as we pass through arrangements of shadows

[shreds]

Comments

[transientem]

[Shakily she lowers herself down into the chair, looking a bit pained. She wants to be the most pathetic person in the room. She wants to make them feel threatened, and hopefully they'll be curious enough to come offer up some information.

Hopefully she's selling it (14).]

[illtempered]

( She oversells it a bit too much for Alan's liking (16), but she does keep his attention. Perhaps not for the best reason? Jackson may also give him a face for his efforts.

The people who are sitting look more like they're praying, than waiting. Almost like there might not be an actual meeting today. )

[transientem]

[She looks over that situation, eyes scanning the room as she tries to figure out what people are doing. Whoever the nearest cultist participant is, she turns to get their attention.]

Is he coming today?

[illtempered]

( Marjorie turns her head, barely shakes it.

"Maybe not. He does. He usually does," she listlessly answers. "There has been no sign of him or Michael. But, Phil usually coordinates?" She frowns. "It may be that he is the only one running things today." )

It's unusual for - ( what does this group call him? ) him not to be here?

( "Quite," she answers. )

[transientem]

[She makes a face before leaning back in her seat.]

My brother thought he might be able to help me. He seemed really excited about it.

[But they've clearly missed their window so puts on an uncertain face.]

I guess we'll just have to wait for the next one.

[illtempered]

Do you want to check on Scott and the others?

( Is this a dead end? Phil still seems pretty damn interested in Kieran's act. )

[transientem]

[Yep, she notices. She considers for a moment, before shaking her head.]

No, Julian said to wait. Let's just stay a little while longer.

[illtempered]

( Like he's following a script, Alan Parker finally approaches the 'ailing' witch, moving past her at first, to address the crowd.

"Thank you all for your patience. Tonight is a night for introspection, as the Baron has other business he is attending to. Feel free to use the room, to help each other, to listen. And if anyone has any thoughts, or questions or anything on their mind, they can come to me themselves. I'm the next best thing."

He concludes his little speech, remaining at the head of the long table. )

That felt direct.

[transientem]

I love directness.

[Really, if you want this to come at you, Alan, all the better for you. She puts on the uncertain face as she glances to Jackson with a nod, before summoning up some fragility to struggle across the room to Alan, doing her best to look small and unassuming.]

Hi. You're filling in for the Baron?

[illtempered]

( 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. )

[transientem]

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?

[illtempered]

( 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."

[transientem]

[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.

[illtempered]

( "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. )

[transientem]

[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?

[illtempered]

( "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." )

[transientem]

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.]

[tramplemain]

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.

[transientem]

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?

[tramplemain]

It won't help, but it was across the street in that hotel. Between two of the rooms. Like I said, it's not cloaked, it's gone.

( And no, he doesn't know if Barnet is still in that building, or this one for that matter. )

I'm just the exploited. An alp that found gainful employment. Barnet is Icarus.

[transientem]

[She rolls her eyes because of course an alp wouldn't understand magic (15).]

Just because magic is gone doesn't mean it's gone. There are traces. Clues, even.

[But that's not the point. She tips her head to the side.]

What does a nightmare eater want with an asshole like Barnet?

[witchaffinity]

( "It's the new millennium. Even an Alp has to adapt. How can I consume the nightmares of the insomniatic? People who'd rather stay up all night and party and then pass out into a dreamless sleep only to wake up on Monday, work late, pop their Adderalls...

Hopelessness is a new currency, kid. And Barnet has been dealing in it longer than me. He just needed a conduit. He said it wasn't hard to adjust everything, but I'm not the whackjob witch."

Wherever her phone happens to be, her phone rings with Kol's picture lighting up on the screen. )

[transientem]

[She looks down at the phone in her hand, before looking back up at him again.]

I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere.

[Then she steps away to get out of his earshot, but staying within Jackson's. Then, she takes a breath and answers the phone.]

Yeah?

[witchaffinity]

( Jackson sits like a bodyguard, watching for a sudden move.

Kol - well, he does what a vampire does when they don't breathe. Words don't come. )

What does your brother look like?

[transientem]

[She doesn't respond at first, not wanting to ask the question that first comes to mind because Kol found something. He obviously found something if he's calling asking for a description of her brother.

So since she can't say anything without opening the deluge of demanding answers she just goes into her phone, pulling out the most recent picture of the two of them. Probably from the last time they saw each other.]