Come Together: Rebirth II

[Seer]

From West to East

<< One chapter in Brenthon's latest journey concludes, with him being liberated from the Arena, meeting Amanda Sefton/Jimaine Szardos, Reuniting with Darkchilde, meeting Black Widow, Firebird, and Hecate, and witnessing Jimaine Szardos claim her mantle as The Maiden in the restored Dark Trinity, and taking her place in the Multiverse, as Magik, in the Heroic Age. >>

<< And now, as Darkchilde had done with Persephone before him, Brenthon has been placed here, in the Six's timeline, in the path of Spellbinder, "the Mother", a development that Spellbinder herself is not happy about.>>

<< Spellbinder, now conscious and repowered, is still struggling with her new reality, in the aftermath of Rampage's death. She rests now, as Black Widow and Firebird meet with Brenthon in the main library of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Firebird, who is feeling more than a little antagonized by Brenthon, would rather interrogate the new comer, but Black Widow insists on a more diplomatic approach, citing the tremendous tactical advantage and opportunity they have where he is concerned. And now, Spellbinder's sisters speak with the Avatar of Sin.>>

----------

<< Hecate answered Firebird's mystically augmented distress call, and she not only revived Spellbinder, she also reunited her with Rampage in Athena's Elysian Fields, and she repowered her, unlocking Spellbinder's access to her god-head, so that the feats she accomplished in the Six's shared Dreamtime event were now a REALITY.>>

<< Hecate ALSO revealed the truth about her bloodline, that Ravena, Lord of the Undead, was her son by Hades, and through his union with Lachesis, the Allotter, a Time Goddess, connected Spellbinder to her longtime best friend, and fellow witch, Harbinger, Hecate's bloodline also connected Spellbinder and Firebird to Prophet, and to Jimaine and Margali Szardos. This history lesson helped tie certain events past and present together, and would help map the course of the future. as this revelation traveled, it would have far reaching effects on the family, and the magickal community at large.>>

<< The Goddess of Witchcraft succeeded in restoring the Trinity, is quite satisfied with this turn of events. She reunites with her friend, fellow goddess, and fellow one-time Mt. Olympus resident, Persephone. They reminisce, reflect, and toast to themselves, and the future, now that both goddesses have outlasted Zeus, Hera, and most especially HADES. After their reunion, the goddesses bid each other a fond farewell for now, with Hecate moving on to a place that few knew of, and even less could reach on their own - and those who could, should think twice about doing so- The Body Shoppe, a curious place, full of mystery, magick, wonder....and science. SCIENCE, a human discipline that offended Hecate to the core of her being. It was one of the key reasons why she loathed Black Widow.>>

<< There was one witch in her blood line that INSISTED on combining the two, the same witch who had caused Spellbinder injury. This displeased Hecate, and it was time for her to confront that witch- Kelly Shaw, aka Talisman.>>


----------

<< After Persephone bid Hecate a fond farewell, she returned to Earth, New York City in particular, unaware that she would be reconnecting with yet ANOTHER close friend sooner rather than later. She would almost certainly prefer ANYONE'S company over that of Cameron King, and speaking of Cameron King, so far, the news of his marriage to Black Widow is not being well received, and he hasn't even heard from Alison, Morgan, or Blaze on this- yet. He is due to meet Delilah soon, hoping his interaction with her will be more productive than it was Persephone, or Elena. >>

<< Gavin and Delilah were enjoying a lovely afternoon together, and were currently on a leisurely walk together, unaware that they, along with one other person in paticular, are in the crosshairs of a terrifying old enemy who is about to emerge and make her presence in this city felt in a major way. Delilah was not yet aware of the developments surrounding Spellbinder. >>

----------

<< At Minerva's Aerie, Dr. Karen Victoria has registered the recovery of her daughter, Spellbinder. She, her fiancée Arsenal, and her surrogate daughter, Harbinger are all relieved. The three of them have been relying on each other, as they grieved the loss of Nicolas King. Michael and Karen lived there full time. Persephone was the last guest Alison saw, healing her wounds before sending her on her way, leaving an "open door" for the goddess to return should she need sanctuary. This left only Rae Reynolds as Alison's longterm guest. Rae and Karen had a past, a shared history as colleagues, and Rae had been a guest of Alison's ever since the Rose caper with the Birds of Prey, allowing her to lend a much needed hand during the tragic battle against Set that ended with Nicolas' death.>>

<< There were some things that Karen just couldn't talk to Alison about, as Alison was like a daughter to her, and everyone on the Six knew the boundaries that Karen set with her "children". There were things she couldn't even talk to Mike about, and when she wasn't assisting Blaze with Morgan's care, she was doing her best to support and comfort Mike, who's relationship with Nicolas began many years ago, as mentor/mentee. This left Rae, a woman whom Karen had a surprising level of comfort with.>>

<< And as Karen and Rae talk, Alison can be seen in her executive study using her power as a PRECOG to look across time threads running to and from Spellbinder, and as she searched and LOOKED, she observed and discerned SEVERAL key things >>

<<FLASH!>>

<<...Curiously, he also smelled sickness from across the city. Something like a plague, a disease. But that was not his concern. The city was filled with disease. He turned his dark and shadowy stare at Amanda...>>

:: Persephone let her head rest back against the back of the bench, looking up into the grey skies above. A storm was coming, she could feel it in the air. ::

<< Persephone wouldn't be alone in the city for very much longer, Harbinger would be joining her, but first, she had to ALTER the course of events here at Minerva's Aerie, and that began with her observing the conversation between Shadow Weaver and Jezebel.>>

<< A pair of disembodied, floating, colbalt blue eyes open up in an inconspicuous corner of the sunroom, concealed by the leaves of a large plant. In this room Karen and Rae sit together enjoying a drink as the sun sets. Rae can see how pensive her longtime colleague and friend looks.>>

 

[Viper]

New York City

<<...Curiously, he also smelled sickness from across the city. Something like a plague, a disease. But that was not his concern. The city was filled with disease. He turned his dark and shadowy stare at Amanda...>>

:: Even HE felt it, felt HER power as it cast a deathly veil across the unsuspecting city, the power of biology and VIROLOGY that were HER'S to command, making every living thing in her sight subject to her every whim! ::

:: Persephone let her head rest back against the back of the bench, looking up into the grey skies above. A storm was coming, she could feel it in the air. ::

:: The skies above were generally sunny, things SEEMED "normal" enough, but for Persephone, who had crossed swords with Viper once before on Sheena Island, the goddess of nature had a unique sense for the kind of "touch" Viper had. Persephone commanded Nature. Viper could WARP that nature and command it::

:: humans were like insects to Viper. They were ALL potential lab experiments, even mutants and metahumans were beneath her. She also never forgot (literally) nor did she forgive any transgressions against her, and there was one in this zoo....CITY... that had MUCH to answer for.::

::FLASH!::

Gavin: "Ah, is that Cameron again? You could have him meet us at Mickey’s. Unless you want time alone with him. Sorry, I just realized I invited myself to something that’s probably private. AND I’m trying to monopolize your time today, aren’t I? My apologies… I just…. I really like being with you, Delilah.”

Delilah blushed.

"I really like being with you, Gavin. It's not Cameron I want time alone with."

Unless it was to throttle him. Maybe. Ugh, she really didn't know how to feel.

She smiled at Gavin, then sighed.

"But, he will probably keep texting until I agree. He can be a bit ADHD."

----

"I told him to meet us in two hours. That gives us time for a nice long walk."

She smiled again, and reached to take his hand again.

"Shall we?"

:: Every step she took, every move she made, Viper was watching. Not just on a surface level. Viper could look THROUGH Delilah, down to her cellular and genetic level, which is what she was doing now, as she stood in plain sight, yet unseen by the general populace around her::

:: She COULD attack them both now, eliminating HIM in her first deadly past, and painfully rendering HER unconscious before carrying her off, but where would the fun be in that? Why flatten JUST the two of them, when she could flatten the ENTIRE city for her amusement?::

::FLASH!::

:: Across the city, at several KEY locations, large gas tanker trucks, carrying a mysterious substance, move into position. No one really notices or questions, as all the bothersome administrative aspects (such as permits, etc) have been taken care of, making these tankers appear to be part of regularly scheduled, permitted commerce activity for the day.

:: Viper's reach is WIDE, with a global network of operatives- some willing, some compelled. so pervasive is her influence, that many of her street level, or even mid-to-HIGH level pawns don't even know they served HER. She DID learn from THE BEST, after all.::

:: The gas tankers are successfully connected to their intended targets, including a mixed use building full of unsuspecting people nearby where Gavin and Delilah were::

::Viper stands quite still, as people move past and around her in every direction, and her emerald green eyes continue to survey her prey....until she receives communication from one of her agents that a lock on her SECONDARY target has been aquired::

:: With this important update, Viper decides to shift her surveillance, for now.::

:: One moment she is seen standing amongst moving people, and in the blink of an eye, she is gone from view::

<< It wouldn't be long now before that fog of sickness and disease that Beto perceived, and that STORM that Persephone sensed, would roll across the city>>

 

[Shadow Weaver]

Minerva's Aerie- Sunroom

<< Karen is seated in the sunroom, which offers a glorious view of the aegean sea that surrounds the island that Minerva's Aerie sits on.>>

<< She wore her classic "flying suit", a sign that she might be TRAVELING soon.>>

<< she also wears the pure diamond heart necklace given to her by her fallen son-in-law, and maintains her trademark elegant, pristine apperance, and presentation, but the past six months have taken a toll on her, as well as Alison, and Michael most of all.>>

<< She and Michael lived at Minerva's full time, as they have ever since they agreed to Morgan and Blaze's request for them to evacuate from New York, after the events following the explosive revelation that Black Widow was Malice's daughter, and attacks on various allies of the Six by Black Widow and Persephone.>>

<< Karen had already felt deeply betrayed by Haleigh over her decision to go to Hellfire after all the help she'd given the hybrid regarding the mystery of her origins, as well as the assistance she'd provided Persephone in the aftermath of the Purifiers caper.>>

<< She'd finally found life, and HAPPINESS AFTER Christopher Victory, with Michael Armstrong. Spellbinder had finally returned, she gained a new, legally adopted daughter in Firebird, and was soon to gain a son-in-law in Nicolas King, but he was gone now. Everything that lead up to his death had left her wracked with grief, and guilt.>>

<< She COULD have brought him back. As Shadow Weaver, it was within her capability to tap into such dark magicks and She'd done it before, with Michael, when he was gutted by an insane Persephone, but Valkyrie, of all people, implored her NOT to use the necromancy spells to do this, and surprisingly, Shadow Weaver, listened....in the days, weeks, and months that followed, she grieved, along with her fiancée, and her surrogate daughter Alison.>>

<< She'd also been traveling back and forth to New York, assisting Blaze with the grief stricken, catatonic Morgan, but neither Blaze, NOR Karen could awaken Morgan, not because Karen lacked power, or expertise as a witch AND a doctor, but because her daughter was truly heartbroken, and dying because of it.>>

<< Firebird called for Hecate, and the Goddess of Witchcraft answered, saving Spellbinder's life, and the moment she was revived and repowered, Shadow Weaver and Harbinger BOTH felt it. She was RELIEVED that her daughter had been saved, AND she sensed Morgan's reunion with Nicolas in Athena's Elysian Fields. She knew WORDS alone would not be adequate for Michael, and so she used her magick to allow him to SHARE her perception of the event, giving HIM some comfort to know that his mentee, his "son", his business partner, his friend had gone on to a most glorious after-life.>>

<< She ALSO perceived, from Firebird, the TRUTH BOMB, that Hecate had dropped, about their bloodline, which actually INCLUDED Harbinger, Prophet, AND that awful Talisman! Just the THOUGHT of being related to THAT woman turned Karen's STOMACH. Karen STILL wanted to FULLY pay Kelly Shaw back, by MURDERING her. Morgan and Blaze were EAGERLY ready to assist their mother with that, and ALISON MARBLE endorsed the idea, without ANY hesitation, and the precog was ALSO ready to use her magicks on her own brother, Cameron King, as well as the others OUTSIDE of this plan, to cover it up, but they stayed their hands in moving against Shaw, at Cameron's insistence, and for his sake...and NOW Karen had to process that she was actually RELATED to that disgusting woman!?>>

sometimes...the sister fates can be SO cruel....or PERVERSE in their weavings and tapestries

<< There were more relatives, in the form of Jimaine Szardos, a woman Karen had seen before, more than once, at various events connected to her daughter(s), AND her mother, the legendary Margali Szardos, whom Karen had already KNOWN of thanks to many stories from her Grammie (the super witch, Verna), as well as an IN DEPTH entry of her in the Darkhold!>>

<< The doctor PONDERED all of this. It certainly explained the how/why she connected so quickly with Alison when she first found her all those years ago, and the ease of which Alison and Morgan accepted each other, and now Firebird. It even helped to shed some light on why Shadow Weaver and Harbinger had been able to share/exchange their unique magickal signatures as they did during their desperate struggle against Circe's onslaught during the Blue Moon.>>

<< Having Alison as an actual blood relative made sense, and now she knew about the SOURCE of that branch of Hecate's family tree. A time goddess named Lachesis, the Allotter, and Hecate's SON(!?) Ravena. There was an ENTRY on Ravena in the Darkhold- the ancient, deadly book of spells that descended down through Hecate's bloodline, that was currently in the custody of Spellbinder, one that Karen wanted to review herself, for not even her Grammie had spoken much on him, but she recalled hearing about a "monster" who ruled the Undead (Vampires), AND of a male sorcerer supreme. were they one and the same!? why hadn't HECATE ever spoken of him before? The goddess was usually always so PROUD of any magick user that descended from her!>>

<< With all these developments, Karen found herself wanting to return to New York, to SEE her now conscious daughter, Morgan, with her own two eyes, AND to check on Blaze, because all of this had definitely NOT been an easy burden for HER to bear, even WITH Karen's help. She'd even discussed with Michael the idea of bringing Blaze back to Minerva's Aerie with her, to allow the Fire Elemental some distance and vacation from everything that had happened in NYC over the past six months. Michael and Blaze were close, and he would support Karen in whatever she wanted to do.>>

