( Ezra's anxious energy over the move against Kirsanov has to be funneled somewhere, so he drags his husband to their local gym. He's not good at sitting still. He's good when he has an assignment, or a cause, or a case, but he loses his position at Mystic Falls General. Well, he pulls out, and puts feelers around the country. He doesn't need to be tied their. Elena isn't anymore. He's kept that assignment at bay, the doppelganger is in the wind and the family has other, more important concerns.
The Gauntlet is keeping the elders busy.
Ezra's been insatiable for the past few weeks. He can't get enough of a workout, of food, of sex, of anything. He wants it all and he wants it all the time.
The mood changes over their freshly made smoothies.
Ezra's not happy, he's anxious and David can see it. Underneath the endorphins, the sweat, and the constant being on David thinks he needs a job. He understands why Mystic Falls General isn't it, but Ezra needs to find something. He's not a shrink, but he posits that because nothing is in Ezra's control right now, anything he can control, he has to - strictly. It's why he's overindulging and dragging David to the gym and to every town event since they've gotten back.
Town events are Ezra's thing. But, David doesn't always have to be there.
It's one cold truth after another and his energy high deflates. David sees her first, but there isn't enough time to warn him before she puts her two cents in.
"Your husband's right, you know. You can't control every minute of every day. Burning the candle at both ends only ends in a whole lot of hot wax. Unless that's totally your thing, then, more power to you, honey.")
[He should have known to expect a visit from his mother-in-law at some point, but he always prefers when she calls first. Given the fact that she never calls first, he has yet to receive such a gift, but he can't help but hope that one day she will. Still, he will take a surprise Logan over surprise his parents every time.
Still, he turns to her with a smile, and leans in to give her a kiss on the cheek.]
David is her son's salvation and damnation, but Logan has always gravitated to - and encouraged - drama. She loves her son's husband and she loves him for her son. It was touch and go, getting used to the real David, and not Dagon the infiltrating Prince of Hell. Where Dagon led with charm, David leads with carefully curated irony. It's a sense of humor she prefers, and often why if she does stay anywhere overnight, it's with her son and his husband.
Logan Welwood-Adin is the queen of the surprise drop-in. Her purpose varies: sage advice, stern warning, whimsy, just for the hell of it, but she always arrives with purpose. And style. She has that in spades.
She leans down, hands on her son's husband's shoulders and presents her cheek before moving to her son. She sets her purse down and removes her sunglasses, gesturing with them. )
I really think he's on to something, honey, you look...
("Mom--")
All over the place.
("What are you doing here?" Logan stands, not answering, waiting for what she deserves. Right. That's right. Warm greetings first, then grillings. Ezra draws her close and gives his mother a tight hug. As annoying and out of nowhere as she can be, he only has one mom. And her visits are always enlightening. He leans back. "Okay. Really. What are you doing here? At my gym?")
You don't own this gym. ( She never makes things easy. ) I wanted to see you. There are far-reaching rumblings, and you probably won't hear from me for a good long while. So, I thought I'd do what any good parent would before a long trip. Surprise my sweaty, overworked son. ( She turns back to David. ) Tell me he doesn't pull this, everything everywhere all at once nonstop act regularly. ( Back to Ezra. ) Because it is not a cute color on you.
[David offers his husband a small smile before leading his mother-in-law off to the smoothie line. He nods as she brings up the big problem in the air, because yep. It's a mess.]
Wasn't my idea.
[It never would have been his idea.]
The Inner Circle is less than pleased with the progress of the current generation. Which is basically they're way of saying we're very, very disappointed in you.
Agreed. And I don't think it's the bodies that actually matter. I think their plan is to make use of whoever wins.
[There's no rules about the spell needing to be done on family. Just that it needs a body. Using your own children provides a convenient barrier of trust, but it's not a dealbreaker if you don't have a child.]
[There's a long slow exhale as he figures out how to address this conversation with Logan. There are plenty of reasons for that question and answering with the right one is important.]
He could divorce me right now if he wanted to get away, but it probably wouldn't matter. Once this starts leaking out into the wider world, it's going to be a bloodbath no matter what coven you're in.
Divorcing you doesn't void his part in it. It doesn't void my part in this. The Gauntlet is an old-fashioned outdated free-for-all and before I knew the real story behind your hijackers that call themselves parents, I thought they were at least more sensible than that. But, I guess body snatchers get ruthlessly impatient.
I get it. You can't make an omelette. Which is why me and my estranged husband are taking ourselves off the board.
( She doesn't know how much Ezra says about Prescott, or her for that matter. He wants for nothing and asks for nothing, but she never doubts his love, as he shouldn't doubt hers. )
And, why I'm here. In the flesh out of nowhere. That, and your reactions are always priceless.
