everyonelives | as we pass through arrangements of shadows

( He fights against the strangulation, rasping out,

"She was. Your sis...ter."

He seems gleeful about this truth as his life leaves his body. )

[When he's gone, the anger fades, looking between the two women in concern. As much as she can handle herself as a hunter, she doesn't know what to do once the fight is over.

She looks down at the blood on her hands, her clothes, before turning back to them.]

What now?

We bury them.

( She speaks coldly, trying to rise above how violent everything got. )

With that list out there, we don't know what if any law enforcement we can trust.

[Elena nods, before stepping back towards the rooms.]

I'll go grab some sheets from the rooms. We can use them to wrap them.

[And it'll give her a second to compose herself. Because she's not going to make it to the car for that one (2). Elena may be a hardened doctor, but that doesn't mean the deaths don't still hurt.]

( While she's gone, Katherine and Natalie wait, an understanding moment of silence lingering between them. )

I'm sorry.

( "This wasn't you," Natalie says, already hardened again. )

[Eventually Elena returns after splashing some water on her face, two sheets in hand. She passes one off to the other two women for Phil while she heads back over to Nadia to gently wrap her up to take her away.

It's not a far drive to a isolated highway forest where they can bury them quickly. But once that's done, Katherine and Elena part ways with Natalie, and off they head towards the bunker.]

Nothing's been put on me. Think more mutuality. All involved.

( With nothing specific. But, he'd have to have agreed to it for there to be one on him. )

But, the sister called. Quite a mouth on that one.

She's the type who gets touchy when people mess with her things.

[Which she doesn't blame her. Davina would be the same.]

And she's not going to back down until she gets her brother back.

( With a savvy (17), Alan Parker knows what's coming, and, isn't surprised when family members come out of the woodwork. Usually, they are one and done with their victims, but an old stubborn witch got greedy. And he hasn't checked in all day.

"Kieran. Mr. Whittemore." He smiles like he wants to help them, but it just comes naturally to him. )

And I believe that siblings are their own people. I have five.

( He gets it. It's not like he's trying not to be helpful. Ask better questions. )

If I were on better terms with them, I'd probably do what she's doing. Are you acting as her proxy?

My brother said that he might be able to help us.

[She's not going to bother figuring out how he knows their names. That's not important at the moment.]

Are you sure there's no way we can talk to him?

( Jackson lets her take the lead.

"If he were talking to me, you'd be talking to him. But, he's decided he doesn't need me anymore." At least, he thinks so. "He has your brother."

[She shakes her head.]

More like a two-prong approach. She was also looking for you, I just happened to find you first.

[And Kieran clearly found something else as she hasn't made an effort to find them yet.]

[Well, we're playing those cards? That was almost too easy.]

Can I see Julian, then? If he has him, there must be something he wants.

Well, you found me.

( He spends too long a time sipping the rest of his drink, leaving it behind as he gets to his feet. )

But, unfortunately, I'm headed out. I'm tired from my day of not gambling. But, I have been drinking. So, I probably won't be driving any time, soon. I think I'll just go back to the van. And wait.

( For you. Follow him. He can't say anything, but he can get up and go. Please understand him. )

( "I don't know where he or your brother are. He cut me loose. But, what do I know, I'm just the conduit."

Not his friend, or even colleague, but used like everyone else was used. )

[She knows what a conduit means. Enough that she can catch the magic behind the meaning (16). When you're a bloodworker, conduit spells can be your bread and butter.

She also might have considered it for her own purposes but turned it down. If she's going to feed off of someone else's life, she might as well become a vampire. At least they're honest about it.]

Was my brother a conduit too?

[Davina picks up on what he's putting down well enough. She glances to Scott and Kol to make sure they understand the same, before nodding her agreement.]

If you want, we could give you a ride. Make sure you make it home safe and sound.

( "Only in name only. A real c -- o next Tuesday," he sighs, clearly resigned. "He was used, like me, like them all. Except, Barent tapped into something primal with your brother, something unending. A well of hopelessness he discovered. The average person he drains and leaves for dead? Won't sustain him, not like Julian can. He's carrying a lot underneath. Lying to himself enough that I got enough of a foothold and the Baron wedged his way in. And now he's in the wind and I get to be Alan Parker," he spits out, tsking.

"He isn't looking to drain your brother, but he drained the connection I have to him. Enough that alarm bells went off across the covens." )

I have to pick something up from my car, though. It's in the back. You should probably carry my keys. People get knocked for sleeping in the backseat, they'll knock me for just having them in my hand, you know?

( Davina and H are on the move, which Scott and Kol do notice, following from a safe distance, Kol zeroing in on the conversation the further away from the casino floor they get. )

I don't want to end up in jail.

And I wouldn't want that for you. It would be a poor end to everyone's day.

[And she will follow, trusting that the boys are following her. If he wants to hand off his keys she'll take them, but for the most part she just plays the role of following him out to his car to make sure he gets home safe.]

And people come here to have fun, right?

( He hands her the keys to the van (if it's his van, he's a very questionable individual. it is a nondescript white van, that's for sure.)

Kol and Scott wait for an indication they can get closer, but Kol does explain to Scott -- the confusing situation regarding Davina's politeness. )

So where is the Baron now? Do you really not know or are you just saying that to make everyone feel better?

[Hard to say when covens are involved. She doesn't want to talk about her brother's hopelessness at the moment. She just wants him back, and she will do whatever it takes to get there.]

If this is you feeling better, then I really do worry for your brother.

( But, maybe that's not the energy he should be expending. )

Look, I don't know. His liminal space is gone and so is he, but so is your brother. And since he broke my link to him and everyone else, I can't tell you. The guy's got hundreds of years on you when it comes to staying out of dodge. If he doesn't want to be found, he won't be. That goes triple for your brother, the mealticket.

Liminal space ...

[That unfortunately is not in her area of expertise. She knows that there are rules, but hell if she knows them. She's never been powerful enough to cast him. But maybe there might be a clue.]

Do you know where his liminal space used to be?

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