___________________ ღღ ___________________
Anne
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ •.¸ ¸.• ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[ - Sunday, September 15, 2019 - 7:43pm - Anderson Family Kitchen - ]
Madelaine signals Jay and the rest to come back inside Jay’s study, and everyone starts shuffling in.
Maddie’s mood is upbeat, they’re glad we found Sky’s location, but nervous about what them being locked up in a warehouse of one of the biggest evil organizations in their world means. Ellie is cautiously optimistic that we won’t have to fight off the entire ‘Mazon’ organization to get Sky free, but Maddie and I aren’t so sure. I feel that whoever would kidnap people in their capitalistic society would also stop at nothing to keep them captive.
“Did it work?” Dawn asks cautiously as she enters the room behind Jay and Aiden.
Maddie nods. “Oh it worked alright, we have a location and a description of Sky’s current surroundings. I have the recording here, should I play it back or do you want to handle the recorder Jay?” they ask.
"I’ll do it, let me make sure it saves alright," Dawn's shorter dad replies.
He moves to the desk to fiddle with the recorder as Audre, Claire, Trevor and Vielet all file in behind Dawn.
“You said you had a location for Sky?” Aiden asks hopefully.
“Yes!” Maddie replies, “They’re in Chicagoland, pretty close by in fact, maybe a fifteen minute drive.”
“So it seems Anne’s magic is different enough to get around at least some wards and protections in this world, that’s excellent news,” Claire muses.
“Yes, that’s quite remarkable,” Audre adds with an intrigued expression.
Jay stands up from the desk. "Alright, here goes," he says, "playing just the bits where you were talking."
There's a quiet moment, then Maddie's voice emits clearly from the tiny device.
“Okay, testing testing, great. So, Sky’s in the massive Mazon warehouse off Finley road,” the device says in my friend’s voice. A lot of eyebrows rise among those present.
“They’re currently sitting in an empty concrete prison cell-looking room with a toilet, a cot, a single light bulb, and a heavy metal door,” Maddie’s tinny voice says. “They’re located on the ground level of the structure in the north west corner maybe fifty feet away from the north wall.”
The recording ends shortly thereafter and everyone’s quiet for a moment. Trevor and Vielet, standing against the east wall, have wide eyes and a hint of fear in their expressions. Audre and Claire, standing along the west wall, look a lot more guarded but intrigued. Dawn’s standing behind the lone chair on the far side of the desk with a focused expression on her face, staring at the recorder in her dad’s hand. Jay’s right beside her and seems pleased with our work, and Aiden, on Dawn’s other side, looks worried.
"Well shit," Dawn’s cyan haired dad says, "Mazon's not gonna be happy about us jailbreaking their warehouse."
“Then they shouldn’t have kidnapped kids off the street,” Jay replies with a shrug.
“You’re seriously thinking of trying to get Sky out of there?” Vielet asks the dads. She has her arms crossed and looks positively spooked.
“Absolutely,” Aiden replies confidently, “we’re sure not leaving them there.”
“Can’t you hire somebody for this?” Vie presses.
“Maybe, that’s up to Aiden,” Jay replies. “Also, you okay Vie? We’re certainly not asking any of you kids to get involved in this.”
Vielet lets out a breath. “I would be happy to help any way I can, I’m just also not sure how well a home-brewed raid would work on this place.”
“It will be carefully planned and executed,” Aiden says, “At least if I have any say in the matter.”
The cyan haired dad is rubbing his cyan haired goatee, he turns to Audre. “Do you think we’ll have any assistance?” he asks with a raised cyan eyebrow.
“Yes, you will,” Audre says firmly. “Deirdre and I will convince Maurice to aid you with us.”
“Great, and thank you, seriously,” Aiden replies solemnly.
“Also,” the taller dad continues, “excellent work Anne, Maddie, and Ellie, this is more than enough info to come up with a plan.”
“Thank Anne mostly, she did all the work,” Maddie says with a smile.
I blush faintly in the viewing tree of their mind. Ellie reaches over and gives my hand a squeeze of reassurance.
Thank you, it’s nice to be appreciated, I think to them both as I get more comfortable in the orange velvet armchair next to Ellie.
Of course Anne, you’re amazing, Madelaine thinks to me.
Yeah seriously, you deserve all the credit and praise! Ellie adds.
I smile and try to feel the truth in their words. It’s certainly there, but it doesn’t quite squash the feeling of inadequacy that plagues my heart of hearts.
"Could we somehow get footage of the place and expose them?" Dawn asks in the outside world with a finger curled beneath her lips.
"Maybe after we rescue Sky and Eve," Jay says, rubbing his chin in thought, "we don't want to tip them off that we know where they're keeping their prisoners for BPI."
"Can you please try scrying for Eve next?" Audre asks us, her bright hazel eyes searching Madelaine’s.
"Of course," Maddie says without missing a beat.
