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Interactions: None.
The Funhouse - Heinrich's Lab.The sterile hum of the lab filled the air.
The only sound was Heinrich Thormer's whisper. His lab was dimly lit, save for the harsh light beaming directly over the steel slab on which Layla’s blood sample rested. The delicate vials, marked with her name, seemed out of place here, surrounded by strange instruments and technological apparatus that defied reason. Heinrich’s towering figure loomed over the sample, his mannequin-like body hunched at an unnatural angle, long fingers manipulating the delicate glass. His faceless, ceramic head tilted toward the blood as though he were studying it with eyes he no longer had. The silence of the lab was broken only by a soft, mechanic click as a syringe extended from his index finger before piercing the seal of the vial. He extracted just a few drops, carefully placing them on a small, magical glass slide.
"Curious," Heinrich whispered.
He placed the slide under an apparatus glowing with enchanted symbols. The device hummed to life, its projections displaying complex patterns and symbols, none resembling conventional scientific data. His fingers twitched, triggering a series of movements within his body. Hidden tools slid silently out from his limbs - needles, clamps, tiny scalpels - all poised to act as he continued his analysis. With a rotation of his mechanical wrist, the readings shifted, revealing intricate patterns of magical residue intertwined with Layla’s unique blood composition. Heinrich tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table...
"Luis will want to see this."
As Heinrich entered the meeting room, his strange, mannequin-like form limped eerily. The dimly lit space was enveloped in deep red velvet, and runes shimmered faintly along the floor and ceiling. Luis was already seated in one of the high-backed chairs, his fingers steepled. Next to him was Natalie, who was twirling a revolver as she leaned back in a chair. In the corner of the room was Shaquita Walker, with her hands behind her back. She glanced in Heinrich's direction before her gaze went forward. Luis grinned.
"Ah, Heinrich," Luis began, "I believe you have interesting news."
Heinrich stood hunched over for a moment before speaking with a menacing whisper.
"Correct," Heinrich said, "I have examined Layla's blood and its magical properties."
"And?"
"... And I determined it can be replicated," Heinrich said, and Luis gave him a jolly grin.
"Perfect," Luis said. "Music to my ears, so we can keep the Rill siblings fed without relying on constantly extracting blood from Hyacinthus."
"Aaaaaand, we can leverage those spooky fuckers," Natalie laughed, her gun twirling coming to a stop. "Maybe it'd be worth icing Layla after this." She laughed again.
"However, we need a backup," Luis said, his face flat as he angled his steepled fingers perpendicular to the floor. "I think we can make a backup plan for the Rill siblings and our spies in Sycamore if push comes to shove."
Heinrich was silent for a moment as he got the drift.
"... I will get to work."
"Perfect!" Luis said as that grin returned. "Make sure to make it count because we'll lay low for a little while."
"But, what about that boy?" Shaquita piped up. "You still want him captured."
"I do, but..." Luis trailed off, shaking his after. "After the whole thing with Phantasia, I think it'd be best to keep our heads down."
Luis began his speech, paused for dramatic effect, before saying, "As much as she took it there, that is far too much attention on us. We're still very early in our plans and can't afford to have the PRA or Sycamore tipped off to our presence. Our spies know what to do, and we will only do essential operations like our sales."
"What about that clusterfuck on Rich Street?" Natalie laughed. "Word on the street is that Faith is gearing up for something big?"
"That works out in our favor because we finally have our in to the 317," Luis said with a nod of his head. "We finally have eyes on the inside, and..."
Luis shrugged.
"I doubt they're going to, I don't know, start a giant war that will consume the city!" Luis laughed before he looked between each member of the group.
"Everything is going to work out just fine."
The Rich Clique, Jiao-Long, & Chunhua Liu.
Introducing Hank Liu by the way.
Interactions: Not an annoying-ass Coven.
The Liu
Estate.The portal flickered in to existence.
Sage was chucked through it and landed on a plush rug. Then Jake and Gabe, adrenaline flowing through their veins, followed by Lin and Jaska. Sylvia entered with a flourish, her guitar slung across her back like a warrior's weapon. Finally, Mika quietly walked in with a flat expression, and Johnny hopped backward through it, landing on his feet with a cocky grin on his face.
The portal flickered out of existence.
"Oh my lord!" Lin said as her eyes scanned the environment. "Wait..."
Then Johnny looked around; they were in the foyer of some mansion. A grand spectacle of a place with high ceilings, white wallpaper, and marble floors and columns. Antique furniture lined the walls, and vibrant paintings depicting serene landscapes hung between portraits of strangely familiar faces.
"Wait... is this the fucking Liu Manor?!" Johnny asked, turning towards Sylvia, who awkwardly grinned and shrugged.
"Hey! You said 'Make a portal'!" Sylvia said, "So that's what I fucking did, Papi!"
"Why the fuck were the Lius the first thing that came to mind?!" Johnny shouted. "Why didn't you take us back to the Valos manor!?"
"Papi, I panicked!" Sylvia laughed. "I was thinking, 'Oh, the Harbor Lounge!' then realized that was a terrible fuckin' idea, Papi! So I had to come up with something else!"
"It was! But-"
"This place has more class than the Valos mansion ever will," Mika said as she walked over to her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder as she said in Cantonese, "Are you okay?"
Lin nodded.
"Yes," Lin replied.
"That's great," Mika turned her head to the rest of the group and said, "Don't get blood everywhere, please."
"Thanks for your fuckin' concern, Mika." Gabe said with a roll of her eyes. "You should have let me tear that bitch up!" Gabe shouted to the group.
"Yes, and burn the building down and have the PRA so far up our ass it's like a colonoscopy!" Johnny threw his hands up into the air. "You know what a federal colonoscopy is like? It ain't fun!"
"Why the fuck did you have to bring up her brother?!" Jake shouted, grasping his neck.
"I didn't even know he was dead!" Gabe replied, throwing her hands up into the air.
"... Oh Lord," Mika said, rolling her eyes. Before she promptly walked away, she said, "I'm going to get some tea. Don't kill each other."
"But still! We don't bring other people's family into shit! You could have said anything else, like call her a hoe!" Jake grasped both sides of his head.
"Everyone knows she's a hoe," Gabe shouted back.
"... What about Sage?" Jaska asked as he flexed his wings, pointing at the unconscious Sage. Then everyone looked at Sage.
"Oh yeah," Gabe shrugged. "We should make sure they're not fucking dead."
"Can Chunhua heal them?" Jake asked Lin.
Two footsteps approached from above, and Jiao-Long placed his hands on the railing and looked down at everyone - Chunhua was right over his shoulder. Everyone looked up at him.
"... What in good name is going on in here?" Jiao-Long asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing, nothing at all," Lin said with a shrug before she pointed a hand at Sage. She spoke to them in Cantonese, "Mother, Father, good evening. I hate that we interrupted."
