[centre][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjcyLjAwMDAwMC5YMTlmWDE5ZlgxOWZYMTgsLjAA/kepler-296.regular.png[/img] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/191125/d4e77f9974f0a6b2fe5eaa379ccdbd3b.png[/img] [img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjcyLjAwMDAwMC5YMTlmWDE5ZlgxOWZYMTgsLjAA/kepler-296.regular.png[/img] [colour=000000][h2][b]Collab Between:[/b][/h2][/colour][@MsMorningstar][colour=thistle][i][b]Viola Benoit[/b][/i][/colour] [@NorthernKraken][b][colour=#88e312][i]Keith Rivington[/i][/colour][/b] [img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjcyLjAwMDAwMC5YMTlmWDE5ZlgxOWZYMTgsLjAA/kepler-296.regular.png[/img][hider= He's told us not to blow it, cos he knows it's all worthwhile!][youtube]https://youtu.be/tRcPA7Fzebw[/youtube][/hider][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjcyLjAwMDAwMC5YMTlmWDE5ZlgxOWZYMTgsLjAA/kepler-296.regular.png[/img][/centre] A phone call confirmed their impromptu appointment, which Violet found surprising. She had figured the Witwings would be a [i]bit[/i] more busy, what with running a multi-million dollar magic corporation and all. Still, things were working in their favor and she’d be damned if she fucked it all up. So, forgoing a proper shower and simply brushing her teeth instead, she ordered an uber and practically pushed Colin downstairs in the moments before its arrival. She kept quiet on the ride over, her leg bouncing as she did her best not to focus on the road. If she thought about it too hard, she ended up back in the car that night. She thought about the clear road, how they knew it like the back of their hands. How the front of the car had been destroyed by [i]something[/i], but there was no trace of whatever they had slammed into. God, she was doing it again. Shaking herself out, she remained thoughtless for the rest of the ride, up until the point where they arrived at Witwing Corp. The skyscraper wasn’t quite as tall as those around it, but it was just as imposing. Getting out of the car, she waited for Colin to step out beside her. [color=thistle]”So...you wanna ring the doorbell or should I?”[/color] Colin had been right - the metallic boxes that lined the street the night before [i]were[/i] carriages, but they were also as far from it as you got. The ‘uber’ as Violet called it wasn’t drawn by horses, but instead controlled by the driver from inside the cabin. The motion was smooth and quiet, the thick ridged wheels likely having something to do with that, but Colin hadn’t been able to figure out how it moved. Violet had seemed nervous and distracted, so he’d asked the driver, who’d proven not all of Samael’s minions were as nice as Violet when he told Colin to fuck off. The ride was over now though, and Colin’s attention was again drawn to the outside world - even in daylight, he couldn’t see all the way to the tops of the buildings, and he couldn’t help but stare, slack jawed, at the structures. He blinked at Violet’s words, not realising they were there already - Samael’s lair was nothing if not efficient apparently, [color=#88e312]“Err… would they be expecting you to?” [/color]he asked dumbly, unable to stop staring every which way. Violet offered him a shrug, before walking up to the building. His childlike reaction to everything was cute and all, but he was making them look bad. Rolling her shoulders, she pressed the com button on the keypad that locked the doors. [i]”Please state your name and business.”[/i] A voice on the other side, likely belonging to the receptionist, said. [color=thistle]“Uh...Violet Benoit, and,”[/color] She glanced over at Colin. [color=thistle]”Er...Colin, here for a meeting with the scholarship people.”[/color] There was a moment of silence before the door clicked, telling her it had been unlocked. She reached for the handle, and gestured for Colin to follow her into the lobby. Upon stepping inside, the duo was greeted by the scents of vanilla and cinnamon, and the sight of a cozy lounge that was more reminiscent of an aged house than a company waiting room. The floor was wooden, with a soft rug covering its center. Portraits of modern Duncaster and the surrounding areas lined the warm beige walls. A genuine fireplace was crackling in the corner, and Violet had no idea how it was being regulated without a chimney. Taking cautious steps toward the front desk, Violet scratched away at her thigh while she waited for the receptionist to acknowledge her. The woman behind the desk was young, with grey eyes and wavy brown hair. Her pantsuit dwarfed her waifish body, but the smile she offered was confident. [color=f5f2d0]"Ms. Benoit, Mr. Witwing's apprentice will be with you in just a moment."[/color] She gestured to a row of chairs. [color=f5f2d0]"Feel free to sit down and relax in the meantime."