Post by Emily on Oct 4, 2015 13:20:34 GMT -8
CAST: Alice Clare Donovan (wreckedships@aol.com), Abaddon "Don" Bell (onereaibadman@aol.com), Hyacinth "Cinthie" Griswold (kerosenebridges@aol.com), Tucker North (hesitantlyyours@aol.com), Freya Black (darkestiove@aol.com), Sylvia Sterling (shesgotciass@aol.com), Andrei "Ash" Popov (eatltup@aol.com)
SUMMARY: News old and new out of the north corroborates an until-now routine report made to the Council, snaring Alice Clare's attention. She approaches Council and rival family member Cinthie to pick at her brain about it, which doesn't get her far. She ultimately decides that it's Beth she needs to speak with, instead, but not before her increasingly dark kookiness takes a magical toll on a mirror in Veitch Library.
TW: none
[Alice Clare] Such a typical Thursday evening, though it was rather quiet. Thursday was a big bar night for most university students, wasn't it? Not so for our Alice Clare. The blonde could be found at one of the tables near the library on campus. She had a spread of books, some open and some not, and a notebook she'd already filled several pages worth of notes front and back on the lined pages. There was a mix of content on the table, things for her academic studies and then a few for her own curiosity. As well as a newspaper -- make that three, from different regions of the country, each one of them open to the same article -- though written by different journalists. Centering in on something going on up in Yorkshire. There were a few key words that didn't sit well in that ever working brain of hers, which would account for the perma-frown attached to her lovely face. Jotting down a few things, Alice paused -- taking a peek at the slim gold watch on her wrist, since she currently had no cell phone ( THANKS O-BRAMA ), to check the time. Don should be meeting her soon, soon enough that she took a peek up toward the main entrance of the place far down the line of tables. The end of her pen was tapped a bit on one of the papers, and she pulled it close again to reread a paragraph or two; leaning back in her chair some. Alice was simply dressed today; skinnies, pale teal Tom's, and baseball styled tee -- white with navy sleeves, that had been screen printed across the front, stating ``Roll me up and smoke me when I die.``
[Cinthie] It was nights like this that she missed things like smoking and a nice glass of pinot noir. Cinthie had been holed up in her office in Lily Hall far too late for her liking this evening, and finally--finally!--she got to pick up and go home. The dull glow of her phone illuminated her face, reflected in hazels as she stepped along and sent Joshua a text. Of course, he had probably been working late, too. He was the one overseeing the renovations of the very building that she worked in. Fire mage, Avery, architect's future wife, and pregnant lady--all those things rolled into one stepped carefully along with a single red licorice braid hanging out of the faded-pink of her mouth. The woman near the library was one she knew reasonably well. The Donovan girl. She was, as far as Cinthie knew, nice enough, if a little mercurial. The fire witch wandered closer, one arm hanging on to her usual assortment of music folders with various names, the other in front of her to adjust her black cardigan over her berry-purple tank top. "Hello, Alice." She stole a glance towards the papers, curiously, then back at her face. The slight furrow of a brow was the only thing that would hint at anything other than a particularly impressive calm running through her mind at the moment.
[Alice Clare] Crapsticks. She hadn't heard Cinthie's approach. A little whirl would turn Alice in the woman's direction, blue eyes wide as saucers. "Cinthie!" Oh. Oh what luck. The woman's granny knew god damn everything that went on, or so it always seemed. "Hi! How are you?!" Too bubbly, Alice. "Hey, have you heard about this?" One of the papers was selected, and she leafed through it just a bit, to find a blurb she'd circled, and thrusted it at the lovely brunettes way. A school had been destroyed, up in Durham. Just up and destroyed, though the article didn't say much. Because there wasn't much information on the how or whys of it. Such an expectant look on the girls face though, peering up around the top of the paper she thrust Cinthies way.
[Cinthie] Just because her granny knew everything under the sun didn't mean that Cinthie did. She'd been focused on more earthy topics these days, like whether her fiance got hazard pay and what the hell they were going to name that thing she was incubating. A flawlessly-manicured brow arched upward at Alice's too-bubbly greeting, but she smiled politely in return. "I'm well. Have I heard about what now?" Dark hair, auburn and red sparking through it as it caught the light, fell halfway over her face as she examined the newspaper that had been angled her way. "A destroyed school? No, no I...I haven't." But she was pretty sure she understood just why Alice Clare was showing her this, and she was pretty sure she knew how to respond. "But you know, my grandmother knows some people in Durham." A lie. "I really ought to ask her if everyone we know is alright." Hands reached out, both of them, to take the paper and bring it at precisely arm's length, with a few blinks of hazels. "Serves me right for leaving my reading glasses in my office," she murmured. As she tried to angle it within range of her eyesight, the light twinkled on the surprisingly massive diamond on her left hand.
[Alice Clare] "OH! I have some." Alice twisted back, now that Cinthie had taken the paper, and dug into her bag. A pair of glasses, probably not readers, were thrust at the woman; tilted this way and that impatiently so she'd take them. Another pair of glasses, though these were sunglasses and oversized, and shaped like hearts with red rims were shoved onto her own face. Why? "You're blinding me with that rock, lady." Turning back, with nose all scrunched up. "Your gran knows everyone. Were you at the last meeting? I can't remember. You had to have been," she squinted at her, which could still be seen through the shade of her lens. "I wasn't really paying all that much attention when Noah Carrington started talking about Yorkshire, but now look. Look." Alice gathered up the other papers, in no particular order, and waved them under Cinthie's nose. The articles all basically said the same thing. Unknown smell of something like sulphur, couldn't be explained, yadda yadda. Something one would miss, had not the county been mentioned to the whole of the Council.
[Cinthie] The glasses were taken and perched on her face, but she just blinked at Alice through the lenses. "They're not exactly my prescription," she pointed out, but she kept them on her face obediently and just read the article while Alice talked at her. The comment about her ring, however, did draw a warm little smile. "I'm gonna take that as a compliment, Alice Clare. And yes, I was. Noah Carrington...right, yes, I remember that one. A lot of what he said was very vague to me. I've only been in the country a handful of months, you know." And those few months were all it had taken to get that accent back and running until she sounded like a native. The papers were read as they were thrust at her, and she blinked with wide, worried eyes at all of it. "Sulfur? Alice Clare..." A quick glance around, and when she was sure nobody was listening, she leaned in and whispered to her. "This does not look particularly natural, does it?" The motion was disguised by whipping out a red licorice braid from her purse and placing it in the girl's hand. There was nothing more that she needed to say about that, was there? Their people were going to end up involved. Their people.
[Alice Clare] "That's like .. eight meetings," Alice counted them off on one hand. Though, she had to do five and three, since you know, she doesn't have eight fingers. OR DOES SHE? No. She doesn't. "Sulphur," Alice confirmed in a stage whisper, bobbing the tarnished gold of her crown in a nod. "Does seem quite peculiar. Have you ever smelled it? Like real close up and fresh? Thank you," she cooed then, accepting the licorice and chomping off the tip of it, chewing around it while she continued on. "It doesn't quite smell like farts like one would think, that's when it's been around a bit. But more like .. brimstone." Another glance was sent to her watch, then the door, then back to Cinthie. A little erratic, our water-witch -- maybe it was the close proximity to the fire mage. Fire and water never quite mixed, or maybe Alice was just too familiar with the tension that had lived between their families for generations. A tension that had no room here, however. "Your granny hasn't mentioned anything, not at all? Also, I need an elective. Have you any room in any of your classes for little ol' me?"
[Cinthie] "I have." She smirked. "I've smelled sulfur before, absolutely. When I was doing some alchemical work. It smells like everything unpleasant you could think of made simultaneously manifest." She popped into a seated position on the table, careful not to disturb any of Alice's papers or other belongings, and smoothed her ankle-length black skirt over her knees. The newspaper was balanced neatly on the small bump in her middle while she looked it over. "My grandmother keeps her cards close, if you know what I mean. Reluctant to show her hand until she has no other choice. Like an eighty year old tequila-swilling chess master. But I can call her in the morning during my prep period and see what she knows. As for your classes..." She looked the Donovan girl over a few times, tilted her head, thought. "How are you with music? Can you sing? Play an instrument? Would you like to learn how? I do have some slots in choir if you can pass the basic audition." God, she hoped Alice Clare wasn't another bloody soprano. Shepherd was rife with trilling little sopranos who flitted through her chorus like songbirds and with about the same sized brain. Of course, Cinthie was quite biased about that, being a second alto and all.
[Alice Clare] Blue eyes followed the path Cinthie made from standing to sitting, but only grunted when it turned out the Avery old woman was so closed lipped. What good was that. This was irritating as hell. There were words on the tip of her tongue, things she was putting together one by one, but she couldn't quite put them together. Not by herself. Her attention drifted, while she suckled a bit on the small formation of a scar at the corner of her lower lip. She could use another brain like hers at the moment, one that would know how to help her get to the point she needed. "You know what else smells like brimstone? Dragon's blood." The statement was said almost to herself, as Cinthie had moved on to talking about the choir, and Alice turned to look back at her; bold brows furrowing closer together. "Sure, yah, I'll try out." Rest assured, the natural husky tones of her northern cadence were decidedly not soprano when she put them to use in a song. "What have you got in there?" Cloudy blues shifted down, to the bump she seemed to just now notice. Yes, she was fully aware that the woman was pregnant. Alice was just .. Alice. Frustrated, distracted. "Is it human?"
[Sylvia] Too old to be a student, too busy enjoying the spotlight to teacher, one lovely lady had been wandering around London, looking for a specific type of person... one that would feel familiar to her particularly keen senses. Yes, this lady had been gone from the area for quite some time. ... up until tonight, that is, when she'd had her taxi driver take her to the University, which seemed acceptable and normal, aside from one or two odd rumors that were circulating around here and there. Absolute rubbish, to most people, but if you knew what you were looking for, it seemed a smidge on track. After stepping out of the car, the light haired woman walked along the grounds, a little too keen to be just a tourist. Had on a lovely looking, apple red dress with a cinched in waist, a flared out skirt, sleeves, low cut but tastefully above the upper portion of the bust neckline. Nice little number, paired with an eggshell white shawl and high heels. Lips painted red, purse in hand, she paused in front of the library, looking pleased with herself as she stared at the doors... ... a second or two before she stepped in. If the person at the desk gave her trouble, she'd go with the tourist excuse, even show her passport, camera, and a couple of pamphlets about tourist destinations in London. Plans, I tell you. She had them!
