FernStone

Recollections: Primal Sinister

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Dominika Zielinski

Interactions: Open
Tuesday Morning Market, Underwood Street, South Side

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Vin was pissed that they had to get back onto the street itself. It was beginning to fill up. Not so busy everyone’s movement ground to a halt, but there was enough shouting and haggling and bumping bodies that they were getting more and more tetchy. Why did they have to be in charge of this shitshow!

“-Get outta the way! Let me fucking punch him!”

“You’ll be the one gettin’ fuckin’ clobbered if I-”

“Vin!” The same squeaky voice from over the phone excitedly greeted them as they got to the site of the incident. Thankfully it was a bit out of the way of the actual fucking market.

Two rough looking men were being barely held apart by Damien- a taller, fit man… But not one strong enough to keep two guys clearly used to fist fighting in the streets apart for long. Riley himself stood at the side nervously. He was more like a beanpole, a tall, dark skinned guy with an afro that only added more height. Not the kind for a fight… But amazingly bright, and much better with his words than a lot of the other gang members.

”What the fuck is going on here?!” Vin hissed, getting right in the middle of it. Their tanned skin hardened slightly as they enhanced their muscles without showing any of the normal animalistic features. It’d be easy to solve this if they could turn to violence.

It looked a bit ridiculous as they waded in. They weren’t tiny or anything, but a five-six person getting in between four near six foot or over guys was always gonna look a bit comedic.

“Who are you? Butt out!” One of the guys leered down at them. He looked particularly nasty, with scars all across his face. That just meant he lost a lot of fights.

“Yeah, I asked for the boss-”

”You got ‘em. Fuck off and take the fight elsewhere. I ain’t askin’ twice.” Vin knew talking wouldn’t work. But it didn’t matter. It had to look like they tried. It let Damien step away to safety too.

Scar face laughed, and the other quickly joined. “No chance. You can-”

Vin didn’t bother waiting. Their hands shot up, grabbing both men by the forearm, and squeezing. Tighter and tighter until they reach the point where just a little more, and the bones would crack. Their lips pulled back into a vicious grin.

”Ready to fuck off yet?”

There were whimpers and nods, Vin letting go before they broke the bones. Unfortunately. They always enjoyed that. The fight. It was a shame they didn’t put up one… The kind of fuckers who mostly beat up people weaker than them, aside from fights like this. There were plenty of those bastards round here.

Them running away was fine. Wouldn’t have been a good fight. Vin lowered their hands, muscles still taut. Now they’d need to find something else to get their irritation out on.

CLICK!

Slowly, Vin turned to find a young woman with a camera up to her eye. It whirred as the picture started printing. The camera fell from squinted eyes, hand moving to grab the fully black film.

”Did you just snap a fuckin’ photo of me?!” Vin took a threatening step forward, eyes narrowed. They looked ready to start a fight, hands clenching into fists at their side.

”Whoa! Yeah, I’ma photographer! I see someone so hot and I can’t resist, y’know?” Domi threw her hands up. Maybe should’ve asked… But she knew the photo was worth it, no matter the consequences. A playful grin crossed her lips.

Not seeming scared at all, she held out the developing photo in her hand towards Vin, who looked ready to commit various acts of violence. ”You want it? I promise, it’ll be good. And it’s free.”

Iron and Honey: A Love Story [FernStone & AtomicEmperor]

Home > Leon's Apartment

Finally, the day of Thanksgiving arrived.

Unfortunately for Trisha and her nerves, along with general feelings towards the day, Casey had to be up and out early. Not as early as his commencement ceremony… But early enough that Trisha was just dragging herself out of bed in order to get dressed as he left.

Getting ready wasn’t so much of an ordeal as then either. The event was more casual, supposedly… Leaving her to figure out something that wasn’t so fancy, but still nice enough she wouldn’t have to deal with extra comments from Tansy about how she looked.

In the end, she settled for a simple looking, jade green halter neck dress. The bodice was fit close to her body thanks to a thin, horizontal piece of pleated fabric acting as a ‘belt’ that cinched it at her waist. From there the skirts fell in multiple layers to her knees. When the chiffon that made the dress caught the light at certain angles it caused a two tone effect, areas shining a brighter, more emerald green. While it didn’t look like anything too special, anyone with any knowledge about fashion would know just how high quality it was.

Accessories were kept minimal. A simple, thin gold chain necklace, slender emerald drop earrings in the main lobe piercing with the others left as simple gold hoops. The only ring she wore was the ancestral one, with her engagement ring back in its box with Casey for later. Makeup was more coverage than normal, without being as all out as she would go for a properly formal event. Most of her time was concentrated on doing her eyes in shimmering shades of green that matched the dress, and delicate eyeliner that flicked out. A matte, brown-pink lipstick finished everything off.

When she was done… Trisha didn’t particularly want to hang around their home alone. Not today. Not when it was a day she normally hated, and was kind of dreading. There would be nice parts, sure, but the majority of it involved dealing with family and other people. Pretending to be someone else…

But she had an out. Cass was still staying at the Cannery, and would be alone too, since Leon was also attending the earlier ceremonies. It meant she’d be awake too, even though it was still early in the morning.

And Trisha had to tell her about the engagement.

Grabbing a simple black handbag, and pulling on a dark wool coat, she headed out of their rooftop house. It had been a while since she had to go down by herself. Her and Casey had practically been glued to each other the last week, even with everything they had to do. At least if he left without her she normally just stayed curled up at home…

But it was fine. She wasn’t that dependent on him. It was just because of what day it was. She knew she wasn’t going to be alone for the rest of it. He was literally going to propose to her! So why did she feel so much dread?

At least when she was with Cass she’d be too overwhelmed to even think of anything! It’d be fine. She’d hang out with Cass, make sure she didn’t immediately text Leon, then go to the venue with Ed… Perfect…

Trisha managed a preparatory smile combined with an eye roll, the Cass reaction classic, as she reached the main door to Leon’s basement apartment, raising a hand to rap it loudly.

There was a couple of humorous howls on the other end of the door, then some shuffling from behind its heavy wooden grain before a voice came through pretty clearly.
”Well hot damn!”

The door swung open immediately, the peephole having been utilized to the fullest extent. On the other side was not just Cass, but also Ed herself! Still dressed in her morning clothing, which wound up not being much at all safe for a crop top and a pair of fairly small shorts, she was holding a big cup of coffee. The milky white visage of Serenity curled out from around the top of the door frame as well, a smile on her ghastly white face.

”Miss Trisha!” she waved one little hand.

”Check it out, Cass! Look whose all dolled up before we even get dressed… You must be bored up there, huh? Want some coffee, Trisha?” Ed offered, spinning on her heel and heading back down the main hall.

Trisha had frozen mid eyeroll when the door was opened by someone she hadn’t expected. Maybe she should’ve expected her? After all, Mia and Hari were also out.

“Uh- Morning Ed, Serenity. Sure, I’d like a coffee.” She followed behind Ed, brain stalling for a moment as she tried to figure out what to do. How did she tell Cass about the engagement now? She couldn’t ask Ed to leave… That would be rude, and unfair. She liked Ed enough to not want to do that. Did she just… tell her too? Would Casey be alright with that?

She didn’t get much time to get lost in her thoughts, because as soon as she was within sight, Cass hopped up and over the back of the large couch she’d been lounging on.

”Trisssshhhaaa!” Cass practically tackled Trisha. It was done with careful controlled magic, making sure all the burden was on Cass- a tight, leaping hug that barely moved Trisha, and didn’t ruin her perfectly put together clothes.

”Fuck, you look good! I didn’t expect to see you so soon… Ed said you were going to the fancy Thanksgiving place together, but I didn’t think that was for ages. Wait!” Cass pulled back from the hug with a grin.
”Is it cause you missed me? Awww, you’re so sweet!”

“Let go of me- I’m just here because I’m bored, like Ed said. Not because of you.” Trisha completed her frozen eyeroll.

Cass laughed, letting go of her and bouncing back. She wasn’t any more dressed than Ed- wearing about the same, with a white sports bra and shorts. It was a sight Trisha was used to after a couple of years living together.

”Ohhh, d’you hear that, Ed? Trisha’s bored enough to bless us with her presence. Ain’t that nice?”

”Dude! Me and the little one are both stoked, honestly. I’ve been so busy doing the sheets and financial shit for the feast that I’ve barely had the time to come up and visit the Greenhouse. Nice to have you down here.” Ed smiled warmly, redirecting things to Trisha as she made for the pot of coffee.

”How d’you like your sludge, T? Sweet as you?” she playfully flirted, as she did with pretty much everyone she’d ever met. It was simply in her nature.

Trisha laughed, finding herself relaxing a bit now that she was in company. It was chill company, at least… Well Cass wasn’t exactly chill. Maybe easy was a better word for it. So she wasn’t even bothered by the flirting…
”No, actually, just lots of milk.”

”She’s gotta dampen that sweetness, or everyone’d be falling head over heels for her!” Cass laughed, urging Trisha over to the couch to sit down.

It was a bit strange. The last time she was here was that first night with Casey. The start of everything…
“I’ve been pretty busy too… I really regret offering up my honey for the festival! Between gathering that and helping Casey plan everything, it’s been a bit of a nightmare. It’s nice to have a bit of time before the actual event… Yesterday was a lot too.”

Ed’s heart skipped a beat thinking about what she’d heard. But, the ever-circulating rumor mill that was the Lynette-to-Mia pipeline didn’t leave her much room for guesses. So, rather than blurt out what she thought she knew, she took the extra second to fabricate a better-

”Those people yesterday! Ma’s grandparents, right!?” Serenity blurted out excitedly.

As things went, they weren’t just Mia’s grandparents. Maxwell and Sylvie were Ed’s great Aunt and Uncle. Generations and marriages of branch lines separated them, but they’d never treated her or Serenity with anything but actual kindness and grace. Even when she was a little girl, the few times she’d met them made them feel almost mythical.

So rather than scoff at her sweet little Casper for blowing her cover, she decided to play dumb and hope Trisha would just assume that Serenity had been haunting the halls while Ed had been sleeping. It wasn’t uncommon to leave the building and run into her pale form playing some kind of make-believe near the elevators.

”Grandparents? You met Max and Sylvie!?” Ed questioned with great and purposeful excitement, conjuring all the real feelings of magic she had toward them.

Ed filled the cup to the top with milk after pouring the coffee, then sipped a little off the top to replace it with more milk. Perfect! Making her way back to hand off, she raised her eyebrows.

”Crazy old bats, I hear! I haven’t actually seen them in some years now, but I’ve got good memories. Aunty Sylvie used to wear these crazy earrings, and as a little kid I always wanted to eat the jewels on ‘em.” she admitted through a blush.

Trisha smiled at that, reaching out to take the cup of coffee with a thanks. She didn’t have any memories like that with her own family, but it was nice to hear about Ed’s. Before, she might’ve been more jealous… But since the Adjoined meeting a couple of weeks back, she understood Ed a bit more. Sympathised, at least.

“Yeah, they were pretty crazy… No edible looking earrings, though. Sylvie saturated a few things in our apartment with Orange Lux to pour herself a glass of wine…” Trisha shook her head, taking a sip of her coffee. It was good. Exactly how she liked it.

”Like… Controlled the glass and bottle, telekinesis style? That’s pretty sound!” Cass watched Trisha with rapt attention, while absolutely ripping into a whole loaf of bread. With nothing on it. Like an absolute animal.

”This magic shit, huh? Always amazes me.” As she said that Cass glanced up past the people, looking over at Serenity with a grin. So far, she hadn’t treated the little ghost as anything but a real child… Though she was incredibly fascinated by her. A whole being made out of magic! It was pretty cool.

Trisha laughed slightly.
“It gets annoying after a while… But they were nice. At least, I could see how much they loved Casey. I could kind of get over Sylvie’s questioning because of that. And she made something… nice… for both of us.”

Ed knew what Sylvie was famous for. The kinds of enchanted accessories that you saw in video games… The ones that give your character ten in every stat and have a cooldown that makes you invincible for thirty seconds. The ones that wound up in the plots of faerie tales as the object of obsession. Her face was agape with shock imagining whatever the fuck it possibly could’ve been.

”Dude! You know she made Leon’s collar? The thing that can bind and manipulate Lady Lelou?! Holy shit, dude, what is it!? A necklace for the Queen? Or, something to protect you from the Wolf dude?!”

”Holy shit, she made the collar- Fuck, that’s awesome! What is it, Trish, c’mon!” Cass was immediately excited too, leaning in towards Trisha.

“It’s nothing that exciting.” Trisha’s free hand rubbed the back of her neck. It wasn’t magical. It definitely wasn’t as interesting as either of those suggestions. She hadn’t known Sylvie made Leon’s collar… But she should’ve guessed she made proper Artifacts. Casey had said she was a Grandmaster Adept.

”So? What is it?!”

“I- Before I say, you both have to promise something.” Trisha looked at Cass, then Ed. Honestly… She trusted Ed more than she did Cass when it came to this. Ed didn’t seem the type to immediately spread information. Not that Cass was a gossip, she just couldn’t contain her excitement in that way.
“You can’t tell Leon, Cass. Not right away. And can you not tell Mia and Hari too, Ed? Please?”

Ed’s face became wide like a saucer, all openings growing in width as anticipation became everything but exact knowledge. Speculation, prediction down to the littlest differences. What it could possibly be… But if they were swearing to secrecy?

”Ren!? That means you too, sweetheart! No whispering, do you hear Mum?”
There couldn’t be a leak. This information had to stay between them until whenever Trisha decided it could. That meant zero tolerance for ghastly gal shenanigans.

”Mummy, I hate secrets!” she replied, falling back on her mimed accent picked up from Cass. It was almost an exact copy, very closely sounding like someone Cass could’ve hung out with in the old neighborhood.

”But you’ll keep it won’t you? For Auntie T?”

If a ghost could blush, she would’ve. Coyly, Serenity twisted her head.

”Fiiiiiine… I promise not to tell.”

“Thank you… You won’t have to keep it for long, don’t worry.” Trisha smiled at the little ghost girl. Then her head turned around to stare at Cass.

Cass had been caught up in laughing at Serenity’s perfectly imitated accent, something that never failed to amuse her. But as Trisha’s gaze turned to her, she immediately snapped to attention. She slammed a hand onto her chest.
”I swear on my life, Trisha, I won’t tell Leon. Look! I’ll even turn off my phone.”

Trisha resisted rolling her eyes as Cass did just that, knowing she’d turn it back on as soon as she was alone and bored… But it shouldn’t be a problem. She had a way to redirect her. And she appreciated her wanting to try… She knew Cass would try her hardest to keep it secret.

“Alright… It’s, well…” Trisha’s cheeks heated up and she stared down at her coffee. This was harder than she’d expected. If she had the ring, she could’ve just flashed it without having to say it. It was so easy to talk about with Casey, but as soon as it was other people? It just felt so personal…

“Casey and I are getting engaged. Technically he already proposed last week but… He’s going to do it properly today, with the ring that Sylvie made. In front… of everyone…”

”H- HOLY SHIT!” Cass shouted, her excitement immediately visible both through how loud she was and the wolf ears that popped out of her head. She launched herself forward to grab Trisha into a tight hug.
”Holy shit, dude, congrats! I’m so fucking happy for you! I knew Casey was the one!”

At first Ed didn’t say anything. She was far too occupied screaming in her own head to actually project that out. What she was good at, however, was matching Cass’ enthusiasm. The two ladies had already become comfortable enough that there was no trouble expressing physical excitement between them. Thus, taking advantage of the moment, Ed’s raspy voice climbed up into the sky before kicking forward and slotting into place next to Cass.

”Yoooooooo! Yooooooo!”

One arm was up under Cass’, and the other swung around Trisha to pull her even closer. Ed was really quite a mover, shaking the two others about as she hopped and jostled in excitement.

”You’re serious! Trisha, that’s crazy awesome! Oh my God, I can’t wait! And you’re- And he’s- Tonight!? With a fucking custom made Sylvie Richoux? Trisha, you’re so fuckin’-”
Her arms scrunched just a little tighter. As much as they could… Meanwhile, a half-clueless ghost floated about around the scene, clearly thrilled that there was excitement, but not totally reading what it was about.

”See? This is why I have a hard time understanding what’s secret and not.” she let her ghastly little voice gently push the passive aggressive comment out.

“You’re suffocating me," Trisha half heartedly complained, even though she awkwardly hugged both Cass and Ed back. As it often was with her… Actions spoke louder than words. Both of their reactions were nice. They were actually excited for her. It made her feel a little bit less nervous about it happening later, and how people would react. She knew there'd be negative ones- primarily from her siblings- but at least she knew there'd be overwhelmingly positive ones too. Ed would be on their side, at least.

She was smiling. It was a cute smile, matched with a blush and slightly crinkled eyes. She wanted to gush after how Ed reacted… But Serenity put a bit of a dampener on that. She didn't know how to respond to the little girl. She tried her best not to get agitated about it, but-

"It's like if you were planning a surprise party for one of your mums… You wouldn't want someone else to tell them first, would you? Or- if you were planning on telling them something! You'd wanna tell ‘em yourself, right?" Cass jumped in, trying to explain it in a way the little ghost would understand.
"It's a secret cause Trisha wants to tell all her important people herself."

Serenity nodded with a slow and sagelike calmness.
”Yeah, I got that part… It’s just relative all the time, and sometimes people don’t specify.”

Ed nodded emphatically.
”She’s right on that account. Us three are so used to one another, she can’t possibly know when something’s secret unless we tell her. It’s alright, my milky girl. This is very secret right now.” Ed confirmed, knowing full well that her daughter knew exactly how far she could go now.

”Now, what’s the plan?! You guys know? You’ve already talked about it? Tell us everything you want to tell us.” she gushed.

"Yeah, I wanna know all the details!" Cass grinned, leaning in to stare at Trisha expectantly.

Trisha smiled, cheeks going a darker red and one hand creeping up to scratch the back of her neck. Normally she was quite a private person, but when it came to this… Her and Casey, their future together. A future she really wanted. That should actually happen…

“Well… I'm not sure how he plans to do it today. Last week it was more of like… well we argued a little about something, and it was during that. He wanted to marry me even when we were fighting…" She admitted, surprisingly honest. Because it was Cass, and after everything that happened with Ed during that Adjoined meeting…

“We’re going to wait a bit to get married. Probably… not the next spring, but the spring after? I don't want to rush into that. It's nicer to properly plan it and have our… dream wedding, I guess?" Absentmindedly she rubbed the spot where the engagement ring would go.
“We haven't really discussed the specifics of that yet."

”Yo, what is it with these people and doing shit like that?” Ed blurted out, concern passing from Trisha to Cass, who now had her own Richoux to deal with.
”It’s like, the worse you treat them? The more problems come up, the more shit is… Adverse? They cling! Not like crutch cling, but like… Like… Barnacles! There was a time I wanted to leave, but Mimi, she…”

There was a strong memory there. One that even Serenity felt, passed down from the time of her conception. They weren’t even adults yet. Ed had been struggling with herself. Mia Richoux was the only person who she ever felt she could be herself around. Even thinking about it now was hard, but there was her face. Beet red, tears streaming, begging her to stay. To remain there in time to be seen for what she really was: A kaleidoscope.

”I used to think she liked me because I acted like shit. So I kept acting like shit. At one point, kind of recently even… I realized that she loves me in spite of it. Like she can see through all the little bits into my soul and pick out what she loves. Maybe it’s a White Lux thing, but… It never feels like magic. It just feels like she knows. Do you get that with him?” she asked genuinely, tears coming to the surface of her eyes.

Trisha's nails dug into her palms, and she averted her gaze from Ed awkwardly. She did. Casey said he loved her. All of her. But she knew he didn't love when she acted awfully. Sure, he'd proposed during the fight… but moments before he'd been so close to cutting her out completely. It had been like she was on a precipice. One wrong move and she'd have lost him. Instead they'd ended up closer… was it the same?

Did he love her in spite of that? Or would he lose interest when things weren't difficult anymore? No… No, the difficulties weren't the reason. She'd always known it'd be love in spite of it. She just didn't ever expect to experience it, truly…

“I do. I never thought anyone would love me in spite of it.” Trisha whispered, voice so small they'd have to strain to hear.
“Nobody’s ever seen through all of the bad bits like that."

Cass didn't say anything for once, just patting Trisha's thigh comfortingly, another hand reaching out towards Ed in a similar motion. She didn't quite feel the same way. The clinging, perhaps, but from her point of view she wasn't the one with so many issues between her and Leon. If anything, she was looking past some of his shit! But she got it, of course. She wasn't perfect… never had been, had been worse before. She'd just worked through it already.

“He doesn't always seem to understand in the moment… This time he-" Trisha cut that off, shaking her head. She didn't want to remember the look of pained disgust. Because he'd misunderstood. Because she'd been so obviously upset, but didn't tell him what the problem was. While it was the most honest she'd been outside of Casey for a long time, there were still things she couldn't speak about. It was difficult enough. Just in the face of Ed's genuinity… It wasn't so much that was comfortable, but for a moment she didn't fear the negative reactions that often came from sharing.

“But he's patient about it. Like you said… sees past all the shit to see what he loves, somehow. Like he knows and accepts me. The actual me. You know I… thought he'd leave the first time we fought. But he didn't."

Ed knew exactly what she was saying. That feeling of being seen and accepted purely. It was something she could share.

”Well, y’know I really love you dude. I’m glad we can relate on that level, seriously… I’m so fucking happy for you and Casey. Is there anything, uh… You think I could do? I’m not good for much, but I can get things moving on whatever you want. Even today, I can coordinate things!” she enthused, hoping to find herself included in the festivities as much as possible.

“Well… I'm not even sure what Casey plans to do today? I figured it's easier to act surprised if I don't know exactly when it'll be." Trisha laughed slightly. Though she did know the actual schedule and she could roughly guess… She'd left the decision for when and how up to Casey. It was his proposal, after all. Though she'd been happy enough with the oddly done, private one.

“But… Do you think you can help make sure we're left alone after the event?" She had her own plans, after all. Ones that required being alone.
“I dunno if his family will try have a celebration beyond the event for it? Which… I don't mind at some point? But not tonight. Though I feel like if Lynette wants something, there's not really any stopping her… then there's my family…"

Not that either Tansy or Ezra would invite themselves round or the like after. But during…
“They’re my problem, though! I couldn't ask anyone to deal with handling them."

Ed’s face brightened up immediately.
”How do you feel about being whisked away?” she asked conspiratorially.

”A friend of ours is a rather graceful teleporter. She and Casey haven’t ever gotten along too well, but she knows the value of things like this. She’ll help us.”
Her words hung for a second before she seemed to snap alive.
”Oh, I mean… A friend of ours. You met her the other night. One of those cackling little heads sitting at the table? Layla’s… I said friend sarcastically, y’know, but Mazie. She’s nice enough alone. I’ll hook it up.” she smiled.

”Promise!”

Trisha's brow furrowed a bit. Mazie… one of the ‘Silent’ sisters or whatever they were called? Trisha didn't remember the details, just what they'd said to Layla about Ed. There was still annoyance about that underneath the surface even though the actual target had accepted their apology at the time.

"Oh shit, that's awesome!" Cass exclaimed before Trisha could get too stuck in her own head about it.
"Fucking on call teleporter… Dude, this magic shit is amazing. You can just get ‘whisked’ away from all the family drama… Teleportation itself is just so fucking sound!"

“You get used to it." Trisha spoke quietly, as if it wasn't something she'd avoided for most of her life. Since all that gut wrenching Teleportation during the Stygian Snake era. The Snake that constantly teleported around itself…

"Yeah, yeah, ’I’m Trisha and I got bored of magic when I was fourteen and beat a world ending threat'- like you ain't allowed to enjoy the lil magic things anymore. C'mon, Trish… Don't be such a downer. It ain't like Ed'd let you be ported by someone who was gonna have you come out the other end morphed with Casey, huh?" Cass hooked an arm around Trisha's neck, pulling her down slightly and rubbing her hair vigorously. The playfulness was enough to get rid of her thoughts about Teleportation.

“Cassss, not my hair!"

"Sorry, sorry, here, lemme braid it real nice for you." Cass stopped ruining the perfectly unfrizzy and neat waves of thick hair Trisha had spent a fair amount of time taking care of this morning. She shifted around to let Cass fix what she'd messed up.

“If you think she'd do it and it wouldn't be a problem… Sure. I trust you. Thanks, Ed. That'd make things easier for us. I'm sure Casey'll be fine with it if it's for us to get home and be alone faster." Trisha smiled at Ed, finally giving a positive response. The benefits did outweigh the negatives, after all.
“So long as I don't have to hear anything about their… fanfiction."

"Fanfiction?" Cass paused splitting Trisha's hair into sections, eyes practically glinting.
"What kinda fanfic?"

”Oh, dude… It’s sound like you say. All about your girl here, and her tribe of magical classmates? This one girl, she’s an actual factual published author, it’s actually so well written. But, uh…-” Ed paused.

Having gotten to know Cass enough over the past few meetings, there was a definite sense of justice that had to be expected from her. Things that usually flew under the radar in their circle, or went as an unspoken problem for Trisha, was an open conflict for Cass… She simply didn’t put up with it.

”-it’s probably not so cool to you. I guess, I’ve gotten so used to it I don’t think about it. But, they… Get real info. Not just from people who were there, but… Lynette. She had spies and monitors up the entire time the Sycamore kids were fighting the Stygian Snake. She… Knows a lot about what happened. Even just from sticking a little bug onto Leon before he left for school on any given day, she’d get inner workings. Drama. Gossip.”

She looked a lot more ashamed now than she had when they were first talking about it.

”Uh… She… Won’t talk about it to you, Trisha.”

“Good." Trisha said simply. She wasn't comfortable with the spying, or the writing. Both felt invasive… But she already knew about the spying. Clarissa had spilled that little fact on her second day with Casey. It made her uncomfortable, but it was just something that she had to ignore until the problem- Lynette- was removed.

Cass raised an eyebrow, lips pursing together to let out a low whistle.
"And I thought the PBL fandom had a problem. One time some girl tried to put a spy cam in one of the changing rooms- y'know, get gossip and videos of em changing and shit? Course she got caught… Ain't so easy when there's no magic. We kicked em outta all our forums and shit… course they got into legal trouble too and shit.”

She shook her head. Of course, she was against all of that shit. She'd made that clear multiple times- if there was any conflict between her and Leon, it might be more to do with that. She didn't blame anyone here- not someone like Ed who was used to it. Maybe cause they just seemed to accept it. Like it was normal, when it wasn't.

"But beyond the whole fucked up spying shit- it forsakes the sanctity of fanfiction! The fantasy from what lil bits of info we got! If it's gotta be real then what's the point?" Cass shook her head as she started to do a Dutch braid down one side of Trisha's head.

"And if they're feeding into that system by asking for info- Ooo that's the shit I ain't here for. Ain't blaming you or anything, Ed, yknow… don't shoot the messenger and all. But… I gotta know…" Cass lowered her voice to a whisper, leaning past Trisha's head.
"What kinda ships do they write with Leon."

“Really, Cass?" Trisha groaned, rolling her eyes.

Ed’s face became death in a mere moment.
”In the spirit of… How Trisha’s asked us to treat things… Maybe if you want to know, you should ask Leon? I don’t… Want you to feel like I’m being rude.” she said in a very gentle and passive nature.

It was Trisha’s wishes! Of course! It had nothing to do with a particular off-brand ship that spread among the little Sisterhood like wildfire and had only made a resurgence in popularity among new readers recently due to proximity...

“Pick a Sycamore member, and there's a fair chance it actually happened." Trisha intoned, tilting her head back a bit to stare at Cass. Linqian, Aryin… The entire jock squad probably slept together at some point. It'd been a large group of teenagers thrown together after all…

"Then what's the problem with knowing who's shipped with him, Trish? You saw a buncha it… it ain't like they're gonna be shipping you and Leon or anything!"

”I mean… Would you feel weird if they did!? Hypothetically?” Ed asked very slowly.

”Oh! So this is what a secret qualifies as in this situation. Cool, alright. I think I can get a hang of it with more active examples, Ma!” Serenity giggled, floating on above their heads as her ethereal form shifted from outfit to outfit for the occasion she’d never be seen at.

Cass's eyebrows shot up and under her curls.
"Holy shit, seriously? Well I don't feel weird about it cause I-"

“I feel weird about it!" Trisha's whole face scrunched up like she'd sucked on a particularly sour lemon. She'd never been too happy about the whole Sycamore fanclub thing anyway… or the knowledge that there was stuff written about her, whoever it was with. But Leon? Her fiance's brother? The guy who she could only really tolerate because of Casey or Cass as a buffer?

"Well it ain't real, Trish… It ain't like Ed's writing it! And would you be comfortable with you written with anyone? Or at all?"

“Of course not! It's weird and I'm with Casey! And it's intrusive!" Trisha pouted. Though she was visibly agitated, she didn't seem to be… aggressive? Or at least making any moves to leave. Her head tilted up towards Serenity.
“I’ll give you another active example, Serenity. Cass is super open ‘bout all this fanfic she writes about her and Leon, but she keeps quiet about the stuff she writes about him and his… rival guy. What's his face."

"Two Gun Vlad." Cass handily supplied.
“Yeah… Bet you don't tell Leon about that."

"Well yeah, cause it'd be weird to show him shit that's shipping him with someone else! There's a fan line… and it's forcing ‘em to look at that kinda shit!"

“... Exactly!"

Cass shook her head, laughing even in the face of Trisha outing her ‘deep, dark secret.’
"I get'it, I get'it… it ain't like I expected ‘em to be shipping you guys, Babe."

Trisha just pouted.

”Well, I mean I know it probably don’t help too much, Trisha… But you’ve got a really cool friend for reacting like that at least. I won’t give you the whole ‘It could be worse’ crap, but… That could’ve been a lot more sour. Trisha’s pretty much on the money, by the way, Cass. They’ve recorded and written and logged that boy down to the hump. He’s… The Temple’s Savior, after all. These younger people don’t know him as anything but that. Especially with Max gone.” Ed explained freely, hoping to at least share insight she had.

”So, they idolize him. It’s… Not the most flattering thing, but I feel like, at least in my experience, he’s handled that bit with some grace. When people ask him, he asks if they want to involve themselves in that life, and most of the time he reasons them out. But they do throw themselves…” Ed cringed.

Cass nodded, fingers rubbing Trisha's scalp comfortingly as she continued to braid her hair. Trisha still wasn't particularly happy, even if she knew Ed was right. She didn't want to take Cass for granted like that… even if she wasn't the best at showing it, she did appreciate her friend. In a way, Cass was to Trisha for friendship what Casey was to her romantically. Someone who accepted and saw her…

"Yeah, we talked ‘bout that- the whole idolising thing. It ain't really a thing I get. Back home, there's this whole separation… we just don't like bothering people! But seems different over here. Especially with the whole involvement shit Lynette's cultivated… Man, being a saviour ain't all it's worked up to be, is it?"

Trisha nibbled on her lip as Cass talked, thinking about something else. Beyond the ‘fanfiction’ and Sycamore… With what Cass said…

“Ed… Maybe you can help me understand something? I haven't been able to ask Casey…" Because she didn't want to make a bigger deal of things than she already had. He was already dealing with a lot.
“Leon’s the Temple's Saviour or whatever… But Lynette doesn't seem to care about Cass? Not like how she's been bothering me. Why?"

It was rather bluntly asked, like she expected Ed to at least have some insight.

Ed’s face was fairly grim throughout this conversation. To her, it all had to be serious. For so long, it’d been terribly normal to her. To the point that it was freakish. Outside looking in, she could see what the problem was.

”God, there’s a lot of shit to unpack there, Trisha. I mean, I’d do it for you. I will go over all of what I think it is…” she said calmly.
”But… I’ve got ideas.”

Trisha thought about it for a moment, before slowly nodding.

She wanted to know at least something. Why was Lynette so set on making her life as difficult as possible? Casey's too, because of it. It made no sense to her that it was just her… Surely she'd do it to all of her children's partners that weren't on the inside. It wasn't like Cass was someone she could easily lovebomb and get on her side either. Cass was also aware.

So why was it just Trisha who got so much dragged up? Because it was easier? Because she deserved it more?

“I’d like to know. Your ideas, at least. It's not like knowing is going to make it any worse, is it?"
Maybe she could deal with it better if she knew what Lynette wanted out of it, beyond just making her- them- miserable.

”Well… Mia. She had a dream. Not a dream, right? A vision. Like Lynette, Mimi’s got some serious foresight. She said a strange woman from a powerful dynasty would cause the destruction of… Well, she calls it the Pale Tower. Lynette, basically. There’s few times that they don’t share a vision. Which means, y’know… If she’s seen it, chances are Lynette has. There’s a chance she’s trying to push you out? Thinking that she can stave off the inevitable.”

Serenity cleared her throat.
”Now’s not the time for secrets, Ma.”

Ed sighed.
”Yo, why’s it always me?” she pleaded to the sky for a moment before turning her eyes down.
”I’ll spare you the details. I think they’ve both seen a future beyond. It’s why Mimi’s been so nice to you, and why Lynette can’t bring herself to just kill you and be done with her business.”

She paused for another moment, trying to find the words.

”The second vision… Was more recent. The same strange woman, cradling the Ivory Tower, swaddled in blankets of copper… It was your face, Trisha.” she finished flatly.

What?
That made no sense. That she was the reason Lynette was going to die? And in some future she’d, what, give birth to… Lynette’s reincarnation? But Trisha didn’t believe in something like that. It didn’t match what she knew of life and death. People died, and the Hound guided them beyond- and sometimes they left a piece behind.

But reincarnation wasn’t a thing.

Of course. Of course Lynette was treating her like this because of some vision. Mia too. She was only being nice because of some future where Trisha would birth their new ‘Pale Tower.’

“But Casey probably won’t be the one to do it? It’s most likely to be Elise, isn’t it? So… How am I the one that causes her death? That makes no sense.” Trisha shook her head, frowning down at her hands. It wasn’t directed at Ed. But how could she feel happy to hear that?

“This is all cause of my fucking Father, isn’t it? ‘Powerful dynasty’- a one man one, sure. It wouldn’t be me if I just had a normal family… How’s that fair? How does it make any sense? All of this started before I even met Casey…” She took in a deep, shaky breath and pushed the encroaching panic back down beneath the surface.
“At least she isn’t killing me. Just pushing me out, but keeping me alive in case I… Have Lynette the second, somehow.”

”Does it matter, Trish?” Cass finished one braid at Trisha’s shoulder, tying it off and letting the waves of her cascade down her back. With her hands free again, she pulled Trisha into a hug. It didn’t make her feel that much more comforted…
”Like… Does it make you like Casey any less? You don’t wanna be with him cause his mom thinks you’re gonna be the reason she’s offed?”

Trisha’s lips pressed into a thin line, and she shook her head.

”See. I ain’t saying it's great! Honestly, it’s pretty shit. It ain’t something any of you deserve to be in, y’know. You, Casey… Ed ‘n Mia too.”

Trisha nodded slowly. She didn’t feel much calmer about it, but at least it was helping with suppressing the panic. It didn’t really make things much worse, did it?
“I just don’t understand how I can cause her destruction? Hasn’t she seen who will actually do it?”

”Casey’s job has always been to be the Blade. If time is a linear pathway that Lynette and Mia can see, then they saw whatever this is. In a different world? You’re not here to give him a reason not to protect her, Trisha. And, maybe? Just maybe with the right people next to him, Casey could change the course of the future. But, she knows if she hurts you, then Casey’s gone forever and the unstoppable happens.”

These were quiet topics that the throuple had discussed in the sanctity of those few moments where nobody else was around. Entwined in one another, with not even the cat to disturb them. The quiet reverence and acknowledgement that history was in the works.

”Uh… I… Really don’t want to be pedantic either, Trisha. But Mia’s seen more than just that. As far as I know? She’s been dreaming about you since we were kids. Just, y’know… Never knew it was you until she met you. She’s desperate for your love, and afraid to approach you for it because she’s caught between her visions and reality.” she frowned.

It was hard to present something like this to Trisha, especially after such good news… But she had asked… Ed was, once again, the bearer of shitty news, and the one trying desperately to keep things tied together.

”And, uh… I don’t think it has anything to do with your Dad, Trisha… The figure? With your face? A crown of gold and obsidian, dripping with amber jewels like honey.” her eyes met Trisha’s, admitting what she’d been shown herself.

“Oh… Of course.” Trisha frowned, gaze flitting away from Ed’s towards her own chest. Of course it was because of the Queen. That was so much harder to resent. Without her, Trisha would have so little. She wouldn’t have met Casey. None of this would have happened so… She guessed it really was important to the whole thing…
“No wonder Mia was worried I’d be upset about the bee themed dress…”

She shook her head, still trying to process it all. But it did confirm a couple of things for her. First, that Lynette wasn’t likely to stop treating Trisha like she had been. Second, that the end goal was for her to choose to leave. To leave Casey so he only had his family left… Then he might protect Lynette.

But she was never going to leave Casey.

“Lynette’s not going to be very happy about the engagement, is she?” It was more of a rhetorical question. She didn’t really care how Lynette felt.
“I… Understand what’s been happening a bit more now, even if I don’t like it. She’s unlucky that I’m far too stubborn to leave Casey first.”

Though it didn’t make everything Lynette was doing easier. Because she was still so worried something would come out that would have Casey pushing her away. Or she’d react badly, and he’d decide that was it. Like he almost had a week ago… Lynette could still have her way. He could still stop loving her.

And she didn’t understand why Mia wanted her love like that. What could she have seen in dreams that made Trisha look like someone… Good enough for that? Her love wasn’t worth very much, was it?
”But why’s Mia been dreaming about me for that long? I understand dreaming about this but… I’m not exactly that… Important?”

”Pretty morbid to dream about your Ma’s killer since you’re a kid.” Cass piped up. Trisha tilted her head back to frown at her friend, deciding not to correct her. She knew Cass had been listening, after all.

”It’s probably hard to come to terms with what we know… But, to us? To the few who hear these babbling witches talking in their sleep? It’s important shit. You’ve always been a part of your life, because this path was always coming for her. Dead ahead. She’s been on pins and needles waiting for the chance to really be free her whole life. And I’ve listened to her the entire time.” Ed explained, unable to hold back in this intimate moment all alone.

”She’s talked about the Bee Lady for years. And about how she comes and pulls the foundation of the Ivory Tower, and watches it fall into the blanket of copper, and then she picks it up and holds the tower as it begs for forgiveness. I’ve heard it a billion times, seen it dozens. Just trying to help her get through it. High, sober, drunk, gassed, well rested, caffeinated… Nothing’s helped. Until you finally came…”

Trisha just stared wide eyed at Ed for a couple of moments. Was she really enough for something like that? If her appearing meant that they’d finally all be free… She could understand a little bit. But it still didn’t feel like it was her. She was a catalyst, maybe, but not the person actually helping anyone. It was what was going to come that really helped Mia, surely?

“She’s not disappointed that this amazing figure in her mind turned out to be… Me?” Like Ed, Trisha let slipping a bit of her inner voice in this private feeling moment.

”She’s only disappointed that she’s not someone who you feel comfortable around yet. Hari and I are doing our best to keep her spirits up… But, we’ve got you, Trisha. You may not like it, it may make you uncomfortable, but… We’re behind you how we can be. How we would want. And we’re hoping that one day you’ll feel better about it too.”

What else could she say? She understood why someone wouldn’t want to be close friends with three people who, again and again, fell victim to their collective addiction… How someone from a decent upbringing would look at their lifestyle and turn their nose up. But, somehow, Ed knew that none of that was what was holding Trisha back. So, she could only continue to be a friendly face for Trisha to find over and over again in the sea of confusion. Consistency…

”She and I have been together longest, right? I came to live with the Richoux when I was six years old. Me and Mum. And Mia and I haven’t been apart since. We… When she first had her dream, and showed me, we made up a story about the Queen Bee. That she’d be our mom, and would love us and take care of us. Mia’s always gonna be looking for that, unfortunately. I wouldn’t pressure yourself over an impression that strong.”

It really wasn’t something Trisha could live up to. Even being comfortable around Mia. Friends. It was more difficult for her than it should be. Because there was that constant worry about how people would view her, their reactions, the hurt when they realised they didn’t actually like her. It wasn’t only an issue in romantic relationships… Really, how many friends did she have? Four.

And she wouldn’t have any of them if Cass hadn’t been there to force her way through. And even then… It had taken years to get to this level of comfort.

It had only been so fast with Casey.

“I don’t know what motherly love is like, so that was never going to be possible.” Trisha admitted quietly. It was still so difficult to say, like she was choking on the words as she got them out. Maybe Ed already knew. Mia too, if Lynette had spread it. Cass… Cass basically knew because there was no lie Trisha could tell that was convincing enough to explain why her Mother skipped her graduation and didn’t even call. They'd just never spoken about it. Trisha had never admitted it.

“I understand what I represent… But I’m really not like the ideal from her dreams. She’s just going to end up more disappointed because of it. You all will… I am trying to get more comfortable around her. But I don’t think I’ll live up to even a fraction of that impression. Being around me… Really won't improve your lives.”

She hated being so open, but she hated the idea of being on a pedestal that she'd fall from even more. Even if it wasn't really Ed who'd put her on that pedestal… But she needed her to understand. Like Casey understood she was someone with so many problems, even if he still chose to stick with her. She didn't want to show too much below the surface to anyone else but… just another glimpse for someone who'd already seen more than she'd normally be comfortable with.
“I’m not really a good person to be around."

”See… It’s like I said before.” Cass was still hugging Trisha, since she hadn’t forced her off yet. She looked at Ed over her shoulder.
”It’s all tough and confident on the outside but really she's quite shy underneath! Really struggles with that whole getting close to people thing and accepting what they say.”

“I’m not shy."
Trisha lightly elbowed Cass in the gut for saying that, but didn’t deny the second part. It was true. She was growing to like the three girls more and more- but how could she let herself get close and comfortable when she didn’t even believe Casey would stay with her like he said he would? It would only make that loss harder if it happened.

”Y’know, I really think you just have a listening problem sometimes!” Ed chided, poking at Trisha playfully.
”I just said, don’t get hung up on meeting an impossible standard. Let us handle Mia’s expectations. You just need to make sure that Casey doesn’t get cold feet about the standing arrangement. Especially if we want to avoid the pending Aberration Uprising… People at the Lodge are getting more and more antsy, especially when some of them have serious voices in their heads urging them to action.” she explained, knowing full well the situation going on at “home”.

”OooooOOoohhhhhh… Kiiiiiilllllll the Adeeeeeeepts…”

Ed’s lips pressed together as she spat air out in half-shock half-humor.

”You’re the last Apparition who should be chanting that.” Ed giggled.

”They are insufferable, some of them. I wouldn’t be against the drugs if Nana Lynette bothered with context.”
That was a truly awkward thing for the little girl ghost to say, but it tracked pretty accurately as something an adolescent girl would feel… Resentment not because others are being hurt… Just that she’s been wrapped up in it.

Ed narrowed her eyes at her ghastly daughter.
”Freedom for all, Serenity. No exceptions.”

”I don’t think you’d say that if you met Rute and Kette like I have.”

Ed clenched her jaw. Lena was so much different than them. It was a wonder that she hadn’t started trying to kill people sooner…

”What’s wrong with Miss Lena has nothing to do with her Apparition. Same with me… You don’t deserve to be put to sleep for getting people high. Rute and Kette don’t deserve to be put to sleep for following Lena’s requests.”

The clear mother-daughter relationship, with Ed acting as a responsible and logical adult, was an odd contrast to their usual dual-chaos relationship. Getting closer to Ed, and by proxy Serenity, found the two entities shared a love of uncomfortable jokes and crude humor… Hardly the way a prim and proper girl would be raised… But in these moments, when Ed got serious, Serenity always seemed to come around.

The young ghost tucked her head and frowned.

”I know you understand…” Ed replied, taking a deep breath.
”Now, anyway… Like I said, Trisha; just keep up with Casey. That’s all any of us want, is to see the two of you happy. Because we know that if things stay like that? The future we’ve waited for is coming. This is it.” she finished emphatically.

Trisha nodded, lips still pressed together into a little frown. The mention of Lena, the Apparition drugs, the thought of a possible Aberration uprising… Would Lynette dying be enough to stop something like that? Ed did mention some standing arrangement with Casey…

“I don't plan to do anything else." Trisha said eventually, managing a smile.
“I love Casey too much to lose him to anything. And I'm sure he won't get cold feet with anything… I mean, I'm an Aberration, after all, even if I'm not involved in all that. None of us deserve to be drugged."

She pursed her lips. They'd already had a few discussions about Casey's internalised… biases. She trusted that he was getting over the small amounts of magical superiority he still felt. Towards everyone, not just her. She knew he didn't really feel that way towards her…
“If being happy with him is all I need to do to help everyone get their freedom, then that's easy."

Cass let out a little laugh, arms withdrawing from Trisha to go back to braiding the other half of her hair.
"It better be easy! Since you guys are so sickeningly- adorably- in love. And I dunno so much about this shit as you both but… We'll all have some real problems if the Adepts and Abberations can't live peacefully, won't we?"

Ed gave Cass a wry grin.

”Oh, it’ll be bad news all around. Your boyfriend’s like, the Aberration in our circles. And I hate to be morbid, but… If him and Casey really went at it? I’m not sure either would make it out…”

She’d seen the two brothers fight before. Especially as children. At first, Leon used magic constantly, finding his little brother anything but worthy of a fair fight. But as they got older, the elder grew bored. Started handicapping himself… There were only fair fights in this day and age… But nothing magical. No strength beyond what Leon knew his humanoid figure could produce, and no equipment on Casey’s part that would augment him anymore than his body naturally allowed.

Granted, they were both naturally fit beyond standard capacity… Generations of magical breeding and ritualistic genetic malformation allowed them both to be tremendous temples of Lux and Supernatural energies. Thus, there was no conclusion. Among Adepts, Casey seemed to be approaching the top, and as far as Apparition partners to call upon for strength, Leon was hard pressed to find better.

The weight of Ed’s implication, then… That there could ever be a scenario in which the two would come to deadly blows… If it was avoidable, then it should be done so at all costs.

”They’d expect him to fight in their name though, Cass. Against the ‘Oppressors’. They’d expect the same out of Serenity and I, which obviously means forcing my Baby Girl to hurt her friends and loved ones. Our friends and loved ones. So, yeah. Real problems. Like, fucked off problems.” she smiled.

”Not to mention the Dumb-juice. Trisha can tell you all about that shit.”

Trisha frowned as Cass turned her expectant gaze towards her. The whole thing was fucked up. The possible war, the expectations, the possibility of Casey and Leon fighting…

“Aberration suppressant. Ranging from putting the adjoined Apparition to sleep for a day to straight up killing us.”

”Well shit.” Cass rubbed the back of her neck. Leon hadn’t mentioned that... Then again, he was trying to keep her away from Temple shit where possible. That did count as Temple shit.
”Well, I’m pretty sure Leon and Casey ain’t gonna end up fighting like that… Not unless Leon hurts Trish or like, y’know… Lelou ends up in charge. But that’s just a constant risk, ain’t it?”

Trisha tilted her head. It wasn’t something she wanted to happen. If there was an all out war, somehow… She wasn’t sure what Casey would do. His job was to protect the Elite of the Temple, but when Lynette was gone? She couldn’t see him protecting the oppressive system. But she didn’t see him just letting Aberrations kill the people he cared about…

“I don’t think they’ll fight like that either. All of them want the same thing, don’t they? In a way. Casey, Leon, Mia… Elise.” Trisha spoke quietly still. It sounded too simple to put it that way. They wanted freedom, but if Aberrations wanted revenge against the Adepts, where would things fall? If it came to that… If she got stronger in time, could she and Casey work together to make sure even Leon couldn’t kill him? But then…

Trisha tilted her head back towards Cass with a pained look in her eyes.

Cass didn’t notice as she leaned forward past Trisha, looking at Ed with much more seriousness than she’d normally have.
”Look, those two can protect themselves. They ain’t the kind who can be pressured by expectations and shit either… But if that shit happens? If anyone expects you ‘n Serenity to fight? I can take the two of you and your girlfriends outta the city for a while… You can have my room at my friend’s place. I ain’t gonna just watch you guys forced into shit cause you were born into a fucked up cult and people decided you gotta hurt each other.”

Ed shook her head.
”Mia’s not having it. Hari already tried getting her to bolt, and she stood on both feet. Frankly, first time I’ve ever seen Mia with so much spine. She ain’t like Elise; she’s the type to keep it all in. The first to run and hide. Her and Hari argued about it; but Mia won’t leave St. Portwell again until we’re free. So, get used to us. In the meantime? Maybe we can work more on that thing, Cass.” Ed mentioned offhandedly.

Of course, she knew that Cass was supposed to be kept out of things, but there were looming factors that would potentially maintain the malice and the cycle of violence after Lynette was gone. Maybe not as organized as it would be if there was a central point, of course. But, Ed had been complaining about a certain computer whizz aloud in the living room one night when Cass was in attendance.

Of course, having already heard about this boogeyman once, it was expected that Cass would only want to hear more about the backroom beast that was Maxwell Junior.

”Did she tell you, Trisha? We’re gonna hit up Gin, and she’s gonna teach Cass how to start using Green Lux to do computer shit.” Ed intoned with great reverence.

“She didn’t say.” Trisha shook her head, looking at Cass again. They’d discussed it briefly a couple of weeks back, when Casey first suggested a joint spell… But Trisha hadn’t heard anything since. She assumed both him and Leon were doing their best to pull Cass back from actually getting involved after Casey had made the mistake of suggesting she help.

”Well it ain’t like I got the chance! You’re too busy being lovey dovey, you’ve forgotten all ‘bout your frriiieennndd.” Cass grinned, finishing up Trisha’s second braid and freeing her hands to grab her by the shoulders and shake her.
”It’s gonna be some cool shit. Like… Y’know a computer virus, but Green Lux, so it jumps outta the computer and gets you! Well, I don’t think it’s that dramatic, but y’get the gist. ”

“You can do that with just Green? You don’t need Orange?”

”Seems so! At least, it seems Gin’s gotta way? So I’m told. I’m pretty fucking excited to try! Imagine, I get to code and use magic. That’s the fucking dream!”

Trisha couldn’t hold back a smile at Cass’s intense enthusiasm, while secretly feeling sorry for Leon when Cass fell into her deepest code hole yet…
“It won’t be too dangerous, will it?”

”Oh, dude, me and Leon’ve been working on my magic like all the time. I ain’t the newbie Adept I was a few weeks ago- so even if it is, I can handle it! Just you wait, in a few more weeks I’ll be stronger than you are!”

It was a joke, of course, but one that unintentionally touched a nerve. Trisha looked over towards her bag- where Princess was shrunk down, and her only connection to the bees right now- with a slight frown.
“I’m planning to work on my magic too, after today.” She said casually, as if she wasn’t bothered at all.

”You’re always working on something, Trisha! Honestly, every time I come up lately, you’re in the greenhouse. I’m amazed you’re not working on it constantly. I’d try, but… She’s really hard to reign into anything focused. You get moody, huh Milks?” Ed asked her ghastly girl, who was currently dancing to a tune of her own half-sunk in the concrete floor.

Ed could only smile at her and point.
”That’s my girl… God I love her.” she said with a truly goofy smile.

”Anyway, that’s good. We should all be as prepared as we can be in this day and age… But! Trisha? I’ll make sure Mazie’s good to work tonight. You keep your eye on the prize. And be ready for every kind of reaction, right? You don’t know what you’re gonna get. But, the three of us will fucking scream when it happens. They’ve gotta know whose side we’re on. Team ‘Get us out of this fucking nightmare’!” she smiled, raising her hand up to the other two for a high five.

”Hell yeah!” Cass slapped Ed’s hand with a grin, Trisha following with a bit less enthusiasm.
”... This was a good meeting of the ‘Dating a Richoux’ support group. There ain’t anything else on the agenda, is there?”

”Well, Mumma always says ‘Lord let us love these Wild Animals’ when Uncle Lee or Uncle Case do funny things. So… Let us love these wild animals!” Serenity blurted out, her smile peeling through the vague whisplike nature of her facial features.
There was time left, for the ladies to relax and get ready before transportation had to take place. Elsewhere, just outside St. Portwell, tensions were already rising like the sun for the day.

---

Meanwhile - The Chapel, Temple of Charming and Graceful Individuals.

”-And in that, we have spent long enough separated from our own. A new year approaches, a new Decade approaches. As long as we continue to focus on the distance of the past and forgo the principalities of our faith, we shall remain forever behind our kin and kine as they too shall pass us by in turn.”

Leon stood tall at the pulpit, robes of deep amber with gold accenting each edge and stitch. His voice didn’t waver, nor did it shake singly as he delivered the address which he and his brother had prepared. As Casey was the Blade, so Leon was One of Many; the priest of the order meant to bridge community gaps where they existed. His real job was to be friendly, personable, and always available to serve in helping with a problem within the Temple…

It was a half-neglected post, but it came with the benefit of being the speaker at events like this. Here, in the sacred chapel blessed a thousand times over by the Richoux legacy’s many ancient Orange binding spells. Lux of all types whirled and poured throughout the room, the intensity so great that all in attendance felt the same density of heat in the room. A million million joules of energy cast heat like one wouldn’t believe across the building…

But there were hundreds here, and outside was a thousand more: Supernatural members of the Temple of Charming and Graceful Individuals, and those from the constituent relations in organizations which dated to far older and more esoteric connections. Truly massive names in the Supernatural communities of Europe, North and South America… Even their African branches made the trip this year, their multitude of colorful robes contrasting against the greys and browns of typical Second Dawn branches.

Casey was sat behind Leon, with Hari to his left and his elder sister to his right. Behind them still was Lynette, draped in trademark gold robes and one of her many enchanted accessories that danced about her head like a wobbly halo. And it was the back of Casey’s skull which was being drilled by evil eyes that tormented his inner mind.

”Juuuuust do it. Go ahead. Take the swing. Not a single person in this room would jump to save me. They all want me just as dead as you do, don’t they Casey? My friends, my family, my babies? You’re all against me now. Like I’m the Wicked Witch of the fucking West?”

Just ignore her wasn’t something that worked. But, he had a great deal of mental fortitude. The bombs dropping nearby tended to give one the ability to brace for impact with gusto. Impact after impact rocking his melon into a nice, gentle rest. Concussion. Brain damage. Loss of function. Death…

”Oh waaaaah, I signed up to get shot at because my Grampy said I could! Waaaaah, I ran away from home because people were mean to me for being different. God! I bled for you! Did you know that? Have I told you that I bled for you? You nearly eviscerated me, you were so big! I carried you naturally, for nine months! Like a dumbass! For what? You to just let me die!? Over what!?”

Just. Keep. Listening.

How Dogs Are [FernStone & AtomicEmperor]

St Portwell > San Francisco

The rest of the weekend went by without anything Cass would class as ‘super exciting.’ The normal time spent together- in and out of clothes- and seemingly things were progressing with Father Wolf. So, her trust in the asshole they rescued went up a little bit…

Then came the day of her great return… Or at least, a long drive to collect all her shit before her landlord threw it into the street. It was a trip she’d planned to make about a week prior, but a lot had changed since then. For one, she wasn’t driving alone… Nor was she driving her car! Just like he’d promised, Leon had managed to snag a pickup truck so she’d fit most of her shit into one trip.

It did take a little getting used to it being an automatic like almost every car in this fucking country.

She’d insisted on driving the first leg- then refused any offers to swap. For Cass, sitting in the passenger seat was way worse than actually driving. It was just so fucking boring! Sure, driving took energy and attention, but it was better. She didn’t even have to worry about getting lost this time with a navigator… It was pretty great! Just them, the road and some incredibly heavy, loud music.

At least, until the awesome guitar solo was interrupted by a loud rumble. Then another one.

”Oh, fuck- Food! I’m fucking hungry!” Cass announced, slapping the wheel with one hand as if it wasn’t obvious. But she hadn’t really noticed… At least, she hadn’t noticed the beginnings of hunger before it became enough that her stomach started protesting. It was around lunch time.

”Dude, is there anywhere nearby y’think we can get something to eat? Fast food, tiny town diner, I don’t care- Just gotta be close before I turn to cannibalism!”

Leon could only laugh at Cass’ threat of cannibalism.
”She’s a maaaaaaaan eaaaaater!”

Regardless of his joking, it wasn’t a topic he was going to stick on. While she hadn’t seemed to have any lingering issues over the raid they’d been a part of, there was no sense kicking a hornet's nest if she felt like overthinking for more than a second. Best to get along with her joke, and slide into what she was more interested in. Leon had been getting more and more used to Cass with each passing day; her little quirks, and the funny ways she operated in her day to day life.

He enjoyed the chance for someone new. Someone who wasn’t anyone besides a new person in his life. She was a freshly trimmed lawn, or a newly stapled canvas. Free of the taint, despite his honesty and forthcoming nature. It was important for his own psyche that he be able to be open with her like that… So far, she hadn’t disappointed.

He could only do his best to show the same kind of courtesy from his end.

Leon popped the window on his phone to the side, clearing the risque article about a BDSM club in San Fran he wanted to visit, opening the GPS app and adding a search for “upcoming: food”. What he got was a thousand orange popups. All sorts of things, from authentic Mexican to fancy to the absolute pits of places whose arches were yellow and backgrounds were red. He didn’t want to leave her hanging, so finding something and deciding what it was would be in a timely manner was the only goal.

Thankfully, she wasn’t the picky type. Anything she could devour en masse would work, especially now that she was using her Lux more… Her appetite had only increased since he’d started mentoring her in magic properly. Scrolling, a few seconds rolled on into half a minute before he gasped and tapped an option. The hollow electronic voice of the GPS echoed in reply.

”Rerouting… Proceed to left-all-the-way left lane and exit the highway onto North Weed Boulevard in two miles.”

Leon immediately cackled like an animal.

”NO! MY PERFECT PLAN RUINED!” he growled, forgetting that the GPS had to announce where they were actually going.

“Fucking robots, man, always ruining surprise dates!” Cass burst into laughter as she changed lanes.

“But holy shit, did it seriously say North Weed Boulevard. No fucking way! Was whoever named it high at the time? Dude, if there ain’t a big fuckin’ marijuana leaf on some sign down this road I’ma be real mad.” She shook her head with a grin.
“They got actual food, right? We ain’t just getting high?”

”There’s supposed to be a food truck lot. I wanted to go to this one specifically that has infused sweets; hopefully some CBD ass dog cookies too, I can put Mrs. Barksalot to sleep for a few fucking hours and have my head back.”

Funny that Lelou had the same natural reaction to cannabis that a normal dog did. Her receptors were incredibly sensitive to cannabinoids, meaning any partaking of the leaf usually meant he was in control for a few hours. It couldn’t be too often, however… So, a treat every week or two wouldn’t hurt.

”But I mean, food truck lot to me just sounds like any other food court… Or as my Dad used to say, a full Terran Buffet.” he laughed.
”I figure we’ll be able to pick our own poisons.”

”Oh dude, I’m so down. We don’t get that kinda shit back home so much… Ain’t a food court kinda deal more fun outside, anyway?” Cass grinned, turning off where the GPS had instructed her to onto North Weed Boulevard.

”I’ma buy so much food, fuck, I knew I should’ve packed more snacks… But it’s all good! I’ll quiet down the loudmouth in my stomach, you’ll quiet down your wolf lady, it’ll be a great stop- Oh hey, look!” One hand came off the steering wheel to point at the shitty looking archway into the town, confidently telling all who entered that they were entering Weed.

”Fuck, that’s so fucking- fucking sound! We gotta get a picture.”

”Well did you want to drive the coast back North? Because if you still did, we’ll miss this place and you should probably stop right now. Unless, I mean… You wanted to spend a few hours in town? I don’t really think there’s much else. A brewery, some hotels… It’s just a small town otherwise.” he reasoned, looking back down at his phone to refresh his memory of other local attractions.

”Not like we’re not sleeping in San Fran tonight, just… Y’know don’t want you missing the chance.” he added, still skirting around the fact that this lot they were headed to was on the other end of town, which they’d scoot right back onto the highway near.

”I got it.” Cass said simply. There was no other explanation - it wasn’t exactly needed as she somewhat dangerously jerked the wheel to the side, sharply pulling over on the side of the road with a screech.

Thankfully the road was pretty quiet… She probably would’ve been a bit more careful about it if it wasn’t. Probably. There was nothing quite like a little thrill…
”There we go! Ain’t any point in beating around the bush… If there ain’t much to do I don’t really wanna hang around staring at buildings or some shit. Unless you wanna, y’know, get down and dirty.” She raised her eyebrows, grinning.

”Oh, no… Saving it for Club Hilltop tonight. I was gonna surprise you with that too, but I figured you’d wanna get yourself ready. Supposed to be an experience, so I figured we’d both fuel up here and get a little sweaty moving furniture at your place, then just get right into that… Not saying we can’t tease one another on the road anyway, better to be pent up now than not in gear later…”

He was so nonchalant and candid about it that it was hard to argue with him. Also, because he was already getting out of the vehicle. When they both met behind the truck, Leon instinctively put an arm down for Cass to scramble up.

”You want me to take it? Get it from below, so its my face, then you kind of like… Pointing at the sign from below?” he asked, trying to establish the artistic direction for the shot.

He’d spent enough time around artsy people to have picked up some basics… He wasn’t his sister, nor was he any number of his Artisan cousins, but these sorts of things ran clear in the family.

”Oh dude, sure- You’ve got longer arms too, you can get a better angle.” Cass grinned, taking the offered arm to clamber up onto him like she normally did. At the same time she pulled out her phone, opening up the camera and handing it to him.

”It ain’t gotta be perfect… Or even good, y’know! Just a fun memory… Well, I’ll force it on Trisha at least, but she’ll roll her eyes at it whatever it looks like.” She cackled, getting up properly on his shoulder so that she was taller than him. It let her easily angle herself to point at the sign with both hands- not even bothering to hold on to him. She trusted her core strength enough- and the speed her legs could wrap around his neck, or he’d catch her, if she fell.

”I’m ready!” Cass’s hands were flung up, and she had an incredibly goofy grin.

She didn’t acknowledge what he said about saving it for tonight… Needed to get the photograph out of the way first.

Leon was able to easily walk and squat into a position where the sign was perfectly in view. Throwing up the horns with his free hand, he stuck his tongue out and matched her energy before snapping a few different angles of the same picture. Then they were off, back toward the truck and hopefully out of the way before they caused too much of a buildup. Thankfully it didn’t look like they were the only tourists with the same idea.

Leon laughed and pointed across the street at someone else up on the sign with a huge bong and another person taking a picture from below.
”That’s fucking awesome… Can you send me the pictures I took? And, uh… I haven’t asked, since I didn’t really want to force you in the spotlight, but… I’d love to post one of them online! For the fans, y’know?”

It was hard to remember he was something of an influencer until one walked in on him snapping thirst shots for his OnlyMans. Being a celebrity in this day and age meant you didn’t always have to choose between being a bad influence or a good influence, after all…
But this was the first time he ever suggested involving her in any of the picture taking. His public Instapeg was mostly used for workouts and safe for work content anyway, so he assumed she’d guess that’s where it was going.

Cass didn’t have to think about sending him the photos- they were both in it, after all, it was only fair he had them too! She quickly sent them before she started the truck back up, pulling back onto the road properly.

The question about posting it online was one she had to think a little more about. She wasn’t exactly online shy either, with her own Instapeg filled with all sorts of random shit… and then a private one filled with the more risque photos she took of herself. Then that was entirely separate from her fandom life online.

There was no way to connect the two, at least. She wasn’t going to log onto some forums and see a bunch of people ranting about how ‘MidnightWolf’ was such an obsessive fan she’d hunted Timberwolf down and forced him to go to Weed with her. But she would have to deal with the especially rabid fans shittalking her.

