#ch:blanche

[nelllraiser]

the kids are alright | adam, ariana, athena, blanche, connor, nell, orion, & winston

TIMING: a few days before the full moon. LOCATION: connor’s beach house. PARTIES: @walker-journal, @letsbenditlikebennett, @athenaquinn, @harlowhaunted, @connorspiracy, @nelllraiser, @3starsquinn, @danetobelieve SUMMARY: just a truly wholesome and youthful time.

Connor didn’t know what everyone liked, so he tried to get a little of everything; chips, dip, beers, spirits (no pun intended), and a few takeout menus scattered around in case they wanted to order. The house wasn’t huge by any means, but one thing he prided himself on was having a bloody good entertainment system, complete with several consoles and a massive telly. They’d have some fun. Watch some shit movies, play some Mario Party, forget that the world outside was shit, at least for a few hours. As the first knock at the door came, he headed over to answer it. “Hey, welcome. Come on in. Make yourself at home. Telly and consoles are obviously in here, but we have this bit of beach as well if we decide we want to take it outside.”

While Ariana wasn’t sure of who all would be in attendance tonight, she knew she hadn’t wanted to leave Athena back at the apartment. Especially with everything that had happened recently, she knew they could both use a fun evening. When she knocked on the door, she smiled brightly as Connor greeted them and introduced him to Athena. “I think I’ll skip testing my luck with the beach, I’m more interested in seeing how I can build a new entertainment system for ya anyway,” she turned to Athena and said, “This is my friend Athena. Athena, this is Connor. You may have seen some of his YouTube videos.” She held up a bag and added, “We brought some extra snacks, too.” 

She wasn’t entirely sure that she was up for a party, but she also knew that she didn’t want to be all by herself with her thoughts. So when Ariana had offered to bring her along to the party, Athena had quickly agreed. “Hi.” She waved to Connor from where she was standing behind Ariana. “I don’t watch a lot of YouTube outside of some videos about baking, or science, or one of my sorority sisters has a vlog channel, so I’m subscribed to that… but still! Nice to meet you.” She grinned, and it still didn’t feel entirely comfortable, but she knew that she had to get back to the usual routine to some degree sooner or later. She nodded over at the bag Ariana was holding up, using that time to look around the house. Her fingers, bare except for one with a golden ring that Amanda had gotten her for her birthday, found her cross necklace and she twisted it around, a bit out of a nervous habit. “Thanks for letting me come, it looks like you have a really nice place.”

“Always love a good snack,” Connor teased. “That’s why Adam’s coming.” Pity that boy was so painfully heterosexual. “Hi, love,” he greeted as Ariana introduced Athena. “Nice to meet you. Nobody else is here yet, but come on in, have a drink, let Ariana check out my furniture…” He gave a little chuckle, helping himself to a beer. 

Nell and Blanche had arrived in tandem, sporting their matching ‘burn your bra’ crop tops in a yin and yang color scheme with Nell in black, and one of her best friends in white. As she walked through the open front door, an amused grin cracked her lips as she saw Blanche and her hadn’t been the only ones to have a similar idea. “Well I’m glad we all got the memo,” she said with a nod towards Athena and Ariana’s complimentary jerseys, knowing full well there had been no such thing. Then she was raising a hand to wave a group greeting towards everyone, and presenting the plate she’d brought. “I brought these- they’re brownies obviously, but the kind that might make you astral project a couple planes over.” Probably stuffed with enough homegrown pot to get an elephant high, they were a staple when it came to party favors.

Orion had been to Connor’s on quite a few occasions now. Since the two had first met up at the old haunted house that Rio had grown up learning about, the two had hung fairly often while Rio helped film and edit videos every now and again. He was still clearly a beginner, but either Connor was desperate for the help or just enjoyed Rio’s company. He came hand in hand with Winston, overly excited for the night. Ever since his birthday, people seemed to walk on pins and needles around him and he didn’t know how to convince him that he was completely fine without potentially coming across as a sociopath. “Connor’s place is nice! He has a really cool set up for editing videos. Maybe you two can geek out about computer stuff together?” Rio grinned as the two made towards the front door.

Connor took a look at everyone’s outfits. “Well, if you brought bras to burn, I already mentioned we’ve got the beach for a little campfire,” he teased. “And Nell, maybe we let people settle in for a bit before getting high on brownies, yeah?” He gave her a playful grin. “But I like the way you think.” There was another ring from the doorbell, and he momentarily excused himself to go answer. It was Rio and his roommate. Holding hands. Cool. “Hey, you made it,” he greeted, smiling over at Rio. “Did you know we were supposed to coordinate? Everyone else has come dressed in pairs,” he teased, then looked to Winston. “Hi. Nice to meet ya. I’m Connor. Come on in.” He led them inside to the rest of the group. Now that almost everyone had arrived, he made sure everyone had a drink and knew where the snacks were, and where the bathroom was. “Just waiting for Adam then. For movies we’ve got pretty much anything that’s on Netflix, Prime, Hulu, or anything I can illegally download.” 

Glancing around the room, Winston shot Nell and Blanche a knowing smile before keeping their hands tightly interlaced with Orion’s. Things seemed to have relatively blown over with Athena, the fact that she was here with Ariana was a separate matter. “Thanks for the invite, if I’d known we were supposed to coordinate I’d have joined in but I guess we’re always the last to hear about these fun facts…” Winston gave a gentle smile before continuing into the house. They were about to mention that they were pretty sure they could connect Connor’s place up to the database in their home, but they weren’t sure that they wanted to potentially share any info that was not entirely secure. “Adam’s coming too? This really is going to be a party.” Winston just hoped he wasn’t armed with assault rifles and grenades this time.

 “Hey guys,” Blanche gave a wave. She hadn't expected Athena to be here, but then again, she also hadn't expected Rio either, especially after… everything. But she wasn't one to judge when people needed to blow off steam. “I would highly recommend the brownies. Once, you know, we’ve all settled in.” She nudged Nell playfully. “I have a 12 pack of beer too if anyone wants a drink.” She set it down on an end table, before curiously eyeing the TV. “Alright then, why don't we focus on picking a movie while we wait for Adam -” would he roll in with kegs like he did at Nic’s party? She fought back a snide internal comment, reminding herself that she promised to rewind for the evening, and honestly… she was so tired of being angry. Not just at Adam, but with everyone. “What genre are we feeling? Horror?” she asked, hopefully.

It seemed like she and Athena hadn’t been the only ones who showed up matching. Ariana waved to Blanche and Nell appreciating their crop tops. She stood up to grab some drinks for her and Athena though she was pretty sure she’d be skipping out on the brownies. She’d never tried them before and wasn’t sure a big group of people was the place to start. “I’ll take you up on one of those beers. Did you want one, Athena?” At the mention of horror movies, Ariana shrugged. “Sounds a little close to real life, but I’m down.” 

She figured that her brother was going to be here. Athena gave a small, half-wave to Rio, though she didn’t look over at him for too long. They hadn’t been together since everything and she still wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. The idea of the brownies wasn’t especially appealing, even if part of her wondered if Nell’s addition to it was a bit more magical than most. “Uh, sure.” She said, looking at Ariana. “If there’s cider I’d prefer that but beer can do.” She waved at Nell and Blanche. “Nice matching.” It didn’t hurt to at least appear pleasant, and she could only do so much to calm down her nerves - getting into an argument wasn’t going to help with any of that. “What horror films? I can’t say I’m super expert on that genre.” Ironically enough.

There was the sound of a large truck pulling up and a loud bawdy conversation on the street about someone being manscaped with a weedwacker, only for said someone to shout back an incoherent taunt about some physically impossible things Adam’s mother engaged in last night. More voices joined in the from the truck until it was unclear where mothers, weedwhackers, body hair, contortionist sex positions, chocolate fudge, and lighter fluid all fit into this. However all involved seemed to part even more cheerful than before and the car departed. 

Sporting a letterman jacket and a red baseball cap with faint stains of a deeper scarlet,  Adam burst in smelling faintly of lock-room soap and the lingering grass scent of the football field. 

Still flush with post-practice endorphins, Adam vaulted over the back of the nearest free couch as if it were a track hurdle and crashed down into the open seat. 

“Sup my bodacious bastards?”

"Horror is good by me. Blair Witch or something? Could always go with Scream. Classic slasher." Connor grabbed a cider for himself. He had bought enough so that nobody needed to bring their own, but it was a nice gesture. It wasn't long before Adam turned up. You really couldn't miss him. "Life of the party, I see," Connor greeted. "The loud-mouthed jock of my dreams,” he teased, his grin flashing all the way up to his eyes. “Want a beer mate? We were just deciding on a movie." 

Nell abandoned her pot filled brownies on the coffee table, grabbing a few drinks after waving a welcome to Winston and Orion, and first offering one to Blanche with a “For you” before taking another. Then she plopped herself down on the same couch before also handing one to Adam should he want it. “And here you go, ‘bodacious’;” she said with a slight snort. Nell couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t a bit worried to have the two of them in the same place after Winn’s death, but maybe alcohol was another key factor in glossing all of that over for the moment being. She popped open the top of her own bottle with a household spell, realizing she’d forgotten a bottle opener before taking a swig of it. “I’m right here,” she joked at the mention of Blair Witch, even if she knew it was less about witches and more about general spookiness.

Swallowing a mouthful of beer, Winston watched Adam enter the room. This was not your classic set up, hunters, werewolves, exorcists, spellcasters and god knew what else. But they were their friends and Winston was doing their best to be more normal in their endeavours and their life. “Not everything is about you Nell sweetie,” Winston reached down and plucked a brownie from the plate, tentatively nibbling on it and smiling. Thank God they weren’t driving tonight. “I’ve heard that Midsommar is meant to be really good, Heritage too. Not sure if any of those appeal to you. They’re meant to be more nordic or something? I don’t know. I read something about them a while back.”

The place was full of familiar faces, and maybe for the first time Orion found himself at what could basically be considered a party surrounded completely by people that he considered friends. Or at least, friends plus one very odd addition in the first of his twin sister. She stuck close with Ariana. The pair still baffled Rio, seeing them together and matching was even more jarring. Coupled with Blanche and Nell wearing the same thing maybe Rio and the others really had missed some sort of memo. Athena’s small wave was maybe a step, but not much of one. Rio returned the wave, both of them turning their backs to each other as Rio made his way to the kitchen, pondering whether or not he was going to drink. He decided to go for it after a long moment’s hesitation and picked a cider, “It’s someone’s job to make sure I don’t get drunk. I have an embarrassingly small tolerance.” He said aloud to no one in particular, only sort of joking and then found his way to the couch where Adam had just leapt over, “A cult movie may be hitting a bit close to home, don’t you think?” Rio laughed, but shrugged the concern away, “It looks pretty though. I’m down for anything.”

Connor was pretty indifferent to any drama that might have existed between anyone in the group, so he didn’t pay any mind to Blanche’s reaction to Adam. "Yes, Nell, you're our White Crest witch, very different," Connor teased. Since everyone was here, it wouldn't do any harm to grab a brownie. He'd just have to pace himself. "Oh shit, if we're talking 'high brow' horror," he made little air quotes around the words, "Hereditary and Midsommar would be sick. Get Out, too. I just figured we'd probably want something we can get pissed and stoned to and not pay that much attention," he snickered. "Oh, there's also Happy Death Day and The Babysitter if we want newer Netflix shit." He shrugged, sipping his drink. “I’m not fussed though. Whatever anyone else wants to watch.” 

It was good to see Adam in seemingly better spirits than the last time she saw him. Ariana still felt a twinge of guilt that her trust in others had nearly led to his death, but he was here now and they were all going to have a good time. “Hey, Adam,” she greeted with a wave as he swung over the couch. She looked back to Athena with a small smile and said, “Cider it is.” She made her way to the kitchen and chimed in, “I’m not sure Winston, I’m pretty sure Nell took a DNA test and she’s 100% that witch.” She grabbed a beer for herself and a cider for Athena. It dawned on her that she hadn’t seen any of the movies mentioned but she laughed a bit over the cult part. “I’ve seen like none of those, so I’m good with whatever.” She slid back into her seat by Athena and handed her a cider. “Here you go,” she said brightly. She knew Athena was still down over everything that happened and she wanted this to be a nice night for both of them. Hell, she was pretty sure everyone in this room needed a break from White Crest being White Crest and she wanted that for all of them. 

She gave a small wave to Adam as he arrived. At least he seemed to be in relatively good spirits, which was something. “How’s it going Adam?” She raised an eyebrow. “This feels a little different than our usual sort of party, doesn’t it?” Athena nodded at Ariana’s comment, watching as she went over to grab the drinks. “One of my sisters is a sociology and film double major and wrote a paper about Get Out - she had us all watch it so I actually have seen that, but I can’t say I’m too familiar with the others.” She did know that if anything was too full of jump scares she might react poorly, but that was what fiddling with the hem of her shirt was for, wasn’t it? She accepted the cider from Ariana and took a sip. “Whatever everyone else wants to go with.” She couldn’t help but sigh when she noticed that her brother had the same drink as her, though only a small smile covered her lips.

Connor had a big grin on his face as they drank and chatted. It had been a while since he'd had a proper group of friends like this. He had friends, of course, but high school and college he'd still been coming into his own as a medium and starting up his YouTube channel. People thought he was kind of weird. In White Crest, he wasn't weird at all. He was probably one of the most normal. "Okay, we're gonna have to take votes on the movie," he snickered, smoking his vape. "Probably something on the less serious side of things, yeah? We've got enough shit going on. Happy Death Day or The Babysitter are both on Netflix." He got a feeling there was a little more going on with the ‘serious’ side of things than he knew about, but he didn’t want to stick his nose into other people’s business. This night was about relaxing, not rehashing the bad shit.

Adam had once been taught that he’d been born to stand apart from humanity, amongst but not a part of it. The preservation of mankind’s destiny required forsaking anything that’d inhibit neutrality or cause a Hunter to become entangled in disputes between human beings. Thus Adam had grown up play-acting, his life during the day just a pleasant cover identity for who he really was. 

Now it was all he was. 

This reversal tugged at Adam as he watched his friends banter and meander on the way to actually choosing a movie. All his life Adam had been told to focus, remain vigilant against the inevitable return of the old gods. Was that why he lost his powers? Focusing too much on enjoying humanity’s company instead of protecting it? 

These and other thoughts whirled behind Adam’s grin as he accepted the beer. “Glad my beach body lives rent free in your head Con,” Adam replied with a wink to Connor at the mention of being the jock of his dreams. 

“Dunno about Happy Death Day, I’ve had about enough dead chick drama for a while.”

Adam ‘thought’ for a moment, which is to say he took a few glugs of beer like a man dying of thirst in the desert and went with the first idea that popped up in his brain when the alcohol hit his system. 

“Let’s do truth or dare while we decide? Bet that should be a trip with well...us”

Blanche had a hold on the remote, somewhat zoning out while people debated the choice in movie. She was doing that more, lately, but she had always been easily distracted. That was more because ghosts though. Only at the mention of Truth or Dare did Blanche snap out of it. Leaning against the armrest, she took a sip of her beer, glancing over at Adam. Considering it a moment, she put the remote down. “I'm down for a game of Truth or Dare,” she said, glancing around. Was this what all parties were like? She looked over at Nell, almost a little unsure for a second. “Sounds like fun?”

In all honesty, Nell much preferred the concept of Truth or Dare in comparison to a movie. At this rate with all the strangeness that made its home in White Crest, horror flicks were nearly laughable at times. Besides- Truth or Dare was probably something that demanded more attention, which was a welcome distraction from current stressors. And that was the whole point of this get together, wasn’t it? Giving Blanche a reassuring nod, Nell sat straighter on the couch as if readying herself for the game. “Let’s do it.” She took another draw of her drink before looking around the circle with a new and challenging glint in her eyes. “Who wants to go first?”

“Truth or Dare? That’s on Netflix as well,” Connor said, flicking through the horror suggestions until he found it. Only a few clicks in did he realise that wasn’t what Adam had been referring to. “Oh, did you mean the actual game?” He laughed, just switching to a music playlist in the background and folding his feet under him while he made himself comfy on the sofa. “Wait a minute, I’m down and everything, but someone’s gonna have to explain what rules we’re playing by. Everyone does ‘em different.” 

Truth or dare sounded like the worst idea possible. Orion did not consider himself to be a very daring person by nature. But at the rate life had been going the last month, he wasn’t exactly keen on the idea of answering any truths either. Not that he was far bound to answer truthfully anyways... unless that was a thing in White Crest. Regardless, the result terrified him. But the Rio here tonight wanted to be the okay version of Rio. The one not bogged down by the death of his parents. So he took a long drink from the cider and wiped at his mouth, making the gesture overly dramatic to try to hide the soured look he gave from the taste of alcohol. “Me. I’ll go first. Dare me.” This was absolutely a bad idea, but Rio had gotten pretty good at those. “Oh. Rules?” Rio heard what Connor questioned, but had never played the game before. “Cool. Well explain the rules and then dare me.”

This was just about the last game that Athena wanted to play. Even if she chose truth, which she wasn’t planning to, she could still omit certain aspects of it. It came along with her training and she didn’t trust most people here enough to reveal any deep secrets. So dares it would be - and it seemed like her brother was following the same path. “I mean, different versions are different but you get asked truth or dare - if it’s truth, someone can ask you any question about anything,” she raised an eyebrow at him, “and if it’s dare then you have to do whatever they ask. There’s sometimes consequences for not completing either.” She took a sip of her drink. “But dare? Since you’re new at this, we can start easy. I dare you to drink the rest of your cider in under a minute.” She crossed her legs. “Whoever’s up next, I also choose dare.”

Orion was surprised that Athena had been the first one to dare him. She had even been pretty lenient, daring him to just finish his drink. Easier said than done to a complete lightweight who had no experience drinking, but as far as the things he could have been dared to do this felt like he was getting off easily. “Done.” He had seen the movies before, so Rio kneeled down on one knee and tipped the bottle against his mouth, chugging as fast as he could. The drink instantly turned bitter against his tongue and he thought it would never end. But if he could survive his birthday he could finish a cider. He finally finished the thing off with an explosive coughing followed by him falling back on his butt. “I’m totally not going to puke.” He wasn’t sure if he was telling everyone that or trying to convince himself not to.

Adam stood up from the couch and strode to the far side of the room, gingerly stepping over and around people so as to not crunch knees or beers. He took an empty solo cup and placed it on a piece of furniture. The footballer knelt next to the door and produced a small grip-exercise ball. He offered the little squishy ball to Athena with a grin.. 

“I dare you to close your eyes and try to throw this call in the cup. Take a shot each time you miss.” 

Adam performed another one-handed vault over the back of the into his seat, but the alcohol and post-practice endorphins in his system caused the Hunter to land far more ignominiously in a heap of sinewy limbs and cushions.

“Truth”

“Easy-peasy.” Athena smirked, before standing up. She handed her cider to Ariana and grabbed the ball from Adam. “I’ve got this no problem.” She took the ball and closed her eyes, concentrating on the location of the solo cup before rolling her shoulders and giving a small toss, eyes flickering open as she heard it hit the inside. She turned around, walking by Adam before bending over to whisper in his ear. “I do have excellent reflexes, just to remind you.” She found her space back by Ariana again. “Feeling rather successful right now, I think.”

”Wow, nice!” Connor enthused as Athena hit the shot. “I’ve got a truth,” he blurted out, feeling the effects of his drink and Nell’s magic brownies, a pleasant tingling sensation overtaking his body. “Have you never done anything even the slightest bit gay? Because honestly, only the most heterosexual guy ever could have not understood those sword crossing comments,” he laughed at the memory. Ah, simpler times, when he didn’t know that half these people were murderers and there weren’t freshly resurrected evil spirits out to get them. Then again, Connor was starting to get the impression that stuff was common in White Crest. Best not get too comfortable. “And you can truth or dare me all you want. I’m not bothered, mate.” 

Ariana watched somewhat in awe as Athena performed her dare. It was definitely impressive to watch and she couldn’t help the small grin on her face as Athena came back over to take her seat by her. “That was awesome,” she said as she gave Athena a small pat on the back. There was another dare to be dished out so she quickly chimed in, “Connor, I dare you to do a dance challenge as your next YouTube video. I’m thinking the In My Feelings Challenge.” She realized that meant it was her turn, so she added, “I pick dare for myself.” 

“A Dance Challenge?” Connor snorted, waving his hand, affectionately dismissive. “That’s not my style, babe. Oh, I could definitely do it on TikTok though. You didn’t say which platform it had to be on.” He whipped out his phone, looking up a couple. “I can probably film it right now, since I’m tipsy, but you’ll have to hold my phone.” He looked up a few examples then got up, only a little wobbly on his feet. “I have no fucking idea how to do this shit,” he laughed, looking over to Ariana and handing her his phone. He’d watched a few versions of the thing he was trying to recreate. “Ready?”  

Adam hadn’t been raised with particularly strong feelings on different sexualities other than that they existed. Really, Dad had been far more concerned that his sons knew the proper masculine values of honor, wilderness survival, coordinated squad tactics, and the domestic arts of building explosives from homemade materials rather than getting hung up on what dangly bits were going where. 

“Uh,” Adam thought about Conner’s question. “Was never really wired that way, but after I pledged I was curious bout what I was missing,” the footballer acknowledged with a shameless ease. “Talked to some frat brothers who were all about that life, and they uh…showed me around…in the showers.” 

“Was kinna funnish-awkward,” he admitted with a shrug, “but not really my speed…. not sure that lgeit counts as gay though. It was just educational, y’know?”

Nell saw her opportunity as it became Ariana’s turn for a dare, and leaned forward on the couch to set down her now empty bottle on the table, feeling a nice, warm buzz as the alcohol began to do its work. She hummed for a moment, as if taking her time to come up with a suitable enough dare for the girl. Ariana knew how to go big or go home— which admittedly was something the two of them had in common. “I dare you to....” Then the idea came to her. What was the most horrendous thing that White Crest had to offer? “Match with a mime on Tinder. Match with the mime- and have at least five back and forths of texts.” Then Nell sat back, satisfied with her work to say, “And I’ll take a dare.”

“Educational and gay,” Connor nodded. “Sorry I missed it.” He made sure Ariana was ready to record and then going into the routine. He pretty much nailed it. Although he was a little drunk, it was evident that the experience and intent behind the moves was there. “Did I forget to mention I did ballet and theatre for years?” He winked into the camera before grabbing it for Ari so he could edit and laugh. “Aw, that was sick. Sorry, what was that?” His expression changed when he heard what Nell’s dare was. “There are mimes on tinder?” 

Ariana whooped and cheered into the camera as Connor finished showing off his moves. She tilted her head surprised by his revelation. “That explains the moves,” she said with a laugh, “Gotta respect a guy who knows ballet, right?” As Nell took the chance to dare her, she looked to her with a raised brow that was practically challenging her to do her worst. She burst out laughing at the thought of mimes on Tinder. “Oh god,” she said through laughs, “Blanche get over here and help me mime-ify my Tinder.” It was only a few back and forth messages. Hopefully, the profile update wouldn’t ruin future matches, but she found she was losing interest in it anyhow, especially with her current roommate. “I’m thinking more dramatic and artsy to go with the mime vibe?” 

“Nell!” Blanche said, “That's cruel!” But she was laughing. She pushed herself to her feet, though, and carefully made her way to grab Ariana’s phone. “Artsy, got it.” A Connoisseur of Mime. Don't talk to me if you don't mime. And if you do mime… you know what to do ;-----). Blanche read over what she wrote, before she grinned, hanging the phone back to Ariana. “Happy swiping!” Which meant… Blanche turned to Nell, a mischievous smile on her face. “In order to get revenge for poor Ariana… I dare you to call the Stripe Club to inquire about employment opportunities and if you get an interview, you gotta go.” Blanche said proudly. 

She paused, considering her own options. “Truth. For me, I mean.”

“There are definitely mimes on Tinder,” Nell confirmed with a grin, having seen some of them for herself during perusals of the app. “Maybe Ari will find her true love with a mime, who knows?” It was disturbing to say the least, though sometimes she’d match with a mime just to troll them for a while. After all— every mime was guilty by association. She should have expected the mimery to be turned back on her, but still pulled a revolted face at the thought of going anywhere near a mime establishment. “If I die- it’s your fault,” she pointed an accusing finger towards Blanche all while googling the number for the Stripe Club. She wasn’t sure who exactly it was that asked Blanche her truth while Nell began her job search at a mime strip club and Ariana commenced her swiping. Someone was leaning over to watch the dance video Connor had made, and another person was getting up to grab another drink from the fridge. The air was warm and bright as the night stretched onwards, and it seemed that against all odds the youth of White Crest had finally managed to find a single evening where they were allowed to exist only as themselves, and not the people the world forced them to be. 

