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

[praevaricatio]

Comments

[abad_influence]

[Either way, he feels like he'll have to at least be on the ground, just in case. But all the same:]

I'm not doing anything until after I see my brother.

[Because he's not going to run out on Coop when he's on his way here. And Coop seems to have the longer trek, so they have time to do some research and make sure this will work.]

We have time to figure out if it'll actually work before you make me bleed for it.

[cholesterol]

We're not making you do anything.

( he wants it on the record.

"Have your reunion," Ezra says, pulling his phone out, letting them know as he steps away. "I'm messaging our boots on the ground."

Dean sidles up next to his girlfriend.

"What do you want to tell your parents, do you want to wait for your brother?" )

[braveandstupid]

[Lucas doesn't feel like any of this isn't a coerced choice on his part but he will agree that Dean isn't the one doing the coercion so he'll let it go and head back to exploring the bunker and seeing what's what.

Elena shrugs as she glances down at her watch.]

He's probably not far out. We should just wait and tell them all together.

[cholesterol]

I'll follow your lead.

( For once.

Evelyn and her husband have a moment in the kitchen, before she finds her son wherever he's ended up in the bunker.

"What are you thinking?" )

[abad_influence]

Nothing.

[Well, lots of things, but nothing he's really ready to share at the moment. He wants to know how much his death has gotten around to other members of the community. He wants to know how much he's going to have to rebuild.

But he also doesn't feel like he can think about any of this until he's sure he's going to stay alive for good.]

Or trying to, at least.

[disputable]

You can say the out loud thoughts.

( She understands why they're hard. She knows he went from being alive to learning that he's one of three keys to - hopefully, for all involved - staying alive. )

[abad_influence]

[Evelyn's been trying to get him to say the out loud thoughts his entire life. He shouldn't be surprised now is any different. He picks at the leg of his jeans for a moment before shrugging.]

There's always a catch, right?

[disputable]

No, there isn't always. ( But, she knows better, too. ) But, that is the world we live in. And I've seen you beat the odds before and if you ask me, the odds are in your favor here. I wouldn't want to be on the other end of your scope.

( But, she's here to listen, not just to put pep into a step that seems beaten down. )

What else? Get it out.

[abad_influence]

[He glances up at her because the other biggest thought is Karen. And now isn't really the time to get into that with his mother. So he tries to find something else, but when he can't, he shakes his head.]

Even if I don't bleed for those bullets, I'm still going to have to bleed for a lot more people before this is over.

[Because he has a feeling a lot of people got told he was dead.]

[disputable]

( She can see that. She knows the toll his death took, how it destabilized and ultimately led to something better for hunters. But, he doesn't. )

I'm more concerned about your internal bleeding. ( because blood is now a metaphor at this point. ) I love how big your heart is and how much you care about everyone else, but this is the time you need to care about yourself. Listen to yourself. No, it won't be easy. And it's going to hurt. Them, and you. But, like ripping off a bandaid, after all is said and done, it will get easier. And, it's you. You'll find your sense of humor ( and his sense of duty ) and I know you've never lost your sense of self. You're not going to start now.

[abad_influence]

[It isn't so much who he is that he's worried about, but whether he still fits. Whether the people who spent almost a year grieving him still have a place for him. But he also really doesn't want to talk about himself right now, and would much rather deflect.]

So where's Coop coming from again?

[disputable]

( Deflection works for now. )

He's in Star City.

( Her other son's relationship news feels more like a brother-to-brother conversation, but she's not hiding it. She just doesn't know how appropriate it would be to - maybe not gush, but - she does like William. And Cooper is happy. )

[abad_influence]

[His brow furrows as he leans back in his seat.]

That's fancy. What's he doing up there? A job?

[disputable]

He's actually - taking a break. He met someone in Europe. And they are seeing each other. And he is based in Star City.

( He asked, so this doesn't feel like breaking confidence. And they were all tight once. )

[abad_influence]

[Lucas' eyebrows go up that there's a person out there that his brother is interested enough in playing house with. He also doesn't miss the fact that she says Coop and this mystery man met in Europe.]

Huh. Good for him.

Group Text 2.0

[praevaricatio]

We think we have answers and a plan. I'm coming to you. Probably in the next 24 hours.

[tearhiseyesout]

Oh goody. To what do we owe this unexpected visit?

[Can you sense her sarcasm? It's so much sarcasm.]

Tired of babysitting already?

1/?

[praevaricatio]

I thought we established people in my care don't die

[ostensively]

Someone tell me why I shouldn't just slap Helena Gainor on her botoxed, humoring face.

And, of course, get to the point, Adin.

DONE

[praevaricatio]

1) Get in line and stay on topic please

2) We have it on good authority one of Hernandez' vessels has to be the one to do in Hernandez. So, yeah, Jaq. I'm on babysitting duty. But, I don't think you should land on this one's bad side.

[tearhiseyesout]

That's funny, I've always heard I'm a delight.

[That being said, she's still annoyed that she doesn't get to murder. Again.]

Please tell me they're actually useful and not going to need use to spoon feed them the kill.

1/1

[praevaricatio]

He's a hunter, he's pissed, and he knows what he's talking about.

[tearhiseyesout]

At least there's that.

[Could have been worse.]

Let us know when you get in.

[praevaricatio]

Recon only until we get there, Jaq.

[tearhiseyesout]

[She doesn't dignify that with a response, but she does make a face and go "recon only until we get there" in a dumb voice.

Ezra can't see it, but Max gets a glimpse of how mature his sister is.]