cecebishop-blog

[cecebishop-blog]

grrracerussell:

By now it must be toast, so I should be saying my goodbyes but it was a sandwich, also formerly my lunch. It sucks when things don’t go according to plan.

You can say that again. Whenever that shit happens to me I just make myself feel better by telling myself it was a sign and eating cake or something else for lunch instead.

[cecebishop-blog]

amanformanyseasons:

I think not. I can only imagine they would be the death of me, and that is quite the feat to accomplish.

And yet I am sure you know that I am not. Tell me: do you find much humour in yourself? Allow me to assume you, you would be the only one.

You sure seem to think pretty highly of yourself, huh? You really think you’d be that hard to kill?

Of course, I think I’m the funniest person I’ve ever met. But you caught me, I come online here just to get validation from random strangers like you. It keeps me up at night thinking there may be people out there that haven’t complimented me yet.

[cecebishop-blog]

It depends on what the food is and how desperate I am to eat it. The five second rule may extend to however long it takes for me to pick it all up.

I’m curious; how many people adhere to the five second rule? My lunch rests on this, and as the clock ticks by I fear it may be too late.

[cecebishop-blog]

amanformanyseasons:

Perhaps it does, but since writing that message to you I have quickly come to discover that there are many who should live in more fear of psychiatric incarceration than I.

If all believe that, then all are fools. If I do not believe you - am I not people, then? Many would concur. A dog or goat, perhaps?

Well it is the internet. I didn’t expect any shortage of psychos. I’m sure you will all get along nicely in the sanitarium. 

I have no idea who, or what you are. For all I know you’re a lamp.

[cecebishop-blog]

amanformanyseasons:

I think myself only insane of the two, to believe in this time neither, and I do not wish the latter accusation to be levelled against me. I should not like to be carted off to some asylum due to the offhand comments of a stranger.

Too late, dude. Now that I’ve said it on the internet the accusation hangs there forever. Plus, everyone knows that everything said on the internet is true, so people will believe me.

In layman’s terms, you’re toast.

[cecebishop-blog]

blythewonder:

Hey, I like to have some hope! Let me hope, it’s good for the soul, or something.

That’s fair, though. Have you been outside?

I’ll give you this, but only because I love you.

Definitely not. I live in the middle of the woods next to a supposedly haunted lake already in a previously abandoned cabin. Add one more horror movie plot and I’d really be pressing my luck.

[pm] Have you been at home or locked up at the Scribe HQ?

[cecebishop-blog]

You do know where we live, right? That friendly neighborhood watch community is probably planning a flag football tournament as we speak.

Common sense obviously isn’t the town’s strongest attribute.

It’s not like I even always listen to public advisories but I hope everyone is remaining indoors until the whole fog situation is resolved. Just - don’t be stupid. Please.

[cecebishop-blog]

marvelousevelyn:

She fought hard to conceal the smirk that continued to grow across her face. This was not the most extraordinary thing that she had ever done, but it was something. Evelyn had avoided feeding for a more extended time than usual prior to this event, even if only because she did not want to over-do it and over-feed. Though Evelyn was fairly certain that it would not harm her in the way that avoiding feeding would, she did not want to chance doing too much.

Which was why Alex’s fear, though intense, was not on the wholly normal scope of her abilities. Evelyn looked straight at Cece has she talked to the rest of the members of the coven. There was a hint of intense admiration in her eyes as she watched Cece talk to the members of the coven. They truly did not seem like much, and part of her wondered if what they were doing was even worth it. But one had to start somewhere, and if nothing else, this group could be squashed easily - because unless they had some deeply hidden talents, Evelyn could not quite see why Cece would want them as a part of her coven.

Subpar was never satisfactory, especially not when one had immense power like Cece and Evelyn both had.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she sighed again. “Hardly insane, darling.” Evelyn let out a brief, sharp laugh. “You have clearly not been out in the real world if you find the two of us insane.” This felt good - perhaps better than it ought to have, and surely better than anything Wren would have approved of, but it felt delightful. She had not gotten quite this much of a thrill in a while - being able to be around the people as she scared them - though part of her did figure that both she and Cece might not want to stay here too long. People only remembered the fear that they experienced, and not Evelyn herself, but she did not want to risk it all, especially -

- and Evelyn loathed this brief thought - 

- but especially if it would risk having harm come to Cece. She liked Cece, and liked her more with each new bit of information she found out about her, and Evelyn was entirely fed up with losing those she even halfway cared about. These idiot warlocks (or whatever exactly it was that they were) might still be able to do harm to Cece, and they would more than likely remember her.

At Cece’s discussion of sensory magic, Evelyn nodded along, although she made a mental note to ask her more about it later, because learning was never a bad thing.