<< What Karen wanted to do, most of all, was keep her family SAFE. not since the days of Christopher, her first encounter with Set, or when Talisman vexed and harrassed her, had she felt so distressed, and Not since the Blue Moon, OR the immediate aftermath of the revelation surrounding Black Widow and Malice had Karen felt so "out of control". She didn't want anything more happening to her man, her daughters, or herself, and she didn't want Blaze to be burned out and left vulnerable for some kind of attack from any number of angles while there in the city. Blaze had done, and suffered quite enough, and Karen didn't want Morgan to go too long without seeing her mother.>>

<< Karen was known for being thorough and conscientious. Haleigh witnessed this first hand during their sessions. It was something her longtime colleague Rae had seen her demonstrate going back to their days at Weston Hills.>>

<< As she sat in the sunroom, drinking a goblet of hemlock, and watching the sun set, she began leaning toward the idea of returning to the states to see Morgan, and retrieve Blaze SOONER rather than later. her thoughts shifted back and forth between her daughters, and Michael. she had to make sure Michael would be okay, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. She knew Michael had a solid relationship with Alison, but He only really allowed himself to truly open up, and GRIEVE in Karen's presence alone. >>

 

[Hecate]

Elsewhere- The Body Shoppe

<< This was not a place accessible to most, and even of those who COULD get here under their own power, most of THEM would think twice, but Hecate was beyond such reservation, for even Kelly Shaw came from HER, owing to a very consequential union between Ravena and Lachesis, the Allotter, a time goddess that created a very important branch in Hecate's family tree that gave way to a line of witches who manifested the gift(s) of sight and/or movement/manipulation of time >>

<< Hecate's purple mystical signature manifested within the mysterious Body Shoppe, and she herself stepped forward from a column of purple energy and swirling orbs, now wearing one of her signature purple, gold accented dresses with her high heeled boots>>

<< The blonde moon goddess surveyed the curious surroundings of this place, and she wondered if Kelly Shaw was just as insane as her cross time alternate, Kelly King.>>

<< Within this structure, The ambience of magick associated to this place SUFFERED, as it was somehow forced to BEND and engage in an unnatural synergy with technology...and SCIENCE.>>

Isn't THAT what drove the mortals and their would-be "PROTECTORS" to the brink of disaster....EXTINCTION even?

<< Referring to MysTech, the shadow it cast across the globe, and the Six's efforts to oppose it>>

And Zeus thought the AMAZONS were a waste of time?!

<< Of course he was wrong, but sometimes Hecate found herself feeling the same way about HUMANS.>>

<< Of ALL the witches, and magick users that came from Hecate, THIS one was the most....wayward and problematic. Not only had her cross time alternate directly interfered with, and posed a one-time threat to Spellbinder, THIS version, correctly identified as an INTERLOPER by Amanda Sefton/Jimaine Szardos, had harassed and vexed an (already weakened) Shadow Weaver to the point that her "GRAMMIE" returned to the mortal coil to confront Talisman directly, as she had done in her original life when she protected her granddaughter from MysTech's goons, and her own husband!>>

<< Kelly [King] had also terrorized her own children, causing eldest daughter Alison's magick, telekinesis, and precognition to manifest in early adolescence as she was FORCED to protect her younger siblings from their mother, before the emerging power of precognition began to drive her to distress and distraction, leading her to ABANDON her siblings to Kelly's "tender mercies". Alison would later be found and rescued by Karen Victoria, and set on the path to greatness, ultimately manifesting in her becoming Harbinger, the Keeper of Time.>>

<< Alison and her siblings had destroyed THEIR mother, and she was relegated to another MysTech casualty, but then Kelly Shaw arrived in the Six's timeline, she came during the CHAOS of the Blue Moon (the unintended, but ultimate consequence of the Red Moon) and gained a foothold in this world during Spellbinder's prolonged absence from earth in the aftermath of the Blue Moon. She stole the legendary, and terrifying eye of agamotto, a powerful sight focused talisman that belonged to the Szardos clan, making herself an ENEMY of previous Sorceress Supreme Margali, and her daughter, Amanda/Jimaine.>>

<< She found this timeline's version of Malice/Diana and formed a powerful alliance with her, carrying the lessons she learned from her own native timeline to this one, some of which even Diana had come to appreciate>>

<< She THEN went on a deadly harassment campaign of terror against (a weakened) Shadow Weaver, playing on the witch's deepest fears regarding her ex-husband repeated attempts to kill her and her eldest daughter, her vulnerability where it came to her children, and her guilt regarding Jasmine Klein, the lost 4th sister of Spellbinder.>>

<< She THEN ambushed and injured Spellbinder, causing her to be temporarily separated from her magickal powers. The fact that Morgan hadn't thought to call Hecate right away DID anger the goddess...at first...but she got over it. She understood the CHAOS Spellbinder had been caught up in.>>

<< But NOW? It was time to confront the ARCHITECT of much of that chaos. NOW that Firebird knew the truth about Hecate's bloodline, and it INCLUDED Prophet, Harbinger AND Talisman, it wouldn't be long before family conflict the Victoria clan and the King/Marble clan ROCKED Hecate's "family tree" down to it's roots. She knew Alison Marble would side with the Victoria clan AGAINST Kelly King, leaving Cameron in a terrible position, and stoking the flames of conflict that would NOT serve ANYBODY connected to Hecate well. >>

<< As Hecate made her way further into this obscene place, DRONES and other....objects/creatures attempted to come near and....investigate(?) Hecate, but the Moon Goddess would have none of this, as she turned to face some of them, her own face was completely enshrouded in shadow, >>

AWAY.

<< she waved her hand (now surrounded by purple mystic energy), and a rushing/chiming sound is heard as she FORCIBLY redirects/deflects the drones and creatures away from her. FAR away from her, and SCRAMBLES any possible perception of her. >>

Kelly Shaw, show yourself.

<< It would have been easy enough to force Kelly Shaw to appear before her, and Olympus knows THIS witch had done LITTLE to earn or deserve anything OTHER than Hecate's WRATH, BUT Shaw IS a witch, and Hecate believed in giving ALL of her "daughters" at least A chance. >>

 

[Talisman]

The Body Shoppe

< Talisman was in her happy place, though one couldn't tell by looking at her face. From inside her Boddy Shoppe, she was deep at work, as she always was. While others were picking up the pieces of their lives post Hellfire, Dr. Shaw had been thriving. More than that, she was beginning to see the threads of what her future might hold, and she liked what she saw. >

< Music blared throughout the space as it often did in The Body Shoppe. At first it had been to quiet the voices of some of the creatures she kept there, but since shifting her purpose, she found that she simply just liked music at insufferably loud levels. Pulling the base of her gold necklace, which was actually a vintage Chanel Monocle Necklace she had enchanted, she put it up to her left eye to get a microscopic look at the slide she was currently working on. >

"This one is promising. High survability. And it's hasn't yet dilluted in strength..."

< She dropped the monocle pendant from her hand the second she felt Hecate's presence her own domain as it fell againt her black crop pant suit set. While Kelly did not involve herself in the world of The Six much these days, as always she kept an eye on things. She had felt Firebird's distress call herself, which was curious. But Kelly hadn't paid much it any mind as she didn't have the best relationship with gods and goddesses of old. Because she believed herself to be just as powerful, and just was worthy of righteous worship as the next woman was. She knew of her own bloodline, knew that her own magick was tied to Hecate, but she never felt much of a connection. Kelly didn't get her magickal boons from bedknobs and broomsticks. She got them from computers, from televisions, from things of a more modern nature and she always had. So much so that she assumed to be ignored by Hecate herself. >

Hecate: "Kelly Shaw, show yourself."

< Goddess or not, The Body Shoppe was her sanctuary and place of power, and nobody could come here unannounced and demand anything from her, but she did find herself curious as what exactly the nature of this visit was, and why it was happening in such a seemingly time of peace for her. She snapped her fingers against her beautiful black adamantium manicured nails as the music shut off, and she shimmered from the comfort of her main lab to one of the main open spaces of The Body Shoppe, which was a tesseract, and was as big and sturdy as it needed to be when it needed to be. She was face to face with Hecate. She gave a smile. >

"I've shown myself, Hecate. I would offer you a glass of hemlock but i'd prefer to know why you're here in my domain before I summon refreshments...."

< Kelly gave a devilish smirk as she eyed the woman up and down. >

"Were you looking for fashion advice?"

 

[Jezebel]

The Island of Aerie

:: Rae was initially a bit unsure to stay at Aerie following The Battle at Hellfire and the war against Set, but after a few months she was beginning to see it's benefits - there was an endless supply of whiskey and the island itself had so many picturesque and beautiful places to get high. When she wasn't talking Karen off a ledge, she would walk around barefoot with her guitar, singing to whatever flora and fauna called the place home. And while it had a multitude of spirits, most of the ones here seemed settled, which was good, because she sure as hell wasn't. ::

:: She exhaled a large puff of smoke deeply from her lungs as she dangled her feet off the ledge of one of the many cliff like rocks that decorated the island. Ever since she had returned to New York, she felt like she had been raising the stakes for herself. She'd always been a woman who liked to dance on the edge of disaster, but this time she was doing it with her work, not recreational sex and drugs like she used to. Rae found herself in a world of people in pain. Of old ghosts coming home to roost. One of those ghosts was Karen Victoria, though when she had initially met the woman years ago, she was Dr. Karen Victory. ::

:: Westin Hills was prestigious, but it was also a place that attracted malevolent entities and spirits like you wouldn't believe. Rae used to joke that the shitty east coast weather used to make people more vulnerable to possession and deals with demons, but she never did quite make sense of a lot of the things she encountered at the psychiatric hospital. Back then, Karen was a headstrong woman, who was a bit of an idealist, but as their lives continued to intersect over the next four years, she got to know the woman very well, and the well of fear and pain that lived inside of her. ::

:: Rae was no therapist. And her upbringing in the south made her all but allergic to the concept, but she did know people. Rae had been there when things took a turn with Karen's husband, helped the woman get out, and together they helped a number of children free themselves from their own traumas as well as the very real dark forces they were enthralled by. But it was always like a flash in the pan. They would find themselves together, working on a case, bonding so deeply, and yet always taking different paths away from each other in the end. They were very different people with very different ideologies, but they had been there when the other needed, and right now it felt like she needed Karen as much as Karen needed her. ::

:: Her powers as a medium and mystic had alerted her to Morgan's resurgence as well as Blaze's pain, and Karen was not handling either well. Rae had not agreed with the course of treatment the women choice to help their daughter and sister, but it also wasn't really any of Rae's business. Karen didn't need someone judging her choices at the moment, she needed someone to vent to, to be ugly with. Her man had just lost the man closest to him, she was trying to help her daughter, it didn't leave a lot of room for herself. So Rae stayed, and while there had been a lot of tears, a lot of aggression, there had also been a lot of laughter and joy - that and Rae was enjoying testing the limits of Alison's hospitality. The woman was wound tighter than a frog's asshole, but she was a good girl. They were all good girls which made this shit even that much worse to deal with. ::

:: Flicking her joint off into the ocean sea below, she got off her feet and headed back down the trail and back insisde of the mansion. With Morgan awake, it would seem like a break in the storm, but she knew that Karen was headed into overdrive if she wasn't careful. And the way Karen took care of her kids made Rae jokingly at times call her "Smother Dearest". She grabbed a bottle of whiskey from one of the bars in the drawing room and two short glasses and headed into the sunroom to see Karen watching the sunset. ::

"Beautiful isn't it? Though I gotta say it pairs a lot better with a joint and a glass of whiskey..."

:: Rae dangled the extra glass in front of her, determined to get Karen to drink something other than hemlock, but Karen seemed stern and steely in her eyes. Rae took a seat as she poured herself a glass and sat right next to Karen. ::

"The worst of it is over, Kare...your daughter is awake. Your children are alive. They're safe. This is a celebration. Not a wake...you gotta get out of your own head for a minute..."

 

[Prophet]

NYC - The Met Dining Room

From Haleigh >> "Fuck me, that was a big To-do. Morgan's okay now, and we're all back. I'll fill you in on the details later, too much to text."

:: Cameron glanced at the message from his wife, a bit relieved to know that possibly her day was going a bit more successfully than his. His phone vibrated again as he looked at the screen. ::

Message from Haleigh King.
1 new picture.

:: He tapped on his phone sitting on the counter of the bar as both him and the bartender got a nice and close view of his wife's ass to which Cameron smirked as he caught the glance of the bartender's cheeks turning a bit red and spinning on his heels pretending he hadn't seen it. The White King laughed. ::

"It's okay, kid. After what you just witness I'm sure we BOTH were in need of a good palate cleanser. And it's a damn good one.."

From Haleigh >> "In case you need a reminder."

To Haleigh >> "I could never be reminded of that ass enough times. My day's went to shit. An ex girlfriend showed up to berate me and...fought with Ava.."

Send.

>> From Delilah: "Two hours, Mickey Mantle's on Central Park South."

"Ugh. Gross."

He cocked a bemused brow, though he did not reach out with his mind because he didn't want to accidentally tune into Delilah getting railed by an accountant in the park. Still, the fact she suggested a sport's bar to Cameron meant to him that it was possible he might not be meeting her alone. If it were just the two of them, she would have suggested a nicer place because she knew he could be a sanctimonious prick about where he ate, as most people in the city were. But this place? It had to mean he was about to formally meet Gavin, which gave him pause - in a good way. She would never put a man in front of him that he could easily read and probe if she didn't actually like him. He wasn't a stranger to Gavin because of his wife, but he didn't really know the man. Still, considering his track record today...as well as the news he was about to deliver, he couldn't help but worry.

He made his way to the bathroom, typing away on his phone.

>> To Delilah: "Sounds good...but only because i'm close to Midtown. Can't wait to see you, love."

>> To Haleigh: "I'm about to meet with Delilah, and tell her...wish me luck..."

