there are prizes all around you if you're wise enough to see

[praevaricatio]

Comments

[tearhiseyesout]

[She watches the phone tap for a bit before rolling her eyes.]

Your desperation is showing.

[She's his sister. She's allowed to call him out on it. And tease him about it.]

Is he really the first person who's ever told you no?

[maxxx]

( they're going to talk about it? they're going to talk about it. he doesn't look her in the eye, though. )

You know the answer to that.

( she went to school with him. saw his girlfriends. hookups. lovers. she's seen him sneak people out. no isn't a word he heard much - even from his parents. )

[tearhiseyesout]

[It's honestly kind of tragic, but also not surprising. Max was always most frustrated by the things he couldn't have, so he went out of his way to make sure he never had to worry about that.]

Is it because he has the power now? Or are you really hurt that he doesn't want to sleep with you?

[Because it feels like a power thing. Rusty was able to refuse, so he becomes something Max can't control. Can't get out of his system because Rusty won't let him and is keeping himself there.]

[maxxx]

I do like being in control. Power. We were raised on it. You can't blame me for feeling a little uncomfortable with this dynamic I didn't need to even start.

( he put himself out on a limb on a train and he was rejected. )

He's missing out, but that's not why he's here. He's got freakin ancient witch blinders on. And what happens after all this? Assisted suicide? He goes back to Hershey Park? ( off his sister's look. ) Really. You're right. There is no power here. Only a plan we need to execute.

( and a shot that he takes, too. that will help things. )

How are you feeling about Sierra returning to the vipers' nest?

[tearhiseyesout]

[She shrugs, leaning back in her seat and directing her gaze out towards the people bustling around them.]

She knows what she's doing. And I trust David to at least keep her alive for now.

[maxxx]

All this talk of keeping people alive. You'd think we weren't on a hit.

( But they are, and he wishes everyone would remember that. )

[tearhiseyesout]

[Jaqueline rolls her eyes, because she knows what he means, but at the same time:]

We're the ones who stay alive. It's the other people we want dead.

[maxxx]

( they're in a holding pattern twice-over, which only makes him feel more restless. )

This hunter better get it done.

[tearhiseyesout]

I'm sure he will. He's highly motivated.

[She would assume.]

And if he doesn't then we overrule Ezra, kill all the vessels, and call it a day.

[Because they should at least have a plan B. Jaqueline does not care about Elena Gilbert's feelings - or this random hunter's family for that matter.]

[maxxx]

And piss off Ezra and David in the process.

( Devil's advocate, sis. )

Just saying. I'd rather fall on or behind the line.

[tearhiseyesout]

They're being sentimental, and this is a war.

[Jaqueline would like to believe that they're all well enough aware of the stakes here. She glances over and sees the third member of their group finally arrive.]

And I'm sure Rusty will agree with me.

[Rusty raises an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I want to touch that."]

[maxxx]

Which is why Hernandez' latest trap made it sentimental. This is a part of it. The mind games.

( It's supposed to trip them up.

Oh. Hey. He masks how Rusty's arrival hits him, or tries (16), and speaks. )

Did you know about Hernandez' failsafe? How it works?

[an_honestword]

[Rusty does not (9). He knows they probably set the booby traps, but he was far out of the Inner Circle by the time they were actually burying them.]

No. Why?

[maxxx]

Because Elena Gilbert's parents and some random hunter's son are all back from the dead. Meant to be vessels.

( he'll get to 'only they can kill her' soon. )

[an_honestword]

[Rusty blinks, confused as to why this matters.]

Vessels for her to jump in to if we kill her?

["Yep. And apparently they get to survive and not be possessed if they're the ones to kill them personally."

Rusty nods as he processes that, before moving to sit at the table.]

Quick question. Who is Elena Gilbert and why do we care about her formerly dead parents?

[maxxx]

Not altogether, but, if any one of them does it.

( Max smirks. What a long story. )

She's the Petrova doppelganger, for one, and very important to your former coven. Two, she's allied with us and was helping in disposing of Hernandez' body. She got bled and got her dead parents back. Ezra Gainor used to keep tabs on her. He was a plant. It's all very "It's a small world."

[an_honestword]

So Ezra has a soft spot for her and instead of taking Hernadez's advantage off the board, he's trying to use a loophole.

[Jaqueline points one hand out at him with a grin. "See! I knew he'd agree with me."]

[maxxx]

They. We've been told to stand down until this hunter, Lucas arrives in person.

( He's not acknowledging the elephant. Yes, he would agree. )

[an_honestword]

[Rusty takes a deep breath because he doesn't like this by any means.]

At least one of them is a hunter.

[If they were dealing with someone completely hopeless, Rusty would advocate killing them and cutting their losses.]

[maxxx]

And he's motivated. Doesn't want to just be dead again.

( So, you're caught up. )

Did you do any recon?

[an_honestword]

[He shrugs.]

Some. She's got her sycophants floating around her so you can't really get that close. And her security is pretty tight.

[maxxx]

Have you seen her. Actually seen her go in or out. Anything we can use. Any kind of personal routine.

( Hm? )

[an_honestword]

Oh, I've seen her. She wouldn't have put herself in successful actress if she didn't want to be seen.

[She loves to hold court with her fans after all.]

But I couldn't get close enough for much that was distinctive. Probably for the best if we need to reconfigure our plan for this new person anyway.

[maxxx]

Successful actress. Have you been holding out on us?

( This is what working with Rusty is like. )

Promise us this. Mission three, you stop keeping everything need to know. That would help. ( Wouldn't it? ) Something to work off from at least.

[an_honestword]

[Rusty raises an eyebrow.]

Don't worry. By the time we get to your parents, you'll be the experts. They don't leave me a lot of options to get close to them. And Corsairs and Wallace make enough splash that it won't be hard to find them.

[He's not holding back information on purpose. You're just not asking the right questions.]

Hernandez's latest host is Rosalyn Sanchez.

[Jaqueline's brow furrows. "Seriously?"]