“She’s coming,” Lila whispered as she lowered her screen.
“Indeed,”The Maiden responded with what felt like a chuckle,
“she is coming to save you.”“Is that funny,” Lila asked aloud, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
“It is not,” The Maiden whispered back.
Lila moved to the door and went outside. She had the rest of the bag from before and shook it to the crows above. The collective *caw* echoed through the quiet streets. Lila looked around at them and none seemed to realize that she would, for all intents and purposes, seal away their master. Lila shifted in her footing.
“Do you want this,” she asked The Maiden.
“I can not say,” The Maiden whispered,
“when the time comes you will learn my stance.”“Can’t you just tell me something, anything, so I can prepare,” Lila asked as she looked around,
“hello, Maiden? Don’t you,” she paused as she exhaled, rubbed her temple, and sighed in defeat. Of course, The Maiden would not make things easy. Lila wondered if there would be a fight to be had in the sealing, or if this would be easy enough for once. She looked up and saw the Crows with their gazes fixed on the bag of offering.
“Alright, alright, Britney Williams will be coming over soon. You will not peck out her eyes or bring any harm to her. Watch as she approaches, assist her if needed, but give her free passage.” As she finished she dumped the bag on the ground as she turned back into her house.
“Britney is coming,” Lila spoke. Evelynn was dressed in a fuzzy pink pajama set that Lila had given her. As suspected, it fit her perfectly. Lila noticed that she had already poured a third glass of wine, and had an unopened beer right next to it. Lynn had found a comfy spot on the large blue L-shaped sectional that took up the far corner of the room.
“I know,” Lynn flashed a smile. She engaged her power for a brief second before she came back.
“You may have forgotten, but I do have a knack for knowing the future.”“Fuck you,” Lila scoffed. Lynn blew a kiss in response.
“Any idea when she’ll be here Ms. I can see the future?”“Within fifteen minutes? She might hit some traffic and be late, she might speed as she is too excited to show off her special tea and be early. I would guess within fifteen minutes.”Someone knocked on the door a few times.
Lila froze in place at he sound of the door behind her. She turned around and face the door, her breathing more sharp and her face frozen on the door handle. Lila may have remained there for a long time if not for a single memory flooding her mind. She turned away from the door, walked to the table and grabbed the glass of wine and bottle of beer in her one hand, and pointed towards Lynn with the other.
“You said fifteen minutes,” Lila pointed again as if she was making a point.
“I said within fifteen,” Lynn winked as she took a sip of wine.
Lila groaned as she turned towards the door.
“Coming, one minute,” she shouted. She grabbed the door handle, turned it, opened the door itself in one swing, and took a deep breath for what was to come.
“Hi.”"Heyyyyyyyyy, how are you all doing?! I'm not sure how long you all want to stay up, but I'm fine with staying up allllllll night long! We can do each other's hair, paint our nails, talk about boys or girls if that floats your boat... I can teach you all to seal and then go fuck off for the night! Whatever you all want to do!"Lila held out the glass of wine and bottle of beer, contemplating the different options for the night.
“I don’t know, at least yet,” Lila paused as she she leaned on the door frame. On one hand, she would want to at least seal The Maiden, and whatever that entailed. Yet she knew she would also want to see if Britney has changed, or at least showed remorse, for her actions in the past. Lila has not decided on whether she would return to the coven, earlier in the day she was more set on not, and the conversation with Britney may help determine her fate going forward.
“After the night we’ve had at the Dairy Queen, I think I’d be down for a few drinks at the very least, catch up and stuff.”Britney raised the tote bag full of wine.
“Well, I’m prepared for drinking, at the very least!” She then playfully stuck her tongue out.
“Hiiii Britney,” Lynn shouted from inside the house,
“you’re early!”“You know, the early bird catches the worm!” Britney chuckled as she entered and then asked,
“Where do you want me to sit down my contributions to this wild night we gonna have… Hopefully,”“Yeah, come in, come in,” Lila said as she pointed toward a large coffee table inside the living room. The inside of the Victorian house was very much decorated by her grandma. Ornate glass elephants dotted the living room and every shelf in the entertainment center and every side table had at least a few of them present. Old oil paintings littered the wall, positioned purposely and Lila loved the story behind every one of them.
