[Freya nods before reviewing the runes in front of them again before selecting the one that would be the most useful.]
This one. "Stay."
[If it releases the ghosts, then all the more ease for them to cross through to the main event. She scans the space and picks up a heavy candlestick and turns back to the stonework.]
Ready?
[Annie gives his hand a squeeze in return. If he's ready, she's ready.
It's unclear who flips the switch - if it's Liv's foot scuffing against a shoe, or Luke's arm brushing against one of the ghosts before they can move away, but one of the ghosts snap towards them, piercing through the veil of invisibility (19), and opens their mouth and begins to scream.
The other ghosts begin to swarm closer, looking to trap them in the sea of spirits and Jo swears before glancing to Bonnie.
("Let's go," Bonnie yells, sending a spell forward. "Phasmatos separatio," she surges forward, trying to fling spirits off of the Parker twins. (11).
Shepherd quickly takes Annie's hand, slapping a hand against the wall. He balances between taking power in and Annie making sure it doesn't get the better of him.
Rowena finds a different rune and a metal rod holding a basket. )
And this one. "Attack."
( She targets that rune while Freya targets the other one: (nat 20) )
[The spirits are pushed away by Bonnie's effort (7), making frustrated noises when they can't get where they need to go. Jo places her hand on Bonnie's shoulder, letting her channel her and giving her advantage on the next push. Liv doubles the effort Bonnie started (17 vs. 2), cutting a path through the spirits and pushing her brother forward.
Rowena's rune shatters, releasing a burst of magic that Shep is quickly able to siphon, and Annie does her best to ground it (7), the magic is starting to spark as it hits the ground, rippling over the ghosts which draws their attention back towards the rest of the group, noticing Bonnie and Jo close to the edge of the bubble.
Freya then follows by bringing her own mallet down (18), cracking the stone and letting the magic be free to run into Shep.]
( Bonnie sends a cyclone of power at the spirits indefinitely, keeping them off of the twins who reappear, but are able to push through the crowd (nat 20 w adv).
Liv and her brother make it out the other side, to assess what might be needed from there.
Rowena shatters another rune nearby (nat 20)vimbuing her purple magic in her swing.
Shep balances, because he's supposed to, because this is his family's (nat - freaking - 20) )
[The magic swells around them, but the witches manage magnificently, clearing a path for the twins to get to the central pillar. Now that they're close, they can see that it's more than just a pillar of stone. They can make out the twisted shape of an arm or a leg - someone is trapped in that pillar.
Liv takes a step closer to it but she can't make out much of the magic (3). Only that it feels familiar, somehow, even if she can't make out why.]
( Luke, still worried about the spirits behind them does his best to make out what he sees, besides the arm and -- the leg. (12)
Rowena turns to the spirits that have since noticed their side of the fight and drops a hex bag to keep the nearest spirits' feet in place. (4, to do this, but they're also spirits)
[The spirits seem to not care much about or for the hex bag, weaving their way around it and continuing to advance (nat 20). Either it's the placement or the fact that this is their space and they will not be kept away - but they're still advancing.
Freya turns from their rune breaking and she throws up a shield (16 vs. 7) and that seems to hold them better, and she turns back to Rowena. "I've got this. Keep smashing."
Between Liv taking a closer look (14) and Luke's roll, they quickly realize that it's Gemini magic coming from the pillar. Not a residual situation like the cloaking, but not unfamiliar. She squints at it carefully, before tipping her head to the side.]
Do we know what happened to the Gemini witch that was cursed?
She charges toward the other side, targeting another rune. (15)
Luke searches his memory, thinking back to the stories his father once told them when they were way too young.
"Weren't they both," he asks, coming to the realization. "Because they were twins." Revelations become apparent as shock sets in. This twin wasn't absorbed, not how they've done it for hundreds of years. He can read what happened, almost like he's living it himself as he can't stop from touching the obelisk. He speaks as if he was there firsthand. "They were sold out."
He lets go, the weight of the truth in the air.
"He wasn't absorbed, Liv. Not the first." Luke turns to his sister. "He was the binder."
I think we have to let him out. The pillar is the binder to the spell, we have to break the pillar.
