the ground could open, he could still say please

[slavophile]

Comments

[moralitypolice]

( Very her dad of you, David. )

Why wouldn't they be? I need to get to Danny. They really don't know he's alive?

[maleficum]

I didn't get the impression they were that fond of me last we talked.

[Look, none of them should trust him. That's just the fact of the matter. He's not a trustworthy guy, by his own estimation. But he does his best to keep his word.]

Trust me, if they thought he was any kind of threat to this, I would received very different instructions. But I can take you to him. If I pull you through a door, is your pup back there going to get snippy?

[Bonnie will see Isaac dramatically rolling his eyes because yes he heard that.]

[moralitypolice]

Isaac.

( She's not fighting his battle for him, but that's uncalled for. She's inviting him to their party now, because it's bad form to leave your tail behind.

Okay, that one wasn't on purpose. )

[maleficum]

[Isaac nods as he makes his way closer sliding in next to David. "Hi."]

Hi. So where are we going?

[moralitypolice]

Give me a second?

( She scrolls through her contacts and finds Danny Bennett, dialing his number. )

[undermyfeet]

[Bonnie's face appears on his phone and he picks it up quick. He's on his lunch break, so he doesn't have to worry about getting in trouble.]

Hey, Bonnie. Everything okay?

[moralitypolice]

( She doesn't know what to say. She wants to find out where he is quickly while also tipping him off that she's not alone so her 'Yeah' comes attached to a (2). )

Yeah. Where are you right now?

[undermyfeet]

[Something is off (7). He doesn't know what it is, but something isn't right and he straightens a bit, glancing around.]

A bench, not far from work. Why?

[moralitypolice]

Where is work?

( She glances at Isaac and David. )

I'm with Isaac and my friend.

[undermyfeet]

[Oh, well if her friend is involved, then that explains a lot.]

Twenty-fourth and first. I'll send you a pin.

[And a few seconds later, she gets a pin of his exact location.]

[moralitypolice]

And a picture of a doorway in front of you. Thanks.

( She hangs up, waits, and shows David a picture of the storefront that Danny sends. )

[maleficum]

[Danny snaps the door of the restaurant he went to for lunch and and when it arrives David nods.]

Got it.

[He moves to a nearby building door and opens it, revealing the New York City street on the other side.]

After you.

[moralitypolice]

( Bonnie steps through first, knowing Isaac will flank them as they suddenly get bathed in the New York sunlight. The group comes together.

Bonnie attempts a spell (3 with a +2 but basically? nat 1) )

Obscurus sonus.

( She waves her hand and instead of obscuring their conversation from everyone else, she obscures their conversation with each other. )

Annyday , ouyay ememberray avidday andyay isaacyay. Isyay erethay omewheresay eway ancay ogay?

( She furrows her brow looking at David. )

Idday ouyay understandyay emay ?

[maleficum]

[David's brow furrows, and he snaps his fingers, dispelling the spell attempt (15) before frowning.]

Not that I'm not fluent in pig Latin but ... what?

[Isaac doesn't say anything but he does know her magic's been frustrating her as of late and she should probably bring it up to another witch.]

[moralitypolice]

( She wanted to keep it from Danny, too. )

When you and the girls gave me back my magic, it - it hasn't been the same. I've been without it before, even weaker and unpredictable but not like this. It's like I have no control over my targets. Channelling Freya Mikaelson helped - but I can't forever. I keep thinking the effects are going to wear off.

[maleficum]

Huh.

[He eyes for a moment, before waving a hand as he turns to Danny.]

Well, one problem at a time. Hey, kid.

["You only show up when things are about to go wrong. What's on fire now?"]

[moralitypolice]

Danny, you've been laying low? Using my last name? Everyone in the Knightsbridge coven, they think you're dead?

( He's right. One problem at a time. )

[maleficum]

[He shakes his head because: "I mean, the coven knew, but I think Eliza convinced them to put the memory away, for now." He glances between the two of them. "What happened?"

David runs a hand over his face.]

Do you know what the Gauntlet is?

[Danny's eyes widen, big as saucers. "You're serious?" David nods. "What does that have to do with me?"]

The Gauntlet is for your birthright.

[moralitypolice]

Because Maura, Sierra, the witch in Prague, she didn't find the spell, Danny. She was trying to claim it. She's an heir. Like David.

( Old witch families, including ones of European origins would learn about the Gauntlet, wouldn't they? As their, break glass in case of emergency? Or, would it be shelved as something the older generation would hope never happens again. Or are they waiting for it to come around again. )

[undermyfeet]

[It takes a moment for all of that to settle on Danny, and the dreadful realization of what Bonnie is trying to explain to him.]

She's the Colony?

[David nods and Danny buries his face in his hands as his heart rate starts to increase. Isaac's face looks concerned, stepping closer to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.]

I gave her my name.

[moralitypolice]

Oh, Danny.

( She turns to David. )

But Sierra, you said they're looking for her, which means they haven't found her. So, only she knows. They want to bring her in from the cold?

[maleficum]

To put her into the Gauntlet, yes. She's an heir so they can't start the game until she's been informed, officially.

[But it worries him that Sierra knows Danny is alive. That she won't find some way to use it to leverage the situation in her favor. But this isn't the point, none of this is the point.]

But again. One problem at a time. What we need to know - and not right now, you should think about it - is what you want. Because if you are going to take your place as the leader of the Knightsbridge coven, you have one solstice to do it. But it will put a bigger target on your back and it will make your life a lot harder. You can let this go, fade into the background, and just keep living the life you're living, that's fine. But it'll make it a lot harder to get that birthright back if you change your mind.

["And what if I take it now, it'll save you?"

David shakes his head.]

Don't make it about me. I don't care if you save me or not. I just want you to make sure you know what your options are.

[He then steps back, and looks to Bonnie.]

I'm going to go get a coffee. Let me know when you're ready to go.

[moralitypolice]

( Bonnie nods and asks Isaac to give them a minute. Taking a seat next to him, she is ready to listen, to answer any question he asks, or to counsel him. )

I know this is a lot.

[undermyfeet]

Everything in the last six months has been a lot.

[It's hard to believe that it's only been six months since his parents died. It hasn't even been a year, and he's already needing to consider if he's ready to step in for a witch war or let it go forever. He had hoped he would have more time.]

What do you think I should do?

[He's not asking because he wants her to tell him what to do. He's asking because she's been through these kind of decisions before. Maybe she can frame it for him in a way that makes the choice easier.]

[moralitypolice]

( Danny is right, it has been rough. Bonnie felt pain like Danny's when she was younger, for weeks on end in different ways, losing her family members and her ex boyfriend, dying - and that's still not everything she experienced. )

I think that you will never be ready to make this decision. There will never be a perfect time. I think you know what you want to do and I think you know what you can handle. He's not wrong, it will change your life. You will be carrying your coven's power source - you will make yourself a target. But, you will also have the power to defend yourself, to cloak yourself - you can live your life. But, it won't be like this - and you will have to think about what is best for your coven, what that looks like and where you go from here.

( Bonnie won't counsel him in only one direction, she has been on either side. )

I've made the wrong choice before. I've taken power the wrong way. I abused my power and pissed off my entire lineage. I stood back and lied about something I said I did because of my own prejudices. But I wouldn't take any of it back, we wouldn't be here. What are you scared of, Danny?