Owner	Pose
Lydia Dietrich	It's a couple of hours after the sun set and Lydia had invited her friends to witness her little ritual of burning the past. She's got the roof set up with a large brazier lit in the center with deck chairs radiating around it. She's got a table set up with two large thermoses which contain hot water and coffee, and a plate of Fig Newtons with which to snack on. Underneath the brazier, a now defunct teleportation circle had been inscribed on the floor of the roof, parts of it having been carefully scratched out.     As for Lydia, she's dressed for the weather. A tartan skirt in various shades of brown hangs down to her ankles, covering a pair of sensible heeled boots. Up top she's got an ochre thick knit sweater, and her hair is worn loose around her shoulders.     She greets each person as they come, inviting them to warm themselves with coffee or tea, and encourages them to snack on some of the Fig Newtons.
Joshua Foley	Joshua hasn't been seen around much since he and Gabby went their seperate ways. He's still making deliveries and working around the shop, but the normally sunshiny guy has been in a funk. He's hoping that tonight helps with that. He arrives, carrying a small wrapped bundle in his hands. "Hello, Miss Lydia." he greets in a subdubed tone as he moves to settle next to the fire. "Do you have any cocoa?" he asks hopefully as he does accept a Figgy.
Sara Pezzini	With Witchblade a part of her life, Sara had come to learn a great deal about how magic worked. It was information she never though she'd ever need, mostly because until he came into her life, she had no idea magic was real. Being invited to a ritual that wasn't exactly magical in nature, but one to help most on from things in the past, she came ready to burn a large number of things in hopes that doing so would allow her some closure. "Evening Lydia, you're looking good," she offers, a satchel over her shoulder. "I brought some cannoli from my Aunt, if anyone is interested. She over baked again."
Phoebe Beacon	Phoebe Beacon has made her way here, feeling incredibly awkward. The last time she'd gone to one of Lydia's events, she'd been in a funk. And deservedly so, at the time.     Tonight she arrives in a chunky orange sweater and jeans, with her hair pulled back and wrapped in an orange cloth with Jack-o-lantern faces plastered on it. It doesn't look like she's brought anything to burn, but she does have a basket with her.     "It seems like your aunt always over-bakes, Detective Pezzini." she gives a wry smile as she brings up the rear, and lifts her own basket. It is decorated with bats.     "Brought some brownies for those who can eat them an' really fragrant peablossom mint tea for those who can't." she states with a small smile.
Lydia Dietrich	"There should be a couple of packets there next to the tea," Lydia tells Joshua, gesturing at the table. "Help yourself." Her eyes light up when Sara tells them that she brought cannolis. "Oh, my. I haven't had a cannoli in forever. I might just indulge myself."     Once everybody's all settled in, Lydia moves into the center, next to the brazier. "Thank you all for coming," she says. "It means a lot to me that my friends are here to witness and perhaps participate in this ritual. This kind of thing always works better with a group."     "So, for those of you who've never done this kind of thing before, how this works is you'll come up to the fire and, if you wish, talk a little bit about what it is that you want to let go." She gives everybody a gentle grin, "Talking is optional if you're not comfortable doing it. Then you'll toss in something that represents that thing you're letting go and say something like, 'With this sacrifice, I let thee go.' Feel free to embellish and personalize, if you wish. If you don't have anything to throw into the fire, I've got some three by five index cards and a pen with which to write it down. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. I'll go first so you can see how it's done."
Joshua Foley	Taking a packet of cocoa to make a drink with, when Phoebe arrives, Joshua offers her a smile. "Hi Miss Phoebe. You look nice tonight." he greets her, accepting a brownie as his attention swivels to Sara. "I do not think we've officially met yet. Hello, I'm Joshua Foley. Miss Nettie calls me 'Elixir'." he offers in way of greetings as he listens to Lydia's instructions and offers a nod of his head. "Okay."
Sara Pezzini	Sara sets the cannoli on the table. "Yes, my aunt loves to bake and is always over baking, or in her words, 'There's too many, just take some!'." She snorts a soft laugh at that, then looks to Joshua and offers a hand, "Detective Sara Pezzini, Wielder of Witchblade, you can call me Sara." After the introduction, she falls silent to listen to Lydia. "I have things to burn, some I'm willing to talk about, some I won't," she says more solemnly. The last couple of years had been hell on the woman for a number of reasons.
