coming at you fast, midnight

[cosmiccon]

Comments

[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.

[notwitty]

In my experience, survivor isn't always a positive thing.

[But he'll leave that there and continue with his information.]

When the spell failed, a room full of hunters dropped dead. Would it generate that kind of backlash?

[fifthbase]

( He's speaking to the ultimate survivor who won't make colorful commentary because you're all friends here. )

If she was channeling them.

[notwitty]

[Isaac himself is a survivor. He's not trying to discount it. He just knows from experience that just because you're able to survive doesn't mean that you won't cut other people out to do so.]

That tracks. There were other people in the room and they were fine.

[Which means it wasn't an area of effect situation, and more targeting those specific people.]

[fifthbase]

It sounds as if she tried to failsafe her spell and the opposite happened.

( But, she has not gone after a coven's wellspring, and her (2) will keep her speculation to a minimum. )

There are a number of reasons why it backfired. What you should be focusing on is there here and now. The what's next. So. What is next?

[notwitty]

[Isaac says nothing, just glancing to Bonnie to see how much they want to share. Danny's been a well kept secret thus far, and he's in Bonnie's care. He'll leave it for her to decide if she wants to share that with the literal Queen of Hell.]

[fifthbase]

( Bonnie has been the hidden trump card, living under the old witch house, the Salvatore's and Elena's secret weapon. She knows better than to play it, especially to a blunt redheaded powerful sorcerous. )

Isaac and I are about to take a trip to Mystic Falls. My family's grimoire is there. We think there may be information that might be useful. About the Gauntlet.

( And maybe the Colony. )

The Armory is keeping it safe.

( A (6) recollects something vague, but mystical. And quite old. Kind of like her. Bonnie knows what she's doing.

"And there is the Knightsbridge's store." Rowena says, nodding. It feels like a part of a plan.

"And you, Samuel?" she asks. )

[imnot_likeyou]

Trying to dig into more of the research here.

[He doesn't know how much he should share, but ...]

Allison owes David a favor so if he calls that in, I might wind up tagging along with that.

[fifthbase]

Careful with witches and their favors.

( Rowena is one to talk, as she pulled the Winchesters into many a scrape here and there. Almost got them killed more than five times over just to get what she wanted, but they've become much more to her since then. )

[imnot_likeyou]

I know.

[He hasn't forgotten, and neither has Allison.]

She's already drawn certain lines that he's agreed to, so it's mostly a matter of if he'll keep his word.

[fifthbase]

Refresh these lines. Witches tend to blur, to redraw any clear lines. Have her double check that line isn't written in chalk, or worse, pencil.

( Advice from Rowena MacLeod, Sam! )

[imnot_likeyou]

I will.

[Trust him, he's not intending to let David take advantage of Allison. He will shoot first, ask questions later, problems be damned.]

It's not my first rodeo with witches.

[matriarchate]

( Rowena knows, Sam.

Finished with her morning workout and freshly showered, Allison and her beachy-in-Kansas (but also in Northern California, we stan Allison's hair) waves join the group in the hallway. )

Is there a meeting I wasn't informed of?

( "We were just meeting Rowena, the queen of Hell," Bonnie says, nonchalantly. "Come on, Isaac. They're waiting in the car." But, for good measure: "You think you can really help me?"

Rowena mulls that over, studying Bonnie.

"If your Damnum Essentia is not a Rowena original, then I think we have somewhere to go. Have Sam give me a ring me when you return."

Bonnie nods, taking Isaac with her.

"Allison Argent," Rowena says, knowingly, a twinkle in her eye. )

[imnot_likeyou]

Play nice.

[Sam knows that twinkle, and he doesn't want Rowena picking fights just because she can. But before Rowena can get too into the weeds there, Allison's phone rings.

Surprise, it's the witch in question.]

[matriarchate]

It's David.

( She doesn't play anything with Rowena, knowing better, but it does seem more playful than combative, not that she knows her. Allison still knows better. )

You have good timing.

( Also weird timing. )

[maleficum]

Well, my ears were burning.

[He assumes that comment is because he was being talked about. He leans back in the seat and tries to figure out how best to approach this. He goes with blunt.]

I'm calling in that favor. Where do you want to meet? Also, you still have the Winchesters in your ranks?

[matriarchate]

( She believes it, pausing as she considers. )

Do I get to hear the favor before I say yes or is that the contingency?

( She mouths, "Get Dean," to Sam and to Rowena in front of him who nods and strides off to find him. She switches to speaker, letting Sam here his response. )

[maleficum]

I have some supplies I need to gather, and I need someone to watch my back while I do it. You don't have to kill anyone, as is our agreement - you just have to keep me alive.

[He figures that's a distinction with a difference that she'll appreciate.]

And as for the boys, I need them to do what hunters do best. Track down some bodies and do the old salt and burn - and this isn't under the scope of what we previously agreed to. In this case, I would owe them one.

[He's assuming that they're listening. Sam raises his eyebrows because that's quite a boon he's offering.]

[matriarchate]

I'm not going to speak for them, but I agree to our terms.

( She eyes Sam, if he wants to speak up.

Dean comes on to the scene with Rowena on his heels, giving Sam and Allison a look. )

[maleficum]

[Sam gives him a glance right back before addressing the phone. "Who are we digging up, exactly?"]

Some very old long dead witches who haven't been in their bodies for a while, but I don't want to give them an opportunity to escape when I resolve that particular problem. I figure if you already destroyed their remains, they don't get to stick around as ghosts either. Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars, just go straight to Hell.

[Sam's brow furrows, before turning his attention back to Rowena, wondering what she makes of this.]

[matriarchate]

( There is very little Rowena knows (19) "You're going to put down the Inner Circle."

Dean shrugs (8) and Allison has heard of some (14), mostly what she recalls from their research. )

Your coven's inner circle, they're not -- has it always been those witches?

( She's missing the parental context, but she has the right question.

"When did they ascend?" Rowena asks, sympathetically, knowing what has transpired and that David has finally learned the same. )