Back in 2022 I did a really fun crossover story with "Aurora's dollstories" on Instagram. We worked REALLY hard on it and had a ton of fun, so I thought that I'd try and compile it all here on the blog.
Enjoy!
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A little backstory on this was that my character Olivia Moore has a coven in the US and had another in Italy where she was originally from. The coven in Italy was slowly turning towards dark magic due to coven member Elke Giacomina - Morte Bianca - The White Death. Olivia tried to stop what was happening, but ended up using her power and and starting a massive fire that killed many of the dark coven members. She thought Elke was among them......
Return 01
The house is lovely. A picture perfect domain. The dead bodies seem out of place - gore and blood coating the walls and floor of the entryway.
The men and woman that cower before the old crone look...so terrified now that their friends and family lay scattered around the home. The younger man raises his hands and pleads in Italian.
"Morte Bianca...I beg of you. We've done everything you have asked of us. The boat...the money...bringing you to this place of worship." He motions around. "I ask that---" A shot rings out and the man's face flies free of his skull.
The old crone smiles. "I don't remember asking him a damn thing, do you Chelsea?"
The little blonde smiles and replies, "Not a gawd damn thing, Mum." She places the smoking gun on the table in front of her.
The crone looks ridiculous in the outfit she wears. Her skin is wrinkled and leathery grey and her eyes are pale and sunken. She looks like she's well over 85 years old, but she wears the clothing of a much younger woman.
The woman before her shouts, "Please...if you do this, this sacred place will die. You will take its power."
The crone smiles.
Return 02
"Pity." The old crone points to the man. "Say the words." She's filled with rage when he stares back at her blankly. "SAY THE WORDS....or this one..." she points to the sobbing woman, "..will be burned alive."
The little blonde Chelsea slips a Zippo from her pocket and flicks it - her face dull and emotionless.
The man thinks for a moment - tears filling his eyes - and begins the chant. The room's air seems to grow thick as he presses a panel in the wall. He continues to chant as machine workings clank and bang deep within the walls.
The crone in white stands in an ornate circle on the floor.
The little blonde steps back.
A light ripples through the crone. Alternating heat and cold swirls in the room and the light in the circle grows stronger building to a blast of blinding light. Then, all is quiet with a loud snap. There's a smell of sulfur and iron in the air.
"Well?!" The crone is no more. A woman with white hair stares around at Chelsea. "Did it work?!" She smiles when she hears her own voice - young and sultry again.
Chelsea smiles. "Yes. Yes it worked, Madame Giacomina." She smiles wide as Elke Giacomina admires the smooth skin on her wrinkle free hands.
"Lovely....I need a mirror." She starts off down the hall and calls back, "Chelsea..." and waves her hand dismissively.
Chelsea snatches the gun from the table before her and stomps into the center of the room. "Right. That's it for you lot. You done good." She raises the gun and shoots the man in the face, sending him flying back over the sofa.
"PLEASE! MY DAUGHTER AND SON! THEY NEED ME. I'M....."
Chelsea shrugs and shoots the woman in the chest. Two more shots are fired into them for good measure. "And that's that." Chelsea wipes the gun and tosses it to the floor.
Storm Warning 01
The house gathers when Olivia and Kado ask for a meeting. The serious nature of the request made it very clear that they all needed to make time. Kado takes the lead. "Thank you all for making time for this today. This may be nothing, but in the interest of full disclosure and in light of the events of the past, we wanted to gather to make sure the Coven and its friends knew what was on the radar." "We appreciate that," Jinny nods. "As you know, Olivia was involved with her home Coven in Italy. A Coven that turned towards the dark over the years. A Coven that had become a cancer for those around them. A select few tried to move the Coven back into the light, but....they failed, only making matters worse." Olivia wipes her eyes. "A dark plot had developed there and a great evil was being summoned. All for greed and power. Thanks to the efforts of Olivia and allies like Severina Elettra, they were stopped. The loss of life was tragic." He glances at Olivia. "Olivia's own Mother was a victim there." A shudder runs through Cindy, but she doesn't know why.
Storm Warning 02
The women in the room hang on Kado's every word. Alert.
"The Coven members in Italy were...dispatched. Our allies there left for the most part. Now, we've found out that one of the members we thought dead is very much alive. Severina alerted us to her presence."
"Here?" Kim's voice is small.
"No. Back in Italy. The woman's name is Elke Giacomina. A powerful woman. She's one of the oldest witches in the Italian coterie and one we are not agreed on. She has a reputation and a dark side, but she may be aligned with Olivia. Severina was thought to be a Daughter of Darkness, but we were mistaken."
Tanner lets a small grin cross her face. "We hope."
Jinny cuts to the chase. "Bottom line - are we in danger here? Do we know where this woman is now?"
Kado motions to Cindy. "Cindy has been working on spells of protection for each of you and the house itself. She has made great strides in deep magic to ensure your safety." Kado smiles, proud of her.