"It is fine," Jiao-Long said as he looked at Sage. "What happened?"
"We got into a fight at Mirrorland," Lin replied; the last word was spoken in English.
Jiao-Long paused for a moment as he asked,
"... With who?"
Lin looked at every member of her clique before she said in plain English, "... The Sycamore Tree Coven. They attacked us after an argument."
"And I gunned down two of those fuckas'," Johnny then shot Jiao-Long the finger guns. "You're welcome."
"... And knocked out Sage and let Jake get stabbed with a fork," Sylvia teased before getting slightly smacked on the back of the head by Johnny.
Jiao-Long just shook his head.
"You all need to be careful," Jiao-Long began, "Your fight with the 8th St Coven was, what? Less than a week ago?"
"... I mean, they are the Valos," Mika said as she returned to the scene.
"Bitch, your sister's one of us," Gabe said, putting her hands on her hips as she turned toward Mika.
"Hardly, boor," Mika spat back, sneering at Gabe.
"This 'boor's' about to smack the shit-" Gabe said before Jake grabbed her by the bicep.
"Gabe, chill," Jake began, before adding, "... You don't even know what that word means."
"Yes, I do-"
"... What's going on here?" Amidst the shouting and screaming, a young boy no taller than four-ten walked over wearing light-blue pajamas. He rubbed his eyes, and Mika immediately rolled hers.
"Haaaaaank!" Lin said with a smile as she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him. She gave her younger brother a warm smile. "Go back to bed, " she said to him.
"But I heard yelling. That person is unconscious. And he said he gunned down someone," Hank said; he glanced over at Johnny, who gave him a sarcastic salute.
"Just a figure of speech, little man," Johnny grinned. "No big deal."
"Doesn't sound like it," Hank narrowed his eyes.
"It’s late, Hank. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?" Lin sighed, running her hands through his hair, and gave him an assuring smile.
"Hank, listen to your sister," Jiao-Long sternly said. Hank turned towards his father before sighing and nodding.
"Alright..." He glanced back at Lin before whispering, "But you'll tell me later, right?"
Lin gave him a gentle nod. "I promise."
Hank finally went back toward the stairs, glancing over his shoulder. When he was out of earshot, the room fell back into its earlier tension, but Lin sighed and turned towards her mother.
"Look, can you heal Sage?" Lin asked Chunhua.
"It should be no issue if you can get them outside,' Chunhua replied.
Lin pointed her hand at Sage, and they floated through the air, and Lin slowly walked outside.
"When could you do that?" Gabe asked, crossing her arms.
"Since now," Lin sharply answered as she continued outside. Before Chunhua shuffled down the stairs and followed after her.
Jiao-Long, who had been silent, finally spoke, "You are all too reckless. You four wish to be a part of the Elite, correct?"
Jiao-Long raised his hand, cutting off Johnny before he could speak. The look in his eyes was enough to silence any protests.
"You think this is a game?" Jiao-Long continued, "You get into a brawl one week. Then the next week you get into a shooting! You expect your father to just clean up after you? Act like it's all under control? I get what living under his shadow is like, but this isn’t how things work."
"Look, oldhead, we handled-" Johnny's grin faltered.
"You handled nothing," Jiao-Long interrupted, his gaze boring holes into Johnny. "Do you know what would happen if the wrong people saw? The Sycamore Tree Coven isn't some random gang, Johnny. They will retaliate against us for this!"
"They started it," Gabe said, narrowing her eyes at Jiao-Long.
"And you finished it?" Jiao-Long asked. "They won't come after us because you killed two of them? Tell me, did you eliminate all of them? Ensure they won't run back and tell the rest of them what happened?" Jiao-Long raised an eyebrow.
They were silent, and Jiao-Long crossed his arms.
"Figures," Jiao-Long hissed; "In your recklessness, you’re missing the bigger picture." He paused, looking directly at Gabe. "Killing two members of the Sycamore Tree Coven isn’t a victory. It’s an invitation. You’ve started something that we may not be able to contain or control."
Gabe clenched her fists, biting her lip, but remained silent.
"Being part of the Elite means understanding consequences. Magic is not just a weapon to wield when angry or when your pride is hurt. It is a force that can shape this world. And the path you're on leads to destruction. For you and everyone around you."
Johnny opened his mouth to argue, but Jiao-Long’s raised hand silenced him again.
"You four have potential; I won’t deny that. But if you think for a second that I'll stand by and let you recklessly endanger everything we've built... you’re gravely mistaken." Jiao-Long’s voice dropped to a low, dangerous tone. "If you continue down this path - brawling in public, spilling blood - I will personally make sure your induction into the Elite never happens."
"But, Papi! Those motherfuckers attacked us! Were we supposed to let it happen?" Sylvia spoke up, tilting her head.
"And what do you think letting loose achieves?" Jiao-Long said, tilting his head. "You all think you are still teenagers, and think your actions will just be thrown under the rug without consequences. No. You're all adults now. You are no longer representing yourselves, but your families - and by extension, The Elite. If the Coven retaliates, it could start a war! A war we cannot afford to lose."
Jiao-Long shook his head, “The Elite is already dysfunctional enough! We already have to deal with Schmidt's impulsive children, and those two psychopaths the Pimms barely keep leashed half the time. The Elite doesn't need more people adding to the chaos when we're barely keeping together as is! It would be best if you learned to think before acting. Otherwise, you’ll find yourselves out of options and time.”
With that, Jiao-Long walked away, disappearing into the mansion's halls.
"... He has a point," Jake agreed.
"Look, he does," Johnny wiped his face. "Just not the point he thinks he does."
"So, what now?" Gabe asked.
"Look," Johnny paused. "Let's just... call it a night. I'm going to see if I can get another meeting with Isaac. Just keep your heads down, please?"
They all nodded before they left the Liu Estate.
Isaac Kane
Aaron walked outside of the house and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. His eyes scanned the night to see if anyone was watching and swapped to his other form for safety. She pulled a cigarette from the pack and lit it. She inhaled deeply and immediately felt a small nicotine rush fall over her mind. She looked at her hand and smirked. That was some fancy magic that person had. She would need to be very careful if she ever fought them again. She exhaled the smoke as she took a seat on the ground and pulled her legs in tight as she began to think about the coming struggles.
“... You smokin’ without me?” Aryin heard Isaac Kane's familiar voice behind her. When she turned around, he was wearing another well-fitted black suit. He had an unlit cigar in between his lips as he quickly lit it. “Prefer these, though. More class if you ask me.” He laughed.
“Told you I’d find you, didn’t I?”
”They are classier but there’s something about a crappy cigarette,” Aryin paused as she exhaled and looked up to Isaac, ”especially on nights like tonight. You’re fast,” Aryin said with a smirk. ”Shall I grab my checkbook?”