And, for the record, if you ever doubted it, you'd be completely lost without my son and you'd get me in the divorce.
( It's her prickly, low-stakes threat about family always being family. You're not done even if you legally decide you are. That's not how it works. If they ever left one another for any reason, Logan would eat eat her expensive designer hat if they never reunited.
Smoothies up, Logan lets David bring her son's and she takes hers.
Ezra took deep breaths in and out (11) so is just barely come when she comes back. He takes the smoothie, but he's still suspicious.
"You get that this feels like a gang-up. Confront me about my preoccupation, drop-in out of nowhere. Are you friends now?"
I value good in-law relationships. I will win over Prescott one day.
[Prescott is slower to warm, more out of concern for his son, but he did get David something actually useful for Christmas last year, so he thinks he's making progress.]
But she's just checking in, making sure we aren't about to go get ourselves murdered.
( She really likes him. She was overly concerned in the beginnings of their relationship, having been directly involved with Dagon, but he charmed her even before he was shtupping her son. )
And, kind of saying goodbye.
("You...")
Traveled cross-country to make sure you're in one piece, your husband wasn't toe up six feet under, and I can trust you're both doing the best thing for yourselves before I disappear indefinitely? Yes. Yes, I did.
Your dad too. So you don't have to worry about them.
[Because he doesn't actually want his parents in the middle of this mess, does he? David doesn't think so.
He's also leaving the option that if he wants to, he could go with him. But it's a silent option, one he's only allowed to take before Kirsanov's dead and this all begins for real.]
Herego, you not seeing me for a while. Or hearing from me. For a while. I like my body and I really like self preservation. I taught my son that - ( Her hand comes up. ) I'm not saying whatever it is you have to do isn't, I'm not questioning the why and how and - specifics. But I love you two, ( Her hand covers Ezra's wrist ) especially you, sweetie - so I could't leave without ( she gestures, dragging her hand down through the air, indicating her son ) -- righting all of this. I'm just saying, this is not the picture of wellness.
I'm taking you both to task. I'm concerned about you both. And, I'm not sure how well you're holding yourselves together. You're on the precipice of something dangerous and revolutionary. Real change. That can't be easy. For either one of you. And I can see how one( Ezra ) of you is coping. But, are you okay?
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everyonelives2023-10-16 07:09 pm
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The Gauntlet is keeping the elders busy.
Ezra's been insatiable for the past few weeks. He can't get enough of a workout, of food, of sex, of anything. He wants it all and he wants it all the time.
The mood changes over their freshly made smoothies.
Ezra's not happy, he's anxious and David can see it. Underneath the endorphins, the sweat, and the constant being on David thinks he needs a job. He understands why Mystic Falls General isn't it, but Ezra needs to find something. He's not a shrink, but he posits that because nothing is in Ezra's control right now, anything he can control, he has to - strictly. It's why he's overindulging and dragging David to the gym and to every town event since they've gotten back.
Town events are Ezra's thing. But, David doesn't always have to be there.
It's one cold truth after another and his energy high deflates. David sees her first, but there isn't enough time to warn him before she puts her two cents in.
"Your husband's right, you know. You can't control every minute of every day. Burning the candle at both ends only ends in a whole lot of hot wax. Unless that's totally your thing, then, more power to you, honey." )
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[He should have known to expect a visit from his mother-in-law at some point, but he always prefers when she calls first. Given the fact that she never calls first, he has yet to receive such a gift, but he can't help but hope that one day she will. Still, he will take a surprise Logan over surprise his parents every time.
Still, he turns to her with a smile, and leans in to give her a kiss on the cheek.]
Hello, Logan. We weren't expecting you.
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( Never let your guard down.
But, also, expect the unexpected.
David is her son's salvation and damnation, but Logan has always gravitated to - and encouraged - drama. She loves her son's husband and she loves him for her son. It was touch and go, getting used to the real David, and not Dagon the infiltrating Prince of Hell. Where Dagon led with charm, David leads with carefully curated irony. It's a sense of humor she prefers, and often why if she does stay anywhere overnight, it's with her son and his husband.
Logan Welwood-Adin is the queen of the surprise drop-in. Her purpose varies: sage advice, stern warning, whimsy, just for the hell of it, but she always arrives with purpose. And style. She has that in spades.
She leans down, hands on her son's husband's shoulders and presents her cheek before moving to her son. She sets her purse down and removes her sunglasses, gesturing with them. )
I really think he's on to something, honey, you look...
( "Mom--" )
All over the place.