Eh. Who gave a fuck? It’d happen eventually if she ever went to a match with him- which she fucking planned to do. Like hell was she gonna miss out on shit like that, or tell him to pretend to not know her cause of other fans.

”Sure, you can post em! Just don’t tag me or any shit like that… I don’t know if I can deal with a sudden influx of people thirsting over me too! Y’know, leave some mystery. I want ‘em all to think ‘who’s that super fit lady with him?’”

”You read my mind, Babe! You sure you ain’t got Pink Lux too?” Leon laughed, sliding through his phone to post the picture.

It was innocuously tagged with a line from a poem his cousin had written:
To hills and better lands, upon the coast I’m born again.
He had a copy-paste soup of tags set up, and only manually delved into them to clear out the ones that didn’t need to be there. Then, it was posted. There was a strange dopamine that Lelou got from the consistent social media attention that Leon didn’t feel in the same way. While having half a million interactions within a few hours was astonishing to him, it didn’t spark joy more or less than worry.

After all, he didn’t know how Maxwell Richoux disappeared… The fame could’ve just as easily been to blame. Who says a magical fan can't be just as obsessive? The internet was a scary place like that… Made the world smaller than ever.

But Lelou? Oh, something primal about all that attention. The crowds, the people at her feet, all channeled through him. They worshipped him as a God of fitness, and a paragon of what Humans could achieve. And they worshipped the Wolf. That was more of a rush once she understood what the internet was than anything else she’d experienced in thousands on thousands of years.

Not since the world had been theirs…

So, instinctively, Leon stared at the hits counter and the comment number climb in real time, almost forgetting that the GPS had to be started again. Eventually, they made it to the lot for the lot. There were dozens of cars parked next to this open air cul-de-sac style roadway, where ten food trucks lined the sidewalks with all manner of colorful lights and paint jobs advertising their goods. There was every region of food one could think of, often with two or more representations. Asian, Central American, Eurocentric foods of all varieties. Even the good down-home barbecue with a pit grilling off to the side of the last food truck on the end.

”Holy shit! Fucking hell, how the fuck doesn’t this exist near this tiny fucking town?!” Cass was simultaneously in a state of excitement and disbelief. Was it well known, or something? How else could it stay profitable? No way there were enough people living in Weed to keep this kind of thing open…

But that wasn’t important right now. What was important was getting some good grub in her stomach. As soon as she found a spot to park, Cass was out of the truck and taking in the smells. Almost too much when she’d taken to pretty much always background casting a sense enhancement spell… Fuck, there was so much choice.

”Shit, dude, what’re you thinking? You gonna get a ton from one place, or hit up a whole bunch. I’ma have to do the latter… No way I ain’t trying something from like half these trucks. Wait… Wait, am I smelling what I think I am?” Cass exaggeratedly sniffed the air, eyes lighting up.
”Is one of those trucks a chippy?! It smells as close to authentic as you get on this side of the ocean!”

They were relatively far from the ocean, but whatever this truck was, it came clear from the coast and into this spot with a haul of fresh white fish every single day. And of course, authentic sides were being dished out as well. The whole truck was themed like an English Pub, and they weren’t just selling fish and chips on newspapers either. They had the good shit on tap, and pork mince pies, a massive offering of bangers and mash: All manner of savory brown food that any English person this side of the pond would’ve cried to see.

For Leon, the Chinese truck was calling like a siren to the sea. He didn’t have to look long before approaching the counter and treating it like it was his own personal buffet. And of course, someone had to recognize him. This time a fellow patron, and an older gentleman who seemed more interested in talking about his father than hearing about Leon’s personal career. It didn’t stop him from piling up four different styrofoam boxes and tipping an extra three grand for the people working the truck.

In the grassy area surrounding the cul-de-sac, there were dozens and dozens of different benches and tables to be sat at. However, Leon made sure to wait for Cass and any shenanigans she was getting into before finding the perfect place to chow down.

Cass had spent a while making a decision… Did she fall for the call of food from home, or still go for a variety. In the end, she decided to get a few other things before going for the English food. She hit up the grill at the far end first, getting some barbeque ribs before moving on. Then, a box from the Indian street food truck. She got chatting enough with the guy behind the counter that he threw in a free bag of pakora with a wink… Which didn’t end up so free when she tipped more than enough to make up with it.

She didn’t want to give the guy the wrong idea, cute or not.

As much as she wanted Chinese too, she decided to skip it- figuring she could steal some of Leon’s.

So she swung round the English Pub themed truck with a couple of boxes already.
”Fish and chips with mushy peas, a pork pie, and a pint of Guinness, thanks!”

“Coming right up- I ain’t heard an accent like that round these parts in years.” The man in the truck grinned at her as he started to pour her pint first. He did it slowly until it was almost full, before putting the plastic cup down underneath the tap.
“You just visiting?”

”Oh, nah, living here! ‘Bout six years now… It ain’t so grey and wet, y’know. No reason to go back aside from the food!” Cass easily fell into conversation with a fellow Brit.

It turned out he was from North England too, originally. Leeds… So really not that far from Manchester. As he prepared her meal- salt and vinegar on the fish and chips, of course- they chatted away about all sorts of shit. The weather back home, football, how Americans didn’t know how to make decent chips…

It was pretty refreshing to talk to someone from back home, and she had an extra little spring in her step as she finally made her way back over to Leon. In one arm were various containers of food, while her other hand carefully held her pint like it was the most precious thing in the world.

”The guy was English- no wonder the shit was actually authentic!” Cass didn’t pause or bother with any greetings, just a grin at Leon as she got to him. She pretty quickly spun around and found them a free table- one large enough to fit both of their massive meals.

It was a tough life being a magical calorie burner.

”Oh I’m so fucking excited…” Cass didn’t wait to tear into her fish and chips- wanting to enjoy it all while it was still hot. It was at its best then, after all, even if the chips should still hold up when cool.
”God, that hits the spot… Great choice. Especially since we’ll need the energy for later.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him through absolutely devouring her food.

Before they sat down, Leon was already five eggrolls deep.
”Carbs for cardio, Baby! Feels like a mukbang; people are gonna stare at us.” he laughed, looking around at the mostly empty part of the picnicking area they were sat in.

”Well… If they were here. Better they’re not. They don’t need to see what’s about to happen to this food.”

”You’re making it sound like we’re animals!” Cass cackled, as if she hadn’t just eaten a whole meal in the space of minutes. She was moving onto the Pork Pie now, chasing it down with the beer as it too was devoured. Only then did she not feel so intensely hungry and could slow down to really enjoy the rest.

”Sooo… Club Hilltop, huh? Thank fuck you spilled, cause I wouldn’t wanna turn up there not dressed right… Ooo, it’s fucking good though. I’ve been a couple of times? But shit ain’t the most accessible to go regularly.” She chatted away, grinning widely at him.
”It’ll be even better with you… dude, you’re gonna love it! They do different themes and shit- well I bet you read that. Means it ain’t gonna be like when I’ve been before.”

Her expression only grew more playful.
”Didn’t think Casa de Cass would be satisfying enough, eh?”

Leon laughed loudly.
”Nah, it’s just… After everything you said about the landlord, I figured maybe it’d be better if we left the place as nice as possible. Got the dirty shit done somewhere set up for it. Also, I… I did see the theme. It’s-” he petered off, voice dropping purposefully low to avoid Cass’ uproarious laughter.

“Oh fuck, what is it?” Cass leaned forward, eyes twinkling.

”Hungry like… the Wolf…” he blushed before slapping his face with his own hand.
”I swear, it was totally by chance. I saw it and I was honestly a little sad because it could’ve been like… You know, the goth night or something but… I mean, it’s very explicitly stated that fur suits are not going to be accepted at the door, but like… Still. Could be weird?” he added.

“No fucking way!” Cass shook her head, trying to keep the laughter to a reasonable level… not that there was anyone around to look over. Of course it was something like that. They were practically haunted by wolves. They were wolves.

“Hey, you can still show up as a goth wolf… The fuck does that actually mean theme wise? Like- oh fuck it’s gonna be all like leashes and shit- nah, nah, I’m sure it won’t be super weird! Not too weird for us, at least!” Not that Cass wasn’t into something like that. Very little she wasn’t into.
“It’s a shame normal people can’t see my ears- otherwise I’d be totally sorted! Authentic wolf ears and tail… Much as it might be a surprise, I ain’t gotta fake pair just lying around.”

”I just don’t get it… There’s no real specifics on what this shit could mean if there’s… Like… They’re not admitting the furries! If not them, then who is this fo-Oh my God!”

Leon had started to explain what he was thinking when he was jumpscared by an image. Scrolling far enough down the page, there was a small menu that took him to a different page. It was a download for a pdf essentially detailing Club Hilltop’s rules and regulations, as well as any specific rulings that involved tonight’s event. There were even diagrams detailing… Sizing information for various implements that were expected to be used. As well, a list of evening contests and competitions that could be signed up for on arrival…

”It’s a toy event! Like… The big ones? The ones that… Don’t…”

He held up his phone to Cass with the diagram showing various shapes and sizes, but none of them looked like a mortal man.

”It’s… I mean… Is this something you’d want to go to? We can get freaky in a field somewhere, I really don’t… Mind…” he said, a vague level of discomfort in his voice.

Cass leaned forward to properly look at his phone… and a wide, teasing smirk pulled at her lips. It only increased as he sounded a bit uncomfortable about it.

"Dude… You're the one who sounds like you don't wanna go." She raised her eyebrows, staring right at him. Her whole body leaned across the table towards him, practically lifting herself off the seat.

”You not into shit like that? Or shit that big- oh! You worried cause some of it's bigger than you? That I'll enjoy it more or some shit? Babe…" Her hand reached out to point to one of the toys on the diagram. It wasn't the most out there one… The kind of thing someone kinky could feasibly already own, which was…
"I've already got that one."

”No! I’m… Pissed that…”
He sighed, shaking his head.
”That… Y’know, it’s a fucking… Basic orgy. Right? Like, ultimately, these people could probably take the organ, but not the force behind it. So, like, if it was a magic place, there’d be no problem. I guess maybe… I don’t want to go? If it’d been a night where people were just expecting people, it’d be easier. I could be the top of the totem pole, y’know, a paragon of mankind. But this? Why bother when… There’s probably some place magical where we could actually go all out…”

For a moment, Leon looked dejected until he finally crossed over into a look of determination.

”I don’t know… Do you care?” he asked her genuinely.

"About going, or about it not being magical?" Cass asked, before shrugging.
"I really don't give a fuck about either! Like, I know it'll be a good time whether we go or we fuck in a field somewhere. Or find some magical place, but I ain't sure how to find something like that- Anyway! If you don't wanna go, we don't gotta. My partner not having a good time, even if he's a few bodies away from me, is kinda a turnoff, y'know?"

She didn't bother beating around the bush, like normal. She really was chill about it. If sex with Leon was boring, sure she'd be pushing for going to a club like that… but she also probably wouldn't be sticking around. And it wasn't.

"And y'know, if we get freaky elsewhere, we can pull out some of my toys. I got plenty of shit too!" She grinned.

He certainly wanted to have fun. But, there was another voice in his head. One that had other motives altogether. A deep need for worship, and to be at the top. He couldn’t exactly explain it without it sounding worse than it actually was… But, then, maybe it really was that bad? After all, she could make his life far worse than was healthy at this point. Without the leash, she could still eventually break whatever seal she wanted. It just took a long enough buildup.

Finally he pulled his phone out and made a quick dial. In another second or two, he was talking to someone on the phone. It wasn’t conversational, though whoever was on the other end seemed to keep making it that way. Leon wanted info; clear info, and fast.

”Hey! — Yeah, no bad man, not bad. — Yep, yeah, it’s all been fine. — Uh-huh! Nope, I j- — Oh, yeah. Yep. — No, I’m sure. Hey li- — Yeah. Mhm. — No, no! Not at all, I’m sure she’s just been busy. — Don’t worry, man. I’ll get to it for you. Now, I called be- — Yes. Yeah. No, I was call- —”

He tucked his head into his hand, shaking it before putting the phone back to his ear.

”Rusty! Rustyyyyyyyy! — Dude… I love you, I appreciate you. I’m happy to chop it up when I see you next, but right now I was just looking for some info. — No, sorry man, I promise it’s not on purpose. — Okay, so I’m in your neck of the woods? And I was just hoping you knew somewhere that a friend and I could find some other people to have fun with? — No, I was thinking more like Amsterdam for the Cutlass Cup? Remember? — Oh, yeah, that’s perfect! What’s the address, is it in the city? — Awesome, Russel, thanks Man… Seriously. You gonna be there? — Alright, see you then. Oh, and I’m not alone? So I’m not looking for any personal company. — Nah, much more personal than that; you’ll meet her I’m sure. She’ll kick your ass too, just wait. — Alright, thanks again Rust.”

Hanging up, Leon was much more happy than he was before.
”See? Easy as a phone call when your boy knows every single paranormal on the West Coast. We’re gonna have a way better time. Your first magic orgy! Oh, God, this is gonna be way better than some pretend club for Normies.” he grinned at her.

"Fuck, awesome! Course you got magical orgy connections." Cass grinned back, throwing up a hand excitedly. As much as she was easy with what they did, a magical orgy? That should be really fucking exciting! She wouldn't have to worry about not using magic or dampening her strength so it didn't seem weird…

"How do magical orgies work? Like, how much is the magic involved? There gonna be fireballs flying around- nah, that'd end up with somewhere burning down! But seriously, how much do I gotta prepare? Outside of getting ready to beat that guys ass?"

Leon couldn’t help but burst into laughter as she talked about beating Rusty’s ass. As a long time Disciple of Gravity and peripheral Temple member, Russel Caulier was a short-time boxer and long time mogul in the adult entertainment industry. As a Red Lux Adept, he had probably the worst and most perverse kind of focus that Leon could think of, specializing in all sorts of material magics that helped his various productions.

”You ever seen anything from Cauliflower Productions? Porn stuff… Made that series that went viral with the dude who looked like Willem Defoe? Everyone on Titter went absolutely nuts because they thought that a famous actor was suddenly doing porn?” he asked her, still smiling as he thought about how stupid it was.

Cass thought for a moment, scratching her chin. Had she… "Oh fuck yeah, I saw that! Not my kinda guy, Defoe, but I saw it!"

”Well, that dude is this dude. The guy who looked like Defoe. It’s actually his production company who made that, and like… Probably a hundred other movies? He used to be one of my Dad’s boxing students, but once he was gone, Rusty wound up getting more involved in the business he’s in now. I figured if anyone was gonna know? It’d be him.”

Now, as far as what she’d asked about how it worked? He could only speculate. These things were rarely regulated, and with so much Lux in one place, there were bound to be strange and inexplicable happenings going on. Things that he probably wouldn’t be able to prep her for even if she’d known what exactly was coming.

”Now, your other question? I doubt there’s gonna be anything crazy destructive. Sometimes the Adept or Aberration involved isn’t really there to use their powers as much as they’re there for the experience? But, there’s not too much magic that you can’t have at least something interesting in the back pocket with. Like, Rusty? Y’know what his magic specialty is? Lubricant. Water, silicone, whatever you want he can synthesize it out of thin air. Dumbest fucking spell ever but he swears by it.” he kept laughing at how ridiculous the situation was.

Cass immediately burst out in laughter, hand slapping the table with a loud thud.
"Magical lubricant?! Seriously?! Was he so fuckin' skint from tryna make pornos he couldn't afford to buy it? Fuck! Does it even make shit at all better or is it just fucking conjured up lube? Holy fuck!"

She couldn't stop laughing at the concept of someone specialising in that, of all things. Sure, her magic had kinky uses… but it wasn't the sole purpose of most of it. It was cool. That was kinda…
"Dude, that's kinda lame, I'm surprised he gets anyone if that's his party trick!"

”Sometimes, telling someone that something’s magic is good enough to get their motor running. But, no, it’s pretty interesting stuff. Whatever residual Lux in it makes it a pretty good conductor of other Lux. His main squeeze is a Pink Lux Adept, and he is basically just a big horny bomb. So, you get everyone nice and slippery, and then the extrasensory fun starts. But, that’s only if they’re actually getting down. He could be going just to see me; it’s been a while since we’ve hung out.”

Leon had plenty of fond memories of being covered in that shit… Even before Lelou.

"Oh, I see! That does sound a bit more fucking interesting than just some magical lube… if maybe a bit insane combined with heightened senses!" Cass grinned, nodding along. She still wasn't entirely sure about extrasensory if it came from Pink Lux… mind magic was one of the ones she had a healthy uncertainty about. But then again, what could they get outta her beautiful noggin that she wasn't already open about?

"So… this guy's a good friend of yours, then?" She asked, moving on from the talk of a magical orgy. Not that she didn't have plenty more questions… but she didn't want little innocent Leon worrying that she only wanted him for his body!

"Or at least, you don't hate his guts cause of some long term boxing rivalry! Though that'd be kinda fucking cool… but hey, nice, I get a magical orgy and to meet another friend of yours, that's a pretty big win for Cass."

”A bit like an older brother to me. I never had one, so, Rusty would be it. He’s like… Six? Maybe six or seven years older. Terrible influence. Absolutely awful, the things he used to say to me. But, we’ve honestly worked it out over the years, and now it’s pretty much all love. Y’know how it is, the older sibling just kind of dogs on the younger one until you both hit an age where you realize the dynamic isn’t the same. So, you level, fix it, and here we are now. I did the same shit to Elise and Casey.”

Not so much the younger ones… He was already a bit old to be dealing with them in the same capacity. Junior, he probably should have. Maybe that was the reason he was a freak now…

”Why? You said Defoe wasn’t your type, so… Looking for an excuse to keep him off you?” Leon joked, trying to figure out why she wanted details about that. He was hoping to dig up a side kink, but it could be anything…

Cass stared at him for a moment, head tilting to the side like a confused bird. Then one hand reached out, finger going to tap his head.

”Fuck, is there only sex up there? Poor Lelou, blamed for all your horniness!” She joked back with a laugh. Did he seriously not know why she’d ask? Was it not super obvious? Did no one ever show interest in that kinda shit?

”Ain’t it normal to wanna know more about the guy I like? That includes knowing about- and meeting- your friends! Like, knowing you’ve got an older sibling figure is cool! Cause I’m a middle child, so I’ve experienced being both… It gives some extra understanding and shit. That aside, I just want to know about the people in your life, y’know?”

”Well, no… Not all sex. Trust, when you’ve lived with a family like mine all your life, you build a tendency to harbor skepticism in your heart.” Leon admitted calmly, willing to at least be honest about his flaws to this woman. She was becoming more important day after day…

”I’ll tell you anything you wanna know. Just, y’know… Be patient if I wonder why you’re asking. Mom always said that she saw me as a detective in one of her dreams, so…-” he shrugged, smiling.

”-I guess it’s just a habit. Anyway, shoot! Go, fire away!”

---

After the large food break, the two got on their way again. Another four hours or so… By the time they reached San Francisco it was later on in the afternoon. There hadn’t been any other long pit stops: just a quick stop here and there to take more pictures with signs that Cass found funny.

But here they were, finally. San Francisco with all of its hills… Cass was able to find a parking spot on the street that fit the truck and wasn’t too far from her apartment. Not that she minded the walk, but it’d get a bit boring if they had to do it over and over again while lugging her shit over.

The apartment building itself wasn’t one of the tall highrises found in the centre- rather they were much more on the outside of the city. The buildings looked a little more quaint, only four or five stories high. A lot of them looked more rundown too- like they were in desperate need for repairs. The area wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t exactly the nicest.

Cass was practically bouncing down the street and into her building, leading Leon up two flights of stairs with large leaps. She screeched to a halt in front of a wooden door, patting her coat pockets until she found her keys. The handle was a little wobbly as she shoved the key in, and pushed it open with her shoulder.

”Welcome to Casa de Cass- Well, it ain’t just my place.” Cass led him inside with an arm sweeping across the entrance hall. It was a relatively spacious rectangle with four doors going off it, along with a narrower corridor directly to their left. It was a bit depressing, with very little decoration. The only thing on the wall was a pinboard, with various practical things stuck to it- numbers for handymen, takeaway menus, a cleaning rotation with only two names on it… A crude drawing with ‘We <3 boobs’ written underneath it?

”I dunno if my flatmate’s in so-”

As if summoned, a door further along the right door clicked open. A darker skinned woman a few inches taller than Cass stepped out, her dark hair pulled back into cornrows that fell down her back. She opened her mouth to say something, immediately stopping when her gaze flickered up from Cass to Leon in shock. Then back down to Cass.

”... I thought you were moving in with Reyna? Not…” The woman waved a hand at Leon, not bothering to hide her confusion at Cass bringing someone along.

”I am! Mostly! Sorta! Don’t worry ‘bout it!” Cass laughed, stepping further into the hall.
”Where’s me greeting? ’Oh Cass I missed you so much and I’m gonna miss you even more now you’re moving! But don’t worry there’ll always be space for you in my bed if you wanna visit!’”

”Dream on. Thanks to you, I’m looking for a new place with my girlfriend.”

”Aw, you’re welcome, I know you’ve wanted to move in with her for ages!”

Her flatmate just rolled her eyes, stepping forward and holding out a hand towards Leon. ”I’m Naima. Good luck if Cass is going to be staying with you for long.”

”Hey!”

A million thoughts passed through Leon’s mind, and none of them were decent. Thankfully, he was a sensible animal and stuck out his hand to shake hers.

”Well, sharing beds and girlfriends? I’m Leon, if you’re ever looking for a great time. If Cass vouches I-”

”Dude, noooo, she’s a lesbian!” Cass interrupted through laughter, reaching out to slap Leon’s arm.

”And taken,” Naima added cooly, raising an eyebrow.

”Aw c'mon Nai, don’t go pretending you and Kaylee ain’t open! Ooo I can see that lil judgmental light in your eyes, I ain’t gonna stand for it.” Cass shook her head in mock disappointment.

Naima just laughed, expression loosening up into a smile.
”Nice to meet you, Leon- but I’ll pass on that. Lesbian, like Cass says. Even if I wasn’t… I don’t want to delve into Cass’s group like that again.”

”Dude, that was totally your fault! You chose to date Diyah then Trisha, you basically had a death wish!” Cass laughed, even though it had been… A difficult time all round. It had worked out well in the end, because their shared spite had only brought Nadiyah and Trisha closer together.

”Oh, no shit… Dated Trisha Vanburen? That’s one wild horse to ride with… We went to school together, she’s dating my little brother… Actually introduced hot stuff and me”
Leon always found it endearing to be objectified. Even before Lelou, he felt nothing but flattery when someone held him up in that fashion. Especially in front of others. He only hoped that Cass didn’t mind… He’d adjust, of course, but just like everything else, he couldn’t help but leap before looking.

Luckily for Leon, Cass didn’t seem to have a problem with it. At least, she just grinned up at him… She really didn’t. Her boundaries were pretty lacking, though it was always a bit dependent on the audience… But friends? Yeah, most stuff was on the table.

”Who didn’t date Trisha. I’m surprised you’re risking meeting someone through her, Cass.” Naima spoke nonchalantly- there didn’t seem to be much venom behind it. Just practicality.

”Oy, what did I say about shit talking my girl? It ain’t gonna be a problem- you should see em, her and Casey are realll sweet. It’s gonna work out this time… They’re perfect together! God, it’s so fucking cute. Seriously!” Cass, of course, didn’t stand for even the hint of negativity- not in this instance, at least. She was able to see her friend’s flaws and knew what Naima was getting at… But this time she didn’t think it was a risk.

And they were all adults. She shouldn’t have to choose, if it somehow came to that.

”There she goes again…” Naima muttered, good naturedly waving a hand in front of her face.
”It’s your life! Though… Can’t say I expected you to quit your job and move for a guy.”

”To be fair, my Brother’s like… A patience God. Spent the war hiding in holes or some shit. I once watched him wait- Well, whatever. Point is, I always figured she was gonna need someone super patient, all the way back in high school. As for her meeting me? I mean, come on… Look me up. I’m a catch.” Leon grinned, flexing his social clout.

It was Leon’s assumption that, in spite of everything, the fantasy of his boxing fame would probably always be a turn on for Cass… And, he figured the situation was playful enough that he could say something like that confidently. She proved again and again to be someone without the kind of anxieties that other women in his life had.

”But, hey… I’m a shower, right? We do things, we show people that they’re done, then they trust us when we say that we’ll do ‘em. Like, for instance, I’m not gonna tell you that your pal here’s in good hands. I’ll just show you. Next time we talk? You’ll believe me.”

He threw a wink at Naima, along with a bright smile.

Naima stared at him, seeming to be trying to figure out if he was serious. Then she laughed.
”Sure, I’ll believe you if she doesn’t try to crawl into my bed in a couple of weeks.”

”Hey now… I’d be crawling into Trisha’s bed first, she’s closest!” Cass cackled. She patted Leon’s arm with a grin, unable to resist putting her hand on some part of him. Not when he was talking like that…
”He’s right! I’d be an idiot not to overturn my life for him- wait that makes it sound way worse. Y’know I was fucking bored here! Gotta follow the thrill… Speaking of thrill, lemme show you my room!”

”... Please keep it down.” Naima intoned.

”Heh- don’t worry, we’re going out later! C’mon…” Cass’s hand dropped to grab Leon’s, tugging him down the more narrow corridor to their left towards the door at the end. Her hand dropped towards the handle, before she froze. It was like a brief stutter in the seemingly boundless energy that was Cass as her brain kicked into gear. Remembering something…

She slowly turned around towards Leon, staring up at him with a deadly serious expression.
”Promise not to freak out.”

Leon hardly fit into this little corridor, with both of his shoulders and arms abutting the walls.

”I won’t freak out, but… If the first thing I see is my face? I’m gonna laugh.” Leon smiled, giggling as he replied.

"Nahhhhh… First think you're gonna see is your dick!" A wide grin split Cass's previously serious look, and she cackled.

Confident he wouldn't at least throw a tantrum or something, she pushed open the door and led him inside.

The room was far more spacious than the preceding corridor- thankfully- though it was definitely smaller than what Leon was used to. The first thing he saw wasn't his face- or any part of him. Directly in front of him were posters of boxers- but female ones, more of the same height and weight as Cass. Inspiration for Cass, perhaps? Moving along to the left, there was her double bed pushed into the corner. The posters above the foot of it changed to the heaviest weight of female boxers. Mixed league posters, and then a lot of one person- Katya Ivanov, also known as just ‘Panther.’ A tall, buff woman who was often a champion of the women's league… It was pretty clear that Cass had a type.

Then, there were the PBL posters at the head of her bed, sweeping around the corner to cover both the left side of her pillow and above it. At first glance it was obvious that Leon had the most posters of anyone on that wall- partly because by the time she was able to get any, Gravity had been missing for years. There was a fair few of Gravity too… Then second to them, with just a few less than Katya, were posters of Vladinov Avanski- Two Gun Vlad. Leon's direct rival within the league.

The actual reason Cass had been worried he'd freak out. You could never be sure with these things! After all, he might be a lovely guy… or an absolute dick! All they saw were the matches and whatever was on social media. And maybe her views had been coloured a little by all the hate fucking fanfic she'd read…

"Behold, my most valuable collection!" Cass said dramatically gestured to the posters as she bounced further into the room. She moved round to the bottom of her bed, in the little gap between there and her overflowing desk. There were even three desktops underneath it…
"Y'know how hard some of it was to get? Specially since I got into it just before the war… a lil kid like me couldn't afford that shit, then there wasn't any imports!"

From an initial lookaround, Leon had three things on his mind. One; get Cass into body sculpting. He figured if she learned how to safely use her Green Lux on her own body to enact more permanent change, she'd appreciate having the ability to shape herself entirely.

Two; a meet up with Katya had to be arranged. He knew her well enough that they'd spent time in the same bed; and that they'd both uncovered one another's ability to cast Adeptal Magic almost fifteen years prior. The two were in the same youth league on opposite sides of the gender gap, and thanks to Leon's previous White Lux access, he easily picked out her signatures from the other fighters.

It was highly likely that she'd be happy to meet again were there enough convenience… And even more likely that Leon could tick another fantasy off of Cass’ checklist.

And, finally the third: Fuck with Vlad. They'd punched one another so much, so often, that Leon was certain if he didn't have Lelou, there'd be a dent in his skull in the shape of the Russian's fist. One poster Cass had specifically was quite rare. A collector's edition of their title fight last year, Leon recognized it immediately because of the raised images impressed into the paper. It gave the entire thing a very three-dimensional look.

Of course, an ego maniac like Leon carried a sharpie… It slid from his pocket with ease, and without words, Leon tucked his leg up onto Cass’ bed before starting to scribble on the (probably ten of a kind) poster.
Granted, if there was one thing that was going to increase the value of the poster, maybe it was this…

Before anything else, Leon was sure to mark his signature in big bold scrawl underneath his headshot. Then, moving up on the poster, and sure to avoid touching any of the highlights, he drew a speech bubble out of his own mouth. Within, a simple phrase:

”Ice cream after?”

Leon leaned back and grinned widely, then looked back at Cass.

”This is an absolute gem, Babe. When we meet Vlad, we'll be sure to bring this poster with us so he can finish it… What do you think, do you think we got ice cream after that fight?” he asked, knowing full well she'd know just how roughed up they both were after such a historic fight.

Cass's reaction was… a little strange. She'd brought up a hand to cover her face, shoulders trembling a bit. What did she think? Did she think they got ice cream after the fight?! It sure was much tamer than what she'd written them doing after the fight! Which was why she was covering her face… A rare ashamed expression. Sure, they were basically dating now, but there were some lines you didn't cross! Like blurting out about the much worse things she'd thought about them doing after…

"Yeah, you probably both gotta whole tub to hold up against your face! I saw how fucked up you both were, the cameras they got now are great at picking up that kinda detail!" Cass dropped her hands from her face now that the very real risk of revealing one thing she felt she shouldn't was gone. She made her way back round her bed so she was standing beside Leon, hands on her hips as she looked at the now scrawled on poster.

"We better meet Vlad and get his signature too! Ima hold you to that, cause otherwise this is gonna look real uneven… not that I ain't happy to get your signature on it!"

Leon had his phone out, and snapped a picture of the poster to rattle off to the man himself.

”We’ll go to Eastern Europe for sure. The amount of tournaments I wind up in over there is crazy; half the time I don't even go to all of them. My manager has to call and cancel, because I can't make it everywhere they want me to be!”

There was a short pause, then his phone vibrated in response. Pulling it out, he laughed and turned the phone to Cass so she could read.

”U ruin plakat. $5 take now.”

Leon could only laugh, hearing Vlad's thick accent in his mind.

His reply was simple.

”Needs podpis. Value go up.”

Vlad quickly responded with a drooling emoji, causing Leon to laugh more.

”This guy, Babe… Aaaaanything for a few more bucks. He's great, he's funny, but he's always looking for ways to make more money. Cultural mindset, I can only guess…” he explained calmly.

"I'm selling this over my cold, dead body!" Cass declared, as if anyone was gonna be pushing her to sell it when there were both signatures on it. Maybe some of her non boxing friends if they found out the value… but the emotional value of having it was way higher!

"I'll fight off the money grabbing Boxer if I gotta… Oh dude, I'm glad you guys get on though! You can never be sure with the shit… the forums are full of speculations. Some people are convinced you're best friends, some think you absolutely hate each other's guts. The evidence both ways is kinda hilarious cause it's like… flimsy, y'know? Insane fan behaviour, like you're besties cause you drank the same brand of drink at a match."

Of course the actual fan behaviour had been that it wasn't that they were best friends, but secretly dating… but she wasn't going to mention that bit.

”That’s why hanging with me is fun. I’m a nerd about it, but I was there. Like that fight you’re talking about where the forums blew up about the Quenchcups? That was totally random, like he wasn’t sponsored by Quenchcup, they didn’t have a deal with him… They actually asked him not to drink their product on live television again…” Leon laughed loudly.

Then, Leon’s head turned to admire some of the other posters. The posters of female boxers.

”Now, what’s up with this side? Just, uh… Fan still? Personal motivation? Fantasy?” he asked, specifically pointing at Katya.

"What, you gonna get all jealous if I say I'm a big fan too? Like yeah, you ain't the only one I fantasised about getting down and dirty with?" Cass shot back teasingly. She knew Leon well enough to know he was unlikely to get jealous… really, it had all just been a fantasy. Wishful thinking, erotic writings. She'd never expected to meet any of them outside of maybe some match- and the thought of actually hooking up had never crossed her mind as a possible reality. Nevermind what was going on with her and Leon.

Leon bit his lip with great intent, staring at Cass. He didn’t speak, and instead held the pose out for as long as it would take to get her to ask a question, or react beyond confusion.

"What? What is it?" Cass wasn’t patient, so it didn't take her long to crack and ask while bouncing right up into Leon’s space.

Rather than respond to Cass’ curiosity, Leon took a long and deep breath before pulling out his cell again. With a slightly tucked head and narrowed eyes, he started to grin.
”I don’t know if I want to spoil you with this phone call…” he paused, presuming she’d get where his head was at this point.

"Spoil me how- oh dude, you got Katya on speed dial?! Of fucking course!" Cass grinned, hopping up so that her arms hooked around his neck. She just hung there, staring at him closely.

"Don't know if you want to spoil me my ass- like you don't get off on that shit. C'monnnn... Unless you really are jealous! Or, gasp, worried?!"

Leon was all smiles as he pressed a few buttons. It was quite the call, but thanks to modern technology, at least all he had to worry about was a fee. There were a few extra line connections to be made, but eventually a voice picked up on the other end.

”Ooooh, you call me? Rock rock, Baby, you are in St. Petersburg?”

Sure enough, that was the voice Cass would’ve heard in a thousand different interviews… And she didn’t seem to have any familiarity issues with Leon giving her a call. It only made him grin wider, that he garnered an immediately warm reception… If she’d been awkward, which she never was ultimately, it could’ve ended much differently.

”Ooooh, absolutely not. You know it’s cold over there.” he replied, the speaker of the phone slightly muffling her response.

”E-f-rr-mr- ‘n get nice and warm in the big medved and cuddle with Katyushka…”

Leon’s eyes widened at Cass, both eyebrows wagging in turn.
”Oh Jesus, I must’ve called at the wrong time.”

”I was asleep, Blyat! Why you wake me, Leoni…?” Katya sleepily asked through the phone.

Leon smiled at Cass, then hit the mute button.

”You wanna just… Go for it? Or would you rather being properly introduced?” he asked politely.

Cass grinned, practically vibrating with excitement. She leaned over, one arm still hooked around his neck while her other hand moved towards his phone. A finger hovered over the mute button.
"Y'know me… I ain't shy!"

Especially since the two were clearly pretty familiar with each other… Not that she knew what ‘medved’ meant, but the eyebrow waggling afterwards… Well, either way, cuddling was involved!

She tapped the mute button.

"Hello! I'm Cass! Easy to remember cause it rhymes with ass. Sorry to wake ya, that was my fault. I'm Leon's…" She paused, not sure what to say there. It wasn't like they'd really defined anything yet. To her, they were in that awkward point between fucking and dating where it wasn't really just fucking anymore, but were they really properly dating? Whatever!

"Eh, anyway- I'm a massive fan. Like would totally love to get beaten up in the ring by you but I'm too short to ever qualify kinda fan!" Cass tried not to straight up shout into the phone, but her natural volume was just pretty loud… and she was super excited.

She shifted her position, twisting her body so her legs were wrapped around Leon to keep her attached to him while freeing up her hands. Said hands moved to slap over his ears- as if that'd actually do anything- and she leaned closer to the phone to whisper.

"Don't tell Leon but I was actually into you first."
Of course, she meant as a boxing fan… Not really thinking about the phrasing…

There was some throat clearing and giggling on the other end before Leon decided to turn on the front facing camera. When their faces popped up, it’d be a surprise that Leon’s face was buried in Cass’ hair. She’d feel him kiss the top of her head.

”Cass is my girlfriend, Katya. Fairly recent, but… Yeah! What she said!” he grinned down at Cass.

There was a moment’s pause before Katya groaned and turned her own camera on. She was laid in a rather plush setting, soft and fuzzy blankets all around her. She was also topless, not to mention sporting a myriad of bruises on her breasts, chest, arms and face.

”Ohhhhhh-” she teased, stretching her muscular figure with a yawn.
”-my everything is aching terribly! Yet, such a cute face heals me so… Leon, be truthful; these beautiful women flock to your ugly ham face?”

They both laughed.

”It’s my personality, Katya, surely you get it…”

”And your American attitude… Miss Cass? You say you want to be beaten, but… Surely there is no other way for us to get close?” she questioned, letting it linger in the air between phones.

”Just Cass please!” Cass shouted, before tilting her head back with a groan as she actually thought about the question. Like she was mentally calculating the feasibility and cost of jumping on a plane right to the other side of the world… Of course, it wasn’t feasible. Not that she was actually that desperate. Definitely not just wanting to immediately jump what she saw on the other side of the phone.

”Well… it’s a fantasy! I bend all sortsa ways- literally, heh- there’s plenty of ways to get close. So many. I can start listing em! That’s just, like, the top of a long list.” She grinned, patting Leon’s chest before wrapping her arms around his neck again.
”Leon’ll attest to how flexible I am! And how hard a punch it takes to actually hurt me, y’know, in case that’s a worry. I know I got such an adorable face that nobody’d want to risk it… But I’m stronger than I look!”

It wasn’t really awkward, but it came out as a bit of a mixed up mess. She’d been a bit like this when she first met Leon too… like her mind and mouth didn’t quite move at the same pace. At least it’d been a little easier in person. Not that it was hard, just chaotic.

”Literally anything! I’m down for anything!”

Katya was cool as a cucumber. She always was in a fight, never giving herself away to the enemy until the very last moment.
”Ohhh, aren’t you just a little lamb?” she commented with a teasing groan in her voice.

”Oh, more than flexible, Katya! I’m teaching her.” Leon intoned, voice growing a little more quiet.

At first, Katya was visibly confused about something so vague. But, after a short time, it seemed to click.

”Du blyat… You are Adeptal? Of course I should expect from Leoni, but he has plenty of- Uh… Well, am I supposed to-” Katya’s voice stymied off.

”Oh, Kitty-cat… Isn’t the proposition clear? My girlfriend wants you.-” he grinned into the camera, letting his free hand teasingly wrap around Cass’ neck.
”-Won’t you make her dream come true, Katya?”

He was being somewhat coy, playful and even a little goofy. It was all Katya could do to not hop up and book her own flight.

”Cassi, you come to St. Petersburg. You come to my city, you tie that bum in your hotel. I meet you in gym, we grow intimate. I wine you, I dine you, I bring you back and we show this goofy ham-faced man what lovemaking is.” she finished, wagging her eyebrows up and down in a rapid fashion.

”Oh fuck yes!” Cass grinned, getting excited just thinking about it. Of course, that wasn’t great for Leon, since the more excited she got the more she couldn’t keep still. She was still holding onto him with her arms and legs- well, at least two limbs at a time- but there was a lot more wriggling and position changing.

She didn’t really get why her being an Adept was important to this but… Whatever! Didn’t matter, didn’t care!

”We’ll probably need a fucking dungeon or something to chain him up in though… Y’know some ropes in a hotel room won’t hold! Aw man…” Cass tilted her upper body back, positioning herself so she could grin playfully at both of them.
”You are in for such a show, Babe. I know you’ll love it. Fuck, when can we go?! Why does it have to be fucking American holiday season!”

Her grin turned into a playful pout.
”You’re actually just torturing me, ain’t you? Showing me what I could have, but the distance keeps me from it!”

”The Keenee, in the Spring, Leoni! Cassi, Kukolka, you tell him you want to see him fight in the Keenee! You and I, we go, we watch him get all bloody, and he kill another man! And he come, he take us both as that big Wolf beastie…”

Katya was far too enthusiastic about what was happening right now… To the point that even Leon wasn’t sure he wanted to keep up.

”Katya, the Keenee isn’t uh…-”
But then he looked in Cass’ eyes. Those eyes that he’d seen kill, and had confided in him after the fact…
”-Uh… I don’t know, Cass… Do you want to go to an underground magical death-match? The Keenee is a tournament, so it’s technically more than one death match. But, people like me are… Prizes? I go and do gladiator stuff, shows for the crowd. It’s dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous as that rescue mission…” he explained to Cass as simply as possible.

Cass’ eyes narrowed slightly as she stared back at him. How she felt about it wasn’t obvious as she processed all of that information. She’d accepted what had happened at the raid- namely the amount of people she’d killed without a second thought. It had been a necessity to rescue the Sycamites. But a death match? No, a tournament style one? Suggesting only one survivor?

It was very different to killing out of necessity. Sure it sounded hot as fuck, but she wasn’t one to put her horniness above her morality.

”That’s pretty fucked up.” There was no holding back by Cass, once she’d decided how she felt about something.
”I mean… Ain’t that just glorified murder? I get you all consent or some shit, but the whole thing! Being some fucking prize that kills or is killed… That doesn’t sound super insane to you? Even if it ain’t dangerous for you… I ain’t sure that’s something I can get behind.”

Maybe there wasn’t really a moral high ground when it came to killing. Maybe it wasn’t worse than what she had done. It wasn’t like she was delivering some stuffy speech as if she was better. If anything, she was more put off by how it was being glorified.

”I ain’t tryna be a moral grandstander or anything… I can’t lie, Leon all bloody and murderous would be hot as hell! But I ain’t gonna get past the whole fucked up part of it just cause I’m horny!”

Katya’s eyes were wide, lips pursed before she smiled widely.
”This is so British of you, to have these opinion types. That is no less appealing… Then we’re back to square one: A weekend stuck between a Rock and a Hard Place, da? You need no occasion to come to my city: Only your family’s good wine, Lesnoy Volka…”

Katya blew a kiss at Cass through the phone.

”We expect you soon. Who you want, more? You like like him, too many bodies? I know many beautiful men and women, we will spend all weekend like the Tsar’s court Warlock. Padded in flesh.”

Leon could only tilt his head back and laugh hysterically.
”God, we need to get you an English tutor for your pillow talk Kat.” Leon beamed, looking back down at Cass.
”What do you think, you satisfied with that arrangement? Seem like what we want?” he asked her sweetly.

”Fuck yeah it does.” Cass grinned- even though it took her a moment to parse out exactly what Katya meant with some of it… But padded in flesh, many bodies? Sounded great!
”Well, maybe we can find some time for sightseeing in between- I ain’t been before! Gotta enjoy the daylife and the nightlife, eh?”

It’d be possible without much sleep… Which was something Cass was more than accustomed to when there was loads to do. Conditions she thrived under, really. Having the Green Lux now helped.

”But I gotta ask…” Cass pulled herself further up Leon’s torso so she could get her face right next to his, while pulling the phone in closer. Like she was about to ask something super secret and intimate, and they weren’t in a private room…
”Is it, like, mandatory for boxers to have such a fucking insane libido? Or that just you two?”

”It is our degenerate European upbringings… Leoni and I come from decadent families. Surely you’ve noticed, these things are simply part of who you are.” she laughed at the whole idea of it.

Surely, it had to be that after all; that they were simply the children of rich folk, with far too much time and money to spare… That all that was left was a life spent chasing pleasure after pleasure.

”These muscles are not built overnight, after all. We are temples: our genetics are the foundations.”

Leon cleared his throat.
”Hey, listen! Could be anyone, honestly Babe. I don’t think there’s much of a correlation is all she means.”

Damn this woman, her big mouth…

”Oh, this big sensitive topic. This is fine, Leoni! Fine! You go, go, until I see you in my city of Rubble… Cassi…”
Katya gave another kiss at the camera, then Leon promptly hung up.

”God, things are fucked up over there. Christ almighty… Anyway...” Leon shook his head and hugged around Cass.
”I guess that’s all set then. Objective complete?” he asked her with a playful but knowing smirk.

Cass grinned back, twisting herself around so she was properly facing him front on.
”Ohhhh... More than I could’ve dreamed of! Keep this up and I really will end up spoilt- and I didn’t think that was possible! I’m pretty fucking down to earth!”

She didn’t say anything about the ‘big sensitive topic’, even if she was curious. If he didn’t want to talk about it she wasn’t going to press. If it was important, he would eventually. And if he didn’t feel it was necessary at any point in the future? That was fine. Sure, she could guess… But there was no point sitting around thinking about possibilities.

Smile turning even more teasing, she arched her back slightly to pull her head back enough to stare at him without sacrificing any closeness.
”Also how long’ve you been waiting to say something like that?” She cleared her throat, pitching her voice down a couple of octaves comedically.
”My girlfriend wants you. Won’t you make her dream come true? It was like something straight outta novel, dude!”

Leon couldn’t hide a blush, but he did catch her topic with rapidity.
”Oh, Babe… I don’t wait to throw lines like that out… I just throw em.” he blew a kiss at her.

”Now, come on… Let’s get this all taken care of so we can keep having fun.”

---

It took less time than Cass expected to get most of her shit packed up between the two of them. It helped that she was a pretty efficient packer- not particularly caring for how shit went into boxes unless it was breakable (or valuable posters). It was also way faster to carry shit out when there was someone like Leon, who could carry a ton of boxes like they were nothing.

Cass could too with the Green Lux… there was just the problem of blocking her vision after a couple of them.

In the end, by the time evening properly rolled around she was left with a pretty bare room. There were a few things left- bedding, since they needed it for tonight, then any valuables she didn’t want to risk putting in the truck overnight. So that meant computers and screens… They could carry them and the desk they were on down in the morning.

She’d just finished ordering them a massive dinner, which meant some time waiting around before they could go out for certain magical and fun activities. Now that she was on her computer, Cass couldn’t resist taking a look at some of her frequent haunts… Just a little look while they were sitting around and chilling…

”Holy fuck!” Out of nowhere, Cass started laughing like a mad woman. She slapped her desk, leaning her chair back far enough it looked like she might fall.

”Dude! Fuck, Dude- Listen to this. ’Who’s the woman in Timberwolf’s latest Instapeg post? Girlfriend or just a crazy stalker?’ Babe they’re going fucking crazy!”

The site Cass was on was a private forum, not any of the public ones where people talked about PBL and the like. It had stricter joining requirements- to try and keep the stuff they talked about away from the people themselves. This one was specifically a forum for the more intense fans of Timberwolf… People like Cass.

She’d actually been one of the people that helped set it up… But that was neither here nor there.

”A couple of people are convinced we’re related… Oh man, this is crazy- fuck, someone tagged me!” Her finger shot out to point at a post in the thread.

TimberWolfsWife69: @MidnightWolf What do you think? You must have some insight, you’re always right about this kind of stuff! Surely she’s neither? Just a friend? You always seem to know! Nobody's theories are as accurate as yours!

Please save this fellow fan and her fantasies!

”I can’t believe I’m being asked about myself… It ain’t like I can even say the truth! Not cause I’d be crucified or shit- they just straight up wouldn’t believe me!” Cass didn’t seem at all upset by all this. In fact, she was still absolutely cackling over it.

”I can’t even console TimberWolfsWife69 and say that you’d still fuck her if she was lucky!”

Leon had been doing a bit of work himself, having spent a short period of time on the phone with a manager before settling in to do some correspondence through his phone. Checking in on St. Portwell, mostly. The Sycamites who had disappeared the other day were mostly back, with Drake resurfacing a few hours ago.

Kenshiro was the only one still missing… Maybe it was fitting. Leon liked the guy, but he had come from a very different world. Hopefully it was one he made it back to in one piece.

But Cass’ grand enthusiasm brought him back into reality with a smile. Her enthusiasm was a prize in and of itself. Listening to her talk about her forum posting brought a shallow memory back to the surface.

”Well duh, I'll send you a list of them when it's done. Any you don't have access to right away, I'll mark. Check ‘em on your free time or whatever.”

Ginara's voice echoed in his mind as he observed Cass' computer screen. The similar blue and grey background that perfectly matched his ring shorts to the hexadecimal. The little banner at the top of some of his headshots.
Still holding his phone as he looked, he grinned.

”Damn, I mean… Someone's gotta say something, right?”

Cass was locked in tight enough to the screen that Leon could freely pull his phone up to begin logging into this forum. The request to Gin had been every fansite. Every. Single. One. Of course, it's not like he remembered all the details of what he saw… Nor could he be sure that Cass had a shared username across all these boards.

Intelligence told him she probably fluctuated…

But the user Wolfinwolfsclothing didn't change between any of them… It was the same username, the same password, the same link email, the same profile every single time… Because Gin cared about efficiency, not security. It was easiest to hand a long list off knowing they all opened the exact same way.

"I mean it ain't really a problem? It ain't like they're gonna find me and y'know we gotta buncha rules about not interfering in your actual life. I mean there's worse forums out there that are probably calling me all sortsa shit but like… I don't really care! I just find it pretty fucking hilarious how they're twisting themselves around tryna figure it out."

As Cass spoke, Leon was typing furiously at his phone to push a reply out. He'd found the thread, matching the image of the URL in his head to find it before getting down to business.

When the notification that someone had replied to the thread popped up for Cass, clicking on it would find a post by that sometimes-poster, always lurker. This Wolfinwolfsclothing person almost never participated, but had a track record of esoteric Timberwolf predictions coming true.

Wolfinwolfsclothing: [@TimberWolfsWife69] @MidnightWolf Mark your calenders, set a timer. EBLN clocked Timberwolf somewhere in Norcal like four hours ago. SHE IS CUTE.

Leon grinned to himself, clearing his throat.
”Oop, what’s that saying? EBLN? That's that boxing tuber, right? Eternal Boxing Life Network? That guy's a fucking hack, probably has as many spies as Lynette…” he chided, drawing attention away from himself hopefully.

Cass leaned in closer to her screen as if she didn't have magically enhanced vision, narrowing her eyes at the new message that had popped up. Of course she knew EBLN… she wasn't too fond of the guy for the reasons Leon said. Sure, it was cool knowing what boxers did but basically stalking them? Intruding on their personal life? That shit pissed her off.

And she recognised the username. They'd interacted a couple of times in various forums… assuming this person was someone who used the same username everywhere. Which was likely, cause it wasn't exactly a short, snappy, easily stealable username. From memory they'd said shit before they had turned out to be true… suspiciously so. To the point that Cass had become a bit suspicious that they might be some full on stalker of Leon- or the hack tuber himself.

"Dudddeeeee, that guy fucking sucks!" Cass opened a new tab on her second screen, rapidly finding the EBLN channel. There was nothing there for today so… she quickly went through his other social media. Nothing.

"I fucking knew it!" She jabbed at her screen after that very cryptic exclamation, beginning to rapidly type.
"Ohhh don't think you're gonna get away with this just cause you called me cute…"

MidnightWolf: [@Wolfinwolfsclothing] Do you know something we don't? Wdym mark your calendars… How would you know if something's gonna be announced? EBLN hasn't posted anything today…

So either you're a stalker, or EBLN himself. Remember the rules. I can and will ban you.

[@TimberWolfsWife69] I'm not sure! They seem close but… it doesn't change our fan life, does it?!

After posting, Cass leaned back in her chair with her arms folded over her chest as she puffed it up as if she was enacting justice. She looked up at Leon.
"I've been suspicious of this person for ages… but I ain't been able to get to the bottom of it! They say shit that then happens like they're creeping around you, but it's never so private y'know. And even worse, whenever we've talked they've actually been super cool! But they just know shit they shouldn't… or are so fucking good at talking outta their ass that it looks like it!"

”It’s not unlikely that there’s just a mole in my operation. If you can imagine, it happens all the time! Usually the lawyer thing cuts it off, but there’s no way we could ever prevent it completely.”

Not to say that Brian Colder wasn’t a mole… There was only one way a guy like that could possibly keep track of a magical boxer and his equally magical entourage…

”Though, have you ever…-”

Did he take her joy? The wonderment? This was truly a problem that he’d faced more than once now… Demystify the entire hobby she’d had her whole life? The PBL wasn’t far off of wrestling, after all; they just didn’t bother scripting the fights. All the pageantry, all the buildup… Of course, the average person could parse that fact out easily. It only took a cursory internet search to find things like pictures of Leon and Vlad hanging around at the same dinner and laughing at one another’s jokes.

But knowing that Brian Colder, the host and prime “journalist” behind EBLN, one of the community's biggest bad guy hacks, was just another link in the mass media chain that was Versacom… That took a bit of digging that most people probably wouldn’t bother with. No… He was good at maintaining the narrative. It was necessary for the magic within the soul.

”-thought about how hard it must be to track me though? Like, I don’t always travel like a normal guy, right? Step into a building, end up across town thanks to a handy portal booth? Sometimes I don’t fly to other countries I go to. I show up, box, and leave before whatever federal authorities realize I never checked into customs but showed up anyway…” he giggled, trying to distract her with a question so he could post a sly response.

Wolfinwolfsclothing: [@TimberWolfsWife69] Timberwolf would never leave us over this. I just have a feeling they look good together. @MidnightWolf Don’t accuse without definitive proof. Besides, doesn’t take much to read yourself. Peep the sign, only a few “Weed” townships in USA.

He was talking out of his ass, as he usually did about most things. But he was excited to see whether or not Cass would pull up Google to actually check his work…

Luckily for Leon in regards to not getting caught, Cass was the kind of person that could be impressively perceptive when paying attention but so incredibly oblivious when that attention was diverted.

How did someone like that Tuber hack track him? Or anyone really, if they weren't a mole within the team… it had to be magic, didn't it? It wasn't really something Cass had thought about- mainly because she didn't realise Leon had magic until they met. If he wasn't flying and was going through portals sometimes… well he could only be tracked by magic.

"You're telling me that video making stalker's got magic? I shouldn't be surprised- that don't make it right, though! Like- If this wolfinwolf person ain't a mole, maybe they got spy magic… Fuck, I can't even make a rule about that!" Cass threw her hands up in frustration as she refreshed the page and noticed the response. There was one from TimberWolfsWife69 too, seeming to accept the situation and bow out with heart emoticons towards both Cass and Wolfinwolfsclothing.

Cass wasn't so easily appeased. It was a side of her that didn't come out so often… Intensely argumentative. She could be stubborn, fueled by high energy, but generally she was pretty reasonable unless someone really rubbed her the wrong way. But when it came to online shit? Where people were hiding behind screens? She just got more riled up. Maybe cause she couldn't punch them…

"Oh this guy is pissing me off." She muttered, pulling up a Google search to actually check how many Weeds existed in the States.
"’I have a feeling they look good together'- Oh really?! Of course we do- but it was just a picture! Is that really enough?!"

She was rapidly typing out a response again.

MidnightWolf: [@Wolfinwolfsclothing] There may only be a few, but that's more than one! How can you be sure it was NorCal?! Unless… You've been checking his location somehow?

Note I haven't banned you yet, when I easily could :) If you can't handle the ‘accusations’ maybe that's cause there's some truth?

You always seem to know things you shouldn't. This time, it's too suspicious. Do you think they look good together, or do you know something we don't because of the shit you're doing?

After hitting send Cass let out a huff of air, navigating to Wolfinwolfsclothing and just staring at the various admin options she had. Oh she so wanted to just ban them…

Leon’s face scrunched up, a smile crossing tightly before slimming out into a flat expression. If she had half a mind to do so, she’d be looking for someone magical to administrate the site… Having someone with the same kind of skills that his younger brother did would- No… It’d go against her fundamentals. He was already learning… So, maybe for the sake of her mood-

”What uh… You don’t think he’s a mole? But you’re getting pissed over what he’s saying? That really just validates it, doesn’t it Cass? Farbeit for me to tell you how to think; I’m just wondering if you made that connection.” he asked very simply, sliding over to the screen and leaning down.

Purposefully, he let his phone hang forward slightly, open to the forum’s mobile site so she could see it. Theoretically… If she wasn’t locked in, that is. He was trying to be subtle, but he knew that it wouldn’t necessarily be what told her in the end. He’d end up spilling the beans, probably…
Maybe.

"I ain't sure if he's a mole, he might be a magical stalker- he could be watching us right now!" Cass frowned, not aware of how sort of close to the mark she was.

Was getting pissed off at what he was saying validating it? That suggested there was anything to validate in the first place! After all, she knew they had been in Weed, North California… not any of the other Weeds (of which there were a couple). Even if this wolfinwolf person had just made a random guess… that didn't make it right!

More than anything, the way they talked was rubbing them the wrong way. Not that they'd said much but it was enough for Cass to feel like they were acting like they knew.

"I've been perfectly reasonable in my response too! What, d'you think it reads like I'm angry? Cause they ain't hearing me get annoyed too." She'd navigated back to the thread, a bit frustrated that there was no response outside of a few other forum goers pretending to watch and eat popcorn. Her attention shifted slightly more towards Leon, enough that she glanced back at him while completely ignoring his phone. She had complete tunnel vision on this issue.

"I know it's probably normal for you to get followed or whatever, but it ain't right! And it ain't something I wanna encourage… Making guesses about random shit, like them wondering who I am? Fine. But soon as they start throwing out locations, or like… Well, if they were tryna actually find out who I was! That kinda shit! Crosses the fucking line… and me pointing that out ain't validating it. That'd just be… ignoring bad shit! I ain't gonna do that." She pursed her lips together, eyes narrowing a bit as she spun back round towards her screen, pointing to the last message.

"Maybe I seem like I'm overreacting but I swear… They know shit they just shouldn't!"

Leon continued to hover his phone over the arm of the chair, now resting it half in her field of view. The screen was open and right there for her…

”Well, no, there’s nothing in your response besides… Lauding the ban button over his head.” he shrugged.
While he didn’t intend on identifying any part of his identity verbally, the presumptive “his” was always something Cass could pick up on. Just little parts of Leon not quite paying attention.

”Y’know, here… Let me write a response.”

And then, he blatantly began to type away on his phone.

"Oh, sure, you go ahead and wri- Huh?" Cass automatically went with it, too locked into directing her frustration towards her screen… But her brain caught up as she talked.

Write a response… a response…

"Huh?!" She shot up from her chair just to bend over and grab Leon's hands, practically shoving her face into his phone. She stared at it in silence. Those were the right colours. That was the right URL. That was the exact thread. That was a work in progress response tagging her. The login was Wolfinwolfsclothing…

"What the fuck?!" Cass' body straightened up to stare at Leon. That argumentative anger wasn't there anymore, replaced by a myriad of emotions. Confusion, denial, maybe just a lil bit of anger… Panic. Fuck, that meant he could see everything! Literally everything she ever posted here! And if he was here… well, it must be him on all the other sites too?! Sure, this one was her baby and where she really posted shit but… Fuck!

She wasn't exactly a private person, but there certainly were some things she just didn't feel comfortable with telling him with respect to her fan life. And… she liked to keep it mentally separate, beyond all those insane sexual fantasies she'd written and then gladly had happen.

"Le-on." She enunciated, hands moving to her hips as she continued to stare at him.
"You're wolfinwolfsclothing? You're on the fucking forum?! All of them?! You- you- I've been arguing with you this whole time?! And that other time on the TPD, when you were adamant that Timberwolf’s- eh, well, your- next match was gonna get cancelled cause Striking Cobra looked like he had the flu. And I was all like ‘no way it's an important match' and was saying how shitty it'd be for him to cancel cause've how that'd fuck Timberwolf over, and you kept saying it'd happen and Timberwolf wasn't the kinda guy to get affected by shit like that but I was like it doesn't matter cause it still fucking sucks! Then I told you to fuck off to the Cobra Desert cause you were clearly a bigger fan of his and then I got banned for a couple of days?!"

Oh wait, shit! She had a different username on that forum- the Timberwolf Pack Den, the largest fan forum. It was kept more… clean. The kind of thing that wouldn't reflect badly on Leon if it was dug up, not so private. Cass had gotten pretty pissed off then and said some shit she really shouldn't have… She'd properly cussed him out before getting hit with a temp ban. Oops.

She covered her face with one hand, pointing a finger at Leon with the other.
"I should still ban you… you're violating rule number one!"

”Well, you don’t wanna look weak, do you?” he winked down at her, letting his head tilt.

His lips came to rest on her neck, kissing her gently and rubbing her shoulder.

”Are you mad? I… To be fair, I didn’t know it was you either. I… Well, I like to participate. It’s fun for me, not like a fetish. Like, genuinely. Being wrapped up in it, giving hints, letting people uh… Get mad?” he whispered gently, holding onto her with one arm and kissing her playfully.

”Oh I am sooo mad I’m this close to beating your ass outta here.” She giggled, very clearly not mad. The hand that had been covering her face tangled in his long hair while she automatically tilted her head to the side to give him easier access to her neck.

”I mean… you’re pretty fucking good at it! I was sooo mad that time, y’know it was the first time I got pissed enough that I ended up banned! ‘Course it was only cause they’re a bit more anal on there…” Her fingers tightened in his hair, trying to pull his face back slightly as she stared at him again.

”How long you been on all the sites? I mean I could check but then I’d have to go back to my computer…” Which obviously wasn’t an option with him holding onto her.

It wasn’t that she was particularly ashamed or anything… She got over shit quickly. It was just, this specific forum? Her adventure into being a fan? It started when she was sixteen! There was absolutely shit she’d said as a teen that was fucking embarassing.

Leon blushed, giggling. His hands tucked into her hair and the other dropped his phone on her desk to grab around her stomach. Another few kisses, and he finally spoke.

”Mom suggested I get on the main ones when I was making the run for my first title. But I got into it, so eventually I had someone else set me up on basically any other one they could find. Signed me up for everything, had me answer any interview questions that came through… You’ll forgive me, so many of these interactions just kind of blow by me…” he explained, hands moving to begin massaging her gently.

”I uh… Feel like I don’t fit in as much in the smaller ones. It’s harder to blend into the crowd when there’s only a few thousand registered accounts on the site.” he admitted.

”Well that’s kinda the point, ain’t it?” Blunt as always, Cass the word with a laugh. Her hands moved to his shoulders to give her enough leverage to lift her legs up and around him as she liked to do. From her new vantage point she grinned at him.

”I don’t mean the point is to specifically keep you out. Just the whole point of the smaller ones are they ain’t for everyone! There’s a bunch even I ain’t in… I know, surprising considering I’m, like, your biggest fan. One is run by my fandom nemesis…” A hand came up to wave that away. Not important shit.
”I’m actually pretty glad if a lotta the shit blows by you cause… Well, I wasn’t exactly on there thinking ‘oh maybe Timberwolf will read this.’ Kinda the fucking opposite! Thank fuck it’d take you hours to get back to the shit I said when I was a teen…”

”Well, frankly? I did think they would all be for me… I don’t even mind the wild shit that gets written. Some people are mean, defamatory even, but honestly? I kind of realize that I’m actually a pretty casual Timberwolf fan. I never fell in love with the persona to begin with, but moreso like… I’m just not much of a fanatic. Never have been, about shit like sports. What I do personally though, like… The lifestyle. That’s what I enjoy. But, boxing itself? I guess I lost it after Dad was gone.” Leon admitted to her.

It was really a case of stolen joy. Max had always been such a passionate figure. He was a warrior scholar, whose knowledge of pugilism as a whole was more than impressive. Passed down knowledge, second hand stories of second hand stories, different techniques and anecdotes about every single thing that came up; every bit of lore came from Max. Dear old Dad…

”Sometimes I wonder if it was me who should’a taken the reins to begin with, y’know? Like, Casey’s the better fighter. I’ll just give it to him, honestly, I can’t imagine a world where I’m actually… Better... But, he doesn’t love boxing either. I think we’re both kind of just… I don’t know.”

Tilting his head backward, Leon took a deep breath.

