( open )

[sathan]

WHO: coven mingle
WHERE: lilith's house ( jeopardy )
WHEN: a couple of days after this
WHAT: coven's first meeting etc etc
WARNINGS: wild magic

mingle times! everyone that responded to lilith on the network (inc handwaved responds) would have been text a meeting time and place for the first meeting of the coven. there'd be tea and freshly baked cookies available, a little "introduction" by lilith but mostly the first meeting would be to give the other witches a chance to get to know each other.

subsequent meetings (which she'd set by text again) would focus on harmonising their power, casting some spells together, finding group unity etc, with another later meeting culminating in an attempted summoning of the sisters.

contact me on pm for questions, otherwise mingle and enjoy ♥

Comments

[sathan]

( lilith wasn't used to so many people in a space or at least in her space. but the atmosphere was wonderful, many witches and other magic-users having answered her initial message and later being invited to meet, to discuss her intentions and what she'd like for this coven. mostly it was an opportunity for magic-users to be in a familiar space, particularly if they were the sole person from their home but it was also something that lilith would build, to make more like a coven should be, particularly with developments occurring across the cities.

she'd welcomed each of them, a graceful if quiet host, moving through the people, observing the chatter more than engaging herself. she'd made certain to speak to any there, even if her conversation was initially brief before getting people's attention, introducing herself properly and starting with her intention for this meeting. which was simple -- allowing the coven to meet, to discuss their experiences, to get to know each other and from there they would build as a group.

though lilith was more to the side she'd approach someone perhaps on their own, guiding their attention with her own curiosity-- )

And where are you from?

[dragony]

... I suppose it depends, what you mean by that.

[ ruka speaks with a low, soft voice, but there's nothing about her body language that reads comfortable. straight-backed, rigid in the shoulders, and a tension around her living eye that is likely mirrored on the other, hidden side. she's on the younger side — maybe only a couple years sabrina's senior — but damn is this bitch TIRED.

her head cants a little, looking lilith over in turn. ]

How far back you mean to go.

[sathan]

Perhaps more recently.

( the place that ruka had been directly before being here. there was every possibility that any location would mean little to her but it was a way to connect people that may be from the same place or have similar experiences.

her head dips slightly, careful consideration in her. it may be an idea for her in the future to find somewhere else to meet but whilst they were a small group her home worked, even if not a comfort for all )

[ambasciatore]

( Lilith? Super intimidating. They've never met, and he's dealt with his fair share of intimidating, but she was an entirely different kind. Nico doesn't let it ruffle him too much, shoving his hands into his pocket as he looks her over. He's hoping Sabrina can at least swoop in and save him in case he got too out of his depth. )

Uh, that depends, I guess. I was born in Italy, but I live-- lived in Long Island, New York. ( He says with a shrug. ) Though I'm hoping I can help.

[sathan]

Help?

( there's scrutiny in her expression, careful checking over of the person in front of her, someone she didn't recognise visually or audibly from her initial invitations, something that made this all the more surprising.

which made her cautious, probing rather than confirming or answering anything. walking into a witch's house-- daring move )

And what would that be?

[governorkang]

A world called Krynn. The nation of Teyr, specifically.

[He hasn't touched the cookies, but he did accept a cup of tea without sugar. The cup itself looks a little small in his hands.]

I've heard it compared to fantasy novels by people from the various Earths. A pantheon of gods, magic, low technology, and many different races.

[sathan]

( though she doesn't typically follow fictional developments from his description she can see why people think it, having heard enough to recognise those elements in fantasy. but it wasn't a comparison she made, krynn simply being a world she was unaware of )

Are you the only one here from your world?

ota

[thecacophony]

Sal arrives at the meeting with the intention of proving herself capable of good behavior. For the sake of the group's common interests, it's true, but also having briefly met Lilith before...well, she remembers her visits to her old friend, Alothenes, and he always had that odd way of making her stand a little straighter or lighten the profanity. There's probably a term for this she can't think of, but in any case, it's the most open and approachable Sal's tried to look in a while.