#wickedswriting #chatzy #the kids are alright #ch:adam #ch:ariana #ch:athena #ch:blanche #ch:connor #ch:orion #ch:winston

[nelllraiser]

bea-day party | group chatzy ft. jack

LOCATION: illusions of grandeur.  PARTIES: @beatrice-blaze, @divineluce, @nelllraiser, @phoenixleah, @halequeenjas, @streetharmacist, @mor-beck-more-problems, @chasseurdeloup, @jane-the-zombie, @whatsin-yourhead, @professoranieves, @harlowhaunted, @themidnightfarmer, and best boy jack. (picture in link courtesy of rhi) SUMMARY: bea’s birthday party goes off without a hitch, apart from one very friendly sea-man. CONTENTS: strippers. (of the non-mime variety.) 

Luce finished off her second glass of champagne, looking around at the party that was in full swing. Literally. Swing dancing, who'd have thought. Setting the empty glass down on a table, she made her way towards the wall of champagne again. A wry smile slid across her face as she took another glass of very expensive champagne. Fuck the coven, fuck their mother, fuck their parents for abandoning them. This was their little revenge, a party fit for a queen, with a bill to match. Glass held loosely in her hand, she glanced over at a person lingering near the wall of champagne. "Help yourself, seriously. We went all out for a reason." She said with a grin before raising the glass up in toast. "Did you watch the show earlier?"

For the moment, Nell had placed herself by the entrance of Grand Illusions, showing those that had been invited to Bea's party to the private box and party room. Now, as she made her way back upstairs to the main events, champagne, and poker tables, she looked over everyone's outfits with a careful eye, trying to spot those that might not have dressed to theme, and preparing some scorching words should they have denied that part of the invitation. But then she spotted something that caught her even more off guard, a certain blonde hanging by the champagne towers. "Blanche?! What the hell are you doing here?" Her voice was loud enough to carry to anyone else in the close perimeter.

Bea had a champagne glass already in hand when she went into the room where the party was truly happening. It was her birthday and she'd get hammered if she wanted to. Taking a long sip, she nodded toward the poker tables in the back. "Anyone care to join me at the table?" She was fully intending on taking her friend's money tonight through the tables and had no shame in that.

Kaden didn't feel a lot like celebrating after what had just happened, but it was for Bea so there was never a doubt that he'd show up for this party if he could. He was also pretty sure there as no way Regan was going to put herself in this sort of big public space with all the stress that came with these kinds fo gatherings. He had her present for Bea with him all the same. A quick look around and the place was immaculately decorated, of course. He hoped his suit was okay, it was all he could manage. But he tried. First thing after dropping of the presents was to grab a thing of champagne from the fucking wall of it before heading towards Bea. "Happy birthday, again. I'll join if you want." He wasn't very good but it was all for fun, right?

There was nothing Jasmine loved more than a good party and she had high hopes that Beatrice could deliver. While her party planning skills weren't quite on par with her own, they'd definitely had some fun in the past. Plus, who didn't love a Gatsby theme? Her flapper headband and red sparkly dress that hugged her in all the right places really was an absolutely look. Some good photos of her Bea, and Leah were a requirement before leaving. She greeted the younger Vurals as she walked in and helped herself to some champagne. "It was quite the show," she mused with a wicked smile, "You don't have to tell me twice to grab some champagne."

Felix had to laugh when he first saw the joint. All they really needed was a couple signs about how silly prohibition was and they really had the theme in the bag. As gilded as the time had been, the party was even more so. He loved it. Bea deserved it. He’d make his way back over to her in time. He sipped idly on his champagne as he fluttered about the party floor, a wide smile in place as he surveyed the crowd. With the way things were going, it wasn’t out of place to keep an eye on anything being just that. Too many parties gone wrong, or right, kept him on his toes. He paused for a moment beside someone and cocked his head. “You lost any money at the tables yet?”

Morgan sauntered in, pleased to have an excuse to wear heels and some of the jewelry Deirdre had bought and kept stashed in their closet all this time. She almost didn't feel the chill of not having her girlfriend on her arm to make the night brighter. The sight of the Vurals excited her enough to make up for coming alone. "Hey, guys!" She called, twirling to show off her black jeweled flapper style dress."Bea, this is for you," she said, rushing over to the oldest Vural, and the crowd gathering around her. "Kaden, looking extra dapper today. I don't know about you guys, but since I can't get drunk, I'm up to blow a ton of money at Texas Hold 'Em."

Anita felt a little out of place at the party. Normally she would be at the bar flirting with any and everyone. But now she had a girlfriend , and it felt weird to continue to flirt with random women given the agreement she had made with Marley. But, surely there were other things to do at parties than just flirt with people, so Anita made her way to the champaign tower and grabbed a glass. Then she just made her rounds, walking around all the elaborate tables and attractions trying to spot somebody she might know. She saw Kaden and Blanche, but she didn’t really want to strike up a conversation with either of them.

Blanche had enough of the hospital after only two nights. She checked herself out early that morning and told exactly no one as she headed home to get dressed, leaving the bandages on her back visible. There was nothing to do about them. Bea deserved to have a good birthday, and honestly, Blanche wanted some time to chill and relax. .... And then there was Nell, yelling at her. "Drinking champagne?" Blanche asked, holding her glass up innocently. "And thinking about winning money by counting cards."

Jasmine eyed the poker tables and decided to follow suit. Was it the best idea when Larry Bob still had a habit of crashing her showings? Probably not, but she was decent enough at poker. Her father always had tables at their parties and she caught on young. She placed Bea's present on the gift table before joining the birthday girl's poker table. "Happy birthday, Bea," she said in a bubbly tone, "You've really outdone yourself with this party."

Jared spotted his two part time roommates and took in Nells face before he even half registered Blanche herself. He made his way through the crowds hover handed appropriately. "Are you...what's going on?"

Jasmine. Of course this bitch wore a red dress too. Whatever. Red was her color and she damn well knew it. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Luce shrugged at Jasmine, champagne flute cradled gently in her fingers. "Bea has an eye for talent, she knows how to put on a show and holds the others to those standards too. But, they did good tonight." She said with a nod of her head. As the woman drifted away, Luce spotted Anita through the crowd. What was she doing here? Making her way across the room, Luce cast a crooked grin in her direction. "Hey, stranger. Having fun?"

Leah was never much of a gambler. She usually preferred to watch in the background, silently judging people's drunken risks from afar. But today was different. Today was Bea's birthday, and with a few drinks in her and surrounded by people she loved and was comfortable with, it was easy to lose her inhibitions. She couldn't help but laugh at Morgan's antics, giving her a little clap as she twirled around to show her outfit. "That sounds like a plan to me!" she said with a laugh, holding up her champagne glass. "I'll drink enough for the both of us." She glanced over at Felix standing next to them, shaking her head. "I think I'm saving it all to waste it in one big blow. That's the way to go, right?"

"Yes, join me!" Bea grinned at Kaden, before catching a glimpse of Morgan twirling. "Looking amazing, Morgan, and I love that energy." She wanted everyone to have that spirit, blowing their money and drinking was the name of game tonight. "Thank you, Jasmine. You look great tonight. Nell and Luce helped me plan a lot."

Squinting her eyes ever so slightly, Nell watched Blanche carefully, as if she might burst back into flames at any moment. "Shouldn't you still be in the hospital?" But she knew from experience that if Blanche wanted to be here, there was no way of making her go back to any sort of medical care. It was, tragically, one of the many ways in which the two girls were alike. "You count cards?" The witch carefully left off the too at the end of that sentence, not wanting and unwitting potential poker challengers to be clued in. "I bet we could start a new table," she said, catching the eye of Bea at one of them already. Might as well spread their resources to bring in as much revenue as possible, right? "Then she turned to Jared to explain. "Someone decided to check themself out of the hospital early, but now we're gonna go legally steal people's money. Did you wanna come? Does anyone else wanna start a new table with us?" she asked to those nearest to them, hoping they'd brought a decent amount of cash.

Anita smiled slightly when Luce approached her. For a moment she regretted coming. The only reason she even did was because she felt like she deserved a fun night, and given how lavish a party this was, it was clearly the place to be. “Hey yourself,” she said as she finished up the liquor in her glass. “I just got here, but so far- yeah. You guys really know how to go all out.” Instinctively her eyes trailed down Luce’s body for a second with a small smirk, “And you really know how to clean up.”

Jasmine smiled at Bea. As much as they bickered, this had all the workings of a good party and this champagne was divine. "They did a good job, too. It's still so crazy seeing them all grown up." She turned and gave Leah a wave and noticed there were a few people at the table she hadn't met yet. She looked to the French sounding man and the pale woman who had joined. She extended a hand to shake, "I'm Jasmine. I don't believe we've met before."

Luce watched Anita over the rim of her glass, eyes drifting up the other woman's form. "We're the Vurals, we never do anything by halves. Besides, 30's a big deal." She said with a wave of her hand to the elaborate decorations around them. Tilting her head at her comment, Luce raised an eyebrow. "Mm. Our father made the dresses, so it's his handiwork. Besides, we set the dress-code. What kind of hosts would we be if we didn't stand out, you know?" She said with a laugh.

Kaden nodded. "Thanks. Looking good, Morgan." He settled down at the table and took his cards. He didn't consider himself a great card player, but he was competitive so he was going to try his best to keep his money in his pocket. He gave the new woman's hand a shake. "Kaden. Nice to meet you. How do you know the birthday girl here?" Kaden caught a glimpse of his cards and groaned. Bad hand already. "Putain," he grumbled to himself, under his breath as much as possible before taking another drink.

Felix looked between Leah and the tables. His smile widened. "Oh, certainly! Nothing really livens things up like losing it all in one fell swoop," he said with a sagely nod. "It happens to the best of us. Even Arnold Rothstein!" Geez, the guys from decades back would be rolling over in their graves if they saw the place. "I think Nell's looking for a crew over there. There's worse places to lose but you gotta watch her. She's sneaky." He waved at Nell and Blanche before he wandered over to Bea. He lightly squeezed her shoulder as he smiled at the small crowd she had gathered at her table. "So, she take anybody's money yet? How're the hands looking?"

Morgan beamed at Leah, primping her finger curled hair and jeweled headdress. "What would I do without you, Leah? I hope that's a promise." She said, reaching over to give her hand a squeeze before settling at the table. She gave Kaden another once over, a little impressed he found it in himself to have some fun instead of doing whatever hunter nonsense or fae damage control he normally got up to. It was kind of nice to see him at least trying to have a good time. "Thanks, handsome. You look pretty good yourself. Maybe we can keep each other out of trouble tonight." As she settled in, she caught sight of a new person and shook her hand. "No, I guess not!" She said with a careless shrug. "I'm Morgan. It's nice to meet you! You're looking very spiffy tonight, I gotta say." And Morgan's hand was looking pretty spiffy too, though she tried not to let it show too much on her face.

Jared looked at Blanche in worry, but didn't voice his concerns, she knew her own limits. And while it didn't sound like a very good thing to be doing, he wasn't one for a fight at the moment. Not that he believed he had any say at all, he was far too soft to win a fight like that with anyone let alone Blanche. "I'll come, got no cash to be throwing down though. More for moral support I guess."

Jasmine couldn't help the sly smirk on her face when Kaden swore in French under her breath. "Nice to meet you, Kaden. Bea and I have been friends since high school. We were on the cheerleading squad together." She wouldn't mention that Bea beat her out for captain of the squad. With a small laugh, she added, "You know, you're not supposed to give away the fact you have a bad hand, but hey, no complaints here." She looked over her own cards and kept her face neutral before responding to the petite woman named Morgan. "Why thank you, Morgan. Couldn't show up to a Gatsby party looking anything but. I'm loving your outfit, too."

Bea nodded,"Yeah, sometimes I remember that Nell is twenty three and lose my mind." She let out a loud laugh at Kaden's groan,"You know, you're not supposed to let people know that you have a bad hand." She glanced at her own, mediocre at best, but she'd make it work. She looked back at Felix with a grin, flashing him her cards,"I haven't yet, but I will soon."

"Maybe," Blanche replied with a shrug, giving her friend a small grin. She was still in a fair bit of pain, but it helped to be distracted and surrounded by people she loved and cared about. She glanced at Jared a little sheepishly. "I hate hospital food." Not that she was feeling very hungry to begin with anyway. Blanche waved at Felix as she reached out to grab Nell's hand. "C'mon, let's go kick some ass with our friendly neighborhood cheerleader."

Anita let out a soft laugh, “I gotta admit I’ve never thrown a party that had a dress code. But you’re certainly right. This is a fancy party, and it deserves to have the people in it looking just as smashing.” She took a brief look around the room, finding herself relaxing a bit more when she spotted Morgan. At least there were two people here that she liked. “This is a bit awkward, but could you point out which one is the birthday girl? I’ve, uh, never actually met any of your sisters.”

Leah grinned widely and waved back to Jasmine, fully planning on pulling her and Bea into the photo booth at some point tonight to reenact some of their photos from high school. She laughed at Felix's comment, although she had no idea who he was talking about. Maybe some defamed poker star? She should have studied up before she came tonight. Turning her attention back to Morgan, she couldn't help but giggle again. As if to prove her point, she took another sip from her champagne, holding it out to Morgan like she was toasting to her once she was finished. Felix's idea was as good as any, though, and she called out to Nell, holding her bag up with a bit of emphasis. "I'll join a game, Nell!" she called, maneuvering through the crowd.

Morgan blinked with surprise at how close this Jasmine seemed to be with Bea. It's not every day Kaden got dragged in perfect stereo. "Neat party trick. Now I know you guys are real friends. It's good to finally meet you. Guess you've got your night cut out for you, Kaden. What're you gonna do about it?"

Felix weighed the pros and cons of asking Kaden how this party compared to the last one but thought better of it. With the sound of despair that the man gave at his hand, Felix figured he was already in for a rough night. The corner of his mouth twitched as he looked over at Morgan. "You think he's gonna need any help or should we just see what happens?"

Luce finished off her drink, the alcohol making things nice and fuzzy around the edges. She fucking deserved to get trashed tonight after all the shit that had been going on lately. Letting out a wry laugh at Anita's admission, she nodded. "I'll do you one better." She said tilting her head towards the table Bea was settled at. She could see Leah and Kaden hanging around Bea, which wasn't... ideal, but fuck it. Whatever. Walking over, she took in the cards on the table, lips curling in a smile. Bea was going to clean them out. "Who's getting fucked over this time, hm?" She asked as she approached the table. "Anita, this is the birthday girl. Bea, Anita. She's a... friend."

Nell knew that now wasn't the time to fight Blanche on this, and finally decided to simply watch the girl closely for the night. Tonight was supposed to be fun, and no doubt Blanche wanted a distraction. So just let it be fun. An excited smirk came over Nell as they neared the table, and her head turned as she spotted Leah making her way over. Was she okay winning money from her sister's best friend? Yeah, she was okay with that. "Come and join us!" Would Leah know the Vurals reputation with poker since she was so close with Bea? That might complicate things. Grabbing a champagne glass on her way to the table, she waved at Leah as she settled in. "Great! Come on over. We even brought our own cheering section," she said with a motion towards Jared.

Kaden grumbled. "Well it's clear why you two get along. I was folding anyway." He tucked the cards away and waited for the next round. He shot a look at Morgan and then at Felix. "There's always next round. It's fine." He downed the rest of his champagne. Good thing there was more where that came from. "Hey Luce. Anita. Come to see them take my money, I see."

Morgan beamed up at Felix, batting her eyes fondly. "It's more fun to see the chaos unfold, right?" She whispered sweetly to him. "Parties are more fun that way. But I won't let him get hurt too bad." She elbowed Kaden gently, warmth shining through her mischievous smile. "And hey," she said to the hunter, "A positive mindset can do a lot for your chances. Aim a little higher, champ."

Jasmine let her laughter ring as she looked to Bea. "Guess we have a habit of doing that, huh?" It wasn't surprising Kaden folded, but Morgan seemed to be pretty giddy. She wondered which of them had the better hand. "Just don't ask us to do that one on command. It's gotta be in the moment." Morgan seemed to be sweet. "There's always next hand... though I don't think you magically develop a good poker face." She added with a shrug.

Leah continued her trek toward Nell and her friends, giving Luce a big smile as she walked by. There was no doubt in her mind that she was about to lose all of her money- she wasn't experienced in poker in the very least, and the Vurals were scary good at poker. Still, her vast experienced in, well, ...lying... it might make her a good bluffer. She sat herself down at the table and finished off her glass, pumping her fist at the mention of a cheering section. "Oh man, dude, that's normally my job!". She drummed her fingers on the table, eager to get started. She let her eyes fall to Nell's, pointing to her threateningly. "Are you prepared to get your ass kicked, Vural?", she asked, teasing. Maybe the alcohol was making her more confident than she should be.

Remmy idled. They had definitely gotten ready on time, but the last time they'd gone to a big public outing, it had not gone well. Morgan was already there, she'd gone early or on time or whatever people wanted to call it these days. Remmy glanced down at Moose. "Not this time, bud," cause no one would try something in a room with all three Vurals present, right? And so, an hour later, Remmy had found themself outside the doors, listening to the chatter inside. Someone came out and held the door open for them and Remmy was suddenly forced to scuttle inside. What greeted them....wasn't exactly what they'd thought it would be. If they had the ability, they might have paled. Still, they swallowed and gathered themself, tugging on the lapel of their suit, and made a beeline for the present table. Maybe if they could just leave their gift and go, it would count as having shown up.

Anita followed Luce across the room, dropping off her empty glass and picking up a full one on the way. She didn’t love that Bea was at a table with Kaden, but Morgan was there also, so that balanced things out. Plus, Kaden had a sour look on his face, so maybe he wasn’t doing so good at the card game. “Absolutely,” She shot at Kaden. “Sounds like a fun way to pass the time.” Anita smiled politely at the other people sitting playing poker, winking playfully at Morgan as she caught her eye. “So nice to meet you, Bea. Happy Birthday, welcome to the big 3-0 club. It’s not as awful as it sounds, I promise.”

A right hunk of a man walked into the building, dressed in a basic white long sleeved shirt and long linen trousers, with a black loose next tie and a white sailor's cap. If you looked closely, you could see the velcro fastenings on all his clothes. With an exaggerated strut and a million dollar smile, he walked up to a random individual. "Well hey now good gentlefolk! I seem to have stranded on this 'ere shore. Could ya point me to the captain of this ship, a Miss Bea Vural?" He winked, flexing his arms, but casually.

"Chaos? Here?" Felix's tone dropped into a conspiratorial one. Chaos in the presence of all three Vurals? "Say, Morgan, I think we got a long, eventful night ahead of us." The fae looked over to Luce and her friend. Raised his champagne glass in greeting. "Glad to meet ya and glad you could make it out. Hiya, Luce!"

"Hey Leah," Blanche laughed as she took a seat next to Nell. "You both talk big game, huh? I think - oh my god." Blanche went a little slack jawyed when she caught sight of a sailor. She swatted Nell and pointed. "Who the hell is that??"

Jared raised his arms in a shared cheer for the cheering section and mumbled about his cheerleader outfit before looking at the sailor who'd just arrived with curious eyes. "That's her." he pointed to the birthday girl.

Luce was about to say something to Kaden, make a pithy joke at his expense. But, as a muscled man made his way to the table, arms flexing and clothes far too tight, she resisted the urge to gag. "I think the fuck not." She murmured. Casting an apologetic glance in Felix's direction, she tilted her head away. "I'm gonna go... away from here. Have fun, Bea." She said, squeezing her sister's shoulder before hurrying away from the table. She was not interested in seeing stripper dick. Walking away, she hurried as fast as she could away from the table to one of the quieter corners of the room, the gift table.

Bea let out another laugh,"Aw, Luce, don't say it like that." She raised an amused eyebrow at Luce,"A friend, huh? Nice to meet you, Anita. I'm trying not to think too much about being thirty. Make sure to grab some champagne." She glanced at Jasmine with a grin,"We do that too much." Grinning at Morgan and Felix, she replied to them,"There is never chaos at a party like this!"

Jasmine peered over her champagne flute long enough to see the hot sailor man saunter on over toward the birthday girl. She set her glass down and arched an eyebrow. "I didn't realize this was going to be that kind of party, but I'm not complaining."

"Oh come on, Leah. You know I don't have the attention span for poker," Nell lied easily. "My sisters were always better at it, which is why I put slugs in their beds." Her face was complete with a sense of resentment, as if the words were true. But the arrival of a certain someone caught her eye, and a wide smirk quickly found her lips. "Oh, that? That is Jack. He's nice, isn't he? Very shiny. Very buff. Very good at dancing."

Morgan followed Felix's gaze to Luce and Anita, who seemed to be looking rather comfortable together. She couldn't help the way her eyes bulged at the combination, especially with Remmy finally strutting up the room behind them all. "You sure aren't kidding, huh," she whispered to Felix. She tried to recover quickly. "Hey! I didn't know you knew Bea and Luce, Anita! It's great to see you here. I hope you plan to drink enough for--" her conversation died into a snort as the sailor stripper came in. "Vural parties really do pull out all the stops."

Bea head whipped toward Luce. "What is this, Luce?" She asked as she was being abandoned. She downed the rest of her champagne before holding her hand out for more,"I need more champagne." What is happening? She hadn't planned for a stripper. She supposed it wasn't the worst thing, but this was a whole lot of a lot.

Remmy had successfully made it to the gift table. They could almost pick out their friends' voices through the haze of everything, spotting them all laughing over at a table. They considered, for a moment, joining them, but if they were playing cards, they weren't sure they could stop themself from card counting and that seemed unfair for a birthday party. So, instead, they set the card down they'd made Bea, turned to slip back through the crowd-- and ran straight into Luce. "Oh!" They stuttered, stepping back. "Hey, hi. Hello! Um-- I'm just-- I didn't see you there. You look--" they paused, staring a little slack-jawed at her. Tried to swallow. "This place is--" they tried to pry their eyes away, but couldn't. "I'm just gonna...." but didn't move. "Leave now."

Anita followed everyone else's glances towards the man in velcro clothing. She had to stifle her laugh because this man was clearly about to strip for the ‘captain’, the birthday girl herself, Bea. “This is gonna be fucking hilarious.” Anita said to Morgan as she finished off a second glass of champagne. After she acquired another glass, she sat down in the chair beside Morga, then looked around the party. “No girlfriend tonight?” She whispered as she mentally prepared herself for the horror that was the male body.

Kaden blinked a moment at the goddamn striper that rolled up to the table. And then he started laughing. "At least he's not a mime." He shot a glance to Felix. "This also your idea?" Knowing he was a fae surely explained a lot more of the chaos. He saw some champagne on the table somewhere, didn't care whose it was and handed it to Bea, still laughing at the whole situation.

Jack smiled beautifully as a couple people pointed him over to a table. "Oh I'll be sure to thank y'all properly later." He winked, strutting his way over to the table with a wide smile. He tipped his cap. "Ma'am. I heard someone was in need of the art of seaduction?" He shifted his pose, so under the thin cloth of the shirt his large, impressive pecs popped.

Luce had made a quick exit from the table, practically fleeing from the male stripper. In her hurry to get away, she didn't realize where she was going until it was too late. Remmy-- Fuck. Shit, shit, shit. "Oh. Hey." She said awkwardly. As she stood there, listening to them stutter, she weighed which was worse-- going back to the table and suffering through... that or stand here and talk with Remmy. Honestly? She wasn't sure. "You... look good. Nice suit." She nodded before frowning. "Leave? Didn't you just get here?"

Leah looked over to the new guest, her eyebrows furrowing at the intrusion. This man was not someone she recognized, and her eyes were accusatory as he walked through the guests. Oh, god, was he a stripper? It all became clear when he spoke, he's dramatic tone making it obvious. If she could have shrunk down into her chair, she would have. She desperately hoped that being situated at the poker table would make her go unnoticed by him... she did not want some random dude dancing all over her, no thank you. He'd probably be pretty distracted by Bea, anyway. She turned her attention back to the table, choosing to essentially ignore his presence. "He's certainly something", she said, responding to Blanche and Nell. Her eyes were accusatory again, and it was all she could do not to laugh at Nell's words. "I'll make sure to buy something nice with the money I'm about to win from you", she said, feigning confidence. "Maybe I'll even get you a gift!". She turned her attention around to Jared, winking at him. "Are you our dealer?"

Felix threw back his champagne in record time and took a moment to get a few more glasses for everyone before he took his own seat. He looked over at Kaden. "Nope," he said with a pop. A grin followed as he took a drink. "It's not my fault this time. I'm just happy to be here, fella."

