Estylwen

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Kipnu Riil

Kari's House
_{Mentions: Tayla (@silvermist1116), Drake (@Punished GN), Sully (@Atrophy), Stormy (@Blizz) Direct Dialogue: None.}

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He saw it all.

The accusations. The electrocution. The fall from grace. Literally.

Kipnu stood there half obscured by the foliage, leaned against a tree as he saw Luna get captured. He watched how this savage coven was treating her, the girl who owed him.

Slowly, he stood upright, blowing out a huff from behind his mask, and disappearing into thin smoke.

He reappeared in front of Layla, causing her to jump and drop the bobble she'd been just staring at in Kari's basement. He ignored the other bodies in the basement, like Aislin's jaw-drop and rapid eye blink. Instead, he reached out a gloved hand, and rumbled.

“Your phone.”

Layla blinked, acting as if Kipnu had spoken a foreign language. If he had eyes, they'd be rolling in their sockets as he grabbed her purse, pulled out the phone, and turned away. A rapid tap, and he pressed it to his ear as the call connected.

“You need to come get your girl.”

A pause.

“Don't matter who I am, your girl owes me something. She won't do you no good spilling your secrets cause she wants to ‘come home’.”

“You didn't know? You're a poor liar. Are you trying to throw her under the-” a hand pressed against the bridge of the nose of his mask. “You know what, I don't care what games you're playing. Get her out of here.”

He disconnected the call, tossed the phone back at Layla - who numbly caught it - before he faded into thin air.

Aislin just stared with her jaw almost touching the floor, blinking in disbelief, before she mumbled, “What did they put in that bud…?”

---

Valencia Vorpal

The Apothecary
_{Mentions: None. Direct Dialogue: None.}

---

A wolfish smile grew across her face, revealing sharp teeth in a smoky room. Valencia pocketed her phone and tossed her cards on the poker table, eyes meeting the men circling her.

“Gentlemen, it appears our little capo has walked into a… complication.”

She gestured to two suited men on her left side. “Benny, Gero, get your men ready. We move out in two minutes.”

She herself rose from the table, slipping a cigarette in her mouth and striking it with a lighter. Smoke puffed around her as she strolled out of the backrooms of the Apothecary.

She knew Luna was doing surveillance on the Sycamore. Luna knew them better than anyone in the Family, and wouldn't have gotten caught so easily.

Unless something happened that she hadn't accounted for.

A grim, calculating expression overtook Valencia's face, darkening as she sucked on the cigarette.

Luna would have a lot to explain by the time this extraction was done.

---

Near Kari's House
_{Mentions: Everyone present. Direct Dialogue: Drake (@Punished GN), Stormy (@Blizz), Tayla (@silvermist1116)}

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”Drake! That’s enough!”

Stormy

Luna opened her eyes to find herself in Stormy's arms, saved from directly impacting the ground. Her bleary gaze caught sight of the shields over them, and Drake's piercing glare behind them.

Luna was used to dealing with hateful thugs and unpleasant people. That was the life she led. But the hot fury and irritation, the utter disgust directed at her from Drake, hit so much harder on a personal level.

She felt like shriveling up and disappearing. But she feared that wasn't in the plans for her.

”Can you stand?”

Stormy

Her mind reeled. Her entire body was on fire, the convulsions causing incredible muscle pain along every inch of her body.

But instead of complaining, she simply looked up at Stormy. This was the closest she had gotten to the coven in ten long years. And unlike Drake, Stormy wasn't actively upset with her. Yes, displeased, but he kept that off his face, treating her like a human being first.

“I'm… fine. You can put me down.”

"Stormy, give him a break. If you felt what I felt from her, you wouldn't say anything about escalating. You said yourself that she couldn't be trusted. I didn't feel anything good coming off of her. There's...an intent there. I don't like it."

Tayla

“Tayla, get the fuck outta my head!” Luna snarled, mustering enough strength to lift her head a little and level a glare at the girl. Tayla and her Pink Lux could go to hell.

“You fucked off and left this coven in ruins, you have no right to say anything about trust and not to trust. You think I don't know about your habits when you fell away? Huh?!”

“Silence.”

Luna immediately clamped down on her lip, visibly flinching. White Suit's voice was calm, yet commanding, leaving no room for debate.

“Much was sacrificed to obtain that information. Remain calm. You know better than this.”

“Sorry, Don.” Luna squeezed her eyes shut, sucking in a sharp, pained breath. It hurt to get so riled up; her head was ringing.

”... Especially with shady motherfuckers like her!”

Drake

Shit.

