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Tabithas Occult Artifactrelic Sale 241006
Tabitha's Occult Artifact/Relic Sale in the mysterious, catacomb-like basement known as The Cauldron is a high-tension affair filled with a mixture of curiosity, concern, and desperation. The sale of a dark and potentially dangerous book becomes the focal point of the night, drawing bids from several parties. Ash and Lilah, in particular, show significant interest, with bids quickly escalating into the thousands. Despite the fascination and eagerness surrounding the auction, there's an undercurrent of anxiety about the book's capabilities and the true intentions behind those seeking to acquire it. Tabitha, the auctioneer and owner of the book, reveals its sinister history connected to the Legion, causing a stir among the attendees. The bidding intensifies as Lilah, visibly pregnant and emotionally distraught, is determined to secure the book for reasons tied to her dark past and the father of her child, the notorious Solomon Inigo.
The auction concludes with Lilah winning the book for $3,800, after a sentimental exchange and a moment of hesitance from Tabitha. The aftermath of the auction is filled with mixed feelings; relief, concern, and unresolved tension permeate the air. Emmanuel expresses strong disapproval of the sale, highlighting the dangers of such a powerful artifact falling into the wrong hands, while others speculate on the potential uses of the book, be it for good or evil. As attendees slowly disperse, alliances and enmities subtly reveal themselves, with some offering support to Lilah while others debate the moral implications of the auction. The event leaves an indelible mark on the community, with many left to ponder the true cost of delving into the occult and the power of the relics within Tabitha's collection.
(Tabitha's Occult Artifact/Relic Sale)
[Sat Oct 5 2024]
In The Cauldron -- Potions and Auction Block
Using the grand staircase is something of an experience, no matter which direction one goes. They are cool grey stone and the height of each varies ever so slightly. The walls are the same grey stone, cool and perhaps even a little damp to the touch, candelabra dimly lighting the path.
The basement is more like a catacomb, found deep beneath the town, turning old-town charm into something Gothic and mysterious. This section of the catacomb appears to be just a foyer of sorts to whatever lies behind the elaborate arched stained-glass doors on the northern wall. Within a shallow enclave at one side of the door is a stone likeness of Baphomet.
It is about 55F(12C) degrees.
"Says the man with an island," Juniper mutters as an aside to Elias with a mildly teasing tone. "We've got hammocks everywhere. Far superior to car seats," she assures Bear. "You can rock yourself to sleep while crying softly and looking at your online bank balance."
Lilah may be stumbling toward Percy, but that doesn't prevent Emmanuel from attempting to reach out and steady her, "Lilah?" He queries of her, concern evident in his tone.
Bear passes the skull to Ash rather casually for the amount he just spent on it, "Catch."
Ritsuka looks concerned to Lilah "Lilah, are you alright? Do you need anything?"
Ash waves their hands open, as if revealing the book name, though it turns into scrambling for the expensive relic. They look it over, smirk, then put it in their bag before focusing on Tabitha again. The shift is a bit slow, after the tension starts to transform, but they lean forward again as the book comes out, looking more determined. They give off the impression of having come here for that book. Though, seeing Lilah near faint catches their attention as much as anyone, concern crossing their expression.
"Is... is that..." Lilah stammers out, though the name of the book she's thinking of is not spoken. She just shudders again. Letting Emmanuel steady her, she regains her balance, but not quite her emotional equilibrium, and just stares at the book for a moment longer. Her eyes squeeze shut. "I'm fine," she breathes. "I'm fine."
Berlin glances over to Lilah, the same concern on his face as on everyone else's.
Percy looks up at Lilah, reaching up to steady her. "Are you feeling seedy?" he asks her, concerned. "In your condition, miss -- if someone has a wireless we can ring for the women's service, or whatever you have here."
The last item in which Tabitha brings out is an old book of black leather with the pages old and yellowing. Most likely, everything in it may very well be handwritten by its age. "This grimoire was picked up on a mission to ... well. I feel confident that those who are here are very aware of life in Haven..." She looks to Lilah and there is a softness creeping in. She shakes her head. "It is not... It is not Solomon's." She guesses. "My team, Those Seeking Redemption, were on a mission to help a group out of the clutches of Legion. This grimoire was in the hands of one of their priests." She holds it into the air.
Ash seems to sigh in relief at Tabitha's explanation, a few more emotions passing quickly across their face. Then, they focus on it, again.
Well, one can imagine the potential baggage there, at least. Emmanuel does his best to keep Lilah up on her feet, rubbing at her back in slow, soothing motions as he listens to Tabitha's explanation. There's a furrowing of the brow at the mention of the Inigo sorcerer. "You're okay," He notes aside to Lilah then, attempting to make this true whether it was the case or not.
William shifts a bit against the wall, standing to attention to eye the book
Tabitha clears her throat and turns her eyes onto the book, and caressees the leather. "Yes, well. As I was saying, this book is personal, but not of the Inigo name." Again, silence. She opens the book and flips through the crinkling pages. "This is believed to be a handwritten copy of the Grand Grimoire, or Le Dragon Rouge. It is a small subset of the Grand Albert."
Emmanuel's expression wrinkles so much at the mere mention of a dragon that the damn wrinkles are likely to stay on his features for several days, if not weeks.
"I'm sorry," Percy tells Lilah. "I didn't mean anything about -- I'm a little old-fashioned," he explains. "Please, a pretty face like yours -- calm that pretty head down, and I promise I'll watch my words."
Berlin looks at the book, peering closely at it, but notices something in what little of it he can comprehend, and shakes his head. He steps back in the crowd, allowing those more interested to step forward and have their own looks, and perhaps make bids.
"That is... that -is- the book then. The Grand Albert," Lilah murmurs a little too loudly, as hearing even the name has her shuddering again. "Or part of it?" Either way, it takes her entire focus. Enough so that she seems to have forgotten Percy exists for a moment or three - long enough to calm down on -that- front, at least.
Ash drawls softly, "Ho-lee shit!" They press their hand against their heart.
"I'm -fine-!" Lilah lies to Emmanuel, after his whispered words, giving her head a fierce shake and taking several determined steps away from him.
"It is not the Grand Albert." Tabitha reiterates to Lilah. "They are seperate entities, though the information is similar." She shows off one of the pages. "Legion was using the book to help meet Legion's goals, but I am of the belief that not all magic is bad, or awful. It does matter whose hands it touches." She looks out in the crowd, "Because of the nature of the book, and the rituals, which mind you, are some about wealth, and health, and prosperity, are not necessarily bad. But can be misused, undoubtedly..." She takes a breath. "In many books, Lucifer is seen as malignent, but his name actually means light bearer."
Percy cocks his head at Tabitha's statement. He opens his mouth, thinks better of it, and shuts it.
There's a mild squint afforded toward Tabitha as she notes the origin of the fallen angels name, and it's through sheer willpower that the Frenchman doesn't comment upon it. Instead Emmanuel spares another concerned glance aside to Lilah, while tonguing at a tooth.
"Due to the nature of this book, I am starting bidding at no less than six hundred." Tabitha says.
Juniper leans in to listen to Elias's whisper before she turns her face slightly to trace the tip of her nose against his cheek and then whisper in return.
"Do I hear six?" Tabitha asks. "Mind you, this book is worth far, far more than that."
Ash calls out, "$600!"
Lilah calls out sharply, "Seven fifty."
Ritsuka emote raises a hand up and says "Let's skip the lower values. Thousand two hundred."
Lilah calls out sharply, "Seven fifty."
Ash shrugs, then blinks, looking at Ritsuka in shock.
Lilah blinks at Ritsuka, not quite able to form words for a moment.
It takes a moment, but Lilah seems to decide to just double down on her bid and calls, "Fifteen hundred, then."
"Seven fifty from Lilah." Tabitha says, flipping a page to show it to the crowd, and then freezes that page on Ritsuka's for her to view. "Twelve Hundred to Ritsuka."
Percy whistles, inhaling low. "I'll say."
Ritsuka looks to Lilah and wobbles her head a little bit. "Are you sure, Lilah? I would let you look at it, or destroy it, once I read through it, if that is what you want."
Ash nods to Bear.
"If it's anything like the last... it's... it can't be..." Lilah shakes her head to Ritsuka, breathing in deeply. "Tabitha still has that one, somewhere." Her eyes flit back to the book on display, expression haunted, not avaricious.
"Fifteen hundred to Lilah." Tabitha says, surprised by the sudden, immediate jump in price. "There are plenty of spells in her that call to three greater demons, and six lesser. There is a full chapter and more on the dangers of not following rituals to the tee. And I would expect that anyone who captures this fine artifact uses it well."
Ritsuka nods to Lilah briefly.
There's a surprised, and then wary glance afforded aside to Ritsuka following her bid, and then Emmanuel slides his hands into his pockets. "How does one use a book of demons well, Tabitha?" He wonders of the auctioneer.
