Current
That was the worst three months of my life. Health is close to normal again. Here's to making the insurance company cry!
1
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1 yr ago
"Your copay today is $20,000" How about no.
3
likes
3 yrs ago
Well, the "I am but an ally" to "queer af" pipeline is real.
Bio
I have gone by many names over my life, and the one I go by here is Nori.
I am a non-binary individual who has a love of participating in these stories and creating my own. I am incredibly chronically ill. If my illness flares up too much I may be pulled away.
Malik watched in horror as his friend was consumed by the monster. It did not even struggle to do it, as if it was all too easy for it to end a life like that. Malik raised his pistol to fire but he could not get a line on the monster. As well, he was worried his magic bullets would only piss it off. He knew that if you were faced with a grizzly bear and all you had was a pistol, it might be better to turn the weapon on yourself. Still, he kept his weapon trained on the target and waited for an opening.
The relentless assault of the Doppleganger continued for several seconds more before it snarled towards the innocent girl. How could it miss so many attacks in quick succession? A small smirk crossed its face as a realization sat in. This apparition was different. It was protecting her from him. The smirk grew even wider as the girl asked her questions. How naive. While it had absorbed much about the man, David was truly gone. Yet he could humor the girl in the moment. Maybe if the physical attacks won’t work, maybe a physiological attack would.
“Please don’t hurt me,” the Doppleganger spoke as if it was David, “I…I was in the dark, but I pushed my way back to the light. It…it is so strong I don’t know if I can-”
It was interrupted by Vin as it slammed into it’s back. It roared in pain as the claws sunk deep and it’s appendages were pulled back. The face of the doppleganger may have shown the innocent girl the sheer pain it was in, but it did not reveal the sheer joy it felt that Vin was making this fight a bit more easy. It shot backwards away from Paloma with a massive display of strength, flying across the hallway with ease before Vin lead the way through the wall of a neighboring apartment. Inside, three men were sitting on the couch and a thick smoke lingered in the air. There was a sweet but skunky smell that permeated the room, and as soon as the dust from the drywall was no longer in the air the smoke began to flow outwards through the broken wall. The men jolted from their seat slightly. Each one looked at the two monsters as if they saw something straight out of a horror movie. One turned his head to look at a half-smoked joint in their hand while another looked at the dab rig that he had just hit. The two looked at each other, back to the monster, before they shrugged and continued smoking. “I think this shit is laced with something,” one of the men said to the others. “All the shit down here is laced with something,” the second man added. “Must be some potent shit if we’re all seeing the same thing,” the third finished. The monster dug its hand deep into the wood of the floor before shooting forward towards the door, once again using Vin as the leading edge as they cut through to the hallway once more.
“Please, please girl make her stop,” the doppleganger pleaded as it reached out with a free appendage. “I think I can fight this. I can come back.”
Malik watched with eyes wide as the monsters thrashed about. He raised his gun, trying to get a shot, but the two were moving too fast and too erratically . He did not want to leave Vin alone, and he did not trust that the stranger wouldn’t get themself killed, but he knew that they needed help. He motioned for Paloma to come towards him.
“Girl, we need to get the fuck out of here right now. We are not going to be able to help. Let’s go, let’s go,” Malik shouted as he lowered his gun, and took several steps away from the chaos. He pulled out his phone and began to dial for the cavalry.
The Doppleganger struggled as it was forced out of time. Whatever spell Varnan used proved to be effective against the creature yet Varnan would soon notice the cracks along the edges of this containment. A limb would move faster than the rest of the body, a flicker of speed that pushed against the walls of this enclosure, and a slow spreading smile across the face. The group would only have a few moments before the monster would break free.
Elara looked at Varnan and nodded her head. Physically she was hurt but she knew she was hurt. The question of what they do now lingered on the front of her mind. Thus far lightning was not working, the monster seemed to shrug off Bryn’s attacks, and the strange man could only slow him down. They needed a heavy hitter, or more friends to help. She pulled out her phone and dialed Adam.
“We need help at the tattoo shop,” Elara paused as she looked towards Bryn. A muffled voice erupted from the speaker, asking questions about what was wrong. “Apparition killed Bill, we’re trying to kill it. Who can you…okay okay…two minutes? I,” Elara paused as she looked towards the monster. It was moving more, and more, and more as if the more it was exposed to the magic the weaker the magic became against it. “I doubt we’ll have two minutes of peace.,”. Elara hung up the phone call and looked towards Varnan and then Bryn. “Help is on the way. We just gotta hold out for a minute or two. Think we can manage,” Elara chuckled nervously as she notched an ice arrow and aimed it at the monster.
A second later it broke free from its prison, ice arrow impacting its chest as it did, before it launched itself out into the open to face the three unfortunate souls who dared to interfere.
Freya was pulled from the conversation as a kid started to cry. She turned her head and sighed as she realized James must’ve done something to make them upset as the kid was looking at him, and the kids mother was yelling at him. Freya looked to her customer and smiled. “Give me a minute,” Freya paused as she moved from behind the counter and towards the commotion. Just what she needed today. As she walked over she thought of the ways she’d make the mother and child feel better afterwards. Maybe a free meal would be sufficient to ensure that this bad experience didn’t define their time in her bakery? Or maybe she’d need to sit down and talk to the two for a few minutes to calm them down? These options were explored in the brief moment before she arrived and she placed her hands on her hip as she looked at James.
“James, get out of here. I don’t know what-,” Freya gasped as his head twisted to the side with a sickening pop. The smile that crossed his face grew even larger, much larger than any smile should be able to grow. His fingers popped and cracked as they elongated into knife-like shapes. And the white of his eyes were flooded with an oily black color that soon filled it completely except for the blue irises in the center.
“Freya, Freya, Freya, I was having a nice polite conversation with these two. Don’t you know it’s so rude to interrupt a private chat,” as the doppelganger finished a clicking sound filled the air.
“Oh is making a kid cry polite,” Freya said softly as she gulped. What the fuck was this monster? Why the fuck was this monster in her shop? What would this mean for her bottom line?
“It was not my intention to make the little one upset,” the doppleganger chuckled as it ran a finger across the neon ‘open’ sign before it found its way to the power cord and sliced clean through it. The blinds all began to shake violently before they fell from their place at the top of the windows, casting the room into darkness. Freya regretted buying the really nice black out blinds that truly prevented most light from coming through. A moment later the automatic lights turned on but James was nowhere to be seen. It was as if the creature disappeared into the shadows themself.
Freya looked around frantically as a soft chuckle filled the air. Her eyes were suddenly pulled to the front door as the mechanical lock was engaged. “Don’t worry,” a voice echoed from everywhere but nowhere in particular, “what is to come will not be painful. But I promise you it will be much better than this chaos you call life.” As the words echoed off the walls of the bakery the doppleganger rose from the shadows behind the counter.
“Two butter croissants, is that right Elijah,” it asked as it raised its claws up high and brought them down aimed at the man.
Lila saw the dragon come out of the portal and a command was sent to every last crow to fly as far away as they could from it. As the dragon approached Lila thought through her options. She could probably out fly it and the fire it breathed, but that would put her new friend in danger. She killed this new friend, they had been through so much already. Lila had been stung by bees for her, drew gunfire for her, and was currently the only one protecting her. The only one. Which Lila knew meant that if she left then she was likely going to die. Lila did not like her new friends dying, she never liked it when her old friends died.
But what could she do?
Her first thoughts were her transformation magic. Maybe she could transform into something bigger and stronger that could take the fire and fight the dragon. Yet Lila knew that if she did this she’d be practically inviting more permanent and potentially threatening changes to her body. The next thought was whether or not her curse magic could force the ground itself to transform around her to protect her. Lila also knew that this was very much untested and there was a possibility that she’d have to use so much magic that she’d be exhausted, and prime for a takeover from the bird bitch.
Which meant there was only one thing she could actually do.
“Don’t worry I got you,” Lila said as the dragon lined up its attack. She tightened her wings around herself and Liz, making a near completely enclosed bubble of feathers overtop. Stormy’s shield would need to take the brunt of the impact but her durability meant that if anything got past she’d be able to withstand it for a moment. She then her chest and arms overtop Liz a moment before impact to give her yet another layer just in case.
Lila felt the heat of the strike as it hit all around her. While the shield stopped most of the fire, a few stray bits still impacted her wings. If she were any less durable it would have been quite painful. But this new form was durable, and with the strong emotional field of The Maiden she was able to survive the fire. Still, as the seconds dragged on she felt the pain grow in intensity. Still, her wings were more or less out of action as the amount of feathers lost was enough to keep her grounded.
Lila’s vision was suddenly filled with different angles of a massive Spirit Bomb flying through the air and noticed it had a green glow. Hallow Blast. That meant that the Lava monster, and the dragon, were likely in a lot of trouble. You can’t dodge a nuclear-like explosion after all. Lila pulled her wings in even tighter and took a deep breath.
And then it hit.
Cyrus in the tunnels
The sound of a chainsaw revving filled the air, originating from behind Alexander.
It revved, and revved as Cyrus took a few steps towards Alexander. He had kept his distance from the rest of the artifact crew for precisely this reason. It was obvious to him that something would eventually go wrong with this plan, and he wanted to see how the chaos started before he made his move.