Luna listened to Drake defend electrocuting her to kingdom come, and her stomach twisted uncomfortably. A sense of foreboding slowly seeped into her bones.

”Now, drop the shields, and let's go find something to tie her u-”

Drake

Luna stared at Drake, her heart sinking. What were they going to do to her? Drake had already hurt her with impunity, what else could she expect?

At least, that was until Sully came to her ‘rescue’, tackling Drake to the ground. That was all the slip in focus Luna needed, and she thrashed hard in Stormy’s arms, hopefully with enough surprise to make him drop her.

Whether it worked or not, the sudden movement on her convulsed muscles shot pain throughout her body, and she went limp, groaning, the pain causing stars to dance in front of her vision. Thus temporarily ended her short-lived escape attempt.

She gritted her teeth, her voice hoarse. “This isn't fucking fair. I'm just trying to help you. Don't you know I have friends that can help with your little problem?”

Iris Ascendis

I am traveling shortly and will try to get a post up tomorrow or the day after!

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Near Kari's House
_{Mentions: None. Direct Dialogue: Drake (@Punished GN), Stormy (@Blizz)}

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Let the World Burn - Chris Grey

”I'd let it all burn…”

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---

”Stop bullshitting and tell me who you are working for! I'm starting to think you got something to do with that Wolf Bastard...”

Drake

“I have nothing to do with the Wolf!” Luna bit out.“I'm trying to help you!”

"You have a poor reputation in this coven. If you start this, neither of us will be responsible for what the rest of the coven decides they want to do with you."

Stormy

“Keh…” Luna grunted under her breath. Her eyes stared wide at Stormy, before contorting into a compromised scowl.“Damn you, Stormy. You're unimaginably cruel.”

Stormy gave her something she hadn't dared to feel for years. Something that she had shoved down into the depths of the man-made darkness within her. Something that she daren't entertain. Something that she just couldn't risk.

Hope. Blind and unrequited hope.

But just as the light faded from her fingertips, Drake made his move.

“AHH!”

Pain coursed through her body as the flail connected, wrapping around her ankle. The spasms were quick, causing her to convulse.

She hissed, light building under her fingertips.

She could feel it. She was slipping. Her weight was shifting to the side, and the ground would welcome her. But she thought through the pain, just like she had thought through the the torture Mother Cards had inflicted to ‘mature’ her.

With all her remaining will, she moved through the pain, outstretching her fingers. She reached out and gripped the light construct. Each piece slid in together, gathering shape. The magazine, the grip, the hammer. She felt her finger move over the freshly formed trigger, wrapped in the guard, and the barrel and muzzle fell into place. It felt hot under her hand, ready to enact her will.

Her iron will.

She gripped it, timing her spasms. As her arm jolted, she re-calculated the trajectory.

Drake would see it.

Her eyes burning bright down the sight of the pistol, perfectly lined up in a split second at his head. The absolute fury, the calculated cold precision of a killer. It was a simple act, in that moment, to pull the trigger. An action that would send a bullet made of light through his eyes.

That moment hung in the air for what felt like an eternity. That bloodthirsty gaze. The iron sights.

Before something broke in Luna, and she looked, really looked at Drake.

Time moved forward again, and she slipped off the branch, plummeting to the ground as the gun construct splintered into shards of light.

She had killed before. But she couldn't kill Drake. She couldn't kill the coven.

Mother Cards always had contingency plans in case anything ever happened. But Luna was going against her Mother's words in that moment. The panic button wrapped around her neck peeked out from under her dress as she fell.

No. In that moment, Luna wanted to get caught.

Dark spots grew in her vision as the electricity took its course, and she faded in and out of consciousness as she fell. From somewhere outside her body, she heard Drake's voice.

Her eyes shut.

This was her coven.

Despite the pain, she was home.

"What Did They Do To Us?" - A Mysterious Supernatural Escape RP!!

Hey everyone! I'm traveling tomorrow and I'll hopefully find some time on the plane to write out the next post. Thanks so much for your patience!

The Dark Beyond

Hey! So I'm traveling tomorrow and will hopefully find myself some time on the plane to finish this post. Thanks so much for your patience, folks! Sorry for the delay!

The Dark Beyond: Adventures in Candyland (Prequel)

Thaaaaat was amazing, Angel! So worth the wait! The addition of lore is fascinating too. ;)

That means it's Lexi's turn!

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Near Kari's House
_{Mentions: None. Direct Dialogue: Drake (@Punished GN), Stormy (@Blizz)}

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Lovely - Billie Eilish (Punk Cover)

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”Who is that someone? And I don't want to hear no more about you wanting to come back because that ship has sailed, sweetheart.”

