The Sisterhood of the Traveling Hummer

[Black Philip]

For Lacy, Astrid, Maria and our darling Siobhán <3

Detective-Sergeant Lacy Velez pulled over on the side of a West Virginia road stop, which was basically a snow covered mountain with an outhouse. She needed to smoke, and the other witches had become used to her smoke breaks. She'd been sucking on nicotine gum like it was candy, and while it took the edge off it did nothing to satisfy her oral fixation. She needed to smoke! Her grey 2010 hummer slowed down, puttering off and the shaking car stopped shaking.

"Bathroom break ladies," she said exiting the driver's seat and hoping to the ground. She wore cowboy boots, jeans, and a silver blouse that tied up in the back. One of the other witches was kind enough to have laced her up that morning as they'd left their Ohio hotel. They were less than a day away now. If Lacy kept driving at her current pace, they'd hit their location close to 7:00PM. Their target was a historic downtown townhouse, that was a famous landmark. In recent years, it had been included in various ghost tours. The other witches had all been agreeable so far, although Siobhán could talk more. Lacy relied on other people talking so she wouldn't need to. Astrid seemed focused, and Maria had something about needing to speak with her deities. Lacy had been working with Wren a bit, but had also been pushing the boundaries of her magic on her own. She came to a patch of earth and focused on growth.

A small sliver of a green plant peaked through the snow, and a pink rose formed. She smiled at her small amount of work. She lit her cigarette and smoked hastily, while the others stretched or did whatever they wanted.

[Idrial]

Maria had tried to keep the conversation going in the vehicle and was secretly glad when the vehicle came to a stop, truth be told she was never quite a conversationalist with strangers. Becoming the Keeper of the Central had helped polish her own rough edges, forced her to make a connection with people Maria normally would have never approached. The conservation was relaxed mostly, small talk and exchanges we're the heart of the ride, everyone seemed on edge or preoccupied and Maria could not blame them. Tess was a powerful witch with an incredible talent for necromancy, perhaps this is why Black Phillip wanted her in the first place. Too many unanswered questions and Maria hoped the house would tell all its secrets, their entourage was knowledgable and everyone had a good variety of skills, new and old.

Instead of a pair of God, awful sweat pants and a stretched out tank top Maria has access to much better attire, an orange and light blue overlayed pantsuit with an embellished V neck was her chosen outfit tonight. The hair at her scalp had been braided tightly, her long hair brushed out and smooth around her face. Maria stepped out of the vehicle and luckily it was no longer the hottest part of the day, she could walk without fear of breaking out into painful blisters. Slightly adjusting herself as she hopped out of the vehicle, a black tote bag in tow with a few knick-knacks of her own, this time she would not be unarmed, Maria was barely prepared for the encounter with Tess. Thankful for the seven witches that worked together and helped bring her down, she wondered what curse had been bestowed on her as a parting gift?

Maria walked only a short distance away from the group, she began to hum and sing softly in her native tongue, it did not last for more than five minutes, her dieties thankful for the praise. Maria then watched with group with kind and curious eyes, thankful to take a break from the chit chat in the Hummer. Resuming a more comfortable position, a watchful eye, however, she still remained approachable to anyone in the group.

[The Cedar Witch]

Astrid hated long car rides.  She spent the bulk of it deep in meditation, sending out tendrils of connection into the astral to keep her sharp.  When Sabrina asked her to go along with the little expedition, Astrid was hesitant to agree.  This Tess chick sounded like some seriously bad news, overwhelming her with the self-preserving need to avoid coming into contact with the necromancer.  In spite of this, Something tugged at her to go along, needling through the fear until she agreed.  It meant spending time with more witches, which was something she'd been wanting to do anyway.

And there was Siobhan, of course.

Somehow they'd wound up sitting together, even though Astrid was trying to not do that whole "blushing constantly" thing.  If it wasn't for the fact that she'd spent a great deal of time the days leading up to the expedition preparing, it would've been an impossible task.  Seeing Siobhan in class regularly made it even easier to keep her cool.  They'd hung out here and there when Astrid came to Sanctuary for lesson planning, sure.  But between renovating the house on Broomfield Crossing, starting her tattoo apprenticeship with Sabrina, and teaching classes, Astrid was busy.  She sincerely hoped that Siobhan didn't think she was avoiding her, and told her about all the things she'd been up to whenever they met up at the cafe or spoke after class, but Astrid couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't a good enough excuse. 