“Mind the clutter, while Gran is down south for the season she sadly cannot take all her beloved possessions. The table shall start the night, if we get adventurous we can always start a fire out back and move there.” Lila eyed the wine bag.
“We have a few bottles of wine, a few six packs of good beer and gran left her liquor cabinet for us to enjoy as well.”“Oh I will enjoy,” Lynn said with a smirk.
“Britney, you look good. Come, pop a squat on the couch with me” She patted the cushion next to her as she spoke.
“We put on some crappy monster movie from fifty years ago.”“... I look good,” Britney awkwardly laughed hoping that they didn't notice the blood on her clothes.
“Thank you,” She then placed her items as instructed.
“It’s not crappy, it’s a classic and it’s only forty years old,” Lila responded. She had a love of these silly monster movies, they were her go-to for relaxation after a rough day. Her grandmother had passed along her love of these kinds of movies. Whenever there is a modern remake the duo is always spotted opening night. As such, she had selected the classic King Kong vs Godzilla movie for some background noise.
“We can change it at any point.”“... I hope this isn’t an elaborate setup for a Netflix and chill,” Britney laughed as she sat down.
“... Because you could have just opened with that.”“No,” Lila said quickly, raising a hand up as she did, her face an every-so-slighter shade of pink than it was before,
“nothing like that, no no,” Lila sat down on the short arm of the couch.
“I wanted things to be relaxed first, you know, I don’t remember what sealing entailed and I wanted to..” she paused as she looked around the room for support, finding none, before she returned them towards Britney,
“relax before we talked business, you know? Have a few drinks, catch up, and then move on to The Maiden in time.”“You can say how you feel now,” The Maiden whispered into her ear once more,
“if you hold onto that resentment you w-”“Shut up,” Lila shouted as she looked over to her left ear. The Maiden always had a knack for appearing to her when she least expected, and at the start of the discussion on sealing her away should not have been a surprise.
Britney raised an eyebrow… Then couldn't help but grin.
“... You don’t seem relaxed.”Shit.
“I am not,” Lila responded,
“from the fight at Dairy Queen, to the 8th street showing up, and now here we are,” she paused as she took in a deep breathe,
“I’m thinking of joining back up with the coven after all that’s happened today, I am going to seal away The Maiden, and I’m getting help with that from you,” she paused as she exhaled.
“I thought I was able to leave that rough past behind me and just vibe with a massive murder at my side, but I guess that’s not on the cards for me is it?” Lila paused for a brief moment.
“Should I be drunk for the sealing? Like will it be painful or scary or anything?” “... Okay, girl,” Britney’s smile completely erased from her face as she faced Lila.
“You can’t say all that and not give me the details… especially about Emily’s 8th Street.” She tilted her head… before she sunk back into the sofa and said.
“Though, it’s not like I ain’t have a crazy ass night myself.”“Well,” Lila sunk backwards just an inch,
“they tried to recruit us. They also wanted us to give you up.”“They said we wouldn’t have to do anything, just tell them ever you were. Don’t worry, we told them to fuck off. But,” Lynn paused,
“they were very clear that.. they want to kill you.”Britney was silent for a moment.
“Was it Emily and Vashti?”“No.” Lila quickly responded,
“Greta, Carol, and George.”Britney awkwardly laughed and pulled at her collar,
“... Not surprised,”Lila thought for a second and she reached into her pocket, pulling out the bullet casing her crows had ugiven her earlier.
“I don’t suppose your crazy night had something to do with my crows bringing me this?”Britney stared at it…
“... It might,” She said.
“My night had a lot of bullets.”“Thought so,” Lila said as she put the casings back into her pocket,
“my crows show me a lot, but they leave out a lot of the details.”“Brit,” Lynn spoke as she leaned forward,
“what happened? Is everyone okay?”Britney awkwardly laughed as she rubbed the back of her neck.
“Well…” Britney started,
“Alizee is dead, and we miiiiight have a gang of crazy bikers after us.”“Shit,” Lila whisred. They could probably handle a gang, but losing Alizee?
