Participants:
| Scene Title | Gather Round |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Before Eve goes on a trip she has one more group of people to meet with. |
| Date | June 3, 2019 |
The library is a place of knowledge, where sweet silence reigns supreme amongst the turning of pages. Studious minds. Quiet minds.
This is why Eve Mas or otherwise known as Aunt Eve to the majority of the people she had called together in this place is never really invited to such places, she has a respect for Gillian and for the books and she can be quiet but. Noises are so, fun.
Downstairs in the basement of the library, Eve leans against a wall. Smoking out of a thc vape pen, tapping a long, black painted fingernail against the equally dark device. The green light blinking signaling to the former seer that her time was up. "Bah!" She coughs out the vapor, "I could have held it longer- oh hello my sweets!" As the first of the Lighthouse Kids arrive, kids being not quite the right word for this group anymore. The Lighthouse Bunch, yes. Growing adults the pale woman before them looks ok in pride at each of them having seen them grow and mature… well!
She's prepped for any shenanigans the boys might throw her way but today there is an air of seriousness around Eve, she's called them together for something important. The projector is clicked on in the back of the room but no slides are yet thrown on the screen.
She doesn't look like the same Aunt Eve. Her clothes are, well they are usual dramatic flair. Long silk dark purple robe over a simple black dress, knee high boots. That midnight mane of hair frames her familiar pale face but those crimson eyes are different. So are the ripples of blood red lightning that crawl over her body in occasional spurts. "Don't mind the lightning, I'm okay!" There's a punch of pain in her stomach but Eve grins through it nonetheless. Just fine.
Joe has no idea what this is about, but when family calls you answer. So here he is. Joe has his backpack with him, having come over from campus after class. He unshoulders the pack after stepping inside. "Aunt Eve. Where have you been?" He asks not really in a concerned voice, but more of a confused voice. Because he hasn't seen her in quite some time. Or heard of her committing antics. He puts his backpack down somewhere and moves forwards to give her a hug. Ignoring the lightning. Well mostly. "That looks familiar." He comments as he backs up after giving her a hug, shocks and jolts and all. "Wait, that looks like the stuff from that weird cloud that was zapping people at that party." He pauses, looking to her, then down to the lightning, then back up. "What… I've missed something haven't I? Was that you?"
Brynn was actually at work when the text came through — so amazingly enough, she got the text. Arriving just moments behind Joe, a golden Labradoodle at her heels, the petite brunette isn't exactly uneasy but… usually when Aunt Eve calls people, it's a Thing. Could be a good Thing, could be a bad one. She's not sure which this is going to turn into. The sight of the seer brings a furrow to her brows, and Brynn sidles sideways with Doodlebug sort of herding her that very direction by leaning on her shins. The red eyes worry her just a touch.
Joe… why the fuck are Aunt Eve's eyes red? She rarely curses, but in this case she uses the Cant swear word right out of the gate.
It’s fortunate that Clara was even in town when the text came through on Lance’s phone — she has a phone, but it’s rarely in service, as the Pine Barrens doesn’t really have the best reception. That she was in town and with Lance at the time was pure luck, really.
A few moments after Brynn makes her entrance, Weasel appears, a bag filled with books slung over her shoulder. She got a library card and borrowed the books — though it will be a wonder if any of these books even find their way back to the library, depending on her mood and if she remembers to pack them when she comes back out here.
“Woah, Auntie Eve, you look like someone fucked you up,” Clara points out, much less…tactful than her siblings. “You okay?”
“I swear it's okay to go down here! We won't get in trouble, it's allowed.” Jeez.
That's Squeaks’ voice from the stairs. Then there's two sets of footsteps, one obviously more willing than the other, just a few seconds before she appears. With Emily's sleeve captured in a tight fist. And an obviously reluctant and clearly dubious Emily being pulled along by the tiny captain.
“Come on come on.” She has the patience of a very excited and will-not-be-delayed saint. Which is part of how she convinced the older girl to come to the library in the first place.
It's the library, duh.
She might have also conveniently forgotten to mention the part about Eve calling the meeting.
“We made it!” She keeps her hold on Emily's sleeve while she announces that fact. “I brought Emily. I told her it's okay to be down here but… she's Emily.” Brynn would understand what she means by that. As would Em, probably. “How come we're here?” Squeaks, who's used to Aunt Eve’s crazy new look, barely gives her a second glance and cuts right for the details. “How come there's a projector thing? Are we watching a movie?”
It's a good thing that Squeaks has a hold of Emily's sleeve, else she would have been successful in her attempt to withdraw as soon as she saw the group, and Eve among them. Instead, she's stuck in the moment, and doesn't risk a second pull back because that would just be embarrassing. She does yank her arm free, though, if only so she can sign in exasperation in Brynn's direction. Can you fucking believe this?
Sorry, not sorry, Brynn. You're in the middle on this one.
