Vergissmeinnicht

Annie wasn’t feeling any better. She shouldn’t have gone to the Underworld with her niece and nephew. She had stitches in her leg because of the stab wound Jeremiah’s darkness gave her and her back ached with pain because of her own abilities backfiring against her. She probably shouldn’t have been on her feet, but she still had a list of names that she wanted to finish. She pulled on a dark mask and then her powers started to manifest, destroying and reconstructing the matter around her head, obscuring her face. Tonight, she was going to do something stereotypical and attack a group of mobsters in the basement of a club, but first she had to get in. Annie, now dressed in dark clothing, and phasing in and out of reality, knocked on the back door of the building. She raised her fist to knock again before noticing someone to the side of her. 

“Hello.” Annie greeted. “I’m the Wraith.” It was a name that had spread through darker circles on the whispers of worried criminals. They gave it to her and she was going to roll with it, especially since her name was cooler than her boyfriend’s in her opinion. “I’m here to collect their souls.”  She hoped that sounded intimidating enough. 

Nova wasn’t a stranger to death. People had died through his own mistakes before and that had already been hard enough to accept. But the failed assassination attempt on Amara and murder of the Apollyon agents by his own deliberate hand was something he struggled to come to terms with. Never had his magic killed anyone out of utter disdain and hatred. And now he had to accept the undeniable fact that something dark resided within him. Such a fact shouldn’t have been surprising. It only made sense that within one’s self, a balance of light and dark would exist. Nova had gone so long without acknowledging the darkness though that when it finally came out, he hadn’t even recognized himself. In futile denial, he tried to distance himself from that reality, and once again found himself trying to help others, and in turn to ironically and selfishly help himself.

jvonr‌:

“Your assistant.” Julienne responded without hesitation.  “On May 16th, she submitted a proposal that she typed up wrong in this subsection. The numbers were inverted leading to critical failures within the department. Of course, we can also put the blame on the people who inputted the data. It depends on how far we want to go down the grape vine.” She didn’t care about these people anymore. Right now, she was more concerned about getting rid of a massive thorn in her side. 

“It isn’t that surprising, Amara,” she said in response to Nova’s presence, “We can thank him for his work with getting rid of that ranger team.” She was spinning the situation and of course, Amara switched the conversation back to the system. “This is correct. And I used my mother’s resource. She owned a security firm and a private military. At one point, I was overseeing bunker development. We do test runs on a smaller scale to make sure they’re perfect before we implement them on a grander stage.”

Then the sprinkler system started and within moments, the inside of her condo was drenched in vervain tea. She moved quickly as soon as Nova brought up flowers to impale the original. The water sloshed underneath her feet as she moved over to Amara and pulled the stake from the its hiding spot. Julienne raised her arm and then brought the weapon down into Amara’s chest as hard as she could, aiming for her heart. She raised the stake again and then went to impale Amara again, and again, and again. Her killing intent was there, but it hadn’t left. 

This was too easy. 

@amcraxwclf​

Julienne’s explanation was legitimate, the Director will give her that. Her facts matched up and this caused Amara to sigh, the tired kind as she was fed up with incompetent employees. “We do what we always do, eliminate the cancer. Terminate the whole department, including her. It’s easy to find replacements until we perfect the staff.” She should have known this, after all she fed Leviathan with these exterminations. At this point, Amara wasn’t listening while Julienne spoke, instead thoughts were rushing through her mind as to what these two had planned. She had to expect it was coming shortly, but there was nothing she could foresee since currently, her magic could only sense the danger ahead of her. Truthfully, Amara wanted to strike first. In fact there were over a hundred of ways she could execute both beings before her. Julienne was one she wouldn’t let off easy, but Nova…Well Nova could choke and die for all she cares. He was a pawn and too easy to persuade and break. However, there was something different in how he presented himself and that could only mean that something changed in him. “We’ve already reached our full potential. We are great. Forward always, always forward no? We’re simply keep on keeping on.” However, her features faltered at Nova’s inquiry and suddenly she was showered with cold vervain tea. “-You fucking cunts!!!!” she cried out in pain as she struggled to find her balance and kept knocking against the walls and furnitures.

