[center] [img]https://imgur.com/ZVvc9qJ.png[/img] [img]https://see.fontimg.com/api/renderfont4/ywLOY/eyJyIjoiZnMiLCJoIjoxODMsInciOjI4MTMsImZzIjo2NSwiZmdjIjoiI0JDQkNCQyIsImJnYyI6IiMwMDAwMDAiLCJ0IjoxfQ/VHN1a2lubyAoTHVuYSkgSW5vdWU/playfair-display-regular.png[/img][/center] [color=gray][i]Near Kari's House[/i][/color] [sub][b]Mentions:[/b] None. [b]Direct Dialogue: Drake ([@Punished GN]), Stormy ([@Blizz])[/b][/sub] [hr][hr][center][hider=Lovely - Billie Eilish (Punk Cover)][youtube]https://youtu.be/Tzq8aqwsTpw?si=EWRR_9PPoHCdjmVL[/youtube][/hider][/center][hr][hr] [quote=Drake][color=3874f4]”[i]Who is that [b]someone?[/b][/i] And I don't want to hear no more about you wanting to come back because that ship has [i]sailed[/i], sweetheart.”[/color][/quote] [i]“You can't change who you are, little capo.”[/i] The White Suit crooned in her head. [color=bcbcbc][i]“Urusai. (Shut up.) He doesn't mean it.”[/i][/color] [i]“You can lie to yourself all you like. I won't stop you.”[/i] [color=bcbcbc][i]“I just have to approach this differently.”[/i][/color] [i]“Try to convince them you weren't stalking.”[/i] [color=bcbcbc][i]“I'm good at bullshitting, but Drake already has his lie detectors on. My bad habits have dug my grave with him.”[/i][/color] [i]“So what will you do?”[/i] [color=bcbcbc][i]“I'm not giving up.”[/i][/color] [i]“And his question?”[/i] Luna stayed there kneeling on the branch for a moment. The tears had evaporated, but something inside her still felt crushed. She put it all on the line there. But… One who cried wolf was never listened to. One who broke the trust given to them, like a shattered glass, was stuck grasping at pieces. Unmendable. Or was it? [color=bcbcbc][i]“The rest of the coven will listen to me. I have to believe in that.”[/i][/color] Her chin jutted out stubbornly. [i]“You can't change who you are.”[/i] [color=bcbcbc][i]“Then… I'll burn down the coven to feel it's warmth.”[/i][/color] [i]“Will you really?”[/i] [color=bcbcbc][i]“I'll do what I have to.”[/i][/color] [i]“Your denial is blinding you.”[/i] [color=bcbcbc][i]“Your lack of faith is blinding you, Don.”[/i][/color] [i]“It's over, trust me.”[/i] Luna gritted her teeth together, her face twisting up as she gripped her temples. She spoke aloud, sharply. [color=bcbcbc][b]“Urusai! [i](Shut up!)[/i]”[/b][/color] She stood and pointed an angry finger at Drake. [color=bcbcbc][b]“I'm just trying to help you. Do you know how daunting it is to even try showing my face around those I've respected and missed for ten years?! I was building up my courage to face you. I never meant anything malicious by spying!”[/b][/color] Her hand sliced the air in universal ‘no’ sign before balling into fists.[color=bcbcbc][b]“I even offered to make it up to you, and you don't believe me? That's not fair! You're not even giving me a chance!”[/b][/color] Her arms crossed her chest, and she turned away, as much as she could on the narrow branch. [color=bcbcbc][b]“I'm not telling you anything else!”[/b][/color] That's when Stormy approached the tree from below. [quote=Stormy][color=00ff98]”Whatever you’re about to do, I’d suggest thinking heavily on your options. You aren’t welcome around here, [i]Tsukino.[/i] “We have no interest in dealing with your mafia.”[/color][/quote] [color=bcbcbc][b]“Fuzakeruna. [i](Don't mess with me.) [/i]You're the one who destroyed your own covenmate - don't talk to me about being ‘welcome’. Have you even tried talking to Layla again? “Yeah, I know everything. I know how you tortured her and made her want to kill herself to make the pain stop. You can paint me as the villain all you want, but I see through your bullshit, kusogaki. [i](Unpleasant brat.)[/i]”[/b][/color] Luna started getting agitated, light streaming from her fingertips. [color=bcbcbc][b]“Maybe I should really teach you how to be someone's friend, huh?”