No gun, no scarf. She couldn't muster the energy to iron her clothes to proper military precision, but it's the best she can do — though she still might stand out. The white hair, the slash of a scar running down one cheek, the tattoos of clouds and birds around her forearms. Inevitably, like all unruly children, she gets anxious and starts moving around the house when the others break off to mingle.

Sal stands around the bookshelves for a while, trying to find something old and obscurely titled, and after a while gets a strangely wistful look on her face.

There's a really inviting fireplace too (alright, she's mildly impressed by Lilith's house) and the flames dance strangely as she watches them. After she walks away, the fire seems surprisingly well-tended.

She also perches on the edge of a piece of furniture and, for a while, pretends to read a small book. Eavesdropping, she turns her interest to anyone talking about the summoning spell or a few particularly divisive components of it.

Otherwise, she's generally well-behaved at a glance. If anyone looks bored or in danger of dropping off for a nap, however, there's a flask she brings out of her pocket and dangles as an offering.

bookshelves

[anathemic]

Anathema is so familiar with that particular look of someone rifling quietly through shelves; she'd combed through used bookstores and occult shops so many times back home, and she'd already done her discreet nosing-around Lilith's bookcases earlier too, when she showed up a bit early to help set up — slowly having become something of an unofficial mentee, and pleased to watch Lilith building the very sort of community Anathema had tried to seek out when she first arrived here.

She'd taken up a watchful position by the side of the room during the introductions, but upon spotting the white-haired woman, had been delighted to realise that Sal had received an invitation and accepted. And so later, once they're set loose to mingle, she purposefully slips through the small crowd and weasels her way to Sal's side; leaning forward on her heels with her hands locked behind her, as she peers at what the other woman's looking at. Sal has proven herself wary and perceptive, so Anathema can't imagine she's caught her off-guard, either.

"See anything you like?"

[thecacophony]

Sal's plenty wary, enough that she's already in the process of concocting some fable about how it's just fine if she doesn't go over and say hello to Anathema, much before the introductions get underway. Like all flimsy lies, however, it comes apart pretty handily when she hears the excited click of heels coming in her direction. She won't look directly over, of course, but she's perceptive enough to see familiar movement in the periphery.

"There's plenty to like here," she agrees, with her eyes still on the books.

It's a true statement, however, even beyond the already many-layered bundle of implications. A very long time ago, Jindu had asked her about her fantasy for when the war finally ended. Who knows what he expected, but it very much wasn't her animated, lavish description of the house she wanted. Spacious kitchen, cozy study, wine cellar, room for maybe a guest or two, and most importantly — an outside area for her much-beloved bird friends. Jindu hadn't believed a fucking ounce of it, and laughed; they were soldiers and trained to be above simple things, such as nice cozy cottages in the countryside. No, no, his own dreams rose far above any of that.

Lilith, however, has much nicer tastes, many of which align with her own. Speaking of a few of them, Sal reaches high and grabs something that caught her eye earlier. She brings it down for the other woman to inspect, seemingly seeking her opinion of it.

"What do you think, Anathema?" Her guarded expression is at odds with her tone. Sal's plenty wary, and she's willing to deny herself many things, but watching a woman assess an intriguing book just isn't one of them.

fireplace

[sathan]

Lilith catches her as she's watching the flames, quiet steps beside her, silent for a moment as she simply stands with the woman, reading the moment, taking her own moment of peace.

"I'm glad that you could come."

Though they'd only spoken briefly it had been a promising moment of things to come.

[thecacophony]

Sal hears the approaching footsteps, waits. She doesn't move from her spot, but it's enough for her to move a hand up to the hidden scar on her stomach without thinking. An old wound, it's twin scar remains on her back from where the blade went in; marking the last time she met with a full room of other magic users (and peacefully, if only at the start).

So it's nice when Lilith speaks up, and she doesn't need to think on any of it.

Sal turns her head in acknowledgement, trying to find something polite to say. Unfortunately, she's pretty rusty at it. "I might've missed this more than I thought," she finally decides to settle on.

