FernStone

Iron and Honey: A Love Story [FernStone & AtomicEmperor]

Leon’s Apartment

The knobs were typically intricate of these big shower setups, and one group was even labelled as “Sauna”. There were at least twelve nozzles that began to dump water into the shower from all sides.

“Thanks,” Trisha called after him. She didn’t move for a moment, hands falling to her side. They clenched into fists, then unclenched multiple times. An irritating, irrational feeling of rejection started to creep in. It wasn’t that. Though she didn’t know for sure, it was pretty obvious from the two kisses they’d shared that Casey was inexperienced. They were taking things slow. He was respecting her privacy. That was good. It was.

It was just the far too familiar sight of someone’s back turned to her, that was all. A silly irrational thing. Her life was just back after back after back- her exes, the coven, her dad, her mom. But she was being stupid. This wasn’t that. And even if it was, it was day one, right? It wasn’t like there were many feelings there. He was nice, attractive, and treated her pretty well so far… but it had just been one day.

Nothing to get so worked up about. But of course, emotions didn’t exactly follow any logic, and she was awful at controlling hers. A bee worriedly flew past her eyes, landing on her cheek and snapping her out of it.

“Hey, go back to the towel, you can’t get wet,” Trisha murmured, reaching up to tap it. It seemed to rub its fuzzy body against her cheek before following the pheromone command she’d given along with her words. With the bees safely out of the way, she finished taking off her clothes and turned on the shower. It took a moment to figure out the insane amount of knobs. Rich as she was, she hadn’t actually used a shower this massive before. The Vanburen Manor was an older building, and while the current place was fancy her ensuite bathroom certainly didn’t have a shower like this.

The warm, all encompassing shower helped. She closed her eyes as the water was dumped on her, spending more time just standing in it than actually cleaning. She was in there for about ten minutes before she dragged herself out, the thoughts washed away starting to fight against the torrent and crowd her mind again. The bees flew out of the way as she grabbed one towel to wrap around her body, then another for her hair. She started with drying that first, vigorously rubbing it. Once it was dry enough she shook her hair out so it fell in messy waves down her back. It would take a while to fully air dry which… would be annoying. With a soft sigh she crouched down, pulling a hair bobble out of her trouser pocket. She pulled her damp hair back into a bun at the top of her hair. She had the towel wrapped tightly around her, so all she could do was wait for Casey to come back with clothes.

Immediately sensing her idleness, the six bees flew over to her. Two landed in her hair, while the rest landed on her face and shoulders. They started lapping up the water as if they hadn’t drank anything their whole life. Trisha bit her lip to suppress a laugh, because it fucking tickled. “Hey, hey, stop it! I didn’t say you could move- you’re not listening to me now, huh? Fuck, it tickles, stop- Go over to the sink.”

It was a far longer period of time than what could’ve been expected of someone just getting some clothing. Casey finally returned and knocked on the door with some haste.
”Leaving them out here! Taking care of something!” he called through the door.

“Okay,” Trisha said softly - he probably wouldn’t hear if he’d already moved away from the door. She carefully opened it, reaching out and pulling in the clothes. The bees finally listened to her and moved off her, allowing her to get dressed. She pulled back her own underwear, then the promised clothing. It was all too big, but the elasticated waist of the sweatpants meant they shouldn’t fall down… She just bent over to roll up the bottom of them so she wouldn’t trip when walking. "Alright, you can come back."

The bees buzzed back over to her, five settling sensibly on her shoulder and one choosing to sit precariously on her ear. She didn’t bother moving it… They were being really finicky right now. Maybe because she hadn’t been talking to them until now - she didn’t need to, but generally did when alone with them. Not so much around other people. She bit her lip, gnawing at it as she delayed leaving. Why? She couldn’t describe it, just a stupid feeling of dread. It’s seriously fine. Why are you being like this? So annoying.

Trisha took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom, making her way through Leon’s BDSM dungeon as quickly as she could and back out into the hallway, then down towards the open room. "Casey?"

As she walked through the room, it was immediately clear that Casey had hung more sheets or some cloth blockers across Leon’s room so Trisha didn’t have to see it again. He’d pulled the curtain from the door itself, giving her a clear shot from the door to the bathroom whenever she needed it.

Coming back out into the kitchen, Casey had put together this fruit ensemble, and had covered the black leather couches in plenty of blankets. There were candles burning, filling the apartment with autumnal scents, and the projector was already running and displaying a warm fireplace.
”I didn’t know what kind of food you would want from this place, so I figured I’d wait to ask you. But, in the meantime I know that the bees are gonna love some of this fruit, and I know you will too.”
He was waiting in something more comfortable; sweatpants of his own and a green Army t-shirt. His hair was pulled back and tied up in a loose bun.
”How was the shower?” he asked, walking closer to her and moving in for a hug.

Seeing all the effort Casey had gone to, Trisha felt conflicted. She should feel happy about it all. She didn't have to see anymore of Leon's creepy sex dungeon, a comforting atmosphere blanketed the darkly decorated place and there was fruit. But she'd already taken one thing as rejection, and that was it. Was it fruit because Casey had taken one look at her and decided she wasn't healthy enough? He was probably right. Were the blankets because she couldn't be trusted on the undoubtedly expensive leather couch? That was ridiculous.
"It was nice," Trisha said woodenly. She didn't move to go in for the hug, but she also didn't make any move to stop him. She just stared at him, nose wrinkling and lips pursed. Her eyes, looking like a more dull brown without any reflected lights, showed her confusion.

The bees felt incredibly conflicted too. They could smell the incredibly tempting aroma of fresh fruit, luring them towards it. But there were also the literal mixed signals coming off Trisha, confusing them. She was annoyed, but she wasn't annoyed, wanted to get close and push away. Safe and not safe. Eventually, the former won out. There were no actual commands and no want to hurt. Five bees flew from her shoulder and onto a plum, immediately beginning to gnaw their way through it. The bee on her ear was less happy. Instead, she buzzed over from Trisha's ear and landed on Casey's cheek, just below his eye. She gave out a 'threatening' buzz to anyone that could sense pheromones… a very normal one to anyone else.

Trisha frowned. "Oy, stop."
She was probably talking to the bee.

But Casey did stop. He stopped mid stride, arms still out.
Was this too fast?
No, she was probably freaked out by the fucking cats… And Leon's nightmare of a sex bedroom. Casey hadn't imagined Trisha being prudish necessarily, but of course she knew Leon better than him, right? It almost certainly wasn't something she wanted to know about her Covenmate.

And obviously the two cats were unsettling. How could he convince her they're friendly and sapient enough to accept and comply with boundaries? They were both over twenty years of age, their unnatural lifespans maintained by the spirit within. They'd watched countless children grow into adults, and grew used to the kind of sibling relationship that existed.

But that probably didn't matter to her.
”Too fast? Sorry, I-”

But the Bees were feasting. All but one that landed on his cheek. It was… Was it defending her? Casey wasn't an educated man, but he had a good sense for things. He knew bees didn't do things for no reason.

It brought him back to that hill. To swatting that bee against the side of the mud hole and feeling it explode under his fingertips. As if on reaction, his hand flicked up and nearly squashed the poor innocent creature against his face.
But he stopped, resting two fingers against his cheek to try and coax the little one off any important areas.

”What's wrong, little one? Did I get some watermelon on my face?”

Trisha flinched as his hand went towards the bee, an automatic reaction to anyone else's getting near them. She'd experienced people squashing her bees. But he wouldn't?
And he didn't. She let out a soft sigh of relief. The strange tension she'd been feeling began to drain away. Internal problems pushed aside without any thought given to them, ignored but not resolved or forgotten.

The bee seemed to look at his fingers. It then turned around and raised its abdomen, string brandished threateningly.

"Heyyyy, no." Trisha closed the gap between them, stepping into Casey's outstretched arms and reaching up. She put her finger between the bee and his two fingers. The bee buzzed and she narrowed her eyes at it, brow furrowing slightly as she told it to fly away or get on her finger. There seemed to be a tug of war between her and the bee, which she ultimately won. It let out a grumpy buzz, ignoring her finger entirely and flying over to join the others on the fruit.

"She, uh…" Trisha lowered her hand, looking up at Casey and trying to smile. Her expression softened slightly. But how did she explain it? She was set off by seeing his back turned to her and got stuck in her head to the point the bees were affected? That she still felt annoyed about it? No way. "She got shaken around a lot while fighting the snake… made her and a bunch of the others way more pessimistic. Very weird. She was just set off by the shower, I think, and then thought you smelled different. Change of clothes probably. She was absolutely bombarding me with pheromones."

She leaned against him, loosely wrapping her arms around him. It was a good enough explanation, right? He hopefully wouldn't figure out that it was her that had freaked out the bees, rather than the other way around.

”It must be real hard when there's a lot more of them… Good thing we're gonna help you train and get better at it. I'd say we can start with the cats, but they really can't process the whole ghost thing with the same precision and skill we can.”

He had taken what she was saying at face value: It was probably just that she didn't want anyone getting hurt. If they did in fact sting and die like normal bees, he was certain it wouldn't be a positive experience for anyone.

”Pretty good you can handle it, though. Thanks for helping me avoid the sting.”

Back to his scheduled program, Casey's arms wrapped around her tighter, until he was almost squeezing. His voice got muffled in her hair, but the gist escaped.
”I've only had a couple girlfriends. Before the Army. I… I tried something with this guy from my platoon, but it turned out we were better friends, since… Well, frankly, neither of us were gay. Just lonely. Amazing what the brain can trick you into with enough emotion.”

If Casey was one thing, it was open and honest. Maybe too much so, but he didn't imagine the consequences of telling a girl he was dating that he'd tried kissing other dudes at any point. He was just happy to have someone there with him. He wanted to cuddle up and disappear: Finish the saga right then and there with her and with happiness.

”My point is, I only know what I've seen. I know it's probably not something you want to deal with, so… If you feel like it's not working, I'm strong. You don't have to hide around me. If you feel like it's not going well? We'll drop it. No harm, no foul. You're too sweet to be stuck in something rotten.”

"So you won't leave me first?" Trisha blurted out before she could stop herself. Too sweet? She'd never been called sweet before… because it wasn't true. She could pretend, she could act, but Trisha knew deep down what she was like. It wasn't her fault, it was just the way she was - the way her parents had forced her to be. But she wasn't sweet. But how could he know that?

"It's okay. I won't hide around you but… you're meant to work through problems, not drop it right away." She said that as if she'd ever worked through a single problem of her own in her life, rather than becoming a growing ball of resentment and pain. She wriggled in his arms a little bit, craning her head back to look up at him. What did he mean by all of that, anyway? Beyond her gut reaction of… happiness that he thought she'd leave first, she didn't understand. Because he'd only had a couple of girlfriends? He was inexperienced? That was fine. Because he'd tried it with a guy? Did he think there was something wrong with that?

"You know, I've dated about fifteen people," she said softly. She didn't like talking about the deep stuff, her feelings or emotions or problems. But that was just a surface level fact. She had dated a lot of people. "The longest was four months- she had an abstraction too, so she got the bees a bit more. But do you know how many I broke up with?"
She paused, biting her lip again. It was just a fact again. On the surface. None of the reasons why. "None. I've never broken up with anyone."

”So you think I'm gonna leave?”
It would've taken a particularly inept individual to not put that addition problem together after she'd said such a thing initially. So you won't leave me first?

Casey's eyes narrowed as the question left his lips. He stared down, eyes filling with a blackness as the dim lights shaded him in like a comic book character. His arms got just a little tighter as he thought of all the corpses that had begged him not to leave. All the dead men who had seen his face as their last sight before they left their mortal coils.

”I don't think you understand what you've gotten yourself into.” he spoke with a calm, reassuring voice.
”I used to help the Docs with Triage. I wasn't very good at it. I couldn't leave the dying men, and I couldn't bring myself to put them out of their misery.”

Something told him to help her understand. To understand his seriousness. He didn’t want to kill the mood, but he didn't need her worried either. For the first time, he considered that she wasn't just a cute funny girl; that there were problems there that he may not be able to fix ever. Things he'd need to deal with.

But she hadn't slept with him either. She didn't know that he couldn't really. That he was up at all hours of the night, keeping opsec and skulking the halls of the apartment building looking for any sign that things weren't perfectly secure for himself and the other residents.
Or how he obsessively kept his back to walls he felt secure around, or that too much noise and light made him shake uncontrollably.

She didn't know he was a freak yet. But if she stuck around long enough, maybe that number would go from zero to one… He only hoped it would last longer than four months.

Casey let her go slightly, only so he had enough room to kneel down in front of her.
”If the bus’ wheels fall off, I'll stick my fucking feet through the floor like the Flintstone family we saw earlier. I'll fucking drag you kicking and screaming if I have to. But I won't leave you like that. I promise.”

Trisha opened her mouth, then closed it again. Her breath grew shallower and her hands fell to his shoulders, fingers gripping his t-shirt. His words were enough to begin to chip away at the metres thick walls she'd built around herself. Just the tiniest of cracks, dust that had always formed bricks leaking out along with emotions she'd kept trapped. But she didn't believe him. How could she believe him? Her own mother had abandoned her. She talked about her as if their relationship was distant but still there, but it wasn't. She hadn't heard from her mom since she graduated. Every call had been rejected.

Why would a guy she'd just met put in the effort to stick around? How could she believe that? Really she should feel scared, there was an intensity to what he was saying, but she just didn't believe it at all. But there was a tiny bit of her that hoped it was true, and wanted to confirm it. “Everyone leaves. Will you really do that? Will you really stay, even if I’m the one that pulled off the wheels?”

She looked away, gnawing at her lip. Why was she letting herself be so affected? She'd already said it would be fine if he left. Now. Not in a month. Tomorrow, maybe, but not after a few weeks. She looked back away, smiling weakly. “I, uh, I mean I won’t, obviously. I believe you. I've never had someone promise me that so seriously.”

Casey tried to grin up at her. To smile warmly. He thought it worked, but he couldn’t hide the discomfort, nor would he even really know how to explain it. How could he explain that it was all trivial bullshit? That he’d seen death time and time again, and that if she had too, she’d understand the same as him. That they had things hard enough, and that commiseration was necessary for people to survive hard times. Or that he’d been forced into so many uncomfortable situations in his life that he, for the first time, was contextualising how little he’d ever actually run from in his life?

”Fuck the words then. Just let me show you… Girlfriend. Babe. Trisha… You’ll see as life continues for us. I don’t run. I stand and I struggle, because I fucking love when things get hard. It thrills me.”

He rose up to his feet, scooping Trisha as he had when she was wounded at the Festival. That same warm, strong, protective grip as before. His head tilted down to nuzzle their noses together in an eskimo kiss. His eyes stared down at hers, the bright blue of them piercing like a spotlight.
”Now, where were we?” he asked, the half smile turning into a more playful grin. He felt like he shredded the tension off, but kept observing her face for any signs of lingering doubt.
”Oh, right-”

He shuffled the both of them toward the fruit, adjusting one of his arms to take the brunt of her weight while the other slipped out and grabbed a few grapes. Like a man-servant, he brought his hand close, feeding her grapes with a playful look on his face.
”-the Queen needs some sweetness too…”

Trisha wrapped one arm around the back of his neck, the other loosely resting on his shoulder. She rested comfortably in his arms and put her worries to the side. Either he’d stay like he said, or he’d leave like everyone else. She didn’t want to think about it right now- she forced herself to not think about it right now.

She leaned forward and ate the grapes right out of his hand, before smiling sweetly at him. “Mm, they’re good. The bees are enjoying it too.”
She nodded towards the six bees that had merrily eaten half a plum between them, and were now lying on the plate in varying states of fullness. Once they’d processed all of that, she’d probably send them back to the hive and have another group come out. These ones had been with her all day… and it was easier for them to sleep there rather than with her.

“Oh, can we order that chicken you promised me? Grapes are good, but I really need something unhealthy to balance it out.” She grinned, expression much for relaxed as she leaned her head in and rested it against his neck. “I’ll have anything without bones in it.”

Hearing her opinion on the chicken, he nodded happily and sat her up, sliding her onto the countertop next to the fruit.
”Hell yeah! Alright, probably a box or two of boneless, I’ll get Mia her falafel, do you…-” he was patting around for his cellphone, but realised it was still in his uniform pocket.

As he moved away to move to his room, he stopped and turned back to her.
”-I’ll let you look anyway, I think. Because they may have a side dish or something you want. Or dessert. They fry chocolate bars like they do in the UK, with that thick ass batter?”
He waggled his eyebrows, then waved his hand.
”You wanna see my room? Or wait until later?”

“My friends told me about the battered chocolate bar thing, I was never sure if I’d be able to eat it,” Trisha wrinkled her nose, but she then smiled cutely, leaning towards Casey. “Maybe you can get one and I’ll have a bite or two of it?”

It wasn’t that she cared much about not eating junk food - she was blessed with a high metabolism and did actually exercise. But she also really wasn’t sold on the idea of a chocolate bar covered in batter. She liked battered things, and she liked chocolate, but combined? Wasn’t so appealing.

“I want to see your room.” She slipped down off the countertop and smiled teasingly. “I need to make sure it isn’t like Leon’s before I’m stuck here for the night.”

Ever since Leon and Casey had come to terms with their personal relationship, Leon had taken to curating a space for Casey to come that he’d be comfortable in. To that end, it was a far more tame and warm room than many of the others. There was a pleasant draft rolling through the room as the tall, slender windows were opened on the different walls. This was where most of the plant life seemed to be, various spider plants and hearty crawlers that had been given their own little tressels.

The bed was big, fluffy, and low to the ground as the frame swallowed the mattress and the boxspring. A closet was next to the entrance door, and there was a smaller entertainment centre that had a television and a bunch of knick-knacks. Different pictures, small frames, of Casey and their family, or pictures that had a teenage Casey surrounded by his fellow soldiers as they graduated basic. There was an American flag that was folded and pressed into its own little case, and two boxes of medals for various qualifications and awards he’d received.
Interestingly, there was a picture of Casey with the President… He was in uniform, so clearly they’d done something special.

There was also an amazing looking fish tank that was somewhat built into the wall. The whole thing seemed to be built for a turtle, and was a replicated freshwater habitat for the north-western painted turtle. The creature was at the top, sunning itself in the bright light of a warm lamp. Below the water, a myriad of different fishes swept to and fro through the ample space of water.

Casey found himself staring at it as the two of them stood together. He had one hand on his uniform pants, the other stuffed into a pocket and gripping onto his cellphone.
”Sometimes, I can stare at it for hours. I was amazed that Leon had kept Traitor after I left, but… Well, after he told me how much it meant to him too, I understood, but when he first told me the old guy was still around, it was a surprise.”

The tank was tall enough that to get to the top, Casey still needed a stepping stool. He slid it out, climbed up, and scooped the dinner plate-sized turtle out. It’s little webbed feet paddled at the air, and rather than retract, he aimlessly waggled his long neck out at Casey.
”Yet, here he is! I was like, five? We were up north camping. Traitor here was all alone, me and Leon made believe that he was a rogue turtle who betrayed his family. At one point, Leon had made a little band to put around him so he could project his thoughts, but… Well, turns out he has none. Or, that Leon was lying to me since I never would’ve been able to hear anyway.”

He found himself smiling like a kid at the turtle, and held it out for Trisha to touch.

Trisha looked around the room with a feeling of relief - not that she’d expected it to be like Leon’s, but it was his flat… maybe Casey could’ve been stuck with a room like that too. Thankfully he wasn’t. It was nice. She could see herself spending a lot of time in here… just relaxing with him, that was. Well, other things too, eventually. She walked past the pictures, looking at each of them for a moment. She was mostly curious to see teenage Casey - how different he’d been, but also the similarities. Sadly, none of the pictures were too embarrassing.

There was, again, a stab of jealousy as Casey talked about how much the turtle meant to both him and Leon. A shared memory. That must be nice.
“How many surprise pets do you have? At least I was upfront about the bees,” Trisha joked, staring at the turtle, half expecting him to talk too. Seemed to be a normal turtle, though. Thankfully. “He’s… cute but there’s no way Leon made him a thought projection band. No way. He’d have to have some thoughts in there, surely? Even my bees have thoughts.”

She smiled, cautiously reaching out a hand to touch the turtle’s shell. Then she, even more gently, stroked his head. She then dropped her hand. She wasn’t really the animal type, beyond the bees she’d ended up with, so she wasn’t sure what to do now. She ended up looking around the rest of the room again.
“You have a television in your room? Do you know how perfect watching stuff in bed is?” she grinned up at him. “I always wanted one when I was a kid, but my mum said no, and dad actually listened to that… Oh, I suppose you probably didn’t grow up here. I don’t have one in my current place either, since I got so used to not having one.”

Casey shrugged his shoulders, setting the turtle back up on its perch and sliding the footstool back.
”Well, actually… Funny you mention that, I’m pretty sure I was born in the kitchen out there. Mom doesn’t really believe in hospitals unless she owns the doctors.” he mentioned offhandedly.
Looking around the room now, he chuckled to himself.
”Leon and Elise got their own rooms. I had to share. This was his. Now he’s got our parents’ old room, and if you can imagine it, their setup was actually way worse. Like, I’m pretty sure my Mom still has a painting of her and my Dad just getting absolutely freaky with it. And that was hung as a portrait we all got to see every day. Titled Genesis, y’know like us kids were supposed to be proud of our parents’ active sex life or something.”

If it hadn’t already become abundantly clear, Casey was quite the oversharer. Mostly thanks to all the time he’d spent with nobody to talk about what he’d seen and experienced, he’d only recently come into contact with Adepts outside his family during his work with the ARC program.
”I had this tv in my barrack at the base. I brought it with me figuring Leon was gonna be home a lot more, but since I’ve been back and this whole Father Wolf shit is going on, he’s practically our Mom’s slave dog right now. So she knows he’s safe.” Casey finished in a mocking tone, returning to his pants and grabbing his phone.

”Alright, this food… Gonna have to work this and the breakfast tomorrow off really hard. I know a certain drill sergeant who would beat my ass for eating like this, but hey; calories in, calories out. I defended our freedom to eat Nashville hot chicken.” he smiled, his free arm wrapping around Trisha’s waist and gently pulling her close before plopping down on the bed with her to stare at the menu.

”If I could find some pot, would you smoke it?” he asked, glancing a side eye at Trisha with raised eyebrows.

Trisha was getting whiplash from the speed at which Casey changed topics. She was still processing his mum giving birth in the kitchen when he dropped that his parents had a much kinkier sex life than Leon, who seemed to have a pretty fucking kinky one. Trisha wasn't a prude by any means, and she was pretty open to trying anything when it came to that but… she was surprisingly private about it. And she really didn't need to know about other people's. But Casey had to grow up with a picture of his parents doing that?! That was fucked up enough even Trisha could truly feel sympathy.
“My dad's sexual escapades are well known across the city but… at least that's detail free. And hey, that's one benefit of you missing out on being in the coven - a serial killer isn't hunting you and you're not locked up by your mom.”

Trisha grinned at him then swung her legs around to hook over his, leaning into him to look at the menu. Fairly standard chicken affair, that bit was easy. Did she want any sides? She was pretty hungry.
“Ooo, they have curly fries, can we get those? And one of the deep fried chocolate bars… I want to try it.”

She flashed him a bright smile, before glancing down at his chest - not like, checking him out or anything (well maybe a little bit), just with his comment about working the food off…
“You're not in the army anymore, surely you don't have to work out that hard? Unless you eat your bodyweight in chicken you won't lose these.” she reached out and poked the top of his chest. “You're not going to start dragging me to the gym too, are you? Actually, I wouldn't mind if I got to watch you work out.”

With food mostly decided on, she was able to consider the pot question. “Like, for tonight? I'd smoke it, but you'll have to order at least another box of chicken… I've done it once before and I ended up eating like thirty chicken nuggets by myself. I don't really remember that bit but Cass- one of my friends- said I just sat in a corner for thirty minutes just eating. Didn't say anything, didn't respond to anything, just ate. So you'd have to be prepared to deal with possibly silent, constantly eating Trisha.”

Casey giggled when Trisha poked his chest. He was supremely ticklish around his chest and armpits, and he almost flinched. Instead his hand swept up, itching the spot where she poked him.
”Fitness is super important to my family. The Philosophy dictates an Adept's body should be immaculate and healthy. It's thought that a clean bill of health and a hard body gives the Lux a place where it feels more comfortable.”

He bumped his shoulder against her playfully as his head tilted over hers slightly as he loaded the cart.
”Honestly though, I just like it. I train to failure more often than not, so I always need a good spotter. It's not a necessary shared hobby, but love is quite the motivator for one last set, y'know?”

His eyes passed over to her with a gentle wagging of his eyebrows. His large fingers slid across the glassy screen of his phone loading the delivery cart up. He watched the total climb. Fifty, sixty-five, ninety… When Casey saw it was almost a hundred and fifty dollars for two people, his brow furrowed.

• Three Sandwiches
• Three Large Plain Tenders
• One Large Nashville Tenders
• Family Coleslaw
• Family Curly Fry
• Family Mac n Cheese
• Large Felafel
• Two Fried Chocolates

Oh, Mia… Will she want the mousse? No, it’ll be gross by the time she gets to it.
He grinned thinking about stuffing his face with hot chicken. He always imagined getting chubby, or even fat, and after what he'd been through in his childhood, the voice of his Father's “motivation” was always in the back of his head. The truth was that it was ritualistic self-harm. The training, the constant pain and discomfort, the voice always in his head that said he needed to do better and punch harder and run faster…

Like he wasn't ever good enough to be a cheater.

Casey hit order, watching the loading wheel spin for a moment before it was confirmed. He took a deep breath.
”Alright, that's out of the way… Though it's probably gonna take longer than usual because of all the traffic.”

His free arm was still wrapped around Trisha, his hand gently pressed into her side and stomach. He pulled her extra close, then tilted his body to topple them both over. Now laying next to one another, Casey tilted his head.
”I could deal with eighty thousand bees stinging me at once if it meant spending time with you… his voice trailed off, eyes locked onto and lost within her own.

“Well, lucky you… I only have sixty thousand,” Trisha giggled. She rolled over so that she was on her side, snuggling in as close as she could get without actually climbing onto him. She rested one arm loosely over him with the other one curled up against her own body. It was easy for her to hold his gaze, lips tugging up into a gentle smile and eyes crinkling. This close, in the soft light, their actual colour would be more obvious - a unique hazel that looked brown in most unnatural lights. “Earlier was an accident, anyway. They normally don't try to sting people unless I tell them to or they're in danger. It… doesn't kill them like it would normal bees, but it still hurts them. Regrowing the stinger takes a while too.”

She stretched her head forward, lightly kissing his cheek before resting her forehead against the side of his. “If you help look after them, like all the manual shit that comes with having a whole hive of bees, then they’ll be even less likely to sting you. Another shared hobby - I’ll be your spotter, and you can be my beekeeping assistant."

Trisha smiled brightly at the thought of that. It was a lot of work by herself - while magical in their connection to her, their long lives and not dying to sting loss her bees were otherwise normal. They made honey, which needed taken out and processed, and they needed tidied up after. She didn’t mind it, because it was her only hobby really, but it’d be nice to have help.
“Oh, one minute.” She closed her eyes, expression briefly tightening. The bees that had been on the fruit plate next door, lazing around after being fed, eventually flew through and out of the open windows. Her brow furrowed slightly as she called a few more, very carefully… If she messed up the call, then she could end up with thousands of bees flooding in. She really didn’t want to deal with that. Eventually she opened her eyes again. “Sorry, just had to do a little bee rota change. Those guys have been with me all day so they need to rest, and they only sleep in two places - me or the hive. It’s a pain if it's on me, cause then I can’t move much.”

Her face relaxed again, and she smiled at him again. “Sooo.. What are we going to do while waiting for the food? No point in starting a movie…”

Casey laughed, sincerely at a loss. He’d probably just come off as a creep if he said what was on his mind.
”Stare at you… Wonder how I got so lucky?” he grinned, shaking his head.
”Honestly? I don’t know. Maybe fix us both a drink, figure out what movie we actually want to watch. Maybe get something to smoke out before the food gets here so your appetite is ready? Does all of that sound like a plan?”

“Mm, I am pretty great,” Trisha grinned playfully. His words were nice to hear, and it made it easier to project that confidence she wished she fully had. But she did know how attractive she was. That was one thing she was truly confident in.
“Sounds like a plan to me… But we should choose the movie before the drink and smoke. I can’t promise I’ll have good taste after.”

She went to sit up, but then paused with just her head slightly off the bed. A slightly devious, but cute, smile appeared on her soft lips. She wriggled a bit, bending her legs and throwing them both over him while pressing closer so that she was almost on top of him. “But, I’m soooo tired after calling for more bees. I don’t know if I can walk…”

”Oh, Queen Bee… You’re so lucky I come pre-trained.” he grinned at her, taking her and sliding Trisha with great ease back onto the bed.
For a moment he was on top of her, not holding her, but looming. Daring enough to place a kiss on her open neck, it only took an instant for him to slip away. One hand grabbed thigh, the other hooking under her arm and hoisting her over his back in an army carry.

”Like, really trained.” he laughed maniacally, starting to spin around in place with her in his arms. It went on for several seconds, with Casey laughing loudly the entire time.
Once he stopped, Trisha would be able to feel him wobbling around in a daze; but it was mostly to scare her. He was pretty good at being dizzy. He drunkenly stumbled toward the door, then back out into the living room before flopping her down on the big blanket covered couch.

”I figured my Queenie would get cold at some point, so all those blankets are yours to do with as you wish.” he finished, planting a kiss on her forehead and pulling away to head for the liquor cabinet. There was all sorts of fancy mixology shit inside, but he was only really worried about the bottle of tequila and the lemon squeezer. He dropped a couple nice glasses on the crazy table. One in each slot, and they both lit up underneath as a small refrigerating hum starting to chill the glasses before liquid even entered them.

He went off for a lemon from the fridge, split it in half with a knife, and grabbed the honey from the cabinet nearby.
”So you say they make honey? We should make mead with it or something…” he said from across the room.

“Yeahhh, they do.” Trisha rubbed her head, head still spinning slightly. She’d gotten excited for a moment, could still feel a hint of lingering heat on her neck. Or maybe that was just from getting shaken around a whole ton immediately afterwards. She pulled her knees up to her chest and grabbed one of the blankets, wrapping it tightly around herself. She ended up as just a blanket with a head poking out, twisting around to watch Casey. It helped with the lingering dizziness.

“I actually have so much honey I don’t know what to do with it. Most hives have a brood box - where the queen lives and lays eggs. Pollen and honey is used to feed them, but mine don’t have that. Occasionally if too many die they’ll create a temporary queen… but it doesn’t happen often. So it’s all just honey. Harvesting season ended in September, but I’ve barely gotten through it. I never thought about making mead with it... It’s always just been part of looking after the bees for me, since they’ll get unhappy if the whole hive is filled to the brim with honey. There’s the risk of them leaving to find another place too… Don’t know if that would actually happen, and I don’t want to find out.”

She stopped, realising she’d gone on and on about bee information he probably didn’t have any interest in. She wriggled an arm out of her blanket burrito to fiddle with one of the three small gold hoops in her ear lobe. Change the topic to something more interesting, nobody wants to hear that much about bees- “Oh, what movies do you have?”

Casey had been intently listening to the topic of the bees. He was, as it stood, absolutely fascinated by the strange pseudo-physicality of her Abstraction. In his time with the program, he’d been able to work with a lot of different Abberants and Adepts whose abilities varied drastically between the most mundane spells and the most incredible feats of strength he’d ever seen. In all that time, however, he’d only rarely seen a manifestation as she described. He wondered wildly about what the “Voice in her head” was, as he understood almost all Abberants had such a voice: The Apparition within.

Did her’s tell her to change the topic? Were the bees so sacred that she wasn’t allowed to babble about them? Would pushing it be too far?
”Oh, every streaming service known to man, and connection to the Temple’s archive on the other side of town, so if we can’t find it legitimately, we can have it beamed over here. Remotes are in the drawer near your knees.”

The lemon, honey and a tray of ice got brought to the couch, and he placed the ensemble down before he started making them both a drink. Lemon juice, honey, stir; then the tequila and ice, stir again. He picked both drinks up, handed Trisha her chilly glass, and raised his.

”To what I hope is an enriching and long lasting journey for the both of us.” he smiled at her with warmth and, probably, love.

Trisha had wriggled more out of the blankets out of necessity to get out various remotes (because she had no idea what was what), and now to take the glass from him. It was cold to the touch, and she automatically shivered even though she wasn’t cold. She smiled, trying not to read too much into his, and gently tapped her glass against his before taking a sip.
“To that- mm, it’s really nice.” She took another, longer drink. She’d been a bit hesitant when she’d seen there was honey in it - not because she disliked honey, but she was sick of it. She had so much that she ended up putting honey on whatever she could so it didn’t go to waste. But this was really good. The honey was the main flavour but… the other’s really added to it. “You’re making all my drinks from now on… We have a pretty insane collection at my place, I bet we could create all sorts of cocktails. Might have to fight two of my sisters for it though…”

She trailed off, drinking some more. It was really nice. Perhaps too nice, as she drank half the glass in a short period of time. She grabbed one of the remotes she’d pulled out, trying a couple before it turned on something that changed it from the fireplace image to a selection of streaming services. She found the horror genre and started flicking through them.
“Do you have any suggestions? I don’t really watch horror- not cause I can’t, but I don’t tend to watch movies alone and some of my college friends are wimps. My sisters could probably handle it, but whenever we try to watch movies together it just ends up as an argument and we can’t even choose one.”

Trisha was rambling a bit again, partly so she didn’t just continually drink and end up finishing it far faster than she should. She kept flicking through but honestly, they all just looked like… movies to her. Nothing stood out. “Or I can choose randomly?”

”Well, a vibe is a vibe. So I hear anyway. Maybe…” he trailed off, holding his hand out for the remote. Taking it, he began to scroll until he stopped himself, fighting every urge to put on the classic ”The Bees”. The fruit was low: too low, he couldn’t possibly pluck it so close to the ground. It was for the pests. The carrion would feast upon such a joke.

So he moved away from the classic horror section, moving into more contemporary options.
”Horror movies are kind of a joke for people like us…” he commented casually, eyes glazed over slightly as he found it hard to think of a title that really impressed him.
”You fought some fucking thing called the Stygian Snake. It’s like a horror movie in itself. So, maybe something that doesn’t take itself too seriously?”

He wound up on Beetlejuice. He’d never seen it, but he heard it was funny and creepy.
”I always have a rule. Twenty minutes. Unless one of us sees something in the movie that we like, we find something else.”

“The Snake itself was pretty bad, but the apparitions it created…” Trisha shuddered slightly. Nothing would really hold a candle to it. It was hard to find fictional horror scary when you lived in a world full of it. Though she’d mostly managed to avoid that stuff since the Stygian Snake.

“Oh- I’ve heard of this one,” she nodded at his choice. She really wasn’t much of a movie watcher, but she remembered when this movie came out and a couple of her college friends had gone to see it. She’d been too busy studying for an exam to join… but they’d all given it glowing reviews.
“Twenty minutes.” She repeated, as if thinking it over. She took another drink… and realised she’d finished it while Casey was scrolling. “I guess my time isn’t so precious that I can’t waste twenty minutes if it's bad.”

She laughed, leaning forward to put down her empty glass before leaning towards Casey with a wide smile. “Sooo are we going to start now? Twenty minutes is about how long my bees should take to get here… shouldn’t be many, but they’ll probably be a bit annoying for a while. Oh, I guess if we enjoy it enough to continue it won’t work out so well.” She frowned, as if thinking about some large problem. Really, her mind wasn’t doing much of anything, because she’d drank the cocktail so quickly without thinking about how much alcohol was in it. But another problem did cross her mind, slowly.
“If I smoke, I might not be able to control them. I’ve never tried…”

He laughed thinking about a few dozen bees buzzing about while she was high and they were trying to watch a movie at the same time. It was a comedy movie in itself.
”Honestly unless they start trying to kill me in some crazy swarm, I don’t think I’ll bee too worried about it. I’ll pull the rest of the fruit out for them.”

Casey sat for a moment, trying to figure out whether or not he wanted to start the movie. She made it sound like just a few of them were going to be a pain in the ass, but he didn’t have any kind of prior experience to know what she meant exactly. It was a tossup. He checked the order for the food on his phone.
Twenty minutes… They’re already on the way? Oh, it’s over there… That makes sense.

Movies weren’t supposed to be this complicated. He hit play on the remote without the chance for another thought, tipping his drink back and letting it slide down his throat. They probably didn’t need to be drinking and smoking; she even sounded a little hesitant about it overall. But it helped his appetite. Despite his love of food, getting it down was hard. Nothing tasted right after the Faim Incident on the Western Front, even after the effects had worn off and things tasted how they should again. Fruits, grains, those were easy enough. But meat… You learned to be nervous about the meat you were eating.

As the movie started, he patted Trisha on the thigh.
”Be right back.”
Long legs picked him up and took him over the back of the couch to stand on the unsunken floor. He made for a small box on the mantle, and brought it back to his seat. Inside was a bunch of baggies and other stuff. He pulled a stubby metal cylinder and a small piece of paper.
He unscrewed the cylinder, the smell finally wafting out of the box and into Trisha’s nose. It was a box full of different strains of marijuana, and Casey absentmindedly rolled a joint. He’d always smoked, since he’d stolen his first cigarette from his Father and realised that the man was never actually sober. Even on the Southern Front in North Africa, when they’d done some door kicking and found a few bundles of Afghani Kush bound for Morocco: Nobody was going to tell the CW3 that he couldn’t indulge.

After a few moments, a tight little joint had been rolled, and Casey put it to flame. The smell was potent, pungent like a skunk’s grave. One puff, and then another, and then he looked at Trisha.
”You don’t have to, by the way. No pressure if you think it’s gonna be too tough to deal with the bees.” he said calmly, holding the smouldering joint in his hand up in offering to Trisha.

“I want to.” Trisha reached out and took the joint from him, fingers lightly brushing his before she pulled away. She put it to her lips and took a small drag, quickly blowing it out before taking another, longer one. She’d only smoked it a few times before, all during college parties where her bees were safely locked in her apartment and she was free to get as high as a kite. But she was sure it’d be fine.
”I only called about ten… Well, it’s not that precise, but a small number.”

She shrugged, handing the joint back to Casey. Then she shuffled closer, ducking down to try and get under his arm so she could lean into his side. Her upper body was completely out of the blankets she’d wrapped herself in, but her legs were still tangled in them, stretched out beside her. She turned her head back towards the movie that was playing with a slight smile.
”I’m going to be honest, I’d hit a dog rather than driving into a river like they did- is that bad?”

He shook his head.
”When I was in the Middle East, they would just roll over people who got in the roads. Can’t stop the convoy, it’s too dangerous.”
Casey’s arm dipped down, holding Trisha tight for a moment before loosening and taking another few drags. It didn’t do much for him. Neither was the movie so far, but it was getting smoothed out by the THC mixing with the ethanol in his bloodstream.

Being crossfaded was, in his opinion, the simultaneous best and worst state to be in. It relied totally upon what kind of drunk you were, since the pot only really made you happy, hungry, sleepy or paranoid. The worst was a paranoid smoker and an angry drunk: Casey was neither. A hungry smoker, and a happy drunk. Neither of which he often partook in, though now it wasn’t going to be so difficult. No more random tests, no more PT. No more structure.

The movie went on a little more, and before the main characters managed to get home, Casey spoke up.
”Y’know a crash like that would’ve killed them…”
They didn’t have reflections. A scene later, they didn’t have reflections. He pointed at the screen.
”Gottem…”

“Hey, maybe they’re vampires,” Trisha giggled, reaching out for the joint again and taking another few smokes from it. She kicked the blankets off her legs and curled them up against her chest. She properly snuggled up against Casey, throwing one arm across him. “Oh wait, they’d still be dead.”

She squinted her eyes when the guy, who’s name she’d completely missed, went outside- before her jaw dropped at the sight of some kind of worm. What? The combination of weed and alcohol, for someone with a low tolerance for both, made the already weird scenario seem kind of insane to her. “I’m seeing that, right? There’s a worm inside a worm- why are they even in a desert? Did I miss something?”

Trisha was actually kind of confused, even though they were hardly into the movie, looking up at Casey and then back at it. They weren’t even in the desert anymore but they were given a handy handbook about dying. “Oh, they are dead. What were the worms about, then?”
She was really fixating on the worms.

Casey was just as lost. He hardly had the words to describe how lost he actually was at the prospect of what was going on. The little world that the titular character lived in, the strangeness of the transitions. Not that he wasn’t entertained; it all seemed to be an interesting aesthetic, but it was just… So strangely composed.

His phone began to ring.
”Warrant Richoux…” he answered it without even looking.
”Oh, just leave it at the security desk, they’ll make sure it gets to me. Thanks.
And then he hung up. Not once did he blink or even stop staring at the screen. He hadn’t actually laughed yet, however, and it was difficult to get a read on whether he was actually enjoying it from an outsider’s perspective.

He took another drag of the joint, then patted Trisha on the arm, holding it up to her.
”You can leave it running if you’re liking it… I gotta get the fruit bowl back out and meet Charlie at the door.”

“Alright,” Trisha smiled warmly at him, taking the joint from him. She was actually quite invested in the movie - not because she had any idea what the fuck was going on, it was just very visually entertaining. There was always something different going on. She did find it funny, but probably not at the moments that were supposed to be funny.

She raised the joint to her lips thoughtfully, as the strange girl on screen was able to see the ghost couple. She looked a little like one of the various edgy girls that had been in the coven- Trisha snorted. What was her name again? Didn’t matter. She was completely relaxed now, mind pleasantly fuzzy. Her bees should be turning up soon, too, and then Casey would be back with the food. It would be pretty perfect.

A quiet buzzing came from Casey’s room, and she could sense the blurry pheromones her bees were giving off. Some of the more sensible ones… Wait. Wait. There were a lot more scents than she expected. Was it because she was high? She was imagining some? But the buzzing was getting louder too. It didn’t sound like just ten bees, or even a hundred-

A whole swarm of bees spilled through the open door to Casey’s bedroom. There were at least a thousand, and Trisha didn’t have the time to figure out the exact number before they flew right over to her. Just like that she wasn’t relaxed. She was fucking panicking! The relaxing effect of the weed had completely reversed with the appearance of a thousand bees, swinging round to increased anxiety.

“Are you fucking with me?!” she yelled as the bees swarmed her. There weren’t enough to completely cover her, but they covered the front of upper body along with a fair amount of them landing in her hair and on her face. “I asked for a dozen of you, not a thousand! Fuck- go home! Go home!”

Along with talking to them she was doing her best to tell them in the language they actually understood, but they just weren’t listening. Instead they clung to her as if their life depended on it. She didn’t want a thousand bees with her! She increased the amount of pheromones she was releasing to tell them to fuck off - a sweet scent that humans would be able to smell leaking out of her, but not one that would have any effect on them. A few bees buzzed off her in confusion, and landed on the television. They followed the humans on it as if trying to ward them off. She waved a hand in annoyance at the bees crawling about her face, resulting in them moving onto her hand instead.
”Get off me at least- Plleeasssseee.”

Casey had been occupied in the side hall where they'd come in. The security guy in charge of the desk at the entrance was peppering him with questions that seemed less friendly and more suspicious. He'd never taken well to being bombarded by questions, and as politely as he could, Casey leaned on his name and the man's employment to remind him that those questions were for strangers, not for his effective Boss.

As he finally came back inside with the massive bag of delivery food, he could hear the buzzing. Lots of it.
There were only supposed to be a few…
He wandered down the hall with cautious anticipation, tantalised by the potential image he'd be privy to.