“Not Alizee, no,” Lynn spoke as her hand began to shake. She quickly downed the rest of her drink and stood up to grab some more.
“Yeah…But, she was too far gone,” Britney sighed.
“It was for the best.”Lila thought for a moment before she shifted her eyes towards the ground.
“Void,” Lila asked as she felt a knot in her throat form,
“was it Void?”“It might as well have been,” Britney answered.
“Fuck,” was the only response Lila could muster.
“Day one of the new coven and we already are picking fights and dying,” Lila paused,
“just like old times I guess.” She also downed the drink in her hand.
“I don't know what happened… Apparently she went to the meeting, some shit happened, she went to the strip club, got into a fight with some girls, and got the Wolfpack to come,” Britney explained.
“A kid got shot, and we got into a fight with them… The Void got pinned down, she went to help him, and then…”Britney winced.
“... They shot her dead on the spot.”Lila let a silence fall over the group. She pulled her eyes up off the ground and placed them on Britney. For some reason, Lila wanted to think that it was her fault. That she said something at that meeting that pushed Alizee to do whatever she did to provoke the fight. Her face began showing signs of this brewing anger. Yet, Lila did not allow it to fester. She knew Alizee was always.. Troubled, and her night-stalking was something that Lila truly believed stood against everything that the coven stood for. It was not hard to believe that the Alizee she knew from back then was the same Alizee who provoked this fight, and killed herself in the process.
“Well,” Lynn spoke up,
“I did not know her well in the original coven, and I did not know her well in the years that have passed, but I wish she was not dead. From what I remember Void was as much at fault for her mistakes as she was, sometimes doubly so, and I wonder if her death could have been avoided if he was put under a tree as well.”“It was my fault this happened,” Britney started,
”We should have taken care of the Void a loooong time ago.”“It was your fault that a lot of bad things happened, Brit,” Lila spoke quickly. She exhaled as she knew what The Maiden would say, she knew what Lynn would say, and she knew what she would have to say.
“But that was the past, and what matters now is what you do going forward.” Lila did not want to forgive Britney. She did not think she deserved it nor did she think it was her place to forgive before those who were wronged. Still, there was room for Britney to make amends and Lila had decided to allow her the space to do so.
“I know,” Britney replied.
“I am trying to do better, make amends for all the wrongs I did.”“Yes, the Void should have been taken care of long ago, but here you are today. You rushed over at the first mention of The Maiden, ready to ensure she did not become a problem for me.” Lila said.
““I am not a problem for you,” The Maiden whispered, “I would never be a problem.”
“You say that,” Lila whispered,
“but why did it take you so long to reveal yourself?”Britney nodded.
“Because I don't want to lose anyone else if I can help it,”“Let’s have a few drinks then,” Lynn spoke as she took a sip from her new drink,
“relax a little, and then we can get to business. I have always wanted to learn how to seal so I am very excited to be involved. Afterward, we can see what the vibes are. If a night of drinking is the vibe, I am always down.”Britney got up, went over to the bag she had placed down earlier, and pulled out a bottle of Pinot Grigio, and then turned towards the two, asking,
“... Ya’ll got a cup or am I going have to drink this straight from the bottle like I got no sense?” She stuck her tongue out.
“I got you,” Lynn said as she grabbed a drink and handed it to Britney.
“So, tell me Brit, what have you been up to since the days of the Coven.”Britney just sipped her drink, sat down, and crossed her legs.
“You know, modeling… Gardening, trying to make amends…”Lila poured herself another drink, more of the same cabernet sauvignon she had been drinking at. She shifted her eyes over to the beer, putting her wine glass down as she did before she reached over opened one of the bottles, and took a big drink from it. It was bitter. Very bitter. It was so bitter that Lila nearly coughed it back up. Despite the bitterness, the flavor was not as bad as she had imagined. She took another drink from the beer before she leaned back into her seat.
“Alright, alright,” Lila paused as she raised up a hand,
“alright. I think it’s time we discuss the sealing.” She paused as she sipped at the glass of water she grabbed.
“Awww come on Lila,” Lynn responded with a frown,
“we were having fun…”At this point, there were three empty bottles of wine next to Britney. And was getting finished with her fourth. She smiled as she said,
“We got allll night, let’s turn up like ayyy.”She began shaking her behind.
