[center] [img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/b3RmLjEwNi5kOTFmOGIuVkdobElGUnlhVzguMA/thuast.demo.webp[/img][/center] [right][code] Cracker Island - Cracker Town - Cracker Bar[/code] [code]INTERACTIONS[/code] Britney, Meifeng, [@Punished GN] Stormy[@Blizz] Luca, Bianca [@FernStone] [/right] Britney was here and she said it was time to get to the bottom of whatever was going on with The Maiden. Nothing would distract her, nothing would pull her away, and nothing would happen from here on out. The Maiden would get sealed again, Lila wouldn’t have to worry about turning into a fucking bird, and she’d no longer want to rip throats out of people. This was good. This proved that Britney was changing, and would be a good person to not just herself but everyone else she affected ten years ago. Lila watched as Britney was informed about the Feds. Linqian was good at telling the details in a unique way that somehow gave a more or less correct portrayal of what had happened. Which was good, Britney deserved to know what happened in her absence and she deserved to know that it was these fucking Feds right here that did it. Lila smiled at Linqian as she described how big of a bitch Meifeng was. And then Britney spotted Luca and her whole demeanor changed. Lila gasped as Britney took a step back, waved uncontrollably at Luca, before she spoke a series of words so fast that Lila could only hear the final ‘bye’ at the end and left. Britney just left her. She was ready to help and decided, in the blink of an eye, that it was no longer worth it because of the fucking Feds and her guilt. Lila snarled as she crossed her arms. A rage began to form in her mind, and it was only going to grow from here. Lila was scared, whatever Britney did had messed up the sealing and she was being subjected to a horror that she did not ever consider a possibility. And all Britney could do was not know what she did, and then run away? All good will Britney had been given by Lila dried up, and Lila knew that she would find it very difficult to get back on her good side again. Lila shook her head and with it the thoughts. That rage wasn’t her own. Britney did not know what happened, yet, but that did not mean she wouldn’t help. Lila knew that she was just informed about Emily and the other whores from 8th street being here, a group that wanted her dead. She was also just introduced to the group who had attacked her friends just a week ago. It made sense that she did not want to stay around. Just because she ran today does not mean she ran from Lila, and Lila focused on the thoughts of reaching back out after this night was done. Lila shifted her focus to Luca. She hoped, above all, that Britney would help him too. Luca deserved some happiness after all. When the duo of Jasper and Luca began to follow Stormy, Lila did the same and took a seat next to them. She hated being here. Being near the agents that had hurt them last week. Breaking bread. Though Lila also hated the idea of walking off on her own, being away from the aura of Stormy, and away from her friends. She did not feel safe now with 8th street having ammunition to attack her. She ordered a tequila sunrise, and then she ordered a second moments later. [color=DA70D6]“Lynn would never forgive us if we didn’t take this opportunity for a group photo,”[/color] Lila whispered to Luca and Jasper to distract her from those thoughts, [color=DA70D6]“especially if you’re rotless and I’m not a bird.”[/color]. Lila knew that she’d take a good photo of Luca and Jasper together just in case, but hopefully someone could help them take a nice group photo. Maybe she could use a few crows? [color=DA70D6]“I am fine here Luca, Stormy’s aura is helping and I don’t want you to have the rot come back quite yet,”[/color] Lila smiled, Luca was truly too kind. Lila’s attention was pulled by Meifeng talking and it made her blood boil. On one hand Lila thanked the stars that Meifeng had the bare minimum self awareness to know that she fucked up least week. Like wow, congratulations Meifeng for stating the fucking obvious. At least the leader of the local PRA wasn’t a complete waste of air. On the other hand, how dare she try to make amends without taking action to make things better. Would there be someone there to check the bitch who had a clear problem with her anger? Would there be any accountability? Lila eyes shifted from Luca to Meifeng and immediately shifted them again to the PRA agent next to her. Lila still could not look at Meifeng while she wore that costume. And then Meifeng said that she hoped that the coven and the PRA would have a positive relationship going forward and Lila’s eyes finally allowed her to look Meifeng directly in the face. [color=DA70D6]“A positive relationship, a positive-”[/color] Lila pulled the words back as she shot her arms up to the sky, turning her head to Stormy. She did not know if he would understand the look she was giving him but she hoped it read as ‘you fucking dick, how dare you fucking play nice with these fucking Feds after what they did to us’. Lila hated talking to the Feds, she hated that she was silencing herself because Stormy was trying to play diplomat, and this anger was uniquely her own. Lila shifted her eyes back to Meifeng as she leaned back into her chair, crossing her arms as she did. [color=DA70D6]“It’s going to take more than words for some of us. We got gassed, I got tased, Jasper got tased twice, Luca nearly died, a fucking church burned down,”[/color] Lila paused as she shook her head. It was a mistake for her to come over here, it would’ve been a mistake to go anywhere else alone right now, and all Lila wanted to do was go home and take a shower to get the smell of beer out of her hair. This sucked. [color=DA70D6]“I do appreciate the apology but you’re not forgiven.”