When the threshold came, Casey stopped and stared. He couldn't guess how many bees were there, nor was he cognizant of his fruit juice and alcohol stained hands and shirt, or how sweet he smelled…
He wasn't thinking about the honey mustard dip in the bag, or the fried chocolates…

He put the bag down on the island and grabbed the bowl of fruit.
She's panicked! I have to help her!
Shaking the bowl, he began to walk toward Trisha and the swarm.
”W-welcome… Welcome home, everyone! Come on, get off Momma while she's high, come eat some fruit! It's dinner time!”

A naive, foolish move.

Trisha didn't quite register Casey's presence until he spoke, and even then, she struggled to figure out what he was saying. But the bees didn't need to figure it out. All they saw was someone, a stranger, approaching their Queen. A threat? She was stressed. Panicked pheromones, but not alert ones. No order to attack. Confusing orders. Nice smell, strange smell.

The bees didn't act immediately, but they all started buzzing threateningly. Trisha noticed this, expression twisting from panic to a grimace to more panic. Shit! Ok, tell the bees to calm down. Calm down. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she tried to tell them that Casey wasn't a threat, he wasn't a problem, that they could go to the fruit bowl but nowhere else. The scent in the air that she was giving off got stronger, hanging in the air without affecting humans - but he would be able to smell it. The bees on her got more agitated the closer he got. The pheromones she was giving off were confusing and indistinct, not really telling the bees anything.

But she could still sense theirs and their increased irritation as they geared up for a fight. The ones that had been on the television screen began to hover threateningly near Casey. Shit.
”It's fine, they're just being clingy, you should-”

Before Trisha could even tell Casey to step back, the bees made up their mind without orders… though not quite collectively. The majority of the bees flew off Trisha in a massive swarm, buzzing towards Casey - some were aiming for the fruit to eat, others for the stains on his hands and shirt to get a test. But about half had a different objective: attack. They were coming at Casey with killing intention.

”Oh shit," was all Trisha managed to get out as she tried to stand up, half falling back on the couch, reaching out as if she could grab the bees. But she couldn't, and her pheromones were doing nothing - the bees swarm was moving in for the kill.

Oh shit was right. At first he didn't flinch, standing there with that fruit bowl… He held fast in the belief of trust. He truly thought they were all headed for the fruit, and that Trisha had things under control. But, she'd said earlier that she needed better training. He should've expected something. Something like this…

The first cluster hit the bowl, diving into the sweetness of cold fruit. A few initial fuzzy-body impacts against his hand made him put the bowl back on the counter, and as Casey did so, his body twisted. By the time his hands came away, he had a set of searing, flaming gloves whose stingers began to drive their needle-like heads into his flesh.

At first he accepted the pain, turned and held up his hands. He was going to ask her what to do next, since he didn't want to hurt them at all. The sweet smell was overpowering now, and despite not physically affecting him, it did make him think of a particularly calm day somewhere in a French field. At least to the point where he could concentrate and focus on a solution.

But turning himself revealed the oncoming swarm. All at once, Casey Richoux was covered in fuzzy little bees that wanted to kill him. Dozens and dozens of stings covered his bare arms, neck, face and hands. He harkened back to a summer spent in Upstate New York, watching Cousin Feddy and Cousin Eligh both fucking with a hornet's nest.

Morons…

Ripping off his shirt was a blessing and a curse. It was only about ten feet to his bedroom, but he was almost certain that there wasn't going to be any help from there.
”No, no! NO!” Casey cried. ”Not the BEES! GIRLS, NO!”
The shirt ripped the majority of them away from his face and neck, and he swung his arms like they were covered in lava, sending angry bees flying in every direction.

He stopped, dropped, rolled, then pulled himself to a foot and sprinted down the hall. His body crashed into the hanging curtains of Leon's room, and he slammed the door shut before making his way to the shower. Every bit of exposed flesh felt like it was ablaze, the stains of accidentally crushed bees and their stingers still jabbing into him as the hot water began to rush down.

He looked at the curtains through painful eyes and hated himself. He could see the stains where he'd been caught and hit the ground, smashing them by accident.
And he was woozy. So woozy.

Every killed bee was a pinprick stabbing into Trisha, the emotional backlash like being stung herself. She curled up on the couch with a wince, gritting her teeth. It wasn’t that many- one was too many to handle- she wasn’t the one who got stung all over. The swarm of bees hovered at the door to Leon’s room, little bodies hitting against it with soft thumps. Trisha’s pheromones flickered between panicked and pained, and the latter eventually had them flying back to her. They landed all over her, small fuzzy bodies pressing against her in what seemed to be an attempt at comforting her.

It didn’t feel very comforting right now.

Trisha sat up, waving them off her hands so she could wipe away tears from the corner of her eyes. The pain from losing the bees had subsided but there was still an emptiness there. She didn’t want to count them. Belatedly realising that she’d been using the wrong pheromones the whole time, she’d stopped them and slowly pushed herself to her feet. The slightly smaller swarm followed after her into Casey’s room and she closed the door, sitting down on his bed.

”I only called for ten of you," she said softly, as if they could understand and it would magically fix everything. She pressed a hand to her forehead, rubbing it as if it would reduce the fuzziness over her mind. At least if she messed up with it here there was no one for them to sting, no perceived threat, and she could just keep trying until they fucking left. ”Go home."

The bees buzzed in confusion, a few flying off her and onto the bed itself. She didn’t feel so panicked anymore, just… empty. It helped not influence the pheromones she carefully put out. The bees calmed down slightly, seeming to think they’d dealt with the threat. That was good enough.

Eventually, after multiple tries and careful thinking, she gave them the right message. All the bees, just under a thousand now, flew out of the open windows. She was tempted to close them behind the swarm, but there was no way she could reach that. She’d ask Casey when he was- Oh.

She probably wasn’t going to be able to ask Casey anything. He’d just been strung by a thousand bees. He’d want nothing to do with her now. It was fine, though. It was totally fine. So fucking fine. As if telling herself that multiple times would make her believe it. She always went and fucked things up, losing control in some way.
Because you’re a failure, Patricia. Maybe her mother was right about that. She couldn’t even stop her bees from stinging someone after smoking a little bit- Someone she actually liked! And now he was going to leave her, and she couldn’t even blame him.

Trisha scrunched her hands up into balls, nails digging into the palm of her hands, and forced herself to stand up. Even if he was going to leave her, or kick her out immediately, she should check that he was alright. Make sure he went to a hospital or a magical doctor or something… she had no idea where medical supplies were kept in here for immediate help, though. She’d just check then.

She slipped out of Casey’s room and to the door of Leon’s, knocking on it with a shaking hand. ”Casey? Are you okay? … of course you aren’t, I, uh, they’re gone now. You should go to a hospital or something…"
She winced. At least if he leaves me, it will be over quickly.

Trisha didn't have a long time to think about feeling sorry over the situation. Casey had cleared any remaining bees and remnant material off himself and had been sitting in his wet underwear on the cold bathroom floor, trying to get the dizziness out as the poison slowly circulated through his body.

But when she knocked, he was right back on his feet wrapping a towel around himself. His soaking wet hair was pulled back fully, out of the way as he ripped the door open and fully embraced Trisha. His skin was cold, he was gently shaking. He felt weak.

The shaking was tears coming up. Ragged breathing as he tried to hold back.
”M-m-my fault…. I… I hurt them… I co-couldn't…”
Casey's head leaned back slightly, eyes moist.
”I didn't think it was gonna hurt so b-bad… I just reacted, and I hurt them, and I'm… I'm so…”

He broke down. He was remembering the bee he killed in that field again: How he'd felt nothing, thought nothing of its consciousness or its life. He snubbed it out. He'd killed it. He'd killed men. Other men with families, and children… He couldn't hold back his regret, and after a moment he was on his knees, clinging to Trisha's legs and weeping.

He was sure he'd ruined the night. He regretted getting her to smoke, he regretted telling her he'd be stung by bees to be with her: Not because he still wouldn't, but because he'd failed in doing so to begin with.

Casey readied himself to be bombarded by anger and fury, and all he could do was repeat the phrase:
”I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…”

”Why are you sorry?!" Trisha wasn’t strong enough to pull him up, so she curled forward, face pressing into his wet hair and hands rubbing his back. It masked her own tears, coming from the pain and fear of getting abandoned again all combined together with the alcohol still in her system. But she didn’t understand why he was so sorry. He’d been attacked by her bees - bees that she was supposed to control.

They wouldn’t be in this situation if she’d been able to. Losing the bees hurt, people killing her bees always hurt and she hated it, but for once she couldn’t actually blame someone else. Because if anyone else was to blame, it would be the bees themselves. ”They were the ones that stung you… I couldn’t. Just. It wasn’t on purpose, I didn’t mean to call so many, I thought it would be fine- I’m sorry."

She shook her head against the top of his before pulling back a bit, loosening his arms around her legs enough so that she could squat down to his level. She leaned forward so that her forehead rested against his, arms wrapping around his shoulders.
”I’m the one that should be sorry… It was…" She couldn’t quite bring herself to say it was her fault out loud. ”I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please…" don’t leave me.

Casey didn’t respond with words. He just held on tighter as she got to his level, and ragged breathing turned into something more calm until he was finally able to piece together what he was trying to say before.
”I’m… I’m sad. I’m not hurt.-” somewhat of a lie: the spots that had been under heavy attack were black and blue from the amount of stings. But physical damage was temporary. ”-I… I just didn’t think it would hurt like that. I told you, I just got done telling you… That I’d be stung by all of them constantly if it meant being with you, and I instantly fail the test. And I kill them, because it hurts and because I can’t control myself, and I-”

They were sitting in the sex room. The gross creepiness of it, surrounded by fallen curtains covered in dead bees. He could’ve beaten himself. He could’ve driven spoons through his own eyes to scoop the worthless brain behind it out. He felt like he should be on trial like he’d always been. Like the scrutiny should’ve killed him. But she was holding him still. Probably because she felt bad that he’d been stung.

”-I’m sorry because I failed, and because I hurt your girls. And… I need to apologise to them too…” he said, finally pulling himself away enough to look Trisha in the eyes and apologise to her.

”I couldn’t control them," Trisha said, voice shaking slightly. When he said he’d take being stung by all of her bees, she’d taken it as a joke… because why would he suffer that? Why would anyone, when she wasn’t even worth it? ”I didn’t… want you to get stung. Didn’t think it would happen."

She just didn’t understand why he thought he’d failed. He’d hurt them, but they’d hurt him first. Wasn’t that how it normally went? If someone hurt you, you just hurt them back, bees or human? She would have done the same. But… he was obviously really upset over it. She wasn’t sure how to tell him it wasn’t his fault. She wasn’t very good at comforting. And there was still that fear clutching her that one he recovered from this he’d want her to leave. He’d realise he was being stupid.

”It’s okay. It’s fine, I forgive you, and they-" she paused. ”They can’t really understand words… I can try. Not now. Not tonight."

She tightened her arms around him and curled in against him so she didn’t have to meet his gaze anymore. It was difficult to. She shouldn’t ask, because it was selfish, and he’d been hurt and he was sad, and she should just tell him it was fine and really there was nothing to forgive and then let him tell her to leave if he wanted to but- ”You aren’t.."

Trisha paused, voice getting quiet. ”You don’t want me to leave?"

Casey’s swollen brow furrowed as his face scrunched with confusion. It wasn’t her fault. He’d walked too close, he didn’t understand. Frankly, he’d been cocky. The fruit bowl, the sugary smells… He hadn’t realised until it was too late. He felt idiotic and useless, and she was worried about if he was going to ask her to leave… When he’d put himself in jeopardy?

”Please don’t leave…”
He pulled away, picking himself up and bringing her with him until they were both standing again. He wiped his eyes and face, took a deep breath, and felt a warm bubble of annoyance wash across him.
Way to be a tough guy. Way to be strong for her. Tears are always the best way to get a girl to like you, Fuckface.”
”You don’t deserve to have your night ruined because some asshole got stung by a few bees… It was my fault. Let me get some new clothes and clean up. You should eat your food while it’s still warm. I’ll clean up, and we can pretend like I’m not an infant.” he offhandedly finished, hugging Trisha properly before adjusting his towel.

He gestured with his head for her to go back.
”You don’t want to hang out in this room anymore than I do.”

”It was at least a thousand bees, not a few," Trisha shook her head. But he didn’t want her to leave… Which meant he didn’t want to break up after less than a day. How did that make sense? But she was glad. She was still worried, she’d always be worried, but she was probably safe for tonight. ”Okay, I’ll go eat… but come back out as soon as you're dressed. I might eat it all otherwise."

Of course, that wasn’t actually the reason. If he took too long alone he might start to have second thoughts or doubts, he decided he actually did want her out- she would be worrying the whole time. She couldn’t say that, because then she’d look weak and needy.

She moved in quickly, pushing up onto her tiptoes to quickly kiss his lips. She lowered herself back down with a slight smile then backed out of Leon’s room. She grabbed the bag of food from the island and took it with her to the couch, putting it on the table there. After rummaging around a while she found the curly fries, and started munching them absentmindedly. It was strange not having any bees around, but… she didn’t want them there right now anyway. She tried just to concentrate on the food, finding some chicken too and just eating.

Before he could think about drying and dressing, he was already picking up the fallen curtains and staring at the fixture he’d broken in his escape. It didn’t look too bad, a few seconds under a spell would have it fixed right up. But, he had to wash the curtains first. They needed it anyway. But he couldn’t run the risk of another tenant being in the laundry area without clothes on, so he piled the curtains by the hallway door and came back down into the kitchen.

There was a brownish green smear where he’d hit the floor and probably crushed a hundred bees. It totally killed his appetite, Recollection colouring his PTSD in vivid shades of red and brown. The limbs never looked real…
He had to close his eyes and tilt his head back.
”T-trisha? I’m… I don’t want to ask you to do this, but I think I need your help…” he intoned from behind her.

”Huh?" Trisha twisted around to look at him, curly fry stuffed in her mouth. She quickly chewed and followed it. What was wrong? Had she done something wrong- no, he needed her help, that wasn’t going to be something bad she’d done, right? She stood up. ”What do you need?"

Casey had a grim look on his face, eyes closed. He was standing over the half-dry, puke green stain.
”I just… Seeing the…-” he gesticulated to the particular spot. ”-God, I’m so fucking worthless… It’s making me- It’s giving me-”

Not the innocent fucking bees…

He unfurled his towel, revealing himself down to the underwear but not entirely caring, and tossed the towel at the stain. His hands flew up in frustration.
”Fuck it! Don’t! I’ll fucking get it, I made the Goddamn-” his door slammed shut. There was a pounding noise that lasted a few seconds as he smashed his fist into the sturdy wall for a few seconds as he tried to stop the searing memory from being Recalled completely.

Oh good, now she’s really going to think you’re a freak. Yeah, where was this one? Mopping up for the Artillery crews in Zanzibar? Remember the screaming? You’re like a bee artillery shell. A shell meant to kill bees… Neat.

Trisha’s wide eyes were fixed on the shut door, and she flinched slightly at the loud noise from inside. Was he that upset about the bees? No, no, it must be something to do with having been in the army… PTSD. She’d heard about it, listened to her friend studying psychology talk about it often enough she remembered something about it (but not enough she knew what to do). She carefully made her way over to the towel covering the stain, putting her foot on it and rubbing it against the floor a few times, before sitting back down.

Casey spent a few more minutes trying to collect himself. He was thankful that the Recollection only ate up a few seconds of his time, no matter how long he felt like he was back there. It was like a waking dream almost, where things were replaced. Elvis’ head was a bee head, the other heads were bee heads. The guns sounded like bees, the screams were bees, the whole thing was fucking bees. He was a bee…

Another new pair of sweatpants and shirt later, and he returned to the door. He figured he could look again, figured he could do it. Opening it, his eyes immediately travelled to the spot again praying that it’d been taken care of. It had clearly been moved, and was fully covering the stain. It was wet, so he figured it would be fine. He just couldn’t look at it again. Not like it was.

He sheepishly made his way to Trisha, leaning down and kissing her on the top of her head. His hands gently came down to rub her shoulders.
”Thank you for doing that… And I’m sorry for giving you a show like that so early. It wasn’t your fault. It’ll never be your fault…” he paused, looking down at her.
”How’s the food?” he asked, trying to move away from the topic altogether.

”It’s okay." Trisha tilted her head up to look at him with a smile. It wasn’t like she did much, she rubbed a towel across the floor with her foot. Though for her cleaning anything up was… well, not a first, she’d been in dorms, but definitely an effort. She raised one hand to his wrist, gently rubbing it. ”Mm, the food’s good. Really good."

She’d grabbed a piece of chicken, munching on it like it was nothing. It was gone in seconds. The weed’s more relaxing effects were… only slowly coming back, but her appetite? It was still in full force after everything. As she ate another piece she patted beside her on the couch, indicating for him to sit down beside her. It was nice having him rubbing her shoulders but she wanted him beside her, where she could see him and he couldn’t suddenly decide to run away.

”Have something to eat, or I’ll have it all and then I’ll need to hit the gym hard tomorrow… nobody wants that," she said, on her third piece of chicken since he’d come back out. She then gestured to the television, where the movie was still playing. ”We missed a lot. I didn’t really understand it anyway."

”It’s all background at the end of the day… But I gotta finish what I started. Otherwise I can’t relax.”
Casey reached over her, rummaging through the bag and putting all the stuff out onto the table. He grabbed the box of Mia’s food and brought it to the centre island. The oven beeped behind Trisha as he carefully transferred the food to an oven-safe container and slid it in to keep it warm for whenever his sister would be home.

Then there was no excuse left. He had to move the towel. He bent down, rubbing it from side to side a bit more deeply, then closed his eyes and furled it into a ball that he pitched down the hall toward the back door.
He’d do the laundry later. For now, he needed to re-relax, the adrenaline having pumped every other intoxicant from his system over the last half an hour. He stepped back over the couch, taking his place next to Trisha.

The half-smoked joint was still sitting in the ashtray, and he went for it before grabbing any kind of food.
”Did you want to restart this and actually watch it? Or does it bother you?” he asked her, flicking the lighter to take another drag before putting his arm around the happily munching woman.

”I’m not bothered, I wasn’t following even from the start." She was more sober now, but she wasn’t sure if that would help. Not her kind of movie, maybe. It was entertaining but she wasn’t hooked. As he said, it was just background. She enjoyed movies socially but she wasn’t the kind of person to sit down and fixate on one the whole time anyway. Unless dragged to the cinema.

Trisha curled her legs up at her side, placing the box of chicken in her lap and snuggling into his side. She kept eating near continuously, with gaps only to pick up another piece, while watching the screen. Not that she was really taking it in. She was trying her best to push down all the insecurities she was suddenly feeling again, pushing it all back down into the depths with each bite. She didn’t speak again until she’d finished all of the chicken in that box. ”This is really good… I think I’m going to be ordering from here a lot. I wonder if they deliver to my house. Then I’d have to fight my sister’s for it… They can be kinda insane with food. And alcohol. Sabrina has to restock the alcohol like every week because of the other two."

She definitely didn’t drink loads either. Absolutely not. It was mostly them.
”Oh, I guess that doesn’t matter since I can just get it to your place. Since you’re not b- bothered by that." She awkwardly changed what she was going to say midway through her sentence, swerving away from mentioning the swift breakup she’d expected. ”I’ll come here every day and eat chicken and steal your bed. That’s what you’ve signed up for, so you can’t say no."

She smiled brightly at him, leaning forward and grabbing another box of chicken.

He felt warm again. Like his flesh didn’t feel gelatinous with bee venom. He leaned back gently, smirking as he wrapped his free arm around her.
”Once it gets warm, and things settle down for you Sycamore Kids… We can look for our own place. Maybe. If we want… You. Want. Or, I can ask Leon if I can get a bee box installed.” he smiled, smoking again before putting it back down and grabbing one of the sandwiches.

He felt safe to eat. Like nothing was going to happen again. Like the night could go on forever. He tucked into it and felt the warm juicy chicken paired with the crispy lettuce. He’d gotten extra pickles, and the acidity cut through the fat and the crisp and made his mouth tingle.
He tried not to think about eating flesh. Don’t think about eating the flesh.

”Sometimes I think about going vegan, like Mia. But I don’t think I’d be able to stay in shape the same way… But there’s no exact fuckin’ science I guess, so there’s nobody I can ask. I try not to live in a world where magic can just fix all my fuckin’ problems. Junior, fuckin’ guy… Dude goes to our Doctor every week, gets Green shaped, has his dick changed. ’I’m trying a new nose this week, what do you think?’” Casey thought aloud.

He had to let himself trail off just to get the energy to have another bite. Focusing on being annoyed was easier than letting himself get caught back up with the meat thing again. He’d had so many years to get over this, yet it kept coming back and back again. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. He just didn’t seem to get it completely.
But he took another bite, and he loved it. He fucking loved the way it tasted. And he would eat all three of those sandwiches, but he would be complaining the whole way.

”I think I should break it for you, give Nedia some more work. I don’t say that to him, because it just makes things worse.-” he spoke in between bites until the first sandwich was gone. Mac and cheese heaven was calling him. He grabbed the family sized bowl and one of the accompanying plastic cutlery sets, and began to dig into the gooey golden bucket of macaroni. ”-So instead I’ve gotta be like ‘Yeah man, looks a little more like Dad’s than the last one, that’s crazy.’ like he hasn’t looked exactly like our Old Man since he was allowed to start freely requesting procedures… But she won’t make him any taller.”
Casey giggled to himself thinking about how he’d never be their Dad, no matter how hard he tried.

Casey moved on before Trisha had time to say anything about his suggestion they get a place together… and she was glad about that. Her knee jerk reaction was to say no way, because it was jumping into things like that which had gotten her mom betrayed. But another part of her was happy and liked the sound of it. Not answering was easiest.

”Wait, wait, go back a minute-" Trisha grabbed a plastic fork, leaning over and stealing some of the macaroni cheese. She quickly ate it before continuing. ”You’ve got a green lux doctor that… basically performs plastic surgery? And dick shape surgery I guess?"

She snorted, finding the whole thing crazy. Maybe because she was brought up mundane and thrown into the world of magic with no preparation, and then went back to living as normally as she could. Getting a magical face lift every week was insane! She stole a bit more mac and cheese, eating it with relish. It was also really good.
”Yeah, I don’t get it. Maybe because I was born this attractive- well not born- but why get magical modification. Or any. I don’t think I even know a green lux doctor! My mom’s sister did try to take her to this spiritual healer when I was younger but she had none of it. She’s a woman of science, you know, kind of why I’m not too reliant on magic either."

Trisha grinned up at him, tone teasing. ”Surely your whole family needs some height removed if anything. Share some with the rest of us."

Casey laughed at the comment with warmth in his voice. It wasn’t a comment he hadn’t heard before. There was always talk among the adults about which of the five was going to reach for the stars like Dead Old Dad. Turned out none of them were good enough for it. He was fine, he came to terms with who he was: The shortest of three boys from a family of Jotunoid freaks.

”I can say for a fact that the Green Doctor and the Pink Therapist aren’t any big help. Well, they are. They’re big helps, and they’re experts regardless of their supernatural abilities, but often I find the people they treat regularly to be more damaged than they were before their help.”

Casey took another bite of the mac and cheese, smiling at Trisha as he held a spoonful out to her.
But the thought and subsequent action were interrupted. There was noise and clamour from behind the wall and door from the kitchen into the other part of the apartment. Voices got a little louder, and a little louder still.

And then the door popped open.
”-nd I just couldn't fucking understand her!”
”Almost as frustrating as listening to you bitch about it for two hours.”
”We can take care of this, yes yes!”

Three young women, accompanied by two creepy giant cats, poured into the kitchen, one carrying a large paper bag with a familiar logo. The very same chicken place Trisha and Casey were eating from…
It took them a couple of seconds to shuffle about before there was acknowledgement of Casey and Trisha. It was surprise that greeted them.

”Oh, shit! Humble Hottie, home with… A woman!?”
”Ohhh, Case! You got Pearla's too!?”

Casey shifted in his seat, a little less comfortable than he was a second ago. He mouthed the words “I'm so sorry” to Trisha, hand gently dropping to put the food down on the table. He stood up.

”Waaaah, waaaah, it hurts! Bees! Nooooo!”
The two cats snickered as Casey came into the kitchen light a bit more.
”Girls, I uh… This-” Casey gestured to Trisha. ”-This is Trisha. My girlfriend.

He gave her a chance to introduce herself, but before she could, Mia was already sliding her way across the floor to wrap her arms around Trisha.
”Dude, oh my fucking God, welcome! Holy shit, and you're a hottie too!? My God!? How long have you two been seeing one another, Casey, are you keeping secrets!?”

Trisha didn’t have a chance to get away, completely caught off guard by Mia’s hug. She really wasn’t used to familial affection, nevermind from her boyfriend’s family… who she’d just met! It must be a Mia thing, because Leon certainly hadn’t come across as the hugging type. Trisha just awkwardly sat there, neither pushing Mia off or reciprocating. She looked at Casey with eyes that screamed ‘please save me.’
”Uh, thanks…" Push through it, Trisha, you’re used to dealing with people like this. She smiled at Mia, though her shoulders were drawn up and tense. ”If I wasn’t this hot do you think I’d even be here? Of course I am."

It was a joke, of course, and an awkwardly made one. She finally removed Mia’s arms from around her and wriggled away, immediately getting up and shooting towards Casey. She slotted right in at his side. Hopefully being right beside him would deter any other surprise hugs, human or cat.
”It’s been less than a day, don’t give him too hard of a time." She tilted her head up towards him, smiling a bit more genuinely again. ”My family has no clue, so if anyone’s keeping a secret it’s me. But it hasn’t been long."

Mia looked a little embarrassed. While it wasn’t clear what the reasoning for her being so cold was, the Richoux woman knew what a cold response was. She backed off out of respect for Trisha as an individual, accepting that she’d either have enough time to get to know this woman, or it’d never matter again anyway. Both options were equally low stress, so she did what she was best at: She simply chilled.

The cats weren’t so chill.

”Ask Casey about the bruises.”
”Oh, Girls… You should have heard him screaming.”
They did pause to look at Casey. In the low ambient lighting situation, it wasn’t so easy to tell how swollen Casey’s face was.
”Oh my God, Casey! What the hell happened!?”
”I got stung by some fucking bees, it’s not a big deal.”

The trio stared at one another incredulously.
”I think we’re old enough to know about kinky sex, dude.”
”They were beeeeeeeees.”
”In fucking October?”

There was enough of a pause for Casey to stop them from pressing further by forcing introductions.
”Trisha… This is our foster-sister Harietta… She prefers Hari..”
The group understood the redirection, and embarrassedly, they held out their hands to Trisha.
”Hi, hi! Sorry, I know we probably interrupted you guys…”
Casey wildly nodded his head.
”This is our cousin from New York; Etiennette… We call her Eddy, it’s easier.”
”If you and Soldierboy break up, look me up…” Eddy said with a wink and a lip bite. Casey gave her a dirty look and shunted his fist forward to punch her in the arm. It seemed playful, and she responded accordingly by rubbing her arm and pouting in a comedic fashion.
”And this rat is my blood sister Mia. Youngest of the brood.”
Mia grinned and shook Trish’s hand.
”Sorry I got too excited… I just don’t think Casey’s had a girlfriend like… Ever…” Mia intoned in response.

Trisha just found the bee conversation funny rather than embarrassing - funny enough that she was still laughing when the introductions started. It was a lot of names to take in, but just three people. That wasn’t too many. Nothing compared to the various functions she was dragged to as a teenager. She awkwardly shook all of their hands - which was really taking her back to meeting various family friends she never wanted to meet.
”I’m Trisha. Just Trisha." She didn’t give out her full name, because she hated it and any other nicknames that would come from it. Her surname was better kept quiet right now, too. ”It’s alright, I’m just not used to… Well, my family isn’t really the hugging sort. I’ll get used to it."

Possibly. She then looked at Eddy, laughing lightly. ”Hey, getting with an ex’s family is not going to happen. My dad did that, and now two of my siblings are also cousins, do you have any idea how much of a mess that is? Even if we break up- which we won’t- I’d move to fresher, non related pastures."

Eddy dramatically gripped at her chest.
”Yo, I’m devastated in the wake of your honour. I only simp harder.”
The entire group laughed, and it did a good job of cutting the tension. Casey smiled at Eddy, knowing that was her strongest suit.

But the cats…

”Patricia Vanburen.”
”You know, the Vanburens? The Vanburens?”

None of them acknowledged the cats. But the information was left in the air, and there was a very noticeable wide-eyed glance that passed between the three girls and landed squarely on Casey.
He cleared his throat.
”She can hear them… She’s magic.”
The tension between them all deflated, and Mia immediately turned to the cats.
”Oh my fucking God, you two! You don’t stop, you don’t fucking stop!”

They both meowed happily, wagging their tails. Hari clapped her hands together to get attention off the creepy fucking cats.
”Yeah, anyway guys, let’s give them their night, huh? Casey, we-”
She reached into the bag of food they brought home, laughing to herself as she pulled out Casey’s usual: Three sandwiches, a small curly fry, and a family sized mac and cheese…
”-we got your usual for you! My treat this time… I’m sorry we didn’t call, I think all our phones are dead.”

Casey waved his hand.
”I didn’t know if anyone was coming home tonight, but I ended up getting the falafel for you two, and coleslaw, and the tenders we both like. In the oven.”
Mia was surprised, and moved to the oven to pull the little pan out of the warmer.
”Oh fuckin’ sweet. Thank you, second favourite!” Mia chimed, leaning over and planting a kiss on Casey’s cheek.

It was uncanny, her incredibly tall frame leaning over the countertop. What skin she showed was pale, pallid, almost fungal. The three of them reeked of marijuana and vague body odour, and the longer they remained the stronger it got. But it wasn’t… It wasn’t real. Trisha’s pheromonal abilities would recognize the similarity to her own subtle scent signals, but these weren’t for bees… They were for people.
It was burned, it was rancid, it was toxic, it was… Plastic? Some kind of industrial chemical smell. Strangeness. But focusing, it all seemed to come from the girl Eddy, whose eyes were always just a little bit glazed over.

”It’s really nice meeting you, Trisha. My best advice if you’re gonna be around here more frequently? Learn to ignore those two. Because they’ll hurt you. Badly.” she intoned, pointing down at the Cats. Her lengthy arm snapped out, grabbing one by the neck. The other was gripped by a phantom presence, and both rose into the air in the exact same position.
”Demon! Wretched beast!”
"UNHAND ME! THIS IS NOT DIGNIFIED!

With the falafel in one hand and the eldritch horror in the other, she bowed her torso slightly, then turned with a sigh.
”Come on babes, we’ve done enough damage.”
Eddy winked and nodded at Trisha, mouthing “Call me.” before she followed behind. Hari, still holding onto the bag of food, grimaced slightly.

”Mimi is right… Honestly, I’d think about inviting him over to your place… Or meeting in public places from now on. Being here isn’t peaceful, it’s just free.”
She gave a stern nod and tried to form a friendly and reassuring smile.
”We’ll deal with them tonight, so you guys can have time to yourselves. I’m really sorry about barging in again.”

And then she left, closing the door behind her. Casey’s muscles were doubly tensed, and he was holding onto Trisha tightly and shaking ever so slightly.

The cats… had known her full name. She hadn’t told them her full name, had she? No, Casey had just introduced her as Trisha. Was she misremembering things? She didn’t think she was. She barely registered the conversation that followed, beyond the acrid scent in the air so similar to her pheromones yet not and the warning to not be around the cats. Maybe… maybe they should consider her place. But as big as her house was, her sisters were unavoidable. What would be worse? She wasn’t sure.

She half waved to the retreating trio (and creepy cats). Mia and her friends hadn’t seemed… too bad, but she was glad to be left alone. It was more peaceful and relaxing, and she always found dealing with any family difficult.

”That was an experience- uh, Casey, are you alright?" Trisha just noticed the slight trembling through the arms tightly wrapped around her, snapping out of the strangeness she’d been feeling after that encounter. She twisted around in his arms to face him, hugging him back nearly as tightly. She continued, slightly jokingly. ”Did you feel threatened by Eddy? Don’t worry, I won’t call her-"

Maybe not the best time to make a joke. Her hands gently rubbed his back, which she hoped would help. ”Did the… was it the weird smell? Or the cats… well they weren’t that bad… uh… don’t worry, it’s fine?"

He shook his head, his brow furrowing as he did.
”Being completely honest with you?-” he started, taking a deep breath. ”-I don’t honestly know… But I’ll tell you when I figure it out.”
His eyes closed for a second, and a deep breath washed the shakes out of his body. He really didn’t know; it wasn’t another attack. It was… It was dread. Fear of the unknown. Or, was it… Nah. Couldn’t be the smell.

”Magical friends are used to certain shit. But the cats? It’s just… They’re like a bridge too fucking far. I missed it as a kid; I didn’t Kindle, so I couldn’t hear them talk. I knew they could, and I knew they were smart like people, but they just… I guess I agree with Hari, even though I think the girls just want the run of the apartment to themselves. For your sake, y’know? My family, their bullshit, it’ll eat us alive.”

Casey had a look of conviction in his eyes. Or, it read as conviction; determination to tell her. To make her see. But it was a creeping sadness, like if things went long enough that he’d lose her, and she’d be scarred to boot.
But she fought the Stygian Snake… Leon did too… So, she’d be able to handle anything.

There’s the conviction.

He took a long and deep breath, closing his eyes and tilting his head back slightly. He opened them looking down at her, warmth hitting him as he saw her pretty face.
”Fucking debbie downer I am, huh? It’s still not our problem for the night, the girls will keep the assholes busy. All this other shit is a road we’ll hit tomorrow, after a nice toasty croissant with creme and a cup of tea. Yeah?”

”Yeah," Trisha smiled softly. It was something to worry about tomorrow - to worry about if he didn’t leave her the moment she stopped being just a fun, cute girl. They’d make it work… Really, she was sure she could handle the cats. They weren’t the only paranormal creature that had read things from her mind. Though, she didn’t really remember much of when the Stygian Snake had been trying to turn them against each other. Surely it must have been worse? She could handle a cult family and their creepy cats, right? Right.

”But it’s alright, we all have our family problems! You have a pair of creepy cats, I have at least twenty half-siblings that could be as bad and I wouldn’t even know." She was fairly certain she knew of all her magical siblings, which were the ones she lived with, but there were some that… didn’t need magic to get under her skin. ”Maybe I’ll just kick down Ezra’s door- my oldest brother, he’s got all the money- and demand he buys me a studio apartment so we don’t even have to worry about any of it."

She laughed lightly at that. She’d certainly done something like that before… It was the reason she still had an allowance at twenty four, constantly turning up at her brother’s workplace and causing a fair few secretaries to quit. That wasn’t information she was going to share with Casey, though. But it was easy to fake confidence about the whole situation.

Trisha glanced back over at the screen, and the movie that seemed to be in its final scenes. She pulled one arm out of the hug to gesture to it.
”Looks like we missed the rest of it… Not that I had any clue what was going on. Do you want to watch another one? Or…" She trailed off, expression growing warmer and gaze moving back up to him rather than on the screen. ”We could just chill. Talk. Finish the food… I’m happy to do anything with you."

He grinned like he had so many times that night. It was warm, devilish and playful. He was going to tell a-
”Anything? Alright, I’ll get my ruck, we can fill it up and see who can lift the most. It’s me, by the way… Well, maybe it’s the bees? But they’d all need to be here… Y’know, that begs the question:-”

He nodded his head back toward the couch, but grabbed the hot mac and cheese the girls had brought rather than eating the cold stuff he had to leave during the whole debacle. The sandwiches were one thing, but he couldn’t deal with the texture of cold cheese sauce sticking to his throat.
Reminded him too much of blood.

”-How do you get more?” he asked, wondering the logistics of it as he held her hand to let her step over the back of the couch to sit in that sunken square in the floor.

”Uh…" Trisha had been considering the logistics of her bees having a rucksack lifting competition with Casey, trying to figure out if it would even be possible because they’d have to stack, when he hit her with the one question about her abstraction which was uncomfortable to answer. She bit her lip, thinking about how to answer while sitting down again, crossing her legs and getting comfortable again. ”It’s a bit complicated."

She could just give the easy answer, the one that wasn’t incredibly fucked up and that she’d actually used. But… Casey came from a family of adepts and a place that seemed to revere apparitions. He’d probably be able to handle it? Probably. Trisha took a deep breath, looking down at her hands as she finally answered.
”There’s two ways. I don’t know how much you know about actual bees but.. Normally it’s the queen bee that lays eggs. Obviously I can’t do that. All of my bees are female worker bees, because there’s no need for drones- they, uh, mate with the queen. So, if I want to get more I need to… create a temporary queen, basically. In normal bees this is done through the healthiest larvae being selected- again, not possible! So I can make one of my workers a temporary queen. She can then lay eggs, and the hive tends to them like normal. It’s harder to control them when there’s another queen. They listen to me outside, but tend to listen to her in the actual hive… But it’s how I got this many. I started with only ten thousand."

Her eyes had lit up as she explained, hands gesturing about as if to help show the process. As much as her bees and abstraction was something thrust onto her, she’d grown to genuinely love them and the process. It was one of her few interests… But, the other method wasn’t one she liked.
”There’s another way too. I’ve never done it, but it’s what the apparition did. I think she had… nearly a hundred times the amount I did before she was sealed. It’s…" Trisha grimaced, hands lacing together in her lap and nails lightly digging into her skin. ”Not nice. Basically she’d lure in in people using her pheromones, like the ones I used earlier but stronger I think, and then… she’d… directly plant larvae into their bodies. I think some died, some had to carry them while alive- I don’t know. I could do it, she said I could, but I haven’t. It’s just too…"

She trailed off, waving a hand. Just thinking about it made her feel a little sick.

Vulture Bees… Don’t think about the meat jelly…
Casey’s eyes didn’t leave hers, even as they both managed to sit down and he started going to town on the bowl of mac and cheese again.
Too much cheese, don’t think about the meat jelly.
He took a long deep breath.
”Oh, shit… So it’s uh… It’s not picky about living or dead?”
God is funny like that. Don’t think about the meat jelly.
”That’s honestly… Does it have to be human? I mean I get that it’d freak you out, but like… If we could make it sustainable, why not try? They’ll be living their best lives, you’ll have more bees to use and you’ll never have to compete with another Queen.”

If Casey was anything, at least he was solution oriented. He really didn’t want to look at raw meat like that, but he figured with modifications, she’d be able to take care of the majority of it on her own. Like feeding any other pet, except this was feeding and… Housing?
”Not like I mean I’ll take the bee pregnancy, it sounds like a nightmare. But, the Doc could probably make an entire person without the, y’know… No soul, just an empty vessel to fill with bees.”
Macabre didn’t begin to describe the idea of fully recreating the physical anatomy of a human body just so his new girlfriend could make an army of bees. But he also believed that if she really was serious about getting to learn her powers more, she could possibly get into the spirit of it.

”Though, I’m sure there’s a freak out there who wants it. With proper backup, I bet…”

”No way," Trisha cut him off before he could go further with that idea. It wasn’t that she cared about other people enough to not want them to go through that suffering even consensually, but more that the whole process was grim for her.
”It’s not as simple as just putting them in and being done with it… I have to check up on them, I think. Which was easier for her because she’s an apparition. I don’t want to do that."

She’d shuddered slightly at the thought of seeing bee larvae underneath someone’s skin, then having to watch them burst out. She wasn’t generally squeamish but that… was beyond what she was alright with.
”I could maybe do a… empty human vessel. I could pretend it wasn’t easier, I think. But I’ve never actually asked if it has to be human… I never asked. She always used them, so I assumed. Wait."

Trisha closed her eyes, frowning as she tried to speak to the apparition inside of her. They didn’t communicate often, and Trisha rarely started it but… it was the easiest way to find out if she didn’t have to fill an empty human body with bee larvae.
Hey, does it have to be human?
Silence. Trisha’s brow furrowed, lips twisting down into a deeper frown. Seriously? Surely it was an easy question to answer.
Does it have to be human?
Nothing. Trisha scowled, opening her eyes for a moment to glare up at the ceiling before closing them again.
Oy, freeloader in my body, answer the question.

... Patience. Came the response, finally, a smooth, deep feminine voice ringing in Trisha’s mind. I was sleeping.

Fucking hell- Well if you’re awake, answer the question. Do they need to be laid in humans?

It can’t be animals. That would be undignified.

Undignified how? Well, whatever. It was enough of an answer for Trisha to cut off the conversation, eyes opening and expression relaxing. She looked back at Casey with a slight smile.
”She said it can’t be in animals, so I can’t just buy a chicken breast and put them in there- I guess that means only humans. What other kind of flesh is there?"

Casey gave a momentary thoughtful look..
”For certain rituals, we’ve always eaten things that aren’t from this uh… Dimension? Mostly in my life, we’ve had this guy who lived with us. Well, the Chef, Andrade? You ate his food tonight. The cake that healed your pretty face.”
He shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal.
”Maybe it’d be morbid to her, but there’s this spell that Andrade uses that can make Apparitions vaguely physical. Enough that we can harvest actual meat off of them. I don’t know if she’d be offended or think it’s a better offering, but… We can make it happen I bet. Andrade likes me, he treats me well.”

”Oh, I’ve heard of him- I think we had a family meal at one of his restaurants once? Didn’t know about the apparition meat thing… Wait, does that mean I ate an apparition earlier? Or was it just a magical cake?" Trisha shook her head, that wasn’t what was important right now… and she didn’t really care either way. There were friendly apparitions like the Queen she hosted, but most weren’t. She’d help kill enough ten years ago that the thought of them being used as meat didn’t bother her, at least.
”It doesn’t really matter if she doesn’t like it, as long as it works. Well, I suppose I should check."

She didn’t bother closing her eyes this time. Would apparition meat offend you?
There was no response. Only silence, echoing on and on… Trisha rolled her eyes.
”She’s either ignoring me, or asleep again, so I’m sure it’s fine with her. If it’s possible, I’d prefer it… Something that isn’t human shaped.’"

She gestured with her hands, as if forming a body, then tilted her head back towards Casey with a bright smile.
”Thanks. I didn’t think it’d be possible to grow my hive any further- I’ve had this many since the Snake. Not that I needed to… but now I think I should."

Casey nodded his head, polishing off the last of the family sized bowl. It was like a fucking tub of macaroni and he felt proud of himself that he cleared it while the image of the substance was still in his head.
Stop thinking about the fucking-”
”There’s bees in South America that eat meat. Like, they eat it and make uh… Meat jelly. Which, until I did mop-up for artillery crews, I never knew existed. But one of my buddies whose parents were from down there, when we… When we were cleaning, he mentioned it. Like a joke, trying to make the squeamish guys yuck up. “

Verbalising the image was new and uncomfortable, but he was able to take it mostly in stride. Maybe because it had to do with her. Or not, since he wasn’t able to take the pain of a few bee stings. Failure.
He went back for the sandwich he hadn’t finished. It was kind of cold, but a room temperature chicken sandwich was easier to handle than the sticky cheese sauce. But he was feeling the sense of comfort washing back over him as his body tried to relax in a place it never felt relaxed in.

Not without her. It was new. It was new, and he liked it, and he wanted to be comfortable for her and with her. Life would be good if he just tried. Try and fail, why try? He grimaced, making a funny face to accompany his explanation of meat jelly.
”But, I guess they still go out and get flower pollen like honey bees? They only breed in the flesh?”

Trisha grimaced at the thought of a meat jelly making bee. She knew there were other, stranger types of bees but hadn’t looked into them when researching her own. There weren’t exactly beekeeping guides for meat eating South American bees- who would want that? Though she’d seen and directed her bees to attack people before, and seen them sting and bite them to death. Perhaps it wasn’t so different. The image was a little less disgusting when thought of like that.