“What’s one more drink,” The Maiden whispered.
“Yeah, yeah yeah, what’s one more drink Maide- hey,” Lila paused,
“don’t you try and delay this,” she paused as a look of disgust fell over her face,
“Maiden. Britney… Britney the Maiden says I should have one more drink, I think she wants me to get more drunk.. More drunk to make me not go forward with the sealing.”“What a bitch,” Lynn stumbled over even those few words.
“I know right,” Lila responded as she took a big gulp of her water.
“It would do you well to remember that I am very pow-” The Maiden started.
“Shut up, shut up shut up,” Lila plugged her ears with her fingers,
“Britney, if we get this over with fast I promise I will keep drinking with you.”Britney’s booty came to a stop and then she turned her head to Lila,
“Fine… fine… Let’s get this over with.”That was when Britney stumbled over towards her bag and pulled out a bag of chalk, and said,
“Give me something to seal it in, then you have to draw her out somehow.”Lila looked around the room, searching for the perfect vessel for the Maiden. She wanted something bird like. Something that she would always remember that it is the Maiden and never forget about. She spotted the perfect item. She ran over to the mantle and grabbed the object before she stumbled her way back towards Britney.
“This,” Lila smiled as she held out an ornate glass elephant,
“let’s seal her in this. Gran loves these and she’s never broken one”. She paused as she thought for a second.
“ I think I know how to draw her out. She’s always asked for me to let her in. So why don’t I do that?”While Lila was looking around, Britney had drawn her
personal sealing sigi on the wall and then grabbed the elephant and placed it the middle of the sigil. Then she took a step back and turned…
“... Well,” Britney said,
“Coax her out so we can get this over with.” she slapped a hand on her hip.
“Alright,” Lila exhaled as she took in a deep breath.
“You got this,” Lynn winked as she downed her drink. She leaned in towards the scene before her, leaning precariously over the back of a chair.
“Maiden,” Lila said as she exhaled,
“I let you in-“In an instant her head shot upwards, cracking back with a sharp intensity. A black as dark as the night sky devoid of stars began to fill in her eyes, before soon enough they were completely engulfed. A groan escaped her lips as her arms began to twist and convulse. Lila’s head shot back down, facing Britney but staring through her without a thought behind the gaze. She was gone, somewhere else entirely and no longer in their presence.
“Holy shit,” Lynn spoke as she dropped her wine glass, causing it to shatter on the ground below.
“Britney…”Britney screamed as she ran over to Lila and grabbed onto her shoulders shaking her…
“Fuck it!” Britney ran over to the sigil and slapped it hard as she could, causing it to illuminate with a wheat color. The glass elephant started floating in the air…
… Then it harmlessly dropped to the ground.
As the elephant dropped, the black in Lila’s eye began to spread outward ever so slowly. At first it flowed under her eyes themselves, then over the sides, and finally overtop them completely. Lila’s hand shot upward and grabbed ahold of some unseen object and gripped it tightly.
“Britney, it’s not working,” Lynn shouted as she sunk behind the back of the chair.
Lila gasped as her hand fell downwards with force. She breathed in deeply, exhaled, and breathed deeply once more. With each passing second the darkness began to retreat from her face and back to her eyes once more, before it retreated again from her eyes all together. As soon as the light returned to her own eyes Lila screamed as she jumped backwards into a table, causing an empty bottle to fall downwards and shatter on the ground below.
“What the fuck,” she shouted. Her eyes were frantic, darting across the room, across the face of Britney, down to the elephant on the floor, and then over to the liquor cabinet on the far side of the room itself. She quickly ran over, throwing open the door as she arrived, and grabbed a nearly full bottle of vodka and began chugging it straight.
“Lila,” Lynn shouted as she ran over to Lila’s side and placed an arm on her shoulder.
“Don’t touch me,” Lila shouted as she fell to the floor to get away from Lynn’s hand.
“What the fuck,” she whispered to herself as she took another big swig from the bottle. Her head turned back towards Britney, her eyes lingering for an uncomfortable second. Tears were welling, and some had already started to stream down her face.