Setting his phone back into his pocket his took a quick piss and made his way over to the sink, before smirking to himself. Looking to the left and right of him to make sure he was alone, he unzipped his zipper pulled out his cock and snapped a selfie of his own.

>> To Haleigh: "In case you forgot. I love you."

Washing his hands, Cameron left out of the bathroom and began to make his way to a Sports Bar called Mickey Mantle's. This day was not turning out as he planned. Still, he had two hours to kill, so he figured he deserved something new and shiny as he headed on his way to get his Centurion card back in action.

 

[Brenthon]

NYC - The Sanctum Sanctorum

Haleigh: "Morgan's had a big day and isn't in the mood to entertain guests. She's asked me to take care of you, in her stead. I hope you don't mind."

<< Brenthon smirked as he closed the gap between Haleigh and himself, eyeing her up and down a bit, unable to help the big of magnetism he had felt between them. If this had been his old coven, he would have thrown her against a bookshelf by now, but as he reminded at every turn and especially in the last few hours - this was not his old coven, or his old world. But a new one. They seemed far more reserved and fragile than his old counterparts, so instead he gave a smile of distinct intention. >>

"I do not mind at all, White Queen...."

<< He turned his glance over to Firebird who had appeared to calm down since their last encounter only moments ago. For the moment, he reserved the itch he had to poke at her again and instead attempted in his own way to make nice. >>

"That is...if it is okay with Firebird. Wouldn't want to break the rules knowing the scrutiny I find myself under, however..."

[pausing]

"Are we sure the best thing for Morgan is rest? Has she not gotten enough in the last six months?"

<< Smirking. >>

"When I returned to the flesh it was a bacchanal of impropriety..."

<< He turned his gaze back to Haleigh. >>

"Never the less, I would love to explore this island of yours [turning to look at both women] As long as we can agree that I am not something to be looked after, like a collared mutt. Though I have never actually seen a modern physician, so who knows...I could be rabid."

<< Brenthon laughed. >>

"In all sincerity, I am craving a bit of open air. Closed spaces, other dimensions...they are not my favorite kinds of places these days..."

 

[Shadow Weaver]

Minerva's Aerie- Sunroom

"Beautiful isn't it? Though I gotta say it pairs a lot better with a joint and a glass of whiskey..."

:: Rae dangled the extra glass in front of her, determined to get Karen to drink something other than hemlock, but Karen seemed stern and steely in her eyes. Rae took a seat as she poured herself a glass and sat right next to Karen. ::

<< with all of the windows open in the sunroom, the refreshing ocean breeze flowed in and around the space, causing Karen's blonde hair to flow in the wind a bit. She looked calm, yet stern, but as Rae dangled a glass in front of her, the doctor surprisingly reached out and took the glass, holding it for the first pour>>

Thank you.

<< She said in that crystal clear tone she was known for.>>

"The worst of it is over, Kare...your daughter is awake. Your children are alive. They're safe. This is a celebration. Not a wake...you gotta get out of your own head for a minute..."

<< She liked Rae, alot. She appreciated being able to relate to her as a PEER, not as a child, a daughter, someone to look after, care for as a patient. Just woman to woman, and as FRIENDS.>>

<<She held her glass, after Rae filled it.>>

You're right. My daughter is alive. My OTHER daughter is alive. Michael is alive, and we're all safe.

<< She looked at the glass for a moment, overcoming her initial hesitance to let any drink OTHER than hemlock touch her lips>>

Here's to my daughters, my family (including Michael)...which just got a bit bigger

<< referring to the revelation about Alison, Cameron....and that wench KELLY>>

Here's to US.

<< referring to herself and Rae>>

Well past our "opening acts", and still here to be the authors of our own stories.

<< clinking her glass with Rae's>>

<< Karen was immortal, and easily looked 30 yrs younger than she actually was. She was also immune to all mortal diseases. She had seen much, endured and SURVIVED much more, and she knew there'd be FAR MORE TO COME for one such as she. MORGAN AND ALISON were immortal too, but what about Blaze? What about Michael? What would she do when it was time to say goodbye to him??>>

<< As she gulped down the whiskey, she shut her sapphire blue eyes tightly for a moment.>>

THIS is your "go to?!"

<< she asked in disbelief as she endured the after taste. But then she could "see" her Grammie, Verna, in her mind's eye. Verna would enjoy a stiff drink too, at her smoky, mysterious speakeasies. She also thought of Hazel, Grammie's dear friend, a sister witch, and Karen's "auntie". >>

<< She sighed for a moment as the Whiskey went down smooth after the first few seconds>>

Here we are...in this beautiful place, inaccessible to most, protected by some of the strongest magicks and otherworldly technology. My daughters are both alive and safe, my fiancée is here with me, safe.

But how long until the next monster comes? How long until the next one of those CHILDREN (referring to the six) makes a STUPID choice that places ALL of our lives in mortal danger.

<< Shaking her head. she was mainly referring to Haleigh, followed by Ava. She didn't know if she'd ever be able to forgive them, ESPECIALLY Haleigh, after all they'd been through together, the new level of trust the found in each other, the CARE that Karen developed for Haleigh, knowing that she was...."CREATED" by HER abusive, power mad, homicidal husband...and that woman she just...>>

<< Karen balled one of her fists. THIS was one of the reasons why she needed to b e able to talk to Rae, a fellow ADULT. Someone who had lived life, and had a wealth of experience and wisdom. a PEER.>>

HOW LONG before the next tragedy, and someone among us having to pay the price for someone ELSE'S bad choices?

<< She accepted another refill from Rae>>

I HAVE to go see Morgan, I have to see her with my own eyes, and I want Blaze to come back to Minerva's Aerie with me, so that SHE can have a much needed break from everything.

 

[Hecate]

The Body Shoppe

<<She was face to face with Hecate. She gave a smile. >

"I've shown myself, Hecate. I would offer you a glass of hemlock but i'd prefer to know why you're here in my domain before I summon refreshments...."

< Kelly gave a devilish smirk as she eyed the woman up and down. >

"Were you looking for fashion advice?"

<< Hecate looked upon the wayward sorceress with a mix of curiosity, and contempt. This woman, born of flesh and blood, really had forgotten who she came from, AND she thought herself to be EQUAL to the gods and goddesses themselves!>>

<< Hecate seriously considered punching right through to the heart of Talisman's greed and lust for power, and granting her wish by SPREADING Talisman's mind and consciousness from one side of reality to the other, through ALL the infinite reaches of space and time. Such a move on Hecate's part would put Talisman in touch with the universe- her brain would be FLOODED with ALL the myriad, absolute, contradictory truths of existence! in essence, Hecate would be transforming this HUMAN woman, saddled with all the trappings and limitations associated with humanity, into a god, in the twinkling of her eye. >>

<< But THAT would be a GIFT, one that Talisman certainly did NOT deserve. Hecate, true to form, would YANK ALL OF THAT back from Talisman as FAST as she gave it to her, and THAT kind of TRAUMA would be extremely difficult, if not impossible for a humanoid to survive. She STRONGLY considered being that cruel to this wayward witch, but she held her impulse, and her temper in check.>>

Your domain is in my realm, daughter. Where ever you are, there I will be.

<< Talisman attempted to bait her, with a not so subtle dig at her outfit. Had she been hanging around that walking kitchen appliance?>>

I need nothing from you in the way of advice.

But I have come to deliver you a warning.

It's one thing to have to intervene on Spellbinder's behalf because of that energy creature, Black, or because of that murderous god of destruction, Set, but to find that she was injured by one of her own?

<< Looking upon Talisman with grim disapproval>>

And this AFTER you vexed and harassed Shadow Weaver?

<< Hecate's purple eyes sparkle, as she magickally "dumps" the knowledge of her family tree, including the origin of the branch that lead to the Shaw/King/Marble clan, into Talisman's awareness>>

Your insecurities were laid bare during your latest partnership with that mentat, Malice. You played her games in that...silly side show known as "Hellfire".

Your goals, your inner most dreams place you in direct conflict with your lineage.

Perhaps you would be HAPPIER if you were DIVORCED from your magickal heritage?

It would certainly make destroying you the next time you attack Spellbinder all the more justified!

<< Hecate said with all sincerity>>

Every where you go, you make enemies- even with your own blood. From the Szardos clan, on down. You're worse than the goat-god, Pan.

Even now, Harbinger, Shadow Weaver, Spellbinder, and Firebird want you DEAD, and they are more than capable of accomplishing that. ALL that stands between you and an onslaught from them, is Prophet.

I will NOT have war in my House/Bloodline.

<< She said with force>>

I'd sooner ERASE you from this and every OTHER plane of existence along the sidereal string.

But instead of striking you down, I decided to find out what your problem is, and what you need to solve it.

<< If it wasn't beyond logic and reason, Hecate might just indulge her, but NOT if it came at the expense of Spellbinder, or any witch or magick user in her bloodline.>>

 

[Talisman]

The Body Shoppe

Hecate: "I need nothing from you in the way of advice. But I have come to deliver you a warning. It's one thing to have to intervene on Spellbinder's behalf because of that energy creature, Black, or because of that murderous god of destruction, Set, but to find that she was injured by one of her own? And this AFTER you vexed and harrassed Shadow Weaver."

<< Talisman smirked. This was the problem she had with religion in general. This precious postering of concern and care for the people who give parts of their souls in worship and service of creatures they deem greater than themselves. Spellbinder, Shadow Weaver and the others did not consider Talisman one of their own. And if they had succeeded in murdering her, Hecate would shower them with praise for protecting her legacy, all while she sat in Kelly's face pretending that she was truly a part of it. Religion was an unwinnable parlor game devoid of any true logic, only the concept of faith, which had been mutilated over the last several millenia to be a tool used to exert control. Talisman had no misconceptions about where she stood in the grand scheme of things when it came to Hecate, but she was not an outright bitch if the situation did not require it. She simply summoned a glass of hemlock for both of them and took a sip. >>

"There would have been no backlash from you had any one of them taken my life the second I manifested here, Hecate. That much was clear from the moment I arrived. I simply took the shots before they did. If anything, you should thank me for my ingenuity. These women you've propped up have some glaring weak points...the fact that I exploited those weak points so easily is simply a reminder that it is never a good idea to rest on one's laurels OR reputation...."

Hecate: "Your insecurities were laid bare during your latest partnership with that mentat, Malice. You played her games in that..silly side show known as "Hellfire".

<< Kelly spoke in her even and alto tone of voice, barely registering any emotion. >>

"Yes, that silly side show that has more than one occassion caused the destruction of your precious holy trinity with little more than a well timed insult or smack across the face..."

<< Smirking. >>

"Or have you forgotten where I came from?"

<< Kelly waved her hand, activating several monitors around them that replayed the events of Talisman leaving her timeline. Karen Victoria had been pregnant and brutally beaten by her husband, resulting in the miscarriage of her daughter. In her pain and anguish, an INFERNO ignited, one that succeeded where Karen's daughter's had failed in this one. Through well timed spellcraft and use of her own technology, Kelly was able to find a way out before the entire WORLD was consumed. >>

"I found myself in a timeline where my counterpart had been destroyed. Had made herself a villain of The Six. Do not confuse sound tactical maneuvering with insecurity. I did what I needed to in order to survive. And I did more than survive. One would think...as a daughter of Hecate, my ingenuity and tactical prowess would be celebrated. A feather in everyone's cap."

<< Talisman was still taking a moment to process the information that she was just gifted by Hecate, though it brought her no comfort. It felt like words to her. As if she were reading the scripture of a religion she was taking a college class in. She was receiving it like the scholar that she was, but there was a part of it that stoked a bit of emotion within her. Something she could not ignore. >>

"And now...I'm seeing that Hellfire was a good enough choice for your son. Was he just as insecure as you claim I was? Or did he recognize an opportunity and take it? Which...while we are on the subject..."

<< She took a few steps forward, her stilettos clicking on the metal floor as she walked, taking another long sip of hemlock. This was the first time she had ever come face to face with the supposed progenitor of her biological heritage. Kelly was not an emotional person, but this knew knowledge of her lineage? It sickened her. To know of her connection to a man she despised. >>

"Your son's father was a rapist and your son was a sexual predator. Ravena was a mysgonistic piece of shit who's lucky his dear old dad was still around when he died or Persephone would have wiped him from existence just like Helena and I wiped away New Anatolia. He pervaded and infected a sanctuary of power built and ran by women, joining league with Diana of all people, and had they been left to continue their reign of madness, would have caused more pain and suffering for your dear descendants than anything I have done or plan to do."

<< Pausing, lost a bit in thought. >>

"Unfortunately...as a goddess...a "cosmic" entity, you don't have the luxury of playing both smart and stupid at the same time. Either you didn't KNOW Ravena was around, or you did and let him start carving out a path to power for himself. Neither of those things reflect very well on your intelligence, character or the very legacy you all of a sudden feel so primed to protect."

<< She finished her glass before manifesting a new one. Her black adamantium nails tapping the glass. >>

Hecate: "Your goals, your inner most dreams place you in direct conflict with your lineage. Perhaps you would be HAPPIER if you were DIVORCED from your magickal heritage? It would certainly make destroying you the next time you attack Spellbinder all the more justified."

<< Talisman had to admit that the thought had crossed her mind. There was actually a part of Haleigh Davidoff she found herself a bit jealous of. Haleigh had been created in a lab. The man who did it was dead. There was no claim on her soul. Sometimes Talisman liked to imagine how freeing that would be. To know that your legacy, your very soul, everything you did...was not tied to anybody, was not owned by any other thing than yourself. She listened, knowing that her words had likely enraged Hecate, but silently hopeful that the woman could have a conversation with another woman and not rage quit. >>

Hecate: "Everywhere you go, you make enemies - even with your own blood. From the Szardos clan, on down. You're worse than the goat-god Pan. Even now, Harbinger, Shadow Weaver, Spellbinder, and Firebird want you DEAD, and they are more than capable of accomplishing that."

"And I them, Hecate. Don't forget that the sword cuts both ways."