Another example. Evelyn shyly bit her thumbnail and flicked her gaze briefly over to Cece. Part of her wanted to see what more she could do, but Evelyn knew that she’d promised Cece help with all of this, and so she quickly shifted her gaze over to Bart, removing her thumbnail from between her teeth as she offered him a shy smile, before she locked her gaze with his and focused on digging up whatever fears that she could - not immediately as clear as Alex’s had been, but soon enough she felt the fear radiate off of him - 

- not able to speak, not able to have any control over anything - something clogging up his throat and as he opened his mouth, snakes spilled out where his tongue should have been -

new and delightful, Evelyn relished in the very idea of it.

She broke his gaze after a little while longer, watching him collapse in on himself, onto the floor. Bart wrapped his harms around his torso and let out a loud scream. Evelyn glanced over to Cece, commenting barely above a whisper, “did they truly think they were a decent match for us?” A soft laugh escaped her lips once again. “Let me know what you need next.” A quick wink was flashed in Cece’s direction before Evelyn shifted her gaze back to Bart, who was still curled up on the floor.

Unsurprisingly, Evelyn crushed it again. Without really understanding how her powers even worked, Cece still appreciated the hell out of them. She was starting to wonder if a full partnership might be on the table as an option for Evelyn. Surely there was something that the two could benefit from each other. Evelyn already had her abilities to show that she was a useful ally and friend. If Cece could only learn some more about the woman maybe she could lend a hand or two also. That was how relationships were built after all.

Her powers worked wonders and soon Bart was cowering on the floor making some poor attempt at working through whatever issues Evelyn drudged up for him. Seeing people like him reminded Cece why she never wanted to get on Evelyn’s bad side. With this sorry group of magic user’s leader currently cowering in fear on the ground, Cece figured that the two basically had their mission for the night just about wrapped up. “Well obviously you all have a few things to talk over. Be it with a each other or a therapist, I don’t really care.” Cece waved at the mess of a man lying on the floor. “I’ll be back by the end of the week. I’m looking forward to your decision.” Then she turned and together her and Evelyn made their way towards the door, “Enjoy your night” She yelled, waving her hand in the form of a goodbye to the others. Once outside, Cece realized that vaguely threatening others was a lot more work than she remembered. “I’m starving. Want to grab a drink and something to eat?”

That’s how they found themselves at The Magic Circle. Usually, Cece went for cheaper, trashier bars. But she figured a nicer place was more suited for the likes of Evelyn. She didn’t seem the type to appreciate a mysteriously sticky countertop. The place was a well-kept secret in Ashkent that Cece herself only found out about after becoming a little more open about her own abilities around town. Eventually the invitation was passed along to her. She figured hanging out at a bar like this made sense considering their partnership. Cece ordered a beer that came in a chilled glass, already classier than her usual dive bar of choice. “Okay, that was hella impressive” Cece applauded Evelyn on a job well done. “Thanks for helping me out with it. I’d say that that was more or less a pretty successful trial run, yeah?”

Those kids in that bar were nowhere near anything Cece would consider impressive. But as someone who didn’t begin learning about magic until she was eighteen, she knew from experience that everybody had potential. They just had to find what they were good at and work at that. Mostly meaning that they the necromancy thing needed to stop. With a little work, they may make some suitable lackeys. Nobody there seemed right hand man material, but Cece would get there. She just needed patience, a skill Cece was well practiced in. “You handled that like a pro. The scaring thing obviously, but you’re great at picking up on my cues. We worked well together.”

InCOVENience || Cece & Evelyn

[cecebishop-blog]

reedhan:

“Yeah, I guess so,” Reed pressed and rolled a snowball in-between his hands before tossing it out into the lake; his entire body was shivering but there was a thin layer of warmth beneath that all, despite how quickly fleeting it felt in comparison to the wind and his soaked clothes clinging to his body. Turning so that he faced away from the air’s current, Reed muttered an, “That makes sense,” when Cece described what this area was usually like. Really he had hoped for more, something so especially odd that it stood out to her.

Tipping his head back, exhaling with resignation while he thought about her question some more. What he wanted to find was murky at beast and based on ideas from letting his mind run wild. “I’m not sure,” He said, dropping his head down so that he could look around again, gaze focused towards the farthest end of the lake. “I know I want to find something more than the cause of death really being that he drowned. I want evidence of foul play… I want a pattern,” Reed grew frustrated while he answered, convinced that normal deaths — the kind he was exposed to before — only happened elsewhere, everywhere else that wasn’t in this town. It was so unfortunate and he knew memory could be incredibly faulty, especially in stressful situations, but the police report and the newspaper was littered with signs of a very suspicious occurrence. Who really knew though? Freak accidents happened often enough, maybe it really was a net or rope or something else entirely. Maybe Brad Peyton’s body gave out on him, became fatigued and succumbed to the freezing temperatures — olympic-ready physique aside. What did it say about Reed that whenever peculiar things happened, his mind immediately jumped to supernatural possibilities? 