Once or twice during the drive, she'd nodded off and woken with a start when she realized her head dipped against Siobhan's shoulder.  She'd laughed it off, of course, but couldn't shake the embarrassment for the remainder of the ride.  When the vehicle came to a stop, Astrid was relieved for the chance to take a smoke break, stretch her legs, and feel the cool air on her face.  She packed the essentials in her bottomless messenger bag, keeping that on her lap for the duration of the ride.  This time she made sure to pack some protein bars, trail mix, and a couple of water bottles--Sabrina had sternly warned her against pushing herself. 

Dressed simply in black jeans and a loose charcoal tee, she hopped out of the car and peered around at the snow-covered ground.  If there was one thing she missed from other places she'd lived, it was the extreme changes of season.  One thing that living in the city seriously lacked.  The crunching of snow beneath her black Doc Martins cut through the silence of the air as she took a couple of steps away from the hummer to stretch and adjust the blade strapped to her thigh.  Her eye followed Maria as she moved a ways farther, and Astrid could hear the faint sound of prayer.  That woman was like wind rushing through a narrow channel.  Astrid hadn't seen her work magic yet and was wary of the pulses of energy she could detect from her.  It proved difficult to separate her attention from her.  Those directly connected to their deities felt incredibly more intense than those who made only the occasional contact.  She maintained mental walls to keep herself separated and focused.

Fishing her silvery cigarette case from the inside pocket of her leather jacket, Astrid made her way over to Lacy just in time to detect the unmistakable crackle of energy from minor spellcasting.  She watched Lacy carefully, wondering at the sorts of things she was capable of, and stuck a cigarette between her lips.

"Can I get a light?"  The query was spoken from the corner of her mouth as she patted down her jacket and jean pockets.  Must've left the lighter in her bag.

[Seragil]

Siobhán endured the long ride as best she could, memories of traveling in its like to the cemetery kept entering her mind, they only other time she had ever been in a hummer and with very nearly the same people. Astrid being the exception. So she filled the time up with prattle, mostly just to distract herself fro her own thoughts.

She had promised Sabrina that she would help with Tess and so when she called and told her about this trip she couldn't deny her. She had been practicing and honing her magical skills and talents, through Astrid's class' and by solitary practice, her family had generations upon generations of knowledge tucked away at her family home. Knowledge and lore that was hers to claim, maybe it was time to return.

Her foot kicked the bag she had tucked under her feet as the hummer hit a pothole, helping to remind her that she wasn't doing too badly on her own either. She didn't know what to expect when they reached Tess' hometown but she had packed for as many situations as she could think of. She even stole an idea from Kim Harrison's fiction novels and had a paint ball gun with sleepytime potion pallets, exorcism pallets and general evil spirit banishment potions ready to go in numerous gun clips along with her charged crystals and spelled herbs.

Thinking about Tess and who she served however had her shutting down mentally, her eyes drifting to the landscape presenting itself through her window.
The scenery was beautiful, stunning actually, it made her wish she was doing the trip on her vespa rather then in the tank they were currently in, except Astrid

They spoke often and Siobhán saw her plenty of times, be it class, or the cafe. Sometimes Astrid would sit in her lounge room and they would chat while she worked or she would sit in the cafe dinning room and Siobhán would let her be as she tended to her customers, although her eyes would often travel to where she sat. They were both busy and so she got it but at the same time she had to wonder if they were destined to become just friends. The butterflies that fluttered in her stomach every time Astrid's head would drift onto her shoulder during the drive let her know that wasn't the direction she wanted to go in.

Yet she found herself asking what direction Astrid wanted to go in as she scurried out of the hummer as if there were demonic bats chasing her. Feeling the sudden call to nature in more ways then one she soon followed and made her way to the outhouse.

[Black Philip]

Lacy turned to Astrid and lit her cigarette wordlessly. She smiled pleasantly, but stared back at the West Virginia and the bright sun. Astrid was the witch that Sabrina had recommended to Lacy to train her. Wren had been doing it, but since he'd moved out of the parlor Lacy hadn't seen him. She'd been the one who insisted on this trip, and while she would've felt safer with Sabrina with them, Lacy was happy for the company she kept. If there was magic at this house, then Lacy knew she'd be little help in that field. Now, she had three witches, each with different talents. Together, they'd get through this.

The cop turned back to Astrid now, and decided she wanted to know more about her.

"How'd you get tangled up in all this," she asked. "I mean, I know you know Sabrina, but how?"

She kept working on the rose with her free hand, and now two more joined the snow covered flower bed. She was improving. She turned and looked at Maria, and once again she thought she saw the outline of something behind her, like a shadow. However, when she blinked it was gone. She turned back to Astrid.