“Oh well done,” Cyrus said as he continued to walk forward. He revved the chainsaw again. “Your plan to draw us in was perfect down to the cocky slow clap reveal,” Cyrus paused as he revved the chainsaw again. Thus far he had not pumped any of his lux in the machine yet so he would not alert the veil yet. “But you forgot to check if anyone was laying a trap for you,” Cyrus paused as he summoned his purple lux and the Chainsaw of Ash began to pull at it eagerly.
In his mind he knew that the beacon was already lit by this trap being sprung so he did not mind being the one to trigger the veil. Suddenly an incredibly loud explosion was heard on the island and Cyrus felt the foundation of the building shake. Dust fell from the walls and the ceiling as the shaking continued. As it shook he revved the chainsaw, activating its ability, and he began to sprint down the hallway at an impossible speed thanks to this powerful artifact.
“Not a rich fuck. She was my cousin. Came to help her coven. Haven’t met Drake yet.”
Lila’s head tilted at the response. A cousin of Lyss? Come to help her coven? Currently located at a Diddy-like white party? Lila looked across her body, searching for any telltale signs of being a participant, but the more she looked, the more she could only see sunburn and pain. Lila's head tilted the other way and she smiled. It was good to see a family member of a dead friend. Did Lila go to her funeral? Was there a funeral? Should Lila ask if there was a funeral, and if so, whether or not she missed it? Lila paused the thought as she squinted her eyes. Would she need to buy something as a gift for the funeral?
“Tell me you guys have a healer? Or water. Either one first.”
Lila's head tilted in the other direction once again. “Water, healer,” Lila tapped her finger on her chin before she remembered that Sully was located nearby. Sully could give her water, and healing, and water that healed. Yes! Yes, that is what Lila needed to do. She needed to pick up this girl, take her to Sully, and not break her along the way. Lila scurried across the ground on all fours until she was next to the new friend. She leaned in really, really, really close to the girl until both faces were nearly pressed together. She held the spot for a prolonged second before she pulled her head back and smiled. “We have someone who can give you water that heals,” Lila paused as she effortlessly pulled the girl up from the ground and into her arms, “his name is Brosiden, Lord of the Brocean…..Sully. Sully is his name.” Lila coiled back again, spreading her wings outwards again, before she launched herself forward suddenly, and violently.
As she began to fly through the air, she heard the telltale whizz and crack of bullets passing close by. Lila instinctually began to swerve in the air, banking sharply and quickly to the left before flapping her wings as hard as she could to help redirect her to the right. She kept this zig zag going, but the more she did it the longer she became exposed to return fire. More and more near misses were heard just around her head before suddenly she felt a hot sting in her right butt cheek. She paid it no mind, but for a moment she thought it was weird that Trisha had decided that now was the time to attack her again. She’d need to repay this betrayal in kind later on. Lila looked ahead and saw where Sully was located. Lila could tell she was still a few seconds out, and in a moment the crack and whizz of the bullets fired at her increased at what felt like an exponential rate. Lila pulled the fake Lyss in even closer, wrapped her wings around her, turned her body, crashed into the ground below, and rolled the rest of the way across the battlefield. After several seconds the two came to a stop, but Lila was not out of the woods yet. Bullets kicked up dirt all around her, and with a single outstretched hand, Lila pulled herself and Liz behind one of Stormy’s shields. She pulled her wings in even closer as a torrent of bullets impacted the shield and the dirt around it. Lila saw a few feathers flying through the air which was also weird. Who else had wings around here?
What Lila did not see was that she had been shot three times, once in the butt cheek and twice in her right wing. The injuries were not serious, and Lila was blissfully unaware of the damage as the pain was minimal. Still, she would also need healing before she could get back in the fight. And get back in the fight she did not want. Lila hid it well but that was one of the scariest, dumbest things she’d ever done.
“SULLY” Lila shouted, “get your handsome face over here and heal this girl and get her some water. Her cousin was Lyss!”
Alex watched as the group approached where the veil was and pouted. Their ingenious plan to get rid of the veil was to trap it in the art dimension and to have it available for use ifif ever needed again. The elite must’ve known they specifically were going to try this because why else would they put it outside where their magic didn’t work? Alex scanned the area looking for anything they could use to establish a rudimentary frame around the device but they sighed. By the time they found something to do that someone else will have either gotten rid of it or destroyed it. Instead they looked towards Rien and watched as they pulled one of their monsters out and they frowned. At least they got to do something cool.
As they ran they turned their head and caught sight of Riley. In front of him he held out one hand that created an ice path, and behind him he held the other as he summoned a jet of fire. As he rocketed across the battlefield he used his ice magic to create a ramp and launched himself into the air. As he flew across the sky Alex watched with a pained look as he brought both hands around to the front and launch a barrage of ice daggers at the guards around the veil. Alex sighed. That was also so cool.
Alex groaned loudly as they hopped that the other groups weren’t having as much fun as everyone else in this group.
Thomas used his magic to form a barrier of telekinetic power between the zombie horde and the support group. Its goal was to simply slow, or stop any bullets that pass through it. Olivia slid to a stop next to Jasper, her book open and ready to heal him once the machine was ended. Meanwhile, Jordan pushed his way over to Octavia who had a can of spray paint in her hand. Jordan turned around and the sound of the can shaking filled the air before the hiss of it being used replaced it. Octavia painted her solid support Glyph onto his back, and activated it a moment later coated Jordan in a dull yellow glow that covered his body.
“You see that lava monster thing,” Octavia asked Jordan with a hushed voice.
“I do,” Jordan responded as he pumped magic to his muscles, growing three inches in height and his muscles threatened to rip through his clothes as he narrowed his eyes.
“Fuck it,” Octavia paused as a bullet whizzed past her face, ducking out of instinct, “up.”
“Yes ma’am,” Jordan said as he mentally thanked the lord that Octavia finished the thought. He squatted down before rocketing upwards and across the battlefield. Fist cocked back, as Jordan approached the monster he struck out with every last bit of strength that he had.
As Jordan was leading the fight against the lava monster Leah decided to bring her summons to bear. Literally. She pulled two stuffed bears from a black cloth bag that she brought, filled to the brim with various stuffed animals, and tossed them on the ground. She pressed play on her Walkman and as her music began to play she pressed her magic onto the beats forcing them to come alive. As they did, they quickly surged in size until they were both six feet tall. The stitching grew with the stuffed animal but struggled under the stress, and the stuffing inside began to float outwards. They charged forth at once and began to tear their way through the remaining zombie horde that had thus far survived Doomsday. Leah smiled for just a moment before she saw a zombie raise a gun and fire.
Leah closed her eyes but only heard a soft thud in front of her. As she opened her eyes she saw Aryin standing in front of them. A few bullets impacted their back and the flattened metal simply bounced downwards. ”So you’re going to want to be careful, Leah. Bullets beat magic,” Aryin grinned as they turned around. They looked at the zombies, seeing that the Doomsday was clearing them out, the monsters, and lastly back to Jordan. They knew that they needed to enter the fray sooner rather than later but they also felt like something was still amiss. They crouched behind a shield from Stormy and waited for their enemies to make their next move.
Jason slid next to Aryin as he summoned the plasma into his hand. He formed a ball and lobbed it like a grenade into some of the zombies, it exploded outward and took out a small squad of the zombies. He wanted to wait until the cattle was cleared for the rest of the board to come on the table before he pressed too far ahead.
Jasper felt himself start to slip away. Each breath became more labored, more drawn out, and his vision more narrow with each one. He knew he had to pull back his life force and get healed and he did so, but not before the construct got a two second burst off aimed at the lava monster before Jordan’s hit connected. It melted in an instant, forming a giant puddle of the paint. Jasper tried to take a deep breath as he felt the life force return but his body refused to obey. The light faded more and more as his breathing became even more irregular. As he felt everything begin to stop, and a cold wave rush outward from his chest, he felt some form of impact all across his body.
Sypha had pushed Olivia out of the way and had her blood tendrils pumping Jasper full of her healing magic. She let it linger for three seconds before she pulled her tendrils back out. “That would’ve killed your Olivia, you can take it from here.”
Jasper coughed up some remaining blood, took several long labored breaths, before he spread out on the ground exhausted. His organs were healing but they were still hurt, and he would need further healing to get back to one hundred percent. He looked over to Lila, seeing her eyes narrow on the girl that she spotted earlier. He watched her dig her feet into the ground and coil back like a snake ready to strike. Her wings flapped open to their full position. Jasper realized what Lila was about to do and he tried to tell her no but the words refused to escape his lips as his body still struggled to bring in oxygen.
And with a single motion Lila shot forward like she shot out of a cannon. She crossed half the distance between the support group and the girl in only a matter of seconds. She kept her body close to the ground to avoid drawing as much fire as she could but she expected there to be some retaliation if she lingered for more than a few seconds. There was something about this girl that Lila knew went further than just an uncanny resemblance to a dead friend, and this meant that Lila needed to get her out of the way of danger. Not only to protect her, but to also allow their back line more ability to fight back. As her momentum slowed Lila flapped her wings as hard as she could to gain some altitude before she dove down like a bird of prey aiming for the ground next to the girl. She impacted it hard, but her clawed hands and feet dug into the ground pulling her to a stop a few feet away from the girl.