[Cinthie] Thank goodness, the girl sounded like an alto, and that was just what Cinthie needed. She even sighed her relief. "The alto section is in dire need of a boost. I don't know what it is about the air around here but it seems to produce an entire generation of girls who can't hit a low note if their lives depended on it." She leaned in again to murmur to her. "They're probably going to want to call an emergency meeting, you know," she said well under her breath. "I can feel it already. The Lyons elder is going to get his knickers in a massive twist. I feel it on the wind." That was intentionally over dramatic, and she sat back with a small snort. Just in time for that weird question about her belly. It was tempting, so tempting, to tell Alice Clare that she had compressed glitter in there, and at the end of March it was going to explode when she was cut open and really upset Dr. Zane. But she held herself back. "So far as I know, yes," she replied, rubbing the bump a little. "You know the lead architect who's been working on the renovations to Lily Hall? The tall, skinny one who doesn't seem to have an inch of skin left un-inked? That's Daddy. And the purveyor of the ring." The one who wore inappropriate t-shirts and cursed a lot in a Texan drawl. He'd been around. Often. As another woman entered the library, she glanced up, frowning slightly though not in an unkind fashion. More in a fashion that said who-the-fuck-are-you. Killer dress and heels though. If fetch had ever happened, that outfit would be so fetch.
[Alice Clare] Alice's eyes went wide as UFO's again, with Cinthie's choice of words on the Lyon's elder. "Hmm," she hummed, shoving in the rest of her licorice into her mouth. Like all of it. Bending and twisting it until the whole rest of it fit in, since she'd only taken a nibble. Chewchewchew, mumbled words. "I think you're right about the meeting." Dumb, dumb meetings. Meetings, that's all there was. No action, if you asked Alice. That might be what tipped her frustrations too. When there was enough of the candy in her mouth chewed up for a big swallow, she did that, shaking her head some. "No, I don't know what you're talking about." Which was going to be the story she effing stuck to when it came to the matters of Lily Hall and why it had to be renovated in the first place. Nope, no way had it been Alice's fault, in Ash's body, that the place had caught fire. Nooooooppe. "Well, I ahh .. hope it has all it's appropriate parts." That was what parents wanted, right? Fingers, toes, just two eyes, maybe not a tail? Her foot bounced a little, and Alice took back one of the papers that had been laid across the bump that housed the impending Gable, and happened to glance up as Cinthie did, to see the femme fatale who'd entered the library. Just sizzling wasn't she? Not just in her attire, but her aura. So many unfamiliar faces, and familiar auras showing up these days.
[Sylvia] Just a bit. But fabulous, darling, oh so fabulous! And currently chattering away sweetly at the person being the desk, bubbly and friendly, like Marilyn Monroe, with her coach purse and camera and did you know, this town was SO large, ever so large, and you could get SO lost -- but really, wasn't this the University? She'd heard it was such a great school, and wouldn't it be lovely if she had children someday and they'd attend it? Basically, she kept buttering them up, in attempt for them to either be so tickled pink that they'd let her look around, or do disgusted by her American accent and friendly attitude that they'd shoo her away eventually.
[Don] Don didn't give his late arrival much thought. Figured he'd get there when he get there. And in fact, after he realized how late he actually was he did very little to remedy it. One could even say he took steps to make sure that time dragged on even longer before he showed up. For example, he got off a bus, and walked the rest of the way--when he was still a few miles from the university. And for no real reason beyond the bus stopping, and he decided to get off. But, an hour, maybe a little more... after the time she had told him to show up.. and that's when he would. Tonight's attire was a green and blue, both darker shades of the colors were worn in a motley pattern on the suit he wore. The shoes and tie matching the green in a similar hue, and white-undershirt made sure that blue stayed the outcast. Inked fingers dismissed the black-wrapped joint outside, turning it to ash when it struck the ground, and made his way into the library. Last time he was here was the... third? No.. fourth time he saw Alice. He wouldn't be surprised if a bit of that energy was still lingering, the powerful event probably did leave a minor scar in reality. He whistled louder than one should in a library and earned a few glances, glances that turned to stares at the peculiar diamond pattern in his clothes. Beard pointed only in one direction and that was the way Alice was with a person he wasn't very familiar with.. Maybe he'd recognized her from the Mabon event, but he had been drugged. Fingers waving to both of the women carefully while blues flicked from one to the other.
[Cinthie] "Well that's...quite the...blessing you gave there?" Cinthie grinned. It was a big, pink-lipped grin that reached to the corners of her eyes where the first hints of crow's feet were starting to develop. Smile lines. She was beginning to age, but at least she was beginning to age with grace. As much as a woman whose hobbies included drinking and absconding could have. She patted her belly a little, neatly folded up the newspaper and handed it back to Alice. The loud whistle that broke the silence had her raising brows in that disapproving fashion--this is a fucking library, have some goddamn respect--but she simply said, "Looks like somebody's looking for you?" to Alice, if only because she was sure that he wasn't here for her. There was a small wave of her fingers his way in return, and a smile that was wry and too clever for her pretty mouth. "Bit of a loud one, innit?" she drawled, procuring another licorice braid and popping it in her mouth. Sorry pretty girl in the red dress, Cinthie's mun had technical difficulties and isn't sure what happened, but hey, your dress is hot.
[Alice Clare] Did anyone notice the Alu-fiend back in the Western Civ section? I sure didn't. Probably for the best, as she was in the midst of feeding off some redheaded Pysch major with amazing tits who had barely taken any persuasion at all to let her touch them. Alice was distracted again. If by nothing but her own reflection. It looked annoyed, and she didn't like the way her eyebrows wouldn't stop doing that close together thing. Alice turned a little, facing away from Cinthie for the moment to regard herself in the mirrors that lined the shelf free walls of the library, and prodded a little between her own brows and the bridge of her nose. Both hands went to work some, pushing at her angular cheeks to try and smooth them out, and then shoving her lips together in a forced fish face. Completely not paying attention to any new arrivals, or the woman mostly behind her -- until Cinthie spoke up, and startled her a bit from her vain ministrations. "FUCKING BOOGETY HELL," Alice shouted at her mirror image. Cinthie wanted a loud one, she got one. Whirling back with that wide eyed stare again, first to the hazel eyes of preggo here, then over to the blue and mostly green display Abaddon had made of himself. "Oh," she sighed though, a little dreamily; tilting herself a little closer to the woman beside her. "But he's always looking for me. And most the time, I let him find me." She sat up straight, and began to wildly wave one of the newspapers about. "Babe, babe, come have a lookit this. And can you get me a present? I need a present." Spoiled. So spoiled.
[Tucker] There was another in the library. Well away from Western Civ, thank you. A lanky sort of figure sprawled on a couch, lost in a nap, at least until Alice yelled. Tucker snorted, muttered something about people trying to fucking study in this library, and dozed again.
[Sylvia] Those words. Oh yes, those words made the woman look around, light eyes moving from Alice, to the mirror, and then back to Alice again. For a moment, she seemed... curious. Not interested-curious, but Alice in Wonderland curious, curiouser and curiouser, curious. Then... ... then, she seemed to be entertained, cat watching a bird outside the window entertained, while a slow, coy, Mona Lisa smile crossed her glossy lips. Had she heard the whistle? Yes. But she'd given the fellow a once-over before going back to what she was doing, and just before Alice yelled out.
[Don] Had Don been able to catch the disapproving look he may have opened up his coat and pulled out his harmonica. Or maybe stomp his feet and start clapping to get a shin-dig going, but as it was he didn't. The first time he took his eyes from Alice was only after arriving at the table which he knocked on in a drumming fashion. "Oh? A present. Hi." That was offered to Cinthie after he glance at her for the third time, broad grin sliced across his mouth. He stabbed Alice with the sinister slick mirth and let eyes widen some. "A present. Of course! Whatever is it that I can do for you.." Always there to please, even if he said the words in a monotoned deadpan. The six-three frame of the dragon in blue and green tiptoed around to draw closer. "... what is it you have there." He tilted body till thighs pressed against edge of table, head angling to make it easier to see whatever it was she intended on to him.
[Cinthie] There were plenty of things that Cinthie was unaware of in this library, like the alufiend and the redhead, and the cambion and his designated library nap couch. There was a curious stare of hazels at Don as he approached, at the way Alice responded. It was peculiar. Equal parts lover and child. Judge not, Miss Griswold, lest ye be judged, she reminded herself, and simply smiled. "Hello there." She was beginning to sense that perhaps she had outstayed her welcome here, so to speak, when Alice thrust the newspaper at Don to discuss just what they had been talking about previously. Perhaps he had some sort of insight. Of course, Cinthie had left the Mabon celebration quite early, and she hadn't borne witness to what happened in the later parts of the evening. She had just gone home with her fiance, had her own special pantsless Mabon, and went to sleep, because she had to be up bright and early to teach in the morning. Boy, weren't adults dull?
[Alice Clare] Be still her heart. Agreeing to presents before he even knew what they were. Irritation was beginning to fade, though she still felt it all pesky and balled between her shoulder blades some. She did, however, remember her manners. "Cithie, this is Don Bell, my gentleman lover." That was a thing, right? A hand gestured to Don, and then back to the pretty brunette, "Hyacinth Griswold, one of the instructors here." He stalked closer, and Alice spread the paper out there in front of him, and tapped on a little bit she'd circled. It wasn't the blurb about the destruction of the school, no, but something else. Instead, it was an ad. "This, please. I want this caravan." He had his basement to do his wicked deeds, Alice wanted a gypsy fairytale caravan! Discuss council business with someone who wasn't part of it? She wasn't a rookie here. Alice had grown up in the belly of the beast, had had the dream to start all dreams long ago. She knew better. "I'm going to audition for the choir, fill in a spot for Cinthie, here. What say you about that?" Her brow arched, relaxing out of it's furrow, at Don, but ever the creature distracted by pretty shiny things, she peered past him to the platinum blonde still at the library counter. "I've seen her color before." Not the hair, not the slash of red dress, but the element surrounding her. "I know it. I've seen it." Talking to herself out loud again. This is why people are so confused by you, Alice Clare. "I bet she smells like cherry gum drops." .. That had nothing to do with the element. Prolly the dress.
