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[code]INTERACTIONS[/code] [@FernStone][@Estylwen][@Atrophy][/center]


[color=DA70D6]“Let’s get going,”[/color] Lila spoke to Jasper and Lynn, pointing towards Auri as she stormed off, [color=DA70D6]“let’s catch up on the way to the lair.”[/color]

[color=98FB98]“For sure,”[/color] Jasper said as he tossed another look toward Britney, [color=98FB98]“I have a feeling that I might like rolling with the cult again.”[/color]

[color=DA70D6]“I figured you would,”[/color] Lila joked as she nudged his elbow.

Jasper's eyes darted around the area as they walked.  In the distance, he could see a literal sea of beady black eyes staring at Lila.  The Crow Pact.  Jasper remembered it well.  It was something Lila used to great effect during their battle with the stygian snake, and one that she had told him had grown in size in the decade since.  But Jasper found it almost overwhelming looking at the sheer number that they were now.  As they moved, he noticed that the furthest away crows would fly forward, maintaining the wide ring all around Lila.  Jasper shrugged his shoulders and returned to the conversation.

[color=98FB98]“So I got a few texts from you both last night,”[/color] Jasper said with a smirk.

[color=DA70D6]“Oh shit,”[/color] Lila said as she reached for her phone.

“What did we send,” Lynn groaned as she placed a hand on her head.

[color=98FB98]“Invitations, you guys said you were having a party.  Britney was there.  You said she looked good, Lynn.  You said something about summoning a demon before you sent a ‘oops we let it get away’ five minutes later, and a comical amount of ‘we miss you bro, please come tomorrow’.  Nothing bad.”[/color]

Lila breathed out a deep sigh of relief.  [color=DA70D6]“Oh thank god.”[/color]

The trio continued along the road, talking, catching up, and sharing details of their lives outside the coven.  To those around it was like not a day had passed since the days of the coven between him.  While Lila and Lynn used to hang out for five years after the end of the Coven, it was the first time either had seen Jasper in person.  And it was the first time that the three of them had been back together in full in ages.  Eventually, the conversation had to end as they found themselves inside the new lair, and a friendly face ran up to them.

”Hey Lila, Lynn, you came today!”

The trio turned and saw Luca walking up to them.  Lila and Lynn each smiled wide at him.  Lynn looked him over and saw that he appeared to be as healthy as could be after the Dairy Queen fiasco, and Lila smiled extra wide as she had a lot to thank him for.  

[color=DA70D6]“We wouldn’t miss it,”[/color]  Lila responded, [color=DA70D6]“I found it a lot harder to stay away after I was brought around the people who made the coven special.”[/color]

”Jasper! Nice to see you! It’s been a while.”

[color=98FB98]“Luca, my man,”[/color] Jasper said with a wide grin, [color=98FB98]“it has been far too long.  It is so good to see you again.”[/color]

”Did you, uh, talk to Britney about the… you know?  Was she able to help if you did?”

Jasper looked over to Lila with a slightly confused look on his face.  “Everything okay Lila,” he paused as she took a step closer to her.  While the two had not seen each other in person since the Coven, they did keep in touch with texts.  Lila had not mentioned any changes the last time they chatted.  

[color=DA70D6]“Things are okay now,”[/color] Lila said as she turned towards Jasper.  [color=DA70D6]“Turns out my powers were from an aberration that was tied to me, all this time.  She started to… talk to me and make certain demands of me.  We’re good now though,”[/color] she smiled weakly, [color=DA70D6]“Britney was able to help me Luca, she managed to seal it away last night.  She dropped whatever she was doing and rushed over,”[/color] Lila paused as she looked away from the group, [color=DA70D6]”The sealing itself was… rough.  Like really, really, rough.  I think I need to book an appointment with the doc to talk it through some,”[/color] Lila paused again as she returned her gaze towards Luca,[color=DA70D6] “but it worked.  I promise you it worked.  I haven’t heard from The Maiden, seen a crow, or anything.”[/color]

“It was traumatic to watch as well,” Lynn said with a sigh, “but you got through it in the end.”