As she looked up she examined her face in more detail. It wasn’t her friend, but she could tell there was a similarity to her. Almost as if they were related.
“Hi! I hope your battle is going well. Are you with the rich fucks? If you are, I'd have to kill you,” Lila laughed a little too hard at the joke, “If you’re not a rich prick I can get you out of here. One strange follow up question. Are you related to Lyss Burns?”
The doppelganger's eyes glinted as Vin, who was now in the form of a tiger, burst through the door and it laughed before a guttural snarl filled the room and echoed out into the surrounding neighborhood. The room shook with the roar's force, and snow began to tumble down from the rooftops above. The thing that wore David’s face grinned wider than any human jaw should stretch, its cheeks tearing grotesquely at the corners. “You should know better than to get between a predator,” the false David’s arm twisted and contorted, bones snapping audibly as it extended outward like a whip with fingers splintering into barbed, writhing tendrils, “and its prey.” The doppelganger shot the tendrils into David’s chest. It easily pierced through his clothes and deep into the man's chest, and he could only gasp in horror before his head went limp, his skin drew taught, and his body was sucked away until only the clothes remained on the chair which he was formerly tied to. The David that the Lower Districts knew and loved was gone. Killed by a monster whose eyes were locked on its next victim.
Before Vin could act, the doppelganger’s body rippled and shifted. Its torso split open, revealing a grotesque maw lined with jagged, interlocking teeth. David's false face was still attached to what was once the neck, but it grew limp. Its eyes rolled back, with only the whites visible. Yet Vin could see that the eyes were shifting as if it was looking through the wall until they lined up with where Palmona would be behind it. The doppelganger laughed as it sniffed the air. Its laughter was a rasping, inhuman sound that seemed to carry a chill with it that cut through to the bone. Both Paloma and Vin would feel like the air inside the building dropped several degrees at once. The doppelganger’s other arm elongated in an instant, twisting and turning and filling the air with the sounds of bones snapping and muscles ripping until the end of the arm resembled a spear-like appendage that pointed towards Paloma through the wall. “Ahhhh the sweet naivety of a newborn. Tell me, apparition, have you experienced the death of a host yet?”
“Vin what the fuck is that,” Malik asked as he flipped the safety on his now unholstered pistol. An orange glow began to emanate outward from the weapon.
“We can take it,” Caleb responded as a spear of fire erupted from his left hand and a shield of ice from his right.
“Only one way to find out,” the doppelganger teased as its eyes shifted back towards Vin. A moment of silence fell over the room before the monster unleashed its first strike, thrusting the spear towards the wall and aimed at Paloma.
The brick hurtled through the air, slamming into the doppelganger’s head with a crack. Its skull dented inward, but instead of crumpling, the impact sent a ripple across its face like a stone tossed into a pond. The doppelganger’s head elongated grotesquely, its neck stretching like melted wax as it absorbed the force, then it snapped back into shape with a sickening pop. The creature cracked its neck left, then right, and then it settled its eyes on Bryn and licked its lips with an unfathomably long tongue that was as long as the neck was tall. “Now that wasn’t very ladylike, Bryn, what would your mother think of what you have become,” The doppelganger chuckled as its shoulders twisted and contorted before there was a pop that filled the air as both arms pulled themselves out of the socket. Each arm was lengthened until they were both twice the length they were previously, and as it finished the exegeting spell they split right down the middle, muscle sinew and black blood visible as they pulled apart. Soon, Bill was a four-armed monstrosity with incredible reach and its head turned towards Bryn once more. “Does it ever hurt knowing you are the failure of your family?
Elara took a step back as she watched the transformation unfold before her. Her mouth was agape, and she nearly stumbled as she took another step further. She had never seen anything quite like this before. Never before has a creature that matched this description haunted her town, and she did not remember if the Elders ever warned the Grove about them. Most importantly, she did not know how to kill it. She summoned the lightning arrow into her free hand, notched the arrow, and let it loose in one quick movement. The arrow impacted less than a second later. As it hit, blue streaks of electricity arched across the flesh of the doppelganger as it tore a path through the chest of the creature. The creature did not react as the lightning buried a deep hole, instead, it simply opened its mouth revealing two rows of teeth that arched with lightning. It sent two fists out and struck Elara in the chest, sending her flying through the window behind her, and the remaining two fists struck out at Varnan and Bryn, each one arcing with lightning.
Elara was sent flying through the window of the tattoo parlor and landed in the street, rolling to a stop after a few seconds. She felt a rib crack as she hit the asphalt of the road, and she groaned as she rolled over to her side. Elara took a deep breath and pushed herself to her feet. She looked down the road both ways and saw that no one was walking the road this early in the morning. She notched another lightning arrow and looked towards the monster, her eyes narrowing as she did, and fired another arrow through the broken window before she charged back inside.
Freya was in over her head. The morning rush was relentless, and without Varnan’s help, she was practically spinning in circles trying to keep up. She turned to the next customer and found herself face-to-face with a man who seemed out of place among the regulars. Impeccably dressed in a crisp suit, he stood there with a smile that was polite but a touch... too much. It crossed from ear to ear. Freya knew her bakery was popular but not that popular. She remembered that he was smiling like that while waiting in the line outside. Something seemed off about James today.
“Good morning! What can I get for you?” Freya asked, pushing through her exhaustion with her best customer-service smile. While her face showed a smile her eyes screamed ‘kill me now’.
The man’s eyes, dark and unblinking, stayed fixed on her. “Freya, isn't it? I must say, your bakery is... quite the operation,” Jaes said, his tone almost too smooth, as if he were reciting lines he’d rehearsed all morning before coming out.
“Uh, thanks,” Freya replied, her hands not stopping as she filled a coffee for herself. Freya knew he knew her name, she found it strange that he clarified names. “What’cha ordering today, James? If you’re looking for a chat and you’re not ordering anything, I’m kind of busy here.” James had asked her out three times already and had made it an uncomfortable habit to visit in the mornings to chat. She wondered if he thought he had a chance still.
James tilted his head, still watching her with that uncomfortably steady gaze. “Oh, I’m just... observing. You seem quite... flustered today. But I suppose that’s only natural when your staff is short-handed. Varnan, yes? Where is he right now? Something tells me he is very busy.” The way his grin grew suggested he may know something about what Varnan was up to.
Freya’s hands paused for a fraction of a second. “Yeah, he’s out on PTO. But I am getting by without him. I started this shop by myself so I can be by myself.”
“Getting by,” James repeated, rolling the words slowly like he was savoring them. “You seem to carry a lot on those shoulders of yours. It must be... exhausting, running everything on your own.” James leaned forward, chest pressing over the counter.
Freya couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something off about James today. He was being much more forward with his advances today. Freya tossed him a side-eye as she grabbed another breakfast sandwich for the customer that came before. “Part of the job James,” she said briskly, hoping he’d take the hint and move along. She looked around the shop to see if anyone was watching the man, just in case.
But James lingered, leaning in just a bit closer, his voice dropping to a soft murmur. “I wonder... what keeps you going? Day after day, the same routine. The same faces. Don’t you ever... wish for a change?”
Freya narrowed her eyes, forcing a chuckle that came out more tense than she intended. What the fuck was wrong with James today? “I like what I do, thanks,” she said firmly. “But seriously, I’ve got a line here.”
James’s smile twitched, his eyes gleaming with some emption that Freya had trouble picking up. “Of course,” he said, stepping back. “But do think about it, won’t you? Change has a way of sneaking up when you least expect it.”
With that, he turned and walked out, his movements unnervingly smooth. Freya watched him go, a chill running down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold air seeping in through the open door. She shifted her eyes to the next person in line and took a deep breath as they seemed like they were not going to make her morning any worse than normal.
"I would like two buttered croissants, please.”
“Two buttered croissants coming up,” Freya grinned as she moved to grab the food, “thank you for saving me by the way,” Freya paused as she used her eyes to motion towards the door, “can I get a name for the order?”
“I don’t either,” Elara responded to Bryn. In her mind she knew she could hardly deal with another event like the cataclysm. And while she knew this town had faced these kind of threats, and pushed them back, she also knew that this felt different. Usually it was not a massive wave of fangs threatening to overwhelm even their most ardent defenses. “We’ll get through it, Bryn. We’ve been through worse, and we’ll see worse again before long. But if they try to threaten our town they will remember why they were forced into the mountains in the first place,” Elara confidently said.
As they entered the tattoo shop, Elara noticed a familiar man but couldn’t quite pin down who he was. Her eyes squinted as she tried to narrow down his name but the only thing she could remember was that he was someone who fought in the cataclysm. She sized him up real quick. While she was not as ready for a scrap she did want to be as ready as she could be.
“Haven’t seen you since the cataclysm. What brings you round these parts here,” Elara asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Ready to get started, Elara,” Bill asked, his voice cutting the tension in the air. The voice was smooth, almost comforting, but there was something too perfect about it, too unreal. Too kind.
Elara turned her head slowly, expecting to see Bill—a man she had trusted for years, who had inked her skin until there was nary a trace of unmarked skin left. But instead, standing there, was something… different.
