everyonelives | as we pass through arrangements of shadows

We can't do that.

[Not just because it's the right thing to do. Julian is one of their people and they don't leave their people behind or in a bad place unless there's a body to go with it. Cutting their losses isn't something they do, even in opportunities where it could be safer.

But also because Julian's sister is terrifying.]

Kieran's on her way. I'm sure she'll take over when she gets here, but we can't hang him out to dry.

He hung himself out to dry. He refused our help, took out the earpiece and went rogue.

( And that's coming from someone who hates working with others. This group, Jackson got along with. This group, Jackson understood. Maybe Alexander grounded him like Ethan used to. Maybe this was growth.

Something occurs to Crash, their shapeshifter who prefers the majority of their time spent in one form, one of the other members. "What if that story he told over the comms wasn't a story."

Alice, their oldest witch (who looks eighteen) nods, because it makes sense. "Why else deviate from the script. Either he used a personal story to get in good with him and did, or--" )

He used a personal story and got taken in. He isn't the first and if that's true, then it's only a matter of days.

( Alexander knows Barnet's (the Baron's) mo: His offerings are too good to be true and always more trouble than their worth. He promises a solution where there isn’t one through balance. Rob Peter to pay Paul. Down on their luck supernaturals in Baltimore and neighboring states are giving up their power to solve an unsolvable problem. But, when one thing is given, the rest falls soon enough and there isn’t enough power to sustain the exchange resulting in tragedy.

The group proved that the link wasn't saving a loved one, but draining both subjects.

Barnet prayed on the deeply depressed, operating his "therapy group" Glimmer of Hope out of a meeting room in a hotel in Anne Arundel County.

Julian’s assignment was to go undercover as himself. He was given a fake backstory but deviated from it - the group thinking he was making it up on the spot. The group was impressed at first. Even if he went off script, this man was taken in by his story.

But, by the time he went off comms and the group tried interfering, a locator spell sent them to the casino across the highway and there was no sign of Barnet, nor the Baron.

Shipp, a below the radar heretic (he likes it that way) and their equipment guy, sits, one leg up, shaking his head. "His story bummed me out..." )

Edited 2022-03-04 18:56 (UTC)

It should.

[Alexander isn't going to be breaking any confidences. Neither is his father, who glances through the door to his office at them before shutting the door, indicating that he's not weighing in one way or another. Not that Alexander blames him.

Dealing with the Connors line has always been a delicate endeavor. They knew what happened to Julian's father before they took him on. And what they heard on the comms is enough to put two and two together that their father wasn't the only one effected.

But that's not their business to share. At least not in a forum like this.]

Kieran's not that far out. Let's just reserve judgement until she gets here and we see what she needs.

[A door slams from somewhere else in the warehouse. Alexander waves a hand.]

That's probably her now.

( "Speaking as a species where judgment is never reserved, let's just get to have all our opinions, listen to what she has to say and go from there," Crash says, splaying his hands out as a way of saying, 'Hm?'.

"What she has to say? Her brother's missing and she's on the warpath," Alice points out.

"Because of that story," Shipp says.

"Yes, we all heard the story, Shipp," Alice dismisses. )

What story is that?

[Kieran comes around the corner, eyebrow raised, waiting eagerly for any of them to give her an explanation. Because yes, she's on the warpath and yes she wants answers and she's ready to tell you all to go fuck yourselves if you're about to judge her.]

Because I would very much like to know why some asshole is answering my brother's phone. Anyone care to share?

[Alexander sighs, before making the introductions. "Everyone, Kieran Connors. Kieran Connors, everyone."]

( Kol, for the record, is close behind but letting his girlfriend run the show. Likewise, Scott and Davina, though Scott is a foot away from the both of them. He is here for help, not to judge.

"What asshole?" Alice asks, turning toward her, assessing.

Jackson doesn't straighten up, or show her any respect, just braces himself for her rage. )

[Yeah, don't think Alexander didn't notice Kol and Davina back there. Apparently when Kieran brings in backup, she swings for the fences.

