the ground could open, he could still say please

[slavophile]

Comments

[vampireboulevard]

Tell me about it. These Men of Letters guys were really good at reading the obituaries.

[Caroline pushes one of the journals into the middle of the table.]

This one is just pages of names of people who were killed in the process. It's like Ripper Stefan on steriods, and I'm not even sure they actually killed them.

[cholesterol]

Same. Except, I got names and their accusers, plus another name. Guessing their judge, jury, and pyre lighter.

( He tosses his book onto the pile.

"I found old Garfield comics in mine," Bobby says. "Arbuckle is a sorry patient sonuvabitch." )

[imnot_likeyou]

["Sounds better then what I've got. Seems like this guy was just tracking the weather." Elena did not find the right books.

Sam looks up from his own notes and sighs.]

So it seems like Knightsbridge's white hat persona came later, but we can't tell how real it is. From what I remember about the reports from London, it seems like they shut everyone in so that hunters and witches went out together, rather than allowing people to escape.

[Granted, it was at the hands of a distraught teenage girl, but that's neither here nor there.]

[matriarchate]

( "Sounds like they have a hat collection," Dean says.

Allison sits up straighter, recounting what she learned from Cooper once he joined their side. )

My contact said it was more like a summit. Isaac tried to broker peace between everyone. It was someone's hair trigger that initially caused everything. After that, witches and hunters were all trapped inside a set perimeter, which sounds more like it was done on the fly.

[notwitty]

Yes. By a grieving teenager who didn't entirely think it through.

[Oh look, Isaac and Bonnie are finally here.]

I'm not saying she made the right choice, but I can't say that I would have done anything different if my parents were good people and had just been murdered in front of me.

[Looks at the research party and frowns.]

Why are we talking about London?

[matriarchate]

( "Call it an overlap," Dean says, sitting back. )

It came up.

( "You've missed a lot," Katherine says, rather unhelpfully. "There's a Gauntlet. Also, Elena's a weather forecaster and the old guy likes Garfield."

"I found Garfield. Whoever looked at this last liked the funny's." Bobby says.

"We know," Bonnie says. "About the Gauntlet. How do you know about the Gauntlet?" She sets her bag down on the table after approaching. )

[vampireboulevard]

That's what the weird eighties lady said. Apparently, Mary learned about some of the details from her old family journals.

[She looks up with one of those charming Caroline Forbes smiles.]

It's bad. Like Spanish Inquisition bad. Is that what David wanted to talk to you about?

[moralitypolice]

( She nods.

She sits beside Caroline while Ryan moves behind Caroline, peering over at the book she'd been reading. )

That's it. It hasn't been thrown yet, they need to inform all the heirs and Sierra is missing. Sierra, from Prague and New Orleans. She made the first attempt at the Knightsbridge store.

( Dot connecting with Bonnie Bennett. )

They think Danny and his entire family are dead so we have that to our advantage. But, he has to make a choice. Make a play for his own coven's magic and put a target on his back, or leave it behind completely and we ... come up with something else. He's taking the week.

( And talking it over with Lizzie. )

Did you learn anything else?

[vampireboulevard]

Well, we found out that the Knightsbridge coven spawned the Colony. Also that Knightsbridge may not be as white hat as they claim to be and they gave as good as they got when it came to the last Gauntlet.

[She makes a face.]

And that these Men of Letters guys really kept track of dead people. But! We had a thought that maybe there might be something in the Bennett grimmoires? Because it wasn't just the Inquisition, they think that the Salem witch trials were part of it too.

[moralitypolice]

( No coven is as innocent as they seem. Being a witch is more than blessing the moon. Bonnie learned that early. If witches aren't brought into supernatural business, they're brought into each other's. Or manipulated. Or, defending themselves. )

I don't know. Most of what is in the Grimoire is magic-related, but there are records if you think there's something we could learn from it. Is the list down?

( "List's down according to VampBI," Dean says. He's not trying to start something. "Coast should be safe to go there and come back," he says. But they're not there, so he doesn't know. He wouldn't recommend staying. )

[vampireboulevard]

I have to check in with Stiles in person anyway. And maybe the Armory has something on the Colony? We could swing through and see Tyler and Liv.

[It's a very important fact-finding mission.]

We can wait a couple days just be sure.

[Dean may not be trying to start something, but Lydia can already feel her patience waning. "Can I come with? I feel like I might be more useful out of the bunker." A beat. "Also, what's the Armory?"]

[matriarchate]

( "It's the Men of Letters," Ryan says, familiar with it after being around for months.

