Lillian Reed

Rp Blog in Vievecor City Lillian Reed. Owner of Pandora's. Newly appointed Elder. Dark Witch.

[thorsiffe-dragonheart]

"Lillian," they said. It had been meant teasingly, their lips curling up ever so slightly and a fading glimmer of mischief entering their eyes. It was gone as soon as it came. Their teasing and joking were a fool's shield against the truth bubbling up in their throat. It was them running away from that which they dared not speak.

They had only just gotten to speak with Lillian again for the first time in weeks, yet it had felt like years. To speak their emotions truly and lay their heart out for dark-haired Lillian... They would scare her off, most likely, like the intensity of their heart had done oft before. It felt like a cruel joke made by a careless god.

Thorsiffe was scared. Scared of what Lillian would think and say, scared of slaying that stubborn bit of hope that clung to the uncertainty of it all.

Yet Thorsiffe knew fate when it looked them in the eyes. Hope meant nothing if it only lingered in the shadow of fear. The decision made, Thorsiffe's lips parted, words forming before they could think on them.

"I love you."

[lillian--reed]

An icy feeling crept up her throat, clinging, holding on and pulling the rest of her under with it. The cold spread from her stomach, to her head, to her fingers, and finally to her heart, a thick, inky mixture of dread and, and... and heartbreak mixing and spilling out into the rest of her.

There was a long moment when she stood, still and stiff, letting the feeling wash over her, knowing that the longer she sat and let herself drift, the greater a foothold she was allowing everything she suppressed.

"I... Thorsiffe..." she said, struggling, words thicker than her feelings. "You deserve better."

[thorsiffe-dragonheart]

The moment of silence in which words learned to dance through Lillian's throat felt like an eternity of blissful silence. Her words were an autumn wind against their skin, even if Thorsiffe could sense Lillian dancing around the dragon in the room. An avoidance Thorsiffe wasn't fond of, but wanted to let Lillian indulge in for now. Now was a moment of raw joy; too fresh to bicker and fight again already.

Thorsiffe giggled at Lillian's question. "Of course they are; wherever there shall be liquor and danger, our Dragonhearts shall lead us. Besides, many of them have sworn to follow me to hell and back, and rumors linger that such words might yet be proven tonight," they laughed and grinned. "And yet..."

They tilted their head, cheeks flushing. "They are my kin, and are like me. Bright-eyed, loud-mouthed, with fire for blood and thunderclouds for bones, they, like me, are the storm. But you..."

More blood flowed to their face. "You are the silence before and after the storm. Its perfect contrast, yet its perfect companion. Secret-laden, quick-witted, with hair of raven-whispers and eyes of alluring mysteries."

Thorsiffe blinked, realizing what they had just spoken of and what more they had wished to say. Their cheeks reddened further, if such was even possible.

They smiled sheepishly, casting their gaze downwards. They whispered, "your presence makes it complete."

[lillian--reed]

Lillian was, for a brief moment, shocked into an unusual silence. It did not come naturally to her -- she was rather quick, as Thorsiffe had pointed out -- but that was a... startingly intimate description of herself. A startingly thorough one, too, obviously from someone who had spent a great time observing. And then their following words, about her presence...

She looked, really looked, ignoring the part of her brain that said Thorsiffe was likely drunk. Thorsiffe was often drunk at these, able to hold their liquor startingly well. Maybe, what she had been interpreting as alcohol reddening those cheeks, was...

"Thorsiffe," she said, eyes sad in a way she rarely was, mouth open but not entirely certain how to continue. Not entirely certain to say that this would not end the way she wanted it to, more than likely, that this was a tragedy waiting to happen. All Lillian brought was darkness, and Thorsiffe should be close to the sun.

[augustine-lycaon]

"I'm flattered you used the word friend," Augustine jokingly replied. "I don't remember being the best of company-- at least until you introduced me to that food vendor. You seem to be good at catching me at my worst, but thank you for the kind if not horribly false words. I know how ridiculous I look right now."

