[indent][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6Yi4gad.png[/img]
[hider][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq6U3_H237k[/youtube][/hider][/center][right][h1][color=f49ac2]Edict[/color][/h1][/right][right][sub][hr][color=f49ac2]Mentions:[/color] [color=f4eb93]Britney Williams,[/color] [color=CD5C5C]Linqian Han[/color] Auri Auclair| [color=f49ac2]Location:[/color] St. Portwell, Oregon: Municipal Library [/sub][/right][hr]
[/indent]For a while, Edict stared up at the faded night with his cigarette lit. He realized how shitty Grays were just after taking the first drag and was resisting the urge to reach into his pocket and pull out one of his own rolls. He'd grown used to the quality of Louisiana tobacco on a trip down south for the Connection; hadn't looked at a pack of pre-rolls since. Thinking about it more and more made him think about all the other things he could be doing right now, and he reached a hand into his pocket to pull a small piece of paper out. Names...
[i]Nour, Nakamura, Violet, Pink, Hayes... Shayton.[/i]
Fucking bikers... No way he was going to that strip club now, not without some sort of disguise or cover. Sycamore Tree gets back together, and he just shows up at a bunch of One Percenters' front door like the game has changed? Bunch of cocksuckers, lowlife fucks who couldn't keep dope out of their noses long enough to be anything more than a disorganized thorn in the side of a sleeping giant. But, connected? That wasn't going to be good for any of them. But Edict couldn't find a bone to care about warning any of them. A few Sycamores chopped down would be better for him. Blood made bad business... [color=f49ac2][i]Usually, at least.[/i][/color]

A figure came from the direction of the shop, stepping between the street lights headed pretty much right for him. Linqian... A face he thought about often, as he crossed airports and saw some exotic looking people but never managed to find someone quite as striking as her. She had beauty certainly, but he remembered she used to joke about Jinhai getting all the brains. He'd only ever seen her use that sort of thing to her advantage even though her fucking attitude was just as good at smashing any good will she scraped together. 
[color=f49ac2][i]Nobody was taking advantage of Jinhai these days.[/i][/color]
He grimaced to himself at the dark thought, folding the note into his palm and tucking it hard to minimize the chance she saw anything at all. 

[color=CD5C5C][i]”Room for one more?”[/i][/color]

[color=f49ac2]"As long as you don't start bitching at me like that, Linqian, you can stoop kid with me as long as you want sister."[/color]
She lit her cigarette off his, and he saw the cheap pack. It made his eye twitch, and it was fairly visible as his glasses were up pushing the hair out of his face. He listened to her ask questions, but all the while he stared at the trash cigarette in her mouth until it got to be so much that his hand flicked up and snagged it by the cherry on the end. There was a gentle hiss as he pulled the half a cigarette from her mouth, tossing both it and his own cheap trash cigarette into the street. His first free hand, with the note still jammed tight to his palm, slipped into his jacket pocket and casually swapped the note for a few other items; a small cigarette case and a book of matches. Popping it open, he pulled two cigarettes out and stuck the brown handrolled cigarette back into her mouth. The paper filter was a bit more sturdy than the cotton, and it had a bit more weight overall than something in the pack. He pulled a match and struck it off the cigarette case, lifting and lighting his own before pulling it out and sticking it up to hers to light.

[color=f49ac2]"That's a smoke, ain't it? Low processed, compared to that garbage shit. Should be the fucking standard."[/color]
He looked at her, smiled, and took a drag of the earthy warm smoke. Flavorful; not just tar and gasoline. 
[color=f49ac2]"It ain't a cult. Still in [i]The Life[/i], just... Keepin' my nose clean, y'know? Makin' way more money than I ever was."[/color]
He took another drag, free hand slipping into a different coat pocket.
[color=f49ac2]"Which reminds me, here. My condolences to you and your family: I ain't know if Jinhai had any kids or anything, but you let me know if your family needs any help. I'm here for everyone whose lost someone to this shit so far, I mean that. The priest thing? A little pretentious, I admit, but... Seriously. I'm here to help. This shit is Home, feel?"[/color]
His hand comes out of the jacket pocket and holds a small roll of cash up to Linqian. He had quite a few in there, some instant kindling to spark some fires that needed lighting. He figured this was going to be an easy first step. It wasn't hard for him to say one thing and feel a completely different way, to the point that lying didn't really register on his face these days. And if he got caught? Just tell another one. Throw as many darts as necessary for a bullseye.

