Hedgehawk

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

"It is not easy being a Leighton you know. I really wish it was easier at times" Aloysius let out a soft sigh. Clearly Lola had crossed the point of caring and had turned on her defenses, snapping back at him for his comment.[/color]

"I constantly get compared Salem. Ignore our relationship for the moment. But just all the things like 'Have you seen how powerful she is? She might be the strongest Magi history has ever seen. I wonder how the other great families will try and keep up? '" Aloysius let out a softer sigh, clearly emotionally exhausted " Every time I walk into that Guild, I am being judged against someone. Every action I make every power I use. Someone is judging my actions."

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

"If I am being totally honest, I had never really considered not exploring my full power. To me it always seems strange" Aloysius gave a soft sigh. He knew better than to try and push further. He had always wanted to see Lola blossom into the powerful Magi she had the potential to be. But at every turn she looked away from it.

"Ultimately it is your choice. I can't force toy to learn or get better. And if you want to live a normal life, then I can't stop you. But please don't let mothers opinions and views of you sully your magical abilities. I know the Magi world hasn't exactly been kind to us."

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

Aloysius gave himself a slight sigh as he heard Lola's reply. She always seemed to find a way out of practicing. It wasn't that Aloysius was angry at her answer. That wasn't true. He wasn't even disappointed. Confusion was more like it. He didn't understand why someone wouldn't want to learn the full extent of their power. Lola was a powerful woman. And while Aloysius had a high power ranking, Lola was on his heels, not to mention she was higher than her mother. A fact she had done a good job of keeping from Lola it seemed.

"Yiubreslly should focus yourself on your magical studies too. You have an impressive amount of talent. Hydromancey is hard. One of the hardest forms of evocation magic. To be able to master it shows a level of dedication and control. And if I am being honest, I think you would be the only one in the family who could control it. It requires a far more relaxed and calm mind to be able to control the flow of something that doesn't want to be controlled."

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

"Well, one of us has to stay behind to make sure that mother doesn't do something truly stupid to the family house. Might as well be me. Sides, I am used to taking her flack at work. Nothing new there" Aloysius took a moment to organise the boxes, so that thst the bigger ones were at the bottom and the smaller ones were ontop.

"Did you get around to practicing those exercises that the Guild showed you? I know they are boring and not great, but they do come in handy" Aloysius did not envy Lola one bit. Having to balance Magical training with schoolwork and vice versa, he was glad he no longer had to do any of it.

Family Matters (A Hedgehawk & SouffleGirl123 1x1)

The past three or so months had been a whirlwind for Aloysius. His mother had blamed him for everything that was happening to Lola. She was convinced it was some kind of conspiracy against her. It was interesting that she started taking a slight interest at the moment that Lola started to leave. He knew he was going to be in the shit for even helping Lola move in. But he would simply tune his mother out later and let her rant about how ungrateful Lola was to her mother.

"It was honestly nothing. I am just glad that I have been able to do something if use and help you escape mothers clutches." Aloysius put the box down and looked around the room. It was a nice modest place.

The Witches & Warlocks of Tanner 2.0

Lucas West

"I am blind, but I see the world more clearly than you. I see the beauty in darkness, hope in despair, and the world as it truly is. I am grateful for every moment."

---

B A S I C S Magic Type Warlock Place of Birth Tanner, Washington Age 23 Height & Weight 5’7”(170cm)/135lbs (61kg) Sexual Orientation Bisexual College Degree Bachelors Degree in Music P O W E R S Divination True Seeing - By focusing his connection to the Astral Plane, Lucas can for a moment allow himself to see via Magical means. His vision isn’t perfect in this state, it feels more like looking through LIDAR Maps - Example. Lucas can see magic in this state, seeing things that are invisible and hidden to the naked eye. This spell normally lasts for an hour, however Lucas has worked on trying to extend the duration. Speak with Animals - Lucas can converse and understand the voices of animals, and they can then understand him. Some Animals are more useful to speak to than others. He tends to use this to speak to Blu to make navigation easier. Infallible Relay - Lucas Targets a person whom he has spoken to previously. They must be on the same plane of existence as him or on the astral plane. The nearest communications device will ring within 100 feet and they are compelled to answer. If there is no device, a device appears that the person understands how to use. Once answered, Lucas has a connection to them. He can then speak to them, using his mind to speak to them.

B A C K G R O U N D Born in Tanner, Lucas’s birth was anything but smooth. Carolyn West had the unthinkable disease - Rubella, striking near the start of the pregnancy. No one was entirely sure what the effects were going to be, but upon being born, it was clear that Lucas could not see. Growing up blind while learning magic was an interesting one. Most Witches use visual cues to be able to focus and react to their magic. Lucas had to learn magic purely by feeling the sensation it created within him. This has left him extremely sensitive to Astral Energy allowing him to pick up on things that others may have missed. Outside of his magic studies, Lucas began to gain an interest in music, taking solace in being able to listen to every note. He started to learn the piano, and while it was a difficult process to start with, he learnt to break down every sound by hertz, and then apply that to the piano. As such, by the time he graduated High School, he could listen to a piece of music and then replicate it to almost perfection. He also took the time to learn guitar using a very similar method. Speaking of High School, He didn’t do too bad for himself. Tanner’s only high school wasn’t exactly perfectly equipped to deal with his condition when he started. But with the help of a few community fundraisers organised by several students, Lucas had everything he needed to live a comfortable school life. In his final year of High School, Lucas finally got a seeing dog: an Golden Retriever called Blu. This allowed Lucas to have some level of independence. Lucas bonded very quickly with Blu and regards them as his best friend. Lucas eventually decided to go to college, Going to Seattle as it was close to home. He did a basic Music degree, hoping to perhaps go into making his own music. Coming back to Tanner, Lucas is somewhat nervous for the future. Trying to see the future, trying to become independent, and also trying to actually be a productive Coven Member. P E R S O N A Lucas is a soft-spoken and polite person who is always willing to help others. He is always respectful of others, regardless of their background or social status. He is a good listener and is always willing to lend a helping hand. He is a kind and caring person who is always willing to put others before himself. He is a loyal friend and is always there for the people he cares about. Lucas is a positive person who always tries to see the best in people. He is a great role model and is always willing to help others learn and grow. Lucas is the kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He is always willing to go the extra mile to help others, even if it means sacrificing his own time or resources. He is a true friend and a loyal companion. Lucas is always there for you when you need him, and he always has a kind word or a helpful suggestion. He is a positive person who always sees the best in people, and he is always willing to help others learn and grow. F L A W S Lucas can be a bit of a perfectionist, which can sometimes lead to him being stressed and anxious. He can also be a bit of a control freak, which can sometimes make it difficult for him to delegate tasks or work with others. Finally, Lucas can be a bit of a people pleaser, which can sometimes lead him to take on too much and not set boundaries. M I S C Face Claim: Conan Gray Color: F2D2BD

