The first one recorded. Made it easier, killing a lot of birds with one "I saw Goody Martin with the Devil." ( and now more history. ) They weren't far off that some witches were aligned with Hell, but with demons, and some of the time they didn't know what they were being swayed for. ( he pauses again. ) My husband's parents - the people inside their bodies, the original Colony inner circle - did it to ensure power, and to flush out another one of their heirs. It all goes back to Colonialism.
[His tone is dry, but he's not disagreeing - more that he's been seeing the horrors of the past rise up to cause people pain long enough that he's not often surprised anymore.]
( a nat (20) has Evelyn locking her eyes on a mummified body's silhouette on an alter up ahead, the wall divets and water pours over the edge below the platform.
she holds the flashlight ahead of her as the passage opens up into a chamber with enough room for the three of them. )
So, do I win something? ( it sits, no visible markings, traps, or pitfalls between them and it. well, if you step off the platform you drop, but. don't drop.
Ezra takes a step forward and says an incantation to himself, under his breath, frowning (15) and he looks back at that.
"There's... magic there," he starts, trying to describe what he felt. )
[He moves carefully, watching the ground for any sigils or signs. He's about to ask Ezra if it's the same magic he sensed back at the head of the tunnels when -
- Suddenly it's not a cave anymore, it's a meeting hall in London. Cops and hunters are swirling around them, trying to process the carnage in this room - dead witches, and in the middle of it all two dead hunters. One, out of the corner of his vision body twisted in ways that were clearly done by a witch with a vendetta, but he doesn't care about that body.
The one he cares about, he can't take his eyes off of.
Lucas's body lies slumped, unmoving, a hole through his chest with the remains of the broken post sticking out the front. Sullivan is rooted to the spot, seeing the thing he always claims he was prepared for when he and Evelyn agreed to bring their children into this life, but he never thought it would be something he'd actually see. That it would be something he wasn't there for, that he couldn't try to stop.
"I'm so sorry, Michael."
He didn't hear it at the time, but he does upon reflection, the tone he initially mistook as compassion actually just Monroe playing a part, doing her best to keep him on their side.
"But I said the witches couldn't be trusted, and this is just further proof. We have work to do."
He can't bring himself to say anything, can't even bring himself to breathe. He needs to find Cooper, figure out where he spent his night, hope to all that is good that it wasn't inside this compound, but -
- He snaps out of the vision, eyes blinking as the well of grief he's been pushing down for months is forced back up to the surface again and he can't help but suck in a gasp, trying to find his equilibrium again and back to the job at hand.]
( No, she wasn't here. She didn't see this. She can't be seeing this. She's too is fixated on her son's body, moving closer than her husband. She even crouches down, tears fighting to the surface. She gasps as she chokes back a sob and then she's back, too.
She only gets one out as the wind is knocked out from her, as she gasps again, doubling over.
"Woah, woah," Ezra says. His (2) afforded him "magic," but his (19) affords him an explanation. "You guys went somewhere didn't you?" He licks his lips. "The magic, the spell, it's a reflection woven from -"
And like in the other passage, the mummified body goes up in flames, but the three of them can hear the screams from that day until the body is no longer there. Evelyn, bent over, watches as the body immolates, catching her breath, chest heaving as she manages to pull herself back up.
[That's about all the explanation Michael can give, before he feels a sharp flash of pain, like someone's sliced into his arm. He hisses from the pain, pushing up the sleeve of his jacket as the blood starts to bleed through the cotton.]
Didn't you say the other one triggered a mark?
[He's trying to keep his focus on the job but his emotions are bleeding through, so the question comes out a bit harsher than it should.]
( Evelyn wrests her jacket off, her shirt also blotting up the blood before she's able to push her sleeve off. The symbol finishes carving and she covers it with her hand, blood seeping through her fingers. She seethes through her teeth.
"Feels pretty triggering to me," she says through gritted teeth. She dips her head back. She has a high pain tolerance, but coupled with the experience, she's not at her best.
Neither is her husband.
Ezra holds his hands up, ) Sanguine coagulato. ( He slows their blood, the marks not abating, but the blood no longer seeping.)
The mark was triggered by burning the body, but -- ( Ezra approaches them both, moving to Sullivan, to roll his sleeve up. The blood trails down his arm, but it no longer actually bleeds.
[Sullivan keeps his eyes on the witch and waits for the explanation that hopefully comes with that recognition. He doesn't really have a lot of patience for dramatic pauses, despite his laconic nature.]
