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

[praevaricatio]

Comments

[maleficum]

[David glances back over to her, before giving her shoulder a squeeze and shaking his head.]

You didn't know. And it wasn't your idea. I never blamed any of you.

[ostensively]

We still trusted them.

( And even after, at least immediately after, they trusted them.

At first, they thought he disappeared. Escaped the family, not the demon that took up his body.

Speaking of disappointing parents, she hates that their plan involves drawing her parents back, but it's the only way. )

The chaos we're starting...

( That was going to start. chaos like she did start with leaking the list of supernaturals. )

[maleficum]

We always knew was going to be collateral damage. That's why bringing you back in was so timely. We can at least throw it on the Gauntlet.

[And the Gauntlet means their parents started it, not them. They certainly moved up David's time table.

But as he's talking about this, he's texted by his husband and he sighs.]

Any ideas for speeding up the recovery at Kirsanov's but not making it look like we want them to find something?

[ostensively]

If Jaq were here, she could make it her mother's idea, but, in lieu --

( of that. she thinks. )

We don't want them to activate protocol or every inner circle member will reunite and ascend earlier than either of us wants them, too. I could create a paper trail. So to speak. There are... ways of making it look like Kirsanov is still alive, but -- MIA. Should a member drop off completely, that could spark an envoy. Bringing the others in from the cold.

[maleficum]

[David scratches at his chin as he thinks trying to see what would be the best way to play this.]

Do we have someone who could fake some distress calls?

[ostensively]

I haven't burned every bridge. You?

( And there's always the in-the-wind, Hallewell. )

[maleficum]

[He pauses, weighing his options, before offering her arm.]

Maybe we should go get lunch? Talk about this over Thai?

[And not in the middle of Colony headquarters, even if they are being private.]

[ostensively]

( Yeah, in the belly of the beast. He doesn't have to ask her twice. There's a nice Asian market down a few blocks she used to go to. They get to stay on foot and not use any Colony tracked vehicles.

Once they wait with their number for their food, she resumes their conversation. )

Who do you have in your pocket?

[maleficum]

I could see if the Winchesters have someone. But we've been asking them for a lot, and I'm not sure if we want to keep tapping that well.

[Eventually this is going to come back to bite them and they're already unhappy with them.]

I can see if Harvey has someone, as my attorney.

[ostensively]

I have someone. ( She studies her old friend, wondering how honest she can be, in the greater scheme of things. And, if she throws this name out, it would involve Max as well, if what Jaq told her is accurate. She doesn't doubt he took the extra steps. It's how they found their lead. ) An ex-Circle member. The perfect person to know to who and how to fake their distress call.

[maleficum]

[He considers for a moment before nodding. Probably would not be good to use all of his contacts for a change.]

Do you think they'll be willing to help?

[ostensively]

We would owe a favor, and if anything goes sideways...

( but, she keeps that part back. Max is the one that connected himself, didn't he? )

He's a wildcard and I hear it's not the first time you've tangled.

[maleficum]

[David raises an eyebrow curiously.]

Who exactly are we talking about?

[ostensively]

He's not imprisoned anymore, David.

( She's going to continue to very coyly play this. )

[maleficum]

Hallewell?

[He raises an eyebrow at that, before making a bit of a face.]

I don't think he'll play, whether he's imprisoned or not. Max had to twist his arm hard to get us Rusty.

[ostensively]

( That's right, they're all aware of him. Sometimes, he gets lost in what she was keeping and what they know. What she's been through and what could be. She sighs and sits back. )

What kind of distress call would we need, anyway?

[maleficum]

I think just something that gets their attention, but doesn't attach us to it. We need them to realize something's happened to Kirsanov.

[Giving them a reason to close ranks.]

[ostensively]

I don't know how much exposure I really have, now that I've come in from the cold. I may have someone, but I don't know how in they have it with our parents. Where does Harvey fall?

( Now. )

[maleficum]

He's not happy with me for using his girlfriend as bait but as far as I'm aware, he's still on my payroll.

[That doesn't mean he'll be happy to do it.]

[ostensively]

We're all being forced to do things we're not happy with. Why can't everyone just see that. It's like nobody understands if we fail it will impact them.

( Especially Elena Gilbert. She's over hearing about her. )

If Harvey's contact - or contacts - can send off enough separate distress signals they would reach out to the Inner Circle to close ranks.

[maleficum]

[David nods, before pulling out his phone and pulling up his and Harvey's text thread.]

Let's see what he says.

[It takes him a few minutes, before he starts tapping:]

Hey. I have something I may need your help with.

[But to Sierra's point:]

I think they have the right to be annoyed when we don't handle things as gracefully as we could.

[rehire]

Optional ask, or is this something I'm going to be strongarmed into.

( Sierra makes points.

"Please locate this grace we could all be using. Rusty is right about one thing in all of this. This is war. War is bloody. And messy. And it's not pretty or graceful. Yes, we've lost a few players on the board and lost others' confidence, but we're not dictators." )

[maleficum]

We need to speed up the discovery of Kirsanov's fate - I was wondering if you have any contacts that could help with that. If you don't, then say no and I'll find someone else.

[No strongarming here.]

No, we're not. And no, Rusty isn't wrong. But that doesn't mean we've played all our cards well, particularly where Lydia was concerned. We could have tried a phone call and an arranged meeting in advance, for example.

[rehire]

I'm his lawyer, aren't I?

( Sounds like it, but he's skeptical...

"Not that I want to start trouble in paradise, but your other half pulled the Stiles card." )

[maleficum]

Have they had a lot of paperwork handled by him in the past?

[David makes a face.]

I know. And I'm sorry that it landed you in FBI holding.