Next thing she knew Amara was bound to the ground and struggled against the vervain spears. “Oh for fuck sakes? Seriously? An execution? I am nothing compared to Christ himself.” she yelled out in anger. Once she was raised in a cross like position, the hybrid hissed in pain as she spat out blood at the both of them. “Heh…” she huffed out as she looked at Nova with crimson eyes. “Oh, but you’ll get the consequences…” she promised before allowing her bloodied pearly whites to show in a sinister smile. “With all that Nature talk…It looks like you’re not only this cunt’s bitch. Hate to break it to you child, but the diwata really fucked you over Mr. Chen, trust me.” However, it was like slow motion to the Director as Julienne pulled out a familiar looking stake. Her eyes widened in shock, before it turned to complete vexation as she grunted with each stab that she was receiving. It was evident that she was weakening as she lowered her head and laboured her breathing, before she made it obvious that she was no longer ‘alive’. It was the same stake that killed her Original sire after all and so she should receive the same outcome.

Right?

Suddenly, without any hesitation nor warning, Amara pushed herself off the floorboard and grabbed the piece of wood from Julienne’s hand. In one swift motion, she took it and impaled Nova in the back, before taking him by his neck and throwing him into Julienne’s expensive entertainment system. As for her Deputy Director, she grabbed her by the hair and dragged her towards the window with the intent of throwing her off of there. However, she stopped as Apollyon agents appeared before them. Cleaners, along with transporters to take them back to HQ. “You think, I’d be so easy to kill?” she rhetorically asked, crimson eyes filled with mania and anger. Despite being bloody from head to toe, Amara was slowly healing from her wounds, she was still alive despite expecting an Original to die from that. “A common mistake people do is repeat themselves. Whether it be history, orders, whatever…And what’s the outcome? Having to repeat the same nature countless times in different fashions. The way I see it, you need to come up with something better, take an original idea and make it yours. Now do the both of you seriously think you can kill me with the same methods I did? If you must know, with each attempt to kill me, in fact each stab with that fucking stake, it resulted in the loss of more souls than you can count. At this rate, you eliminated a village in some third world country, along with a few wealthy individuals from the top 1% and hey, maybe a group of dying children in a hospital. The list keeps going on and on, so as long as I am still fighting and standing on my feet.” Lifting Julienne by her hair, she slammed her face against the glass window and held her there, “Now, who initiated and thought of this plan?” she asked as she nodded over to the Apollyon agents to apprehend Nova. Repeating the same notion, she raised the Leviathan’s vessel a little higher against the glass, but the impact of her actions was more forceful as she wanted an answer right away. “WHO?!”

@nova-chen

“Call me naive, but I’d still take Ms. Reyes’ word over yours, Ms. Wolff.” Nova replied calmly, trying not to buy into her words. He was the tiniest bit more relaxed now they had seemingly had Amara confined. But all it took that lapse in concentration and Nova had found himself on the floor amongst shattered remains of an LED screen and surround sound system. The stabbing pain in his back due to the stake was nothing compared to how Amara’s words had pierced his heart. Cancer, dying children in a hospital. The memories mercilessly flashed before his eyes as he struggled to regain his footing. Mistakes, repeat themselves. Involuntarily, he started muttering “Not again, not again…” repeatedly like a mantra. The determination in his eyes was replaced by fear. And that fear made his newly reacquired magic lash out.

When Arabella had said that Nova’s power grew stronger the more he was surrounded by Nature, certainly neither of them had thought of it literally flowing through his system due to a stake stuck in his back. Empowered by the stake’s seeping magic and enraged by the traumatic fear, he slowly got to his feet, surrounded by jagged pieces of floorboard. “Don’t touch me.” With so much as an ice cold glance in the Apollyon agents’ direction, several pieces of wood hurled at them, impaling them to the wall, killing some of them instantly. His magic had never been this violent before. But he found himself not caring about the consequences. In fact, ever since he got ‘his magic’ back, he didn’t feel like himself at all. It was like he was on autopilot the whole time.

And right now, that autopilot’s navigation was still loud and clear --- kill Amara. Their first plan had failed, but he had to try again. Failure wasn’t an option. “Let her go.” Nova commanded and another jagged piece of wood cut through Julienne’s hair, allowing her to drop to the ground. He continued to advance towards Amara, raising up more floorboards as makeshift stakes and imbuing them with the Original stake’s magic that now flowed through him. The smile that crept up on his face was foreign, misplaced. He was losing sight of his own self, and it didn’t even sound like his voice when he laughed and mockingly said, “Who?! Why Nature, of course,’ just before launching more than a dozen more stakes all aimed at Amara’s heart.

Arabella dismissed Nova’s gratitude with a wave. She didn’t care, let alone bought it. She lived a long life, she’d seen and heard it all. It went through one ear and out the other. The diwata just wanted him to get his shit together and it seems like she’s on the brink of doing so. Once he accepted her ‘gift’, Arabella flashed him her infamous smile and gave a nod of approval. “Oh don’t humble yourself Nova, you’ve been nothing but devout to nature.” Pointing a finger at him, she waggled it briefly before her eyes glowed and said, “I’d like to see it to believe it.”