[Sylvia] The lady continued to watch the pair standing there, looking as pleased as the cat that got the cream. She didn't have to say anything; Alice whispered what she was in very little body motion and screamed mirror-spell, and the whole group seemed to be as clear as champagne in a fluted glass. Turning toward the madam librarian, the lady with the light hair and the apple red dress thanked her for allowing her to step in and look around, before turning to slink out of the library. If she were a cat, you'd see her tail give a finicky little good-bye flick, right before departing for some errand or another.
[Don] Abaddon had a way of making people feel something scratch at the inside of their courage-sac and make it leak, made the knees quiver in mortals and set primal instincts off. Animals would have tucked tail and ran the second they saw him if it wasn't for the little bits of magic that 'softened' his dangerous edge. The 'instructor' said Hi.. and she had a name, Cinthie. Again he regarded the woman carefully with that ever-present grin putting white of teeth on full display. Other girl that was there, but over yonder, was now making her way for the door it seemed. But now attention diverted back to the caravan that Alice was pointing out. "Wait... what... ? You want.. Eh.. Oh, Hyacinth.. Griswold.. yes.. Hi." For some reason his mind was a little flustered in places it wasn't supposed to be. He was supposed to be here. Tongue smoothed itself over the roof his mouth and then peeked out through the pinch of white teeth. Wait.. Choir.. how far back was he? He rolled his head again on thick shoulders, body bending at the waist with hands resting on his knees. "Choir? That sounds.. boring." He spoke rudely without flinching, head tilting again while nose crinkled. "Very boring, choir sounds." That was all he could wrap his head around for whatever reason and he blinked a few times between the two women before a tattooed hand reached out from his thigh to claim the paper she had shown. "... what now.. is this that you want.. what would you do... with.. this?"
[Cinthie] It was impressive, perhaps, how the fire mage ran cool, or at least she stayed awful frosty on the outside when she needed to. It was impossible, though, to contain the eye roll. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bell. And you'll find that some people may think that what you do is boring." Cinthie slid off her spot on the table, kitten heels landing neatly on the ground, her skirt smoothed over long legs. "I ought to get going before Joshua has a panic attack. Miss Donovan, I'll get back to you tomorrow about choir auditions and the other matters we discussed. Mr. Bell, manners." As she turned to depart, she nudged the sleeping cambion's leg with her hand. "Mr. North, it's a library, not your bedroom. Get your feet off the couch." And she was out. Why did Cinthie suddenly want a cheeseburger?
[Alice Clare] The blonde took her leave before Alice might get it in her mind to go on over there and see if she did indeed smell like cherry gum drops. But she was followed. A shadowy figure peeling away on the sly, stealthily drifting behind the curvy figure in the way that shadows were supposed to. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing out of place, and completely unnoticed. "Ugh," Alice pouted then, gifting Don with the sight of it and big sad looking eyes. "I know, but -- " Her lips clamped shut then, when Cinthie insinuated that Abaddon Bell did boring things. She just stared at her for a moment, and then a laugh surfaced. And then another. Louder then, until she had to clamp her hand over her mouth to keep the librarian from coming over and reprimanding her in the way the Cinthie reprimanded Don now. Which made Alice make a little face. "I'm so not trying out for choir," she declared then, while Cinthie made her leave and was too followed by that singular undetected shadow. "Fuck all choirs, in fact." A haughty lift of her nose, and she scooted closer to Abaddon .. closer .. closer .. and dumped herself into his lap. "I would park it in the yard, and turn it into my lady cave." A pause. Frown. "Wait. No. That's a vagina. Scratch the lady cave. .. Yikes, that's an image. Forget I ever said lady cave in my entire life. But I'd use it! For magic. You've the basement all to yourself where there's things I shouldn't touch. And I would paint it purple! And put a pretty cushion on the bench, and a billion pillows, and read books."
[Ash] "Hey." Mumbled someone, who had been sleeping in the opposite corner. "Choirs don't want mingers, anyway." D'aw. His voice was all gravelly from sleep.
[Tucker] "Oi!" Tucker swatted at his music teacher as she departed. "I'm just dozin'. Leave me be, I've had a rough...month...year...life...whatever that is." Tucker had pulled his coat over him like a blanket, and he sat up groggily, rubbing at blues. Blues that were glowing a little too much, a little too bright. "The hell?" he muttered, under his breath. "Who fucks in a library, then?" You, Tucker. You do. Just not right now. Was that Ash he heard mumbling somewhere near one of the other couches? Was it pretty boy crash night at the library? Arms extended behind himself and shoulders made one of those delicious poppoppops that meant that all the tension was seeping out of it, and he righted himself, catching sight of himself in one of the mirrors in the process. He needed a haircut. He was rocking the dirty hippie look more than was strictly necessary.
[Don] Abaddon's sole purpose of existence, or so he thought, was to inspire and taste. To delve in the energy that people dribbled and experience moods, to find something special and immerse himself in the aftermath. Usually that was ecstasy and fear, but annoyance and ruffling feathers worked sometimes too. Especially if it was a teacher. We don't need no thought control. Grin cut deeper and wider and the bearded man let eyes fixate when she declared he could do boring things. "Maybe." A clever response. She woke up Tucker, he didn't know the name, and then said something about manners again. "Maybe." And she was off. It was probably his mind all out of sorts that left him open to embark on people's feelings without care, but now he did care. He wanted to eat dig into her pore and wriggle like an irritant. But, she was gone and he was being pushed into a chair. He didn't even know that's what was happening until she was in his lap and someone was talking about 'mingers'. He didn't even know what that mean, but peered over at the blonde headed fella and now the other guy who was still 'waking'. "Oh, if you're going to paint it purple then it is a must. Get you some horses too.. can steal them from somewhere.. to pull it around the house and such. Or just tie a rope around Frank's neck. We'll figure something out." He settled a hand on Alice's side, but perused the one that had just woken up. "Going to let her tell you where you can sleep?"
[Alice Clare] "Baaabee," Alice frowned a little back at him, over her shoulder from the way she'd positioned herself in his lap, as if simply, he were her chair. "We can't steal horses. That's not nice." But then she gasped! "You know what would be just fab? Minotaurs! Where can we find a minotaur or six? I'm gonna look in the ads." They had to be in the animals section, one would think, right? Alice turned a few pages, and leaned over as his hand settled at her side; each elbow kissed the table, and her hands created a welcome prop for her chin. A glance was given towards first Ash, just a cut of blue his way; back to the paper -- vision sliding over ads for purchasable puppies and kitties, and even some lizards, but they rose again to Tucker. Sometime, a long time ago, Alice had pushed up her sunglasses that she'd put on to keep from being blinded by a rock the size of Saturn gracing the brunette's finger -- we just never got around to mentioning she did that, but she flipped them back down onto her nose, those big heart shaped things. "Or maybe kittens might work," she decided, turning her attention back to the paper. "How many lil' gross kittens do you think it would take to pull a caravan?"
[Ash] Apparently, Ash and Tucker were the Eyecandy Boys Squad, which meant that Tucker would (and likely should) become Ash's best friend, so that the cambion could eat until he was stuffed as Hell from all the girls getting mushy just thinking about those two sets of blue eyes. They'd slink all around campus like the Siamese Cats from Lady and the Tramp, except Beth would have to stop by to break them up, and she kind of reminded Ash of Lady herself, and I guess that's where the analogy falls apart. ... anyway! After taking a crack at the girl who'd griefed the idea of choirs (Ash sang in more than a few, thanks,) the crystal eyed boy turned and look at ol' Tuck, before dragging himself to his feEEEEET OH CRAP ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION. Down Ash went again, plopping down on the couch, so that he could rub his eyes in annoyance. "... mnnn. Sorry. ... wait." He squinted at Tucker. "Who told me to knock it off?" It was Cinthie, Ash, not Tucker, and it wasn't directed at you.
[Tucker] A sleepy chuckle was offered in return to Don's words. "With an arse like that, she can tell me whatever she pleases," he quipped, graceful form coming to a stand. His head cocked to the other side, so the other side of his neck popped as well. Ahhh. Perfect. A scowl crossed Tucker's face, and he tipped his chin towards Alice. "You ain't bringin' a bloody minotaur on campus, Alice. Ask Chelsea McIntyre about 'em. She'll tell you loads." Snatching up his long-cold coffee in the to-go cup from Joe's, just so he didn't leave it there, he wandered over to Ash's couch and parked himself down beside him. "That would be Miss G, and she was talkin' to me. Guess takin' a nap on the couch is now forbidden or somethin'. But you and me, Ash, we're rebels. Rebels without a clue." A fist was held out for his mini-me to bump it. Between the two of them, they could probably do a lot of damage to the ladies on campus. Pick your flavor, adult or underaged. "How're you doin', man? Pluck up the balls to call Jaycee yet?" He glanced in the direction of the Western Civ section, took a deep breath, and smiled. It was both knowing and satisfied. He didn't know Freya's energy signature well enough to call her out on it, but somebody was getting some, and Tucker was just going to sit here and bask in the distant glow like he was spectating a nuclear blast.