William perks an eyebrow at the conversation, just deciding to remain silent
Ash raises a hand.
Percy shoots a look at Emmanuel. Is there agreement in his expression? Perhaps.
"I have not used my magic in any way that would cause great harm or damage to someone. Some people deserve what they get, though. As I am sure you agree." Tabitha says to Emmanuel, just as confused.
Ash drawls loudly, "Two grand."
Ritsuka purses her lips.
"Twenty two," Lilah answers Ash. Perhaps its her bloodline, but the fiery redhead doesn't seem willing to back down that easily.
"If you are for the 'ethical' use of magics, why sell a weapon?" Emmanuel queries back in response of Tabitha, "Given your own history with demons, and their control, non?" While the man's tone is largely heatless, it's clear that he's having some trouble connecting the dots here. There's a pause, and a glance aside to Ash at their bid.
Ash adds to Emmanuel, "It probably has advice on how to destroy powerful demons, likely. 2.5 Grand!"
"Twenty-seven fifty," Lilah states, though she swallows hard afterwards, looking to Ash, wide-eyed.
Ash looks over to Dean, crossing their arms as they look to see if he'll bid.
There is a moment where Tabitha holds that book to her chest, after having closed it. She hugs it there, maybe questioning herself after Emmanuel's question. Her fingers grip that leather. She turns her gaze, going slightly watery, from Emmanuel, to Ash, then to Lilah and Ritsuka. "Because there is misunderstanding, I think, when it comes to magic. But you do make a good point. Perhaps I should not sell it." She's not a women without reason, afterall.
Lilah chokes out an exhaled breath that sounds all but strangled when Tabitha suggests not selling it after all. The wildness in her expression does not fade at this news, though she lifts a hand to scrub at her pallid face.
Arriving late, but Dean joins the crowd with the slow grace of a predator - desceding down the staircase with eyes locke on the crowd and with a posture that perpetually seems ready to break someone's spine. His eyes first land on Tabitha, then over at Lilah at her words - slowly moving on over to Ash that he eventually settles beside within the mass of people. "Bid higher." Is all he says, and he glances off - back at Lilah this time. Something narrows those green eyes, and there is a subtle shift of his jaw, canids ground in place.
And yet, there are many desires that clash and splat against each other, some more powerful than others, and Tabitha nods a bit to Lilah and then there comes a sigh, "Twenty-seven fifty."
"Perhaps not at an auction," Berlin suggests to Tabitha from the crowd. "if you are to sell it, surely it would be best to vet the person buying it. Otherwise, anyone with enough cash to bid for it could buy for whatever purposes."
Ash looks from Dean to Tabitha, unsure. "If you do, $2,800."
"Thre-... Three," Lilah calls, though her voice rasps and squeaks through the first attempt and she has to clear her throat and start over. "Three thousand."
Late, perhaps as usual, and immediately overwhelmed, Winston worms his way through the crowd of bidders, buyers, and oglers, to try to find some grounding near Ritsuka. His head cocks owlishly, eyes flitting back and forth between Ash and Lilah before looking at the item in question being offered. "Oh," he says, "No, yeah. That's worth a fair bit."
"I do not think there is much to misunderstand about handing a weapon to the corrupt," Emmanuel ventures back in response to Tabitha, still attempting to keep his voice calm, and level, while shooting a glance aside to Ash and clucking their tongue softly.
Ash continues, voice almost wheedling, "Thirty-one hundred."
"If it's anything like the last, it needs locked away in the Order's libraries, not out in the world where anyone can get it. We don't need another Solomon," Lilah grits out, her tone firming but the anxiety still lingering.
Juniper shifts her weight onto one hip, cocking out her opposite leg with a thoughtful expression give to Dean. Folded arms across her chest aren't agressively so, just loosely perched with her phone dangled from one hand. She watches Ash bid with a sort of calm interest.
Bear stares a little bit, eyes wide, "Its... its a book, guys."
Juniper shifts her weight onto one hip, cocking out her opposite leg with a thoughtful expression give to Dean. Folded arms across her chest aren't agressively so, just loosely perched with her phone dangled from one hand. She watches Ash bid with a sort of calm interest.
"Non. Not just a book." Emmanuel intones back in respones to Bear, tension evident in his frame.
"No book is ever just a book," Berlin says to Bear, shaking his head.
In some moment of emotional calm amidst the overstimulation, Winston finds Ash's voice, meeting their eyes and smiling, widely. "High roller," he says gleefully to Ash, until too many other voices rise up and Winston has to inch in to where Ritsuka and Lilah are to safeguard against sensory overload again.
Ash reminds Lilah, "Not everyone simply wants more power. And some seek power to break chains. Isn't that a good thing?"
Percy tells Bear, "I have read from the Book of the Dead." He pauses. "When you pronounce the words, you can hear the the howls of a hundred generations of the sons of the sun. In the beginning of time, writing was magic -- it bound power onto skins and stone and papyrus."
"It is a book of demons, mon ami. Not emancipation." Emmanuel dryly intones over toward Ash with a little roll of the eyes, "Selling this at all? Letting this exist?" He clucks his tongue, and shakes his head, disapproval evident.
"Then we should work together," Lilah says back to Ash, lifting her chin with the offer, even if she won't quite look at Dean standing right there. Right there. "Anyone with good intentions can access materials in Order's library. We could work together to free whomever it is you seek to free."
"No. I want the book." Dean calls in a lazy enough drawl, and finally his attention upon Lilah draws away to turn upon Tabitha. One of his hands slide into his pocket, and the other taps Ash on the shoulder, his words meant for them. "Bid higher if she does."
Bear nods solemnly, meeting Percy's gaze with a serious expression, "I read from the Goblet of Fire. I really wanted to bang Cho Chang." He nods surely.
"I have never heard of that tome," Percy admits to Bear.
Lilah swallows hard, but says, "Thirty-three," all the same. Her voice trembles. Her hands wrap around her belly. But she keeps her chin lifted.
Tabitha seems to be hyperfocusing on Lilah for a moment, and then she nods again. "Three thousand to Lilah." She is distracted by Emmanuel and misses Ash's bid. "It should not be destroyed because someone thinks that all magic is evil and should be abolished. It should be studied, and understood. It should, and can, even, be used for good. If ... If I had not had access to these things, I would still be in chains. I would still be..." She frowns, the flood of memories rushing through her, and her cheeks flush to rosy red. As she speaks, her words get more shaky.
Ash looks back at Lilah with golden eyes, green slowly returning in a shift of emotions. They don't respond, remaining neutral, until Dean speaks to them. They immediately go "Thirtyfour hundred."
Lilah probably is digging into the depths, even with friends surrounding her at this point. "Thirty... thirty four," she breathes, but once more rocks on her heels as Tabitha's memories and recollections clearly affect her as well. A pair in shared misery, and yet...
Lilah says "Thirty-five. "
"There would have been no chains if people like Solomon were not being empowered by these very things!" Emmanuel points out in response to Tabitha, the tension finally starting to bleed into his tone as well, "If you hand this off to Ash, and the Hand? You are making more slaves. More chains. More victims. And for what? Money?" He huffs from his nose, and shakes his head. "Not all magic is evil, let us pretend this is real." He jabs a finger at the tome, "/That/ is."
"Do you throw away your books on building tanks and nuclear weapons?" Tabitha asks Emmanuel.
"Yes." Emmanuel rolls his eyes toward Tabitha, "It is the geneva convention."
Lilah turns blatantly pleading eyes on Tabitha, while she trembles, cradling that baby bump so visible beneath her dress.
Ash firmly, "I am *not* giving this to the Hand. Thirtysix."
"You are the Hand." Emmanuel points out to Ash.
"Ash is many things," Juniper reminds Emmanuel quickly, simply.
"Tabs, please," Lilah gasps out, but she continues to sway as she tries to dig deeper. It takes looking at her phone and another long hesitation before she says, "Thirty eight."
"Don't claim to me that you are innocent and angelic and there is no evil in the mundane world." Tabitha says to Emmanuel. She sighs at him. The plead from Lilah is met and there is that shared moment between the two of them. She wets her lips and says, Thirty eight." She stops the bidding there. "Thirty eight is the final bid.""
"Oui, and amongst these? Poor." Emmanuel notes back to Juniper, then turning to Lilah, "No cost is too much to be keeping this from the hands of the corrupt, hm?" He points out to her, "I do not want another Solomon Inigo, as much as Tabitha here may be supporting such a thing."
Novel rolls right on up, booted feet thumping as he ambles right over to -emmanuel and gives him a friendly nudge. "So what's been fucking sold already?" He remarks without any particular difficulty. He furrows his brow. "... The fuck?" He says, eventually.
Winston looks up from his phone, his primary anchor, to give Novel a friendly wave, and point to the incredibly dangerous looking book. "That thing," he says, "For a -stupid- amount of money."
