Winter Without Madness | Open
She despises events like these, and usually even goes so far as to lock herself in her mortuary to avoid Arlynn when she inevitably comes a-calling to demand (re: gently cajole) Shivonne’s attendance. But, though she intends to take this knowledge to the grave with her, she knows how hard Nisee had worked putting everything together, and had even been coerced into helping here and there. Right now, she’s avoiding the masses in favor of Nisee’s flowers, giving them the close inspection they deserve, and which she doubts anyone besides her coven will give them.
Alyssum. A delicate, dainty flower, from the Greek for ‘against madness.’ Also known by its common name healbite, for its use to heal against rabid animal bites.
If only they should be so lucky, Shivonne thinks to herself. The wolves abound tonight and they’ll be lucky if they make it through the night without any rabid animal bites, though it seems there are even more leeches than dogs out. She’d love to make it through this evening without being tempted to murder someone, but left to her own devices, it’s anyone’s guess how this will go. Craning her head, she looks around surreptitiously for any of her coven members, or Arlynn, who really owes Shiv her company just for showing up, anyone to keep her sane. She’d take Nicholas at this point.
Even pressed back into the columns of flowers as she is, it’s still not enough to completely avoid detection. A simple spell would’ve sufficed, but if she had intended to remain undetected, she would’ve just stayed with her corpses. She doesn’t acknowledge her newfound companion. If she ignores them, maybe they’ll go away. Like a gnat.
“You know, I’m told my resting bitch face doesn’t invite conversation, and yet...” She finally says.