coming at you fast, midnight

[cosmiccon]

Comments

[ostensively]

( "You're going to ask for permission to accept your family's legacy," Lizzie asks. She'd break in and apologize later. "What're you going to tell her?"

Outside their dorm room, the spatial surroundings shift and Sierra drops down from the ceiling. Everyone can make a perception check to see if they notice the otherworldly light around the edges of the front door before she straightens up and knocks.

Lizzie straightens up as she looks over to the door (13).

When the door is opened, Danny sees Talia, the girl he met at Wiki-Pedia, but the girls see Sierra. Lizzie finds her familiar (8) - but not why. This is what happens when months go by. She's used to weeks of drama in one fell swoop.

Despite killing the spell, the magic targeting Danny will dissipate with the setting of the moon. It's a big Glory is Ben, Ben is Glory moment for all. Enjoy. )

[undermyfeet]

[Danny (6) and Alice (5) don't notice anything before the knock on the door. Alice also hasn't met Sierra before, so she wouldn't know her to recognize her. But she will however, pull one of her knives out of the trunk and squint.

"Uh, guys? Why are we not being wigged out by the weirdo adult? Sorry lady, but I think you have the wrong room."

Danny squints at her before shaking her head.]

What are you talking about? It's my friend, Talia. She's our age.

[He glances back to "Talia" before shaking his head.]

Sorry, it's been a weird night.

[Alice's brow furrows, before looking over at Lizzie. "Are you seeing the full, grown-ass adult or am I losing my mind?"]

[ostensively]

( "Grown adult," Lizzie says, squinting. She gets up from the bed to join Danny in the middle of the room, stepping next to him. "Talia?" )

It's Sierra, actually. We crossed paths in Prague. I don't know her. ( Alice. ) Danny is seeing me at eighteen years old because of a spell I cast. Back when I was targeting him and his coven's mantle. ( She adds. ) Which, I no longer am.

[undermyfeet]

[Danny takes a step back, feeling that sinking sensation of betrayal yet again. It's bad enough that he helped her and gave her so much in Prague that he shouldn't have, but that he was about to do it all over again.

He makes a face, frustrated at the illusion, and lifts his hand to use his own abilities to slices through it, so that he can see the real person underneath (20).]

Why should I believe that?

[ostensively]

Because I came in person. Actually, this is really me and not an astral projection in person.

( But, she doesn't blame you. )

Cast whatever you want. I know a great lie detector spell.

( "You were in New Orleans," Lizzie says, straightening up. )

I was.

( "Was that about Danny, too?" )

If I say yes, will you hold it against me? ( She still has her bite. ) I'm here to give you a message. And then, you never have to see me again.

( Barring their covens don't broker trust. )

[undermyfeet]

[Danny doesn't know how to trust her, given everything (3). It's been too much and too many conflicting stories. He doesn't know why she would just give up, given what's coming. Given what she'll be asked to try and survive.

So he does cast the truth spell (10), though his hands are shaking and it's not his best, he assumes that if she's really here to help him she won't try to fight him.]

David's looking for you. He told me about the Gauntlet. Is that why you're here?

[ostensively]

( She wasn't trying to convince him before, but now she is, because she doesn't need anything else in her way or on her ass. For persuasion she gots a nat 20 (conviction from learning what's happened with their parents and how she feels about Jaq makes a woman sincere) )

Partly. But, I'm not going to waste your time talking about our family politics.

( (8) Lizzie believes what she's saying, but not why. Her distrust doesn't settle and her sass isn't going anywhere.

"Maybe, you should try saying what you mean. Just this once can the morally ambiguous not talk in circles?" )

Fine. I tried to take your coven's source of magic, I was wrong. And I did it wrong. Which is why I'm here. Taking it back, taking it all - you need to. You don't have a choice and not because of the Gauntlet which we're doing everything to stop. So, while you accept what's yours, me and my friends are going to end this once and for all.

( Or, plan to and then try. )

You will still be you. Don't be afraid of what's behind that door. It was always yours - just - a few years too early. And now for my parting gift.

( "When the exposition dump ends and the scene jumps forward?" )

She's cute.

( Sierra brings a hand up and with a flare of her fingers the green Celtic energy of the moon and of Danny's coven bursts forth. )

This is yours. Not mine. Ibi.

( The light extends, her (19) repurposing the energy she'd harnessed to mix with Danny's existing strength. )

Even without it, you are powerful. But, with this, you won't miss. Not like I did.

[undermyfeet]

[For a lot of it, he doesn't want to believe her. He tries to convince himself that she's just attempting to find another way to redirect him so that she can take what she wants, but when he feels that rush of familiar power, a piece that feels like home even if he's not there, he relaxes some (16).

He moves one hand to his chest, resting it over his heart for a moment. But the fact that it feels like home unsettles him some, and he has to ask her one last question before she leaves.]

Were you the one who pointed the hunters to Knightsbridge?

[He needs to know. One way or another.]

[ostensively]

No. I didn't point Monroe in your direction.