Storm Warning 03
"Her work with the older tomes has been amazing." Olivia addresses the group. "I have people in Italy that are checking on her now. Her last known whereabouts and where she is currently. We also have people asking around to make sure there are no other...loose ends. The biggest one is in our own backyard - Terrance Melkin. He was helping us and provided protections and insights that were very helpful, but he's dropped off the radar. Tanner is seeking him out."
"He's gone ta ground, but I'll find him." She smiles. "Him and his weirdo girl squad. That's another loose end. These...women named Vipers. I'm lookin' in ta what they hell THEY are as well. Long and the short - don't go makin' any new friends fer a while without triple checkin yer backs."
Olivia sighs. "Yes, but believe me when I say that your safety is of the utmost importance. You are Family. This Coven and its friends are strong together. Together you will be safe."
_________
Upstairs in Cindy's room, something shimmers in the mirrors....
Claire stares down at the little figure she got for Cindy. She whispers, "Well, the news downstairs kinda took the wind out of my sails for this. Just something I found at Hot Topic. Thought you'd dig it." She hands the little Jack Skellington to Cindy.
"Awww..it's adorable. Thank you so much." Cindy smiles. "I'll put it up where I can see it." She moves to the shelves.
"I think Jinny and Kim took the news rather hard. We were all wondering if we should talk about this with everyone. We didn't want to cause unnecessary panic, but also wanted to be open and up front." Kado sighs. "I know Kim doesn't like this."
Darcy says, "None of us really LIKE it. Except for Tanner, maybe."
"I can talk with them. Get a read." Claire shrugs.
"And I'm still going through the older tomes for spells of protection. I'm working with Kado and the others on some translations. Some of the spells seem very powerful, but I don't want to bring something that's too powerful to us. Unless we really need it."
A silence lingers for a moment. "Yeeeah..." Claire whispers.
"Ok, tough guy. Did Mary Wells send you after me," Janice looks to the sky and screams, ..."or did that Demon WH0RE?!" She grins. Melkin isn't laughing.
"You done?"
Janice shrugs. "For now...maybe..."
"What do you know about Elke Giacomina?"
Janice laughs. "Oh...wait...is this your big plan? Tell me some fairytale about a monster under my bed to get me to run back and play nice with the Vipers? 'Don't go out in the world, little girl, or the big...bad...Elke Giacomina will GET you!' I would have liked it more if you dragged me out here and just tried to beat me into going back with you." She shakes her head.
Melkin is done. He shifts gears and hands Janice a photo of Cindy and Darcy. "The Slater sisters and their friends are off limits. Period. The blonde that runs the coffee shop and all of them."
Janice stares at the photo, then looks back at Melkin. "F^ck you." She tosses the photo at him, smiles, and whispers, "That little one has a power. I've felt it. I want it. And you and the Wh0re aren't going to tell me---" Janice feels something slither through her. Something dark...evil...and violating. She can't even scream.
She drops to the ground clutching at her midsection, then her head as the slithering thing seems to wrap itself around her spine and crawl up to her mind.
"Rethink your choices, Janice. You know where I live when you want to try this chat again."
Villa Morelli - Part 01 - Apr 18, 2022
:::All dialogue in Italian:::: Another ambulance arrives at the Villa Morelli and the little blonde directing the show notes that they finally got the message about no sirens being needed. None of the victims were going to be in need of rushed service tonight. The blonde shouts up to two men on the upper level. "When you are done on the balcony, make sure that window is closed. I don't want the wind messing up my crime scene!" Her voice is loud and clear and demands more attention than her small frame would imply. "Detective Bruni?" Detective Chelsea Bruni turns to address the man. "Yes, Vitale?" The man is curt and to the point, knowing that's what she expects. "So far, a total of 11 bodies. 3 children." Chelsea stops herself from laughing. She guesses that they have not found the pretty little boy she killed hung up in the garage yet if they only had 3 kids counted. He was particularly gruesome business. They needed his eyes and heart for the ritual.