[Idrial]

Maria watched the group intently as the three gradually huddled around each other for additional chatter, not wishing to spook the union of witches she listened to the conversation. It was a rare sight for Maria and she did not wish to interrupt the moment, taking note of the quick glance she had received from Lacy, who had she seen? Her deities came to and fro in the form of Pangool and Maria didn't always pay mind to who was seeping through the earthly veil. Lacy didn't seem too alarmed and that was a relief to Maria.

Astrid was another story. Maria could feel the hesitation roll off the young woman in waves, her deities causing ample distraction for the young woman but that would wane after a time. Maria's magic was foreign in this part of the world, her magic could be overwhelming at certain moments and each person had their own response.

Siobhán appeared to be close with Astrid and that made her heart smile; glad to see she had recovered with Sabrina's help. However, she was disappointed that Wren had not come, he had skills that could have been utilized on this excursion. Although she was pleased to see Wren had taught Lacy some magic, admiring her little flower bed that appeared in the snow.

[The Cedar Witch]

"Thanks," Astrid pulled air through the cigarette as it was lit, taking one long puff and exhaling through her nostrils. 

She watched Lacy work with the roses, wondering if she should advise her to conserve her energy for what was to come, but ultimately deciding against it.  She didn't want to come off as patronizing or whatever, and maybe it was more like a warm-up.  "You asking how I know Sabrina or how she convinced me to come along?"  Astrid laughed quietly through her nose and took another drag from her cigarette.

The movement of Siobhan making her way from the hummer to the outhouse drew Astrid's attention briefly before she returned her eyes to Lacy. 

"During my cross-country traveling, I heard about Sabrina and the city.  Went to her for a tattoo," she motioned vaguely over her shoulder to indicate where the tattoo was without explaining or showing Lacy.  "I was staying at the Parlour for a little while before I got a job and settled into my own place."  Astrid took another drag from her cigarette, glancing casually over to Maria to see what she was up to. 

"Sabrina asked me to come along so I did."  She shrugged, not really sure what else there was to say.  Part of her thought that maybe she'd talk about the house exorcism they'd done together, but that was too complicated to explain. 

Besides, she'd probably do anything Sabrina asked her to, but she wasn't about to admit that out loud. 

[Seragil]

She stepped out of the outhouse, her feet crunching on the pebbles and bracken as she made her way to where the others were gathering. Once she was far enough away from the public toilet she drew in a deep breath of the clean, fresh mountain air and tilted her face up towards the sun. She was suddenly reminded of her home and realized with a sharp pang of homesickness that it had been nearly three years since she had seen her aunts and walked the wooded grounds of her quaint family farm.

Maybe it was time for a visit, she thought to herself the soft breeze gently tugging and playing through her hair as she approached the others, maybe have a proper look and exploration through her families history and their grimoires, especially if it might give them an edge against Tess and her bloody black goat. Was it time to face it? To face him and his connection to her and her family? Would she still be accepted amongst this group if they knew....or would they turn on her like so many of the other witches that turned and hunted her family in the past?


Her eyes sparkled with purple highlights as the sun flitted across her face and reflected the captured rays, helping to hide the uncertainty and worry that now filled their depths as she she flicked her gaze over the pair huddling around the beautiful roses budding and flowering between their feet.

"Hey" She flicked her gaze from the roses to Lacy. "Is it true what they are saying about Wren, that he's joined up with Tess?"

[Black Philip]

Lacy's eyes widened in shock as the youngest among them made her claim. Wren wasn't with Tess. That was impossible. She resisted the urge to get mad and call her companion a liar, but then she remembered that the other would have no reason to lie. Perhaps she had her facts wrong. Surely that was it. She responded to Astrid first, sounding slightly more anxious than before. She pulled out another cigarette. She reasoned if the line of duty didn't kill her, lung cancer would.

"She said I should seek you out," she told Astrid. "She said you might be able to help train me. I'm new to all this magic crap."

She turned to Siobhan. "And you, got any proof to back that up? Wren's been a good friend to me. If he's turned traitor I need more than just words."

She didn't sound angry, or aggressive, but Lacy had a short, staccato way of speaking that always sounded more pissed then she really was. Then again, Lacy was pretty much always pissed. Again she thought she saw something floating above Maria.

"Okay," she said. "Just so I don't think I'm going crazy, is there shit floating around you Maria," she called out the African witch.

[Idrial]

Maria's head perked up in shock when Lacy called out to Maria about shit floating around, what a blunt woman and it reminded her of Samantha just a little. "No you are not crazy," confidently assuring Lacy that it was not all in her head.

"They are called Pangool," she stated simply in a warm tone, walking over to officially join the group after her quiet time of watching had come to an end.

"It's the form my deities take when they appear on the earthly plane but only supernaturals or those attuned to magic can see them," speaking clearly but in a pleasant manner towards the group.