Emily finally, warily looks in Eve's direction, not entirely sure that any insistence the woman is okay is actually a statement she'd make were she perfectly fine. She doubts that at any moment in recent history has the woman been fine. She had lightning sparking off of her for Christ's sake. When she hears the surprise come off of the other kids, all she can do is spike her brow high in the former-seer's direction.
Really, Eve? Really?
She must decide she'd not like to be electrocuted today, because she doesn't press her luck with actually vocalizing the stare's contents. Either that, or the knot at the bottom of her gut prevents her from doing so. Sure, maybe Eve had been a little negligent in telling those who mattered she was safe— Eve had argued her reasons about it at length, too.
So what was up with this meeting now? And especially in this format?
"Please fucking god tell me the world's not going to end or something," she mutters wearily, a prayer to no one in particular.
Nathalie is just a few steps behind Emily and Squeaks, although she didn't rush ahead to join the pair. Old habits when it comes to this group. Hang back, stay quiet. Berlin, as most of this group knows her, looks different now. Less gaunt, less haunted, more self assured.
And her eyes are different, too. Where they were once a deep brown, they're now bright blue. Maybe she invested in contacts.
She lingers near the door, leaning back against the wall and watching Eve with a lifted eyebrow. She's taking it in, the changes, but she's not jumping to comment just yet. More observation needed. The closest she gets to interacting at all is to nudge Emily a little with her shoulder and to greet her with a smile. She was never family to the other kids in Brian's care, not the way they were too each other— trauma too fresh, too deep, too secret— so she leans on the piece of family she does have here.
“Aunt Eve, uh, are you aware that you’re electrified? Also, electricity usually isn’t red. Are you just a human skin filled with electro-rats?”
Lance’s question would be absurd in any other context, but he’s absolutely serious as he steps inside; lanky frame dressed far better than she’s ever seen him in a grey suit, including tie and everything, although the suit jacket’s left open and the tie has tiny question marks all over it a-la the Riddler.
He flashes the rest of the gathered a quick smile, then returns a very concerned look to Eve.
The last face to arrive comes by the hoodie-hidden form of Joaquin trying to sneak in without being noticed, the way a student tries to slide into his seat during a presentation lecture without the professor noticing. But that's the way it's always been with him.
He's never been particularly successful at it, especially with the others being trained and skilled in stealthy arts. Especially, as it so happens, when he looks for and finds a seat but it scrapes against the basement floor. Loudly, for those who can hear.
His gaze travels from one face to the next, familiar and past or the newly and recently met all come together. Joaquin looks a little perturbed at the chatter. Surprise, too, at how many of the faces he recognizes. A small smile and a wave of hello for Nathalie and Emily.
"Just look at you." Running her thumb along her chin as they arrive. "Yes yes Jo Jo. I couldn't allow you to see me then because I was naked! I'm sorry my Young Ones, something totally fucked me up." Eve is the cool aunt okay, "I no longer have the gift of Foresight. Instead… something else but that's for another days story!" Or perhaps later since it's directly related. "And no I am not killed with electro rats but perhaps we should check." A melodic cackle as Eve sweeps around the room slowly making her way to the projector.
Nat's blue eyes draw Eve's crimson and she grins fondly at the young woman, "Precious I said, just precious." Whispering to herself before she grabs her focus to give it back to the LHK as a whole.
"I was away and am going to be away more because I've been working against this man," the projector clicks and the image on the screen is of a blonde man, handsome, suited. Most wouldn't know him, a few in the room will. "It's important you are made aware of what's happening in our home. In our world, this is yours to inherit." All of this, hopefully with less… mess. "And so I am going to teach you, because the man known as Adam Monroe is working here in our city." The projector clicks to another slide, this one baring a symbol. The one known to be associated with Gemini. "He's immortal. Aunt Eve and some of your father and mothers friends accidentally released him a decade ago, you were all just babes. Don't @ me. I know I know." The former seer looks over at the kids as she takes the remote and trails back forwards the front of the room.
"He has eyes everywhere. Maybe in our own government, constant vigilance," Eve bangs the wall with a loud smack of her hand. They know that phrase to be a favorite of the pale older woman, from one of her favorite warriors she says. In history. "He's a liar. And… he wants to rid the world of anyone that doesn't have a gift." Eve doesn't look at Joaquin. Not because she doesn't think he can handle the look of worry on her face but, "Likely to reach out through his people, to young minds like yours. Stroke the anger and fear caused by the war, of all our losses, our previous administrations treachery." Leaning against the wall as a ripple of red lightning crackles over her form. Tiny wisps of white smoke waft up from her dress.