Thinking aloud, Reed mused, “We should get cameras out here to monitor the activity.” Physical surveillance didn’t seem like that would be enough but remote access could yield better results. Most of their colleagues had written what happened off as an open and shut case, an unfortunate accident, an unforeseen tragedy; some of the older and more experienced souls working at the station knew that this area had a damning reputation — this lake wasn’t exactly in the best part of town and was also surrounded by notable sources of decay, as if it were merely touched by Thanatos and all life surrounding it ceased to exist. So, nearly everyone preferred to avoid coming here if they could help it.

Turning his head more to get a broader survey of the area, Reed caught glimpse of a distant figure. At first he felt everything in his body become stock-still, convinced he had made eye constant with a curious observer tucked into shadows. “Cece,” His tone was low and guarded, quiet enough for her to hear without the extended worry that the stranger could hear, “We have company.” Heart fast and high in his chest, Reed kept his arms down by his sides before the stranger darted off and became a blur of motion. Reed broke into a sprint as best as he could, the weight of his drenched clothes an annoying hinderance, calling after the peeping tom to stop running.

Cece couldn’t understand why Reed was so desperate to prove that something supernatural or murderous was happening at this lake. Sure, the idea of an Olympic hopeful suddenly drowning mid-swim did bring cause for suspicion, but just like everyone else at the police station Cece had been ready and willing to let this case die off as just an incredibly unfortunate and dramatic accident. Given its reputation, the idea of something or someone out here killing people wouldn’t surprise Cece in the slightest, but that did little to motivate her to try to find the culprit herself. No, she was definitely only out here for Reed’s benefit. Making sure that he didn’t make some breakthrough on the case and stumble into the danger by himself. She cared little for what happened to that swimmer or what might be killing the people in this lake because she had never stepped foot inside of it before and never planned to. But she did care whether or not Reed died here.

She at least found his drive and that unwillingness to give up or give in to be an endearing quality. “Wouldn’t it be better for everyone if that was the cause of death though? If someone, or something, else killed him then that means even more people will probably die.” His curiosity would get him killed someday if he wasn’t careful. “It’s not a bad idea, but good luck getting the police station to approve that budget.” Everyone at the station knew about the rumors surrounding the lake, but few were willing to admit to themselves that it was cause enough to monitor the area. In a town like this, Ignorance is bliss truly was the people’s mottos. The supernatural was almost too visible to ignore unless the people were just unwilling to believe. Whether that be through fear or simply naivety Cece wasn’t completely sure. “But get enough weather proof cameras here yourself and I can make sure people don’t mess with them.”

As soon as Reed pointed the figure out the thing made a dash for it. Reed took off running after the suspect and Cece sighed but jumped up and followed after him. “God damn it Reed” Cece mumbled as she jogged along behind him. He was too far off in the distance. At this rate the two of them would never be able to catch up with him without supernatural speed, and that was if the figure was only running with normal human speed. They followed the lake’s edge around to where they first spotted him, but peering off into the forest Cece saw nothing. She made sure to take quick breaths, knowing that she would most likely have to run again after Reed, but as she looked around the area something caught her attention. “Reed.” Cece had no idea who or what the figure was that had run away, but she was starting to get a good idea what it had been doing there in the first place. “Reed, look.” Just by the water’s edge, hidden mostly by overgrown foliage Cece could just make out the edge of a leg sticking out of the grass. “I think I know what that thing was doing here.” Judging purely off of the coloring of the leg, the body was dead and had been for a few days now, but Cece was no medical examiner. She took a few steps forward to try to get a better look, but thought better of it. All of her crime scene equipment was back in her car. “Well you wanted a pattern.”

Lake Dread | Reed & Cece

[cecebishop-blog]

If you figure it out could you slip the info on to me?

But realistically, most people try to make up for their guilt by doing some type of charity or something nice for others to alleviate it.

Or they just ignore it and eventually time will pass and they’ll forget about it.

Or just drink the issues away

I unexpectedly find myself in the unusual situation of 

I know what I tell people when they ask me this but it’s so strange to be on the other side

What do people do to stop feeling… guilt? 

[cecebishop-blog]

marvelousevelyn:

She was not normally someone who just did favors for others. Not unless she was guaranteed to receive a benefit out of it. She was due to receive a benefit from this whole - ordeal, for lack of a better word - with Cece, but it was an abstract benefit, not one that she would be able to employ right away. Furthermore, it hinged on them being successful in what it was that they had set out to do. 