[She doesn't know if the two of them will be enough. They may need everyone. But they can at least try to get a jump start. But she will call back over her shoulder.]
We could use some extra hands down here!
[Jo glances back at the group, but the rune-breakers are a well oiled machine right now, and Annie is redirecting that energy like a champ (nat 20) while Freya is maintaining her shield against the spirits (8 vs. 1), so she looks over at Bonnie: "Let's get to the twins."]
( Bonnie nods, grabbing Jo's hand. One more try, as Jo's ancestral magic and the Bennett line imbue them with one attempt at getting through the spirits, trapped behind Freya's wall. Bonnie presses forward, holding an arm out to keep any spirits at bay, but everything is converging and something is happening on the other end of this spell because the obelisk starts to brighten. (14) )
[Liv nods slowly, placing one hand on the pilar and feeling the thrum of magic as more and more of the runes break.]
Follow Annie's lead. Channel as much as we can down into the ground.
[Jo and Bonnie are able to catch the tail end of that and they all plant a hand on each side of the pillar, feeling the pulsing thrum of magic gathering in the pillar as the light continues to glow. It's shaky, at first, because there's so much of it, but both Jo (11) and Liv (13) do their best to get the ball rolling.]
( Her brother does the same, keeping his eyes open, focusing on their ancestor.
Bonnie (16) and Luke (13) balance out their efforts as Rowena attacks another rune. Whether it's the wrong rune, the wrong angle, or one that doesn't shatter from physical impact, the metal clangs against it, physically hurting her as she can't keep from doubling over (1). )
[The magic rebounds around Rowena and Annie tries to redirect it, lifting her hand from Shep briefly, but she can only do so many things at once (10). Magic starts flying through the space and everyone needs to make some reflex saves.
Annie (8) and Freya (8) both take lashes from the magic, but Freya manages to keep the shield up (nat 20) and keep the ghosts at bay.
Those at the pillar also feel the backlash. Jo manages to keep her focus on (18), drawing more power down into the ground. But Liv takes a hard blow to the side and her concentration falters (4), her hand coming off the pillar as she drops to the ground.]
( Luke is mid-siphon of the whole enchilada so he gets no chance (3) letting go briefly, too, like a sensation of static electricity. Bonnie does a lot better (15). Rowena is in the middle of it, (4). Shepherd does better than her and his brother. (14) )
[The wave of magic overwhelms Rowena, but Shepard keeps pulling as much as he can, resting just on the edge of too much when things start to shift in the center of the room.
Jo reaches down for Liv's arm to pull her back up and plant her hand back on the pillar, but Liv is not feeling well, the shakiness from the blow. Her free hand moves to her side when she feels something hot and wet seeping across her side (5), so naturally her concentration isn't there.]
Liv?
[Jo helps (11), but she's worried about her sister, when she sees red begin to bleed onto her shirt. However, if Bonnie and Luke both get over a 15 as they regroup, the pillar will shatter.]
( Bonnie locks in (nat 20), but Luke is also worried about his sister (10). He doesn't let go, knowing Jo has her and knowing he has a job to do himself.
Shepherd grabs Anniw a little too hard (10) as he starts to tip further away from balance, the whites of his eyes blinding as the spell does what it's designed to do if they didn't have an entire coven here. Annie can make a Dex save to not be grabbed, and a Con save if she is grabbed. )
[Bonnie's nat 20 is enough to throw them over the edge, and the pillar shatters, crumbling apart. All four are thrown back, Jo moving to shield Liv from the pieces of rock flying at all of them, but that leads to her getting pounded by some of the rubble (5) but Bonnie and Luke can also make dex saving throws.
As the pillar shatters, the ghosts are freed as well, but that doesn't mean the magic of the runes isn't still rebounding. Annie is holding on to Shep, so she can't pull away fast enough (2), but she's steady enough to take it and redirect the magic (16).]
( Bonnie and Luke both get pelted by rubble (5, 10), but it's not magic rubble, luckily, not anymore, just old, old stone.
The redirect interrupts whatever false flag the magic was trying to pin.
His eyes roll forward, the white fading as the color in his eyes return. (14). He blinks a few times and lightens up his grip, finally giving her a look, shuddering.