"... Well," Blanche said, glancing at Nell. This had to be her doing. She started to snicker, tipping back her champagne. She was immediately distracted from counting cards and that was certainly fine by her. "He's certainly... a seaman." Blanche made a face. "And shiny??"

Morgan sniggered alongside Anita and used everyone's distraction to advance her hand in the game a little. "No, she's uh, a little indisposed right now. Although she might be sorry she missed this much fun later. She's a fan of just about everything here, booze, friends, counting cards, and a little chaos." The stripper popped his pecks and Morgan had to look away when she started to laugh too hard, even with her politeness reserve. "Kind of a shame we didn't get one of each, huh?"

"I did not do this," Bea let Felix know as a glass of champagne was placed in her hand. "Thank you," She told Kaden, laughing slightly. As his pecs popped, Bea was both impressed and a little startled. That was a sight. "I suppose that someone is me, sailor. Work your magic."

Something was going on over at the table of all their friends, but Remmy was always a one-track mind kind of person. Easily distracted. And Luce was certainly a distraction. They weren't sure if they wanted to stay there, though, when she was looking at them like that. "Oh, uh--" they blinked and looked up, "I can like...I was just-- maybe? It's uh-- I figured I can just go say hi to Bea and then, you know--" scratched their neck, "leave." Tried to smile, turning to look towards the table and-- "Is that a stripper?" they blurted loudly.

Leah looked over to the new guest, her eyebrows furrowing at the intrusion. This man was not someone she recognized, and her eyes were accusatory as he walked through the guests. Oh, god, was he a stripper? It all became clear when he spoke, he's dramatic tone making it obvious. If she could have shrunk down into her chair, she would have. She desperately hoped that being situated at the poker table would make her go unnoticed by him... she did not want some random dude dancing all over her, no thank you. He'd probably be pretty distracted by Bea, anyway. She turned her attention back to the table, choosing to essentially ignore his presence. "He's certainly something", she said, responding to Blanche and Nell. Her eyes were accusatory again, and it was all she could do not to laugh at Nell's words. "I'll make sure to buy something nice with the money I'm about to win from you", she said, feigning confidence. "Maybe I'll even get you a gift!". She turned her attention around to Jared, winking at him. "Are you our dealer?"

Felix threw back his champagne in record time and took a moment to get a few more glasses for everyone before he took his own seat. He looked over at Kaden. "Nope," he said with a pop. A grin followed as he took a drink. "It's not my fault this time. I'm just happy to be here, fella."

"... Well," Blanche said, glancing at Nell. This had to be her doing. She started to snicker, tipping back her champagne. She was immediately distracted from counting cards and that was certainly fine by her. "He's certainly... a seaman." Blanche made a face. "And shiny??"

Morgan sniggered alongside Anita and used everyone's distraction to advance her hand in the game a little. "No, she's uh, a little indisposed right now. Although she might be sorry she missed this much fun later. She's a fan of just about everything here, booze, friends, counting cards, and a little chaos." The stripper popped his pecks and Morgan had to look away when she started to laugh too hard, even with her politeness reserve. "Kind of a shame we didn't get one of each, huh?"

Something was going on over at the table of all their friends, but Remmy was always a one-track mind kind of person. Easily distracted. And Luce was certainly a distraction. They weren't sure if they wanted to stay there, though, when she was looking at them like that. "Oh, uh--" they blinked and looked up, "I can like...I was just-- maybe? It's uh-- I figured I can just go say hi to Bea and then, you know--" scratched their neck, "leave." Tried to smile, turning to look towards the table and-- "Is that a stripper?" they blurted loudly.

Jasmine considered sharing her champagne with the birthday girl, but apparently Kaden already had her covered there. She leaned over and whispered to Bea, "Kudos to whoever picked the stripper out. He's hot." She scanned back over to see Leah's reaction and grinned at her furrowed brows. "Not the classiest party favor, but hey, fun doesn't always have to be classy."

Anita couldn’t help but let out a fairly loud laugh when she saw the stripper talking about seduction and flexing his chest muscles. It was way too over the top. “Well, at least you’ll have a hilarious story to tell her.” She replied to Morgan, motioning over to the sailor. “Uh, could you imagine? That would be a real party.” Anita looked around the table, looking to see how everyone else was reacting to this man. “But hey, since we’re both here solo, we should have some fun, yeah?” She asked, lifting up her glass to cheers.

Jack met Bea's eyes and smiled temptingly. He saluted. "Aye aye captain. I hear this here's some sorta celebration, and I'm your gift." He winked, lifting up a part of his costume, the faux white belt that attached to his trouser. He offered the end of it to Bea. "So maybe you should unwrap me?"

"How could I refuse?" Bea replied with a chuckle, before taking the belt in her hand, sipping on her champagne. This was a hell of an experience, but she would remember this for her sisters' birthdays.

"I'm sure Bea would be happy to see you, but..." Luce grimaced as she gestured behind her, to the crowd that was growing around Bea's table. She watched as the man handed her the belt of his pants and grimaced. "She's got a little bit going on right now." She said before letting out a sigh and rubbing her forehead. "Yeah. Someone got her a stripper and it sure fucking wasn't me." She mumbled. "I need a drink. I need... many drinks." Luce said as she walked over to the champagne wall and took two glasses, downing one then the other in rapid succession. "Good fucking jesus."

Nell watched the stripper events unfold with far too much amusement in her eye, pausing from her game for a moment. "I don't know why everyone's looking like I did something. He's the one docking his ship at my sister!" She had definitely done something. If you could include hiring a secret stripper as doing something. "It's probably all the sea mist that makes hims shiny."

Jared shook his head to Leah. He was not qualified to be dealing them anything other than an awkward smile and a poorly covered astonishment as the stripper made moves towards Bea. The man took a full step behind Nell as if that would protect from from what was about to happen.

Morgan nodded at Anita, taking two champagne glasses from a passing waiter and holding them up in as classy a double toast as she could manage. "Oh, completely. If I manage to win anything, without her help, showing off her presents--well, she'll either be excited or jealous, and that's a win-win for me." She downed one glass in a single chug. "Sorry yours couldn't be here either. Sincerely. But I am all having a good ol' fashioned time without them." She turned over her shoulder to the stripper, "Dance, Magic Mike!" She called, laughing harder than she meant to.

"Okay, yeah," Remmy said, backing away from the gift table, "not going over there. My eye doesn't need to see that." They followed Luce over towards the champagne wall, not bothering to take a glass themself, feeling a little jealous that they couldn't also down two glasses in succession and get rid of the anxiety-- and the image of that large man unraveling his clothes next to Bea-- but decided it was fine. "So...fun birthday, huh?" Morgan's shrill laugh echoed and Remmy fought their curiosity to look over and see what was happening. "Wanna dance?"

Jared was looking anywhere but at what was occurring (he was bi but too innocent for this sort of thing) and caught eyes with someone he vaguely recognised. His mouth bloomed into a smile and he sidled over to Kaden. "No uniform? You didn't get hired for this one?"

Jasmine giggled with glee and gave a little "woop" as Bea took his belt in his hand. "Yes, sailor, we gotta sea this." She turned to Morgan with a wide grin and noted, "I like you, Morgan."

Leah let her eyes lock with Jasmine's, a clear look of panic gracing her features, though there was definitely playfulness laced within them, too. "I will murder you if something like this shows up for my birthday", she warned her, watching Bea and the stripper with masked amusement. "I think I need more champagne!" She rolled her eyes at Nell's joke, grabbing a champagne flute from a passing waiter.

Slowly, Felix slid off his glasses and blinked. That had to be against some kinda sea safety protocol. "...So anyhow, August is an alright month, huh?" He said absently as he looked at the stripper, his expression a little less than amused. Oh heck. It was August. The ring on the table from the champagne glass stared up at him. Oh, it was that time, wasn't it? So focused on crime and whatnot, he forgot about the dang mushrooms. He loosened his bow-tie before he sat back further into his chair. Nope. Not dealing with that today. He occupied himself with his champagne glass and turned his gaze away from the man who, as Nell gracefully put it, was docking ship.

Jasmine feigned innocence. "I would never, Leah!" She had to admit, it would be pretty hilarious to see, but she wouldn't do that to Leah. "I, for one, disagree. This sailor is more than welcome to my birthday bash." She gave him a sly wink.

Jack gave her a sultry wink, and once she held the belt tightly enough, he stepped back, flexing every muscle in his body as the outfit popped off it, one velcro fastening at a time, until it all dropped to the floor. All he was left in was his navy blue mesh thong, and his matching necktie. His dark skin glistened, every inch of him (and he did mean every inch) was toned and muscled to perfection, a physique that could make anyone jealous or horny. He rolled his hips slightly, letting them look and salivate.

Kaden was sitting back and laughing at this whole thing. And hey, still not a mime stripper so it was really still a win. His brow furrowed when the kid with the tractor came over to him. "Oh, hi. Uh, what are you talking about?" A quick glance to the stripper and then back to the kid, it became clear what he meant. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'm not a mime. Or a stripper. I'm Bea's friend. You must be mistaken. Who are you anyway?" He was never admitting that was him the other day. Ever.

Luce made the mistake of glancing over at the loud laughs that rang out from Bea's table. And immediately wished she hadn't. Some things just couldn't be unseen. At least, not without far more champagne. "Fuck me." She said and took another glass from the wall, head already beginning to spin from the alcohol. "Dance? I--" She blinked. Dancing. "I... Sure. Why not." She said, taking their hand and walking with them over to the dance floor.

Oh this was much easier to deal with when this man had his pants on. Bea sent a look over to Felix that she hoped conveyed, Oh dear, lord what is happening? "Wow, consider me seduced." She finished her drink quickly. Was there going to be more after this?

Jared was taken aback for a second and then he made an oh shape with his mouth and grinned at the other. "Riiiiiight, not a stripper! Of course. No worries, I won't out you. Not dressed as a mime can't blow your cover I gotchu." he whispered.

Nell cupped her hands around her mouth, wasting no time it letting a loud whoop mixed with laughter fill the air as Bea undid Jack's attire, revealing his seascape to everyone. "Make him your bitch, Bea!" Maybe the champagne was hitting her harder than she'd thought. Then she turned back to Leah to say, "I'm getting you ten strippers for your birthday! You should be so lucky! I'm gonna get you the whole armada of sea-men!"

Oh. Luce had said yes. Remmy didn't actually think she would have said yes, but she had! They smiled, stealing only the slightest of glances over to Bea's table before turning back around when blue mesh was spotted in a place they didn't mean-- or want-- to look. They followed Luce over to the dance floor, placing their free hand on her hip when they made it there. "It was really nice of you guys to do this for Bea," they said to her, smiling. Maybe if they just didn't say anything weird things could be alright, "she deserves it."

Anita hesitated when Morgan made a loose reference to Marley. Realistically, she knew there was no way Morgan knew that they were actually girlfriends now, but she got oddly nervous. “Maybe a good thing given how our last double date went.” She smiled, then decided to change the topic. “How many drinks do you think it would take to enjoy this for more than just comedic purposes?” It was a tease, obviously, since the answer was infinity drinks. Anita looked over at the woman who seemed to be enjoying it the most and laughed. She was kind of jealous of the people who were enjoying it. Then she overheard someone asking Kaden if he was a mime stripper, and she absolutely lost it, keeling over with laughter. “He’s definitely a stripper! You just gotta offer the right price!” She called over in between laughs.

Bea glanced over at Kaden. "If you start stripping here, I will kick you out. I support you, but not here," She teased.

Kaden pinched his nose. "Kid, there's nothing to out. I work in animal control." He sighed, clearly there was no way to convince him so he downed the champagne he had left. Oh no. Anita heard, too? Which was worse, mime fucker or mime striper? "Putain de merde, I am not a stripper! That's a stripper," he said pointing to the lap dance happening across the way. "I'm a cop."

Jared "RIIIIIGHT I gotchu." He looked at the woman he didn't know and whispered "DOn't blow his cover that's not cool, mimes can't be seen talking." and then he clapped Kaden on the back. "Cop as well huh? Good with costumes?"

Blanche was cackling, laughing so hard that it actually hurt her and her injuries. Wheezing, she swatted Nell, giving Bea her own whoop. "Get it, Bea!!" she cackled, grabbing another flute of champagne. "We know this is your.... Fanta-sea."

Leah rolled her eyes, taking a sip from her new champagne. Of course Jasmine would want this dude at her birthday party. "I'll get his number from Nell", she teased. "That way you can just call him whenever you want. Bad day? Call the Sailor Stripper man, he'll make it all better!" Her eyes widened comically at Nell's joke. It felt more like a threat, to be honest. She wouldn't put it past the younger woman to actually pull something like that off. "Nell, Nell. ...Nell." She let out a breath, shaking her head no. "Nell... I think you know that if you even try that, you'll regret it." Would she ever do anything that might hurt Nell? Absolutely not, and Nell probably knew that, too. But it was worth the threat, if only to avoid the embarrassment and the mere suggestion of what Nell was threatening to do.

Morgan snorted again, some of her champagne flying up her nose. "Kaden, you didn't tell me you had a passion-project second job! You gotta follow your heart, and invest in all of the best props for your set list." She patted his shoulder, beaming, and got up from the table, taking Anita by the hand. "Y'all are swell, but Jacky Boy isn't our type. We'll come back around though!" She slid her arm through Anita's and escorted her around the room, aiming for the dance floor at a safe, respectful distance from Remmy, who seemed to be finally working things out with Luce. "How's that for a save?" She asked Anita.

Bow-tie thoroughly loosened, Felix shifted in his seat before he got up and went to Bea's side. His eyes went to Kaden for a moment. Not you too, his eyes said. "Wow, you sure know how to clear a deck, fella!" His smile was sharp as he looked at the stripper. "You know, I think there's someone else here who could really use the kinda good time you've provided us all with. Hey Nell!" He called over before he looked back to Jack. "That's the one. Promise you'll show her a decent time? She's great. Dynamite. Aces. She deserves it. It's been a tough month."

Jasmine joked, "Oh Bea, that's not fun." The French man was attractive enough he could pull off the looks, but he didn't look like much of a dancer. Still, she poked fun. "So, you do a cop strip show then." She could see Bea was getting a bit uncomfortable, so she sauntered over to that side of table and tapped Jack's soldier. "Hey, Sailor, I think your moves may be a bit more appreciated over here."

Luce 's head was spinning, the bright lights and decorations sparkling in the light. The sound of the band's music was almost enough to drown out the chaos of what was happening behind her, but she could still hear Blanche and Nell shouting words of encouragement at the male stripper, who was no doubt... doing his job. Remmy's hand rested on her hip and she blinked. "I don't know if she deserves that specifically. I definitely didn't pay for that guy." She said with a shake of her head. "Fucking Nell... I bet she hired him."

Jasmine grinned widely at Leah. "Please, do. One of the girls is having a bachelorette party soon and he'd be perfect!"

Jack looked over to Nell with a quick promising wink. He'd definitely be by her seat later. But he had to give the birthday girl his attention first. He turned on the spot, giving Bea a show of every single one of his muscles. She didn't seem as eager as the girl to his side, so when he leant in to ask a question, it was with his normal, quiet voice. "Do you want a dance or do you want me to take myself somewhere else?" But it seemed his question was answered by the others around. He flashed both the hot at the gills looking guy and the pretty lady who tapped his shoulder. "You got my sailor's oath!" He told Felix, and turned over to Nell. "You want me to swab your decks, miss?"

"I'm not stripping because I'm not a stripper!" Kaden started cursing under his breath. The kid, Anita, Morgan, Felix, and Bea, too? Come on. "Someone back me up here. Anyone! Come on, let's go back to taking my money, that'd be great, right?"

Bea glanced between both Felix and Jasmine,"Thank you." Standing, she grabbed Felix's hand,"Do you want to go dance?" She could use a little bit of time away from the chaos of the table, even as fun as it was. "Have fun, Nell!" She cackled as Jack made her way over.

Remmy gave a chuckle, shaking their head. "I meant a good time," they said, stepping in time to the music and moving Luce with them. It was a more upbeat tune, the music drifting around them, and Remmy spun her a little before pulling her back in. "You all deserve a good night to let loose and have--" they flinched at the sound of Blanche's loud shout cutting through even the loud music, giving Luce a sheepish grin, "--fun."

Blanche paled as the stripper turned on Nell. "Oh no. You're on your own." She started to inch away.

Anita followed Morgan out to the dance floor, grinning widely. This was far preferred to watching a man strip. “The absolute best save. You’re my hero,” she grinned widely as she began to dance with her friend. As they danced she noticed Luce dancing with some person she didn’t quite recognize. She smiled softly, they seemed nice together. Turning her attention back towards Morgan, she laughed as she could still hear the things people were saying by the stripper. “This party did not really go how I was expecting… but this does make me kinda wanna hire a stripper for my next birthday.”

“What?!" Nell squawked as the tables were turned, and suddenly there was a whole ocean of flesh coming closer. "Blanche, don't you dare fucking leave me. This is what you get for running away from the hospital!" she said as her friend tried to inch away, latching onto a non-injured portion of Blanche with a vice-like grip. "My decks are good, though! Freshly swabbed! Just got them done yesterday!"

Leah pushed herself closer to Jasmine as the stripper came closer to where they were sitting, all but turning her back to him and Nell with an amused but mortified look. In a supportive move, she grabbed Blanche's wrist and pulled her toward them as well, holding her close.

"We know, Kaden," Felix said with a solemn nod. "The champagne tower is all yours, friend. I know it's a real hard time for ya." He laced his fingers with Bea's and smiled as he led her towards the dance floor. "I don't know how I'll compare to our new pal Jack over there but I'll do my best for you, doll."

Jane had been stealing other guests money at a different table, and went to go see what the commotion was. Jane saw Jack, and snorted as she heard Kaden assuring everyone he wasn't a stripper. She clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on Kaden, everyone here knows you strip to ABBA."

"I don't want to think about my sister having a good time with that." Luce said automatically, shuddering. She let Remmy spin her around, her feet just a bit clumsy underneath her as they danced. The haze of the alcohol was settling in, everything golden and bright around them. Tilting her head, she looked at them, eyebrows arching. "Mm, you're not wrong. You know," She said, pausing for a moment before leaning in closer to Remmy, "I can think of a couple fun things we could do."

"Oh, I'll take your money for free, Kaden!" Morgan called over her shoulder, winking at him. "Is that a promise?" The music was picking up and she took her friend's hand, whirling her around as they came near the dance floor. "Anita, I will hire you only the best, most voluptuous strippers for your birthday. Name the date, and they're all yours." She spun them around again as the music picked up. "Also, fun fact about me no one here knows yet? I know how to do the charleston." She started to demonstrate, working more flare into it than usual. "If you take another drink, I'll even teach you too."

Jared had a lot of people backing up the knowledge that this kaden guy was a stripper. He was embarrassed but Jared pat him on the arm. "Don't worry bud, no one is judging. I'm sure you're a wonderful stripper."

Jasmine cackled as Nell tried to back away from the stripper. There had to be some sort of anecdote about not hiring a stripper if you're not down for a lap dance. "Good call, the kid definitely doesn't need a stripper." Leah was held on to the small girl even though Nell tried to keep her in the stripper's orbit. She wondered if this short blonde girl was even old enough to be here. "I'm guessing Nell's the one who hired our sailor friend here." Good taste, just not Bea's. She nearly spit out her champagne when it was mentioned Kaden stripped to ABBA. "Oh honey, we need to get you a better playlist."

As the world faded from view, and tsunami Jack took over the majority of Nell's line of sight, she raised a single middle finger across the room, pointed directly at Felix.

Remmy looked around the hall-- people laughing, people grinning, people just plain having fun, having the time of their lives-- and decided that not everything in the world was bad. In fact, there was a lot more good than bad. There had to be, right? Luce looked stunning, Bea looking like shew as having the time of her life now that she was on the dance floor, even Nell, though flustered, looked like she was having fun. And Blanche and Morgan and everyone else. Remmy spun Luce one more time before bringing her close, smiling warmly at her drunken words. "Maybe tomorrow," they said back to her softly, "once the alcohol has worn off."

Kaden turned to see Jane behind him. Of fucking course. "Fuck you, Wu." He was going to need something stronger than champagne soon. There was no living this down was there?

"I think you'll do just fine," Bea let out a little laugh. As she looked around the party, she felt warm. Just last week she had been kicked out of the community that had raised her and she had felt alone. Her family and friends were the people here, having fun and celebrating this day with her. "As ridiculous has this has turned out, this has been one of my best birthdays." Even without her parents or friends from the Coven, she was happy. All these people, even Jack, had helped her make this birthday perfect. She couldn't ask for better people to spend this day with.

#chatzy #bea day party #ch:jared #ch:blanche #ch:anita #ch:leah #ch:kaden #ch:bea #ch:luce #ch:jasmine #ch:felix #ch:morgan #ch:remmy #ch:jane

[nelllraiser]

last shadow on the sun | bea, luce, blanche, winston, & nell

PREVIOUSLY: Plot Drop Page, Plot Overview

LOCATION: Bea’s Necromancy Clearing

TIME: the summer solstice, 10:07 PM

PARTIES: Bea Vural, Luce Vural, Blanche Harlow, Winston Dane, Nell Vural

CONTENT: Sibling Death mention, Body Horror, Torture 

“I shall not wholly die, and a great part of me will escape the grave.” – Horace

The eye in Winston’s hand itched. It always seemed to itch whenever they were doing something that they should be worried about. Winston couldn’t explain it, but now that they were stuck with the eye and it didn’t look like it was going anywhere anytime soon. They were the first to the clearing, they were early and they were waiting when the others arrived. Sitting cross legged, staring at their third eye. They had drawn the circle and Winston had prepared the altar. “I think that I have everything ready, apart from you know the body and the sacrifice.” Winston was nervous. They’d done this so many times and it didn’t always work. They’d never even tried human sacrifice and resurrection and they could only imagine the risks surrounding it. “We’re bringing her back tonight, no matter what happens we’re bringing her back.” It was a promise to themselves. A promise to Bea. 

“Stop moving.” Luce said sharply to August. Since she’d picked him up from Lydia’s home, since he’d willingly stepped into the back of her car, she had him completely under her thumb. The power of it all was… intoxicating, in a way. Absolute control. Complete obedience. The memory of seeing Lydia kiss him, seeing the fight fade from his limbs, that troubled her. With a shake of her head, she kicked the man in the stomach abruptly. He let out a reedy groan of pain and she knelt by his side. “I thought I told you to be quiet. But, you know… it’s fine. No one’s out here to hear you scream.” She shrugged before standing back up to regard Winston and the altar they and Nell had prepared. She’d stayed out of it, not wanting to risk ruining the delicate circle with a slip of her hand or a candle out of place. “Well. I’ve got the sacrifice taken care of. We’ll have no problems from him.” She said before her lips pressed together to form a firm, determined expression. “Whatever it takes, we’re bringing her back.” She echoed.

Tonight was the night. The culmination of all they had done had led them here, and keeping with the theme of their practicing Nell’s focus was front and center, not willing to let anything get in her way of bringing Bea back to them. She would rise, and she’d be whole and proper and the wrong that had been laid on the world by Bea’s passing would be righted, the balance kept by sacrificing August. It hadn’t been a coincidence that they’d chosen today, the summer solstice. Bea had been a light in many people’s lives, acting as a guiding sun. Looking over the altar for what had to be the millionth time, she went back over to August, simply standing in front of him for a long moment. Was he present enough to know that he was going to die? She hoped he was— she hoped he’d feel that same impending sense of inevitability she had when Montgomery had been standing over her, maybe even when the man had claimed Bea’s head for his own. Whatever he was feeling, she hoped he was scared in addition to this unquestioning obedience. Wordlessly, she kicked his knees out from under him, watching the man stumble to the ground before giving him a swift kick to the side. “Whatever it takes, we’re bringing her back,” Nell echoed before looking to where they’d placed Bea’s body on the altar, her head carefully turned towards the East, clumsily connected to her neck with some long strips of cloth. “Let’s get ‘round the circle,” she said before taking her place alongside the marks in the dirt.

After weeks of anger and sorrow, Bea was finally calm. This night would determine if she was coming back. She had seen the work the three spellcasters had done and it was impressive for people new to the craft. They could have waited longer, perfected it, but with the summer solstice, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Circling the alter, she looked on with critical eyes. They had followed her advice carefully. It looked good, but she didn’t allow that to spark unwarranted hope. Anything could go wrong with a ritual like this, even with her soul being willing and nearby. She had her fail-safes. Nic ready to get rid of her if she came back monstrous and her own willingness to ask Blanche to get rid of her ghost if the ritual failed. She refused to be a ghost forever and she refused to allow her sisters to attempt this again. Finally pausing in her circle, she stopped in front of August. She looked at him for a long moment before phasing her hand through his skull. Blanche had told her that it was unpleasant to touch a ghost and Bea couldn’t hit him as her sisters could. “You are a pathetic little worm, aren’t you?” She asked him, voice rough but soft, though she knew that he couldn’t hear her. “Blanche, can you ask Luce to crush his fingers for me? And tell him it’s from me. Just because he gets the honor of being my sacrifice doesn’t mean we have to honor him with a soft death.”