”I don’t even know what the Hell I’m saying to you now. Just babbling, I guess…”

Cass understood losing the passion for something after losing a person connected to it. She’d gone through it herself… While for some things, like boxing, she’d actually grown more passionate. Though boxing had been something she watched with both older brothers, not just Rowan…

”Do either of you need to take the reins?” The question was probably surprising coming from Cass- because the implication was that Leon should stop boxing if he didn’t want to. And she was a fan…
”I know it’s the legacy. Cause he’s gone and you gotta keep that up, right? But… you ain’t supposed to live for someone else, around or not. If it ain’t something you enjoy… If you don’t actually want to? You shouldn’t. Legacy ain’t something that should trap you.”

Of course it wasn’t that simple, and she knew that. There wasn’t some legacy or famous figure she had to follow or live up to… Just parents with sexist expectations. In the end, she’d moved to a whole other country to escape it. Not that she had entirely… Not when she was still in touch with her brothers. That meant tolerating her parents too.

”If you love it, it doesn’t matter if Casey’s better. But if you don’t? Well… maybe you gotta find something you do.”

Leon sighed aloud, trying to find the words for the moment. It was hard, mostly because these sorts of introspections weren’t front and center in his life. Sure, he could consider why things were how they were, but did it change them? Rarely did his actions actually have meaningful consequences… He’d been more in charge of himself ten years ago than now.

”I like to think it’ll be better when things are really mine. My M-... Manager. At the time, y’know, I just followed. ‘Cuz they did everything for my Dad, I figured it’d be fine. Now, pretty often, I imagine he didn’t “disappear”. That he just left somewhere else to get away from it all.”

He hung his head slightly, shaking the pain out and looking up into Cass’ eyes.

”Hey… Never mind this. Definitely not where I was planning on going with this talk, honestly… I’m happy doing what I do. I love it. Sometimes, it’s just hard to escape that it’s my job. That’s all.” he finished, trying his best to dodge the topic for now.

Cass wasn’t stupid. She could tell that he was trying to change the topic. But she also knew when to actually push… Which wasn’t right now. If they stayed together for long enough they’d slowly work through it. It wasn’t like it was something that could be fixed overnight, or after talking about it once.

What leg did she have to stand on anyway? She didn’t know what the fuck she wanted to do with her own life…

”Suuureeee... I’ll make sure not to try boxing you outside of work hours, then!” She shoved her hands into his hair, vigorously rubbing to fully pull them out of the moment. Then she leaned forward to kiss him- making sure to not get too into it, since they did have food on the way and a magical orgy to get to!

”But… You’re gonna have to learn to pretend to like sports if you ever meet my brothers. It’s like half the shit they talk about. Football, rugby, whatever shit’s on the telly and interesting… They’re crazy about that shit!” She was talking as if she wasn’t… though it was only boxing she was a true fanatic for, she just enjoyed the others.

”Thankfully they ain’t gonna have much of a chance cause, like… distance and shit. Thank fuck, honestly! They’re all absolute fucking loud assholes.” Maybe it felt like a bit of a random conversation change- and it often could be with her. But family was on the mind, and it was best to completely dodge the previous topic along with him and jump right into another. Of course, she wasn’t going to respond to heavy shit with heavy shit…

So complaining about her brothers was what came out.
”You’ll probably meet ‘em if we call at all over Christmas, but at least then I can kick ‘em away or mute the fucking mic!”

”Oh, Babe… You underestimate my love of fun! If someone is that passionate around me, well, Lelou and I can’t help but stick around for it. Y’know? That’s what I love about you most.”

She was so small in his arms, but she managed to take up so much space. The women in his life were typically all the same. Matriarchal, almost primal in their ability to guide events to their desires through cunning and guile. Power was an archetype that was channeled throughout his life from all angles. But, usually that meant big, imposing people.

Not his type.

Katya was great. But, he knew in his heart that he fell in love with the twenty year old Katya. The beanstalk woman, Hardly a hundred eighty pounds. And Cass wasn’t the shortest girl on the planet either, but… His entire worldview was skewed one way. One heavily influenced by the day-by-day unchecked leakage of a primal wolf deity into his very existence. It looked for power, and strength, and it looked to gain jewels in its crown for safe keeping. How strange then, that she too had such a primal attraction to this otherwise diminutive woman with fledgling Lux…

But all he could think about in that moment was her. Kissing her, fingers rushed to spots he knew to press for giggles.

”I played American Football… Learned Rugby overseas. Not a big soccer guy, I’m built like an upside down pyramid, I don’t go down well… Well, not sliding on one leg.” he grinned with a wolfish smile.

”Oh dude, you go down well in the best way.” Cass giggled, reactively wriggling as he hit all her ticklish spots. It was beyond just laughing for her… It was a full body reaction, with her legs reactively kicking out. One hand even moved out to smack him right in the face.

She wasn’t too worried, though, since it was Leon. She’d need a lot more magical power to even do damage!

”Baaaabbbbe, stttopppp.” She turned into a laughing noodle in his arms, completely flopping her upper body completely to the right.

”Oh, but! If you love fun like that you’d honestly love playing football- soccer, ugh- with me ‘n my brothers if you ever came over with me. We don’t play by those stupid no contact rules… So you’d be great! Just grab em and lift em away from the ball.” Cass grinned.
”Like, we used to play the older two against me and my younger brothers… But those lil assholes complained that it wasn’t fair cause I was a girl and smaller. So me and Rowan played against the other three… And won, cause I just hit em in a weakspot they all got that I don’t!”

”Ah, yeah… I broke that misconception to Elise once. You’ve absolutely got it, just higher and a fuck of a lot harder.” he said, his hand moving to press into her pelvis.
”I only found out later that it’s dangerous. Super fucking dangerous, because she had to go to our doctor to have the whole setup fixed.” he said shamefully.

That was an awful summer for more than one reason. Not Stygian Snake awful, but crappy in his mind. Lots of bad behavior as that first year of Lux came to a head. Seeing the way her face twisted only made him feel a little more ashamed, and frankly thankful that magic existed in their lives at all.

”I… The year before, I’d kindled. So, the whole leadup to that summer, I’d been an asshole. Rubbed it in her face that I had magic and she didn’t. So, one argument I… Well, she tried to kick me in the balls. Tried. So, I succeeded in sparta-kicking her right in the crotch. But, I… I put some Lux in it. Too much help. Broke her hip a little, uh… Smashed her right ovary, basically burst it. Obviously, that was the last time I ever did something like that. Last time we ever fought, too. As far as I’m aware, there weren’t any issues replacing anything, but obviously that doesn’t mean it was okay.”

He was, if anything, honest. He knew he couldn’t afford to have secrets in an organization that was built and predicated upon them. He had to be the transparent one. And that meant these relationships too.

”We’ve obviously talked about it as adults too. Because, uh… Well, I don’t blame her; she was scared of me. For years after. And, I did that to her, and I knew it. And we lived with it until she didn’t have to. It wasn’t until we came back together that I could talk about it to her.”

For once, Cass wasn’t entirely sure what to say. Thank fuck magic existed to fix what would’ve been unfixable without it… But it wouldn’t have been as bad if Leon hadn’t been a hotheaded kid with magic. Not that shit like that without magic would be much better…

”That’s… Yeah, well, you seem pretty aware of how fucked up that was.” She scratched the back of her neck, clamping down on an uncomfortable urge to make a joke about protecting her own ovaries around him. Kinda fucked up thing to think, nevermind say! Sometimes the reactive thoughts weren’t the right ones…

”I mean, fuck, how hard did you need to- Eh, don’t tell me, that ain’t the point of it. At least you guys were able to work through it… And that she’s alright now. Cause yeah, that’s a lot.” She shook her head, looking pretty thoughtful.

”Makes me real glad my family’s obviously late kindlers, y’know. If we’d had magic as kids? Fuck, we would’ve done similar shit to each other. Like, I think all five of us would be all sortsa fucked up.” Though maybe if they’d fucked each other up that much, Rowan and Jack would’ve been exempt from the draft…
”Like we never quite did that, but we’ve all broken at least two limbs cause of some shit another sibling did. That was without magic! Thank fuck, honestly… Eh, not that it’d be ok without magic. Just it ain’t exactly a great addition to wild, arguing kids.”

Leon shrugged.
”I’ve got a big fucking mouth. Shit I think’s a funny comment, I don’t know… You’re always uh… Recontextualizing things for me. Making me think in a way I wasn’t before, y’know? Most of the time, I tell people I cuntpunt my sister, they just laugh and think we were being kids.”

He seemed a little more lost in thought now as he started to remember a bit more. Started to bother thinking about it more…
”I’m glad you’re here. With me. I’m lucky I’m famous, huh? I’d just be some evil freak if I wasn’t.”

”Dude…” Cass shook her head with a laugh.
”Even if you weren’t famous, I would’ve jumped you… Just less likely we would’ve met, I guess! But that’s just one lil bit of the equation.”

Grinning, she leaned her face in closer to his.
”But hey, I guess that just means I’m into ‘evil freaks’ or however you wanna describe yourself.”

Closing his eyes, Leon took a breath and shook his head before opening back up to look at her.
”Nah… Not now. I’m a guy who is trying at this point. Trying to do fucking anything besides be who I was. It’s been a long time coming. It’ll be a long time yet.” he nodded, letting his nose brush gently against hers.

”Thanks. For keeping an open mind no matter what.”

---

Caulier Estate, 21:00

[/hr]

There was a great deal of talking and loving on one another before social hour finally came. Leon seemed to make a point of dressing up, spending a bit of their time together tasking. Ironing, pressing, making sure his nice outfit he bothered to pack actually looked decent instead of being a creased mess. One could use regal, but others may associate a more sinister vibe. The vampiric combination of his pale, chiseled mass tucked just beneath a thin white linen shirt all tugged and drawn into shape by a set of tight trousers tucked into a pair of dark leather boots, gave him the appearance of a prowling nightstalker hungry for blood and flesh.

Carnality made manifest.

They’d been picked up, rather than having to drive themselves, and had ample time to enjoy the pleasures of Rusty’s rather plush limousine. When they wound up at their destination, getting out revealed a stunning hilltop abode fashioned in a Tudor styling. The gatehouse was big enough to be its own home, and the actual manor of the property took up so much space that it couldn’t help but look out over the neighbors in silent judgement.

And waiting among the pile of cars and people arriving, was a man in the funkiest kind of suit one could think of. He looked like a cake, all sorts of different colored sprinkles covering his jacket and pants. Even the shoes. And, yes… He looked very much like a taller, very fit young Willem Defoe.

Russel Caulier himself, who saw Leon and immediately raised both arms before starting to jump up and down.
”There he is! There they are! That’s my mo’fuckin’ boy!”
He had been talking to some others gathered around, but seeing Leon immediately brought them all to attention. Leon waved, and Cass would be able to feel him bolstering to speak. But Rusty quickly waved the others into the house before sprinting off to meet up with the duo.

”Leon, buddy! My boy, my boy…-” he panted slightly, arms wrapping around Leon’s frame. Then he hollered, hopping around for a moment as his hands slipped back to grab his ass. Leon laughed wildly.

”Fucker! Save that shit! God damn, let me at least- Cass! Hi! It’s Cass, right, I’ve got nine thousand names in my head so forgive me.” he stuck his hand out to shake with intentions of snagging her in for a big hug.

Cass was already blown away by the sheer grandeur of everything. The limousine was already a bit insane… but the manor. It was an actual fucking manor. What the fuck. Sure, she knew Leon was pretty well off. Made sense that this friend would be too. It was a lucrative career, fake Willem Defoe porn… But, seriously?! Really wasn’t shit she’d get used to easily.

She’d put some time into getting ready too, of course. But where Leon was like a ravishing vampire, Cass had ended up dressed more like the sexy vampire hunter out to stake his heart. A lower cut, black corset top did wonders for making her chest look a little more existent, with the lacing up the front giving hints of her snake tattoo with its tail curling out underneath it. Her exposed midriff revealed subtle abdominal muscles down warm brown skin. Tight black shorts highlighted what was, in her opinion, one of her best parts- then, toned thigh muscles and lace up boots to her knees finished off the outfit.

There’d even been extra effort put into her makeup- not that she was sure it’d last long. Smokey reds and blacks on her eyelids, with eyeliner that flicked out of the corners in multiple lines tangling together like smoke. Dark red lips added to the sultry look. She’d made sure to smack a kiss on Leon’s neck right before the lipstick had dried, leaving an obvious lipstick mark. Not that she was possessive or anything… It was just pretty hot.

”Heeeyyyy! Cass is right- You ain’t fucking up the first impression! Not that I’d be upset- I’m really fucking chill. Like, the chillest, ain’t gonna upset me.” Cass grinned, canine teeth sharpened as lux flowed through her body. Randy’s tug as their hands clasped was met by an equal tug in the opposite direction as Cass did her best to pull him into a hug instead.

He’d been through every ringer and trick inside and outside of show business. Rusty had zero compunctions with meeting people, dealing with fun, and even magical friends. So many magical friends. He knew super strength, knew any number of metamorphosis tricks, and far worse things deep in the pit of the underworld of Supernatural Sex. So, when Cass’ hand gripped up and tugged, Rusty had only one response.

Become moist, and slide out of his problems. All at once, it was like she was squeezing some kind of gelatin. All it took was that tug to reduce the surface friction down to zero, letting his hand simply pop out of her grip. Both arms came up then, and his mouth opened to playfully groan at him in the oldest “I got you good” ritual known to mankind. Then he was squeezing around her tightly like an old friend.

”So good to meet you, Babe! So good to meet anyone our boy’s keen on. Usually stays away from Supernaturals, though!”

Rusty tucked his head into her ear. His voice was low, sultry, rumbling.

”That’s a special thing. Been sore on it since he gave his magic up for the Dog. You’re a welcome arrival.”

Not like Leon couldn’t hear. Not even the slightest whisper got past him if he had half his attention on it.

”Geeze, tell her about that time in the pool in Florence then, why don’t you?” Leon laughed aloud, open chest pressing up against Cass’ back as he hugged her from behind to complete the sandwich.

Cass bit down on her lip to suppress a groan. Fuck, maybe she was rapidly developing a thing for the Willem Dafoe type?! After she’d been so adamant that she wasn’t into that… Oooh, just on principle of sticking to her guns she tried to keep it on the down low. Stay as cool as a cucumber.

A cucumber trapped between two very fit bodies…

”What happened in the pool in Florence?!” Of course, Cass was Cass- cool and calm weren’t really in her nature. The body sandwich and double hug restricted her normally energetic movements, but she reached behind her to tangle one hand in Leon’s hair as best she could. The other flailed about, threatening to hit either or both men in the face (or chest…) as she talked.

Because of course, how could she stop her mind from going wild with the possibilities?
”Did some Supernatural do something you really weren’t into in the pool?! Or where you actually so into it you got embarrassed- eh, nah, that don’t seem like you. Or is it entirely unrelated?!”

She was entirely caught up in what Leon had said for a moment, before mentally backtracking. It was a bit hard to tell if the topic was a prickly one or not…
”And of course it’s a special thing- I’m pretty fucking awesome! Ain’t many like me around.”

”Well, Cass does rhyme with Ass. That’s how I remembered!”
Still locked in a hug by Leon’s massive wingspan, Rusty’s hands were trapped somewhere just above the best spot, and wriggled between her ass and Leon’s thighs to give her a solid goosing.

”And there it is! Now, Leon my Boy? Release!”

In spite of Rusty’s joking tone, Leon actually clenched up and sucked his entire torso in tighter. Cass would be able to feel him padding against that pressure so as not to totally squash Cass, but she wasn’t exactly escaping this sandwich without pure finesse.

”Y-ou-re… C-rush-ing me-e…!”

Cass was dying. Dying of pleasure… Crushed between two chests that were only getting closer. Wolf ears reactively popped out of the top of her head along with a groan she didn’t bother biting down this time.

But she couldn’t stay in here. Not when their clothes were still on and further stimulation wasn’t going to come… She’d literally explode!

With a restricted wiggle, Cass managed to get her arms up above her. They pushed to the side, hands managing to wriggle out of the suffocating sandwich of sheer sexiness. With her hands out, she was able to twist her arms in ways they shouldn’t go to get an actual grip. Shoulder or arm she couldn’t be sure… But it didn’t really matter. With the strength and unnatural flexibility of her Green Lux- and unintentional, subconsciously cast body flattening- Cass managed to pull herself directly up. The magic adjusted her body so naturally that she didn't even realise that she basically made herself more malleable to slide out.

Just like Rusty had slipped out of her grip earlier, but without the moistness.

Leon only momentarily got her ass fully in his face before she plopped herself down on his shoulder. She grinned down at Rusty, teeth receding back to normal as the lux settled back down.
”Can’t you just moisten up and slide your way out?!”

There was a grunt, then a choking noise. Leon stepped back with force, turning his entire body away from both of them. What came next was the most god awful choking and wretching before Leon managed to cough up a hairball. Not a hairball specifically, however… A fourteen inch silicone shaft, incredibly detailed and colored to look like a real hunk of flesh, shot itself from Leon’s throat and onto the driveway pavement.

Sitting there now, it looked like a fish, dead from self beaching. Rusty, meanwhile, was laughing hysterically.

”I can’t moisturize clothing. There has to be natural moisture and silicone compounds for me to work with. Technically, I can slip out of my clothes, but that’d be just as uncomfortable. It’s more fun when I can make him choke on something before we even start.”

Still coughing, buckled over, Leon turned his head with a sick smile.
”Now it’s just like Florence.”

"Holy fuck, are you okay, Babe?!" Cass was, of course, just a little concerned. She hopped over to Leon, slapping his back a couple of times in case there was any more silicone left in his throat. It wasn't exactly the sexiest thing to happen ever… though it was pretty impressive he hadn't died with something that big in his throat even for a moment…

"Damn, you can just clog people's throats up with silicone?! How's that work with the emotional field shit?" Her hard back slapping had turned to a more comforting rubbing, and she turned to look at Rusty with slightly wide eyes. Not exactly judgemental for what was presumably some magical ribbing between friends- not exactly much worse from all the times her and her brother's beat each other up.

But damn…
"And here I was thinking the pool in Florence was you turning all the water into lube or some shit!"

”Nah, he was just talking about choking on something long and hard, weren’t you Lee?” Rusty winked, smiling widely with that near-manic grin. His baby blue eyes pierced just like Leon’s did, except they seemed almost iridescent in the lowlights of the manor’s front.

Leon was laughing at that point, taking deep breaths as he could before standing up and grabbing ahold of Cass.

”I’m okay, Babe. Swallowed bigger things. Not even sexually, I’ve just… I’ve eaten certain things. Lelou helps, my body’s a bit like rubber.”

”Oh, save talk like that for inside, lest I spill upon the ground as a blaspheme to the Lord…” Rusty laughed aloud.
”Leon texted me saying you’re new to magic, huh? I’ll give you a tip, my beautiful slender mocha princess… Get creative, then get sneaky. Emotional Fields can’t stop what they don’t notice, right? Y’ever play with a tin of Flubber? How when you try and stuff your finger through it to make a hole, it pushes back real hard, but if you just let it form around your finger, it goes real easy? They act a lot like that. So the less you have to rub against it to get the desired effect, the better.”

Leon smiled and leaned in.
”That’s a real old school disciple of Gravity. Dad taught us all that same lesson. He’d sit you down and he’d dump cornstarch in water until it formed a… Non-newtonian fluid. And he’d tell you ’This is your Emotional Field. Punch yourself! Punch yourself until you can’t anymore!’”

Rusty started laughing aloud.
”Everything was a fucking metaphor with that guy, Man… God, I miss the dumb shit he used to say.” Rusty grinned.

Both men flanked Cass as they started to saunter vaguely toward the door of the manse.

”If tomorrow were to come today, would you be prepared for it the day before?” Leon put on his best French accent, jokingly mocking his Dad as they shared a memory. Clearly, it was something he’d heard over and over again in his life.

Cass laughed, looking up at both of them with a grin. Though she kept her pace slow like theirs, there was that ever present bounce in each step. But she was energetic within the constraints she had- between them, staying close to Leon. He would be pretty used to holding onto energy personified by now, anyway.
”That shit just goes over my head! I ain’t a metaphor gal… Like, what, that’d just mean always being prepared or some shit! I’m always ready for a fight, at least!”

She did a goofy punch forward, flexing her arms.
”But yeah, I ain’t got much experience with magic… Not till Leon’s started helping me, at least. It skipped a generation in my family! Then we’re all late kindlers… Hell, I found out I was the last after I did. None of us kindled before eighteen… But the rest kindled before twenty! Fucking unfair, ain’t it?”

Like often happened, Cass latched onto something she hadn’t meant to be the main point of what she was saying. It always happened… But she knew how to bring it back. Just about.
”So I didn’t get any lessons like that. Maybe a good thing, cause I would’ve actually punched myself till I couldn’t… Heh, I would’ve been a pretty crappy Gravity disciple there. Though I get the sneaky creativity thing. Ain’t sure how to apply it with my magic, but it makes way more sense than brute forcing through.”

”Listen, some things are tried and true. I hit you hard, you hit the ground: Basic principle, works wonders. And… If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So, if what you’re doing works for your typical use case, you should focus on fundamentally perfecting that rather than progressing to a new step that you’re unsure of.”

It was becoming more and more clear how Boxing as a combat sport was easily translated into a methodology from which to teach the basics of magic usage. Any sport could be applied, but combat sports had a consistent perfectionism about them. The simplicity, honing a few things down to the absolute razor’s edge.

”Rusty’s no slouch in Luxal Theory. Smart guy too.” Leon smiled, looking over at his old companion as they climbed the half-flight of stairs to the grand entry porch. It was pure stone, with sconces of fire and hedge rows tucked around the ring of it between the house.

”Hey, what can be said? I just decided to stop getting punched in the head.” he shrugged, coming to a stop in front of the open door.

”Leeeeeooooooonnnnnnn!”

A slender red-head bound out from inside, her dress dripping with something as she clamped onto Leon like a pole.

”Ohhhh, hello Tracey!”

Rusty cleared his throat loudly.

”Uh, My Love? New person to meet, maybe?”

”Oh, we will be getting to know one another very soon!” she replied to Rusty’s prodding with a grin. However, one of her hands released from around Leon and reached out to Cass.

”Darliiiiing… Tracey Coulier! You’re Leon’s girlfriend, I can only presume? Cc-cc-ccaaaaassss?” she asked, incredibly unsure.

”Yup and yup, Cass rhymes with ass! Nice to meetcha!” Cass wasn’t bothered at all. She took the other woman’s hand for a shake, before moving right in for a hug. There’d been just a moment of hesitation because what the fuck was that on her dress- but then she decided, fuck it! Who cared?

”You guys are married? That’s awesome! Good to know marriage doesn’t stop magical orgy participation!”

Tracey uncoiled from Leon, standing more in a circle as Rusty closed in to wrap an arm around his wife. Playfully, rather than possessively, his hand half wrapped around her head, finger prodding into her ear and causing her to shy away and slap at him playfully.

”Takes a special kind of love! It helps that we’re both utterly broken in a way that just so happens to make us compatible.”

”Two chunks of a broken mirror! Thank God we’re both far enough on the bell curve to know it!” Tracey added, laughing at her husband’s remark.

”You guys met in a mental ward, didn’t you?” Leon joked, causing the other two to both laugh.

”Yeah, like thirty years ago or something. We were both kids, rough situations. And now we’re here! When we were thirteen, I told her she’d have a ring and a house to call her own.”

”And three kids later, I still look good enough to be the sushi plate. We live in a magical world!”

They both seemed incredibly chipper and warm, honest, transparent, and welcoming to the new company before them.

”What part of Jolly Ol’ England are you from, Cass? You sound nice and proper, so I bet you’re from the big city!” Tracey questioned, head tilting forward in interest.

Cass grinned, getting easily comfortable- though it was pretty hard to be the kind of company she couldn’t feel at least a bit comfortable in. But with these two she didn’t even need to try.

”I’m from Manchester- but if you said I sounded proper in front’ve anyone from further South they’d laugh at you.” She laughed herself. Nice and proper wasn’t really something she’d been called before… Not that her accent was that extreme. Northern English, sure, poorer background… But understandable.

”Nice fucking place, honestly, even the shittier areas. Eh, well, maybe I’m biased, since I grew up in one of ‘em. I miss the place sometimes, but not enough to go back!” Though it was more how many people she had here, and how few she had back there. Just her brothers… And as much as she loved them, it wasn’t enough to go back to dealing with her parents regularly.

She loved her home country, but just going back was enough to have her withdrawing into herself a bit.

”Especially not when I’ve got this fine piece of ass over here.” Cass grinned, nudging Leon with an elbow. Then she winked at the other two.
”And all of his hot friends.”

”Anyone with the stamina, I say. There was a time where he was mostly human, but now? Forget it. First one in, last one out, and never takes off the mask.”

Tracey nodded and giggled.

[color=ddbaf7]”You’re more than welcome here. Just, y’know, don’t make too big a deal if you see someone from a movie you like. We keep it quiet around here; quiet and professional.”[color] she nodded in an approving fashion.

”Which reminds me! Leon, Cass, c’mon. You both brought your identification, right?”

Rusty rotated to the rack of books, grabbing a few sheets of paper tucked in between.
”This is the event NDA, and Cass, this is your membership. There’s a page for you accepting rules and conduct of the Lovington Court Union, a page detailing the overall public non-disclosure agreement, and then copies for your records when the terms are accepted. None of the paper’s magic, but the lawyers are. I promise. And they’re experts in taking other wizards to Blind court.” he giggled.

”I ain’t looking to be taken to court! No way!” Cass’ eyes widened as she took the papers. She hadn’t expected shit like this… Leon hadn’t exactly warned her. Not that she had a problem with it. It wasn’t exactly the kind of shit that she would go around telling everyone. Not that Cass was a secretive person, but she knew what to say or not.

The person most likely to hear every little thing on her mind was Leon, anyway, and she could talk to him about it.

”And don’t worry ‘bout me making a big deal of seeing some celeb! I’m already dating the one I’m most into anyway.” Cass grinned up at Leon, before going back to finishing reading. While she got through it quite fast, she didn’t just give it a cursory scan. She trusted anywhere Leon brought her, but she wanted to be sure.

She’d almost been caught out by a bad clause in a BDSM club agreement a couple of times, after all…

”I just gotta sign? All seems reasonable… I’ll need a pen- do not pull out a sharpie, Leon, I ain’t signing with that.” She teased, pulling the case off her phone to wriggle her driver’s licence out of it.
”There ain’t anything else? No insanely long consent checklist where I gotta tick every single thing to say I’m alright with almost every kink under the sun?”

”Just don’t go into any rooms with red lights on the door unless you’re ready for some kind of consequences. Anything worse; you won’t find without prompting. We do try and make things easy.” Tracey explained with a smile.

”That’s pretty cool too, I mean… This guy? Really? You’re, like, a boxing chick like that?. Just, y’know, stick with him then, or if you’re feeling adventurous, one of us can help you explore new things.” Rusty added, making sure that everything was signed properly before taking the papers and sliding them back where they started.

”You’re a real motherfucker, Rusty, you’re busting my balls left and right.” Leon joked, reaching a hand out and tugging at Rusty’s beard.

”Heyyy, it’s a question! Let her answer it!” Rusty chided back.

"Oh I'm always feeling adventurous… But what? Y'think being into boxing that much is weird or something? It ain't my fault it's an underappreciated sport! And Leon's cool, especially in the ring... Even if he can be a bit of an ass sometimes!" Cass grinned, slapping a hand on Leon's arm. She sort of understood, since it wasn't a popular sport… but Cass had never been into mainstream movies or the like. Even the movies she was into she tended to get more into the characters than the actors playing them. At least, she didn't idolise other celebrities in the same way.

Not that it was idolising with Leon anymore. Their relationship would be particularly healthy if that was the case.

"I first watched it when I was like… ten I think? It wasn't on the telly of course, but my oldest brother was all like ‘look at this cool shit I found on the internet!’ So us oldest three got real into it, and I got shit hooked up to the telly so we could watch it on the big screen. The quality was kinda shit… but y’know, it was so awesome to watch! Gravity was the first boxer I was a proper fan of back when I was a kid, especially since I went and watched older matches, but… well… Eh, it ain't that interesting actually. Probably not a topic for right before an orgy?" Cass stopped before she dumped information that they probably didn't want right now.

Not that she was someone who kept things close to her chest… And it wasn't even that deep. Probably shouldn't ruin the mood! But best to be safe.

”What?” Tracey’s words hung in the air a moment as she furrowed her brow and stared with a slightly blank face at Cass.

”Sweetheart! Please, before the orgy, after it, we love a good conversation around here Darling. This is therapy to some people, and if you’re not down for that it’s fine; but there’s always a separation. The Club is nothing if not professional, understand?” Rusty asked, smiling at Cass and extending a hand.

Leon didn’t say anything- His grin gave the feeling of oddness away to the sense of good nature he felt in Rusty’s presence. He’d never known him to be slimy; just a genuine guy who’d overcome his problems through hard work. This was exemplary of such behavior, just another reason he trusted him entirely.

”Oh, well, if that’s the case!” Cass smiled, reaching out to slap Rusty’s hand for shaking it.
”It ain’t cause I don’t wanna talk ‘bout that shit- not that I need this as therapy! I have actually been to a professional. It's just I gotta bad habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, so I try stop and check y’know?”

It did make it seem like she was beating around the bush about some issue, but it really wasn’t. It was just part of the explanation for why she was so into boxing. A lot of the actual issues were shit she’d already dealt with.

”I said I got into boxing with my big brothers, right? Well, when I was sixteen- just before technically, but whatever!- the War started, y’know? So they were both drafted. My lil brothers got evacuated too, so it was just me. I was pretty fucking lonely… But I managed to hook up a bunch’ve shit to get internet so I could still watch the matches. It was when shit was really ramping up for Leon, right? So… That was when I really became his fan. Cause watching him box- more than the other boxers- helped me feel connected to my brothers, and it was something to look forward to even when shit was real hard. It helped when one of my brothers came back too. And just y’know… Some’ve the shit he said about following Gravity’s legacy in interviews then? Resonated more at that point.”

It was pretty clear how easy it was for her to be open like this. There were certain things she struggled with from that period of her life- the pressures of her parents, all the things that pushed her to flee- but the lonely, hard times? She’d worked through that. It was just an extra, honestly unnecessary, explanation of her love of the sport and insane fan behaviour.

She held her hands up, grinning.
”Plus, he’s always been hot. I was a horny teen, can you blame me for getting that into it then?”

Leon could only be happy that someone found joy through the continued promotions during those dark days. It never even occurred to him until long after the war that people were even able to see what he was doing. The promotion he was attached to had made it a point to travel overseas a few times, flying well over the blockade and into Manchester rather than London. After the second trip, they had to fly even further up, forcing most of their events into the western coast of Scotland. But whether she’d made it or not, the answer was probably not.

As he recalled, traffic around the island was roughly prohibited for non-military personnel. They managed to get to where they needed to go, usually out in the sticks where most of the people had wound up migrating to, but never stuck around for long. Guerilla shows, really, for the benefit of the homefront morale. He’d later had the offer to join the USO once the war had ended, but turned it down since he was getting closer to a transitional period within the Temple…

Before Lelou.

”Well, I was pretty fine. Still, I’m honestly happy that you feel that way. I always felt a little guilty knowing I was having a great time with the war going on elsewhere. Knowing that at least when I was doing what I was supposed to, I was making people happy, makes things easier…”

”Oh dude, I mean, at least you were doing something? Plenty of Americans barely noticed it - not that I blame em. I mean, I managed to go over there for uni during it, so plenty back home wouldn’t look too fondly on that.” Cass shrugged one shoulder. But it wasn’t like she’d been much use during the war effort.

Even with the equalities of the modern day, the draft was still fairly sexist. They were just lucky that by the time her younger brother turned eighteen the tides were really turning… If it had been during the desperate years he would’ve been called up, regardless of her older brother's service.

”But yeah, it sure did help me! Really got me more into the tech shit too, since I had to get internet working myself. That wasn’t easy… Wait…” Cass pulled out her phone, scrolling through her gallery for a moment before holding up- mostly towards Leon, but the other two would be able to see it too.

It was clearly a picture of Cass- but a much younger Cass. Her thick curls fell well past her shoulders, frizzy from lack of maintenance at that time. The picture was of her squatting in front of a television showing a staticy boxing match, grinning while flashing a thumbs up at the camera. At least two laptops and a shit ton of wires were visible too.

”I got Sal- my childhood friend- to take the picture after I finally got everything working. Pretty awesome what you can do with a bunch of stolen- I mean, uh, collected- wires and shit!”

Leon had already been shown cursorily, but seeing her with such long hair was cute. Leon had encouraged the look again, but ultimately it wasn’t his job to tell her what to do!

”Oh, wow! I can’t believe that, look! Look, look, we were there that night too! That’s Marquis D’mere! Leon, its at the start of the second round!” Tracey blurted out happily, photogenic memory coming in handy from time to time.

”Oh, geeze… You’re right! I didn’t see the shorts on the TV, I was too busy looking at the setup. What were all the computers for?” Leon asked curiously.

”Holy shit, you can tell just from that shot?! That’s sick!” Cass grinned at Tracey. Then she turned to Leon, eyes shining a bit.

”Oh, I’m so glad you asked, Babe. Y’see… We didn’t have any kinda internet service on that shit box of a TV. So one laptop’s for the actual watching, the TV’s extending it. The other’s… Well, cause the net was out. So I’d made this janky ass satellite- well it was really just an antenna- and hooked it up to that other laptop, which I kinda got working as a modem? Basically it let me actually get satellite wifi even when all the normal infrastructure was destroyed by the bombing. But it involved a bunch of hacking… There’s another laptop off screen that I was using as a server to download shit too. All of the laptops were kinda shit, so I was making do with what I had.”

”Well, Jesus hidden Christ in a lunchbox! What’s, like, the specialty then? Like, professionally, what do you do?”

Intentionally or not, they’d slowly but surely sauntered closer to the commingling of life spilling from the main common room. Tongues and other extremities were already loose, but the evening still hadn’t fully bloomed.

”I am professionally hot as fuck!” Cass joked, sticking her tongue out teasingly before laughing. Her eyes were pretty openly roaming even as she actually answered.

”I’ma software developer… Happily unemployed right now, cause my job was boring as shit- and I heard there were some real hotties further North. I ain’t really got an actual speciality… Just whatever takes my interest. I mostly do software but I like playing around with the hardware and electronics when I got time.”

A particular section had noticed Leon, reactionarily egging him onward like old friends. He gave a wry smile, then looked at Cass. Of course, Rusty was no stranger, but had other preparations to make before the event fully commenced.

”Well, if you’re ever looking for freelance work? Maybe the chance to get your hands on something new? Not all of the job openings are for floor talent… I’ll see you later on, I’m sure; you’ll feel an extra degree of wet.” he laughed.

Leon laughed as well, shoving his hand out and pushing into Rusty’s head.

”Yeaaaah go be dirty somewhere else. Cass, come on. Come on, these folks are real class acts. I think if we could all hang around, it’ll be a real night to remember. C’mon-”

But Leon wasn’t the only one urging. Tracey quickly came around to the other side of Cass and clung on her arm.
”No questions there; we all go way back. You’ll love it.”

How Dogs Are [FernStone & AtomicEmperor]

House of Cards Warehouse

It was fucking cold. Should’ve been expected from what was essentially a dungeon… but Linqian was used to her ‘dungeons’ being filled with a lot of heat-inducing moving. And the cold generally wasn’t a problem when you could control your body temperature.

But clearly the table she was strapped to had some fucking anti magic lining or some shit. Which was great. Tied to a table in a revealing, not made for the cold dress and no way to get out. That wasn’t even the worst thing. The worst thing was that her brother was fucking in here with them.

Biting her lip, her head twisted to the side to make sure Henri was alright. He’d gone quiet a short while ago… Not that her or Greyson had much interest in holding a proper conversation at the moment. Unlike the two of them, he’d been put in a cage. Maybe it was an upgrade to tied to a table, seeing as he’d managed to squat down and close his eyes.

Linqian couldn’t tell if he was actually asleep or not. Hopefully…

Either way, it meant she could deal with something that had been on her mind the whole time they were stuck here. She’d held it in, with willpower she normally didn’t have, just to not have to involve Henri.

”I can’t believe I let you fucking convince me to bring him along.” Her head moved back around from looking at Henri, neck awkwardly craned, to her other side. Eyes narrowing at the cause of her brother being here in the first place. If he hadn’t started fucking meddling- telling Henri shit he didn’t need to know… he wouldn’t be here! And it would be fine. She could rot down here for all she fucking cared, but her brother? No.
”All that shit about keeping him safe! He’s in more fucking danger cause you put shit in his head about helping- fuck! I knew something like this would fucking happen and that’s why I fucking kept him out of shit. But no! You just had to fucking stick your nose in.”

Greyson was trying his absolute best to think of a solution that didn’t involve selling them off as slaves to the Elite. There was a level of hope that Dollhouse would send someone crashing through the wall sooner rather than later, but it was a dull hope. They weren’t even sure where they were, and he hadn’t exactly given them much to be excited for anyway. Fucking… For what? What the fuck was it all for? How much did he really care about what was happening? How much did he love that goofy mop-headed boy in the cage, or his aggro-loving sister for that matter?

As it turned out, a lot… Enough that the Sympathater regulating his emotions was having a hard time stopping him from Wildcasting. Physically, he was calm and collected, but inside he was waging a war against the machine with Love as his army. So, to have her sitting there and barking at him now? Now, when he was just getting into the groove of things?

”Linqian… Can you try harder? Longer? Please? God, please, literally anything but this right now, seriously. You being mad at me is only going to make you feel good; it’s not gonna cast a spell. Think about what you’re fucking doing.” he responded quietly, trying to pull his head up from the Anti-Pink strap they had to include on him as a Mono-Adept.

He wanted to see Henri… To smile at him. To tell him not to listen to her, and that getting hemmed up was all part of really being in a situation. That this was good practice, and that all he had to do was stay positive. That his Lux would be the thing that takes him further, and gets him out of there…
That if he could muster up a strong enough smile, maybe he would be able to save them. Sapping power out of the machines from outside… He didn’t know if there was a Sympathater on that cage, but if there was? Maybe it was weaker…

”Mother of God… Like a fucking- Henri? Little Brother, talk to me… We’re gonna be alright Henri! This is all part of it! I promise, this isn’t the first time I’ve been in a bad spot! We’re gonna get out!”
Of course he didn’t know. How could he? Life was no guarantee, and the only option was to try and try again if the need arose. Come Hell or high water, they’d be together until the end at least…

There was a pause, before Henri's response came. His voice was more muted than before- tired. After all, he'd only had that tiny nap after they rescued Greyson… he was exhausted.
”I know, I believe you… someone’ll rescue us like we rescued you, won't they? Like- like Aryin! They'll realise we’re not home…”

Linqian wasn't so sure. Aryin would realise, yes, but would she be able to find them? And there was a chance it'd somehow gone well for the rest and she was absolutely drunk out of her mind at a crazy celebration. She didn't feel so hopeful about them getting out.

”Try harder? What the fuck do you think I'm doing,” she muttered, hands flexing. Unlike Greyson, she wasn't trying to wildcast. They hadn't taken her channeler- couldn't. The ring didn't fully melt with her temperature shifts, the metal on the inside had heated up and stuck to her skin years ago. But even as her anger finally flared up- strange slowness not something she connected with the magic suppressing- it was like she couldn't access it. The connection between her emotions and her magic just didn't seem to be there.
”Remember what fuels my fucking magic, asshole- what're you gonna do, Pink Lux bomb the place so we're calm when- fuck! Yi-er, can you do anything?”

”N-n-no… I've been trying the whole time, Jie! I-I used up all the light I had left but it didn't do anything… I don't think I can… I- I'm sorry!” He sounded obviously off. Scared, tired… Linqian forced herself not to twist her head to look again. It'd only make her feel worse. Fuck.

”Don’t fucking apologise, Yi-er. It isn't your fault.” It was theirs. Hers and Greyson's. It wasn't Henri's job to get them out… he shouldn't even fucking be there! It just pissed her off more. For a moment, it felt like there was a spark of heat in her fingertips… then it was gone as quickly as it had been there. If it even had.

”Fuck! I'm going to shove a burning hot foot up your fucking ass if it's the last thing I fucking do.”
Trying to get that fucking spark for her magic to work… but it just came across as normal, unproductive Linqian aggression.

In Greyson's mind, there was a lot of stuff that could happen. So why Linqian was getting so hopeless when this was Greyson's second time being kidnapped in a week. He had a hard time matching her fear and panic…

Maybe because he didn’t watch Henri grow up from a literal baby. He'd never held the boy in his arms or changed his diaper because Mom needed him to. No, none of that. Maybe if she'd been the one with Pink Lux, she'd have broken the machine by now. Overloaded it.

”Linqian's right, Henri… Don't ever apologize for shit that isn't your fault… Doin’ that makes you look guilty, and we know you ain't guilty of anything besides being a good man. Understand me!?”

”I- I understand!” Henri nodded vigorously.

As the young man spoke, Greyson was quietly straining against the headband keeping his head held down.
”Listen, Buddy… Look up! Look, look! Your cage, there's that thing on top! Can you get your arms through to grab it? If you can break it, your magic will come back!”

There was some movement and clattering.
”Ow, my head- I see it! I'll try get it!” Henri's fingers grasped at the cage. How did he get through? The bars were too close together for him to get through easily. If he could use Green Lux, develop a spell- but he couldn't! They were depending on him, his sister was depending on him. He managed to get his fingers through, but it wasn't enough to reach whatever it was Greyson had pointed out. He'd need to get his whole hand through, then his arm-
”I- I can't! It's too far away, I'd need to shove my thumb through. Maybe if I break-”

”Don’t you fucking dare!” Linqian snapped. No way was she letting him hurt himself… For what, to just get his magic back and maybe get them out? No.
”If you can't get it, you can’t get it- stop trying to make him put himself in more danger!”

”Jie, it's fine-”
”It’s not! Fuck.” Linqian pushed her wrists up against the bindings as if they'd budge anymore than they already had. Like she hadn't been straining the whole fucking time. The longer they talked, as her brother's voice got more panicked, the more pissed she got. Pissed and scared and so fucking upset that she might lose him just like Jinhai.

There was a spark of magic at her fingertips. They started to burn- but it was uncontrollable, limited to the extremities as she pushed against it. It didn't move further down her fingers- she had no way to use it to get through the bindings. Red without enough Green… the smell of burning flesh permeated the air.
”Fuuuckkk, fuck this fucking table! Fuck this whole fucking plan, why the fuck did we do this shit?! Why the fuck did I let you convince me to bring him along?!”

The worst kind of prison was one that counted on preventative measures to keep the population in line. The ones that needed special tools and specifically designed places to keep people from doing what came naturally. It was far better to trick the prisoner. Make them think they could get away with anything. It presents far fewer points of obvious weakness in the system.

All that was necessary to break from the Sympathaters was doing some kind of damage to the machine. The system overload was easiest, but dealing some kind of physical damage was far more doable in their situation… Though, from the beeps on the monitor that he could see, Linqian was really starting to strain her side too.

”It's about options, Linqian! Nothing will make him feel better than actually fucking doing something, so quit butting in! I don't care if he's your brother right now, because he could be our only hope!-”

Greyson struggled again, this time vocally straining as he tried to lift his head just an inch more to get a better understanding of the situation. The bars were tight, but…

”Your shirt! Take it off and pull it up through the bars as much as you can. Get it around that tower piece, just try to like… Toss it up. Y'know, you can see it! Just get it around that piece, then tug from both ends! It's gonna break, I swear! These things are super delicate, I've seen them before! It's why they have us strapped down!” he tried to explain through gritted teeth.

”I don't care that you don't-”
”I understand, I’ll try! I- I think I can!” Henri interrupted Linqian. It was maybe just a little bit on purpose… He pulled his shirt off, before twisting it to form something like a rope. It was like some sort of game… like he was trying to hit a target! Like baseball, but not like baseball at all… it was fine. He could do this!

”Fuck, try then- but don't tell me what to fucking do and butt into, Greyson! You butting in is the whole fucking reason he's stuck here! He shouldn't have to be our only hope- fuck!” The burning smell got stronger, the flesh on her fingertips singing away as the burning spread along them. More and more Red Lux as she pushed desperately against the machine, rage increasing.
”My brother's the only fucking reason that-”

”I’ve got it! I've got it, I can- I did it!” There was a shattering sound as something fell onto the ground and smashed.
”What do I do now, there's no light?! I- I need fuel!”

There was a smug grin that crossed Greyson's face. Henri the Hero…
”Look at me. Look close. Get low if you have to… There’s a little blinking red light here. Right above my head. Just take. Take as much as you can from it!” He instructed with great joy in his voice.

”God, good fucking job… If we listened to her, you'd be eating crayons somewhere! You got this, Henri Baby!” Greyson encouraged.

”Just see if you can keep acting smug when I get out off this fucking table,” Linqian snapped, her fingers curling inwards to start the painful process of burning through both the bindings and her own wrists.

”I see it! But that's such a tiny light, big bro, I'll barely be able to do anything with it…” Henri crouched down, finding the light in question. He began sucking it in, stopping it from ever turning back on… and beyond that. He tried to grab the energy behind it. Whatever was powering it sucked into his body.
”Oh, oh, there's more to it than I thought! I can totally blast out with this!”

There was a pained grunt from Linqian, close to acknowledgement.
”... good job, Didi…”

The machine around Greyson began to vibrate and shake until he felt his own Lux flood back into his body. Instantly, there was a massive burst of Pink that was meant to calm the three of them, just like Linqian had so harshly joked about earlier.

But as it washed over them and tried to linger with its benefits, the wave continued outward into the facility at an unprecedented rate. Pink tendrils snaked along every surface they could, hunting for signs of life everywhere. There were Guards right outside, more down the hall. Further in the facility, he felt dozens of Adeptal signals and other magics that weren't his. Weren't familiar…

But… One was? As the machine reactively released his arms and legs, Greyson pulled the headlock off and sat up like a board. His legs were weak, but he slid forward and made way for Linqian's machine. Breaking it apart, he braced himself for a walloping.

”Try and keep it short… I think our cavalry may be here. Unless this is the craziest betrayal of all time coming up.” he intoned, the wildcasting leaving his face swollen and full of veins flush with Pink Lux. Even his sclera took on a gingery pink hue.

Linqian immediately swung herself up and off the table, grabbing Greyson by his shirt. The top half of her fingers were a horrific, raw red that had been spreading towards her hands. The edges where her skin pulled back were darker, nearing black. Heat radiated off them and she stopped burning her own flesh now she had complete control. Instead it started to singe through the fabric she was gripping.
”Did you seriously try to fucking Pink bomb us the moment you could?! You think that was going to make me any more fucking calm?!”

”Oh my God, Jie, can you just skip to the part where you kiss and make up?” Henri burned through the bars of the cage with light, moving towards them. He hovered a bit away, not wanting to get in the range of Linqian’s anger. Her fingers looked so painful… but he’d have to touch her to heal her!

”That is not what fucking happens. Seriously. ‘Try and keep it short?’ You think I care who the fuck interrupts?!” While Linqian was clearly pissed off, she wasn’t actually hurting Greyson. Just yelling at him.

In Greyson's opinion, their savior was so right. Rather than let her continue, he figured he'd piss her off a little more… But, at least it'd be redirected. His hands slipped up, grabbing her by the shirt and pulling her tightly into a kiss before pulling away slightly.
”I love you. Now, please go take this out on the people who deserve it. There's two outside, both Adepts. Thankfully they haven't heard us fucking around in here or they-”

The door opened carefully to where they were, swinging open with a creak as a gun came round the corner… Then started firing.
Greyson's first instinct was to wrap around Linqian and move her… He tried to shove her down under the table for cover, but she was so strong and pissed off that he gave up almost instantly in favor of covering their favorite labradoodle. He pushed off Linqian, diving into Henri and tackling him to the ground.

Henri let out a sharp yelp of surprise, not stopping Greyson from shoving him onto the ground. He hit it with another panicked cry, hearing the gun before he’d even seen it. He’d thought they were safe! He couldn’t see Linqian either, had Greyson shoved her down first, no he couldn’t have, what if she was hurt?!
”Jie!”

The temperature in the room plummeted further, frost creeping across the ground.
”You’re sooo fucking lucky you didn’t hit my brother. I won’t fucking burn you limb by limb till you’re begging for fucking death!” Linqian’s attention had been successfully redirected, shifting entirely towards the gun poked round the corner. She’d been hit a few times, but only one had properly landed before she dropped her temperature and toughened her skin. The sluggish bleeding from where a bullet was embedded into her shoulder quickly stopped as the wound was frozen over.

She ducked down, using the frost she was accidentally creating to slide across the floor. As she reached the door she swiftly swapped her temperature, shooting right up from the negatives to the hundreds. It didn’t matter that she was hot enough now that her clothes started to smoulder. More burns crept up her arms and legs, but she easily ignored the added pain. Her hand shot up to grab the gun, melting underneath her superheated fingers.

Then her hand went further, grabbing the guard that had been holding the gun. There was a scream as she burnt through his flesh. Her body slammed into the door, completely melting through it before hitting the shooter. There was only so much someone could do when a near thousand degree body tackled them unexpectedly, especially one so fueled by rage. Whatever his magic was, it was useless. Or just weak. He died all the same to horrific burns.

A shield flickered into life in the corner of her vision. The second Adept. Yellow Lux. She pushed herself back up with a grimace.
”How fucking long till the rescue appears?” She tilted her head back to shout over at Greyson.

Henri squirmed on the floor, mumbling under his breath.
”I’ll need a lot more light to heal her after this…”

There was a cacophonous bellow that echoed through the concrete hall outside their door. Greyson had already rendered a guess as to what the fuck that was coming through.
”It’s our fuckin’ secret admirer!” he yapped, squeezing Henri’s shoulder to muster himself.

His gaze passed upward, locking eyes in a brief instant with the Yellow Adept. Yellow… It was never easy, but Greyson had already felt this guy close by. Yellows required a great deal of consistency to be at their most potent, and whatever was going on in this guy’s life wasn’t good for his mental game. A fat crack up the middle let Greyson’s magic penetrate near instantly, ripping the guard’s mind asunder and causing the caster’s entire face to flare up into a bright pink lightbulb.

For a moment, Henri would be able to see Greyson’s Emotional Field physically, its surface criss-crossed with lotuses like a Louis Vouiton bag. His face kind of lost its shape to the light, with everything suddenly the same level of transparency as he screamed out in utter pain at the backlash of killing another Lux Adept without a Channeler. Rolling away from Henri was a reaction, as was the bashing of his arms off the floor as he howled in pain.

---

Ears twitched far from there. This old and rundown power facility, its many rooms and hideaways magically dimmed, seemed to stretch on and on as Leon, Cass and a small squad of Leon’s personal Temple associates made their way through. It was exhausting, and for each Adept they slayed there seemed to be a dozen or more Third-Eye combatants equipped with magically enchanted weapons of some kind or another.

Well equipped and armed to the teeth, however, there was little that the loose magical mercenary force hired by the Elite could do to prevent a truly coordinated magical assault. This wasn’t a coven of glory hogs with separate agendas trying to blast through some field of zombies… They were some of Leon’s closest and most trusted. People who had fought in the war against Das Sonnenrad, and who had killed just like he had during the Serpent War. Casey wasn’t the only veteran in their family… Just the only one to give his time up to an underappreciating government. At least, that’s how Leon felt…

”Cass!” Leon roared as he pushed through the thick of it to her side.
”I heard someone screaming further in! I need you to get ahead and in there to get to them! So that we know they’re not killing them!”

Leon’s hand reached down to her.
”I’ll give you a boost! I’m trusting you to be safe and fast!”

Cass’ wolf ears twitched as she forcefully stopped herself from constantly moving: ducking, weaving, slicing and punching. She may not be as trained in magical warfare as everyone else here, but it was like she was in her element. It wasn’t much different from beating people up- just magic.

”Got it! Speed’s my speciality, get me in there, big guy!” She could guess what he meant by giving her a boost. Her arms shot up above her head as if she was about to dive into a swimming pool- but streamlined was best! At the same time, the tough scales she’d had on her arms to block hits spread across her whole body. She was completely ready to be picked up and presumably launched.
”I’ll get ‘em and keep ‘em safe, don’t worry!”

”Remember what I said! Greyson, and Linqian! You’re with Leon!”

As he wrenched her up off the ground, his body shifted to kiss her slightly before spinning and ultimately hurling her up and over a great deal of the main area that the combat was taking place in. In her trajectory was an individual who seemed to be hiding, or something like that… Maybe taking a rest? Either way, they weren’t ready for a flying croco-wolf woman…

”Whoa, wrong place to rest, buddy!” Cass twisted herself around as she came down, going feet first into whoever it was. It softened her landing slightly, the scales across her body dampening the rest of the impact. Sharp claws finished off the job that her slamming right into them hadn’t done.

Her ears twitched, close enough now to hear the screaming Leon had mentioned. Scales pulled back away to just her lower arms, replaced by cheetah spots to enhance her speed. She took in a deep breath, enhanced nose beginning to pick up the scents of people up ahead.

Not as many as she’d flown past… but there were a few. But she was pretty sure it wasn’t far.

A door was kicked down, and she was met with what seemed to be… stairs down? Presumably down. Made sense they’d lock them up central and downwards. But speed was important! Not time to think about the fine details.

In a blur, Cass skipped most of the steps entirely, jumping off the edge and downwards with a thud. Scaled calves took the brunt of the force… not that it was as far as she’d thought. Barely a floor. More like a strange half? Whatever!

Another door kicked down, and she was met with a long, concrete hall. Four smells… four guards at this end.

They were caught by surprise by her sudden appearance when, as far as they were aware, the fighting was much further away. She ducked under a rock covered fist, enhanced knee coming up to slam the guy right in the balls. As he automatically curled forward in pain her hand came up, claws slicing right through his throat.

”Oh fuck!” She just narrowly avoided getting hit by a blast of fire, dodging to the side as it whistled past her ear and singed the fabric covering her arms. The other two smelt a bit different, raising guns to shoot at her.

Not magical? Not as magical? Didn’t matter.

She ducked and rolled, avoiding more blasts of fire shot at her as she got in closer. A hand came up with superspeed to block a bullet. Thank fuck she’d spent a bunch of last week training with Leon.

Without hesitating, she shot up directly towards the Red Adept. Fire sprayed out of the woman’s fingertips. Cass smelt it before it reached her, strengthened legs flexing before launching her up and over. They wrapped around the Adept’s neck and Cass leaned forward to bite her. Sharp teeth tore through flesh, the woman’s screams almost deafening.

It wasn’t pleasant, but Cass twisted herself to swiftly bite her throat.

Then, just two Blinds. Magical guns of some form, but still just guns wielded by Third-Eyes. Cass had pushed her durability to the point that she could tank a few hits from Leon now- which meant bullets like this didn’t feel like much. It wasn’t like they were Casey’s bullets… or at least she’d been told he made some real awesome ones.

Dodge, tank, block… then two more throats were sliced.

Cass grimaced slightly as she waved her hands to get the blood off, before running down the rest of the corridor. The screaming was getting louder, and she could smell three people… just three? That was what she was looking for, right?

”Whoa, fuck, you already killed em?!” Cass screeched to a halt in front of the three strangers she presumed were who she was looking for. There were two bodies: one burned within recognition, and another with no visible wounds at all.

One guy on the ground, another bending over him in panic - his hands were glowing with light.

”Who the fuck are you?” The source of the burns, the curly haired woman at the front, shifted into a defensive posture in front of the other two.

She was also naked… what the fuck?

”Oh! I’m with Leon! I assume you’re Linqian… and one of ‘em is Greyson? Fuck, y’need healing, pretty sure I got one of the healing packs on me somewhere…”

Greyson could only hear things in a very abstract kind of way. Everything sounded like it was in bubbles surrounding his head in every direction, and sometimes they popped and he could hear what was inside, but most of it was muffled. There were plenty of voices that didn’t belong in the situation. His own Mother. Britney’s. He was pretty sure he could hear the audio from the podcast he’d last listened to… All sorts of memories clouding his mind into nothingness.

But hearing “E-O” jogged his memory. It was just clear enough, and in just the perfect consistency of a pattern, that he recognized the name he’d heard and said a thousand times over. Leon. Leon usually meant Temple support. That meant things like the green sludge… Whether or not it could help him with this current overloading problem, however, he didn’t know.

”GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!?!?!”

Like a total vegetable, Greyson’s glowing pink arm reached out to where the noise came from, eyes unable to see. He slurred the only word that came from his mouth as if he were the victim of a massive stroke. It was something like that. Wildcast overload was nothing to play around with. Had the Adept been stronger, a reactive move like what he’d done may’ve killed him too… But he’d had so much magic built up, the slow but crushing pressure against the previous machine causing his mind to swell like a pimple with Lux.

That reservoir, combined with the weakness of the Adept, meant Greyson didn’t send a total kill signal through himself by accident. He truly was lucky to be alive.

”Green? I am- Oh!” Cass realised what the fuck he was slur shouting about, reaching into one of her pockets to pull out a little packet of green sludge. Whatever had happened to that guy had done a real number to him. Torture? Would explain why one of them was naked too.
”This?”

”Give it to me,” Linqian held out a hand as her temperature dropped back down to normal. More than the name drop, the appearance of the green packet told her this woman was with the Temple in some way. So unless the Temple, and Leon, wanted to kill them… which seemed unlikely.

Cass shrugged, tossing it to Linqian. Her ears twitched, constantly aware and listening out for someone approaching. She constantly hopped from foot to foot, struggling even more to stay still with all the adrenaline pumping through her.

Linqian caught the packet, turning around and making her way back to Henri and Greyson. She assumed he wasn’t going to be as fucking aggressive as last time, but she sure as shit didn’t trust him to hold and drink it himself. But he was moving his mouth enough to scream so he could drink it himself.
”I’ve got this, Yi-er, move back.”

Henri nodded, shuffling back from Greyson and to the side. The light glow on his hands from trying to heal him, and doing nothing, subsided.
With a surprising gentleness, her arm wrapped around Greyson to prop him up against herself. But there was absolutely no gentleness in the way she shoved the packet into his mouth and squeezed the green goop right in.

Greyson felt immediate relief as the world came rushing back around him. The sludge seemed to be good at a lot of things, so Greyson could never quite pin down what it actually came from. Leon had been incredibly vague about it.
”Oh mother of God… Thank Christ… My fucking… Where are my fucking glasses, Jesus!?”

Greyson didn’t waste any time returning to a state of frustration at the situation. And he really wasn’t wasting any time making problems.

”Where the fuck are my guns too!? Piss in my eye, I’m gonna rip these fuckers apart!”

He was still glowing like a lightbulb… Big pink head, displaced cranium as the pocket formed and pushed his brain around. He still had to offload all that Lux, but with no channeler it wasn’t going to be good. He tried to get around, but it was still incredibly dark in here to prevent Henri from doing anything too drastic. Ultimately, however, he figured their stuff probably wasn’t here. So, he moved back to Henri and helped him up. Then he hugged him, with both hands finding the sides of his face.

”You didn’t give up. You didn’t give up, and we’re both proud of you. We’re gonna throw you a party, buddy… You earned it!”
Then he turned, finding Linqian naked and raising an eyebrow.

”Baby, clothes damn you! We gotta get you some smolderproof fabric or something… Dragon skin panties.” he laughed, throwing his arms around her and kissing her neck before finally looking at Cass.

”Fine, fine… Where’s the big man, out fighting? Who else is here? Can you help us find our shit?”

”Yup, like, six other people, and I sure can! Ain’t sure that’s what he threw me over for, but I ain’t fond of just waiting around kicking rocks.” Cass replied to everything in order, with nods punctuating it. Just finding their shit was fine… she couldn’t smell anyone else nearby. She’d already taken out four on the way by herself, it was fine!

”Find me some fucking fire proof clothes and I’ll consider wearing them,” Linqian grumbled. But the Adept murder seemed to have calmed her down, and she was just fucking relieved Greyson was moving around again, as much as she wouldn’t verbalise it. Her body went slightly lax as she leaned into him, one arm slipping around him. She turned her head towards Henri, who was absolutely beaming.
”Yeah, you did great, Didi. Greyson’s actually not talking shit for once.”

”Hell yeah I did!” Henri bounced with happiness a little bit. Linqian snorted.
”Don’t let it get to your head, or you’ll end up with one as big as his,” she intoned, free hand pointing up to Greyson’s enlarged cranium.

Cass’ body swung back and forth for a bit as she tried to think about where their stuff could be. Probably not down this corridor…
”There’s a bunch’ve rooms back up the stairs, maybe your shit’s in one of those. What’re we looking for… guns, glasses? Anything that, like, has a smell?” she asked, before a hand shot up into the air.
”Oh! I’m Cass, by the way!”

Greyson stuck his still litebrite ass hand out to shake Cass’.
”Cass! Greyson Devola, this is Linqian and Henri Han.”

Giving her a firm shake, he quickly moved to grab Linqian something to wear. He ripped the shirt off his kill and wrapped it around her.
”Sorry, Mama… I promise I’ll let you punish me later. Just… Can we please get through this without any more arguing? Cover yourself up, or I’mma be too distracted by that ass to think straight.”

He rubbed Linqian’s shoulder for a moment as he spoke to Cass again.

”Here-” One wrist was held out. It stunk like expensive cologne. ”- I keep a bottle of my cologne in my jacket and my plate rig. For shit just like this, in case the dogs need to find my shit… Glad Leon’s making more!” he joked, a slightly evil grin crossing his face.

Giving Linqian’s ass a pat to usher her forward, he turned back.
”Come on, Henri! We’re almost home free!”

Linqian pulled the dead guy’s shirt around her, which was thankfully big enough to fall midway down her thighs. She swiftly did it up before flicking her hand out to bat Greyson’s away.
”Hands off. Not exactly avoiding distraction, are you?” She rolled her eyes, but her lips tugged up into a slight smile and she moved forward just as he'd been signalling her to do.

”Coming!” Henri immediately trotted up to Greyson, back to his normal bright self - if a bit sleepy.
”Can we grab food on the way out? I’m really hungry!”

”Ooo, you can buy me food for all the energy I used up rescuing ya!” Cass laughed. She’d been completely unphased by Greyson’s joke as she leaned forward to take a deep sniff of the cologne. Fucking strong shit. Her lips pulled back into a return grin, revealing sharp, slightly bloody teeth.

”I ain’t giving Leon any credit for this shit. I could do all this shit before I met him, he just helped me perfect it. You seriously think the wolf thing is unique enough it’d all come from him? We can’t just be two magical wolves meeting in the wild and shit? Anyway, c’mon.“ Laughing, Cass led them back down the corridor. She sniffed the air as she did, trying to catch another whiff of the cologne. It was there… but faint. One of the rooms up the stairs. Nearby, since they clearly hadn’t expected an escape. Of course, she chatted as she did.

”We definitely ain’t at the stage of making more- or even talking ‘bout it, that ain’t a certainty. But since you’re so interested, I’ll make sure you’re the first to know if we fuck raw!” Cass cackled, immediately throwing away any social boundaries. Normally she at least waited to see where shit would land… but hey, he’d been a bit of a dick. And the Sycamore two clearly weren’t prudes.

Greyson laughed loudly to himself as they tried to keep up with her down the hall.
”Kinky… I’ll be sure to pick up a recording from their publisher when it comes out.” For being someone whose head looked like a deep sea fish, Greyson was still a smug fucker.

”So, you’re an Adept? No shit… I mean… You’re his girl though? Y’know he can do the… Biting thing, right? I’m not talkin’ kinky shit, I mean straight up werewolf shit! Or, so I hear at least. That his Apparition has the power to do it!”

