― daniel ainsworth.

“You can spend your whole life building a wall of facts between you and anything real.” ― Chuck Palahniuk

[of-judgement]

novamortem‌:

when & where:  council chambers - sometime post ancient appearance… status: open

so many raised voices. so many wide eyes. so many angry words. so much mistrust.

and they’re angry at the wrong thing.  the wrong people.  it’s all just wrong and aeron has no clue how to put things right.  he wasn’t practiced in peace, he was practiced in war. 

fingers trail over the back of feiyans seat in the council chamber.  those - things - tempting each and every one of them to seize it.  he’s tempted to take an axe to it and burn the damned thing.  perhaps it might just be a signal to whatever it was causing such malice among them that - no - whatever the threats, whatever the consequence, they were stronger than words.  they were stronger than hate.  hell, they were stronger than magic.  and he truly has to believe that… that the humanity inside each and every one of them - morality, loyalty, a sense of right - was stronger than…

…them.  those - things… whatever they were.

the thing in the library addressed them as ‘humans’ - inferring quite plainly that ‘it’ was not.

I recall who you were many cycles ago.

but perhaps it had no idea who they were now.  playing on surface fears, shallow intent, harsh threats to get all to be somehow… obedient.  and if that was the case, then perhaps they could just win this after all… because obstinacy, attitude and sheer stubbornness seemed to run thick like treacle through the some of the council.

❝ think anyone has grand ideas of – claiming this seat? ❞

an offhand comment as he hears someone enter the room.  fingers tapping on that chair loud enough to raise a soft sound.  he doesn’t know who it is - but there’s enough in his tone to at least communicate that while aeron was around - that might be a rather bad idea.

On his quest to find Balfour after the strange encounter with the ancient, Daniel managed to walk back into the meeting room, hearing the comment Aeron tossed out into the open. He paused, glancing at Feiyan’s empty seat ( a constant reminder of her prolonged absence ). The longer she remained undiscovered, the more events continued to spiral out of control. It was why part of him felt that everything remained connected somehow ― a domino effect of some sorts. 

❝ think anyone has grand ideas of – claiming this seat? ❞

Daniel could understand that theory, could see it nearly visible in the eyes of certain members of the council. He practically accused Salma of the same thing ; of being power hungry, driven to reign control rather than find Feiyan. It wouldn’t be logical to think that everyone wanted the best for the council, whereas it was also dangerous to point fingers without any sufficient evidence. Suspicions, however, weren’t easily tamed either. For all he knew, the council could’ve been filled with red herrings. 

“It’s a possibility,” Daniel answered, leaning against the door. “The ones potentially wanting that seat aren’t doing a good job of hiding the ambition, either.” 

Justice, the Emperor ― both of them irked him. If he didn’t like their principles, he also didn’t find their logic to be very sensible. Although, it was clearly out of their range to pull off something so grand, so conniving ( especially when the ancients were involved ). This wasn’t their usual bickering, or yelling, during the council meetings ; it felt different, felt unworldly. Why would the ancients visit them? Why now? Why not give an indication about Feiyan? 

Why tempt him with the promise of answers? 

“But it’s not so simple anymore, it’s bigger than the council. The disappearance, the doubles, the ancients. The last thing we need is to drift apart.” especially when it felt like they were being toyed with, puppets to a large game of sorts ( a deadly game ). 

[of-judgement]

thedevilupright‌:

His summary earned a similar reaction to the one he’d sent her via text. She didn’t exactly appreciate the sum ups, found them kind of annoying, because it was basically rephrasing what she was saying into less words, but she just rolled her eyes, gave him a look that read as: duh and didn’t say anything else because she kind of figured it was something he did to make sure he understood.

And she supposed, idly that if he were wrong she could correct him so maybe it was a little annoying, but it was kind of nice too.

