Fantasy The Grand Coven: Ballroom

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

A grand ballroom which has been enchanted to be larger than the hotel itself. From the ceiling hangs a gold-plated chandelier with thousands of droplet-shaped glass beads reflecting the candles which adorn it across the whole room. This chandelier was duplicated magically seven times so that they could light the whole room. Within it, the vendors have set up their booths and wares. Mages who make their living as salesmen peddling anything from trained chimera to magical weaponry, and even high level spells for those with enough money to afford them. At the front of it is a stage, where the Board had made a brief appearance during the opening ceremony, which was somewhat underwhelming for a festival of magical beings. Nevertheless, the floor of the esoterically-magnified ballroom which was now the size of two football fields was crawling with occupants all excited to see their goals for this century met during the month. Some anthropomorphic, others quite literally alien to the site of the mostly human crowd.

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

Do not reply to this thread unless you've been given the go-ahead by me.

 

[Shagranoz]

Julie had cordoned off a little spot in the corner of the ballroom to become a cafe. She'd had a few friends create the illusion that it was on the Italian seaside rather than the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, and business was booming. Turns out, witches and wizards would pay through the nose for a taste of home. As she conjured a couple plates of paella, the half-demon wondered if it was time to close up shop for a little while and make something for herself. One of the consequences of her heritage was that she was always hungry, after all.

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

Julie’s cafe was rather successful considering it was the only food installation that wouldn’t turn you purple or give you extra limbs due to the magical effects. As such it was crowded, but if she was astute enough to observe her patronage in between orders she would notice two women looking somewhat distressed at the corner of the cafe by the magical window which had a view of the sea which, of course, wasn’t actually there. The two had shown up nearly an hour ago, ordered a couple scones and coffees, and taken their seat like everyone else. Now, however, they seemed to frantically whisper amongst the two of them.

“Let’s just go ask her.”

“no, there’s no reason to make a scene, Britt. Let’s just go look for her.”

“But she never stands us up. Ever. Tell me you’re not worried. She would have called.”

“Of course I’m worried, but it isn’t her problem.”

“Well we can’t just wander around the hotel. It’s huge, not to mention currently has several doorways to alternate dimensions. We need to start somewhere.”

“okay, okay.”

One of the women, apparently Brittany, got up first followed immediately by her friend. They waited in line patiently until they were at the front, still looking worried. When they were at length to address Julie, she spoke.

“Hi, sorry we don’tneed anything else, but did you happen to serve a girl with glasses, she would have been wearing a skirt. Really pretty, dyed-silver hair? She was supposed to meet us here over an hour ago and she isn’t answering her phone.”

 

[Shagranoz]

Julie spent several seconds racking her brain- her memory was good, but far from perfect. She needed to see if there was a charm to fix that one of these days. "Nope, haven't seen anyone like that," she responded with a shrug as she started closing things down and dispelling her enchantments. "But it sounds like you're worried. Have you tried a telepathy spell, or scrying for her? All the magic around here can make cell phones a little unreliable, at least in my experience."

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

“We, I’m...”

“Do you know anyone here? We really don’t trust most of the vendors. They’re almost all shady. We’re kind of only here for the spiritualist speakers and a few potions. We’re not very good with witchcraft. It’s just that we’ve been ripped off before.” Brittany seemed more willing to speak than her friend, but both were embarrassed to admit to any of it. Perhaps it was the fact that Julie was so far away from most of the spectrum of occupants of the ballroom, but they felt they could trust her over them. Especially if she was a little more confident than the other two.

In fact, Julie should remember a few stalls from the registration desk she had to sign up for her corner spot at was a man selling scrying mirrors. Due to it not being her specialty, the half-demon might not know how to use one perfectly, but it would be a good start. The man in question had his wares sprawled about a simple carpet, on which was a few cushions to support where he sat cross legged all day. He hadn’t seemed to have sold too many of his wares, all of them resembling antiques and with very large price tags to boot. Regardless he still had a whispy smile on his face, and a sleepy look in his eye.

A younger man was currently in front of the stall, with one of his combat boots stomped on top of the carpet, a bit of dried mud surrounding it. The vendor did not seem to mind this. He also didn’t seem to even notice that the apparently angry customer was bent over, yelling in his face, with his hands in the pockets of his denim jacket.

