A New Threat At 4W

[Star]

We tried.

Really, We did. But the sign said you had to have a membership card. Sometimes, things look good on paper, but then you end up crumpling the paper into a ball and tossing it. Especially when it Feels Right.

One Year.

Almost a year ago exactly, there had been an Idea. Funny how things work out. The last one to come around was the only other one left. Cue Vanessa Williams.

"Ummm, this is it."

Grab the pack, take off the helmet, flip the kick and park the bike. See it? The river of fire? The Force is strong with this place, yo. It's like Dagobah, except without the swamp and evil. Maybe occasionally there's lightsabers, but no one needs to know that.

"It's, uh. It's an old theater. We call it Four Walls." A hand flopped out to show July , then ran through matted hair. "Yeah, like, I think they were colorblind and I hope you like purple, because there's a lot of purple inside. And movies. We have Movie Nights. But, ummm, yeah, anyway."

A hand thrust out holding open the door.

"Avis?" A yell like a wet cat screeched out into the foyer.

Because Look What Followed Me Home.

[Avis]

Before the screech had sounded out and bounced along the stone ribs of the building, all that there had been were two points, a line, a trajectory of motion, and the rhythm that bound them all together. All there had been was meat bound tight over bone under sweat slicked skin licked by friction, and all that it was connected to. For, that was the whole point of the Lie, that one point was separate from another, that the gulf was all that mattered rather than what united them. It was this Lie that Avis explored, her fingers bent upon an arch, an arrow, a string, and her feet rested upon the earth. All were different points, yet all were interacting, and within the blink of an eye one very specific point had found its way to another.

The only thing was, that point wasn't the one she'd been aiming at. The screech had sounded just at that point when fingers begin to loosen and let the arrow fly, and when the noise had hit her ears, echoed through the curl of flesh and rebounded off of the hidden drum and sensitive inner ear, Avis' muscles tensed, an animal reaction, the involuntary twitch sending the arrow along an entirely different trajectory. A difference of millimeters at one end becoming a difference that could be measured in feet.

A curse sounded and then with a sigh Avis lowered her bow arm and stalked out of the range towards the entry hall. Part of her was glad she kept the bow, even if she had no arrows upon her when she saw who it was. Not because she felt threatened by the man, oh no, she'd survived under the scrutiny judgement of men far more authoritative than he, but because she knew that symbolism would be important when meeting someone like him. Especially after Tyria's announcement at the Consilium. That bitch. Hopefully July wasn't as conservative as the Mystagogue was, or as close minded. But, even if he was, there was the bow. Not a threat, but a symbol of what Avis really was.

"Did you bring the smoothie stuff?" she Warlock asked, eyes flicking to Star first. "Or did I text you too late? Also, good to see you, July," she added, turning to the newcomer. "Looks like you and Star got to know each other pretty well, after all."

[Star]

"No, sorry, I was on my bike. When it came."

A wry twist of one corner of the mouth? That's totally sincere apology. Hearthmaster's gotta Hearth, yo. An eyebrow arched at the bow, then settled. Well. He had yelled. They had just gotten broken in to.

"I'll go out later and get stuff. Promise." For reals. It had to be done, since Extra Person. "Ummmm. So, right. July? Avis. Avis? July."

Lips compressed. A grin threatened. It's like having a secret, or a hand in the cookie jar. A flicker of nerves roiled, fingers slapped at a pocket, looking for the comfort of spinning cards. Wait too long, and Silences get Awkward. An Awkward Silence is a lot like an Empty Fridge.

"Ah. So. You know, I was talking to July, and he seems to, you know, have his stuff together? And then I was thinking about," a hand gestured. Expansive, encompassing the theater. "About Veiled Threats. And, you know. Talking with the Sudsies and Panthers. And... You know? We're doing stuff. Good stuff. And I was thinking maybe we keep doing stuff. Our way. I don't want to move. I don't want Vee Tee to be this thing we did, and went away. I think we had something good." Not just We, but VT.

"So, ummm. Like I said, July seemed to have it together. He's done GLO homework, and it's not a Guardian thing, this isn't some Guardian bromance, it's that I think he could help. He said he's good with a gun, too."

See where this is going? Not just help with GLO. Help with Keeping An Idea Alive. Eyes that had been wandering slowed, and fixed on Fen Arrow. If he'd ever wanted a smoothie, it was right now. Or pudding. A chocolate pudding bribe never hurt anyone.

