[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6D400qM.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/O6LA4nR.png[/img] [img]https://see.fontimg.com/api/renderfont4/z8xjG/eyJyIjoiZnMiLCJoIjoxODMsInciOjI4MTMsImZzIjo2NSwiZmdjIjoiI0ZFRkVGRSIsImJnYyI6IiMwMDAwMDAiLCJ0IjoxfQ/QWlzbGluIFJvc2U/darlington-demo.png[/img] [img]https://imgur.com/LaKV12v.png[/img][/center][right][b]Interactions:[/b] 🤷🏿‍♂️.[/right][right][b][code]Cracker Island. The Halloween Festival. The Toga Cult.[/code][/b][/right][hr][hr] [quote=A stranger][b]“... Well, well. If it isn't the star of the Sycamore. How ya doing?”[/b][/quote] For a hot second, Adora couldn’t recognize the stranger… Aislin didn’t look that remarkable, and she had spent the last ten years suppressing the thought of the Old Coven. However, when Aislin hugged Adora, that was enough to break her out of this toga-induced reverie. She tensed up at the contact, briefly confused as she tensed up with her arms in the air. [quote=Maybe Aislin?][b] “Hey, were you headed back to the drink line? It's ridiculously long, buuuut-” [/b]her eyes shimmered, [b]“-I just so happen to have two bottle of wine unopened at my booth. Ya'll can pop ‘em with me and we can catch up!”[/b][/quote] The stranger grabbed Adora’s hand, trying to pull her away, but Adora briefly resisted. [color=fd8a6c]”Wait, hold up!”[/color] Adora began. [color=fd8a6c]”It’s… been awhile. My memory’s a bit foggy. Well, I hate to be rude, but could you help me jog my memory a little bit. It’s been… [i]ages[/i] since I rolled with Sycamore.”[/color] Aislin shared for a moment before her hands went to her face. [b]“Oh, where are my manners, it really has been ages, hasn't it?”[/b] She steeped her toe in the worn grass, momentarily self-conscious. [b]“I've just, ya know, been thinking about the old days, and I saw you, and I just- I knew I had to say something.”[/b] She smiled wide, offering her hand.[b] “Let me jog your memory a bit! Aislin Rose, we used to hang out quite a bit, back when…”[/b] her voice tapered off, quiet somberness in her cast away eyes, [b]”Lisa was with us, God rest her soul.”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”Aislin?!”[/color] Adora shouted out of surprise. Before she awkwardly ran a hand through her hair, and shook Aislin’s hand. [color=fd8a6c]”Shit… sorry I didn’t recognize you at first but..”[/color] She trailed off before she said, [color=fd8a6c]”... Let’s not mention Lisa right now, okay?”[/color] Aislin's eyes tightened, and she nodded. [b]“Yeah… you got it.”[/b] She threw a thumb back to her booth.[b] “Wanna see what I've been working on?”[/b] A pause, before Aislin let out a short chuckle. [b]“It's a gong-show, but you'll like it, I'm sure. Plus that's where my wine is stored.”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”I mean,”[/color] Adora shrugged. [color=fd8a6c]”Sure.”[/color] She quickly took the toga she had on top of her now blood-stained outfit and threw it back into the Toga party. It was probably not usable anyway, but if they wanted it, that was theirs. [color=fd8a6c]”Lead the way, sis!”[/color] Aislin smiled, eyes drifting over the drying blood on Adora's clothes, but only slipped a sympathetic expression as she beckoned with a wave, [b]“This way, right over here.”[/b] She led them back through the crowd to her booth, everything untouched from her two minutes of lacking supervision. Adora would see a modest booth draped in hanging paintings, all with moody, rainy themes. On the table were business cards and a binder filled with henna designs, each costing $5 a piece. [b]“Please, have a seat!”[/b] Aislin said, gesturing to the second chair behind the table, and Adora sat down at the destinated spot. She moved to some containers lining the back of the booth, and pulled out a book. It was embossed in gold, with a soft texture to the cover. Aislin grinned, popping it into Adora's hands. [b]“My most recent release, took a lot of sweat and tears, but people seem to enjoy it.”[/b] She gave the cover a tap, ‘The Darkness Before the Dawn: A Poetry Collection by Aislin Rose’ written across the front. She then gestured to the paintings around her, her wings mimicking her movement. [b]“Took me years, but I've got my own office up in the 317, finally kinda made it.”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”... The what?”[/color] Adora rubbed the back of her neck. [b]“Oh, they're like an artist association.”