( "What are you doing here?" Logan stands, not answering, waiting for what she deserves. Right. That's right. Warm greetings first, then grillings. Ezra draws her close and gives his mother a tight hug. As annoying and out of nowhere as she can be, he only has one mom. And her visits are always enlightening. He leans back. "Okay. Really. What are you doing here? At my gym?" )
You don't own this gym. ( She never makes things easy. ) I wanted to see you. There are far-reaching rumblings, and you probably won't hear from me for a good long while. So, I thought I'd do what any good parent would before a long trip. Surprise my sweaty, overworked son. ( She turns back to David. ) Tell me he doesn't pull this, everything everywhere all at once nonstop act regularly. ( Back to Ezra. ) Because it is not a cute color on you.
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[David also doesn't mind the sweaty look if that's what she's referring to.]
But what I will do is buy us all some smoothies while we recalibrate?
[Or while Ezra takes a sec to breathe out the frustration with his mother if that's what he wants. He can be the charming, distracting son in law.]
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( She doesn't need to be given this hard a time. And she doesn't care. )
Açai.
( Her battle of wills wears down her son who visibly shrinks. )
I'll come with. Let my son reboot in the meantime.
( Besides, they have business to discuss. Not secret business, but business. Not everyone needs to know everything.
She lets Ezra stew, rubbing the back of his neck with a towel, catching up to his husband's speech and his mother's sudden appearance.
Logan stands behind David and lowers her voice. )
The Gauntlet?
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Wasn't my idea.
[It never would have been his idea.]
The Inner Circle is less than pleased with the progress of the current generation. Which is basically they're way of saying we're very, very disappointed in you.
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( Also, a shocker, that dry dry sarcasm David likes, Ezra's mother showers in it. )
How does that even work if they want all your bodies?
( What, her son actually keeps in touch. )
Gross, by the way.
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[There's no rules about the spell needing to be done on family. Just that it needs a body. Using your own children provides a convenient barrier of trust, but it's not a dealbreaker if you don't have a child.]
Also I think they expect us to win.
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( Except when they're thinking of the exact wrong thing. But, for now, why she's accompanied her son-in-law to the counter. )
And where does my son fall in all of this?
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He could divorce me right now if he wanted to get away, but it probably wouldn't matter. Once this starts leaking out into the wider world, it's going to be a bloodbath no matter what coven you're in.
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( Her rant ends as she lets her self exhale. )
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[In a bad way - always in a bad way.]
We're going to try and cut it off as much as we can, but we are going to need a little bit of the chaos to enact our plan.
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( She doesn't know how much Ezra says about Prescott, or her for that matter. He wants for nothing and asks for nothing, but she never doubts his love, as he shouldn't doubt hers. )
And, why I'm here. In the flesh out of nowhere. That, and your reactions are always priceless.
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[And he is, even if his husband is frustrated.]
But good. I'm glad Ezra will be grateful for one less thing to worry about.
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( It's her prickly, low-stakes threat about family always being family. You're not done even if you legally decide you are. That's not how it works. If they ever left one another for any reason, Logan would eat eat her expensive designer hat if they never reunited.
Smoothies up, Logan lets David bring her son's and she takes hers.
Ezra took deep breaths in and out (11) so is just barely come when she comes back. He takes the smoothie, but he's still suspicious.
"You get that this feels like a gang-up. Confront me about my preoccupation, drop-in out of nowhere. Are you friends now?"
Logan's dry humor drips off her tongue. )
Yes, we play canasta every month.
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[Prescott is slower to warm, more out of concern for his son, but he did get David something actually useful for Christmas last year, so he thinks he's making progress.]
But she's just checking in, making sure we aren't about to go get ourselves murdered.
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( She really likes him. She was overly concerned in the beginnings of their relationship, having been directly involved with Dagon, but he charmed her even before he was shtupping her son. )
And, kind of saying goodbye.
( "You..." )
Traveled cross-country to make sure you're in one piece, your husband wasn't toe up six feet under, and I can trust you're both doing the best thing for yourselves before I disappear indefinitely? Yes. Yes, I did.
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[Because he doesn't actually want his parents in the middle of this mess, does he? David doesn't think so.
He's also leaving the option that if he wants to, he could go with him. But it's a silent option, one he's only allowed to take before Kirsanov's dead and this all begins for real.]
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Truth be told, I was going to drop-in, but considering what I overheard, I'm mentally moving my ticket.
( Or, maybe taking advantage of her son-in-law's power. )
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Just don't be afraid to reach out of this winds up spreading further than we think it will.
[He can open a door if she needs to get here too.]
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( She can be cute, she can be nice and glib, but she can also be deathly serious. )
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[And it's possible that no matter how far off the grid they go, people are going to be looking for them.]
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I can give you guys a minute, if you need it.
[He can be elsewhere so his husband can talk to his mother.]
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( "We know what we're getting into." )
That doesn't make it easy. Or simple.
( She sits herself down. )
Now. Out with it. Both of you. Be honest.
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