[Don] Seriously. The monster was losing his mind. Maybe side-effects from self-experimentation. When you started to move bits of your soul around and re-shape it, severing memories from your brain, shit could get a little funky. And it was still within that twenty-four hour cycle. It was for the better anways. The recently awoken person who he'd only seen in glances, and heard the name mentioned, continued to hold his attention while he spoke and began to leave. "I have a hard time following directions, the nicer the ass, the harder to understand." And then he was maneuvering towards the boy over yonder. The boy who had said something that he didn't quite hear. And had he heard 'minger' he wouldn't of understood it. And if he had understood it, he probably would have grinned harder and acted not like himself. Because he wasn't. Minotaurs. Yes. Reality. His heat seethed as he focused on reality again, green attention dotting the golden-crowned bird. "We can make a minotaur, I think I have something somewhere. And.. I don't even... know. We could just get... lion kittens or something. That way we won't need as many." There was a word for that Abaddon. "Cubs. Lion cubs."
[Alice Clare] When Tucker spoke up over minotaurs too, Alice sent him a rather confused look through the orangey shade of her glasses. "Not on campus, silly." She even shook a teasing finger at him, and might have tsked, but Don would be the only one close enough to hear that. Just like Alice was the only on that could feel the tension in the ancient wizards body, despite how wide he grinned. A languid lift of her upper body, and Alice let it keep going until her back found the broad of blue, green, and white chest. Fingers delved all on their own up into the thicket of chocolate beard. They buzzed with energy, though whether it was the sort that was meant to relax, or the sort that was meant to add to the melee, Alice didn't even know. Maybe she just liked sharing her magic, and the way it crackled and popped like water usually did when it met something hot. At the door, more shadows were following departing patrons -- including the alu-fiend who was licking her chops and leaving all by her lonesome, since she preferred it that way. "Lion kittens," she giggled softly, turning her face some and bumping his cheek with the red rim of sunglasses. "That would be the cutest ever. "They'll get such big teeth. And I'll teach them to chomp into tender-fleshed boys." A fist came up, the one who's pointer finger depicted the very lion in question, though adult form. And Alice chomped her own teeth at the air.
[Ash] "Then cheers, because I'm all for protesting the status quo," offered Ash, who allowed Tucker to settle into him. And oh, Tucker was so warm. Not as in, awwww yeahhhh, warm, but as in, so sreepy honkshoe warm. And as for your flavor selection of men, well... it was more like, did you want the sexually experienced or the eager, energetic, and good natured? Both were pretty, and as far as dating sims went, they could make one Hell of a pair if put into play. Bumping his fist, Ash blinked, his eyes slowly getting thinner as he slowly became more and more interested in Tucker, because the other two were BORING and Ash was a very easily BORED person. "I am starting up work at the Cat, trying to work on my dance," GET READY HANNAH, "and I want you to take me out and buy me a pint." He'd buy it himself if they didn't have funny rules about drinking age. God, stupid Tucker. Stop being so. ... couch-like. Because Ash's eyelids were getting heavier by the minute. All that motherfucking warmth. "And no, I haven't called her yet." Soon. ... maybe. If he got time. If nothing happened.
[Tucker] Hey. There went Freya. Tucker raised a hand, waved and watched her go--not without a little snort of amusement. Of course that had been his dear sister's doing, and he licked his lips at her in a way that echoed her own gesture. "Fuckin' in the library, tsk tsk," he murmured, too low for Freya to hear and too off topic to have been for Ash. "What are we, a bunch of animals?" So asked the evolutionary anthropologist. Yes. We are. Apes, to be precise. He left Alice and Don alone for now, not really wanting to think about the minotaurs, about the things going missing from his quad, about the labyrinth, about Scarlett Tate going missing. It had been over the summer. Why did summer feel so far away now? Oh, right, right, back to the present. Got it. He smirked down at Ash as the guy began to doze. "You want me to take you out and buy you a pint? Is it because you want to get around underage drinkin' regulations? Or is it because you fancy me? Aw, Ash, it's okay to admit it. You know what I am." He debated turning on the incubus mojo, as Bethy called it, just to be a complete and utter bag of dicks. "Still, it won't be the most questionable thing I've done," he admitted. "Did I ever tell you I fucked my classic lit teacher? Yep. Bent her over while she was gradin' my essay." Geez, Tucker, look a little less proud of yourself. "I got top marks. She was young. Probably...twenty-five, maybe? I was seventeen." Where had he been going with that tangent? "So yeah, I guess I'll buy you a pint. Just know I'm not askin' you to put out later. I'm much more sophisticated than that."
[Don] Abaddon was a master of deceit and disguise. Everything about him really was a fabrication, and the majority of those that saw the real thing didn't have much time to fathom what it was they witnessed. Alice was one of those lucky few bitten by the dragon and still able to draw breath before his poison took her down. She must have been immune. He continued the boring conversation, that was much more exciting that choir, about the lions. Grasping onto the conversation with both hands because it was the only thing stable, he kept hearing things in his head that weren't thoughts of his own. Kept seeing things in the corner of his eye that he never dared to glance at. Things were unraveling, but he still held onto that intrepid demeanor of sick mirth. "Mm, yes, we can feed them boys. And girls. And all sorts of things. I don't believe I've ever had lions for pets. They shouldn't be that hard to get a hold of. I know a guy. A lion a guy." He nodded a little and jabbed a finger fiercely against the paper, poking the caravan she had gotten him excited about. Yes, the caravan was the source of sanity in his malfunctioning mind. It made the most sense to him. "Okay. Yes. We should get this. And the lions. And the boys. And the girls. And we can make a list. Write them all down. Check them off as we get them. It will be wonderful. And it will be great." He gave her a scratch on her cheek, the beard that bit, and pressed smooch. Fingers pinching the girl's rump when she was distracted with the affection. A little quieter, so quiet. She barely felt the breath of secret on her ear. "... lost ... ain."
[Alice Clare] Oh man. The boring girl, who was the boringest of all borings in the totally boring world sighed against Abaddon. Probably because she was so boring. "Virgins, boy and girl virgins." Glasses were pushed back up into her hair, the gold of it sticking out this way and that all askew. He was talking a bit in circles -- like she did, and Alice's features went wonky a moment; until he leaned in to smooch. Always a good distraction. Among her top two favorites. A little squeak with the pinch, and a swat she didn't mean to his shoulder -- but what he whispered in her ear? It sent deja vu sprinkling down her spine, and she heard the echo of it in her ears -- but in her own voice. A breath hitched in through her teeth, and Alice leaned back a little to find the serpentine of his eyes. "We better go find it. Right now. Right now." Alice, with just a slight edge of frantic in the way she moved, began to gather up all her things strewn about the table -- stuffing books she had no intention of checking out into her big tote, among the notebook and the papers. Seemed to remember Tucker was there, if only from spying the shape of him on the couch in her peripheral, and while she collected her things, she cast her gaze his way. "Tucker, if you could please ask Beth to call me as soon as she can." See, Beth would be the mind to pick over all these things she was putting together. Beth would understand what Cinthie hadn't yet been awakened to. Nevermind that the only time Tucker had seen Alice around Beth, he'd introduced them, and they'd full on played along -- Alice might have forgotten about that ploy, as she did so many others. It didn't matter, not as much as other things did.
[Ash] Guess who fell asleep three times? Ash's player. Guess who fell asleep just once? Ash. Something about sex, something about pints; he'd heard it all vaguely before, but by the end of it all he was zonked out next to Tucker. Also, he was a cuddler. Not sexy BONER cuddling, but just cuddling, like a stupid dog that keeps nosing into your bedspace and you are like STOP IT THIS IS YOUR HALF OF THE BED and the dog is like *snore* and even if you shove his big stupid furry butt off your side he'll nose his way back. That was Ash. Right now. Except, not a dog, kind of handsome, and all... cuddly. It's okay, Tucker. Will had the same problem.
[Tucker] "Oh, virgins. Well I'm safe. Better get Ash here taken care of, though. I wouldn't wanna see him die before he gets a chance to fuck a woman. Or a man. Whatever, I don't judge...Ash, are you fallin' asleep?" No, Ash wasn't falling asleep, Ash was asleep already. Tucker fumbled carefully for his phone and snapped a picture. Text to: Bethy. Text: Lololol blackmail. Send. "Bethy?" he echoed Alice, blues blinking. "Uh, yeah, I'll let her know you wanna talk to her." Maybe they had classes together or something? He didn't think they were close. "Alright, sleepin' beauty. Let's get you to your quad. I ain't your mattress." He tried to extricate himself, and failed. "Oh, for fuck's sake. I don't wanna spend my night with a minor wrapped 'round me like he's my lover. Move it, kiddo." It took two more tries before Tucker was upright, on his feet, and holding Ash in a princess carry. "You two have a good one," he said to Alice and Don, who seemed to be departing. "I'm gonna go drop this off where it belongs." Aw. He was kinda starting to take a shine to the kid. He was a lot less of a posturing asshole than he'd originally thought.
[Alice Clare] Oh dear. Shadows were following Tucker, and the carried Ash, as well. Pesky things.
[Don] He was on his way out with her. He hadn't really noticed how off he was, but as he reflected on the day, he realized that his mood was off-kilter. The magic that he witnessed, the color of her aura lapping waves against his blackfire didn't douse his power, but infected it. Her madness swirling about the bits of him and raging, it was corrupting the spell and dominating bits of his personality. Still. He was austere and flawless in the way he grinned at the world while things felt like they were falling through his fingers everywhere else. The suitcoat was wormed out of and slithered onto her shoulders, putting her limbs through the garment that was easily three sizes too big. "Yes.... good idea.. yes. " One guy was carrying a boy. Ash. Tucker. Those were the names. That hit true. He thought. Right? He didn't even dare peek back into recent memories to see if he was right, it really didn't matter. What really mattered was getting himself settled, and green eyed dragon slipped fingers into Alice's and pulled her along for the door. Yes. He needed to figure out what was wrong.
[Alice Clare] "Please," Alice reaffirmed to Tucker, "and if you'll tell her it's rather important, thank you." She stopped paying attention then, and finished gathering her things into her tote. Before she slipped it onto her shoulder, the jacket still warm with Abaddon and smelling of apples and blood, found her shoulders. She sent him a dazzling smile, threading her fingers with his so they could leave. "It's got to be in the basement, you spend so much time there." Or in her. Or rather she was in him. Was there a difference any longer when it came to this? She babbled on, listing other spots where they might find what he lost, and they were both going to wish so hard that they'd been paying attention to the shadows. Two more crept out behind Alice and Don -- and with Alice leaving? The rest saw fit to spread, like a sickness. From the library mirror to any other they could find on campus; just waiting for the faces that would peek into the looking glass.