[lillian--reed]

She laughed. "You may believe whatever you wish, but the words weren't false at all." There was a part of her, so curious, so fascinated with magic that she wished to reach out and touch one of the ears, to see how real they felt and if she could figure out what magic was even at play, but she... well, she figured he would appreciate that even less than having them in the first place. "Besides, isn't Halloween meant for looking ridiculous?"

[matthew-alexander]

"Ugh. Are you trying to be nice to me or do you just want something?" Matthew rolled his eyes, but even so Lillian's sentiment was oddly appreciated, especially given the current mood he was in.

"I used to do that, didn't I? That was because you had something I coveted," he said dismissively and allowed her to actually touch him so casually. It was not something he allowed many people to do. "You haven't sold that ring to someone else, have you?"

[lillian--reed]

"A smile might be nice. Maybe a 'Oh Lillian, it's been forever! I've missed you', if you really feel like it," she teased, knowing it was an unlikely option, which was half the reason she even said it. "The ring is safe in my shop, and my need of it has almost passed. For real this time. I'm curious, though; how are you going to disguise your visits, and pestering of me, once it's in your possession?"

[matthew-alexander]

"What else do you want from me?" Matthew asked with increasing annoyance, but even so, he still believed that Lillian was one of the very few people in the city that he could tolerate. And her him too given how she had yet to run for the hills whenever she was confronted with his presence. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're here to annoy me on purpose."

[lillian--reed]

"Believe it or not," she said, reaching out to brush a small bit of dust off the shoulder of his jacket, given she (maybe mistakenly) suspected the worst of his temper had passed, "there are some people in this world that like you, and are concerned about you because they enjoy your company." She was not scolding, but was not overly gentle in her delivery. "I remember a time you would come annoy me to try to get me out of my shop."

[thorsiffe-dragonheart]

There was a moment, during the long seconds after Thorsiffe had first sprung forward, that they worried they had overstepped once again. That they had misread the situation. That Lillian did not freeze because they had startled her, but because she did not want them anywhere near her. That the skull had been an offering made to sever whatever ties they had, rather than pull Thorsiffe closer by them.

Then, Lillian relaxed into and returned the embrace, and Thorsiffe's worries faded like thawing snow. Only then too did it occur to them that they had never hugged Lillian before. An odd thought, considering how much of their affection Thorsiffe displayed through the embrace of their loved ones. They were glad they could do the same with Lillian here and now. Thorsiffe basked in the comfort of the hug and Lillian's proximity for a moment, letting silly thoughts flutter about in their thick skull.

Lillian was the first to stir, and Thorsiffe felt a twinge of loss as they pulled away. Reluctant to let go of the moment just yet and seemingly unaware of personal space, their arm remained wrapped around Lillian's waist and their chest all but pressed up against hers. They couldn't help but smile, and tilted their head at Lillian's question.

"It has been good, yes?" Their smile spread into a grin as they let out a giggle. "Though it is better now with you here."

Their eyes locked with Lillian's, and Thorsiffe could feel their heart pounding away like an avalanche in their chest. Their next breath came out jagged.

"How, ah... How have you fared, my pretty?"

[lillian--reed]

"I've been... well," she said, obviously taking a moment before answering to even figure out what her answer would be. It had been busy -- getting information out of dark witches was not usually a quick or easy task -- but nothing had been objectionable, other than the vaguely present sense of being lonely. "A lot of trying to figure out anything that's happening."

But she didn't really want to lead this conversation any closer to weeks ago, at the hospital, and she knew likely asking Thorsiffe what they'd been up to would not be the best idea. Sometimes it was better to live in forms of denial. So, she steered this in another direction. "Oh, I doubt my presence makes it that much better. Your pack is here, I assume?"

[thorsiffe-dragonheart]

Lillian’s long stare was met with Thorsiffe tilting their head and meeting her gaze. Such an odd and sweet woman, they thought to themself, lips curling up into a mischievous smile.

Their eyes lit up as Lillian explained the nature of her shop, and Thorsiffe sat up with such vigor they almost bounced in place. What followed were a barrage of more questions - what sorts of magical items Lillian sold, if she knew the history of any, how she came to run the shop, the history of the shop itself…

Thorsiffe themself wasn’t shy with stories of their own, either, excitedly telling Lillian of the many magical artifacts in the possession of both their current and former packs, how they had come to be and what great stories lay connected to them.