Only she couldn’t stare at him for a second as he said they’d done nothing. “Two months and you guys did nothing? I mean I know I wasn’t here but like, nothing nothing?” It made no sense to her that everyone was oh so concerned, but couldn’t even figure out what to do, made her wonder what her weird double was talking about. How were they all going to tear each other apart when they—apparently—weren’t even willing to do anything? She didn’t understand, this didn’t make any sense. “Okay well, like, what did they want?” 

“Well that’s bullshit, considering I didn’t ask for it. None of us did.” She paused for just a moment before she found herself saying, “I wanna talk to them. This is stupid.” A pause as she thought on what she said and she pinned Dan with a look and said in a voice absolutely certain, “I’m gonna do it. Deets, Dan. As many as you can give me, ‘cause I’m gonna summon one of them, preferably the one that cursed me or whatever.” This was probably a bad idea. She really didn’t care. 

"Given the encounter with the doubles, people have reacted differently to how they wish to go about using their powers,” Daniel replied, recalling the reactions to that whole fiasco. While he, personally, hadn’t given up exploring the astral projection . . . he couldn’t exactly fault someone for not wanting to use their abilities ( especially when his own double proved to be unsettling ). And not everyone could be like Nadine either, eager to dive down a rabbit hole pertaining to dark magic. It was a very thin line that the council seemed to be walking across ; their powers and these developments only adding to the general stress. 

“There were two ancients, one named Leviath. He felt pleased to know most of us were ready to use our powers. And then there was another ancient, a more frightening one in the library. She posed a threat, said the ultimatum was use your abilities or die.” 

It wasn’t the most reassuring summary, even if it reflected the events of the past few hours. There was a mixture of emotions running rampant across the lair, and right now, all he could focus on was the questions, the theories, the logic. The answers, dangling in front of him as if to play bait. 

“I wanna talk to them.”

He quirked an eyebrow, responding, “that’s probably not the best idea . . . but it might help clarify some things.” That and he had yet to see her abilities up close, curious to witness how strong her summoning powers were ; could the Devil really bring forth powerful ancients? The possible experiment was almost too compelling to ignore. 

Daniel finally nodded, agreeing, “ ― okay, do it. Let’s get some answers.” 

[of-judgement]

suvaris‌:

“I’m an alcoholic,” she blurted, which in itself was something of an answer to his question. Too much, any alcohol is too much. Nothing about the bottle of whiskey held tightly in her hand was a comfort–it was a means to an end, a way to shut off her brain at least for a little while, even if it meant facing a hangover and an agonizing sort of self-loathing the next morning. This was also not the way she wanted to tell him about this, or even broach the subject, but there it was, spoken in sharp, blunt tones.

Bottle still held firmly enough to turn her knuckles white, Azra gingerly sat on the edge of Daniel’s bed, then set the whiskey in her lap but still couldn’t seem to release it. “I saw something today,” she said gravely, voice soft and eyes glossy and wide. This didn’t compare to the mirror of herself she met in the garden, the one with sweet promises of power and everything she’d ever wanted, and then a wicked temper when Azra refused her. It. Inhuman. The terrifying woman in the library didn’t strike her as human either.

It didn’t take long for her to notice the pages of notes and research strewn across his desk. Guilt bloomed in her chest and her gaze dropped to the amber liquor in the bottle she held so tightly, a golden, shining embodiment of her failure. Where his reaction to this was an attempt to learn, to fix, hers was to spiral and hate herself for it. When the time to came to fight or be the scared little girl, she chose the latter. “…If you don’t have time, I can– I can go, I can… um…” she trailed off and shook her head. “I shouldn’t interrupt you.”

“I’m an alcoholic,”

As always, Azra managed to catch him off guard. If she kept doing that, he could create a line graph with how many times she puzzled him ; perhaps that was half the reason he felt drawn. Or perhaps she inherently possessed something that he was trying so hard to understand — emotions. She seemed to have enough for both of them combined, always battling inside of her, causing her to react on her impulses. 

All he could do was wait and listen, giving her enough time to filter through her thoughts. It was revealed that she, too, had seen whatever Annaliese encountered in the library. He could deduce that much, especially from her mannerisms. Daniel slowly stepped forward, taking a seat besides her ( half tempted to grab the whiskey bottle ). However, he shook his head instead, insisting, “Azra, you didn’t interrupt anything. I was just — brainstorming.” Trying to connect the dots, piece together a sense of clarity amongst all the chaos. 