It's the sort of raw honestly that she'd be surprised at, in most other cases. But Sal feels this woman might have a better chance at understanding her than most anyone else; they've only spoken once before, but there's an indescribable sense when magic is and has always been a part of you. Raised on it, fought for it (bled because of it).

She shrugs. "It's a lovely house."

[dragony]

[ these things always feel familiar. the uneasy mood, the unknown strangers, the uncertain future — how many times, now, has she been in a room like this? trading information before the end of the world. reaching out for those who might reach out for the gods, for good or for ill. it's an odd thing to be used to.

it's uncomfortable to be back in jeopardy, but what's a girl going to do?

anyway, the important thing is that she's here. she's a strange-looking girl, all told: the green hair, the red gloves, the red heart-shaped eye patch, and attire all else in black, high-necked and long-sleeved, dark leggings under a darker skirt. She dresses like a shadow, save for those bright splashes of blood-red accent. Her presence doesn't scream MAGIC!! like it does for some of the more proper witch-types in attendance, but there's a burn of it that lingers around her. Like smoke from embers, or a burn of ozone.

ruka lingers near one of the windows, seeming lost in thought — but she snaps out of it in sporadic unease, giving whichever other attendee is closest a look-over, her one-eyed gaze feeling heavy. ]

Did you say something? [ nobody has said anything. her voice is a low, even tone, but there's nothing to be done for how tired she sounds. ] I'm sorry, I must have missed it.

[ note: homegirl's got empathy powers, so please let me know what she can notice about your character! ]

[anathemic]

[ anathema, on the other hand, hasn't been through anything exactly like this. her own apocalypse back home had been a solitary project for so long, a mantle that sat on her shoulders alone before she met newt. so tackling it with this many people, so many competent magicians, has her practically buzzing with anticipation, nervous excitement, curiosity. but after a while she has to purposefully look away from some of the people in the room, because so many gathered magic-users makes their auras flare like magnesium, half-blinding; it's like looking directly into a lamp and it's bound to give her a headache.

she's just gone and refilled her plate of baked goods, however, when the young green-haired woman speaks up. anathema tilts her head, like a curious bird. ]

I didn't, actually, but I could. Would you like a cookie?

[ she holds out the saucer. it's hopelessly banal, but it's what she has. the world is ending! please have a chocolate chip cookie! ]

[dragony]

[ she looks down at the plate of cookies in silence. that's not the answer she was expecting, and there's a brief betrayal of it on her face — disoriented, like walking into a room of vastly different temperature. three, four, five seconds tick by before she responds, taking one cookie from the saucer in a careful pinch. the gloves stay on.

she looks up again at the other woman's face, her one eye flicking over her features — the set of her jaw, the line of her shoulders, the light of her eyes and the bend of her brow. ruka is used to being unnerving to people, especially when she's in a more serious mood, so if this woman bristles at the attention, it wouldn't be a surprise. ]

... Thanks. [ wow. riveting conversation. ruka this is why you only ever have, like, two friends at a time. ] ... Nervous?

Harry Dresden and OTA

[iminthebook]

Harry was intrigued by this. A chance to work with other practitioners didn't come to him all that often in his life. Both his power level and his position in life back home prevented it.

But here, he had a chance to actually be around those like him, or at least close to like him, anyway. And he wanted to make sure he appreciated that, and did not let it go to waste.

He arrived having made chocolate chip cookies, and set them to one side with the other cookies, laughing a little at the fact that his obviously would be lost in the rest. Fishing a still-ice cold coca-cola out of one pocket, he wandered the group, looking to talk and share information about powers and lives back home. Here, among fellow practitioners, he was a little easier and more open with his powers.

[dragony]

The next time Harry makes a loop back towards the refreshment table, he'll run into one of the more tight-lipped guests. She's a younger woman—college age, judging by her face—with one eye giving critical measure to everything it lands on. Guests, decor, and refreshments alike. When she speaks, it's with a middling, forgettable pitch, almost bored or perhaps just very, very tired.