“Hold on, since what I’m about to tell you is unsourced, I don’t feel like it’d be fair to charge you,” Isaac began, before he grinned. “... But, tips are appreciated.”
”Oh I can give you a tip.”]
“Yeah, I’ll cut to the chase,” Isaac began, “The Elite employed those who attacked you, Blake Schmidt’s new lackeys known as Sentinel Solutions. He’s been paying them big money to go around and mug people of their artifacts.”
He took a few steps in front of Aryin before saying, “It was a test. They want to draw Greenwood out because they want back the axe that ya’ boy James carries.”
”Wait, wait,” Aryin paused as they shot out, ”we weren’t even the mark? They did all that damage in the hope that it would draw Greenwood into the fight?” Aryin inhaled deeply as they looked at Isaac. ”Which means that going forward they may attack us again, may attack the coven, just to try and find a way to get that axe back.” Aryin sighed as they finished the cigarette and put it out under their feet. They knew they would need to get this information to the 317, verified or otherwise.
”How did the elite get Scott Reese involved? Did you uncover anything relating to him?”
“Don’t know,” Isaac said. “Last I heard, Scott Reese was in Das Sonnenrad. Disappeared after it went down. Just popped back up the other night.”
”Does the Elite have any artifacts that you know of that could level the playing field against Scott, at either the island or the Emperor? Or would I need a checkbook for that question?”
“Well, that depends on how much you value your - or the 317’s - secrets, Aryin. The Elite’s got a few toys up their sleeves, but I’d say most of them are more flashy than effective against someone like Scott.” Isaac shrugged.
”What do you mean about our secrets?”
Isaac’s smirk widened as he took a long drag from his cigar, “... You still don’t get it, do you?” He started, “Information? It’s more valuable than any magic or artifact because what good is having all of that if you don’t know where to put it? Why do you think Kari was so valuable? Why do you think people want to know what she knows so badly?” He raised an eyebrow.
"Information is everything, Aryin. It's not just the ‘who’s got what’ or ‘who’s on the move’ kind of stuff. That’s useful, sure. But I’m talking about the kind of power that wins wars before a single shot is fired, the kind of knowledge that lets you win a fight without even showing up."
Isaac tapped his cigar and let the ashes and embers fall peacefully to the ground, "information? It’s like currency. Everyone trades it, buys it, sells it. But not all currency is equal. Some info is like a pocket full of pennies - enough of it can still get you something… eventually. Then, you got gold bars in a world of inflation. And that’s where secrets come in." Isaac then took a few steps forward and closed his eyes.
“Secrets are the currency that matters the most. They’re rare, protected, hidden. And the more dangerous they are, the more valuable they become. They’re the insider trading of our world - knowing someone’s breaking point, their weaknesses, the skeletons they thought were buried too deep ever to see daylight again. You can turn nations with a single secret. It’s why people will kill to keep or spend fortunes to learn them."
Isaac opened his eyes and turned his torso to look at Aryin over his shoulder, "Artifacts are just tools. Powers? They’re weapons. But secrets? Secrets are control. Control over what people do, what they think, how they react. You don’t win wars with brute strength alone; you win them with leverage. And leverage is built on secrets."
He gave Aryin the biggest shit-eating grin as he looked at her over his shoulder.
“So, tell me some of the 317’s dirty little secrets, and I’ll give you exactly what you want,” Isaacc then shrugged. “If not, then that’s fine. I hope you got that checkbook on hand, though!” He started laughing.
”Those secrets are not mine to spill. What would the bill be if I didn’t tell you a secret,” Aryin joked as they pondered if they should ever share that dirty little secret.
“Always the professional, I like you,” Isaac said, laughing as he walked a slow circle around Aryin, and tapped the ashes off his cigar. “Since you’re asking for straight numbers, and this is a somewhat vital piece of information… [i]Fifty grand.[i] Cash. No checks, no installments.”
He paused, looking at Aryin over his shoulder, “And before you start thinking that’s steep, consider what you’re up against. When it comes to folks like Blake Schmidt and his merry band of rich psychos, you're not just buying information from me. You’re buying time. And trust me when I say…" Isaac leaned in closer,
"... Time is running out."
” What if I introduce you to someone who can make the determination on the secret, or get the cash for the payment” Aryin asked as their eyes watched Isaac as he circled her, a small smirk spreading across their face.
Isaac raised an eyebrow.
“.... I’m listening.”
”I am going to get in contact with leadership after we finish talking. I could introduce your services, get the foot in the door so to speak, and from there they can decide how much this information is worth. I think they will find value in knowing how to handle that monster.”
Isaac rubbed his chin.
“... I like the sound of that.” He chuckled, extending a hand.
”I thought you would,” Aryin shook his hand as she smirked even wider. ”How do I get back in contact with you? Or will you find me again?”
Isaac reached into his suit pocket and offered Aryin his card with his contact information.
”I‘ll be in touch,” Aryin said as she grabbed the card.
Isaac nodded his head before he walked away.
The Greenwood Coven, & The 317.
Interactions: None.
Overlooking Elysium Island.The rain beat on… Though, this wasn’t a natural rainstorm. Ruby knew precisely what it was. The Greenwood Coven stood on the cliffside, which gave a great view of the Elite Headquarters: Elysium Island. However, it was obscured by a thick, swirling storm. Ruby held her branch tightly as she narrowed her eyes.
“... They have the Eustis Veil active,” Pearl noted.
“They are up to something,” Ruby noted.
“How do we know they haven’t caught someone else on the island?” Jessica asked.
“Then it would be the perfect time to get in there and leave with their artifacts,” Ruby hit her blunt.
“Man they are probably havin’ one of them freakoffs!” James grinned, only to get elbow jabbed by Naomi.
“Maybe it has something to do with Sycamore?” Naomi shrugged.
“I’m learning where Sycamore goes,” Faith spoke up as she approached, “chaos always is right behind. My money is on chaos brewing for Sycamore.”
Ruby looked over her shoulder.
”Especially after what happened tonight,” Aryin said as she walked over to James and punched him in the arm. James laughed.
“Fascinating,” Summer said as she walked over to the edge of the cliff and pulled her steampunk inspired glasses from her bag. Her hand glowed a golden glow and soon that energy infused the glasses. She put them on her eyes and soon the lenses extended out. She began to look at the island in more detail.
“Thank you Ruby, once again, for being to meet on such short notice,” Faith said as she walked up to Ruby, “I have news to share.”
Ruby took a long drag of her blunt, blowing it out as she asked, “Lemme guess; the cult of rich assholes are up to no good?”
“No good at all,” Faith sighed as she put her hands on her hips, “they were the ones who attacked us. And they didn’t do it for our artifacts.”
”They did it to draw you out to get the axe,” Aryin added as she crossed her arms.
“The fuck?!” James shouted.