Drake

“You can't change who you are, little capo.” The White Suit crooned in her head.

“Urusai. (Shut up.) He doesn't mean it.”

“You can lie to yourself all you like. I won't stop you.”

“I just have to approach this differently.”

“Try to convince them you weren't stalking.”

“I'm good at bullshitting, but Drake already has his lie detectors on. My bad habits have dug my grave with him.”

“So what will you do?”

“I'm not giving up.”

“And his question?”

Luna stayed there kneeling on the branch for a moment. The tears had evaporated, but something inside her still felt crushed.

She put it all on the line there. But…

One who cried wolf was never listened to. One who broke the trust given to them, like a shattered glass, was stuck grasping at pieces. Unmendable.

Or was it?

“The rest of the coven will listen to me. I have to believe in that.” Her chin jutted out stubbornly.

“You can't change who you are.”

“Then… I'll burn down the coven to feel it's warmth.”

“Will you really?”

“I'll do what I have to.”

“Your denial is blinding you.”

“Your lack of faith is blinding you, Don.”

“It's over, trust me.”

Luna gritted her teeth together, her face twisting up as she gripped her temples. She spoke aloud, sharply. “Urusai! (Shut up!)”

She stood and pointed an angry finger at Drake. “I'm just trying to help you. Do you know how daunting it is to even try showing my face around those I've respected and missed for ten years?! I was building up my courage to face you. I never meant anything malicious by spying!”

Her hand sliced the air in universal ‘no’ sign before balling into fists.“I even offered to make it up to you, and you don't believe me? That's not fair! You're not even giving me a chance!”

Her arms crossed her chest, and she turned away, as much as she could on the narrow branch.

“I'm not telling you anything else!”

That's when Stormy approached the tree from below.

”Whatever you’re about to do, I’d suggest thinking heavily on your options. You aren’t welcome around here, Tsukino.

“We have no interest in dealing with your mafia.”

Stormy

“Fuzakeruna. (Don't mess with me.) You're the one who destroyed your own covenmate - don't talk to me about being ‘welcome’. Have you even tried talking to Layla again?

“Yeah, I know everything. I know how you tortured her and made her want to kill herself to make the pain stop. You can paint me as the villain all you want, but I see through your bullshit, kusogaki. (Unpleasant brat.)”

Luna started getting agitated, light streaming from her fingertips.

“Maybe I should really teach you how to be someone's friend, huh?”

---

[

Kari's House
_{Mentions: Direct Dialogue: Aryin (@NoriWasHere) Ken (@AtomicEmperor), everyone at the house}

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Habits (Stay High)

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"It wasn't your friend. One dead host was never going to be enough. Believe me, you're better off without-”

The Kid

Layla's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms in front of her.

The kid was preaching to her about Void? He clearly didn't understand. Void would have never hurt her. Like, really hurt her. He had his reasons. And he gave her strength. Strength she needed to grab her destiny, to be free of her curse.

Now? She sure wasn't free. But the medicine made it feel like Mr. Riil wasn't the end of the world.

”Yes, a toast for everyone lost to Father Wolf: Elsa, Lionel, Kura, Samantha, Simone… And Alizee, too. She was one of the best of us, all negatives aside.”

Britney

Layla perked up a bit, some of the darkness leaving her face at the mention of Alizée. The girl Layla had replaced, once upon a time.

Did Britney really mean what she said?

She moved closer to the circle forming around Sully, eyes glancing down at Aislin. Wait, when had Aislin gotten there?

”You were so brave for coming to my defense, Aislin. I could’ve taken him out if he didn’t throw me back to the city from the island.”

Aryin

Aislin giggled, a bit of a head rush making her words drawn out. “I'd do it again. George is a meanie. Though I just ended up hurting myself…”

Aislin made a crumpled face at Aryin’s bruises. “That's gotta hurt.”

”George is very strong..”

Aryin

That was when Britney leveled a lethal gaze at Aislin.

”Aislin, put that thing away. There's a kid here, and we got shit to do.”

Britney

Aislin's face flushed with embarrassment, and she avoided Britney's gaze. Layla's head tilted as she watched. Was Aislin mad at Britney for something?

At least Britney was Layla's friend. Layla puffed her chest out a bit. Yes, she had the best of friends.

"I'm almost positive we're being watched from those trees by someone. Just a feeling."

Tayla

“Oh shit! Is it your stalker?”

Sully

Aislin's eyes bugged out. “Taaaaayla? You have a stalker?” Her gaze shifted to Sully. ”Is this what you were talking about?