Joe's head tilts a couple times, nodding to Lance's points about electric rats. "He's got a point. We've run into slice electric man eating rats. Buuuut I did see you as a cloud so…" Joe leans back looking over at Lance. "Pretty sure she's safe. I mean others might not wanna hug her." Cuz jolts of weird red electricity. He lets go of their aunt and steps back a few paces, then takes a look around the room, eyes widening. "Whoah. The whole gang is here. Even Berlin! HI BERLIN!" Joe waves, a lot. Then he proceeds to give EVERYONE hugs. Everyone. Squeaks gets a hug, Brynn gets a hug, Lance, Clara, Emily (Whether she wants one or not), Berlin and Joaquin too. Everyone else gets a choice, but Emily gets hugs no matter what. Once hugs have been handed out, probably disrupting what Eve is trying to tell them, he finds somewhere to grab a seat.
"Adam Monroe. That name sounds familiar." For once Joe isn't jumping around claiming to know the person. His features scrunch a little bit in thought. He settles in to listen, crossing his legs and putting his hands on his knees. "Ehh everyone makes mistakes." He watches Eve though, a frown forming at the lightning and the leaning against the wall. "You should ground yourself Aunty Eve." He comments softly, but does tip his head. "People that grew up the way we did… would be rather good candidates for recruitment into something like that. But that's… genocide. Not primal at all." He pauses a moment, his head tilting to the side. “Sooo we gonna fight him?”
Everyone in the room — well, almost — is someone Brynn grew up with. That's at least halfway reassuring to the deaf teen. Joe and Lance both being present makes her relax just a hair. If things go sideways with Aunt Eve, those two are pack leaders, and they'll protect the pack.
Don't look at me, Ems. I didn't even know where Aunt Eve went — so this is all craziness. Are we going to war again? Her gray eyes are troubled, because Aunt Eve is off on a tear, and she moves around so much that Brynn can't follow almost anything she says. But constant vigilance makes her terribly uneasy. Her eyes seek out Joe and Lance's hands automatically, because they are essentially constant signers.
The unexpected presence of Berlin and Joaquin both bring Emily's brow to climb in surprise, but otherwise grounds her in the face of Eve's legsweep of a presentation (and Joe's insistence on a hug, which she rides out unenthusiastically.) "Jesus Christ," is the most she breathes out, Brynn's signs catching her eye. Emily shakes her head calmly, reassuringly. #1E90FF|Not exactly, B. Just have to watch out for people who want to cause one.##
Signs thoughtfully made, she sweeps her gaze back to the symbol projected on the wall. "This piece of shit is basically a one-man Illuminati. He's supposedly controlling that company with the phones and California—" and the war machines, "Praxis." Emily's expression sours as she continues, her signing starting to fail because she's never needed Praxis or any of the following words: "He worked with the fucking Vanguard on their fucking virus, he's a literal Nazi.
"How he has anybody on his side, Evo supremacist or not, is beyond me — but maybe they just don't know his fucking resume." she surmises flatly, gaze sharp. Her arms tighten their fold as she brings her look over to Eve. "What are you going to do?"
When Joaquin walks in, Nat reaches over to pat him on the shoulder in greeting. She turns in time to catch Joe's hug offer and it might be something of a surprise, but she returns it, even. "Good to see you, Joe," she says.
But greetings are put off to the side when she sees Adam Monroe's face pop up. Her expression falls and she takes on a tense posture. She blinks when Emily adds her own intel to the meeting, but nods in support. "Wolfhound is investigating him. SESA too. He's not only tied up with Praxis, but the Ghost Shadows Triad, too. He has a lot of eyes." She pushes off the wall, coming closer to the projection, like she might be able to find some clue in it. But instead, she looks over at Eve, giving the woman a knowing look. "Don't worry, Eve. We all make mistakes." She's not one to judge for that.
Turning back to the others, she focuses back on Emily. "He has followers because he knows how people work. He's charming and he can promise you what you want most in the world. He does his homework before he approaches anyone and he leverages that to get his way. But knowing what he's really about takes a lot of his tricks away." She turns to Eve, her head tilting. "Are you going after him?"
Joaquin’s arrival earns a small scrunching of Weasel’s nose — the last time she saw him, she was giving him the recipe (again) to get Pepe-Stink off. Thankfully, the little skunk isn’t here today, and Weasel is too busy signing out Eve’s words for Brynn’s sake to give the brother she doesn’t get along with much more than the initial nostril curl.
The matter at hand is much more important, anyhow. She doesn’t know the man in question, but that’s probably why Auntie Eve is here. Dark gray eyes flit to Emily as she explains, and then to Nat, nodding along. “If he’s immortal, he’s probably had a lot of time to figure out how people work, and how to manipulate them.” That’s what she would probably end up doing, at least, if she were an immortal.
She dips her head toward Eve, peering at the sparking woman. “Can we help?” Because, you know, they’re not kids any more, and they have skills that most people twice their age can only dream of. Well — some of them do. Joe’s hug is returned, and met with a slap on the back.