[/b][/color] [hr] [center] [img]https://imgur.com/IYihMs5.png[/img][ [img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/b3RmLjg4LjdhYmJmZi5UR0Y1YkdFZ1NIbGhZMmx1ZEdoMWN3LjA/sabrina-destiny.regular.webp[/img][/center] [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]Kari's House[/i][/color] [sub][b]Mentions:[/b] [b]Direct Dialogue:[/b] Aryin ([@NoriWasHere]) Ken ([@AtomicEmperor]), everyone at the house[/sub] [hr][hr][center][hider=Habits (Stay High)][youtube]https://youtu.be/0PMKa3s2xp8?si=wcOg5Cd57e58gk1G[/youtube][/hider][/center][hr][hr] [quote=The Kid]"It wasn't your friend. One dead host was never going to be enough. Believe me, you're better off without-”[/quote] Layla's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms in front of her. The kid was preaching to her about Void? He clearly didn't understand. Void would have never hurt her. Like, [i]really[/i] hurt her. He had his reasons. And he gave her strength. Strength she needed to grab her destiny, to be free of her curse. Now? She sure wasn't free. But the medicine made it feel like Mr. Riil wasn't the end of the world. [quote=Britney][color=f4eb93]”Yes, a toast for everyone lost to Father Wolf: Elsa, Lionel, Kura, Samantha, Simone… And Alizee, too. She was one of the best of us, all negatives aside.”[/color][/quote] Layla perked up a bit, some of the darkness leaving her face at the mention of Alizée. The girl Layla had replaced, once upon a time. Did Britney really mean what she said? She moved closer to the circle forming around Sully, eyes glancing down at Aislin. Wait, when had Aislin gotten there? [quote=Aryin][color=00BFFF]”You were so brave for coming to my defense, Aislin. I could’ve taken him out if he didn’t throw me back to the city from the island.”[/color][/quote] Aislin giggled, a bit of a head rush making her words drawn out.[b] “I'd do it again. George is a meanie. Though I just ended up hurting myself…”[/b] Aislin made a crumpled face at Aryin’s bruises.[b] “That's gotta hurt.”[/b] [quote=Aryin][color=00BFFF]”George is very strong..”[/color][/quote] That was when Britney leveled a lethal gaze at Aislin. [quote=Britney][color=f4eb93]”Aislin, put that thing away. There's a kid here, and we got shit to do.”[/color][/quote] Aislin's face flushed with embarrassment, and she avoided Britney's gaze. Layla's head tilted as she watched. Was Aislin mad at Britney for something? At least Britney was Layla's friend. Layla puffed her chest out a bit. Yes, she had the best of friends. [quote=Tayla][color=DE198A]"I'm almost positive we're being watched from those trees by someone. Just a feeling."[/color][/quote] [quote=Sully][color=goldenrod]“Oh shit! Is it your stalker?” [/color][/quote] Aislin's eyes bugged out. [b]“Taaaaayla? You have a stalker?”[/b] Her gaze shifted to Sully. [b]”Is this what you were talking about?[/b] That was when the recollection hit, jarring Layla and Aislin. Recollection or not, it didn't stop the boys getting all excited over a possible spy. [quote=Sully][color=goldenrod]“Get inside. We got this motherfucker! AY, DRAKE, GET HIS BITCH ASS MAN! GO, GO, GO!”[/color][/quote] Layla and Aislin blinked in unison, staring as Sully ran out the door after Drake, headed to the trees. Layla's frown grew, before she took a seat beside Aislin. [color=7ABBFF][b]“Sis, hook me up.”[/b][/color] Aislin gave Layla a quizzical look. [b]“You sure? I don't think you ever had this before…”[/b] Layla simply held out her hands, and Aislin hesitated before passing over the bong. [quote=Linqian][color=CD5C5C]”Oy, Ken! Take us to the basement so we can get shit started… Don’t want to keep hanging around till we get fucking arrested- I, for one, can’t afford that. You can get us in without needing to break anything, right?”[/color][/quote] White Linqian spoke, Layla burned the rest of the bowl, taking the hits meant for others. Aislin's face contorted into panicked surprise. [b]“Dude, that's waaaay too much.”[/b] Layla coughed, passing the bong back. She was quiet for a long moment, eyes squeezed shut, before she breathed a long, relaxed sigh. [color=7ABBFF][b]“That feels better.”[/b][/color] [b]“How do you, uh, feel?”[/b] [color=7ABBFF][b]“Like my head is somewhere in the attic. Real airy like.”[/b][/color] Aislin laughed, pouring out the water from the bong in the sink and placing the bong back in her bag. She offered a hand to Layla, winking.