Blanche stood to the side, almost awkwardly as she watched the preparation. There was nothing else she could do now, other than translate and wait for Bea to rise after they were done. To see what she would tell Nic. She knew he was nearby, lying in wait for the all clear from Blanche in case something went wrong. Swallowing hard, she kept her eyes on Bea as she flitted about the circle, examining it. Blanche had paid no mind to August this time, watching as he obeyed Luce utterly and completely, blankly. A means to an end, she thought bitterly. She only winced when Bea shoved a hand through his skull, looking away as August shivered from the touch. “Hm?” Blanche glanced at Bea, frowning slightly at the request, before considering. “Bea has a request,” Blanche said, her tone soft as she wrapped her arms around herself. She glanced at Nell, and then to Luce. “Crush his fingers. Make his death hurt. Make him feel it.” 

Listening closely to what Blanche had to say in terms of Bea's request, Winston was once more torn by August's involvement. They understood the magic. They understood that this was something that they needed to do and they understood that it was his life for Bea's and since he was the one who had started all of this it was only fair that it was him who sacrificed everything. But there was something that still left a sour taste in Winston's mouth. They were all too familiar with that quote about digging two graves when you went out seeking revenge. But enough was enough. They had lost too much. They were bringing Bea back. The cost wasn't important. "Have we got the personal item of Bea's?" Winston asked, knowing that they definitely did, but they were nervous and making sure that everything was in order was easier then just sitting there and doing nothing. Since they had meticulously checked the set up of the ritual a thousand times -- or so -- this was the only thing that Winston really felt like they could do.

Luce watched as August convulsed slightly, his expressionless face shifting one of discomfort and revulsion. Bea. She shifted her gaze over to Blanche, watching the way the younger woman seemed to hug herself. A part of her felt for the medium. She shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t have to witness this. But, she was their only way of keeping in contact with Bea and, without her, they wouldn’t have been able to do this. They would have lost her. But, that didn’t mean she needed to see this. At her words, Luce cleared her throat, looking down at the exhausted, pitiful man. “August. You can scream now. You can hurt. I want you to feel every ounce of pain and scream for us. Like your life depends on it.” She said before stomping the heel of her shoe into the purple, ruined mess of his hand. An inhuman howl was torn from the man’s throat, piercing through the relative silence of the clearing. She ground her foot down, twisting for good measure before flicking her hair back from her face. “Let’s get him in position.” She said before she took her place at the circle.

Nell’s smile widened as Luce gave her command to August. That would make things much more fun. Hearing him hurt and yell was much more satisfying than watching him simply take it. As for making it hurt...she’d been planning on just that. Years of pent up bitterness between her and August were ready to spring forth from her, brought into a point by Bea’s death, and the contract he’d taken out on Nell. She tried to find that same kernel of magic she’d used when hurting Montgomery and Kaden, still not entirely sure what it had been, but knowing enough that it brought pain. Instead of letting it flood through her, she only allowed a bit of it to pass through, aiming it towards August, thinking of Bea’s request, hoping it would guide the magic. In response, the fingers on August’s other hand bent back on themselves grotesquely, flat against the back of his palm. Deliciously satisfied, Nell settled herself in her position once more before centering August where he needed to be with her hands, being none too gentle. “We’ve got the item of Bea’s.” Then she took off the locket of Bea’s that she’d been wearing around her neck since her sister had died. She’d liked having it as a reminder, something to make sure she didn’t forget exactly what they were working towards, and how they’d gotten here. Handing it to Luce, it wasn’t long before the witch had burnt it to a crisp, who then gave the ashes back to Nell. Spreading them around the circle and letting the ritual begin.

A satisfied smile took over Bea’s face as she watched her sisters take turns hurting August. This was all his doing, she felt no ounce of remorse for the torture he was going through before his death. She watched as her sisters burnt her locket, a necklace she hadn’t taken off for years. It had been filled with pressed flowers from their childhood garden and had always been there as a way to keep her sisters close to her heart. As they began to scatter the ashes, she looked toward Blanche,“Tell Nell to make sure it’s an even spread.” As far as she had read it would make it much easier to bond her soul and body if there was a good distribution. She floated over to her body then, staring down at the grotesque thing. Five weeks dead did not make a pretty sight. It made her nauseous to think of the changes her body had gone through. Imagining things crawling through her and decaying her flesh would have brought bile up if she had been capable of it. “Light the candles counterclockwise now. Start from the east most candle.” The ritual was a slow process, but she could already feel the coil of anticipation in her stomach. Soon they would be making their sacrifice.

A huge knot of anticipation had wound itself up in the pit of Blanche’s stomach. Anxiety that wasn’t quieted as August screams ripped through the air. Vengeance. August Thompson signed his life away the second he tried to sign Nell’s. She felt no mercy for him or for his screams. A part of her wondered if she should feel something, anything, as she looked at him writhing in agony, forced to follow Luce’s orders. A means to an end, Blanche reminded herself. Her eyes flickered to Bea’s ghosts. “Bea says to spread the ashes evenly,” Blanche said, with a quiet sigh. “And to light candles starting counterclockwise. Starting from the candle furthest to the east.” She bit her lip, pushing her hair back out of her face before she addressed Bea herself. “Bea, come here. Stand by me so you don’t hover too close.” Blanche said quietly. “Let them work, they know what they’re doing.” It would be hard enough anyway. Blanche watched moments longer, before she made the decision to turn around, turn her back on the ritual proceedings. It didn’t do much to stifle the feeling in her, but it would make sure she didn’t end up throwing up everywhere.

Swallowing, Winston looked at what they were doing to August and tried not to react. It was sadistic. The pleasure that the sisters were appearing to take in August’s suffering. There wasn’t a doubt in their mind that August deserved this, but Winston was consumed with guilt. Glancing over at Blanche, Winston locked eyes with her for a moment before taking a breath. This was their decision and they weren’t backing down now. Celeste was dead. Bea had been taken from them. They had saved the town but now literally had a third eye in their hand. They’d been forced to burn Selkie pelts for Ricky, to say goodbye to beings who had been ruthlessly hunted. This was their chance to give something back and maybe reset the balance, even if it was just a little. Winston followed Blanche, well, Bea’s instructions and lit the candles as they were instructed, starting at the east and working their way around.

Once the others had completed lighting the candles, Luce poured gin from a flask on her hip into the silver chalice that rested on the altar. The scent of gin filled the air and she muttered the words they’d all practiced countless times over the chalice, handing it to Nell to do the same. The ashes had been scattered, the candles lit, and the offering made. Luce refused to look at her sister’s ruined body and where it lay in the circle-- not until Bea was back. Not until she was here with them all would she look at her sister. Because… if it went wrong, if the resurrection didn’t work, she didn’t want her last memory of Bea to be this decayed corpse before them. No, she would hold onto the memories of her sister from before. Swallowing, Luce prepared herself mentally for the ritual. She needed to be present, needed to be here with the other two. She couldn’t do what they did, didn’t understand the intricacies of the circle or the marks or the words they said. She could only provide the fuel, the extra magical energy they would need to bring Bea back. Next to her, August shivered in fear, though he didn’t make a sound. Good. He could save his screams for what was to come.

Nell accepted the chalice as she chanted, still never sure what to make of Bea speaking through Blanche even though it had been weeks at this point. She wanted to hear her sister’s words in person, to know the rise and fall of her voice once again rather than get them secondhand. Of course she was endlessly grateful to Blanche for what she was doing, what she’d done, but it simply wasn’t the same as having her sister next to her, creating the words of her own will. Once Nell had finished with the chalice, she passed it over to Winston, feeling her magic beginning to flow as the ceremony truly began. They were here not to create new life, but to restore it, to bring it back from whence it had been wrongly robbed. To breathe life back into her sister, to bring the warmth back to the home, and reignite the hearth. These were the thoughts that filled Nell, though they were colored by darkness around the edges whenever she chanced a look at August. They were also here to exact retribution, to right a wrong and restore the balance in that way as well. 

It was difficult to move away from her body. Bea wanted to stay near herself and make sure she didn’t fall into ruin anymore than she already had. She looked wrong like this, but Blanche was right, she had to trust them. She floated over to Blanche, humming as she came to a stop near her. “I don’t know what it’ll be like when they pull me back into my body. I’ve read some people felt it was calm or nothing at all. Others described it as agonizing. I’m not sure what will happen.” She didn’t say it to scare the young woman, but rather prepare her for what could be seen or heard later. As the chanting started, she felt a pull in her chest. It was faint, but she could feel it getting stronger. She smiled slightly as the magic flowed between them all. She hadn’t felt it since she died, but now she was in it. It was a breath of fresh air to feel magic once again.

Blanche glanced at Bea as she spoke. She had wondered what it would feel like to see someone’s soul pulled away - whether or not it would be anything like it was when they moved on past this plane of existence or if it would feel violent. Blanche swallowed hard, and nodded. “Whatever happens…” Blanche said, her throat closing slightly. She glanced over her shoulder, back at the ritual, before looking at Bea. “They’ll take care of you. I’ll take care of you. And may you go in peace, Bea.” Blanche said. “I’ll see you on the otherside.”

Winston watched the chalice as it was passed across to them. They’d long ago memorised the words to this specific ritual and they pronounced every phrase flawlessly. They’d practised this for hours. They weren’t going to make any mistakes that would risk Bea’s return. There was a tension in the air. August lay there. Blanche wasn’t looking at them and honestly Winston couldn’t blame her. Their glasses were slowly sliding down their nose but they didn’t have time to push them back up as they grasped the chalice and continued their chant. A thin bead of sweat rolled down their jawline. Winston knew it was now if they were going to back out. But they didn’t hesitate. No matter how much they wanted to not kill this poor evil bastard, Winston knew that this was the only way. Bea had to come back. Finishing their part of the ritual, they set the chalice down. Knowing that what was coming next was the part that worried them the most. 

Watching as the chalice made its way around them, Luce took a deep breath, steadying the magical energy that lay within her. As she did so, as she began to focus on the power within her, she felt Iggy still in her pocket, the warmth of the fire salamander growing and receding in time to her breathing. This wasn’t fire, it wasn’t the usual magic that they practiced together. But, he was her focus, her familiar, and he was family. Looking over at Nell, at Winston, at Blanche… Her mind went back to the conversation she’d had with Winston. They were all family. In all but name. They’d see this through, in the name of family. Reaching out, Luce took hold of Nell and Winston’s hands as she chanted in unison with the others. Her magic threatened to overflow, to pour out of her in a torrent of energy, but she held it back. A trickle to begin with, just enough to allow the others to adjust to the output. And then, when it was all in place, she’d push as much magic into the ritual as she could. It had to work. This had to work.

Nell could feel their magic energy swirling within the circle, relatively contained for the time being as she made sure to focus their energies in the right place. She was providing energy as well, but she also needed to focus it, to make sure the magic slid into the proper nooks and crannies and followed their intentions to a tee so that everything went to plan, so that she got her sister back. So that she could once again have each of their hands in her’s to face the world together. But for now the hands she was holding were Winston and Luce’s as their power continued to grow. And then— it was time. Time to take back whatever power August had stolen from them, to erase the ugly stain he’d made on their lives. Time for the sacrifice. There was no reverence in this one, not like how Nell usually made her sacrifices. August wasn’t worthy of that. The life within him might be worthy of respect, but not what he’d made of it, not what he’d done with it. She raised the athame, looking straight into August’s eyes as she continued her chanting, wishing she could make this hurt. But for the ritual it needed to be neat and quick, and though she wanted her revenge on August to be long and fulfilling, she wanted Bea back more. The blade fell, making a neat, and perfect line across August’s neck as ruby red drops began to fall. As she spread the sacrifice carefully, she swore she could feel the life leaving him, pooling and preparing, looking for a place to go. They would give it that place. With the same knife, she cut her palm, painting her fingers with her own blood before rising from her spot to approach Bea’s body. Carefully, she drew the soul binding symbol on Bea’s side, at the very top of her ribcage. And thus, the ritual was completed, one final thought pushing the rest of the magic forwards. Come back to us. Please.

Bea watched with a certain amount of glee as Nell slid the knife across August’s neck. This was power. This was absolutely brilliant power. She could not control herself now as she left Blanche’s side, the pull in her chest impossible to ignore now as Nell sliced her palm open. As the Mark was placed in her skin, Bea felt herself pushed back into her still healing body. She could feel as the flesh of her neck began to stitch itself back together. The decay that bloated and twisted her being forced out with magic. She could feel it all but she could not open her eyes to see. She could not move at all. She was stuck in her body, unable to command it. Her mind raged as she attempted to force control that would not come so soon.  She could feel her heart begin to beat, begin to race as panic flooded through her. She was supposed to be able to move already. Her tests had moved quickly after the ritual. Something was wrong. She was trapped within her own body. How would they know that she was stuck in here? They would think they failed and she would be stuck in her own body forever.

Winston felt it before they saw it. The power, the energy that flowed through them. Through Luce, into Winston and then onto Nell and then back around. The loop of power running through itself over and over again. The energy flow was addictive and Winston felt it. A drip. Drip. Drip. Then the collar of their shirt began to soak through and Winston felt their body temperature skyrocket. The phone in their pocket began to vibrate and heat up and Winston refused to let go of Luce or Nell’s hands but they could feel sweat pouring out of them. The energy, the fatigue, the new sensation, it was almost all too much. Then the energy began to build inside of them and Winston felt the heat physically radiate off of them. They struggled to center themselves, to find the inner serenity that they relied on. Looking down at their shirt, Winston spotted the blood, and then looked at Bea. Had it worked? Was this … was this normal? 

Power. It was all she could provide, it was all that Luce was good for. She knew that, she’d always known that, which is why the moment Nell drew the mark on Bea’s side, the moment she’d felt the pull of the magic, she’d given in completely. She threw all of her magic into the ritual, fueling it, letting it rush into Nell and Winston and spurring it on as the energy circulated round and round among them. It poured into the circle, flooded into Bea’s body. Rage, anger, fear, and overwhelming love rushed over her as she continued to throw everything she had into the ritual. A bite of pain sprang forth from the left side of her neck and she felt something warm trickle against her skin, staining the collar of her shirt. Ignoring it, she continued to focus on giving the others everything she had left in her. Her breathing, calm and even became ragged, stuttering while a dull aching pain filled her left arm. Against her leg, she felt Iggy squirm, but she ignored him. All that mattered was Bea.

Nell’s gaze was trained solely on Bea, willing her to rise with a desperation that was unmatched by anything else in her life. It took her a long moment to register something warm dripping down her neck, and her concentration on her sister’s was momentarily broken by her confusion. When her hand came away from her neck washed in new blood, she didn’t understand where it had come from until she looked up at Luce and Winston. Lines. Lines of blood across all three of their necks that mirrored the one that had ended Bea’s life, that had been drawn across her own throat. “Something’s wrong,” Nell said instinctively, knowing this shouldn't be part of it. And there was still too much magical energy diving through the air, moving around each and every one of them. It should have been gone, the ritual over now. A moment after the worrisome realization had sprung from her, Nell let out a surprised cry of anguish, pain erupting at the end of her fingertips from which she’d drawn the symbol with, and where she’d wielded the knife. It took a long moment for her to realize what was happening, the picture of the very skin of her fingers peeling back on itself being too surreal to immediately process. Soon enough, the pieces of flesh were ungluing themselves from her at an even faster rate, revealing blood red sinew underneath them as the unimaginable pain began to rise to her wrists.

Bea wanted to scream, she could feel the pressure on her chest. She needed to scream. And so she did. Her mouth snapped open and a rasping scream left her. Her fingers and toes curled and finally her eyes opened. Bea could not remember why she was on the altar. She could only remember the barest of moments. A sword. Blanche. Wandering. Felix. She had been a ghost. She knew she had died. But she did not know how long she had been dead for. Her body succumbed to her commands now and she curled into herself, before looking up at the group surrounding her. Her eyes were blurry, but it didn’t take too long for her to understand what was happening around her. Something had gone wrong. They all were suffering. “Blanche,” She croaked out. “They’re dying.” Her voice was cracked, ragged, a whisper that she couldn’t seem to make louder. She had to wonder if her voice was going to be scarred like this forever. She pulled herself from the alter, but as she went to stand she was reminded of the wounds over her feet. Letting out a hiss of pain, she fell to her knees, crawling to Luce. “Luce. Luce,” She cried desperate. “Nellie,” She called next looking around wildly unable to focus her eyes long enough to find her.

She was back. The scream cracked Winston’s focus and they snapped out of the ritual that they had been so intent on completing. Now that it was done, and now that Bea was back, Winston felt as if they had a thousand volts flowing through them. Their phone was hotter then ever now and it almost felt like it was expanding a little but Winston ignored it. Sweat poured down their neck and back and they snapped to attention. As Bea fell to her knees Winston raced over to her, completely ignorant of the fact that there was something wrong with Nell or Luce, completely ignorant of the fact that there was something wrong with them. Bea was back. They’d done it. Joy filled their veins and they skidded to a stop on their own knees, wrapping an arm gently around Bea. “Hey, Bea, it’s fine don’t worry, Luce is …” Winston went to look at Luce and immediately knew that something was wrong, trying to stumble to their feet with Bea wrapped over their shoulder, Winston lurched towards Luce, “fuck, fuck fuck fuck. Luce. Blanche, please HELP.” Tears sprung to their eyes. They hadn’t gone this far. They hadn’t done all of this to lose Luce now. 

As she watched Bea’s body begin to shift, her knees curling in toward her chest, as though she’d only been sleeping, a wave of relief rushed over Luce. She was alive. She was back. She was safe. Luce did her best to smile at her sister, tears filling her eyes. But, her smile faltered. The magic that she’d been so focused on using to drive the ritual onwards, it was still flowing out of her. And, for the first time since she was a child, she could feel it seering against her. A foreign heat, snapping and wild, lashed out at her and scorched the skin of her chest. Her arms ached and fell to her sides as she was brought to her knees, her breaths coming in halting gasps. A pressure, heavy and unyielding, it weighed heavily upon her as she struggled to remain upright. Her vision began to go black around the edges, what little she could see an unfocused blur. She gasped for air, trying to will stubborn lungs to motion. All in vain. Darkness closed in and Luce collapsed to the ground. The last thing she remembered was seeing Bea and Winston, rushing towards her.

The feeling of Bea’s soul faded away completely, and all was silent. Something’s wrong. Blanche whirled around just as Bea’s strangled scream ripped through the field. They’re dying. Things happened so fast after that, Blanche registered the blood and skin peeling back on Nell’s arms, she didn’t even know what the hell was wrong with Bea, Winston on the ground and screaming, and Luce falling back into the grass. Triage. Luce was dying. Luce needed help the most. She moved instantly, fumbling for her phone. One quick message - Help. They’re dying. I need help. - later before she slammed into the ground next to Luce. She felt like she was going to puke. No, no. There was no time for that. “Everyone stay put!!” She yelled. “Stay where you are. Now.” It had been a long time since Blanche had taken a CPR course, but she was going to kiss whoever at UMAINE decided a First Aid course counted as a gym credit. She leaned over Luce, a couple hard prods to her shoulder. “Luce? Luce?” No response. She tilted Luce’s head slightly, lifting the chin and bending over her to listen to her breathing. Rather, lack thereof. She was supposed to wait 10 whole seconds before she started CPR. She remembered the instructor. Some uppity old woman who would yell things at them like they would remember it. Well, Blanche did remember it. Hands on too if each other, she was over Luce in an instant, delivering hard compressions to the middle of her chest, practically throwing her bodyweight into it. Fuck. Fuck. What was happening? Come on Luce. She tilted her head back, bending to give her a rescue breath before continuing chest compressions. “Whoever’s least injured, check on Bea!” Blanche demanded. 

Nell knew Bea was the one who’d been brought back to life, but as she heard Beas voice’ changed though it was, she felt as if she’d been born anew. Bea was alive. And just like that it was like a dam broke in Nell, one that she’d been building up for weeks to hold everything behind, her anxiety steadily climbing until this point. But Bea was alive- she was here. “Bea?” she managed to get out through the pain, her arms still peeling all the way up to her elbows and not showing a sign of stopping. She didn’t know if it was from relief or pain that tears ran down her cheeks, the two emotions far too much for her to handle at a time like this. But in the same moment she gained a sister it seemed she was losing another, and the utter joy that had bloomed in her heart was instantly turned back to terror. “Luce?!” Somewhere in her mind, she knew her skin was still coming off in ribbons, the pain of it impossible to ignore as countless scars gathered from her blood magic over the years disappeared with her skin before her very eyes. And yet- there was no greater pain than losing a sister. She knew that from experience, and she wouldn’t let it happen again, not now, not so soon after they’d just gotten Bea back. They’d been whole for all of two seconds before the world was thrown into chaos again. Bea or Luce? Bea or Luce? She didn’t have to make the decision as Blanche rushed in. Nell knew she needed to stand back, let Blanche do her work no matter how much she might want to toss her aside to check on her sister. “Bea?” she asked again, instinctively reaching out for her sister, but pulling back as pain burned fiery hot through her again, her arms painted in red.

Winston cowered by Bea. They were too weak and simultaneously too restless to do anything. They’d never felt this tired in their life and honestly the adrenaline of Bea’s warm body next to them was more then enough to keep them going but they knew that it was only a matter of time before they collapsed from sheer exhaustion. They’d actually done it. They’d done it and now something worse was happening. They listened carefully to Blanche, out of them and Nell they seemed like they were the least hurt and they did a quick once over of Bea. Though they weren’t sure that they were in any state to be administering medical attention. “Hey, welcome back, Blanche’s got Luce don’t worry,” Winston knew that they would likely have to physically restrain Bea, but it was important Blanche did this without distraction, “are you hurt? Are you okay? How do you feel?” They were doing everything that they could to not think about Blanche taking care of Luce. Doing everything they could not to panic about what might be happening to their friend. They said a silent prayer to a god they didn’t believe in. Not after everything. They couldn’t lose Luce now. But they needed to take care of Bea. Make sure she was okay. “Nell, shit, Nell your arms.” Winston didn’t know why it had taken them so long to notice their friend, but their phone was burning their skin right now and as they pulled it from their pocket and threw it on top of their bag they for the thousandth time wished they’d learned healing magic. “We’re going to be fine,” fuck. They had to be.

They kept screaming something but Bea couldn’t understand. Someone was on Luce. Who was that? Blanche? She let out another groan. “Luce! Nellie!” Her vision just kept getting worse. In her panic, she fell away from Winston, and began to crawl once again. Her arms gave out. Falling down she rolled over onto her back. Breathing in and out heavily, she struggled to calm herself. “I can’t see well. Everything is blurry.” How did they know to use necromancy? She had too many questions to ask now. Her head went back against the ground. She was exhausted. Struggling to keep her eyes open, she simply went, “It worked.”

#wickedswriting #chatzy #last shadow on the sun #miss beasha #ch:bea #ch:luce #ch:winston #ch:blanche

[nelllraiser]

extermination | luce, blanche, winston, & nell

PREVIOUSLY: Plot Drop Page, Plot Overview

LOCATION: August’s Cave.

TIME: 8:28 PM

PARTIES: Luce Vural, Blanche Harlow, Winston Dane, Nell Vural

CONTENT: Sibling Death mention, Torture (briefly, as a treat)

It was time for one of the final steps before bringing Bea back to this world. Time to cash in on the sacrifice they’d decided on what seemed like forever ago in Bea’s necromancy clearing. Today would be August Thompson’s last day of freedom before they brought him in, and it was quickly coming to a close. Adam had given Nell the instructions on how to find the little rat, as well as set the stage for them, dismantling as many magical obstacles as he could with the genius idea of torple ooze when he’d been here to do recon. Now it was up to them. Nell had asked Blanche to cut the engine a fair distance from the cave August was meant to be hiding in, as there was no need to alert the man that they were coming. Even though he wasn’t a particularly accomplished caster, it would always be better to have the element of surprise. Adrenaline pumping, this wasn’t like Nell’s other hunts, the bounties she took and tracked to bring in for cash, this was personal. There was no talking as they approached the entrance to August's hideout, and as they neared the mouth of his pathetic hideout, she nodded to Luce, silently making sure her sister was ready to get the fire perimeter ready. Of course he’d been holed up in a cave. It was fitting for the filthy, cowardice worm he was.