“LOOK YOU FUCKIN FREAK YOU BETTER ANSWER ME! I WANT MY DAMN MONEY BACK!” The vendor did not answer him, but instead reached a finger inside his turban and seemed to scratch his head for a moment.

 

[Shagranoz]

Scrying mirrors. It wasn't a type of magic Julie was good at, and even then she preferred enchanted crystals and maps, but one took what one could get. Unfortunately, it sounded like what she had gotten was a used broom salesman.

Do you want me to get involved? came a lilting voice in Julie's mind as Jikariel shimmered into the mortal plane.

No, Jik. The last thing I need is to explain why everyone went mad from witnessing the realm of Pride or somebody frozen in the ice of Envy.

You never let me have any fun!

Julie strode up to the pair, looking as confident as she could. Shifting her robes a bit, she exposed her stomach mouth slightly, purely for intimidation if things went south. "Excuse me, but what seems to be the problem here?"

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

Jason looked over at Julie, and was suddenly very embarrassed to be throwing such a fit in front of the new arrival. He straightened up his posture, and tried to look a little less irritated.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, ma'am. I just don't have a lot of patience for con artists. This guy is selling normal mirrors off as scrying devices, and now that I found him out he's gray-rocking me." Jason attempted to explain his rash behavior. "So if you were planning on buying one off him, I'd move along. I have to find a new booth myself, anyways." Said Jason, half contemplating smashing one of the antiques to make his point. He restrained himself, not wanting to necessarily ruin his chances of making a new pretty friend. He didn't seem the least bit perturbed by the giant mouth peaking out on her belly with it's many teeth, either.

"They're not all useless, just the one I sold you." Said the man on the floor pointedly, with a slight accent.

"Excuse me?" Said Jason through his teeth, leveling with the man by sitting down on his carpet and staring him in the eye. The man did not flinch, but looked through him. Then, a security gollum presumably conjured by the inner circle of mages whom organize the Coven approached as well. It was formed from a coat rack with an upside down wooden chair floating atop it for a head. It's arms were four umbrellas floating loosely with knight's gauntlets at the end, and a wheelchair in place of legs. Despite this strange medium of lobby-supplies it walked confidently, and transferred a psychic message into Jason's head.

"Sir, do not bother the vendors or you will be restrained, thank you." Jason looked at it and reluctantly disengaged the salesman again. The middle-eastern man looked at Julie now.

"Can I help you ladies?" He asked, scanning over all three in attendance.

Shagranoz

 

[Shagranoz]

"Yeah, they're looking for their friend. She hasn't checked in with them, she's very late, and they're starting to get worried." Julie smiled. "Of course, we have to try before we buy, given what just happened, but how about this?" The half demon reached into her purse and pulled out a needle. "I swear upon my blood, if your mirrors help us, I will buy one."

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

Jason looked incredulously between the three woman near him and the salesman. The salesman locked eyes with him, knowing he had told Jason he could not do exactly what he was about to do for Julie. Instead of motioning to one of the mirrors on his rug to be used, he pulled from his pocket a small shard of glass barely the size of the palm of his hand. He whispered over it for a moment, and looked up at the women behind Julie. Jason started to yell again but the man held up his hand, and he sheepishly went quiet, knowing the situation was more serious than the money he had been ripped off. "What is her name?" Asked the man in a grave tone. The ladies looked back and forth between each other and then to him.

"Elizabeth," Said Brittney. The man was silent for a moment, and held the mirror shard up to his eye like it were a manacle.

"She is... in the company of others. One is a young woman, the other is a Fae... She seems unharmed. Perhaps she is only late. They are getting in an elevator, I would wait for her there. Now, which one would you like, ma'am?" He asked with a toothy grin. Jason pulled the mirror he had bought out of his backpack, and handed it to Julie.

"She isn't buying one. This one pays for your agreement." He said, flatly. "Care to explain why your only working scrying mirror is a shard?"

"I told you that mirror I sold you could be a scrying mirror. Not that it was one." Jason seemed unable to cope with this information, and threw his hands up in the air, storming off down a row of vendors. The two ladies Julie was helping turned to her.

"Thankyou so much. I suppose we owe you one. You don't have to come with us if you don't want to."