Uh, is that okay Anne? they ask internally.
Yes, we should have enough energy for another scrying/dowsing session. Not much more than that though, I caution.
"Anne says we should have enough gas in the magic tank to scry one more time for Eve," Maddie says aloud.
"Thank you," Audre replies gratefully.
"The sooner we get our butts in and out of this warehouse undetected, the better," Claire says. “I don’t like that they’re being held in that place. Whoever has the hots for supernaturals enough to kidnap them apparently has even more powerful friends than I thought.”
"Sneaking in is going to be a hell of a lot easier said than done, we've no idea what kind of security the place has," Audre says pointedly.
“So let’s scope it out, maybe we can get in under the guise of potential employees or something and look around,” Aiden suggests.
“I’ll leave that to you hot stuff,” Jay says with a smile in his husband’s direction.
“Please do,” Aiden says with a dignified air. “Breaking and entering is my speciality. Why don’t y’all go inform Deirdre and Maurice about what we’ve found up here while I get started researching this place. Maddie, Ellie and Anne you stay up here with Jay and scry for Eve.”
Maurice had come inside shortly after I had arrived here, he and Deirdre are waiting down in the kitchen.
"Sounds good," Jay replies.
“I’m coming with you Aiden,” Claire announces, “I’d like to get a feel for the place myself, if that’s okay.”
Aiden nods. “No problem, let’s adjourn to my office.”
While everyone begins filing out of the room and heading for the stairs, I turn to Ellie sitting in her deep green armchair to my orange chair’s left.
Your girlfriend’s family certainly gets things done swiftly, I think at her and Madelaine.
Ellie blushes at ‘girlfriend’ but otherwise keeps a serious face. They do indeed, she replies.
What did Aiden mean when he said breaking and entering is his specialty? I inquire.
He used to work professionally as a ‘penetration tester’, Madelaine explains as they stand up from the desk and stretch.
That means he tried to get into places he wasn’t normally supposed to be for a living, Ellie adds. I think mostly he tested software and hardware systems, but occasionally he was called to actually try getting into server rooms and stuff.
I get a glimpse of her and Maddie’s surface thoughts, and receive a little background info about what ‘software and hardware systems’ are and the kinds of ‘exploits’ Aiden would identify. It seems one part computer skills, one part lying to people’s faces, and two parts writing up reports on what holes he does find.
That seems like a very useful set of skills for what you’re now up against, I remark.
Yeah, Ellie says, it is.
"Do you all want a few minutes to get ready?" Jay asks, "I can go fetch us some drinks."
"Water would be great, thank you Mr. Anderson," Maddie replies.
Jay disappears out the door, Maddie sits back down at the desk, and Ellie and I stand from our chairs in the viewing room.
Madelaine appears in the viewing tree and bows to me, clearly inviting me into the front of their body. I smile and curtsy to them, then poof! out of the tree and into the body.
I quickly draw out another group of sigils. It's the same configuration that I used for Sky, only the central sigil is different: this one is a pair of fangs under a half moon to represent Eve, since we know relatively little about her compared to Sky I’m just drawing what feels right. The design of the sigils is entirely for my own mind, so they generally work with whatever imagery I'm most familiar with.
The top and bottom sigils are once again my mind's eye symbol in a circle, with the left and right sigils being the bowperson sighting down the shaft towards their target.
Jay comes back in through the door just as I'm putting the finishing touches on the sigil group: connecting all five sigils together with lines from the central Eve symbol out to each of the others and with lines connecting the outer sigils to each other in a big circle.
“Wow, you work fast,” Jay says as he sets the water down to my right in easy reach.
“Thank you,” I say to him with a grateful smile. Then I tilt my head, and add, “You and your husband are some of the kindest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.”
Jay looks a little surprised. “I’m flattered,” he says, “we do try our best. May I ask who I’m speaking to?”
I feel the body blushing despite my best efforts. “I’m Anne, sorry I should have said something.”
It’s okay, Ellie reassures me from her position standing in front of the viewing screen.
“No you’re totally good Anne,” Jay says with a friendly smile, “I just wanted to check my hypothesis that it was you.”
Huh, how did he know? Maddie comments.
I nod. “I suppose the sigils do give it away,” I reply.
“Actually it was the way you spoke, and your choice of words, that tipped me off,” Jay says as he takes a small little rectangle out of the recorder and replaces it with an identical tiny grey flat rectangle.
It’s called an SD card, Ellie helpfully supplies, it’s where the recording is actually stored.
Thanks, I reply internally.
In the physical world I’m blinking in surprise at Jay. “Oh,” I say, “I didn’t realize I was that noticeable.”
“With you it’s a bit easier, I’m still learning how to tell the differences between Ellie and Maddie,” Jay replies affably.
Ellie and Maddie both seem startled that Jay’s taking note of their mannerisms, but I feel them both radiating pleasant emotions after the revelation.