[/b] Aislin smiled. Ailsin moved to another container, pulling out two plastic cups and a bottle of wine, setting them on the table. With gentle fingers, she uncorked the bottle and poured Adora a generous amount. She poured a little less for herself, and held her glass up. [b]“To fate, and having the opportunity to kill it with an old friend.”[/b] She said with a wink. After a sip, Aislin sat in the seat across from Adora. [b]“So, uh, Jasper dropped by my office, mentioned the most craziest thing… Cops came and raided a meeting?”[/b] She leaned forward, curiosity in her eyes.[b] “So I gotta ask, what the hell have I missed, sis?”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”Well… you’re asking the wrong person, first and foremost, since I missed the first meeting and I’ve been keeping the Coven at arm’s length,”[/color] Adora rubbed the back of her head. [color=fd8a6c]”But, we did get raided… I didn’t catch who they were, but they weren’t [i]regular[/i] cops. They had magic… I don’t know what happened in St. Portwell since I went ghost, but the SPPD didn’t have abstractions last time I checked.”[/color] Aislin mused, running fingers over her chin. [b]“Interesting. Cops with magic.”[/b] She sighed and shrugged. [b]“Well, I'd have to say it's highly overdue. Having magical criminals run rampant is a no-go, the law would [i]have[/i] to do something to keep up.”[/b] Adora shrugged as she sat in the chair. [color=fd8a6c]”[i]Apparently[/i] it was spurred by shit Alizee and that airhead Everleigh did, and Kali’s death… Three things [i]I[/i] ain’t had shit to do with.”[/color] She rolled her eyes. [b]“Wait, those two?”[/b] Aislin's brows furrowed. [b]“I always took them for loose cannons, but…”[/b] She sighed again, sipping her wine. [b]“The attention of the law, even with Kali’s premature passing… it just doesn't make sense. What on earth did those two do?”[/b] Adora shrugged. [color=fd8a6c]”This is from Lila, but apparently Alizee picked a fight with some gang, and Eve beat up a cop. This happened within like two hours of the first meeting, which I also heard was a shitshow.”[/color] Aislin gave a low whistle, [b]“Wow, Sycamore is as busy as ever.”[/b] She shrugged with her wine.[b] “You'd think people would be more excited to see each other after so long, but… maybe not.”[/b] A sip of her wine, before a passerby stopped in front of the booth to inquire about the paintings. Aislin smiled, answered, and sent them off with a business card, before turning her attention back to Adora. [b]“Well… enough about the Sycamore. What about you? What have you been up to?”[/b] She cracked a smirk. [b]“Staying out of trouble, riiight?”[/b] Adora laughed. [color=fd8a6c]”You know it sis… I’m doing good, well, good as I will be. I’m focusing on me and keeping my head low. What have you been up to?”[/color] She sighed, [color=fd8a6c]”Sorry for ghosting.”[/color] Aislin reached over and clapped a hand on Adora's shoulder. [b]“You're here now, that's what matters. And hey, focus on you all you want.”[/b] She leaned back on her seat, eyes glancing to the passing crowd. [b]“Me? I've uh, been ignoring the Coven. Since it's reform, I mean. I just-”[/b] She grimaced.[b] “I just didn't want to believe that a serial killer is really after us. But after hearing the news about Kali… I dunno, it just kinda clicked for me.”[b] She paused, eyes glancing to the ground before looking at Adora.[b] “Be real with me, sis. What do you really make of this killer? Are we really gonna…”[/b] She trailed off, eyes tight. [color=fd8a6c]”I don’t know much about him…”[/color] Adora closed her eyes, and sighed. [color=fd8a6c]”... But, he’s good. Whoever the fuck he is, he’s fucking good. Or he has some specific ass magic. I never was an expert in [i]that,[/i] but fuck… I don’t know, to be real with ya’.”[/color] She shook her head. [color=fd8a6c]”But… there has to be a way to beat him, her, or whoever the fuck. Despite the odds, I’m going to [i]try[/i]. I will try my best to make sure that nobody else dies.”[/color] Aislin nodded. [b]“You and me both, sis.”[/b] She shifted in her chair, setting her wine glass on the table before clasping her hands in front of her. [b]“What I don't get, though… Is [i]why[/i]. We were disbanded for [i]ten[/i] years. We would have been adrift longer if the boss lady hadn't called us back together.”[/b] A palm ran across her mouth. [b]“Just… why wait? Why now? And why [i]us[/i]?”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”Beats me,”[/color] Adora shrugged. [color=fd8a6c]”I think someone did something dumb and attracted the wrong person's attention.”