~CROWS Headquarters~ April 2025

CROWS is a small covenant attempting to do stuff. Dark stuff. In a world filled with strict and heinous rules about dos and donts of magic usage, these kids decided they wanted to rebel and do the donts of magic: the dark arts.

Members:
Cain Segiens
Russell James
Octavian Bornschein
Walter Sidney
Seraphina Knott

((lol, not much else to say.))

Russell carefully surveyed his fellow covenant members as he ducked into their secret hideout. Originally it had been a childish haunt, a place to play games and invent worlds in which to pretend. Not any longer.

Now it was their headquarters. For their own little rebellion against the Purgers-may they rot in hell. These were dark times to be badass rebels. But he planned to enjoy the added risk.

No matter how many times his brother would warn him.

"Morning guys." The greeting was casual as he swung his hooded cloak onto a peg.

"Mornin' Rus," Cain replied back with a grin. Now that they were all complete, the fun can officially start.

"What's on today's agenda, Octavian?" He said in a business-like manner.

Octavian flicked through the notebook-or as he termed it, the registrar - and settled on the correct page.

"A rather interesting little potion. Recently banned, and extremely deadly." His voice was emotionless. It always was. He might be directing a board meeting of a city bank.

Rus beamed. "Excellent. Any chance we can make it into bombs and lob it at them?"

Octavian merely continued to sort through the ingredients.

Slightly put out by this neglect, Rus turned back to Cain. "So Cain, how's things?" He nodded at the ever-silent and elusive Walter, lurking in the background. He wasn't a fan of small talk.

"Same old, same old." Cain replied while reading through the ingredients.

"We haven't any Mandrake root left." Seraphina said reading over Cain's shoulder.

"Yes we do." Cain said pulling out a vial from his robes. "Oh Abel's a Prefect now. The Owl just came this morning. Isn't that grand?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Hey Seraphina, didn't see you lurking back there." Rus flashed his charming smile, which he had learnt from Dick.

Octavian rolled his eyes. "Big surprise. Not to worry though, it'll all be over in a few years."

"Pessimist, at the best of times." Russell laughed. "Don't suppose there's any chance we can weasel a few favours out of that rule-stickler brother of yours, Cain?"

Seraphina grinned at Russell and pretended to be unaffected by his charming smile. "Yes well I've got ninja skills."

Cain scoffed. "Please, you've better luck weaseling dark objects out of Purgers."

Octavian ignored the conversation for the moment, focusing on preparing the ingredients before him.

Again, Russell's charm failed him. Damn. "And a very charming ninja, I must say." He smirked, although the compliment was genuine.

He winked at Cain. "That good then?"

"Stop it Casanova, you're going to make me blush." Seraphina said hitting Russell playfully on the shoulder.

Cain nodded. "That good."

Suddenly there was an urgent sounding knock on the door.

Russell began to feign mortal injury. "You've snapped my shoulder like a twig!" He summoned fake tears to his eyes, which disappeared behind a mildly devilish grin. "The least you can do is kiss it better."

Octavian raised an eyebrow. "So with the prospects for purger-related black market goods steadily decreasing, can we-" He glanced across at the door. "Now who do we suppose that could be?" He extinguished the fire with a wave of his wand, and snapped the book shut.

Russell paused, lingering by the door. "Who's there?"

"I don't know what sort of girls you've met Rus but I've told you, your charms don't work on me." Seraphina stated, her shoulders high.

Cain with a flick of his wand hid the other questionable objects they had laying about.

"Jamie, it's me." Cook said through the door. "Cook."

Russell was about to reply when he heard his brother's voice. "Cookie!" He declared, the childish nickname still coming easily. He hauled the door open without further ado.

He did love his brother, after all.

"Come to join us at last, brother?" He grinned.

Octavian glanced across at Cain. This was rather unorthodox. He couldn't help wondering what the occasion was.

Cain was about to offer Cook the Crows' welcome but stopped.

Cook shook his head. He was panting slightly as if he'd been running. Seraphina had never seen Rus' older brother look so serious before.

"You have to get out of here!" He exclaimed. "All of you!" He looked around at the others. "The Purgers - they know where you are. They're going to raid. They're coming! Hurry!"

Octavian's face drained of colour. "Ah." For all their bravado, he had a feeling they were all equally terrified.

Rus froze. The purgers. Suddenly, this didn't seem like such a fun game. "Move! Let's go! Run!" He pushed Seraphina towards the back door, hanging back to let the others leave first.

Octavian, still holding the book under one arm, wrapped in cloth, began to follow, in a mild state of shock.

"How did they know?" Rus snarled under his breath, standing back from the door and waiting for his brother.

"Leave everything here." Cain ordered, still trying to wrap his head around what Cook had just said. "Don't bring anything along." He scanned the headquaters. There was no doubt what it was. No point in hiding it. He nodded to Russell as he followed Seraphina out the back door.

Cook wasn't sure how the Purgers found out, he suspected that they too were dabbling in Dark Magic but he kept quiet. He tried pushing the rest of the crew through the door. "Hurry!"

Octavian sighed. He would miss the registrar-book. Placing it reverently on the table, he was firmly pushed out of the door by Cook and Rus.

Once outside, his only thought was to start running, looking over his shoulder for the others.

Rus helped his brother to push the others out of the door. "Go!" He darted to the other door and listened for sounds of pursuit. None yet. "Come on! There's still some time!"

"Go on Jamie." Cook said attempting to push Russell through the back door as well.

Rus stopped in his tracks.

"What? Why are you just standing there? We've got to go!" He tugged at his brother's forearm.

"Go on ahead," Cook replied pushing Russell on. "I'll catch up." He lied.

Russell paused, hanging back in the doorway.

"What do you mean? You can't just wait here-We've got to go!" Still not comprehending, Russell tugged on Cookie's arm again. "There's no time to catch up!"

Cook pulled his arm back. "Jamie, don't argue with me - there's no time. Go!"

"I'm going to hold them off." He said finally, as resolute as a soldier going to battle.

Russell's blood ran cold.

"No! I won't leave you here!" He almost shouted. What in hell could he do without his brother?

"You can't--"

"If there is no one here to greet those bastards, they'll follow you and your little crew." Cook explained as quickly as he could. "Now go!"

And before Jamie could argue, Cook took his wand out and pointed it at him. "Imperio."

"Run as fast as you can to Hector Bingley's house." He ordered.

Russell began to object, but then all thoughts seemed to fall apart in his head.

He tried to fight it, but all that came out of his mouth was a "No--" At which point, the words broke apart in his mind.

The next thing he knew, his legs were moving of their own accord, dragging him along with them towards Bingley's house. He should fall over, he thought, but they just would not let him fall.

...Cookie.

Cook watched his brother run, unable to do otherwise.

Then he sat and waited for the Purgers to arrive.