Without realizing it themself, Thorsiffe found themself growing fascinated more and more fascinated by Lillian’s allure of mystery. Without realizing it herself, Lillian found herself growing charmed more and more by Thorsiffe’s genuine interest and excitement. Without either of them realizing it, their conversation had carried on well into the night.

As they parted ways, Lillian quipped she should take in wounded strangers more oft. Thorsiffe’s grin that followed was quickly met with a stern finger and telling that Lillian was by no means a suitable healer. Still, Thorsiffe left with a smile and promise they’d soon return cast over their shoulder.

[matthew-alexander]

Matthew's eyes narrowed at the dark witch when she asked that question. She actually sounded like she cared, which was odd, but Matthew was having a rather strange night despite this being a party for his kind. Perhaps it was just because he was what the humans would call a 'party pooper' though, especially when it came to demonic parties.

"The deities have been particularly annoying tonight. I would caution you against approaching any of them."

[lillian--reed]

"So, water's wet," she shot back, quickly, eyes narrowing a little at the formal language, at the way this felt like a deflection at best. There was part of her that realized they were likely giving each other near identical looks. It took a lot of effort to keep herself from cracking a smile, amused by it in her not-entirely-sober state, but she had a feeling he wouldn't see the humor. "Is that all?"

[thorsiffe-dragonheart]

Thorsiffe's nose twitched as the wind, reeking of candy and adrenaline, carried a fainter, familiar scent. One of old tomes and fresh paper, the faintest hint of charcoal, thick with the nose-tingling sensation of magic, all combined with that undescribable yet oh so characteristic scent of a being themself. The twitching of their nose was further accentuated by the big, red, foam clown nose they'd put on, and Thorsiffe blinked in surprise.

Wondering if their senses were deceiving them, they spun around, their mess of long red hair flailing after the motion, to see Lillian approaching. Thorsiffe's mouth fell agape, before they bit their lip. Blood flooded their cheeks, and Thorsiffe wondered if it'd shine through the white layer of facepaint they'd applied.

Once face to face, they tilted their head at Lillian. They angled it towards the box as it was thrust towards them, blinking in surprise for a moment. They had never known Lillian to be one to act first, and speak or think second.

They had not spoken to Lillian since their argument with Jax and the grand-witch at the hospital. Part of them wished Lillian had missed them as much as they had missed her. Part of them felt cruel for such desires, and another part yet knew them to be foolish.

No part of them had expected Lillian to do this.

There was a moment of silence, as Thorsiffe continued to blink at teh box, their flush almost burning through their facepaint as their heart raced up a storm in their chest. Then, they started giggling. She had saved the soft tissue, but had not wanted it to get gross. Such a logical thought, yet such a silly one all the same.

They continued giggling as they lifted their head, lips curling up into a wide grin. One that was made wider yet by the black lines around and spreading out from their lips.

Thorsiffe looked at Lillian for a moment, letting their giggle quiet down, before nodding excitedly. "Ah- I... Thank you."

Hesitantly, they took the box, quickly chansing a peak inside before wrapping their arm around it and pressing it to their side. Lillian had thought of them and what the skull meant to them, even as they hadn't spoken. She'd sought them out at this festival and offered it to them, despite the two of them never having settled their differences.

They wanted to leap forward and kiss her. Wanted to pour out all the feelings and poems they'd stored in their heart for the past half of a year. "Lillian, I..."

Love you. They could taste the words on their tongue, yet dared not speak them. They had had to miss her already, and could not bare to scare her away again.

"I missed you." They still flung themself forward, wrapping their free arm around Lillian and burying their face against the croon of her neck as they pulled her into the hug.

[lillian--reed]

There was a very brief moment where Lillian wasn't sure what to think. The few moments of silence, between shoving the box at them and their giggles, where Lillian was sure she'd overstepped. She had already promised to do this, to clean the skull for them, but she had been afraid that their following tiff had changed something beyond repair, and that this would be more insult than anything else. It was their giggles that alleviated some of her anxiety, then their hesitant, halting words.