“Please tell me you did it, please tell me she’s gone.”Britney stared her dead on.
“... Only you can tell me that,” She started.
“Can you hear her voice at all?”“Maiden,” Lila whispered. Her voice carried with it a new found fear, as if the word was now forbidden for Lila to say. Her eyes darted around for a moment. Lila turned her head as if she was searching for any sign of the Maidens voice.
“I do not, she goes quiet on me often but…but I don’t think she’d be quiet after what I just sa-,” she paused as she choked on her words,
” after what we just did.” Lila exhaled deeper than any before it.
“I think she’s gone.” Lila placed her palms over her eyes as she began to make a noise that was somewhere in between a sob and a laugh.
“Fuck me, that vodka was a mistake.”“Can I place my hands on you now,” Lynn asked with a smile.
“Yes, yes yes,” Lila responded as she accepted Lynn’s hand and was pulled to her feet and into a warm embrace.
“I need another drink.”… And it was only seconds before Britney had offered her another glass.
“... Now let’s get back to it!”Lila stumbled into the kitchen. Her heavy steps and bloodshot eyes betrayed just how hungover she was. She would have stayed in bed all morning if it were not for the smell coming from the kitchen. It was a scent that blended both sweet and savory, and the longer she tried to fight the urge to get up the more her stomach rumbled in protest.
“Good morning sleepyhead,” Lynn said as she turned her head around and flashed a smile,
“I got us some Gatorade in the fridge, not a cure but we need to get hydrated.”“Why are you cooking,” Lila asked as she sat down at the kitchen table,
“when did I get this food?”“I ran out an hour ago to the store and grabbed it,” Lynn paused as she placed a hand on her hip,
“you don’t remember much from last night do you? I said I’d cook us breakfast this morning, asked what you’d want,” she pulled the pan from the fire and showed the scrambled eggs with a slice of cheeses on top,
“egg and cheese on toast is what you said.” Lynn turned back around and placed the pan back on the cooking fire.
“That’s… I do like that for breakfast,” Lila paused as she rubbed her eyes. She thought back to the night after the sealing, and tried to remember as much as she could,
“I remember we played spin the bottle, and truth or dare and,” she paused as a thought entered her move causing her head to bolt backwards,
“did I kiss you last night? Did I kiss Britney?”Lynn turned back around, placing a hand on her hip while looking towards the ceiling for answers.
“I don’t remember, but I know I kissed someone.. It was right after we summoned that demon together and.. speaking of,” she looked towards the front door,
"that did get away... I hope that won't be a problem for anyone later on." Her gaze lingered on a specific corner of the kitchen ceiling as she tried to recall who she had kissed the night before. The memory seemed elusive but pleasant.
“We all got real drunk after the maiden situation, that was tense,” she shifted her gaze down to Lila,
“speaking of, how are you feeling? Any voices?”“None,” Lila said with a smile.
“I think she’s gone for good.”“Do you mind if I ask what happened when you let the maiden in,” Lynn paused,
“did you-““No. I don’t want to really about whe--“ Lila started but she got caught on the words. Her breathing increased and her eyes frantically darted across the room.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”“Fair, fair enough,” Lynn responded with a smile. The toaster shot fresh toast upwards of to the side, the noise pulling Lynn’s focus back to the task of her cooking.
“Perfect timing, eggs are ready as well.” She grabbed a plate and put both pieces of toast down, before she layered the eggs on top of one slice and rested the final piece of toast on top. She cut it from corner to corner before she grabbed the plate and placed it on the table in front of Lila.
“Thank you,” Lila flashed a weak smile.
“Of course, now to prepare Britney’s,” Lynn finished with a wink,
“let me see when she'll be ready", she paused as she engaged her power. She stayed in the possible futures, bouncing between eventualities before she came back to the present.
“Actually, I think when she gets up she'll want to head home and get ready for the meeting later." She shrugged her shoulder as she began to prepare her own breakfast instead.
“You mind if I squeeze in next to you two,” a masculine voice whispered in between Lila and Lynn. The duo turned and their eyes collectively rested on the face behind them before a clear and excited realization sunk in. The two hugged the man at once, squealing as they did.