It had Bill’s face, or a version of it, but the smile was too wide, too cold. Bill was a hard man who had grown up with the wrong crowd, fought for his place in the world, and left it all behind to become better. He never smiled, he never showed happiness, and he would never be caught dead around a keeper smiling like that. Elara’s eyes lingered on Bill’s face for a second, and she did not see him blink once. She shifted her eyes down to his exposed hand. There were no tattoos on its skin, not a single marking that would tell Elara that this was the man she saw only a few days prior.
“You’re not Bill are you,” Elara said quietly, her voice steady, though her heart was racing.
The thing in front of her grinned, impossibly wide. “Of course I’m Bill. You act like you haven’t seen me before, I’ve done all of your tattoos!”
Elara’s gaze flicked to Bryn, and then to the stranger in the shop, then back to the figure and squinted. Bill’s real face had never looked like that. He had wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, something Bill told her was from a lifetime of loss. This thing—it wasn’t Bill.
“No,” she said, her voice now harder. “Bill has tattoos.”
The creature’s smile didn’t waver, but there was a glimmer of something in its eyes, something dark. Elara let her eyes linger in his for a moment before she realized it seemed pleased that she discovered the truth. “Does it matter,” it chittered, leaning closer as it did. The air suddenly grew colder as Elara’s emotional field was hit by some unknown force, like something was trying to work its way past her defenses and into her mind. “I know you’re having nightmares, Elara.”
Elara’s pulse quickened. Only Bill knew about her nightmares. She had confided with him during their last session. Getting a tattoo was a form of therapy to her and Bill has become a form of a therapist.
“You describe them so vividly. I can almost taste the ash in the air, or hear the sounds of your elders being hit by the acid. It’s like I was actually there, watching the buildings,” It’s fingers twitched, as if pointing in horror towards invisible buildings behind the group eyes wide with horror, “collapse around me. I can help you forget,” it grinned as it took two quick steps, much faster than any that a human could do, “you just have to let me in like Bill did. And all that pain, that suffering, becomes mine for the taking and you get to be free of it all.”
Her eyes shot towards Bryn as she once again readied herself. Normally she’d talk things through with Bryn before taking a violent action against a member of the community like Bill was, at least tell her that she was about to do something
But this thing in front of her wasn’t Bill.
“No,” Elara whispered, shaking her head as she took a step back.. She could feel the cold sweat prickling at her skin, a terror creeping in as she felt more magic pushing against her emotional field, but she fought it. She wouldn’t let it take her. “Where’s Bill.”
In an instant Elara’s hand filled with her magical bow, its vivid white light danced and arched, casting the room in its over-saturating light.
As soon as they arrived on the island Lila pulled several pieces of jewelry, treats, and various other knickknacks from the black jacket that hid most of the feathers on her chest and her arms. “Be my eyes and be safe,” Lila said as she offered the treats and goodies to her murder who quickly swarmed her hand and flew high into the sky. Lila was nervous, if there was anyone listening they would hear the sound of her leg vibrating and her foot tapping on the ground. She knew she would be a big target, and as such she dressed in all black and kept her wings tucked in as close as she could.
She listened to the others prepare, and began to subtly count down the seconds until all would go to hell. Lila knew that she’d need to focus on not doing too much. If she tried to transform she’d be inviting the bird bitch in more, and she knew if she used too much curse magic she’d be weakening the ability to keep the monster suppressed. It would be a balancing act like a single wire between two buildings.
And then someone started blasting. The gunfire quickly caused all her eyes to fixate on the direction it came from and instantly her vision was filled with different angles of the same sight. A golem holding a machine gun firing wildly at something inside. Lila gasped. It wasn’t because it was a literal golem holding a machine gun looking like something out of a Rambo movie. No, the golem itself looked familiar. It looked like one that someone in their coven used to summon.
“Lyss?”
A moment later the sun coated the entire mansion in light and an inferno broke out. Several of Lila’s crows were blinded by the bright light, and Lila nearly screamed at the pain of experiencing it. The crows that were impacted began to fly erratically, and Lila barred her teeth as she placed her hands on her head once again. While she wanted to vent her frustration at the one who caused it that thought of the golem entered her mind and focused her. The crows that were not blinded quickly returned their eyes to the front of the mansion and caught a really sun burnt woman who, if you squinted, looked different from Lyss but at the same time she reminded Lila of her.
“I think whomever started the party just walked out and passed out,” Lila paused as she stretched a clawed finger and pointed towards the entrance to the mansion, “I think they need help but there’s so many fucking zombies between us and them. We need something to clear a path so someone from Aggro can get to her.”
Jasper grinned as he finished his painting. He looked it over one final time. The details were perfect. The art was stylized unlike anything else he’s summoned before. It was dull, life like, and looked like any normal machine that could theoretically be summoned into a conflict or created beforehand. He hoped that it would not link this conflict back to him and his covens, nor did he want it to draw attention to the 317. It’s red eyes and blazing skull insignia painted on its shield would hopefully help. “I got something coming,” Jasper spoke calmly as he pressed his back into the shield from Stormy, “while it is active i will be dead weight. Cover me please.”
Jasper pressed his paintbrush to the canvas, activated the spell, and pulled his latest monstrosity out. As it hit the ground everyone nearby would feel a noticeable shake. It was a six foot tall metal looking monstrosity. In its left hand it had a giant flat shield that was at least four inches thick and enchanted to be more durable than otherwise. Its face was small, and simply looked to be two red triangles that made it look more robotic than not. On its back was a large backpack that gave it a very top heavy and bulky look. In its right hand was a long weapon with six barrels that stretched out four feet. Connecting the weapon to the backpack was a belt that fed it the magical ammunition. Everyone would see that it was a big robotic monster. It began to take steps towards the mansion and away from the group, each step looked labored and difficult and each one left a footprint deep into the grass betraying the true weight of it.
A soft whirl filled the air as the barrels began to spin. For three seconds they sped up, faster and faster, with the whirl getting louder and louder. The sound of its own steps were soon eclipsed by the whirl before the monstrosity slowed its walk to a crawl before stopping all together. The shield was raised up and covered most of its body, save for a small rectangular section cut out of the top right corner for the eyes to see and a square section on the left side to allow the gun to poke out from.
brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt
Jasper listened as his construct fired off its first the second burst into the approaching hoard and smiled. It worked. It actually worked. He had tried to summon it once before but he could not figure out how to make the gun itself work. He had spent two sleepless nights reviewing the manuals for real life chain guns and auto cannons and infused the spell with that functioning knowledge and it fucking worked. The monstrosity began to fire again. This time, it held down the trigger. Red tracer rounds dashed across the battle, impacting and shredding through the zombie hoard that stood between it and the girl Lila mentioned. It kept its aim at the upper chest level, careful to not aim too low to threaten the girl. It continued firing as it followed its two commands, protecting the girl and clearing a path to get to her. Spent casings littered the ground and if it continued at its pace it would soon have a mound of casings.
Jasper, meanwhile, was coughing up blood. Not only did it stain the black bandana that covered his mouth, but it also began to drip down to the black turtleneck sweater he wore. Similarly, his nose became a faucet and began to spill blood downwards, blood could be seen in his ears and his eyes went bloodshot. The sheer draw on his life force meant that his internal organs were in a terrible state. His heart began to skip beats, his lungs grew tired and his breath grew shallow, and his whole body felt cold. An eerie paleness fell across his whole body. He knew he could keep this summon up for a single minute and not a second more. Jasper hoped that nothing had changed from the last time he tried this. Regardless, he’d need a healer not long after his life force was returned.
In the middle of hell common sense would prevail..
In the aftermath of the cataclysm, Cloverfield lay in a fragile stillness, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and death. The warm spring sun filtered through the jagged remains of shattered skyscrapers, casting fractured shadows on the debris-strewn streets below. Every creak and groan of the leaning structures echoed like a lament, a mournful symphony of a city in mourning. Amidst the ruins, the cries of the injured and desperate pierced the air, mixing with the various sirens that rang out across the city. Flowers, brought forth by the many Green Lux’s featured in the battle, defiantly blooming in the cracks of the pavement, seemed to whisper hope amidst the chaos. Still, their beauty felt overshadowed by the overwhelming despair that hung over Cloverfield like a dark cloud.
Elara looked up from the flowers and over to where the monster’s vessel remained. There were several dozen adepts, adjoined, and various other magical beings all standing around it waiting to see if victory was found today or if another round of fighting was to come. Everyone waited with a bated breath for someone, or something, to guide their next move. She shifted her eyes over to a vast pool of acid. An hour ago her coven’s elders stood tall as they fought back against the horror that was unleashed on their city. An hour ago they were covered in the monster's acid and all that remained of them was a scar in the pavement that grew ever bigger as the acid ate through it, and the various bones that survived it. Elara knew that, at this moment, the leadership burden would fall to her, and a few others at her side, and she would need to prove that the Keepers of the Grove still stood tall despite this tragedy.