“I heard of what you saw, I heard what happened in the library,” he admitted, glancing at her. And there it was again, his mind scurrying to figure out how to fix this — to bring comfort to a situation when he had clearly had no expertise on that particular subject matter. Daniel wasn’t blind, he knew she gravitated towards human touch ; knew it with her constant brushes and unexpected lip lock. So he reached for her hand instead, his fingers wrapping around hers ( almost drawing her grip away from that bottle ). 

“There’s a solution to all of this, there’s an answer somewhere.” logically, there has to be. 

[of-judgement]

kian → daniel.

Kian: well. what if i'm a horrible kisser and i can't tell?i might not be the best judge for that, y'know

Kian: maybe she's just confused. do you want me to ask evelyn for you? could just be some sort of... girl thing. i don't know.

Kian: slow down there, at least buy me dinner first. although i feel like you'd rather pick azra over me for an astral projection beach date

Kian: you can skimp out on the details of what happens between you two there. i'll try not to set the whole place on fire while you two are honeymooning on the beach

Daniel: Then you'll have to kiss someone else for further evidence, got any contenders in mind?

Daniel: You could ask Evelyn . . . but I also don't want to involve too many people. It's not the most pressing matter on the council's to-do list.

Daniel: It's just confusing, that's all.

Daniel: I wouldn't be too sure about that, kind of tempted to see you in a body of water. Purely because of yours powers.

Daniel: Good to know you'll be at my honeymoon.

[of-judgement]

suvaris‌:

Nothing Daniel said suggested he hated that interaction, merely that he didn’t understand why it happened or more accurately, why she ran. That answer was a complicated one, particularly when it came to explaining it to someone who dealt in logic and rules, and as Azra understood, emotional distress didn’t abide by any sort of rigid laws. In any case, the pacing continued until he touched her arm and held it firmly enough to halt her in her steps. So used to being the one to initiate any sort of touch, she stopped in her tracks and stared at him, unsure what to make of it. That lasted for only a moment, though, and had she been in a lighter mood, she might have smiled. He learned she needed to be touched sometimes and acted on it.

“I haven’t? …I haven’t,” she said, her mind clearly working through this carefully. She knew her only real relationship wasn’t a good example of how they work, but lacking any sort of positive alternative, she didn’t know how to proceed, not without potentially hurting Dan or breaking this despite his assurances that she’d done nothing of the sort.

“So… um… you didn’t mind. Like, you didn’t mind as in it was okay that once but please not again, or… or I wouldn’t mind doing that again. …Sooner rather than later?” she asked gently. 

"You haven’t,” he clarified, again. Despite his confusion, it felt as if Azra was trying to decipher the situation at the same time ; trying to understand it. He always assumed she knew the truth, knew what she wanted but . . . perhaps that wasn’t necessarily the case. Perhaps they were both equally unsure, searching for the proper answers. 

Kian had advised him on the situation, on why she might’ve kissed him . . . and now she was asking for his honest opinion, asking whether or not he would do it again. He paused, analyzing her. Daniel meant it when he said he didn’t mind, he didn’t mind because he liked her more closely ( although he couldn’t pinpoint what that meant, exactly ). 

“I wouldn’t mind it again because I like your company.” 

“That and Kian said you wouldn’t kiss me if you didn’t like me,” he added, his lips twitching. 

[of-judgement]

lapcpesse‌:

DATE & TIME: August 9th, 11.30am LOCATION: One of the hallways STATUS: Closed for @of-judgement

The whole encounter with the thing that called herself an Ancient had left a bad taste in Annaliese’s mouth. Kneeling to someone was not exactly on her agenda, especially since there wasn’t anything proving what the being had said was true. Besides, she wasn’t quite sure why it seemed like the being had targeted her especially when she said they were afraid of their powers, not when she had been working so hard on training her control all these years.