Joaquin isn't exactly the deer in headlights, but he's close to it. Or perhaps one might surmise he's the tortoise in the road, plodding along seemingly aimlessly and without any knowledge of the truckful of info he's about to be run over with. The shoulder pat from Nat nets her a smile. Joaquin's slower to react in acceptance of the hug from Joe, but he shoulder-bumps the guy back all the same with a nod and smile. "Hey Joe, it's good to see you too man."
Eventually he settles too, studiously watching the presentation as if it were any other lecture hall he was attending. It's clear he's not got the prerequisite knowledge that the others have. It's also clear, by the rounding of his eyes and looking around at the rapid signing, names, and allegiances being tossed around that Joaquin is woefully ignorant.
The only thing he can do is raise his hand with a single question. "Sorry," he notes after a moment, adding in the sign for Brynn's sake. It's probably the one sign he knows very well as he's used it often. He glances over at Emily because she's the source of his next echoed, alarming query. "We're at war? With Nazis? …Again?"
He doesn't know the sign for Nazi, so he figures his way into a blend of the Nazi 'sieg heil' motion and couples it with the crude motion for 'motherfucker', hand over the crook of the opposing elbow and an upraised fist.
As soon as it becomes clear that they’re dealing with matters that are probably at some level classified, Lance brings up a hand in a slight wave— a moment’s silence touching each person in turn as a silence field spreads out, finally settling around the room to ensure nobody outside it can hear a damn thing. Even if the door were open and they were standing in the doorway, they’d need to read lips to hear anything inside.
As Joe comes over for a hug, he returns it with a chuckle, teasing, “Watch the tie, buddy.” The embrace is brief but strong, a wordless admission that he’s missed seeing as much of his Lighthouse sibling as he used to.
“So,” he comments, a brow lifting, “He’s a reverse Humanis First, or Pure Earth, or whoever— is that what you’re saying? That’s… kinda dangerous.” The right Evolved in the wrong hands…
“Hey I heard about him.” Squeaks is neither bothered nor wondering at Emily's tugging free or grouchy looks, and her hug from Joe is returned but distractedly. She's looking at the picture that's on the screen. “He's …he had something to do with some projects. He was working on some.” Institute projects, but she doesn't say that much. Or explain how she knows anything about the man at all.
The youngest teen in the room eventually pulls her attention from the image long enough to look at all the older ones. Wondering, probably.
“How come you're telling us,” she asks when she comes back around to Eve. “Besides just he's dangerous, and a little crazy like Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde.” Squeaks eyeballs the screen and wanders closer to it. Maybe she'll find answers in the picture. “Is there something you need us to do?”
"Well, not exactly Jo Jo," Eve tilts her head and looks over at the others, "I'm telling you because usually in these times. You aren't told. I didn't come to people sooner about the golden eyed Dragon and then you all found the tape." Rubbing her hands along her arms as she paces slowly, her expression tight. Eyes tired, just a little. The Lighthouse Kids had seen Eve, when they were younger. Days without sleep, raving mad. Sorta like this, sorta not. "The Nazi's were his puppets, a means to an end. He wants the end of all the ones without gifts, he will not stop. He has had centuries to come to this conclusion, to devise this plan." If that doesn't say what kind of man this is. Looking towards Nat and Emily she nods, head tilting more. "All very correct." As to what she is doing. "I've been chasing him for almost a decade, we're almost done with our dance though." Eyes twinkle in the light before she frowns and leans against the wall heavily, "Off abroad I'm going, tracking clues. He's older than dirt so we can't very well learn all his secrets here in America, can we? He wasn't born here! Keeping it very lowwwww," Waving her fingers in the air and dragging them down to the ground.
"I'm also here to ask you to keep up the ruse," a sneaky smile, "That Aunt Eve is in the Safe Zone and everything is as bombastic as ever. It would require you shouting about my antics, nothing too unlike me. If I had a monkey, it wasn't pink." A moment, "It was brown… with spots." A ruffle of her shoulders and Eve grows serious, "But it would also require you peeking in, saying hi to Sassy. Making everything is fine." Maybe not the battle deploying assignment if that's even what this is, its more like a favor. "If Adam knows that I'm gone, he'll get… well I don't want to see that just yet! I'd rather have some time to burrow my nose in all his old belongings!"
"It's important you know what to look for in the first place, the signs of trouble. We are hoping that nobody within these city… walls. Will have to face any sort of armed combat. Like Precious said, SESA, Wolfhound and the like are all scurrying for the same prize so! If you work for them, you got a way in! If I brought you along to any of these things, your mother would permanently strip me of my powers and lock me in my room. And that's just no fun." There's a snort from Eve.
As for the symbol behind them, "That's Gemini, it's heavily associated with the First, our Ancestor and the one that gave the Nazi Loving Arsehole Adam his ability. Gemini is also an experiment, it steals powers and so this also a reason to avoid Adam. He says he wants a better world for us, but he'll steal your ability in a second if it's useful. So! There's that, Young One, Squeaks knows a bit more about that as well. Hassle her later." She doesn't click the slide.