 

[Fred Colon]

Pollyanna Ziegler eyed her potion stand, frowning. She pushed the cherry red vial of Newt Extract to the left. It joined a collection of tubes and vials that, newt extract added, were all the colors of the rainbow. It was aesthetically pleasing to Polly’s eye but… but… it was out of place. She snatched it from its place, glowering at the daintily arrayed rainbow colored potions as if they had tricked her into placing the newt extract with them.

She put the Newt Extract back with the rest of the newt based potions. It made the most sense. Newt based potions in one place, frog based potions in another, miscellany (the potions with the rainbow colors) in another.

But as soon as she put the potion back she shoved her gloved hand in her mouth and bit down. It was right! Logically it was right! But it looked all wrong!

She took her hand out of her mouth and plucked the potion from where it stood with its newt based siblings and stared hard at it with her featureless, lambent yellow eyes, as if she could intimidate it into helping her decide what to do with it.

Suddenly her table shifted, and several of the other potions fell onto their sides. Fortunately, they were tightly stoppered, and no fluid leaked out.
Polly plucked the disturbed potions off the table and put them back in their places.

“Jeremiah, vhat did ve talk about? If you don’t sit still I’m putting you up for adoption.”

Her table, which was really just her giant bullfrog familiar Jeremiah with a white table cloth draped over him, croaked mournfully, the basso of his voice rattling the glass vials on his back.
“I know you vant vater, but it doesn’t look terribly professional if my table is dripping vet.”

He let loose another, sharper croak, drawing the attention of the nearby witches, wizards and assorted magical folk that walked the ballroom floor.
Polly gave them a manic grin, the tip of her witch’s hat bobbing up and down, the googly frog eyes attached to the brim of her dark green hat rattling, plastic pupils looking this way and that as she nodded her head to them.

“My potions are made vith fresh, all natural ingredients! You can practically still hear the frogs croaking!” And then, quieter, she hissed.
“Shut up! You’re scaring people away! Don’t be such a baby, you aren’t going to dry up! You can soak in the bathtub when we go back to our room!”
Jeremiah let loose a petulant rumble, and then farted, forcing Polly to slap her gloved hand over her mouth and nose. Polly knew few things more noxious than Jeremiah’s gas.
Unfortunately, that was the hand still holding the newt extract and as her hand moved at high speeds towards her face, the potion was thrown from her unthinking grip, striking and shattering on a passersby’s head.

“Vell.” Polly said, heart sinking, “I suppose I don’t need to vunder vhere to put it, now. Sorry, friend. Don’t vorry. It vas only newt extract. If you vash right away it’s very unlikely you’ll grow painful boils.”

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

"Gahhhh what the fuck!" Said Jason, scraping off some goop from his hair and flicking it onto the ground. It tingled slightly, and he listened to what the flinger had to say about it. She did not offer much respite from the riveting situation. Jason's skin crawled a bit, but he maintained composure. He eyed Polly's familiar-turned-table and smirked momentarily. It's amphibeous nature reminded him of his own reptilian familiar in the stables behind the hotel, and he was cooled off a bit internally. "Don't worry about it. Do you have some water? I don't want to go all the way back up to my room. Say, ah, I know this is a long shot, but you don't happen to have a potion that can make someone see the future... or maybe track someone... or... I don't know. Anything like that?"

Meanwhile at the other end of this particular line of stalls, Sora, Aine, and Elizabeth had entered the room from the lobby entrance. Elizabeth's face brightened when she saw her two friends standing next to someone she didn't recognize. She waived as she was led along by the shorter woman who had her by the arm in a friendly way. The two girls seemed delighted and hurried over to her, somewhat leaving Julie behind.

"Elizabeth! Where have you been?" Said one girl.

"It's... kind of a long story. Can we sit down first? Sora needs something to eat. And-" She looked around her, "Where's Aine?" She asked upon inspection of her surroundings. Her friends seemed rather pleased simply to have her around, and didn't want to pry too heavily too quickly as long as their friend seemed safe. Despite Sora's worse-for-ware expression, they giggled a bit when they saw her.

"Oh, is she tired? Is that why you were late Elizabeth?" Said Brittney in a cheeky way.

"PLEASE SHUT UP NOW, THANKYOU." Said Elizabeth very quickly.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Julie tried to help us find you. She runs a cafe! But, I'm not sure if she's planning on opening back up. We should ask her. Great coffee!"

