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

Pissing off everyone right in a row at the start of the day. Let's do it.

( A perfect plan! And 'just going head down to see Alice and eventually wake Alexander's dad' is a better alternative than staring at his ceiling for the next however long. )

[Alexander raises his eyebrows back at him.]

Do you want to be caught with your pants down when a witch war starts and not know the hows and whys? Because personally I would rather be prepared.

( His hands come up. )

I surrender, Allan. Let's get ahead of Witch Wars. After you.

( Jackson just thinks he's stoned all the time, which in some cases sounds like a pretty innocent life. That Shipp rarely says Alexander's name right... well, everyone has their disarming or annoying attributes. )

[Alexander is used to it at this point, and Shipp's always been, well. Shipp. He doesn't blink at being called Allan and continues heading towards Alice.]

Are you sure there was no sign of Hallewell?

[That's to Jackson.]

We doubled back that night, he didn't check out, but he wasn't there either.

( According to the hotel anyway. )

His connection to Julian broke so something happened.

Hallewell had ties to a lot of dangerous covens. He'd been around a long time - I don't know how you could break a tether like that without killing him, but if his body hasn't turned up ... I don't know.

[It's a puzzle. A puzzle he intends to keep poking at as he knocks on Alice's door.]

There's a lot you can do to a witch besides kill them.

( Being in his own witchness protection taught him that. That, and his psychotic brother.

Alice answers pretty quickly. She is the calmer member of the Underground, one of the oldest despite her young looks, and a witch that doesn't need rest like most do.

"Good morning." She notices it's not just Alexander. "everyone. "

She lets them into her room. She has the largest in the compound. It is very much her Moroccan paradise with Spanish flair. Her tastes are as worldly as she is ancient. Well, comparatively ancient. And with a (19), she is much more privy to everything than Shipp would ever be.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to discuss - the Gauntlet?" she asks, taking a stab. )

[Alexander's eyebrows go up as he hears that word.]

Maybe?

[He points back at Jackson.]

They didn't find Hallewell, but they did find one of his lackeys and he was ranting about an upcoming witch war.

Like chocolate through the ages, witch wars come in different sizes and flavors. The heirs are being gathered and informed. Barnet Hallewell's 'Sly' mentioned the oncoming 'witch' war.

( That sounds like the Gauntlet. Alice has lived long enough to stop believing in coincidences. )

The Gauntlet, ultimately, is a championship about power. It is to the death for the heirs and anyone else involved. Power isn't finite. The Gauntlet centers around one bastion of power, in this case, the power intended for the Knightsbridge heir. But, innate magic, it can be taken. If this is a true witch war, any witch of any caliber could be in danger. The higher the profile, the more they could be in danger.

( With how the Underground operates, they are less so. )

With the Knightsbridge heir apparent and her family decimated in London, a power grab is assuredly in the works.

... Shit.

[He doesn't know enough about London to know how true that is, but it certainly doesn't sound good. He also doesn't know enough about druids to know about how their power cache works.]

Things are about to get really messy.

( "If what Sly says is true," Shipp points out.

"What does it mean, the heirs," Jackson asks. "Who are the heirs." )

In most covens, there are heirs apparent. Heirs to the source of their coven's power. Davina Claire being the Regent, she is an heir. The three other previously alive Harvest girls, back when such atrocities were committed in the name of the ancestors were heirs. When the elders pass, magic passes with them.

Knightsbridge were druids. Don't write anything down. They share all of their power through word of mouth and traditions. The fact that they were attacked at all was already a terrible loss in terms of magic, but if an heir doesn't ascend and they lose access to the ancient well of magic that they draw from, they can lose even more.

[Which would be a really terrible shame, honestly.]

Never mind the fact that a Gauntlet means a lot of collateral damage.

( "Not just them. Their coven. The delicate balance witches feel every day. Witches like Hallewell upset that balance, which is likely why he was taken off the board," Alice says, figuring. )

It's not easy. ( Jackson and Alice look to Shipp, then who's made himself comfortable in her hanging chair. ) Taking power from any witch. Unless they're a siphoner, it's not easy. Dead witch dies, their magic either goes to the next in line if they are spiritually wrapped in the false safehoods of their coven or it just goes. Nowhere. Everywhere. Spiritualists would argue where but point is, it's gone.

( Jackson listens, always tired of Shipp's airy commentary, but this time it comes with truth. With facts.

"So, not every single witch is on the line."

Shipp vapes and shrugs, inhaling, exhaling. )

Not saying that either. Big ritual affecting a whole coven, a group, something like that, still in danger. Kidnapped witch it will take time to drain. In danger. Average witch not adjacent who has lost their magic or sold their soul for it? Probably not in danger.

( "And what about the witch who sold their soul vying for that power," Jackson asks, looking back to Alice.

"Then that would indeed be a free-for-all Mr. Whittemore."

Widespread, unpredictable collateral damage of all kinds. )

I also wouldn't write off innocent humans getting caught in the crossfire. The real dangerous thing about the Gauntlet is that anyone can compete. Naming heirs isn't necessarily determined by blood.