Instantaneously, her aura surrounded them as she granted Nova with his abilities. They were linked like a lifeline and so, if he deviated off course, she was bound to know. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. Once the ritual was done, she got up from her spot and crossed her arms. It was time to let him out into the world. “Your powers are linked with nature, as such, the more you’re surrounded by them, the more intuned your powers become.” Glancing down at her Apple Watch, now it was time to get her plan into action. “I have a request, Aurelia Vale’s body. I’ll be needing it. Unbury it and preserve it. Nature will direct where you’ll keep the body. Once that’s done, you’re free to do as you wish.” 

Arabella’s directive echoed in his mind, and when he awoke, he found himself laying on the boulder Arabella had placed his body after he had passed out. He heard quiet whispers around him; plants had been shushing each other while they watched over his body, but now they realized he was awake again. Nova’s eyes welled with joyful tears, realizing he could distinctly hear each of the plants’ sigh of relief and the occasional scolding --- it all sounded like pleasant music to his ears. Propping himself up, he finally noticed Arabella next to him and didn’t hesitate to give her a hug. “I’ll never forget the kindness you’ve shown to me, Arabella. Thank you.” Nova didn’t mind that he was being ‘used,’ as long as he was useful and had his magic back.

jvonr‌:

She wasn’t nervous about what she was going to do. Her mother taught her how to be decisive and how faltering could mean death. If she had been as easily contained as her mother once believed her to be then she would have been the perfect heir, but Julienne hated being played for a fool and a puppet. “I was looking over this departments numbers and they’re off, terribly, terribly off.” She handed the files over to Amara. They were from one of the Science and Technology Development Teams. “I’ve ran the numbers and done the simulations… Even through the most advanced models, they’re wrong. Someone’s fucked up.”

“The technology I have at home is much more advanced.” Julienne ran her hand over her watch and the security measures were activated, effectively closing them in. An auto-caster, put up wards. Some were for protection and others were to keep what needed to be inside in. “This is my assistant. He’s been helping me troubleshoot.” She glanced at Nova. If his magic could weaken her, she wanted it to happen now. If not, she’d need to wait for the vervain to be loaded into her sprinkler system. “I really don’t want people to think that we’re incompetent. Might be paranoia though.” 

@amcraxwclf​

Amara could already sense something was off about this whole meeting. However, she allowed Julienne to play out her plan in order to see what’s in store for them. Now this get interesting. “I see. Well that’s not good now is it?” She skimmed the files, eyeing the discrepancies and seeing that her Deputy Director was right in terms of the numbers, but in truth she didn’t care nor was she worried. This was a minor setback and not a hindrance to Apollyon as a whole. “And care to share who fucked up?” To the hybrid, she prefers eliminating the root or in this case, the cause of the problem. Her attention diverted to her security system and eventually the new comer, which was a familiar warlock.

“Mr. Chen.” she greeted with a nod. Amara remained neutral, but inside her blood was boiling. She could already tell where this was going. In no way was this a coincidence, it had to be planned. Now she had to be cautious with her actions. “He’s your assistant? Shocker. Mr. Chen I didn’t peg you as the type to affiliate yourself with any Apollyon business.” Returning the files back to Julienne, Amara paced back and forth as she pretended to ponder on a solution. However, her next words were a test to see Julienne slip up. “Paranoia’s a fickle thing no? You do realize we normally kill the cancer in our organization. Further, if you were going to show me a highly advanced security system, it would have been appropriate if it was done at HQ where our resources are. You could have demonstrated how to implement that there.” Pointing at Nova she had a disdain look. “And you could have brought your servant with you.” 

@nova-chen

At Julienne’s glance towards himself, he nodded to play along. “Yes, I’ve seen the capabilities of Apollyon’s technology, and I think the potential is there to do something great.” Terrible, yes, but not even Nova could deny they were great things. “...But I do believe nothing quite beats old fashioned magic, wouldn’t you agree, Ms. Wolff?” At this, he willed the vervain seeds he had planted earlier in the estate’s plumbing to germinate and trigger the sprinkler system, showering them all in fresh, cold vervain ‘tea.’

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, he also sprouted the few remaining vervain seeds he had kept hidden in his balled fists. The flowers’ normally harmless, delicate spikes on which the vervain actually bloomed became sharp as deadly spears under Nova’s influence. Without hesitation, he directed the flowers to pierce and bound Amara’s hands and feet to the wooden floorboards he had also risen from the floor behind her. This anchored her where she stood like some perverse crucifixion.