Phoebe Beacon	"Joshua, hey." Phoebe gives an up-nod to the delivery boy, and she gives a small laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. "Man now I feel like the odd one out. Anyone else from the JLD showing? Should I put on a mask?" she asks good naturedly as she grabs a cannoli, and sets her basket down, listening to Lydia speak, She handily supposrts.
Lydia Dietrich	Once everybody is settled in, Lydia nods and pulls out a bookmarked copy of Gray's Anatomy, showing it to everybody. "With this I burn my last connection to Viscera," she says, setting the book into the fire and watches it burn for a moment. "I had harmed so many people so badly when I was under its influence," she explains, "that I've kept punishing myself once I was free."     She looks into the fire and lets out a sigh. "It's time to move on. It's time to forgive myself. The ones I have wronged have either forgiven me or moved on, and it's time I do the same." That was a small lie. There's still one person she needs to confront about her time under the Elder God's influence, but with this ritual she can hopefully find the courage to do so. "With this sacrifice, I let thee go."     There's a kind of thrum in the air, like the weight of her words are tangible for just a moment. She closes her eyes and takes a deep, cleansing breath and takes a step back for others to do the same.
Joshua Foley	Joshua pays close attention through what Lydia is discussing. He doesn't ask what Viscera is, while he clearly doesn't know. However, he does understand the gesture and when invited, he takes that cleansing breath. It's his turn then, Standing up, he unwraps the package and takes out a varsity jacket from high school. "This is the last connection to the family that abandoned me." He takes out a photo of him with his birth parents. "This is also my last connection to the life of the anti-mutant bigot and racist I was." The firelight reflects off of his golden skin. "With this, I sever my ties to my former family. I cut my ties to the Reavers. And I pray to be free and find forgiveness for myself finally, if I will never earn it from others." With that, he drops the bundle onto the fire, which lowers slightly before blazing to life. "With this sacrifice, I let thee go." Stepping back, he reaches up to wipe at his eyes, his cleansing breath far more shddery than deep.
Sara Pezzini	Looking to Phoebe, a serious expression crosses Sara's face as she says, "You don't have to hide from the JLD Phoebe, if anyone has a problem with you they have to go through Witchblade and I." When things grow more serious as Lydia starts, she turns her full attention to words the woman says. She's not aware of everything that happened in Lydia's life, but really it wasn't her place to know unless told. For now she accepts that her friend is trying to move past it all and she offers a solemn nod of approval. As Joshua burns his past, she feels an odd sort of gut punch over what he is letting go of. She wasn't a mutant, but she supported them and their rights, but to hear he was abandoned hits home for her. Stepping up to the brazier, she clears her throat a little and opens the satchel. There is a brief pause as she makes a decision, then pulls out a man's t-shirt to toss on the fire, "This represents every past relationship I've had that crashed and burned, or the guy just disappeared and couldn't be found, or..." she shakes her head. "... yeah, anyway, that's that. I have to forgive them and move past it. It wasn't me, it was just how life is." Now she removes a picture in a frame that she is very careful that no one can see and tosses it on the fire, "I'm moving past being abandoned by people who claim they care and will never leave, then leave anyway. Shit happens, I have to move on." The last thing she pulls out is a copy of the NYPD Officers handbook, several of the pages dog-earred, and the cover well worn. As she tosses it on the fire she says, "I wanted to be a police officer my entire life, from the first day I could walk its all I ever wanted. Witchblade changed everything, and for the longest time I resented him for doing it. I'm still an officer of the law, I can still protect and serve, but the laws that were once set in stone according to the world of humans... there are grey areas, and I have to accept that that part of my life, when everything was black and white, is over... and let it go."
Phoebe Beacon	"We can discuss why I'm not allowed to return at some other point. This isn't about me." Phoebe murmurs over to Sara before she gets started. She's quietly sitting back, listening, watching as others surrender the pieces of their past.     She's quiet for a moment. Contemplative, but she doesn't move to get rid of anything of her own. Simply being in support of those who do.
Lydia Dietrich	Lydia lets silence settle on the small gathering once the last of them burns their past, watching the fire. "And so it shall be."     "Now, let's have some of those cannolis, right?" she says, breaking the mood with a grin, moving over to pluck one of the desserts from the tray. "Thank you all for coming and participating. It means a lot to me that I have people to share this with."