Hecate: "ALL that stands between you and an onslaught from them, is Prophet."

<< Flatly. >>

"All that stands between them and an onslaught is space and opportunity, Hecate. I lived in this timeline for two years before any of those women even knew I was here. I persist not because of Cameron King. I persist in SPITE of their desire for me to do so.

Hecate: I will NOT have war in my House/Bloodline."

"Then prevent one, Hecate. Looking back now with this divine knowledge you've placed in my brain, you've never seemed to have a problem with war before. How much blood could have not been spilled had you not just united the King/Marble siblings and Victoria family together from the very beginning? What was all of that struggle for then? If not for your entertainment or pride? What was the sense in all of this?"

Hecate: "I'd sooner ERASE you from this and every OTHER plane of existence along the sidereal string. But instead of striking you down, I decided to find out what your problem is, and what you need to solve it."

<< Talisman was silent for a moment. She'd never been directly asked something like that in her existence. For most of her lives, she had played second fiddle, while knowing she was the smartest person in the room. Doing what was required of her and asked, making men great, never truly leaning into her purpose, because she had always been shamed for what she thought that purpose was. >>

"It is not a problem to me, but it is a reality that I a woman born from too many worlds...I was born learning to call the corners, light candles, burn sage - to speak my intention into existence and watch it happen, simpy because I was blessed to be able to. I was also a mutant, born with a desire to take apart every little thing around me, organic or otherwise and see how it worked, see what it was made of. To see if I could recreate it. Make it better. I was also a human woman. Naturally gifted with an intellect and understanding that it very difficult for me to engage in customs and ritual, both supernatural and otherwise, because I knew where they came from, why there were started and what their basis in reality was. From birth..I have fought all of these parts of myself..."

<< Pausing. >>

"And then there was the curse of my sight, given to my family by Apollo. I have always been able to see the reality of NOW. To see the world as it exists. In real time, down to the second. To be that rooted in the now, of what simply is? It's maddening. And to know what the other women in my family with the same gifts has suffered because of their sight? It made me know that I would not be a footnote of mania in my family tree."

<< The Shaw Family's sight was a gift that came from Cassandra of Troy, a woman who was cursed for shirking Apollo's advances. She was given prolific seer powers, and cursed with having nobody believe them. Each member of The Shaw family possessed this kind of sight, and they would classify themselves as either a Raven, Dove or Sparrow. Kelly was a Sparrow. Her vision was focused squarely in the present. And that, just as in Alison's sight as a seer, brought it's own host of problems. Often times, The Shaw Family's "sight" drove them mad, case in point, her counterpart, Kelly King. >>

"All of this knowledge I have, all of this formal training...these countless hours of study and practice and research and theory. In EVERY science, in EVERY form of magick...to simply accept my place as just another garden variety witch would be an insult to that. I am not like other witches, Hecate. I never have been. When I find myself near a network server...when I feel the boon, the ENERGY of wireless signals broadcasting across the universe, it fuels me. This energy, this biproduct of science that so many in the magickal community want to write off as forgetting the old ways...it's part of my purpose."

<< Waving her hand once more, a bunch of new information appeared on the screens around them in The Body Shoppe. This was some of Kelly's more personal work. Her study of magick through a scientific lens. Her work in mapping out locations of power in these new ambient forces she was describing. This was sacred ground for Kelly, and had Hecate not been The Goddess of Witchcraft, she would have never shown her. But she was returning Hecate's inquiry in kind. >>

"The world has moved on from the original conventions of magick. And we can either accept that and die as relics of the past, or we can seize CONTROL of these new ambient energies...before somebody else does. Because they will. Cosmic beings or not, Gods really only have power based on mortals belief in them. I don't say that to be inflammatory, but the world doesn't worship Olympus anymore. They don't even worship Jesus. They worship their phones. We are ready for new Gods, Hecate. People who are able to perceive and wield and understand all these new energies and forces in the world that...simply didn't exist before...not of stardust...or carbon, or oxygen, or calcium or IRON."

<< She took yet another sip of her hemlock, as she gestured with her hands as she spoke. >>

"You feel adverse to science, but science is simply magick we do not understand yet. So much of modern medicine and science was considered witchcraft, was considered heretical in the past. People were killed for simply trying to administer practical healing and knowledge to people. The needle will move forward with or without magick, until science is indiscernable from it. There are places and types of energy that are not composed of things we know. But of things we do not even know...have not been discovered yet...and I believe I am one of the heralds of this new era..of this new way of being.."

<< Sighing deeply. >>

"I respect who you are, Hecate. I've felt your energy in my body, therefore I cannot deny your existence or your power. But *I* am who I am because of the choices I have made and the knowledge I chose to pursue. I will not be taken to task by anybody who does not possess the kind of vision I do. I will not have my successes be in part due to some kind of biological predetermination I had no control over. Whatever happens to me next, Hecate - will be from my own hand. I truly believe I am meant to change the world as we know it. I don't possess a lack of faith, I simply choose to place that faith in myself. If that's not something that you can respect or understand - then I implore you...to take it from me. Take my magick."

<< Kelly sat her flute of hemlock down on one of the control panels next to her as she continued to move forward, getting closer to Hecate, wondering if she was making sense to the woman. Talisman was not one to repeat herself or to show her cards like this, regardless of who was in front of her. If Hecate shirked this, she had no problem turning her back on her. It didn't affect what she thought to be her destiny. She was giving Hecate a chance at some kind of working future together. Because if there was one thing Talisman was very good at, it was creating the right alliances for herself. It was why she often came off as flippant or uncaring. She trusted herself to make the right inroads. >>

"You can either view me as one of your most prolific daughters. A woman who will help to move the universe's understanding of the ambient forces that control our reality. Or you can brand me as a heretic. It is truly of no consequence to me. Either way...I will persist. I will continue on my path. But I cannot have this bloodline define me. This kind of duty to you holding over my head. Because my path isn't tied to your others. My path is my own. Surely, as a woman...who has suffered at the hands of men and women who thought they were your better...you can understand this. YOU didn't have anyone to answer to Hecate. You were given the space to make your own path. You must understand my desire for the same thing."

 

[Jezebel]

The Island of Aerie

:: She was surprised and elated that Karen, for the first time ever, took her invitation to a nice glass of whiskey. Rae decided not to question it. She was going to get Karen Victoria nice and hammered. Plopping a large square cube of ice, she filled Karen's glass and made not of how much lighter things had recently became. ::

Karen: "Thank You. You're right. My daughter is alive. My OTHER daughter is alive. Michael is alive, and we're all safe."

:: For a moment, Rae allowed herself to think of her son and her grandchildren, neither of which she had seen in years because she had been a very stubborn old woman, but she clicked herself back into the moment, something Rae was very good at. ::

Karen: "Here's to my daughters...my family...which just got a bit bigger...Her's to US."

"Hear hear, bitch!"

:: Rae smirked as they clinked their glasses, Rae only drinking from a glass and not the bottle because Karen was a fancy woman and she didn't want to look like a neanderthal in front of her. ::

Karen: "Well past our opening acts, and still here to be the authors of our own stories."

"Now wait a minute. I'm still like...thirty five in my head...but you're right, I haven't been an opening act for a hell of a long time. To headliners."

:: Taking a drink, she watched Karen struggle a bit and she laughed loudly. ::

Karen: "THIS is your 'go to'?!"

:: Wiping away a tear of joy and laughter from her eye she took yet another drink. ::

"Oh man, I forgot you missed a lot of my cocaine phase. But yeah, now it's just whiskey. And weed. But mostly whiskey. Just lean into it. You could do with a few new chest hairs. Sure as hell beats the MUSTACHE that comes with menopause."

:: They were silent for a few moments. ::

Karen: "Here we are...in this beautiful place, inaccessible to most, protected by some of the strongest magicks and otherworldly technology. My daughters are both alive and safe, my fiance is here with me..safe.."

"But...?"

Karen: "But how long until the next monster comes? How long until the next one of those CHILDREN makes a STUPID choice that places ALL of our lives in mortal danger?"

:: Rae didn't immediately act, because she got the feeling. People were for the most part, very stupid, herself included. And the kids that Karen's daughters had built lives with had the power to make some very stupid choices. For months, Rae had found herself checking in on Cameron King. Seeing him in The Further, on The Other Side, watching how he destroyed Malice, and feeling the euphoria he felt from that event had given him great pause. Knowing how The Six's choices had affected people she deeply loved, like Danny, she could see how it was easy for Karen to let herself get lost in feelings like this. ::

"I give 'em about twelves hours. But who knows they might surprise us..."

:: She said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. Plus, she was still pretty high and she didn't want to start feeling paranoid. ::

Karen: "HOW LONG before the next tragedy, and someone among us having to pay the price for someone ELSE'S bad choices?"

:: Rae refilled Karen's now empty glass and took a beat before she responded. ::

Karen: "I HAVE to go see Morgan, I have to see her with my own eyes, and I want Blaze to come back to Minerva's Aerie with me, so that SHE can have a much needed break from everything."

:: She didn't say anything at first. ::

"If you want to see Morgan, then go see Morgan. She's your daughter for christ's sake. And I'm sure she wants to see you. But all this isolation you got planned isn't good for anyone. And you know it."

"Blaze has gotta learn to deal with her life and her actions in the real world, and so does your daughter. This island..it has been healing. And I'm grateful that Alison let an old punk bitch like myself stay here. But this can't be my forever. It can't be hers. It can't be yours. Because this place isn't reality. It's not the real world. It's a vacation destination. And like it or not...vacation has gotta END at some point."

"More than that...if you keep putting your daughters ahead of you, it's gonna hurt you...and it's gonna hurt Mike. I know you blame yourself for a lot of shit. For falling in love with Chris...for letting him put his hands on you...for bringing a daughter into all that..but at some point you gotta trust that she learned from you what not to do...and you gotta realize that whether it's somebody in The Six or not...somebody is gonna hurt your daughter again. Make her cry. Make THEIR problems her own...Take it from somebody who spent a good chunk of their own life punishing her daddy for what he did to her, and making it everyone else's problem..."

"My daddy beat the shit out of me. My mom was silent. I couldn't get out of that god foresaken place fast enough. But it was that same kind of conflict...all that bad terrible shit that made me who I am. Don't get me wrong...I know that it doesn't have to be that way...it SHOULDN'T have to be that way...that we have to get hurt to learn...but more often than not? That's the damn truth. Nobody learns much about themselves sipping hemlock on a beautiful island away from all their problems.."

"Ya'll are creatures of great power...but you're ALSO human women. And human gotta live in the real world, Kare. You know that. You gotta let those girls live their live's in the real world...however actually painful that might be for them...and...you have to know when it's time to focus on YOU..."

"Your girls are strong. They're always gonna need their mama, but mama has got to live too. You can't help anybody if you don't help yourself first. I hate seeing you like this. I really do. You got a family dynamic I WISH I could have. It feels like my own son learned to walk just so that he walk AWAY from me...you're WAY ahead of the game here in terms of most family dynamics. But I'm begging you Karen..you can't protect them from the inevitable. And at some point you gotta start caring about yourself again..."

 

[Hecate]

The Body Shoppe

Did you really believe that your arrival to Spellbinder's timeline, just before the Blue Moon, no less, had gone completely unnoticed?

"I found myself in a timeline where my counterpart had been destroyed. Had made herself a villain of The Six. Do not confuse sound tactical maneuvering with insecurity. I did what I needed to in order to survive. And I did more than survive. One would think...as a daughter of Hecate, my ingenuity and tactical prowess would be celebrated. A feather in everyone's cap."

It would've been, had you not stolen from Margali Szardos, harassed and vexed Shadow Weaver, or ambushed and injured Spellbinder. The choices you made, were the WRONG ones. Interfering with the natural flow and order of things, perverting them with your misguided machinations.

"And now...I'm seeing that Hellfire was a good enough choice for your son. Was he just as insecure as you claim I was? Or did he recognize an opportunity and take it? Which...while we are on the subject..."

Was my son as INSECURE as you? No. he was something much worse.

My son, who sired your ancestors, was already ancient when your great grandmother was in diapers.

He'd already fullfiled his mandate as Sorcerer Supreme, and snatched a piece of his Father's legacy as Lord of the Undead. The fact that you, or that metallic nuisance, Black Widow, think that I need to account for his actions, or choices, is ridiuclous. I answer to NO human for my son's actions.

How interesting that you have all this..."energy" over him, but no sense of remorse for the HARM YOU HAVE DONE to your fellow witches.

My son was a monster, just like his father. And so are YOU.

<< Were these women on earth as dense as they appeared to be? Talisman walked up on Hecate, who did not move one step back. if the wayward witch took one more step, Hecate would send her flying, head fist, into any number of structures and objects found about this place>>

"Your son's father was a rapist and your son was a sexual predator. Ravena was a mysgonistic piece of shit who's lucky his dear old dad was still around when he died or Persephone would have wiped him from existence just like Helena and I wiped away New Anatolia. He pervaded and infected a sanctuary of power built and ran by women, joining league with Diana of all people, and had they been left to continue their reign of madness, would have caused more pain and suffering for your dear descendants than anything I have done or plan to do."

<< Hecate stood tall, not showing any reaction>>

"Unfortunately...as a goddess...a "cosmic" entity, you don't have the luxury of playing both smart and stupid at the same time. Either you didn't KNOW Ravena was around, or you did and let him start carving out a path to power for himself. Neither of those things reflect very well on your intelligence, character or the very legacy you all of a sudden feel so primed to protect."

I don't need any kind of history lesson about Hades, from you, Interloper. I KNEW him. I was one of his victims! Ravena was the product of a most egregious and VILE assault on my person, and he took after his father. When I could no longer bare his dark presence, his growing lust and appetite for violence, I cast him OUT of the halls of Mt. olympus, SENT him to his father, Hades, and the rest, as you one dimensional mortals say...is HISTORY.

I will NOT be judged by the likes of YOU over that. Hades and Ravena are responsible for their actions, and they have paid the price.

