooked the yard, cleaning her club with a wet rag, and Cynthia approached her. Amy looked over her shoulder and said,

“Oh, hey, Cynthia…” Amy said. “What are you up-”

Then she noticed the arm dripping in blood, and her face went flat.

“... Hehe… what’s with the arm, girl?” Amy nervously laughed.

Cynthia dropped the arm at Amy’s feet and then smiled. It hit the wood with a thud, and then blood puddled. Amy’s grip around the club tightened.

“Aw, what the hell?!” Amy shouted.

"Predator." Cynthia hissed.

“Wait, what do you me-”

“Cynthia smells a predator,” She said, her head turning towards the upper floors of the 8th St manor.

“Now, girl,” Amy began. “I have three spooky ghosts in a club. I don’t know anything about predators and hunting people.”

Cynthia hopped on the wall.

“Pack Leader Jacqueline’s visitor," She growled.

Amy's expression turned serious. "You mean... someone's here, girl?"

Cynthia nodded, "Another predator's scent. He lurks where Cynthia roams."

Amy's gaze darted up toward the upper-floor windows. "Should we alert the others?"

"He fled when Cynthia approached," Cynthia shook her head as she spoke. “He fears me. Yet he’s willing to return. Cynthia must improve her skills so Cynthia can finally catch him.”

She paused momentarily before continuing, “But, when Cynthia does catch him, Cynthia will rip his entrails out. Cynthia will mount his head on the entrance to our territory to warn anyone foolish enough to approach.”

Amy’s jaw dropped.

“... How about we talk about this with Emily and Vash-”

“No,” Cynthia began. “This is Cynthia’s fight to win. Not the Pack’s.”

“But what if this bastard’s trying to hurt Jacqueline?” Amy raised an eyebrow.

“Cynthia will not allow any harm to come to the Pack,” She answered.

“... Just be careful,” Amy sighed and rolled her eyes as she returned to cleaning her club with an iron rag.

“Cynthia will be more than careful,” she said as she hopped down from the wall. “Cynthia will be deadly.”

Cynthia grabbed the child’s arm and wandered off into the manor halls, desperately attempting to pick up the Predator’s scent again. Only to find nothing. There was disappointment within the creature… only to grin when she realized.

He’ll be back.

---

Nora Foster's Interlude.

---

---

To be a god was a paradoxical existence.

As a creator of worlds, one might think a god was untouchable. The idea that to have such power, to shape reality as if it were wet clay, meant that one was like the sun in comparison to ants. And yet, one was not god without those who knelt in worship. A shepard was adrift without their flock, an artist starved in both body and soul without their canvas.

To lose that which tied one’s self to their lot in life was a death that some never experienced. The slow, agonizing death that extracted blood from a vein, drop by drop. The death that left corpses to walk the earth until their bodies withered to catch up at long last. And people did not worship corpses like Melsha.

A tattered husk of metallic material, gaunt and chiseled in its organic shape shuddered through an alleyway. Skin of glossy onyx cracked and gave way to machinations of cosmological perfection that the lifeforms of this expanse might call “organs.” It had used its remaining limbs to wrap itself in ugly, unnatural sheets of soaked fabric left to collect dust by someone who exhausted its prior use to provide shelter from the downpour of water. Out from the creature’s makeshift cloak, optical engines peered out into the end of the alley. Thunder rumbled overhead, and faint flashes revealed a way to climb over the tall, interlocking metal wires that constituted a barrier. Their simplistic integrity would have warranted appreciation from Melsha, under other circumstances.

Perhaps he could catch up with her if he took that approach. The clear panels of these spires were unattended to, but Melsha doubted he had the strength to climb. Nevertheless, he tried. Most of his arms were gone. But it only made him lighter.

He reached out with a scrawny, dexterous hand and laid it against the cold brick of the buildings, one after another. His foot raked against the chain fence, letting it slack downwards in such a way that this strange metal could tolerate. And then he pulled upwards. It was strange, he felt small for the first time in eons. As if he were an atom of burning hydrogen racing outwards from a dying star, Melsha was not long for this world. In a moment’s notice, he could fade from reality. And yet, he moved as mortals did- With defiance.

With each pull, he scaled the building and felt slightly more certain that his arms would crack and shatter. He did not feel pain in the human sense, so much as he felt stress. The strain of a great and noble vessel leaving its port for the first time in years, the protest of molecular bonds tested on a macroscopic scale. Long before his home became a foreign territory, they had once developed the philosophical idea that pain was a prerequisite to life. That to draw breath and appreciate it meant one had bled and felt the grip of finality, and chose to live regardless.

And in that, he found the strength to embrace this weakness.

Melsha carried himself to the flattened top of the roof, and skittered across its surface like a spider. It was there that he saw his interest walking down the side of a road. Her face and body were obscured by the “umbrella” these humans used in such weather. His eyes were not what they used to be, but she was something special.

Just an hour ago, she had been performing miracles upon a machine that Melsha found to provide calculations to those who worked in its building. She repaired the machine with masterful care, something about this human fascinated Melsha. He had to get closer, so he had followed her in spite of the rain and aches of his ragged form.

Perhaps she wouldn’t be so afraid. Perhaps the great design of the Firmament would be music to her ears.

---

Nora closed her umbrella and stepped into the house. Locking the door behind her, she left her shoes off to the side nice and neatly. It was quiet, and dad was asleep on the couch, so she walked over and shut the tv off. She walked into the kitchen and went straight to the fridge. It was a cozy kind of house, with pictures on the walls and house plants that her dad managed to keep alive. The kind of place that people actually lived in long enough to give it personality. The kitchen was no different.

She quietly opened the fridge, and withdrew a square pan that still felt slightly warm. Apparently he had lasagna, she laid some out on a paper plate and visibly cringed when the microwave beeped as she sat it inside to heat up.

Nora pulled her phone out and scrolled through her texts. Not many of them were coming through these days, with the last few days of high school right around the corner. Everyone was just waiting for it to happen and be done with this chapter of their lives, or already gone. It was weird, being at a point where she was already ahead of them all in one way but far off in another. This was pretty much it for her.

She was sort of okay with it, though.

She had a job, and it paid. It kept Nora out of the house longer than she liked more often than not, but the pay was great for a job that didn’t require four years of price gouging. And it made Nora feel like she could tell where she’d be in a year, maybe even longer. Fixing bugs and faulty wiring in server racks was easy, if you knew what to look fo-

BEEP!

Nora grabbed her late dinner and shut the damn microwave up, sitting down at a barren table.

Her thoughts wandered for a bit, to what she’d be doing tomorrow. Not that she’d be doing much, except maybe skipping school to get some overtime in. She was an adult now, she could do whatever the hell she wanted. There was something strange about having all that freedom dropped on her head in the span of a few weeks, about having the paradigm flip on its head.

Nora had expectations on her for most of her life. Go to school and do this, be this way, be home by that time. She still hadn’t fully adjusted to the weight of all that being gone. It wasn’t a particularly bad thing, but it was unusual. If Nora dreamed about places that were empty, when people were usually everywhere like a stadium or an office building, she might imagine it came close to this.

The clock on her phone read 9:17pm by the time she finished eating. Nora stood, put her plate in the dishwasher and turned to exit the kitchen. Only instead of turning the lights back off, her attention was grabbed by a soggy post-it note stuck to the light switch. And it wasn’t there when she walked in. The writing was tiny.

Walk up your stairs, to where you sleep. I and when you open the door, do not panic. Do not wake him. I will not harm you. Or your family.

I merely wish to speak.

The calm, sleepy vibe of the night had quickly become a “what the fuck” kind of vibe. Nora looked into the living room and saw her dad sound asleep, nothing to worry about. Her eyes darted around to make sure nothing weird was standing around. He always taught her to assess these situations thoughtfully, and that the guns were always right behind the couch.

So she slowly crept around and found it in a long wooden box, big enough to hold the rifle her dad first taught her to shoot with. Tucked beside it was her own weapon, a snub-nosed revolver that Nora got good with last summer. Her dad was so damn proud that she was good with it, but right now, she wasn’t sure how good she’d be once she walked up stairs. Her throat felt like it was closing up, knowing someone could be watching her with a knife or some other weapon. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Shouldn’t she call someone?

If she did, she’d make noise. And the house was already quiet enough that someone would hear. Nora breathed deep and loaded the gun as quietly as she could. Six bullets, out of a small box beside her pistol. She slowly crept up the stairs, pointing it up as she inched around the steps that would have creaked. At the top of the stairs, she looked back and forth, opened every door and cleared every room. Her dad might have told her to look under beds and in closets, especially in the room they used to store things, but Nora wasn’t thinking about that.

The hallway was dark, and she didn’t dare change that. She worked her way over to her room, and inched the doorknob open. Did she shut the door before she left this morning?

The door lazily swung open, and Nora pointed her gun at the vague mass in humanoid form that perched itself on her window. The moon was peeking out through the rain clouds in such a way that she could see just enough.

”What are you doing here?” she asked, tense. ”Who are you? How did you get in?”

The intruder was quiet for a moment.

”I said-“

”Nora Foster…” He had a voice like liquid bronze, smooth and polished. A light flickered into view as what she assumed to be their face turned and looked at her. It was the color of a setting sun, bright like a candle.

It wasn’t until the intruder’s gaze settled on her that Nora realized that light was his eye.

”My name is Melsha… And I have a proposition for you.”

---

Nora leaned back in her chair, staring at the cube she was working on. A simple contraption that, according to Melsha, would distill time into a liquid form just as that anonymous client requested. Her sepulcher groaned in the far corner of her workshop, a spacious interior that was once the ground floor of this warehouse she had bought and renovated. Ventilation kept the place cool, and she had plenty of space to store things in the back, and she had the perfect location. Her dad thought she was crazy, buying this ruined building.