Joshua Foley	Sitting down again, Josh warms his hands by the fire. "Thank you for sharing this with us." he offers as he takes up a cannoli. "It's been a terrible 2023, I hope that 2024 becomes far more kind. I am already with new friends... and the closest I've had to family in Nettie." he admits quietly. "I hope I do not let you down." he manages. He already knows that he's a weak link in the JLD chain - and he's trying to toughen up.
Sara Pezzini	Sara remains by the fire for a little but longer, watching the flames as Witchblade fills her head with his words. Anyone who knows her well enough knows the glassy look to her eyes when she is focusing on the words of the ancient entity, the effect lasting only a few seconds. Blinking a few times she turns away from the fire to look at Lydia, "Thank you for the chance to let go of things in a more formal manner. This last year has been utter crap," she admits, then picks up a brownie. "Phoebe, I'm aware of the reasons, but that doesn't mean you can't be invited to and attend social things," she then says, holding the brownie in hand as she speaks. "That's the thing I'll put my foot down regarding. The past is the past, let it stay there and rot. So, if I'm there and you show up, you're welcome and everyone else can bite me." She now takes a bite of her brownie and settles her eyes on Joshua. She didn't know him, at least not yet, but she intended to get to know him.
Phoebe Beacon	Phoebe takes a breath, and she leans forward, looking to Lydia as she gives a nod, and reaches over to grab a cannoli for herself.     "Joshua. You can't possibly be a disappointment to them. I went from being a leader during a war to being ousted because I came up with a way to rob people of their memories of me when I died, so that I could use the power of the memories to totally destroy my soul to escape Eternal Damnation and torment, which was an incredibly selfish movement, because my soul apparently is already part broken. On account of trying to get away from processing my own trauma, since superhero life kinda sucks for anyone who can't medicate or self-medicate." she states dryly, taking a bite of her cannoli. She clearly sees it as humorous.     "So trust me when I say 'you're probably fine'."
Lydia Dietrich	"2023 was kind to me," Lydia explains for Joshua's benefit. "For the most part, at least. It was 2022 that was hard. That's when I let Viscera into my head."     She takes a breath and looks out over her friends. "I had given myself a psychic lobotomy, which made me susceptible to an Elder God's influence. It promised me power, which I had gladly accepted without thought of the cost."     She purses her lips, "The cost was sixteen lives, and the mutilation of several zoo animals... and my best friend." She closes her eyes and lets out a sigh. "But that's behind me now."
Joshua Foley	Joshua stands for a moment. And it honestly looks like he might hug Phoebe - but he's reminded of the lessons of Nettie, and stops himself. Instead, he ends up next to Sara, and reaches to take another canolli from the basket. "These are really good." he murmurs quietly to her. But with the others sharing their stories, he figures it's his turn. "I hated mutants when I was younger. My parents trained me in it and I embraced it. When the Reavers offered me a place, I took it." he sighs. "I was an asshole and I hurt people. Until the person I thought was my best friend was hurt and my touch healed him. Then I learned what it was like when the mirror turns. The Reavers hunted and harassed me. I dragged in so many people to get away..." "It cost me my life once. But I came back. That is the curse of my power." he admits quietly. "Nettie recently finally gave me my freedom. I cannot help but to feel the debt of my life to her, even if she'd say nonsense."
Sara Pezzini	Sara moves to lay her hand on Lydia's shoulder, if the woman will allow. "We've all done things we regret," she says softly, the memory of the one thing in her past she can never undo crossing through her thoughts. "You did the right thing by letting it go. It's the past now, we can't change the past we can only move forward. You have friends, we'll help you where we can if you let us." Her eyes shift to Joshua now. "If Nettie vouches for you, that is all the more I need to hear to call you friend and to offer my assistance to you as well. As Phoebe said, you can't be a disappointment. I think the only way that could even be possible is if you deliberately did something to cause it, but so long as you are working, learning and striving to be better, then you're good."
Phoebe Beacon	Phoeb listens for a moment, and she gives a nod, and motions to her face.     "I'm a black girl that was raised by white parents. My powers, when unbound, can affect brain chemistry. Unwittingly, I was able to make people like me. For a long time. I had to deal with the knowledge that my friends weren't my friends because they liked me. And that my parents may have only liked me because my powers made them do so. Now that I have a brand on me like this," she lifts her left hand, and motions to the dully glowing white ring around her wrist, "I know that my friends like me for my sparkling personality, sharp whit, and the amount of sugar cookies I can bring to any gathering."