that someone's lookin' out for us, that someone loves us

[slavophile]

( After searching the hunters' phone, decoding barely cryptic cypher, and triangulating what he realizes are coordinates, he brings everyone together. Timing is crucial.

The summer solstice is that evening.

Isaac, Bonnie, Gloria, Mia, Danny, the twins, and Hope are in William's room. )

It's the Astronomical Clock.

( "The abstract art?" Lizzie asks, remembering her meet-whatever with Danny in front of that very landmark.

Hope, Josie and Danny found the same. With the twins' begrudging acceptance of Jo's informative text (and not much more scolding, maybe it's coming), the plan comes together. With the summer equinox being about the incoming nourishment after action, then this is the local yearly ritual. )

Witches will be there in droves. In plain clothes, but there to reaffirm and grow their power. That is the hunters' target. What I don't know, is if this is a blunt assault. I downloaded schematics. This looks on the outside like an act of terrorism.

( So. Bomb. )

Every hunter we find is low on the totem pole. The higher ranked hunters run the ops. There will be civilians and civilian hunters. Low-ranked boy and Girl Scouts. It's dangerous.

( Which is why their answers are few and far between and why Cooper's double agent act only gets him so far. )

What do you think?

Comments

[polydeukes]

[Josie lets her phone rest against the table ahead of them as she sets the Facetime call to ring. They don't have a lot of time to do as much research on this ritual as they would have liked, but hopefully their mother has been able to get a decent head start.

(Fortunately for them, she has (20).)

Josie hasn't managed to find much, limited by the internet and her own network of witches from school (10).

Danny, on the other hand, hasn't done much. He's mostly been dealing with Eliza and the consequences of his action, as she has conveyed that the coven is not particularly thrilled with him. What else is new (6).

Danny is perched in the back of the frame behind the girls as Jo and Ric come into view and Josie brightens with a smile.]

Hi, guys! It's not too early, is it?

[daydrinker]

( Lizzie found more, but not much more (research 13) distracted by Danny's impending trial, his presence and her dad being included in this call. Alaric (research 14) has only done one better having started drinking for the day, worried about his children's lies. He's also a bit fixated on the Danny of it all.

Fortunately for all involved, Jo is well suited to the sudden pressure of the situation, her daughters' foibles, and her husband's alcoholism. Jo keeps her plates spinning on her worst day and runs the circus on her best.

Esther's grimoires brought with them the general idea behind the solstice and taking great power with it, but never from nothing. There is not an infinite well one can take from, but a legacy one can inherit, or a coven that can be strengthened. The gathering at the clocktower must be more ceremonial than anything.

But, deeper research and Dorian's help gives her a leg up. There is real magic in the clocktower itself. The stained glass is mystical in nature and ancient, but this is not advertised. This is history. It acts like a conduit and was created as such. This is the reason the clocktower is the target. Hunters might be trying to cripple magic itself in Prague. Some magic derives from the family line, but this magic derives from the clocktower itself.

Which doesn't seem smart, putting all your eggs in one basket, but Prague is full of self taught witches and not born witches.

Danny can use, but not steal, that power, and like threading Bonnie's magic back, it's tricky.

Lizzie only knows the clocktower is of magical significance, but it's an old wives' tale, which led to her losing interest and hoping the adults could carry them for once.

Alaric, tired, but always happy to see his girls sits in view with his wife. ...Josie has entirely too much energy. )

Who needs sleep when their daughters are caught up in a magical reckoning.

[polydeukes]

[Josie gives him a small look as she adjusts her notebook ready to take notes.]

Dad, it's not that bad. Everyone's okay and no one's gotten hurt.

[So far.]

Did you and Dorian find anything?

["We did," Jo nods. "From what we can tell, the clock isn't just a fancy piece of art - it's actually a magical conduit. That's why it's the gathering place and likely also why it's the target."]

[daydrinker]

Is that supposed to make me feel better.

( He hears that 'so far,' in your tone, Jose.

"So, it's not just an old wives' tale," Lizzie says, setting her book aside. "That's all I could find."

Alaric looks down at the book in his hand, one his wife had handed him. )

There's more and it has to do with Danny's ascension. ( That's what he's calling it anyway. ) The clock's power can be tapped into, but it's tricky. There's nothing to balance if too much power is tapped, and, you don't want to tap out its' entire power. It's not replenishing or everlasting. Think of it like a power plant, but magic.

[undermyfeet]

So basically I need to make sure I only take what I need, not all of it.

[He huffs a breath as he runs a hand through his hair.]

Yeah, this is going to go great.

[Josie turns her look on him instead. "Hey. You can do this. We'll help."]

[jockwitch]

( "Harness, not take. You're tapping in, not tapping out." Like a keg. Alaric, these are teenagers. Well, almost college freshman.

Lizzie reassures him as well, locking eyes with him temporarily forgetting she is on a call with both of her parents. )

Nobody knows tricky spells like students from the Salvatore. Danny, we got this.