“I think that’s only natural, they’ve been together most of their life,” I say with a small smile.
Wait, we have? Ellie asks.
To my surprise, Maddie takes the question.
Yeah probably, Maddie thinks amicably, I’m pretty sure our plurality is traumagenic in origin and originates from sometime during our childhood. Probably on account of the parental beatings we endured.
When Ellie looks taken aback by their response they continue: I’ve been doing more research, and trying to remember our past.
Okay, damn, Ellie replies, clearly processing that.
Very astute observations Madelaine, I say, still giving Jay and the sigils on the paper in front of me most of my attention. From what I’ve felt and what you’ve both told me, I agree that your plurality predates our connection by a wide margin.
“Yeah? Do you happen to know when they became separate, or why?” Jay asks back in his reality. “I’m just curious.”
I give the impression of a raised, questioning eyebrow to Ellie and Maddie while keeping their body’s face impassive. Want me to answer truthfully? I think to them.
Be my guest, Maddie replies.
Sure sure, Ellie says distractedly, as she and Madelaine share a side hug.
“I don’t know when or why for Ellie and Maddie specifically,” I say aloud, “they’ve just given me the impression of being split from each other earlier in life. How much earlier I cannot say, only that it was a while before we began to share our senses. Every plural system is unique in their history.”
Jay’s eyebrows rise as he sets the recorder down on the desk to my left. “Do you have a lot of experience with plural folks?” he asks curiously.
I nod. “It is... you could call it a personal interest of my system. We endeavor, in our free time, to learn from other plural people what it means to be a body containing multiple minds. We’ve sought out others in our city and beyond who have shared with us their life stories, their disparate origins and diverse system members.”
Jay’s eyebrows stay high. “That’s really, really fascinating,” he says with interest. “If you ever have free time where you’re not fighting for your life or looking for missing people, I’d love to talk to you more about plurality and your experiences with it.”
I smile at him genuinely. “I’d like that, there’s much I’d love to learn from you as well.”
He returns my smile, his cool blue eyes twinkling. “Fantastic! Well, I’d better let you get on with this ritual. Shall I see myself out?”
“That’s probably for the best, no need to make this any harder than it already is,” I reply truthfully.
He nods and makes his way out of his study, closing the forest green door with a quiet, “See you on the other side.”
The door closes, and we are alone.
I Poof! myself back into the black-wooded viewing tree room in between Ellie and Maddie, leaving the body’s eyes squarely focused on the sigils I’d drawn.
“Let us begin,” I say confidently, focusing my attention on my avatar inside the viewing tree.
“Should we try and help you, or just stay out of your way?” Ellie asks curiously on my left.
“Help would be much appreciated,” I reply, “if you both can raise your own energy by singing, dancing, or doing whatever makes you feel excited, and focus on the sigils and on Eve with me, that would be wonderful.”
“Raise energy; focus on Eve and sigils, got it,” Maddie says on my right.
“I’ll be opening up a channel back to my side of the connection, where Amira and Ania are raising their energy and sending it our way,” I explain. “You two will focus with me on activating each of the five sigils in a spiral order counterclockwise, starting at the top mind’s eye and ending at Eve’s central sigil.”
Ellie and Maddie both nod, and I can tell I have their full attention as in headspace I begin to sway my hips and swish my brown skirt around in a gyrating motion.
First I imagine a tether connected from my heart out to the shore of Ellie and Maddie’s isle, across the bridge, and straight into Amira’s big gay heart. I imagine I can feel her warm arms around my shoulders, pulling me close as the tether between us pumps magical energy from her heart to mine.
I lift my eyes and arms towards the black wood ceiling and proclaim, “Oh great goddess Artya, hear me! I am yours to bend and yours to command. I am one with your greatness yet a speck of dust before your might! Help me locate Eve Somberset she/her!”
I feel Ellie and Maddie’s concentration sharpen with my own onto the top sigil as I begin my chant in Amaramthine.
“Oh hunter Artya, one with the wilds and one with the tundra, hear me!” I roar, “I, Anne Tahana she/her, need your assistance! I call upon your instincts, your keen eyes, and your legendary hunting skills! Help me find Eve Somberset she/her!”
Together Ellie, Maddie and I go around the circle of sigils, casting one for each verse in my impromptu hymn.
“Oh great and powerful Artya, hear me!” I thunder, “We need your help! I call upon your love for nature and your love for love itself! I call upon your holy blade and your holy bow! Show me Eve Somberset she/her!”
I continue swaying my hips and arms in a controlled pattern taught to me by the Goddess Herself, dancing to Her wild rhythms as I chant a few more verses of on-the-spot worship mixed with our plea for help, casting the last sigil with a final shouted “Show me Eve Somberset she/her!