The entire car ride over, Luce had sat in absolute silence, focusing on her breathing. Though the blood thrummed hot in her veins, the magic yearning to break free and destroy the earth around them, she had held it in check. She’d shut her eyes, practiced her meditation, and let Blanche drive them to the location Adam had given her sister. Adam. She never would have thought the frat boy hunter would be someone she felt indebted to, but here she was. She’d never be able to repay him for what he’d done for her, for her family. As they crept through the forest, Luce maintained her calm expression. She had to hold it together. If her magic went wrong, if her fire burned too hot, got too close-- August would be dead. And he couldn’t die, not just yet. Not until she’d made him suffer. Glancing over at Winston, she checked to make sure they were ready too. “Time to smoke out a rat.” She muttered under her breath before releasing her magic. Fire shot out from her fingertips, creating a semicircle of flames around the mouth of the cave. The flames weren’t high now, but with time, with power, she’d be able to create a wall of fire. He’d have nowhere to scurry off to then.

There wasn’t quite a word for how Blanche felt about August Thompson. Hatred was good, for what he did to Nell and for what ultimately happened to Bea, but it wasn’t exactly useful to focus on that as she cut the engine when directed. August was a means to an end - he deserved to die for what he had done, and his life could be used to bring back Bea. It was perfect, really. She was hot on Winston’s heels as they sped quietly through the forest on foot. They left the car behind, but it shouldn’t be too hard to drag the little worm back to it once they got their hands on him. Luce and Nell would distract him while her and Winston would go in and grab him. August likely wouldn’t go down without a fight and while she didn’t have magic or reliable telekinesis on her side, she did have acidic mace from Cece and her taser on her.  Luce’s wall of fire went up, surrounding the perimeter to smoke the dickhead out. She swore in the distance that she heard some sort of shrill screech as they approached. Blanche scoffed. Worm boy, here they come. Blanche didn’t start worrying until she heard faint knocking sounds, like someone was rapping their knuckles hard on a wooden door. She paused, eyes narrowing in the darkness. “What the hell is that?” Blanche hissed quietly.

Watching the wall of fire explode around their target’s house, Winston swallowed and tried to keep their breathing even. A quick puff of their inhaler later and they were creeping closer and closer. They were well prepared with a variety of gadgets, the taser that they had been working on and even the hunting knife that Ariana had given them from Celeste’s collection. They weren’t sure why they needed a knife but it felt right. “I don’t know what the hell that was,” Winston paused as they listened for the knocking noise before it was joined by a shrill cry. Was that an old women? Winston wasn’t sure but they could definitely hear something. A sing song voice bouncing the wind. “Have you come to get me?” it asked playfully and then almost out of nowhere Winston spotted a small boulder the size of a basketball sailing towards Blanche’s head. “Watch out,” they shouted as they focussed on creating a barrier between Blanche and the boulder. A field of energy jumped to life between them and the boulder crunched against it with a crack before shattering into smaller pieces with a shower of dirt and gravel. “That was close, he’s got something here.” Winston said, looking around, the sing song voice and sound of knocking filling the air as they crept forward.

A smirk played on Nell’s lips as Luce’s fire sprang to life, blue flames reflecting in her eyes as she reveled in the fact that there was no escape for August now. She wasn’t nervous or scared, for she knew perhaps better than anyone the shortcomings of August Thompson. After being compared for most of their lives, it was hard not to. So no, she wasn’t worried about how smoothly this capture might go. Nell was eager to see the look on his face when he realized it was over, the way his fear would grip him as it dawned on him that he wouldn’t make it out of this, that he was a pig for slaughter. They’d make him hurt the way he’d hurt her, Luce, Winston, and Blanche. “His tommyknockers,” she said quietly as the things grew closer. It wasn’t all that much of a surprise to her, as they’d often been made to practice summoning together, and knew each other’s creatures of choice. So she’d come prepared, and quickly handed an iron dagger to everyone to help with the dispatching of the creatures. “We can make a path for you to get through to August, Winston,” she said as the hairless, wrinkly, creatures finally stepped into the light of the fires surrounding them and out of the maw of the cave, advancing quickly. “Happy hunting.” Then she was left to dodge a boulder that seemed to soar out of nowhere, rolling until her dagger was buried in the chest of a tommyknocker. One down, however many more to go.

“Of course that little piece of shit has Tommyknockers.” Luce grumbled, her hands outstretched, feeding the flames around them. She couldn’t lose her concentration, she had to make sure that the barrier remained secure. If August got through and escaped because of her, she’d never forgive herself. Concentrating on making sure that the flames continued to build and rise and burn, she watched as Winston deflected a boulder from smashing Blanche into the dirt. “Nice.” She nodded in their direction. As Nell pulled out her blade, Luce glanced over at Blanche. “Those fuckers don’t have nothing on us, but stay safe.” She said, not wanting the girl to get hurt. Blanche might have been able to talk to ghosts, but she was still just a human with no other major powers that could stop her from getting flattened by a boulder or stabbed by a knife. She didn’t want to be responsible for someone else getting hurt because of all this.

 Blanche watched the boulder come soaring into her face, deadpanned, before Winston shattered it into pieces. If she got taken out by some wimpy ass tiny boulder, she was going to be so pissed. “Who the hell names a monster tommyknockers,” Blanche muttered, taking the iron dagger from Nell without a complaint. She looked to Luce, giving her a wry grin. “I’ll be alright, don’t worry about me,” Blanche promised. She felt the nervous tingle of adrenaline in her body, tingling under her skin as she stepped forward to sink the dagger into one of tommyknockers - sparring with Nell finally was paying off, it seemed. Or, hopefully. Maybe she was a little clumsy, but she could fare on her own from them, and long enough so Winston could get a path back into the cave to grab the little weasel. She planted her foot into one of their stomachs, sending it sprawling backwards - and then she felt it. A small burst of energy that she used to throw the teeny eyed hairless creature into another. Good. Good! And she didn’t pass out! But as Blanche rushed forward to start stabbing them, ducking under another flying boulder as she went. “Winston, go!” 

As Blanche and Nell began clearing a path through something that they referred to as Tommyknockers, Winston forced themselves to choke back laughter at the name but sprinted off. The Tommyknockers were still pouring out of the cave and Winston jumped clear over the head of two before pulling out the knife that Nell had given them incase any decided to follow. They however seemed to have been kept relatively busy by their companions. Winston was glad that Nell and Blanche were here to keep everything busy and Winston was still incredibly impressed by everything that Luce was doing. That kind of magic would’ve knocked them out instantly. Hurrying into the cave, Winston followed it until the sound of the fighting behind them had faded away. There was a faint drip in the background that was almost too cliche for Winston to not say something, but there was no one to say something to. Instead, they reached up and whispered a quick spell. The runes on either side of their glasses glowed for a second before the lenses began to lighten and Winston could see much more clearly in the darkness. Night vision glasses were a cool idea, they just hoped it worked consistently. This was their first opportunity to really try them. Creeping forward, they began the search for August, who was apparently hidden.

Nell barely registered Blanche’s humor towards the creatures, far too focused on taking them out to take the time to laugh. She’d entered a mindset similar to that of the Ring or when she was after a bounty, but even more so sharpened, the stakes being much higher this time. As soon as one Tommyknocker fell under her knife it was on to the next, dodging rocks and the mangly arms of the summoned creatures alike as her knife kept finding targets, each kill making her bloodlust grow. She didn’t want these pitiful creatures, she wanted August. Somehow, in the middle of it all she managed to spare Blanche a prideful grin, still sharp with her desire to end this. But it was quite a ways Blanche had come with her telekinesis. Nell watched Winston disappear into the mouth of the cave, watching anxiously for them to return. For a moment the Tommyknockers stilled, the last of them pausing to join hands as their little bodies began to shake with effort. A low rumbling began, and slowly but surely, an avalanche of boulders began to fall from above. Shit. Instinctively, Nell dropped her knife, hands raising to the sky to form a shield-like dome not unlike the one she’d made when the Devil’s Gullet had exploded on her and Blanche. As each boulder hit and rolled off, it fell to the ground around them, spinning through Luce’s ring of fire to disappear. 

Breathe, just breathe. Luce used her breathing as the tempo at which she set her magic, letting the flames rise and fall with every intake of breath. Sweat dripped down the side of her face as she lowered her hands to her side while the flames continued to burn. She didn’t need her hands to maintain control over the fire, she could hold it all the same. The flames continued to rise and burn, illuminating the mouth of the cave with their eerie blue glow. She watched as Blanche and Nell fought the tommyknockers-- her eyes growing wide as she watched two of the creatures go flying away from Blanche. The flames flickered a bit and Luce fought to maintain control. She’d ask about it later. Instead, she kept her eyes peeled, moving out of the way of boulders that flew towards her. It took every ounce of her concentration to maintain the five foot wall of flames, but this was the only way she could help. Shields and stealth, she couldn’t do any of that. But, she could keep August trapped here. She could make sure he couldn’t escape. “Nice one.” Luce called out to her sister with a nod of approval as the boulders went careening over the wall of flames. They’d get this son of a bitch. Then they’d be one step closer to getting Bea back.

“Oh shit!” Blanche could only gape at the avalanche of boulders. Nell too care of it instantly, her knife falling to the ground as the tommyknockers joined hands, vibrating with effort to keep the boulders coming. She saw that once before, way back in January. The official confirmation that Nell and the Vural’s were spellcasters. She shook her head, using her free hand to pull her trusty can of mace from her pocket. Flicking the cap off, she sprayed. Cece had been a gem, fixing Blanche up with another can of the deadly, sprayable acid. The concentration of the Tommyknockers broke as Blanche aimed for their eyes, the knocking sounds turning into wails, their voices turning into wails as the boulders slowly came to a halt. Their chained hands broke and Blanche scoffed, shoving the mace back in her pocket and taking her knife to one’s throat. Oh. Gross. Gross. Grossgrossgrossgross - her stomach churned Blanche shoved it away from her, disgusted. She would absolutely throw up, but like, maybe later. Definitely not now. “Ew, ew, ew!” She could fight these things for a while longer, but she cast a worried glance into the mouth of the cave. Should she go after Winston? Did Nell want to go after Winston? “Come on, Winston..” Blanche muttered, kicking another tommyknocker away from her. “Grab the little shithead and let’s go.” 

Slipping through the cave, Winston was pretty sure that they heard an earthquake outside, but decided that it was more important to get August and to get out. They spotted them eventually, cowering at the end of the cave. He brought his hand up and looked at Winston. “You, please, help me, they’re psychopaths they’re going to kidnap me and kill me and,” Winston ignored August’s pleas. They knew that this wasn’t really the right thing. Killing someone in exchange for someone else wasn’t something that Winston could condone in their own head. But they didn’t care. They were taking control now. Winston fished in their pocket and threw a spherical object straight at August’s chest. It hit with a thud and latched on, seconds later thin wires exploded from the middle of the object as Winston forced the slender metal tendrils tightly around August, binding them in place. Fishing into their pocket, they slipped a ball gag into August’s mouth and secured it. Patting his cheek with a smile, Winston pulled him close. “August, I never knew you, we never met. But you fucked with Nell and you fucked with Bea, so I’m going to help them kill you and we’re going to bring her back. Then it’ll be like you never existed and the world will probably be a happier place for it.” Grabbing August’s skinny frame, Winston began dragging him from the cave, which was easier said then done because he was a little shit who wouldn’t stop wriggling and wouldn’t walk straight. “Uh, a little help, please.” 

The avalanche finally came to a halt, and Nell released the magic of the shield, feeling it still sapping away at her energy. Blanche had done a lovely job continuing to cut their numbers as Nell kept the boulders at bay, and her pride surged once more. It looked like those sparring sessions with Blanche were paying off. She wiped at her brow, blood from her kills leaving a line on her forehead, and then she bent to pick up her knife once more. It was time to be done with these little gremlins. In a moment she’d retrieved the knives she’d given to Blanche and Luce, letting them join the ranks of the one she’d been using. She let her magic pool around her until it grew so bright that it was hard to look at, and promptly thrust it into the faces of the remaining Tommyknockers, stunning them in place. Nell ran on the heels of her magic, using it as a cover while she darted in, throwing a couple of the knives with enough force to pin the little shits against the rock of the wall. From there it was quick work to delve the last of the knives into their hearts, ending them then and there. As if on cue, Winston appeared from the cave as the light of Nell’s magic faded, and she nearly breathed a sigh of relief. But rage was quick to fill her once again at the sight of August, and she wasted no time in going up to the man Winston had gagged and bound before harshly kicking him between the legs, reveling in the way he crumbled to the ground in pain. “There we go. Did you miss us, Auggie?” 

When Winston emerged from the cave, August bound, gagged, and trying to squirm away, Luce could feel her blood boiling in her veins. That little fucking bok çuvalı, thinking he could get away with this, that he could run off and pretend like he’d done nothing wrong? Cutting off the magic, the blue flames simmered and died down as she took a step towards him. The effort of it all had been immense, but she still had enough in the tank to walk. Watching as Nell kicked him between the legs, Luce bided her time. She had plans for August. Lydia still had her debt to pay and it was time for her to cash it. She didn’t know how the woman was going to help her get revenge on August and she didn’t really care. All that mattered is that she would. “Hey, August.” She growled from behind her sister, waving a hand at him. “Long time no see.”

 Nell took care of the remaining gremlin things with swift magic, and right on time too. Paintings slightly, she squinted at Winston as they walked out with August bound and gagged. “Ouch,” Blanche said plainly, with a shrug. She bent to help get August back to his feet, though if she were being honest she wouldn’t have minded dragging him, letting his head hit every rock and tree branch on the way back to the car, but she was tired now and that would probably take a lot longer than forcing him to walk back to the jeep. “Come on,” Blanche grunted, shoving him forward. “We do not have all night.” The walk back to the jeep was relatively silent, save for the August’s feeble attempts at screaming. It didn’t seem to truly hit him that this was actually happening until Blanche unlocked her car. The beep caused August to dig his heels into the ground and Blanche to crash straight into him. Blanche scoffed, August’s muffled cries getting louder and louder until - He was sent straight to his knees with a long and violent zap and low wail of pain. She stared at him. And then did it again for good measure. Blanche looked down at him, unimpressed as she clicked the safety back into place and handed the taser off to Nell. She rounded to the trunk of her car, popping the trunk. “Do we want to stick him in here?” she jerked her thumb at the trunk. “I have blankets.” 

Winston had made their threats. But they couldn’t help but wonder if they were really giving August enough of a hard time. Those fears were well and truly assuaged by the treatment that August got at the hands of Nell and Blanche. They hustled August towards the car and Winston slipped the trunk of the car open. “Well, considering that we can stick him in there and cover him with blankets, I’ll put a muffling spell on the trunk just in case anyone drives past.” Winston knew that they were going to need to get August from their cave back to the Vural’s without anyone seeing them and that seemed like the best way. “Get in,” Winston ordered as they shoved August into the car, “or my friend will zap you again.” That seemed to be more then enough encouragement for August and Winston slammed the door of the car shut as they slipped into the car next to Blanche. “He’s not going to get out of those wires without the magic key word and he can’t talk, Luce I’ll text it to you so he can’t hear it.” Winston said, already sending the message out to their group thread. “We should get going though, that made a lot of noise, those, Tommy…. Knockers.” It sounded sexual. Winston didn’t want to admit it but there it was. 

“Does he deserve blankets?” Nell asked back haughtily, though the attitude was strictly aimed towards August. She still blamed herself for Bea’s death, but she could only emotionally beat herself up so much. Now that August was in front of her, another party that was responsible for Bea’s death, here was a physical being she could hurt, within reason, of course. He needed to be relatively intact for the ritual. She smiled sagely as Blanche tased August, looking to Blanche with shining eyes full of thanks as she was also handed the taser. Getting into the car, she made sure to place herself next to August, waving the taser in front of him for a moment with that same, jubilant and savoring grin. “Something to keep us entertained on the way, yeah?” she asked before jabbing it back against his skin, letting the electricity jolt through the sad excuse for a human. A soft chuckle fell from her as he convulsed again, relishing the feeling of finally having him in their grasp.

Watching as Blanche and Nell took turns tasing August, Luce stood behind them. She’d join in later. For now, they needed to get him out of here. They needed to get back to the house, where she’d make the transfer over to her car and drive him out to Lydia’s house. Pulling out her phone, Luce sent a quick text message to Lydia, telling her that she was cashing in her favor. “Doesn’t matter if he deserves them, I don’t want him knowing where I’m taking him.” She said and threw the blankets over his head. Settling next to Nell, she watched as her sister sent jolt after jolt of electricity into August. Luce’s fingers twitched at her side, small sparks of flame dancing across her hand. She wasn’t strong enough, not yet. But one day… Her hand curled into a fist at her side and she looked at August, at his squirming, twitching body, still struggling against the bindings. With a growl, Luce slammed her elbow into his back. By this time tomorrow, they’d have Bea back. By this time tomorrow, their family would be whole again. Three would be one again. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

Kidnapping was a new one for Winston. But as with everything that they had learned and done in the last six months, Winston couldn’t help but feel slightly out of their depth. The idea that they were about to embark on a journey to do something that was fundamentally against the law of nature and physics and biology and in so many ways seemed counterintuitive was not Winston’s favourite. However, they were pleased with how well the tech magic had worked so far and they were also pleased that they could help their friends. If nothing else this looked like it was entertaining to Nell. Winston didn’t get involved in the abuse of August, it wasn’t their style. He was going to get his just reward soon enough. Winston was sure that their friends were doing a good enough job anyway. Making sure that August was securely in place, Winston adjusted the blankets before turning as they set off into the night. Only one thing left to do.  

#wikedswriting #chatzy #ch:luce #ch:winston #ch:blanche #miss beasha #extermination

[nelllraiser]

back to you | blanche, bea, luce, nell, & winston

PREVIOUSLY: Plot Drop Page

LOCATION: The Vural home and a clearing in the woods.

TIME: 3:27 PM

PARTIES: Blanche Harlow, Bea Vural, Luce Vural, Nell Vural, and Winston Dane

TRIGGERS: Sibling Death mention, Vomit (brief)

The struggle to stay on this plane was not something Bea had anticipated. Blanche had explained it to her, but she had stubbornly believed her determination would keep her tethered to this world. While it had been comparable to a blink for her, Bea had reappeared days later. Finding Blanche and then requesting that she gathered everyone involved felt odd. The idea that she was using Blanche for this twisted a knot deep in her gut. The guilt she felt only grew as she entered her home with Blanche, her sisters didn’t look like she remembered. “They aren’t doing well,” She whispered, more to herself than Blanche. She found herself reaching toward Luce, who stood closer to her, a ghostly hand brushing against a piece of loose hair. “Can you tell her that I’m proud of her for being so brave? I know her well enough to know that she’s putting on the strongest face she can.” She moved to Nell, her stomach twisting further as she took in the youngest Vural. Nell has always struggled so much to find her footing in the family, Bea couldn’t imagine that she wasn’t kicking herself for what had happened. “If it’s not too much, can you tell Nell that I would do it again in a heartbeat? This wasn’t her fault, it was my decision and sacrifice. I love them both so much.” Her fingertips brushed against Nell’s cheek. Even though Bea knew they were there to begin the road to her resurrection, she knew better than any of them that the chances of her coming back without issue was slim. “Thank you and Winston for being so good. I don’t know where they’d be without you.” She took an unnecessary breath in and looked back to Blanche. There was no time to thank them all for what they were doing for her and she should try to waste their time finding ways to explain it all. “Let’s head to my bedroom.”

Blanche was more uncomfortable with this than she had originally thought. Telling Nell and the others about Bea’s extracurricular activities had been enough, but having her around while she hovered around Winston and her sisters made her stomach twist and turn. She didn’t know how to do this. Blanche wished she had told Granny to come with her, but having two ghosts around four living people was going to be hard enough. She entered the Vural house much like she did the night Bea died: silent. The past week had been hard with Blanche finding Bea and having to explain to Nell that her spirit needed more strength before they could do anything, let alone the secret that Bea had been keeping from them. She raised a hand in silent greeting, feeling a little self-conscious about announcing that Bea was here - she didn’t know how to do this. What was she supposed to do? It was going to suck for all of them. As Bea went around, Blanche began mentally cataloging everything that Bea wanted to say, watching as she hovered around her sisters, reaching out to touch Nell’s cheek. Ah, shit, “Bea, don’t touch them,” Blanche warned, suddenly. Well, that was one way of doing it. She pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. The uncomfortable icy cold feeling was one thing, and Blanche realized that there was still some part of her that was concerned about possession, even if she knew Bea would never, ever do something like that, especially after she saw how screwed up it was. She shifted uncomfortably, not meeting anyone’s eyes. Did she tell them all what Bea said now or later? When was the proper time to deliver messages from the dead. “I need everyone to not talk a whole lot,” Blanche said, finally, picking a piece of wall to stare at. “I don’t - if everyone talks at once, I won’t be able to understand and it will get overwhelming pretty fast. I don’t -” She rubbed the side of her neck, glancing at Nell. “She’s leading us to her bedroom first,” Blanche warned. “Okay?”

As she stood in the middle of the living room, Luce wasn’t sure what she was feeling right now. Numbness, the hollow emptiness that she’d felt for the last week still clung to her. Now more than ever, after she and Adam had beaten the shit out of each other. But, as she listened to what Blanche said, the raw emotions that remained mingled with hurt, with fear, with anger. Bea was a necromancer? She had been practicing forbidden magic, dark magic? And she’d never told any of them, not until now? Jaw tightening at the thought of what those secrets meant-- that her perfect, wonderful, bitchy asshole of a sister had a dark side that even she hadn’t realized-- Luce kept her eyes trained on Blanche. At the sound of the girl saying her sister’s name, sharply in warning, a shiver ran down her spine. She was here. Bea was really here. She opened her mouth to speak, wanting to demand answers from her sister, to apologize for all the things she never said before, and to fucking curse her out for doing this. For leaving the two of them. But, she restrained herself. If Blanche needed quiet, she could do that. Whatever Bea needed… she would do. After she’d found out that August had been behind this, that August had been the one who had sent the hunter after Nell, guilt and practically dropped her to her knees. She could have ended this, before it even happened. She’d had August in her hands, had her flames inches from his face. She could have killed him, then and there. And the world would be better off. Instead, she was here, listening to a pink haired kid speak for her ghostly sister. At the suggestion of going into Bea’s room, Luce’s stomach clenched. “Her room? Why?” She asked, confused, looking at Winston for back up. They had to be as confused by that as she was, right? But, more than that, she didn’t want to step foot in there. She hadn’t even walked down that hallway since… that day. 

Nell hadn’t entirely understood when Blanche had told them all of everything that Bea had, and the necromancy had only been the beginning of it. Why hadn’t Bea told her when she’d been alive? What was it she’d been worried about- she couldn’t think that Nell of all people would have judged her, right? Was that even why she hadn’t told? Perhaps it was a little easier for Nell to grasp the concept of Bea doing questionable things, since she’d made her way into similar magic as well, but that didn’t make it any less confusing. More than that, it was strange to know that Bea was here, that her sister she’d already begun to grieve for was present and could see them, but she couldn’t see Bea. There were so many things she wanted to say to Bea, but it was a conversation she wasn’t willing to have in front of everyone. Besides, they were here to bring Bea back, and Nell wouldn’t let anything jeopardize that focus. After Blanche had told her about August, another part of her had broken, chipped off her heart as even more guilt piled on. Her fault had been undeniable in her mind’s eye even before she’d known about the coven member’s involvement, and it had only metastasized after. The cold spot on her cheek went mostly unnoticed until Blanche burst out, and Nell’s stomach turned. Had Bea? Was she the one being touched? She couldn’t decide whether it was comforting or repulsive, not entirely able to accept her sister’s touch when it was also a reminder of everything they’d lost, everything they could still lose if things went wrong. When Luce questioned, Nell simply nodded, more focused on the steps rather than the why, knowing that the faster they did this, the sooner Bea would be home. “You could stay and wait if you wanted,” she offered. The thought of Bea’s room was daunting, but Nell was ready to take on whatever might be needed to make this work. Besides, she should shoulder the harder parts anyway when she’d been the catalyst of it all.