Tabitha grows livid. "I am not supporting Solomin Inigo, you rat faced terrier!"
Novel cranes his head to look at the book covered in bullshit. "Oh. Cool. It doesn't have enough spikes on it. And it's not, like, screaming or on fire."
"Non? Then why sell it, instead of destroying something that might lead to another?" Emmanuel challenges of Tabitha, keeping above the more petty insults. "Is it because this is not affecting you? Or is the money being too much of an allure to do the right thing?"
"You have no idea all what he did to me, nor do you care. Don't act like you do." Tabitha says to Emmanuel.
Ash frowns to Emmanuel, drawling, "It's one thing to accuse me of whatever, but don't through someone's trauma in their face just so you can feel morally superior. That's too far, in her own place."
"Innocent is a farce." Elias says to Emmanuel, "I doubt anyone in this room can truly claim such. Power comes at the cost of blood on our hands. Ignorance of it doesn't change that." The dark haired man clarifies.
"Emmanuel, shut the fuck up before I shut you up." Dean calls aside from whatever distraction he's currently busy with, and the look that he levels upon the man is harsh, in a draw of his lips that bares large canids openly. "You're talking too much, just let it play."
Ash absolutely said throw.
"What Tabitha went through was real," says one of the only others who can speak to that trauma. "Don't belittle it." She takes in a breath, turns wide, fear-darkened green eyes on Dean and Ash, and says again, "I am not opposed to letting you see it. Use it. In neutral space with oaths of the same, Ash." But then Lilah is stepping forward on legs that threaten to buckle, to try and claim the book.
Tabitha is clearly shaking now. She steps away from the group, and over to Lilah specifically.
Bear just listens, clearly having no idea whats going on.
"It is always the same arguments, hm? The same intellec- intl- Intelluctual dishonestly," Emmanuel clucks his tongue, and shakes his head. There's a little huff toward Elias at their words, and a roll of the eyes at Ash, before Emmanuel elects to cross his arms, and shut his mouth for the time being. Not because he's scared of being beaten up by Dean, definitely not this. Probably just to keep the peace, or whatever.
Berlin senses the tention in the room. He shoots his cuffs, straightening from where he'd been simply observing. He makes for the door, leather soles clicking softly as he does so.
"Jesus, fu-" and Winston has to actually release Ritsuka's hand to step forward to help Lilah approach Tabitha, a hand coming to help stabilize her at her shoulders. "I've got you. Go, take it. You won it," he tells Lilah, trying to make sure she doesn't crumple to the floor.
Ash nods to Lilah, drawling softly, "Thank you."
Percy looks between Tabitha and Lilah. It's the first redhead he goes to, the one with blue eyes. "Tabitha, old girl?" he asks her. "You're looking a little pale," he says. There's concern in his tone, which broadens to a look at Lilah. "And you seem entirely too much for a woman in your delicate condition." He pauses, raising his voice. "Does anyone know Lilah's husband?"
Tabitha shoots a 'shut up' look at Percy
Tabitha leans into Lilah to whisper to her, a hand on her, at least, should she even allow the other redhead to touch her.
It takes a moment, as if Lilah isn't sure whether Ash is genuine or not, but then the frightened redhead says seriously, "Yes." Not you're welcome. Nobody is welcome to trauma. But all the same, she nods. "Seven six six six when you want to set up a time. I'll keep my word," she pledges, before once more glancing over at Dean. When Winston offers her a supporting hand, she offers a wan smile in return, then nods, steels her spine, and heads for Tabitha. Of course she allows the touch, in the moment. There's far bigger worries.
"This child's father is Solomon Inigo," Lilah bites out to Percy, after an indrawn breath. It's not pleasure, nor bragging. But there's defiance in her words all the same.
Ash blinks to Lilah before asking, "...are you serious?"
Percy lacks some context, perhaps, for the name, but on the other hand? There's been a lot of context tonight. Wisely, the olive-skinned adventurer shuts up.
Juniper gives a subtle nod to Elias, shifting once more to straighten within his arm. To Ash, Bear and Dean she gives a look and nod as well expressing her silent farewell.
Ash says "Wait, June."
"Mmm?" Juniper responds in a questioning tone only to Ash.
Ash goes over to Juniper. to offer her a hug.
Offering his arm to escort Juniper from the room, Elias turns to look at the stairwell with a small smile to her, "Shall we?"
Ash says "Sleep well, both of you."
"Yeah," Lilah says to Ash, simply. Her equilibrium is returning, perhaps simply for the lack of a certain someone's lack of predatory gaze on her in the moment. She nods, then tilts her head to nod again to Tabitha. "Thanks, Tab. I... appreciate it."
Juniper softens, opening her arm out to Ash as they approach and wraps them up with a squeeze. "Well done, huh? Come by the greenhouse with that skull?" she prods with a lifted brow.
Juniper is given a return nod in her silent farewell, and Dean's eyes turn upon Ash - and whatever he intended to say is kept for now while he goes on to hug the woman. Instead, Dean keeps his leveled attention upon the exchange between Lilah and Tabitha.
Ash nods to Juniper, drawling, "Now, or later?"
Ash nods to Juniper, stepping back and waving. "Sleep well!"
Pausing completely in the middle of helping Lilah, Winston turns to wave at Juniper, smiling, saying "Oh! Hi Professor Andersen, bye Professor Andersen!"
"You too, take care of Bear there," Juniper adds with a small grin and a chin lifted at the large man.
Tabitha would probably tell Juniper and Elias to have a good night and thank them for coming, but she is in a quiet transaction and conversation with Lilah.
Ash chuckles, drawling, "I'll try."
Hearing her name, Juniper looks up and off to find Winston amidst the faces. She lifts a hand in acknowledgement waving with an easy smile. "Evenin' Winston," she says calmly before turning in toward Elias once more. "Ready now," she tells the dark-haired man.
Percy relaxes, a little, though there's some concern in his face as he glances around the room. There's still some tension here. He feels, perhaps, for weapons he has not had for a long time.
Tabitha has something to prove to.
Ash returns to stand, now, between Bear and Dean, though they drawl, "I suppose that's it for the rest of us?"
"Take another one or two of our arcanists." Dean tells Ash when the farewells are over. "You can handle the book business with Lilah, whenever." It isn't a question on whether that'll happen, but a fact that he claims while he casts another look at the exchange. Perhaps a bit sour to have let the bid go, but the aggression of him, naturally, suggests Lilah made the naturally wisest decision. Yet, his attention turns on over to Emmanuel after that, to watch the man - and eventually beckon him with the hand that's not in his pocket.
Lilah does what needs done on the banking app on her phone, showing Tabitha that transfer screen, then tucking away the device. She licks at her lips, then looks down at the book that's put into her hands, and her expression reads nothing but conflict. So much conflict within that small body. But eventually, she carefully wraps the book in a scarf and tucks it into the backpack slung over her shoulder. Then, with a nod to Tabitha, she says, "I'll keep my word." And she takes a step backward, away from Dean and Ash, away from Emmanuel and the others, including even Winston who'd helped support her just then though she does nod to Ritsuka.
Ash nods to Dean, then tells Bear, "It's fine, I just want to see if it has something that will help us."
Bear pats Ash on the back. Entirely too hard, his hand lightly shoving them. "Shit. Sorry. Still learning to control this."
Percy shoots some unpleasant look at Winston for his rudeness.
Ash stumbles forward with a grimace, drawling, "Ah...! Yeah... it'll take a bit."
Winston smiles a wide and toothy smile at Percy, though it's quite impossible to tell if it reaches his eyes. And then, over to Ritsuka, he says "Home time? I don't see anything else interesting."
Emmanuel flicks a glance back over toward Dean, and their beckoning gesture before just shaking his head. "Non, thank you," He attempts a fairly polite response to him, and soon enough his attention returns back toward Lilah as she stows the book away. The lingering frown remains on his features as he considers Tabitha, and then raises a hand to scratch at his cheek.
Novel shows up, shifting to put himself right behind Lilah, a filthy, dirty human being, smelling of sweat and dirt and fish. Someone was out having a fun time, more likely than not. "Hey!" He remarks. "Congratulations on th' uhhhh..." He stares at the object in her hands for a moment. "...Book." He eventually concludes, having no other input on it.""
Bear says "Guys, I gotta' crash."
Ash drawls to Bear, "Speaking of which, want to hunt- ah. Then, sleep well. Thak you, again."
The book was passed over quite some time ago, and Tabitha is empty handed by the time Winston speaks up to her in that rude tone of his. "She has the book, and if you do not like it, I did not aks for you to come." She gives him a strange look. "I do not understand your snark and hatred. We did not mesh. We both got busy, and we both fell out of communication.'"
Ash nods to Dean, drawling, "I'm heading back."
Percy relaxes, a little, as the transaction is completed and some tension seems to be dissipating.