[/color] Aislin gave a grim nod in understanding. [b]”Seems reasonable enough of a guess.”[/b] She leaned forward in her seat, patting Adora’s knee. [b]“So I'm gonna stop being a lazy lay-about, should probably join the next meeting. When is everyone getting together again?”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”No clue, but hopefully soon.”[/color] Adora shrugged. [color=fd8a6c]”Auri and I found a lead. But, she wants us to lay low because of everything that happened… but, we can’t sit on it forever.”[/color] Aislin's mouth hung open a bit. [b]“A lead? What did you find?”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”Well…”[/color] Adora shrugged. [color=fd8a6c]”... You remember Lyss? And will you keep your mouth shut?”[/color] [b]“I won't say a word.”[/b] Aislin nodded. [color=fd8a6c]”When the Feds did a sweep, Lyss was there, and we used her fancy-dancy magic to summon the spirits of Ashley, Lionel Hunter, and Kari Wilson, to talk to ‘em,”[/color] Adora began. [color=fd8a6c]”Ashley didn’t want to talk, Lionel did but didn’t have anything [i]useful[/i], but Kari… [i]Kari…[/i]”[/color] She trailed off before she said, [color=fd8a6c]”Kari didn’t know us… which was weird. Lyss deduced that it was a different universe’s Kari, but I just think all that tear gas made her summon the wrong Kari.”[/color] Aislin's face screwed up, trying to comprehend the possibilities. [b]“A different universe? That's not possible, is it?”[/b] Adora shook her head, then laughed, [color=fd8a6c]”I don’t know how magic works, you know! My pop-pop gives me some rings that turned me and my two friends into Wonder Woman… but I’m getting off track here. Right now, Kari is our only lead. Or at least Auri thinks she is. I can’t blame her for jumping at every lead when she has to justify her leadership position.”[/color] Aislin grimaced a bit, before slurping noisily on her wine, eyes cast to the side. [b]“Auri… there's a reason I didn't come back right away. It should be Ashley leading us. Auri's a good person, don't get me wrong-”[/b] she held her hands up, [b]“But… ah, call me a dreamer, but I wish Ashely were here. I miss how Ashley used to bark out her orders.”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”I don’t,”[/color] Adora was quick to answer. [color=fd8a6c]”She was an asshole that tried to make everything a popularity contest every chance she got.”[/color] She rolled her eyes. [color=fd8a6c]”Which is how Auri got her position in the first place. But, I ain’t like any of them.”[/color] [b]“Ashley wasn't perfect, sure. But Ashley would have known what to do…”[/b] A short silence, before Aislin took another sip of her wine, switching which leg she had crossed. [b]“So… are we summoning Kari again, or…?”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”We’d need Lyss for that,”[/color] Adora began, then rolled her eyes. [color=fd8a6c]”And she wants to play dark and mysterious [i]now[/i] of all time. But Auri wants to check out Kari’s house and see if we can find a lead on her or our killer. I understand, but this could all end up being a wild goose chase, given that Alyssa could have just summoned the wrong Kari… but….”[/color] She stared at Aislin. [color=fd8a6c]”... Kari was my friend, too. I will see this through regardless of if it ends up being a dead end.”[/color] Aislin paused before she gave a serious nod. [b]“I'm with you. We gotta make it so no one else gets hurt….”[/b] She gave a smiling shrug. [b]“Not sure how I feel about trespassing Kari's house, but for the greater good… Yeah, there's no other option at this point.”[/b] She stared up at the roof of her booth, lips slightly puckered in thought. [b]“We're really in the dark here. I mean, [i]really[/i]. By now some detective would have had more of a lead, and be saving the day!”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”I wish,”[/color] Adora laughed. Aislin eyes rolled over to Adora, and she sighed.[b] “Guess no one is saving us but ourselves… You have my old number, right? It hasn't changed. We should keep in touch. Like [i]actually[/i] keep in touch this time. I wanna be there when we go check the house out.”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”I probably don’t. Sorry I was trying my best [i]not[/i] to think about the Coven until last week,”[/color] Adora shrugged before she reached into her costume and pulled out her phone and gave it to her. [color=fd8a6c]”Don’t mean you can get it now.”