It - it's about you, it's a direct line to you and, and ( he doesn't want to say it, because it's going to hurt. and there's a lot of pain that goes down this road. and if this is their road, then what road is Elena on right now? ) and your wife and -- ( his heart beats faster, looking around them now.
[Sullivan's face immediately goes flat, anger flashing as his voice goes cool. Lucas was not part of this - fuck with him all you want, his son has suffered a lot. And everything about this means that Ezra should probably choose very carefully what he says next.]
("Michael," Evelyn cautions, her sea legs back. But, she echoes her husband as she moves closer to the both of them. "Answer him," she emphasizes, not much better than her husband, but at least not in a rage.
He opens his mouth, to try and - no, there's no way of putting this that will make this any easier. )
In this use, it's a body for a body, a body connected to you both. If she can't have hers, ( because it went up in flames ) she will bring one ( he's not trying to dramatically pause, but it's not easy to say either. ) back.
[Sullivan blinks, trying to process the logic of that but he can't quite bring himself to get there.]
As what? Zombie? Ghoul? Demon? What're we dealing with here?
[What monster with his son's face is going to crawl out of the ground, because it's supposed to be a punishment, isn't it? A curse of some kind? Retribution for destroying her get out of jail free card?]
As himself. That rune is hereditary, it's an Othala. Hernandez personalized this for the most hurt, but not because you have to put him down again. That I can promise.
( Evelyn tries to work through what he says as he says it, but still she looks to her husband, incredulous.
[Michael doesn't understand. Mostly because he's not sure he wants to believe that he's being given this gift, because it can't be a gift if it's a trap.
But before Ezra can answer that question, Michael catches a sound (17), coming from the direction of the sarcophagus, and his hand immediately goes for his gun, turning to point it in the direction of the sound.]
("I don't know, my best guess - to distract you. Whoever is after her body is after her, but, I would need to see him in person. Do diagnostics."
Grayson Gilbert comes to with a gasp, soaking wet.
he's in darkness, except for the outline of light above him. he remembers swerving, going over the side of Wickery Bridge and hitting the water with a crash.
he remembers Elena's rescuer. save her, he said.
he's in a - he brings his hand up slowly - stone - sarcophogus? he doesn't have a lot of room to move, so he presses upward. his (10) moves the sarcophagus top up slightly, but doesn't only up and down with a bang.
Ezra turns toward the sound, as does Evelyn.
"Lucas?" she says it quietly, under her breath, and takes off, running along the pathway up to the sarcophagus. there is still the outline of char from triggering the spell.
"Lucas, can you hear me? Baby?"
She's too preoccupied with the hope it's him. She inspects the top and then pushes. a (14) almost does it, but it only moves an inch. she positions herself again and yells back.
[He tries to stop her, because there's still so much about this scenario that just screams of being something wrong, but she slips his grasp and runs for the sarcophagus before he can stop her.
Gritting his teeth, he goes to follow her and he lifts the lid, bracing himself for all kinds of pain, all over again, only to see -
- not his son. Not anyone he recognizes, which just makes this even more confusing.]
[He answers the second question first, because it's the easier of the questions. Habit keeps him from giving his name right away, but he will (tentatively) offer his arm out to the other man to help him out of the sarcophagus.]
We're not here to hurt you. Let's get you out of there, and we can talk.
["New Mexico," Michael confirms, because he's not going to address his wife's mental state right now to a stranger he pulled out of a stone sarcophagus. "I take it not where you expected to be."
Meanwhile, somewhere behind Ezra, Miranda wakes up in the water. She sucks in a breath as she comes to startled awareness, only there's no air to breath, there's just water that burns through her nostrils and sends her flailing.
Fortunately, the stream isn't that deep and she's able to force herself up to break the surface. She can't think of anything else right now but trying to survive, trying to breathe, so when she breaks the surface with a gasp, hand grasping the nearest thing she can find to try and pull herself to shore.
The fact that that thing happens to be Ezra's ankle is something she will apologize for later, when she's able to talk.]
( a stranger dripping wet, too. it's probably jarring. )
No, it's not.
( he expected to be dead, or in the hospital. in virginia. but, he doesn't know this guy, that woman or -- their -- son?
leaning against the sarcophagus, he sees the arm grab ezra, who jumps, "Guys," he says, immediately crouching to pull this woman out of the stream. )
Miranda!
( He jumps down from the platform and rushes to his wife's side, lowering himself down, too. )
Roll her on her side.
( If she's taken in water, he rubs her back, grateful for the help from this third stranger, who is concerned, but mostly looking at him because he wasn't expecting... him.