That was when the recollection hit, jarring Layla and Aislin. Recollection or not, it didn't stop the boys getting all excited over a possible spy.

“Get inside. We got this motherfucker! AY, DRAKE, GET HIS BITCH ASS MAN! GO, GO, GO!”

Sully

Layla and Aislin blinked in unison, staring as Sully ran out the door after Drake, headed to the trees. Layla's frown grew, before she took a seat beside Aislin.

“Sis, hook me up.”

Aislin gave Layla a quizzical look. “You sure? I don't think you ever had this before…”

Layla simply held out her hands, and Aislin hesitated before passing over the bong.

”Oy, Ken! Take us to the basement so we can get shit started… Don’t want to keep hanging around till we get fucking arrested- I, for one, can’t afford that. You can get us in without needing to break anything, right?”

Linqian

White Linqian spoke, Layla burned the rest of the bowl, taking the hits meant for others. Aislin's face contorted into panicked surprise.

“Dude, that's waaaay too much.”

Layla coughed, passing the bong back. She was quiet for a long moment, eyes squeezed shut, before she breathed a long, relaxed sigh.

“That feels better.”

“How do you, uh, feel?”

“Like my head is somewhere in the attic. Real airy like.”

Aislin laughed, pouring out the water from the bong in the sink and placing the bong back in her bag. She offered a hand to Layla, winking. “You're gonna need some help up, I think.”

“I'm fi-” Layla tried getting up, before she swayed and flopped back down.“Oh.”

Ailsin giggled again, helping Layla to her feet and guiding her to the basement door. She used her animation to open it, and it wriggled to the side. The staircase stretched down for what seemed like forever.

“I… got a serious case of vertigo.” Layla stated, looking at the stairs with eyes half closed.

“Ahhhh, you'll be fine. I'll hold you.” Aislin smirked. “If you take it slow, your head and your body stay connected. Go too fast, and your mind just fliiiies away.”

Layla nodded vigorously. “I get you.”

“You're both stoned out of your mind.” Mr. Riil chimed in her head.

“Heyyy youuu. I do what I want.” Layla waved at the wall, trying to shoo Mr. Riil's voice away.

“Who are you talking too?”

“I can hear voices in my head.”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah that's pretty normal.”

They were halfway down the steps when Layla squeezed on Aislin's arm.“I got it!”

“What, what is it?”

“Is Lionel dead?”

“I… think so, yeah.”

“Dang. He knew what Kari was talking about when she said she went to ‘them’, right?”

“Riiiight…?”

“Should we trespass Lionel's house too?”

“Duuuude… you're a genius.”

“I knooooww.”

And their conversations continued nonsensically as they made it to the bottom of the basement steps. Aislin turned her head back to the light filtering down from the top of the staircase.

“Ken? Linqian? Sloane? You coming?”

"Alright, alright. Come with me, and be sure to keep an ear out for Brother Drake. Some should stay up here.”

Ken

Aislin smiled, gently pulling Layla to the side as Ken made his way down the steps to lead the group in prayer. Well, not prayer, but he seemed to know his way around Kari's home the best.

Aislin and Layla watched on as Ken stuck a coin in the plaster, opening a strange looking pocket dimension.

“Whoa.”

Layla, rather mellowed out now, tugged on Aislin's sleeve, pointing towards the pocket dimension.“Good place to hide your stuff?”

“My stuff?”

“Weed.”

“Oh. Yeah, yeah.”

They both jumped a bit when Ken burst into tears again, staring as he pulled stuff out of the pocket. Layla immediately went for one of the jewelry boxes, picking out one of the glowing stones and just staring at it.

_”Whoa.

Aislin, however, went to the side of Ken placing a hand on his back. “Hey, hey relax, buddy.”

That was when Ken punched the wall, causing Aislin to move back a bit, startled.

"-there... The books weren't fucking in there..."

Ken

Layla dropped the stone, her focus snapping to Ken as he swore aloud, falling to his knees. She felt like she was walking through a haze as she moved to the other side of the table, standing beside Aislin. Instead of staring at Ken's broken face, she opted to stare into the empty pocket dimension as it disappeared.

“I'll share the same idea that I did with Aislin. Lionel knew something. We can trash his place too.”

Aislin remained hopeful. “We can't give up on Kari. Maybe there's something useful in her albums.”

Layla shook her head. “No, siiiis. Face it, Father Wolf is one step ahead of us. He has been from the start.”

Aislin blew up her cheeks, determined. “No, there has to be something Father Wolf missed. Something that can help us.”