Villa Morelli - Part 02
:::All dialogue in Italian:::: Detective Bruni crosses herself. "Damn it...." She stares at him for a moment. "And the weapon?" "It does in fact check out as the same caliber as the Villanueva case. The same strange markings found on the blunt trauma area of Daniele Villanueva as well. Detective Segreto informed the Chief and he's passing the information on to a new contact - Tomas Jansen. Guess he's looking at the Villanueva Case from a different angle." Chelsea feels the floor drop out from under her. "Wait...what?" Who the F^CK is Tomas Jansen?!" Detective Vitale braces himself. "I...um..." He curses and pulls his notepad from his back pocket. He wanted to be able to do this without his notes. "Uh..." "Come on...Jesus...." Detective Bruni rolls her head on her shoulders. "Finnish guy. Um...works in the Finnish Security and Intelligence Agency? Retired police?" "You ASKING me or TELLING me?!" She sighs and motions towards the gate. "Go and keep those vultures back. Can you do that - keeping the press out of here?" He nods and jogs to the gate. Chelsea rubs her head. Finland? What the hell. All of this was happening too fast. Just when they get Morte Bianca heading back to full strength, this ridiculous loose end resurfaces? She'll need to contact Elke Giacomina right away about this. ______
Find out more about Mr. Jansen over at @once_upon_a_time_in_finland https://www.instagram.com/p/CcbE4YVMMjf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Janice recovers from the attack on her mind and body after some time of just laying there in the sun in the dirt, but when she looks for Melkin, he's long gone. She curses him and heads back to the rundown little place she's squatting in for now. She sneers at the WARNING: DANGEROUS ASBESTOS HAZARD signs and tape as she twists the doorknob and ducks under the tape to enter. She'd have to do something about the Demon at some point, that was certain. The VIPERS weren't going to betray their vows, so they were nothing to worry about. But Melkin. He'd have to go. He'd go the same way the apartment manager went. She glances at the pots on the stove and grins whispering, "Deliciously...." She feels the air grow warm and freezes on the spot. "Little girl...why are you being so disobedient? Hmmm?" The voice is coming from behind Janice, but she doesn't want to turn around. She doesn't want to look into the Demon's eyes. "Why are you so bent on protecting some witches?" she snarls. The Demon doesn't answer. Instead she whispers into Janice's ear. It's low, but clear. The words creep into Janice's mind like the snake energy that slithered through Janice earlier. The words sting, then hurt, then draw tears. And fear. So much fear. The Demon smiles. "Now that we're seeing...eye to eye....go to Melkin, listen to him, and behave. If you do...." she whispers in Janice's ear again, but this time the words are sweet and calm and send shivers through Janice's body in wondrous ways. Janice starts breathing hard and panting in bursts. "If you do...you'll be rewarded in lovely ways." The Demon vanishes and Janice falls to her knees.
A package is delivered to the house. The two men that deliver it have exotic accents. Claire calls up to Cindy. “Um…Cindy?! You have a…box here. And it smells like… herbs, smoke, and…medicine?”
📦 What's in the Box? Part 01 Cindy comes down and immediately touches the necklace around her neck and whispers something. Nothing happens and she moves closer to the source of the smokey, herbal smells. "Two dudes just delivered this. I remembered what you said about the spells and sigils, so I thought it would be ok." Claire winces. "Is it ok?" Darcy grabs Kim's old family cross and places it on the box before sitting down. "Just in case." Cindy kneels by the box and whispers an incantation she read in one of the older spell books. Nothing happens and she says, "Seems ok." "Doggos love it. So does Kat. They all want inside, so I doubt it's anything like some of the other items we've had in here. They run from trouble like that." Claire giggles a nervous giggle. "I'm going to open it." It's like Cindy is trying to talk herself into it. Part of her wants to call in Kado or Olivia, but another stronger part wants to do this herself. She slices the packing tape and opens the box. More smoke smell and herbs hits them. It's not unpleasant - just the opposite. It has a calming quality. They stare in for a minute, then Claire mutters, "Holy sh!t...."
📦 What's in the Box? Part 02 "That's....that's a lot of jars." Darcy stares. Cindy thinks, then reaches inside and pulls one of the heavy jars up and out. "Is that safe to do? What if there's a curse or...I don't know." Claire curls her lip. "I've checked. That spell I did earlier. Nothing in here will harm us. Nothing with ill intent would make it past the front gate let alone the front door. Not without....consequences." Her voice softens a bit. "As long as we don't drink anything toxic." Cindy's voice is confident and strong. It makes the others think that the magic she's using now is on another level. They both want to hear more about that later. "Oh my..." Cindy re-reads the label. "This...." She looks at the others, then back to the jar. "I paid about $180 for a small dropper bottle of this a while back." She looks into the box again reading labels and her mouth falls open. "There are...like thousands of dollars worth of materials in here. More. Some of these I've only heard mention of in books. Rare and super hard to get if you can get it at all!" Claire stares on. "Well...somebody loves you." She grins. "Kado?" "I've asked him not to send me things without telling me." "Well....now what?" Darcy whispers as they all continue to stare at the mysterious gift. "We take a look at what we've got." Cindy smiles, then sees the manila envelope at the bottom of the box.
📦 What's in the Box? Part 03 Cindy moves the bottles up to her room. The box is too heavy, so she ends up carrying them up by hand with Claire and Darcy helping. The manila envelope was next. Cindy opened it in her room after promising to let the others know as soon as she looked through it. The box turns out to be from a partner of Severina.