And then they sprang forward, and Lillian found herself wrapped up into a hug she hadn't been expecting, forced onto her toes as the much-taller wolf buried their face into her neck, and she felt herself freeze for a moment.

When was the last time she had been hugged?

She didn't have an answer.

She wrapped her arms around them, returning the affection, her hold not nearly as crushing but still firm. There was an idle thought of thinking this was comfortable, was... a good place to be, but it faded nearly as quick as it appeared, lost somewhere in many of the emotions she refused to examine. "I missed you, too."

She slowly loosened her hold, slowly pulling away, taking a quick look at Thorsiffe's face makeup to see if it smudged at all in that embrace. It didn't look like it had, so she wasn't too worried about any having rubbed off on her neck. She felt herself a little at a loss, not knowing, really, where they stood in the aftermath of the hospital. "How has the party been?"

[augustine-lycaon]

Augustine’s feline eyes narrowed, ears tilted off to the sides in a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment once the woman came closer and he saw who it was. Of course he remembered the attractive young woman— despite the pissy mood he’d been in when they met, he had been curious to learn more and wished he hadn’t had his foot in his mouth the whole time. Fucking full moon and lack of sleep.

Seeing her now again however was less than ideal. Fucking mortifying, really, with two spells impacting him physically, Augustine felt like a walking joke.

“We’ve met… But it was a while back— don’t… fuck…” He sighed, half wishing he’d kept his mouth shut or just claimed they hadn’t met before. Instead he sourly added, “You have a knack for catching me at shitty moments in life. Know that?”

[lillian--reed]

She laughed, but it was a short, stilted noise; it was obvious recognition hadn't set in yet and that it was bothering her. She opened her mouth, about to make some clever retort, but then she paused.

She paused, and then her eyes lit up, and her lips curled into a far more amused smile.

"Ah, my coffee friend," she said, sounding pleased with herself for having figured it out on her own. Her posture relaxed a little, now that she had figured out the great mystery of the night. "I hope I at least make these moments better. I can't help but wonder what's wrong this time, though. The ears are charming."

[matthew-alexander]

Those searching eyes were starting to annoy the fallen deity. Lillian had a way of looking at others and making it seem like she could see right through them. Coupled with her subsequent comments, it actually came across like she had.

"Perhaps it's because there hasn't been anything of worth in your shabby little establishment lately," he returned with a put on smile, eyes flicking down to the copious amounts of jewellery hanging off Lillian's person before looking upon her face again. "Is this your version of hawking your wares today? Such desperation..." he smirked and gestured vaguely to the trinkets hanging off her person.

[lillian--reed]

A notable pause, but little change in her expression. She knew him well enough to not be offended by this -- this was him showing his claws, not actually using them. A display to try to get her to slink back to the shadows he'd previously told her to leave, and nothing more. Part of her, the bullheaded part that suffered no insult, was tempted to reply in turn. Lie to him, tell him that she'd found a buyer for that ring he coveted.

The larger part of her knew it wouldn't help, and it wasn't what he needed. She did take a step back, giving him a little more space, deciding that maybe approaching him with some caution might be for the best. "What's wrong?" she asked, likely too much concern in her tone considering his attitude.

[gwen-lycaon]

Who: Gwen x Open ( @vievecorcitystarters )

When: Before her world gets rocked

Where: Near Hall of Mirrors

Gwen leaned forward against her costume’s walking cane, eyes curiously scanning the entrance of the Hall of Mirrors from afar. Given how Halloween events of the past had gone, Gwen felt right to be cautious, but couldn’t help her curiosity. She bit her lip, wondering what the demons had up their sleeve as she contemplated its dangers. She’d already had a few cups of liquid courage, so she needed to take the first steps now if it was going to do any good. Taking a drag from her cigarette, she realized someone had approached, blowing out the smoke slowly. Leaning over to talk to the person she let a playful, alluring half-smile grace her lips “I’ll go in if you go in? Buddy system and all that jazz. Can’t be all bad if there are two of us, right? ”

[lillian--reed]

Lillian gave her a similar smile, just a little less composed; she was feeling her drinks now, and she was just a little bit sloppeier, given she drank a bit more than she typically did. Still, she observed the entrance, knowing that this would likely not be entirely fun, if the typical parties were anything to go by. "Oh, it could be awful," she said, that playful smile bursting into a purely devilish grin, feeling the part of her that was bound to her demon coming alive. "Let's go."