The Witches & Warlocks of Tanner 2.0

_{A collab between @Hedgehawk & @sailorsadie}

Somewhere in Carlisle’s mind…

The room was barely lit, only the moonlight coming in from the windows illuminated the room Amanda Aston found herself in. The room itself looked like a replica of the Aston households living room, even down to the placement of all the little bits of bric a brac that Amanda usually left on the various side tables and cabinets. The only difference she could see, was that every picture in the room, had the faces of herself and her husband covered over with plain paper. Even in his mind, Carlisle couldn’t help but lash out. Amanda thought it was pathetic and petty. She brought him into this world. He should have more respect for her.

Amanda Aston was not amused. Being imprisoned by her own son, being embarrassed in front of the coven like that. She was seething at Salem. Who did she think she was? Salem should have been kissing Amanda’s boot for helping her locate Aloysius. Sure Amanda had a double motive of punishing that bitch Mary, but Salem got what she wanted and Amanda got it too. It wasn’t like she had not tried to get rid of that waste of space Miles. She had tried sending Mary on dangerous missions in the early months of the pregnancy. When that didn’t work, she simply had Aloysius taken away. For if she couldn’t kill the baby, forcing Mary to raise the thing up on her own… now that was a long game torture that Amanda could get behind. She was proud of that one. Force Mary to raise a kid alone, while you have your own kid that you groom for power to oppress Mary’s little brat for their life as well.

Admittedly that part of the plan had failed. Carlisle wasn’t exactly the ideal candidate for showing off the power of the Aston bloodline. While she would begrudgingly admit that his abjuration skills were probably unmatched in the world, that fact that he could only use defensive spells made him useless to her plans. Not to mention he had befriended the enemy, making him useless in the final part of her plan too. She scored some wins however. Years of emotional abuse, neglect and fear, had turned Carlisle into a deeply flawed young man, and an easy target of ridicule. She had spent Carlisle’s young teen years making sure he had always presented himself in a bad light to his peers. She knew that even as leader he peers wouldn’t fully respect him. Hopefully that would cause everyone to question his leadership abilities and allow her to bring in the final phase of her new plan. As if on queue, she heard a small pop and saw the young woman appear in the room. Getting up from the sofa, Amanda smiled ”Ah there you are… Look at you.”

Violet rose a brow at the woman and folded her arms across her chest. She looked just like the picture that was included in the letter. Then again, she also resembled her own reflection. She saw a lot of herself in the older woman. Clearing her throat, she gave a small nod and stood her ground. If her brother were to be believed, this woman was not one to mess with. Well, neither was she. Tilting her head to the side, she rose a brow in interest as she feigned looking the woman over.

”I received your invitation. I must admit, the welcoming was a bit more hostile that I imagined. Your son is very…inadequate. And touchy.” Her brows furrowed as she shook her head. ”And a warlock? Seriously? You threw me away and kept him?

"Well… In my defense when you were born you had no magical ability. Couldn't sense a thing on you. Now though…" Amanda stood up properly walking towards the young woman "But now look at you, brimming with power, so much power. Makes Lilith and Serena look like children" Amanda took a moment to walk around Violet, examining her. Looking her up and down, "Carlisle is the epitome of disappointment and regret. That is why I have bought you here. You ready to take on the family mantle as head of the family?"

She didn’t know who those two women were, but she could tell her mother did not like them whatsoever. And finally, finally the woman could tell how strong she was. How worthy she was. Her arms tightened against her chest and she stood straighter as her birth mother surveyed her. At her statement, Violet was a bit shocked to find that her coming here held another purpose other than just meeting her biological family. A dark smirk spread across her face as her hands dropped from their defensive position. ”Yes, mother. I’m ready.”

"Good. Good. Finally us Astons can go back to being in top. No more will I have to hide my head in shame when someone mentions my child" Amanda sat back down on the sofa, motioning for Violet to sit opposite her. "Now, we need to do a couple of things to make sure that we are ready. Firstly, we need to remove Carlisle, preferably before he can start protecting others. As much as I dislike him, if he starts creating shields and barriers everywhere, getting around will be tough"

Watching as the woman took her seat, Violet hesitated a mere moment before moving to the chair opposite her. She cleared her throat and slowly sat down as she kept eyes on her birth mother. Was she really ready for all this? She had just expected to show up and learn about her family. Now she was talking of getting rid of her blood brother and heading the family name? A small part of her was screaming with fright, but the other part of her, which she assumed was the Aston blood boiling in her veins, made her want to appease her mother in any way possible. With a small nod, she brushed her hair away from her shoulders. ”I can handle the warlock, no issues there.”

Amanda smirked. This was too good to be true. She had expected to have to emotionally blackmail her secret daughter into doing her bidding, but she was lapping it all up. "I know that being suddenly sucked up into all this can be quite overwhelming. It's okay if you aren't comfortable. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. It's not like we can escape until Carlisle decides to let us free"

Her brows furrowed a bit at the woman’s last statement about not being let free. They were powerful witches, and Carlisle was a measly warlock. She was sure they wouldn’t be stuck in this hellhole until he decided. Which would probably be never, seeing as how she threatened his little Slim Jim of a girlfriend. Violet folded her arms back across her chest and shook her head. ”I’m fine. And we’re powerful witches. Well. I know I am. Surely we can do something to break out of here together?”

"Why it is very nice to see you are eager to get started. There really isn't alot we can do. As much as admonish Carlisle… He Is an Aston, and being a warlock makes him excel at the lone field he is good at." Amanda fidgeted in her seat. She didn't like how Violet seemed to imply that she was stronger than Amanda, or at least that someone Amanda wasn't. She knew that young woman was fiery. That was evident in her response back. But now Amanda was beginning to wonder if Violet was too hotheaded to control. "You just have some questions dear."