”Yeah, mine don’t eat flesh. They’ll kill people if I ask them to- not that I do- but they won’t eat it. Really the, uh, flesh breeding thing is the apparition rather than them…" She glanced at his chicken sandwich, feeling her own appetite come back again, and reached out for the lukewarm curly fries she hadn’t finished earlier. They weren’t too bad. She munched on a few before continuing.
”When I’m not telling them to do anything, they’re just like normal honey bees. They collect pollen, stock up the whole hive with it and make honey. I’m probably single handedly doing more for the flowers in St Portwell than anyone else-"

She grinned, stuffing a few more fries in her mouth. They weren’t as good as they had been hot, but it was alright, she just wanted to eat something. ”It's funny sometimes, because if I call too many during spring or summer half of them will turn up laden with pollen… It gets everywhere. I considered only wearing yellow and brown last spring because they kept landing on me with it. I try not to interrupt them going about their… bee business when I can, but they need frequent contact with me to even do it."

Trisha waved a curly fry in the air. ”Bit of a long winded answer to a simple question, sorry."

Casey was very clearly in the middle of churning out some thoughts.
”No, you’re fine! You’re talking and I’m listening, and… Do you ever think about how when you meet someone new, you get through all the interesting stuff in the first few days? Until secrets are left? Then nobody says anything until it becomes relevant?”
He was chewing as he asked the question, but when he swallowed, he put his hand up and slid it as if to cut her off.

”Wait, no… Save that one. Back to the bees; I hope you aren’t annoyed answering my questions but I’m super fucking interested. So, like, what? She, The Queen, just was like some fuckin’ nature spirit? One of the other Warrants in my special unit used to always say ‘It’s magic my man, don’t think too hard.’ But, he was like Leon; he Kindled early in a family where it was all magic all the time. Me; I always had to hear about it second hand, or see weird secondary results like phantoms throwing furniture or something.”

He shrugged, waving his hand again in a different direction, like he was turning a page in the book.
”But basically, if she does this whole thing about letting them grow in flesh, then why let them keep the whole process just for a backup? I mean, I get it being kind of convenient, but at the same time you’ve gotta ask yourself how long she’s been around. Have you ever just like sat and bothered her with questions like that?”

And then he grinned. The hand he was moving to gesticulate through the conversation began to roll, like he was winding a chord or something.
”So I combine the two points: We’re getting to know one another, and I’m trying not to blitz through my life and dump it all on you. Are you down to the point with The Queen where it’s just secrets? Or have you ever gotten to know one another at all? Or, what are the chances there’s a bunch of stuff she knows about that you don’t? Like, maybe, raising them in meat changes them?”

”I…" Trisha trailed off, actually thinking about it. She felt a bit embarrassed the answer to whether she’d just sat and asked questions was no. They adjoined, the Queen taught her the basics, she helped against the Stygian Snake a year later, then she settled into a routine of tending to the bees she had. She hadn’t thought to talk to her more or find out more about her abstraction. It hadn’t been that important beyond the companionship the bees brought her.

”I don’t really know her at all. She talks to me maybe… every few months? One time we didn’t talk for a year. Normally it’s just something stupid as well, like pointing out that I’m cutting off the honeycomb wrong- or a snide comment." She was quickly realising how little she knew both about her apparition and the abstraction that came with her. There were the bees, there were the pheromones, but was there more? She’d never thought to ask.

”I always just assumed what she told me at the start was all there was to it. She said raising them in humans was faster, but that was it. I don’t… Well, all of my friend’s with magic are adepts. The ex-Sycamore group I’m still friendly with, and one college friend- my ex, actually. The rest are Blind so I spent those four years barely thinking about it." Her eyes widened slightly, something akin to excitement shining in them.
”Do you think I should? Try to get to know her, that is, just like I am with you? Well, not the same, I’m not trying to-" she snorted, covering her mouth. ”Date her."

”It’s more intimate, isn’t it?”
He rolled his head about slightly, thinking about the situation. Leon had described some pretty intense feelings to him, and he understood that it was done in confidence. So he couldn’t really share it.
Rather, he reached out and grabbed the conversation again.
”Well, you’re sharing a body right? A total union. Sometimes… Sometimes, you’re like a prison warden. Some people seem like they’re besties with their ghosts. Some people practically gave birth to their ghosts. Like the trio of slugs in the other room; Eddy’s Apparition was born after they did a ritual together. She treats that ghost like her baby.”

He didn’t like the Heroin Baby. He really didn’t like it. He didn’t believe for a second that they weren’t using it to get high. What was the difference besides not catching diseases from dirty needles? But that wasn’t Trisha’s problem, and Casey wasn’t a detective…
Yet…

”Ohhhh…" Trisha couldn’t imagine treating an apparition like a baby- Well, she sort of did it with her bees sometimes, but it wasn’t quite the same. Nor did she feel like a prison warden, or really a friend of the Queen. What was it for her…
”If I had to describe what it’s like for me… it’s kind of like having a second mom, except she’s in my head. Silent for months before popping up with some unwanted advice or criticism. Doesn’t always respond when I ask, but will answer when she feels like it-"

Trisha froze, realising that gave a little more information about her actual mom than she’d wanted to. Though her mom tended to just come in with criticism rather than advice, while the Queen tended to do the former a bit more. It was kind of sad. A bee ghost she shared a body with was more maternal than her own mother.
”Point is, I don’t really feel close to her or… find it that intimate. She’s just there, and I sometimes forget that the bees aren’t just mine. I never really thought about talking to her, or treating her like a friend or… well, I think she’s at least a thousand, I couldn’t treat her like my child."

Finding her comment on it being like a second Mom to be funny, he thought about his own mother. Lots of nightmares there. Lots of screaming. He’d hate for her to be in his head. If she wasn’t busy doing something, there was a chance she was in the room with them without either of them really knowing. Mia taught him a White spell that the others use to feel her magic’s presence, but it was impossible to identify a source that she’d enchanted.

He didn’t have his glove, however, so he’d have to ignore the paranoia.
Focus on the good stuff, don’t trauma dump about your Mom. Girls hate hearing about their boyfriends’ Moms.

”Well, then it sounds like she’s not really the type to be in your head. Which sounds great, it means she probably doesn’t have any preconceived notions about you. You can make the relationship whatever you want. Lets brainstorm it.-”

He leaned forward for a minute to roll another joint, and remembered there was a couple fried candy bars.
Fuck! Just don’t bother saying anything. The meal is fucking ruined, we’ll do it again soon.
So he simply worked out the immediate problem, licking and sticking the paper roll full of ground up herb into a complete conical cylinder. He lit it, smoked again, and offered it to Trisha.

”My first thought after hearing you is that she’s got pretty high standards. Like, maybe unless we get this whole meat thing worked out, maybe get control of some more bees, she won’t want anything to do with you in the first place?”

Just like my actual mom. Trisha was beginning to find her analogy a bit too accurate, now. Though it was just a guess when it came to the Queen… She took the offered joint, taking a long inhale from it. She slowly exhaled as she thought, handing it back to Casey. After a few seconds she felt it relaxing her again, just slightly.
”You’re probably right. I don’t know much about her, but she doesn’t really care about humans… she only adjoined with me in the first place because she was weakened. She probably only told me anything so the bees were cared for."

She tilted her head, half expecting the apparition to say something about that. Of course, she didn’t say anything at all. Typical.
”That would explain why I can’t do much with the pheromones people can smell- I can only lure people in because she wants me to make more bees, and scare them off to protect the ones I have. Though they’re not even strong enough for that- oh. If they start leaking out again, cause of smoking, just hit me or something. Anyway, she must’ve been able to do more than that."

Casey nodded his head as Trisha spoke, punctuating any particular points she was making, or where he agreed with her logic, with nods or gesticulative pointing toward not much of anything.
”The uh… The Cats are apparently from America. They say they grew up in the swamplands, like down South, and that before it was settled and populated, America was this magical forest where spirits had a bunch of territory to themselves to just do shit. That things were natural because the people believed they were how things were. Leon says Lelou has mentioned similar things.”

He liked to imagine the world like that. Primal and beautiful. But maybe people like him would’ve just spent their time afraid of every tree and creek. They’d be terrified that the ground would just swallow them whole, leave no trace discernable by any other mortal man. The shaman would know, but the soldier would just fucking die. The Blind Soldier. He did identify with them best.

”So, if she’s that old and she’s from here, she’s probably used to just doing things on her own. A free spirit, trapped in a box first, then forced to hitch a ride in a foreign body. If we started honouring her the way that a consciousness that old wants to be honoured, I’m certain we’ll find a whole different kind of spirit than what you’re used to. We find a little land, we put some better hives down, bigger and more robust, we deck them out with some ancient symbols and other shit that she likes, and boom.”
Casey reached for Trisha’s hands with excitement at the prospect of making this work with her.

Trisha let him take her hands, fingers curling around his. That sounded nice. She wasn’t so sure about the whole honouring her thing, but… she’d like more space for the bees. Proper hives built on proper land, rather than one she’d managed to get in her bedroom because it was the only space that was really hers. Funny, when her family undoubtedly had acres of land… But that was all Ezra’s, maybe shared with some of the other oldest.
”So, kind of like filial piety but for a spirit? I never thought about what it would’ve been like for her before… I’ve never heard of anything like that from her, but she must’ve had her own little spot in the world without humans around. The bees probably made their homes in whole trees or some shit like that.”

She tilted her head, smiling warmly at him. ”Even if it doesn’t make her happier, I’d love to have more space for the bees. Even just a little land, somewhere outside, for them… I already mentioned they’re in my room just now. It’s not ideal for anyone. I don’t know… how do you even go about buying land? We’d have to buy it, right?"

Her face scrunched up cutely as she tried to think about how much that would be. She had no idea. She’d never bought property. How much did she have? Not much, she spent most of her monthly allowance on herself and the bees… Ah, she did have a little leftover from a coding job she’d done recently.
”It’d have to be somewhere close- or at least, driveable. If I don’t visit the hive every day or two the bees get grumpy about it. Though maybe they’d be better if they had more space… or if she told me more about how to look after them. Oh, I wouldn’t have to worry about cleaning up the mess either."

He thought about her question having to do with the land. She really was a rich girl, and he imagined she didn’t ask many questions overall. At least not about practical things, maybe.
”Well, I do have a choice. There’s a program for Veterans coming back home where if you have a business idea or something, the Feds will grant you out land or property for you to use. If I file the paperwork for a beekeeping and honey business, we get the land granted. We could build on it; things may be rough at first if it’s just a plot of land though, and there’s no guarantee we could zone for residential on it since it’s granted.”

He had looked into the program earlier, when he first considered stepping away from the Army. He wanted to start a Gunsmith, but really he just wanted a free property to have a trailer on where people wouldn’t bother him without a reason. Some quick income he could do with the effort of his magic, or if he cared enough he’d do the work with his hands like an actual craftsman. But bullets and bees would probably net even more cash.

”I uh… This is fast, isn’t it? No, right? Because it’s for the bees really, it’s not about either of us. You deserve to have a good relationship with your ghost, and if you can make money while you make memories, that’s best right?”

”Yeah, it’s for the bees and her, not us," Trisha nodded. That sounded about right. She wasn’t really thinking about all the other things that came along with running a business with someone… Well, she didn’t really know much about running something like that at all. If she did, she might have already started trying to sell her honey.
”But, would you really want to do that? I assume you can only get land granted once… What if it doesn’t work out? There must be so many honey businesses, mine aren’t that special, so-"

She cut herself off before she started vocalising all of her concerns about that, and going down a dark path she didn’t want to. It was for the bees, for improving her abstraction, and for the possibility of a little money with it. That wasn’t the main point, right? And it would be fine if she had to move out of those hives later. Maybe the bees could still live there.

She smiled again, as if all of those concerns were nothing. Really, they weren’t. They weren’t.
”It sounds nice, even if there’s a lot to do at first- I put together my own hive mostly by myself, I’m sure I can do multiple with help. I’m harder working than you’d think."

Though, hard work for her had been hours of studying rather than any kind of manual labour. She then thought about something he’d said in among all of that.
”Why would we… zone for residential? Do you want to build a house as well? Bee hives don’t count as residences, do they?"

”Well, I always imagined living with my business. I guess I like the idea that I’m the one defending it. But, no I’m sure that bee boxes aren’t residential like that. But I bet you we could have staff and stuff. And better, you’ve got magical honey. See, magic is useful for shit like this, we used to talk about this all the time in the dirt.”

He scooted on the couch, arm wrapping around her and holding her close while the other painted a scene in front of them.

”You know people will buy any crock of shit with a clever punchline or some story in it. So we play it up. It's magic honey. But the people who know really will know that it is magic. We use our connections to the people we know, and we pipe it back to them. Special ingredients, or exotic pollens… There’s this guy? Ken? From the Sycamore? And Leon told me he like, travels across dimensions and brings some of you guys like souvenirs. We could go to him and get weird pollen and stuff to use!”

”Ken…" Trisha leaned into Casey while trying to remember. There had been a lot of people in Sycamore, and while she’d interacted with people outside of her clique a little more than the other rich kids… it was a bit difficult to remember them all. Oh! ”Kenshiro? I remember him. We didn’t really talk much- but if he has flowers from other dimensions, I don’t see why not. I bet the bees could use it easily, they’re smart little creatures… I wonder what it would do to the honey. The honey they make is already better, I think, but I’m probably biased. I’ve never heard another opinion about it."

She smiled, just thinking about it… There would definitely be a market for magical honey. There were people with too much money and knowledge of the magical world who’d buy anything.
”I don’t really have any magical connections in that way, but I bet I could sell it to my brother- Ezra just eating it would be enough for tons of other people in the business world too. He doesn’t know anything about magic, but I bet he’d just be happy I’m doing something rather than leech-" she stopped, laughing awkwardly. ”He’d be happy I’m following in dad’s footsteps."

But that was getting a bit ahead of herself. They needed ‘magic honey’ first.
”Oh, we could test the waters a bit to see if it’s even worth it before… building the hives, at least. I have enough from this year to give out, get opinions, I don’t know. Maybe that won’t help."

”Oh, I bet it will. We’ll run it to Andrade, have him use it to whip us up something. So long as I keep my business out of Lynette’s hands-”
He stopped dead, realising what it meant to go on far too long in a direction that wasn’t the right one. He frowned.
”I… Only really know The Temple. The people there would be the ones who could help me most. But, that’s me. I guess I would be worried that you wouldn’t want that in your life. Frankly I don’t either, but… Well-”
Casey’s hand rubbed Trisha’s shoulder gently.
”If I’d want to keep my own Mother out of my business, imagine how much I wouldn’t want her in yours? So, maybe we stay as far away from them as we can. We stick to what we can get, we use flowers from here, and maybe as you and the Queen get more personal, we find out there’s stuff we can do on our own to make things better. And we give her space, give you space, to just fill the area with bees in natural hives that we don’t even take honey from.”

He sat for a second imagining the macabre forest full of human-shaped natural hives built around never-living bodies hung from trees. Bloody Bees.
I’ll have forgiveness.
”I think… If it takes the flesh for things to get better, I think Doctor Nedia can be trusted. She’s always been good to me. Well, they all have, but she was… Special. Like an aunt who you can cry to. Andrade’s friendly, but he’d make one dish with the honey and my Mom would start asking questions. I’m betting that I can get meat under the table without much questioning though.”

”Surely…" She paused. She didn’t know how controlling his mother or the temple was. If her mom found out she’d probably laugh, and say that it would fail.
”You only mean stay far away from them business wise, right? You don’t mean… in everything? I really don’t mind, I don’t want you to just cut everything off for something that might not- Well, don’t do that for me. I can handle it being in my life for you."

Probably. There was some sick, twisted thought deep down that would have liked that. If he cut it all off, then he’d only have her. Then he wouldn’t leave her, would he? But she suppressed that. She was selfish and resentful, but not like that. She… didn’t want to become the truly bad person some thought she was.

”You know who my family is, right? Last time I checked we run the city. I talk to my brother, get his support or whatever, and it’ll be untouchable.” Probably. She didn’t really know if this was just about the business anymore, or their whole life… But she definitely couldn’t move away to a place where it was only them and the bees in some kind of natural paradise.
”We’ll… do what you think is best, though. I don’t know them. But it’ll be really hard to hide from your mom either way, right? We might as well use the resources- Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the questions and intrusions."

She just felt like she was saying words now, not knowing if it got her point across, but hopefully he could see the earnestness in her expression. Like she thought they could make it work.

”Well, untouchable as in you’ve got infinite money to fund lawyers and bankroll politicians to make things difficult for normal people. You can hire a private eye to tail someone, or get a hacker to forward someone’s emails to you so you can snoop. But is your brother Magic? Can he teleport into a locked concrete bunker underneath a hundred and fifteen feet of granite bedrock and blow you to smithereens by screaming something stupid like ‘Get off my lawn’?”

Yes, Staff Sergeant Willaby was always quite a character like that. Casey really only had the trauma of his Mother neglecting him. It was only recently that she’d taken any interest in his life in the first place.

”The cats know who you are. I can’t lie to my Mom, because the cats already know the truth, and I’m sure they’re still listening to us right now, right-”
He held out his finger toward the sliding false wall, at the corner closest to where they were sat.
From the other side, there was some muffled voices. It was absolutely the cats. Two little paws bashed their way underneath, almost waving at them and exactly from the direction that Casey had pointed. For a moment their furry arms wiggled around, then retracted altogether.
”-right fuckin’ there!” he exclaimed in frustration. ”There’s no fucking peace in this place! None!”

His eyes were a little tired looking. He was tired of it, so it was only natural. ”My life’s been a narcissist’s toy for twenty-five years. And when she finds out that your last name is Vanburen, she’s going to bomb you with love like you’re her favourite person. She’ll buy you things and get you comfortable so she can start asking favours, and then when she knows everything she needs to know about you, she’ll try and make your world her world. And once she’s done that, she’ll start demanding things from you. She did it to my Sister’s ex-husband, she did it to Hari in the other room, she’ll do it again and she’ll try and do it to you. I just know it, Trish… Remember when I was talking about secrets? I don’t want us to get there. Where we’re just waiting for the ball to drop.”

That was a lot to take in. From the bunker blowing up, to the cat’s fucking paws sticking through the wall, to… his mom. No wonder he didn’t want her involved. But there was no avoiding it if the cats already knew, and it would then get to his mom. They couldn’t just cut everything off and run… She couldn’t.
”What can she buy me that I don’t already have? I’m not trying to dismiss it but… You know, my dad used to buy us things because he didn’t have time for us. People buying stuff for me has the opposite effect. It doesn’t make me feel loved. That won’t work on me."

She shook her head, twisting around so she was properly facing him and wrapping her arms around his midsection.
”If she’s going to find out anyway… Well, it’ll be fine. I know that you’re just concerned. It’s not the same, but I have experience in… conditional love. The kind of love you get because someone wants you to be something, and they force you to be that way. I don’t-" trust that anyone would actually love me. But she couldn’t say that. She couldn’t say she’d never be comfortable, no matter how much someone bombed her with love. ”I don’t want to get there either, but we won’t. If you don’t want me to meet your mom, if you want me to avoid her completely, I’ll do that. But I wouldn’t let her in."

She spoke confidently, even though she had very little confidence internally that it would even matter… That he would put up with her long enough for it to even become a problem. That they’d be together long enough to reach that point.

Casey looked a little dejected, but he didn’t think it was right to take away an opportunity for her to at least see if she really wanted something like the burden of his family. They were, if anything, close; he figured from what she’d been saying, that maybe it would be something she’d appreciate. For how much he didn’t trust his younger sister, she was ultimately a good, if not self-destructive, soul. Same with Leon, at least he was willing to stand by you when you needed it most. Though maybe she knew a different side of him at the end of the day.

”Honestly, until I came home Kindled, I’m pretty sure Lynette forgot I existed. Even now she still… I guess, I’m kind of afraid that she’s going to all of a sudden have a reason to pay attention to me like she does Leon. I’ve seen what she does to him, saw how she would treat him as a boy. Even if I wanted attention, I mean… Who wants it like that? She treats him like a little kid until he does something wrong, and then it’s fire and brimstone until he ‘makes it right’.”
Casey finally shrugged, leaning into Trisha and resting his head on her shoulder. He hugged her close.

”Who knows. I seriously don’t, the last one of us that had a significant other was Elise, and those two are divorced now. Not that we’re getting married, just… I can’t help but think that she had something to do with it.”

Trisha reached up and rested her hand on Casey's head, gently rubbing his scalp. She twisted around so her legs hooked over his. ”I didn't know it was like that for Leon, maybe I was too harsh on him ten years ago- I always got pissed off when he started trying to be some enforcer, but I see where it came from… well, that doesn't matter just now."

She tilted her head to lean it against his.
”I can see why you're worried, if your sister got divorced. Even if it was your mom, that doesn't mean she'll be able to get between us. I don't want to let her- and you've told me all of this. I'm not going in blind. I promise, I won't let her get to me. But it won't even be a problem- if there was a Vanburen pecking order, I'm right down at the bottom. I don't have much power, so I doubt it'll be that tempting to your mom."

Trisha took his hands, squeezing them and turning her head awkwardly to look at him again with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
”And if it doesn't work out, and what you're worrying about starts to happen, we can just run away and get a little field somewhere with the bees, away from everything."

Casey blinked slowly, looking into Trisha’s eyes softly.
”You’re… You’re great.”
He tucked in a little closer, big hands rubbing her back and cradling her so he could lean back. He turned a little so that she had the back of the couch and him to lay against. It was a warm little nook. She’d be able to feel his feet moving around until his hands slipped a bit and rolled the blanket up over both of them.

”Can we just stay like this? You can’t imagine how lonely some places get…”
He was talking about places like they were in. Home, where if he hadn’t been attacked by the cats daily, the rest of the family probably never would’ve known he was there. Where it was him and his own thoughts echoing again and again about how he was never going to be good enough for anything.

At least he was good enough to kill for his country. He found out you didn’t have to be “good” to be good enough then. There was always the idea that he had to be some sort of noble hero like his Father was. Or like he wanted them to think he was, at least. He caught a lot of shit for being some goodie two-shoed fuck, and he got absolutely blasted by every drill sergeant he met during basic…

Because he thought that’s what Men were supposed to be.
”How’d you get so cool? Born with it?” he asked her quietly, as if they were really all alone.
Casey had a safe space. It was imaginary, of course, but he thought about them being there. No blanket, just the warm air rolling across the island beach in the middle of nothingness in the ocean.

”Who says we can’t just stay like this?" Trisha smiled softly, lying against his check. It was warm and comfortable and… safe. She really did feel like she could stay here forever, in his arms and covered by the blanket. Because, she did know how lonely places could get. Loneliness was studying in her room while her siblings played outside, yet their grades resulted in praise and hers in scolding. It was days left alone at her mom’s house during the only month they had together because she had academic conferences. It was never quite belonging anywhere, and her only proper company being bees.

But she wasn’t going to open up about that. She just smiled warmly and snuggled up against him, happy to be content for once.
”Mm, if I tell you all my secrets, I won’t be able to let you live," Trisha said softly, eyes filling with warm laughter. ”My coolness is all hard work, I definitely wasn’t born with it. I was a loud, annoying baby - the opposite of cool. I became this cool through sheer will."

She grinned, reaching up to tap his nose. ”Maybe it’ll start to rub off on you, and you’ll become as cool as me."

Casey laughed quietly, holding her tighter as he did so.
”Woah, hey… Easy. I’m very fucking cool.” he grinned at her still chuckling.
”And you can test me. I’ll pass the cool test every time. Someone taught me how to.”

Of course it was ol’ Commissar. The Warrant Three he’d been tasked under once he’d made it that far in was a man who didn’t flinch in danger, and didn’t shy away from telling people how he felt about things. But he wasn’t evil, nor was he cruel. Warrant Officer Comstadt was a Father, a Husband, a Leader who you never questioned. It was respect, that he would know what was best because that was his job.

And he was an Abberant. He had an awful, evil, zealous spirit inside him that claimed to be a vengeful angel from God. And it would send him into awful rages and fits that he couldn’t control. But nobody cared, because Comstadt had earned his position. They respected him, and they could separate him as a man and a leader from the spirit inside that made him a killer and a butcher.

To Casey, that’s what cool was. At least, his ideal cool. Trish was a close second though. He really liked her…

”Oh really?" Trisha leaned her head back slightly to give him an assessing look. Her attempt was broken a bit by a soft giggle. She didn’t… actually know what the cool test was, but it sounded ridiculous. Surely if you had to take a test to prove that you were cool, you weren’t really cool anymore?

”What’s-" she yawned before she could get further, surprising herself. She was just a little sleepy, mostly from the warmth of the blanket and being hugged so close. The comfort of it. ”What’s the cool test? You see, I’m so cool I never had to take a test… So show me how it’s done and prove that you're so cool, Case."

Casey grinned widely at her, biting his lip slightly to give a very sassy look at Trisha.
”Alright, cool.”

He jerked his head forward slightly, like he was in a bar acknowledging some other cool guy. Then he tilted his head back and closed his eyes. That was it.

Internally, Casey beamed at himself, his own baited joke echoing in his head. What else did she think he was going to do? What else could one do except be… Cool…

Trisha snorted, laughter escaping her lips at the ridiculousness of his actions. She didn’t entirely get it, wasn’t sure there was anything to get, but she did find it funny. Maybe not cool, but entertaining.

”Yeah, very cool," she giggled, slowly and carefully moving her own head forward. ”Sooo cool, wow, I just can’t hold back."

Then she darted in, pressing her lips against his in what she’d decided was a sneak attack. She let it linger for just a moment, but didn’t push for anything more as she pulled back slightly, smiling teasingly.
”That’s a reward for passing the test."

Iron and Honey: A Love Story [FernStone & AtomicEmperor]

Tackle’s Late Bait Poolhall -> Leon's Apartment

Tackle’s Late Bait Poolhall was widely accepted as a place that one could go to free from irony or the vague haze of hipster breath that the Harbor Strip had become known for. The south side was being gentrified, and the older buildings on the north end were home to all manner of old folk and people whose rent was locked in at rates sometimes thousands of dollars cheaper than just up the road.

The bar was full of St. Portwell fishing history, except rather than the Drunken Starfish, the clientele were the younger apprentices. They came for the cheaper drinks and the better music, and to stay away from their captains and the veteran potters who felt there should be some separation between crewmen.
It was a little tacky, a little gaudy, but the staff were all dressed up like crab potters and the place was almost entirely devoid of fellow halloween revellers.

The place had an L shape to it, and Casey was sure to get a booth at the short end with his back to the sturdy brick wall of the building. He couldn’t see anyone coming in, but they couldn’t see him either; not that he was worried about any one particular person finding him there, so much as it was a simple ready-action habit.
To the right of the booth was the gap for the kitchen area, and he knew a few feet past that was an emergency fire exit. Y’know, in case anything happened.

The server brought them both a beer, on the house, and then left them to their own devices. Casey had long since pulled off his uniform top, giving it to Trisha to wear over her shoulders and keep her and the bees warm in the slowly chilling autumn night, and was wearing one of the Temple’s halloween shirts from this year.
Not that it was an overtly Temple-themed shirt, only that they had an art competition every year and the top designs always got shirts, the money from each shirt going back into the individual artist by way of the Temple Trust.

An excuse to keep the money from the sales in the Temple coffers, to be replenished and returned once the trustee was “qualified to claim it.”

“I’m not much for sailing, but I come here because it’s usually like this. I honestly don’t know how they stay open outside peak season… But for now, it’s fuckin’ empty. We can rack some pool if you want too, or just get whatever you want. On me.” Casey offered, taking a sip of the Guinness he’d been given.

Noticing they’d given her the same beer, he pointed at it.
“I can get that replaced too, if it’s not your kind of beer.” he said with a laugh, surprised they shot the shot with a heavy beer like that.

"What, you think I can't handle it?" Trisha joked, lips curving up into a teasing smile. She lifted the bottle to her lips and took a long drink. Contrary to her appearance and rich background, Trisha was much more of a beer and spirits drinker than anything fancy, like the expensive wines her dad always had stocked in the house. While Guinness wasn't her normal go to, nor was this kind of incredibly empty bar, she was fine with both. "It's fine, almost any beer is my kind of beer."

She looked around while she took another drink. The place really was empty - unsurprising, with the Halloween festival going on. Most bars didn't even bother to open for the festival hours. She normally went to clubs or more boisterous bars by choice, and was dragged along to fancier ones occasionally by siblings and her friends here. But this was a nice… change. Sometimes it was nice to be more chill. For a while.

"Hmm, I enjoy pool… but I'm not very good at it," she admitted. Just like many things, the more annoying voice in her head reminded her. She pulled the uniform top across her shoulders a bit closer, properly covering the bees that gave a soft, agitated buzz. There were only six still with her - she'd sent the rest back home when they got off the ferry. They'd all come if she called them anyway. "Me and my college friends used to go to bars to play all the time… we'd get one table between about 8 of us, so we'd play in pairs. I ended up getting banned from playing cause I always lost, no matter who I was paired with. Not like anyone showed me how to actually play." She threw her hands up in a half exasperated gesture. Then she leaned forward with a slight smile, tilting her head so she was looking up at him from underneath long eyelashes.
"If you're good at it, maybe you can teach me?"

Casey’s mellow expression peeled into a playful smile as she dug at him for thinking she was typical. Soft girl, soft beer… He was never a good judge of character, so it wasn’t surprising to him that she was like this. With the amount of time he’d spent around women overall, he was lucky he wasn’t talking to three ducks stacked in a trench coat.
But he knew his chance when he saw it. Champion pool player in the Narakali FOB three years in a row, he was not only a fantastic shot, but an actually decent teacher. And teaching someone how to play pool was a lot like teaching someone how to shoot a rifle: Posture and sensation were important, so touching was almost a must.

This was an invitation, no? A reason?

He put his hand out, slowly sliding up from the booth.
“I ain’t one to brag, Princess, but I do play a little pool… Lemmie show you how it’s done.”

Trisha’s smile widened. She placed her much smaller hand in his, fingers lightly caressing his palm before she used it to help push herself up. She didn’t take her hand out of his, gesturing to all the pool tables.
"Any of them? I’m warning you now, I’m really bad, but I’ll try not to take an eye out." She tilted her head up towards him with a playful grin. "I’m sure anything’s possible with a good enough teacher."

“Girl, I could train a lemming into a hole with a grenade and have it pull the pin itself. Teaching is as easy as -” he paused, taking her hand in his own and spinning it over her head until she was in his arms. “-getting the feeling right.”

Releasing her, he grabbed one of the pool cues off the wall and slid a dollar into the machine. The rainbow of spheres clacked through the tubes, loudly impacting into the feed at the bottom, and he sorted them all into the form before leaving them to be broken.
Holding the cue up alongside Trisha, his free hand slipped under her arm and compared the length of it to the cue. It didn’t really mean anything, more just him showing off. He swept his position behind her, leaving his hand near her elbow before pressing against her back ever so slightly.

Just enough that she could feel his toned shape beneath his shirt.

His arms adjusted around her with the cue in his hands, shifting his weight until he was in a shooting position that felt comfortable to break.
“Match my posture, my pose… And slide the cue out of my grip. It’ll automatically fall into the sweet spot for you. Whenever you’re ready.”

Trisha was a little stunned at how easily Casey went along with her flirting. He didn’t seem like the normal guys she went for - the kind who gave out easy compliments but were obvious red flags to anyone who wasn’t desperate. Not that she was. Obviously. But men like that were easy to catch, and just as easy to be abandoned by the next morning.

It was easy to shake away that thought at the feeling of him lightly leaning against her back. She bit her lip, and tried to follow his instructions. She shifted back to press up more against him before leaning forward. She stretched one arm out, fingers curling around the pool cue, and the other slightly behind her. Her posture wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t awful either - it was much easier when she didn’t have to support the cue herself. "Like this?"

She didn’t actually wait for his response before sliding it forward. The white ball shot forward and hit the rainbow triangle, sending them in all directions. None of them were pocketed, but enough had hit the side that it wasn’t a fault. Trisha leaned back against Casey and twisted around to flash him a bright, genuinely happy grin. "That was pretty good! Normally I barely get three balls to move when I break."

He smiled, laughing at her circumstance just as much as he was laughing along with her.
“That bad huh? Christ, well let’s see if we can’t make that game a little easier.”

The Richoux family had a nasty habit that they rarely told anyone about. Casey had always figured it was assumed, learning the history of his family, that people would be leery of them if they had any kind of clue about what sort of magic they dealt with. As he pulled away from Trisha, he slipped his right hand into his back pocket and pulled out his Channeler before stuffing his hand into the ragged cloth.

When he came back to her, he was already channelling Orange Lux through the glove. His hands moved to adjust her posture slightly, and the gloved hand brushed the pommel of the cue.
It was instantly light as a feather. No more weight needed to worry about, except for right at the tip where it seemed to all concentrate.

Three time champion? Three time cheater. Could he hit the balls, sure. Did it help that his pool cue was weightless with some kind of aiming assist that normal people would never notice? Hell yeah.

“How’s that, easier to aim and hold?”

"Seriously?" Trisha shot him an incredulous look, before giggling. She’d never even thought to use magic for something like this… Not that she had magic that would work for it. It would be pretty hard to hide a whole bunch of bees helping out with anything. She moved the cue around a bit, feeling it adjust itself slightly as she did. With a grin she made another shot, sending a striped red ball into one of the pockets.

"Holy shit- It’s so much better. Is this what it’s like to have… orange lux, right? Next time I play against my college friends, I’m definitely bringing you along-" Wow, that was quite an assumption to make. Who knew when she’d next see them considering they were all across the country… And it wasn’t like anything lasted for her beyond the friends she had here solely because of her surname. She laughed awkwardly. "Assuming, y’know, you’re around and want to come."

Casey was smiling widely as he watched Trisha sink the ball into the pocket, and watched the cue ball roll backward into another ball. He smiled widely, making his way to the rack and grabbing a cue of his own with his bare hand. He slipped the glove back off, holding up a cue.
“Assuming you want to keep learning how to play pool, we’ll have to see one another more.” he joked, his eyebrows wagging up and down. His hand chalked up the tip of the cue, slapping the block back on the board and waving her forward.
“Since you sunk, you shoot again. And while you’re at it, get used to the feeling that the stick insists on. The better you’re doing, the less resistance you’ll feel.”

As he spoke, he was walking behind her, bringing her beer and his over to the edge of the pool table as she shot.
”I uh… I haven’t told my family yet. But I’ve officially retired from the Military. Seven years! Seven whole years of staying pretty much as far away from St. Portwell as I possibly could. Running from my family. Now, I’m coming back. It doesn’t mean I want to be around them any more than I did before, so… Yeah, I’m around. And if you want me around you? I’m absolutely game to hang out with a bunch of people I don’t think I have anything in common with. I’ll probably surprise myself.” he said, in the midst of surprising himself.

"We’re the same, then." Trisha straightened back up from taking another shot - not quite so good, but she’d hit the right ball first at least. She was still pretty awkward about getting into the right posture after moving. She reached out for her beer, taking another long drink before continuing. "Well, not exactly the same, I was never in the military… obviously."

She laughed, gesturing to her slender frame. "I mean the whole not wanting to be around family thing. I live with my sisters cause I don’t really have a choice. Guess I kinda ran away too when I went to college on the other side of the country, but-” she hesitated, looking in the opposite direction to Casey and taking another drink. She was about half way through already, the alcohol warming her up and loosening her inhibitions. Why shouldn’t she say? It wasn’t like he was here with her because of her intelligence. "But I didn’t do so well, so I ended up back here, jobless and stuck with my family again."

Her expression had soured slightly, but she forced it back into a smile as she turned around.
"So, I don’t actually see those friends often! They’re all over the place…. And hey, they’re probably not what you’re thinking. They’re chill and not rich. The friends I have here, though? Yeah, they’re exactly what you’d expect… but they don’t tell me about things half the time because I was ‘away until a year ago’ as if Gabe didn’t just come back too-" She shook her head. Reign it in, not the time to go on a rant and scare him away. "Someone I can actually spend time with would be nice… I have to say, my company is pretty amazing."

She grinned teasingly, once again filled with the confident energy she’d momentarily lost. "Your company’s been pretty good, too."

Casey beamed back at her, his body leaning into the table as he lined up a shot she placed practically in front of him. He sunk it, the ball cracked off another, and it sunk too.

“I’d have to say your company has been the highlight of the festival. And,-” he moved, aimed, and sunk another into the furthest pocket. It seemed like he didn’t need the cheating after all.
“I’ve got nothing but time, really. No duties to my family, no major responsibilities left. Unless there’s another Draft, but I don’t think after what happened last time they’d try their hand again… So, what do you want to do tomorrow?” he asked in a self aware fashion, eyes nudging toward her as he sunk another ball.

Trisha couldn’t help but gape as he sunk not one, but four balls. Was she even going to get another shot? Not that she was actually bothered - pool had mostly been an excuse to get close to him. "My company is often the highlight of events."

She laughed, knocking back her beer to hide her blush at him so casually asking about the next day. What did she want to do? She tilted her head, putting down the bottle and carefully leaning her cue against the pool table next to theirs. With a devious smile she moved closer to him, slotting in at his side and leaning up over his shoulder.
"Hmm, let me think," Trisha started, smile turning suggestive and voice lowering slightly. She pressed herself against him a bit more, careful not to actually affect his shooting position. "Maybe we could start with breakfast at my place?"

If he didn’t like the suggestion, hopefully it would at least be enough to distract him from his next shot.

He grinned, knocked the cue between his fingers, and then looked up at her with a gentle sheen in his eye. He lifted the arm with the grip of the cue in it, opening a spot for her.
“Come here while I shoot this, so you can feel how I do it. And tell me more about breakfast… Does it happen to be in bed? Cute little trays?

"Oh-kay," Trisha enunciated the single word, slipping into the spot in front of him. She wasn’t exactly sure how she was supposed to feel how he did the shot, so she wriggled back until she was tucked right against his chest, having to bend over a little to fit. Her cheeks heated up. Normally when she flirted with someone it would get very hot very quickly - and she could handle that much better.

"Mm, in bed would be nicest… I don’t have cute trays, do I look like someone who has cute trays?" She grumbled the last bit, though it came across as cute more than anything. "One of my sisters might- no, that’d be embarrassing. It’d have to be ordered in or cereal, because I can’t cook. I normally go to a bakery down the road… That doesn’t really work with staying in bed. Ah!" She had a sudden, very stupid idea, and giggled. "Maybe my bees can get it for us… a bee breakfast service."

Casey didn’t take the shot until he adjusted her hands to where he wanted them; essentially around the cue inside his own hands. He wanted her to get a sense for how far back he pulled his elbow, what strength he put into a shot, how he lined himself up. Since there was such a size difference, it was easy for him to shift himself so it was comfortable.

His mouth was right behind her ear.
”We can’t stress them out about it, can we? How about…-”
She could feel him tense slightly as he lined her up. His right hand’s fingers raised, three of them, and tapped one at a time to count her down to the moment he’d strike the ball. It clacked off the ball that was most obviously a shot they could hit. He didn’t put too much tension or effort into it, and it felt more like a snap than a shove.
“-while you’re sleeping? I go out in the early dawn, get the good stuff when its freshest, and then you can wake up to it?”

He was well aware that defeated the purpose of her offer, but frankly if the bees were her bees, he’d give them a break. A smile formed over Casey’s face as he imagined the bees with bags of bagels. Alliteration…
“After all, how can I make the Queen Bee or her loyal subjects busy themselves with such menial work?”

"You’d do that?" Trisha twisted around so she could look up at him, eyes widening. She was so thrown off by everything - how close he was, his voice in her ears, his hands engulfing her own and the offer of waking up early enough to get them breakfast - that she didn’t really take in how he took the shot. She definitely wouldn’t be able to do it herself. "Really?"

Realising that she was acting a bit ridiculously over a small gesture she turned back around so he couldn’t see her face as easily, cheeks burning. It was just that… as far back as she could remember, no one had brought her breakfast in bed. There’d be servants who made dinner they had to get at her dad’s mansion, and her mom couldn’t have cared less if she ate in the morning. But still, she shouldn’t be so easily touched by something. She cleared her throat as if she hadn’t just acted incredibly embarrassingly.
"You’re right. It’s beneath me and my bees to do something like that… so let’s do that. The you getting breakfast thing. That sounds nice."

Way to act like someone with absolutely no experience, Trisha. She internally rolled her eyes at herself. She managed to get her thoughts, and blush, under control and tilted her head back round to look at him.
"I hope you can sleep through a lot of noise. My bees get upset if I make them sleep outside… Well, I can send them out for a while, but if it’s all night they get very agitated. I don’t want them trying to sting you if I don’t let them back in till the morning."

Noise… Noise was the sound of bombs and screams and shout and-
“Oh, I’m not worried about buzzing. Used to hearing the planes.”
He grinned to himself.
“Plan on doing a lot of sleeping tonight?” he asked, his lips still near her ear as he moved her body beneath his own into another shot. With each one he made, there was a gentle recoil from the cue hitting the ball, and then the slight flex to compensate behind it. Micro movements that he didn’t even think about.

A light shiver ran down her spine. She bit her lip to catch the embarrassing and totally not attractive squeak that almost escaped as he moved her around so easily. It was difficult to suppress the other reactions - it suddenly felt far too hot, and she could hear her heart thudding in her ears. Trisha slowly turned her face towards his and tilted it up, so that it was her own lips rather than her ear close to his. "Not really, if I have my way… and I normally do."

Casey’s smile had become a perpetual grin across his face, his eyes pouring into hers as she turned her head to look at him. His lips pressed forward, and there was that same tension. In the midst of the kiss, the clack of the cue ball hitting another ball preceded the hollow thud of it sinking into a pocket.

It was long, somewhat shallow as he’d had very little overall experience kissing. He wasn’t even sure what kind of kiss she was going to want, and despite having seen plenty of examples, he rarely reckoned how the tongue thing worked. Finally he pulled away.
“Buzz, buzz… Lookin’ for some pollen…” he giggled at her like a school kid would.

"What the-" Trisha stared at him in disbelief, before laughing at the ridiculousness of it. She wriggled her hands out from under his and used them to cover her face, because she had no idea what expression she was making. She couldn’t decide how she felt and didn’t want her face visible until she did. "Seriously?"

She shook her head in her hands. The kiss had been nice, if a bit clumsy. It was pretty obvious to her that he wasn’t that experienced - mostly because she really was. But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing… But the line afterwards? That was something else. It had completely ruined the mood. It made it really, really obvious that he wasn’t her normal type. But… When had her normal type worked out? Her normal type always led to short lived relationships that burned out violently. Was her normal type even her actual type? Shit, now was not the time to start thinking about this. It was just one night, if she didn’t enjoy it, she never had to see him again.

The temptation of breakfast brought to her in the morning was just too strong. She peeked through her fingers at him, her lips twitching up into a slight smile. "Please never say anything like that again… especially not at my place. I’ll need to have my bees kick you out for terrible… jokes?"

The grin that had been baked into his face didn’t leave. Frankly, he wanted that reaction more than he wanted one that was heavy. He never liked a heavy mood, either too serious or too self serious. Romance was always a thick, saccharin layer atop the buildup toward intercourse; especially if people were meant to have kids. It was the layer that went down well to hide the fact that the cake was made of dirt.
That’s probably why it was so fascinating. So tantalising to him; it was commitment like he’d had in his career except it was meant to be for the rest of one’s life. Or, at least, a lifetime.

“Fine. But if you think for a second that the bees won’t jive with my jokes, you’ve got another thing coming. I bet they’ll love my ass.”
His big face was warm and friendly.
Alright, I did want her to laugh more…
He may have felt a little disappointed, but she was still pretty insistent about him being at her place by the end of the night.

So he held up his hands, cue in the dominant right, and flicked his hair ever so slightly.
“Maybe a wager? Beat me at pool, and you’ll never hear another Bee joke out of me. Until then? B u z z b u z z, Baby.”

"I hate to break it to you, but the bees don’t understand any words, nevermind jokes," Trisha laughed, finally dropping her hands from her face. "I communicate with them with pheromones- you know, that doesn’t matter."

She waved her hand at the pool table before folding her arms. "That isn’t a fair wager - you’ve already cleared like half your balls! You even got one in while we were kissing- There’s no way I can win. You know I can’t win that." She pouted, throwing up her own hands. "Alright, fine, you can keep your bee jokes. But just you wait, I’m going to train in pool so that I can beat you next time."

