Dixie Dead Shake - Log 16
Sep. 5th, 2024 10:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsThe witch is dead. What comes next?
"For all she was a psychotic life stealing witch, you have to appreciate that her death came with a self cleaning option, eh?" Kane said, watching the last flickers of the ebon flames die away. What remained of her men had surrendered, and they all stood in the ruined mansion, silently wondering what was next. Tante came over, her hand on Adam's shoulder. The younger man was pale, shaky, but as he took slow, deep breaths, the colour returned to his face.
"De life energy she took is flowing to Adam. A few days rest and some proper food and he'll be fine." She said.
"And then?" Amanda was sweaty and disheveled, her clothes still muddy from digging Garrison's grave, but there was relief in her posture. "What happens with Adam? It's not like we can take him back to the mansion." She gave him an apologetic glance. "Topaz would fry him on the spot." How she was going to explain the situation and her own role in it was going to be difficult enough.
"It's fine. I'll make my own way-" Adam started but Tante cut him off.
"Jah doing nothing of de sort. Dere is a long road ahead of reclaiming jah new life. Dat's my responsibility, so jah start wit' Tante for now." She said, brooking no dissent. "Don worry, childe. Tante take care of him for now. Plenty of time to discuss what comes after."
"We can make sure no one bothers him for now." Marie-Ange was not entirely convinced, it would be hard to forgive the face of the man who had taken her eye, but then - her own cousin was proof of redemption. "Indulge me a cliche for a moment, but plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, Tante fosters another British magician with an unhappy childhood. History does not repeat, but it does rhyme. I think we can keep this one out of the hands of the Hellfire Club."
"I genuinely have nothing useful to add," Rogue said wearily. "Just another road trip that ends with someone dyin' but glad that someone wasn't me. I need like ...at least six months before the next one."
"Hey, respect the uniform, if not the man, Beulah." Kane huffed. The wolf stalked over and nuzzled her hand. "Thank you for the last minute heroics. If you hadn't got the Guild hostages out... this whole thing gets a lot messier."
“Comp the food and drink bill and we’re totes even,” Jubilee replied, as she walked up and crouched beside Rogue, reaching up to scruffle between the wolf’s ears. She looked him over from her position. “Everything gonna be sympatico with you now?”
"Who the fuck knows. I'm not dying right now so I'll take it." Kane shrugged.
"I can check." A beat. "Later. The alarming throbbing in the top half of my face says I should check later, or be down with a migraine for the entire drive home." Marie-Ange offered, and then retracted in the same breath. "Tante, can we please at least leave you with a phone. You do not even need to touch it, but in an emergency... it would be nice to know you ... " She paused, and gnawed on her lip. "And Adam... have a way to reach us immediately."
Amanda slipped her arm around Marie-Ange's waist, giving her a solid presence to lean on even with her own fatigue. "Easy, love. It can wait," she murmured. She couldn't explain why, but she felt sure Garrison would be okay now. "And seconding the phone offer. We can even preprogram our numbers so you just need to push a button."
"Tante been running a highly profitable psychic service for ages. Jah think Tante can't work a phone? I have people for dat." Tante said, brushing them off as Daniel came up to her. "And what about jah? Jah guilds?"
"We're free again. Guess dat means de Arrangement is back in place."
"De Arrangement is how Candra was able to take us in de first place. Maybe it time we did things different." Tante said. "Dis community isn't going anywhere, and for all jah money and influence, unless jah want to leave New Orleans, jah can't get free of us. So maybe we make something new?"
"Dat's... what do you suggest?"
"Not sure. De shape of dis depends on both communities... guilds and de wards, having an honest conversation for once, Jah think jah people willing to work wit' dat?"
"Ciel Baptiste was burned into de ground in front of us. If dat's de villians we face, it is time to change." Daniel paused and took a deep breath. "It time to change... for both of us."
"De boy learns." Tante said, a smug smile blossoming on her face.
"For all she was a psychotic life stealing witch, you have to appreciate that her death came with a self cleaning option, eh?" Kane said, watching the last flickers of the ebon flames die away. What remained of her men had surrendered, and they all stood in the ruined mansion, silently wondering what was next. Tante came over, her hand on Adam's shoulder. The younger man was pale, shaky, but as he took slow, deep breaths, the colour returned to his face.
"De life energy she took is flowing to Adam. A few days rest and some proper food and he'll be fine." She said.
"And then?" Amanda was sweaty and disheveled, her clothes still muddy from digging Garrison's grave, but there was relief in her posture. "What happens with Adam? It's not like we can take him back to the mansion." She gave him an apologetic glance. "Topaz would fry him on the spot." How she was going to explain the situation and her own role in it was going to be difficult enough.
"It's fine. I'll make my own way-" Adam started but Tante cut him off.
"Jah doing nothing of de sort. Dere is a long road ahead of reclaiming jah new life. Dat's my responsibility, so jah start wit' Tante for now." She said, brooking no dissent. "Don worry, childe. Tante take care of him for now. Plenty of time to discuss what comes after."
"We can make sure no one bothers him for now." Marie-Ange was not entirely convinced, it would be hard to forgive the face of the man who had taken her eye, but then - her own cousin was proof of redemption. "Indulge me a cliche for a moment, but plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, Tante fosters another British magician with an unhappy childhood. History does not repeat, but it does rhyme. I think we can keep this one out of the hands of the Hellfire Club."
"I genuinely have nothing useful to add," Rogue said wearily. "Just another road trip that ends with someone dyin' but glad that someone wasn't me. I need like ...at least six months before the next one."
"Hey, respect the uniform, if not the man, Beulah." Kane huffed. The wolf stalked over and nuzzled her hand. "Thank you for the last minute heroics. If you hadn't got the Guild hostages out... this whole thing gets a lot messier."
“Comp the food and drink bill and we’re totes even,” Jubilee replied, as she walked up and crouched beside Rogue, reaching up to scruffle between the wolf’s ears. She looked him over from her position. “Everything gonna be sympatico with you now?”
"Who the fuck knows. I'm not dying right now so I'll take it." Kane shrugged.
"I can check." A beat. "Later. The alarming throbbing in the top half of my face says I should check later, or be down with a migraine for the entire drive home." Marie-Ange offered, and then retracted in the same breath. "Tante, can we please at least leave you with a phone. You do not even need to touch it, but in an emergency... it would be nice to know you ... " She paused, and gnawed on her lip. "And Adam... have a way to reach us immediately."
Amanda slipped her arm around Marie-Ange's waist, giving her a solid presence to lean on even with her own fatigue. "Easy, love. It can wait," she murmured. She couldn't explain why, but she felt sure Garrison would be okay now. "And seconding the phone offer. We can even preprogram our numbers so you just need to push a button."
"Tante been running a highly profitable psychic service for ages. Jah think Tante can't work a phone? I have people for dat." Tante said, brushing them off as Daniel came up to her. "And what about jah? Jah guilds?"
"We're free again. Guess dat means de Arrangement is back in place."
"De Arrangement is how Candra was able to take us in de first place. Maybe it time we did things different." Tante said. "Dis community isn't going anywhere, and for all jah money and influence, unless jah want to leave New Orleans, jah can't get free of us. So maybe we make something new?"
"Dat's... what do you suggest?"
"Not sure. De shape of dis depends on both communities... guilds and de wards, having an honest conversation for once, Jah think jah people willing to work wit' dat?"
"Ciel Baptiste was burned into de ground in front of us. If dat's de villians we face, it is time to change." Daniel paused and took a deep breath. "It time to change... for both of us."
"De boy learns." Tante said, a smug smile blossoming on her face.