Then, just as I’m beginning to feel fatigued, a very real shiver runs through my mind, and I feel the arms around me tighten as they change from my enbyfriend’s to someone equally muscular’s. I smile and relinquish myself to the embrace of my Goddess. I feel Her in my thoughts, guiding me as I choose my next words carefully. I strive to fully convey the expansive ideas She instills in my mind in place of talking with my body and my words.
“Oh my sweet, beautiful Artya, I ask that you locate Eve Somberset! I call upon your secret ways and your spying eyes! Find her! Find Eve!” I cry.
With Ellie and Maddie’s assistance, I hold the image of Eve firm in my mind. I continue moving my body in time with the Goddess’s rhythm and chanting to praise Her and raise energy. After a relatively short time I feel Her engulf me in a warm, tender embrace before Her power flows into my avatar and out through my palms. Again the viewing tree is bathed in a dark green light as She directs the flow of energy into the screen before the three of us.
When the green light clears, the viewing tree’s screen is looking directly at a crude wooden cross hanging on a plain grey concrete wall, with a small, pitiful figure huddled underneath it.
I realize the cross imagery has religious significance in Ellie and Maddie’s mind, albeit not a religion they subscribe to any longer. I file that information away as I take in the rest of the scene before us.
The pale skinned girlish figure is clearly identifiable as Eve in Ellie and Maddie’s minds. Her shoulder length black hair is matted to her head and her green blouse and blue jeans have numerous rips and tears in them, as well as darker stains that look a lot like dried blood. I assume the blood is her enemies’, as the wounds I can see on her flesh aren’t bleeding.
There is a heavy-looking metal collar around her neck, just barely visible in the shadows of the scene, as well as manacles around her wrists and ankles that have left angry red welts wherever they touch her skin. Chains run from all five of those bindings to bolts on the wall behind her with very little wiggle room.
Fuck, Ellie and Madde think in unison.
I turn our viewpoint to peer around at the rest of our surroundings. Again there’s a heavy metal door with a little barred window at the top, but other than that and the cross and bolted chains the room is completely featureless.
I feel fatigue creeping through my mind as the energy we’ve raised drains away into the spell, and I focus my attention on the other half of the magic working: the dowsing. I feel a tug deep in my gut directing me north, and my view of Eve dissipates as the screen zooms out and reveals the same white building we’d located Sky within.
Got her, I’ll do the honors again, Madie says, moving around me and sidling into the front of their body.
In their physical world they say, “Eve’s in the same warehouse but in much worse shape than Sky. She’s got tears in her clothes, dried blood on her, manacles on her ankles and wrists and a collar around her neck that are all bolted to the wall behind her. She appears to be a little south and west of where Sky is in the building, towards the center of the place. They’ve put a big cross in her room too, right above where she’s chained.”
The last of the spell’s energy dwindles away, and we’re left staring into Jay’s study once again.
I feel a wave of fatigue pass over me, and I fall backward into one of the plush chairs behind me in headspace.
“Woah are you okay?” Ellie asks.
“Yes, just tired. It takes a lot out of you to do back to back complicated rituals,” I say. “If you both feel up to handling things here for a while, I’d like to go back to Amira and Ania and rest there.”
Of course Anne, do whatever you need to do! Madelaine encourages telepathically.
Thank you, I reply in kind.
I groan as I get to my feet, then give Ellie a hug and bid them both goodbye before teleporting myself away and arriving at the edge of the mists on the bridge.
I brace myself, then stride into the Aether. I travel swiftly back along the bridge towards my home system. The currents of the Aether buffet me as I flow along with them, but I stay my course, and arrive somewhere between a moment and an eternity later in my origin mind. I walk forth from the mists on my side of our connection, and teleport myself straight into Amira’s citadel and their waiting arms.
Ania is there with my love, and she hugs us both briefly, then disappears to give us privacy.
“How did it go love?” Amira asks as I sag against their firm black armor-coated chest.
“Well enough,” I respond tiredly.
“Let’s get you comfortable,” Amira suggests, and together we teleport into their bedroom higher up in the citadel.
I let myself fall out of their arms backwards onto their big feather bed. Amira collapses beside me a moment later, their armor gone in favor of a simple black nightshirt that does nothing to hide the strong, muscular curves of their black body.
I sigh contentedly as I cuddle up to their firm chest, and they chuckle as they run their fingers through my long black hair.
“That bad, huh?” they ask softly.
I grumble assent, and before I know it I’m drifting off to sleep in their embrace.
“I’ve got you, little Anne,” Amira says with confidence I can only dream of.
I cuddle up closer to them, clinging to their body as the spell-fatigue induced sleep washes over me.
“‘Night Mira,” I mumble. “I love you.”
“Goodnight Anne, I love you too,” they say with a smile in their voice.
And then I’m out like a snuffed candle.
KristenOfTheCoven
Hello beautiful readers,
We have survived bottom surgery! We're now home and healing, and assessing our ability to write more. Not sure what our output will be like yet, bu we hope you enjoyed this chappy!