But Cece was a decent person, and she needed skills that only Evelyn could help her out with. So long as it didn’t have to do with trying to save Ashkent again, she was willing to give it a shot. Not that helping Ashkent was inherently bad, but it was not something that Evelyn wished to do twice in one year, especially not considering that it had done her some damage as well, even though it has aided in restoring order to the way in which the town went. At least until the Neighborhood Watch had come along and tried to mess things up again - but not was not the time for focusing on that.

Because Helen Harman was not going to be wherever Cece had decided that the two of them had to go. Evelyn had dressed nicely - there was never an excuse not to look nice, but in situations like this one, an extra flattering outfit would never do harm. If Cece needed any help with persuasion outside of Evelyn specialized abilities, a well-fitted shirt and skinny black jeans, paired with light pink lipstick with hair in loose waves that fell around and over her shoulders, and a leather jacket would certainly aid in that.

Evelyn smirked at Cece’s comment. “More faux-edgy, if you would like my most blunt opinion.” She let out a sharp giggle, laced with more cruelty than amusement. Necromancy was not something that Evelyn knew any great deal about, but it seemed a bit too controlling over the natural world - and after whatever it was that had happened with Melanie coming back to life, the idea of bringing the dead back to life - especially if the person doing so had control over the now-undead’s actions - left an especially sour taste in her mouth.

So whatever it was that Cece wanted to do to them, Evelyn would be wholly on board. No one should have control over who was allowed to live and who was allowed to die.

She followed Cece into the bar, the clicking of her boots a satisfying sound against the wooden floor. 

When Cece laughed, Evelyn matched it. “I think they find themselves quite a bit more intimidating than they actually are.” She tossed her hair over her shoulders. That got another round of complaints from the group, but Evelyn just rolled her eyes and brushed a practically non-existent strand of hair from her face.

“You ought to get to know us, quite frankly.” She smirked, “How can you tell us to leave when you do not even know who we are? Seems awfully exclusive, if I do say so. Not really welcoming.” Evelyn turned her lips into a false pout before rolling her eyes again. She had to wonder why Cece had chosen this group to try and work with - they hardly seemed worthwhile, worth the effort, especially with their fashion choices. Thankfully, Cece seemed to be in agreement, remarking on how embarrassing their status as a coven even was.

Good, Evelyn didn’t want to offend Cece - she actually did not mind spending time with the other woman, and she was glad to see that their viewpoints, at least when it came to this, seemed to be shared. 

Cece suddenly changed the color of the flames on the candles and Evelyn found herself fighting off another grin, though this time out of admiration. She had known Cece was incredibly powerful, and had seen some of her powers in beautiful, exquisite action, but somehow this felt different. More - more not perfectly good and wanting to make everything right. 

A show of just how brilliantly powerful she truly was, and part of Evelyn could appreciate that even more.

At Cece’s mention of fear Evelyn glanced right back over to her and gave a brief, though not noticeable to anyone besides herself or Cece, nod, and turned, locking eyes with a man who stood behind Bart. Best not to start with Bart himself, that form of persuasion, fun, whatever it was, would come later. Build up the suspense. So instead Evelyn locked eyes with a tall man who had gotten up to move behind Bart, almost protectively. Evelyn tugged gently at the collar of her leather jacket, offering the man a shy smile before the fear began - wonderful and brilliant and satisfying, at least mostly. 

Him, alone on a beach - 

waves, soft and calm at first, until they continued to wrap him up and pull him away - from a woman, from shore, until he couldn’t breathe and - 

Evelyn broke eye contact, leaving him shivering on the floor, crying out for a Sonya, for her to please come back, and Evelyn glanced subtly back over at Cece before raising an eyebrow at Bart. “She’s quite powerful,” Evelyn remarked, her accent crystal clear. (It never hurt, especially not in situations like these.) “You should probably listen to her.”

Cece still wasn’t completely clear on all of the abilities that Evelyn held, but the ability to draw out fear was more than enough to make her an invaluable asset. Nothing drove people quite like fear. For better or for worse, everybody was motivated by it and made decisions based upon it. Controlling fear or being the subject of it held power as well. With Evelyn on Cece’s side she could, even if for the briefest of moments, control that fear. And her time in the coven had taught her that control meant everything. When one witch controlled a coven, she no longer just held one power. She had all of the combined powers of anyone under her. That meant keeping Evelyn on her good side, and the stronger Cece built this newfound coven of hers up, the more she would be able to return the favor at some point.

“What the hell did you do to him?” Bart called out to him before rushing passed Cece to get to his side. “Alex? Yo, Alex are you alright?” He consoled him before turning back towards Cece and screaming at her, “What the fuck did you do?”