Just as CIRCE paid the price for HER treachery

You! You have been JUST as VILE as Ravena EVER was, preying on your own, time and time again, and finding EVERY reason you can to excuse your predatory and treacherous behavior.

You DROWNED your own daughter in the ocean in your native timeline, and you used magick to remove all traces of emotion and empathy, preventing you from forming ANY meaningful relationships with ANYONE, let alone your fellow witches You are a DISGRACE to witches the world over!

I KNEW Persephone before you were even a THOUGHT in your mother's brain. I saw what she endured, the abuse and the damage Hades caused her << and Hecate herself>> how it changed her, and lead her to make the choice she made which ultimately destroyed the original Trinity, but the Trinity is now RESTORED. Persephone and I have recovered our friendship, ever since the last cycle of the red moon. OURS is a bond that transcends time and we have outlasted ALL those who tried to destroy us both.

Do you REALLY think YOU have a bond with her that REMOTELY compares to what WE have been through?

<< laughing heartily, much like she did when she laughed in Zeus' face on more than one occassion>>

Were it NOT for the circumstance of that SIDE SHOW [Hellfire] you all are so obsessed with, She would wipe YOU out just as soon as she would look at you. D'you think she'd hesitate, for one moment, to destroy you if it was a choice between you and Haleigh Davidoff, or Spellbinder, or any other person she's formed a meaningful connection to in this time? You only encountered her because she FOLLOWED Haleigh into Hellfire.

<< Hecate stopped laughing, as her visage became enshrouded in shadow>>

She played a game, and unlike YOU? she has people to GO BACK TO, Harbinger being one of them! NO ONE would miss YOU if you DIED right now!

During Mt. Olympus' original glory, You would be nothing more than an IMP in the halls of Olympus, to be used, and HUMILIATED by any of the gods/goddesses as they saw fit.

As for Ravena, << it was as if they'd forgotten he was not only a demi-god, but ALSO the FATHER of the modern version of the "undead" aka Vampires>>

After his most RECENT "death", he has been FREED from the darkness and CORRUPTIVE influence of of his now slain father, he has been able to move on in the cosmic pantheon, until such time he decides to return to the mortal coil.

I sincerely hope he realizes that "play time" with mortals is a waste of time now.

<< Hecate thought to herself, as she had already decided that SHE would BLOCK his return to this plane of existence for some time. She would NOT account for, OR apologize for whatever he son did, but she WOULD keep him from unleashing his horror upon anyone SHE knew or cared about again. He had SERVED his purpose to HER will, and that was enough.>>

As with so many OTHERS from Mt. Olympus, or the Underworld, Ravena's destructive ways preceded his fall, but NOT before his place in history was cemented, and NOT before he FURTHERED my house and ensured my bloodline, as he was meant to do.

You THOUGHT you were the finisher of his fate, but as with so many OTHER things, you were WRONG. He STILL exists. The TRINITY is reconstituted.

MY WILL be done!

<< chimes sound off>>

<< Smirking as her visage returned to its normal state. These humans, they REALLY did think they could challenge the gods themselves. It was a tale ALMOST as old as time itself. they REALLY thought they held sway over the COSMIC flow! There was that ARROGANCE that both amused AND angered Hecate. Still, it didn't matter how Talisman felt about Ravena's son, what was done was done. >>

"Then prevent one, Hecate. Looking back now with this divine knowledge you've placed in my brain, you've never seemed to have a problem with war before.

The war between the Olympians and the Titans was necessary, the fate of creation, and COSMOS ITSELF was at stake. And don't forget, it was by MY hand, that Cronus was ultimately humiliated and DEFEATED.

How much blood could have not been spilled had you not just united the King/Marble siblings and Victoria family together from the very beginning? What was all of that struggle for then? If not for your entertainment or pride? What was the sense in all of this?"

<< Hecate laughed/exhaled as this woman continued to be beyond impertinent, but at least she was...CEREBRAL about it, unlike that annoying GNAT back in the Enchanted Forest. And deep down, Hecate DID choose to entertain this BECAUSE Talisman was of her. She may have been the "black sheep" from "day 1" but she was STILL from Hecate, and like most of the other goddesses, Hecate was capable of interacting with (most) humans in a way that was far more nuanced than anything Zeus and the male gods were capable of. Every god/goddess had their soft/weak spots when it came to the humans they chose to focus on/deal with. Hecate's OBVIOUS preference for certain branches of her family tree, over OTHERS, was part of her weakness>>

No one ever said that the gods and goddesses were beyond personal bias, or pettiness.

<< Hecate said without hesitation or regret. she had no reason to pretend like she was without flaw, and in fact, she'd come to realize she HAD made some costly mistakes, ONE of them being the Red Moon. But even then, as the source of magick in the cosmos, she had decreed a way OUT of that madness, and it took the form(s) of Spellbinder and Harbinger....still, much blood was spilled, both in the halls of mt. olympus, AND on earth, and it would be CENTURIES before the Red Moon's cycle was finally interrupted. >>

Harbinger has ALWAYS been favored, and she REMAINS the crown jewel of her family. She was called into existence, and prophesized to be part of the "key to the ultimate solution" when I cast the curse of the Red Moon.

Her mother, on the other hand-- YOUR cross time alternate-- was massively incompetent, a danger to her own children, as well as to the Sorceress Supreme. She was dealt with as she deserved, BY her children. I'm sure you've seen/FELT that moment, more than once, so I won't FORCE you to experience that again.

There's no doubt that Spellbinder, her mother, her sister, and her OTHER relative, Harbinger, would triumph over you, and GLEEFULLY dance around your burning corpse, but in the name of PRESERVING my HOUSE from any more vulnerability, and protecting the continuity and the FLOW of magick as it meant to be, I'd sooner treat you like a CANCER, and EXCISE, or better yet, ERASE you from this and every OTHER plane of existence along the sidereal string. But instead of striking you down, I decided to find out what your problem is, and what you need to solve it.

"It is not a problem to me, but it is a reality that I a woman born from too many worlds...I was born learning to call the corners, light candles, burn sage - to speak my intention into existence and watch it happen, simply because I was blessed to be able to. I was also a mutant, born with a desire to take apart every little thing around me, organic or otherwise and see how it worked, see what it was made of. To see if I could recreate it. Make it better. I was also a human woman. Naturally gifted with an intellect and understanding that it very difficult for me to engage in customs and ritual, both supernatural and otherwise, because I knew where they came from, why there were started and what their basis in reality was. From birth..I have fought all of these parts of myself..."

<< Pausing. >>

"And then there was the curse of my sight, given to my family by Apollo. I have always been able to see the reality of NOW. To see the world as it exists. In real time, down to the second. To be that rooted in the now, of what simply is? It's maddening. And to know what the other women in my family with the same gifts has suffered because of their sight? It made me know that I would not be a footnote of mania in my family tree."

<< The Shaw Family's sight was a gift that came from Cassandra of Troy, a woman who was cursed for shirking Apollo's advances. She was given prolific seer powers, and cursed with having nobody believe them. Each member of The Shaw family possessed this kind of sight, and they would classify themselves as either a Raven, Dove or Sparrow. Kelly was a Sparrow. Her vision was focused squarely in the present. And that, just as in Alison's sight as a seer, brought it's own host of problems. Often times, The Shaw Family's "sight" drove them mad, case in point, her counterpart, Kelly King. >>

<< From the union of Ravena and Lachesis, the Allotter, the seed that would give way to THIS branch of the Hecate's family tree was born. Clearly Talisman had devoted herself to researching and studying the descendants from the Time Goddess' side-- which involved-- among other things-- the gift of SIGHT, and which gave way to other notable figures such as Cassandra of Troy.>>

<< As she watched and listened, Hecate finally decided to see if THIS wayward witch was any good at preparing Hemlock, a delightful concoction for witches and magick users only. She took the other glass, and sipped.>>

hmm...I'm glad to see your waywardness has not caused you to take COMPLETE leave of your senses and heritage.

"All of this knowledge I have, all of this formal training...these countless hours of study and practice and research and theory. In EVERY science, in EVERY form of magick...to simply accept my place as just another garden variety witch would be an insult to that. I am not like other witches, Hecate. I never have been. When I find myself near a network server...when I feel the boon, the ENERGY of wireless signals broadcasting across the universe, it fuels me. This energy, this biproduct of science that so many in the magickal community want to write off as forgetting the old ways...it's part of my purpose."

<< Hecate's purple eyes remained fixed on Talisman, but her countenance noticeably SOFTENED now. She continued to listen. Talisman was not just going out of her way to be antagonistic. It was clear she had some sort of...existential crisis-- that she'd been trying to mitigate for some time.>>

<< Waving her hand once more, a bunch of new information appeared on the screens around them in The Body Shoppe. This was some of Kelly's more personal work. Her study of magick through a scientific lens. Her work in mapping out locations of power in these new ambient forces she was describing. This was sacred ground for Kelly, and had Hecate not been The Goddess of Witchcraft, she would have never shown her. But she was returning Hecate's inquiry in kind. >>

"The world has moved on from the original conventions of magick. And we can either accept that and die as relics of the past, or we can seize CONTROL of these new ambient energies...before somebody else does. Because they will. Cosmic beings or not, Gods really only have power based on mortals belief in them. I don't say that to be inflammatory, but the world doesn't worship Olympus anymore. They don't even worship Jesus. They worship their phones. We are ready for new Gods, Hecate. People who are able to perceive and wield and understand all these new energies and forces in the world that...simply didn't exist before...not of stardust...or carbon, or oxygen, or calcium or IRON."

<< Hecate took another drink of Hemlock, and continued to watch, noting the detailed "map", surveying it with MORE than just her purple eyes>>

<< There was definitely some truth to what Talisman said. It certainly explained (in part) why OTHER Olympians, such as Zeus, Hades, and Hera (among others) had long vanished, and couldn't even bring themselves BACK to this or OTHER planes of existence on their own power. Meanwhile, Hecate, Athena, Persephone, Demeter, Artemis, Hestia, THEY all remained, NOT just "hanging on", they ALL flurished. Athena, Artemis and Demeter had the Amazons. Hestia was tied to the very cosmic fire/spark of LIFE/CREATION, which FIREBIRD was now tapping into, and Hecate was THE Source of magick/witchcraft since the dawn of what HUMANS perceive as "Creation". And Hecate's son, despite him being an AWFUL reminder of what Hades had done to Hecate, had played a KEY role in furthering Hecate's bloodline. Hecate was aware of other cosmic beings from OTHER pantheons (from various belief systems and cultures) that remained, but NOTHING was as it had been. Even Jesus, who had been PUSHED as a "suitable" replacement, had fallen out of favor with humanity>>

<< Magick and Witchcraft would NEVER simply just go away, it was as fundamental to the cosmos as Hestia's flame, the energy of the stars, and other cosmic phenomena, BUT it was clear that THIS particular witch in front of Hecate had dedicated herself to understanding the....SCIENCE inolved in magick. The idea of this did NOT sit well with Hecate, AT ALL...but even those insects on Earth....in that ANTHILL that called itself..."MYSTECH"...had tried to do something similar, and they'd come close to WIPING OUT humanity because of that.>>

<< As a matter of STRATEGY, AND on a personal level, it WOULD suit Hecate that one of HER daughters harness this...UNHOLY synergy of science and magick, rather than some STUPID foolish MORTAL MAN, or ANY man for that matter.>>

<< She took yet another sip of her hemlock, as she gestured with her hands as she spoke. >>

"You feel adverse to science, but science is simply magick we do not understand yet. So much of modern medicine and science was considered witchcraft, was considered heretical in the past. People were killed for simply trying to administer practical healing and knowledge to people. The needle will move forward with or without magick, until science is indiscernable from it. There are places and types of energy that are not composed of things we know. But of things we do not even know...have not been discovered yet...and I believe I am one of the heralds of this new era..of this new way of being.."

<< Hecate continued to stare at Talisman. It was RARE that the goddess of witchcraft allowed anyone on earth to "hold the floor" like this in her presence, but Talisman had wisely veered from trying to MATCH Hecate tit for tat, and instead offered something of substance and significance. Only a FOOL would NOT stop to listen, and view what was being shown, and The Goddess of Witchcraft was NO fool!>>

<< Sighing deeply. >>

"I respect who you are, Hecate. I've felt your energy in my body, therefore I cannot deny your existence or your power. But *I* am who I am because of the choices I have made and the knowledge I chose to pursue. I will not be taken to task by anybody who does not possess the kind of vision I do. I will not have my successes be in part due to some kind of biological predetermination I had no control over. Whatever happens to me next, Hecate - will be from my own hand. I truly believe I am meant to change the world as we know it. I don't possess a lack of faith, I simply choose to place that faith in myself. If that's not something that you can respect or understand - then I implore you...to take it from me. Take my magick."

Think VERY carefully what you ask of me, Kelly Shaw.

<< the first time Hecate actually addressed her by her NAME, rather than her code identity.>>

To be DIVORCED from the magick and witchcraft that is your birthright WILL cause SIGNIFICANT changes to you, on ALL levels. You will LOSE the magickal powers and attributes that you have enjoyed thus far. You will LOSE the ambient LINK that you had to your fellow witches, including HARBINGER, and your son, with HIS mystical accents.

<< Shaw might have balked at the idea of being LINKED to Alison and Cameron, but cross-time or not, they WERE her children in the grand scheme of the cosmos.>>

You will LOSE your innate immortality.