“So you shouldn’t be seeing any crows anymore Lila,” Jasper asked, “like they should not be following you around or anything?”

[color=DA70D6]“I don’t think so,”[/color] Lila started, [color=DA70D6]“we sealed her up and left her back at home.”[/color]  

Jasper took a step backward, thinking back to the walk over from the park.  He knew what he saw.  At least a thousand crows with eyes on Lila.  He was about to speak again when Layla began to talk, pulling the group's attention towards the front.  Jasper listened to her words and scoffed at the thought of voting for a new leader.  The Coven has been put back together for only one full day and they are already ready to break it apart and bury it again.  While Auri has not done herself the most favors in keeping her leadership spot, she has done nothing to lose it yet.  From the word on the street, the only one at fault for the fight at the strip club was in front of him attached to a new girl.

[color=98FB98]“What a load of shit,”[/color] Jasper whispered to those around him as he sat down at the aisle end of a pew, [color=98FB98]“Void is just trying to deflec-”[/color]

Jasper’s words were stolen from him as Anya started to speak.  He at least wanted to listen to what she had to say, not that he would [i]actually[/i] listen to anything she had to say.  But he wanted to be sure he heard every word so that there could be no confusion if he had to say anything in response.  He hoped that she would not be so self-absorbed that she would put forth her candidacy.  Jasper looked over towards Lila, Lynn, and then to Luca.  

[color=DA70D6]“No, not a chance she will get my vote,”[/color] Lila said as she crossed her arms.

[color=F08080]“I’d rather not vote.  I think this is pointless,”[/color] Lynn shouted towards Layla as she sat down next to Jasper.  [color=F08080]“Let me see how this plays out,”[/color] she said as she raised a finger up before she slipped into the possible future, and went silent.

Jasper heard Luca say that he also did not want a new leader.  He looked back towards the front and listened to everyone else talk.  Eventually, he had enough.  There was a zero percent chance he would let Anya become the new leader of the coven.  Anya was diet Sloane, and Sloane was who Jasper held responsible for the failings of the of the first coven.  If they had any chance of figuring out who was behind the killings, if they had any chance to keep any semblance of control Anya and the vote for a new leader needed to fail.

[color=98FB98]“No,”[/color] Jasper said under his breath.  He was ready to stand up but he felt a hand push him back into the pew.  It was Lynn.  She had returned to the present, and she had a slight smile on her face.

[color=F08080]“I got this one,”[/color] Lynn said as she slapped his shoulder with a smirk on her face.  

[color=98FB98]“Yeah,”[/color] Jasper asked with a raised eyebrow, [color=98FB98]“go get 'em.”[/color]

Lynn stood up from the pew and shuffled her way into the aisle.  [color=F08080]“Hi, hello Anya,”[/color] Lynn paused as she flashed a wide grin, [color=F08080]“It has been far too long, you [i]look good[/i], real good.”[/color]  Lynn took a step forward, towards the front of the Coven.  [color=F08080]“I do love how you still show that [i]same[/i] initiative that you were known for.  I mean volunteering within seconds of The Void deflecting from all the attention that was on him.  Bravo.  I hope you don’t mind but I took a quick peek ahead to see what your platform might be.  Do you mind if I tell everyon- I know you won’t mind if I tell everyone,”[/color] Lynn waved off the thought, [color=F08080]“rules on top of rules, strict enforcement, and,”[/color] she paused as she shifted her vision over to Sloane, [color=F08080]“Sloane as your number two.  Now I don’t know if everyone here feels the same way but why would we vote for the same situation that broke the Coven apart last time? Hmmm?”[/color]  

Lynn turned away and walked back to the pew and sat down next to Jasper once more.  [color=F08080]“Also, you won’t have the votes.  So, as you say,"[/color] she paused as she locked eyes with Anya, [color=F08080]anything you say from here on out is irrelevant.”[/color]