[/color] [hr] [color=F08080]“I’ll have sex on the beach,”[/color] Lynn said to the bartender before she returned to her beer. Lynn turned her attention to Bianca and her smile faded just a little. Thinking about her past with Kari was not something she expected when she started this day, but she would need to keep her mind off of the subject as much as possible if she was going to keep up the facade of being okay. [color=F08080]“That’s rough, I’m sorry you were on the other end of all that. Maybe she was just not ready for a relationship at the time, you know?”[/color] Lynn knew that these words were originally used against her, and the memory made her smile fade even more. Lynn looked around the table, at all the unfamiliar faces and waved. No one had listened to Bianca and introduced themselves but Lynn would not let that last. [color=F08080]“I’m Lynn, I’m sure you all know who we are because you’re the Feds and are in our phones,”[/color] she smiled as she finished. She turned to Bianca and winked. It was nice catching up with Bianca, while the two were not exactly close back then it was still refreshing to actually be able to hold a conversation with someone that wasn’t Lila, Luca, or Jasper. Bianca was also a good drinking buddy thus far, proper etiquette and all. Lynn knew that she would want to hang out more after tonight, even if she was a fed. Luca suggested the greatest thing in the world in that moment, however, and somehow Lynn’s phone had appeared in her hand with the camera ready to go before she even moved a muscle. She quickly took one photo of the group together and frowned at the results. Luca and Jasper looked cute, but Lila was just staring off into space. [color=F08080]“Lila, come on! Smile,”[/color] Lynn said with a playful tone. Lila turned her attention to the camera, flipped it off, and then smiled a big smile. Lynn quickly snapped the photo and looked at the result and smiled. Perfection. [color=F08080]“Now lean in close,”[/color] Lynn said and she watched as Jasper pulled Luca in from his shoulder, and Lila leaned over with an annoyed look on her face. Lynn clicked the camera several times before she looked at the photos. Not quite perfection but Jasper and Luca, once again, looked cute. [color=F08080]“We will need a group photo though once we’re done here.”[/color]. Lynn turned to Meifeng and smirked. [color=F08080]“Yeah, it’s going to take a minute for us to really get over all that. I’m lucky that whoever shot at me was a bad shot,”[/color] Lynn’s smirk grew larger, [color=F08080]“though I think I’d be more partial to forgive and forget if a certain wolf figure is found and the threat of a sudden death removed from my and my friends possible futures.”[/color] [hr] Jasper made sure to support Luca by holding him as tightly as he could without crushing the smaller man. Jasper was beyond happy that Luca appeared back to normal more so than just before, and having him this close only made that happiness swell. Jasper followed Luca’s lead and helped walk them towards the new drinking area and even after they sat down he kept his arm across Luca’s shoulders. Jasper squeezed his friend as he leaned in. [color=98FB98]”As soon as you want to go we’ll go,”[/color] Jasper paused as he watched Lynn begin to take some photos, posing for them as she requested, [color=98FB98]” I’m on your schedule for the rest of the night.”[/color]. He pulled his hand off Luca’s shoulder but carried it gently across his back as he did. For some reason Jasper really liked having his hands on Luca. Jasper listened to Lila and Lynn as they aired their grievances about the PRA raid but it appeared they were keeping themselves calm for this meeting. Jasper knew that Lila was only here for Luca, and for Stormys aura. Lynn was only here because there were free drinks. He also knew that he was here for Luca, and whatever that meant. He did not expect this meeting to last forever and he was ready for a long nights sleep. But he was not apart of the conversation, nor was it something he was particularly interested in joining in on. Maybe it was actually time to think about whatever he was feeling? It was in this somewhat calm meeting that Jasper took a deep breath, closed his eyes, cleared his mind, and looked inward for just a minute. Despite him trying to clear it his mind refused to fully vacate. He felt like he was not doing enough to help this coven, that he was worthless if a fight broke out, and that his whole life had been turned upside down within a weeks time. There was so much he still needed to do with his art, so much expectations on the pieces he had not finished, and a constant worry that if he did not keep pushing himself artistically he’d be forgotten and worthless. But then he thought shot Luca, and his smile, and all that fear, doubt, and insecurity melted away. He opened his eyes and looked back to Luca with a smile. A warmth radiated from within once more. Jasper still did not want to question anything much further tonight, but he knew better than to not embrace the feeling he was feeling. It was a cozy place to be after all. Jasper turned to Luca as he pulled out his phone. [color=98FB98]”I know we got one earlier but let’s take another one,”[/color] Jasper said as he pulled out his camera app and pointed to the camera, [color=98FB98]”a proper photo, just for us.”[/color].