Nova kept his gaze steady on Amara as the flowers impaled her; being referred to as a ‘servant’ didn’t affect him as it normally would’ve. There was much more at stake here than his feelings --- as Arabella had put it, ‘the big picture.’ “As you may know, Ms. Wolff, my only true allegiance is to Nature and preserving the Balance, as it always has been and will be. The small alliances I forge, bridges I burn along the way, the lives that I save, and the deaths that I cause are just the unavoidable consequences of my actions.” He had said his piece. He then looked to Julienne with a sense of urgency. He knew the vervain wouldn’t keep her pegged down for long. This was now or never.

The diwata did her best not to look disgusted at Nova’s response. The naivety was sickening, but her opinion is biased seeing as she lived for a very long time, that she no longer sympathized with the mortals. “You chose to be alone.” she stated in a matter of fact tone. “You’re not taking in the big picture, feeling them and speaking to them isn’t the end all be all. They’re well aware of your devotion to them.” He was too much of a nature pleaser and as someone who was a representative of that, she found it a little bit too much. “So relax Brother Nature, you’ve been dramatic and it’s getting way out of hand.”

Noticing his childlike demeanor, Arabella sighed and kneeled in front of him. She was irritated that it had gone this far. She lost a disciple that was easy to manipulate mentally, but Nova was too damaged that she was going to have to force magic onto him in order to fix him. She placed both her palms on the ground as nature bloomed brightly around them. The trees and florals peaked through once the sun shined, this caused for Arabella to calm down as she basked in the sunlight.

“Simple, I give you a gift. The price? You’re a disciple of mine.” She was honest and straightforward with her reasoning. “Don’t think of this as a Jesus Christo 2.0 or like…A cult following. It’s simple, if I need you then I need you. If I don’t, you do as you please.” Her gaze darkened as she warned, “Betray me and my wrath is worse than all the women combined in this world.” She wasn’t going to make the same mistake as she did with Angeline…Which reminds her…She had unfinished business with the eldest Vale.

Within Arabella’s words Nova had found the validation he hadn’t realized he was seeking until that point. Nature had indeed acknowledged his existence and efforts despite how trivial they seemed in the larger picture that they painted. He let out a big relieved sigh that, with its exhale, blew the ‘useless’ and ‘failure’ clouds to the far reaches of his thought space. Out of sight. Out of mind. For now. In their place, new, still wispy clouds started to form; faintly, the words ‘fear’ and ‘future’ were barely visible. The seeds of an uncertain future made him anxious, but the reassurance of the plants affirmed him once more. “Thank you for telling me… and I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted. For the pain and trouble I caused.” It was the last thing he had wanted to do, and yet he had done it. All he could do now was look towards that uncertain future and try to rectify his past mistakes.

As flowers and trees now flourished around them with Arabella’s powers, Nova felt not only his mind fill with a sense of clarity, but also the awareness of his physical body now surging with Natural magic as it had done before. He looked at Arabella in wonder and awe as she knelt in front of him. To him, she was now his Mother Nature. He gave her a smile as bright as the sun the shone upon them; his magic was finally back. “A gift?!” He asked excitedly. “I don’t think I’m worthy, but yes, of course --- thank you! It would be an honour. I promise to do better than I’ve done in the past.” He knew the dangers of making promises, but he couldn’t help immediately agreeing without giving it a second thought about the consequences. “I’ll make you and Nature proud and won’t waste this opportunity you’ve given to me.” What Arabella was offering him felt nothing short of a second chance at life. With her blessing, he felt like he had been reborn.

julienne‌:

Julienne asked for a meeting. Officially, it was about new acquisitions and followups with old business leads. She had an update on the consequences of the kill list she was task with as well. She didn’t agree with all of Apollyon’s ideas, but she couldn’t bring any honor to her father’s name if she was a bad business woman. She took pride in being good at what she loved to do, so there was no way that she wasn’t going to do well on that front. 

As far as the unofficial aspects of her meetin, the parts she left out, she was going to try to stab her boss with a magical stake. She didn’t hate Amara enough to go into an obsessively aggressive frenzy against her, but she rationalized this situation as an effort in survival. Between the Leviathan and Amara, she was more loyal to the Leviathan and so far, the demon hadn’t done anything remotely close to ruining or threatening to ruin her life. 

She walked in to her living room, coming from her office with files in hand. The stake was tucked in her belt, behind her back, and underneath her coat. “Amara, you came quickly, good. It’s appreciated.” She nodded at the immortal. “I would have called for a meeting at work, but I used an enchanted knife so I’m still waiting for the spell to wear off.”