”Don’t do that.” She couldn’t help a scoff and a roll of her eyes. While Violet was more than willing to take on her new role in the family, she didn’t want to be coddled by a mother she barely knew. A mother who had given her away simply because she didn’t sense any magic within her. That kind of mother didn’t have her best interests at heart. Her eyes darkened a bit as she looked the woman over. ”Don’t call me dear, or any other term of affection. Let’s just skip over this part where you pretend to have any kind of emotion for me. I’m here, I’m ready to fulfill my role. But you don’t get to pretend like what you did to me wasn’t fucked up.”

”Look, it wasn't an easy choice. I had only been the coven leader for just over a year and a half. It was going to be embarrassing to have a baby that we couldn’t sense any magic from. I made sure you had a good family though, i knew your parents personally” Amanda swallowed hard. It was clear Violet had designs far grander than Amanda, and she was only just discovering how dangerous she was. ”But if you want to be strictly business, then fine. We can do that”

Biting the inside of her cheek, she looked the woman over and let out a breath. Her adopted parents didn’t mention that they personally knew Amanda. Why did all the people who were closest to her, kept lying to her? Keeping secrets when she was very much secure enough to handle them all. Violet rolled her eyes once more before giving a slight nod of her head. ”Strictly business, for the time being. Then we’ll go from there.”

She unfolded her arms and looked around before reaching down to touch the floor. Her hands skimmed over it, feeling the vibrations from the shield they were in. A wicked glint gleamed in her eyes before she looked back up at her birth mother. ”We’re connected to his brain, right? I can cause him enough pain that he’ll be forced to let us out.”

”Yes we are, but you won’t be able to cause enough damage to get him to let us out. He has to hold concentration. He will eventually grow tired and have to let go” Amanda would shift in her seat, rubbing her arm as she noted that Violet was clearly pissed off ”You can’t just get out and attack Carlisle, the whole coven will attack you. You need to come up with a much more finessed approach”

Scoffing, she leaned back up and sat back in her seat. ”Oh, please. That scrawny, little, beak nosed wanna be Coven leader couldn’t possibly be that powerful.” Violet ran a hand through her hair and cleared her throat. While she didn’t know how powerful her brother was, she most certainly didn’t want to face the wrath of an entire Coven. Shaking her head, she looked around their surroundings before turning back to face her birth mother. Violet raised a brow in question. ”Well? Any suggestions, mother?”

”Well, I would advise that you turn the coven against him. Carlisle is fickle and has very thin skin. Not many of his peers actually like him. Make them hate him more, you might find others that agree to remove Carlisle. Otherwise, if he is hated, he might even stand down without a fight.” Amanda crossed her legs and leaned on the back of the sofa. ”However, we do have a far more problematic threat. Ever heard of a girl named Lilith?”

Violet nodded along as Amanda spoke about making others hate her boyfriend. It definitely did make sense to turn the coven around. Yet, she knew she had already made one of the members not like her so much. Mark, Matt, something. She blew out a breath and nodded slightly. She could turn the coven around. But she would have to be nice. Her nose scrunched a bit at that thought. Her mother’s next question made her brows furrow. Tilting her head in thought, she nodded slightly. ”His boyfriend or whoever was hanging all over him mentioned that name. Who is she?”

”Miles” Amanda growled. She knew that guy too well ”He is the cause of most of my problems. Carlisle was supposed to one up him, and somehow he failed and became friends with him. Anyway” Amanda took a moment to adjust her top, making sure she was comfortable and making sure that her anger did not boil too much. She needed to stay composed afterall. ”If what Carlisle, Salem and the rest of them have said is true, Lilith is pregnant. And since Miles is the father, and his father is a powerful Magi, we are looking at a very powerful baby. More powerful than me and you baby. Get my meaning?”

As she listened to the woman, the wheels in her mind continued to spin. This Lilith being pregnant was a bad thing. And with a Magi of all people? And the babies would be a hell of a lot more powerful than her or any fellow Astons. That couldn’t happen. Violet couldn’t let that happen. Her eyes darkened as she slowly nodded her head. She did understand what her mother was saying. ”We have to get rid of Lilith.”

”No, that is too easy. We need to make her suffer. We need to kill the baby, and make sure that Lilith can’t have anymore again. That way Miles and Lilith can spend the rest of their lives alone and useless.” A dark grin spread across Amanda’s face. ”My hope is that Salem is having similar thoughts, but if she doesn’t act, we must be prepared to.”

Her face dropped a bit at the mention of killing babies. She could easily get rid of an adult person, but ababy? Was she really going to consider going through with this? Violet cleared her throat and looked away from the woman for just a moment. She didn’t know who this Salem person was, but obviously she had the same thoughts her mother had. This was going to happen whether she was a part of it or not. And, if she were the person to handle it, she would gain the respect of her birth mother. Did she want that respect? She knew she wanted to be the most powerful in the coven. She had been the most powerful at home, and she wanted that here, in her rightful place.

Clearing her throat, she nodded slightly. She looked back at her mother, her face and voice void of any emotion. ”What are your plans?”

Amanda could see the discomfort in Violet. It seemed that Amanda had found the young woman's limits, even if she was happy to press on. ”Even if we just killed Lilith, we would be killing the babies anyway. That is why I propose we do this now, while they are young” Amanda would keep her eyes locked on Violet, testing and watching her reaction. ”Sadly, Lilith is powerful, and a diviner. Plus she has practically everyone fighting for her. Carlisle will make her untouchable if he suspects someone is out to harm her. Miles will enchant you into thinking she isn’t dangerous, and her family know enough magic to keep you tortured for the rest of your days” Amanda clearly didn’t have a plan. ”You need to get her on her own. Bullying Carlisle enough might cause her to drag you to the side to give you a talking to. Might be a way in. I remember that a girl in high school, Kirstie, I think her name was, also had a vivid disliking for Lilith. The fact those two haven’t fought yet is beyond me. Maybe use that?”

Her eyes continued to narrow as her mother spoke to her. She wanted Violet to get this girl alone using any means necessary without tripping off warning bells to Carlisle or the girl’s family. Huffing out a breath, she shook her head and leaned back further in her chair. There was no way she could do this. Her magic spoke for her. Looking away from the woman, she nodded her head slightly. This was why she had reached out. Not to have some kind of relationship with the daughter she gave away, but to do her evil bidding. She growled low in her throat before looking back at the woman once more. ”Do you know what my powers are, mother? I can cause someone to feel a searing pain throughout their body. I can make them turn to stone, make them have frostbite. I am a witch who can cause pain. Mind boggling, all over pain. What you’re wanting is some high school drama to be brought out.”