“Hi Lila, Lynn,” Jasper choked out.
“Jasper,” Lila spoke with a chuckle,
“I thought you were too cool for the new coven.”“I heard you lost touch with yourself when you became a big name artist,” Lynn joked as she punched his shoulder before she pulled him back in close with another hug,
“I’ve missed you.”“Likewise,” Lila said as she did the same.
“I missed you two too,” he smiled as he paused,
“I wasn’t going to come,” Jasper spoke as he gave the two a another big strong hug,
“but word on the street is things have not gone well for us since the meeting yesterday,” he paused as he watched Adora walk towards Sloane,
“Stripclub shootouts are new, I’ll give us that. I figured you’d all need my stabilizing presence once more if things are going to get rough again.” He turned his focus down towards Lynn.
“Rude, you think I’d be anyone other than me?” He paused as he pointed to a rectangular painting resting against the outside of the gazebo. It was rather large, and from here Lynn and Lila could tell it was a painting of everyone from the original coven.
“I at least wanted to deliver this, and go from there. Though seeing you two back in I may have to stay”Lila and Lynn released their hug and turned towards the confrontation with Sloane.
“I see those two are insufferable as always,” Jasper spoke as he eyed up Anya and Sloane. He listed to Anya talk down to Adora, his face betraying the brewing anger inside of him. This was not new for Jasper. He had always held a particular dislike of Sloane and anyone that finds themselves close to her. She was rude, abrasive, condescending, and even above all that she is basic.
“Yeah, haven’t run into Anya yet but Sloane is still a cunt,” Lynn joked,
“Drake hit her last night, real hard. Abstraction and all.”“What she say to get that reaction out of him?” Jasper knew Drake was a hot headed person but someone punching Sloane was too far for Jasper.
“Don’t know, don’t really care,” Lynn said as she crossed her arms.
The trio listened to Sloane explain what happened with the rings, with the magical artifacts, and the sealed apparitions . They collectively had blood boiling in their faces as she talked. How could she have withheld this information until now? What if these artifacts were being used on their coven as they speak? The trio knew that they’d want to look much more carefully into what she had collected, and who she had sealed.
“I think I should congratulate Sloane,” Jasper said,
“after years of playing one she’s actually the victim for once.” As he stopped talking he turned his head and spotted Britney in the crowd. A wide smile crossed his face and it, like his gaze, lingered for a few seconds before he returned his gaze back to his friends.
“Yeah, last night at the Dairy Queen and now the thefts. Knowing her, she is probably eating this up.” Lila said as she watched Layla threaten Sloane,
“though it looks like she might be able to pull off the hat trick if this keeps up.”Jasper listened as Tayla complained and he understood where she was coming from. Not everyone had his luxury, and as they were adults now it was much more difficult to drop your life to fight the supernatural. Yet he thought it was very selfish of her to even suggest such a thing. He was now annoyed with the petty squabbles that seemed to erupt around him. This was what kept him away yesterday, this is what nearly kept him away again today, and this was more than likely what their murderers wanted. “Hey, I am going to speak up. Everyone is as I remember and I want to say I am shocked,” Jasper paused as she sighed, “but I am not.”
“I don’t think that would be wise, Tayla. I don’t think all this fighting is all that wise either,” he paused as he looked over the group. He had a certain annoyed look on his face, one that said he wasn’t quite mad at everyone in front of him but he was disappointed.
“I get it, we did not end on the best terms last time. But your first reaction after learning that we lost three more members was to say that you wished Linqian was murdered as well,” he said as he pointed to Sloane,
“threatened our friends,” he said as he pointed towards Anya and then Layla,
“made this whole thing about you,” he said as he pointed towards Sloane once again, letting the finger linger in the silence for an uncomfortable second,
“and you made a very fair point, and I am sorry that we're wasting your precious time off. Auri, can we please get better at this?” Jasper paused as he let his finger linger on Tayla.
“For fucks sake, this is not high school anymore. Grow the fuck up, let’s get this meeting finished, get to the hideout, and then take care of business again, and then we can all fuck off to our own lives.” 
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Framing A Moose
AtomicEmperor
FernStone
Izurich
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Lucid Dreaming
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