So intent is she on everyone else in the room, that Lilah jumps when Novel ends up behind her. She's taken aback, and every single nerve is on edge in that moment. Her arms curl around to hug her backpack to her chest and stomach, as she gasps out something like a laugh and mutters, "Jesus, Novel. Give a girl a warning..."
"That wasn't a request." Dean tells Emmanuel. "We need to talk." And the beckoning gesture becomes a demand, Dean flicks his wrist, draws it in, then slips that in his pocket too while something grabs hold of Emmanuel. It doesn't force his body to move, he's drawn in by force, skidding on his heels to cut a rough line through the crowd until he's made to stand in front of Dean, eye-to-eye. All that Ash gets in the meanwhile is a sideway nod in farewell, but nothing else.
Ritsuka moves on to place herself closer to Lilah, a touch protectively in fact.
Ash seems like they were *about* to leave... but stops to watch.
Oh, dear god, so many people and so much noise and everyone's talking and leaving and coming and going. Winston latches onto his phone, letting Ritsuka deal with Lilah for the moment, and shuffle-stepping towards Ash, in a slow, roundabout way that utterly and completely ignores Tabitha.
"Ack!" Emmanuel blurts out in alarm, and surprise both, as he's dragged along the floor like a puppy that just doesn't want to walk on their leash any more. He tries to recollect himself as he ends up standing opposite Dean, but it's a hard thing to do when you're pulled against your will, "What?" The Frenchman hisses back at him then, "I do non think we do need to talk, but if you have something to say, be quick about it, merci?"
Novel lifts his arm and sniffs himself. "I thought the stench was enough of a goddamn warning," He responds with remarkable cheerfulness. "Good to see you and Tabi in the same fucking room and getting along." He reaches to just slap Lilah right on the back, tone and body relaxed, in complete disregard to the piano-wire tension of the whole room. "If you're headed out I can drive you somewhere if you want, but - right."
Novel lifts his chin, calling out to Tabitha loudly, "Hey, Tabi!" And then nods, in satisfaction, his goals accomplished.
Ash glances between Tabitha and Winston, then tilts their head to the latter as he approaches, eyes back on the new show.
Lilah rocks at the slap on her back, but the little half-laugh that Novel earns for admitting how badly he reeks is lost when Emmanuel is dragged over toward Dean. She should probably take advantage of the moment to get the fuck out of Dodge, but instead she gapes at that invisible pull, and then exhales a shuddering little sound. "Fuck," is what she ends up saying, then nods as she presses closer to Novel's side.
Winston looks up to Ash, already moving to the stairs himself.
"I don't hate you, Winston." Tabitha says, likely gone unheard or ignored, again. But she's off doing other stuff, like upnodding Novel and calling out to him with a smile, "Hi, Novel. You missed it all, mostly."
"Tabitha, I'm borrowing your garden." Dean calls out without diverting his eyes away from Emmanuel in the slightest. While the man fixes himself up, Dean offers a simple nod upstairs to privacy, a gesture to follow along while he turns slightly and speaks. "I'm being diplomatic, so let's get a bit of privacy for a few minutes. If you'd rather the usual, I'll make you listen with your jaw broken." There isn't much inflection to his tone, just the usual, raw voice of someone plagued by a backdrop of a slight growl in each bitten word.
Ash waves to Winston, assuming that he'll keep moving, with a smile. "Twice in one day, we're doing better!"
"Time's an old man, Ash," Winston says, "If he kept outpacing us forever, I'd start questioning our physical fitness."
Ritsuka turns around to Lilah after sending a text message and smiles sweet, and then she steps away and moves back on over to Winston, her eyes coming down to her phone a moment.
There's a quiet, long-suffering sort of sigh from Emmanuel before he elects to just lope after Dean, looking puzzled about what the big ol' wolf would want with him.
Ash laughs, before heading out, the show clearly over.
Ash drawls, "May next time be just as exiting..., Tabitha!"
Novel openly admits, "I was drowning in a bog. I tried catching a fish and it hauled me in instead." What an exciting and bizarre life the man leads as he calls right on back to Tabitha. "Too fucking bad. Oh, hey, if you wanna come hang out you can. But I guess I'm walking someone home." And a little wave, his other arm gently wrapped around Lilah - and then, he starts to escort the smaller woman away.
Knowing he's completely engaged with Lilah, Winston doesn't wander back to properly interrupt Novel. "Hey, Novel!" Winston says, smiling broadly and offering the man a wave as he bypasses him on the stairs. He then reaches for Ritsuka's hand, and says, a bit more firmly, now, "Home time."
Percy steps closer to Tabitha. "It might be time to get you home," he tells Tabitha. "Auction's over, and --" He looks around. "Not everyone won," he says. "This lot seems peaceable enough, but I've seen collectors lose their minds over this sort of affair."
Ritsuka raises a hand up to wiggle a goodbye to Lilah, with phone in hand, and then she turns to follow after Winston.
The smell. It's not her biggest worry right now, and so Lilah doesn't even fight Novel's hold on her. Instead, she shrinks inward, as if she expects he could handle the entire pack of everyone that still lingers, or has already left. "Thanks," she says, sighing softly, a long slow exhale.
Percy tells Lilah quietly, "I'm sorry about your husband. It was nice to meet you."
Tabitha nods to Lilah, "Of course, Lilah. Get home safely. I hope that you feel better, too." She turns to Percy, and allows him to escort her, instead of vice versa. She nods to someone, "Glad that you could come... next time I may ... not have a book."
Tabitha nods to Lilah, "Of course, Lilah. Get home safely. I hope that you feel better, too." She turns to Percy, and allows him to escort her, instead of vice versa. She nods to the spritely guy, "Glad that you could come... next time I may ... not have a book."
Novel waves - and out he goes.
Tabitha elbows Percy hard.
"Ouch!" Percy protests to Tabitha, offering her his arm. "What did you do that for?"
"If you do not know the circumstances of a woman's pregnancy, shut the frick up about it." Tabitha tells Percy.
Percy tells Tabitha as he walks up the stairs with her, "I confess that my mother was not my father's wife," he says. "It's a delicate situation, though he did the right thing." He pauses. "Still, she was Egyptian. Lilah seemed like she might be Irish, which I could understand a little, I suppose, but still -- a gentleman should still marry an Irishwoman, in my view."
Percy waits with Tabitha, his expression thoughtful. "They're all hungry," he comments. "Hungrier than I daresay is proper or safe."
William comes back up upon being prompted, scratching the back of his head after doing so "Honestly... I wasn't really expecting you to do so after all that... It was a lot"
Tabitha waits by the stairs for William to approach. "I was about ready to not sell it. But I gave it to Lilah for alot less than what it god bid for." She leans into Percy, for a little support, "It was the least that I could do. And she and I... we have a bond, in a strange way." She crosses her arms beneath her bosom, "And Emmy, I'm sure he thinks that I am just some terrible person, but I don't think that he is willing to listen, either."
"It seems like the man treated her shabbily, indeed," Percy says, allowing Tabitha to lean into him. He nods to William, before he glances back. "The blackguard is dead? Or just off to some place abandoning the poor girl?" he says. "Probably back to the woman he goes home to," he comments.
William shakes his head slightly "I don't think so either... I've heard a bit of a summary of the guy from, well, a deputy friend of mine... I don't want to really pry in things so... Personal" He lets a bit of a sigh, before looking up at Tabitha, he glances at Percy for a moment before adding "If it serves of anything... I also think blame should be assigned to the person, not the tool... Lots of things were invented with great purposes and turned around to be used for evil, and the other way around..."
nods a little to William, "Thank you," Tabitha says sincerely, in sharing her belief in the tool vs. person cunundrum. "Did you meet Percy?" she asks, gesturing with an elbow in Percy's direction. "He is new to Haven."
"We met briefly," Percy tells Tabitha. "It is nice to make your acquaintance, old boy," he tells William. "This is my first taste of America. You Yanks have some marvelous things, though there's other things that seem a little queer, honestly." He looks around.
William hums a bit "Just briefly upon arrival, while you were setting everything up..." He answer to Tabitha while he turns to look at Percy "Just shared names and well, I've been listening down there, but that's about it"
"Well then," Percy says. "Jolly good to meet you, old sport. But I suppose I should help Tabitha here find her way home." He smiles to William. "It's almost the witching hour, after all. Have a marvelous night, yes?"
William gives a little nod to the two "Yeah, have a good one as well... And rest well"
"Do you have my real number?" Tabitha asks William. "We only have our myhaven I think..." She adds, "But ah.... if I don't respond, please don't think that I have hard feelings or hate you. I'm really horrible at phones." She looks to the north, waving someone over, "No, just getting ready to head out."
"..I will think it over." Emmanuel allows after a few more moments, and an assenting nod in response to Dean. He doesn't dash for the door, but he definitely gives it a look as it opens.