( And yet there is a niggling feeling that this, is precisely what was being referred to, the intuitive tugs that have no firm basis to stand on, the reliance of just knowing that something was right. )

What she especially didn’t like was the implied threat, to fall in line or risk losing their powers, potentially their lives. Just like they had all those centuries ago. With all the information that she had gained over the past week, it was even more certain that she had to discuss things with someone before coming to a decision.

While she was someone that usually paid quite close attention to her surroundings, and typically didn’t rush anywhere ( mostly owing to her lack of stamina, despite the numerous trainings that she had been forced to go through ), the result of her haste and mind full of the encounter had cause her to almost run over someone.

The very someone that she had been looking for.

“ Daniel! My apologies. ” Words, came quickly, mostly because she had too many thoughts to even consider slowing down. “ Something’s happened. The library, something appeared and spoke to us, claiming to be one of the Ancients. Can we go somewhere? I need your opinion on this, perhaps some help as well. ” 

“Do this for me, and I will reward you with your wildest dreams.” 

The words repeated inside his head, a constant reminder of how he - they - had ran into a potential ancient ; one named Leviath, one who promised much needed answers ( but for what would be the price? ). Daniel wasn’t sure, he needed to approach Balfour about whatever was happening. While the offer remained tempting . . . there was also the possibility of this being a trap. Because didn’t it seem too convenient? Too easy? 

A little present waiting to be unwrapped, the answers falling into his lap at the commands of a powerful ancient. 

Who was to say that they were to be trusted? His double had offered him the same bargain, yet there was something eerie about that counterpart ; something he couldn’t believe unearthed from himself. A past version that had skewed across several lines, including ethical and moral boundaries. How was that any different from the ancient, and more importantly, could all of it be connected? 

There were many questions, many theories. 

All of them, mixing together rapidly inside his head that he hadn’t even noticed someone approaching him. Daniel blinked, snapping back to reality, quickly greeting, “  ― Annaliese, hello. The library? We had a similar encounter in another room, this ancient promising the same offer as my double. Answers. Lots of them.” but there was a catch, one that involved his own friend. 

“Tell me about your ancient, ours was named Leviath. He seemed pleased to discover that we were eager to use our powers.” 

[of-judgement]

theninthcard‌:

Lailani had seen a great many things in her life that lay far outside the realm of normal. She had long since grown used to the Council’s weirdos and their magic, to her visions and their mysteries, so on and so forth into every corner of the unimaginable one could find. What they had just witnessed in the library? One of the Ancients, supposedly, coming down to tell them surrender or die?

It wasn’t really that odd, since it was similar to what her reflection had hissed at her, and not really that surprising, somehow. Even so, it was the last straw to unravel any outward composure Lailani had maintained to hide her abject fear.

This was the turning point of everything falling apart around them. How could it not be? Would that horrible vision she’d had, the one that left her with splitting headaches for no apparent reason at all, really come to be at the whim of one of the pseudo-gods who was supposed to guide and watch over them?

All this swirling around her head when Daniel startled her out of her daze. She didn’t fully remember finding her corner of this room and curling around her knees, but here she was, and there he was, speaking to her like she might bite.

You saw something, didn’t you?

For some reason she couldn’t put to words, the question brought tears to her eyes. She blinked them away as fast as she could manage. It was just Daniel. He just wanted facts, as always. “Do you- do you mean a vision? I don’t think it was… All of us saw. In the library. Is that what you mean?” Even to her own ears she sounded utterly in pieces. Inhaling a shuddery breath, she tried to pull herself together.

“I don’t really know anything… But I can tell you about it.”

Daniel approached her slowly, as if he was afraid of scaring her off. It was obvious that she didn’t fair well with whatever happened in the library ― and given her powers, perhaps she was more sensitive to their sudden god-like visitors than anyone else on the council. While she might’ve seemed odd with her behavior, he still believed she had a valuable gift ; to see beyond, into the future, into the past, wasn’t something to be easily overlooked. 