She quickly rose to her feet and growled once more. ”You want me to get rid of Lilith’s baby? Fine. I’ll cause her so much pain that will bring her into early labor, and the baby will have no chance of survival. But this mean girl shit? I’m better than that.”

Amanda looked down, clearly she had hit a nerve. ”Alright, You do what you need to do. I am just suggesting what I think you should do. But please don’t underestimate anyone. You are an Aston yes, but even we can be bought down if enough people stand against us. Divide and Conquer is usually the best strategy”

Staring down at her mother, she weighed her options. She shifted her feet before finally huffing out a breath. Why should she go against the woman’s plans? She obviously knew the situation better than Violet. Amanda knew how this family, how these people responded. She would be a fool to go against that. Shifting on her feet once more, she rolled her eyes before sitting back down in her chair. She relaxed back into the seat and folded her legs at the knees. ”Fine. I’ll do it your way first. But if that goes nowhere, I’m doing it my way.”

”You do what you want. I am not going to stop you. You are the future of the family. So I will leave it to you to do whatever you feel comfortable with” Amanda would sit up, back pressed firmly against the sofa to sit up straight. ”I don’t want to press you into anything you don’t want to do”

Scoffing, she rolled her eyes and played with the ends of her hair, a nervous habit. She wasn’t nervous about any of this, per say, but she was growing slightly more aggravated. With a shake of her head, she sat up straight and looked back at her birth mother. Violet looked the woman over and her eyes narrowed. ”What’s in this for you exactly, mother? You want to be the best? Want to rule the coven? I’m just your pawn in this big ass game of yours, aren’t I?”

”I don’t really get much this time around. I am future planning. I don’t want Carlisle to be the future of this family. I can’t let our legacy become a laughing joke to the rest of witch society. I made a mistake with you. Yes. And I am willing to admit that. I am. Once you are in control of the Coven, I am sure you will have some nasty plan for me. But for now, I want to work on securing our legacy” Amanda spoke with as much authority and respect as she could muster. She was a tired woman, still powerful, but clearly struggling to maintain her old aura. Plus the night had been pretty embarrassing for her.

She chewed on the bottom of her lip as she studied the woman. Her eyes darkened and her brows narrowed in frustration. Moving to sit on the edge of the chair, she let out a breath. Violet knew what she had to do. ”I have to instill doubt in the other coven members about Carlisle. I have to show them that he is incompetent and unable to lead. Then I can deal with Lilith and her baby. We can’t have a magi procreating if we want any chance of ruling this establishment. Our family will rise to the top. We will be the family who others will come running to. The Astons will be in charge, and we’ll stay that way.”

As Violet finished speaking, Amanda smirked. ”Good girl. Together we will be unstoppable. Also. Just a request from me. If the chance pops up and you do have to kill Miles, they boyfriend of Carlisle’s you spoke of earlier…” Amanda would lean in and speak in a slightly hushed tone ”Do me a favor, make him suffer. Truly suffer. Everyone else you can do with as you please”

Violet remembered the man with her brother and how he spoke to her. She smirked to herself as she listened to her mother. So. This Miles really got to her, and she truly wanted him to be gone. But not without some pain to help him on his way. Giving her a slight nod, she tilted her head. ”He mocked me when I first met him. He’ll never know what hit him.”

”The whole price family is like that. They play the hard-done by card, and then walk around thinking they are hot shit. Just because they have enchantment magic. I am still livid with Miles for ruining my first plan. I had enchanted Carlisle to fall in love with Lilith, and was planning on merging the Aston and Montgomery lines together.” Amanda got up for a moment and walked over to the sofa that Violet was sitting on. ”But Carlisle was so useless he couldn’t get beyond the friend zone with Lilith, even when enchanted. Instead Miles had to swoop back in again. I should have tried harder to kill him when he was a kid. Stupid pathetic street urchin” Amanda took a moment to look into Violet's eyes ”But you aren’t going to fail me. You are going to be the next Aston in charge. Oh the power and wealth you will yield. It will make other people tremble before you.”

Her nose scrunched at the thought of her mother enchanting her child. Forcing her blood to do something against their will. Was this the person her mother truly was? Was this what she did to her own children? Who was she kidding? Amanda gave her up just because she couldn’t sense any magic. Of course she would do whatever she felt she had to, to make sure the Astons stayed in their current position.

When the woman approached her, she sat back as her body tensed up. She didn’t trust the woman in front of her as far as she could throw her. And she wanted to kill a child. A child. Letting out a breath, she locked eyes with her mother as she spoke her final statement. Violet’s eyes darkened and a dangerous smirk spread across her face. Power and wealth? People trembling at her feet, begging for her mercy? Her voice dripped with menace as she spoke. ”Yes, mother. I’ll do it.”

”Good girl. With Carlisle dead and Lilith’s offspring dealt with, no one will be able to stop you. Now we might as well do something useful while we wait. Let me tell everything I know about Lilith and Carlisle’s powers” Amanda mused as she went on to start detailing everything she knew.

The Witches & Warlocks of Tanner 2.0

_{A @Hedgehawk & @SouffleGIrl123 Collab}

On the driveway of the Coven household sat a black SUV. It was certainly out of place with its tinted windows. It certainly hadn't been here before. Sat in the driver's seat, the driver clasped the wheel with their hands. Thoughts were rushing through their heads as they couldn't decide whether or not this was the right thing to do. They had been away for so long. There was late, then there was fashionably late. And then there was… Whatever the hell this was. 25 years late? Their plan at the time, 25 years ago seemed sound. But now. Regrets had taken hold. Lives had changed, and they had finally discovered enough freedom to break from the shackles of their past and start building a life for themselves.

Tanner was where they chose to be. It wasn't even up for debate. The second they were free, they dashed across the country to get here. It was the only place they knew; that they had a connection to. But that was so long ago. How do you fix this? With a sigh, the person left the SUV, closing the door behind them and taking a moment to adjust the black and brown trench coat that they had thrown over their waistcoat and shirt.

Good to see the building hadn't really changed a bit. Walking towards the front door, with a steady, but nervous pace, they approached the front door. Did they knock? Or just barge in? Through the glass they could see some people inside. It felt awkward just standing. So the male entered. Footsteps echoed across the hallway as they did. Their feet, carrying longer down the hallways then perhaps they should have. After getting inside, they brushed their hands along the one side of their neck length hair, fixing the prudrenting fringe. Nerves eat away at them, as the male scanned the faces of the people looking back at him, seeing if one of them was one he could see some resemblance to from all those years ago.