Kieran turns her attention to Alice, and shrugs.]

He didn't give a name. Believe me, I tried to get it. Claims he was a mediator of some kind. A middleman.

( "Could be Sly," Crash says, looking at Alexander.

In their surveillance, Barnet had someone by his side at all times. The nicknamed him based off a face none of them would trust and his collection of stone pendants on his necklaces.

"I'd pull up a picture but these days putting a name to a face isn't so easy. You watch the Mask Singer? Wild," Shipp says, offering his brand of help. )

Edited 2022-03-06 05:21 (UTC)

Wouldn't have helped. I've never seen his face.

[They weren't FaceTiming, it was just a phone call. But she already likes the cut of your jib, Shipp. Too bad she's too mad to get on his level.]

Who's Sly?

[Alexander sighs. "Sly is our name for the assumed right hand of Barnet Hallewell."

Kieran turns and stares at him for a long moment, her voice going far too even as she watches him.]

Someone want to tell me what my brother was doing anywhere near that snake oil salesman?

[She has a hunch, but she's trying not to panic about it.]

( The team looks around at each other, but Jackson doesn't, he just lets Alexander run the ship, because he's not going to win out and he has nothing nice to say.

A silent game of rock, paper, who looks last concludes as Alice steps up, always the one best at giving the bad news. She was a coroner in a different life. )

The Baron was selling his snake oil in Arundel County. He was the assignment. Your brother was our point person inside.

( Crash, not the compassionate one, still has a stake in the story, and knows what it's like for siblings to be in danger, despite how long it's been since he's seen any family members (that he knows of, let's be honest. It's tragic.

"And he cut off contact," he admits. )

[She turns to Alexander.]

And you let him?

["I didn't know," he admits softly. "He didn't tell anyone. Not until I heard him over the comms."

Kieran grits her teeth as she shakes her head.]

Not good enough.

["I can't fucking read minds, Kieran."]

No, but you could have asked! Because let me guess, he was a little overeager to take on the project? Really wanted to get in a room with this guy?

[She then looks to the rest of them.]

Am I wrong?

( While Jackson was not a fan, he can defend him in this. But he won't. He doesn't need his head bitten off, too. And Scott being behind her -- it effects him more than he expected. Choosing his alpha after having none for so long - it's different. He's submissive when it the same room as him, even if his presence just seems to be a formality.

Again, the room doesn't easily answer. Crash tries.

"Lady," he starts. "Kieran. You join up with us, you do what's put in front of you. Assignments and postings change. This group staying together as long as it has, that's efficiency and actually liking each other. Mostly. He didn't know what he was getting into until he was in it."

Alice contributes again.

"He wanted to help. And no, when this became his first contribution to an assignment, he... didn't light up. He volunteered, but he didn't insist."

Shipp agrees. "It wasn't until he spun that - it wasn't until he, like, spoke from the heart that any of us thought he had like an ulterior motive." Shipp's eyes settle on her as he finally sits up. He is a serious man, but his attention span leaves something to be desired, as does his casual nature. He isn't being casual. "It's you."

Crash, again, sympathizes. "We knew something had gone sideways, so we pulled the plug. By the time we busted in, they weren't there."

"We all do this for a reason, Kieran. Every decision is personal, but we didn't know how personal this was to him until it was too late. That, we can swear on." Alice and the team wouldn't let a team member that invested be that involved. They know each other too well - minus Jackson, which again has him rolling his eyes. Fitting in isn't becoming a full fledged member. But, the group is thawing. Flying accusations may not get her far, but humanizing anyone is the key for the Underground to take notice. )

[Kieran watches each of them as they talk, and for the most part they seem sincere (7). But at the same time, she can't bring herself to trust it. She glances over to Alexander, raising an eyebrow for his defense of what he did and didn't know.

Alexander doesn't respond one way or another, and she takes that for what it is. She sets her jaw, before turning to face the rest of the group.]