[polydeukes]

[That is slightly more comforting. And to anyone watching, it's obviously clear that Danny is the most comforted by Lizzie's affirmation, but that's not important. Let's not worry about that.

Josie then turns the focus back to her mom.]

Did the research say if the clock is the only point of contact? Is there somewhere else they'd be able to channel from?

[daydrinker]

( Alaric still smarts from his actions with Sebastian, but he was ultimately right about him, right?

As for the clock and its' magic. All they know, all that's been recorded, is about that clock and its' legacy.

"It's crude, right? Banking your coven's magic on some yearly ritual you have to get exactly right?" They stayed under the radar, Lizzie knows. She's not Ms. Research, but she's still good with a book. And if this is all her mom found out.

"Could we be missing something?"

Jo knows that conduits like this, they're tethered to something. Maybe something akin to the other side. Or, something physically in the clocktower. Maybe at the top, or below. Which could be what a bomb could target. It's not Alaric's place to speculate, one, and, two, that comfort is very apparent. )

[undermyfeet]

["Conduits usually have poles. Like a North and South pole. It also might not be the clock as a whole, it could be just a part of it. I'm assuming, Danny, that your coven has their own place to do a ritual like this."

Danny nods.]

Eliza says it was damaged in the attack. It was going to take some time to rebuild, which is part of the reason why she wasn't pushing me to do this sooner.

[daydrinker]

Damaged or not, spiritually, there will always be a link. We're thinking it's the stained glass. It's old enough, and high enough - out of anyone's reach. Maybe spelled, itself. It's possible a bomb wouldn't take it down.

( What's imbued with that magic. )

[undermyfeet]

Maybe not, but it can still hurt the people nearby.

[He rubs a hand over his face.]

We'll have to see what Isaac comes back with from the local witches.

[daydrinker]

We don't have to tell you to be careful, or, to wait for reinforcements?

( Stefan and Faith are already en route, but seeing as everything exploded at the same time (but hopefully won't explode later), they are on their own.

A dad still has to try. )

[undermyfeet]

["We've got this, Dad. And there are plenty of adults to have our back." Josie perks up a little. "Aunt Caroline said that Isaac's alpha has been working at the school."

That should earn Isaac some brownie points right?

Danny does finally look at the Saltzmans head on and as determined as an eighteen year-old about to be made head of his coven can be, he says:]

I'm not going to let anything happen to your daughters. I promise.

[Danny, that is not something you can promise.]

[jockwitch]

Scott. Yeah.

( He sees what you're doing, and what you are doing, Danny.

"Not to state the obvious, but WHO has been dealing with Malivore the last few years and who has been saving lives at the hospital, or drinking and speaking inappropriately to his students?"

Just, if we're going for track records, dad. )

Your mother and I expect you on the next flight out. All of you. Whatever happens tonight.

[polydeukes]

We will do our best to make that happen.

[She's not sure they're going to want to be here. And Jo is probably going to poke at Scott about his beta that's currently in Europe, but the kids don't have to know that.

"Listen to Bonnie, okay? She'll keep you safe, and she's deal with more of these things than you guys have, Malivore or not."]

We will. We've got this, Mom.

[daydrinker]

( Scott will sing his praises to his once roommate. )

And check in.

[polydeukes]

We will. But text, don't call. Just in case.

[Because they don't want to give away their location if needed. But with that, she looks to her sister and Danny.]

Is there anything else we need?

[daydrinker]

( "Answers from the Europe Super Squad. Thanks, mom and dad."

They learned a lot. )

[polydeukes]

["Stay safe."

And with that the parents hang up, and Josie turns to face the trio even more.]

Okay. So what next? Finding a good place for the ritual?

[jockwitch]

And what the hunters want, what Hope discovered, and who actually goes in.

( Plus a longer list she ticks off in her mind. )

[polydeukes]

["I can technically do the ritual from anywhere. But I think the closer we get to the clocktower the better. Just to be safe."

Josie nods, before reaching for her earpiece.]

Hey, William. We're done with my parents. What do you guys need?

[jockwitch]

( "You should go. Hope and Mia are concentrating on the bomb but more hunters are on their way. It's best if you beat them there and get Danny upstairs," he says, having been listening to multiple conversations and feeds as the day has gone on. "Bonnie and Isaac have four representatives from the local coven infiltrating with you. Do you need anything from me?" )

[polydeukes]

Not right now. We'll keep you posted if we do.

[Okay, team. Time to roll.]

Let's get there and see what we can find before the hunters do.

[Danny nods and climbs to his feet. As he gathers his things, he looks over to the twins. "Thanks, both of you."]

[jockwitch]

We got this.

( They're the new and improved extended super squad.

They're not far on foot.

Once they arrive in the square, it's packed, tourists milling about, taking pictures, and nothing seems out of the ordinary. The front doors are open and there is a small line to get inside.

That's it, you all suck in your rolls. )

[polydeukes]

[Josie glances around, and since they all need to get into the tower itself, she nods to the line of people going in.]

Should we play tourist?