Mary had every intention to get back to Claire for their aforementioned drinks but more important things kept happening. As much as she would have loved to just distracted herself from what this day was bringing she knew that wasn’t fair to the people involved. After her chat with Miles she reentered the main hall but she got lost in the crowd flocking to hear Carlisle’s speech, and it was a good one indeed. At the end of it her eyes scoured the room once more trying to find her friend only to meet another set of eyes. A pair she hadn’t seen in a long time, a long time being a quarter of a century. Why him? Why now? He couldn’t have chosen a worse time to reappear. Hell, why even bother reappearing.

Her eyes narrowed at the man. Although what she had learnt today lightened the anger she’d marked on him it didn’t change a lot of his wrongs. The fact he lied being one on the forefront. Mary wasn’t one for making scenes anymore, not usually. She left that behind in the recent year, attributing it to aging, but this day really seemed to bring out the rage in her it seemed and her son’s father wasn’t omitted from that rage. She stomped over to the man and delivered a sharp slap to his cheek. "Twenty-five years,” she spits through gritted teeth. She wasn’t going to call more attention to the situation than there already was. "Where the hell have you been, Johnathan Park? ‘Cept you might not remember that name ‘cus it ain’t yours, ain’t it?”

The male let out a soft grunt as he was slapped by the woman. It was so sudden. His eyes had lit up when he found her. She had aged gracefully it seemed. She looked as beautiful as she did then as she did now. Running his cheek for a second before finally speaking. "I should have seen that one coming" He replied with a deep sigh "Yes. My real name is Aloysius Leighton. I thought I had put that in my letter all those years ago. But honestly, it has been so long. I finally am free. And I came right here. I wanted to at least see you in person rather than sending letters and getting nothing back"

"What letters?” Mary asked curiously, her words still dripping with contempt. She’d never received letters. No, from the day the man just disappeared she hadn’t heard a single word from him. Not a peep. Honestly though, she wasn’t sure if she would have wanted a bar of it anyway. "Why are you here John- I mean Aloysius? Truthfully.”

Aloysius's heart sank as he heard that she had no knowledge of the letters that he had sent. "After everything kicked off and I had to leave, I couldn't bear to leave everything up in the air. So once I had settled down to my new reality I sent out a letter to you to explain what went on with Salem and Amanda, and who I was. I kept sending letters every year, asking how you were. I figured that since I got no reply you weren't interested." Aloysius's voice got softer as he continued to speak.

" I came here so that I could see you in person and see what was going on. There wasn't a single moment over the past twenty five years that I haven't stopped thinking about you"

Mary shook her head incredulously. Although part of her wanted to give the man grace that didn't change that pain of the past years. It didn't change how much she had to struggle to raise a son on her own or how much trouble he accidentally got himself into because neither of them knew his ancestry. That was probably what ticked Mary off the most. Al and her were together for 4 months or so and for 2 of them he knew she was pregnant yet he didn't dare tell a single word of his past.

At his final statement the woman scoffs. "And there was barely a day I barely thought of you but I got a feelin' those ain't the same emotions," she snaps, folding her arms. She looks the man up and down. He seemed to have hardly aged yet definitely looked more burdened. Somehow even more defeated. "Salem and Amanda filled me in on your lil… predicament shall we say. I get you had no choice, don't get me wrong, I don't forgive you quite yet. I can't. Not after the past years, but I get it. But y'know what really gets me, Jo-Aloysius?" Calling the man by that name felt so foreign on her tongue. "You lied. I don't care about the fact you lied to Tanner but you kept it from me, even after you knew we were havin' a kid,"

Hearing the word Salem, Aloysius tensed. Visibly stressed. However he could see how Mary was hurt, and his need to try and comfort Mary was overriding his flight response. " I was young and stupid. I didn't know how to tell you and still keep you in my life. I had hoped to tell you before our child was born. I just hadn't figured it all out. I am sorry. I never intended to hurt you, or our child. I… I wanted a new start. To get away from my family and all the influences that pulled me in" Aloysius let out a soft sigh, his face flinching, possibly expecting another slap.

Mary raised an entertained eyebrow at the man's flinch but didn't raise her hand. Instead, she gave the deepest of sighs. "Well, your insistence to separate yourself from your past has caused our boy to unknowingly put himself in a situation that could get the whole coven in trouble if Salem's in a bad enough mood." she snaps, looking the man in the eyes. She knew Al knew nothing about Miles, not even that she'd had a son but the formal introductions were thrown out the window now.

”Trouble? What kind of trouble is there with Salem?” Aloysius sounded panicked. Hearing the words ‘our boy’ filled him with happiness, but the mention of Salem was enough to cause him to throw all that away. He had just come back. He wasn't about to let Salem start messing things up in his life again. ”What has gone on? How worried should I be?”

Mary hesitated a moment. It didn't feel right to fill Miles' absentee father in on information Miles likely didn't know yet himself. She shook her head. "It ain't your issue, Aloysius. As far as that kid is concerned you abandoned him before birth. Things like these ain't yours to know. Not from me at least."

Aloysius let out a frustrated sigh. ”For the past twenty five years I have not been able to do anything to help and support the kid, or you, except for sending occasional letters with money in them, but it seemed as if they didn’t get here. I wonder where they went?” Aloysius rubbed the back of his head in confusion. ”I fucked up. A lot. I have had a quarter of a century to dwell on the past and get beaten up by it. I am not asking for forgiveness, just a chance to try and right some of the wrongs and the damage I left behind. Salem be damned.”

Mary went silent for a moment. She hadn't gotten letters but she had received envelopes of money. She'd always assumed they were from her parents or the Montgomerys, the lack of return address making it clear it was someone who knew she hated taking charity. At his words she sighs. "I get it, but you can't just waltz back into our lives, hell just enter Miles' for the first time and just expect everythin' to be normal. You gotta work for it, 'specially for him,"

"I don't expect to. I expect to get alot of abuse from people. I don't expect everyone to be able to understand what was going on all those years. But I just need you to know that I am not a bad person." He took the time to look into her eyes. " Your opinion of me means the most to me"

Mary returns his gaze with one of steel, scoffing at his words. "You're a war criminal, Aloysius Leighton." She shakes her head pitifully, looking at the ground for a moment as she thought through her words. The logical side of her screamed that all had been explained but her heart couldn’t just forget the pain. She then did something she should have 25 long years ago.

Has Aloysius Leighton lied? she asked her divination.