But if it was good enough for California, it was good enough for her business. Walls had been put in to separate parts of the interior. She stood up, stretched and took the stairs to the roof.

”You see, the principle is simple” a voice like cooling glass whispered in her ear. ”The axiom aligns, and is realigned in what your kind describes as a feedback loop.”

”And the realignment coalesces the gravitons. Yeah, I get it now. Only took an hour,” she answered back. Melsha’s knowledge was esoteric as all hell, but it checked out. She opened the door to the roof and took in the bright, sunny day.

Her phone buzzed, when she answered, she heard a voice,

“... Hello, Nora?”

” That’s me. Who wants to know?”

“Sabrina Vanburen,” She answered, “I have a job for you.”

Van-fucking-buren?

”…You have my attention.”

“Have you heard of the Sycamore Tree Coven?” Sabrina said. “Well, even if you haven’t I want you to help them, build what they need. I’ll pay.”

”Doesn’t ring a bell. But if you know them and you know how to contact me, then you should know I don’t work for easy money. Not when covens are involved.”

“That's fair,” Sabrina said. “I’ll cover it.”

”Good. So…” Nora said. ”What exactly does the Sycamore Tree Coven need from me? What am I building?”

“I am honestly not sure yet, but I was hoping that you work with them for a bit, make what they ask for,” Sabrina explained.

I find this suspicious.

Yeah. Me too.

Nora considered her next words carefully. ”Then you need me to meet them? In person? That can be arranged. Tell me about them, let’s see what we can work out.”

---

Olivia Ruiz's Interlude.

---

---

It was a lovely day.

Olivia walked along the waterfront promenade of St Portwell with a bouquet of flowers in her arms, bought in one of the local flower shops. The lovely smell helped calm her mind as she weaved through people, with workers coming out to enjoy lunch and students making the most of the nice Spring weather.

The sky was a radiant blue across the calm sea, the sun reflecting off gentle waves. There were boats going to and fro the islands, and fishermen going about their daily business on the water. It was beautiful, and picturesque.

She paused to take a picture, softly smiling at the results. She'd show it to Luca when she got home… It was a shame he couldn't get out when it was so nice, but it was too dangerous when there were so many people around. Maybe they could go on a walk later tonight, when it was darker and quieter.

With a slight smile at the thought, Olivia kept going. Their apartment was a fair distance from downtown St Portwell and the harbour, but it was a nice walk… during the day. A bit more dangerous at night, since they’d had to find somewhere a little more rundown.

Not that she was ever particularly worried.

Ohhh, I like the look of that one, a smooth, enticing voice whispered in her mind. It directed her attention towards a young woman walking past her. She couldn’t be much more than twenty, small and delicate with hair that fell in dark waves down her back. Pretty and weak. Exactly how the Black Rose Killer liked them. Go and talk to her. She’ll trust you. It’s so nice being in a female body. Lure her into that side street, then we can take her home. Or perhaps we should use a vine to snap her pretty little neck… No, that would be too quick. We need to draw it out.

Olivia grimaced, averting her eyes from the woman as her Apparition’s desires filled her mind. It never got easier. She was always able to resist, but just the thought of hurting someone like he wanted made her feel sick. The fact she needed to exert effort to resist, to stop herself from following his cruel whims, made her feel vile.

Maybe she was a horrible person. She always tried her best to be kind, but sometimes the suggestions were so tempting.

Luca told her it was all him. Just like the Rot urging Luca to destroy everything. He understood because he was in a similar situation but… It didn’t stop it from distressing Olivia. She’d learned to live with it, but she’d never get used to it.

You know you want to. Go on, just give it a try.

Olivia winced, ignoring the wretched voice in her head.

She kept her gaze to the ground for the rest of the walk, flowers clutched tight enough to her chest that they started to crumple. Her skin crawled, stomach clenching as a deep sickness clutched her. She felt disgusting. She needed to get home.

She kept her eyes down for the rest of the walk, hurrying her way through the streets before getting to the apartment block her and Luca lived in. It was rundown, but for them that was perfect… Luca would only damage somewhere nice, and then feel bad about it. She sighed, going up the stairs rather than the elevator. It was only when she was in the apartment itself that she calmed down slightly.

“I’m home,” she called out as she stepped into the main room, immediately seeing Luca sitting on the couch, working away at his computer. As she appeared, he pushed away the slowly disintegrating plastic keyboard and turned towards her.

“Welcome home! How was it- oh, those smell nice!” Luca smiled brightly, eyes darting to the flowers Olivia had brought in. They both knew that they wouldn’t last long in his presence, but their short lives brightened up the otherwise drab apartment. It wasn’t fair that Luca couldn’t enjoy these things - at least these flowers were cut and on their way to decay anyway. He just made the process slightly faster.

Olivia wanted him to have at least this much. While the apparition she was stuck with tried to get her to do all sorts of horrible things, at least she could live normally if she ignored it. Luca couldn’t do that… yet he never acted like it affected him. He was bright and cheerful. So positive about it all.

Without Luca, Olivia probably would have lost hope a long time ago. She was only able to keep being herself thanks to him.

”So, how was it? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, of course.” Luca sat back down on the couch, lips twitching down for just a moment. Olivia watched him carefully for a few more moments, but there weren’t any more signs of him being in pain.

Good, he seemed to be getting better. Olivia knew, even though Luca refused to tell her, that the Rot was hurting him in some way. They’d been friends for too long for him to hide it fully from her. But she didn’t want to push him, so she just observed.

”It was good. She’s really nice,” Olivia replied softly. She pulled out a vase for the flowers, filling it with water and carefully trimming the ends of the stalks. She then displayed them on the breakfast booth, coming round with a smile.

She sat down in the armchair that was solely hers - a soft, teal one that had some signs of the rots wear but was in a better state than a lot of the furniture. Luca tried his best to avoid anything that was deemed ‘hers’. It wasn't entirely possible due to the aura, but he at least didn't touch it… Olivia appreciated it, even though she didn't think it was necessary. She'd chosen to live with him knowing the issues there'd be. “I think she’ll be able to help me deal with the apparition… So that I can ignore him.”

”So you’ll be able to live normally?” Luca asked with a bright smile. ”That’s great, Olivia… Since we left 8th I know it’s been lonely for you. You’ll be able to make friends and spend more time with your family without worry!”

Olivia felt pained to hear Luca talking about that so cheerfully. If she was able to ignore her Apparition and move on to a normal life, where would that leave Luca? She wouldn’t abandon him, but she knew he wouldn’t let her put her life on hold for him. “It’s lonely for you too, Luca.”

”I’m fine,” Luca smiled, waving it off like normal. Typical Luca, always staying positive, never letting her concerns through. But it didn’t stop her being concerned. Luca was her closest friend - she cared for him just like she did her family. ”I’ve gotten used to it! I’m happy just having you around, and I’ll find a way to get rid of the rot.”

“I’m sure you will.”

”For both of us! Then, we won’t have to worry about anything paranormal. At least the Rot doesn’t come out, right? Yours sometimes does. But we’ll fix it.”

Olivia smiled, even though she didn’t really believe it. It had been years with very little progress. It was why she was trying to live with it.

You’re right, you’ll never be free of me, the voice whispered in her head. And eventually you’ll give in.

Her smile wavered. She couldn’t deny it. Every once in a while she could feel her sanity slipping, the urge to do what he told her to. It was so hard to hold on sometimes. She wasn’t strong like Luca was. It was why she started seeing a therapist. Everyone thought she was kind, but she cracked under the pressure.

If you gave into me, you could be strong.

Olivia shuddered.

Luca tilted his head. ”What’s wrong, Liv?”

“Nothing,” Olivia shook her head, smiling. Luca had enough on his plate as it was. She couldn’t keep talking to him about the same problem. “How’s your day been, then? Did you fix that problem at work?”

As soon as Olivia turned the subject to something Luca could just chat about, he started without much hesitation. She was content to just sit back and listen to him animatedly talking. Just like he said, it would be fine. Even if they didn’t find a solution, she’d learn to live with it.

---

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"Within the bounds of Walter's book."

"Is more than just forbidden knowledge."

"Inside of it were two beings."

"Two beings that knew all about Walter's plan for the All-Verse."

"Two beings that helped him make it."

---

Raven Jones awoken... she was groggy. Nasueaus. Ready to vomit it all out. She looked around. She was in some library, dimly lit by a few candles. There were bookcases as far as she could see... and she saw Sunshine staring at her with worried eyes.

"Baby!" Sunshine said as she wrapped her child in her arms. "I thought I lost you!"

"... What happened, mama?" Raven asked.

"I don't know," Sunshine said, "You fell over, you got ill, and these snake creatures burst out of your skin - but I saved you."

Raven sighed as she put a hand on her forehead...

"Where are the things I found?" Raven asked.

"Oh, the Chalice and the book?" Sunshine responded before giving the backpack a few taps. "They're in here."

"Can I have them?"

"Of course!" Sunshine reached into the bag and pulled out the Chalice and Walter's Book. She handed Raven the latter but held onto the former. "This is the Chalice! Last I heard, some whacko had it. Then lost it! Funny that you find these things here; it's like the Pit's one big lost and found..." As Sunshine spoke, Raven opened the book and looked up at Sunshine.

"... What does any of this mean?"

"Oh baby," Sunshine laughed. "I never taught you how to read... come here..." Sunshine said as she lovingly got behind Raven and gently cradled her.

As Raven began to flip through the pages, she saw glimpses of disturbing illustrations and cryptic symbols. Sunshine pointed to the text, then spoke,

"This book was written by Walter, who worshipped an Apparition known as the Stygian Snake," Sunshine explained.