@amcraxwclf

Amara was a reasonable being if you are a) honest and b) obedient to her wants and needs. If you defy her, then don’t expect to live or receive good graces within the next 24 hours. The hybrid values her time and expects others to do so. Therefore, when Julienne asked for a meeting with her, it was expected and mandatory seeing as she’s Apollyon’s Deputy Director. However, after how they left things, Amara only associates herself with the human should it be related to Apollyons affairs. Hence why she came to her humble abode earlier than usual.

“I wanted to get this over with.” she admitted as she glanced down at her watch to begin timing this meeting. She then looked up and narrowed her gaze on the young woman, before shaking her head in disappointment, “You should be mindful of the weapons you use child. If you were an agent it wouldn’t matter, but you’re my right hand woman. You can’t have that as an excuse to work from home.” Amara proceeded to cross her arms as she approached Julienne, eyeing the files while she was at it. “What is this meeting about?”

Although Nova had promised not to betray Arabella’s trust, he reasoned that going against Amara wasn’t technically going against Arabella. She did say he was free to do what he pleased now that he had his magic back after all, and no matter what, he still was willing to be at the beck and call of whom he now saw as the face of Mother Nature. So that is why he found himself perfectly fine with backing Julienne up in this situation as he followed her out of her office. The additional reassurance of the wooden stake he had brought from New Orleans made him all the more confident --- something he had been sorely lacking in recent times.

That confidence is what allowed him to stare Amara directly in the eye when the mere sight of her used to make him turn away in disgust… and fear. However, there was something else in his gaze besides renewed self-confidence --- the lack of hesitation and the undeniable the intent to kill. The whispers of the stake were loud and clear in his head: Kill the Original-Hybrid bastard. Restore the Balance. He silently agreed with the stake, but tried to keep himself neutral and managed to still greet Amara amicably with a curt “Good day, Ms. Wolff.” The onus was on Julienne to make the fatal move, although he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t the one who wanted to make the preemptive strike.

Arabella remained silent as she stood there, unsure of what Nova was getting at. The panic was setting in though as the nature around them were worried for his well being. She didn’t understand how one warlock could affect a whole environment. She was not only getting annoyed because she felt it too, but she became disappointed at the fact that this was the man that nature relied on. “What are you…?” She watches as his fingers laced around his necklace and then it hit her, he was giving himself up to nature’s magic, a foolish move on his part. “Great, just great.” she muttered while looking around them. Luckily no one could see the phenomenon happening and she planned to keep it that way as she bent nature at her will, despite their cries of help for Nova. 

Trees were summoned around them to keep any attention away from civilians. Furthermore, she brought out a rectangular boulder where the vines carried Nova onto there for him to lay. She went against his powers, reviving the withering nature that surrounds them and shook her head in disappointment as she felt the immense pain he was feeling. “You foolish, foolish boy.” she declared as she began to shift into Maria. Hovering over him, she pushed herself into his thoughts and entered his mind to begin her work. Perhaps there was a silver lining to all this. With Angeline being in talks with Ava, she grew bored once again as a subject of her’s was no longer her’s. This encounter could change things.

“Nova.” she called out as she settles into his mind. “Answer this truthfully, what outcome did expect out of all that? Punishment? Or the power of true nature surrounding you?” She looks around in search of his consciousness and sighed, as soon as she felt his presence. “You’re weak you know that? Absolutely weak. However, we could change that.”  

While his body now laid in a magically-induced coma, Nova's mind still wandered freely. In his mind's eye, his body was no longer in pain, no longer amidst the forest that Arabella had made. Instead, he sat in a meadow of a myriad of flowers. And he could hear their voices: 'You'll be okay. Just relax.' Their whispers were reassuring, but he couldn't bring himself to believe it. This is just a dream, he thought until Arabella appearing next to him gave him clarity over the situation. Sitting there in silence, he chewed on his lip as considered her question. Lying wasn't an option; she'd quite literally see it as his thoughts whizzed past in the meadow's 'sky.' Words like 'failure ' and 'useless ' hung low in the sky as dark, foreboding clouds that blocked out the sun.

"I just didn't want to be alone... at the End. Whatever and whenever that may be." Nova answered after much thought. He had been willing to risk it all for that which he had dedicated his life to. But he became frustrated at his weakness, his body's inability to accept that magic it had been chosen to receive, and his inability to use that magic to its fullest potential. Being a disappointment to Nature --- the one who had made him who he was, the one who accepted for who he was --- was his worst nightmare, and it had come true.