“Don't hassle me.” Squeaks eyeballs each and every one of the older people in the room. All of them. And in that same way she's known to eyeball grown-ups she's never met before. “It’s rude. And I don't know very much more yet. So I can't answer any questions.”
Can't and won't are the same thing in this matter.
With a final look around at everyone, she slinks away from the screen to find another place to stand and watch. Squeaks huffs a breath quietly as she picks out a spot not already shared by anyone and scoots into it.
Emily tucks her chin in like she's thinking, but really, she's trying to avoid looking Berlin's way when she casts that surprised blink at her. She finally turns her head her sister's way when she explains Adam's methods, keying in on that. Uncomfortable, her brow furrows. She slowly turns back Eve's way as she considers what's been said, her look darkening. "Eve, I can't keep up with all these fucking metaphors. What gold-eyed Dragon?"
Honestly, she doesn't know which one of them 'Precious' refers to, either, but she figures Dragon sounds the more dangerous and needing-clarified of all the nicknames flying around.
Brynn doesn't look too thrilled about any of this and she rapid-fire signs, What the heck is Aunt Eve talking about a dragon for? Is she talking about that VOICE that came out of the tape?? Her signs are clipped, a sure sign of agitation in the deaf teen, and her eyes are pinning first Joe then Lance hard to the wall while she signs. Is she saying that whatever that thing was, she's going after it? Distinctly less than pleased.
I think so Lance signs back to Brynn, his expression not terribly pleased with the entire situation as he looks at Eve with a frown, brow furrowing a little. “Eve,” he says, hands moving so Brynn can understand him better, “Like you said, SESA and Wolfhound are both going after this Monroe guy already… why are you going off the table with this? Why not just throw in and help the authorities — the government isn’t against us anymore, we should be cooperating with them.”
A look to the others in the room, then back, “This all doesn’t seem like a great idea.”
He pauses, then ventures carefully, “…are you still on your meds, Aunt Eve?”
"I can take the Hounds drinking there now and then," Nat says to Eve's request of the group. Easy enough to keep up appearances. Apparently she doesn't think there's a good chance of them talking Eve out of… well, anything really. "And don't worry, Squeaks, we won't harass you or anyone really." Ask, maybe. Harass, less likely.
She glances back at the symbol, frowning when the talk turns around to the experiments. Her head shakes there, because she can't even with this guy. "He's really into the evil science thing," she says, her hands moving to her hips. But her gaze moves to Emily, her fingers tapping against her jeans while she runs through an internal debate. Which, apparently, she thinks Emily can help with deciding. And maybe she does, because she turns to the others, dropping her hands and letting out a sigh. "There's something else," she says, her face screwing up for a moment while she works on talking herself into speaking, "I'm… going by Nathalie LeRoux now. It's… yeah. That's…" And that's where she stops, which is not really worth the build up, but she chickens out of the much bigger secret she's been hiding from all of them. She physically retreats, too, moving back to lean against the wall again.
"You're right, we don't get told things. We just find them out on our own and then there's the risk of getting in over our heads without knowing what's going on. But I want to help. I can't speak for anyone else. But I want to help. I want to fight. I won't sit by and let other people do the fighting for me like when we were kids." Joe's voice level and serious, his eyes on their aunt Eve. They then shift, moving around the room a little bit, looking over everyone else. "Brian trained some of us for combat. Some of us have killed and seen death. Maybe not as much as others but… I can fight, and I want to." Joe folds his arms and goes quiet then, listening to the rest of what Eve has to say, and listening to some of the others in the gathering as they speak.
"Oh that's probably the thing in the tape I'm guessing." Joe remarks to Emily. "The one that spoke to us. I told you about it. Back when we were trying to figure stuff out. The tape Squeaks found and those whom are older than us wanted to keep us out of." A slightly grumpy tone from the normally cheerful young man. He signs as he talks, confirming for Brynn what he said to Emily, at the same time as Lance is signing back, so Brynn gets at least double confirmation, a nod from him to Lance. Then a frown when he says to let the government handle it.
"Yes Lance. Because the government is so very fucking reliable." His tone is dry and flat. And Joe never swears. Hardly not never. But his opinion of the government is well… hey it's not as bad as it used to be. Especially now that he has siblings and friends involved with it. He continues to flat stare his Lighthouse sibling for a few long moments before he turns his eyes back around the group, settling on Berlin, listening. "Nathalie LeRoux? Okay. Everyone else has been changing names so why not?" Joe flashes Ber… Nathalie a quick grin. "Nathalie it is." He pauses, eyeing her, watching her retreat, eyes narrowing slowly. Joe knows a secret keeping when he sees one. Yes he does. Joe's fingers are always chalky. He loves mysteries. And he will stare at Nathalie, making sure she sees him looking.