"The Stygian Snake?" Raven asked.

"It's, uh... one of the most powerful and feared Apparitions out there," Sunshine began. "How do I explain this, baby?" She began.

"The Stygian Snake is not just some Apparition but a force. Of destruction. Despair. And some believe renewel. One that's been around longer than anyone can imagine!" Sunshine explained. "And Walter believed it was the key to ultimate power."

"Ultimate power?" Raven asked as she looked up at her mother.

"He was a madman! He thought he could harness its power, Raven! Maybe become something beyond human," Sunshine nodded before she laughed. "But, messing with that kind of power... only a fool would try, honestly. There's a point where you don't force the forces anymore, and then they turn around and force you."

Sunshine shrugged. "Many people have tried to control the Snake, and it never worked out... So, it's all rubbish. Poppycock. Crap. Lies!" She laughed as she tickled Raven, and her daughter laughed.

Once Sunshine stopped, Raven asked, "... Why would he want this power?"

Sunshine laughed, dismissively waving her hand. "Baby, some people delude themselves into thinking they can change the world! But all that ends up happening is that they lose themselves!"

Raven laughed with her mother before they silently delved deeper into Walter's Book, tracing their fingers over Walter's crazed ramblings, and in between that, they found ancient scripts and cryptic passages.

"... You know, it's weird that the entire book is written in English."

"What's English?" Raven asked, confused.

"It's what we're speaking right now, baby," Sunshine wrapped her arms around Raven's waist, fingers tracing through the words as she silently read. "Um, you'll need to learn all about it when we get out of the Pit, baby. Maybe some other languages, too, but for now we have-"

Sunshine came to a stop as her fingers went over a chant...

"... That crazy bastard," Sunshine said.

"Mama?" Raven asked.

"There are two Apparitions sealed inside of this book," Sunshine began. "The Pale Horse, and the High Priestess... I know the High Priestess can get us out of here..."

Raven's eyes glistened with excitement as she hopped up and down.

"... The issue is that will she?" Sunshine sighed. "Apparitions are very inconsistent and unpredictable entities... However, there has to be something here, an artifact, that can control her so we can force her hand."

"Is there any way to get her out?" Raven asked.

"There's a chant, sweetie," Sunshine said. "I can teach it to you... but you must promise to only use it in the event I die, or we get separated again, and you are certain you can use it to escape."

"What about you?" Raven asked.

Sunshine was silent for a moment.

"... I'll be okay." Sunshine answered. "Now, let's get to work, sweetie, you have to recite it exactly as I say it."

The two spent the next couple of hours learning the chant but not reciting it out loud. Otherwise, they risked the early release of the two Apparitions. Raven memorized it by heart. Once that was complete, Sunshine made a makeshift bed out of the soft books and whatever soft she could gather in the immediate area and allowed her daughter to rest. Sunshine gently placed a blanket made out of human skin that she made over Raven while Raven went to rest.

"... Sleep well, baby," Sunshine said. "I'm going to be keeping watch."

Raven dozed off, her mind spinning with the weight of this new knowledge. Suddenly, a distant rumbling echoed through the room, disrupting the quiet. Raven stirred awake, her eyes snapping open as heavy footsteps grew louder. Before she could fully comprehend what was happening, the library walls trembled and cracked, revealing dark figures clad in gleaming armor.

"Autoknights!" Sunshine hissed through clenched teeth.

Dozens of them poured into the room, armed with rifles and swords; Sunshine reached into that canteen of blood she kept at her waist and poured it into her hand. She grew a symbol into the air, one of tendrils and lines, and moments later, several tentacles shot out of the ground around Sunshine and Raven. They cut through the air at lightning-fast speeds and impaled the Autoknights... which began to ooze blood. However, there was a large amount of them, and Raven hid behind Sunshine, as there was a relentless amount of them. Sunshine threw out spells until one of the Autoknights knocked them over. Sunshine quickly got back to her feet and kept fighting while Raven struggled to climb back to her feet.

One of the Autoknights grabbed her.

They pulled her away.

Raven screamed

"... NOOOOOOO!" Sunshine shouted as she used her desperate Blood-Art Technique to attempt to save Raven. Raven was surrounded by a wall of Autoknights that tanked most of the attacks meant for her captors. The further she went, the more Raven realized that Sunshine would not save her...

Tears fell from her face.

---

Raven was imprisoned by the Autoknights.

Her hands and feet were chained.

Raven was led through the halls of the King's Castle, also known as the "Crimson Court." It was the King's Kingdom, which Sunshine told her never to approach. Raven held her head low as she was marched through the halls like an animal by two Autoknights, eventually being led to a defacto courtroom that had a view of the Pit's eerie red sky. In various parts of the room, Autoknights stood guard. However, one of them held a pecuilar spear. Raven sighed as she was brought before him.

The King of the Pit. A boy no older than what she was. Wearing a stone mask and a crown.

He stood behind the podium, looming over her like the tyrant he was; Raven looked up to him as she was forced onto her knees.

"So," The King spoke in a high-pitched voice, muffled by his golden mask. "You know nobody is permitted to enter the forbidden temple, correct?"

Raven was silent.

"Answer me!" The King shouted, slamming his hands on the podium. He turned towards the Autoknight with the barbed wire spear. "Punish her!"

The Autoknight walked over to Raven and pressed the spear against her face, and she screamed at the top of her lungs as she experienced the worst burning hot pain imaginable. She thrashed around in her cuffs as barbed wire danced through her skin, and the Autoknights grabbed her by the shoulder to hold her down. The Autoknight with the spear released it, and she loudly panted.

The King steepled his fingers, placing his feet on the podium.

"... Are you ready to talk now?" He asked, and Raven just panted in pain. "... Do it again."

The Autoknight pressed the spear against her face again, and she experienced the pain once more as more barbed wire dug into her skin, traveling up her head. She kept panting; her throat was on fire.

"I can do this all day you know..." The King taunted.

"Fine!" Raven huffed. "I didn't know! I didn't even enter there willingly!"

The King of the Pit was silent.

"The Mother Will sent me there!" Raven shouted.

The King was silent before he gave out a wave of his hand.

"Knights, bring the Chalice and the Book," He ordered, and two of his Autoknights stomped off... only returning with Walter's Book and the Chalice. They placed them on the podium in front of the king, he picked up the Chalice and rotated it to examine it, before putting it down. Then he picked up Walter's Book and dismissively turned some pages before throwing the book on the podium. He looked at Raven and said,

"... Am I supposed to believe that?" The King asked, leaning forward. "When you left with these?" He gestured at the artifacts.

"Well, anyone who disobeys my rule will be punished," The King said. "I would kill you, but the punishment you'll receive will make you wish I did."

He snapped his fingers.

"Autoknight."

The Autoknight pressed the spear against Raven's face, and she began screaming at the top of her lungs, and more barbed wire snaked its way into her eye socket, behind her eye. As Raven writhed in agony under the cruel punishment inflicted by the Autoknight, her mind raced. She knew this was her moment — her only chance to enact the desperate plan she and Sunshine had prepared for.

It was now or never.

Through the haze of pain, Raven focused on the chant she had memorized. She steeled herself, drawing on the strength she had inherited from Sunshine, and waited for the right moment...

"Enough," The King said, steepling his fingers. "You finally see that nobody defies me? Otherwise, we can continue."

Raven, tears and blood running down her face from the torment, forced the strength to raise her head towards the King. Her vision was blurry, and she was shaking, "... I have... something... to... say..." She would have fallen over if not for the Autoknight holding her shoulders.

The King looked down at her.

"Speak then."

Raven took in a deep breath.

"... From the void between realms and the shadows that rend! High Priestess, rise from dimensions; your power I send! Pale Horse, shrouded in darkness, unleash your fog of devastation! Together, obliterate and change!"

The room began shaking; there was a disturbance in the air as an otherworldly force paralyzed the Autoknights and the king with dread—a supernatural fear, unlike anything they had ever seen before in the Pit. Raven's heart was pounding, and the sigils in Walter's book began to glow.

"By the will of Walter, I call the High Priestess, the Pale Horse, upon this land! Your fates are entwined, your powers combine, break free from your bindings, heed my design..."

The book began to float in the air; the Autoknights were disabled by the magic the Book commanded. Raven screamed the last bit of the chant...

---

LISA: The Painful OST - Die Die Die!

---

"... With this chant, I shatter your chains!"

A blast of otherworldly force surged from the book, sending the King and all the Autoknights flying but not affecting Raven. When it faded, the two Apparitions stood there.

The Pale Horse, and The High Priestess

The Pale Horse stands as a cloaked figure with horns and an ominous shadow on his head. The High Priestess looks the more abstract, a robed figure with a floating sun-like head. The High Priestess stretched her arms out...

"... Aw, that was a nice sleep, now was it, Pale Horse?" She steepled her fingers together, looking at her companion, before she shook her head. "Oh wait, I forgot!"

"What the hell are you doing!?" The King shouted, hopping to his feet. "This is my court! Autoknights!" He pointed at them.

All of the Autoknights charged the two Apparitions. However, a thick black mist that seemed to move like sand overcame them. Whenever this darkness hit the Autoknights, it erased them entirely until there were no more Autoknights.

"What the" The King almost fell in his seat before cupping his hands together and screamed.

"KNIGHTS?! YOUR KING NEEDS ASSISTANCE"

"... My goodness, you are incredibly annoying, you know that?" The High Priestess turned her head towards the King of the Pit. "Pale Horse, silence this miscreant for good."