If she was going to hear jokes like that for the rest of the night, she’d need more to drink. Trisha shifted back around the pool table to her neglected beer, and just straight up finished off the bottle. "I’m going to need another to cope. Maybe after a couple I’ll even find them funny.“

Casey looked down the pool hall toward the bar, the urge to make a joke very clearly on his face, before looking back at Trisha and nodding.
“Sure, sure. And, don’t worry: The jokes are for special occasions. You want just another brew? Or can I offer you something a bit harder?”
Y’know, like some Honey Mead, maybe a Honey Bee? Could get anything, the bar isn’t exactly BUZZY…

He bit his lip, holding himself back like a kid after they’re told they can’t take another candy from the halloween bucket trying desperately to be respectful. It was such a grave pain, but he really didn’t want her dealing with it too much. He was even worried about saying beer now, lest she lose all sense of reality as she’s never able to hear the word again without making association to her own little pals.

"That was a special occasion?" Trisha raised an eyebrow, lips curving back up into a genuine smile. And he was even holding back on the jokes - see, deciding to stick around wasn’t a bad decision. She could handle the occasional bad bee pun… or any bad pun. Maybe more, when she liked someone enough. One of her college friends was awful for it and Trisha still tolerated her. Just about. "Just another beer, yeah. The same is fine… or whatever else they have bottles of. I’m not fussy about beer!"

As much as she’d like something a bit harder, she knew her own tolerance pretty well - in that it was low. Getting completely wasted was fun, but she wanted to remember tonight. So far. That might change.

The bees still with her, that had been silently hiding until now, gave a soft agitated buzz. She not so subtly glared at her shoulder. They couldn’t exactly communicate like a person did, but she could tell what they wanted. After a bit of back and forth with them she sighed. "... some sugar water too. Not for me, for, y’know. Honestly a lemonade will do, they can handle that."

Casey stuck around just long enough to catch Trisha making eyes with the bees. Giving a thumbs up for the lemonade, he tried to remember if they actually had any lemonades… Or anything like that. It wasn’t exactly a place people went to get mixed drinks, but hell it was popular these days right? Not like getting hammered by yourself in a barrack on Christmas because you don’t want to go home.
Gasoline. Pure ethanol. Fuel for the flames.

Getting to the bar, he put up for two Corona; a bit lighter than going for lagers all night as he found the bloating effect to be unsustainable.
”Simple syrup? Just like, in a cup?”
The bartender paused for a moment, furrowed an eyebrow, then pulled a disposable cup and filled it with a shot or two of two-to-one simple syrup. As he slid the ten dollar bill across the counter, the bartender leaned in close.
“I’m happy to see you not drinking alone… Where’s she from?”
”Around, I guess?” Casey responded with a slight annoyance in his voice. He’d not realised they cared enough to notice that he was a solitary alcoholic, never mind asking him about his “date”.

With a huff of air equal to poor opinion, the Bartender let Casey back over to the pool table with the drinks.
”Beer for you, beer for me, and syrup for the little ladies.” he handed the cup and the bottle off to Trisha.

"Thanks," Trisha smiled, taking both. She put the beer down on the edge of the pool table and turned around so her back was to the bar (and the bees were hidden from the bartender's sight). She tilted the cup on its side so the syrup was more spread out along it. With a simple instruction the bees gently flew from her shoulders into the cup… except for one that landed on her finger. It wiggled its little body and didn’t move any further. Trisha narrowed her eyes. "Seriously?"

The bee wiggled again. After what seemed to be an intense human to bee stare off, Trisha gave in. She reluctantly stuck a finger into the cup, coating it in a little bit of the syrup before pulling it out. The lone bee happily flew over to her other hand and started drinking the syrup from her finger.

"This one’s stupidly fussy," she explained, in case Casey was actually interested. "She was one of my first so she’s extra attached to me… you’d be surprised how much personality slightly magical bees have. It’s hard to keep up when I have so many. It sure would be nice," she shot the bee a mock glare, "if they’d leave me a free hand to have a drink too."

”I assume it’s a Mother’s instinct that tells you? Or do they all have some sort of unique kind of, what was it? Pheromones?” Casey asked, getting closer as he watched them do their thing. He’d seen plenty of bees in nature, even watched them doing their thing…

Quietly, he was in Europe. Springtime, near the end of it all. A muddy fucking hole on a hill overlooking a field full of blood and bones. He’d been transferred to SOT by this point; they were waiting for the… Some fucking German name, it didn’t matter. He just remembered being frustrated about the fact that there was a bee scrambling to try and get at the sugar water from his O-Ration.

He tried his hardest to be polite, tried to get the thing out from in front of his face, but it just kept landing on the rim of his canister and wouldn’t leave well enough alone.

”I almost feel like I should apologise to them now…” Casey said absentmindedly as his thoughts trailed to flicking that bee into the sugar water before ejecting the liquid to watch it spatter into the wind.

He never could’ve known that bee or what it was thinking. It was probably something similar to being peckish and hitting the refrigerator.

”It was just going to the fridge…”
His face was next to hers, eyes locked with the bee’s half-thoughtful set of compound eyes. A tear almost fell.

"Huh?" Trisha was very confused about what Casey was talking about… And why he looked like he was about to cry.

He cleared his throat, looking at the bee just another second.
”I… I was thinking about the fields of France. We used to get bees all the time in those trenches, like we were made of sweets or something.”
Shaking his head to snap out of it, he finally pulled himself away with a swig of beer.

”They made sure we never worried about killing anything, so I never really thought about the bees. But, seeing you with them, just dredged something up. Sorry. When you’re done-”
He pulled up his cue, proceeding to sink the last five balls in rapid succession.
”-We can start a new game. You gotta practise now, no getting out of it.”

Trisha was glad he changed the subject. She wasn’t very good at the deep stuff - both hearing it from someone else, or delving into it herself. What did she even say to that? She had no idea what a war was like, and honestly she didn’t place that much importance on insect life beyond her own bees.

"Finnnne, we can play another game," Trisha grumbled, though from her playful smile it was clear she wasn’t actually annoyed about it. The bees continued to drink as if they’d been parched. "To answer your earlier question, it’s kind of a bit of both. They all have a unique… scent, I guess, and I can tell them apart because of my connection with them naturally. If I had to remember it I’d have no chance."

She laughed, and the bees finally finished drinking - having gone through all the syrup. She had to shake the cup a little bit to get the full and lazy creatures to move, reluctantly crawling up her arms and hiding in her hair. The one on her hand flew onto her cheek, sitting there for a little bit and seeming to press its little face against her. Then it also joined the others. Trisha put down the cup and wiped her slightly sticky finger on her trousers, grabbing her own beer and taking a swig of it.

"Alright!" She picked back up her cue, passing it between her hands with a determined grin. "Let’s start… Let me break, otherwise you’ll just win the game before I even get a shot in."

Casey was happy to see her bounce back; he liked determination and willpower in a way he couldn't describe, though he imagined his siblings had similar relationships with it. Something about Lynette Richoux and willpower and tenacity and-. He got too ahead of himself and found a wide smile on his face as he reset the balls after tossing another dollar in.

As Trisha squared up to break, he stopped her and got into position himself.
“You use this forward hand to keep it steady. All your aiming and everything is usually done from the rear… But try making an arch with your index finger?-”

He demonstrated, left index finger curling up to touch the middle finger with its tip. It formed a loop, which he proceeded to stick the cue through.

“Depending on how tight you make the loop around it, it'll keep you steady and straight. Better, it'll work well with the enchantment at keeping your shots dead centre. After that, it's all about practice and muscle memory. It's easy, just takes a lot of time.”

He lifted the rack from the balls, leaving them ready for impact.

“Whenever you're ready.”

"Easy, right…" Trisha moved to right next to him, bending her knees to be at eye level with his hand. She actually watched and listened pretty attentively. Sure, she had suggested pool for less innocent reasons, but actually learning how to play pool would mean she could show up all her friends the next time she saw them. "Alright, I think I’ve got it."

She stretched back up, beginning to line up her shot. Her left arm extended forward and she curled her index finger onto the middle one, slipping the cue through. She leaned in towards the pool table and bit her lip as she tried to figure out the aim, letting the cue’s enchantment guide her. She wasn’t quite sure about the rest of her stance (she’d been distracted), wiggling as she adjusted in a very similar motion to the bee that had been drinking from her finger.

Finally satisfied, she took the shot, cue sliding through her finger and hitting the ball. It hit dead centre, sending all of the balls flying and one right into the pocket at the back corner.

"Hell yeah! That means I get another shot, right? She didn’t wait for his answer, surveying the table and finding what looked like a straight shot. She quickly got into position and, after another round of wiggling to adjust herself, hit the ball… But the loop of her index finger wasn’t quite so tight, making the angle of the cue slightly off. With nothing pocketed, she straightened back up with a pout. She turned back to Casey with what she hoped was a cute, pleading expression.
"Your turn. Go easy on me, please?"

Casey watched her motions, nodding to himself as he watched her flit about the table to find a nice angle. She'd made a wonderful breaking shot, and he was proud as he heard the clacking of a ball being sunk into a pocket. His eyes traced her arm's length, the shape and angles, the way it developed into a shoulder that climbed up to her neck in a gradual, soft slope. He admired the tone of her skin, the way her eyes smiled when she did.

Even as she missed her shot, she was just… He couldn't help but smile to himself. He stepped up, patting her on the shoulder.

“Don't worry about it. We're having fun, I'm not trying to discourage you.”
With his knowing grin, he lined up for a shot.
“Two into pocket four.-” he directed the shot he'd be making, pointing out which pocket he was aiming for. “-Easy shot.”
The cue lurched forward, sending the cue ball flying across the table. It smacked the two ball, sunk it, and proceeded to spin very rapidly across the table until it hit another ball and fell into the dark pocket across from four.

He grinned at his self destruction, the skill of it alone. Intentionally sending the cue ball across the table to sink it…

“Ah, yikes… Well, you know what that means…”
His hand reached into the pocket for the cue ball, and he handed it off to her.
“Take your pick, Trisha-Bee. Your go.”

"Toooo bad for you," Trisha grinned. She reached out for the ball, hand lingering over it as her fingers rested against his hand. Eventually, she took it and stepped back. She didn’t even get annoyed about the silly nickname - it was kind of cute if she didn’t think about it too hard. "You’re going to regret teaching me when I start winning."

She smirked, placed the cue ball just behind the line. She bent down and closed one eye, as if mentally lining up shots. She shifted the ball about a bit before she found what she thought would be a good one. She didn’t quite have a direct line to a pocket, but if she hit it at the right angle… she had a chance. With her newly, totally perfected stance she made the shot. The enchanted cue gave her a much better chance than if she’d been doing it herself, hitting the ball she was aiming for at just the right angle. It spun towards a pocket, slowing down as it neared it and stopped just short of falling in.

She clenched her teeth, fingers curling around the cue a little bit too hard as she tried to suppress her frustration. She’d been getting back into the headspace she’d had in highschool - working her ass off to achieve good grades only to fail. It was just a missed shot. A fun game. She was still learning. She relaxed her grip on the cue and stepped back, grabbing her beer and taking a good long drink. The buzz of the alcohol as it went to her head helped get rid of those niggling thoughts.
"Fuck, that was so close."

So close?
Casey slid up, wrapping his hand around her waist and pulling her tight to his side. He was all smiles as he did, nudging her over to where the ball almost went in.
“I mean… That’s really close. Like even a-”
He fake coughed, and his hand swept across the table to knock the ball in without letting the cue fall with it. He stared at her with a grin.
“-like any sort of breeze could’ve done it, y’know? Close enough in my book… Try again.”

"Hey, that’s cheating," Trisha laughed, smiling up at him. Just like that, that slightly lingering bad mood was gone. She shifted up, going onto her tip toes and lightly turning on them. Her hands curled around his shoulder and she leaned in to press a kiss against his cheek. "Guess I have to take another shot."

She lowered her heels back to the ground and reluctantly moved out from against his side. It wasn’t such an easy shot now with where the cue ball had ended up, but she had to try. It would be boring if it was just easy shots. She lined herself up to take another shot, wobbling a little bit as she did - fuck, she shouldn’t have taken such a large drink… she really didn’t handle alcohol well. Well, it was fine. She carefully aimed, taking a dangerous shot - one of her balls right next to one of his. The cue ball went flying across the table, hitting both and sending them hurtling towards a pocket. Hers went right in.

And so did his.

"Well, at least I got one of mine in?" Trisha threw up her free hand, twisting her head around to flash Casey a teasing smile. "I can just tell I’m getting better with every shot, so I had to give you a free one."

Casey’s brow furrowed a second. He hadn’t noticed yet, but she was following a rule he hadn’t even thought of.
“Oh… Oh, nah! You just got two in, is all. We’re not playing stripes and solids… You been hanging out with British people or something?” he laughed, waving his hand.
“It was a great shot. Keep going, we’re just doing score, so it’s four to one! If you’re at some tournament, or you’re playing with people used to formalities, then you split it. But hey, we’re just practising, so for now I want you to just focus on the feeling the stick is trying to show you. Remember, the less resistance, the better you’re doing.”

As she started in for another shot, Casey leaned in close.
“Don’t get distracted…”
His hand slowly moved upward, brushing the underside of her arm to tickle her and get her flustered, his boyish grin beaming like the morning sun.

"Huh, really? I do have a lot of British friends…" At least, the ones that dictated how they did things were.

This was much better! She smiled and got herself ready for another shot, moving the cue around to aim. It resisted a bit, but she was getting a better feel for it- Until his fingers lightly touched the sensitive skin under her arm, sending goosebumps across it. Her arm shook lightly as she tried her hardest not to flinch away. It wasn’t so much the touch, something she was used to, as the ticklishness of it. She was really, annoyingly ticklish.

"Hey, stop it, that’s not fair, stop it- shit!"
Unable to stop herself Trisha flinched, both arms jerking out and the cue hitting the ball at an incredibly awkward angle. It sent it spinning at a pathetic speed, hitting into a nearby ball and barely nudging it. She immediately spun around and hit his arm - with very little strength behind it.
"I know I’m irresistible, but keep your hands to yourself when I’m taking a shot!"

He laughed aloud, smiling down as he held his hands up.
“Woah, hey! Easy, I must’ve brushed against you!” he giggled, reaching for the totally out of place cue ball.
He slid it a bit into a nice shot for her, gently biting his lip.
“That’s where it was, right?”

"That looks about right." Trisha’s smile was filled with satisfaction. She knew exactly what he was doing - but she liked it. He was making things easier for her without needing to be asked. Normally she had to complain a lot more for that. "Careful not to brush up against me again."

She moved her hands back to the right position, taking the nicely lined up shot by following what the cue was showing her. It easily went into a corner pouch, and she moved around to take another one. There wasn’t really any direct line here, so she just followed the cue again and took a nice, clean shot. Nothing sunk, but not a particularly bad shot either.

"Oh no, I guess it's your turn."
She was really curious if he would somehow find a way for her to get another shot.

“Oh, sandbagging me now? I know you could’ve made another shot. It’s five to one now…”
It was fair and true that he knew exactly how the enchantment on the cue worked. For her, it was a blind guessing game… But it had a lot more tricks up its wood grain than were obvious.
“Here, wanna see something cool?-”

Reaching for her stick, he grabbed it and closed his eyes before turning back to the table. He knew that the six ball was still in place, so he moved to where he last remembered the cue ball was and got into stance.
For the next few moments, Trisha could see his eyes remain closed. He took a long deep breath, humming slightly. In his hands, he felt the stick moving his near limp arm as it relied entirely upon his willful desire for it to make the shot.

“Six to pocket two.”
The instant he called the shot, the cue immediately stood on end at an almost vertical angle. Without hesitation, it snapped at the ball like a stork plucking a fish from a river with its beak. The ball twisted and spun like a dancer around the ball in front of it, knocking into the six ball with miraculous precision.
The ball in question made a slow approach toward pocket two, teetered, and finally sunk into the abyss. Opening his eyes, he looked directly at Trisha’s face with an evil grin and raised eyebrows.
“Whaddya think about that?”

"Whoa." Trisha’s eyes widened, flickering between the cue and Casey. It shouldn’t be so shocking, or impressive - she’d seen all sorts done with magic. But she wasn’t an adept, and most she knew didn’t have particularly practical applications with their spells. "That is a really fucking cool. You know exactly how to impress a girl."

Her smile turned teasing again, though she obviously was impressed. She looked back at the cue again, tilting her head. "Can it do that for anyone, or is it just you? Does it have some kind of magical connection with you like my bees with me? I couldn’t-"

She stopped talking, a giggle escaping her lips. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth as she giggled uncontrollably at the most ridiculous image that had come to mind. Through the laughter, she just about managed to get the words out to describe it.
"I bet if I got about…" she started counting on her fingers. "One hundred and ten bees to line up, and hold each other's legs, I could do that. Like a bee cue, haha."

Bee cue? She knows how many bees she’d need? She can fucking estimate that? Go! Go, go and get the bees necessary and bring them here right now and we’ll see how fucking-
”That is… That’s incredibly cute, Bee Momma… Like, so cute, I’m gonna try my damndest to make sure we’re together again so that I can fucking see that. I can’t wait.”

His grin was practically plastered on his face as Casey stared up at this Vanburen girl with her beautiful dark eyes and dimpled smile. Whatever tricks he was pulling out, he seemed to be making it work. No need to overthink it now. Just keep going Sarge.

Handing off the cue to her, he shrugged and gave a wave of his now empty hand.
”Also, uh… Your cue hit the ball, so… It’s you again. Good job. It will do that for you, probably just as easy as it does for me. So long as you’ve had some kind of Lux cooked into you, it reads your mind without you even being entirely sure of what you’re doing. A relative, sometime in the, like, sixteen-hundreds apparently invented the spell because he was sick of losing to the aristocratic nobles whom he was rubbing shoulders with. Give her a try, just pick a ball and a pocket and then give a feeling like you’re channelling.”

Trisha tried and failed to not blush at the compliment. Being called cute twice just wasn’t something she could handle easily. It almost had her calling her bees right there, but she stopped herself because a whole swarm of bees coming into a bar wasn’t a good idea. She snatched her Corona up and took another long drink - huh, there wasn’t very much left. Where had it all gone? She drank it all already? She hadn’t even noticed.

”What do you mean by some kind of Lux cooked into me?" she asked, discarding her empty bottle so she only had the cue in one hand. Did she have that?

”Like… When you Kindle, for instance, it engraines itself into your body. Similarly, if you’ve got an Apparition sealed artefact, if you’re an Agent that is, you’re just as saturated. It's essentially how we’re able to observe our powers and the abilities of those around us. Kindled, baked, cooked, we use a bunch of terms in the Temple.”

His explanation seemed genuine and sincere, and even a bit enthusiastic as if it was a topic of interest for him.

"So it’ll work if I’ve got an apparition inside me?" Wait, that didn’t sound right. She snickered at the ridiculous way she’d put it. "I mean if I’m adjoined. I honestly don’t know much about it all, so I didn’t know that. Everything I’ve learnt is from here," she tapped her head with her free hand, "and Sycamore. My dear father didn’t bother to tell us about it even though he kept a whole supply of artefacts in the basement."

She took the cue and got into position again, holding it lightly. She wasn’t quite sure what channelling was like, because she didn’t do that, but it must be like talking to her bees. Her eyes fluttered closed to concentrate better, as she tried to think like she did when using her abstraction and get it to aim for the five ball, so it would go into the nearest pouch. As the cue started to guide her, moving her relaxed arms, she also accidentally started to let out the pheromones she could use on humans.

A soft, fresh lemony scent filled the air around her. To Casey, whose emotional field dampened the effect, it would just make her appear more attractive. Like someone he wanted to stay around without actually pushing him to do anything.

The cue finally stopped moving, and shot out to hit the cue ball spinning towards the five ball. Trisha opened her eyes and watched the ball fall right into the pocket she’d wanted it to. Not noticing the pheromones she was accidentally leaking she spun back around towards Casey with a grin. "Hey, it worked! That was fucking cool."

He was lost somewhere in a field again… But he was on a blanket, crisp shirt, dog tags dangling against the arm that he laid against staring to his side at her. She was smiling, giggling. Bees danced around them in the warm sunlight, the breeze blowing by. He was good with them; made his peace finally. The bees…
Doughtry, Reese, Leburt, Clifton, Amesly, -

He was there again. Back in the bar room, watching that smile bounce around slightly. He’d be okay, he figured. Just have to keep it up a while longer.

”I kind of figured that you had an object for the bees… But whatever does it is inside you then. Adjoined, like you said. You’re like Leon. Just as applicable, and just as cool.” he nodded gently.
”I… I think you nailed me, Queen Bee. Stung me right in the heart with whatever it was you just let out. You do that often?”

”Shit,” Trisha’s confusion at Leon being adjoined rather than an adept, supposedly, was completely replaced when she realised she was hitting him with her pheromones. It slowly stopped, the smell and effects reducing. She really hadn’t meant to. "No, I don’t."

That was a lie. She didn’t do it often to other paranormal, because they could always tell. But Blinds? She would gladly bathe them in her pheromones until they wanted nothing more than to be with her, to keep her close and happy and satiated. But she could never keep it up, exhausting herself with the constant use, and then they would be exhausted with her.

She wasn’t going to tell Casey that. Admitting to magically making people like her was the easiest way to speed her way right to the finish line where she got kicked to the curb again.
"I don’t normally- I was trying to channel like you said, and I must’ve let them out. At least it was that type," she laughed awkwardly, not quite able to meet his eyes. "The other ones… would, uhm, make you freak out, I guess. It’s the other side of my bee stuff. Not as useful as the bees. Yeah. Sorry."

He grinned, shook his head and took a deep breath to come back to reality. He was plenty used to the young adepts and their blatant power usage whenever he was at home, and as a Blind teenager, he wasn’t much more than a plaything for others. It’s why he had to escape.

But with her specifically, he didn’t mind. He couldn’t, really.
”I’m not sure what you mean about not being useful. If I felt right, that’s quite the spell to put on someone.”
Though he had next to no practical spell usage, White Lux was always a useful thing to have coursing through your veins. Playing off his emotional field, he found he could parse some of the infectious aroma’s traits.
”If you were my Mom’s daughter, she’d be constantly telling you to saturate people with it. Hell, I bet if you practised, you’d be able to break through-”

Trisha wasn’t with the Sycamore Tree anymore. There was no way she wanted to hear this from him…
And he was doing so well…
”Well, whatever. Just like pool, if you want to use your abilities better, I can definitely help you. However you want to spend our time together…”

He got a bit closer to her, hands reaching out to gently take hers.
”I mean it… I’m not mad or anything. You did exactly what I said to do, and you made a great shot. Pride means a lot to my family, and I’m proud of you for getting it first try.”

”Really?” Trisha curled her hands in his, looking back up at him. There was a hit of vulnerability in her eyes, exposed by what she viewed as a fuckup combined with alcohol. She blinked it away, and smiled again. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had said they were proud of her… Have they ever? Well, she was sure a teacher in middle school had said they were proud of her for working so hard. ”Your mom sounds much cooler than mine, if she knew about magic she’d be all like, ‘Patricia, unless it helps you get the highest grades in your year, I don’t want you to use it.’ Then something about how my cousin got into a top university without using magic- he doesn’t even live in the same country!”

Realising she was getting off topic, and maybe revealing a little more than she wanted to, she swerved back to something else he’d said. ”Actually yeah, I’d like that. The help to use my abilities better. I haven’t really had time to practise, and my friends here aren’t really interested in it. But I’d like to be able to use that part better, and maybe command the bees more efficiently. They still don’t always listen to me.”

Casey couldn’t help but let his enthusiasm leak into the interaction, raising her hands slightly in his and smiling.
”That’s great… I’ll ask some of the Adjoined at the Temple about their experiences. Or, maybe you can even come by? Entirely up to you, I won’t push… I mean, I’d love to take it slow. With you… And I…” He couldn’t hide his own blushing. Not only was he excited that she wanted to spend more time, but he was excited to find someone else from his world who didn’t seem so hung up on it. It could be something casual between them, not running their lives.

”Or, you know, whatever happens happens, the French say Que sera, sera or something…”
He stopped worrying about the fact that he was smiling too much. He barely cared about the pool or anything.
”I’m… Babbling, aren’t I?” he giggled, looking at her with the same gaze as a satisfied cat.

”You are, but it’s okay. It’s cute.” He wanted to take things slow… Aw, that was cute. Trisha couldn’t help but smile sweetly at him. In her mostly drunk state, she was just quite happy. And it wasn’t like she needed to rush things. Normally the easiest way to get with someone was to sleep with them and then go from there- well, she still wanted to do that, but she wouldn’t push too hard. She had his company and the promise of it continuing, which was what she really wanted. ”I’ll come along to the Temple… Where else could we practise except my place, and I don’t think my sisters will be happy about that. So long as I’m not dragged along to any family dinners or, uh, religious stuff.”

She squeezed his hands and leaned in, though it wasn’t entirely on purpose. She was feeling a bit unstable as the two beers she’d had properly hit her. It was more of a sway than anything, towards him, then away from him, then back towards him.

”Yeah, que será, será,” Trisha nodded, pronouncing it properly - well, the Spanish way. ”But isn’t it Spanish? Ah, I don’t speak Spanish properly, but there’s a lot of words from it in Filipino… Sometimes my mom liked to mix things up and yell ‘que?!’ at me rather than ‘ano?!’ Oh, she does also know Spanish. Ah, but her favourite thing to yell is ‘manang mana ka talaga sa tatay mo’. Basically, how do I translate it… she’s saying I take after my father. She said it last time we called cause I told her-”

Trisha cut herself off, shaking her head. Oh yeah, she just remembered why before she said it. It was because she’d had four partners in as many months. ”Now I’m the one that’s babbling.”

”You are, but it’s okay. It’s cute…” he glared at her knowingly.
”Family dinners are things I can usually avoid, but the inevitable philosophical discussions are generally tame and respectful… You know, they-we…-”

Casey cut himself off. He still didn’t love the back-of-the-mind thought that they and he were somehow adjoined entities. That like someone dealing with an apparition inside them, he too was dealing with a ghost that just wouldn’t leave him the fuck alone. But it wasn’t their fault. People like Andrade or Furio, they just had beliefs and their beliefs aligned with his mom’s. It shouldn’t be their job to be intolerant, rather he found that he had to impose tolerance upon himself. Measured, even handed tolerance.

”Usually those kinds of things turn into a bottle of wine and some stories, they’re never lectures. And Adjoined specifically hold a special place in our hearts and in the Philosophy. The others in your situation, Leon included, would love to tell you about their experiences. We’re honestly just a bunch of hippies trying to make it in this modern world with some sense of community.” he trailed off finally, the mind twisting to bemuse the idea that he was somehow defending them.
But he had no other faith. No other light to look toward in the dark, and with all he’d seen, he was ready to believe in something.
”But there I go, getting like that. I promise, if anyone wants to give you a hard time, they’ll be giving us a hard time.”

He had since repositioned his hands, holding both of hers in between his own and gently caressing the soft skin with his thumb.

”That sounds nothing like the few church trips I’ve suffered… And I haven’t talked to many other Adjoined before, that’d be useful.” Trisha tilted her head. It didn’t really make it something she wanted to attend, but it didn’t seem like something she’d have to avoid entirely. If she somehow did get dragged along to something like that. Trisha wasn’t really the believing type. If there was something out there, she’d probably cuss them out before telling them to fuck off. Wasn’t like her life felt like anything divinely granted.

”Hey, not just us.” A content smile bloomed across Trisha’s lips, fingers curling inwards slightly. She liked the way he held her hands… It was nice. Stable. ”Us and sixty thousand bees. Not many want to mess with them.”

She giggled slightly at the image of her, Casey, and her whole hive facing off against Temple members. It would certainly make things more exciting. She then leaned forward again, up onto her tiptoes so her face was more on level with his. She wobbled a bit, but managed to stay up. What she was about to say could be put down to drunken confidence, or drunken rushing, if she needed to. She was always fast with these things, but it was an excuse to cover that up.
”I do like the sound of that. Us. I’d like that.”

Casey could feel his cheeks hurting as Trisha spoke softly and sweetly to him. He’d not drunk enough to be drunk, but he felt like he was. Or high, or something, something wasn’t normal and it wasn’t the magical pheromones that she accidentally blasted him with. He stared down at her, his forehead pressed against hers. He spoke lowly, matching her tone and inflection.
”We’re looking, y’know… For Father Wolf. I’ll keep you safe, Tee. I promise.”

It was something he said on reaction, something he felt like she needed to know, or maybe it was the heat of the moment or maybe he felt like it was something personal that he could bring to her; a token or…
Shit…
He hoped that she wouldn’t have some sort of adverse reaction… He was telling the truth; he didn’t want to see her alone like this.

”Oh, really?” Trisha smiled. She pulled her hands out from his, raising her arms to loosely wrap around his shoulders. She needed the support to stop wobbling so much, and it brought their bodies closer together without having to move her head away. As much as she really wanted to say she could keep herself safe, she knew she couldn’t. She’d been planning on forcing her brother to hire her a security team, but unfortunately his security team knew her on sight and knew to not let her far enough into the building to reach the most recently hired secretary. So she hadn’t been able to talk to him yet.
”How are you going to keep me safe from something that can appear at anytime, anywhere?”

”We’re good dogs. We bark when we hear something, we bite if we see it. All you need to do is keep me around.”
His arms slid around her lower back. He pulled her as close to him as he could, making goofy growling noises like a snarling dog until he was laughing.
”Y’know… I’m not trying to butt into your life or anything… I mean maybe I am, but not all intrusive-like. But, y’know… I’m a lot more than a wizard. You don’t know what I actually do… Did… Not, not like it’s supposed to impress you or anything… I just have… Let’s say, a certain set of skills.”

He couldn’t possibly keep a straight face, laughing and hugging into her.
”Sorry, I’ve never gotten to use that line before.”

”Alright, Liam Neeson,” Trisha couldn’t help but laugh too. Alcohol had a way of making things more entertaining. She tightened her arms around his neck, half hanging off him so she didn’t have to put all her weight on her toes. ”Don’t make a career change to acting, alright? Just stick to, haha, biting threats for me.”

She laughed again. It was hard to imagine because she had no idea what Father Wolf looked like, but if he was anything like his name… maybe biting was a way to get rid of him.
”But, it is alright if you butt into my life. There’s not really much to it anyway! I sleep, eat, look after the bees, see friends occasionally, and sometimes I work-” she paused. ”Actually, my work is kinda private. But aside from that…”

Her work wasn’t so much private as something she was incredibly embarrassed about. Programming was nerdy. She wasn’t a nerd. She was the opposite of a nerd. Yet it was one of the few things she was really good at.
”You might actually get bored if you intrude on my life.”

”Yeesh, bored? You want bored, there’s a little place somewhere in North Africa, I think outside Libya, where the desert meets the coast. There’s rocks and sand and then ocean, and it just stretches on and on for what looks like forever. I think I maybe threw a thousand rocks off that coast and into that ocean.”

He looked almost at peace. Fond of the memory.
”You spend a lot of time just sitting around in the Army.”
Bending his neck a bit, he stole another kiss from her lips; a small one with not so much gusto as the first time he tried it. Clearly settled down. Then he pulled away; not far, and he kept his hand in hers.
”Once everything’s safe, we’ll go. You can see the places I served; some of them were really beautiful.”

”Beautiful but boring?” Trisha laughed softly. It was a melodic, joyful sound. She was completely unbothered that he was jumping into things with the suggestion of an overseas trip. Surely thinking that far forward meant he was less likely to drop her quickly? ”I’m sure we can make it interesting… I’ve never actually been overseas. Not cause I lack the money, of course, just the company. My mom’s job is her life, so when I was with her she’d never want to go away… and can you imagine if my dad took us all on trips? It’d be a nightmare, him and twenty kids!”

She rolled her eyes at that image. They wouldn’t even make it past the airport, even with a private jet. Not that she would ever agree to a trip involving her siblings. ”I thought about going by myself when I took a gap year- just travelling around and enjoying myself, but Ezra’s much stingier than dad. He said he’d pay for a week away, but that wasn’t really what I wanted.” She shrugged.
”I’d like to see all the places you served. That sounds nice, we should definitely go.”

”As far as I’ve been told, right now is a fantastic time to go back. Now that everything’s settled down and money’s starting to be made by industry over there again, it seems like things are on an upswing.”

He finally managed to find desire in something other than her attention, and pawed his beer before slugging it down in a few gulps. His gaze looked at the pool table, then at her, then back and forth another time.
”So… Whose place do we wind up at?” he giggled.

"Hmm," Trisha hummed thoughtfully. "What's your place like? Do you live with your family? I don't really know how the temple works… My place is pretty nice, I've got a big room and bed, but at least one of my sisters will be back tonight."

Though she had no idea when Sabrina would be back, or if she was even already home. Probably not. Hopefully not. "The bees can survive one night alone, they're pretty self sufficient, just clingy."

”I am actually living in Leon’s apartment right now, since Mom won’t let him stay there. He’s got me staying there with Mia, making sure things don’t get dusty. It’s big, and not so far away. Can you believe there’s such a thing as a basement penthouse?” he shook his head, thinking of his brother’s cavernous existence in that dungeon of an apartment. But, it was so big there was essentially two different apartments, meaning he didn’t have to worry too much about Mia poking her head around.

”It’s got a certain aesthetic, I won’t lie… Our whole family has a sort of uh… Goth-witch thing going on? Like, it’s all dark wood and black furniture. Even the stainless steel fridge is like… Laminated black or something, I don’t know. But, I do know he wouldn’t mind me having company, and Mia’s side of the apartment has been hers for like a year now, it’s all separated.”

"How does a basement penthouse work? Isn't the whole point it's the top floor?" Trisha got a little too fixated on the specifics of that for a moment, drunken mind slowly catching up with the rest of what was said. "Soooo it's a basement, and it's filled with loads of dark decor… it kinda sounds like a dungeon."

She bit her lip to hold back another bout of giggles at that. She didn't really care what it looked like - her place was decorated by her sisters, and her own room was only half decorated by herself while the rest was designed to keep the bees happy. A goth-witch aesthetic was fine. "So long as you don't lock me up in Leon's scary gothic dungeon- apartment, then let's go there. Our place isn't separated at all. My sisters are pretty unavoidable and as much as I love my bees, they can be a bit of a pest when I have guys over."

Oh. Whoops. “Not that I do often. Just friends and stuff, y’know, the bees don’t see the difference.” Nice save.

Casey giggled at her, shaking his head.
”Dude… I don’t care.” he laughed, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her. His whole torso twisted around gently, rocking her back and forth. He pulled away, rubbing her shoulder.
”One dude, a hundred dudes… Being insecure is for kids. If there was some sort of problem, I’m sure you’d tell me…”

There was a small pause in his voice, and then he grimaced.
”Which… Alright… Maybe not to ruin the mood but…”
He paused again, shaking his head.
”There’s this Temple member… She’s one of my Mom’s little minions, and I think she’s been told to hang on me or something, but ever since I got back she’s been fucking obsessed and I have zero interest in her whatsoever…”

His lips parted into a cheshire grin. ”You’re way more fun, she’s… She creeps me out, honestly. I promise, I’m actively avoiding her as much as possible.”

The warm comfort Trisha felt from him seemingly not caring about her past, and the comforting hug that came with it, froze in her chest. It was difficult not to let her smile slip. Being insecure is for kids, Trisha, come on. It was just one girl, where she’d been with many… One very present in his life, where hers were all exes she’d never seen again. But he wasn’t interested in her! She sounded like a mother sponsored stalker. But what if she’s nicer? Prettier? Smarter? No, that doesn’t matter.

"She sounds like the opposite of fun," Trisha shook her head, ignoring the self-doubt beginning to rear its ugly head. They’d just met! She was perfectly fine, if it was obvious there actually was something there she could just leave. No problem. No problem at all. "Don’t worry, I wouldn’t get jealous of someone like that… Especially if you’re avoiding her. I trust you."

She reached out to take one of his hands in both of hers, one on top and one on the bottom. Her fingers curled around his hand and she gently squeezed it. Pretending to not care about it came as a second nature to her. "And if she’s bothering you, I can scare her away with the bees… But is it like a your mom setting you up situation? Is that what happens in the Temple?"

Casey took a harsh inhale through his lips as she asked the last question.
”Ahhh… It isn’t. We’re not Moonies, it’s an actual magic cult. Sometimes she’ll make suggestions to certain members, but The Philosophy is more or less against arranged marriage. It’s supposed to be against the Luxine Paths, allowing the magic to flow between people naturally.”
He shook his head, frowning a bit as he waved his hand.

”Leon told me, honestly. I mean, we grew up together, I thought she was creepy then, I knew she always liked me… But now she’s one of my Mom’s maidens, and every time I’ve come home since she’s been hanging around trying to get closer. Leon says she’s… My Mom’s regretful, and wants to make up for the past.”
He sighed, looking around at the bar and finding it more empty than it was before.
”I got the short end of the stick. I’m the middle kid of five, and I didn’t Kindle like my other siblings. So, I always felt like I was just a burden, and honestly my folks never-”

He very abruptly interrupted himself, taking a deep breath and looking down at Trisha with a furrowed brow.
”Do you really wanna hear this shit?-” he asked with a certain intensity to his voice. It was very clear it wasn’t frustration, so much as sincerity. Something in his look screamed for attention. ”-I mean you said you had, what, twenty siblings? That can’t be any easier, right?”

"Probably more, but it’s fine. We all have different moms, we didn’t all grow up together, it really wasn’t so bad." That was a complete lie. Trisha spent most of her time in the Vanburen mansion, going between tense fights with her siblings and locking herself in her room to study. Her mom blamed her for everything. She hated most of her family. But she also didn’t want to talk about it. She hated talking about it more. That meant revealing all the ugliness that lay beneath the surface.
"None of us had magic, either. It was just like normal siblings, with ten extra! So… it really wasn’t as bad. It must have been rough to be the only one that wasn’t kindled."

Hesitating for a second, Trisha closed the slight gap between them and hugged him. She tilted her head up so her chin rested on his chest and she could still sort of see him. Comforting people wasn’t something she was good at, but physical contact always helped, right?
"I do want to hear it." Partly because she didn’t want it to turn on her. She could tell him how she understood, of course. There were similarities… but no way. Why would she tell anyone about how she felt like- was- a burden. "I want to know more about you, and that includes the shit family stuff- no promises my bees won’t accidentally sting anyone, though!"

Casey shook his head, giggling gently as he held her tightly.
”It’s just… God, Elise was like four? Or something when she Kindled. Leon had his ceremony when he turned six, Junior went up in flames at age five… Quite literally I was a frustration for my parents. Everything was exclusionary. Studying, playing, like it was them and me. Mia, my youngest sister, she… She’s like in love with Leon. She was Dad’s favourite hands down, and all that love she had for him went over to the big guy, so she doesn’t really care about getting ignored. But then she Kindled too as a little girl: It was the only reason my old man was so willing to play the doting Daddy, I figure.”

He scrunched his face, turning his head to stare at the few balls left on the table. His eyes trailed up and across toward the bar, then back to her face. She was looking up at him with warm eyes.
”Point is, I felt really alone. And by the time I became an Adult, I was a lost cause. By then Dad was gone and Mom was dealing with Sonnenrad and the aftermath of the Stygian Snake stuff. Nobody batted an eye when I packed my shit and hit the Recruiter’s office. The war looked kind of good to me. Better than what I’d been through, and if I worked hard I’d have a family for life.”

He blew air upward and away from Trisha’s face, blowing his bangs toward the ceiling and smiling at them.
”Now look at me, I’m leaving them too. But, I mean… Imagine they didn’t treat me any different once I Kindled? Turns out, the Military’s got a whole secret branch for people just like us. That’s where I ended up. Either way, it was four years. And for each full year of active wartime service, I ended up earning my pension. Retirement. My stint in the Reserve since has been assisting in structuring a plan for an Adept Reserve Corps. Government sponsored Military Wizards.”

He grinned at her as he spoke about his work, beaming as if it were the only real light in his life.

”But, it’s gotten heavy at this point. They asked if I wanted to take my commitment to the next level, but… It just didn’t feel right. It wouldn’t be the same separating myself from what made me.”
He gently shrugged his shoulders, taking a deep breath.
”And… I think that’s it.”

Trisha’s drunken mind struggled to keep up with all the information, but she got the basic points. Siblings that kindled insanely early, feeling othered in the family (which she could relate to), joining the army for another family, and then… military wizards?
"You’ve been through a lot," she said softly. She was honestly surprised he’d told her all of that. How was it possible to be so open? Was it nice to do that? She felt a hint of irrational jealousy, even though the only person stopping her from opening up was herself. "I didn’t even know it was possible to kindle that early… Well, I don’t know much about kindling at all. Or about the magical army- well, obviously, how would I?"

She laughed slightly, looking up at him as she tried to figure out what else to say. It didn’t seem like he was looking for her to say anything about it. Thankfully. As much as she was surprisingly good at listening when in a good mood (rare), she was awful at… saying the right thing. Normally she didn’t even care about that. Did she in this case? She wanted to keep up the good impression, at least. She liked him enough to bother… and there were similarities to her own life, military aside. She understood and this was someone who could maybe understand her. So, just like earlier, she went with the physical response - stretching up to press a soft kiss to his chin before lowering back down into the hug.
"Even if you don’t do the… Military Wizard stuff, I’m sure you’ll find something. Maybe make another family too- wait, I mean find. And a future that’s all you."

At first, he felt like there was some kind of disconnect. Maybe he’d simply gone into too much. Granted, he had. She was in no way shape or form supposed to know about the Rainbow Act or the ARC Program. But, she didn’t seem to shy away from him. Rather, she got closer, and he felt her warmth in his arms as she talked about making a family and a future. She was hopefully right, and he couldn’t help but want to crack a joke.
”In the spirit of taking things slow, I won’t ask you to help me out yet…” he grinned down at her.

”Do you even want to finish this game? Night’s young… We could be anywhere besides melting into one another in this bar room…” he offered to Trisha, not exactly excited for the prospect of going out into some big crowd. He was, however, ready and willing to follow this girl into a room full of landmines.

"Yeah, that’s an at least three months in thing," Trisha joked back, smiling up at him. It was something that was easy to joke about and less easy to ignore the niggling combination of fear and want in the back of her mind. She was her mother’s daughter after all - the mother who’d fallen hard for a man who’d cheated on and abandoned her just after Trisha was been born.

She pressed her face against him for a moment to forget about, before leaning back and glancing around the bar. She hadn’t really been bothered by pool in the first place, even though she’d gotten quite into trying to get better at it. As soon as they stopped playing, any interest was lost. There were quite a few better places they could be, but most would be quieter than normal thanks to the halloween festival. But… well, she wasn’t really sure what she was feeling up to.
"I’m not really bothered by the game, let’s go somewhere else. Why don’t we…" she dragged out the last word, eyes shining mischievously. "Go back to your place? Heh, surprised? I’m not really feeling up to going somewhere busier- and I’m not dressed for anywhere I normally go anyway."

Casey’s smile went from tentative and forced confidence to genuine and instantaneous elation. He even did a little dance, swinging both of their hips about in unison.
”Oh, shit, Halloween night horror movies… Unless you’re a chicken, in which case we’re still gonna watch them. It’ll just make you hold me closer.”

His hands moved to take hers, and he began to bring her out of the bar.
”You wanna get some food on the way back?” he asked back at her.

"Do I look like a chicken? Wait, don’t answer that," Trisha rolled her eyes. She’d fought the Stygian Snake when she was fourteen, she didn’t exactly scare easily… but it would be a good excuse to climb into his arms and get properly close without seeming like she was trying to speed things up too much. Which, honestly, she was happy to take things slow… at least in terms of going beyond kissing. She still wanted to get physically close.