More of a background player, Clara takes everything in thoughtfully, leaned up against a wall with her bag of books, one foot on the wall to stabilize her. “I’ve been in Providence a lot. Probably moving there full time. I’ll keep an eye out for him there. Don’t think they will take kindly to him out there.”
She pauses. “There is a guy…Sharrow? Says he used to be Vanguard, even though he wasn’t mentioned in Wolves. Pretty sure he is all about that Slice supremacy. Had plenty of praise for me. Called us Children of the Eclipse.” She shrugs. “I’ll keep an eye on him if I can, he seems like he might be a pretty likely candidate for recruitment too.” She (somewhat lazily) signs along with her words, for Brynn’s sake.
With the flurry of revelation and discussion, the heavy, sickening topics, Joaquin feels and looks green around the gills. The voices of the others swim, the signing makes little to no sense, and all the name dropping feels like rocks being tossed in to disturb an otherwise still pond. The ripples are nauseating. Because, the realization strikes him quickly of what's being said about Slice supremacy, and the fear grips his guts in ice cold fingers.
He's probably the only Non-Evolved here in the room.
Joaquin stands from his seat, stumbling back, "I don't want to fight. I don't… I don't want to die, either." This time he doesn't sign anything, instead his arms clutch around his person. Winding up where Berlin is standing, he curls in his leaning against the back wall as well. It's all he can do, saying weakly to the Wolfhound, "Nathalie's a nice name…" And then he rushes for a trash can to retch in.
"I don't believe you pretend to be as smart as you are Paparazzi so listen," Because surely she could understand. All the LHK voice their concerns, distress and Eve takes it all in.
"I am in cooperation with the government, my friends and I just do things they would rather not, at times. Hence our tiny little trip. I have a friend with a Shiny Head he keeps talk with the Big Brasses chummy hmmm? Don't worry about that." The meds question doesn't get an answer but she levels Lance with a stare and a quirk of her eyebrow. "You alert your sister Doolittle." The Dragon, yes, "The tape, the voice. Yes it's-" she looks towards Weasel as she speaks of the Vanguard and a man named Sharrow. Eve's crimson eyes flick to Nathalie and then back to the rest of the group, "….interesting. Yes, we are all Children of the Eclipse." There was Research published and being done that pointed to the relationship to the eclipse and SLC-Expressives. "The Dragon might have come First, given the first gifts to man. During an eclipse." Eve thinks back on her visions and wrinkles her nose before turning to the young man impervious to physical injury.
"I know you want to fight. I'm telling you the fight is coming to us. So be prepared Joe Joe. There's nowhere to run off to, shooting and booming." Not yet at least. Involving the headstrong youth is already a thing since she called this meeting but what he does on his own time is never something Eve has tried to control, not with any of them sitting here. "You're not children anymore but you're not exactly vets either. Knowledge is power, soak it in. Be a sponge, be alert."
Nathalie's offer is appreciated and she takes the time to smile at the young woman, "Drinks are on the house when you're there. I'll let my sassy bartender know, don't hurt him too bad. I've heard about you rowdy Hounds." A rueful grin on her face before she's leaning against the wall and nodding her head, "Leroux.. what a witchy name." Eve likes, a lot. She almost wants to grab Nat's hand and twirl in a circle singing aloud. "Oh no… poor boy. My Little Churro please," rushing over with a bottle of water snatched from one of the tables. "Drink up. I think I have some crackles in my bag… a moment babe." Sweet precious babe, in true aunt fashion Eve dives into her bag rummaging around until she holds up her prizes, AHA. A small almost empty package of crackers. "Here love, nibble and try to breathe." At the same time, one after the other. Whichever.
"There's one more thing I must tell you. My Young Ones have danced and played in the streets with a girl, Sibyl Black?" Eve's eyes tick to each face as she settles again against the wall, clicking the remote to switch the slide to one that's clearly one of Eve's sketches. All of them in here know her work. It's of a young girl with blonde hair and gold eyes, playing with building blocks resembling a city. Some of them are overturned or in the process of falling on the ground, angling down from midair.
When Joaquin abandons his seat to come over, Emily looks away from the presentation, distracted. All the better moment to avoid Eve's bout of sass in her direction, anyway. She blinks in surprise as he seems progressively more ill-at-ease, emphasis on ill. "Hey, you all right?" she asks in an undertone, right before he takes off. With a wince, she eases her way after him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It'll be fine," she assures quietly, confident in that belief. Emily gives him a small smile should he look up. "There's not going to be a war," is said with another pat meant to be soothing. "Just troublemakers to watch out for. They won't succeed. No fighting." The slide flicks and changes, and her gaze is drawn back. She blinks at the sudden, unexpected turn, hackles raising.
"Eve," she starts, almost like a scold, or like it would have any effect at all. "No." She's indignant, practically offended Sibyl's name is invoked.
