everyonelives | there's something due any day

Scope them out and see what's going on.

[She moves to stand behind him, waiting for him to get on to steady the bike.]

Freya's put probes out for people not practicing ancestral magic. This is apparently a big one. It could be a witch refugee from one of the smaller towns, but she wants me to take back-up, just in case.

( He secures himself, holds his body up with one foot on the ground giving Davina the security to climb on behind him. )

What would it be, if it's not ancestral? Where does it come from?

( One question to be answered before they get on the road. )

[She pauses long enough to slide onto the bike behind him before she continues. Normally she wouldn't keep talking with the noise, but he's a werewolf. He'll be able to hear her.]

There are lots of different kinds of magic. Most witches in the French Quarter practice ancestral magic, but there are witches that cast spirit magic or expression or use other avenues to draw their power.

And they shouldn't.

( But, hold that thought there, Davina, you're both good to go so he takes off, out of the alley and adheres to traffic laws. Once they get outside of the quarter and along the outskirts of the city, that's when he can get up to the speed he only briefly uses before stopped a few blocks down from their destination.

He balances the bike up, flipping the kickstand down to give Davina the room and opportunity to climb off.

He does the same after. )

It's not that they shouldn't. I'm not going to tell anyone how to practice magic. But it might be a sign that they're someone who's here to do harm not good.

[It's a little judgy, and maybe a little exclusionist. But she knows that French Quarter witches known better, and aren't going to be siding with some unknown hunter against the factions. They've worked too hard for that.

As she slides off the motorcycle, she looks around curiously.]

We just want to check in. Make sure they're not here to do harm. A little face time with the regent doesn't hurt.

We had a dark druid substitute English teacher. She used this ancient magic and sacrificed nine people. She's dead, now, I think. And she's been gone since high school.

( So, he knows a friendly face can do harm. )

There's always more where she comes from. So, did you feel their magic? And you know like exactly where they are?

[She shakes her head.]

I mean. I'm regent, and I was a Harvest Girl so I'm more in-tune with the magic of the Quarter than most. But I can't tell anything that specific. Freya had to perform a spell to find the differences.

[She's going to just ... hope he doesn't ask what a Harvest Girl, because it might make that comment about human sacrifices a little awkward.]

Did you make it rain?

( These are the sincere questions you get from Scott McCall after you mention bringing a harvest.

But he is following behind her. )

I did, actually.

[She makes a face because it wasn't a nice gentle rain.]

It was ... more of a deluge though.

So, you made like a monsoon. Was that -- good for the crops?

( He still really doesn't get it, but he keeps vigilant and stays close. )

It's ... not that kind of harvest?

[She takes a moment, trying to sense any magic in the area, before continuing the conversation.]

The Harvest ritual is one we're never going to do again, but ... four young witches are sacrificed to the ancestors as a renewal of our power. It's a really long story, but I was one of the witches chosen, and I was brought back with a considerable amount of power.

( She stops short, so he does, too. Then she picks up the pace again and then he stops short again. His breath catches, a shiver crawling up his spine. )

You were sacrificed so you could be more powerful. Adults sacrificed you.

Yeah.

[Unfortunately, not all supernatural towns had adults like they did in Beacon Hills, where they actually are generally Good. Or, you know, alive.]

They lied to us about it too. They told us we were going to sleep. They didn't tell us they were going to kill us until ...

[They were killing them. She looks away awkwardly.]

I was the last one, so all the power pooled into me. But before they could kill me, a vampire, Marcel - he interrupted the ritual, and he took me. It was one of his rules. You don't hurt kids. But without me dying, my friends couldn't come back, and my body couldn't handle all of that power. If we didn't finish it, I was going to tear New Orleans apart.

[So she did die. And her place in the coven never recovered. Not until they needed someone who wasn't afraid to stand up to everyone - the elders, the vampires or the Originals.]

( He nears her as she turns away, there with her for support. )

You died.

( He brings a hand to her shoulder, tenderly. He's there, he's right there. She's safe. )

Yeah.

[She's not really sure how to take his empathy. In New Orleans, your empathy is only useful if you can wield it as a weapon the way Cami did, calling out weaknesses and stoking anger. That's not what Scott is doing here though, and Davina Claire, who clawed her way to the top with blood-stained hands doesn't feel like she deserves that kind of concern.]

But I'm okay. It was a long time ago.

[She's not going to bring up the fact that technically she died twice.]

It's okay if you're not.

( But, that's also not what this is about. )

I got over a lot from when I was a kid, but it still stays with me.

( he lets go, though. )

Okay. Let's find them. See what's up. I'm right behind you.

[She nods, because he's not wrong. It's just not what they're here to focus on. She leads the way to where the witch is practicing, and when the newbie sees them both coming, she seems like she's about to bolt.]

Wait! We're not here to hurt you.

[She holds up her hands, to show she means no harm. But the witch doesn't seem convinced.

"You're Davina Claire. You're the regent."]

I am. And we just want to talk.

( He holds out an arm, but doesn't take off, doesn't block their escape. )

She's telling the truth. Don't run. It's okay.

[The witch eyes them skeptically, but she doesn't attempt to cast. "What do you want?"]

I admit, we're all a little one edge. We've received word that someone might be coming to hurt our people, and they might be using witches to do it. But really, we just want to talk.

[Even if they came here to be her enemy, maybe that can change. The witch's gaze flickers, and she shakes her head.

"I picked the wrong time to come to New Orleans. I just ... thought I'd be safe to hide out here for a little while."]

Under normal circumstances, you'd be right.

[She glances to Scott, trying to see if there's been any blips or skips with her heartbeat.]

She's telling the truth. ( He speaks under his breath, but then addresses her. ) It's not safe anywhere, right now. Are you running from something?

["Who isn't running from something?"

Davina can't help but think she has a point. Then the witch shakes her head as she goes to clean up the spell she was working on.

"Vampires kind of settled in to the town I was living in. When they found out there was a local witch they started making demands. Daylight rings, all of that. They weren't the kind of vamp you want walking around during the day, so I bailed. Figured I could hide out in New Orleans for a little while until they decided to relocate."

Davina nods.]

Then you definitely came to the right place. I know just who to point you to.

And where. What town were you living in?

( Because, this sounds like information he should pass on to slayers. )

["Ashdown, Oklahoma." She makes a face. "Who knows how much of it is left though."

Davina nods sympathetically.]

Do you have a car?

["Yeah."

Davina nods again, before reaching for the witch's pen and folds over the corner of her map.]

This is the address of a man named Vincent Griffith. He's our sanctuary guy. He'll find you somewhere to get settled, and we'll see what we can do for Ashdown.

We will do something.

( He promises. )

[The witch nods and retreats back to her car. "Thank you."

As she goes, Davina takes a deep breath before turning back to Scott.]

I'll let the pack now, about Ashdown. Maybe they can send some of them out to handle it.

[Werewolf bites are very effective.]

there's something due any day

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