The High Priestess looked at The Pale Horse, and they raised their hand... and a wispy black fog wrapped around the King. He screamed - up until he suddenly stopped. The fog disappeared, and there wasn't even so much as a trace of the King. However, Chalice and Walter's book was left untouched. The High Priestess continued smiling as she turned to Raven and said,

"... So, are you little Walter's Plan B he prattled on so much about?" The High Priestess laughed. "It's about damn time we got the plan back in motion! How long was it?! A few hundred years!? More?!"

Raven Jones was momentarily silent. She looked to the left, where the King of the Pit used to be.

"... Yes."

"Well, go grab the Chalice and the book already!" The High Priestess said, "I hate this place. So miserable and smelly! And I don't even have a nose!"

The High Priestess raised her hand, and a glowing red portal appeared behind her. It led into a black void of nothingness. Raven walked over to pick up Chalice and Walter's Book and then back to the two and the portal.

"Can we go find my mam-" Raven tried to say.

Without a second thought, the High Priestess shoved her into the portal.

"You're taking too long! We have to go!"

Was the last thing Raven heard as she fell through the portal; she loudly screamed as she fell into nothingness...

It was seemingly endless, and Raven couldn't help but panic as the entire experience was alien to her. As she fell, she could hear the High Priestess' voice...

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"Ah, you clever bastard!"

"You have no clue who Walter even is, do you?"

"I would throw you back into the Pit so you can remain in your 'natural habitat'..."

"... But, I can't help but admire your resilience."

"Not only did you survive The Pit against all odds, but you found a way out! Bravo! Bravo!"

"... And even though you don't know who Walter is, maybe you're just what we need."

"Come on, Magni."

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Raven made it to the other side of the portal...

... And saw the sun for the first time in her life.

Raven stood in a field and looked around; all these sensations were alien. Where were the monsters? Where was the red sky she was familiar with? The High Priestess smiled while the Pale Horse stood there.

"... We have much work to do, Magni, so come on."

The High Priestess turned around and gestured for Raven to follow. The Pale Horse was at her side.

She stood there for a moment.

Before she ran after them.

The Recollection ends there.

---

"That's where it ends for now."

"Raven Jones won't do anything until she becomes a woman."

"And what she does will change everything."

"The Pale Horse and the High Priestess are dangerous."

"Not just for their potent Abstractions."

"For the knowledge they wield."

"They turned Raven Jones into a monster."

"Seal them for the good of the All-Verse."

"Lock them away and throw away the key."

"I beg you."

---

Lihn Phan.

Interactions: None

The Phan Office.

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Die Hard - Kendrick Lamar

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”... Back here again,” Adora laid down on the chaise lounge, she sighed as she stared at that familiar ceiling yet again.

“Here you are again,” Lihn chuckled with a smile.

”... Where should I start this time, doc? The Halloween Festival, or how I’ve been feeling lately…?”

“Let's start with the Halloween Festival,” Lihn suggested. “I'd like to know how you found it - did you manage to stay there for long?”

”Well…” Adora trailed off, shrugging as she looked to the side. ”... I beat up a Vanburen within like ten minutes of making it to the island.”

“That's…” Lihn seemed at a loss for words for a moment. “Not an ideal start. What happened that led to this? I know you well enough to know you're not the kind to attack someone for no reason.”

”She… Made fun of what happened to Lisa,” Adora answered, ”I should have just ignored her, walked away.”

“I see. You’re right, but-” Lihn smiled gently at Adora, with no judgment in her expression. “Sometimes you can’t stop your emotions from overriding your judgment. I don’t condone violence, but I understand why you couldn’t walk away. It’s something we can work on. In the moment, how did you feel, if you can remember?”

”... Pissed. Fucking angry,” Adora seethed, shaking her head. ”That bitch Trisha had no place to mock me. Or Lisa… Or anyone for that matter! She’s just a miserable asshole with daddy issues that tries to make it everyone else’s problem!”

“Of course you would feel angry. She mocked someone that means so much to you,” Lihn said softly. “It sounds like Trisha has a lot of her own problems. She was probably lashing out at what she saw as an easy target. Of course, that isn’t acceptable… I hope there isn’t a next time, but if there is, try your best to view what she says as insignificant. She’s someone taking out her own hurt on others. Did she… even know Lisa?”

”No.” Adora gave a quick and to-the-point answer. ”She just said it to fuck with me.”

“I see,” Lihn sighed. “Well… I can’t condone your reaction, but I understand it. Try not to be to hard on yourself for it, it’s difficult for even the most stable person to hold themselves back over something so triggering. How were you, other than anger? Any of the normal panicked feelings? Were you able to stay out for the rest of the night?”

”Um… I got pulled off of her by one of my former Coven-mates, Leon,” She explained. ”Then some people came up to him… I didn’t know who they were, but they called themselves Greenwood or something like that. The rest of the night is a lil’ bit of a blur, but eventually we, ran into a, uh, ‘toga party’. That’s when I partied with them for a little bit… I felt bad for beating up Trisha, but I… had fun. For once.”

“I’m glad you had fun with your covenmate, and at… whatever a ‘toga party’ is,” Lihn laughed. “The fact that you feel bad shows that you regret what happened… so I’m not particularly worried it’ll happen again. You being able to go out and enjoy yourself at such a big event shows how far you’ve come. I’m proud of you, really.”

Lihn smiled genuinely at Adora, before asking, “how has the rest of your week been?”

Adora was unsure of if she should explain the debacle at Kari’s house. Probably err on the safe side because it was technically trespassing and change the subject.

”... Lonely.”

“I see… is the loneliness worse than before, now that you've started seeing people again?” Lihn asked.

”I guess…” Adora trailed off. Lihn probably knew all about how Adora barely left the house half the time. Never went out to hangout with friends. Never went to events. Just stayed in. ”... I don’t know. I really don’t want to be around those people, but at the same time I do… it makes no fucking sense, does it?”

She sighed. ”... A friend of mine told me that I abandoned them. That I have no place among them anyway.”

“That must have been hard to hear, after everything you did for them before,” Lihn said. “Are you close to this friend? Perhaps she was trying to protect you… as you said, you both do and don't want to be around them. On one hand, they're a group of people you went through so much with - the only people who might understand, perhaps. But they're also a constant reminder of your trauma. It's understandable you have such conflicting feelings.”

”... I can’t say that I am, her name was Gretchen - well, she always gets mad when you call her that, heh,” Adora chuckled, before her face went flat. ”I… can’t say that I am. We were friends in the old Coven. Well, by association. She was friends with… Lisa. Really close friends.”

She coughed before she continued. ”I mean… I don’t really have a whole lot of social connections to people other than them, but… On the other hand, I hung out with two of them over the weekend. It was nice, but while hanging out with them, there was that nagging feeling. Like I felt something wrong.”

“What kind of wrong?” Lihn asked. “Wrong, because you feel Lisa should be there too. Or wrong, like a creeping anxiety that you’re in danger?”

”… I feel like Lisa should be there where ever I go,” Adora answered, ”They just… give me a bad feeling. Like I feel like something that shouldn’t exist when I spend time with them.”

“Of course. Lisa should be there with you - they're not only your coven, but hers too. Being around them must feel wrong without her… and if they don't feel that loss the same way you do, it will only make it seem like there's a divide between you and them.”

” Of course they don't… We talked about it last week…” Adora shrugged. ”But, she should be here, and its all my fault…” Tears started streaming down her cheeks.

“It's not your fault,” Lihn said with a slightly pained expression. She picked up the box of tissues on the table between them and held it out to Adora if she wanted to take it. “You were a teenager with too much power fighting a multidimensional threat. None of you should've had to in the first place… Lisa's death was tragic, and horrible. But the only one at fault as the Stygian Snake, and perhaps the adults that failed you all.”

Adora didn’t accept the tissues, merely rolling onto her side. ”... I just can’t help but feel like if I had been better, she would still be here… everything would be better….”

“Of course… You'll always feel guilt, because you're the one who survived and she didn't,” Lihn said softly, and carefully. “Thinking about what could have been and what you could do lessens the helplessness you feel about it… but, Adora, you did everything you could. We can't always prevent… these tragedies.”

”... ^{And everything I could wasn’t enough,}” Adora muttered underneath her breath. ”I guess you’re right….”

Lihn raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment on what Adora said so quietly she probably hoped Lihn couldn’t hear. “It’s not about me being right so much as it is you accepting what I’m saying… I hope that after all of these sessions we’ve had you’re beginning to forgive yourself for your perceived failings, and slowly blaming yourself less. I understand it’s not easy… Grieving isn’t a linear process, or something that ever goes away.”

”... It's just so hard sometimes” Adora said. ”One day it feels like everything is fine… Then other days it's not…”

“Of course. There will always be days when it doesn't feel fine, and that's alright,” Lihn said. “You don't just get over loss. It's learning to live with it, and knowing it's alright to not be alright. Lisa will… always be an important part of you, on both the good and bad days.”

”... To just live with it,” Adora said with a sigh. ”You know I’m trying to, doc. But, can we talk about another thing, doc?”

“I know, you’re trying your best, and that’s enough,” Lihn said with a soft smile, before nodding. “Alright, of course. What do you want to talk about?”

”So, um… shit, I don’t even know how to explain it,” Adora shook her head as she lay on her back. ”The Coven got into a fight with, um, 8th Street - but I don’t want to talk about that.”

She shook her head, ”What I want to talk about is… when they left, they like, blanketed us with this pink shit. I don’t know what it was, but when I huffed it, I… saw things…” She rolled back onto her side.

“What did you see?” Lihn asked carefully. “Take your time, if you need to.”

”It… started here,” Adora said, before laughing. ”To paraphrase; I said ‘I didn’t need your services anymore, I am finally better’. I walked outside, Lisa came and picked me up in one of her flying spiders...” A tear ran down her face, which she wiped before she continued.