Just give me whatever information you have and I'll take care of it.

( He doesn't want their help? One less person Jackson can actively piss off.

Alice, however, fingers the file on the table below. "We lost Julian. And while he is our priority, the Baron is our target, so while some of us are choosing to stay hands off," Jackson, " You're not getting rid of us. All of us."

Alexander can decide how many of their group he'll send - and who if he'd like. Kieran does have her own soldiers awaiting their orders, but they won't be giving everything up without helping. They may not be exuding it, but they each have a piece of the guilt they're carrying over from losing her brother. )

[She manages to bite back the outburst that threatens to come, that she doesn't want any of their help. They lost him in the first place, and now they want to help?

Fuck that.

But this is where Jackson's non-participation is going to bite him in the ass, because she points to him with a shrug.]

Fine. I'll take that one.

( Jackson wakes up, finally, the silent dissenting voice in the room. He's been the most silent, tried to fade into the background. (He knows he's too attractive to really fade into the background.)

"I don't like or trust your brother," he says, really making his case. "You could have the two hundred year old witch, a shapeshifter or whatever Shipp is,"

"Geek squad before Best Buy made it uncool," Shipp says, keeping what he really is to himself.

"Him," Jackson continues. "I didn't say anything."

Could she sense him? )

[There's an eyebrow arch at that deflection from Shipp, before turning back to Jackson because now is not the time.]

You don't have to like or trust him. In fact, that's probably better because you won't fall for his bullshit.

[Kieran is very angry at her brother right now, can you tell? She eyes the file in Alice's hand, before meeting the eyes of the rest of them.]

It's you or it's no one because I don't owe you people shit.

( Jackson can't say no, not by the Underground's code. He lifts his chin, thinks better of saying something, and relents. )

Fine. I'll come.

Great.

[She holds out her hand for the folder, raising an eyebrow at Alice in return.]

The info, please.

( Alice presents it, then, before returning to her desk. Crash turns around at his and opens his laptop. Shipp just picks up a joint and lights the end. They're off duty, now.

Jackson gives Alexander a look before braving the expanse between them and joining her ranks. Scott tries smiling, Jackson pretend he doesn't see.

The folder has a minimal amount of information about his operation, Glimmer of Hope, including the printed front page of Hallewell's website. Persons of interest she doesn't recognize, their drivers' licenses and their addresses. Two attached death certificates. The casino he holds his groups in and the hotel it looked like he'd been staying in, despite here being no name under "Hallewell, Barnet, or Baron." )

What else do you want to know?

( Scott and company finally join her, Kol looking her shoulder at the folder.

"Where to," Scott asks. )

How much recon have you guys done on the casino?

[The fact that there isn't much information isn't disappointing, mostly because she figured if they had more information, she wouldn't have had to take over.

Then she glances over her shoulder at Kol:]

Ever run into a guy named Hallewell?

[Her boyfriend is old, occasionally he knows things.]

( "Several weeks. When he didn't hold his groups, he liked to gamble, liked his... hired help, and liked waffles."

The narration would like to point out that Barnet is squirrelly and old, but go on, judge them for not getting enough information.

Her boyfriend doesn't glean anything, however. (3). )

Sorry, darling. I like my witches less age appropriate.

( And prettier. Men or women, but, prettier. )

I could ask my siblings.

[She nods.]

Worth a shot.

[A beat.]

Elijah, specifically. I'm willing to bet that even if the Originals didn't care enough, Bela definitely has him on her radar.

[But that's item number one. She turns back to Jackson.]

Seems like he's good at putting on a show. How did you get Julian in?

( Kol hangs back then, getting his phone out and stepping aside. )

We staged a breakup in the diner next to Barnet's hotel. ( He liked his waffles. ) He befriended your brother, and when he invited him to group, something shifted. Your brother changed his story up completely when he shared. Caught us all off guard.

Let me guess. Did his tune change to something along the lines of "Someone I love is dying and I don't know how to save them?"

[Because she has a definite hunch.]

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