( It did open up a strategy she tried, one Jaqueline was happy to adopt. Until their latest shared revelation. )

We used each other. But, not until Prague.

( Right. There is one more thing. Her hand drops into her pocket and she tosses over a gleaming ring. )

Bonnie Bennett will want this. ( And one more thing. ) Who helped her?

( "She got her magic back." )

She didn't. Not how it should be. That should speed up the process. Whoever helped her, if they're your age? I'd keep an eye on them. That's an ancient copy of a copy. Just. Check in. ( She raises her chin back at Danny. ) And that energy? That pull you're feeling? Listen to it. Real power doesn't need to be harnessed on the holy days. If you want it. You can take it. Now. Tonight. ( She waits a beat. ) Or wait the few days.

[undermyfeet]

[They still need the time. He's not doing this without Bonnie, whatever boost Sierra thinks she might have given him aside. He needs her to steady him because he feels like that's part of the mistake that Sierra made - she tried to do this alone, and that's not what the ritual was ever meant to be.

But he does take that warning about Josie, and the ring. She'll pass it along.]

Since you might see him before I do, David helped her too. He wasn't the only one, but he was part of it.

[ostensively]

Good old Johnny Cash.

( He always did walk the line. )

I'll be seeing you.

( And in a flash of yellow light now that she's given up his line, Sierra sinks into the floor. )

[undermyfeet]

[Danny waits until he's sure she's gone, opening up his senses and taking a breath. Then he turns back to Lizzie.]

You should call your sister.

[jockwitch]

( Lizzie swipes the ring and moves over to the desk to grab her phone. )

These hunters used a dark object to take our aunt's magic and Josie helped her get it back.

( She finds her sister's number and dials. She inspects the ring as she waits. )

She'd tell me if something was wrong.

[polydeukes]

[Josie, oblivious to so much of this, is tempted to silence her vibrating phone as she chills outside after her extra curricular that has just let out, waiting for Hope to swing by to meet her. But when she sees her sister's name on her caller ID, she excuses herself from the conversation and steps away to answer.]

Hey, is everything okay?

[She's calling. Their generation doesn't call first - they're usually texting.]

[jockwitch]

Sierra dropped by our dorm room to see Danny. Never mind she whammied him into thinking she was eighteen, she tracked him down. Freaking phased through the ceiling.

( First, she freaks out. Let her freak out. This will become relevant. )

[polydeukes]

[Josie will let her freak out but just for context:]

Sorry, who's - oh! Is that Maura's real name?

[She's not always great at keeping up with group texts, but she can't imagine who else Lizzie would be this upset about.]

[jockwitch]

Siaura, whatever we call her, she's the same witch, except, this time she came as herself, introduced herself as herself, and warned us about Bonnie's magic. ( She pauses, looking at Danny. ) She tossed this gaudy gold ring. Do you know if there's something wrong with aunt Bonnie's magic? ...Or yours?

[polydeukes]

[Dropping her voice, she steps even further away from the group.]

Well ... I still have the magic I accidentally siphoned out of the box when we were trying to get her her magic back. But I don't know anything about Bonnie's magic.

[jockwitch]

And? Is there anything weird or off?

( Is Sierra just blowing smoke? )

[polydeukes]

Aside from the fact that I still have magic I siphoned months ago?

[Because that would be considered both weird and off.]

I don't know? I've never had magic like this before. It doesn't feel weird?

[A beat.]

Do Hope and I need to come to New York?

[jockwitch]

Don't you have classes?

( It's not a no, is it. But, she asks. She'd rather Josie stick to her own life. Every time she sucks her back in Josie loses herself. It's why she left in the first place and why Lizzie went on her hate hope journey herself. But, Josie brought herself back into the proceedings and saved them both. )

[polydeukes]

Yeah, but I don't have classes after Thursday afternoon so we could take a long weekend to come up and deal with this.

[Josie shifts to lean against the wall.]

If you're in trouble, I'm not going to not come up and help you.

[bibrid]

I don't think Danny's in trouble, but Danny mentioned the more we have on our side, maybe the better the outcome. Sier -- Maur -- the witch we should sick Chris Hansen on implied that what she got wrong was trying to do it alone.

( She looks to Alice and to Danny as she calls for reinforcements. Or, almost. She still doesn't want to drag her sister into something, especially if it pulls her from her life. )

Hope won't mind?

[polydeukes]

Would Hope mind flying to New York, where her family currently is, to help protect her best friend?

[C'mon Lizzie. But she can't necessarily say for sure.]

I'll ask her. But I don't think it'll be a problem.

[bibrid]

Said best friend very recently went on Hope's bogus journey when her humanity switch was flipped in the off position. Excuse me if I want to make sure she's up for throwing her hat in the ring to help Danny's wellspring of magic. Not that her and I haven't gotten over our respective actions and come out the other side closer than we've ever been, but the question still has to be asked. Elizabeth Saltzman has always been an endorser of consent of all kinds.

( Which is her overdramatic way of saying, 'Yes, ask her.' )