"Do you have my real number?" Tabitha asks William. "We only have our myhaven I think..." She adds, "But ah.... if I don't respond, please don't think that I have hard feelings or hate you. I'm really horrible at phones." She looks to the north, waving Sienna over, "No, just getting ready to head out." Though it seems that was for someone else.
Sienna slips in, lured by curiosity. "Well then," she exhales, pulling the door closed behind her, offering Emmanuel and Dean alike a terse little smile. "I was hoping to get the 411 on how the auction ended."
The auction concludes with Lilah winning the book for $3,800, after a sentimental exchange and a moment of hesitance from Tabitha. The aftermath of the auction is filled with mixed feelings; relief, concern, and unresolved tension permeate the air. Emmanuel expresses strong disapproval of the sale, highlighting the dangers of such a powerful artifact falling into the wrong hands, while others speculate on the potential uses of the book, be it for good or evil. As attendees slowly disperse, alliances and enmities subtly reveal themselves, with some offering support to Lilah while others debate the moral implications of the auction. The event leaves an indelible mark on the community, with many left to ponder the true cost of delving into the occult and the power of the relics within Tabitha's collection.
(Tabitha's Occult Artifact/Relic Sale)
[Sat Oct 5 2024]
In The Cauldron -- Potions and Auction Block
Using the grand staircase is something of an experience, no matter which direction one goes. They are cool grey stone and the height of each varies ever so slightly. The walls are the same grey stone, cool and perhaps even a little damp to the touch, candelabra dimly lighting the path.
The basement is more like a catacomb, found deep beneath the town, turning old-town charm into something Gothic and mysterious. This section of the catacomb appears to be just a foyer of sorts to whatever lies behind the elaborate arched stained-glass doors on the northern wall. Within a shallow enclave at one side of the door is a stone likeness of Baphomet.
It is about 55F(12C) degrees.
"Says the man with an island," Juniper mutters as an aside to Elias with a mildly teasing tone. "We've got hammocks everywhere. Far superior to car seats," she assures Bear. "You can rock yourself to sleep while crying softly and looking at your online bank balance."
Lilah may be stumbling toward Percy, but that doesn't prevent Emmanuel from attempting to reach out and steady her, "Lilah?" He queries of her, concern evident in his tone.
Bear passes the skull to Ash rather casually for the amount he just spent on it, "Catch."
Ritsuka looks concerned to Lilah "Lilah, are you alright? Do you need anything?"
Ash waves their hands open, as if revealing the book name, though it turns into scrambling for the expensive relic. They look it over, smirk, then put it in their bag before focusing on Tabitha again. The shift is a bit slow, after the tension starts to transform, but they lean forward again as the book comes out, looking more determined. They give off the impression of having come here for that book. Though, seeing Lilah near faint catches their attention as much as anyone, concern crossing their expression.
"Is... is that..." Lilah stammers out, though the name of the book she's thinking of is not spoken. She just shudders again. Letting Emmanuel steady her, she regains her balance, but not quite her emotional equilibrium, and just stares at the book for a moment longer. Her eyes squeeze shut. "I'm fine," she breathes. "I'm fine."
Berlin glances over to Lilah, the same concern on his face as on everyone else's.
Percy looks up at Lilah, reaching up to steady her. "Are you feeling seedy?" he asks her, concerned. "In your condition, miss -- if someone has a wireless we can ring for the women's service, or whatever you have here."
The last item in which Tabitha brings out is an old book of black leather with the pages old and yellowing. Most likely, everything in it may very well be handwritten by its age. "This grimoire was picked up on a mission to ... well. I feel confident that those who are here are very aware of life in Haven..." She looks to Lilah and there is a softness creeping in. She shakes her head. "It is not... It is not Solomon's." She guesses. "My team, Those Seeking Redemption, were on a mission to help a group out of the clutches of Legion. This grimoire was in the hands of one of their priests." She holds it into the air.
Ash seems to sigh in relief at Tabitha's explanation, a few more emotions passing quickly across their face. Then, they focus on it, again.
Well, one can imagine the potential baggage there, at least. Emmanuel does his best to keep Lilah up on her feet, rubbing at her back in slow, soothing motions as he listens to Tabitha's explanation. There's a furrowing of the brow at the mention of the Inigo sorcerer. "You're okay," He notes aside to Lilah then, attempting to make this true whether it was the case or not.
William shifts a bit against the wall, standing to attention to eye the book
Tabitha clears her throat and turns her eyes onto the book, and caressees the leather. "Yes, well. As I was saying, this book is personal, but not of the Inigo name." Again, silence. She opens the book and flips through the crinkling pages. "This is believed to be a handwritten copy of the Grand Grimoire, or Le Dragon Rouge. It is a small subset of the Grand Albert."
Emmanuel's expression wrinkles so much at the mere mention of a dragon that the damn wrinkles are likely to stay on his features for several days, if not weeks.
"I'm sorry," Percy tells Lilah. "I didn't mean anything about -- I'm a little old-fashioned," he explains. "Please, a pretty face like yours -- calm that pretty head down, and I promise I'll watch my words."
Berlin looks at the book, peering closely at it, but notices something in what little of it he can comprehend, and shakes his head. He steps back in the crowd, allowing those more interested to step forward and have their own looks, and perhaps make bids.
"That is... that -is- the book then. The Grand Albert," Lilah murmurs a little too loudly, as hearing even the name has her shuddering again. "Or part of it?" Either way, it takes her entire focus. Enough so that she seems to have forgotten Percy exists for a moment or three - long enough to calm down on -that- front, at least.
Ash drawls softly, "Ho-lee shit!" They press their hand against their heart.
"I'm -fine-!" Lilah lies to Emmanuel, after his whispered words, giving her head a fierce shake and taking several determined steps away from him.
"It is not the Grand Albert." Tabitha reiterates to Lilah. "They are seperate entities, though the information is similar." She shows off one of the pages. "Legion was using the book to help meet Legion's goals, but I am of the belief that not all magic is bad, or awful. It does matter whose hands it touches." She looks out in the crowd, "Because of the nature of the book, and the rituals, which mind you, are some about wealth, and health, and prosperity, are not necessarily bad. But can be misused, undoubtedly..." She takes a breath. "In many books, Lucifer is seen as malignent, but his name actually means light bearer."
Percy cocks his head at Tabitha's statement. He opens his mouth, thinks better of it, and shuts it.
There's a mild squint afforded toward Tabitha as she notes the origin of the fallen angels name, and it's through sheer willpower that the Frenchman doesn't comment upon it. Instead Emmanuel spares another concerned glance aside to Lilah, while tonguing at a tooth.
"Due to the nature of this book, I am starting bidding at no less than six hundred." Tabitha says.
Juniper leans in to listen to Elias's whisper before she turns her face slightly to trace the tip of her nose against his cheek and then whisper in return.
"Do I hear six?" Tabitha asks. "Mind you, this book is worth far, far more than that."
Ash calls out, "$600!"
Lilah calls out sharply, "Seven fifty."
Ritsuka emote raises a hand up and says "Let's skip the lower values. Thousand two hundred."
Lilah calls out sharply, "Seven fifty."
Ash shrugs, then blinks, looking at Ritsuka in shock.
Lilah blinks at Ritsuka, not quite able to form words for a moment.
It takes a moment, but Lilah seems to decide to just double down on her bid and calls, "Fifteen hundred, then."
"Seven fifty from Lilah." Tabitha says, flipping a page to show it to the crowd, and then freezes that page on Ritsuka's for her to view. "Twelve Hundred to Ritsuka."
Percy whistles, inhaling low. "I'll say."
Ritsuka looks to Lilah and wobbles her head a little bit. "Are you sure, Lilah? I would let you look at it, or destroy it, once I read through it, if that is what you want."
Ash nods to Bear.
"If it's anything like the last... it's... it can't be..." Lilah shakes her head to Ritsuka, breathing in deeply. "Tabitha still has that one, somewhere." Her eyes flit back to the book on display, expression haunted, not avaricious.
"Fifteen hundred to Lilah." Tabitha says, surprised by the sudden, immediate jump in price. "There are plenty of spells in her that call to three greater demons, and six lesser. There is a full chapter and more on the dangers of not following rituals to the tee. And I would expect that anyone who captures this fine artifact uses it well."
Ritsuka nods to Lilah briefly.
There's a surprised, and then wary glance afforded aside to Ritsuka following her bid, and then Emmanuel slides his hands into his pockets. "How does one use a book of demons well, Tabitha?" He wonders of the auctioneer.
William perks an eyebrow at the conversation, just deciding to remain silent
Ash raises a hand.
Percy shoots a look at Emmanuel. Is there agreement in his expression? Perhaps.
"I have not used my magic in any way that would cause great harm or damage to someone. Some people deserve what they get, though. As I am sure you agree." Tabitha says to Emmanuel, just as confused.
Ash drawls loudly, "Two grand."
Ritsuka purses her lips.