”While we were flying there, she… told me ‘I don’t blame you for what happened… it wasn’t your fault.’[ Before we made it to the Old Coven’s lair, and everyone was there - well, except the annoying assholes - everyone who lost someone had their people back. Everyone was happy. ‘Nessa and Clem were there, they said they didn’t blame me for, you know, abandoning them.”

Adora sighed, pausing for a moment, before she continued, ”... Then Kari was there, she took me outside, gave me a slice of cake that I remember her coming to my house to give me a few months ago. I told her I was sorry for boxing her out when she only wanted to help. She told me that I should stop being so hard on myself and just accept that some things are out of my hands. Everyone was okay. Everyone was happy. I was happy.”

More tears began streaming down Adora’s face, as her voice cracked again, ”... Then it was over. Snatched away from me as I was brought back to reality. I… couldn’t take it. I just broke down right then and there.”

“Oh, Adora… I’m so sorry,” Lihn said. She was at loss for words for a moment - it was difficult to hold onto her own emotions for a moment. “It’s so cruel to have that snatched away from you, and having to come back to the reality where these people aren’t… here. Of course, you broke down. Does just talking about it make you feel the same way?”

”... Yes,” Adora sobbed.

“Of course it did…” Lihn frowned. “Because talking about it can’t bring her back. I wish I had the words to make it all better, Adora, I really do. One day, you’ll find your happiness… But of course, it’s not possible for it to look like that. That’s a difficult thing to accept without having to hallucinate it.”

”I’m just… wondering what it all meant,” Adora sighed.

“It can mean a lot,” Lihn said, stifling a slight laugh. If only it was so easy to explain. “There’s the obvious - that you regret what happened, and want Lisa’s forgiveness… but deep down, I think, you also want to forgive yourself. You want to believe you weren’t to blame - and you weren’t. You know, deep down, that Lisa would think so… and that came out in this dream. I think, maybe, it was showing you what you desired the most. Happiness, with all of your friends.”

”... You know, that fantasy world kind of seemed better than the real world! Maybe I should join up with 8th to experience that all the time...” Adora darkly chuckled, before shaking her head. ”... That was a joke, Doc.”

“I hope so,” Lihn laughed slightly, more nervous than anything. “As much as we may want it to be, a fantasy is just that - a fantasy, not real. The real world is harder, but it’s where we live… And where we can make things better.”

”... And maybe - and I mean maybe - there is a way to achieve it,” Adora answered.

“That's true,” Lihn smiled. “Anything is possible with magic… just don't go down paths you shouldn't in pursuit of it.”

”Trust I’m not going supervillain anytime soon, Doc,” Adora laughed.

“I'd hope not, or I might be losing my licence,” Lihn half joked. “I'm not worried about that, just you doing something that might… harm yourself at the end of the day.”

”Look, you don't gotta worry about me hurting myself,” Adora rolled her eyes. ”The bastard that pulled that shit on me better count their days though…”

“I'm also worried about that,” Lihn shook her head. “Getting put in jail will also technically harm you!”

”Implying I get caught!” Adora laughed.

Lihn held a hand to her forehead. “Please don’t commit any crimes, Adora… At least, don’t kill anyone.”

Adora laughed again, ”I won’t, Doc. You can trust me!”

“I trust you,” Lihn smiled, shaking her head.“Otherwise, has there been any progress with the coven?”

”Not really,” Adora shrugged, finally wiping her tears with the tissue. She rolled back over to her back. ”To make it short, we summoned the spirit of one of our deceased members - Kari Wilson - and she didn't know us. Auri is convinced that she has something to do with it. But… ”

Adora glanced at the wall, ”... I think it's a dead end.”

“Oh, as in... a different her?” Lihn’s eyes widened, and the professional mask slipped for a moment at the mention of Kari Wilson. She covered it with a smile. Somewhat cryptically, she said, “perhaps there are avenues to follow that you aren’t looking down yet… Don’t dismiss it too soon.”

”... ‘This Kari, the body buried here isn’t our Kari. Whoever is behind this can hop realities.’” Adora repeated what Lyss said that night. Adora didn’t seem to notice what Lihn did. ”I’m not the magic expert - but how did she know that? Unless she was in on it…”

She shrugged again, ”I mean… To be entirely fair with you, doc; we don't got any leads on our killer. Zero. Nadda. I can’t blame her for chasing the only thing that’s remotely close to a lead.”

She trailed off, ”... And I can’t lie, there is that part of me that wants her to be okay. She was the only one in the Old Coven that reached out to me. We’re in the same boat about Lisa. I mean… I pushed her away, but now that she’s gone, I regret that.”

“I understand. There is… always the possibility, with how magic works. I don’t know much about the different realms, but it’s possible,” Lihn smiled, a hint of sadness behind her eyes. “There is the possibility that, if she is alive, she’s… involved. I can’t see that being the case- ah, from how you talk about her. But it’s something you would have to prepare yourself for.”

”I’m trying to, I’m just…” Adora trailed off. ”8th St was harassing her to join them. I’m hoping it’s something like that… I just can’t see her going on a rampage. She… was a sweet gal.”

“Hopefully,” Lihn said. “It’s best to keep hope, and trust your instinct, while remaining realistic. If she was being harassed by 8th Street- who I know are particularly… nasty- it wouldn’t be surprising if she disappeared to avoid them. Was she… the first to go, or were there others before her?”

”There was- fuck… lemme think…” Adora rubbed her temples. ”I think the first to go was Daisy’s little brother. Then it was Blackmore’s wife, her, Elsa, that Japanese gal… Wait, Elsa went down right before Kari if memory serves me right...”

“If she wasn’t the first, then the chance it was her is… slim,” Lihn said, tilting her head. “Especially if her friend went right before her. It doesn’t rule out her knowing something… if she is still alive.”

Adora shrugged.

”... I guess there’s only one way to really find out, right?”

---

Interactions: None

WinCo

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Adora tried to make it seem like she tackled everything in her life with confidence, pride, and purpose.

Grocery stores were no exception.

She walked in, having parked her car a modest distance away, and prepared to be in and out. Despite it all, she was wearing a red hoodie, black sweatpants, a red fabric facemask, and running shoes. Adora wanted to say she was okay; a serial killer would never target her with this many people around, but who knew what was going to happen when magic got involved? Adora took a deep inhale and exhaled as she entered the WinCo, knowing that if her mental health prevented her from going to a fucking grocery store, then she should just give up now. She shook her head.

Adora was never going to give up.

She grabbed a basket, ignoring the sounds of mumbled chattering and carts rattling - though she always appreciated the smells of the baked goods and produce. However, as she approached the produce section, she could hear chatter between two older women - their husband's fishing trip. Adora rolled her eyes as she grabbed some bell peppers, threw them in her basket, and then grabbed some cilantro.

Through the storefront, the passing outline of a short pedestrian temporarily caught her eye.

The last time she’d seen him, he’d been dressed for charred rags, barely held together, but there wasn't a scratch to be seen on him anymore. A green-plaid lumberjack shirt, khaki pants, and navy blue baseball cap with a white ‘P’ emblazoned across the front, just about covering his brow. As far as subtlety went, he looked like someone dressed by their alcoholic grandpa, halfway through a pack of camels.

Adora narrowed her eyes at him… it was that kid. She couldn’t mistake it again, especially that weird ass aura that was around him. Though, she wasn’t going to let this slide, and she was going to put her foot down in regard to the weird little bastard. Without skipping a beat, she immediately closed the distance between the and approached him. She gave him a (sarcastic) smile, waved at him and said,

”... Hello there!”

For his part, Clancy offered her no expression of surprise. He was clutching a phone, half tucked into his pocket, something little too expensive for someone his age. ”Yeah. Hi.”

”... You’re still fooooooollowing me,” Adora said in a mocking sing-song - she remembered blowing up at the kid. ”Even after I told you to stay away from me…”

However, as the boy seemed ready to fire something back, another consideration popped into her head, as she knew just the answer as to why. Adora put a hand on her hip, and smiled. ”... Oh, wait, now I’m starting to get it. Sorry for blowing up at you at Kari’s house.”

That wasn’t quite the answer he’d expected, but he seemed curious as to her line of thought. ”You understand, then?” Clancy asked, brow arched, before breaking off from the agitated tirade he’d mentally prepared. ”That-... just, listen, I’m not good at talking with people like this. My family’s gone. Ashley was the last, and you-... the tree is the only part of her left. You’re all targets, and you especially with how often you’re on your own. If I’d wanted to-...” kill her, he thought, she’d have been dead a week ago. Instead, he discontinued that thought and let the conversation hang there.

”Why are you talking like you’re protecting me,” Adora began. ”You’re a child, whoever you are. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

His response was nothing short of blunt.

”And the others didn't think so? I'm talking like someone being smart about this. You don't hang out with the others. You shop alone. You visit some shrink, but that's it. For all I know you spend all night sitting in the tub eating ice cream and listening to John Lennon. That sound like too much trouble for that asshole to handle?”

It wasn't contempt that fuelled the words, but it would've been difficult to discern nonetheless. Clancy had taken a proverbial jackhammer in his approach to conversation.

”Besides, I had to make sure you weren't part of the killing. Child or not, we wouldn't be talking if I thought you did it.”

Adora twisted her face up. There was something wrong with this kid.

”Oh naw, there ain't no ‘or not’,” Adora started off. ”I don't give a damn what you think you are: you’re a kid. And I know Ashley was your cousin, but that is adult business. Kids like you shouldn’t concern yourselves with this shit. You should be worried about riding your bike and chasing girls your own age.”

She paused for a moment, ”Matter fact, school is in. Go run off to class.”

