yes you made a little moment and you stirred a little mud

[tearhiseyesout]

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[maxxx]

It's all paperwork.

( But go with that.

Without asking, Jackson moves with Lydia, not breaking physical contact, intending to follow behind them.

Ezra links arms with his husband, walking past Rusty, following Nikolai. Nothing is off. This is about chain of custody. )

[an_honestword]

[Nikolai leads the way up the flights of stairs to the top of the tower, while Jackson, Parrish and Lydia are led away down another hallway. When they reach the top of the stairs, it opens to a brightly lit dining room, where plates are being set for a meal.

In the far corner is a small, dark-haired girl, brushing the hair of a fashion doll. She looks up when the people come in, and when Rusty's eyes land on her, one hand curls into a fist at his side. Given she seems to be the only other living person in the tower, he can hazard a guess what she's here for.

Nikolai catches his gaze, and he smirks. "Still so judgmental, Russell? And here I thought you were coming around."

He grits his jaw.]

I just want to live my life and die. That's all I ever wanted.

[praevaricatio]

( The dark-haired girl leaves the group uneasy, that a kid is involved in any of this -- but Ezra, especially, suspects who she is, searching for any physical sign of the link between her and Nikolai (4).

Max keeps his eyes trained on Rusty, and his attention on Rusty's conversation with the elusive member of the Inner Circle. He can infer Nikolai is one of the reasons Rusty has been reborn as many times as he has, one of the members that cursed him to the point of being a barista outside of Hershey, Pennsylvania.

To David, Ezra cants his head in the direction of the little girl. Do you see what he sees? (Or, doesn't considering his roll.) )

[an_honestword]

[David does see her, and he can hazard a guess why she's there. Given how sparse the tower seems to be void of other people, and Kirsanov spends most of his time isolated. Eventually the meat suit he's wearing is going to wear out, and he'll need another one.

Fortunately, however, she's too young to have begun any part of the ascension process, at least from what David abstractly knows of the rituals.

"That's all you want, eh? Let me guess. You brought me those presents to what? Buy yourself an umbrella to hide under? To hide until you're old and gray?" Nikolai grins as he settles into the seat at the head of the table. "I can provide you one of my cages, if you think it would suit."

Rusty grits his teeth.]

She's just a child.

["They're all children. Don't all children exist to provide for their parents in the end?"]

[maxxx]

( Under his family's thumb, Max was always the dutiful golden boy, speaking when spoken to, and waiting for the next move to be communicated. Always ready to jump at a moment's notice. He has recently found his voice, and he's a bit tired of the narrative Kirsanov is spinning.

Not to mention, this will get old fast and this is about buying time. )

Forgive me if I'm a little slow on the uptake, but you're assuming we brought you a hellhound bonded to a banshee to put our friend Rusty here into witch witness protection?

[an_honestword]

["Russell is completely predictable that way. I can't think of anything else he could want from me. Meanwhile the rest of you, I assume this has something to do with the Gauntlet." He glances between the three younger witches. "Am I wrong?"]

[maxxx]

There hasn't been a Gauntlet in over a century. Can you blame us.

( Old and not-so psychic. And he's reading more psychotic. In a quiet way. Max doesn't trust it, but apparently he's going to be the speaker in this. Is he invested in what's going down, or Rusty. Maybe the lines are blurring.

Ezra tenses next to his husband. )

[maleficum]

["No, I suppose not." Kirsanov watches them carefully, eyeing each of their faces as he takes in their expressions. "Though I'm not sure what you expect me to do for you. I have no heirs."]

Don't you?

[David's eyes drift to the girl on the floor, playing with her dolls. Kirsanov shrugs.

"Not a magical one. At least not currently."]

[praevaricatio]

( At least not currently runs his blood cold. )

You were there when it started. Does the Gauntlet only ever end in one way?

[maleficum]

["I realize that we pitch it as a grand honor to participate, but if you're here, you see it for what it is, don't you? It's a culling." Kirsanov is so far on the outs that he has no reason to play nice to hold his pillar of power. No one cares about the monster collector in the Siberian tundra. "It means the crop of up and coming witches has been disappointing, and we'll wait for the next one."

David sets his jaw.]

Maybe we're not the ones who need to be culled.

[maxxx]

Say it how it is. ( There is no more talking in circles. Just because they've wised up, doesn't mean they're here for anything else besides information. So, he lays it on thicker. ) We are our parents' disappointments. Along with the way the world works. Increasingly disappointing political moves. Diminishing returns in an everchanging modern landscape. They are out of touch and we are too radical. We think for ourselves. How dare we not stick to the party line.

( "And forget marrying into it," Ezra says. "You're lucky to still be alive."

Max approaches the table. )

Marry who they want. Say what they want. Drop everything and do what they want.