"I'm sorry," he calls behind them, to the Sullivans. "I swear. The spell is connected to you.")
Miranda, can you breathe? ( and then ) Spell?
( Evelyn can't hold back, her stomach turns in an instant and she doubles over again, emptying the diner food they'd had earlier on the stone pathway. )
[It takes some time before she can speak, before the water is forced from her lugs and she can grasp for the air again. Her hand reaches for her husband's however, and all she can do is try and breathe.
The spell is connected to them. Sullivan turns that over in his head and draws a conclusion that maybe they should have sooner (17).
He places a hand on Grayson's shoulder, apologetic at turning him away from his clearly suffering wife, but it's important:]
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everyonelives2024-11-30 05:12 pm
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[But that's about the extent of what he knows about the Gauntlet (10). He doesn't have very many witch friends, clearly.]
Wasn't that back in the Salem Witch Trials?
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[His tone is dry, but he's not disagreeing - more that he's been seeing the horrors of the past rise up to cause people pain long enough that he's not often surprised anymore.]
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( Sullivan, if you don't have any other questions, spot check! )
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Anything interesting, Evie?
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she holds the flashlight ahead of her as the passage opens up into a chamber with enough room for the three of them. )
So, do I win something? ( it sits, no visible markings, traps, or pitfalls between them and it. well, if you step off the platform you drop, but. don't drop.
Ezra takes a step forward and says an incantation to himself, under his breath, frowning (15) and he looks back at that.
"There's... magic there," he starts, trying to describe what he felt. )
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[He moves carefully, watching the ground for any sigils or signs. He's about to ask Ezra if it's the same magic he sensed back at the head of the tunnels when -
- Suddenly it's not a cave anymore, it's a meeting hall in London. Cops and hunters are swirling around them, trying to process the carnage in this room - dead witches, and in the middle of it all two dead hunters. One, out of the corner of his vision body twisted in ways that were clearly done by a witch with a vendetta, but he doesn't care about that body.
The one he cares about, he can't take his eyes off of.
Lucas's body lies slumped, unmoving, a hole through his chest with the remains of the broken post sticking out the front. Sullivan is rooted to the spot, seeing the thing he always claims he was prepared for when he and Evelyn agreed to bring their children into this life, but he never thought it would be something he'd actually see. That it would be something he wasn't there for, that he couldn't try to stop.
"I'm so sorry, Michael."
He didn't hear it at the time, but he does upon reflection, the tone he initially mistook as compassion actually just Monroe playing a part, doing her best to keep him on their side.
"But I said the witches couldn't be trusted, and this is just further proof. We have work to do."
He can't bring himself to say anything, can't even bring himself to breathe. He needs to find Cooper, figure out where he spent his night, hope to all that is good that it wasn't inside this compound, but -
- He snaps out of the vision, eyes blinking as the well of grief he's been pushing down for months is forced back up to the surface again and he can't help but suck in a gasp, trying to find his equilibrium again and back to the job at hand.]
Fuck.
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She only gets one out as the wind is knocked out from her, as she gasps again, doubling over.
"Woah, woah," Ezra says. His (2) afforded him "magic," but his (19) affords him an explanation. "You guys went somewhere didn't you?" He licks his lips. "The magic, the spell, it's a reflection woven from -"
And like in the other passage, the mummified body goes up in flames, but the three of them can hear the screams from that day until the body is no longer there. Evelyn, bent over, watches as the body immolates, catching her breath, chest heaving as she manages to pull herself back up.
"Fuck."
He turns back to them.
"Where did you go?"
All she can do is look at her husband.
"Our son." )
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[That's about all the explanation Michael can give, before he feels a sharp flash of pain, like someone's sliced into his arm. He hisses from the pain, pushing up the sleeve of his jacket as the blood starts to bleed through the cotton.]
Didn't you say the other one triggered a mark?
[He's trying to keep his focus on the job but his emotions are bleeding through, so the question comes out a bit harsher than it should.]
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"Feels pretty triggering to me," she says through gritted teeth. She dips her head back. She has a high pain tolerance, but coupled with the experience, she's not at her best.
Neither is her husband.
Ezra holds his hands up, ) Sanguine coagulato. ( He slows their blood, the marks not abating, but the blood no longer seeping. )
The mark was triggered by burning the body, but -- ( Ezra approaches them both, moving to Sullivan, to roll his sleeve up. The blood trails down his arm, but it no longer actually bleeds.
his roll of (15) knows what's coming. )
I've seen this rune.
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[Sullivan keeps his eyes on the witch and waits for the explanation that hopefully comes with that recognition. He doesn't really have a lot of patience for dramatic pauses, despite his laconic nature.]