“I’m providing motivation” Cece smiled, not an unpleasant one. Fear was a powerful tool but it was not the only one. Her goal was not to build a coven where all the members feared, but hated her. She needed a healthy balance. She noticed the rest of the crew completely frozen in their spots. Unable to move it seemed. “That reaction, rushing to his side when he’s in trouble, that’s exactly what I want to see. In fact, it’s the first thing you’ve actually done that shows me that you guys are a coven worth my time.” She talked to Bart directly this time before turning back towards the group. “A coven does spells, sure. But a coven is also a family. They help each other. They protect each other and work together. It’s fun stuff.” She tried brightening the mood. This was obviously going to be a trial and error speech until she figured out exactly what she was going to say to people. If this group got a little fucked around with the message that would be fine. All in due time, as Cece always told herself. She was a very patient woman after all.

“If you think for a second we are going to join your crazy asses after a stunt like that you’re both insane!” Bart jumped up angrily and marched towards Cece. She made a point not to flinch as he drew near. He pointed a finger out at her and shoved it against her chest which was more than mildly irritating. “You don’t get to just walk in here and tell us what we can and cannot do.”

“You should be careful where you point that thing or you’ll go blind.” Cece spoke calmly, and batted the finger away before the man, Bart, started having a full-blown panic attack.

“Wha- I ca- What the hell? I can’t see?!” He screamed out and immediately brought his hands up to his eyes in hysteria.

Brushing passed him, Cece turned back to the group still sitting unmoving from the seats. “It’s called sensory magic. A little practice and without even muttering a spell you can cut off someone’s vision. You can make someone completely deaf to your conversation. Make yourself feel nothing as someone cuts you. The possibilities are endless.” She walked towards them and rested her arms against the back of the couch, forcing all of them to visibly move away from her. “No need to be afraid. Like I said, I’m here to help you guys out. I just like to provide a little, motivation. But if you all need another example, be my guest.” With a turn, she met eyes with Evelyn again and symbolically passed off the baton. It was her turn to shine.

InCOVENience || Cece & Evelyn

[cecebishop-blog]

reedhan:

An uncertain amount of seconds went by before Reed resurfaced with a deep gasp of breath then told her, “I couldn’t see anything… It was too dark,” and when he said that, his eyes flashed up towards the sky all around them; for some reason, light being unable to penetrate the lake’s surface stood out to Reed, like there was an entirely different universe underwater in its own separate galaxy. He tried again, for a moment, but popped back up with no change in result. Reed felt sheepish while he pulled himself up back onto the dock. “We’ll need to enlist the help of a couple of scuba divers…” He mused, displeased that he still hadn’t found anything. With the field wide open to them, expecting anything and endless possibilities, nothing was disappointing; what could be expected from later visits? Would it be much of the same or would the night unearth another mystery for everyone at the police station to scramble over? A boat probably wouldn’t do them any favours either. 

Reed sat on the edge of the dock, goggles worn around his neck like a piece of jewelry, with his gaze cast elsewhere — towards the farther points of the lake. His shoulders were slumped forward. “I actually wouldn’t mind finding a dead body,” He admitted to Cece, blush creeping up his necks and cheeks regardless of zapped warmth. Saying that to anyone else might earn him some concerned and upset looks but with a fellow colleague, there was some context. Still he bit on his bottom lip and thought more about the words that came out of his mouth so he add, “Not that I actually want someone to die for our convenience.” He could barely look over at Cece after that, not really wanting to see the facial expression she might make — worried that she might pass judgement. It was an odd thing to not mind. 

He wondered if there was anything supernatural going on at all or if he was just lucky, if all the questionable things happened more often during the night. Or were their own suspicions at another area of the lake? Closer to the Bend or to Jericho Hill? Maybe somewhere in-between? Reed hummed. What happened to the prospected olympic swimmer was too strange to even be placed on the scale of freak accidents. Then again, memory wasn’t the greatest to rely on during stressful situations and neither were eyewitnesses; so his mind continued to hop down the rabbit trail, wondering how much of what the Strange Times wrote was exaggerated and what was actually the truth when the police reports contradicted it so much.

His lips pursed and his eyebrows furrowed. Sometimes there were too many sides to consider to try and piece back together. “Papers might actually run with this one,” He sighed when he finally mustered up the courage to glance at Cece, “We’ll have our very own Loch Ness Monster soon enough unless we find something.” We have to find something. An explanation, a reason, a perpetuator, the cause. Getting back up onto his feet after putting his socks and shoes on, Reed puffed out his cheeks. He looked towards Cece. She had actual experience unlike most everyone else, she was a valuable resource. “You live around here…” He said with his hands on his hips, “What is the lake actually like? Do people come here to litter and dump things often?”