There is entirely too much information flowing for the deaf teen. Even with her brothers signing along, Brynn is not entirely following what Aunt Eve expects of us, and in general she is simply watching the chaos. Poor Joaquin! But Emily is helping with that, and it's Eve's sketch that draws Brynn's gray eyes. Oh God. Oh GOD, Lance… Aunt Eve's images never mean good things. She moves through the group to get closer and inspect the image on the wall.
It isn’t just Emily that shows her objections here. Lance turns his head a bit to look to Joaquin as he stumbles away - he was never the most involved in their paramilitary training, it didn’t suit him - and then he steps forward as well, holding up one hand. “Whoa, whoa, hold on here, Eve—.”
He glances to the others, to the worried looks on some faces - to the sound of someone throwing up - and then he looks back with a frown, fixing a steady look on their ‘aunt’. “Eve, you’ve got no right to pull all of us into this without even asking. Not everyone wants to jump back into the fight,” he states firmly, “And even if you’re saying there’s no ‘fight’, you’re absolutely saying there’s a fight at the same time.”
While Joaquin isn’t her favorite sibling, that doesn’t stop Clara’s expression from turning into a concerned one as he retches in a trash can. The girl frowns, her feet carrying her over to the only non-evolved in the room. Tentatively, she reaches out to place a hand on his shoulder.
“Wocky,” she murmurs quietly — a nickname that isn’t always used kindly, but in this case it’s said with as much kindness as Weasel can manage. “You don’t have to fight, and you won’t die. We won’t let that happen. I promise.”
Then, Clara turns, frowning at Eve and her images. “I’m kinda with Lance here, Auntie Eve. I mean, I’m always willing to help, but…” She offers a furtive glance toward Joaquin.
Consoling words from Nathalie means Squeaks slinks that way. It works out well, fortunately and not, since Joaquin suddenly turns ill at the idea of fighting. So while the newly met sibling is getting sick in the garbage, she slips in beside the Wolfhound. Maybe sticking near to the paramilitary officer will keep the harassing away.
Also. “Can I still call you Berlin,” she asks in a slight whisper. Everyone else is busy arguing about what's being said, and Joaquin's throwing up, so it's a good time to pose that question. Right? Yes.
Except.
Squeaks’ eyes dart from one face to the other, trying to trace back to where things with the conversation got discombobulated. See, she's still paying attention, even with her off topic question. “She's not forcing is to do anything, or pulling us into anything.” Her tone curls the words into a question, and she even directs a look up to Nathalie, kind of seeking an answer. “She's just talking like she does. Something is coming and we should be prepared. And also help by pretending she's here?”
From the moment that Nat catches Joe staring at her, she seems to go somewhat distant. A lot of bombs are getting dropped and she intends to ride them out and hope that a calm sets in at some point. Inwardly, though, she's churned up over the names she hears being tossed back and forth. One in particular and his presence in Providence.
So Squeaks appearing at her side is a comfort for her, as well, and she looks over at the younger girl with a slight smile and a quick nod. "Of course you can," she says, much happier to have that to respond to than anything else going on in this room. But, she straightens up to second Squeaks' take on the situation. "It's just intel. Something not a lot of the adults we know are willing to give us. What we do with it is up to us. If a fight happens, we each get to decide if we join in or not. Hopefully," she says, turning back to Eve, "hopefully it won't come to that."
But if it does, she's already in.
Her gaze moves between Eve and Emily at the mention of Sibyl. She knows the name, but never had the pleasure herself. "Eve, can we table the Sibyl part of this meeting until we've all had some time to adjust to the Adam part?" Because some of their number are still throwing up into trash cans. "And maybe until we get Chimo a glass or water or, you know, whiskey." Whichever comes first. By her estimation, he needs both.
"You don't have to fight Joaquin. No one has to fight that doesn't want to." Joe offers his fellow LHK a quick smile, an attempt at being reassuring. "But we won't let Evolved Supremacists take over don't worry. This is not going to turn into Voldemort's Evolved world." The quick smile turns into a full grin for a second or two before he turns his attention back to Eve. His head dips. "Okay. But when the fighting starts…" He wants to be there, and doesn't want anyone stopping him from helping. The defiant look on his features tell that quite plainly. But he stops about the fighting, well vocally anyway, and he listens. See everyone. HE IS CAPABLE OF NOT TALK WHEN HE WANTS TO!
"Oh I know Sibyl." Joe says happily. Joe hasn't been privy to well… everything in regards to Sibyl. "She was rude. And cranky. I think she just needed a friend. But she wouldn't let anyone get close. Then she disappeared. I haven't seen her in awhile. Worried about her." Joe remarks, his features falling a little bit, sadness settling on the young man's face. "We've let too many of us slip through the cracks. The orphaned and dispossessed. William, Sibyl and… well not going to dwell on those we've lost or those that have slipped through just…" His shoulders bob upwards, features scrunched up before he takes in a deep breath and lets it out. Joe doesn't… catch that Sibyl is what has invoked Emily's ire. "You okay Ems?" He asks, glancing back at her with more than a bit of confusion on his features.
