[Liv turns and leads the way to a pair of conference rooms on either side of a narrow hallway. Liv opens one of the doors, indicating the room inside, and gestures for them to head in.
Sitting at the head of the conference table is Stiles. At least to the naked eye. Liv figures they'd have to have something of a lure in order to get them inside the trap. But Jaqueline is off her game given what happened downstairs, and she's not sure she trusts just following Liv's lead (8).
She eyes Liv like she doesn't trust her and Liv shrugs in return.]
You're waiting for this Russia situation to resolve, right? So we all stay here, in semi-public, where no one can stab each other in the back without repercussions.
( Sierra isn't much better, but mostly because she's stuck on 'intimidation,' and she's more squirrelly when it comes to her own machinations.
Stiles sits back, legs up on the desk. )
And nobody's getting sucked through ceilings or floors like Artax in the swamp. We're all staying on our feet in plain site. Nobody is being kidnapped, threatened, or coerced.
[Jaqueline decides to just air on the spirit of the deal, even if she doesn't like it, and tentatively steps over the threshold into the room, while waiting for the other shoe to drop.
When nothing happens, she glances back to Sierra.]
( Outside the conference room, in the opposite hallway, Luke finally catches his breath, but he needs reassurance. )
She has a plan, right? A real plan?
( ...Inside the conference room, Sierra takes a seat, removes her sunglasses and sits back. The chair she's on swivels slightly as she eyes Stiles.
"You went to an awful lot of trouble to come back to us."
Stiles turns his head, one eyebrow raised.
"If by 'come back to you,' you mean 'meet on neutral territory while nobody is in any immediate danger,' then yes. I 'came back to you.'" He shakes his head. "You did this all wrong and all because, why, you needed my best friend's help? Serious advice here. Take it, leave it, I'd take it. But. Maybe - ask - and wait for an answer before you pull the trigger on going after her friend. I get it. You want all these assurances. But, you catch more flies with honey."
She has a plan. I don't know enough about what's going on to tell you how real it is. I'm just the ringer to make sure that you weren't in the line of fire.
[And she's only doing it because Stiles is involved and he asked her to.
Jaqueline, on the other hand, looks annoyed. "So what now? We just sit here and stare at each other?"
"No," Liv replies from where she's still standing in the doorway. "You two stay in here until we get the all clear from someone we trust more than you."
Liv snaps her fingers, and the astral projected version of Stiles disappears. Then she steps back, engaging the trap on the conference room door, and shuts the door behind her.]
( It was his hubris that made him think he could help, and now he's benched with the B-team.
The conference door slams with a deafening echo, Sierra knowing full well they've been spelled inside.
"Astral projection. Clever trick," Sierra says, getting up immediately. "I have another." But her disadvantage inside the spell (4) lights the ground under her but does nothing. Her eyes narrow. "Big mistake, Olivia.")
[And she flips them both the bird through the glass. But, to hold up her end of the bargain she gestures to the conference room across the way where they can still see Stiles, but they can't touch or affect him in any way.
Liv goes back to join them and after she gives the all clear, Sweets texts Audrey to let her know that Luke is free to come up to the rest of the group. She glances down when she receives the text, before giving him a smile.
"Looks like you're all clear to go see your sister if you want."]
( Stiles waves, drops his feet from the table and stretches his legs. The narration assumes Cora is also nearby and he'll share a look with her.
Luke waits as she reads her text message, letting his eyes fall shut because he can actually breathe. He'd say thank you, but he's -- well, neither twin is polite, but he was not raised with manners and he starts to take off but stops and turns. )
I don't know where she is. And you know where she is. So, please tell me where my sister is.
( He's shaken, but he's good. He deliberately doesn't look out the glass, knowing full well across the way two witches are plotting their next moves. )
Everything going according to plan?
( It feels like it is, but he missed out. He was the other plan. )
Pretty much. They'll be stuck in there until we let them out and Cora said she sent Lydia a message on Whatsapp to let them know when everything was done.
[Has she made two enemies this day? Probably. But she got her brother back and it feels good to have the upper hand. She then turns to Audrey.]
Thank you for you help. I know we kind of sprung this on you.
[Audrey shrugs. "Don't even worry about it. My job was easy compared to whatever you guys were doing."]
["Can I ask?" Cora turns to face Audrey, taking some of the pressure off Luke. "How did you handle them?"
Audrey blinks at her, not expecting that question and she looks at Sweets. He holds up a hand. "Doctor-patient confidentiality. I just said you could help."]
Oh.
[How to explain this ...]
I'm ... immune?
[Liv glances around her brother with a frown. "Sorry, what?"]
( She now has two skeptical twins turned in her direction.
"Hey, we're not going through your dirty laundry. No one asked for Witch 101, so what expects you to get the Audrey download? She helped you. Maybe take that at face value." Stiles is up now, lecturing from on high - he assumes it would come across less if her were still boots up on the table anyway.
Ultimately, it's her decision, but he's going to stick up for his partner. )
[Audrey shoots Stiles a grateful look but holds up a hand.]
It's okay.
[She doesn't really get to tell this story much and Luke deserves an explanation for what he held witness to.]
I'm not from ... here. It's a very long story doesn't really matter here, but the people where I'm from are immune to some mental effects from supernatural sources and witch craft is apparently one of them. Physical stuff still works though, you could throw me across the room with magic and I would still fly.
( He doesn't say it often. He knows how his sister and him come off. They're an indimidating package. And sometimes a bratty package. He never out grew that. )
We won't.
( no need to test any theories. )
Anything?
( has anyone come out and said the mission was a success? )
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Sitting at the head of the conference table is Stiles. At least to the naked eye. Liv figures they'd have to have something of a lure in order to get them inside the trap. But Jaqueline is off her game given what happened downstairs, and she's not sure she trusts just following Liv's lead (8).