[senkimura]

where: bar stall (Halloween event) with: open @vievecorcitystarters

●・○・●・○ 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙍𝙏.●・○・●・○

Sen was beginning to feel a little silly in his straw hat and red Hawaiian shirt as he surveyed the crowd. He didn't pay much to the invitation to Hedon's annual Halloween event, mostly because it was ran by those who were...well, vastly different than Sen. He had planned to sit it out like he did the Spirit Party, but as a councilman, it was imperative that he at least showed his face in public at least a few times a year.

So, here he was showing his face at one of the bar stalls and sipping on a light ale, becoming increasingly uncomfortable in one of his split bodies. He could sense his other body, the supposed bad one, not too far away, and the thought that Sen had a mind of his own made him self-aware that he could slip up and find himself in a predicament. He was just about to go search for himself when a figure stood in his way, causing him to crash into them. He stumbled back with a sweet, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention. I hope that didn't hurt."

[lillian--reed]

After her conversation with Thorsiffe, she needed a drink. Maybe several, actually, realistically, but at least one. The biggest wine glass they had. She'd been so focused on her goal that she hadn't been paying the most attention, and she'd thought she was stepping around someone moving to leave, and instead she just put herself right in their path. The impact was a surprise.

"No, it was me not paying attention," she replied, overly apologetic, not quite looking like a kicked puppy but not far off. "I'm fine, are you-" Wait. Didn't she... didn't she get a glance of this person on the way over? She turned around slightly, looking behind her, then back, her brows furrowed so much they were almost touching. "You were just over there."

[augustine-lycaon]

Augustine's eyes narrowed as they locked with another's, illuminated almost mischievously by carnival lights. "The hell are you looking at?" He couldn't help his own sour tone, considering how the night had been progressing, wondering once again why he ever bothered showing up to the annual Halloween gatherings.

[lillian--reed]

"You," Lillian answered, simply, honestly, rolling the crystal ball she'd brought in her hands as she thought. She knew the alcohol was clouding her, just a little, but... "Have we met before? You look familiar."

[matthew-alexander]

antagonise | lillian & matthew

for: @lillian--reed location: near the carousel

Matthew had not seen Lillian much since she became an elder, the first dark witch elder Vievecor City had ever seen. But Matthew had been too busy lately dealing with his own personal issues to pay her a visit.

"Miss Reed," he said in greeting when he saw her coming towards him and he arched a brow at her as if he was already at the ready for whatever barb she wished to throw at him.

[lillian--reed]

"Mr. Alexander," she said, voice low and smooth, approaching him with the gentle clinking of the various, extreme amount of jewelry she was wearing. Her lips were curled into a small, somewhat mischievous smile, and it was obvious she was in a good mood. The flush to her cheeks suggested at least some alcohol consumption.

She did not touch him, but she stood maybe a little closer than she normally would, looking at him with eyes that were likely a little too searching for his comfort. "I haven't seen you skulking about my shop in in some time," she said, and just under her mischief was actual concern, "and you look in a worse mood than usual."

[lillian--reed]

olive branch || lillian & @thorsiffe-dragonheart

Lillian had not spoken to Thorsiffe since after the hospital, but there are two things she knew about the wolf. The first is they would never miss an opportunity for a party, so they would definitely be here.

The second is she had their skull.

Well, not their skull, because it hadn't originated in Thorsiffe, but...

Semantics.

But she knew they would be there, and it did not take long for her to find them, even dressed as they were. She only made herself look a touch smaller as she walked over, and without a greeting thrust out a box.

"The skull," she said, as way of explanation. "I saved as much of the... organic matter as I could but I didn't bring it so it. You know. Didn't get gross."

[lillian--reed]

Presenting…

Lillian Reed, the Fortune Teller