[/color] Violet nodded absently, turning on her heel and plopping down in a nearby chair. She released a breath, wondering how Colin felt about all this. Would the antique scenery confuse him? Colin followed Violet’s lead, taking a seat next to Violet, balancing on the very edge of the chair. This all seemed very easy. Another part of the ruse? As time went on, it was getting more and more difficult to keep the pieces straight in his head. What was the point of all this? Fake Witwings? Ubers? Internets? And now this room? It didn’t make any sense. Clearly it had been designed to lull them (or just him? Violet was still a mystery.) into a false sense of security - a copy, a clever one, but still a copy, of the real world. Most of it was well done. But the obviously fake fireplace (where was all the [i]smoke[/i] going?), the woman’s odd, clean-lined outift, the almost overpowering scent of [i]warmth[/i]. There but not quite. Like they’d tried, but given up halfway through. But why though? He glanced at Violet. She seemed less on edge than she’d been in the ‘uber’. Coincidence? No way to tell. The jumper she’d given him, with the writing on the front, was too hot now instead of just warm. He rolled the sleeves up, rolled them down again when he remembered that this was somewhere strange, foreign, [i]not to be trusted[/i]. The quiet pressed in, deafeningly close. He huffed, and then he broke, [color=#88e312]“How long d’you think they’ll be?”[/color] he murmured to Violet under his breath, eye on the strangely dressed woman behind the counter. Violet had been watching Colin out of the corner of her eye, and it was safe to say he wasn't taking all of this well. He looked incredibly uncomfortable, but just as she was about to offer up a word of encouragement, he opened his mouth and spoke. [color=thistle]"I dunno. You just have to be patient sometimes."[/color] She shrugged, though she wasn't very good at it either. Her body wasn't made for long periods of inactivity. Colin was about to respond, mildly irritated, when a young woman entered. Unlike the woman behind the counter, her clothing was bright and loud - a green dress splashed with pink cherries bloomed at her hips, chunky socks rolled down to her calves were topped off with sparkly boots that, in Colin’s opinion, didn’t seem particularly practical, even though they seemed to be modeled after everyday walking boots. Brown eyes skirted the waiting room until they fell upon Colin and Violet. Colin, meanwhile, couldn’t keep his eyes away from her hair - pink and [i]spikey[/i] - was that magic? “Mr Witwing’s ready for you,” she said, voice clipped and abrupt, before she promptly turned on her heel and went back the way she came, a muffled shout of “this way!” seeming to echo behind her. Colin gave Violet a nervous look, waiting to take her lead. Violet shrugged, though she was evidently put off by the girl's sense of...could that even be called style? Standing, she kicked out her legs until each extremity popped multiple times. [color=thistle]"Well, it's now or never. Hope you have a good case."[/color] She smirked playfully, following after the apprentice with long strides. As they walked the hallways, portraits of the past Witwing clan leaders stared them down. The paintings were unfamiliar to her, but one did catch her eye, seeing as it was of two people. A woman sat in a chair, with a man lazily perched on the arm. They were both blonde, a recurring theme in the portraits, and dressed in flowing outfits. While the woman looked incredibly charming and casual, the man appeared a bit drained. Violet wondered why the artist hadn't...spruced him up a bit for the rendition. Glancing at the placard beneath it in the moment of pause, her brow rose at the names engraved in gold. [I]Cecilia and Ethaniel Witwing[/I]. [color=thistle]"Look, it's the Ethaniel dude."[/color] She commented, her tone plain. [color=#88e312]“Cecilia too...his… sister?”[/color] Colin couldn’t remember the night they’d broken the wards very well, just… lots of blood, and the man and woman pictured before them. That whole period was fuzzy and distant, anything could’ve happened. He looked away, following the woman - Mr. Witwing’s apprentice. They eventually reached a set of double doors, classy gold door knobs adorning each one. Colin didn’t think he’d ever seen so much gold in one place in his life. The Witwings - [i]Samael[/i] must’ve been loaded, more than he realised. “Right.” The apprentice stopped abruptly and stared at a purple glass eye shape, buried in the door, “Felicity, it’s that woman from the phone here to see Mr. Witwing, can let us in.” Colin flinched as a lyrical voice filled the corridor, “Hmm… I certainly can…” A few moments, and the door didn’t budge. The apprentice grew visibly frustrated, “Oh for- Felicitiy, will you [i]please[/i] let us in?” Wordlessly, the door started to drag open, before coming to a tired stop halfway through. “Lazy piece of…” the apprentice muttered under her breath, before extending her hand toward the door, a curling vine seeming