[color=f49ac2]"As far as jobs though, maybe you can help me out with some shit here in Porty?"[/color] he continued his line of questioning and logic.
[color=f49ac2]"After something like that, I gotta just come clean with someone, right? Look; I've been hittin' some serious therapy and shit back East. My Doc is fantastic, and she's really helpin' me understand a lot of what's been wrong with me my whole life, y'know? All this shit with my family, and like comin' to terms with my Moms and shit? And, well, you know she can't really understand what people like y'all can. But, she says that I'm like..."[/color]
He sounded really heartbroken about this. He was, on occasion. There were nights he really wanted to be a better man, a more serious and legitimate person. An upstanding individual. But why fight that feeling?
[color=f49ac2]"She says I'm more or less addicted to it. That using my Abstraction is like some... Some j-... Some [i]substance abuser[/i] using a drug to get high and escape reality. And, I knew that I shouldn't have come out here like this, but when Auri gave me the call and I thought about how I always wanted to be that better person, I knew I wanted to make things right with you all. I figured maybe if I put on some bullshit heirs or something that everyone would just forget, but..."[/color]
He choked up a little bit again, playing off of what happened earlier now.
[color=f49ac2]"I mean nobody bought it, right? So, there's no chance I'll be able to make anything right with anyone now."[/color]
He shook his head, hanging it in false shame so practiced and real you'd wonder how an individual can tow such a line and stay sane.

Finally, he took one deep breath.
[color=f49ac2]"So... What I'm really trying to say is that... If you want a job, and you're willing to help me, then I can make sure that something like tonight doesn't happen again, but I can still help. I want you to be my eyes and ears, figure out who else is willing to hear me out and make amends, that way I know who I can really trust in St. Portwell, and who is just going to think I'm the same person I always was. I'm... I'm seriously trying to do this right, Linqian."[/color]
Carnegie always taught that to seal a deal, you should consistently use a person's name when directing toward them. It made them feel more inclined to you, warmer, more alert.
[color=f49ac2]"I'm willing to pay for any inconveniences, but... I can probably point you in some good directions so that you can find other likeminded people to back you up quicker, y'know?"[/color]

[indent][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/pc6Dokb.png[/img]
[hider][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWXkvksLqDU&pp=ygUfbG9yZCBvZiB0aGUgZnJpZXMgcG9seXJoeXRobWljcw%3D%3D[/youtube][/hider][/center][right][h1][color=C67C12]Leon[/color][/h1][/right][right][sub][hr][color=C67C12]Mentions:[/color] Greenwood Coven, Alizée Altieri | [color=C67C12]Location:[/color] St. Portwell, Oregon: Veni Vidi Veni Parkinglot [/sub][/right][hr]
[/indent]Leon counted himself lucky that the fighting wound down before the Void got any more intense. He was expecting rammifications from his dear friend later on, probably at the price of some of St. Portwell's innocents, which wasn't exactly the kind of thing he wanted. He knew he'd offer himself in their place gladly, letting the thing suckle from Lady Lelou until it had enough that the innocents could live for now. One more night in paradise... Between the two of them, there was enough power to seriously damage the city, and adding in this many Adepts was like adding fuel to the fire. 
Still strangely transformed, Leon's massive overstretched hands scratched at the wound the Void had caused. His strange, slightly too long pale face stared out from his golden mane at the Greenwood Coven members gathered about as he addressed them.

[color=C67C12]"Forgive her... She i-isn't..."[/color]
It was dreadfully difficult to speak like this. He could hear and smell so many different things, and there was the everpresent echo of bloodlust itching at the Fire seal like it was a scratch and sniff. Leon stamped his foot down on the ground, spinning to look at Alizée and seeing her doing... Something? He'd heard a child's voice, but didn't smell any children. The blood was fresh, but... More? Where? Inside?
Finally, he grew frustrated, smashing a fist off the pavement and pointing up at the gathered Greenwood.
[color=C67C12]"Go! Now! Before Judas arrives and we're all in trouble!"[/color]

Leon spun, trying to get his massive hands to slip into the proper somatic positioning to channel the energy required to seal himself back up enough that there weren't going to be people up and down the street grabbing their pitchforks. However, he was struggling. He was usually prone to bouts of nausea and weakness after dealing with Alizée's wonderful companion, and rarely did he have the chance to reseal himself when they settled disputes. Usually it was his Handler doing it... Usually Daisy... He had to count on himself now, and took a deep breath. Fingers twisted, and as he released the oxygen he felt everything relax. The leftover essence curled from his lungs in a huff of thick black smoke as his body deflated and buckled back into something of a more natural shape. But, he was still woozey and unsure of what was coming. He didn't even turn back to see if the others cut their losses and ran or not, only moving toward Alizée.

[color=C67C12]"Petite soeur, viens! Nous devons fuir avant que les indésirables n'arrivent!" [i](Let's go, little sister! Before the Undesirables show up!)[/i][/color]
As he approached her, he looked past and down. A child? The voice! But, as the last bit of truesense left his nose, he grimaced as he looked at the [i]thing[/i]. 
[color=C67C12]"Alizée! Not here, Fille, we need to go! We've fucked everything up now, let's go find you a meal in the Temple! Vite!"[/color]
He felt a certain amount of distrust and disgust with the child that Alizée was doting over, and there was a gut reaction to want to run from him, like an instinct of distrust.