[Annie nods, resting a hand on his shoulder gently, as they all steady as the magic begins to fade.
Jo quickly tends to Liv's wounds (19), wrapping the slice across her side to try and slow the bleeding, but it's going to need closer attention once they finish what they came to see.
As Luke and Bonnie pull themselves out of the rubble, they find standing in the remains of the pillar, a young man with a similar coloring to Luke and Liv, and a similar face shape to the rest of the Parkers. He blinks at them briefly.
"Oh ... dear."
He then collapses to the ground, his legs unable to hold himself up.]
( Bonnie and Luke both catch him as he falls forward, exchanging a look, so that he doesn't fall into the debris.
Rowena wields her post, crossing what isn't as great a divide as it looked like covered in spirits, ready to go another round. Maybe get in a fight or two.
Shepherd actually smirks, and behind his siblings pulls his "friend," friend, and friend in for their first kiss. )
[Things Annie was not expecting in this moment: that. But she does sink into it, this thing they've been dancing around it feels like forever. She wants to enjoy it for as long as she can, but they aren't really in a place for that.
Especially with Freya gently clearing her throat, reminding them that they aren't done yet. There are still bodies to burn.
Annie pulls back slowly, making a bit of a face at the older witch before turning back to him.]
Later. Let's get the rest done.
[But there would definitely be later.
The trapped Gemini witch falls back into the supports, and as he holds up his hand he can see it starting to fragment at the edges, slowly starting to disappear. He looks up at Luke, at Jo and Liv, and seeing the family in them as well as the familiar magic of the Bennett line, and nods, before whispering a weak "Thank you," as he disappears into the ether.]
( His smirk doesn't go away. He just keeps an arm around her like a high schooler as he approaches whomever fell out of the obelisk.
Luke is almost holding onto nothing, it feels like, and Bonnie searches his eyes for anything they can do. But, before they know it, he's dust in the wind.
Rowena helps Bonnie and Luke up, giving a gander around them.
"Feels like all in a day's work," she says. )
But where are the bodies?
( Luke, now beside his sisters, helps Liv up. They share a moment. That was them. It could have been them. He was Gemini. )
[Jo glances around, before pointing to some of the ledges around them (18). Made of stone, she can make out the fine lip of a lid on top of each of them.]
I think these might not be just decorative.
[And there are six of them, which is the number of remaining parents they're dealing with.]
( Without magic, spirits, and ancient runes, all of which has been dispelled, it is clear now, there there are coffins. )
One person to a coffin. We have to do this at the same time.
( Everyone helps Liv onto one of the ledges, Luke and Shepherd crawling after her onto the right side.
Rowena stays down but helps leverage Jo, Freya and Bonnie onto the opposite ledge. As does Annie. Keeping two down, and two not related, is smart.
Once above, there is nothing keeping them from their goal. There is no stone top to the coffin, likely because of all the magic interference and years of storage. The hubris that truly comes from avoiding your own end and from stealing your sons and daughter's life force.
Rowena stays center, ready for any backlash. Destroying bodies had consequences to them, one person needs to be able to field them, if dispel them.
If there are any.
"If you sense any funny business," she says, giving a warning and a finger wag.
Bonnie and everyone looks to one another and then down. They know what must be done. )
[Flames spring up from the corpses and as they burn, they begin to burn brighter and brighter. The last tethers of this ancient spell are being released, and as the flames turn blue, a small shockwave echoes out from the center of the pillar, rippling through each of the witches.
Somewhere, miles away, the brand on Damian Jericho's arm lifts.
For the coven in question, the liminal space they've been working in starts to disintegrate around them. There's a bright flash of light, and they find themselves back in the middle of the courthouse, the sun already up, and a pair of confused, historical re-enacters staring up at them.
"Uh ... I don't think you're supposed to be here."]
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everyonelives2025-07-26 07:05 pm
no subject
This one. "Stay."
[If it releases the ghosts, then all the more ease for them to cross through to the main event. She scans the space and picks up a heavy candlestick and turns back to the stonework.]
Ready?
[Annie gives his hand a squeeze in return. If he's ready, she's ready.