( "It's sad they think that's parenting," Ezra adds, in actual agreement with Max. )

[maleficum]

[Nikolai's head tips to the side, a curious expression crossing his face as he considers them. "It's endearing that you still think this is all about parenting." It's a secret he's not allowed to tell, but he has a feeling that they already know. He can't think of another reason why they'd come all the way to Russia to see him - or to be so upset about a little girl.

He's lonely and isolated, but he's not stupid.

David's jaw grits, before straightening.]

There had to be some points where they were still our parents, weren't there? My grandparents were alive for part of my life. Also here's the part that I don't get: if they're just going to take over our bodies, why do this Gauntlet bit to kill us?

[Nikolai shrugs. "Your family's name wasn't always Gainor. We make due with what we have."]

[praevaricatio]

Or you wipe the board entirely and reset.

( Which is the very opposite definition.

Max rounds the table, pacing as he talks.

"As a gesture of good will, we brought you a rare and auspicious find. So what you can you do for us?" )

[beanchaointe]

[They're lead down a dark hallway, a windowless stretch with low lights hanging above them so they can make it through without tripping. The space feels claustrophobic and Lydia does her best to keep close to the two men she's with and not catch the ire of any of the undead guards.

When they reach the end of the hallway, the space suddenly opens up above them. Greeted with the scent of unwashed bodies kept in tight spaces, they can look up and see each of the cage doors, and are greeted by glowing eyes as the contents of those cages step closer to get a better look at the new arrivals.

The guard nudges them forward. "Move to the door." They indicate what looks like a small elevator ahead of them.]

[illtempered]

>> I need an assessment. I could take these two guards out now, or I could follow them down to their inner sanctum turned prison and free Lydia and Parrish after they stand down. If they stand down. >>

( As they're lead, Jackson grasps at the strong mental link between the group he trusts. His instincts say waste them here and now, but he doesn't know what alarm that could sound. Not to mention, Parrish and Lydia could both fight back, but Lydia's fight is more scream - and that is not quiet. )

[beanchaointe]

[Malia's voice floats in from the bond: >> I'm still in the tunnels. But I can hear people moving around, so I don't think I'm far. >>

Lydia glances around as she slowly begins to make their way towards the elevator, before glancing back to Jackson.]

>> We need to at least see how they open the cages if we're going to let them all out. >>

[illtempered]

>> Fine. Standing down.

( While working under Scott and then Allison's umbrella, Jackson familiarized himself with in-the-field vocabulary. He never went military - like he'd ever have the discipline - but he got out of his own way eventually. Almost.

Jackson stays close as they wait for the elevator to ascend. )

[beanchaointe]

[They load into the rickety elevator and after punching a series of buttons, they rise up through the rows. As they cycle through they'll see cell after cell each labeled with the creature contained.

Once they arrive on the specified floor, they head towards an empty cage. One of the guards reaches for something on his belt and waves it in front of a console and the door unlatches and opens.]

[illtempered]

( Jackson takes note and watches carefully, trying not to let his intake of breath be apparent. Deadpan and serious, he speaks. )

That means you get in.

[beanchaointe]

[Lydia starts to move forward as prompted, letting the small vial up her coat sleeve shift into her palm. Thinking back to the telepathy web:]

>> Do we know if kanima venom works on zombies? >>

[illtempered]

( Harvey chimes in

>> if it has a nervous system, even partially animated, it should paralyze the undead. it may not last

Jackson eyes the one closest to him. )

>> we need them out of commission
>> also, they'd burn easily. right?

( Heads up to the Hellhound for his part in it. Paralyze them, char them? Can hellhounds hell on command? Jackson's not familair. )

[beanchaointe]

>> Probably. Human bodies aren't exactly fireproof. >>

[But okay, worth a shot. Lydia pours some of the kanima venom on her hand, and reaches over to brush against the bare skin between the creature's gloves and the sleeve of their coat. At first, it seems like nothing happens. But then the creature begins to struggle to move and then slowly start to drop to the ground.]

[illtempered]

( >>let's stop talking about bodies being fireproof. >> it feels like a jinx.

but Jackson steps forward with Lydia, probably focusing too much on her hand movements (5, for trying to subtle not look like he is), but paralytics are a bitch, even to the undead. once he sees it taking affect, he lets go of Lydia, turns and releases his own talons. kanima venom straight from the source as he attempts to strike undead 2. (15 to strike) )

[beanchaointe]

[The guard is too slow (7), and as the claws strike, they struggle to stay on their feet but also drop to the ground.

Lydia scrambles forward to get ahold of the keycard, and moves towards the nearest cage to begin to set them free. As she goes to wave the keycard, the creature inside reaches out and grabs her wrist to stop her.

"Why?"

Lydia doesn't know what to say at first, before deciding to come out with the truth.]

We're here to kill your captor. We thought you might want to help.

[Their eyes harden, and then her wrist is released, letting her get back to work.]

[illtempered]

( Jackson finds the electronic key on the second guard and gets to work, starting to release the doors he sees.

Parrish keeps watch, and listens for any other sounds or guard movements. Also, if anybody in any cage becomes a problem, he's there too. )