[So people will be gathering their strength, and some people do that with human sacrifices.]

We need to get ahead of this, and see where the power centers are standing in the major cities.

( "Alexander is right," Alice agrees, crossing her arms. )

It's - also not just humans. Everything supernatural can be used as a conduit. Technicality? Everyone could be up for grabs. ( He holds a hand up. ) Literally.

All the more reason to get on our A-game and determine who we have where.

[Which means waking up his father. Probably better if he does it and not someone else.]

I'll go grab my dad - can you guys get everyone on hand up and get the coffee going?

Let's round up the troops.

( He's up and at 'em with a sigh as Jackson just shakes his head. Everyone lets themselves out as they gather everyone into the main room of the warehouse.

Alice makes everyone coffee and tea and lets them have their pick as she and the others wait for the eldest Abernathy to join them. )

[After a quiet conversation out of the rest of the group's earshot, Alexander and David eventually descend from the rafters. David takes a cup of coffee from Alice with a smile and a nod for a thank you.

"Good morning." He moves to the center of the room, because as much as Alexander runs the little things, he is the guy in charge. He holds up a hand to indicate that folks should raise their hands. "How many are up to speed on the oncoming situation?"

Alexander raises his hand obediently, but that much was likely obvious.]

( That narration is saving the how and why our Underground team has come together individually for later.

By nature, the Underground was built to help, and for various reasons our heroes, antiheroes, and opportunists have all linked up and/or worked with them and/or are working with them, but suffice it to say, there's a grouping. Some were called from outside, others live on site.

For "my" side of things:

Alice (name pending), Angel, Chris, Gabriel, Jackson, Taylor, and Shipp are all accounted for.

Alice does not raise her hand. She stands beside Alexander, indicating her position. She is the oldest of their group, and one of the founders. They were Wonderland - something Alice quite liked, but as things tend to evolve over the course of history, with its' roots still in Wonderland, the Underground emerged, especially being so active in the past five years.

Angel, while familiar with certain Old World concepts, takes these assignments as teams as they come. He was never the best boss. He was ousted once and worked for the enemy once. He's better and more useful in this capacity. He's shed years of guilt and his soul is now a quilted pattern of shaded disappointments and triumphs and misunderstandings and everything else in gray. His soul is no longer in the precarious position it once was, not when his life is permanently more complicated. He has a son. And no 'true moment of happiness' can eclipse his very complicated relationship with his son.

Though in touch with his daughter, in Kansas they research later today, so he is not overtly familiar. If 'David' is talking about hunters, then yes, but he is up to speed on the play for the Knightsbridge's seed of power. Jaw steely, he unhooks a crossed arm and raises his hand.

Gabriel, the boy Friday, is out for himself, but has soft spots for the lost, being lost himself. He would never admit that part. Something splintered off from where he's from because as far as he can tell, the language with magic is so foreign to him. Gone are the fairborn, the blood witches, the years long vendetta. Thankfully, gone is Mercury, his Fagan, the woman he lived in debt for, for centuries. All he has on him is his book with his list of important names, one name he doesn't remember.

Nathan.

Being out for himself has not done him well here, and he finds he doesn't hate the tasks of the Underground or having a roof over his head. He misses the convenience of his kind of portals and the brutality of his kind of magic. Interestingly, his magic, his alchemy, it all works in this world, so he keeps his amnesia powder on him at all times. Old habits. He doesn't dare try and summon Mercury, or anyone for that matter.

And because he feels like he is playing for time here, he too is in the dark. But, he is a good listener when he wants to be.

Jackson is in the middle of it. Ever since he saved the supernatural orphans, met Alexander and linked back up with McCall. But, stuff it, he likes it, too. He will convince Alexander to upgrade their digs and be more artistically conscious. Maybe shopping. But, that's his superficial side and this war isn't about superficiality. He too raises his hand.

Taylor is the overachiever. She's the polyglot who has emotionally matured, thank you. Her overzealous energy is now pointed in the right direction. It's like letting go of Ryan Atwood on that train one last time opened her up to everything. Everything being her next lover opening her up to magic (SPN). The spiritual side of it, she got, and she assumed he was just one with nature, but then he could do things she wanted to do. And that fell apart because she fell too hard and apparently, if you're not taught right and you don't have your innate ability, you've sold your soul. And it's Taylor's mother who clearly sold her soul, not her.

Her lover was a 'mission'.

She was approached separately, given files and evidence and the last thing Taylor likes is being played.

So, she played her part, she helped. And then she kept what she knew. And she couldn't just leave it behind, not after everything. So, with Summer's blessing (Taylor kept it vague about discovering a new path, she's convinced Summer thinks she's a lesbian, it's fine, she tried that once), she knew she could do more good with them than without. But, she continued to research and practice with the right people including witches she trusts.

Meeting Sweets was kismet. She knows, she knows, she's trying to play everything cool now, but if she hadn't met Laurent, her lover, then she wouldn't have fallen into Wonderland and she wouldn't have met her Mad Hatter. (He's not fond of that nickname. She is very fond of his piano playing.)