SUMMARY: News old and new out of the north corroborates an until-now routine report made to the Council, snaring Alice Clare's attention. She approaches Council and rival family member Cinthie to pick at her brain about it, which doesn't get her far. She ultimately decides that it's Beth she needs to speak with, instead, but not before her increasingly dark kookiness takes a magical toll on a mirror in Veitch Library.
TW: none
[Alice Clare] Such a typical Thursday evening, though it was rather quiet. Thursday was a big bar night for most university students, wasn't it? Not so for our Alice Clare. The blonde could be found at one of the tables near the library on campus. She had a spread of books, some open and some not, and a notebook she'd already filled several pages worth of notes front and back on the lined pages. There was a mix of content on the table, things for her academic studies and then a few for her own curiosity. As well as a newspaper -- make that three, from different regions of the country, each one of them open to the same article -- though written by different journalists. Centering in on something going on up in Yorkshire. There were a few key words that didn't sit well in that ever working brain of hers, which would account for the perma-frown attached to her lovely face. Jotting down a few things, Alice paused -- taking a peek at the slim gold watch on her wrist, since she currently had no cell phone ( THANKS O-BRAMA ), to check the time. Don should be meeting her soon, soon enough that she took a peek up toward the main entrance of the place far down the line of tables. The end of her pen was tapped a bit on one of the papers, and she pulled it close again to reread a paragraph or two; leaning back in her chair some. Alice was simply dressed today; skinnies, pale teal Tom's, and baseball styled tee -- white with navy sleeves, that had been screen printed across the front, stating ``Roll me up and smoke me when I die.``
[Cinthie] It was nights like this that she missed things like smoking and a nice glass of pinot noir. Cinthie had been holed up in her office in Lily Hall far too late for her liking this evening, and finally--finally!--she got to pick up and go home. The dull glow of her phone illuminated her face, reflected in hazels as she stepped along and sent Joshua a text. Of course, he had probably been working late, too. He was the one overseeing the renovations of the very building that she worked in. Fire mage, Avery, architect's future wife, and pregnant lady--all those things rolled into one stepped carefully along with a single red licorice braid hanging out of the faded-pink of her mouth. The woman near the library was one she knew reasonably well. The Donovan girl. She was, as far as Cinthie knew, nice enough, if a little mercurial. The fire witch wandered closer, one arm hanging on to her usual assortment of music folders with various names, the other in front of her to adjust her black cardigan over her berry-purple tank top. "Hello, Alice." She stole a glance towards the papers, curiously, then back at her face. The slight furrow of a brow was the only thing that would hint at anything other than a particularly impressive calm running through her mind at the moment.
[Alice Clare] Crapsticks. She hadn't heard Cinthie's approach. A little whirl would turn Alice in the woman's direction, blue eyes wide as saucers. "Cinthie!" Oh. Oh what luck. The woman's granny knew god damn everything that went on, or so it always seemed. "Hi! How are you?!" Too bubbly, Alice. "Hey, have you heard about this?" One of the papers was selected, and she leafed through it just a bit, to find a blurb she'd circled, and thrusted it at the lovely brunettes way. A school had been destroyed, up in Durham. Just up and destroyed, though the article didn't say much. Because there wasn't much information on the how or whys of it. Such an expectant look on the girls face though, peering up around the top of the paper she thrust Cinthies way.
[Cinthie] Just because her granny knew everything under the sun didn't mean that Cinthie did. She'd been focused on more earthy topics these days, like whether her fiance got hazard pay and what the hell they were going to name that thing she was incubating. A flawlessly-manicured brow arched upward at Alice's too-bubbly greeting, but she smiled politely in return. "I'm well. Have I heard about what now?" Dark hair, auburn and red sparking through it as it caught the light, fell halfway over her face as she examined the newspaper that had been angled her way. "A destroyed school? No, no I...I haven't." But she was pretty sure she understood just why Alice Clare was showing her this, and she was pretty sure she knew how to respond. "But you know, my grandmother knows some people in Durham." A lie. "I really ought to ask her if everyone we know is alright." Hands reached out, both of them, to take the paper and bring it at precisely arm's length, with a few blinks of hazels. "Serves me right for leaving my reading glasses in my office," she murmured. As she tried to angle it within range of her eyesight, the light twinkled on the surprisingly massive diamond on her left hand.
[Alice Clare] "OH! I have some." Alice twisted back, now that Cinthie had taken the paper, and dug into her bag. A pair of glasses, probably not readers, were thrust at the woman; tilted this way and that impatiently so she'd take them. Another pair of glasses, though these were sunglasses and oversized, and shaped like hearts with red rims were shoved onto her own face. Why? "You're blinding me with that rock, lady." Turning back, with nose all scrunched up. "Your gran knows everyone. Were you at the last meeting? I can't remember. You had to have been," she squinted at her, which could still be seen through the shade of her lens. "I wasn't really paying all that much attention when Noah Carrington started talking about Yorkshire, but now look. Look." Alice gathered up the other papers, in no particular order, and waved them under Cinthie's nose. The articles all basically said the same thing. Unknown smell of something like sulphur, couldn't be explained, yadda yadda. Something one would miss, had not the county been mentioned to the whole of the Council.
[Cinthie] The glasses were taken and perched on her face, but she just blinked at Alice through the lenses. "They're not exactly my prescription," she pointed out, but she kept them on her face obediently and just read the article while Alice talked at her. The comment about her ring, however, did draw a warm little smile. "I'm gonna take that as a compliment, Alice Clare. And yes, I was. Noah Carrington...right, yes, I remember that one. A lot of what he said was very vague to me. I've only been in the country a handful of months, you know." And those few months were all it had taken to get that accent back and running until she sounded like a native. The papers were read as they were thrust at her, and she blinked with wide, worried eyes at all of it. "Sulfur? Alice Clare..." A quick glance around, and when she was sure nobody was listening, she leaned in and whispered to her. "This does not look particularly natural, does it?" The motion was disguised by whipping out a red licorice braid from her purse and placing it in the girl's hand. There was nothing more that she needed to say about that, was there? Their people were going to end up involved. Their people.
[Alice Clare] "That's like .. eight meetings," Alice counted them off on one hand. Though, she had to do five and three, since you know, she doesn't have eight fingers. OR DOES SHE? No. She doesn't. "Sulphur," Alice confirmed in a stage whisper, bobbing the tarnished gold of her crown in a nod. "Does seem quite peculiar. Have you ever smelled it? Like real close up and fresh? Thank you," she cooed then, accepting the licorice and chomping off the tip of it, chewing around it while she continued on. "It doesn't quite smell like farts like one would think, that's when it's been around a bit. But more like .. brimstone." Another glance was sent to her watch, then the door, then back to Cinthie. A little erratic, our water-witch -- maybe it was the close proximity to the fire mage. Fire and water never quite mixed, or maybe Alice was just too familiar with the tension that had lived between their families for generations. A tension that had no room here, however. "Your granny hasn't mentioned anything, not at all? Also, I need an elective. Have you any room in any of your classes for little ol' me?"
[Cinthie] "I have." She smirked. "I've smelled sulfur before, absolutely. When I was doing some alchemical work. It smells like everything unpleasant you could think of made simultaneously manifest." She popped into a seated position on the table, careful not to disturb any of Alice's papers or other belongings, and smoothed her ankle-length black skirt over her knees. The newspaper was balanced neatly on the small bump in her middle while she looked it over. "My grandmother keeps her cards close, if you know what I mean. Reluctant to show her hand until she has no other choice. Like an eighty year old tequila-swilling chess master. But I can call her in the morning during my prep period and see what she knows. As for your classes..." She looked the Donovan girl over a few times, tilted her head, thought. "How are you with music? Can you sing? Play an instrument? Would you like to learn how? I do have some slots in choir if you can pass the basic audition." God, she hoped Alice Clare wasn't another bloody soprano. Shepherd was rife with trilling little sopranos who flitted through her chorus like songbirds and with about the same sized brain. Of course, Cinthie was quite biased about that, being a second alto and all.
[Alice Clare] Blue eyes followed the path Cinthie made from standing to sitting, but only grunted when it turned out the Avery old woman was so closed lipped. What good was that. This was irritating as hell. There were words on the tip of her tongue, things she was putting together one by one, but she couldn't quite put them together. Not by herself. Her attention drifted, while she suckled a bit on the small formation of a scar at the corner of her lower lip. She could use another brain like hers at the moment, one that would know how to help her get to the point she needed. "You know what else smells like brimstone? Dragon's blood." The statement was said almost to herself, as Cinthie had moved on to talking about the choir, and Alice turned to look back at her; bold brows furrowing closer together. "Sure, yah, I'll try out." Rest assured, the natural husky tones of her northern cadence were decidedly not soprano when she put them to use in a song. "What have you got in there?" Cloudy blues shifted down, to the bump she seemed to just now notice. Yes, she was fully aware that the woman was pregnant. Alice was just .. Alice. Frustrated, distracted. "Is it human?"
[Sylvia] Too old to be a student, too busy enjoying the spotlight to teacher, one lovely lady had been wandering around London, looking for a specific type of person... one that would feel familiar to her particularly keen senses. Yes, this lady had been gone from the area for quite some time. ... up until tonight, that is, when she'd had her taxi driver take her to the University, which seemed acceptable and normal, aside from one or two odd rumors that were circulating around here and there. Absolute rubbish, to most people, but if you knew what you were looking for, it seemed a smidge on track. After stepping out of the car, the light haired woman walked along the grounds, a little too keen to be just a tourist. Had on a lovely looking, apple red dress with a cinched in waist, a flared out skirt, sleeves, low cut but tastefully above the upper portion of the bust neckline. Nice little number, paired with an eggshell white shawl and high heels. Lips painted red, purse in hand, she paused in front of the library, looking pleased with herself as she stared at the doors... ... a second or two before she stepped in. If the person at the desk gave her trouble, she'd go with the tourist excuse, even show her passport, camera, and a couple of pamphlets about tourist destinations in London. Plans, I tell you. She had them!