She could’ve seen more for all he knew. 

He nodded, clarifying her question. “Annaliese told me about it, the ancient in the library. It was threatening, wasn’t it?” 

“Why do you think that is?” why warn her of a demise she could’ve predicted? 

[of-judgement]

kian → daniel.

Kian: well i'm sure you're a great kisser. probably. you're not bad at anything you do so

Kian: i mean she wouldn't kiss you if she didn't like you so it could be safe to assume she still likes you?

Kian: she wouldn't kiss you then not like you, right

Kian: nah, no more library troubles. at least not to my face anyways

Kian: i'll wait for you to astral project back before needing a spot at the gym. you need a vacation anyways. do they have beaches in the astral plane?

Daniel: Hm. Technically you'll have to kiss me to verify that.

Daniel: Although you do have a point, there's no reason to engage in contact if she didn't like me. Fair enough. Even if she's avoiding me now.

Daniel: A vacation sounds nice, and yes, there's plenty of beaches. I would take you if I could figure out how to get you into the projection.

Daniel: So far, only Salma and Azra have been on the astral plane. And out of both experiences, I'd rather have Azra in there.

[askbalfour]

It almost felt like routine at this point, approaching Balfour with a series of questions and concerns. Daniel didn't waste a second, arriving straight to the matter at hand, inquiring, "― Leviath. Levi. Does that name ring a bell? He's an ancient, isn't he?"

“Right to the point, are we?” Balfour’s snide comment was at odds with how much he preferred that to the way the other Councilors meandered around their points. From his window ledge he tilted his head up at Daniel. What would I know of an Ancient when I can’t be bothered to remember your names? But he skipped the biting remark, because Daniel has his respect. “I don’t know much of The Ancients, but I do know Feiyan had her notes on them somewhere.”

[of-judgement]

“I think they visited us, two of them. The one I encountered goes by the name of Leviath, he said he would rewards us if we wanted to know more about our powers. I’m not sure if this somehow relates to the doubles incident but . . . he told me if I did whatever he wished, he would give me all the answers. Is that even possible?” 

Is it a risk worth taking? In hindsight, the whole situation seemed absurd. Even if he found himself talking to a cat, seeking for valid advice. Balfour was their only link to Feiyan, their only window to their past lives. 

“Her notes might have something but . . . I don’t know, it feels like they want us to use our powers.” but whatever for?

[of-judgement]

suvaris‌:

DATE: August 9th, around sunset LOCATION: Daniel’s room @of-judgement

Alcohol never made her feel the way she wanted it to, the way she needed. Instead, it left her buzzing and anxious and uncomfortably out of control of herself, even if she hadn’t quite had enough to completely lose herself to inebriation. It’s why her feet brought her to Daniel’s room instead of her own where she might have drained the rest of her bottle of whiskey and passed out in her bathtub until she awoke to morning light or some fresh magical horror.

Part of her hurt for the lapse, but she chose to ignore it. She had to, or she’d lose it completely.

Nadine tried to keep her from drinking–and succeeded at least for a while–but she’d managed to start the second Rose walked in the door, understandably upset and distracted enough to allow Azra to mimic her magic. Nothing helped, nothing managed to quell the persistent, nagging fear that consumed her every thought. Kneel or perish. Kneel or perish. She spent the evening crying on and off; she knew it was childish and ridiculous. Crying solved nothing, but apparently neither did anything else.

“Daniel?” she said, stretching the first syllable so it hung in the air a moment before she pushed open his bedroom door. She curled the hand holding the bottle to tuck it against her chest as she entered, then looked around. Even though he would try to tell her this would be fine, they would figure this out, Azra already couldn’t bring herself to believe it. Instead, she simply wanted to be near him. His brand of unflappable logic grew to be a source of comfort, even if she knew probably nothing he could say would hit home right now, not while this afraid, not with a bottle of whiskey in her hands. 

