you're gonna love tomorrow, i'm making it my personal guarantee

[praevaricatio]

Comments

[imnot_likeyou]

[So a Bela Talbot. Yeah, that tracks with who Damian was before, as far as Sam is concerned.]

Well, at the moment, he's pretty close with one of the Petrova Doppelgangers. So for now, he's on our side. But I'm sure you'll get the chance to interrogate him more thoroughly if you want.

[matriarchate]

Katherine.

( Someone more vaguely connected. Her family had more connection to Klaus than anyone, and they didn't live to tell the tale. But this is a longstanding, let go grudge. She knows what politics to play here. )

Those people find each other.

[imnot_likeyou]

I guess.

[But we'll see what happens when they get to the house. Right now, they're pulling up on the hospital, so he'll stop in the unloading zone.]

I'll take Cora over to the Salvatores'. Text me when you're ready and I'll swing back to pick you up.

[matriarchate]

( Allison steps out of the car, following Scott, listening to Sam. They open the trunk again to get their bags, in case they don't get back to this car.

Derek doesn't choose to sleep for longer than he expects, but that's what a spell takes out of him. Jackson goes between sitting by him and posting up outside the door, and then finally downstairs.

Damon also has two hunters bunking, not that Derek wasn't hurt on his own watch, but Jackson trusts they can give anybody a run for their money. )

[impetere]

[Cora beats Sam out of the car, despite his much longer legs, and immediately makes a beeline for the house. She doesn't give more than a passing hello to Jackson, before following her brother's scent through the house and up the stairs.

Sorry, Jackson. She'll be an actual person later.

Though Sam will also follow inside, and acknowledge Jackson more fully, with a nod, before making his way to the kitchen where Damian is probably making use of the full kitchen, for once, to make Katherine and himself breakfast.]

[engender]

( The bedroom Derek's sleeping in is unlocked. After washing his face and making it to the bed, he fell into a deep, fatigued kind of sleep. The kind he never has experienced. He's drained in more ways than one, it feels like.

He picks up her scent from outside the door, so that if she lets herself in, his eyes will be open.

If she stays outside the door, Derek pushes himself out of bed and over to it, opening it and beating her to knocking. Either way. )

You made good time.

[impetere]

The wonders of a private jet.

[She will just let herself in, thank you, and will take him in, almost as though she's looking for injuries she wouldn't be able to see. After getting mistletoe poisoning, you learn to look for different signs and symptoms.]

How are you feeling?

[engender]

Uncharacteristically tired.

( He uses the strength he has to sit up. He doesn't like it. That's made clear. )

Rescued by vampires. That's new.

[impetere]

The ones in New Orleans aren't bad.

[Which basically amounts to Josh and Marcel, as she hasn't spent time with many others.

It mostly amounts to she likes Josh. Whether that's because she likes Aiden and Aiden likes Josh, or the fact that Josh is forgiving when Cora pulled Aiden out of bed in the middle of the night to get a ride back to the French Quarter remains to be seen.]

The ones here are questionable.

[They only get so much credit for rescuing Derek instead of leaving him to die.]

Did you know there's a hunter in transition in this house?

[engender]

I'll take your word for it.

( Not that he's against Hayley, Klaus, Damon, or Stefan. He just hasn't personally thanked them. )

I know Stiles is in transition. Why are there two in-progress vampires.

[impetere]

I don't know. Something about a double-agent plan, but we were getting it second hand from Sam Winchester. Allison didn't seem happy.

[But Allison has to run all of this, so Cora doesn't blame her for being upset that Damon called that kind of audible.]

[engender]

She doesn't like things half-assed.

( There are only so many times things that are unanticipated happen, including a lengthy hospital stay when she was run through with the wrong side of an Oni's blade. )

We should find a witch. One we trust. I need to know what was done.

[impetere]

There are some here. I think Jackson used a witch to find you.

[Does that make him trustworthy? She doesn't know.]

Otherwise, Allison seems to be getting chummy with Freya Mikaelson. I don't know if she's trustworthy, but she's certainly powerful.

[engender]

We may need to move beyond trustworthy and accept, trustworthy for now. The playing field is getting more complicated.

( In more ways than one. )

[impetere]

[Cora weighs her options.]

