[img]https://i.ibb.co/FJ21Xs9/Mathieu-Latour-Duhaime-Concept-Art-Thief-03-1-1.jpg[/img]

[hr][center][h1][color=aquamarine]Veronica Edwards ~ The Portraitist[/color][/h1][/center][hr]

Veronica listened intently as the others explained their abilities, and how said magic could aid them with the upcoming mission. [color=aquamarine]"A range of skills such as yours,"[/color] she addressed the girls who'd replied, [color=aquamarine]"sounds like it could make our tasks much more manageable. Of course, we'll still need to be cautious, and be sure to work together to the best of our ability."[/color] She glanced from Amarantha to Marilyn, that trace of a smile returning. [color=aquamarine]"Speaking of teamwork, hunts won't be the only reason for our gatherings. If there are aspects of your magic you have yet to figure out, this way we can help each other train and learn."[/color]

Claria flitted around the room, grinning down at the newly assembled coven. [color=paleturquoise]"That's the attitude! And I can't wait to see what you're all capable of!"[/color]

In contrast, Veronica's expression became neutral once again. [color=aquamarine]"That,"[/color] she said, eyes flicking to the slowly dimming view through the window then back, [color=aquamarine]"is something we'll be seeing very soon."[/color]

[center][youtube]https://youtu.be/TTTjzoWV8v0[/youtube][/center]

It wasn't long before dusk crept over London, people heading home for the day as, unknown to them, a new kind of activity stirred. It wasn't just that in the rowdy pubs and inns Veronica passed by, either. The reports she'd heard could easily be written off as the ramblings of the drunk, but she knew better. 

Glimpses of ghostly figures. Bouts of aggression that went beyond drunken brawls. Attacks by unseen assailants. Disappearances. This was, after all, the perfect place for Hydes to prey on the vulnerable.

[color=aquamarine]"Excess. Paranoia. Anger. Despair,"[/color] she mused, peering through the dingy surroundings. The stench of alcohol and filth didn't faze her, nor did the air of seediness. She'd long since cast off all self-consciousness while doing her duty - after all, in her transformed state, she'd slip by the average person unnoticed. [color=aquamarine]"The kinds of emotions and impulses that feed and breed Hydes, all in plentiful supply in places like these."[/color] Places that, given their experience, many of the witches here would be used to. Then again, sometimes there was no telling where a Hyde would lurk.

[color=paleturquoise]"Too bad we're ready for them!"[/color] Claria rose into the fetid air, casting a glimmer of light through the murk. [color=paleturquoise]"And the more there are, the easier they'll be to spot!"[/color]

With a grim nod, Veronica continued along her way. Numbers, after all, weren't just on the enemy's side.

[hr][center][h1][color=mediumorchid]Lucilla Crawford ~ Ignis Fatuus[/color][/h1][/center][hr]

A purple glow bathed the brickwork as Lucilla raised her candle, looking down the alley with a wry smile. It was ironic, how even after Wisp and Sophia had allowed her to turn her life around, she still belonged in the shadows of London. Now, though, it was to calm the chaos instead of cause it.

If the team worked together as well as Veronica and her pixie seemed to think they would, at least.

[color=mediumorchid]"Ready? That we are,"[/color] she agreed, snickering. [color=mediumorchid]"Let's remind those Hydes it's those people's party, not theirs."[/color] She gestured to an inn, from which she could hear off-key singing. As she trailed along, she hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. Even with a decent level of faith in her combat ability, teamwork was something she still had to ease into once more. Not that she was the only one who felt that way, judging by some of the other girls' mannerisms. Besides, if things were as bad as Veronica said, they didn't have a choice. Not if she and the others were to stop a repeat of that incident.

Her fingers clenched around the candle holder as memories flashed through her mind. Blood, lifeless forms, a barely human figure hunching over them. That figure, still bearing traits of her friend, writhing in flames. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes as if to block out the scenes. No. It wouldn't happen again, not tonight. 

Putting on that smile again, she turned her attention from Clarissa, to Amarantha, to Lilith, then to Marilyn. She knew this network of streets like a home, but this situation called for a precise search. [color=mediumorchid]"Looks like a good time to put those tracking skills of yours to use."[/color]