A man named Torben Jørgersen. She looks through the assorted papers and photos in the envelope, then starts to read the letter. ________________ Cindy, I'm sorry for the rather odd way this package is arriving. Due to various circumstances, we had to ship it out quickly. After telling my good brother Torben Jørgersen about your various talents, he was sure that you were the right person to send all of these items to - and more.. He said you are the right one to continue The Path of Shadow and Light. We have explained in the letter with the red PSL in the corner. In short, if you choose, you can be part of the Sisterhood of Light. I have contacted Olivia about this as well since she is your Mother there. She can explain more. The path is long and can be hazardous, but seeing the care you took with the spells of protection for your House and Coven, you can handle it. Torben also has other items for you, but he would like to speak with you before sending them on. I'm sure you understand. If you do not wish to take this on, Olivia can take the supplies and you do not have to speak of it again. Hopeful Yours in light ~ Severina ________________ Cindy stares at the jars and her mind swims. "The Path of Shadow and Light?" She looks for the letter with the red PSL in the corner. •Printed items from LITTLE MAGGIE SHOP on Etsy
Stories 01 Weeks ago....
Torben Jørgersen continues to speak and Severina writes what he says down to send to Cindy. His home smells of baking bread and exotic spices and herbs. His voice sounds as if it's echoing in a well - deep and sonorous. "The Path of Shadow and Light was more powerful in the past. Great magical people doing great things in small doses. Educating. Healing, Loving. They worshipped old Gods and Goddesses and were rewarded handsomely. Over time, Christianity took over, of course. The magic faded. Blind faith and book memorizing...." He waved off his own speech making. Severina grins. "The fire?" "Oh...yes yes. There was the first major battle of The Path in 1929. Between two sisters - Clara and Jessica St Fray. Grandparents came over from...Estonia. The sisters were very powerful leaders, but had different ideals. Small quarles lead to them using small spells against each other. Factions formed. Everything broke down. Clara started using dark magic. Trying to prove her power. And she did. Her followers grew." Severina writes furiously. "A battle raged. Jessica tried reason and love to pull her sister back, but Clara was too far gone. Clara lashed out at Jessica with a curse or spell that was very dark and very powerful. Jessica's followers watched as a dark flame sprang from the very floor below her feet. But the flame disappeared as soon as it touched Jessica's skin. Miles away, however, Clara burst into flames. Her whole splinter Coven...was burned in a wild and unholy fire." Torben shakes his head sadly.
Stories 02
"Well...balance was restored, yes. And Jessica St Fray was one of our greatest leaders." He nods. "The recent events in Italy. With Olivia's..." Severina stops herself remembering the hot and cold feelings Torben has about what happened there. Torben rolls his eyes and stands. "Yes...yes...the great and powerful Olivia Moore and her cult of Light." He chuckles knowingly. "I know how you feel about her. No need to hide this. Yes...that was another event that was very similar to what happened with the St Frays. But in this case there was no powerful Spell of Runes to reverse a sister's spell, Severina. This was a culling. Selective slaughter." Severina dares to differ. "Melleson was leading the Italia down the same dark path, Torben." Torben smiles. "And when they found her in that field in Montieri, her eyes were gone, tongue was gone, and she had wounds and scars UNDER her skin and on her internal organs. No visible signs on her body." Torben opens his oven and pulls the bread from it. Severina notes that he's not wearing oven mitts. "And when the Coven in Italy fell...were destroyed...and the few remaining loyalists escaped to speak to Olivia...." "We are assume they go to speak?" Severina is rattled and her speaking is hindered. He continues. "They were gunned down by an assassin along with those that were with them." Torben opens his arms wide and lets them fall to his sides. "You tell this Cindy Slater friend of Olivia Moore...to be careful." He nods. "I want to speak with her, too. If she really is as natural as you say, there are things we have here that she may excel at." •The assassin was Tanner taking out two witches a while back
Cindy asks Kado to come over right away and he's blown away by the sight of the exotic mixtures and ingredients. He looks them over, then Cindy shows him the letters and what was said about Olivia and the The Path of Shadow and Light. "There are other notes and stories, too. Some handwritten spells in French and other languages. And some of these jars are worth thousands of dollars. And they all look like they've been through a fire, but none of the contents are even singed." Cindy glances at them. Kado looks them over again. He thinks, then, "I know Torben. Well, I've met him several times. He seems like a good man. A powerful Potion Master. You could learn a lot from him, I'm sure. I'm not sure what his view of Olivia is. She's never really talked about him." "What if he's on Elke Giacomina's side and...I don't know...trying to win me over to her?" Kado smiles and takes Cindy's hand. "Then...I'm sure you'll choose what's best, my love." He gives her hand a squeeze. "Just be careful and cautious no matter what." The two stare into each other's eyes for a long while.
Cindy passes on dinner. She wants to try a spell she found in one of the older books Kado had given her and wanted the house to herself when she did it. Just in case.