"I asked he wanted to join us. Veiled Threats. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't ask first. And it's on me if it's not cool. I'll fix it. It just, it just popped into my head."

Please don't shoot. Because bow.

[Avis]

"I know I snap a lot, Star, but chill," Avis said as she padded over to stand next to her cabally and gave him a companionable shoulder bump. "After what happened with Panthera Nox I really don't think I should be getting upset over something like this, so don't worry about it. Or the smoothie stuff. I could've gone to the store, too. We'll go later, it doesn't matter. But, domesticity aside, we three need to chat," she continued, turning on the ex-Marshall.

"'Cause one thing that needs to be clear right now is that you haven't joined VT yet, July, so don't get comfortable. I'm not saying no, I'm just saying we need to talk first. So far your resume sounds good, and we do need at least one more person in the cabal, but let's talk. All three of us need to put some things on the table, first. Actually, yeah, let's, um, talk at the kitchen table," Avis said, turning and leading them further into the Sanctum. When they reached the eating area she set the bow down, gestured at the table, and then went to get some munchy things. It was important to do the whole breaking bread thing, after all. At least for her.

Then, munchy things gotten, those being chips and crackers, along with some salsa, Avis placed everything on the table and had a seat. "Let's trade some questions back and forth. My first two are: Why'd you become a guardian and what would you kill someone for? "

[Star]

It's all about expectation levels.

Snappy is Okay. Sometimes, it's expected. But something had been said. Sometimes, a cabal can be a family. Sometimes, it's just mutual squatting. The thing that sucks about life is, sometimes you have something great, and it goes away. Trying to replace it? It's just Chasing. Maybe nobody was Chasing, but everybody could just Let It Happen. If it was going to. Maybe it wouldn't. Maybe it would.

File Under We should have talked about what We were really looking for. It'll be okay. Future. Reference.

"Okay." A grin slipped out, and the mop cocked at July. Let's roll.

The pack and helmet was dropped off; as chips, crackers and salsa appeared, so did glasses. Water. Tea. Juice. Gatorade. Time to sober up, yo. Also? Connect the dots.

Between standing and Getting Stuff and sitting, a deck of cards had appeared. Nobody's playing poker. Long fingers worked at the small rectangle, coaxing it into slow fans, spirals, and breaking it into pieces that slowly rolled and folded around one another.

Make Words, yo.

[Avis]

"Honor," Avis replied, the word as sharp as the crunch of the chip she popped into her mouth a moment later. She chewed for a moment, swallowed, and snagged a water to sip at before answering the rest of the way.

"Honor's what would stop me from killing, too. It's the guide, basically. If I'm being honorable, then my actions will match my intentions, my true intentions, not just the ones that appear in an emotional moment. So, if it becomes clear that the only way to continue to strive towards my true intentions is to kill, then I would. Like you said, if someone threatens my family, my cabal, or the Consilium, then I might have to kill them to make sure that they don't harm what I want to see thrive. I know that might not seem like a same guide to some, since it's just ideological, but they all are, really. Mine is just influenced by the Adamant Way, and a part of that philosophy is that the Supernal is the Self. One of the meanings of that saying is that what hurts me hurts the supernal, hurts Truth, hurts what all Awakened are working to protect and help prosper, and since killing is something that harms the mind and the soul it also hurts the supernal. So, the only time when it is actually honorable to kill is when a sacrifice is needed. When the Truth can only best be protected by a lesser harm being done to it. Again, not perfect, but it's a perspective check," Avis explained, taking another sip of water after the paired down morality speech.

"What about you, Star? You wanna answer, or do you have more questions for July?"

[Star]

Answer what?

Nobody here is a killer. Okay, no, seriously. They'd both killed since they met. Long fingers abandoned chips and pinched at the bridge of a nose.

"Ummm. I'll answer. It's only right. Since you two did? Ummmm." Play the game. They'd both mentioned their Orders. But didn't you pick an Order because of what you already were?

"I'd kill to protect the things I think are important."

It wasn't one word. But there it was. Distilled. Filtered. Not just the things you love, but the things you think are important, love them or not. A Veil. A Consilium. Never should have threatened that girl, Omar. Had that been enough? Maybe. People can change.

Until they can't.

"I, uh. Yeah. I have a question. Maybe it's kind of late, but. July? If we're off in it, and things get cray-cray... not just Banshier things, or Seer things, but maybe even Consilium things... Who are you gonna pick? Your crew, or your Order?"

Funny question.

Because Guardian to Guardian.