everyonelives | the ground could open, he could still say please

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. )

[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.

( 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 ?

Edited 2022-11-11 04:46 (UTC)

[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.]

( 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.

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?"]

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. )

[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.

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. )

[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.

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?

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.

( 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.

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.]

( 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?

[He's scared of dying. He's scared of fucking up, and not living up to his father's example. Not being the leader that his people need. He's scared of this war and what it means for things moving forward.]

The last Gauntlet was the Spanish Inquisition. The Salem Witch trials. So many people died. And from what David said, this is going to happen whether I take the power or not. So what if I take it and then I get killed, and it doesn't matter?

( She takes his hand. )

It does matter. It always matters. And if you think I would stand by and let you be killed? Hunted? You're going to have a target on your back - this will speed up how fast it's raised but it won't change what's still true. You are not helpless and you will be powerful, Danny. But, I will be right here, no matter what you decide.

[He nods, drumming his fingers against the bench as he tries to come up with an answer that he doesn't have. Not yet. But it's not just him it's impacting.]

Solstice is in two weeks. Can you just ... give me a week to think about it? I have to talk to some people.

[Lizzie being the big one but also maybe Eliza and some friends from back home.]

Take the time you need. I know it's a big choice, I know it screws everything else up and I wish I could tell you that the gods don't laugh when we plan because they do. But, then we change our plan. And we go from there. So, here is where we go from there. Okay?

( Leaning in, she gives him a big hug. )

Isaac and I are staying with the Winchesters in Kansas. Do you want me to stay in New York?

[He shakes his head.]

Nah, you don't have to.

[Not because he wants to be alone necessarily, but more:]

Apparently, Lizzie's roommate's dad is married to Hope's aunt. Also, her mother is a demon hunter and she brought an armory to school, so worst comes to worst, I have options.

[But hopefully the worst won't happen.]

That's quite the coincidence. You trust her?

( It's Bonnie Bennett. Her suspicion runs deep. )

Alice?

[Danny nods. That his intuition is worth anything, he did give a Colony heir his full name, but as much as he knows about Alice, he thinks she's well-meaning and nice enough.]

Yeah, she's cool. She and Lizzie get on well, and she seems pretty sincere.

Okay. Keep that arsenal close. Her mother's a demon hunter? Like Sam and Dean?

( College is something else again. Is everyone in Mystic Falls' orbit doomed to have crazy college experiences? )

Uh, no.

[A beat.]

Well, not not like them? Given the fact that they tend to attract apocalypses like they're end of the world magnets, but her mom is the Earp Heir.

You too? What is there a book written on them?

( Actually, Bonnie, a series. )

I don't know what an Earp heir is but I guess heir is the word of the day. Okay. Think it over. We have your back. Whatever you decide, if it's yes, then you won't be alone. We'll do it right and we'll do it quietly. If it's no, then you do not, I mean it Danny, blame yourself. You didn't create the Gauntlet.

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