I don't know anything about Jackson's witch, but Freya is old. She knows way more about magic than any other witch I've seen so far. I would take efficiency over a second opinion.

[At the same time, though -]

But someone who can heal should also probably stay here with Stiles.

[Cora may have come to see her brother, but listening to Scott and Allison discuss it had had her thinking that for her, this might be a one-way trip.]

And I haven't looped in Scott and Allison in on what's going on with you yet.

[shreds]

( Katherine returns for a run around the same time, wavy hair pulled back in something of a wild pony tail in comparison to Elena's straight locks. )

Good morning. Ooh, breakfast. Sometimes, I think about trading up, ( She shares, crossing her arms beside him. ) but then he cooks.

[gambled_ourmistakes]

It's unfortunately rare that we have a kitchen that meets my standards.

[He places one of the plates of Eggs Florentine on the counter for Katherine to take, and she can likely smell that the coffee is fresh.]

How about you, Sam? Eggs Florentine?

["No, actually, I can't stay long. I just wanted to give you a heads up. Allison Argent is in town."

Damian nods, considering, before looking at him curiously, almost as though he's not sure what Sam is getting at.]

It's been a while. How's Allison doing?

[shreds]

( Yes, please, Damian. After setting her plate down in the dining room, she's indeed back for coffee. )

Allison Argent. To what do we owe this hunter royalty.

( Katherine spent most of the night before downstairs in the basement or her bedroom. Not many keep her apprised.

As for Jackson, an arm grips the back of the couch and he, too, rises.

"Something smells five star." )

[imnot_likeyou]

[Well, Jackson, you are welcome to wander out as well and see what's cooking. Sam mostly looks tired.]

Her friend is the one who died in the accident last night.

[The one currently in transition.]

And she's here to back us up at graduation. But as I was briefing her on the situation -

[Damian's head snaps up and he groans. "You told her about the hunter in the basement, didn't you?"

Sam holds up his hands.]

I wasn't aware that it was a secret. Or that you two had a bad history.

[illtempered]

I know bad history.

( Jackson's up, eyeing Katherine's plate as she returns to her place setting. Excuse you, Jackson.

"Please. Who among us doesn't have a little bad blood between them." That's Katherine for you. But, she has bad blood with half the party.

Jackson approaches Damian. )

If I invited someone over, could there be more? The witch who helped find Derek. I owe him.

[gambled_ourmistakes]

I know she disapproves of my line of work. Which, fair. Even I disapprove of what my line of work used to be. However, I don't think there's anything wrong with getting paid. Altruism doesn't keep you fed.

[He's just saying. Sam holds up his hands.

"I'm just keeping you in the loop so you don't get blindsided. She's going to want a full report on your and Damon's plan."

Damian makes a face, because that plan was mostly him making the best of a bad situation, but whatever. He'll make it work. He turns to Jackson.]

If I do, will you put in a good word for me with the Lady Argent? I'm not above bribery.

[shreds]

Lady Argent, the formality.

( Also, the deliciousness of this eggs Florentine.

"What line of work were you in?" Jackson asks, before he can make that promise. He's planning on making it. Jackson vouching for someone goes a long way. Because, Jackson doesn't vouch for anyone. Looks like he'll be sponsoring Alexander and Damian. )

He found himself in possession of... things that needed procuring.

[gambled_ourmistakes]

I was a broker, mostly. There's a really lucrative market for magical items. You can sell them like you sell antiques. I also did some light hunting - cleansing haunted houses, taking care of a vampire nest here and there, but I dared to charge for my services instead of accurring charges for credit card fraud like Sam here or having an equally questionable cover like I don't know ... selling weapons?

[Looking at you, Argent family.]

I don't do so much of the brokering work anymore, but I do still occasionally get paid for hunting jobs by old clients.

[illtempered]

You go where the money is. I can respect that. And I can put a word in. Breakfast?

( He has his phone in his right hand.

"Very subtle digs," Katherine says, loving that none of this drama is about her. )

[gambled_ourmistakes]

I try.

[And he nods to Jackson.]

I can do breakfast. Do you have any preferences?

[And Sam is just going to see himself out of this conversation, warning given. He gives a wave to the room and gives an excuse about having to do some errands before graduation before making his exit.]