Across the way, Gideon, and a dozen gun-toting goons, all huddled up together. Gideon’s face is etched with the tolls of battle. The skin on his face has specks of blood, dirt, and other grime. His already pale skin is more pale as a thin layer of ash coats it, and the clothes that he wore. The dark circles under his eyes betray his exhaustion at first glance, however, if they were to linger for any longer than a moment one could tell that they burned with a fiery determination. His hands are all bloody and bruised, with streaks of red still dripping to the ground below. In them is a single M1911, with an ivory handle and silver barrel, and his hands gripped the pistol ever tighter as his eyes looked over towards where the monster remained. That monster had killed dozens of his friends, and countless others, and destroyed his beloved Lower District. His breathing increased as the grip of the gun began to squeal under the strain of his strength.
“That bitch needs to die,” Gideon shouted to the assembled masses, “now, you either stand aside and let me finish the mission or you will all get a bullet between the eyes,” spit flew out from Gideon’s chapped lips.
“And unleash that monster again? I know my education sucked but what the fuck are they teaching you magic-wise down south,” Elara shouted back as she looked over to Bryn. Elara’s face also showed the long night and terrible battle. Blood, soot, and ash all mixed on her face to create a thick layer of sludge that coated the lower half of her face. This same mixture caked her hair, and her eyes seemed to look far past whatever they rested on. A thick bruise, and noticeable swelling, forced her left eye to be in a constant squint while her lips had a cut that bisected them down the middle with a trail of blood that led down her chin and onto her neck. Her clothes sported various holes, and it was impossible to tell what she wore or what color it was under the layer of ash that coated it. Elara shifted her eyes over to where the Elders died, knowing full well they would need to find a way to retrieve the bones before they were gone. Elara shifted her eyes towards the North District and caught sight of a building swaying ominously in the wind, a soft but guttural groan of metal struggling filled the air as it did.
"Her body's the only thing keepin' that fuckin' thing trapped." Bryn stepped forward, putting herself at the forefront of the Grove members still standing. The ash that clung to her, and surrounded her, was just another weapon for her right now - as unfortunate and horrible as it was. So many dead… her expression was grim as she looked back at Elara, then over at Gideon. The ashes near his feet moved slightly, as if by the wind. "Don't start another fuckin' fight. Let's all retrieve our dead and fuckin' grieve, instead of killin' more."
“So what then,” Gideon paused as he pointed towards Princess, “she gets off without punishment? She invited in that monster, and now we get to just forget and not do anything,” Gideon paused as he scoffed, “that is bullshit. Do you know how many people she killed in the Lower District? Hmmm? I’ll tell you what. You guys either leave, and I’ll give you the option to fucking grieve away from here, or I’ll-”
A series of groans and creaks resonated through the air, the noise punctured by the sharp crack of steel and concrete giving way. The thunderous roar filled the air as a large building began to collapse a good distance away. The sound builds until it is more akin to a devastating avalanche before it finally gives way to the groan and rumble of the building settling on the ground. An ash and dust cloud rockets upward and outward from the building, coating the already-covered cityscape in yet another layer of a destroyed building.
Gideon watched this happen from a distance and closed his eyes at the sound of people wailing in fear. In his heart, he knew these girls were right. He could not kill the monster, at least yet, but that did not mean he’d let her get away without any punishment. “No killing her. Got it. What do we do with her then? I for one do not like the idea of a literal fucking nuke walking among us without something to keep her in check.”
Bryn frowned, not turning her head even as she saw the building fall in the distance. The devastation was something that would take years to recover from. And she understood - she wasn’t so forgiving after they’d lost so much. But at the same time, this was a child. "Then we watch her. But sealin’ ain’t easy to break."
She then shook her head. "She’s got that thing stuck in her now. Ain’t that punishment enough? Maybe you don’t get what it’s like to have a Ghost inside, but they ain’t quiet. It's trapped in her and she’s trapped with it. The rest of her life is gonna be reckonin’ with what she’s done."
“No one is going to let her forget,” Elara commented, “and no one is ever going to give her grace. As far as I’m concerned now that the threat is sealed this is done,” Elara commented as she shifted her eyes to the dust plume in the distance. You’d think that it would still hurt to see that devastation but at this point, what’s one more building?
“Fine. But if this shit happens again it’s on your souls,” Gideon paused as he holstered his weapon and his gang followed suit.
"Well he was a delight," Bryn snorted, narrowing her eyes at Gideon’s back. There wasn’t time to be bothered by it - and she’d been through enough in her life already to be unbothered by others' opinions like that. So she turned to Elara, inclining her head towards where the Elders had once been. Now only bones remained… "Do we try to take their bones? I could bring ‘em easily but… it would be as ashes."
“I can’t wait to get home and away from these city dicks. They’re liable to destroy us all. As far as I can tell you’re a leader now, Bryn, and our burial gal,” Elara chuckled as she coughed. The dust had gotten down into her lungs and she knew she’d need a deep bath in the grove after this to recover. “I will defer to your judgment.”
"Not how I wanted to become a leader… fellow leader," Bryn let out a slightly bitter laugh, wiping her brow. It didn’t do anything with the amount of ashes coating her, and her skin being sticky with sweat and blood. "I’ll do it here, and we’ll take ‘em with us to rest."
She walked over until she was in front of the puddle of acid. Her hands moved out in front of her, and she took a deep breath - only to cough as the dust clogged her lungs. "May you all rest in peace."
As she began to turn the bones to ashes, she murmured under her breath in an ancient language only taught to those in the Grove. The funeral rites she’d been learning thanks to her Abstraction… but she hadn’t expected to be in charge of it so soon. Before she became a leader, sure… now it was both at once. As the bones all turned to ashes they floated in the air, coated in flames of various colours. Then the fires were put out and only ashes remained, which Bryn carefully controlled over to her.
She turned to Elara with a weak smile. "Let’s go home."
The cold grip of late November settled over Raven’s Rest, as the Appalachian mountains as a whole were cloaked in a soft, white blanket of snow. Flurries danced through the air, swirling down from a slate-gray sky, settling gently on the evergreen trees that lined the narrow streets. The crisp wind carried a bite, rustling through the branches and sending a chill that crept into every corner of the small town. As evening approached, the fading light painted the landscape in hues of blue and silver, the world growing still under the weight of winter. Snowflakes landed silently, blanketing rooftops and sidewalks alike, transforming the familiar into a serene winter wonderland. Smoke curled from chimneys, punctuating the quiet with a promise of warmth within.
On the outskirts of this peaceful scene stood Bill’s Tattoo Shop, its neon “Open” sign flickering defiantly against the encroaching darkness. The warm glow spilled onto the snowy embankments. The shop, with its worn wooden exterior and eclectic décor, stood in contrast to the boarded-up buildings that flanked it and the lifeless street it stood on. Ever since the Cataclysm raged down in Cloverfield the town of Raven’s Rest had seen a flight of people. Many no longer found the mountain’s charm worthwhile when it meant you had to see everything that happened down in Cloverfield and everything that continued to happen. As well, many businesses found it difficult to keep their doors open as the normally consistent income brought in by visitors from far and wide was slashed due to the continual reconstruction efforts. Still, the far side of town would return to its former glory. A community like this did not let each other suffer. A community like this did not let each other fail. That is why Bill, a renowned tattoo artist, was still doing the work that he loved. In the past year and a half, he had seen the same faces he normally saw come in at a frequency unlike anything before. Some got whole sleeves done in a day and returned the next weekend for shading, and others kept coming back for flash tattoos that would only take an hour of his time but would get several on the days that he was slow.
Today Bill was slow, but he did not let get him down. As he sat in his tattoo chair he flicked between the days' mail, an overdue bill for his property insurance, an overdue electric bill, and finally an overdue bill for the water was his reading material. He scoffed at the amounts that these vultures charged, remembering the time before the City’s utilities were brought to the town. Back in those days, it was pennies on the dollar for water, gas, electricity, and even the internet. Sure, those days were only five years ago but it seemed like so much has happened it felt like decades. Now, now that the city was involved it seemed like everything was ten times as expensive. He reached over and grabbed his mug, filled with some Apple Pie Moonshine, before he took a sip. He tossed the bills onto the table as he pulled open his booking app and looked at the day ahead. Tomorrow, Elara would be coming in yet again. He was surprised that she had any skin left to tattoo after their last session but she had somehow found some on her back. She was a good tipper. And she’d either bring him some more of this delicious drink, or some food, as well. A small smile crept across his face as he closed the app.
*ding*ding*
The sound of the door opening forced a smile across his face. Maybe today wouldn’t be a waste after all. “Howdy friend, we’re closing in a minute but I can-,” Bill stopped talking as the smile fell from his face. At the door was a naked man, one who looked identical to Bill. From the birthmark that covered his right thigh to the exact length of hair, to the surprisingly large penis, and even the bags underneath the eye. The only difference Bill could see was the lack of tattoos across the mans body and the unearthly smile that crossed from ear to ear.
“Hello Bill,” the doppleganger spoke with his exact voice. A moment later it took an aggressive step towards Bill, who grabbed and threw the mug of Moonshine at the doppelganger's head, exploding into a hundred pieces as it did. A few of the pieces cut into the skin but no blood came out. Instead, the doppelganger smiled so wide it threatened to break the face it was attached to and took several more steps towards Bill. It grabbed Bill with a quick motion, picked him up, and tossed him across the shop.
As Bill slammed into the wall, the jolt kicked off his music system, which began belting out the Emo Time playlist on his device.