Healing magic was not one of Cece’s specialties. In fact, she was pretty shit at it. Cece had never really been the type to value it much. There were witches in the coven that specialized in healing magic so if Cece ever got into a situation where she needed healing she would just ask them. It was easier than wasting time on a class of magic she wasn’t interested in. Unfortunately, without a coven anymore she was without any means of extended healing outside of the ability to get rid of a minor headache or bruise. Also meant that when Reed’s dumbass ended up with frostbite from submerging himself in a lake in December in Maine she was going to have to let parts of his body start getting amputated instead of trying to heal it. It was also why she wasn’t putting her pinky toe in that water to find out for herself how cold it was. “Well if there is some kind of monster in this lake it’d be pretty dangerous to send a few unassuming scuba divers down there. It’s also why you should probably get out of the lake yourself. Like as soon as possible.” Cece mentioned impatiently. She was indifferent to what was causing the deaths. At least if it was Ashkent’s version of Nessie that meant it wasn’t going to crawl up on dry land and murder Cece, so she was leaning towards that explanation.

“Luckily for you, this is Ashkent Creek. You don’t have to wish too hard for a dead body.” Cece looked out over the lake as if something would happen just because the two were there. “Only a matter of time before something dead washes up on the shores. Or potentially undead. You never really know.”

Cece knew that the unknown was what was killing Reed. He was way too curious for his own good. He didn’t just need to know about the lake for this case, a case he wasn’t even working on Cece wanted to add, something deep down in him just needed to find an explanation for these unknown phenomena. He had been that way since before he had known the supernatural existed. He had only gotten worse since. “What exactly are you hoping to find anyways. What explanation do you want there to be?”

Cece thought about Reed’s question. She wished that she had more to tell him. Something overly suspicious or noticeable. “During the summer people come here to swim and I’ve never noticed a problem. At night and once it gets colder, not so much.” For the most part the lake remained entirely deserted during the winter time. Those that swam during the summer were either too smart to try swimming in the winter or too scared. “If anybody does show up it’s usually stupid teenagers. Heard about the legends and decided that they were going to solve it for themselves. Most of the time they’re so terrified that a branch cracking is enough to make them piss themselves and run off before even touching the water. Nothing super interesting.” The isolation of the lake was enough to make it look haunted, but Cece wasn’t creeped out by things like that. The only unsettling part of the lake for her was the fog that rested over it most mornings during the cooler months. And that was because it limited her own vision, not because she thought the fog was sending out some magic monster to murder her.

Lake Dread | Reed & Cece

[cecebishop-blog]

Any one on your New Year's Eve kiss list?

That Merlot is looking pretty tempting. Enough of it and I might even find an actual person to settle for on New Year’s

[cecebishop-blog]

InCOVENience || Cece & Evelyn

Cece never liked going anywhere without a plan. For all of Cece’s faults, impatience had never been one of them. In her old coven, she had realized that acting too soon lead to mistakes which would almost certainly lead to death. She had seen it too many times, hell she had dished the punishment out before. Patience was a tool of survival that Cece had mastered while figuring out how to escape. The trait had stuck with her in the years she had spent running away. She always had a Plan B and a Plan C and so on in case of an emergency. She was always prepared to run at the first sign of trouble. But the thing about Ashkent Creek was that she didn’t want to leave anymore. So instead of having escape routes and contingency plans in place; Cece thought up an idea. If the coven came for her, what if Cece had a coven of her own at her disposal? Cece had taken that coven down before all by herself. She could only imagine the possibilities of having an entire coven. Seemed like it was time to stop imaging the possibilities and start creating them for herself.

Evelyn and Cece had met up before going in so that Cece could go over the plan she did have. Unfortunately, the information that Bridget had kindly shared with Cece didn’t give much away about the coven itself beyond its existence. She knew it was a small local coven with fewer than ten members. If the Scribes were up to date in their information than it seemed like the coven hadn’t made much of a splash in the supernatural community. The information did list leader though, a mister Bart Samuels. Seemed that he had reached out to the Scribes more than a couple of times for information on Necromancy. They were those kinds of witches apparently. She never found the practice to be especially interesting, practical or rewarding. Too much work put in for too little of an outcome. Bringing anything noteworthy back to life was too costly in the end. If she was trying to convince herself that she was a good person Cece could claim that she was doing these wannabe witches a favor. They obviously needed some guidance.

The plan was sample enough. Cece and Evelyn would go in and Cece would give her pitch to the members of the coven. If they accepted, great. If they didn’t then Cece would just do a bit more convincing; with Evelyn’s help of course. The two headed into the building once they had talked it through. The coven apparently met up at a small local hookah bar owned by Bart. Which only made Cece more embarrassed and sad for them. The place had closed for the night and the front doors were locked, but that lock gave way easily with a spell. The door clicked open and Cece held it open to let Evelyn through. “They couldn’t even magically lock the doors? This is going to be embarrassing.” Towards the back of the bar, sitting around a group of couches were the members of the coven. Candles littered the floor around them and were all engulfed in a bright green flame. “Necromancers are so over dramatic” Cece whispered to Evelyn as they made their way towards the back. It wasn’t until Cece spoke that anybody noticed that there were guests to their little party.