[b] “You're gonna need some help up, I think.”[/b] [color=7ABBFF][b]“I'm fi-”[/b][/color] Layla tried getting up, before she swayed and flopped back down.[color=7ABBFF][b]“Oh.”[/b][/color] Ailsin giggled again, helping Layla to her feet and guiding her to the basement door. She used her animation to open it, and it wriggled to the side. The staircase stretched down for what seemed like forever. [color=7ABBFF][b]“I… got a serious case of vertigo.”[/b][/color] Layla stated, looking at the stairs with eyes half closed. [b]“Ahhhh, you'll be fine. I'll hold you.”[/b] Aislin smirked. [b]“If you take it slow, your head and your body stay connected. Go too fast, and your mind just fliiiies away.”[/b] Layla nodded vigorously. [color=7ABBFF][b]“I get you.”[/b][/color] [i]“You're both stoned out of your mind.” [/i]Mr. Riil chimed in her head. [color=7ABBFF][b]“Heyyy youuu. I do what I want.”[/b][/color] Layla waved at the wall, trying to shoo Mr. Riil's voice away. [b]“Who are you talking too?”[/b] [color=7ABBFF][b]“I can hear voices in my head.”[/b][/color] [b]“Uh, yeah. [i]Yeah [/i]that's pretty normal.”[/b] They were halfway down the steps when Layla squeezed on Aislin's arm.[color=7ABBFF][b]“I got it!”[/b][/color] [b]“What, what is it?”[/b] [color=7ABBFF][b]“Is Lionel dead?”[/b][/color] [b]“I… think so, yeah.”[/b] [color=7ABBFF][b]“Dang. He knew what Kari was talking about when she said she went to ‘them’, right?”[/b][/color] [b]“Riiiight…?”[/b] [color=7ABBFF][b]“Should we trespass Lionel's house too?”[/b][/color] [b]“Duuuude… you're a genius.”[/b] [color=7ABBFF][b]“I knooooww.”[/b][/color] And their conversations continued nonsensically as they made it to the bottom of the basement steps. Aislin turned her head back to the light filtering down from the top of the staircase. [b]“Ken? Linqian? Sloane? You coming?”[/b] [quote=Ken][color=7B81B3]"Alright, alright. Come with me, and be sure to keep an ear out for Brother Drake. Some should stay up here.”[/color][/quote] Aislin smiled, gently pulling Layla to the side as Ken made his way down the steps to lead the group in prayer. Well, not prayer, but he seemed to know his way around Kari's home the best. Aislin and Layla watched on as Ken stuck a coin in the plaster, opening a strange looking pocket dimension. [b]“Whoa.”[/b] Layla, rather mellowed out now, tugged on Aislin's sleeve, pointing towards the pocket dimension.[color=7ABBFF][b]“Good place to hide your stuff?”[/b][/color] [b]“My stuff?”[/b] [color=7ABBFF][b]“Weed.”[/b][/color] [b]“Oh. Yeah, yeah.”[/b] They both jumped a bit when Ken burst into tears again, staring as he pulled stuff out of the pocket. Layla immediately went for one of the jewelry boxes, picking out one of the glowing stones and just [i]staring[/i] at it. [sub][color=7ABBFF][b]”Whoa.[/b][/color][/sub] Aislin, however, went to the side of Ken placing a hand on his back. [b]“Hey, hey relax, buddy.”[/b] That was when Ken punched the wall, causing Aislin to move back a bit, startled. [quote=Ken][color=7B81B3]"-there... The books weren't fucking in there..."[/color][/quote] Layla dropped the stone, her focus snapping to Ken as he swore aloud, falling to his knees. She felt like she was walking through a haze as she moved to the other side of the table, standing beside Aislin. Instead of staring at Ken's broken face, she opted to stare into the empty pocket dimension as it disappeared. [color=7ABBFF][b]“I'll share the same idea that I did with Aislin. Lionel knew something. We can trash his place too.”[/b][/color] Aislin remained hopeful. [b]“We can't give up on Kari. Maybe there's something useful in her albums.”[/b] Layla shook her head. [color=7ABBFF][b]“No, siiiis. Face it, Father Wolf is one step ahead of us. He has been from the start.”[/b][/color] Aislin blew up her cheeks, determined. [b]“No, there has to be something Father Wolf missed. Something that can help us.”[/b] Layla just shrugged, and started staring at the shiny rocks on the table again. [color=7ABBFF][b]”Whatever."[/b][/color]