Layla just shrugged, and started staring at the shiny rocks on the table again.

”Whatever."

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Near Kari's House
_{Mentions: None. Direct Dialogue: Drake (@Punished GN)}

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Playground (slowed) - Bea Miller

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The trees were bathed in an icy electrical glow as the halberd hovered ominously in front of Luna's eyes.

“...Shimatta. (Damn it.)” She mumbled, eyes focused on the tip of the weapon.

”... Take that mask off, stand up against the tree, and keep your hands where I can see them.

“You're coming down with me. We're gonna find out who you are and why you're stalking us. And if you're that Wolf Bastard, you're dead.”

Drake

Luna swallowed nervously behind the mask. She knew Drake very well. One wrong move, and he'd have no problem showing her exactly what his abstraction did. Judging from how pissed off he was, it'd be stronger than getting tazed, for sure.

Thoughts passed through her head at lightning speed. She could still try to run. But, given how close that halberd was to her face, and how Drake was watching her like a hawk, it was very unlikely she'd get very far, even if she had some amount of the element of surprise on her side. He didn't know her abstraction, after all.

Not yet, at least.

The moment the mask came off, she was certain this conversation would take a very, very dark turn. He'd put two and two together, know who she was, what she was trying to do.

She had to play this to her advantage. She had to convince him she had pure intentions. Her future in this coven depended on it. If she even had a slim chance of being accepted, she had to comply. Hell, she'd probably have to grovel, and even then, her chances were dicey. But she had to. She had to convince Drake she wasn't the enemy.

Certainly, she wasn't the Wolf they were after.

Everything she was hung on this moment. Her desire to be a part of the coven, instead of watching it from afar like a lonely kid. Everything depended on this moment.

With her throat feeling unfairly parched, Luna slowly slid her hands out from behind her head, keeping them raised, fingers spread in the air. They were empty.

Eyes shifting from the tip of the halberd to Drake's stony face, Luna shifted her weight and got to her feet, back uncomfortably pressed against the rough bark of the spruce.

Her hands moved to her mask, and she grit her teeth, willing herself to speak.

“Okay, okay you got me. Drake, I can explain. I'm not Father Wolf, but-”

Should she come clean or not? With Drake, she knew any bullshit she pulled now would only be marked against her.

She took a deep breath.

“-But I have been spying on you. Not because someone ordered me to. Well, that's partially true. But that's not the point. You're in danger. I know everything. I know about the police raid, I know about the gang fight, and I know tensions are high between you and the 8th Street. I know you keep losing members to a serial killer by the day.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat, her words becoming more jumbled and rushed by the second. She was suddenly reverted back to how she was ten years ago, the outcast who thought it was wise to mix business with friends.

“I- I know you need help. Please, let me help you. The vision- Kari went to someone. An unknown third party. I can use my connections and find out who. Please, please trust me.”

Her hands moved to hover open-handed in the air, and she sank to her knees, branch swaying underneath her. There was a pleading tremble in her voice.

“Drake, I was a stupid kid all those years ago. I have regretted my actions every day since getting kicked out. I should have never sold coven secrets, and I should have never tried to poach members. If I could do it all over again I'd have never done it. I'd have never hurt you, and hurt what we had built.”

There was a hitch in her throat.

“I have missed my family, my covenmates, every day. Every day I'm plagued by heavy guilt. I can never rest. I daydream of our memories, hoping one day I could live that again.”

Luna was speaking so fervently that her voice broke as wetness entered her eyes. She kneeled there, masked face dropping to stare at Drake's feet. A hand slowly slipped under the mask to wipe hot tears away.

“...Kuso! (Fuck!)” Her teeth under the mask were bared as she cursed quietly.

A few labored breaths, and Luna’s trembling voice continued on.

“If you say ‘leave your old life, leave your business behind’, I'll do it.”

Her head snapped up. “I swear I'll do it! It's blood in, blood out- they'll try to kill me. But I don't care! The coven is back together again, and I want to come home!”

She swallowed again, nearly choking on her tears as she slowly removed the mask. Her glistening eyes stared up at Drake.

“Please… please, Drake. Let me come home.”

"What Did They Do To Us?" - A Mysterious Supernatural Escape RP!!

I'm sorry, I'm not sure that I can keep up with a roleplay right now.

@naomimyselfandi

No pressure, Naomi. I'm not going to be able to post for a couple of days. If you're able to post before me, great. If not, we can skip you for this round. If you need to drop the roleplay too, that's okay. Please just let me know.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Updated my post, sorry for the change!