<< Hecate knew this woman probably all sorts of..."scientific" failsafes in place to augment herself. That much was made clear when she connected with the Malice, when the mentat first found her hiding on Sheena Island.>>

<< Kelly sat her flute of hemlock down on one of the control panels next to her as she continued to move forward, getting closer to Hecate, wondering if she was making sense to the woman. Talisman was not one to repeat herself or to show her cards like this, regardless of who was in front of her. If Hecate shirked this, she had no problem turning her back on her. It didn't affect what she thought to be her destiny. She was giving Hecate a chance at some kind of working future together. Because if there was one thing Talisman was very good at, it was creating the right alliances for herself. It was why she often came off as flippant or uncaring. She trusted herself to make the right inroads. >>

"You can either view me as one of your most prolific daughters. A woman who will help to move the universe's understanding of the ambient forces that control our reality. Or you can brand me as a heretic. It is truly of no consequence to me. Either way...I will persist. I will continue on my path. But I cannot have this bloodline define me. This kind of duty to you holding over my head. Because my path isn't tied to your others. My path is my own. Surely, as a woman...who has suffered at the hands of men and women who thought they were your better...you can understand this. YOU didn't have anyone to answer to Hecate. You were given the space to make your own path. You must understand my desire for the same thing."

<<Whether Talisman knew/understood this or not, in a way, she was once again ECHOING Ravena's path, in a way. HE had done MUCH to further and CEMENT Hecate's physical bloodline on earth (and elsewhere across the timestream, owing to his tenure as Sorcerer Supreme), ensuring that Hecate's name, legacy, and POWER would endure, while the Dark Trinity, now restored and WHOLE, would ensure the flow of celestial magick across the multiverse. Hecate's place was secure, BUT Talisman showed her how this...how these other untested ambient energies could be tied to MAGICK, before anyone ELSE got hold of them. How could Hecate NOT agree to this? And This woman, this wayward witch, who had the GIFT OF SIGHT just as Harbinger did, just as Cassandra of Troy, just as Lachesis the Allotter, stood before the Goddess of Witchcraft basically holding out her hands, ASKING the goddess to shape/CHANGE her destiny. It was RARE that humans, even mutants or metahumans, had THIS level of moxy, or the AWARENESS to make such a request>>

<< So plaintive, and clear was Talisman's plea, that Hecate could FORGIVE her for the open disdain she displayed for being her daughter, for being tied to the most glorious lineage of witchcraft.>>

<< FLASH!>>

<< We see Talisman standing before Hecate. With Hecate at the 12 o'clock position, and Talisman at the 6 o'clock position>>

<< A rushing sound is heard. A RAPID SWING AROUND VIEW of the two women so that their positions are now reversed>>

<< The moment Talisman LONGED for was finally at hand. Would Hecate, The Goddess of Witchcraft, acquiesce to her request!?>>

 

[Talisman]

The Body Shoppe

Hecate: "It would have been, had you not stolen from Margali Szardos, harassed and vexed Shadow Weaver, or ambushed and injured Spellbinder. The choices you made, were the WRONG ones. Interfering with the natural flow and order of things, perverting them with your misguided machinations."

"Oh so you've fully just embraced being a liar, then? Don't pretend you would have ever protected me. You wouldn't have. You've been disgusted by who I am since I was born. I haven't interfered with the natural order of anything. If we are to believe in NATURE, then we would believe that the STRONG survive. Your heralds were WEAK, and I proved it so. What were my machinations? To survive? To continue my work? Seriously stop this. You sound like a petulant child. I came here and I did what I needed to do. The fact that it hurt those who you actually love is of no consequence to me. Teach them to be stronger, Hecate. If THEY were the natural order than I should have NEVER been able to do what I did to them."

Hecate: "Was my son as INSECURE as you? No. He was something much worse."

"The way you ROMANTICIZE him I wouldn't know. But go on."

Hecate: He'd already fullfilled his mandate as Sorcerer Supreme, and snatched a piece of his Father's legacy as Lord of the Undead. The fact that you, or that metallic nuisance, Black Widow, think that I need to account for his actions, or choices, is ridiculous. I answer to NO human for my son's actions."

"Okay, so if I am to understand...despite him being one of the most incredulous disgusting creatures to ever walk the earth, because he came from you, we should forget what he did and who he was. You aren't even making sense, Hecate. And it is exhausting watching you run mental circles in order to justify what an abomination he was. Like he served some kind of purpose we couldn't understand. He was CREATED by Hades, to show you what kind of control he had over you. And you let him be. You can say whatever you want about that, but the rest of us here on Earth...we KNOW what that says about you, despite your need or want to answer for it. It means you only care for your special girls, not your descendants as a whole. There are plenty of your patrons that aren't the Queen of Limbo, or the Keeper of Time. How have you protected THEM?! How have you intervened? Oh wait. I know...you HAVEN'T..."

Hecate: "How interesting that you have all this..."energy" over him, but no sense of remorse for the HARM YOU HAVE DONE to your fellow witches. My son was a monster, just like his father. And so are YOU."

"Oh now you've lost me. I lived with Ravena everyday, watching him manipulate and consume a woman who was, by all accounts a lot smarter than him. I watched her give the keys to the kingdom to him, and when he crossed the line, I SNUFFED him out. The HARM I have done to my fellow witches?! I shot Spellbinder with the black lotus bullet, I only removed her POWER. FORCED her to live as a woman. And before her COMA, it seemed like she was actually changing. I taunted Karen with Jasmine. That's about it. The level of which others have taunted and vexed and destroyed the lives and inner worlds of your precious GIRLS is incalculable. It's not even on the same level. In fact, to even compare me to Ravena let's me know that you are no woman I could ever respect. Because what I did was stand UP for women like me. But please, continue to elevate and make excuses for a sexual predator. Seems par for the course for the Greeks. Even Zeus would think you're an asshole for that comparison, Hecate...but GO ON."

Hecate: "I don't need any kind of history lesson about Hades, from you, Interloper. I KNEW him. I was one of his victims. Ravena was the product of the most egregious and VILE assault on my person..."

"And yet you sit there and compare him to another woman who has done NOTHING of the sort...on ANY conceivable level as him. To compare him to one of your daughters as if I could ever reach the levels of depravity as him. He is the lord of the undead, he is a sexual predator, and you cast me in the same light as him for being...."mean" and "uncaring" to your precious Spellbinder and Shadow Weaver?! In what WORLD does that make sense?"

Hecate: "When I could no longer bare his dark presence, his growing lust and appetite for violence, I cast him OUT of the halls of Mt. Olympus, SENT him to his father, Hades, and the rest, as you one dimensional mortals say..is HISTORY."

"I would say that us one dimensional mortals would take the short hands as "As soon as he became a problem for me I cast him out and then didn't care what he did for the rest of eternity as long as it didn't effect me directly." So yes...HISTORY..."

Hecate: "I will NOT be judged by the likes of YOU over that. Hades and Ravena are responsible for their actions, and they have paid the price. Just as CIRCE paid the price for her treachery."

"Both Hades and Ravena paid the price NOT at your hand, Hecate. But at the hands of people who saw them as the threats to HUMANITY that they were. To people who did what you refused to."

Hecate: "You DROWNED your own daughter in the ocean in your native timeline, and you used magick to remove all traces of emotion and empathy, preventing you from forming ANY meaningful relationships with ANYONE, let alone your fellow witches. You are a DISGRACE to witches the world over."

"Well that's just categorically untrue. I did make relationships. I took sides and made allies. And I killed my daughter before she had the chance to becoming ANYTHING like your son. YOU are a disgrace. Because you cannot see past your own nose. You only see those who wish to worship at the cult of Hecate. Anyone who questions that, who begs the question as to why, you destroy. That is no god. That is no hero. That is NOBODY worth mentioning."

Hecate: "I KNEW Persephone before you were even a THOUGHT in your mother's brain. I saw what she endured, the abuse and the damage Hades caused her, how it changed her, and lead her to make the choice she made which ultimately destroyed the original Trinity. But the Trinity is now RESTORED."

"My god, you are ignorant. Maybe you didn't spend a lot of time with Persephone? But I did. That woman craved power above ALL else. She wasn't MANIPULATED by Hades. When she ended her mother's life? She WANTED to. When she destroyed the trinity? She WANTED to. She didn't give a shit about your part in it. Or how you felt. She wanted power. She told me as much herself. Hades was more obsessed with her than he ever was you. You were his consolation prize. The one he could GET. So I don't give a shit about what your friendship is like. Your bond is a LIE that she entertains because she doesn't wish to go to war with you. And that's a fact. I learned a lot about her in Hellfire..."

Hecate: "Do you REALLY think YOU have a bond with her that REMOTELY compares to what WE have been through?"

"Well...I have bond enough to know that she would have gladly eviserated every single trace of Ravena from the multiverse and you don't seem to know that...so you tell me."

Hecate: "Were it NOT for the circumstance of that SIDE SHOW you are all so obsessed with, She would wipe YOU out just as soon as she would look at you. Do you think she'd hesitate for one moment, to destroy you if it was a choice between you and Haleigh Davidoff?"

"No, I don't. But the real question here...is do YOU?"

Hecate: "Or Spellbinder, or any other person she's formed a meaningful connection to in this time? You only encountered her because she FOLLOWED Haleigh into Hellfire."

"And in Hellfire, I treated her sister like a human being and not some experiment to be overlooked or underappreciated. I made no moves against Ava. I did what I always do - I cultivated a relationship with them. I cultivated a way out to them. All of this just feels like the desperate cries of a woman who knows she is just dead wrong and doesn't want to admit it. I knew what I was doing in Hellfire and so did they, and I can garauntee if given the choice between ending MY life there? or YOURS? You'd be dead as a doornail, despite your belief that you can't be destroyed."

Hecate: "She played a game, and unlike YOU? She has people to GO BACK TO, Harbinger being one of them! NO ONE would miss YOU if you died right now!"

"Again..just categorically wrong. There is a reason Diana didn't survive and I did. You just don't want to see that because you're having a temper tantrum of epic porportions, trying every which way you can to discredit any action i've made because it goes against what you want me to act like or be. It's pathetic really.."

Hecate: "During Mt. Olympus' original glory, you would be nothing more than an IMP in the halls of Olympus, to be used, and HUMILIATED by any of the gods/goddesses as they saw fit."

"Good thing we aren't in your glory days and haven't been for over five thousand years."

Hecate: "As for Ravena, after his most RECENT death, he has been FREED from the darkness and CORRUPTIVE influence of his now slain father, he has been able to move on in the cosmic pantheon, until such time he decides to return to the mortal coil."

"Right. Got it. It wasn't his fault. It was his father's fault. And after everything you've witnessed him do you think i'm on a similar path and deserve less mercy. I've never known a female goddess to defend so many MEN in so many ways. Especially for one so burned by them."

Hecate: "As with so many OTHERS from Mt. Olympus, or the Underworld, Ravena's destructive ways preceded his fall, but NOT before his place in history was cemented, and NOT before he FURTHERED my house and ensured my bloodline, as he was meant to."

"That's abjectly insane to say. I don't even know what to say to that. He was a literal monster who brutalized, murdered and tortured countless people but because he increased my reputation, he will always have a seat at my table? And I'm the monster going down the same path... insanity. I can't believe I am hearing this. Truly."

<< She tried to speak of the reason for things, but after everything she just said. Comparing her to Ravena, refusing to give her ANY kind of credit for how she had survived in this timeline against all odds because she had DEIGNED to even LIGHTLY tempt and torment Spellbinder and Shadow Weaver was just egregious. It was insanity, and Talisman never felt clearer." >>

Hecate: Harbinger has ALWAYS been favored, and she REMAINS the crown jewel of her family. She was called into existence, and prophesized to be part of the "key to the ultimate solution" when I cast the curse of the Red Moon. Her mother, on the other hand-- YOUR cross time alternate-- was massively incompetent, a danger to her own children, as well as to the Sorceress Supreme. She was dealt with as she deserved, BY her children. I'm sure you've seen/FELT that moment, more than once, so I won't FORCE you to experience that again."

"Kelly King was a woman warped and manipulated by Malice to a degree that is so deep and so dark I don't have the words to express it. And in true Hecate fashion, you looked at this woman, in all of her power, and because she was not one of your special children, you used her as a trophy to prop up the women you actually respected. Perhaps if she was a sadistic and disgusting man, you might have softened on her. So please, let's not relive this because it's clear she was never going to be saved or helped by the likes of you, her "foremother"..."

<< They were not even at a standstill. Hecate had legitimately discredited and degraded everything that she was and what she stood for. It didn't seem like a choice at this point. If she thought so little of her it made no sense to keep their ties to each other. Hecate was myopic and it was sad, but it was true. >>

Hecate: "Think VERY carefully what you ask of me, Kelly Shaw. To be DIVORCED from the magick and witchcraft that is your birthright WILL cause SIGNIFICANT changes to you, on ALL levels. You will LOSE the magickal powers and attributes that you have enjoyed thus far. You will LOSE the ambient LINK that you had to your fellow witches, including HARBINGER, and your son, with HIS mystical accents.You will LOSE your innate immortality."

"It is now an easy choice for me. I have always wanted an audience with you. All you have shown me is that you are impestuous and short sighted as I thought. You are not the end all be all of magick. You cannot CLAIM the cosmic force of ALL magick through all of time. There are SO many so much older and wiser than YOU, many who do not wish the face of magick be represented by some young Greek who wishes to present as a beautiful WHITE WOMAN. All of you gods, all of you cosmic forces think you are the end all be all, but you simply aren't. There are countless pantheons, countless agents of energy who have FAR greater power and purpose than you. I have forgotten that. You are a mini boss in the scope of the cosmos, and the way that you have disrespected me today..it won't be forgotten. Just take it, Hecate. Take your magick from me and LEAVE ME ALONE!"

 

[Shadow Weaver]

Minerva's Aerie- Sunroom

"Hear hear, bitch!"

<< Rae was refreshing to Karen, on many levels. Not only was this woman TRULY one of Karen's PEERS, but she just had a way of lightening up almost ANY moment. Everyone knew Karen for the serious, elegant, stern, (and at times) vengeful MATRIARCH and witch that she was, and the only OTHER person who got to see OTHER sides of her as a WOMAN was Michael, and her colleague, and long time friend, Rae Reynolds>>

"Now wait a minute. I'm still like...thirty five in my head...but you're right, I haven't been an opening act for a hell of a long time. To headliners."