He had returned to his room with the intent to review his notes again ; notes pertaining to Feiyan, the council, everything. Hoping to find something relevant, something he might’ve missed ― his fingers flipping through countless pages, his eyes skimming over his handwriting. In all his concentration, the data scientist almost didn’t hear his name being called ( almost didn’t hear his door opening ). 

“Daniel?”

He turned, immediately recognizing her voice. To his surprise, she looked . . . upset. While he had thrown himself into logic to process these recent events, Azra seemed to be lost in the emotions of it all The ancients, their appearances, their promises. It was overwhelming, forcing them to retreat towards whatever brought forth comfort ; whether that be notes or liquor. 

“Azra,” Daniel greeted, noting the way she gripped the bottle of whiskey. “How much have you drank? You should probably sit down.” 

[of-judgement]

thedevilupright‌:

A frustrated growl slid from lips as Dan’s answers were neither what she wanted to hear nor even remotely useful to her, but she found herself answering him anyway, if only because there was something about Dan’s perfectly non-emotional and calm presence that had an unexpected calming effect; it was hard to be angry when the other person in the room was so entirely unaffected. It made temper seem kind of pointless.

“Well, my afternoon has been all about a freaky bolt of lightening on a perfectly clear day that set Nashville on fucking fire and a fun new game that goes like this: wherever Rose goes except here apparently, every last fucking person starts losing their fucking shit and screaming about how I have to come back.” 

A shaky breath followed that was something between angry and upset, before she pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes and took a few breaths; whether that was to try and calm down or stop new tears from forming was up in the air. 

“Who the fuck did you guys piss off, Dan?” The question was quieter, there was something tired to it now, as well as everything that followed. “Or if you guys didn’t piss anyone off then what changed? All I wanted was freedom from the weird shit, you know that, and it was fine until this afternoon. I didn’t do anything so what happened.”

Daniel listened to her, not expecting her to return so soon. It seemed far too coincidental given whatever just happened throughout the lair. Logically, all these events had to be tied together somehow ; including the way she was called back, through all the screams and lightening. It was odd for the singer to be affected by such a phenomenon . . . unless it was conducted by an even powerful force ( or powerful beings ). 

“So you were forced back,” he summarized, noting her reaction. Rosemary clearly wasn’t pleased to return ― her emotions clear with the way she stood, spoke, behaved. 

“Who the fuck did you guys piss off, Dan?”

He supposed her frustration was warranted, given she wasn’t around to witness their eerie guests. “We didn’t do anything, or rather, it’s by not doing anything that we’ve found ourselves in this situation. There were visitors today, powerful ones. I think they were the ancients, both of them offering very different things. They might’ve forced you to return, although I don’t know why.” Unless they needed her around, needed the entire council in its proper formation. 

“I don’t think you can run away from magic, I don’t think they’ll allow it.” 

[of-judgement]

chvriot‌:

Nadine let out a small scoff at Daniel’s comment. Impressive. That wasn’t the word many would choose but Nadine wouldn’t throw it away. “I know.” The woman shrugged; she wouldn’t downplay her power just because some people expected humility in the face of a compliment. “When all of this is over, we should try something together.” If the Council didn’t burn her at the stake for practicing a type of magic they were clearly too afraid to explore. Somehow, for some reason, Daniel understood her —- or maybe he simply chose to see what his eyes showed him instead of assuming things about people.

“I appreciate what you’re saying,” Nadine began, crossing her arms over her chest as she began to retract herself from a situation that made her feel too exposed, “but it doesn’t change the fact that that’s how things are right now.” And, as much as she didn’t like to think of herself like that, Nadine was used to being shunned —– in different ways, but it still felt all the same. “There’s… something out there hellbent on tearing us apart. That’s the big fish we need to fry.”

“I am being careful. And I’ll I’m doing with it is trying to find Fei.”

When all of this is over. 

It felt odd to hear those words coming out of her mouth ; it showed that behind her carefully constructed barrier, Nadine still aspired for the best. It proved that she didn’t necessarily want the council to implode, which was enough for him to not doubt her. Not doubt anyone who found themselves scrutinized for their powers. While he had his disagreements over leadership, Daniel liked to assume no one would be stupid enough to create such destruction.  