But, Ruby couldn’t help but laugh, “... Of course those little rich pissbabies couldn’t live with their L.” Ruby laughed.
“Well…” Pearl shrugged. “I take it we’re going to counterattack?”
Greenwood went silent as they all looked at each other.
“We have to,” Ruby said. “They are going to keep pushing us… If we let them.”
“You won’t be alone,” Faith responded as the corners of her mouth curled downward. “Those fuckers attacked our building, hurt my friends, and assaulted Aryin again tonight. They’re lucky I’m out of the monster making business.”
“How does the Veil work,” Summer asked as the lenses zoomed in.
“The Eustis Veil works by creating a defensive storm that blocks teleportation,” Pearl explained. “However, disabling it is easy.”
“Getting past the Eye of Ankhara is the tricky part,” Ruby nodded.
“Where’s the eye,” Summer asked.
Ruby shrugged.
“... On the island.”
“I know that,” Summer said with a sigh, “where on the island? Is it out in the open or obscured?”
James put a hand on Summer’s shoulder.
“What our perpetually high friend is trying to say is,” James raised a finger. “... We don't know.”
“We raided the island a year ago before the Das Sonnenrad war,” Pearl said.
“Yeah! We almost died!” Jess said, laughing.
“If it wasn't for our late member, Lyric Brown, we wouldn’t have made it off,” Pearl nodded. “She had a plan to get back onto the island…”
“... But, with all of her artifacts gone, we can’t pull it off,” Ruby hissed. “Probably on the island.”
“Tell me more about what the Eye of Ankhara does,” Summer asked as she took off the glasses, “I doubt I can make something to get past it, but I can try on short notice.”
“What does it do again?” Ruby asked.
“Essentially emits a field of sound waves that, if disrupted, will illuminate your aura for the whole island to see,” Pearl said. “Moving too fast, making too much noise, and using magic will activate it.”
“That’s a tough thing to get around. I don’t have an idea how to disable that,” Summer responded with a sigh.
“We find it, then smash it!” Jessica laughed.
”Scott Reese is always going to be our biggest threat,” Aryin paused, ”them being alive is already super fucked for the future. Them seemingly fighting with the fuckers down there means that any attack is likely doomed to fail.”
Ruby was momentarily silent, “... Both 8th St and Greenwood combined couldn’t beat that fucker. Their portal bitch had to get rid of him.”
“However, he can only transform at night,” Pearl nodded.
“So the best time to take him out is now,” Naomi added.
”Wait how long has he been back,” Aryin asked as her mouth dropped.
“We don't know how long he’s been gone!” James laughed.
“We fought him a few times when we threw hands with Das Sonnenrad,” Ruby answered, taking a drag of her blunt. “Guess he decided to clean up his act.”
”He should’ve died ten years ago,” Aryin groaned as she put her hands on her head, ”I thought we ended him,” Aryin groaned again.
“No time like the present,” Ruby shrugged. “Guess it’s just one more mess ol’ Sycamore left us with.”
”In our defense we were just kids, many who just kindled due to the snake,” Aryin paused as a small smile crossed her face, ”one minute I was a dude living my best life, the next I was a girl fighting monsters and talking hits that broke the others. We had no idea what we were doing,” she looked towards Ruby, ”we did the best we could against the monsters we faced.”
”Where was everyone else? We faced that shit alone.”
“Were kids?” James gave Aryin the biggest shit-eating kid. “Some of ya’ll-” He got jabbed by Naomi’s elbow.
“... She’s not wrong,” Naomi agreed.
“Living our best lives,” Ruby shrugged. “We had no clue what was going on until way later.”
“Look, Sycamore is not to blame for any of this, Ruby,” Pearl nodded. “At least not the previous version.”
“Yeah, let’s focus on what we can change,” Jess said. “Not pointing fingers.”
”Agreed,” Aryin said as they looked towards Ruby, ”how can we help with this?”
“Sycamore?” Jess asked, scrunching her face up. “Would they even help us?”
”You guys coming to our meeting today?”
Ruby tilted her head, “... There’s a meeting?”
“What Ruby means is; yes, Greenwood will be attending,” Pearl added..
”Good. You’ll learn what Sycamore has in store. I know I wont be able to do the plan justice but Sycamore has something in store for the fucks down there,” Aryin said with a shit eating grin.
Ruby grinned.
“... Well, I guess it’s time for bird girl to back up her shit talk,” Ruby laughed. “Because Sycamore ‘boutta enter the big leagues.”
”Lila has surprised me thus far. That slut better keep it up. We need it,” Aryin paused at they chuckled. ”She is looking more bird girl, you’re right.”
“I assume your people are ready for what’s coming next, right?” Ruby asked, putting a hand on her hip.
”Yes. Whatever happens next will be chaotic,” Aryin paused as they smirked, ”that is Sycamore’s natural element.”
The Coastal Harbor Mall.”I haven’t been here since I’m a kid,” Aryin said as they walked through the doors of The Coastal Harbor mall.
“Not much has changed. These malls are, and always been, a blight. The pretzels are pretty good though,” Faith responded as the two made their way towards the food court, finding a large table, and sitting down. “They should be here any minute.”
”We have much to discuss,” Aryin responded with a smirk.
And on cue, Ruby showed up… wearing a red hoodie and sweatpants combo with a baseball cap on. Yet, Ruby wasn’t alone, accompanied by the entourage of Jess and Pearl alongside Naomi and Autumn. As she sat down at the same table as the rest of them, Ruby said.
“... You know, a fucking mall isn’t what I had in mind for a tense, important meeting,” Ruby laughed.
“The baseheads add ambiance, you know!” Jess grinned.
“So, we’re supposed to be meeting our giant friend from Sycamore here?” Ruby said, cracking a wry grin as she leaned forward and interlocked her fingers. “Well, where is she?”
A few moments later, Britney Williams approached, wearing a white sundress, a tan sunhat, and some tan loafers. She smiled,
”Heeeeeeeey, it’s great to see you all,” Britney began sitting down by Aryin, before turning her attention to Faith. ”Faith, right? It’s great to meet you.”
She extended a hand.
Faith reached out and shook it. “Sycamore, pleasure to meet you as well. I’ve met many from your coven over the past few weeks. Thank you for joining us on such short notice.”
”Heard you met the wonderful Linqian,” Britney laughed. ”But, let’s get to business… I heard you all got information on our mutual rich headache. Also heard that you all had a plan for dealing with them?”
“Linqian was a… delight. She’s strong though so she helped save our asses.” Faith paused as she rubbed her temple. “For those rich fucks we’ll just hit them fast,” Faith chuckled as she paused as she looked towards Ruby, “she’s the one who has more insight into dealing with the mutual rich headache.”
Britney’s gaze landed on Ruby, who was silent. The latter leaned back in her seat, and then shrugged.