”’Adult business’,” Clancy echoed, gesturing outwards with his other hand, before setting a palm on the pole of a street lamp.”That ship has sailed. No school. No bike. No... chasing. I don't get to have that anymore. Ashley was going to help me, but she's gone and I have nothing left!” The boy's gaunt expression and tone of speech betrayed a certain resignation. ”So again, I'll find the person who killed her. I'll make sure her friends, if that's what you really were, don't get killed the same shitty way. Then, when I'm done with Father Wolf? You can go back to pretending you're grown-ups until your turn comes.”

When he drew his hand back to his pocket, there were deep indents in the pole.

Adora tilted her head… there was something wrong with this boy. Not mentally, but what could that ditzy ass Ashley be helping him with. Though Adora put both of her hands up.

”... Let’s hold up here, kid,” Adora sighed. ”I feel you’re more than a kid. So, help me understand you. Who are you, and what is your current situation so maybe I can help?”

”I-..” Clancy hesitated, ”You’d regret knowing.”

”... And I already have a long list of things I regret knowing, what’s one more?” Adora laughed.

”I can’t die. I’ve... tried, so many times. Spent hours under the ice in a frozen river,” To get the point across, he rubbed at his shoulders, ”Rolled under a train,” then made a slicing gesture, dragging his index finger across his mid-section, “Hit by a truck,” and rapped his knuckles against the side of his forehead, ”“Shot enough times I should be rattling.”

”I don’t sleep. Didn’t dream, until I came here. And this.... what I am, it makes me hurt people. I can’t eat food, it’s like putting dirt in my mouth, but I'm always hungry. I lost control for a long time... I had to leave my family, because I was dangerous to them, and now they’re all gone. My parents. My brother. My sister died last year, and the only thing I had left after that was Ashley. And she understood, because you... went through what you did. I wasn’t alone. I might’ve had a way to stop it. Stop being hungry. Stop hurting people. But she’s dead now, and the only thing I want is Father Wolf.”

Adora was quiet.

”... Poor baby,” Adora said with a sigh. ”I was far from Ashley’s friend, but I am sorry for your loss.”

She reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, but he raised an arm to block the contact with the flat of his hand pressed backwards against her wrist. For the moment they touched, his skin was cold. ”Don’t,” Clancy warned her. His tone was firm, but gentler than usual - none of the vitriol he usually reserved for such encounters,

Adora quickly pulled back.

”Okay, okay…” She softly said, respecting his personal space. Though, she had more to say, ”Now… I don't know much about magic, but it sounds like you’re cursed?”

Adora gave him a chuckle. ”While I personally don't know much, I know some people who do.”

”Like how Emily promised her pets she'd help them?” He shrugged, ”I don't see a way back from... this.”

”... And do I look like Emily’s crazy ass?” Adora smiled at the boy, ignoring the comparison between them. Emily helped herself, and Adora helped others. ”You don't see a way, or you just gave up? There is a world of difference, you know,”

”I'm tired. There's nothing out there for me. I wanted to do one good thing, which was to find the thing that... left me like this. Like your Snake. I wanted Ashley to help me destroy us both. Put that knife that kills ‘apparitions’ through its heart. Otherwise… I'll keep hurting people. I can't stop.”

”... That’s rough, buddy,” Adora coughed. There was a lot to this kid, yeah. It was kind of sad, but Adora wasn’t going to give him pity. She was going to give him a solution. ”So, you need the Apparition Killer, yes? I know it's missing, and I know the last person to have it was Ashley...”

And Adora had no clue where it could have gone, or who could have had it. In her opinion, probably someone from the Old Coven nabbed it. ”But, maybe ki- shit, I don’t even know your name.” Adora awkwardly laughed. ”I’ve seen magic do some nutty-ass things, there has to be something out there that can help you. Something that will give you a normal life and let you do kid things.”

”It's Clancy,” he answered, carefully selecting his wordd, ”I don't-.. I appreciate what you're offering, but I've tried before. Normal people get hurt. I can’t risk that on a something. It's too late for that.”

”Well, fine,” Adora shrugged. ”We’ll do things your way then, but I’m tellin’ you that you’re giving up too quickly.”

She shook her head, ”You gonna be at the next meeting, right?”

”It's the best lead I have.” Clancy tugged at an object deeper in his back pocket, fishing out a flip-phone that seemed particularly dated in his hands. He offered it out to her, ”You're… if you get cornered, call me. I've been holding onto it all day and figure you'd need it most. All the contacts in it are tied to one of my phones. Pay-as-you-go, so there's no contract tracking either.”

Adora chuckled as she took the phone.

”... You tryna’ get me arrested… kid?” She laughed. ”But, I don’t know who else you’re talking to from the Old Coven, but, just keep that ‘shrink’ I go to once a week between you and me, okay?”

”Had an uncle that didn’t like talking about his time in the marines, ‘some stories not yours to tell’,” the boy lightly tugged at his cap, ”This counts, I guess. Won't talk about your business.”

Adjusting the cap, Clancy glanced off to one side, Emily wanted the knife. For her friend if you believe her sisters. Ashley… said she wouldn't leave her alone. Just for that, I should-..” tear her apart, he thought but he trailed off, ”You think she'd know where to look? She tried to kill you too, unless you think being left to burn alive doesn’t count.“

”For the Apparition Killer?” Adora asked. ”Beats me to be honest, and Emily tried to kill all of us. She almost killed Sloane...”

”Still think she knows something she won’t admit, even if her sisters say there’s nothing. Could pay her a visit when she's sleeping. Just me. You know where I should look, if I wanted to get to her?”

”No clue to be honest,” Adora rolled her eyes. ”Though, you shouldn’t run there by yourself. She’s dangerous. They’re dangerous…”

”I keep hearing that.” Clancy shrugged, ”What's she going to do? Kill me?” A cackle, uncharacteristically child-like, erupted from his lips, ”If only it was that easy.”

”Hmph,” Adora cracked a grin. ”Don’t get cocky now; pride comes before the fall… but, if you’re that confident; go for it! Just don’t hurt a short, chubby girl with red hair...” She narrowed her eyes at Clancy as the boy cocked his head to one side.

”... I’m trying to get her on our side.”

”Ginger little teapot, short and stout,” Clancy rhymed, ”Got it. Luca seems to think some of them are okay, but I saw what they were doing at the dead girl’s cabin.”

He was about to turn away, when the thought occurred to him. ”Next meeting. When and where? I missed the invitation.”

”Later on today, at like six,” Adora shrugged. ”It’s going to be at the House on the Hill, some bar that closed some time ago. It has something to do with one of the Vanburens, that I know.”

”Rich kid stuff, I guess.” Clancy shook it off, ”I'll be around You're.. alright, at least.” It wasn't much, but as far as goodbyes went for him, it was complimentary.

”You too,” Adora began. ”... Stalking aside.” She teased.

That was when they parted ways, for now.

---

Sabrina Vanburen, Auri Auclair, & Nora Foster.

Interactions: The Whole ahh Coven

The House on the Hill.

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Solene - Neokitsch

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Well, that was one bizarre adventure.

That was the most Adora had ever interacted with someone in ages. Adora talked to Greta, Luca, Stormy, Amara, Britney, Layla, Leon, Jack, Auri, Aislin, the Greenwood Coven, and that whacko Luna. Her social battery was near-empty, but it was time for the next meeting; this time, it was at some place in south St. Portwell. The House on the Hill. Some bar that got closed down some time ago, and Adora wondered if this was their 'new lair' as she pulled up in her red Nissan Altima. A few cars were parked there, and she sighed as she looked up at the staircase leading to the place.

It was daunting. Not because it was scary but because her anxieties made it difficult to get up and interact with the whole. A sad truth of being such a traumatized fuck up. However, more people were on the way, and the last thing that Adora wanted to do was look weak while standing there. She sighed again before she forced herself up the stairs and walked into the main room, and honestly, it had a lovely vibe. Dark, intimate, and a place where Adora would love to be taken on dates. There were bars and tables where other people were sitting and oddly enough, despite the bar being closed, it had a fully stocked bar. Opposite the bar was a stage with a piano... and Auri and some tall chick that she had never seen before were standing there (God damn, is there something in the water that makes MFs so big here...?). However, Adora leaned against the wall by the entrance, trying to remain lowkey, but she knew that wearing a red hoodie and tight jeans combo with some New Balance running shoes was the most minor inconspicuous thing she could wear. Wearing these jeans here took a lot of confidence, and she hoped the right person would notice, and she wouldn't be the eye candy for the perverts here...

God, I need to learn how to flirt.

It wasn't long before Auri took center stage and announced to the group. Adora couldn't help but dread the upcoming clusterfuck that was gathering all these crazy mfs in one room. She mouthed a quiet _{"Oh lord."} as Auri began to speak

"Hello everybody, I hope you're all doing well!" Auri announced to the group, wearing a tan trench coat, jeans, and combat boots and holding the Butterfly Staff in one hand. "So, to begin, we have the Greenwood Coven coming to discuss an alliance with us and help us come up with a plan to handle the 8th St Coven. Oh yeah, and they said they're bringing pizza!"

Adora shrugged. That was expected She quietly thought to herself, though that didn't answer the question of the tall bitch.

"We also have another guest, I'll let her speak for herself..."

Sabrina stepped up, wearing an ankle-length, cream-colored skirt, a black turtleneck sweater, matching black ankle-length leather boots, and a belt... she had a fancy black leather purse hanging from her shoulder. She walked up with her hands together and a completely neutral expression. However, she gave them a wave and began,

"Hi, I'm Sabrina Vanburen. You may have heard the name Vanburen around town... for all the good and bad we do..." Sabrina rolled her eyes with a shrug. "But I heard you all are trying to get to the bottom of the murders and wish to help you all. I'm not a fighter by any means, but I have money and, most importantly, all influence, that I'm willing to lend to your cause." Sabrina nodded her head.

