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 [right][code]Downtown St. Portwell[/code][/right][hr]

[quote=Greyson]"...So, let her have her time to speak and explain properly, rather than quickly!"[/quote]

[color=CD5C5C]"Oh for fucks sake, Greyson,"[/color] Linqian rolled her eyes, jerking her head back to look at him. She'd actually gotten on alright with him back in the day... Till she'd not. As was the case with most people and Linqian. She liked them, then she didn't. A constant cycle of friendliness and coldness. To be fair, Greyson had done plenty to piss her (and everyone else) off. [color=CD5C5C]"You think just cause you're playing priest we'll gladly listen to you preaching?"[/color]

The wolf pack sounded... Fun. Linqian had heard of them, of course. She'd only been back a short while, but people were loose lipped at the bar she worked. It was easy to listen in on conversations from middle aged men drinking for most of the day - it wouldve been more surprising if she'd never heard of them at all. Though she hadn't known much beyond them being a criminal gang till now.

A strip club, though, sounded like an actually good time. Not that they were there for a good time, danger and all, but what was the harm in enjoying the sights while there.

She fucking needed it.

Linqian opened her mouth, ready to agree to going (danger be damned), when Kali walked in. Same as always, staring at them like they were a terrifying exhibition, stuttering over his words. She rolled her eyes again, starting to zone him out. Nothing he had to say was interesting. 

Until suddenly it was. Holy shit. Linqian was unable to keep the shock of her face, usual scowl morphed into parted lips and wide eyes. Kali, FBI? What the fuck had gone on in the last ten years. Sure, everyone had changed, but this was extreme. Admittedly, Linqian had barely paid attention to him during the old days of the coven. He barely talked, hardly did anything of interest, so she had no inclination to be friendly with him. 

[color=CD5C5C]"The fucking FBI,"[/color] Linqian stifled a laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. [color=CD5C5C]"I can't believe the feds are interested in our old catch-up. Well since they're involved, we don't have to worry, right?"[/color]

She spoke sarcastically, of course. Linqian didn't trust government agents, formed coven members or not, to actually figure out this shit. How many more of them would die first? And what, they'd give Father Wolf a slap on the wrist and call it a day. She might not have had much experience with them herself, be she heard things, and dealing with the police when Jinhai was murdered had been more than enough to lower her already bad opinion. They'd been useless. Sure, maybe the FBI would be better than the police. But she doubted it. 

Linqian rolled her eyes as Greyson started up again, filling the peppy void that Auri had left when she dragged away their resident wallflower turned government spy.

[color=CD5C5C]"I'm coming to the strip club,"[/color] Linqian raised her eyebrow at Greyson, who was spouting off nonsense again. [color=CD5C5C]"Are you sure they'll let you in, [i]Father Devola[/i]? Going into a strip club isn't a very good look for a priest. Is that even allowed?"[/color]

Not that Linqian believed he was actually a priest. There was no way. Even if he actually was, didn't exactly make the way he was talking any less annoying. If anything, it'd make her lose the little respect she'd had for him. 

The sudden thump of Jack's boots against the floor made Linqian jump, almost getting to her feet. She covered it up with a heated glared at him. Did he have to do that in here? Could he not have made his weird portal outside and walking in the door like everyone else? She was already on edge, lack of sleep after her brothers death combined with seeing all these people making an even tetchier than normal Linqian. [color=CD5C5C]"Can you not appear out of fucking thin air?!"[/color]

She ignored everything else. She was too busy trying to suppress her temper, which had been simmering under the surface since she'd arrived and was triggered by the sudden appearance of Jack out of thin air. Linqian gritted her teeth. This was fine. It wasn't an attack, and nothing had been directed at her. It was just Jack, the edgy piece of shit. Not a threat. 

Didn't stop her feeling pissed off, but it stopped her from snapping.