“... My plan is basically to drop their gay little storm veil, and then we rush in and burn the island to the ground.”
Britney gave Ruby an awkward, broad smile, showing all of her teeth.
”... Are you for real? Like deadass?”
“Yes,” Ruby shrugged again. “All of those rich fucks - or at least the important ones - are probably on that island right now. We drop the Eustis Veil, and then we open with Jess and James lighting the bitch up from a distance, then we charge in and kill 'em all.”
Ruby raised a knee on her seat before wrapping her hands around it.
“Daylight apparently makes their monster weak, and daylight also gives us her magic,” Faith paused as she pointed towards Jess, who gave Faith the thumbs up, “plus it keeps our element of surprise. From what I’ve been told they’ve struck first by attacking us. I want to make sure that when we strike back they stay down for fucking good.”
”But, there are some artifacts on the island that Sycamore needs,” Britney noted, staying silent for a moment. ”What will you do about them?”
“... Take them, naturally,” Ruby shrugged. “I figure Greenwood, the 317, and… Sycamore - if they can pull it together long enough to participate - splits whatever we pillage three ways.”
“But, whatever artifact you need, we will give it to you as long as you help us,” Pearl said with a nod.
“Alliances are fun, are they not,” Faith sighed as she leaned back in her chair, “like they said. As long as everyone pulls their weight I see no reason why we can’t share the spoils. There may be artifacts I’m after as well, I just need to decide if the cost is worth a meeting with a shady information broker.”
”... Isaac Kane?” Britney raised an eyebrow.
”He came and saw me after I got home,” Aryin looked over to Britney, ”we were attacked by a group called Sentinel Solutions the other night. All of it was an attempt to get an artifact back from Greenwood. Isaac doesn’t know if there’s anything there that can touch Scott, but,” Aryin sighed as she cupped her face with her hands.
“We won’t know for sure unless I pay fifty grand,” Faith rolled her eyes at the thought, “but if there’s a chance that one of them would allow me to fucking murder that Nazi and turn his corpse into a monster than I think fifty grand might be a small price to pay for that satisfaction. Alas,” Faith paused as she raised her hands. “I’m out of that business now so I might just have to savor his death.”
”I mean it’s one hell of a gamble, not going to lie,” Britney awkwardly laughed.
“... And I mean; who the hell else could it even be?” Ruby asked, raising an eyebrow. “I say we go there anyway because…”
Ruby let her words hang in the air as she dramatically paused.
“... Even if they haven’t already, they will find a reason to fuck with you all,” Ruby leaned back in her seat. “That’s how those rich fucks be. They just try ya’ll just for the sake of trying ya’ll.“
“I know you guys are dealing with a wolf in y’all’s hen house but this is also a problem that will come to affect you. If they came for us, how long will it be until they come for you? For your artifacts, for your secrets,” Faith added as she looked at Aryin than Britney. “So. I think this is what we need to do. I’ll pay the devil for information, see if there’s anything that can stop Scott at their locations, when we attack them we do it as one. Greenwood, Sycamore, and the 317 covens acting as one. We take out their knees, take what makes them strong, and make them regret ever trying to push their influence into our town. After the fight,” Faith paused as she looked towards Ruby, "Sycamore gets their artifacts, we get ours, and Greenwood can have their fill.”
Aryin was hung up on one singular word, their head twisting and turning as they tried to make sense of what they heard. ”Is the 317 a coven now,” Aryin asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Fuck.”
“Might as well,” Ruby shrugged. “When we take 8th out of the picture, we can be like a Coven… triumvirate.”
“Man you don’t even know what that word means!” Naomi laughed.
”What I’m wondering is… do ya’ll have any plan past taking the Eustis Veil out and slugging it out,” Britney said with a nod of her head. ”Getting into the Veil itself will be a challenge…”
“... Unless we give them a reason to drop it,” Ruby grinned.
“I suppose there’s no harm in talking through it. We give them a reason to drop it, how so,” Faith asked as she smiled.
“We have been tracking movements in and out of Elysium Island,” Ruby began. “There are a few members of their rich cult that are not on the island at the moment… I suggest that we scare them onto Elysium Island.”
Ruby let her words hang in the air.
“We give them a big enough scare that they haul ass onto the island, forcing them to drop the motherfucker. It might be a small ass window, but the second it’s dropped, Jess and James unleash holy hell onto the island, and we teleport there and take it from there.”
”Maybe a few of the 317 can be the ones who scare them,” Aaron added as he swapped forms, ”we were attacked, revenge is fresh on all of our minds. It would make sense that we lash out at the first rich bitch we run across. We could have Alex with us to get us to the island after you guys start the fight. You’d just need to bring a painting with you.”
“Amelia can get us on the island afterward,” Ruby said, “But, otherwise, have at them. Long as you got them running scared.”
Then Ruby turned towards Britney, “I presume you have your way onto the island?”
Britney awkwardly laughed.
”... Yeah, he just talks a lot.”
“You can hitch a ride with us,” Naomi added. “It’s not like Amelia can’t handle it.”
“So a few of us will prime the powder keg, and you’ll all light the fuse. After it explodes, and the Veil is taken down, what happens? Do we just fight through whatever happens or is there going to be a plan,” Faith asked as she looked towards Ruby, “I like plans. If we don’t have a plan and have to improvise that is going to make my hair fall out but I guess I’ll learn to deal with it.”
“Hey, if we don’t know what we’re doing, neither will they,” Ruby laughed, then shrugged.
”As fun as that sounds, I would like to devise some sort of plan that doesn’t involve rushing in there like a bunch of crackfiends,” Britney laughed. ”How about we split up into two groups… One group raises hell on the island to keep their attention above ground while another slips in from behind.”
“I have an idea,” Naomi said, “If we’re going to scare one of those MFs onto the island, then how about I tag along?”
”How?” Britney tilted her head.
“I never told you - or used it - but I can transform into an itsy bitsy spider,” Naomi said. “So small, I can cling onto someone’s clothes or hair without them knowing.”
“It’s risky, tho’,” Ruby said.
“And you end up booty-out naked!” Jess laughed.
Naomi scoffed, “If I can get somewhere vital… Then it’s worth it.”
”That could work,” Aaron leaned forward, ”we scare the pour idiot we come across. You hitch a ride back with them. Would you be detected by the eye?”
Naomi shrugged.
“Not sure,” Naomi answered.
”If you don't mind me intruding,” Britney began. ”What’s ‘The Eye’?”
“The Eye of Ankhara,” Ruby answered.
”Oooooh, they have that…” Britney trailed off, ”It’s extra sensitive to magic being used, so it probably will set it off.”
“That’s why I think we should just go in for a shock-and-awe,” Ruby said. “All that’s going to happen is we’re going to get caught and then we start swinging.”
”But, the Eye only has a radius of a mile,” Britney said. ”Elysium Island is way bigger than just a mile.”