Cass hadn’t known that. Not that it changed anything. As far as she was aware, there weren't a bunch of mini Leon made werewolves running around the place. There was no way he'd do that… At least not when he was in control. She didn't bother confirming or acknowledging the her being his girl thing, cause she really couldn't be bothered to get into the intricacies of their relationship. It was true enough.
”I didn't know that, but I ain't surprised- Who says that can't be kinky?! Hot night with a super sexy guy, loads of biting, then you wake up with the urge to howl at the moon. That's some kinda movie ass shit right there."

”I’m surprised there aren't more werewolves running around the city if he can do that,” Linqian snorted, side-eyeing Greyson. Thank fuck, honestly. She could deal with the wolf ears in front of her, and a certain degree of the freaky shit from Leon, but as soon as it started getting full wolf? No.

As they got to the end of the corridor and up the small set of stairs, it started to get lighter. At least, there were dull lights illuminating the stairs and beyond. Cass sniffed the air again, not finding any new, nearby human scents.
”No way every bite turns someone- it ain't ever like that in fiction. That'd be real inconvenient!"

”Wait!” Henri exclaimed from the back, causing Cass to automatically stop and snap her head around. Was there a problem?
”Werewolves are real?!”

”There are no werewolves in St. Portwell specifically because Leon’s here! He told me the Temple cleared the last Pack from their den years ago. Now the only ones who are, are Lone Wolves who are big players like Lelou, or the Bike Packs who have a complicated territorial situation going on all around.”
Greyson had had the conversation once or twice, mostly because they dealt with far more Packs in the Midwest where the forests were cold and dark. He did business with more than one personally.

Rather than waiting, Greyson’s hands wrapped around Henri’s shoulders while his legs torqued them both forward without shoving.
”We do not have the time for this!”

There was a terribly loud howl from whence they came, like a hound of Hell raging with flame. Then, a massive explosion rocked the building, and again from the direction they came, a massive ghostly dragon had cleaved through the walls, making a straight path into the main area of the warehouse they were in.
”Oh my fucking God! These fucking- Go! Go! Our shit can’t be much farther!”

"Holy fuck, that's fucking sound!" Cass exclaimed, staring at the massive dragon with a wicked grin. She managed to keep moving swiftly towards their destination. Sure, she should probably be worried about it… But it was super awesome! A whole ass dragon!

”I don't want to be eaten by a dragon!” Henri wailed, survival instincts kicking in enough to set him running again.
Linqian just rolled her eyes, temperature already starting to tick down.

But they were getting closer to the room with their stuff. A room off the main area, it's steel door sealed shut. Cass skidded to a halt right in front of it, hand shooting up to tell the other three to stop. She sucked in a deep breath.
"Oh shit, there's-"

BAM!

The door was thrown off its hinges, slamming directly into Cass as she wasn't fast enough to avoid it. Its momentum knocked her back and onto the ground before it fell on top of her.
From the gap where there'd been a door stepped an over six foot tall… panther man? Jet black fur covered oversized muscles, and he grinned.

”What the fuck?! A dragon and a panther man?!”

Linqian shot Henri a glare, temperature shooting down until her whole body hardened against attacks. Green Lux user or Adjoined- didn't matter, she could take it. Not the dragon, though… fuck! She'd try pull the panther man adamantly standing in the doorway away from it.
”You two, try get in the room- Fuck, Yi-er, make sure fucking bobblehead doesn't use any magic! None- I swear to god, Greyson, if your massive head explodes I'll bring you back to life and strangle-”

"Fuck, that was fun!" With another loud crash, the steel door was flung to the side, and the woman Linqian had assumed was knocked out climbed back to her feet.

Of course, Cass wasn't completely unhurt. There was a bit of blood dripping down her temple, her nose was probably broken- but that just made it more fun! The fucking thrill! What was the point if everything was easy! A finger shot out to point towards Linqian.
"Her plans still solid though."

”Fuck the magic, I’ll blow holes in you, you piss-”

The Panther Man roared like one would assume he could, though the bass seemed to be turned up far higher than expected. He was a massive specimen, after all, with enough strength and speed to rip the metal railing from the stairs at a three foot length and hurl it at Greyson like a short spear before anyone could react. He didn’t bother waiting for it to connect, rushing forward on the heel of the makeshift projectile like a speeding bullet toward the soft belly of the group. The clearly wounded and the non-descript who seemed to be protected by the women.

”Fuck-!” Linqian didn't get a chance to catch the spear, but she was already in between the Panther Man and the two idiots. She jumped to the side, putting herself in the way of him and them- arms coming up in front of her to take the full brunt of his movement. It was like getting hit by a moving car… but Linqian wasn’t weak herself. Her whole body was enhanced for durability, a spell she was improving fight after fight.

Her bare feet practically screeched across the ground as she was pushed back, but stopped him from getting any further.

The lights behind them went out, light sucking into Henri’s body as he grabbed Greyson and threw them both to the ground with super speed. The speed of it would be enough to knock the wind out of Greyson… but as the spear whistled above their heads, narrowly missing, it was clearly the better option.

”Ohhh, you fucker, tryna take out an invalid!”
Cass leapt at the Panther Man from the side, legs wrapping around his waist as her claws sliced at his neck. He roared- as if just uttering human words would break the cool panther illusion- one hand grabbing her and throwing her off. Cass twisted midair, legs bending as her feet hit the barely remaining wall. The force of it shot up her body, and hurt like fuck- but she ignored it as she pushed right back off the wall.

Sending her towards him like a human spear, sharp clawed hands aiming for his face.

At the same time, Linqian shifted from her defensive stance- he was now fully engaged with them. There was no way past them without showing his back… Her ice cold knee shoved up into his gut, frost spiralling from her body across the area.

The knee to the gut riddled the Panther Man’s body with frost, cells seizing up and dying at the surface of his skin. Reeling, he clenched up on the knee and tugged at Linqian in a desperate attempt to suplex her by ramming her head first into the metal grate floor they were now precariously fighting on. His hope was to either force the wolf woman to hit her partner, or to outright dodge the oncoming impact by dipping to the floor and letting her hit the wall next to him.

Meanwhile Greyson, still trying to catch his breath, was trying to get Henri to let up enough that he could fully extend his chest for a breath while also trying to urge him toward the locker room ahead. He could even see the silhouette of his plate carrier in the light of a lamp… They just had to get there! His foot shoved against the floor, and he pushed hard against it, dragging Henri’s weight along with his.

”Up and in! Up and in, God damn you!” he managed to squeak out from between a crushed rib cage.

”You’ll get killed!” Henri was adamant in not letting Greyson up, even as he pushed up his body enough to let the other man breathe. Sure, Linqian had said to go into the room… but that was before a spear was thrown! Before the Panther Man had started targeting Greyson! Normally, Henri would immediately do what he was asked but… it just didn’t seem like the right decision!

”Are you fucking with me?!” Linqian gritted out, freezing hands reaching out to grab the Panther Man and try to keep them both up through sheer strength. But she could never match a pure Green Lux user in that aspect. She was lifted up and off the ground, over him. All she could do was prepare for the impact.

But non clawed hands grabbed the shirt she was wearing, tugging Linqian and the Panther Man back forwards. Cass hadn’t been able to stop her motion- of course not- but she wasn’t some loser full panther who was stuck with claws. No! It was super easy to turn her hands back to normal. Scales coated her entire body, making her heavier as she used her momentum to throw them all in the other direction.

As Linqian’s foot hit the ground again, she ripped her knee out from the Panther Man’s grasp. It immediately dropped, shoving forward right into his crotch. Cass didn’t even bother with the floor… She was, after all, a master in climbing things. Linqian’s shoulders made an easy jumping off point. The wolf woman went right over her head, claws growing back as they went to dig into the Panther Man’s shoulders. Her fierce grin split as sharp teeth aimed for his throat.

The Panther Man howled out in pain at the crotch kicking, tilting his head back and ending in a pained choke as the teeth sunk into his throat. At first he had the energy to struggle, but there wasn’t much left after he managed to pull Cass’ mouth away once. He lost grip, and she dove back in more wildly the second time, eventually no longer able to hold her weight up as he collapsed under the blood loss.

”Hen-ri! UP! PLEASE!” Greyson moaned, hands trembling as he was becoming more and more nervous about not being able to see what was going on.

It was only once he heard the noises stop with a loud flop of the Panther hitting the ground that he found himself able to actually fully catch his breath.

”Jesus fucking Christ! Alright, we’re safe Henri, let’s fucking go dude! We’re okay, you did okay! We’ll talk about it later!”

Above their heads, there was a buckling of the stone wall between them and the main warehouse. From it, Leon’s shimmering wolf form stretched across the forming gap and shattering his way through with a howl. Accompanying him shortly after, and driving him through the subsequent wall out into the night, was some enemy combatant dressed in a smart black suit. But they didn’t stop for the little group climbing the stairs… There was a commotion outside, then the same suited individual was hurled back through the hole and up through the roof in a single motion.

”Oh, fucking go gettem Leon!” Greyson cheered, getting a decent picture from under Henri’s arm.

Henri’s head twisted round to look over his shoulder- and it was only when he saw the prone body of the Panther Man that he relaxed. He rolled off of Greyson, immediately reaching out a hand to help him up.
”Sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt yo-”

”ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME?!” Linqian’s shout cut through Henri’s apology, and his head immediately shot towards his sister. She was standing just behind Cass, with a look of pissed off dismay as her hands grasped her now blood stained curls. The blood splatter had caught her, leaving her face, hair and chest splattered with it.
”Do you know how fucking hard it is to wash this shit out?! I swear to fuck I-”

”It ain’t that bad! I got curls too, c’mon!” Cass just flashed a grin at the woman who’s anger had turned towards her, kicking the prone body of the Panther Man to make sure he was dead. Her enhanced eyes followed the flying body with an even wider grin.
”Fuck yeah, Babe, rip ‘em to shreds!”

She was in an even worse state than Linqian. She must’ve hit an artery- blood coated her head and upper body. Like all the Panther Man’s had somehow ended up on her. She was completely unbothered by it, a slightly less blood hand going up to wipe some away from her eyes. She used her other hand to gesture to the door.
”Go ‘n get your shit… Leon and his ‘buddy’ have made us a handy hole to exit outta!”

Greyson did so without words, pushing forward with Henri’s shoulders back in his hands.
”Come on, I need your hands.”

The two disappeared into the room, and a few moments later were coming back out with all of their missing possessions and more.

”Jesus, Linqian! We gotta get back to Britney!” he said emphatically, trying not to draw too much attention to the satchel of notebooks in his hands.

He had his gun clenched tight in the other hand, stock tucked under his arm to keep it stable in case He needed to rattle someone’s bones. His face said urgent, but not so urgent he couldn’t make some pleasantries to avoid this random woman asking any questions about what they were rushing out with.

”Listen, Cash, it’s been great! Thanks for the quick rescue, but we’re gonna make ourselves scarce before we cause anymore trouble! You know, the objective’s been complete and all, as soon as we get away, you can call off the… Uh… Dogs.” he smiled gingerly.

”It’s Cass… And the biggest wolf ain’t gonna be too happy if you just scarper off.” While Cass was all smiles, but she wasn’t stupid. Unfortunately for Greyson, she was smart enough to tell he was hiding something. Who would immediately run away after being rescued? It wasn’t like they had a car parked where they’d been imprisoned… Her eyes subtly narrowed. What was he trying to hide?

”Oh fuck you, Greyson. Go back to your main fucking girlfriend if you’re so fucking worried about her after nearly getting my brother fucking killed!” Linqian’s hand came up in an aggressive gesture, anger redirected from Cass and her bloody hair right back towards Greyson. Doubly unfortunately for him, she wasn’t the best at picking up subtle queues even when perfectly calm. It was like a fucking slap in the face! Of course, Linqian was perfectly happy with how their relationship was… she fucking liked Britney too. But him wanting to flee back the moment the coast was clear? When they were the ones that’d been kidnapped?!

Fuck that.

”Go walk your pathetic ass back, I’ll fucking wait!”

Triply unfortunately for Greyson, Henri was also no help. Instead he was proceeding towards his zen state: the state he was beginning to perfect for when his sister and mentor fought. His head tilted up towards the ceiling so he didn’t have to watch if they started to make out.

Greyson’s face didn’t break. Well, it couldn’t… It was still far too swollen to be anything but a single expression of confused pain. But even beneath the skin, he was far too ready to go to let it be a problem. The only words that left his mouth were very clear, calm, and intentional.

”Linqian… These are the notebooks. In the best interest of all Sycamore members? We’re going to be leaving with these notes. Britney, Jack, Fucking Luca? I don’t care who we go to. But we need to get to friendly territory STAT.”

Linqian froze. Kari’s notebooks? The ones they’d been looking for the whole time? That could lead to them finding Father Wolf… Jinhai’s killer… Her hand dropped, and the explosion anger died down to a simmering need for vengeance. Deep pain and sorrow buried under layers and layers of it.
”Fine, but-”

”The notebooks?” In a blink of an eye Cass moved past the somewhat dazed Linqian, skidding to a halt right next to Greyson. She knew exactly what he was talking about. The notebooks their whole coven had been trying to find. Failing to find. Had meant to find on the island that had ended up as a disappointment.

”What, you don’t trust Leon? You Sycamites really do suck. Oh, I’m sure it is in the best interest of all the members that you run off with them… No need to worry ‘bout the others, huh?” Cass asked almost casually, tone not so friendly anymore.

If Greyson could’ve given Cass a look of disgust, he would’ve.
”You’re talking to the wrong person when it comes to Leon, Britbong. I’m not sticking around to debate with you about shit you don’t know or understand. Linqian, Henri, come on.”

Without making much of an effort to sidestep, Greyson started to walk forward toward the open hole, looking down the three floors to the ground. There was another landing below them that wasn’t broken, meaning there was a chance they wouldn’t need too much help getting down completely.

”You wanna interrupt Leon and ask him about my credentials? Or why you’re here in the first place? Leon’s breaking out a friend. Not some random fucking covenmate. Think about it.”

Cass let out what was almost a laugh, moving with Greyson. Close enough to be a threat, not so close that she was touching him. Of course she wouldn’t hurt him. Pin to the ground if it seemed necessary, maybe. But he really did think she was stupid, didn’t he? Cass was used to that… And all the assumptions about not knowing anything. Sure, she wasn’t a coven member. She didn’t know everything. But she knew enough. And Leon had told them who they were, at least.

A friend, sure, was one way to put it. Trusted in spite of being a ‘not great guy’ was more what Cass had in her mind.

It wasn’t Leon she was worried about. Leon could handle himself - and Leon trusted Greyson. He’d probably let him go. Cass probably should too. But she didn’t trust Greyson. He absolutely reeked of manipulation and lies. The smooth talker type that Cass really didn’t like. If Leon got pissed off at her about it later, she could handle it. But she didn’t trust this guy to go off and solve things.

More importantly, she knew what most of Sycamore thought of Trisha.
”I know your ‘credentials’, why we’re here, and why those notebooks are so important.” Cass spoke calmly- something that would’ve been unnerving for people that actually knew her. She didn’t rise to anything provocation.

”Lemme rephrase it. Are you gonna make sure to use those notebooks to hunt down your killer before he gets anyone else? Or d’you only care ‘bout your ‘friends’... Not random fucking covenmates?”

Linqian was strangely quiet, eyes fixed on Cass as she followed behind Greyson. She was still upset enough at Greyson to not bother getting pissed on his behalf- and beyond that, was stuck back in the mire of grief and revenge. Cold and silent… But watching close enough to stop him getting his ass beaten at least. Henri obediently followed at the back- utterly confused, and trying not to stick his nose into things he didn’t understand.

Greyson’s hands were occupied, so his Italian expressiveness was cut in half. But that didn’t stop him from making an exaggerated swing of his torso back to Henri and Linqian.
”Can you fuckin’ believe this? Sister, you are so lucky the big guy is your boy. Now, I would go run along, make sure he’s not getting-”

There was a tremendous noise as Leon smashed back through the roof and into the room they’d been occupying, sliding half through the door and half through a fresh hole practically into the group’s feet. Funnily enough, he groaned aloud before slowly bringing himself back to a sitting position.

”Grrrrrrreyson… Ken’s missing. So’s Drake. Don’t let us down here, hey?”
Of course he’d been listening. He had enough sensory perception to listen to them, everyone else, and still smell what the old lady was cooking down the street. And with Lelou in the processing seat, he knew it’d all get filtered out to his brain intelligently.

”Then Jack’s the only option to get into their secret hideout… Britney’s got his fucking number! Linqian, see! I wasn’t being a fucking asshole, this shit is- Fucking… You! You, you-” Greyson raised up again, both hands shaking away despite being occupied by carrying things. He was clearly redirecting to Cass.
”-Fucking, every woman I meet, it’s like a fucking clowncar of crazy. One wants to accuse me of being a scumbag, the other one wants to accuse me of being a scumbag…”

Leon stood up, body still pale and shimmering from the power of the unified transformation. His bleach white hair rippled practically on its own, the telltale plume of steam revealing Lelou’s near weightless form draped atop him like a jockey.

”Consider this, my dear friend… You are a scumbag.”

”I understand, and I’m trying very hard to not be these days!” he replied with a loud grumble.
”Now can we fucking leave?”

”You’re doing a great fucking job at not being a scumbag. Calling me crazy is practically a fucking compliment.” Linqian sneered sarcastically. Though there wasn’t that normal uptick of volume that came with her getting fully pissed off… Or the literal heat. Sure, she was still annoyed, but at least he’d admitted to it… Even if the actions really didn’t fucking reflect the words.

”Hey, hey, Jie, not the time to flirt if we gotta leave!”
”In which fucking fantasy world do you see me flirting in?!”

”This very real one- Oh!” Henri stepped forward with a bright smile, glad that things seemed to be calming down. He couldn’t really raise a hand in a wave, carrying the rest of their shit Greyson didn’t have… so he was forced to just give Leon a nod.
”I’m Henri, thank you for saving us! These two are thinking the same thing they’re just too embarrassed to say it!”

”Greyson literally already fucking thanked her.”
”... Well then he’s not the one embarrassed to say it, is he?”
Linqian just rolled her eyes at her brother.

Cass had stepped back when Leon crashed through into the room, shifting to be more at his side instead of right on Greyson’s ass. She listened, head tilting up towards Leon. Since he was there now, there was no leaving to protest about. At the end of the day she trusted that he meant it about his brother and her friend being his priority.

”Sure, sure, let’s get going since the big guy himself finally made an appearance.” She waved a hand in front of her, before stretching both of her arms above her head. That normal Cass bubbliness still wasn’t back… She wasn’t generally a paranoid person, but she was someone who’d tear the world apart from the people she loved. Those concerns would remain until everything was sorted.

”And hey, don’t worry, no hard feelings since you called me crazy and I called you a scumbag! That makes us even.”

Greyson nodded, sticking his hand out again.
”You were just doing what you felt was right.”
Of course, the master of not having hard feelings hadn’t thought about any sort of negative things to say before finally picking the nice guy dialogue.

With Cass accepting the tenuous hand, Greyson was the first one out of the hole and down to the rooftop platform below. Ten feet was a lot longer than one first thought, but he hit the roof with most of a roll like he’d intended. Ready to accept the others, he assumed they’d daisy chain one another down. Satisfied, Leon turned to Cass.
”Good work… You got ‘em out. We weren’t expecting the fuckin’ notes to be here, but I suppose they were the ones handling them. Unlucky, they did enough that we got involved… You okay?” he asked, looking down at her with posthuman features as his body and face were edging ever closer toward the middle point of androgyny. He almost looked like some Tolkien fantasy elf like this…

"Course I am! You worried cause've the blood? It ain't mine." Cass's grin was just as bloody as her face, as she began to regain her normal energy. She stared up at him, taking in his shifted appearance. Course, she loved how he looked normally, but the almost androgynous ethereal beauty was pretty damn hot too. She couldn't help but look further down, towards his chest…

"Fuck, you seriously don't get tits like this? Not at least a lil?"

Henri almost dropped Linqian from nearby, where he was helping her down towards Greyson after finally convincing her to let him. His head snapped towards the two with wide eyes, before adamantly turning back towards the hole. Best to not ask…

Leon grinned widely.
”Sorry, Love. The tits come with fur. Now, come on! There’s still a few shitty fucking traitors who need lessons in manners.”

He cut right, almost sliding back down the stairs on the remaining railing and hitting the floor below. His head turned to wait for her, body freezing in place and almost posed as if offering to catch her.

Cass grinned. Of course, she could easily jump down herself… but she wasn't going to waste any opportunity to be close to him. A little bit of clinging was the least she deserved after dealing with all of that!

She completely bypassed the railing… Instead the stairs were completely cleared by a magically boosted leap right towards Leon. He'd catch her… and if he didn't, she'd just catch him with her body.

Rather than fully catching her, Leon only really had time to pop up into the air like a stable place to grab, allowing her to hook onto him and scramble up by the time they hit the ground. Then, they were off and running into the fray once more, to bring down the House of Cards with one last huff and puff.

---

Leon's Apartment

By the time they got back to Leon's, it was nearing midday. Cass wasted absolutely no time in stripping off… and getting right in the shower. She was, after all, covered in blood after ripping out various throats. Washing something like that out of her hair was a hassle, but it wasn't the end of the world since she was due a proper hair wash anyway…

Plus, Leon's shower was large and luxurious enough that Cass could practically live in it. They'd spent plenty of time having fun together in it too… But she'd been adamant that wouldn't be happening right now and told him to stay outside. She actually needed to wash this time! And she really couldn't stand smelling the blood on her for much longer… heightened senses really were a double edged sword.

The adrenaline from the fight only really started to dim as the warm water washed over her. She stared down at the red pool that formed at her feet before going down the drain… And it really started to sink in a bit. She'd been in her first magical fight. It'd been pretty fucking awesome! She'd beaten a whole bunch of people, rescued who they wanted to without anyone dying… on their side. The other side, however?

A lot had died. She'd killed a lot of people today. She could still taste it in her mouth… the blood and flesh she'd torn out. She hadn't even thought about it at the time. It was them or her. But now… shit. She'd killed people. Discomfort settled in her gut, making her feel just a bit nauseous. All this blood she was scrubbing off that wasn't hers, but other people's. People with families, maybe. Shitty people, sure, but did they deserve to die?

That made her a murderer, didn't it?

Cass vigorously scrubbed shampoo through her hair, grimacing. When she was satisfied that she was completely clean, she stepped out and grabbed a towel. She slung it over her shoulders without bothering to actually dry herself. Instead she went over to the sink, leaning over to fill her mouth with water. Once, twice, three rinses and an extensive brush of her teeth before she was satisfied. That taste of iron wasn't lingering anymore…

"Hey, Leeee-oooon! I'm done!" Cass called out, not bothering with raising her voice much. If he wanted to he'd hear… even if done was standing half assedly drying her hair with a towel still over her shoulders. But she'd washed all the blood off, which was the important thing.

Assuming he was listening wherever he was, Cass kept talking energetically as if he was already in the same room, her own feet taking her towards the half open bathroom door.
"You do that shit a lot? Raising warehouses full of gangsters?"

”Usually its Bikers. Other werewolf packs. The occasional ne’er do well visitor to St. Portwell. Sometimes I ask for a portal to a different part of the world if Lelou’s acting up.” Leon admitted freely.

He was permitted by his Sister to use their bathroom, and found himself in a much smaller and more intimate situation. There was all sorts of fun graffiti on the walls of this bathroom, mostly drawn by Mia, which depicted all manner of women in various surmised sex positions. So was the style, that they were vague enough so as to only be fully observed by someone with a poorly adjusted libido. The images almost dared the observer to make a claim that they were sexual, only so they could spit in said observer's face for having the gall to assume the truth.

Though, he’d already finished that part. Now he was cleaning. The girls weren’t actually home, so Leon was taking the chance to make sure that places like behind the toilet and inside the cupboards were actually clean. He couldn’t exactly hire a cleaner, and the guy who used to keep the place military-spotless was now seventy feet above them… Actually, he was miles away on an island, or maybe headed home? His perfectly tracked circadian rhythm told him it was closer to noon than to one, so Leon presumed they were in transit.

But Cass was finished, so whatever spare time Leon had was out the window… At least until they reconvened for the next plan. Quickly popping out of the bathroom, he made way around the U shape of the apartment back toward his side.
”Why, just curious? Or are you ready for the next time?” he giggled.

"Oh yeah, I miss the taste of blood in my mouth already! And all the thrill's gone now that I've showered!" Cass laughed in response. Much as she did miss the adrenaline- though there were plenty of other ways to get it- she wasn't asking cause she wanted to jump into another fight. Not that kind of fight at least…

Satisfied that she'd dried herself off enough to not drip water everywhere, she slipped out of the bathroom and into Leon's room. Her destination was her suitcase, which she'd kicked into a non sex toy filled corner and deemed it a good enough area for her clothes for now. It was much fuller than it had been when she first arrived thanks to their shopping… which meant she actually had options! A whole pile of clothes to start rummaging through to decide what to wear.

"Mostly curious… Do you normally kill ‘em like that?"

Again, Leon shrugged. He was totally naked, with very little shame overall, and waltzed into his room with the confidence of a man who owned the place.
”Like what? With my hands? Or just… Killed like killed?” he asked simply.

"Just killed like killed." Cass replied equally simply, looking up from where she crouched in front of her wardrobe flinging clothes on the floor with a slightly more serious expression than normal. Just a bit.

It was a little difficult to be serious when she'd pulled the towel up over her head, wearing it like a hood-cape while not caring about the fact that it didn't cover her front half at all. It was to protect her hair rather than to cover herself up, after all.
"It's just a bit strange. I've never actually killed someone before today, so I dunno how to feel about it."

Leon’s face scrunched slightly.
”N-never? Seriously? You took to it so well, Dude… Kinda scary.”

Not that he could hide the other reaction. However, unflinching and near unable to feel shame over a natural reaction, he simply crouched down until he could sit bare-assed on the floor near her. His long mane of black hair was still strung with water, making him look somewhat like a sad lion lacking in majesty. His hand stretched out.

”Would it help if you knew who they were? I do try to keep from killing those who don’t really deserve it… But going down that road is a pretty slippery moral hill: The question often ends up being ‘What gives me the right to decide?’.” he tried to explain to her as best he could.

But, he’d killed his whole life. Always with his hands, too… It was the most up close and personal kind of killing, where you had to see the light of consciousness leave the other person’s eyes. In a way, he was far harder than his younger brother. While he’d seen real war, most often it was man against man no matter what. Here in St. Portwell? Things were never so clean. Man was often not of his own free will, and would maybe end the war on a personal level if they felt they could escape.

But here, there was blood paid, and blood taxed. Both came out of every faction’s pocket, and if that meant even the mundane Blinds got dirty? It’s why he had his own visions of escaping this place. Of taking the show on the road, and living like he’d always talked about with his Father. The Nomadic Warrior, living on the bounty of broken hands and swollen ears. Not the death of a group for the benefit of another…

”I’ll say, some people objectively deserve it. Those are the ones I like, because it’s practically free… And in my philosophy, tonight was a debt paid to society practically; getting rid of that den of thieves does nothing but boost the property value and lower the crime rate.” he admitted, tone shifting slightly to a matter of fact nature.

Cass nodded as he spoke, giving up on her clothing hunt for the moment in favour of turning around to properly face him. One hand came up to rub the towel into her hair a bit more as she really considered it. It really was that moral dilemma… What gave her the right to decide? What gave her the right to take another life? Should she have tried to disable them first?

But they would've killed her without a second thought. Just like she did in the heat of the moment.

"That sure does make it easier. If you'd turned around and said I slaughtered a warehouse full of actually nice guys- well, shit, that would've been something to process!" Cass shook her head with a half laugh.

"I ain't sure I care so much about property values but the less crime the better. Honestly, I ain't sitting here feeling like the worst person around… well, it's a lil hard to figure out. I guess it's more conflicted? Like you said, a moral thing- does it make me a murderer? Dunno. Would I do anything different? Well, no… They'd've killed me first. I ain't aboutta die to some gangsters… But then it's like, shouldn't I feel more bad about it?" She threw a hand up in the air.
"I dunno, dude… It's not like I started thinking about it till after the fact. Shouldn't I have had my moral panic earlier?"

Leon automatically shook his head.
”Not a chance. Not you. Y’seem kinda… Built for it, if that makes any sense? Like, you seemed really down to go on a Rescue Mission, because you said something like ‘No way I’d pass up the opportunity to kick ass with you!’. But I don’t think the average brain considers what that really means until it’s in the middle of it. Never mind a brain as beautiful as yours, Cass…”

He held out his hand in an offer of comfort, knowing that if she took it, it could be for anything… He just hoped it wasn’t to pull him into a slap. She didn’t seem terrible with things like this, but they were still fresh and he found himself being incredibly frank in the moment.

"Beautiful? That's a new one- most people'd say crazy." Cass laughed slightly, seeming to brighten up a little. It was pretty comforting to hear that she wasn't some psycho killer for not thinking about it until after she'd killed a whole bunch of people… sure, he'd said in the middle of it, but it was just extra delayed for her! Like when she was coding some shit for hours and realised she was absolutely starving only when she was done.

She took the offered hand, using it to pull herself towards him. She shifted from squatting to cross legged mid motion, stopping where their legs just touched. Closer to him now, she was seemingly ignoring that incredibly obvious natural reaction... Or at least not reacting herself. She knew it'd still be there for when she wanted it after getting over her moral dilemma, after all!

"Not sure how I feel bout ‘built for it.’ Like, I didn't really think about there being any killing involved! Just ass kicking- which yeah, I've been doing since I was like…" A hand gestures to her side, to about the height of an average five year old.
"This size. Course I'm used to it- and I ain't gonna miss out on that kinda fun! Beating people up is just part'a my life- it ain't something I worry about anymore. But it ain't ever organised like that, or so… deadly I suppose. It was real fucking thrilling… Which is what worries me a bit, y'know? But I guess I'm here worrying about it instead of going on some killing spree, ain't I?"

”Well, that’s just it, right? The only reason I follow through with actions like that is because I’ve got someone else who needs placation. That’s why I do my best to make our problem a problem that only people who deserve it have to deal with. If I went about all willy-nilly without temperance or a sense of justice, then… Yeah. I’d be a murderer. But I think Batman’s a crock of shit: If I go ‘Oopsie’ and break some Mobster who kidnaps and tortures people and extorts others for money, God knows what else? Them being gone and me being here with their blood on my hands is not equally tragic.”

Leon’s free hand stretched out, pointing down into the direct middle of Cass’ chest.

”But, you have what’s right and wrong in here too. You know that you’re not ready to go to the Maternity ward for some chew toys. You’re not on your way to the old folks’ home with a pail of homemade napalm and a lighter. Hell, you don’t even seem super interested in being told that there is plenty of post-legal murdering available for you as a guilt free passtime. Even the magical Federal agencies can’t keep us all from beefing so hard that corpses turn up. They just expect people like us to clean our messes, which we usually do.”

"Well yeah, I ain't raring to go kill people. If you told me there were loadsa non murder magic fights I could hop into? Hell yeah! But I'd only do the kinda shit we did today if it's like… well what happened today. Someone's kidnapped, or someone I care for is gonna get hurt. Like if anyone came for Trisha, or my other friends? Ooo I'd burn the whole place down." She clenched her fist, getting pumped up just thinking about it.

"There seriously that many all out magical wars going on us normies- well former now- didn't know bout? Like yous are throwing fireballs and turning into wolves in abandoned fields all gang style? I suppose Coven's are really just magical gangs but damn… I didn't realise that shit was so common. The insane, dead body fights."

Leon was happy to actually teach. If there was anything that he knew about, it was the general premise of magic in their world. It was hard to remember that he had been a brilliant Adept even as a teen, whose combinations of Orange and White Lux were creative masterpieces that still existed in the Richoux Tomes today.

”Until you’re directly affected by some sort of magical source, you don’t even know anything’s happening. Most of the time, even after, you don’t get to perceive the magical world around you. There’s a relatively small amount of people who can do what you can, and those who can’t can only hope to have some sort of contact with a Phantom, or Apparition, that is cool with letting you piggyback off of them. Stuff like that gets chalked up to natural disaster, or some random anomalous phenomena. People who can’t perceive still know, obviously… But they can’t prove it. Otherwise, uh… We use a lot of force multiplication.”

He giggled thinking about what that was exactly to someone who didn’t know. But, rather than take the exploration from her, he allowed her the chance to search her own whimsy.

Cass tilted her head, visibly thinking it through. Force multiplication… It took her a moment to remember what the fuck that was. But it was kinda in the name, so she got to that but… How was it used here?
”Like… Throwing more magical gadgets- Artifacts, thats the word- onto people and just throwing em at shit? Or like, some elite fully kitted out team? I dunno, dude, that could mean a lotta things or oh- do you mean force multiplication to keep it hidden?! Like, you got a couple of fucking extra useful guys who just hide that shit where no one else can?”

She threw a hand up, doing a Cass classic and almost smacking him in the face as she did.
”Or d’you mean like… that green goop shit you guys use? Or you not talking about you guys specifically? I bet there’s something in pairing the right magic together to get way better results… Or the right people. Shit, that could mean a lot. C’mon, don’t leave me hanging, am I even near right?!”

Grinning to himself, Leon swept his hand out to visually display the wide range of things he could have meant.
”I feel like all those options are good! You get it; it’s pretty much any dirty little trick we can use to not necessarily waste the best of the best. So, packing a bunch of artifacts onto someone who otherwise isn’t so strong? Viable. Sending a small team like who we were with, who are some of the best of the best, to do a big job in secret? Also viable. Most of the time, there’s Adepts and Aberrations who feel confident enough to play God, and love making their own soldiers and toys.”

This was a subject Leon was incredibly familiar with, as he had the same training as his other siblings. And, like all Richoux before them, a basic requirement was a Clockwork Automaton. One didn’t have to make the incredibly intricate doll; that was a job one specialized in. But, breathing basic life into it was the necessary job. He’d practiced the spell a thousand times across the span of his toy collection; and when his were no longer usable, he simply went for Casey’s.

”Like my family. We all learn how to make basic enchanted Constructs. Little machines that use Lux to reproduce basic scripting. Like some computer stuff, except magical. A real Artificer learns how to store Lux into batteries, power sinks, basically things that will let their spells last longer or produce a bigger burst of it at once. Otherwise, I mean… Zombies, plant monsters, wild animals, captured ghosts, elemental spirits, brainwashed mundane folk… Anything that can act as a proxy in between two or more individuals who don’t want to die. Really, not much different than politicians.” he giggled, shaking his head.

”Otherwise, us killing one another directly? It gets dicey. You can only make so many Adepts a year. Aberrations are easier, but that’s almost inhumane. Any manner of forcing a spirit onto someone who doesn’t know what they’re getting into, or actually forcing onto them without consent, is usually not actually good for the person involved. People from our old Coven, there’s this chick who… Did that to a lot of our fellow teens. Because we needed people to fight; there simply weren’t enough Adults interested in the problem and available to assist.” Leon intoned, now sounding a bit more serious and losing quite a bit of his natural reaction to the sad memories of people hurt and lost.

Cass nodded along, paying rapt attention to what Leon was saying. She’d been filled in a decent amount on Adeptal magic and shit from Reyna when she first kindled, then the last week or so, but Paranormal combat hadn’t really been a topic that came up. Rey was a magical ‘pacifist’ or whatever, so not exactly out fighting other Adepts. The whole ‘only make so many Adepts a year’ thing made her pause… Like, did they have some kinda Adept breeding factory? Fucking wild - but something to come back to.

As Leon’s mood visibly dropped, in more ways than one, she reached over to comfortingly pat his thigh.
”Dude, that’s pretty fucked. I mean, the whole group of teens fighting world ending threat instead of adults was already fucked... But sticking a buncha shitty ghosts on people? I get desperate times call for desperate measures, and I assume she was a teen too but… fuck…”

She shuddered a little bit at the thought. The whole Adjoined thing already sounded like a bit of a shit deal. Stuck with a constant voice in your head and magic attached to it? Like, her own voice was fucking noisy enough!

Cass rubbed the back of her neck, thinking a bit more about it. It was fucked. It wasn’t shit she’d do, but…
”D’you think it was completely fucked up, or that was a lil bit of… justification, considering the possible world ending thing?” She looked at him with complete openness, genuinely wanting to know what he thought.

Leon shrugged with an accompanying frown. It wasn’t an easy topic to go into, but he’d done enough work to understand that running from it or answering without genuineness was pointless in a moment like this.

”I… Feel like it was necessary. Some of those unwilling Adjoined became the most diehard and piss-filled motherfuckers we had. I guess… I was probably one of the first people to bring this to the group. I didn’t suggest we do it then, but… Britney just fucking took initiative. At the time? I helped. She was scared, and I knew a bit more. I was one of the older kids. I… Should’ve done something. Instead, I encouraged her. Helped her get what she needed. I made sure it was as safe as it could be; but fuck me if I didn’t just let it happen.”

He’d never sounded like this. Not in front of Cass. All the light and love in his voice had died, and what was left was somewhat hollow. His eyes almost sunk in, cheeks pursing into his mouth. He couldn’t even look at her. After a moment, he took a deep breath and tossed his hand onto his face.

”I’m sorry… Probably not the thing you actually wanted to hear. Especially not from a guy attached to a Ghost that he didn’t really want to be.” his voice cracked just a bit. Just enough for Cass to hear.

The question hadn’t been asked because Cass wanted to hear a specific answer- but he was right that it was a difficult one to hear. Hard to react to as well. There was the natural want to comfort someone she liked… But she wasn’t a liar. She wasn’t going to sit there and pretend it was perfectly fine.

She could see both sides. They were stuck in a war against a creature far stronger than them. It wasn’t a situation any teenagers should be in, so she could understand why in the moment he wouldn’t do something to stop it. She could understand the logic behind it. But that didn’t mean those innocent teenagers deserved to be stuck with ghosts.

It wasn’t one of those clear cut situations.

”I ain’t the one you should be apologising to… I mean. I ain’t gonna sit here and tell you that I think it’s fine. It’s still fucked. But I get why you did it… It ain’t a situation you all should’ve been in. Like, it probably was necessary. It’s one of those fucking things they used to say ‘bout the war… Necessary sacrifices or whatever. Pretty fucked to hear about someone you love dying, y’know? But it's the few versus the many.”

Cass was watching him directly, though she didn’t make any move to force him to look at her. It was still that same gaze… Genuine and calm. As calm as she could be, at least.
”Who am I to judge something like that anyway, but… Did you guys at least help the victims after?”

Leon only looked more dejected.
”Usually, you don’t want to stick around someone who took your agency and left you hitched to an incredibly oppressive weight. I wouldn’t expect a victim of a crime to seek the perpetrator’s comfort and assistance after the act. I have offered at this point; but just like them, I’m attached to a corpse. Nobody wants the help I can offer, because it all comes with a caveat. Involvement with the Temple. There’s this one guy, Luca… Nicest guy you’ve ever met. Was one of those people who probably would’ve done anything they could to help had they been involved… But they weren’t. Not until they were randomly attacked by the Stygian Snake’s Apparitions.” he began to explain, almost fading into a different place than they were sitting in.

He remembered it like yesterday… They’d been looking for someone or something to take on The Rot knowing full well that it would be an incredibly potent weapon to use against the Stygian Snake. Too hot to handle, there was no way they were going to foust the monstrosity on someone whom they actually knew.

”Luca would’ve died if we hadn’t stepped in. And, in turn, he… Paid a price. We needed someone to use this crazy Apparition we were holding onto in a seal. We Adjoined them, saved his life. Made it so he could go on living, and we charged him with using the Apparition’s powers to fight the Snake. He played an incredibly pivotal role in ending the fighting… But because of how the Rot works? He probably would’ve been better off dying. That’s why we didn’t use it on someone who was healthy. We didn’t want to lose our own. We knew… And, now? Just like a lot of the others, Luca stuck with the other victims. They formed their own Coven. Any bridge that was there, that we maybe could’ve helped him through, or Emily, or Vashti… Was gone. Because there was no trust. I haven’t been able to repair it since.”

Poor guy. Cass didn’t need told about the Apparition’s magic to guess what it did… It was in the name. The Rot… And they’d known. They’d saved his life and cursed him to suffer. Or something like that.

Much as she disagreed with what had been done to him, and the others, she still understood why Leon and this Britney girl had done it. She also understood the victims wanting nothing to do with them. It was easy to sit there and berate him as an outsider. Tell him that he should’ve done more, that they should’ve made amends… But if the victims didn’t want to see the people who’d forced Apparitions on them, they shouldn’t have to.

”Honestly, I can’t blame him- or them. If it’d been me, teenage me, I probably would’ve tried to kill you after.” Cass was bluntly honest about it. It hadn’t been her, of course. Never would be… And Leon had the adult Cass sitting in front of him now. Still pretty fucking hotheaded, but not so angry.

”You obviously carry around a lotta guilt with it… I think I’d feel a whole lot different about you if you didn’t.” More blunt honesty.
”I get both sides. You guys were doing everything you could to stop the Stygian Snake… of course you’re gonna use the powerful spirits you got. But the victims have every right to be as pissed as they clearly were… Which you seem to get. Like I said before, the whole situation’s fucked.”

Her hands flung out in a frustrated motion.
”You did what you thought was right, and now you know it wasn’t, right? You gotta live with that guilt like he’s gotta live with that ghost…” She brought her hands back in, one going to rub the back of her neck. She didn’t quite know where to go from there. It was a lot to think about. Did it change her feelings about Leon? No. She could clearly see how much it was tearing him up, even after ten years.

But it was still some fucked up shit. So she couldn’t really comfort him about it… So she didn’t do anything else, going back to watching him calmly.

Sitting there quietly, Leon contemplated what he really wanted out of his life. Whether it was redemption, or simple peace. It had to be redemption; how could he carry on with his life as it stood? There were only so many places he could hide as an actual famous person, and for the sake of those who had to deal with the memory of what he’d done, he had to make things right.

”I was taught about justice. Heroism. Stories about my own ancestors, and people in my bloodline committing to Justice. Doing the right thing. Probably just a bunch of fuckin’ bullshit. But, the point was to temper my morality. To teach me what was right and wrong. Now the only thing I can do is make what I can right, fix what I can, and hope that the others can make peace in their own time. Right? That’s all I can do…” he tried to bargain, maybe not with Cass, but with his own conscience.

At this point, he just wanted things to be put right. His position in the Supernatural world made him a pariah to most of the people he otherwise would’ve been friendly with; and while whoever he knew from the Temple may’ve had love for him, it was all predicated upon just that… His position in the Supernatural world. The same thing that made him loved by some, made him hated by all the people who had mattered to him.
Stormy didn’t call. Sully didn’t call. Drake didn’t call. Baron was dead. Ashley was dead. Daisy was… Gone. And anyone who could’ve been considered a fresh start? They took one look at the Temple, and anyone with half a brain ran the other way.

His life couldn’t start again until this was all over. Father Wolf, and then…

”You uh… Really don’t mind hanging around with freaks like us? I mean, after what Trisha said about not wanting you involved? I’m never gonna tell you that you can’t be right where you want to be…” he finished, holding out his hand to her in a gentle way.

”Dude…” Cass stared at him like he’d just asked something absolutely ridiculous. Surely the answer was obvious in that she was still here? She hadn’t even fucked off when he’d just admitted to sticking a bunch of ghosts on innocent teenagers. If she didn’t want to be somewhere, she wouldn’t stick around.

It wasn’t like it was just because of being a fan, or Trisha’s involvement in the freaky cult too. Sure, Trisha was a small part of it… But she liked Leon. They just clicked. All those worries about him turning out to be an absolute dick, the whole ‘don’t meet your idol thing’, didn’t come to fruition. Well, sure, he could be a bit of a dick - but who wasn’t.

”You’re asking like you’ve tied me up in your dungeon and are feeling guilty about it or some shit!” Cass laughed, slapping her hand into his. It wasn’t exactly gentle, but it was very her. Typical energy.

”If I did mind I’d be back in San Francisco, tearing my hair out about somebody’s shit fuckin’ code. I get Trisha’s worried but… I’m a grown woman, I can make my own decisions! I am where I wanna be… At least for now.” She flashed him a teasing grin.

Leon almost blushed, tucking his head downward a little bit and letting his hair slide in front to block his face. He even had a smirk, as if he couldn’t be any more coy. But it was a clear joke, his face turning back to look at her from the front with a grin. Not sly, not motivated by anything other than a tender care that he’d buried so deeply.

”I uh… I thought about whether or not it was weird… What the moral implications would be for involving you in all this. I was worried. Worried that I was taking advantage of you, or that you were somehow infatuated with me because you were a fan. But, now I know it ain’t that. So, thank you… For being honest with me. And I’ll always be honest with you.”

Pushing from his seated position to his knees, then up into a squat. Both of her hands still in his, he started to stand.

”Now, come on… How can I help you feel better?”

The Symphony: Modern Magic

---

13 Mourningdove Lane

So there was no way to get rid of it.

Great. She was stuck with these whispering shadows for the rest of her life. Goodbye ever sleeping well! Goodbye having even a moment of peace! What a fucking joke. Her life was such a fucking joke. Like she didn’t have enough demons whispering in her head.

Her own thoughts were bad enough, nevermind these ones.

Bea’s expression wasn’t particularly good, hands shoving into the pockets of her leather jacket with a scowl. Even Rowan’s joke didn’t really do much, dragging out just a hollow laugh and a sarcastic response. ”I quit my job and the entire park’ll fall apart. Hard pass.”

But annoyed as she was, Bea still followed the group to the library.

---

While almost everyone else was reacting with strong, negative emotions, Bea didn’t feel much at all watching Lena’s cabin burn down on the screen. Just a deep apathy.

After all, what did she have to lose? She lived alone. Her dad was already dead, and she rarely visited her mom and half-siblings. So… Who was really in danger? Rowan? Rowan was leaking just as much ‘magical energy’ as her. Was there anyone else she really cared about?

No.

And she cared much less about her own lives than those of the people around her. Living didn’t bring her much. Just day after day dragging herself out of bed to a job that drove her closer to the end. So she couldn’t bring herself to care about her possible death. If anything, it’d be welcome.

As apathy and dark thoughts filled her mind, the shades around her slowly reacted.

Some slunk off into the darkness in the room, shadows dancing across the walls for any looking close enough. But blink and they’d be gone- or had they ever been there in the first place? Others clamoured at her feet in the shadow she cast, whispering temptations to her.

Why struggle?
Why not take them all down with you?
Strike a deal, save yourself.

A flickering, flamelike shade near Lena, whispering in Bea’s mind about burning everything down, began to grow in size. It only became more fiery- as if the shadow was imitating the fireball giving it such a delicious shadow to grow in. Like it was feeding off the nightmare that had unfolded in front of the poor woman.

But it wasn’t visible to anyone else, too busy feeding.

Bea wasn’t so lucky with the others. It was like they wanted to add to the chaos around them… And she hardly cared enough to stop them. Could she, even?

A tiny, shadowy hand manifested, only to flick through the pages of Mason’s book like a child begging for attention. Every time it seemed he'd get a chance to read, or he'd change the page back, it would mess with the book again.

”They’re watching us. They’re always watching us.” A sinister whisper came from right behind Pom. If she looked around, she’d find nothing but the shadows cast by the chair tauntingly wobbling.

Drip, drip, drip.

Matt- and anyone close enough to him- would hear a continuous dripping sound. An almost wet sensation as a shadowy puddle formed at his feet. It seemed to be continually growing, like it was trying to become the lake he feared.

Another slunk around Cailean, softly whispering how they weren’t like her mother. Less than even the lesser elves…

”Ooo, so weak, destroying everything.” A shadowy tendril appeared next to Emmy, hovering over her hands and the well worn fabric of the gloves. Before she could try and go for it, it disappeared back into the darkness.

Bea didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything going on around her. About Elvish infighting, or how idiotic their hunters were, or if some old elf thought they should go off the grid. Nor did she give a fuck about the third Ravensmere. Why struggle? Why bother?

The shadows could do what they wanted. It wasn’t like others could hear them, could they? And if they did, they could join her in being crazy. Haunted by fucking shadows that just kept appearing out of nowhere. Her shade covered eyes moved towards the bookshelves and Rowan on the ladder. More vibrant than normal with knowledge at her fingertips…

Shadows welled up at the base of the ladder, clawed hands reaching out for the wooden frame to shake it. A shot of fear broke the heavy apathy that encompassed so much of Bea’s life.

”Stop!” Bea’s eyes flared bright yellow underneath her shades, magic briefly flaring out of her to command the mischievous shadows. All those still visible- the hand flicking through the book, the growing shadow puddle at Matt’s feet, and those about to shake the ladder- stilled.

Then, they disappeared. To everyone but Bea, the room’s shadows went back to normal. For her, the whispering only returned to its normal level as all of her shadows congregated on her again.

Why would you stop us?
It’s just a bit of fun…
Aw… you can’t handle it like they can…
Why don’t you admit it? You’re scared too.

”Fuck! I don’t give a fuck about all this other shit- when can we start learning to control it? That’s why we all came here! That’s how we stop those shitty witch hunters. Training is the solution or whatever, so why are we just standing around talking about whether to go camp in the woods or who their fucking sister is?! Some of us are gonna lose our fucking sanity before we get started.”

Iron and Honey: A Love Story [FernStone & AtomicEmperor]

Casey's Office, The Cannery Apartments. > Home

Another successful date went off without a hitch. After spending an intimate night together, the glowing couple descended the snowy mountain and made their way back to the raw and rainy coast of St. Portwell. That entire Monday was spent by both parties working out logistics for the upcoming events of Thursday. The nightmarish onslaught was approaching closer and closer…

Casey made the time to approach Lynette about the business left unfinished during their last visit. This time, without Trisha. Talks weren’t pleasant, ending in a rather somber moment between mother and son where neither knew what exactly to say to the other.

”I guess the best thing I could do as a mother is get it over with. Spare my children any further pain.”

”You could give this up! Live to see your grandchildren be born!”

”You’ll never understand until you have children… What they do to your heart!”

Whatever it was, she wasn’t planning on letting go of the reins that she had in her hands. Not while she was still alive. She made it very clear that Project Eden moves forward, on her schedule. He just wondered if the rumblings he heard about Sycamore were true… That things were shifting elsewhere, and that pressure may increase ahead of schedule.

Because if things moved for them, it meant things were going to get very dicey. Who knew what supply lines would look like soon… Maybe that was why she was just laying down ready to die. Or, maybe that was her ultimate plan? Some kind of false sense of security?

It didn’t matter. What mattered was that there was going to be a very special visitor coming to the Cannery today ahead of the next day’s events. A special visitor with an extra special package in tow.
He was dressed nicely, as if he were at some kind of business. In fact, everyone in the office was dressed above board from usual. Most of the time, the resident-workers shuffled upstairs for their shifts still in pajamas. Today, everyone had ties and dresses. Even Casey, who had a great deal of help from Trisha in looking presentable as possible.

”Gramps and Gram aren’t stiffs… They’re honestly hilarious. But, y’know, they’re both from a certain time.-” Casey explained to Trisha as they sat around in his office waiting.
”-They like things orderly. Makes it feel more respectable, and less like some domestic pigsty we live in and happen to work out of. You look fantastic by the way, Babe. It means a lot that you’d meet them. Like I said, they are definitely not like how my family here is.”

He was dressed in black slacks and suspenders, his dress shoes polished and shining in the light of the office. His dark grey and pale grey striped shirt accented by a complementing tie gave him a slimmed look to his figure in spite of his massive stature. Little gold cufflinks with black ivory from a magical elephant species accented his wrists, and he tugged his arm to adjust the sleeve before looking at Trisha with a smile. He was leaned up against the desk rather than sitting, and was all smiles.

”Like I said, Elise will be here… But, she’ll take a back seat. Won’t have much of a choice if Gram is feeling well.”

Trisha was glad Casey thought she looked fantastic, after hours agonising over what to wear before more hours actually getting ready. In the end, she’d opted for something more simple but smart. A light grey, plaid wool dress with a skirt that fell to just above her knees - longer than she’d normally opt for. It had a tight bodice with thin straps and a straight neckline. She’d opted to wear it over a black turtleneck top. It wasn’t a very typical Trisha outfit, but it was one she felt fit for this specific situation.

Her makeup was subtle: covering up blemishes, some eyeshadow and lip gloss. Nothing too obvious without looking closer. She’d pulled her long waves back into a braided bun at the nape of her neck.

“How am I supposed to greet them, then? I’ve gotten used to the rest of your family…” She bit her lip a bit. It was impossible for her to not be nervous. She had very little experience with grandparents in general- she had no clue who her dad’s parents even were, and had met her Lola- her mom’s mom- only a handful of times. Liking things orderly added pressure. At least with Lynette, and his siblings, she didn’t have to try to make a good impression. Or didn’t feel the need to, at least.

She was anxious enough she could barely take in how handsome Casey looked dressed like this…
“But of course I’m meeting them. The worst impression is not being there at all- well, maybe not. They might end up hating me, which would be worse than not being there at all. What if that happens?”

”I mean… They’re weird? Right? I guess start with a nice curtsey? Gramps’ll take your hand and kiss it. You’re wearing the family ring, right? Countess Mallory?”
He looked down at her finger. The wide and silvery shimmering ring with the green and blue nodule atop glinted in the light above them.

”Yeah, that one… He’ll say a prayer to it. It’s not to you, but he’ll… Fuckin’... He’s gonna ask if you know the story. I’m sorry, I was trying to avoid it, but he’s gonna bring it up. Or, he’ll let Gran take care of it. If you get her in private, you could probably tell her how you feel about the Temple; you’ll find her a staunch ally in the fight against my Mother…” he laughed to her.

”Just be… Formal, but relaxed. If that makes sense?”

It was already feeling very unrelaxed the moment a curtsey was brought into it. Trisha had never curtseyed to someone else. Who would a Vanburen do that to? Especially one who didn’t give a fuck about the family name or staying in anyone’s good graces.

But she did for Casey, and for family elders that would still be around a year from now… Elders who had made the ring he was going to propose with.
“I don’t think formal and relaxed normally go together? I’ll… try. I’m not really used to be anything but annoyed in formal settings, especially family ones.”

Not that any of their private family events were formal. Just the many dinners, events and galas she’d been dragged to in her many years…

“It’s a bit relieving that your Grandmother won’t be upset about how I feel about the temple… Will your Grandfather that I don’t know the story behind the ring? Do I- Should I pretend to be religious at all?” His words weren’t really enough to make her relax. The anxiety was going to be there until it was done… But though it didn’t seem like it right now, it would be completely hidden as soon as they actually arrived.

It was only coming about because she felt safe with him.

”As long as you don’t start screaming ’Hail Satan’, they won’t ask questions. He’s not going to be mad at you, but he will swear at me in French, and I’ll probably tell him that it was Mom’s idea to not tell you the meaning behind the rings. All heat comes off us. Remember, while the people around me as a child mentally abused me? These two old people treated me like the most special little boy. Nurtured, y’know? Lots of arguments about needing to ‘handle me differently’.” he explained, trying his best to speak to his beloved grandparents’ good natures.

”They’re not part of the Temple, if that makes sense? If the Temple of Charming and Graceful Individuals are Baptists, my grandparents and their organization are the Congregationalists. Less specific. Less crazy. More broad and based in their beliefs. I’d say they’re Puritans, but that would make them sound more crazy…”

Trisha nodded, seeming to let go of a little bit of tension. She could deal with a less crazy branch. She’d grown up around Catholicism with her mom, at least, so she knew enough to get by if necessary… And her own beliefs were so lacking that she’d never bother arguing against what someone else believed.

“I’m not sure anyone can be more crazy.” She managed a little giggle, trying to think of what that would be like. It was impossible to imagine. But no matter what they ended up like, she could put up with it if they’d actually treated Casey well when he was young.

“They must love you, then… Are they overprotective at all?” Another worry. Something that could go either way. They could be happy he was happy, or they could view her as someone that could hurt him…

Casey shook his head.
”Not anymore. Gramps was one of the spectating judges in my fight against Furio. He didn’t say much, but I felt the change. He didn’t look at me like that helpless little boy anymore.”

Oddly, Casey was beaming as he said that. Maybe it was a shitty circumstance, but it felt amazing to prove something to someone who had been such an untouchable figure in his life like his Grandfather. After all, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree in the Richoux clan… Maxwell the Second was no less of a pugilist, famed explorer, Grandmaster Artificer; and Sylvie Richoux? There were no words for the power held in that little woman’s hands…

”I think it really is my time to shine, y’know? To uh… Make them feel good about having had my back as a kid. I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to run away to them, and how every time we went to New York, I’d always beg to stay.” his beaming smile became a gentle and passive glare at nothing in particular. Just memories in a forgotten time.

But time was no longer theirs. Questions were over with the ominous ring of Casey’s telephone. He answered it wordlessly, then put it back down on the receiver.
”Showtime, Love.”

A few moments later, the elevator at the end of the hall gave its telltale ding. Voices almost instantly flooded the halls with phlegmy French tones of varying volumes. Loudest among them was clearly an old man. It was the most raspy of the bunch, perhaps torn up by years of smoking or some other condition. Familiarly, Elise’s voice was almost exactly the same in French as it was in English, so her dulcet tones could be tracked through the tonal calmness that they tried to emphasize beneath the excitement.

But the massive, lumbering figure that appeared and almost entirely encompassed the space was in the office faster than anyone could track. He was dressed in a plum purple suit with a white shirt and a cherry red tie. Long long white hair was tangled up into a single braid which flung backward and out of the way as the giant wrapped Casey in its arms. Blurts of French static escaped the two men as they squeezed one another in an embrace.

Behind that, a small group made their way into the doorway.
”Oh, Grampie! Press not the boy into bookfold!” Elise cooed, waving a hand at Trisha.

She stepped in a little closer, and behind her was a tiny woman. Not abnormally so, as five foot wasn’t exactly a crazy short height for a grown woman to be… But, surrounded by six-foot plus giants on all sides? It made her a little less normal, and just a little bit smaller. Having said that, she was just as regal as Lynette seemed to get. Not as crazy, however. Her dress was elegant, like one off the page of a French fashion magazine. Makeup pristine. Even her hair was still dark, though she carried the look and feeling of venerable age. It was hard to pin down if venerable was fifty, or plus another fifty…

”Non! He’s made of Iron! Like a battle tank!”

Casey grunted with effort. Trisha would be able to look to the side and watch as her to-be fiance dipped slightly and scooped up under his Grandfather’s ribs. In a single motion, he clean jerked the old man off the floor and into the air, which was received by a howl of both joy and surprise from the old man.

Elise only gave a look of exasperation to Trisha.
”My God… Nobody in our family can even fake being calm for five minutes for you, can they?” she asked with a laugh, holding out her hand for Trisha to shake. Normally it’d be a hug, but she was overly sensitive to the desires of others, and knew that the hug wouldn’t be wanted. Her only desire was to express a greeting with love in it.

Inside, Trisha was panicking. Calm? Relaxed? They were neither- especially not his Grandfather who barrelled into the room and grabbed Casey like he was trying to squeeze him to death. It was incredibly overwhelming. But while she didn’t have much experience with grandparents, she did have experience with overwhelming.

None of this panic showed on her face. From the moment it was no longer just her and Casey, a calm facade had settled across her. Fake, but polite. It wavered a little at the unexpected entrance, but easily slipped back into place. It was well practiced, after all. Casey was the only person she really couldn’t keep it up with.

“You seem to be managing to.” Trisha replied to Elise quietly, with a smile. There was a hint of genuinity behind the politeness as she reached out to shake her hand. It was a bit odd as a greeting, but she could guess what it was an alternative to. But having responded to Elise’s greeting meant that it was time to greet the other two.

Trisha turned her polite smile to Casey’s Grandfather and Grandmother. Even though it felt embarrassing to do, she gave them both a shallow but neat curtsy.
“I’m Trisha Vanburen, Casey’s girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you both. I hope you had an easy journey to get here.”

The old woman’s face lit up near instantly, and like she was on a string, she curtsied as if she were on stage at a play.
”Oh, oui, so nice to see a girl still knows the Curtsy. You two, you shake hands? Zis is not friendly?”

Elise put her hands up.
”Oh, nothing of the sort, Nana. Trisha’s simply not the hugging type.”

”To you.” was the curt but tonally gentle reply. The woman smiled at Trisha with a mouth full of golden teeth.
”You are sweet to worry about our travel. You say, Trisha? As in Pat-risha?”

Her accent was thick, but it was hard to avoid that every single tooth was individually plated gold. Or, maybe they grew that way? It was unsettling at the least. It seemed to make her mouth heavier, and there was a noticeable slur because of it. Lazy speaking…

But the old man was still clinging to Casey as he turned and looked down at Trisha.

”Non! Casey, you’ve told me so! She is Trisha! My love, apologize!” the massive, vaguely portly man chided his wife with a gentle prodding at her cheek. Instinctively, she puffed them out before turning back to Trisha.
”Zen it is not short? My apologies Trisha! I am Lady Sylvie Devearoux Richoux-Von Harken… Please, you call my name, no?”

And the giant man gave a massive chubby hand down to take hers, bringing it up and gently kissing the ring of the saint upon it.
”And you call me Grampa Max! Casey speaks of you with rose gold and diamond in his eye. And you wear the blessing of Countess Mallory, I see! Tell me, have you felt the men in your life fall in line as of late?” Max asked her very matter-of-factly.

Trisha’s smile didn’t waver even as she tried to figure out how to answer that question. What did he even mean? Was Countess Mallory some kind of past dominatrix who had all the men in her life whipped into shape? Was that her blessing?

The answer was no, obviously. Casey had treated her well from the moment he’d met her… He did what she asked him to unless he really disagreed with it. But that hadn’t changed. The other men in her life? Well, they were lacking… The only person she’d had contact with was Ezra, and he definitely hadn’t.

“I can’t say there’s been a noticeable difference… But maybe that’s because there aren’t many men in my life, outside of Casey.” She played it off with that same polite smile. There weren’t many people in her life at all…
“He’s always treated me like a princess.”

Sylvie made a gentle cooing noise, looking up at Max who beamed with pride.

”My son isn’t here to appreciate your compliment. So, for our family, I accept your kind words. We are so thrilled that our little Cygnet grew to be such a Swan, and that he’s a prince to his princess? Oh, c'est magnifique!”

Max was emphatic, and his massive hand plopped back down onto Casey’s shoulder with a gentle rub.

”We are so proud of all you’ve done. All of it… And what you will do.”

While Max’s attention mostly turned back to Casey, sparing Trisha the tale of Countess Mallory Richoux once again, Sylvie almost looked like she had something else to say. Her head turned up to Max, and a burst of French escaped her lips. With a massive smile on his face, Maxwell nodded.

”Trisha… Would we be permitted in your home above? I’ve heard of the glass house on the building for years, but haven’t ever seen it…” Sylvie spoke gently, as if asking for the most egregious thing ever.

Trisha wasn't exactly a fan of having people in her space, but… there'd already been plenty of visitors to the open area of the house. It was easier to accept when they had their private spaces - their bedroom, even if it was somewhat visible from the main room, and the Den. Places people would only go if invited…

Thankfully most of her mess was kept to the Den. Casey liked to keep the place pretty spotless, which had resulted in one little fight when he'd tidied up some books she'd left on the couch and she'd gotten upset when she couldn't find them… Since they'd come to a bit of an agreement that she'd at least not leave shit spread across it, and he'd leave anything she left in that room alone. It worked, and she was just glad he didn't get upset that she wasn't the tidiest person…

But it meant most of their home was in a presentable state. It didn't stop her from feeling worried about letting them in, just that they wouldn't immediately judge it. But maybe they wouldn't even care?