[/color] Aislin smiled and nodded, taking the phone. She popped in her contacts quick, made sure it was saved, and passed the phone back to Adora. [b]“There we go.”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”It was great talking with you…”[/color] Adora glanced over her shoulder, noticing the sudden thunderstorm that felt eerily familiar. [color=fd8a6c]”... but I feel like shit’s about to go down, and I really don’t want any part of it. I also would like to uh…”[/color] She laughed, looking down at this bloody cyan dress. [color=fd8a6c]”Get out of this. So I’ll catch you later, alright?”[/color] She stuck her fist out for… a fist bump. Aislin grimaced at the sky, but her face quickly returned to its jovial self when she saw Adora's fist out. She curled her own fingers and gently bumped it. [b]“Wise move, I'd probably follow suit if I wasn't trying to make a living here. You take it easy though, alright?” [/b]She winked.[b] “And don't be a stranger.”[/b] [color=fd8a6c]”Heh, you too…”[/color] Adora smiled. [color=fd8a6c]”... And I’m [i]done[/i] being a stranger.”[/color] With a nod of her head, Adora disappeared into the night… heading towards the ferry. Aislin remained behind, watching the tumultuous sky. [hr] [center][img]https://imgur.com/LaKV12v.png[/img] [img]https://see.fontimg.com/api/renderfont4/z8xjG/eyJyIjoiZnMiLCJoIjoxODMsInciOjI4MTMsImZzIjo2NSwiZmdjIjoiI0ZFRkVGRSIsImJnYyI6IiMwMDAwMDAiLCJ0IjoxfQ/QWlzbGluIFJvc2U/darlington-demo.png[/img][/center] [color=gray][i]Halloween Festival, Aislin's Booth -> Festival Fights[/i][/color] [sub][b]Mentions:[/b] Emily, Drake ([@Punished GN]), Vashti ([@Atrophy]), Ken, Leon ([@AtomicEmperor]), Aaron Aryin ([@NoriWasHere]). [b]Direct Dialogue:[/b] George & Carol ([@Punished GN])[/sub] [hr] After Adora left, Aislin tried to focus on selling her goods for the rest of the night. She really [i]tried[/i] to focus, but the storm in the sky just grew darker. She knew that storm. And as much as she wanted to ignore it, Aislin knew that if the Sycamore was coming back, and if she wanted to be a part of it, it meant checking out the possibility of an ‘old friend’ showing their face. So, she did what any reasonable Business lady would do. She peeled off her wine glass, and Adora's wine glass, and took her paintings down. Resting them at the back of her booth, she pulled a red ‘closed’ sign over the table and ran out towards the storm. It was the screams that alerted Aislin first. The cracking of wood and ripping of cloth. The scent of smoke mixing with rain. She knew she was close. Aidlin glanced at the tent in front of her, withdrawing her attention from her wings to focus wholly on one object. The tent obediently bent, tent pole pooling at her feet. She stepped on, and it hoisted her above the tent line, where she could clearly see the fight happening in the next section over. Ken versus Emily. [i]Ken was here?![/i] Leon versus Vashti. Things weren't looking good until the sky rumbled, announcing Drake's presence with a lightning bolt. Aislin's eyes glowed. Now everything would be okay. Before more action could really take place, though, cops interfered, breaking up the fight and chasing 8th Street off. Aislin watched the escalation with a grim face. The cops had magic. [i]Were they the same Adora talked about?[/i] That was when some bad-mouthing caught Aislin's attention, and she turned her head. Within eye-shot of the fight, but a little distance off, was none other than Aryin, Jordan, George and Carol. Aislin immediately wrinkled her nose. [i]George.[/i] However, as the badmouthing grew more intense, Aislin felt unease settle within her. It wasn't until Gearge pulled his arm back that she knew things were about to get [i]real[/i] dangerous. She acted on impulse. In the near cleared out Festival area, tent rope unfastened from the ground and sprung forth from both sides, wrapping tightly around George's wrist and arm. Anything to slow the movement down. She knew he was a behemoth muscle man, so extra ropes attached themselves until his arm was tied up like a ribboned maypole. Many tents collapsed. Or, well, the better wording was ‘spring up as if snapping to on a tight rope before fluttering to the ground, lifeless’. But Aislin wasn't focused on that right now. Right now, the tent pole she stood upon tilted and recoiled, shooting her head first towards George. Her arms were out and her head tucked, aiming to make contact on her shoulder. She wanted to tackle him. Hard. At best, knock him over. At worst, change his trajectory. [b]“Nobody touches Aryin, you bully!”[/b]