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 [right][code]Flowers and Canvases.[/code][/right][hr]

Drake was right. They had voted Britney out of the group, and it didn't look like she was showing up today. Good. Sure Luca didn't hate her, not like people probably expected him to, but that didn't mean he wanted to see her. Hating her took too much energy he didn't have, and forced him to dwell on the negatives. Seeing her would be the same. He didn't have the time to waste on her.

[color=6B8E23]"Well, as long as she isn't here, we're all good."[/color]

[quote=Alizée]"I can see when my advice isn't appreciated. But I will say this: you're asking the wrong question..."[/quote]

Luca shrugged, offering Alizee a slight smile, though she didn't get to finish what she was saying. She was right, he was asking the wrong question. But what would the right question be? A question needed an answer, didn't if, and he didn't really think there was an answer to his problem.

Not truly.

Though if she considered that advice, she really needed to work on helping others. She'd basically just told him to suck it up in nicer words. Which, yeah, he was doing pretty well, actually. Didn't stop him from wanting to find a solution. 

It seemed like everything was moving on. The first lead would take them to a strip club... Which Luca definitely couldn't go into. Sure, he wouldn't kill anyone unless he touched them (which was a risk). But just being in his presence was enough to hurt people. There was no avoiding that in somewhere so crowded. It was a kind of pain he knew too well, after all, and didn't want to inflict on others. Shame. It sounded fun. 

Luca's attention quickly shifted to Kali's attention, sending a bright smile and a wave his way. He was just about the only one he'd kept in contact with after the coven dissolved, outside of Olivia, so he'd count him as a friend. Probably one of his only friends, sad as it was to say that. His little peculiarities had never bothered Luca, who had plenty of his own, except-

Kali, with the feds? That shocked Luca. He hadn't let it slip once, even when they'd seen each other occasionally the last few years. Perhaps he'd been saving it for a time like this, when he could dramatically announce it. Or more likely cause it wasn't exactly something you went around bragging about. 

[quote=Jack]"What have I missed?"[/quote]

Ignoring the aggression coming from certain people in the group (Linqian), Luca actually answered his question.

[color=6B8E23]"What haven't you missed?"[/color] He began counting things off his fingers. [color=6B8E23]"We're moving on from past issues, the leader of a criminal group seems to have the same name as our murderer, and Kali's with the FBI. I think that's the important points. Oh, and the strip club, of course. Very important, since that's where we'll find our information."[/color]

Luca sighed, leaning back in his chair. He immediately regretted it, hearing the poor thing creak underneath him, and swung back forward so it had all four legs on the floor. 

[color=6B8E23]"Much as I'd love to come along I don't think I can. Too many people and risk."[/color] He shrugged. He appeared unbothered by his circumstances, his smile genuine and eyes slightly creased.  [color=6B8E23]"Nothing quite kills the mood like crippling pain. Wouldn't want to ruin that for everyone... I can stay outside as backup, though."[/color]

Then there was another late surprise appearance... Everleigh, Luca vaguely remembered. People really couldn't turn up on time, huh. Maybe being late was fashionable. 

She looked an absolute mess. 

[color=6B8E23]"If you want some painkillers I got some,"[/color] Luca offered, against his better judgment. Should he be offering his prescription painkillers (the only good thing to come out of his doctors appointment, if expensive) to someone he barely remembered? Probably not. Would it make him look like a drug dealer? Probably. Would explaining why he had them all on him be a pain? Definitely. They didn't just hand out strong stuff to anyone with chronic pain. But, it was fine. Anything to ease some suffering. [color=6B8E23]"I got the normal over the counter stuff, then there's some codeine as well... Got some low dose morphine tablets too. What do you want?"[/color]

He also had stronger morphine tablets, but those were sustained release (according to the doctors) and only there in case he was still out at the time he had to take it. Not that it helped loads, the whole rotting thing really reduce the effectiveness of medication. He definitely wasn't offering it to anyone else... And it'd only cause more questions. That one was harder to explain.

Not that his list of drugs wasn't already suspicious.

It was fine. Surely something else dramatic would happen before anyone has a chance to question him about it.