No it sang. She looked back at him, a pained look in her face. "You need to understand, Aloysius. For you it might felt like you were at war awaiting to return home but to me you were the coward who run away and left me strugglin' alone with our son,"

"And that was never my intention. I never meant to leave you struggling. And please don't listen to Salem about me being a war criminal. That's very rich coming from her. I started a rebellion. I wasn't there to kill everyone or to harm anyone. I just wanted to switch who ran the Guild. I wouldn't have killed Salem if she surrendered." Aloysius ran his head through his hair, unsure of what more he could try to do to convince her " I am having to try really hard not to cry and get emotional over seeing you again. It was soul crushing to not be able to see you all these years"

Mary couldn’t help the venomous laugh that escaped her lips. "Soul crushin', ey?" she muses, looking at the man. "Y'know what truly is soul crushin', Aloysius Leighton? Havin' your baby daddy skip town without a word. No explanation, not even a goodbye. Just, gone. Workin' yourself to the bone to live paycheck to paycheck, knowing you can't give your son the time or resources he needs. Havin' your best friend and her pa finding creative ways to force you to take money and food because it's that obvious you're strugglin'. Missin' birthdays, showcases and award ceremonies so you can support yourself and your kid. Knowin' you're not as present in his life as you should be," as she spoke hot tears started to spill down the woman's face. This was agonizing, the memories as much as the words. She had tried her very best to be a good mother but she knew there were many shortcomings she couldn't help. "And then there's the realisin' your boy's magi. That you could never train him or equip him with what he needs to develop his skills or to face what you lot do. Or even just knowin' he never had a father. I had to teach him how to tie a tie and shave his face. He had support from Claire's and my pas but he never had a father!" In that moment Mary noticed her voice getting louder and louder. She sniffled as she rubbed the hot tears from her check with the back of her hand. Black streaks from her mascara had run off into them. "THAT is soul crushin'. So you don't get to sit there and tell me missin' your girlfriend was hard because you left me here to pick up the pieces of your actions."]

As she began to laugh and then speak, Aloysius' face turned to a hurt expression. Not hurt for him, but for her. Listening to her struggles just made that pit in his stomach grow bigger and bigger. It was difficult to hear about the consequences of his actions. More so when he didn't know what to do to fix any of it. He began to tear up at the side of his own eyes. As she tried to wipe off the hot tears, Aloysius would attempt to embrace her and rest her head on his chest. "The fact that the boy is still around, tells me that you did a good job despite the circumstances. I can't fix me leaving. All I can say is that if you aksed me what my biggest regret was in life, it was leaving you and not staying and fighting for you"

As Aloysius attempts to embrace her Mary takes a step back, shoving him away. "He's a good kid, no thanks to you. He's got his issues, sure but he's got a good heart,"

Aloysius bowed his head as he was pushed away. He was expecting it, but he had foolishly hoped that he might be able to help. ”I am sure he is an amazing kid” hearing her jibe about ‘no thanks to you’ seemed to be the last straw that triggered a sharp tightening sensation in his chest. His breathing slowly got faster, even though he was doing his best to control it and disguise it. All the reminders of his failure were getting to him, and had triggered a panic attack. He avoided eye contact as he spoke once more ”Look, if you think it is better for me to just exit and pretend I wasn’t here, I will. I don’t want to cause anymore hurt or stress for people.”

Mary sighed at his words. She wished she was naive enough to not know what the man in front of her was experiencing. "I think you're workin' under the pretense I have this strong hatred for you or somethin' but to be honest with you I just don't care anymore. I'm sorry all this hurt for you but time has gone. 25 years of it. You do whatever. Just don't expect any sympathy from my son." Even if her words weren't, Mary's voice was less venomous.

Aloysius wanted to say more. He wanted to ask about them, about the chances of the duo getting back together, even if it was really slowly. But right now, given the words that Mary spoke. There was no way that was going to happen. Time had moved on, and Al was stuck 25 years in the past. All those feelings he still had for her, she seemed to no longer have. ”I naively thought that I might get a happy ending. Spending a long time wishing will do that to you. I guess in the end I have gotten what I deserve.”

"25 years is a long time to expect someone to wait even if they expected to to return. What did you think would happen? I'd just wait for your return? Put my whole life on pause just awaitin' a man who just up and left? We ain't 24 no more." She folds her arms once more, scoffing at the thought of pining for someone for so long. Although it seemed to miss Al, time had moved on for Mary.

”In my brain it did. The last 25 years have felt as if time had not moved at all. Being under Salem’s thumb wasn’t really great for trying relationships or friends. So i guess I held onto the one thing that mattered to me at the start and never let go” Aloysius’ voice was low, soft, laced with sadness. His reality was in freefall and he really didn’t know how to move forward without annoying anyone.

Mary sighed at Aloysius' words, wishing she could feel a bit more bad for him than she actually did. "Start with your son, we'll go from there," she says, nodding in the direction of Miles who stood between Carlisle and a young blonde woman Mary didn't recognise.

Aloysius looked over at the trio that Mary pointed out. He took a single step forward before looking over at Mary ”You sure he isn’t going to kill me on sight? You wanna come?” Aloysius asked

Mary gave an amused chuckle at his statement. "You'll survive, if you're lucky at least," she chuckles. "I 'spose someone's gotta stop you hooligans from causin' a ruckus. Lead the way, Aloysius,"

As Aloysius started to walk across he watched as the male that must have been Miles was walking away from the rest of the group. Aloysius would walk a little fast to cut him off before he could get too far. ”Hey…. Son”

Miles was on the lookout for Lilith to be cut off by a man he, once again, did not recognise. Miles had only just noticed his mother trailing the man when he spoke up. Son? His eyes flickered to his mother who gave an, almost solemn, small nod of the head. Miles had imagined this day many times. Often revisiting the speeches he’d say or actions he’d take from his childhood thoughts of pulling a flamethrower out of his pocket to him just walking away. There were a thousands of thoughts and ideas rushing to his head at once so her just grabbed the loudest thought.

punch it said. So punch he did, right on the older man’s left cheek. He couldn’t help but notice the rawness on the man’s other cheek. "And where the hell have you been?” he growls.

"Miles!” Mary chastises her son as his fist collides with his father’s face.

"Oh don’t act like you didn’t have a turn,” Miles snaps back, nodding at the man’s less raw cheek.