“Well, I broke out of an Original’s illusions pretty simply enough, but I’d prefer it if I didn’t have to stab myself again. I already have all the holes that I want.” Her pain tolerance wasn’t nearly as high as the Leviathan. Demons seemed to take pleasure in pain, whether it be receiving it or dishing it out. “If I drink enough vervain, I should be able to hold a decent conversation, but I have no idea how she’ll react to the magic. It’s a little bit problematic.”

Even though Lilith was arguably one of the best exorcist, by the nature of who she was and her position in Hell, Julienne knew that the Leviathan was a patient creature and that deals weren’t meant to be broken. “I can’t really get my friend back with that vampire hovering around. The way she’d have it, she’d probably kill me first before things go back to normal.”

Despite facing his own problems, Nova couldn't say that he envied Julienne's position. It seemed like she was dealing with a vampire-witch hybrid, and he knew from firsthand experience that dealing with their kind was rarely a walk in the park. It was more like a stroll through Hell. The way he saw it, hybrids weren't part of Nature's plan, and their mere existence threw the Balance off. It didn't seem fair to let Julienne face one ill-prepared, especially if that hybrid happened to be Amara: "'She,' 'vampire'? ---You mean, Amara?! You can't meet her with just that; you'll be killed for sure. Hold on, let me think."

Arabella cringed, in fact she looked around at their surroundings and noticed that nature decided to defend Nova’s reputation as they made her feel sympathetic towards him. Again, she shuddered at the feeling and her eyes glowed intently as she kindly told them to ‘fuck off’. She wasn’t in the mood for being sentimental and although she appreciated what he had done for the Earth, she didn’t enjoy seeing him weakened by it. “You win some, you lose some. Instead of crying about it, maybe you should focus on letting go.”

Narrowing her gaze on Nova, Arabella carefully assessed his movements and wondered what he planned on doing. Sure, she could have pushed her own thoughts into him and swayed the outcome, but where’s the fun in that? Although he was a hindrance, that didn’t mean he was useless—this was only for the time being. “You sure you want to do that?” she inquired. “Then again, it doesn’t hurt to try. Have at it and if you don’t end up connecting with them, then do you consider it to be the end of your world?” 

Nova was never the type to simply let things go even when it was perhaps in his best interest to do so. It’s why the pink ribbon still hung from the shop’s door. Why the white doctor’s coat still hung in his closet. And why his morpher still laid gathering dust on his bedside table. Despite those times supposedly being behind him, he kept them in plain sight — a constant reminder of the pain his mistakes had caused, a reason to better himself. But perhaps Arabella was right. Maybe he should finally let go. "...I've hesitated many times in my life and regretted it. I may regret this too, but at least I'll have the answer I've been looking for." As his fingers finally lifted off the necklace, he prepared himself for the worst while hoping for the best.

“No, not really.” When she was young, she had signed her soul over to the Leviathan to save her from that lake and take her home. Julienne thought, at first, in her naivety that their deal had ended once she found her way home, but the sea beast had never specified what she understood as Julienne’s home. “It doesn’t get weaker because I owe my business partner a lot.” She didn’t understand what he was going on about. He looked like he was troubled by something, but she didn’t see what good it would do for her if she asked. 

“Forget-me-nots won’t keep my memories from going if you have to deal with someone who has the strong enough magic.” Amara wasn’t the first witch to exist, but her immortality as a witch was terrifying. She thought the woman’s adoptive daughter was difficult to deal with, but the Director had access to magics that the world had forgotten. “Yeah probably.” She left a several twenty dollar bills and then turned to leave. Julienne figured that would be enough and more. “I hope they use that all for something good.”

If only I had my magic, Nova thought bitterly. Maybe then he could’ve grown even more potent forget-me-nots in blessed soil or consult with Nature spirits who knew of other ways. But all he could do was offer what little support he could; at the very least, even if he ended up being useless as he had feared, he had tried. “If that person is as strong as you say they are, then forgive me saying so, but surely you and a tonic won’t nearly be enough. I know I’m not much and I may not tip the scales in your favour, but I’m willing to help in any way I can.” Nova hadn’t known it yet, but had he known the person in question was Amara, he probably would’ve demanded to help. Nova still had not forgotten that time in the other dimension. ...But he had forgotten about the White Oak Stake his ‘father’ had insisted Nova take with him when he left New Orleans.