”Maybe we can use the time while the veil is down to get everyone on the island outside the radius of the Eye. Once we’re all on the island and coordinated we can go scorched earth,” Aaron added.
“And that depends on how long it’s down,” Ruby said with a nod. “We don’t get time to fuck around. Everyone’s gotta be on their shit.” She looked around at everyone before her eyes landed on Britney for a second.
Before she turned to Faith.
“... You said you had ‘fresh blood,’ right?” Ruby asked. “We can depend on them, right?”
”Fresh to the active ranks but a few of them have seen quite a bit of action,” Aaron paused as he glanced towards Britney.
“A few have, and a few more are green around the gills or not very useful in a fight,” Faith added, “I trust them to be dependable.”
“Your faith in me is always appreciated,” Cyrus interjected as he slid into an empty chair, a grin on his face. He examined every Greenwood member with a devilish look in his eyes. He was dressed well, with a well fitting white button up shirt overtop simple black chinos, “thank you again for saving my ass the other night. I’m Cyrus.”
“No problem, boy!” Naomi laughed, waving her hand.
“Yeah, saving asses is what we do,” Jess smiled at Cyrus.
“... Because how else will I eat them then?” Ruby monotony said.
“Sadly they did save you. Oh how I looked forward to calling on your ghost. Hi, um, I’m Olivia,” Olivia added as she walked up to the table. Wearing a cute denim overall, with a white shirt underneath, and a pair of red high top converse.. At first she did not understand why Cyrus had wanted to bring a group to the mall but she now understood as her eyes fixated on Britney’s. Instantly memories flooded to her mind of the fight against the snake, the bullshit that followed, and the text she ignored from Auri.
“I should’ve known,” Leah added as she crossed her arms as she stood to the side off Ruby, her thick French accent painfully present, “you truly didn’t need help picking out new clothes. I’m Leah.” This was particularly egregious. Her fashion was impeccable. The dark shirt was oversized, yes, but the tight fitting striped shirt that ran to her wrist made up for that fact. The yellow high waisted skirt commanded attention, and the tights underneath and large black platform boots simply complimented the whole fit. The fact that this man lied to her to just get her to come out here infuriated her.
“Cyrus, Olivia, Leah,” Faith spoke as her eyes narrowed, “what a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?”
“Monica talks a lot without realizing, have you ever noticed that? She told me you and Aaron were meeting our saviors today, by saying a big meeting was happening at the mall, and I wanted to bring all the fresh blood to them,” Cyrus smirked as he leaned back, “so they could see who they’re working with.”
“You didn’t even bring everyone,” Faith sighed.
“Riley said he was tasked with guarding the artifacts and a ‘good soldier follows orders’,” Cyrus said as he used finger quotes to drive home the point, “and Monica said malls are a symbol of American capitalism and by entering one you contribute to the continual erosion of the small business dream. Everyone else is here though so you’re welcome.”
“Well thank you for your help Cyrus. I don’t know what I was thinking of bringing you into the fold,” Faith muttered as she grabbed at her hair, “but you are right. It is good for Greenwood and Sycamore to see who we’ve added. Where are the others?”
“Nearby. They will be here soon,” Leah responded quickly, “I think.” As she finished taking the telltale ding of a text message played out from her phone, pulling her attention away from the table. She pulled the message open and saw it was from the babysitter, they sent a photo of her two children eating their meal. They looked happy, filled with joy, and okay. Leah took a big breath and exhaled with a smile.
As the conversation went down, Britney leaned into Aaron and whispered, ”... Let’s hope the fresh blood can keep from bleeding all over the place.” Before she turned towards Olivia and smiled.
”Something on your mind, Liv?” Britney smiled. ”... Did you ever find that Snake?” She darkly laughed.
“I thought that was you,” Olivia smirked slightly as she shook her head. She hadn’t been called Liv in nearly a decade and the name made a smile spread across her face, “I did not. I’ve been looking for it over the last ten years. How have you been? You look like you’re doing good.”
Britney incredulously laughed.
”... Yeah, I ‘look like’ I am,” Britney responded.
“That bad, huh?”
”My hair is greying,” Britney laughed.
“I’ve heard through the grapevine,” Olivia’s eyes flicked towards Aryin before they landed back on Britney, “that things have been rough.” Her eyes once again flicked to the side, this time resting on Leah, before coming back to Britney, “is there anything I can do to help track down the killer?”
Three women approached… The first was a skinny Spanish woman,, except instead of sitting at the table or going anywhere near the group, she decided to lean up against a table across from them. She smiled at them from underneath her pink hoodie and slid her hands into her pockets. However, the other two approached the table, notably, a very tall and dark woman wearing a trench coat, who calmly sat down.
Everyone stared at her for a moment.
“... I’m Lucia. It is great to meet you all,” she said, then gave them the finger waggle.
“Lily!” The girl with the dreads shouted. “I think it’s best if I stay over here!”
Then an average, a heightened girl with pronounced facial features walked over. She wore an all-cyan tracksuit that clung to her features tightly and an expression that screamed that coming here was a bother. She didn’t make a grand scene; she just sat down and started playing with her phone.
“Jasmine.
“It’s great to meet all of ya’ll,” Ruby monotone said.
“Hey, maybe we can throw a party once this is over!” Jess laughed.
“Why can’t we find people like that.”
”So we’re really doing this,” Britney said as she glanced around the table. ”Y’all crazy.” She laughed before her eyes met Faith’s, then Ruby’s.
”But before we start the Fall of Rome Two,I gotta ask...” Britney turned towards Ruby, ”How sure are we that they’ll drop the Veil? Scaring them onto the island is one thing, but what if they don’t drop it? What if they see it coming? What then?” Britney put both of her hands up.
“Look, love,” Ruby gave Britney a dull look. “You’re relying way too much on plans and shit here… typically how it goes is; we make a super complex master plan, something unexpected hits us, and then everything goes titties up.”
”... And that’s my point,” Britney sighed, massaging her temples. ”What happens if they don’t… play along?”
“What do you suggest, Britney, what would you do if you were in charge of this assault,” Faith asked with a raised eyebrow.
“We should have convinced the soldier to abandon his post,” Leah sighed as she looked up from the phone. She was doing her best to hide a creeping panic that was threatening to consume her. Leah knew that no matter what she could not put herself in that much risk, but at the same time she needed to meet more of this Sycamore coven as they were the only ones working to get revenge on that father wolf. Her eyes slid back down to her phone.
“His perspective would’ve been good to have,” Faith paused as she looked over to Ruby, then back to Britney. “You know what? We have a big problem with the attack on this island. The plan to get in works. But we need to make sure we can get back off. What if we spit into smaller teams when we begin the shock and awe? One team ensures the veil is taken offline, another goes for the artifacts, one team acts as support, one team acts as a decoy to draw their fury, while the rest stay back and engage and support from range. I don’t know, break the problem down into smaller chunks.”