to sprout from her fingertips before connecting with the handle. A twitch, and the vine sprang back, opening the door with it, “Through there.” the apprentice gestured with her spikey head. Violet tried not to cringe back at the casual use of magic. She hadn't been expecting anything different, but it was still freaky. Vines just sprouting from someone's fingers? That was kinda gross, too. Straightening, Violet flashed the apprentice lady a quick smile before stepping past her and into the office. Like the waiting area, it was incredibly cozy. More of a study than an official office, in Violet's mind. There were couches in the center of the room facing yet another fireplace, though this one wasn't lit. To the far right side was a desk, and sitting behind it was a man who looked eerily similar to the people in the portraits. The same blonde hair, the same vivid blue eyes. He appeared a bit taller, though, unless his chair was elevated fully. His forehead was a bit blocky, but his sharp jawline was a good contrast. He wore a plain black suit, and his dimpled smile welcomed them into the room. His gaze darted past Violet, and lingered on Colin. His smile only broadened as he took in the [I]Virginity Rocks[/I] sweater he wore. [color=ed872d]"Hello, you must be Violet…and, Colin! Well, please, take a seat."[/color] He gestured toward the chairs. [color=ed872d]"Your conversation with Kylie was so brief, but Felicity told me it was interesting. I knew then that a meeting was in order."[/color] Colin shrunk away from the man’s gaze, again, looking to Violet for direction. He’d been half expecting Samael to be behind the doors, but this man was clearly… not that. From what Colin’d seen of the Witwings, he certainly [i]looked[/i] like one - blonde hair and bright features, but he didn’t look like any Colin’d met before (although he [i]had[/i] only met two). And why did the name Felicity sound so familiar? He looked at the chairs, back to Violet, and then opted to stay standing for the time being. He bit the inside of his cheek, furrowed his brow, “We, err, we-” he shook his head, started over, [color=#88e312]“You’re a Witwing right? Do you know where Ethaniel is? We know shit he might want to hear.” [/color] The man's grin tightened in a moment of confusion, before relaxing again. [color=ed872d]"Ethaniel? I know of many Ethaniel's, the name's commonplace in our family in the same way Canor is."[/color] Of course, there was only one Ethaniel in his generation, and he preferred the shortened name 'Ethan'. Not to mention, he was away on business in Sinstead. [color=#88e312]"Canor! He's the boss right?"[/color] Colin said, glad to hear another name he recognised - and one with authority too, [color=#88e312]"Look, just-" [/color]another look to Violet,[color=#88e312] "We know what happened to Eliza - you lot're looking for her right? Maybe- maybe we can help each other?"[/color] Elias watched Colin, his brow furrowed in a way that diminished his previous air of calm and joy. To their side, the fire began to crackle, small blue flames lashing out at the trio. [color=ed872d]"I'm afraid I don't understand."[/color] Violet's gaze shot to the fire, no smoke rising off the vivid, albeit tiny, blaze. Super freaking creepy. [color=thistle]"Uh...h-hey, Mr. Witwing? Mind dimming it down a little?"[/color] Elias followed her eyes to the fire, and immediately chuckled. [color=ed872d]"My apologies, what a childish reaction."[/color] By magic, the flames vanished, the wood beneath charred, but completely cold. [color=ed872d]"Now, might you explain yourself? I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding, but it's rather rude to speak of the dead in the way you are."[/color] Colin glanced back at the double doors they came through - not quite open, but there was a crack. Not locked. They weren’t stuck. Magic was just [i]terrifying[/i]. And this man… Colin didn’t know what he was trying to do, what angle he was trying to play, but dead? That didn’t make any sense, [color=#88e312]“Eliza’s not dead.”[/color] he said, “[color=#88e312]Your scholarship thing - it said she disappeared. You’re the most powerful mage family around, you haven’t… you haven’t given up already have you? The battle was only [i]yesterday[/i].”[/color] [color=ed872d]"...Oh."[/color] Elias sighed, the sound deep and full of irritation. [color=ed872d]"You're one of those. Get out."[/color] [color=#88e312]“Are you… are you having me on?”[/color] Colin said, hoarse and bewildered,[color=#88e312] “first, you pull her out of the worst [i]fucking[/i] place she could’ve been born into,”[/color] Colin could still remember Eliza telling him about her dad, if he could even be called that,[color=#88e312]“you train her up, make her feel like a part of your family. Make it so that you’re her [i]world[/i]- and now what,” he paused, fists clenched at his sides, [color=#88e312]“you’re just abandoning her?” [/color] [color=#88e312] “I don’t know what she is to you, not much more than a fucking toy from the sounds of it,”[/color] a ripple of guilt plunged through his stomach. Eliza had been distant. Difficult. For a while now, but more so than ever the past few months. He hadn’t helped her, wasn’t even sure if that was possible, [color=#88e312]“but she’s my [i]friend[/i].”