"Oh yeah," Trisha nodded, absentmindedly swinging their joined hands as she thought about it. "I haven’t eaten since lunch and the magic bone fixing food, let’s grab something. I’ll eat almost anything, so your choice."

Casey made a long, sideways grunt of pleasure.
”There’s a fuckin’... Chicken place. I honestly don’t know where it is in the city, but I’ve ordered from it like six times while I’ve been here and they deliver and somehow it’s hot and crispy just like if you went there. And they even do falafel, like if you don’t eat meat? And I made sure they use a different fryer than the chicken goes into, since Mia’s a little herbivore.”

He turned back around, forgetting his jacket at the booth they’d originally sat in, then made it back to pull it over Trisha’s shoulders. His arm wrapped her tight, and they were both able to proceed into the chilly coastal street. The old lanterns lit the sidewalks, the taller street lights and traffic lights on the boulevard bathing the streets themselves in a separate glow altogether.

The place was clogged with trick-or-treaters doing the business route; a tradition Casey was unfamiliar with until today, when he’d been tasked with running around to a few different Temple businesses with boxes and boxes of whole chocolate bars.
There was even parent-child trick or treating, where the various local businesses would have candy for the kids, and either some sort of shot or snack for the weary parents to find equal joy in. Frankly he thought it was kind of smart, keeping the parents and kids both in the safe eye of authorities. The SPPD, he figured, was out in force tonight in blues and crews. No telling what scary clown or anime character had a badge and a gun behind the makeup.

As they started to walk, Casey proceeded to fall into one of his favourite Halloween games. His eyes scanned the crowd for the absolute worst costumes, and they instantly found a target. He leaned in and down to Trisha.
”Woah, hey… You see that over there?”
He had his arm around her shoulder, and slyly tucked his hand beneath her chin. His outstretched finger, and the guidance from his hand, pointed her gaze directly at…
”Is that an actual fucking bear?”

It was the worst bear costume Casey had ever seen. His tone was absolutely venomous with sarcasm, and he was already giggling like a school child.
”Holy shit, why is nobody afraid of that?”

"I am," Trisha mock gasped at the sight of the costume, turning towards him as if to hide her face against his side. She snickered, side eyeing the tragic bear. She was surprised, but also absolutely elated, that he was quite happy to mock the awful costume - he’d initiated it! It meant she didn't have to worry as much about what she said. "It’s absolutely terrifying, I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight!"

Pressed close in against him, Trisha’s eyes darted about for the next target. She honed in what she thought was supposed to be… well she wasn’t really sure. The person was wearing a purple shirt with balloons taped to it.
"Are they supposed to be… grapes?" she not so subtly pointed in that direction with another giggle, lips curling into a sneer. ”It’s so bad it’s actually fucking horrifying- some people shouldn’t be let out of the house."

Casey’s head tilted back as he giggled to himself at the prospect of such low rent budget grapes. Rather than keep the thoughts in his head, he let them spill out.
”Maybe a nearby piano will fall and turn him into the worst wine you’ve ever drank?” he grinned, laughing loudly as the crowd was able to swallow up whatever noise he made. He scanned, pointing again.

”And there it is! Right on queue, the fucking… Look!”
It had to be some sort of prop or float. It wasn’t actually bad; in fact what he was pointing at was extremely well made. It seemed to be a float, or some kind of liftable lightweight prop of the Flintstones car with the massive road roller wheels. Inside was a family, seemingly content with their unified Flintstones cosplay being their answer to Halloween. They even “pulled up” to the different candy stations, taking what they could and continuing on.

”Jesus Christ, I mean… Kind of impressive actually.”

“So embarrassing, though, imagine being dragged around by your parents like that,” Trisha giggled, looking at the kids and thinking about how mortified they must be to be dragged around in the back of a Flintstones car. Or maybe they were weird and enjoyed it… that was an even worse thought. “Glad we're not on the road trying to get past that-”

She looked around with a grin, eyes widening as she spotted what was more of an embarrassing costume than anything. She pointed towards a couple seemingly dressed up as a plug and socket… not bad, but kind of disgusting.
“Do they not know there’s kids around- oh fuck, they have kids!” She laughed as caught sight of the young children following behind them.

“You know, my first halloween in college they did this weird thing where they paired up people from the dorms I was at and made us do halloween costumes together. Like absolutely no choice, have to match. I think it was some weird kind of hookup thing organised by older students… Anyway most people did something funny, or like a friend pair- but there were these two who showed up as the fucking cookie monster and a cookie. The guy was going about talking about how much he wanted to eat her out- it was awful. Can’t believe I had to remember it because of their costume. Never ask me to do something like that.”

”Never ask you to… Let me eat you out? Or dress up in matching Halloween outfits?” he laughed, looking down at her and waggling his eyebrows. Of course he knew what she meant, but there… There was something about the tradition that made his heart warm and soft.
”C’mon, if it was the right group outfit? What if we did like… The Frog and the Toad, or if you had kids, you wouldn’t dress them up like-” he stopped himself dead, a bead of sweat forming and slowly dripping down his forehead with the thought.

The Bees…

”Now, hear me out… The uh… The bees? Can we… Can we dress them up?”
Casey’s hands were pressed into one another like a prayer, eyes welled up with sincerity and genuine interest. The same expression as when he was talking about Pool, or his previous line of work, now lined his face.

Holding onto her hand, Casey felt the softness and warmth. There was something terribly comforting about it all. Comforting enough that he had almost talked about the feeling of always wanting to dress his family up in a matching outfit… Dumb. Cute.
He got that same image from dressing the bees up in little ties or bonnets, or having them form a moving shape like some sort of small animal that the hive could all make.

”O-or, like, have them walk around as like a crocodile or something?” he laughed, only slightly nervous about what her reaction would be.

“Don’t ask me to dress up in weirdly sexual halloween outfits,” Trisha rolled her eyes. A cute couple outfit could be fun, and with kids- Her smile slipped. There was a stab of fear and pain that came with the mention of her having children. She wanted to, but it was a sensitive subject… time they’d known each other aside.

“The bees?” Trisha tilted her head. His expression, and the warmth of his hand around her own, was enough to stop her from spiralling to a place where she’d snap at him. She would just ignore the mention of children. “I don’t know, I’ve never tried… Probably. They do what I say, but the more there are the harder it is. Has to be more general then- and where would we get clothes small enough to fit them? Do you know a bee tailor?”

She laughed slightly, smiling again. “Having them form something would be easier… I’ve done that a couple of times when practising! But little outfits on them would be cuter. Maybe I should start training them for next halloween, then we can all match.”

Casey nodded happily, smile still on his face with a big toothy grin.
”That… I’m sure there’s a wizard somewhere in this town who can make tiny clothes. I imagine a bunch of tiny, like… Dresses? Like little handmaiden gowns, since you’re a Queen and all.”

It was an unexpected plus moment; calling her a Queen. He’d not even been thinking of it when the word tumbled out of his mouth, just the bee thing was so convenient. Besides, she hadn’t beaten him at the table. She was still vulnerable to the bee puns and the Dad jokes, so he figured he was safe no matter which way he phrased that.
And hell, who could know? Being a Queen was in, if he was to believe all the women in the Temple at least.

The magical world they inhabited was, as Casey had learned in his years coming back to the Temple in a slow but impending way, a wonderful tool for showing people what empowerment for themselves really meant. It was a tool that people could feel strength in, and translate that feeling into their everyday lives.
It was hard to think of them as a Cult with talk like that. So many things felt like they weren’t, like the glassy surface of it was so clean and shiny that you didn’t mind the bloodstains on the underside.

What he did know is that she was a Vanburen, and a magical one at that. Adjoined to some Bee spirit, which she had little training in. It was all very cute to him. Whatever was, simply was.
”Whatever you think of, we’ll find someone to make it. I’m sure it’ll be a bitch to dress them all though.”

His eyes hadn’t stopped looking for a good costume roast, but they were also coming up to where they had to turn off the boulevard and onto a connector. The building in the distance ahead of them on the next main road was the one they were aiming for, and the open restaurants and shops handing out candy gave way to closed businesses and offices that were all either closed early or hadn’t opened to begin with. It was a bit darker, but the old fashioned street lamps still shone bright enough for them to see one another clearly.

Not to mention the headlights and taillights of the cars, which gave it all a far more electric light kind of vibe than Casey loved.

There were far less people on the sidewalks overall here, so he shrugged and thought of something else to occupy them.
”Ooh, yellow punch buggy.-” he pointed, flexing his arm toward Trisha. ”-Do it, you get the first one! So you know from now on to be on your guard when we’re together!”

“Huh?” Trisha squinted at him, and then at his arm. Was this some kind of weird temple thing? No, that didn’t seem right… Was it something you did when you had friends you actually walked around with? Or siblings, maybe? She could get a vague idea about what it was from the name - spotting something yellow, obviously. Punching him? Well alright then.

She wound back her right arm, punching his flexed one with about half her strength… Which probably wouldn’t feel like much more than a tap to someone in the army, but it wasn’t that bad a punch! She wasn’t incredibly weak or anything.
“Wait, so how does this work? I need to know what I’m looking out for, otherwise it’s very unfair.” She then belatedly realised he’d been pointing, and followed his finger to the yellow car he’d spotted. “Ohhh… I’ve never played this game before. I think I’ve got it. You better watch out, I’m very fast.”

”Oh, yeah… One of those German cars. Frankswagon or something.” he snickered to himself knowing full well what the brand was.
”I don’t know who came up with the game or whatever, but when we made it to Berlin you can’t imagine the bruises that we had on our arms. They don’t call it the People’s Wagon for nothing, y’know?”

It was funny how the streets looked so similar.

Casey was about to ask her about Europe, and about what she’d seen of the Islands across the Pond… But thinking back that far in their night gave him an image of little tin trays in bed. Croissants and tea and eggs.

”Oh, shit! Y’know, you’re gonna have to give me the address for that bakery tonight, so in the morning I can make sure you still get your breakfast in bed…” he grinned widely.

Trisha had no idea that they called it the People’s Wagon, or really anything to do with the car… or cars in general. Sure, she drove one, but she’d only learned a year ago and hadn’t bought it for herself. So she just nodded along, pretending she definitely understood and knew anything about that.

“Oh, are you sure? It’s a bit out of the way from here… You gotta drive at least.” Trisha pulled her phone out of her pocket, quickly typing in her own address then scrolling to find the bakery. The maps app showed it as a thirteen minute drive, which compared to the short walk from her house was… more effort than she’d be willing to put in. She held up her phone to show it to him. “I’m not set on it being from here, any breakfast I can eat in bed will be a pretty amazing breakfast. I hate getting out of bed.”

She smiled, trying not to feel too warm and fuzzy about his willingness to get breakfast for her like that. He’d have to drag himself out of bed when it was still early… That was a lot, for her as someone who hated getting out of bed at any time in the morning. It was always a massive fight with herself and the bed itself.
“Oh, you should give me your number as well while I have this out,” she shook her phone at him, smiling more cutely with her eyes and nose slightly scrunched up. “Don’t want you to run away tomorrow or anything.”

Run away? Why would I run away?
Casey took the phone and began to put his number in. Usually he didn’t have it, so she’d be a reason for him to keep it close. Rather than use his own name, he put in “POOL GOD” in all capital letters, then handed it back to her with a smirk.

By that time, they reached the street crossing with the residential building staring at them. It was a beautiful turn of the century building in the old downtown of the city. This particular section of roadway was built on some serious slabs of stone, meaning that a basement was going to be a sturdy construct were it not for the expense. But, back in the days when the city was first built, there was a need for the blasting and the carving to be done, and the building that had been built on the spot first was a storage area for the local fishermen. It was just a basement then.

Later on, The Cannery Hotel was raised in its place, utilising the basement space as both a kitchen and a pantry. Now it was Casey’s brother’s apartment, which he found to be incredibly strange. But, the Temple owned the building; or, the family who did belonged to the Temple. Casey remembered very little of his time spent there as a child, in their family home in the basement of the Cannery. But as soon as he could, Leon had apparently moved back in. After being there for just under a week, he’d grown used to the feeling of seeing that big brick facade again after so many years.

Crossing the street, Casey was sure to walk with Trisha at his front with his hands out of his pockets. The last thing he wanted was to be caught off guard in the event that a crazy driver may break the rules and laws of the road and accidentally crush them. He wanted to be able to at least throw her out of the way.

There was a gated parking lot to the side of the building, and rather than going through the front, Casey paged in at the gate and a small side entrance unlocked. He let her into the parking lot first, then closed the gate behind him as he followed.
”Haha, I tricked you. I bet you weren’t expecting home to be a parking lot, and now we’re gonna lay on the pavement together!”

It was a stupid joke, and he made a dumb face as he said it, still leading Trisha onward toward an actual side entrance to the building.

“You can lie on the pavement alone, my tiny, frail body wasn’t made for anything but a comfortable bed,” Trisha laughed, though she rolled her eyes at the stupid face he pulled. She looked up at the building, and around the parking lot curiously. She paused at the actual building entrance, looking up at Casey. “If it’s a basement, are there no windows and shit? I’ll need to send the bees I still have with me back if there isn’t… they don’t handle being trapped so well.”

”I guess you’d just have to sleep on me then.” Casey grinned, almost not hearing what she was saying about the bees and the ventilation. When he finally processed it, near the top of the stairs, he stopped.

”Oh, nah there’s windows.” he said, physically swinging his arm down toward the row of thin rectangular windows that lined the building at floor level, each one with a small open space that was grated off to make sure they didn’t leak and flood the apartment inside. It looked like they’d even been decorated with different pots and flowers that seemed to be half in the process of moving inside.
”I’ll go around opening them when we get down. The bedroom is on this corner here too, so it’s got two different walls with them. Plenty of air and natural light in the mornings.”

Light was unnatural in that fucking apartment. Condo? He’d had a hard time distinguishing the difference his entire life.

He popped the side door open, and it led into an immediate stairwell with properly old wooden stairs and fancy hardwood floors. Rather than turning left to go up, Casey obviously turned left to go down. It was actually two flights with a landing in the middle, at which point they were met by a fairly nondescript wooden double door. There was a keypad lock, as well as several locks.

”This is where Leon and I come in. The other entrance is Mia’s, since she doesn’t drive. She comes through the front. Chances are, even if she makes it home, we won’t be seeing her. And if you do, just spit. She’ll get the message.”

He wasn’t in the business of being scandalous about his little sister, but he hated that nobody seemed to have a lid on her. But he wasn’t her Dad, and he wasn’t going to go snooping through her room for heroin needles. If Leon said things were fine, things were fine…

Casey proceeded to undo a total of seven locks from this set of double doors before finally swinging the weighty, reinforced metal door open for Trisha to enter.

And by God, the room was black. It was like being swallowed by the void, this side entrance hall walls were completely coated in practically Vanta Black paint that seemed to swallow every bit of light. On the wall, or built into it in places, were different picture frames and awards. The fixtures were all gold, backlit by dim, almost red halogen bulbs. Directly to the right seemed to open up to some kind of office or lounge space, dark oak bookshelves and a massive desk flanked another case full of trophies and awards. A fancy computer sat on top of the desk, an equally large chair with a wolf head as a head rest was swung to look out at the hall.
At the end of that hall, on the right hand side, a door was open, but the inside of the room was blocked out entirely by a wall of curtains that kept it private even with an open door.

Past the hall itself, a black quartz countertop and island duo sat on equally dark stone tiles, with bronze and white accents in the backsplash, and dark bronzed metal work on all the appliances and hardware, even down to the knobs on the cabinets. Adjoining was… Some kind of function wall? It was like a hotel conference room, a false sliding wall blocking off a part of the apartment that was probably once a massive dining area.
There was also another hallway that led to a couple of doors; probably a closet and maybe the same section of the place that was closed off as Mia’s living space.

But in the part of the open room that was available, a massive ring of black leather couches were sunk into the floor with some kind of crazy kotatsu table that had a heater and, you guessed it, fancy spots to place your drinks that would keep them frosty so you didn’t leak condensation onto the glass and leave rings.

You didn’t guess that? Oh…

There was an equally big entertainment centre, though the centre itself was devoid of a television. Rather, there was a projector and a pulldown screen, which was down and hiding whatever could possibly be on the other side.
There was a hint of it being a picture frame on the bottom edge, however, and feet lined the small sliver of visibility. To the right of the entire ordeal, another door was open slightly ajar. Casey made his way to it and swung it open, entering in.

As he opened the door fully, a shape skittered across the floor before hopping up onto the kitchen island.
For all the literal blackness of this apartment, it'd only be fitting that a massive black maine coon cat would also inhabit the space. His paws were huge, and he stared at Trisha with rapt interest.
”That's Kane. Abel is next door, but chances are he'll be smacking at the door to the hall any-”

The door toward Mia's section thumped loudly. An ear piercing meow crawled out from under the door. Opening it would introduce Abel, the most contrasting creature in the house with pure white fur tinged to red in some places. He took his spot next to his brother, and now both cats were staring at Trisha.

Trisha stared right back at the cats.

She hadn't had much time to take in the apartment - it's grandeur not all that impressive, considering where she was raised, but the sheer… darkness of the whole place was very different from what she knew. A lingering look had been given in what appeared to be the office when she followed Casey in, a hint of irritation sparking in her chest. But she moved on… to be met with two cats. She hadn't expected a single cat, nevermind two. It wasn't that she minded cats, but she had lost a few bees to them before. The bees weren't intelligent enough to be frightened, but the slight panic she felt at the thought agitated them too. She carefully got them to crawl from her shoulders to her neck, buried away underneath her long hair, before approaching the two cats.

"Hellloo," she said softly, stepping towards the kitchen island and holding out a hand for the cats to sniff. She then tilted her head towards Casey with a smile. "I'm not used to cats. Or any normal pets, honestly! Mum's family brought their dog when they visited one summer, but otherwise… didn't really grow up with any. They're friendly, right?"

Casey had already disappeared into what was probably his room. But at the question, he came back out with a smile on his face.
”No, they’re both rude jerks.”
”Rude!”
”Oh, very rude, Brother. Evil Casey.”

The two cats exchanged a look which was transferred to Casey, then to Trisha.
”Casey girlfriend?”
”Noooo, Mia friend!”
”No, no! Here. Not there.”
They stood in unison, footsteps one hundred percent in sync as they made their way across the island to get as close to Trisha as they could.

”I Abel!”
”I Kane!”

Speaking cats… Talking, presumably magical cats… They both spoke again in unison, as if coming to a concise conclusion.
"You Charming and Gracious!?"

Casey shook his head.
”No, guys, Abel… Well, I think he got it right. Girlfriend?” he gave Trisha a cute look.

When the cats started talking, Trisha reflexively jumped. She shouldn't really be shocked by it, after all the magic she'd seen, but she was. At least her bees didn't really talk? They talked in a way normal bees did. She stepped away from the cats and their intense stares, and right next to Casey.

"Oh." She finally got over the talking cats and registered Casey's question. A smile bloomed across her lips, eyes curving into gentle crescent moons. She turned her head away from the cats and up towards him. "Yeah, girlfriend."

She immediately giggled afterwards, like it was her first relationship, leaning towards him and hiding her face against his arm. It was… different from how any of her other relationships had started. Normally she slept with someone, and then it started from there. So this was new in a way. "I can't believe you're introducing me to your cats first! Not that I need introduced to anyone else- but really, the cats, this is so embarrassing."

”Well, you already know Leon, and… Well, they’re not just cats. They’re… Contemporaries.”
”Murder is within me!’
”And I was the first!

The two cats both licked opposite front paws in unison, and one could be forgiven for thinking that they smiled up at Trisha.
”Technically they’re the same cat, or so I’m told. Our dear old Dad exposed them to a very powerful Apparition, and they wear it with grace.”

Creepy cats didn’t dissuade or remove Casey’s smile from his face as he held onto Trisha. Girlfriend… He had something to do that wasn’t moping around now, and he felt excited. Happy even.
”Do you two have enough food on Mia’s end?”
”I famished! Abel’s eyes scrunched together like a cat’s often do.
”I ate him. Already full.

Casey rubbed Trisha’s arm in a comforting way before he stepped away.
”Here, let me feed them, and give me your onesie so we can get it washed and dried. More comfortable than regular clothes. In the meantime, I can check if Mia has a pair of sweats or something that will fit you.” he said, holding out his hand.
”And if you wanna shower or something, Leon’s room has the bathroom. The one we passed in the hall with the curtains. It’s a reallynice shower. Technically it was our parents’, so it had to be built a certain way for my Dad. It’s like showering in a cave.”

"You just want to see me in the bee onesie again, don't you?" Trisha joked half heartedly, trying to ignore the fact one of the cats had said about eating… someone? Whoever ‘him’ was. Hopefully it wasn't a person. She shuddered, taking his hand and squeezing it - more to comfort herself in the face of the eery cats. "Some sweats would be great- if they're too big it's alright, I'll make do! Maybe a hoodie or something too? Doesn't matter how big that is… the bigger the more comfortable, honestly. I wear a large sized one about the house a lot of the time.”

She smiled, holding out the onesie she’d somehow been carrying the whole time. “I won’t say no to a shower. I’m used to pretty fancy showers, but never heard of one like a cave… Are there already towels in there?”

Casey considered for a moment, but one of the cats had it on lock.
”No! No towels, girlfriend! No towels anywhere!”
Their voices were like young boys, and they both laughed in the most horrifying and creepy twin-like way that they could.
”You use Abel as a towel… He likes.”

Casey frowned.
”First, she’s Trisha. Tri-Sha. Second? Keep your crappy attitudes up, you’ll be doing the ouroboros thing in the street tonight, no chickens and no beds!” he asserted, sticking a finger up.
The twins exchanged a look before batting their paws in unison at Trisha.
"Sorry Trisha."

Casey looked at Trisha with a small frown.
”Sorry, they get weird around new people who can hear them. Please, guys, refrain from being absolute jerks? Like, in fact, go next door. I’ll bring you your food when its ready, but we’re gonna have some private time here tonight.”
The twins gave a slight look of indignance, but spun to leave regardless.

It may have only been an instant, but the twin cats appeared as a twisted mass of flesh and evil that was more than suitably horrifying for a Halloween’s evening, the image fading as they crossed the threshold into the other part of the apartment.
”To your earlier question-” Casey continued, closing the door behind the cats. ”-yes. There should be towels already in there. C’mon.” he turned, taking her hand as he brought her back down the first hall and into Leon’s bedroom.

Pulling the curtain in front of the door back revealed that the place was an incredibly debauched dungeon-esque room, handcuffs still dangling from the massive bed’s ornate headboard. All manner of toys and paraphernalia were on display in a glass case hung from the wall. There was some other furniture and structures that were clearly used in some sort of BDSM play; overall it was like being in some porn producer’s creepy bedroom.
But pushing in a little further revealed the bathroom. It was, as Casey described, incredibly cavelike. The whole setup for the shower was actually sunk a few feet into the concrete subfloor, and the tiles mimicked real rock in their texture.

It was like a glass-fronted grotto. There was also a toilet made of, you guessed it, black porcelain, and a black marble his-and-hers sink and countertop arrangement. And, yes, there were towels. Plenty of towels.

“I think I just learned far more about Leon than I ever wanted to,” Trisha shook her head in disbelief. Really, couldn’t he set up a second bedroom for that? Did he sleep in there? With the handcuffs above his bed? Trisha wasn’t really against all that, she’d tried it out a little bit before, but when it was the only path to a shower… Not something she wanted to see. Or know, about her… boyfriend’s brother. “Do you have to
walk through that everytime? I think I prefer the cats…”

She looked around the very large bathroom, which absolute dwarfed her (and she really wasn’t that small, she was average!). At least there weren’t any chains in here. Without being watched by any apparition-cats, or being in a BDSM style dungeon room, she was able to relax again. The bees that had been agitatedly clinging to her neck came out from under her hair, flying away from her and landing on one of the towels. They lay there contentedly.

“This is pretty nice, even if it makes me feel tiny,” Trisha smiled, letting go of Casey’s hand and stepping further into the bathroom. Without even thinking she pulled her top off, dumping it on the floor beside her. It was only when she half turned back around that she remembered- shit! They were supposed to be taking it slow. She was wearing a bra, of course, but she shouldn’t have started stripping at all. “Oh, uh, sorry, I didn’t even think.”

She laughed awkwardly, reaching out to grab a towel and cover herself back up.

”Trust me, at their worst, you’d really prefer the sex room. Pray you never catch them in an argument, because Kane wins every time… The names are very delibera-”
She started stripping in front of him… He turned his head and shifted until he wasn’t even looking at her at all. By the time she looked at him, she was already looking at his back.
”Ah, it’s fine. I’d say I’m used to seeing people naked but that sounds weird out of context. There’s not a lot of privacy in the Army.”

Without turning back around, he moved toward the door.
”When it gets super steamy, a fan will turn on. I just didn’t want you getting scared by the noise. I’ll come back with clothes for you.”
And then he walked out, closing the door to leave Trisha alone with the massive shower.

Iron and Honey: A Love Story [FernStone & AtomicEmperor]

_{@FernStone & @AtomicEmperor}

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A Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Side Story

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St Portwell Halloween Festival
_{...Continued From}

“I don’t mind.” Trisha wasn’t really in a position to argue about getting some kind of healing. Her face felt like it was on fire, and the onesie sleeve she was holding up to her crooked nose was barely stopping the bleeding. She was beginning to feel a little woozy from it as well. The bees that had been circling Adora gently flew back to her, landing on her shoulders. Their buzzing was still audible and agitated. “Healing sounds good- fuck.”

She paused, rubbing her head… which did really fucking hurt. And she could hardly see through all the blood and the swelling of her eyes. Fucking crazy bitch. “How far is it? I’m starting to feel dizzy… I might need help.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie, her head was beginning to swim - but she could probably make it to a nearby stall herself. She just wanted to make the most of the sympathy she could gain… Plus, Leon’s attractive younger brother was treating her nicely. She hadn’t experienced that in a while… though she mostly hung around a bunch of rich kids who didn’t care enough about her family name to be scared about it.

Casey didn't hesitate scooping the woman up in his arms like a bride across the threshold. Frankly his first reaction was a dip and tip, but he figured the last thing she wanted was a cross carrying like she was part of a rucksack.
“No worries, just stick with me. Lean your head forward, don't worry about the blood. Plenty on the uniform already.” he replied with a morbid giggle.

He didn't have any intention of chatting her up: Vanburen echoed in his head like a plutonium disk in a hollow dome of lead. Radioactive, untouchable gas that would consume him wholesale…

That's what Dad said, at least.

What transpired was a minute of the most steady and platform-like carrying that Trisha ever would've experienced. The man wasn't just naturally strong, but built like some sort of dozer equipment with thick wide arms that made the perfect crook to lay in. The booth came up fast, and he let Trish back down on her feet.
“I'm just gonna get it, keep your head tilted.”
And then he disappeared into the small crowded food stall, coming back forty-five seconds or so later with a plate of dessert.
“Here, eat up. It'll feel a little strange as your nose resets.”

Trisha was shocked, but not upset, when her suggestion that he gave her a bit of support ended up with her being carried. She tilted her head forward, still trying to staunch the blood flow with her sleeve - it was already all over her too. Her lips twitched upwards at his… joke? She didn’t get it enough to actually laugh through the pain.

“Thank you.” Trisha decided to be polite for once, taking the plate and looking at the dessert with a bit of suspicion. She’d been magically healed plenty of times, but never with food. She picked it up and took a nibble… It wasn’t bad. She took a proper bite, then another, and winced as the healing started to kick in. It was never something she’d get used to. The feeling of her nose starting to rearrange itself was almost as bad as when it had been broken. “Ugh, a little? It feels really strange.”

She grimaced. “Normally doesn’t feel so bad when I normally get healed… Not that I need it often. This is the first time I’ve been beaten up like that!” A lie. “That b- Adora really didn’t hold back… ugh, not a great first impression, looking like this.” She gestured to her still very battered face, though her nose was righting itself. She was a lot more talkative now that it wasn’t bleeding everywhere. “Leon already introduced you, but I’m Trisha… I prefer that to Ms Vanburen.”

Casey smiled and nodded along as Trisha spoke. Not wanting her to feel uncomfortable, he did his best to go along with what she was saying so that there was no problem. If Leon trusted him with taking care of this woman, there must’ve been some kind of reason for it: All four younger siblings could at least agree on the fact that Leon didn’t intuit a damn thing in his life.
It was all a big calculation, a poignantly aimed shot on someone’s tender flesh meant to break ribs or clavicles or whatever needed to be broken to release the resistance from a situation.

Or was it just that he liked the other person better? That was always an option with Leon…
“Well, Trisha… I’m Casey. Casey Richoux, obviously, Leon’s middle brother. I don’t think I ever heard about you when we were kids: Were you part of the Coven? Not like I was or anything, I never got to go fight the Stygian Snake… Had to sit at home while Leon got all the credit.”
He smiled to himself, chuckling and shaking his head slightly.
“And don’t worry about first impressions. First deployment I had, I wound up on a forward in the middle of some God awful territory with nothing much to do except fight club and prank one another. Sergeant Pasqual had dick and balls out first time I met him… A little scuffle doesn’t bother me.”

As she regained her lost health, the thought easily came to him that she was a beautiful woman for all intents and purposes. Young like him, with the future ahead of them.
“You got any plans tonight?” he asked with as much casual smoothness as he could muster.

“I don’t,” Trisha smiled coyly, brushing back a strand of hair that had fallen over her face and tucking it behind her ear. The bees that had settled on her hair moved out of the way of her hand, and out of sight. “My friends abandoned me and aren’t replying to any of my messages.”

This wasn’t a lie - though it maybe wasn’t being abandoned, since all she’d gotten about going to the festival was a mix of nos and maybes, but they were pretty much ignoring her at this point. “And I was part of the coven, along with those friends… We stuck to ourselves mostly, so I didn’t really interact with Leon much. He was too-” what was a polite way of saying this? Normally she wouldn’t care but Casey was attractive, and Leon was his brother. “Uptight.”

Trisha laughed lightly. “You didn’t miss much. It is a shame you weren’t in it back then, it would’ve been nice to know you earlier… Well, I guess there’s tonight for that.”

“Oh, yeah. Lee's always had a stick up his ass. I blame our Dad; if you spend enough time telling a child that God chose them specifically, they're bound for Messiah complexes.”

Casey laughed aloud, thinking about how ridiculous it all was. His memories traced back to his Kindling and his near worthlessness before that.

“Honestly, as much as I knew you guys were doing things, I never could've joined. I was a late bloomer: I didn't Kindle until I was nineteen.”
Convoy, radio, RPG, darkness, agony, screams, blood, fear, regret, rage, courage… Kindle.
Devastation. Survival. Fucking promotion. Dead friends. Do it again. Again. Again. Again.

Casey finally shook his head, clearing his throat.
“I had to leave home entirely to come into my own. How about you, what's the Vanburen siblinghood look like? Who's the favourite?”

“It looks like shit,” Trisha snorted, trying to stop her lips from twisting down into a scowl - she half succeeded, ending up with a slight frown. “I have, what…” she began counting on her fingers, before shaking her head. “I don’t know, far too many half siblings to count. Didn’t matter how massive the house was, it was always noisy. Most of us don’t get on.”

As for a favourite… Well, if the question had been least favourite she could answer that really easily (a certain bitch whose name began with G). Favourite was harder. There were some she tolerated more than others. “My favourite… Well, Ezra provides all the money just like dad did! He’s a bore, though. Probably Sabrina. She let me move in with her and another two sisters when I came back, and she doesn’t bother me much.”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Tons of awful siblings aside, being a Vanburen has its perks. These being one.” She gestured to the few bees still visible. “I never kindled, so I don’t know what that’s like, but I did end up with all my bees thanks to something in my dad’s collection. I can’t imagine what it’d be like without them… but it is difficult having to explain why I have a whole hive to any non magical siblings!”

His brow furrowed at the idea that Blinds could see the bees. The term “Fake-Wake” crossed his mind, his days at the Temple rubbing off on him. They didn’t take kindly to Agents; people who relied entirely on their proximity to some sort of Artefact for their magical abilities, even though Orange Lux was the family’s bread and butter. The four of the others had all made their own Artefacts as capstones to their “graduation” ceremonies.

He’d avoided that process: Dad was already gone, leaving Mom to deal with the bullshit. She’d just been happy he made it home, never mind that he’d Kindled in that fucking desert.
“Ah, right. The fast track! That works, people have good success with things like that. Y’know for the longest time, since I hadn’t Kindled, my Dad was thinking about courting an Apparition for me to Adjoin.”
Scratching the back of his head, he did his best to stretch that little fact over the quiet implication that it was somehow a “lesser” process. It got far more complicated bringing non-bound Apparitions into the picture, as their divine or otherworldly nature often became reasons to deify them in some fashion.

“But, y’know if we skip out of here, I bet we could find something fun to do.”
He took the plate, watching as the last of the bruising faded away from Trisha’s face. Turning slightly, he pushed it over the nearby table at the booth and grabbed a few napkins. His massive hands were gentle as one slipped under her chin and lifted her face to look up at him. The other dabbed away with the napkins, rain water and bloody remains washing out into the slowly dampening grass and dirt.
“I’ve got some of my buddies from the Corps staying in town, we were supposed to go to a bar later. You’re more than welcome, bees and all.”

Fast track, sure. Trisha held her tongue on her thoughts on that. It wasn’t like she’d just adjoined and knew what to do. She’d like to see anyone else handle suddenly having a voice in their head (albeit, rarely) and thousands of bees following them. She tapped her head with a slight smile. “You lucked out, Apparitions are noisy.”

She barely reacted when he got closer - she’d plenty of experience in that, and people getting closer still - letting him wipe away the remnant blood. It was… nice. Trisha didn’t have many memories of someone actually looking after her. How pathetic, getting affected by something so simple.
“Mm, going elsewhere sounds good. Nothing fun’s happening at the festival.” Not quite true, it always got a little wild the later it got, but sticking around for that meant risking seeing Adora again or literally any of the other more violent Sycamore members. One beating was enough for the night (and to garner sympathy later).

“I’d love to come along. I’ll send away most of the bees if your friends are blind, though. I’m sure I won’t need them with you around.”
She smiled up at him, before glancing down at her outfit and realising she did not look suitable for anywhere but a halloween festival. Thankfully, she wasn’t an idiot and had worn clothes underneath. She stepped back and swiftly pulled off the ridiculous looking bee onesie, rolling it up into a crumpled ball. Underneath she was wearing a black crop top and dark green, baggy trousers. Comfortable but not too bad looking… if a bit chilly. The thirty or so bees with her moved from just sitting on her top to hiding in her hair and the pockets of her trousers. “Now I can have fun without looking like I murdered someone!”

Casey couldn’t hide the vague disappointment in his eyes as she crumpled up the bee suit.
“Oh, shit… It was cute. I hope you wash it and I get to see you in it again; the whole queen bee thing is…”
He paused, eyes welling up as he realised he was just about to speak his mind. He stared openly for a second, out into nothing before finally letting a smile curl up around his lips. He started to giggle at himself.
“You’re pretty cute.”
And then his genuine full smile opened up, like a warm desert flower in the slowly clearing rain.

“Wherever you wanna be, I’m with you tonight.”
With that big wide grin, he ushered her past the pack of people doing the toga-conga, and onward toward the Ferry to get the Hell off of Cracker Island.

Trisha was rendered speechless when Casey called her cute, lips parting slightly and a light blush settling on her cheeks. She'd received a lot of compliments from men, the main reason she even went after them - pretty, beautiful, hot, sexy, but never cute. Had she ever been called cute? She didn't think so… She tried to ignore the warm feeling it gave her. It was still just a compliment. Still, she'd make sure to wash the bee onesie just in case…

His grin was infectious, and she couldn't help but smile back. It was more subtle - a small, endearing smile that lightened up her normally sullen face. She didn't even pay attention to the toga-conga filled with people she knew (and disliked) on the way past.

Thankfully there was already a ferry at the dock, and it was much quieter than the one she'd gotten there - not many people leaving so early, outside of parents and their kids. She found a spot away from those groups, leaning her back against the railing and turning to face Casey. The decision of where to go was on her… so where did she want to go? She was tempted to suggest just going back to her place, but that was too fast, and she definitely wouldn't want to go back out after that. Plus, she'd have to deal with thousands more bees vying for her attention as well.
"Why don't we go to one of the bars along the dock? There's a couple of nice ones, I'm sure at least one will be open…" Her smile widened. "Get to know each other better over a drink, beyond the family issues and magic."

Nodding along with her thought, he decided on trying to figure out which bar out of the two dozen on the Harbor Strip to go to. Kings and Queens sucked, The Brettanica was an old person bar, Brick Harbor was a Mafia joint, Drunken Starfish actually burned down the other night, which was nuts.
There was only one place that stuck out in his mind, but he couldn’t tell if it was because he was comfortable there or because he actually thought it was a good place to hang out.
“You been to Tackle’s? The Late n’ Bait?”

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

---

Interactions: Sloane @Atrophy, Trevor @Punished GN, Jack (Text) @Blizz
The Bar that Ruins Hopes and Dreams, The Halloween Festival

---

Well, I guess I'll stick with you, even though my heart, soul -^{and other parts}- belong to your friend! I'm a superhero, y'know, and I could not live with myself if something happened to her.

Trevor

Anya felt like she was going to throw up. She didn't want any of that. She'd rather Trevor took it all and kept it far, far away from her… when she'd agreed to one date to get information she hadn't expected this. He was talking as if they were anything, which they certainly were not and never would be. The suggestion that she needed him specifically to survive was laughable.

Also, did he really think Sloane was interested in him? That that was why she asked him to stay? That anyone would be actually interested? His ability to see things that weren't there was so strong that perhaps it was an abstraction itself.

Maybe she should finally do what her parents suggested, and find a rich husband (preferably one happy to have a loveless marriage) to scare Trevor away.

Anya shuddered, torrential downpour soaking her through in moments. The insects she’d so painstakingly painted on her face were nothing more than black lines down her cheeks. She was thankfully she’d braided her hair - it looked slightly less bedraggled after being soaked through. It was cold, and she automatically moved a bit closer to Sloane too… While looking at Trevor with the polite smile that had never quite left her lips.

”While there may be a killer on the loose, I'm not so helpless that I wouldn't be able to walk over to there,” Anya pointed to the visible bar, where Bianca seemed to be chatting up the lady serving her rather than getting drinks, ”without getting stabbed. Thank you for your concern, Mr ‘Superhero’, but if anything I'm more at risk every night when I'm at home alone than I would be walking out of your sight.”

Something she very much wished to do. And maybe if Father Wolf appeared and stabbed her, it wouldn't be so bad. At least she wouldn't have to suffer through more Trevor reenactments of what he did to people, or what was maybe a joke or maybe serious about being bulletproof. She couldn’t tell. It certainly didn’t make her laugh. It did make her consider murdering him, but she pushed that thought aside. Too risky.

Anya gratefully took the drink from Cindy, and took a sip. It was pleasant. She put it down on the table in front of her and considered how to proceed. They could leave, but she had a feeling Trevor would follow them. She could make awkward small talk until there was a reason to leave… Perhaps the rain was enough. But what was to stop him following them to ‘protect her’. Anya reached for the pineapple margarita, something she desperately needed, only to find it wasn’t there.

Sloane had stolen her drink again.

For the first time in a while, Anya got genuinely annoyed with her friend. Sloane was so drunk that she could stop drinking now and would barely register what was happening, but Anya was about as sober as can be. If anyone needed that drink to survive this situation, it was her. So much for friendship. Of course, this seething didn’t reach the surface, Anya’s expression was still perfectly amicable.

“Anya! We need to…urk…”

Sloane

”We need to what?” Anya asked patiently, watching as Sloane jumped up and almost fell without commenting on it. The slight entertainment she got from that was enough to wash away the annoyance at Sloane drinking nearly half of her drink.

Though what followed was a near tragedy of Sloane seeming to come to the point while almost knocking everything off the table. With a speed Anya didn't know she had, she moved all of the glasses out of Sloane's reach.

”Jack can teleport, he's safer than most of us,” Anya said evenly, lightly patting Sloane's shoulder in what was meant to be a comforting gesture. She suddenly felt like she had a child, a fully grown drunken one, and found herself hoping Bianca would be back with their drinks soon. She was perhaps the lesser of these three evils. At least, she was the one Anya could handle easiest.

Sloane wasn't letting up about Jack, to the point that she was kicking Trevor under the table like a petulant child annoyed at their sibling. Not that he didn't deserve it. But how would Trevor know who Jack was? If there was someone he wasn't able to trace it was Jack, with his ancient iPhone that had been to the void and back.

”I'll message him,” Anya said placatingly, pulling out her phone. She considered apologising to Trevor, but decided against it. What Sloane while drunk was doing was around the same level as everything that ever came out of his mouth.

With great difficulty thanks to the rain, Anya sent Jack a text.
To Jack: Where are you? Sloane's worried Father Wolf got you. She's very drunk.
To Jack: We’ve been ambushed by Trevor. Help would be appreciated.

”There, done,” Anya said to Sloane, hoping she’d put her head back down on the table and maybe take a nap. Though there was the question of getting her home if she didn’t sober up… that could be tackled later. ”I’m sure he’s fine. I'll let you know as soon as he replies, alright, Sloane?”

While waiting for Jack’s response, she might as well attempt some further information gathering. She turned back to Trevor with a diplomatic smile. ”Your boss and her… friend talked like they were close with Emily G. Reed and Vashti Nour. I know they helped with your… previous leader. Have you been working together since then?”

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Anya redo 3.0 except I changed her fourth lux type with permission

@Punished GN Most of the new stuff is under the living dream with a few other adjustments. I think the current weaknesses can / should stay since they're mostly for dream weaving, and you can give me some more for the new summoning stuff?

Anya gets unwhited

_{Paranormal-Abilities
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}
"How naive to think you’re safe from your dreams."

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Pink, Purple, Orange & Gold Lux Channeler: a silver fountain pen

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Anya’s main speciality comes with the ability to manipulate dreams. She sees dreams as a way into someone’s soul - to find out information they wouldn’t otherwise divulge, to manipulate their opinions and to ultimately control them. It took her a while to come to this conclusion, and discover her affinity.

Dream Weaving ⫻ Anya's main spell discipline, Dream Weaving is the art of entering and manipulating dreams. It's a unique combination of Anya's purple and pink lux, allowing her to physically enter dreams. She essentially teleports into the dream. The target must be asleep and dreaming for her to enter their dream world.

Dream Visit ⫻ The primary spell to Anya's Dream Weaving discipline, allowing Anya to enter a specific person's dream. This hinges on two conditions. First, the person must be asleep and dreaming. Second, she must have met them before. Once these conditions are met she can enter someone's dream. This takes both time and concentration, and she then teleports into their dream world - her physical body is in there, so her body isn't left behind. Entering a specific dream takes a lot of energy, so she can generally only visit two before she need to rest (either a minimum four hour sleep, or ten hours outside of the dream world). She can exit the dream at will, either to her previous physical location (where she entered the dream) or to another dream.

Dream Walking ⫻ A more dangerous variety of Dream Entry, where Anya can walk through the dreams of anyone. It’s much like walking down a dark path - she doesn’t know where she’ll end up, and can only pick a direction. She can move from dream to dream like this, not being limited in the number she goes to as it doesn't take as much energy as entering a specific dream, but it's risky. It's much easier for her to get trapped doing this or to walk into a dangerous dream and get hurt. She can exit this in the same way she does dream entry.

Dream Manipulation ⫻ Anya's primary and strongest spell, this allows her to change the dream she's currently in. It's possible for her to change any element of the dream. She can shift the dream to an entirely new location, or bring in a specific "person" (a dream version). She can manipulate the narrative of the dream, change the events going on. Each change takes time, and the amount of time is dependent on how large the change is. She can only change one aspect at a time - she can't change the environment while also removing the presence of something. She needs to layer them change by change, with each one taking energy and time. It's easier to manipulate a dream to something similar to what it already is. However, she's very adept at this spell and it's one of her best. She's been working on it for ten years to get faster and more efficient at manipulating it, to the point she can fully change a dream during the hours she's in it.