In weeks and weeks of tragedy and fear and daunting challenges that had passed them by Winston was brave enough to admit that this was really hard. They were really struggling through, each day a little easier then the rest but with so much chaos and pain it was hard to notice that. Then this had happened. Finally there was something, a ray of hope and there potential. When Winston had found out that Bea was still there, as a ghost, as something that they could talk to with Blanche, Winston had known that they would at least get to say goodbye. But then they had found out about the necromancy and it seemed like everything was even better. It was a really long shot and Winston had some grasp of the ethical conundrum that surrounded this. They knew that there was always and exchange in magic and though they didn’t have any practical confirmation they knew that the cost would be heavy. But to maybe bring Bea back to them? That was something else entirely. But Luce and Nell hadn’t seemed as thrilled as Winston had expected? Honestly, consequences be fucked, they needed a win. There was so much bullshit going on with the town, with the demons and with everything else, everything with Ariana and everything else inbetween. Winston needed this and they weren’t going to stop until they had brought Bea back. “You got this Blanche,” Winston said reassuringly. Remaining silent wasn’t going to be easy but they needed to right now. Catching Luce’s gaze, Winston bit their lip. Going into Bea’s room wasn’t really what they wanted, in fact quite the opposite but what other option was there? “I think we should go, but I’ll stay if you need me to.” Winston hadn’t forgotten their promise to Luce. She was their friend too and they were going to support her through this.

At Blanche’s sharp warning, Bea moved away from everyone living swiftly. She had forgotten everything the medium had taught her about ghosts, her mind wiped clean when she had seen her little sisters. She tried to push away the guilt that pooled, knowing the feeling wouldn’t do them any good. Silently, she moved down the hallway to her room. As they entered, she looked to Blanche again, “We need everyone to get into the closet. The back wall is a false wall and everyone should be able to get through the illusion easily enough.” The false wall had been something Bea had asked her mother to help with, a way to hide her valuable things, and her mother had been all too excited to help out her eldest child. Bea didn’t want to think of how betrayed Nisa would feel if she knew that Bea used it for this. Hovering over a particular spot, she looked at the group around her. They’d do this for her, she knew they would, but it felt wrong to ask people so young to take on this burden. It would be something they had to live with and she hated the idea that her selfishness would be a regret for them later in life. She’d let any of them back out, she had told Blanche that none of them had to do this, and it was only this reassurance that had her speak again. “Under these floorboards is a safe. Before they touch the safe they have to say the charmed word.” Her mother, ever the advice giver, had suggested something impersonal. Bea had come up with güvercin, the Turkish word for dove. “The passcode is 6824 on the safe.” And then they would find all of her tomes and journals of necromancy. They have the opportunity to read every thought she had over the subject. The fact they would be able to see that this was more than a simple passing interest made her mind spin. 

Blanche waited quietly for Luce and Winston to decide what they were going to do, giving Winston a strained smile at their encouragement. She did not have this, but she had no other choice. Who else would Bea trust this too? Besides, Blanche reminded herself for probably the hundredth time, going through with this meant that Bea could come back. Bea could come back at the expense of the person that started this all in the first place. The thought of August made her skin crawl, and she shook it off. Hatred and anger would do nothing for them this second. She could wait. Blanche followed Bea down the hall, pushing into Bea’s room with little complaint. It should feel weird, going through a dead woman’s stuff, but it was different, right? With Bea there? Not exactly the same as passing out in Bea’s bathroom on her birthday, but still. Blanche ignored the queasy feeling, and held up her hand to Luce, Winston, and Nell as Bea spoke to her. Hopefully an appropriate signal to shut up and let her listen. “The closet?” Blanche asked, brows knit together, before she pushed through. She ignored all of Bea’s stuff, she couldn’t look at it right now. Sure enough, there was a false wall. Blanche pushed through it - “Everyone, this way.” Blanche called. Floorboards next. Blanche knelt down onto the ground, before working on prying open the floorboards Bea indicated. Realizing that she wasn’t giving much of an explanation she paused, looking up at them apologetically. “There’s a safe under here. You say - uh - güvercin -” The turkish word felt strange in her mouth. “And the passcode is 6824. And then everything you’ll need should be in there. Okay? Uh, help me pry up the loose floorboards, please.” 

Hands curling into balled up fists at her side, Luce shook her head. She hated the idea of going in that room, but if Bea needed them… she needed them. “No. I’m coming. I have to be a part of this.” She had to be there. Whatever it takes, she repeated to herself.  She had to be there, to do whatever she could to help Bea. She owed her that. She owed all of them that. If she’d acted back in that shed, August would be dead, he should be dead. She could have stopped all of this pain. Looking over at Winston, she gave a small nod. “It’s okay.” She said quietly. Following the others into Bea’s room, she braced herself as Blanche pushed the door open. A part of her almost wondered if it would look different-- if it had changed, because her sister was no longer there. But, when the door swung open and she saw the neatly made bed, a vase of flowers sitting on the bedside table. They had dried out and wilted, the water in the glass long since evaporated away. Were it not for that, the room looked just as it always had. She could have almost pretended that Bea would just… appear. Here. Whole. Standing in front for all of them to see. But, that wasn’t going to happen, not without them… doing what they had to. Following Blanche, her eyes widened as the girl pushed through the wall-- an illusion. Fuck, Bea. All this time, there had been a, a hidden room? Hidden floorboards, a safe, a dove? Grimacing, Luce shook her head before helping Blanche lever the floorboards up and out of the way. Sure enough, a safe lay underneath. “Fucking hell, Bea.” Luce muttered under her breath before looking up at her sister. “Güvercin… A charmed word.” She had no idea what was in this safe. She didn’t want to do this alone, didn’t want to do this without her. 

All of this...secrecy, it wasn’t entirely foreign to Nell. After all, she had her own hidden portion of the greenhouse that she knew how to access, hiding the things she didn’t want her sisters to see. But knowing what she did now about Bea, and seeing Luce’s reaction to all of these secrets coming to light- she should tell them, shouldn't she? Not now, of course. When things had finally blown over, though— when Bea was back...no more secrets. No more hiding things that could get one another hurt or killed. Even though she was guilty of the same, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat conflicted that there was a part of Bea she’d never known while she was alive, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel justified when it came to feeling kept in the dark, not when she’d done something of that same, and not when Bea’s ghost was standing here, dead because of her. Nell did her best not to see the room, using that selective blindness she’d been utilizing when it came to viewing the world and anything related to Bea. If she got too distracted by grief or guilt, she was worried she’d falter, mess something else up, and keep Bea from returning. Looking to Luce, Nell could see the unspoken words between them. They’d open it together, it only made sense. So as she joined hands with Luce, they uttered the word as one. “Güvercin.” A click as the safe opened, and then Nell was reaching forwards to reveal what was inside. Tomes, and what looked to possibly be handwritten journals, all with runes related to magicks Nell had yet to explore, though some of them were ones she could pick out, ones closer related to blood magic as a whole. To think that every time she’d come in here looking to steal Bea’s clothes, her sister’s secrets had only been steps away. “Alright- got the books.”

The treasure trove of journals and tomes were honestly enough to make Winston’s heart leap to attention in their chest. This knowledge was something really concrete and Winston couldn’t stop themselves from opening the first tome they could get their hands on and skim through it a little. Though with the somewhat cramped space really getting to grips with it there and then was tough.  The little that they could actually discern was fascinating and Winston itched to just take it all, sit down with it and really study everything. But right now they didn’t exactly have the time. “These could really help, if we are going to do what Bea wants then these will at least give us a reference point to work off of and the stuff in here, it’s all theory that I think we can re-create…” they fell silent once more as their eyes darted backwards and forth across the page. Exchange of energy on a much larger scale, was that a mention of a sacrifice or something along those lines? Winston didn’t have time to make an ethical judgement right now. They could wrestle with their morality after this was all over. Right now they had to act. “If that’s everything, maybe we should get out of the literal crawlspace and we can really read these.” It seemed kind of inappropriate to geek out about this stuff, but Winston couldn’t help but feel the rush of excitement at finally getting to grips with necromancy. Pushing their way back into Bea’s room, Winston couldn’t help the pang of sadness that overwhelmed them as they caught Bea’s familiar scent. Her perfume. Her shampoo. They didn’t know what it was, but that one smell was enough to send tears balancing in Winston’s eye. Determined not to cry again, Winston quickly wiped them away with their sleeve before anyone returned.

Somehow, being surrounded by the people Bea loved was lonelier than the moments she spent floating around by herself. She wanted to tell them so much, wanted to touch them, but she had to do it through Blanche and Bea had the distinct feeling the medium wished she was anywhere else. “If they want to do it, it’ll probably be safest to have another spellcaster with them for power of three. It would help in case there was any backfiring,” She mused, tempted to try and grab a tome. Letting them have access to work she poured over was a position of vulnerability she wasn’t entirely comfortable with. She forced herself back over to Blanche, careful to keep distance between them. God would this girl would never be able to look at her the same after this would she. “I can show you where the ritual would happen… But I need you to know it’s not going to be a nice place to be in. I think most of them will find it unnerving.” She took a moment and sighed,“Since you’re obviously more connected to this side of this, I think, Blanche, you might hate it the most.” 

Blanche backed away to let Nell and Luce at the safe, only moderately aware of Winston taking a moment to step out. She let them go, watching Bea closely as she hovered about and around them. If they could just get through this, Blanche could tell Nell and Luce everything that Bea said. And then once they did the ritual, Bea would be able to do it herself. It would mean so much more coming from Bea than it would coming from her. “Power of three?” Blanche mumbled, mostly to herself than to the others. “Winston will do it.” She was confident that Winston would do it, even without asking them. Maybe she’d be wrong, but she was pretty sure that they would do anything for Bea. She glanced at Bea as she came back over to her, unsurprised at her words. The whole thing made her skin crawl, so of course the place where the ritual would happen would make her hate it. But that didn’t matter. There were more pressing things to take care and to worry about than her own discomfort. “It’s okay, Bea,” Blanche murmured to her quietly. “This is important. You’re important. We’ll be okay.” 

Leading everyone to where the field was easy. Deep in the woods, a couple miles in, Blanche was happy she wore the proper shoes for a hike. It was quiet the entire way, save for the occasional comment from one of them. Blanche was determined to keep them all on the subject at hand while Bea was still here. They came through to the clearing and Blanche’s entire body stiffened like she had been doused in ice water. “Jesus Christ,” she muttered, stopping at the treeline. She looked back at the others, and pointed. “We’re here,” Blanche said, pointing. She turned away from it slightly. “The - Bea said something about you two -” she nodded towards Nell and Luce. “Getting help. The power of three. To help prevent the ritual from going wrong.” Blanche glanced at Winston, a little guilty. Technically, she had already volunteered them. “And this is where it would happen. I - This place…” Felt like death. “Is Bea’s,” Blanche said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

The power of three. It made sense, but it was just another stab to the gut. That had always been Nell, Luce, and Bea. But now— Bea was obviously unable to contribute, and Nell’s eyes automatically slid to Winston. She wouldn’t ask, knowing that necromancy was no small task to request of someone. “It makes sense. Big magic means more spellcasters,” she said as she shrugged, already beginning to walk the perimeter of the clearing. Truly, the energy was strange in this place, but Nell didn’t pay it much mind. She knew what death felt like, though it was different to feel it without her knife or magic being the one to cause it. “Are you alright, Blanche?” she asked once she’d returned, reaching out to give her friend’s hand a tentative squeeze. “You’re sure this is okay?” Nell looked around the clearing, looked at the faces of her remaining sister and friends, and squared her shoulders with that same fierce determination she’d forced herself to have ever since Bea had died, that same business-like tone filling her voice it tended to take these days. “We can start gathering things, then. The things we’ll need, and practice. We can choose a sacrifice to have lined up for the real deal.” A short pause before her voice grew darker, a sharpness entering her eyes. “I have someone in mind.”

The physical hike into the woods had been easy. The woods were familiar, even if the specific twists and turns that they took through it were not. But, though her body was more than capable of the hike, Luce’s mind was racing the entire hike out. The books Nell had pulled out, that Winston had poured over back at the house. They were definitive proof of the magic that her sister had been practicing. Dark magic. Cursed fucking magic. But, it was the only thing that could bring Bea back and it was the only way that she could fix the situation. It was the only way. And as much as she hated it, the bruises on her face, the blood she could still teach in the back of her throat was a reminder of what she would do. What she had to do. As they entered the clearing of the woods, Luce couldn’t help but shudder at the energy that filled the area. The overwhelming sense of death and powerful, fucked up magic washed over her and sent goosebumps down the back of her neck. Nell, for her part, didn’t seem all that bothered by it, but the dark aura that surrounded the place practically had Luce running for the hills. The only reason she stood her ground was because she knew that she had to do this. For Bea. For their family. Whatever it takes.

Looking over at Winston, she offered a tight lipped grimace. She couldn’t imagine how this must feel for them. “You good?” She asked quietly before paying attention to her sister. As she listened, Luce stared at the ground between her and Nell, eyes flicking over the landscape. Grass, flowers, it was so deceptively bare-- her gaze snagged on a bundle of herbs on the ground and then, another, not ten feet away. All around, there were herbs, a couple pieces of citrus, scattered around them. “Hang on.” Luce said before launching several small bursts of blue flame at the herbs on the ground. As the bundles went up in smoke, so too did the illusion. And the small group found themselves standing before an altar. One that looked used… Pushing the thought from her mind, she focused on the task at hand. Someone in mind. Nodding, she looked expectantly at her sister. “Who?” She asked simply. 

The hike to the clearing probably wasn’t all that physically daunting for the Vurals and Blanche. They were all … outdoorsy people. Winston on the other hand was most comfortable doing anything that didn’t require a high heart rate. “Yeah I’m fine,” Winston lied, “just need to get there so I can catch my breath, I really need to start hitting the gym.” Wiping a bead of sweat from their forehead, Winston fished their inhaler from their pocket and puffed quickly on it, pleased to find their breathing clear somewhat. “Of course I’ll be the third person, you don’t even have to ask, I wouldn’t want to miss out on all of this…” they weren’t really sure whether now was the appropriate time to attempt a joke but honestly they were hot, bothered and uncomfortable; physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, you name it and Winston was probably not loving it. Humour had always been a bit of a coping mechanism. “Seriously though, like I said, whatever you need.” Watching curiously as the illusion faded, Winston was pretty sure that they could guess at who this was going to be. But with everything that was happening now was probably not the time for guessing. There were two people responsible that Winston felt deserved to be used in exchange for Bea, it didn’t matter which they picked.

As the altar was unveiled, Nell considered it closely, stepping forwards to inspect it and try her best to begin familiarizing herself with it. To bring back the dead. She’d never particularly wanted to- hadn’t seen the allure. But- well- things changed when your sister died a gruesome death, one that should have never happened in the first place. Looking back over her shoulder, she watched and gave Winston a barely there smile, remembering all the times something like that had happened. And of course they’d offered to be the third. Their words came with mixed emotions for Nell, grateful that she had a third spellcaster she could trust, but conflicted with her worry of whether or not this was a classic situation of her pulling Winston into something they’d rather not be a part of. But then again- she knew they wanted to see Bea, too— to have her back in the land of the living. “Thank you, Winston,” she said with far too much emotion in her words, going to wrap a light hug around them before stepping back once more. As for the sacrifice- it was only fitting to bring the one who’d started this whole thing to justice, to give their life in exchange for the one they had stolen from Nell. And then he wouldn’t ever have the chance to hurt her family again, nor her friends, or anyone else. The world wouldn’t miss him, not a pitiful little worm like the coven member. “August,” she said with a small smile full of needles and a promise to finish what Luce and her had started in that shed those weeks ago.

It was strangely calming to be with her altar. This space had been her one, true place of privacy and while Bea was sharing it with her family now, it didn’t feel as bad as the tomes had. It brought more clarity to her than any other location had yet. She wondered if that was how all ghosts would feel here or if being a necromancer just made it feel safe for her. “They don’t know the risks of it yet,” She said to Blanche. “When they do, I want them to know it’s okay if they back out.” She wanted to come back, truly she did, but making anyone feel obligated to do something as serious as this was not something Bea wanted on her conscience. She moved slightly, as if to walk the perimeter, but remembered how Blanche wanted her to stay close by. “I could come back wrong. Disfigured or just a shell. Maybe violent and angry.” Inexperienced necromancers made mistakes often and neither of her sisters had done something like this before. Heaving another sigh, she looked toward Blanche,”I need you to find someone who’d be willing to take care of me if I come back like that. A Hunter would be good, just in case I’m violent.” Her gaze cut over to her sisters,“Please don’t tell them. I don’t want them to try to find ways around it or decide they’d do it themselves.”

Blanche stepped back once again to stand with Bea, leaving the spellcasters to discuss and plan - the sacrifice, August, the power of three, all the bullshit. She didn't want to look at the alter, and she didn’t want to be near this place anymore. Blanche didn’t hate that Bea practiced dark magic, the furthest thing from it, just like she didn’t hate that Nell dealt with demons, but she did hate this place in particular. As far she Blanche was concerned, this was just a means to an end. August Thompson would give his life because he had taken away Bea’s. Her jaw tightened, folding her arms over her chest as Bea started talking again. She tuned the others out, looking over at her. More risks. She knew the risks - or, well, apparently she hadn’t. Bea hadn’t eleboarted the night she appeared to her. She listened closely. The idea of Bea coming back wrong - coming back disfigured or violent or angry was terrifying. Something that she knew that Winston, Luce, and Nell would never ever forgive themselves for. Blanche paused. “I’ll find someone,” She said, softly. And then it was the thought of Bea being brought back from the dead, only to be ripped away from them a second time that made her stagger back to the tree line, bend over, and vomit. Shit. Blanche groaned. “Sorry. Sorry Bea -” Blanche wiped her mouth, waving it off quickly. She wouldn't tell the others, as requested.  This was Bea’s choice, not theirs. As much as she wanted to say something, she had to respect Bea’s wishes the most. It was Bea’s life, her soul. She took a deep breath, holding out a hand to stop anyone from coming to her. “Don’t. Don’t touch me, please. I’m fine. Her - uh, her head just fell off. Sorry. Sorry. … Sorry.” 

#wickedswriting #vomit tw #chatzy #miss beasha #ch:winston #ch:blanche #ch:luce #ch:bea #back to you

[nelllraiser]

huzur içinde yatsın | winston, blanche, luce, nell

PREVIOUSLY: Plot Drop Page

LOCATION: The Vural Home.

TIME: 11:03 PM

PARTIES: Winston Dane, Blanche Harlow, Luce Vural, Nell Vural

TRIGGERS: Death

Nell had first called Blanche, simply asking her friend if she could tell Luce and Winston to get to the house as fast as possible as they could no matter what they might be doing. Use the word emergency if you wanted, Nell didn’t care. All she knew was that if she talked to more than one person, she was going to spill what had happened over the phone, what she was still trying to process. Beyond that, she didn’t trust herself to call Luce or Winston, people that had grown up with Bea, people who didn’t know life without her. Her voice had shook when talking to the medium, breaking multiple times as tears threatened to spill over. She wasn’t sure Blanche had ever heard her like this, but it didn’t matter. What did matter at this point? Nell couldn’t think of much, as all she could see when her eyes closed was the sightless eyes of Bea’s looking back at her. Finally, everyone had arrived. They were all sat in the living room, but Nell couldn’t stand to look at any of them, not after what she’d done. Not after what had happened. Bea was everywhere in this house. After all, it was her house. Nell and Luce were just living in it. The touches of her everywhere didn’t help to calm Nell in the least, knowing that this was her news to bear, and she was about to ruin someone else’s life in the same way her’s had been not an hour ago. “There’s something I need to tell you all,” she started, not having a clue how to do this. She’d told others their loved ones had died, but never her own family. “Something- something bad happened.” Already her voice began to fail. How could she even begin to prepare them for news like this? 

There was a cold feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach that wouldn’t go away. Nell had been a mess over the phone. Nell was never a mess - at least, not like that. Blanche, practicing some semblance of self control, remained as calm as she could on the outside. Questions of what happened and what’s going on were dropped quickly, and she agreed to get Winston and Luce to the Vural house by any means necessary. Blanche used the word emergency with Winston, and she knew they would do the same with Luce. There was a remarkable calmness about her as she entered the Vural household, yet she was too anxious to sit, preferring to lean against the arm of the couch, her arms folded as she watched Nell. She looked so distraught, so upset. What happened? What bad thing happened? The question burned in her throat, and she bit the inside of her cheek hard and forced herself to stay where she stood. Nell needed to tell them something, and somehow she sensed that going to her with comfort this second wouldn’t be helpful. The cold feeling didn’t leave her as she glanced at Winston and Luce before looking back at Nell. Something wasn’t right, something was missing here, but she couldn’t quite put it together yet. “Nell,” Blanche started, faltering. She didn’t know what to say. “Breathe. It’s - we’re listening, it’s okay.”

Blowing through the stop sign, Luce gripped the steering wheel of her car tightly. After Bea’s text of warning, she’d tried to reach out to her. Tried to figure out what she mean, what was going on. But she’d never gotten a response. And, though she’d thrown herself into her work, instinct told her that something was wrong. Something was brewing and she wasn’t sure what. When she’d gotten Winston’s call, the pit that had formed in her stomach only grew. She hadn’t bothered listening to anything else after they’d said that Nell was crying. She’d hung up the phone and rushed out the shop without a word to anyone else. Slamming her foot on the break, she yanked her keys out of the ignition and ran into the house. The door slammed against the wall with a loud bang as she made her way inside, her hands curled up at her side-- was it a fight? Was someone after them? What was going on? But, as she saw the expression on her sister’s face, on Blanche’s face, the anger dissipated from her. Instead, fear replaced it. “What happened? What’s going on?” She asked, directing her question to the others, demanding that one of them explain.

Winston had been at work with Natalia when this had happened. But one phone call later and they were breaking every speeding law that they had so obediently followed previously. They had gotten there not long after Blanche but still before Luce. What the hell was going on? They had never been called to something like this and Winston wondered what supernatural bullshit had been going on to demand this sort of attention from them. But Blanche’s phone call had left no room for interpretation for Winston and they had hurried over. “We don’t know yet, Nell’s just about to tell us,” Winston replied as they lead her quietly over to the couch in the living room, “Nell, listen whatever has happened, we’re here to help.” They wondered what it could be. Nell looked so distraught. Winston almost considered texting Bea but they were sure that she was either already working on the problem or would be here soon. 

Nell’s head shook as her friends and second oldest sister gathered around her. Fuck. No. Just her older sister. Singular. What the fuck happened now that Bea was gone? There were just...two of them. Somehow, that felt most wrong out of everything she’d thought so far. She forced herself to meet Luce’s eyes, knowing that in this moment, she was the one that deserved to hear this straight on, the one that was going to feel this same, aching emptiness that was most similar to Nell’s as soon as she opened her mouth. She couldn’t keep them waiting, and there was no way to prepare them. Nell just had to do it, to tell them she was gone. Bea was gone. “I was being hunted.” Her voice was strangely steady for a moment, as if distancing herself from the words would make them easier to speak. “They were gonna kill me. And Bea-” she faltered, swallowing the emotion that welled in her throat to force herself to speak past it. “They killed her. She took the killing blow. She’s- she’s dead.” Unbidden, barely noticeable to herself as she was wrapped up in her emotions, the beginnings of a sob worked its way through Nell. “I’m sorry,” she apologized in a knee-jerk reaction. “I’m so sorry.”

Blanche could only watch silently as Winston went to take care of Luce, taking her back over to the couch. Her fingertips dug into her arms as Nell spoke and she processed the information. Hunted. Going to be killed. Bea took the killing blow. Bea is dead. So it was someone that was missing. Blanche froze. The cold feeling spread through her and she couldn’t move from her spot as her mind was silent. There was no processing, there was just... nothing. Blankly, she looked over at Winston, and then to Luce, and finally back to Nell. “Bea…” Blanche said, slowly. No, Bea was dead. She moved on her own, not quite feeling like she was in control as she went to Nell - her friend - because that’s what she was supposed to do right now. Bea had died for Nell. “What -” A question caught in her throat, and she rerouted. She wasn’t sure which one it was: what happened exactly, what do you mean, what now?  “Do you need?” Blanche finished. “Does the hunter know where you are??” Were they dead? Blanche hoped they were in the 78th ring of hell.

Luce let Winston lead her to the couch, but her back was stiff as she sat down next to them. And when Nell… when Nell looked at her and said those words. Her breath caught in the back of her throat as the world seemed to go black at the edges. She focused on the coffee table in front of her, at the coasters that sat on the glass table. The stupid fucking coasters that Bea always yelled at her to use. Closing her eyes, Luce drew in a deep breath. As though she was just meditating. As though she was channeling the fire that lay within her. She let the breath out. In. Bea was dead. Out. Bea was dead. In. Bea was… Out. Dead. Her hands shook as she clenched her fists together, powerless to do anything. She should have asked Bea what she meant, she should have questioned her sister. She should have done anything. Instead, she’d just… brushed it off. And now her sister was gone. Forcing her eyes to open, Luce pressed her head into her hands and let the tears run down her cheeks where no one else could see them. “No. No. She can’t be dead. She can’t be dead.”