"Twenty two," Lilah answers Ash. Perhaps its her bloodline, but the fiery redhead doesn't seem willing to back down that easily.
"If you are for the 'ethical' use of magics, why sell a weapon?" Emmanuel queries back in response of Tabitha, "Given your own history with demons, and their control, non?" While the man's tone is largely heatless, it's clear that he's having some trouble connecting the dots here. There's a pause, and a glance aside to Ash at their bid.
Ash adds to Emmanuel, "It probably has advice on how to destroy powerful demons, likely. 2.5 Grand!"
"Twenty-seven fifty," Lilah states, though she swallows hard afterwards, looking to Ash, wide-eyed.
Ash looks over to Dean, crossing their arms as they look to see if he'll bid.
There is a moment where Tabitha holds that book to her chest, after having closed it. She hugs it there, maybe questioning herself after Emmanuel's question. Her fingers grip that leather. She turns her gaze, going slightly watery, from Emmanuel, to Ash, then to Lilah and Ritsuka. "Because there is misunderstanding, I think, when it comes to magic. But you do make a good point. Perhaps I should not sell it." She's not a women without reason, afterall.
Lilah chokes out an exhaled breath that sounds all but strangled when Tabitha suggests not selling it after all. The wildness in her expression does not fade at this news, though she lifts a hand to scrub at her pallid face.
Arriving late, but Dean joins the crowd with the slow grace of a predator - desceding down the staircase with eyes locke on the crowd and with a posture that perpetually seems ready to break someone's spine. His eyes first land on Tabitha, then over at Lilah at her words - slowly moving on over to Ash that he eventually settles beside within the mass of people. "Bid higher." Is all he says, and he glances off - back at Lilah this time. Something narrows those green eyes, and there is a subtle shift of his jaw, canids ground in place.
And yet, there are many desires that clash and splat against each other, some more powerful than others, and Tabitha nods a bit to Lilah and then there comes a sigh, "Twenty-seven fifty."
"Perhaps not at an auction," Berlin suggests to Tabitha from the crowd. "if you are to sell it, surely it would be best to vet the person buying it. Otherwise, anyone with enough cash to bid for it could buy for whatever purposes."
Ash looks from Dean to Tabitha, unsure. "If you do, $2,800."
"Thre-... Three," Lilah calls, though her voice rasps and squeaks through the first attempt and she has to clear her throat and start over. "Three thousand."
Late, perhaps as usual, and immediately overwhelmed, Winston worms his way through the crowd of bidders, buyers, and oglers, to try to find some grounding near Ritsuka. His head cocks owlishly, eyes flitting back and forth between Ash and Lilah before looking at the item in question being offered. "Oh," he says, "No, yeah. That's worth a fair bit."
"I do not think there is much to misunderstand about handing a weapon to the corrupt," Emmanuel ventures back in response to Tabitha, still attempting to keep his voice calm, and level, while shooting a glance aside to Ash and clucking their tongue softly.
Ash continues, voice almost wheedling, "Thirty-one hundred."
"If it's anything like the last, it needs locked away in the Order's libraries, not out in the world where anyone can get it. We don't need another Solomon," Lilah grits out, her tone firming but the anxiety still lingering.
Juniper shifts her weight onto one hip, cocking out her opposite leg with a thoughtful expression give to Dean. Folded arms across her chest aren't agressively so, just loosely perched with her phone dangled from one hand. She watches Ash bid with a sort of calm interest.
Bear stares a little bit, eyes wide, "Its... its a book, guys."
Juniper shifts her weight onto one hip, cocking out her opposite leg with a thoughtful expression give to Dean. Folded arms across her chest aren't agressively so, just loosely perched with her phone dangled from one hand. She watches Ash bid with a sort of calm interest.
"Non. Not just a book." Emmanuel intones back in respones to Bear, tension evident in his frame.
"No book is ever just a book," Berlin says to Bear, shaking his head.
In some moment of emotional calm amidst the overstimulation, Winston finds Ash's voice, meeting their eyes and smiling, widely. "High roller," he says gleefully to Ash, until too many other voices rise up and Winston has to inch in to where Ritsuka and Lilah are to safeguard against sensory overload again.
Ash reminds Lilah, "Not everyone simply wants more power. And some seek power to break chains. Isn't that a good thing?"
Percy tells Bear, "I have read from the Book of the Dead." He pauses. "When you pronounce the words, you can hear the the howls of a hundred generations of the sons of the sun. In the beginning of time, writing was magic -- it bound power onto skins and stone and papyrus."
"It is a book of demons, mon ami. Not emancipation." Emmanuel dryly intones over toward Ash with a little roll of the eyes, "Selling this at all? Letting this exist?" He clucks his tongue, and shakes his head, disapproval evident.
"Then we should work together," Lilah says back to Ash, lifting her chin with the offer, even if she won't quite look at Dean standing right there. Right there. "Anyone with good intentions can access materials in Order's library. We could work together to free whomever it is you seek to free."
"No. I want the book." Dean calls in a lazy enough drawl, and finally his attention upon Lilah draws away to turn upon Tabitha. One of his hands slide into his pocket, and the other taps Ash on the shoulder, his words meant for them. "Bid higher if she does."
Bear nods solemnly, meeting Percy's gaze with a serious expression, "I read from the Goblet of Fire. I really wanted to bang Cho Chang." He nods surely.
"I have never heard of that tome," Percy admits to Bear.
Lilah swallows hard, but says, "Thirty-three," all the same. Her voice trembles. Her hands wrap around her belly. But she keeps her chin lifted.
Tabitha seems to be hyperfocusing on Lilah for a moment, and then she nods again. "Three thousand to Lilah." She is distracted by Emmanuel and misses Ash's bid. "It should not be destroyed because someone thinks that all magic is evil and should be abolished. It should be studied, and understood. It should, and can, even, be used for good. If ... If I had not had access to these things, I would still be in chains. I would still be..." She frowns, the flood of memories rushing through her, and her cheeks flush to rosy red. As she speaks, her words get more shaky.
Ash looks back at Lilah with golden eyes, green slowly returning in a shift of emotions. They don't respond, remaining neutral, until Dean speaks to them. They immediately go "Thirtyfour hundred."
Lilah probably is digging into the depths, even with friends surrounding her at this point. "Thirty... thirty four," she breathes, but once more rocks on her heels as Tabitha's memories and recollections clearly affect her as well. A pair in shared misery, and yet...
Lilah says "Thirty-five. "
"There would have been no chains if people like Solomon were not being empowered by these very things!" Emmanuel points out in response to Tabitha, the tension finally starting to bleed into his tone as well, "If you hand this off to Ash, and the Hand? You are making more slaves. More chains. More victims. And for what? Money?" He huffs from his nose, and shakes his head. "Not all magic is evil, let us pretend this is real." He jabs a finger at the tome, "/That/ is."
"Do you throw away your books on building tanks and nuclear weapons?" Tabitha asks Emmanuel.
"Yes." Emmanuel rolls his eyes toward Tabitha, "It is the geneva convention."
Lilah turns blatantly pleading eyes on Tabitha, while she trembles, cradling that baby bump so visible beneath her dress.
Ash firmly, "I am *not* giving this to the Hand. Thirtysix."
"You are the Hand." Emmanuel points out to Ash.
"Ash is many things," Juniper reminds Emmanuel quickly, simply.
"Tabs, please," Lilah gasps out, but she continues to sway as she tries to dig deeper. It takes looking at her phone and another long hesitation before she says, "Thirty eight."
"Don't claim to me that you are innocent and angelic and there is no evil in the mundane world." Tabitha says to Emmanuel. She sighs at him. The plead from Lilah is met and there is that shared moment between the two of them. She wets her lips and says, Thirty eight." She stops the bidding there. "Thirty eight is the final bid.""
"Oui, and amongst these? Poor." Emmanuel notes back to Juniper, then turning to Lilah, "No cost is too much to be keeping this from the hands of the corrupt, hm?" He points out to her, "I do not want another Solomon Inigo, as much as Tabitha here may be supporting such a thing."
Novel rolls right on up, booted feet thumping as he ambles right over to -emmanuel and gives him a friendly nudge. "So what's been fucking sold already?" He remarks without any particular difficulty. He furrows his brow. "... The fuck?" He says, eventually.
Winston looks up from his phone, his primary anchor, to give Novel a friendly wave, and point to the incredibly dangerous looking book. "That thing," he says, "For a -stupid- amount of money."
Tabitha grows livid. "I am not supporting Solomin Inigo, you rat faced terrier!"
Novel cranes his head to look at the book covered in bullshit. "Oh. Cool. It doesn't have enough spikes on it. And it's not, like, screaming or on fire."
"Non? Then why sell it, instead of destroying something that might lead to another?" Emmanuel challenges of Tabitha, keeping above the more petty insults. "Is it because this is not affecting you? Or is the money being too much of an allure to do the right thing?"
