some guys think they can't be winners

[beanchaointe]

Comments

[vampireboulevard]

[Caroline nods again.]

Okay. Keep me in the loop.

[She then gives Stiles' shoulder a squeeze.]

We should talk. Call me when you're done, okay?

[But with that, she and Ryan will head back towards the carnival as red and blue lights on the highway side start to flicker through the trees.]

[unforgivably]

( Caroline gives guilt like a Catholic or Jewish mom... )

The 5-0 is approaching.

[beanchaointe]

[It's her superpower. But as she and Ryan head off, Lindsay makes her appearance, looking over the situation, before scanning the faces.

"Which one of you found the body?"

Lydia raises her hand.]

Me and Stiles. I'm -

[And then she glances over to Damon to make sure Lindsay's familiar with how things work.]

[unforgivably]

Lydia's a banshee. She -- fugues?

( He's not completely familiar and doesn't want to characterize it wrong.

Stiles steps forward, raising a hand. "I found it first. I smelled the blood, I -- I followed the trail and found the body." He pauses, considering. "I couldn't stop myself from - from drinking. From him. But he was already dead, I swear."

"Stiles is right," Scott says, jumping in. "There are... fang marks, but there are also two small puncture holes, like he was struck with two needles. Stiles, it's okay." He gets it. "Today is his first big outing and he was doing good." )

[patrols]

[Stiles confesses and Cora nods. That makes sense. She relaxes some and focuses on the body at hand.

Lindsay raises an eyebrow before crouching down next to the body and taking a look. She tips her head to the side as she examines them both, barely making out the other puncture wounds in the neck but since Scott points it out, she's able to hone in (16).]

I see what you mean. It's kind of round too.

[She glances up at the rest of the group.]

Did you guys see anything? Anyone fleeing the scene?

[Lydia shakes her head. "I was out of it."]

[phonetically]

And I didn't see anything, I didn't even see the body before...

( He succumbed. )

The first thing I heard was Lydia walk up. It was dark.

( He was seeing red.

"We're thinking it's supernatural because the schnauzers don't recognize a mysterious scent." )

[patrols]

At least it's something to go on.

[She pushes up and reaches for her radio.]

I'm going to call it in. I'll take your statements and then you're free to go unless you really want to stick around for the investigating part.

[And she'll leave it up to them. Cora will glance over to Stiles and Scott. She knows Lydia won't really want to be in the way, but it's up to the boys.]

[phonetically]

( "We'll help," Scott says. It's definitely what they do. )

And, I'm in the FBI. Investigating's my thing. And I owe it to -- Ivan. And, I have to rule myself out - prove what I say is true.

( Even though it is.

"We're in, too," Damon asks Lydia. "It's not a Mystic Falls event if someone doesn't end up dead." )

[patrols]

Okay. Guess it's a party, then.

[She pauses to call it in on the radio, before turning back to the rest of them.]

If this is supernatural, then we can play a little fast and loose with the rules. You - [Damon] - Go talk to anyone who might have been in the area. Be discreet about it but see if they might have seen anything that could tip us off to who our creature feature might be.

[She's given this task to Damon before, he can take Lydia with him if he wants. Then she turns back to the wolves and Stiles.]

Do you think you have a good lock on the scent?

[unforgivably]

Great. Stalking the rent-a-john's.

( Or, whatever else the forest presses up against.

Scott gets a (5) to try the scent on for size again. Between the blood and his scent of being human, he doesn't get a great start, looking to Cora.

"I can't really lock on." )

[patrols]

[Thankfully, Cora's there to pick up the slack (15). "I've got it. We'll see what we can find." Good thing about it being something she doesn't recognize: it stands out.

Lindsay nods, before passing Scott her business card.]

Then I'll stay here and be a cop. Text me with anything you find. Both of you.

[She means you too, Damon.

Lydia glances up and tips her head to the side. "I'll go with Damon. See what I might be able to pick up."]

for Damon and Lydia canvassing for witnesses

[unforgivably]

( Scott nods, slipping her card into the back pocket of his pants. )

And I will be - banshee backup.

( He kids.

Damon knows that he and Lydia will trail back to the port-o-potty's and anything else that pushes up against the entrance to this forest. Canvassing has not been his thing before. Investigating, sure. Testing the water. Or, outright threatening.