Bill rose up from the ground, small cuts and scrapes began to drip blood as he cracked his neck. He did not know what devil had entered his shop, but he knew he had one trick to help deal with them. He reached to his waist, pulled a Glock out of the holster, aimed at the Doppelganger, and matched its smile. He pulled the trigger but, as he did, his arm shifted the aim so the bullet missed by inches. Bill shifted his aim and pulled the trigger once more, yet something moved the barrel of the weapon so that the bullet missed once again. The smile fell from his face but not his determination. Bill pulled the trigger in rapid succession, sending bullet after bullet down range yet none would find a home in the creature and soon only the clicking of an empty weapon filled the air.
“Feel free to reload,” the Doppleganger joked as he took another step towards Bill.
Bill, sensing that it would not work, dropped the gun to the ground and grabbed a bat from the wall. The bat was mounted on a plaque with the inscription State Champions - Raven’s Rest Cardnials on it. Bill tapped the end of the bat against the wall, sending a sharp crack that reverberated through the air which was soon replaced by a dull thud. The smile returned to Bill’s face as he tapped the bat in his hand.
“I don’t know what you are, but you ain’t welcome in this town,” Bill paused as his eyes flashed an electric blue that snaked across it.
“Oh that hasn’t stopped us before,” the doppleganger joked back, “shall we?” The Doppleganger pointed towards the bat as its smile grew wider once again.
Bill lunged forward, the bat becoming engulfed in a vivid blue cackle of lightning. He readied a swing at the monster's head and swung, only for the bat to pass just inches above. The monster grabbed Bill by the shirt and lifted him up once more, lowering him down before shooting him back up sending him into the celing. Bones snapping filled the air as he hit it, and once again as he plummeted back to the ground. A moment later the Doppleganger grabbed ahold of his ankle and spun him like a doll in three circles around the room before releasing it’s grip sending him into the far wall once again. Bill ended up on his side on the ground, blood pouring from his mouth and a deep heavy cough that carried even more crimson with it. He did not get a moment to breathe, as the doppleganger once again grabbed him by the ankles and lifted him up only to slam him back down. As it released it’s grip, bill tried to crawl away but each motion felt like he was pulling himself through quicksand.
A gasp escaped his lips as the creature slammed both hands into his back. A second later Bill’s body began to convulse as all the color was drained from it, and as the convulsions stopped his skin grew tighter until it was sucked all the way up to the bones, which also gave way with a sickening pop as everything was consumed by the monster, leaving only the clothes off his back.
The creature stood up and smiled. It put on Bill’s clothes, and found both the bat and the gun. It picked up both and moved the gun towards the back of the store, but kept the bat in hand. It reached into its pockets and grabbed the phone, unlocking the Face ID with ease, and called emergency services. It rang for three seconds before the operator picked up.
“Nine one one, what is your emergency,” the female operator asked.
“Someone broke into my tattoo shop and tried to kill me.”
Elara jolted awake, her heart raced as the remnant of the nightmare hung over her thoughts like a thick cloud. Sweat dripped from her brow as she struggled to catch her breath, as the sound of collapsing concrete and metal snapping still filled her ears. The nightmare brought her into the building this time, instead of being blocks away like she was during the cataclysm. She experienced the building snapping and breaking, before it collapsed, and in its collapse she was flung to another building which also began to creak, and groan, before those sounds gave way to the sound of metal snapping and concrete crumbling. Her eyes darted across the room, searching for something that could ground her in the present. Yet the more she looked the more her vision felt like it could see the ash cloud coming towards her again, smell the heavy coating of blood and ash that coated her face, hear the screams of all the soon-to-be dead people, and feel the pain as she got struck with the debris once more.
Elara reached behind her and grabbed her pillow, her hands trembling as she did. She pulled the pillow into her chest with both arms and hugged it tightly into her chest. Tears began to stream down her face as she could no longer hold back the panic that was overtaking her. Her breathing became sharp and quick, and her grip around the pillow grew stronger. As she sat there she felt something jump into her bed. Her eyes darted up to see her fat orange cat Sebastian. He was sitting mere feet from her face. Elara knew that he sensed her fear, her sadness, and the terror that gripped her. She sniffled as he smiled. He was here to save her, and break her from the curse that had befallen her. Sebastian simply raised a paw up and batted at Elara’s nose, striking it with a single outstretched claw.
“Ow what the fuck,” Elara groaned as her hands let go of the pillow as she cupped her nose while all her senses returning to the present, “that hurt you fat fuck” Elara complained as she looked down at the cat who simply meowed as he pressed his body into Elara. Who needs therapy when you have a cat who’ll factory reset you when you are at your worst? Elara grabbed him and pulled him up to her chest, Sebastian protesting the move with a loud cry of displeasure. She held him tight as she twisted from side to side as she kissed his head numerous times. The cat began to squirm and Elara let him go. “You hungry already you adorable asshole,” Elara joked as she stretched her body as a groan escaped her lips. She threw off her blanket and stood up, stretching one more time as a large yawn escaped her lips. She was wearing an oversized tshirt and some boxers as she normally did, and her hair was a mess. Thus, Elara began her morning routine by brushing her teeth and taking a shower.
After taking the shower, and getting dressed, wearing dark blue denim jeans with a System of a Down t-shirt. She grabbed three logs and put them in the wood-burning stove that heated her trailer. The wood smoldered for a minute before it was engulfed in fire. She closed the grate before grabbing a stained brown jacket and throwing it on over her shirt. She walked over to the fridge, opened it, grabbed the fresh bag of deer jerky, and pulled out a few pieces. It would have to suffice for now, as she needed to restock her supplies. The sudden cold snap had ruined the vegetables that were not in her greenhouse but she was able to ensure that those that remained in it would survive, and a lot would be ready come Thanksgiving later in the week.
Elara knew she did not have time to dwell on the thought of that celebration. It was one of the three meeting days for the Keepers of the Grove. That meant that she had to make her way to church, and that meant she’d need to be ready once Seren rolled up. Elara pulled out her phone and looked at the time, it was eight fifteen in the morning and the meeting would be at nine, which meant that Seren would be pulling up in a matter of minutes. As such, Elara made sure that there was at least nothing on the concrete pad that was flammable to allow the stove to keep heating her home while she was gone. She also grabbed a case of her Apple Pie Moonshine and knew that the delay with her vegetables would require her to offer a replacement.
A second later a series of honks filled the air before being replaced by the telltale sound of tires on the loose gravel driveway. Seren was here.
Seren led the way into the church, they had their typical outfit with a button-up shirt, black pants, and an oversized jacket but they also kept their sunglasses on to hide the hungover look that their face carried. They had a half-finished ice latte in one hand and their phone open to TikTok in the other. They quickly found a place to sit down.
The Church was an easy meeting point away from the grove itself and allowed the group to have a space where they wouldn’t draw attention to the grove itself. It was an old church, dating back to the eighteenth century, that had served as the central community location for the town of Raven’s Rest. Currently, the keepers met in the common area of the church hall. There was a simple black fold-out poker table with several chairs strewn across it. At the head of the table sat Pastor John Michael. He was dressed in a black button-up shirt with a white collar. His sleeves were rolled up and he had a lit cigarette in his mouth. The man sported a well-maintained black beard, with black hair, and seemed to look a decade younger than his age of thirty-eight.
“So Seren, do I need to open the confessional early today or will you stop by at another time,” Pastor John smirked as he took in a drag of his cigarette, he spoke in reference to the night out that was evident on their face and body.
“Fuck off, father,” Seren groaned as they raised their middle finger.
Elara tossed the padre one of the jars of moonshine, before palming one and looking at Seren, “Ain’t you a bit young to be drinking” Elara joked as she slid the jar across the table to them.
“You try fighting a world-ending monster at seventeen and not having a small problem with alcohol,” Seren paused as they palmed the moonshine and put it in their bag.
“Ooo, what do I gotta do to get one of those?” Mari asked, sitting down beside Seren and not so subtly leaning over to try check whatever tiktoks they were watching. “Wanna love ballad or some shit? I can do that.”
“Fuck yes,” Seren grinned as they lowered their glasses.
“When your sister says you can,” Elara smirked as she wiggled one of the jars. “Speaking of, what schedule they on lately?”
“You shouldn’t ask that, the owners will change it on a whim,” James joked as he walked into the room, lit cigarette in his left hand. He was dressed in his typical dirty work attire, with stained jeans, a stained blue hoody, and his work hat still on. “You save one of them for me, Elara?”
“Oh of course love. This cold took away my garden so I brought up enough for everyone,” Elara grinned as she placed the jug down on the table.
“But not me?” Mari complained, pouting as she leaned back in her chair. She pulled out her phone, swapping to the shared family calendar where they all tried to put their shifts. Too many weird different ones to just remember. “Right now she's on five on, four off, night shift… so she should be here soon. Today's the last of the five too. Means she's gonna be extra grouchy and annoying, ugh.”
“So no different than normal,” James chuckled as he found a seat, “how are you doing today Pastor John?
“Every day is a good day thanks to the lord,” Pastor John joked as he took a drag from his cigarette, “Church speak for another day, another horror.”