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where is he? he's coming.
someone's coming. ) Your son.
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What about my son?
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He opens his mouth, to try and - no, there's no way of putting this that will make this any easier. )
In this use, it's a body for a body, a body connected to you both. If she can't have hers, ( because it went up in flames ) she will bring one ( he's not trying to dramatically pause, but it's not easy to say either. ) back.
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As what? Zombie? Ghoul? Demon? What're we dealing with here?
[What monster with his son's face is going to crawl out of the ground, because it's supposed to be a punishment, isn't it? A curse of some kind? Retribution for destroying her get out of jail free card?]
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( Evelyn tries to work through what he says as he says it, but still she looks to her husband, incredulous.
"Are you, is he telling us --" )
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[Michael doesn't understand. Mostly because he's not sure he wants to believe that he's being given this gift, because it can't be a gift if it's a trap.
But before Ezra can answer that question, Michael catches a sound (17), coming from the direction of the sarcophagus, and his hand immediately goes for his gun, turning to point it in the direction of the sound.]
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Grayson Gilbert comes to with a gasp, soaking wet.
he's in darkness, except for the outline of light above him. he remembers swerving, going over the side of Wickery Bridge and hitting the water with a crash.
he remembers Elena's rescuer. save her, he said.
he's in a - he brings his hand up slowly - stone - sarcophogus? he doesn't have a lot of room to move, so he presses upward. his (10) moves the sarcophagus top up slightly, but doesn't only up and down with a bang.
Ezra turns toward the sound, as does Evelyn.
"Lucas?" she says it quietly, under her breath, and takes off, running along the pathway up to the sarcophagus. there is still the outline of char from triggering the spell.
"Lucas, can you hear me? Baby?"
She's too preoccupied with the hope it's him. She inspects the top and then pushes. a (14) almost does it, but it only moves an inch. she positions herself again and yells back.
"Help me!" )
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[He tries to stop her, because there's still so much about this scenario that just screams of being something wrong, but she slips his grasp and runs for the sarcophagus before he can stop her.
Gritting his teeth, he goes to follow her and he lifts the lid, bracing himself for all kinds of pain, all over again, only to see -
- not his son. Not anyone he recognizes, which just makes this even more confusing.]
- the fuck?
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With her husband's help, they push the sarcophagus top off and they come face to face with Grayson. )
Who are you?
( He kicks himself up to a sitting position at least, on the defensive, pushing to the back corner. )
Where am I?
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[He answers the second question first, because it's the easier of the questions. Habit keeps him from giving his name right away, but he will (tentatively) offer his arm out to the other man to help him out of the sarcophagus.]
We're not here to hurt you. Let's get you out of there, and we can talk.
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( she leaves her husband to help him, because all she can do is step back, stumble down one step and turn away.
"New Mexico?" he asks accepting the offered help, as he climbs out. "Is she okay?" And then again. "New Mexico?" )
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Meanwhile, somewhere behind Ezra, Miranda wakes up in the water. She sucks in a breath as she comes to startled awareness, only there's no air to breath, there's just water that burns through her nostrils and sends her flailing.
Fortunately, the stream isn't that deep and she's able to force herself up to break the surface. She can't think of anything else right now but trying to survive, trying to breathe, so when she breaks the surface with a gasp, hand grasping the nearest thing she can find to try and pull herself to shore.
The fact that that thing happens to be Ezra's ankle is something she will apologize for later, when she's able to talk.]
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No, it's not.
( he expected to be dead, or in the hospital. in virginia. but, he doesn't know this guy, that woman or -- their -- son?
leaning against the sarcophagus, he sees the arm grab ezra, who jumps, "Guys," he says, immediately crouching to pull this woman out of the stream. )
Miranda!
( He jumps down from the platform and rushes to his wife's side, lowering himself down, too. )
Roll her on her side.
( If she's taken in water, he rubs her back, grateful for the help from this third stranger, who is concerned, but mostly looking at him because he wasn't expecting... him.
"I'm sorry," he calls behind them, to the Sullivans. "I swear. The spell is connected to you." )
Miranda, can you breathe? ( and then ) Spell?
( Evelyn can't hold back, her stomach turns in an instant and she doubles over again, emptying the diner food they'd had earlier on the stone pathway. )
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The spell is connected to them. Sullivan turns that over in his head and draws a conclusion that maybe they should have sooner (17).
He places a hand on Grayson's shoulder, apologetic at turning him away from his clearly suffering wife, but it's important:]
Your name. What's your name?
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