"Food, Britt, food," Said Elizabeth insistently.

"And scones!!!"

Fred Colon Shagranoz Prodigious Mage

 

[Prodigious Mage]

Sora offers an awkward smile, and a small wave, "Scones do sound nice..."

There's a small huff from somewhere, a small remark about bagels and souls of the innocent, before Sora's smile turns forcefully cheerful, "Several dozen it would seem."

Aine's belligerent wining makes itself known through their bond, even if he has made himself scarce within the recesses of his master's hoodie.

 

[Songbird500]

Karen didn’t even bother to open the door with her hand but gave a quick flick of her wrist and let magic do the rest. Attention was her aim and it was exactly what she got from the nearest vendors and crowd as she almost glided in. A first great impression was always important, rule number one her parents had always drummed into her. Wearing a red sequins blazer dress and heels that were probably too high for somebody that actually wanted to keep walking in their future, Karen took a sweeping glance of the room. Yes, she’d dressed up. And no, she wasn’t sorry about it. Or even bothered by anyone’s opinion actually. Her hair was slicked back in a high ponytail but still reached her waistline. Some might think being outwardly noticeable would detract from her goal of secret retrieving but in reality, it was quite the opposite. Vendors loved a rich customer. And nothing said rich more than high class attire. They were willing to spill any amount of gossip to get in your good graces and while many would take that information and leave. Karen was actually good for returning the favour. There was also the matter of difficult to find artefacts, potions, spells and weapons. If anywhere would have what she was looking for it was here, and it also meant a more discreet exchange.

So that was that, first impression achieved and now to actually commit. Karen had been standing in the doorway long enough and took her first steps into the crowd. Copper, despite being a larger familiar, was by Karen’s side and stalked elegantly next to her. Like twins almost, in the way they moved. Karen made a bee line for a specific stall. A jewellery stand that had all manner of spells attached to its accessories. Karen tapped her black and gold nails on her purse before smoothly drawing her attention to the owner of the stall. Not much information was ever released about the Grand coven but some of its occupants had been long time invitees and, in that regard, there was plenty of information. In this case, Karen had it on good authority that this particular vendor usually spent their free time noting every new invitee that graced the ballroom and any useful information that happened to become available because of it. Perfect if Karen wanted to get a leg up on these people. Karen glided her fingers over the jewellery giving the owner a feline smile.

"What beautiful wares you have....But I'm looking for something a little more specific"

 

[Shagranoz]

Food? Julie was off the clock, but that, at least, she could do without too much of a challenge. As she conjured plate after plate of high quality delicacies, she gave the newcomer a warm smile. "Don't worry, sweetie. It's all on the house."

Jikariel, meanwhile, walked over to the newcomers. "Are- are you alright, miss? Is there anything I can do for you? I might be a demoness, but we aren't completely heartless."

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

“Is there somewhere we can sit? I’d really just like to relax and all these people are making me nervous. Sorry, that was rude. I’m Elizabeth, this is Sora. You both seem nice,” remarked the girl, taking a pastry from the summoned trays and handing it to Sora. “I was... attacked this morning... and Sora and her friend helped me. Really I’d like to go sit down.”

Shagranoz Prodigious Mage

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

The mousey man had a thin pointed nose and thick spectacles which obscured his eyes due to the glare they cast under the bright chandeliers of the ballroom. He grinned a guilty grin when the elegantly dressed woman began to peak his interest with her words.

“Well, specifics can be hard to come by. In general, rumors are free. For instance, see that group over there,” he said, pointing to a gathering of women. “Three spiritualists and two witches, by the smell of their aura.” The people in a huddle near the lobby entrance were a couple dozen yards away and wouldn’t hear the salesman and patron speaking about them. “I can hear what they’re saying. One of their friends was nearly kidnapped by the sounds of it. Not the first time I’ve caught a story like that this year. Could be a Demon, could be a wizard, who knows? Just rumors...”

Songbird500

 

[Fred Colon]

Polly brightened at the younger man's inquiry. A customer, perhaps? She reached into her bag and withdrew the little spray bottle she used to keep Jeremiah's skin moist, walked around her 'table' and squirted it in the mans face, where there were still traces of red potion, before handing him a rag to wipe himself with.

