Then we get terrified, like children waking in the dark, we don't know where we are.

[moralitypolice]

( Bonnie, bag in hand at her side, holds the door open this time. She sighs, looking wistfully off at Danny, sullen, in the backseat. )

I wish I could make it all better, like I could undo it all, or, go back and prevent it altogether. Too many of us have no parents. No living family.

( She sighs.

From Danny's seat if or when he looks back, Bonnie and Isaac continue their discussion. Scott texts Isaac, so he pulls his phone out, eyes down quickly.

A couple approaches from the south, arm in arm. The guy in glasses leans in whispering something that makes the girl laugh. As they separate to move around Bonnie, everything happens quickly. The brunette girl brandishes a stun gun landing a blow to Isaac's side. Out of the leather jacket, the man reveals what looks to be something dark colored, with a flat bottom. He drops it. From the car, he can see a spell attempted, Bonnie's lips moving but nothing happening. She tries struggling, but the woman whacks her on the back of the back sending her down. The man quickly pulls out a pair of iron handcuffs the woman waves away, not now, and as fast as it happens, a bright yellow taxi pulls up.

Three others, including one dressed as a taxi-driver throw Bonnie and Isaac into the trunk. When everyone is inside the car, the driver puts down a black device on the top of the cab quickly, puts on a pair of leather gloves, climbs inside the cab and speeds off.

Bonnie's bag, and the contents within including her phone lie on the sidewalk next to Isaac's dropped phone.

The driver in Danny's car starts the ignition, this is probably protocol. )

Comments

[jockwitch]

They're Celtic. Ancient practices handed down, all word of mouth. But, words fly out of people's mouths, so, maybe Esther Mikaelson knows something.

( Maybe indeed. And then Hope chimes in. "We're drinking." (8)

Lizzie just - WHY'S with her eyes. )

[saveslives]

[Welp, on this one Jo manages to roll higher than Hope so the lie about them drinking is the one that manages to ring false (13). Amusing, to say the least, but that's not relevant to what they're asking.]

Well, I'll have to look into the specifics as they likely vary from coven to coven, but from what I remember, druids use the solstices as a passing of the torch, but also a passing of knowledge. Think of it like ancestral magic, only it's more of ... getting access to an external hard drive, once the heir is confirmed.

[jockwitch]

And, if the oldest members of the coven -if they're gone. How is that knowledge passed down?

( She's not trying to fake this anymore, and her eyes meet Danny's because she remembers his horrible circumstances. She taps the mute button on the phone. )

Then you'd take out the successor. Or, as many witches. That's what they're doing. Taking Aunt Bonnie was about stopping you. Stopping your coven. But, it can't be enough. And they escaped. Hope...

( "They're not done. And there are more of them. It's about the solstice. And you." )

[saveslives]

[Now she's starting to get a little concerned.]

Well, if they're gone then they'd probably need a secondary proxy. A witch elder of their own right to bless the ascension. Doesn't have to be a member of the same coven necessarily, just someone the coven trusts.

[Danny is quiet as this information is laid out, turning it over in his head. Meanwhile, Jo hears nothing but silence and frowns.]

Girls? You still there?

[jockwitch]

( Right, mom. She unmutes! )

Right here, Mom. And that coven-ee, they become the conduit?

[saveslives]

They become the leader. It's a right of passage.

[A beat.]

Think of it like the Merge, but significantly less trauma.

[jockwitch]

( Lizzie winces at that, sighing, wondering what happens when the coven leader doesn't know how to... ascend. )

Did aunt Bonnie bring you here because of the solstice?

[saveslives]

["If she did, she didn't tell me. I thought she invited me so I would stop moping around the castle."]

Then it looks like you guys should probably be talking to Bonnie.

[Then there's a pause as the mom intuition really starts tingling.]

Where is Bonnie?

[jockwitch]

She's asleep, mom, in her room.

( (13) as she makes the valiant effort at lying again. 20's are a thing of the past. )

[saveslives]

[Jo is suspicious (13). But she also will pretend that she's not (15).]

Probably where you should be too. Get some rest, all of you. And enjoy the rest of your trip.

[A beat.]

Love you both.

["Love you too, Mom."]

[jockwitch]

Love you, Mom.

( That was nerve wracking. )

Not our best idea. And we don't know anything new.

[undermyfeet]

We know a little bit new.

[They know that this is definitely supposed to be his coming out party.]

We should probably get some sleep though. Until William comes back with news on the hunters.

[He's about to say more, when one of the phones springs to life.

Bonnie's phone.

With Jo's name on the caller ID.]

[jockwitch]

( "Don't answer it." That's Hope's wise words as Bonnie's phone rings from the desk. )

Right. Bonnie's asleep. It's late.

[undermyfeet]

Right.

[It feels weird, just letting a phone ring, but they do it.]

Anyway. We should sleep too. Give William time to work, and we can look at it with fresh eyes in the morning.

[jockwitch]

( Sleep. Right. )

Did - did William give you your own room?

[undermyfeet]

[He opens his mouth to say yes, he totally has a room when he realizes that ... no maybe not.]

No. But it's fine. I can -

[He glances around and points to the arm chair.]

I can just crash in the chair or something.

[jockwitch]

( Maybe this is a conversation she doesn't need to be happening in front of Hope and her sister, and Hope nudges Josie's shoulder. )

[undermyfeet]

[Y e p. Time to go crash in Hope's room.

"We're gonna go to sleep. Talk to you guys in the morning." There's a beat as he keeps walking and then turns back to them again. "Since I'm crashing with Hope, you could just take my bed."

Danny blinks awkwardly at that, before rubbing the back of his neck.]

Yeah, I mean, that also -

[The door closes before he can continue and he swallows.]

- works.

[jockwitch]

Do you have something against beds, Danny? And nice hotel rooms gifted to us by master hackers?

( Why is this an issue. Bed over chair, right? Right? But, in lieu of feeling not awkward, she says that. )

[undermyfeet]

[He shrugs.]

Do you not want me here? Because I can go somewhere else.

[There's no judgement in his tone, really. He's not responding to her being prickly, he just ... doesn't really want to be alone. Being alone in his own hotel room sounds like the worst place to be.]

[jockwitch]

No, you just - sharing a room with me's not like a punishment. You made it sound like, oh, it's Lizzie.

( But that could have been reacting to Hope and Josie's quick exit and not due to her. )

I want you safe, Danny. And, I don't think any of us should be alone. And if that means you in the chair, then you can ruin your limbs in a chair.

[undermyfeet]

[He's fine taking Josie's bed, he just hadn't realized it was an option at the time. Now, however, he can't really walk it back, so he just nods.

He looks over at the empty bed, before shaking his head. Nope. It's gonna have to be the chair. He's committed now, like the dumb teenage boy he is.]

Great. Chair it is.

[jockwitch]

Great.

( The equally stubborn teenage girl enjoys her bed for the night. Have fun walking tomorrow. )