Sincerely,
Flutter and the Coven
___________________ ღღ ___________________
Anne
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ •.¸ ¸.• ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[ - Sunday, September 15, 2019 - 7:43pm - Anderson Family Kitchen - ]
Madelaine signals Jay and the rest to come back inside Jay’s study, and everyone starts shuffling in.
Maddie’s mood is upbeat, they’re glad we found Sky’s location, but nervous about what them being locked up in a warehouse of one of the biggest evil organizations in their world means. Ellie is cautiously optimistic that we won’t have to fight off the entire ‘Mazon’ organization to get Sky free, but Maddie and I aren’t so sure. I feel that whoever would kidnap people in their capitalistic society would also stop at nothing to keep them captive.
“Did it work?” Dawn asks cautiously as she enters the room behind Jay and Aiden.
Maddie nods. “Oh it worked alright, we have a location and a description of Sky’s current surroundings. I have the recording here, should I play it back or do you want to handle the recorder Jay?” they ask.
"I’ll do it, let me make sure it saves alright," Dawn's shorter dad replies.
He moves to the desk to fiddle with the recorder as Audre, Claire, Trevor and Vielet all file in behind Dawn.
“You said you had a location for Sky?” Aiden asks hopefully.
“Yes!” Maddie replies, “They’re in Chicagoland, pretty close by in fact, maybe a fifteen minute drive.”
“So it seems Anne’s magic is different enough to get around at least some wards and protections in this world, that’s excellent news,” Claire muses.
“Yes, that’s quite remarkable,” Audre adds with an intrigued expression.
Jay stands up from the desk. "Alright, here goes," he says, "playing just the bits where you were talking."
There's a quiet moment, then Maddie's voice emits clearly from the tiny device.
“Okay, testing testing, great. So, Sky’s in the massive Mazon warehouse off Finley road,” the device says in my friend’s voice. A lot of eyebrows rise among those present.
“They’re currently sitting in an empty concrete prison cell-looking room with a toilet, a cot, a single light bulb, and a heavy metal door,” Maddie’s tinny voice says. “They’re located on the ground level of the structure in the north west corner maybe fifty feet away from the north wall.”
The recording ends shortly thereafter and everyone’s quiet for a moment. Trevor and Vielet, standing against the east wall, have wide eyes and a hint of fear in their expressions. Audre and Claire, standing along the west wall, look a lot more guarded but intrigued. Dawn’s standing behind the lone chair on the far side of the desk with a focused expression on her face, staring at the recorder in her dad’s hand. Jay’s right beside her and seems pleased with our work, and Aiden, on Dawn’s other side, looks worried.
"Well shit," Dawn’s cyan haired dad says, "Mazon's not gonna be happy about us jailbreaking their warehouse."
“Then they shouldn’t have kidnapped kids off the street,” Jay replies with a shrug.
“You’re seriously thinking of trying to get Sky out of there?” Vielet asks the dads. She has her arms crossed and looks positively spooked.
“Absolutely,” Aiden replies confidently, “we’re sure not leaving them there.”
“Can’t you hire somebody for this?” Vie presses.
“Maybe, that’s up to Aiden,” Jay replies. “Also, you okay Vie? We’re certainly not asking any of you kids to get involved in this.”
Vielet lets out a breath. “I would be happy to help any way I can, I’m just also not sure how well a home-brewed raid would work on this place.”
“It will be carefully planned and executed,” Aiden says, “At least if I have any say in the matter.”
The cyan haired dad is rubbing his cyan haired goatee, he turns to Audre. “Do you think we’ll have any assistance?” he asks with a raised cyan eyebrow.
“Yes, you will,” Audre says firmly. “Deirdre and I will convince Maurice to aid you with us.”
“Great, and thank you, seriously,” Aiden replies solemnly.
“Also,” the taller dad continues, “excellent work Anne, Maddie, and Ellie, this is more than enough info to come up with a plan.”
“Thank Anne mostly, she did all the work,” Maddie says with a smile.
I blush faintly in the viewing tree of their mind. Ellie reaches over and gives my hand a squeeze of reassurance.
Thank you, it’s nice to be appreciated, I think to them both as I get more comfortable in the orange velvet armchair next to Ellie.
Of course Anne, you’re amazing, Madelaine thinks to me.
Yeah seriously, you deserve all the credit and praise! Ellie adds.
I smile and try to feel the truth in their words. It’s certainly there, but it doesn’t quite squash the feeling of inadequacy that plagues my heart of hearts.
"Could we somehow get footage of the place and expose them?" Dawn asks in the outside world with a finger curled beneath her lips.
"Maybe after we rescue Sky and Eve," Jay says, rubbing his chin in thought, "we don't want to tip them off that we know where they're keeping their prisoners for BPI."
"Can you please try scrying for Eve next?" Audre asks us, her bright hazel eyes searching Madelaine’s.
"Of course," Maddie says without missing a beat.