"He's right. They keep records like this, they house artifacts, they track the supernatural. Just - less patriarchal." Is she sending that in the Winchesters' direction? Maybe. She gives an indication to Lydia that of course she can come.

"There's no 'Women Keep Out' sign," Dean say. "Mom was in the Men of Letters." Granted, she was isolated and brainwashed for her efforts, but that is irrelevant to this conversation. )

Checking The Armory and the Bennett grimoire sounds like a good next step.

( Allison interrupts, holding the proceedings together. "Lydia should go with you." She sees you, sister. If only because she is also a supernatural Geiger counter, so she will be able to alert the group to prevent another -- well, prevent any of the other attacks. In theory. Allison wishes she could go, too, but Sam is staying and she is higher profile than some of them. Dean is a pill, but he is Sam's brother. Making an effort is what she's always done since high school. She also has work to do. )

In the meantime, I'll give it a few days and make contact with David.

( They all need to work together on this. )

[notwitty]

Be careful, with David.

[Isaac points out only because he knows that Allison still owes him a favor, at least to Isaac's knowledge.]

I know you gave him rules but the playing field has changed. A lot.

[David may be looking out for a kid, but Allison is a full grown power player in her own right, and he might not be as courteous.

Sam blinks, before looking over at Allison. "What's he talking about?"]

[matriarchate]

( Thank you, Isaac. )

David got us to New Orleans. I needed to be there.

( There's more, her look says. )

It wasn't a favor and he might want to collect. I can handle him.

[notwitty]

Are you sure?

[Do you want me to stay? is what underlines the question, because as much as he's growing to care about Bonnie, Allison always comes first. At least, at the current place they are in their relationship.

Maybe that will change, and his feelings will balance out their history, but for now, he trusts that Bonnie's in safe hands with Caroline. They almost lost Allison twice now. He's not going to let it happen again.]

[matriarchate]

Isaac. I'm sure. Go with Bonnie and Lydia and Caroline.

( She and Sam should have a conversation, anyway. )

He's in the middle of this, which means we are, too.

( Sort of by proxy, but that is their lives, isn't it? )

[notwitty]

[Isaac nods, before looking over at Sam. There are a number of threats that sit on his tongue, but he knows that there's only so much people can do. So he swallows it down and nods.]

Okay. We'll see what we can find out in Mystic Falls.

[It is their lives, but he doesn't like that Allison is the one taking the hits. Even if it's a position she put herself in.]

[matriarchate]

Can Sam and I have the room?

( They should talk away from the others. She wasn't keeping this from him, but everything happened so quickly. She was 'dead' and then she was on-the-run. )

[imnot_likeyou]

["Of course." And Elena will take Dean's arm and pull him away from the table, giving the two of them a chance to talk. Slowly the various couples will filter off, leaving Allison and Sam alone in the library.

He leans back against his chair, just wanting to get the important information up front:]

Tell me about this deal.

[matriarchate]

I owe him. He opened a door to New Orleans and he said he wasn't a taxi service. I don't know what he's going to need, or why, but I told him I wouldn't kill for him.

( She also said she wouldn't sleep with him, but she has since learned he does not swing her way so that can be left out of the explanation. )

I've owed more.

[imnot_likeyou]

[He nods slowly, because at least she set terms. That's good.]

Has he reached out to you about anything since?

[matriarchate]

Not yet. I assume if I make contact again, it's only a matter of time before he comes to collect.

( And she wants him to collect sooner rather than later. )

I wasn't trying to keep it from you.

[imnot_likeyou]

I didn't think you were.

[Would he have liked to have known? Yes. But things have been crazy since she left Mystic Falls, so it would make sense that there are higher priorities.]

My family just has a long history of bad deals, though this doesn't seem like it was one.

[He hasn't met David, so he can't say for sure, but she set the terms she could live with, so that's something.]

Isaac's just worried about you. Which, given the last few days, I can't say I blame him there either.

[matriarchate]

You don't have to be worried about me.

( Neither of you do, she wants to say, but she's not lumping in Sam with Isaac. Isaac and her were a long time ago. That respect never wavered, even after Isaac moved away. It had been her most amicable break-up. )

Would it make you feel better to come with me?

[imnot_likeyou]

[Sorry, Allison, you're dating Sam "My Love Interest Doesn't Usually Make it Out of the Season Unless They're Evil" Winchester. He's going to worry about you whether you want him to or not. But he's usually pretty good at keeping that to himself.

But he will point out, in Isaac's defense:]

You just almost died.

[But he'll leave it at that, and not push further.]

Yes, it would make me feel better to go with you. I'd like to get some sense of this guy myself. But before we go, let me talk to Rowena. See what she knows about the Colony and how they operate.