"Wait… oh. Is that Sibyl? With golden… oh. Oh my. Uhhh is Sibyl okay? Does she need rescuing from the voice in between worlds that… isn't between worlds now?" Joe asks, looking around the room a bit. "Uhh Lance. Pretty sure everyone in this room has a right to know if there's a threat coming our way with everything we've been through and lived through. So we can be ready, even if some of us won't be fighting, we can be ready for when it comes. Ready to hide, ready to run, ready to support and help. Or in my case at least, ready to fight back." He points a finger at Squeaks. "Yes, what Squeakers said. Took me a second to process, sorry Squeakers."
Joe stands up from his sitting position to face his siblings. "Would you rather be caught unawares if a battle erupts in the middle of the street? If battle boils out to the outskirts and Providence? Providence right? Would you all rather be caught with your pants down like all of our Aunts and Uncles when everything went to hell before the war? Yeah they recovered fast. And they did the best damned job they could. But they were still caught pants down at first. Me? I'd rather be ready and prepared for no reason than be caught unprepared." He eyes the whole room, well most of the room before he meanders towards where Nathalie and Squeaks are, and takes a seat near them. Solidarity yo.
“Thank you Aunt Eve. For not keeping us in the dark. Even if some people are being ungrateful, or trying to keep secrets.” And no, it’s not passive aggression, he’s eyeballing the people he’s referring to. Quite acutely. “Still love all of you.” A quick big grin from Joe. It might be beyond him to stay angry at anyone for very long.
Joaquin luckily didn't put much in him before coming to this gathering. Perhaps he had thought there'd be food later. Maybe even a cookie. Setting down the trash can and wiping off the remnants of his embarrassing display, he accepts Eve's offer of the crackers and water with a soft apology, "Sorry Eve."
It sounds more like a 'Sorry, Everybody'.
Emily's words and the reassurances from others wash off the worry on his face, and he slumps slowly onto the floor where he's likely to remain until otherwise moved. Joaquin shoots a glance back to Joe, and feeling the twist of a cold knife again he looks down. When the fighting starts…
His cheeks flush hot with color but the rest of him pale, Joaquin hangs his head and doesn't look to anybody else, but to the screen with the sketch of Sibyl on it. He doesn't know the girl, either. Or Sharrow, or Adam, or anybody else in the world-rocking schemes seeking to reign supreme.
Fingertips dig into the cracker package, trying to be quiet but making more noise than intended as is usually the case with such things. "Gillian didn't want us to fight." That's all he says in the interim chatter and lifts a cracker out to nibble at the edge of it.
Eve's blood red eyes are cast over the faces of Emily and Lance but her interested centers on Lance as the other LHKs echo the sentiments of intel sharing, of not leaving them in the dark. "I didn't stick my nose in The Deep Dark Below where it didn't belong and I didn't go and watch an unknown videotape found there. I mean come on, have you lot not seen The Ring?! Maybe it was before your time." God she's getting old. "Homework, have a movie night and educate yourself." That movie was rooted in Eastern mythology anyway.
"But our Nathalie and Young Squeaks are correct. This is intel. With this information you can be aware of your surroundings." Eve doesn't say anything about fighting knowing that's triggering for Joe and the others, especially Joaquin. "Chimo, Chimo."
Sailing across the floor to end in a crouch at Joaquin's knees she places a hand there quickly and removes it as more crimson lightning expands over her body and pops onto the floor leaving scorch makes behind. "I do agree. This is a lot to take in but you are protected my Young One. Look at the family around you." Motioning towards the other young adults. "Gilly never wanted you to have to do what we did and it's your choice. You do not need to fight my dear." Eve pats his knee quickly before her eyes go back to the wall. "Adam is enough for now. Just please if you see Sibyl Black, run. And try to notify me and the other "AdULTs"." Eve does air quotations because she doesn't believe there is much separation now except for in terms of experience. "It has nothing to do with Bird. Eileen." Eve's eyes are on Emily then as she rises.
"That's all my dudes. If you're having trouble wrestling with any of this. Call me, text me… do the FaceTime thing you love so much. Seek out help, the older generation doesn't want to shut you out. We just want you safe. Being informed can lead to your safety. I'm not sure what I would do if anyone hurt any of you." Eve is wild and the reckless aunt but she has shown each of the LHKs in here love, caring. They know her words to be true. Clapping her hands together the woman beams and clicks the projector off. "Alright?" It's said in a singsong tone, her crimson glowing eyes finding each of their faces one at a time.
Her stomach gurgles and Eve pats it softly, "Mmmm. Hungry are we? Well don't you worry. I have a Milky Way in my bra. Just for you." Whispering down to her stomach as she reaches for said candy bar and begins nibbling on the end.