"I'll admit," she says when she feels the presence of someone nearby, head canting to one side, "I wasn't expecting this kind of thing to be so dry."

It's the end of the world and nobody brought wine?

[iminthebook]

Harry laughs and shrugs. "Maybe this time, at least, people are trying to keep a dry head?"

That doesn't stop him from reaching into his coat and offering her a flask, purest silver, in which there is some very, very good Mac's ale. It has runes engraved all over it, protections for the contents, keeping the liquor inside chilled. It is also the only Mac's ake existing in this world, so him offering it is a sign, at least, that he gets the need for alcohol that much.

[sathan]

"Mr Dresden."

She appears from somewhere within the room, gentle smile and seeming particularly calm. It's been a lot of work getting it all organised but now that people are here it seems to be settling and sorting itself out. Besides today had been a simple meet and greet rather than any practice. She has people to learn and energies to harmonise.

"What do you think?"

[iminthebook]

"Lilith." he grins at her, an honest grin of warmth and welcome. From out of his jacket, and its sometimes oddly deep pockets, he produces a bottle of hundred-year scotch, and holds it out to her. "A gift, for the host."

It was a tradition, in his view. And a good one.

"I think with this group, there is a lot of potential. A lot of possibilities."

[melodramagic]

[ Sabrina's here of course, mingling with others with ease, though anyone could sense there's a restlessness about her as she helps brew tea or lay out a new spread of cookies for the others. She can't seem to plant herself in any one particular spot for the first hour or so, but a later duration of the night she's gotten herself to slow her pace, sitting by the fireplace observing the crackling of the flames.

There's much on her mind and much to do, but with little time left before the full moon she knows they have to proceed with caution. After all, it's only the fate of the world at stake. ]

[dragony]

[ It's a night of mostly pleasantries and the introductions, of waiting for the buzz of uncertain first-meetings to pass, and for the other attendee's moods to settle back into their hearts' true shape. Ruka, for obvious reasons, never quite gets that relaxed. She feels on guard through every new encounter — trying, in her limited ways, to feel out whether these are the kinds of people a girl could trust with the fate of the world.

Right now, she wouldn't put money on it, but she's admittedly a hard girl to please on a good day.

But there's at least one familiar face here, so eventually Sabrina will feel the press as someone sits beside her on the couch, quiet (and rude, without so much as a may I?), and gentle.

The fire chatters on for a while more before she finds anything to say. ]

Was this the turnout you were expecting?

[ It might well turn to gossip about the people who can easily overhear them, but it's the end of the world, and Ruka is months past caring about what other people think of her. ]

[melodramagic]

[ Sabrina senses someone else's presence approaching, but only partly — her mind still half-distracted as she turns stone after stone in her head, trying to figure out the logistics of a summoning involving witches and other magically and supernaturally-inclined types to bring forth either Lachesis or Clotho.

Not Atropos. They know what a bitch she can be. ]

Hm? [ She casts a sidelong glance at Ruka before shifting to give her some space to get comfortable on the couch. It's strange that they've spoken a few times already, but Sabrina has never made her acquaintance face-to-face. Now she can see those weary details on the older girl's face, the unique eye-patch, the careful way she carries herself.

All those years between the other world and here, how does she do it? Sabrina can't fathom. ] Not entirely, but at least people showed up.

Did you get to talk to Lilith?

[bridalrose]

Ah... Miss Sabrina. Hello.

[ Anthy's nestled somewhere off to the side (Actually... had she been there just a moment ago?), a cup of tea in her hands and a somewhat vacant smile on her face. Chu-Chu sits on her shoulder, happily nibbling his way through a cookie. ]

How are you this evening?

[governorkang]

[As a seven foot being who looks like a dragon walking on two legs, Kang stands out. He arrived only a few minutes late due to traffic, with a tray of meat and cheeses. It's the polite thing to do, after all, to bring something to a gathering. He's open to anyone approaching him, standing close to the fireplace with a cup of tea in hand.]