“Of course… it is Casey's home too, after all." Trisha spoke as if it was the easiest thing to answer in the world, and there was no silent inner turmoil or anxiety. Casey would probably know, but that was because he knew her well at this point… But on the outside she was a pristine image of polite friendliness. She really genuinely did want to make a good impression, which to her meant acting in a very specific way. Not quite herself…

“Any family that he wants around is always welcome. Isn't that, uh, how family works? I wouldn't quite say our home is your home, but you're welcome inside." Great job sounding like you have a normal family, Trisha..

“It might be a bit noisy up there… Hopefully that's alright?" The bees weren't particularly happy after she'd essentially banished her from the morning when they started pestering her while she was getting ready… And then was actively keeping them away from her right now since she wasn't wearing something they could easily hide in. But as soon as she went back upstairs? It would be difficult to stop some of them from swarming her.

She'd just assumed she'd be down here until Casey's grandparents left…

”Due to the Swarm? Eh… Swarm? Flock? What eh…” Sylvie’s face turned to Elise for help.

”If they’re all about in a cloud, Nana. If they’re calm, or simply about their space, it’s a Colony.” Elise clarified, speaking about bees as a general fact rather than about Trisha’s specifically.

”Oui, I am… Not? Allergic?”
It was interesting that, despite Casey claiming that his Grandparents lived in America, the woman still seemed to have trouble speaking English in a natural way. Plenty of pauses to parse out what was coming next, trying to figure out what word was supposed to go where…

The grandfather seemed to have things under a much better control, speaking probably to his role as a socialite rather than… Whatever the grandmother did. Casey had seemed to imply, in their infrequent talks about her, that she was a bit of a recluse. Not to her family, but socially. Once, Casey pretty much outright confirmed that she was some kind of pariah in her own circles. A witch with a bad habit of making things that didn’t need to be made…

”No, Ma’am. You’re safe. They probably wouldn’t get close to you anyway!” Elise commented, a smile crossing both womens’ faces as Sylvie lightly tapped Elise on the cheek. There was a burst of French cooing, and Elise gave an embarrassed look as the elder fussed over her for a moment.

”Okay, okay… Come on, now!” Elise waved her arm, as if ushering Trisha to lead the way.

“Elise is right, they'll all be trying to get on me.” Trisha confirmed calmly. Her body tilted slightly towards Casey, wanting to grab his arm and have him lead with her… But she also didn't want to impose or risk interrupting any moment with his grandfather. So she just clasped her hands in front of her with a smile.

“Right this way… It'll be much nicer to talk in our home, since we have a nice setup for guests." Trisha said as she led them out of Casey's office.
“Like, actual places to sit! Not that you'd expect or want couches in an office."

She laughed lightly, being careful not to walk too fast down the corridor or outpace the group. It didn't matter so much as she went up the stairs onto the roof… the moment she was a couple of steps out of the door she immediately had to stop.

A group of bees had been impatiently waiting in the canopies leading to their home. The thick pheromones hanging in the air hit Trisha's nose before they did. At least a couple of thousand bees descended on her in a swarm like tiny puppies left at home by their owner for hours. Normally they weren't so clingy- but they could sense her nerves over the past few weeks from the constant pheromones she gave off. So, they'd been clingy. Sometimes they were more calm when they knew she was with Casey… but they had to check first.

Since she'd told them to leave her alone so early on in the day, then made them stay upstairs, they didn't know she was under the ‘protection’ of the strange, large ‘bee’ that made her happy.

“I’m so sorry." Trisha stepped out of the way so she wasn't blocking the door as a mass of fuzzy yellow and black bodies crawled all over her.
“Feel free to go into the house- Casey can let you in. I just need to let them check on me for a little bit."

Sylvie seemed enraptured by the swarm, staring as the thousand black and yellow bodies flooded into the space around them.

”Ahhhh… Mon dieu! We keep the Bee on the Estate, but non do they approach the groundsmen in such a fashion!”
She was sure not to interrupt them, aware as she was that they weren’t exactly normal bees.

”You truly are le Reine! I should have made you a crown, non?”

Meanwhile, Elise was already shuffling Sylvie around the big happenings and toward the door to the house. Equally baffled by the greenhouse structure as she was by the actual tiny house sitting on top of this city building, the elder Richoux wasn’t sure of where to let her eyes rest. Trying to get the door open, Elise found it locked and bound by a haptic response spell that shunted her hand from the knob instantly.

”Oh, you fucker! Casey…”
She turned to face Trisha, knowing that her grandfather had held her brother downstairs to pass off the all important package that the two of them kept going on about… Meaning that he wasn’t there to let them into the magically sealed house.

”Trisha? Sorry… Casey didn’t come up… Can you open this? I didn’t know he went full fucking secretary of defense with this lock shit.” Elise questioned, voice shifting between slight annoyance and the measured politeness that told her to calm down.

“Oh- Oh, of course." Trisha hadn't even realised Casey didn't come up with them. She'd been concentrating too much on just leading them up there and staying calm… Knowing Casey wasn't there made the second part a bit harder. But she could do this. She'd spent years dealing with all sorts of scenarios herself. It shouldn't even be that difficult.

Trisha moved past Elise and Sylvie towards the door, pulling out her key awkwardly as the bees crawled over her hands. Thankfully they were listening to her enough to move out of the way as she unlocked and pushed open the door. Since she was there anyway…

She stepped inside, shuffling out of the way to let the other two in.
“Just leave the door open, then I can have them leave when they're done." She was talking about the bees, of course, turning to Sylvie with a smile to finally acknowledge what she'd said. There was a hint of redness on her cheeks as she thought about it…

“A crown would've been too much! But I appreciate the thought… I'm not very regal just because the bees view me that way. It's not really the same as human royalty, is it? If anything they recognise me more as… Well, a leader is the same thing. I'm like their… Mom?" Trisha rambled a little bit, bees still crawling all over her as she stood near the door of her home.

”Oui, Trisha. A Queen is simply a Mother of Nation, non?” Sylvie commented, smiling as she entered their house fully.

”Merveilleuse! Oh, and the ‘anging plants! Places for them to stay, non? Do they- Oh! Oh, so mignonne!” she continued, blurting out French exclamations as bees further descended from the hanging garden and made the approach vector toward Trisha.

For a moment, the elder woman fell into a coughing fit that Elise was quickly by her side to help with. Without asking, and remembering easily from her short visits here, Elise made way for the cabinet with the glasses, and poured water into one for Sylvie to take from. The whole glass of water tumbled down the old woman’s throat within a few seconds.

”Merci, merci… I am not eh… Breathing. Not right.”
She seemed to motion toward a chair. Rather than walking to it, the chair quickly received the signal and hobbled up to her as if it were her loyal pet. Sitting down in it, the legs began to act as her own. Now, she was riding the chair to a comfortable place where she felt she could put herself up and simply observe.

”Oh, praise be to God himself… Ten fucking minutes of quiet without that man’s booming voice in my ear! Merde… Trisha? Thank you, darling. I truly lack for private moments.”
While her voice didn’t change, her mannerisms did. Just enough to mark a difference between totally polite Sylvie, and a Sylvie who felt comfortable.

”Do you keep alcohol in this house? Does Casey still drink Soviet battery juice?”

Trisha wasn't entirely sure what she meant by Soviet battery juice. They drank together occasionally, but it hadn't really been frequent… mostly wine and beer. She didn't remember seeing anything strong enough to be considered battery juice. Or was it just something shit?

The change was also strange to her. Was Sylvie more comfortable without her husband around? How did that make sense? Of course, Trisha appreciated having moments to herself now and then… Alone. When she was around other people she generally preferred Casey was there too. Maybe it was because she didn't have the same kind of family, she'd never want to be with them by herself… But she wasn't family to them yet, was she? She was practically a stranger.

“No need to thank me- And we have a few bottles of wine, and some beer in the fridge. What would you like?" Trisha gestured towards where both were kept, glancing towards Elise apologetically. With all the bees inside the house joining those that had been outside, she was basically half bee at this point. She was constantly comforting them with her pheromones, but they were still clingy. Maybe it was the strangers in her home?

“I haven't seen any Soviet battery juice! He probably keeps that in the fridge down in his office." She laughed, moving further into the house while keeping the door ajar behind her.
“Do you want anything to eat? We have some chopped up fruit, if you'd like? We have other snacks too."

As if sensing what she was talking about, the bees on her started buzzing a bit louder. The fruit wasn't even going to be for them…
“Sorry! Not exactly quiet when they're involved…"

”If it is cold, Blanc would be preferred, Trisha. Cold rouge is…-” Sylvie made a face that screamed disgust. Her whole mouth curled so that she could bare her teeth at the very thought of such sacrilege.
.”Oh, certainly for the best, Nana… You don’t need Vodka this early in the day.” Elise intoned, making way for the wine glasses and finding that one was already hot stepping out of its spot in the cabinet.

The glass flung itself off the perch high above, hitting the counter with a loud glassy thunk. Meanwhile, the fridge door was already opening, and as lively as it’s friend the glass, a bottle of white wine rolled its cylindrical existence out and across the floor. Closer and closer to Nana Sylvie, until she had both objects in her hands and was pouring herself a drink.

”Nana!!! This isn’t your home to do as you please in!” Elise barked, a shocked look plastered on her face as she watched her grandmother enact her usual comfort routines.

”Non, but Trisha has said! It is hers, and it is Caseau’s! If it were not hers and his, then I would not be so comfortable! But, Casey would say yes, non?” she asked fairly innocently as she tucked back into her glass. Instinctively, the bottle was already rolling back toward Elise to be picked up.

”Besides, I would not have one do what I can on my own. I am old, but not crippled!”

Trisha froze as the scene unfolded in front of her. She hadn't been upset when Sylvie used magic on the chair, since she assumed the extra walk would be too difficult for her. She was older, she'd only look rude if she kicked up a fuss about something like that. But using magic so much, when Elise had been ready to get it? When Trisha was already edging her way towards the kitchen.

It was difficult not to flinch at the sound of glass hitting the counter and thankfully not shattering. A simple command had most of the bees finally flying off her and back into the hanging plants. They took her increased agitation as a sign something might happen, and obeyed her as if they were about to fight… little beady eyes staring down from above. A fight that wasn't going to come, but it was far easier for her to have only a few still crawling around her.

She moved again as the bottle was rolling back towards Elise, bending down to scoop it up herself. Her feet quickly brought her into the kitchen area, hiding her shaking hands while she continued to smile.

Was it alright in her house? No! No it wasn't! Trisha's discomfort with magic for things that didn't require it hadn't lessened, nevermind when it involved a glass and bottle flying across her living room. She wanted to say that. It was so difficult to keep up the polite, reasonable mask instead of snapping or freaking out. Someone else treating her home like it was theirs…

But Casey would say yes.

“It’s alright, Elise, I'm fine with it. It's not an issue." She said with a well faked cheerfulness.
“I want… Sylvie to be comfortable in my- our- home. You too- since you're Casey's family."

After making sure her serene, totally alright smile was seen, Trisha turned around to crouch in front of the fridge. She put the white wine bottle back inside, before pulling out a beer for herself and a plate with pre-prepared cut fruit. She tilted her head up towards Elise, still the external picture of calmness.

“Do you want anything? We have soda cans too." But there was tension in her shoulders and her slightly balled up posture, her eyes looking past rather than directly at Elise. Easy to recognise if you knew what to look for.

”While I understand your need for independence, you simply must respect our wishes, Nana. You did not grow so old to become an inconsiderate Crone, did you?” Elise asked with a very stern tone, holding up a single finger to Trisha in hopes that she wouldn’t take the moment’s pause as an insult.

But it simply wasn’t alright. Too many times now, had the poor woman been subject to a terrible first impression. The boorish nature of her magical clusterfuck of a family only turned her more and more into a shriveled up husk who was begging to be released from all the formality and strange hoops necessary to communicate from Richoux to Richoux. Her siblings had done a fantastic job breaking that barrier, and not carrying on with the same imperceptibly foolish nature save for a single exception. They could talk and tell one another things. Hopefully even respect one another's boundaries!

”Because, I’m sure Casey would want you to be comfortable… But he simply would’ve brought you the wine, Nana. Your personal agency can be expressed through your words and subtle actions, can it not?”

Sylvie’s face and body did not look terribly old. Again, she could very well have been mistaken for the Richoux Mother, rather than the grandmother. Yet, there was still this sense of elderly nature about her. Maybe in the way she looked, or the faces she made. The softness. She was rounder than the Western Richouxs, with a soft ovaline face that carried few wrinkles. Crows' feet pitted the sides of her eyes where they scrunched together during a smile, showing that she was at least consistently happy… Or consistently smiling, at the very least.

Even now, she smiled from Elise to Trisha, then back.

”She has said it was fine, non? You make trouble where it doesn’t live?” she asked very simply, letting her gaze pass back to Trisha.
”Unless you lie? For comfort? I am not uncomfortable, Trisha… You shouldn’t be either.”

That question caused Trisha enough panic that it was difficult to maintain the illusion. Her eyes widened as she straightened up, lips trembling as her own smile wavered. Dregs of anxiety pulled up to the surface before being pushed right back down.

How on earth could she answer in a way that would keep everyone happy? That didn't involve telling the truth. 'Yes I lied, because I'm an anxious mess who's worried if I upset you it'll upset Casey and he'll leave me. Please support me dating your grandson.’ And then, she'd have to deal with Sylvie getting upset at her for lying… because they always were.

But hadn't Elise already figured it out? Why else would she be pushing the point like that when it wasn't her own home? If Trisha lied again, wouldn't Elise think badly of her? And then, if Sylvie found out later she'd kept lying? But the truth meant dipping into her insecurities when she wanted to come across as someone who was well put together and perfectly content with her boyfriend's family in their shared home.

“Oh, no, I wouldn't lie, and I'm not uncomfortable at all!" Trisha pushed out another lie, even looking a little like a deer caught in the headlights.
“Well, I would have appreciated you asking first? You said Casey would say yes… but that implies you would've asked first? I'm not as used to everyday magic use as you all are, so the heads up would've been nice." Great redirection.

”Ahhhh… You are not from Magic, non? Caseau tells me your Queen is the only magic in the Family… I should have known, you may be nervous that I am to be breaking your good glass! Alas, non! I could bounce your ‘ome off of the ground from space, and keep every plant starch still. But, Caseau is not ‘ere to explain this. So, I can only apologize for this…-”

And then the little old woman’s face scrunched up into a wry smile.

”-’Owever… I cannot help myself from noticing this separation between your words and their meanings? You say that there is no discomfort, yet… You ask me to warn you? One is not warned about things they don’t care about, non? That would lack in any logic.”

This young woman didn’t need to know much else… No, she wouldn’t have asked, because in Sylvie’s mind, Casey simply would’ve explained and excused her behavior. However, that implied that Trisha’s addition into the mixture didn’t change these little dynamics. The sort of thing a grandparent with such closeness to the grandchild at hand had to deal with mentally as that grandchild slowly but surely left the nest…
Would he have this time? One couldn’t know for sure. He wasn’t here. Only they were.

Elise cleared her throat, shaking her head.
”Oh boy… Detective Sylvie Columbo… Nana, listen, you’ve already imposed yourself by coming up here. Whether you just wanted to get away from Puppa, or if you were just curious to meet Trisha, I have no idea… But you’re acting a little like my Mom right now, and regardless of anything else, I know for a fact that Mom makes Trisha uncomfortable. So, if we could drop the interrogations on her feelings? I think it’d be the polite and civil thing to do.”

Sylvie looked immediately hurt, and rattled off a pained burst of French with the most pathetic expression shifting across her face. And she stood, the glass of wine spinning gently in her hand.

Trisha really wished that Casey was here. Then she wouldn’t have to deal with all of this by herself. She probably wouldn’t have to deal with it at all because he’d be there to.

What did she do? She appreciated Elise stepping in, because the questions did make her uncomfortable. It was a bit like Lynette. Really, the main difference was that Sylvie had to ask, and it wasn’t so manipulative… But Trisha didn’t like these things being pointed out. People knowing things without her deciding to share them… which she rarely did.

But right now, it looked like Sylvie was going to leave. She couldn’t be sure because she didn’t understand French… but wasn’t that the worst case?

She’d go downstairs, and Casey and his grandfather would ask why. Then the story of how Trisha lied and was uncomfortable with simple actions would come out… maybe about her and Elise joining forces to make an old lady uncomfortable. Then, how would Casey react? Badly, of course. Why would he choose her over the grandmother who’d loved him when almost everyone had neglected him?

He wouldn’t… So she couldn’t just leave…

A hint of acrid citrus scent curled into the air. Genuine panic that this might destroy everything expressed as weak, unintentionally given off pheromones that Elise would recognise, even if they couldn't get through Emotional Fields.

“It’s not an imposition at all! You asked, and I invited you up.” Trisha emphasised that it had been her choice to Sylvie. Like it hadn’t been because she felt she had to. But she’d pretend it was all perfectly fine until she couldn’t- until the panic was pushed much, much further. Beyond the point where it just fueled her strange ‘survival’ instincts.
“But thank you for being concerned about my comfort, Elise.”

She turned towards Elise, trying to portray the apology underneath the words that she felt was equal to the thanks. She hoped that she’d be able to read it and understand. She didn’t want Elise upset either… But her judgement in the moment was that Elise was the more reasonable of the two. Less of a risk.

“My early exposure to magic wasn’t positive. There was a lot of fighting involved. I still sometimes find magic use without warning unsettling. That doesn’t mean I’m uncomfortable. It’s just a momentary shock.” In her panicked desperation to save the situation, Trisha managed to pull out a much smoother lie. She needed to keep them both happy… She needed to keep Casey’s grandmother happy. Because she was so important to him.

“It really isn’t a problem. It’s normal to want to know more about your grandson’s girlfriend…”

”Ah, oui… The Eden Serpent. Blessed are the Cherub, who under the light slew that which destroyed Paradise. I should have remembered! That you would be jumpy… And no less, with the wretched Chat de L’enfer whose litter stinks beneath this building.” Sylvie continued on, as if so nonchalant that the Stygian Snake was something that Trisha had a hand in killing.

But the apology was not lost on the target, who gave just the slightest smirk off the corner of her mouth and sent it traveling back to Trisha on a personal trajectory. If ever there was a more solid “I’ve got your back”, Trisha may not have recognized it… But this was a solid and square smack in the face.

”Are you sure that’s not Puppa’s Depends, Nana?” Elise fired off in a snippy but sarcastic fashion.

In turn, Sylvie gave an uproarious laugh followed by mocked sniffing at the air.
”Oh, so that is what I smelled on the car ride here. I could have sworn it was Diable’s carrion pellets.” she joked, looking back at Trisha.

”Regardless! I am no dumb woman. I raised thirteen children, after all. That, meaning that I am adept at escaping poor decisions! As if I don’t imagine all these things you say to me, or the subtle way I felt you grip tightly to the wine bottle when you picked it up…-”

Her eyes had an elderly knowingness about them. The same thing as that elder lady from the Aberration Night… Miss Tamara… It must’ve been the age combined with the magic, something in their brains being able to lock in on some kind of vibe that Trisha was giving off without even thinking. Something that gave them just a glimpse behind Trisha’s mask.

At least this one seemed to get a peek and wanted to back the fuck off… Seemingly.

”I’m sorry. For being thoughtless, young Lady. You are right: I would like to get to know you. But, on your terms. Nothing is worse, they say, than a kiss from a woman who doesn’t want it. I would not demand that kiss.”

That knowing gaze, the slight shift in candor from somewhat ditzy to fully locked in… It was all a bit too familiar.

It was difficult for Trisha to feel relief with Sylvie looking at her like that. Like she could see through the protective layers Trisha had built up… she knew what was beneath, somehow. It was uncomfortable, but that she backed off was enough for Trisha to calm down somewhat. Enough that the light citrus scent in the air around her started to dissipate.

But she wasn't any less cautious. Not when she could feel the similarities with Lynette. Like Sylvie knew things she shouldn't. Had been testing her, maybe? She didn't know. It only made her more careful about how she acted.

“I appreciate the apology, and accept it." Trisha gave a measured smile.
“I wasn't trying to treat you like you were dumb, I just don't like to make a big deal out of minor issues."

She did when she cared less about someone's opinion… And normally people couldn't see beneath the surface like that. They heard what they wanted to, and didn't even consider the anxiety they might be causing. Not unless they experienced it themselves or were especially perceptive…

“Why don't we start from the basics? That makes sense, right?" She took a moment to separate the cut fruit she'd pulled out onto two plates. One was left on the end of the kitchen island, the other brought over to the seating area along with the beer she'd grabbed for herself. She put the fruit down on the small coffee table nearby, before neatly taking a seat on one of the couches.

After a moment, a group of bees descended on the fruit she'd left on the island. It was impossible to have fruit around them without giving them their share…

“Though, Casey's probably told you most of that? If you know about the Stygian Snake, even…" She was clearly, actively trying to reset the conversation. To move past from interrogation of emotions to the more simple things. There was a moment where she just considered actually going through the basics like she was in an interview. Hobbies, university, family… but what would Casey's Grandmother actually be interested in knowing?

“You mentioned earlier that he said my Apparition is the only magic in the family… that's not quite true.“ It seemed a safe bet for a topic.
“It’s not the same as Adeptal families, but my dad was magic… Sort of? He was an artifact collector and user. That's how I met the Queen… He had the object she was sealed in. I was just being a rebellious teenager, and ended up with a bee hive."

She laughed lightly, hand reaching up to gently move a bee that was close to tumbling into her beer bottle.
“Not that I talked to him about it. After he died- and the Snake-, I found out that he spent his early adulthood travelling through different worlds… And that a few of my sisters had magic too. It's like… If you all had the magic you do now, but didn't know the rest of your family did. You thought you were the only one. That's how magic is in my family! I know it's not possible in a traditional Adept family but it maybe… explains my perspective on magic a bit? I basically got a crash course in it from a Ghost, then a year later fought a multiversal threat and found out my sisters also had magic."

And saw her dad get killed… but that wasn't a part of the story she wanted to bring up. The seeming honesty was a bit of a switch from the Trisha that had been immediately withdrawing and rebuffing… But it was a surface level topic. It wasn't really about her, and it missed out the imperfect details. The various half-siblings allowing for some to be Adepts when she wasn't, what had actually pushed her to knock over that Artifact, the neglect from James that had led to so little communication… There was a hope that the Grandparents wouldn't know about her family. They weren't from the city, after all.

Oh, the beginning. Sylvie Felt she was getting too old for new beginnings. She couldn't do another comic book repeat in her life… Things got rebooted, updated, then sold back as if they weren't the same thing. She'd met the woman standing in front of her before. Not directly, but the perceived type.

But at least Casey's instructions from earlier on made sense. The old woman easily recalled the conversation, and the accompanying feeling of confusion. He spent almost an hour going over her, how she was, what Sylvie was to expect…

Just to act like he hadn't painted her into a saint over the phone? To instruct her that she shouldn't mention a damn thing? It made zero sense until this moment, when the two women were sat across from one another.

”Caseau gushed about you. He said much, and then begged that I forget before visiting. Imagine? He says you are wonderful, and kind. Passionate but gentle. He tells me many things, then says ‘Oh, Nana, you must not mention that I said this!’ And I think why, why does he wish me to do this?”

Sylvie let a hand climb upward into a shrug before seeming to slap the though away in a calm and measured fashion.

”Because you want the basics. Oui. Richoux is not a family of ‘basics’. Fundamentals get in between ambition and application. Our family strives for the top. Tell me, you wish to struggle with him? Whatever you both plan, together? I have been with Maxwell almost sixty years! Will you walk with my Caseau on legs of iron, with a heart of whipped cream? Can you go the distance, Trisha? I need no other knowledge than your dedication to the man. Because I promise you, young Trisha… Caseau's rare expression of tenderness is not wasted on my eyes. I see how he loves you, dear… You love him too? So soon?”

It was hard to make it sound like anything but an interrogation… But in her head it wasn't. It was just an explanation. She hoped that the simplicity of the required information, the fact that it all had to do with a focus on her beloved Autumn Blossom… She didn't pitch her tone at all, remaining steady and matter of factual.

A detail that seemingly prevented Elise from making another defence. In truth, she wasn't sure what Trisha's reaction would be.

Trisha’s eyes narrowed slightly, a low buzzing coming from the few bees still on her. Wanted to get to know her on her terms? That was a lie. She already knew everything… But did that give her the right to judge her? To assume she didn’t fit in because she wanted to start with the basics- she wanted people to actually fucking get to know her.

At least she got the rose tinted version from Casey. A picture of herself that Trisha struggled to accept. Wonderful, kind, passionate, gentle… Eventually she’d fall short of that. Was it any wonder Sylvie was questioning her, now that she thought about it? This perfect woman who’d stepped into her beloved grandson’s life. All the questions were focused on him.

It was only natural for his family to be concerned.

Not that Trisha would know what that was like.

It didn’t make her feel any less tense or defensive. It was still her getting questioned. Her feelings for Casey… Something that seemed to be questioned over and over again. Was it because of their assumptions of her? That she wasn’t strong enough? That someone like her, a ‘sheltered’ rich girl, couldn’t love him? Would leave him?

Fuck that. If there was one thing she was confident in, it was the depth of her own feelings for Casey.
“I do love him.” The polite smile dropped as Trisha stared at Sylvie with deadly seriousness.

“I’ve already struggled with him. And I’ve struggled my whole life without him. Casey makes everything worth it. I’ve already killed for him- for us. If that doesn’t prove my dedication, what does?” Strong determination shone in her eyes.
“I love him enough to do that. And I’ll keep loving him until I die.”

Sylvie's face was nearly consumed by an animalistic grin of wide-eyed rapture. It had progressed as Trisha spoke with further intensity, until there was nothing left to say. Slowly, surely, she put her person face back on and slumped back in the chair. Still, a wry smile remained.

”Then you will be in our lives. So… You are Trisha. Not Patricia. You are close to his age? And have you lived in this city your whole life? Are you at all related to the Hunter family? Lynette's breed?”

Elise's expression was one agape at the mouth. Her jaw threatened to hit the floor. she simply couldn't believe her family's audacity. It felt like everyone around her wanted this little lynchpin to fail? Or, at least be put under tremendous back-room strain. The kind of strain that snapped relationships.

Snapped her relationship. The anxiety was bubbling. And when the line of questioning implied that Trisha was somehow related to them, she couldn't handle it.

”Surely you can't be serious Nana?”

The old woman scoffed, letting French leak from her throat before clearing it and leaning in.

”What I ask is… Your feelings toward the Witch. The Pale Beast. Does she strike you as evil?” Sylvie asked in a terribly conspiratorial way.

Evil wasn’t quite the word Trisha would use to describe Lynette. Evil didn’t love… Evil was like the Stygian Snake. Lynette was fucked up and horrible, but probably not pure evil.

“She’s certainly tried her best to make my life difficult this last week.” She answered surprisingly calmly for someone asked if she was related to her boyfriend. That question was insane. Of course she wasn’t. But as irritating as it was, she understood where it came from.

Because Lynette wanted her children with people she could control.

“I don’t like Lynette. She’s a horrible, controlling and manipulative woman… Who I’m not related to. So my feelings are negative. She’s hurt Casey- now and in the past- and she’s hurt me.” She continued without quite answering the question… How did she answer whether Lynette struck her as evil without getting into a philosophical debate she didn’t want to?

“I’m not someone on her side or under her thumb. If anything, I hate her for everything she’s done to Casey.”

”So, maybe you can spare her the bloody details? Maybe actually try and get to know someone special in Casey’s life? Remember, Nana… You aren’t his Mother. You can be as protective as you want, but-”

Elise was interrupted by the passive dismissal of Sylvie’s hand coming up and waving it off.

”What the fuck, eh? You tell me you kill her, now I cannot express joy. He tells me the girl is wonderful, I cannot express joy. Must I be so curt and crass?”
Patting her thighs in frustration, Sylvie shot up.

”My language is too…-” she made a motion with her hands, forming a cloud as if suggesting that how she was talking was simply bloated.
”-Like this is the bush? And I talk outside? Fuck it!”

She pointed at Trisha.
”I don’t need to know you. I like you. Casey likes you, so I do. This is enough for me. But… I don’t, eh… Talking is Maxwell’s business. I come, I try to be polite, and I fail. Admittedly. I ask you, Trisha, would it have been better had I not asked at all? I-”

There was some motion outside. Casey came through the roof entry. So did Big Max. It wasn’t hard to see where the apple fell from, and one could imagine Casey in another forty years with an equally big, fluffy white beard and pudgy external frame. The two of them looked equally excited and in good spirits…

Trisha’s head turned around to glance through the glass, one hand raising to wave at Casey with a smile. But immediately she turned back to Sylvie. She didn’t want to leave a question unanswered like that… even if she wasn’t entirely sure what shouldn’t have been asked. The first question that started this all? The last?

“No, I’d rather you ask than make assumptions. I just don’t enjoy questions that feel pointed…” She shrugged one shoulder, hint of a smile still on her lips.
“I’d rather curt than fake niceties… But I would like you to get to know me. Isn’t it fair that I’d want my boyfriend’s beloved grandmother to know me beyond just liking me for making him happy?”

Still standing, Sylvie took a deep breath.
”Then you will come to know me. Elise? We are not leaving until this ugly business is settled.-”

She didn’t look at her Granddaughter, but Elise’s face instantly became a melted bowl of ice cream. Every single bit of energy and color sloughed away in the blink of an eye, leaving only a pained expression of frustration behind. But, Sylvie didn’t take her eyes off Trisha.

”-Our property in this cold, wet fjord is situated on la laurier, where you would expect children of Glaz. Casey will gladly take you; but I expect to see you. We will work together. You will use your hands. And we will grow close… Oui?” Sylvie spoke calmly, stepping forward and imitating what she’d seen prior: She offered her hand.

This close, she smelled like a mineral spring… Sulfur mixed with hot steam, but an underlying sweetness that removed any of the negative response brought about by the former.

“Ah-” Trisha stood back up too, feeling it was rude to take the handshake while sitting down.
“Oui… Maybe you can teach me some French.”

Over Sylvie’s head, Trisha shot Elise another apologetic glance. She didn’t seem particularly happy her Grandmother was staying, and it seemed like it was Trisha’s fault that was happening…

The old woman made a somewhat disgusted face.
”Some days I wish I could forget my tongue! This accent… But, the Pink? You mustn’t let it in to fix what cannot be fixed! Surely you know this!”

Elise’s face caught enough wind, and her perception of expression was so in tune, that she managed to at least attempt to ward off Trisha’s sense. The eyebrows, the eyes themselves as deep wells… The way her pupils dilated suggested the guilt. As if it were her fault? But, for good measure-

”And, Nana… Trisha does know about the uh… Ugly Business, you called it?”

There was a sparkle in Sylvie’s eyes.

”Ah? Oui, then… Until the babies are free, and the cancer is cut? Maxwell and I will remain here. Only a few miles away. And more will come through, until our sweet children have Emancipation. This is freedom, and for your cart too, Trisha. You have an interest in this dirty job.”
She turned Trisha’s hand in hers, patting the top of it.

”We will discuss this. And so much more.”

On queue, the door opened. Of course, it wasn’t hard to time, with Max’s voice being so goddamn loud and all. He just couldn’t keep an indoor voice.

”A whole greenhouse on this roof, yet you keep so many plants in this room? Truly, you are a strange duo!” Max expressed, arms rising upward as he entered the door to the main part of the house.

”Well, look! When you pull those curtains all the way up? We’re facing North/South, so the sun hits the whole face of the house all day!”
Casey had returned Trisha’s wave casually, but now he was clearly intent on being back by her side.

Of course, he was not only polite enough, but actually excited enough to give not only his Grandmother a hug on the way, but Elise too. There was only one person in the room who didn’t know there was an arrangement, so she was the only one fussing over his childlike affection.

”Oh, God… You smell like Vodka! See, Nana? Trisha was right! It’s downstairs in his office…”

Casey laughed.
”We had to toast something!”

Finally, he was around her again. Casey’s arms snaked down around Trisha’s belly, tugging her close until she was pressed with her back tight against his front. Bending slightly, he planted a kiss on her cheek.
”And I missed you… Getting along with Grandma okay?”

Elise didn’t give her the chance.
”Our family is a clusterfuck, Casey. I don’t think we’re ever going to find someone to make a good first impression…” she replied sarcastically.

Casey’s only response was to shoot a look of questioning between Trisha and Sylvie. The latter only laughed in response.

”First impressions are not everything! Trisha?” she let the question trail leadingly.

With Casey back, and his arms wrapped around her, Trisha was much more relaxed. Her body went lax as she leaned back against him, her hands coming up to rest over his.

“We had a bit of a… stumble, but we talked it through, so yeah… getting along fine.” She gave him a bit more of an answer, tilting her head back to look up at him with a smile. Then her gaze went back to Sylvie and Elise with a bit of amusement.
“If first impressions were the most important, I’d absolutely hate Leon… So it’s true, they aren’t everything.”

Not that her and Leon got on amazingly well, and she probably wouldn’t have given him a chance if it weren’t for Casey… But that just meant she loved Casey enough to be willing to change.
“Besides, my family doesn’t do good first impressions either. Or second. My oldest sister tried to flirt with Casey, then pretended to forget his name the second time.”

Shaking his head, Casey’s eyes met his Grandmother’s, then trailed up to Elise. The instantaneous transmission of experience created a gentle wave of motion that two Grandmasters could feel on the crest of their emotional fields. This little white problem had been in their lives entirely… Making secrets both impossible to keep, but impossible to unearth.

It only frustrated Sylvie that they could be lying. About it all. If she had to wriggle her way into this periphery’s life to gleam what was necessary, she would. And she would kill the Witch no matter what… The floodgates were, after all, open. Blasphemy was on the menu.

But, in Casey’s immediate perception, it was just more of the same presumptive bullshit that had come before. It was just surprising that the source this time was one he would’ve least expected. Still, he couldn’t let Trisha feel like he knew too much. The true duality of White Lux Adepts…

”Well, that’s more than you had to say about Mom’s first impression. That’s nice to hear.”

Sylvie smiled up at him.
”Oui, is it not? Trisha has agreed to come to la laurier… I will take her into the workshop, she will have her hands on metal and jewels, and her tongue will learn our special words…” she beamed like a proud mother all over again.

Casey looked down at Trisha, raising his eyebrows. Of course, he had the perfect memory of what had actually been said…
”Is this… Something you agreed to willingly?” he asked her, avoiding accusation while encouraging careful consideration.

It… Wasn’t exactly? While Trisha had said she wanted Sylvie to get to know her, and vice versa, she didn’t expect it to include frequent visits in the near future. She did want to learn French, and she wasn’t too bothered about the whole going into the workshop thing… But it would be time away from Casey. Time with a stranger she wasn’t comfortable with. And she already had more bees to make, her business, the current bees…

Even though Casey was asking so carefully, it was difficult to answer. Say no, upset Sylvie. Say yes, he could probably tell she wasn’t entirely being truthful. Between the White lux and his general ability to read her…

“As long as it doesn’t affect our time or my various bee businesses… Yes. Mostly. I’d like to learn French, and I don’t really mind working with my hands? The bees might get a bit upset, but what's a day every week or two?” Trisha’s head tilted back so she could properly look up at him again. There was a flicker of confusion in her gaze. Why did he seem concerned? Wasn’t this what he wanted?

“Don’t you want me to get along better with your Grandmother?” She asked a bit more quietly, though it wasn’t exactly a large enough space to matter.

”I think I want you to do what you want to do… If you met her and you didn’t like her, we’d come to a polite understanding.” he smiled down at her, then back up to Sylvie.

Big Max had his hand on the top of her head, and his thumb gently rubbed the much shorter woman’s temple with tender care. The same kind of care that Trisha would probably recognize. She hadn’t exactly seen Leon act this way, but between the two men present, it seemed to be a common action. The physical comfort…

”Ah, Trisha… One thing you must realize! My sweet Sylvie? Utterly unlikable.”

The grin crossed his face, peeling the moustache and beard back to reveal another familiar sight… Full black gums, and practically pearlescent white teeth. Sylvie tossed her arms up, grabbing Max’s hand and slapping the top of it playfully.

”Putan! I am not~”

Max laughed. Casey laughed. Elise rolled her eyes.

”There’s truth to every joke, Nana… They call you the Dwarf Queen for a reason.”

Sylvie scoffed.
”A vulgar nickname aimed at my height.”

”Truly… If it were accurate, she’d be the Hungry Mimic!” Max barked out, another laugh rolling from inside his chest.

Sylvie started to blush, and quickly covered her face.
”Maxwell… Was the package handed off?”

”Drinks have been drunk, non? Why? Are you socially drained?” Max asked gently, leaning down to her.

Trisha watched with a slight smile, and a hint of curiosity in her gaze. Was that what her and Casey would be like in the future? She hoped so. She hoped he kept loving her as much even forty or more years from now… That they’d only grow closer and more comfortable as they got older.

“Please don’t feel any pressure to stay. At least, not on my behalf.” It wasn’t so much self blame she was feeling as understanding in that moment. She was the ‘outsider’... or the pressuring component socially. Perhaps. At least, she assumed people would be comfortable spending prolonged periods of time with close family…

It was difficult to know. Her eyes looked up at Casey with a teasing smile.
“Thanks to that drink I now know exactly where Casey keeps the stronger stuff… Thought you could hide it from me, hm?”

He only grinned at her warmly. Alcohol had never been his escape, so the little joke didn’t get under his skin at all. Max laughed loudly, pointing his free hand up at Casey.

”Oh, not another! Nothing gets by this one, Caseau… Come on, Elise! We need to get your grandmother home and under a pile of treasure before she overheats.” he laughed again.

It was hard to see the big jolly man as anything other than a Santa Claus impersonator… But due to the scarcity of their interactions, it seemed as though that may never change. Elise took a long, deep breath, then made way toward the door. Sylvie looked at Trisha one last time, then nodded her head.

”We will see more of each other. Be sure. And thank you for your hospitality… We will seek joy together soon.”

As she turned, Max gave one last grin and wave.
”Until then, Trisha! Bye bye!”
The elders shuffled out of the door and onto the roof. Elise remained for a few more seconds, looking at Trisha and Casey.

”Fucking old people, huh?”
A grin finally peeled across her face, and she shook her head before waving them off.
”Don’t forget the schedule… Trisha, if you wanted, you can meet some friendly faces at the venue while we’re doing the Mass. Just text me for details.”

And then she was gone too, the three figures trudging across the roof before disappearing into the building’s waiting maw. Casey just held Trisha there calmly, almost melting into her.

”We got dressed for nothing. I swear, he asked me why I would have slacks on in my own home. Can you believe it?” he asked, shaking his head.
”She’s right… Fuckin’ old people, dude…”

Trisha laughed, twisting around in her arms until she was facing him without sacrificing any closeness in the moment. Her arms wriggled under his to hug him back, her face rubbing into his chest before tilting up to smile at him.

“Well it’s not for nothing. I don’t get to see you all dressed up very often.” She let out a long exhale, finally properly relaxing. She didn’t know who Elise meant when she said friendly faces, but she’d think about that later. Right now she really didn’t want to think about tomorrow at all… She just wanted to skip it all. Well, maybe not all of it.

“You said they’d be formal but relaxed… They were neither of those things.” Trisha jokingly pouted up at him.
“Your Grandmother threw a glass across our kitchen with magic… Please tell me you won’t be doing that when you’re that age? I don’t think I’ll be able to take it.”

Casey actually laughed aloud.
”I guess I should’ve assumed she was going to go touching all my stuff. Uh… Y’wanna see something interesting?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

”Bet y’didn’t notice she’s blind? Not like no magic, but like her eyes don’t work. She can’t see a hand in front of her face. So, she uses Orange Lux to feel everything.”

Walking toward some of the other furniture, Casey pulled her close to a shelf that had been tucked tightly to the wall it was next to. However, where there had only been a small gap, there was about an inch between the wall and the shelf.

”See? She kind of like… Deciphers objects from structures, down to like singular floor boards or tiles I’m pretty sure. From that, she can move and command just about any inanimate object. And change it too; like the glass. I can even feel which one it was, because there’s so much Lux around it.”

He pointed at the glass, then moved to pick it up. Twirling it in his hand, he held it up daintily.
”Yeah… Watch, but don’t be scared.”

He reeled back, massive fist curling around the glass with white-knuckled force. Then, his arm surged forward, releasing the glass only to watch it catch air like a sheet of paper. It hitched, swung, then drifted to the floor with a gentle thunk. Then, he pulled a fucking gun from his waistband. The shot went off, but it was so quiet and calm that it seemed like a toy. The bullet, however, smacked squarely against the glass, ricocheting into the nearby air until it also weightlessly drifted to the ground.

The gun went back into his waist just as fast as it came out. He grinned.
”She’s uh… We’d call her a Class S. Grandmaster. I could only hope to be half the Adept that either of them are… If there’s magic? I trust them completely.” he offered to Trisha, considering her usual attitude concerning things like this.

Even though Casey told her not to be scared, Trisha still reactively flinched when he shot the glass. It was impressive- the way the glass and bullet acted like they were feathers as they floated. And she hadn’t realised Sylvie was blind… That she had been subtly using magic the whole time.

It made it difficult to justify her continued discomfort with what had happened. Where did she draw the line? Was she hypocritically discriminating against magical users, just like she got upset at Casey occasionally doing towards Blinds?

“It’s not that I didn’t trust her. It’s just… It feels intrusive? Like if I went into someone else's home and blasted it with my pheromones. There’s subtle magic use, like using Orange Lux to see or the pheromones I always give off, and overt, like that. I don’t know…” She trailed off, biting her lip.
“It feels like an invasion of my space. And you know I still struggle to not associate magic use with fighting and danger… Even if I’m getting better at it…”

Casey put a hand up.
”Oh, no… I absolutely agree with you, Babe. The overt level that this glass is enchanted to? I literally don’t think it’ll ever be the same again. Same with that chair she was sitting on, it’s fucking glowing. I would’ve asked her to keep it simple had I known she was going to walk all over our things like that. I guess I just wanted to show you that, at least, the glass was safe… My bad, it’s definitely way more than that. I understand it now.”

He moved to pick up the glass, and the bullet. He dropped the latter into the mouth of the former, letting it rattle around inside. His arms returned to Trisha, holding her tightly.
”We’ll get this right, Trisha. Over time, we’ll work out exactly what our house rules are, and we’ll enforce them as necessary.”

Trisha nodded, leaning fully into him and letting him hold her up. She was relieved to hear him agree with her. She’d been worried, just a little, that he’d be alright with how much magic was used.

“I don’t want to be too restrictive… Well, I don’t want you to feel like you can’t use magic at all. I just want a balance, but you’re right, we’ll work it out.” She smiled gently up at him, before squinting a little bit.

“Besides that… I heard that you gushed about me then told your Grandmother not to say anything? Do you really…” She blushed a little bit, not really seeming annoyed about it? At least, not right now. It was frustrating at the time, but Casey hadn’t been the one making assumptions. She didn’t want him to not talk about her…
“Love me that much? That you’d talk about me like that then try to… Well, you know I don’t like people knowing things, so, try to protect my comfort, I guess.”

He nodded enthusiastically.
”I assume she didn’t stick to that if you’re bringing it up? Honestly, I… I love you so much that I just started spilling my guts to her. To both of them, really… And then when I realized that I’d been talking so much, I just knew that I’d messed up. So, I asked them both to just pretend I hadn’t said anything. I figured maybe if either of them broke it, it’d be easy for you to just assume they asked because… Y’know… I had to ask her to make your ring. No way someone wouldn’t ask questions with that as a task, right?” he asked gently, his head tilting with vague shame.

In truth, he hadn’t even mentioned the ring until the end of the conversation. It was all the praise, then “Don’t tell her.”, then… What? I’m going to marry this woman? They never would’ve asked. His decisions are his, and his Grandfather knew that wholly. The only person left who could’ve possibly been protective was the one who wound up acting differently than expected.

”Your comfort is my comfort. And knowing how deeply this problem’s already affected you? I should’ve done better.” he said, sadness in his voice.

Trisha shook her head, hands moving up to hold Casey’s face.
“It’s not your fault. I don’t want you to feel like you can’t talk about me? It’s not the same as gossiping, or… digging up information I haven’t offered. I trust you not to say anything you know I wouldn’t want brought up.”

She frowned a little bit, thumbs rubbing against his cheeks.
“Normally when someone hears something like that, they try to get to know the person who’s close to their loved one. Or at least… That’s what I want. People to actually get to know me rather than just presuming. Not even the boring details, just me.” Maybe she was the one with high expectations, wanting that.

“But I’m not upset at you for talking. I… like that you love me that much. Your Grandmother was the one who took that and decided to just question my love and dedication to you, and that she didn’t need to know anything else.”

He shrugged slightly, tucking his lips into a frown and shaking his head.
”I mean… It is all she needs. All either of them need, really. I talked so much because I’m excited… Speaking of-”

He took a deep breath, frown climbing into a smile with intent behind it.
”Do you want to see it?”

Did she? Of course she did… But should she?
“I do, but then I’ll really have to practice my acting because nothing will be a surprise tomorrow. Do you think that’ll be alright?” Her lips pursed at another thought.
“I can’t believe I have to wait until tomorrow to wear it too…”

Unable to resist his own impulse, Casey quickly reached back into his pocket. The little golden box he produced was clearly a ring box, and on its shiny surface was a matte emblazoning of a hollow sun with a cross inside of it. He didn't open it, rather handing it off to Trisha fully.

”Hey, it's yours… Do what you want with it.” he gently pushed, holding the box carefully until she took it.

Trisha took the box from him with a smile, staring at it for a moment. She really wanted to open it. It was fine, right? Technically he’d already proposed. This was just the ‘official’ proposal and announcement of it. Why shouldn’t she look at the ring?

She’d be embarrassed enough by him proposing in front of everyone tomorrow she’d be able to react well…
“Anything I want? What if I sneakily wear it tomorrow and make you propose with a dud ring?” She giggled, still staring at the box.

She had to see it. Unintentionally holding her breath, Trisha carefully opened the box.

Inside was a delicate gold ring with a central diamond. The gemstone wasn’t too large- just a big bigger than the band itself. Two smaller sharp tipped oval emeralds pointed away from the diamond, in diagonal corners opposite each other. The band near the gem was split in two, twisting around each other. The twist that came from underneath the emeralds sat on top. It had four small green gems inset in it, getting lighter in colour the further away from the centre they got. The underneath twist had delicate strands of silver among the gold.

“It’s beautiful.” Trisha breathed out, looking back up at Casey with wide eyes.
“Did I really think of this? Your grandmother didn’t change the design to make it nicer?”

He shook his head, hand rising slowly to caress her cheek. Casey’s smile was tender, caring and totally full of love toward her.
”It certainly looks just like what I saw in my head, and I saw it directly from yours! So… I’m certain this is one hundred percent Trisha-Intelligence generated. Look at it all… You were really thinking of us, weren’t you?” he cooed, looking down at the ring.

”Are you… Gonna…-” he paused, hoping she’d naturally go for what he was prodding at.

Trisha’s returning smile was just as loving… It was practically gooey.
“Gonna…?” She teased, even though she knew exactly what he was asking.

She didn’t actually wait for him to answer, carefully lifting the ring out of the box. She slid it on her left ring finger… It fit perfectly. Of course. White Lux really made things easier… With a bright smile she held up her hand, showing it to him.
“So, does it look as nice on my finger?”

Casey took her hand, pulling it close and staring, then moving to a different angle and looking at it from her perspective. He didn’t say anything; just tucked his face into her shoulder as his arms wrapped around her. For a moment, he held her tight, breathing calmly…
”We’re getting married... I get to marry you!” his muffled voice exclaimed finally, breaking the momentary silence.

”And you get to marry me too… So,-”
He reached back again, one arm still wrapped around Trisha’s front. From his pocket, he produced a second identical box.
”-I had her make mine too… And you get to give it to me whenever you please.”

“Whenever?” Trisha echoed, reaching out to take the second box from him. It was a bit awkward, since she was still holding the box for her ring.
“I can’t do it tomorrow, can I? Then everyone will know I already knew. Do you want me to get down on one knee with it? Will you even be able to see me if I do?”

She giggled at the thought of that, leaning against him. Not that she was actually so small that he wouldn’t be able to see her if she knelt down… It was just a funny thought.
“Am I allowed to look at it?”

”I have no expectations of how it's given to me… So, go for whatever is in your heart! Go ahead; if it is what I sent to her, it’ll be incredibly on the nose. You may even smack the top of my head a little bit.” Casey calmly replied, just happy to see his favorite person so enthusiastic about this.

“Are you going to bend down so I can reach?” Trisha peered up at him with a teasing smile and shining eyes. Now she was really curious to know what it looked like. How could a ring be on the nose? Was it… A massive bee, or something?

“I’m kind of dreading looking at this… You know if it's really bad I can just never give it to you, right?” She paused for a moment, before relenting.
“I can’t believe… Well it’s going to be really nice to both have rings. I didn’t even think about it…”

She tilted her head back down towards the box containing his ring, finally opening it.

Inside was an incredibly simple and elegant single band of platinum, its luster just that little bit brighter to make itself distinguished from the lesser metal. It was almost too simple.

”There’s this… Poem. One of my buddies was big into old poetry. He used to talk about Virgil, y’know the guy that Dante is like head over heels for in the Divine Comedy? Anyway… There’s this verse. I always wondered who that shit was written for, right? But, then I really realized something.”

His hands came around hers, guiding them to pick the ring from the box. As her warm fingers drifted over the band, they warmed it sufficiently to reveal the thing’s true nature. Little bumps raised up against the surface, until the phrase was clearly visible inlaid into the metal itself.
”Nunc scio quid sit amor.”

Turning the band over, the inside was fully coated with alternating obsidian and gold bands resembling the color of a bee; and even more interesting, an alternate message on the underside of where the quote was.
”You are my sunshine. My only sunshine.”

Casey couldn’t look at Trisha and the ring at the same time. He quickly grew weepy, and tucked his head into her shoulder.

”The character… Damon. He’s talking to this woman, who wound up marrying another man. But the verse… It’s about, y’know, how he… Saw her. As a little girl, when he was a little boy. And he said that… Nunc scio quid sit amor… Now I know what love is…”

Trisha stared at the ring in awe. So deceptively simple, but hiding so much… Love. Her free hand, the one not holding the ring, moved up to hold the back of his head. Her fingers wriggled under his hair and gently scratched his nape.

“You’re so sappy, you know?” She spoke softly, voice a bit hoarse as she turned her head towards him. She clearly wasn’t upset by it… Nor was she smacking his head for it. She honestly didn’t know how to express her feelings. Overwhelmed. It was… incredibly sappy. It filled her with intense warmth.

This was the ring that he’d asked for with her in mind. For their engagement. About her.

“It’s… really beautiful, Casey. The ring and the meaning. I… didn’t know what love was before you either.” He probably already knew that… hadn’t she mentioned it after his commencement ceremony? It didn’t matter.
“Now you make me feel more loved than I ever thought possible.”

She smiled softly at him, before giggling slightly.
“I considered having something engraved on the inside of mine too, but decided it’d be too much… Maybe I should’ve.”

He smiled warmly, tears still coming from his eyes. It was hard to say much of anything that wasn’t singing her praises and making sure she knew how intense his love really was.

”Y’know? I used to spy on Leon. Familial behavior, I guess. I used to go and watch what was happening if I could. If I managed to tag along, anyway. Mom would usually catch me, or Clarissa would come. But, sometimes…”

His face turned away from her shoulder to look at her directly.

”You didn’t look the same. I missed it. Until, maybe a week ago? You were in the greenhouse. Working on something with the bees… There was a pile of them that flew in on this angle, and you had a basket that you were lifting in both your arms… And y’know what? I just can’t miss it now. It was you. So, I knew that quote had to go on it… Because no matter how sweaty or dirty you were in that moment, a teenage boy fell in love. And, I think? I think fate did that. For us. Like it was meant to be.”

He’d held onto the revelation, still unsure of himself until the ring was in his hand. A quick discussion with the old man, and a handy artifact on his massive utility vest beneath the suit jacket, and the question was resolved. It had to be… Memories from before he kindled couldn’t just be dredged up by any old Recollection, after all…

”You’ve always been the apple of my eye. In all my dreams.-”
Hugging into her tightly, his lips came to press against hers, and both his hands clung to her desperately at either arm.
”-And I’ll never let you go, Trisha. I know what love is now.”

Wide, shining hazel eyes stared at him. She was rendered speechless by the revelation, before being dragged into a whirlwind of passion. Her lips parted wordlessly and her hands moved forward to hold onto him.

He’d… seen her back then? Ten years ago? When she’d been… Sweaty and dirty, like he said. But more than that, an overwhelmed, snappy teenager filled with resentment towards the world. Someone fighting for a life she didn’t even really believe in… How much had he seen? Did it… matter?

Because if he could fall in love with the her then, and still loved the her now… Maybe he really would never let her go. Maybe she could start to believe that.

“Did you really fall in love with me then? How?” She whispered. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe him… She did. She was just still trying to process it. It felt unreal. Something that he shouldn’t have been able to remember like that… Because she hadn’t looked the same. She’d been so different.

Or maybe not as different as she thought. But, again, did that matter?
“If it was fate, why did we have to wait ten years? Why did we have to suffer alone… Why couldn’t you have found me again sooner?” Rhetorical questions about something that couldn’t change, but ones she voiced anyway.

Casey took her face in his hand before he spoke again, being sure to look deeply into her eyes.

”That’s just it, isn’t it? Any sooner, we wouldn’t have been right. It wouldn’t be right now. This confluence, everything in St. Portwell coming to a head all at once? We’re in one another's arms now, where it’s best to be. Safe, secure, and really ready to make something else beyond what we’ve known. Maybe you’ve been ready for that for a long time, but me? No way could I have given you all this patience, all this care, all the consideration that I do… I couldn’t even give that to myself. It’s only recently that I’ve even felt like I could be in that kind of headspace. So… Maybe it’s my fault. And all I can do is make that up to you for the rest of your life.”

Trisha smiled at him softly, pressing her face against his hand. Her eyes were slightly watery… It was impossible for them to not be when talking about something like this.

“It’s… probably not your fault. I’ve wanted that for a long time, but that doesn’t mean I was actually ready? I think I needed to experience all the wrongs to know when it was right… I wouldn’t know I love you if I hadn’t. I wouldn’t be so confident in it… but I know what I feel with you is different. It would’ve been a lot harder if I was questioning all of our feelings, wouldn’t it?” Though the last ten years had brought her more confidence issues, they’d only been built on what already existed.

“I’m glad. I do wish you’d been in my life the whole time but… I wouldn’t want to risk losing you for that. And we did find each other. I’m so glad…”

How Dogs Are [FernStone & AtomicEmperor]

Cass Wallace

"You’re looking at the sexiest Brit on the West Coast… alright, there ain’t many of us, but I really am! Anyone disagreeing is just asking for a fist to the face!"

_______________________________________________ Cassandra “Cass” Sara Wallace She/Her | 24 | British | 5’5” | 140lbs _______________________________________________ Energy _______________________________________________ Skills & Talents "Hey, I ain’t just some nerd! I can hack your shit and beat your ass!" ___________________________________ [+] Hackerwoman ⫻ Cass is a talented, and obsessive, programmer. She has a degree in Computer Science, but her skills go well beyond what she learned in university - which is very little since she skipped most of the classes to write insane shit. She just understands coding concepts and how to apply them. She’s tried out all sorts of programming languages and worked on a variety of areas. Beyond software, she also has a good understanding of computer hardware. She just enjoys taking things apart and putting them back together, and making funky little electronic systems. While she’s never had a job in it, she’s also adept in hacking- something she does ‘ethically.’ Totally. Sadly she doesn’t have Purple Lux, so she can't hack time. Only Daughter ⫻ Growing up as the only girl of five, Cass quickly learned how to hold her own. She grew up tussling with her brothers and as a result is very good at fighting people who are bigger than her. Sure, her tactics may be dirty, but they work! Her brothers always made sure she could defend herself, and she always made sure she could beat their asses. Along with this, she was forced to help around the house - making her pretty good at cleaning and cooking. While she hates cleaning, she actually quite enjoys cooking, and can whip up some pretty decent dishes on limited supplies. Whirlwind of Energy ⫻ Cass never seems to tire. She’s a constant fount of energy, bouncing about the place and bringing everyone’s spirits up through this. While she’s human and she sleeps, often long hours on days where she has nothing to actively do, she can just seem to function on very little. If she’s hyper fixated on something, or has something exciting to do, she’ll just want to do it. She can just go on and on, continuing where others wouldn’t. Thirst for Knowledge ⫻ Along with her boundless energy, Cass always wants to learn more. She’ll try new things and if it's something that interests her she’ll often pick it up quickly. This means she’s constantly improving and learning, though she struggles with ‘traditional’ book learning. But as long as she can get hands on with something, she’ll learn and get good at it. Sunshine Friend ⫻ Bright and bubbly, Cass is someone who easily makes friends even with the most difficult of people. She’s able to draw people out of their shell and push through walls they’ve built around themselves. Her company is easy, and she gets along with most people at a surface level. Those she cares about, she cares about fiercely. She has a way of putting people at ease with her presence. Her strong mind and positivity make her easy to talk to about problems.

Appearance ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "My name rhymes with ass cause I got a real good one!" Cass’s mixed heritage is clear in her dark, incredibly curly hair and warm, light brown skin. While she counts herself as English, her dad’s family moved over from the Caribbean a couple of generations ago. Cass keeps her hair shaved along the sides, and longer at the middle - with her curls falling down to her eyebrows. It’s naturally black but she keeps the front part almost always dyed. Right now the colour of choice is a pinkish-red, changed from the bright blue it used to be. She spends a surprising amount of time maintaining it, ensuring it doesn’t turn into a frizzy mess. Cass has an average height and build, though she’s frequently dwarfed by the company she keeps (she has one friend that’s shorter than her). Her body is toned thanks to frequent workouts, fighting, and her general inability to stay still. The muscle she’s built up isn’t immediately obvious, meaning her strength often surprises people. Cass has a few tattoos. The most obvious is a large, greyscale rowan tree with red berries spanning her back, with vines coming off it curling up and around her shoulders. She also has a small snake in the centre of her chest. Cass has two lobe piercings, a helix and a septum piercing. Clothing wise, Cass tends to favour the punk aesthetic. Plaids, black with bright reds, purples, blues or greens cutting through it, artistically distressed fabric, loads of chains… But she will mix it up now and then, not being stuck to one look. Even within her preferred look she has a large variety of clothing, allowing her to vary day to day. Some days it's all baggy band t-shirts and wide legged pants with straps and chains, another it’s harnessed crop tops and pleated skirts. It really depends on how she feels on the day. One near constant is mess or fishnets incorporated into her outfit in some form. Cass’s makeup varies too. Most days she has simple eyeliner and lipgloss on - favouring bolder or darker reds. Sometimes she’ll do more, actually wearing foundation with more intricate eyeliner designs and glittery highlighter on her cheekbones. But she’ll wear almost anything assuming it’s more punk- not concerned by concepts like masculine or feminine clothes, and spanning the whole spectrum.

_{Psychology
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"Everyone’s a friend if you try hard enough! Unless they hurt a friend, then they’re a dick.”

MAIN GOAL ⫻ To figure out what she actually wants to do with her life. Cass is at a crossroads right now. She’s quit her job, and she doesn’t know where to go next. Another white collar computing job? Contracting? Start something entirely new? She doesn’t know. And beyond the mundanity of how she makes a living too. What does she want to do? Does she want to settle down, where does she really want to live, does she ever want to get married or have kids… all of these are unknowns to Cass right now.

PHILOSOPHY ⫻ Be the change you want to see in the world. Cass believes that everyone can make a positive change, especially on other people’s lives. She’s always trying to do this - to the point of intrusiveness. Cass believes that most people can be befriended. Sometimes patience is required- but sometimes you just have to bulldoze down those walls. But she also believes in the power of a good beating to stop someone from being a piece of shit, something she frequently dishes out.

SECRETS ⫻ Cass is pretty much an open book. While there are some things she isn’t immediately open with, she’ll rarely hide anything about herself.

SEXUALITY ⫻ Pansexual. Cass has dated a mixture of people. She’d count herself as polyamorous- and has been in strict poly, open and fully monogamous relationships before. She doesn’t really have a preference, there just aren’t many people who can handle her by themselves. Sex, and relationships, need to be interesting for her... But she has a lot of love to give.

FEARS ⫻ Losing her other three brothers, and people she cares for. She experienced loss as a teenager and doesn’t want to again. Loud alarms can set her off, as they’re reminiscent of the alarms that went off during the Blitz. She also fears being trapped in a situation she doesn’t want to be in, or shoved in a box. She spent the first eighteen years of her life doing what she was expected to do just because of the gender she was born to, and suppressing who she really was. The thought of having to do that again, or getting stuck like that with no escape, terrifies her.

FLAWS ⫻ Cass can be a lot. She’s incredibly loud and energetic to the point that it can be overwhelming, especially to more introverted people. She has a bad habit of ignoring boundaries and forcefully pushing herself on people she wants to be friends with. Sometimes this works out, other times it really doesn’t. She can be very pushy and intrusive at times. Cass is someone who gets easily bored. If something doesn’t hold her attention she won’t bother with it. This has led to her almost failing classes, losing friends, and more. While incredibly smart, Cass can often make incredibly impulsive decisions chasing thrills and a way to make shit less boring. After she's decided she wants to do something it can be hard to get her to back down. She can be incredibly stubborn about certain things and will do it the way she wants, even if it’s insane (like emulating a modern console). This can also lead to arguments. While she’s generally easygoing, in these situations she won’t change her mind. Along with this, Cass can be quick to jump for violence - mainly in the defence of friends, but violence nonetheless.

_{Backstory
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"Now, my tragic past… just kidding, I ain’t got shit like that!"

Born as the third child of five, and the only girl, Cass grew up in a poor part of Manchester, England. Her dad was a factory worker and her mum a part time cleaner. They didn’t have much money, but there was enough to put food on the table.

Cass’s childhood was spent running wild with her brothers. They’d play football on the streets, get into constant fights with each other and were just generally little hellions. But even though they were constantly fighting, Cass was close with them all. She fought the most with her oldest brother, Rowan, while also being closest to him.

From when she started school, Cass was always seen as ‘one of the boys.’ Most of her friends were guys, and she struggled to get on with girls. But as she got older, she started getting pressure to be more… girly. From ten she was suddenly expected to fill in for her mum when she was out. Cooking, cleaning- various household chores she was pressured to do while her brothers were allowed to go out to pay.

She was told to ‘act more like a girl’. Everything she did was judged the closer she got to puberty. So she started to change- getting quieter and hiding herself to appease her parents. Because the pressure was too much. As she went into senior school, she struggled to make friends. She was suppressing who she was, and didn’t fit in anywhere. For a while, even her brother’s started to exclude her from ‘boy’ activities because of their parents' pressure. Her only friend was Salvador, her childhood friend.

Thankfully, that stopped as Rowan started to see just how sad Cass was becoming. She still didn’t have the confidence to push back against their parents but at least with her brothers and Sal she could be herself. Slowly, she began to accept who she was too. She was loud, energetic, and sometimes violent - but that didn’t make her any less of a girl. But she was also allowed to like things like makeup. She could be herself. While it wasn’t perfect, she became more outgoing at school again - and started dating too. It was a balance between who she was and keeping up the illusion of who her mum wanted.

Just before Cass turned sixteen, World War Two was declared. A lot changed. Her older brothers were both drafted, and her younger brothers were evacuated to the countryside. At sixteen, Cass was expected to help. Growing food in the gardens, running the household so her mum could work full time in the factories helping produce aircraft for the war efforts. It was a time filled with fear and uncertainty as the city she grew up in was bombed.