She removes the cover from the crystal ball and utters the memorized chant, focusing her energy. She repeats the chant over and over and starts to feel a bit defeated...until the ball starts to glimmer. The glow fuels Cindy and she chants a bit louder. The energy she puts out is returned to her three fold. She feels the power surging through her mind, muscles, skin... She thanks Hecate and praises her, then says the end of the spell and the crystal ball starts to fade and dim. Cindy shivers - a powerful pulse running through her. She feels fantastic. Healthy...happy....like she just had the best sleep of her whole life. She raises her hands to the sky. "As Above, So Below. As Within, So Without." Cindy touches her necklace and smiles. For the first time, she feels more like a real power in the world. Something bigger and better than just sister, lover, or friend. She smiles.
Chelsea shows up to her meeting with Elke Giacomina frantic and in a panic. The drugs she took before driving over have really kicked in and didn't calm her wish was the desired effect. She rants like a madwoman. "F^CKING FINLAND?! Those people. They did that whole thing - talking about putting seeds in the pockets of Russian soldiers so they could see flowers growing where their DEAD BODIES WERE BURIED! Now this cop...." Chelsea paces and rattles off madness in Italian. "That Villanueva is still after me from beyond!" The woman in white before her taps the wooden wall and says nothing. Rain clouds gather and the first few drops of rain start to fall. Chelsea curses under her breath - colder now than when the sun was up. The pacing and her pounding heart keep her spouting. "And Vitale can't keep his F^CKING MOUTH shut for a second! And I can't KILL the idiot because it would lead right back to all of this OTHER SH!T!" Chelsea is losing it and knows it. Elke Giacomina whispers something. Her voice is deep, coarse, and strong. A light starts to emanate from her hands as she starts to speak. A mere parlor trick, but effective. Her voice thrills and chills Chelsea. "You need to calm down. Now." Chelsea feels her brain spin down instantly. She has the same feeling she has right before sleep hits her at night. She stops pacing and stares at the light. "And if dear Detective Vitale isn't getting the message...." Elke Giacomina turns and faces Chelsea. The powerful light that's coming from her and around her illuminates her as darkness starts to fall. She smiles. "We'll just have to...enlighten the poor man...." She grins.
Elke
Beautiful Dreamer 01
Cindy stares at the crystal ball. Her eyes are tired and she feels like she's not quite touching the floor. She can't tell if she's awake or asleep. The crystal ball calls to her, but she doesn't want to get too close. She feels a presence in her room. An envelope of shadow encloses the space and her head feels like when your ears pop going high in an airplane. Cindy whispers, "Darcy? Claire? Jinny?" Cindy stares around the room...then the room lights go off. Cindy peers into the dark and feels fear creep in along the edges of her mind. A fear she's known before. A fear like that of the Demon...the death of Claire.... Something stands in the center of the room. Something large and menacing. Something familiar. It walks up to Cindy and stands before her. Old...ancient...powerful...wise. She smells of earth and herbs, but there's a sweetness and a rot that drifts around her as well. Words are said. Old words. But somehow, Cindy knows what they mean. "THIS is the woman who performed the Spell of Rejuvenation?" A smile crosses the woman-things face. "It can not be." A red glow fills the space. "This mere...waif? Child? " The words are said with a kind of anger mixed with pride. Cindy feels like she won't be able to stay on her feet for much longer. She feels faint. Full of fear......
Beautiful Dreamer 02
"Speak, Child. Tell me who performed the spell." Her eyes gleam behind the mask. Cindy whispers, "It was me. I was the one who performed the spell." The woman-thing before Cindy smiles a pleased smile and raises a hand. "Well met. This powerful creature. A creature that doesn't know her own core power. Her own worth in this...world of man." The words are filled with power. They almost sound like a poem. "She walks through it, but is above it...but she doesn't know she is beyond it. A shame." The woman shakes her head. "But...you are on the Path. You follow the Light." Cindy stares at the armor. The face mask. She longs to be this beautiful, powerful creature. She tries to keep her focus, but the woman seems blurred. Like she's half there and half gone. As if she reads Cindy's thoughts, she growls, "But you ARE a beautiful creature, Cindy of the house of Slater. You just do not know this yet." Cindy feels her bones rattle within her. Her heart races and hands shake. The Goddess before her speaks. "Continue your learning. Continue to seek the teachings and knowledge of the man Kado and the Sister he cares for. They will take you higher. And then, you will fly higher still - up and beyond them all." The woman smiles under her mask. "I will visit you again, my Daughter." The lights flicker back to life and Cindy stares at the empty space where the woman was. Then she swoons and falls back onto her bed. She dreams of fields filled with flowers. She sees the woman holding a sword high in the air and her enemies bowing down to her. Power flows through her as she chants. The crystal ball glows, then dims. The air in the room is warm and fresh. Cindy falls into a deep sleep.
Goddess 01
Olivia tries to get a read on the house. She starts at the front and walks through the whole of it from the basement up through to Cindy's room. She feels nothing unusual until she gets to Cindy's. "Yes...here. I feel it here. A sort of...psychic smudge." Olivia looks at Cindy. "You've started using more powerful spells. Perhaps you've drawn attention to yourself with them." Hiroto nods. "This spell is amazing. Where did you say you got it?" Olivia checks the crystal ball. It seems stable, but there's something new about it. Part of her wants to take it back to the manor, but that would drive a wedge between her and Cindy. Cindy needs her freedom.