[Cinthie] Thank goodness, the girl sounded like an alto, and that was just what Cinthie needed. She even sighed her relief. "The alto section is in dire need of a boost. I don't know what it is about the air around here but it seems to produce an entire generation of girls who can't hit a low note if their lives depended on it." She leaned in again to murmur to her. "They're probably going to want to call an emergency meeting, you know," she said well under her breath. "I can feel it already. The Lyons elder is going to get his knickers in a massive twist. I feel it on the wind." That was intentionally over dramatic, and she sat back with a small snort. Just in time for that weird question about her belly. It was tempting, so tempting, to tell Alice Clare that she had compressed glitter in there, and at the end of March it was going to explode when she was cut open and really upset Dr. Zane. But she held herself back. "So far as I know, yes," she replied, rubbing the bump a little. "You know the lead architect who's been working on the renovations to Lily Hall? The tall, skinny one who doesn't seem to have an inch of skin left un-inked? That's Daddy. And the purveyor of the ring." The one who wore inappropriate t-shirts and cursed a lot in a Texan drawl. He'd been around. Often. As another woman entered the library, she glanced up, frowning slightly though not in an unkind fashion. More in a fashion that said who-the-fuck-are-you. Killer dress and heels though. If fetch had ever happened, that outfit would be so fetch.
[Alice Clare] Alice's eyes went wide as UFO's again, with Cinthie's choice of words on the Lyon's elder. "Hmm," she hummed, shoving in the rest of her licorice into her mouth. Like all of it. Bending and twisting it until the whole rest of it fit in, since she'd only taken a nibble. Chewchewchew, mumbled words. "I think you're right about the meeting." Dumb, dumb meetings. Meetings, that's all there was. No action, if you asked Alice. That might be what tipped her frustrations too. When there was enough of the candy in her mouth chewed up for a big swallow, she did that, shaking her head some. "No, I don't know what you're talking about." Which was going to be the story she effing stuck to when it came to the matters of Lily Hall and why it had to be renovated in the first place. Nope, no way had it been Alice's fault, in Ash's body, that the place had caught fire. Nooooooppe. "Well, I ahh .. hope it has all it's appropriate parts." That was what parents wanted, right? Fingers, toes, just two eyes, maybe not a tail? Her foot bounced a little, and Alice took back one of the papers that had been laid across the bump that housed the impending Gable, and happened to glance up as Cinthie did, to see the femme fatale who'd entered the library. Just sizzling wasn't she? Not just in her attire, but her aura. So many unfamiliar faces, and familiar auras showing up these days.
[Sylvia] Just a bit. But fabulous, darling, oh so fabulous! And currently chattering away sweetly at the person being the desk, bubbly and friendly, like Marilyn Monroe, with her coach purse and camera and did you know, this town was SO large, ever so large, and you could get SO lost -- but really, wasn't this the University? She'd heard it was such a great school, and wouldn't it be lovely if she had children someday and they'd attend it? Basically, she kept buttering them up, in attempt for them to either be so tickled pink that they'd let her look around, or do disgusted by her American accent and friendly attitude that they'd shoo her away eventually.
[Don] Don didn't give his late arrival much thought. Figured he'd get there when he get there. And in fact, after he realized how late he actually was he did very little to remedy it. One could even say he took steps to make sure that time dragged on even longer before he showed up. For example, he got off a bus, and walked the rest of the way--when he was still a few miles from the university. And for no real reason beyond the bus stopping, and he decided to get off. But, an hour, maybe a little more... after the time she had told him to show up.. and that's when he would. Tonight's attire was a green and blue, both darker shades of the colors were worn in a motley pattern on the suit he wore. The shoes and tie matching the green in a similar hue, and white-undershirt made sure that blue stayed the outcast. Inked fingers dismissed the black-wrapped joint outside, turning it to ash when it struck the ground, and made his way into the library. Last time he was here was the... third? No.. fourth time he saw Alice. He wouldn't be surprised if a bit of that energy was still lingering, the powerful event probably did leave a minor scar in reality. He whistled louder than one should in a library and earned a few glances, glances that turned to stares at the peculiar diamond pattern in his clothes. Beard pointed only in one direction and that was the way Alice was with a person he wasn't very familiar with.. Maybe he'd recognized her from the Mabon event, but he had been drugged. Fingers waving to both of the women carefully while blues flicked from one to the other.
[Cinthie] "Well that's...quite the...blessing you gave there?" Cinthie grinned. It was a big, pink-lipped grin that reached to the corners of her eyes where the first hints of crow's feet were starting to develop. Smile lines. She was beginning to age, but at least she was beginning to age with grace. As much as a woman whose hobbies included drinking and absconding could have. She patted her belly a little, neatly folded up the newspaper and handed it back to Alice. The loud whistle that broke the silence had her raising brows in that disapproving fashion--this is a fucking library, have some goddamn respect--but she simply said, "Looks like somebody's looking for you?" to Alice, if only because she was sure that he wasn't here for her. There was a small wave of her fingers his way in return, and a smile that was wry and too clever for her pretty mouth. "Bit of a loud one, innit?" she drawled, procuring another licorice braid and popping it in her mouth. Sorry pretty girl in the red dress, Cinthie's mun had technical difficulties and isn't sure what happened, but hey, your dress is hot.
[Alice Clare] Did anyone notice the Alu-fiend back in the Western Civ section? I sure didn't. Probably for the best, as she was in the midst of feeding off some redheaded Pysch major with amazing tits who had barely taken any persuasion at all to let her touch them. Alice was distracted again. If by nothing but her own reflection. It looked annoyed, and she didn't like the way her eyebrows wouldn't stop doing that close together thing. Alice turned a little, facing away from Cinthie for the moment to regard herself in the mirrors that lined the shelf free walls of the library, and prodded a little between her own brows and the bridge of her nose. Both hands went to work some, pushing at her angular cheeks to try and smooth them out, and then shoving her lips together in a forced fish face. Completely not paying attention to any new arrivals, or the woman mostly behind her -- until Cinthie spoke up, and startled her a bit from her vain ministrations. "FUCKING BOOGETY HELL," Alice shouted at her mirror image. Cinthie wanted a loud one, she got one. Whirling back with that wide eyed stare again, first to the hazel eyes of preggo here, then over to the blue and mostly green display Abaddon had made of himself. "Oh," she sighed though, a little dreamily; tilting herself a little closer to the woman beside her. "But he's always looking for me. And most the time, I let him find me." She sat up straight, and began to wildly wave one of the newspapers about. "Babe, babe, come have a lookit this. And can you get me a present? I need a present." Spoiled. So spoiled.
[Tucker] There was another in the library. Well away from Western Civ, thank you. A lanky sort of figure sprawled on a couch, lost in a nap, at least until Alice yelled. Tucker snorted, muttered something about people trying to fucking study in this library, and dozed again.
[Sylvia] Those words. Oh yes, those words made the woman look around, light eyes moving from Alice, to the mirror, and then back to Alice again. For a moment, she seemed... curious. Not interested-curious, but Alice in Wonderland curious, curiouser and curiouser, curious. Then... ... then, she seemed to be entertained, cat watching a bird outside the window entertained, while a slow, coy, Mona Lisa smile crossed her glossy lips. Had she heard the whistle? Yes. But she'd given the fellow a once-over before going back to what she was doing, and just before Alice yelled out.
[Don] Had Don been able to catch the disapproving look he may have opened up his coat and pulled out his harmonica. Or maybe stomp his feet and start clapping to get a shin-dig going, but as it was he didn't. The first time he took his eyes from Alice was only after arriving at the table which he knocked on in a drumming fashion. "Oh? A present. Hi." That was offered to Cinthie after he glance at her for the third time, broad grin sliced across his mouth. He stabbed Alice with the sinister slick mirth and let eyes widen some. "A present. Of course! Whatever is it that I can do for you.." Always there to please, even if he said the words in a monotoned deadpan. The six-three frame of the dragon in blue and green tiptoed around to draw closer. "... what is it you have there." He tilted body till thighs pressed against edge of table, head angling to make it easier to see whatever it was she intended on to him.
[Cinthie] There were plenty of things that Cinthie was unaware of in this library, like the alufiend and the redhead, and the cambion and his designated library nap couch. There was a curious stare of hazels at Don as he approached, at the way Alice responded. It was peculiar. Equal parts lover and child. Judge not, Miss Griswold, lest ye be judged, she reminded herself, and simply smiled. "Hello there." She was beginning to sense that perhaps she had outstayed her welcome here, so to speak, when Alice thrust the newspaper at Don to discuss just what they had been talking about previously. Perhaps he had some sort of insight. Of course, Cinthie had left the Mabon celebration quite early, and she hadn't borne witness to what happened in the later parts of the evening. She had just gone home with her fiance, had her own special pantsless Mabon, and went to sleep, because she had to be up bright and early to teach in the morning. Boy, weren't adults dull?
[Alice Clare] Be still her heart. Agreeing to presents before he even knew what they were. Irritation was beginning to fade, though she still felt it all pesky and balled between her shoulder blades some. She did, however, remember her manners. "Cithie, this is Don Bell, my gentleman lover." That was a thing, right? A hand gestured to Don, and then back to the pretty brunette, "Hyacinth Griswold, one of the instructors here." He stalked closer, and Alice spread the paper out there in front of him, and tapped on a little bit she'd circled. It wasn't the blurb about the destruction of the school, no, but something else. Instead, it was an ad. "This, please. I want this caravan." He had his basement to do his wicked deeds, Alice wanted a gypsy fairytale caravan! Discuss council business with someone who wasn't part of it? She wasn't a rookie here. Alice had grown up in the belly of the beast, had had the dream to start all dreams long ago. She knew better. "I'm going to audition for the choir, fill in a spot for Cinthie, here. What say you about that?" Her brow arched, relaxing out of it's furrow, at Don, but ever the creature distracted by pretty shiny things, she peered past him to the platinum blonde still at the library counter. "I've seen her color before." Not the hair, not the slash of red dress, but the element surrounding her. "I know it. I've seen it." Talking to herself out loud again. This is why people are so confused by you, Alice Clare. "I bet she smells like cherry gum drops." .. That had nothing to do with the element. Prolly the dress.