In the midst of this all, Cass excelled in school. She was incredibly smart- but had often slacked when things were too easy or boring. As things started to actually excite her, primarily maths, sciences and computing, she started to actually put effort in. Even with the War there was a future to think about.

Then the worst happened. Rowan was killed in combat. Only a few months later her second oldest brother, Jack, was honorably discharged and returned home. He could no longer use his legs, leaving him disabled- his lower spine destroyed so much even his resulting kindling (unknown to Cass at the time) couldn’t save it. Now Cass was expected to help out even more as her mom struggled with the loss and suddenly having to look after Jack.

Cass was barely given the time to grieve. She did what she could to help, but there was even more pressure- pressure to give up her own future to stay at home and help. Resentment built and built, and she applied further afield for University… so when she got a scholarship to the University of Illinois, Chicago, she took it.

While her relationship with her family was fractured as a result, moving to America allowed Cass to really be her whole, unapologetic self. She stopped suppressing anything… including her annoyance when Sal followed her over. But it was fine. Amazing, even, as she made a solid group of friends, had plenty of flings and relationships, and properly discovered her love for computer programming. She’s also reconnected with her younger brothers since they left home too.

After graduation, Cass got a job in San Francisco. While it was incredibly high paying, allowing her to pay off the debts she’d got around her scholarship while saving and sending some back to her brothers, it got incredibly boring very quickly. But she suffered through it, because what else would she do? Get another equally boring job? She didn’t really know where she wanted to go from there.

So when an opportunity, and suggestion, came to quit it- she did. Now she’s moving to Portland to be closer to her friends (cough definitely just friends cough), but in reality she’s more likely to spend the majority of her time in St Portwell.

_{Paranormal-Abilities
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"Man, this shit is so cool… I can’t believe I was stuck being boring and human most of my life!"

TYPE ⫻ Adept

ABSTRACTION ⫻ Green Lux. Channeler: A guitar pick

ABSTRACTION DESCRIPTION ⫻

Animal Transformation ⫻ Cass’s primary spell discipline, and one she’s been working towards having more full or stronger transformations for. Cass is able to adopt animal features, transforming specific parts of her body or growing something new. She can layer these on top of each other.

Wolf Shifting ⫻ The animal Cass has gotten closest to full transformation of. Call her basic, but wolves are cool! She can grow a pair of wolf ears, which enhance her hearing (while being cute as fuck). She can elongate and sharpen her teeth while strengthening her jaw, specialising at ripping through flesh. She can grow her nails into claws like a wolf’s, which can be used to attack but also to help her climb. She can also grow a tail like a wolf’s - which helps with her balance, but not much else. She can grow each feature individually, or all at once. She’s working to improve this to push it further - aiming to adjust her legs to mimic a wolf’s more to allow for much stronger movement. She can grow fur all across her body, but rarely bothers - it’s only really useful if it’s super cold.

Hyena Bite ⫻ Imitating a hyena’s incredibly powerful bite, Cass grows her teeth while strengthening her jaw. Her teeth are more conical with this form, which are slightly less sharp than the wolves. She can bite down with a very high power, with teeth specialising in breaking bones - allowing her to easily break a non magically reinforced bone with a single bite. She’s planning to develop more features imitating Hyena’s, but is yet to manage any other’s.

Eagle Eyes ⫻ Cass changes her eyes to be like an eagles, turning them from their normal dark brown to a more amber-yellow colour. This allows her to see things from 20 feet / six metres away with ease. This also helps her keep track of things moving quickly, able to sharply focus in, with muscles in her eyes that will adjust the curvature of her eyeballs to allow this. However, she struggles to move her eyes to look around when they’re like this, requiring more head movement.

Cheetah Speed ⫻ With cheetah spots forming on her arms and legs, Cass’s speed is enhanced to supernatural levels. This improves her running speed, but also how fast her whole body moves, allowing her to get to places in the blink of an eye. This spell doesn’t last as long as her other ones.

Monkey Tail ⫻ Cass grows a monkey’s tail from the base of her back. This can act as a sort of fifth limb - she can pick larger objects up with it, and it's strong enough she could hang off something with it. It also helps with balance.

Lizard Scales ⫻ Cass covers a part of her body, or the majority of it, with tough scales made out of keratin. These are a dull green in colour generally, but Cass can change that if she wants to. They offer protection, but can also help her pack an extra punch if formed around her hands.

Bug Antenna ⫻ Cass can grow antenna like various insect’s out of her head. This allows her to sense things she wouldn’t otherwise- vibrations in the air, or pheromones. This includes magical pheromones.

Body Enhancement ⫻ Along with her animal forms, Cass has been working on more generic enhancement of her body with green lux. Sometimes she doesn’t want to grow scales to be more durable… and sometimes it’s just more efficient this way. The more magic she learns, the better!

Enhanced Durability ⫻ Cass is able to enhance herself to endure more. Namely, this allows endurance of physical harm rather than magical. It makes her skin stronger and more durable, so she can take more hits and ‘rough play’ as it were. But stronger hits still hurt, and eventually the spell will break. This is a spell she’s constantly working to improve.

Strength Enhancement ⫻ Cass uses her magic to strengthen and enhance the muscles that are already there. While this is magic, it requires her body to be in good shape- her body doing part of the work where her fledgling magic can’t. This gives her strength beyond the normal human, though it’s not quite in the realm of fully paranormal yet.

Stamina Boost ⫻ A basic spell that allows Cass to boost her stamina so she can keep going without sleep for even longer. It’s not always necessary, because she often forgoes sleep anyway… but she uses it for the days when she can’t naturally.

Enhanced Senses ⫻ Sick of always having to grow ears to hear better, Cass recently developed a spell to enhance her senses without the various animal features (there’s no stealth to it!). She can enhance one of her senses at a time. While this is magically enhanced, it’s less effective and practice than the enhanced senses she can get with her transformation spells.

Skin Shifting ⫻ Cass can manipulate the appearance of her skin to cover marks on them. This can be used to ‘hide’ bruises, by removing the pigmentation they cause, and even wounds. They still exist, and will hurt the same, but they aren’t visible.

LIMITS ⫻

Animal Transformation ⫻ Cass’s primary limits are the amount of time she can retain an animal feature. It’s possible for her to have them for up to an hour, but the more she layers the less time she’ll have with each. Eventually she’ll get exhausted and have to stop. Additionally, growing them causes her some amount of pain.

Body Enhancement ⫻ Cass can keep up a decent level of her enhancement for a couple of hours. However, if she wants to push it to the highest levels she can achieve, the amount of time will be much shorter.

WEAKNESSES ⫻

I cba

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"What d’you mean it ain’t normal to bounce around like this? How else d’you get places?"

Cass can play the guitar, and had a casual band with two partners for a while. It fell apart when they broke up. She’s also dabbled in playing the drums, but has never lived anywhere she could own a drum set.

How Dogs Are [FernStone & AtomicEmperor]

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Cliffs near St. Portwell > The Docks

Cass was bored.

Soooo fucking bored. When she’d agreed to be close to Elysium Island it was partly because she expected a fun fight to watch. Loads of explosions! Drama! Fists flying, blood everywhere!

Instead, it got real boring after the lava creature and dragon were dealt with. Sure, one guy's ass was out after it, but that wasn’t really exciting. Blinding more than anything. Even the massive skeleton couldn’t hook her back in. Sure, she should be happy it was all going well and no one was seriously hurt but… fuck, she’d been looking forward to a full on magic fight!

So she was sitting at the edge of a cliff overlooking Elysium, legs swinging back and forth precariously. Her eyes stayed half focused on it… but sometimes she spotted something else in the water, paranormal vision shifting. A seal splashing about, a group of birds skimming the waves-

Oh shit, they were leaving! Mission success, obviously.

Cass pushed her body into the air with her arms, legs swinging up from where they dangled over the edge to underneath her. Then she hopped up from crouching. There was a momentary temptation to jump into the sea just for the fun of it… she was pretty confident she could miss the rocks at the bottom. But then she’d be absolutely drenched, and fucking cold.

Instead, she’d have to take the long route down towards the docks. Green Lux pumped through her body as she subtly increased her stamina, and cheetah spots formed across her arms and legs. Thankfully hidden by her leather jacket and trousers… even though they could be seen a little bit through the rips here and there, it was fine! It wasn’t like there was anyone around to see as she started up in a jog, then a far faster than should be possible run.

Of course she slowed down as she got down off the cliffs and more towards the town. No worries, she could still run at a fast but not magical pace- Oh wait, she probably shouldn’t go right down to the docks! Just in case there ended up a bunch of Sycamore members around, and all those other groups… Not that she had a problem with them, but if she heard so much of a word against her girl Trisha, she wasn’t sure what she’d do.

Screeching to a halt, Cass looked around for a building she could wait beside. She was still on the harbour itself, just a bit more hidden from the docks area… she leant against a wall and pulled her phone out of her pocket. Her eyes, now back to their normal brown, darted around for some defining feature to text Leon as she pulled up his number…

Then she very quickly decided that was too much effort. Instead she took an incredibly goofy selfie - only her eyes and forehead were visible in the bottom half of it, with the top half showing the building behind her and about half of its sign. Perfect. Without a second thought or any context, she sent it.

Leon found himself in a bit of a pickle with Drake Blackmore and Ken Murakin both disappearing in separate ways. The membership was alight with plans about what to do and where to go, but the fight had been cut so short that Lelou was unhappy to say the least. He either needed immediate action, or there was going to be another party-crashing moment. Of course he wasn’t happy about the situation, and with Kari Wilson’s notes still missing, the entire group was practically in upheaval.

He could only intercede between Greenwood so effectively, having strained that relationship many moons ago. Ruby only gave him so much clout after things fell out the first time, and now accusations were flying between the groups. Egos. Arguments. Leon could only promise himself to whatever effort came next for the good of the Coven. The Old Name, as he’d started to call them in his head.

They’d never be a real coven again after tonight. At least not the members who were held back at the Battle of Elysium. Maybe that was for the best, or maybe the other teams would have better news; some glue to keep the ship held together.kk But when his phone vibrated, Leon gave a deep sniff into the air. Amidst the argument, a smile cracked across his face, and he reached into his bag to pull out the device.

A cute picture. A cute girl. Never a dull moment with this one, he had to admit. She had enough energy to do anything, and was down for just about the same. He hadn’t found many boundaries, and the ones he had were flexy and supple. They rebounded, and pushed back against him with gentle firmness that he hadn’t known in some time. She seemed willing to discuss just about anything on the spot; a complete shutdown to his usually confrontational attitude toward things.

He couldn’t help it, but he felt that he was always trying. And yet, she didn’t seem phased. Never once. It’d been close to a week now, and any time he struck a nerve, she directly told him. She was a lighter, and he was the firecracker she was lighting. The mischievous teenage love kind of feeling, like it was the first time all over again. It wasn’t wrong if he really felt it, right? That she was a “fan”? It had hardly been circumstantial to their relationship forming in the first place, and they were both open and up front about their intentions. The opportunity to have a consistent partner wasn’t one Leon had been used to in a long time, after all.

Classic Greenwood, off in a flash and leaving the Sycamore and 317 members holding the collective bags. Bags that they both parties present agreed to try and hold together once word came in from the other teams. Thankfully, the remaining Sycamore members weren’t total hotheads, and earlier doomed feelings faded away along with the anxiety of losing everything again.

They were going to be fine. It was going to be okay.

Though, they had to wait for Jack to do anything. God forbid if him and Ken both disappeared. Though, Purples never had to worry about too much. Now that he really sat and thought-

RUN WITH THE GIRL IF ANYTHING!

The screech of Lelou ripped through his head and chest half putting him out. He knew she was nearby, but it was obligatory to remain for whatever council there was.

I DEMAND YOU SEEK MORE THAN THIS DROLL COMPANY

Leon gave a loud groan, finally excusing himself from the group. It’d probably been another twenty minutes since Cass sent him the message. He’d wound up ruining some of his clothes, and he still needed to change into new ones. So did Sully, to be fair.
Rather than risk the IE charge, he made way for a secluded spot to completely change into the clothes he’d brought in his bag, then fully excused himself, begging Sully and Stormy to keep in touch for once. And then he was gone just like that. Alone with Lelou for a few minutes, but he still pulled his cell out to reply finally with a selfie of his own.

Rather, a POV shot of where he was, which wouldn’t really mean anything to Cass. Not that he was thinking about that, all she had to know is that he was on the move. And that’s all Lelou really needed right now. This collar situation was something that would need to be addressed sooner rather than later… That way he could live his life again, instead of dealing with this lack of control. The intrusive thoughts constantly echoing in his head.

Oh, you love it Leon… Don’t be such a pussy. Why don’t we play a game? Test her skills, see if we can stalk her.
That is such a you thing to say.
Test her mettle! What’s the worst that happens, you get caught somewhere you’re not supposed to be?

Leon tipped into another alley, pushing himself against one solid wall and hurling himself up and across to the next. Repeated motions saw him scale most of the building, finally nabbing a ledge and actually making it up. These were three or four stories mostly, and a satisfying workout that he’d have to teach her soon.
But as he crossed from roof to roof, her scent got stronger in his nose until he could look down at her from behind. Sitting there for a few moments, he admired Cass’ figure, waiting to see if she’d have any inclination to sense him out.

Cass was furiously typing on her phone, though kept looking up from it to look to both her left and right. With the wait, she’d had to do something to entertain herself. That something ended up being what had been her favourite pastime during work: pestering all of her friends over text. Sadly, most seemed to be actually working, so she’d ended up just back and forth shit talking with Sal.

But she kept checking to see if Leon appeared. She had no clue which direction he’d come from with the picture he’d send- hadn’t exactly memorised St Portwell’s streets yet. It wasn’t like he’d be hard to spot… Except he wasn’t appearing. Was he that far away? Nahhh, unless they’d gotten teleported to some completely different location, but he could move fast. And she was beginning to get a little burning sensation on the top of her head… Like she got sometimes when a bird was about to shit on her, its beady little eyes watching her.

She shoved her phone back into her pocket after sending Sal a final middle finger emoji, and looked around again. There wasn’t anyone nearby, so… Wolf ears popped out of the top of her head, twitching slightly. At the same time she leaned to the side, just in case it was just a bird that had decided her beautiful curls were prime pooing land. Her more sensitive ears twitched, beginning to pick up the sound of traffic and other people talking… but nothing out of the ordinary. Still trying to pick out any sounds, now that it was obvious the tingling feeling wasn’t an imminent bird shit disaster, she also started to enhance her sense of smell. She really had to work on enhancing multiple senses without the animal features, but… whatever!

”Aw fuck, who puked behind this building,” she muttered as the first sniff came with dizzying and overwhelming scents. It was difficult to pick them out from each other, and the worst ones were always overpowering. But… she needed to push through. What if there was an evil ninja about to attack her, after murdering Leon on the way over? Or-
Cass’ nostrils flared, catching a familiar smell. But where? Nearby… up… huh?

Slowly, but surely, her head started to tilt back until she was looking up and behind as much as possible.
”C’mon, that ain’t fair, you’re already tall enough!”

Leon’s smile brightened immediately, and having watched her make her way from where she had been to where he was gave him the kind of feeling you get from watching a puppy. He just wanted to cuddle her to death. So he slipped off the roof and landed nearby. Enough that Cass would have all the time in the world to clamber onto him if she so chose.

Cass spun around towards him, not even bothering with clambering as she enhanced her legs enough to wholesale jump up at him. Her legs wrapped around his upper chest, but she mostly kept herself up with her hands on his shoulders.
”Who has the upper ground now?” she cackled like an evil witch.

With a loud but playful groan, Leon reared up as if he were some kind of beast being tamed.
”Ohhhh, no! Now I’m your slave, oh God whatever will I do?”

Faking a wobble for a moment, Leon snapped his muscles to attention and centered her weight like it was nothing. He broke off into a jog, then into a run as they began to make their way back up the hill and toward the apartment.
One benefit of Cass coming to stay was that Lynette didn’t feel the need to keep him now that she was going to be there directly. She’d already eased off a bit knowing Casey was in the building, but it was nice being able to bring clothes back finally.

So his long legs carried them both for as long as she wanted.
”I was thinking about you! I thought you’d probably get a kick out of mushing up some zombies in real life!” he expressed over the wind as they made their way back onto flat ground.

”Fuck yeah I would’ve!” Cass jerked her head back to get her hair off her face, wolf ears pulling back into her head the moment they were buffeted by wind. It was just too fucking loud- but she was pretty happy to let him carry her. Not because she was lazy or anything, but she’d already done enough running that clinging to him like a barnacle was more fun.
”There was a lot less rich people punched than I expected. I s’pose it makes sense they’d hide. Kinda lame they just sent a buncha zombies, much as I’d love to kick their heads in!”

Leon kept up at more than a brisk pace, cooking through the streets as his seals fluctuated in power level, the residuals starting to depress.and evacuate the cells. His skin was hot to the touch, and his consistent sweating was evaporating from it as the cool November air rushed around them.
”There were a pathetic amount of rich people present! I was probably the richest man actually on that island if I were to guess. I could smell some people in the mansion, sure. But, who knows what they were doing! They were gone by the time we crashed that skeleton… Were you watching!?” he asked up at her, voice calling in the wind.

Cass leaned her upper body back a bit to let the wind batter her, so she didn’t start sticking to his overly hot skin. Much as she enjoyed that kind of thing… not in public! At least, not this public! Not that time to also get all hot and sweaty. Thankfully the air was cool enough that she was saved from becoming a sweating mess.
”’Course I was! I went up to one of the cliffs overlooking it and enhanced my eyes to watch. It looked pretty insane for a while! And throwing that guy at the skeleton was cool as fuck! Wasn’t as exciting as I expected, but I suppose that’s a good thing, right?”

She grinned, canines slightly sharp. It was a pretty frequent occurrence nowadays… Green Lux pumping through her body and changes coming naturally with her mood.
”Pretty sure there were some other watchers- cliff across from me there were these ladies with camping chairs and shit. I sent a picture to Trish, but ‘course she hasn’t responded. Probably enjoying herself too much… Man, no wonder she’s got problems with Sycamore, if that’s how you guys fight- no offense. You were cool.”

Camping chairs? Odd, but not crazy. Leon nodded his head as best he could while continuing his run. Thankfully, their place was almost never too far from the horseshoe of the bay. So it didn’t take an incredibly long amount of time for the roof of the apartment to peek out into view. It was really Trisha and Casey’s place, the little glass roof just poking out over the roofline from their angle. It was nice, and always felt like he was really coming home to something. Hopes for the future, maybe.

”We had a lot more gusto as kids. Mortality catches up to you at this age! Did you see? The guys out there with the most gusto are fucking gone now! Blipped! Granted, they both know Purple Lux to some degree, but its still something we’ve gotta spend more time looking into! The whole thing was a flop, Cass!” he called.

”This age? Dude, aren’t you like twenty nine? You sound like a fucking old man saying that shit!” Cass couldn’t hold back the little snorting laugh at that, even though it was a pretty serious topic. People disappearing and all. She furrowed her brow slightly as she tried to remember that. Oh, right, the guys flying towards the dragon. It seemed like a pretty big loss if they lost two coven members, and didn’t even get the notes they’d been going for… which had been their main goal from what she remembered.

”Honestly it sounds like this coven shit ain’t working out. You ain’t getting anything done… wouldn’t it be easier to just skip the group politics and try find shit solo? Wait, that’s probably dangerous.” Danger was fun, but maybe not the danger of solo hunting a mass murderer. But she really couldn’t get over a three coven alliance failing to get anything. At least that’s what she was hearing from it being a flop.
”Man, two guys gone too… I saw it, kinda. How do you even start looking for ‘em? This whole thing fucking blows.” She shook her head. Doing her best to balance practicality and sympathy, though there was no way she could hide the energy buzzing right underneath her skin from watching the fight. At the prospect of more. Not that she’d had the opportunity to step in this time.

”Naturally, we consult the Whites.-”
Leon was slowing down now, getting Cass into a slightly more comfortable position for him to hold.
”-Not like that, you racist. I mean the White Lux adepts. People with prescience, or location abilities. Or, maybe we get an artifact that helps. But otherwise, looking for Purple Adepts is a Purple Adept’s job. We can’t let ourselves be scared over this.” he explained.

The lower floors of the surrounding buildings buzzed with a familiar warmth despite the cold of the night. People waved to Leon. Said hello. Came out of their way to greet him in this neighborhood. It wasn’t that they were starstruck, rather that everyone still knew one another. Families were the same, people had found a way to remain and resist the encroaching techno-sprawl. A nearby bar called Leon’s name.

”Fancy a drink? We’ll forget about it for now, think about what comes next when it comes again.” he offered, still in his sweat suit he’d brought to change into.

”You’re asking a Brit if she fancies a drink? Y’know what kinda shit would have to go down for me to say no? We used to drink beer in the shelters! Well, I snuck some when my parents weren’t looking!” Cass laughed as she casually talked about a fairly traumatic event.
”A drink or two’s needed to really get the brain going. They do any food? I ain’t eaten since the morning… fuck, one of the things I miss from back home is the pub food!”

She then patted one of the arms holding her.
”You can put me down, I don’t wanna bang my head on the door frame being up this high!”

Leon did as he was instructed, letting Cass down to her feet and taking a deep breath. Club Whizz-Bang was a frequent enough haunt for Temple members living in and near the old Cannery Apartments, and the two were met with an excited cheer from mundane patrons. Most of them were there because it was a regular spot, and fairly well known as a place that offered some significant deals for frequent patrons. Stuff you could only know was happening because you were there when it was announced.

Like the endless animal fries, which were endless so long as you were good for the drink money. That was, after all, the most important part of trying to run a bar: The overhead. Not that Leon wouldn’t help the owners out if they fell on hard times, but they never needed him. Except, of course, to bring in crowds. There were a minority of people who, either vaguely or wholly passionate, wanted to meet the famous boxer who was known to frequent the place.

So Leon led Cass to “his” table. The same table that whoever was working expected him to sit at. They’d cleared away a bit of clutter around it, letting people take pictures in the seat where he usually wound up and more so allowing space for photo ops and gatherings when the big man actually was there. People started to gravitate naturally, but Leon didn’t seem to treat it like they were. His attention was mostly fixed on Cass.

The surroundings themselves were fairly modern. Nothing fancy, no real theme except for some errant dummy fireworks here and there, and pictures of various explosions throughout recent history. An odd choice, but a place called Whizz-Bang lended a little more credence.
”You gonna drink your heavy beer? Or you want actual booze!?” Leon asked her over the noise of the bar.

”Ooo, tough choice.” Cass’ head tilted from side to side as she thought about it. Booze related decisions were very important. She did love her heavy beer, and just beer in general but… It’d be fun to drink something stronger with someone who could actually handle it! She’d spent too long surrounded by lightweights. As much as it was fun to witness the various drunk antics of her friends.
”What kinda stronger stuff do they do here? Like proper spirits and shit?”

Nodding, Leon’s head turned to look at the long bar before he pointed.
”Yeah! Look! Whatever you want, Lil’ Wolf.” he giggled, then threw his hand up to wave someone over.
”They’ll bring us a menu too, in case you wanna eat.”

Lelou, deep in Leon’s skull, groaned.
What’s that… That song you like?
A gentle song echoed in his head, and he shook it off as necessary.
Nothing is ever enough for you.

While he smiled and politely watched Cass, it was pretty clear that his brain was dealing with something else.

Cass leaned one elbow on the table to push herself up a bit, craning her head and looking over at the bar. Loads of options, loads of options… But it wasn’t exactly a hard choice when she knew what she liked.
”Hell yeah I wanna eat - not that I care bout drinking on an empty stomach, I just like food.”

Having made her alcohol related decision, her head turned to look back at Leon. Then tilted again.
”You doing that talking in your head thing?” she asked, voice pitching down a bit quiet, expression open and non judging.

Leon nodded and half-laughed.
”She’s being bitchy. We’re not doing anything intense or exotic enough, so she’s acting like a spoiled brat.”

The server finally made it, and enough pub food was ordered to fill the table along with the beverage choices. It'd be a little while for courses to start rolling out, but drinks were much quicker. A separate interruption bridged the span of time from order to the drinks arriving. It took a purposeful redirection to get the visitors away from the table so Leon and Cass could have some alone time again.

As they finally departed, Leon gave her a tired looking face.
”Sometimes I don’t wanna be the guy who sends people away… But I wish people could behave better contextually… Like, you see me show up with one person, we’re not really talking to anyone… Get the hint, y’know?” he confided in Cass.

”Oh yeah, I gettit. Well, not with the whole people coming over cause they’re fans and shit… But it ain’t hard to have some respect! Like I’m basically your biggest fan now, right?” She grinned playful and winked, before laughing. It was a joke, mostly - she tried to separate the Leon in front of her from ‘Timberwolf’ the boxer. Course they were the same person, but this was the real him rather than whatever was in her mind from years of watching and fan culture.
”If I saw you hanging out with just one person- or even a group, y’know, clearly out with people!- I wouldn’t even think ‘bout approaching. Well I would now… but that’s cause I ain’t just a fan, y’know.”

She waved a hand in front of her face as she, like normal, jumped from one thing to another.
”It ain’t the same, but go out as just a group of girls to a pub and suddenly every guy in the vicinity thinks it's a free pass to try pick one of us up. Like, dude, I’m out with my friends, if I wanted a hookup you’d know!”

Leon was surprised that Cass would be so reserved in front of a celebrity she had an interest in. For all her openness, if it was true that she’d rather let the opportunity go than make a nuisance of herself? But, then, was it so surprising? She was British. For everything else, he’d always known Brits to be dignified and structured. His Father’s friends had been rigid, like stone thespians acting the part of icicles. But they boxed like animals… Every single one, hooks with cannon shells at the ends.

But she was past it, and relating on a personal level. There was an instant jolt between the two brains in the singular mind.
”Oh, the Wolf Lady doesn’t understand that one… But I get it. Because it's exactly the same feeling I get. Granted, yours? The whole carnality of it, the obvious intention from one party to another.-”

He put on a bit of a scowl and took a long tug from his beer.
”-It’s like wishing you could get away from the fame. You want it and want it, but it never comes. Lelou says embrace it. Like I can ever really be fully comfortable as a center of attention like that? It’s violating.”

Of course he’d been guilty of such behavior regardless… But he usually didn’t run into people who felt like that about it in the first place. If anything, she had him thinking harder about his own thoughts and actions. The subtle intellect was just as attractive as the crude.

”Y’know who embraces the attention? Ed. Mia’s always yellin’ at her because she plays too much. I know she’s the most open out of the three of them, but she really does ham it up a bit sometimes. The flirting, snagging drinks off random guys and girls alike.”
Those girls, his baby Sister and her triangle of love. They were a big part in his life, and Leon had a great deal of memories between the three of them from the time they were kids until now. Hari, not so much… She came much later, after all. But Ed was close. A distant cousin, which he couldn’t help but make a stronger connection with. It was more than their proclivities, it was a bond of ties.

Cass nodded as Leon spoke, sipping on the double rum and coke she’d ended up going for. Really it was less sipping and more gulping… but listening and thinking was thirsty work.
”Oh yeah, I can see that. I’ve not exactly talked to em much… but like a couple of days ago, when you were out doing some kinda coven shit? I was just chilling on that big sofa, reading this really cool book about Quantum Computing. Oh man, that maths and shit- wait, that ain’t what I was tryna talk about… what was it… oh yeah!” Cass slapped her fist into her palm as she remember what the fuck she’d be talking about in the first place. Definitely not going into Quantum Computing details…

”The girls came into the kitchen, we chatted a bit, y’know. All fine, I’m friendly, I like em! They even offered me some of their food so like, y’know, wasn’t gonna say no to that. The company was nice for a bit, but Ed was pretty heavily flirting with me through it y’know… which I ain’t gotta problem with, ‘specially if it's a joke, but I’m good enough at reading people to see it was more for that, y’know. And that shit’s messy- been there before.” She shrugged one shoulder. She was smiling as she spoke, balancing out the slightly more serious way she talked. She wasn’t upset with any of the girls. She’d enjoyed the time with them… and from their brief interactions she got on with Ed too. It was just…
”It’s all about context, ain’t it? Like if you’re at a match, you’re gonna be the centre of attention, you expect it. But if you’re just in your local? You wanna be left in peace most of the time. Same with the flirting and stuff… there’s places where it’s expected. Clubs and certain pubs, and it’s fine. I ain’t exactly someone who doesn’t play around! Just sometimes that ain’t what you want.”

Leon’s face turned up into a slight smirk.
”Sometimes, sure… But, sometimes it is, y’know? I won’t lie and say I don’t relish the attention on the bad days. Helps me get through, push a little harder no matter what the voice in my head is saying. The people cheer? I give it another shot. The people surround me with love? The voice goes away.”

Of course, that was a very literal problem for him… But-
”Maybe that seems like an obvious thing, y’know ‘cuz of the brain ghost. But, I did have my time before that too. Plenty of time as an Adept just like you… I grew up around a man who was bigger than life. Always wanted that for myself. So… Sometimes? Someone wants to try and impress me by how much alcohol they can buy me, or what kind of car they have, I just love how badly they’re trying.”

Leon gave Cass a catty smirk, running his hand through his hair to push it all back and totally out of his face. He liked to think he’d done his Father proud so far. The legacy, the work; protecting those who needed protecting. But he was also his own man at the end of the day, and he knew that he couldn’t repeat all the unhealthy cycles of Maxwell Richoux.

”But, hey… I’m sorry. Regardless of how I feel about it, you’re expressing your perspective. And you already know I don’t disagree, because I’m the one who brought it up in the first place right?”

He raised his beer bottle.

”Cheers to comin’ back to you.”

”Heh, cheers to that! I’m pretty fucking great, ain’t I?” Cass laughed, raising her clash and clinking it against his bottle. She wasn’t exactly upset about anything he’d said - nor did she feel the apology was necessary, but she’d accept it regardless. It was just how things went. People disagreed, talked about it, tried to see from different perspectives… It was very human.

She took a long swig, practically polishing off her drink before putting it back down. Then her expression changed. No more bright smile, just a completely deadpan look. Though she couldn’t quite keep the mischievous twinkle out of her eyes.
”So… Do you want to see the super expensive car I just bought to impress you?”

Leon’s mouth opened into a perfect circle. His slight hunch pushed back fully, and the circle turned into a big friendly smile.
”Oh, my God, I am so down.”

Breaking down laughing, Leon shook his head and had to flip the hair back into position again. Around that time, the quickest appetizers were arriving. Big beer battered onion rings and mozzarella sticks, the gambit of fried foods that hit the oil and came out within a minute. All served hot with a billion different sauces.

”Awwww, interrupting the car… Damn, I guess I’ll just go home in it with you.” he laughed again, snagging an onion ring and ripping it in half with his teeth.

”Already thinking about going home? Damn, the food’s barely on the table,” Cass grinned, grabbing a mozzarella stick and absolutely devouring it. The hand not covered in grease started to rummage around her coat.
”It might be a bit of a squeeze… where is it, oh, here!”

Her grin only widened as she pulled out her closed fist from one of her pockets. She then flipped it round, revealing a small, red and black LEGO car that had clearly been made to look like some kind of fancy brand.
”Cool, right?” she laughed, puffing up her chest a bit. She’d just let him think she was that prepared with a toy car to go with the joke… definitely wasn’t something her youngest brother gave her when he was twelve that she carried around like a short of good luck charm.

Leon’s face only became more shocked as he realized what she was holding.
”Oh holy shit, you got that pocket ‘rari? That’s a tight fit for sure but you… Well, you’re an expert, so I’ve got nothing to say.”

He started laughing in a lower, slightly more “in” tone, nudging her shoulder with his wrist playfully before taking another sip of beer and eating his other onion ring half. Then it was all doom for the philly cheesesteak egg rolls.

”What’s the MPG on that baby?” he asked jokingly.

Cass laughed, flipping the car onto the table. She moved it back and forth with one finger.
”Like… 60. But that’s in CMPML- centimetres per milliliter. This bad boy only takes drops of fuel.”

She grinned, flicking the little car across the table towards him.
”Don’t worry, you get a lot outta it for its size. Just like me… man, this is really showing off my many talents, ain’t it?” She smirked, before laughing again, leaning over the table to snatch up one of the egg rolls before he could devour all of them.
”I’ll show you the time of your life… in the super duper fancy car.”

”You’re like a Wiggle, except you’ve got a little red car.” he laughed again, shaking his head and taking a final swig to clear his beer bottle. Sticking it on the corner, he knew anyone on staff would snag it and replace it post-haste.

”Now, speaking of home… San Fran? I don’t think anyone’ll die if I’m gone for a day… When’s that happening though?” he asked with a topic-shifting tone practiced over years of navigating mental dialogue options.

”Monday, probably. I gotta be out by end of next week… and my car ain’t big enough to do everything in one trip. My plan was to go Monday, pack my shit, stay the night, drive to Portland Tuesday, then back again, another night if I had to, then bring the rest of my shit.” Cass went along pretty easily with the topic change. She was very easy to redirect unless she was so deep into something she wouldn’t even pay attention to shit outside of it.
”But if you come along it’ll be easier! Well if you hitch a ride with me it’ll still be the same amount of trips… I kinda assumed you’d be too busy with the coven, and family, and other shit- Didn’t wanna impose! But if you’re down for it, hell yeah!”

She paused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
”It’ll be more than a day, though. Y’know it's like… six, seven hours from here, and like nine between San Fran and Portland? And I gotta pack everything. Sure, we could drive back overnight but ain’t a fan of that much driving in a day.”

It was natural for Leon to want to offer things. Like, for instance, to send a group of Temple faithful down ahead of them to clean out whatever she was bringing and simply put it into a better place. Wherever she wanted frankly. But, now with this whole problem surrounding newly missing Coven members and a lack of any awareness of improvements to their circumstance… Why worry about it? They were better off without him until this collar situation was remedied.

”I can get a truck or something. We can at least guarantee you only have to make one big push. Not a big one; there’s a pickup or something I could get I’m sure.”

Figuring that was a half decent compromise, Leon shrugged his shoulders and finished off the last egg roll before more things came. The animal fries were one of his favorites, and they made it how he liked with shredded chicken and extra cheese. There were a few slider plates with different little sandwiches on them. Intermediary samplers.

”Fuck yeah, that’d be a massive help. I ain’t got a ton of shit, it’s just more than a car worth, y’know? And there’s some shit I gotta be more careful with, like my computers and my guitar.” Cass was pretty satisfied with that offer… delighted, really, considering she’d been expecting multiple trips by herself. She reached out for one of the small sandwiches, devouring it in two bites.

”You’ll get to see my place. Well, it’s rented, but I made my room my own! Which’ll be a bit of pain, ugh, I’ll have to take all my shit down… Hmm…” She tried to remember what state she’d left it in before coming to visit. It hadn’t been too messy. No messier than normal, at least!
”Nope, don’t think I have any shit I don’t want you to see in there! Like, ooo, no evidence of all my past murders. You may wanna bring an eyemask, though, I dunno if you can sleep in a room that isn’t all fucking black!”

Happy to be of more use to her than anyone else, Leon smiled and nodded as he crunched through a forkful of fries.
”Oh, I think you’ll rock me to sleep just fine.”

---

Hours later, with the two wolves cuddled side by side after a long night of howling at the moon, there was positivity draped in the air like a thick blanket across them. It was the perfect pot of emotions to stir up. This game had been played a few times already. - The hunting and prodding for an opening that Kane and Abel could slip into through the Emotional Field.

Most of the time, Leon was out of the question unless the Wolf Queen felt a desire to participate. While she typically didn’t love the Cats getting too close, sometimes she could be bribed with certain pleasures that would allow them passage and the opportunity for the sweet Richoux nectar. But this new one… She was fresh, like a fruit pulled from the tree that morning and placed into a basket for breakfast. Only, it was a problem. No matter how many cracks there were, something strange would happen every single time.

Assuming there was enough of an emission that they’d be able to slip in, Kane and Abel deftly bombed the area with their slumber spell. Its subtle nature passed along through both Emotional Fields, hitting Leons and getting swallowed by Lelou while Cass’ body would quietly slump just a bit further. But climbing up onto her side wouldn’t disturb Leon anymore than it would disturb Lelou…
But she knew. And she could only grin as she held onto her King-Consort within the den of his mind’s eye. She was no stranger to a little jealousy, even if she liked the outsider. Thus, nobody was rousted. The predation would be attempted again tonight, and she was curious to see if there’d be any results on the part of the wretched feline.

In a strange flash of reality, the two cats became one in a mind-bending amalgamate horror, whose face and neck twisted like spirals as it screamed out with no sound. The echo of this scream crawled deep into Cass’ Emotional Field, wriggling in until it found a nick to bite into.

The cavernous echo of a bombing run overhead shook the bunker. Children screamed, women echoed the sentiment, and gruff old voices could only struggle to call out for safe passage to others. Before her, the metro bomb shelter slowly but surely gave way from the distance to a very close position. Collapsing walls and Earth caved in all around her, giving way to a blackened sky full of fire. London wasn’t just burning…

It was as if every single one of the worst scenarios were taking place. In the short distance, with rhythmic marching like an arena full of boots, darkly clad figures were trampling over the dead and dying. Rifles fell only to sound the drumbeat’s cymbals with clacking explosive metal. Fall, shoot, rise. Fall, shoot, rise. Scream, scream, scream… The Hun had arrived, and the only color left in Cass’ world was red behind white behind black. Britain was Fallen.

Well damn, this shit sucked. Cass’d been relatively chill in the familiar bomb shelter, thinking about the beer she could steal from her parents, until that safety was suddenly ripped out from under her. Her heart thumped in her chest as she looked about her beloved city-

Wait a fucking minute. This wasn’t Manchester. This was fucking London! Beloved city, her ass, just the sight of Big Ben collapsing was enough to make her feel a bit sick. Not cause it was collapsing, of course, but cause it meant she was in London. London that was… being invaded? The bombs had been familiar. Scary, yes, but it was a fear she’d lived through and survived.

Survived?

Oh. It was a dream, wasn’t it! Of course! There’d never been a land invasion. Through all the bombings and the rationing Britain had stayed strong. The War was done. She’d seen it finish, celebrated it and all.

”Oh fuck yeah!” Cass suddenly exclaimed, grinning widely as her confusion turned to excitement. If this was a dream, and she was in control of herself, she could do whatever the fuck she wanted. Absolutely no consequences. ”I always wanted to shoot some fucking Nazis!”

Cass kicked aside one of the excitingly gorey dead bodies beside her, picking up a rifle that she had no idea how to use. But it didn’t matter! This was a dream! Which meant her spray to win tactic, otherwise completely unviable, worked. Suddenly she was mowing down invaders left, right and centre- eating bullets like an absolute champ because again, dream.

Though she did dramatically fall down a few times before continuing.

Desperate to rise the reaction,the cats purposefully shifted to doing everything they could to make it worse. Suddenly, they weren’t in London. It was Manchester, and people she knew were “dead”. Probably the worst possible thing is that getting closer to the piles of Nazi corpses revealed that each soldier wore the face of her Brother lost in the fighting. To make her at least feel some kind of basic sadness from missing someone who was gone…

There were people who weren’t able to be victimized by a Wampus Cat… But they were few and far between. To be as such is to be a master of Green Lux, whose joy is utter anathema to the Wampus of Shimmer. Otherwise, to be a master of Yellow or Pink, for the two are capable of bolstering their Emotional Fields in ways otherwise inaccessible to the average Adept. Of course, Cass’ Green Lux was a natural deterrent… But for Kane and Abel, the presence of a freshly ripened fruit - A “freshly” kindled Adept - usually means an easy Lux-based meal.

But this… Individual… Was impossible!

Cass lowered her gun as the scene shifted, head tilting. Weird. She knew this was a dream. Meant to be a nightmare, probably, but her only nightmares were properly realistic… not that she’d had any for years. Just during the War, immediately after it, the like. She hadn’t changed it.

Something else had.

She ignored that thought for a moment, crouching down beside one of the bodies wearing her brother, Rowan’s, face. As much as it was grim, it was nice to see it again. Properly rather than the fuzzy appearance it took when she tried to remember him, or in her own dreams. Just like how he’d looked when he left… too perfect for someone who was dead.

Not that it made her any less annoyed. She straightened back up, tilting back to stare up at the sky.
”C’mon, seriously? Like thanks for letting me see his face again and all, but you guys gotta give up with the creepy cat shit you’re trying. I ain’t budging.”

A long, snake-like appendage made a motion in the burning gutter by Cass’ feet. Attached to a long string of guts was Rowan’s head. And, to go with it, a great deal of spine. However, one of his eyes was blue, and the other was red.

”You love this face? Want him to come back? I can do that.”

Suddenly it was a warm spring day in the city. It was all gone, and Rowan was standing in his uniform… Just like the day he left. But, it’d only be the day he left. There was nothing to see after that. He never came home. Yet, he held out his hand.
” ‘Mon, Cassi… We’ll grab a pint and a pie. I miss you.”

It was difficult not to feel a hint of sorrow. Cass was a happy person, but still a person. And even after seven years, that grief was still there. But it was just a memory she’d relived time and time again, and cried over so many times. She’d look at the worn little picture of the two of them before he left… but now it brought warmth more than it did the sadness. Because he was always there, in a way. They could only show him like this because he was integral to who she’d been. Because she loved him enough to remember him as clearly as possible.

”No.” Cass folded her arms. Bringing back someone from the dead was a tempting thought, but she knew it wasn’t possible in that way. The soul moved on… He was gone. She’d accepted that a long time ago.
”What I want is for you to get out of my dreams. Don’t y’know it’s rude to peek in on people’s happy memories? Like, what else are you looking at?! Oh my god, are you guys voyeurs too?!”

Fed up and unused to being resisted, the entity could only scowl. Even as she stared at him, he wouldn’t let her off. Rather than be ignored, the thing wearing her brother’s skin stared at her and gripped his fist tightly at his side.
”Oooooh… If you… You… Are so lucky, Girl. I know how to break you. It would be too easy! I like the challenge! So, you just enjoy your free fucking nap, and suck the Wolf’s cock again while your at it so I can stare at your fat fucking a-”

The waking world returned to Cass as Leon was shouting.

”-et the fuck off her! V’then ad’aad! Ib urralis oren IMMULMALKUS DEVO CA-”
He had the cats by one throat, consequently lifting the actual body and the illusion at once. Whatever strange language that was spilling out of his mouth seemed to be giving rise to something else: A set of burning red runes that were starting to boil through his skin on the arm holding the cats.

In turn, the beast struggled. Half holding onto its shape, the wretched thing twisted in strange ways as it blinked in and out of reality in between Leon’s searing and rapidly growing claws. As he finished his chanting, there was a burst of flame that drove its way across the cat and caused it to howl like a demon from the lowest parts of Hell. It struggled harder now, ripping and tearing at Leon’s arm until he finally sent it through the air on a crash course for the hard stone floors.

Kane and Abel bounced like a rubber ball, smacking into the wall of the hall outside. Still howling and on some kind of magical fire, the cats sprinted into the room once occupied by Casey and out of the open window until they were gone from the Cannery. Leon quickly grabbed ahold of Cass.

”Cheeks… I’m sorry, Babe. I’ll uh… I’ve gotta find another place to keep that fucker. He’s really getting out of hand. Are you okay?” he asked her, hand rubbing against her shoulder.

”Oh dude, I’m fine.” Cass patted his arm, really not looking like someone who’d just woken from a cat induced nightmare. There was an excited little twinkle in her eye- because that weird chanting with runes and fire had been fucking cool.
”Pretty sure I just pissed him off. He quite literally told me to go suck a dick… Wait!”

Cass’ other hand pointed at Leon.
”If you’d find another place for him, that mean you ain’t keeping him around cause you enjoy being watched? Thank fuck, honestly, I ain’t sure how I feel about a cat monster liking my ass that much…”

Leon’s sleepy brow furrowed.
”Because… What? No, no. No way. Uhhhh… Well… I do like being watched, but the whole horrifying dream monster thing who has been torturing me and my siblings since we were kids thing? Way more of a turnoff than a turn-on if you know what I mean.”

He thought for a few moments about the implication of what he could tell her… But he’d made a promise with Trisha and Casey that he wouldn’t overburden her with Temple bullshit. Which, of course, he expected the hunt for his Father to be. She would’ve gotten the public face of the story: “Gravity” Maxwell Richoux, disappears outside Lyon, France villa. Not seen for a decade and a half. There was buildup there, and she was a fan… She wasn’t too close. But, he had given her the presumptive honor as part of the old “Team Gravity.” A disciple, just like he had been to his Father.

”The truth is, the… Cat… Claims to know things about my Dad. Implied things like it knew where he was. I’ve been trying to get somewhere by placating it, but… Well, between Casey and Trisha having troubles upstairs, Theo too… Now you? Even if you’re okay, it’ll get old eventually. Trust me as a man who used to be a boy that peed the bed nightly because of that fuck.” he admitted sadly.

He’d tell her. Not ask for her help, not involve her. But she had the right to know, and he figured offering a bit of himself would be good for her in case there was any lingering sorrow that she was trooping through. He wanted her to feel like she could actually count on him… Because she could. Everyone could.

Through the slit windows, the sky was still dark outside. But Leon could smell the change in the ozone that came with the closeness of the sun. The daytime, plainly, smelled different. He guessed it was close to six in the morning. His still sizzling arm reached out for his phone to check.
05:21

Close enough.

The hand Cass had placed on Leon’s arm rubbed comfortingly, and there was a quiet empathy in her eyes. She understood… if it claimed to know where his dad was. She’d wavered for just a moment when it offered to bring her brother back. But that wasn’t possible. Rowan was dead, even if they’d never gotten the body back.

Gravity, on the other hand, was missing. Presumed dead. But it seemed that… he could actually be alive? If the Cat really knew where he was. It could be a body, but it could be a living, breathing man.

Cass didn’t immediately react, because she wasn’t sure how to. It was strange. She idolised Gravity, but she’d been quite young when he went missing. Only a couple of years really watching boxing with her older brothers… then he was gone. It was really when she’d gone back and watched older matches as a teenager that she’d become the intense fan she was today. If he was alive? Well, fuck.

”No wonder you keep it ‘round if it knows that. Like if there’s a chance he’s still alive… fuck, dude, that’s insane. Fuck.” She shook her head. That was pretty big fucking news. Honestly, if it was just her it was bothering? She’d tell him to keep it there. But if it was bothering others too? Trisha…

”It doubt it’s gonna just tell you cause you’re nice to it- clearly wants some shit. It couldn’t get whatever it was from me so it went as far as tryna offer to bring my brother back. Maybe a few years back it would’ve got me. Well, not with the bringing him back shit, I ain’t stupid… but with whatever they were tryna do with the dream bullshit. At least make it realistic? As if I’d ever be in fucking London during the war.”

Cass talked pretty openly, as she often did. She didn’t really need the prompting. And she did feel fine. Because the sadness from thinking about her brother was the kind of feeling that came up every few days, just muted from what it had been. That was grief, after all.
”Ohhh, but you should’ve heard the fucker at the end! A real fucking perv- have you tried showing it a porn magazine? It might cough up if it sees some nice asses.”

Leon didn’t have a joking face on. He didn’t sound deathly serious or anything, but the lack of overall expression was certainly not normal.
”Better off we just do away with it. Before it starts stooping too low for bad vibes… I don’t think either of my sisters are right. Or Junior, honestly… Those kinds of nightmares probably have something to do with it.”

Better off that the implications didn’t hang in the air. Especially not with what he’d told her the first night; about how Kane and Abel hadn’t just been their family’s cat, but the Richoux family cat for at least a couple of hundred years. Thankfully it was all interrupted by Leon’s phone going off.

”Oh, fuck…” he grunted, staring at the unknown number on his phone. This was the day and age of the unknown number, however, so he answered it like he would any other personal call.

A small throat clear, then his big finger pressed the little screen.
”Richoux speaking.”

”Thank fuck.” An unknown number but a familiar voice. Leon would recognise Bianca, former covenmate turned fed. ”Is it a fucking coven policy to not pick up the- That isn’t important right now. Leon, great- I assume you haven’t heard from Linqian? She told me yesterday that she wasn’t going on your lil raid, cause she was doing her own- and I haven’t been able to get through to her this morning. Or the last few hours.”

Leon’s face dropped, and Cass would be able to see the disdain on his face for the current situation. His hand slipped up across his face, finally brushing the hair in his face out of it.
”Alright, cool. Nice to hear from you too. So… What? You think she’s in trouble or something?”

He was trying to think of why she was calling him. Why… But, then he remembered…
”Wait… Devola was in there too, wasn’t he? There! Linqian’s probably elbow deep in Greyson’s ass somewhere. Mission successful, and they’re celebrating.” he tried to blow her off.

Cass watched silently, head tilting slightly as her ears enhanced slightly to be able to hear both sides of the conversation. Didn’t exactly seem like a private one… though her fingers started tapping on her legs in her attempt to stay quiet and still.

”You think I’d bother calling you if there was a chance they’re just fucking?” Bianca replied bluntly.
”She took her younger brother with her- fuck knows why- and he isn’t answering his phone either. He’s a teen- fucking glued to that thing!”

There was a sharp exhale of air on the other end, and some clattering. Bianca’s voice lowered a bit.
”Look, I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t think it was serious. I’d go myself but I’m on duty. I’m doing my best to stop my boss coming down on all your asses again, so help me out with this? I’ll owe you one.”

Apathy turned to a sharpness in Leon’s eyes as he looked up from his hands at Cass.
”You’re not going to owe me one, Bianca. You’re gonna owe us one. Now where am I going, and what the fuck should I expect?”

Iron and Honey: A Love Story [FernStone & AtomicEmperor]

Slowly, her head moved up from where she’d pressed it in against his shoulder. First, a kiss there. Then another one on his neck, then his jawline… Gentle kisses until she reached his lips. She hovered there, soft smile turning into an exaggerated pout.

“You really want me wait nine months of pregnancy then another eighteen years to see if we don’t fuck it all up and still depend on each other?” She complained jokingly, rubbing her nose against his.
“Mm, I bet if we’re still going strong after my pregnancy, nothing’ll break us. From what complaints I heard, my mom’s was pretty bad emotionally. You’re lucky you don’t have to deal with me on my period for a while!”

Casey could only laugh at her sudden uptick. It was nice, and for the first time it felt like he had some kind of immediate result-response. She actually took what he said onside, and rather than it being a long and slow ride back to a nice place, they were back where they had to be without any great effort. It was almost too good to be true, but that had to be the effort that was being put in by both of them.

It couldn’t just be a magical talking spot, right?

”Uhhh… Yeah. That’ll be a good stopgap, I guess. We weren’t easy kids either, from what I hear. Leon formed punching, I came out all kinds of spun around. Supposedly the only orderly one was Junior… Go figure.” he almost gagged.

”Mia was the worst. I actually remember it. It really did feel like she didn’t love us. Because she wouldn’t let us come see her at all; she rescinded all her motherly duties for like six months. The only real memory I have of seeing her is with all her hair tied up into this fucking cone on the top of her head, and she was screaming at Clarissa because of… Something. I really can’t fucking remember why, and it bothers me because I thought I did! I remember it bothering me!” he started snapping his fingers trying to figure it out.

“Because it was irrational? Was it about you or your siblings?” Trisha tried to prompt him, rather than getting frustrated that he was diverting from what he was saying or pausing. There was no rush… Plenty of time for him to figure out what it was. They weren’t going anywhere. She felt confident about that in this moment.

“I didn’t… think that you could just rescind motherly duties? I don’t think you’re meant to do that?” Trisha tilted her head, thinking about it. Well, her mom had done it for most of her life.
“I wouldn’t want to…”

”Well, not legally… She had the benefit of people to pawn us off on. And Dad…-”

Casey paused again, but this time there was no motion. It was like a light turned off.
”Get that cockhead down here now, or so help me I’ll kill the next little fucker I see! NOW!”

A glazed look on his face. The uncomfortable feeling of looking into that room. Leon’s hand tugging on his wrist. He could see her from the bed clear as day, and she was staring back at him. And as far as he could tell, she didn’t love him in that moment. And she was screaming at someone to tell someone else that they were about to get in trouble… Probably for letting them slip past and down the stairs to where they knew she was. Because they wanted to see Momma.

The blank expression softened. Softened to a tear. She was screaming for her husband… And the only person who responded was her handmaiden. He wondered if the pain was bad, or if the portents were worse… How she could just lose any sense of maternal love? Any sense of duty when the going got tough? To threaten to kill them? Why?

”-Oh… I… Remember.”
Casey’s head turned to look at her with pain.
”Because, she said she would hurt us. If she saw us again. And when she said it, our eyes met. And I believed her.”

Trisha was scared for a moment when Casey zoned out like that. Like he wasn't there. But she moved past it as soon as he came back. Her hands came up to cradle his face, thumbs gentle rubbing his cheeks. She understood how devastating that lack of love was. But she'd never feared for her life like that…

“I’m so sorry, Casey," she whispered. Meeting his pained gaze with as much sympathy and love as she could muster.
“I’m sorry you had to remember that because of what I said… But you didn't deserve that. No matter what she was going through. You were still her son. You must've been so scared afterwards…"

Her smile was a little sad. Thinking about little Casey thinking that his mother wanted to kill him… Looking at the man she loved now. He'd suffered so much, hadn't he? She… she made him suffer too. She only hoped the times she didn't, like this, were greater.
“I’ll never be like that. Not to you or any children we have… Never. I promise."

”I don‘t think you ever could. I don’t see that in you. That capacity… Not with everything you’ve told me about how you grew up, right? You’re the furthest away from pushing someone who would love you out of your life. Maybe a relationship, sure… You can’t trust the other person who you don’t know. But your kid?”

Casey waved his hand dismissively. There was no chance in a cold Hell that she’d do anything like that to their kids.

”But, it’s fine… She got better after, and I can recognize that she tried to make it up to Leon and I. I can see that she tried. So, it’s like half a point more than Maria. And I think that half a point is the difference between having fond memories and not. What happened to you was straight up not fair.” he expressed emphatically.
”It’s not a situation I can abide in the slightest. She threw you away… But I don’t think you’d ever do that to our kids either.” He continued to explain.

It was difficult for Trisha to fully accept that her mother was worse than his still, even when they'd talked about it a few times. Because she still loved her… Even if she knew deep down he was right. What fond memories did she have with Maria? Those few weekends where Maria was tired enough from work she couldn't do anything more productive, but not so tired just Trisha's presence was enough to irritate her… When she'd order pizza and they'd watch something in silence. But was it really fond? More like the only ones that weren't bad.

It really wasn't fair. She hadn't been asked to be brought into the world by two people who didn't really want a kid. Not in the way they should.

“I wouldn't." Trisha said it with as much confidence as she could have about it there and then. She didn't want to become like, she believed him… but she couldn't be completely sure. Even after what they'd already talked about, and actually accepting what Casey had said about them and what it would be like. At least her mood was stable now, thanks to it.

“When we have children it'll be because we want them. I'll want them. Well, uh, obviously I already do- we're talking about it- just not right now." Trisha waved a hand, going a little red.
“Anyway- My mom didn't. I think she had me because she though having the kid dad wanted would mean she didn't end up like the ten or so women before her… Then she was stuck with me even after he cheated. She did try until I was a teenager. I can understand… it'd be hard seeing so much of the man who hurt you like that in your child…"

Trisha lost the point for a moment, defending Maria without even realising that she was. It wasn't on purpose, really.
“But I want them. With you… but even if something happened, I'd still want them. Though… I might've been like her if you told me that before you said you loved me. That kids were a deal sealer." She admitted uncomfortably, head hanging a bit.

Casey couldn't imagine talking about things like this to anyone but the person he loved so much. A topic only for Trisha. There was too much love and passion in it for him so ever feel good about bringing it into a discussion in the barrack. At most, you state intention.

”I'd like to have this many kids. I'd prefer a boy.”

It wasn't something you got so deep into that your friends and colleagues know that you're still a slightly religious nutjob who valued the sanctity of marriage as an action. That making vows with no matter who it was you were marrying meant you were taking responsibility and accountability into your life. And that you simply didn't have the child without those bonds in place.

He'd always been taught that parents got together because they loved each other, but ultimately stayed together because they love their children. Did he think or even consider that their relationship would be bad at that point? No. He was fairly certain they'd work it all out. But it wasn't his anxieties at play here. Hers were very different: it all stemmed from permanence and consistency as opposed to Casey's Rollercoaster.

Because of his certainty that no childhood could ever be quite like his, he knew the things that he was scared of were a near impossibility for his progeny. No forcing the Kindling, no high magical expectations or aspirations. He planned on raising however many they wound up with like normal kids who live with magic in their lives. Not like they were trained wizards who just needed to be shoved into the flames of study.

”Well, it's a good thing I don't bring stuff like that up to people I don't plan on marrying. Besides, the deal is sealed. And on Thanksgiving, in front of hundreds of people, I'm gonna get on one knee, and I'm gonna propose to you forreal. And you're gonna get embarrassed, but when you say yes, we all have what we want. I get this amazing, silly, smart and downright gorgeous woman to call my bride until we both rot away, and you have a tall, pale and handsome tree trunk that you can safely cling to, again, until we both rot away.”

He hoped contextualizing the somewhat transactional nature of the plan despite the simple sounding description would help her really solidify that these things were happening. She needed to know, and to believe fully that these things would happen, and they'd be permanent. Trisha Vanburen needed a new island to live on. One big enough that the sea wouldn't swallow it.

”D'you hear me, Trisha Bee? Forever and ever and ever.” he snuggled her tightly.

“I hear you," Trisha said softly, holding onto him like she never wanted to let go. She didn't. If she could, she'd spend the rest of her life clinging to him like this. But even though that wasn't possible, at least she could daily…

It was difficult to not be filled with warmth after what he said. All the compliments and reassurance. He really did think all of those things about her, didn't he? And right now he really saw that future… them marrying and staying together until they rotted away. It was comforting. Another brick carefully placed onto the collapsed wall that was Trisha's confidence.

It made it easier to hope, and eventually believe, that would really happen. She wouldn't end up like her parents at all.

What did she ever do to deserve someone as good as him?
“I’m really lucky to have you… I haven't been actually excited for the future in a long time. But I'm excited for every day with you. I'm slowly accepting that those days will keep coming…"

She smiled brightly at him, eyes creasing in the way they always did when she was especially happy. Then her nose wrinkled.
“Are you really going to propose in front of everyone? I think Ezra might have an aneurysm… Oh god, Cass will deafen everyone with her yelling. If she'll be there? I assume Leon will bring her along?”

Casey shrugged.
”We said we were keeping her away from most Temple things: Leon’s going to this event, then he’ll be hosting an event downtown at some club; I assume they’ll be meeting up there instead of our stuffy dinner. I’m not sure if it’s something you want to go to, but I wasn’t super keen. Nightclubs are just killboxes with loud music to me…” he explained honestly as he could. They were never good places to get locked into.

”But obviously if you want to see Cass, I’m gonna be right next to you.”

“And see her get as close to public indecency as she legally can with Leon? I'll pass- she's a nightmare at clubs." Trisha shook her head.
“Anyway, clubs are for drunk girls nights out, attempted hookups, or couples that want an excuse to grind on each other in public. I'm settled down now, so I only see myself going to clubs for the first reason in the future… and I'll spend the whole time wishing I was back home with you anyway."

She decided to make it about her not wanting to go, rather than what it really was - a combination of that, but also not wanting him to be uncomfortable. Maybe she should so she didn't seem selfish… but she also didn't want him thinking that he was restricting her.
“What can we do there that we can't do at home?"

There was only one concern… namely that Cass was one of her closest friends, but if she wasn't at the Temple event, then she'd probably find out about Trisha's engagement through Leon. Trisha… didn't want that.
“Do you think Leon will tell her about you proposing?"

Casey didn’t hesitate in nodding his head. Leon was the worst kind of gossip. The one who had a group chat of people who were capable of disseminating information about the collective like a brush fire spreads in California.
”Oh, yeah. If you think you want to tell her beforehand, I would. I could ask him not to, but that would imply that I either ruin the surprise and run the risk of him making plans behind our back before it even happens, or that I have a chance to catch him just after it happens.” he explained, running down the most likely scenarios.

“I’d like to tell her myself, but…" Trisha frowned, trailing off. Her hands moved up to grab her hair almost comically.
“Cass can't keep a secret for shit! If we tell her before and say not to tell Leon… she'll really try, but she'll get excited and let it slip in an hour. She'll do the same for my other friends too, but it's easier to just… Tell them. Ugh- why did we set up your brother and my friend?!"

It was a bit of a dilemma in Trisha's mind. Trying to make sure both found out from the source, but that there were no opportunities for Leon to plan. But how…
“We… We'll have to tell them both in the morning before everything. No, then it'll ruin the surprise with Leon like you said- then we'll just tell Cass in the morning and make sure she won't have a chance to see Leon until he also knows!"

”Woah now, don’t go blaming us just because we were being nice inviting him on our arcade trip. It’s neither of our faults that they just so happen to be… Uh… The same person? It’s a little weird, right?” he asked, brow furrowing and gaze turning down to Trisha full of confusion.

”I hope that works though. You think she’d be able to refrain from texting him? Or your friends?-”

Casey tried to hide the expression of panic in his eyes as he thought about one more factor that was involved here. Stuffing it back down, he took a deep breath.
No. The Old Woman is a steel trap. She knows that a proposal is special. God, will she bother with English? Will she like Trisha? Will she withhold the ring because of that? I know she’s not racist, Cheverron and Ninne, Marco and Alita, Oletta and Jamarcus… Hell, Mom’s half Native. No, That would never be an issue. Trisha’s smart, funny, independent. All qualities she’ll like. This’ll go fine.

”-Y’know, I mean… Maybe we can trust her? Like… Is there any possible way we can invoke some kind of internal discipline in her? She seems like the type who knows what locking it down really means.” Casey offered, just trying to see if Trisha had any faith at all.

“Point her towards an exciting project and she'll forget Leon- and everyone else- exists until she's done." Trisha's response was very blunt. She knew Cass never meant to share secrets like that. And there were some things she managed to keep hidden… more deeply personal things, or difficult things other people shared with her. She wasn't someone to spread that kind of thing, even if she was incredibly open herself. But when it was something exciting? Good news? That was where she really struggled. It just slipped out.

“Otherwise, she'll probably be able to hold off texting for a few hours. Really… As long as they don't text otherwise, it'll be fine. She won't go out of her way to share it, she just… can't hold it in when she gets talking."

Casey nodded, thinking about what she meant by exciting project. What counted? Would it be bad to ask her to work on something for them?
”If we asked her to make us something, do you think she would? I was thinking of something digital, like a thing we can use to keep track of events that happen in our lives. Something private, not like a social media thing, but like… I don’t know. A digital scrapbook or something. That I can learn how to use, and that we can teach the kids how to use as they get older. So they have an introduction to computers too. Something wholesome.” he offered the idea.

”Obviously, I know you could do something like that too. But, if it’s her doing it because she knows this is coming, I bet she’ll put a thousand times more effort into it, because she loves you like that.” he added.

Trisha thought about it… it was a really nice idea. While she did have social media she didn't use it as much as people might expect. When she was at her loneliest, sure… but she was also a private person. Everything uploaded was only surface level.

But something just for them, that they could use together would be really nice. A scrapbook without any of the hassle of the physical thing.
“She would. I think you're right that… she'd put a lot of effort into it. And just be really excited to do it. I think she'll struggle way more with making it easy to use than actually making the thing. Not- not that I think you need it to be super easy! Just for our kids."

She smiled up at him, genuinely happy he was trying to find a solution to make it work for them all.
“That’s honestly a really sweet idea. Then we'll have to start taking photos together as well… to fill up the digital scrapbook with everything important. And it should distract Cass for at least a day or two! So long as Leon can handle her disappearing into a coding hole."