"... And I can also make you all cute costumes," Sabrina added. Adora facepalmed. "And to that end, I have hired someone who can help you all." Sabrina gestured to Nora, who was observing the whole group as they walked in. She wore a denim jacket, gray cargo pants, and brown work shoes. She had a real utilitarian vibe going on, compared to Sabrina.

"Nora, can you please come and introduce yourself and tell them what you can do?" Sabrina asked her.

”... And lemme guess, you're going to introduce us to someone, and then they're gonna introduce us to someone, and we gon' be here all day?” Adora joked as she cracked a grin.

”Unless you plan on getting well acquainted with a machine god, I’m all you’re getting,” Nora commented. ”My name’s Nora Foster. I build things, magic things. A weapon, a box that stitches up your injuries, engines that work more efficiently than anything you’ve ever seen. Sabrina told me to supply all of you with whatever it was you needed. She’s playing, so ask away.”

Interesting. Adora thought to herself as Nora explained.

“And are there any questions for me?” Sabrina asked. “I’m an open book.”

---

Shaquita Walker.

Interactions: None.

At the Strip Mall down the street from House on the Hill.

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Shaquita made the most out of this duty.

Down the street from where the Coven met, Shaquita sat in the driver's side seat of an all-black SUV with tinted windows. The assignment was simple: wait for the "kid". Luis wanted him after what Shayton reported, and Shaquita knew he was serious about it if he was sending her. Shaquita had minimal information on the kid, but it wasn't like she was some scrub - she had killed some of the most dangerous men and women in the city already. She waited some distance away from the House on the Hill, in the parking lot of some strip mall, just waiting for when Tayla or Edict informed her that the kid had arrived, and all she had to do was wait for the perfect opportunity to grab him.

In the meantime, Shaquita had got herself some Shrimp Lo Mein.

Shaquit gently placed her phone in the mount and went through the bag, hoping that they hadn't forgotten they forgot the fork. Shaquita sighed as she exited the car, walked in, grabbed the fork, sat back down, and closed the door. Shaquita turned on some Netflix and watched a movie as she enjoyed the little bit of downtime that she had here...

... Then it was go-time.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

yes

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

FEEL.GOOD.INC
............................................................ "Once you step in, you'll never want to leave..."	Feel Good Inc., another outpost of the Dollhouse, is located in an industrial district of St. Portwell. On the surface, it is a nightclub and clubhouse catering to those seeking a fun night. The exterior is a sleek, modern design with neon lights and a large, inviting marquee that promises a night of unparalleled joy and excitement. However, beneath this facade lies a place of unspeakable horror and manipulation... The main feature of Feel Good Inc. is its walls, lined with potent enchantments that induce intense feelings of happiness and euphoria in anyone who steps inside. These enchantments serve a dual purpose: they keep patrons coming back for more, creating a constant flow of potential victims, and they keep the captives in a state of docile compliance, unable to escape. The enchantments are woven into the very fabric of the building, ensuring that the effects are inescapable and pervasive. The ground floor operates as a typical nightclub, with a dance floor, VIP lounges, and bars serving an array of exotic cocktails. The music is carefully selected to complement the enchantments, enhancing the overall feeling of ecstasy. The building's upper floors are a haven for Dollhouse members to relax, socialize, and plan their next moves. These floors are luxurious and well-appointed, with lounges, private rooms, and meeting areas where members can gather away from the prying eyes of St. Portwell. The enchantments that induce happiness on the ground floor do not extend to the upper floors, ensuring a neutral atmosphere. Members often use these upper floors to discuss strategies, make deals, and recruit new associates. It's common to find members of the Dollhouse indulging in the finest foods and drinks. However, the true horrors lie beneath, where the basement levels reveal the Dollhouse's true intentions. The basement is accessed through a hidden elevator behind the DJ booth, guarded by heavily armed and enchanted bouncers who ensure that only authorized personnel can enter. Feel Good Inc. is divided into several specialized chambers in the underground levels, each dedicated to different forms of experimentation (of the human variety).

The "Bliss Room" is a chamber where captives are subjected to extreme doses of happiness enchantments combined with experimental mind-altering potions to induce a euphoric state. The Dollhouse uses this room to extract valuable information from their prisoners, forcing them to relive their happiest memories while subtly manipulating their emotions and thoughts. This method breaks down psychological barriers, making it easier to coax out secrets and personal details without resorting to traditional torture techniques. Adjacent to the Bliss Room is the "Lab," a grotesque parody of a scientific laboratory. Here, the Dollhouse experiments with conventional and magical drugs, pushing the boundaries of human and magical endurance. Subjects are forcibly injected with various substances, their reactions meticulously recorded by Dollhouse scientists. Shelves line the walls, filled with beakers, vials, and flasks containing brightly colored liquids and powders. The air is thick with the acrid smell of chemicals and the faint, unsettling scent of metallic blood... and cleaning fluids.

In the Lab, researchers test the effects of these drugs on human physiology, seeking to create more potent concoctions for use and sale. Captives endure extreme pain and euphoria as their bodies are pushed to the limits. Each chamber and corridor in Feel Good Inc. is meticulously monitored, with security cameras and magical surveillance ensuring that no one can escape or interfere with the Dollhouse's operations. The walls of the underground chambers are enchanted to prevent teleportation in and out of the building, except for a particular, heavily guarded room designated for such purposes. Additionally, monstrous creatures, bred and controlled by the Dollhouse, roam the tunnels as guards, adding another dangerous layer for anyone navigating the labyrinthine network unauthorized...

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

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There was a knock on Kimberly and Jordan's door.

After a few moments, the door was opened.

“Oh, hey - what the hell?!” Kimberly shouted as her eyes shot open. Lisa and Saskia were carrying a bound and gagged Ella (with lots of spiders in her hair) through the door. With surprising strength (it’s magic, shut up.)

”Hey, watch her head!” Lisa shouted as she walked in with Ella before she looked up at Kimberly. ”... We don’t want her no more! Bye!”

She said before she threw Ella on the ground and ran out like a crackhead.

"She cockblocked us," was the only explanation Saskia gave, giggling, before turning around and running right after Lisa.

Ella wriggled on the ground, words muffled by the webs binding her mouth, looking at Kimberley and Jordan with a super adorable, pleading look. Surely they’d know what she wanted and free her! Then she could get all these spiders out of her hair… she just didn’t understand! She’d saved them from something horrible!

She awkwardly flopped towards Kimberley, with another pleading look.

“Oh my lord,” Jordan facepalmed from the background.

“Hold on!” Kimberly ran off for a second… and when she got back, she had a switchblade. “Hold still.”

She began cutting away the webs around her hands before she paused.

“... Can’t you shoot light?!” Kimberly asked before she looked at the webs around her mouth. “... Oh yeah, you can’t answer that.”

When Kimberley said that, Ella realised something… she could get out of this easily herself! Not by shooting light, she needed to be in her magical girl outfit for that. Since Kimberley had paused in the cutting, Ella took the opportunity to move back away from her. Alright… just think about being fabulous and adorable!

Ella turned into a massive ball of rainbow light, burning away the rainbow webs, before turning back to a normal person. She grinned, shouting, "thanks, Kim- oh, I developed ice powers! Can I have my scepter back?!"

“Yeah,” Jordan said as she raised her hand, and from the corner of the room, the Ice Scepter drifted over towards Ella.

“... You also developed the power to do that,” Kimberly laughed.

“What? Did you channel your inner-homosexual?” Jordan joked.

"My gayness has never been kept inside!" Ella said, catching the Ice Scepter. Now her snow blast would be stronger! Even if… it really didn’t do much yet. "Lupe taught me it… Well, mine is a bit different, she can move super fast when she does it. It’s super cute, right?!"

“Oh, nice,” Kimberly said. “What can yours do?”

“And what did you do?!” Jordan laughed. “They sound like they sick of you!”

"I can shoot lightning near me and slam into people to hurt them!" Ella nodded. "And I…"

Ella trailed off, holding her head in her free hand. "I knocked out this scary man they’d called over to- to- to- I can’t say it! Now I think they hate me!"

The two began deviously laughing, looking at each other, then to Ella.

“... What was the man gonna do?”

"He was going to- they were going to-" Ella stammered, before throwing back her head and full on wailing. "They were going to perform sexual acts together! But- but he was so big and they were so small and we were high so it wasn’t okay!!"

“... What were you three high off of?” Kimberly asked, tilting her head. “Crack?”

“I knew they were freebasin!” Jordan laughed.

"No, just weed! But it really affected them… Saskia was giggling! I’ve hardly ever seen her even laugh, and normally it's more evil!" Ella shook her head in despair. "I had to protect them."

They broke out laughing… Kimberly walked over to Ella and put a hand on her shoulder, holding back the laughter the best she could. Until the dam broke, and she began laughing uncontrollably.

“Oh, my God,” Jordan wiped away a tear. “Ya’ll got… ya’ll… ya’ll a trip!”

“Yeah, I wish I could have seen that!” Kimberly laughed.

“Okay, okay,” Jordan laughed. “You saw a stranger coming towards your friends and got spooked. It happens.”

“I don’t think they hate you, though,” Kimberly laughed.

“Yeah, ya’ll tight!” Jordan added.

“Just give it time,” Kimberly said, “Try to explain your side of things.”

“... And ask before you start swinging!” Jordan said.

“Yes,” Kimberly affirmed. “Ask.”

“It ain’t hard to go: ‘What the fuck is going on here? Who the fuck are you?’” Jordan slapped her knee.