Goddess 02
Cindy thinks a moment, then says, "I got the spells and some special potion ingredients from Torben Jørgersen - a friend of Severina." Hiroto nods and makes a mental note to look into him. Olivia's eyes narrow ever so briefly. "Ah yes, Torben." "Is there anything that would cause him to...lay a sort of trap for Cindy to get to you, Olivia? I know you two have had your moments." Kado looks between Olivia and Cindy. "Do you think he'd be willing to hurt Cindy to get at you? Just how bad are things between you?" Olivia takes a moment to assess the situation. She lowers her head. "Torben Jørgersen and I didn't see eye to eye on some issues, but it was nothing that he'd lash out at me or mine about." She thinks. "And, with the work that Cindy has done on the house and those who live within it, whatever this spirit or entity is most likely means no harm." Kado moves to Cindy's side. "Perhaps it would be best if I stayed here tonight?" Cindy smiles. "Oh, yes. Yes, I think that's a wonderful idea." Hiroto thinks. She's seen this spell pattern before, but she can't remember where.
Goddess 03
Night crashes in around Kado and Cindy. Both of them feel like a giant black bird has blocked out the sun. One moment they were talking and the next they found themselves in a sleepwalker state on their knees on the floor - unable to move or speak. "Ah...you have brought the man Kado to you. Friend...lover...guardian...mentor..." The woman stands over them. Cindy notes that her skin has a blue tint to it. Her hands are smeared with something red. Berries...or blood... Kado and Cindy stare forward. "A union between you will produce wondrous offspring. Witches...warlocks...of the highest order." A bright light fills the room. Cindy and Kado blink at it and the woman shudders. When she speaks again, her booming voice is just a sad whisper. "My poor Daughter of the Light. My poor sister in the world." She strokes Cindy's hair. "You can not bear children. I am truly sorry to speak of this. I did not mean to bring up painful memories." Tears well in Cindy's eyes. The woman thinks. She whispers, "I could change you. Give you this ability back...but it is not your road. Nor is it what you wish, I see." The woman stares down at Cindy. "So...I shall give you another gift." The woman reaches up and removes her mask. She slips the mask over Cindy's face. "Another tool...to help you along The Path of Shadow and Light..." The mask slips over Cindy's face and she sees wild visions. Her - naked on top of Kado thrashing around passionately. The world spinning at thundrous speeds. Trees burning. Her friends - laughing...crying. Blood. Claws. A woman in white - her silver hair glistening. A dark creature coming up from the depths. Her potion jars...glowing around her. ___
Goddess 04
Kado and Cindy sit on Cindy's bed. They both feel as if they are thawing out. They are slowly able to move numb limbs and muscles. They slip from the fog in their minds and start to speak as if drunk. "My head..." Cindy has a splitting headache. Kado stammers. "Are you ok?" Kado rubs her back counter clockwise and focuses his Ki spiritual energies. "Deep breaths. Close your eyes for a moment." He continues to rub her back. Cindy does this and starts to feel better at once. "Better." Kado stands and moves to the spot Olivia stood. He feels his head spin. "A powerful force is here. That...woman....she is breaking some serious paranormal rules to get here. To get to you." He moves back to Cindy slowly and hugs her. Cindy whispers, "But...why?" and thinks back on the fragments of conversation she remembers. "And...what did she do to me?" She grips his arm. "Kado, let's write everything down before we forget what she said. It's already starting to get jumbled in my mind."
ITALY
Detective Vitale and Detective Bruni stand in back of Villa Morelli.
Both are thinking of the case as they look over the cliff and down at
the waves.
Vitale thinks about other possible connections to the family that was
killed as he watches some of the other officers on the case walk towards
the people on the beach below to ask them questions.
Detective Chelsea Bruni thinks about how easy it would be to tie up this
particular loose end by shoving Vitale off the damn cliff.
Vitale stares down off the cliff at the officers. "They could have used
the path over there. Would have been quicker I think." He smiles. "Waste
of time if you ask me - questioning them down there. There's no way
they could have heard anything that went on up here."
Chelsea quietly walks forward - ready to push him off. She glances
around to make sure the others are still in the house.
"I'll see what else the paperwork I found turns up when we get back."
She stops. "Paperwork?"
"Yes. Items I found on Daniele Villanueva. I have them back at the
station. Don't worry, I let the bossman know that you and I were working
on it. I'm not trying to get all the credit myself." He chuckles.
Chelsea turns and places her hands on the wall as she tries to push her
anger down.
"You ok?" Vitale looks back at her.
"Yes. I'm just not a fan of heights." She grinds her teeth.
:::conversations in Italian::::: Detective Vitale walks into the office and nods to the man behind the desk.