”If anyone has the ability to bring her out of the hole for a few hours, it's him. Mr. Magnet naturally attracts, y’know?” he laughed, thinking about how dogs often are.

A memory of two strays in Libya, both lounging in the shade of a nearby building… Until one decided to choose violence, and batted the other one on the face before breaking into a sprint that the victim matched with fervor. They chased, chomped, pushed, batted and pawed at one another until they eventually wound up back in the same spot. Curled up half on top of one another, tongues lolled out in the desert heat. The joy of being a dog…

”But, that’s what we’ll do then. Tell her that day, and get her onto a project immediately. By the time Leon gets home to pick her up for their thing, he’ll have already messaged her, and she’ll have fallen into the code zone hours prior. Everything’ll work out exactly as we need it to.” he smiled, rubbing her arm.

Trisha smiled back, tilting her head towards his.
“It's perfect. Is it… a little evil for us to plan it out like this to make sure everything works out? I don't feel bad, really, but it feels a little manipulative. I guess it's not our fault that can't keep their mouths shut, is it? Do you think we need to worry about anyone else?"

Casey shook his head with a laugh.
”I live in a Cult, Babe. They’re all a risk. My rule of thumb? If my Mom doesn’t mention it offhand in a veiled insult or backhanded compliment, she hasn’t seen a vision of it. She’s incapable of holding onto the knowledge, because all of her power comes from people knowing that she knows something. Her prescience isn’t perfect; so she’s made a lot of spells to make up for it. If I cancel those spells out, which I can and often do, then she’s got nothing besides what she tells us she knows…”

He trailed off for a moment, thinking about what he was trying to rope back into the conversation at this point.

”Which… Makes me assume she doesn’t know about this place. She’s never actually seen it, because she’s never alluded to it. Never made you feel uncomfortable, or even tried to relate it back to you. The only thing I think she’s seen recently is… Her death. Which means someone makes it happen… Because when she does see something, she’s always right. Just… Food for thought.”

Trisha wasn't sure what to feel hearing that. Relief that her special place was safe. Relief that Lynette would definitely die, and with it all the restrictions would go, but… that was still Casey's mom. She felt guilty about feeling that relief. Happiness, even. Because she wasn't faced with years of dealing with a mother-in-law like Lynette. Their children would never have to.

Everything she saw would happen… and if she hadn't mentioned it, she hadn't seen it. It was an extra insight into her magic. Knowledge was power, and knowing how it worked made it seem a little less terrifying.

“If you know Lynette's definitely going to die…" Trisha frowned a little, twisting herself in Casey's lap to look at him while hugging as close to him as she could.
“Does it not make you… sad at all? I know she's treated you awfully, but she's still… your mom…"

Something else Casey had already been thinking about on his own time… It was a good question from the outside, but when he got down to the real dirt of it, there was only one answer every single time.

”It’s like having a sick animal. Or, like a Triage thing. I can’t stop the wound, it’s haemorrhaging, my hands are slippery and fucking… Gripping onto a limb that isn’t there. Do I have time to be sad? Yeah, like every second I’m squeezing the artery I’m sad, because I know I’m making a bad decision trying to keep it alive. Makes me think I should just finish the job before the Lord does. Makes me resentful of the situation, and then I can roll it right back around to being resentful directly to her. And when I get like that? I really think I could be the one who does it. She hasn’t said it's me, so I don’t think it will be. But, if anything, that just makes me feel a little worse… Because I’ll keep pressure on the wound until the heart stops beating. I’m dumb like that…” he admitted fully.

It was an intimate thought, but ultimately not useful. He’d only ever loop back around over and over again, never fully able to end the cycle himself. He found that he too was a prisoner of the circumstance, despite having escaped it for so long.

”I feel bad that I’ll miss living like I do. I’ll feel bad knowing for the rest of my life that I actually appreciate the intricacy of the suppressive web of surveillance my Mother’s created. That, in spite of it being used for evil, if you play by all the rules then you’re more safe and secure and cared for than the President after a colonoscopy. If my Mom loves you really and truly, you’re never far from a nest of security and stability. I really wish you could see all the good and beautiful moments I did get to see… Maybe then it wouldn’t feel so bad saying that I only wish it would come sooner.” he finished, voice solemn and low.

It wasn’t the answer Trisha had expected. She looked at him with a slight, confused frown. In a way, she could understand what he said about feeling sad that Lynette’s ‘suffering’ was being prolonged. How horrible would it be knowing you were going to die- going to be killed- and just having to keep going. Knowing the exact moment it would happen… She could sympathise, even if it was someone like Lynette. And because it affected Casey like this.

He didn’t deserve to have to think about it. To consider what was worse: waiting for her to die, or killing her himself.

But she couldn’t understand appreciating the surveillance web. Because it kept you safe if you played by the rules? Safe from threats that were partly there because of the cult itself? Security and stability… Secure, perhaps. But stable? Maybe it was before now, but to Trisha it hardly seemed stable.

“You don’t have to feel bad for wishing that. I understand that it’s… inevitable, and only dragging everything out. Like she has to wait until the moment she’s foreseen, when she’s finally killed, happens. I can see that.” Trisha spoke quietly and evenly, doing her best to be… neutral? Or, to not immediately question what Casey was saying and point out the flaws she saw in his logic.

“But I don’t think I’ll ever understand wanting that surveillance, even if I did see those moments. Because… is that security really worth losing all your freedom? Is it even real?”

Casey nodded.
”It’s an ideal. Nothing like that could ever really be permanent, right? But I believe that there are individuals, alive today, or who will be alive one day, who are capable of being benevolent. Of taking an apparatus like that, and stripping it of all the fear and the shame and the guilt, and just… Protecting people. Gently. Without overstepping, or intruding. An even hand, an applied without passion or malice, and always with objective good in mind.”

Ah… These core beliefs… Things that Casey felt deep inside himself, coming out in little bursts. Hypotheticals, imaginary scenarios, ideal what ifs. Did he believe it was possible? Not likely. It was never the better option, as the effort it would take to reach that point would far exceed the benefit.

”Like I said, it’s an ideal. Never something I’d consider seriously… And as for whatever moments I was talking about? I meant, uh… Lynette. As a person, y’know? A mom? A wife? When she’s at her best, it’s like she’s more than magic. That’s what I wish you could’ve seen. So you could see how sick she’s become. You’d have something to compare it to… But, you accepted what I said. That’s all I can ask for: And ultimately, this isn’t a burden I want you to carry. I can accept you being satisfied once she’s gone and not feel malice over it. Not even blame… She’s dug her own grave, after all.”

Trisha nodded slowly. His ideal wasn’t one she shared but… that was fine. It wasn’t something that would ever become a reality, so it wasn’t a problem. It wasn’t like she had any lofty ideals like that herself. There wasn’t a conflict there beyond her distaste for being surveyed.

It was also hard to believe that there’d been a better Lynette than this. The same Lynette that had threatened to hurt her children? That had manipulated all of her children? But, Casey was right that she’d accepted what he’d said. It wasn’t her place to feel much of anything about it, beyond what Casey needed in support.

“I won’t feel… anything but relief,” Trisha admitted. She still felt a little guilty over that- how could she not at all? But, she was confident enough it wouldn’t upset him. Not with him saying he’d accept her being satisfied like that.
“Like you said… she dug her own grave. Nothing she’s done makes me feel sad about it, I just don’t want you to suffer over it.”

She wrapped her arms around him as best as she could, hands rubbing against his back.
“It’s almost harder when you know they deserve it, because you feel conflicted, right? Like… My dad. Not very many people know about it, because it was covered up, but he was killed too. And he deserved it. But it was still awful. He was a shit father, he deserved to die, but… I didn’t deserve to lose any chance of having a dad when I was only fourteen.” She took a deep breath, shaking her head.
“Sorry… This isn’t supposed to be about me.”

Casey shook his head, turning closer to her and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
”Don’t even worry about it, my Love. This is about us. You relating to me however you choose to doesn’t change that as the goal. I love you; and I’m also extremely aware of how strange and possibly unrelatable my current situation is. All I know, is that neither of us deserved to be born into this shit. But together? We’re gonna make it better. Not just for ourselves, but for the next group. And hopefully they’ll take what we teach them, and do it better the next time.”

He patted her on the head, rubbing his palm and thumb in the same pattern at two different points. All he really wanted was to comfort her, and if the memories she had were all bad? He’d rather replace them with new ones. Better ones, and give her the chance to make her own as well. Mostly that… The freedom of choice that came with being born into that kind of freedom.

Maybe his glasses were a little rose-tinted… But he knew what was right and what was wrong. Trusted himself to make the judgement. Evil applied for good required careful planning, but Good applied for evil only needed a smiling face. He’d never leash his family with a burden like that.

”It’ll be good. You’ll feel safer, and we’ll both feel totally in control of our own lives. No more attachments we haven’t chosen.” he offered simply.

“I can’t wait.” Trisha pressed her head against Casey’s hand, the repetitive motion comforting. She really was looking forward to it… It was hard to believe that she’d ever truly feel completely safe and in control, but she hoped she would. She could let herself hope like that with Casey.

“It’ll be nice to live a simpler life. No dealing with people we don’t want to, no politics… We’ll be able to just rest for a while. We both deserve it.” Even though Trisha had spent the last few years since she graduated barely doing anything… But it was an almost depressive lack of anything. No motivation to get out of bed. Not exactly peaceful or restful.

“Do you think you could build a hot tub in one of those holes you're going to dig? That’d be nice.”

”Oh, that’ll be the first one I dig. We’ll find a nice spring, I’ll rig up some plumbing, we’ll figure out a way to heat it… It’ll be great. I’d actually love a dip in a nice hot bath myself. Something with a view.”

He’d always liked the water. Whatever fetal connection to comfort in the weightlessness of it just itched a part of his brain the right way. And when it was hot? He almost always fell asleep in the hot tub at the hotels they’d stay in during Max’s fights. It was guaranteed you could find him either melted into a puddle at the bottom of a warm pool, or dehydrated like a raisin in the sauna.

”Maybe we could do something partially underground, like a grotto kinda… Keep it secret? Even from the kids? Where’s Mum and Dad, they disappeared six hours ago on the side-by-side and haven’t come back since?” he laughed, thinking about them not being worried, just curious.

Trisha giggled at the thought. They wouldn’t be able to sneak away like that when they were younger, but by the time their kids were old enough to look after themselves for a few hours… Of course it’d be nice to have a secret place just for them. A little escape. A game for them, almost. Like extra hard hide and seek.
“It’d be nice to have our own secret little place even when we have a family… somewhere to just relax. The bees can babysit them while we’re going! We’d have to be extra careful, I bet. Our kids will probably be great at figuring these things out.”

She smiled brightly. Something so far off… But something she’d remember and hold onto, so it could become a reality.

“But if you like hot baths with a view that much… You’ll love the place we’re staying tonight. You don’t even have to wait years and years for it! It’s got a really nice bath. One of those big, fancy ones.”

Casey perked up quickly. Since all the heaviness was gone, he decided to readjust a bit. Shifting Trisha in his arms, he had access to the sandwiches again, which he took another of and unrolled it.
”You’re serious? Oh my God, I’m so curious. It’s gotta be a long drive, right? I don’t mind, I mean, the Cascades are always nice this time of year. If we see snow, I’d love that…” he admitted with some shyness in his excitement.

Trisha smiled at him like he was the most adorable person in the world. He was to her right now… it was cute how excited he was. Hopefully he wouldn’t be disappointed…
“It’s not quite that far… I did think about going there, but I didn’t want to drag you that far without talking about it first. It’s closer… but I promise, it’s almost as nice. It is higher up, so maybe there’ll be snow.”

Though the Cascades were far nicer, at least that’s what she’d heard, there were mountains closer to the coast. Close to St Portwell, even. Where she’d booked wasn’t a well known resort… It wasn’t even really a resort. It was a family run hotel that had ‘miraculously’ recovered from near bankruptcy ten years ago, and thrived in the holiday season since.

“I booked the nicest room at the place. It’s high enough you can see over the lake it's on, and up the mountain… Nice and private too. Nobody can see you taking in the views in a nice hot bath.”

Something closer? The only mountain that was closer was Littlehand. It was still technically part of the Cascades, at the head of one of the ripples closer to the coast. Its ridgeline, if he remembered from hikes in the area, swept low into a valley, then back up on the other side and into the main range. It didn’t have a lot of accessible areas, as a mostly rocky plateau with few patches of actual woodland. The most notable part was the lake she was talking about…

Which meant that he knew exactly where they were going. He’d never been, but they had parked outside one summer for a cookout that the family, or maybe someone else, was hosting. One of those big summer carnival things.

”Well no shit! That’s quite a surprise, Babe… If it’s the place I think it is, I’ve never been inside. So, I’m looking forward to it… There should be snow… So, I’m glad I can keep you warm.” he flirted a little, kissing her gently now that he was more angled toward her lips.

“Mmm, you’re great at that.” Trisha smiled, lips still close enough to his that he’d be able to feel it rather than see it.
“The best.”

For everything. She tilted her head slightly up and to the side to kiss him, deeper than he’d kissed her. It was still gentle… A long, slow kiss filled with affection. Lightly burning intimacy. Her arms loosely wrapped around his neck, fingers playing with his hair. Her smile was incredibly tender as she pulled back.

“You’ll really enjoy the inside… of the place.” She giggled.
“It’ll be quiet too, this time of year. We’ll be able to really enjoy the time together in peace.”

Casey was smiling widely as she played with his hair and looked up at him full of admiration. He loved her too… Just as much. Maybe more. If he could’ve kept her locked up in a room where he never had to worry, he would’ve… But she’d hate it. She’d probably lose her mind. So, obviously, that wouldn’t be happening. What was left? To protect her and keep her preserved. To preserve the smile, and the goodness in this person. She was choosing him, and he would show her why she was right to do so.

”Y’know the things I worry about? Silly stuff… Like whether or not you’re gonna expect me to go crazier and crazier on these dates. I have to trust that you mean it when you say you’re happy doing anything so long as I’m there, but something in my heart just says that’s crazy… That it’s not possible that I could bring you back to Misty Island and do the exact same thing, and you’d be just as happy as if we went and did something new.” he tried to explain in the best way possible.

“It’s not silly to worry about.” Trisha shook her head. How could she ever call anyone’s worries silly? She was the master of ridiculous worrying. And she understood where he was coming from. Their first proper date he’d taken her on a whole day trip, then they’d stayed the night. Then she’d practically done the same for him. Because she wanted to treat him to something just as nice after everything he’d dealt with in the past week…

“But I really don’t expect it. I love being with you and you putting in that effort for me is enough to make me happy. You could plan a simple date you think I’d enjoy and then we could end up not going because of some freak accident, and I’d still be happy.” Her hand moved to his nape, fingers comfortingly rubbing there.
“I know the effort thing may seem like it wouldn’t include repeat dates but… I don’t know, I feel appreciated whenever you do things for me. No matter how small, because it means you’re thinking about me.”

She didn’t feel like she was explaining it well. It was difficult, because she knew some of it came from such bad past experiences… But she didn’t think the longer she was with Casey the higher her standards for dates would get. Because it was proof that he loved her.
“I love that you want to take me places when it’d be easier to just stay at home.”

Nodding, he thought he understood what she meant. It was pretty much exactly what he was assuming it was. At least for now, it’d be easy. They were in a place that had easy access to things and places. And, frankly, less reasons to be home.

”But, when we move? And we get away from it all? What’s a date then, camping somewhere else? I guess there’d probably be a million different places to camp that’d be different than the last. Should be easier. Then, it’s just doing special things. Going and scouting it all out myself, hiding little things in the trees for you to find on our walk. Learning what song to play you on the harmonica next to the fire…”

He took another bite of his sandwich, smile plastered across his face as he thought about all the cute ideas he had. About building those same little structures for her, in her honor. Comfortable places she could see herself escaping to one day. Follies, but for more than decoration. Each place would have its own little story. Its own purpose.

Trisha's smile matched his. What he was talking about was exactly the kind of thing she meant… Doing special things for each other. Putting in effort. It meant a lot more to her than material gifts or extra fancy dates. Both of those could involve effort, of course but… she didn't need fancy things. Especially not with Casey. She really would be happy to go camping somewhere with him, something she'd never really considered doing.

“That’s exactly what I mean… the date's ‘simple’ but it's filled with loads of things you've done for me, or I've done for you. Thoughtful, special things that show we love each other." It was one of the things so many of her past relationships were missing. Not just romantic ones… it was always so material, or physical. There wasn't effort put in in that way.
“I actually… don't really like gifts a lot of the time. It was something dad used to do to keep us quiet. They didn't have any value. It was just whatever we asked for or whatever was the latest thing. So someone putting in effort for me is always so much more important… I don't need fancy dates and gifts. Just thoughtful ones."

”A thoughtful gift is a thoughtful gift… If I shower you in them, and you have the reaction toward it that I’m looking for, then is there anything wrong with it?”

His question was mostly because he didn’t want her associating gifts with things like that. He was a naturally giving person, and found times to give to people even in the middle of a war. He wanted to give her everything she ever wanted and asked for; and then more stuff that she didn’t ask for because he was thinking about her. That’s clearly what she wanted, and he now had a firm grasp on that.

”Y’know, nevermind. Don’t worry; just trust me. I’m not gonna let you down, right? I’m right here.” he hugged her tightly.
”You want another treat, my Sweet?” he asked playfully.

She cuddled back against him, looking up at him with a perfectly content smile. She did trust him. She knew that any gifts she got from him would be thoughtful… and there wouldn't be that transactional nature to them. The ‘I gave you this so you should be happy with how I treat you' kind of transaction. He'd never do something like that…

“If it's from you? Obviously." She giggled in return, pulling back a bit to look up at him expectantly. She assumed it was going to be one of the tasty sweet treats she'd brought… she was more than happy to let him feed her.

The two went on long into the afternoon until the sun began to fade once more from St. Portwell's surrounding hills. Amazingly, the picnic’s many treats were never fully consumed, which meant leftovers straight through Thanksgiving. All it took was keeping the pastries fresh, so before they stashed the bag in the trunk, Casey cast a sealing enchantment to prevent unnecessary spoilage.

After that, the drive was all that separated them from another wonderful night of peace in a place there would hopefully be no Temple Members in. Or foreign entities attempting to murder them… Casey made way for the highway and broke down the long, winding stretches of forest covered terrain. Miles and miles passed, and thirty minutes turned into almost an hour as they ascended the slopes of Mount Littlehand. By the time they were rolling onto the plateau that held Woldoff Lake, the surrounding conifers and the grounds below them were coated in a thin layer of pure white powder.

So fresh it was, that there were no visible tire marks or impressions to be found as they made their way. Not until the parking lot, salted heavily and scraped down to blacktop, did they find any other signs of life; civil or wild. There were a few cars, presumably staff and other guests, but nowhere near overwhelming. That’s the kind of thing he loved, even if the place felt a bit more like The Shining than he wanted it to.

The place was exactly how Trisha remembered it. The uncreatively named Woldoff Lodge was a four story building right on the lake, with a wooden log exterior that led to a rustic look. It had once been entirely made of wood, but the interior had been updated for a more modern experience without sacrificing the appearance. The bottom floor had large windows looking into a small in-house restaurant. The three floors above had equally large panes of glass for each room, lightly tinted in the lower half to protect anyone inside from onlookers… not that it was much of a problem out here.

Double glass doors sat underneath a simple name sign carved in wood. They looked into a cozy reception area, fitted with comfortable armchairs and a fire just visible from outside.

“You were right about the snow," Trisha commented as they were easily able to park. She stretched her arms above her head, suppressing a yawn. She'd let Casey drive her car from the picnic spot to where they were staying… but not being the one in charge of that had left her almost drifting off. So she was having to blink away travelling sleepiness before she considered getting out. She didn't want to fall over or anything.

“Just as quiet as I thought it'd be, too! Pretty perfect, huh?"

Sliding out of the car, Casey spoke before he closed the door.
”It’s absolutely pristine, Trisha Bee… You made the right call.”

The door slammed shut behind him, and even though Trisha reactionarily began to get out herself, he was almost instantly at her door trying to open it for her. His hand reached in, offered to guarantee her safety and comfort as she stepped from the car.

”Did you bring overnight stuff? Want me to walk you inside, then come back out and get it?” he asked genuinely, concerned with her comfort and wanting to do for her even though it was her date to plan.

“Nope, you have to spend the whole evening uncomfortable or naked!" Trisha looked at Casey with a totally straight face, fingers wriggling in between his. She managed to keep it up long enough that it might seem like she was actually serious, before breaking into a giggle.
“I packed a bag for both of us… It's not that heavy, so you should be able to carry it in and hold my hand. It's in the trunk."

”Okay, then… I need to reseal the car fully. I’m uh… Probably always going to overdo being safe about things. Moreso when there’s magical firearms: They’re just too dangerous to take a chance on.”
He was still smiling, but in the interest of all that they’d talked about that day, he was planning on being even more transparent than before. More willing and able to inform her of reasonings before feeling shame and fear over them.

”It serves the same purpose as a lock, right? If someone really wants to get in, they’ll get in. But opportunists, or those simply incapable of breaking the lock, are sometimes the ones who would do the most damage. Makes me feel better.”

He playfully swung their entwined hands to and fro as they sauntered toward the back. Casey could see his breath, and took a big gulp of air in to warm before releasing a cloud of steam down onto Trisha.

”Raaaah… I’m a dragon.” he joked, forcing more air out of his nose.

“Oh nooo, don't eat me," Trisha giggled, leaning away from just slightly as if she was trying to escape.

Doing his best to still play around while getting the bag, he tucked his lips over his teeth and jokingly clamped down on the top of her head. He even shook slightly, rattling her around as his free hand hunted for the bag and his occupied hand held Trisha in place for the dragon assault. While he was doing this, he was making the funniest roaring noises that he possibly could, trying to make the moment as goofy and playful as possible.

A fun memory for the two of them.

Trisha giggled away, wriggling in his grip in a barely there attempt to get away. She tilted her head from side to side, but he got her with his play bites anyway. It was so silly, and he sounded ridiculous… but it was so endearing. It made her happy.

Her head tilted up in a moment that he was distracted trying to find the bag, and she shot up to kiss his jaw. Then just below his mouth.
“Will the dragon stop trying to eat me if I keep seducing him?"

Casey couldn’t help but giggle at her attempt to get out of this… Once he felt a bag soft enough to be clothing, he flicked his hand into the loops and tugged it out. The hand still holding her in place squeezed just a little harder.

”Uhhhh… No!”
With a playful screech, he dove back in. This time, he carefully slipped her nose between his covered teeth and gave just enough pressure that it squished her little nose. Then, he pulled back with utter joy and glee on his face.

”God, I fuckin’ love you… Okay, hold this for a sec? So it doesn’t get all dirty on the ground?”

He let go of her hand, and held the bag up. He’d already lightened it earlier, it seemed. Probably proximity when he hit the picnic basket, or the enchantment had rubbed off, as they were fairly close. It was a funny quirk of his spells, as they all seemed to form a slightly dusty residue. It reminded him of rust, but ultimately it only transferred some of his spells.

Trisha easily took the bag off of him, still giggling.

Now totally bereft of hands to hold, Casey slipped into his pocket for his glove, then closed the trunk. Satisfied that it’d be below freezing tonight, he wasn’t concerned about the few stabilized leftovers in the picnic bag. With the key to the car in his gloved hand, he stuck it into the trunk’s lock, and muttered something under his breath. Something French. But, when he turned the key, there was an orange shimmer that rocked across the vehicle. The moisture from the little bit of snow falling raised up from the surface, dropping back down and splashing against the same spot it was raised from after a moment.

Then, like any other electronic lock, the car gave a gentle set of beeps and the lights flashed to inform the driver that the vehicle was, in fact, locked. Casey crinkled his nose, gave one last look out across the snow-covered lake and into the woods surrounding them, then grabbed the bag back from Trisha.

”There we go. C’mon, let’s go get naked in a tub together.” he joked, grinning widely and offering his hand back out to her.

“We need to check in first, keep your clothes on," Trisha laughed, taking his hand again. She hadn't minded waiting a bit longer as Casey magically locked the car. Sure, he was probably overdoing it, but she wasn't going to argue against more safety. Not that her car was anywhere nice enough for anyone to steal… But his guns? Yeah, they should be kept locked up properly.

It was nice to watch him at work too.

Squeezing his hand, Trisha led them in through the entrance. They were immediately welcomed by warm air, a fire crackling in the reception's little living room like area. It was pleasantly quiet, with one person waiting behind the reception desk while a few other staff members flitted about. Trisha wasted no time in going right over there.

They had a nice warm bath to get into, after all.

“Hello, I have a booking under… Richoux. Casey?" Trisha said, turning a bit red. There was a reason she'd booked it under Casey's name rather than her own, even though she'd paid for it all and everything… She just hadn't thought about having to say it in front of Casey like this.

“Let me see… You've booked our suite room for one night, is that correct?”

Trisha nodded.

“I see you've already paid… Perfect. Here's the card for your room, Mrs Richoux. Please enjoy your stay. The elevators and stairs are just through the door your left.” The receptionist slid a card slotted in a beautifully decorated piece of white card, smiling at Trisha, then Casey behind her.

“It’s not- Thanks." Trisha didn't bother explaining, snatching the card and practically dragging Casey towards the doors leading to the elevators. She covered her bright red face with the hand holding the card.

“My family bailed out this place ten years ago… I didn't want to use my name, but I should've, it would be less embarrassing," she mumbled.

Casey nodded, giggling to himself as he looked down at her with a little surprise in his heart.

”Oh… Embarrassing to take my last name? Casey will remember this!” he joked, leaning down and brushing her hand away from her face with his nose, only to rub it against hers.

He was close enough that, like usual, his hair trapped her in a garden of privacy and safety.

”I honestly can’t wait… Even if you want to hyphenate, just hearing it in reference to you just fills me with this feeling like I’ve won… Won life, y’know?”

Trisha felt like she was the one that had won life… if she really got to marry Casey and stay with him forever. Nobody had ever made her feel so loved… so happy. She wasn't sure if he had… But she couldn't exactly deny how he felt? And she was trying to be more confident about everything.

“We've won life. We found each other." Trisha smiled softly at him, tilted her head up so he wasn't having to bend over so much. There was still a light blush across her cheeks, but it lessened with that illusion of privacy… Her smile turned a little more playful.

“Can you imagine if I hyphenate it? 'Patricia Malaya Vanburen-Richoux'- that's way too much of a mouthful. I'll gladly take your last name. It just felt presumptuous to use it now without asking... I dunno..." She waved away that awkwardness by rubbing her nose against Casey's, just like he'd been doing to hers. Her smile widened, sappiness combining with playfulness as her eyes creased.

“But didn't you agree with taking our time? Now you can't wait? Which is it… Did hearing me called ‘Mrs Richoux' make you want to marry me right now?" She teased.

Casey pushed the door open for Trisha as they made their way into the elevator lobby. Probably the smoothest check-in he’d ever done, the hardest part was sliding out his wallet and putting it back away because they never asked for his I.D.. Probably not enough people checking in to care.

”Well, no! No more than I wanted to before it happened! Besides, taking our time and all that; It’s got nothin’ to do with excitement! I just remember being little and imagining marrying a pretty lady… Feeling excited that she’d be my Mrs. Richoux. I always assumed there’d be others close by, obviously.” he joked, knowing that there probably still would be if Leon had his absolute way.

The elevators were equally lovely mechanisms, small and meant only for a basic load capacity. Their frames had to contend with their mostly wooden and steel-framed construction, the wood panelling adding far more weight for the sake of matching an aesthetic. He didn’t care… If it was built within the last fifty years, chances were it was still just as safe as any other. Machines weren’t anything to play with, however, so as the doors slid open, he rippled a spell across the frame and up the lines to check the integrity. Since there were no hitches or breaks in the signal, he accepted a “passing grade”, subtly shifting out of the way of the panel so Trisha could actually press the button.

”Tell me this whole place is just wood on wood… Next the bed’s gonna be a big ass four-poster with rough hewn logs as the accent.” he joked, playfully scoffing at the drastic amount of wood surrounding them.

“You want a tiny bed so we're forced to cuddle, is that it?" Trisha teased back, pretending to completely miss what he was joking about. She leaned past him to press the button for the top floor, pressing the card against the reader so it'd actually go up.

“I remember the rooms being pretty… rustic looking. They keep up the wood theme but it's not so bad when you get inside… Never been in the suite room, though! I bet they go a bit fancier and more modern with it, to keep whoever's rich enough to afford it happy." She leaned against him with a grin.
“The bath definitely isn't made of wood. We're not gonna be picking splinters out of each other for hours, don't worry."

Casey thought about how a wooden tub wouldn’t be so bad. The right kind of lacquer, a good sealant, maybe interlocking panels? It’d be difficult with the curve of the tub, but that’s something that would get sanded out through the production… A single block carved tub...

”I would say that you’ll regret putting that little idea in my head, but honestly you’re gonna love it when I find the right fucking tree to carve a tub out of.” he chided, smiling widely as the elevator climbed the few short floors.

Then his phone went off, totally interrupting the moment. It wasn’t great, especially because it wasn’t a ringtone that he had for someone personal. It was a business call… Nerves spiked, fear consuming him as he imagined having to abandon Trisha here and run back to the city to take care of something. The complications that would create, especially with it being her date, made his stomach sink. But, his job was his job, and he had to answer it at least.

”Richoux-” he answered, slipping it up to the side of his head. Trisha would be able to observe the change in his face from professional to annoyed.

”-Why are you calling me from this number then?-”

Casey pulled away from the phone just enough to mouth “Norm” without the shuffling making noise in the mic. At least if it was someone she was familiar with, and without the feeling that there was anything incredibly serious, he nodded to her with some kind of confirmation as the doors to the elevator slid open.

”-Alright, well - Uh -” pauses; he was waiting for a chance to just hang up.
”-No! No, no, absolutely not, in fact all hands just… Stay away? Like, the solution isn’t to run in, it’s to pull out. Just monitor, don’t let it get too close to the wharfs or the docks. If you need to use the Resonator, call Gin and have her send a team.”

There were a few more moments of silence where it looked like Casey was actually paying attention… Until he totally dropped the phone from his head to his side and gave Trisha a pained look as they started to walk to the room. This went on for a few moments, until he finally pulled the phone back up.

”Yes. But, only if you end up using it. Otherwise, too dangerous, we’ll just wait until the next time she’s hungry. Understood?- - - Alright. Good luck bud, and please don’t call me from this number if it’s you. It’ll make me feel a lot better if you use your personal.”

Only because ringtones played such a big part in determining his mood away from Trisha. Ringtones were warnings, or horns of arrival depending on who was blowing in. He had to know who was calling. But, the conversation was done. Done, and hung up, with the phone sliding back into his pocket after very clearly turning it off.

”That’s not happening again tonight… Sorry Baby.” he said calmly, looking down at her.

“What’s not happening?" Trisha asked simply, gnawing on her bottom lip as she looked back at him. They were in front of the door to their room now, but she didn't go to open it. She wanted to hear the answer first.

She'd spent the whole time listening with concern. Worry that he'd have to leave her… Then what did she do? She'd want to go back home, of course, but could she? Stay away and pull out sounded good for Casey not leaving but… And he'd turned off his phone. That meant he wasn't leaving, right?

But not happening could mean a lot of things. Upsetting things, or inconsequential things. Really the only thing that'd upset her was him leaving… Hopefully he meant there wouldn't be another call. But she couldn't be sure.

Casey’s brow furrowed, and he shook his head.
”Phone calls. I’m not getting any more phone calls tonight: From this moment until we leave the building and end our trip.” he explained with a simple, calm voice.

“Oh… Good.” Trisha visibly relaxed, stopping biting her lip to smile at him again. So he wouldn’t be leaving… There was nothing to worry about. Her smile widened further.
“I guess we can see the room then.”

She reached out for his hand again, beforing turning and putting the card in the door to open it. Excitement slowly building up again now she knew there wouldn’t be anymore interruptions, she gently tugged him inside.

The hotel room immediately opened up into a cozy living room-esque space. There was a place to hang their coats immediately on entry, with slippers even provided right by the door. Just a bit in against the soft cyan, wooden panelled wall to their left was a comfortable looking couch. A widescreen TV was set into the wall opposite it. Further into the room, on the right hand side, was a small table. There was a complimentary bottle of wine on it… And past that on the wall opposite the door was a window looking onto the lake. There was even a little booth chair in the window.

Just past the couch, the wall opened up into the next room. There were clearly sliding panels that could be used to separate this room and the bedroom visible beyond. Just like Casey had suspected, there was a large four poster bed tucked against the wall. There seemed to be a couple more comfortable chairs through there too, along with a wardrobe, and a slightly ajar door presumably leading to the bathroom.

The whole place was cohesively coloured from shades of blues to greens, and in between. It didn’t feel cluttered, but wasn’t so large and open that it felt empty. The wood and more ‘natural’ theme remained even with all the modern amenities and comfortable looking places to sit.

“Sooo, what do you think?” Trisha spun around to face Casey as she moved further into the room.
“Does it get passing marks? You content with the future when you don’t have a job and let me take care of you?”

Casey started cracking up when he saw the four poster bed, walking up to it and gently thumping his head off of the closest post. He was just laughing, like a maniac until he could finally compose himself enough to jokingly point at the bed. His left arm tucked into an L shape, and his finger pointed straight at the post. It wasn’t exactly what he was expecting, but it was enough for him to get a kick out of it.

”Jesus Christ… It’s… Like I can see the future or something. Imagine?” he cracked up again, sliding forward and snagging her up into his arms before spinning them both around in a loving twirl.

”You’re really gonna take care of me? So my legs and back can just… Atrophy away? You’ll let me turn into a nugget in your arms, and make it so I never worry about anything ever again?” he asked playfully, popping her up in his arms to let her be as tall as the bed’s canopy.

”Thank you, Babe… I love this place. It’s cozy, warm, and retro without being tacky. I probably shouldn’t care about that last part, but it matters, right? What, the Vibe or something?” he asked, looking up at her with total admiration.

“The Vibe, right,” Trisha giggled, legs wrapping around him as she grinned down at him.
“I’m glad you like it… otherwise I’d go downstairs and demand another room so you were happy.”

Of course she wouldn’t actually, but the message was there. Them both being happy was important. She leaned forward to rest her forehead against his- an easier task when he was holding her up. At least, she didn’t have to stretch up.

“I am really going to take care of you… financially and emotionally. You’ll never have to worry, but you have to keep your legs and back so you can still pick me up like this. What’s the point of having a big, buff boyfriend if he doesn’t carry me around places? I’ll take care of everything else, you can just worry about holding me. That’ll be your job.” Her smile was both playful and incredibly sweet. She tilted her face up to gently kiss him, for a short moment.

“But I would still love you if you turned into a nugget.”

Casey’s lips pursed together, making a kissing face at her with a big smile behind it. Of course, when she came down to peck him again, he licked the tip of her nose and let her pull away before laughing.

”If I ever lose my limbs, I’ll make new ones. Nothing will ever prevent me from being able to pick you up and carry you except distance. You are my new basic rucking requirement, I don’t know if I told you… One-ten, plus another seventy in case I need to carry you and a few kids. I can’t go too far without help, but I’ll get there.” he smiled, jumping up and down with her in his arms.

”Because, who knows what could happen one day. You may be able to drag me around with a hundred thousand bees, but I don’t have those. Plus, if I can hold the weight long enough, the next step is Family Mech. We call a Green Lux user and have them combine us into a crazy magical flesh mech.” he giggled, thinking about crazy magic he knew about.

Trisha’s face scrunched up at the thought of that. She wasn’t exactly squeamish. She’d seen all sorts of horrific shit as a teen. But the thought of combining with Casey and their kids was just…
“Can we not do crazy flesh combinations, Babe? Imagine what could go wrong- I love you, but I’m not sure about becoming one with you in that way.”

While she disagreed with doing something like that, her tone was still light. Not upset.
“Can’t we just do a normal mech. I know we’re talking about you carrying us… but surely you can Orange Lux something? We can use my bees too- then we don’t need some unhinged Green Adept to morph us into each other!”

Casey couldn’t help but keep laughing as he made his way dancing across the room and out into the main area for a nice plop down on the couch with Trisha still in his arms.
”Babe… Please? Have you ever been magically fused with someone else? Is… Wait, is that… Okay, Wait… Not in a weird way. There was a period outside of Germany where we were hitting some pretty intense strongholds, and… There was an Adept who could temporarily fuse some of us together if we were compatible. I had a partner, and we worked our asses off together as a single Adept for like three weeks.”

Was he seriously trying to convince her to fuse with him right now? And not in a ‘weird way’ - so it clearly wasn’t some weird fetish he’d waited to tell her about. It was just… a magical power thing?
“I’ve haven’t, and… I’m not an Adept? So how does it work? It’s not like we could merge our magic easily. I don’t really like the idea of not being in control… Or just being fused together like that. We don’t need that kind of magical power, do we? If it’d even do anything cause… Not an Adept.”

Trisha shook her head.
“Also, I don’t think it’s common to be magically fused with someone. You asked like it’s an everyday occurrence!”

”Well! I haven’t exactly made a habit of learning about every single abstraction in Sycamore… I didn’t know whether or not you’d ever had the experience is all… Besides! The flesh mech was just me being goofy. I imagine if that shit ever happened, it’d be purely because we were in such a dire circumstance that there’d be no other choice.” Casey replied, still grinning and unswayed by her negative reaction to the Family Amalgam.

Trisha stared at Casey skeptically for a moment. But it really did seem like he meant it as a joke. It was hard to tell, since Casey was a guy who took some goofy ideas pretty seriously… Like the bee guns.

Once she was sure he wasn't going to insist on a family flesh mech, her lips broke into a smile.
“You’re goofy all the time, how am I supposed to tell? But we didn't have anyone in Sycamore that did stuff like that. Most of our pure Green Adepts were… Well, forced to heal. Aside from one unhinged exception. Also it never would've worked! The coven wasn't like the army… there was no structure to stop constant infighting. I can only think of a few pairs that'd actually work together like that."

She wriggled forward in his lap to cuddle him better, half slumping onto him.
“It would've been a mess… And I didn't really like people messing with my body. I only really got magic cast on me to get healed, since all the boosting was concentrated on our strongest. Even with the healing… It was normally just enough to not be actively dying. There weren't enough healers to go around."

And none of them liked her enough to put in the effort to fully heal her… Not when she was rich enough to get good non magical medical treatment. It was part of why she had scars for wounds that could've been easily healed without them.

Trying not to get caught up in the depressing thought, Trisha pressed her face into Casey's shoulder.
“There was a metal spider mech, though."

Casey’s face lit up like the sun through an open curtain.
”Of course it’s gonna end up as a Bee Mech! It’d be like a fucking apache attack helicopter with mandibles! Like, like, some sort of search and rescue vehicle stuck behind enemy lines! The Iron Bee!” he raised one fist into the air, playfully shaking it at the ceiling as he leaned against the couch on an angle, the other arm totally wrapped around her.

”And the kids will pilot it until they can use their own magic! And then, we’ll make a fleet of them! Holy fuck we’ll be like a military hive! You’re a genius!”

Casey burst out into laughter again, fully curling around her and tumbling into the couch with her on his chest.

”I love you… So much. Nobody else puts up with me like this… They always expect super serious Casey. I can feel it now. Whenever someone is uncomfortable with me being too me. Like I’m annoying.” he admitted, giving her an idea about what he’d been dealing with in his new position.

It wasn’t something he wanted her worried about, but between his position as Blade and some of the rumors that had already spread about how he handled business, there was little hope for him when it came to being cute with ninety percent of the Upper Crust. Only the really important people who had known him as a baby and watched him grow could appreciate who he was.

And it was isolating. Purposefully… There was only one way those rumors escaped into the Adepts of the Temple. Only one.

Trisha pulled her upper body back a bit from him, wriggling up so her face was actually in front of his while still as close to each other as possible. She hadn’t realised that he was dealing with something like that… and couldn’t imagine thinking he was annoying. Sure, he could be a lot sometimes. But wasn’t she too, in different ways? Wasn’t everyone?

“It’d be boring if I only ever got super serious Casey…” She hovered with her face just above his, hair inadvertently draping over them. It wasn’t the most comfortable position - lying on his chest and holding herself up like that - but she wanted him to see her expression. How she felt about him too. The soft warmth in her eyes.

“I love every side of you. I love when you’re being goofy, or when you get sleepy because you’ve gotten too comfortable on the couch… And I also love when you get serious about something, or intensely into it. I especially love your… soft side with me.” She smiled at him.
“Anyone uncomfortable with you being you is missing out… But that’s fine, because then there’s more of you for me.”

Casey didn’t talk. He didn’t need to at that point; everything that needed to be said had been. She was right on, as only she could be. Poignant without skipping the poetry. That’s the Trisha he knew. Was getting to know, more and more every day. They were getting there, and there wouldn’t be any stopping them.

She’d said she didn’t mind him joking. Didn’t mind him being goofy… So he let the moment last. Lingering, he let their breathing synchronize until they were in tandem with one another. Hearts beating in the same rhythm… With a purposeful lack of restraint, Casey let his grip on Trisha slip, little by little until one hand thumped gently against the floor.

He hitched his breath slightly. Then, a slow and gentle honk of his nose. Fake snoring, to see how she’d take it.

Trisha had lain back down so her head was resting on his chest, tucked in just underneath his chin. She was comfortable and content… Though it would’ve been nice to change clothes before cuddling like this. Or… falling asleep?

“Casey?” She asked quietly, getting no response. He did have a habit of falling asleep as soon as they got cozy and they had been hugging for a while… But he wasn’t even in his comfortable clothes? And had it really been enough for him to start snoring?

Suspicion crept into her heart. Trisha slowly pushed her torso up, staring at him with slightly narrowed eyes. Watching, trying to judge if he was actually asleep. She’d seen him sleep a lot. So many times they were cuddling and he drifted off while she was still awake. She was normally content with it but… there! A hint of a smile.

He was totally awake.

Trisha lowered herself back down, snuggling back against him. But her hands started to slowly creep up… From hugging around him to up towards his arms. With his arm dangling towards the floor, he’d given her the perfect opening.

Like a silent killer, Trisha jammed her hands right in under his armpits- the one place she [i]knew[i] was actually ticklish.

He had to fight the urge to not break. To not break the character that was his slumber… But as soon as she crammed her hands into his ticklespots, he was up and howling like an animal.

”Nooooo! Not fair, not fair! It was a joke! A jooooooooke!” he cried, wriggling hard against her and bucking up on the couch until he was actually standing.

His arms were pinned to his side, trapping her hands where they were while his own held her up by her bottom… Which he promptly started to playfully smack hoping she would relent.
”Uncle! Uncle! Please!~”

“What, I can’t play around too?” Trisha teasingly pouted. Her legs reactively wrapped around him even though he kept her held up… But she couldn’t exactly get comfortable with his hands constantly moving. It almost backfired on Casey, because she really was in the mood to play around like that too. But eventually she had to relent because it was too unstable.

“You were joking? I thought you’d really fallen asleep on me… When we haven’t even had our hot bath!”

When she’d finally let her hands out from under his arms, he wrapped her back up tighter in his arms. Sweeter, like before.
”So… Is that what you want to do?” he grinned, both eyebrows wiggling.

”Or, should I put on some kind of skimpy outfit for you? Show my appreciation for my beautiful fiance treating me so kindly?” he half-joked, wondering if that would be the kind of thing she was into… If he’d be picking up a Magic Mike outfit at some point in the future…

Trisha giggled, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
“Babe… how did you know what I packed you for the night? Matching skimpy outfits, cause it’s only fair we both get something to look at.”

She was joking, of course… Though there had been a moment where she’d considered packing something like that for herself to wear. But then she’d thought about it, and realised that Casey would probably have a similar reaction if she wore that or nothing- equally loving, that was. He seemed to go more for her looking cute anyway…

“You can show your appreciation by cuddling me in the bath… And staying awake the whole time.” She smiled playfully. Since he’d put the idea into her head earlier, she had started to actually have that nice, warm bath with a beautiful view with him…
“No skimpy outfit necessary… You’re sexy enough as is. Sexier in the water, I bet.”

Propping her up in his arms, Casey leaned back and looked at Trisha with both eyebrows raised.
”Then… Why don’t we both go get warm and wet. See where the night takes us, huh-”

One hand came up, gently poking her on the nose.
”-Queen Bee…?”

Iron and Honey: A Love Story [FernStone & AtomicEmperor]

Once Casey was sorted, they were finally able to set off. Trisha was pretty insistent on carrying the bags the whole way, aided by the magical lightening. They only kept on the path for about five minutes before Trisha was taking them off into the forest itself. She made sure to stay close to Casey, explaining each sound they heard as if she was some kind of wildlife tour guide.

After another while, Trisha led him through a scraggly looking bush with a small gap beside a copse of trees. It wasn’t ideal but… Suddenly things opened out.

It was a small clearing. Trees circled around it, with grass still stubbornly holding on. At the opposite side to them was a slight mound, then beside it an old fallen tree trunk. It had a peaceful air to it. The trees around it broke the wind, protecting them from the worst of the cold.

Trisha grinned, slipping off the backpack. She pulled out a picnic blanket and shook it out, carefully placing it in front of an especially thick tree trunk right next to the fallen one. The thermal bag went on it, along with the thicker blanket she’d been carrying. Her whole body turned to Casey with a bright smile, gesturing.

“Take a seat, get comfy- Hopefully having the tree or trunk to lean on is alright for your back? If not, you can just lie with your head in my lap… I’ll feed you.” She giggled. The bees she’d brought with her crawled out from their hiding places, immediately meandering around the little clearing.

Trisha didn’t sit immediately, instead opening up the thermal bag and pulling out quite a few cans of soda and a big bottle of water. Then, a lot of little cardboard boxes. Casey would recognise the logo of the bakery she’d sent him to on their first morning on the side of a few. After those were spread across the blanket, there were some tupperwares added. Stuff she’d packed herself. A selection of cut fruit, a bunch of his special bread rolls… some incredibly roughly put together sandwiches. She looked a bit embarrassed as she put those down.

“I wanted to make most of the picnic… but I could barely make sandwiches. Thankfully the bakery had a nice selection of sandwiches and savoury pastries- though I got a lot of sweet things too.”

The whole trip through the forest had been somewhat nerve wracking, if only because Casey was so good at psyching himself up. There was plenty of reason to just let go and walk, being that Trisha seemed to be so unbothered. He’d only briefly dealt with forestry like this anyway, the pine barrens on the foot of the Alps and watching the deciduous varieties lose their precious fans to windshear. Tanninoc beasts, sure, but there were no Green Lux Adepts close enough to create them. Definitely no natural dens either, so they wouldn’t have the problem he had.
It wasn’t monsters anyway. It was real people. Others who could easily find them if they wanted. Worse, Father Wolf. Casey had already told her he’d die to protect her, and he meant it.

But as they came further and further into the clearing, he found that it was comfortable despite its mostly barren nature. Maybe it was because of that… Enough space to call a shot and react to something moving on them. In any direction, there were fewer and fewer trees to hide something nasty behind. Even a rudimentary trap could lop the head off a defenseless person without any precautionary warning or notice.
Suddenly, he had a smile again. Up to that moment, the discomfort on his face had been clear, but this was an open refresh of expectations. She’d even picked a rather strategic spot, which Casey wanted to take full advantage of.

Rather than do exactly as she said, Casey watched from a squatting position as she laid out the food for them. His gloved hand raked gently across the blanket they laid out, and Trisha would be able to feel a slight ripple in the fabric beneath her. Casey’s free hand reached out for one of the sandwiches, giving it a onceover from outside the plastic wrap.

”Oh, Baby Bee… Don’t you know that the only important part of a sandwich is how much love gets put into it when it’s made?”
Still grinning, he stood back up fully and came around to kiss her forehead. Then, he continued around her, making his way out into the edges of the clearing.

He was clearly picking up sticks, ruffage and other stuff… For a fire?
”You wanna help? I don’t blame you if you wanna keep your hands clean, I just think a fire would be nice.”

Not that it seemed like they needed it. Over the few seconds it took him to walk from their spot out back to where they’d come from, the blanket had gotten warm enough to make the plastic wrap on the sandwiches loosen slightly.

Trisha smiled softly at him, relieved that he seemed much more relaxed about the location now. She opened up the normal rucksack, pulling out a few more things- plastic plates, cutlery, cups, some napkins. She held up a packet of antibacterial hand wipes.
“I came prepared for that.” Honestly, she’d overprepared. There was even a first aid kit in the bag… just in case.

As the blanket heated up, she moved the soda cans and water bottle off onto the ground beside it. Just to keep them nice and cool. Then she stood up, trailing after Casey.
“I brought an extra blanket too, but a fire’s nicer- more outdoorsy. What exactly am I looking for? Just sticks? I’ve never actually built one.”

She bent down to start collecting sticks too, looking at what Casey had and vaguely copying it. Nothing too big, it seemed… Thankfully materials were abundant in this little clearing.
“I never even thought to build one before. I’d always lug a thick blanket with me when it was cold, then I’d sit there all bundled up in it.” She gestured to the little nook where the fallen tree trunk nestled into the standing one the blanket was in front of.

As Trisha approached, Casey did what she probably wasn’t expecting. Simply put, with a gesture, he attempted to delegate the load. Sliding the bundle of gathered sticks into her arms, he bent down and plucked another kiss on the top of her head.
”You’ve already found what you’re looking for! Bring ‘em back? I need to get some bigger things chopped if we’ll be here a while.”

He was grinning as his hand slid down to pull the pocket knife he’d chosen as the new Blade. Having only truly revealed it for the purpose of cutting something on Misty Island, it was still shimmering and fresh as he flicked it open to expand. The massive sword stuffed its own tip into the dirt next to Casey without ceremony or hesitation.

”Thank yoooooou…” he said, leaning into it with that big grin he wore so well.

Trisha let out a quiet oof sound as she took the pile of sticks, bending her knees with a joking groan as if it was really heavy.
“You better be, making me do all this heavy lifting.” She teasingly pouted at him, shuffling back over to the picnic blanket and carefully putting the bundle next to it. She smoothly sat down, legs crossing over each other loosely and hands pressing into the warm blanket to let her lean back to watch him.

“Is this the part of the date where I get to ogle you sexily chopping wood?” She laughed, glancing at the sword. Her smile wavered for a moment, but she tried not to think about what it had last been used for. It wasn’t so much that she’d killed someone with it as that it could’ve been them instead.
“Most of the time it’s an axe instead of a sword, though.”

Casey wagged his eyebrows at Trisha with a nod.
”Seen a video online of a dude with a chopping sword! I thought it was pretty cool. Kind of pointless, I’ll give you that. But aesthetically pleasing.”

His foot slipped upward, letting the massive sword make a gentle ring as it flicked off the tip of his shoe and into the air. There was an entire system going on that would’ve taken Casey a long time to explain, but when he swung out and wrapped the side of it against a nearby stump, it split through with seemingly no effort. Except Casey’s stance, which probably did take some great deal of power to produce, as one leg came up to stomp out some extra power into the downward stroke.

It gave Trisha a fantastic view of his pants clinging to his bottom and the glutes below. Of course he turned back and grinned. Before long, he’d minced up three similar grounded corpses, fallen trees dry enough to burn but not so awful that they’d fill the air with rot. He’d managed (wanted to, as was his desire to light Trisha’s life ablaze) to work up enough of a sweat that the upper layers came off.
He’d long since pulled the shirt out from his belt, and it was open now to give a view of the slightly damp tank top underneath tugging up and down his chest as he hacked away.

By the time he seemed finished, he was steaming gently in the cold November air.

”Who-wee! Nothing like exercising in the cold. We’re like those uh… Whatta’ya call ‘em? Superconductors? I always think of a dude in a train wearing a cape. But like, they work better in the cold. Or, I guess only work in the cold? Bad comparison…” he grinned down at her, starting to scoot things out of the way on the blanket before putting some tinder directly down on it.

Without thinking about it, and without much time in between motions, Casey had a lighter in his hand and was clearly moving to light the tinder on the blanket…

Trisha wasn’t sure if they needed the fire anymore… She definitely didn’t feel like she did after watching Casey at work. Her eyes had been practically glued to him, openly and unashamedly watching, even as her face slowly heated up. He had her full attention, which meant she was right there as soon as he tried to light the blanket on fire.

“Hey, wait!” Her hand shot out to grasp at his arm, trying to stop its dangerous move towards the tinder.
“Shouldn’t you do that off the blanket? Are you trying to set it and us on fire? I mean, you’ve already- well- with me, y’know- but I don’t want it literally catch on fire-”

Casey, ever empathetic as was necessary, didn’t speak. He simply smiled, put the lighter down, and reached for Trisha’s hand. Bringing it down onto the blanket, he let his fingers entwine, and the two of them would be able to feel the warmth on the blanket. He kept smiling, rubbing her hand gently into the warmth.

”Light and love, and warmth and blood: That which we hold inside. The length to which we will sustain, and in them all abide. Usually, all my spells have a little somatic component. I’ve gotten to the point that I can think them in my head, and they conjure the emotions I need to cast the spell. It’s a shortcut. This one, I needed when we were traveling and the convoy got held up crossing from Italy into Austria. It was real cold, and at that point there weren’t a lot of us in the unit who did much with heat. So I did what I could.”

Pulling his hand away, he went back for the lighter.

”Smartest thing to do at first, was to make the fucking fabric fireproof.”

He lit the tinder, and it burst into flame on the blanket, which seemed to naturally settle into some kind of cup-like divot in response. Upon that, he began to stack sticks until the fire was big enough to accept larger and more robust wood pieces. Now it was a campfire, and Casey felt truly at home. Still smiling at Trisha, he took a deep breath and slid the stack of wood closer so he could reach it as he pleased, then settled down to lay his head on Trisha’s lap.

Casey looked up at her with the gentle smile of a boy and a man both looking for some kind of praise… Or gratification? Love. He knew what he wanted.
”You’re real great. For everything.” he stated with great calmness and clarity.

“I’m trying my best,” Trisha replied softly, pushing down her contrasting gut responses: fake overconfidence, or telling him he was wrong. One hand rested on his chest, her fingers making gentle circular motions against the tank top fabric. She leaned forward, hair cascading over her shoulders and across them both.

“You’re the one that just lit a whole fire on a picnic blanket without burning anything down. That’s far more impressive… thank you.” She smiled sweetly at him, before pressing a kiss against his lips. Light, but lingering and loving.

She pulled back enough to speak without having to steal his breath to do so, nose rubbing gently against his.
“What do you want to eat first? I’ll feed you, since you just worked sooo hard for us.”

He didn’t speak a reply. Turning his body so he’d be looking up at her directly, he simply pursed his lips a few times, closing his eyes expectantly.

She laughed, face moving to hover over his again. Close enough that he’d feel her gentle breathing, so close that their lips were practically touching…
“When did I say that was an option?” She asked teasingly, lips brushing against his. Then moving forward to give him the lightest peck.

“Satisfied?”

Coyly, Casey looked back up with an almost embarrassed smirk. She’d certainly gotten him back on the situation.
”I suppose I wouldn’t say no to a little snack… What’s in the boxes?”

Pushing up enough that he could look with her, he waited for her to show him all the tasty things she’d bought from the bakery. He had liked the place, and intended to go back several times were it not for Andrade’s unrelenting ability to provide sustenance across the Temple.

Trisha smiled, leaning her upper body towards the food to start opening up the boxes. She’d sorted it in advance, so the first half was all savoury. Small finger sandwiches filled with a variety of vegetable fillings, far fancier from the incredibly simple ones she’d made, along with filled bagels. A variety of bite sized puff pastries with their own varied toppings: tomato, zucchini, pickled onion, a mixture of cheeses… It was like she’d bought each different type they had, while avoiding all meats aside from chicken.

Then, the sweet treats. Sugar coated donuts, tarts, muffins… just about everything there could be. One box in particular she tilted away from his as she opened it, attempting to sneak whatever was inside out without him seeing.

Not that it was possible to entirely cover it with her small hands, pastry crumbling off and onto the blanket. She brought her curled up hand over towards him, before opening it up with a grin.
“Ta-dah! Bought these specially for you, since you really seemed to like them. Want one first?”

Without waiting for an answer, and smiling warmly, she started to move it towards his mouth. But before it was quite there she did a quick, if clumsy, swap. Her hand jerked away and her head jumped forward, putting her lips in the place of the croissant.

Well intending on taking a massive chunk out of the pastry dangling in front of him, Casey met Trisha almost fully head on with teeth. Nose to nose, lips to chompers, he pulled away in shock and responded with near instant caretaking.

”Oh, babe! Oh my God, are you alright!? Let me see, fuck, I didn’t get you too hard did I?” he questioned in reference to smashing his teeth off her pursed lips.

Trisha just laughed, shaking her head. It had been her fault after all. She probably shouldn’t have tried to replace food with her lips… It wasn’t that bad anyway. He hadn’t bit hard enough to draw blood, and she bit her own lips so frequently they weren’t exactly in pristine condition.

“Mmm… You didn’t. I’ll be alright if you kiss it better.” She put on a cute little tone, even as she moved her face forward to let him take a look like he’d asked.

He wasted little time after hearing her get all chippy. For a moment, he played like he was checking, but quickly pulled her into a proper kiss. One hand swept up around her cheek keeping her hair pulled back so they weren’t eating great big clumps of their combined locks. That had become the most difficult part of their love life logistically speaking… Keeping both mops from getting totally knotted together.

He pulled away with a smile.
”Better? Do I get a reward for being such a good kisser, my Queen?” Casey asked, voice low and almost goading her into the little fantasy he liked to imagine for himself.

“What reward do you want?” She replied softly, one hand tangled in his hair while the other still held the croissant. Her eyes creased gently, full of warmth that radiated across her entire expression.
“Whatever you want… I’ll give it to you, my love.”

She giggled, breaking the vaguely imagined illusion that she had something grand to give him as a reward, rather than just a croissant or herself.

He shook his head in disbelief, grin plastered on his face as he stared in admiration and disbelief.
”I think, my Love, I bite of the Croissant. We can talk about what comes next after I dust the flakes off the blanket.” he started to laugh slightly.

”Maybe not doing the Discovery Channel on your Family’s land when we’re vaguely trespassing. Besides, imagine what it’d do to the food?” he tried to hold a straight face, but started laughing again, reaching out to pull the pastry into his waiting maw with a chomp.

“Mmm, right, the food,” Trisha laughed lightly, quite happily feeding him the rest of the pastry. Quite frankly, she wasn’t worried about the risk of getting caught - or particularly bothered by it… But she hadn’t actually dragged him all this way to have her way with him or anything. Plus, she had to walk back, which was often a bit of a struggle after…

“We’ll save the Discovery Channel for later.” She leaned over to pick up one of the smaller cheese pastries, popping it in her own mouth to quickly eat. Her eyes moved back to him with a hint of nervousness. The kind that she always tried to hide, but was getting much worse at covering up around him…
“I, uh, booked somewhere for the night… I figured it’d be nice if we could stay, but if we can’t because of your work that’s fine as well. I didn’t want to ask and ruin the surprise.”

There was some disbelief combined with surprise in Casey’s face.
”You what? Babe! Look at you! So naughty, like we’re rendezvousing without consent or something… Hiding from our own house!” he laughed.

”Not that I can really blame you! There’s still this problem lingering around, I’ve gotta be honest it makes sleeping a little unnerving after that whole thing a couple weeks ago.” he said, blinking for a moment before looking back up with a concerned look.
”Uh… Do you want to move? We can. Wherever you want in the city. Set it up, it’s ours. I’m not attached to the Cannery or anything, y’know? It was just convenient.”

“No, it’s not that… and if we moved you’d be out more for work, wouldn’t you? We wouldn’t just be a floor apart when I’m not working?” Trisha pressed her lips together. She hadn’t even thought about moving… Even though there was the constant looming threat of the cats or other sudden intrusions in the Cannery, she lived with Casey. She could deal with all that pain as long as they were together. Though, she’d assumed he couldn’t move because of his position.

“I don’t want to move while you still have this job, and my bees are in the Greenhouse there. It’d be worse if we move and then get less time together.” She frowned a little, playing with a bit of her own hair as she tried to figure out how to explain why she’d booked somewhere for the night. It was a mix of things…

“I thought it’d just be nice to spend the night somewhere else. It’s a change of scenery and… you can’t sneak off to your office in the middle of the night. Maybe you can actually get some sleep before the last few days of organising Thanksgiving.”

Casey wagged his eyebrows again playfully.
”Hardly rest after you’ve threatened me with such a good time… It’d be the second hotel room we destroy.” he laughed again, moving to grab a drink for himself.

”You want something? Should we take turns feeding one another?” he giggled.

“That’d be romantic,” Trisha smiled sweetly in response. Romantic, but inefficient… But a romantic picnic together wasn’t exactly about eating efficiency.

“Am I allowed one of your croissants?” The question seemed genuine, even though technically she bought everything here… but she’d bought those specially for him, after noticing how much he liked them. But that then meant she wanted one just to… share something he liked.

“You can feed me that, or- or anything. I like all of it.” She parted her lips, looking at him expectantly.

Casey’s gaze lingered on Trisha for a while. He wasn’t worried about sharing: That came naturally in this instance. It was the way she asked, the nerves with which she went about it. As if he’d bite her for asking. Hoping one day she’d break that streak, he did his best to reduce the strain of waiting for what was coming.
There was a gentle tilt of his head. A knowing nod not to her, but to her anxieties. The scared little girl worried about rejection behind the little anxieties that facade her today.

He reached for the croissants, pulling one out and sitting up fully. He motioned toward his lap, for her to come and be comforted as the fire slowly washed over them. The blanket seemed to curl around as necessary, keeping the burning wood both stable and held up by a catch for the ash. The were in a fantastic spot, and Casey naturally shuffled closer to the spot where he could see his back being most supported: Just like Trisha had planned.

”Come here, My Sweet Girl… Let me be your world again and forever.”

Trisha didn’t need much coaxing to climb into Casey’s arms. She sat sideways in his lap, legs bent and hooked over his and her upper body leaning into his chest. It was enough to wash away those lingering nerves. She always felt safe here. Like nothing could get to her… it was just them.

Her neck stretched up, head darting forward to take a tentative bite of the croissant he was holding. She chewed it slowly, savouring the taste with a quiet hum.

“You’re always my world. Have you ever seen me looking anywhere else? And I’m always thinking about you…”

Casey grinned down at her, finger coming up to wipe a crumb off her cheek.
”Only at a computer screen… But that doesn’t count now, does it?”

The filling inside the pastry looked so good it was hard for him not to dive in, but there were more in the box. He’d have his fill and more in gluttony. Thankful for the little things, he knew it’d be alright. There was no need to worry here and now.

”Speaking of… Anything new recently? Big jobs?” he asked casually, just reaching for things to talk about.

“Not really… I don’t tend to get many big jobs. I don’t have the degree, and all my experience is in contracting… the longer term jobs tend to want someone who’s worked in the industry a while,” Trisha explained, shrugging one shoulder. She paused to finish off the rest of the croissant. She wriggled forward, leaning away from him to grab a soda before immediately cuddling back up to him.

“Rey thinks her workplace might be looking for someone again- a couple of months kinda thing. I’ve worked for them before. It’s a small place, so they can’t really afford another developer… But I’m not sure if I’ll take it.” Her face scrunched up as if she was starting to think about it right there and then. It wasn’t exactly something she was agonising about. It was a maybe, and a job she could turn down easily enough. Technically she didn’t have to work at all. The money she got from trust along with a large allowance from Ezra was more than enough to live comfortably.

“I was thinking I’d start working on a website for my business. Right now the bees are only producing enough to cover what Andrade’s getting, but eventually there’ll be more.”