”Would these teams like…” Britney said, waving her hands around as she tried to find the right words. ”... Be a mixture of the three factions, or we’re just going to delegate each faction to a task?”
“What would give us the best chance at victory,” Faith asked as she looked towards Ruby, “I think whatever gives us the best chance is the route we take. If that means we mix and match we mix and match.”
Ruby nodded.
“Can we trust Sycamore to be on their shit?” Ruby asked.
”Yes,” Britney nodded. ”We can arrange for a big meeting between our leadership and Sycamore so we can come up with a plan.”
“I trust my Sycamores, and the ones they’re close to,” Faith added as she looked towards Aaron and smiled, “Octavia’s brother is in Sycamore, Aislin is doing both, the crew likes doing the pub crawl with them. I don’t know if I trust Sycamore as a whole but I trust enough of those in it.”
”Sycamore doesn’t trust Sycamore,” Britney laughed, before her expression went flat. ”I’m not gonna lie to you here; Sycamore is a mess. We’re getting murdered, we got our problems, and some people clearly don’t want it to work. But, if somebody motivates them, we can get shit done ”
“Plus with Sycamore diluted amongst our crews there’s less chance for them to fight themselves, you know,” Faith chuckled as she shook her head. What a mess. What a colossal mess. “The after party better be lit. We’ll need it.”
“Oh yay, who’s job will motivating them fall to?”
”Trust me,” Britney smiled at Aryin. ”Leave that to me.”
Faith tossed Olivia a side eye, and Olivia got the message as she held up a hand as she backed off.
”Well we can start by making sure the problems are not on the same team. Drake and Sloane, Lynn and Linqian, and so on can not be in the same group,” Aryin added as they swapped back.
“... And keep that white-haired dolt the fuck away from us,” Ruby narrowed her eyes, before glancing at Naomi. “Especially away from Naomi.”
”That’s also implying everyone comes, but we should try to keep the people who work well together,” Britney said.
“So we got a bit more of a plan. How about that,” Faith sighed as she looked at Aryin. She wondered if she was making a terrible mistake. She looked to Ruby, then to the new members of her crew, and then back to Britney. “A fair point. When we know more about the headcount we can plan our teams out a bit more. I guess the only other thing I want to ensure is that we’re off that island and away from them before nightfall. I do not want to face Scott Reese again. How do we ensure we can teleport out, and how do we coordinate our departure?.”
“All we have to do is make sure the Eustis Veil stays off,” Ruby said with a nod. “And our teleporters alive and safe.”
”And if they turn it back on and turning it back off isn’t feasible? If they bumrush our teleporters?” Britney asked. ”The Eustis Veil is tough to destroy.”
“... Hope you can swim,” Ruby shrughed.
“What if we dedicate a group either to taking the Eustis Veil, or guarding it once we turn it off?” Naomi said with a shrug. “That way, it’s a non-issue.”
“And as for coordinating, we just need to decide on a signal of some sort,” Ruby said. “Something we can broadcast across the island without relying on a singular person or place.”
“What about flare guns,” Faith asked as she thought outside the box. “Not based on any person or any lux. Can be seen across the island. Give one to each group. And if it’s hard to destroy we’d need to dedicate some serious strength to protect it, we’d also need to dedicate some strength to protecting our supports to ensure we can leave.
”Four teams,” Aryin interjected, raising four fingers, ”support, agro, artifacts, and Veil.”
“We should have enough healers to cover all the groups,” Faith added.
”Just to be safe,” Britney said, ”We should give each group as many flareguns as possible. Ideally everyone gets one.”
Ruby nodded.
“... I can ask Lynette-” Britney rolled her eyes “-to give us some, but I asked for a pretty big favor last time.”
”Also, how many healers do we all have?” Britney began. ”Sycamore has one.”
“Greenwood’s got two, but one of them is more of an ‘off-healer’,” Ruby nodded
“We have two,” Faith added.
”... And how many teleporters do we have?” Britney said. ”Sycamore has two but I’m not sure if Jack can mass teleport in the window we’re going to get.”
“Like I said, Greenwood has Amelia,” Ruby said.
“We have one,” Faith responded, “though we’ll need to bring a painting to use them,” Faith paused as an idea hit her mind, “is the veil able to be moved? I think I just figured out how to get the Veil off the board. If it can’t be moved can we fit a painting around it?”
Britney laughed,
”I mean, it’s a big ass hunk of stone,” Britney started, ”You’re going to need a big ass painting to fit around it.”
“Can’t we just blow it up?” Naomi asked, raising her eyebrows.
”That’s a possibility, too,” Britney said, ”Probably would be easier than trying to move it unless ya’ll want to use it.”
“Let’s just blow it up,” Faith responded. She sighed as she wondered if such an object could help Sycamore against Father Wolf.
”Yup! Let’s just destroy a valuable artifact!” Britney began laughing. ”I mean, better safe than sorry. It could be used against us later.”
“I’ll shove the whole thing up Blake’s ass,” Ruby said.
Faith turned towards Britney. “Would that artifact help you against Father Wolf?”
”Probably not,” Britney started. ”Not as much as the Map of the Drunken Sailor would be.”
Britney then shrugged, ”... You know the Eustis Veil isn’t infallible, it also makes you crazy the longer you stay under it!”
“Then it should be destroyed,” Faith finally, and definitively, said.
“So, is there anything else we need to discuss?” Ruby asked, “We have to disseminate this information to our respective groups and organize…”
“Nothing else here,” Faith said as she looked towards Britney, “well, one thing. After we fucking embarrass these rich fucks, burn their island and steal their shit, how do we fucking celebrate?”
Britney shrugged.
”A nice little party, you know. Music. Drinks. Dance. Y’know.”
“’A little party’ is what I call an orgy, babe,” Ruby said as Pearl, Jess, Naomi, and Autumn, facepalmed.
“Please no.”
Interactions: None.
Coastal Harbor Mall: Rooftop.After the meeting with Greenwood and the 317, Britney brought her ass to the rooftop - not before urging a meeting with Jack. The simulated beach was the best part of this place when she was a kid… but now it doesn’t hit the same. They got rid of all the good stores, and they refused to get rid of all the junkies. Though, that wasn’t important… She stood up, hands against the railing as she watched the waves. In the distance, she could see the Eustis Veil active over Elysium Island. She knew the Coven was going there one way or another. So, she figured it should be on their terms.
Jack appeared in the blink of an eye, behind her and walked closer. ”Britney.”
Britney smiled as she turned towards Jack.
”Jack, thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” Britney started, ”Trust me, it’s very important… First, you know Auri is dead, right?”
”...No, I didn’t” He frowned. ”Since when?”