The large man motions to the small cart full of liquor in the corner. "Help yourself, Detective Vitale." He grins his broken grin knowing Vitale would have helped himself with permission or not. "How are things?" "Playing the idiot? Thrilling." He grabs the bottle of J&B and a glass. The man behind the desk grimaces. "I only keep a bottle of that around because you love it. It's disgusting." "Delicious." Detective Vitale sips the whiskey. "I think she was going to try and kill me today. I saw it in her eyes." "We just need a little more time. We're still getting organized. The Finns will be here soon. The AFDA will smile on you for your service here." "As long as I don't get my head chopped off between here and the end." Detective Vitale downs his whiskey...and pours another.
Detective Angelo Vitale pulls the bottle off the shelf and pours before he even realizes what he's doing. He screws the cap back on and takes the bottle with him, sipping at the glass of whiskey as he walks. He leans against the wall and sighs. The pressure of this case and the cat and mouse nature of it is taking its toll. "Angelo?" He hears his wifes footsteps approaching. "In here." "Did you just get in?" She sees the bottle and glass and her face goes cold. "Yes." He sips. "I thought you were stopping." She nods to the glass. He stares. "Yeah." "Come to bed when...you're done. Don't sleep down here again. Ok?" She doesn't wait for an answer before turning and leaving the room. He takes another sip.
:::conversations in Italian:::: Elke Giacomina's head is splitting - the headache raging horribly, but it's worth it. She manages a grin as the stifling smoke and coppery smell in the air drifts towards the window and fades. "Poor Christine." Morte Bianca laughs bitterly. She glances over at the nude man hanging upside down before her. Tears are drifting out of his eyes towards his forehead and an unsightly string of snot from his nose hangs over his left eye. He looks drained and grey. His dark hair looks curled and smokes and his face looks sunburned, the energy Elke used for the spell singeing them. "You've been a naughty boy, but the help you've given me for my little call...has been lovely." She whispers, "Now...just a few more things...." She moves towards the man and he whimpers.
_________
Detective Angelo Vitale angles the "desk" through the door, bashes his finger, curses, and kicks it through before slamming the door. He moves it into the room, the wheels the only good thing about it that he can see at the moment. He looks around the room and gets more depressed. He can still hear the words of the Chief in his head.... ____ "It's a promotion, really. We need you to be free to...do your special duties. We'll have you in the building and you'll have privacy." "In the basement?" Anglelo grinned. ____ He looks around the "office" and sighs. "This is my tomb...." he whispers without thinking about it. He just hopes that this help that's been alluded to arrives quickly. __________ Crossover story with @once_upon_a_time_in_finland
Detective Vitale grabs the file box and drops it onto the steel table. Daniele Villanueva stares up out of the box at him and he can't help thinking about the patchwork of weird connections this case is weaving around him. As if the universe was confirming this, Detective Chelsea Bruni knocks twice, then opens the door and enters the room without waiting for a reply. One of the perks about being higher on the food chain than Vitale even with the "promotion". "The inner sanctum. It's magical." Chelsea grins. "You're like the Batman, eh?" She motions to the table. "High tech computer system...top secret files...." She moves to the table and peers into the box. For a split second, Vitale panics wondering if he has the files related to Bruni in the box, but he knows he is brighter than that. "Ah...the lovely mystery that is Daniele Villanueva." She pulls a photo, glances at it, then drops it back into the box. "I admire your dedication, Angelo. I'm sure Madame Villanueva would appreciate your efforts...even though people here may think it a folly." She smiles. "A folly tied to a few disgusting crimes. I think it's worth pursuing and so does the Polizia di Stato." He smiles and thinks about how good it will feel to slap handcuffs on this monster before him.
Fun project. Bulletin board from @pixelmarket_by_veronique on Etsy
"Good morning Detective Bruni." A bright eyed man smile a wide smile as Chelsea enters the room. "Segreto." She flashes a brief smile at him and he perks up even more. "Good little doggie," Chelsea thinks. "Is Detective Vitale in yet?" "Off today." "Ah...thanks." Chelsea turns to leave and tosses a hand up in a wave when Segreto says to have a good day. ______ Chelsea pulls the key Elke Giacomia gave her out of her bra and opens Vitale's door. "Magical key works, evidently." She grins and slips inside, closing the door behind her. She moves to his desk, mutters, "Filthy clutter...." under her breath, and carefully goes through files, but they are all the same case files she's been working with. None of his little secret shitty files are here yet. He must still be moving them. Or...maybe he doesn't even have them here? Maybe his home office, though that's frowned upon by the higher ups. She'd have to search there when he's here. Deal with that wife of his while she was at it, maybe. Frustration rattles her and she brings her hands up and down hard on his desk with a bang. "Stay out of my damn life you stupid so of a b!tch," she hisses. How long is Giacomina going to take to "heal" and get her strength back?! Chelsea sees the photo of Daniele Villanueva on the corkboard and punches it before sliding into the corner. "Pull it together......pull it together...pull it together...."