"Vell, I'm afraid it's a bit tricky to make potions that can help you see the future. I managed it vunce, but it vasn't terribly helpful. Things got a little mixed up and I spent a veek experiencing the following Tuesday, vhich vasn't exactly the time period I vas going for. I vas lucky my Familiar knew to pour vater in my mouth or I vould have died of dehydration thanks to the catatonic state the potion put me into while I vas experiencing the vision." Jeremiah made a croaking sound that, even if one couldn't understand frog, sounded snarky.
"It is not ironic, you aren't going to die from a few hours of not soaking you enormous lump of useless!" Polly snapped at him, before whirling around back to the newcomer as if she hadn't spoken.
"Can't really recommend it, and the ingredients are expensive besides. The tracking potion is much more do-able. But I'd need something of the targets, something organic, preferably, or something of theirs with sentimental value to them. It vould have to be a custom job."
She blinked, and then abruptly stuck out her hand.
"I am Pollyanna, by the vay. Pollyanna Ziegler. I'm a newcomer around these parts, but I've been making potions for more than two centuries."

Kobe Nathan Wade

 

[Prodigious Mage]

Sora took the proffered pastry, and took a bit of a nibble... And then blinked, and proceeded to chomp down.

Finishing it off quickly, she turned her attention to the cook, blank determination taking over her features, "One day, I will hire you to make me a seven course meal," she said it like it would one day become reality, regardless of what might happen in the following century or so.

She proceeded to then turn back to the trio, expression morphing into something distinctly... kind, so to speak, "If any of you know a memory projection spell, and a place to take this, I'm willing to let my familiar, Aine, share his view of things."
-----------
Kobe Nathan Wade , Shagranoz

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

Julia had kindly offered the rest of the group sanctuary in her summoned cafe, and they all munched on their respective treats. One of the girls, Brittney, was a psychic, and projected a link between Aine and her into the minds of the other's gathered, who saw flashes of events like a movie reel. They saw the distorted room, chunks floating about as if in space. The men in long leather coats and plague doctor masks. The greek pillar, and the apparent sacrifice. Also how they all seemed to disappear into a black hole that Aine could not see. Elizabeth was just as stunned at most of it herself.

"So, that's it then huh?"

"Yes." Brittney said flatly, ceasing her mental actions. "Jesus, I'm sorry I poked fun, Liz."

"Don't worry about it. You didn't know," Replied Elizabeth. She sipped her coffee absently. "Sora said we could stay in her room, or she could stay in ours... or something... What should we do?" She asked desperately.

"Well, we should definitely buy some defensive scrolls or items... I guess we should have thought about that sort of thing before we came." Said the third girl.

"NO WE SHOULDN'T HAVE!" Said Brittney, suddenly becoming angry. "This isn't fair! It's supposed to be safe here! We should tell the Board! They have to do something!"

"Okay, Britt, Okay! Stop yelling!" chided Elizabeth.

"I- I'm sorry. I just feel so... unsafe right now. How are you so calm?"

"It's over and done with. I was terrified, but I blacked out somehow. Aine and Sora really got the worst of it. We can tell the Council, and shop around for some wards and things. Let's focus on the things we can control, like you said." Cooed Liz, folding her arms in her lap and peering out over the illusion of the sea. She leaned back in her chair, apparently lost in thought.

Prodigious Mage Shagranoz

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

"Nice to meet you Polly. Something of hers... OH!" Exclaimed Jason... "Would you come down to the stables by the lake with me? I have something... but it's going to kind of going to be a hassle to get..." The chaos mage scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to get him to give it up, though," He mumbled under his breath more to himself than his new brewer companion. "Sorry to make you take the hike, but I need to find her. She's been gone two days now and... I don't know what else to do. If you help me find her, I swear I can get you ingredients from any dimension you want." Jason smiled confidently despite his apparent emotional state he had let slip out momentarily. He sounded pleading, and desperate, but vaguely optimistic now that Polly had given him a glimmer of hope. He took her hand and shook it once, before shouldering his black backpack and shoving his hands in his pockets.