Aloysius' head snapped to the side when the punch collided, nearly bowling him over. Clearly his son must have been working out at some point. "Fuck… NoNo, I deserve that" He coughed out as he straighted himself up. "Just please no more punches. I am no longer a 20 year old man. I can't exactly take it like I used to" He gave off a sad little chuckle, trying to lighten the mood a little bit and take some of the awkwardness out of the air.

"You deserve more than that, Aloysius,” Miles spits, shaking his punching hand. "What gives you the audacity to just appear?”

"Because I have just been let go. And after missing your mother for 25 years I wanted to come and make sure I explained everything. Plus, I wanted to see my child all grown up" Aloysius would speak softly and sincerely. He wanted to try and at least calm Miles down a bit.

"I’m not your child,” Miles responds, taking a step away from the man. "I might have you DNA but that’s where it stops.” He looked the man up and down. Nothing. He felt nothing. Despite all the anger and hatred part of him always hoped seeing his dad would give him clarity, a feeling he found a part of him missing but he’d felt absolutely nothing. Well, at least, nothing but that hatred and anger

Hearing Miles' words, Aloysius lowered his head, letting his hair hide his eyes, which were now starting to water at the edges as tears began to rise to the surface. Everything tonight was a tough challenge for Aloysius. He had many mistakes to atone for, but Miles was just shutting him down. "Alright, I get it. I will leave you alone to go back and do whatever it was you were doing"

"Good, ‘cus it was kinda important,” Miles replies. He starts turning on his heel when he meets his mothers steely glare. He knew exactly what those eyes were saying. He shot her a look back. What did you expect? she seemed to be able to read. The Prices had become experts in speaking through their body language and looks, it was almost a secret language.

Eventually, after some back and forth, Mary sighs and nods. The boy instantly finishes his turn and walks off.

"Poor kid’s got a lot on his mind tonight. You couldn’t have come at a worse time,”

" Maybe it is just fate giving me what I deserve" Aloysius said with a small sigh. It was a bit depressing to think like that. But he was right. Everyone he spoke to treated him like he was some sort of monster who had done terrible things."I shouldn't have come. I should have just learnt to move on rather than wishfully thinking I could do something about it."

Mary gave an exasperated sigh, grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. "I don’t know what to tell you, Al. 25 years is a long time.” she nods toward Miles, "He wasn’t even born when ya left and now he’s the same age I was when we found out I was pregnant. Time did anythin’ but stop for us.” She took a sip of her champagne before looking the man over. "Why didn’t you just tell me the truth when you had the time? Knowing your past you shoulda known there was a chance this would happen.”

"I honestly was scared. I didn't think it would blow up the way it did. I was running away from my past. And was scared about it catching up with me." Aloysius would look over at Mary and force a smile. "You were the best thing to happen to me. I didn't want my past to catch up with me and poison everything"

Mary returned a forced smile. "If you’re still around tomorrow stop by the unit. I have somethin’ I think you should see. It won’t be pleasant for ya, I’ll tell you that much, but I reckon it’s important,”

The fact that he wasn't being kicked out was something. Aloysius wasn't stupid. He could tell that Mary was forcing herself to be polite. "I can do that. Still the same place?" Aloysius asked before running his hand through his hair "Do you ever think the boy will accept me?" He asked, referring to Miles.

"Yeah, same place,” Mary muses, taking another sip of her drink. "As for Miles? I couldn’t tell you. It’s gonna take a lot of work, I know that much. He might come around but honestly I wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t. It’s hard for a boy to be without a pa, there’s a lot of hurt there.”

"If I had the ability to use Chronomancey I would use it and go and change everything. I just hope that he won't lock me out" Aloysius tried to smile through it.

"Don’t count on it,” Mary mutters, her fingers toying with the foot of her wine glass. "You need to be okay with the possibility he might not want anything to do with you.”

" I know that. I just don't know if I am emotionally ready for that. The whole world moved on and I stayed behind. If Salem had let me go earlier, maybe it would not have been so bad. Speaking of. I am surprised she hasn't sensed I am nearby. She was always quite canny about that." Aloysius let out a softer sigh, he certainly was out of his depth.

Mary gave another sigh. She toyed with mentioning the woman was busy but decided against it. She didn’t think it was right for Al to know Miles’ most recent news before he did. "Well you better get hidin’ or whatever. I have a friend to meet and she might pummel you worse than Salem if she sees you.”

" I suspect most people will pummel me regardless of where I go. So to be honest, it makes no difference to me. I am going to get a drink though. Maybe Miles will change his mind later once he has had some time to think. Plus. I never got to go to the last handover ceremony, I have always wanted to go to one" With a small smile be turned on his heels "It is nice seeing you again Mary. I know you can't say the same, and that's fine. But for me, my life feels complete again" He would then finish turning around and walk into the crowd.

The Witches & Warlocks of Tanner 2.0

Greeting everyone had been an exhausting task. Carlisle was grateful that Mary was there to accompany him. He didn’t want to admit it, but he held Mary in a higher regard to his own mother. Sure, his mother was nothing short of a monster. But it still felt a little wrong to love someone else as your mother rather than your own. Carlisle had done his best to contain his mother within his mental prison. He had decided that she was far too dangerous to leave around the party.

As he continued to greet guests, the words that Salem spoke previously rattled through his head. Your children, however, have broken one of our most ancient laws - Magi and Witch alike - without even knowing it… If I’m right - there’s nothing anyone can do at this point…When two great bloodlines merge - seeing as the Leightons are one of our major families - one can’t beat the other. It creates a whole new species entirely - one that we’ve never seen before because we’ve always made it a point to avoid situations like these. Those statements rattled around his brain, trying to find some way to dismiss the truth that was dawning on him. Carlisle was actively trying to dismiss it. He didn’t want to face the reality of what was about to happen.

As the greeting segment of the night had drawn to a close, Mary had rushed off before Carlise could really ask her about anything else. With a soft sigh, Carlisle walked around the party, contemplating. He could go speak to Lilith and Miles, try to at least give them the heads up. He could also try to tie up Salem and stop her from getting anywhere near Miles and Lilith to do any kind of probing. He was still due to speak to her later however, and decided he would use that time to his advantage. For now, he had to trust that Lilith and Miles kept their wits about them.

Carlisle spent the next twenty minutes speaking to various leaders of the other covens around the world. It felt weird having everyone addressing him as leader. Everyone within Tanner Coven simply called him Carlisle. He didn't really have a title, well, perhaps 'pain in the ass'. His eyes once more drifted over to Willow and the dress she was wearing. It was such a jaw dropping dress. Had she picked that just to make him gawk? If so, it was working.

