as we pass through arrangements of shadows

[shreds]

Comments

[regentem]

[Her head tips to the side as she considers his words, but when the pieces settle into place, her eyes widen (19).

She's heard stories over the years, from different magic users who had visited the Quarter, from Kol, and from other creatures as more and more of the things hidden by Malivore began being leaked into the world. The truth of them all has been taken with a grain of salt, unclear if the magic itself is something of legend or actually real. But seeing it in action has her peering at him curiously, almost as though she's looking for the metaphysical ropes that bind his tongue.]

They put a geas on you, didn't they?

[tramplemain]

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.

[regentem]

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.

[tramplemain]

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?

[regentem]

[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.]

[tramplemain]

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. )

[regentem]

[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.

[tramplemain]

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.

[regentem]

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?

[tramplemain]

( 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. )

[regentem]

[Yep, that's super questionable. She doesn't like it. But she will take a breath to try and see what magic she can sense as they approach (16).]

[tramplemain]

( A whole lotta love magic. Too much for any one person or one location. Something dramatic has gone down and it originates in the back. But, Davina has the keys. As she approaches, H. will take a seat on the side, under one of the doors. Maybe he has been drinking a little too much. Maybe he's playing the part!

If she opens the back two doors, Julia is laying there, catatonic.

She can intimate that H took it upon himself to drive Julian away. Or, he was doing what he was told. Either way, he now has Julian and he didn't say it. )

[regentem]

[She looks back at the body, then over at H, and then back to the catatonic form again. Given that H walked her to this willingly, she can't say for sure that this isn't a trap. But she does say:]

Kol.

[It's quiet, and just the one word, but he's the one who can get here the fastest and might be able to help her assess what's wrong (19).]

[witchaffinity]

( Both Kol (15) and Scott (12) hear it, but Kol leaves Scott behind as he speeds forward. )

That's - ( Between the pounding of his own heart, and Davina's, and crossing traffic he barely makes out a heartbeat. But he does. ) He's alive.

( 'Barely,' he keeps to himself.

Scott arrives seconds later, moving at his werewolf speed.

"No,". )

He's not dead.

[regentem]

He's catatonic.

[She frowns as she slowly starts to get up on the bed of the van, reaching over to see what she can find out if she tries to touch him.]

Conduit spells are dangerous. I wouldn't put it past Barnet it just break it with no regard for who he's attached to.

[witchaffinity]

( Give Kol a minute, he has a call to make, but Scott approaches the truck bed, not trying to get too close.

"So, he's connected to Barnet?" )

[regentem]

He was.

[She glances back to Scott.]

Conduits are generally a one way street. The spell takes something from one person and gives it to another. But you can negotiate for things in the real world. Like ... maybe helping heal your sister with a terminal illness?

[commend]

Unless the person offering help is a charlatan.

( Scott has learned words! )

He deviated because he thought he saw a way out. He did it for Kieran.

[regentem]

Yeah. And now he's in bad shape.

[She glances over to Kol when she sees him hang up the phone.]

Is it him?

[commend]

( "It's him," he confirms again, approaching the van.

"What are the chances I can give my girlfriend good news?" he asks, climbing in with her. )

You're right, his heart's beating. It's faint. But he's in there. And he smells alive.

( H. continues to rest, head back. )

[regentem]

Breaking a conduit bond before the exchange is complete is always dangerous but this was ... clean.

[She tips her head to the side, an idea occurring to her as she tries to follow the flow of the magic (18). Odds that Barnet would cut and run like this is small. Not without his prize. A witch like that, centuries old would not just snap the bond with no reason.]

Almost like someone ran a knife through it. Metaphorically speaking.

[witchaffinity]

Snapping a bond so embedded, on a whim, would drive someone into catatonia, had he not already been. Without the tether there should be a wild amount of magic inside him, and with no grounding point.

( He frowns. )

And we don't know what the connection was intended for, even the lie.

[regentem]

We don't.

[She tips her head around to look at H.]

Is that one of the things you can talk about?

[witchaffinity]

( Oh, is he back in this? He sighs, bringing his hands up.

"Connections are based on deals made, either on something wanted, or someone suffering. Some of the time, the deal made turns on the caster. All of the time, the deal is more than skin deep. His deal wasn't just too good to be true. It was fatal. Even if it could be pulled off, it was him or her."

But, Barnet had a taste of the well and instead of keeping his end, he took advantage. )

[regentem]

So Barnet must have wanted the deal to be called off for some reason.

[She drums her fingers against her leg as she spots Kieran coming out of the casino.]

Because as far as I'm aware, she hasn't seen any noticeable benefits?

[But that's more of a question in Kol's direction.]