“Ooh. Necromancy. Aren’t you guys edgy?” Cece’s tone dripped with sarcasm. She had considered the multiple options to her approach. Immediately move in with fear. Try joining a coven first and slowly make her way up. Forming an alliance with a local coven. All of them could work, but none seemed to really suit Cece’s style. If Cece was going to be in charge, she wanted to be in charge on her own terms.

“Who the hell are you?” A man in his mid to late twenties jumped up from one of the chairs. The candles flickered angrily at his surprise. The magic was flowing through him. So, this was the leader. “We’re closed. Get the hell out of here, both of you. Or else.”

Cece actually laughed. “Adorable. Threatening us without even getting to know us first?” Cece walked around the couches, making sure to meet every single member’s eyes. Most of them looked to be in their twenties. A couple might even be in their teens still. Most of them had heavy eyeliner and wore all black. It didn’t surprise her that a group of goths were the ones trying to practice necromancy. “Here’s the deal kiddos. You guys call yourselves a coven. Embarrassingly enough. Truth is, you just scratch the surface. And this” Cece waved her arms around at the whole magical scene including the cameras and the magical texts laid out on the table, “Is a waste of your time and your potential.”

“What we’re doing is none of your business and you’re trespassing.” Bart tried again, cutting across the group of people and marching right up to Cece. He had more than half a foot on her, but that did little to intimidate her. “I don’t know who the hell you two are, but get out of my bar.” Cece pushed passed him and addressed the group instead of him. “My name’s Cece. I’m a witch. A powerful one. This is my good friend and confidante Evelyn. We came because I have a proposition.”

“None of us want to hear your proposition. We want you to leave.” Bart spoke again from behind Cece. She rolled her eyes and turned back towards him, sauntering up to him slowly and methodically.

“I think we should let them speak for themselves, huh Bart?” Cece smiled, looking back at the group, still silent for now and watching the scene go down. “Magic and spells go much further than smoking sage like it’s weed and trying to bring your childhood pet back to life. You like Necromancy because it’s scary and dangerous? I can show you magic that’ll change your life. With the wave of an arm the green candle lights all turned a brilliant blue color. Then she turned back to Bart, “Do you like necromancy because it’s scary Bart? You like fear?” She glanced at Evelyn and nodded her head ever so subtly. A little demonstration seemed appropriate. “Why don’t I show you what true fear looks like?”

@marvelousevelyn

[cecebishop-blog]

reedhan:

Reed humphed during the time it took to turn his eyes from Cece back onto the lakefront. The water was eerily still and at this time of year, looked identical to black ice. How far down did the lake go, really? What was crawling around in its depth that caused nearly a hundred people to meet their demise? A harsh chill erupted down Reed’s spine. Hands perched on his hips, he stepped warily close to the edge with his cheeks puffed full of air and his lips pursed. It was too cold to go for an investigative swim and without the proper equipment needed for an equally as investigative dive, Reed shook his head at the prospect of seeing whatever it was that was underwear. “Poking, it is,” He decided with an exhale as he rolled back on his heels and spun around, searching the barren ground for a decent prodding tool. 

There wasn’t a whole lot of snow so far, just gatherings of brittle and dead grass with patches of dirty. Plenty of sticks too and the occasional remnant of trash. Reed kicked a divet in the ground with the toe of his boot. This is your case. “Wish it wasn’t,” He muttered as he bent down to pick up what looked like a trustworthy stick, glimpsing at Cece as he approached the lake’s edge again. His lips were pursed when he began to gently push the stick into the water without any real idea of what he was doing, what he was hoping to find or feel at the other end of the stick. Still, Reed kept at it and moseyed further down closer the slope for boats to access, hoping his stick would get caught on netting. The pokes turned into small stabs after some time passed.

Nothing. Yet. His enthusiasm from before plummeted. Investigating death wasn’t an adventure and in this town, any quest ventured by the police tended to be a dead end. Reed stepped onto the dock, hesitated with his footing then promptly turned around and rushed back towards Cece’s car. Pulling his satchel out, Reed fished out his smudged goggles where they were wedged between more paperwork and folders. “So, uh,” His movements were jerky and quick, “What do you think we’ll find?” A glance up at her before he put on the goggles and undoing the zipper of his jacket. He set the jacket down on the passenger seat. 

