the challenge, bring order to the whole

[braveandstupid]

Comments

[maleficum]

[It works in Ezra's favor that all the hunters are on the other side of the house, because while they hear something (4), they can't pin down what unit it's actually coming from. In the meantime, David and Jaqueline make their way into the main area and find convenient places to hide as they wait to see how impatient the hunters get.

It turns out, not very, as a few minutes later, the door kicks open.]

[praevaricatio]

( Ezra slips out, trying stealth on for size as he adjusts to the cool of the evening. First, he approaches what David thought was mountain ash. (13) for identification? )

[maleficum]

[It certainly looks like mountain ash. But he knows enough to know that it's not only mountain ash. While it would keep them contained, it wouldn't be able to effect their magic within the barrier. If magic is well and truly off, it must be cut with something.

Somewhere behind him, the door to the apartment gets kicked open.]

[praevaricatio]

( Great, go back and help or find and get magic. Can he kick along the line breaking the circle? Does he smell anything familiar? )

[maleficum]

[Kicking along the line to try and break it won't work out in his favor. He'll feel the reverb as it shoots up his leg and won't let him out. But the smell is distinctive, a floral scent that he can't quite put his finger on.]

[praevaricatio]

( And a (4) at searching his small property won't exactly help. Fuck. He'll walk along the edge to see if there is a patch of something buried or growing, something floral. Is it recognizable that he would remember it from his husband's alchemy or in general? )

[maleficum]

[With that roll, hard to say. But if he can find another way to break the line, it doesn't really matter too much.

And somewhere behind him, he might here a quiet burst of gunfire. Unclear who's shooting though.]

[praevaricatio]

( What if he grabs a branch and tries brushing the line away, element to element? He sweeps it along the edge to see if it budges.

Stop worrying him, narration. He's worried enough! (

[maleficum]

[It's slow and heavy. When the branch comes up against the line, it becomes harder and harder to budge, almost as though it senses the magic on the other end.

But if he pushes hard enough, a dent does form in the line.]

[praevaricatio]

( he gets an (8) to really push the branch and fight against the magic. jesus.

should that not do anything, what if he gets to his hands and knees and starts to dig at it, to dig under it. )

[maleficum]

[Well, he does make a little dent. But not enough to fully break the line.

He can try again if he wants.]

[praevaricatio]

( He hits an (8) again, but he pushes at the same point again. )

[maleficum]

[He's struggling. He's struggling so much. But he is still making progress!

You can do it, Ezra. The narration believes in you.]

[praevaricatio]

( maybe the third time's the charm, because the gunfire fuels his next big push (14) )

[maleficum]

[It is! As the stick drags through the ash, the line breaks and Ezra will be able to feel the surge of magic coming back to him again.]

[praevaricatio]

( And, presumably, his husband and Jaq. Stick in hand, he casts a quick accuracy spell, a blue ethereal light traveling around the stick and dissipating... )

Accur-ahte.

( he heads back to the house to the side door. is it broken into? )

[tearhiseyesout]

[It is not. The front door is the one that took most of the damage, and there's still scuffling a foot in the entryway, but as he makes his way through the house, he will be treated to a hunter with a snapped neck dropping into view from the entryway, followed by Jaqueline stepping into view.]

Took you long enough.

[praevaricatio]

They mixed something into the mountain ash. ( He calls out. ) Dave?

[maleficum]

[David steps out not long after, physically fine, aside from what will be a future black eye swelling on the right side of his face.]

They'll be sending reinforcements. We should not be here when they do.

["Go home then?" Jaqueline suggests, seemingly wanting to cocoon herself in the safety of the elders.]

[praevaricatio]

( He's by his husband's side in an instant, inspecting that future black eye, fingertips lightly touching around the outskirts of the forming bruise. )

That's not protocol.

[tearhiseyesout]

Fuck protocol.

[She turns a scowl back on Ezra.]

We're the heirs and David can open a door anywhere. We don't need protocols.

[praevaricatio]

This is exactly why there's a protocol.

( Despite what he thinks, what he really thinks, he believes Jacq is still embedded within their ranks. )

We don't know who else is out there and who else is being targeted. The nearest Colony outpost is in Maryland. There, we can get a safe idea of how many of us were targeted.

[maleficum]

Ezra's right. We don't know how far this goes. We should wait to go home until we find out.

[Jaqueline sets her jaw, before nodding. "Fine. I'll go pack my things. Oh wait, I don't have any." She moves past them to head towards the kitchen. "I hope you have some decent booze here."

David watches her go, before putting a finger to his lips and gesturing for Ezra to follow him.]

[praevaricatio]

We're witches from California and Upstate New York.

( What. They have a liquor cabinet most would be jealous of.

After saying that, he follows close behind David, stepping over the dropped stick. )

[maleficum]

[He eases back into the bedroom, closing the door behind him and then heading into the bathroom.]

If we're going to be stuck with her long term, we need to be prepared.

[What does prepared mean exactly? Well he's about to show you.]