It's unclear who flips the switch - if it's Liv's foot scuffing against a shoe, or Luke's arm brushing against one of the ghosts before they can move away, but one of the ghosts snap towards them, piercing through the veil of invisibility (19), and opens their mouth and begins to scream.
The other ghosts begin to swarm closer, looking to trap them in the sea of spirits and Jo swears before glancing to Bonnie.
"They focus on the runes, we help the twins?"]
no subject
Shepherd quickly takes Annie's hand, slapping a hand against the wall. He balances between taking power in and Annie making sure it doesn't get the better of him.
Rowena finds a different rune and a metal rod holding a basket. )
And this one. "Attack."
( She targets that rune while Freya targets the other one: (nat 20) )
no subject
Rowena's rune shatters, releasing a burst of magic that Shep is quickly able to siphon, and Annie does her best to ground it (7), the magic is starting to spark as it hits the ground, rippling over the ghosts which draws their attention back towards the rest of the group, noticing Bonnie and Jo close to the edge of the bubble.
Freya then follows by bringing her own mallet down (18), cracking the stone and letting the magic be free to run into Shep.]
no subject
Liv and her brother make it out the other side, to assess what might be needed from there.
Rowena shatters another rune nearby (nat 20)vimbuing her purple magic in her swing.
Shep balances, because he's supposed to, because this is his family's (nat - freaking - 20) )
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Liv takes a step closer to it but she can't make out much of the magic (3). Only that it feels familiar, somehow, even if she can't make out why.]
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Rowena turns to the spirits that have since noticed their side of the fight and drops a hex bag to keep the nearest spirits' feet in place. (4, to do this, but they're also spirits)
Bonnie keeps her cyclone going, not moving. )
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Freya turns from their rune breaking and she throws up a shield (16 vs. 7) and that seems to hold them better, and she turns back to Rowena. "I've got this. Keep smashing."
Between Liv taking a closer look (14) and Luke's roll, they quickly realize that it's Gemini magic coming from the pillar. Not a residual situation like the cloaking, but not unfamiliar. She squints at it carefully, before tipping her head to the side.]
Do we know what happened to the Gemini witch that was cursed?
no subject
She charges toward the other side, targeting another rune. (15)
Luke searches his memory, thinking back to the stories his father once told them when they were way too young.
"Weren't they both," he asks, coming to the realization. "Because they were twins." Revelations become apparent as shock sets in. This twin wasn't absorbed, not how they've done it for hundreds of years. He can read what happened, almost like he's living it himself as he can't stop from touching the obelisk. He speaks as if he was there firsthand. "They were sold out."
He lets go, the weight of the truth in the air.
"He wasn't absorbed, Liv. Not the first." Luke turns to his sister. "He was the binder."
To the spell. )
no subject
[She doesn't know if the two of them will be enough. They may need everyone. But they can at least try to get a jump start. But she will call back over her shoulder.]
We could use some extra hands down here!
[Jo glances back at the group, but the rune-breakers are a well oiled machine right now, and Annie is redirecting that energy like a champ (nat 20) while Freya is maintaining her shield against the spirits (8 vs. 1), so she looks over at Bonnie: "Let's get to the twins."]
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Siphon?
no subject
Follow Annie's lead. Channel as much as we can down into the ground.
[Jo and Bonnie are able to catch the tail end of that and they all plant a hand on each side of the pillar, feeling the pulsing thrum of magic gathering in the pillar as the light continues to glow. It's shaky, at first, because there's so much of it, but both Jo (11) and Liv (13) do their best to get the ball rolling.]
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Bonnie (16) and Luke (13) balance out their efforts as Rowena attacks another rune. Whether it's the wrong rune, the wrong angle, or one that doesn't shatter from physical impact, the metal clangs against it, physically hurting her as she can't keep from doubling over (1). )
no subject
Annie (8) and Freya (8) both take lashes from the magic, but Freya manages to keep the shield up (nat 20) and keep the ghosts at bay.
Those at the pillar also feel the backlash. Jo manages to keep her focus on (18), drawing more power down into the ground. But Liv takes a hard blow to the side and her concentration falters (4), her hand coming off the pillar as she drops to the ground.]