Dream Interaction ⫻ A passive spell that comes by virtue of Anya physically being within a dream, rather than accessing it with just pink lux. Anya can physically interact with the dream and the dreamer, just as it can interact back with her. This means she can move things in the dream, interact as if they were real ect. She can talk to and interact with the dreamer. But it also means that if anything in the dream hurts Anya, it's hurting her physical body. If she dies in the dream she's properly dead.

Dream Damage ⫻ A more advanced version of Dream Interaction, which allows Anya to interact with and damage the dreamers physical form through hurting them in her dreams. Any wound she inflicts on the dreamer will appear on their body. With active concentration, this will be damage caused by her or anything she holds. With more concentration and energy she can allow the dream itself to interact and damage the dreamer. In the case of the blind, it would be possible for the dream to kill them. She has never tried this before.

Subliminal Messaging ⫻ Based on pink lux knowledge Greyson Devola passed on to her, this is essentially Anya's version of dream 'More Than a Feeling.' This is unaffected by emotional fields, as she's already essentially infiltrated. This works by leaving subtle suggestions via the dreams, directly influencing the dreamer to wake up feeling inclined to follow the suggestion. These are typically simple messages, pushing people to return to her shop and purchase more of her wares. Or for them to wake up feeling content. Given enough time, she can paint much more intricate subliminal messages through the dream imagery in combination with her dream manipulation. This is quite energy and time consuming, compared to more simple suggestions. This is heavily based on the dreams themselves, and how likely the target is to follow through on a suggestion - as dreams often reflect their moods, and anything to jarringly different won't be followed.

Dream Exit ⫻ A spell that Anya is currently working on, but hasn't made any progress on. The aim is for it to allow her to exit the dream at the location of the dreamer, rather than from where she entered which is the 'default'. She wants to be able to choose which of the two to exit from. So far her attempts have been unsuccessful.

Dream Companion ⫻ Another spell Anya is working on, which would allow her to bring another person or physical object into a dream with her. Right now she is practicing with objects. She's been able to bring up to something as big as a tennis ball, but nothing larger. She tried a teddy bear recently, and the results weren't pretty.

Dream Boost ⫻ The third spell of her dream weaving Anya is working on, born from her own selfishness. She wants to be able to boost her own abstraction using the dream itself. This would essentially allow her to drain part of the dream to strengthen herself, thus allowing her to be more powerful within the dream itself and be able to manipulate it better. She is yet to succeed at any attempts of this spell.

Dream Inducement ⫻ This spell that Anya can use in the waking world to induce dreams in someone, rather than waiting for it to happen naturally. Anya either has to touch the person to induce dreams, or have something “anchoring her to them”. Specifically, they must have an object with a specific dreamer locator spell on it. When Anya induces a dream she can choose the general type of the dream - whether it's a good dream, or a nightmare. She can’t choose anything beyond that, it's otherwise the same as a normal, natural dream.

Dream Devices ⫻ Anya's second discipline, focusing primarily on using her orange lux to infuse objects with the aid of her other lux to enhance her dream weaving use, along with objects to manipulate dreams in her place.

Dream Inducer ⫻ A spell to infuse a small object with a dream inducer spell. This induces dreams in someone when they're asleep but not dreaming. This object needs to be close to them, at least within a metre. For example, put on a bedside table. Its useless if its too far away. This infusion lasts for approximately a week.

Nightmare Ward ⫻ Anya infuses a small object with a weak nightmare ward spell. If kept close enough this will reduce the number of nightmares someone has. Like the dream locator, it must be placed within a metre of the user. It only reduces nightmares. It doesn't keep away other bad dreams, such as stress dreams, nor does it guarantee good dreams.

Nightmare Inducer ⫻ The opposite of Nightmare Ward, Anya infuses a small object with a spell that increases the number of nightmares someone has. It has a slightly larger range, just having to be in the same room as someone (unless it's a really big room).

Dream Encapsulation ⫻ The main spell that Anya is working on, which would allow her to store a specific dream within an object. It is essentially her dream manipulation spell infused into an object, with specific dream "settings" chosen upon infusion. At the moment, she can infuse a tiny dream influence into an object - something like a plant appearing. The aim is for her to have three different types of Dream Encapsulation infusions, as follows:

Generic Dreams ⫻ The simplest type, which she is currently working towards. This would allow her to create objects with a basic dream stored in them. This object would then influence the dreams of a nearby dreamer, like Anya would within their dreams, to turn it into the stored dream. This would be generic scenarios without any person specifics - such as a nice picnic in a field, going to a beach, or a space adventure.

Specialised Dreams ⫻ A more complicated type, this infusion would include more complicated and tailor made dreams. This would include elements that only a specific person could have in their dream - people they know, for example. It could also be an incredibly specific scenario: for example, going on a date with a specific person at their favourite restaurant, with the music from a specific band playing. She hasn't made any progress on this part.

Variable Dreams ⫻ The most complicated type, combining white lux with the dream manipulation infusion. This would allow her to infuse a stone with a variable dream manipulation spell, with pink lux reading the users mind to tell what they want to dream about and then manipulating their dreams to follow their wishes that night. This is her ultimate aim, so that she no longer has to manipulate every dream herself. Currently she's very far away from making it happen.

Dual-Teleporter ⫻: Another spell Anya has been working on, but has no success with. It's technically unrelated to dreams but will allow her to return to a specific location after using dream exit to step out at a dreamer's location. The aim is to infuse two objects, with one acting as a location and the other an entry point. She would then use the entry point, on her person, to teleport to the location object. This would allow her to use basic teleportation where she otherwise can't. So far, she's been unsuccessful with it.

A Living Dream ⫻ Anya's third and final discipline, she has primarily focused her efforts on developing this over the last ten years. It taps into the gold lux she was unable to use during the battle against the Stygian Snake, much to her frustration. Her first success with a summoning spell was eight years ago. This discipline allows Anya to create creatures from her own dreams, nightmares she visited or a target's dream in the waking world.

Dream Creation Control ⫻ A key spell to Anya's living dreams, using her gold lux with a small amount of pink lux to allow Anya to fully control and manipulate her creations. She can give them commands telepathically, and they will follow them to the best of their ability. She can give any kind of command, but the creation won't neccesarily be able to follow them.

"Your Worst Nightmare Brought To Life" ⫻ Anya's primary summoning spell, she can create a creature from or based off one of the last two nightmares she visited. It's easiest to directly create something that was in the nightmare, such as creating a werewolf that she saw in the last nightmare she visited. She can form more abstract nightmares into a living nightmare - such as a nightmare about fire, allowing her to create some kind of monster made of fire. This takes more effort and concentration compared to directly creating what already existed. Anya can only summon one living nightmare, but is relatively unlimited by size. The larger it is the more difficult the spell is to cast and the longer it will take. A small to medium sized living nightmare would take a minute, and larger could take up to five. These living nightmares are completely solid, able to interact with the real world and fight like a creature of that type would. However they're also limited by the real world and have no emotional fields. Technically Anya could manipulate nightmares to include creatures she wanted to summon, but nightmares are incredibly dangerous environments for her and the risk would generally be too high.

"My Dreams Are Reality" ⫻ Anya's secondary summoning spell, which is both more potent and limited. It allows her to create something from her last dream. Now, Anya can easily manipulate her own dreams (within reason) just as she would anyone else's. She can manipulate her dreams to include a dream creature that she know's she'll need, and then summoning it when awake. However she can only summon from her own dream for up to two hours after waking up. This severely limits her, to the point that she can rarely use the spell efficiently. She can summon one large creature from her dreams, or multiple smaller ones - which is often her main use to help her tidy up her shop in the morning. Otherwise, it works like her living nightmare spell.

"Show Me Your Dreams" ⫻ A spell that Anya is still working on, this allows her to create a living dream directly from a target's last dream. This uses her pink lux to read the target's last dream from their mind, and then create something based off of that. She has to be able to see whoever she's targetting however emotional fields don't block it, as she's barely intruding. At the moment she can only use this to create a small minion, and she can't choose what it will be - it's completely random based off the dream.

Family Taught Spells

From the time of her kindling event at age ten, until she went through her rebellious phase at sixteen and subsequently joined the coven, Anya primarily learned spells from her older siblings and parents - struggling to create her own. She has lower affinity for most of these spells, and basically doesn’t use them anymore due to them being weaker and having more limits.

Illusion Creation ⫻ A spell that would allow the caster to create a full illusion, Anya can only create a tiny and very subtle illusion. For example, the sound of something falling, or the illusion of a fly. She learned this from Nisha.

Portal Creation ⫻ Learnt from her mum, Anya can created a portal to somewhere else. To where, you ask? Well, Anya doesn’t know until she steps through the portal.

Telekinesis ⫻ Learnt from Kiran, Anya has a very rudimentary telekinesis spell. She can use telekinesis on an object up to 20g of weight.

Sharpen Object ⫻ A very basic version of a spell her dad could use, Anya can make an object sharper. The object has to already be sharp, though, or it doesn’t do much.

LIMITS ⫻

Dream Weaving ⫻ There are some general limits to Anya's dream weaving spells. She can only be in any dreams that aren't her own for five hours, and one specific dream for up to three hours. To enter a dream, the target must be asleep and dreaming. If they wake up she's forcefully teleported out. Since Anya is physically in a dream, she can be hurt by it. She could be hurt enough to get killed. While Emotional-Field’s generally don’t affect her spells (being non offensive in nature), Paranormals can sense something’s off with their dream. It's possible for them to even notice her presence, realise she’s not part of the dream or actively seek her out in their dream.

Dream Visit ⫻ Anya needs to have met whoever's dream she's entering. She can only enter two in a night before she needs four hours minimum of sleep, or ten hours outside of dreams.

Dream Walking ⫻ Anya can enter about ten dreams during dream walking, before she needs four hours minimum of sleep, or ten hours outside of dreams. Anya can't choose where she's going, only the direction she's walking in. The dreams she walks into are completely random, and she could walk into a dangerous situation.

Dream Manipulation ⫻ Dream manipulation takes time and energy. The bigger a change, the longer it will take. Adding in a new element will take seconds for something small, to minutes for something large. Bringing in a dream person could take up to ten minutes. Changing the entire dream, such as a peaceful dream to a warzone, would take an hour or two in total for all the elements to be changed. There's a risk of "overloading" the dream if she adds too many conflicting elements, which could rebound and hurt her. The dream doesn't pause during the manipulation. Changes also take energy, and the larger changes she makes the more likely she is to exhaust herself and have to leave a dream early.

Dream Interaction ⫻ Anya is physically limited by how she can interact with a dream. She can't interact with something that's outside of her reach. She can't do anything she couldn't do in the real world if she's not using her dream manipulation spell.

Dream Damage ⫻ Using this spell is incredibly taxing on Anya. Hurting someone through a dream is difficult, and will exhaust her enough that she'll likely have to leave the dream immediately afterwards. It requires complete concentration. Emotional-fields protect against it, she can't just kill someone with them in their dream.

Subliminal Messaging ⫻ Anya can only leave one subliminal message, and it can't be anything too complicated. If the suggestion conflicts with what the person would normally do or their personality, it's likely it won't be followed through. Something jarringly different from the rest of the dream will also be ignored. These suggestions or emotion changes need to be done through dream imagery, which can be time consuming for anything more complicated.

Dream Companion ⫻ Currently, Anya can't bring anything bigger than a tennis ball and she hasn't tried it with anything sentient. It's more exhausting to bring something into a dream with her.

Dream Boost ⫻ The boost will directly correlate to the amount Anya drains from a dream, and eventually she will run out of elements to take. It takes time to draw the energy from them. At the moment, she can't use this spell.

Dream Devices ⫻ Anya can currently infuse about five a day of her first three dream objects. The rest she can't properly do yet, but will be slower when she can.

Dream Inducer ⫻ This infusion last approximately a week. The object needs to be within a metre of the person for it to work.

Nightmare Ward & Nightmare Inducer ⫻ The object needs to be kept within two metres to be effective. The infusion only lasts for two weeks. It only increases or decreases nightmares, it doesn't guarantee a major change in dreams.

Dream Encapsulation ⫻ Anya currently can't really use this spell, and it takes a lot of energy to use. She can only infuse an object so that it makes very minor, near neglible, manipulations to dreams. It needs to be within a metre to be effective.

Dream Exit ⫻ Currently can't use this spell.

A Living Dream ⫻ There are a few general limits to her living dreams. She can only have only have a living dream summon from one dream - so if she creates from her own dream and then wants to do something from a nightmare, she must dispell the one from her dream. Her creations only last for up to thirty minutes, but anything past fifteen starts to physically drain her to the point she could pass out. The larger her living dream the more energy she will have to use to create it, and control it. She has to be able to see her creation to be able to control it. Her creations don't have emotional fields, making them weak to magical attacks. They can be killed / destroyed just like a human could, though they might be stronger or more durable depending on what they are.

"Your Worst Nightmare Brought To Life" ⫻ Anya can only create one living nightmare. A small one, about half her size, would take a minute to create. One of her size a couple of minutes, and anything larger up to five. While these living nightmares generally recognise their creator and won't hurt her even if she isn't controlling them, that isn't guaranteed. The larger, the more unstable. Abstract nightmares made into creatures double the time taken and use more energy, compared to a direct creation.

"My Dreams Are Reality" ⫻ This can only be used within two hours of her dream, making it severely limited. She can create multiple small, identical creatures, or one larger one. She can only use this once, before she needs to sleep and dream again. It takes about two minutes to cast.

"Show Me Your Dreams" ⫻ This spell is quite limited at the moment. She can only create a small minion based on the dream she read, and doesn't choose what it is from the dream - instead it's relatively random. She has to see the person she's reading a dream of. It's quite a risky spell as she doesn't really know what she'll get until it exists.

Family Taught Spells

Anya is pretty shit at most of these spells to the point they are practically useless.

Illusion Creation ⫻ She can only create really small illusions, three times a day, which last for up to five minutes.

Portal Creation ⫻ Anya can’t choose the location of the exit portal. It’s two ways, but only lasts for five minutes. She can only do it once a day.

Telekinesis ⫻ Anya can only levitate an object of up to 20g of weight. It's blocked by emotional fields, but she couldn’t use it on any person anyway.

Sharpen Object ⫻ A non sharp object won’t be affected by this spell. It can only make objects such as knives cut a bit better. Emotional fields completely block it, so she can’t sharpen a table knife and then kill a paranormal with it.

WEAKNESSES ⫻

Attempting to exert excessive control or make too many changes within a dream could destabilize the dream environment. Anya's manipulation may introduce conflicting elements or disrupt the natural flow of the dream, leading to instability within the dream realm and possibly collapse - ending the dream then and there and forcing her back to the real world. Anya's attempts to manipulate dreams may provoke resistance or backlash from the dreamer's subconscious. If the dreamer's subconscious rejects Anya's alterations or perceives her presence as a threat, hostile anomalies within the dream could manifest and force her out of it. Overloading the dream environment with excessive changes or manipulations can lead to unintended consequences or unforeseen outcomes. Anya's alterations may also create unexpected scenarios that escalate out of control, leading to the collapse of a dream. The more Anya interacts with nightmares, the greater the risk of succumbing to their malevolent influences. Prolonged exposure to nightmares can corrupt her thoughts, emotions, and perceptions, blurring the line between reality and illusion. She may struggle to distinguish between dreams and waking life, experiencing hallucinations or delusions that threaten her grasp of reality. If Anya is injured in a dream, the injuries transfer to the real world, and if she is killed in someone's dreams, then she dies in real life.

Also, there is a chance that Anya may randomly enter the Dreams of the dreaded Trevor Obott. The more dreams Anya enters a night, the more likely she'll accidentally enter his dreams. Even if Shimmer's Trevor is dead, due to magic bullshit I won't explain; she'll just enter the dreams of an alternate Trevor. And every one of them is just as terrible as Shimmer's Trevor.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

---

& Bianca Manalo

Interactions: Sloane @Atrophy, Trevor / Meifeng @Punished GN
The Bar that Ruins Hopes and Dreams, The Halloween Festival

---

”Two nights ago-” Anya started under the gaze of her captivated audience, ready to jump into the interesting details of a dream she’d wandered into, when she was rudely interrupted by the last person she wanted to hear from again.

Like a mechanical doll, her head jerked around in three sharp motions, creaking practically audible. For a moment she wondered if it was possible to drown in a cup of alcohol. Or perhaps if she fell the right way, she would break her spine. No. Her will to survive was strong enough to withstand this. She could survive his awful flirting, horrible voice and strange hair playing. She had already been through it all while alone on a supposed 'date.' Of course, she'd hoped that would be the end of it. She would meet him again if her hand was forced, to protect her own life... but she was beginning to think that perhaps dealing with him was a fate worse than death. He was certainly making her lose the will to live, which was something of a miracle.

”How could I forget you?” Anya intoned, flashing a very forced smile towards Trevor. Not only had he suggested that it was fate that they’d ran into each other once but he also threw out what Anya supposed was meant to be a pickup line but felt more like a threat. She’d rather he wasn’t her anything. How he'd gotten it into his head that he could be anything like that, she didn't know. ”Oh, I feel so much safer already with you here to protect me. Why don't you go find some armour that can do the job?”

There was a subtle sarcasm to her words that would likely bounce right off Trevor's thick skin and be easily picked up by anyone with half a braincell. However, she was quite hopeful about him going to find a knight costume and giving them an opportunity to leave before they returned.

"Oh man, this is brilliant," Bianca snorted as she watched the whole thing, covering her mouth to stop herself from bursting out laughing.

Anya ignored the rest of the PRA, Bianca included, and focused on Meifeng. What she said was incredibly irritating. Unprofessional. Their lives were at risk and she’d decided at face value that Sloane was going to be annoying by asking for help? Knowing these people were the ones ‘protecting the city’ in an official capacity had her feeling less safe than if they hadn’t been around at all.

”Don't worry, Meifeng, I'll forget all about how you push us onto a junior- no, trainee, is it not?- agent when we were merely looking for help with a very murderous problem,” Anya smiled pleasantly, eyes creasing slightly - the picture of genuine joy even as her words were as sharp as a knife. ”At least Bianca seems to have the necessary protection. I wouldn't want us all wiped out. Truly, Bea, it's lovely to see you again. Properly. How was meeting Linqian again last week? I hope you had a pleasant catch up. She certainly seemed to enjoy it.”

”Oh, it was good,” Bianca smiled back. ”It was nice to catch up with an old friend who had no interest in my work. I'm glad you cared enough to ask.”

Anya’s lips curved into something closer to a sneer, head snapping back round as Sloane’s hands slammed down on the table in a delayed reaction (ah, she was so drunk). It was easy to read what was such an openly expressive look from Sloane (to Anya, likely not to others). What was she sorry about? Why did she… no, she wouldn’t think about that bit. But Sloane even moved around to block the free seat next to Anya, preventing Trevor from taking it. Was she not-

Oh. Sloane invited Trevor to join, and then proceeded to give one of the worst shows Anya had seen in her life, ending in her own drink being stolen. Generally she enjoyed finishing her own drink before the end of a performance, quite quickly during the starting act if the quality was like this. But she understood what Sloane was doing. She was trying to give Anya a way out, with an incredibly clumsy execution. She didn’t want to abandon Sloane, of course, but she couldn’t turn down her so awkwardly set up plan.

A small amount of warmth unexpectedly sparked in Anya’s chest, and her smile softly lit up her eyes.

”Alright, I won’t be long-” As she went to stand, a tanned hand landed on her shoulder and pressed her back down.

”I'll get you both a drink,” Bianca interrupted cheerfully after stopping Anya from standing up, hand still on her shoulder. What Sloane was doing was painfully obvious, and she wasn't going to let her see Anya (with bonus Sloane) suffer plan fail. Not when Trevor was coming out with such insanely cringey lines. ”On me, since we're old friends. I wouldn’t want you to be dragged away from poor Trevor so quickly! What do you want?”

”... Old Fashioned for us both,” Anya gritted out, unable to push up past Bianca’s grip. She was surprisingly strong. Or perhaps Anya herself was weak. Her smile wavered for a moment. Not only were Sloane’s efforts going to waste, but she was going to be forced to stay in Trevor’s company. For a moment, she considered throwing away everything she’d been working for, the carefully built up image she’d made for herself, and stabbing Bianca with a hairpin for stopping her.

No, jail would be much too uncomfortable. She would just ruin her dreams later.

”Got it,” Bianca grinned, finally letting go of Anya’s shoulder and making her way over to the bar with a slight skip in her step.

After following Bianca's back with a narrowed eyed look, Anya leaned in towards Sloane, voice dropping to a whisper. ”Thank you for trying.”

”Well,” Anya straightened back up and turned around to look at Meifeng, gesturing to the seats in front of her and Sloane. There were two, after all. ”Why don’t you join us too, and prove that you weren’t just trying to play the matchmaker? I’m not looking to discuss much business, but it’s only fair you get to know us after your immediate judgement of Sloane.”

And perhaps Trevor would be a tad more restrained around his both. At least, he would stick to horrible pickup lines over all the weirdly sexual things he discussed on their ‘date’.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

---

Edict

Sabrina Vanburen,
Henri Han.

Interactions: Yes.

Cool ass house.

---

---

“Alright, I’ll be right back… Linqian, was it?” Sabrina turned her head towards Linqian. “You said you were going to help?”

"Yes to both." Linqian turned to Henri, pointing a finger at him. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Yeah, yeah," Henri held up his hands with a grin, carefully taking a seat on one of the sofas.

Linqian didn't entirely trust him, but from the looks of things Edict and Britney were going off somewhere together (gross) and she could probably leave him with Layla. Probably. She walked over to Sabrina, smiling slightly. "I work in a bar, so carrying drinks is my speciality."

“Noted,” Sabrina answered as she led Linqian through the kitchen to the “wine cellar.” She threw the door open to reveal a fancy case of different liquors. It had wines, whiskeys, vodkas, and even some weird stuff. Sabrina walked over and traced her fingers across the case window, and then opened it. “Great, my alcoholic sisters didn’t waste it all in one night.”

She grabbed two of the requested drinks—white Wine and Scotch—and handed them to Linqian. “We don’t really have much beer because my sisters aren’t the wine-drinking types,” Sabrina awkwardly chuckled. “But, we have a wide selection of other things, so… help yourself.”

"I can see that." Linqian held the two bottles she'd been handed carefully, while looking around with slightly widened eyes. Of course, she saw a large selection of alcohol everyday - but never anything this fancy. She knew what the expensive shit was… and this was it. It really made her not want to drink it, even if Sabrina told her to help herself. "Doesn't surprise me with what I know if Trisha- y'know what, I'll share the Scotch with Greyson for now."

She held up the bottle, still looking around at the selection. "Then after maybe I'll be up for trying some of your more interesting drinks…"

“Are you sure?” Sabrina asked with a shrug. “ really no skin off my back if you want to try a bottle or two. This isn’t anything to a Vanburen.”

"Must be nice," Linqian muttered, biting her lip to clamp down the more visceral reaction that jealousy threatened to bring out. She needed to not snap at someone as rich as Sabrina, who she'd only just met. As much as her financial situation fucking sucked, she would hate having sixteen half siblings even more. Still, she'd stick to the Scotch… because if she had the same drink as Edict she could maybe control where he sat a bit. Primarily away from her brother. But the option of something else for after was tempting…

"I'll have the Scotch first, but no harm in bringing another bottle in case I want to swap right away." She said louder. She looked through the case, gaze pausing. It wasn't an unusual drink, to her, but it was one she hadn't had since Jinhai graduated from his bachelor's and they bought some to celebrate. She pointed to a bottle of Baijiu with a smile. "I'll have some of that as well, since you're offering."

Sabrina shrugged as she grabbed the bottle, and carried it herself along with the other drinks. “Let’s head back,” Sabrina slowly sauntered back to the others. However, she had a question, “So… I hope it’s not an intrusion on your business, but Sycamore is trying to put an end to the murders, right? How’s that going?”

Linqian couldn’t help but laugh at that. But she didn’t have any issues with answering the question, it wasn’t like they’d gotten anywhere at all. ”Awfully. So far we’ve followed one ‘lead’ that got some of us shot, and the meeting after didn’t even start before the PRA came down on our asses. We’ve learned shit all about it, besides ‘Father Wolf’ only targeting people when they’re alone- which I’ve known for fucking weeks. Nothing else.”

“Oh dear,” Sabrina rolled her eyes. “I was hoping you all would have made some progress by now… but I can say that maybe things will go up from here, yeah?”

She shook her head.

“I… who is the leader of the Sycamore Tree Coven - if you don’t mind me asking?”

”It can only get better, coven meeting wise,” Linqian derisively. ”Auri Auclair… Some leader. She fucked off when the PRA raided us before telling us shit. Not that anyone else could do the job. Britney, maybe, but people aren’t too happy with her.”

“I heard..” Sabrina trailed off, “Well, I have plenty of resources, and I was considering offering some help to Sycamore.”

She began, letting that hang in the air before she asked another question.

“How receptive do you think they will be of me?”

”As Britney’s friend? Not particularly,” Linqian shrugged. It was difficult to say with how they struggled to even accept their own members. ”As a Vanburen with plenty of resources? Well… They’re more likely to hear you out, so long as you distance yourself from Trisha. She was pretty fucking nasty when she left. But if they- we- could stop bickering for a bit, and you had some solid help, I’m sure they’d be receptive. Probably.”

“Oh, Trisha won’t have anything to do with it,” Sabrina laughed. “Could you - if you don’t mind - bring it up the next time you meet? ”

”Thank fuck,” Linqian smiled slightly. ”Sure, I can try. Can’t promise anything… I’m less likely to get kicked out than the other two, but I’m not that popular either.”

“Don’t worry,” Sabrina said, “I’m sure it’ll work out… do you all have anything you could use in particular? I’m no miracle worker but I do have my ways…”

”Well, I could use a shit ton of cash,” Linqian joked, smiling more to make it clear she wasn’t being serious. Just in case. Much as she had money problems, she wouldn’t stoop that low. ”Main thing we need is something to bring us together… You’d think a bunch of us dying would do that. Aside from that, leads. Literally any information about it. And maybe somewhere to meet. Auri’s banned us from her shop and Greyson burnt down the last place.”

“Hehe…” Sabrina laughed. “I can’t help with bringing you all together, nor do I have any information - that is up to you all - but… I can easily give you all another lair.”

She paused.

“... Long as you all don’t, you know, burn it down.”

”No promises,” Linqian laughed. ”But I’ll try my hardest to keep Mr Pyromaniac under control.”

“You’ll have to,” Sabrina shook her head. “The place I have in mind can not be destroyed… but, let’s get back to the others, yeah? They’re probably worried sick.” She laughed.

”Yes… I need to make sure my brother hasn’t done anything stupid while I was gone.”

---

It didn't settle with her at all, watching Britney and Mr. Devola slink away. So, when Sabrina and Linqian went off to grab drinks, Layla stood from the couch and hastily said with a smile, “I gotta use the bathroom.”

And she slunked off. Down the hall, where the lights were on and a bedroom door was left open. Murmured talking. This was it. Layla crept closer, careful to keep out of sight.

“...hurt you. Because of what happened with her...”

Mr. Devola

Layla immediately stiffened, despite feeling silly and untouchable. Were they… no, the couldn't be… Was Mr. Devola talking about her?

Feeling a bit sick to her stomach along with incredible delusions of happiness, and knowing she absolutely couldn't risk getting caught, Layla slunk back, trying to hide her shaking hands.

---

When everyone else left, and Layla made her way back on the couch, Henri turned to Layla with a massive grin. "Soooooo… how old are you? Oh man, I don't mean that in a creepy way, just you look a lot younger than the rest! Like closer to my age… I'm eighteen, by the way. A lot younger than my sister, I know, but that's just how things work. Her and Jinhai practically raised me anyway! Anyway, I'm just surprised cause Jie always talked about the group of friends she was with like they were all the same age… hanging out, supporting each other, having wild parties. Studying. Did you have like siblings there? Or do you just look really young?!"

Henri said all this with a massive, friendly grin. Once he started talking, he really didn't know when to stop.

Layla sat there on the couch just trying to collect her thoughts, feeling her heart race while she couldn't shake the smile on her face. She felt ecstatic. She felt unstoppable. The logic simply didn't work that she could be in danger.

Mr. Devola spilling all her secrets? Were they really such bad secrets to begin with? And Britney was a friend, wasn't she? Layla didn't have to have her guard up around friends, right?

Despite the alarms of dread ringing around in her head somewhere, Layla felt the wonderful weight of a stoned feeling racing through her body, assuring her everything was fine. Made it especially hard to concentrate.

So, while Henri spoke, Layla slowly felt her body reluctantly slink towards that fight or flight feeling. A feeling of anxiety that one can get when their THC hits just a bit too hard. A dizzying euphoria that tied her down to her seat, waiting to face whatever dreadful fate awaited her for when Mr. Devola and Britney returned.

Was she scared of Britney?

With how she had witnessed Britney wield the Noble Vow, she wouldn't be surprised.

Layla took a long, deep breath, and tried to collect her thoughts as Henri looked at her expectantly.

“Uh, not at all! I'm uh, twenty, I think. You know, these things you just kind of lose track of,” She said with a laugh, trying to settle her nerves again.

For a moment, her face grew soft, staring at Henri. He seemed to really admire his sister, but wasn't included in the ‘know’. That was fine. She wouldn't say too much, then.

He made her think of her old ties in the coven. It made her smile in a forlorn manner.

“I did have close family in her circle of friends, a cousin that was older than me, bridged the gap, you know, that sort of thing. His name was Nick. Nicholas. He's been gone about, ah, ten years now.”

She smiled, starting to unwind a bit at the thought of sweet memories, and Mr. Devola's influence came back full force, paralyzing her sweetly to the couch.

“You know, Henri… I think I could eat a whole house. I'm famished. What's your favorite food? I like any fast food myself. It's totally terrible, I know, but I… it's tasty.” She admitted sheepishly.

"Ohhh, I'm sorry for your loss. It's difficult. I lost my parents ten years ago too, though I don't really remember them," he rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile.

Layla gave an understanding look. “That’s terrible, I'm sorry to hear that.”

Henri continued. "Oh, I'm starved too, if it's food you want I can hook you up."

He raised his eyebrows, grinning mischievously. Linqian had stupidly left her handbag right next to him so he crouched down and opened it. Thankfully for Linqian the gun inside was completely covered by her clothes, with the remaining tupperware and beer at the top. Henri grabbed both along with the chopsticks, swiftly closing the bag without revealing what else was inside. "Here!"

He sat back down, right beside Layla, and opened the container. Inside was a noodle dish, similar looking to chow mein with loads of vegetables in it. He held it and the chopsticks out to Layla. "Go on, have some. Jie made it, I swear it's amazing. Do you know how to use chopsticks? If not I'll show you, it's pretty easy! And let's share this before they get back!"

He shook the can of beer, before opening it with one can. He took a long drink and grinned. "Oh yeah, my favourite food- uh, don't tell anyone, but it's fast food too. If Jie finds out she'll kill me that I didn't say her cooking."

Layla gave a hearty laugh, looking a bit dazed as she stared at the dish. It really did look amazing, it made her mouth water just staring at it. Henri was really okay sharing this? And Linqian had made it? Layla's smile only widened, her cherry-coated happiness turning to hungry enthusiasm.

She looked at the chopsticks held up to her as she moved closer to the held out dish, and hesitantly took the utensils. She had only seen others use these, and didn't really have much experience herself. Dismally, she attempted to pick up anything in the container, and only managed a single noodle, which she slurped up.

Her eyes widened.

It was delicious.

“Your sister knows how to cook. It's no wonder she wouldn't let you praise any other food, as good as fast food is…” She said, then let out an exasperated laugh, holding up the chopsticks.

“Chopsticks, uh, aren't my strong point. How do you hold them, again? And please, have some yourself! All that walking around the festival is tiiiiring, right?”

"Yeah, she really enjoys cooking, I missed eating her food when I was at college!" Henri laughed, watching her use chopsticks and realising he'd never explained it to anyone else… he went back into his sister's bag, and thankfully there was another pair. Perfect. He pulled them out and turned back to Layla.

"So, if you hold one between your finger and thumb," he demonstrated, putting one chopstick between his pointer finger and thumb. He curled his other fingers so it rested on his ring finger. Then he put the other one between his pointer finger and thumb too, rested on his middle finger. "And the other one like so. Then you use your first two fingers to move it."

He demonstrated by going in for some noodles, moving the top chopstick with his middle and index finger and grabbing a large amount of noodles. He stuffed it in his mouth and grinned, swallowing it quickly. "Yeah walking around was exhaustingggg, I went around the whole festival like twice… I'd never been before, so it was pretty cool, but tiring! Nothing that can't be fixed by food, though! Did you get to see much of it?"

Layla watched carefully, mirroring his moves with her own chopsticks. She adjusted her hand so the chopsticks lined up a bit closer to the right places, and she tried again. After a few empty attempts, she managed to pinch a few more noodles, which she heartily ate with a smile.

She bobbed her head along to the music playing as she took another biteful, listening as Henri spoke. As he mentioned the sights of the festival, Layla made a playfully pained face. Nothing could get her down at the moment, after all.

“Well, to be honest, not really! We were about to head to the haunted house, but we were uh, stopped. By someone who doesn't really get along with our group of friends.”

“Damn, that sucks, but there’s always next year!” Henri said.

She ate another mouthful, then motioned for the can of beer, hopeful that Henri would share a bit of that as well. Her head tilted curiously as she swallowed some vegetables.

“If you don't mind my asking, how much of Linqian’s group of friends did she talk about?” She tried to laugh off her prying.“She talked well about us, right?”

"Oh yeah, her and Ge- uh Jinhai, you know her twin, my brother, who was also in the group- talked about you guys all the time! Always good stuff!" He took another drink of the beer before holding it out for Layla to take. Layla eagerly took a sip and returned it. "Who did she talk about… well I asked about it all the time, I loved hearing about them. She'd mostly talk about some guys called Sully, Drake and Jasper, oh and Greyson- oh! That's this Greyson! Ge got a funny look on his face when she mentioned him, must've been cause he's so cool. And he'd always talk about Britney, and Jack, Sloane and Anya… oh Jie would get a weird look on her face when he mentioned the last two! Like she'd eaten something real sour. Normally she had, I think."

Henri took another portion of noodles after dropping a lot of information very haphazardly. "Oh, they did complain about this guy called Leon. Dunno I once overheard Jie saying he had a 'stick up his ass' or something. They'd always talk really well about the whole group! I think they both missed everyone a lot."

Layla's eyes warmed at the mention of familiar names. She found herself nodding along. The great Sycamore. Yes, the great, truly. Sully got along with everyone, Drake had an endearing hero complex, Jasper was an artist. Her eyes widened at the mention of Greyson - Mr. Devola. Yes of course, a cornerstone of the Sycamore.

“Yeah, everyone calls him Greyson, but I met him when I was really young, always called him by his last name, myself.”

Layla's expression turned to a mix of fear and uncertainty, with just a glimmer of hope when Henri mentioned Britney. Her friend. At the mention of Jack, Layla actually turned her face away, eyes closed and chin up in aloofness. Sloane and Anya, well. Sloane, it had been years since Layla had really spoken with her. And Anya seemed to be on Layla's side when Layla suggested a change in leadership.

At Void's suggestion.

Then Henri mentioned Leon, and Layla's face took on a unique completion as she nodded eagerly. Leon was good. Yes, he may have had a stick up his ass, but he had been trying to help her.

“Leon… that's a special one there. I have a lot to owe to that big guy,” Layla said with a calm smile.

She chuckled. “Wow, she really- they both, really talked well of us. That's, well, nice to hear. It's been a bit of a rocky road to get to this point, but some of us would give up anything for the other, ya know?”

She nodded to herself. “I guess that's what being friends is all about. Doing anything you can for them, right?”

She took another portion of the noodles. There was only a little bit left now, to her shock and theatrical horror. It was so delicious. She wished the container had a never-ending bottom, so she could just eat this forever.

Yes, the perfect thought. Eating Linqian's food for an eternity. Layla sat there, holding her cheeks as she murmured sweetly to herself, totally lost in her daydream of eating delicious food forever.

Before she snapped out of it.

The container was empty.

“Ahhhh, that was so tasty.” Layla said with a huge smile, placing her chopsticks in the container.“Now I'm not dying. Thanks, Henri. You and your sister and lifesavers.”

”Glad you enjoyed it! Maybe I can convince Jie to cook for you sometime… Oh man, when she has time to make a proper meal it's amazing,” he grinned, putting his chopsticks and shoving the container out of the way.

”I get it with the friends thing, though. It’s why we’re back here. After Ge was killed… Well, I think she wanted to be around people she’d been through a lotta shit with. Not to get all sappy ‘bout my sister, but she’s really done a lot for us- me over the years. Like, she thinks I don’t know, but she’s working two jobs just so I don’t have to. She never lets me do anything… But it’s nice to know she’s got you guys! That, y’know, you’re all a big group that’ll look after each other.”

His expression swapped from strangely neutral at the mention of his brother’s death, to full of sunshine again.

”Everyone’s going through shit, yeah, it’s the people you’ve got around you that really help you get through it. I dunno where I’d be without her, that’s for sure! I’m sure she’d do a lot for you guys too.”

"What’re you saying about me?" Linqian reappeared, holding two bottles of alcohol - Sabrina was right behind her. She placed the white wine on the centre table, while keeping hold of the Scotch. Her gaze flickered over to the empty container, lips twisting down onto a scowl. She glared at Henri. "Han Huanyi, that was my fucking dinner."

”Shouldn’t have left it unattended!” Henri replied cheerfully, leaning in towards Layla to say in a hushed tone, ”she’s using my full name to pretend she’s mad, but she’s not.”

Layla nodded quietly as Henri spoke, suppressing a burp as Linqian's dinner settled in her stomach.

"You think I can’t hear you? I’m not mad, but I’m annoyed." Linqian rolled her eyes.

“Well, uh, it was really quite tasty, Linqian.” Layla said shyly. “Sorry about that!”

Linqian grabbed her bag from beside Henri and looked around for a glass. Finding one, she took a seat a fair distance away from her brother - in the opposite corner of the practically circular couch. Her bag went at her feet and the bottle of Scotch stayed in her hand. Her thinking was that it would force Edict to sit next to her (and not near Henri), or at least go through her to get a drink.

“We can just… buy some pizza,” Sabrina shrugged as she poured herself some scotch whiskey. She had a seat. “Or Uber something. Whatever you’d like, on me.”

Layla gave an excited gasp.“Pizza?! Again?! Sign me up.”

"I'm good with anything, so long as it's edible." Linqian poured herself a glass of scotch and drank half of it in one go. The alcohol burned as it went down her throat, but it was a nice feeling that followed. The warmth of the alcohol and instant relaxation it brought led her to finishing her first glass in seconds, pouring another one. An additional benefit of keeping hold of the Scotch bottle like a hostage to keep her brother safe. "You weren't talking shit about me while I was away, were you?"

"Noooo," Henri held up his hands before turning to Sabrina with a grin. "Ooo, I vote for pizza!”

“Pizzaaaa.” Layla echoed.

"You just ate my fucking dinner," Linqian glared at both of them.

"Heyyyy, I'm suggesting pizza cause I know you like it," Henri defended himself with a shit eating grin. "Pizza's easy, everyone likes it."

“... We can order other things, you know?” Sabrina said as she pulled out her cellphone. “Everyone in here don’t eat pork? Anything you all don’t eat? I can order a couple different pizzas… maybe just a bunch of cheese pizzas?”

"Something covered in meat!" Henri said immediately. "Wait, that's the pizza I want, not something I don't eat. I mean, I eat pretty much anything, but if it's got too much veg on it what's the point? I was forced to eat soooo many growing up. Supposedly meat's expensive, but it's so much better than vegetables. Whenever we got pizza it was always what Jinhai wanted first, then me… so it was always covered in vegetables! Awful!"

"I'm not drunk enough for this," Linqian muttered, even though she was the only person in the room used to Henri's inane tirades. She finished her second glass of scotch and poured another one. "... Maybe some cheeses, a vegetable one and a meat one? Keep everyone happy or whatever."

“See, that’s all you had to say,” Sabrina laughed… awkwardly looking to the side and typing in a few different things before she dramatically placed the send-order button. “Alright, it should be here in about twenty minutes. I got pizza, wings, mozzarella sticks… Maybe I should have gotten some dessert, too…”

"It's fine, this is a party, not a fancy dinner," Linqian waved her half empty glass. "Pizza is plenty."

"Ohhhhh but some cookie dough would've been real nice, or some cake-" Henri started.

"Yi-er," Linqian glared at him. She then looked over at Sabrina tiredly. "Sorry about him, he's… a teenager. You know how they are. Always pushing the boundaries."

"I'm just asking for dessert!"

“I know a good ice cream spot that does Doordash…” Sabrina shrugged. “... But my generosity ends there, unfortunately. What flavors do you all like?” She asked.

"You don't have to indulge him," Linqian said.

“I could go for some ice cream myself you know…” Sabrina answered.

"Mint choc chip!" Henri cheered, completely ignoring his sister. "Thank you sooo much… Sabrina?"

“Yup, Sabrina Vanburen,” She answered. “It’s a pleasure to meet you a second time.” She smiled.

"You too!" Henri grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, I ain't good with names, and there were quite a few."

“Britney calls me Bean, if that’s easier,” Sabrina answered.

Layla blinked as she listened.“I uh, can help with the order if it's too much. This is quite the big party after all,” She said, smiling sheepishly at Sabrina.

It was no lie that she was eagerly looking forward to the party food headed their way though. She stood from the couch, found a glass in the kitchen, shrugged a bit, and poured a bit of white wine for herself.

“What a treat… Uh, Bean, I think you're spoiling us.” She said with a wide grin, staring at the wine as she sat before taking a sip. It was crisp, fresh, and made her smile even more as she sat there in a giggling mess on the couch.

[Maybe later idk. Depends on if you want to respond or not]
“Oh!” Sabrina suddenly said, “Would anyone like to get out of your costumes…?”

Sabrina awkwardly paused.

“... I mean,” Sabrina coughed into her hand. “My abstraction allows me to change someone’s clothes with their permission. I can change you all to something else? Maybe a different costume? Maybe we can have a whole pajama party…”

"Oh, a pajama party! Sounds like loads of fun, I'm in!" Henri jumped up, before looking at Sabrina in confusion. "Wait, whats an abstraction?"

Sabrina’s jaw dropped.

“Nothing,” she answered. “I said I have plenty of clothes you all could change into… you just need my permission. That’s all.”

"Ohhh, I see," Henri nodded, seeming to be completely fooled. Linqian was very glad in that moment that her brother was, in fact, a fool. "I would love to change outta this outfit, it's cheap and itchy."

"I'm good," Linqian said. She'd been panicking for a moment, ready to grab her brother and drag him back home, but it was fine now. "I put in all that effort changing into this toga, I'm not getting out of it."

“Yeah, I’m shocked you just… bared it all there for a moment,” Sabrina laughed. “Well, some are just more bold than others, I presume… ha…”

"Well, you know what they say, if you have it, show it," Linqian smirked. She didn't have many qualms when it came to stuff like that… and was more than happy to talk about it now that she was multiple drinks in.

"Jie, that's not what they say. It's if you have it, flaunt it, and they don't mean about…" Henri giggled. "Stripping."

"Whatever," Linqian shrugged, finishing off yet another glass. And pouring herself another. The first one had been enough to push her to that point of tipsy when she had no inhibitions about drinking anymore. "Point still stands. I'm hot enough, so what's there to hide?"

“I mean…” Sabrina’s demeanor returned to that somber one. “You’re confident. That’s all that matters.” She shrugged.

Layla's eyes were glowing as she sipped her wine on the couch. A pajama party?! It had been years since she had indulged in anything so fun, so simple, so… free from the worries and burdens of life.