[/color] It didn’t change anything. He glared at Elias, daring him not to believe him. Elias stood, pointing a rigid finger at Colin. Instinct told him to defend Eliza's name, his [i]family's[/I] name. [color=ed872d]"I don't know what's possessing you, but you have no [I]right[/I]. You will never have the right, to come into my business and speak ill of my family."[/color] The flames roared again, a full inferno that licked the outside of the fireplace. They put off no heat, but the wood beneath was quickly being reduced to ash. [color=ed872d]"My ancestors searched for Eliza for [I]years[/I], and for you to parade around like her knight? On the anniversary of her disappearance? You're insane! All of you people! I want you out!"[/color] His voice was a snarl, his chest heaving as he struggled against his self-control. Violet watched the exchange, her own breaths coming out rapid. The world was beginning to double. She was starting to see the colors again. [color=thistle]"Let's go, Colin."[/color] She stood from her seat, blinking away at the vibrant red glow around Elias. Teeth grit, Colin was about to bite back at Elias, when he noticed Violet, blinking rapidly, clearly upset. He jumped to his feet beside her. This wasn’t going anywhere - this Witwing guy was clearly a wanker, best get out before things got too nasty. [color=#88e312]“Right.[/color]” he spat, [color=#88e312]“Clearly this isn’t going anywhere. Fuck you Mr. Witwing.”[/color] And with that, they left. [hr] The building was labyrinthine, and with Violet staring like she couldn’t even see, it was up to Colin to get them out. He managed, just about, with only minimal swearing, and so, they ended up stood outside the huge gleaming building. After a moment to catch his breath from all the dramatic storming out, he turned to Violet, concerned, [color=#88e312]“You alright?”[/color] Upon leaving the building, tension flooded rapidly from Violet's shoulders. No more angry magic guy, no more shouting back and forth, and no more flames. That sounded good to her. Glancing over to Colin, she stared him down, watching as his aura faded from an intense indigo to a blue-ish cast. Eventually, it settled into nothingness, and the world around her ceased its spinning. She really needed to work on that. [color=thistle]"I'm fine...tired."[/color] She wasn't sure why she was lying. He seemed concerned, genuinely, so why couldn't she tell him what she saw? Screw it, she didn't have to. Not right now. [color=thistle]"Sorry this was a bust. I...don't think he understood the whole 'from the past' thing."[/color] [color=#88e312] “If you’re sure..”[/color] Colin said, she did look a little better at least. He didn’t know her well enough to be able to tell if she was lying, but if she didn’t want to talk about it, what right did he have to push it? [color=#88e312] “That guy was a right wanker,”[/color] he said instead, the irritation from the meeting sizzling back up now that he knew Violet wasn’t about to drop dead, [color=#88e312]“Fucking Witwings, always knew they were trouble. Nothing good ever comes out of meeting them. Thought they’d at least give a flying [i]fuck[/i] about Eliza though,”[/color] he scowled, [color=#88e312]“The fuck was he on about anyway?” [/color] [color=thistle]"I, well, I honestly think he [I]did[/I] care about Eliza. He just thinks she's dead. Like everybody else. It's been three hundred years, Colin."[/color] Violet sucked in a breath, backing away a half step. She didn't want him to get mad at [I]her[/I]. But...then again. She had to get it through his skull somehow. [color=thistle]"To you, the battle was yesterday. To everyone else, it's just a memory that was passed on. Who knows, maybe Eliza [I]is[/I] gone? She disappeared, but who knows where she came out."[/color] It was the harsh reality of things, something Violet had forced herself to consider when Mr. Witwing had brought up her being dead. [color=thistle]"We can keep looking, though. I won't give if you won't."[/color] [i]Not the future, not the future, not the future, not the future, not the-[/i] Colin shook his head, [color=#88e312]“You don’t know that. You can’t. This could just be a- a- I don’t know, a fucking dream or illussion or something- It’s not, it’s not-”[/color] he grit his teeth, shook his head [i]again[/i], watched the motion send a cascade of stars across his vision. [i]- future, not the future, not the future, not the future, not the future-[/i] [color=#88e312]“This doesn’t-”[/color] fake-real Witwings, Duncaster but not, angels, ubers, Eliza on the internet being talked about like she’d been missing for years, Kiri, a fucking [i]myth[/i], [color=#88e312]“this doesn’t make any fucking [i]sense[/i].”