<< It wasn't clear if Rae was also immortal, or not, but like Karen, the woman had seen AND survived things that would make others faint...or worse. She'd walked on "the other side", and lived to tell about it. That was no small feat for someone who MODESTLY labeled herself as a "Medium.">>

<< Karen lifted her glass once more to affirm Rae's AMMENDMENT to her toast.>>

I am the MOTHER of The Sorceress Supreme. To HEADLINERS.

<< As she gulped down the whiskey, she shut her sapphire blue eyes tightly for a moment.>>

THIS is your "go to?!"

<< she asked in disbelief as she endured the after taste. But then she could "see" her Grammie, Verna, in her mind's eye. Verna would enjoy a stiff drink too, at her smoky, mysterious speakeasies. She also thought of Hazel, Grammie's dear friend, a sister witch, and Karen's "auntie". >>

<< She sighed for a moment as the Whiskey went down smooth after the first few seconds>>

:: Taking a drink, she watched Karen struggle a bit and she laughed loudly. ::


:: Wiping away a tear of joy and laughter from her eye she took yet another drink. ::

"Oh man, I forgot you missed a lot of my cocaine phase. But yeah, now it's just whiskey. And weed. But mostly whiskey. Just lean into it. You could do with a few new chest hairs. Sure as hell beats the MUSTACHE that comes with menopause."

:: They were silent for a few moments. ::

<< There was that unabashed, REFRESHING candor that Rae was known for. Karen herself had never partaken any psychotropic drugs. Her GRAMMIE would never have allowed it, and as a doctor, seeing what they could do to the weak and feeble minded, she found it abhorrent. She'd lost TOO many patients to overdoses, and lethal mixing of drugs. Karen hadn't been present for Rae's cocaine phase, but she didn't judge the woman over where she'd been, or what she'd done. She was glad that Rae had SURVIVED that phase, more than anything.>>

<< As Rae mentioned menopause, Karen looked a bit bemused. THANKFULLY, her own innate immortality had COUNTERACTED many of the "classic" (and sometimes horrifying) symptoms associated with menopause. She was a woman of a certain age now, although she didn't look it at all...AND she'd been quite honest with Michael about how she was no longer of child bearing age, and he was OKAY with that. Of course, at THAT time, he still had NICOLAS as a surrogate son...>>

:: They were silent for a few moments. ::

Karen: "Here we are...in this beautiful place, inaccessible to most, protected by some of the strongest magicks and otherworldly technology. My daughters are both alive and safe, my fiance is here with me..safe.."

"But...?"

Karen: "But how long until the next monster comes? How long until the next one of those CHILDREN makes a STUPID choice that places ALL of our lives in mortal danger?"

:: Rae didn't immediately act, because she got the feeling. People were for the most part, very stupid, herself included. And the kids that Karen's daughters had built lives with had the power to make some very stupid choices. For months, Rae had found herself checking in on Cameron King. Seeing him in The Further, on The Other Side, watching how he destroyed Malice, and feeling the euphoria he felt from that event had given him great pause. Knowing how The Six's choices had affected people she deeply loved, like Danny, she could see how it was easy for Karen to let herself get lost in feelings like this. ::

"I give 'em about twelves hours. But who knows they might surprise us..."

<< The doctor exhaled with a laugh at that last part. These CHILDREN (The Six) had made her weary, MORE THAN ONCE over the passing years, and it was a RELIEF to share SOME of that with someone OTHER than Michael, who ALSO knew how they could be. Rae tended to focus more on Cameron, where as Karen focused on her daughters (including Alison and Delilah), while Michael had always focused on Rampage, and also Firebird.>>

<< As the refreshing ocean breeze continued to flow through the sun room, Karen leaned back in her seat, settling in a bit. Truth be told, if Rae HADN'T arrived when she did, Karen might have already disappeared, traveling back to New York as only she could. >>

<<FLASH!>>

<< BUT unbeknownst to BOTH women, they were being WATCHED, by the mistress of Minerva's Aerie, HARBINGER, and SHE had subtley "urged" Rae along to get to the sunroom just a FEW seconds before Karen followed her first impulse. NOW the medium was engaging the witch in MUCH needed conversation, keeping her OCCUPIED, which suited Alison's immediate need as she was ALREADY changing the course of things on THIS end to effect the outcome of certain things in NYC, in the name of PROTECTING Karen from what was to come

:: Rae refilled Karen's now empty glass and took a beat before she responded. ::

Karen: "I HAVE to go see Morgan, I have to see her with my own eyes, and I want Blaze to come back to Minerva's Aerie with me, so that SHE can have a much needed break from everything."

:: She didn't say anything at first. ::

"If you want to see Morgan, then go see Morgan. She's your daughter for christ's sake. And I'm sure she wants to see you. But all this isolation you got planned isn't good for anyone. And you know it."

<< Karen received her next refill, and slowly brought it to her lips as Rae spoke direct and to the point>>

<< gulping down the whiskey, it was much smoother this time. her mystical constitution would SLOW DOWN the "intoxication" effect, but more importantly, her indulging Rae in sharing some WHISKEY, rather than continue to drink her preferred hemlock, was a sign that the doctor WAS flexible.>>

<< She sighed as she closed her eyes for a moment, and let the ocean breeze flow over her and through her blonde hair>>

I can't HELP it, Rae. History shows that EVERY time I Iet one, or BOTH of my daughters go too far, something TERRIBLE happens.

<< And of course this anxiety, that often veered into HYPER VIGILANCE, on Karen's part, went all the way back to the dark days of being married to Christopher Victory. Back THEN, when she was younger, and pregnant with Morgan, she had the protection of her Grammie, Verna, a powerful super-witch. Verna stayed with them until Morgan was 6 years old, and that was when Verna died...under mysterious circumstances. It wasn't something CHRISTOPHER OR Mystech could take credit for....it was more likely Barbas' REVENGE over his defeat at Verna's hands decades earlier.>>

"Blaze has gotta learn to deal with her life and her actions in the real world, and so does your daughter. This island..it has been healing. And I'm grateful that Alison let an old punk bitch like myself stay here. But this can't be my forever. It can't be hers. It can't be yours. Because this place isn't reality. It's not the real world. It's a vacation destination. And like it or not...vacation has gotta END at some point."

<< This made Karen jolt a bit. Not even MICHAEL had said anything like this to Karen during the past six months. He had been gripped by grief and loss, and had JOINED Alison and Karen in the cocoon response.>>

<< she paused for a moment, as she looked out at the much darker skyline. the sun was almost gone from the horizon now>>

Alison has become distant from her former teammates since she became Harbinger, and inherited this island and this estate from its predecessor, Barbara Minerva.

It was understood that she had a duty to fulfill as a precog, and the Keeper of Time, as well as Guardian of "the secrets of the world"...this is her seat of power now.

We'd ALL assumed that she was WILLING to accept the role and mantle, and we ACCEPTED her presentation on the terms she offered it to us. Cameron has tried to...pierce that barrier...more than once, and has been met with...."MIXED RESULTS", to put it mildly. When I first found Alison, all she was barely an adult, and she was in much distress.

In some ways, I've known her longer/BETTER than he does, even though he's her brother. I don't take PLEASURE in that. But it DOES afford me a level of perception and understanding of her that some of her peers don't seem to have.

Alison has taken Nicolas' death VERY hard. SHE was the one who called for his execution in the beginning of the ORIGINAL Set Caper, only to wind up being the one who, LOCKED THE DOOR on him after Isis (Dominique) and Nicolas himself FORCED Set out of this dimension. She came to realize she was too hasty in her judgement then, and she came to form a bond with Nicolas that ran deep. She blames herself for not doing more to save him Set THIS time round.

<< She looks up, trying to hold back tears>>

She's not the ONLY one who feels that way.

<< She turns to Rae>>

And you see...HE was about to be my son-in-law, he was ANOTHER one of the "children"...and now he's GONE.

<< She blinked several times, and managed to keep more than a few tears from falling from her sapphire blue eyes>>

<< sighing as she conjures a hankerchief and dabs her eyes, she composes herself a bit. She KNOWS Rae is right>>

All three of us...we've been hiding away from the WORLD here, just as Blaze and Morgan have been hidden away at Morgan's Sanctum Sanctorum.

I COULDN'T remove Morgan from the Sanctum Sanctorum because it was helping to keep her ALIVE. But now she's conscious, restored, repowered, and here I am...wanting to put BLAZE under lock and key...

<< She realized she wouldn't be helping Blaze by doing THAT.>>

Rae, I'm semi retired, my life, as it was, in New York, or Connecticut before that, is over. Michael and I have been talking...ever since we evacuated here back when Black Widow and Persephone went over to the Hellfire Club. WE belong here, with Alison, and it's easy enough for us to get back to the states, literally in the blink of an eye, OR if Alison has to leave, we then take over in her absence. We are very willing, and capable of supporting The Six in a reserve capacity, as needed.

<< She'd been DEEPLY offended when she was asked to evacuate from The Parthenon to Minerva's Aerie, when the threat of Black Widow, Malice and the Hellfire Club was looming large, and several of their allies were being attacked, maimed, or nearly killed, BUT Michael, Blaze, Morgan, AND Alison convinced her of the wisdom in doing so. To this day, she STILL believes she would've been RIGHT to bind Haleigh in mystic chains, scramble her powers, and turn her into an inanimate object to stop her from going to Malice. But what's done is done, and only ALISON could truly know how things would have gone HAD Shadow Weaver done that>>

<< FLASH!>>

<< Rae was already sewing the seeds that Alison needed, and Karen was being quite agreeable. that would make what Alison was about to do very soon go over MUCH easier with the doctor.>>

But I agree with you. I CAN'T keep Blaze, OR Morgan hidden away. As much as the MOTHER in me wants to do just that...the rational side of me knows you're right.

"More than that...if you keep putting your daughters ahead of you, it's gonna hurt you...and it's gonna hurt Mike. I know you blame yourself for a lot of shit. For falling in love with Chris...for letting him put his hands on you...for bringing a daughter into all that..but at some point you gotta trust that she learned from you what not to do...and you gotta realize that whether it's somebody in The Six or not...somebody is gonna hurt your daughter again. Make her cry. Make THEIR problems her own...Take it from somebody who spent a good chunk of their own life punishing her daddy for what he did to her, and making it everyone else's problem..."

<<FLASH!>>

<< horizontal SPLIT SCREEN VIEW.>>

<< Karen's sapphire blue eyes in the top panel. Rae's dark soulful eyes on the bottom panel.>>

<< Karen stared at Rae for a few moments, before extending her hand, with the glass in it, for a refill>>

You don't know how much ineeded to hear that.

I didn't know how much I needed to hear that!

<< It was HARD for Karen to truly LET GO, where her daughters, her FAMILY was concerned, and Rae knew many of the reasons why, but the medium's words were ringing true!>>

"My daddy beat the shit out of me. My mom was silent. I couldn't get out of that god foresaken place fast enough. But it was that same kind of conflict...all that bad terrible shit that made me who I am. Don't get me wrong...I know that it doesn't have to be that way...it SHOULDN'T have to be that way...that we have to get hurt to learn...but more often than not? That's the damn truth. Nobody learns much about themselves sipping hemlock on a beautiful island away from all their problems.."

<< Karen looked at her old friend with sympathy. Rae had been through several circles of HELL herself. Her experiences with men had not been THAT different from Karen's , and even though their paths FROM those traumas had taken them to vastly different places, they always seemed to find their way BACK to each other when they needed one another the most.>>

<< This pattern was QUITE similar to the one shared by Morgan and Alison, and ultimately, Hecate and Persephone>>

<< Karen couldn't retort Rae's point. She was not unreasonable. Things WERE going to have to change, for ALL their sakes, but Karen and Michael's role in the Six was now even MORE altered with the passing of Nicolas. Karen would ALWAYS occupy a space among the most powerful and elite magick users on the planet, which meant she could (and WOULD) support Morgan, Alison, or OTHER witches in need. But she couldn't always effectively do that by HIDING OUT HERE. That's what Rae wanted her to know, and that's what she already knew, deep in her heart>>

"Ya'll are creatures of great power...but you're ALSO human women. And human gotta live in the real world, Kare. You know that. You gotta let those girls live their live's in the real world...however actually painful that might be for them...and...you have to know when it's time to focus on YOU..."

<< Karen shut her eyes tightly, once again trying to hold back tears. secretly, she was AFRAID that if she took her eyes, her FOCUS off of her daughters, she might LOSE them, PERMANENTLY. SOMETHING might happen that (somehow) not even Ororo or HECATE could fix/save them from. But again, this stream of thought was more her ANXIETY and HYPER VIGILANCE "talking" in her head even as Rae was talking to her physically. This moment was proof that EVEN doctors had their struggles with mental health. >>

"Your girls are strong. They're always gonna need their mama, but mama has got to live too. You can't help anybody if you don't help yourself first. I hate seeing you like this. I really do. You got a family dynamic I WISH I could have. It feels like my own son learned to walk just so that he walk AWAY from me...you're WAY ahead of the game here in terms of most family dynamics. But I'm begging you Karen..you can't protect them from the inevitable. And at some point you gotta start caring about yourself again..."

<< Karen opened her sapphire blue eyes, and SHUDDERED, as she reached across, and took Rae's hand into her own soft, finely manicured hand in a gesture of sympathy and support. Rae had been traumatized, loved, lost, survived. she was a kindred spirit. >>

You wouldnt have the perspective you have were it not for the things you've been through. You needed this time here too, along with the rest if us.

It's not OFTEN that I find myself in need of COUNSELING, but here I am, receiving it from a fellow woman, a kindred spirit
that I TRUST and RESPECT

<< Squeezing Rae's hand >>

I KNOW you're right.

I just....I said this to Michael just earlier today, even as Morgan is now conscious...all I want to do is PROTECT THEM, but i CAN'T. I can't protect them from EVERYTHING, I can't protect them from LIFE.

<< she exhales as she tries to keep herself from letting go of more emotion>>

But I HAVE to think of myself, AND Michael too. He's hurting, BADLY, and he needs me. I've got to focus on myself, AND him.

<< Sitting up a bit as she centers and composes herself>>

Life IS for the living, and I can't hide forever. None of us can. I cant hide my daughters from life either.