“It ain't like anythin' changes around here,” Mari snorted, head inclining towards the Pastor. “Shit all day everyday-”
"You callin' the fuckin’ warm roof over your head and lovin' community shit, Marigold?" Bryn appeared out of nowhere - having managed to somehow slip in the door silently. Even more impressively she managed to look over her sister, even at only five-four. They were dressed in their work overalls, but with the top half pushed down and sleeves tied around their waist. It revealed the tank top underneath and their lithe muscles shone with sweat in the light. They'd pretty much come straight from the mines, after all.
“I ain't!” Mari turned her head around, nose scrunching up. “You couldn't've washed before comin'? Fuck, Bryn.”
"And waste time choppin' wood to heat up the fuckin' water cause someone used it all up? Nah. Ain't got time for that shit." Bryn snorted. They moved to sit beside Elara with a sigh, nodding to both James, Pastor John and Seren. They tilted their head towards Elara. "You need any wood cut? Gotta do a bunch for us anyway, may as well restock you too if you're runnin' low."
“Yes please,” Elara held up the next bottle of moonshine and placed it on the table in front of Bryn.
"Gotcha, I’ll get it done," Bryn grinned at Elara, taking the bottle and putting it on the table in front of her.
“Can I-”
"No," Bryn cut Mari off before she could get any further, turning her head to level her with a hard stare. "You ain’t old enough, and I ain’t dealin’ with that shit."
“But Seren gets some and they’re the same age as me!” Mari complained.
"Seren ain’t my baby sister, so they can do what they want," Bryn shrugged.
Mari pouted, leaning in towards Seren and whispering, “can I get a bit of yours? I’ll do anythin’.”
Seren shook her head no but secretly sent a text that said ‘ofc’ to Mari.
A moment later the doors opened once again as the vast majority of the remaining coven entered the building. The small group was led by tweedle dee and tweedle dum, Ethan Parker and Ryan Mitchell. The two were best friends from birth, as their parents were a part of the elders of the grove and as such they did everything together. That included working, partying, and the two recently bought a house together with their wives so that their children could grow up as close as they did. Both were coming from their overnight construction job so they had identical work boots and hoodies. If anyone in the grove needed something built these two are quick to offer their skills. Behind them was the ever present Blake Thompson, the grove mechanic. He had his typical jeans and shirt combo but spiced things up with a blue denim jacket with white fluff. Taking up the rear were the four ranch hands, Adam Sullivan, Kyle Anderson, Jason Caldwell, and Lucas Harrington. They all found seats at the table and many grabbed a jar. There were several open seats still available for the members that would be likely unable to make it today.
“So what’s new,” Ethan asked.
“Anything we need to be on the lookout for,” Ryan finished.
“You guys hear about Bill,” Blake added as he took a sip from the already open jar, “oh that’s got the good kick, thank you as always Elara.”
"No, the fuck happened to Bill?" Bryn asked, folding their arms and looking over at Blake.
“From my buddy at the police department it sounds like someone tried to kill him last night. Lights and sirens hours last night. Bill fired all the bullets from his gun, and somehow missed every shot,” Blake finished as he shrugged, “haven’t heard from him since yesterday in the morning but figured I’d bring it up.”
“It was on the agenda,” Pastor John revealed as he took another drag of his cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray.
“And he missed every shot,” Elara raised an eyebrow.
“I have him out on the farm once a month, he’s a better shot than I,” Adam rubbed his chin, “think it was someone he knew?”
"Fuck, must've been, I ain't known Bill to miss," Bryn shook her head, pressing a hand against her forehead. This was the pain with working in the mines - if shit happened while she was down there she didn't hear about it till she was back up. "Ain't any point guessin', you got plans after this, Elara? If not let's go check on him."
“I’m on the books with him after the meeting so-,”
“Another tattoo? Do you even have skin left for another one,” Pastor John sighed, “I ain’t gonna turn this into a sermon but maybe you should consider actual therapy,” Pastor John chuckled.
“I think Elara looks fantastic with all her tattoos, power to you,” Jason chuckled.
“So let’s stop by right after this meeting and see how he’s doing,” Elara finished the thought.
"Only therapy we need is the Lord and a buncha tattoos," Bryn snorted, looking at Pastor John with a sarcastic smile. ”Well, that's that. We'll head round soon as we're done and make sure he ain't need any kinda protection."
“At least shower first,” Mari commented, wrinkling her nose.
Bryn just waved her off. "Anyone else showin', or this it today?"
“Well if there’s any stragglers I’m sure you’ll be able to loop ‘em’ in,” Pastor John paused as he stood up and stretched. He walked over to a whiteboard. “We’ve had some concerning developments since Friday,” Pastor John paused as he spun the board around revealing a surprisingly detailed satellite map of the town and surrounding area. To the west of the town there were various red circles. They seemed to form a line that stretched above and below the western flank of the city. “This was two weeks ago. As you might recall, these were suspected vampire attacks,” Pastor John paused as he grabbed a ruler and tapped on the corresponding red circles, “these were suspected paranormal attacks,” Pastor John pointed at several more, “since then,” Pastor John once again paused as he put the ruler down and grabbed a red marker and the air was filled with it’s squeak for several seconds, “suspected werewolf packs, additional vampire attacks, more paranormal assaults and,” Pastor John grabbed the ruler and tapped on the town itself on the map, “this wave is coming right towards us,” Pastor John paused as he tapped the ruler in his hand.
“From the look of the map alone it seems like we’re about to take the brunt of whatever paranormal attack coming our way, right,” Pastor John asked the group.
"Right." Bryn narrowed their eyes at the board. It didn't look good, and it had just kept getting worse. "I tried investigating the attacks two weeks ago, didn't come up with shit. If it's just one vampire, that's easy… I see em, they're dead. I'm more worried about the rest. It's like shitnis awakening. And…"
She trailed off, frowning. ”I ain't said cause I didn't wanna worry y'all, but there's been strange shit startin' in the mines too. Ain't anythin' solid yet, nobody dead but… I'm worried.”
“The animals been acting real strange the past two weeks,” Lucas added, and the farm hands all nodded their heads.
“And nothing seems to be bringing me joy over the past two weeks. My favorite food been bland, my favorite music isn’t hitting the way it used to, it’s probably related, yeah,” Blake added with a nod of his head.
“That sounds like depression,” Pastor John responded with a raised eyebrow.
“Is that what it is?”
“That’s not even the most concerning aspect, Bryn,” Pastor John responded as he flipped the board back around and grabbed a black marker. He drew a crude oval of the Appalachian mountain, a crude circle for their town and another for Cloverfield, and several smaller circles up and down the mountain range. He then drew several red arrows that all pointed to the coast. “I just got off a conference call with the other paranormal pastors of the mountain and they are all seeing the same thing. Something is pushing the existing paranormal elements away from the mountain,” Pastor John finally revealed with a stern voice, “and I’ve gotten word that some of these paranormal elements have already entered Cloverfield as well.”
"Shit, that means whatever it is that's pushin' ‘em is stronger." Bryn was frowning heavily now. "This ain't good. We gotta protect our town and the Grove, but we can't just protect ourselves. If it's all across and there's somethin' worse coming… well shit."
She frowned, looking over at Elara and Seren. "We gotta talk to our allies in Cloverfield too, much as I ain't fond of goin' into the city."
“If they’ll get off their asses,” Elara rolled her eyes at the thought, “I know how to contact Magic Mike so I’ll get in touch with him, Seren you have contacts in the lower district,,” Elara paused as she looked towards Pastor John, “do you think we’ll need it? We’ve defended this town before, we’ll do it again.”
“This is bigger. From what I can see we have about a month before the worst of it hits us dead on, and we’ll probably see incursions until then. It would be wise to make some friends in town and get them on board. At least get them to prepare for something that will hit them sooner rather than later,” Pastor John finished as he looked towards Elara and gave her a stern, godly stare.
“Alright,” Elara sighed, “whatcha think Seren, Bryn,” Elara looked over towards the two.
“If this is going to be as big as you said I can head over and talk to people in The Hollow. Can’t promise they’ll listen, last I heard they’re dealing with some shit of their own,” Seren paused their TikTok video to look up from their phone.
"I think it's good we got Seren for the Hollow cause their leaders doesn't like us," Bryn chuckled, remembering what had happened after they sealed Nyrah the Ravager… criminal bastard had wanted to undo all their hard work. "I agree we need the help. We ain't got the numbers we used to, Eri… we gotta be realistic."
She sighed, pulling out her phone - an old as fuck Nokia brick. "I'll contact Twin-Hill, see if I can visit ‘em later today. We gotta touch bases with Moriah anyway."
“Then get to it. The keepers have long protected the grove, and this town, so I’ll speak for everyone else and say we appreciate all that you do,” Pastor John finished as he returned to his seat.
“You got it,” Elara took a deep breath before she looked to Bryn, “think you can give me a lift into town after we check with Bill” Elara asked with a smile.
"Ay, I'll be goin' anyway," Bryn nodding, stretching their arms above their head. "So long as you can wait for me to get changed outta my work clothes."
As she said this she opened up her contacts, finding Moriah after a bit of scrolling. She rattled off a quick text: "shit bad mo b rnd l8r”. Pretty quickly she got a simple response, ‘k.’
"Well that's sorted."