[Sylvia] The lady continued to watch the pair standing there, looking as pleased as the cat that got the cream. She didn't have to say anything; Alice whispered what she was in very little body motion and screamed mirror-spell, and the whole group seemed to be as clear as champagne in a fluted glass. Turning toward the madam librarian, the lady with the light hair and the apple red dress thanked her for allowing her to step in and look around, before turning to slink out of the library. If she were a cat, you'd see her tail give a finicky little good-bye flick, right before departing for some errand or another.
[Don] Abaddon had a way of making people feel something scratch at the inside of their courage-sac and make it leak, made the knees quiver in mortals and set primal instincts off. Animals would have tucked tail and ran the second they saw him if it wasn't for the little bits of magic that 'softened' his dangerous edge. The 'instructor' said Hi.. and she had a name, Cinthie. Again he regarded the woman carefully with that ever-present grin putting white of teeth on full display. Other girl that was there, but over yonder, was now making her way for the door it seemed. But now attention diverted back to the caravan that Alice was pointing out. "Wait... what... ? You want.. Eh.. Oh, Hyacinth.. Griswold.. yes.. Hi." For some reason his mind was a little flustered in places it wasn't supposed to be. He was supposed to be here. Tongue smoothed itself over the roof his mouth and then peeked out through the pinch of white teeth. Wait.. Choir.. how far back was he? He rolled his head again on thick shoulders, body bending at the waist with hands resting on his knees. "Choir? That sounds.. boring." He spoke rudely without flinching, head tilting again while nose crinkled. "Very boring, choir sounds." That was all he could wrap his head around for whatever reason and he blinked a few times between the two women before a tattooed hand reached out from his thigh to claim the paper she had shown. "... what now.. is this that you want.. what would you do... with.. this?"
[Cinthie] It was impressive, perhaps, how the fire mage ran cool, or at least she stayed awful frosty on the outside when she needed to. It was impossible, though, to contain the eye roll. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bell. And you'll find that some people may think that what you do is boring." Cinthie slid off her spot on the table, kitten heels landing neatly on the ground, her skirt smoothed over long legs. "I ought to get going before Joshua has a panic attack. Miss Donovan, I'll get back to you tomorrow about choir auditions and the other matters we discussed. Mr. Bell, manners." As she turned to depart, she nudged the sleeping cambion's leg with her hand. "Mr. North, it's a library, not your bedroom. Get your feet off the couch." And she was out. Why did Cinthie suddenly want a cheeseburger?
[Alice Clare] The blonde took her leave before Alice might get it in her mind to go on over there and see if she did indeed smell like cherry gum drops. But she was followed. A shadowy figure peeling away on the sly, stealthily drifting behind the curvy figure in the way that shadows were supposed to. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing out of place, and completely unnoticed. "Ugh," Alice pouted then, gifting Don with the sight of it and big sad looking eyes. "I know, but -- " Her lips clamped shut then, when Cinthie insinuated that Abaddon Bell did boring things. She just stared at her for a moment, and then a laugh surfaced. And then another. Louder then, until she had to clamp her hand over her mouth to keep the librarian from coming over and reprimanding her in the way the Cinthie reprimanded Don now. Which made Alice make a little face. "I'm so not trying out for choir," she declared then, while Cinthie made her leave and was too followed by that singular undetected shadow. "Fuck all choirs, in fact." A haughty lift of her nose, and she scooted closer to Abaddon .. closer .. closer .. and dumped herself into his lap. "I would park it in the yard, and turn it into my lady cave." A pause. Frown. "Wait. No. That's a vagina. Scratch the lady cave. .. Yikes, that's an image. Forget I ever said lady cave in my entire life. But I'd use it! For magic. You've the basement all to yourself where there's things I shouldn't touch. And I would paint it purple! And put a pretty cushion on the bench, and a billion pillows, and read books."
[Ash] "Hey." Mumbled someone, who had been sleeping in the opposite corner. "Choirs don't want mingers, anyway." D'aw. His voice was all gravelly from sleep.
[Tucker] "Oi!" Tucker swatted at his music teacher as she departed. "I'm just dozin'. Leave me be, I've had a rough...month...year...life...whatever that is." Tucker had pulled his coat over him like a blanket, and he sat up groggily, rubbing at blues. Blues that were glowing a little too much, a little too bright. "The hell?" he muttered, under his breath. "Who fucks in a library, then?" You, Tucker. You do. Just not right now. Was that Ash he heard mumbling somewhere near one of the other couches? Was it pretty boy crash night at the library? Arms extended behind himself and shoulders made one of those delicious poppoppops that meant that all the tension was seeping out of it, and he righted himself, catching sight of himself in one of the mirrors in the process. He needed a haircut. He was rocking the dirty hippie look more than was strictly necessary.
[Don] Abaddon's sole purpose of existence, or so he thought, was to inspire and taste. To delve in the energy that people dribbled and experience moods, to find something special and immerse himself in the aftermath. Usually that was ecstasy and fear, but annoyance and ruffling feathers worked sometimes too. Especially if it was a teacher. We don't need no thought control. Grin cut deeper and wider and the bearded man let eyes fixate when she declared he could do boring things. "Maybe." A clever response. She woke up Tucker, he didn't know the name, and then said something about manners again. "Maybe." And she was off. It was probably his mind all out of sorts that left him open to embark on people's feelings without care, but now he did care. He wanted to eat dig into her pore and wriggle like an irritant. But, she was gone and he was being pushed into a chair. He didn't even know that's what was happening until she was in his lap and someone was talking about 'mingers'. He didn't even know what that mean, but peered over at the blonde headed fella and now the other guy who was still 'waking'. "Oh, if you're going to paint it purple then it is a must. Get you some horses too.. can steal them from somewhere.. to pull it around the house and such. Or just tie a rope around Frank's neck. We'll figure something out." He settled a hand on Alice's side, but perused the one that had just woken up. "Going to let her tell you where you can sleep?"
[Alice Clare] "Baaabee," Alice frowned a little back at him, over her shoulder from the way she'd positioned herself in his lap, as if simply, he were her chair. "We can't steal horses. That's not nice." But then she gasped! "You know what would be just fab? Minotaurs! Where can we find a minotaur or six? I'm gonna look in the ads." They had to be in the animals section, one would think, right? Alice turned a few pages, and leaned over as his hand settled at her side; each elbow kissed the table, and her hands created a welcome prop for her chin. A glance was given towards first Ash, just a cut of blue his way; back to the paper -- vision sliding over ads for purchasable puppies and kitties, and even some lizards, but they rose again to Tucker. Sometime, a long time ago, Alice had pushed up her sunglasses that she'd put on to keep from being blinded by a rock the size of Saturn gracing the brunette's finger -- we just never got around to mentioning she did that, but she flipped them back down onto her nose, those big heart shaped things. "Or maybe kittens might work," she decided, turning her attention back to the paper. "How many lil' gross kittens do you think it would take to pull a caravan?"
[Ash] Apparently, Ash and Tucker were the Eyecandy Boys Squad, which meant that Tucker would (and likely should) become Ash's best friend, so that the cambion could eat until he was stuffed as Hell from all the girls getting mushy just thinking about those two sets of blue eyes. They'd slink all around campus like the Siamese Cats from Lady and the Tramp, except Beth would have to stop by to break them up, and she kind of reminded Ash of Lady herself, and I guess that's where the analogy falls apart. ... anyway! After taking a crack at the girl who'd griefed the idea of choirs (Ash sang in more than a few, thanks,) the crystal eyed boy turned and look at ol' Tuck, before dragging himself to his feEEEEET OH CRAP ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION. Down Ash went again, plopping down on the couch, so that he could rub his eyes in annoyance. "... mnnn. Sorry. ... wait." He squinted at Tucker. "Who told me to knock it off?" It was Cinthie, Ash, not Tucker, and it wasn't directed at you.
[Tucker] A sleepy chuckle was offered in return to Don's words. "With an arse like that, she can tell me whatever she pleases," he quipped, graceful form coming to a stand. His head cocked to the other side, so the other side of his neck popped as well. Ahhh. Perfect. A scowl crossed Tucker's face, and he tipped his chin towards Alice. "You ain't bringin' a bloody minotaur on campus, Alice. Ask Chelsea McIntyre about 'em. She'll tell you loads." Snatching up his long-cold coffee in the to-go cup from Joe's, just so he didn't leave it there, he wandered over to Ash's couch and parked himself down beside him. "That would be Miss G, and she was talkin' to me. Guess takin' a nap on the couch is now forbidden or somethin'. But you and me, Ash, we're rebels. Rebels without a clue." A fist was held out for his mini-me to bump it. Between the two of them, they could probably do a lot of damage to the ladies on campus. Pick your flavor, adult or underaged. "How're you doin', man? Pluck up the balls to call Jaycee yet?" He glanced in the direction of the Western Civ section, took a deep breath, and smiled. It was both knowing and satisfied. He didn't know Freya's energy signature well enough to call her out on it, but somebody was getting some, and Tucker was just going to sit here and bask in the distant glow like he was spectating a nuclear blast.
[Don] Seriously. The monster was losing his mind. Maybe side-effects from self-experimentation. When you started to move bits of your soul around and re-shape it, severing memories from your brain, shit could get a little funky. And it was still within that twenty-four hour cycle. It was for the better anways. The recently awoken person who he'd only seen in glances, and heard the name mentioned, continued to hold his attention while he spoke and began to leave. "I have a hard time following directions, the nicer the ass, the harder to understand." And then he was maneuvering towards the boy over yonder. The boy who had said something that he didn't quite hear. And had he heard 'minger' he wouldn't of understood it. And if he had understood it, he probably would have grinned harder and acted not like himself. Because he wasn't. Minotaurs. Yes. Reality. His heat seethed as he focused on reality again, green attention dotting the golden-crowned bird. "We can make a minotaur, I think I have something somewhere. And.. I don't even... know. We could just get... lion kittens or something. That way we won't need as many." There was a word for that Abaddon. "Cubs. Lion cubs."
