coming at you fast, midnight

[cosmiccon]

Comments

[somanyadjectives]

[Well. Clearly you're not really trying, Damon (20).

Stefan is about to make a dry comment about rolling hills and the Georgians he's been spending a lot of his time with, but before he can get the words out, his head tips to the side and he gently pushes his brother off the road as a truck rounds the corner.]

Or maybe we could just hitch a ride?

[He steps over to flag the man down, and the truck slowly slides to a stop. A bearded face rolls down the window to look at the two men in front of him. "You lads lost?"]

[unforgivably]

( The cows interfered, for the record. Damon turns on the charm. Or, tries, but he's been dropped in the middle of cow country. (4) )

Friends of ours played a little prank on us. We're more than a little lost. Got room in there for two more?

[somanyadjectives]

[The driver makes a face, before nodding. "I'll take you as far as town, but I'm not goin' out of my way."]

We'll take it.

[At least if they get to town, they can likely find a place to charge Stefan's phone. He turns back to Damon and gestures for him to take the lead.]

[unforgivably]

( It's the back for Damon as he lets Stefan sit in the front, getting comfortable and sliding behind the passenger seat. The kindness of strangers often leads to small talk with strangers. But, he doesn't lose his manners. )

Thanks for this.

[somanyadjectives]

["Eh. Good karma's always worth having."

The ride to town isn't far, coming up on a pretty little hamlet tucked into the hills. As they wind past the pastures into the little village, the driver lets them off at his destination, and Stefan ducks into a coffee shop to see if they have a charging station and someone they can charm out of their phone charger while they have a cup of coffee.

Once that's done, he joins his brother at the table.]

So it looks like we're about pretty far from where we started. About a half-hour drive if we can get a ride.

[unforgivably]

( Damon compels them coffee. He holds his with both hands as he blows on the hot wisps of steam. )

Another ride.

( Why he didn't compel the good samaritan in hindsight... )

Tell me what should stop me from borrowing someone's car. There's only so far we can take the kindness of strangers, Stefan. The longer we're out here, the less we know about what happened with Rhett or Scarlett or Melanie or the fiancees.

[somanyadjectives]

I've actually been thinking about that.

[Because it is strange that they got this far out without someone realizing what happened to them, only to wind up being dumped in a cow field.]

I'm starting to wonder if going back is the best idea. We woke up in that pasture for a reason. Maybe what we're looking for is closer than we think. If I were kidnapping at least three vampires and taking them somewhere to do something sketchy, I don't think I would want to be close to where I snatched them.

[unforgivably]

If I kidnapped one vampire, I wouldn't dump them afterward in cow country. So, were we dead weight or did they get what they came for.

( And what would that have been. )

Got any top secret slayer knowledge someone might want, brother?

[somanyadjectives]

No. But when my phone turned on, there were some texts from Caroline about a possible pending witch war.

[He'll pass it over so Damon can read how, in true Caroline fashion, she has laid out what she knows and also what they don't know.]

So maybe the witch needs vampire blood or slayer blood for a spell of some kind?

[unforgivably]

Or doppelganger blood.

( He sips from his coffee, then. He's not the only one thinking about it.

Speaking of, he scrolls down Stefan's contacts and uses his phone to call their ex-girlfriend, a fellow doppelganger. How does the time difference work? He doesn't care. Ring, Elena. )

[braveandstupid]

[Stefan sees that and rolls his eyes. "How is Elena going to help us, exactly?" He was going to call Buffy as soon as he had enough battery. But he doesn't try to end the call.

Elena was in fact asleep, but old doctor habits die hard and she fumbles a bit before silencing the annoying phone beside her as she answers.]

Damon, it's the middle of the night.

[unforgivably]

( He gestures, it's not about help, Stefan. )

She doesn't sound kidnapped with no memory of why or how. Sorry for waking you.

( To Stefan. )

This doesn't mean this isn't doppelganger related.

[braveandstupid]

[Half-asleep Elena is very confused.]

Were we expecting me to be kidnapped?

[Stefan leans closer to address them both.

"No, but Damon and I had a really weird night. We lost some of our friends and there might have been a witch involved."]

[unforgivably]

The might dial is violently toggling toward is.

( How else can they explain it?

Dean stirs, meanwhile, pushing one eye open and turning over.

"What is it?" )

[braveandstupid]

Were you kidnapped?

[Elena thinks it's a valid question, honestly, but she gives Dean a shrug.

"We were definitely drugged. So maybe the intent was kidnapping, but they lost us in a Scottish cow pasture."]

[cholesterol]

Who was kidnapped?

( What is happening?

"It wouldn't be the first time someone failed at trying to capture us," Damon says. "But, it feels more like they got what they needed which is why I still have a vote in the 'doppelganger' column now that we're entering the Witch Wars.

[braveandstupid]

Stefan and Damon.

[To Dean. But then she turns back to the phone.]

Well, call someone in Scotland to help? But this doppelganger is fine and she is going back to bed. Good luck.

[And with that she will hang up, and Stefan will nod, before holding out his phone to Damon. "My thoughts exactly. Can I call Buffy now?"]

[unforgivably]

( Dean groans, burying himself under his pillow.

At least we know there isn't an international doppelganger taskforce. Considering our hunter run-ins, I thought my check-in was a-propos.

( But fine, have your phone back, Stefan. )

[somanyadjectives]

[Stefan doesn't think Damon was wrong but priorities. He will take his phone back and scrolls down to his girlfriend's number and hitting "Send."

Ring ring ring Buffy phone.]

[attainathons]

( Everyone stop. )

It's Stefan! ( She answers, on literally half of the first ring. ) Hey! Where are you?

[somanyadjectives]

We are about a half hour from town.

[And he'll give her the address for the cafe where he and Damon are sitting.]

My phone was dead and Damon lost his, but we're okay.

[attainathons]

( Buffy says it back as Beck, the other modern man, types it into his maps. )

We have Damon's phone. I'm with Scarlett, Melanie, and Beck. Is that it, you went on a bender and ended up a half hour outside town?

( She'll be calmer, just confirm this wasn't brotherly negligence and alcohol. )

[somanyadjectives]

In theory? Yes. But for some reason we wound up in a cow pasture, but we have no idea where Lindsay and Rhett are.

[Which is unfortunate and indicates they still have some detective work to do.]

And the fact that we were able to get that drunk? Means there was probably something else at play.

[Speaking of, perception check, Damon.]

[attainathons]

( (6) for perception check as he's zeroed in on his brother's conversation with Buffy. )

Do you think they were after Lindsay or Rhett? ( She looks to the group. ) Do you remember Lorden Wallis?

( "Real sinister with Stevie Nicks levels of witchery," Beck says on the other end of the line, having found her on Facebook. )

[somanyadjectives]

[Stefan's brow furrows because the name rings a bell, but he's having a hard time putting a name to the face.]

Do you have a picture?