Downtown North District: 09:00
Freya stood in the dim lighting of the front of her bakery, wiping the flour from her hands on the baby blue apron she wore. The aroma of freshly baked bread, pastries, and other goods filled the air and it was almost pleasant enough to distract her from her daily stress. She took a deep breath as she looked towards the front door, before she shook her arms to try and knock off the rust of her four hours of work. Freya knew that today would be the same as any that came before it yet each morning brought with it a new wave of fear and worry. What if her recipe grew boring? What if all her hard earned success was just an outlier, and her business was actually doomed to fail?
She went to work on the display case to calm her nerves. She arranged the variety of croissants to the perfect angels to show off their profile. The macarons were adjusted so their spacing was perfectly aligned with each other. And each and every tasty creation was placed in a way to entice those who see into their display case. The smell of the coffee brewing in the back caught her nose forcing a small smile across her face. While it was never the biggest reason someone came to her little bakery, having the option to make whatever drink a person would want did help bring the customers into the shop. Plus, the iced vanilla latte was always a hit with the young crowd who’d stop by after walking their dogs in the park and she knew that they’d get the blueberry galette as she didn’t do any traditional pup cups specifically to upsell these people on that tasty treat to share.
Freya stood up straight as she walked to the front door and looked out to the waking world outside. Her watch dinged. One minute left until open. Freya removed her apron and hung it up behind the counter. She walked back to the door. She could see a few regulars already lining up, namely the high powered financial bro James who was typically dour until his morning coffee and cinnamon roll but today it seemed he was extra jazzed as his smile crossed from ear to ear. Freya hoped that her workers were ready for this day.
Freya smiled, trying to match his energy, before her watch beeped once again. She unlocked the door as her open sign began to shine brightly inviting them all in.
The Circle - 09:00
As Gideon strolled through the quiet, chilly streets of the circle neighborhood the breath of the early morning fog lingered in the air. His worn boots crunched the frost kissed gravel underneath each step. Much like the rest of the week the forecast for the weather was wrong, instead of the low to mid fifties that were promised the temperatures continued to plummet and snow could be seen in the far distance blanketing the mountains. Still, the coolness of late November air was hitting Gideon extra hard today. But he could not show it.
As Gideon approached a driveway he saw Mrs. Jenkins pull the trashcan out to the curb for the next morning. “Mrs. J good morning, how are you holding up today? Kids on break yet,” Gideon spoke with a clear voice despite the cold. “We’re hanging in there like always, Gideon, and not yet! They have another month left,” Mrs. Jenkins responded with a warm smile. “If you need any help with their Christmas gifts you just come and tell me, okay,” Gideon pointed and smiled back with his devilish smile. Mrs. Jenkins waved him off while laughing.
Gideon continued down and saw a small group of kids playing loudly in a nearby park. As he walked past the group he pointed towards the kids. “Keep it down, unless you want to wake the whole neighborhood,” Gideon chuckled as he continued walking past them. The kids all recognized Gideon and waved at him before returning to their game. A few steps later his eyes caught a man emerging from the tree-line of the park. Gideon narrowed his eyes for a second before they opened completely again at the sight of Mr. Thompson walking his Great Dane. “Cold morning for a stroll,” Gideon said with a nod of his head, “I see he’s healed well from the surgery.” Gideon bent over and pet the dog, who licked his face in return. “All thanks to you, words can not convey my thanks for-“ the man paused as Gideon stood up and waved his hands from side to side. “Listen, we take care of each other here. Don’t mention it,” Gideon said as he waved goodbye and continued on his way.
As Gideon rounded the corner he smiled. Despite it all this was what he did all of this for. This community, these people, and the love they had despite their circumstances was a strength that he drew his power from. And he’d do anything to protect it. His eyes caught another person but their visage caused him to stop in his steps. It was David Smith. He was a popular teacher at Central Heights High School, which was the district that contained the circle and encompassed much of his territory. He was normally a happy man but today, today his smile was nearly ear to ear. He watched Gideon with a very curious look, almost like the way a predator looks at their prey from a distance. In his mind alarms started to go off, and he felt something pressing in on his emotional field. It felt like it was coming from everywhere but nowhere in particular. He placed a hand inside his coat, grabbing a hold of his pistol as he did.
”Mornin’ boss!” Vin appeared as if out of nowhere - though it wasn’t out of nowhere, rather they jumped down from a roof to Gideon’s right. They’d traveled here as a rat - it was faster and just more efficient. Especially when their niece had been extra fussy that morning and they’d left late… ”Ain’t you out a little early?”
Gideon kept his eyes on David even as Vin appeared. David tipped his haters and turned down the road and walked off. Gideon’s eyes did but leave his frame nor did his hand leave his gun until he was gone. “Figured it was a good time to start the day,” Gideon spoke finally as he turned towards Vin. “We need to send a crew to go check on David,” Gideon said as he tapped Vin on the shoulder, “think he’s having an apparition problem. You heading to the hollow? I’ll walk you the rest of the way there.”
”Course, I was on my way ‘cross the roofs and spotted you,” Vin easily lied. In actual fact they were Gideon’s escort - but they weren’t going to argue with the boss about something like that. They craned their neck as if they could still see David, tempted to change their eyes for a moment - then deciding to leave it. ”I’ll get someone on it soon as we get in- can’t be havin’ Apparitions runnin’ rampant. Maybe I should take a look. Ain’t anyone else that deals with ‘em like I do.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking the same thing. We’ll see who’s at the bar when we get there and send you with some company,” Gideon said with a smile, “let’s get moving. I do not like this cold, and I could use some breakfast.”
”Sure thing, boss, don’t want you catchin’ a cold, that’d fuckin’ suck,” Vin agreed, throwing their hands behind their head as they started to walk at a reasonable pace. They weren’t even wearing that thick a jacket, but they didn’t seem too bothered by the cold. ”Y’know, ain’t it a bit funny David might’ve been possessed on the ‘Lord’s’ day? Big fuck you to the religious with that.”
“The lord hasn’t been with our people. He can keep his day,” Gideon said back with a confident, booming voice. “Though let’s not make jokes about David. He’s still a beloved member of our community, we need to protect him and the others from the paranormal. It’s not like the PRA is doing anything to help the average person. If we weren’t paying them off they’d have come for us and tried to destroy what we’ve worked to build here” Gideon talked to Vin with the same kind voice one would expect out of a teacher.
”Got’it, y’know I hate the fuckin’ ghosts- and feds- more than anythin’,” Vin said, nodding slightly. Their tone was pretty nice - they clearly weren’t upset about being corrected. Wasn’t like they’d had much parental guidance growing up, but they took surprisingly well to teaching that came from Gideon. Mostly because they actually respected him. ”I’d destroy ‘em before they took us down, though. Those corrupt fucks ain’t got shit on us workin’ our magic in fights everyday.”
“Oh I know. Which is why I’m sending you. If something has taken over David and he’s beyond saving, I know you’ll be able to give him the mercy of a quick death,” Gideon paused as a grin spread across his face, “and if those corrupt fucks ever tried to come down here with ill intent our magic would be the least of their concerns.”
”I hope it don’t come to that,” Vin said with a slight frown, as they cracked their knuckles. ”With David. I’d love to beat those bastards till they’re screamin’ for mercy- if they ain’t dead by the time I get to them.”
“Good,” Gideon paused as he spotted his building just ahead. He ushered the two towards the door and opened it for Vin, before following them inside. The bar, while open, was nearly completely empty. There was Marco Alvarez behind the bar, he was pouring a shot for a man who looked down on his luck. Malik Johnson and Caleb Morgan were playing pool, and by the looks of it Malik was about to win yet another game as he lined up the eight ball with a corner pocket. Jack Sullivan was near the door, the ever present enforcer for these early hours. Besides that, the first floor part of the bar was rather empty. Gideon knew it would be busier once he got upstairs. “Malik, Caleb, you’re with Vin. David Smith, beloved teacher, may have an apparition problem.”
”He was gone before I gotta good sniff, so I dunno what we'll be walkin' into,” Vin said as they strode over to the bar, leaning over it. ”Gimme a shot of somethin', anythin', Marco. Y'know that shit fuels me.”
Marco smirked as he reached behind the bar and headed a bottle of the Balvenie Doublewood 12 and poured Vin a double shot of it before sliding the shot glass down the bar. As he did that, Gideon turned to Vin and gave her a knowing nod. He walked through the door next to the bar and began to walk up the stairs. There was a lot on the plate today and Gideon was ever ready to clear it.
[center][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjEwNi5iNTBiZmUuU0dWc2JHOGdZVzVrSUhkbGJHTnZiV1VzLjA,/overunder-personal-use.regular.webp[/img]
I have gone by many names over my life, and the one I go by here is Nori.
I am a non-binary individual who has a love of participating in these stories and creating my own. I am incredibly chronically ill. If my illness flares up too much I may be pulled away.[/center]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><div class="bb-center"><img src="https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjEwNi5iNTBiZmUuU0dWc2JHOGdZVzVrSUhkbGJHTnZiV1VzLjA,/overunder-personal-use.regular.webp" /><br>I have gone by many names over my life, and the one I go by here is Nori.<br><br>I am a non-binary individual who has a love of participating in these stories and creating my own. I am incredibly chronically ill. If my illness flares up too much I may be pulled away.</div><br></div>
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