sometimes people leave you halfway through the wood

[madskilled]

Comments

[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.

[slavophile]

And what did the other hunters want?

( He may not like what you think you stand for, but he will drink the drink you bought him. So. Maybe that's not taking a stand. )

[positiveinfluence]

I think it's fairly obvious what the other hunters wanted.

[They got it, for the most part. He knocks back the whiskey, swallowing hard as he picks at the nuts on the bar.]

It wasn't perfect, but they think it made a point.

[slavophile]

And what do you think.

( He peruses the small menu. )

[positiveinfluence]

I think it was a fucking shit show. And we shouldn't have been there.

[And if he intends to say that, right to Monroe's face, at his next available opportunity.]

[slavophile]

Where. At the Elders meeting? Here in London? Hanging around a peaceful event? Or, D. All of the above.

( He'll get past harping on this. Just let him get it out.

He does indicate for two more shots and -- whatever beer they have on tap. Two. )

[positiveinfluence]

A and C. I'm allowed to travel.

[He could have been in London for perfectly innocent reasons thank you very much.]

But the other two, no. We shouldn't have been there.

[slavophile]

( He's right. But, he doesn't sound like he's putting on airs. He sounds sincere. )

I believe you did this for the right reasons. Once.

[positiveinfluence]

[He makes a face because he likes to think he still does. He didn't kill anyone in that mess. Theoretically, his hands are still clean.

But that's not the point.]

How do you know I don't now?

[slavophile]

Because, you're with them.

( But, their philosophy isn't his. )

I could tell Isaac you're here in the bar with me.

[positiveinfluence]

[Cooper raises an eyebrow before shifting to face him more.]

And what would he do about it, do you think?

[slavophile]

I don't know. You're here, you're a hunter, he'd be interested.

( But, what would he do. What would he really do. When he turns, William does the same, and under the low light of the hole-in-the-wall London bar, this close to him, William sees for the first time that he'd be interested, too. But not because he's a hunter. )

[positiveinfluence]

I don't think he'd want to actually talk to a hunter that Allison hadn't vetted herself first. At least, that would be my thought if I was a werewolf playing with fire.

[But that being said.]

Honestly, unless I intended to kill you - which for the record, I don't - I think he'd probably tell you to stay off my radar. Not let me buy you a drink.

[Oh, look, he's drunk enough to start semi-flirting.]

[slavophile]

I walked right into your gin joint radar.

( Oh look at.. that. )

You can get my next. ( He shouldn't stay leaned forward or close. ) I'm not easily killed, if you were looking to end my life tonight. I could take you.

[positiveinfluence]

I'm sure you could.

[He lifts his hand to flag the bartender again.]

Good thing I'm not trying to kill you.

[slavophile]

Yeah. Good for you.

(He finishes the first drink and downs the other whiskey he'd ordered. )

What happened after? You and Garrett took off.

[positiveinfluence]

With Bridget down, we could get out. He didn't really want to stay put.

[And honestly, he was not in the best head space so he let himself be lead.]

I had to find my dad. Make sure he was okay.

[slavophile]

Is he?

( Well that hits viscerally. He's here drinking, but maybe from everything and not finding his dad in danger. )

[positiveinfluence]

Yeah, he's fine.

[He looks up with a bitter smirk.]

Already towing the company line, like his choice to join up isn't part of the reason why Luke is dead.

[slavophile]

So, you joined because your dad did. He's done this without Monroe, too. That's - he did it right before?

( Does he want to talk about this? He asks anyway! )

[positiveinfluence]

[He shrugs, unsure how to answer that.]

I thought we did. We certainly didn't organize assaults like this unless it was something really big and really bad. A prince of Hell trying to invade the world or some shit. Winchester level bullshit.

[Which might mean nothing to William, but most hunters understood the implications.]

Not a harmless town full of witches. I thought there was something wrong.