"You have no idea all what he did to me, nor do you care. Don't act like you do." Tabitha says to Emmanuel.
Ash frowns to Emmanuel, drawling, "It's one thing to accuse me of whatever, but don't through someone's trauma in their face just so you can feel morally superior. That's too far, in her own place."
"Innocent is a farce." Elias says to Emmanuel, "I doubt anyone in this room can truly claim such. Power comes at the cost of blood on our hands. Ignorance of it doesn't change that." The dark haired man clarifies.
"Emmanuel, shut the fuck up before I shut you up." Dean calls aside from whatever distraction he's currently busy with, and the look that he levels upon the man is harsh, in a draw of his lips that bares large canids openly. "You're talking too much, just let it play."
Ash absolutely said throw.
"What Tabitha went through was real," says one of the only others who can speak to that trauma. "Don't belittle it." She takes in a breath, turns wide, fear-darkened green eyes on Dean and Ash, and says again, "I am not opposed to letting you see it. Use it. In neutral space with oaths of the same, Ash." But then Lilah is stepping forward on legs that threaten to buckle, to try and claim the book.
Tabitha is clearly shaking now. She steps away from the group, and over to Lilah specifically.
Bear just listens, clearly having no idea whats going on.
"It is always the same arguments, hm? The same intellec- intl- Intelluctual dishonestly," Emmanuel clucks his tongue, and shakes his head. There's a little huff toward Elias at their words, and a roll of the eyes at Ash, before Emmanuel elects to cross his arms, and shut his mouth for the time being. Not because he's scared of being beaten up by Dean, definitely not this. Probably just to keep the peace, or whatever.
Berlin senses the tention in the room. He shoots his cuffs, straightening from where he'd been simply observing. He makes for the door, leather soles clicking softly as he does so.
"Jesus, fu-" and Winston has to actually release Ritsuka's hand to step forward to help Lilah approach Tabitha, a hand coming to help stabilize her at her shoulders. "I've got you. Go, take it. You won it," he tells Lilah, trying to make sure she doesn't crumple to the floor.
Ash nods to Lilah, drawling softly, "Thank you."
Percy looks between Tabitha and Lilah. It's the first redhead he goes to, the one with blue eyes. "Tabitha, old girl?" he asks her. "You're looking a little pale," he says. There's concern in his tone, which broadens to a look at Lilah. "And you seem entirely too much for a woman in your delicate condition." He pauses, raising his voice. "Does anyone know Lilah's husband?"
Tabitha shoots a 'shut up' look at Percy
Tabitha leans into Lilah to whisper to her, a hand on her, at least, should she even allow the other redhead to touch her.
It takes a moment, as if Lilah isn't sure whether Ash is genuine or not, but then the frightened redhead says seriously, "Yes." Not you're welcome. Nobody is welcome to trauma. But all the same, she nods. "Seven six six six when you want to set up a time. I'll keep my word," she pledges, before once more glancing over at Dean. When Winston offers her a supporting hand, she offers a wan smile in return, then nods, steels her spine, and heads for Tabitha. Of course she allows the touch, in the moment. There's far bigger worries.
"This child's father is Solomon Inigo," Lilah bites out to Percy, after an indrawn breath. It's not pleasure, nor bragging. But there's defiance in her words all the same.
Ash blinks to Lilah before asking, "...are you serious?"
Percy lacks some context, perhaps, for the name, but on the other hand? There's been a lot of context tonight. Wisely, the olive-skinned adventurer shuts up.
Juniper gives a subtle nod to Elias, shifting once more to straighten within his arm. To Ash, Bear and Dean she gives a look and nod as well expressing her silent farewell.
Ash says "Wait, June."
"Mmm?" Juniper responds in a questioning tone only to Ash.
Ash goes over to Juniper. to offer her a hug.
Offering his arm to escort Juniper from the room, Elias turns to look at the stairwell with a small smile to her, "Shall we?"
Ash says "Sleep well, both of you."
"Yeah," Lilah says to Ash, simply. Her equilibrium is returning, perhaps simply for the lack of a certain someone's lack of predatory gaze on her in the moment. She nods, then tilts her head to nod again to Tabitha. "Thanks, Tab. I... appreciate it."
Juniper softens, opening her arm out to Ash as they approach and wraps them up with a squeeze. "Well done, huh? Come by the greenhouse with that skull?" she prods with a lifted brow.
Juniper is given a return nod in her silent farewell, and Dean's eyes turn upon Ash - and whatever he intended to say is kept for now while he goes on to hug the woman. Instead, Dean keeps his leveled attention upon the exchange between Lilah and Tabitha.
Ash nods to Juniper, drawling, "Now, or later?"
Ash nods to Juniper, stepping back and waving. "Sleep well!"
Pausing completely in the middle of helping Lilah, Winston turns to wave at Juniper, smiling, saying "Oh! Hi Professor Andersen, bye Professor Andersen!"
"You too, take care of Bear there," Juniper adds with a small grin and a chin lifted at the large man.
Tabitha would probably tell Juniper and Elias to have a good night and thank them for coming, but she is in a quiet transaction and conversation with Lilah.
Ash chuckles, drawling, "I'll try."
Hearing her name, Juniper looks up and off to find Winston amidst the faces. She lifts a hand in acknowledgement waving with an easy smile. "Evenin' Winston," she says calmly before turning in toward Elias once more. "Ready now," she tells the dark-haired man.
Percy relaxes, a little, though there's some concern in his face as he glances around the room. There's still some tension here. He feels, perhaps, for weapons he has not had for a long time.
Tabitha has something to prove to.
Ash returns to stand, now, between Bear and Dean, though they drawl, "I suppose that's it for the rest of us?"
"Take another one or two of our arcanists." Dean tells Ash when the farewells are over. "You can handle the book business with Lilah, whenever." It isn't a question on whether that'll happen, but a fact that he claims while he casts another look at the exchange. Perhaps a bit sour to have let the bid go, but the aggression of him, naturally, suggests Lilah made the naturally wisest decision. Yet, his attention turns on over to Emmanuel after that, to watch the man - and eventually beckon him with the hand that's not in his pocket.
Lilah does what needs done on the banking app on her phone, showing Tabitha that transfer screen, then tucking away the device. She licks at her lips, then looks down at the book that's put into her hands, and her expression reads nothing but conflict. So much conflict within that small body. But eventually, she carefully wraps the book in a scarf and tucks it into the backpack slung over her shoulder. Then, with a nod to Tabitha, she says, "I'll keep my word." And she takes a step backward, away from Dean and Ash, away from Emmanuel and the others, including even Winston who'd helped support her just then though she does nod to Ritsuka.
Ash nods to Dean, then tells Bear, "It's fine, I just want to see if it has something that will help us."
Bear pats Ash on the back. Entirely too hard, his hand lightly shoving them. "Shit. Sorry. Still learning to control this."
Percy shoots some unpleasant look at Winston for his rudeness.
Ash stumbles forward with a grimace, drawling, "Ah...! Yeah... it'll take a bit."
Winston smiles a wide and toothy smile at Percy, though it's quite impossible to tell if it reaches his eyes. And then, over to Ritsuka, he says "Home time? I don't see anything else interesting."
Emmanuel flicks a glance back over toward Dean, and their beckoning gesture before just shaking his head. "Non, thank you," He attempts a fairly polite response to him, and soon enough his attention returns back toward Lilah as she stows the book away. The lingering frown remains on his features as he considers Tabitha, and then raises a hand to scratch at his cheek.
Novel shows up, shifting to put himself right behind Lilah, a filthy, dirty human being, smelling of sweat and dirt and fish. Someone was out having a fun time, more likely than not. "Hey!" He remarks. "Congratulations on th' uhhhh..." He stares at the object in her hands for a moment. "...Book." He eventually concludes, having no other input on it.""
Bear says "Guys, I gotta' crash."
Ash drawls to Bear, "Speaking of which, want to hunt- ah. Then, sleep well. Thak you, again."
The book was passed over quite some time ago, and Tabitha is empty handed by the time Winston speaks up to her in that rude tone of his. "She has the book, and if you do not like it, I did not aks for you to come." She gives him a strange look. "I do not understand your snark and hatred. We did not mesh. We both got busy, and we both fell out of communication.'"
Ash nods to Dean, drawling, "I'm heading back."
Percy relaxes, a little, as the transaction is completed and some tension seems to be dissipating.
So intent is she on everyone else in the room, that Lilah jumps when Novel ends up behind her. She's taken aback, and every single nerve is on edge in that moment. Her arms curl around to hug her backpack to her chest and stomach, as she gasps out something like a laugh and mutters, "Jesus, Novel. Give a girl a warning..."