"... you think? They’ll still be my friends?" Ella asked with wide eyes. "Okay, I’ll explain, after waiting a bit! And ask next time- I just panicked! Men freak me out!"

She rubbed the back of her neck, smiling slightly at Kimberley and Jordan. "So… can I sleep here tonight? I don’t think Lisa will let me back in…"

Kimberly stared at Ella, tilting her head. Her mouth opened to say something, but Jordan spoke up.

“... Look, it’s obvious ya’ homegirls are frustrated!” Jordan said, walking over to Ella, she pounded a fist into an open palm. “You gotta go and make things right, and the only way to do that is to help them bust the nuts that’s got them all pent up. Ya’ dig?”

"I get it… how do I do that?!" Ella asked, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Should I just go in topless? They seemed to like that last time… Or is that not enough? I’m willing to do anything for them! I just don’t know… about this stuff…"

“... You gotta follow your heart!” Kimberly said.

Jordan smiled at her, grabbing her by her hips as she began to gently push her out the door… Once she was out the door, Jordan said,

“... Google it.”

Then closed it in her face.

Google it… alright. Ella pulled out her phone as she started to walk back towards their room.

How to help my friends feel good.

The results weren't useful at all. No, that search wasn't working… alright…

How to help my girlfriends feel good (lesbian)

This time, it got her things that were actually useful. She stopped walking to read a few articles, nodding as she did. It all made sense. Nothing too complicated there… She could do all of that. Gladly, for Lisa and Saskia!

After gathering enough information about how to help them bust their nut, Ella finally got to their room door. With a deep breath, she knocked on it a few times, other hand going to her top… in case she needed to flash them right away to even get in.

The door gently opened just a little bit, and Lisa stuck her face in the crack as she stared at Ella. Completely silent. Spiders began to crawl from inside the room onto the door…

It took every little bit of magical girl braveness Ella had to not run as the spiders started crawling out. "Lisa, please let me in… I've come to apologise… and- and offer something to you both! Please!"

As she spoke, Ella decided to give a peace offering… in one fluid movement she pulled off her top. "Please, Lisa!"

Lisa’s face was blank.

”Bor-ring! I’ve seen these over a thousand times!” Lisa shouted.

"This is just the start! I- I can't do any of the other things from out here!" Ella said, stepping in close to the door. "I'll do anything you want- anything to- to-"

Her voice lowered to a very un-Ella like whisper. "To help you… bust a nut…"

”... Well, why didn’t you start with that?” Lisa shouted as she threw the door open, her dress off, and pounced on Ella.

Recollections: The Compendium

KARI'S.WAYFINDER
| Compassion | "This isn't to find you..." ORIGINS & CREATIONS: | Developed collaboratively by Goro Hatanaka and Kari Wilson, Kari's Wayfinder was specifically designed to locate individuals across the All-Verse, with precision for those with whom the user has a strong emotional connection. | TYPE: | Navigational-Artifact. | LOCATION: | The original and the several duplicates were made using Goro's Mass-Production spell and were originally in the possession of Kari Wilson, but their current whereabouts are unknown since Kari's death. | NOTABLE OWNERS: | Kari Wilson. | ABSTRACTION-GRANTING: | No. | .............................................................................	Kari's Wayfinder, a product of the combined efforts of Goro Hatanaka and Kari Wilson, is an artifact for locating people throughout the All-Verse. This medallion projects a sophisticated three-dimensional holographic map when activated by touching its central gem. This map details the immediate terrain, uncovers hidden pathways, and displays landscapes usually concealed from view. It also shows various realms and alternate dimensions, providing names and unique markers for each. One of the medallion's standout features is its ability to find any individual across the All-Verse. It is particularly effective at pinpointing people with whom the user has a strong emotional attachment, marking their approximate locations with glowing white kanji glyphs. For others, the Wayfinder broadly estimates their whereabouts, highlighting general areas. Kari's Wayfinder also offers the capability to drop waypoints on the map. These waypoints can be used to mark significant locations or track paths that need to be revisited. The artifact records these waypoints, allowing users to navigate back to them quickly. It can analyze environmental conditions in real time, providing updates on weather, magic disturbances, and potential hazards and obstacles. The medallion can also scan and store data about encountered dimensions and terrains, building a comprehensive log that can be accessed for future reference. Another advanced feature is communicating with other Wayfinders (including Goro's Wayfinder). By sending signals to its duplicates and sister artifacts, it can triangulate the positions of multiple users and show the trails of other users. The user interface of Kari's Wayfinder is highly intuitive, responding seamlessly to gestures and commands. Users can zoom into specific regions for detailed examination, plot potential routes, and even set up alerts for when tracked individuals or waypoints are within proximity. Enhanced with potent Orange Lux enchantments, the Wayfinder boasts supernatural durability, making it resilient against magical and physical damage. However, there is a hidden feature for people Kari cares about. Differences Between The Original and Mass-Produced Versions The original Kari's Wayfinder is a masterpiece of magical craftsmanship, unmatched in its precision and capabilities. In contrast, the mass-produced versions created using Goro's Mass-Production spell lack the finesse and advanced features of the original. While they retain the basic functionality of projecting a holographic map and locating individuals, their precision is significantly lower. The mass-produced Wayfinders can only provide a rough estimate of a person's location, and their ability to detect emotional attachments is less sensitive. The holographic maps they generate are less detailed, often missing crucial pathways and landmarks that the original would reveal. The mass-produced Wayfinders do not possess the same environmental analysis and data storage level. Their updates on weather, magical disturbances, and potential hazards are less frequent and inaccurate. The ability to drop and track waypoints is also limited, with fewer waypoints allowed and a higher chance of navigation errors. Communication between the mass-produced Wayfinders is less reliable. They often fail to triangulate positions or display the trails of other users accurately. Their durability, while still respectable, does not match the resilience of the original, making them more susceptible to damage.

Recollections: The Compendium

THE.ORANGE.STONE
| The Cursed Amplifier | "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." ORIGINS & CREATIONS: | A powerful Adept created the Orange Stone named Henry Blake, seeking to create a relic that would elevate his magical prowess; Henry imbued the stone with the soul of a dying Adept. However, the immense power came with a hidden curse, binding the stone's fate to the wielder's sanity. | TYPE: | Cursed Pedant | LOCATION: | In the possession of the Agents of Death. | NOTABLE OWNERS: | Henry Blake: The original creator who succumbed to madness and destroyed his kingdom. Sarah Donovan: A legendary warrior who wielded the stone to defeat her enemies but ultimately lost her mind and vanished. Dollhouse: Dollhouse had the Orange Stone until they passed it off to... Saskia Otten: Was given the Orange Stone as a "reward" for distracting one of Morningstar's minions. | ABSTRACTION-GRANTING: | No. | .............................................................................	The Orange Stone is a mesmerizing yet dangerous artifact. The gem, warm to the touch, pulsates with its raw, untamed energy. The stone's primary function is to exponentially amplify the wielder's abstraction. Simple spells become monumental feats of magic, and minor manipulations transform into grandiose displays of power. However, the Orange Stone carries a dreadful curse. Each use of the stone's power slowly erodes the wielder's sanity, driving them to madness. The more the stone is used, especially for mighty feats of magic, the quicker the descent into insanity. The wielder becomes increasingly unhinged, their thoughts dominated by chaos and destruction. Their grip on reality slips, and they are consumed by a desire to cause havoc. The curse binds the stone to the wielder's flesh, fusing it seamlessly to their body, making removal painful and arduous. The only way to break the curse and free oneself from the stone's influence is to remove it physically, an act that often leaves lasting scars both physically and mentally.

Recollections: The Compendium

THE.ICE.SCEPTER
| The Frozen Jewel of Lumina | "The Cold bends to your will." ORIGINS & CREATIONS: | It's unknown who created the Ice Scepter or where it came from, but the earliest recorded instance of its use was in Lumina. | TYPE: | Freezing-Artifact. | LOCATION: | Currently in the possession of the Agents of Death. | NOTABLE OWNERS: | The Ice Queen: The most famous wielder of the Ice Scepter was the Ice Queen, a powerful and just ruler of the universe, Lumina. She used the wand to protect her dominion from numerous threats, both internal and external. The Ice Princess: Following in her mother’s footsteps, the Ice Princess also became a notable user of the Ice Scepter. Though younger and less experienced, she showed great promise and skill in wielding the artifact. The Ice Princess used the wand to defend the dominion after her mother's death. Morningstar: The original sin, the Apparition, came to the Ice Scepter's possession after the Ice Princess's death and was stolen from Lumina. He purchased it in a black market trade and kept it in his vault until... The Agents of Death: After a climactic battle against one of Morningstar's lieutenants, the Agents of Death took it from Morningstar's vault. | ABSTRACTION-GRANTING: | No. | .............................................................................	The Ice Scepter is an ancient artifact of formidable power, its exact origins unknown, but it's from the frozen world of Lumina. The Ice Scepter is a stunning piece of craftsmanship. Its handle is made from enchanted silver, twisted into an elegant, spiraling pattern that offers strength and grip. The top of the wand features an intricate design resembling frost patterns on a window, radiating outward from a central crystal. This crystal is the heart of the wand, a shard of the eternal glacier, and it glistens with a perpetual layer of frost, making it cold. The primary ability of the Ice Scepter is to emit beams of freezing energy. These beams can instantly freeze whatever they hit, and the freezing effect is so potent that it can encase whatever it hits in a thick layer of ice. This ability can be adjusted in intensity and width, allowing for precision strikes and wide-area effects. Furthermore, the Ice Scepter significantly boosts any ice magic the wielder already possesses. Minor uses of Cyromancy that normally creates small icicles will instead create massive ice spears, and cyromancers can cast their magic faster and far more efficiently.