Fred Colon

 

[Fred Colon]

"Different dimensions you say?" Polly asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Vell, it's an enormous hassle to get to other dimensions. The only vun I go to regularly is the Faevilds, and even then I don't go often because fairies are absolutely insufferable. You have an easy method of travel to other dimensions? Is this a common thing in these times? I'm a little out of the loop. Or perhaps you just have a contact that can get me these things." That sounded more likely. Dimensionally travel was difficult, and this boy looked so young. "Vell, either vay, I love the lake. It will do good to take a valk. Jeremiah, you're getting you're vish! We're stopping at the lake!"

Jeremiah stood up and took a brief hop forwards, apparently excited. The vials and beakers on his back spilling and rolling onto the floor.

"You stinking lump! Vhat are you doing!" Polly scooped up the vials off the floor, shoving them into the pouch she kept at her waist. Then she yanked the tablecloth from off of her familiar, revealing his bulbous, froggy form. He croaked.

"Maybe I vill leave you at the lake if you like it so much?"

He croaked again,

"Oh, you think you'll like it? Vell, fine. We'll see who will make you cockroach pancakes vhen I am back in Germany and you're stuck here!"

She turned back to Jason, as Jeremiah hopped heavily across the ground towards him as well, making several very heavy, vaguely wet 'slap' sounds everytime his heavy body reconnected with the ground.

"Lead on. I don't know vhere the lake is. Vhat are we getting? And if you don't mind me asking, who are you looking for?"

Kobe Nathan Wade

 

[Kobe Nathan Wade]

"Well, I wouldn't call it exactly common, but there are a few others around who can do it. My particular brand of magic has a specialty for doing things others can't. I'm a chaos mage, and that comes with just as much trouble as it's name suggests I assure you. I guess it's a pretty new concept, though. It's all about intent. The first time I tried to dimension hop I was traveling for a month before I made it back home. Now I've got it down to a science, more or less. I can go anywhere I've already been without thinking at least. It's new places that are tricky." Jason laughed genuinely for a moment at Polly's one sided argument with her familiar. He seemed cheery enough after the ridiculous display. Jason lead her down the hall of vendors towards the open exit which lead onto a porch with a view of the lake on the east side of the ballroom. His mood fell again slightly when the girl questioned him about their task.

"My girlfr- Um... A friend..." He said, hesitantly. "She's not my girlfriend. She hates when I tell people that. We met last year at the Coven. We've kept in touch since then, and met up a day early before we'd have to get down to business and got preoccupied, y'know? Except when I woke up yesterday morning, she was gone. She's kind of distant sometimes, but she would have at least said something if I pissed her off. I think something's wrong, but I don't know. Maybe she's avoiding me and I'm being a stalker at this point." He seemed confused by the events, as if they were a bit blurry in his memory. "My familiar ate her hairbrush the last night I saw her." Said the young man, laughing heartily. "It's all I have of hers, but we need to get it out of him. Do you have any mixtures which could make him throw up? That's our best bet." By the time Jason finished speaking, they were outside and headed down the steps which lead to a path stretching around the lake. On the far side was the stable.

Fred Colon

 

[Shagranoz]

Julie watched the telepathic message play out with disturbed interest. "That's... well, I can tell you some things. Whoever did this wasn't allied with Hell, I can tell you that much. And I seriously doubt they were human. Or at least not pure human. Playing with spatial magics like that- it's well beyond the capability of most mortals. As for what they actually were, or what they were trying to use you for..." The half-demon shrugged in confusion.

 

[Prodigious Mage]

"Might have something do with one of the natural distortions among the plains," Aine added, as an afterthought, snacking on a cookie upon masters shoulder, "but I wouldn't bet my money on it, the Fae wilds are a mess on a good day, and as much as... That entire ordeal was, the distortion wasn't reminiscent of the Fae Courts, it was wrong, but not the brand of wrong I'm familiar with."

Swallowing the remaining pieces of his food, he floated into the air, to where the quartet could all see him clearly, his translucent wings giving a tiny flap as he twirled slightly, facing Sora, "Beyond that, I think we should prepare for an attack, so I suggest preparing some ward based Rune Traps for the night, and a few surprises."

"Sure your not being paranoid about that?" Sora asked, "I'm willing to do the ward Rune Traps, yeah, but the surprises?"

"I'm a Fae, and I may be projecting a bit, but generally speaking, I think they'll try something if for nothing more than spite," Aine shrugged, twirling toward the others, "I know I still wanna strangle the person who tried to chop me up into ritual and potion parts at least."