“We should,” he agreed, keeping the promise if better days were over the horizon ; a hope for something in the future. 

“You’re right, things aren’t good. The council is barely hanging together and looking for a scapegoat to blame all our problems. But if you leave, it won’t get any better.” Needless to say, Rosemary’s departure only led to worse events. If Nadine were to disappear with her powers and that book about dark magic . . . it would only spur on more trouble.  

“There may be a way to find Feiyan through all that but there’s also a possibility it’s a trap. You know that, you know what you’re getting into.” 

[of-judgement]

CLOSED: @theninthcard LOCATION: the lair ( the living room ) 

Annaliese had told him about what happened in the library. Told him about the other mysterious figure ; one who appeared more menacing than Leviath. While he didn’t have all the information, it was easy to piece together parts of it. Easy to recognize that these beings both offered something ( no matter how deadly ). Daniel wanted to know the truth, wanted to know if he would have to follow their orders ; but would it even lead to anything? Would it be a trap? There were too many questions ― and he needed to find Balfour. 

His trek through the lair led him into the living room, his eyes scanning for any sights of a fluffy cat. Instead, he found Lailani, huddled into the corner. Daniel blinked, recognizing that probably wasn’t a good sign ; even if part of him wondered what she saw during the entire ordeal. Had she heard from Leviath, too? Or was it much worse, much telling of the events in the library?

Daniel slowly approached her, calling, “ ― Lailani.” 

“You saw something, didn’t you?” 

[of-judgement]

thedevilupright‌:

and so, all good things come to an end. when & where: August 9th, right near the front door of The Lair status: Open!

It started with a flash of white lightening on a perfectly clear day progresses to everyone around her screaming and screaming and SCREAMING before ultimately it devolved to first Rose screaming herself, then crying and finally—begrudgingly—using Mitch to bring her back. She’d tried really hard to ignore the message, but no matter how wild and indulgent she wanted to be, it was hard to ignore unexplained—and therefore likely magical and related to her—destruction to a city she adored and people losing their fucking shit around her, begging her to leave, to go back.

Despite everything, despite how selfish she wanted to be, despite how badly she wanted to stay away and pretend magic wasn’t real and that there wasn’t anything wrong, she couldn’t ignore this.

Upon return, after a conversation with Mitch, she had to take a moment to admit, there was momentary relief in the fact that The Lair wasn’t immediately filled with screaming, before it was replaced by a deep sort of anger at the fact that she was—for the time being only, she hoped—stuck here.

She abandoned Mitch without much apology and wandered to the main lobby of the huge house.

“I’m home,” she called while standing in the vestibule, voice loud and suspiciously light, like she didn’t have a care in the world, as means to summon someone. There was a pause in which she simply stood waiting to see who’d appear first, not that she particularly cared who that might be because she wasn’t going to be happy to see anyone and she only had one thing to say.

As soon as someone appeared, she pinned them with a look that spoke to barely suppressed temper—something none of them had cause to be familiar with because it wasn’t often her way—and said, in a voice pressured by temper, “Don’t say you’re happy to see me, don’t even try to play like this is fun, happy times reunion with Rose. You have two options. Either you tell me what the fuck you assholes did to ruin everything for me or you tell me who I’m summoning to get answers.”

He had heard the voice clearly, the prompt almost impossible to ignore: “convince The Tower to be your loyal deputy, and I shall give you the power to answer any question you have ever had.” Of course, it seemed as if he wasn’t the only one who had strange encounters with equally stranger beings. Daniel could only assume they were the Ancients, the ones that had crafted the council in the first place. Yet . . . he couldn’t help but want more answers, more data points to string together ; forming a conclusion that made sense, made all these hurdles easier to process. 

Immediately, the data scientist started searching for Balfour. If anyone had proper answers, it would be that cat. Daniel found himself so focused on finding the wise creature, he barely noticed the presence at the front door. Barely registered they had a returning guest until she spoke, stopping him in the middle of his tracks. 