The earth she walked on spoke a language of their own, but understanding them was all the same no matter where she is. Loud whispers to high pitched screams of all greenery engulfed Maria’s senses as she clenched her jaw while suppressing her frustrations. With the MET Gala on Monday, she was at her last fitting before having to walk the exclusive red carpet and attending said event. However, she couldn’t concentrate, let alone enjoy herself as she ended the fitting early. “It’s fine!” she snapped as she stepped down and forced everyone in the room to get her out of the dress. 

Once she was ready to leave, she turned to her team and instructed, “I have somewhere to go. No followers, I want to be on my own.” They were well aware the diwata can take care of herself, so they bowed as a notion that they understood her and with that Arabella left. The earth led her to a young man throwing a fit and it suddenly made sense. It seems that nature had a deep connection to him as the loud whispers and screams came to a halt. It was as if they wanted her here, but for what? “They feel your pain you know that?” It was a rhetorical greeting as she stood tall among him. “And unfortunately, I do too.” Without another word, the roots and vines sprouted out from the ground beneath them as they lifted Nova up on his feet before dispersing away. “You’re a hindrance if you keep this up. Being upset over the fact that you can’t connect with them like you used to won’t do you any good.” 

Nova teetered unsteadily on his feet; he longed for the support of the plants that had lifted him up just moments prior --- to feel that warmth once more even for just a second longer. He grasped at the vines as they receded back into the ground, but they were gone, and only cold air was left in their wake. Even if he called out to them in vain, he wouldn't be able to hear their reply. “If they can feel my pain, then why don’t they answer?!” He was just short of shouting at Arabella in his misdirected anger, rage and sorrow emanating in his gaze. It was a rhetorical question; they all knew why he couldn’t hear Nature’s voice any longer. The answer hung around his neck.

After straining in vain for what had felt like an eternity to hear a word, a whisper, even just a breath from the tree he stood in front of, Nova crumpled to his knees at its base as he resigned himself to the silence. "Damn it all!" One rarely to curse, he couldn’t help but cry out as he beat the ground with his fist in one last final and futile attempt to elicit a response, yet still nothing came. Forehead to the ground, Nova closed his eyes as tears watered the very Earth he had vowed to protect. “Please,” he begged, “Answer me. I... I don’t know what to do.” How could he maintain the Balance? How could he follow Nature’s plan? How could he know anything without hearing it first?

Despair suddenly turned into rage as he opened his eyes once more. Despite his vision blurring, he could see the crystal dampener hanging from his neck. In misguided anger, he started to pull the necklace off on an impulse when he heard a noise. Nova chanced a look upwards, hoping with tear-stained eyes that it was the tree he had longed to hear. But his eyes met someone else's. There were already few people to begin with who could relate to Nova's affinity for plant life. There were even less who shared in his experience of having such a strong bond with Nature --- the closest thing Nova had known to love --- cruelly severed by a not willing yet deliberate choice of their own. But if anyone could remotely understand, he supposed it would be the one now standing in front of him. 

vivian felt rather sympathetic towards the waiter. she noticed the deteriorating state of the man , not really evident , & maybe it was because of her necromancy , but she was good in reading people ; & this man had done something to himself ; she could feel  the quiet buzzing of something unfamiliar , & old napoleon beside her shifted in an odd manner - spirits were never comfortable around dampeners & she still didn’t wrap her head around why. some of them told her it was because those things could suck them in like a vacuum cleaner , trapping them in their personal nightmares , while the others were mad at people who tried to rid themselves of their magic.  “ hey , it’s no problem. “ she quietly replied with a soft smile , but then she nodded.

“ yeah , old napoleon. napoleon bonaparte. please , join us. “ she motions with her hand to the empty seat across from her. “ if you’re not too busy. “ vivian offered , then frowned. “ spirit tonics ? oh , no , he isn’t here for the drinks. he gets personally offended if I talk shit about the french revolution. plus , he can hear you loud & clear. “ she added with a chuckle. “ why can’t you use your magic , if you don’t mind my asking ? “

Nova smiled in return, his face agreeing with her words, but his mind and heart were at odds. He couldn't bring himself to say that 'yes, this was actually quite a problem.' Not having magic. Not being useful. Not having his sense of identity. He wanted nothing more than to throw the crystal around his neck far, far away. It was a reminder of his inability to cope. His fragility. His failure.