[Alice Clare] When Tucker spoke up over minotaurs too, Alice sent him a rather confused look through the orangey shade of her glasses. "Not on campus, silly." She even shook a teasing finger at him, and might have tsked, but Don would be the only one close enough to hear that. Just like Alice was the only on that could feel the tension in the ancient wizards body, despite how wide he grinned. A languid lift of her upper body, and Alice let it keep going until her back found the broad of blue, green, and white chest. Fingers delved all on their own up into the thicket of chocolate beard. They buzzed with energy, though whether it was the sort that was meant to relax, or the sort that was meant to add to the melee, Alice didn't even know. Maybe she just liked sharing her magic, and the way it crackled and popped like water usually did when it met something hot. At the door, more shadows were following departing patrons -- including the alu-fiend who was licking her chops and leaving all by her lonesome, since she preferred it that way. "Lion kittens," she giggled softly, turning her face some and bumping his cheek with the red rim of sunglasses. "That would be the cutest ever. "They'll get such big teeth. And I'll teach them to chomp into tender-fleshed boys." A fist came up, the one who's pointer finger depicted the very lion in question, though adult form. And Alice chomped her own teeth at the air.
[Ash] "Then cheers, because I'm all for protesting the status quo," offered Ash, who allowed Tucker to settle into him. And oh, Tucker was so warm. Not as in, awwww yeahhhh, warm, but as in, so sreepy honkshoe warm. And as for your flavor selection of men, well... it was more like, did you want the sexually experienced or the eager, energetic, and good natured? Both were pretty, and as far as dating sims went, they could make one Hell of a pair if put into play. Bumping his fist, Ash blinked, his eyes slowly getting thinner as he slowly became more and more interested in Tucker, because the other two were BORING and Ash was a very easily BORED person. "I am starting up work at the Cat, trying to work on my dance," GET READY HANNAH, "and I want you to take me out and buy me a pint." He'd buy it himself if they didn't have funny rules about drinking age. God, stupid Tucker. Stop being so. ... couch-like. Because Ash's eyelids were getting heavier by the minute. All that motherfucking warmth. "And no, I haven't called her yet." Soon. ... maybe. If he got time. If nothing happened.
[Tucker] Hey. There went Freya. Tucker raised a hand, waved and watched her go--not without a little snort of amusement. Of course that had been his dear sister's doing, and he licked his lips at her in a way that echoed her own gesture. "Fuckin' in the library, tsk tsk," he murmured, too low for Freya to hear and too off topic to have been for Ash. "What are we, a bunch of animals?" So asked the evolutionary anthropologist. Yes. We are. Apes, to be precise. He left Alice and Don alone for now, not really wanting to think about the minotaurs, about the things going missing from his quad, about the labyrinth, about Scarlett Tate going missing. It had been over the summer. Why did summer feel so far away now? Oh, right, right, back to the present. Got it. He smirked down at Ash as the guy began to doze. "You want me to take you out and buy you a pint? Is it because you want to get around underage drinkin' regulations? Or is it because you fancy me? Aw, Ash, it's okay to admit it. You know what I am." He debated turning on the incubus mojo, as Bethy called it, just to be a complete and utter bag of dicks. "Still, it won't be the most questionable thing I've done," he admitted. "Did I ever tell you I fucked my classic lit teacher? Yep. Bent her over while she was gradin' my essay." Geez, Tucker, look a little less proud of yourself. "I got top marks. She was young. Probably...twenty-five, maybe? I was seventeen." Where had he been going with that tangent? "So yeah, I guess I'll buy you a pint. Just know I'm not askin' you to put out later. I'm much more sophisticated than that."
[Don] Abaddon was a master of deceit and disguise. Everything about him really was a fabrication, and the majority of those that saw the real thing didn't have much time to fathom what it was they witnessed. Alice was one of those lucky few bitten by the dragon and still able to draw breath before his poison took her down. She must have been immune. He continued the boring conversation, that was much more exciting that choir, about the lions. Grasping onto the conversation with both hands because it was the only thing stable, he kept hearing things in his head that weren't thoughts of his own. Kept seeing things in the corner of his eye that he never dared to glance at. Things were unraveling, but he still held onto that intrepid demeanor of sick mirth. "Mm, yes, we can feed them boys. And girls. And all sorts of things. I don't believe I've ever had lions for pets. They shouldn't be that hard to get a hold of. I know a guy. A lion a guy." He nodded a little and jabbed a finger fiercely against the paper, poking the caravan she had gotten him excited about. Yes, the caravan was the source of sanity in his malfunctioning mind. It made the most sense to him. "Okay. Yes. We should get this. And the lions. And the boys. And the girls. And we can make a list. Write them all down. Check them off as we get them. It will be wonderful. And it will be great." He gave her a scratch on her cheek, the beard that bit, and pressed smooch. Fingers pinching the girl's rump when she was distracted with the affection. A little quieter, so quiet. She barely felt the breath of secret on her ear. "... lost ... ain."
[Alice Clare] Oh man. The boring girl, who was the boringest of all borings in the totally boring world sighed against Abaddon. Probably because she was so boring. "Virgins, boy and girl virgins." Glasses were pushed back up into her hair, the gold of it sticking out this way and that all askew. He was talking a bit in circles -- like she did, and Alice's features went wonky a moment; until he leaned in to smooch. Always a good distraction. Among her top two favorites. A little squeak with the pinch, and a swat she didn't mean to his shoulder -- but what he whispered in her ear? It sent deja vu sprinkling down her spine, and she heard the echo of it in her ears -- but in her own voice. A breath hitched in through her teeth, and Alice leaned back a little to find the serpentine of his eyes. "We better go find it. Right now. Right now." Alice, with just a slight edge of frantic in the way she moved, began to gather up all her things strewn about the table -- stuffing books she had no intention of checking out into her big tote, among the notebook and the papers. Seemed to remember Tucker was there, if only from spying the shape of him on the couch in her peripheral, and while she collected her things, she cast her gaze his way. "Tucker, if you could please ask Beth to call me as soon as she can." See, Beth would be the mind to pick over all these things she was putting together. Beth would understand what Cinthie hadn't yet been awakened to. Nevermind that the only time Tucker had seen Alice around Beth, he'd introduced them, and they'd full on played along -- Alice might have forgotten about that ploy, as she did so many others. It didn't matter, not as much as other things did.
[Ash] Guess who fell asleep three times? Ash's player. Guess who fell asleep just once? Ash. Something about sex, something about pints; he'd heard it all vaguely before, but by the end of it all he was zonked out next to Tucker. Also, he was a cuddler. Not sexy BONER cuddling, but just cuddling, like a stupid dog that keeps nosing into your bedspace and you are like STOP IT THIS IS YOUR HALF OF THE BED and the dog is like *snore* and even if you shove his big stupid furry butt off your side he'll nose his way back. That was Ash. Right now. Except, not a dog, kind of handsome, and all... cuddly. It's okay, Tucker. Will had the same problem.
[Tucker] "Oh, virgins. Well I'm safe. Better get Ash here taken care of, though. I wouldn't wanna see him die before he gets a chance to fuck a woman. Or a man. Whatever, I don't judge...Ash, are you fallin' asleep?" No, Ash wasn't falling asleep, Ash was asleep already. Tucker fumbled carefully for his phone and snapped a picture. Text to: Bethy. Text: Lololol blackmail. Send. "Bethy?" he echoed Alice, blues blinking. "Uh, yeah, I'll let her know you wanna talk to her." Maybe they had classes together or something? He didn't think they were close. "Alright, sleepin' beauty. Let's get you to your quad. I ain't your mattress." He tried to extricate himself, and failed. "Oh, for fuck's sake. I don't wanna spend my night with a minor wrapped 'round me like he's my lover. Move it, kiddo." It took two more tries before Tucker was upright, on his feet, and holding Ash in a princess carry. "You two have a good one," he said to Alice and Don, who seemed to be departing. "I'm gonna go drop this off where it belongs." Aw. He was kinda starting to take a shine to the kid. He was a lot less of a posturing asshole than he'd originally thought.
[Alice Clare] Oh dear. Shadows were following Tucker, and the carried Ash, as well. Pesky things.
[Don] He was on his way out with her. He hadn't really noticed how off he was, but as he reflected on the day, he realized that his mood was off-kilter. The magic that he witnessed, the color of her aura lapping waves against his blackfire didn't douse his power, but infected it. Her madness swirling about the bits of him and raging, it was corrupting the spell and dominating bits of his personality. Still. He was austere and flawless in the way he grinned at the world while things felt like they were falling through his fingers everywhere else. The suitcoat was wormed out of and slithered onto her shoulders, putting her limbs through the garment that was easily three sizes too big. "Yes.... good idea.. yes. " One guy was carrying a boy. Ash. Tucker. Those were the names. That hit true. He thought. Right? He didn't even dare peek back into recent memories to see if he was right, it really didn't matter. What really mattered was getting himself settled, and green eyed dragon slipped fingers into Alice's and pulled her along for the door. Yes. He needed to figure out what was wrong.
[Alice Clare] "Please," Alice reaffirmed to Tucker, "and if you'll tell her it's rather important, thank you." She stopped paying attention then, and finished gathering her things into her tote. Before she slipped it onto her shoulder, the jacket still warm with Abaddon and smelling of apples and blood, found her shoulders. She sent him a dazzling smile, threading her fingers with his so they could leave. "It's got to be in the basement, you spend so much time there." Or in her. Or rather she was in him. Was there a difference any longer when it came to this? She babbled on, listing other spots where they might find what he lost, and they were both going to wish so hard that they'd been paying attention to the shadows. Two more crept out behind Alice and Don -- and with Alice leaving? The rest saw fit to spread, like a sickness. From the library mirror to any other they could find on campus; just waiting for the faces that would peek into the looking glass.