But, despite this all and despite being the star student, she is in the dark.

Shipp makes extra effort to seem out of touch, intoxicated, high, or just barely paying attention. It's both a coping mechanism and survival for him because Geminis like him? They don't survive. It's not safe for him. Being the sole survivor of a family massacre (or so he believes), he's learned to bleed into his surroundings, sometimes literally. He pinches magical objects he can siphon from until they lose their power. And then he does it again.

*Only one of Emily's Underground characters knows he can siphon, her choice who, because he keeps it that quiet, but sometimes, he needs it on the fly

Sighing, Shipp, too, raises his hand. It's equal across, some know, some don't, some think they know.

Gabriel scans their rag tag group of helpers. )

Half and half, it seems.

Edited 2022-12-01 17:42 (UTC)

[Gloria has just gotten back from her time in Europe, resuming what she had originally been a part of before Monroe had made things complicated. She had been looking forward to working on a nice normal case. Maybe an easy relocation. Nothing too messy.

The way Abernathy is running this meeting, she's guessing it's not going to be quiet.

She slides into place next to Benny, a much taller werewolf who's trying to wake up with a cup of coffee and whispers.]

Seems like I got back just in time.

[Benny snorts, but his hand wasn't raised. He doesn't know what's going on anymore than the rest.

Crash also doesn't raise their hand, kicking the feet up on the table in front of them. They're mostly taking note of those who aren't there - Dolls, Sweets, Melissa, anyone currently out running a mission. "Should we be conferencing the rest in if this is going to be a big problem?"

Abernathy shakes his head. "I'll speak with them later. I don't want them to lose focus." They have jobs they're doing, and they need doing. "Let's go for round two: who here has heard of the Colony?"

Cordy doesn't raise her hand, but because she can't help herself: "Whoever they are, sounds like they need a better brand team."

Annie however, swears loudly: "You've got to be kidding me."

Abernathy glances over at her with a smirk. "At least one of us knows our history."]

Tunnel vision might not be the best approach.

( Angel comments, mostly for Cordelia's ears, but he understands that there is a task at hand and people to save within that task. He also hasn't heard of the Colony.

Alice puts a hand up this time, in solidarity.

Gabriel, still new to this world keeps his down but keeps an eye on everyone else. It sounds like a big player in this world's witch society.

Jackson rolls his eyes and keeps his hand up.

Taylor's hand shoots up. "Oh, I know this one!" You can't study witchcraft and not uncover something about different covens. Were the question further than 'knows,' she wouldn't, as she read in passing. They are not a coven that has a lot out there about them. They are very low key.

Shipp brings a hand up again, while trying to mask how personally he takes them (6), thanks to his family's curse, but his expression definitely gives something away. )

Who are the Colony?

Assholes.

[Leave it to Annie to get right to the point. She's not trying to take over Abernathy's briefing, but this is something that she knows well. She also doesn't miss the look on Shipp's face (20). (Neither does Alexander (16) or Crash (17). Cordy (3), Benny (5), and Gloria (5) are trying to keep up.)]

Old World coven exiled here when they became too messy for their druidic overlords. They came here and have been pulling the strings of power with their magic ever since.

[Abernathy nods. "They're calling for something called the Gauntlet, which is basically a blood bath for the shady coven throne. Which means we need to be ready in case things start going south."]

And they will.

( He could be speaking from experience, or he could just be using context clues like 'Old World coven' and 'messy' and 'pulling the strings of power'.

Angel is familiar enough with the Old World. He worked under the Old World for a time, and he worked for ancient senior partners for one year too many. The Acathla whisperer himself speaks up.

"The Old World has no qualms with violent, sacrificial or wasteful killing. But, they kill with purpose, usually in deference to a deity." Angel says.

"Angel's right," Taylor confirms. "Old World and boundaries aren't two terms that usually go together. If at all. I'm not saying they're all complete psychopaths..." )

But, they're all complete psychopaths.

( They aren't. ...They can be.

"There's old and there's psychopathic," Jackson says next. "I knew an old psycho. He wasn't old world."

Gabriel could comment. He draws a parallel from their old world to his world's old ways. The practices are violent and sacrificial.

"Are they heart-eaters?" he finally asks.

"More like heartbreakers?" Taylor asks. Is she right? It's also impossible not to wince at heart-eaters. )

They do not eat hearts. They will tear them out and stomp on them though. Some of them are so heartless they'll possess their own kids to get themselves more power.

[The Inner Circle doesn't fuck around.

Abernathy nods at Annie's assessment before continuing. "The Gauntlet is also trouble because it's not just a handful of witches. They open the top spots up to anyone who's willing to do what it takes to get them. Which means there will be a lot of witches looking to seize an opportunity."]

( "I was going to say heartstompers," Taylor says to whomever is sitting next to her. The poetry of it landed better than breakers. A person can survive a broken heart, but a stomped heart - they are not as resilient.

"Their own kids?" she asks. )

The power is too enticing.

( Everyone is collateral damage, even family. Shipp sits int he painful familiarity of this entire conversation. )

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