"That wasn't a request." Dean tells Emmanuel. "We need to talk." And the beckoning gesture becomes a demand, Dean flicks his wrist, draws it in, then slips that in his pocket too while something grabs hold of Emmanuel. It doesn't force his body to move, he's drawn in by force, skidding on his heels to cut a rough line through the crowd until he's made to stand in front of Dean, eye-to-eye. All that Ash gets in the meanwhile is a sideway nod in farewell, but nothing else.
Ritsuka moves on to place herself closer to Lilah, a touch protectively in fact.
Ash seems like they were *about* to leave... but stops to watch.
Oh, dear god, so many people and so much noise and everyone's talking and leaving and coming and going. Winston latches onto his phone, letting Ritsuka deal with Lilah for the moment, and shuffle-stepping towards Ash, in a slow, roundabout way that utterly and completely ignores Tabitha.
"Ack!" Emmanuel blurts out in alarm, and surprise both, as he's dragged along the floor like a puppy that just doesn't want to walk on their leash any more. He tries to recollect himself as he ends up standing opposite Dean, but it's a hard thing to do when you're pulled against your will, "What?" The Frenchman hisses back at him then, "I do non think we do need to talk, but if you have something to say, be quick about it, merci?"
Novel lifts his arm and sniffs himself. "I thought the stench was enough of a goddamn warning," He responds with remarkable cheerfulness. "Good to see you and Tabi in the same fucking room and getting along." He reaches to just slap Lilah right on the back, tone and body relaxed, in complete disregard to the piano-wire tension of the whole room. "If you're headed out I can drive you somewhere if you want, but - right."
Novel lifts his chin, calling out to Tabitha loudly, "Hey, Tabi!" And then nods, in satisfaction, his goals accomplished.
Ash glances between Tabitha and Winston, then tilts their head to the latter as he approaches, eyes back on the new show.
Lilah rocks at the slap on her back, but the little half-laugh that Novel earns for admitting how badly he reeks is lost when Emmanuel is dragged over toward Dean. She should probably take advantage of the moment to get the fuck out of Dodge, but instead she gapes at that invisible pull, and then exhales a shuddering little sound. "Fuck," is what she ends up saying, then nods as she presses closer to Novel's side.
Winston looks up to Ash, already moving to the stairs himself.
"I don't hate you, Winston." Tabitha says, likely gone unheard or ignored, again. But she's off doing other stuff, like upnodding Novel and calling out to him with a smile, "Hi, Novel. You missed it all, mostly."
"Tabitha, I'm borrowing your garden." Dean calls out without diverting his eyes away from Emmanuel in the slightest. While the man fixes himself up, Dean offers a simple nod upstairs to privacy, a gesture to follow along while he turns slightly and speaks. "I'm being diplomatic, so let's get a bit of privacy for a few minutes. If you'd rather the usual, I'll make you listen with your jaw broken." There isn't much inflection to his tone, just the usual, raw voice of someone plagued by a backdrop of a slight growl in each bitten word.
Ash waves to Winston, assuming that he'll keep moving, with a smile. "Twice in one day, we're doing better!"
"Time's an old man, Ash," Winston says, "If he kept outpacing us forever, I'd start questioning our physical fitness."
Ritsuka turns around to Lilah after sending a text message and smiles sweet, and then she steps away and moves back on over to Winston, her eyes coming down to her phone a moment.
There's a quiet, long-suffering sort of sigh from Emmanuel before he elects to just lope after Dean, looking puzzled about what the big ol' wolf would want with him.
Ash laughs, before heading out, the show clearly over.
Ash drawls, "May next time be just as exiting..., Tabitha!"
Novel openly admits, "I was drowning in a bog. I tried catching a fish and it hauled me in instead." What an exciting and bizarre life the man leads as he calls right on back to Tabitha. "Too fucking bad. Oh, hey, if you wanna come hang out you can. But I guess I'm walking someone home." And a little wave, his other arm gently wrapped around Lilah - and then, he starts to escort the smaller woman away.
Knowing he's completely engaged with Lilah, Winston doesn't wander back to properly interrupt Novel. "Hey, Novel!" Winston says, smiling broadly and offering the man a wave as he bypasses him on the stairs. He then reaches for Ritsuka's hand, and says, a bit more firmly, now, "Home time."
Percy steps closer to Tabitha. "It might be time to get you home," he tells Tabitha. "Auction's over, and --" He looks around. "Not everyone won," he says. "This lot seems peaceable enough, but I've seen collectors lose their minds over this sort of affair."
Ritsuka raises a hand up to wiggle a goodbye to Lilah, with phone in hand, and then she turns to follow after Winston.
The smell. It's not her biggest worry right now, and so Lilah doesn't even fight Novel's hold on her. Instead, she shrinks inward, as if she expects he could handle the entire pack of everyone that still lingers, or has already left. "Thanks," she says, sighing softly, a long slow exhale.
Percy tells Lilah quietly, "I'm sorry about your husband. It was nice to meet you."
Tabitha nods to Lilah, "Of course, Lilah. Get home safely. I hope that you feel better, too." She turns to Percy, and allows him to escort her, instead of vice versa. She nods to someone, "Glad that you could come... next time I may ... not have a book."
Tabitha nods to Lilah, "Of course, Lilah. Get home safely. I hope that you feel better, too." She turns to Percy, and allows him to escort her, instead of vice versa. She nods to the spritely guy, "Glad that you could come... next time I may ... not have a book."
Novel waves - and out he goes.
Tabitha elbows Percy hard.
"Ouch!" Percy protests to Tabitha, offering her his arm. "What did you do that for?"
"If you do not know the circumstances of a woman's pregnancy, shut the frick up about it." Tabitha tells Percy.
Percy tells Tabitha as he walks up the stairs with her, "I confess that my mother was not my father's wife," he says. "It's a delicate situation, though he did the right thing." He pauses. "Still, she was Egyptian. Lilah seemed like she might be Irish, which I could understand a little, I suppose, but still -- a gentleman should still marry an Irishwoman, in my view."
Percy waits with Tabitha, his expression thoughtful. "They're all hungry," he comments. "Hungrier than I daresay is proper or safe."
William comes back up upon being prompted, scratching the back of his head after doing so "Honestly... I wasn't really expecting you to do so after all that... It was a lot"
Tabitha waits by the stairs for William to approach. "I was about ready to not sell it. But I gave it to Lilah for alot less than what it god bid for." She leans into Percy, for a little support, "It was the least that I could do. And she and I... we have a bond, in a strange way." She crosses her arms beneath her bosom, "And Emmy, I'm sure he thinks that I am just some terrible person, but I don't think that he is willing to listen, either."
"It seems like the man treated her shabbily, indeed," Percy says, allowing Tabitha to lean into him. He nods to William, before he glances back. "The blackguard is dead? Or just off to some place abandoning the poor girl?" he says. "Probably back to the woman he goes home to," he comments.
William shakes his head slightly "I don't think so either... I've heard a bit of a summary of the guy from, well, a deputy friend of mine... I don't want to really pry in things so... Personal" He lets a bit of a sigh, before looking up at Tabitha, he glances at Percy for a moment before adding "If it serves of anything... I also think blame should be assigned to the person, not the tool... Lots of things were invented with great purposes and turned around to be used for evil, and the other way around..."
nods a little to William, "Thank you," Tabitha says sincerely, in sharing her belief in the tool vs. person cunundrum. "Did you meet Percy?" she asks, gesturing with an elbow in Percy's direction. "He is new to Haven."
"We met briefly," Percy tells Tabitha. "It is nice to make your acquaintance, old boy," he tells William. "This is my first taste of America. You Yanks have some marvelous things, though there's other things that seem a little queer, honestly." He looks around.
William hums a bit "Just briefly upon arrival, while you were setting everything up..." He answer to Tabitha while he turns to look at Percy "Just shared names and well, I've been listening down there, but that's about it"
"Well then," Percy says. "Jolly good to meet you, old sport. But I suppose I should help Tabitha here find her way home." He smiles to William. "It's almost the witching hour, after all. Have a marvelous night, yes?"
William gives a little nod to the two "Yeah, have a good one as well... And rest well"
"Do you have my real number?" Tabitha asks William. "We only have our myhaven I think..." She adds, "But ah.... if I don't respond, please don't think that I have hard feelings or hate you. I'm really horrible at phones." She looks to the north, waving someone over, "No, just getting ready to head out."
"..I will think it over." Emmanuel allows after a few more moments, and an assenting nod in response to Dean. He doesn't dash for the door, but he definitely gives it a look as it opens.
"Do you have my real number?" Tabitha asks William. "We only have our myhaven I think..." She adds, "But ah.... if I don't respond, please don't think that I have hard feelings or hate you. I'm really horrible at phones." She looks to the north, waving Sienna over, "No, just getting ready to head out." Though it seems that was for someone else.
Sienna slips in, lured by curiosity. "Well then," she exhales, pulling the door closed behind her, offering Emmanuel and Dean alike a terse little smile. "I was hoping to get the 411 on how the auction ended."