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Jo reaches down for Liv's arm to pull her back up and plant her hand back on the pillar, but Liv is not feeling well, the shakiness from the blow. Her free hand moves to her side when she feels something hot and wet seeping across her side (5), so naturally her concentration isn't there.]
Liv?
[Jo helps (11), but she's worried about her sister, when she sees red begin to bleed onto her shirt. However, if Bonnie and Luke both get over a 15 as they regroup, the pillar will shatter.]
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Shepherd grabs Anniw a little too hard (10) as he starts to tip further away from balance, the whites of his eyes blinding as the spell does what it's designed to do if they didn't have an entire coven here. Annie can make a Dex save to not be grabbed, and a Con save if she is grabbed. )
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As the pillar shatters, the ghosts are freed as well, but that doesn't mean the magic of the runes isn't still rebounding. Annie is holding on to Shep, so she can't pull away fast enough (2), but she's steady enough to take it and redirect the magic (16).]
Shep?
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The redirect interrupts whatever false flag the magic was trying to pin.
His eyes roll forward, the white fading as the color in his eyes return. (14). He blinks a few times and lightens up his grip, finally giving her a look, shuddering.
"I'm okay." )
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Jo quickly tends to Liv's wounds (19), wrapping the slice across her side to try and slow the bleeding, but it's going to need closer attention once they finish what they came to see.
As Luke and Bonnie pull themselves out of the rubble, they find standing in the remains of the pillar, a young man with a similar coloring to Luke and Liv, and a similar face shape to the rest of the Parkers. He blinks at them briefly.
"Oh ... dear."
He then collapses to the ground, his legs unable to hold himself up.]
no subject
Rowena wields her post, crossing what isn't as great a divide as it looked like covered in spirits, ready to go another round. Maybe get in a fight or two.
Shepherd actually smirks, and behind his siblings pulls his "friend," friend, and friend in for their first kiss. )
no subject
Especially with Freya gently clearing her throat, reminding them that they aren't done yet. There are still bodies to burn.
Annie pulls back slowly, making a bit of a face at the older witch before turning back to him.]
Later. Let's get the rest done.
[But there would definitely be later.
The trapped Gemini witch falls back into the supports, and as he holds up his hand he can see it starting to fragment at the edges, slowly starting to disappear. He looks up at Luke, at Jo and Liv, and seeing the family in them as well as the familiar magic of the Bennett line, and nods, before whispering a weak "Thank you," as he disappears into the ether.]
no subject
Luke is almost holding onto nothing, it feels like, and Bonnie searches his eyes for anything they can do. But, before they know it, he's dust in the wind.
Rowena helps Bonnie and Luke up, giving a gander around them.
"Feels like all in a day's work," she says. )
But where are the bodies?
( Luke, now beside his sisters, helps Liv up. They share a moment. That was them. It could have been them. He was Gemini. )
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I think these might not be just decorative.
[And there are six of them, which is the number of remaining parents they're dealing with.]
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One person to a coffin. We have to do this at the same time.
( Everyone helps Liv onto one of the ledges, Luke and Shepherd crawling after her onto the right side.
Rowena stays down but helps leverage Jo, Freya and Bonnie onto the opposite ledge. As does Annie. Keeping two down, and two not related, is smart.
Once above, there is nothing keeping them from their goal. There is no stone top to the coffin, likely because of all the magic interference and years of storage. The hubris that truly comes from avoiding your own end and from stealing your sons and daughter's life force.
Rowena stays center, ready for any backlash. Destroying bodies had consequences to them, one person needs to be able to field them, if dispel them.
If there are any.
"If you sense any funny business," she says, giving a warning and a finger wag.
Bonnie and everyone looks to one another and then down. They know what must be done. )
One. Two. Three.
( And in unison: )
Incendia.
no subject
Somewhere, miles away, the brand on Damian Jericho's arm lifts.
For the coven in question, the liminal space they've been working in starts to disintegrate around them. There's a bright flash of light, and they find themselves back in the middle of the courthouse, the sun already up, and a pair of confused, historical re-enacters staring up at them.
"Uh ... I don't think you're supposed to be here."]