But a good old fashioned investigation? )

[beanchaointe]

[Lydia's inherent charm does save them from some downright irate people (13), but she can't help but grit her teeth as she turns to face Damon. While she gets that this isn't the most glamourous job in the world, she is at least attempting to do her part.]

You could at least try.

[She's just saying.]

[unforgivably]

I'm trying. ( He's not. ) These carnival-goers are all a little lowest common denominator, aren't they? But - fine.

( Which doesn't mean that Damon cannot be helpful. He peers around them again, and along the edge of the carnival. (18) to see 3 prime spots to look for any employees or dining patrons - people who may have been camped out, or may have been able to see something.

What does he see? )

[beanchaointe]

[He would see a lot.

Things are winding down on the midway, with peak hours having passed in terms of food and games. A few rides are still running, but the ones that are big hits with children, less so. The excess crew is choosing to take their break then, with a couple clusters of them having settled on the edges of the pavilion with their dinner.

And one of them, wearing work overall that have an odd color paint on them, is eyeing Damon like he knows who he is, even if Damon doesn't know him from Adam.

Also, his phone vibrates in his pocket.]

[unforgivably]

( Well, first thing's first, he pulls his phone out and dog-ears one of the workers, including the people on break. )

Our best bet is with the traveling circus-workers.

( Is it a text, is it a call )

for Scott, Cora, and Stiles following the scent

[commend]

( Scott lets Cora lead the way, Stiles giving the body one last look before he steels over, professional guise setting in (17) to stay professional and not emotional for the time being. He's felt like a kid too long after dying, like that freak kid-agent joining the FBI after his freakin internship. The small-town legacy kid with a formerly disgraced sheriff for a dad.

But, the guy that first showed up in Mystic Falls to help protect one of his best friends, he's here now. And he died for her. For Elena, and for Caroline. It's not in vain.

Scott has done this before, however. They're off to find a kanima a something.

[impetere]

[Scott (15) and Stiles (11) pick up some of the scent when Cora's nose begins to flag and she finds herself coming to a stop, starting to lose the scent as they land in a clearing of trees (9).

Scott finds the scent again, heading towards the left, and Stiles catches the scent of blood - the victim's blood. It's not enough that it would lead to him descending into a frenzy again, but just enough for him to be able to indicate which way the creature might have gone.]

[commend]

( Scott goes left, first, stopping, perception check of (19) and Stiles moves in the direction of the blood (nat 20) for the vampire driven crazy by the very same blood.

"He was here. Ivan."

Here first, Scott thinks. )

The question is, did he wander down here, or was he brought here.

[impetere]

I don't think he did. I smell the blood, but I don't smell him.

[She did not roll as well as her friends, but she rolled well enough to notice that (11). Scott will also notice the same, that while the blood is present, the parts of the scent that would incapsulate the rest of a person is not. Ivan did not come this way, but his blood definitely did.

Stiles is the one that gets the biggest clue, however. That nat 20 means his vampire night vision is kicking in, and he manages to catch some of the blood on one of the trees nearby. As he moves to get a closer look, he notices that the blood transfer isn't moving in the direction of the body. In fact, it looks like it's moving away from the body.

It seems as though the killer brought the blood with him, and brushed against the tree as he made his escape.]

[commend]

( "Guys," Stiles says, approaching the tree and looking back in the direction the killer must have come from. "Whoever killed him - whatever - it went this way. And it's covered in his blood." Enough to brush up against the tree. )

Stiles is right. He wasn't killed here.

for sam and dean, bugging local law enforcement

[patrols]

[While the local supernaturals poke around, Lindsay's busy getting to work processing the evidence. As she picks her way through the victim's pockets and what was left behind, she looks up to see two tall men come up to her and she frowns.]

Guys, you have to step back. This is a crime scene.

[cholesterol]

( Never great with law enforcement, and putting down roots here, Dean fights his first urge to pull his fake credentials. He stops short, holding hands up, looking beyond her. )

Sorry. Our friends came this way.

[patrols]

[Her eyebrows go up, and then she looks down at the license again.]

Your friend from Norfolk?

[She's trying to figure out of she should be giving notice or if these two are looking for someone else.]

[cholesterol]

Not from Norfolk. But, they are out-of-towners. New to the town, like us. Dean and Sam Winchester.

( (13) to hear Cora's cry out as he gets friendly. )