The ceremony was due to start soon, and Carlisle was getting angsty. He was doing a good job of controlling the mental prison his mother was trapped in. Her magic wasn't exactly doing a very good job against his own wards. If there was one thing that Carlisle was good at, it was a good ward. Carlisle had to give his welcome speech and leaders speech, and then the second part of the ceremony would begin, the actual handover. With his mother still trapped in his head, he wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen. The whole ceremony was supposed to be when the old leader hands over the coven seal to the new leader. Carlisle had made sure Amanda had given up the seal a week ago, but then he would need someone to present it. He couldn’t dwell on it for long however, as the organisers ushered Carlisle towards the stage to speak.

Carlisle stood behind the stage, taking a moment to go through his speech one last time. He had to make sure this was right. You only got one chance to make a good first impression, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't quite focus properly. His brain rattled with thoughts about Miles and Lilith, everything Salem said and his own mother literally rattling around in there. Carlisle walked up onto the stage, his walk wasn't exactly the most energetic or powerful. It wasn't exactly the kind of presence that a leader should be projecting. He could almost hear his mother chastising him in his head. Finally reaching the podium, he took a moment for everyone to quieten down, taking a second to check if the microphone was on. Once it was quiet enough and all those eyes focused on him, Carlisle would begin to speak.

"Thank you everyone for coming all the way to Tanner tonight" Carlisle started, his voice shaking at the edges as he couldn't quite find his stride in the first sentence. "I know that for some of you, this was a long journey, traveling from all corners of the world. Y'know, I always find it weird that the new leader's speech comes before the handover ceremony. You know. Always thought it came the other way around. But what do I know? Never actually been to one of these before" Carlisle gave off a nervous chuckle, looking down at his written speech. It was monotone. It was never going to win any awards. Maybe he should just go off the cuff.

"I want to start tonight by talking about family" Carlisle started, folding over the pages of his original speech "And why it is so important to Witches, warlocks and Magi alike."

"We have to keep our identities a secret to those around us. We can't just use the Internet to learn, or find new friends to hang around. We have to be selective. And this is isolating. Truly isolating at times. To compensate for this, we have to rely on our family more than mortals do. Sure covens and guilds can teach you your magic, but it's your family that supports you. That helps you through transition into magic, and helps you adjust to the magical world. Even after you grow up and become members yourself, that family bond persists." Carlisle gripped onto the side of the podium, trying to give himself the strength to carry on.

" Our leaderships and our histories are built on the backs of it. While the modern world transitioned into individualism, we stayed behind. And that isn't exactly a bad thing. Growing up I have seen strong parental figures guide their sons and daughters to some extraordinary heights. Even in more tragic situations where parents have passed on before their young have grown, new family units were created as a shield to protect those growing up." Carlisle gave out a soft sigh. His mind playing back memories of John and Mary, Miles and Lilith, alongside those of his own upbringing.

"And then there are those mothers and fathers who abandon their duty to their young. Those who are obsessed with power, reputation and lineage. Those that would discard you if you didn't fit the mold they had designed for you before you even conceived. While I would love to say that I came from the former type of family, sadly I came from the latter. To those of you have worked with my mother: Amanda Aston, it would come of no surprise that she would treat me how she did." Carlisle took a moment to survey the crowd, looking around and seeing how they were doing.

" I was always told that I wouldn't amount to much. That the coven would never accept a warlock as its leader, yet alone a warlock that could only do abjuration. And she may be right. I won't contest it. My soon to be fellow council members are insanely powerful, more so than I. They have a better grasp of leadership and diplomacy. Either of them, Lilith or Serena would be far better placed to take over than I. And do you know why that is?" Carlisle asked the crowd.

"It is because they had a loving and caring family. Their elders supported them. They had affection, love and support. Their families understood that. The importance of mentorship and mutual growth. For me however, it worked in reverse. I am standing here today, not because of my blood, but in spite of it. Mary was more of a mother to me than Amanda, and Tiberius was more of a father to me than my own father. At every possible turn my family did whatever they could to change me or put me down. My own mother merely a month ago tried to disown me and cut me out of the race to be leader altogether. Just because she thought that had somehow disgraced the family.”

”Now I know some of you may be looking around and say: ‘Well if Serena and Lilith are better people, why aren’t they leader?’ Well the answer to that is quite simple. To become the leader of the coven is to accept an insane amount of responsibility. That responsibility requires personal sacrifice. It is a massive undertaking for any such person to take on. Put simply, it would be a disservice to tie the pair of them to a desk when they have far more important and powerful roles to play in the community.”

”So, I know that I might not be a perfect leader. I wouldn’t be able to survive the trials that Salem may have been put through when she became Guild leader. But I do have drive. Passion. A desire to be able to protect everyone and make sure that the relationships that we have forged with our fellow Magi over the decades endures. I am not my mother. Amanda had a callous and cruel approach, running the coven more with an iron fist than diplomacy. She fired most of the coven staff, and used the coven funds to fund the expansion of her own wealth. Some of you may have even witnessed the debacle of what happened at the entrance earlier this evening. Suffice to say. My mother has been removed from any active role tonight, or any other night. As of now, Amanda Aston is not a coven member.” Carlisle took a deep breath as he finished speaking those words. He could feel his head hurt. Someone on the inside wasn’t happy with his choice of words.

”I want to restore the coven to how it was before. Where the household was a hub of activity. Where people from around the world could visit and take refuge, share knowledge and forge bonds. Move away from others viewing Tanner as some kind of castle that people fear coming to. That change won’t happen overnight. But I promise it will happen. Now I know most of you want to get back to mingling, catching up, and drinking as much of the coven alcohol stores that you can find. So I will wrap it up here. Please enjoy yourselves, and we will reconvene here in twenty minutes for the actual handover ceremony. Thank you” Carlisle would take a step back from the podium, wiping his forehead with his hand as we watched the crowd to see what kind of reaction people were having. That was terrifying

Mahz's Dev Journal

It doesn't surprise me at all that Mahz disappeared again. He has always been flaky, and I still maintain the site would be 1000% better off without him. That is why I offered a while back to purchase the site from him and take over operations. It is all well and good saying that he built the place and that he doesn't want to hand it over, but when you make a community, you now have a responsibility to that community. It becomes a social contract, one that Mahz for some reason, never seems to understand. As a result, this site will continue to stagnate and bleed members. Since no can innovate, or upgrade it. People will move onto greener pastures where new features do exist. I fear this may be the beginning of the end.