“I’m home,”

He blinked, turning his head to find Rosemary ( who didn’t appear too happy to be here ). It made him wonder, why did she bother coming back? More than that, it was just ― perplexing. There was too much going on that her sudden presence only added to the overall haphazardness. Daniel shook his head, greeting, “ . . what are you doing here?” 

“And what are you talking about?” 

[of-judgement]

chvriot‌:

His avoidance of her comment —- or a simple decision to go past him —- on how everything was going was a clear message; there was no point in dwelling on what could happen when there was much to be done to prevent anything from tearing this place apart, in all the ways possible. It felt like they were standing in the middle of a dominos game and none of them knew who tipped the first piece, nor what was going to happen when the last piece fell. 

A small scoff escaped her, her head shaking with as a smirk ( was there a bit of humor in her expression? ) before she spoke. “Maybe not but I do have telekinesis. I wouldn’t have to touch anything anyway.”

Nadine sighed. “It doesn’t matter.” It did matter, but she couldn’t allow herself to admit that —– not even just in her own mind. “I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing, even if I had to do it the hell away from here.”

“You do, it’s an impressive power,” Daniel admitted. Despite everything that was happening within and outside the council, he still couldn’t forget how much these unique abilities intrigued him. They were forces to be reckoned with, evident in the way he could still feel heat lingering on his skin from that fire. 

“It does.” There was no denying that the council was beginning to crack, the pressure of unknowns feeling heavy on their shoulder. To jump to a conclusion that someone was directly involved with ( and creating ) this madness seemed . . . out of reach. “Your history, your powers ― none of it can define what you do in this lifetime.” At least, wasn’t that the evidence he was trying to chase? The proof that he was nothing like his double, nothing too monstrous. 

“And whatever you’re doing with that book, be careful.” 

[of-judgement]

kian → daniel.

Kian: wait, are YOU a bad kisser?

Kian: maybe she just doesn't like you

Kian: fuck, no i didn't mean that. maybe she does like you

Kian: which one did you prefer?

Kian: i'm not gonna start a pyre inside, please

Kian: what can i do? if you fling yourself into the astral plane to figure things out for a couple of days i'll cover for you

Daniel: I don't know, I can't exactly kiss myself and determine the outcome.

Daniel: It didn't seem like a bad kiss.

Daniel: I'm hoping she still likes me as a person. We are good friends, at least, I assumed we were? Not sure anymore.

Daniel: Good, no fires in the house. I don't think people are still over what happened in the library.

Daniel: No one is giving you any trouble over that, right?

Daniel: A couple of days? Tempting.

Daniel: But who'll spot you in the gym then?

[of-judgement]

chvriot‌:

Nadine let out a small scoff, shaking her head at Daniel’s words —– not because she disagreed with them but because she found them to be far too close to reality. “The way the things are going,” the Chariot began, pressing her lips together and keeping her attitude nonchalant even if her words were as heavy as they came, “the next thing is gonna be catastrophic.” And no fiber in Nadine’s whole being thought her words would be anything but true, at the end of the day. She knew shit was about to hit the fan and by the looks she had gotten, people were ready to blame her. 

Her arms crossed once she heard Daniel’s words. “I forgot something.” Which wasn’t a lie, really. “If I could have astral projected myself back and gotten what I wanted instead,” Nadine said, shrugging her shoulders lightly, “then I would have. Alas…” Her voice trailed off.

As much as he hated to admit it, given the current trends of their council meetings, Nadine had a strong point. Nothing seemed to be going smoothly and there had been no solid progress to report on Feiyan’s disappearance. It felt as if there were constant hurdles trying to impede with their main goal ― and part of him couldn’t help but wonder: was it all planned? The fire? The chaos? The blame game? It lined up far too conveniently. 

“Wouldn’t have worked anyway, you can’t touch things outside the astral plane.” 

His gaze flickered towards her, admitting, “if it helps I don’t think you’ve got any part in it. Or Kian. I don’t think pointing fingers will get us anywhere either.”