"May I ask what do you see right now?" Roog then appeared beside Maria and gazed at all three witches in the group.

Roog this time took the form of a woman infront of the group, her deities were hermaphrodite in nature, they would see a silver figure before them, giving off the vibe this deity was a kind and playful diety that was full of curiosity.

Maria for a long time had lost her full communion to Roog, angry at what had happened in the past, ripped from her homeland. Then she met Sam and that friendship helped Maria reconnect with Roog and her abilities, they needed each other and still did, to this day Maria is grateful her deities told her to go to Sam's little farming town, but Maria could never answer why they told her to go to that location specifically; it was a mystery to this day.

[The Cedar Witch]

"Oh! Uh, yeah I could.  If you wanted, I mean."  Was she really going to take on another project?  Not that people were projects but private tutoring certainly was.  Astrid glanced up as Siobhan approached, smiling warmly.  She was so damn beautiful in the sunlight, and it took an effort to not openly stare.  Everyone in their little group was pretty, really, but Siobhan still managed to take her breath away.

She took a quick drag from her cigarette when Lacy asked for proof to back up what Siobhan said.  "Wait - who's Wren?"  She'd been so busy it was hard to keep everything straight.  Tess was the bad guy here.  And there was something about zombies?  She'd rolled into town just after that happened (thankfully), and she'd picked up little things here and there but it wasn't like being in the loop the entire time.  It'd be too much of an energy draw to try to investigate through the Sight now.

Astrid braced herself for Maria's approach, still unnerved that deities would be so attentive to a single individual.  She could see the being clearly and gave a respectful nod, avoiding looking too closely directly regardless of the playfull energy she could feel emanating from them.  Maria's explanation did little in the way of putting Astrid at ease, but she did her best to play it cool.

[Seragil]

Astrid's smile eased the tension that was building in her stomach and had her smiling in return, the sparkle in them turning from something light induced to something more genuine and warm. Maybe she should talk about it with Astrid first, she thought as she slid her hands into the pockets of her jeans. How do you tell someone you're most likely the last living humanish descendant of Lilith and Lucifer, without them thinking you were a monster or delusional or just plain crazy?

Lacy's accusatory demands and her tone instantly caused Siobhan to arc up, ever since meeting her she had felt Lacy looked down her nose at her, her condescending tone reminding her of the time at Sabrina's with her and Wren on the couch, talking to each other in whispered words of Spanish with sly looks out of the corner of their eyes as they looked at her then continued their conversations behind their hands as she was left to sit in the chair like an unwanted third wheel. She lifted her gaze to lacy's her amethyst colored eyes flashing with sudden anger.

"Excuse me? Firstly, check your attitude. I will not be spoken to like that. Secondly, my name is Siobhan, not you. and thirdly, I didn't accuse your friend Wren of anything, hence why I asked you, his supposed friend, if what I had heard was true. Sabrina's assistant told me they saw him and Tess walking off together and that they looked like lovers rather then enemies. They came to the cafe for lunch, I didn't really have time to chit chat and by the time things had quietened down enough to go back and talk with them, they had already left." Her glare as she looked at Lacy practically screamed So go fuck yourself her eyes lingering a moment before she addressed Astrid in a slightly calmer voice.

"Wren is a druid who helped fight Tess during the zombie raising that happened earlier this year. He has a strong connection to earth and earth abilities." She flicked her gaze in Lacy's direction. " He was also helping to train Lacy, interesting that Sabrina has now asked you to take over in that field." She was being a catty bitch and she knew it. She shook her head and exhaled loudly, releasing her anger with her breath. She wasn't really angry with lacy, she was projection, this whole situation with Tess had her strung up and out. How were they to help stop her when no one could even find her, well no one except Wren apparently. "If he really has joined up with Tess...well, things have just become a thousand times more difficult."

She then turned her gaze to maria and her floating spirits. Where they actually here? Or was maria somehow weakening the spiritual veil between worlds enough with her communication with them that those with the skill and talent could catch glimpses of them? As one of them coalesced enough in front of them so that it appeared as a shimmery form rather then just moving shadows. She closed her eyes against the brightness of it and to try and stop the vertigo its presence was causing her. Even with her eyes closed it burned like a bright flame, the rest of the spirits like distantly glowing fireflies against her eyelids.

"That one, "she said with a wave in its direction. "Is pleased to be here and seems quite playful and curious." She cracked an eye open and looked at Maria. "What are they exactly? Are they like the Loa or are they some other type of entity?"