She watched Linqian hammer away her drinks, and couldn't help the giggle that escaped her throat. Linqian seemed to he enjoying herself, despite having her dinner devoured. That was good.

Her eyes turned to Sabrina.“If it's alright, I'd like to get out of this bee costume. Pajamas sound really, really nice right now. Can you uh, hook me up, Bean?”

Her gaze flicked to Henri. Did he… Was he in the know about abstractions? From his comment earlier, Layla had to assume no. So, her head tilted as she added, “We can use a different room, if it's easier.”

"Yeah, use a different room," Linqian half waved her glass, eyebrows raising slightly. She wasn't sure how to signal that her brother was Blind, but hopefully him saying he didn't know about abstractions would be enough.

"Oh yeah, I'm a guy, you shouldn't be changing in front of me!" Henri piped up, nodding.

Sabrina flatly looked at him.

She reached into her pocket and - created a black sheet in her hands - seemingly pulled a giant black cloth that would bulge out of the pocket of this dumb bee costume. She quickly threw it at Henri, and it covered him.

"Gwah?!" Henri let out a confused sound when a black sheet was thrown over his face from nowhere.

She laughed for a moment before she faced Layla and said, “We can go into the kitchen real quick, the guest room is… occupied.” She glanced at the room Edict and Britney were talking in. She quickly led Layla to the kitchen… and then she stuck out her hand, and Layla’s stupid bee costume was replaced with some probably more comfortable pajamas.

Layla heaved a sigh of relief, shifting around and flapping her arms a little in the new pajamas. A striped pale green and white color. Soft material. She smiled, “Oh wow, Bean. These look so nice!”

"Yeah, they're taking their SWEET ASS time in there!" Linqian said, raising her voice loud enough for Edict and Britney to hear her. She finished off her… well she'd lost count of the number of glasses, but another glass of Scotch. Shit was surprisingly good when she got into it. "Better hurry up before I finish the wholleeee fucking bottle of Scotch."

“There. Like the color? Need any adjustments?”

Layla softly shook her head as they made their way back to the living room, giggling at Linqian's outburst. Her eyes glanced at Sabrina. “No, no, these are perfect. I feel much more in the spirit for a slumber party now, thank you.”

“Anytime… Let’s head back,” Sabrina calmly walked back over to the living room and back to the party.

”I don't think anyone wants to see my magic staff, Linqian, so you better put the fucking cap on it and have a little FUCKING PATIENCE!” Greyson called out and down the hall, a playful tone in his voice.

Layla had sat back on the couch with her wine, and half spat out the contents of her mouth at Mr. Devola's rebuke.

"Get that out in front of my brother and you know exactly what'll fucking happen to it! Save that for later, yeah?" Linqian shouted back, rolling her eyes and laughing loudly. "I'm afraid the literal cap's already fucking off, and there's maybe about, hmm, half left?"

That was a lie, of course, she'd only had about five glasses. But there was no harm in making him worry.

Layla stared down at the Scotch bottle, a plan forming in her head. Yes, a great plan. the best plan of plans. With a grim playfulness about her, Layla dutifully peeled off the rest of her wine glass before approaching the scotch bottle. The bottle was cracked open once again, and another glass was poured for herself, filling her wine glass up to a crazy amount.

She stood there triumphantly, holding her glass up to the hallway, and yelled. “Less than half!”

She tossed back her glass, and her face held the most exquisite reflextiveness that only a non-drinker could possess as she held the brew in her mouth, and swallowed, tears beading in her eyes. A hissing groan escaped her lips as the world swayed, and Layla sat back down, her hurrah at a standstill momentarily with the mix of wine and Scotch in her system.

“They'd… better hurry up… or I'll drink… all of it.” She said shakily, raising her free hand defiantly before it flopped back down on the couch, and the world swayed.

"What the fuck?!" Linqian considered jumping up and grabbing the glass, but then couldn't be bothered to. Whatever. She rolled her eyes, leaned forward and grabbed the bottle of Scotch. She hugged it against her like she was cradling a child. "I'm keeping this, alright, fuck- you just drank way too much. I'm not watching you when you choke on your own fucking vomit!"

“... You know I have another bottle,” Sabrina flatly noted. “My sisters are alcoholics.”

Layla half-laid there on the couch, waving a hand as nonchalantly as possible. “I'm fine, I'm fine.”

A few moments passed before the Scotch started to hit her system, mixed with the wine and the Pink Lux. Layla drew herself up on the couch, glass held carefully in hand, before her eyes locked on Linqian.

“Linqian, Britney's my friend, right? Bestest of friends, riiiight?”

She paused, before she set her glass down and crawled over to where Linqian was sitting, holding herself up by the couch.

“You're my friend, right? Riiiight, Linqian?”

"What the fuck?!" Linqian shook her head, tilting herself away from Layla. She did not like dealing with drunk people like this. The drunk people she liked dealing with were a all over her in a completely different way- and that was fine! Normally she was just as drunk. "Yes, yes, I'm your friend!"

Layla stared, glowing at Linqian. “Really? Really, really?!”

Layla was just a radiating ball of joy after hearing Linqian's words, like everything in the world was right again.

”Yes, really!” Linqian twisted away, setting her glass down on the table. In a quick, very much not sober decision, she opened the bottle of scotch and took a big drink. Then she hugged it against her body, twisting away from Layla just in case she tried to go for it again. "GREYSON! BRITNEY! Come sort out your fucking- just come fucking in here right the fuck now!"

"Can I take the sheet off yet?" Henri said quietly, confused about the whole thing.

“I got you…” Sabrina said as she walked over and lifted the black sheet off of him, and neatly folded it into a square, and left it on the table. She sat back down on the sofa, put her feet together and her hands over on top of that.

”... Hey now, we were just fixing the sheets!” Britney laughed as she walked out… holding Edict’s hand.

Layla turned and stared, half in the grip of trying to gun for Linqian's bottle, jaw dropping at Britney and Mr. Devola. Namely their hand-holding.

“Please tell me you weren’t…” Sabrina groaned, and got a wink in response from Britney.

”Oh my goodness,” Britney began, giving everyone a wide smile. ”We step out for like oooooooone minute and it turns to straight up pandemonium!”

Edict was still holding Britney’s hand right up until he managed to put two and two together. Linqian, the bottle, boozed up Layla…
”Linqian, what the hell!? She’s still not old enough! God dammit, fuckin’-”
Moving to his coat, Edict pulled his channeler from the pocket and palmed it, but figured it’d be a bit too subtle for the group. He could at least give them the courtesy of not bullshitting them tonight.
So he slipped them onto his forehead, up and away from his eyes but still touching enough to cast.
”Layla! Homegirl, let me see the cup. You’re drinking my booze all up, and it ain’t fair.”

Layla Instinctively pulled back, moving to hug her cup, “Noooo, it's miiiiine.” She waved her hand at Mr. Devola in a weak attempt to keep him from her precious glass.

She piped up, not realizing she may be throwing Linqian under the bus with her next sentence. “Linqian said I can have as much as I want!”

”Are you fucking with me?! What the hell?! I didn’t let her fucking drink it, she just took it, look I’m preventing her from drinking any fucking more!” Linqian gestured to the Scotch bottle that she was holding tightly against her chest, like it was the child she’d always wanted. Linqian’s scowled, shooting a heated glare in his direction. ”You fucking go into another room to get all fucking lovey dovey and suddenly it’s all my fault one of the two minors are drunk, fucking hell, Greyson, go fuck yourself.”

She then spun around to glare at Layla. ”And you- I said you could have as much as you wanted? I did? Fuck off. I wouldn’t waste expensive fucking alcohol on a kid- fuck, does my brother look drunk to you, I’m a responsible fucking adult- I’ve actually raised a child, fuck!”

Layla shivered in spot, getting absolutely throttled by Linqian’s words. “B-b-b-but…”

”Uh, you let me have a beer earlier,” Henri very unhelpfully said.

”Huanyi, keep your fucking mouth shut.”

Sabrina facepalmed.

“... There. Is. Another. Bottle.” She shook her head. “And it’s fine if Layla has a drink or two… long as it all remains here.” Sabrina pointed both of her index fingers downward.

”Oh lord,” Britney rolled her eyes. ”Everyone. Chill out over some fuckin’ drinks…”

”It’s not fucking about the fucking drink,” Linqian hissed, using her free hand to point at Layla then Edict. ”It’s about the false fucking accusations.”

Layla pouted, clearly at a loss and oh-so-very-wounded in her daze-like state. “Bu-bu-but, you said at the island I could have some.”

”Look,” Britney began, letting go of Edict’s hand to raise both of them, ”Everyone just chill. We don’t need this kinda energy right now.” She rolled her eyes again.

Layla simmered down a bit, eyeing Britney and Linqian, before her smile returned as she beamed at Sabrina. “Beaaaan, you're the best. Of course it’ll stay here, where else would it go?! I'm not gonna go tromping around in the back yard with the Scotch…”

She got sidetracked, eyes widening in disproportionate and slightly sloshed glee. “But maybe if we make a toga line-”

“... I’m good,” Sabrina said.

Edict frowned at the situation. He hadn’t really wanted Linqian all pissy like this, but that’s how the booze worked. Turning to Sabrina, he held his hands up and shook his head.
”I guess another bottle probably isn’t the thing we need, since some people, Layla, can’t manage a whole lot of responsibility when they’re given the chance. Big difference between a drink or two and guzzling an eighth by herself.”

He grabbed the drink right out of the drunken girl’s hands, sitting down next to her.
”Now, for the sake of a good night, I’ve got homegirl here. Linqian?” he said, frowning.

“Noooo…” Layla said, watching Mr. Devola take her drink.

”I’m sorry for getting accusatory. If I had a magic wand, I’d wish that comment away, but now I can only apologize. So, please forgive me, and can I please have the beer I paid for back on Cracker Island?” he asked in a slightly playful tone.

”Fine. Apology accepted.” Linqian pinched her nose, taking a deep breath in. She really wanted to enjoy tonight… fuck. She’d lost it and she’d sworn at her brother too. Double fuck. She uncurled herself from the fetal position she’d ended up in around the bottle of Scotch, putting it back on the table. ”Let me just get it-”

Linqian froze as she bent over and looked through her bag. There was no beer. She then looked up and spotted the empty can… right beside Henri. Stay calm. Stay fucking calm. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the two bills Edict had paid for them and held them out instead of the beer. ”It looks like my darling little brother drank it, so here, a full refund. I guess you’re just going to have to drink all this fancy as fuck alcohol rather than the cheap ass beer I wrangled from my ot- my boss.”

Edict grinned wildly at the development, and he rumbled his communication spell across to Henri. It was a very simple image: A fistbump. He held his hand up to Linqian..
”Don’t worry about it, dude. It’s… Honestly the money is worth the giggle.”

Henri’s eyes widened at the fistbump - he couldn’t respond! He glanced at his sister, who wasn’t looking at him, so he subtly moved one of his hands into a thumbs up. So cool!

Layla had to giggle a bit. But then she felt bad. As bad as one could get under a rainbow sun. The beer she had shared with Henri was, in fact, Mr. Devola's. The realization elicited a small gasp, and Layla raised her hands to her lips.

”Seriously?” Linqian raised her eyebrows. She didn’t really want to accept the money, because it felt like it was for free, but he was refusing to take it back. What should she do about that? Linqian shrugged and put it back in her bag. Then she picked back up her glass, shifting around the sofa to get to the Baijiu she’d picked out. She poured herself a glass, and then paused. ”Ah, does anyone want a glass? It’s considered rude to drink this alone back home.”

“Meeeee!” Layla said without thinking.

”Me, Jie, I want to try Baijiu!” Henri grinned.

”Anyone except Layla and Yi-er,” Linqian forced a smile at both of them. She held up the bottle. ”It’s pretty strong, meant to be a toast and then drink thing. I’ll drink it alone if not- isn’t like there’s anyone to know any better.”

”Jie, you just explained the whole thing, so we all know better,” Henri pointed out. ”You could’ve just had a drink.”

“It’s my bottle technically,” Sabrina chuckled at the whole thought. “But sure,”

“Never had that before, but I’m always down to try a new thing!” Britney chipped.

“Aww.” Layla said, a slight pout to her face before she simply leaned back, eyeing her old glass Mr. Devola currently held hostage. Eh, maybe if she was patient enough, she'd get it back. For now, she let the world spin while the ‘adults’ enjoyed.

“What's the ETA on that pizza, anyway?” Layla asked, a grin creeping over her face once more.

“Oh yeah,” Sabrina pulled out her phone, and checked. “It should be here in about five minutes… give or take.”

Edict pulled the drink back, downing the wine glass full of scotch in three clean, smooth gulps. He grinned at Layla, finally handing her back the empty glass.

Layla looked at Mr. Devola, then down at her empty glass, then back up.“Welllll, at least my plan worked.”

She shot Linqian a mischievous look. “And the Scotch bottle is all the better for it now, much lighter in weight. A worthy sacrifice!”

”Eh?” Linqian gave Layla a confused look. What plan? Honestly, she didn’t care. She just wanted someone to either have a drink with her, or everyone to say no so she could feel like she wasn’t going to have all of her ancestors haunting her dreams for daring to breach drinking Baijiu etiquette. She awkwardly shook the bottle as if that would help her, or anyone, understand. ”Sure it did.”

”Hey, Layla, quit antagonizing. It’s not nice.” he gently batted her arm. Layla only giggled, hiding her face as she was found out.

Pulling himself up off the couch, he pointed his fingers at the two younger people from his eyes, the classic “I’m watching you” imagery. But he sat down next to Linqian and patted his legs.
”I will drink the psycho chinese rice liquor. I hear it's strong as hell.”

”It’s not that bad, this one's only 50%,” Linqian’s lips curved into a teasing smile. She poured another glass - since she hadn’t bothered to find any shot glasses, she was only pouring a small amount into the normal ones. She took her own and held it up in her right hand, clearly indicating for Edict to do the same. ”You have to down in it one. 干杯... don’t try repeat it, just do it in English.”

Edict held up his right hand with the glass in it as expected; he’d seen a few different Asian drinking ceremonies, and while he didn’t know the intricate details, he’d certainly seen a man beaten to death for using his left hand.
”A toast to… A magical evening?”

Layla watched on, eyes full of drunken awe.

”Right… to a magical evening,” Linqian narrowed her eyes at him questioningly, but decided to go with it… because drinking was more important. She tapped her glass against his, with hers just slightly lower, before knocking it back in one shot. It burned slightly as it slid down her throat, but it was a feeling that she was used to. She smiled, carefully watching how everyone else would fair with their own.

Britney grinned, as she raised her glass of wine. “… Every day is magical when you are one of us!” She glanced at everyone here, before she said,

“A toast to friends, old and new,” Britney said. “May our adventures from here on be extraordinary!”

Sabrina tapped Britney’s glass, before she said, “I really look forward to seeing you all again and getting to know you.”

She paused, “Let me not get ahead of myself, let’s enjoy the night first and foremost.”

”Yeah, let's have a fucking good night, after all that shit at the festival,” Linqian grinned, clearly in a good mood again. Her mood swings, it seemed, were quicker when drunk (though she'd argue she wasn't there yet). She held up the bottle again, leaning forward as if to pour into everyone's glasses again. ”Another? Technically your glass is never meant to be empty.”

"Is that why you came home drunk all the time when you worked at that bar… the uh, I don't remember the name. The place where most of the staff were Chinese too." Henri furrowed his brow as if trying really hard to remember.

Linqian winced. That hadn't been a good workplace. ”Yeah… but it did teach me to hold my alcohol.”

Layla wanted to try some. She really wanted to try some. So she did the most logical thing. She slid off the couch and leaned her elbows on the coffee table, shooting the biggest puppy-dog eyes at Linqian. “Linqiaaaaaannnnnnnnnn…”

It was clear Layla needed a toy of some sort. Perhaps if the pizza arrived, she would be properly occupied instead of feeling left out while the ‘adults’ partied.

”What?” Linqian glanced over at Layla, eyebrows raising. The puppy-dog eyes didn't work on her - she'd spent the last ten years raising Henri, master of puppy-dog eyes. Layla's had very little effect on her. She didn't care if she was bored or wanted the alcohol. But it was beginning to feel like she'd gained another fucking little sibling, with all the annoyances that came with that. ”You're not getting any.”

Layla intensified her puppy dog eyes to no avail. Linqian was an iron fortress.

"Hey," Henri 'whispered' at the same volume as his normal voice, following Layla's lead and sliding off the couch. He knelt beside her. "I've got a technique that always works."

“Really?” Layla gaped, watching as Henri came to join her, physically and metaphorically. “What is it?”

A shit eating grin pulled up his lips. "Call her Jiejie- it means big sister. It always works. Repeat after me, Jee-eh Jeh."

He tried to draw out the pronunciation, but it wasn't quite right. It was difficult to describe sounds that came so naturally to him, being brought up with the language.

Layla gave an excited gasp, mimicking him as best she could under her breath. “Henri, you're a mad genius.”

"Hehe, I know," Henri grinned, giggling.

She tried it. She put on her best sweet grin, scrunching her eyes, and said nice and loud for Linqian, “Jeeeee-ah Jeeeeeeee~! Please can we have some? Just a liiiitle bit? Pleeeeeease?”

Shs raised her hands in a pleading manner, like a beggar asking for a scrap of bread.

Edict took a long sideways look at the two younger people as he held out his glass for Linqian to add more to.
”Guys, come on… Moderation: You've both got your whole lives ahead of you where you can get shit faced whenever you want. Consider your current privilege, and be happy that Ms. Bean is kind enough to let you drink in her home.”

This was entirely uncharacteristic of Edict, who was usually the absolute worst influence ever. But with Linqian drinking, he didn't want to deal with the aftermath.

"Aww but I've only had a couple of beers! Layla had way more than me!" Henri pouted.

”Your pronunciation is off, anyway, not happening, come back when you've perfected Chinese,” Linqian laughed, before pouring Edict and herself another glass. She clinked his glass against his immediately, and knocked hers back. She was solidly drunk now, but it wasn't obvious - she was sitting and talking no worries. "干杯. Fucking feels like I've got a second adult kid now. One was enough!”

She rolled her eyes, glancing at Layla, then Edict. ”Didn't picture you as a fucking strict dad, though.” Wait, shit. That sounded like she was suggesting… they were parents together… no fucking way! ”I mean of Layla. Hua-Henri's mine. Well not actually, but legally- fuck, anyway, that's why you've not had a bunch of Scotch, Yi-er, because I'm a responsible parent.”

Layla just kind of melted there on her knees, staring up at Linqian and Mr. Devola. Did… did she actually mean it?

No. It was the feeling Layla was getting. A strict dad and mirroring mom. Patching over something in her heart that she had lost a long time ago.

Her eyes misted over, hiccuping back the tears that threatened to fall. She was just so emotional!

Edict glared at Linqian.
”You know, he's kind of right though. Henri did drink quite a bit less than Miss Troublemaker over here. Besides, all young Warlocks need good memories. Let them split one? he suggested, face tilting slightly.
He scattered an image across Linqian's Emotional Field of the two of Henri and Layla passed out on the couch, leaving the elders to have a nice relaxing evening eating pizza and watching movies.

Layla listened, blinking back the tears as she fist pumped the air. “Yes, yes, that's a great idea!”

She paused, before her bottom lip stuck out a bit. “I'm not a trouble maker…”

“Yeah, I agree!” Henri also fist pumped the air. “... wait, is Warlock some kinda slang I don’t know.”

”Also, Layla? Isn't it just about time for your medicine again?” he asked, tilting his head lazily to look at the young woman.

Britney shot her gaze towards Edict.

Layla froze there like a deer caught in the headlights, her heart skipping a beat. Nothing quite explained this feeling. But it was true. The rainbow sun was fading a bit, and the embrace she felt, the security blanket was losing its hues of color. Had so much time passed already?

Her gaze dropped to the floor, hesitant and nervous for the briefest moment, before she swallowed and looked up.

She could trust Mr. Devola, right?

The alcohol swirled around in her system, softening any logic she had into hot butter. Of course everything was fine.

She nodded her head, a somewhat tense smile on her face. “R-right. Yes, Mr. Devola. I suppose it is about that time…”

She swallowed again and tried to relax. That's all she needed to do. Everything would be fine. And hopefully no one would question her about this. She was sworn to secrecy, after all.

Linqian raised an eyebrow. She knew exactly what Edict planned to do, and she really couldn't care less if he was going to go smooth Layla's brain out more. Maybe it would make her quieter. Maybe he could smooth the loudness out. But she didn’t trust the image he’d shown her. It was appealing, sure, but her brother’s safety was more important than anything. Sure, he would be coming home with her… She glanced over at Henri, who widened his eyes and tried to look cute.

Of course, it worked better than normal with the amount Linqian had drunk. ”Fine. One between them. I’m pouring it.”

She got another glass, and poured a small amount in the bottom. A bit less than she’d been pouring for them, as she’d likely been pouring more than a normal Baijiu glass amount. She then held it out to Henri first. ”Don’t even think about drinking more than half. I’ll know, and I’ll cut your allowance, got it?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Henri grinned and took it from her. Once the glass was out of her hand, Linqian poured herself yet another glass and clinked it against his, before downing it. She then watched her brother with hazy eyes. Henri followed suit and drank half as best he could, expression scrunching up at the strength of the alcohol. “Ewgh, I prefer beer.”

He then held the glass, and the remaining alcohol in it, out to Layla with a grin.

Layla grinned back, momentarily forgetting her trepidation at their shared small victory. She wasn't just holding a cup of Baijiu, she was holding the hopes and dreams of all minors when left to their own devices.

“Bottoms up,” She smirked, and toasted the glass in Henri's direction before tossing it back in one full gulp. The shivers that wracked her body after from the strong taste were to be expected, as well as the scrunched in face. It was strong. In a completely different way than the scotch.

“T-to family.” She cracked out in a hoarse whisper, gently setting the glass on the table. Then she crawled back onto the couch, and let herself deflate a bit, head spinning.

“Thaaaanks, Jee-ah jeeeee.” She mumbled happily, quite content to relax there on the couch until the end of time. Or at least until Mr. Devola decided to move forward with ‘medication time’. Or when the pizza arrived.

”I really wish you hadn’t taught her that, she’s really butchering it,” Linqian muttered at her brother, with a half hearted glare.

“Oh, the pizza’s here,” Sabrina said as she got up. “Could someone give me a hand? I know I’m tall but there’s only so much I can do.”

Linqian was about to volunteer herself, putting a hand on the table to push herself to her feet. But as soon as she did she was hit by a wave of dizziness, swaying slightly. Ah, fuck. How many drinks had she had? Like… eight glasses… maybe. She immediately sat back down.

“I’ll help!” Henri jumped up, surprisingly fine after drinking the half shot of Baijiu. “I’m taller, so I’ll be able to carry even more! Let’s go!”

“Henri, you're my hero.” Layla called from her deflated position on the couch, entirely focused on how, exactly, the world was swaying as she half-slumped there, comfortably.

While that was going on, Britney pulled out her cellphone… with a glass of wine in the other hand. She decided to change the song since she was still connected to the Bluetooth and, and nobody had protested yet. So, she decided to play a little something…

---

Messages From the Stars - Rah Band

---

As Henri and Sabrina left the room to get the pizza, Edict nodded and slid his glasses on. He didn’t need to look at the girl or anything, rather it would be much easier this second time to just get things over with. He’d developed a power word specifically for situations like this.

”Alright, Layla… We’ll clear some of the alcohol poisoning out too, bring you back to your senses a bit. Anyone else want a bump?” he grinned at Britney and Linqian.
”Just kidding. This is for business, unfortunately.”

”Pink Lotus’ Guiding Principle: Power Word Refresh.”
The spell crawled into her brain through the same opening as before; a backdoor installed since he figured this would be happening again tonight. Tendrils roamed around, though with no reason to suspect her, he didn’t check her recent memories to catch her spying.
The effects of the spell bubbled up again, suppressing Layla’s fear and anxiety over her powers and reinforcing her feelings of friendship and love toward those present. In addition, he managed a quick scrub of the front part of her brain, cleansing the haze of drunkenness she was hitherto locked up in.

And then it was done, and Edict pulled his glasses up again before the pizza had even been paid for. He cleared his throat.
”All done!”

Layla blinked. In an instant, she felt it, and it was. Over. It seemed easier for him this time. That was strange. Would it always be like this?

She took a breath to steady herself, feeling the smile creep over her features again, and a sense of relaxation that wasn't marred by drunkeness. This was who she was, wasn't it? Just a friendly girl among friends, strong, confident. Just friendly. Why had she ever felt so scared and anxious long before this?

The new information shone through her eyes, a new Layla, piece by piece, being formed.

“Thanks. Uh, Mr. Devola.” She said with a smile.

Britney’s eyes narrowed at Edict… However, she was silent. Dead silent.

In a very delayed action, Linqian flipped Edict off. Anyone else want a bump, fucking asshole, as if. ”You are never fucking getting in my head again, I’m not a fucking-” she gestured to Layla. ”You know.”

Wait, shit. She glanced at Britney. ”Pretend you didn’t fucking hear that.”

”Oh no, I heard everything,” Britney said, before she looked at Edict.

Layla blinked at Linqian, utterly confused. “What do you mean? You've… you've taken the medicine before too?”

”Fucking hell no,” Linqian lied with a very forced smile. ”I’m just joking around. My life is fucking perfect, my mi-body healthy as shit, no fucking way.”

Layla tilted her head, before her eyes squinted for a long, long moment. She wasn't entirely convinced. Was Linqian- Jiejie, hiding something…? She let her silence hang in the air, hoping Linqian would continue talking.

Edict shook his head toward Layla.
”Nah, Linqian’s never needed the help.” he waved her off, furrowing his brow at her reaction. A little snappy, not exactly what he’d expected.

Layla stared for another long moment, before she sighed and smiled, letting it go.“Alright.”

Her gaze glanced from Mr. Devola to the front door, sitting up a little straighter in her seat. There were more important things to worry about. Like how delicious this pizza was going to be.

Britney smiled at Edict, baring her teeth.

”... Greyson, could we have another little private talk?” Britney tilted her head more and more as she spoke each word.

Layla's eyes widened a little. She'd never seen Britney like this before.

”Heh, someone’s in trouble,” Linqian side eyed him and smirked.

Edict quickly stood to join her, closing his eyes in vague frustration.
”Of course, whatever you want.”
He didn’t bother reaching for her hand; Linqian was right. Clearly, even though it was for her sake, Britney didn’t want him using his magic so brazenly.

However, at this point, Sabrina came back inside the room with a stack of pizzas in hand, and Henri was behind her holding some food himself. She placed the stack on the table, and then separated each box into its own stack depending on what type of pizza it was. “I got pepperoni, plain, supreme, meat lovers…” Sabrina trailed. “And some sides like mozzarella sticks, wings, garlic knots, et cetera…”

She stood straight up, and then clapped her hands together.

“Dig in. You can take home what’s left over.” She shrugged.

“Thank you!” Henri grinned, grabbing a piece of meat lovers and immediately stuffing a large amount into his face.

“Wow, this looks amazing. Thank you so much, Bean!” Layla immediately pulled out her phone and started snapping photos of the pizzas, before she got a cool idea and snapped a few candid photos of Linqian, Mr. Devola, Henri, Britney and the rest. For the memory!

”Really?” Linqian’s eyes went wide as she glanced over all the pizza. She started to mentally calculate how much everyone would eat. Henri had a large appetite, but he’d also had some of her actual dinner before… he’d probably eat about half a pizza. Edict had cleaned the plate when she cooked for him, so she estimated half for him too. Britney and Sabrina, she had no idea. Hopefully Layla wouldn’t eat much after having her noodles… Perhaps a pizza between the three, and a little more of another? If she only had one piece tonight, she could maybe take a whole pizza home. That could be her lunch for three days. Even half could last two.

Linqian reached out for a piece of plain mozzarella pizza. This would be enough to sustain her for the night. She’d gone on less. She took a bite, and immediately regretted it. No, it was fine. She ate another couple of pieces then stopped, putting the slice down. Intense nausea hit her. She gritted her teeth, and turned to look at Sabrina, asking in a strained voice, ”where’s your bathroom?”

Layla was halfway through a cheese pizza slice herself, looking up in surprise at Linqian. A chew and a swallow, before her brows furrowed. “You don't look good, Jee-ah jee.”

”I’m fine,” Linqian waved her hand at Layla, pushing down the nausea. ”Just need the toilet.”

“It’s right there,” Sabrina pointed at a door that was at the start of the hall. “… Clean up when you are done. Please and thanks.”

”Don’t worry, part of my job,” Linqian managed to get out. She stood up with help of the table, swaying very obviously, before beelining for the toilet. Well, it was a very not straight line. The bathroom door slammed loudly behind her, obviously not locked, and muffled retching could be heard shortly afterwards.

“Oh fuck, not again,” Henri said, gaze following his sister. He held out his hand towards Layla in case she tried to follow. “She won’t want you to go check on her, believe me, she barely let Ge in whenever she was sick. Shit, I’m making her sound like an alcoholic, it hasn’t been like that recently. She used to work at this place that’d make everyone go drinking… She’d never eat during work, then when she got home drunk would have dinner and get sooo sick.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry about this. She’ll be fine, I promise!”

Layla tensed a bit, staring at the hallway and bathroom door, before dragging her eyes over to Henri. What he was describing sounded awful.

“I… I didn't know it was that bad. That sounds… Really rough.”

She bit her lip, hesitating, before gently shrugging Henri's hand aside and stood. The world didn't sway nearly as much thanks to Mr. Devola's intervention.

“I'm gonna check on her.” She glanced at Henri, and frantically waved her hands. “I won't go in, I'll just knock.”

And she took off down the hall.

---

Fuck. Linqian leaned back against the bathroom wall after slamming the toilet lid closed, making sure to flush it multiple times. She’d give it a proper clean when her head stopped swimming… fuck, what a pain. She shouldn’t have tried eating. This always happens. Should’ve just drank herself into a coma!

She groaned, head falling onto her knees as her chest tightened. This was the bit she hated the most about drinking. The inevitable fucking shitty feelings that welled up as soon as she was alone. The crashing waves of hopelessness and despair that her sobriety held back.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and a soft voice spoke. Layla. “Jee-ah jee? You okay?”

"Fine, fuck off," Linqian snapped, not really caring if it upset Layla. She just needed a moment alone… well she didn't fucking want a moment alone, but she needed it to collect herself. It was easy to make herself sound normal, voice not shaking even as she felt her mood dropping. Just in case, she reached up and locked the door. She frowned, forcing herself to say something else. "Pizza just didn't agree with me.'

Layla paused for a moment there at the door, then spoke again. “Alright… if you're sure.” And she retreated, returning to the couch.

Linqian let out a slight sigh of relief, burying her head back in her knees. She needed to not fucking be like this. At least the nausea was a good excuse, no one would know she was curled up in the fucking bathroom trying to hold off a drunken breakdown that was long overdue. Jinhai, Henri being here... fuck.

She should’ve gone back to the toga line. Dealt with the temporary embarrassment for something that would help her forget everything. She knew just where she’d be if she had - with Vashti, getting so utterly destroyed and she did the same in return. She’d be embroiled in a pleasure so violent that there’d be no room for thoughts in her mind.

But she was here, in Sabrina Vanburen’s bathroom, trying not to cry and trying not to throw up again. Fuck. It was fine. She’d get her shitty emotions under control, go back out, and drink herself into a coma.

---

Britney led Edict back into the same room they had their conversation in, and she scowled as she crossed her arms and shook her head. She faced out the window, looking at the sky - or what little of it she could. ”Greyson… Greyson, what the fuck? Okay, I understood why you happy-pilled Ms. Deeby-Downer - and maybe that’s for the best - but I’m not going to sit here and let you mind-fuck all of our friends, okay?”

She shook her head. ”This stops.”

”What, with Layla!? I told you, it's for your sake - your safety!” Greyson paused, looking at Britney with dispondance in his eyes. He’d pocketed his channeler knowing how important it was that he distance himself from his magic when talking to her.

”Whatever you want me to do, fine! I’ve got no interest in arguing or-or… Or being a dick. I don’t wanna fight with you, Brit. Just… What? Who friend? Linqian?” he finally asked, eyes narrowing as the alcohol started to dissolve through his bloodstream.

Britney facepalmed.

”Look, Layla… I don’t care about, keep her high as a kite long as she’s not causing problems,” Britney began. ”Linqian? I care about her. And I don’t want this to go any further than that, alright? That’s it.”

Greyson closed his eyes, nodding like a child caught in the cookie jar.
”Listen… Alright. No sex, nothing like that, but… Technically she’s my employee. I promise we won’t hook up, I won’t even look at her. Nothing like that. Purely professional. But… We did spend a night together. I know she doesn’t want anything serious and you know I wouldn’t either! But, it's important for me to have eyes and ears that aren’t mine, Brit! You know people won’t just let me in like that, it’s like I’m some fucking goon to most of them!”
He put his finger up, closing his eyes. Deep breaths.

”I will not hook up with her and I will not use my magic on her without her consent. She’s plenty capable of denying me, and we had one night of nothing: But I know for a fact that she needs the extra employment, and I need the help. If you can’t accept that, then I will dump it for you because you are what matters most to me. So make it clear as day to me right now how you feel, because a no from you means changes to a lot of plans.”

“Look, I mean far as digging in people’s head with your Pink-Lux,” Britney shrugged. “It’s not my place to tell you what you can do with your penis.”

”I’m not dig-”
Greyson gripped his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath.
”-You got it. No digging, no rooting, no nothin’. I was only in her head in the first place because we were in the middle of things; you know how it is. The Lotus Blossom must unfurl.” he gave Britney a sideways grin.

”Now, is that all?

”... Do you want to try my new herbal tea?” Britney asked with a devious smile. ”If so, that’s all.”

A lot more thought and effort had to be put into the answer of this question than Greyson felt it deserved. If it were anyone else, the answer would be a no-brainer: Yes, I want your new herbal tea. I love tea.
With Britney, new herbal tea could mean a leaf that constipates you and leaves you buckled over the toilet hurling shit out of your mouth. It could also mean falling asleep for the next forty-eight hours and losing contact with the outside world.

It could also be the best damn tea you’ve ever tasted in your life. There was a chance it was real tea, and it was good tea.

But why would she offer such a thing up right now?
He took a deep breath, tilting his head back as he felt the alcohol pump through his system. It was in his brain… He hated it in his brain.
”Only if you’re drinking it too, Brit… And I pour…”

”Well, there goes my plan to lace it with laxatives!” Britney laughed. ”Let’s get back out there; I don’t want Bean to think we’re fucking in here again. She’s probably itching to dose the room with Lysol like she’s got a firehose!”

”Ahhh, same old Britney. I told you a dozen times you were meant for The Life. You’re like a razorblade.” Greyson proudly declared, ushering her back out to her friends and the cast of teens they’d managed to pick up along the way.

---

After Layla returned to the couch, she felt a ding in her pocket. Patting down her pajamas to find her phone, she pulled it out and saw a text from someone she wasn't expecting contact from so soon.

I need your abstraction. Send one of your ghosts over. I'll be behind the Haunted House.

Layla's heart skipped a beat. How did Luna know about her curse? Well… Layla stopped and thought about it logically as she sat there on the couch. Luna was always known as a spy, wasn't she? Did they have intel on her?

…How far did that intel go?

And how was she even going to convince-... No, no she had to be strong. Her medicine told her that she could handle her powers, she would find a way to convince the entities somehow. If Luna needed them, it must have been serious.

Tilting her head in thought, Layla sent a quick text back.

They don't play nice, but if you're sure, cut your hand a bit. It'll help them find you. I'll try to convince them to visit. No promises, okay?

Layla waited for a reply, which came a few moments after.

Okay.

That was the confirmation she needed. Taking a breath to steady herself under the rainbow sun and sugar-pop joy, Layla stood from the couch once more.

“I uh, need a smoke break. I'll be right back!”

A terrible lie, but she was hopeful her friends would only think Layla needed some air. If Linqian was faring poorly, it wouldn't be too suspicious if she suddenly felt poorly too. Slipping on her shoes, Layla opened the front door and stepped into the cold street.

Alone past the gate, Layla kept walking until she was out of view of Sabrina’s fancy house, and came to a stop under a street light. It felt a little awkward to be standing there in pajamas, but she figured people would assume it was yet another costume on this auspicious night.

Layla raised her hands together, cupping them, before a tiny seed began to form. It grew, glowing white, before a single, thorny stem burst from the seed, bulb opening up into a beautiful crystal rose.

Near instantly, the light from the street lamp cut out, plunging Layla in darkness. She shivered there, her breath coming out in puffy white mists, before she felt a gloved hand on her shoulder.

Layla gave a strangled shriek, spinning around to see Mr. Riil standing there, trench coat and hat looking blacker than pitch. He tilted his chin up arrogantly, arms crossing over his chest.

“You call with no sacrifices. You know what that means.”

Layla stammered as she stood there, then clamped down hard on her tongue. No. She wasn't weak. She wasn't scared! The medicine told her that she didn't have to be afraid of this!

Heartbeat pulsing in her ears, Layla clenched her fists and spoke.“I need your help.”

Mr. Riil stared, then laughed. “My help? You think you're in the position to ask for my help.”

“It's not for me, it's for someone else. Please, it's urgent!”

Mr. Riil stood there, unamusement radiating off of him. Before he got an idea, and a wicked chuckle emanated from his chest.

“Beg me.”

“What?”

“Beg. Me.”

Layla stood there, stunned. Would she really stoop so low? Would she really beg the entity that had near full control over her life and her bloodline?

Layla grimaced as she stood there.

Luna was counting on her, wasn't she?

Layla’s grimace increased, and she quietly knelt in front of Mr. Riil.

“Please.” She whispered.

“Louder.”

“Please!”

“Please what?”

“Please go to Cracker Island and find out what Luna needs.”

“I'm not convinced.”

Layla gritted her teeth and gripped the hem of Mr. Riil’s coat. “I'm begging you, please.”

At that, Mr. Riil chuckled. A dark, arrogant chuckle. He gave Layla a soft pat on her head. “Fine. I'll go and see her. Now go back to your party, my dear.”

Layla held her breath until Mr. Riil disappeared, then blindly made her way back to Sabrina’s house. She let herself back in, took off her shoes, and curled up on the couch once more, trying to hide the tremor in her hands.

“I’m back… What did I miss?”

"Not much!" Henri shrugged, glancing down towards the bathroom. "Jie's still in there but she texted me to say she's just worried she'll be sick again, and doesn't want to get it everywhere. Just been me and Bean and the pizza."

He held up his fifth slice with a grin. “Want anymore?”

“Maybe one more slice for now, yeah…” Layla said, trying a smile as she reached for another slice of cheese pizza.

“We were just… relaxing,” Sabrina began. “Say, Layla… you were apart of the same group that Britney, Linqian, and Greyson were apart of, right?”

Layla seemed to relax a bit at the question, leaning back into the couch with her pizza slice. “Yep! I was real young at the time, though. So it's not a surprise they still uh, treat me like a… Well, child.”

“Oh man, I get that!” Henri piped up, munching on his pizza. “Jie still treats me like a kid even though I’m eighteen… I mean I moved out and everything! Sorta. Like I’m back home now, but that’s because of… y’know. Anyway! I think we should rise up against them treating us like children! Show ‘em we’re not!”

“I feel like there’s a reason for that…” Sabrina mused.

Layla felt her tension melt a bit more, giggling at Sabrina's comment, and half-heartedly pumped the air with her fist. “Yeah! We can handle responsibility like everyone else! The best way to show that, though?”

Layla lapsed into thought for a moment, before her eyes sparkled. “We could polish off one of the bottles! Truly the epitome of responsibility.”

“Yeah! I like your thinking!” Henri grinned, the alcohol he’d had completely destroying the tiny amount of common sense he had. “Showing we can handle our alcohol is truly responsible… but not the Baijiu. Jie will kill me if I drink all of that without letting her have more. Let’s finish off the scotch!”

“Scotch it is!” Layla said with a triumphant whoop, beelining for the remaining scotch bottle and bringing closer to their side of the coffee table.

“I uh, don't want Jee-ah jee feeling even more worse than she already is, so yeah, we won't touch her Baijiu.” She said with a beaming smile.

She cracked the bottle open, poured a half glass for Henri, and the same amount for herself, set the bottle aside and gave Hanri a quick toast.

“To responsibility!”

“To responsibility!” Henri grinned, raising his glass.

Her eyes glanced at Sabrina cheerily, “You wanna join in on this toasting, Bean?”

“... You’re definitely not showing a lot of responsibility right now,” Sabrina quickly laughed. “You all should be toasting to not vomiting all over my furniture. I dealt with enough alcohol-fueled tomfoolery from my sisters to last a lifetime, heh…”

“We'll be careful, I promise!” Layla laughed.

“To not throwing up all over your couch!” Henri laughed, knocking back about half of the Scotch in his glass. He winced a bit at the burn against his throat, before taking another sip. “Don’t worry, I learnt from the best, Jie,” he gestured down the corridor towards the bathroom, “always makes it to the bathroom before spewing.”

“See? Absolute pro.” Layla mused happily as she sipped slowly on her own scotch, careful not to rush this time. She was feeling much better after her medicine, after all.

Britney, and by proxy Edict, returned to the living room as Sabrina was dealing with the two younger adults. He stared at Layla, then at Henri, and shook his head at the both of them.
”If there’s any kind of throwup on these couches by the end of the night, it better come from a person who can legally drink.” he barked at them, harkening back to his younger days as a teen getting harped on by the older Made guys.
Hypocrisy came naturally as breathing air.

Layla immediately felt the strictness in his tone, and felt a bit sheepish with her glass. Still, she couldn't help but smile. “Yes, boss!”

Britney sat down next to Sabrina. ”Yeah, I can tell you two ain’t drink before… I know she’s going to be regretting her choices in the morning, ha!” Britney laughed as she threw a thumb Layla’s way.

Layla vigorously shook her head, giggling, “Never, not at all!”

“Heyyyy, I already promised not to throw up on the couch!” Henri grinned, completely unaffected by Edict’s tone - after all, he wasn’t really as scary as an angry Linqian (or the rare angry Jinhai he’d witnessed). “And Jie already avoided throwing up on the couch by getting to the bathroom in time, so surely it’s alright if I do it in her place! I won’t! But I totally could, she’d be fine with it, I swear.”

”Henri, you know damn well she’d explode. Now, scooch a cheek and lemmie sit down.” he playfully bumped into Henri, jostling him around. As he did so, Edict got a bit closer and held him steady. Nice and close.
”So she doesn’t know, huh? How long?”

“Ohhhh, of course she doesn’t know, how would I tell her that I have magic?” Henri whispered, leaning in closer and glancing at the others. “She wouldn’t believe me! It’s been, hmm, two months or so. Happened back in September, whoa, it was wild.”

”Listen Kid… I’m gonna blow your mind. But we’re gonna keep it a secret, okay?” Edict patted Henri’s shoulder like a friend would. ”She’s a witch. I’m a Wizard. Everyone in this room knows magic. There’s a room in this house full of sixty thousand bees magically controlled by some dickhead somewhere out in the city right now.”

Layla's eyes shimmered over her glass as she watched for Henri's reaction. He would finally be in the know.

“No way,” Henri’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open rather comically. He just stared at Edict for a while, seeming to be processing it. It was a lot to take in. “She… what? Is that what she meant about the bees- wait, so this whole time she’s- and Ge- uh, Jinhai- too?”

Edict waggled his eyebrows.
”Jinhai was one of the best of us. Skilled and powerful.”
He spun his head slightly to look at the hallway, then back to Henri when he knew for sure Linqian wasn’t just hovering there.
”Listen… I’m a Warlock first, okay? But, my business outside is… Unsavory. Linqian won’t want you hanging out with me. But, I think you deserve to know more about our world than what’s been hidden from you. So, let’s meet up some time, eh? I can tell you stories, take you to people to learn about your powers… What do you think?”