“We could find anything,” He started to ramble then took off towards the docks again, “We’ll have to- you know, we’ll have to fill out statements.” He dreaded that, almost considered turning around and abandoning ship but thought otherwise. They were already here and he really wanted to know all of the answers to his questions. His boots and socks came off next along with his topmost shirt until he was left in a pair of jeans and his undershirt. “We have to find something,” Reed told himself aloud. This is your case. Then they have to find something. Nixies, be damned. Tucked into his pants was an iron knife. He set that down onto the ground along with the stick beside him. “And we don’t have a boat, so…this is- this is the next best thing.” Poking wasn’t feasible, not to the extent that he wished it was. “I mean, we’ll have to get a boat soon to cover the entire area…” He was nervous. Really nervous, heart racing and sweaty palms nervous. The point of them being was to be inconspicuous, or so he assumed.

There was a chance they wouldn’t find anything. Reed hoped that was so but then again, he hoped for the opposite as he lowered himself into the nippy water. All of the air from his body rushed out in a gush and his hands clamped down onto the edge of the docks. “Ah, jeez…” His teeth clattered. Less than fifteen minutes. That’s how much time he had to scope the surrounding area out for anything that could explain the mysterious report published by the Strange Times. With another glance at Cece, Reed grabbed the knife in one hand, the stick in the other and said, “Be right back up,” then pushed himself down under.

Aside from living adjacent to the lake, Cece couldn’t construct a good excuse why she was even here in the first place. Sure, she wanted to make sure that Reed didn’t get himself killed if there was actually something offing people either in or around the lake. But chances were, if there was some supernatural species lurking around the lake she would have happened across them at some point in the two years she had lived on this lake. She went out on morning runs more often than not and the only house in the area with lights and sounds were more than enough to draw attention to any passerby’s. No, it was more likely that if there were anything killing swimmers and it was something supernatural, that creature or whatever it may be was in the water. A place Cece had never been dumb enough to willingly stroll into. And Cece had hoped that Reed would be intelligent enough to also realize that diving into the waters just weeks before winter was not the brightest idea.

Cece followed Reed around as he perused the water’s edge and eventually settled on a stick that he proceeded to stab hopelessly into the water. Not exactly sure what Reed was expecting to find, Cece just stood behind him while keeping a further distance from the water’s edge. She could tell that he was getting frustrated at the lack of immediate results. Reed was passionate and dedicated which were both admirable qualities in itself, but patience had never seemed to be one of his strongest qualities. Eventually, he started back towards Cece’s car and she was slightly relieved that he had given up only to find that he had instead pulled goggles out from his bag. That’s not a good sign.

What do you think we’ll find?

Honestly, Cece didn’t expect to find anything. Neither of them had the equipment or approval needed to launch a full-scale investigation that could yield any real results or finds. If Cece were a witch with the ability to control water she might be of more use, unfortunately the elements weren’t exactly her forte. “Danger, if we’re not careful.” Cece warned carefully. Hoping it would be enough to stop whatever crazy ideas she knew were getting into Reed’s head.

Next, he started stripping off his socks and shoes and then his shirt. This moron was actually planning on getting into the water the two had openly suspected may be inhabited with some supernatural Lochness Monster.

“Paperwork is like eighty percent of my job. I’m more concerned with having to fill out a missing person’s report.” Cece tried once more, “I’m going to go the logical route and warn against this terrible idea.” Unsurprisingly, Reed was stubborn as usual and headed off towards the water anyways. “No, the next best thing would be a kayak. Or scuba gear. This is the worst thing. Truly an awful thing.” Cece stayed on the dock while Reed lowered himself into the water, and its temperature was plainly evident as soon as he hit the water. If he wasn’t careful he was going to end up with hypothermia and that was the best-case scenario. The worst being murdered by Ashkent’s version of the creature from the Black Lagoon. But then Reed was getting ready to dive underwater, and Cece took one step closer to the water. Would she actually jump in if something did happen? She supposed she would find out soon enough. A second later and Reed was completely submerged under water. “Jesus Christ.” Cece sighed out loud. She was going to need something to drink after this.

Lake Dread | Reed & Cece

[cecebishop-blog]

marvelousevelyn:

[pm] If it is not mine, then that is good.

Of course, anything for you.

That works well for me. I do enjoy having others owe me favours, but I am very much intrigued about this whole situation, so that is almost good enough for me to simply do this out of good will.

[pm] Perfect. I’m just waiting on some information and then I’ll text you all the details.

Thanks in advance.

[cecebishop-blog]

marvelousevelyn:

[pm] Not through my blood.

Oh, well colour me quite interested. I am quite expert with that.

[pm] Perfect. Then no blood required. Not your blood at least. No promises about anyone else

That’s what I was hoping you’d say.

Obviously I’m not asking for a favor without offering one in return. But consider me owing you a favor when I also have a growing coven at my disposal.