Uh, is that okay Anne? they ask internally.
Yes, we should have enough energy for another scrying/dowsing session. Not much more than that though, I caution.
"Anne says we should have enough gas in the magic tank to scry one more time for Eve," Maddie says aloud.
"Thank you," Audre replies gratefully.
"The sooner we get our butts in and out of this warehouse undetected, the better," Claire says. “I don’t like that they’re being held in that place. Whoever has the hots for supernaturals enough to kidnap them apparently has even more powerful friends than I thought.”
"Sneaking in is going to be a hell of a lot easier said than done, we've no idea what kind of security the place has," Audre says pointedly.
“So let’s scope it out, maybe we can get in under the guise of potential employees or something and look around,” Aiden suggests.
“I’ll leave that to you hot stuff,” Jay says with a smile in his husband’s direction.
“Please do,” Aiden says with a dignified air. “Breaking and entering is my speciality. Why don’t y’all go inform Deirdre and Maurice about what we’ve found up here while I get started researching this place. Maddie, Ellie and Anne you stay up here with Jay and scry for Eve.”
Maurice had come inside shortly after I had arrived here, he and Deirdre are waiting down in the kitchen.
"Sounds good," Jay replies.
“I’m coming with you Aiden,” Claire announces, “I’d like to get a feel for the place myself, if that’s okay.”
Aiden nods. “No problem, let’s adjourn to my office.”
While everyone begins filing out of the room and heading for the stairs, I turn to Ellie sitting in her deep green armchair to my orange chair’s left.
Your girlfriend’s family certainly gets things done swiftly, I think at her and Madelaine.
Ellie blushes at ‘girlfriend’ but otherwise keeps a serious face. They do indeed, she replies.
What did Aiden mean when he said breaking and entering is his specialty? I inquire.
He used to work professionally as a ‘penetration tester’, Madelaine explains as they stand up from the desk and stretch.
That means he tried to get into places he wasn’t normally supposed to be for a living, Ellie adds. I think mostly he tested software and hardware systems, but occasionally he was called to actually try getting into server rooms and stuff.
I get a glimpse of her and Maddie’s surface thoughts, and receive a little background info about what ‘software and hardware systems’ are and the kinds of ‘exploits’ Aiden would identify. It seems one part computer skills, one part lying to people’s faces, and two parts writing up reports on what holes he does find.
That seems like a very useful set of skills for what you’re now up against, I remark.
Yeah, Ellie says, it is.
"Do you all want a few minutes to get ready?" Jay asks, "I can go fetch us some drinks."
"Water would be great, thank you Mr. Anderson," Maddie replies.
Jay disappears out the door, Maddie sits back down at the desk, and Ellie and I stand from our chairs in the viewing room.
Madelaine appears in the viewing tree and bows to me, clearly inviting me into the front of their body. I smile and curtsy to them, then poof! out of the tree and into the body.
I quickly draw out another group of sigils. It's the same configuration that I used for Sky, only the central sigil is different: this one is a pair of fangs under a half moon to represent Eve, since we know relatively little about her compared to Sky I’m just drawing what feels right. The design of the sigils is entirely for my own mind, so they generally work with whatever imagery I'm most familiar with.
The top and bottom sigils are once again my mind's eye symbol in a circle, with the left and right sigils being the bowperson sighting down the shaft towards their target.
Jay comes back in through the door just as I'm putting the finishing touches on the sigil group: connecting all five sigils together with lines from the central Eve symbol out to each of the others and with lines connecting the outer sigils to each other in a big circle.
“Wow, you work fast,” Jay says as he sets the water down to my right in easy reach.
“Thank you,” I say to him with a grateful smile. Then I tilt my head, and add, “You and your husband are some of the kindest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.”
Jay looks a little surprised. “I’m flattered,” he says, “we do try our best. May I ask who I’m speaking to?”
I feel the body blushing despite my best efforts. “I’m Anne, sorry I should have said something.”
It’s okay, Ellie reassures me from her position standing in front of the viewing screen.
“No you’re totally good Anne,” Jay says with a friendly smile, “I just wanted to check my hypothesis that it was you.”
Huh, how did he know? Maddie comments.
I nod. “I suppose the sigils do give it away,” I reply.
“Actually it was the way you spoke, and your choice of words, that tipped me off,” Jay says as he takes a small little rectangle out of the recorder and replaces it with an identical tiny grey flat rectangle.
It’s called an SD card, Ellie helpfully supplies, it’s where the recording is actually stored.
Thanks, I reply internally.
In the physical world I’m blinking in surprise at Jay. “Oh,” I say, “I didn’t realize I was that noticeable.”
“With you it’s a bit easier, I’m still learning how to tell the differences between Ellie and Maddie,” Jay replies affably.
Ellie and Maddie both seem startled that Jay’s taking note of their mannerisms, but I feel them both radiating pleasant emotions after the revelation.