Pushing those thoughts back into the recesses of his mind, he took a seat opposite them. "Of course. I'm never too busy for a chat." It would be a welcome distraction. He turned his attention to the Spirit and gave a small bow. "Oh, quand même? Bienvenue, Monsieur Bonaparte!" Nova excitedly exclaimed in his accented Cajun French, honoured to meet such a famous Spirit. From his talks with Spirits before, he knew they appreciated the small efforts the Living made to communicate with them, especially in their own language. It was not unlike speaking to his plants, he supposed, who each appreciated their own soil and sunlight conditions.

life was slowly returning to normal ; as normal as it could be given the circumstances. the classes started again & it provided the necromancer with the much needed sense of normalcy ; of habit , that served to keep her sane. left too long in chaos , or with nothing to truly occupy her , she would give in to the urges of communicating with the souls long gone , & it had a toll on her - a toll that was sometimes visible , but sometimes more subtle. vivian took her history book & trekked towards one of the open cafes that stood close to where she lived - life was still somewhat uncertain around her , & she was a habitual creature ; she wasn’t fond of new places , but with new people she could deal. 

spotting her favourite spot unoccupied , she was quick to slide into the booth , the server flashing her a smile & disappearing behind the bar to prepare her usual - latte. she opens the book , her glance scanning the page - the French revolution - & with a heavy sigh , closed it.

“ I swear to God I have never heard of anything more pointless &  tedious as the 1789′s revolution. “ she turned her head towards the shadowy figure that appeared in the booth beside her - “ obviously you don’t feel that way , buddy , you were practically made by it. “ vivian snorted.

A semblance of normalcy was all Nova needed, yet his day-to-day life since consciously --- but not entirely willingly --- stifling his magic was anything but that. The crystal magic dampener hung loosely as a pendant around his neck, but it had felt like an ever tightening noose, slowly muting his magic, and with it, his very life. Still he persevered as he reminded himself to think about the positives: his body was no longer in pain; his mind was quiet. Too quiet. The silence ironically somehow sounded louder than the chaos that had been all the world's plants' voices coming at him all at once.

Beyond the silence though was just learning how to deal with regular life. Nova hadn't realized how intertwined magic was in his routine until he was suddenly without it. Preparing a latte the mundane way was difficult, but he still had tried his best. The usual conversation with the coffee beans, a simple thank you for their service, before being ground and brewed did not happen. He still said 'thank you' in his head, but didn't hear the beans' usual banter in return --- he did see them wiggle a bit though, or was that his hand just shaking? Heating the milk, previously done with conjured fire, now required the use of a steamer. Red marks on his forearms indicated where he had burnt himself in trying to figure out how the machine worked.

“I haven’t worked very much with the supernatural. I leave that to my business partner.” Whenever she had issues while she was awake, she told the Leviathan to deal with it. “As far as I know, drinking it won’t kill me, so I just need something to keep pests away from my head. The last thing I need is acting on a compulsion with no recollection of ever being compelled.” At this point, she didn’t care if she was being tracked by other Apollyon agents. She had her own team working for her. “I have no idea what’s going on, but maybe the owners are out. Some of them must have been out of town when the Dome happened. It might be takign them a while to come back.”

Nova had no idea if Julienne's relationship to the Leviathan was akin to that of which he had with plants, but he couldn't help but ask, "You and your 'business partner' must trust each other greatly --- does your connection weaken when you don't speak with other for a while?" As a toddler, Nova was speaking to plants before he could even speak to other people; the complete loss of his powers was more jarring than he cared to admit, even if this serum was only a temporary measure. Although his body was no longer plagued by pain, not being able to hear any plants at all was arguably more unbearable. He needed his magic. Looking hopefully at the magic dampener he intended to purchase, Nova held onto it tightly as if his life depended on it. It might as well have. Maybe if he lessened the magic flowing through him, the symptoms would abate as well.

“Yes, hello? I would like to purchase this healing potion and this tonic.” Julienne, at the moment couldn’t tell the difference between what was real and what wasn’t in River Styx, but she hoped that the vervain in the tonic would do something for her. She really needed to keep herself from being compelled. Working with the undead was much too difficult. “Oh, yeah and this charm. I’m going to give it to my goddaughter. Auntie’s back.” She took a crystal from the stand and placed it on the counter before looking around. “Damn, is this place always empty?”

There was a need to deal with situations delicately, but Elvira had iher emotions staked into people in the Dome and Nova should have as well. Elvira had always been only human and even so, she never let her fear paralyze her in doing everything that she could - part of the reason she joined the Inner Sanctum was to become part of something that could change the group. Elvira took another look at at Nova and although, she knew she could offer kinder words but she felt betrayed. Nova had been in the Dome, she wasn’t and that was something that made her so angry - she wasn’t there and she wasn’t able to do anything. She closed her eyes for a moment as she took a breath and said, “Just make sure that you get checked out by the medical team. Like I said, there’s been a lot of changes in the world today.” She took a look at the dropped keys and picked it up, then gave it to Nova. “You should be more careful.”