[Black Philip]

Lacy's mug didn't crack even a little bit. Who the fuck was this entitled-ass woman talking down to her, all because she can't stop her gossip reflex? Lacy had asked for proof, and gotten circumstantial sightings, and back alley talk. Now, in a police investigation, the kind of information CINNABON, or whatever the fuck millennial, moon child name her parent's picked, would've prompted further investigation, but there wasn't hard fact in anything she said. It was also interesting she accused Lacy of having attitude as she pouted, hissed and condescended. The one thing Lacy would change is using her name instead of "you," actually seeing how that might be offensive. It wasn't personal. She was used to dealing with rookie beat cops, who's names she learned eventually. The first six months though were usually, "hey officer," or "hey you."

"I'll speak to you however I like," she said casually, lighting the new cigarette she'd just pulled out, letting her first drag be a pregnant pause. "And Sabrina asked me to seek out Astrid here well before Wren moved out of the parlor, while we were still having lessons. The point was to diversify, not replace. My advice, don't make conclusions with incomplete data. Question everything, and everyone until you have absolute certainty. I heard nothing in what you said other than school yard gossip. Maybe he's turned, maybe he's undercover for Sabrina, maybe he doesn't know what he wants. Wren could have a million motivations."

She observed the spirit, and nodded her head as a sign of respect. Her Tia talked to spirits like this, and Lacy wondered if one day she would too. Tia Daphne had said, "it's in your blood child. One day the'll start whispering to you." She had thought her sweet Aunt was just bonkers most her life, but after the graveyard, she'd learned Tia Daphne was right all along. She was also curious what Maria thought of little Miss Princess Pony's outburst.

After dealing with the child among them, Lacy didn't have quite the social appetite she had before, and moved back to the car. "We got a long drive, and need to go over the plan. Once everyone is finished, I suggest..." she said bowing to Siobhan as if she were a monarch, "... that we get back on the rode and go over what happens once we get to Philly. She stood by the car door, huffing and puffing pensively.

[Idrial]

Maria wielded a blank expression towards Lacy and Siobhan's heated exchange that exploded in the group, both had valid points on the topic, but this was not the place or time to discuss Wren. They required harmony and they both displayed childish behaviour, but Maria remained quiet, not wishing to play nanny and interfere. It was a spat, nothing more. Yes, Wren had been spotted with Tess at Glitter Beach, but he had also been spotted at Rebel Rebel Investigations, the situation was disturbing agreeably, and Maria needed more time to complete her examination. Why was Wren at Rebel Rebel Investigations? What was he up too? Keeping these impressions locked up tight until her inquiry was finished. Hoping to have some evidence once she returned to the Central District, leaving the subject to die.

"You are right this one's name is Roog," looking at Roog with a tiny smile plastered on her face. Returning her attention to Astrid and Siobhan again.

"My Pangool are similar to the Loa but contrary to belief Loa are not deities, more like saints or angels. Even then, other Loa need Papa Legba's permission to show themselves and he controls the ability to cross over between worlds," showing her knowledge on the subject of Haitian Voodoo. Rada Loa came from West Africa, water spirits mostly and known to be the oldest of the Lao.

"My deities need no such permission, so long as I live to be their anchor they can come and go as they please in their incorporeal form like now. I can bring them forth with a kind of physical shape but it requires a bunch of power and energy to summon a deity to the earthly plane."

"And unlike the Loa, I do not serve them it is a partnership between us. Shall we ladies?" Finding this would be the appropriate time to end this conversation before Lacy was angered once again.

[The Cedar Witch]

Astrid crushed the spent cigarette into the dirt with the heel of her boot as she half-listened to Maria.  Still processing all of the Wren information, she crossed her arms firmly across her chest and glanced between Lacy and Siobhan.

Didn't anyone realize they couldn't be at each other's throats for this journey? 

"Okay,"  she elevated her voice, slipping into a tone typically reserved for regaining the attention of the classroom.  "We really can't be arguing about shit today - we have to be on the same page.  I don't have any idea what we're going to find, but any divisions between us can be easily exploited by spirits or nefarious magic."  If there was one thing she had experience with from back home, it was dealing with magic in a group.  Usually, preparation for such things included group meditations, grounding, and connecting to one another.  While that was essential for house cleansing, it was a precaution everyone took no matter what the task was. 

Astrid glanced around at the group before continuing.  "Best get everything out now, say your piece and get over it, so it won't bite us in the ass later when we can't afford it."  She didn't assign blame to either of them and wasn't suggesting anyone apologize.  It was obvious it was a lack of clear communication and defensiveness.  She had half the mind to suggest everyone take a quiet second to center themselves and align their energy with the task ahead but didn't want to come off as anymore condescending than she suspected she already did.