Henri considered it for a moment. He didn’t want to do something Linqian didn’t want him to… but she protected him too much! If she’d hidden magic from him this whole time, she wasn’t about to start teaching him it. He made his decision, looking at Edict with shining eyes. “Yeah, I’d love that! I’ve just been figuring it out myself so far, which is hard when I was living in dorms till last week- And I really want to hear more about what Jie and Ge got up to with their magic.”

Edict proudly smiled and patted his shoulder again.
”I’ll show you everything I ever saw in high definition, Henri. It’ll be good for you. How about you give me your number, and when I know I’ve got a bit of free time I’ll give you a call and we’ll talk about what comes next?”

“Sure!” Henri grinned, before listing off his number just like that. “Oh, should I write it down, would that be easier? Also, I’m free like all the time, though Jie does want me to go to therapy… But right now, I don’t have anything on! So I’ll definitely be available. Well, I sometimes hang around her work, but I’m sure I can make an excuse and leave… heh, she’s too busy to pay attention anyway.”

Edict grinned and shook his head.
”No paper. In fact, you’ve gotta learn to make sure that she has no idea we’ve talked ever after tonight. I bet you when you’re sober tomorrow, she’s gonna give you a big lecture about how you shouldn’t ever talk to any of us. She’s real protective of you, y’know, you’re all she has left, Kid. Be good to her.”

“I know,” Henri rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m gonna become responsible enough that she doesn’t have to protect me- but just now, I won’t tell her. Promise.”

”Good, then you can start by not drinking anymore tonight.” Edict finished, finally sliding away and leaning his back against the couch to relax. However, meat lovers pizza hit his nose, and he tore open a box like a ravenous animal to devour the remaining slices of it.

“Responsibility…” Layla murmured under her breath. Mr. Devola was stepping back into his father-like role, and she quietly held onto her own glass, hand half hiding it. She preferred her own sense of responsibility, after all.

Henri pouted, but nodded slightly and put down his half drank glass of Scotch. It was perfectly timed, the sound of the bathroom door unlocking coming from down the hall.

Linqian reappeared, looking a lot worse for wear. The skin underneath her eyes was flushed and slightly puffy, her lipstick smudged, and her hair now tied back in a single, messy low ponytail with a few stray curls falling over her face. She silently made her way straight for the Baijiu bottle, crouching down to grab it and an empty glass. With the bottle in hand, she slumped against the sofa near Edict, immediately pouring herself a glass and downing it without much care. Her goal was very clear - drinking as much as possible as quickly as possible. There was no way this group would be able to distract her from all the fucking annoying thoughts she was struggling to ignore, and she needed a little bit more to even engage in conversation with them again.

“Jie, should you really be drinking more?” Henri asked.

”Absolutely. I need to replace what I threw up.” Linqian poured herself another glass. Her nose wrinkled at the smell wafting over from the pizza, but she was just about able to ignore it.

“... Should you really now?” Sabrina rolled her eyes.

Layla stared for a long moment at Linqian before she shrugged, holding up her own glass with a smile. “Cheers, Jee-ah jee.”

She took a small sip. Maybe this was what responsibility was. Going slow as heck with your alcohol. Fates knew she didn't want to mess up the refreshing Mr. Devola had given her.

She stared between Linqian and Henri. A smirk played at her lips. Now they all shared a secret that excluded Linqian, directly involving her own brother. Guidance was always helpful, and she remembered her own induction into the coven. Mr. Devola’s help was exactly what Henri would need.

Her mind drifted briefly, and she pulled out her phone. No response from Luna. Just what was going on at Cracker Island now?

Layla repocketed her phone, reaching for a mozzarella stick. A single bite, and she sighed happily. “This is the best. Good food, good company.”

”... And good people!” Britney said with a smile as she poured herself some wine and raised.

”And good booze,” Linqian added, holding up her glass.

“And hoping this night doesn’t go south...”

Layla smiled, surrounded by friends. It was comfortable, like she was where she was supposed to be. She took a sip of her drink before passing a palm over her lips, lost in thought for a moment.

“Well, there's a way we can test that theory about our night…” A mischievous grin passed over her lips. Oh, they'd love this, surely.

“Truth or dare, anyone?”

And the rest of the night continued like this, warm and friendly among companions.

Paragraphs: Agents of Death [FernStone & Punished Ghost Note]

Saskia A. Otten

"I’ve already bled to death once, what’s another couple of times? Hey, wait, it’s a joke, Ella, stop crying-"

_______________________________________________ Saskia Anneke Otten They/She | 26 | Dutch-American | 5’1” | 103lbs _______________________________________________ Inscrutable _______________________________________________ Skills & Talents "Be careful. You wouldn’t want my knife to slip and cut your carotid artery, would you?." ___________________________________ [+] Dark Humour ⫻ Saskia would count their dark humour as a talent. When used at the right time, their sarcastic and morbid jokes can be quite funny. They’re less talented at actually using them at the right time. Human Biology ⫻ Saskia has an in depth understanding of the human body and anatomy, sometimes to a disturbing degree. They know a lot about the best ways to kill a person and far too much about how quickly someone will bleed out depending where you cut them. Their interest in it is quite morbid. It’s useful with their abstraction, of course, allowing them to cut places that won’t cause them to bleed out. They use this knowledge in their spell development (along with anime inspiration). Singing & Guitar Playing ⫻ Saskia is a talented singer, along with having learned to play the guitar. They’re very good at both and want to make music in the future… Or at least, they wanted to. They tend to play more rock and metal music. Bone Collection & Identification ⫻ Another morbid hobby of Saskia’s, they spent a lot of their free time collecting bones of dead animals. Because of this they can identify what animal a lot of skeletons are of, and know how to take care of bones to make them last. Knife Use ⫻ While they’re not going to be winning any knife fights, Sakia is very talented at cutting things cleaning - whether its skin, or when cutting something up for cooking (which she’s not very good at). They’ve gotten very adept at using a knife. Sketching ⫻ Saskia mostly sketches for an animal bone diary she keeps, along with anatomical sketches. She's very good at human anatomy and drawing people as a result, but has no talent in shading or colouring. She tends to stick to pencil or pen sketches.

Appearance ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "Don’t mention my height." Saskia is short and slim, often found with a deadpan expression. They’ve not got many curves to their body, flat just about everywhere - something that really doesn’t bother them at all. They’re fair skinned with blue eyes that look grey in certain lights. They have a smooth, diamond face shape. Saskia has shaggy, dyed blonde hair (naturally its brown) cut to fall just below their chin. It’s choppily layered and often covers up their ears and the side of their face. They tend not to do much with it, at most pushing it behind their ear so it’s off their face. Saskia has a long scar down their right thigh, where they cut themselves in a last desperate attempt to survive. They’re most commonly found with a grumpy looking expression, even though they really feel this way. Saskia wears a mixture of clothing, depending on how they’re feeling on the day. Most days they’ll dress quite androgynously, with baggy trousers and men’s tank tops or band t-shirts. They’ll add an undershirt, hoodie or sweater sometimes - and a dark brown leather jacket if really necessary. They prefer neutral tones or blacks. They’re slightly less emo than they were as a teenager, but still like to dress more in that style. They rarely wear any non grayscale colours, outside of jeans and the occasional red or brown. On the days they’re feeling more feminine they’ll mix things up a little with gothic skirts or the rare dress. Saskia enjoys adding accessories to their outfits - necklaces, rings and chains. They have two lobe piercings, and normally wear a stud earring in one and a ring in the other. They often wear platform boots to give them a boost in height, because they dislike being short.

_{Psychology
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}
"Am I unhappy? No. I’m frowning? That’s just what my face looks like.”

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Primarily to live again. After they get brought back to life, Saskia wants to start a rock band. Their ideal would be to make it into their career.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Saskia believes in freedom - for people to make their own choices, to express themselves and to love whatever they want to love. Whether this is boring and normal, or weird and dark. They believe that nobody should be forced down a path they don’t want or into something they dislike. You should pursue your own dreams rather than those of someone else. They also believe you have to accept that life is shit sometimes, and embrace that - not necessarily through positivity, but it’s easier to deal with if you expect things to be bad sometimes.

SECRETS ⫻ While not a secret to friends, Saskia kept their gender identity secret to their parents. They knew they wouldn’t take it well, so they haven’t come out. They’ve also been hiding a longterm crush on their closest friend Ella - very, very well (it helps that Ella’s pretty oblivious too). They’re also hiding just how much their own death traumatised them, because they don't want to worry their friends when they’ve experienced similar.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Pansexual with a preference for women. While Saskia’s had a longtime crush on their friend Ella, they’ve had a couple of others at the same time and is fairly certain they’re polyamorous.

FEARS ⫻ Saskia fears being constrained, and never getting to live the life they want to - doubly so now they might not even get a life at all. They also have claustrophobia and get incredibly panicked in closed spaces, adding to their fear of being trapped. They fear that they’ll never actually be good enough for the life they want to live or for anyone in their life, just like they weren’t good enough for their parents. They fear dying again much more than they’d like to admit. But most of all she fears losing Ella and having to see her dead body again.

REPUTATION IN OLD COVEN ⫻ Saskia’s overall reputation in the coven was negative. Unlike some of the other weirder members they didn’t have friendliness or positivity to make up for their dark sense of humour and grim interests. Plus, their abstraction was solely based in gross body manipulation. Most people outside of a small group didn’t particularly get on with them, and they were mostly seen as a tagalong of Ella.

ROLE IN THE BATTLE AGAINST THE STYGIAN SNAKE ⫻ Saskia acted as one of the many front end fighters. While using their abstraction was always risky it was strong, allowing her to fight off many apparitions with only one or two others. Them and Ella often worked together to sweep through groups of apparitions and keep the other strong groups safe while fighting the snake.

FLAWS ⫻ Saskia often says the wrong thing at the wrong time. They don’t know when to tone down their dark humour, whether making an edgy joke when they shouldn’t or just straight up upsetting others. They’re quite blunt as well, not really holding back on her opinions of others. Saskia isn’t the best socially. They struggle with understanding other people and aren’t the best at reading social cues. If someone doesn’t tell them what they’re feeling they won’t know, and they can be quite insensitive. Also Saskia themself is very difficult to read - they often have a ‘resting bitch face’, but not on purpose. They just aren't very expressive and their neutral expression appears grumpy to other people. Beyond their actual facial expressions, they're very bad at expressing their feelings in words too. They’re just not particularly emotional either. Saskia has some confidence issues thanks to their parents - mainly not truly believing they’re worthy of their friends or of success.
She also has very little qualms about hurting or killing people, often in increasingly disturbing methods. Often she thinks about what she'll do to her enemies, without any guilt or discomfort on her part. She's lacking in empathy somewhat, beyond those she views as friends.

_{Backstory
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}
"I won’t let her die again."

Saskia was born the only child of two Dutch immigrants. Their mother was a teacher while their father worked in finance. They had high hopes for their only child - hopes they hadn’t been able to fulfil thanks to having to make a life for themselves in a new country. From the day Saskia was born, their entire life had been planned out. They would get the best grades through school, go to the best schools they could afford and get a well paying, high status job such as being a lawyer or a doctor.

This wasn’t so bad when they were younger. Saskia was a bright kid with a natural interest in the human body, so they excelled in at least biology. They also loved reading, often having their nose stuck in a book far too violent for someone of their age. But as they grew up those expectations got more and more difficult to meet. They started to struggle in subjects they had no interest in - which was most of them - and their grades started slipping. This resulted in their parents getting harsher and more controlling. Saskia’s only escape was their books and the heavy music they liked to listen to. They had very few friends at school and wouldn’t be allowed to hang out with them once school was done either. Most of their life was spent reading and studying. They always felt trapped - both in the life that their parents wanted for them and the gender roles pushed on them. This only grew worse with puberty.

Once they reached middle school Saskia began getting bullied for their strange hobbies - most other kids weren’t reading intense horror novels or picking up the bones of dead animals at the side of the street. This just led Saskia to believe that they didn’t need other people. Their bullies didn’t keep it up for long, either, since they never got a reaction out of Saskia… which of course, they were taunted for as well. Instead they just ended up isolated.

Then they started highschool and met Ella Brooks. Ella was Saskia’s first friend and introduced them not only to two more friends, but also anime. It was a whole new media for Saskia to explore - filled with all sorts of edgy ones they enjoyed, and more mixed ones they could watch with their new friend. Thanks to Ella, the light in their life, Saskia began to push back against their parents. They snuck out of their house to hang out with friends and started to experiment with their gender - going with only they pronouns at first, before getting more comfortable in still being aligned with femininity. Ella supported them through all of this.

It was on an unapproved trip to the arcade with Ella and their two other friends that they first experienced the Stygian Snake’s terror. Their two other friends were enthralled and Saskia kindled, using the blood from a cut their friend had given them to fight her off and get away along with Ella. They ran into Sycamore Tree members and decided to join… Well Ella did, and Saskia followed her.

Using their favourite anime and love of anatomy, Saskia began to develop blood spells and later bone based ones that allowed them to be on the frontlines fighting the Stygian Snake and its apparitions. They were constantly pushing themselves to get better and were almost always found with Ella on the front lines, covering each other's backs. Saskia was also reluctantly a member of the ‘Magical Girl’ group - reluctant in that they didn’t really fit the cutesy aspect, and weren’t really a girl.

But then the worst happened.

In the week leading up to the Eclipse they were spread thin, and Ella went off to fight a group of apparitions by herself. Saskia was caught up fighting apparitions herself and by the time they were able to catch up… it was too late. All that was left was Ella’s mauled body. After that, Saskia was a shell of their former self. They barely talked to anyone and just threw themselves into the fights, pushing themselves further and further. On the day before the Eclipse, when Drake Blackmore’s recklessness led them into a fight against the Stygian Snake they weren’t prepared for. Saskia was trapped by a large group of apparitions and completely separated from the rest of the coven. They managed to fight them all off, but used too much blood in their desperation to win and succumbed to their wounds, bleeding to death.

The next thing they knew, they were resurrected by the Hound along with Ella and Lisa. Saskia was super suspicious of him, but he said that they could return to their previous life if they became his “Agents of Death” and completed some missions for him. So they decided to follow his orders for now.

Plus, Agents of Death is a much more fitting name than Magical Girls.

_{Paranormal-Abilities
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"... Do I have to? Alright, fine… Magical Girl Haima reporting for duty."

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Green Lux. Channeler: a black leather Death Note bracelet

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Inspired by all the edgy anime they watch, Saskia has developed spells for blood and bone manipulation. The first is her primary and strongest group of spells, with the latter developed later on.

THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM ⫻ Saskia’s primary system of spells, which mainly focuses around controlling her own blood. Saskia has to have access to her blood to use this power via some kind of wound which she normally makes herself.

Blood Blade ⫻ Saskia forms a long, sharp blade on the top of each of their hands. She can choose how long this blade is within reason. It’s slightly curved, and it formed from her blood from an open wound. It’s incredibly sharp and can cut through materials such as steel, and easily cuts through flesh like an incredibly sharp sword.

Blood Tentacle ⫻ Using more blood than the blood blade, Saskia can create a long tentacle made out of blood from her back. This has varying uses. It has a longer range, and can deal blunt damage by hitting things or piercing damage with the tip. She can also use it to pull her up places, or give her a boost from underneath.

Blood Bullet ⫻ Saskia forms essentially a bullet of blood at her fingertips or in the palm of her hand, and shoots it towards a target. This moves at an incredibly fast speed, piercing flesh just like a real bullet would.

Blood Armour ⫻ Saskia can use her blood to form a protective layer around her body. This is a thin layer of blood that’s hardened, and more resistant to attacks. She can either form it around specific body parts, or all of her. This is strong enough to block most light weapon attacks and protect against paranormal attacks. However it uses a lot of blood, and she risks blood loss very quickly if she uses it in combination with any of her other blood based spells.

Blood Regeneration ⫻ a spell Saskia developed to be able to use their blood control spells without passing out, it allows them to regenerate her own blood at a faster level than normal. Without it, she would be dizzy from just using their blood blade and probably pass out from making anything larger. It doesn't protect them from major blood loss, it only slightly lessens the effect of it and allows them to use their blood control spells without instantly running out of blood.

Blood Return ⫻ Saskia returns any undamaged blood out of her body, that’s still attached to her, back inside her body and clots over the wound. She can also use this to quickly clot any wounds she doesn’t need for her spells, preventing blood loss.

THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM ⫻ A series of spells currently focused on bone growth and manipulation. Saskia plans to eventually go into muscle manipulation as well, but has yet to develop any spells for it.

Bone Spikes ⫻ Saskia can generate sharp, spike like bones from anywhere on her body. She can generate two spikes at a time. The process is instantaneous, she can choose to grow and retract them at will. These spikes are very sharp at the end and blunt otherwise. They can be used offensively as weapons, or used as a surprise attack.

Bone Lightening ⫻ Saskia manipulates her own bones to make them hollow, thus making her much lighter and faster. This increases her speed and agility, with the downside of making her physically weaker and her bones frailer.

Bone Breaking ⫻ A gross spell that Saskia tends not to use because people (Ella specifically) hate it, but Saskia can forcibly break her own bones. This allows her to get through spaces she shouldn’t be able to. She can choose the specific bone she wants to break and break multiple at a time.

Bone Regeneration⫻ Saskia can heal and regenerate bones much faster than normal. A broken bone is nothing to her, she can heal from it in a matter of minutes.

LIMITS ⫻

THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM ⫻ The main limit of all these spells is the amount of blood she has in her body - she can’t use anymore than that.

Blood Blade ⫻ Saskia can form a blades with a maximum length of 30cm. While they easily cut the blind, paranormal are more protected against her blood blade, making it more like a very sharp knife. She can’t just cut an apparition's head off with it, for example.

Blood Tentacle ⫻ The blood tentacle can go a maximum length of 2m, with the longer it is the less time she can keep it up. She has to be bleeding already to use it, and it takes a few minutes for all the blood to gather and form it. The blood tentacle is less precise - she can try and hit someone with it, or grab a ledge, but she can’t pick something up with it. It can be damaged just like any part of her could be.

Blood Bullet⫻ The blood gun has a range of twenty metres. It can only hit one target at a time. Saskia can’t put this blood back into her body like she can the blood blade or tentacle. The further away a target is, the harder it is to be precise with it. She can only use it about four times before getting lightheaded.

Blood Armour ⫻ This can block small arms and weaker paranormal attacks, however it can also be damaged. If it’s damaged properly then Saskia can’t reuse the blood. She feels any pain from getting hit like normal, it just doesn’t hurt her. She can generally only do this once before properly replenishing her blood.

Blood Regeneration ⫻ Saskia can replenish about a pint of blood (plasma) per hour, and complete regenerates lost red blood cells for that pint in 24 hours.

THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM ⫻

Bone Spikes ⫻ Saskia can only create two bone spikes at a time and she has to retract one before creating another. She can only create them out of her own body. They can be made up to 40cm in length, but the longer they are the thinner they’ll be. While strong enough to pierce flesh they wouldn’t be able to get through steel. They can also be destroyed or damaged, which would hurt Saskia. If they’re broken they need to be regenerated by her regeneration spell.

Bone Lightening ⫻ Saskia can only lighten her bones for ten minutes at a time.

Bone Breaking ⫻ Saskia can only break one bone at a time, so she has to do each one individually.

Bone Regeneration⫻ It takes Saskia a minute to heal a small broken bone, three a medium sized, and five a larger bone. She can’t cast this spell along with any other spells, outside of her blood regeneration.

WEAKNESSES ⫻

THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM ⫻ The main weakness to Saskia’s abstraction is blood loss. She’s using her own blood from her body, and her blood regeneration spell doesn’t help this much. After forming her blood tentacle, which uses the most blood, she’ll feel slightly lightheaded. When using more she’ll start to get all the symptoms of anemia: tiredness, weakness, difficulty bleeding, dizziness, headaches ect. If she keeps using more blood this could lead to a heart attack, stroke, or even death (which is how she originally died). Water is another weakness - it causes the red blood cell membrane to tear, making it much less controllable.

Her blood blade and tentacle are essentially an extension of her body. She feels pain if they’re hit, they can be cut off like a limb ect. If they’re cut off that blood is completely lost to her and she can’t put it back into her body. She’s also weak to fire, ice and temperature attacks, which will essentially boil or freeze her blood. Any kind of disease based abstraction will hit her harder, as she essentially has to have an open wound to use her abstraction. In general this makes her more vulnerable to any attacks, and any other wounds will lead to her bleeding out faster.

THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM ⫻ Using these spells hurts. Her bone spears have to literally tear through her skin which isn’t painless. While she can clot over these wounds they’re still there and incredibly painful. Any damage to these spears hurts her just as if her normal bones had been broken. Her bone lightening makes her bones much more fragile. They break easily and while she can regenerate them, it’s painful. Her bone breaking spell has an obvious weakness - she’s literally breaking her bones and feels all the pain of that. Plus it leaves her vulnerable because, well, she has broken bones. Her bone regeneration spell is even more painful - she feels double the pain she did when the bone was broken. It also leaves her vulnerable as she can’t use any other spells along with it.

^{Other
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"I like the name Agents of Death. Suitably dark, I think."

Saskia’s fluent in dutch. Also she'd write song lyrics about Ella, and other people she had crushes on, that included... certain details. She destroyed any evidence after.
She also loves sketching little gorey scenes.

Other Theme

youtube.com/watch?v=HCInceGHLGM

Paragraphs: Agents of Death [FernStone & Punished Ghost Note]

Ella R. Brooks

"Be the light in the darkness! Share your brightness with everyone!"

_______________________________________________ Ella Rene Brooks She/Her | 26 | African-American | 5’9” | 167lbs _______________________________________________ Radiant _______________________________________________ Skills & Talents "So in Sailor Moon R episode 8, during the school festival, about fifteen minutes in she-" ___________________________________ [+] Anime Knowledge ⫻ Being a massive weeb, Ella has in depth knowledge of many anime - with a particular speciality in magical girl ones. But she watches all sorts of genres, always trying to keep up with the popular anime of the season even if she isn’t into it. If you want to know what anime to watch, just ask her, she has recommendations for everything. Don’t know what anime a character is from? Ask Ella, she’ll know. She spent more time watching anime than she did studying or doing literally anything else with her life. Quote Memorisation ⫻ Ella has a very good memory when it comes to quotes. After a few watches of an episode she’ll be spouting all sorts of quotes from it. She probably remembers more anime quotes than she does actually useful information. Sewing ⫻ Before the Stygian Snake, Ella had another nerdy hobby - cosplaying! She’d make all sorts of anime outfits for herself and her friends… Which she doesn’t really have to do anymore because she can transform her clothes, but it’s still fun! Art ⫻ Ella is quite artistic, and has gotten quite good at drawing. Normally she draws in an anime style inspired by the ones she enjoys watching. A lot of her art is of characters and… relationships between characters.

Appearance ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "What’s the point in wearing something if it doesn’t look cute?" Ella’s bright cheerfulness is visible in all aspects of her appearance - from her wide smile to her pink hair. Ella is a bit of a bigger girl, a bit taller than average with some weight to her from a generally sedentary lifestyle (outside of being a magical girl). She’s quite curvy, with a sizable chest and hips. She has medium brown skin which is quite smooth and lacking in marks. One of the most noticeable things about Ella is her pastel pink hair. Left natural it's normally quite coily (type 4b to be exact), but right now she has them in box braids that fall midway down her back. She styles these in all sorts of ways - with her favourite being two buns on the top of her head and half the braids left loose. She’s always found with at least one, if not multiple, brightly coloured hair clips in her hair. Along with her colourful hair, Ella loves wearing bright makeup. Her lips are always a glossy pink or red, with bliss on her cheeks. She uses various shades of pink and glittery eyeshadows and loves to do fancy eyeliner designs when she has the time. Ella is always found in cutesy clothes. Most of her clothing is pastel shades, with the occasional brighter colour thrown in. Her favourites are pink and purple. She loves wearing pleated skirts and wide legged trousers, with crop tops or baggier t-shirts tucked into them. Knitted jumpers and cardigans of a variety of designs are a staple in her fashion. She loves all sorts of designs - butterflies, flowers, cute fruits, or just geometric ones. As long as it's cute she’ll wear it. Ella loves to accessorise, with colourful necklaces, bracelets and rings. She has multiple ear piercings - two lobe ones on each ear, an industrial in her left ear and a flat piercing in her right. She normally wears cute earrings, especially with heart or butterfly designs. Ella wears a pair of large, gold rimmed glasses. She’ll sometimes wear contacts, but generally just sticks with the glasses.

_{Psychology
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"If you try your best and have friends by your side, you’re guaranteed to succeed!”

MAIN GOAL ⫻ Ella’s primary goal right now is, obviously, getting a second chance at life. Once that’s done she wants to catch up on all the anime she’s missed, and go to Japan. Also she’d like to become a school teacher, and maybe find some kind of romance… she’s never exactly had the chance!

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ There’s always light in the darkness, no matter how difficult things seem. Ella believes in optimism and always moving forward even in the worst circumstances. Sometimes you have to become that light for other people, and help them see the good in the world. Ella literally thinks in the power of friendship and that by working together you can do anything. She’s always trying to do her best by other people, aiming to motivate and support so others can live their best lives. That together even the worst, darkest hours can be overcome.

SECRETS ⫻ Ella’s an open book, and doesn’t really have any secrets. Honestly, she’s probably too open about things she should keep to herself.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Ella identifies as a lesbian, being attracted to women and more feminine aligning nonbinary people. She realised this as a young teenager… however she's yet to have a crush on a real person, as opposed to someone who's fictional.

FEARS ⫻ Her favourite manga getting adapted into an anime only to get cancelled after one season. Her favourite manga getting cancelled early. Her favourite anime or manga getting poorly localised and misunderstood. She’s also scared of needles and amphibians. Another thing Ella fears is not being able to be there for other people - that she’ll slack, and everyone will crumble. She feels she has to hold up everyone else, to keep them happy and positive, and fear what will happen if she doesn’t.

REPUTATION IN OLD COVEN ⫻ To most members of the coven, Ella was an absolute weirdo. She was incredibly vocal about her interests and always said the cringiest shit while using her abstraction. Among the more nerdy members she was very well liked - incredibly bright and friendly, with no discrimination towards their interests. Though she did force all of them to watch Sailor Moon on multiple occasions. But nerdiness aside she was one of the most positive and supportive members of the group.

ROLE IN THE BATTLE AGAINST THE STYGIAN SNAKE ⫻ Ella acted as one of the heavy hitters on the coven’s front lines, fighting directly against the Snake’s apparitions. She had some versatility thanks to her lux type combination, offering healing along with strong attacks.

FLAWS ⫻ Ella is very scatterbrained and easily distractible. She has a tendency to just zone out sometimes, getting lost in her own little world. She’s also quick to switch her attention, getting completely distracted by something else mid conversation or mid task. Sometimes she’ll completely focus on one thing to the point she ignores literally everything. Once Ella starts talking about something she’ll never stop, especially if she’s passionate about it. She can be quite oblivious, both to what's going on around her and other people’s reactions. Ella can also be incredibly emotional. Little things make her cry, and she can have quite extreme reactions to things even if she bounces back quickly. She can also often be self sacrificial, both mentally and physically - prioritising being that support for others over caring for herself.

_{Backstory
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"Discovering anime was the best thing that ever happened to me!"

Ella’s life before Sycamore Tree was quite mundane. She was the second child of two overworked but trying their best parents. Her parents tried their hardest with both her and her older brother, but they didn’t have the time to go along with all her whims. Where her brother was always playing with kids that lived on the street, Ella was more introverted when she was younger. She always had her nose stuck in a book.

Then, one day her life changed. She was given access to the internet, and stumbled upon this forum post about something called anime. She decided to give it a try… and discovered a whole new world! Ella fell in love with anime, spending every free moment watching it. Her favourite was Sailor Moon and other magical girl anime, but she tried out all sorts of genres. She wanted to watch everything she could!

When Ella started highschool she broke out of her shell - becoming bright and friendly where she’d been shy before. She made her first friends, three other anime fans, including Saskia Otten. The four of them formed a little weeb group and watched anime together, recommended manga to each other and constantly talked about it. They were an eclectic mix but they were close.

One weekend the four of them were at the arcade, playing games together and goofing around. Out of nowhere people around them started acting… strange. Then the other two friends did too. It was like they were possessed, and out of nowhere one of them pinned Ella to the ground and started trying to choke her. This triggered her kindling event and she kicked the girl off her with a glowing, strengthened leg, running away along with Saskia. They ran into a group of people saying they were with the Sycamore Tree coven, and the two of them decided to join because they didn’t even know magic was a thing before then!

Inspired by her favourite anime, Ella developed a series of spells to turn herself into a magical girl. She was strong enough to be on the front lines, using her green and red lux combo for powerful attacks against apparitions, but as useful as she was she was still seen as a weirdo. After all she was always shouting the cringiest lines during battle, because it was mandatory for her abstraction! She just couldn’t use it without that, and she always needed to be in her magical girl form.

Ella was part of the self dubbed magical girl group (by her) - which was her, Saskia, Lisa and Kari. While Ella was the most squeamish of the group, she was able to get over it for her friends! She fought side by side with them… until the week leading up to the Eclipse. With the group spread thin thanks to others going off to different dimensions, Ella took on a group of strong apparitions by herself. She was too confident and wasn’t able to fight them all off, being brutally killed by them before any help could arrive.

It should have all been over, but Ella was resurrected by the hound along with Lisa and Saskia. He needed them to go on some mission for him, making them his “Agents of Death”... which is a name Ella really dislikes. It’s so dark! They’re magical girls! Ella has no idea what to think about the hound, but she wants to live again.

_{Paranormal-Abilities
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"As Magical Girl Aurora, I’m here to end darkness! I’ll shine light on all evil and vanquish it!"

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Green, Orange & Red Lux. Channeler: a sailor moon wand replica

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻ Inspired by all of her favourite magical girl anime, Ella has developed a series of spells to become a magical girl herself. She has her magical girl transformation spells, a series of light and colour based spells and enhancement based spells.

Magical Metamorphosis! ⫻ The first spell Ella developed, and necessary for all her other ones to work. Using a combination of all of her lux, Ella transforms into a magical girl. This happens much like the magical girl transformations in an anime - she yells out a phrase (varying depending on the fight), and her whole body glows with a prismatic light. She dramatically (and unnecessarily) poses throughout it as her clothes change into a white leotard, purple miniskirt and a tiara with a shining purple gem at the centre. Her hair grows longer and changes into a bright pink to purple gradient. She dramatically poses at the end with her channel crossed in front of her (also unnecessary for the spell to work). The whole transformation sequence takes about thirty seconds.

Prismatic Powers! ⫻ A series of light and colour based spells primarily using her red lux, with some combination with her green and orange lux.

Prismatic Sun Beam! ⫻ Ella flourishes her channel, and sends out a beam of damaging, rainbow light. This is a focused, pinpoint laser beam. It burns through human flesh and most materials along with damaging apparitions. It’s her primary and strongest attack.

Aurora Flash! ⫻ Ella turns her hands into incredibly bright, colourful lights. This light is as bright as the sun and causes temporary blindness to anyone who looks at it. It doesn’t cause any physical damage, it’s just a blindingly bright light.

Prismatic Healing Beam! ⫻ The opposite of her sun beam, Ella shoots a beam of healing, rainbow light from her channeler. This can heal one person hit by the beam at a relatively fast rate. If someone is minutes from dying it won’t save them, but otherwise it will heal them quickly enough to stop them from dying.

Super Prism Kick! ⫻ Using a combination of red and green lux, Ella empowers one or both of her legs with shining rainbow light. This makes her leg much stronger and harder, along with being coated in a magical, damaging light. She generally then performs a powerful high kick with her leg, but she can also use it for other things. This is her most damaging attack, but much more limited in range and more risky.

Polychromatic Punch! ⫻ Ella draws colours from bright objects on her, and infuses her hands and forearms with them. These colours make her fists extra hard, varying by the brightness of a colour. The brighter something is, the harder her punches will hit. A dull colour will make it slightly stronger than normal, whereas a incredibly bright colour will be as strong and hard as steel. When she hits, she can cause some of the colours to "splash" onto her target, burning them like weak acid. As a cosmetic effect, her skin turns the colour of whatever she absorbed.

Vivid Sphere! ⫻ Using pre-existing bright colours, Ella can launch a ball of colour. The size of this is dependent on the amount of colour Ella uses. It does blunt damage, with a strength dependent on the brightness of a colour. A dull colour would be like being hit by a tennis ball, but an incredibly bright colour like being hit by a brick.

Iridescent Improvement! ⫻ A series of enhancement spells primarily using her orange lux, with support of her red and green lux. She’s not as practised with these spells as she is with her Prism Power spells.

Colour Absorption ⫻ Ella can absorb colours to enhance herself. This enhances both her physical strength and her abstraction, combining all of her lux types. How much she can enhance herself depends on the amount of colour she absorbs, and the brightness of the colour. A little bit of colour will make her slightly stronger, but not affect her abstraction. Colour from a bracelet will increase her strength from normal to being able to lift something 5kg heavier than she normally could, while making her other spells slightly more damaging. If she absorbed an entire wall worth of bright colour she’d be able to lift cars and push her other spells to their limits. However colour absorption is time consuming, taking her minutes to absorb it from just a piece of jewellery.

Prismatic Protection ⫻ Primarily using orange lux, with a small combination with red, Ella can enhance the emotional field of one friendly target. She can only do this for someone she cares about (mental block), and coats them in a soft prismatic light to boost their emotional field. This makes them more resistant to magical attacks and able to take more hits from them, while taking less damage.

LIMITS ⫻
The limit of all of Ella’s spells is that she needs to be in her magical girl form to use them. This is a mental block she could overcome, but won’t.

Magical Metamorphosis! ⫻ This spell is mostly cosmetic, so doesn’t have many limits. Ella can only stay in her magical girl form for two hours at a time before needing a half an hour break.

Prismatic Powers! ⫻ Most of Ella’s prism power spells are single target. The only exception to this is Aurora Flash, which affects any people in the area (including herself). Emotional fields protect against Prismatic Sun Beam, meaning she can’t just burn through those with them, and reduce the damage from Super Prism Kick and Vivid Sphere.

Prismatic Sun Beam! ⫻ This can technically be used for as long as Ella wants, but the longer she uses it the more physical strain it puts on her and eventually it will start to damage her too. This spell has a range of up to ten metres.

Aurora Flash! ⫻ This is a short range, area of effect spell - the light shines for about 3 metres around her. It can be easily avoided by closing your eyes or just not looking at it.

Prismatic Healing Beam! ⫻ Ella can’t use her healing beam on herself. The healing isn’t insanely quick. She can make most people stable within minutes, but larger wounds or broken bones could take hours to heal. She can’t use it at the same time as her sun beam. This spell has a range of up to ten metres.

Super Prism Kick! ⫻ Ella’s leg isn’t entirely protected from damage, while strengthened. She can still damage it depending on how hard whatever she kicks is - for example, kicking a brick wall would damage it. If she keeps using it while damaged, she could eventually break her leg. It's limited in range, because she has to get close enough to kick whatever she’s trying to attack. She can keep this up for about ten minutes, before needing a five minutes break.

Polychromatic Punch! ⫻ Ella has to use pre-existing colours with this attack. The strength of it directly correlates to the brightness of a colour and she needs enough coloured things to infuse her fists - the surface area of the colour directly correlating to the surface area of whatever she's covering. She can only do it for ten minutes before the colour disappears. Along with this, the colour splash directly takes from the colour and the more she uses it the faster she'll use it up.

Vivid Sphere! ⫻ Ella can’t create the colour of this attack, she needs to get it from somewhere. The size and strength are dependent on the amount of colour and the vividness of it. The size directly correlates - a small amount of colour will make a small ball, and it gets bigger the more colour is added to it. A dull colour will make a weaker, less hard sphere whereas a very bright colour will be as strong and damaging as a brick or very heavy metal ball. This has a range of about 6 metres.

Iridescent Improvement! ⫻

Colour Absorption ⫻ This spell is slow. It would take Ella thirty seconds to absorb the colour from a ring, about two minutes to absorb the colour from a bracelet and five+ to absorb the colour from a t-shirt. She can’t use any other spells while she’s absorbing colour. The duller a colour, the lower the effects of the enhancement. By absorbing from a brightly coloured bracelet Ella will be able to lift something around 5kg heavier, and her spells will be slightly stronger - for example her vivid sphere would cause more damage even with a duller colour, her healing beam will heal at a slightly faster rate. The enhancement lasts for about ten minutes before she has to absorb colour again.

Prismatic Protection ⫻ This has a range limit - Ella can only cast this one someone within three metres of her, and if they go more than ten metres away from her the already cast spell will drop. She can only use it on one person, and she has to be friendly with them. She can’t cast it on someone she doesn’t know. It lasts for about ten minutes.

WEAKNESSES ⫻

Magical Metamorphosis! ⫻ None, low powered.

Prism Powers! ⫻ Ella’s light spells primary weakness is darkness, especially magical darkness that can entirely negate them. While she creates this light herself it’s much harder to do it somewhere that’s completely dark. Her colour spells weakness is greyscale - if there’s no colours to use, she can’t cast her spells. Both the light creation and colour spells physically ‘drain’ a bit of her. The more she uses any of them without a break the weaker she gets, and she could cause herself serious damage. The longer Ella uses her Prismatic Sun Beam the more she’ll exhaust herself, and can start physically damaging herself. After a minute of constant use she’ll start to burn herself too - starting at her hands and working their way up her arms. She has no protection against her Aurora Flash and can blind herself too, or at minimum temporarily lose her vision if she looks at it. Her healing beam drains her own life force. The longer she heals someone the weaker she gets, until physically fatigued. If she heals any major wounds she’ll feel sick and exhausted afterwards. For the Super Prism Kick she can very easily hurt herself, same with Polychromatic Punch. While her leg is strengthened it’s not resistant to damage. She can’t kick through steel, and kicking anything too hard will damage or break her leg - perhaps irreparably. Because of the light based nature of all of Ella’s spells, the longer she uses them the more she’ll be affected as if she was staring directly at a light - light spots across her vision, burning eyes and difficulty seeing along with physical pain and nausea caused by that.
Iridescent Improvement! ⫻

Colour Absorption ⫻ While absorbing a colour Ella is left completely vulnerable, needing to stay stationary and unable to use any other spells. This means she can easily be attacked while doing it. She also has to concentrate the whole time or the spell will be broken. Once the enhancement is over, she’ll be temporarily weakened for a few minutes.

Prismatic Protection ⫻ Ella essentially sacrifices her own emotional field to boost someone else’s. Her emotional field is still in place but just barely, and it’s much weaker. This makes her much more vulnerable to magical attacks and she could easily be taken out, hurt or killed.

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"I can’t wait to get back and catch up with all the anime I missed!"

Ella always keeps a large number of brightly coloured objects on her - most often tons of bracelets that she wears or swaps out as she uses them for her abstraction.
Also before she died Ella was a fanfiction writer, writing all sorts of stories for her favourite pairings… including spicy ones.

Her Other Theme

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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Interactions: Sloane @Atrophy
The Halloween Festival

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Anya almost couldn’t hold Sloane’s gaze. There was an unconditional love there that brought back that irritating little feeling of ugly guilt. It was overwhelming. She knew that Sloane admired her and viewed her as a close friend, but this open, intense affection went beyond that. It was difficult for her to process how she felt about it. There was a certain sense of security. Sloane was unlikely to doubt her, and their friendship would be safe unless Anya betrayed her… something she didn’t plan to do unless there were extreme circumstances pushing her to it. But there was also that guilt - a tiny, niggling guilt in the back of her mind.

But what was there to feel guilty about? She cared about Sloane as much as she was capable of caring about anyone. It wasn’t her fault that she didn’t feel it as strongly as other people would.

She was still glad when Sloane’s eyes closed briefly.

”Then we won’t talk about it.” Anya reached around with the arm Sloane wasn’t holding onto to awkwardly pat her shoulder. It was supposed to be comforting, but Anya didn’t really know how to do that. Having Sloane holding her hand and resting her head on her shoulder was already a lot, which Anya normally wouldn’t tolerate. But she was feeling quite cheerful, and drunk Sloane was… quite cute. Again, a strange thought.

Another drink sounded good. She'd mostly sobered up while talking to Ezra - well, moved from near drunk to tipsy. Enough that the alcohol wasn't affecting her head, which was how she generally preferred it. But with her business so to get a major investment and Sloane already so drunk, what was the harm in letting loose a little? It was just the two of them now, anyway. The risk of her slipping up and saying something that would ruin everything was very, very slim.

”A drink it is then, I was hoping to get another one, but-” she narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at the actually drunk Sloane. ”I’m not drunk at all, you’re drunk. I’m perfectly sober-” Was there any pointing in arguing about this? ”Your painting?”

Anya glanced over at the painting Sloane had drawn her attention to with strange arm shakes. A completely blank canvas. She highly doubted it, or whatever had been on it, was actually drawn for Sloane. But if she thought so, who was Anya to argue? ”Jasper did? That really doesn't surprise me, you're correct, he is obsessed. After all, you’ve featured in his dreams quite a few times.”

It wasn’t technically a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth. Sloane had been in his dreams, but only when he was dreaming of the coven itself. It was never just about Sloane.

Anya gently removed Sloane’s hand from her arm, moving around her and bending down to pick up the blank canvas. She then stepped back to Sloane’s side, wrapping her free arm around Sloane’s shoulders - because she probably wouldn’t be able to walk without support with the way she’d barely gotten to her feet. ”Let’s go. They were putting up parasols at the bar just past this tent, so we can get a drink there and be protected from the rain…”

Slowly, Anya led and supported Sloane out of their hiding spot and back into the main festival area. She went straight for the popup bar, pausing for a moment when she spotted some… familiar figures. Meifeng, her second in command, Bianca, and a few power rangers. The PRA. Thankfully, she didn’t spot the one PRA agent she wanted to avoid for the rest of her life. She wasn’t in the mood to talk with them, not when she’d made up her mind to enjoy the rest of the night without thinking about more business. That business wasn’t so important to her personally anyway. So, she would just ignore them.

She took Sloane to a table a few away from the PRA group, as the area was sadly too small to get out of their sight. She made sure Sloane was seated, with the blank canvas placed on the seat beside her, before going up to the bar and getting them both drinks. An old fashioned for Sloane, and a long island iced tea for herself. Thankfully with the rain there were less people willing to stand in the line, so she got them relatively quickly.

”Another old fashioned for you,” Anya smiled, sitting opposite Sloane and sliding the drink over to her. She then raised her glass towards Sloane. ”To us. Let’s enjoy the rest of our night. No thoughts about the boys, or anyone else. Though…” her smile turned just the slightest bit playful. ”I have seen some rather interesting dreams recently, and haven’t been able to talk to you about them yet. I think you'll find them very entertaining.”

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Bianca Manalo

Interactions: Trevor @Punished GN
Cracker Island Cracker Bar

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”I’ll catch you another time!” Bianca waved to Lynn as she and the rest of the coven left, with a brief appearance from Ken. She shrugged and went back to her drink. It had been nice to catch up with them for a little while, at least. She wasn’t sure what Lynn had been talking about with respect to Emily, and she wasn’t planning to jump up and find out. If Meifeng wanted to, sure, but otherwise? She’d keep her ass sitting right here.

Then, two more familiar faces appeared. Bianca raised an eyebrow as Anya and Sloane came out from behind a tent flap.

”Hey, Trevor!” She hopped up and moved over to Trevor, nudging him with a devilish grin and pointing over to where Anya and Sloane were sitting a few tables away. She didn’t speak loud enough that they’d hear her, but the rest of the PRA group would. ”Isn’t that the girl you went on a date with last week? You should go talk to her!”

Of course, Bianca knew her name, and knew very well who she was with. While Bianca would say she was neutral towards Sloane nowadays, she’d always disliked Anya. So what was the harm in making her night a little more… unbearable.