 If you’ve ever felt your entire world shatter around you, then you will truly know what it is to be so entirely distraught, so entirely broken and defeated that you would do anything to take that pain away. Winston had been feeling numb since they’d dealt with their mime, but suddenly it all came flooding back. Every memory of Bea. One time when she’d put a plaster on Winston’s skinned knee when they were a kid, one time when she’d picked them and Nell up from High School, the time she’d asked them to join her show as a volunteer and the drink they’d shared afterwards. They were meant to be doing that again, but they had never found the time and now they would /never/ find the time again. Sucking in a breath of air, Winston didn’t move. Couldn’t move. Wouldn’t. The tears built in their eyes and Winston could barely bring themselves to blink them away until they were all but completely blurring their vision. They could only think of Bea. As hot tears burned a trail down their cheeks, Winston could only think of her show, her laugh, her hair. The way she walked. The way she talked. She was gone. They didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say. All they could try to do was come to terms with this new cruel reality. This couldn’t be real. 

Nell shook her head at Blanche’s questions as she saw the people she was closest with crumble. This was her fault. She should have been better, done better, been more careful, done anything to make sure that Bea was here. The world could survive without Nell, that much she was sure of. But Bea? She’d held so much of them together, even if Nell had fought it tooth and nail. It should have been her. It was her fucking problem to begin with. “I’m sorry,” was all she could think to repeat once more in that still broken voice. Speaking the words to those who also knew Bea, those who were close to her, it somehow made it more real. There was no going back now...was there? No matter which way they went nothing would ever be the same. Before she could hide and pretend that there was some way for Bea to come back, for her to fill their lives and hearts once more. But now everyone knew. And you couldn’t play make believe when the rest of the world took that hiding space and thrust it into reality, into the light. Nell reached out for Luce before drawing back, not even knowing what her sister might want, might need in a situation such as this. “It’s true, I- it’s true. I’m so, so sorry.” And then there was Blanche, caring for Nell and her safety, and asking reasonable questions. Just like she always did. Fuck, now she was one of them wasn’t she? Someone that pulled Blanche into these spaces and places that fucked with her happiness, comfort, safety. “It doesn’t matter.” She’d already been responsible for getting her sister killed, she wouldn’t let Blanche follow. Should she tell them? How it had happened, exactly? Would they want to know? And then there was Winston, simply speechless and crying.

She wasn’t sure if she had ever seen Winston truly speechless. Blanche certainly had never seen them fall apart like that. She glanced to Luce’s angry tears and denial. And Nell - poor Nell who just kept apologizing like this was her fault and that it didn’t matter about the hunter. It mattered to her. She was in the future, trying to figure out the way ahead without Bea. Blanche couldn’t see it. She touched Nell’s shoulder as she passed by her, grabbing the tissues off the end table and silently passed them to Winston before leaving the room. She was going to the kitchen, as she had so many times before to grab snacks or to harass Bea about something stupid or to sit at the table and have stupid talks about the morality of hunters. This time, she was getting water for everyone because they needed it. If they were going to cry they were going to dehydrate. Bea had been in the middle of cooking dinner. The scene made her stop only for a moment, like she was waiting for Bea to shoo her away because dinner wasn’t done yet. Blanche turned the stove off, before rummaging in the cupboards for cups. Soon, Blanche was shuffling back to the others, balancing four cups of water in her arms. She used the coasters - of course, she had to use the damn coasters - as she carefully set the glasses down before going back to her spot leaning against the arm of the couch. “Everyone needs to drink,” Blanche said, stiffly. “Please.”

Luce’s hands, still pressed against her face, slid back and she tried to smooth back her hair in an attempt to calm herself. Her dark hair hung like a curtain between her and the rest of the world, hiding her from the reality that was crushing down on her. Bea was dead. Bea was dead. Tears continued to stream down her face and she shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. Her sister couldn’t be dead. But, the more Nell apologized and the longer the silence stretched on, Luce was forced to confront the truth. She was gone. The tattoo on her left side burned, the peacock she’d gotten years ago, as a tribute to her sister. The prize Vural, the apple of their mother’s eye. She’d never even gotten to tell Bea that it was meant to be for her. Looking up at cups of water on the table, Luce took one with a shaking hand and held it tightly in her hand. She forced herself to down the water before rising from the couch on unsteady feet. Opening the liquor cabinet, Luce splashed whiskey into the bottom of her glass and threw it back. It barely burned. She poured another before walking back, setting the bottle in the middle of the table. “She’s…” The words caught in the back of her throat and Luce shook her head. She couldn’t say it. She wouldn’t say it.

Winston couldn’t bear it. The pain. The look of desperate despair in the pits of Nell’s eyes. Taking the tissue that Blanche offered them, they took a long, deep shaking breath. There would be time to think about Bea when they were back on their own. When they were home with Ricky and Rio. But now, their friends needed them. They couldn’t crumble now. Blanche had the right idea. Water. Tissues. They needed to try and be useful. But how can you be of any use when Bea was gone? Swallowing several mouthfuls of water, Winston stumbled over to Nell and wrapped her smaller frame in a tight embrace. “Hey, hey,” they whispered as they stumbled over something to say, running a finger over the hair that hung in her face, Winston tucked it behind her ear and handed her a tissue. “You don’t have to be sorry,” they said quietly, “we’re - I’m sorry, I know-” they choked on their own words. Hot, angry tears rolling fresh down their face before they spotted the whiskey that Luce had helped herself to. “I think, we could probably all use some of that right now…” they were in shock, the world was a mixture of numb one moment and then the agonising reality set in. If they kept busy, they could take care of the others first and then themselves later.

Everything felt as if it were happening around Nell rather than to Nell, like some other person had inhabited her body and all she could do was simply watch as everything unfolded. The world was a disconnected, far off place as her friends and Luce moved within it, and for a moment part of her wondered if the world felt this surreal...could this actually be a dream? Or rather a nightmare. Or maybe Bea hadn’t jumped in front of her? Maybe this was death. Maybe Bea was still alive and well, settled in their house. But somewhere in her she knew that to be untrue, even if she wished it wasn’t. God, everyone was trying to help, to try and fix things as Blanche and Winston hovered around. Somehow that made it feel worse. “I do- I do, though. It’s my fault.” They deserved to know that if Nell hadn’t done the things she’d done, Bea would still be here with them. Would they hate her? It didn’t matter at this point, did it? What was another blow when her sister was no longer here? Somehow ever worse was watching Luce, her confident sister who met everything head on simply...sitting there and drinking. Just as broken as she was. “Stop,” she began quietly as they tried to make things better. “Stop it, it’s fine.” It’s fine. There was nothing further from the truth, but part of her wanted this pain, to let it pull through every inch of her body until it consumed her. It was better than being numb, wasn’t it?

It’s my fault. Hearing those words come out of Nell broke Blanche’s heart. The final blow had been meant for Nell. She had said that. Bea died for Nell, as any big sister would. That wasn’t Nell’s fault. That would never be Nell’s fault. Winston went to Nell to comfort her, Luce was angry and drinking, and she… Well, all she could provide everyone with was water. She didn’t feel anything. Bea was gone, what the hell was she supposed to feel? For most of her life, it was far easier to be angry than it was to be anything else. The deep hatred and anger at whoever had done this was lingering in the back of her mind, but that was the last thing Nell needed - the last thing any of them needed right now, really. She shifted, knowing Nell would lash out if she insisted that it wasn’t fine and it wasn’t her fault and Bea was gone. Blanche drew in a deep breath, standing up straighter. “What do we want to do?” she asked, softly, the question posed for everyone. Something to keep them going - to keep her going. Someone needed to clean the kitchen. She could clean the kitchen for Luce and Nell. She was still anxiously worrying about the hunter. Where were they? Where had they gone? Were they alive?

The whiskey barely tasted of anything as Luce sipped it, staring out blankly in front of her. She still didn’t understand, she couldn’t understand. How could her sister be dead? How could someone have hunted her down, how could they have killed her? And where was Luce in all this? Where had she been? At work. Jaw tightening, she swallowed a mouthful of liquor. At work. Not at her sister’s side, not where she could have done anything. At fucking work. Nell’s words trickled in through the dull haze that clouded her mind and she stared at her sister, aghast. “Nellie… This isn’t your fault.” She said, blinking at Nell. No matter what happened, no matter who the hunter had been going after, this wasn’t her fault. This was no one’s fault but the hunter who killed their sister. Moving to her sister’s side, Luce wrapped her arms around her, holding her tightly. “None of this is your fault. None of it.” She whispered, shaking her head as she buried her head into Nell’s shoulder. “Onun için güçlü olmalıyız,” Luce mumbled. They were going to be strong. Strong together. Strong for Bea.

It's my fault. There could've been nothing further from the truth. There wasn't a single part of Winston that believed for a second that their friend could be responsible for the tragedy that had befallen them tonight. Or today. Fuck. Winston still couldn't believe it. But they knew Nell, she had /always/ been there. She'd always loved Bea fiercely and although sisters were sometimes wont to fight, they had never been malicious. There was no way that this was Nell's fault. Winston didn't need to know what had happened to know that this wasn't her fault. "It isn't fine, Bea is gone and that will never be fine, but you must not blame yourself, whatever happened, short of you taking her life yourself then someone else choose this for her. Not you." They moved over to where Luce had been stood and shakily filled three, no four glasses with whiskey. Handing them out, they drained theirs in one swift motion. For once the whiskey seemed to burn their throat less harshly, it certainly didn't compare to the heat their tears seemed to burn into them. Those burns didn't even compare about the icy cold burns that were currently enveloping Winston's chest. Like a tight sub zero vice, crushing their ribs and squeezing the breath from them in silent sobs and tears. "To Bea," they sobbed, draining their glass a second time, the alcohol wasn't helping. Why wasn't this working? Why didn't anything work? Why had this happened to Bea? To Bea of all people? Stepping forward, they placed a hand on Luce’s shoulder and reached out to take Blanche’s hand for a moment, squeezing it. “We don’t have to do anything tonight, we just, tonight’s for us.” 

What do we want to do? What was there to do? Why hadn’t the world stopped spinning when Bea died? Why were the bits and pieces of it still moving when their own little world had crumbled? How was any of it fair that life seemed to go on whether or not Bea was here or not? But the words reminded Nell of something, though she wasn’t sure how the rest of them would take it. “Mom’s still in Turkey. I don’t think- we shouldn’t tell her. Not yet. I want to- there’s things we need to figure out, first. Just...keep this between us. Please?” Was that even fair to ask of them? Who was she to dictate their reactions with this whole thing? As for who’s fault it was, Nell simply shook her head at their denials, not having the strength to argue as she let herself be taken in by Luce, wrapping her own arms around her sister as they held each other up. That’s how it would have to be in the coming weeks. Trying to make sure neither of them collapsed into the ground. Blanche and Winston, they’d been close to Bea, but Luce would be the one who’d know this ache in Nell’s soul, who’s hole in the heart most closely matched that of her’s. After all, they’d been sisters. No one else could understand the feeling of losing a partner in life, not in the way she and Luce would come to know. There was truth in Luce’s other words, though. They must be strong for her. For Bea. Nell didn’t know if she’d even have the strength to lift the measly glass that Winston had offered them all. But somehow she did, her hand raising it as if it weren’t attached to her, her voice also strangely far away. “For Bea. Huzur içinde yatsın.” Then again, in English for Winston and Blanche. “May her soul find rest.”

Blanche’s hand only shook slightly as she gripped Winston’s hand tightly for a moment, before letting go. They were right. Tonight was for them. To grieve and mourn their loss, to comfort Nell and Luce, and to remember Bea. Granny would say something smart - about how kind souls like Bea give good energy back to the world or something else that made Blanche roll her eyes. She looked at Nell. Keep this between us. Please? She nodded. “I will. For as long as you want,” Blanche murmured. She held her glass up. “For Bea,” Blanche repeated. May she find peace. That’s what she deserved. Bea deserved peace. She deserved to be here. Before her eyes could start to water, Blanche knocked back her glass of whiskey, the burn the first thing she truly felt. She almost choked, but finished the glass anyway.  Finally, aloud, she mumbled mostly herself, “And may her soul find rest.” 

When Nell’s arms wrapped around her, it took everything inside Luce not to break then and there. To let the tears flow freely, to let her shoulders shake with grief and anguish and rage and pain. She wanted to, but her own words and the feeling of her sister holding her close were what kept her from curling up on herself and giving in. The cold, numb sensation she’d felt when Nell had said those words had left her with a gaping wound that she didn’t know would ever heal. Her sister was gone, her blood, the one who had always been there for her. From the moment she’d been born, Bea had always been there, watching over her. And now she was gone. Pulling away, Luce took the glass from Winston with a nod at them, then at Blanche. She couldn’t speak to them right now, but she acknowledged them. And all that they were doing for the two sisters. Two. That thought hung heavily in her mind. Two, not three. “Huzur içinde yatsın. May her soul find rest.” She said before tossing back the drink. And may her murderer's soul never know it.

Luce didn’t need to speak. No one did. Now was not the time that Winston needed to be the center of attention. "May her soul find rest," Winston echoed though in that moment that was the very last thing they wanted. Bea's soul had always seemed so bright, fiery and vibrant. She hadn't needed rest. She would've hated rest. They hated that she was at rest. They hated what this was doing to Luce and Nell, the pain so obviously etched on their faces in that dark moment of anguish and pain. Winston hated the worry lines that were already forming at the edge of Blanche's eyes. She hadn't cried yet. Winston couldn't blame her. Everyone mourns the passing of someone special differently and apparently they were doing all the crying for her as another fresh wave of them spilled over their eyelids and they had to angrily wipe the tears away with another tissue.  Winston hadn't even considered the matriarch of the Vural family. This would break her heart in two. "Of course, we won't say anything. Not until you two are ready." They wanted to say so much more, but they couldn't form the words. They couldn't pronounce anything. Their tongue felt heavy in their mouth. They hated this. Winston missed Bea. 

Her soul. Nell had just finished asking for peace for Bea’s soul, but what if it couldn’t find peace? In reality, she knew that Bea would most likely never be content to move on until she was settled in knowing that both her sisters would be okay, that they would make it through this. Would they make it through this? Was there even a light at the end of this tunnel? She wasn’t even sure it was a tunnel so much as a vast, dark plane that kept twisting, flipping her whatever direction it pleased so that she had no hope of getting her bearings. Bea’s soul. She had to let her know it was okay to move on...didn’t she? Or perhaps she selfishly wanted to apologize, to tell Bea that she’d been right all this time, that Nell had been stupid and reckless and she’d change everything about her life up until the moment Bea had died if it meant her sister could have stayed, that Bea would still be here. And maybe that’s why she latched onto Blanche’s arm, a grip that was a cry for help when she couldn’t bring herself to physically say the words. “Can you come with me?” It was the first thing she’d truly requested since she’d stepped into the house once more. “I need to get something in the kitchen and I- I don’t want to go alone.” It wasn’t a lie. The kitchen was where Bea had practically lived, cooking, baking, making her soaps, and Nell didn’t trust herself to be able to face it alone— to see a place where Bea had been so vibrant, knowing that she was gone.

Nell practically collided with her, grasping her arm tightly. Blanche was almost startled - she never liked being touched when she felt like this, but she wrapped a free arm around Nell. She almost didn’t comprehend the words. Don’t want to go alone. Come with me? Blanche took a second to process, glancing at Winston or Luce with worry. She just felt empty as she watched the tears in her friends’ eyes. “Yeah,” Blanche said distractedly. She shifted slightly, so she could easily lead Nell to the kitchen. She knew as well as anyone else that the kitchen in this house was Bea’s home. She looked back at Winston and Luce, unsure if they were going to follow or if Nell wanted it to just be them. What was she doing? Why was she worried about that? Blanche pulled gently. “I’ll go with you. I’m here,” she said, softly. She bit her lip a moment. “Let’s get what you need.”

As Nell slipped away, Luce was suddenly, painfully aware of the fact that Winston and Blanche were here for Nell. Yes, they knew Bea, they cared about her, they loved her too. But, they were Nell’s friends. Not hers. Rising to her feet, Luce felt the alcohol hitting her, harder than she had thought. It was, in a way, a welcome change from the overwhelming sense of grief. And it was one she wanted to continue, alone. “I need to go. I can’t… I can’t stay here.” She said, shaking her head, unwilling to look at the room around her. Everything here was Bea’s. The house, the home, it was all Bea’s and without her, it felt wrong. All of this felt wrong. Swallowing, Luce watched as Blanche and Nell went to the kitchen before looking at Winston, pain evident in her eyes. “Thanks for being here.” She said, squeezing their shoulder once before taking the bottle from the table and walking out of the house. 

Nell and Blanche disappeared, leaving Winston alone with Luce. She had always been kind to them and they had really bonded whilst dealing with the fext. She still had the sword after all. It had made no sense for Winston to keep it. “I’ll…” they reached up and smeared tears out of their eyes and adjusted their glasses taking a deep shaky breath trying to calm themself,  “I’ll uh … walk you out if that’s …” they didn’t finish, simply standing and following her out into the early summer air. “I know we’ve never been … we’ve never been as close as me and Nell but I’m...” they wiped fresh tears from their cheeks. “If you need something, let me know, you’re not on your own, we’re still friends and …” they let out a cold sob, “friends have to stick together.” If they didn’t then Winston wasn’t sure what they were going to do. There was so much pain in this world and they didn’t think they could get through it, but they knew they’d never make it alone. “No matter what.” 

Luce hadn’t heard Winston follow her outside, hadn’t realized they were behind her until they began to speak. Turning to face them, she looked at them, at the tears streaking down their face. In a way, they were still the neighbor kid that had grown up running around with Nell in the backyard. But, they’d grown up since then. Hell. Just in the last hour, she’d felt as though she’d aged decades. Swallowing, Luce nodded. “No matter what. I’ll… I’ll let you know.” She said, grip tightening on the bottle in her hand. She wanted to comfort them, wanted to reassure them that things would be okay. But that was a lie. Bea was dead and nothing was very going to be “okay” again. Which is why she couldn’t be with them right now. “Thanks, Winston.” She repeated before walking into the forest, bottle pressed against her lips. She needed to be alone. 

Just like that, Winston was standing alone in the night again. They wished that they had had the foresight to take a bottle of booze with them too. They needed something. Literally anything at all to quell the pain. But in the silence of the night, there was nothing but Winston. Taking a shuddering breath, they crossed the front garden to the porch and collapsed into one of the chairs that they had spent so many afternoons sat in with the Vural sisters. A sob wracked Winston and tears fell freely down their cheeks once more. This was so unfair. They had never met anyone who deserved it less then Bea. She was smart and kind and she had always been so good to them. She had always been so strong and Winston had in many ways looked up to her growing up. Now she was dead. Wiping away a fresh wave of tears, Winston pulled their knees up and tucked them under their chin. Watching the forest rustle as they sobbed into the night.

Unaware of what was happening in the living room and beyond, Nell balked for a moment as she saw the state of the kitchen. Bea had been in the middle of cooking, and in her haste of course she hadn’t bothered to clean anything up. It was a scene set to look like Bea might walk in at any moment and simply resume what she’d been doing. The kitchen had been a bad idea. Before she could lose it, Nell turned away from the mess, facing Blanche and the wall. “I shouldn’t- this isn’t- I never wanted to be this person for you, Blanche.” Hadn’t she threatened enough people taking advantage of Blanche and her abilities to see ghosts, to speak with them? “And you don’t have to. You really don’t. I could ask Rebecca- or find someone else. I know- Bea meant so much to you, too.” No doubt her friend would have no desire to see Nell’s sister in death, but she didn’t know what else to do. This was the only next step Nell could see before herself, the only option that was presenting itself. Certainly Blanche already knew what was coming by this point. “I just want to tell her-” Again Nell’s bottom lip quivered as her tears threatened to spill once more. “I just want her to- to know. You know how it was with us- I can’t- I don’t know the last time I told her that I love her. Loved her.” Love or loved? Did it change to past tense just because Bea was dead? A dry cry wracked Nell before she caught herself, holding her breath to try and keep the emotions at bay. She couldn’t even remember. What were the exact last words she’d said to Bea? They certainly hadn’t been anything as soft as she would have made them if she’d known. “You don’t have to,” she nearly begged, almost hoping Blanche would say no. 

Blanche regretted not cleaning up more when she was in here earlier when she saw the look on Nell’s face. She swallowed hard, about to usher Nell outside or upstairs to her room. Somewhere that wasn’t too much of a reminder. But Nell had already bulldozed into something, and Blanche realized that Nell had just wanted to talk to her alone. “What?” Blanche asked blankly, confused. Things weren’t processing correctly. Ask Rebecca or find someone else. What? Blanche examined Nell’s features for a moment, watching the pain in her eyes, before she realized what Nell was asking. The weight of the request hit her all at once, and she almost stumbled as if Nell hit her. Rebecca - because Rebecca could sense and hear ghosts. Rebecca couldn’t do it. The dybbuk  was a problem and she couldn’t actually see them. Someone else - like who? Who else would know Bea the way she did? Who would be a comfort to Nell while she was confronting her dead sister? God, who would comfort Bea? Alone as a spirit wandering? She remembered Rebecca’s words about Lauren Langley and the many lectures Granny had given her. Mediumship gave her a responsibility. Nell blamed herself.  She couldn’t let her do that, let her suffer like that. It would be cruel. “Nell -” Blanche started and finally her her voice cracked. Something broke inside her, that cold feeling in her heart melting into fiery pain. Her cheeks suddenly wet, she nodded. “I’ll try,” Blanche said. “I’ll try - Nell, she might not be… I don’t know if her soul is still here.” Had Bea stayed? If a hunter had killed her, then there was certainly a chance. Bea wasn't ready to die yet either. “But I’ll try. I promise.” She stepped closer, reaching to grab her arms. “I got you. Okay?”

Fuck, Blanche was finally crying. The sight of it alone was enough to renew some of Nell’s tears as her friend finally broke down. “You don’t- you really don’t have to.” Nell didn’t know what she’d do if Blanche said no, but she’d figure it out. Bea was important, and making sure Bea’s spirit was okay was the only thing she could think of at the moment, but beyond that was Blanche. Blanche was still here. Alive. Breathing. In front of her. Was she willing to ask this of Blanche when she was the one who still had a life on this Earth? The one that could hurt and feel? But maybe it would help Blanche? Maybe Blanche needed closure, too? Or maybe it would simply give Blanche something to do, something to focus on beyond this numbness and grief. Still…”You have to promise me, Blanche. If it’s too much- it you find yourself spiraling at all...you have to tell me. Please. I can’t handle hurting you on top of all this. “We’re gonna get through this,” she began, reaching out to hold Blanche’s hand in hers to give it a squeeze even as the tears were still wet on her cheeks. “We have to.” That was the only thing they could do. The only way out was always through. 

#huzur içinde yatsın #wickedswriting #chatzy #ch:luce #ch:winston #ch:blanche #miss beasha #death tw

[nelllraiser]

desperate hearts | blanche & nell

PREVIOUSLY: Plot Drop Page

LOCATION: A clearing in the woods.

TIME: 11:48 PM

PARTIES: Blanche Harlow and Nell Vural

TRIGGERS: Sibling Death

"As I told you longe ago, do not calle up That which you can not put downe; either from dead Saltes or out of ye Spheres beyond."

— Simon Orne, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft

Time passed strangely now. Though it had been two whole days since Bea had died, since Nell had watched, barely conscious, as her sister was ruthlessly beheaded— she couldn’t decide if it felt like years or simply minutes since it had happened. Everything in the world was still far away, muffled as if there were a veil over all she saw, heard, or did. It didn’t matter. Nell was focused on the task at hand, grateful that she had a next step to focus on rather than just being aimless in her grief. The circle was already set, and as Nell placed the last candle nervous butterflies took flight in her stomach. What would Bea say? Would she be sad? Mad? Happy to see Nell? How good of an idea was this actually? “Are you ready?” she asked, looking to Blanche as she reached for her best friend’s hand, both for the spell and comfort. “You sure you’re okay with this, right? You don’t even have to look if you don’t want to. You can close your eyes.”