Casey made an enthusiastic face, nodding along as he reached down to snag her soda. He’d gotten himself one too, but hers was already open, so… Sliding it from her hand, he snagged a gulp then slid it back in place with a playful look.

”Well that’s probably a big project, right? A whole website sounds like a lot of work. How long? Months?” he asked without thinking much about the question.

Trisha paused pouting up at him while protectively holding her soda can against her chest to laugh.
“That really depends, Babe. Sure, if I wrote it all in vanilla HTML and javascript it’d take a while. But there’s all kinds of frameworks to make things easy for you… The basics will take me maybe a day? But then it’s getting it exactly how I want, making it usable and like… Unique, I guess? But it won’t take months. Probably more like a week-” if I don’t sleep much.

She stopped herself from saying that bit out loud.
“Well, longer since I’ll be juggling getting honey and… spending time with you. Which is way more important.”

Casey reached for one of the savory, cheese-filled bits to stuff down before noticing his own rolls. A little fodder between the good stuff would keep him from pigging out too hard. So as he ripped one open to hold out to the fire for a little toasting, he considered what Trisha was saying.

”Well, the next few days will be difficult. But, I think we’ll be okay if we can just work together. I mean literally, like… You can do that stuff on a laptop, right? So why be far away from me when you’re working? If I need to take a call, you just pick up the machine and walk away, then come back. Easy.” he offered to her, hoping that the offer would make her feel more at ease.

”It’s just as important as spending time with me: It’s your work. At least, I feel like it’s important.”

Trisha nodded thoughtfully. She’d never really thought of her work as that important… it was more something to do, to help with the boredom. An extra income just in case she was somehow cut off. She knew she was incredibly lucky because of that but… This business was different in a way. It was entirely hers, and it was focused around her bees.

“You’d really be fine with me curled up coding in your lap? Because I’m going to want to sit there if we’re working in the same room.” She watched him carefully for his reaction. Working in the same room could mean a lot of things… But she’d want to be close. She tended to use her laptop for exactly what it was named after: in her lap, or perched precariously on her knees. If it was on a desk she may as well use an actual computer…

“Is that really fine?”

He just smiled down at her as genuinely as I could.
”You getting it done is important to me too. If that happening means shadowing you as much as I can, then sobeit. I’m happy to let my legs get numb.” he offered again, just as sincerely as before.

Trisha stared at him for a little bit, just in case he changed his mind, before smiling. She stretched her head up to softly kiss his cheek.
“Mkay, if you’re sure. Y’know, now that I know I can work with you, I’m never going to want to use my office?” She joked. Though she’d love to do that, she didn’t want to be too clingy… and there were some things she needed her proper desktop for. Thankfully coding a website wasn’t one of them.

“Also, speaking about the bees… Do you remember our first night together? When I talked about how I could get more, and about getting… Apparition meat or a soulless body for that.” She spoke calmly about it… It had been something she’d thought about a lot, in the quiet moments she had alone in between the current chaos. If that was something she could really do. If she could actually do that… Create more bees in flesh.

She could. She’d grown fairly numb to that kind of grotesque thing during the Stygian Snake.
“I wasn’t in a rush before, but if the Temple’s collapsing… I’d like to try while I still can. If you think that’s possible?”

Collapsing… Certainly. Casey didn’t say much, but nodded rapidly.
”Yeah. I think it’d be relevant. I also… Think we should start another hive. A natural one, like something you had before. A go-box, in case something happens to the Greenhouse that we can’t stop. Remember, the entire mechanism is somewhere else: All your bees live in a hermetically sealed test chamber in a lab under the Temple. There's a not-zero chance that something could happen to them, and we don’t want you to restart from zero.”

If he thought for more than a second that anyone would touch that chamber without going through Gin and Jekyll first, he was sorely mistaken. But would she be enough in the end? Between her and Mia making Princess with an emergency escape hatch, he hoped they’d avoid any great problems with keeping the precious cargo safe.

”Um… What does happen if you go to zero?” he asked, stopped cold by the worst thought.

The thought of losing all of her current bees was enough to set off Trisha’s panic. Her eyes blew up wide as she really thought about the situation they were in. If something went wrong… if she couldn’t get all of them out through Princess. She’d put them in there because she trusted Casey. She still trusted him, which meant if he said it was a risk…

She didn’t want to lose them. The bees she’d had with her for over ten years. She’d already lost enough recently…

“I don’t know…” Trisha spoke quietly, barely above a whisper. A shudder ran through her at the thought. What would happen? There was already a hive when she first Adjoined. A small one, but a group of bees nonetheless.

“I don’t want to lose them all.” She shook her head, sucking in a harsh breath.
“Maybe it won’t matter. If all of them die at once, maybe I’ll die with them.”

Her reaction only made it more imperative that there be further precautions taken.
”A hive-vault then. We’ll work with Gin, the few Adepts she’d trust to handle it… And we’d make a bee bunker. Something only you and Princess can access, given you’re both so connected to the Queen. Maybe the corpse-feeding will work there, since there’s no light for flowering plants. We wouldn’t have to bother with high-powered grow lights and complex air filtration, just basic ventilation and minimal lighting for when you need to go yourself.”

He was already thinking of where to put something like that. Without alerting Clarissa or the Portal Corps to the work, they’d need to find an alternative closer by. One Trisha would be able to visit like all the other hives, so they didn’t panic and lose her as their Queen.
Or, maybe there’d be a chance for some kind of surrogate? A princess type bee, who could accept and extend the range of Trisha’s pheromones. Even an artifact that he made himself could probably do that…

”I can think of plenty of things to try, but all I know is we should try something. You’re unfortunately right, after all. Things are gonna fall apart sooner rather than later.” he sounded a little somber at that. But it was the only real reason he could do things like this with her.

If he was trying like Furio tried for years, she’d be in their house right now and he’d be murdering Abberations just like her for talking about rebelling against the inner circles. He had to think constantly about the separation between his work, his faith, and his unwavering sense of truth and justice. What was right, after all, was right.

”And we should look at ways of bridging the distance between you and them. Maybe some kind of bee that mimics your smells, so the bees don’t get cranky.”

It was a lot to think about, so Trisha took her time to respond. She wasn’t sure how growing the bees in corpses worked in the first place… Could it be in some place she could just leave them. From the vague idea she’d gotten from the Queen, it seemed like something she’d have to actively tend.

Then there was keeping the bees alive in the first place. Casey was right, they should try something. She shouldn’t get herself stuck on the worst case and just accept it would happen… like she so often did. There were ways to keep the bees safe. Her gut reaction was to just pull all of them out of the Greenhouse.

But then where did they go? They’d still be on Temple grounds. And she wasn’t going to leave Casey…

“That might work… I’ve never tried it. I don’t think these bees have the capacity, but maybe if I make one a different way. That might be possible. It’s something we can try.” She said eventually, hands clasping together nervously in her lap. There was a chance it was possible. The Queen had said she’d only unlocked a small amount of the power she had access to.
“But they’ll get cranky anyway if they’re stuck inside a hive-vault they can’t leave.”

It was difficult. The whole scenario was hard to deal with, and she wasn’t trying to make more problems or disagree, but…
“Moving them all to some land elsewhere wouldn’t be enough, would it? It would need to be safer? But, Casey… I don’t know what’ll happen if I lose the numbers I have now. You- you saw what it was like after the fight with Lila.”

Casey nodded calmly.
”Of course. That’s why I want to take care of it while we’ve got the foresight. I just fear something happening to the Eden Labs. They’re the most heavily defended: The only time they’ve been raided successfully was… Something to do with Sycamore members. She let ‘em get through; sent Leon after them, told him to scare ‘em but let it ultimately end.”

That was years ago now: Otherwise, he knew of dozens, maybe hundreds of raids from local groups staged against the Temple that ended in failure because of the ultimate strategic prescience of Lynette Richoux. It was so easy to forget that she had that capacity… That she could fight, even. Maxwell hadn’t let her live an idle life as a trophy wife, after all. She was already a specimen considering her stock was just as much from the enigmatic Hill covens dotting the Canadian wilderness as it was from the white trash suburban Hunters. And, having only met Grampie Hunter once but finding himself with plenty of memories passed down, he had to say that he wasn’t a very impressive man.

And then when they both started partaking in the ritually parted Apparitions that Andrade specialized in butchering, the Oblivium only left her stronger. Faster. More inhuman, and in spite of all her lingering insecurities and traumas left untreated. It was amazing she wasn’t more violent, but he also knew that the physicality made her anxious. It made the spells less potent. Measured combat was necessary for Lynette, as she needed to see every single step that was coming next.

It’s why she closed her eyes.

”I feel like they’re… Safe. Unless someone internally wanted to hurt you. Like, they’re something that, in the end? Probably will end up in a dark corner of the Labs. Not smashed and burning. But, better safe than sorry.”

Someone internal that wanted to hurt her… Trisha could think of someone. All too easily. Lena seemed to hate her enough that she’d seek out the hives and destroy them. Petty enough to do it during whatever fighting occurred…

“Who can get to them?” She asked, trying not to panic about the thought that someone who disliked her could access the hive. How restricted was it? She’d never even thought about it before, but she should’ve…

“Can Lena?”

Casey stopped for a moment, looking at her as he considered the possibilities. She’d certainly know where to go.
”No. I made sure that chain of command issues got settled when Elise took back the seat as Mom’s assistant. Anyone who would’ve let her into those restricted areas knows not to now. So, we’ve got time, right? Gin’s ultimately in charge of keeping that shit. And she’s an Abberation, so, obviously they’re gonna listen to her. Lena likes her too, in a weird way. Gin’s got everyone’s heart! I know she’ll do right by you.” he was fairly convinced of this regardless of any lingering doubt.

Trisha nodded, calming down just a little bit. As long as it wasn’t easy for her to get to them… Trisha did trust Gin to keep them safe, as much as she could trust anyone that wasn’t herself or Casey.

“I know she will too, just… last time I saw Lena I gave her a full blast of pheromones. And- well, with what she said, she hates me enough to kill the bees.” Her lips pressed together into a harsh line as she unwillingly remembered that encounter… Three weeks ago. It felt like a lifetime… Thankfully she hadn’t seen Lena since.

“But if she can’t get to them now... Well, like you said, we have time. We’ll figure something out. Either way, I’ll need more bees and more hives.”

Casey nodded emphatically, finally making way for something else on the blanket of snacks. One of Trisha’s haggard sandwiches, which he was actually looking forward to. The one he grabbed and unwrapped very quickly started to come apart. Clearly, having used no mortar-condiment to hold the creation together, it was a butchered amalgam of cooked chicken leftovers he’d made a few nights ago, half shredded until it seemed like she gave up and stuck the remaining breast into the heel of the bread.

There was cheese, at least, but as he bit into it he nearly crumpled at the taste of cucumber hidden under it. None of it was awful on its own, but coming together, it had some fairly jarring inconsistencies. Mindlessly, he started to look around the bag for any sign of a mayo or mustard packet. Something to whet the sandwich. He’d take her spit if it meant the bread wouldn’t stick to the roof of his mouth and uphold a ball of dry, cold chicken.

And there it was… She was so thoughtful that she’d actually brought it without putting it on the sandwich. Pulling one out, then another, he held them up at Trisha.
”Babe! Good thinking: The sandwich stays nice and firm if you let the person eating it put the mayo on… Last thing you want is a soggy, plastic-cling wrapped sandwich that’s been swimming in a mayo bath for hours.”

Clearly satisfied, he began to open the sandwich and pick the remaining cucumbers out before applying mayo, eating each one on its own rather than wasting them.
”Also, for me? Lettuce, maybe… Just for next time! Still, you did a great job. Better than the Army ever did.” he smiled at her, taking a much more enthusiastic second bite with mayonnaise on it.

How bad had the sandwiches been in the Army?
“Did they not have bread in the Army, or something?” Trisha asked, struggling to take the compliment for something that was clearly badly made.

She couldn’t even agree that she’d been smart in bringing along the mayonnaise separately. But she could pretend, right? He didn’t need to know about the first great sandwich failure! Just lie and say that it was definitely for all the reasons she’d said.
But they’d said they wouldn’t lie to each other… if she couldn’t do it for small things, how could she for bigger ones?

The smile she gave Casey could only be described as pained. Her head dropped shamefully, one hand shuffling around into her coat pocket to pull out her phone. Rather than describe what had happened, it’d be easier to show it…

Without saying anything, Trisha held up her phone right in front of Casey. It showed a chat with Cass- most of the screen was taken up by a picture of a… sandwich? It was difficult to tell because the bread was coming apart. Like it had taken a mayo bath for hours, except the amount of mayonnaise oozing out of it made it clear that it was just full of it. Right below the picture was a message from Trisha asking what she’d done wrong, followed by a whole string of laughing emojis from Cass.

“I figured it’d be easier to not put any mayo in it…”

Casey’s face became flat. So flat you could tell the time if he lifted his head in the sunshine.

”I…”

He looked like he was in pain for a moment, like he was passing a kidney stone, or dealing with a cramp. What was it? What had become stuck in him like this? Did he explain? Bother to tell her at all? Would she laugh? No… It truly wasn’t worth it. Better to play the straight and narrow than make her feel awkward.

But the joke was so close. Right there, looking at him. Like he couldn’t escape. The floodgates had opened the other night, and in spite of his non-necessity when it came to the deed… He’d seen things. Real things, that had been in his eyes and had done with his hands.[/i] It was a joke that he could hear his Father’s voice making. That fucking French hon hon following it up.

”C-christ… L-ooks like… Uh…”

The discomfort was clear. Maybe Trisha would think he was going into another panic attack, but he was truly trapped between base instinct and his desire for Trisha to see him as ideal. An ideal man wouldn-

”I mean… The length? The girth? The froth? Looks like my dick the other night, Babe… What the fuck happened there?”

Trisha stared at him for a moment. Just like when Casey had been trying to hold it in, it was difficult to tell what she was thinking and feeling. Maybe she was judging him for stooping to that level. Maybe she was upset…

With a completely deadpan expression, one finger moved out to scroll further down the chat with Cass. Past the wall of laughing emojis. Finally, there was another message, which her finger pointed to.

Cass: LOOKS JUST LIKE MY DICK, HAHA!

“Cass already made that joke, Babe…” She tried to keep the straight face up but it cracked, a little giggle escaping. Then another, as she leaned up to lightly kiss him before pulling back with a teasing grin.
“I prefer yours, though.”

She shook her head with another laugh, putting her phone away and curling back in towards him. She was glad he’d made the joke. It, strangely, made her feel less awkward about the sandwich tragedy.
“I just… I didn’t know how much was the right amount. And then I squeezed the bottle too hard, and it just absolutely soaked it.”

Her head tilted up to look at him again with a playful smile.
“I wish it was that easy with you.”

He already had his face in his hands. As soon as she showed him that, an out-of-context message from Leon made total sense. He mirrored her, pulling out his phone and scrolling to an unreplied text from Leon that simply read “Cum sandwich”. No punctuation, no lead up. Only a timestamp that was moments after Cass’ wall of emojis followed by the very same joke. Shaking his head, Casey turned the phone's face back down and tossed it to the side.

”I hate that they’re together, but I kind of love that they’re together… It’s stressful in a good way.” he said as if that made any kind of sense. Maybe it would to Trisha.

“They’re perfect for each other.” Trisha sounded a little pained saying that, just like she felt seeing the message from Leon. Of course Cass had shown Leon. She should’ve known. Now she was never going to live it down…
“They make each other worse, but also keep it a bit more contained, so in the end… It’s just as stressful as it was before. Though I didn’t have to worry about my friend showing by boyfriend’s brother my pathetic sandwiches before.”

She did understand perfectly what Casey was saying, and felt the same way about it, even though she couldn’t really get it across either. She let out a quiet groan, pressing her face against Casey.
“I’m just going to have to accept that Leon will see anything I send Cass from now on, won’t I? At least she’s not telling me about the sex for once outta respect for you or something.”

Casey’s grin became somewhat evil as he finished another bite of the sandwich. It was probably the built-in need to compete between his brother and him crawling back up to the surface.
”Oh fuck it, just tell her! Imply, whatever, but… Y’know, I say you shouldn’t be shy. Not to your friends. Besides, y’think I may feel good knowing that-”

He stopped before he could continue, and the cogs in his brain were very quickly churning up a bit of smoke. It gave Trisha enough time to lambast him, should the initial comment be taken for something he hadn’t intended.

“What, do you want me to tell Cass so she can tell Leon so he’ll stop with the Virgin jokes?” Trisha blurted out, unable to think of another reason that he’d want her to talk about it. It wasn’t that she was particularly shy with her friends, either… If any asked, she’d gladly say that they’d done it. Not the details… But what she really didn’t want was to hear about all the sex Cass was having with Leon.

Casey quickly became red.

”N-no… It’s… Nice to be wanted. You know that. I guess it’s just nice to know that you’d talk me up if the topic came up between your personal friends. I wouldn’t expect you to abstain from the conversation or anything… I wasn’t ever raised with it being taboo like that.” he tried to explain.

”I guess it’s weird. Maybe for the best if you didn’t, I don’t know.”

He looked down, then away, then threw a hand up in front of his eyes to shake his head before taking a deep breath and coming back to the world in front of him.
”Sorry. No need for me to kill the vibe, right? You handle your business with Cass as you like, far be it for me to tell you how to conduct yourself.” he finished, shrugging the moment off and kissing the top of her head like she’d forget.

Trisha frowned a little bit as she thought it through. He was encouraging her because it made him feel wanted, and he thought that she was… holding back on talking about it to not upset him, or something? She could see where he’d gotten that from with what she’d said. As much as he’d tried to move it on, Trisha didn’t want that lingering.

At least, she knew how it’d end up for her. The clinging anxiety.
“You know I would talk about it, right? I did- just not to Cass. I ended up, uh…” She turned a bit red too.
”...bragging to Sal after the first time cause I just had to tell someone. Normally it would be Cass, cause Rey’s my ex and Diyah would just block me. But I don’t want to talk to Cass cause… I just really don’t want to hear about what she’s doing with Leon! I really don’t!”

After a moment of chewing and rolling his head in a gentle motion, he started to smile and nod. Truly, it had nothing to do with her being nervous about it… She was just sparing herself a far more gritty and degenerate fate in the long run. Finally, he was nodding with true acceptance, and his arms wrapped around her in a big hug.

”Crazy, isn’t it? How I talked about an insecurity I was feeling, and you were able to both placate me and still put me at ease regardless? All ‘cuz we talked about it?” he said with a breathy laugh.
”And now I don’t have to feel anxious that you’re keeping yourself clammed up over something, and we also have a unified ideal when it comes to talking to those two about… Our business.”

He smiled and gave her a knowing wink, being sure to crawl his head around her so she could see it alongside his shitty grin.

Trisha laughed, before nodding with a smile. She’d already heard enough shit from Cass with previous partners that she hadn’t particularly wanted to, but she very much drew the line here. Partly because it was Leon, partly because she knew it’d be way more.
“Mhm, I’d rather… it’s all kept separate from them. We all know it happens, but I don’t want any details going either way. I’m glad we agree on that.”

That was generally how it was when it came to family members… But Casey and Leon had been brought up in what was essentially a sex cult, so of course talking about it like that was normal. Whereas in her family… They’d all rather die than share any details of their personal lives with each other, nevermind something so intimate.

Since they were already talking about… things… insecurities…
“Can- Can I ask you something? An insecurity, I guess?” She bit her lip, forcing the question out before she could backtrack and just throw it back into the vast sea that was her many, many insecurities.

Losing any sense of humor, Casey’s arms immediately softened and almost took Trisha into him like the brace on a roller coaster.
”Oh, of course! Anything I can do to make you feel a little better, Babe. What’s up?” he asked, keeping his head braced to look down at her rather than anywhere else.

“Do you…” Trisha frowned, trailing off. How did she even ask this? Did she want to? But she’d already asked if she could. She should. He’d already said it was fine in a way before, but that didn’t stop her feeling anxious about it.
“Are you really fine with… Me being so many of your firsts, when you’re not mine? Not- Not just sex. But other things too. It doesn’t upset you at all? B- Because you were alone all this time while I was stumbling from person to person, trying and fucking it up? You don’t think it’s… unfair?”

The wheels seemed to hitch. Whatever thoughts were going on in that big skull of his, Casey was struggling trying to form them. There was oil between the gears, sure. They were turning. But whatever the process at the end was, it seemed to be holding up the whole machine. What exactly? Well… He’d learned plenty of things vicariously. Not least, lessons on what to do and what not to do based on personally witnessed anecdotal evidence. But, maybe the story would help her contextualize things.

”Well… Babe… You remember Lieutenant Pikeman? The dude with the glasses, and the big red clown hair? His goofy ass… One time, we were at a bar. He’d been trying his hardest to pick up this server, and she seemed interested enough. Probably the tips. But, one night, he drunkenly tells her about some of the shit he did in the war. Then, mistakenly as it turned out, he asked a question. Of course, after she finally spilled the beans that she wasn’t single. The ego has to take a stab, right? So you don’t feel bad.”

He paused, taking a breath and popping the last bit of his sandwich into his mouth before cracking his own drink open and taking a sip to wash the dry section down.

”Essentially, this dude asks her if her boyfriend could kill anyone. Had killed anyone. If he even had the balls to join a service and kill for our country. Obviously, that sort of thing killed any further working relationship between the two, and now he doesn’t drink. He’s also found a girlfriend who can kick his ass, so that probably helped. But-”

Another pause, with Casey gesticulating about with his hands as he looked for the right way to tie in the point.

”It’s… All so small when that’s been in your life. Like the teenage social life I missed out on, or all those firsts that could’ve been. If things had been a little different, we’d be in the same shoes. Hell, I’d probably have been in Sycamore too. Then where would we be? Me, hating you too for something my Brother told me I had to? There’s… There’s really not anything for me to be insecure about. Like Pikeman said… Have any of them killed? Would they? Could they stop me from killing them if push came to shove? It’s animalistic, but for warriors like us, those are just the metrics…”

That… made some sense. At least, Trisha could see where he was coming from and why he wouldn’t feel insecure about it. And she was glad it hadn’t been like that- that they hadn’t met during the Sycamore years. When she’d been even more reactive and resentful. He would hate her now…

“None of them could.” She shook her head, the nervousness in her gaze seeming to dim the more she thought about it. He was right about it being animalistic but… It made things simpler. She didn’t mind it. It was an easy one to answer too. Even the people she’d dated when she was in the Sycamore probably couldn’t… As far as she was aware, most had left the magical world as much as possible afterwards.

Perhaps Reyna would stand a chance, but it wasn’t like that’d ever be an issue.

“It’s silly that it’s such a big thing to me, isn’t it? I know it wasn’t the same, but I did fight a world ending threat as a teenager… But maybe that’s why? Even while we were dying, we were still teenagers. The drama was even worse, somehow. Something like that was always brought up- like the nickname. Then, with my family and… Well, you’re just my first partner to not be bothered by it.”

She tilted her head, before a smile started to bloom across her lips.
“Mm, I guess you’re a lot of important firsts for me anyway.”

Casey smiled down at her. The acceptance was massive; the idea that she at least understood that he knew it was wrong to think about it that way, but didn’t go out of her way to make him feel bad over it… He really couldn’t have asked for a better reply.

”I cherish what I am to you. The sum of it all, if that makes sense. You can have plenty of firsts. People’s firsts get stolen. My first kill was an accident, for all intents and purposes. Do I count it? The random artillery shell that struck somewhere and surely killed some enemy soldier? Or do I think about the best? Do I think about seeing McKlusky’s face when I pulled that Hellhound off of him with my bare hands and stuffed it under the track of a moving Sherman? Seems better than the first.” he wondered if that would go over her head too.

”Uh… Or, like… The first burger I ate, I was a little kid. I wouldn’t remember it. But I remember the last burger I had before I started feeling queasy about ground beef. To this day, it was the best.”

Trisha understood what he was saying about his first kill, making the swap to his first burger entertaining… morbid to mundane. Honestly, if he'd started with that one it would've felt trivialising. Not that she thought her first time was on the same level as his first kill…

Her first time had been a mess, but one she looked back on fondly. It wasn't stolen like her first kiss was. That clumsy first time… Sneaking into her home as the sun rose, energised by a supernatural fight gone well for once. It was quick, bad, and she barely got anything out of it… but sweet. There was no explosive breakup afterwards to make her look back on it any differently.

Just one dead boy.
So many people had blamed her for it, when she wasn't even with him. Was she? That whole night was fuzzy. Like she'd blacked out- but she had. She'd almost died. Only known when she woke up and desperately asked where he was. Delirious from all the pain then passing back out when she was told he was dead. It had been much worse after that.

Trisha's smile faltered for a moment, one hand sneaking up to grip the fabric of her top above her abdomen. The scar. A nervous gesture whenever she thought about that. She considered telling Casey… but what? That her first time didn't compare to him at all, just like no other time did, but that he was also dead? She couldn't…

“I understand. My latest kill was much better than my first, because it was to protect us. My first… Wasn't on purpose. Someone controlled by the Snake. We had to kill them because there was no way to get rid of it…" She shuddered. Hopefully he'd assume it was that thought that made her expression worsen. A strange redirection from one Snake related trauma to another…

“You’re definitely the best choice I've ever made." She turned her body to fully press into him for comfort. Her cheek pressed against his chest as her head tilted up to still look at him. The feeling of someone so solid and warm holding her helped with those lingering feelings of fear. He wasn't going to disappear. He didn't feel upset that she'd had so many experiences before. As long as his first and best both stayed as her…

“You’re the best of a lot for me. I'd say the best for everything, but I don't want your ego to get too big," Trisha smiled again, like nothing had been the matter. No trauma thought of or brought up.
“I really love you. I've never brought anyone else here either… Since it was my safe place before."

Listening to Trisha talk about the feeling of things being them made Casey feel a warmth he hadn’t quite felt in a long time… Besides with her, of course… It was a comradery, and a level of association between them that couldn’t be achieved except through love, or war. There would probably never be the sense of community he felt between himself and the crew he killed men with. But Trisha knew. And not in some bullshit way either.

Leon got it. The people left over from the Sonnenrad War… Dad would’ve gotten it. There was a lot of grief that he could’ve made the moment about. The feeling of wanting to break down and cry in the comfort of her lap, especially after feeling so vulnerable when they’d arrived. But that was unfounded ultimately: This was her sanctuary. So often visited that she must have trusted the condition it was in. He was foolish to think that she’d bring him to some random forest, even if it was minutes from her childhood home.

Spontaneity was never his strong suit. Not like that. Spontaneous to him was a fifteen mile hike with half a camp in a sled behind him. Planning for a date three days in advance with basic local attraction knowledge was equal to an invasion plan as far as the US Army was concerned. The amount of effort it took was worth it to give to her. But, she… Did things she never would’ve done. Like the sandwiches. And now she was calling him her best? On a lot of things?

”Well… Your private sanctuary means a lot to me. I’ll protect it like its part of you… I’d say you should consider keeping a hive out here, but anyone who knows you would expect bees near this place. So close to the big house, I mean…” he offered the idea, still thinking about places she could hide a hive.

“Anyone who knows me wouldn’t expect me to come within miles of that place, so it might work.” Trisha’s laugh was half amused, half bitter. Her childhood home had very few good memories for her. She’d left it as soon as she had the chance- living in that pristine white house with other sisters had been preferred over a place filled with negative memories.

Here wasn’t all positive either. There were as many bad memories as there were good… Not that she’d tell Casey that. All those times she’d cried, raged at how unfair the world was, curled up against the tree feeling broken and abandoned. But it was her place. Somewhere she could be free, alone, and truly herself. The only place she could simply be her…

Before Casey.

“Nobody knows about this place. Not- not the forest, obviously, but the clearing… And that I came so often. My siblings always assumed I was out seeing boys. They didn’t even notice the first time I snuck out and spent a whole day here.” She rolled her eyes. It wasn’t like it was much different from her norm back then: locked in her room. She’d only been twelve… before the bees, even.

“Unless the Temple kept that close an eye on us ten years ago. I came here a few times, when I could. Like after-” He died. When she was recovering from a wound not fully healed, and couldn’t contribute enough. To cover up the pause, she leaned out of his arms to grab a sugar covered donut - like she’d just wanted food, rather than thinking about something awful again. Something lingering. A big bite was taken out of it before she continued.
“The days when things were a lot.”

Casey frowned slightly, looking away into the forest, then up to the sky before answering.
”Most other Covens wouldn’t go crazy over old grudges. They’d be quicker to take things up with us as a group. But some? Like the fucker that went for us on Misty? That coven is liable to do anything. Burn your family home, go and slaughter any Vanburen they can get their hands on just to hurt you. Even if it doesn’t, they’ll just do it for fun… Actual evil.”

It was true. Even the remnants of Sonnenrad that weren’t curtailed beneath some wider umbrella would probably love to make the effort just to kill some rich people. Casey’s greatest hope was that the dissolution of the Temple and the resignation of contested territories would see them make it out grudge free. It was more like a pipe dream. There were grudges based purely on whose balls he was squirted from. Wizards loved to hold grudges.

Thankfully she grabbed a donut, because he was waiting to break into them. He didn’t just lean in to get one either. Mouth opening wide, he crammed the first one in and took massive gnawing bites from it until it was all gone. Then he took a normal bite from the next one.

”Mom’s well aware… Probably. So either she’s truly evil, and she’s letting us walk into a slaughter from some random jabroni out of spite, or she doesn’t see anything too wrong coming.”

“Great. Good to know that we’re about to die, and Lynette’s been watching either way.” Trisha’s voice went a bit flat, her body a bit tense. She forced herself to take another few bites of her donut. Appetite gone, just like that. She was trying to not react too much to what Casey said. He was trying to be helpful… probably.

Was it the right thing to say? No. Did it feel like he completely ignored half of what she said? Maybe. He hadn’t really, had he? She was just being sensitive. It was the things she’d left unsaid, half expecting him to notice anyway.

“They’ll want to get rid of Ezra too if they destroy anything on the property- because he will find and sue them.” She tried to redirect herself with that dry, dark suggestion. A few more bites finished off the donut, letting her drop her head onto the knees she’d draw up closer to her body.

“I guess this place saw some of my worst moments too, so it’d fit. And if not… If your mother’s just been ‘benevolently watching’... Well, it gets a nice send off.”

Casey shook his head at the comment. It was rapid, rather than a slow and displeased stare. He didn’t want her to think that they weren’t alone now.

”Oh, I mean… Not actively. Remember, anywhere I go, I can turn it all off. We’re safe from that old prodding bullshit. Have been since she decided to let me read the books. Just, y’know… Her thing’s seeing the future. Scary accurate. She usually knows what’s coming and what’s going to come after that…” he tried to explain, acutely aware of Trisha’s almost certain non-desire to talk about his mother or her bullshit.

”But, either way, your secret spot is safe. As long as we don’t uh… Well, let's just not keep bees back here. Not your bees, anyway. And like I said, your sanctuary is important to me. As far as I’m concerned, this little patch of land; this clearing, the tree we’re next to, it’s all a part of you. Something that needs to be protected.”

“But it’s not secret anymore, is it?” Trisha mumbled into her knees, before frowning. There was a bubbling frustration at herself. She’d brought up the Temple, and suggested they knew about it. Casey had just answered what she’d said. It wasn’t his fault Lynette could see the future, and thus would know about it. It wasn’t as creepy as active watching, but Trisha still didn’t like it. It was still intrusive.

Here Casey was talking about protecting some trees that were special to her, and she was struggling to not get upset about someone else- outside of the two of them- knowing about it.
Great way to show your appreciation.

“Sorry. I know it’s not your fault that she knows. It’s not like it’s even a really hidden place…” Though she didn’t really unfurl, her whole body tilted towards Casey and leant on him.
“I was thinking about the Snake, before the talk of slaughter and Lynette watching. So it just made me a bit touchy.”

Casey nodded in understanding acceptance, arm wrapping around her to tenderly rub. He often wondered how comforting physical touch actually was to her. Sure, she cuddled him twenty-four seven, but that only really served to further his suspicion. The true constance of it made him feel like it was less real, and more like it was just a coping mechanism for feeling otherwise undesirable.

Regardless of his suspicions, he refused to take any chances. Kissing the top of her head, Casey took a short breath.
”It’s my fault again… Being paranoid. If I could turn it off, I guess I wouldn’t wind up scaring you with it all the time. I’m sorry, Trisha. I don’t know if it makes you feel any better, but if she has seen this place, it’s gone with her. It goes back to being quiet.”

Trisha slowly nodded her head. It was a bit difficult to just say yes immediately… Because then she was saying that she was glad his mom was going to die, so her place could be just hers again. For all of Lynette’s many flaws… She was still Casey’s mom. Trisha wasn’t callous enough to outright say she was glad about it.

“I’d rather know and be scared than be unaware, so it’s fine. I do like it quiet but… I don’t really need it as much now. I have you.” Her limbs unfurled slightly, but she stayed pressed against him. A hand gripped his shirt. Her head turned away from pressing against his chest to look at the fallen tree trunk beside them. Then the rest of the area.

“I stopped coming here as often after I moved out. The last time was… After my last breakup. It was more when I was a teen. A place without the noise of my siblings, or the coven during that summer. No pressure or blame…” She turned to look back up at him, managing a slight smile.
“You probably get the point… there’s just a lot of memories here. It’s like with my mom… something I’m choosing to share with you, but struggle with other people knowing. Even someone who’ll be… gone soon.”

Of course she’d rather Lynette be gone. He felt the same mostly. In the same way one would feel guilt at an old animal’s sickness, he felt that pang regarding his Mother. The depth of sorrow, that it would take her death to bring comfort to those beneath her… He hoped that it would at least be some kind of solution, because knowing that she’d be gone and the possibility of all that pain lingering in their lives would utterly nullify the sacrifice. If there was a thought he really couldn’t handle, that was it.

”You understand it’s because of that, that I’m willing to protect this place with my life, right? There’s nothing more important to me than protecting and preserving what makes us happy. Whatever your reasoning, that's simply how it is. I want places and things that we can have, to share with our children. Completely recontextualize the dynamic, y’know? T-that’s… One thing I learned from the Navy Shrink I saw, at least that stuck! Probably because the first place I had to do it was so difficult.”

The first time he went back to St. Portwell for a month, he didn’t sleep a wink. At that point, the Cats were still in sanctuary on the Temple’s grounds, but he couldn’t forget the things he’d seen there. Couldn’t stop himself from imagining the crawling darkness sliding into his room. From hurting him without care or recourse. He was a child again… So, when he made it back to base and went into the doctor, it was the first thing he wanted to deal with.

It got a lot harder when Leon brought them back there… But they were all grown now. The residents made a pact, and it kept him placated enough that his usual steps were enough to bring him back to some small amount of rest.

She had him now… And in that moment, he smiled realizing that he had her too. His anxiety levels were at an all time low, even in the most stressful Temple meetings where he wanted to blow his stack; thinking about how nice it would be to eventually slide into place on the couch and feel her curl up next to him made it so much more manageable. It was something to look forward to.

”But… I have you too. Where you are is the most special place on the planet to me. I just… I dream of giving the future something too. A beautiful story, and if we can take them there to see where it happened? All the better.” he finished, voice more airy and dreamy than it had ever been.

Trisha twisted around in his lap so that she could fully face him, her legs unfurling to loosely wrap around his torso. She looked up at him with a soft smile.
“You don't want to give them me? Gonna keep me all to yourself?" She teased, knowing that wasn't the point.

It was a nice thought. This place being something they could share with their children in the future, among others. A place they could share between them too. Somewhere that meant something… and that perhaps she'd grown past the need for, but was still an important part of her. She'd never had places like that as a child… Places that her parents took her to that meant anything to them, or taught her about them. She'd like to give that to her own.

Even if she didn't entirely understand what Casey meant by recontextualising. Viewing the place differently? As having a different purpose, rather than escape? She could ask but… then she'd look a bit stupid, wouldn't she? It was fine.

“I understand… I want to do that too. I was never really given anything by my parents. Well, money- but nothing sentimental. No stories. I want to give ours something like that… like you said, a beautiful story." Trisha didn't quite have the same dreamy tone as Casey did, but she was caught up in his easily.

Her gaze, and words, turned a bit more serious after.
“You're my safe place now. There's no future without you- us. So you can't protect it with your life. I don't want to lose you over anything that isn't me." Her gaze dropped down as she realised what she said. How selfish it sounded.
“I mean… don't use your life protecting important places when every place we go and will go together will become special to me."

How could Casey really argue with that? Simple acceptance: He smiled, looking down at her with a tender grin, then pulled her into his arms, and rubbed his face in her hair.

”I love you… That’s all I can really say to that. Thank you for letting me into your life.” he said, planting a kiss on her head before really leaning back against the tree and resting his head. Having her in that position was supremely relaxing. Like being somewhere that was entirely safe.

”Let’s just make a new tree here. Or, like, a mossy growth, just the two of us buried in the roots…”

Trisha laughed, resting her head on his shoulder.
”Mmm, but your back will get sore long before the moss grows over us. Unless you can magically make it grow faster…"

With another giggle, she nuzzled his face against his neck. She'd never thought the idea of just becoming a tree, or buried beside it, would be so appealing… but with Casey? It was. Just to be with him forever was all she wanted. Growing old together, or turning into trees together… With another giggle, she pulled her face back a bit so her words weren't muffled by his skin.
“Would I still be attractive as a tree? All I'd have going for me then is my looks, since there'd be no witty conversation."

”Oh, Babe… Trees are some of the best conversationalists. How often do you get to talk to someone who has zero preconceptions, zero inclination toward judgement, and zero concern for any particular attitude? Not to mention? You’d have an amazing figure, wouldn’t you?” he grinned, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

He’d spent enough time with trees that they were the only things that seemed worth talking to at one point. Long before the magic and the military, the neighborhood was a little different. There was a patch of woodland out behind the Cannery still standing then, and no matter how small it was, Casey always felt a little bit safer there. He remembered when the land got sold, and how pissed off Lynette had gotten over it.
Now that land was Temple owned too, after she scrubbed the previous owners off the property… It was a garden. Not the natural forest that had been, but a manicured garden, with topiaries and shit that wasn’t natural.

She’d lost the plot, quite literally. Killed a special place of his in return. For a moment, he wondered if Lynette knew.

”You’d be the best tree, hands down. I’d build a magnificent house in your branches, using all the surrounding forest, so your branches would get all the sunlight in the field.” he continued to joke with her, hoping that she’d just eat up the compliments.

Trisha grinned, puffing up her chest a little bit.
“I would be, wouldn't I? And I'd finally be tall! I wouldn't have to worry about seeing over people's heads anymore…" She shook her head, laughing. It was a bit of a ridiculous thing to imagine… But feasible magically. There were plenty of Red-Green adepts in Sycamore that turned into all sorts of things. Another thing she'd been jealous of at the time.

“We wouldn't have to worry about a hive for the bees either. They can make a nice big one off… my branches. Though I wouldn't really have bees anymore, would I?"

Not that it'd matter. She'd be a tree… it'd be nice if she could just turn into something like that when she wanted. Like those Red-Green adepts…
“If you could have any kind of Lux, what would you want?" She asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

Casey grinned and smiled.
”Oh, this was a topic that got thrown around the barracks plenty! Do you mean, separate from the Lux that I have now as a prerequisite? I only ask because uh, well, one of the Lances who you didn’t meet up North called a few of us uh… Quills? It was an acronym, supposed to be comfortable with Lux? I guess essentially I’m in a situation where I can’t imagine being anything other than an Orange adept. Everything I’ve worked for, everything I’ve done with it, makes me biased and partial. So, to say I already have the kind of Lux I would want is a loaded answer.”

Taking a pause, he looked thoughtful.

”But they also forced me to pick, so I said Blue… Because I’ve always been fascinated by what Andrade can do. If I could learn shit like that? Orange and Blue together would be a dream come true.” he shrugged.
”And you? Would you choose anything else besides the Queen?”

“I wouldn't, because I love my bees too much. But I think about it sometimes." Trisha shrugged one shoulder. Orange and Blue… the one person she'd known with that combination had done very little with it. Because it was ‘limited.’ She was sure that Casey could do much more with it, if he'd had it. It was a bit of a terrifying combination… Blue Lux in general was.

“If I was an Adept, I'd want both Green and Red. Pretty boring, right? But it seems so limitless… I could turn into anything I wanted, and heal myself. I'd have been more useful against the Snake too. But with it I could be whoever or whatever I wanted to be, y’know?" Perhaps it was an insight into her psyche that she wanted magic that would let her shift herself almost limitlessly. Both natural and not…

“I was always a bit jealous of the adepts. Some of them were so weak but… they could learn anything they wanted, in a way. Whatever reflected them. My magic doesn't reflect me. Or, didn't. I think I changed a bit to reflect it."

Casey gave her a comforting stroke against her back. He wished there’d been some extra insight that maybe she had shaped the magic to reflect her… That she seemed to feel so wretched about herself no matter the scenario made him feel a bit weepy. Certainly empathetic to her self confidence issues at least. Most importantly, however, it was another moment he could remain conscious of and return to later on as a piece of the overall puzzle that was Trisha Vanburen.

”Hey, who knows!? Maybe you’ve done a lot more to change the Queen’s abilities to reflect you than you think.” he smiled, hugging a little tighter.

“Yeah, she was probably less sleepy before she adjoined to me," Trisha lightly joked. She wouldn't know… the Queen had spent so much time asleep. It was hard for her to know if she'd changed at all to reflect Trisha. It was hard to believe, too. The Queen was nothing like her, then and now. And the magic hadn't really changed… just her bond with the bees.

“Maybe if I make bees the other way they'll all come out mini mes. We'll know if they all start fawning over you…" She curled her head back in against his neck. Hopefully not… then she'd have erratic, anxious bees. Some of her oldest were already like that. Her old ladies.

“I do like the magic I have now, even if I haven't changed it. There's always that what if but… It could've been a lot worse." She'd adjoined with a benevolent spirit, at least.
“It was just when I was a teen, and all these other teens were shooting fireballs, bees seemed so lame!"

Casey nodded emphatically. He knew all about feeling left out in the middle of magic.

”I did used to dream that I’d meet uh… Like, God? Basically? Like I’d be the one who got to know some supremely powerful world-level Apparition with mind bending powers, and because I was a good boy and I was doing everything that people told me to do, it’d see that I was worthy. And then, y’know, it’d adjoin to me. Mostly because I never thought I’d wind up with any kind of magic.” he admitted, revealing what had been a long term fantasy if it could be called that.

It wasn’t a wish so much now; and his reaction to Leon giving up his own Lux to house Lelou probably would’ve shocked Trisha if they’d known each other then. But, now it was a more even-keeled respect for Adjoined, and Abberations in general. Trying at least. That strange sense of supremacy, the pride he carried over what was essentially luck of the draw. He felt he earned every bit of power he had, hardly recognizing the system surrounding it in the first place. That his blood and the will of people hundreds of years before him made sure that he would kindle.

”I think the Queen’s great. Most Apparitions are great for one reason or another. Even shitty ones. D’you remember any of the others from Sycamore?” he asked casually.

“Of course… I remember most people, even if we're on bad terms now. I fought Lila just a couple of weeks ago." Trisha replied easily, not thinking much of it.

There was no judgement from her about his dream either, even if she didn't comment on it. She understood… if she was brought up in a magical family- cult- and didn't have it, she'd have dreams like that too.

“A lot were adjoined because of Britney. Like Emily… she was- is- a bitch, but her Apparition was worse, somehow. Luca and Olivia too. I don't really remember what Olivia's apparition was like, except she hated it, but Luca's…" Trisha grimaced. She had sympathy for him. He was one of the few that probably didn't outright hate her, too.
“I don't think you could call anything about that one great. It was powerful but… I couldn't handle something like that. Not being able to touch anything."

Casey nodded along, cross referencing the names with the last known info. Emily G. Reed was a constant thorn in St. Portwell’s magical paw since before she could vote. He’d always been curious as to whether or not it was her, or Babylon’s fault. And as for poor Luca Oliviera, well… Sure. It was hard to imagine that thing as anything but destructive. But, in the context of the thing’s form and function?

”It’s a great burden, for sure.” he replied softly, considering the human behind the ghost.
”I… Can definitely agree it’s not one I’d want to be attached to. But, it’s pretty great at what it does all things considered. Like, y’know, if Luca wasn’t as nice a guy as I hear he is? St. Portwell would be in big trouble.”

Casey thought about what he knew of the individual. Leon never had a bad word to say. Former Eight Street member, and a previous Emily lackey. Guy never seemed to fit the bill of where the intel placed him. Now things were hard south with the Sycamore reunion, so things were only further up in the air.

”Y’think that dude’s gonna have any worries about getting killed by Father Wolf? I bet not. Because the Rot’s a great deterrent too: Like the birds keep eating the seeds, so the tree makes arsenic and kills the birds that eat the seeds.” Fucking dumb metaphor, Casey…

Trisha didn't really need the metaphor to understand, but she held back the little laugh on the tip of her tongue over it.

“There’s no way Father Wolf can get him. The knife would rust away. Like… You know the Apparition Killer? The powerful artifact we used to seal the Snake?" Trisha assumed Casey would. She assumed he'd probably know even if he didn't have access to all the information he did now… Unless Leon hadn't talked about it at all.

“They tried to use it to get the Rot out of him right after the Snake was sealed… but the tip of the blade started rotting." It had been pretty terrifying at the time… Realising just how powerful the thing inside him was.
“He’s one of the few people from Sycamore who probably wouldn't say some nasty shit or try to punch me."

Lips curled slightly, Casey took another long and slow nod as he considered what that meant for the artifact. Just the tip? And it didn’t actually work? There weren’t any mentions of that little incident in the record, and as far as they were concerned as an entity, the sword was totally intact. Regardless, her praise of the guy was definitely doing what it was meant to. He felt happy to hear that there was at least one single Sycamore member who didn’t hate her.

”So we’re definitely better off visiting him than visiting Lila again? I hear they’ve been shacked up recently, with a few other Sycamites.” he mentioned, wondering if she’d have any insight to what was going on.

“Assuming we don't get within a metre of him," Trisha nodded. Not that she expected to be visiting him or any other Sycamites anytime soon… what would even be the reason for that?
“Yeah, Lila said before… Her birds started eating my bees. Her, Luca, Jasper and… Lynn."

Trisha frowned just saying that name, hiding it by turning her face into Casey's shoulder. She was the reason Lila and Trisha had started shouting at each other in the first place… Evelynn, cursed to be a bitch. All those futures she'd seen for Trisha and gleefully told her about… Reinforcing what she knew was true. That she was worthless and would die alone.

“If they're all living together, visiting him would be the same as visiting Lila anyway? You're not about to start dragging me to the homes of the few Sycamore members that don't hate me, are you?" Her voice was a bit… flat, even as she tried to joke again. Thinking about those futures…

Shaking his head, Casey leaned forward slightly with her still in his arms. Grabbing a biscuit from the bag before leaning back, he already had it in his mouth and was chewing on a piece.

”No… I’ve seen what forcing you to go places gets us. Definitely no need to put you into a situation that we both intend on walking away from as soon as possible, right? We’ll deal with what comes, leave when we can, and make a new world somewhere new. One day, we can come back and show our kids the places we come from. But, for now, we need emancipation.” he grinned, smile warmer still thinking about not just his freedom, but Mimi’s too. And Ed, and Hari. And, hopefully, Leon.

He didn’t know what Elise’s plan was exactly, but if she took over the facade of the Temple in order to step it down, he only hoped she didn’t get a bad taste for power in her mouth. It’d have to be stopped if that wound up being the case. And Junior was an even bigger question, especially with his influence over the Temple’s technological systems. His lifestyle was too attached to Lynette’s power for him to let her go softly.
It wasn’t a question of if he’d fight. Only how hard.

”We uh… Can go anywhere. There’s enough money for it between us. The kinds of things my Dad left behind don’t go away just because a cult gets dissolved… And I’m sure you’d be able to take care of us otherwise… Right, Sugar Momma?” he joked, stealing a kiss.

Trisha laughed, face chasing after his to steal a kiss right back.
“Mhm, I get more than enough to look after us for the rest of our lives. It might be a bit tighter if Ezra stops giving me the extra but… pretty sure he does it so he doesn't have to deal with me. He'll probably keep it up till he dies."

Though Trisha hoped that in a few years she wouldn't need that extra. Her honey business would be going well enough enough to top up what she got monthly from the family trust. Of course, the monthly amount was enough to cover the two of them comfortably… but if they had children? Then it'd be a bit more difficult.

“You have to work for it, though. I'm not just letting you use all my money for nothing…" She giggled, head listing forward to rub her nose against his.
“I’ll work you very hard."

She raised her eyebrows, grinning teasingly. She moved forward to kiss him again, drawing it so it was a longer, sweet kiss. As she pulled back her smile was soft and loving again.

“Where do you want to go? I know you said the middle of nowhere before but… where?"

Casey didn’t have to think about that one.
”Montana… I mean, anywhere in the empty strip in the middle of the country. There’s plenty of states that have a population density that is shockingly low. The amount of land we could snap up? Cows, chickens, a whole ranch? I’d love working with the animals, I think. But, we… Did say we didn’t want our kids growing up being backwater hicks, right?” he asked almost innocently.

“Well… We didn't quite say that." Trisha smiled. Though it was true, she didn't want her kids to grow up like that. She wanted her kids to be smart like she hadn't been. But then wouldn't she just be like her mother? High expectations that led to feeling like a failure.

“I want our kids to have a good education so that they have opportunities. Then they can do whatever they want… even if they want to come back and help out with the animals." She spoke evenly, pushing through all the conflict she felt around their children's education. Of course she wanted them to be well educated, and high achievers. But she didn't want them to end up like her… She didn't want to become her own mother.

But what if she did?
“You said we could homeschool them, didn't you? I… don't know, you were homeschooled, weren't you? Do you really think we could and they'd turn out alright? Then we could give them all those opportunities and you can have your ranch."

”That would certainly be the ultimate dream, Babe. Teach them to be weary, not paranoid. And what you need in life… But keep them from losing touch completely. We’d have to be around others in some capacity…”

Scrunching his nose, Casey was thinking about what a life would’ve been like if he’d not been part of more than just one family. He was tribally raised, practically. That sense of community was one of the things that he felt most nostalgic over in the first place. He was a soldier for more than half a decade; he couldn’t just leave the pack mentality behind.

”We should find others. Like, y’know, maybe the Girls will go with us? Fresh and clean, no responsibilities besides what they do for themselves. No pressure. I’d only worry they’d waste away in the house.” he giggled, thinking about losing out on their warmth and love were something ever to happen to them.

”I know Lee would build a house in the hills: We went skiing up there once as kids? Promised each other we’d build log cabins next to one another. I was maybe six?” he smiled.

Trisha nodded slowly, but was thoughtfully silent. What did she actually want? To just be with him and eventually their kids, or around other people? She'd always assumed she'd live in a city… but she'd never had a constant group like that. A community. There was a small hope it would be her family… but that was never possible. Then she'd hoped the coven would be that. Of course it hadn't been. After then she'd given up.

Just finding a partner who'd stick around was difficult enough.

What if there were issues between her and the other people they surrounded themselves with? Who would Casey choose? Would it really be her?

She liked the girls. There hadn't been any issues since Casey's commencement ceremony with Mia. But it could happen again…

Then there was Leon. It was a bit easier now that he was with Cass, adding an extra person to be in between them. But she knew they'd keep clashing. They just didn't get on. Trisha wasn't sure if she could handle living right next to each other. There was no guarantee he'd still be with Cass then…

“You want to build us log cabins? Will they have internet? Not sure I can live without it…" After a long time of thinking, her first words were probably underwhelming. It was easier to not mention Leon. Pretend he hadn't been brought up. Then they didn't have to talk about it, right?

“If the girls wanted to come with us… I'd be alright with that. Though my slice of the Vanburen empire isn't enough to fund five people. Maybe it won't be an issue if we're able to be mostly self-sufficient… but I want electricity and wi-fi and all those luxuries." Trisha continued, giving a bit more of a response.
“I’ve never really lived near people like that, I'm not sure how I'll do with it."

Casey shrugged and nodded his head.
”These are the kinds of things we actually use magic for, right? I’d like to be as unplugged as possible, meaning I’m not interested in a location where those sorts of things are available easily by normal means. If we can compromise with a magical solution, then I think we have a unique opportunity as a couple to have both of our desires met.”

And a fucking hot shower. He already imagined building little bivouacs across the property where one could squat for a few hours, or even a few weeks outside the main homestead. Unique places too, and dreamed of doing it as a family. They weren’t going to be simple structures…
”Jesus, y’know the more I think about it, the more I start to think I’m a crazy person.” he laughed.

”Here I am imagining treehouses and dugout bunkers with running water, and you’d be happy as a clam so long as you knew I’d be home for snuggles… Look at me, trying to get away without even realizing.”

Contradictory to his words, he squeezed her tighter.

”You’re gonna have to get used to being dirty with your computer. I’ll make sure the entire strip of land has a wifi signal if you don’t mind sitting on a stump with your stuff while I dig a hole in an interesting place.” he nudged, knowing that she’d probably feel anxious until he made some sort of clarification. It was a necessity with her, after all.

Like Casey guessed, the moment he mentioned trying to get away the worries started to creep in. Away from her? If he was already thinking about it now, wouldn't it be worse in the future? Even if he wanted to come home or to her… or was it an assumption that she wouldn't want to get dirty? It was nicer to think that, based on how he clarified.

Still hard when the thought was put into her head.
“Well, depends how dirty? Not sure my computer will keep working if I'm trying to use it knee deep in mud." She managed to reply calmly, trying not to tense up a bit. She trusted him, didn't she? But she didn't trust herself…

“I don't mind a bit of dirt, Babe. I mean-" She gestured to the area around them. The little clearing surrounded by trees, intermixed grass and stick covered dirt for the ground.
“- I didn't bother bringing a picnic blanket most of the time. That's a special date thing."

She let out a long breath, curling in towards him.
“You’d really want me with you while you're digging your hole? I wouldn't be distracting you?" Of course, she couldn't quite resist the little questions pushed by her anxieties?
“What about when I'm pregnant and can't walk that far?"

Casey giggled.
”Babe, if you can handle being wherever the Hell I wind up, then I’m gonna welcome your company every time. But, someday? When you know that I’m not going anywhere, and you find yourself looking at a particular hill asking yourself why you married me? You’ll feel okay calling me a loser and leaving my ass wherever I am until I crawl back home like an outdoor cat.” he explained, brushing her chin with his thumb in a gentle way.

He wanted her to think about it, but even now he was attempting a subtle recontextualizing. He wouldn’t be leaving her, of course: She’d know that one day. And she’d be willing, then, after so many years of consistency, to have a moment of space to herself. At least, he hoped that projecting something like that would convince her. He could never know for sure, but this was all he had right now.

”But, if you’re really insistent? Like, can’t compromise, you must be right there? Fuck it; I’ll strap you up. Show you how we used to haul bodies long distances when they were injured.” he gave her a flat look, starting to mess with her a little bit until she made some kind of concerned eye contact.

”You’re my wife at that point, Trisha! I’ll make it as comfortable and easy for you as possible, I mean shit, again, we’ve got magic. I can pack a fucking tent into a pill the size of a dime. You go where I go… I swear to God and all in its witness, you will not ever be forced to be alone. Ever.” he was staring into her eyes now, expression finally becoming stern and serious as he realized his joking wasn’t going over very well.

Trisha stared back. Just in case that seriousness wavered… but it didn't. He really meant it. She knew that she was overreacting, when he was constantly telling her that he'd always be there. Showing it too. It was just so hard. Thinking about the future always brought her anxieties back up… Because what if the future they dreamed of didn't happen?

But he was serious about it. He really wanted to be with her and he was talking about a future with her. They were engaged… They talked about kids and marriage like it happened. Each time she felt a little bit more confident about it. Bit by bit, eventually she might really accept that he wasn't going anywhere. She wouldn't need to be so close so frequently. It was hard to imagine. Really hard. But she did want to get there…

She nodded.
“Thank you, Casey… for always trying to comfort me and not getting upset about it. Especially when it's about a hypothetical future…" She smiled slightly, genuine gratefulness in her eyes.
“I do want to get to the point where I'm not so anxious. I might never get there… and I might, then I might be hit by all the insane pregnancy hormones. But I know that you'll still be with me through it, even if I struggle to accept it."

She smiled more, moving her head forward so their foreheads pressed against each other.
“We’re talking about the future seriously. You're saying that I'll be your wife. Obviously, since we're engaged, but normally… that would make me so anxious, because what if I get too hopeful? But with you I think it'll really work. We'll get married and we won't- won't-" Her voice wavered for a moment, but she pressed through that. Voicing a deep buried anxiety because it felt like the right time.
“Divorce like my parents."

Casey tucked his head slightly, shaking it. His parents didn’t divorce. Something worse happened. He only wished they divorced, because at least he’d still be able to talk to his Father without needing some kind of crazy Lux or artifact he didn’t have.
”Dude, if you’ve got a Baby, I’m… Well, honestly, I’m not sorry to say this to you because I feel like you’ll like it, but uh… I don’t know, a Kid is a real deal-sealer. Like, y’know, if they’re in the picture? We’re not getting divorced.” he shrugged his shoulders.

”I’d grit my teeth and bare it if you ever decided to hate me, because once there are kids, we’re just… Here for them, y’know? Our lives are always going to be spent making sure theirs are good. I’ll grind myself down to a little nub before we neglect them by breaking our attention on them to focus on our own petty bullshit. Right?” he questioned gently, genuinely curious about how she felt.

It was a difficult question for her to answer. It wasn't a future she wanted. Suffering in an unloving relationship for her children. Because how would she stop herself from putting that on them? How would she stop herself from breaking? But wasn't the other option becoming like her parents? Putting all that resentment on the children with no one there. Both options were the same, really…

But if they were still together there was always a chance of fixing things. She didn't see herself ever stopping loving him. There'd be ups and downs in their relationship, but they could get through it. Hopefully. She did like that at that point he’d never even think about leaving, even if the thought of a loveless marriage was almost as terrifying as being alone. That wouldn’t happen.

She just had a different perspective from him. As far as she was aware, his parents had always loved each other. They didn’t seem like good parents, but they were together. Maybe he thought the problem was that their problems affected their children… Which was true, but…
“They’ll know. You can’t hide problems like that from children, and… if we have problems in the future, we should resolve them with each other even if it takes our attention away from a moment. Because if we don’t it’ll eat us up and then them too. I can’t pretend like that. My- my mum’s unresolved issues with my dad ruined my childhood. She didn’t always neglect me because of it, but I always knew. Whether she talked about it or not.”

It was a lot for her to talk about. It was difficult to force herself to be honest about it, rather than just agreeing with him. But it was something she had to be honest about. She owed it to him, right? And to their future children.

“I don’t think I’ll ever hate you.. And I don’t want to ever divorce- or break up. Kids is also a deal-sealer for me but… Well, because I don’t want to know them until I know we’ll always love each other. I need to not be anxious about it, because otherwise I’ll- I’ll-” She bit her lip, before forcing through it again.
“End up putting it on them. Maybe I’ll be like my mom, maybe I’ll end up more like yours. I won’t be a good mother because I’m not a good person like you are. I can’t just put my issues aside. They’d become my everything- and not in a healthy way.”

It was a problem they both shared. The idea that they’d grow to resemble the people who raised them far too much. But he’d been on this same track a few days prior. He’d dealt with assuming he’d instantly morph into some sex crazed monster after getting it for the first time. Maybe if things were frictionless? It wasn’t; nothing in life was frictionless. There was always some kind of force resisting one’s motion, begging to be ground down in equal measure of force. Grind, grind, grind.

”You’re already so aware of it; you’re bound to overcorrect the wrong way. They’re not, like, pets or something… There’s a physical predisposition one has toward their offspring. It’s chemical, like your bees! Some people don’t have it flat out, but you’ll know if you feel that. And then, if that even ever happened which I doubt... We’d go and see someone! We’d talk to a counselor, and we’d seek out people from the real world to talk to about this. No way in Hell do I think you’d go to some Pink Luxer to have them plant a false sense of motherhood in your head… Would you? I… Guess we should spend more time establishing the boundaries of magic within our life as a couple some day soon.” he started to peter off as he questioned their overall position.

Trisha didn’t think their boundaries about magic were all that important right now. Maybe because they had different visions- she imagined a life where magic was part of it, but not everything. Mostly mundane, used for things like internet and electricity maybe…

But she wasn’t worried about it right now.
“We can talk about it after thanksgiving. I don’t think we’ll have many disagreements about it.” She spoke quietly, to actually acknowledge it in between her own thoughts. Not just dismissing it because… It was talking about it for their life, not just hers or his.

“But I’d never let a Pink Luxer in my head like that- not just like that. Never. I’ve only let them in once, when our memories of the Snake’s sealing were erased. My mind’s my own, and I couldn’t live with myself if I did something like that. But, Casey-” Her voice broke for a moment, those feelings crashing back into her. Because what he’d said hadn’t really soothed her worries…

“I’m not really worried that I’ll neglect our children. I’m worried that I’ll smother them. Because- I’ve always wanted kids. Since I could remember… I wanted to make that family I never had! But- but more than that, I wanted there to be people who had to love me.” It was only because of Casey she’d even started thinking about it. Thinking seriously about having children, reflecting on it. Starting to figure out her own issues.

“Because it's so hard for children to stop loving their mother, right? We both know that.”

The inescapable attachment of family, and the similarly perceived situation that, if nothing else, they’d be there to love her. How hard it was to not love his Mother indeed. Still, it was fairly surprising that she was so forthcoming when it came to this topic. He could only presume she was doing her best to hold up her end of the bargain. The same honesty he afforded her, she was actually giving him fully in this place.

She was herself here. He only wanted to validate and encourage that, and locked in at that moment. Not physically, but in a grand mental effort of amorphous White Lux dancing about his presence, he found a memory. A memory of a comrade, whose shining face was always the one to bring others forward in the darkest days. A feeling of being inspired, in spite of every little hardship they’d been through before that moment, that plucky bastard’s chiclet smile seemed to stay that same shade of dull white.

Casey’s face twisted, not without some direction but almost as a natural mimicry to the image in his head. A smile that said everything was okay. That everything would be okay… Because he was there. They were there together. And he beamed down at Trisha.

”I believe in you. I believe that if you perceive a problem, you’d ask my opinion. And I believe you’d trust my judgement. And I trust my judgement… Because that’s my job, to make judgement calls. It has been for a long time. And if ever you didn’t trust my judgement, I still believe in you, and that you’d make the right judgement call in the end no matter what.”

He nodded at her, kissing the top of her head.
”But belief is faith. And if seeing is believing, that means you’re just going to need to wait and see for yourself, right? But, you’re gonna take that journey with me? It’s a long haul; you know that.”

He made it sound so simple. But that in itself was comforting for her. He was so confident about it. That he’d be there to make those calls when she didn’t know how to. That was part of her worry, ultimately: that they’d split, revert, and cling to any children they had. But that wouldn’t happen. It wouldn’t.

He wouldn’t leave her. If she said it enough times, she’d be able to believe it even in her worst moments.

“That’s a silly question- of course I will. I’m- I’m in it until the day we die. I really do trust you.” She smiled, even though her eyes were watery. Not quite crying. Close, but not quite. Emotional for sure.
“I’m only thinking about these things- really thinking about them- because of you. I want to marry, have children and then grow old together… You make me feel loved enough that I want that future for the right reasons. And I want to get better for it…”

She trailed off, letting the silence linger for a moment as she cuddled into him. She really did feel safe and comfortable with him- and here. It was like two safe places combined were enough for her to actually be honest about such difficult things. It helped her push through and really try like she’d promised him she would. Now he knew how she felt… and she knew how he did too. That he’d be there.