[/color] fingers grasping rubbery tissue, nails, hands, big and chunky and [i]not fucking Kiri’s[/i] gripping his throat. At some point he backed up into a wall, at some point he sunk to the floor. The world twisted and pinched around him, real one minute, then no more touchable than a picture in a book. This wasn’t real, it couldn’t be real, it fucking [i]had[/i] to be. Nothing else made any sense, but neither did [i]this[/i]. Nails deeper into skin, not that he could feel it,[color=#88e312] “I don’t understand…”[/color] he looked up to where Violet was, maybe, he wasn’t sure, flat as the world around her, real as anything else in this [i]fucking[/i] place. Somewhere, a little girl was screaming so loud she was everywhere, “[color=#88e312]Where [i]is[/i] this? Please… Just-- just tell me the truth.”[/color] Violet's face scrunched, pain written across her features and buried in her eyes. He thought she was fake, just some figment of his imagination--or, Samael's. That wasn't what hurt, though. The betrayal was one thing, but seeing someone break right in front of her was devastating. Was this how she looked whenever she had a fit of anger? Crazed, detached? She shuffled closer, feeling incredibly stupid. Especially since they were having this argument on the sidewalk. Crouching down, she stared straight into Colin's eyes. [color=thistle]"You are in Duncaster."[/color] She sucked in a breath, steadied her crouch. She angled her face away, wincing in preparation for the explosion. What was he going to do? Hit her? Run away? Where would he even go? He shifted backwards as Violet got closer, pulled knees that might’ve been his tighter to his chest, he could still hear screaming, the lock clicking, fists pounding on a door - [color=#88e312]“Duncaster- Duncaster [i]when?[/i]”[/color] the voice was harsh and dry and strangled all at once. He didn’t want to hear the answer. He looked down. He didn't hit her, thank God. [color=thistle]"Twenty-nineteen."[/color] She gulped, swallowing down a lump in her throat that caused the words to come out thick. [color=thistle]"This is real, Colin. I'm not fake."[/color] She knew that much. The thought was ridiculous. If she was fake then how could she be there, talking to him? She didn't have time to think about that. [color=thistle]"Are you going to be alright?"[/color] The ground beneath Colin was mottled but smooth, millions of perfect little circles imprinted into each stone slab. He let his hands fall to his sides, fingertips brushing against the foreign surface. Still couldn’t look at Violet, at much more than the neat little shapes, all in their rows, where they were meant to be. Three hundred years was a long, long time. People didn’t live that long. Things didn’t last. A slow, considered head shake. [color=#88e312]“What do I do now?”[/color] [I][color=thistle]Easy now, things like this are sensitive.[/color][/I] She stayed silent for a long moment, knowing how easily she messed up sensitive things. It was why she could never hold a guy, why she always fought with her brother. She was reactive, but now she had time to think. [color=thistle]"Well, we can talk about it."[/color] A simple suggestion, but a suggestion nonetheless. [color=thistle]"And...if you cry--er, get upset, I won't judge you or anything. I'll just feed you ice cream and we can give each other manicures."[/color] She forced a laugh, rocking on the balls of her feet. What did Dr. Limatine say? [color=thistle]"Pain is forever...wait, no. I mean, pain isn't forever. I mean-"[/color] She groaned. [color=thistle]"Pain is only forever if you bottle it up and feed it. You gotta let it go away. It'll take time, though."[/color] There, that was what her therapist said. At least, in brief. He exhaled, body sagging with the motion. Time. Right. If everything went away with time, then why was everything still there? Violet’s suggestion wasn’t terrible though. There were… worse things to do than talking. Even if he had no idea what ice cream was, and a manicure sounded like an extremely painful medical procedure. [color=#88e312] “Okay…”[/color] he said, eventually dragging his eyes up to meet Violet’s,[color=#88e312] “I still… I still need to figure out what happened with Samael. And Brighid… and Eliza… and, “[/color] he swallowed, eyes darting back down again, [color=#88e312]“and Kiri too. Thanks, though. And… sorry for losing it on you.”[/color] he grimaced. [color=thistle]"Don't worry about it, dude. I'm sure this won't be the last time."[/color] Standing from her crouch, she offered him a hand. [color=thistle]"Just wait until I lose it on [I]you[/I]."[/color] A grin split her features. With a slight wince, Colin took it, allowing her to help pull him to his feet. It was warm. Real. This was… real. And with that, they headed back to Violet’s apartment.