[indent][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6Yi4gad.png[/img]
[hider=Mood Music][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-W6PWVzqMs&pp=ygUXYXQgYWxsIGtheXRyYW5hZGEgcmVtaXg%3D[/youtube][/hider][/center][right][h1][color=f49ac2]Edict[/color][/h1][/right][right][sub][hr][color=f49ac2]Mentions:[/color] [color=goldenrod]Sully McPherson[/color], [color=C67C12]Leon Richoux[/color]  [color=f49ac2]Direct Dialogue:[/color][color=CD5C5C]Linqian Han[/color] [color=f49ac2]Location:[/color] Bed > Cracker Island Ferry Docks [/sub][/right][hr]
[/indent] Edict woke up in a cold sweat, feet instantly swinging from the bed as he rushed for the bathroom to vomit up whatever he'd imbibed last night. He was well convinced there was a curse placed upon him, incidents the day prior having gone belly-up. That Witch he'd met... [color=f49ac2][i]Had it not worked? Why a Recollection like that?[/i][/color] He was really regretting coming back to St. Portwell as his guts worked their way back up out of his mouth and into his toilet: He'd already made a fool of himself at the Church Meeting, his position in the group was tenuous at best, then slighting a Family Connection only to wake up to this bullshit? Not to mention... [color=f49ac2][i]That was the Beer Chalice![/i][/color] 

He'd recognize Sully's flask anywhere; at least the guy used it like a flask. The whole Coven was a herpes outbreak waiting to happen back in the day with so many lips touching that thing. [color=f49ac2][i]But, whoever the girl was... She had it? It was the past, so it had to be long before it made it into that lug's hands.[/i][/color] Edict's mind didn't stop working just because he was giving himself up to the God of Porcelain. He felt a stranger's hand rubbing his back. He couldn't say he knew her name, but the comfort was nice. Once everything was done coming up, Edict turned his head to look out the bathroom window. The sun was close to rising, soon he'd have to check the wire tap recordings. Coffee, working out, then the Festival. Nobody missed it if you lived here; it was one of the best events in town. And a reason to dress up. Linqian had actually made plans to talk shop while they hung around, and he hoped there'd be some of the other more rowdy members of the Coven to hang about with. Almost sickening how he enjoyed hanging out with these people.

He spit the last of the poisoned, mucus filled phlegm into the toilet and flushed one last time, standing up. The woman didn't say anything; he hadn't told her to. Part of the transaction.
[color=f49ac2][b]"Go home."[/b][/color] 
The girl took a deep breath, nodding as if she had any choice but to agree. Her hand left him, and she coldly gathered her things and dressed herself to trod off into the chilly city morning, leaving Edict alone with himself. He had a long day ahead, and thinking about this Recollection was going to get exhausting fast.
[hr]
The height of the afternoon had passed now. The air was on the cusp of changing as Edict drove down the road with the Impala's top down, his sunglasses dutifully blocking out most of the sun's harmful rays while still illuminating the wonderful St. Portwell bay area. It was starting to tilt westward, meaning the people gathering on Cracker Island for the usual fun times were in for one Hell of a sunset. Edict definitely wanted to be there. He took a peek in his mirror and grinned to himself as he saw his Uncle and cousins in the car behind him. The old man gave a smile and a knowing nod while Alice and Marie fussed about with their costumes behind him. Edict threw a thumbs up, and he saw the old man's hand wobble back and forth as if to say [i]so-so[/i]. He laughed openly, and reached for his cellphone to talk to him. As he did, he was hit with Linqian's text message. He shook his head and dialed his Uncle.

[color=f49ac2]"Lord of Pork, this is Mixed Bowtie."[/color]
[i]"Knock it off you Simian, what? Whadda'ya want?"[/i]
[color=f49ac2]"I kinda missed my business, so you take them and head for the other place. I'll meet you guys on Cracker."[/color]
Edict laughed as his Uncle threw his hands up in the mirror.
[color=f49ac2]"Don't shrug me, Old Man, I'll drag you across the bay on that fuckin' boat."[/color]
[i]"That'll be the day, Punk. You and your fancy magic tricks."[/i]

He flipped Edict off with a great big smile as he hung the phone up on him. Edict proceeded to turn out of the traffic and down a nearby side street and into a random parking lot. Life was easy when you didn't worry about the car getting towed. A few minutes later and he was rounding the corner toward Linqian.
To see his costume was to believe that he couldn't be more self aware. Usually he tried to dress as casually as possible around people, but what better way to tell people that you have a sense of humor than to caricaturize oneself? 
What walked toward Linqian was dressed in a pair of black and white [url=https://dolcevitamen.com/cdn/shop/products/Elwyn-000_Blk_1050x700.webp?v=1670517024]wing tips[/url], perfectly pressed gold and black pinstriped slacks with a thin Armani leather belt. His body was covered by a similarly pinstriped vest covering a dark gold button down shirt. His white suit coat was slung over both shoulders like a shawl, with a gold chain clipping the two sides together to ensure it didn't fall off. On his head was the most gaudy fedora with the same black and gold pinstriping and a white band wrapping around it. He also, not-so-conspicuously, was carrying around a guitar case that looked like it had some weight to it. 

He had a full cigar in his mouth, tip glowing cherry red while plumes of white smoke climbed up from behind his sunglasses and into the air.
[color=f49ac2]"Woah, there she is... Where's, uh, The Big Bad Grandma? What, Leon not come with you?"[/color]
It was the most obnoxious Brooklyn accent that came out of his mouth, with that cigar still clutched in between his grinning teeth. He stopped right next to her and put the guitar case down on the ground with a thump, pulling out his phone and scrolling to an image of Leon dressed up like a grandma werewolf on the 'gram. Him, and seemingly the rest of his family, crowded outside a stall in the middle of the festivities.

[color=f49ac2]"He posted it like an hour ago. Crazy how life works, huh? Father Wolf if I've ever seen him.-"[/color] he joked, finally stopping to see Linqian's vaguely long face. [color=f49ac2]"-Wait, what's up? I know that look, and I swear I didn't even have to poke. What's up, huh?"[/color]