”As of last night, Aryin and I found her alongside Be and Todd,” Britney sighed. ”... Which means Father Wolf is no longer going after people who are just alone.”
Shit.
He sighed. ”We’ll tell the others as soon as we can. But for now, you called me for something else. What is it?”
”So, to make this brief - something you can learn from! - Lynn put me in the direction of two artifacts in St. Portwell - the Mirror on the Wall and the Map of the Drunken Sailor - that can help us find Father Wolf, but Blake Schmidt and his cult of rich assholes have it.” Britney began before she pointed at the veil of swirling storms in the distance.
”It’s on Elysium Island, but we have two big problems. Problem numero uno is Greenwood and the 317 plan to raise holy hell on the island. Ruby is talking about razing the whole island to the ground. She’s way more intense than I thought. While they said that they’ll give us a cut of the artifacts they have on there, I don’t think it’s going to work out like that.”
Britney shook her head, ”One I don’t trust them to give us a fair share or even what we need - they are two powerful artifacts, after all - and two, Ruby is literally talking about nuking the island as the opening attack. From how Ruby’s talking, she’s more concerned with taking the Elite out of the picture than securing the artifacts.”
Britney leaned her behind against the railing, ”And problem number two is that the House of Cards Mafia was going to decipher the notes for the Elite the whole time. I’m not sure if Luna was trying to play us, but Greyson killed her…”
She shook her head.
”We should consider the House of Cards an enemy from here on out.”
Jack nodded, taking all that in. ”I warned the 317 against frontal assaults, but they aren’t idiots… How does Greenwood plan to do this? Do they think the island isn’t guarded?”
”Well, the Elite has the Eustis Veil up, do I need to give you a crash course on that, or…?” Britney asked.
”A sealed Apparition that halts teleportation,” he answered. ”I’ve heard of it.”
”The Greenwood Plan is basically to bully some members of the Elite onto the Island so they drop it to let them in, and then quickly teleport onto it while it’s down. Once they get on, everyone will split up into four groups… One will either take the Eustis Veil off Elysium Island or make sure they don’t turn it back on. Another will run underground to their artifact vault. One group to support. And another group to draw their attention. Then they will vaporize the mansion using their abstractions, and it’s on from then on.”
”Have they asked us to help them? Or did you simply hear about this at the last minute? I could teleport them in and out easily, if they need it.”
”They did ask for our help,” Britney said with a nod. ”But a little bit of the second thing, y’know. But, that brings me to my point…”
She cleared her throat, ”... We need the Map of the Drunken Sailor. We need the Mirror on the Wall. I honestly have no idea of how we will find and stop Father Wolf otherwise, and at this rate, Father Wolf will take out more of us than who will survive.”
Britney sighed, ”I can tell the Coven at large about all this, but they won’t listen. People like Sloane will be more worried about trying to take over the Coven. People like Blackmore and Kenshiro are too busy trying to pin this on me because their heads are up their asses. But they’ll listen to you.”
Britney paused for a moment.
”The reason why I asked you to come here is because, if we’re going to finally come out of this with something, YOU need to tell them. Please, Jack…” She sighed, grasping her forehead.
”They trust me more than they trust you. I understand that.” Of all the things that Jack could have added on to that, he just smirked. ”Blackmore and Kenshiro helped me recover the Brass Needle yesterday. Along with two other artifacts. If Greenwood betrays what little trust we were able to build, we can simply trade for the artifacts. And I’ll discuss the raid with those two, so they listen.”
”And that goes for anyone else who wouldn’t listen to you.”
”Look, you don’t need to do all that,” Britney said. ”All you have to do is assemble the meeting in the Eleventh Path or whatever, and just tell the Coven at large what I just told you.”
Britney sighed.
”I’m not expecting a miracle here - it’s already clear who’s going to be helpful and who isn’t - but I just need some help if we’re all going to pull this off.”
”And you will have it. Wherever I’m needed, you only need to ask.”
”Now, are you cool with the 317 and Greenwood meeting in the Eleventh Path?” Britney asked. ”I know the whole thing with Greenwood didn’t end well, but I think if we- you give them something to focus on, things might go better.”
”Absolutely,” Jack said, without skipping a beat. ”That is why we made it in the first place, a safe area for us to do what we need. The only condition is that Kenshiro or myself need to be there, we can’t leave others unattended.”
”That’s fine,” Britney sighed. ”So, it’s time to put out the call. Can I trust you to do it?”
He nodded, pulling out his phone which, funnily enough, should’ve stopped working a decade ago. It was old as shit. ”I’ll tell them immediately.”
The Eleventh Path.The Eleventh Path was quickly filled with the members of Sycamore after Jack put out a formal notice to the Coven for a meeting. All over St. Portwell, magical doors kicked open and allowed them entrance into a large, circular room centered around a table. The meeting room gave off a vibe that conveyed nothing less than serious business, from the many chairs that blinked into being with a wave of Jack’s hand to the braziers of purple fire that dotted the walls.
Jack stood at one end of the round table, watching everyone file in. He had brought books and journals, as well as the artifacts he and a few others had recently plundered from Gloom. Today was a day where nonsense wouldn’t be tolerated. They had work to do. But first…
”Thank you all for coming,” he began, addressing all who had decided to come. ”We have important matters to discuss. But, before we begin, I have grim news. Auri Auclar, Todd Dancing River, and Bé Rochefoucauld were taken from us by Father Wolf recently.”
Britney just silently nodded.
”...They were murdered together. Not alone, and not separate from one another- Together. In the same place.” Jack’s expression was grim, with little light in his eyes. ”Whoever Father Wolf is, they have changed their approach. He is targeting groups now.”
He went quiet for a moment, so everyone could process this news.
”... A moment of silence, perhaps?” Britney said with a nod of her head.
Jack nodded, and didn’t continue speaking a second.
There was only the faint crackling of magic fire as the memory of Father Wolf’s victims was not forgotten. They were so few in numbers now, more dead than survivors.
Jack was the first to break the silence.
”Greenwood and the 317 will be arriving shortly,” He announced. ”They have asked for our assistance in raiding Elysium Island, a place owned by the Elite. Their goal is to take artifacts, and they’ll likely explain the plan in full. I am asking that the rest of you at least consider joining us as we do this. Their people are ours.” Sully and Aryin, among others. ”And the artifacts they are interested in are our best chance at finding definitive answers to our killer. We need this, and we cannot do it without our alliance.”
And then there was the matter of the mafia. ”The House of Cards will also be at Elysium Island, where they are attempting to decode Kari’s notes. If we see them, kill them on sight. They won’t hesitate to do the same.”
He gestured to the three artifacts in front of him. The Brass Needle, the Stasis Hammer, and the Map of Theseus. ”Drake, Kenshiro, Aislin and I found these in another world yesterday. If anyone thinks they could benefit from them during the raid, ask for them.”
And with that… ”Questions?”