She eyes Liv like she doesn't trust her and Liv shrugs in return.]
You're waiting for this Russia situation to resolve, right? So we all stay here, in semi-public, where no one can stab each other in the back without repercussions.
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Stiles sits back, legs up on the desk. )
And nobody's getting sucked through ceilings or floors like Artax in the swamp. We're all staying on our feet in plain site. Nobody is being kidnapped, threatened, or coerced.
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When nothing happens, she glances back to Sierra.]
I wouldn't count out coercion just yet.
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She has a plan, right? A real plan?
( ...Inside the conference room, Sierra takes a seat, removes her sunglasses and sits back. The chair she's on swivels slightly as she eyes Stiles.
"You went to an awful lot of trouble to come back to us."
Stiles turns his head, one eyebrow raised.
"If by 'come back to you,' you mean 'meet on neutral territory while nobody is in any immediate danger,' then yes. I 'came back to you.'" He shakes his head. "You did this all wrong and all because, why, you needed my best friend's help? Serious advice here. Take it, leave it, I'd take it. But. Maybe - ask - and wait for an answer before you pull the trigger on going after her friend. I get it. You want all these assurances. But, you catch more flies with honey."
Just a tip from Stiles to you. )
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[And she's only doing it because Stiles is involved and he asked her to.
Jaqueline, on the other hand, looks annoyed. "So what now? We just sit here and stare at each other?"
"No," Liv replies from where she's still standing in the doorway. "You two stay in here until we get the all clear from someone we trust more than you."
Liv snaps her fingers, and the astral projected version of Stiles disappears. Then she steps back, engaging the trap on the conference room door, and shuts the door behind her.]
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( It was his hubris that made him think he could help, and now he's benched with the B-team.
The conference door slams with a deafening echo, Sierra knowing full well they've been spelled inside.
"Astral projection. Clever trick," Sierra says, getting up immediately. "I have another." But her disadvantage inside the spell (4) lights the ground under her but does nothing. Her eyes narrow. "Big mistake, Olivia." )
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[And she flips them both the bird through the glass. But, to hold up her end of the bargain she gestures to the conference room across the way where they can still see Stiles, but they can't touch or affect him in any way.
Liv goes back to join them and after she gives the all clear, Sweets texts Audrey to let her know that Luke is free to come up to the rest of the group. She glances down when she receives the text, before giving him a smile.
"Looks like you're all clear to go see your sister if you want."]
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Luke waits as she reads her text message, letting his eyes fall shut because he can actually breathe. He'd say thank you, but he's -- well, neither twin is polite, but he was not raised with manners and he starts to take off but stops and turns. )
I don't know where she is. And you know where she is. So, please tell me where my sister is.
( And then let's go! )
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Audrey nods with a small smile as she gestures for him to follow her. "I will take you to your sister. Don't worry."
They head upstairs to the room in question, and the second they enter, Liv beelines across the room, relief on her face.]
You okay?
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( He's shaken, but he's good. He deliberately doesn't look out the glass, knowing full well across the way two witches are plotting their next moves. )
Everything going according to plan?
( It feels like it is, but he missed out. He was the other plan. )
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[Has she made two enemies this day? Probably. But she got her brother back and it feels good to have the upper hand. She then turns to Audrey.]
Thank you for you help. I know we kind of sprung this on you.
[Audrey shrugs. "Don't even worry about it. My job was easy compared to whatever you guys were doing."]
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( She didn't know their connection, he had the upperhand.
"Hey, enough with the guilt. It gets you nowhere and things just go bad again eventually," Stiles says. It's his version of a peptalk. )
Thanks?
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Audrey blinks at her, not expecting that question and she looks at Sweets. He holds up a hand. "Doctor-patient confidentiality. I just said you could help."]
Oh.
[How to explain this ...]
I'm ... immune?
[Liv glances around her brother with a frown. "Sorry, what?"]
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( She now has two skeptical twins turned in her direction.
"Hey, we're not going through your dirty laundry. No one asked for Witch 101, so what expects you to get the Audrey download? She helped you. Maybe take that at face value." Stiles is up now, lecturing from on high - he assumes it would come across less if her were still boots up on the table anyway.
Ultimately, it's her decision, but he's going to stick up for his partner. )
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It's okay.
[She doesn't really get to tell this story much and Luke deserves an explanation for what he held witness to.]
I'm not from ... here. It's a very long story doesn't really matter here, but the people where I'm from are immune to some mental effects from supernatural sources and witch craft is apparently one of them. Physical stuff still works though, you could throw me across the room with magic and I would still fly.
["Huh." Liv nods. "Good to know."]
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( He doesn't say it often. He knows how his sister and him come off. They're an indimidating package. And sometimes a bratty package. He never out grew that. )
We won't.
( no need to test any theories. )
Anything?
( has anyone come out and said the mission was a success? )
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Nothing from Lydia or Malia yet. But we should hear something soon. Once they're in the clear, we're good to let them go.
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( but that's just him. )
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[And Liv will keep the letter of the promise, even if she's not keeping the spirit of it.]
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( if he gets a vote. his hand even shoots up. )
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[She holds up her phone.]
Which means they're both alive and Parrish is near-indestructible so we're just waiting on Jackson.
[She does not mean to show a lack of concern for her cousin's not-boyfriend but ... have you ever tried to kill a hellhound?
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So, Parrish and Jackson aren't accounted for.
( He pauses. )
On our team.
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[Given all the threatening and kidnapping and ruining of her vacation.]
Their team can rot.
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( he sighs. )
Anyone have an in into theirs?
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I don't make a lot of friends in the Colony. They don't usually make good friends.
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