__________
Detective Vitale realizes that he's in a downward spiral - set like a dog on the hunt with Bruni. The fight with his wife the previous night still stings. "Either arrest Bruni, f^ck her, or get back to doing your job, Angelo! You're OBSESSED with her!" She slammed the door in his face and he was left to sleep it off on the sofa. He needed to regain some focus. Bolstered by his bosses promises that help isn't just on it's way but actually here, he shakes off his gloom and decides to follow up on a potential witness in the Villanueva murder, though part of him is sure Bruni is ivolved somehow. Detective Angelo Vitale has his first breakfast in weeks, then heads out to meet the man who was the last one to see Madame Daniele Villanueva alive...other than her murderer.
The fountain splashing is calming as Vitale waits for this "gentleman" to arrive. According to the officer who got his information he was a bit of a vagrant, but he saw Madame Villanueva enter her home with someone close behind her the night of her murder. When the man arrives, Vitale understands what the officer meant. He smells of wine and his clothing is soiled and disheveled. A rough start for the early morning. Vitale sighs and covers the basics - who this bum was, the Villanueva address, time he saw Daniele Villanueva, and anything he thought might help. All items Vitale already knew. A waste of time, but at least he was out of the office. "And...how tall was this mystery woman you saw. About this high, huh?" Vitale waves his hand around Detective Bruni's height. "No no...she was big. Very tall. At least as tall as me." The man waves his hand and almost loses his balance. Vitale regains his interest. "And she had black lips...her hair was cut long on one side and short on the other...and she had no eyes." The man waves his hand in front of his face then crosses himself. Vitale narrows his eyes and hands the man the cigarette pack - the promised cash wedged within. Vitale wices seeing the man's smile - a few teeth missing. "You...you call me if you remember anything else." Vitale hands the man his card.
FROM once_upon_a_time_in_finland - May 15th, 2022
Helsinki airport. How this place has become so familiar to Tomas. He comes in the usual way, shows his entry permit and goes to personal only doors.
After checking twice his guns, passports, papers and case files he's ready to go to his gate.
- I bet he's drowning in pussy, he overheads one security guard whispering to another when he walks by.
He behaves like he didn't hear it. Oh man, how wrong they are. This is probably one of the world's loneliest profession where trust is a rare luxury. And to let anyone that close, well, you really need the trust.
Tomas arrives to his gate and looks around. Business people, families going to their vacations abroad, excitingly chatting. He waits till the queue is almost gone and then follows them blending perfectly into the group.
His mind is starting to work with case ahead. Security of Finnish Italian space project might have been compromised with spree killer at loose. Italian police could have handled that but there's so many unanswered questions and very likely corrupted police on board Interpol wanted Tomas to take charge of this case.
Arriving on Milano airport almost feels like not coming abroad at all. Tomas has been so frequently here it starts to feel like second home. He was fluent with Italian language, knew the country and it’s customs quite well. He could see himself actually living there.
If he would buy a house here, would Oona like to -- shit. He did it again. He shouldn’t cling to these feelings. Tomas feels angry at himself for doing that. You let her go, remember? This was a work trip. There’s no room for personal feelings.
Signor Jansen, low and sultry female voice calls him.
Tomas almost smiles.
– Signora Conti, he recognized her right away. So this had to be severe case since there was another Interpol agent too.
It was always a pleasure to work with Andreea. She was highly professional, intelligent and quick minded and they got along nicely. She was a sight for sore eyes with her striking Scandinavian features even though she was Italian.
Andreea was a femme fatale in every aspect. Not that would have distracted Tomas. He was highly professional too and didn’t let pair of long legs to distract him more than a second. Do that and you end dead sooner than later.
What do we got? Tomas gets thru new files Andreea gave him in the car. They just arrived to their temporary headquarter, large apartment near center of Lake Como. As far as other people are concerned they look like just some couple on vacation with rented home. They want to blend in and do their work as discreetly as they can. Less hustle, more efficient way to go.
– We are not sure yet but it does look like our suspect isn’t working alone and we most definitely have a rotten cop. There's one detective playing along with her to catch the culprit, but he needs help.
– I see. I want to see the crime scenes myself, Tomas leafs thru the papers. – There's something missing. We need to talk with the police investigating these cases. I want this to be solid case and won't see any mistakes made.
- This is my case too, Jansen, Andreea points out, taking her leather jacket off. - I've been pressured for a weeks to clear up things here. I'm the one who's been in contact with the local police.
Andreea let’s out a long sigh.
– I need a smoke, she tells.
They have been going thru all the files concerning the Villanueva case, the Villa Morelli murders, coroner’s reports, murder weapon analysis and two other cases suspected to connect these cases
– I could use that break too, Tomas nods. He didn’t smoke at home (mostly) but it helped the stress on missions. It didn’t matter how much you had seen before or how prepared you were but seeing pictures of brutally murdered people always made you feel disgusted deep inside. Especially when there were children involved
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