I suppose I should prepare to fly now. It's still early in the day on the other side of the world, and I want to check on my daughters before...

 

[Harbinger]

Minvera's Aerie- Sunroom

:: Floating colbalt blue eyes, largely hidden behind the leaves of a plant in a corner of the sun room, continued to watch the Shadow Weaver and Jezebel::

:: The discussion was personal, and she knew Karen would be mortified if she knew one of the "children" was eavesdropping.::

:: But Alison had a reason for being here::

:: A few times, Alison was mentioned, and it did warm her marble hard heart to hear Karen speak fondly of her as she did. ::

:: Morgan was (going to be) okay. Alison felt that moment too, but of course her mother wanted to see her as she was NOW. Unfortunately Alison COULDN'T let Karen go to NYC, not this time.::

:: The two women conversed, from the heart, and Alison knew Karen needed this moment with Rae, so she waited until the last possible moment::

I KNOW you're right.

I just....I said this to Michael just earlier today, even as Morgan is now conscious...all I want to do is PROTECT THEM, but i CAN'T. I can't protect them from EVERYTHING, I can't protect them from LIFE.

<< she exhales as she tries to keep herself from letting go of more emotion>>

But I HAVE to think of myself, AND Michael too. He's hurting, BADLY, and he needs me. I've got to focus on myself, AND him.

<< Sitting up a bit as she centers and composes herself>>

Life IS for the living, and I can't hide forever. None of us can.

I suppose I should prepare to fly now. It's still early in the day on the other side of the world, and I want to check on my daughters before...

::BLINK!::

:: Alison suddenly appears, standing right behind Karen, and placing a hand on Karen's shoulder::

No, Karen, you can't go to New York. Not THIS time.

:: Both women looked at the precog, and Alison knew they would want to know WHY.::

:: She was prepared to explain, and she knew Karen would more receptive NOW than she would've been even 30 minutes earlier.::

 

[Tycoon]

Manhattan, NY — Central Park

They discussed their options after lunch, and Gavin said yes to everything Delilah suggested, because it meant spending more time with her. He didn’t mind admitting that he enjoyed doing so, either. He was delighted that she replied she enjoyed it too, and relieved to hear it wasn’t Cameron she wanted to be alone with. That was good, because Cameron King was a well known womanizer and Gavin wasn’t so sure his marriage to Haleigh would be a hurdle to that.

In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if those two had agreed upon an open marriage, because just as much as Cameron ‘the most eligible bachelor of Manhattan’ would likely want to keep tomcatting around, Haleigh had her own man-eating reputation to uphold. So there was a part of Gavin, deep down, that worried about leaving Delilah alone with a telepathic player of epic proportions. Especially since Gavin and Delilah hadn’t yet agreed to be exclusive with each other. That was another issue Gavin wanted to address, but he didn’t know how to do it without sounding like a jealous possessive asshole.

Instead of saying anything, he took her hand and gladly agreed to go for a walk. They went up the west side, past Sheep Meadow, where there were people scattered about the lawn, picnicking or lazing about in the sun. Gavin puckishly asked Delilah if she’d like to make the meadow her next landing site, since he was determined to make a skydiver out of her after her courageous first jump with him. They continued on North past the Lilac Grove, and through the Azalea walk. As they neared the turn towards the castle, though, Gavin pulled her into a detour. He grinned and boasted a bit as they strolled through the beauty of Shakespeare Garden, noting that it was an American tribute to a peerless Englishman. He stopped in front of particularly pretty array of flowers.

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate; and I’m sorry but I don’t remember the rest, only that I brought it up to say you’ll always outshine and outlast the summer in my eyes, which I think is the gist of the sonnet at any rate.”

He said, reaching to snatch a flower to give to her, and hoping it was one she liked. He smiled at her until he heard a security guard yelling that he wasn’t allowed to pick the flowers.

“Oh shite, let’s make a run for it!”

He exclaimed, and they took off out of the garden. The guard gave chase but only for a little while. Gavin felt the thrill of escaping some minute amount of danger, or maybe it was just the thrill of having fun with her. He laughed as they slowed up, the sight of Belvedere castle up ahead. There was an ice cream cart along the way.

“My treat, since you bought lunch.”

He insisted before she could even reach for money.

 

[Black Widow]

Manhattan, NY — The Sanctum Sanctorum

Now that she wasn’t deep in debate with Morgan and Blaze, Haleigh mentally checked her pending messages from her husband. She smiled at the thought of him, though it was diminished just a bit when she found that he was having a rough day.

To Cameron>> Which ex-girlfriend is this? I’ll BURY her for you babe.

She thought, and ‘sent’ to him. She’d take a little extra satisfaction if it was Sharon or Alycia, but she didn’t say that just yet. Instead she addressed the subject of her sister.

To Cameron>> As for Ava, let me talk to her, she’ll come around.

She sent, understanding that Ava was still upset over losing Alek and probably wouldn’t be okay again until they recovered him. Haleigh needed to renew her commitment to help in that task. Cameron mentioned that he was going to meet with Delilah and ‘tell’ her. Haleigh wasn’t sure why he felt like it was a big deal. To her, their marriage was for THEM, and she didn’t think anybody else would really care. She’d only told Ava because it would impact Hellfire in some small way. Then she’d sent the documents to her attorney and accountant, because they had business matters to sort out. But everybody else pretty much loathed her and Cameron, or were at best indifferent to them at this point, so why would their marriage matter to anyone but them?

Haleigh led the way down to the Library with Blaze hot on her heels. She told Brenthon that Morgan wasn’t in the mood for entertaining, and that she’d take care of him instead. If he didn’t mind, which he said he didn’t, and she smirked in response. He redirected towards Blaze, to attempt to include her. Then he asked if maybe Morgan had gotten enough rest. Haleigh shrugged at that. For all her physical rest, Morgan had been struggling with mental strife for months. Grief, for sure, but Haleigh suspected there was also a great deal of guilt.

The first time Set had been a problem, Morgan had been on the Kill-Nic team, and Haleigh had been on the Save-Nic team. That had been a mess, but ultimately Morgan and Nic grew closer after all was said and done. This time around, Morgan hadn’t wanted to kill Nic, and neither had Haleigh, but they both knew it might have to be done, and Morgan had tasked Haleigh with the job. Haleigh had done her duty, and she could scrounge up enough logic to live with it. Morgan, on the other hand, had not truly been prepared to accept the final outcome, and now she couldn’t square with it, even knowing Nic ended up someplace nice, free from Set’s destructive influence. Haleigh suspected part of Morgan’s struggle involved being one of the architects of Nic’s demise, something that could only be rectified if she brought him back.

Whatever it was, Haleigh wasn’t so comfortable with Beto that she’d tell him all that. She didn’t answer his question, just let him go on. She smirked wickedly when he mentioned a bacchanal of impropriety, because right at that moment she got a picture from Cameron that stoked more than a few lustful thoughts, and impropriety had never sounded so good to her. She bit her bottom lip, trying to be present for the conversation she was in, trying to resist the urge to get into a sexting competition with her husband. Beto went on to say he was looking forward to seeing her island, but that he wanted it to be clear he wasn’t to be ‘looked after’ like a ‘collared dog’.

”What? No, no. I apologize if I gave you that impression. What I meant by ‘take care of you’ was not to bring you to heel at all. You’ve declared yourself for Spellbinder. You’re our ally, new to us and the modern world. Of course you’re free to come and go as you please, I just want to ensure all of your needs are met.”

Haleigh said, nodding as Beto said he craved some open air. Haleigh glanced at Blaze, and her look said ‘try diplomacy’. She turned back to Beto with a smile.

“Well my friend, as a cross-time White Rook, you’re the esteemed guest of Hellfire America, and I think you’ll appreciate the new grounds. There’s plenty of open air on the island to be enjoyed, and we are pleased to extend the resources to whet whatever appetite for impropriety you may have.”

She offered, as she moved in closer to him.

“But first, a small token of appreciation for you, for dropping everything to come to our aid when you overheard Blaze’s call for help.”

She said, as a small device appeared in the palm of her hand. It was a smart phone, but where the typical branding was seen, instead of an apple or android, there was the symbol of the Evil Eye. As the device powered up, there was an animation of the shuffling of tarot cards. She held it up for him.

“With this gadget you can reach anyone by simply dialing their number, and you can gain access to ALL the knowledge of the modern world.”

She said, and then she pressed a button to demonstrate.

”Hey Shadow, what’s the price of vanilla?”

She asked, and a digitized voice that sounded much like her own emanated from the phone, pleasantly listing off the current market rate for vanilla, by the kilogram and by the pound. Haleigh smiled.

”Hey Shadow, show me a skateboarding bulldog.”

She said, and she turned the phone to face him as a video was presented. It was frivolous but cute, and when the short video ended she handed the phone over to him.

“When you’re alone you should ask her to show you pornhub.”

 

[Persephone]

Central Park

FLASH

"Daddy?"

Stavros turned his head just enough to acknowledge his daughter, but remained facing forward as he sat on a stone bench next to their estate's lake - ducks quacking and surrounding the embankment where Stavros sat.

Stavros: "It is cold my love, go back inside to your mother."

Stavros deep voice was low as he remained looking forward at the lake. Ava moved around the back of the bench to sit next to her father. He had a bag full of oatmeal in his lap, an indication he had been feeding the ducks. Stavros knew his daughter was as stubborn as him, so her ignoring his request to go inside didn't surprise him. Instead, he gave her a gentle smile, placing the bag of oats in Ava's lap so he could take his jacket off and wrap it around her.

Stavros: "So, what burdens my beautiful daughter this cold evening?"

Ava sighed, tossing a few handfuls of oatmeal to the ducks.

"Nothing."

Stavros: "Ava..."

"I'm just...I'm...I'm worried about school, that's all. My finals are next week and I don't feel prepared."

That was a lie, and Stavros knew as much. He dug his hand into the oats and tossed it to the ducks.

Stavros: "Finals?"

Ava nodded, not looking at her father, rather keeping her focus on the hungry ducks. Stavros leveled his stare to her, choosing his words wisely, as he always did.

Stavros: "Do you know why I come here to feed the ducks, Ava?"

That caused Ava to finally look over at her father, her brows furrowed inquisitively. It was a rather strange habit that Stavros did right before he left on business. And something that not many people would expect Stavros Cassadine to do.

Stavros: "It clears my mind. It allows me to refocus and remind myself of who the Cassadines are and how we became."

Stavros turned his body to face Ava, gesturing to the ducks.

"These ducks are capable of foraging their own food - they're capable of surviving without my assistance. Yet they still come. They gather and wait for a handout that is so easily given to them by me. THAT is what power is, darling. We come from the Gods of old, and while history paints them out to be all mighty, the truth is, they were simply feeding the ducks. They held their power by giving just enough so the people kept worshiping them for more. In today's world, in OUR world, we still hold that power. And sometimes, like you, I tend to forget who I am and what i'm capable of. So I come here [throwing a hand full of oats] and I remind myself that the world is MINE for the taking. OURS. We are the Gods now, Ava."

Stavros gripped Ava's hand that was filled with oats.

"Don't you ever forget the power that you hold."

FLASH

A bag sat on the bench next to Persephone as she stared forward at the ducks eating the scattering of oats in the grass. Her mind was everywhere in that moment: from Cameron's words, to Hecate's revelation, to Alek still missing. Her eyes shut at the thought of Alek. If she was so god damn powerful, why hadn't she found him yet? Why was he still missing in the vastness that was the Underworld. Why was that despicable piece of shit Ravena ALIVE while the man that quite literally saved her remained dead and missing in HER domaine. It wasn't fair. NONE of this was fair. She was the fucking Queen of the Underworld yet somehow Hades was able to one up her before his death and hide Alek's soul so well that it felt like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Digging her hand into the bag, she gathered the last bit of oats and threw it toward the ducks.

You'll find him. She thought to herself, as her eyes remained trained on the ducks. You're powerful enough now to find him. She thought again, taking her father's advice and reminding herself of who she was and what the fuck she was capable of.

 

[MorningStar]

Manhattan, NY — Central Park

"I'm beginning to think you have a complex."

Delilah laughed, giving his hand a squeeze.

"You are way too preoccupied with jumping out of perfectly good airplanes."

Gavin had suggested jumping into the middle of Central Park, in Sheep Meadow. Secretly she was impressed by his willingness to do so - if something went wrong for her, she had powers to fall back on. He, however, was a mispacked chute away from pancakeville. It took guts.

They walked on, and Gavin led her to a part of the park she hadn't been in before, full of gorgeous flowers. He stopped, the began to speak.

Gavin: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate; and I’m sorry but I don’t remember the rest, only that I brought it up to say you’ll always outshine and outlast the summer in my eyes, which I think is the gist of the sonnet at any rate.”

Delilah blushed as he picked a white peony and handed it to her.

"It sounded perfect."

She brought the flower to her nose and inhaled it's scent.

And then the moment was broken as a security guard started yelling.

Gavin: “Oh shite, let’s make a run for it!”

He is so British.

She ran because he did, still holding his hand. But she was laughing the whole way. When the guard finally stopped following them, they were close to the Castle, and there just so happened to be an ice cream cart. Things couldn't go more perfect.

Gavin: “My treat, since you bought lunch.”

"I never say no to free ice cream."

As Delilah was looking over to see what was on offer, her eyes scanned over a flock of ducks on the grass, and fell on a figure sitting on a nearby bench.

Ava.

Delilah hadn't seen much of Ava since Nicolas' funeral. She hadn't been staying at the Parthenon - Delilah had been checking in at the desk periodically asking after her. But here she was, just sitting.

"Gavin, I need to talk to someone for a minute - can you get an ice cream for us both? I won't be long."

Leaving him to sort out the ice cream, Delilah closed the distance between her and Ava. She stopped next to the bench, but didn't sit down. She looked ahead at the ducks for a moment, what Ava appeared to be looking at. Then her eyes moved down to study Ava, before speaking gently.

"Ava, how are you?"