coming at you fast, midnight

[cosmiccon]

Comments

[fifthbase]

( Rowena has always liked her dramatic entrances. Even better when they're not from where people expect. To Elena, it may be the door to the floor below leading to the panic room, to Rowena, it's just a door. This isn't David Gainor magic. She didn't make a door where there wasn't a door. She just -- overshot her entrance a bit.

She brushes off the dust she was unable to dodge as the door closes behind her. She gives the bunker a once-over. )

Did you do any renovations, Samuel?

( Maybe she's rusty. No. It's probably the Men of Letters' warding. She's lucky she didn't end up in some hidden pool room somewhere. With an actual pool. She'd nay be surprised.

Her eyes settle on a doppleganger. )

Well, hello there. ( A (5) gives her the barest of bare recognition. Why should she recognize you? No matter, she sweeps the room, turning back with a flourish. ) I see things haven't gone tits up just yet.

[imnot_likeyou]

Not that I'm aware of.

[They actually haven't been there much. Maybe you are just rusty, Rowena. He also shakes his head at her remark that the Winchesters may resemble.]

Thanks for coming. Elena, Rowena MacLeoud.

[For some reason, Elena actually knows that name (17). "Wait, I've heard of you. Bonnie mentioned you once, I think."]

[fifthbase]

( Rowena finds these brackets to be rude and insolent. But, it is most likely the handiwork of the Men of Letters.

Unfortunately, recognition isn't quite reciprocated. (7) )

I'm mentionable. ( That saves it. ) Elena Gilbert. A pleasure. It's not often two people meeting have each perished a number of times. ( She wears it as a badge of honor. Then, to Sam: ) The Gauntlet, while thrown, has not begun just yet.

[imnot_likeyou]

[Elena blinks at that, because that's a way to introduce yourself, before she nods. "I'll ... go let Dean know she's here." That seems like the best option.

As Elena disappears, Sam nods.]

Yeah. According to Bonnie's friend, all the heirs have to be informed by the Inner Circle personally, and they're having trouble tracking one down.

[fifthbase]

( And Dean will come out in a few moments, hopefully with a girlfriend on her arm because Rowena really does need to be seen to be believed. )

Sierra Harper, a willful woman. She disappeared months ago, dropping right off the radar under her family's nose. Quite the calculated move on her part. The question remains is on what side does she fall.

( And why. )

The Gauntlet is not to be trifled with and it can involve anyone with even a twinge of magic in them.

( She doesn't see how Sierra Harper would want it thrown in the first place. )

[imnot_likeyou]

We've heard rumors she was involved with what happened to the Knightsbridge Coven. That she might have orchestrated it to put their power in play.

[There's no saying whether or not she actually anticipated her Gauntlet as part of her plans, but that much they do know.]

As far as we know, they still haven't found her yet. And yeah - the Campbell family records on the matter were ... graphic.

[fifthbase]

The good old days?

( Why be burned at the stake when you can accuse perfectly innocent humans of that which you practice. )

There are only two ways for the Gauntlet to end. End the lives of the circle that called it to fruition, or, win.

( And we know what's more common. )

It's likely Sierra wanted the power for herself. There was a great disturbance in Prague and still yet a greater power store in New Orleans. She upset the balance. And whomever called on the Gauntlet once more must feel it.

( Amateur. )

[imnot_likeyou]

Well, the harm's already done. Now we just have to figure out how to move forward.

[Which speaking of damage done:]

Have you ever run into a damnum essentia?

[fifthbase]

( And how to not be involved, but you're Sam Winchester, she knows that's not possible. )

Heard of it, I created it.

( Back in her days when she gathered all the power she could, before becoming the queen of Hell. )

[imnot_likeyou]

[Of course she did.]

I have a friend who was affected by one. She got her magic back, but she says it's been off since then - do you think you could help her?

[fifthbase]

The Damnum Essentia doesn't just strip a person of their magic, it reconfigures a person's very essence. Think of it like a loss of muscle memory. At one time you could ride your bike, but after, you will never ride it the same again. Or, ride it all.

( She frowns. ) Did your friend cross the Colony?