“I think that’s only natural, they’ve been together most of their life,” I say with a small smile.
Wait, we have? Ellie asks.
To my surprise, Maddie takes the question.
Yeah probably, Maddie thinks amicably, I’m pretty sure our plurality is traumagenic in origin and originates from sometime during our childhood. Probably on account of the parental beatings we endured.
When Ellie looks taken aback by their response they continue: I’ve been doing more research, and trying to remember our past.
Okay, damn, Ellie replies, clearly processing that.
Very astute observations Madelaine, I say, still giving Jay and the sigils on the paper in front of me most of my attention. From what I’ve felt and what you’ve both told me, I agree that your plurality predates our connection by a wide margin.
“Yeah? Do you happen to know when they became separate, or why?” Jay asks back in his reality. “I’m just curious.”
I give the impression of a raised, questioning eyebrow to Ellie and Maddie while keeping their body’s face impassive. Want me to answer truthfully? I think to them.
Be my guest, Maddie replies.
Sure sure, Ellie says distractedly, as she and Madelaine share a side hug.
“I don’t know when or why for Ellie and Maddie specifically,” I say aloud, “they’ve just given me the impression of being split from each other earlier in life. How much earlier I cannot say, only that it was a while before we began to share our senses. Every plural system is unique in their history.”
Jay’s eyebrows rise as he sets the recorder down on the desk to my left. “Do you have a lot of experience with plural folks?” he asks curiously.
I nod. “It is... you could call it a personal interest of my system. We endeavor, in our free time, to learn from other plural people what it means to be a body containing multiple minds. We’ve sought out others in our city and beyond who have shared with us their life stories, their disparate origins and diverse system members.”
Jay’s eyebrows stay high. “That’s really, really fascinating,” he says with interest. “If you ever have free time where you’re not fighting for your life or looking for missing people, I’d love to talk to you more about plurality and your experiences with it.”
I smile at him genuinely. “I’d like that, there’s much I’d love to learn from you as well.”
He returns my smile, his cool blue eyes twinkling. “Fantastic! Well, I’d better let you get on with this ritual. Shall I see myself out?”
“That’s probably for the best, no need to make this any harder than it already is,” I reply truthfully.
He nods and makes his way out of his study, closing the forest green door with a quiet, “See you on the other side.”
The door closes, and we are alone.
I Poof! myself back into the black-wooded viewing tree room in between Ellie and Maddie, leaving the body’s eyes squarely focused on the sigils I’d drawn.
“Let us begin,” I say confidently, focusing my attention on my avatar inside the viewing tree.
“Should we try and help you, or just stay out of your way?” Ellie asks curiously on my left.
“Help would be much appreciated,” I reply, “if you both can raise your own energy by singing, dancing, or doing whatever makes you feel excited, and focus on the sigils and on Eve with me, that would be wonderful.”
“Raise energy; focus on Eve and sigils, got it,” Maddie says on my right.
“I’ll be opening up a channel back to my side of the connection, where Amira and Ania are raising their energy and sending it our way,” I explain. “You two will focus with me on activating each of the five sigils in a spiral order counterclockwise, starting at the top mind’s eye and ending at Eve’s central sigil.”
Ellie and Maddie both nod, and I can tell I have their full attention as in headspace I begin to sway my hips and swish my brown skirt around in a gyrating motion.
First I imagine a tether connected from my heart out to the shore of Ellie and Maddie’s isle, across the bridge, and straight into Amira’s big gay heart. I imagine I can feel her warm arms around my shoulders, pulling me close as the tether between us pumps magical energy from her heart to mine.
I lift my eyes and arms towards the black wood ceiling and proclaim, “Oh great goddess Artya, hear me! I am yours to bend and yours to command. I am one with your greatness yet a speck of dust before your might! Help me locate Eve Somberset she/her!”
I feel Ellie and Maddie’s concentration sharpen with my own onto the top sigil as I begin my chant in Amaramthine.
“Oh hunter Artya, one with the wilds and one with the tundra, hear me!” I roar, “I, Anne Tahana she/her, need your assistance! I call upon your instincts, your keen eyes, and your legendary hunting skills! Help me find Eve Somberset she/her!”
Together Ellie, Maddie and I go around the circle of sigils, casting one for each verse in my impromptu hymn.
“Oh great and powerful Artya, hear me!” I thunder, “We need your help! I call upon your love for nature and your love for love itself! I call upon your holy blade and your holy bow! Show me Eve Somberset she/her!”
I continue swaying my hips and arms in a controlled pattern taught to me by the Goddess Herself, dancing to Her wild rhythms as I chant a few more verses of on-the-spot worship mixed with our plea for help, casting the last sigil with a final shouted “Show me Eve Somberset she/her!