“It’s alright, Nell.” Blanche assured her. Summonings were known to be dangerous. Blanche had anxiety in the pit of her stomach, knowing full well that Morgan and Rebecca would both lose their minds if they knew what she was doing. But they weren’t trying to summon a 100+ year old ghost that was hell bent on fulfilling a curse, they were trying to summon Bea. Freshly dead (her mind supplied the cruel freshly headless) Bea, who likely wouldn’t harbor any malicious intent other than to the hunter that killed her. If anything, it was probably fear. Blanche hung around the Vural house after making sure that Bea’s spirit wasn’t lingering where she died. But Bea wasn’t in the house either. Yanking Bea’s soul out of the ether definitely made her nervous, but if she was ready to move on before, then she should be ready now. Blanche took a deep breath, squeezing Nell’s hand slightly. “I’m okay with this. Don’t worry.” As okay with it as she could be. Besides, she wanted to see Bea too. Even if it was without her head. Her stomach churned. “I’ll close my eyes if I have too. But I’m here for you. And for Bea. We got this.”

There was no way Nell would have done this if she thought it might be putting Blanche in danger, but she was certain Bea’s ghost could never harm the girl holding hands with her, and she was confident in her summonings. Besides, this wasn’t Constance, and there was no possessed exorcist present. Either way, she didn’t know if she was emotionally ready to face Bea. Then again, would she ever be? Giving Blanche’s hand a squeeze, Nell took a deep breath before letting it pass out of her, shoulders doing their best to relax for the coming magic. “Thank you, Blanche. I- I really don’t know what I’d do without you.” With that she began her chant, feeling her magic flow through her and into the center of the circle where it pooled, searching the ether for any trace of Bea to pull her through. The words she spoke were as sure as always, though less demanding than when she’d been with Morgan, Jaime, and Rebecca. This was more of an invitation, a pleading rather than a command.

Blanche didn’t know what she would do without Nell either, but it wasn’t time to think like that. It was time to provide as much support as she could. Blanche closed her eyes for a brief moment as Nell began to chant, to invite Bea to be here with them. The air was abuzz with something that Blanche could only assume was magic, and she waited for that familiar feeling that sent the hairs on the back of her neck standing. Her senses weren’t trained, not for her Granny’s lack of trying, of course. But her prevalent fear of spirits growing up lumped the feelings together - she once described it to Kaden after a run in with the dybbuk that it felt like she had been doused in gasoline and set on fire. She hoped Bea would feel different. Not warm, ghosts weren’t warm, but… comforting? Somewhere around there. Except, as Nell continued to chant, she felt nothing at all. Blanche opened her eyes, frowning, unwilling to interrupt Nell as she scanned the area, gripping her friend’s hand tightly. Shouldn’t something have happened? They were alone.

Nell could always tell when something was about to come through with her summonings, like the beginnings of a wave before it crested on the shore. But now...there was none of that. Why wasn’t it working? “Something’s wrong,” she began, refusing to believe the obvious. “I- missed a syllable or something. That’s all.” She didn’t know the last time she’d missed a word or a beat in a summoning, but that’s what had to be going on, right? Right? Bea would come. Bea always came when Nell needed help, when she needed her older sister. “I’m doing it again,” she said suddenly, iron determination in her words as she refused to accept the failed summoning. “She’ll come. I know she will.” Again she started the spell, the force of her magic stronger this time, her words even more measured and careful than they had been before.

Maybe it was too soon after her death. Or maybe Bea didn’t want to be disturbed. Blanche considered both possibilities for a moment. Those seemed like more plausible explanations than Nell missing a syllable or doing something wrong with the spell. She’ll come. I know she will. Nell’s determination seemed like it was leading her for disappointment, as the magic in the air grew stronger. Blanche bit the inside of her cheek hard, willing Bea to come through. Nell needed her, Nell needed her to come through. Blanche had no magic, not like that, but she willed with every inch of herself. Come on, Bea. Please? But even as Nell became more forceful, Blanche’s senses were still dull. Still nothing. “Nell…” Blanche said, softly.

Nell came to the end of her spell once again, and still...there was nothing. Where was she? “She has to be here. She has to.” If Bea didn’t show up, that meant she was well and truly gone, that Nell was never going to see her sister again, whole or not. She’d never hear her voice, smell her perfume, feel the warmth of her hug. Blanche didn’t think Bea would show up, Nell could hear it in her friend’s voice, but Nell, never ready to accept defeat, seemingly still didn’t know when to stop. “One more time.” Her words held a tinge of desperation to them, and her unwillingness to accept her current reality. “Just one more time. It’ll work, I know it will. If that bitch Constance- if so many other ghosts- she has to come.” Again her lips parted as if she were readying the spell once more, intent on doing it over and over until she collapsed to the ground, spent.

“Nell. Nell!” Blanche tried to soothe her friend, but it wasn’t working. Nell and her shared the same determination - trying to do something over and over again until they physically couldn’t anymore. But Blanche couldn’t let Nell do that to herself, no matter how much she wanted to see Bea. No matter how much either of them wanted to see her. “Nell!” Blanche said, her tone sharper than she meant it. “Stop. Stop it!” Her toned softened and Blanche shook her head. “Look at me. Don’t. Just look at me, okay?” Blanche tired her best to ground her friend. “It - look. There’s a lot of things that could be happening right now. It might be too soon to contact her or she might have moved on already.” Blanche said. She bit her lip, knowing that might be the case hurt her, and she knew that it would hurt Nell. Yanking souls out of the ether was possible, especially for those who left something unfinished, but Blanche wasn’t entirely sure that Bea had become a ghost in the first place. The method of death was certainly violent enough, but she didn’t want Nell chasing something that was only going to hurt her more. “We need to stop and wait. And I know that sucks, okay? I know. But if you keep doing this you’re only going to hurt yourself.” Bea wouldn’t want that. “Please?”

The rising emotion in her had been the most of...anything she’d felt in these couple of days, and for a moment, Nell hadn’t minded the chaoticness of it. At least it was something, even if it felt like it was burning her from the inside out. Finally, she looked at Blanche, something like anger flashing there for a moment, though it was less that and more sheer desolated conviction. Either way, it wasn’t meant for Blanche, and the feeling and expression quickly vanished as Blanche continued to call her name. She’d been so focused, so hellbent on making this work— it took a second for her to come back to the present, to pull herself out of the rut in the ground she’d been planning to work herself into. Fuck, she was going too far, wasn’t she? Though, she wasn’t sure that line existed for her anymore. But with Blanche here...she couldn’t do that in front of Blanche, couldn’t cause even more pain that heaped onto everything that had happened. “Fuck,” she cursed aloud, a hand wiping absently at he face. “I’m sorry- I’m sorry, Blanche.”

“No, don’t apologize. It’s okay, it’s - it’s okay,” Blanche said quickly. She squeeze her hand hard for a moment. “It’s - I know. I know.” Blanche could never imagine her brother dying, how she would react, no matter what pain they put each other through. She wasn’t about to judge Nell for being in pain. She reached out, hesitating only a moment, before pulling Nell to her. Blanche was awkward and bad at giving hugs, but she hoped as she wrapped her arms around Nell and squeezed she would understand that she was trying to be comforting. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry Nell. We can try again in a few days, if you want, okay? And I’ll keep looking. I promise.”

It’s okay, Blanche had said. But it wasn’t. It was the furthest thing from okay. What if this was it? What if she never saw her sister again, and she had no one to blame but herself, and her recklessness? Nell accepted the hug wordlessly, her arms wrapping around Blanche as the rest of her body went slack for the moment, trying to focus only on her friend and the comfort she was offering. It worked to an extent, not necessarily healing the wound of Bea’s death, but at least bringing Nell back down to the resting state of numbness she’d been functioning with rather than ready to risk her well-being to see her sister one more time. “Yeah, yeah, sure.” Nell would keep trying for as long as it took, unable to imagine a time she would simply give up the fight for her sister. Bea wouldn’t stop trying for her, and Nell would do the same in return. Still, there was a soft shake of her head as Blanche continued to offer her services. “Just don’t- just take care of yourself, too.” She knew she’d said it in the kitchen at the house, but she didn’t want to risk Blanche forgetting, to run herself ragged like Nell was most likely to do for Bea, as well.

“Taking care of myself? What’s that, can I eat it?” The joke fell flat, strained in her tired and stressed voice, but it at least added a sense of normalness to them. Blanche pulled back, anxiously searching Nell’s features. What could she do to help? Blanche had re-targeted her numbness into something that she thought was more productive - helping Nell and targeting her anger at the motherfucker who had done this. Anything else didn’t matter. How she felt didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. Bea was dead, and they were the ones that were left behind to deal with the fallout. She took a deep breath. “I know, Nell. I’ll be alright.” And then, after a moment, Blanche added, “I want to see her too.” Perhaps adding something that she wanted would make Nell feel a little better about asking her for help.

There was no way a chuckle was going to be wrenched from Nell at a moment like this, but she did offer Blanche the upturn of the corner of her mouth, perhaps not in good spirits, but at least appreciative of Blanche’s efforts. “Yeah, just add hot water.” Her joke also nose-dived into the ground, her tone nowhere near selling it. But she had to try. For Blanche, she would do that. “It’ll be alright,” Nell echoed, though she only half believed it. It was hard to believe much of anything at the moment. Blanche’s desire didn’t exactly surprise Nell, but it did take a grain of her guilt off her shoulders, glad to know that at least Blanche was doing this for herself, as well. “Then we’ll see her. We’ll find her, and I’ll do whatever I have to do.” Even if she wasn’t sure whether the words were for her or Blanche, she’d keep saying them until they were true, until Bea was standing in front of them once again. Bea wouldn’t have rested until Nell was found had their roles been reversed, so Nell would do the same for her.

#ch:blanche #wickedswriting #miss beasha #chatzy

[nelllraiser]

hotel jared | blanche, nell, & jared

LOCATION: nell’s greenhouse. PARTIES: @harlowhaunted, @nelllraiser, and @themidnightfarmer​. SUMMARY: jared appears in desperate need of shampoo and gets more than he bargained for. 

For once, Nell and Blanche were asleep at a reasonable hour. Though...it was more likely to be a nap more than anything else. Both of them were passed out in the bed Blanche had put into the greenhouse, wrapped in blankets with Iago draped over the both of them. But then— there was a familiar little ping on Nell’s wrist where her bracelet was always worn, the one that was connected to the perimeter spell, and acted as a house key. It woke her with a start, her heart already racing in anticipation. What if it was him? Was Montgomery back to finish the job? Her still blurry eyes saw the figure approaching in the darkness, unable to make out anything other than the vague shape of a man. She didn’t even bother to see if Blanche was awake yet, sitting up with a start as a hand filled with magic burst forth from her. It was the same spell she’d used on Kaden, summoning ropes from seemingly thin air to wrap around the victim from shoulders to ankles, the bindings tight as they shackled legs together, and arms to the sides. Her voice was rough with sleep when she spoke, but it was still filled with her iron determination and protective nature, nearly a growl. “Don’t come any closer.” 

The next person that told Blanche she needed a nap was going to get a very angry ‘I DID TAKE A NAP’ screamed into their face. She had dozed off, curled up next to Nell with Iago, when Bea’s bracelet pinged. It was hard to get used to that. Blanche stirred, a low groan leaving her before she jolted awake fully. Fuck. Someone had crossed the property line. Thinking along the same lines as Nell, she swung her legs off the bed, ignoring Iago’s wine as she snatched her taser lying on top of her bag, ripping the safety cable out as Nell bound the intruder. A pillow soared threw the air, bouncing off the man’s body as she fumbled for the light switch so they could see what they’re doing. “Listen here, dickwad -” Blanche flicked the lights on brandishing the taser threateningly. “You’re not gunna - oh.” Iago trotted past Nell to go say hello, unbothered by the man’s intrusion. “.... Whoops.”

It was not his smartest move he would admit to himself later. But arriving at the Vural house had never been this treacherous before in his defence. Jared had seen no life in the house and he’d remembered that Nell had mentioned the greenhouse. He’d only just turned his body in that direction when the ropes spouted from thin air and wrapped him up so tightly he couldn’t take even an inch of a step further. He was knocked a little off balance when a soft object hit his chest but he stayed standing as the lights flickered on. Jared squinted at the two standing there and then down at iago. Unable to hold his hands up in surrender, he instead tipped himself backwards and let his ass hit the floor. Eye level with the Baku as it moved forward to greet him. “Bad time?”

Nell squinted against the light for a moment, blinking in confusion as the man came into focus. “Jared?” Her voice was still laced with that groggy quality, trying to make sense of the world. That must have been why it took her a second longer to remember the ropes she’d cast. “Oh shit- sorry.” A snap of her fingers, and the ropes were no more. Still, she couldn’t help the little chuckle of amusement as he seemed to simply accept his fate, sitting there on the ground of the greenhouse. “Sir, have you heard of texting?” she tried to joke. “The Charlie’s Angels were ready to take you out,” Nell teased. “And not on a fun date.” She glanced at Blanche, making sure she was also alright. “Iago likes him, doesn't she? That makes sense. The pillow was impressive, though. I think that would have taken a lesser man down.”

Blanche rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “Sorry Jared,” Blanche said, before glancing at Nell. “Hey, I was ready to tase the crap out of him too!” As if to prove her point, she waved the taser in the air, before quickly putting the safety pin back in it before someone actually got hurt. Well, this was a mild disaster. At least the only true casualty had been her pillow. She would have to do laundry again after it bounced off him hit the ground. Iago was happy enough to lean against Jared. “Iago does like him, we should have known.” She put the taser back down on her bag concealing a yawn behind her hand. “So, uh, what do we owe this wake up call? The moon doesn’t have an eyeball on it, does it? Because I swear to god, I cannot handle that right now.”

As the girls argued back and forward about how they were going to take him out, Jared reached out and gave Iago a few gentle pats now that his arms were free. He stayed on the floor for a moment just listening to them before giving a sheepish smile. “I have heard of texting, but I’d already left the house by the time I realized and this was a time sensitive mission. But no the moon is NOT also an eyeball so we’re all good there.” he then grew rather sheepish for a moment. “Came to steal shampoo.” he tells the two girls before the thought of the pillow truly hits him and he looks behind them at the bed. “Are you two… staying in here full time?”

Nell considered her own pillow carefully as Blanche spoke of tasers before playfully launching it at Jared. “I wanted to try- it looked like it was fun. And I know you were about to lay down the law.” A little smirk came over Nell before she teased, “Time sensitive. Has it been that long without shampoo? You’re gross. Why are you stealing shampoo, though?” Then it was her turn to be sheepish as she looked around at the bed, as if she was considering making it disappear. But- well- Jared had already seen it. “I mean- yes? Mostly? But that’s okay! Right, Blanche?” The house was still too littered with memories of Bea, and the greenhouse felt much safer. 

Jared was here to steal shampoo? Blanche didn’t have long to feel confused, though, before Jared asked about if they were staying in the greenhouse full time. The greenhouse was Nell’s closet - this was where Nell felt safe right now after Bea’s death, and who was she to say try and drag Nell back into the house that was full of painful memories. She wouldn’t leave her alone, how could she leave her best friend alone? She would stay in silent solidarity until things got all better again. Blanche nodded. “Uh, yeah. I put the bed frame together myself.” With some help from the internet and Nell. Surprisingly, dragging the mattress and the box spring downstairs had been the easy part of it. “It’s alright. The sheets and comforter are new too.” Was she being defensive right now? Shit. She was being defensive right now. She gave a strained grin. “You know, sleeping next to plants is, like, the new in thing right now.”

“Time sensitive because I just sent the kids to their rooms and I don’t want them sneaking out while I’m gone.” He countered, not really paying much attention to his own reasons for being there anymore. “Good job.” he said genuinely if very distractedly to Blanche about her building the bed in there. He gave so little thought to the words before they came out of his mouth. “You should both come stay with me.” There was a good reason not to be in the house clearly, since the both of them were out here, he himself couldn’t really imagine being inside the place at the moment either. But as much as they’d say it was okay, living in a greenhouse wasn’t really the best option. And the words were out of his mouth and he was not taking them back. “Everything under one roof, your own beds, your own rooms. You should both move in.”

Nell’s arms crossed stubbornly, realizing he must be rather one track minded at the moment if he wasn’t paying attention to the pillow she’d thrown in addition to ignoring her questions about shampoo. “But why do you need the shampoo?” she repeated, never one to back down. “It’s true, though. Everyone’s sleeping next to plants these days. Me, Blanche, The Jolly Green Giant...Oprah- probably.” Then she was blinking in surprise once again, not entirely processing what Jared had said. But when she had, excitement was coloring her voice. “What? Like- in the farmhouse?” Normally Nell would have agreed in a heartbeat, but she wasn’t sure of Blanche’s opinion on the matter. After all, she still had the mansion with Nora and Remmy. But Nell also knew that the greenhouse had become something of a safe space for the girl. She couldn't leave her without it. “What do you think, Blanche?”

It was late and she was tired because Blanche wasn’t processing what Jared had said properly at first. She looked between the two, confused, and she realized that Jared and Nell could probably see the steam coming out of her ears. Stay with Jared? Nell liked that idea. She clearly wanted to go. “Okay,” Blanche found herself saying. She rubbed the back of her neck, and  quietly wondered if that meant she was going to be cockblocking if she went, but decided that she didn’t really feel like getting murdered by Nell. She thought of Remmy and Nora - she was really only home during the day now. Nora had told the ghosts to stay out of her way, but she could still feel them there… It was better now, though. But Nell still needed her, and if Blanche was being completely honest with herself, she still needed Nell too. “I can stay for a little bit, yeah.” What difference did it make anyway? The greenhouse versus the farmhouse. And it would probably be far more comfortable than sleeping in the greenhouse anyway. “Are you sure you don’t mind me going too?” Blanche asked, suddenly, looking at Jared. They had only just stopped talking about the weather. Her temporarily crashing could be weird. “And Iago?”

“I’m gonna be strapped for cash for the month, unless I can flog something. Found out I was running low on some things a little too late. Figured you’d sub me in exchange for being invited for when calving season starts.” Jared looked between the two and nodded. “Yeah in the farmhouse.” and then waited for Blanche like Nell was. It was maybe an odd invite for her, considering they’d only just gotten the deeper understanding of each other that Nell and Jared had shared for seven years or so, but he didn’t retract it. They were both living in the greenhouse, they both needed a place to go. Somewhere with hopefully better memories or even just a neutral space, and he could provide. He had ample room for all of them. “Everyone’s invited.” he says seriously, giving Iago a few more hearty pats before finally getting to his feet and lifting the two thrown pillows into his arms. “You can come to stay a little while, or you can come to stay for more than that. I have so much spare house it’s unreal. No house rules, just a few farm things we’d need to talk about. Mostly safety stuff Nells knows already.” His eyes found Nells and he smiled before looking back to Blanche. “What do you say? We can go now, give you a better night's sleep since I ruined it?”

“Yeah...Yeah, I could do that!” Nell agreed readily, as if she wouldn’t have given him whatever he needed in a heartbeat in the first place. “The calves!” Her excitement was nearly palpable, it having been quite some time since she’d been around for the season. “Blanche, the calves are cute.” She was doing her best to seem neutral, not wanting Blanche to feel pressured or obligated, but Nell was also unable to contain herself when calves were mentioned. Jared was right about the safety situation, though. Thankfully, Blanche had been coming into her own with the sparring they’d been working on, as well as her telekinesis. Of course, Nell would prefer Blanche not have to use that, but it was good to know she wouldn’t be defenseless. And the thought of having two of her best friends under one roof? Even if it was temporary? That was more than enough to bring a bright grin to her lips. “I could grab the stuff- get Greg and Taki ready to go, too.” Taki who had been sleeping for the entirety of this conversation suddenly decided to crack open his fiery eyes, considering Jared with his always judgemental gaze. “If you want- I mean,” she said, looking to Blanche again.

“We can sub you for whatever you need,” Blanche agreed, looking between the two. Nell seemed so excited, especially about the calves. It made Blanche smile. She could stay for the calving season. That would be fun. And she truly didn’t mind. Her opinion of Jared was always good, even if she could never think of anything to say to him before the other day when she burst out about the supernatural, but now it was only improving. He was kind, clearly, and he just wanted to make Nell feel better. She nodded to Nell. “Yeah, yeah, I want to go. That sounds like it’ll be a lot of fun, with the kids and what not,” she shot as she grinned at Nell. “I like calves too. They are cute. But - uh, I’ve never really lived on a farm before, I don’t really know how to milk a cow. Is that okay?” Blanche was suddenly concerned that she was going to be more of a nuisance than she was going to be helpful. “And Iago’s really clean, honestly! She just, uh, may want to snuggle at odd hours, but I’m sure that’ll be okay... Right?” Blanche said brightly, fighting back another yawn.

Jared grinned when Blanche said she was willing to come. This smile only to be replaced by one of very mild horror at the thought of Blanche trying to milk anything on the farm. “Oh haha we’re not a dairy. First rule of the farm, Nell knows all too well. Just don’t really get close to anything. If possible, take the path furthest from the kids unless I’m around.” He explained with a nervous laugh. “That’s the main one. But we can talk particulars later.” He gave Iago a smile and shot Taki a familiar respectful nod. “Everyones invited as they are. Seriously, no house rules. It’s just been me at home and I’m not worried about any of that.” The stifled yawn caught Jareds attention and he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I can go and you can both get some more sleep until later this morning. Or you could both get in the truck and we can go snooze at the house and sort the rest out later?”

The thought of Blanche trying to milk anything was….truly horrifying, but also amusing that she’d asked in the first place. So a soft smile found its way to Nell, as she finally stood from the bed, Taki meowing in objection as she picked up one of the blankets to wrap it around her shoulders. She was about to say that they could start now, wide-awake not that her excitement had gotten the best of her, and always ready to take off with any idea that came her way. But it was impossible to ignore Blanche’s yawn, so she brought herself back to Earth, remembering how often she requested her friend to sleep. “Later is good,” Nell affirmed with a nod. Meanwhile, Taki rose from the bed to brush up affectionately against Iago, curling his tail around the Baku, still making eye contact with Jared as if to say you wish this were you. Nell dipped forward to scoop the Ovinikk up in her arms, already beginning to try and get a feel for where Greg was so that she might get him to the truck as well. “You’re sure about this...right Blanche? And you too, Jared? You guys don’t have to do this.”

Blanche was trying to figure out the logistics in her head, but all that was in her head right now was something akin to a flaming dumpster. Oh god, maybe she really did need sleep. She felt a little bad because Nell was clearly bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to go, but the thought of shutting off the lights in the greenhouse and getting a few more hours of sleep was a little more attractive. Surely after she got drunk the night before, Morgan and everyone else who told her she needed a nap would can it, right? Regan wouldn’t have to threaten to send Adam after her, thought that thought was still really funny to her. Iago whined slightly as Taki was scooped away from her, and went to go nuzzle Jared, she looked at Nell and nodded, covering her mouth as she yawned again. “I’m cool with it,” she affirmed, glancing at Jared. “So long as he is. And he’s serious that I don’t have to milk anything.” She was starting to wonder though, farm animals couldn’t really be that dangerous, could they? Then again, knowing her luck, she would probably be the one to be mauled by a cow.

“No milking.” Jared repeated firmly before getting a little excited himself. There were going to be people in the house. Actual talking people. Not just his animals when he left a door open. It would take a lot of talking through later, and an awful lot of reshuffling of the house (or rather just himself) but it’d work out great in his opinion. So he herded the girls towards the truck, snatching their blankets from the bed to go along with the pillows he was still holding. Ushering them into the backseat he pushed the pillows in and threw the blankets over their knees. He might be fully awake and in clothes, but the girls had been asleep. They would be more likely to catch a chill. Once they were in he hopped into the driver's seat and looked back at them. “Anything last second or can it all be grabbed later today?”

It suddenly occurred to Nell that...she’d been assuming Jared had mentioned the true nature of the farm when he and Blanche had their share-fest. As she sat there, comfortably burrito’d in the blankets, she emerged from the cocoon for a moment to say, “Jared did you...tell Blanche about the...farm?” Certainly he’d know what she meant, right? But she did a quick, mental check as Jared asked if there was anything else they’d need. Taki was warm in her lap, and she’d Summon Greg once they were at the farm. It was easier than making sure he stood still in a truck, anyway. “You’ve got everything though, right?” she asked Blanche. “Iago’s snug?”

Blanche let herself be herded to Jared’s truck, only semi aware that this was how people got kidnapped. But, like, Nell trusted Jared, so it was fine. Well, probably, at least. She shuffled into the back seat, Iago following and wedging herself into the most comfy position on top of her and half on Nell. “‘M snsdjg,” Blanche said unintelligibly. Her head lulled to the side, gently against the truck, and she was almost out. Iago followed suit, curling up into Blanche with a loud sigh, nuzzling her.  “D’you think …. Grocery…” And then she was out for good. Her train of thought would return in the morning, and Blanche would figure it out then. Now it was time to appease everyone who had told her to sleep. 

#chatzy #ch:blanche #ch:jared #hotel jared