[imnot_likeyou]

Someone from the Colony gave one to Monroe's hunters who used it on her.

[But from what Bonnie said about the way her magic is behaving, losing her muscle memory makes sense. She has all the power back, but she's starting from scratch at learning to wield it.]

Is there anything they can do to get that muscle memory back?

[fifthbase]

Your witch friend will need to learn their magic from scratch. Her magical triggers are altered, like a chemical imbalance. Any further altering could backfire greatly, I'm afraid.

( She makes a face. )

You said a hunter wielded one?

[imnot_likeyou]

That's what they said, but I wasn't there.

[He gestures for her to follow him as they go in search of Bonnie and Isaac.]

It was in Prague, about three months ago.

[fifthbase]

Sierra Harper was in Prague, was she not?

( Weren't they just saying that?

She follows, recognizing Bonnie, but not Isaac, as they emerge from the room they shared, bags in hand.

Samuel, your friend is Bonnie Bennett?

[imnot_likeyou]

Yep.

[He's allowed to have fancy well known friends, Rowena. Don't be so surprised.]

Bonnie, Isaac, this is Rowena.

["Sup." Isaac doesn't know why he should care. You don't recognize him, he doesn't have to recognize you.]

[moralitypolice]

Rowena Maccleod.

( "A pleasure to finally meet you in person. Your grandmother was a dear frenemy." That's Rowena for you. "The werewolf could do well to smile more now and then," she adds, rudely, calling it like she sees it. )

Elena said you were offputting.

( "I just cut to the chase, darling. If that's a crime, then, well, I'll be returning to Hell at the end of this." She shrugs. "I can see your magic," she adds. "It's in you. It's jumbled up like a jigsaw puzzle left out in the rain, but you will return to form." )

When?

( "You're relearning new magical triggers. As most things, it takes time. I want to hear more about this hunter." )

[notwitty]

[Isaac flashes her a thin smile that is not a happy smile, before glancing to Sam for him to translate.

"The one who used the damnum essentia."

Ah. That one.]

The one who used it or the one he worked for?

[fifthbase]

Let's go with all of it. I didn't make a Damnum Essentia for a below-average worker bee to use it on one of a few innately powerful witches.

( Oh, did Bonnie not know about how much untapped power is in her Bennett line? It's a lot. )

[notwitty]

Well, I think David said that it was newly made so technically you didn't make it.

[The spell, yes, but the actual device know. Isaac is absolutely petty enough to point out all the technicalities.]

The hunters weren't anybody, but did you hear about everything that went down with Tamara Monroe?

[fifthbase]

( A point of contention as she sticks a finger up. )

I have never given that spell away. I have been outsourced, but not recently. I believe we have a copycat on our hands. If that's the case, I may be able to help you Bonnie yet.

( And then. )

Talk to me like I hadn't.

( As she hasn't. She doesn't like that that spell is out there. )

[notwitty]

Gerard Argent's heir apparent. Decided to go for a mass murder plan and militarized some of the disparate hunter groups to try and take out as many supernaturals as she could. She was behind large-scale attacks in London, Prague, Mystic Falls and New Orleans this year.

[He leans into the wall, as they might be having this conversation a while.]

She's dead now, but she did a lot of damage.

[fifthbase]

All these swirling coincidences.

( Which always mean there aren't. )

Tell me, how does Sierra Harper factor in?

( "Sierra, or Maura as she went by in Prague, was also in New Orleans. Do you think she's the one who gave the hunters her Damnum Essentia rip-off?" )

Could be. She's Colony born and raised and until a decade ago, she towed the line.

[notwitty]

David Gainor seems to think that in Prague she was trying to reclaim the Knightsbridge collective power for herself, but the spell failed.

[Because that's important information.]

He seems to be trying to help us. But he's kind of shady and questionable so we're taking that with a grain of salt.

[Especially since he's got Allison owing him a debt.]

[fifthbase]

I would take that one with his actions. He may have been bred from a long line of selfish opportunists, and that's coming from a mother, but he is a survivor if I've ever seen one.

( Of everyone, she'd believe him. )

If Sierra was not fully ready or capable of taking everything in then there most certainly have been a great surge of power.