Then, just as I’m beginning to feel fatigued, a very real shiver runs through my mind, and I feel the arms around me tighten as they change from my enbyfriend’s to someone equally muscular’s. I smile and relinquish myself to the embrace of my Goddess. I feel Her in my thoughts, guiding me as I choose my next words carefully. I strive to fully convey the expansive ideas She instills in my mind in place of talking with my body and my words.
“Oh my sweet, beautiful Artya, I ask that you locate Eve Somberset! I call upon your secret ways and your spying eyes! Find her! Find Eve!” I cry.
With Ellie and Maddie’s assistance, I hold the image of Eve firm in my mind. I continue moving my body in time with the Goddess’s rhythm and chanting to praise Her and raise energy. After a relatively short time I feel Her engulf me in a warm, tender embrace before Her power flows into my avatar and out through my palms. Again the viewing tree is bathed in a dark green light as She directs the flow of energy into the screen before the three of us.
When the green light clears, the viewing tree’s screen is looking directly at a crude wooden cross hanging on a plain grey concrete wall, with a small, pitiful figure huddled underneath it.
I realize the cross imagery has religious significance in Ellie and Maddie’s mind, albeit not a religion they subscribe to any longer. I file that information away as I take in the rest of the scene before us.
The pale skinned girlish figure is clearly identifiable as Eve in Ellie and Maddie’s minds. Her shoulder length black hair is matted to her head and her green blouse and blue jeans have numerous rips and tears in them, as well as darker stains that look a lot like dried blood. I assume the blood is her enemies’, as the wounds I can see on her flesh aren’t bleeding.
There is a heavy-looking metal collar around her neck, just barely visible in the shadows of the scene, as well as manacles around her wrists and ankles that have left angry red welts wherever they touch her skin. Chains run from all five of those bindings to bolts on the wall behind her with very little wiggle room.
Fuck, Ellie and Madde think in unison.
I turn our viewpoint to peer around at the rest of our surroundings. Again there’s a heavy metal door with a little barred window at the top, but other than that and the cross and bolted chains the room is completely featureless.
I feel fatigue creeping through my mind as the energy we’ve raised drains away into the spell, and I focus my attention on the other half of the magic working: the dowsing. I feel a tug deep in my gut directing me north, and my view of Eve dissipates as the screen zooms out and reveals the same white building we’d located Sky within.
Got her, I’ll do the honors again, Madie says, moving around me and sidling into the front of their body.
In their physical world they say, “Eve’s in the same warehouse but in much worse shape than Sky. She’s got tears in her clothes, dried blood on her, manacles on her ankles and wrists and a collar around her neck that are all bolted to the wall behind her. She appears to be a little south and west of where Sky is in the building, towards the center of the place. They’ve put a big cross in her room too, right above where she’s chained.”
The last of the spell’s energy dwindles away, and we’re left staring into Jay’s study once again.
I feel a wave of fatigue pass over me, and I fall backward into one of the plush chairs behind me in headspace.
“Woah are you okay?” Ellie asks.
“Yes, just tired. It takes a lot out of you to do back to back complicated rituals,” I say. “If you both feel up to handling things here for a while, I’d like to go back to Amira and Ania and rest there.”
Of course Anne, do whatever you need to do! Madelaine encourages telepathically.
Thank you, I reply in kind.
I groan as I get to my feet, then give Ellie a hug and bid them both goodbye before teleporting myself away and arriving at the edge of the mists on the bridge.
I brace myself, then stride into the Aether. I travel swiftly back along the bridge towards my home system. The currents of the Aether buffet me as I flow along with them, but I stay my course, and arrive somewhere between a moment and an eternity later in my origin mind. I walk forth from the mists on my side of our connection, and teleport myself straight into Amira’s citadel and their waiting arms.
Ania is there with my love, and she hugs us both briefly, then disappears to give us privacy.
“How did it go love?” Amira asks as I sag against their firm black armor-coated chest.
“Well enough,” I respond tiredly.
“Let’s get you comfortable,” Amira suggests, and together we teleport into their bedroom higher up in the citadel.
I let myself fall out of their arms backwards onto their big feather bed. Amira collapses beside me a moment later, their armor gone in favor of a simple black nightshirt that does nothing to hide the strong, muscular curves of their black body.
I sigh contentedly as I cuddle up to their firm chest, and they chuckle as they run their fingers through my long black hair.
“That bad, huh?” they ask softly.
I grumble assent, and before I know it I’m drifting off to sleep in their embrace.
“I’ve got you, little Anne,” Amira says with confidence I can only dream of.
I cuddle up closer to them, clinging to their body as the spell-fatigue induced sleep washes over me.
“‘Night Mira,” I mumble. “I love you.”
“Goodnight Anne, I love you too,” they say with a smile in their voice.
And then I’m out like a snuffed candle.
KristenOfTheCoven
Hello beautiful readers,
We have survived bottom surgery! We're now home and healing, and assessing our ability to write more. Not sure what our output will be like yet, bu we hope you enjoyed this chappy!
Sincerely,
Flutter and the Coven
