sometimes people leave you halfway through the wood

[madskilled]

Comments

[positiveinfluence]

Yeah. Because Weller fucking provoked them.

[Which was not a crime.]

Why were they even there? No one can answer that for me.

["Maybe you should take some time off, Coop." His father's voice is the last one he wants to hear right now, but he feels the hand on his shoulder before he shoves it off. "Tonight was rough on all of us. Take the night. Think about what you're saying."]

Or what, Dad? What's she gonna do to me?

[pumping]

Suspend you. They call it leave, for the hunters that can't hack it, but they're on leave permanently. You're a good hunter, Cooper. Maybe the best we have.

( His dad's right. )

[positiveinfluence]

["Look, you think you're the only one upset about this? I'm devestated about your brother. You're not the only one who lost something tonight, kid. Between the witches, and the vamps."]

Wait, vamps? What vamps?

[Another one of the hunters speaks up. "It's just a rumor, but some say they saw Elijah Mikaelson inside the barrier. But there's a lot of hunters out there with their throats torn or their hearts ripped out."]

Shit. How did we not know Elijah Mikaelson was there? See, this is what I mean. We should have known that. We should have done the ground work.

[Papa Sullivan tries to head him off at the pass again. "And that's something we can address tomorrow." He then looks over Coop's shoulder at Mickey. "Look, Mick, why don't you take him out for a drink or two. Clear his head."]

[pumping]

That blonde guy.

( He reminds Cooper about Spike, or the ashes that Spike was now. He doesn't know who Elijah Mikaelson is. He's right, they could have been better prepared. )

Bars're open?

( It's not a no, either. )

Yeah.

( Forget what they must smell like. )

Your dad can talk to Monroe. Square everything away.

[positiveinfluence]

[Coop doesn't trust his father to talk to Monroe and square up everything. He very much expects to be fed a line of bullshit tomorrow that's not even true. But he knows enough to see that his rage isn't getting him anywhere, so he steps back and lets Mickey pull him away.]

Fine. Whatever.

[pumping]

I got him, Robert. We'll stink up a bar down the street.

( He pats Cooper's shoulder as he keeps walking him away. )

Come on, Coop.

[positiveinfluence]

[Coop nods as they go, waiting until they're a ways away from the rest of the group, then turning back to Mickey.]

The blond guy wasn't a Mikaelson. They wouldn't have gone down that easy.

[And he's not entirely sure why Spike was there, but he didn't seem to be on a murder spree. They're still alive, after all.]

[pumping]

Dude, you keep forgetting, I'm new. What's a Mikaelson?

( He keeps his voice low as they pass other hunters. Hunters that must be mourning, too. )

[positiveinfluence]

[Yeah, that's why he's saying something.]

A Mikaelson is an Original vampire. There's this magically created line that started about a thousand years ago, and they're the heads of it. They're nearly impossible to kill - you need a specific stake from a specific tree, and to be fucking faster than them, which is hard enough. Not even a werewolf bite can take them out.

[pumping]

And one of those, there were reports of him here. Tonight. Sounds like we got lucky, Coop.

( His... brother, aside. But, he holds the big door open for him as they return to the early morning air. )

Then who was the Billy Idol wannabe?

[positiveinfluence]

My guess? If he's rolling with Slayers, probably Spike.

[Which is probably not going to make Buffy Summers happy, but. Can't do anything about that now.]

Not much better news, but a different kind of vamp. Word was never really clear if he was a good or bad guy.

[pumping]

Now he's a dead guy.

( So, word doesn't really matter anymore, does it. )

Look, I know tonight was big. And it won't be the same. But, we did survive.

[positiveinfluence]

We did.

[Surviving does count for something. But it matters whether or not they should have been in that fight in the first place.]

Something about this doesn't feel right though.

[pumping]

About what? Something went sideways. It happens. It was above our pay grade and ... they paid the price. You'll have your day in court.

( You know. With Tamara. )

[positiveinfluence]

[They reach the bar and shakes his head before waving it off. He'll likely stew on this for a while, but he's reaching the point where the anger is flagging, giving way to a sadness that he doesn't know how to articulate otherwise, so.]

I need a drink.

[pumping]

You and me both.

( He sinks into a seat next to Cooper, but lasts only one before his fatigue really sets in. His body is spent, his muscles are locking up and he needs sleep.

He sets down euros, finishing his first and only drink, steadying himself as he stands. )

Tank's low, I'm going to head back. ( And the day has gotten to him, he just doesn't know how to talk about it. ) You want me to wait?

[positiveinfluence]

[He shakes his head. He doesn't intend to hold up Mickey with his bad mood and he needs a couple more drinks before he can even think about approaching sleep. He'll be fine.]

Nah, I'm okay. You go.

[slavophile]

( Mickey slaps one hand on Cooper's shoulder, gives him a pained, but subdued and understanding look, before leaving him alone.

William does research in the elevator on bars nearby and open bars nearby.

He finds the first one and doesn't try any harder. Like Mickey, he's tired, but also relieved. And maybe in shock, too, from seeing Bridget and Spike die. He slips onto a stool without looking at Cooper sitting next to him. It's a small bar (literally) and it's one of three seats there or small tables. )

[positiveinfluence]

[Cooper has had a few more drinks by the time William arrives. His mood has even picked up somewhat as a result. As he glances over and spots William sitting next to him, still can't help the bitter edge to his words when he speaks.]

Well. Of all the gin joints in all the world.

[slavophile]

( William couldn't have called this, but what in his life could he have called. )

I walked into yours. You're alive.

[positiveinfluence]

Yep.

[The "P" lands with a pop as he lifts a finger to signal the bartender for them both.]

So are you. Congrats.

[slavophile]

Some days it feels worthy of being congratulated. When I do things that make it worth me being alive.

( He didn't ask for all that. He does use quotation marks next, though. )

"Garrett" wasn't here with a bachelor party, was he?

[positiveinfluence]

Nope.

[Complete with that same pop on the "P".]

He was there for the same reason I was.

[slavophile]

Spike's dead. That probably makes people like you happy, right? Spike and Bridget, whose parents were killed in front of her. That's the only reason she threw up the boundary spell.

( Just to keep things clear. )

[positiveinfluence]

Ah, I thought it might be Spike. For the record, mass murderer. Big mass murderer. But no, I'm not happy about any of this.

[It doesn't justify what happened to Bridget but he feels the need to point that out.]

I wanted to talk Bridget down. I didn't want her to die.